Aki returned Koji's kimono to him freshly washed kimono. It had been a while since he had his kimono washed properly. He liked the soft feel of the fabric and the slight floral scent. She slipped his sword into his sash, " Come back tomorrow and I promise to clean it for you" she said.
" That is a deal" said Koji.
Aki led Koji down to the back door where upon opening it they saw a pudgy man with oily skin wrapped in a silk kimono. " Shit" cursed Aki under her breath.
" Who are you?" asked Koji, " I don't think the tavern opens for another hour or so."
" I want to talk to the serving girl" he said.
Koji turned to Aki, " Father?" he asked, he had more than a few run ins with angry fathers in his life.
" No, that is Takamoto Kaigen" said Aki quietly, " he is a lumber merchant, he has been hounding me for a long time but I want nothing to do with him."
" Then I will make him leave you alone" he said.
Koji turned around swinging his black hair back looking at Takamoto and his two bodyguards. He sized them both up, they carried cheap swords, they pulled them Koji could easily break both blades but had to worry about the oily merchant, he will either piss himself and run or pull out a dagger from his kimono and stab Koji.
" I think the lady wants you to leave" he said.
Takamoto flushed red, " How dare you speak to me like that you filthy ronin" he snapped, " I will have to teach you a lesson about your betters."
Takamoto's bodyguards stepped forward and Koji struck. A brilliant flash of steel glittered in the morning light like a great crackle of lightning, there was a clang of steel followed by a second to supply the thunder. Before Takamoto knew what had happened Koji was back at Aki's side gently sliding his sword back into his sheath. He looked at his two bodyguards, both ex-soldiers, they were standing frozen, the swords cut in half. The tips stuck in the dirt floor at their feet. " When a woman says she doesn't want to see you again, I think you should listen" said Koji putting his arm around Aki.
Takamoto flushed and attempted to sputter out an insult but when nothing came he simply turned and stormed off with his two bodyguards following, their heads hung in shame. They had rounded the corner before Takamoto began to rant. " I want you to find me mercenaries, good mercenaries not chicken shit like you two. I want six to eight, I want blood thirsty fuckers who will gut that cocky son of a bitch and bring his balls to me in a bag" he swore, " find me blood thirsty godless killers today!"
" Koji!" said Aki, hugging and kissing Koji, " you were so amazing, you have to come back tonight, please, please let me pleasure you all night."
" How could I say no?" asked Koji, " I will be back tonight."
Aki gave him one last kiss before letting him go. Koji strolled out of the alley and back towards the castle. He was smiling the entire time, Aki was a very energetic girl. Koji was really starting to like her. He strolled up the steps towards the back door wondering what surprises lay in story for him tonight with Aki.
He walked for his room and saw that there was a light under the door of Rei's room. He wondered how she was doing. He walked up to the door and found it was open just a bit. He looked inside and his jaw dropped.
Rei and Asuka were together. It was very apparent what they were doing as well. Koji had never seen anything like this, sure he'd heard the stories, even followed around two of Lord Hasagawa's geishas for weeks solely because the rumor was they were lovers. Koji kept watching the pair until they finished and laid down together.
Koji slipped into his room his sandals in her teeth trying his hardest not to make a single sound. He climbed into bed very relieved that he wasn't losing his charm. Rei had put a serious dent in his confidence when it came to women now that he knew the reason why he felt better. Now he just had to find away to talk to her about it.
Asuka slipped under the sheets again much to Rei's delight. Asuka's attention made her feel all warm and happy inside. It was such a joyous feeling to know someone was attracted to you. Rei tried to be as quiet as possible, she knew Koji was in the other room, but it was just so hard not to let the entire castle know how happy she was.
She was able to keep herself contained until the very end when a little peep escaped her lips. This made both of them giggled like little kids. " Thanks" said Rei, " I needed that."
" Me too" said Asuka, " mind if I stay for awhile?"
" I was hoping you would" she replied.
Asuka laid next to Rei and the pair laid back. Asuka wanted to tell her, she wanted to so bad the she could feel the words piling up in her mouth trying to force her mouth open. She wanted to but knew only trouble would result from it. But she knew Rei, who she has basically aired all her dirty secrets to, wouldn't turn her away.
Rei could feel that Asuka wanted to say something. She was shifting around and quietly licking her lips. Asuka finally too a deep breath and was about speak when cries of alarm started echoing through the castle.
It shouts of terror, something was very wrong. The servants rushed into Rei's room and found Rei and Asuka playing, Sho, a card game. " Mistress!" the first servant said, throwing himself to his knees, " its Nezo!"
" What's wrong?" asked Asuka.
" You must come" he said.
The pair got to their feet and were quickly met my Koji in the hall. " What is going on?" asked Koji.
They questioned the servants but couldn't get a straight answer out of any of them but they were able to piece together something very wrong had happened to Nezo and the main gateway of the city.
They hurried from the castle and fought their way through the shocked and terrified crowds until they reached the main gate. They too joined in the crowd's horror when they saw Toshiro Nezo. He was nailed to the top of the gate, long wicked nails driven through his arms. Both of his swords had been taken, the sign of his honor was gone. On the sides written in his blood were the words.
They looked up at him, a blood encrusted hole in his forehead. Before they could do anything their ears were filled with the sound of horses. Lord Oji had returned from Jota.
Oji looked at the scene before him, he had done nothing but take scorn from the other nobles at Lord Keiyo's party. This was the final stray. He looked up at Toshiro, a good but humorless samurai, and realized there was only one course left open to him. He rose up in his saddle and shouted the crowd, " 100 Ryu! 100 Ryu To The Man Who Brings Me This Fiend's Head! Another 100 Ryu To Bring Me His Weapon!"
The crowd began filled with voices filled with excitement and those filled with fear. Up to 200 Ryu would bring all manner of fortune hunters with a sword and enough brains to realize how much money that was. But that meant the city would be filled with sharp swords, long spears, and itchy bows. They will see him in every shadow, running down every alley, the city will turn into a war zone.
Asuka stepped forward to try to speak to her brother but with a wave of his hand he dismissed her without so much as a word. He next turned to Koji and Rei, well he didn't actually turn to them he just tossed a handful of assorted silver Taes and copper Shions. It was not even close to the 2 Ryu a day he offered but he was in no mood to argue with two mercenaries about their pay.
Oji rode through town parting the crowd before him. Once gone the crowd began to run in every which direction, some to flee the city, others to find whatever weapons they could to begin the hunt. " To Four Crossings then?" asked Rei.
" Doubt we're welcome back at the castle" Koji mused, " shame too, I was really starting to like living there."
Rei patted her satchel, she was very happy she had packed up last night, otherwise she would have lost her three spare kimonos. Too bad she couldn't thank Asuka again for the nice kimonos.
Rei's heart was heavy as the pair started out of town, again a woman she loved was snatched away from her. It was an empty feeling, she knew true love would never be in the cards now, she had chosen the life of a wanderer, of a mercenary.
Koji saw the look in her eyes and reached over and pinched her butt just right. She squeaked and watched him jog past. She smiled as she chased after him, it may not be love but she at least she had a partner.
Takamoto looked at the two men before him. They didn't look like much, they looked like common criminals. They were dressed in baggy plain kimonos, their sleeves were big to conceal weapons or items they would steal from merchants. Normally Takamoto would have his bodyguards beat these kind of men up not deal with them. " How do I know you are the best?" asked Takamoto, cooling smoking his pipe.
" Easy" said the first, " we tell you."
" The man I want you to kill is no easy mark, this man is a skilled ronin. I am going to pay a fine sum for his head. How will you deliver it?"
" We have a secret weapon" said the other, " Arajin."
Takamoto smiled around his pipe, Arajin, the name for the foreigners from across the southwestern sea. They were brutish, nasty creatures barely men. They were larger than men, stronger, and savage, how these two controlled them must make them good. " How many Arajin do you have?" asked Takamoto.
" Two, plus our associates" said the first, " we are a troupe of eight, so we are going to need traveling expenses. In Keiyo it is hard to find food for my pets."
" Fair enough" said Takamoto, taking out his purse, " what do you feed them?"
" Flesh of course" said the first, " they prefer men for some reason."
" They tend to play with the women too much" laughed the second.
Takamoto emptied the purse on the table, twelve Ryu, and a few Tae. " That should get you started" he said, " there is thirty waiting when you return with his head."
" The Lord has offered 200 Ryu to find that mysterious killer" said the first, a sly smile on his face."
" I am a simple merchant" said Takamoto, " I do not have the means to offer such a reward, but at least I know you I want you to look for. And I only offer this to you, not every idiot with a shovel and a dream of a fortune."
" Describe him" said the second.
" Tall, long black hair, red and white kimono, he wears only one sword but it a high quality weapon" said Takamoto, handing a sheet of paper to the men.
Takamoto had gone to an artist and had the sketch done earlier in the day. " Hm, looks a bit like Lightning Koji" said the second, " he use to be Lord Hasagawa's bodyguard."
" You know him?" asked Takamoto.
" Of him, we hail from the south as well" said the first, " they say he was a first class swordsman. Got the nickname from being as fast as lightning."
" Good with the ladies, when he came to town they all came out to say hi" said the second.
" Hm, I don't really care I just want his head" said Takamoto, " get it anyway you can."
" No problem" said the first, " consider it done."
They stood up and left the rear of the lumber shop.
The men were the Ikeda Brothers, Taro and Shin. They preferred to conduct their business in the south where they hailed from but one too many business ventures and they became too popular to stay. They specialized in making people disappear, either intimidating them or much easier just killing them and feeding them to their two Arajin. Taro and Shin walked through town to a small stables where the others were laying low.
They looked up as the brothers entered, they looked eager and ready to do some work. " So what is the job?" asked Shou.
" We have to track down and killed Lightning Koji" said Shin.
" Lightning Koji huh" said Kitano, checking his arrows, " he get somebody's wife pregnant."
" You really think we can take him on?" asked Yoshio, " you remember when he took on the Steel Spike Gang? There were ten of them in that tarvern."
" There wasn't ten" said Taro, " it was probably four at most, he isn't that good."
" How much are we making for his head?" asked Kieta.
" We got twelve up front but we got thirty waiting for us to get his head" said Shin, " Kieta how are our boys?"
" Hungry" said Kieta, " I was only able to round up some old drunk. They are also getting itchy, we need to let them fight something and soon."
" They will eat, and eat soon" said Taro, " let's get to work, Koji shouldn't be hard to find, even in a city like this. Let's start with brothels, then taverns, we should find him soon."
Shin walked over and looked into the stall were the two Arajin were tied up. No sense in naming them, they never would obey when you called them by name, only the sharp sting of the whip made them heed. They were laying in the straw. They had their eyes covered, rolls of leather were between their teeth which Kieta took it upon himself to file everyday to make sure they stayed razor sharp. The leather was securely strapped to the back of their heads, these two Arajin liked to beat at basically anything unless they had their bits in their mouths. They were asleep, again thanks to Kieta who drugged them, if not they would probably be roaming and probably would start to fight and they would be discovered. But all these little inconveniences were nothing compared to the advantage they brought to the fight. They would be more than a match for Koji, no matter how great his reputation made him up to be.
Koji and Rei were walking out of town to the north, the mountains were to their left, the rolling foot hills to their right. They were taking their time, there was no hurry now. Koji looked over at Rei who seemed very comfortable. He wanted to say something, anything to let her know that her choice was okay. He wouldn't mind, it would give them something in common.
Something was on Koji's mind, the look on his face was cute to Rei. " Something on your mind?" she asked.
" No, just wondering how far it is to Four Crossing" said Koji, " think we should have rented horses."
" With what the five Tae and three Shion we got, bet we could get ourselves one wonderful race horse and I can't ride" said Rei.
" Could sit in my lap and let me?" suggested Koji.
Rei smirked, " I would want you to keep your eyes on the road" she said.
" Could ride behind me" said Koji, " grip my rippling muscles, or are you not the muscular guy type."
" Nope, sorry to crush your hopes" said Rei, " I hope you can survive."
" Maybe" said Koji, " so what is your type?"
Rei knew something was up, maybe he wasn't as dense as he appeared. " I'm a complicated person" said Rei, " I have different tastes."
" Princesses?" asked Koji.
Rei laughed and looked over at Koji, he was certainly fully of surprises. " Among others" she said, " you knew?"
" I had a few hunches" he replied.
" I guess we have something in common after all" said Rei.
Rei felt good, she had never told anyone about this before. " Guess there are no secrets between partners huh" she said.
" None" he replied, " I have to admit you are the best partner any man could hope for" he said.