Chapter 8: The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend?
"Haido-sama, that pest is back," The guard said. Haido adjusted his black silk kimono and opened his fan. Taking an uneasy breath, he fanned his face and stroked his beard.
"And what did he take this time?" he asked sternly.
"Nothing; he simply left a note warning that if we didn't stop, he would come and kill you personally," Replied the darkly tanned bodyguard as he adjusted his fine black suit. Haido took another agitated breath, his jaw twitching as he thought through his options.
"If this keeps up, he could destroy us, Showa, even Zipangu! So why haven't you idiots disposed of him yet?!" Haido demanded.
"We're bodyguards, boss, not Ninjas." Said another as he came waltzing in with wild yellow eyes, spiky gold hair, and a white suit.
"There are three, maybe four people who could keep up with him in all of Ossyria: Dark Lord Jin, Jin's squeeze Lady Syl, Chief Knight Eckhart, and this new kid named Olsen, The Guardian Ninja." The dark-suited guard answered. Haido chewed on his cheek and then snapped his fan shut. Getting up from his desk, he brushed a hand over his bald head as he walked to the window.
"Get this, Olsen, to come to Showa. Maybe he can take care of Black Crow for us. I don't want there to be any screw-ups this time. If that goes as it should, Showa will be ours, and I will finally have my seat."
Spring faded into people's lives after the mild winter of Mu Lung and Herb Town, and people everywhere cleaned out the old and unused clutter around their houses. The Six rummaged through drawers, pulling out old birthday cards, wishing them all happy 19th birthdays. Lillianne found an old card from Keeny when she had turned 17, making a sad smile pull on her lips. When Jenny returned from a sparring session with Alden on her heels, he found their house in disarray, boxes and piles of keepsakes scattered across the floor.
"Hey, Mom, what's all this stuff?"
"Oh Jenny, I didn't expect you for another hour. What made you return sooner?" Athena asked, setting down a heavy box. Jenny chuckled as she loosened the collar button of her Azure Armis, taking the quiver from her back and setting them near the door.
"Matthew was trying a new sword style with his Spartan and twisted his ankle pretty badly. Helen took care of the pain, but she advised that he see Grendal to make sure it healed right," She replied, reaching for the flaps of a box to reveal some finely woven elven clothes.
"Wow, you never told me you had anything like this! These are amazing!" Jenny exclaimed, holding a dress to herself and turning to admire the sweeping gown in a nearby mirror. Athena smiled as she looked over the clothes, recalling her childhood days in her Elven village, Ellul.
"Yes, it has been a long time since I've seen these. I wore this when I began training as a late teenager under the Queen of the Elven people, Mercedes. She taught me how to use Mana, but I specialized her techniques for the bow." Jenny carefully folded the dress, setting it aside as she picked up a tarnished silver brooch, running her thumb over the engraving.
"What was she like? I've always wondered who taught you," Jenny asked, looking through the box, admiring old trinkets or pictures.
"She was very independent, stubborn, and a bit aloof. But at the same time, she had a caring heart that bred an air of trust around her, often making you forget that she was a queen. I miss her terribly and wish she survived battling the Black Mage," Athena said as she recalled her childhood days when she, Aran, and Maha all trained together as would-be halberd swingers.
"Hey ma, what's this? I didn't know you kept something like this around," Jenny asked as she rummaged through the tightly and carefully packed closet. When Athena turned to look, her face brightened when she saw the weapon before her.
"Oh my, I completely forgot I even had this." Athena breathed, taking hold of the solid handle and running her hand over the rusted and dull axe head. She brought it out into the light and gazed over the words still engraved onto the back of the head in brass letters: 'Friends sharpen friends, Helena, Aran, Maha.' A smile tugged on her lips as a long-forgotten stirring in her heart awakened at the sight of this ancient halberd.
"Is Jenny here?" called Jack, poking his head into Athena's room and blinking quickly to adjust his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?"
"Two guys came in dress suits saying they want to talk to us; something about a ninja threatening their village," Jenny grabbed her quiver while running after Jack to the spot where the others had already gathered around an expensive-looking car. Two men got out, one in white and the other in pinstripe black, leaning against the car door, trying to look intimidating.
"Is this it? You're the Guardians? You're just a bunch of kids." Exclaimed the one in black, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Yes, we are they. What I heard it said that a ninja attacked your village?" Matthew asked, still favoring his right leg.
"Put that aside for a moment; do any of you know where I can find Olsen, the Guardian Ninja?" the man in white asked, hunching over and snickering.
"That'd be me. What are you here to ask for?" Olsen replied, resting his hand on the sheath of his dagger. The two men reached into their jackets, but before they could even get to their pockets, Olsen had drawn his Double Knife, holding it to the throat of the man in white while four dark purple bats hung in the air around the one in black. The two men looked down at Olsen for a moment before noticing that another one held a gun to the head of the one in white. One of the girls held up a crossbow with flames fluttering on the blot at the one in black.
"I still have two friends who haven't drawn their weapons yet, and we all still have power to spare. If you came all this way to kill me, you'll need to do much better than that," Olsen growled. The one in black chuckled as he pulled his hand out of his jacket and held up his hands.
"You've got guts kid; I like your style. Our employer would like to have a word with you regarding a little problem of ours." Olsen backed down and canceled the Vampire attack while hooking the Double Knife to his belt.
"Tell me where and we'll be there," Olsen said with a confident grin until the man in white shook his head.
"I don't think you understand. Our employer only wants to see you, Olsen. Bringing anyone else is not only an insult to him but also a waste of his time and space." Olsen narrowed his eyes as he thought. Walking back to Helen, he whispered something in her ear before running back to the Black Smiths for a few shuriken and leaving with the men.
"What did he say?" Jenny asked as she watched the car pull out of view.
"Olsen will contact us once he knows where they are taking him," Helen said, her gaze lingering on the cloud of dust.
"Those men; I've seen them before." She mused, narrowing her eyes until Lillianne cut through her thoughts.
"I know of them," Lillianne said in a low voice, slinging the leather strap of her halberd over her shoulders.
"They are the bodyguards Asuma Black and Brent Whitiker of Haido Takamishi, a notorious leader of the Aikeza in Showa, Zipangu. Despite the people fearing him and his 'organization,' he ensures everyone in the city is well cared for. No one can ever seem to connect him to any of his crimes, nor do they seem to want to."
"So why would someone want to bring him down if he makes everything good?" Jack asked, adjusting the straps of his King's Cross Knucklers, then checking the cylinder of the Concerto Di Morte pistol.
"There may be a reason more complicated than we know, Jack. However, it could be as simple as wanting revenge. But it won't be easy," Helen replied when Jenny noticed Alden was missing. It was something he had been doing a lot of lately. Maybe the next time she saw him, she would follow him.
"…The northern border has reported 'nothing unusual,' and a recon team was dispatched to Victoria with a group who wish to return to Kerning."
"Thank you for your report, Eckhart. You may retire for the day." Cygnus smiled as Eckhart left the temporary palace for his tent and catch up on sleep.
"Neinhart, Shinsoo, can you two manage in my stead for a while?" Cygnus asked with a tired sigh. Shinsoo bowed his majestic head, as did Heidrin, who stood to attention as she left. Lightly, Cygnus made her way into the herb gardens. Here, she would often sit to relax her mind and listen to the birds as they sang their sweet songs.
This time, she wasn't going just to hear the birds. Rounding a bend in the path, she saw Mihile standing in a ray of light cutting through the branches of a willow tree. The light danced across each of the rivets and gold leaf of his armor while playing with the sunset gold of his hair. For a moment, she simply stared, watching him walk in the sunlight until he turned his back to her. His white and gold cloak hung from each point of his pauldrons making his shoulders look even broader than they already were. Walking up to him made her nervous, though she did not know why. She'd known Mihile since he was a squire under Shinsoo and her father.
"Oh, Empress, I didn't hear you come up. I'll leave you to your thoughts." Mihile said, crossing an arm over his chest and turning to leave. Cygnus reached out and grasped his arm.
"No Mihile, wait…" Mihile stopped in surprise when he felt Cygnus's stiff pull on his arm. Cygnus realized how firmly she had stopped him and looked away.
"Stay here, please. I wouldn't mind the company." She urged, putting her slender hands on his bracer to keep him from leaving. Mihile relaxed his stance, slowly following where Cygnus led while she walked. She came to a ledge that overlooked the rolling mountains and hills of Mu Lung. Below were the training grounds, where No Gong and his students trained their minds and bodies into honed weapons.
"When I was a girl, there were times when I used to dream of what it would be like to be all grown up: what challenges would I face, what kind of people I would meet, what kind of person would I be? It's funny; I've been trying to remember what it was like being a child lately."
"I don't blame you. After bonding with Shinsoo, the title of Empress was laid on your shoulders while you were still a child," Mihile mused, standing beside her and watching the students below.
"Neinheart helped me learn how to present myself in court, but there were still so many things that tore me away from learning the lessons of life that mattered." Mihile looked over the valley below, soon spotting the speck of Ereve in the distance. Memories of that place filled his head and how Shinsoo had taken him under his wing as a Page soon after Cygnus's 10th birthday, but he too missed the childhood foregone to become a knight.
"As a boy, I thought becoming a knight was the only thing I wanted in the world, so much so that I tried to become a swordsman under Dances with Balrog at age five. Despite that, I think the paths we have taken molded us into what we needed to be," Mihile answered. Cygnus sighed feeling lonely and stepped closer to Mihile, resting her hands on the flare of his Gauntlet. Absently, she traced the gold designs before putting her arms around his.
"Empress?"
"When I'm like this, I feel the most at peace, where I can be myself. Please, just let me stay like this." Mihile smiled, looking out from the ledge. A noise behind them made him reach to his belt for his sword, moving so that Cygnus was behind him. The bushes rustled and swayed until Alden jumped from the bushes with leaves and flowers stuck in his fur. Cygnus could only smile as she went to him and pulled the debris from his fur. Alden rubbed his head against her face and purred as though thanking her for help, leaving as quickly as he had come with a flower in his mouth.
"Haido-sama, we brought him just as you asked," Asuma said in a serious tone, opening the office door and escorting Olsen in.
"Thank you, Asuma," Haido answered quietly, walking from his window and leaning against the desk in his office. Ominously, he rested his hands on his lap meeting Olsen's vigilant eyes.
"As you are probably already aware, someone is threatening the very lives that we live here in Showa. My associates have been unable to stop this ninja calling himself 'Black Crow.'" Haido explained, pulling his arms back and putting them in his pockets.
"And what kind of crimes has he committed against you that you would need to call me?" Olsen asked coldly, flexing his right hand in anticipation as it brushed against his Dual Edge. This whole place made his skin crawl and he didn't like it.
"Black Crow has been using whatever means he can to break into my office and steal some critical documents that would ruin all of Showa if misused. I need you to find and stop Black Crow. Recover the stolen documents before the eyes of authority see them." Olsen eyed him with deep mistrust, thoughts running through his head while looking around his 50s-inspired but expensively decorated office.
"I'll do what I can," Olsen muttered, reaching for the door behind him.
"Very well; there is only one last matter to attend to," Haido announced, opening a drawer in his desk while reaching for the stashed chrome revolver. As he held it up, he was confused to see that Olsen had disappeared but felt the edge of a sharp knife against his throat.
"I see that you don't trust anyone. That's a good thing here, Olsen." Haido smiled. Olsen pressed the blade harder into his throat and leaned close to his ear, dissolving the Dark Sight with his shoulder, arm, and Dual Edge glowing with bright pink flames while his hair shimmered.
"I don't trust you. I am a Ninja and have learned to listen to the small voice you don't have. If you give me one reason to distrust you any further than I already do, your blood will spill; do I make myself clear?" Hiado chuckled and put the gun down, allowing Olsen to leave his office quickly; that boy would do perfectly.
Lillianne sighed heavily and thumbed a pebble into the water of Herb Town Bay.
"When are we going to hear from Olsen? It's been almost four hours and we have yet to so much as…"
"Message for The Guardians!" a voice called as a man on a bicycle approached them, holding a piece of paper.
"Finally! It's about time we heard from him." Jenny huffed, signing for the letter and reading it aloud.
"In Zipangu, and going after a Ninja called Black Crow. Meet me in Showa as soon as you can and be careful. The guy those two work for is giving me the creeps." Jack, Helen, Matthew, and Lillianne split up to prepare for their journey while Jenny waited at the dock. She still hadn't seen Alden and wondered if he had run away. She shook her head at herself. No, Alden would never run away. He may be more intelligent than any pet she knew, but that doesn't mean he would throw everything away. She was about to start searching for him when she felt Alden's soft fur on her leg, his whole being slow and depressed. Kneeling, she pulled up his chin to meet her gaze, finding the fur around his eyes appeared wet as if he'd shed tears.
"Alden, what's wrong?" she asked softly. The horn on his head glowed as he touched it to her forehead, images streaming through her mind to tell the story of his broken heart after a beautiful black cat snuffed what seemed to be his crush. Jenny took a moment to regain her senses after the magical communication, petting his head and hugging his neck.
"I'm sorry, boy," she muttered into his soft mane just as the rest of her friends returned.
"What happened?" Jack asked as Jenny finally stood and readied to board the ship.
"Alden's crush just tore his heart out," she said, prompting Jack to pet his head. Alden looked up, noticing Josephine was coming with them, softly snarling as she passed him. Helen took notice, looking at the girl; as a mage, she could feel the power of Black Magic emanating from her. But In the same thought, she tried to convince herself it was because Josephine had been exposed to so much Black Magic while in captivity. Matthew, too, had noticed the dark feeling around her, but like Helen, thought it was a residual feeling and would eventually wear off.
Athena stood in the clearing just outside of Herb Town, letting the small halberd rest in her hands from so long ago. She used a sharpening stone and rubbed off most of the surface rust, bouncing it in her hands. Her arms, legs, and body remembered the weapon's weight in her hands, the stances, and movements while sweeping it across the grasses. In addition to those memories were feelings she had long since tucked away in the farthest reaches of her heart; feelings she once felt for Aran on many different levels.
As a child, she could only recognize them as a desire to be around Aran as friends. Later, those feelings blossomed into deeper, more complex emotions of affection. When she heard about Aran joining Minerva's forces, she used all her money to go to the Palace City of Orbis after telling her parents she would be learning some high-level archery. But those weren't the memories she cherished the most. There was one moment before they had all gone their separate ways that made the old ache within her return in earnest. She set the halberd on its end, closing her eyes and replaying the memory.
It had been a particularly hot day, and the three of them had been chasing after wild boars for almost two hours. Aran didn't want to let the boar escape, but Maha was spent.
"Aran, can we please go home? I'm tired and hungry." Maha huffed as he leaned on his knees, heaving breath into his lungs while looking up at Aran.
"You can if you want. I'm going to go after that boar." With a flip of his foot, he tossed the halberd into his hand and began walking toward a mountain range at the far end of Leafre where the Dragon's Nest began. Helena rolled her shoulders and picked up her halberd, following after Aran with a brisk step. Maha started heading back home with his halberd dragging behind him.
"So why is it so important that we get this boar?" Helena asked once she had caught up to Aran.
"I was trying to get Maha tired enough that he would go home." Aran laughed reaching over to her waist and pulling Helena tightly to him, flushing her cheeks. Helena had often questioned her hanging around with the boys; lately, she wondered if she was covering up her true feelings with the façade of friendship. Part of her wanted Aran to let go, but another part wanted him to hold her closer. For the moment, Helena allowed Aran to keep her close as they walked to the mountains, still somewhat chasing after the boar. But it was more so Helena following Aran to a place he wanted to show her.
For hours, they trekked up the mountains and down through gullies, constantly hearing the cries and roars of dragons in the distance. Helena couldn't quite reach the next hand-hold on one particular ledge, trying to jump to another protruding rock until Aran reached down and pulled her up. Once standing on her own feet again, she noticed how close she was to Aran, making her quickly back up. But her footing was no longer there. She was about to throw her weight forward in a summersault when Aran's hand flew around her waist and pulled her back onto the ledge, leaving no space between their bodies.
"What happened? Did I scare you?" Aran laughed, shouldering his halberd again and continuing to climb. Helena tried to calm her racing heart, leaving Aran's question unanswered. After another hour of walking and climbing, Helena called out to him.
"Aran, it's getting late, don't you think we ought to head back?" Aran looked down from his spot on the cliff and shook his head.
"Come on, we're almost there." Reluctantly, Helena sighed and followed, feeling increasingly like this was a big mistake. It seemed like forever until the two of them finally reached the ledge Aran was after. Aran again pulled her up to the ridge overlooking the entire Leafre Forest. Shades of red and gold reflected off the surface of the Ludus Sea while the sun sank over the horizon.
"Wow! It's an amazing view! You just want to stay here and stare at it forever." Helena sighed, watching as the diamonds of sunlight sparkled off the waves and the trees swayed like a massive green sea.
"It's even better at sunrise," Aran smirked.
"You want to come here before sunrise? We'd have to leave town at midnight just to make it up here, and that's when all the wyverns are out hunting. If it wasn't dangerous enough coming up here during the day…"
"Helena, I thought of that. That's why I brought these up here the last couple of days," Aran said, showing her a tent he set up in a cave close to where they were standing.
"You want to stay up here for the night?" Aran nodded, walking back to the cave where he started a fire and pulled an assortment of dried meats and a loaf of bread from his knapsack.
"But won't this attract dragons to us?"
"Not if you stay in the cave. It has a barrier at the mouth just in case we're found." Helena smiled as she sat beside the fire, warming her hands where Aran scooted closer.
"Do you like me hanging around you guys?" Helena asked suddenly. Aran jerked his head, sitting up straighter and leaning away from her.
"Where is this coming from?" he asked, poking at the fire as it was coming to life. Helena took a breath and continued.
"I want you to know that I enjoy both Maha's and your company, but you're a hard person to read, so I wanted to hear whether you enjoy my company or not." Aran looked to be thinking for a moment before he turned to her and kissed her firmly. He put his arm around her back and shoulders, pulling her closer until Helena responded, putting her arms around him and pressing herself into him.
The memory made her smile, picking up the weapon to slowly swing through the different stances, sweeping the blade through the tall grass faster and faster as her body remembered what it felt like to wield this weapon. Sheets of tall grass fell the sharpened halberd faster with each swing until hitting something solid jarred her. Aran chuckled and lowered Maha, running his callused hand over the head and thumbing the edge.
"After all this time, you still have it, Helena?" Aran smiled. Athena relaxed her stance and caught her breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"Jenny found this amid the clutter within my closet. Wielding it again brought me many pleasant memories." She smiled, holding the halberd before her and staring at the blade.
"What kind of memories?" asked Aran, resting Maha on the ground.
"It reminded me of our training and the comradery we shared."
"Are you referring to all three of us? Or us?" Aran asked. Athena sighed happily, lowering her head and facing Aran with an almost sad smile.
"Both. I remember you being dense, never noticing my attempts to garner your affection." Aran laughed as memories he swore were lost came back to him.
"No, I noticed. I just wanted to see how hard you'd try." Athena's cheeks flared red, smacking Aran on the shoulder only to laugh herself. She grinned deviously before pulling back and holding the end of the shaft, swinging in a wide arch at Aran, who quickly and easily avoided the swing.
"You still talk too much," Athena pointed out.
"And you still like surprise attacks," Aran said in return. Athena set her halberd down, walked up to Aran, and put an arm around him, hugging him tightly, making the memory of that one night come flooding back to her again. In the shadows, unbeknownst to either of them, Eckhart sat watching the two of them, feeling lost and betrayed.
Had Aran asked for that favor when Eckhart presented Athena with a Klain dinner just to go around him and get to Athena? No, that couldn't be; The ancient warrior was still married to Lilin. Yet he still couldn't shake the feeling in his own heart that Athena was leaving him for someone else. He knew the history they shared but couldn't help wondering if it was the beginning of the end between him and Athena.
The Ticket's ship landed outside Showa within the hour, offering the perfect area to land and hide it.
"Olsen's note sounded like something was up, so keep the ship ready to scramble if we need to," Jack requested before walking down the gangplank.
"I sure will, young un'. This here ship can run almost silent like, and you won't even know it was here." Jack shook his head, joining the others around Olsen, who quickly noticed Josephine's presence.
"You brought her with you why?" Olsen asked with an agitated voice.
"I asked to come," Josephine responded sharply. Olsen sighed heavily and began to tell about what he had found out.
"I talked to some of the people here in Showa, and most say Black Crow is part of a founding legend for Zipangu. Beyond that, they say this new Black Crow appears from a small swampy area behind Showa where the ruins of the original village of Zipangu are supposed to be."
"When does the person come out?" Jenny asked, shifting the weight of her arrows to the other shoulder.
"He usually appears just as it's getting dark. So, until then, I think we can walk around and see what Showa has to offer."
What of the one requesting your help? What do you know about him?" Helen asked.
"Haido is like a mob boss, running the town from the shadows."
"We're helping a criminal organization?" Matthew growled, holding his hands out.
"It's more complicated than that. Despite the criminal element, Haido's been running the town relatively well and taking care of the citizens. Haido isn't the best of the bunch, but he's still human, and we need to protect as many of those as possible." Reluctantly, the six of them toured the town, stopping in the little shops and even helping some people around town with their dilemmas ranging from wanting to read a newspaper that they couldn't get to acquiring some expensive metal for a grocery keeper. Alden's spirits seemed to lift as he followed Jenny, reveling when some children hugged him and petted his mane, playing with some periodically while Jenny was busy. As he wandered, he could hear the cries of a cat coming from a nearby alley.
"Please! Just let me go." the voice cried when another gruff voice responded.
"Heh, you hear that, boys? The little kitty wants us to let her go."
"Why do you keep coming after me? I told you, I don't like you!" Alden silently crept up to the sound, peeking his head just far enough to see what was happening from behind some garbage. Before him were four cats, three of whom surrounded a more petite orange tabby.
"Look, I make sure there is enough food for all of us cats here, and you must do your part. In return, all I ask is that you come by and visit me sometimes." a fluffy white cat cooed, sitting down as two other speckled cats held the tabby down.
"You just made that up!" the tabby shouted.
"And what if I did? Besides, you'd be all alone without me." the white one chuckled.
"I'd rather be alone for an eternity than ever have to bear your kittens!" the tabby shouted. The overweight fluffy cat extended his claws in anger, ready to strike the twin-tailed tabby. Alden roared angrily, jumping from his hiding spot and standing wide, his lips curling into a snarl. Franticly, the guard cats tried to flee but were pinned under Alden's paws, baring his fangs as a bright fire ignited on his horn.
"Have you no sense of honor, Cat?!" Alden snarled. The fluffy cat backed away slowly, laying his ears back and hissing at him.
"What are you doing here, Celion? D-d-d-do you know who you're t-t-t-talking to?" the fat cat stuttered. Alden clenched his jaw even tighter while leaning down to look him in the eyes.
"The question is, do you know whom you are talking to?" Alden asked, slowly taking his paws off the guards who bolted down the alley, followed closely by the fat cat who crashed into a trash can as he ran.
"I WON'T FORGET THIS CELION!" he called as he ran. Alden diffused the fire spell from his horn and lay down behind her to not seem overly intimidating, being nearly four times her size. The little cat was curled around herself, but with silence filling the air, she cautiously pulled her head out and looked around.
"Who was that big white cat?" she asked, uncurling herself and shaking her head, the ripple in her fur moving down her body and into her twin tails.
"That would be me, young miss." The twin tail froze and slowly turned around, shaking until she faced Alden.
"Th-that was you? You aren't going to hurt me, are you?" she asked, backing away slightly. Alden snorted and jerked his head back in surprise.
"Hurt you? Why would I want to do that? No one deserves that kind of treatment." The twin tail smiled and looked down as though trying to hide that she was blushing, swishing her tails back and forth.
"I'm named Alden, what's yours?" Alden asked. The twin tail smiled and met Alden's gaze with her own innocent dark eyes before smoothing down her golden fur.
"My name is Amber, but everyone calls me Fraidy Cat because I get scared easily." Alden snorted but managed to stifle laughing out loud.
"So what were that fat cat and his goons doing to you?" Amber sighed heavily.
"That 'fat cat' is named Boss, and he takes care of the stray cats of Showa, which aren't many. I'm a stray because I had two tails instead of one when I was born. Everyone says that makes me a bad omen. They always chase me, saying I have some kind of evil power. Boss watched over me for a while but then started asking me to visit him sometimes and making advances that I didn't like. I think he was going to try and take what he wanted from me just now." Alden reached over and patted her head in a gesture of kindness.
"I've heard that cats with multiple tails have powers. I know a human that can tell you. And I'm sure you can come with us on our journeys if you want."
"Do you think so?" Amber asked hopefully.
"Yeah," Alden replied with a smile, leading his new-found friend to Helen. Amber grinned and put her tails into the air as she followed him, already liking him better than any cats she had met in Showa.
Sunset gave the seven of them jitters as they prepared to face their new enemy. Olsen especially felt uneasy as they entered the swamp behind the city. After helping a young woman named Mariwaka, Matthew learned more about how Haido came to power.
Mariwaka's father used to be a police officer in Showa but disappeared after starting to investigate a string of battery charges and threats against the citizens. Something strange that Matthew noticed was how she seemed tired, often yawning and moving as though lethargic.
Their walk through the swamp put them all on edge as they watched the Dark Tail kitsune and water goblins roaming the area. The journey was slow despite a hard-packed path leading through the bamboo forest, and the heavy air made their skin crawl as unnatural cold breezes cut through the air around them.
"Did anyone say why the people abandoned the founding village?" Jenny asked, grabbing her crossbow and aiming at a shadow disappearing into the surrounding forest as Helen spoke up.
"I recently read about this village; a group of people settled the swamp long ago, said to be the servants of a tyrannical water spirit that treated more like slaves. The one called Black Crow appeared from nowhere, defeating the spirit and setting them free to live in the village he called Showa. But the wrath of that water spirit lingered, making life hard for them until Black Crow guided them all to where Showa now is to be safe from that wrath."
"What happened to that water spirit?" Jack questioned., flinching when he thought he heard the sound of a kitsune run past him.
"There were a few I spoke with in Showa, telling that the spirit became so weak that it could no longer stay alive. But since the founding of the modern Showa, there hasn't been any reason to return to the old village until now." The group traveled in silence for a while longer; their nerves honed to a hair trigger on everything moving in the forest around them.
"What would you do if you were this Black Crow, Olsen?" Jack finally asked as Olsen thought.
"If it were me, I would wait until night when more of these creatures would be around to mask my footsteps. Once there was…" The sound of footsteps cut him short, focusing on where they came from. While the Guardians focused on those footsteps, Josephine snuck away and hid within a hedge. A dim light glowed from within her pendant, lighting the area around her as her master's whispers growled around her. As the light became brighter, Josephine felt a presence building within her while the light spilled out of the pendant. It waved and danced, forming a creature as the presence left her body as if she were turning inside out.
Olsen split off from the group, following the sound of the footsteps back toward Showa. Once near the outskirts, Olsen could no longer hear the steady pat of footsteps—instead, he could hear someone panting to catch their breath. Remembering every last bit of his training, Olsen crept closer to the breathing, carefully moving bamboo out of his way until he found his target.
Before him crouched a brightly dressed person wearing a red mask with a long nose. As Olsen closed in, he realized they were standing outside Haido's house while Black Crow appeared to look for a way in. Silently reaching, Olsen grabbed the person and dragged him back into the tree line, holding a dagger to his neck. But Olsen was tossed off with a handful of shuriken hurled at him. Olsen deflected the stars with a quick draw of his dagger, throwing his own in return. The throw was ill-aimed, only hitting a tree behind Black Crow.
Crow ducked and stared back at the stars as though stunned, allowing Olsen to close in with his glowing green fist. Black Crow held his hand up, mana creating a sticky web of gold strands that instantly caught Olsen, pulling him into the air while Black Crow slowly approached.
"MATTHEW NOW!" Olsen shouted. Black Crow searched in a panic for this new enemy when a sound from above made him look up, backing away from Matthew's incoming sword. The Spartan sword sliced off the comically long nose from the mask and hit the ground with a thunderous rumble, spraying water and dirt into the air.
Jack slammed into the ground with his own Thunder Punch, pushing Black Crow back without giving him time to counter. Helen teleported behind him, casting an ice spell over the ground, freezing the mud and water around them. Jenny swung her bow hard, wind howling from it and blowing Black Crow into a tree, pinned to it by her arrows through his clothes. Helen melted the ice as Black Crow squirmed to break free, freezing when Jack cocked the Concerto and shoved it under his chin.
"Don't even think about it," Jack growled.
"Then do it already!" He said through grit teeth. Jenny and Matthew cut Olsen down from the Shadow web, turning back when the demand was made.
"DO IT! What else is there for me if I can't complete one simple task?" Jack tensed his trigger finger when Olsen stopped him. Jack tried to pull the gun back up, a silent argument raging between them until Jack relented. Black Crow's voice caught Olsen's attention; he was about to reach for the mask when his senses tinged. He kicked Jack away and grabbed Black Crow off the tree as a giant fist slammed into the ground where they had been a moment before. Matthew looked back to see a giant gorilla-like creature pushing through the trees, angrily stamping its smaller feet. Jack pried himself from the water and thick mud as the beast looked at them, bringing its fists down again and hitting the ground. Moments before its fists made contact, Helen teleported to Jack, put a hand on him, and teleported away, making the beast stare at the ground in dumbfounded confusion.
"What in the world is that thing!" Matthew shouted, drawing his Sawtooth and unlatching the blade sections.
"It's a Yeti! If that thing gets into the city there's no telling what damage it could do!" Jenny shouted as she drew her bow and fired a quick spread of four arrows at its forearm, only making it angrier while swinging its enormous arms. The thrashing tore down trees within its reach, stomping towards Showa. Matthew swung hard, extending the blade and wrapping it around the yeti's arms, pulling as hard as possible to keep the beast inside the swamp. Bright orange claws clamped into the ground around his feet, but the beast's strength drug him from his grounded stance. In a wrathful growl, the yeti reached back and hauled on the sword, hurling Matthew through dozens of bamboo stalks.
After teleporting Jack to safety, Helen appeared before the yeti, spreading her arms wide and clapping them before her. Threads of mana fizzed in the air around her as blasts of crooked fingers shot to the beast, striking it hard enough to knock it down, leaving behind smoldering fur spots. Leaving Black Crow with Lillianne, Olsen ran up to the beast, flashing around it as six slashes appeared through its fur. Olsen expected blood to spurt from the wounds but watched as fur fell to the ground instead.
"What the…" Before Olsen could ponder it more, the beast swatted him into the forest head over heels. When Olsen finally corrected himself by grabbing a bamboo shoot, his mind blazed over the previous events, realizing that Helen could hurt the beast.
"HELEN! DO THAT AGAIN!" Olsen called. Helen summoned a more powerful version of the lightning she previously used, but the beast began charging at her. Helen tried to speed up the spell, but it required time. She would waste the mana if she tried to use another spell right now. The spell solidified as the beast locked its fingers, driving its fists down on Helen. Jack sprinted from behind, hitting the Yeti in the gut with a corkscrew punch that first twisted the fur and flesh of the beast, then knocked it back while it twirled.
"Jack! What have you done? This lighting spell will hit you!" Helen screamed, struggling to hold the spell.
"Then hit my fist! I'll use it to…" he was interrupted when the Yeti returned and smacked Jack away, beginning to swing at Helen again. Gritting her teeth, she rained down shafts of lightning on the beast, each bolt making it roar in agony before swinging again in rage. Helen teleported away just as Matthew dropped down in her place, calling up a steel wall from the ground, stopping the yeti's hand with a chest-hollowing clang. But Matthew was knocked away when the Yeti swung with his other hand, hurling him back into a tree. Further back, Jenny fired her spine arrow repeatedly, only grazing the Yeti's fur, making it angrier.
"Alright! I've had enough!" Jack shouted, pushing aside his mana as a red aura flared around his body. In a streak of crimson lightning, he ran at the Yeti and buried thunderous punches into the beast's hide. He kicked it into the air, then hurled it back with a punch into a tangle of vines while threads of bright electricity snapped and hissed over its body. Jenny breathed a long sigh, pushing aside her mana as a green aura engulfed her body and bow. Once again, she drew her spine arrow, screaming into existence while winds howled around her.
Shockwaves exploded around the arrowhead when she fired it, blowing holes through the vines and trees along its flight path, disintegrating the beast's arm upon impact. While the beast writhed, Olsen's body flared in a hot pink aura, billowing hard around his claw as he threw his arm down to draw Shuriken from it. The two shuriken in his hand became comets of hot pink fire hurling toward the beast, tearing through its thick fur as Olsen chased the stars and cut through the tender flesh below.
Helen held out her arms as a violet aura flared around her, her hair shimmering like water as her eyes glowed violently. Great wings made of pure light sprouted from her back raining down thousands of feathers onto the Yeti and pinning it to the ground. With a roar, winds tore around Matthew as a red aura swayed around him. Scorching flames tore into existence around his sword, so hot that the tree branches caught fire around him.
As the beast tried to sit up, Matthew swung up hard through the beast's middle, flinging blood from the blade as it rang. Silence filled the air around them as the cut that Matthew had made slowly appeared up the beast, and the two halves fell apart from each other. With the Yeti dealt with, they breathed a sigh of relief as the crystal power subsided within their bodies. Lillianne hobbled into the clearing with Black Crow in tow, holding their target with a first grip.
"You don't have to hold her THAT hard, Lillianne," Olsen chuckled, making Jenny and Lillianne raise an eyebrow.
"Her? What do you mean 'her'?" Jenny asked as she slowed from her jog to return. Olsen chuckled as he pulled the mask away, shaking his head at the messy strands of ear-length blond hair revealing Mariwaka.
"It was you, after all," Matthew commented as though solving a case. Mariwaka squinted her eyes shut and looked away from them in frustration.
"You wouldn't understand." Olsen tucked the mask under his belt and tilted her chin toward him. Helen felt her grip tighten on her staff and clenched her jaw before sighing to calm herself.
"I know plenty. Why are you going after Haido? It seems you have more of a reason than just wanting his files," Olsen asked. Mariwaka turned back to him with anger that only fueled the tears running down her face.
"That is no man in that office! He's a monster! My father used to say a group was causing trouble in Showa. They demanded money for protection they rarely gave. They would tear up the buildings and businesses that didn't pay. But the violence didn't stop with vandalism: it escalated to people being beaten. When that wasn't enough, bodies began appearing around town. The group said it was due to not paying the 'protection' money. Once the bodies began appearing, people paid the steep price without question. But even then, the bodies would still appear.
"After a few months, my father found out who was responsible: it was Haido's gang that would kill random people to keep everyone scared enough and bring in a steady stream of money. My father went to confront Haido, whose gang was still growing in power and relatively weak but not a force to be taken lightly." Mariwaka looked at the ground and began to cry but managed to hold back her tears long enough to finish her tale.
"My father tried to arrest them for the murders of over a dozen people. But that night, my father disappeared. The police began looking into what my father had been investigating and eventually found his body in a shallow grave in the swamp. They tried to pin the murder of the people and my father on him and his group again. But the lead would turn into a dead end whenever something seemed close to putting them away. I have been trying to find something in his office to put Haido away for years, but everything I've ever found was useless.
"I have managed to smuggle a file out of his office, and everything in it looks promising. That man deserves to be in my father's place for the things he's done!" Mariwaka cried. Olsen sighed heavily, putting a hand on her shoulder and pushing her back against a nearby tree.
"I understand about wanting revenge, but if you do get your revenge, nothing is waiting for you except a black hole in your heart and a dagger in your hand. Haido will get what he deserves, but this is not how he will get it. Put away the costume and live the life your father wanted you to have." Olsen's words made Mariwaka break down, leaning against him and putting her arms around him, crying hard into the crook of his chest. Jenny approached them and put a hand on her shoulder while Helen looked away until she felt a tickle on her hand from Alden pawing at it.
"Oh, there you are Alden. I wondered where you had run off to," she said. Alden pawed at her hand again, signifying he had something he needed to tell her. Helen knelt and touched her forehead to his, pulling her into a vision of what Alden had seen. It was about the little twin-tailed cat with him. When the vision was over, Helen smiled and looked at the little cat, extending her hand. Amber first looked at Alden, cautiously approached Helen's outstretched hand, sniffing her hand, then rubbing against her fingers. With a gentle pet, Helen sent a mana pulse through Amber, feeling for any signs of power she might have and smiling when she felt the slight warm feeling buried deep with Amber's being.
"Yes, Amber, you possess powers, but they are not quite ready for you to discover. When you are ready, Alden will ensure you can use them to their fullest." Alden placed a paw on her forearm, almost like he was pleading with her, while looking back and forth to Amber.
"Matthew?" Even though Matthew was still mulling over what to do about Haido, Helen asked if Amber could come with them at Alden's request. Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose as he knelt to Alden's level.
"Alright, she can come. But she's your responsibility," Alden tackled Matthew to the ground, licking at his helmet and face as Matt pushed him off.
"Where's Josephine?" Jack asked abruptly, trying to find her. Realizing she was missing, the others began looking and calling for her. Alden sniffed at the ground and picked up a scent he wasn't familiar with, following it with Amber and the others close behind him. After a little while, they found her slumped on the ground, her hair in a mess, and part of her shirt torn. Softly, Helen began to heal the scratches on her arms and chest, looking over the pendant around her neck until she awoke.
"Make sure Mariwaka gets back to her studio safely. I'll meet you back in Herb Town." Olsen called, checking his equipment and tightening the belts of his claw.
"Where are you going?" Jack demanded.
"I'm going to visit my employer. Mariwaka may have the guts, but she doesn't have the power; I'll ensure he understands his predicament."
With a heavy sigh, Cygnus looked over the reports from her knights, wanting desperately for the day to be over and relax in a hot bath while listening to stories from Shinsoo. Even a short walk through the cooling gardens would be welcome. But that wasn't all she wanted. After signing the last report, she slumped against the back of her chair, resting her eyes before walking back to her quarters. She donned a much less formal, breezy dress in her favorite baby blue color and meandered to the gardens, hoping to see Mihile. But as she walked, she couldn't find those massive shoulders covered with a white cloak anywhere. Cygnus's anticipation dwindled, walking to the same balcony she had been looking over with Mihile earlier that day. She sighed peacefully, watching as the last bit of sun faded from sight.
"Would you care for some company, Mi Lady?" a voice asked. Cygnus's face lit up with a smile when she heard the voice behind her, but she paused when she thought about the voice that had spoken. The voice sounded like Mihile, but there was something about it that just didn't sound right.
"Yes, actually, I could," she responded hesitantly. Silence passed until a cool hand pulled back her hair and brushed the side of her neck. The sudden chill made her shy away, sending shivers through her body.
"Was that a little too much of an advance my Empress?" The voice asked. This time, the voice sounded nothing like the Mihile she knew. A chill ran down her spine, and the air pressed in all around her, terrified of turning to see who spoke to her. Her breath came in shallow and short wheezes as the pressing feeling became heavier.
"Who are you?" Cygnus shuddered, feeling a wave of fear wash over her.
"Oh, I'm no one to fear. Allow me the luxury of giving me a bit of information." A moment passed as Cygnus felt the presence lean close to the side of her head, breathing in her scent, then whispering into her ear as though kissing the side of her head. Cygnus shut her eyes as tight as she could, loathing every eternal moment this man slid his cold hands down her arm. She wanted to shy away from him, but terror kept her frozen.
"Mihile, please, where are you?" she thought. The man laughed as he slid his hand back up her arm, pulling aside her hair and breathing in her scent again.
"TAKE YOUR HANDS FROM HER!" Mihile's voice roared. His Solar Scythe screamed through the garden right where the man had been, scorching the gravel paths and burning through the hedges on the other side. The man stepped back to avoid the light, stepping back again when Mihile slammed his sword into the ground where the man had been a moment before. Shinsoo landed hard in his protection state, baring his sharpened teeth while his claws sparkled in the setting sun. Cygnus stepped as close as she could to Mihile's back, trying to get the residual feeling of that man's hands out of her mind.
"I see you're are as sharp as ever, Mihile. It's a pity you waste your abilities on such a feeble cause." the man oiled, as Mihile adjusted his stance and pointed his blade.
"What is your purpose here?" Light hummed along the cutting edges while Shinsoo's neck rippled as though ready to strike, drool dripping from his sharpened teeth.
"I seek information about something so scarce in this world."
"And what is it that you would forego an audience with the Empress and assault her instead?" Mihile sneered, a beam of light screaming from his blade when the man stepped forward. The smoldering gravel made the man chuckle and lock gazes with the Knight of the Dawn.
"Where are the Pillars of Time?" the man asked. Cygnus peered from around Mihile's back to see a sickly looking Mihile standing before her. The sight made her tuck back in behind Mihile, gripping his cloak.
"Silence! One more word out of you, and I will unleash all my power onto you!" he snarled. Light flared around Mihile in the shape of five swords pointed to the sky. The other Mihile's eyes smiled as he held up his hand, tearing what appeared to be a cloak from around him and revealing The Black Mage, crossing an arm over his chest with a sick and haunting laugh fading into nothingness. Mihile breathed a sigh of relief when it was over, dissipating the swords around him while turning to face the Empress.
"Empress, are you…" Cygnus cut Mihile's question short by wrapping her arms around him, holding on as tight as she could to his armor, which always felt like a warm robe.
"Mihile, what took you so long?! Why weren't you here?!" She cried, beating on his breastplate.
"I wanted to see you, but you weren't here, and then the Mage came here. It was as if you had gone and left and were never coming back…"
"Cygnus!" Mihile sternly called. Cygnus jerked her head back and stopped when Mihile grabbed the sides of her head and made her look into his reassuring blue eyes.
"I would never let anything happen to you. It is my duty as a knight to ensure…" Cygnus pulled his hand from her jaw and clamped her hands around his as hard as she could.
"That's not what I mean!" Cygnus shouted, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I don't want the Knight of the Dawn. I want Mihile, the one I saw during the festival of hearts; the Mihile that I know resides under this armor. I want Mihile, the man by my side, not as an order but as a request from a woman who has realized that remaining empress and knight is nothing short of torture!" The sudden outburst by the Empress took Mihile by surprise; he had shut away all feelings of romance when he came into Cygnus's father's service.
"Empress I…"
"I realize I may be asking a lot from you, but I need you," Cygnus sobbed, the strength in her knees disappearing and dragging Mihile to the ground with her.
"I need you… Don't ever leave my side again." She cried. Mihile put his sword on the ground, then removed his gauntlets and headdress before cupping Cygnus's jaw, tilting her head and leaning down to alight her soft lips just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Cygnus felt a warmth spread through to her core: she had finally made the connection she longed for.
Haido nervously walked back from the window and sat at his desk while Asuma and Brent stood guard outside his office. Sure, he had the best security in Showa, but those loud sounds from the swamp didn't make it any easier. Haido still made a deal with a ninja and wasn't about to let a child get the better of him. Reaching into his desk, he grabbed his silver-platted revolver before walking to the window again, splitting the blinds to look out into the backyard.
"You look too nervous for a man with so much power, Haido," Olsen said, making the middle-aged man whirl around and find him seated in his chair with his boots resting on the desk.
"Did you get rid of Black Crow?" Haido demanded. Olsen smirked, pulling the long-nosed mask from under his arm and tossing it on the table, spinning the Double Knife around his hand.
"You could say that. I learned some interesting information before he died, though. Especially about a certain cop," Olsen smiled. Haido growled, cocked back the hammer, and took aim. Jack burst through the door, shoving the end of his Concerto Di Morte into Haido's temple, flaring red with crystal power.
"Don't." he sneered. More guns cocked behind Jack as Asuma and Brent stood behind him until Olsen swung his arm and buried a star in each of their shoulders.
"Listen closely, Haido," Olsen advised, dropping the dagger handle into his hand and walking over to him.
"You destroyed many lives on your way to becoming what you are. You are nothing more than an over-bloated murderer, thinking he can get away with anything that he wants. I'll spare you the pain; I have plenty to deal with. Leave town and resign yourself to the Knights of the Empress for the crimes against Showa. If you haven't left by the time I have finished with the Black Mage, you will be the next on my list." Jack knocked Haido back into the wall while Olsen roughly pulled the stars from Asuma and Brent's shoulder.
"Get some stitches; you're going to need every last ounce of strength you have if you are still here when I return." Asuma and Brent curled up from the pain as Olsen and Jack left the office with heavy footsteps. Haido clenched his jaw and pulled himself up from the floor, telling himself that he would kill that kid for threatening Haido Takamishi of the Aikeza.
"Jack, I told you I would meet you back in Herb Town. Why did you stay?" he asked in an agitated tone. Jack smirked, spinning the revolver around his finger and shoving it back into the holster.
"I couldn't let you have all the fun," Jack smiled, leaning into Olsen and pushing him over,
Eleanor was comfortably seated in Dragon's lap in silence in the observing room when The Black Mage from a wisp of black smoke. Eleanor felt a shiver run down her back as her master's gaze lingered on her as though silently interrogating her. Dragon set his brow, attempting to match the Black Mage's intensity. The room dimmed around them as dark vapors filled the space, isolating them from the world where only the Black Mage's eyes blazed like torches.
After a while, the vapors disappeared, and the Black Mage walked beyond them to the large window. Eleanor and Dragon glanced at one another, shuddering. Did he know what they were doing outside of his presence? Eleanor stood, passing a goblet of her mana potion to The Black Mage, glancing at him as he swallowed the cool liquid.
"Did you accomplish your mission?" Eleanor asked with a sensual swoon after regaining her composure. Whispers hissed around them as he swallowed another mouthful of potion, dropping his arm and holding the goblet by the rim.
"The Empress? Still a child? Is that a trait that pleases you, Master?" Dragon asked, getting up from his seat. The Black Mage looked over his shoulders, narrowing his blazing eyes, making him stop. Dragon tried to match the Black Mage's gaze, fighting the trepidation clawing at the back of his mind.
Recently, the Black Mage commanded that his old generals be re-awakened. The only issue was finding said generals: Von Leon had taken his castle to another dimension; Hilla suspended herself in a complicated spell to retain her youth and beauty; Arkarium cast himself into a space between time, and the twins, Orchid and Lotus, seemed to be missing from reality entirely. Hilla was the easiest to find after burrowing into the sands of Nihal. But she remained in her spell at Eleanor's request: was waking these generals leading to her obsolescence? Did her master no longer need her and soon cast her aside?
After a long stare, The Black Mage centered his gaze on the window, silently sipping the potion as Eleanor sauntered to Dragon and draped her arms over his shoulder. A hiss of whispers surrounded them momentarily as Dragon and Eleanor \let the tension out of their shoulders.
"Every person has that child-like fear within them. All it takes is finding the right method to exploit it." Eleanor grinned and looked at Dragon, using her eyes to gesture for them to leave until the Black Mage dismissed them. With careful urgency, Dragon and Eleanor walked to the conference hall across the castle, Eleanor sealing the room with a spell so no one would enter or hear.
"We need to be more careful, Ellee. We may be moving too fast." Dragon sighed, leaning on the massive table in the center of the room.
"How can you say that? I will not stand by while The Master tosses me aside. I was the one who set him free and assembled the Black Wings once more!" Eleanor growled back.
"Even after all you've seen, you still think of him as your master?!"
"Yes. How can I not when he saved my life?"
"The Black Mage's plans are nearly complete. There IS no plan for us in the end. You've seen the schematics of the Oblivion Gauntlet, and you still believe the Black Mage wants to remake the world?"
"He needs the power to remake it!"
"Ellee, The Black Mage alone possesses the power to do just that. Why would he need the Oblivion Gauntlet? Something is wrong here, and we must take a second look." Dragon urged, standing before Eleanor and gripping her shoulders. Eleanor's face fell, swallowing hard and looking away from Dragon at the floor. A sense of dread was building in her mind, a gnawing fear that she had chosen a dark and corrupt path in following her master, The Black Mage.
Looking back into Dragon's eyes, she readied to answer but stopped. The earnestness in Dragon's made her falter, and she questioned her devotion. Somewhere in her mind, she knew what Dragon said was true: Something was wrong, but she couldn't accept it fully.
"Dragon… I…"
