Opening song: "Almost Easy" by: Avenged Sevenfold
"Then after everything was done, the field was littered with bones and organs of every sort. Blood ran so thick that it was diluting the mud. You could walk clear across the battlefield, and your boots would never touch ground." I state as I finish describing one of the battles that took place at the Bolakna.
Hikage takes a sip of her coffee and stares into the black liquid. Words of what to say come to her head, but she doesn't know exactly how to say it or form a sentence. Her hands tighten around the blue polyester mug as she takes another drink.
"I remember Yomi reading something about that in the newspaper. As you know, I am very conservative about my feelings, but that day she read that article to us, I went to the memorial we made to commemorate all the people we couldn't save at Hebijo. Amber, Satako, Roger, Tae, Junko, Rena, the list just goes on and on."
Hikage puts her coffee down and pulls out a couple pan magazines and a ton of crossbow bolts that need to be loaded. I take one of the pans and flip it upside down where I can load the bolts in. The small shafts of fiberglass lock in place as they roll over one another.
"That was one of the few times I actually cried, because even though we tried, there was no way we could possibly save everyone. Once we found a place to settle down, Yomi and Lawrence went out and found a boulder for us to write on. There were so many people that we had to carve names on small rocks, and the worst part was trying to explain to Shiryo why things like this happen."
"That's the worst part of this line of work. Knowing that your best efforts yield no result." I reply.
Out of all of us, I think Hikage experienced the worst. When she was born, Hikage's parents just left her in a dumpster because they didn't want to put up with raising a child.
This woman named Hinata found Hikage, and raised her as her own child. Although Hinata was one of those gangbangers, she showed love and compassion to those she led. Something you don't normally see when it comes to gangs or wasteland outlaws. Hinata was everything to Hikage. Then one day, a rival gang stole everything from her.
She was too young at the time so Hikage couldn't do anything. After that, she bounced around from here and there, trying to find a place to belong. Then she ended up at Hebijo where she was put under Haruka.
Because they were elites, Hikage and Haruka were allowed to go out and take whatever job they wanted. One day, I was headed to an illicit liquor store, and I saw Haruka sitting in an alley. I knew for a fact she wasn't from around that part of the country, so I asked her what the problem was. She wouldn't tell me, otherwise she'd have to kill me.
I antagonized her and said "it's not like I haven't heard that one before." After that, Haruka stood up and told me to back off. I antagonized her again, and the two of us got into a fight. Because I didn't have any kind of emotional connection to her at the time, I overcame Haruka pretty easily.
As I held her down, she told me that her friend was captured by some rogue shinobi, and she didn't have the resources to save her. I informed Haruka that I did, but the trade was they had to help me kill my old gang. Haruka agreed so I went and got Lawrence, Roger and Thomas and we helped Haruka save Hikage.
When we got there, they had beaten up on Hikage, but she wasn't in bad shape. I figured it was just some asshole looking to make a quick buck, but it was the last thing they ever did. As depressed and unappreciative Hikage seemed, I knew she was overjoyed when Haruka had come for her.
Hikage agreed to helping me kill my gang if I helped her kill the ones that killed Hinata in return. Hikage had the skills and street smarts to impress me, and I had the firepower and connections to get the job done. On that day, Hikage and I shook hands and our alliance was formed.
Hikage takes one of the loaded pan magazines and clamps it into the side of her crossbow. She racks the lever back and the vertical arches of the weapon lock back. It's been awhile since I've seen her use that thing. Mainly because Hikage's enemies recognize her almost instantly when they see it.
They call Hikage the "Kansai Rattlesnake" because of her serpent like eyes, southern dialect and the distinct noise her crossbow makes when it fires. The low rate of fire combined with the chug of the draw string sounds much like a rattle on a diamondback, and it is usually the last thing anyone hears when she has it pointed at a target. When Hikage really means business, she will coat the tip of her bolts in cytotoxin from cottonmouth snakes.
She takes out her knife, and a whetstone and runs the edge of her blade across the coarse grain. I finish loading the last pan for her weapon and set it off to the side. She has a total of four in reserve. Five all together.
"So, what's the plan?"
"I personally don't have one. Lawrence and Yuyaki are making one up as we speak. All I know is don't transform once in the city."
"I reckon it has something to do with that stone Yuyaki's been talking about." Hikage states.
"It has everything to do with that stone."
"What's the deal with it?"
"It was formed within Kagura's heart."
"Kagura? You mean, the death angel herself?"
"Yes. She showed me the scar on her chest where it pushed its way through her aorta until it finally burst from her chest. It saps power from shinobi who have transformed, and if the person hasn't mastered their ability to transform, it affects them regardless."
"Sounds dangerous. Just the way I like it." Hikage yawns as she kicks her feet up onto her bench seat and props herself up against the window. She lets out a sigh of relief as she squirms around and gets into a comfortable position.
"I'm going to rest up. I've slept on nothing more than a makeshift sleeping bag Yomi made for me. So, I'm turning in for a little bit."
"Alright. Sleep well."
Hikage rolls over and softly presses her head into the back of her seat. She wraps her arms around herself and kicks off her boots. I don't really see why she doesn't go to her room, but maybe she feels safer out in the open for some reason.
I go to my room and yank the comforter off the bed. This ought to be enough. I head back to the main car and drape it over Hikage. She grabs the edge of the blanket and unconsciously pulls it up to where her neck is. Hikage quickly scrunches up and tries to wrap it completely around herself. I guess when you share a room with three girls and a yoma child, the fight for a blanket is an ongoing battle through the entire night.
I pull all the window blinds in our car down. Call it paranoia, but it's not paranoia if assholes are always out to get you. We crossed the border about an hour ago, so Hikage and I can't take any chances. Once someone catches wind of us being up here, we will have every hunter and shinobi in the North after us. Out of all the places she could have chosen to run, Fubuki chooses the very top of the North.
Up front, I can see the attendant checking the cars and making sure everything is okay. I close the front blinds and sit back down at my seat. The woman walks into our car and heads our way. I reach over and lay Hikage's crossbow underneath the table. I doubt she can see it, but it wouldn't hurt to be safe.
"Is everything okay?" She asks.
"Everything is fine. Thank you, ma'am."
"So, what brings you and your friend up North?" The attendant asks as she offers to refill my cup with coffee.
"Family. It's almost Christmas, and I'd end up on Santa's naughty list if I didn't go see my…cough…Step family…" I sarcastically tease as she pours me some coffee.
"So who is this?" She asks as she points to Hikage.
"Step sister. She lives with my side of the family, and it's tradition we go see her side around this time. The sooner we do it, the sooner we get to go back home."
"Well I hope it works out."
"Speaking of, if we get back on this train with busted up lips, black eyes and we're intoxicated, you know we visited her side of the family."
The young woman giggles, "I hope you have a pleasant visit."
"The only thing pleasant about her family is the free beer, but thank you for your consideration." I reply with a smile.
"Goodbye sir."
"Goodbye ma'am."
The woman leaves our car and heads back to the very front. I pull out that pocket watch Jonathan gave me and flip it open. Let's see. Hikage and I talked for two hours when we first left the station, then I went to my room and slept for five hours while Hikage went to her room. Then we talked for another hour.
That's about eight hours, so we must be close to Tenalbrum. I press the button on the pocket watch and check the status of my corruption. Right now, I'm sitting between 11,000 and 12,000. I don't have to take one right now, but it might be wise to do it now rather than wait.
Damn. What happened to a shot every six days? Of course, that was before all this bullshit with the stone, and Oliveria coming after Hanzo academy, and Alice threatening to eat Asuka. If it wasn't for Fubuki, none of this would have ever happened. I'd be taking a shot every six days and enjoying my time off with Asuka, and the girls rather than playing this fucking game of cat and mouse.
I walk into my private bathroom and lock the door. Once the injection does what it's supposed to do, Hikage and I are going to have to make an early departure. Although I don't think there is anyone around that can sense the power leaving me, there's no room for chances being this close to Tenalbrum.
I stick the needle into the vial and draw out some water. Since there's no alcohol pads, I take some of the antibacterial soap and mix it with some water. The smell of lavender and honey fills the room as white suds builds up in my hand. I pull my gauntlet off, find an area and rub the semi-sweet froth on the area before cinching it up with a tourniquet.
The needle pokes into the flesh of my arm and stabs into a soft vein. I distribute the fluid into my body and prepare myself. A wave of strange heat circles around the front part of my skull and chills erupt from my shoulders.
Aches similar to what the flu causes seep into every muscle in my body. I work my way over to the toilet and close my eyes. A lump feels like it's forming at the very bottom of my throat. Almost like a tumor that's rapidly developing. Hot liquid presses the lump up to the back of my mouth.
It gets caught between the palates, and my tongue as the black fluid washes over the lump and slowly leaks out my mouth. I slam my fists into my chest to try and get some kind of response to dislodge the object caught in my mouth. A section of the lump rolls forward and flies out of my mouth as black liquid sprays all over the bowl.
My lungs stabilize and my heart rate returns to normal. I work myself up and sit on the wall of the bathtub. The burning of my sclera goes away as my eyes change back to their normal color, and the red of my iris turns back to its normal shade of green.
Because I took this shot a little early, there wasn't as much liquid. Which was why it was probably harder to pass that stone through my body. I pick up the chunk and look it over. I think I'll hold onto it and sell it later. Makaria said something about it being used to improve the overall quality of weapons.
I toss the rock in my pocket and open the sink cabinet. There's a bottle of bleach and some cleaner. I dump some of the cleaner into the bowl and flush the toilet two times. That way none of the stuff can backwash. I pour some bleach into the bowl to give it a sterile smell and put the cleaning supplies up. The room has been scrubbed of all signs of corruption and blood.
I head back to the booth and give Hikage a gentle shake. She inhales through her nose and grabs her knife before realizing it's just me.
"A bit paranoid, aren't we?"
"Don't pretend you aren't." Hikage replies as she rolls onto her back.
"It's about time to get up."
"Alright Alan."
She pulls the comforter off of herself and sits up. Joints and ligaments in her body pop and crackle as she does a small calisthenics exercise to loosen up.
Hikage buckles her boots up and straightens out the wrinkles in her clothes. I hand her the crossbow, and she tosses it over her shoulder. The both of us head to the very back of the train and step out onto the rear carriage. Hikage checks to make sure no one is watching as I jump up onto the top of the train. The lens of my eyes adjusts and allow me to focus farther.
I don't know how far we are from Tenalbrum, but the city lights are visible from our current position. Which means we have to be close. Twenty miles maximum. I drop down on the back of the carriage and step over the railing. Hikage steps over and prepares for the jump.
"Okay, on three."
"Wait, do you mean one, two, three jump, or one two then jump?"
"Damnit, you beat me to it!" I say.
The both of us jump at the same exact time. My boots smash through a thick layer of crusty white. The momentum causes me to take a couple steps to avoid falling. Cold air sinks into my face and immediately starts trying to sap the heat from my body. Hikage drops to one knee and braces herself as her weight tries to topple her forward from the force of the jump.
I pull out Oktitohbi's stone and toss it to the ground. In a flash of light, he appears. "Hey boy, how are you doing?" I ask as I pet his face.
"As good as one can be. How about you?"
"Really good. I'm about to put a stop to this madness." I state as I step into the stirrup and climb up.
"Who is this?" Oktitohbi asks.
"This is Hikage. She was one of the first shinobi I ever became friends with. Hikage, this is Oktitohbi."
"Me and Alan go way back." Hikage states as she grabs hold of my forearm and climbs up.
"Seems you know your way around a horse." Oktitohbi says.
"Alan had a black horse named Niauora. He used to take me, and these girls named Haruka and Minori on rides." Hikage replies.
"I haven't met Haruka, but I know Minori." Oktitohbi says as I grab the black reins and give him a quick double spur.
Oktitohbi bobs his head and takes off into a medium trot. We stay away from the tracks, but stick close enough that we don't get into an unnecessary engagement out in the wasteland. Even though we are miles from the sea, the breeze off the ocean only makes the weather that much colder.
Unlike everywhere else I've been, the snow is more like falling crystals that sparkle in the air here. All over the ground, snow takes the form of rocks rather than powder, and each step Oktitohbi takes crushes the snow into a fine dust.
Hikage covers her mouth and coughs. She spits out a wad of saliva and mutters something under her breath. A white shard hits me directly in the forehead and busts. A dull, stinging sensation travels all across my head. The dust travels down my face and seeps into my mouth.
I immediately spit to get rid of the salt taste. Hikage spits again and covers her face with a bandana to try and keep the falling crystals from entering her mouth. I pull my black bandana over my face since I don't have time to form my respirator mask.
"You know something Hikage?" I ask.
"What?"
"I just remembered why I hated this place."
"Is it because you hate the north in general?" Hikage replies.
"That too. I also hate the fact that I can taste the ocean even if I'm nowhere near the water."
"Makes you wonder how Homura lived up here." Hikage states as we continue onward.
Up ahead, I can see a bird like figure circling around in the black sky. It flies towards the gates and disappears under the cover of street lights and sky scrapers. Hikage points at a distant cliff overlooking the city. I can see the outline of someone laying on the ground.
I guide Oktitohbi towards the base of the hill, and he instinctually slows down. Up top, it sounds like someone is having a pretty fierce argument while the other constantly laughs. Hikage and I slide off Oktitohbi. She starts her tread up the hill while I pat Oktitohbi's face and hold up his stone.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome master." He says as he seals himself back into the stone. I stick him in my side satchel and approach the cliff side.
Hikage is waiting for me halfway up. I place one leg behind me and wind up. My wings sprout from my back and I release. Gravity tries to pull me back down but my body shreds through it. Rocks that aren't covered in snow gently hop up into the air as I land directly next to Hikage.
"What happened the bottom half of your wings?" Hikage asks.
"It's a long story, but I have dad to thank."
"Still as dysfunctional as I remember." Hikage replies as she grabs a hold of me.
"Keeps life interesting." I state as Hikage wraps her legs around me as I wind up again.
My knees nearly touch the ground as I twist my body and release. At the last second, Hikage lays her head on the back of my shoulder blade to avoid getting hit as we launch up into the air and onto the top of the cliff.
Hikage and I grab our weapons and aim as soon as Octavian, Lawrence and Yuyaki aim theirs at us. Mainly because Hikage and I weren't sure if it truly was them. Looking at it now, I'm kind of glad it was.
"Couldn't you have climbed up like normal people?" Yuyaki asks as she sticks her sawed off shotguns back in her holsters.
"What is this normal you speak of?" Hikage replies as she gets off.
Yuyaki lays back down on the ground and picks her monocular up. She pulls the stone out and replaces it with another one. It's significantly bigger than the one she previously had, and the shards of glass overlap one another several times. Lawrence is sitting up against a tree while Octavian lays in the snow.
"I told you Lawrence!"
"AH don't you lie!"
"I'm not!"
"You're…You're not lying? You know what happens to liars Octavian? They become politicians and lawyers. Or worse, they end up like Alan or Hikage." Lawrence says.
"Well I'd rather be more like Hikage than Alan." Octavian replies.
Lawrence holds up his arm and waves me over as he chuckles, "Alan! Octavian was informing me that Shiki taught Octavian something!" What was it again?"
"Shut up Lawrence!"
"Liquor in the front, poker in the back." Lawrence grins.
"Happens to the best of us." I reply as Hikage and I crawl next to Yuyaki. She's twisting the stone on top and slowly sweeping the area to try and find a way into the city.
"Thank God you two are finally here! Those two have been arguing over the same damn thing for nearly three hours straight, and they are still going at it!" Yuyaki states.
"You think that's bad; you should try living with about five or six of them under the same roof." Hikage replies as Yuyaki hands her the monocular.
"Admit it, you had fun and you know it." I say.
"I guess you are right. Those were good times." Hikage states.
"So, what's it looking like?" I ask as I look out towards the city.
"The city is sealed up tight." Yuyaki says.
The sound of cawing comes from above, and this crow circles above. Yuyaki stands up and holds out her arm. Something shiny reflects off her arm, and the crow descends towards us. The crow digs its talons into the leather and folds his wings up.
Yuyaki reaches into her side satchel and pulls out a cracker soaked in some kind of blood. The crow pecks the cracker out of her hand and holds it in its beak as she detaches something from its leg. The crow hops up to Yuyaki's shoulder, and she rolls out this tiny piece of paper that's completely in hunter's tongue.
"Hmm…It appears that the main way in is heavily guarded. Same with the back." Yuyaki says as she flips it over. "However, there is a weak spot in the patrol to the northeast because there is a shortage in people."
"Well there's going to be an even bigger shortage of people if they don't let us do our job." Lawrence states as Hikage hands him the monocular. He examines the northeastern side of the city. Lawrence rotates the crystal in and out to try and find the perfect angle. "Hey! They have a discount on lingerie! Christmas special!"
"What!? Let me see!" Octavian tries to grab the monocular.
"Use your imagination boy! Homura's put me in a creative slump here lately!" Lawrence replies as he tries to get away.
"Wait a minute! Lawrence, is there anything about red and green stripes? Asuka needs a Christmas present!" I ask.
"Well if Octavian would give me the monocular, I'd check!"
"GIVE ME THE FUCKING MONOCULAR!" Octavian states.
"NO!"
Yuyaki walks over to the tree Lawrence was leaning up against and yanks off a huge branch that's as wide as a baseball bat. She walks up behind both of them and raises the wood up. Neither of them are paying attention to what is about to happen, but the anticipation is killing me.
She slams it down on top of both Octavian and Lawrence's head at the same exact time. The sound of two skulls rattling and the expression "OWW" followed by several cuss words spew throughout the air as Lawrence and Octavian vigorously rub their heads.
"What the hell was that for Australian Gold!?" Octavian yells as he tries to pick some splinters out from the top of his head.
Yuyaki uses the stub of the log and hits Octavian again, "I have you know that this is my natural skin color." She hits Lawrence again over the head with the remainder of the broken wood. "It's not nice to laugh at other's misfortunes."
I'm hiding behind Hikage and biting the corner of my mouth from how funny this truly is. Hikage is causally smiling while I try to keep from busting out laughing. Deep down, Hikage wants to laugh, but she's holding it in.
"Now then. How do you suppose we get in?" Yuyaki asks as she picks up the monocular and looks back at the city.
"Well you said there was a weakness in the northeast. However, they are going to be sweeping that area more than all the others. As for train stations, there's going to be enemy patrols all over those." I state.
"I suggest we use the rafters of the railroad." Lawrence states.
"I think you may be right. It's looking like the only real way in." Yuyaki says as she beings to observe the train tracks leading into the city.
"The shinobi aren't going to be expecting anyone to use the rafters underneath the railways to enter the city. Enemies of the north either come in from the trains, or the back way while the yoma come in through the sewers. There isn't anything ever using the underbelly of the train tracks." Lawrence adds.
"That's looking like our only option as of now."
Yuyaki puts her monocular up while the rest of us go through one last check. Lawrence finishes putting percussion caps on his revolvers while Octavian breaks his revolver open and loads it. All my stuff is loaded and secured. Kopises are on my back, rifle is on my utility belt, chain sickle is on my hip while both my lever action pistol and revolver are in their shoulder holsters.
"Yuyaki and I will lead since we've scouted the area. Octavian, you stay with Alan and Hikage. If anyone asks, keep your faces covered up and say you are shinobi in training looking for sanctuary for the night." Lawrence says.
Lawrence and Yuyaki slide down the cliff and start the trek towards the city. I take one last look at the city and let out a huge sigh, "Here we go…"
Ending Song: "Point of No Return" by: Starset