Chapter 6: A Dangerous Strategy! Uphold the Oath
Ichiro Isesaki learns of the Chief Witch's plan, and he is NOT pleased.
PREVIOUS: Chapter 5
NEXT: Chapter 7
My dear little sister,
I have no doubt that news of what happened to my village has reached you.
However, this was not some clumsy attempt by stupid beasts to acquire food; a far more malevolent hand was at play. The god Pan believes that we have failed each other as human beings, and so he has decided to punish all of us collectively. Pan's attack on my village has taken a devastating toll, and I am certain that neither Gaikyo nor Haiirosen will be spared from further onslaughts.
Thus I propose that Haiirosen, Gaikyo, and my own village of Jiyumura join forces in a second Savage Hunt, like our ancestor Takuo did over ninety years ago. Our family is the reason the Venerian Republic had survived its turbulent beginnings, and now, our family must rise to the occasion once more and march on the dinosaurs yet again. It is thanks to Takuo that Venerians no longer live in fear of pterodactyls, and our descendants will similarly praise us when the raptor and the tyrannosaur breathe their last.
I will be bringing another as well, a lower witch named Hinagiku Kaneshiro. I understand that her father, Kei Kaneshiro, lives in your city; it would be wonderful for father and daughter to meet for the first time.
But the dark months approach, so we must not lose these precious weeks. If we are to take on this crisis, a swift response is crucial.
Your older brother,
Ryotaro Isesaki
#
Ichiro Isesaki sparred with the other young men of the village. Yesterday's raptor attack came so suddenly, and without the Chief Witch's timely intervention, all of Jiyumura would have been overrun. For now Ichiro used no live steel as he trained with his older brother, Rei, and the session was more like trying to tag each other with the tips of the sticks than engaging in a real fight.
And right now, Ichiro tagged Rei for the third time. It was best of three, so Ichiro had won.
"I guess I'm getting better at this. Maybe stabbing all those raptors made things easier for me," Ichiro said.
Rei planted his stick in the ground. "Not just practice -- you had someone to protect."
"Yeah -- the entire village! I think we did a good job of that; it could've been worse," Ichiro said.
"More than that, little bro -- a certain lower witch."
Rei pointed his thumb at Hinagiku, who was just returning to the village center after taking a dip in the river.
"She hardly needs my help defending herself," Ichiro said.
"You and I both know that you don't care about that. If you were to lose her, you'd be crushed," Rei answered.
"I guess I would. Things certainly wouldn't be the same."
"So why don't we take a break for a little bit? Go and give your girl a good time; just be careful about filling her up."
"Even if I do fill her up, I'd gladly marry her,"
"That's the spirit -- now go," Rei said.
Ichiro handed off his stick to Rei and went after Hina. The lower witch hadn't even paid attention to all the guys training in the village square; she had dropped her wand and bent over at the waist to pick it up.
For Ichiro, it was the perfect opportunity.
Ichiro snuck up behind Hina, staring at Hina's short skirt. It was hiked up at a tantalizing height, keeping Hina's goods just out of sight. The skirt drew Ichiro's eye, and he knew how comfortable Hina was with him.
So he flipped Hina's skirt back to see some well-wrapped goods indeed.
"Hey!" Hina said as she forced her skirt back down. At first she was tense, but when she saw that it was Ichiro, her expression softened and her face reddened.
"Just wanted to say hi to my favorite girl," Ichiro said.
"Listen, if you're gonna do that, at least warn me first," Hina said.
"What's the fun in that?" Ichiro asked.
"You could've been anyone! What if I used my power on you?"
"Okay, okay, I see your point."
"Good. At least you pig-headed guys are good for something."
"Do you know what else we're good for? Kissing mouthy witches."
Hina pouted. "I'd love to, but I'm a little worried about falling pregnant."
"From kissing? You never worried about that before!" Ichiro said.
"I know, but..." Hina looked away, still pouting.
"Come on. Why don't you tell me in private?" Ichiro said.
"Well, I'm a little -- wha, what are you doing? Put me down!"
Ichiro has slung Hina over hsi shoudler, but apart from a few playful kicks, Hina didn't struggle all that much. Ichiro walked with her through the village center, and the guys cheered.
"Way to take what's yours," Rei said.
Ichiro headed to the family home and slid open the door. Inside, Ichiro's mother Haruna was sweeping the floor.
"About time you two got serious. Gonna put a baby in her this time?" Haruna asked.
"That's up to her, but it doesn't sound promising," Ichiro answered.
"I'm not sure I...never mind," Hina added. Most marriages in the Venerian Republic were arranged after the girl became visibly pregnant. The guy she was fooling around with had to marry the girl he made pregnant, and the families of both would ensure that the marriage went forward. Only about one in three marriages weren't preceded by a pregnancy, and Ichiro's parents were among that number.
Ichiro hauled Hina over to his own room and laid Hina down on the bedding. Hina's skirt slid back in a way that drew Ichiro's eyes and destroyed Hina's modesty; Hina didn't bother to adjust it, as she liked when Ichiro looked at her that way.
"All right, now fess up. Something's bothering you in a huge way, and I wanna knwo what it is," Ichiro said.
Hina turned away, unsure. "It's not because of you."
"What's not? What is it?" Ichiro asked.
Hina lowered her face, "This is so embarrassing, but I must say it. The Chief Witch didn't tell the whole story."
"Wait -- what did she leave out?" Ichiro asked.
"The real reason we're preparing for battle. The god Pan isn't the only threat."
"Who else is there?"
"Your aunt."
"Are you serious?" Ichiro asked. Ichiro was never close to Akane, having only met her once or twice when heading down to Haiirosen. But Akane seemed nice enough, and that sweet, high-pitched voice of hers was memorable for sure.
"Yes. The Chief Witch has reason to believe that not only did Akane kill her own child, Haiirosen as a whole is engaging in child sacrifice. And to prevent anyone from stopping them, they've built up an army," Hina answered.
Ichiro paused a moment to process what he just heard.
"Hold on a moment: Haiirosen is sacrificing children, and the Chief Witch is taking it slow?" Ichiro asked.
"She says their army is powerful. She wants to make sure that both Gaikyo and Jiyumura are ready to withstand an attack, and she wants to deal with the issue through subterfuge," Hina answered.
"We need to be attacking. None of this sneaking around crap," Ichiro said,
"That's just it; she says she doesn't want a reckless attack that'll get everyone killed. But she knows that's what the people would demand if they knew the truth."
"She's not wrong. That's why we're gonna tell everyone."
Hina tensed up, "No way. The Chief Witch knows what she's doing; we just have to be patient."
"Hina, you're a nice girl, and I love you, but you know that's a load of nonsense. They are murdering babies, and the Chief Witch wants to wait. We can't sit around while they cut down helpless children."
"I told you, she has an army-"
"I do not care if every demon in every world is backing Haiirosen. This republic was made to protect children from evil. If we do not march down there and burn Haiirosen to the ground, we are useless failures. Now tell me, Hina, what's that oath that every witch in VENOM takes?" Ichiro asked.
Hina took a deep breath to ready herself, then spoke.
I am a witch of the Venerian order of Magic, a lovely flower who adorns our great land.
Through honorable conduct in daily life and unswerving loyalty to our people, I shall uphold unity and order.
I promise to never harm an innocent or, through inaction, allow innocents to be harmed.
I promise to wield my magic in the service of our people and never for personal gain or glory.
And I promise to speak the truth, even in the face of certain death.
By this vow, I shall guide the people of the Venerian Republic to safety and comfort, no matter the circumstance.
"Tell me, is the Chief Witch upholding that now?"
Shame crept onto Hina's face. "No she isn't."
"Don't you think we should remind her about what she was called to do as a witch?"
Hina stared into Ichiro's eyes for a moment, then spoke. "You're right. But the Chief Witch has a point too -- we can't rush down there like some crazy mob."
"I know that. That's why we'll go to the one lady who outranks all of VENOM," Ichiro answered.
Hina smiled as it dawned on her, and she embraced Ichiro. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Ichiro kissed Hina on the forehead. "Only one slight problem. I don't speak the magical tongue."
Hina snuggled up to Ichiro. "I can do it for you, though I'll have to say everything from memory. You know the rules."
"Yup, magical tongue only. No common tongue under any circumstances. But maybe you can teach me a few words?"
"Why would you want to talk like a woman?"
"Because I want to know my woman better."
Ichiro guided Hina onto her back, and the two kissed each other all over, though their clothes remained on and no baby-making acts were done.
Filled with emotion, they did this until they slept. Only Haruna waking them up kept them from wasting the whole day.
#
Ichiro traveled to Gaikyo with Hina at his side. Everyone was glad to see him, and they all remarked about how cute he and Hina looked together, with several convinced that a baby was soon to come.
But the two didn't care about town gossip; rather, they wanted to hear what the Abbess had to say about the Haiirosen situation. After a quick stopover to pick up some dried pork, they made the trek to the Temple of the Sacred Flame.
Ichiro approached the guards. "Is it possible for me to speak with the Abbess? Kaneshiro and I have urgent news to share."
The guard smirked. "I'll send for her, but can you even speak the magical tongue? Why would you waste your time with that anyway?"
"I'll do the talking. I've memorized everything he wants to say," Hina answered.
"Then why bring him along? You're not allowed to speak the common tongue at all -- even as a way of explaining things or jogging memories."
"Because I want to be here. That's all the reason I need," Ichiro answered.
The guard thought about it for a moment, then spoke. "Very well. I'll send for her."
The guard opened the gate, but didn't go in. He gave instructions to a nearby Firekeeper in the common tongue; as he wasn't inside the sanctuary walls, he wasn't required to speak in the magical tongue. The Firekeeper ran off, and both Ichiro and Hina waited.
But instead of the Abbess, they got Chihiro.
"Kaneshiro! Great to see you. Please, come in," Chihiro said to Hina.
Hina walked in, and Ichiro followed close behind. However, when Ichiro reached the gate, Chihiro held up a hand.
"You're one of Isesaki's kids, right? From Jiyumura?" Chihiro asked.
"Yeah," Ichiro answered.
"What are you doing here?" Chihiro asked.
"I wanna hear what the Abbess has to say to my news. This is serious stuff," Ichiro answered.
"So you can speak the magical tongue?" Chihiro said, in that very magical tongue.
"What?" Ichiro answered.
"Exactly. We're not comfortable with men inside the sanctuary, so..." Chihiro said in the common tongue.
Hina went to the gate, "Just wait out here. I promise I won't be long."
"This doesn't sit right with me, but her house, her rules," Ichiro said.
Hina nodded, then headed back inside the sanctuary walls. The guards closed the gate, and Ichiro waited.
However, he didn't have to wait long. Hina returned, and anticipation welled up within him. But when he saw Hina's face, the disappointment was obvious.
Hina stepped outside the gate. "It turns out that the issue has already been brought up with the Abbess, and she has decided that the Chief Witch's current course of action is the most appropriate one."
"Come with me," Ichiro said. He and Hina walked a good distance away from the temple in silence, making sure they were out of earshot of the guards.
"I don't care what the Abbess says. We are not letting the Chief Witch get away with inaction," Ichiro said.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop. I'm not going to disobey the Abbess," Hina answered.
"Shut up. Children are being slaughtered as we speak, and you want to wait around. I'm sorry, but that is just as bad as slitting the babies' throats yourself."
"That makes no sense."
"Yes it does, and you know it."
"We have to respect the decisions of the Abbess and the Chief Witch."
"Don't give me that garbage. If they're just going to nibble around the edges, they don't deserve respect. And I know for a fact that you don't respect Machida at all. So maybe you should help me remind Machida of her oath. In doing so, you uphold yours; where in that oath does it say 'I will obey the Chief Witch, no matter how stupid she acts?'"
"It...doesn't say anything about the Chief Witch. Or the upper witches, because they agree with Machida too."
"That's three witches we have to hold accountable, then."
Hina sighed. "You're right -- I have to uphold my oath, even when it's hard. Otherwise, it's just empty words."
"Now you're getting it. Just so we're clear, we're not killing them. We won't even injure them that much. We just need some muscle and some rope," Ichiro said.
"Where do you plan to get the muscle?"
"From Oshima."
PREVIOUS: Chapter 5
NEXT: Chapter 7