Chapter 2: A Civilized Conversation

Aki decided the best course of action. She decided to surprise the intruder by giving them a taste of their own medicine and communicating with them on the psychic plane. This was Ishin-denshin no Jutsu. The Mind Transmission Technique. Maybe she could distract them until an opening to somersault to the weapons presented itself.

{Who are you?}

The red Slayer gasped. They whipped out a throwing star from the inner pocket of their jacket. When the throwing star fanned out like a hand of cards, it was revealed that the figure actually held six of the wicked shurikens instead of just one. More than enough to seriously injure an unarmed princess in such close quarters.  

But then the red Slayer regained their composure and tried, rather belatedly, to demonstrate either innocence or decorum. With a slight hesitation, they slipped their throwing stars back inside their jacket.

{My name is Temujin, of the Clan of Vulcanus,} he spoke in a masculine voice that he might’ve deepened on purpose.

He was now using the pidgin language of the eastern lowlands, whose accent was very different from the melodic cadences of Aki’s Highland mother tongue but which she had been trained to understand and speak.

{I am Aki-oujo, of the Clan of Stork. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.}

By adding the suffix “oujo” to her name, she identified herself as a princess because it was very likely no secret to this Temujin that she was in fact one.

She had always only used the Highlands language of the Storks, which epitomized high-mindedness and erudition to anyone who heard it. It was her first time to use a Lowlands pidgin because this was the only time she ever needed to do so. It felt a bit strange and uncomfortable to be communicating in the foreign tongue, but she knew her diction and blending were on point and that the red Slayer would understand her.

Aki bowed low as she was taught. Without moving from her kneeling position, she lowered her body from the waist, hands sliding over knees till her fingertips touched the floor, momentarily leaving herself open to attack. It was mainly out of habit but she also didn’t want to break etiquette or show that she was afraid. In hindsight, it extended courteous treatment to anyone, be they nobility or commoner, same clan or enemy clan. Perhaps the red Slayer would appreciate the gesture and be softened or see reason.

The man who called himself Temujin gave a restrained, if awkward, bow in return.

{Tell me, Temujin, what brings you to our home?} Aki kept up the calm crisis negotiation.

{I, T-Temujin…} the red Slayer stuttered on the psychic plane, which almost made Aki smile. {…have come to warn the House of Stork of an impending attempt at the Egg of the Dragon God.}

{On behalf of the Realm, I thank you for your efforts, Temujin. But if you finish your mind scan, you will see that there is nothing to fear and that I have no reason to lie to you. The Egg is perfectly safe and not even me, the Princess, have knowledge of its precise location.}

Temujin looked at her as though to ask permission. Aki nodded in the dim.

Soon, she felt his mind probing hers. Slayers of the Clan of Stork were masters of the power of Jin, the Inner Bonds, not only for delving into another person’s thoughts but also for hiding one’s own. This time, she let him enter without any resistance, still as a sign of good faith.

{Forgive me, Your Highness,} Temujin finally said after he was satisfied with what he found. {I have underestimated the security arrangements around the Egg and have insulted you by expressing my fear so urgently. Moreover, I came to the Ethereal Nest and this room without invitation.}          

Aki was pleased with the reversal. It would appear even a red Slayer could be taught eloquence and manners.

{I accept your apology. But now that you know so much about me, it seems unfair that I should know very little of you. And so, for my first question, please tell me… how did you come to know of our Chounouryoku Technique? I didn’t realize the Clan of Vulcanus was also trained in the spiritual arts.}

{They’re not, Your Highness. I am but an exception to the rule. I was trained by a pilgrim monk from your homeland the Ethereal Nest. You can rest easy that only I among my clan know it.}  

{Interesting,} Aki replied. {I would like to meet this wandering monk an—}

All at once the paper of the sliding door was torn and Aki cried out. A snare pole had thrust through, catching Temujin’s left hand and nipping any fire attack in the bud. The weapon was exactly like a snare pole except instead of a loop of rope at the end, the wielder manifested a noose made of either wind or vacuum which deprived Temujin of his fire-making abilities. The wielder also yanked the whole person out through the paper door, widening the hole and causing Temujin to tumble outside.

Aki rushed out of the calligraphy room using short-range teleportation, to skip the unprecedented choice of sliding the door open or simply going through the large hole in it. The first felt silly while the second was unbecoming of a lady, into whom the two-stage process of sliding the door open had been hammered during tea ceremony.

Outside the room, everyone beheld the sight that hadn’t been witnessed on the Ethereal Nest for years: a red Slayer was being restrained on both sides by members of the Imperial Guards.

“I’m not a thief!” Temujin shouted through the mempo mask over his mouth. “I came here to warn the Emperor! There will be an attempt on the Egg tonight!”

“Not a thief, eh? Then a spy! That’s what you are!” said the guard on Temujin’s right and threw an uppercut to the side of the red Slayer’s torso, eliciting a groan.

“That’s enough,” Aki ordered and the guards stiffened.

She walked in stride towards the group on her high geta wooden shoes, which was no mean feat. They made her look much taller, very elegant and commanding.

{What do you know,} Aki thought to herself, {those lessons do pay off.}

“Please take your mask off and identify yourself to them,” she requested Temujin gently.

She looked into his eyes, which were the only part of his face not covered by the faceplate mask. In them was a mixture of emotions: fear, confusion, and hatred. He didn’t respond.

Aki held the top of the intruder’s mask and slowly removed it. The swarthy face of a young man looked back angrily at his captors and uncertainly at Aki, whom he was seeing for the first time up close. Aki was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Temujin to be so young; about the same age as her in fact.

He was lanky and his face was slightly pinched, with high cheekbones, but what stood out was the enhancement of his eyes by his hair. Apart from flashing a glint of defiance, those eyes possessed the double eyelids typical of the west while the irises were a deep hazel brown below his long black bangs. On the Ethereal Nest, everyone had mono-lidded and cerulean or emerald eyes plus white hair regardless of their age.

“Take him to court,” a new voice spoke from the left and Aki saw it was the Yin-Yang Master (Onmyōji), standing by the huge doors that had just opened all the way to the Grand Hall.

The Yin-Yang Master was head of the Bureau of Cosmology and in charge of natural science, astronomy, almanac, divination and magick. From Aki’s experience studying those subjects, the Yin-Yang Master was even dourer than the calligraphy sensei and resembled an Ibizan Hound in her rich imagination.

The guards dragged Temujin into the doors as the young Slayer continued to struggle and protest his innocence.

Princess Aki was left standing in the hallway as the huge doors closed with a resounding thud. It was only then she realized she was still holding Temujin’s red mask, which included the hachi-gane or forehead protector. This consisted of a headband and a piece of metal plate from the many forges of the Vulcanus Clan and was engraved with curves and spirals suggestive of the Kai-Ryu, the Red Dragon.

For Aki, a sighting of that mark was as rare and magical as the extinct beast itself.