Running the ships ashore.
When Tatsumi finally arrived at Esdese's quarters, almost 3 hours had passed since he left her in the assembly hall. He and Wave had gotten lost in their discussions and went for a longer walk than he had first intended. Wave had been curious about Tatsumis mission and had also been eager to share his worries about Kurome. Wave had held an affection for the girl for as long as Tatsumi had known him but was constantly worried about her mental state these days. Tatsumi did not share this affection with him but he still tried to help his friend whenever he could.
Not that he despised the girl. Ever since he first arrived in the capital a long time ago he had been enjoying the company of murderers, killers and assassins. When you look at it's core, thats all that Night raid ever was as well. However, Tatsumi had always put in his moral guidelines at the intentions and reasons why these deeds were done.
Thats is why he originally had come to despise the jaegers. They killed and destroyed in order to maintain the empire and by extension they therefore supported the horrors that the empire made into a reality. However, he had come to find out that this was not the case in all situations. Many of the people who served the empire came from poverty and had mouths to feed at home. Others fought to gain promised protection for those they loved. In a few cases, he had even found people that worked within the empire in order to make it a better place. And to some, it was just another job.
As far as Tatsumi could tell, Kurome belonged in the latter category. It was no doubt that she was unstable mentally. Wishing to kill her sister was not something all to new or shocking for Tatsumi since Akame had shared the same intention but there was something about the way Kurome handled the issue. She seemed to long for the day she could kill Akame and make her a part of her monstrous collection. So that they could be together again. He had considered trying to talk to Esdese about Kurome's mental state but Wave had told him not to. Fearing the outcome of the scenario.
Not that Tatsumi thought that she would care. For all that could be said about her, Esdese did not judge people for their diffrent quirks or kinks.
"Are you sure it would not be a good thing to exclude her from all the fighting then?" Tatsumi asked. "I mean, it sure as hell doesn't seem to be doing her any good. She actually might not have the resolve to withstand the work as a jaeger after all."
"Yeah, cause some people just go on completly unaffected after watching their friends die." Wave said sarcastically.
Tatsumi simple nodded towards the sign atop of the barracks they were passing. Esdese's insignia deeply carved into the wood. Marking the barracks as a station for her troops.
"The commander would not try to aid, help and protect us if she didn't have any regards for our lives." Wave defended. "You are being to harsh on her."
That almost made Tatsumi laugh. The concept of being too harsh on the ice queen seemed completly otherwordly to him. Wave noticed his reaction though.
"Just because she doesn't let her comrade's deaths affect her doesn't mean that she doesn't care about us." He went on.
"I have a feeling that she just knows that if you treat your subordinates well they will work harder for you." Tatsumi countered. "And Esdese doesn't have any comrades. Only subordinates and pets"
"And a very grumpy lover, it would seem." Wave said. Teasingly trying to lighten the mood a little bit.
Tatsumi simply smiled and shook his head. "Anyway, Kurome?" He said, returning to topic.
"I can't take her away from the fighting. That is the only way she knows how to live. And if she stops her career as a warrior they might actually take her teigu from her. Then she will collapse entirely. She draws a lot of strength and emotional stability from the belief that she still has all her friends around her." Wave said. His voice filled with desperation.
"You know as well as I that those friends are nothing more than shadows and memories. You must make her realize this sooner or later. Even if it may crush her." Tatsumi answered. "And we both know that there is only one end awaiting those who can only define themselves by fighting." He concluded bluntly.
When he looked over to see the sadness on his friends face, Tatsumi felt that he might be letting his bitterness get the better of him. He put his hand on Wave's shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
"We will find a way to solve this, Wave. We just have to keep thinking until we find a solution. Until then, all you can do is to try and protect her." he said. Trying to sound wiser than he was.
It seemed to have worked though. A smile returned to his friend's face."Yeah, it would seem like I got my work cut out for me." Wave said with a little more energy as they finally started to come close to their original destination.
"We both do. It seems like I now have to face my own walk to the gallows" he said as they closed in on the huge doors that led to Esdese's personal quarters.
"Hey, I have an idea. If we got a party going on the floors under and above of this one then nobody would hear what was going on in these chambers tonight." Wave exclaimed.
"Well, that doesn't really save me from the experience."
"No, but then you can just bite the pillows and weather it out and nobody will be any wiser" Wave said. Suddenly quite excited about his new idea.
"Wave, the only ones who live on the higher levels are the highest ministers in the country and below us is where the imperial guard resides." Tatsumi said. Not sure if he liked his friends phrasing on that last sentence.
"Even the imperial guard must relax at times. I actually have som goodwill from them since my last two personal missions was about aiding them." the other boy said. "If I get some musicians to attend it we might even get some of the ministers to come down in curiosity." Wave proclaimed hopefully. "This is going to be great."
Tatsumi felt that this suddenly was less about him and his problems and more about something else. "Well, anyway, this is my stop." He said as he stopped in front of a set of extravagant doors. Esdese's insignia engraved on top of both doors in beautiful black metal.
Wave patted him on the back enthusiastically. "Good luck,man. My thoughts will go with you. Now I must hurry as well. I have a lot of things that I need to work out before the evening comes."
"See you later, Wave." Tatsumi said with genuine fondness as he watched his friend run down the corridor.
Ok, lets do this! ,Tatsumi thought. Mustering up whatever energy he had left. Chances were that the assembly was over and that she were already in her quarters. In which case she would know that he was standing outside the doors. Only waiting for him to enter.
He did his usual routine. He took a couple of deep breaths. Steadying himself while stretching his arms and neck. Trying to focus in on a mental image.
She has helped me get much stronger than I once was. She has saved me from rape and I would be dead many times over if it wasn't for her.,Tatsumi thought. Her subordinates adore her and she takes good care of her soldiers. Even going so far as punishing those who tries to denounce them within the empire.
Focusing on those parts of Esdese that he genuinly appreciated, he steeled himself for what was to come. He didn't need to think about the other half of her character. Not now. Now he needed to get through this in one piece. He thought one last time about the letter Wave had given him and drew joy from it while he put his hand on the doorknob and entered Esdese's quarters.
On the huge grass plains to the far east of of the capital, a solitary creature could be seen bounding through the fields. Moving at a speed far faster than what any normal animal was capable of. Only touching the ground every twenty meters or so. Leaving a deep footprint into the ground everytime it did. It's destination was just a few hundred meters infront of it now. A slightly concealed camp, consisting of two tents and a fire. Hidden in the cover of a pair of fallen trees. Two figures could be seen sitting by the fire.
Unknowing of the incoming creature.
When the fast moving beast only had forty meters left, it planted both its feet into the ground and launched itself high into the air. Landing with a crash into the middle of the camp. Right in front of the two campers. Making one of them let out a feminin shriek, while the other fell over backwards from the suprise.
"If you can't even notice me when I am coming at you with full velocity then you won't last long if you have to go up against one of the jaegers." Leone smiled a teasing, confident smile as she rose up from the small crater her landing had created. "Try to be more perceptive won't you? Otherwise I will have to worry about you."
"Leone!" The young woman shouted angrily. Rising up from her sitting position, her brown eyes filled with rage. She had long brown hair reaching a good bit beyond her shoulders and wore civilaian clothes. A long bow strapped around her back and a knife fastened around her thigh. While she doesn't stand out much, she is rather cute. In a plain sort of way. Leon thought, as she dismissed Lionelle. Slowly changing back to her normal appearance. "Ohh, did I disrupt your precious time with your boyfriend, Maria? Sorry!
The young agent of the revolutiounary army did not let her superiors teasing faze her,however. "That was very unprofessionell of you. We were told you were the only one who would know we were here."
"Yeah and you snuffed out our fire with your landing." Rori shouted as he finally managed to get back on his feet. The boy also wore civil clothing and had short yellow hair and blue eyes. He was a bit more muscular than he had been last time Leone had seen him. He must have spent a lot of time training. Leone thought. Probably to look good for Maria. He seemed to have left the spear that was his usual weapon back in the tents though.
"No matter."Leone said waving a hand infront of her. " We are moving out immediately. Get your things ready."
Immediately her juniors started packing their things and closing down their tents.
Still two diffrent tents to sleep in though, Leone thought. I know whats going on between you two so why do you try so hard to keep up appearances for me?
Her cute litte subordinates. Night raid had since almost 12 months now changed the way they conducted a huge part of their operations. Nowadays they usually worked closer with the revolutionary army. Since the revolutionary army had been terribly decimated during these last year the forces that remained had become much more valuable. So Night raid often found themselves helping larger forces from the shadows or leading small strike teams of revolutionary soldier into more difficult missions. During easier one-man missions they were usually assigned some competent agents from the army. Meant to help them with more menial tasks while the agents got to learn and get better themselves.
Leone had hated the idea at first. She had almost always imagined herself as more of a lone wolf when it came to these type of tasks. But sure enough, after a little while she had gotten quite fond of her two attendants. She had even helped the young man confess his love to Maria. Playing the youths into each other arms while happily watching as their love blossomed under her care.
Leone was brought back from her reminiscing when the young boy,Rori, asked her a question.
"What are we setting out for,Leone? We weren't told anything beyond where we would meet up with you." he asked while putting down his tent.
"Najenda has sent us to investigate one of our old hideouts that we no longer use." she answered. "An ex-member of the Night raid was seen lurking about it two and a half weeks ago."
"Anyone we would know of?" Maria said as she finished up her packing. Finished a great deal of time before Rori, as usual.
"Tatsumi of the jaegers." Leone asnwered in a voice bereft of emotions.
"Ahh,so we are going to catch Tatsumi" Rori said with enthusiasm. " So that he can be brought to the revolutionary army."
"No Rori." She answered calmly. Not meeting the young mans gaze. "Have you forgotten? We are assasins. Not slavers."
The young man stopped his packing, turning around to her. Leone kept her gaze on the huge fields infront of them. Not looking at either of them.
"Excuse me for stepping out of line commander... but are you sure your okay with this?" Rori finally said.
Thick-headed lilttle boy! ,Leone thought. "He burned all his chances of redemption with us when he choose to give one of us to the ice bitch" she answered. Her voice now held a small hint of anger. "It's one thing to stop fighting. Another to stab those that used to protect you in the back."
"Leone.." Maria said, rising up. She had sat down to help Rori to pack his stuff when she thought Leone wasn't watching. Trying to help him look good infront of their commander. The cute gesture had not gone unnoticed by Leone but her mood was way to foul to be cheered up by it rigth now.
She sighed. " Well, thats what the general consensus is anyway. I'm not quite so sure myself. Anyway, we have mainly been sent there to scout." She turned to her attendants with a gentle smile. "Lets play it by ear, shall we?"
"Yes,commander!" they answered in unison.
"Now get back to packing." she said. Her usual vigour returning to her voice. "We are leaveing in five minutes. I plan to be at the old hideout tomorrow afternoon. If you slow me down, you will regret it." she said. Sounding a lot more upbeat.
"Of course!" They answered in unison,once again. Quickly returning to packing the last of Rori's stuff.
Leone turned to watch the sky. I guess we will just have to see what has become of you Tatsumi,she tought. Bringing forth the hope she had been hiding deep inside her for so long.
Maybe. Just maybe, this could still be fixed.
To Tatsumi's suprise Esdese's chambers were actually not as deserted as usual. Three deliverymen were in the process of carrying ,what Tatsumi assumed to be,a wrapped up painting into one of the rooms when he entered. He was about to greet them but he stopped when he heard a sound from the corridors behind him. What could have been mistaken for the sound of a gust of wind for a less trained ear made him try to turn as fast as he could. Bur he didn't manage to turn around before she smashed into him from behind.
Esdese had met Wave as she was heading towards the jaeger's quarters. She had stopped the young man and he had told her that Tatsumi was in her chambers already. He had not been able to ask her about the imperial guard's stand on leisure activities since she had darted out of his sight before he could even start his question. She had then accelerated to a speed few in the capital could hope to match. Flying up the stairs and through the long corridors. And then he was there. At long last. She didn't even bother with trying to stop her speed. Simply flying into the boy from behind. Wrapping her arms around his chest.
Tatsumi let out a "Oooooff" as the impact knocked the air from his lungs. He planted his feet in the floor in an attempt to stop her momentum. Leaving long ugly marks across the beautiful floor as he drove his boots into it. He managed to not fall over but when they finally came to a halt, their braking distance had taken them through a pair of already open doors and into Esdeath's personal study.
Tatsumi breathed out as he tried to straighten up a bit with her still grabbing him from behind.
"Esdese." He said tentativly. Unsure of what was to come. The only answer he got was something between a hiss and a snarl in his right ear before he was lifted off the ground. She pressed their bodies together so hard that Tatsumi thought she was going to break some of his ribs. She pressed her face into the hair at the upper back of his head, taking deep breaths. Filling her lungs with his smell once again.
Finally! Everything is right with the world again, Esdese thought as she continued to breath in her lover's smell.
Tatsumi saw her white long coat sway forward at his sides from behind him. Which meant that she probably was coming directly from the assembly, he concluded as his own body was bending back and forth as her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. Speaking of breathing, he was completly unable to. Her grip was so constricting that she was pressing all the air out of his body.
He tried to speak but all he could get out was a hiss. He started to slap the side of her stomach in an attempt to get her attention. To no awail. He was starting to feel all strength leave his body when she finally loosened her grip. Allowing his feet to touch the floor again. He was thankful that she didn't let him go though, since he would probably fall over at this point.
"You will never leave me alone for so long ever again" she growled into his hair. She sounded angry but Tatsumi had a feeling that was not the case. This agressivness was driven forth by another part of her more primal nature. Frankly, a little part of him actually wished that she was just angry with him.
"So I guess the assembly is over already." He said, feeling dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
"No. There is still more than a hundred reports left." She said in a exasperated voice."I have to return to it in a minute. I thought that knowing that I could have you with me when I was done would make this ordeal easier. It didn't." Her voice turning bitter at her last words. "If anything, it makes my wait even more unbearable."
YES!, Tatsumi thought. Now he could get a couple hours of rest before she came and claimed him tonight. He was almost about to tease her about how the empire's strongest warrior couldn't handle a simple meeting but quickly thought better of it. If she was as pent-up as it seemed, he would have to tread carefully. Inviting her more playful sides to come out at this point could be a grave mistake.
"I will still be here when you return" he said as warmly as he was able to. He grabbed one of the arms that was tangled around him and squeezed it.
She didn't answer but simply buried her nose in the side of his neck while slithering her arms in under his shirt. Wrapping his ,to her arms naked, upper body in their strong embrace.
"Excuse me, where should we put the painting?" A nervous voice called out from the door. Tatsumi felt how Esdese's head slowly rose from where his neck and shoulder connected and turned to look at the source of the disturbance. She felt like a viper rising to strike.
Tatsumi decided to intervene before anything happened. He turned his head the best he could in her embrace and looked at the young deliveryman standing in the doorway. The boy was already sweating heavily so Tatsumi assumed that Esdeath wasn't exactly smiling at him from behind his back.
"Ahh, take it in here! If this piece of art managed to catch Esdese's attention then I have to see it." He said with a happy voice. Trying to send the boy a reassuring grin.
The young deliveryman took his chance and quickly disappeared into the other room, shouting at his co-workers turn around.
"I didn't get it though. It's just some gift from yet another nobleman." she said. Returning her nose to his hair. "Trying to get on my good side, no doubt."
"It must be hard to be so popular."
"I would be more impressed if a footsoldier came walking over from the barracks to confess to me" she said. Her long fingers starting to slowly draw circles on the skin under Tatsumi's arms. "Then I would at least praise him for getting past all of the imperial guards. Though admittedly, both attempts would get the same result."
The three deliverymen hurriedly walked in with the painting. Putting it up against one of the bookshelves. Then retreating out of the room after having quickly uncovered it.
Both of them turned their eyes to the painting.
"Nope!" Tatsumi exclaimed.
"Ohh yes!" Esdese answered.
The painting delivered portayed them both in rather... daring scenario.
"I want to put it somewhere were a lot of people can see it." Esdese said giddly. "I might actually have to thank the nobleman for this gift."
"Are you kidding me?! Or do you want me to be the laughing stock of everyone who ever walks into our chambers?" Tatsumi argued determinately.
"What are you talking about, Tatsumi? You look quite.. adorable in this painting if you ask me." Esdese calmly answered. Tatsumi could almost feel her smile behind him.
"At least you got to wear some goddam clothes in it! You have your entire uniform on you." Tatsumi responded.
"Well, you do have that elegant collar on you." she answered while giggling. "But I already knew that you looked good in collar and leash." she continued while her smile grew a bit larger.
"I thought that you were a possesive kind of lover. Not the kind to share the sights that are reserved for you with the entire world." Tatsumi said. Trying a diffrent strategy.
"It isn't that revealing, Tatsumi. My left leg is obscuring your more private parts."
"Do I actually have tears on my face in this? I do, don't I?"
"Yes. Yes you do. I must compliment the artist on this one." she said. Hur voice growing a bit more husky. "I say we hang it up in the entrance hall."
"I look like a bitch!" Tatsumi said. Growing desperate.
"No, you look like my bitch. There is a huge diffrence." Esdese answered in a sweet voice.
"We're burning it."
"Oh are we?" Her voice growing dangerously soft as her arms once again tightened around his body. She moved her mouth to his right ear. "And who is gonna stop me from hanging it up? You, my dear sweet little Tatsumi?" she whispered into his ear. Her nails suddenly digging into his skin.
Only now did Tatsumi realize that he had inadvertently pushed her a little bit. He had actually enjoyed their banter so much that he had forgotten to be careful.
"Who was it that eventually came over to me, my love? Which one of us was it that eventuelly bent to other? Who was it that let his friends go in order to become mine?"
Tatsumi tensed. To Esdese, Tatsumi's betrayal of Night raid was one of her happiest memories. The moment when her love finally reached him. When she finally got him. Unbeknownst to Esdeath, the reason Tatsumi had caved in had been more based in desperate strategic thinking than her affection. It had simply been his final try to do some damage to the empire.
Esdese did ,however, know that Tatsumi was not proud of his betrayal and hated to talk about it. So out of consideration for her lover she rarely did. So now,when she was not only mentioning it but pretty much shoving it in his face, Tatsumi knew, that it could only mean one thing.
She was challenging him. Normally she wouldn't try to push him this far in these kind of scenarios. Normally she would have destroyed the painting herself if it bothered him.
No, this was not about the painting. She wanted him to lash out in some way. She wanted a chance to assert her possessiv dominance over him again. In whatever ways Tatsumi dared not imagine. He once again realized that he had been away from her for far too long. He needed to backtrack. Now.
He slowly started to stroke his head backward towards the side of her face. Slowly nestling into her. It took a moment but then she started to return the movements. Stroking and snuggling against his neck and ear. Tatsumi felt a little bit relieved.
"Who was it, that in my bed, finally gave me the name of his former girlfriend, Tatsumi?"
Enough, Tatsumi thought.
"Alright, alright, alright." he said tiredly. "You win, as always. Put the damn painting wherever you want it."
"Spoilsport" she said." We will put in our bedroom then. It's rare for anyone else to be there but the two of us."
"Yeah, now only all the maids and cleaning personnel will be spreading rumors about me and what hangs by our bed." Tatsumi said with a bitter voice.
"Do you also care about what the ants you walk on are talking about?" she asked him as her left arm came out from under his shirt to run it's fingers through his hair.
"Aren't you going to be late to the assembly?" Tatsumi sighed.
"Yeah, you are right. I should be leaving." Esdese said with a hint of sadness as she slowly raised her head from his shoulder. "One more thing though."
Tatsumi did not have time to react as the hand that was stroking his hair moved down and drew away the collar of his shirt. Then with lightning speed she sunk her teeth into his right side, where his shoulder and neck connected.
"WhaaAAIIHEE!" Tatsumi was for the third time that day unable to hold down his voice. This time was the worst one yet though. This was no little playbite. He felt her teeth sink into his flesh. Drawing blood which her tongue greedily licked up. Tatsumi immediatly started squirming but her one arm under his shirt held his body in place and her other arm stopped both of his own from flailing around with ease. He pushed his head against hers in a violent mimicking of their earlier snuggling.
After a second or two she pulled her teeth out of him. But she kept her mouth on his wound. Loudly gulping down his blood until it stopped pouring out of him. Finally after minute and a half she let him go for the first time since she tackled him into their chambers. Tatsumi took a step from her and turned around.
"Gods, what was that for?!" he shouted at her.
Her hand reached out and grabbed his shirt. She pulled him in and kissed his already half open mouth. Shoving her tongue down his throat. Tasumi could feel the taste of his own blood invading his mouth. They stayed like that for some seconds before Esdese finally pulled back.
"Have you gone and become a vampire in my abscence or something?" Tatsumi cried out.
"Not really, no." Esdese said. Smiling while licking her lips. " You have been away from me for so long. So I felt a really strong urge to mark you in some way."
"This again." Tatsumi said, while clasping his new wound with one of his hands.
"I will be returning later this evening." She said while adjusting her cap. She put a finger under his chin, lifting his face up so that their eyes met. "I will expect you to be here then, Tatsumi."
"I will. If you take too long I might be asleep though. I haven't slept in a bed for weeks." he said. Obediently meeting her gaze. This was no time for meaningless disobedience.
"No worries. I will wake you up." she said. Smiling at him in an almost threatning way. Then she turned around and started walking out of the room.
"I still need to go and turn in my written report to the archives though. So I might be gone for an hour or so." he said. Looking at her back.
"We both have duties to fulfill, Tatsumi. But I would advise you to not leave me waiting for too long." She turned around as she opened one of the huge doors out to the corridor. "You can put my copy of it on the desk over there. I will read it tomorrow."
With that she closed the door and was gone.
Tatsumi fell to his knees as the mere pressure of her presence faded away.
Just meeting her for the first time in a long while was enough to reminded him of his biggest problem.
Her.
To him she was just a very agressive and possesive lover with sadistic tendencies. But to the rest of the world she was one of the biggest monsters known to man. She commited genocide, not by orders but with her own hands. She found joyfull glee in "playing" with and destroying other people.
To her everyone alive just another mean for her to have her horrible fun. Everyone but him.
If everything went well the empire would burn to the ground in the months to come. She would be helping it to fall apart by just being herself.
But Tatsumi was well aware that when the ashes settled, she would probably still be standing. She would still embody every reason why the empire needed to fall.
And he still wasn't sure of what he would do when that time came.
"You mean to say that my rank means nothing in this matter." Wave said angrily to the lady behind the desk.
His plans to save Tatsumi from any shame had appeared to be a lot more difficult to pull off than he had originally appreciated. When he had inquired to the captain who had responsibility over the barracks under Esdese's quarters he had asked Wave for the proper papers and admissions. Wave had of course not anticipated that it would require four diffrent approvals from four diffrent authorities. Each single one a challenge to get. To do it within the timelimit he had been given seemed almost impossible.
He had been standing in three diffrent ques in three diffrent instituitions and he still had not even got the chance to meet a single one of the people whose approvals he needed. He had been at it for almost three hours now.
The most annoying part of it was that the captain of the barracks and his men had all recognized Wave from the missions they had shared. Their faces had lit up when he mentioned a chance to party and relax but they fell just as quickly when he made it clear that he didn't have anyones permissions yet. They needed this just as much as Tatsumi, Wave thought. He just needed to get through all this damn bureaucracy.
"No, sir. As I said before, the security manager of the northern barracks is a very busy man. You will have to make an appointment. And even if you do talk to him it will probably take a week or so before he would be able to look into your case and approve of it."
This was the fouth time he was denied. The fourth time he had left empty handed. He needed to find a way though. Tatsumi depended on him. His friends in the imperial guard depended on him. He needed to solve this. He needed to find a way!
To party. For everyone's sake.
He was not gonna back away that easy this time. He was a jaeger. Working directly under Esdeath. He could not let some simple standards and procedures stop him. His commander would understand, he prayed as he straightened up.
"Listen here, I am a member of the jaegers and if I don't get to meet the manager I might-"
"Ohh.. What is going on over here?" A deep, relaxed voice came from behind Wave. Wave managed to see the secretay's jaw drop as he turned around.
Behind him loomed the bulk of a huge man with a humongous belly and a wild white beard.
Wave immediatel bowed as deep as he could. "Prime minister, my apologies! I was too caught up in my disscusion. I did not notice you."
The older man let out a slow and deep laugh. " At ease, lad. I'm just out for a stroll. Wave of the jaegers,was it?" His voice was warm and fatherly.
"Yes, sir!" Wave said. It did not escape him that the room that was earlier filled with people was now empty.
"Well then, young man. Why don't you walk with me for a bit? I would enjoy some company."
"Sir, I don't think I could do that without telling you that me and your late son did not.. get along to well. I'm very sorry" He bowed again.
The prime minister was silent for a second or two but then he answered in an almost humble tone. "The past is in the past. Regret it as we may. Don't worry about it."
"Sir?" Wave said. Unsure about what was going on. He had heard from many diffrent sources that the prime minister was a vile and corruptive creature. Power hungry with a complete disregard for the well-being of anyone but himself. However, this was the first time Wave had seen the man and so far the man did not fit the rumors.
"Come now, young man. Walk with me and tell me about what troubles the youth these days!" The large man said while gently gripping Waves shoulder. Tugging him away to the long corridors of the castle.
After a bit of hesitation Wave finally told his new walking partner of what he was trying to do. Taking great care to emitt Tatsumi from the story.
".. so I thought it would be a great idea to boost morale with the troops, sir. I must admit though, that my plans have easily been overturned by-"
"-simple bureaucracy." the prime minister finished for him. "These things happens to all of us. Even I sometimes find myself caught up in these kind of things. I know that it can be quite irritating."
Wave lowered his head a bit. "I'm sorry you had to see that, sir. I was just getting desperate."
"No worries, lad. I myself have found that sometimes it is better to... find a way to walk around the rules. They are, after all, put in place to protect the people. If they instead prevent us from doing just that then one should not be afraid to find a way around them. For the good of all, of course."
"I agree, sir! But I don't see what you are getting at?" Wave said. He was being very carefull not to step out of line here. The prime minister did give of a friendly feeling but all the rumors and sayings lingered in the back of his head.
"Let me be completly open with you here, Wave. I did not meet you today by pure happenstance. I had arranged for this meeting to happen."
Well, no shit, Wave thought. All these halls and corridors are usually not completly deserted in the middle of the afternoon.
"I hope you will excuse me but I did it for a very good reason, young man." the minister went on." I was thinking that we might help each other out a bit. I might need your aid."
"What do you mean, Sir?" Wave answered. Trying to be very attentive of the man's intentions.
"I frankly think this little festivity of yours is a great idea. I could also easily make it happen. As matter of fact, I will make it so you can hold this little party with the imperial guard no matter of your answer. Just as a token of my goodwill. To prove that I'm not trying to blackmail you, Wave."
This suprised Wave a huge deal. "Ohh. Well, thank you a lot, sir! But sir, won't the great general take offence to that?"
"Budo trusts his soldiers to make these type of judgments themself. If they want to participate it means that they will still be able to do their duty." the minister said while tapping his stomach."
"Sir, not to criticize your judgement but are you sure you don't have more capable people at your disposal than me?"
"It is you I need Wave. Because this problem is quite unique." The prime minister said as he took a folder out of his jacket. "This is about your good friend Tatsumi."
Wave tensed up. Tatsumi had always gotten a lot of flack from the higher-ups in the empire but never from this far up. Those who were as high as the prime minister usually had to meet and work with Esdese from time to time and therefore rarely critizised her partner openly.
"It seems that your friend has been up an about a whole lot these last few months." the prime minister said as he opened his folder while they walked. "And it has had some... unwelcomed side effects."
Wave didn't say anything. He felt very uncertain if he liked where this was going.
"I'm sure you have heard that the torture chambers have become a wilder place lately." he continued and sighed. "Esdese does seem frustrated about the direction her relationship with your friend is heading."
"That might be so, sir." Wave said. Unwilling to commit to anything yet.
"Wave, Esdese is one of the most important military assets our empire has. She has remained completly steady and reliable against all the horrors and troubles this empire has faced. She has brought us some of our greatest victories and created one of our most effective armies. Losing her would be an horrible strike to the empire, don't you think?"
"Of course, sir!" Wave exclaimed with determination. While Wave knew that his commander had her quirks he still admired her deeply and was very thankful for all the opportunities she had given him. Asking nothing in return from him but that he always does his best when he works under her. In fact, Wave was still rather proud of being a part of her jaegers despite all the bad things it had brought him.
"Then you must also realize that it is quite troublesome when the first signs of irregularity in her behaviour comes from such a small thing as her subordinate Tatsumi's erratic actions." The prime minister stopped and turned to Wave.
"Wave, I want you to tell me all about Tatsumi's whereabouts in the future. I want you to report what he does and says directly to me."
"If you excuse me for saying it, sir, but that is a rather large order." Wave said. This deal started to smell really foul to him. " You want me to spy on my friend in exchange for a simple party?"
"I already told you that the party is already yours just for listening to my request."
"So you do want me to spy on Tatsumi though, sir?" Wave said. Making the last word bear more weight than usual.
"Not spy. Report. I don't want you to go meddling in his affairs or try to ask him things that doesn't come naturally." The minister looked Wave straight in the eyes and gave him a concerned look. "You are the only person that Tatsumi confides with about these kind of troubles. You are the only one who can help me succed with this."
"Succeed with what, sir?" Wave said, looking sternly at the older man.
"Helping to make Esdeath's and your friend's relationship work out, of course." The prime minister looked at him as if he was a child that needed to have everything explained to him.
Wave on the other hand was taken aback quite a bit. "What? Is this all only about that?"
"There is no "only" in this,my lad. We have no idea how Esdese would react if their relationship suddenly fell through. It's a risk we simply cannot take. We need her to stay strong for the sake of the entire empire." The minister said, keeping his stern expression. "I believe that we can avoid that scenario with your help. I constantly work with Esdese and you hear many things from Tatsumi. If you report what you hear to me we will have the full picture and will be able to act accordingly."
"Well then,if that is the only thing this is about, then I will be more than willing to help you. "Wave said with a friendly smile. He recalled that the prime minister actually was one of the few politicians which Esdese had ever expressed any amount of respect for. So this couldn't be that bad. "I have already been trying to find a way to make things work out smoother for them"
"Atta boy!" The old man laughed while patting him on the shoulder in fatherly way. "Here take this folder, remember the things in it and report all the things Tatsumi says about them directly to me."
Wave took the folder and started to skim through it.
"Sir, this is mostly locations and diffrent noblemen,politicians and military personell" Wave said while he gave the prime minister a questioning look.
"Those are the things that I have noticed makes Esdese's mood turn sour."The prime minister lied."It is important that we found out what Tatsumi's realtionship to them is."
"I see." Wave said, returning to flipping through the folders diffrent pages. "Do you mind if I keep this folder? I don't think I could memorize all of these on the spot. There are so many of them"
"Yes, I suspect that Tatsumi has been running around quite a lot these last months." The prime minister said. A darker look passing on his face for a very short while. "Keep the folder, lad. Just keep it well hidden. And remember, don't ask any questions that would not be normal in the given situation. Don't stick your nose somewhere risky and most importantly, don't let Esdese know that you report to me."
"Huh? Why should I not let Esdese know that we are trying to help them." Wave asked.
"The situation is strained enough as it is, my boy. Letting Esdese know that we are inquiring into the most private part of her life without permission might not be a good idea, don't you think? Especially since we are acting on the insinuation that she can't handle it herself."
"Yeah, that does make more sense then I wish it would" Wave said. Having experienced a small imitation of what it meant to get on Esdese's bad side once. That was already far more than enough for him.
"I get it."
"Great!" The older man boomed. " Putting a firm yet kind hand on Wave's shoulder. Leading him on down the corridor. "Now, you can't have a proper celebration without some music, my lad. Tell me, have you thought about any musicians in particular. Otherwise I have some great recommandations." The prime minister continued on as they walked down the corridor. The folder about Tatsumi's secrets tucked deep inside Wave's jacket.
Tatsumi walked through the streets of the huge, inner castle yard. Walking over to the military archieves to turn in his report. It was growning a bit late and very little of the sunlight now made it over the walls. He could feel his hunger growing since it was already about dinner time. In his right hand he held his misson report.
The misson had always only been an excuse to be able to leave Esdese's direct surveillance but it had needed to be a good one. Otherwise Esdese wouldn't have given her permisson. So Tatsumi had made up a story about how there still were people who didn't know he had defected from the revolutionary army. If he was alone and without surveillance he could use these people to get close to the revolutionary army. Bringing invaluable intel to the capital.
He also knew that he had to bring back some results. Otherwise his actions and procedures would have been more thoroughly investigated. So he had chosen to reveal an old Night raid base to the empire. Spending the first three days of his "misson" to travel to the base and make sure that it was still abandoned. Ensuring that there were nothing there that revealed Night raid's current location.
He had made up an long story about following leads and infiltrating spy meetings in order to find the Night raid base. "Documenting" everything in great detail in the report he was about to turn in.
After reaching the right building and standing in line for a few minutes he handed over the folder to an army official. Identifying himself and showing his jaeger insignia. As he was about to turn around and head back out the uniformed man that had accepted his report spoke up.
"One moment, jaeger. A letter was delivered for you just some minutes ago."
"Huh, I didn't know this was a post office." Tatsumi said with a mocking smile.
"Yeah, neither did I. But orders are orders." the uniformed man answered bitterly. Handing over a letter that was little more than a paper that had been folded over and sealed with wax.
"Thanks" Tatsumi said and walked out of the building while staring at the letter.
"To Tatsumi of the jaegers.
From Makeias."
This was written across the top of the folded paper. The name meant nothing to Tatsumi. He stuffed the letter into his pocket and headed to his next destination.
Fifteen minutes later he walked into a small bar in one of the more rundown parts of the capital city. He walked down to the front counter and said that he would like order some food. The girl behind the counter nodded and led him away to a empty secluded room on the second floor of the bar. There she motioned for him to take a seat in a sofa with a table in the corner of the room. Then she left him for a couple of minutes. The room only had one window and looked more lika a storage area than anything else.
Then she returned with a flagon of water and some sandwiches. She sat down in front of him. She was a girl in her twenties with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Wearing a low cut bar maid uniform over her rather well-endowed body.
"We heard that you had returned this morning but we didn't know if it was true." she said silently. "Did everything go as planned."
"I managed to accomplish everything I set out to do." Tatsumi said as he took a bite of one of the sandwiches. Taking great care to use broad terms in case someone,against all odds, was listening to them from a hidden position. "Two days now."
"So I heard." she answered. "Were you mauled by some kind of beast during your journey" she asked with a teasing smile. Gesturing to Tatsumis neck that now carried a painfully visible bite mark.
"Something along those lines." Tatsumi said. Her smile told him that she had already guessed who was responsible for the wound."Has anything changed since I left?" he asked her.
"Nothing big. Eveything is going just as one would expect it to." She answered with a knowing smile. "I guess you have already heard about Esdese's little outbursts."
Tatsumi nodded. "So that is common knowlege now?"
"Oh ,I wouldn't say common knowledge. But you hear all sort of things when you... work in a bar."
"Anything else?"
"Now that I think about it, there is on more thing that you might want to know" she said and leaned in a bit closer. "Another general returned to the capital city while you were gone."
"Who?" Tatsumi said. Putting down his sandwich. This could mean everything or nothing.
"The pillager has come back after defeating his opposition at the borders." she answered. Her tone serious.
Tatsumi knew little of this man. The general known as the pillager by the small folk had been stationed at the far borders of the empire for as long as Tatsumi could remember. Earning his nickname by letting his armies forage and pillage everything they could from enemy towns and soil when they lost their supply lines.
"Is he a problem?"
"We don't know. Generals usually get to their ranks either because of their raw fighting-power or their ability to manipulate things in their favor. Most times they have a big share of both talents." She shrugged. "Though if they say two days then I guess that it has been deemed that general Makeias is no threat in the bigger picture."
Tatsmui froze. He pulled up the letter from his pocket. "Is The pillager's real name Makeias?"
"Yeah. General Makeias."
"He left a message for me." He said. Showing the scrunched piece of paper.
"What does it say?" she asked. A fearfull look suddenly taking the smiles place.
Tatsumi broke the seal and read the simple message.
"He invites me for lunch in his quarters tomorrow." Tatsumi said. Confused at to what this meant.
"Invites? Is he not giving you an order?"
"No. It's a simple invitation." Tatsumi said scratching the back of his head. "Which could mean many things. Since the jaegers is a special force under Esdese's direct control, any orders we recieve first has to pass through her. That might be the why this is an informal invitation."
"You think he doesn't want Esdese to know about it?"
"Maybe. Maybe it means something else. Though there is definetly something fishy about it." he said. Folding the letter and putting it back in his pocket. "I guess I will have to go and see for myself. The question is if I should tell Esdese about this or not."
"I would opt for not doing it." The lady barworker said while resting her head into her right hand. "If he is a general then chances are that he is very ambitious and meeting you is just some plot to reach his next goal. If that is the case then we might be able to play him up against someone powerful in the future. This could be an opportunity."
"You might be right. I will meet him tomorrow and we will see. I will think about if I should bring Esdese into it." When he thought about it he could remember a few times when Esdese had mentioned her fellow general. They had apperantly been serving under the same legion in the beginning of their military careers. And had both become generals at about the same time. He couldn't recall anything more that she had mentioned about the man.
"Anyway, thanks for the meal. It's always a pleasure to come here." He looked out of the one solitary window in the room and saw that the sun had set and darkness was creeping out into the streets.
" Don't mention it" Do you want me to mix you a drink for the road?"
"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks." Tatsumi replied with a smile.
"I will be back in a second then." She rose from the seat and walked out of the room. Tatsumi leaned back into the sofa.
The day after tomorrow. Then it would all start. Tatsumi had never thought he would relish destruction or look forward to chaos but some parts of him was looking forward to this. All the things he had seen, all the horrors he had witnessed and endured, all the wrongs and betrayals he had committed, they all lead up to this moment. This was the purpose and justification for it all.
Now this whole empire would burn.
He closed his eyes. Maybe he had become more like Esdese after all, he pondered. Maybe she had manage to change him in some way. Though he was confident that this was not the results she had anticipated.
When his host returned ,ten minutes later, Tatsumi had fallen over and was snooring loudly in the sofa. She thought about waking him up but in the end she just put a blanket over him and turned off the lights. Letting him sleep there for the night.
And Tatsumi dreamed of fire and ruin.
Back at the castle's living quarters Wave had gotten the party started. Even the prime minister himself had payed a short visit in the beginning. Now the band was getting warmed up and the voices grew louder and merrier.
Unknown to Wave, his good intentions were serving the opposite effect. Only adding further fuel to Esdese's frustration.
She had weathered through the assmebly which had gone on long past the dinner time. She had savored the lingering taste of Tatsumi's blood in her mouth for as long as she could still taste it. Drawing a deep satisfied pleasure from the fact that she had taken a part of him and made it into a part of her. Forever having a bit of him inside of her as a part of her own flesh.
When the meeting had finally been adjourned by the great general, she had been giddy as a small girl on christmas as she got back to her living quarters. Only to find that her present was not there. He had ,however, left some of his clothes which she spent a good five minutes hugging.
Considering it already was quite late into the evening, she had chosen to get undressed and lay down in her bed. She would still be able to feel his presence and wake up even if she fell asleep. Then she would just have to drag him into the bed as well.
She had been lying there, absentmindedly stroking Tatsumi's side of the bed. Running her hand over the blankets and the pillows. Senses turned on to the max. Trying to sense the slightest part of his presence anywhere close by. But he did not come and her stroking slowly turned to clawing as her inner urges tried to find an outlet. As the time passed on, the party grew louder and louder. Making it harder for her to detect if Tatsumi was near.
After lying in the bed for almost three hours she had clawed through the blanket,the pillows and the mattress. Only noticing the damaged she had caused when her nails started to carve into wood. Damaging the bedframe. She rose to sitting to position to look at the damage. She sighed. She wondered if this was something she suffered because of her strength.
She knew that if a person got really frustrated they usually fought and destroyed. They found some way to vent their frustration. A way to get their release. But it was a bit more difficult for her. Everything she hit broke like wet paper. Nothing withstood her force or will. She could level this entire building to the ground and it would still not give her anymore relief than a normal person would get from flexing one of their fingers.
And even so, she knew that she had a greater need for this than most others. A greater wish destroy. A greater urge to damage. Her enjoyment of these things were far larger than it was for most others.
But it meant little if she only felt like she was hitting air. She had to look far and wide to find the few people that didn't snap like twigs at her mere hostility. An even fever amount of those lasted long enough for her to get any real relief or satisfaction.
The one person who could bring her relief efficiently was her lover and it seemed like he was avoiding her for the moment. Just a single one of Tatsumi's labored, painridden screams gave her more than a whole day in the torture chambers with the northern warlord Numa Seika had. A single one of his sweet little mewls or whimpers of submission gave her more than a prison cell full of people begging and screaming for mercy. Yet when she was with him those urges often took a backseat to other needs that he awoke in her. Things expressed through far more gentle and far more caring actions.
Her partner. Her mate.
So. Why. Was. He. Not. Where. He. BELONGED!
She raised her hand to smash the bedframe to pieces but she stopped herself. Pausing for a moment, she sighed again.
She got up from the bed and walked over to the desk where Tatsumi had put his report. Anything to put her mind on a diffrent matter. She hadn't always been this easily frustrated by his absence. The first two times she lost him had been months apart and then she had been doing much better than this. The diffrence being that now she had made him hers already. He was now her partner and that had in some strange way caused her longing for him to increase tenfold.
Maybe this kind of needy dependence could be interpreted as a weakness in itself but Esdese didn't care. He was simply one of her primal needs now. Just like food and water. She would procure her solution to that need by any means necessary. Woe to all things that came in her way.
She sat down and opened the folder. Rummaging through the papers Tatsumi had written. It seems that he had been rather successful on his mission. He had been able to not only find traces of where the Night raid had been but he had even managed to locate one of their old bases. She once again felt pride fill her chest. Of course he brought back good results. He was her partner after all.
However, she was and would probably always be, a better hunter. If he had been able to find the base then she herself could probably make out a lot more with a visit. Night raid usually made sure to cover up all their tracks but now they had confirmed that this had been their base once. That made things a lot diffrent.
She pulled a paper from a stack lying on the desk, dipped a pen in ink and wrote out her order in a far more elegant handwriting than Tatsumi's.
"Prepare a smaller garrison to accompany me tomorrow afternoon. I will venture to the east of the capital to personally investigate a trace of the vigilant group known as Night raid."
Author's note:
There we go. The first two entries of Bent but not broken. These were both written in the same session but I choose to split them up since I do not wish for all the chapters to be so long. I do want to be able to release these relatively regularly after all.
English is not my native language so it takes me some time to iron these out. I have to reread and correct them a lot. And even then they still contain a lot of sloppy mistakes when I release them. But I'am getting better. I hope.
If everything goes as planned the next chapter will be released before christmas and then hopefully another one before the end of the year.
Thanks A LOT for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. I deeply appreciate all you who choose to favorite,follow or write a comment/review. Makes this experience even more fun for me.
Take care of each other and have a great day.