Leonov had assumed that the hardest part of their plan would be getting into town without a fight. Surely the guards would be on the lookout for them and would attempt to arrest them straight away. The only way to avoid being arrested long enough to make their point was to fight. But Taiki assured them that it wasn’t necessary.
“We can ensure that we’re welcomed peacefully back into the town,” she said, dropping her last piece of armor into one spot. “We’ll just use the same thing you did to prove your innocence in Milagre.”
“A trial by combat?” He asked, looking uncertain. “You know they’ll just make me face Shimonseki, right? Even I’m not confident I can beat him.”
“But if you were innocent, you wouldn’t have to,” Roni pointed out. “You can just stand your ground and he won’t be able to harm you.”
Leonov shook his head. “It’s not like the fighters of Issho-Ni, Roni. Shimonseki won’t be bound by the same oaths, so he’ll be able to wound me.”
Roni frowned, thinking that through. Before anyone could interject, however, Taiki spoke. “I don’t mean a trial by combat. I’m invoking Divine Sanctuary.”
Falynn let out a soft gasp of understanding, and they turned to look at her. “It’s an oath of non-aggression. We rely on a deity’s protection, and anyone who doesn’t wish to anger the deity agrees not to attack us until our condition is met.”
Taiki nodded. “The most beloved deity here is Shigeru Tokugawa. If we invoke Divine Sanctuary under his name, the common guards wouldn’t dare attack us. Almost all of them are bound to be followers of his.”
“Shimonseki might not honor the Sanctuary though,” Leonov pointed out. “And the way you’re stacking your gear makes me think that we’ll be approaching unarmed.”
“We will,” Taiki agreed. “But don’t worry, Leonov. The common guards won’t attack even if ordered to, and they won’t allow Shimonseki to harm us while we’re protected by the Sanctuary. If he breaks it, his guilt will be revealed.”
-
So now, they stood before the inland gate of Minato, faced with a dozen armed soldiers. The men held the perimeter but did not advance. Some of the more senior were watching them with expressions of mild interest, almost as though they knew what the criminals had planned. Even if they were so inclined, it was a harsh penalty for any of them to strike at an unarmed person, even a criminal. Instead, another guard, this one clearly of a higher rank, stepped forward to make the arrest.
“By the power of Lady Tsuyoi Shimonseki, I will be taking you into custody now,” the wizened soldier said. With his hands free and clear of the sword at his waist, he took several steps forward. “Come peacefully, and I will guarantee your safety and a fair trial for the crimes you have committed.”
When he was less than twenty feet from her, Taiki raised her one good arm into the air and took a step back. “We will not be surrendering ourselves to your custody.”
As if they’d been expecting this very response, the dozen or so armed soldiers behind the leader drew their weapons and began to approach. They fanned out in a loose circle to surround the criminals. Taiki paid them no heed, simply continuing on to the next planned point. “We claim Divine Sanctuary under the name of Shigeru Tokugawa, God of Peace.”
She could have chosen to invoke the sanctuary under all of Shigeru’s domains, but as it was his rules and fondness of peace and the practices that surrounded it that had created the first Sanctuary claim in history, she felt it was the most potent one she could use. At once, every soldier around them stopped in their tracks. Even the sergeant, for she could clearly see that was his rank, hesitated. The man narrowed his eyes, which flicked from Taiki to her party and then back. Amidst the sound of the soldiers sheathing their weapons, he replied in the traditional way.
“What is your cause for claiming Divine Sanctuary?” He asked, taking a cautious step back. “And what is your demand?”
“We demand a meeting with Lady Shimonseki, Mitaka Shimonseki, and the witness of all armed men here.”
The Captain frowned as he thought that through. The party guessed, correctly, that he was attempting to think of a reason to dismiss her demand. But as they were unarmed and had made no aggressive action, the man had no reason to suspect that they might have violent intentions. Even remembering the crimes that they were suspected of, he had to uphold the Divine Law of his Patron deity.
“Very well,” he said gravely. Then, directing his attention to the men that still surrounded them, added, “You lot stay here and watch them. If they produce a weapon or are hostile, react accordingly.”
Several nods from the men, and the captain turned sharply on his heel and strode away. As he left them, he threw over his shoulder, “It will be up to Lady Shimonseki to determine the duration of your meeting. When she gives us the order, we will capture you, or strike you down if necessary.”
Taiki turned to the others, offering a shrug. “I don’t see that any of that matters.”
Leonov nodded his agreement. “If our plan fails, then it won’t matter.”
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The soldiers did as they were ordered, and continued to watch the four of them closely. The criminals were a strange lot, they all thought to themselves. Even the Nihon-Jan among them, the Sato woman. They moved very little, almost as if they were mannequins, speaking only when it was their turn. Their entire conversation was obviously scripted for the benefit of the soldiers around them, who could hear every word.
“Even if we prove that Mitaka is a Changeling, that won’t necessarily mean that he’s guilty,” Falynn put in. “She might just accept it at face value. I mean, being a Changeling doesn’t mean that you’re guilty.”
She glanced at Roni as she said this, and the ranger nodded. “That is true. But it does mean that he’s been lying.”
One of the guards, a few years older than his peers, tilted his head and stuck one finger in his ear, twisting it. He must have heard that wrong, he thought. The leader of their guard, a Changeling? He shook his head vigorously. There was no way, he thought. They’d have known. These foreigners were simply stirring up trouble as a last-ditch attempt to condemn the Shimonseki family.
But yet another soldier was also confused, for an entirely different reason. He couldn’t be sure, but for just a moment, the voices of the two women sounded identical. It was almost as if one voice was controlling both. He watched the two smaller women closely, convinced that something was off. Still, even if they were using trickery of some kind, he was not allowed to attack. But the instant one of them showed the slightest sign of hostility, he would be the first to act.
The captain was returning now, and behind him were Lady Shimonseki and her warrior cousin. The lady looked mildly intrigued at this turn of events and regarded the party with a slightly amused look. Mitaka Shimonseki watched them as suspiciously as possible, one hand on the hilt of his weapon. The captain, having obviously noticed this, paused to say something. Mitaka looked annoyed at whatever his comment was, but removed his grip on the sword.
“It looks like the captain is an honorable man,” Leonov said, watching the approaching figures. “That’s good.”
“I figured he would be,” Taiki replied, not taking her eyes off of Mitaka. “He takes his worship of the God of War and Peace seriously. He wouldn’t dare break the Divine Law.”
The captain and the leaders of the city were within easy earshot now. The Captain stepped aside, deferring to Lady Shimonseki, who walked forward gracefully. Mitaka stuck to her side, his hand drifting once more to the sword at his waist. The Lady paused.
“Mitaka, remove your hand from the weapon and place your sword on the ground,” she said. As before, her voice was melodious but had a firm undertone to it. “I will not have you disrespecting a claim to Sanctuary in front of me.”
“I will not strike them,” Mitaka promised.
“I don’t want you tempted,” Tsuyoi Shimonseki replied, her voice even more firm. “In fact, all of you disarm yourselves. Now.”
The common soldiers and the captain obeyed at once. They slid their swords, still in their scabbards, out of their belts and placed them on the ground. Lady Shimonseki made a wave with one hand, and all the weapons vanished, including Mitakas. Now nobody was carrying weapons. Satisfied, she smiled at the party and took a few steps closer.
“I am told that you requested a meeting with me,” she said courteously. “I would like to know what it is to be about, please.”
Taiki glanced back at the party, seeking and gaining permission to take the lead, then bowed her head respectfully. “My apologies for the theatrics, Lady Shimonseki. But we feel we have been painted falsely.”
The lady frowned. “I must say, your time away from Nihon-Ja has dulled your grace. You speak like a foreigner now.”
She smiled as she said it to take out any unintentional sting from the words. Taiki seemed unflustered. “It is unavoidable, Lady Shimonseki. But it doesn’t take away from my claim.”
“That claim being?”
“That Mitaka Shimonseki is a Changeling. Not only that but also the hidden criminal that has committed many horrendous deeds, including the destruction of my village and the slaughter of my family.”
Mitaka snorted in derision. “What a preposterous claim.”
Tsuyoi looked between her cousin and Taiki, then nodded. “I must agree. It is hard to believe, Apprentice Sato. If he were a Changeling, I believe I would have some inkling of it.”
“With respect, Lady Shimonseki, we can prove our claim,” Taiki said. Now she directed her gaze to Mitaka and allowed some of her anger to show. “We hope that you will allow our mage to cast a counterspell in his presence. If he is not a Changeling, nothing will happen. But if he is, then we hope you will take our claim seriously.”
It was obvious to everyone listening that this was not her desired outcome. The set of her body, the unmistakable rage, it all spoke to a desire to fight. Even some of the guards took a step closer, ready to intercept, but it was clear that she had control over herself. Whether or not that would continue as the meeting dragged on, they couldn’t know.
To their surprise, Lady Shimonseki agreed at once. “I grant you this request.”
“What?” Mitaka exclaimed, turning to face his lady. “Lady Shimonseki, you cannot be serious-”
“It is the quickest way to disprove their claim,” she said, a bit of a bite to her tone. “I order you to stand still and let this proceed. Once it is clear that you are human, we will arrest them for their crimes.”
As Falynn stepped forward, Mitaka threw her a glare of deepest loathing but did as his lady ordered. Tsuyoi stepped clear to give Falynn room and to assure the girl that she would not interfere. Falynn offered her a bow of gratitude and stood before Mitaka. She studied the man’s face, trying to spot some sign of the evil cunning that could have led him to do all those horrible things, but to no avail. All she could see in his eyes was the indignation of their accusation and quiet resolve. He believes that he is innocent, she thought. And the instant my spell fails to reveal his illusion, he’ll arrest me.
That was when a thought struck her. It was a wild, unexpected sort of thought, the kind that was often taken for intuition or instinct. And as soon as she’d had it, she knew that it was one that she must act upon. Looking to the side where Lady Shimonseki stood, she noticed the smooth, calm, unflustered appearance. And then she raised her arm, not toward Mitaka, but toward the lady, and clicked her fingers.
The flicker of Lady Shimonseki’s appearance was not long. It barely lasted longer than a second, and she’d reappeared, looking shocked. But that gap had been more than long enough for the soldiers, who were watching hand closely, to see what was there underneath the illusion. Not the graceful tanned face of the woman that had led their city for so long and espoused kindness and compassion. No, it was a man’s face. A man with dark eyes and long black hair flowing freely in the wind. It was unfamiliar to all of them. All of them except for Taiki, that was.
“You?” Taiki exclaimed, glaring at Lady Shimonseki as her figure reformed. Then, with vastly more rage, she repeated, “You!”