Iki yubi

2020-04-27

One night in Gridania was enough for the shinobi. His mind was in turmoil and his injuries, while not completely healed, would not hinder traveling back to Shirogane via aetheryte. A mild case of vertigo maybe and a need to rest, but he’d manage. The others had already made their way back and it took much convincing for Lady Quillsong to do the same. In the end though, he wasn’t sure if she had listened or merely took a room at the inn. Still, his mind was set on traveling back to be by his master’s side and so he did. As expected, aetheryte travel took a toll on his already weakened body and the first thing Katsuro managed as he materialized in familiar lands was to vomit bile by the side of the road. At least none were around to see him in this state and thus he slowly made his way to the estate and into the headquarters of Hagane-kai. His goal was to first aim for the bathroom to make himself more presentable but alas, luck had other ideas. The sliding door to the Chantry of Shadows - Hagane’s work office - opened and the man himself stepped out. “[By the Kami, Katsuro! You look like you came back from the Seven Hells themselves. Come, you need to sit down.]” Katsuro tried to protest but he soon had an arm wrapped around him for support and was led inside the Chantry. The familiar place and the sense of security he always had when entering this room soon made him realize how tired he really was. Thus he let himself be guided to a cushion and he gladly sat, trying his best to hide the fact he was injured, though his right hand went instinctively to his left side when a sharp pain flared through his body. Something, of course, that didn’t go unnoticed by his master.

No loose ends 2020-03-25 Avoiding the Sekiseigumi had been fairly easy and he certainly wasn't going to stop his chase despite their order for the shinobi to stop. The fleeing deckhand was showing signs of fatigue and, whenever he’d stop to try and catch his breath, Katsuro was but a few steps away. The man finally ended up almost back to where he’d started - at the port. With the water at his back and no more pier under his foot, the deckhand turned abruptly to face the shadow pursuing him. Obviously, the man begged and offered what he didn’t even have for the shinobi to spare him. But to no avail. A cruel smile on his lips, Katsuro let his hands form the mudras for Huton, giving him supernatural speed, right before he grabbed the concealed kaiken at his belt. The deckhand barely had time to gasp as his throat was slashed open and his body pushed into the water before he’d even breathed his last. Without much emotion, Katsuro wiped the blade on his sleeve just as he saw a ship leave port; the selfsame one that had Lord Shodai and the others on board… well crap. Though it was but a small annoyance, he still had to wait for the ship to go whenever she had to go and be spotted by the shinobis of Hagane-kai stationned across Hingashi. A few bells later, the vessel was reported stopped in the Ruby Sea, near a few small islands, one of which harbored a fishing village. 

***

The night was clear and Katsuro spotted the familiar figure of Lord Shodai easily as he was leaning against some wooden railing, his eyes fixated on the open sea. Despite standing behind the man, the shinobi still offered a respectful bow. “My Lord, sorry for being late.”

Tarno looked over his shoulder for a moment yet returned his gaze to yonder, thus hiding his brief smile of relief ''You’re not late, you simply just made it.''

“I’ve taken care of a loose end that could have brought trouble when I saw the ship leave port. I do hope everything went well on your end. The Confederacy can be friend or foe after all.” Katsuro merely replied.

The kumicho nodded in acknowledgement that matters were taken care of before turning to Katsuro. ''I hope they're friend, because I cannot stay here.''

The shinobi nodded in turn to Tarno. “Aye, I surmised that coming here was likely not planned in advance. But… the Sekiseigumi are good, but not /that/ good. They wouldn’t have come to the port so quickly.” He gave a knowing look at the kumicho.

''I thought it was suspicious that it wasn't only one, but a whole squad. Someone tipped them.'' Tarno closed his eyes for a moment to keep himself collected, giving a heavy exhale while thinking of the possibilities. ''Unfortunately, Tora-Kai has too many enemies to count.'' Opening his eyes again, he focused on Katsuro.  ''At this given moment, I can't assure if this foe may be past or new… But what I do know is that if these events were conspired, then whomever it was must be eradicated.''

Katsuro nodded again, letting out a long sigh. “Of that, there’s no doubt. The challenge will be finding out who they are exactly. And the implications are numerous. If they were at the casino, it would mean they knew we would be there, thus also implying a mole. Or they have quite a few pairs of eyes all over Kugane, and that in itself implies a lot of power and organization. Someone not to be taken lightly. Though I can mobilize Hagane-kai’s shinobis to shadow us in our travels, it doesn’t mean they’ll manage to unveil whoever is spying on us.”

''All the more reason why I must get out of here. Without my scouts nor resources, and stranded on some provincial island in the Ruby sea, I’m at risk..'' He leaned back on the railing behind him. ''The others are off wandering around, Zephyr is nowhere to be found--- they're treating this like a vacation.” The man scoffed. ''Once we make it back home, I'll look into the matter further, perhaps the next morning you can round the others to head back to Shirogane.''

Katsuro raised an eyebrow. “Though it doesn’t surprise me of Lady Quillsong to wander about, it somewhat does for the others. If none has done so, I’ll find someone willing to take us back to Shishu island tomorrow. There’s nothing koban can’t buy around here. Are we… still burdened by the two hostages?”

''Unfortunately, but just one of them. The one we drugged was killed by Zephyr. The other hostage should still be inside Shiva's home.'' Letting out a tired sigh, Lord Shodai pushed himself from the railing. ''Please excuse me, I need to rest for a moment. And some time to think''“Of course, Sir.” 

Secrecy 2020-03-26

The barking of a dog in his clinic instantly placed Dr. Caius in an annoyed mood. How they had managed to pass clear of security to bring a pet in here was also adding to his irritation. And he’d just finished cleaning and disinfecting the operating room… With a sigh, he opened the sliding door and found a tall Duskwight Elezen woman waiting by the door to the infirmary, with that bothersome pooch. But professionalism dictated that he not let his vexation show and he thus resolved to merely lift one elegant eyebrow at the woman. “May I help you? I’m surprised no one stopped you from bringing a pet in here…” His voice was suave, with that slight Garlean accent - if the Third Eye on his forehead wasn’t already a dead giveaway. Though he had hair of white, the man didn’t seem /that/ old; perhaps some genetics were at work here. The woman didn’t introduce herself but she, by all accounts, seemed to know of him as she addressed him by his surname. She was nervous and it took her a few moments to collect herself and present a hand to shake. A gesture that almost took Dr. Caius by surprise, so used to the formal bow of the Far-East. But eventually, hands were shaken and seats were taken by the doctor's work desk. “You must be Lady Quillsong. Katsuro told me you’d come. As for the dog… next time, leave it outside with Galmr. For now there’s no patients in here nor is the operating room in use, so I will tolerate its presence.” Caius leaned back in the comfort of his chair, his sharp, blue-gray gaze fixated on the woman. “Katsuro didn’t tell me much about you aside name and profession, and something he wanted me to analyze. Though I would assume you made some tests of your own?” Zephyr seemed rather crestfallen at Caius' dislike for the dog, though she finally cleared her throat and nodded. “I am putting everything I care about in terrible risk for this. I hope I'm doing the right thing. In the end it doesn't seem to matter anyway."  She sighed and pulled from her silk bag a new book and a box; the book itself had a number of very detailed pages about the poison and what she’d learned so far. As for the box, it contained a few vials with a minute amount of the poison in each. Caius kept his sharp gaze on the woman as she unveiled what she had brought. “Katsuro is also playing with fire by asking this favor of you. His standing with Lord Shodai is of the utmost importance for Hagane-kai. But do not fret, I know the importance of keeping my mouth shut, both from professional secrecy but also in regard to my position as saiko-komon to Lord Hagane. I will not endanger you nor your position. If I may?” He pointed to the book Zephyr had laid on the desk. With her permission, he picked it up and began to go through the pages as she spoke. “The test subject was an unfortunate victim but provided extremely critical information. I could not perform an autopsy on her brain though…” Her eyes wandered to the bookshelf behind Caius, reading the titles almost absentmindedly, as the pup was dozing off in her lap. For a brief moment, only the sound of flipping pages could be heard and the very low humming of some machinery on stand-by in the operating room. As Caius browsed through the pages, his expression remained unchanged. It was focused and sharp, the sign of a man with some intellect and experience. “Rather intriguing… not merely the effects but the reason for creating such a drug. Unless it’s an unfinished product. Your research is very thorough I must say. It’s rare to find someone so dedicated to their work. I may be able to push the tests further in some aspects, not all. Garlean technology may bridge the gap between your methods and mine.” His pale gaze lifted from the book to watch the woman. “With your accord of course.” Zephyr seemed to find their mutual love of learning comforting to some degree, for the little frown in her brow smoothed out in the comfortable silence of the room. She cracked a genuine little smile at his compliment, finally meeting his gaze and keeping it "Thank you. I've dedicated my life to flora, fauna and medicines." She tilted her head with a curious hum, biting her lower lip. "Alone I could solve this fascinating puzzle. I have the skill and the patience to do so..." A brief look at his Third Eye. "But I am not one to hoard such invaluable information, and far too many people will suffer horrible fates and agonizing deaths. I can be proud of myself and my skills, but the people matter more than the satisfaction of solving this alone. Your unique perspective is absolutely welcomed and my heart is glad to solve this with a like-minded individual."

Caius offered the woman a smile as he closed the book for the time being, laying it down on the desk. “I’m past striving for fame and, how do they say this, ah yes, ‘bragging rights’. I left that behind, many decades ago. While competition is all good in sports and other professions, it doesn’t have its place when people's lives are at stake. That being said, I’m not clean of my own sins. But I doubt you are either. Though I must confess, I agreed to Katsuro’s request out of sheer professional curiosity, yet I’d prefer if this new drug wasn't in anyone’s possession… Something I doubt Lord Shodai would agree with, mm? How well do you know the man?”

"I… am not entirely sure it is safe to answer that out loud? Personally I do not know Tarno very deeply, though for some foolish reason I would like to. We hold a mutual respect for one another and... I suppose I would be inclined to protect him from certain threats because he is the lesser evil. The… poison should never have been a fever dream let alone reality. It is a monstrous creation done by a genius and psychopathic mind."

The Garlean doctor hummed softly as he let a few fingers drum idly on the top of the desk. “In other words… we can’t be sure of the use he’d have of that drug. If he even had plans for such. But sometimes, merely controlling it is enough. I’ll classify this as a no immediate threat then. Though the effects of this poison are unique, to say the least, it is hardly the only substance in this world to bring death. I’d be more worried if testing were still done or if this drug was merely a precursor of something else. But if Lord Shodai intends to keep it under seal, then maybe further “improvements” won’t happen.” His sharp gaze had not really left the woman as he spoke. “Dr. Quillsong, I cannot urge you enough to distance yourself from a man who sees so little value in your life. Someone with your knowledge and skill should be cherished, not sent on the frontlines. Obviously, your reasons to stay by his side are your own, I will not pry. I can only observe. But none in our profession should have to carry poison to end our own life.” He pointed to one of her glass earrings and the clear liquid within, something his sharp gaze had not missed. “That is the domain of spies and shadows.” Zephyr almost looked ashamed at the mention of carrying her own potential death "I am no lovestruck fool, I know none of the Iron Lotus likes me nor desires me anywhere near them. I’m a stranger in a strange world, trying to adapt and bend rather than break. It would be wonderful to feel far less and not want to protect him but, like an idiot, I do."

Caius could only offer a sympathetic smile before his linkpearl rang. “I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself, Dr. Quillsong. My duties as senior adviser to Lord Hagane beckons. Though I want you to know I am grateful that you placed some trust in me by accepting to bring your research here. Once this matter has passed, perhaps we’ll be able to enjoy other academic discussions over a cup of tea? I’m always eager to exchange ideas and research with like-minded individuals.”