|Goodbye Again| kazuscara

四

An Odd Fellow

🍁☂️

The major generals of the Tri-Commission held an emergency meeting, standing amongst each other at the court before the Shogun's Palace. The prior night was full of anxiety and a desperate search for the missing prince.

As the three generals waited for her majesty's audience within one of the cold, cherrywood tatami rooms of the palace, some paced the room, others fiddled with their weapons, and others tried to mask their fear by sitting still on zabutons. Who would be the one to tell the Shogun?

The shoji screen leading to the hallway slid across the room, the tall figure of the Shogun stood in the doorway, her layered silks of purples in the junihitoe she wore announcing her high stature.

All turned to the Shogun, bowing their heads low. None dared to speak, but the most loyal of the commissions, belonging to the Kujou Clan, spoke, "Your Majesty, I am afraid he escaped our grasp. Forgive our mistake-"

Like lightning that roared in the skies, a katana shot across the room and towards the general, impaling the wall beside the general's head by a minuscule.

"Keep searching. I don't care how long it takes. Bring him to me, dead or alive." The door slammed shut behind the Shogun and the generals that stood collapsed to the floor, petrified. They wouldn't stick around to see what would happen to them if they failed again.

There were at least six treasure hoarders who lay around the camp, dust and dirt driven into their faces as Wanderer patted off his hands. It was the perfect opportunity to let off some steam, and there turned out to be useful things in the camp.

He stood and pocketed the mora from the treasure hoarders and head off with what other goods he could carry in tow. Before turning back with a pull of his eye, sticking out his tongue, "Bleh!"

White cranes soared overhead in a triangular formation towards the west, where the well-suited man planned to head. If it weren't for the doubled pay of a commission, he wouldn't be able to enjoy the beauty of his golden land.

After arriving at the marked treasure hoarder camp, the seemingly lost consultant eyed his map with suspicion. He paused and marked landmarks in accordance with the map and his sharp memory, but all that was left were unconscious treasure hoarders. Whether a passing group of travellers had passed by or they had eaten a poisonous mushroom, he found the answer to the cause of this mess by walking away.

Almost trailing after the short fellow, the man met with the familiar traces of an aura of an archon he knew well. The attire of the man who seemingly one-handedly defeated the encampment was also familiar, native to Inazuma.

"Excuse me," he said in Japanese as he approached the veiled traveller. "You remind me of an Inazuman I know. Are you searching for something?" While he wasn't all too bothered by the commission being completed for him, or the fact that this Inazuman carried the aura of an archon, he wondered most of all who he was.

Wanderer had twisted his head in an instant, looking up to meet the stranger, face to face, "Yes-? Is there anything you need?" He would have been lying if he said he didn't jump at the sudden appearance of the tall man, and what "Inazuman" was he talking about?

"Ah, I just got the stuff I need, I was about to head back to where I was!" Wanderer gave an involuntary smile praying the man would go away, he didn't wanna spend time with someone who could mess up his plans.

The consultant didn't let go of the Inazuman so easily, so he began with another alluding piece of evidence, "Nothing at all. I was just passing by for a commission, but it seemed someone had already done it for me." He noticed how uneasy the man was, so he decided to wrap things up, "I'll leave you be then. Safe travels."