War Priest: The Complete Series, page 43
“What did Kogu’s paperwork say exactly? You were never clear on it.”
“As before, it was mostly invoices and shipment dates, the most pertinent pages already taken by my daughter.”
“You said she marked some of them.”
“She did. Clearly toying with whoever recognizes the markings.”
“What about the shipment?”
“Weapons. It seems as if Kogu is helping the southern warlord through weapon drops. When he eventually does move through the Jade Realm to your home, they will be able to swiftly transfer siege weapons and the like along the way, as well as rations for the soldiers, all funneled through a single location. It is a sound strategy, and it will allow Nobunaga to seem as if he’s moving at a superhuman pace once he reaches the Onyx border.”
“Do you know where the shipments will be delivered? Did she leave that information?”
“She did. Outside of Iga. Do you remember the ruins that we visited, where I taught you how to use a grappling hook? Not far from that location, there’s a place known as the Valleys of the Unknown, a very obscured portion of the Jade Realm with its numerous canyons, all shrouded in mist. It would make sense. The easiest path would be straight through this realm, Omoto on the border, north to Iga, obscured by the valleys, and once they’re out, straight to your most famous border city.”
“Austere. You don’t think they would take Austere directly?”
“They could, or they could bypass it completely and transition east to the Ezochi.”
“The capital.”
“Exactly. With the kind of siege weapons they are transporting, it looks like they are trying to take a place that is heavily fortified. This wouldn’t describe Austere, at least from the couple of times I visited. Ezochi, as I’m sure you can attest to, is the exact opposite. Those cliffside castles would be hard to penetrate without a naval army, which Nobunaga doesn’t have. At least to my knowledge.”
“So…” He felt foolish even suggesting it, but Arik liked the idea of visiting Iga again, where they held warrior pilgrimages. If they could somehow thwart Nobunaga’s eventual supply chain, it would make it harder for the southern warlord to invade his country.
“Yes?”
“We get the Whispering Sword, and then we visit Iga and destroy this supply chain.”
Hojo stopped walking and turned to Arik. “You do realize that to secure a shipment of this size would take an army of mercenaries or blades, especially as the siege weapons will need to be hidden from the Jadean government, at least those not in Kogu’s pockets. There could be thousands of men. To destroy the shipment would require…” Hojo tilted his head up, a crooked smile forming on his face. “It certainly would be a lesson in infiltration, wouldn’t it?”
“I will do whatever it takes to stop Nobunaga,” Arik said with true conviction in his voice.
“The two of you and me versus an entire army?” Meosa started to laugh, startling Arik to some degree as he had been silent for a spell. “I suppose there have been worse odds. I don’t know when this would have been the case, but it’s not like any of them will kill me anyway. So, I suppose I agree. Let’s do it, after we’ve tried to find Coro Pache’s old weapon, of course.”
Hojo considered this. “Yes, I believe it would be something that could not only disturb Nobunaga’s operation, but perhaps lead me closer to Tayaura. If she hasn’t already visited the location by the time we arrive.”
“Would she try to fight us again?” Arik asked.
“I can’t be certain. You see that light below?” Hojo motioned toward the glimmer Arik had noticed just a few moments ago. “That is a roadside inn we can stay at for the day. It will be good for us to get some rest before we continue on our journey toward Moonagwa to visit an itako there. I’ve stayed at the inn before. It is comfortable enough.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Neither do I.”
Meosa laughed at this statement. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to stop us from staying there, is it?”
“No, kami, it isn’t. But be prepared to help out.”
“Like some sort of barmaid? Remember who you are talking to, shinobi. I am no manservant.”
Hojo started walking again. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten.”
****
It all happened with a wave of his hand.
They were given a room as soon as they reached the roadside inn, Hojo barely saying a word to the man who ran the place with his wife and children. Arik did notice a sense of familiarity between Hojo and the owner, but there was also this feeling that everything around him was being obscured, a fog of sorts that he didn’t quite recognize, one that lifted once they reached the room that Hojo hadn’t quite paid for.
“Alas, I wonder how many supposed illusionists like yourself have scammed places like this through the ages,” Meosa told Hojo as Arik placed his bag at the foot of the bed in the corner.
“There was no scam.”
“Then pay them.”
“I don’t have any sen at the moment. Do either of you have any? Or rupees or oban? No? I thought not. We have other ways that we will help this family. Besides, the room was vacant overnight, and we will leave in the evening. They can still use it.”
“What other ways do we have to help them?” Arik asked.
“I want you to go downstairs, disciple, and see if they give you a task. I have a feeling they will. Once you are finished, you can rejoin me up here.”
Arik nodded.
“So you get to rest while he works, is that how you plan to do it, eh?”
“I will help them out when I wake before the two of you.”
“I don’t ever sleep,” Meosa reminded Hojo.
“Then you can join me, if you’d like. Before you leave, I have something for you to think about while you perform whatever task they ask of you, disciple. The last time we trained, I showed you the One-Count Strike, and spoke to you about how all the interpretations of chi are merely that, interpretations. There is a story we tell at the School of Illusion once we revisit the mastering disguises and deception lessons, one that may help you in your journey.”
Arik nodded, recalling the trials and tribulations of that portion of his initial training from Hojo. He vividly remembered what it had been like to be in Avarga and disguise himself, Meosa generally helping by throwing his voice. It made sense that more advanced students would come back to the basic lessons, especially after they had learned how to utilize Chimaura.
“I suppose I should frame it like this, which will help you think about it in a different light: If you can accomplish the One-Count Strike, it will show me that you have advanced past the point of specializing in chi, not quite becoming a generalist, but becoming someone who can utilize more advanced methods. I’ve thought about it, and we are in a situation where I’m going to try to teach you these things rapidly. Do note that it takes a typical illusionist years before they are even told that this is a possibility.”
“Thank you,” Arik said, not quite sure of where Hojo was going.
The master illusionist removed his conical hat and placed it on the bed next to him. “As for the story I have, it took place years ago, and it involves two brothers. Sandan ran a lumber mill outside of Avarga, while his brother, Johmar de Avarga, went on to become a master illusionist. The two brothers were close, and once the Jade-Crimson War of Shadows started, they knew they were to be separated.”
“That long ago?” Meosa asked. “Nearly a thousand years…”
“Johmar sent a message to his brother at the lumber mill that he would be going to the front to work as a spy. In this message, he promised to meet his brother Sandan after the war at a friend’s home they had once stayed in during their youth. The war ended after a little over a year, and Sandan went to the place where he would meet his brother. He saw Johmar and embraced him. The two spent the rest of the day walking along the shores of a lake, fishing, and catching up on the past. As they had done as children, the two laid out blankets on the shore and went to sleep.”
“A brotherly union. What is the meaning of this parable?”
“It isn’t a parable, kami.” Hojo smoothed his hands over his robes and rolled up the cuffs. He finally looked up at the disciple, something shining behind his eyes. “Johmar died eight months before meeting his brother, during the war, yet they still were able to enjoy the afternoon together. I want you to think about this before we go any further. How is it possible? How did Johmar de Avarga do it? What powers lie beyond the traditional understandings of chi? Think about this.”
It became clear as Hojo sat there that he wasn’t going to say anything else. Arik eventually shifted to the door and from there, to the family below.
He left his weapon behind as well as the Mask of the Fallen, the disciple feeling a relief of sorts in being away from the seemingly cursed object. It didn’t affect him too terribly, but he did notice its absence once he reached the floor below.
A teenage girl spotted Arik and motioned for him to follow her. The brunette daughter of the innkeeper handed him a broom and led him around, having him sweep certain places almost as if she were in a trance.
There was a storage room on the western side of the building, one covered in cobwebs. Arik cleaned these out, and in doing so he managed to dislodge a sharp stone, which fell and struck the teenage girl on her foot. Had she been wearing boots, she likely would have been okay, but she was wearing sandals.
The stone instantly drew blood.
“Let me help.” The disciple crouched before her foot.
Even as Meosa started to protest, Arik summoned his power, feeling it twist all around him. The wound was healed in an instant, the bruise that was forming no longer there. The only proof that it had even happened was a bit of smeared blood due to the fact that the stone had hit a vein.
“How did you do that?” the teenager asked, wide eyed now as she stared at Arik.
“You shouldn’t meddle, my boy.”
Once again, he ignored Meosa as he got back to his feet and retrieved the broom. “Where else would you like me to sweep?”
Clearly a little spooked, the teenager bit her lip and she finally offered Arik a short nod. “The kitchen, and the floor could use scrubbing as well.”
“I’ve got just the thing for that,” Arik said.
Meosa laughed bitterly at the disciple. “If you think I’m going to help you clean the floor of some peasant inn, you may as well jump off the tallest peak in Iga!”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to help,” Arik said under his breath as the teenager led him to the kitchen. “Just do so discreetly.”
****
Arik fell asleep relatively quickly after helping the family that ran the inn.
He awoke early the next evening to find Hojo standing over him, a curious look on his face.
“Yes?” Arik asked as he moved away from the master illusionist. He wasn’t afraid of Hojo, especially with Meosa protecting them, but he didn’t like the master illusionist’s demeanor, a darkness to the man’s face that he wasn’t expecting.
“Did you heal someone downstairs?”
“One of the daughters, yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she was bleeding.”
“You cannot give yourself away, disciple.”
“That’s exactly what I told him,” Meosa said, the aqueous kami coming alive. He now floated next to Hojo in his vaporous form, two limbs akin to his arms crossed over his chest. “For once, we’re on the same page, illusionist.”
“You’ve put this family in a difficult situation.”
“How?” Arik asked, challenging Hojo’s accusation. “She was injured, and I helped her. I know that I had to be careful about my power before, but it’s not something I plan to do anymore. I’ve seen Nobunaga now, I know what I’m up against, and—”
“Enough,” Hojo said as he stepped to the door. “Grab your things, and follow me. We’re leaving.”
Arik pulled his hair back once Hojo had exited the room, the disciple assuming that he would wait for him in the hallway. “Is he serious?”
“He was already packing up earlier, while you were sleeping. I would float out there and see what he’s planning, but he is merely standing in the hallway. Not much to see. And he is right, you know. You should be careful about your power.”
“We cannot live in fear.”
“It is nothing about living in fear, disciple, and you know that. It is about staying alive long enough to extract revenge. You have seen Nobunaga. I’ll ask you to remember who he was with, aside from his guards, all of whom are highly trained in using Thunderaura. Enenra is a powerful kami, and she’s protecting him as well. Even if you do manage to reach Nobunaga, you have to go through her. Of course, I will help you, but she has bested me before…”
“What’s your point?”
“My point?” Meosa huffed. “My point is, to get to that stage, the stage in which you plan to enact your revenge, you need to keep it together and stay hidden, that’s my point! Going around healing peasant girls in a country without healers isn’t a way to stay hidden, disciple. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you!”
Arik didn’t say anything else as he gathered his things, the Mask of the Fallen going in the inner pocket of his robes, now close to his chest, the bag over his shoulder containing his shinobi tools and the Coro Pache book.
He entered the hallway to find Hojo waiting for him, his face concealed as always. The master illusionist quietly led him downstairs, Arik surprised to find the family all seated at the table, an enchanted look on each of their faces. “What… what’s wrong with them?”
“You are curious about the power of Chimaura, are you not? Watch.” His conical hat now over his head, Hojo approached the family and slowly placed a single hand on the table. All of them did the same.
Keeping his head bowed, Hojo seemed to stop breathing, his body slowly sinking forward, Arik not understanding what he was seeing.
Finally, after what felt like a minute, Hojo took a short breath.
Transitioning around him, Arik finally got a glimpse of the master illusionist’s face, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, completely white now, his nostrils flared wide, his lips slightly parted.
“Stop toying with them.” Meosa’s voice broke Arik’s concentration, but it didn’t break Hojo’s, who was still focused on the family.
It was then that Arik realized he had been looking at the wrong thing.
While he had been focused on Hojo, he hadn’t paid any attention to the family of four, all of whom wore similar looks on their faces now, their eyes rolled back, their nostrils flared, lips slightly parted. It was very subtle, but as he looked back to Hojo, he noticed a smoke-like substance wafting from his mouth, connecting him to each of the family members.
This is Chimaura, Arik thought, secretly proud of himself for finally being able to recognize it.
They remained like this as Hojo stepped away from them and grabbed the single bag he was carrying, which had already been set near the door.
“Bloody show-off,” said Meosa once the master illusionist had departed.
Arik was just about to follow him when he turned back to the family and noticed the look on the teenage girl’s face, the one whom he had healed last night. Her pupils were now visible, yet she still sat in stunned silence, transfixed on some point in the distance even though she was in the confines of a small, candlelit room.
It was entirely bizarre.
****
Arik joined Hojo outside, where he found the master illusionist now standing near a wheelbarrow of hay, his face shielded by the truncated shadow from his conical hat.
“What will happen to them?”
“They will be fine. In a few minutes they will all come out of their trance, and they will forget that we were ever there.”
Hojo turned north and began walking, Arik quickly catching up with him.
“I don’t see why that was necessary,” Arik said, even though there was a part of him that understood why Hojo had done what he had done. This statement was mostly said just to tease out a better explanation of Chimaura, its effects, and how to utilize it.
“It took you years to understand Revivaura, even if you were healing at a young age, with your natural inclination and all.” Hojo was referring to the way they tested children in the north, to see if they could even manage Revivaura to begin with. “Chimaura, while it is still using chi, is different. The School of Illusion codified a way to train anyone to utilize the power. Many of my students had no natural talent whatsoever, yet they were able to cultivate their abilities through knowledge and intense practice. It is something that requires not only concentration, but repetition. You aren’t going to have to do this as much considering you already understand how to use chi.”
“It’s a corrupted magick,” Meosa said, “nothing more. Chimaura doesn’t utilize chi the same way that Thunderaura and Revivaura do, not to mention Yokaura.”
“The kami isn’t wrong. The things taught for the majority of time at the School of Illusion are merely auxiliary arts. Understanding the ways of the world and how to use it without relying on one’s power is one of the most important lessons. Chimaura is, for our purpose, a chi to be utilized sparingly once other options have been exhausted. Remember, a well-trained Hidden Warrior looks like a stupid man.”
