"You want to what?"
"Kill the demon of course." The leader of the superstitious and stereotypical village council said. "Everyone know that a demon took up residence in the forbidden castle, and now a drought was come down upon the land. So we will slay the demon and end the drought."
Seiichiro Tatsumi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefingers while he counted to 10. His Lord the Count, had sent him out to discover the reason for the growing discontent in his lands, and here, right here was the stupidity at the source of it. "There is no demon causing the drought Kodu-san, and the drought would not be affecting your village so badly if your people would dig a few wells."
The entire council eyed him sceptically. "Water comes from the sky, not the ground Tatsumi-san." Kudo-san informed him with great authority.
Tatsumi stared at him blankly, waiting for anyone to contradict this monumentally idiotic statement. When no one did, he sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat. He would have to try different tactics. "Very well, I will get rid of this demon. But if I get rid of this demon, and the drought does not end, then your village will dig some wells."
The village council mulled over Tatsumi's condition, as there was a possibility that they may have to some work, but finally agreed.
"Have you ever slain a demon before?" a senior member of the council asked.
"Dozens of times." Tatsumi lied blandly.
The council looked pleased by this and began debating what type of weapons should be sent with him.
Tatsumi listened to this discussion for several long moments with his arms folded across his chest and his foot tapping a rapid taboo on the ground. When the debate turned to the merits of a good sized rock, Tatsumi interrupted. "I have no need of any of your weapons. The only thing I require from you is a guide."
The entire council stared at him looking rather bewildered.
"A guide?"
Still no sign that anyone recognized the word.
"Someone to show me where the forbidden castle is?"
"Oh, of course!" Kudo-san said nodding vigorously. "Well make Watari do it!"
This idea was met with great approval from the rest of the council.
XXX
Watari turned out to be a man around his own age, possibly a little younger, with long blond hair and an easy smile. They found him lounging against a tree at the edge of a barley field.
The man didn't seem at all phased to find himself surrounded by the entirety of the village council and one stranger. He looked up and grinned lazily.
"Good morning."
Tatsumi glanced to the west where the sun was definitely on the decline, and felt a moment of trepidation over his task. "Good afternoon."
"Watari-san," Kudo-san moved to stand directly in front of the blonde. "You will take Tatsumi-san to the forbidden castle so he may slay the demon."
"Will I?" Watari looked up. "And why would I do that?"
The leader of the council glared at him. "Because if you don't we will burn you at the stake."
Tatsumi was shocked at this pronouncement, but Watari's grin widened and quick amber eyes skipped over to him in time to take in his expression before he schooled it back into neutrality.
"Then I suppose I will have to take Tatsumi-san to the forbidden castle." Watari turned his grin back to the council members. "I believe I will have some free time next year. You can call on me in August."
The council members all looked furious, and Kudos face was beginning to resemble a tomato. "Now Watari-san! You will take him there right now!"
Watari let out a deep sigh. "Very well then!" He jumped to his feet. "Let's be off to the forbidden castle!" And the man walked away from the group heading across the field, whistling.
The council glared after him en masse, and Tatsumi looked between them and Watari's departing form before making a hasty bow and hurrying after the blonde man.
"Watari-san! Wait!"
Watari paused only long enough to glance back over his shoulder before continuing across the barley field, but he slowed enough to allow Tatsumi to catch up with him.
"So, you're going to slay the demon?" Watari asked without looking back.
Tatsumi snorted. "I don't particularly intent to slay anybody."
Watari relaxed, and eased his pace a little more so that Tatsumi could walk beside him. "That's good. The rumors of a demon in the forbidden castle go back almost a hundred years, but the drought the council is sure is the demon's fault has only affected the village in the last year or so. If there is a demon, it's probably not the cause of it."
Tatsumi shrugged. "I doubt there is a demon, if there is, I'll take care of it."
"By slaying it?"
"Not unless such a thing becomes necessary. Allowing the villagers to think I'm slaying their demon is just a means to an end. Once it is gone and the drought does not end, they will have to dig wells. It would be much easier to skip the charade, but…" Tatsumi shrugged again, "we do what we must to gain a peaceable solution. How far away is this castle?"
Watari brushed his long hair back from his face as he considered. "Four or five days if we walk, but then we'd have to ask the village elders for supplies, and they'd tell us they don't have any. Or we could ask them for a couple of horses, and they'd tell us they don't have any. Or we could just steal a couple of horses…" Watari cocked his head and assumed a thoughtful mien even as he continued to walk. "Yes, I think that would be the most expedient route. Let's steal some horses."
Tatsumi shook his head and quickened his pace until he was in the lead. "I doubt that having the Count's representative stealing horses would go over well with the villagers." he said as he headed towards the house where he'd met with the village council.
"Well, of course we wouldn't tell them…" Watari pointed out logically.
"Nor is it necessary for us to go to such extremes." Tatsumi finished as he circled the corner of the house and gestured towards a small open buggy harnessed to a pair of well matched chestnut geldings. "I've been travelling on the Count's business for several weeks now, and it would take far too long on foot. I'm well supplied, so we are able to leave as soon as you are ready."
Watari pouted, and Tatsumi got the distinct impression that the man was disappointed that they didn't need to steal any horses. He gave an exasperated sigh and climbed into the buggy. Picking up the reins, he gave Watari a questioning look. "Well?"
Watari slumped slightly in defeat and hauled himself into the buggy beside Tatsumi. "My mother's house was a ways outside the village, my things are there." He pointed east. "Just head that way and we'll pass it."
Tatsumi nodded and clicked the horses into motion. "So," he began, "it seems that the village council doesn't like you much."
Watari grinned. "Was it that obvious?"
"If I may ask, what sin was so erroneous that they would threaten to burn you?"
"I was born."
"Excuse me?" That was not an answer that Tatsumi had expected. "Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all of us born at some point or another?"
"Well… yes," Watari conceded, "but my mother was a witch, so being born to her was a terrible sin, at least according to the village."
"Your mother was a witch?"
"Uh huh. Typical witch, turning princes into frogs, casting spells on spindles, that kind of thing." Watari smiled wistfully. "She was a wonderful mother."
Any reply Tatsumi would have made was lost as they crested a hill and the burned out remains of a fair sized cottage came into view.
"Here!" Watari exclaimed and jumped down from the buggy. He darted into the blackened shell, returning several minutes later with a large bag thrown over his shoulder.
"What happened here?" Tatsumi asked quietly as Watari threw his bag into the buggy and climbed in after it.
Watari shrugged. "The villagers set it on fire after my mother died."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's just a house."
"Still…" Tatsumi looked back over his shoulder as they left the ruins behind.
"It's okay!" Watari reassured him, "But it still would have been nice to steal some horses."
The corner of Tatsumi's mouth quirked upwards. "How long has it been since your mother passed?" The cottage hadn't look newly burnt, and there was no smell of the fire lingering.
"A little over a month." Watari confirmed. "I was in Paris when I received a letter from my mother telling me she was ill. I left immediately of course, but I didn't get here until a week after she had died." He gestured back over his shoulder. "I was able to recover some of her things that the villagers didn't manage to destroy completely."
"I'm surprised the villagers didn't turn her over to the Tribunal if they disliked her so much."
Watari scowled. "The Witches Tribunal? They would never try a real witch, they'd all be turned into toads. That group goes around torturing and killing innocent people who get turned in for not so innocent reasons."
"I take it you don't like them much."
Watari frowned, his demeanour much more serious. "I saw one of their 'trials' once. Those people are sadistic and barbaric."
Sensing a tirade coming, Tatsumi opted to change the subject. "What were you doing in Paris?"
Watari brightened immediately. "Mother sent me here to continue my education. I attended universities, went to court, studied with herbalists, alchemists and surgeons. It was great!"
"Are you a witch?"
"Nope!" Watari admitted cheerfully. "I mean, well mother did teach me a few things, but I can't do much, and I'm just… well, I'm not."
XXX
Dusk found them far from the village, and Watari was optimistic that they would be able to reach the forbidden castle by nightfall the next day. Tatsumi glanced over to where the blonde was curled up sleeping on the buggy's cushioned seat. It had to be softer than the piece of ground he had found for himself.
Leaning against a tree, Tatsumi closed his eyes and tried to relax, he would need what sleep he could get.
According to Watari, there were no roads leading to the castle, and the forest was about to become much thicker. They would have to abandon the buggy and travel on on the horses.
Tatsumi winced at the thought. He hadn't been on horseback in several years, and they had no saddles…