Chapter 2
...
"Claudia, where are you?"
"I'm fine, mom. I'm in Seattle,"
"Seattle? What for?"
"I needed to get out of Rome for a while, that's all," Claudia's dark brown eyes scanned the crowd of people around her while she spoke to her mother on a long distance call from Italy. "Look, you and daddy just enjoy your project. I'm fine,"
"You're going to try to find Dorian, aren't you?"
"Mom, I have to go. I love you," Claudia closed her phone with a snap, staring at the blank screen for a moment before looking around and stuffing the phone in her back pocket. She grabbed her bag and headed back into the crowd, blending in seamlessly. Three days ago, the Federal Government and the Japanese authorities had announced that the case of her brother's mysterious disappearance was closing because no evidence could be found as to his whereabouts. There had been several hundred reports from several hundred people of strange happenings in Toyama the same day Dorian had vanished; Cars going dead all at the same time, a freak storm and a strange manifestation of an ancient castle appearing in the clouds.
Her only clue was the Toyama School of Archaeology where her brother had been in an internship before disappearing.
After a year had gone by with no word, her parents had given up and moved on with their lives, leaving Claudia alone to keep hope alive. Her brother wasn't dead. She knew that in her heart.
He couldn't be dead. There was too much unfinished business between them. Dorian simply wasn't allowed to cheat his way out of that by dying, or disappearing.
After an hour of walking around aimlessly in the mall, Claudia found herself standing in front of various restaurants, choosing a seat at the far end of the strip at a small café and deli. As she sat down to eat her chosen sandwich, her cell phone began buzzing obnoxiously in her back pocket.
"Hello?" She didn't recognize the number.
"I understand you're looking for your brother," The voice was obviously being distorted by some kind of voice disguising device, making it impossible to discern who might own the original voice.
Claudia blinked in surprise, her hand freezing over the sandwich in her plate while her eyes immediately darted around her. Was she being watched?
"Who is this?"
"My name is Kima Hagashi, and I have information that you need,"
"What information? How did you get it?" Claudia turned in her seat, searching the hundreds of faces everywhere for someone else who might be using a phone and watching her. Everyone had a phone and all of them looked suspicious.
"Good, I've gotten your attention," There was a long pause and then finally, "I'll be in touch,"
...
A week later, Claudia was lounging back in her bed at the hotel, staring at the one way, first class plane ticket that had been shoved under her door and the caller ID screen on her phone, debating as to whether or not she should bother returning the missed call she had received while she had been in the shower. The voice mail had been short and sweet.
"I know you're looking for your brother and I have vital information that may lead to his location. I am currently investigating a group that was directly involved with the Toyama mystery several years ago. If you're interested, you have my number,"
Claudia sighed quietly before hitting the call button and lifting the phone up to her ear.
"This is Kima."
"One way, first class?"
"Ah, Claudia. I was wondering when you'd call. I have information on your brother. Can you be in Japan by tomorrow morning?"
"Apparently so. My flight leaves at noon today,"
"Great. I'll have a favor to ask. I'll see you then. Oyasumi nasai."
"Yeah," Claudia muttered as the line went dead and she slammed her phone closed, her chocolate brown eyes alight with suspicion. Her intention had been to get to Japan the entire time. The only reason she had hesitated was because she wasn't sure what she'd find. She'd been waiting for a sign, and now she had it.
The only real question now; would it be worth it?
...
"Dorian, you can't go!"
"Claudia, I'm not having this fight with you right now. Look, mom and dad are smothering the hell out of me and you know this internship is the only way for me to get away from that."
"Well why can't you do it somewhere close?" Claudia reached out and wrapped her fingers around the handle of the case enclosing his laptop. Dorian growled, yanking it back from her.
"The farther from them I am, the better off I'll be,"
"But Japan?"
"It's cheaper and I'll actually be surrounded by people who share a common interest. Look, you and I both know that I've got no future in the same field mom and dad are in. My interests are elsewhere. Besides, I love Japan," Dorian, his dark brown eyes saddening, reached out and touched his younger sister on the shoulder. "It's only for a year and then I'll be back. Believe me, it'll be over before you know it,"
"So that's it then? You're leaving me behind for your own selfish reasons,"
"Claudia, you don't need me here,"
"Yes, I do!"
"Claudia, look, you're grown up now. Do what I did. Put your foot down. Get out of here. If you stay, it'll kill you."
"Can't I come with you?"
"You've got to find your way on your own. I'm interested in ancient legends and history and you've got your eye glued to a view finder. Go places, take your camera and take some incredible shots."
"You sound like Aunt Meg,"
"Aunt Meg was the one person in this family who had some sense. She took better care of us than mom and dad, so maybe taking her advice, no matter who it comes from, would be wise. Look, I've got to go or I'll miss my flight,"
"Dorian-"
"Good bye, Claudia."
...
Thirty thousand feet up and she still couldn't clear her head or think things through. Of course, the looks she kept getting from the two Japanese men sitting in the two seats to her left weren't helping her situation.
She must have been wearing a sign that screamed, "I'm an American bimbo and I'm super easy" because they looked hungry in a way that didn't require food.
And they were old. Very old.
Believe it or not, that wasn't even the worst part. Sometimes she loved that most of those perverted old Japanese businessmen assumed that most any American girl that went to Japan for vacation couldn't understand the language. It usually gave her the element of surprise when it came to the rude things that were said that absolutely infuriated her, but she was thirty thousand feet above the open ocean and she was surrounded by at least twenty old businessmen, two females who were sleeping and maybe one other American man. There was one flight attendant but she was currently flirting with someone towards the back of the first class cabin and probably wouldn't be paying much attention.
Sighing quietly, Claudia reached for the headphones stuffed into her bag, turned up the volume on her mp3 player and closed her eyes.
She never wanted to fly first class again.
...
The rain was falling in sheets so thick that anything beyond five feet could barely be seen. Even the lights of the cars slowly moving along the slick, wet streets were faint in the darkness.
Street lamps flickered overhead along the sidewalks each time the lightning struck too close. Thunder rolled ominously in the skies, effectively covering up any other sounds around them.
Rowen Hashiba adjusted the collar of his white button-up shirt and frowned from where he stood under the awning of his favorite sushi bar.
He'd only been back in Japan for a day, in Toyama for only a little over two hours, and already his mood was set. It had been such a gorgeous day when he'd arrived, that it was depressing to see it change so quickly.
Still, from the conversations he could hear around him at the bar, the rain was greatly needed.
Rowen glanced around for a moment before leaning back against the bar and waiting for the rain to clear up. He'd be late to Mia's little get-together, but he doubted anyone would mind considering the weather.
A bolt of lightning nearby illuminated the sky and reflected along the windows of the huge buildings that dominated the downtown metropolitan area.
A shadow crossed over the panes of reflective glass, making Rowen momentarily freeze up. Seven years may have passed since that final battle between the Ronin Warriors and Talpa of the Dynasty, but the memories were still vivid in his mind.
He could remember almost every detail about the happenings of that long venture. Every horrifying detail was engraved permanently in his mind's eye.
As the light faded, so did the shadow, and Rowen allowed himself to relax.
Seven years. It seemed like just yesterday he had met up with Ryo and the rest of his friends, fighting their first ever battle against the Dynasty in the middle of the street. Back then, they were a little over confident in their ability to fight, and they hadn't all gotten along very well. But as time had gone on, their hearts and minds had united and they'd become a force to be reckoned with.
Rowen found himself smiling as he stared out into the storm, visualizing that day in his mind. It made him almost nostalgic.
It was on this very road that they had had their very first encounter with the dark warlord, Anubis. The sick battle cry of "quake with fear" was still ringing in his ears. He remembered the pain he experienced the first time he'd felt the power of that kusari-gama, his first taste of Sekhmet's venom, the nightmare's from Dais' horrifying illusions and Cale's cruel dark powers.
Rowen could even remember when Talpa had separated them all, sending them to the very elements that had created them. Bits and pieces of his time spent unconscious and floating in a bubble of his armor's power among the stars was remembered.
Seven years? No, maybe seven days.
Rowen sighed heavily, reaching up and running a hand through his unruly blue hair, his eyes closing against the visions of the past. After everything that had happened, he needed to let it all go.
"Floating amongst the eyes of ages, unmoored in the stream of the sky," The British voice reflecting that verse of the legend drew Rowen's attention from the sky to the man approaching him. "After all of this time, you've still got your head in the clouds,"
"Cye!" Rowen pushed away from the bar, moving to hug his long time friend tightly. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"Where else would you be?" Cye gave Rowen a boyish grin before grabbing a seat at the bar and ordering a round of sushi rolls. "Found myself here a few days ago as a matter of fact. Nobu's still got the best sushi in town."
Rowen chuckled, resting his arms on the bar while they waited for their food. "Too true. So, how are the others?"
"They're fine, I guess. I haven't actually met up with them yet. I've spent the last couple of days working double shifts to justify this vacation. How's life at the University in Australia, Professor Hashiba?"
"Eh, it's alright. I've been a little bored since graduation, but I guess it'll all pan out. I do get to travel a lot, so, I guess it has its perks," Rowen shrugged a bit, taking a sip of his tea. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I like having such a settled life. There's no excitement,"
"We're all a bit restless these days," Cye admitted quietly. "Go out and get yourself a girl! I guarantee some excitement there!"
Rowen roared in laughter, shaking his head before burying it in his hands. "Had a little too much excitement recently in that field, Cye?"
"A little bit," Cye admitted, his cheeks reddening a little. "I heard you had a run-in with a snake a couple of months ago. You alright?"
"Spent a few days in the hospital, but I came through it fine. Scared the hell out of me, too! I still haven't figured out how it even got into the apartment. We were all really careful with that kind of thing, but then again, I guess you can never be too careful. It stung like a bitch for a while, but now it's all gone,"
"Brought up some bad memories, though, didn't it?"
Rowen nodded, his eyes darkening a little. "When the venom set in, I got a little delirious. I could swear I heard Sekhmet in the background, laughing and taunting me. If my roommate hadn't walked in when he did, I'd probably be dead,"
"That's scary stuff, mate," Cye studied his friend carefully for a moment before looking down at his food. "What happened to the snake?"
"No idea. Roommate wouldn't tell me what he did with it. I know he got rid of it though."
"Well, that's good," Cye clapped his hands and reached for his chopsticks. "Eat up, Rowen!"
...
Claudia growled as she yanked her two bags off of the luggage line and looked around. The airport was ridiculously packed, mainly because of the storm raging on outside. There was barely enough room to move, but she made her away out of the main crowd and moved towards the waiting area, her bags clutched tight in her hands until she found a spot where she could sit them down for a moment.
A few seconds later, Claudia turned to watch a lithe young woman, with a very strong build, come towards her and take one of her bags.
"You must be Claudia. I'm Nanao Hondo."
"Nanao? Where is Kima?"
"Master Kima was called away on a very important investigation. He asked me to pick you up and escort you to your apartment."
Claudia studied the woman suspiciously for a moment before nodding.
"Lead the way then,"
...
End Chapter
