Slave of the Shadows
Cancelled Contract
Some people may tell you that shadows are just cast by objects of which light cannot pass through. Some say that shadows are a passageway between light and dark, protecting human kind from the evil that lurks beyond. But some shadows are not tied down to an object, and are, in them, a demonic power. These shadows can move freely about their surroundings. This floating fortress is one of those shadows.
If it wasn't for the shroud of both shadow and darkness, blocking light on the outside, this tower would have drawn a lot of attention from the surrounding lands. This magical shield could not be seen from outside, you had to be on the inside to see it, but you still would not be able to understand how it was possible. No one has ever broken through the whirlwind surrounding it, no one has even dared. Saibannin stood upon the only balcony on this fortress, overlooking the maelstrom, having a long discussion with someone who could not be seen or heard. Of course you would assume that he wasn't all there if you saw him pacing about the balcony having a heated argument with, it would seem, himself. If anyone where to say he was in any way insane, which has happened before, they would not last long in his presence.
The conversation lasted some time and he was getting more and more agitated each time he spoke.
"Yes, I know we need to get rid of him," he was starting to get very angry with someone. There was silence before he spoke again.
"I have people searching for him as we speak," Still silence. His voice started to lower down to a calm tone and he learnt on the balcony edge.
"I am not an idiot; I know what I'm doing."
After his conversation was finished he could hear voices outside his door, they weren't very quiet either.
"You can't go in, he is in conference," one voice explained.
"I want my money, now get out of my way before I make you" the other voice seemed familiar to Sai. It was likely to be some mercenary he had hired, with which he had no intention of paying if he returned empty handed.
Sai headed towards the door slowly, annoyed that someone had no concept of the word 'can't.'
He passed through the closed door like a ghost and stood in the hall, startling the two men.
"Why have I been disturbed, is there some sort of problem?" he waited for a reply, his patience growing thin.
The mercenary spoke first "I want my money."
"So I heard" Sai replied "but why should I pay you?"
"I did what you sent me to do," was the response.
There was silence, and then Sai smiled and spoke "you had better come in then."
With that Sai turned and marched back into his room, followed by the mercenary who was getting increasingly agitated.
"So, you found Doragon?" Sai stood in the middle of the room, facing him, awaiting an answer.
"Yes I did, you never told us what he could do, and I lost my entire team back there." The mercenary was shouting at this point, which attracted the attention of the guards down the hall, who came running into the room to help Sai, but he held up his hand to halt them.
Sai then turned his attention back to the mercenary.
"Your entire team?" he then turned his back. The mercenary ventured forward unaware of his fate.
"So therefore you did not do what I asked, I specifically told you to eliminate him," Sai explained.
"I don't care," was what came out of the mercenary's mouth "I want compensation, they are all dead."
"All of them?" Sai asked.
"Yes, all of them, are you deaf or something?""
"Then perhaps you would like to join them," the guards by the door snickered, but Sai raised his hand to silence them.
"What..." the mercenary didn't even have time to finish before Sai's katana was drawn and slammed across his chest, sending him down to the ground, lying still.
Sai stood over him, looking down upon his lifeless body, as he spoke to the guards "Take him away, Kawari can have him."
He then turned and headed back to the balcony, wiping his katana, before muttering "I'm sure he's hungry."
The two guards dragged the corpse out of Sai's quarters and down into the heart of the fortress. They took the body into a large cavern that was so dark that the guards had trouble bringing the mercenary inside. As quickly as they entered the guards dashed for the cavern entrance as quickly as they could. While the cavern was being closed behind them an earth shattering screech echoed throughout the cave, deafening the guards, making it difficult to close it off. Eventually they got the entrance closed and jumped back as the large door shook with great force and then was still. They returned to their duties afterwards, not wanting to talk about the cave, what this Kawari creature was or why Saibannin needed it in the first place.
These are the Japanese words I used in this chapter:
Saibannin = Judge (it was shortened to Sai for most of this chapter)
Doragon = Dragon
Katana = Sword
Kawari = Change
