Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Aug 26, 2011 11:10:58 GMT -5
"The time measured between your visits is usually months, my lord," Setsuko said demurely. Her elegant gown nearly touched the floor as she stood in the doorway to her room, a delicate-seeming hand placed on her hip. "It is rare that you would visit me again so soon." She said. "You must have missed me quite a bit."
Despite himself, Thrakhath smiled. "Not a day goes by when I don't think of you, my dear," he said, in that same tone. "Unfortunately, my visit is more business than pleasure today."
"When is it not?" she said with an over-dramatic sigh. She stood to the side and gestured with her arm for him to enter.
Thrakhath nodded graciously and stepped into the well-furnished room. As always when he traveled outside the Shadowlands, he wore the nondescript, makeshift armor that would mark him as a simple mercenary. "I wish I had time for a song, Setsuko dear, but I'm afraid there isn't time even for that."
"You must stay for at least one, my lord," Setsuko said, a pleading note in her tone. "People will ask questions if you wander in and out so quickly."
Thrakhath lowered himself into a chair, forgoing the bed this time, and placed his helmet on the floor beside it. "You're right of course," he said. "One song, then. I'm sure you know the one."
"Of course," she said with a smile. She collected her biwa and took a seat across from him, setting plectorum to string to tune the instrument. Thrakhath closed his eyes as the song began, and immediately found himself lost in the melody. He didn't know how long he sat there, absorbed in the sounds and the memories they invoked, but eventually Setsuko's voice intruded into the song and snapped him out of his reverie. "Now then, tell me what you need from me," she said.
"I need a message sent to Bayushi Senshi."
For the first time in all the time Thrakhath had known her, Setsuko faltered, and the noise that came from her instrument was distinctly disharmonious. Thrakhath opened his eyes. The look on Setsuko's face was not one of open shock, but his words had clearly rattled her. "The champion?" she said simply, once she'd composed herself.
"Yes," Thrakhath replied simply.
She stared at him for a moment longer, as if she expected him to shapeshift into a kansen and run cackling into the night. When that obviously didn't happen, she sighed. "You know what this will mean, of course," she said in a resigned voice.
"I know," Thrakhath said apologetically. "If there were any other way, I would find it." His expression turned serious. "You are the only one I can trust with this, Setsuko-san."
"I never much liked this city in the first place," she said. "You have the message with you, I take it?"
Thrakhath nodded. He reached into his armor and removed an envelope. Its seal was generic, and there were no visible markings. She reached across the space between them and took the envelope from his outstretched hand. "You owe me for this," she said.
"I'll make it up to you, Setsuko-chan," he replied. The he stood, collecting his helmet. "I must be going now, however," he said. "I have other preparations to see to."
She stood there with envelope in hand, regarding him as he collected himself. "Good luck," she said, an uncharacteristic sincerity in her voice.
"Thank you," he said. He bowed lower than was likely customary, and when he straightened their eyes met. The looked at one another for a moment, and then Thrakhath moved past her to leave. She didn't move as the door slid open and shut behind her.
***
Several days later, a lone messenger rode up to the gates of Kyuden Bayushi. She was an ordinary sort of woman, dressed in a manner that suggested one of the lesser families of the samurai caste. When the guards stopped her, she slowly reached into her kimono and withdrew an unmarked envelope with a plain-looking seal and handed it to one of the guards. "Please see that Bayushi Senshi-dono recieves this letter," she said imperiously. The guards exchanged looks, but made no move to carry out her order. "Well? Get a move on!" she snapped.
As if by reflex, the guard she'd handed the envelope to immediately snapped to attention and hurried through the gate while the other snickered. She fixed him with a look that could have curdled fresh milk, and he suddenly became very serious. She nodded as if she were quite pleased with herself and turned her horse around, trotting away from the castle perhaps a little faster than would be normal.
The contents of the message are as follows:
Lord Senshi-dono,
My name is Thrakhath. It's likely you haven't heard of me, though considering who you are, I suppose it's just as likely you have. I'm not one for long, wordy letters, so I'll get straight to the point. You and I won't exactly see eye-to-eye on many things I imagine, but I have heard it said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and fi that is the case, that should make us practically brothers. I would like to meet to discuss our mutual enemy, at a time and place of your choosing. I will be in the vicinity of the Palace of Crimson Shadows for some time, I'm sure that's all the information someone of your talents will need in order to reply. I look forward to putting an end to our mutual enemy's disgusting existence, I hope you feel the same way.
Thrakhath
Despite himself, Thrakhath smiled. "Not a day goes by when I don't think of you, my dear," he said, in that same tone. "Unfortunately, my visit is more business than pleasure today."
"When is it not?" she said with an over-dramatic sigh. She stood to the side and gestured with her arm for him to enter.
Thrakhath nodded graciously and stepped into the well-furnished room. As always when he traveled outside the Shadowlands, he wore the nondescript, makeshift armor that would mark him as a simple mercenary. "I wish I had time for a song, Setsuko dear, but I'm afraid there isn't time even for that."
"You must stay for at least one, my lord," Setsuko said, a pleading note in her tone. "People will ask questions if you wander in and out so quickly."
Thrakhath lowered himself into a chair, forgoing the bed this time, and placed his helmet on the floor beside it. "You're right of course," he said. "One song, then. I'm sure you know the one."
"Of course," she said with a smile. She collected her biwa and took a seat across from him, setting plectorum to string to tune the instrument. Thrakhath closed his eyes as the song began, and immediately found himself lost in the melody. He didn't know how long he sat there, absorbed in the sounds and the memories they invoked, but eventually Setsuko's voice intruded into the song and snapped him out of his reverie. "Now then, tell me what you need from me," she said.
"I need a message sent to Bayushi Senshi."
For the first time in all the time Thrakhath had known her, Setsuko faltered, and the noise that came from her instrument was distinctly disharmonious. Thrakhath opened his eyes. The look on Setsuko's face was not one of open shock, but his words had clearly rattled her. "The champion?" she said simply, once she'd composed herself.
"Yes," Thrakhath replied simply.
She stared at him for a moment longer, as if she expected him to shapeshift into a kansen and run cackling into the night. When that obviously didn't happen, she sighed. "You know what this will mean, of course," she said in a resigned voice.
"I know," Thrakhath said apologetically. "If there were any other way, I would find it." His expression turned serious. "You are the only one I can trust with this, Setsuko-san."
"I never much liked this city in the first place," she said. "You have the message with you, I take it?"
Thrakhath nodded. He reached into his armor and removed an envelope. Its seal was generic, and there were no visible markings. She reached across the space between them and took the envelope from his outstretched hand. "You owe me for this," she said.
"I'll make it up to you, Setsuko-chan," he replied. The he stood, collecting his helmet. "I must be going now, however," he said. "I have other preparations to see to."
She stood there with envelope in hand, regarding him as he collected himself. "Good luck," she said, an uncharacteristic sincerity in her voice.
"Thank you," he said. He bowed lower than was likely customary, and when he straightened their eyes met. The looked at one another for a moment, and then Thrakhath moved past her to leave. She didn't move as the door slid open and shut behind her.
***
Several days later, a lone messenger rode up to the gates of Kyuden Bayushi. She was an ordinary sort of woman, dressed in a manner that suggested one of the lesser families of the samurai caste. When the guards stopped her, she slowly reached into her kimono and withdrew an unmarked envelope with a plain-looking seal and handed it to one of the guards. "Please see that Bayushi Senshi-dono recieves this letter," she said imperiously. The guards exchanged looks, but made no move to carry out her order. "Well? Get a move on!" she snapped.
As if by reflex, the guard she'd handed the envelope to immediately snapped to attention and hurried through the gate while the other snickered. She fixed him with a look that could have curdled fresh milk, and he suddenly became very serious. She nodded as if she were quite pleased with herself and turned her horse around, trotting away from the castle perhaps a little faster than would be normal.
The contents of the message are as follows:
Lord Senshi-dono,
My name is Thrakhath. It's likely you haven't heard of me, though considering who you are, I suppose it's just as likely you have. I'm not one for long, wordy letters, so I'll get straight to the point. You and I won't exactly see eye-to-eye on many things I imagine, but I have heard it said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and fi that is the case, that should make us practically brothers. I would like to meet to discuss our mutual enemy, at a time and place of your choosing. I will be in the vicinity of the Palace of Crimson Shadows for some time, I'm sure that's all the information someone of your talents will need in order to reply. I look forward to putting an end to our mutual enemy's disgusting existence, I hope you feel the same way.
Thrakhath