Masters of Fate, Slaves to Duty

Chapter 6


Tatsumaki lounged across the street for the fifth day in a row. His backside was getting sore from the bench where kept a constant vigil. He was tired of wearing the straw hat to conceal his appearance from onlookers who no longer looked in his direction. His diet had consisted of nothing but green tea, rice and somen noodles, and he firmly believed his body was going to go into convulsions if he didn’t get to eat some form of meat soon.

The estate he watched had been quiet for the last five days, ever since Miki’s visit. And that just added to Tatsu’s foul mood. He had seen the officer from the garden party come and go daily with provisions, but not once did Kurenai leave. And today was no different, except that it was raining. The air had cooled during the afternoon, an after effect of the morning storms. There were few people on the streets, and Daven had already run his errands for the day. Tatsu didn’t expect any visitors, so he got up from his roost and went two doors down to a restaurant.

The girl behind the counter was grateful to see a customer come in. She smiled and immediately poured him a cup of tea before taking his order. He sipped the warm liquid, feeling its heat flow through his numb body. The rain only served to stiffen him in his age. He knew he was getting too old for this type of work.

He was finishing off the cup when he heard the girl welcome another customer, who took the seat next to him. Tatsu did not acknowledge the person, and simply poured another cup of tea for himself.

“May I have a cup as well?” said a familiar voice.

Tatsu turned to find the man called Akihiro sitting next to him, holding out a cup.

“Why are you here?” he asked, pouring tea into the cup.

“Here you go!” said the girl, placing a large bowl before Tatsu. The bowl was filled with chicken, vegetables, and noodles.

“This isn’t what I ordered,” he stated, looking to the girl who only smiled at him.

“I know, but the rain makes men weary. You looked like you could use some extra strength,” she said, giggling before turning her attention to Akihiro. “Can I get you something?”

He shook his head, and she bowed and went back to work chopping vegetables. Tatsu took a long whiff of his food, and relished in the smell of the meat. He broke apart a pair of chopsticks and set about devouring the food.

Akihiro sat next him, content to drink tea while he waited for Tatsu to slow down. He had known the man was outside the walls, waiting for Kurenai to leave, and that’s why he was here.

“I sense she is going to make her move soon,” he simply said, letting the words sink in while he sipped the tea.

Tatsu looked at him with a full mouth, scrunching his eyebrows together. Akihiro understood the question.

“Yes, she knows. And because of it, she’s been more active lately. She’s been training with Daven again, and she has not done that for over a year. I think she plans on getting her husband back.”

Tatsu turned the bowl up, and sucked down the last of the broth. He wiped his mouth off on his sleeve, and set the bowl behind the counter. The girl smiled, pleased that he had finished all of his food.

“But, why does this concern you? Aren’t you part of the Emperor’s personal guard?”

Akihiro did not answer. He took another sip of tea, and Tatsu figured silence was the only answer he was going to get.

“Have you informed her brother?” he asked, filling up another cup of tea.

Akihiro shook his head. “No, that would not help the situation. In fact, he’s helped it enough by telling her everything. I don’t trust that he would be objective about it.”

“When?” Tatsu asked as he stood up to leave. He left payment for the meal on the counter.

Akihiro followed his lead. “She has prepared everything she needs,” he said, following Tatsu through the open door and back into the damp air. “Tonight the sky will be covered with clouds, no light to give her away. She will move then.”

Tatsu looked back to the house as he placed the straw hat back on his head. “Do I have time to get some rest?”

Akihiro nodded, “She won’t move until she thinks the household is asleep. Go and get rest. She is doing the same now. I feel we are going to have a long night.”

Tatsu turned back to him before he left. “Isn’t there anything you can do to stop her?”

“My orders are no contact, to stay close to the home to protect its occupants. Once outside the walls, she is your problem.”

‘That sounds familiar’ thought Tatsu. Akihiro left him alone and strode back to the estate. Tatsu took his cue and went back to the hideout where he had slept for the last week. He would be ready for tonight, and he hoped that this woman wasn’t as foolish as Akihiro made her out to be.

~*~*~

Getting out of the estate had been no problem, and she worried about that. Hadn’t Akihiro been watching? Well, she had no time to be concerned about it. Foxx was in trouble. She wasn’t in the best shape of her life, but she knew she had to try to break him out.

She had no trouble maneuvering through the back streets or the forest in the darkened night. It didn’t take her long to stumble across the encampment. Their fires blazed, cutting through the night like a beacon. Silently she moved around the perimeter, blending in with the dark. She had covered her hair and face in black fabric, and wore her old uniform that she had made years ago. It simply hung on her frame now, instead of hugging her curves like before. She hadn’t realized she had lost so much weight, yet she did not feel weakened by it.

She crouched down behind some low-lying brush just outside two tents that had activity going on inside. She could hear a flurry of words, but was unable to recognize the language. In her time with Foxx, she had come to understand his native language. He had taught her the fundamentals of reading and writing, things she had never learned as a child. Since then, she had read every book in the house, and Jonathan and Daven helped her when she came across a word she did not understand.

There were two men stationed outside the large tent on the left. She could see shadows moving inside, people moving around what appeared to be a table. In the right tent, she saw a man stand up. He was tall, and his frame was large. The other men she saw were small, so she knew that had to be Jonathan.

It was then he emerged from the tent, and started walking in her direction. A smaller man pushed him from behind, yelling at him in his language. Kurenai froze as the men got closer, and passed within a few centimeters of her. The two men continued into the forest, and she could hear Jonathan telling his captor that he didn’t need an escort to the bathroom.

Kurenai let out a silent sigh, and slid to the left to avoid their path back to the camp, only to bump into something that happened to be a person. She jumped and let out a yelp, but the person fell on her and covered up her mouth. She heard Jonathan and his guard turn and start to talk to one another. The smaller man pulled a knife from his belt, and started to walk in her direction.

Jonathan cleared this throat, and continued into the forest, forcing the small man to follow him again. Kurenai was grateful, though not sure if Jonathan had actually heard her. She looked up at the figure on top of her. The person was covered up just like she, only the eyes showing beneath the black fabric. She could feel it was a man, his frame fitting comfortably along hers.

“Are you trying to get us killed?” he whispered harshly in her ear.

She could only look at him, and hope her apology was apparent in her startled eyes. Both stayed still until the two men were out of sight. After having a look back at the camp and finding no one the wiser to their position, he moved to let her up.

“Are you my extra security?” she whispered, pulling a knife from her waistband.

“I’m taking you home before you get yourself killed.”

“I can’t leave him here,” she said, moving forward through the woods, following the men’s’ trail.

He followed close behind her, but did not touch her. “You don’t know who you are dealing with. They will kill the both of you.”

She didn’t respond to him, and moved further down the path. In a few moments, the two men were in her sight. Jonathan had his back to her as he leaned one-handed against a tree. The other man was carefully watching the forest. She wanted to direct her companion to help her, but when she turned around, she found he was gone.

Well, she was originally going to do this on her own anyway. She chose to circle around, avoiding anything on the ground that would signal her whereabouts. She crept quietly until she was out of the guard’s line of sight. She was almost to the tree when she saw Jonathan turn, and heaved a large branch through the air. He caught the guard in the back of the head, and sent his body crumpling to the ground.

Kurenai just froze for a moment as she heard Jonathan’s breathing, erratic and heavy.

“What have you done?” she said before she could stop the words.

Jonathan whirled around, ready to swing the branch again. “Who’s out there?!”

She made no point to hide herself. “It’s me,” she said, stepping out from behind the tree. She tucked the knife away and held her hands out to show him she was unarmed.

He squinted as she walked closer to him, recognizing her voice. “Kurenai?” he asked.

“Yeah, strange meeting you here,” she said, trying to put some humor in her voice.

Jonathan threw the branch to the ground, and collected her into his arms.

“What are you doing out here? And dressed like that? You could have been killed!”

She was struggling for breath against his chest, and when he realized she couldn’t answer his questions, he released her from the hug.

She laughed at the look on his face. He was trying so hard to be mad with her, but his eyes told her that he was relieved to see her.

“I thought I would repay my debt to you. You know, you saved me so I save you?”

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “I knew there was a reason I married you.”

He wrapped his arms around her again, but there was a cacophony of noise coming from the encampment. Suddenly, she could see her guardian running towards them, yelling for them to run. Behind him were five men brandishing swords and pistols.

Jonathan grabbed her hand and followed after the man. He didn’t bother to ask who he was; there wasn’t time when you were running for your life. The three of them ran through the dark woods, ducking branches and jumping large tree roots. A moment later, an arrow streaked past them and imbedded itself into a tree. It was followed by a round of five more. The pursuers were trying to bring them down because they could not keep up with them through the woods.

Kurenai wanted to laugh. She had missed this excitement in her life. She had to wonder if she was somehow addicted to danger as another round encircled them, striking the surrounding trees and the ground. Her blood was pumping so hard that she didn’t notice an arrow graze her arm. She just kept running fast enough that her hair came loose from its wrap, flowing free in the moonless night.

Lights from the city came into view, and they slowed their pace. The group stopped at the edge of the woods and listened, but no sound other than the night could be heard. All three of them were bent over, trying to regain their breath. Kurenai’s body began to shake from exhilaration, and it made it hard for her to regain her composure. The masked man was the first to speak, even though he was struggling more than the others for breath.

“Get back to the house,” he whispered. “I’ll go back and make sure they are not following us.”

She nodded to him, and Jonathan didn’t question the order. It seemed his wife trusted the man, so he had no reason not to do the same. He took her hand to lead her back to town, but she didn’t budge.

He became concerned when he noticed she was still bent over. “Kurenai? Are you well?” Jonathan asked, putting a hand to her forehead.

She was shaking uncontrollably. “I’m not sure,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I just feel tired all of a sudden….”

Then Kurenai collapsed against Jonathan.

“Sir! Come back!” he yelled. “Something’s wrong with my wife!”

As he heard the man coming back, he gently lied her ground. Her forehead was clammy with sweat. The guard dropped to the ground next to them, and placed his ear next to her heart. Jonathan heard the man make a gasp. He immediately started checking her body, and found a tear on her left sleeve. There was a single bleeding scratch beneath the fabric.

~*~*~

When Tatsumaki arrived, he found the men surrounding her body in the dining room. Jonathan had laid her on the table, and a doctor was examining her. Tatsu recognized the doctor from the palace, the same one who was taking care of Sakiko.

“I fear she has been poisoned,” he said, addressing Jonathan directly. “The running helped to spread it through her body faster. Her heart is beating slower than normal, and she is barely breathing.”

Akihiro stood next to the doctor. He leaned over and said something in the doctor’s ear, and he nodded in agreement.

“You may be right,” he said. The doctor looked at Jonathan and Miki, and said, “We need to wake her. She needs to purge this from her system before she absorbs anymore.”

As Akihiro left the room, Daven ran to the kitchen, and returned with a large bowl. Miki bent over her still form, lightly slapping her face and saying her name over and over. Jonathan stood behind her and rolled her over onto her side.

The change in position and the slapping by Miki was enough to get her to open her eyes. Tatsumaki moved behind her to help Jonathan sit her up, as she started to cough.

Miki stood in front of her, holding the bowl. “Listen, this is going to hurt, and we pray that it is helpful.”

Tatsu had Jonathan scoot back, not wanting the man to take part in what happened next. The last thing he would want his wife to remember was that he was part of group causing her pain. Tatsu wrapped his arms around her stomach. Her face was still obscured, so Miki pulled the fabric away and swiftly shoved his finger down her throat. She started to gag, but not enough. That’s when Tatsu squeezed her hard around her abdomen, and she immediately started to heave.

Jonathan could only watch his wife retch in pain. It only took a couple of minutes until her heaving lessened, but her cries became louder, begging for the hurt to stop. The only thing she had managed to purge from her body was blood, dark and discolored. Miki reached around her to pull Tatsu’s face mask off and use it to clean up her face. Tatsu instinctively started to rub her back, hoping it would soothe some of her pain.

Akihiro came back, crushing something with a mortar and pestle. “Daven, I need some tea.”

Daven made a second trip to the kitchen. Jonathan came over to Tatsu, and they switched places while Miki finished cleaning her up. The doctor took the bowl away to dispose of the blood.

Daven returned with a cup of tea, and Akihiro poured the contents of the mortar into the cup and stirred. Kurenai leaned back against Jonathan.

“I’m so tired,” she whispered.

He kissed her on top of her head. “I know, love, but we need you awake. Your friend has made you some tea.”

She opened her eyes again, and this time Akihiro was in front of her. Miki moved to Jonathan’s side as Akihiro got her to drink the liquid.

“Coal,” Miki whispered to Foxx. “It will help to absorb whatever is in her system.”

He nodded, grateful for their knowledge of poison, yet fearful of it all the same. Once she had drunk the tea, she started to lean over to lie down, but the doctor was back.

“No, you can’t let her go to sleep,” he commanded. “She must stay awake and let the remedy do its work.”

The doctor looked into her eyes, checked her pulse, and listened to her heartbeat.

“I need to speak with the family members, privately,” he stated, his voice carrying a tone of uncertainty.

Jonathan was hesitant to leave her side, but Daven stepped into his place and eased her weight against him. Both Miki and Jonathan went into the courtyard, leaving Tatsu with the three strangers.

“I have to ask,” Tatsu said as Akihiro walked past him. “Is this one of the services you provide as a member of the Emperor’s personal guard?”

Daven’s ears perked up as Akihiro ignored the question. “Is that true?” Daven asked. “You’re a guard member?”

Both men were looking at Akihiro’s back, but he refused to answer their questions. Instead he said, “I can’t guarantee she’ll live through the night. The doctor is preparing the family for the worst. I would advise you to do the same.”

And with that, he left into the kitchen. Tatsu understood that Daven had grown attached to her, but what concern was she to him? He was only her “outside” guardian.

Kurenai started to cough, and Daven tried to hold her steady. Her body was shaking again, and her flesh was getting cold.

“I had no idea she had left,” Daven said out loud while he rubbed her arms, trying to warm her. He was careful to stay away from her wound. “I don’t know anything about you, or why you were following her, but thank you for saving her.”

Kurenai mumbled something, and Daven gave a dismayed laugh. “She said you’re an awful guard.”

Tatsu couldn’t disagree. He had allowed her to get injured. The Council was going to have his head when he found out. He silently nodded to Daven, preferring to maintain silence like Akihiro. The less details this outsider knew the better.

“I’m sorry, can you sit with her for a moment?” Daven asked, looking back to Tatsu. “She is cold already, and I’m afraid she’s not going to warm up if we don’t cover her.”

Tatsu was hesitant. It must have shown on his face.

“Please, I’ll only be gone a moment.”

Tatsu nodded, and silently climbed up on the table and slid in behind Kurenai as Daven went down the hall. He pulled her close into his lap, and wrapped his arms around her slender form to give her his warmth. He hoped her husband didn’t get angry. He didn’t know much about Foxx, but he knew how jealous he could be with someone else wrapped around his woman. He snorted with the memory Miki had provided him with when he told him about his night with Yume.

Her silver hair moved with his breath and tickled his nose, and as he took a deep breath, he thought he could smell jasmine. It was as if his mind didn’t want to let go of the memories of her. She started to mumble.

“What was that?” he asked, trying to keep her talking so she would stay awake.

“Need my kids…” she said.

She was delusional. Tatsu didn’t remember Miki mentioning anything about kids, and he hadn’t seen any around the property during the last week.

“Where are your kids?” he asked, trying to keep her talking.

She made a sigh, and leaned into Tatsu’s body, her head rolling to the side where he still couldn’t see her face.

“Palace”

Tatsu didn’t remember seeing any kids at the palace either, at least none other than his own.

“Do you want your brother to get your kids for you?”

She started to shake her head, causing her hair to rub his face again and inundate him with the scent of jasmine. The scent from his past that always haunted him. Maybe his mind wasn’t tricking him this time.

She mumbled again, and he squeezed her arms to wake her up.

“What was that?” he asked.

She was having trouble forming coherent thoughts, her mind shutting down with her body gave out. “Not my brother…” she whispered as she passed out.

Tatsumaki looked up as Jonathan and Miki came back with the doctor. Jonathan looked solemnly at his wife with sadness in his eyes, but Miki’s eyes were wide as he stared at Tatsu. Daven came back at that moment with blankets in his arms.

“Help me lay her down,” he said from behind Tatsu.

Tatsu started to slide away from her, but she woke up once more with his movement. She grabbed his arm and held on tight.

“No, don’t go,” she whispered, turning around to nuzzle her face in his chest.

Miki was there in an instant. “Here, let me take her,” he said sternly in a low voice that only Tatsu could hear.

“I’ve got her, don’t worry,” Tatsu stated.

When he looked down at her, he froze. Her confusing words started to replay in his mind as they started to make sense. Her kids were at the palace, safe and sound. And of course he wasn’t her brother because her brother was also safe within the palace walls, oblivious to the fact that his sister was in a foreign part of town fighting for her life. So, this was why a member of the Emperor’s personal guard was here. She wasn’t delusional after all.

Tatsu’s heart began to pound rapidly as his Yume looked up at him. She smiled before she closed her eyes again, and released her grip on his arm. Miki was there, taking her from him.

“Not here,” he whispered to Tatsu. He knew the man’s anger knew no bounds where she was concerned. “Yume wouldn’t want this.”

Tatsu grabbed Miki’s jacket, yanking him forward and crushing the woman between them.

“You…do…not…have…the right…to say her name…to me.”

Tatsu let her go, and Miki and Daven worked to get her wrapped up and comfortable. Once she was settled again, Jonathan was at her side, wiping her forehead dry of sweat. He whispered loving words to his wife, trying to relax her mind as well as her body. He took great care with her, gently moving her hair away from her face.

The doctor joined Tatsu and Miki in the corner, unaware of the growing tension between the two men.

“She will need a transfusion soon,” he said. “She has lost a lot of blood, and her system may not recover if her supply isn’t replenished.”

Tatsu looked back to the couple on the table, watching Foxx rub her arms like Tatsu had earlier. No matter which direction he looked, he was sickened by this room and the people in it, and the lies that kept them all there.

Miki spoke to the doctor, “What do you need from us?”

The doctor cleared his throat. “I need a donor, from a blood relative.”

Tatsumaki watched as Miki’s face tried to keep its self-control, and he secretly laughed on the inside at the sick irony of the situation.


TBC...