Pilgrim 2, p.11
Pilgrim 2, page 11
With his eyes closed, he mentally recalled the layout of the compound, the long flight of stone steps that led up to the buildings. He knew there to be five buildings in total, as well as two watchtowers. Biren Yeshe would be in the highest building, the one that sat upon yet another cliffside only accessible by a winding flight of steps, where the masters lived.
The Brotherhood’s compound was an elaborate affair, and even though it was quite secluded, they had all the luxuries in the world, the higher-ups cunning with the financial holdings they had built up since the fall of Sunyata.
As darkness spread over the cabin, Danzen wondered if they suspected he was coming. Anyone he had ever spoken to who was familiar with the establishment agreed that it was a suicide mission to try to infiltrate it, and there was a reason it hadn’t been attempted for a very long time.
His armor, then, would have to not only protect him from sword blows and arrows, if it ever came to that, but would have to also grant him the stealth he needed to move quietly. He had done it before. He had broken into a compound as densely populated as the Brotherhood to take out a single person years ago.
It was possible, and the advantage he had here was that he knew the place better than anywhere else in the world, having spent most of his youth there.
But there was a disadvantage as well, which was the members of the Brotherhood themselves, the various masters and any higher-level assassin who just happened to be visiting. There would be ears all over Sainshand; word could quickly get to them that Danzen had returned, which was one reason Danzen was increasingly apprehensive about traveling with Jelmay.
The bakeneko attracted attention, and while he could be helpful in a fight, especially if he morphed into something stronger, there was a very real chance that he would unintentionally alert the Brotherhood to Danzen’s presence.
There was also a real urge to do this entirely on his own, Danzen at one point having the notion to crawl out the window and jump into the river below, swim to shore, and head to the west without his companions. But they had been there for him, and there was also the chance that their abilities would come in handy. Plus, he owed it to the two yokai not to simply disappear.
Danzen got into a comfortable position, his legs now stretched in front of his body. Maybe he was looking at this the wrong way; perhaps having the two with him would give him an advantage, especially with their morphing ability.
Yes, he was going about this the wrong way.
Jelmay was a morphing grifter, which was certainly helpful, and Kudzu could turn into a fox, allowing her to move in ways that Danzen and Jelmay could not. They could prove handy.
The apprehension he was feeling slowly found its way out the window, where it met the cool breeze blowing over the Sakai River, the water crawling up the shoreline and retreating, everything calm for the time being.
****
The boat shifted, Danzen coming awake almost immediately. Light sifting in through the window told him that it was morning, birdsong reaching his ears, a dampness to the air that would have made him cold had he not had hot demon blood coursing through his veins.
He could see one half of the city of Arsi, which was demarcated by the river, the sprawling town stretching for well over a mile on both ends. It would be convenient if they could just take the boat to Bahlingar, but the Sakai River eventually curved back around, heading toward the South, making an easy trip impossible.
“We are here,” he announced. As he approached Kudzu, Danzen gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She was still in her human form, and as she came awake, she settled her gray eyes on the former assassin, a look of fondness spreading across her face.
“Thanks for letting me sleep in the bed.”
Danzen nodded. He reached for his Blade of Darkness. Once he had it strapped to his body, he grabbed his satchel and his burlap sack. By this point, Kudzu was up, also gathering her things, including her new sword.
“We’re leaving,” Danzen announced.
“What?” Jelmay asked, twisting and turning in his blankets. “We’re not even there yet.”
“We have arrived.”
“Bah! They won’t kick us out of the rooms until noon, and they will also feed us if we stick around. But—I can’t believe I’m saying this—if you insist on leaving now, fine. I suppose I can get ready and go as well. You’re going to find this armorer of yours, right?”
Danzen nodded.
“Good. Meet me at a hotel on the north side of the river called the Sakai Resort, and like I said, let me know if you need some kip.”
“Don’t rest too long,” Kudzu said as they stepped out of the room, heading to the lower deck.
Aside from the men who worked on the boat, Danzen and Kudzu were the first people to get off, Kudzu practically throwing her arms over her head and taking a deep breath, the woman clearly relieved to finally be off the boat.
The fishermen were out, many of them perched around the docks, a few retrieving cages that they had strategically placed along the river bed. Knowing exactly where he needed to go, Danzen headed up a flight of wooden stairs, weaving around a hut that was low to the ground, a woman crouched out front preparing flatbread on a large cutting board that she had placed on the ground.
She looked up at the two of them, her eyes focusing on Kudzu in her brand-new robes. The woman quickly spat and looked away.
“The entire kingdom is struggling with a class issue,” Danzen explained to Kudzu, “but it is quite visible here in Arsi, likely why she looked at us that way.”
“Which is why I probably shouldn’t be wearing a bright-green set of robes,” Kudzu added.
“Maybe not.” Danzen heard the sound of chickens, instantly remembering Basan and hoping that Temur was taking care of her. He didn’t much like the fire chicken, but he had grown used to her presence.
They had an understanding.
It took them a while, but eventually the pair came to a bridge that crossed over the river, high enough that boats could pass beneath it. There were a few horses coming their way, city guards riding them, the group likely on their way back from a morning training at the fortress on the southern side of Arsi.
His hood over his head now, Danzen moved by the guards, glad none of them paid any attention to him. Once he was on the other side of the Sakai River, he headed to the left, following a path marked by large slabs of rock that went up a small hill and looped back around along the shoreline. It was there that he saw the place he was looking for, smoke from the stone chimney signaling that Kunta was home.
“Hopefully, this won’t take long,” he said as he motioned for Kudzu to follow him.
Danzen approached the door and knocked twice. Eventually, the door opened, but rather than being greeted by an older, grizzled man, he was met by a child with bright-blue eyes and reddish-brown hair.
“I need to speak to Kunta,” Danzen told the youth.
“Father…” the kid started to say.
Danzen heard some grumbling from the other room, and was soon greeted by a short, stocky man, his build similar to that of Temur’s, Kunta with a shaved head and a scar on his face that passed over an eye the color of stained porcelain.
“It’s you…” Kunta stepped in front of his son, pushing him to the side. “W-why have you come here?”
“Not for that reason,” Danzen told him. “I need armor.”
Kunta trembled for a moment, his fists tensing, veins appearing between his knuckles. “That’s really all? Because, I don’t want you to do this here, not in front of my son.”
“I’m not here for that,” Danzen told him. “I’m here for armor. And if I were here for that, I wouldn’t do it in front of your son.”
It was only then that the blacksmith noticed Kudzu, his single good eye darting between Danzen and the fox woman.
“May we come in? I will discuss what I need with you,” the former assassin told him. “I will need something for her as well.”
“What about Jelmay?” Kudzu asked.
Danzen shook his head. “I don’t believe he’ll stay in that form for long.”
“Neither will I, unless I have to.”
“I don’t want to be part of anything that’s—”
“You won’t be,” Danzen assured Kunta. “May we come in?”
The man nodded and stepped aside, allowing Danzen and Kudzu to enter the front of his home. It was clear that Kunta ran the storefront of his operation out of the foyer, everything converted to display the armor he currently had on offer, as well as a few weapons the blacksmith had crafted. He bent down and whispered something to his son, his boy nodding and quickly leaving.
“I didn’t think, I don’t…” he gulped. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Danzen told him. “You’re the best I know when it comes to creating armor that is fluid. That is what I need. I don’t want any restrictions. I want it to be lightweight.”
“Lightweight armors are generally easier to pierce,” Kunta said, his tone of voice changing to one of an expert. “If you go with something heavier, it will protect you more.”
“I’m more interested only in preventing smaller flesh wounds,” Danzen said.
Kunta licked his lips. “If I may ask, can you tell me a little more of what you’re trying to do here. Is it a, ahem, a more traditional battle?”
“No.”
Kunta moved from a display of armor that hung from hooks on the wall to a set behind it. Danzen noticed that this particular armor was black, designed in a way that seemed as if the leather and steel had been infused in an almost-crosshatch pattern. There were rectangular pieces on the shoulders and arms, as well as additional panels covering common jabbing locations. There was a matching helmet for it as well.
“Anything cumbersome would need to be removed,” Danzen told him.
“That’s a possibility. It is designed to fit someone around your size, and is adjustable,” he said as he motioned Danzen forward, showing him the grooves in the leather straps that allowed him to adjust the armor to better fit him.
“You should try it on; I can make any final adjustments this morning. It would be ready by the afternoon…” Kunta said, his demeanor continuing to morph now that he assumed Danzen hadn’t shown up to kill him.
The former assassin removed his glaive, and affixed it to a weapon rack, doing the same with Astra.
“What a blade,” Kunta said, his eye tracing over Danzen’s newest weapon.
“Something I picked up.”
“May… May I see it?”
Danzen retrieved his Blade of Darkness from a sheath, and presented it to the man, not at all concerned that he would try something. Kunta knew better.
“Fascinating craftsmanship. It was… Yes, yes. Whoever made this used a remnant to craft the blade.” He examined the blackened stone on the hilt, which gave the glaive its unique shadow-wielding power. The glaive didn’t activate in his hands, nor were there any shadows pulling at its tip. Danzen noticed this, wondering if the Blade of Darkness had somehow bonded with him.
Kunta handed the weapon back to the former assassin, who sheathed it and removed his robes. He put the armor on and adjusted the straps, Danzen commenting on the height of the plates covering the shoulder, and how they were too close to the sides of his face.
“Yes, all of that will be adjusted, tweaked by noon. I promise.”
He moved his arms, and swiveled at the hip, Danzen surprised to see that it fit so well.
“And you have something for her?”
“It would take me several days to make something like this,” Kunta told him. “But I do have a few things, a breastplate that would fit you,” he said to Kudzu, “some armor similar to this that could cover your shoulders.”
“Maybe just a breastplate would be best,” Danzen said, “to prevent an arrow from reaching a vital organ.”
“Yes, a spare arrow is a troublesome affair.”
Kunta motioned Kudzu to another room, where he kept armor for females. While he was away, Danzen crouched and stood, jumped, and shook out his arms, making sure the armor would work for what he planned to do.
Kunta’s son appeared again, the youth watching him curiously.
“Do you like it?” the boy asked.
“I do.” Danzen caught some movement outside, his arms tensing as he glanced to his sword. A man on a horse approached, Danzen immediately going for his weapon. He took Astra out of its scabbard and nodded for the boy to answer the door.
Not quite registering Danzen’s concern, the boy did as instructed. It was a man inquiring about armor.
“My dad hasn’t opened the shop yet,” the boy told him. “Please come back in an hour.”
The man grumbled for a moment and left, Danzen relaxing some.
“Were you going to kill him?” the youth asked him.
Danzen didn’t answer this question.
Eventually, Kunta returned to the room with Kudzu, who now wore the armor which was just a bit large for her frame. Similar to Danzen’s piece, it was a fusion of leather and metal, Danzen immediately recognizing the unique craftsmanship he had come to expect from Kunta.
“This will be all we need,” he said as he began removing the armor. “You said you could have it ready by this afternoon?”
“That’s right,” Kunta told him.
“Good. We will return at that time. How much do we owe you?”
“Money?” Kunta asked. Danzen strapped his glaive across his back, Astra at his belt as always. The blacksmith shook his head for a moment, once again looking at his son. “Nothing. Let’s call it even.”
“If you’re fine with that, I am as well. But I can also pay you and still be fine with it.”
“No, let’s just call it even.”
Danzen nodded, Kunta offering Kudzu and him a short bow, his blue-eyed son doing the same.
Once they left, Kudzu turned to him, the woman now wearing her new armor. “Do I even want to know?”
“Do you?” Danzen asked as they headed back toward the bridge that crossed over the river, where they would look for a hotel known as the Sakai Resort.
“I sort of do.”
“He nearly botched one of the contracts I had been given because he was close friends with the man. I believe he thought I was coming to settle the score.”
“You think?”
“At the time I told him I would,” Danzen said. “I was angry. It added a week to the mission trying to track his friend down. But I got my contract eventually.”
“What did this friend of his do to necessitate his death?” she asked carefully.
Danzen shrugged. “Sometimes I knew, sometimes I didn’t. I would love to say that everyone I killed had it coming, but many didn’t, or if they did, I didn’t know why hits had been placed on their heads. I killed good people and bad people, and sometimes the bad people were simply being killed at the request of other bad people. I’m not proud of it. I’m not proud of any of it.”
“And you trust him? What if this armorer of yours informs the authorities, or, I don’t know, rallies some of his friends?”
Danzen grunted. “We had a relationship before that; I don’t believe he would try to double cross me again. He knows what I am capable of.”
****
Danzen could smell meat before he entered their room at the Sakai Resort, Jelmay with an absolute spread before him, the cat stuffing the food into his face.
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here,” he said with his mouth full. He swallowed, nearly choked, and then offered the two of them a toothy grin. “Please, join me.”
Kudzu stepped into the washroom to remove her armor and morph into her true form, Danzen taking a seat in front of the bakeneko.
“Nice armor, fox. Just to be clear: you didn’t get me any, right? How much did it cost you anyway?”
“No, you’re on your own when it comes to armor,” said Kudzu.
“Ha! I thought you’d say something like that. I’ve got other plans for whatever battle we may find ourselves in.” Jelmay licked his fingers. “Your brother, you know. I hope you’re ready to meet him soon. I had another one of my little visions last night while you were asleep.”
“Did you?” Danzen asked. He took one of the clean plates and added potatoes to it, some meat as well. “And to answer your question about costs, there was no cost. The man owed me a favor.”
“Ooo, I love collecting favors, one of the best things someone can do. But back to my vision of your brother…” Jelmay cleared his throat. “Just be ready for that. It’s a good thing that you are cleaning up your past to prepare for your future, if you know what I mean. I’m sorry to sound cryptic over here, but things will come to a head sooner rather than later.”
“Come again?”
“Maybe I should phrase it like this: take care of all the revenge you need to take care of before someone else gives you reason to take revenge yet again,” the bakeneko said in a nonchalant manner. “Sorry if it seems like I’m glossing over what is to come, but I’ve only had visions, so I could be wrong. I have been in the past, you know. But my gut instincts, and I have a pretty good gut instinct,” he said as he puffed out his belly, “it tells me that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.”
“That’s reassuring to know.”
Once again, Jelmay licked his fingers. “That’s what I’m here for.”
After changing, Kudzu came to the table in her white fox form, her robes and armor hanging in the washroom. Jelmay tossed some meat onto a plate and dropped it to the floor.
“I don’t like the way you did that,” she growled.
Jelmay laughed. “Learn to eat at the table like a big fox, and we will do things in a different way.”
Danzen looked from the white fox to the bakeneko.
In that moment, he flashed back to what had happened two years ago, in Palmo Mipham’s courtyard, the man’s daughter, Sumi, in his arms. He had whisked the teen away to safety, in the hope that he would go back to the estate, clean up the demons he had unleashed, and disappear for good. Now, he was traveling back to the west with two creatures he would have never thought existed.
