Chapter 5: Become the Hunter
HELLO EVERYONE, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE LATE FOR ME TO DO AUTHOR'S NOTES, BUT I REALLY JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING. THIS STORY IS HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE A BIG HIT WITH YOUR SUPPORT! IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO REVIEW OR PM ME!
ALL HAIL THE SECRETARY!
It had been at most twelve hours since the assassination of Iokal and his guards and already the city was on high alert. The CDF had been on scene within minutes of them leaving, just in time to see Night Raid's Akame fleeing the scene with two more unidentified assassins. As of now, they were in the CDF's headquarters, awaiting an opportunity to escape the city unnoticed.
"Matthew, surely there's something that can be done!" Elise said, leaning on the CDF captain's desk.
"Elise, I told you," Davenport said. "Honest is practically breathing down my neck with all these assassinations! It's a miracle my position has not been compromised already with all the strings I pull to keep the spotlight on Night Raid!"
"Damn," she growled, standing straight up. "When will the heat let up?"
"As soon as Night Raid is captured, I'm afraid," he said. "There are a few ways in and out of the city, but they are far too risky…the Grand General's troops guard all of them."
"What if we create a diversion?" Shay asked. "A few pounds of gunpowder might buy us some time."
"Out of the question, Master Cormac," he sighed. "Only the Army has enough raw explosive to accomplish such a diversion…and it's all locked inside the Imperial Army Barracks."
Silence reigned for a good thirty seconds or so before Elise lowered her head.
"So how long are we talking about?" she asked.
"A week at most," Davenport sighed. "More if Night Raid decides to assassinate more people."
"By that time Esdeath will have finished with the Northerners," Shay growled. "We'll have missed the window to knock off other politicians."
"I will do everything in my power to keep the Minister's eyes off our Order," Davenport said. "But it will take some time before you can return to the compound."
"Right," Elise said. "Shay, Tatsumi…we're going."
"Yes Master de la Serre," he said, bowing to Davenport before following the two of them to the door.
Before they could get out, the door burst open, revealing a young auburn-haired girl dressed in a CDF uniform and a small white dog.
"Captain Davenport!" she said, snapping a salute. "Mission…oh, am I interrupting something?"
"No, no, Lieutenant," he smiled. "We were just finishing up."
"Oh, well then," she said, walking forwards to the desk and put a file in front of the captain. "Koro and I want to report a successful mission?"
"Excellent!" he smiled at the girl before looking at them. "Ah, Madame de la Serre, allow me to introduce one of our top officers, Seryu Ubiquitous and her partner, Koro."
As Elise moved to shake hands with the girl, he saw Davenport mouthing the word "Teigu." He nodded and stepped back away from the desk, ready to attack if the order was given.
"Are you friends of the Captain?" the young woman asked.
"Yes indeed," Elise said with a sweet smile. "He and I have been friends since our childhood."
They left as quickly as they could, heading back to the Holy Cross. As soon as they got there, they retreated to the private area.
"Damn," Elise muttered, banging her fist on the table.
"What are we going to do now?" he asked as Shay reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whisky.
"The only thing we can do, lad," he sighed. "We wait for the heat to die down…and thank our lucky stars we're not on the wanted posters."
He nodded. It would be a thousand times more difficult to leave if everyone knew their faces.
"Shay is right," Elise said, snatching the whisky bottle from his hands and uncorking it. "For now, we lay low…that means no heroics, Tatsumi."
"Why just me?" he asked.
"Because despite his alcoholism, Shay knows how to keep quiet," she said, taking a long swig of whisky.
"Oi, I am not an alcoholic," he protested. "I just like a glass every now and then."
"Do I have to remind you of what happened in Valley Ridge?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"Oh, that's a low blow," he mumbled, clutching his chest like he'd been stabbed.
"What happened at Valley Ridge?" he asked, pulling up a seat.
"He was sent to kill a slaver who had been kidnapping local children and selling them to the empire," she said. "The man was attending a party the night of the hit and the wine flowed like water. Shay got so drunk he shot the man in broad daylight and had to escape when he could barely stand."
Shay groaned. "Did you really have to tell that story, Elise?"
"Yes," she smiled. "Our young comrade asked a question…it is my duty as a Master to see he knows the truth."
Shay mumbled something under his breath and put his head down on the counter while Elise told him a number of amusing stories about the dark-haired assassin and his love of the old 'glug-glug.'
Days passed quickly, and thankfully there were no further assassinations. He spent his days wandering around the capital's many business and residential districts, occasionally dipping into his pockets for a new treat that was selling like water in the desert: ice cream.
"Not bad," he mused, taking a small lick of the white frozen cream. "Not bad at all."
He finished his cone and kept walking along the side streets towards the slums. If he was being followed, that would be the best place to lose any pursuers. As he walked through, he took notice of the condition of the place. Buildings were rotting, the pavement was chipping, children ran around in rags or even stark naked as they played in the streets…and yet these people smiled. He saw more smiling faces here than in all the other portions of the capital combined. He allowed himself a brief smirk as he passed through the crowd.
These people must know the end is near, he thought, hands in his pockets as walked. They know their fortunes are about to change.
Three more days passed and finally Davenport had assured them it was safe to return to the capital. He also told them that Esdeath had succeeded in not only capturing Numa Seika's fortress…but she had also broken his mind to the point where he saw himself as nothing more than a dog. He still shivered at that information.
After a day's travel by carriage, the three of them arrived back at the compound and headed straight to the Grandmaster's Study. Spear was there as well, standing guard at her father's right shoulder.
"Mission successful, Grandmaster," Elise said, bowing. "Iokal is dead."
"Baen of Razik is also dead, Grandmaster," he piped up. "Master Rodgers should be able to take the weapons he needs."
"Excellent work, the both of you," Chouri smiled. "Now our work can move to the second step."
"So soon?" Elise asked, cocking her head.
"With all due respect, Grandmaster," Shay said, stepping forwards, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Excuse me, Masters," he said, raising his hand. "What is going on?"
"Ah, forgive me, Tatsumi," Chouri smiled grandfatherly. "You have done so much for us and yet we have yet to properly induct you into the Order. Come here."
He hesitantly took a few steps forwards as the old man rose and slipped a silver ring with the Templar Cross emblazoned in red across its face from his pocket. Almost robotically, he held out his bare right hand and allowed Chouri to slip the ring on. The ring was proof of his allegiance now. He was truly a Knight of the Templar Order.
"As you know, our master goal is to overthrow the corruption of the Empire," Chouri said, sitting back down. "While we could simply infiltrate the palace and kill the Emperor like Grandmaster de Sable did a thousand years ago, we must ensure that the remains of the old regime do not spread to our new world."
"Think of it like killing a weed," Elise told him. "You have to pull up all the roots before cutting the stalk."
"Quite right," Chouri smiled. "Our first and foremost step is to first pull up the roots of the weed, so to speak. Men like Iokal and Baen, who would continue their cruelty even after the Emperor is dead, must be killed. Afterwards, we must inspire the common people to rise up against their oppressors. This can only be done after killing the men who kept them in chains."
"But we've only liberated a few areas outside the capital," Shay said. "If we were to move now and cause an uprising, we could draw the Empire's attention onto ourselves."
"I see," he mused. "Then why don't we just continue with step one?"
"Because with Esdeath on her way back to the Capital," Chouri said, "Honest may use her reputation to frighten the people back into submission and install more tyrants into the local governments. If Numa Seika had held out for just a few more days, I believe this would be a different story altogether. But no, Master Cormac…now is the time to begin step two…and I will personally oversee its beginning."
An audible gasp was heard from everyone in the room. The Grandmaster leaving the Compound was not unheard of, but with the most powerful enemy they faced returning from conquest, this was an ill-placed gamble.
"Grandmaster, this is madness," Shay said, walking right up to the desk and slamming his hands down. "Esdeath will be a day's march from the Compound…and that means the Beasts will be with her. Honest forced you out of the Prime Minister's office once already…if he thinks you're making another run for it, he'll not hesitate to kill you."
"Father, I agree with Shay," Spear said, putting her hand on the old man's shoulder. "This is unnecessarily risky…we could send word to our spies to spread rumors regarding the revolution?"
"No," Chouri said, standing to his full height. "No…for too long we have waited in darkness, simply cutting scales from the snake. Now we must go for its head. I will travel to the city of Anduin and start an uprising…perhaps we can convince the viceroy to pledge his allegiance to the Order?"
"But Grandmaster-"
"This discussion is over, Shay," Chouri said with a bit of steel in his voice. "My mind is made up. However, I will not go alone…I will take a guard force with me."
"Father, if you will not reconsider then I will go with you," Spear said, stepping forwards.
Chouri chuckled. "I assumed you would say that," he said. "Then the matter is settled. I will leave in two days' time."
The rest of the conversation was spent trying to get back on the topic of Chouri leaving the Compound, but the Grandmaster had an ironclad will. He would not reconsider. In his mind, it was a brave but foolish gesture. Chouri was making a huge gamble, but if it worked, they would be able to accomplish even more.
He sighed and walked out of the study, his head swimming with all the information that had been thrown around. He headed to the kitchen, which was usually run by trainees and the children of the Knights. After stopping for a quick bite, he headed to the top of the Compound to watch the sunset. But when he got there, he realized he would not be alone.
"Oh, hey, Spear," he said, climbing up the last few steps and onto the stone platform.
"Tatsumi," she sighed, not even looking at him as she stared out at the sun.
"Everything okay?" he asked, standing next to her.
"Yeah, just trying to wrap my head around why father wants to gamble his life," she shrugged.
"He thinks it will help the Order," he replied. "If you forget about Esdeath, then it's actually a good plan."
She giggled. "Look at you," she playfully punched his shoulder. "Since when did you become a strategist?"
"The same time you became a model young woman," he laughed.
She punched him again, although this time none-to-gently. They traded barbs for a few more minutes before falling silent and staring at the horizon.
"It's beautiful," she finally said, her eyes sweeping back and forth across the barren rocky wasteland.
"It kind of is," he admitted. "It's a shame we won't be able to see more of it once the fighting begins."
She nodded and sighed. "I practically grew up here," she said with a sad smile. "Except for the time I spent at the Koken Temple, this was my home…"
"Come on, Spear," he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. "It's not like you're never coming back here. Once the Grandmaster starts an uprising, you'll both come back here again. You're one of the strongest fighters I know…you're definitely going to see this through."
She smiled. "It looks like your optimism is infectious, Tatsumi," she said, leaning close to him.
He blinked as he felt something cool press against his cheek before she leaned back and smiled at him in her usual cheeky fashion.
"Wha?" was all he could muster.
"We'll do what comes next when I get back," she said, turning and vanishing down the stairs with a flash of blonde hair.
"Uh….."
He stood there dumbly, hand brushing against the cool spot on his cheek as the sun finally set below the horizon.
"Wow."
THREE DAYS LATER
"OOOF!" he grunted as Shay planted a kick to his stomach and sent him to the ground.
"Sloppy," he grunted as he sheathed his sword. "You've gotten really sloppy as of late, lad…what's eating you?"
"Shut up," he growled, springing back to his feet and rushing him with his sword.
Shay sighed and shook his head as he reached out with both his arms towards the biting steel heading for his chest. With a quick flex, his hidden blades sprung from their bracers and intercepted his strike. He blinked in surprise as Shay quickly disarmed him and knocked him down again.
"Had you not been angry, you'd have seen that 'comin," he said, squatting down next to him. "What's wrong lad…you've not been yourself the past few days."
"I don't know," he sighed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with one hand. "It's just…I really need to get stronger…and it's not happening fast enough. I'm still the weakest Knight I know about and yet I'm sent on these important missions…if I don't start improving fast, I might screw up and let a target escape. Or worse, reveal the Order to the Empire."
Shay sighed and handed him back his sword. "Do you think you're weak, Tatsumi?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," he said. "I'm weaker than everyone here!"
"But you killed Baen…and Ogre," he said. "Not to mention two of the top members of the Koken Temple. I know generals who would have a hard time dealing with them."
"What are you saying?" he asked, looking up at his teacher.
"That the word 'weak' is severely misused," Shay smiled. "You may not be as strong as me, Elise, or the Masters, but you are strong in your own ways. But if you want to get stronger, I think I can rectify that."
"Really? How?" he asked.
Shay's smile turned somewhat evil as he turned his back and walked into the Compound. "Pack up your gear," he said. "I'm going to personally train you to hunt."
He cocked an eyebrow as Shay disappeared inside. But he wasn't about to refuse free training from the deadliest killer he knew, so he went and packed up. Half an hour later, the two of them were walking towards an old riverbed about thirty kilometers from the Compound.
"So what are going to be doing?" he asked.
"Well, like I said," Shay said. "I'm going to teach you how to hunt."
"But I already know how to fight and kill targets," he said.
"You're not listening to me, lad," he said. "Hunting your target and killing your target are two separate things. Remember, your targets aren't going to fall to your blade willingly. They'll do whatever they can to stay alive, and that means throwing whatever they can at you."
"I don't understand," he said.
"And that's precisely the reason why I'm bringing you out here," he said.
They walked out the rest of the distance in silence. The whole time his mind was divided in two separate realms of thought. The first was dedicated to trying to figure out the meaning behind Shay's words. The other was trying to figure out what Spear meant when she said they'd do what came next when she came back from her mission.
Finally, they arrived at the sight of the ancient river. Most of the water was long gone, but the path it had made was still there. A canyon at least thirty feet deep wound gracefully across the red earth. Dotting the land around it were what looked like fallen trees made from stone, some of them poking out of the cliffs like rungs on a ladder. At the very bottom of the canyon was a shallow river that still flowed calmly across the bottom.
"This place is even older than the Order," Shay said. "Master Haythem did some research on the rock around it…its well over sixty million years old."
"Whoa," he breathed. "How big is it?"
"It cuts from the north to the south straight across the width of the Empire," he shrugged. "But that's not the reason we're here are we?"
He pointed about sixty yards ahead of him. "See that rabbit?" he asked. "That'll be supper. Go get it."
"Alright," he said, sprinting across the cracked earth towards the unsuspecting rabbit.
Before he was even twenty feet away from Shay, the ground in front of him split open, revealing a large serpent hiding in wait. The danger beast hissed and barred its fangs, ready to bite him. He panicked and fumbled with his sword as a shot split the air…and fortunately the snake's skull.
He turned around and saw Shay calmly reloading his pistol.
"How…?"
"I knew it was there the whole time?" he said, holstering his weapon. "Kikatha Snakes always leave their snouts above ground so they can breathe…I just saw it knew there was a snake there."
"But it almost killed me!" he protested.
"But you're still here, aren't ya, lad?" he laughed. "I'm going to be honest here, Tatsumi. Your strength isn't even close to mine or a lot of the Masters…but your speed is something to be reckoned with. I've seen people eaten by Kikatha before they even have a chance to scream. You managed to get a hand on your sword. That speed will definitely save your life, lad. Hell, you're already faster than Elise."
Those words sparked a small fire inside him. Strength could be gained with enough training, but speed was something that seemed to come naturally to him. And if he could get even faster…
"So what are going to do?" he asked.
"First, we teach you how to think on your feet and adjust your strategy," he said. "Next, I'll teach you how to fight with these."
He unsheathed his hidden blades and held them up. "Then we'll put them all together so you can hunt properly."
He nodded, a confident smile on his face. "I'm ready," he said.
Shay returned the grin. "Then catch a rabbit," he said.
ONE WEEK LATER
He sprinted along the length of a tree trunk running after Shay. The two of them jumped from ledge to ledge as they tore along the sides of the canyon. He allowed himself a shot grin as he put on an extra burst of speed and pulled ahead of the dark-haired assassin. Shay glanced at him and smirked before pulling out his pistol and shooting the ledge in front of him. The brittle stone shattered and a small rockslide began to fall towards him. His smirk grew as he jumped from boulder to boulder up back to the next stable rung. He quickly caught up with Shay again, jumping across a log that that lay across the canyon to pull up behind him.
"You're doing great lad," Shay yelled to the wind. "But let's see how you handle this!"
He spun around and brought out his sword, slashing downwards at his face. He quickly unsheathed his hidden blade and blocked the strike while throwing a punch with his left hand. The blow connected, but it was only enough to momentarily disorient Shay. He quickly recovered and slashed back at him. He responded by ducking the strike and stepping inside his guard before throwing his elbow into Shay's sword arm, dislocating it. He threw the man up against the wall and quickly brought his blade to his throat.
"Well done!" Shay laughed. "But you do know I was going easy on you, right?"
He smirked and released Shay, allowing the man to put his shoulder back in order. "Keep telling yourself that," he said as they jumped back onto solid ground.
"Oh, feeling cocky are we?" Shay raised an eyebrow before putting his hand on his knife. "Does someone want his ass kicked clear across the canyon again?"
He paled and held up his hands as Shay laughed. "Come on now, lad," he said. "I think you're ready to go back now."
The two of them quickly packed up and headed out back across the plains. The entire time his mind was active, scanning the ground and sky for enemies. Shay had shown him how important it was to be able to detect traps and move accordingly, mostly by forcing him to walk a mile through a Kikatha nesting ground without dying, so by now he was excellent at detecting even the slightest trace of an enemy or trap…be it by sight, touch, vibration, or even sound. His reflexes had also improved from the relentless canyon-running they regularly did. The logs, while they were made of stone, were prone to crumbling if you stepped on one too hard. Before he had felt weak. Now he knew he was strong.
The two of them made good time heading back to the Compound, reaching it shortly before night fell. But as they walked to the gate, they noticed that the guards were wearing somber expressions.
"Master Cormac!" one of them said. "Master Kenway is waiting for you in the Grandmaster's study."
"Haythem's back already?" Shay asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"All of the Masters are," the guard said. "When you left, there was no way for us to reach you to tell you the news."
"What news?" he asked, stepping in front of Shay. "What's happened?"
The guard swallowed. "We only found out three days ago," he said. "The caravan was attacked on the highway…Grandmaster Chouri is dead!"