Chapter 10: A Life-Shattering Revelation! Tempers Flare
This is how the war of brother against sister begins.
PREVIOUS: Chapter 9
NEXT: Chapter 11
Setbacks or not, this still has a chance of working. Nothing to it but to try.
Ryotaro and Ichiro disembarked from the ferry once they reached the dock. Men in gray-striped bandanas were all over the docks like a swarm of bees, loading boxes onto large boats. Huge barges had horses loaded onto them, all pointed port side. To Ryotaro, it was clear that all these men were preparing for something -- he just wasn't sure what.
Akane did say she wanted to talk...maybe this is a sign she's already given her approval, Ryotaro thought.
"Dad, I don't like how they set up those horses," Ichiro said.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Wait for your aunt to explain herself," Ryotaro answered.
"I don't know if I'm satisfied with that," Ichiro said.
"Just trust her," Ryotaro answered.
A mounted archer took notice. "Ryotaro Isesaki, correct?"
"Correct. I'm here with my younger son, Ichiro. Can you tell my sister that we've arrived?" Ryotaro asked.
"Certainly -- and I can do it faster than you think. Watch this," the archer said. He reached into a pouch on the side of his horse and pulled out a gray brick. He put it to his mouth and spoke.
"I would like to speak to Lady Akane Isesaki," the archer said.
"Please wait," a feminine voice answered back.
"That's...interesting magic. You know, one of our upper witches is experimenting with something similar, but there's a lot more wires involved. It's such a pain," Ryotaro said.
The archer grinned, "No wires needed here, just nice and easy like it should be."
But then, a female voice answered.
"Who is speaking?" this female voice said, the voice chirpy and cute.
"It's Umezawa. Your brother and your nephew have arrived," the archer said.
"Great to hear! I'm coming right away," the voice answered.
Ichiro was confused. "Wait, was that..."
"That was your aunt, yes. It heartens me to be able to not only meet her again after so long, but introduce you to her too," Ryotaro answered.
"She must've been really special. Why'd she stop talking to you, though?" Ichiro asked.
"She never explained why, but I suspect it has to do with her having to kill her fiancé in self-defense. She wasn't the same after that," Ryotaro answered.
"For it to have lasted this long, it must've been bad," Ichiro said.
Another archer rode up.
"Lady Akane will see you now," the archer said.
Ryotaro and Ichiro nodded, then they followed the archer as he moved at a slow trot. Umezawa and a third mounted archer followed along as well, surrounding the two Isesaki men.
After going some distance, they reached the front gate of Haiirosen, but this time there were far more men guarding it.
That's one way to protect against raptors, Ryotaro thought.
But Ryotaro was hardly interested in some fighting men guarding a gate. Before him was a small woman in a gray-striped half-shirt and cape, very short white shorts, and brown boots meant for riding. The mouth scars had odd X-shaped stitches on them, but she also had an X-shaped scar on her tummy; Ryotaro didn't remember her getting slashed in the stomach.
Regardless, Ryotaro was only too happy to see his younger sister again.
"Akane!" Ryotaro said as he ran straight at her. He wrapped his arms around his sister's waist and lifted her off her feet, then spun her around. Akane clung to her brother's neck with a great big smile on her face.
Ryotaro put Akane back on her feet, but kept an arm around her waist.
"It's such a joy to see you again," Ryotaro said as he ruffled Akane's wavy hair.
"It's the same here. There's so much I want to show you," Akane said, laying her head against Ryotaro's chest.
After a little while, she broke the embrace and noticed Ichiro. She gasped as she looked him up and down.
"And who is this handsome young man?" Akane asked.
"That's your nephew; his name is Ichiro. I meant to show him to you along with his older brother Rei right after he was born, but you wouldn't open the gate," Ryotaro said.
"Married to Haruna, I presume?" Akane asked.
"Yup, she's doing well too. But still, it would've been nice to have had you at our wedding. What gives?" Ryotaro answered.
"Everything will become clear in due time," Akane said to Ryotaro. She shifted her attention to Ichiro, "You know, I've heard some good things about you."
From Hina, no doubt. That sounds like good news, Ichiro thought.
"Same's true of you, Auntie. My dad says you were a brat, but you were loads of fun too," Ichiro said.
"Boys used to fight over me, but my brother would always come and take me away just when things were getting good. Nowadays, grown men fight over me," Akane said.
"Have any of them won?" Ichiro asked.
Akane's expression became morose; Ichiro just realized he had hit one of his aunt's sore spots.
"I have not been wedded to a man," Akane answered.
"Um, I'm sorry for asking that. My dad told me about what happened with your fiancé, and..."
"It's all right -- we all say things we don't mean. Now come on, we have some business to discuss, don't we?" Akane said.
Ryotaro and Ichiro followed Akane into the city. The strong but pleasant smell of smoked beef hit both of the Isesaki men, who were more accustomed to pork and fish.
As they passed through the streets, everyone pointed at them and chattered, muttering things like 'Gaikyo people' and 'How can she trust them?' and such. But a certain question was bothering Ichiro in particular.
"Hey, Auntie, did a girl named Hinagiku Kaneshiro show up here by any chance?" Ichiro asked.
Akane gave him a warm smile. "She did. I'll bring her over once we're done. Would you say she's important to you?"
"Very. She's the love of my life; I'm fixing to marry her pretty soon, once I get myself some land," Ichiro answered.
"What makes you think that will be possible?" Akane asked.
"Why do you say that?" Ichiro said.
"Ah, never mind me. It's just that when people talk about marriage, it brings back too many sad memories...I still miss Mamoru, in spite of everything," Akane said. Tears slipped from her eyes.
Well, Dad did say that the murder attempt was sudden. To hear Dad tell it, Auntie and this Mamoru guy almost never fought, at least, not in a huge way, Ichiro thought. The group then remained silent for the rest of their trip.
After a silent and awkward walk, they reached their destination: Isesaki Castle, or as Ryotaro knew it, his childhood home.
"Man, it's great to be back. Somehow the place looks even better than when I left," Ryotaro said.
"It should. The little lady's been doing big things with this city."
Ryotaro and Ichiro turned to the source of that booming male voice.
They found him easily enough. There was no mistaking that huge bald man with no shirt and green shorts, with a strip of gray-striped cloth on the front of it.
"Hey, Shuhei! It's been a while," Ryotaro said.
"Who's that, Dad?" Ichiro asked.
"My cousin. We go way back, but we've got business to handle, so I'll introduce him to you later," Ryotaro said.
"Your dad's right. Time is of the essence; there are things you need to know," Akane said.
Shuhei called out. "Right. I don't want to keep you from official business."
"Thank you," Akane said. "Now if you'll excuse me..."
The guards let all the Isesakis in.
#
The splendor of the castle moved Ichiro.
"So, this is the seat of our family's power," Ichiro said.
"That it is, my nephew. Takuo's son Gan'yu had it built so that fighters could protect themselves should the dinos return. He's a very foresighted guy, you know?" Akane answered.
"Wait, you talked about him like he's still alive," Ichiro said.
"You have a sharp ear; I think you should meet him. Considering his age, I'm not sure how much time he has left," Akane said.
"Where is he?" Ichiro asked.
"Right this way," Akane answered.
Akane took Ryotaro and Ichiro up two flights of stairs to get to the castle's second-to-last floor. She led her brother and her nephew to a sliding door painted with an image of Takuo and his hunting party cornering two pterodactyls.
Akane slid the door open. "Grandfather, Ryotaro's back, and he's brought his youngest son."
An old man wearing a kimono that had leaf prints on the right side and gray stripes on the left side sat at a low table, reading an old book. From the looks of it, the book looked like something from the time of the first settlement. It made a poetic sort of sense -- an old relic reading an old relic.
"It heartens me to see you again, Ryotaro," Gan'yu said.
"Likewise. This is my youngest son. His name is Ichiro," Ryotaro said.
"Shouldn't he be the oldest?" Gan'yu asked.
"I named my oldest son Rei," Ryotaro answered.
"Ah, counting from zero. You know, there was a class of scholars who did that when our ancestors were alive on Earth," Gan'yu said.
"Interesting. The witches tell me they were capable of great things," Ryotaro answered.
"And we are going to replicate those great things here in Haiirosen. We've already made so much progress in that regard," Akane said.
Gan'yu's face became sour. It was so sudden it shocked Ryotaro how fast it happened.
"There is something you must know about what your sister has done with this city. It is not the place that you remember; there's a reason Akane has spent so much time avoiding you," Gan'yu said.
Akane got up and left the room at once.
"Wait, where are you-" Ryotaro asked.
"Leave her be. I've said my piece to her, but she will not listen; in fact, she hasn't listened for the past decade. Now she's dragging my father's legacy through the mud. It's just as well that you and your father have come to embrace my mother's blue square wave. I was dismayed by it at first; after all, Isesakis wear gray stripes. Even my mother put on gray-striped kimono after marrying my father. But in light of everything, you've made the right decision."
"Granddad, what's happening?" Ryotaro asked.
"Akane has consecrated this city to Moloch. Child sacrifice has become an accepted norm, and anyone who refuses to embrace it is jailed, murdered, or exiled. There is not one family here who hasn't sacrificed a child, usually the oldest son. Indeed, Akane immolated her own newborn son right in front of me!" Gan'yu burst into tears.
Ryotaro went over to his grandfather to console him.
"It's all so unreal...no wonder Machida got such a horrible feeling from her...my sister can't be capable of this..." Ryotaro said.
But now Ichiro got worried too, as a dark realization dawned on him.
"Do you have any idea where a girl named Hinagiku Kaneshiro might be?" Ichiro asked.
"Akane did mention that she was holding a lower witch from Gaikyo as her prisoner. From the sound of it, her own father intends to sacrifice her, so that he may join Akane's cavalry," Gan'yu answered.
"Where is she being held?" Ichiro asked.
"Come off it, my nephew. Her fate is sealed," Akane returned with a brick in each hand.
Ryotaro glared at his sister. "Akane, Granddad told me everything you did. What possessed you to follow Moloch?"
Akane answered without a shred of guilt. "Because we have been denied a life of plenty, the life our ancestors lived before metal monstrosities took it from them. Lord Moloch offered the life we've been denied, and I accepted the price he demanded. Through his power, disease and starvation will end. A life of comfort and ease can be had by all, and to that end, I won't let this Republic's outmoded customs get in my way."
"But you're killing children!" Ryotaro said.
"Like you kill pigs for food? Like you cut down rice plants? Like how Gaikyo is planning to kill everyone in this city? I have no patience for hypocrisy," Akane said.
She slammed one brick on the table.
"Open a line of communication to the Onodera Estate," Akane said.
The brick crackled, then voices came through it loud and clear. It was Toya Oshima, Natsuru Machida, the other two upper witches, and a few of Toya's best fighters. They were holding a war council.
"...the plan is to besiege the city. Slaughter the livestock too -- we gotta starve them out," Toya said.
"Can't we just have the elder witches collapse the walls?" Natsuru asked.
"They don't have the stamina for that. We need them to fight the Tempest Archers. Once the archers are no longer a threat, we can sack Haiirosen itself," Toya answered.
"Let us spare no one. We have to send a clear message to those who would collaborate with evil," Natsuru said.
"I'd say we have about a week left to prepare..." Toya said before Akane closed the connection.
"They think they have time. How cute," Akane said.
"What do you mean?" Ryotaro asked with a sense of dread coming over him.
"Exactly what you're thinking: our attack is already under way. And the best part? Our people are already inside Gaikyo! This war was over before it even started. Now to give the signal," Akane said.
She raised her other brick to her mouth, but before she could say a word, Ichiro snatched it out of her hands and dropped it on the floor. It landed with a thud, denting the smooth, lacquered wood.
"Dad! The brick!" Ichiro shouted before refocusing on Akane.
Akane was aghast. "What do you think you're-"
"SHUT UP!" Ichiro struck Akane in the head with all his strength. Akane crumpled to the ground, but before she could reorient herself, Ichiro slung her across his shoulders. Ichiro's strength and Akane's petite size made it easy for him.
"Dad, bring the brick. We're going to the roof," Ichiro said.
"What's your plan?" Ryotaro asked.
"We're throwing them both off," Ichiro answered.
"Why?" Ryotaro asked.
"You heard what Granddad said. After hearing all that, killing her is the only moral choice," Ichiro answered.
"Speaking of which..." Ryotaro nudged Gan'yu, but he was unresponsive. Ryotaro checked the old man's heartbeat, and there was none.
"Sad that this is the last thing he sees. Goodbye, Granddad," Ryotaro muttered as he grabbed the brick. Ichiro sped out the door with Akane in tow, and Ryotaro followed close behind.
"Dad, which way to the roof?" Ichiro asked.
"That way!" he shouted, pointing at a hallway directly in front of Ichiro. The younger Isesaki ran down that way with Ryotaro close behind. He turned a corner and found a set of stairs leading to the topmost floor.
Ichiro climbed the stairs, and Ryotaro followed close behind. Seeing another clear hallway, Ichiro ran down it, then turned a corner.
Only to be met with a man in a gray-striped bandana and a yellow gi.
"What the-" the man in yellow said upon seeing the stricken Akane.
The man in yellow charged, and Ryotaro flung the brick at him. But the man's reflexes were quick, and he dropped into a sliding kick, saving the brick to fly harmlessly over him. The man's kick knocked Ichiro off his feet, and he lost his grip on Akane. The small woman fell on top of the man in yellow.
Then two other men in gray-striped bandanas emerged from the lower floors. They planted their feet on Ichiro and Ryotaro's backs and touched swords to their necks.
The man in yellow helped Akane to her feet. "You all right, my lady?" he asked.
"My head hurts like crazy, but I should be fine. My nephew hits hard," Akane answered.
"Don't 'my nephew' me. I could never call an evil bitch like you 'family,'" Ichiro said.
Akane peered down at Ichiro with a smug expression. "My, my. I don't know if you noticed, but you're not in any position to dictate terms."
"Should we run them through, Lady Isesaki?" a swordsman asked.
"Not at all. In fact, they won't suffer any punishment of any kind. All I'll do is force them to watch as the code they lived their lives by is torn asunder before their eyes," Akane said.
The man in yellow gave Akane a knowing nod. "If it's what I think it is..."
"Indeed it is. I was planning to hold the ceremony in a few days, but this attempt on my life had forced a rethink. But that also means you'll get your reward that much sooner," Akane said, laying her head on the man's chest.
The men pinning Ryotaro and Ichiro sucked their teeth, but Akane noticed.
"Understand this: once the ceremony is complete, this man is your superior," Akane said.
"Why this glorified errand boy?" a swordsman asked.
"Because Lord Moloch chose him to lead our city to victory, and you will heed his commands," Akane said.
"Right!" the other swordsmen answered.
But now Ryotaro had something to say.
"Answer one more thing for me," Ryotaro said.
"And what would that be?" Akane asked.
"What happened to Ryuji Oyama?"
"We have imprisoned him for attempting to kill one of my men. We have special plans for him," Akane said. She focused now on everyone present. "Take these two away. Send the news to the whole city that the sacrifice ceremony will be held today," Akane said.
And as Akane's men followed their command, the brick Ryotaro threw lay forgotten in a corner.
PREVIOUS: Chapter 9
NEXT: Chapter 11