Little side note after Chapter 4 is done and released:
I decided to write every word that has special meaning in this story with a capital letter. Which means that if I'm referring to the Water that Undine is guarding, the magic element of Water, than it's "Water", but if I'm reffering tabwater, it's going to be "water", same for words like "King", "Ferryman", etc. Just so you know wha I can't seem to decide how to write words.
If you have any thoughts about the story so far, feel free to tell me about it. Otherwise, please enjoy your stay at my humble online-abode ^^
Chapter 4: White Orchids
In an unwavering manner, these iron clad words had poured onto the hearts of everyone in the room. The reactions to them differed greatly, though. While some didn't even know what all the fuss was about, as they hadn't been able to follow the conversation, others remained silent in shock or disbelief.
Sawada Iemitsu was of the latter faction. He turned his head to look at his wife for comfort, yet only saw her eyes shaking while filling up with tears. She hadn't budged ever since Mammon had revealed her crushing opinion.
He swallowed hard. »Please, explain what makes you say something like that.« It might have been the closest one ever got to hearing his voice waver.
»Exactly what I said«, she reminded, »What I saw was him being swallowed up by the exploding physical contract.«
»But did you actually see him die?«, Nana finally found her own voice again.
Frowning, Mammon had to consider her next words carefully, as to not incite hope where there should be none. It would only hurt more – that, she knew from experience.
»I did not«, she finally admitted, »I only saw up to the point where he jumped in front of the tower. The explosion would have gone off a few seconds after the ringing of the Belltower. He wasted time by entering the dangerous zone. If there was something that could have possibly changed the outcome of a devastating incident like that, and in only about five to ten seconds at most, I would like to know about it.«
A breath Nana held for a while was released upon hearing that. »Then you don't know«, was all she took away from her words.
Sighing, Mammon closed her eyes and shook her head, but more in a manner to remind herself of who she was and what she was doing. It wasn't her job to console this woman, nor had she any obligation to make her believe anything in particular.
»Whatever. My part of this deal is to take you to a Port. Your part is to make a Pledge of Equal Allegiance in response to that. I will hold you accountable.«
»Thank you.« It was heartfelt, but Mammon could only shake her head yet again.
Nana would soon come to the realization that the other world wasn't that easy. No world was.
Though, in reality, Nana did know. She possibly knew better than anyone else, even better than her know-it-all of a son. If she didn't believe in the fact that his mostly arrogant attitude toward the world had been for a reason, she hadn't clasped onto that last slither of hope either.
»Very well«, the Blue King said, »we don't want to lose momentum. Shall we go?«
»Shouldn't you sent prior notification, at least?«
»She will know of our visit once we arrive.«
›So it's a woman‹, Nana thought. She couldn't shake off her uneasiness, the wariness in front of the unknown. Following her out of that desolate building, occupied by the Cavallone-Family, she couldn't understand her own feelings anymore.
She had to hold onto the hand her husband had extended next to her, seemingly unwilling to move according to what the living doll had said. It was because his mind was in a state of frenzy. Nobody in the room, apart from the two people conversing with each other, had any real understanding of the situation. Even as they got up to follow behind the two strange women, there were questions hovering in their heads.
»Could anyone explain the situation to us in any way?«
»I believe it would be most suitable to hold a conference. One at the main building of the Vongola in Italy, that can hold all of the leaders within the inner circle; our allies.«
»Are you sure, Iemitsu?« Reborn wanted to know what was actually going on in that blonde head of his, to at least understand one person in the room clearly.
»Whatever it is, it seems to be bigger than what we can fathom right now. We need to understand what's going on and I think that it's important for all of us to be in the know about whatever is going to happen. Especially if there's something ahead they would need to call ›pandemonium‹.«
Lal had to click her tongue at that. »Who knows whatever that meant.«
»That's exactly why we need to find out. If anything, you didn't know about Mammon's identity either, right?« They were walking toward the cars, a bunch of SUVs, naturally black with darkened window panes, getting Mammon into the vehicle in the lead, before he turned around. The question was aimed at the remaining arcobalenos at large.
»We didn't«, Reborn admitted.
But Colonello still had his own thoughts about the situation, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. »Are we even sure this isn't an illusion? How could Mammon turn back into an older form? It also didn't look the way he looked back then. Of course, we would have realized if he had been a woman all along, right?«
»Uhm« A voice so tiny, it was almost overheard, came from behind them, belonging to someone from a group long forgotten in this whole ordeal. »I don't think so. I should have been able to at least detect that, actually, I should have even been able to see through it, if that had been the case«, Chrome Dokuro made her thoughts known.
Now, even if she said so, it couldn't be understood as the sole truth of the matter. At the same time, it was information they couldn't take lightly either. They knew how Chrome's talent in illusions was nothing to sneeze at, and she got even better over time. In fact, Mammon already lost to her once in the past. The young girl was also worried about her boss, so she would have taken this very seriously.
Sighing, they got into the car, while Nana hadn't uttered a single word. She didn't need to, not for him at least. Her hand silently squeezed his and he could feel her uncertainty through the touch.
A voice reached him over the earpiece that he had always worn and which connected him to other CEDEF-members during missions. »Seems like what you are looking for isn't that far away«, he mentioned while taking a look at his wife next to him.
She nodded as if to say she understood, though her expression seemed almost apathetic in contrast to that action. Thus, they carried on with their ride in silence.
He could feel her flinch upon arrival, or at least as their convoy stopped in front of a quiet street. A few passersby looked oddly at their group, but it seemed as if they couldn't be bothered less with them.
As they got out, they tried to find something that stood out, something that would make them think ›Yes, that was what we were looking for‹, but of course, they wouldn't find anything of the sort.
If it had been something this obvious, it wouldn't have taken someone as experienced as Irina von Valhaym to go to such lengths to find one.
»It's that shop over there, isn't it?« She asked in a quiet voice, after trying to wet her dry lips by licking them.
»It is. You have good intuition«, Mammon confirmed.
It was a small boutique in the middle of said quiet street, the front was covered by a large, elegantly decorated window, showing several sets of white clothing and accessories, ruled over by a sign that read: ›White Orchid‹.
The cars looked extremely out of place in this tranquil scenery, but it also gave off an odd feeling. ›Who would even put a shop into an area this secluded?‹ – That's what they were all thinking.
Then again, maybe it was obvious for it to be here. It didn't seem like they were heading for somewhere that was supposed to be found simply in the first place.
It was Nana who ran ahead toward the entrance and Iemitsu could barely follow. The inside of the shop was just as it felt on the outside: clean. Very white – to the point of it almost blinding them. As if no one ever stepped into this shop really. To be honest, it gave them the feeling of being used for money laundering purposes.
You'd think organized crime syndicate members like them wouldn't feel weird about something like that. But the most ironic thing about this whole scene was, in fact, how their group, consisting of a bunch of men in black, crammed into a shop that exclusively sold white clothes.
A clerk sat there, at the counter in the middle of the all-white interior, looking barely surprised. »Good evening, Gentleman«, said that unfamiliar woman, looking to be in her late twenties, with shimmering pale blonde hair which fell beyond her shoulder blades resembling a wavy waterfall. »What can I do for you?«
Her style was kind of odd to look at, as she had this old fashioned way of looking young but old at the same time. It was a mix of looking elegant and fashionable, but flawlessly strict at the same time. Like a diva from the early 60's.
»I would like to use your Port. How much is the fare?«, Nana threw the question at her as politely as she could muster.
The young but old woman countered her with a smile just as polite. »You must not be aware, but as per royal decree, all Ports are currently sealed.«
Another ring at the bell above the entrance – which Nana hadn't even been able to hear upon rushing in herself – told them about one more customer arriving. This time, they fit in rather well with the color palette of the shop, as this young woman whose age could not be guessed, looked like a white doll made of porcelain.
As soon as the clerk laid eyes on her, her stiff, tightlipped smile turned into a wide grin, exposing some of her teeth. It revealed fangs as long as long as thumbnails and as sharp as a needle, which was apparently not of any concern to her. She simply went over to Mammon and pulled her into a warm hug that lasted for several seconds.
Even though Nana could clearly see how Mammon's face didn't change in the least during the time she was embraced, it felt as if she wasn't as apathetic as she looked. She thought that the old Nayade was probably very happy right now.
Which begged the question: Who exactly was that blonde woman?
»Long time no see«, the person in question said, »How have you been faring?«
»It was … different.« For a moment, the Water-Guardian seemed lost in distant memories. »But what about you?«
»Well«, she started in response and quickly dragged her hand across the air in some sort of inviting fashion, as if she was showing us the interior all over again, which the blind Mammon wouldn't be able to see anyway, »I opened up shop, as you know. We are doing fine, actually. Me and K, you know.«
»So you are still together with that insolent child?«
»Of course I am – I'm his ›aunt‹, am I not?«
»Sure you are.« Mammon shook her head subconsciously at that. »By the way, that Witch over there is in dire need of a Port, so I thought you might be able to help. And I don't mean the Port you have in the back, I mean the other one, the one behind that mirror over there.«
At that, she had to laugh. »Of course that would be what you mean.«
Slightly confused, but at least able to follow the conversation, the brown-haired woman stood there and listened. Every other person who got there with her seemed to be nothing more than decoration. They could have been replaced by potted plants for all she cared and it wouldn't have made a damn difference.
She tried to calm her nerves a little, while waiting for the mysterious clerk – or rather the owner of this place, as what she said earlier had suggested – to open up a mirror close by, to reveal yet another mirror built directly into the wall behind it.
»This is an unlicensed Port«, Nana coolly observed.
She didn't know what she expected, she wasn't even sure if this was within or outside those unknown expectations. She could only tell that there was no feeling of surprise rearing its head inside her. In fact, there were no feelings she could feel at all at that moment.
»You are a Witch, right? My name is Elyade Aarenwayth, the owner of this White Orchid. It's a licensed Port, that is the truth. But you are right, this is also an unlicensed Port«, she explained, while quick-checking the hidden Port for basic functionality and finally extending a hand toward her. »Nice to meet you.«
The name she revealed as if it was nothing rang loudly in Nana's ears. It rang all the way into her head and caused an ache.
It was hard work to pull herself together fast enough as to not look unnatural, as she received the offered handshake. »Irina von Valhaym, nice to meet you too.« Upon learning her name, the blonde Vampire looked intrigued, but the notion just flickered in her eyes for a moment before vanishing.
She didn't expect to be involved with so many high-profile people and she knew something like that mostly meant trouble in some way. She didn't want to get pulled into something troublesome, all she wanted was to get her son back home in one piece.
Meeting a Kali unprepared was one thing. They weren't like the vampires in stories Mundi – or humans, for that matter – had told each other for centuries, they could be pretty well-mannered even – if they weren't too busy being full of themselves. Nana herself was part of Typha's nobility, so she clearly belonged to the upper echelon, but that woman was part of the royal family that ruled over an entire nation – an entire race even. And you could be as noble as you wanted to be, you wouldn't turn into a royal.
Aarenwayth was the name of the Kings and soon-to-be-Kings of Elyon, the home of the Vampires. Or should Nana have been grateful that Elyade Aarenwayth wasn't the King herself?
That royal got back to her desk as if nothing was amiss, reaching for a folder in the first drawer, after unlocking it. »Well, as mentioned, my best Ferryman would be on the other side right now, so when do you want to go?«
»I don't necessarily need to go«, the only Witch in the building answered. »But someone has to look for my son. If you could only send someone or make a call, my demands would already be met.«
She seemed not really surprised yet again. »In that case, I could send my nephew to look for him – the Ferryman that I was talking about, just in case you were wondering.«
A speck of relief built up inside the anxious mother. »Sounds good – great. When it comes to payment, do you also take money from-«
»Yes, we take coins from Typha. National seal doesn't matter – no, it doesn't change the worth either. Any other questions?«
All the while, Iemitsu looked from one woman to the other. He didn't know what they said, could only guess, but now that he thought about it: Whatever it was, legal or illegal, would cost money. What money was she going to use?
He would get an answer to that question the very next moment: »That's good. I worked as a Mercenary back in my youth and I still have a large enough stock to draw from. I just need to go and get it.«
The last sentence made the old Kali throw a glance at her friend who stood a little further away. She didn't seem to worry in any way and since she was the one who brought that woman in, she would simply hold Mammon accountable if she ended up with an unpaid bill. One knew something like that could get that perfect doll-face to scrunch up good, so her being so calm about the topic of money reassured the owner quite a bit.
»Awesome. So, where do you need my man to look for your son? It can't be too far though, otherwise we will have to charge you extra on behalf of the time consumed and the other clients having to wait. There's an arrival scheduled soon.«
»I'm aware.«
Such an unproblematic customer wasn't easy to come by in this line of business. But she could tell that it was all about time in this case – she didn't want to waste even a second of it. In her favor, Elyade nodded and pulled out the papers from the folder she retrieved before.
During that time, Reborn jumped onto the shoulder of one of the bigger man in the room, just so he could take a better look at what was going on. The papers on the table were written in Romanian, but it seemed a little odd to him. The arcobaleno of the sun was someone with many talents and Romanian was a language always helpful when you were employed by la Cosa Nostra.
Yet, this was gibberish. It was Romanian, but at the same time, there seemed to be deliberate mistakes in it, as if that's how it was meant to be. He then remembered that this seemed to be something not legal, for all it was worth, so maybe it was a way of coding the papers? Then again, he could still easily understand what it said; it just seemed off when he had read it.
Overall, the papers only noted the identity of the person involved, the job they wanted them to do and the allotted payment. It wasn't anything special, there wasn't even any contact info involved. What was there to hide? Or did he not understand because it was hidden within that nonsense?
»We are always asking for local identification, which means I need a passport or personal ID that you would use here in Japan.«
»Of-of course.« Suddenly flustered, Nana patted her clothes in search of her purse, but there was nothing in any of her pockets and she didn't even carry a bag in here.
Panic arose in the span of a heartbeat. Would it really end here, just because she was robbed off her stuff when they dragged her off into some offshore facility on the outskirts of town, after she collapsed? What a ridiculous reason that would have been.
Though it didn't take long before a cautious hand landed on her shoulder. »Nana-san, I picked that up from the house, back when your husband was too riled up to think about trivial things. Sorry, I forgot to give it back after all that happened.« It was Dino, a young man, more akin to a child, standing there with an uncomfortable smile on his face and tinged red cheeks. In his hand he held a small purse with a cute keychain dangling off the zipper.
She took it with gratitude, almost laughing at his innocent reaction. »Thank you for picking that up.«
With that, she turned around to hand over her ID. This would be all it needed. Finally she could make sure that he was safe.
»Now, where shall we look for your son? You didn't answer.« She readied her pen above the paper, waiting for something she could right down on it to reach her ears.
»Right«, Nana quickly shot back, »that would be the municipality of Valhaym, it's located in the jurisdiction of the Nation of Avamea. Or well, he could be somewhere close by. I don't really know, but I know for a fact that he was in Valhaym a while ago.«
With an unreadable expression on her face, Elyade looked back up before furrowing her eyebrows. »Oh, sorry, we don't usually deliver White Orchids, but in special cases like right now, maybe we could-«
Before she was able to finish, the woman in front of her already frowned and held her hands up. »What? No, I don't need White Orchids. You just need to look for him.« Her rash reaction shrieked a few people around her.
Especially the Vampire in front of her seemed a little surprised about it. »Yes, but-« She wasn't going to let go of her professional attitude, of course.
The sudden shift in atmosphere was even noticeable for the uninvolved parties around. Especially the guardians of the tenth generation were getting nervous.
»What's the deal with those flowers?«, Colonello halfheartedly asked into the room. First the shop was called like that and now there's even talks about it.
»It's a flower grown in Königsfeld, next to the Silver Palace of Elyon, high up north. On the field those flowers grow, you won't feel the cold, as the flowers take in that cold and leave what feels like a warm sensation behind«, Mammon's oddly angelic voice calmly explained what sounded like some weird article on Wikipedia, »When activated through Magic, they can preserve all things that can rot. Used for refrigeration and is custom to put into coffins, especially with dead Witches and Witchers.«
Nana shook her head and banished the statement out of her mind. »Listen, I don't want you to preserve a corpse. I want you to find my son – alive, that is«, the Witch clarified.
»Errm …« Blinking, the Bloodruler was somewhat unsure of what to say, until she finally cleared her throat. »Well, in any case, you still need to tell us his name.«
»Sawada Tsunayoshi.« Iemitsu waltzed right in, suddenly eager to join the conversation.
He may have been more puzzled than not during the last hour or two, but if there was something he picked up, it was the fact that it was now the second time within those very few hours, that some random person prophesized the death of his son. As if they had looked into some crystal ball to check.
But Nana couldn't appreciate his feelings in that situation. »No, Dear, she said they were checking for local identification«, she told him off, feeling annoyed at his interruption, before turning back toward the counter, »You have to look for this generations Grandmaster, Mayzer von Valhaym. If you can take him back home, of course I will pay for that too.«
»Alright …« For a second, Elyade felt as if something scratched the back of her head. A feeling as if something had slipped her mind for a moment.
»Is really everything alright?«
Deep wrinkles formed on her forehead, as she looked for a different document among the bunch in her hands. »Well, no, I would have said my best Ferryman is going to look for him, but-«
»What?« After all of that, again, was her endeavor going to be for naught?
Irritated, the older woman stared at the report for at least two more minutes, before she finally put down the paper and followed covering up a few things printed on it using some scraps from the folder. »See for yourself. That is the list of clients scheduled to arrive here within the hour.«
Everyone close enough to the counter could be seen bending over in order to read what was written on that mysterious paper. Though it was largely covered up, there was one line visible for all of them to read, as it was the only one of importance.
»›Mayzer von Valhaym‹?«
