Pilgrim 6, p.12
Pilgrim 6, page 12
“Wait, wait, wait. How did you know what the memorial said?”
asked Jelmay. Kudzu told him something under his breath; the bakeneko scoffed at her remark. “What? It’s a valid question.”
“Someone read it for me. Continue.”
Sansar’s voice picked up again: “There isn’t much more to the story, only that people say that Nyamdor died laughing as the fires spread over his body. The reason I know about this is because I was in the city at the time looking for someone.”
“Who?” asked Jelmay.
“A story for another day. But I assure you, I overheard people talking about it, and I saw the damage. Now, Nyamdor has demonic powers, allowing him to better control the flames and the damage that they are capable of.”
Jelmay shook his head. “Well, a demonic pyromaniac is the least of our concerns now.”
“The least?” Soko asked as she showed Jelmay her arm.
“A flesh wound, my dear. Anyone ever heard the phrase ‘two yamachichi with one throwing sword?’”
Kudzu sighed. “You’re joking.”
“Now wait a minute, Fox, I’m getting to something here. You may think I stayed behind so that I could gamble and make the wad of kip that is currently bulging in my pocket here,” he said as he placed his paw on the front of his vest. “And true, that may actually be the case.
But I’ll also have you know that I stayed for another reason, one that everyone here will want to hear. I suspected that something was off when I saw that fiery demon. He was speaking to an older fellow with eyes that were all black. Does that mean something to you?”
“White,” said Soko. “The man with black eyes. That’s him.”
Jelmay started. “White has all black eyes? Heh. Can’t make this stuff up, right, Fox?”
“Get to the point, Jelmay.”
“So White was actually there?” Danzen asked the bakeneko.
“Sure, he was there, somewhere in that main building. I saw him myself.”
“I checked the third floor,” Soko said. “I didn’t find him.”
“Why would White be on the third floor when it was clear that the three of you had already arrived?”
“What do you mean?” Nomin asked Jelmay.
“Sure, the three of you are quiet, you are good at what you do, believe me, I’m not trying to get on the bad side of an assassin. If I had someone to kill—and this may happen in the future depending on how difficult Usagi or even Bahjee becomes—I’d surely hire one of you. But you came in sloppy. I know, I know, who am I to tell a trio of Kishu Kingdom’s most notorious assassins how to infiltrate a well-guarded manor in the middle of the woods? Well, I’m telling you that people were already starting to move by the time the two of you were on the roof, mostly because of your actions,” Jelmay told Nomin.
“You weren’t exactly subtle in killing the invisible Penumbra men.”
Soko sighed. “Any other notes?”
“From where I was sitting, it looked like the three of you were being too confident. So he probably moved somewhere else at that time, or perhaps there is a hidden compartment behind a wall.”
“I checked.”
“I checked,” Jelmay told Soko in a mocking way, using her own voice. He switched back to his own voice: “Either way, black-eyed White is there. But I wasn’t so concerned about him. I knew something was off about that other one, the Firestarter. What did you call him?”
“Nyamdor,” said Sansar.
“That’s the one. There’s a name you don’t hear every century.
Anyway, after getting good with some of the guards, I started buying drinks and asking around as I continued to earn enough money to cover our expensive hotel habit.”
“That is your habit,” Kudzu reminded the bakeneko.
“I started hearing about what this Nyamdor fellow could do, and I got a glimpse of his barbeque skin when he passed by. Naturally, I knew that something wasn’t right. I thought, ‘gee, maybe he has abused remnants like Soko.’ But I didn’t see any talisman on him, so I decided to take an even closer look. Needless to say, a few, ahem, costume changes, and I was in the estate, delivering food while White and Nyamdor spoke. And wouldn’t you know, they were talking about you,” Jelmay said as he turned to Danzen. “And all the usual suspects came up: Nomtoi, Tengir Gantulga, your relations, Seven Evils, blah, blah, blah. Well, some of that stuff was implied, but I got the gist of what they were talking about.”
“If you could keep your mouth shut, you would make a decent assassin.”
“Do I get to wear a mask?” Jelmay asked Soko. “Do I get to go around brooding all the time and abusing remnants? If so, please sign me up. Now, to finish up this very important discussion that everyone should be listening to rather than making offhand remarks that will later be rebuked, their later conversation, the one between White and Nyamdor, is going to surprise everyone here except for me because I have dealt with them before—”
“Get on with it,” Kudzu told Jelmay.
“The Butterflies of Arsi. That’s what it was about.”
Kudzu groaned.
“The Butterflies?” asked Danzen as he connected the dots. “You aren’t suggesting that—”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying here. The Butterflies of Arsi are the final of the Seven Evils, strange to hear it said that way, but you get my point. White was curious about them. Nyamdor wasn’t impressed. The Butterflies are back, which now should make everything that I have been hinting at thus far clearer. Picture it like this…” Jelmay explained what he thought they should do, and in the end, they all agreed that it was worth a shot. There were parts of Jelmay’s strategy that Danzen didn’t like, complications that would
arise if they weren’t able to line the pieces up correctly, but there was merit to Jelmay’s plan. “That brings us back to now, and the time that we have until we need to pull this off. So, we head south? That would put us in close proximity to Arsi when the time arrives. The only problem is that they will be anticipating something now. Or maybe they won’t. I don’t know. But I am certain that bringing these two forces together, Nyamdor and the Butterflies of Arsi, will be, as I said, like killing two yamachichi with one throwing sword. Mull it over.”
****
They arrived late at the hotel in Arsi to little fanfare, as all but two of the staff members were asleep. As she had before, Soko met them on the balcony once they had arrived in the room, the female assassin still looking a little worse for wear.
“Do you mind doing me a favor?” she asked Danzen as he removed his Blade of Darkness, which he placed in a weapons rack near the door. “I’m exhausted, and I could use a change of clothing.
Do you mind fetching them for me?”
“Where would you have me go?” he asked Soko.
“You may be surprised to find out, but I own several properties now in the city. I know you are the type to keep the money you earned in a bank, but I’ve been funneling my earnings into real estate.”
This statement brought a chuckle from Jelmay. “I can only imagine you as a landlord and what would happen if rent was late.”
Kudzu came out of the back bedroom, the kitsune now in her human form and wearing evening robes. Jelmay laughed again once he saw her hair was black. “You look like the Witch of Diyu.”
“I would mind my tongue if I were you,” she said, and by the tone of her voice, Danzen knew that she was deadly serious. Rather than tease her any further, Jelmay backed away and nodded at those still in the room. He yawned and departed, his welcome finally worn out.
“As I was saying, it would be by the grace of Sunyata if someone could fetch something for me.”
“Where is it?” Danzen asked Soko. “Your home.”
“For you? Just a few jumps away if you take the rooftops.”
“I believe I will just walk there.”
“Thanks again,” Soko said as she collapsed onto one of the chairs. She dropped her arms, and as she did Danzen noticed yet again the way that her clothing hung in shreds from her arms. He also saw a few burn marks that she quickly covered up once she caught him looking. “I have a way to deal with these,” she said. “But I need a few things. Grab a set of my robes, and look inside the pocket of the third overcoat. I will need that as well.” Soko proceeded to tell them the address, which was in an area Danzen was familiar with, one of the main ports along the river. “And don’t touch anything there that doesn’t belong to you.”
As he turned to leave, Kudzu met Danzen at the door. “I’ll go with you.”
“Not necessary.”
“Not debatable,” the kitsune told him with a half-grin.
****
Danzen left the hotel with Kudzu, the former assassin doing his best to keep to the shadows even if he didn’t sense any immediate
threats. Unfortunately, with Kudzu around, his natural instinct to keep a low profile was unattainable, the kitsune walking and talking freely.
As always, the kitsune had concerns about Jelmay’s plan, yet from what Danzen had heard, it made sense. By the way Jelmay had described the Butterflies of Arsi, five assassins with a flair for performance and treachery, he agreed that it was best to knock them out as quickly as possible. Danzen was fairly certain that Nomin and Soko would be able to accomplish this task, but there was a part of him that also considered bringing Yato in, someone with an assassin’s instinct. Not only that, he missed having her around. He had never been the type to consider himself a teacher, but now that the role had been forced onto him, it was something that suited Danzen better than he would have thought.
They reached their intended location, Danzen now able to hear the river beyond, the water lightly brushing against the shoreline. It wasn’t far from one of the bridges, Soko’s flat in a new development that had several buildings, all with river views. It was clearly an expensive place, and Danzen was not at all surprised to find security out front.
He approached the pair of guards and used his Demon Speak to deal with them quickly, and Danzen and Kudzu were instantly let into the courtyard. From there it was up a stone staircase followed by another, where they reached Soko’s door. He produced the key that she had given him and unlocked it, the inside dark, the air suddenly heavy.
Kudzu tensed up. “You don’t think this is a trap, do you?”
“Not at the moment,” Danzen told her, although he did find being inside Soko’s flat rather strange. There was a time not so long ago that he wouldn’t have put it past her to use the place to spring a trap on them. But for now he halfway trusted her, even if he knew to remain cautious. He told Kudzu to wait by the door as he closed his eyes, outlines taking shape. There was a seating area with a few scrolls on a table next to the armrest, a small kitchenette that didn’t seem to have ever been used, and finally the entrance to the bedroom, where he found a mattress without a bedframe, and a balcony that opened up to the Sakai River. He also found her weapons rack, the Witch of Diyu’s poisonous claws hanging above them like a trophy. Danzen located Soko’s wardrobe; with his eyes closed he saw why she requested an item from the third overcoat.
He could see the talisman’s Sunyatic glow. Soko would use a Sunyata talisman to heal her burn injuries.
Once Danzen had the clothing, as well as the pouch that Soko had requested, he rejoined Kudzu at the front door.
“Is that it?”
Danzen nodded.
****
As always, Danzen was up the next morning before the others.
He grew tired of trying to bend his echo in the limited space of his bedroom, so he stepped out onto the balcony and leaped onto the mostly flat rooftop of the hotel. A flock of migrating birds caught his attention as he looked up in the sky, Danzen aware that they were heading the same direction that he would soon go in search of the remnant that Nova suggested they find.
It had been agreed upon last night that Soko would stay behind in Arsi. This would allow her to track the Butterflies once they arrived.
She would also be able to keep her ears to the ground regarding
Penumbra and perhaps Halcyon, the society within the Diyu Brotherhood that had taken a contract on Danzen.
Now on the rooftop, Danzen was finally able to focus, and as he did he slowly released his Astra kunai into the air.
They gravitated around him, the former assassin pressing his palms forward, feeling the Sunyata energy radiating through him. He placed his hand on the hilt of the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds, prepared to draw his weapon. But then he remembered that he had since learned using his weapon this way was a crutch, that it wasn’t necessary. He also remembered the other thing that Sotgonn had told him, that the system that he had learned, the rankings generally used by the citizens of Kishu Kingdom, was just that, a system, one that had been watered down. According to the Dukha elder, Danzen had only touched the surface of what was possible.
What would happen once he reached that final rank? What would happen after he was able to dissolve the stone? There was much more ahead, and much more that he could learn once he reached that milestone. He hadn’t started practicing for it yet, but he knew it would come soon.
As he continued to bend his echo, Danzen imagined attackers swarming him.
He shifted into more of a combat phase, sending daggers out, yet not throwing them, not using their natural power. Instead he used his echo to modify and control their trajectory. The more he did this, the more he realized that his connection with Astra, and now his new sword, was an extension of what he was now doing. It was all related, all tied to a world where heaven no longer existed, where bits of the spiritual plane were infused into every object imaginable.
His eyes closed, Danzen kept at it, and as he did his thoughts slowly filtered away. He could have been standing outside his monastery in Genshin Valley, or outside his mother’s nunnery, or in the Panchen Mountains, in the alcove where he had once tried to challenge his father. It didn’t matter.
There was always the threat of his half-brother getting approval from whatever council helped Tengir Gantulga run Diyu, yet Danzen had stopped worrying about that for now. If Nomtoi came, Danzen would do whatever he could to bring him down. He wouldn’t hesitate, and even though his brother was much stronger than him, Danzen would fight back relentlessly.
Because he knew that was what it would take. Strategy was the only way for the weak to overcome the strong.
Danzen recalled the time when Nomtoi took his demon form, the numerous eyes along his long snout. Danzen had struck one of his eyes. What if he was able to get more of them now that he had his throwing knives? What if he was able to truly focus and do to Nomtoi what he did to Ginza, shattering his bones within his flesh? Was there a way for him to advance his power to the point that he could simply keep Nomtoi suspended in midair, tiring his half-brother out as he struggled to free himself? What if he reached the final level, at least the final quantifiable level, and he was able to simply dissolve his brother into a puddle of viscera?
The three kunai dropped as Danzen sensed a presence. He opened his eyes, half expecting to see Tengir Gantulga there to toy with him.
“The others are gathering, and food is being served,” Sansar told him, the three-legged raven’s black coat glistening in the morning sun.
“How long have I been up here?”
“Well over an hour.”
“It felt like minutes.”
“When you concentrate, time passes in its own way.”
Danzen lifted one of his hands into the air, toward his first throwing dagger. It quickly returned to his palm. Once he put it away he did the same with the other Astra kunai. “I should review the map that Nova has provided us.”
“I believe there will be plenty of time for that along the way. It will take us at least a day and a half to reach Tachibana, if not longer, especially traveling with Jelmay and Kudzu. That is where you wanted to eventually end up, right?”
“Yes.”
“And the remnant that Nova has uncovered is somewhere in the mountains between here and there, so that should work out fine. We can always speak to him by giving Timbero a call.”
“We can.”
“But for now, especially with the likelihood that Penumbra will be returning to Arsi after last night’s fiasco, we should head out.” The raven nodded a few times. “We will be safer in the mountains.”
.Chapter Two.
Jelmay insisted on taking a carriage as far south as they could, which he assured Danzen and the others was covered in the cost of their room in Arsi. After bidding an uneasy farewell to Soko, who would stay behind in the city to monitor the Butterflies of Arsi, not to mention Nyamdor the Firestarter and whatever would happen with Penumbra, Danzen and his companions left the hotel. Their carriage was aimed at one of the larger bridges crossing the Sakai River.
According to their driver, it would be a two- or three-hour trip.
As they traveled, Danzen kept his eyes on the city. There were numerous ways that White could spring a trap while they were in the carriage, yet he didn’t see anything suspicious, even if he remained on guard. Most of the citizens were indoors due to the cold rain that had started up. It came in waves, sometimes brushing against the top of the carriage, some of the water leaking inside much to Kudzu’s chagrin.
At least they were sheltered from it for the time being.
Now in her human form, the dark-haired kitsune looked absolutely miserable, the exact opposite of Nomin, who showed no signs of being affected by the adverse weather conditions. At some point in their journey, when Jelmay had gone on for too long boasting about his past exploits, Nomin attempted to steer the conversation back to the Butterflies of Arsi.
“You said that you saw them multiple times,” she said, cutting Jelmay off during one of his stories. “What can you actually tell us about the Butterflies?”
“Are you telling me you’re not interested in my fascinating tale about the time that Usagi and I managed to trick a takiwaro into showing us the grove where he grew rare herbs? You know how hard it is to trick one of these yokai? Do you know the extent at which these yokai are hoarders? Do you know anything about herbs in general? Or Takiwaro? Bah, your generation of humans. Well, all generations of humans, for that matter. No one is interested in the past. No one is interested in the wisdom of your elders.”
