[This means Japanese]
(This means mongol)
"This means a thought or memory"
This is a Location
This is emphasis.
This is also emphasis
ALL CAPS, or like this is a shout.
Yuna have been investing her time investigating the whereabouts of Kechi in order to find any possible clue about Taka.
She had been looking for about 5 days and only now she has a faint idea. Which is better than nothing. However she was starting to feel doubts that their so called "helpers" might come back from their quests of recruiting people.
She decided to put the idea of them betraying her trust aside. She did it in the best way she thought. By killing Mongols.
There was one small house compound nearby. With her bow, she managed to kill most of them. The ones that got closes, she used her (new obtained) Samurai Sword and effectively dispatched many arms, legs and heads.
She removed her sword from one of the dog's back and saw a very familiar silhouette appear. One with a broken armour.
"Jin! You've found me", Yuna greeted the Samurai.
"You handled them well", Jin said as he looked around the place. Many mongol corpses.
"I should've prepared better. I got clumsy at some points", she said while cleaning the sword in her sleeve.
"From my own experience, if you come out of it alive, it's fine", Jin said while laughing a bit.
Yuna didn't share the enthusiasm. Specially since she was the one that pleaded him to not almost kill himself.
Another familiar silhouette appeared. But he was not wearing his usual attire.
"An Adachi?", Jin asked out loud.
"No. Just me", Aiden said as he dismounted Hiraki.
"I take that you've managed to recruit your allies?", Yuna asked. One was with an armour while the other with a bow.
"I promised to help Lady Masako in her future investigation. How about you, Jin?"
"We searched for Tomoe when we separated. But suffice to say that he will help when the time comes", Jin declared while crossing his arms.
Aiden noticed a bit of... distaste? A grudge?
"I've heard that a lot of civilians were brought to a nearby camp. There was a blacksmith with them", Yuna said while she walked in the direction of the camp. The other soon followed, "It's near the Kaneda inlet".
"I know the place. We used to put bandits in there before transferring to a prison", The Samurai said.
The trio mounted on the respective horses and rode off to the location.
"I see you've changed your looks, Aiden", Jin jabbed at Aiden's new armour.
"It doesn't suit you", Yuna complemented.
"I know. But Masako gave me in order to help her out in the investigation".
"And how long you two got?", said Yuna as she turned left in the road.
"Not much was discovered. We've found a list with a few names as well as interrogating the monk that made the conspiracy", Aiden said with a monotonous voice.
"Conspiracy? What do you mean?", Jin asked in surprise.
"Apparently, someone wants the Adachi Clan dead. And it's the people that live in this island", He said as Jin gritted his teeth.
"Traitors! Why attack someone that sworn to protect them?!", Jin said angrily as Aiden shrugs.
"I asked the same thing and with the same level of anger. But we still don't have conclusive evidence or suspects", Aiden tried to calm the samurai, and himself since he was remembering the anger he felt himself.
"I am sure taka can help the both of you when we rescue him", Yuna said seeing from a mile away that this wasn't going anywhere.
"Yes, the blacksmith", the Fox thought out loud.
"You said that he can make any tool?", Jin questions.
"Indeed. He worked in some weapons and armours for some clans and villagers. Well, mostly tools for villagers, of course".
"Since we are in the topic of tools, Sensei Ishikawa and I thought on these", The Samurai stopped his horse so his allies could see it better.
It was somewhat of a dagger with a small handle. Enough to fit in the hand and small enough so you can throw it in big quantities. Maybe three or four at once. The blade of the dagger was somewhat triangular, almost a pyramid in the eyes of Aiden.
"Wait... No way..."
"And what is it called?", Yuna asks.
"Kunai", Jin says as he fake throws some of them.
"Of fucking course..."
"Well, I have one tool as well. But it's quite volatile and not subtle at all", Aiden stated as he showed the grenade.
After a brief explanation and a small demonstration of its power in some mongols, everyone agreed that it's better not to use it near Taka, at all.
"Going back to Sensei's topic, what happened?", Aiden asked after a long time of no one saying anything.
"Oh. Yes", Jin cleared his throat, "I think Sensei Ishikawa is hiding more than he lets on".
"I know", Aiden spoke as it was common knowledge, "I don't know him well, but he has some level of deception in his voice".
"You knew? And you didn't say anything to Jin?", Yuna asked confused and worried. Jin could only mirror her emotions.
"I wasn't sure. I don't dwell in conjecture. I make sure I have evidence before accusing someone of something", Aiden explained in his usual tone of voice.
Jin nodded at his reasoning. If he accused Ishikawa right when they've met, things might not worked out in his recruitment.
"But what exactly put these doubts in your mind, Jin?" The woman said as she dismounted her horse.
"When we were searching for Tomoe, we tracked some trails that led to a small cliff. Sensei said that I should climb it, but letting on like it was the only way up. After that, we investigated some things. We found both mongol and japanese arrows. Sensei saw a tower nearby and told me that the mongols might be there. When I arrived, I was ambushed by the mongols and had a lot of close calls", Jin explained as both Fox and Thief listened.
Yuna was ok, paying attention to every word.
Aiden was furring his brow at every word.
"So let me get this straight, Sensei Ishikawa didn't help you in the fight?", Aiden asked as he sat down on a rock.
"I inquired Sensei on it. He was testing me to see how I would fare in a ambush".
"So the Old Archer decided to test one of the most trained Samurai Lords of Tsushima?", Yuna realized and Jin nodded.
"That made me theorize that maybe was this behavior that let Tomoe to attack him".
"Yeah, no doubt. The man decides to ter you in the middle of the fucking war. If this is his method of 'teaching', no wonder why he refuses most of his soon-to-be disciples", Aiden said with mockery.
"I don't follow...?", Yuna said and Jin made a equal confused face.
"Oh, maybe my words might need context", Aiden sighed and he put his fingers in the bridge of the nose.
"More about your past?", The Thief asked as she looked over the fortress where Taka is supposed to be, "We have time for a brief story".
"Well, where to begin with?"
Aiden explained about his early years in Chicago (or, well, London). His works as a "thief" and fixer. He explained how fixers are called when a problem or trouble is in sight. How they cleaned the mess someone made, how they fixed a problem or diverged the attention to someone else.
Hence the name "fixer".
Jin felt like he slightly distrusted his friend at this revelation, but upon listening further, these thoughts disappeared.
Aiden said that a "rookie" needed to have a "veteran" to teach him the basics, the fundamentals and then teach him to work for himself. Be independent and have a better judge of character, risk and reward and so on and so forth.
What Ishikawa was doing was allowing, or rather, forcing his students to learn for themselves. Trying to learn something with minimal-to-no guidance is basically asking them to find a needle in a haystack. Few could figure out the basics and most would die trying to get the job done. Not only that but by consequence of not guiding the disciples, they would think that the master is doing, well, nothing. Even if the master is some renowned man that fought many wars.
And to add insult to injury, asking for performance and punishing the student if he didn't met the previously established expectations, the student might not want to continue to train whatever ability he is learning.
As any Martial Arts Class would say, reward the diligent and punish the lazy.
"So, Tomoe was too pressured in his lack of teachings and decided to attack Ishikawa in retaliation for her harassment", Yuna concluded.
"I couldn't describe it better", Aiden said as he straightened his straw hat.
"I would never guessed it", Jin said as he thinks about it.
"When you are in position to teach someone, you will know this feeling", The Vigilante said sagely and Yuna chuckled.
"You taught someone before?", She asked as she holds her laugh.
"Huh? Well... no?"
Now both man and woman are trying very hard not to laugh. How could one say a lot about teaching someone if they never did taught someone?
"The mongols threw that place together in days. Let's see if there is a way in", Jin said as he survvailled from afar.
"We need to save Taka. Approach from a safe entrance", Yuna remembered her allies.
"The defenses on the back are formidable", Aiden said as he looked at the watch tower.
"Wich means they can see the entire base. They probably have a way to signal if there is an attack", Yuna pointed at the fireplace in the tower.
"We could climb the rocks near the base", Jin pointed towards a cliff.
"And fall if the rocks a loose. And even if I am capable of climbing I doubt we could fight them", Aiden interjected.
"Well, there is a hole in the walls of the base's entrance. It's still under construction", Jin pointed at the hole in question.
"We can look for a gap in the main entrance, slip in...", Yuna commented while looking at Jin.
"And cut the mongols where they stand", Jin complemented her idea. It was obvious now.
"If something goes wrong they will kill the prisoners. I've seen them doing it. The mongols and bandits in England", Aiden warned everyone with Jin grimacing.
"We need to do this quietly, ok?", the woman asked with hope.
"Like thieves...", Jin said silently, but it wasn't unheard.
"What's so wrong about that?", Yuna asked with a small amount of anger.
"Before the Samurai, this island was ruled with criminals. We changed that with order and doing justice in the open. We live by a code of honor", Jin said with pride and sadness.
"Jin, I want to ask you a personal question", Aiden said with a very serious tone.
"Yes?".
"Since the beginning of this invasion, what has honor done for you?"
Jin was about to respond, but couldn't. The words he wanted to speak never came out of his mouth. Because there were none. He used his code, his teachings and his knowledge, only to the result always be defeat. He could win against mongol soldiers, yes, but what about the more extreme risks, like Kaneda Castle?
"When we were recruiting Sensei Ishikawa, you allowed yourself to use the environment to kill them mongols. Explosive barrels, fire lights, hornet nests... But suddenly, attack someone from behind is forbidden?", Aiden asked just like a lawyer would in court.
"That was different! We needed to ensure the safety of Tomoe! And we didn't hide, we shot them from distance!", Jin said with ire.
"Stand in the ashes of a million dead souls and ask their ghosts if honor matters. Their silence is your answer", Aiden said with sorrow. A tone of voice that rarely came from him.
Even Yuna was left without words. Something like this came from somewhere deep. He spoke from experience? Something similar happened to him?
"I promised my uncle I would never break my oath...", Jin said solemnly.
"Then bend it. Because it's not about you, Jin. It's about them", Aiden said as he pointed to the cages.
Jin looked to the ground, unable to face the gaze of Aiden. His eyes hid a more dark and sinister story than he lets on, and somehow, can still show some compassion, "We should take a closer look, see what we're up against".
"Let's wait until it gets dark", Yuna said before laying down the ground.
"If they are us, they will kill the prisoners...", Jin said as he spotted a mongol guarding the main entrance.
"Then we better stay quiet", Yuna grabbed her knife, "and open their throats".
Jin hesitantly grabs his tanto and nods. If it was to his friends or to himself was unknown. They see him go after the Mongol and stab him in the neck while putting the other hand in his mouth. The assassination overall was... sufficient, but he managed to keep it quiet.
Aiden swore he hear him whisper something, but didn't pay too much attention.
"Let's find your brother", he said without paying a second glance at the corpse.
"The first is the one we always remember", Aiden commented to no one in particular.
They stop at the entrance, taking cover at the walls.
"Pay attention and use your senses. Think and hear like a thief", Yuna advises Jin, since he was the only one that didn't have experience in infiltration.
The infiltration was a success. Yuna rarely used her knife thanks to both men using their tantos in order to kill the Mongols. She used her bow to shoot the ones in the watchtower. Aiden was obviously more experienced in the field, killing them with finesse and expertise. Jin was trying his best, but any mistake was covered by a arrow or kunai throw it in the throat.
They looked all over the base, but didn't find Taka. They found a Straw Hat Ronin though.
"How did you get in here?", he asked with shock and hope.
"We need to get out of here. Well talk later", Jin ordered.
Thankfully the way out was a lot easier than the way in.
"Are you with the Straw Hat Ronin?", Aiden asked, unsure if it existed.
"I was. Cut ties with 'em when they got low on rations", Aiden nodded in disbelief as the man explained.
"We could use a sword in the rescue of Lord Shimura. Are you looking for work?", Jin asked bow having hope to attack Kaneda Castle with a actual army.
"Me? No. But the other Straw Hats may be. Last I heard they were hunting Mongols in the Tsutsu Prefecture by the cost neat the Grasslands".
"Guess that's the next place we are going", Aiden said as the group got near a river.
"We are looking for my brother, a blacksmith named Taka", She asked before the men forgot their main reason for coming here.
"I don't know him, they were moving the slaves to another place. Azamo Bay if I recall correctly", the Ronin thought for a moment, "There was a blacksmith with them. A young man with a beard".
"You better be right", Yuna warned.
"I hope you find your blacksmith", The Ronin took a bow and left.
"Azamo is surrounded by walls. Going in without a plan will only out him in more danger...", Jin said with worry.
"I have a... friend that can help us get inside", Yuna said after a slight pause.
"Find him. The soonest we rescue Taka the sooner we save Shimura", Aiden said as he whistles for Hiraki.
"Look, Taka will dirge anything to help you two in your travels. Anything to help to save the island. But after that? We are leaving", She forewarned.
"Yuna, you've seen what the Mongol's are doing...", Jin started but Aiden intervene.
"Jin, you can't force them to stay here. Or you might as well call yourself Ishikawa", Aiden joked, but he spoke the truth.
"Very well. But I still wish for you two to defend our home".
"Home is where I and Taka wish to be", Yuna said putting a hand in her chest.
"I assume your friend is near Tsutsu?", Aiden asked.
"Yes. He lives near the prefecture", She said, but got a bot sheepish after looking at Jin, "I know it wasn't easy. Going against your code".
"You have him to thank it for. If it wasn't for him I'd probably still striking in the open", Jin admitted remorsefully.
"We'll find you in Azamo. Stay safe, Yuna", the Fox said as he waved her goodbye.
AN: Wow, another finished. It was small, but necessary. I suppose this wasn't that good. But I promise that the next chapter will have a bit of spice in it.
Anyway, see you guys next chapter!
Date of Publication: 6th, October, 2023
