Chapter 3
No was reluctant to leave Misdreavus so soon after forging their link, but she had come too far to risk her position in the castle now. The last servant who had been caught with a Pokemon had needed to travel to Valora to find new employment, which was not an option for No.
Still, losing a night of sleep to become more acquainted with her new partner was worth the sacrifice, and they had enough time together before dawn to practice a few simple attacks. It was slower going than it would have been if No had an older warrior helping her to understand the finer details of the bond, but one advantage of a perfect link was that communication between warrior and Pokemon was much clearer. When No had interacted with ghosts before, there had still sometimes been a murkiness that made commanding them difficult. Nothing of the sort existed between her and Misdreavus.
When the first of the stars began to dim, No decided it would be easiest to have Misdreavus simply wait for her in the shrine. She would visit whenever she had spare time. With that arrangement made, No crept back past the guards and slid beneath the covers of her bed just in time for the first stirrings of the castle. Right on schedule, she heard Chigusa wake first, dressing silently and leaving without fuss - likely to the kitchens to supervise the preparation of Fuyuka's breakfast, No suspected.
Out of her fellow three handmaidens, Chigusa was the only one whose allegiance to Fuyuka was a concern of No's. Miyuri had unabashedly made it clear that her fondness of Fuyuka extended only as far as the meager stipend they received for their services, and while Tsubaki tended to play neutral when the subject came up, No had trouble believing she was a girl who aspired to a lifetime of servitude. But Fuyuka had truly raised Chigusa up from nothing, plucking the poor orphaned daughter of a prostitute off the streets of the city and remaking her into a glamorous, glittering butterfly. Chigusa's devotion to her in return was borderline slavish.
That she would be able to bring Miyuri and Tsubaki over to her side when the time was right, No had little reason to doubt. But Chigusa... No didn't want to have to kill her, but unless the russet-haired girl were to have a sudden drastic change of heart, it might be the only option. That bridge hadn't been reached just yet, though.
Facing the wall, No continued feigning sleep until she heard Miyuri and Tsubaki begin to wake. She "rose" with them, all three making idle conversation as they prepared for the day. As usual, they ate breakfast with the rest of the servants, although this morning Chigusa was waiting for them with a list in hand.
Miyuri and No had barely sat down when Chigusa began to speak, cutting Tsubaki off mid-sentence. "There you three finally are. I attended to Lady Fuyuka by myself this morning, so she saw fit to request that I relay our duties for today."
That raised a red flag in No's mind. It was entirely possible that all Fuyuka had done was give Chigusa some small praise that had gone to her head. But if Fuyuka had decided for some reason that an authority hierarchy among her handmaidens was now necessary, No had to ensure she would be the one at the top.
"Really now, Chigusa, there was no need to bear the burden all on your own," she began. The surprise that registered on Chigusa's face at the concern No infused into her voice affirmed for No that it had been the right course of action. "You should have woken me up, I really wouldn't have minded. It is our job, after all." Pausing for effect, she added, "In fact, why don't I help you tomorrow morning? I'm sure whatever Lady Fuyuka had you doing will be easier with an extra pair of hands."
"I... well..." Chigusa stammered. No had graciously backed her into a corner, and they both knew it. After a moment, Chigusa put on a clearly forced smile and responded, "Thank you, Kicho. I appreciate the offer."
"Of course." No finished the last of her tea before continuing. "So, what's on the list for today?"
By late afternoon, No exited the kimono shop with several different designs of brightly-colored fabric bundled in her arms. She hadn't been able to look at any of them too closely before they were thrust at her by the seamstress' apprentice, but No personally preferred the deep violet of her handmaiden outfits to the garish bolts of mikan and chartreuse that were meant for Fuyuka. They were truly all flash and nothing more.
The plan had been to divide and conquer, then meet back up in the heart of the city. Miyuri and Chigusa had both gone to the food market, and Tsubaki was likely near finished sorting through the castle's most recent order of cosmetics, if she hadn't already beaten No to the city square. Either way, No doubted she would be missed if she took a small detour. Glancing down the street to ensure that she wasn't being watched, No decided that it was safe and ducked into the alley beside the shop. Setting the parcels of clothing down, No sifted through their wrappings until she located the box that the seamstress' apprentice had slipped her before No had left.
Both the girl and her mentor knew who No was. The seamstress had originally worked for Hideko, and held no lost love for Fuyuka. But since No had revealed her identity to them, the seamstress had developed the unwanted habit of giving No gifts that No simply didn't need. On No's eighteenth birthday, she had tried to insist that No take a pair of amethyst earrings that were likely worth more than No had earned in all four years of her service at the castle. Fuyuka allowed her handmaidens small accessories along with their uniforms, No had explained, but those would have definitely drawn unwelcome attention.
This was the first new gift since then. No's hopes weren't high as she opened the narrow box, unless it was a new dagger. Her wish was halfway granted - it was a hairpin, admittedly much more subtle than anything the seamstress had tried to give her in the past. Silver, with one end carved to resemble a butterfly's wing and the other tapering off in a formidable-looking point. No supposed she might actually be able to pass it off as something she had purchased for herself. And while it likely wasn't anything that could end someone's life, she still doubted it would feel pleasant to be stabbed on the business end of the ornament.
"I can always get rid of it if it causes a problem later," No thought, pulling her hair up into a loose bun and securing it with the pin. With that done, she retrieved the parcels from the ground and proceeded onward to the city center.
As it turned out, she was still the first to reach the meetup point. The heart of Spectra's city was a large cobblestone square that hosted most of the yearly festivals, surrounded by various inns and clustered with the caravans of traveling merchants. Despite it being well into September, the heat of summer was stubbornly persisting, creating an uncomfortable haze over the city. Judging by the uncharacteristic lack of people in the square, No suspected that most residents of the city were waiting in the hope of an evening breeze before embarking on their own errands.
Stopping as she heard something crumple beneath her foot, No knelt down and picked up a slightly torn piece of paper that looked to be some kind of flyer. That was right, there had been a pair of men in the square that morning advertising an event in the city. No hadn't recognized either of them as castle servants, but judging by the way they had known exactly which buildings to canvass, they were clearly residents of Spectra.
"What have you got there, Kicho?" Tsubaki's voice from behind her caught No off guard, and she hurriedly stood, scolding herself for not hearing Tsubaki's approach. Tsubaki peered over No's shoulder, seemingly interested in the flyer that No still had clutched in her hand.
"Oh, they're hosting fights at the barracks tonight? That's always interesting," she announced, her rose-colored eyes already gleaming. "Seeing as the warriors in the army are just about the only people in this city I meet with Pokemon."
No knew full well that Tsubaki's interest in the fights had much more to do with the warriors than their Pokemon. She had to admit though, it did pique her interest. Gambling wasn't as common in Spectra as it was in some of the larger kingdoms like Terrera, but from what No understood, plenty of people showed up to events like this just to watch. It would be more interesting than an uneventful dinner at the castle, and she could still make it back in plenty of time to train more with Misdreavus.
"I'm willing to see what all the fuss is about," No said.
"Then it's a date!" Tsubaki declared, clapping her hands together. "I'm sure Miyuri will want to come too, and maybe we can even drag Chigusa out if we gang up on her. By the way, I like the hairpin!"
Allowing Tsubaki to take the reins from there, No mostly just listened to the pink-haired girl chatter about the fights as the four of them walked back to the castle. 'Hopeless romantic' wasn't quite the term No would have chosen to describe Tsubaki (perhaps 'serial one-night-stand artist' was more accurate), but she certainly seemed convinced that before the night was out, she was going to have found her way into the arms of one of the victors. No didn't judge her for it. She just didn't see why it should be a concern on her own mind.
Unlike most kingdoms, Spectra's barracks were located within the city rather than existing as a wing of the castle. During her first year in Spectra, No had crafted a variety of excuses to enter the city whenever she wanted to watch the soldiers training. As she had later learned, the unorthodox setup was partially out of superstition and partially because of the way Spectra's city was laid out.
Many warriors considered it bad luck to bunk right next to the graveyard where their predecessors were buried, if not plain morbid. As well as that, Spectra was one of the few cities in Ransei that predated the construction of its castle. Even before the kingdoms had been divided up, there had still been an "army" defending this region of Ransei.
This factor meant that the barracks were ironically still a hotbed of spirit activity, but that was only part of the reason that No was so familiar with their layout.
The fights were held on the training field, with the audience occupying the second level balcony that surrounded it on all four sides. Anyone could enter, although most of the competitors tended to be lower-ranking soldiers. No didn't quite understand why the commanders allowed their troops to beat up on each other like this, but then again, they didn't have much else to do. The last news that No had heard of the war going on beyond Spectra's borders, Valora was still holding despite the combined efforts of Avia, Cragspur, and Yaksha. The Steel kingdom would have to fall before any other warlord could access the rest of northern Ransei, and No doubted that Mitsuhide possessed much interest in expanding Nixtorm's reach. The oligarchy that ruled over Dragnor had been similarly passive thus far.
They paid entry and found a spot in the crowd to look down on the field, Tsubaki expressing disappointment that they had already missed the first few matches. All competitors had the option of either physical combat or pitting their Pokemon against each other, although the latter was more common. No watched, impressed, as the short female warrior currently on the field maneuvered her Sandslash to victory against her opponent's Vileplume.
As the warrior took her money and was escorted back into the barracks, the announcer for the evening stepped onto the field. Despite the large crowd, her eyes seemed to find No on the balcony within moments, briefly narrowing in surprise. She nodded almost imperceptibly, a gesture No returned.
No did her best to appear as though she was resting as she leaned on the banister, discreetly watching the soldiers on the field below run through drills. There was no rule saying castle servants weren't allowed inside the barracks, and No had done her best to not establish a pattern of comings and goings, but her typical cover of being on a break between errands helped her avoid too many questions. The last thing she needed was for word to reach Fuyuka that one of her handmaidens had taken an interest in the only men under her command who were allowed Pokemon.
As several of the soldiers began executing an elaborate martial arts sequence, No leaned forward, her foot unconsciously tracing the patterns of kicks and leaps on the floor while she committed them to memory. She would attempt to recreate them later on tonight, possibly even adding in the dagger she had slipped from the armory if she could master the basic combination.
Another pair of footsteps approaching behind her indicated to No that she no longer had the second level to herself. No had been at the barracks long enough for the day, anyhow. She bent down to retrieve the satchel of tea that had been her excuse for venturing into the city just as a well-muscled woman in a captain's uniform rested on the railing beside her. Inclining her head, No made to quickly walk past until the woman opened her mouth.
"You know, there are some who would ask why a handmaiden would be trying to teach herself hand-to-hand combat," the woman remarked, not looking at No. No froze momentarily, debating whether or not to feign ignorance. Before she could respond, the woman continued. "But the way I see it, if a girl wants to learn to defend herself, it's not my business to ask from what."
Now looking over her shoulder at No, she raised an eyebrow as No prepared to run, smiling with some amusement. "Trust me, I've chased down faster. If it matters to you, I'm the only one who's bothered to notice the real reason I suspect you've been coming here. Although a word of advice - either find an outfit better suited for concealing weapons, or store that knife you have strapped beneath your skirt somewhere on your person that's easier to reach. Where is up to you."
Still defensive, No's eyes glanced between the woman and the stairs, although she didn't doubt the woman's claim that she would be able to catch up to No with ease. "You're not going to report me?" No asked.
The woman turned to face No, still maintaining her casual demeanor. "On the contrary, I was going to offer you some assistance, but I can just send you on your way if you prefer to train alone." Her copper-colored eyes flashed a challenge.
It was a tempting offer, but it seemed too good to be true. "What would you want in return?" No asked.
The woman laughed at that. "They might not teach you it up at the castle, but sometimes people genuinely offer helpful things like formal combat training with no ulterior motives attached. What can I say, you've got me curious."
No took a minute to think it over. If this woman truly was making this offer out of generosity, she could be a valuable ally. And it would be easier to master more advanced fighting techniques with someone who had been in battle guiding her. Coming to a decision, No tentatively held out her hand. "My name is Kicho. I accept your offer."
Grinning, the woman shook No's hand. "Come by here same time next week. If anyone stops you, just say you're here to see Eika."
Eika hadn't changed much in two years. Her brown hair remained in its thick crop, and she still flaunted the large, jagged scar that marked her right bicep with pride. She had the perfect personality for this type of event, with her voice loud and commanding enough to keep the crowd at bay. Her Golurk stood right beside her, mirroring its partner's movements as Eika gestured to both incoming competitors.
"Up next, we have a crowd favorite-" She swept her arm out towards a young, well-built warrior with a Tauros at his side. He was all charisma, looking upwards to flash grins at the crowd and in general put on a show.
"That's Junkei," Tsubaki commented from beside No. "From what I hear, he's earned his reputation, although I haven't had a chance to get acquainted."
Eika waited for a hush to fall before beckoning the second fighter forward. "And his opponent, a newcomer traveling through from Dragnor!" Just the mention of the Dragon kingdom was enough to send several people around No leaning forward, all straining to be the first to catch a glimpse of the new warrior. No remained still, although her attention had been captured as well.
He entered from the side of the field No was facing, and even in spite of the distance between them, No's gaze was instantly drawn to his eyes. Something burned within them, the likes of which No had never seen before. It fascinated her, so much that she barely even noticed his partner until she heard Miyuri exclaim, "What kind of Pokemon is that?"
The sentiment seemed to be shared by a fair portion of the crowd. While No recognized the two-headed Pokemon as a Zweilous, the majority of the people here tonight had likely never been outside of Spectra, much less seen a Dragon Pokemon up close. Well, it would certainly make things more interesting.
There was a momentary quiet over the field as both warriors lined up across from each other, their Pokemon stepping forward. Eika raised an arm into the air, then snapped it back down, and Tauros immediately charged.
To No's surprise, the warrior from Dragnor didn't blink - in fact, neither he nor his Pokemon seemed to be doing anything. As Tauros drew nearer, Zweilous planted its feet into the ground, then lowered it heads just as Tauros reached it. Zweilous brought them both back up in a Headbutt, hitting Tauros almost directly in the throat. Tauros let out a bellow as it was tossed into the air, carried by the momentum of its own charge.
An audible wince came from the crowd as Tauros hit the ground, and No could tell that Junkei had been caught off guard. She doubted many of his past opponents had ever been so brazen in their strategy against him. While Tauros struggled to find its feet, Zweilous advanced on it with a speed that No wouldn't have expected. Tauros had barely managed to stand before it was promptly knocked down once more by Dragon Rush.
Several members of the crowd began shouting at Junkei to do something. There was a satisfied roar of approval as Tauros' next toss of its horns caught Zweilous in its flank, throwing it several feet to the side. In return, it fired off a series of Dragon Breaths, not relenting until one found its mark.
The majority of the crowd was still rooting for Junkei, although No noticed that with each successful strike, the warrior from Dragnor was drawing more applause as well. Despite the fact that No hadn't planned to take any sides tonight, she began to find herself invested in the idea of seeing him victorious as well.
Both Pokemon now faced off in the center of the field, inches away from each other. Tauros had managed several more hits on Zweilous, but out of the two, it was definitely the worse for wear. Suddenly, Zweilous reared upwards and launched a Dragon Pulse point-blank towards Tauros. It had no chance to even dodge the attack, much less weather it on top of the damage it had already taken.
When the smoke cleared, Tauros lay beaten on the ground. The warrior from Dragnor had won.
Cheers began to rise from the crowd as they realized that the battle was over, tentatively at first, then building in volume. No joined in the applause, although she couldn't hope to compete with the combined hollering of Miyuri and Tsubaki. Even Chigusa looked impressed, and she had been insisting the entire night that the fights were pointless and lowbrow entertainment.
Junkei, however, was not taking his loss well. All of his charm from earlier gone, he stalked to the center of the field and jabbed a finger at the warrior from Dragnor, shouting something that No at first was unable to hear over the last calls from the crowd. Eika stepped forward, separating the two men and barking what looked like a warning at Junkei.
He remained unfazed, and this time No - as well as the rest of the crowd - was able to hear his challenge. "He had an unfair advantage, using a Pokemon none of us have ever fought before! I want a rematch, a physical fight this time!"
"Is he allowed to do that?" No whispered to Tsubaki, who was watching the entire confrontation with barely-contained glee.
"I'm not sure, to be honest," Tsubaki responded, eyes glued to the field. "I've never seen it happen before!"
Shaking her head, Eika looked prepared to reject the challenge. But then the warrior from Dragnor stepped forward, now with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "If that's what he wants, I accept," he said, and there was a discernible intake of breath from the crowd.
Eika looked anything but pleased about the turn of events, but now that both parties had consented, the crowd had begun working itself into a frenzy. Physical fights were rare enough already, and from what No now heard being whispered around her, these circumstances were unheard of.
No eyed the warrior from Dragnor with increased interest as he shrugged off his coat (and the muscles beneath it weren't a bad view either). As a bookmaker raced through the crowd to collect last-minute bets, No decided to drop in a gold coin on him. Turning back around, she saw Miyuri looking at her quizzically, and shrugged. "We came here for the experience, didn't we?"
Drumming her fingernails on the railing, No watched with more tension than before as both warriors squared off against each other, their Pokemon now on the sidelines. Beside her, No heard Tsubaki mutter to Miyuri, "I don't even care who wins, either of them are welcome to fight for me anytime!"
Like before, Junkei moved first when Eika gave the signal to begin. He went for the warrior from Dragnor's arms, first trying to grab his wrists, then settling for throwing a punch. The warrior from Dragnor blocked it easily enough, returning the punch with one of his own, and No raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of a tattoo on his arm - she couldn't be certain from the distance, but it looked like some sort of ouroboros.
Junkei leaped back, and both men's arms intercepted the other as the warrior from Dragnor attempted to knock Junkei's legs out. No was transfixed by the way the warrior from Dragnor moved - he clearly had military training, but there was something more just beneath the surface, some pulsing force that was barely being restrained. No wouldn't call it rage, but she could feel its deliberate intensity even from where she stood on the balcony.
The warrior from Dragnor's next blow mercilessly collided with Junkei's jaw, and the crowd as one let out a shout. Junkei gave a scream of anger, beginning to swing wildly with both fists at his opponent. One blow caught the warrior from Dragnor in the stomach, another on the shoulder, but he refused to give any indication that they had hurt him. If anything, they only seemed to increase the ferocity behind each of his counter strikes.
They broke apart, circling each other like two predators intent on hunting the same prey. Then, without warning, the warrior from Dragnor lunged forward, grabbing Junkei's head with one hand and brutally driving it into his raised knee.
The gush of blood that followed would have once rendered No faint. Now, she was more than past the childhood fears that Hideko's death had left her with, but the sound of what was unmistakably Junkei's nose breaking still elicited a grimace from No. The warrior from Dragnor repeated the action once more, his face a dark mask of single-minded focus even as the crowd began to roar like the Legendary Pokemon was descending from the sky.
The warrior from Dragnor threw Junkei to the ground, and although Junkei tried to stand back up, the combination of the crooked mess that had been his nose and an already-swelling black eye seemed to make him realize that he was in over his head. No could see the loathing in his eyes as he raised his hands, but the gesture for surrender was universal.
Absolutely rabid was the only way to describe the crowd as the warrior from Dragnor stood in the center of the field, Eika clutching his hand and raising it above his head. No felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and turned to see the bookmaker handing her a significantly larger sum of money than she had bet. "Well chosen, miss," he nodded.
No looked back at the field to see the warrior from Dragnor being lead off, and was struck with a sudden impulse. She doubted that any of the fights after this would manage a higher intensity, anyhow. Leaning in beside Miyuri, No said, "I'll go on ahead, you three enjoy yourselves." Without waiting for Miyuri's response, No pushed her way through the crowd and down the stairs.
The warrior from Dragnor would likely be checked over by a medic before being turned loose, but No could wait. Positioning herself in an alleyway a short distance from the barracks entrance, she remained there for several minutes in relative silence, broken only by the occasional faint cheer. Then, just as No began to wonder if she had missed him, she saw a familiar two-headed Pokemon appear in the moonlight, followed by a human silhouette.
Sliding out from the shadows, No approached him slowly, clapping her hands together twice. "Forgive me for intruding, but I must say, you left quite an impression," she began, curling her lips in a smile as the warrior from Dragnor halted to look her over in a not entirely unappreciative manner.
"Should I know you?" he asked, meeting No's eyes. It was all No could do to not be drawn into that gaze. She had never seen anything like it, like the fires of hell were dancing behind those black irises. It was intoxicating.
"That remains to be seen," No responded. Her eyes landing on the silhouetted Rayquaza's head stitched into the warrior's coat, she continued, "You don't fight like a rogue, and that's the crest of Dragnor's army on your sleeve. So I have to wonder, what brings you to this kingdom of ghosts?"
"That's the crest of Spectra's castle on your sash," the warrior from Dragnor countered. "You ask many questions, for a servant." Despite the phrasing, he didn't seem to mean it as an insult.
"Well, I may have pegged you incorrectly, but I suspect that neither of us has plans to remain where life has placed us," No said, drawing closer.
The warrior laughed, illuminated in the moonlight. "Is that so?" Brushing past No, he paused briefly enough to suggest, "Then perhaps our paths shall cross again."
As No heard him begin to continue down the road that lead to the city square, she called after the warrior, "You haven't given me your name."
"You haven't given me yours," he replied.
Turning back to face him, No flashed him a smirk as she raised her head. "Kicho."
The warrior assessed her once more, framed silver by the full moon. For a moment, the silence of the night hung between them, all the world poised on the thread that now connected them.
"Nobunaga."