Chapter 2 - Namebreaker's den
Arjuna glanced up at the UFO shaped top of the skyscraper he had been assigned to watch the past two days. The akward bowl, looming 60 stories high above him, was one of the typical shapes of architecture he used to determine his location in the broad city center. Shanghai's skyline was filled with luxuriant crowns, pointy spires, and gleaming saucers. He had learned to use tall buildings for travel, like sailors of old had used the stars. It was a common thing to city dwellers like himself.
During his last visit to this city, the UFO shaped top had harboured a revolving restaurant owned by some Asian hotelchain, but his BoneGnawler friends had informed him that it had changed hands about a year ago. According to Yubi, their Kitsune ally, the top floors were now in the hands of one of the Triads, called the Jade Sanctuary. The Werefox had also revealed to them that the leader of this Triad was a Mage called Old Ru. This Namebreaker seemed to be the one responsible for the death of Ya the Kind, the kidnapping of Garou cubs, and providing renegade Garou, like Jongeirr Slays the Weak, with a refuge. There seemed to be no alternative to invading his den and putting an end to his evil practices.
"Arjuna. Can I ask you something?" The voice of Aiko Rin Fuse startled him, and he glanced to his left. The young girl, who had been assisting him during this steakout, sat on the curb, staring up at him. "Do you believe that dreams are real?", she asked, while placing her hands on the pavement behind her and leaning backwards. He shook his head and frowned at her. "Well, it depends. Not all dreams are real. But I have heard Theurges mention that some are. Sometimes spirits use dreams to contact us Garou, and some dreams predict the future or show a glimpse of the past. However, I am Ragabash and don't know much about this stuff. Why don't you ask Ryota? Our packleader is Theurge." Aiko Rin nodded thoughtfully, while glancing up at the UFO shape looming high above them. "I just might. Thank you for your answer, big brother."
He noticed Bojing and Chiaki Hasekura on the other side of the busy street, making their way toward him. His ally, the BoneGnawler, had volunteered to help them with the surveillance. Bojing's sept had been on good terms with Ya the Kind, and her death and the missing cubs had caused outrage among its members. They would not be participating in the actual invasion of the Triads headquarters, however. Superstition about the Namebreaker's possible wrath forbid the BoneGnawlers to openly confront this Triad. But any information they could supply him with would surely be valuable.
Chiaki gave him one of those sweet smiles only she could give, causing him to feel butterflies in his stomach. The blue-eyed Stargazer had only just returned from an assignment to take out the Triad's main assassin. She, along with Fang Yin, Njal and Yubi, had managed to find and finally kill the tainted Werefox, but the assassin's trickery had nearly cost them their lives. Arjuna had been occupied with surveillance duty, and he felt guilty for not having been able to spend more time with his love the past few days. He felt like throwing his arms around her, lifting her into the air and kissing her on the lips, but he knew that would be the most foolish thing he could do. Too many Garou had found out about their forbidden relationship already. Instead, he answered her with a respecful nod, and forced his eyes away from her. It proved harder every time, especially since it was against his nature to hide the truth. And...dear Gaia, she was so beautiful!
Bojing lit a cigarette and commenced reporting his observations. Arjuna had some difficulty interpreting the man's heavy Shanghai dialect. Ever since Chiaki, Aiko Rin and Ryota had joined him in Shanghai a week ago, their temporary coalition had grown, and it had become his duty to negotiate and translate as best he could. The BoneGnawlers mostly spoke the local chinese dialect, which was very different from the national language. Fang Yin spoke mandarin chinese as well as japanese, but Yubi only spoke mandarin. None of his japanese packmates spoke mandarin. Most of them spoke a bit of English, however only Fang Yin and himself could speak it fluently. Fluently, if you didn't count the obvious chinese and japanese accent. The Get of Fenris' packmembers spoke english in general, and some northern european dialect among themselves. They seemed to feel a natural resentment toward oriental languages. But in the end he thought he was managing quite well. No fights had broken out yet, anyways!
"I just got a phonecall from Boqin. He confirmed that the Namebreaker and his entourage arrived by car, about 15 minutes ago. They entered the building through the garage's back entrance. If your plan is to catch him, this would be the right moment to mobilize.", Bojing said, while exhaling the smoke from his first drag. Arjuna nodded, and took out his cellphone to call Ryota Higoshi. The packleader of Cherry Blossom Shrine pack answered the call within seconds. Ryota, Fang Yin and Thorvald, leader of the Get of Fenris pack, were standing by, planning the final details of the operation. "Arjuna, what is the latest information you have for us?", the old Theurge inquired. "Our main targets are inside. I just got confirmation from our allies on the other side of the complex. My advise is that we go in now, boss.", he answered. It was silent on the other end of the line for a moment, but Arjuna could vaguely hear the voices of the three leaders discussing the matter. "Arjuna, you have a green light! Enter through the New World department store to avoid suspicion. We will all meet at the ninth floor elevators. From there we will all march in together." Arjuna confirmed after which he ended the call and turned to Chiaki and Aiko Rin.
"We have a go! We will enter through the department store and meet the others at the ninth floor. Are you both ready?" Aiko Rin rose, dusted off the seat of her pants, and smiled at him. "I guess I am ready, big brother!", she answered him, but there was no cheerfulness in either her voice or her smile. He wondered if the confrontation with Njal in Jade Buddha Temple was still affecting her. The Get of Fenris beating her up like that, must have been a huge blow to her selfconfidence. His eyes fell on a minivan, with the name Jiangnan Application Services unlimited printed in chinese characters on the side, driving past them. He was sure he had seen that car before, or maybe a similar one. The traffic passing through this main street was extremely busy, and there must be many companies using small vans as a means of transport.
"If you are ready, I am too!", Chiaki said, while walking up to him. She looked up at him, and her beautiful blue eyes gleamed. "Baby, I have missed you so much. If we come out of this alive, I want you alone!", she whispered. Arjuna shrugged, and finally was able to answer her with a awkward nod. He shook his head, and turned to Bojing. "Thank you very much for all your help! If all goes well, I hope to visit you and your sept sometime soon. After the usual courtesies, he led Chiaki and Aiko Rin into the department store across the road.
Delun signalled the driver of the minivan to pull over and stop near a side entrance of the New World department store. He turned and glanced across his shoulder at his fellow squadmembers. Each one of them was geared up and armed to the teeth. Dai, a tall, broad-shouldered giant carried a QBZ-95 assault rifle, but his main weapon was his bionic right arm. The steel limb could shatter the bones of a Crinos Garou with a single strike. Xiaoyu, the petite woman next to him, was inspecting the ammo cartridge of her QSZ-92 semi-automatic pistol. Her unique ability, however, was what made her such a deadly addition to his squad. A small electronic device implanted in the back of her skull enabled her to teleport at will. The Snow Wolf Commando Unit was a counter-terrorism squad, but particularly well trained in eliminating shen. Each member had been taken part in the secretive Strike Force Zero training program, and had become a member of its chinese branch.
The moment the minivan stopped, Delun made a small, obvious handgesture, ordering his squadmembers into action. One of them opened the side-door, and the others quickly exited the vehicle, rushing into the building. Delun nodded a final time at the driver, after which he himself jumped out, circled the minivan, following his squad inside. The moment he entered the department store, their vehicle was already out of sight.
Aiko Rin Fuse was leaning against the glass balustrade of the ninth floor, staring down the inner court of the New World department store. While she pretended to count the floors from the bottom to the top, she tried to remember accactly what the ancestor spirit in her dream had told her. The first time he had appeared, three nights ago, she had not taken his message seriously. But when he had reappeared last night, asking her for help as well as warning her for possible danger, she had realized that this was anything but a normal dream!
"Aiko Rin, are you ok? You seem so quiet today." The familiar voice made her turn to her right, where she found Chiaki Hasekura frowning at her. The Gaillard had been very kind and helpful to her ever since she had joined Cherry Blossom Shrine pack. Altough the two of them were in no way related, she regarded Chiaki as her elder sister. The blue-eyed Stargazer was just four years older than her, but she was much more experienced and so much more mature. The way Chiaki and big brother Arjuna continued their relationship, despite all the heavy criticism of their much respected big sister Fang Yin, was a great example of the latter. She probably would never be able to hold on to love, when there was so much pressure from friends and packmates to end it. But what did she know about love anyways?
"I am fine, thank you, elder sister.", she answered, but she realized it did not sound very convincing. "Chiaki, you told me once about our ancestor, Aki Floating Leaf, in a song... What kind of Garou was he?" Chiaki's frown changed into a smile. "Aki Floating Leaf is one of the greatest Stargazers of all time. He was born into the Peaceful Voice of Zypher sept, and spend his youth at Cherry Blossom Shrine. In his later years he became a hermit on Mount Asahidake. He is said to have been a great Kailindorian, who developed his own style, called Pure Water. The style was lost after his death. It surprises me that you don't know much about him, since you are a practitioner of Kailindo yourself?"
Chiaki got distracted by the arrival of Ryota Higoshi, Fang Yin and their other allies. The group exiting the elevator a couple of meters away, was truly a colourful collection of nationalities, Tribal heritage and appearance. The blue-eyes Stargazer excused herself and rushed toward their packleader, who was commencing a conversation with Arjuna. Aiko Rin just smiled, looked down into the inner court, and turned her attention to the people on the bottom floor. They were merely little dots. Innocent bystanders, who were too busy doing their everyday thing, ignorant of the upcoming skirmish that would ensue nine levels above their heads. Her eye fell on a group of eight dots, that seemed to move in an almost perfect line. She was too far away to make out particulars, but it was clear they were together. Maybe they were policemen or security guards on patrol? She didn't think much of it, and turned her attention back to her packmates and allies.
She glanced at the Fenrir, who stood a couple of meters apart from her own packmates. Three of the Garou were tall caucasian men, dressed in sweater and jeans. They had left their long raincoats and jackets behind, since it was rediculous to wear them in this type of weather. Instead they had brought shoulderbags, which Fang Yin and Yubi had acquired for them. Trendy but cheap, and large enough to conceal their small battle axes in public. The fourth Get of Fenris, Helge, was of Lupus breed. The grey-white furred wolf-dog looked similar to other dogs kept by chinese residents of this city, but a clear look at his fierce eyes betrayed the relationship to his kin. She shivered, when she noticed Njal was staring at her. The dream about the ancestor spirit had helped her forget the way the Ahroun had humiliated her in the Temple. She quickly turned her eyes away from him.
"Aiko Rin, are you still afraid of him?", Fang Yin said, while laying her hands softly on her cheeks. Aiko Rin didn't even attempt to hide her gloomy expression. It made no sense to hide her fears for her big sister, who had so bravely stepped forward to defend her in a time of need. "Well, if you are, you should not be! He has been taught a lesson, and if he should ever try again, I will kill him." Fang Yin's determined eyes backed up her words 100%, as she promptly glanced at Njal. The Get of Fenris' eyes actually widened for a short moment, after which he seemed to turn his attention to his packmates. Her big sister had just won a staredown with a Fenrir! She truly was a dominant leader, altough not the obvious stereotype kind. "Fang Yin, what do you know about the Pure water style?
Yubi followed her allies quietly through the 9th floor hallway of the skyscrapers inner court. The Silent Strider led the party, guarded by the four fierce looking Get of Fenris. The Stargazers, Ryota and Chiaki, followed close behind them, and Fang Yin, Aiko Rin and herself made up the rear. There were less people in the hallway compared to the corridors of the deparment store behind them, but the chances of walking into Triad scouts here had increased significantly.
She was no expert on Triads, but she had gathered enough information about them lately to make her extremely cautious. The Jade Sanctuary had members from all layers of chinese society and eyes everywhere. They were organized in a structure where loyalty was enforced strictly by the leadership. The leadership consisted of a group of powerful shen, who used their deadly magic to perform rites and punishment on friend and foe to increase their grip on society. The Elders of Inari's Messengers had warned her specifically about the Namebreaker, Old Ru. 'The Preacher' was said to be a servant of Tou Mu, one of the Yama Kings, but any creature of Gaia who could have verified such a claim, would surely long be dead. Their victory over Yong 'Leaps through Mists' was a significant blow to the Namebreakers power, but the death of the Kitsune assassin didn't mean much if 'the Iron Empress' was truly involved.
This was not the first time Yubi had teamed up with Garou, but it was surely the first time she had witnessed so many of them together. Previously her view of Garou had been rather stereotype, she had to admit. Spending the past week with this colourful coalition of the willing had made her realize how much each Garou differed from the another.
Fang Yin had impressed her the most. The Stargazer with the white streak in her hair had earned her respect with the actions she had taken. She seemed to have a good sense of responsibility and had the potential to become a great leader. She was and would never be a Kitsune, but she came close for a Garou. Chiaki, the blue-eyed Garou, was still young and surely not a warrior, but she had proven to be brave and reliable. Arjuna, the Silent Strider, was a great scout. He knew his way around the city, seemed to have allies everywhere, and could speak many languages. Aiko Rin was only a little cub, but she showed great promise. With the right guidance the Stargazer girl could become a legend among Garou warriors. The Get of Fenris came closest to the stereotype image. They were mostly ignorant, self-centered, violent and vain. But even among them she had noticed some individual characteristics, that made them unique and vulnerable in a way. Anyways, stereotype Garou were the easiest to manipulate.
"Yubi, you master a gift to make yourself invisible, am I correct?" She turned her attention to Fang Yin, who was walking to her right. It amused her how well she and the Stargazer could communicate. It was not just the fact that they both were chinese. They also thought very much alike, and a few words were often enough for them to understand eachother completely. Normally she would see that as a threat, but Fang Yin was an exception. "Well, yes. The gift you refer to is called Moon Dance. Why do you ask?"
Fang Yin nodded thoughtfully, and gestured to Aiko Rin who was walking just ahead of them. "It seems like Aiko Rin had a premonition of something we are about to face. She has had a recurring dream in which an ancestor-spirit warned her about the Namebreaker and his vast powers. The spirit has offered to help us defeat him, but he is trapped somewhere in the Triad's den. If you can reach him undetected, using your gift, you might be able to free him!"
Yubi grinned. "Why do I get the impression that you haven't got much faith in our fierce strongmen over there?" Fang Yin ignored her remark for the moment. She was staring at three men that seemed to stand guard in front of the elevators to the upper floors of the skyscraper. When the men noticed that their party planned to use the elevators, they dispersed. One of the men took out a cellphone, and made a call. The second man turned and made his way to the elevator, while the third man engaged them. "I am sorry, but you cannot use the elevator! The upper floors are property of the Jade Sanctuary. Only acquaintances in possession of a membershipcard are allowed to enter.", he said, clearly adressing Arjuna and not the Fenrir. The four Garou didn't wait for the Silent Strider to respond. The wolf-dog rushed foward toward the man with the cellphone. Njal pursued the second man, drawing his small axes in the process. Thorvald, the leader of the Get of Fenris pack, grabbed the mediator by his throat with his huge hands and lifted him into the air, after which he dropped him on the floor with a show of force. A moment later the opposition was no more, and their party entered the elevators, making their way up to the den.
"Let's just say that I do not believe that raw violence and pure physical power is the answer to every problem. I am happy these fierce strongmen, as you call them, fight on our side, but if by any chance their vanguard fails, I want us to be prepared.", Fang Yin finally answered her. The Stargazer and her spoke Mandarin chinese, but after Fang Yin's rather mocking answer Yubi couldn't help glancing across her shoulder at Njal. The tall Garou with the braids in his brown hair answered her stare with a fierce look, that forced an unwanted shiver across her spine. When she turned to Fang Yin again, she noticed the woman's determined glance, which seemed to be directed at the Fenrir. This truly amused her. "I will do as you ask, Stargazer! Just tell me where the spirit is trapped, and how I can free it... I owe you, since I have earned my fourth tail only thanks to your kind help!", she whispered with a smile.
Fang Yin Li braced herself when the elevator doors opened at the top floor of the skyscraper. The Fenrir were the first to enter the revolving restaurant, followed by Arjuna and Ryota. Enok, Njal, and Helge had actually been pushing and shoving in an effort to be the first to enter the new battleground. It took an angry snarl and a commanding stare from Thorvald to keep them in check and restore discipline. The leader of the Hand of Tyr warband eventually was the first to exit the cabin. Clenching his large silver battle axe in both hands, he rushed across the carpet, while his single, greyish braid dangled in the air behind him. The shoulderbag that had hidden his weapon from plain view uptil now, lay abandoned on the floor. The need for stealth seemed to have disappeared. A violent confrontation was imminent.
She didn't worry much about the men, though, regardless of what would happen in the minutes to come. She didn't worry much about Yubi either. The Kitsune gave her a friendly nod, after which she vanished from plain sight, preparing to search for the ancestor spirit. Fang Yin worried most about the two young women who stood next to her, hesitating and somehow expecting her to tell them what to do. "What are you waiting for? Let's keep up with the others. Stay near me and watch eachothers back, ok?.", she whispered, while giving them a confident look. Then she rushed after the men.
The revolving restaurant must truly be one of the best places to get a complete view of the city's skyline. The outer wall was dominated by the large, double-layer glass windows, that circled the entire UFO-like structure. The interior, which had once been a public restaurant, had been partly refurnished and redecorated by the Triad. Their symbols, signs and attributes were prominently present, mixed with and sometimes replacing the original furniture pieces. They first crossed a small lobby-like area with a receptiondesk. The name of the Triad was depicted in chinese characters on a large, antique-looking redwood sign, fastened just above it.
The three triadmembers who supposedly had been guarding the little lobby, lay lifeless on the floor. Like their collegues near the entrance of the elevator, they too had been no match for the rabid Get of Fenris. But Fang Yin realized that their advantage might change into a disadvantage when mortal guards with guns and knifes would be replaced with Mages, Fomori, Kuei-jin or whatever was waiting for them in the next room. She hurried past the heavy redwood door that hung in an awkward position, clearly forced out of its hinges, and entered the actual restaurant.
"That's what I saw in my dream, big sister! Aki Floating Leaf is trapped inside one of those!" Fang Yin glanced at the chinese painting, which Aiko Rin was pointing at. The old paper scroll, depicting a woman in grief, was only one of dozens decorating the inner wall of what seemed like a restaurant. Studying the first three paitings made her frown. There seemed to be no scenery or character scrolls at all, which was rather strange according to chinese custom. Each and every painting depicted a creature in distress, whether a human or a shen. Studying the creature's expressions gave her the clear feeling that they had been forcebly confined in some way. She nodded toward Aiko Rin, and whispered for Yubi.
"Yubi, listen. The ancestor-spirit must be locked inside one of those paintings. I ask you to free him. How you do that is up to you, but make haste. We might need his help very soon." Fang Yin looked left and right to see if the Werefox had heard her, but a soft pat on her right shoulder was the only confirmation of Yubi's presence. "Chiaki! Chiaki, wait for us!", Aiko Rin suddenly exclaimed. Fang Yin then noticed the Gaillard rushing ahead in the direction the male Garou had gone. "Calm down, little sister. We will catch up with her.", she said reassuringly, and they made haste to catch up with the others.
Chiaki Hasekura ran across the carpet, dodging the chairs and tables in her path. She ignored the calls of her younger packmate, and tried to concentrate on the scene ahead. Arjuna, her love, was with Ryota and the Fenrir, and he was in probable danger. Whatever might happen, she knew that her place in this battle was next to him! Too much time had been lost on finding this ancestor spirit. Ofcourse she would love to see this Aki Floating Leaf in person sometime. What selfrespecting Gaillard would not be interested in meeting a legendary Garou, who's name was mentioned in so many ancient songs? But that time was not now!
She jumped across the body of a guard that had been put out of action by her allies. A gun lay unused on the floor, not far from him. Two young women, possibly waitresses, ran past her in the opposite direction. It couldn't be far now! When she had run halfway around the restaurant, another door came into view. It was shut, and when she impatiently laid her hands on the handle she noticed it had been locked from the inside. She released a desperate howl, and pulled agressively but to no avail. The men must have been trapped. Arjuna must be trapped!
"Well, well, well... What have we here? This young lady seems to have missed the boat." The sudden heavy voice took Chiaki by surprise, and she turned around to face whoever was the source of it. She had to look up to meet the eyes of a giant Garou, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. She stared wide-eyed and full of disbelieve at the enormous size of the creature. Not even Njal was this tall, and he was surely the tallest Garou she had ever met! The newcomer had a pelt of dark brownish fur, which was maimed in several places by deep scars, which made her wonder how he had managed to survive them. His giant paws could easily envelop her entire head, and tear it off like a ripe peach, if he chose to. He had spoken in plain english, but his heavy accent made her think of the European dialect the Fenrir spoke among themselves.
When a second Garou appeared next to the giant, clearly passing the gauntlet, she realized this could only be an ambush. The two of them must have been hiding in the Umbra, to avoid the Fenrir. This Werewolf's size was less imposing than the first, but he was still taller than the average Stargazer of her sept. His pelt's colour was a shiny black, as if the fur had been combed with oil. She first noticed the long, gold chain around his neck, when it gleamed in the light of the spots on the ceiling. When his right paw touched it for a moment, the shackles seemed to grow in some strange way. "Jongeirr assigned us to guard the way out, and to take care of any possible leftovers. That means we can do with her as we please, Brent!", he said, while studying her intensivelly. Saliva was dripping from the corners of his muzzle, and she felt violated by the way he looked at her. "Let's see if she is as obedient as most of the other women in this continent. Maybe she will make a nice wife, Severin?, the giant replied. The black furred Garou grinned wickedly. "None of that, Brent. I will make her my pet!"
An odd mix of cold fear and intense fury swept through Chiaki's body, causing a surge of rage. She feared for Arjuna, and all the things that might be happening to him and the others in the next room. She was angry at the two Garou, for choosing to work with the old Mage and thus serving the evil Wyrm. She feared the Garou called Serverin, and dispised the way he stared at her. Respectless, as if she was a piece of meat! While her human body transformed into its Werewolf Form, she released a loud howl of defiance. The gift, called Call of the Wyld, would reach every creature on this floor, and alarm it of impending danger. Glancing passed her two opponents, she caught a glimpse of Fang Yin and Aiko Rin rushing around the corner. The next moment she felt the impact of the giant's claw against her muzzle, and she stumbled backward until her back hit the door. She could see the second Garou swing something at her, and then felt the gold chain wrapping itself around her neck, like a metal snake.
Chiaki managed to thrust her paws between the golden shackles, and tried to tear the chain apart with all the strenght in her Crinos body. But the Fetish seemed unbreakable. The more she struggled, the more it choked her, preventing her from breathing, until she finally gave up her resistance. She dropped to her knees, letting her arms fall helplessly in her lap. There was nothing she could do, but wait for her friends to free her. Exhausted she glanced at the owner of the golden chain, the black furred Garou. "My name is Severin Lurks-the-young of the Get of Fenris. Me and my friend, Brent Dahlstrom, welcome you to the Swords of Heimdall. You will come with us, and I will show you my world and your place in it!", he whispered in her ear, his paw lifting her chin up. His triomfant grin took away the final bubble of Rage entrenched in her mind, and the last thing she felt was, how her body shifted back into human Form. Then she passed out.
