Ren

The lanterns on the beach beckoned Ren with their motherly warmth. He outstretched an arm, hoping the light would grab hold and pull him back home. It gave no answer and suddenly, the sea between him and his homeland felt ten degrees colder. Isla Kengen was no paradise but it was home, the only one he’d ever known. He felt like crying but three days of the desert sun had sapped his body of all moisture. I wonder if the old gang is still up and about. What would they think of my journey? He smiled longingly into the sea, then sighed, and returned to the crew with a heavy heart.

“Ren!” Trent raised an arm to get his attention. “Come and help me unstick this boat.”

“Yes, sir.” He complied.

Of the countless things that he admired about Trent, this was number one. The three-day ride had left the others near dead with exhaustion. Even now, the brats looked like beached whales stranded on the Mitsurugi coastline. Him? One puff of his favorite cigarette and he was spry as a racehorse. It was the same cigarette he’d smoked before…

No. Now is not the time. We have a mission to complete.

Ren pushed alongside his master and soon, the rowboat was back in the water. The rippling waters gleamed with a golden-red light from the lanterns on the opposite coast. It had to be two or three kilometers away but the coziness was almost palpable.

Seeing the commotion, Hope reared her head and asked, “What time is it?”

“Half past seven,” Ren replied.

“Then, why is it already so freaking dark?”

“Do not worry. I know these waters well. The lanterns will guide us onward.”

Trent beckoned them with a commanding voice. “Climb aboard, folks. Next stop, Isla Kengen.”

Ren and Sebastian were tasked with rowing to the island. In five minutes, it was clear that they’d loaded a boulder onto malnourished donkeys. Sebastian tugged and pulled with all his strength but the oars proved to be slightly heavier than the computer mouse he was used to.

Ren had never seen much value in physical strength either. He had been part of the Thieves Guild and they, above all, needed boys who could slip through cracks in unlocked windows. Bulging biceps were rarely a requirement. As the King of Thieves Kurosaki used to say, “Man is a creature of the mind. Do you think muscles could’ve given rise to the fine arts?” He beamed with pride as he recalled his former boss.

Absolutely none of that helped with rowing the boat and after half a kilometer, the girls practically begged them to switch places. The boys pretended to resist but they were more than happy to comply.

“So, what’s the plan, chief?” asked Alicia as she took command of the oars.

“We will discuss it in due time, Miss Miller. Kindly focus on the task at hand.”

“You sure? Feels kinda reckless to me.”

“Your feelings are not a pressing concern. Rest assured, you will have your instructions before infiltration begins.”

Hope jumped in with her own line of questioning. “Will we, really? It’s been a while since you gave us proper instructions.”

Trent shot her a piercing glance that demanded absolute submission. “What are you insinuating, Miss Hastings?”

“The heist on the temple was held together by scotch tape. Everything fell apart the moment you went off on your own. Ren almost died. Alicia and I were nearly buried alive. How do we know that won’t happen again?”

“But you made it out alive, did you not? With great success, at that. The way I see it, you have nothing to complain about. For a successful heist, improv is as essential as any master plan. Adaptability, Hastings. That is why you were chosen. All of you.”

“Not to mention, we ain’t seen a cent of the money you promised us,” said Alicia.

Trent bit his lip and answered with a smile. “I am a man of my word, Miller. Once the mission is complete, the funds will be transferred to your accounts. God knows you’ve earned it.”

Hope raised an eyebrow at him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Not at all,” he answered with visible annoyance. “Once we’re done, I will make the call and you will be free to go back to your old life. Now, would you kindly put your back into rowing this damn boat? We haven’t got all day.”

The girls maintained their insolent glare even as they fell back in silence. Ren wanted to step forth to defend his master but his heart wouldn’t cooperate. They are not wrong. We need a proper plan. Sir Trent always has a plan. He kept silent but offered Trent an apologetic glance as compensation.

The former Knight smiled at him and sighed. “Forgive me if I lost my temper. You’ve all performed admirably and deserve good treatment. The plan is to reach the city and have a proper night’s rest before moving onward. Does that satisfy you, Miss Hastings, Miss Miller? Lighten up, will you? It’s not every day you get to save the world from an evil tyrant.”

Ren was reminded of the evil tyrants that had once invaded his homeland. Men with green hair sporting weapons he’d never seen before. The things they did, the atrocities they committed, even thinking of it now was enough to make him shudder. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not picture Roland doing those things. As far as Trent had told him, “His crimes are far too complex to be told. Far too nuanced to be understood by common men.” Is he really an evil tyrant, then? He took another look at his anguished master and pushed the idea to the back of his head. I must trust him, he told himself.

They hid the boat under coconut leaves by the shore. Trent asked them to keep a low profile as he led them through the main street of the biggest, or rather, the only city on Isla Kengen: Ayasato. Ren pulled back his flame-like locks to conceal the scars on his neck. The lanterns lighting up the red-bricked road turned his cheeks to bright pink. The smell of incense danced around his nose, inviting him to toy shops decorated with bamboo doors and tiled roofs glowing with cherry blossoms. Cries of “Welcome to Ayasato!” and “Get some souvenirs for your loved ones!” set his heart aflutter. More than once, he bumped into a local, saw their green hair, and started apologizing before Trent could pull him away from the commotion. Even as he was getting tugged away, he heard whispers from girls dressed in kimonos wondering if they’d seen him before. He’d almost forgotten how loud the city was at night.

A flash of red flew across the moonless sky and burst into a dragon of violet, silver, and emerald. Ren recalled seeing the same fireworks on his first night as a pickpocket. That was a moonless night too. Kurosaki had told him to take it easy but he couldn’t wait to prove himself to his new family. And like an idiot, he’d let himself get caught. It was while rotting in jail that he’d learned of his affinity for lock-picking. He was good at it but more importantly, he was useful to the family. He’d never been useful to Trent, not by a long shot. Not enough to repay him. The man had given him his life. Even if it meant walking through an ocean of blood, he’d gladly follow him. At least, that’s what he’d told himself. He felt sick.

Ren’s mind was adrift in chaos and his body was paralyzed with indecision when Hope called his attention to a nearby noticeboard. His eyes went wide with horror as he attempted to process the sight before him.

It was a picture of Trent followed by what looked like a very large number. To its right, a picture of Hope with a slightly smaller number. Under it, pictures of Ren, Alicia, and Sebastian in a single file with large numbers decorating the paper below. Every single one of them had their feet nailed to the road as Trent read each word out loud:

Public Bounty: Wanted for global acts of terrorism, manslaughter, desecration of holy places, destruction of private property, and espionage.

All five of them were frozen in silence as fireworks continued to explode over the moonless sky. They danced in colorful sparks shaped like flowers and beasts the team had never seen before. They were loud enough to wake a dead man and yet, all they could hear was their own heartbeat, thumping like the metro from Haven City to Marsville.

Once the silence became unbearable, Hope was the first one to speak up. “How much is the bounty?”

“You don’t want to know,” Trent answered.

“God dammit!” Alicia grunted.

“So, much for keeping a low profile,” added Sebastian in an injured tone.

“Stay calm, everyone. No one has noticed us just yet.”

“That’s just a matter of time, idiot. We’re screwed! Thanks to your genius ideas, I’ve gone from local fugitive to global terrorist,” Hope protested in a low whisper.

“Well, you have to admit it’s quite the promotion.” He chuckled. “Relax, I have everything under control. It’s a friendly country. People here don’t go looking for terrorists in every random tourist. You treat them with respect. They treat you with respect. Just keep your noses low, act normal, don’t pick a fight, and I assure you, no one will blink an eye.”

Alicia looked at him in disbelief. “That’s it? That’s your plan for not getting caught?”

“There a problem?”

“That’s baby shit! Can’t we at least take the back streets or something?”

He clicked his tongue. “Sudden movements will make us look suspicious. Just shut up and follow me. I know a place we can spend the night.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

∆∆∆

“Welcome to the Tamaya!” The innkeeper greeted them with a gentle bow before leading everyone to their respective rooms. It was a small establishment: cozy, with a garden full of cherry blossoms, and a direct path to the woods in the back. More importantly, it was a good distance away from the big city. The innkeeper didn’t seem the type to travel and if they had to guess, she’d never even heard of the so-called global terrorists. Considering their circumstances, the hideout couldn’t have been more perfect.

Trent had his own quarters, and since Hope had bunked with Alicia, Ren was forced to share the room with Sebastian. While they didn’t hate each other outright, if you could picture running into your high school teacher at a strip club, that’s how awkward it was for the two of them. The boys spent a good five minutes staring and smiling. Despite being together for nearly three weeks, they’d never spoken a word to each other before.

Sebastian was the first one to make a feeble attempt. “So, what’s up, dude?”

“The sky?” Ren answered with the innocence of a second-grader.

“Yep.” Sebastian pursed his lips and nodded. “I don’t see a bed around here. Where are we supposed to sleep?”

“In the cupboard, behind that sliding door.” Ren pointed out to him.

“The heck? We’re supposed to sleep in the cupboard?”

“The sheets, pillows, and blankets are stored there. We take them out and we sleep on them.”

“Oh, cool! Let’s get them out.”

Ren was happy to comply. After three days of non-stop travel, his bones were begging for some rest. They’d barely gotten the pillows out when his eyelids started feeling heavy. By the time they’d spread the sheets, he was already halfway into dreaming about locks and the picking thereof. Sebastian had to shake him awake for the blankets.

Again, he attempted to strike up a conversation. This time, he went with a somber, more nostalgic tone. “Man, what a ride it’s been. Y’know, I thought my life peaked when I became Vega’s guy in the chair. Now, look at me. I’m on the other side of the planet, on the run from the law, hiding out in a country I didn’t even know existed a couple months ago, led by the king of craziness who seems hellbent on getting us killed.”

By the time Sebastian realized what he’d said, the damage had already been done. Ren looked as though he was staring at a punching bag after a hard day’s work. And like an overworked employee, he raised his fists in anger only to back down with the depressed air of “oh, why bother.”

Sebastian started spitting apologies left and right. “Crap! I’m sorry, dude. I can’t believe I forgot. Hope told me how much he means to you. I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry.”

So, he sees it too. Ren sighed. “It is okay. You only speak your mind. Sir Trent was not always like this. He was a Knight once. A noble warrior. A hero who stood against all the injustices in the world. I look at him now, I do not even recognize him anymore. The man that led us here is not the same man who once rescued me from a life of suffering. Something changed him. I wish I could help him.”

“Maybe, he was always like this and you just never noticed. He sure doesn’t seem the type to bend, I’ll tell you that much.”

“Impossible!” Ren protested. “He is the finest man I have ever known. The man I knew would never let all those innocent people die. I am certain of it. Something foul has him bewitched.”

“Be-what now?” asked Sebastian.

“Bewitchment. A curse. Evil magic. It is the only way he could have changed.”

“Are you kidding me? Dude, there’s no such thing as magic. Are you even listening to yourself?”

“There was a witch in my village who once cursed a boy for stealing mangoes from her orchard. The poor kid developed a stomach ache the very next day. What was that if not a curse? Surely, there is no other way.”

Sebastian stared at him in disbelief. “I know I’m probably the last person who should be saying this but you really need to get out more.”

“What do you mean, Lucidean?” Ren demanded. “Are you trying to insult my culture?”

“Look. Hope told me there’s only two types of people that would try to deny what’s right in front of them. The really brave and the really stupid. I don’t care if you feel bad about my words. I’m not letting that bastard get us killed. I… I have a plan.”

Sebastian reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a flash drive with the word “Altair” scribbled across it in ugly brown crayon. He placed it in Ren’s hand, who examined it like a fisherman inspecting his first haul of the day.

“If you wanna help, go and plug this into his phone. It’ll turn green in a few seconds. That’s when you remove it.”

Ren gripped the flash drive, waved it around, and laughed. “You clown, do you realize what you have done? If I show this stick thing to Sir Trent, he will kill you.”

Sebastian shrugged, stood tall, and spoke in a voice more confident than Ren had ever heard in his life. “I know. I also know you won’t do that. You see, there’s one thing you don’t know about us clowns: we’re excellent at reading people. How do you think we know exactly what makes you laugh?” He slapped Ren across the shoulder with a wide grin. “The rest is up to you, pal. I’ll go catch a nap.”

As he was leaving, Sebastian turned around to the effect of “just one more thing” and whispered into his ear with the most sinister voice, “Oh, and Ren? I know you see me as the silly guy, but there’s one thing you should know: I would do anything to protect my loved ones. And when I say anything, I mean, anything at all.”

∆∆∆

Ren’s heart raced as it had never raced before. I am an idiot. I should not be doing this. Every step felt like it added ten kilograms to his feet. He stopped to smell the beverage in his tray. Dark. Bitter. Just the way he likes it. He exhaled and gave Trent’s door a sharp tap.

A drunken voice answered from within. “Who’s there?”

“It is me, Sir Trent.”

“Come on in.”

Sliding it open, Ren was assaulted by a choking smell. A cloud of burnt cigarettes littered the room like a sand storm and he was immediately starved for breath. In the center of this dreadful cloud, his master sat with a glass in his hand and a feverish smile on his face. His table was covered in empty shot glasses. Ren could smell the alcohol on his breath from a mile away.

“Sir Trent, are you drinking liquor? I thought you hated it.”

“It’s called sake, my boy. You should know. It’s the best damn drink in your homeland, after all. What’s that you bring? Coffee? How nice of you!”

He nodded. “You seemed a bit tense, sir. I thought this would cheer you up. I also brought tea. The hotel manager says that it is soothing for the nerves.” His hands trembled as he set the tray on his table.

“You’re the only one that never disappoints me, Ren. The others can go die in a shithole. Have you seen how unruly those… those animals are getting?”

Ren’s gaze fell upon Trent’s phone resting in a far corner of the room. I need an opportunity. He nodded but didn’t speak in response.

“Sit down, boy,” Trent commanded.

Ren did as he was told. Even as he sat, Trent’s careful gaze observed him from head to toe.

“Sir?”

“Never mind.” He shook his head with an empty smile “One can never be too cautious. I never noticed how much you’ve grown. What a fine young man you’ve become.”

Ren felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart. He’s still there. It’s tiny but there’s a chance. I can bring him back.

“I gotta say, I’m really proud of you, Ren. You’ve come a long way since that day I found you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Ren felt the flash drive in his pocket. For the second time that day, his body was paralyzed with indecision. He is sick. He needs people he can trust.

“Tell me, how are the others holding up?”

“They are resting, sir. You should rest as well. We have a big day ahead of us.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about me. I got all the energy in the world. As long as…”

Trent reached for a cigarette on his table. He found nothing. He laughed as if amused by a joke and kept searching. No result. The smile vanished from his face. Ren stepped back from the table, his eyes fixated on his master. The former Knight kept searching, slowly, at first, then more desperately. In a fit of rage, he flipped the table upside down. Nothing but shot glasses and burnt bums greeted his pitiable gaze. For a moment, his entire body became tense. He breathed like a hungry animal, then trembled as he got down on his knees to scour the floor for his prey. Ren could’ve sworn he saw the man foaming at his mouth.

“Where is it? Where is it, damn it? It just disappeared.”

“Sir?”

“My cigs. You.” He looked at Ren with bloodthirsty eyes. “You did something, didn’t you? They vanished into thin air the moment you came. What did you do to my precious babies? Answer me!”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Lies! Liars, all of you. I’ve tolerated you long enough.”

Trent pounced upon Ren, going straight for his throat. The young man tried to yell in protest but his voice was suffocated by his master’s beastly strength. He tried calling his name. “Sir Trent. It’s me!”. No answer. The man throttled him with unmatched fury. He cried again. “Sir Trent! Listen to me!” Nothing but grunts came in return as the iron grip tightened around his neck. His vision was starting to fade away. His body had lost all sensation and even his cries felt faint. He could feel the blood rushing through his neck. It was rapid at first, like a river tearing through the mountains, then, it became slower, like a gentle ocean current until at last, it as became as still as a midwinter lake. Ren expected the darkness to come and take hold of him at any moment.

Before he could lose consciousness, the grip around his neck loosened, and blood flow began to pick up once more. One by one, his senses returned to him. The smell of cigarettes still hung in the air like a cloud of disease and paranoia. The room felt warm, his throat warmer. He wondered if this was the afterlife. All doubts vanished the second light returned to his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was his master’s terrified face hanging over his body. He was shaking.

“Ren? Ren, my boy! Ren, are you okay? Oh God, what have I done? Ren? Can you hear me?”

“Sir… Trent?”

A wave of relief washed over Trent’s face. “Thank God, you’re okay. Forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Sir.”

“Oh no, you’re dripping wet. Tea must have spilled over you in the scuffle. How’s your skin feel?”

Ren shook his head. “Not too bad. It mostly seeped into my shirt.”

“You stay right here. I’ll bring you a towel and a change of clothes.”

Once the door had slammed shut, and Trent’s steps had faded into oblivion, Ren pulled out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it at the opposite wall. He wanted to cry. There was no longer any doubt in his heart. The man who had rescued him from a life of misery had died a long time ago. It was too late to mourn.

He felt the bruises around his neck and groaned. That could have gone better. Still, I bought some time. He jammed the drive into Trent’s phone and started praying to every Spirit worshiped on the Isles. Ren wasn’t the religious type but Kurosaki wanted all his boys to pay their due diligence. “We only take what we need,” he used to say. “The rest belongs to the Spirits. Respect them and they will shower you with their blessings.”

Before he could complete his prayers, the flash drive glowed green. Ren shoved it back into his pockets and breathed a sigh of relief. That, however, was more short-lived than a raindrop in the Wadin Desert. The moment he turned away from the phone, Trent was staring at him. His mind went blank. Trent did not look happy. He tried to think of something, anything that could be used as an excuse. He came up empty.

“Sir! I-”

Before he could speak any further, Trent pushed a finger to his lips. “Be quiet. The police know we’re here. We have to leave, now. The others are waiting in the backyard. Follow me!”

“What? How?”

“There’s no time for that. Come, we need to go. Quietly, might I add.”

“But… but the lady. She didn’t seem-”

“I will deal with her later. We need to go, now.”

As the two tiptoed their way to the gardens in the back, Ren was reminded of something amusing. In his bid to repay his debt to Trent, he’d completely forgotten about it. During his Thieves’ Guild days, he’d made a bet with the other boys about who would be the last person to get caught. To make things interesting, they’d set up a fund, of sorts. For every day they remained uncaught, each of them would put a coin in the box. The last one to survive would get to keep all the money. The fund kept growing and growing for years until the boys were sitting on a mountain of cash. Seeing that the competition was never going to end, the boys made a new promise. They’d each have one year. Their task? Pulling off the score of a lifetime. No restrictions. One year and the biggest heist wins.

Before leaving the Guild, Ren had promised that one day he would come back to claim his share. That was six months ago. He wondered if his friends were still alive. He prayed that they’d committed fewer sins than him.

They reached the gardens without any trouble. The rest were waiting for them.

“So, what now, hotshot?” Alicia asked Trent.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” Trent shook his head. “We’re escaping through the woods.”

“Running through the woods at night?” Hope interjected. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Could be all sorts of animals in there.”

“You have a better idea, Miss Hastings?”

She shrugged in denial. Trent shot the others a quick glance as if daring them to suggest an alternative. They all shared Hope’s embarrassed silence.

“Good. The bamboo shafts are a bit sharp. Be careful when climbing through them,” he said.

“I don’t know why but I’m getting kind of a déjà vu sort of feeling,” Sebastian blurted out loud.

None of them had the energy to shut him up.

With police sirens blaring in the background, they were highly encouraged to pick up their pace. Soon, they had all crossed over into the safety of the jungles that bordered the town of Ayasato. With no way to go but forward, they walked and walked until they were deep in the heart of the woods.