Chapter 22 - The Pallid Lady

Nestled atop small rolling hills and split by wide canals, the Imperial District enjoyed some degree of isolation from the rest of the city. The only way into the district was across a great stone bridge which overlooked the main canal. It sported a long row of casinos, pleasure houses and apartment blocks, with numerous buildings packed together in a claustrophobic box. The locals called it “The Red Bridge” on account of the numerous crimson lanterns that illuminated its narrow streets.

When Talai had offered to escort them to the Imperial District, Akaja had hoped that they would be taking a barge across the canal. Nobody came in our out of the imperial district through the bridge unless they wanted something there.

“Stay close to me,” Talai said. “Nobody will bother you if they know you’re with me.”

The seekers pushed through the narrow and claustrophobic streets of the bridge. All around them was a precarious mish-mash of hastily put together shanties and buildings stacked atop one-another and connected by ladders, ropes, and rickety walk-ways. It was a miracle that the bridge hadn’t burned down yet. One misplaced flame would turn the whole thing into a giant oven.

Akaja couldn’t take one step without rubbing up against a random stranger, and even with a scarf over her mouth and nose, she still found it hard to breathe. She could barely see past the endless sea of shoulders and chests that surrounded her. During times like these, she cursed her height. Thankfully, the Seekers had formed a small chain, each person holding another’s hand so that they wouldn’t get lost in the crowd.

At least she was fairing better than Andros, who appeared to be on the brink of a panic attack. Kuana kept bumping his head against a number of things and Yukiko was struggling to tug both herself and Andros along. Part of her wondered if Talai was putting them through this as some sort of unusual revenge for her capture.

Out of nowhere, someone rushed through the crowd and knocked Akaja over, causing her to stumble onto the ground. “Hey!” She shouted, struggling to push herself back up as she was constantly getting bumped into and nearly stepped on. When she got back onto her feet, she made sure nothing of hers was stolen.

Thank the Divines, she thought to herself. All good… Yukiko?

She had been separated from her group. The bastard that knocked into her had broken their little chain and Akaja was frantically glancing around to try to spot a familiar face. “Yuki? Kuana? Andros?” She pushed through the crowd, occasionally hopping upwards to glance over the sea of people. She was tempted to launch herself up, but she’d most likely just crash into something above.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pressed her against the wall of a narrow alleyway. Akaja was just about ready to shank whoever grabbed her, but instead glanced up to see Talai pressed up against her.

“Would you like to hold my hand next time?” Talai asked, grinning down at her.

“I’d sooner die!” Akaja said, her face betraying a hint of red as she pushed past her. Further down the alley, she saw the rest of her group and breathed a sigh of relief.

“I hate it here…” Andros murmured, taking in slow and deep breaths.

“You did great!” Yukiko set her hand on his chest. “Just remember to breathe… deep breaths!”

“I should have stayed at the shop…” Kuana murmured, rubbing the side of his head.

“The worst part is over,” Talai said, rolling her eyes. “Divines… I can’t believe you lot bested me.” She pushed past the group and made her way to a small sliding door at the end of the alley. “In here…”

She led them into a small warehouse. Dusty crates and barrels lined the walls. At the end of the room was another door with a small opening slot in the middle of it. Talai stepped forward, and knocked on the door twice, waiting five seconds, then knocked on it five more times. A few moments later, the slot opened up and a pair of blue eyes peered through.

“Talai?” Came a melodic feminine voice. “You’re alive!”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, darling…” Talai said with a smirk.

“Who are these people? Friends of the cause?”

“Something like that,” Talai said with a nod. “Is the Pallid Lady in? I think she would be quite interested to hear what they have to say.”

“She is…” The door slid open, revealing a thin Half-Orc woman with straight black hair and small tusks protruding from her mouth. “Welcome back, Talai.”

They entered a sprawling maze-like structure, mostly consisting of small narrow hallways, rickety walkways and balconies, and tightly packed rooms. A smoke-like haze permeated the building, covering most surfaces with a thin layer of ash and a sweet yet pungent odor. A cacophony of noise constantly seeped through the walls, ranging from distant shouting to rambunctious laughter and the high-pitched moans of local prostitutes. Climbing the stairs up to the top of the structure, they passed a multitude of bars, brothel, and drug dens. It wasn’t too uncommon to step over a passed out junkie or a local ‘night worker’ offering their body for a modest fee. It was places like these that made Akaja note how lucky her upbringing was. Were it not for Yukiko and her parents taking her in, she could’ve easily grown up in a place like this.

After climbing the last set of stairs, they finally arrived in a large, open room. Numerous rugs of varying color and texture covered the wooden floors. Old pieces of art, most likely looted from the Empire, lined the walls. Among the soft carpets were hookahs surrounded by plush pillows, and surrounding each were a number of loosely dressed Imperials. The room itself was hot, almost like a sauna. Akaja could already feel herself sweating through her clothes.

At the corner of the room was a bar stocked with a variety of cheap liquors and wines, currently being manned by a middle-aged goblin with a lazy eye. At the far end of the room, sectioned off by thin silk curtains, a tall Elven woman lounged on a soft crimson sofa. Long Elven ears protruded through the curls of her stark white hair, one of which appeared to be torn at the ends. The woman herself was pale, deathly so, with deep crimson eyes and verdant green tattoos covering her cheeks.

Standing beside her was a large suit of armor, glowing blue eyes shining through the shadows of its helmet. A large, thick blade hung from the creature’s side as it began to move to greet Talai. The floors creaked with every step it made.

“Talai…” It spoke it a deep metallic voice as it stared down at the blood mage. “Who have you brought into our mistress’ den?”

“Ones who would oppose Imperial hegemony,” she answered. “Through circumstance we found ourselves on opposite sides of a skirmish, and in their mercy, they have spared my life. We face the same foe, though our reasons for facing such may differ.”

The armored creature stepped past Talai and set its gaze on Akaja. “You say you are foes of the Empire? What is your reason for fighting?”

“The man who conspires with the Imperials murdered the one I love,” Akaja answered, meeting the construct’s gaze.

The construct nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer. It turned its gaze to Yukiko. “And you? Why do you fight?”

“Uhm…” Yukiko scratched her head awkwardly. “Because the Empire hates Tieflings?”

“A worthy reason,” spoke the construct, offering Yukiko a light bow. “The Empire seeks to destroy what it does not understand. Yours is a fight for survival.” It turned its gaze to Andros. “What of you?”

“Someone I cared deeply for suffered beneath the yoke of the Empire,” Andros said softly. I do not want to see her suffering be repeated here.

“Spoken like a staunch friend of the oppressed,” the construct then turned to Kuana. “And you?”

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Kuana quietly met the construct’s gaze. The two matched each other in height. Silence simmered between the both of them, but just as the construct was about to turn away, Kuana spoke:

“There are many who pillage and profane my people’s ancestral lands… the Empire is but one of these foes. It is not the Imperials who have my ire, but all who seek to subjugate my people.”

The construct nodded, then extended its arm out. “You have my respect then, child of the Jade Sea. I have heard tales of your people’s plight. You have the heart of a warrior…”

Kuana reached over and took the construct’s forearm in a firm grip. The two locked arms, their gazes meeting. “Solidarity, brother.”

“Come, then!” The construct spoke. “Your words would mark you as friends, but what of your actions? The Pallid Lady shall determine this.”

Akaja let out a sigh of relief. She wondered if Kuana was being truthful or not. He did tell her he primarily joined on for the money, but there seemed to be more than that…

The construct led the group towards who Akaja assumed was the Pallid Lady. The woman had been watching them closely throughout their exchange through a haze of hookah smoke. As they brushed past the curtains, the Pallid Lady offered them a warm smile, only sitting up slightly to better greet them.

“You worried me, Talai…” she said calmly before blowing another cloud of smoke into the air. “The number of magi we have at our disposable dwindles by the day, and you would have deprived me of a loyal friend.”

“My apologies, mistress…” Talai bowed deeply. “There were some… complications that arose during my last job. However, the coin lost due to my failure is nothing compared to what these adventurers can offer us.”

“Pray, tell…” the Pallid Lady stood up from her sofa, and stepped towards the seekers. “What exactly can you offer us? If it’s work you seek, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck… I have a general distaste for adventurers. No offense, but those motivated by greed or glory have no place among us.”

“We believe the new Admiral may be conspiring with the Empire,” Akaja said. “He-“

“I am well aware…”

“What?”

“Oh, please…” The Pallid Lady smiled. “Little Crow… you do not survive as long as I have without knowing the value of information. There isn’t a single rumor in this city that hasn’t yet found its way here. However, your stunt at Suzaku Castle was quite remarkable. Tell me… what did you do with the Admiral’s little concubine? I would pay quite the sum if you were to bring her to m-“

“She’s dead,” Andros said plainly. “Your little network doesn’t already know? We found her murdered in an alleyway.”

“Ah…” She attempted to set a hand on Andros’ shoulder, but he pushed her aside. “Oh, my…” Chuckling, she shook her head. “And no… that piece of information hasn’t yet reached me. Judging by your reaction… her death wasn’t intended?”

“No.”

“Then allow me to share to you a piece of information,” she said, returning to her sofa. “There have been a number of search parties looking for her since her sudden disappearance. Our brave Admiral has spared no expense to try to find his beloved concubine. However, as recently as last night was the samurai that were a part of the search got recalled. I had assumed they had made some progress in their search, but apparently…”

Andros frowned. He took in a deep breath, then sighed as he nervously scratched at his wrist. “What are you saying?”

“That perhaps our beloved Admiral had never intended to rescue his lover. Perhaps she was privy to information he didn’t want leaked, so he… silenced her.”

Andros remained silent, turning his gaze away from the Elf. Yukiko grabbed his hand and whispered something into his ear. “I… I had a hunch that was the case… all the more reason to want to bring the bastard down.”

“Maybe you’ve already theorized this,” Akaja added. “But the night of that… incident at Suzaku Castle. When I met with the Admiral, he practically admitted to killing his brother. We both hate the guy, right? For us… it’s personal, but for you, he’s working with your arch-nemeses! Shouldn’t we work together?”

“And how can I trust you?” The Pallid Lady asked. “We may be allies of convenience now, but what happens afterwards? I can recall the basics of Talai’s now defunct contract. She took a handful of my people with her to help her, and they are nowhere to be seen… I can only imagine what you did to them.”

“The Admiral unknowingly pit us against each other,” Yukiko argued, arms outstretched. “But that was before we knew we had a common enemy! I know it’s kinda hard to trust us, but let us prove ourselves to you somehow! We’re good for it!”

The Pallid Lady crossed her legs and idly tapped her chin in thought. “Very well…” She turned to her construct. “Dao, my dear… please go fetch the manifest and documentation for the Hydra job.”

“Right away, mistress.” The construct bowed, then took its leave.

“Hydra job?” Yukiko asked. “You want us to kill a great beast?”

The Pallid Lady chuckled. “Oh, nothing so fantastical as that, darling. In two days’ time a ship called The Briny Hydra will docking in the Estrellan District. From there a large shipment of jade coral will be transported to a warehouse owned by the Vinter’s Guild. I want you to intercept that shipment and transport it to a barge on the far side of this district’s eastern canal.”

“Smash and grab,” Akaja said with a nod. “Sounds simple enough.”

“I like that confidence,” The Pallid Lady said, grinning. “There will be one slight complication, though. I have it on good authority that Clan Akiyama has also hired a group of adventurers to intercept the shipment.”

“So we’ll have competition,” Andros said with a sigh.

“Nothing you can’t handle, I’m sure…” She gave the man a sly wink. “If the bunch of you were able to overwhelm Talai here, then I’m sure a random band of adventurers will be no match for you.”

“Will there be pay for this job?” Kuana asked.

“The reward is my trust…” the Pallid Lady rolled her eyes. “But if that’s not enough for you, there are other goods being transported alongside the coral. Whatever is there is yours to plunder.”

Kuana grinned. “Good.”

“Wonderful,” The Pallid Lady took a puff from her hookah. “While Dao retrieves the documents to help you with your job, feel free to relax in the meantime. Have a smoke, or enjoy the open bar. My treat…’

The Seekers gathered up at the bar, the one-eyed goblin pouring each of them a glass of plum wine. “How do you feel about all this, Kaja?” Yukiko asked, her head tilted lightly. “You have good reason not to trust Talai and her friends, but… well… this seems like a good lead so far…”

“If they keep to their word,” Akaja murmured.

“Well, yeah, but they seem trustworthy enough…” Yukiko said, smiling. “I’m excited though. This will be our first real job as the SEEKERS OF TRUTH!” She raised her cup triumphantly before taking a sip from it. Her face cringed, and she shook her head frantically. “WOW! That’s so, so, so, so, so SOUR!” She waved the Goblin over. “Hey, barkeep! Got anything else?”

“Beer.” spoke the Goblin, his voice thick with some kind of sharp accent.

“I don’t like beer…”

Akaja chuckled. Turning away for a brief moment, she noticed Talai take a seat at the bar next to her. Akaja immediately turned the opposite direction.

“Little Crow?”

“Don’t call me that!” Akaja snapped. “What do you want?”

Talai sighed. “I just wanted to apologize…”

“Really?” Akaja scoffed, then rolled her eyes. “You’re really expecting me to just take that? ‘Sorry I tortured you for a week! Hope we can still be friends!”’”

“Well, when you put it like that… actually, just let me thank you. For not killing me. You were entirely within you rights to do so, too. Were I in your shoes, I would not have even hesitated.”

“Wow…” Akaja shook her head. “Thanks… why do you even care? You got what you wanted. You’re free! We don’t have to deal with each other anymore!”

“If you want the honest truth, it’s because Tendo asked me to,” Talai admitted. “I spent a lot of time talking with him, and his… well, he earnest ‘good boy’ attitude rubbed off on me. Penance in good deeds and things like that.”

“Do you want to sleep with him that badly?” Akaja asked, still turned away from her.

“No… that comment during the interrogation? That was a joke. He’s far too… masculine for my tastes…”

Akaja turned and glared at her. When Talai smirked, she immediately shook her head. “No. NO! Absolutely NOT! You’re fucking insane if you think I would!”

“Would it sweeten the deal if I volunteered to be the one chained up?”

“Go die in a pit, Talai.”

“You don’t swing that way?”

“NOT FOR YOU I DON’T!” Akaja stood up, and downed the cup of plum wine. She cringed at its sourness, then walked away. The way Talai chuckled as she left a disturbing chill down her spine.

She plopped herself next to Kuana, who was taking puffs out of one of the hookahs. “Hey, big guy.”

“Hey.”

“So…” She nodded her gratitude as he passed the hookah over to her. “What’s the deal with that whole… freedom fighter spiel you gave earlier?”

“Oh, that?” Kuana shrugged. “Me and my sister were a part of a group like this one. Outsiders come to our islands and try to conquer us, so we fight back.”

“What happened?”

“Bad luck…” Kuana murmured. “A lot of people died. My sister continues the fight, but I take care of our Kuia now. Somebody has to.

“You ever want to go back?” Akaja asked before breathing in a deep lungful of the hookah. As she exhaled, she plopped herself down on a nearby pillow and relaxed.

“Me?” Kuana frowned, stewing in silence for a short while. “Maybe… but somebody has to take care of our Kuia. If we both went, then if something happens and we both die… nobody to take care of our Kuia. It’s better this way.”

“But you sound like you miss it.”

“Mhm… I miss my sister. I miss our friends. I miss my cousins. Many are dead now, but my sister fights in their honor. In their memory.”

“That’s rough, buddy…” She frowned, then handed the hookah back over to him.

Suddenly, Andros and Yukiko were both standing over them. “Come on, you two… the construct just returned with the papers. Let’s try to plan this next mission out.”