4. I Am a Part of All That I Have Met

Suikotsu was chewing slowly, closing his eyes to savour the rich taste of the rice and fish they had been served. They had reached a town on the east coast, trying to get involved with people as little as possible. And now they had an ocean in front of them and no plan. All they knew was that they still lived. If their time was borrowed, it was a mystery for how long.

A gust of wind blew in a group of ageing sailors. One of them, a gnarly looking man with leathery skin, sunken eyes, and a ruddy nose glared at them for a moment before they moved on into a corner of the inn and shouted for alcohol. Just when Suikotsu decided that a random stranger side-eyeing them wasn't something that should distract him, the man stood, sauntering over. 'You think I don't know you?' he demanded.

'Unwise,' a quiet voice from another table next to them said.

'Butt out, idiot. I'm going to tell everyone just who they are!' the sailor continued loudly.

'Reckless.' The young man sitting there with a group of women was wearing a soft smile. He had dark red hair and bright, friendly eyes. But there was something in them, a sense of mischief and danger that made him seem older than his juvenile face. Much, much older. Suikotsu swore inwardly. Apparently they were still recognised, and unless he was very wrong, by a Youkai no less. Not all demons were monsters, so he could be perfectly harmless. If they were unlucky, however …

'They murdered my family, so shut up, fire crotch!' the loudmouth interrupted his thoughts. 'They're supposed to be dead, pretended to be! I'm going to avenge …'

'You are going to land yourself in deep trouble,' the young man said cheerfully. 'Insulting me will only make Towa-sama angry, and she can control herself. You don't want to manage making me mad, but your chances at succeeding are slim. Now them? The youngest is already shooting daggers out of his eyes. Do you really plan to provoke the fury of the people you mistake them for?'

'You're young and stupid, kid. Those are the Band of Seven. They …'

'Would be as about the same age as you, wouldn't they, old man?' The laughter never left the friendly patron's face. It didn't look fake, he was genuinely having a lark. 'Most of these could be your children–grandchildren, even.' The man who had challenged them fell silent abruptly, leaving him an opening to continue with his disconcertingly upbeat expression and the hint of a bow. 'Maybe you should return to your friends rather than throwing accusations at perfectly polite people trying to enjoy their dinner.' After exchanging a few words with one of the women, the young man joined them. Her eyes never left him, her face guarded as if she was willing to challenge anyone who threatened him. If looks could kill, the old sailor wouldn't have lived past saying, 'fire crotch'. Assuming that the nice stranger was indeed a demon, what did that make his friends?

'You need a lift?' the potential Youkai asked in a carrying voice. 'It seems you're not overly popular. I can take you to the mainland.' He spoke loudly enough to be overheard and Suikotsu was sure it was intentional. 'We can discuss my fare later. Away from so many ears. My ship is docked here, you can come aboard with me. We can talk there.'

'Why?' Bankotsu asked. 'You said it yourself. We can't be who he claims we are.'

The young man's lips twitched. 'You just look like you're passing through instead of trying to build a life here.' He lowered his voice and leaned closer. 'Other than him, I'm not your enemy. But I am very, very curious. The largest vessel at the docks is mine, you can't miss it. I depart in five hours, when night has fully settled. Be there … or don't.' He winked and walked back to his table, standing with his hands on his hips and looking at his companions. 'Shall we? Before I offer this human-shaped chaos anything apart from dropping them off, I need to talk to you lot. In private.'

Ϡ

'He looks beautiful,' Jakotsu gushed, playing with a leaf he had plucked off a tree.

'He's a demon, I'm telling you,' Suikotsu said, leaning against the rickety fence around someone's yard.

'Since when is that necessarily a bad thing?' Bankotsu asked. 'Maybe he really knows who we are and wants to pay us for whatever it is he can't or won't do himself.'

'I agree … with Suikotsu,' Renkotsu supplied. He had stopped shaving the hair on his head, and now soft dark curls were covering his skull. It suited him, but he hated it. Every time he touched it, his face darkened. He'd only let it grow to look a bit less distinctive, but if his increasing impatience with it was any indication, it wasn't there to stay. 'I'm not saying we shouldn't hear them out. But we should be ready to fight–or run, because if they are demons, we have little to offer in response right now.'

'Then meeting that guy on his ship is a risk,' Mukotsu said. 'Neutral ground would be better.'

Suikotsu shook his head, brows knitting. 'I don't think he's planning to kill us. He didn't seem … evil, if we should even use that word. Ooaniki, what do we do?'

'Jakotsu's admiration of his appearance aside,' Bankotsu said with a soft smile, 'I say we hear him out. On his terms, because if you're right, and he is a demon, he probably doesn't advertise this.'

Renkotsu nodded. 'Wise.'

'Eh?' Ginkotsu made. 'Isn't it wiser to make him talk here? Or ignoring his oh-so-generous offer? We don't need him.'

'No,' Suikotsu said slowly. 'No, he's got a point. It would tell that … demon or whatever that we're on to him. Doing as he asks will keep him civil. Perhaps.'

Kyoukotsu made a face. 'He didn't even offer a name.'

Jakotsu snorted. 'Neither did we. Not that we had to. He knows who we are, make no mistake. He deflected that geezer, but that was all a farce. He recognised us, but he doesn't consider us a threat to him. We probably aren't. Not because we couldn't face a random demon and win, but because I don't think he's all that random.' He almost bounced on his feet. 'Can we go now?'

'Do you want to have him alone?' their leader asked, grinning.

'I think that one of the women might interfere. Then I'll just get furious, so better not.' Jakotsu spoke with a pronounced pout, but his eyes flickered with laughter. When Bankotsu whacked at him without aim or strength, it bubbled from his lips with abandon. It struck Suikotsu that this was the first time he heard him laugh, actually laugh, about something that wasn't related to murder. He did seem lighter. And not just him. The difference in Renkotsu was most striking. His entire demeanour had relaxed and the dismissive smirk he usually wore was softer and more genuine, the scoff that had darkened his face wiped away. They had changed as they had come back to life.

'This could be an opportunity,' Suikotsu said in an undertone. 'If he's a Youkai, maybe he can help us find our answers. Because humans won't have them, and we're in desperate need of an increasingly long list of them.'

((I am sure I have this 'Unwise. Reckless.'-thing from somewhere, but I cannot, for the life of me, pin down from where. Anything from Star Trek to Dragon Age is on the table. All I know is that I stole it.))