Fox Under Maple: Chapter 8
Kazumo carefully fit a needle into the padlock on Kenji's cage. He methodically worked it around, shifting the tumblers into place. Although Tatsuya could simply break the locks, Kazumo was keen on making as little noise as possible, and so the slow but quiet way it was. Finally the lock popped open and he removed it from the cage door, opening it slowly and wincing a little as it still gave out a small squeal of protest. Kenji crawled his way out of the cage and lifted his arms high, letting out a groan as he stretched his cramped muscles. Kazumo looked around the room, still dimly illuminated by Tatsuya's burning palm. His three siblings were now free. It was just a matter of finding Azumi and getting out alive. In Kazumo's mind the plan was feasible, but his position as a peasant prevented him from taking charge.
"So what's the plan? Cause we better not be doing this just to get captured again." Tatsuya groaned out as he stretched out his back.
"We need to find Azumi and then fight our way out. Once we are outside of the lighthouse, we make a run to lord Yasuki-sama's manor." Kyou responded curtly.
"Perhaps we could instead…" Kazumo started.
"Never fear Kazumo-san! Trust in us and we will get out safely." Kenji interrupted. Inwardly, Kazumo sighed in resignation, knowing that things were now quite firmly out of his hands.
Kenji looked to Kyou and Tatsuya and gave a single nod before walking towards the door. The four walked through the door and Kazumo could already feel a sense of dread. Kenji, being the oldest of the three, was leading. Kazumo knew this was the proper thing for samurai to do, but Kenji was also unarmed. He knew Tatsuya's monk training makes him the safest to fight without a weapon, while Kenji was liable to get stabbed. Kazumo's thoughts were interrupted by Kenji approaching the exit and pressing his shoulder in preparation to force it open. Kazumo rushed forward.
"Allow me my lord." Kazumo whispered while gesturing towards the door, causing Kenji to step aside. Kazumo first peered under the door into the lit hallway. Although he could not see much, there was no movement of shadows or feet across the hall, so Kazumo knew it was empty. Kazumo rose back up and pressed his back and arm into the door. With a slow and steady application of force, Kazumo gently opened the door with a soft pop. In the same movement, he beckoned his siblings to move into the hallway while he held the door.
"So where's the exit?" Tatsuya asked while extinguishing his burning palm. Kyou turned to him with her brows slightly furrowed.
"Were you not listening earlier?" Kyou reprimanded.
"Of course not." Tatsuya responded.
Kazumo tried to come up with a polite way to tell his siblings to shut up when, to his surprise, Kenji's eyes went to him and the samurai gave a single nod. He turned to the others and held a finger up to his lips, and instantly the others went quiet, their attention on him.
"Do we know where Azumi-san is Kazumo-san?" Kenji whispered.
"Yeah, she's across that room." Tatsuya replied nonchalantly, causing the rest to turn to him suddenly in surprise.
"Wait, how?" Kyou whispered.
"Tattoo." Tatsuya mumbled as he brushed Kyou off. "She's…" Tatsuya trailed off as he opened up the door to his right and peered into the room, causing the others to stir in surprise.
"Past that door." Tatsuya whispered as he pointed to a door across the room. Kazumo's eyes scanned the room in a hurry, but found no one waiting for them. Tatsuya turned back to his siblings and dismissively shook his head as he rolled his eyes.
"There's no one in here." Tatsuya announced as he confidently waltzed into the room. The rest of the siblings followed, and Kazumo examined the room further. A couple lanterns still burned, keeping the room alight. It was a large room with dining tables and pillows set about. To Kazumo, it looked like a meeting hall a lord would have. It even had a makeshift lordly chair in the back of it. Kazumo could easily imagine how desperate Dai must be to be taken seriously and let that thought amuse himself. Turning his attention back to the matter at hand, Kazumo thought about Tatsuya's mystical tattoo. He remembered Tatsuysa mentioning it back at the Sparrow's Nest as well, and a picture formed in Kazumo's mind. Tatsuya had a way to accurately track people around him, and it even appeared to tell him who was who. Kazumo quickly formed a plan in his head. He could not directly control his siblings' actions, but he could try more subtle means.
"That's incredible Tatsuya-sama. If only we knew where that scoundrel Kawabata-san was too." Kazumo whispered with feigned amazement.
"Oh he's over there." Tatsuya pointed to his right towards an ornate door in the back corner of the room. "With two… somebodies… near him."
"Somebodies? No better information than that?" Kyou questioned.
"It doesn't tell me who they are, just that something alive is there and roughly their size."
Kazumo felt suddenly stumped, now realizing the void tattoo did not work as he had initially assumed. He knew exactly where Azumi and Dai were, but could not identify two unknown individuals. Kazumo figured the two were most likely the guards he spied upon earlier, but did not understand why Tatsuya did not know. Kazumo's first thought was that it must work off of familiarity, but that would not explain how he knew Kawabata's location. The only difference Kazumo could think of was that he had never seen the guards.
"I do remember two guards were in the room with Dai when he was interrogating our dear sister." Kazumo whispered.
"Ah, that's them then. They were in the room with those two earlier." Tatsuya affirmed with a nod.
No…
Kazumo could not help but stare at Tatsuya in shock. Kazumo realized that he was mentally tracking everyone the void tattoo informed him of, which is why he knew where Azumi and Dai were. He was even remembering specific movements of unknown individuals. Even the thought of the mental tracking involved gave Kazumo a headache, so he could not imagine how Tatsuya managed it. Kazumo was distracted from his thoughts by an aggravated huff from Kyou. A quick glance told Kazumo that Kyou was glaring in Kawabata's direction. She made no movement towards Dai's door, but Kazumo knew she only needed a little push.
"Shame upon him for treating samurai in such a way." Kazumo whispered, while he desperately tried to not smile.
"Quiet!" Kyou snapped at Kazumo. "Although maybe we should pay him a visit to return his hospitality." Kyou whispered maliciously.
"Please no. Let's just leave." Whispered an exasperated Tatsuya. Kyou and Tatsuya stared each other down for a moment before Kenji raised his hands.
"We shall make sure Azumi-san is safe first, then discuss further action." Kenji whispered in a commanding tone. Before the others could reply, Kenji marched across the room towards the door Azumi was behind. Tatsuya and Kyou gave each other dirty looks before following behind their elder brother. Kazumo followed last, and he constantly searched around them for some sign that anyone had noticed them. He could see trails of smoke coming through a large door to his left which was likely the same smoke room from before, but on the other side. Straining his ears, Kazumo could hear nothing but the soft sound of people sucking in air through their pipes and light chatter. Thankfully no one was making their way towards them.
The four creeped towards Azumi's door, with every creak of the wooden floor under them threatening to set off an alarm within the lighthouse. Kazumo could feel sweat drip down his back, and did his best to make no sound in some hope he could make up for his siblings' lack of grace. Kenji walked up to the door and found it had a padlock keeping the door shut. Kenji turned to Kazumo who wordlessly approached the lock and pulled out a needle to pick it. With a few moments of digging into the lock, Kazumo could feel the padlock suddenly loosen. With a tug, Kazumo opened the padlock and removed it from the door. Without another word, Kenji slid the door open.
"I have nothing more to say…" Azumi growled out as she turned, but stopped suddenly at the sight of her siblings. Azumi blinked twice in confusion.
"Why?" Azumi asked, dumbfounded.
"Kazumo snuck in and broke us free from our…" Kenji exclaimed in an excited whisper but was cut off by Azumi raising her hand.
"Not how, why?" Azumi clarified.
"To rescue everyone from the clutches of these foul criminals before they have a chance to hurt us." Kenji replied with his confidence waning.
"We're samurai. They weren't going to hurt us." Azumi stated as if talking to a child. Tatsuya pointed his arm towards Azumi while giving a judgemental look to his other siblings.
"See?" Tatsuya exclaimed. Kyou glared at Tatsuya for a moment before turning her attention to Azumi.
"Didn't they tell you that they were ransoming us to some strange man after people with red hair?" Kyou asked.
"Yes." Azumi stated plainly. The siblings gave Azumi a concerned look.
"And you are not concerned by this?" Kyou continued her questioning while growing agitated.
"No." Azumi replied bluntly. Kyou gestured fruitlessly around herself in frustration.
"Why?" Kyou said through her teeth.
"Because that's what we want." Azumi answered in a dry tone, as if talking exhausted her. Kyou turned around and raised her hands in fury, curling her fingers while hissing through her teeth. Kenji quickly moved in to comfort her before turning his attention back to Azumi.
"Why would that be dear sister?" Kenji broached cautiously. Azumi shook her head as if it was obvious.
"That would bring us closer to finding Chiharu. If they're looking for us, then they know something about her." Azumi explained while bringing her hand to cover her face and following it with a sigh.
"I understand and respect your idea dear sister, but may I offer an alternative?" Kenji asked politely.
"Which is?" Azumi replied.
"We do not submit ourselves to the capture of vile criminals, and instead escape." Kenji explained with a soft smile across his face. Azumi stopped for a moment to breathe in deeply, and then breathed out.
"Might as well." Azumi relented. Kenji raised his hands in excitement before turning to the rest of his siblings. Azumi stood before her siblings and crossed her arms.
"Now how should we abscond?" Kenji asked his siblings, causing Azumi to throw her head back in exasperation.
"Of course there's no plan." Azumi muttered under her breath.
"We had hoped to discuss the matter with you dear sister." Kenji spoke.
"Do we even know where all their thugs are?" Azumi asked, not expecting an answer.
"Most of them are out and around the lighthouse and nearby houses, although I think most of them are asleep." Tatsuya explained. Azumi seemed surprised, but didn't probe into how exactly Tatsuya knew that information.
"So sneak out of here?" Azumi offered.
"As samurai?" Kyou replied in shock. "We are not dirty peasant thieves who crawl around in the mud."
Kazumo could hear Azumi grind her teeth from behind her mask while she glowered at Kyou.
"You're sneaking right now." Azumi pointed out to Kyou, who recoiled at the accusation.
"No, we are just trying to avoid waking everyone at such a late hour." Kyou shot back.
"And Kazumo-kun?" Azumi asked in a condescending manner.
"Although we are thankful Kazumo has no such responsibility, we as samurai do have our honor to uphold. Running and hiding would be disgraceful. Your uncle would have every right to shame us for such actions." Kenji spoke as if reciting from a scroll.
"I doubt that." Azumi whispered.
"He would find it cause to tease his darling niece to no end." Kazumo added in. Azumi considered that for a moment and slumped her shoulders in defeat.
"Fine." Azumi finished with a barely audible whisper.
"That means we'll have to make a dash for it and fight any that get in our way." Kyou stated.
"They'll just swarm us again before we get far." Tatsuya added in. "I should have just stayed in my cell to sleep, but no, we just had to break out."
Kazumo sensed an opportunity.
"If only we had something they valued to dissuade them from attacking us immediately, like their leader." Kazumo said and then looked to his siblings. To his dismay, Kyou, Kenji, and Tatsuya did not get his meaning. Azumi, however, caught his meaning immediately.
"Mmh." Azumi agreed.
"If only we did Kazumo-san." Kenji spoke as he shook his head in dismay.
Azumi looked to each of her siblings and a heavy pause set in.
"Well?" Azumi finally spoke.
"Well what?" Kyou responded cluelessly.
"Kazumo's idea?" Azumi said exasperated.
"Kazumo was merely speaking of our misfortune. What idea are you referring to dear sister?" Kenji asked in confusion. Azumi had to rub the side of her head before responding.
"He said… I think we should hold their leader hostage." Azumi proposed. Kazumo silently thanked her for making it her idea and not his. That way the others would treat it more seriously.
"Now you want samurai to kidnap people? I figured the Kuni taught some etiquette." Kyou spoke. Azumi turned to Kyou with a small fury in her eyes while bending her knees to reach her height and get more in her face.
"I had hoped the Matsu taught you how to be useful, but I guess you really are an Ikoma." Azumi whispered with a glint of mischievousness in her eyes.
Kyou flared her nostrils and was about to fire back but Azumi interrupted her.
"Shhhh, we wouldn't want to wake anyone at such an hour would we?" Azumi said in a mock polite tone.
Kyou's face flushed red with anger, and she was a second away from exploding before Kenji stepped in between them.
"Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves when we are surrounded by our enemy." Kenji pleaded.
"She…" Kyou raised but was interrupted by Kenji raising his hand dramatically. Kenji took a deep breath through his nose before speaking.
"Please my dear sisters
Remember all of the love
That rests in your hearts"
Kenji's face had a subtle sorrow to it, as if he was about to cry from speaking his improv poetry. Kyou was dumbstruck, and Azumi let out a small cough. Kazumo had to fight the urge to grin at Kenji's attempt.
"Although I agree kidnapping would be unsavory, I would say that as samurai it is our duty to apprehend and arrest such dangerous criminals. I believe there is merit to Azumi-san's plan." Kenji explained.
Kazumo felt a little sting at Kenji not realizing it was his plan but knew it was necessary for them to even consider it at all. Although it did not bother him when the others did as much, for some reason not being recognized by Kenji hurt more.
"You make a fair point, perhaps I was..." Kyou had to swallow her anger before continuing "to hasty in judging Azumi-sam's idea."
"Tatsuya told us that his room is behind this door." Kenji remarked, "I shall take the lead and we shall overwhelm his guards."
Kazumo knew Kenji shouldn't be at the front, but he had already prepared an idea to keep him back.
"But Kenji-sama!" Kazumo exclaimed. "I'm sorry to admit this, but I am terribly frightened of these thugs. I don't know how to defend myself and beg for your protection."
Kenji's eyes lit up with determination.
"Of course I'll protect you dear brother." Kenji answered while looking at Kazumo. Kenij paused for a moment to consider the situation.
"Tatsuya-san!" Kenji said excitedly.
"Huh?" Tatsuya stirred as if waking from sleep.
"I'm sorry that I must ask of you to take the front in our charge to arrest our foul captor. Would you do this for us dear brother?" Kenji asked Tatsuya in a serious tone.
"Does it have to be me? I thought you were doing it." Tatsuya complained.
"I must protect our dear brother Kazumo-san, as he was not trained to fight like us samurai. You are the next eldest after me, so the responsibility falls to you to lead." Kenji explained while giving his brother a small bow of respect.
"Pretty sure Azumi-san is the eldest." Tatsuya grumbled.
"And also a shugenja, who must remain in the back and far away from danger." Kenji responded like a mantra. Tatsuya dropped his shoulders and scrunched his face in annoyance.
"Yeah sure, let's get this over with." Tatsuya whispered and immediately turned towards one of the doors in the back near the lordly chair. To Kazumo's chagrin, Tatsuya made little effort to soften his footsteps as he slid the door open and stomped inside. The rest of the siblings followed with Kenji staying close to Kazumo's side. The door led to a small hallway that turned to the right. Tatsuya let out a small sigh before turning the corner.
"Yes, yes I'm not supposed to be here and you're guarding blah blah" Tatsuya rattled off.
"Hey what…" was all the first guard could get out before there was a slapping sound followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. At that sound, the rest of the siblings rushed after Tatsuya.
"PRI…" was all the second guard could get out before he slammed into the wall and fell onto the floor. At every bump and sound, Kazumo flinched. Any hope he had of remaining quiet was gone. As the others turned the corner, the two guards were left groaning on the floor trying to get back onto their feet. Before they could regain their footing, Kyou rushed forward and kicked the closest guard in the head. The second guard raised his hands in vain before Kyou knocked him out with another swift kick.
"What is going on out there?" Came Dai's voice from behind a screen door in the middle of the hallway.
Tatsuya opened the door and let out a sigh, "No... don't get out of bed... no don't..." He let out a groan of frustration. Kazumo peeked over his shoulder to see Dai had scrambled up from the bed, grasping at Kyou's katana that was lying on a nightstand.
"Don't think you can take me so easily." Dai yelled while drawing the blade from its sheath.
"Look, I want to go back to bed too, so let's just agree that you fought really hard and it was very tough to capture you, but don't actually fight back." Tatsuya offered.
Dai's face twisted into an enraged bewilderment and he charged at Tatsuya, the katana's blade leveled at his chest. Tatsuya shook his head like a disappointed parent before catching the blade in his left hand. Dai fruitlessly tried to pry the sword free, but could barely budge it. Dai roared as he let go of the blade and raised his fists. Before he could strike though, Tatsuya raised his right arm while opening and closing his palm. His right forearm lit aflame, causing Dai to stop in his tracks and give a concerned look towards Tatsuya's burning fist.
"Mhm?" Tatsuya taunted Dai while tilting his head and showing a face that said 'try me'. Dai gave a small grin and raised his hands in surrender. The rest of the siblings piled into the room, while Kyou restrained Dai. Kyou took her sword and sheath back with a huff and stowed it on her sash. A quick search revealed that Dai had kept all their weapons in his room, all except Kenji's katana. While the others grabbed their things, Kenji took the two spears from the unconscious guards outside, and handed one to Kazumo. Kazumo accepted the offered weapon with a bit of surprise. Kazumo nodded to his brother and turned his attention to the room. As he did, he noticed Dai subtly move his arm towards his back. It did not take long for Kazumo to spot a concealed knife within the sash of his robe which Dai was reaching for. Deciding to nip his plan in the bud, Kazumo quickly snatched the knife from out of his sash and stowed it into his own.
"You really think you can get away with this? Soon my men will be upon you, and you'll regret messing with me." Dai spat out while fumbling around his robes. A look of confusion and concern crossed his face and his search turned into his hand scrambling between himself and Kyou. Kyou, growing more irritated at Dai, loudly smacked him in the cheek with her open palm.
"Silence scum. Unless you wish to test my nerves." Kyou rasped while pulling her wakizashi to his throat. Dai's expression went from resilient to panicked in a second, which gave Kazumo great joy. As an added measure, Kazumo made sure to sneak the iron ring off of Dai while he was recovering from Kyou's slap.
Examining it, it was a polished iron ring with the engraving of a fox resting under a maple tree in the center. Turning it over, he found a second engraving on the inside of the ring of a bottle surrounded by fire. Kazumo did not recognize the symbol, but assumed it must be some clue on where to find their mother. Kazumo put the ring away in his bag, so he could better focus on the situation at hand.
Kenji slid the door closed again and addressed his siblings.
"We place you under arrest Kawabata Dai for the crimes of kidnapping, opium dealing, and being a truly unpleasant host." Kenji declared, putting emphasis on the last detail.
"Let us…" Kenji started, but was interrupted by the door suddenly opening. As soon as the door opened, Kenji slammed his elbow into the intruder, which let out a sickening crack. The intruder stumbled into the wall behind him and slumped onto the ground. Kenji had already turned and leveled his spear towards him before he even hit the ground. After a tense moment of silence, Kazumo recognized the man as the ronin who assailed them back at the Sparrow's Nest. Kenji's face was at first perplexed until he turned and noticed the ronin who he so swiftly knocked out. A brief look of shame overtook his face as he examined the unconscious man.
"Ah, my katana!" Kenji exclaimed as he reached down and took his katana from the ronin's sash. With a soft smile returning to his face, Kenji turned back to his siblings.
"I think we should make our exit." Kenji suggested while peering down the hallway. Kazumo strained his ears and could hear movement in and around the lighthouse. Kazumo realized the ronin must have alerted the others, who would be swarming their position after long. Kazumo took a look at the small hallway leading out and grew concerned over their chances. Such a tight place would make it easy for the thugs to prevent their escape. Trying to fight their way out, even with a hostage, would be difficult. Most likely that design was by choice to help protect whoever was inside.
But that means there has to be another way out!
Kazumo assumed Dai wouldn't trap himself like this without a secret exit in case anyone ever attacked him. Kazumo scanned the room for any doors or exits and happened upon some drapes hanging from the northern wall. Although it would not be out of place to hang them in front of a window, Kazumo knew there were no windows on this side of the building. Kazumo quickly pulled aside the drapes and ran his fingers along the wooden wall. There he felt a small gap between the wooden beams, and a soft tug revealed it to be a door.
"If we stick together, we should be able to fend them off, Tatsuya…" Kenji ordered but was interrupted by a sudden cool breeze entering the room. The siblings all turned to find Kazumo in front of an open door leading to the outside.
"My lords." Kazumo offered while performing a bow.
"I suppose the servant is good for something." Kyou deigned, to which Kazumo stilled his reaction flawlessly. Azumi peered out into the darkness and spoke.
"Make our way north towards the cliff. Once we're there, I can get us out."
Azumi stepped gingerly outside and started making her way to the cliff. As she left, she grabbed Kazumo's robe and tugged on it to follow her. Recognizing what she was doing, Kenji followed up and grabbed onto Kazumo's robe as well and reached out a hand to grab onto Kyou. Kyou wrapped one of her arms around Dai's mouth, and her other arm held the blade to his throat. Tatsuya sighed and completed the chain by holding onto Kyou's robe. The siblings then walked out into the night, only guided by the moonlight. Kazumo's eyes had not adjusted to the darkness yet, so he was thankful that Azumi knew where they were going. He was thankful for the darkness hiding his face however, as the sight of his siblings all linked together like school children made him grin from ear to ear. It made him even happier listening to Dai struggle helplessly against Kyou's grip.
Focusing back on the situation at hand, Kazumo could hear the thugs waking up and throwing an alarm. To his relief, they were all headed towards the front of the building, not the back. Their frantic movements easily covered the sound of the siblings' footsteps. Suddenly Azumi stopped, as Kazumo heard the sound of her hand brushing up against stone. Azumi started chanting to the Kami of the earth.
We might actually make it out…
Kazumo's thoughts were interrupted as Dai suddenly pulled his mouth free of Kyou's grip and shouted out.
"THE PRISONERS ARE OVER HERE!"
After a moment of hesitation, the thugs began rushing over to their location. Kenji leveled his spear towards the oncoming horde, and Kazumo, despite himself, tried to match his stance. As the thugs came into view armed with crude weapons and lanterns, Kyou shouted out.
"NOT ANOTHER STEP!" Kyou commanded while flashing her blade and adjusting her grip to better hold Dai.
The gang careened to a halt, with several in the front knocked down by the momentum of the group. After they stumbled back to their feet, the two groups stood off from each other.
"What now, foolish samurai? You're caught between the cliff and my men. You should've just stayed in your cages like good little hostages." Dai jeered. "How about you all surrender and I'll be nice enough not to gut you."
Kyou thwacked him on the side of his head with the pommel of her wakizashi before shushing him. Kazumo could feel his hair stand on end as he listened to Azumi's prayer.
Please Azumi, let your invocation work.
As if answering Kazumo's thoughts, Azumi finished her prayer to the Kami with a loud slap against the cliff face. Kazumo felt pressure on top of his shoulders which flowed into his feet. He cautiously lifted and put down a foot and felt a strange weight to it. It did not impair his movement, but his steps felt heavier. Kazumo felt a tug on his robes and turned to Azumi. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Azumi standing perpendicular to the cliff face, as if the cliff was the ground. Kazumo had to stifle a laugh at his sister's peculiar angle.
"We go!" Azumi ordered the rest of her siblings, and then turned to walk away. She walked across the cliff face as if it was the ground with no sign of gravity complaining. Tatsuya was the first to respond, and quickly jumped onto the cliff, feet first. As he did, his feet stuck fast to the cliff face, and he walked upwards in the same manner as Azumi. The other three could not help but stand perplexed, doubly so for the group of thugs who starred on with a combination of awe and confusion. Kyou hesitantly approached the wall and tested it by placing a single foot upon its face.
"Don't let them escape!" Dai shouted out, as the thugs lurched forward at his behest. Kenji slammed down a foot and pointed his spear towards the mass, causing them to halt in fear and push a few more down in the front. With an effort, Kyou lifted up Dai and carefully treaded onto the cliff face. Her body turned sideways as she walked upon the cliff as if it was the floor. Soon she was chasing after Azumi and Tatsuya up the cliff. Dai, however, suddenly started wiggling as hard as he could, causing Kyou to suddenly lose her grip on him. He escaped his captor only to be met by the stony cliff, to which he ungracefully rolled down until slamming into the wooden floor of the pier. Before the thugs could react, Kenji grabbed Dai by the scruff and hauled him over his shoulder. Moving quickly, Kenji stepped onto the rock and stumbled his way towards the remaining siblings. The thugs once again tried closing the distance, but Kazumo stepped forward and matched the same stance as Kenji to intimidate them. To Kazumo's surprise, they halted at the sight of him as well.
"Kazumo-san no!" Kenji cried out. In doing so however, Kenji turned too quickly and lost his grip on Dai, sending him once more tumbling down the cliff face, as he yelped in pain. At the sight of their leader taking a second fall, the thugs rushed forward. Kazumo knew not what madness had inspired him to stare down the thugs the first time, but it was long gone now as he turned and ran towards his siblings.
"You better not try and grab me again." Ordered an injured Dai. Kazumo complied and gave him a swift kick to the gut instead, eliciting a grunt out of Dai. In the same motion, Kazumo stepped onto Dai's side and jumped from him onto the cliff, putting all his faith in Azumi's incantation. As his foot touched the cliff face, Kazumo felt his body weight suddenly shift, as if he was being carried by some spirit. His foot gripped onto the stone, and he was able to start running on the cliffside. Kenji rushed back and took the rear of the group while the siblings made their exit.
"Stop them, they're getting away!" Dai groaned out, as his tugs tried climbing the cliffside after them. Determined as they were, their climbing could not keep up with the siblings sprinting away and out of their reach. Some tried throwing their weapons towards them, but they were deflected by swift flicks from Kenji's spear. The parried weapons dropped back down into the crowd, resulting in a few unlucky thugs to be struck by their own weapons.
Before long, the siblings had completely lost sight of the opium gang. The five stopped for a moment to catch their breath while hanging from the cliffside.
"Amazing work Azumi-san! Your communion with the earth Kami is to be envied." Kenji praised. The siblings began moving off of the cliff and back onto the streets of slow tide harbor.
"It seems oddly specific does it not?" Kyou replied, still catching her breath.
"Maybe to a Matsu." Azumi chided. Kyou pouted but did not have the energy to argue.
"It's for the Kaiu walls is it not? Have to imagine it helps get up and down quickly. Oh, you could use it for people repairing the walls too." Tatsuya thought out loud. Azumi affirmed Tatsuya's theory by pointing at him.
"Hehehe, I knew it." Tatsuya giggled to himself. "At least we can make it back to your uncle's manor before sunrise and actually go to bed, right everyone?" Tatsuya spoke while giving his siblings accusatory glances.
"I think we've all earned a rest." Kazumo replied while yawning. The rest nodded their heads in agreement and made their way wordlessly through Slow Tide Harbor and towards Susumo's manor. It wasn't until they were walking up the steps before anyone spoke.
"So how are we going to explain this to your uncle?" Tatsuya asked.
"We're not." Azumi responded dryly.
"And what happens when he finds out?" Kyou interrogated.
"He won't." Azumi replied as she opened the front door. "As far as he needs to know, we never left our…"
"Welcome back Azumi-chan." Susumo greeted. The siblings flinched at the sound of his voice and turned to see him sitting at the head of his hall, with his two samurai guards beside him.
"I trust you haven't made too much of a hassle, my dear niece?" Susumo jeered. Azumi stood motionless with her head hung low in embarrassment. Susumo sighed.
"Did you at least find what you were looking for? Or have you disobeyed me for nothing."
"The ring!" Azumi muttered to herself, now remembering their initial goal.
"Oh yeah we forgot to grab that didn't we?" Tatsuya whispered. Kazumo reached into his bag and pulled out the iron ring. The siblings noticed the ring and all gave a small sigh of relief.
"I think I'll hold on to that for now." Susumo called out to Kazumo. The siblings looked at each other for a moment, but none could come up with an excuse to deny Susumo's request. Kazumo shuffled his way over to the lord and bowed deeply while handing over the ring. The thin pale woman took the ring and examined it, shooing away Kazumo. He returned back towards his siblings as Kyou raised her voice.
"Lord Susumo, a thousand pardons for our…"
"There is no need for the rest of you to apologize. I know it was my niece who set you up for this." Susumo interrupted. "I would ask that you four return to your quarters and get some rest while I speak to Azumi-chan."
Tatsuya smiled like it was the best news he heard in all his life and was the first to make his way towards the guest room. Kyou gave a bow towards Susumo and followed Tatsuya. Kenji and Kazumo both gave worried looks to Azumi.
"Go. I'll be fine." Azumi whispered. Kazumo nodded and turned away. Kenji however could not bring himself to move.
"My lord, I cannot leave my sister's side. I too convinced the others to confront the Black Tuna gang and retrieve the ring told to us by our mother. Any punishment you see fit for Azumi-san, I beg that you also put on me." Kenji cried out and finished by kneeling and bowing his head to the floor.
"Kenji-san." Azumi whispered in surprise. Although he only saw it for a moment, Kazumo could swear he saw gratitude in her eyes. Looking at Susumo, Kazumo could tell Kenji's display had surprised him as well, and the subtle anger he had was now gone.
"Please stand Kenji-san. Though I am upset at my niece for acting so rashly, I have no intentions of placing some harsh punishment on her. I do need to know exactly what happened though." Susumo explained.
"Then I'd be happy to explain. After all, honesty is one of the core tenants of bushido." Kenji proudly exclaimed while he stood up.
"Kenji-san!" Azumi whispered in worry. Susumo smiled ever so slightly.
"Please then, tell me of your outing in great detail." Susumo requested. Kazumo took that as his que to leave quietly as Kenji told Susumo of their late night adventure. Returning to the guest room, Kyou peeked her head out from behind her screen.
"Where's Azumi-san and Kenji-san?" Kyou asked.
"They are both explaining to lord Susumo-Sama what happened." Kazumo answered as he made his way towards a bed mat. Kyou accepted his response and returned to her sleep. Tatsuya had already fallen asleep and was sprawled out over his bed mat. Looking at his own bed, Kazumo realized how tired he was. His arms and legs still ached from all the climbing he had done. After a quick stretch and a yawn, Kazumo laid down onto his bed mat. He thought of the strange symbol on the inside of the ring, but could not place what it was. He decided it was best to investigate in the morning, so Kazumo made one last prayer to the Kami to watch over Kenji and Azumi before he drifted off to sleep.