.
= 1 =
"Talk to me, Scaramouche, please. What happened? What did you see?"
Tears welled up in amethyst eyes. "It was all a lie, Childe. All of it. Everything. My ENTIRE f*ckING LIFE! It… It wasn't Niwa that betrayed us. Escher was Dottore. He came to Inazuma for me, because he wanted to test the resilience of a Divine Creation. He mUrDeReD NIWA! Everything I did…" A bitter, agonised sob rose up in his chest and broke past lips that were pinched white with pain and rage. "They planned for a century or more, Childe, and I gave myself to them."
Childe's arms closed around his Scaramouche. "Dottore was at Tatarasuna?"
"He sabotaged the Furnace just so he could see what the tatarigami did to my body and when he knew how resilient I was… The Jester just happened to find me in Sumeru a century later and I toddled along to my fate as that bastard's favourite chew toy!" Rage was starting to overtake the horrified grief.
"What do you want to do?"
"Write myself out of Irminsul so that I never existed."
"…what. the. f*ck? Why?!"
"If I never existed then Niwa and the others won't become targets. Raiden Gokaden won't have been destroyed… The world would be better off without me."
"I wouldn't, Scara."
"You won't know anything is missing, Childe. We will never have met."
The boy's dark gaze pinned Scaramouche. "Do you think you have the right to rewrite my life? To erase the only thing that makes it worthwhile?"
The tears spilled over. "Childe… What would you have me to do?"
A vicious smirk twisted delicately pretty features – the expression that had so drawn Scaramouche to the young Harbinger in the first place. "Is erasure all you can do? Can you affect anyone else?"
"I… Why? What are you thinking?"
"I think you have a once in a lifetime opportunity, Scara. If you can delete people, why kill yourself? If Dottore was dropped from a balcony onto his head as an infant, he would never reach Tatarasuna and none of his plan would happen; and the Jester would have no reason to find you in Sumeru. If I stowed away on a ship instead of Falling then I might not join the Fatui because my father wouldn't have sold me to the Rooster. Little changes, you see?"
Wide purple eyes glossy with shed tears gazed into ocean-dark. "I see the only thing I want to keep from this life, Childe."
"Ajax," he said, smiling as unspilled tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. "I'm Ajax Voros of Morpesok, and also Ajax Kokkinos descended of Enkanomiya through my mother. I promised you that I had your back when I caught up with you in Inazuma and I always keep my promises."
Bewildered, Scaramouche didn't stop Childe unfastening both their jackets and shirts to bare their chests. A finger drew a sequence of symbols on each of them, the runes shifting shadows that spread from the hollow of the throat to the bottom of the xiphoid. Then he laid his hand flat against his lover's heart over the runes and leaned in to claim one last kiss.
"I look forward to seeing the new life you write for us agápi mou."
Sou empistévomai tin psychí mou
The runes activated with a bright golden flash.
.
= 2 =
Ei was very confused by the golden runes glowing on the torso of her prototype puppet.
She was slightly more concerned that she couldn't read them; it was almost as though the sense of them slid away each time her eyes tried to latch onto their shape
She couldn't remove them but they didn't seem to be doing anything either.
Eventually, she ignored them while she carefully installed the biomechanical systems the puppet needed to mimic human life and implanted the skills she considered essential to her life-model decoy.
It was a real shame that when she activated the puppet, it wept. She hadn't intended to give it the capacity for emotions; such things were unnecessary given her intent for her creation.
Still; the expression of emotion was, clearly, evidence of a soul and sentience that went far beyond the automaton she had intended and – no matter the atrocities she had committed in war at the command of a higher power – murder of another innocent soul was not something she was willing to do.
She recalled a magnificent subterranean mansion built on Kannazuka Island. Shakkei Pavilion seemed a suitably pleasant place to confine the puppet. He might be lonely at first, but he'd come to accept his situation; after all, the man who built the place long ago had been happy enough in his solitude.
(It didn't occur to her that just because one person liked to live alone, it didn't mean another would appreciate the same prison, no matter how pretty)
Miko's energetic arrival took her attention at that point. Ei set aside her work to attend to her beloved; and invited Miko to travel with her to Kannazuka. The kitsune was full of bouncy energy and enthusiasm and very distracting so Ei did not notice that she had forgotten to seal the puppet's access to the Electro infused into his body.
When they returned from Shakkei Pavilion, Ei went back to the drawing-board.
.
= 3 =
Forneus fell out of a pool of crackling purple-black magic and landed on his knees blinded by the light. Hurriedly, he covered his eyes with a band of Shadow and looked around.
He was on a low hill near a port, light snow drifting from a grey sky. From his vantage point he could see the masts and furled sails of a ship slowly approaching the dock.
He could spot opportunity when it berthed tidily less than a mile away. Eager to see what lay ahead, he shifted to his human form and let Ajax's ghost choose his actions.
He could feel the Tug that had guided him since Conversion
It had led him out of Abysm
It was stronger now that he was on the surface
The place it led was south beyond the sea
In a shadowy alleyway closer to the docks he found a man beating a woman with his fists. He beat the man in return and took the large bag of coin from his belt. He gave the coin to the woman and watched her run off. Then he took the man's memories, absorbing the language and culture as well as knowledge before dropping the corpse behind some old crates for the local vermin to enjoy. Snezhnayan seemed familiar but he couldn't think why.
He also wasn't sure why he knew about ports and ocean-going ships, but, as with all such anomalies, he didn't let it bother him.
Dressed in the dead man's clothes, looking no different to every other dockworker, it was easy enough to talk his way onto the berthed ship as a deckhand. He didn't know much about ships of this size but Ajax had spent plenty of time on fishing boats.
He could learn very quickly when properly motivated
There was nothing he would not do to reach the Tug on his senses
.
= 4 =
Ajax collected his pay and waved a cheerful farewell to his shipmates once the cargo had been offloaded at Ritou. He followed the road as it crossed the bridge linking Ritou to the main part of Narukami Island.
He didn't like Narukami, he decided. There were far too many people and that made him hungry, and the air was full of static charge which made him itch uncomfortably.
Happily, the built up area gave way to forest so he spent time hunting and exploring in his half-form. There were so many new things to see here!
Once his hunger was sated, Ajax found the west-facing cliffs. He followed the coast until he caught a glimpse of another island across a wide stretch of sea. The Tug he was following lay in that direction, so he leaped from the cliff, shifting fully as he plunged into the waves, revelling in the rush of water over fins and scales.
He found a bay around the south side of the island. As the water got shallower, he surfaced to see tall black cliffs funnelling him to a beach. He could hear the echoing sounds of metal striking metal but the sound was rhythmic so was unlikely to be a fight.
Water streamed off smoky grey-blue scales as the dragon followed the sound, eventually coming upon a human village where the people stopped and stared.
He ignored them
The Tug was right here
There! That one!
He accelerated toward the small figure beside an anvil, holding a hammer at head height having apparently forgotten about it as he gaped up at the unexpected dragon.
Something inside Forneus twisted sharply, painfully and a very human sob broke free of his chest. By the time he reached the boy he was in his human shape, falling to his knees to wrap his arms around the being who held his soul.
"Scara…" he couldn't sort through his feelings fast enough. All that mattered was that he was here, that Scara was here, and the missing piece of himself was in his arms. He pressed his face to the boy's chest and sobbed as memory flowed into him – the Rewritten Story and the knowledge of the first life the two of them had lived, hidden from him until this moment.
"Ajax…?" Kabukimono was deeply confused. He couldn't remember who Ajax was, but he could feel him deep inside his chest. "Don't cry, Ajax. It's alright…" He had no idea what he was talking about but stroking the wet cinnamon-copper curls seemed to be helping at least.
"I missed you, Scara, so much, but I didn't know who you were or where, or what was missing. I followed my soul until I found you." He didn't realise he was speaking the noble-accented Inazuman his Scara had taught him a lifetime ago.
Kabukimono blinked, bewildered. Wasn't the soul meant to be on the inside? Belatedly he realised he was still holding the hammer and set it aside, looking past the weeping human-shaped dragon to Niwa, who looked just as confused.
"I don't understand," he said aloud. "How do you know me? How is your soul on the outside?"
Ajax frowned, leaning to look up at the youth standing over him. "I gave it to you, Scara. I told you I entrusted my soul to you and waited until the story you wrote brought me to you once again. Don't you remember?"
Kabukimono shook his head. He didn't know much about anything; Niwa and Katsuragi and the other villagers were teaching him, but it was a slow process.
Ajax hugged him tighter. "It's okay," he said, deliriously happy to have found his Scara no matter the current confusion, "We'll figure it out; don't worry."
Kabukimono wasn't worried because he didn't know why he should be. In his chest he could feel Ajax – an all-encompassing sense of warmth and safety and strength. He didn't need to understand as long as he had Ajax.
Ajax's soul was butterfly-bright, fluttering in the golden runes on his body
What need did he have for a heart?
How could such a thing compare to the love and joy he felt constantly?
He had felt Ajax from the moment he woke in his mother's workshop
He had never been alone because Ajax was always there
.
= 5 =
Time passed.
Two youths matured under the guidance and open-hearted care of the community at Tatarasuna and in return they worked hard and learned all their mentors could teach them.
Kabukimono accepted the shortened name his Ajax had brought back to him, and learned of the experiences his lover had endured in order to reach him as the Rewritten Story unfolded.
It didn't occur to him to ask why Ajax gave him his soul
It didn't occur to him to wonder what Ajax used in place of it
(Ajax never offered the information; it could only hurt Scara and that would be cruel when Scara had no memory of the first life; nor of the Rewritten Story woven in the heart of Irminsul)
Neither paid much attention to the turn of seasons and years. Together, they learned to understand grief and loss and the true burden of immortality as their mortal family aged and passed into the Infinite, and slowly fell into the roles of teachers and mentors to new generations, maintaining the traditions of the Raiden Gokaden as they became the Grandmasters of the Five Schools with mastery in all Five Arts.
The people of Tatarasuna had long since forgotten the dragon in their midst; by the time three or four generations had passed, they believed their protectors to be yokai who brought blessings upon them simply by their presence.
(They weren't entirely wrong. The Hogosha protected them and that safety made Kannazuka a refuge; in return, the people's collective faith fed the kami no matter that they made no demands for worship or any other recognition)
All the smithing clans relocated to Tatarasuna as the years passed. The village grew into a town that welcomed artists of all kinds and successfully retained the kindly and welcoming spirit of years past. The town became a haven because the kami were willing to open their arms to anyone in need of a temporary sanctuary or a lifelong home, or anything in between.
("Anyone can become a productive member of society; all they need is a helping hand" Ajax told his people. "If we turn away a muddy orphan who then dies in a ditch somewhere, how are we to know whether they might not have been the next Master of an Art or a farmer or a parent to beautiful children? And if they do not – we have given the opportunity.")
Guarded by the Qoreynro Kul and the Tsukumogami, Tatarasuna was safe and the people well-cared for. Raiders and ronin rarely troubled the village, and always regretted it when they did.
Ajax built alliances and set up a network of informants and spies, including his Elementals – always five plus himself and Scara, so that he always had access to each of the elements. Once Scara's personal growth reached the point that he could share the burden, Ajax happily began to teach him the arts of espionage and infiltration he had once been so adept at.
Once he mastered his Electro, Scara learned to use Ajax's rune-magic. He began to train finches, seagulls and crows, breeding them for intelligence, and used runes to use their senses. His spies were in every part of Inazuma.
The primary advantage of immortality was the opportunity to study whatever caught their attention.
They studied engineering and biology because Ajax wanted to be able to repair Scara's biomechanical systems if necessary. Ei's design made him incredibly resilient and the use of elements based upon Orobashi gave him exceptional regeneration – but Ajax would be damned (again) before he let his Scara suffer unnecessarily.
Scara complained continually about having to know human sh*t because how would that help him fix a f*cking dragon – but he did it anyway, and expanded that interest into studying metaphysics and the hidden magic behind the elements widely understood in Teyvat. Mostly because he refused to half-arse anything, Scara became the best medic in Tatarasuna.
They used their knowledge to design rune-powered cannons which they placed at Fort Fujitou and other strategic locations set into recessed bunkers in the hills. Capable of remote operation, when, inevitably, war came to Kannazuka, they would be ready.
Sometimes they travelled, visiting other nations as part of trade or diplomatic missions. The relationship with Shogun was amicable enough because Ei had granted autonomy to the Clans of Tatarasuna to enable their continued peaceful worship through their talents – and Ajax was exceptionally talented when it came to making use of an advantage.
Four centuries slid by.
.
= 6 =
The Shadows of Kannazuka bowed to the Qoreynro Kul; the island had been his territory for a very long time, after all.
So it was that when men came from a far off land and built a camp from which they began to spread outward, Ajax knew of the threat within half an hour of their landing.
He knew what that uniform meant, after all.
<>
"Niwa Nagayama," The foreigner bowed politely, if inaccurately. "My name is Hedeon. If you will oblige, my Master wishes to speak to you to discuss a business proposition."
Niwa, in Inazuma City for a meeting with the Tri-Commission, stared at the man disapprovingly. He was tall and stocky, dark haired, black eyed and very fair-skinned. On his back was a black steel greatsword that buzzed along Niwa's senses. If that wasn't a corrupted tool of the Dark, he'd be very surprised.
Calmly, he turned to the two ashigaru and the pair of doushin accompanying him and gave them instructions in rapid Inazuman, acknowledging their bows, before he turned back to the foreigner. One of each peeled off, heading further into the city. "It would be polite if you were to speak the name of the Master you serve, Snezhnayan."
The man bowed a second time. "I serve Lord Sandrone, Second of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers, Master Niwa."
"Very well; I can spare a little time. You may lead me."
Niwa followed, his men at his heels like obedient hounds, to a teahouse partway up the long road to Tenshukaku where several uniformed and masked people stood guard outside a private room and a small woman with light-brown hair and blue-grey eyes was seated at a table within with a pot of tea and two cups.
It seemed that the woman believed she held the power here, Niwa noted. She did not rise or bow, merely inclined her chin in a faintly welcoming gesture.
"Master Niwa. Please sit with me. Your men can wait outside."
Niwa looked around the room noting the two agents behind her and the way that Hedeon was leaning against the wall beside the door.
"I will keep my retainers with me."
The woman did not seem troubled by that. Her people outnumbered his two just within this room. "As you wish. Please sit."
He did so, calmly unconcerned. His ashigaru leaned against the wall beside Hedeon while his doushin took up position at his left shoulder, left hand balancing the wooden tray that supported his pens and paper.
"There is no need for a note-taker, Master Niwa." The Harbinger was beginning to sound slightly irritated.
"Certainly there is, Harbinger Sandrone, Second Servant of the Cryo Archon. Whatever it is you wish to discuss with me will need to be considered by the council of Tatarasuna before we agree to any proposal you wish to make, just as no doubt your Queen's council considered the parameters of your mission before you left Snezhnaya."
Sandrone's features twitched as she suppressed frustrated annoyance.
"Perhaps there is no need for this meeting after all."
"As you wish." Niwa repeated the woman's own words. "I certainly have other things I could be doing with the limited time I have available."
He gathered himself to stand and she caved. "We wish to commission numerous weapons from the forges of Tatarasuna over a fairly short window of time. We are prepared to offer an upgrade of the Furnace to facilitate your capacity to fill our commission along with a substantial sum of mora."
"What sort of an upgrade?" Niwa was well aware that Mikage Furnace was at peak performance for a facility of its type.
"I am an engineer," Sandrone told him, her face betraying a flicker of excitement – this was a subject she genuinely delighted in. "I have been studying the properties of Crystal Marrow and have developed a means of incorporating it into the Furnace to strengthen the ore and thus improve the eventual end products."
"Crystal Marrow? That is harvested from the remains of Orobashi, is it not?"
"Yes!" Enthusiasm animated her otherwise doll-like features and she launched into a description of the process she had developed, forgetting that this was not a trusted colleague. She was several minutes into her monologue, helped along by a few educated questions delivered in Niwa's quiet voice before Hedeon coughed loudly into his fist.
Distracted, Sandrone's eyes flicked up to her guard dog, suddenly collecting herself. "…anyway!" She scrambled for a thread. "That is the nature of the upgrade we offer."
Niwa nodded gravely as his doushin's pen stilled on the page. "I will take your proposal to the council, Harbinger Sandrone. Where do you wish us to address our response?"
"Oh…" For a person holding such a senior rank, she seemed very scatter-brained. "I can come to Tatarasuna in a week's time. Will you have your response then?"
"That seems a reasonable timeframe, Harbinger." He nodded politely. "I have a meeting I must get to." He rose to his feet and turned to the door. Behind him, the doushin scurried to follow. At the door, the ashigaru held it open for him, conveniently blocking Hedeon with his body, then followed Niwa and the doushin, closing the door behind him.
Flanked by two men, Niwa strode from the teahouse and turned toward the Tenryou Commission offices.
<>
"Do you think they'll accept the proposal?"
Sandrone shrugged. "I don't know. I think Niwa was suspicious but knows enough of engineering to understand some of what I said. He might see the advantages."
"You should not have said as much as you did."
Sandrone frowned. "Selvaggio, do please remember our respective ranks. I accept your advice on this occasion, but do not assume you have any power here. You are an attack dog and nothing more."
The man chuckled darkly. "Sure thing, Marionette; by your command." His tone was just about the opposite of subservient. "I suppose you want your attack dog to track down that clerk and collect the notes of the meeting."
"No. If he disappears at this stage, they'll be alerted. We want to test the Furnace and the resilience of kami – and Tatarasuna is said to have two of them who could be persuaded to enter in the right circ*mstances. Those circ*mstances will be impossible to engineer if they are wary."
Hedeon sighed loudly, irritation plain. "By your command," he said again.
"There will be blood enough to sate even your appetite in due time, Selvaggio. Do not disappoint me."
"How's the subversion of the Tri-Commission going?"
"Hiiragi rolled over at the prospect of mora and power; Kujou wants power. Kamisato is a more difficult nut to crack, but we'll find a way. Perhaps I'll have you seduce the sister before she inherits her brother's position."
"You're ordering me to f*ck a woman?"
"Not yet; but perhaps it will come to that."
"But…"
"Selvaggio; dear Ninth… You will do as I tell you to. If that requires you to seduce a woman you will do it." The smug satisfaction in her voice clearly demonstrated cruel anticipation at compelling Hedeon's obedience.
<>
Ajax listened to the conversation in the teahouse as he obediently followed Niwa to his scheduled meeting with the Tri-Commission debating the best way to deal with the current threat.
It was interesting that Hedeon – Il Selvaggio – was his replacement in the Story. He wondered where he'd found that greatsword. It was definitely an Abyssal creation. As one of two Grandmasters of the Sword Arts, he was well aware that that blade contained an Abyssal being that was as sentient as his own symbiote. He could feel the demonic thing like a buzz through his back teeth.
He wondered what had happened to Dottore. His Scara was a vindictive bastard and, properly motivated, no doubt found a wonderful method of trapping Zandik in a worthless body long before he became Dottore and reached the Tsaritsa.
The odds were high that this Sandrone was a puppet just as the one in his memory was; he had never found out where her physical body was hidden. Depending on how closely she mirrored Dottore and got the Second's title, she might have a large number of puppets. He wondered if they were segments the way that Dottore's had been.
He switched to Enkanomiyan. "They're coming after us, Scara; she'll sabotage the Furnace with her poisoned crap and get us to go in there so she can get readings on the strength of kami. That plan will likely involve killing some or all of the Clan chiefs. She's also in the process of subverting the Tri-Commission – Hiiragi, the greedy f*cker, has rolled over for mora and power; Kujou just wants power. She's having difficulty suborning Kamisato but is almost at the point of sending Hedeon to seduce Ayaka before they murder Ayato."
He growled, annoyed on behalf of the corrupted Harbinger. "She doesn't even care that he has no desire to have any woman; all I could hear was her pleasure in the idea that she could force him into it. Bitch."
"We cannot warn them now," Niwa said shrewdly. "Two of the three will go running back to their new master, tails wagging."
"We can warn Kamisato, though; he can get his shuumatsuban into the Commissions to find evidence of malfeasance and treason since the power Kujou wants is very likely a throne to coddle his backside; it's not as if he isn't already second most powerful person in Inazuma – there's no other power to steal. For now, send your finches to search for any sign of infiltration; there probably won't be more Harbingers but there will be spies under every bush" He sighed. "I'm wondering how deeply Yae is sunk into the mess."
Scara smiled up at his beloved. "Ajax, we've had her mischief restricted to the north for over a century; it would not be difficult for the enemy to spin an opportunity that gives her what she wants."
"Well then…" He considered for a moment, cruelty twisting his smile. "I think now is a good time for Kamisato to repay some of those favours we did the clan seventy years ago, don't you? Stay with Niwa; I'll go and talk to Thoma and Ayaka."
A thought occurred. “Hedeon has spent time in the Abyss so he will certainly speak Khaenri'ahn. Keep away from that language. He probably doesn't speak Inazuman but Sandrone might. Unless we have a scholarly type land on us, Enkanomiyan is likely safe, though. The Sandrone I remember was wholly focused on her specialisms and had no interest in people if she could avoid them.”
.
= 7 =
The Childe that served the Tsaritsa was always contemptuous of the 'mere Abyss' which he called easy-meat to the horror of all but one of his then-colleagues.
It had been years – decades, really – since he truly stretched himself in a fight outside of the vicious sparring he and Scara enjoyed. He was almost salivating at the prospect of fighting Il Selvaggio. Fortunately, Ajax had never been a Fatuus or a Harbinger and was centuries older than the age Childe reached before he surrendered his soul and with it his life. He therefore had a great deal more self-control and wisdom.
First they needed to get Ayato organised – which wouldn't be hard; the man was a good ally to have and, against an overt threat to Inazuma, the Yashiro Commission would hold fast.
Ajax spent a few relaxing hours with Thoma and Ayaka making sure they were thoroughly advised on the current state of affairs while Ayato was at the Tri-Commission meeting with Niwa and Scara. Ajax was very fond of Ayaka, who had a charming sort of cunning of her own; and Thoma was one of the most efficient operators he'd met in two lifetimes. Between the three of them, they had an outline plan ready for Ayato when he reached home with Niwa and his 'doushin' in time for dinner.
"We've always known Hiiragi was corrupt," the Clan chief confirmed once dinner was served and the servants were out of the way. "It's the blatancy of it that offends me. Thoma, I assume you have sent word to our birds?" At his agent's nod he grinned, dark and wicked. "We'll see what there is to find in their paperwork and go past the Tri-Commission straight to Shogun."
"Don't," Scara told him. "Shogun will react as she always does because you will be going over the Tri-Commission's two-votes-to-one thing and we do not wish to risk you falling to whatever corruption the Harbinger carries or to the Musou no Hitotachi. Ajax wants to fight Il Selvaggio – we'll engineer a duel before the throne once all the pieces are in place."
The redhead slumped pouting as he returned Ayato's hungry gaze. "I know how you feel, my friend," he said faux-sympathetically. "I'm forbidden from challenging him until Scara's ready too."
He considered for a moment. "I think Sandrone's a puppet of some sort," he warned, the amusem*nt falling away. "Whatever and wherever the Marionette might be – that's a construct. The odds are that when we move, there may be more of her around or robotic spies we're unaware of. We need to keep any technological ears out of our business."
The Kamisatos looked around at each other. "What are you proposing," Ayaka asked, well aware that Ajax was capable of far more than most people ever imagined, even if she didn't know how far that rabbit-hole actually went.
Ajax grinned. "Well…"
<>
For the fifth time, Sandrone's spy-drone exploded as soon as it cleared the high stone wall that formed the property line of the Kamisato estate. It wasn't even near so much as a tool-shed. She shrieked in furious outrage and threw the controller at the wall where it shattered.
Hedeon lifted an eyebrow in mimicry of sympathy. "Maybe they've got some secret magical shield or something" he suggested, grinning. Served the little bitch right, in his opinion. Maybe she'd get annoyed enough that she'd send him to murder the Kamisato instead of seducing the sister. He hated the complicated games the other Harbingers were so fond of.
"What's the situation on Kannazuka?" he asked, because Sandrone hadn't complained bitterly about that site at least.
"I'll go out there in a few days – give the bourgeoisie time to talk it over." She huffed, deeply annoyed that Niwa hadn't jumped on what she was offering.
Hedeon held his tongue. He was fairly certain that Niwa was anything but some provincial hayseed or whatever Sandrone imagined to be the case. He wanted to see what these swordsmiths were capable of – wanted to see if Julmuutta could absorb their skills when it drank their souls.
If he was really fortunate, he'd get to see Sandrone get her comeuppance before he got to yank the Gnosis out of the Archon's corpse and take it back to the Queen, preferably while escorting a teeny-tiny pint-sized coffin.
Neither of them saw the shifting of the Shadows in the corners of the room.
<>
"They really have no idea about society in Inazuma do they?" Ajax asked.
"Less than none, by the look of it." Scara snickered as the pair curled together in their cottage watching the images transmitted through Ajax's Shadow-runes. "That's good though; we want them believing us irrelevant peasants without a grain of wit between us and merely unwitting pawns. All we have to do is look like Hiiragi and Kujou."
"Hedeon is a force of rage and hate," Ajax observed, watching the man's expressions. "He really hates her though; I have a suspicion that with sufficient provocation she won't leave Inazuma alive."
"Does he remind you of who you were Before?" Scara rarely asked about the Time Before the events that changed their world. He accepted Ajax's assurance that the life they had built together on the back of the Rewritten Story was a great deal better than their first life and probed no further.
"Worse, if for no other reason than that I didn't have that sword. Niwa's instincts were spot-on about that thing. I've never seen something actually Unholy before."
.
= 8 =
Tatarasuna's council was made up of the current Masters of the Five Schools, the two Grandmasters, and one representative from each of the Art Schools.
Thirteen people met in the Administrative Centre to discuss the proposal outlined by the Harbinger. Given that the Masters were all smiths, the Grandmasters and at least two others on the council were engineers, and one of the Art Schools specialised in alchemy – it really did not take long to reach unanimous agreement that accepting the Harbinger's proposal would not be good for Tatarasuna.
If nothing else, they had no certain idea of the effects of the build-up of tatarigami in the enclosed space of the Mikage Furnace. More than that though – even a child could understand that further angering Orobashi in such a disrespectful manner would lead to disaster.
<>
Kamisato's shuumatsuban carried out an in-depth search of documentation at both the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions, as well as searching the private homes of the various Clans that belonged to the Commissions.
They returned with a wealth of photographic evidence of theft, embezzlement, collusion, malfeasance of all kinds including taking and making bribes, murder; and, in Kujou's case, treason.
Kujou would be lucky not to be forced to watch the executions of his entire clan after this.
<>
Sandrone's ironclad anchored offshore and the Harbinger was rowed to Kannazuka Island by sailors all of whom bore the insignia II or IX.
Watching through the eyes of his finches, Scara frowned. "Do they truly think us so stupid that we can't read their numeric designations? Are we meant to believe that the Second is the only Harbinger in Inazuma when they tag their people in such a way?"
Ajax leaned into his Scara, enjoying the fingers running through his hair. "I expect it's more that she hasn't noticed. I know that Harbinger Zero is extremely clever; but he isn't here and so it is probable that her arrogance simply doesn't notice the flaws because she’s convinced that all people are stupid cattle or something. If she's anything like I remember, she despises the other Harbingers only slightly less than everyone else."
They watched the manner in which General Kujou greeted the honoured guest to the Encampment and had his adjunct arrange accommodation.
Ajax had a suspicion that Sandrone hadn't really understood that Tatarasuna stood aloof from the politics of Narukami and acted as an effective third faction blocking the efforts of the Shogunate in reaching Yashiori and Watatsumi Islands.
The General had been a guest at Tatarasuna several times since his posting to the Encampment eight months ago; the Grandmasters felt rather sorry for the man. He certainly didn't deserve the father he had.
(Ajax was quite pleased that once the ducks were all in a row, Kujou Takayuki would fall along with his Hiiragi crony – the trick was going to be saving the relatively blameless members of the clan)
<>
Later that day, Anemo sent an elemental messenger from his station on Watatsumi Island.
"There are at least three frozen spies at Fort Fujitou. I heard them talking about sabotaging the Narukami Pillars."
Ajax sighed. "Of course they are. f*cking idiots." He sent Shadow-messengers to Pyro and Dendro and poured tea while they waited. When the two appeared from the Shadows in the corner of the room he ordered them westward. "Capture and contain, if possible; Anemo, perhaps you can seal them somewhere within your district for now? I haven't time to question them while I have a Harbinger in my territory." He considered for a moment. "They may have heretical man-made devices called Delusions which grant elemental powers much like Visions. Be alert for such things because they won't necessarily be obvious."
<>
The following morning, the ironclad sailed the relatively short distance around the coast to the south and anchored in the bay beyond the inlet that cut deep into the Island. Sandrone and half a dozen uniformed minions rowed to the jetty and followed the road into Tatarasuna the following morning.
A clerk near the open gate saw the group and gave a tiny bow – utterly disrespectful of her status! – and led Sandrone to the large building near the centre of the town. All around, people went about their business without a single care for the dignitary gracing their hovels with her presence. Ugh. She detested having to go to such places, but she had her orders after all.
Inside, the large building was relatively dark, poorly lit by orange-tinged light cast by stained glass lanterns suspended over the large central table. Seated were three people, including Niwa. There were two guards by the door and a clerk seated at a small desk off to one side with its own lamp.
The Master looked up upon the entry of the Harbinger and stood to offer a small bow. "Please sit, if you wish, Harbinger Sandrone."
Sandrone ramped up her glare but none of the others in the room moved. Reluctantly she took a seat feeling somehow that she had lost points in a contest.
"I have come to hear your decision."
Niwa nodded. "Whilst the council of Tatarasuna appreciates the intricacy of your proposal, we see too many flaws in the plan to accept it."
"I'm pleas… What?"
"We decline your proposal, Harbinger."
"But… why?"
Niwa leaned back. "You plan to use Crystal Marrow to bolster the effectiveness of the ore produced by the Furnace. Your plan, as you outlined it to me when we first met, takes no account of the corruptive behaviour of the Tatarigami, nor the fact that in the confined space of the Furnace – which you have never actually seen – toxic gas will build up until it poisons everything. We are not prepared to sacrifice our land and the lives of our people for the small benefit you suggest should be achievable."
The Harbinger scowled, suddenly infuriated. "You– You cannot refuse! I will have orders for you within three days that compel your acquiescence."
Niwa chuckled. "Harbinger, there is no order you can bring to Tatarasuna that will change our decision. But you are of course free to attempt whatever ploy you envisage will assist your cause." The amusem*nt drained from his expression. "Thank you for your time, Harbinger."
She snarled, teeth bared. "You will regret this!"
He shook his head. "I really do not." He gestured to the door behind her. "Good day, Harbinger."
The woman turned and stormed out, followed by her entourage. Behind her, Niwa sagged, relieved and exhausted. "That woman is terrifying!"
Ajax patted his hand. "They all are, Niwa. You did very well. Go home and hug your lovely wife, my friend; you deserve the rest of the day."
"What are you going to do?"
"Make a Harbinger vanish so that the one left in charge is the actually unstable one."
.
= 9 =
While the Harbinger met with Niwa, Scara had plenty of time to swim out to the ironclad. Protected by a Waterbreathing rune, he could stay well below the surface and out of sight of the sailors.
The engines were quiet, the propeller unmoving for the moment.
The saboteur worked his way around the ironclad, one of the flagships of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's naval forces, suppressing the urge to giggle as he drew runes mostly for his own amusem*nt to see what the combination would achieve.
Two side by side along the propeller housing below the curve of the hull
Two more placed carefully along the propeller shaft
Two on the interior hull either side of the point where the shaft emerged from the engine-room
More scattered around the exterior to draw Electro through the water to electrify the metal hull
By the time Sandrone was rowed back to her ship, spitting fury because she could not start an incident at this stage of the plan, Scara was watching from beneath a pretty tree atop the little island that marked the north side of the bay, enjoying the peaceful warmth of the day.
When the ship was half a mile further out to sea and steaming swiftly along, Scara summoned the storm that was his birthright. As the sky purpled like a bruise and erupted in fury, lightning lashing the ship and the ocean around it, he activated the runes which –
tore holes in the exterior plating
ripped the propeller free of its housing so that the broken shaft spun wildly
the spinning blades shredded the thinner plating of the housing
breached the engine-room and setoff secondary reactions in the confined space
ruptured the engine casing, causing a fireball to erupt up through the ship
fried the sailors contained within the body of the ship
electrified the deck plating
The ironclad slowed dramatically and slewed around in the water before it began to sink rapidly.
Sailors leaped from the deck to the dubious safety of the water – it was only a mile to the shore of Kannazuka, after all – but they didn't fare well in the electrified ocean.
Another explosion rocked the wrecked vessel and a ruinhunter flew up, turning for Scara's perch.
"f*ck me!" Scara hadn't seen one of these things before – the few robots he'd heard about were on Tsurumi Island and he hadn't been there in probably three centuries.
"Oh well," he shrugged to himself. "Target practice I suppose." He grinned. This might be amusing.
He touched the rune behind his ear. "Ajax, the ship looked really pretty exploding but the Harbinger has a flying robot."
"What!? A ruinhunter? It has missiles, Scara! Make sure you can dodge!"
"What's a mis– Oh f*ck!" He dodged hard, flinging himself down the far side of the hill to break the sight line. "Not dead," he told Ajax hurriedly, knowing his Koishī would worry.
He ran, jinking and dodging until he could double back around, taking advantage of the rough terrain. Every opportunity he got, lightning tore into the construct, slowly wearing it down until, eventually, his overpowered Electro ripped away a large chunk of plating and he could see Sandrone encased inside the body.
He was really fortunate that he was small and fast and the robot was neither of those things despite the seemingly unlimited Pyro-infused bullets churned out of the rotary cannons incorporated in the arms.
He smirked. "She's riding around inside the body, Ajax," he told the air. "I'm going to see if I can fry her inside her shell."
"Portalling," Ajax sounded panicked. He staggered as he erupted from the glowing rune-set on the western beach, running hard as he followed the Tug to his Soul. "I can see the damn thing flying around the hilltop. Would Wet help?"
He could hear the smile in Scara's voice. "Yes. Yes it would." He snickered. "I'll get her to follow me down the hill – that should give you the broken area to aim for."
A few moments later, Ajax could see the breach. His hands moved, pulling Hydro from the ocean and hurled a ball of water at the hole. Scara spun on his heel, slipping as he flung Electro. He collapsed as his ankle twisted, scrambling to get back to his feet but it wasn't necessary.
Sandrone shrieked as she Charged, visibly twitching as her cage and all the connection points to her body fried.
The robot collapsed out of the air and crashed onto the side of the hill, gouging earth and rock as it rolled, crumpling further as its own weight caused pieces to break away.
The couple watched in silence, arms around waists, breathing heavily, until the thing smacked into the rocks at the bottom of the hill and bounced slightly before it rocked to a halt.
"I suppose we should go and check what's in there." Ajax sounded almost casual, disinterested and Scara grinned up at him.
"We could just go home and put the kettle on…"
Ajax laughed, bright and happy. "Come on, «Dii Sil»; let's see if there is anything worth salvaging."
Sandrone had not fared well. The anchor points that connected her body to the robot had ruptured as the construct tumbled and in the process pulled her body apart.
She was definitely a puppet: Unlike Scara, her body was not semi-organic; every part that they could see was a manufactured component.
Carefully, both because the shell was still Charged and because he had no idea what constituted 'dead' in this case, Ajax reached in and tugged Sandrone from the shell. From his pocket he pulled a set of small tools and carefully detached the power unit from its housing. Hopefully that would keep the construct in its dead state while they studied the way the construct was put together.
"What do we do with the shell?" Scara asked a long while later. He was just as much an engineer as Ajax and he couldn’t think of anything Tatarasuna would want the thing for. This was not a direction they wanted their work to go and the ruinhunter was far too large for the components to be readily recyclable.
"I'll haul it out over the wreck and sink it. Might as well give them what they expect to see if they ever swim down to investigate."
Scara nodded. "I'll swim out to where the ship went down so you can drop it in the right area at least. You call Geo in to fix the landscape a bit."
Ajax snickered. "I don't think Geo has ever been asked to fix anything in his life! But sure; that will be entertaining to watch."
He found a broken shard of metal rattling around inside the shell's body. He carefully reattached Sandrone's power unit then rammed the shard through the torso at an angle and deep into the unit. Applying his strength to the task, he torqued the shard until the little bolts holding the power unit sheered off leaving it hanging loose in its housing. Good enough, he decided, to give the impression that the shipwreck had caused the body's failure.
And if it wasn't – they'd deal with the Fatui when they next came calling.
Just to be on the safe side, he put Shadow-tags on both the puppet and the shell. If the components were ever retrieved, it would be interesting to see where they were taken to.
In full dragon form, he had the size and strength to haul the ruinhunter out to where Scara waited and let it go. Ajax was impressed with the extent of the destruction; Scara did truly excellent work.
Then he pulled the floating bodies further out to sea and called the sharks to feast. He didn't want the corpses poisoning the shore and leaving evidence all around.
The couple relaxed on the beach for a couple of hours, curled contentedly as they watched the sea and listened to Geo trying to persuade the land to repair itself to conceal the gouges caused by the robot's crash.
"Do you think he knows that Dendro would be more able to make the grass grow?" Scara whispered.
Ajax chuckled, fingers carding through his beloved's hair. "I think he's too proud to admit he can't do it." He sighed. The sun was starting to sink over the horizon. "Time for dinner, I think, agapitós; there's no sign that any of the sailors survived to reach shore."
Scara nodded, unfurling from where he was curled against Ajax's chest. "Hey, Itto! Want to join us for dinner?"
.
= 10 =
"What do you mean the ship never arrived?" Hedeon glared at the minion who'd ridden from Ritou to deliver the news.
"Lord Sandrone was expected back yesterday evening, Lord Selvaggio," the minion was wide-eyed and trembling on the edge of panic. "The ironclad didn't return to port and when it wasn't in on the morning tide either, I grabbed a horse and came to find you!"
Hedeon scowled, itching with the need to gut the man like a fish. But no… He needed to focus first. Irritably, he reined in his impulses.
The minion did not relax; he could see his master's fingers twitching.
Sandrone was never late. The ironclad wasn't dependent on tides; assuming it left Kannazuka, there was no reason it wouldn't reach Ritou.
What could stop an ironclad? Those things were fast and powerful and reinforced with… well, iron, presumably! Did Sandrone even make it to Kannazuka?
sh*t! If something happened, she wouldn't be able to convert the Furnace! He began to pace, not noticing the minion quietly slip out of the door, having no desire to be anywhere nearby when Il Selvaggio exploded.
Both hands went into his hair tugging viciously. He was going to have to contact the Jester… f*ck…! Okay. No… He needed to know what happened first so that he actually had something useful to tell him… He needed to get to Kannazuka even though that would be most of another day wasted.
Decision made, he spun towards the door. Hadn't the minion said he came by horse? Where the f*ck was the minion? He spotted a random Fatuus and yelled at him to find a horse.
At Ritou, the frazzled Harbinger demanded a word with Hiiragi and politely requested the use of ship and crew to get him to Kannazuka. Clearly enjoying his moment of power over Hedeon, Hiiragi dragged out the encounter until Il Selvaggio let the Abyss rise up around him. Hiiragi squealed in fright, breaking out in a cold sweat and caved instantly.
Twenty minutes later, the Harbinger was aboard a small boat that barely qualified as a fishing boat.
General Kujou didn't keep guards at the small jetty that served the Encampment, Hedeon discovered. Rather, his patrols included a check of the area. The Harbinger thought that was fairly sloppy given the jetty was a clear weak point – but it wasn't his job to care about Inazuma's military procedures.
The General was very surprised to see the other Harbinger at his gates. He explained that Harbinger Sandrone had spent a night at the Encampment and went to Tatarasuna the following morning; that was, he confirmed, three days ago.
A scout was assigned to assist Hedeon in reaching someone in authority at Tatarasuna where he was fairly well known. As it turned out, the scout was recognised as soon as the men got off the crane-operated lift and a lad scurried off to find someone with authority.
Unlike Sandrone, Hedeon didn't expect random foreign civilians to recognise him; he simply waited almost-patiently.
Several minutes later, Niwa emerged from behind a large structure from which smoke was rising steadily accompanied by a young man with cinnamon-copper curls, both of them grubby and sweaty from hard work and wearing similar leather aprons. Hedeon’s eyes widened with interest, distracting him from the problem at hand.
Niwa bowed politely. "Hedeon, wasn't it? What can we do for you?"
Hedeon tore his eyes from the pretty redhead. "Yes… Harbinger Sandrone did not return to Ritou. General Kujou confirmed she came here three days ago."
Niwa nodded. "She did; we spoke about her plans and she left in the direction of our jetty where I assume she had a sloop waiting."
"So… She left here?"
"Yes, and half a dozen of your soldiers that were with her."
"Oh. Then where could she have gone?"
"I would assume that a sloop would have returned her to a larger ship."
"There is nowhere around Kannazuka with deep enough water for larger ships," the redhead said. "The jetties are only suitable for shallow draught vessels." The youth had a melodious voice, Hedeon noticed, wondering how he would sound spread open beneath him.
Caught by the image, it was a moment before he remembered to respond. "The ship is an ironclad so it probably anchored offshore in that case. I didn't see anything at the dock apart from small fishing boats pulled up along the beach."
"There are violent storms around the coastline, as I'm sure you know. Perhaps a metal ship fell afoul of an Electro-storm – assuming that the name isn'tpoetic."
"Ironclad? No; the hull is plated in iron or steel – there's nothing poetic about those things!" Hedeon smiled, deciding he liked the slim yet muscular build nearly as much as the pretty features.
"Do you have some means of tracking your ships? We have heard that Snezhnaya and Fontaine are very advanced in terms of technology."
"That… Perhaps." Hedeon conceded that was a useful suggestion; he had no idea – weapons don't usually need to know much about technicalities. "Thank you! You've been very helpful." He smiled at the redhead again, trying to restrain his urges long enough to get back to Ritou and make his report to the Jester. "Um… Hopefully we can maybe meet up in the city at some point?"
The young man offered a sweet smile, and Hedeon felt his heart tremble. "I don't get to the city very often, but if I do I'll be sure to bear that in mind."
Hedeon managed two long inhales, violently suppressing the urge to spin out the conversation when he had no reason to do so. He didn't want to appear too eager after all! He nodded politely and turned away, letting the Kujou scout escort him back to the docks.
<>
"He what? You f*cking what?!"
Ajax snickered into his lover's hair. "I think he was trying to ask me out if I go the city at some point."
"You didn't have to encourage him!"
"I know. But it's funny!"
"Ajax!"
He laughed again, one hand flat against the golden runes on Scara's chest, the fingers of the other hand brushing the matching set on his own torso. "You know I am yours, agapitós; my soul literally belongs to you. But… It was so funny. He's such an angry person, and so terribly out of his depth trying to investigate a disappearing ship without torturing answers out of everyone between here and Ritou – and then he took one look at me and never took his eyes away after that. I think if I had patted my leg he'd have heeled for me."
Scara snickered, finally relaxing. " Eímai dikós sou kai eísai dikós mou, agapiméni," he agreed. "Perhaps we can arrange to see him actually crawl to your command before you duel him."
.
= 11 =
Hedeon found somewhere quiet along the shore of Narukami from which to contact the Jester.
"Jester. Sandrone has vanished along with the ironclad."
"…what the f*ck?"
Hedeon opened his mouth to repeat himself but was interrupted. "Selvaggio, what happened?"
"I don't actually know, sir. She had a fairly short meeting with the smith, Niwa, in Inzuma City a week and a half ago. He said he had to take her proposals for the Furnace to the town council. They agreed a week would be enough and she went to Tatarasuna four days ago. I've just come back from there: General Kujou confirmed she overnighted at his base, Niwa confirmed she was at Tatarasuna a few days ago and returned to the ship. Someone else suggested that the coast is riddled with Electro-storms and that a ship covered in metal plating might be vulnerable. He wasn't wrong about that, by the way; the storms are impressive." He dragged his thoughts back under control before pretty copper curls could steal his attention. "It seems likely that the ironclad went down with all hands at some point on the return trip, sir."
"f*cking hell." The Jester rarely cursed; Hedeon felt that he'd won a prize for getting him to do it twice already in just one verbal report.
“Who suggested Sandrone should go to Tatarasuna?”
“She did, sir. I was in the room for that meeting. Niwa asked where he should direct the council’s response and she said she’d go to him.”
"Are there any other witnesses to what happened?"
"Not that I know of, sir. The Encampment patrols cover their jetty but there isn't a permanent watch. One of the villagers said all the jetties are shallow-draught only so probably the ship was further out at sea and Sandrone and her escort would have been rowed to shore. Since there were no rowboats either, whatever happened must have been at sea."
"Did you ask if anyone saw a storm? Presumably such things are obvious enough to have attracted notice at least."
"Oh… No I didn't ask. Sorry."
"Selvaggio –" The Director sighed. This was the disadvantage of the man being a mostly uneducated barbarian. "Never mind; I know you are not trained for investigation and diplomacy. Return to your base for now; I'll get someone out to Inazuma as soon as possible."
"Yes sir. Sir, is there some way of tracking the ship? If it sank, presumably a tracker would still be active."
"That… is a good idea. I will look into it and come back to you."
Hedeon smiled at the compliment as he dropped the conversation. He was rarely praised for anything other than bloody slaughter so it made a nice change.
It was particularly pleasant to think that so attractive a man had given him the suggestion – an inadvertent kindness that Hedeon appreciated. It was odd that he really wanted to keep the younger man close.
Julmuutta’s multilayered voice vibrated in his mind. *Do not give your trust so easily, child, lest you stray from the path set out for you*
Hedeon pouted. *I know my path. There's no reason I can't have fun on the way*
Julmuutta didn't sound convinced. *Be wary. You have a purpose that goes beyond mortal interests*
*Can you sense something I need to know about?*
*No,* Julmuutta admitted. *He has an elemental signature but you did not see a Vision; and he was standing beside the smith as though he is a person of rank despite seeming no different than any other resident.* The voice shifted to that of a snide, spiteful female. *Perhaps he is Niwa’s pet*
Hedeon snarled. He hated that voice, as much as the younger one now giggling as Hedeon’s heart twisted painfully.
*Then I will dispose of the smith,* Hedeon declared. *I will take what I want and be damned the Conventions of the Thrones*
Julmuutta chose not to respond, which usually meant it was waiting for him to get over himself again.
Hedeon turned for the path that led up to the highway into the city, his attention on the increasingly lurid fantasy playing out behind his eyes.
Guts spilling over the cobbled street; Niwa's blood pooling in the dust
Tearful, frightened blue eyes and sweet lips framed by red curls
f*cking his grieving prize in the bed of his defeated rival
His prize, collared and worshipful at his feet
as the population knelt before their new overlord
He barely noticed the small pack of ronin he butchered after they tried to rob him. There was no challenge in such pathetic creatures.
He wondered if Niwa was a fighter. Probably not, he thought; presumably it took time and effort to become a master smith, and Hedeon knew that physical strength didn't necessarily make a fighter. It would be a shame if he wasn't, though. It would be much better to win his prize in a fair contest. He wanted his pretty flame to feel he had been won in fierce combat.
It occurred to him that his redhead was also a smith and probably not a fighter; perhaps he was a protégé or student. He was dressed like Niwa, and covered in similar smudges and sweat. Did he prefer an older civilian lover? Surely not! Someone that caught Hedeon’s eye with this degree of intensity must be a match for Hedeon's fierceness; anything less would be terribly disappointing.
He smiled as he walked, imagining all the ways he would take his prize – all the ways the boy would submit and beg…
Even better, Sandrone was disappeared and hopefully drowned. If she wasn't dead, at least her disappearance would earn punishment from the Jester.
He would have liked to watch her die, but this was good too.
Today was a very good day.
.
= 12 =
The Jester arrived at the Fatui camp north west of Grand Narukami Shrine three days later, accompanied by three of Sandrone's engineers and a team of four divers.
Selvaggio was stripped down to the waist, his greatsword leaning against the water barrel he was dunking his head into following a morning of sparring with the agents as a means of alleviating his boredom. He spun around as he registered the sound of the gate opening, Julmutta flying into his hands before he realised who was coming through.
Along with everyone else in the area, he went to his knee, head bowed, because even he did wasn't arrogant enough to stand before the Right Hand of the Tsaritsa.
The portal closed as the Jester strode forward. "All rise," he ordered. "Be about your tasks."
Hedeon rose to his feet. "My Lord."
"Selvaggio. I assume you are keeping your urges under control."
"Yes sir. I was just sparring with the agents while I waited."
"We will require a vessel capable of carrying the engineers and divers and their equipment."
Selvaggio nodded and waved over one of the agents to relay the order. As the woman trotted off to speak to the engineers, he gestured to the Director. "My tent is this way."
"I will want to see Sandrone's records and any reports she had not yet filed."
"I have copies of everything filed, and the originals of everything else in a courier box, sir; I assumed whoever came to pick up the mission would need them."
The Director gave the man an approving nod. Selvaggio was… not good… at administrative tasks; that he had considered this requirement and acted on it spoke well of the seriousness with which he was taking the mission generally.
The Director settled at a table outside the tent to update himself from Sandrone's dry reports, slightly surprised at the hints of annoyance reflected in her description of the initial meeting with the Master Smith, Niwa Nagayama. Her reports rarely showed even a hint of emotional engagement.
It was unfortunate, he reflected, that Sandrone's arrogance and lack of diplomatic capacity meant she paid little attention to nuance. He was sure that there was more to know of that meeting had the Second been able to see it.
He paid no attention to the pair of finches cuddled together atop the tent cross-pole, nor that they flew away when a crow chose to steal their perch.
<>
"My spies report newcomers to the Fatui camp north west of Yae's shrine," Scara told Ajax the moment he walked through the door that evening.
"Well hello to you too!" Ajax leaned in to peck a kiss to the corner of Scara's mouth.
"They came through a rune-portal, Ajax! There's an older man in a mask and a bunch of civilian-looking types with boxes of equipment."
"Oh?" Scara followed as Ajax went into their bedroom, shedding clothes into the wash-basket before turning for the bathroom.
"The older man… He's quite tall and bulky, white hair worn long and a short-clipped beard, wearing ornate clothes and a heavy coat. The mask covers half his face. It's black and blue and dark gold and looks like a horn spike on the right side – like a half-mask of a demon."
Ajax choked. "The Jester? The Director is here? Oh f*ck." He paced, pushing down the rising panic. "Send birds to our allies, Scara; we need them to keep their heads down now. Warn Yae too; I'd rather the devil we know than losing her to the Harbingers. They'll be coming to Kannazuka to investigate Sandrone in the next day or so; we'll send Niwa and the children and students to Watatsumi."
"Is it really that bad?"
Ajax smiled at his worried lover. "Koishī, I never saw him fight, but he is the Tsaritsa's Mage; he was the Royal Mage of Khaenri'ah and was strong enough to survive the Cataclysm. I have never doubted he would kick my arse up into my chest cavity. He is one of two people in all Teyvat that is not technically a god I doubt I could beat."
Violet eyes blinked, considering, then Scara lifted Ajax's hand and pressed it to his chest over the golden runes. "Eísai dikós mou, Ajax. You made me the guardian of your soul and I won't let them have you."
Ajax leaned in to slow kisses. "I know, Scara; gia pánta dikó sas."
<>
The sloop berthed at the jetty three days later, disgorging the two Harbingers who followed the path to the town.
Tatarasuna was quiet today under a blanket of threatening cloud and the rumbling beginnings of a thunderstorm.
The pretty redhead was waiting at the open gate at the top of the path from the shore, propped casually against an impressively solid post. Hedeon felt himself lighten at the sight of the boy, a small smile rising.
"Good morning, Hedeon and guest," the redhead said, straightening and returning the smile. "What can Tatarasuna do for you this stormy day?"
"This is my boss," Hedeon said, smiling. "He had questions about Sandrone and the ironclad."
"Oh? I thought we answered your questions last time you visited us, Hedeon." He looked up at the Harbinger from beneath his cinnamon-copper bangs and Hedeon felt himself melt before he dragged his attention back to the matter at hand. He couldn't afford to anger the Jester right now.
"Unfortunately, whatever happened to our colleague occurred before she could file her report of her second meeting with Master Niwa," the Jester said, his deep voice a calm rumble. "We would like to speak to him to confirm the position."
"Niwa is away on business at present," the redhead turned his dark eyes towards the senior Harbinger. "I can confirm the decision if you wish."
"What status do you hold in Tatarasuna?" The Jester paused. "I don't believe I know your name."
"I don't know yours either," the boy pointed out, bowing in the Inazuman fashion. "My name is Ajax, and I am a smith."
The Director's frown deepened slightly. "How is it that you are privy to the council's decisions?"
"Many of us are, Harbinger."
Oddly, the Jester felt himself relaxing minutely. The young man seemed genuine enough. "What was the decision?"
"That we declined Harbinger Sandrone's offer. The proposal outlined to Master Niwa did not take account of the risk of tatarigami build-up, which would be a serious issue in the relatively confined space of the Furnace, and the risk to Kannazuka Island was therefore far greater than the potential advantage."
"You… refused?" Hedeon sounded disbelieving.
Ajax smirked up at him. "Do your people so rarely suffer from…" the grin widened "Performance issues?" Hedeon's eyes widened at the cheek and he returned the smile, very amused by his prize's wit.
"Very well," the Director said, forbiddingly serious. "Thank you for the confirmation. Did you see any sign of a storm the day our colleague visited?"
"Probably; I don't specifically recall the weather that day from any other – we get storms almost daily." The boy gestured vaguely skyward to the steadily darkening clouds overhead. "The Eternal Archon blesses us frequently, and Her storms guard our shores."
"Hm. How do people manage to tend the fields if they are at constant risk of lightning strikes?"
"What choice is there? We must grow crops or raise livestock or fish or we do not eat; the risk is irrelevant to the prospects of famine."
Hedeon couldn't resist satisfying his curiosity now that the conversation had moved past the immediate requirement for mission-related intelligence. "Is your Niwa a fighter, Ajax?"
"A fighter? No of course not; he's a Master of the Isshin Art as have been most of his ancestors for at least four centuries."
"Oh." Ajax thought the warrior sounded very disappointed.
"Why do you ask?"
"I wanted to fight him."
Ajax frowned. "Whatever for? He's a smith nearing middle-age; you're obviously a fighter in the prime of life. That would surely be no contest."
To Ajax's great amusem*nt, the Harbinger blushed. "…I wanted to win you."
"Me? What do I have to do with anything? Wait… win me? I'm not a prize cow or something you know. I don't belong to Niwa!"
Overhead, lightning cracked, violently angry, the purple-white corona around the clouds blazing with pulsing Electro. Ajax looked up, eyes wide."
"You… don't?"
"Well of course not! People don't own people in Inazuma, you know." The pretty features twisted in disgust. "You have slaves in Snezhnaya?"
"We do not," the Director confirmed. "Our people are expected to be productive but they are not slaves. Selvaggio, we should return to the boat if this storm is about to break."
"Yes… Um. Nice to see you again, Ajax!" He gave a tentative smile, relieved that the smith wasn't the boy's keeper. Surely someone worthwhile claimed him though? Hedeon couldn't believe someone so pretty didn't have a lover.
The boy returned the smile. "I don't recommend you go far from shore, Harbingers."
<>
"What was that for, Scara? You haven't lost control like that in centuries."
"I own you, Ajax, not Niwa or anyone else."
"You hold my soul, Scara; you don't own me either. Devotion is a choice not a requirement or a surrender of self."
"…okay that's fair. Sorry."
Ajax curled into Scara's arms. "Before and After; then and now and forever, Scara. It doesn't get any stronger than that. Plus the jealousy is cute."
<>
The storm broke as the Harbingers reached the jetty, pelting them with heavy rain as thunder and lightning raged overhead. Several bolts struck nearby, making both men sufficiently nervous that the Jester traced elemental resistance runes in the air to protect them.
It wasn't until they were on the ship and huddled in the small cabin that a thought occurred to the Jester. "Why was that boy standing waiting for us? There were no guards or anyone else in sight of the gates."
Hedeon opened his mouth but hesitated. "There weren't any guards the last time I was there either," he confirmed, thoughtfully. "But I didn't hear the forges either. That might have been the threat of the storm though."
"Why were you flirting with him?"
"Because he's really pretty?" What other reason was there?
"I find myself suddenly distrustful of young Ajax, Selvaggio. There is something missing in the scenario we were presented with today and probably the scenes you witnessed previously."
The black eyes lit with unholy eagerness. "Oh? Should I…"
"You will do nothing yet. Soon though, it may be necessary to take action."
.
= 13 =
The engineers located the sunken ironclad several hours later, after the storm had passed.
The divers went down to investigate, armed with specialised Kameras. They found that the hull had been ruptured and somehow triggered explosions in the engine-room. Once that happened, there was no chance.
There were bodies trapped below decks; likely those who'd been on the deck had been washed away and devoured by the sea life – there were sharks drifting menacingly around the wreck, perhaps hoping for more free food.
One of the divers was a student of marine biology and was convinced that the ocean predators could smell food from a very long way away – certainly sufficiently well to know that there was food to be had here. Smaller fish and other creatures were already taking advantage of the bounty.
Sandrone's remains were found some distance away, clearly having tumbled along the seabed until it impacted a pile of rocks. With difficulty, they extracted the puppet from the ruinhunter shell and brought it aboard.
The imaging Kameras had clearly shown the nature of the damage to the inside of the ruinhunter – it was no surprise that the puppet had been effectively ripped apart by the impact of a massive amount of Electro to the casing followed by being flung through the ocean.
The engineers deemed the puppet irreparable. There was far too much damage to the chassis and the power core; it would be easier to simply build a replacement and connect the new one to Lord Sandrone's consciousness. That, however, would take time.
(No-one paid attention to the single gull seated upon the cabin roof while others of its kind circled overhead or dove for fish)
"We will return to Narukami Island," the Director decided. "I will progress plans with the Tri-Commission and work at suborning Kamisato. I want you to write as detailed a report as possible for your interactions with Ajax so that we can analyse where the discrepancies are."
"I've only met him twice," Selvaggio reminded the Jester.
"As much detail as you can, Hedeon," he said, paternally sympathetic, which always felt weird to Hedeon. "With the fascination you have for the boy, I'm sure you will remember your conversations in detail."
"Sir." He hated writing, but he understood the necessity. He hoped Ajax wasn't a liar; or, if he was, that he was a good fighter.
<>
When I went to Tatarasuna to ask about Sandrone, Niwa came to talk to me with Ajax beside him. They were both sweaty and dirty from the forges and wore similar leather aprons such as I have seen used by smiths the world over. I said that Sandrone hadn't returned to Ritou and that General Kujou had confirmed she had been on Kannazuka three days before.
Niwa agreed she had been there. He said they talked about the council's decision and that she left along the road to the jetty where she probably had a sloop. He said she had half a dozen Fatui with her. I asked where she could have gone. He asked if there was a ship at the dock – which there wasn't; the only boats nearby were the little fishing skiffs beached along the shore.
Ajax asked if the ship was large because the jetty is only suitable for shallow-draught vessels. I told him the ship is an ironclad so it was probably anchored offshore. Ajax said there are violent storms around the coastline and suggested a metal ship might fall foul of a storm assuming the name wasn't just poetic. I said the hull is plated in iron and that there's nothing poetic about an ironclad.
I said I hoped we might meet up if he comes to the city. He said he doesn't get there very often but he'd bear it in mind. I went back to the jetty and returned to Narukami Island and reported to you.
Today we walked from the jetty to the gate of Tatarasuna. Ajax was leaning against a gate post and was completely unsurprised to see us. He said Good morning Hedeon and guest. What can Tatarasuna do for you this stormy day? I said this is my boss who has questions about Sandrone. He said Oh I thought we answered your questions last time.
You said that Sandrone had vanished before she filed her report of the second meeting with Niwa and you wanted to talk to him about it. Ajax said Niwa was away on business and that he could confirm the decision if we wanted. When asked he confirmed his name is Ajax and said he is a smith, which obviously fit with his appearance at our first meeting.
You asked how he was privy to the council's decisions. He said Many of us are, Harbinger. You asked what the decision was. He said they declined Sandrone's offer. The proposal outlined to Master Niwa did not take account of the risk of tatarigami build-up, and the risk to Kannazuka Island was therefore far greater than the potential advantage.
I was surprised, he made a risqué joke about performance issues, and you thanked him for the information. You asked if there had been a storm the day Sandrone was there. He said probably but he didn't specifically remember because they get storms almost daily and that the shore is guarded by the Archon's storms. You asked how people manage to grow crops if they get Electro-bolted all the time. He said what choice is there if they want to eat.
I asked if Niwa was a fighter. He said not; he's a Master of the Isshin Art whatever that is, and that his family have done that for four centuries. He asked why I wanted to know and I said I wanted to fight him to win Ajax. He said there was surely no contest to fight a middle-aged smith, which is true, of course. He seemed put out that I wanted to win him from Niwa because he's not a cow and doesn't belong to Niwa. Then he got annoyed that we might keep slaves in Snezhnaya. You assured him we don't. Then the storm ramped up and we left.
The Jester sighed as he read Selvaggio's rendition of the two interactions he'd had with Ajax. There was little of substance in it and it didn't sound as though the boy had been evasive at any point.
It was unfortunate that the distance to the jetty – and then the mile or so that the ironclad had been offshore after that – meant it was possible that one of the localised Electro-storms might not be noticed from Tatarasuna; and understandably, to people who lived with storms on a frequent basis they may be so inured to them that they were barely more than background noise.
That said, though, it did not explain why the boy had been waiting for them, nor why there was no noticeable sound from the forges – surely if the people were used to storms, they wouldn't stop work for such a thing?
Ajax hadn't particularly encouraged Hedeon's blatant interest. He'd flirted a bit, but not to the point of trying to gain any advantage, and only really in response to the older man's interest. The Jester thought it interesting that Selvaggio – who was very much not known for patient pursuit – was behaving like a blushing schoolboy.
He went back to Sandrone's reports of the original meeting with Niwa. He'd had a clerk and a guard with him. Neither had attracted the interest of either Harbinger. Niwa, however, had shown no sign of concern at being invited to meet with a Harbinger; he'd apparently remained calm and asked intelligent questions that showed knowledge of engineering principles in addition to being a Master Smith.
He hadn't expressed any concerns about the proposal at the time; those doubts had, logically, arisen out of the discussions with the town council. Pierro really wished Sandrone had the capacity to understand people to a much greater degree. The lack of nuance in the report made it very difficult to understand whether, for example, Niwa had already decided to refuse the proposal and used the need to speak to the council as an excuse to make a safe exit from a roomful of Fatui.
"Selvaggio!"
The man put his head around the door a few minutes later. "Sir?"
He gestured to a free chair. "You were in the room when Sandrone met with Niwa the first time."
"Yes?"
"What were your impressions of Niwa from the moment you approached him in the street?"
"Niwa?" He thought about it. "He was understandably wary to be approached by a foreigner asking him to a mysterious meeting. He didn't question the name I gave him but did require me to tell him who my master was. I told him something to the effect of Sandrone, Second Harbinger. He agreed to follow me, said something in Inazuman to his retainers; a clerk and a warrior went off elsewhere; the other two followed him following me.
"He looked around the room before he sat and took note of the two agents plus me and decided to keep his clerk and guard with him. He sat; the guard stood by me by the door. The clerk stood by his left shoulder with a wooden tray of paper and pens and, I assume, took down a transcript of the meeting. Sandrone did say there was no need. That was when he said that there was because he would have to take the proposal, whatever it was, to the town council."
He shrugged. "He was very calm so either he didn't care or didn't really know what a Harbinger is. She said there was perhaps no need to meet in that case. He said that was fine; he had other things to do with his time and went to stand. She caved and told him what she intended for the Furnace. He asked some questions, she said more about the engineering of it which he seemed to understand, I coughed loudly to remind her not to talk too much, she brought the meeting to an end and he got up to leave. His clerk followed him, the guard opened the door, which blocked me, and followed them out. They went to the Tenryou Commission where he had a meeting."
"I suppose, if he understood what Harbingers are, he was too calm, but he played it perfectly either way. He went in, got information and walked out safely. When I saw him after the ship went down, he was just as calm; I don't think he was trying to hide anything. He wasn't being shifty, you know?"
"So the only real discrepancy is Ajax who was with Niwa when you went to Tatarasuna as though he had status beyond a mere smith; and was waiting to talk to us at the gate the other day; and that we didn't notice any sound from the forges."
"I thought about that, sir. I think if I was a smith working with metal and the storm was right over the village – I might take the day off instead of handling conductive materials. I can't explain Ajax waiting for us though."
"Hm. You might have a point about metal in an Electro-storm." He considered. "Have you heard anything from Nathan and his team?"
"Who?"
The Director levelled a glare at his pet psychopath. "My agent Nathan. Sandrone's report says he was sent to Yashiori Island to…" He checked "Disable or damage some seal pillars to worsen the tatarigami."
"Oh him. No. I don't have anything to do with the agents when Sandrone's on site. She likes to micromanage and that means I'm not trusted near her brilliance."
Pierro looked closely at the man. "Are you offended by her decision, Selvaggio?"
"Hm? Not particularly; you know I prefer to go straight for the target, sir."
"I do know…" He thought again. "Would you be comfortable with a seduction mission, Hedeon?"
"Depends. If it's to seduce Kamisato's sister – no."
The Director frowned. "Why would I want you to seduce a woman? You have no liking for the fairer sex."
"That's what Sandrone was planning, if Kamisato doesn't cave."
The frown deepened. "I was considering Ajax, not any woman of any rank. I certainly wouldn't send you to seduce a high-born lady in a society you are unfamiliar with."
"Oh! Then yes." He thought about it. "When you say seduce…?"
"Not yet, Hedeon. I have questions but we are lacking too much information about Tatarasuna." The Ninth was far too invested in the prospect; that in itself might be a problem, not to mention the likelihood of him breaking his toy before the Jester could question him.
"I'll dig into Kannazuka from the point of view of the clans on Narukami," he decided. "That will at least narrow some of the issues and we can make a sensible decision after that."
.
= 14 =
Ajax went to Yashiori Island to catch up with Anemo and question the Fatui spies that Kazhua had imprisoned in the old Jakotsu Mine.
"A Mondian and two Snezhnayans," he observed. "They don't even try to make it look like local action do they?"
Kazuha grinned, straightening from his deep bow. "Good morning to you too, Grandmaster. They've held their tongues for the entire time we've been here. They are, it seems, at least well-trained."
"The Jester is on Narukami Island." He noted the tiny flinch as Nathan reacted to what might be good or bad news depending on how much trouble he was going to be in. "I suppose the first thing I want to know is what these idiots actually wanted to achieve with the wards."
He looked expectantly at the men. When they didn't respond, he looked amused. "Alright. Which of the three of you knows most about your plans?" Two sets of eyes twitched involuntarily toward Nathan. "Good. Anemo, please remove these ones to somewhere further back in the cave."
Once the two men had been hauled off, Ajax squatted in front of Nathan. "You tried to open the Archon's seals on Orobashi. That makes you an intended murderer and a moron. So I'm going to use magic to find out everything you know until I find the Jester's defences which will make you die rather than speak further."
He tore open the man's shirt and carved a rune into his skin with the point of a dagger.
"I am «Forneus», Son of Shadow, Hogosha of Western Inazuma and you are in my territory, Nathan of the Fatui." He let his kami-shape spill over his skin – scales and claws and fangs and dragon-slit eyes.
Dóse mou ta mystiká sou
The rune flashed, pulsing vibrant gold on fair skin and the dragon's son grinned, all toothy malice, relishing the unconcealed terror.
"It never ceases to amaze me that in two lifetimes you Fatui never learned to do better. To be better." He sighed. "Nathan, tell me the intention behind interfering with the Archon's seals on Orobashi…"
<>
Hours later, with three bodies buried beneath the soft, sandy loam, each of them drained of every secret they had ever known and every bit of knowledge of the Fatui and the state of affairs in Snezhnaya, Ajax and Kazhua sat in the small tavern at Fort Fujitou along with General Gorou to go through the relevant intelligence.
"You are three soldiers down, Gorou." He slid across a list of names. "These are the people the agents subverted. By the agents' testimony, all of them were easily persuaded dupes rather than actually traitors or enemy agents, but you will need to clean house to some extent, even if that extent is to sit them down with Kokomi to be embarrassed into being better people."
Gorou skimmed the list, sighing. "Yeah. These are the ones that believe in the second coming of Orobashi… There are always a few, of course. I'll get on this list as soon as I get back." He finished his tea and patted the Hogosha's nearest hand. "Thank you, Grandmaster; I do appreciate your guardianship of our Islands, and I know Her Excellency feels likewise."
Ajax favoured him with his sweetly genuine smile. "You're very welcome my friend. When this latest round of nonsense is finally cleared away, we'll have you both over for dinner and a few hands of cards – let you both have a night away from the horrors of leadership."
The General grinned, flashing sharp teeth. "What do you know of the horrors of leadership? You two have spent centuries making sure other people do that for you!"
Ajax laughed, bright and happy. "It has worked very well for us! Oh – Niwa asked me to say that there is a shipment of weapons about ready. He'll have it brought to you sometime next week."
<>
The Director spent hours poring over the intelligence extracted from the noble clans of Narukami Island.
Overwhelmingly, he was certain something very important was missing – and none of the politically attuned of Narukami seemed to have even noticed the gap.
Unfortunately, that meant he still didn't know what he was looking for.
The kitsune-priestess at Grand Narukami Shrine would be unlikely to talk to foreigners about others of her kind. Everyone agreed she was devoted to the Archon, and had served as chief priestess of the Shrine for centuries; and was very politically aware. Further, as far as the information gleaned went, there were no shrines on Kannazuka Island.
Given everyone seemed sure that the kami collectively served the Archon by acting as priests of the many shrines scattered across Inazuma, he couldn't see what purpose the kami of Kannzuka were serving – or where they were hiding.
The problem, he realised, was that the power structure he was used to – both Khaenriah'n and Snezhnayan – had a person in absolute power at the top with a council serving as both advisers and hands. Beneath that were various departments and agencies. Inazuma was dissimilar in that Shogun did relatively little in terms of ruling the country; rather the power was exercised one level down in the form of the Tri-Commission and the noble clans – and they were, almost entirely, venal and corrupt.
The sheer ignorance of the entitled and elitist population of the capital bothered him because he could see it mirrored in the way Zapolyarny viewed the rest of Snezhnaya. What was happening in the Tsaritsa's nation that the Harbingers weren't seeing because they were blinded by the lights of the capital filtered as it was through the medium of the Fifth?
No-one could tell him much of substance about the rest of Inazuma. Tsurumi and Seirai Islands were almost entirely abandoned due to rampant magical effects that forced the surviving human populations to flee centuries ago.
Watatsumi Island was the centre of resistance against the Shogunate. Governed independently by the Sangonomiya Clan – as noble as any on Narukami – the island was a haven for religious freedom. He was told that the weird, inbred Islanders worshipped a dead god. Few of those who knew that much didn't know anything more about the deity in question; it was as though the history of Inazuma had been largely forgotten despite the immense skeletons and the dramatic magical effects.
Yashiori Island was, by reputation, virtually deserted too, providing a buffer between two unreconciled societies. The location of Orobashi's remains, it was sacred land to the Watatsumi Islanders and a source of raw materials to serve Narukami's greed. Aside the fortress, most of the population had moved to the neighbouring islands long ago.
Reading between the lines, the Jester suspected that the small population were playing both sides of the civil war in the hope of surviving it given their unfortunate position between the unending greed of Narukami and religious pressure from Watatsumi.
No-one in Inazuma seemed vested in preventing or resolving the problems either; once Raiden had sealed Orobashi's tatarigami that was the end of it, as far as Pierro could see – unlike Liyue where Morax had his Yaksha fighting nightly against similar manifestations.
(Briefly he wondered what Morax would do when his last surviving Yaksha inevitably fell)
Kannazuka, though… That was very interesting. He thought Sandrone had completely overlooked some important details when she made her plans. On the face of it, the Island was in Shogunate control – there was a full company under General Kujou at the Encampment on the north eastern island – but Kujou was restricted to that island and had no say in the running of Tatarasuna.
A reading of A Modern History of Inazuma – unfortunately written by a Narukami scholar – claimed that post-Cataclysm, Shogun had granted autonomy to the village of Tatarasuna so that the smiths could concentrate on their worship. That made no sense to Pierro so he followed the trail of breadcrumbs and eventually learned that the Sword Arts were sacred. Apparently the Niwa Clan-chief of the time never used his creations in battle; rather he used them solely in dancing, for which he was famous. Contextually, Pierro gathered that that was the outward expression of worship of a Sword Art Master.
(It made him chuckle, imagining it: Selvaggio would have been very disappointed if he challenged the current Niwa and found himself in a dance off! No wonder Ajax had been so surprised by the Ninth's questions)
Studying the maps and limited historic records he could access, Pierro decided that the original small population had done very well for themselves. They had hilly terrain which made farming and other essential practices a challenge; a military force camped in the north; and shallow coastline which made a deep harbour impossible. Kannzuka survived on fishing, farming of rice, vegetables and goats, and trade for essentials they couldn't manage themselves.
The shallow coast hosted a great many scattered small islands. Tatarasuna had built several lighthouses which had done nothing to save ships from wrecking on the north coast of Yashiori to the west.
Despite the logistical difficulties, they had, over the years, lured in the other Sword Art clans and several other professions and had made themselves a centre for artistry. That gave them economic independence alongside their political autonomy which Shogun was clearly unwilling to violate.
Without access to the tax records, he assumed that the town of Tatarasuna was probably at least as powerful as Ritou if they chose to exercise their potential in the quagmire of Shogunate politics.
He thought he understood, now, why Niwa had been so calmly confident in his meeting with Sandrone; short of violence perpetrated by a foreign force in the capital of his nation, he knew that there was nothing anyone could do to compel or threaten his livelihood because it was guaranteed by the Archon herself so long as Kannazuka paid their taxes.
The inconvenient reality was that he had no means of compelling the council of Tatarasuna to let the Fatui upgrade the Furnace – and without that, they could do nothing to draw the unknown kami out of hiding.
He cursed vilely in several languages. He would have to come up with an alternative plan.
At least the Tri-Commission was his to command. As long as two Commissions voted as the Fatui demanded, they didn't need to lure in Yashiro Commission. Kamisato had no power to go to Shogun over the heads of the other two.
Did he need Kamisato under his thumb? Ideally yes; but it wasn't necessary. Something had happened decades ago that broke the power of Kamisato Clan and the family were still struggling to retain their grip on what they had left. That made them politically weak even if they were still considered to be amongst the highest of society. They didn't even have the Clan alliances that the other Commissions had; presumably their affiliates had abandoned them in the wake of political disaster.
Did he need to worry that the Yashiro were very popular with the people? Again, probably not; they lacked the political strength to wield the potential as effectively as they might and, outvoted as they presently were, there was little they could do. As he had already noted, the people of Narukami Island were largely self-satisfied, elitist and ridiculously unaware of the state of the nation beyond the capital.
(Plainly they were largely unaware of the subtext of current politics too)
He decided to engineer a meeting with the young Kamisato and see what manner of man he was dealing with. Certainly Hiiragi and Kujou thought little of him, but that might well have more to do with his youth and their venality.
He considered his options. Sending Hedeon to Tatarasuna would probably not be much use in the context of information-gathering; that was not the man's forte at all, and it would inevitably end with him antagonising a lot of people. He could go himself but doubted that the council would open up to him.
That left sending in an agent, but none of his people were Inazuman. They could dig up information, of course, but they would be too noticeable to move among the population easily. It was, he reflected, deeply inconvenient that Inazuma was such an isolationist and closed society even if that was precisely one of the traits the Fatui were planning to exploit.
<>
He woke startled and gasping as though from a nightmare two nights later with the resounding realisation of one of the things he'd missed.
"Hedeon!"
There was a long delay before the very sleepy Ninth appeared in the doorframe. "Sir?"
"What race is Ajax?"
"…uh?"
"Did he look Inazuman to you?"
"…uh?" Hedeon yawned, barely awake.
"He looked Snezhnayan but for the tan which inevitably comes from working outdoors."
"O...kay? What does that matter?"
"What's a Snezhnayan doing working as a smith on Kannazuka Island?"
Black eyes, glowing faintly in the near-dark of the room, managed to glare. "Sir, with all due respect I don't know and I don't care. There are foreigners living here; this is not news. Can I sleep now?" Having exhausted his tolerance, he turned go back to his own bed, plainly not giving a damn about his boss' opinion.
.
= 15 =
Scara's birds listened as Hiirai and Kujou met for a discussion on a quiet terrace surrounded by their own guards.
"They're going to take the Fatui proposals to Shogun on Friday," he told Ajax.
"Are the Harbingers going to be present?"
"They didn't say, but I can't imagine they won't be; it is, after all, their game plan and they will surely want to know it has gone as they intended."
"It doesn't really matter, I suppose; we can deal with the enemy later if we need to. Let's get Niwa and Kamisato briefed. We'll stay at the estate and move into the city on Wednesday. We want to get to Shogun before they do. After all – we have the evidence."
He grinned down at his Soul, pressing a kiss to glossy midnight hair. "You get to challenge the traitors; I want Selvaggio."
The violet eyes were luminous. "You will be careful, Ajax. I won't be pleased if you get killed by some irrelevant Darkspawn."
Ajax hummed, falling again into the Eternity of his lover's eyes. "Gia pánta dikó sas, i psychí mou, I swear it."
<>
The throne-room was as quiet as always when the Grandmasters passed the exterior guards and stepped into the vast main hall.
Both bowed at the door before striding forward to stand before Shogun upon her throne where they bowed a second time.
Neither bothered with prostration. They were the governors of an autonomous region by the Archon's own command and both were powerful kami in their own rights.
"Almighty Shogun," Scara's voice echoed in the silence. "We bring you news of a far reaching plot encompassing malfeasance of all kinds up to and including treason against Your Throne."
"You will have found evidence before you brought this to me." That wasn't a question.
"We have. Will you sit with us and examine what we have brought you?"
There was a long moment of consideration before the Archon rose from her throne and gestured toward one of the rarely-used meeting rooms.
<>
Allowing Kujou to enter Tenshukaku first was an easy decision for Hiiragi: He disliked surrendering the impression of status, but he disliked drawing fire even more. Unfortunately, Kamisato was present only because he was a Commissioner and thus could not also be nudged ahead. When Hiiragi generously gestured him ahead, the arrogant brat shook his head and paused, forcing him to enter second.
Behind them, two Harbingers stepped inside the palace of the Electro Archon for the first time. As the Commissioners walked forward, a guard directed the foreigners to an area outlined in woven purple and white rope attached to short golden stands within which were six chairs. Currently a clerk was seated at one end of the second row, hands clasped, lips moving as though in prayer.
The Director and Selvaggio seated themselves at the opposite end of the front row.
Pierro felt his skin prickle, feeling the press of magic around him, but there was nothing obvious to see, only the clerk completing his prayer with the phrase «Qulek Ko Staad» and lowering his hands to his lap. The Jester frowned; that was not a language he had ever heard before.
The throne-room was circled with samurai in their traditional heavy armour, each bearing a katana at their waist. Further guards in lighter armour and armed with spears stood at attention. Hedeon's black eyes ran across the palace guard and dismissed them. Collectively there was no challenge there.
The Commissioners approached the throne and prostrated themselves, almost completely flat to the floor. "Commissioners. What brings you before me today?"
The men rose to their knees, bowing deeply. "We wish to present two draft Decrees that we believe are in the best interests of protecting Inazuma from foreign influence and guiding our direction into Eternity, Almighty Shogun," Hiiragi proclaimed – the Decrees falling within his purview.
"Are the proposals you bring to me unanimous?"
Hiiragi swallowed. "No, Almighty Shogun. Yashiro Commission voted against both."
"Tell me of these proposals in outline, Commissioners."
"The first is to guard our borders. The Shakoku Decree will ban foreigners from all parts of Inazuma other than Ritou where they can be taxed and controlled. The second proposes a Vision Hunt such that all Visions are taken from their bearers and surrendered to Eternity, Almighty Shogun."
"I see. Word has reached us of your efforts to protect Inazuma from outside influences, Kamisato Ayato." She gestured. "Sit, please."
Kamisato, clearly confused by the instruction, followed the gesture then rose to his feet and bowed deeply before moving to the seating area where he chose a chair at the opposite end of the first row from the Harbingers.
"Kujou and Hiiragi, We have seen the evidence of your malfeasance and plotting which led to your attendance this morning. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
Hiiragi paled so quickly he thought he might faint. Kujou gaped and recovered quickly. "Almighty Shogun, surely such evidence has been manufactured to discredit us! Who is that has falsely accused us?"
Shogun returned to her seat upon her throne and crossed her legs looking entertained. "This morning will be at least slightly more interesting, I suppose."
The clerk rose to his feet and stepped clear of the roped area. Notably he did not prostrate himself. "Almighty Shogun, in Your Holy Name I challenge both these men to a duel before throne."
Shogun smiled beneficently. "Do you seek to duel both at the same time?"
The man dressed as a simple clerk cast assessing eyes over the two noblemen. Both were older than him by at least a couple of decades. Both wore katanas in the manner of samurai. He sneered. "Four seconds instead of two."
Kujou flushed with rage. How dare this, this peasant speak so!
The clerk took two steps to one side, giving room for both men to get off their knees. Politely he let them stretch a little.
Beneath the brim of his simple straw hat, his eyes glowed lambent purple. He reached graceful arms outward and clicked his fingers, shattering the illusion of an ordinary clerk. In his place was a man who shared Shogun's colouring, clad the finest silks, a pair of swords tucked into his obi.
"Grandmaster Scaramouche, are you ready?" He nodded, electro burning behind his eyes.
(Hedeon swallowed; gods but he was turned on!,
"Kujou Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke – do you wish to concede?"
Kujou snarled. Hiiragi looked like he wanted to wet himself but shook his head. The outcome was assured if he refused to fight; at least fighting he might have a chance to stab his enemy while the man focused on Kujou.
"Begin!"
Both Commissioners drew their katanas but didn't move forward. Hedeon thought they were hoping the other would move first.
Scaramouche tilted his head, amused. "Really? You are so worthless you don't even try to fight?" He drew the first of his swords, turning the blade slightly to make the edge flash in the light. This was clearly a man who understood the value of performance.
Slowly, deliberately, he drew the second blade, pacing forward like a tiger stalking its prey. There was so much malice in the fluid motion of his body that Hiiragi took a step back, his sword trembling in his grip.
Scaramouche didn't slow or hesitate. He swung between the two Commissioners, neatly parrying Kujou's attack.
Both swords swept up and across.
Both men fell with a spray of blood.
Scaramouche stopped, letting blood drip from his blades before flicking both clean and returning them to their sheaths.
The Grandmaster of Tatarasuna turned and bowed to the Archon. On her throne Shogun raised her chin in appreciation. "Flawless as always, Scaramouche."
As the man took the seat beside Kamisato, seeming just as unconcerned as he had been throughout the scene, so Shogun turned her attention to Kamisato, standing once again. "Commissioner, I trust you will guide the new Commissioners appropriately."
Kamisato rose and bowed deeply. "As you command, Almighty Shogun."
She gestured and he sat once again, looking more than a little confused.
"We are aware that these proposals had an outside origin, of course; Kujou would not have had the courage to act without encouragement. Since you chose to be present today, Harbingers, perhaps you will have the decency to introduce yourselves properly. I am giving you the credit of assuming your presence in Inazuma is with the knowledge of your Archon and that your actions are sanctioned."
The Director took a deep breath. f*cking hell.
He rose to his feet and bowed deeply. "I am Director of the Harbingers, Lord Shogun. My colleague is Hedeon Selvaggio, Ninth of Her Harbingers." Beside him, Selvaggio rose and bowed, not having the first idea of the etiquette for this f*cked up situation.
"What is the purpose for which you have disturbed the peace of my Islands, Director?"
Pierro swallowed. "We are to obtain the Electro Gnosis and return it to Her Majesty."
"Why does this task require you to destabilise my nation? Your Queen has her own territory a thousand miles from here. She has no business in Inazuma and you have no reason to be here beyond your agents' stated purposes when they arrived at Ritou."
"Lord Shogun, intelligence suggested you do not actually bear the Gnosis and thus it was necessary to investigate its whereabouts."
"So you are thieves as well as saboteurs and terrorists." She tapped her lips. "Well then. Do you wish to challenge my Champion for the Gnosis? Do please bear in mind that a duel before the throne is death to the loser."
The Harbingers looked at each other. Pierro didn't need eyes to feel the eagerness bleeding off Selvaggio. "May I ask for clarification first Lord Shogun?" At her nod he continued "Is magic permitted? Is there a limit to the weapons employed? If my colleague loses, am I also forfeit? If he loses, are we permitted to take his remains for burial?"
"You may use whatever magic, weapons or styles you desire. There is no further risk to you unless you engage in further crimes against Inazuma. However, you and all your people will be deported. You will be in Ritou by the end of today and will leave Inazuma on the first available ship thereafter no matter where it is going. Any agents of Snezhnaya remaining anywhere in Inazuma thereafter will be executed on sight. You may remove his remains and his belongings as you desire; his death resolves this matter."
"Do well," Pierro told his Harbinger. Il Selvaggio bowed to his Lord and stepped forward, slightly surprised that the clerk hadn't moved a muscle. He glanced back at the small man, then back at the Archon, who gestured at one of the spearmen near the door.
The soldier stepped forward and turned the seats where knelt before Scaramouche as a Harbinger would before the Tsaritsa.
His Voice reverberated through the throne-room, power thrumming in the air.
«Dii Sil Los Mahfaeraak Hin»
Scaramouche smiled, one small graceful hand brushing a thumb along the sharp jawline. «Krif Pruzah, Lokalaat»
«Alun»
He stood and strode into the centre of the arena, shedding illusions as he walked to reveal Ajax clad in some sort of scaly hide tunic under which he was wearing a dark blue jinbei. He bowed deeply to the Archon then turned to make a small bow to Hedeon who was watching the display wide-eyed.
"Is…? Is he the man worthy of you, Ajax?"
The redhead bestowed a sweetly joyful smile upon the Harbinger. "My soul belongs to him, Hedeon; there can be no-one more worthy."
Jealousy flashed across the other man's features, twisting his expression and he bared his teeth in a snarl.
Ajax grinned, utterly unconcerned by the threat.
"Grandmaster Ajax, are you ready?"
"Yes Lord Archon."
"Il Selvaggio of Snezhnaya, are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Begin!"
Hydro flowed over Ajax's hands, transforming into two long knives. Hedeon drew his greatsword, eager to slay the would-be lover who saw only some other man, no matter how impressive that man might be. The black sword flashed forward, testing but Ajax simply hopped back, not troubling to engage. The grin had widened into something hungry and Hedeon saw himself in that expression. This boy was far more than he seemed – was far more deadly too. A matching hunger welled through his blood, flushing fair skin and narrowing his focus.
He struck several times; each time Julmutta was deflected by that astonishingly solid Hydro. Hedeon swung into the sort of attack sequence that could tire him all too quickly given the sheer size and weight of Julmutta but most often beat through his opponent's defences before he reached that point.
Ajax moved like water. Wherever the sword went, he was elsewhere before it arrived. This was unsustainable.
Selvaggio accessed his Delusion and flung shards of ice at his enemy, following the Cryo with the point of his sword, finally scoring a hit as the blade scored over the skin of a muscular bicep.
Ajax grin widened and he slammed the hilts of his knives together forming a double bladed spear. The new weapon spun dizzyingly around his body. Wielded with both hands in the middle, either blade might strike at any moment.
Exhilarated, Hedeon parried once, let the return strike graze his shoulder, cursed as the boy flowed away from his strike and scored another stinging hit along his right side. "f*cking brat!"
Ajax laughed, bright and happy. The spear splashed away in favour of… a greatsword, a catalyst, daggers, a spear, a sword, fists covered in claw-like protrusion that left deep gouges – all cycled at random, impossible to judge and react to fully. The boy spun through weapons without hesitation, his feet shifting though forms and stances. Fighting him was like fighting Chaos itself…
That was Fatui combat style! Moments later he recognised a Khaenria'hn technique taught by the Abyss Order – the boy was fighting like a f*cking Herald! That greatsword style was Il Capitano's! No-one else fought like him!
"What the f*ck? What are you?" Selvaggio lowered his sword for a moment, catching his breath.
"Grandmaster of Tatarasuna. Weren't you listening?"
"You fight like a f*cking Herald! Like the First!"
"So do you. What are you, Hedeon Selvaggio, Ninth of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers?"
The man looked up at him through his fringe, eyes black with corruption, licking blood from the corner of his mouth. "Minä olen Enne."
"Are you? Do you serve the Fallen Prince then? Or do you serve the Tsaritsa on the Frozen Throne?"
"My purpose is set, Champion. Can you say the same?"
Ajax giggled. "Oh Hedeon… I gave my soul to the service of my god then and now and forever. There is no higher purpose, no other goal than the path He Scribed for me long ago." He stepped close, pressed himself along Hedeon's heavily muscled body, and tugged him down to press their foreheads together in an intimate embrace.
Hedeon's breath caught on a sob and Julmutta clattered to the ground as he wrapped his arms around the slender form of the youth that had caught his attention so completely and tucked his face into the slender neck.
Lips brushed his ear, murmuring quietly. "You are the twin I never knew, the Me that never was, Hedeon-Enne. The Darkness shines with stars in the Abyss but where I was, there were none; only the Eternal Dark. In that place I was reborn to a new purpose and that purpose led me to now. Under the Dark Stars, you were created to serve a different cause and our purposes can never align." He leaned back, brushing a thumb along a cheekbone, smiling sadly. "We have a fight to finish, Soul-brother."
He leaned in to press a kiss between collarbone and throat, his Voice nothing less than an oath.
«Zu'u Fen Dein Hin Sil Tahriik, Zeymah»
On pale skin a golden sigil bloomed and the Grandmaster stepped away.
«Krif Pruzah»
That phrase was a command. "What did you say?"
Beyond them, the Jester demanded "What the f*ck is that?!"
Scara frowned. "Ajax has made an oath to your Harbinger. It will do him no harm"
"First or second?"
"Second."
"Fight well."
Hedeon smiled. "Always. Do I need to be concerned by the other thing – this rune?"
"No. I swear it will not affect our battle in any way."
Hedeon nodded. "Krif pruzah," he parroted, trying to get the pronunciation right and thought he was close enough when the redhead offered a small bow and a bright smile.
"Now we've had a warm up – do you want to go all out?"
Ajax let an eyebrow rise. "You weren't?"
Hedeon grinned. "Not exactly."
Ajax summoned his Hydro-spear, spinning it lazily. "This is a duel before the throne, Hedeon Selvaggio. One of us dies today. Do you want to have not fought your hardest?"
The other man nodded, expression serious. He bent to retrieve Julmutta, ignoring the hissing whispers and complaints, spinning the heavy blade to flex out his wrists. "Ready."
Ajax nodded and danced forward to meet him half way…
Twenty minutes later, both of them sweat-soaked and starting to flag, Hedeon growled in frustration, finally surrendering to the Abyss burning beneath his skin and demanding his supplication. The transformation took him quickly, power wrapping his body, expanding him to immense proportions, his mask hiding the True Darkness beneath it even as tough hide and armour plates covered his skin.
The Beast yowled and Ajax took a hasty step back, dropping his Hydro-sword. As the Beast manifested a polearm of jagged Cryo, Ajax fell away to Forneus. He leaped back to gain space as smoke-dark grey-blue scales spilled across his body which reshaped itself into the fanged, clawed half-dragon kami.
"There you are!" The dragon sounded delighted. "Let's see what you can do, Villi."
He could hit like a train, Forneus thought, minutes later, working his jaw. Maybe don't taunt the Abyssal monster, idiot; your win is not guaranteed! Reminded and his ego settled somewhat, Forneus rushed forward, flinging himself over the Beast, striking fast with brutal rabbit-punches to the kidneys. The armour had some give, he noticed; more like armoured bone-plates than actually metallic or ceramic.
The Beast roared in fury, spinning around swinging. Forneus dropped into the splits beneath the attack, Hydro reshaping around his fist to deliver a brutal punch to the groin. He rolled away as Hedeon wailed and collapsed to his knees.
Forneus took the couple of minutes it took for the other man to recover to catch his own breath and run hands full of gleaming night-black Hydro over the worst wounds, repairing and refreshing.
Selvaggio was angry when he pushed himself back to his feet; embarrassed too, Forneus thought, grinning wildly, running his long blue tongue over sharp fangs and the blood staining the side of his jaw. The greatsword swung wildly as the Harbinger surrendered to frenzy. The sword impacted Forneus' ribs, fortunately deflected by a Hydro-shield and Forneus's scaled arm so it was the flat of the blade which caused an audible crack and a gasp of pain from the kami rather than sinking the edge in deep.
Wide-eyed, Forneus skipped backward, Hydro pouring between his fingers and soaking into the damaged side, judging the enraged movements carefully. He swung around the greatsword on its next slashing strike and while it was far out of position, struck with the dagger that manifested in his left hand.
The blade plunged deep into the shoulder joint. Sudden numbness caused Selvaggio to drop Jalmutta and the Beast danced back hurriedly, uninjured limb pressed against the wound, Abyssal energy flickering around his fingers, filling the injury with raw energy – not healing; just plugging the wound.
The Beast leaped, limited by the ceiling height but still an impressive move, an Ice Storm forming around him as he landed, flinging himself at Forneus. Alongside him, Julmutta lifted from the floor, wielding itself with sweeping jabs and slashes. On the back foot for the first time in the match, Forneus dodged, keeping Selvaggio between him and the blade – magically wielded or not, the damned thing was still a greatsword and slow.
The fight wasn't all one way by any means. Slow did not mean it couldn't strike, and when it hit it f*cking hurt. Forneus was carrying several bloody wounds. He was fairly sure that the sword was trying to infect him with some sort of corruption – but nothing from the Abyss had power over the will and intent of The Beginning. Forneus could not be corrupted in the way the sword seemed to intend.
Did it intend to turn in its master's hand once it had claimed a new bearer? He had a sudden feeling that the cursed blade needed to be sent far from Inazuma as quickly as possible.
He flung himself backward out of range of both attackers, hurriedly sketching a Shadow-rune sequence in the air.
«Jaaril Wah Krasfaal»
The rune flashed gold, hanging in the air as it pulsed gently.
Oh, he was right. The sword swept away from the rune, almost cowering behind the bulk of the Beast. Forneus grinned, all malice and teeth and flung himself at Selvaggio while Julmutta was far out of position. His clawed fist slammed into the Harbinger's breastbone, driving him backward as the double-bladed Hydro-spear swept down across his exposed neck.
Hedeon choked, eyes going wide as his hands tried to block the wound – already too late, as blood poured from the severed artery. He collapsed forward onto his knees, losing his transformation as he tilted sideways.
Julmutta clattered to the floor. Forneus threw a brief glance at it before wrapping it in Shadow to keep it away from greedy hands.
He knelt beside the dying man, letting him clutch at one hand because he wouldn't deny comfort in this moment.
The free hand pulled a pulsing purple crystal from his Pocket and sat it upon the golden rune on Hedeon's neck.
"You fought well, Soul-brother," he assured the fallen man in Khaenri'ahn. "I will keep you safe as I promised." He remained kneeling as the Harbinger died and his soul slipped easily into the purple gem.
He sketched a series of runes in the air beside the body, sending them spinning with a twisting gesture.
«Fustir Krasfaal Wah Vulzid»
The runes flashed gold and viscous black energy poured from the gaping wound in Hedeon's neck, sucked into the Void formed by the runes. More of it was drawn from the blood spills that spattered the floor.
Forneus lifted his eyes from Hedeon's body to find Scara standing close at hand. "Beloved…" Tears filled his eyes as Scara pressed him close against his body.
"Ajax…" He carded fingers through sweaty red curls. "You promised and you have fulfilled that oath. There is nothing left to do. Now it is time to allow the Director to take custody of his remains and for you to get healing."
He nodded, allowing his transformation to slip away and climbed back to his feet. For a long moment he was at a loss, before he remembered the etiquette. He turned to Shogun and bowed.
Shogun nodded and rose to her feet. "Well fought, Grandmaster. Director; your man failed to win the challenge and the Gnosis is not yours to claim. You will be escorted to your lodgings and, as I said, you and yours will be deported from Ritou by tomorrow morning's tide. Any who remain in Inazuma after that will be executed."
The Director rose to his feet, grief and rage marking his visible features despite the impassivity. "I understand, Lord Shogun. May I ask some questions?"
"You may."
"Grandmaster, will you explain the purpose of the runes you used and the crystal."
"The rune I set on his collarbone was a promise that I will protect his soul; he suffered enough in life. There is no need for that suffering to persist. The crystal now contains his soul and I will keep it safe as I promised.
"The second rune –" he gestured to the pulsing sigil still in the air "–is to protect the people in this room from the corrupting effects of the greatsword; I could feel it attempting to corrupt me; likely it intended to abandon its master in favour of a newly corrupted wielder. I had no wish to see some innocent taken by the Abyss."
"The last rune-set provided a means to send the corruption from his body back to the Abyss; I assumed you would not want that infecting your people on your journey, and I know Lord Shogun would not want it affecting her people; after all, it was in all the blood spilled across this arena today."
"What of the sword? The Lord Archon stated we could carry Selvaggio's personal effects home."
"The sword contains an Abyssal entity, Director; it is capable of independent thought and will and action. Do you want to take it and put it in the hands of the next Ninth?"
The Director frowned. He actually did but… That level of control was more than he had thought it held over Selvaggio; he had been led to believe that it was capable of advising, not controlling. "I suppose not. What will you do with it?"
"I will bury it deep in Absym where it will not resurface in humanoid hands. Do you believe that this circ*mstance is a breach of the Lord Archon's word?"
The Director shook his head. "No. Not really; it is plainly a danger to anyone that it might seduce."
The boy gave him a tight smile that edged into approval. "If you wish, when you have a new Ninth, I will permit you to commission a weapon from me that is suited to that person."
Pierro's eyes widened. He might not have a great deal of familiarity with the customs of Inazuma – but he understood that his future Harbinger was promised a blade crafted by one of the greatest smiths in the whole of Teyvat. He offered a tiny bow. "Thank you, Grandmaster. I very much appreciate that offer. It may be years before we find someone suitable."
The boy shrugged. "I will be here, Director; I have the luxury of Time after all."
"Will you explain why you introduced yourself only as a smith?"
Ajax gave him a sad smile. "I am a smith, Director. At that point you did not need to know that I was also one of the people you were conspiring against."
"You knew even then?"
"Director, you were in my territory. Of course I knew."
"Did you destroy the ironclad?"
"No."
The man nodded. "I appreciate your confirmation, Grandmaster." He was well aware of the gaping omission in that single word - and the identity of the person who likely arranged the murder of Sandrone.
.
= 16 =
"Commissioners, I expect honesty in all your dealings, not just with myself," Shogun told her three daimyo. "Your purpose, as individuals and as Commissioners and Clan-chiefs is to serve the best interests of Inazuma. I will not tolerate the sort of corruption that led to your fathers' executions. If you fail me so completely again, I will eradicate your entire bloodlines down to the youngest babe. Am I understood?"
<>
"Forneus you won your duel before the throne. The stake was the Electro Gnosis." Shogun opened her palm and offered it to the surprised kami. "Keep it safe; it will be needed eventually."
Forneus bowed deeply, accepting the trinket. "I will do as you command, Lord Shogun." He glanced at the other woman in the meeting room. "Was it not safe in Lady Yae's care?"
"It was at Narukami Shrine, Grandmaster," Yae confirmed. "If the Fatui had sent a single thief instead of engaging in convoluted plots, they would have had little difficulty taking it. We might not even have noticed for a little while. We think it will be safer in the hands of a cautious dragon because we doubt the Fatui have entirely given up, even if they have retreated to lick their wounds."
Forneus nodded; he could only agree with that assessment. "It is unfortunate we have no eyes in Snezhnaya."
"Captain Beidou delivers news but of course that is limited to the rumours that reach her, and is subject to whatever editing is necessary to protect Liyue's interests."
"Unfortunately it will be very difficult to insert an agent of sufficient capability to have access to useful information, not least because we would have to assume that the Director is sensibly paranoid and an Inazuman showing up out of the blue to fit into such a niche after recent events would surely be suspicious by any standard…"
<>
"What will you do with Hedeon's soul, Ajax?"
"Nothing. I will keep the gem safe and thus his soul. The Harbingers will only be able to raise a revenant, not the actual person; and the Abyss will not be able to reclaim him."
"In Liyue it is known that disembodied spirits can affect the physical world, and possess empty bodies where the owner is absent due to trauma or serious injury."
"We don't have an empty body to test your theory on, Scara. Where would we get such a thing? Also, there is no guarantee that the soul I have safe will be a clean-slate sort of deal; there's a good chance he's a psychotic monster waiting to happen. Ghost stories exist for a reason you know."
"Hm. I will do some research then."
"Why?"
"Because you care about him, Ajax; I think you would like to have your chosen brother if it is possible."
"Oh." He thought about that for a while. "Thank you, Scara."
<>
Seven years after the Fatui were thwarted on Inazuma, Ajax received a letter from the Director requesting a gladius-type sword for the new Ninth.
Curiosity got the better of the Hogosha of Tatarasuna and, for the first time in this lifetime, Ajax and Scara travelled to Snezhnaya carrying Ajax's blade with them. Ajax really wanted to know what Zapolyarny looked like in this iteration of the Rewritten Story; and Scara wanted to see it for the first time.
<>
Two years after that, a child from Higi Village wandered into the tatarigami. That would have been lethal but for the fateful accident of a lightning strike that severed body and soul. Clinically dead, the child was resuscitated by his father whilst still within the tatarigami – and the transformational capacity of dragon-energy changed him.
The terrified villagers brought the comatose child to Tatarasuna to seek the aid of the Hogosha because he had suddenly sprouted tiny nubs of horns and a pattern of scales across his temples.
"Let us keep him," Scara suggested. "If we can restore his consciousness, whatever he has become, we will raise him as our own." The parents agreed because anything else was no solution at all.
Scara cleansed Hedeon's soul to the best of his considerable abilities. Likely the spirit would still retain a little of what he was but not to the extent of the corrupted Abyssal creation. Ajax carefully drew runes on the small torso to draw in the spirit and activated them in a flash of gold before he freed the soul from the gem. Drawn to the runes, the spirit slotted into place and settled into his new home.
They named their Reborn son Rinna in the hope that the name would be prophetic.
<>
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