Chapter 13 - Don't Split The Party
Driven forward by an orchestra of musicians, their solemn melodies ringing down from the balconies above, the guests of Suzaku castle slowly trickled out of the main hall, and towards the castle’s lush gardens. Beyond the large doors of the hall was a grandiose garden that took up most of the castle grounds. A verdant and carefully manicured forest, consisting of colorful tropical flora and masterfully carved sculptures, surrounded a large and pristine pond filled with life and beauty. Guests were encouraged to remain quiet out of respect for the recently deceased admiral, allowing the gentle sounds of nature, the soft flow of water, the croaking of frogs, and the chirping of birds to mingle with the music, which despite emanating from the hall, echoed throughout the castle as if being carried by a magical wind.
Hovering above the crowds atop a flying carpet, Xuefeng in almost divine splendor, sang a song of sorrow to the guests below. Her voice was like a gentle breeze, caressing your skin as it brushed against you. Not too overpowering as to overtake the sight of the garden’s beauty, more so enhancing it, like the light of the full moon reflecting off the ocean, or how a fine glass of wine compliments a delicious meal. Never clashing with one-another, but instead complimenting each-other’s strengths.
That was Xue, at least that was how Andros saw her. She always seemed to light up whatever room she found herself in, and yet she never stole attention away from anybody.
“Always leave a place better than how you found it…”
That’s what she always told him. The light in the darkness, the guiding star. She and Tendo both had that in common. Good people in a bad place. There was a time where he had tried to live by those words, a time where he so desperately tried to live up to her example, but he failed, and in doing so, lost her heart. He desperately believed in the good that his research could bring, and how the world could be so much better if people could harness the power of the cognitive realm. Hopes and prayers could manifest into reality. Sheer willpower alone could eradicate diseases. Famine could simply be wished away. Every man, woman, and child could be a god. The world could become a paradise.
If only she could see… if only she could understand, then maybe-
“Hey!” Yukiko said in a hushed whisper, giving him a forceful nudge with her elbow. “If you’re going to gawk at the pretty singer, at least don’t be so obvious about it.”
“Oh…” Andros chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry. I know her. She’s an old friend, is all…”
Yukiko glared at him for a brief moment, then tightened her grip around his arm. “I can sing too, you know…”
“Really? Since when?”
“Since forever! My parents had me join a choir when I was a kid to make friends! An- “
“Quiet!” ordered a nearby samurai. “Show some respect for the dead!”
“Sorry…” Yukiko murmured with a frown.
Lady Takeuchi, who was walking beside the pair, chuckled quietly to herself. “She’s quite good, you know?”
Yukiko nodded in confirmation.
The trio followed the crowd through the gardens, arriving at the edge of the pond. All around them, a myriad of bonsai were on display, alongside the stone busts of who Andros assumed were previous admirals.
Across the pond, on a small island connected to the main gardens by a stone bridge. A cherry blossom tree sat at the center of the island, and situated beneath its branches was an ornate casket. A large painting of the Admiral was hung from the tree’s branches, and surrounding the casket were numerous offerings. Food, coin, pieces of art, and anything of value lay atop and beside the casket, an offering to the recently departed, ensuring prosperity in their next life.
One by one, the officers of the Syndicate were escorted to the island to lay their offerings by the casket, to kneel before the body of their fallen patriarch, and wish them luck on their journey to the World Tree. Andros wondered how many of those officers were sincere, and how many of those simply presented their offering as a way to show off their wealth.
It wasn’t long before one of the samurai, who carried an extra katana and scabbard, approached Takeuchi. Someone had crafted the weapon beautifully, its hilt encrusted with rubies and scabbard bearing the motifs of the phoenix, the symbol of Clan Akiyama. They escorted the Dark Elven woman to the isle and handed her the weapon to give as an offering to the deceased admiral.
Andros noted that Lady Takeuchi did stay at the isle longer than most, kneeling before the casket after offering the sword.
“It may not seem like it,” Yukiko whispered. “But the Takeuchi are one of the Akiyama’s most loyal vassals. They once ruled over their own kingdom before they were driven into exile by the Imperials. I think Lady Takeuchi might be willing to help us with the investigation… if we tell her.”
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“Good thinking,” Andros whispered. “Their network would certainly be a-“
“Intruder!” a voice echoed in the distance. “Get her!”
Murmurings from the crowd as the music suddenly stopped.
The there was rustling in the trees as a strange figure jumped from branch to branch at great speeds. Suddenly, this figure shot out of the brush, followed by a trail of special feathers. A small whirlwind broke her fall as she landed on the island, within the branches of the cherry blossoms.
“Assassin!” another voice shouted, as armed samurai began to rush through the gardens, and pushed past the crowd. “She’s come to take the Admiral’s life!”
Though she was dressed as a maid, Andros clearly recognized the woman taking cover in the branches. He and Yukiko shared a knowing look with one-another.
“We need to help her!” Yukiko whispered. “Oh, shoot… I completely forgot. She said she was going to sneak into the castle…”
“What?” Andros sighed. “That would have been great to know… we could have gone in together! Remember the first rule of adventuring?”
“Don’t throw fireballs in an enclosed space?”
“The other one.”
“Don’t split the party.”
Andros nodded. “Let’s try not to draw attention to ourselves. We’ll hop in when the opportunity arises. Got it?”
“Aye, aye captain.”
----------------------------------------
Akaja’s eyes scanned the crowd as arrows whizzed by her. She hopped down the tree, branch by branch, taking note of the dozens of samurai taking position all around the pond. All eyes were on her now. From the guests, to the samurai, and even the castle staff. Before her new powers, she’d consider this quite the pickle, but with her new powers she felt unstoppable!
As her feet hit the ground, she darted between the tree and Yu’s casket as cover against the oncoming volley of arrows which came her way. Suddenly, something swept her off her feet, and she came crashing down. A Dark Elven woman in a fine kimono slammed her palm against Akaja’s chest just as she collided with the ground.
The blow knocked the air from her lungs as she gasped out in pain. Her vision blurred for a brief moment as she prepared to fend off her new attackers.
“Akaja…” spoke a familiar voice.
“L-lady Takeuchi?” Akaja coughed, trying to regain herself. “I know this looks bad… but let me explain!”
Lady Takeuchi moved to pin her down, but was sent flying into air, and towards the water by a quick gust of wind. Already, more samurai were moving across the bridge. She had just escaped capture, and she wasn’t planning ongoing through that again. Akaja deftly jumped back onto her feet, sweeping aside the first wave of oncoming samurai into the water as she continued to dodge the arrows coming her way.
I need to see him just one last time…
Akaja summoned another gust of wind, knocking open Yu’s casket and sending dozens of various offerings flying all over the place. Glancing inside, and it was… empty?
Another wave of samurai charged across the bridge as the others, including Lady Takeuchi, made their way back to shore. The samurai she could probably handle, but Takeuchi scared her. She could tell the lady was holding back during their very brief encounter. The blow to her chest made it more difficult for her to breathe. She needed time to recover, or at the very least, a healing poultice of some kind.
Akaja launched herself into the air yet again, but her troubled breathing made it hard for her to control her trajectory. Dashing through the air, over the pristine waters of the castle’s pond, she landed in the middle of the crowd, knocking over guests and samurai alike as a small torrent of wind broke her fall.
Numerous samurai, and even guests that were looking to earn favor with the new admiral, began to surround her. She tried to breathe in deeply to once again summon a gust of wind to take her out of here, but was taken by a coughing fit. The gust of wind she summoned was only a gentle breeze. Though the effects weren’t immediate, it only took one strike from Takeuchi to stifle her new powers.
She would have to escape the old-fashioned way then. She readied her chakrams, waiting for an opened, and then-
A fog of impenetrable darkness suddenly consumed the surrounding area, snuffing out all the light around it. The shouting of her confused attackers echoed all around her. Then, a blazing warmth surrounded her as what sounded like a series of small explosions burst into a ring all around. She smelled smoke, the confused panic of everyone around her, and then… someone grabbed her.
“Hold still!” Came Andros’ voice in a hushed whisper.
“We’ve got them distracted, and we’re going to get out of here!” Came Yukiko’s voice.
Suddenly, for just a few seconds, she felt herself falling, then… floating upwards? The feeling was disorientating, but in an instant she found herself freed from the darkness, and in one of the castle’s many hallways, huddled together with Yukiko and her… boyfriend?
Akaja took the opportunity to catch her breath, her chest aching with pain. “Thanks… but what are you two doing here?”
“Andros got an invitation,” Yukiko answered. “So… what happened?”
“I think I found the killer,” Akaja said. “Kazuki Akiyama.”
“The new Admiral?” Andros asked. “You’re sure?”
Akaja nodded. “I ran into him while sneaking around, and… he basically admitted to it! Not outright, but I’m like 99% sure it’s him now! And he had something similar to the power I got from the orb, so he must know about your cognitive research stuff!”
“Well, that certainly makes things complicated…” Andros murmured. “We should get out of here and come up with a plan then. Also, we need to get Kuana caught up to speed. If we’re going to be going up against the new Admiral, then… we’ll need all the help we can get.”
“Yeah…” Akaja sighed.
“Next time, you potentially sneak off into dangerous territory,” Andros added. “Let us know first? I didn’t prepare any combat-heavy spells today, and I don’t want to ruin the outfit Ryoma lent me. Let’s stay out of any unnecessary encounters for now.”
“We’re a team now!” Yukiko interjected. “I even have the documents to prove it!”
“Right…” Akaja smiled awkwardly. “Sorry… I didn’t mean for all of this to happen. I just wanted to say goodbye.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Yukiko said with a smile as her spectral ferret materialized behind her. “I’ll send spring ahead! Make sure we don’t accidentally run into any patrols.
“Good thinking, Yuki.” Akaja said. “I know a good escape route. It shouldn’t be too far from here.”