I don't own anything except the Takahari family, their Dragoon Spirits, Count Draco von Schneider, and Kenji Okamura
Author's note: First of all, to answer Sword Master Jeff's question, no, Kenji is not going to have a Dragoon Spirit. First, because a Dragoon Spirit probably wouldn't accept a vampire. Also, the Dragoons were supposed to be a small group. At this rate, I'd have an entire army of them if I kept it up. Besides which, Kenji wouldn't need it. He still has most of the abilities of a vampire.
"Hey, Ian!" Ryan called. "We're about to hit Furni. Better get ready."
"Thanks. I'll be right there." I swung my legs off the bunk and stood, surveying the cabin.
A few days after we reported to King Zior, we had left for Donau and boarded the Queen Fury once more, this time headed for Furni, the seaside town that was the entrance to Mille Seseau, Lloyd's next destination. We had to safeguard the Moon Mirror, the artifact which was almost certainly his next target.
Crossing to the room's meager closet, I removed my gear and began pulling it on. With the main equipment on, I turned to a carefully stored bundle. After my last few battles, I had recognized the necessity of armor, so King Zior had ordered a set to be crafted to my specifications, using an alloy unique to Endiness. The result was a set of light and flexible, yet strong, armor that was uniquely suited to a ninja.
Quickly donning the armor, I buckled the breast and back plates at my waist, then pulled on an equipment belt, complete with pouches for shurikens and caltrops, a blowgun with poisoned darts, and a holster containing one of my autopistols. Finally, I tied the Masamune's scabbard to the belt. That done, I headed for the deck.
* * *
Shortly after arriving on what passed for dry land in Furni, we encountered a group of warriors discussing some sort of rescue attempt. It appeared that a boy from the village, by the name of Teo, had disappeared into the nearby forest with a tame wolf called Kamuy, which had apparently gone berserk. Kamuy had once been the boy's companion, but now it had attacked a young girl and taken Teo away.
"You guys talk to the mayor," I said to Dart. "I'd like to check things here. I'll meet back later."
"Okay. I'd tell you to be careful, but I guess that goes without saying for you, doesn't it?" Dart replied with a grin.
"You could say that. Now get going. Kenji and I can handle ourselves."
Rose hung back. "I think I'll just see what you two are up to." She sounded vaguely amused.
I grinned. "Not much. It's just that some of these guys need to be put in their place." I walked up the loudest talker, who was also the biggest of the bunch, about twice my size.
He looked down at me. "What do you want, tiny? Just don't get in my way. That money's mine! I'm-"
"I don't care who you are, Big Mouth," Kenji interrupted him, casually hoisting the big warrior into the air with one hand. "You talk too much, and the only reason you want to save the kid is for the money." He swung his free hand into the warrior's jaw, sending him flying and knocking him unconscious. "Oh, that felt good. He's just lucky I wasn't thirsty."
I knew he wasn't referring to water. "You seem to be recovering quickly."
Kenji nodded. "Yeah. Ryan's little miracle serum worked wonders. But now he's out, let's catch up with the others. I'll bet Dart wants to help out with the search."
* * *
When Kenji and I rejoined the others at the mayor's house, Dart filled us in. "We're going to the forest in the morning to help rescue Teo. Until then, the mayor has offered to let us stay here for the night."
"Nice of him. But I don't think I'll be sleeping much. It's been a while since I've had sufficient quiet time for proper meditation. If I'm needed, I'll be on the roof." Without further comment, I headed up the stairs.
Several hours later, after dark, I was still sitting on the roof, oblivious to my surroundings. The Masamune was out of its scabbard, lying in front me, gleaming in the moonlight.
I looked up abruptly at the sound of footsteps. It was Rose. "Sorry to disturb you."
I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. It was about time for me to rouse myself anyway. What brings you up here?"
"Solitude. Sometimes a group like this can be tiring."
"In that case, I'll head back-"
Rose shook her head. "No need. Sometimes even I need someone to talk to. And an assassin is more likely to understand things." She looked at the Masamune. "May I?"
"Go ahead." I carefully picked it up and handed it to her. "I named it Migi-no-te, Japanese for 'right hand'. It seemed appropriate."
"Well-crafted. I haven't seen anything like it here in two thousand years."
At first it didn't register. It seemed preposterous. When it did, I reflexively slipped into Japanese. "Kichigai!"
Rose looked puzzled. "What?"
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Sorry. Japanese for 'you're crazy!'. You mean to tell me you're two thousand years old?"
"Eleven thousand, actually."
Something weird is going on here. Eleven thousand? Nobody lives that long! And if she has, why hasn't she told anyone…? Something in her long past that one of our group would have a problem with? Aloud, I asked, "Why haven't you said so before, Rose?"
Her gaze became distant. "You remember the prophecy of the Moon Child?"
"You mean, 'Count 108 years, and when the Moon That Never Sets glows red, a Moon Child will descend to fill the world with holy bliss', except that it's the Black Monster that shows up instead?" I'd thought it pure nonsense, but perhaps there was a grain of truth to it.
Rose nodded. "Except the prophecy is wrong. There is no 'holy bliss', and the Black Monster is the only reason this world still exists."
I looked up sharply. "What?"
"The Moon Child is in reality the Soul of the God of Destruction, the 108th species. Instead of 'holy bliss', it comes to destroy the world. The only solution is to kill the Moon Child before it can unite with its body. For eleven thousand years, there have been no exceptions."
How would she know, unless… Could Rose be…? "You're the Black Monster!?"
"Yes. Now you see why I didn't mention my age." Rose looked as if she expected me to draw my sword.
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. You destroyed Neet, Dart's home." She started to speak, but I continued. "Don't worry. I'm not going to judge you. I've killed for reasons that are a lot worse. But why tell me?"
"Because Lloyd's conspiracy seems linked to it, and someone needs to know that isn't likely to kill me over it."
Something else occurred to me. "Then you were one of the original Dragoons, that fought in the Dragon Campaign?"
"Yes. The others were Zieg, Shirley, Kanzas, Syuveil, Belzac, and Damia." She seemed glad of the change of subject.
"Shirley… She was the one Dart and the others mentioned at the Shrine?"
"Yes, she was. I suppose the Shrine is abandoned now. With Shirley's spirit gone, Drake will have left. The place will be left to the monsters." There was a certain sadness in her tone.
I thought for a moment. "Actually, I had a thought about that. When all this is over, Ryan, Karen, Kenji, and I intend to start training people of this world as ninja. The Shrine sound like an ideal location for a dojo. Isolated, difficult terrain, all the makings of a good training ground."
Rose nodded slowly. "I think Shirley would approve. She was the most peaceful of the group, but we were all fighters. It would only be fitting for more warriors to be trained there." She handed me Migi-no-te. "If you'll excuse me, it's time I got some sleep. See you in the morning."
"Right."
Author's note: There! Another chapter complete. Hope it was a good one. Please keep reviewing.
