by Noah Ward
Kaz ran a hand through her hair. This girl did not know Kaz from these people either.
“Listen, Shay. I am from a small village in Zenitia. My father was a merchant. My mother died when I was young.” She sprinkled some tobacco on a rectangle of thin paper. She’d never told anyone this, always convinced herself there was no need to. But now--she blamed the drink--she had to get it out, to justify that her choices had been right. “He did well for where we were, often went to the larger towns, the cities sometimes. Soon though, I began to show that I was sworn…”
“What is your ability?”
Kaz shrugged. “Honestly, I am not sure. I heal better than most...more stamina...quicker. Nothing extravagant like Hanza’s superior senses or Saito’s…” She tamped the tobacco down and licked the paper. “But even something subtle like that doesn’t go unnoticed, especially when I was close to your age. I tried to hide it, not tell my father.” Kaz stuck the rollup in her mouth and fished out her flint to light it. “Boys in the village tried picking on me a few times and I broke one of their arms. They told their parents...rumours spread and became fact. My father’s business began failing, we were driven out. They cheered. Poverty followed. We had nowhere to live. My father became involved in transporting yakura, run by one of Zenitia’s leaders--though never directly. It got him killed.” Kaz took a long puff on the rollup. “I was alone, but not for long. Saito and his generals soon took one of the towns I was staying in, and I approached them, early in the war.”
“You joined him.”
Kaz nodded. “My father had money. He’d let me learn the blade, just as he had. Sometimes I think he wish he had a son. But I proved myself and rose through the ranks, until I was one of his generals.” She sighed. “In the beginning, I wanted to take revenge on my village. Saito convinced me it was better to change their minds by showing sworn were different. I wanted to believe that. Started to. Did for a while, but then the battles became bloodier and normal people thought us monsters.”
“Did you leave?”
“After a battle where I saw what those things Asami created could truly do, I deserted. I was one of the few that survived, though badly wounded.” Kaz stayed her hand before it reached her chest. “I fled knowing the penalty for that. Sworn or not. I was in Retsudan’s army. I hid in remote villages, always worried they could be attacked in the night, they’d find out who I was. I feared unification more than anything. Soon it arrived. I thought they’d never stop looking, then I thought I was finally free. Then…” She held out her hand to Shay.
The girl averted her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong, Shay. My past finally caught me.”
“But you knew my father? What was he like?”
“The sworn idolised him; humans feared and respected him. Over time, I saw his compassion vanish, replaced by ruthlessness, hatred. He fought like a man possessed.”
“Oh…”
Kaz knew it was not the answer the girl wanted to hear. Sorry, Shay, your father is a ruthless killer despised by Zenitia and then some. Maybe her dread and bitterness were getting in the way, but she would not lie. The girl had been searching for truth and it was not always sweet. Kaz had feared the man and his generals finding and killing her for winters. It was now a more real threat than ever. But the krystallis…
“Was Denjuro telling the truth? Can he help me find my father?” Shay said, breaking the silence.
Kaz found she’d been holding her rollup for so long without taking a drag the embers had been extinguished.
“He may know you are Saito’s daughter. Whether he is able to take you to him or ever intended to, I could not say.” She relit her rollup. “I won’t tell you not to go looking for your father, Shay, but he is a dangerous man. I could not say whether he would welcome you or not. I had no intention of finding out. The kamen may--”
“What do you mean?” Shay interrupted. Her brows knitted.
“Were you not listening? I have no intention of going near that man, his generals, or the rest of Retsudan’s army. I might as well take my wakizashi and ram it in my gut now to save myself the trouble.”
Shay sprang to her feet. “You have to help me. I lied to you, about, well, everything, but that necklace--the krystallis--it really was as gift. My father would know where to get more--”
“He’d kill me.”
“I’d talk to him. I know--”
“No, Shay. You don’t know. He could kill you. You could be some illegitimate child from some woman he raped in a captured village--”
“That’s a lie!”
Kaz groaned. That was admittedly harsh, but Shay just didn’t get it. “What I mean is: you have no idea how he will react. You have stories from your mother of a man you’ve never met. I know Saito, fought with him. Even if he welcomed you with open arms he’d still slaughter me for leaving. He can’t look weak in front of his sworn or the emperor.” It was her turn to stand. “Someone not as compassionate would have told you nothing--killed you just so you’d keep your mouth shut.”
Shay gasped and Kaz knew she’d gone to far in a fit of anger. She took a breath and calmed herself. “But I won’t. Look at me, Shay.” The girl reluctantly did so. “I won’t do this.”
“You’re scared,” the girl spat back.
“...Yes.”
That killed the retort poised on Shay’s lips. “You’re going to leave me?”
“I’m...sorry. I have no choice. You can take however many aians you need, but I have no plans to stay here.” She approached her and placed both palms on her shoulders. “You’re brave, you can fight. You’ve come this far. See it through if that is what you choose.”
Shay sniffled. “But…” Then she started weeping. Kaz was abandoning her, she wasn’t so ignorant to realise it. It was like hitting a wall. The thought of confronting Saito and the others paralyzed her. She’d already killed one of them, one of Saito’s oldest friends. The punishment would be as painful as it would be long.
So Kaz did the only thing she could; pulled Shay into her while she cried and placed a hand on her head. The two stayed like that for some time.
39
Parting
This was, perhaps, the most interesting mission he’d been on, and Gin had been on a few. Infiltrating Gyokuza Castle had been fun, more so because the daimyo was known for throwing wild parties. The small tropical cluster of islands across the coast had also been more relaxing in the heat with midnight excursions to spy on a coven of high-powered merchants. Hiding in the shadows and discovering Kaz had once been in Saito’s army, not to mention Shay truly did appear to be his daughter, meant this could possibly be one of the biggest assignments he’d been involved in.
It could be the biggest mission your clan has ever been involved in, Gin.
A sense of pride, swiftly followed by smugness towards his father, had overcome him while he’d lurked in the shadows and eavesdropped on Shay and Kaz’s conversation. He had pushed feelings of guilt away, because the succinct ryojin was clearly telling the girl quite the harrowing tale. But he knew that not all of it added up, and Gin trusted his sources more than a competent warrior. With the two of them currently embraced, now was a better time than any to direct this turn of events in his favour.
When he had slipped back under the door and materialised, still weary after saving Kaz’s life, he gently rapped on the wood.
There was some shuffling on the other side, promptly followed by the ryojin’s voice.
“Come in,” she said.
Gin entered. Despite drying her eyes and keeping her gaze low, it was easy to see Shay had been weeping moments before. Kaz, however, looked as emotional as a brick wall.
“I have my request,” said Kaz.
He folded his arms, nodded. “Go on.” Safe passage for herself, probably. He’d do the same thing in her position. Plus, the aians she had meant she could live quite comfortably in some backwater Zenitian village.
“I want you to take Shay s
omewhere safe, put her in hiding,” Kaz began, keeping her gaze fixed on the girl. Shay’s mouth worked as if to protest, but she held her tongue. “Take half of the aians I have.”
“Fine,” was what he was about to say, but then he reminded himself that he was supposed to have been elsewhere instead of spying. “You’re not taking charge of the girl?” Gin said instead.
“No,” said the woman. “The deal I made with her was to bring her safely to Akimaru. That bargain has been fulfilled.”
“Don’t talk like I’m not even here!” Shay finally snapped.
Ah, what was it they said? Never work with children or animals? That adage lodged itself in his mind right about now. But he knew enough about the former to know they wanted to be treated like adults.
“Shay,” Gin said, and took a few steps towards her. “You have two choices: the first is that you leave this place by yourself. The second is that you leave in my care.” It was an illusion of choice; there was no way Gin was letting her strike out on her own. He had to lace it with truth, however. He couldn’t have Kaz wanting to involve herself further.
“Please, hear what I have to say before you make your decision. Clearly, there are people who are after you. What their exact purpose is, is unknown. They are powerful and may well be linked to Retsudan. But make no mistake, I am not doing this because I like helping little girls out of messes they’ve got themselves in.” Shay balked at that, but Gin held up his palm so he could continue. “You go out there by yourself, you’ll likely get captured. I’d like your cooperation because our interests cross paths. Saito Kitagami may not be involved--”
“You know?” Shay said meekly.
“It’s my job to know. But something tells me that Saito may not be directly involved, and I do not trust the rest of his companions. They may wish to do you harm.”
He’d taken a gamble revealing he had interests in Saito indirectly. With Kaz’s slaying of Hanza and her impassioned confession, he did not fear she would go running to one of Retsudan’s sworn.
“What do you want with her then?” said Kaz as she stood, hand never far from drawing her weapons.
“I can take Shay somewhere safe, as you suggested. She can tell me what she knows so I can piece together what is truly going on here.”
“Who’s to say you don’t use the girl as bait to draw him and the others out?” said Kaz.
Gin scoffed. “You think I have a way to directly contact any of Retsudan’s sworn? I don’t even have the people to do it. He has some of the most well-trained and deadly sworn under his command. It’d be suicide. My mission is to gather information, not engage. The man may not even be the enemy here--”
“He is the enemy,” Kaz spat, to which Shay shied away. The woman shook her head and turned away.
“Then it’s important that you stay where I can keep you safe, Shay,” Gin said in an attempt to assuage the girl. “I want to know what is happening with Saito just as much as you.”
“Do you intend to hurt him?” Shay said.
“I don’t think I could if I tried.” He focused on Kaz. “You still have the disc?” She nodded. “You can use it and someone will contact you. They can relay a message to the girl if you like and she will write her own response.” Gin let out a long sigh. “Does that satisfy everyone?”
Silence.
“What do you want, Shay?” Kaz asked the girl.
She hung her head, worrying some stain on her dirtied hakama. “I...want to see him. Have to.” Shay looked up at the two of them. “I know I can’t do it on my own. I don’t have any other choice…”
“Very well,” said Kaz. She hoisted up her pack and slung it over her shoulder. The action seemed to jolt Shay, probably adding another layer of finality to their encounter. Though Gin did not know what they had endured, he knew bonds forged in adversity were strongest of all.
“Where will you go?” Shay asked as Kaz neared the door.
“It’s better you don’t know,” Gin answered for the ryojin. The girl turned her back on them.
Just before leaving, Kaz leant in to Gin. “If I find out you betrayed my trust--”
“You’ll kill me?” he said, raising his eyebrow.
“No, but you’ll wish I had.”
“Point taken.”
“Goodbye,” Kaz said to Shay before shutting the door behind her.
Gin sighed. If she knew what he had planned, the ryojin may have seen fit to strike him down then and there.
40
The Boat
Shay felt like she was back in her village, shortly after being told her mother had finally succumbed to illness. Alone, guilty, abandoned, scared; a flood of emotions tried to pull her in every direction. In the end, she settled for letting her legs buckle and falling into a kneel.
Gin hurried over and asked if she were alright, but she was barely listening to him. She wanted Kaz to stay, not because she could fight, protect her. But after everything, the woman was the only relationship Shay had forged, the only point she could anchor herself to. Now that was gone and she’d begun drifting away, carried off by currents to unknown lands. Kaz probably didn’t see Shay as a friend, more like an annoyance or inconvenience. She wanted to be angry because that was easier. The woman had told her about her past; Shay saw how painful it was. How funny the shogens were that Kaz had known her father all this time but failed to know she was his daughter.
To be honest, Shay hadn’t known either. Still didn’t know. It was all according to other people. The only reason she had set off in the first place was because someone else had told her she must. Her only flotsam now was the slim possibility she might meet a man who could be her father. Looking at it from that perspective made it no more than a child’s daydream.
“It’s best if we don’t stay here too long,” Gin told her with a slight shake of her shoulders. Who knew how long he’d been trying to get through to her.
“Where are we going?” she said numbly.
He sighed. “I don’t know. My last lead was that house and Kuma.” Shay frowned. “The one you call Denjuro. He works for one of Saito’s sworn, a woman named Asami.”
Asami...the one Kaz claimed had poisoned her father’s mind...
“They are...friends with my father?” she said.
“They were. Now, I’m not so sure. Not that it matters now. Trying to find them would take more time and resources than I can procure. But that’s where you can help. You spent time with them.”
Shay plonked herself down by the table. “He just told me to stay in the room and wait for my father...If he was going to show up anyway.” She looked up at Gin. “Did you know my father?”
Gin’s eyebrows raised. “Not personally, no. My line of work keeps me away from the frontlines.”
“Who are you?”
“A kamen.”
“Oh…”
He sat next to her. “That doesn’t mean I’m not without my intel. Your father was born in Zenitia, that much we know. We know of his...ability, which is to say your ability, too.” He chuckled to himself. “Truth be told, no one knew he even had any children. But those on both sides of the war feared and respected him. My, er, father had met him. He said he was honorable.”
“Was he...a good person?”
Gin rocked back, shaking his head. “You can’t think of people like that, girl. People are people. Your father has done good that is perceived as bad in some people’s eyes. Some Zenitians and the south have better lives because of his efforts in the war, and some do not.”
“But you want to find him.”
“I want to know what’s going on. I’m here for information, that’s it.”
“My mother said I looked more like her than him…”
“Hmm…Let’s see,” he said, and stood.
Shay’s eyes followed Gin as he crossed into the bedroom. There was a bookcase beside the mat and sheets on the floor, which he pushed aside to reveal a recess. Stacks of scrolls, large cuts of parchment, and bounded tomes sat
on shelves or in baskets. Gin fished around for something and returned with a large, rolled up piece of parchment.
“Close your eyes for a moment,” he said, drawing a frown from Shay. “This is sensitive information collected over decades; I’d rather not show it off.”
She huffed, but she was intrigued, so complied.
Parchment unfurled, there was a slight tearing, and the sound of rustling. Gin’s footsteps approached.
“Open your eyes,” he said.
Shay did so. On the table in front of her was a oblong slice of canvas that seemed to have been taken from a large painting. A man’s face stared back at her.
Shay’s stomach dropped and her jaw swiftly followed.
“You wouldn’t believe how difficult paintings--accurate paintings--of people are to come by,” he said, clearly not sensing her distress. “A lot of artists embellish--not to mention the styles themselves. The number of times you think you know what someone looks like and--” He kneeled. “What’s wrong?”
In front of Shay was a man: long, silver hair, sharp eyes, strong jaw.
“I...I saw him.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Her hand shakily stretched out, fingertips brushing the portrait on the table. “It was at Shirocairn.”
“Shirocairn? The temple in this city?”
Shay turned to him, eyes wide, expression blank. “Yes.”
“You’re sure.” Gin tapped the picture. “This is the man.” She nodded.
Shogens…
He rubbed his chin.
“It’s him, isn’t it? Really.”
Gin nodded. “When...How?”
“After I escaped from the house. I went to Shirocairn because...I don’t know. But I was the only young person there. He just started talking to me. I didn’t know....” Shay wrapped her hands around her stomach. How could she be so stupid? How did she not know? She should have sensed something. A paternal connection from him. Something. She’d been so close.
The man didn’t seem like a bad person. He seemed...nice.