The Open Road

by Paul Kidd

  Blow-darts hissed down from the rooftops above, streaking in towards the Spirit Hunters. But the swarm of air elementals shot up from beneath the eaves, smacking darts aside and sending wild eddies of air whipping past the rooves. Two black-clad assassins on one rooftop staggered, pierced by their own comrades’ darts.

  Chiri set the air elementals dancing above her friends in a whirring shield.

  “Wind dance!”

  Four archers were atop another roof. They opened fire, but the arrows whirled uselessly off into the wild breeze. A taut, feminine figure entirely clothed in black rose up behind the archers, drew a short, thick sword and signalled to the others. All five leapt from the rooftops, dive-rolling to the ground and coming up with weapons drawn.

  They charged at the Spirit Hunters, clashing blade-to-blade with Kuno, Tonbo and Sura. The fox drove straight towards the female assassin, her long spear thrumming through the air as she sliced at the woman’s head.

  Tonbo swept a huge blow at one of the attacking archers. The assassin dodged, then dodged again, timber splintering as Tonbo smashed his tetsubo into the cart. The huge samurai made a terrifying overhead swing straight at the man. The assassin rushed inwards to try and close the range with his sword, only to take the butt of Tonbo’s iron staff clean in the face. The assassin staggered back, and an instant later took the full force of a massive downward blow from the tetsubo. Another assassin nearby flung a pair of throwing knives at Tonbo. He turned to take the attacks on his heavy shoulder armour. One knife ricocheted away, while the other stuck uselessly in the plates. Tonbo crashed his massive weapon into the man and sent him hurtling shattered back against a wooden wall.

  Kuno fought against a man who used a weighted chain linked to a kama sickle. The chain whirled in a circle, keeping Kuno back at bay as the savage fight churned all around him. Suddenly the assassin whipped the chain forward, and Kuno spun aside, the weight blurring past his face. He tried to cut the man, but the assassin managed to twist back at the last possible instant, hacking at Kuno’s arms. Kuno caught the blow on his sword, flashing the parry forward into a chillingly efficient lunge. His enemy moved with astounding speed, dodging aside and whipping out the chain to try and crack against Kuno’s shin. The samurai leapt high, the chain hissing just beneath his sandals. Kuno landed in a crash of armour, hurtling himself forwards with a cut that should have sliced his man in two.

  The assassin dodged back once again. He struck out with the chain, this time entangling Kuno’s sword. But Kuno was already leaping in, right hand flashing his own short sword from its sheath. He cut into his enemy’s forearms and then ran him through. He flung the chain free from his sword an instant before another assassin attacked. Kuno met the man’s downward sword blow, glissing it aside and cutting the man’s arm clean off. He cut down through the man’s head an instant later, then whirled about to look for other foes. He saw Chiri fighting with twin natagama against a man armed with two kama linked by chains.

  Chiri’s opponent was skilled and lightning fast, but the rat was canny. The assassin came at her, but the twin natagama flashed and spun around in a circle, tearing one kama right out of the other man’s hand. She gaffed a natagama at the man’s face, driving him back, hacking the remaining kama from the man’s grip. The assassin leapt backwards, careening off the fallen cart. He seized a short spear from the cart, and raged forward into the attack.

  The assassin jabbed, driving Chiri back. But as Chiri’s enemy launched forward trying to cut her down, Daitanishi flew in from one side and cracked into the man’s skull. Chiri cut down with a natagama, shearing the head clean off the spear. The assassin dove backwards, making a spectacular roll across the ground.

  He came up to a crouch, flinging a pointed spike at Chiri’s face. The rat twisted aside, the spike flashing past her cheek. She hurtled one of her natagama in return. The heavy weapon spun and flashed, the hooked blade chunking deep into the man’s chest. He fell crashing to the ground, and the rat raced forward, tugging free the bloody blade. Her long white hair flashed and pink eyes glared as she hunted for enemies.

  Tonbo had caught an assassin’s sword lunge, smashing the man to the ground. Kuno cut through another man. Chiri saw Sura fighting a female assassin, her spear fencing with malignant speed.

  Sura ran a woodcutter through, then found herself face to face with a lithe female assassin dressed in black. The assassin had two short swords and a tight mesh of black mail stitched into her clothing. She came at Sura and balked as the gleaming spear flashed onto target. The woman tried to take the measure of the fox – and then suddenly Sura was raging forward into the attack.

  The blades clashed and rang, flitting swiftly back and forth. The female assassin desperately tried to flick the spear aside and closed in for the kill, but the spear point came back again and again, slithering past her guard and narrowly avoiding skewering her arm, her cheek, her throat. The assassin dove back and away from a sudden vicious lunge, coming up with a throwing spike held in one hand. But the fox had already thrown one of her own. The assassin ducked madly aside, the fox’s spike narrowly missing her throat. The assassin made a wild throw, then tried to attack with her twin swords, but the fox’s spear stabbed low and then suddenly cut upwards. The assassin somehow managed to fling herself back, and the orange spear blade flicked up, slicing the chainmail at her crotch and belly as if it were paper.

  The assassin retreated, astonished at the sudden feel of air against her bare skin.

  She threw an eggshell stuffed with pepper at the fox. Sura swirled, spinning aside, her long spear cutting and driving the assassin back. The fox came out of her whirl with a pepper egg of her own in hand, flinging it straight at the assassin’s face. The assassin jerked her head aside. The egg caught her in the temple, bursting, scattering its pepper behind her. Some of the cloud caught in the assassin’s right eye, almost blinding her with tears.

  Sura lunged at the other woman’s nearest sword, catching it between her blade and crossblade and twisting her spear, almost screwing the sword clean out of the assassin’s hand. The female assassin tried hacking at her fingers, but the cross-bladed spear flickered back, clashing against her sword and then plunging straight towards her heart. Chainmail ripped: the spear spun in a whirling cut, and the tip ripped across the assassin’s face. It tore away the woman’s face mask, slicing a cut down her cheek.

  The female assassin’s face was thin and serious – a spatter of freckles had been strewn across her cheeks. The woman flicked a glance and saw that her ambush had been utterly destroyed. The men on the rooftops were being battered by air elementals, and the last few men on the ground were fleeing back. Chiri was racing to Sura’s aid.

  The assassin stepped back and crashed a smoke bomb onto the ground at her feet.

  “That’s long enough! Go!”

  More smoke bombs burst. The assassins fled into the alleyways. Kuno raced forward, but Chiri suddenly flung out a hand to hold the man in place. A scatter of vicious little caltrops bounced and clattered in the dark behind the fleeing assassins.

  “Tsuibushi! Poison!”

  The little weapons had been blackened with soot, making them almost vanish in the shadows. Kuno halted at the edge of the nearest land, gripping his sword tightly in frustration.

  The assassins had vanished. Chiri wiped her face, looking back at the bodies scattered bloodily in the street.

  The fox whipped her spear about in a circle, flicking the blade clean. She crossed over to one of the dead assassins and rolled the body over. Tonbo knelt beside her, keeping a close eye upon the rooftops. He pulled the throwing knife out of his armour and let it fall.

  “Who were they?”

  Sura grimly examined the dead assassin at her feet. Bifuuko whirred over and took on a soft white glow, casting light over the corpse.

  Sura’s education was a deep and wondrous thing. The fox turned over the dead man’s belt, and finally found a small red wave stitched onto the inside of the cloth.

>   “Akai Nami: ‘Crimson Wave’ Ninja.”

  There were secret societies hidden here and there across the realm. Some were merely criminals, but an elite few specialized in espionage. The Akai Nami were the oldest and most professional – founded long ago by an exiled imperial prince. Sura shot to her feet and grabbed Tonbo’s shoulder.

  “Crap, they were trying to delay us!” The fox took off down a back street, well away from the caltrops. “Quickly – to the sword polisher!”

  A slew of air elementals sped along the surface of the street ahead, sweeping away the caltrops to clear the path. The Spirit Hunters ran down the alleyways, leaping over an ox that lay sleeping in the street. But suddenly the skyline up ahead glowed red, and gongs rang out to alert the town to fire.

  The Spirit Hunters came running to a hillside road, where a bridge crossed over a little stream. A house was on fire, with great seething flames writhing in the sky. Townsfolk were running to fight the flames and wet down the nearest houses. A samurai wearing a helmet draped with wet sacking led the firefighters, sending men with buckets racing to the nearby stream. Smoke billowed – men shouted. The entire scene was absolute chaos.

  A team of coughing townsmen were dragging a dead man out of the flames. The corpse was scorched – but clearly could not have died in the fire. Full of anger, Sura raced over to the dead man and knelt beside him. The corpse’s face was set in a horrifying expression of abject terror – eyes wide and teeth bared.

  Sura searched swiftly. She found a poisoned blowgun dart caught in the man’s back.

  “Damn!” Sura held up the man’s hands: his palms were darkened by oil and grit. “It’s the sword polisher.”

  Kuno stared in anger at the blazing house.

  “They must have heard us talking in the house, and sent another team ahead!” The man banged one fist against his thigh. “They have the sword!”

  The firefighters were battling to keep the blaze from spreading. Chiri walked quietly over to the side of the stream. She bowed her head, entwined both hands and closed her eyes. Suddenly water elementals rose up out of the stream – small glittering creatures shaped like floating serpents of water. The creatures curled and danced about Chiri, lifting her long white hair and sparkling with light. They caressed against her, listening as she communed her needs.

  The water elementals began to circle around and around above the stream – faster and faster and faster. They lifted upwards, and a heavy column of water arose with them. The elementals coaxed the current up into a thick stream high in the air. Water began to gush down upon the fire, making embers hiss. The firefighters stared in amazement, and then rushed in under the stream to pull burning wreckage aside with their hooks and rakes. Kuno dove in amongst them, doused with water from above as he plunged into the workshop beside the house and began hunting through the ruins.

  More townsfolk arrived, all carrying buckets, rakes and dripping mops. Reiju came racing up amongst them, leading several priests from the island shrine. She saw the Spirit Hunters, and hastened swiftly to their side.

  “Tonbo san! Sura!”

  The slender priestess looked in amazement at the water elementals dousing the flames. Steam billowed out of the blazing house, hissing as the flames died out. Smoke clung close to the ground, making men cough and choke. Reiju and the Spirit Hunters moved upwind. The priestess suddenly saw a rent in Tonbo’s sleeve armour and blood upon his arm.

  “Tonbo san! You are hurt!”

  The big man had scarcely noticed the wound. He glanced at it and shrugged, dismissing it entirely.

  “Hmph. Just a sword cut.”

  “It must be cleaned!”

  Full of concern, Reiju led Tonbo aside to sit him down beside the stream. Kuno and Chiri were helping fight the fire. Sura was left standing alone and abandoned. She waved her hands towards Reiju, fuming with hurt.

  “Hey! I just fought a bunch of ninjas too!” She called out over the chaos of the fire. “Big ones! With sharp teeth and everything…!”

  Soot-stained and with his eyes streaming, Kuno came back from the ruined workshop. He coughed, and Sura ran forward to hand the man her canteen. The man drank, wiping soot from his face. Soot and water had drenched him from head to toe. Kuno drank again, and gratefully handed back the flask.

  “There are no swords in the wreckage. The ninja worked fast!” Kuno noticed Sura’s irritated glances towards the stream. “Sura san, what’s wrong?”

  The fox whirled and snapped back in annoyance. “Nothing’s wrong!”

  A fox was always just. She caught herself, and turned away, ashamed. “I’m sorry, Kuno san.”

  “We are at a stand.” Kuno put a reassuring hand upon Sura’s arm. “Come. Let’s go home.”

  Chiri trudged over from the stream, drained and tired – still blood-stained and shocked from the battle on the streets. Daitanishi and Bifuuko clung close beside her, nuzzling her gently. Sura took a last look over the ruins, but could see nothing that she could do. Tonbo’s arm had been bandaged, and the fires were out. She heaved a sigh, and turned her face towards the Ishigi mansion.

  With Reiju walking beside them, the team headed grimly back towards the mansion. Behind them, threads of smoke drifted off above the body of the murdered man.

  A glum group sat to eat breakfast on the townhouse balcony next morning. Sura sat with her chin on a railing, looking out over the town, scowling as she raked her mind for ideas. Chiri, Reiju, Tonbo and Kuno all shared out tea, rice porridge and eggs. They ate thoughtfully, turning the case over in their minds. All were deeply troubled.

  No one had struck upon any ideas. Reiju set aside her bowl and looked over toward her friend the fox.

  “Sura san – is it truly such a dead end?”

  Kitsune Sura flicked a glance at Reiju, wondering if she should resent her. But Reiju was looking at her with untainted friendship and deep concern. The fox threw the mood away and sat herself up, spreading out her long copper-coloured hair.

  “I have no idea what to do. The sword polisher was our best hope.”

  Sura was depressed: she could simply see no way forward. Reiju served her with fried eggs and hot cakes to cheer her.

  She was proud of Sura – and it truly showed.

  “Cheer up – back straight! You are Sura the fox! You will think of something soon.” She set Sura’s favourite ice cold rice milk at her side. “Who stole the matron’s underwear and flew it from the castle flagstaff? Who put porridge into the grand abbot’s hat before the festival of fools?”

  Reiju leaned forward. Her voice became quiet and wise as she reminded Sura of things she already knew well.

  “Remember – a boulder may halt a charging horse, but water flows around. Flow around the obstacle. Approach from another side.”

  Sura sighed and nodded. She gave her friend a quiet, loving bow.

  “You were always there when I needed a calm voice, Reiju san. Thank you for pointing out my error.”

  The fox sat up, drank – ate a few swift mouthfuls of breakfast, and then began to scowl off into the distance, working at new ideas. She drank her rice milk – paused… and then suddenly twitched the white tip of her tail.

  “Right… So we need a new angle…” Sura stroked at her chin. “We must presume that there is a sword involved… The ‘Blue Serpent’, perhaps?”

  Tonbo nodded: he was halfway through a third bowl of rice. “Conspicuous by its absence.”

  Chiri furrowed her brow. She poured tea quietly for one and all.

  “Our task is essentially the same. We must find the ‘Blue Serpent’ sword. We must find who has the sword, and try to recover it.”

  Tonbo gave a shrug.

  “So who has the sword?”

  The rat gave a frown.

  “Forgive me, Tonbo san – but I believe the Akai Nami ninja are the likely candidates.”

  “Then it is beyond our reach.”

  Kitsune Sura waved the whole thought irritably away. She held out her cup for more tea.
“No! They must be taking it somewhere. There might be a way….”

  The fox suddenly sat forward. She had a plan.

  “Alright – here. There must be another local sword maker. Anyone investigating the area sword-wise has probably made some inquiries there. So visit him, and ask him if he’s seen any suspicious characters. I can describe that ninja girl I saw… If they’ve been around for a while, then they must have a base of operation, a favourite inn! We can start tracking these ninja down!”

  Chiri raised one brow.

  “Do ninja drink at taverns?”

  “Well everyone has to be somewhere! We can run the little bastards to ground!” Sura seized the last fried egg and waved it wantonly about in the air. “This is a great plan! A terrific plan! Trust me – I’m a fox!”

  Kuno folded his arms, seeing several gaping faults in Sura’s scheme.

  “If we are being watched by ninja, then we will have trouble approaching the sword maker. We would put the lives of many innocent people in danger.”

  Reiju bowed to the others.

  “Please excuse me – but I believe I may help. I am not myself under suspicion. I could perform this task for you, while some of you go elsewhere as a diversion.”

  Tonbo immediately started. He emphatically shook his head.

  “It is too dangerous for you!”