by Phil Gabriel
“Hmm,” she muttered to herself, “he stinks of dragon. But with those dragon blood tattoos, he always stinks of dragon.”
“Kitty-Sue-san,” said Akiko, “there’s no need to be suspicious. Scott-sensei hasn’t had time to do more than make a Deal.”
Casting a level gaze at Akiko, Kitty-Sue said, “Oh, really? Then why does he have a two-day growth of beard?”
With what would have been a gasp in a living human, Akiko studied me intensely. “Scott-sensei,” she asked after a close inspection, “why do you have an unshaven look?” Looking even closer, she continued, “And why do you have a burn in the shape of kissing lips on your cheek?”
Damn, there had been no mirrors in the cavern. I had missed the changes wrought by accelerated time, and the kiss Ashleigh had blown. I rubbed my cheeks, feeling the stubble on my unshaven face.
“It’s what I needed to do to seal the Deal,” I said coldly. Apologizing would only lead to more trouble down the road.
“Kitty-Sue,” I said, with as much ice as I could muster, “I don’t ask you what you have to do to complete your missions for your queen. Do you sometimes have to flirt with your targets? Should I be jealous every time you disappear for one of your diplomatic missions?” Her downcast gaze told me all I needed to know.
“Akiko-san,” I said. “Do you think it is right to question your sensei?” She cast her eyes down and shook her head sadly. Ectoplasmic tears dropped from her eyes, disappearing before they could touch the ground.
Damn, why did she have to cry? I hate it when my ghost lover cries.
“I love you both,” I said. “You’re my family. I won’t abandon you, no matter what fate throws in our way.” I debated for a moment before continuing, “I turned down the chance at immense power while with Ashley. Power that would have made demigods, spider-goddesses, and kitsune queens tremble. Power enough to swat this samurai ghost like an annoying fly. I turned it down because that much power would have made me inhuman.”
I reached across the table and took their hands; the touch of Kitty-Sue’s clawed paw and Akiko’s ghostly, barely-there appendage a balm to my soul.
“And I need to stay human: vulnerable, weak, imperfect. Because you two are there for me.
“A magician who gains too much power always goes insane. ‘Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,’” I quoted.
“The fact is,” I said, “I had little choice. Ashley could have turned me into a meat puppet and done whatever she wanted with me. This way, I not only kept my free will, but I also got us treasures that will help us in our mission.”
At the mention of treasure, Kitty-Sue’s ears perked up. “So, you got something for our trouble? Let me see!” Even Akiko composed herself and looked on with interest.
I tugged my ear, the sign for Kitty-Sue to erect a bubble of kitsune magic around us. As long as the bubble persisted, no one would notice us. It wasn’t invisibility but had the same effect.
After the bubble had popped into place, I reached into my satchel and pulled out the samurai helmet. I set it on the table and waited while they examined it.
Taking a deep sniff, Kitty-Sue said, “It’s old. Very old.”
Akiko examined it with a magician’s senses. “It’s powerful. Very powerful.”
Together, they said, “It’s dangerous. Too dangerous.”
Sliding the helmet back into my satchel, I asked Kitty-Sue to drop the privacy bubble. I motioned for the waiter to bring the check. Examining the total for the group was a shock. I thought I was used to Japanese pricing, but this was more than I had paid when we had tea with the queen of the kitsune. Why didn’t potent supernatural entities ever pick up the check?
When we returned to the hotel, Koji-san was waiting for us in the lobby, eager to discuss any progress we had made. For a moment, I was annoyed at his insistence, then realized I would also be nervous if I was a direct descendent of the samurai’s killer.
“I heard that all of you disappeared at the Hakone Dragon shrine,” he said. “We were worried you had incurred the wrath of the dragon. He is known to be easily angered.”
“‘We’?” I asked. “Who’s this ‘we’?” I didn’t want anyone else interfering in this project, and I definitely didn’t want people tracking us.
“The members of the Hakone supernatural community,” said Koji-san. “We are all interested in eliminating the curse of this onryō.”
Koji-san took a quick look around and noted that we were drawing attention. A scruffy-looking gaijin and a young Japanese lady having a discussion in the hotel lobby with the owner was sure to attract attention. Koji-san ushered us to the coffee shop.
At the table, I took charge of the seating, nodding to Kitty-Sue to take the seat facing the door. I pulled a seat around to place it at my left for the invisible (to Koji-san) Akiko, then sat to Kitty-Sue’s left. I placed my dragonskin bag’s strap over the back of Akiko’s chair and canceled the camouflage spell. Koji-san’s eyes widened at the appearance the bag.
“The dragon gifted you with a bag made from his skin?” he asked.
“No,” I replied, “I’ve had this bag for years.” I didn’t want to bring up the dragon eggshell, an item much more powerful than my magic satchel. Even though we can’t lie, magicians aren’t compelled to tell the whole truth.
We ordered drinks: a beer for me, some fizzy sports drink for Kitty-Sue, and a cup of coffee for the invisible Akiko. Koji-san had tea.
There was a moment when I automatically used Schrödinger’s spell to transfer the coffee to Akiko’s ghostly plane. I noticed Koji-san watching my gestures carefully and realized he would try this himself. Damn Ritualists; so much discipline, so little talent. It drove them to extremes to gain power.
“Koji-san,” I said, “I promise you that this spell is of no use to you. Trying it on your own will only bring grief to you.” Hell, if he didn’t get it perfect, he would translate himself to the ghost plane. Without the levitation component, he would drop to the center of the Earth.
He looked stubborn, so I added, “At least promise me you won’t try it until our Deal is done.” Who was I to tell a man he couldn’t risk his life to pursue knowledge?
“Hai,” he said. Not as clear as a straight-up “Yes,” but it would have to do.
Kitty-Sue created a privacy bubble around us and I returned to the subject at hand. “You said ‘we,’ Koji-san,” I said. “I—we—can’t have others interfering in this project.”
“Scott-san,” he said, “I assure you that no one will interfere. But I had to warn the other descendants about the danger. That’s why we decided to make the Deal with you and the kitsune envoy.”
I gave him a level look. “You know there is no ‘we’ in Deals,” I said. “All Deals are person-to-person. There is no way to evade responsibility.”
“Oh, no,” he said. “That was never my intention.”
Somewhat mollified, I ordered another beer.
“So, about this meeting with the Hakone dragon,” said Koji-san. “Didn’t he get angry when he saw you had a bag made from dragonskin?”
Kitty-Sue interjected. “First, the dragon is a ‘she,’ not a ‘he,’” she said. “She has taken over the shrine from her family and has sworn to uphold the pact. You keep feeding her rice and beans, and she won’t disturb the city.” I bit my tongue on the thought that the dragon might need more offerings soon, as she would be eating for two. Better to save that tidbit for a deathbed confession.
“Next,” she continued, “she wasn’t angry about the bag. In fact, Scott-san charmed the scales off her. She has already helped us in our quest to find the samurai’s missing armor. Once the full set of armor is recovered, we will be able to deal with the samurai ghost.”
Even though she wasn’t happy about my cavorting with the dragon lady, Kitty-Sue defended me beautifully. Only the slightest glare told me that this was a subject she would pursue when we were alone.
“How did the dragon help you?” asked Koji-s
an.
“She happened to have part of the samurai’s armor in her treasure trove,” I said. “We made a Deal and she gave me the item.”
Koji-san bit his lip, a very un-Japanese sign of excitement, and said, “May I see the item?”
I looked at Akiko and Kitty-Sue to gauge their reactions. They nodded in agreement. I pulled the helmet out of the satchel and set it on the table.
However, to mundane vision, the helmet was only a museum piece. Koji-san was unable to see the power it contained. He maintained a poker face, but asked, “Are you sure this will help?”
“Trust me, Koji-san,” I said, “in the magical spectrum, it blazes with power.”
“Even we kitsune,” interjected Kitty-Sue, “can sense the power in this item.”
Koji-san nodded, accepting Kitty-Sue’s statement. Funny that he would trust a non-magician kitsune more than the expert in front of him. I slid the helmet back into the satchel.
“So, now you have the helmet,” said Koji-san. “What’s the next step?”
“Unfortunately,” I said, “we still need the rest of the armor. We will have to trace its location.”
“How can you do that before the deadline?” asked Koji-san. He licked his lips in fear.
“The ghost wants the return of his armor more than we do,” I said as I dug into the satchel again and pulled the crystal globe that contained the lock of the samurai’s hair. “We can use this to track down his possessions anywhere in the world.” I set the globe on the table. Koji-san reached out a tentative hand, looking for permission before picking it up. The item pulsed with magic—even Koji-san could feel it. He set the globe back down carefully.
“And you’re sure giving the ghost exactly what he wants will help you stop him?” asked Koji-san.
“I believe it’s the only way to confront him,” I said.
“You’ve accomplished a lot in one day,” said Koji-san, changing the subject. “So, you’ll be leaving right away to track down the rest of the armor?”
Akiko and Kitty-Sue watched carefully, willing to follow my lead. “Sorry, Koji-san,” I said, “I need some time to recover from my interaction with the dragon.” Kitty-Sue raised an eyebrow at my description of my time with the delightful dragoness. To accentuate my point, my stomach growled loudly. I would need to refuel soon, and soak up some ambient magic.
“But I’ve already checked you out,” he said. “Shouldn’t you leave right away?”
“I’m not about to go racing around the world in search of the rest of the armor without taking the time to divine its current location,” I said.
Koji-san opened his mouth to argue, and I prepared to shoot him down. The ever-perceptive Akiko said, “He wants something. Something that he can’t get on his own.”
It all came together: Koji-san’s comments, his thinning hair and wrinkles, his rapt attention to my spells. Add in the changes to the ley lines that caused his office map to be incorrect. Koji-san was having trouble with his rejuvenation spells. He was hoping that I could quickly eliminate the ghost, freeing up the onsen for his use. In a space with so much magical potential, even his weak spell-casting would work.
Still, instead of asking for help, he was taking out his anger on me. He was trying to kick me to side of the road like an unwanted pet. Bastard. Time to show him who had the power in our relationship.
“Koji-san,” I said, “there are several things that need our attention.” I picked up the crystal globe. “We need to use this globe and the map in your office to track the armor.
“However, I noticed that the map is inaccurate, due to shifts in the local magic flows. I still need to divine the location of the rest of the armor. To do that, we will have to create an updated map to swap for the current one.”
There was a long pause, then Koji-san licked his lips. An updated map would restore his ability to cast spells. “And this updated map...”
With a bland expression, I said, “Once it has served its purpose, I can easily destroy it to keep this very valuable information from spreading. I don’t need a map, but if a Ritualist were to get his hands on this… Well, that would give him a lot of power.”
“And if you were to leave this new map with a Ritualist you trusted?” asked Koji-san.
I made a thoughtful pout with my mouth before answering, “You mentioned something about a permanent suite? One with a private onsen?”
“Yes,” he said very slowly. “The hotel has three of those suites. They are very expensive, reserved many months in advance.”
“If a trusted person were to gift me and my companions one of these suites in perpetuity, I might return that trust by leaving the updated map in a secure location,” I said. “For example, your office seems to be a very secure location.”
Koji-san pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen. “Look,” he said, “the hotel has had a series of cancellations for one of the suites. I can book you into it right now.” He looked at me levelly. “The suite should be available at least until the map needs further updating in...?”
“About five years,” Akiko interjected with a grin.
“Five years,” I repeated so that Koji-san could hear.
8
In the Hattori Hotel Onsen
I settled back in the suite’s private onsen. The temperature of the water, heated by volcanic flows, was much too hot for an American, but I was shunting some of the heat energy to my reserves. Even so, I was still sweating from the heat.
Kitty-Sue approached the edge of the onsen, having freshly showered. Her two tails were sticking out behind her. “Won’t your tails get drenched in the onsen?” I asked. Although we had showered together many times, she had shown a preternatural ability to evade the water stream with her tails, and I had never seen her soak. Even the time she had tried to drown me in the tub, she had avoided getting her tails wet.
She took a deep breath, concentrated for a moment, and her two tails shrank down to nothing. At the same time, her breasts enlarged. I opened my eyes wide in surprise.
“I didn’t know that you could transform your tails into—” I caught myself before I said something stupid.
“Of course,” she said, “it’s conservation of attraction. The tails have to go somewhere.” She looked at me like one would regard a five-year-old who asks why water is wet. Conservation of attraction? Didn’t she mean conservation of mass? At my puzzled look, she said, “If I lose my beautiful tails, something else equally attractive has to appear to compensate.” It didn’t make any sense under the laws of physics or the laws of human magic. I just shook my head. A lot of kitsune magic was unknowable by humans.
She took another deep breath before stepping into the pool, an action that froze my brain. I was admiring her figure, now augmented in the breast area, her tiny waist, firm butt, and the intriguing patch of red fur she had covering her crotch. Was she the redhead that Ashley had warned me about?
My brain unfroze as she entered the pool, hiding most of her assets. I noticed she kept her nipples just below the water level. As she breathed, they would peek out above the waterline. The only blemish on her body was the heart-shaped scar on her chest, just above the left breast. In the steam from the heated pool, I could barely discern the outline of the hilt of the phantom dagger that pierced her heart. The dagger that tied our lives together by ensuring that if I died, she would soon follow me.
Akiko entered, also naked, except for the ever present red-framed glasses. I noted the steam did not fog up her glasses. Her anime-shaped, gravity-defying figure made me glad my lower half was under water. She approached the onsen. “Can I join you?”
“Wow,” I said. “You already finished updating the map?”
“No,” she said, “I’m on break while I think about the math.”
“Well,” I said, “if it will help your thinking, please join us.”
A strange thing happened when the ghost form of Akiko entered the water. The water was displaced by her body, but her body disappear
ed. This left a sort of negative space where her body moved. I thought about the index of refraction of ectoplasm, then decided to just enjoy the show.
I relaxed and opened my chakras to the ambient magic flows. Energy flowed through my dragon’s blood tattoos, filling my reserves. As a supernatural superconductor, dragon’s blood was a perfect medium for a magician to manipulate magical forces. Plus, the tattoos were invisible unless energized.
Onsens, fed by volcanic flows, are also terrific conductors of magical energy of all types. My mental fuel gauge showed my magical reservoir was at about five percent, much lower than I had expected. I had started from Tokyo at twenty-five percent and hadn’t used much magic since. Then I examined my reservoir. It was much larger than before. My previous twenty-five percent was now less than five percent of my current capacity. Like moving five gallons of gas from a five-gallon container to a fifty-five-gallon drum. The amount of fuel was the same, there was just a lot of extra room.
Another gift from Ashley? A side effect of spending so much time with a dragon? Who knew? In any case, I was determined to fill my reservoir to the brim.
I leaned back, my head resting on the pool’s edge. I felt the stroke of Kitty-Sue’s claws against my thigh and reveled in the sensation.
“Sooo,” hissed Kitty-Sue, her eyes half closed and her nose just above the water, “you said treasuressss...” Her sibilance emphasized the plural.
“What?” I said, desperate to change the subject. “When?”
Her claws, sharper than razors when she willed it, were very, very close to my crotch.
“Yes,” said Akiko. “I remember distinctly. He said ‘I got us treasures...’” I hated the way she emphasized “us.”
Damn my truth-telling vow. How would they react to seeing the eggshell from a dragon? Would they follow the chain of thought about what it implied? The water suddenly felt cold and the claws at my crotch seemed to be made of icicles.
The dragon had been very secretive about her life cycle. Discussing it with Kitty-Sue and Akiko would unquestionably piss her off.