Chapter 10: Secrets and Sandships
"Where is Shizuru?"
"Misstress Shizuru!? Where are you?"
"I cannot locate the mistress…"
There was no need to keep voices hushed as was customary in court. The King was dead. His daughter was missing, along with the newest maid. Sergay ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair, surveying the scene. His intention had not been to get rid of the princess, just her father. Just the Wraythe that had possessed him. He needed to talk to Nagi. This was bad.
"You called, Sir Gay?" Sergay heard the child's mocking tone, and turned slowly to meet him.
"You shouldn't be here, Nagi. People will talk." He felt silly reprimanding the boy.
"People are silly. And quite unaware of their surroundings. Nobody will see me, Sir Gay." Bristling slightly at being called that, the courtier unclenched his fists. "Anyway, this is quite interesting, ne?"
"The kingdom is in great distress."
"I love me a bit of distress," Nagi snickered, leaning back against the cold palace stone wall. "And besides, what do you care? You raised the girl. You sent her to do it,"
"And you masterminded it all. I'm beginning to think that there's something you're not sharing with me," Sergay tried to keep his tone steady. "You visited Magthor too. You pretend to do people's dirty work, then manipulate them. You're not a boy or an elf or even a spirit being. I'm not going to continue working with- or rather, for- you."
Nagi regarded him coolly, but amusement made his lips twitch. "What makes you think you have a choice? And besides, the damage is done now."
"What's your plan, Nagi? Why do you want another war?" Sergay angrily shot at him, almost stepping forward to shake the kid.
"I am merely trying to achieve what my brother tried to prevent: another war."
Sergay's eyes widened in surprise. "Your brother?"
"You're acquainted with him." Was the only reply Nagi gave. "War is always more interesting that peace, Lord Wang…"
And then, a gust of wind blew Nagi away.
"That bastard!" Sergay cried at the futility of his humanity. Was he really that much of a pawn?
-The Red Star Inn-
Natsuki nursed a steaming cup of hot myre-leaf tea, feeling like crap. In fact she had felt like crap ever since she left Shizuru in the forest and started recounting her past. Another dose of potion had not helped things. The innkeeper regarded her with sad eyes- this was her third cup of tea. Myre-leaf was known for it's herbal properties, and made people drowsy, but the girl seemed to look fine, just haggard beyond her years. Her silky blue hair was tousled and her clothes looked many times worn. She had discarded that silly maid's garb and changed into clothing more appropriate for travel.
The question is, will I be traveling any more? Natsuki mused to herself as she sipped the drink. Shizuru has probably been hacked to bits by forest wolves by now.
Natsuki shivered at the thought, and suddenly her chest ached terribly.
Why do I feel like this? It's not like I care for the stupid girl. Shizuru is another human pawn in this mad game of Chess. I'd just like to know who's playing it and why.
Would she really get answers from going back to Roedrenmon, though?
Yes. She assured herself. I have to, if to do nothing more than honour my family.
Still uncomfortable with herself, Natsuki drained her cup and set it down on the chipped windwood table. Seeing this, the innkeeper walked over to her and picked the cup up.
"Would you like another, ma'am?" She asked.
"No." Natsuki rudely replied. "Give me a tankard of your strongest, bitterest ale."
The innkeeper regarded the girl in shock, but decided against arguing with her. She scuffled back to behind the bar to get a tankard of Dragon's Elixir, the strongest ale she stocked. Men drank it when they wanted to get merry, quickly. The barroom of the inn was about half-full, which was saying something for this late. Her rooms has been fully booked up since Harvest, and were so nearly all the way through Hallows and into mid-Yule, where people did not travel as the roads would be blocked up with snow.
-Eastwind Forest-
"My, my, what have we here?" He looked like a child. Shizuru regarded him through her freezing haze with curiosity and wariness.
"Who are you?" she asked, wishing she had a weapon. The boy looked shifty.
He smirked. "I was an- ah, acquaintance of your father's. The name's Nagi." He held out a small hand. Knowing better than to take it, Shizuru pressed herself farther back against the tree she was leaning on. He frowned.
"I'm being nice. It's cold and windy out here, and there's a pack of mangy wolves around these parts. You should find somewhere to stay…"
"I am fine here." She stated coldly.
Nagi's eyebrows rose. "You really expect me to believe that?"
"No, but it reassures me a little…" Shizuru sighed. "My… my guide deserted me."
The child was suddenly not so happy. "How careless of her." Shizuru's eyes narrowed.
"I never said it was a her, Nagi."
He snickered. "Oh, that's right. Silly me." Nagi's face became serious beyond his outward years. "There's an Inn called the Red Star on the other side of the forest. She's waiting for you there."
Shizuru stood up and regarded him. "You know this… how?"
He shrugged. " I know a lot of things. A piece of parchment can only be folded in half 7 times, Windbloom had 4 statues of your father in it, and the like. However… you don't know anything."
Shizuru snorted at his ego, forgetting his power. "I know some things."
"So you think you deserve power?" He asked, eyes blazing like a predator. "You think that you deserve more than the human lot life has dealt you?"
Shizuru didn't like his tone, but considered the strange boys words. Her life had been perfect up until a month ago. Well, as perfect as it could get. And suddenly, she was thrust into a situation in which she was useless, merely a hindrance. She had no power beyond her charm. Shizuru relied on Natsuki.
"Yes." She said after her thoughts. The word was weighed and calculated, though, as she did not know what the boy's next move would be.
He clapped his hands together and smiled in what, in any other boy, would seem like childish glee, but on Nagi looked more like an evil grin.
"Your wish is my command, Princess."
-The Red Star Inn-
The back of Natsuki's neck prickled uncomfortably. Slipping back into Kuga mode, she didn't bother to swig the last of her Dragon's Elixir as she shot up and ran out of the door of the Inn; leaving the occupants gazing at the space she had occupied moments earlier. The feeling was unfamiliar to Kuga, but she somehow knew it. Shizuru was in danger. She slipped the daggers that she had been longing to use for what seemed like decades out of their sheathes and gripped them with a practiced hand, one held like a normal knife and the other blade facing the floor instead of the sky. Her eyes narrowed as she flitted through the forest. As it was night, and her Halfling eyesight was never good to begin with and under the potion's influence it was probably worse than a normal human's, she concentrated on smell. A forest was generally a difficult place to bring out smells, as the array of trees and flowers cloaked it in a heavy perfume, but Natsuki's nose was sharp and she eventually picked out the smell of sweat and blood, the usual indicators of human presence.
Once she reached the small circle of trees that Shizuru was hiding under the shelter of, Natsuki's nose was reeling. Her Halfling senses had been more of a disadvantage that a blessing back in Windbloom, so she had grown used to subduing them for the sake of her sanity. After using the potion for a while, she had lost the automatic suppression, and now her senses were on overdrive, which was a good thing.
When Natsuki burst through the trees, readying herself to strike at the assailant, she faltered and pulled back her blow. A child stood nonchalantly near Shizuru, his face jovial and body language relaxed. His off-white hair, a pale green almost, practically shone in the dark forest, and his pinkish eyes were fixed on her, sizing the assassin up.
"The little doggy's come out to play!" He exclaimed gleefully. "I looked upon you many times, but to actually meet you in person, Natsuki, I am honoured!"
Natsuki suppressed a growl at the boy's mocking tone. Soon enough, though, her nose picked up just one human scent. The boy was not human, nor any organic being Natsuki had previously smelled.
"I am no dog," she said, voice low and husky. "You need to step away from her."
He raised an eyebrow. "Mmm. Tempting, but we're besties now, ne, Shizuru? And besides, you did abandon her, all alone in this nasty forest…"
Silence.
And Nagi had a dagger through his heart.
He looked down at it with surprise and interest. "My," he exclaimed, turning to see Kuga. "I knew you were quick, but not this quick!" He then reached around to his back and pulled the dagger out in one swift motion, contempt on his face as he looked down at the bloodstain that was rapidly dying his starched white shirt. "Shame," he sighed. "I liked this shirt. And this body, too. You made me annoyed, Doggy."
Natsuki, however, could not retort, as he was dangling several feet of the forest floor grasping her neck in desperation. Nagi turned to see Shizuru under the tree, paralyzed with fright.
"Ne, Shizuru-chan," He said, briefly looking at the struggling Natsuki. She went limp. "You said you wanted to protect her, right?" It was a rhetorical question. "Well, here's your chance."
Nagi smiled and waved goodbye, before a gust of wind blew him away.
"Natsuki!" Shizuru cried, as she was un-paralyzed, stumbling over to the Halfling. "Natsuki? Wake up!" She shook the body, and Natsuki made a choking sound before resuming regular breathing, albeit in an unconscious state. Shizuru was suddenly very, very scared. More scared than she had been earlier, more scared than when she had glimpsed the Wraythe inside her father. The wind picked up and her chestnut hair blew around her, obscuring her vision. She knelt by Natsuki's side, holding her arm tenderly. Even in the midst of fear and confusion and her life being torn apart, she couldn't help notice how cute she looked, almost as if she were sleeping. Shizuru reflected on herself. Maybe… maybe she had been waiting so long and looking out for her knight in shining armour, she had missed her knight in worn leathers, her knight who was maybe not male. Shizuru considered it, an odd feeling welling up in her stomach. Was she perverse? These feelings were forbidden in Windbloom, the last man to admit to such practices being exiled to barren's Plain.
She decided she would feel better if she put it aside for the time being, as there were more pressing matters than her sexual identity to attend to.
"I do not like women," she said out loud, like a mantra. She concentrated on breathing and repeating the phrase to the comatose Nastuki.
A low snicker punctuated her bubble of repression. "Good fing that, love, 'coz if it wur, me an me boys wudn't have 's much fun," The voice was guttural and heavily accented, hailing from the far north-eastern of the Allied lands, maybe Farthen or even as far as Orner, the border city between them and Barren's Plain. Natsuki and Shizuru had been planning to avoid it at all costs; Orner was not a family-friendly experience.
She slowly looked up to see the man approaching her, a few strides in front of his 'boys'. They were thickset and scruffy, their beards tangled and matted. They stank of ale.
"Arn' you a pretty 'un!" he gleefully exclaimed, lecherously looking Shizuru over. "Whut's yer name, beautiful?"
"None of your business."
The men roared with laughter, one even having to steady himself on a tree. "Thut's a pretty long name, gurlie. What'd two lovelies like yourselves be doin' a roamin' around this forest so late. Eh?"
His breath stank as he crouched to lower himself to Shizuru's level. He finished surveying her and looked to Nastuki. Seeing her as easy prey, he gestured for his men to come over, and Shizuru felt a rough pair of hands grab her on both sides, pulling her into a bone-crunching embrace.
"Yur a bit o' a smart 'un, None o' Yer Business, but yur friendie here's easy pickin's."
"Get off her!" Shizuru shrieked, pulling against the man's hold furiously, but to no avail. "Don't touch Natsuki!"
The leader chucked. "What a lovely name. Firs' rule o' courting', find out her name. But I guess I shud tell 'er mine. Hello, Natsuki, name's Shinichi. Most o' me mates call me Hich, tho." He reached down and grasped her limp hand in a mock handshake. He went into a falsetto to imitate what he thought Natsuki would sound like.
"Why, hello, Hich. How lovely it is to make yur acquaintance. You have such big muscles arms, Hich. You set me heart a'flutterin'," His boys laughed hysterically, like hyenas in a pack.
It was then that he reached down to touch Natsuki's breasts. As soon as his hands made contact, all hell broke loose within Shizuru. Her head and stomach exploded into a reddened state in which she could only feel total and primal hate for Hich. She felt her limbs become leaden and her body detached as she struck wildly at the man behind her. She screamed, the noise causing birds to fly out of the trees. Lunging at Hich, who wasn't expecting it, she had not time to wonder what it was she was doing, nor how. There was only Natsuki, and the man causing her harm. And soon, he was no more. She tore at his flesh, ripping him apart strip by strip. She saw the light leave his eyes. And she smiled.
But her Natsuki was not yet safe. The man who had held her was next. His fearful face was quickly shredded into strips of gore and his cries were mere gurgles. The lights left his eyes, too. And the next man, and the next. Until there was only Natsuki, like at the beginning. She saw Natsuki, lying there, sweet as a child and oblivious to it all. Shizuru knew she had to protect her, even if she fronted herself as a touch assassin. No other feeling she had ever experienced rivaled the contentment and glee that coursed through her veins from protecting the cobalt-haired Halfling. It filled her body, from head to toe, and radiated off her in waves of pleasure.
"My Natsuki," she breathed, savouring her name. There was no doubt now that she liked the girl more than a friend. "Hmmmm?" she felt the pleasure ebb from her body. She looked around at the world as the red colouration left it. The delightful feeling of power that had filled her was suddenly sapped away, and her conscience chose this minute to return. Shizuru stared wide-eyed at the bodies that littered the clearing. She looked at Natsuki, then at the mangled remains of Hich and the blood that covered her hands.
"What have I done?"
-Orner-
Chie did not like the idea of docking the Princess. The dockmaster was a gangly goblin with long, thin fingers and a smile that made her shudder involuntarily. She turned to Tate. "You want to stay here while I go out for provisions and a little tongue-wagging?"
Tate looked uncomfortable. Long ago, when they were youngsters, Chie had thought Tate had a crush on her. He had actually been trying to approach her to become friends, as he had found out that he was the child of a tryst between Chie's father and his own mother before he had married Chie's mother and given birth to the dark-haired girl that stood before him. He had since explained this, and in turn had expressed to Chie his plans to ask Mai to marry him when they had completed the mission for Tomoe. The woman had since given him space, but he was anxious to regain their sibling relationship.
"I think that you should go with someone else. A young, lone girl is tempting for these folk."
She nodded. "Aye- Mikoto, you can come with me." After a bit of protest about being surgically removed form Mai, Mikoto hauled her huge, heavy broadsword on her shoulder and left with Chie, whose weapon of choice was a longbow and a quiver of arrows slung across her bag and a small amber-encrusted dagger. They both carried empty sack in which they hoped to put provisions. Chie also brought the listening device she had pilfered long ago from the caravan of the Allied Emissary to the Kyrie people of the Sea of Sorcerers to the far west. He was really a stupid man- Takeda-something. She had expected he wouldn't be around much longer if Windbloom politics intervened.
Chie and Mikoto walked through the rickety streets of Orner, sticking to the main road. A back-ally here spelt death or rape and then death. Or even death and then rape. They proceeded cautiously to the market area and bought their goods quickly. Chie put the little magical earpiece in and almost cried out from the magnification, but quickly attuned it.
The men at the fur stall were arguing over prostitutes. A woman eating a sugared bun and gossiping to her friend spoke of which nobles they thought were more handsome. Then, Chie heard the royal fanfare in the distance. The people couldn't hear it yet, though. They milled around normally.
"Mikoto," she said over the hum of chatter and everyday noise. "Follow closely." The small girl obeyed and grabbed the back of Chie's shirt as she hastily pushed through the market crowd and towards the main road. Chie heard the envoy.
"People of Orner, border city. The Steward of Windbloom, Councilor Bravefist, wished that you all know of the plight of your kingdom," rang the voice of Sergay Wang, magnified by magic. "The king has been murdered and the current main suspect is one maid in his household. The maid, of unknown origin, is also believed to be keeping Princess Shizuru hostage. Wanted posters will be posted in all towns and cities, and anyone with genuine information should go straight to the city guard. We need the Princess back as soon as possible."
And with that, Chie and Mikoto were gone. Intrigues between nobles or rich travelers across the Plain could wait- this was make or break news. They ran through the sprawling streets back to the Princess.
"Tate," Chie shouted at the empty deck. She was worried for a minute, but a shock of blondish hair soon poked out from belowdeck inquisitively.
"What is it? I was napping."
Chie was going to scold him from sleeping on the job, but there was more important things to speak about. "The King of Windbloom is dead and Shizuru is missing."
Tate took a minute to digest that. "Then surely all we have to do is pick her up when she comes here?"
"She's traveling with a maid, the one that supposedly killed her father. Suspicious? Well, they say it's a kidnap, but Tomoe knows better. They're not going to come to Orner- as we speak, wanted posters are being plastered into every crack of this city."
Tate's brow creased. "Then how are we to find her?"
"I can help there." Mai emerged from belowdeck. "I sensed a great magical disturbance in Eastwind forest last night. I figure wherever chaos is, the Princess and her Ha- Maid will be near. I just need to follow their tracks and we can meet up with them. I already know they didn't plan to go to Orner anyway."
It was Chie's turn to look confused. "How?"
Mai shrugged. "I wasn't just to me- any priest or mage around would have heard it. A seemingly useless projection of feelings and thoughts- along the lines of a man's accent sounding like he was from around here, a strong revulsion and the fact that 'me and Natsuki' were going to avoid it."
"Natsuki…" Chie's eyes moistened. "Natsuki? Can you pull up an image?"
Mai shook her head. "The projection disappeared and tracing it is impossible now, it's too stale. If another comes, I'll alert you."
"Natsuki…" Tate looked at Chie. "Lots of dwelling on the past, eh? Wonder which one it is." He smiled goofily. Chie smiled back weakly.
"Natsuki?" Chie enquired, looking first at the short, cerulean-haired Halfling, then up at the tall and imposing man, his eyes sparkling with passion for his home. His dark green hair fell over his face- he had lost the band that kept his eyes clear in the last battle, and his ears were twitching with amusement.
"Aye. We both bear that name," he explained to Chie. His Earthentongue was better than Natty's, so she heard the name clearly. She looked doubtfully at Tate, and he gazed back with a new flame in his eyes. "So," Natsuki said. "You come to Stand with me against Tomoe and her minions?"
Tate nodded. "Our home village was destroyed. We are only ones left."
Natsuki looked at them with the sympathy of generations. He could not have been more than thirty summers, but his eyes looked immortal. "You are welcome. We always have need of those opposed to darkness." He looked down at Natty. "Don't we, little one?"
"Of course, onii-chan." He chuckled.
"I am not your big brother by blood, Natsuki."
"No," smiled. "But you are all I have left."
The simple statement turned the mood sour. Natsuki's amber eyes were suddenly sharp and gleamed with courage and love of his people.
"Aye, Little One. Tate, Chie, I have work for you. Could you rouse the Stand? I feel imminent fighting."
The three of them nodded and ran off, but not before he had ruffled Natsuki's shoulder length hair affectionately. Chie saw the gesture and the love between them.
In those moments before the world was ruined irreversibly.
-0-0-0-0-
HeyHey! Super-long chappy here, got some action, some vague confusing ShizNat, some Chie, some rapists and an odd progression with Nagi's 'gift' to Shizuru… it's heating up. Soon, The crew of the Princess will meet our escapees. Will they fold to Tomoe's contract or break away? Will there be war? What of the mysterious male Natsuki?
What the fuck IS Nagi, anyway?
Reviews, yah?