Post by dairuncates on Apr 10, 2016 10:40:33 GMT
日の出
What is Hinode?:Hinode is a text adventure from the old MSPA boards. The mostly text in the title is about the fact that, at some points, I plan to use visual aids for some sections of the adventure. As of yet, this hasn't come up. Since the old boards look like they're gonna be gone for a while and since I was itching to update it again, I thought I'd take some commands from here and catch up the old thread if it the old boards ever come back intact.
What's It About?:
Hinode is about a young woman named "Risa" set in the universe of a previous forum adventure, "Pirates vs. Ninjas RPG: The Forum Adventure" (Which itself was based on the universe for my game design Master's Thesis). Risa is highly trained ninja that, as of the most recent update, has been sent on a covert escort mission to act as a nobleman's bodyguard. Unlike the previous adventure, this one takes a much more sombre tone and has an equally serious protagonist. As the adventure is pretty early on, I can't say much more than that, but if anyone on here happens to SOMEHOW be a fan of that old adventure, this adventure takes place approximately 20 years before the first and one of the main characters has a major connection to one of the characters in the old adventure.
Any Special Rules?:
Commands are done in typical format, preferably with a ">________" style for clarity. However, there is one special command currently available to players. Once per update, someone can type ">Lore: " and a topic they wish to know more about, and Risa can give a detailed report on the topic to the best of her own knowledge (which is fairly significant). There are other commands coming, but they haven't come up yet.
Anyway, without further ado, we can start the adventure... Unfortunately, as there's no mirror. I have to simply post the entirety of the adventure down below. Thankfully, it's only 10 pages. Although, I apologize as this is from an unedited backup. So, there's a few awkward phrases and typos here and there. Should be readable, and hopefully things should go smoother once the adventure starts. Due to the long length. I'm going to list the text in a spoiler below. Sadly, this backup did not include the commands or the lore entries from the old thread. I still have a version of it cached in my browser though. so, I should be able to get some of them back for later if this change is more permanent.
Prologue:
Names are important. Many believe that the act of giving something a name gives it a soul; gives it power. Names are not just a marker for society to identify a person by, but a reflection of the wishes behind the namer. Names have an ineffable weight to them. A good name can shape a legend. A bad name can kill a god.
For the Ninja, names are even more important. For a well-trained ninja, there is no single moment greater than the one where they receive their "True Name". The True Name is not a name in the traditional sense, but rather a statement of the greatest truth the ninja has found in their training and adventures. The True Name is the force that will steer the actions of its owner for the rest of their life. It is destiny. It is kismet. A ninja without a True Name is considered weak or uncertain.
It is, therefore, a great irony that one of the most influential ninja of the modern era went a great many years without receiving her True Name, and that when she received it, she molded it more than it molded her. It is an even greater irony that, among the many names and titles she would receive, the one that had the most impact on her life was also the most simple; her adopted name. She was...
"Risa."
A familiar voice called from behind her.
"Risa, what are you doing up so early?"
"Morning Exercises," Risa replied matter-of-factly to Ms. Fujiwara. Without a pause, the young ninja continued to slowly run through the motions of her various techniques and strokes. Her form would have to be perfect for today. Not a single fiber in her muscles could afford to be out of place.
"But the sun is barely up," Ms. Fujiwara said, wiping the sleep out of her eyes, "What's got you up this early?"
Without missing a beat in her routine, Risa explained, "Master Ebon told me that he has a special task for me today. It's not wise to keep the Master waiting." As she finished her statement, her focus wavered for just a moment. Her wrist gave a dull ache as her strike was slightly diverted from its course. The average ninja would see no problem with her technique, and would even consider it a thing of beauty, but she was not accustomed to average tasks. A mistake like that in the heat of battle could tip a skilled opponent off to weaknesses in her form.
"Even so. He's not your only priority. Have you even had breakfast?"
Risa continued with a renewed focus, "Yes. A couple of hours ago."
"A couple of hours?" Ms. Fujiwara sputtered out, "how long have you been out here?"
"Clearly not long enough," Risa said as her ankle gave a small but sharp twinge of pain to indicate a misstep.
"Your style would make Ellipsis jealous. I'm sure Master Ebon will be pleased with your results just fine, young lady. Come. You need proper rest," Ms. Fujiwara said dismissively with a smile, "Get back inside. We'll get you a proper breakfast before your big mission."
Ms. Fujiwara, or Nanako as some in the house called her, was a woman in her 30's whose front of naive optimism often showed a side of hidden wisdom. Her light walnut hair and deep brown eyes reflected softly in the morning light, giving her an almost ethereal sense of welcome. For years, her bright attitude had kept the people in the servant's quarters happy as they whiled away their days doing menial tasks for the main school. She had even been kind to Risa where others had not. This had garnered something approaching fondness from Risa, but she knew deep down that any day that, like all things, Ms. Fujiwara could be taken from her. She chose not to dwell too long on such thoughts should they invite weakness. The world was at war, after all. Peace and happiness were important in hard times such as these, but some could ill afford to rest or consider such things for themselves.
"Are you coming over here or am I going to have to drag you over," Ms. Fujiwara frowned at Risa. Risa realized that she wasn't going to leave without an answer.
"I'm sorry," Risa gave a forced but convincing smile, "I need to go see Master Ebon."
"The task must be really important if Master Ebon is having you come in this early. Did he say what this was about?"
Risa just shook her head.
"Well, you be careful and come back safely, Risa. You understand?" Ms. Fujiwara looked genuinely concerned. Then again, she looked concerned anytime Risa would have to go on an important mission. Ms. Fujiwara may have understood that a certain level of danger was necessary to Risa's life, but she never fully accepted it. She probably wouldn't ever let Risa leave if she ever fully understood how dangerous things really got. "I don't want you coming back dead."
Risa thought to say something before leaving the room but gave her a gentle nod instead. It was, of course, a lie. Master Ebon didn't need her for another solid hour, but she didn't want to be there when the rest of the servants woke up. Not all of them were as kind as Ms. Fujiwara, and they would surely ask questions about her mission that she couldn't answer. She couldn't blame them for their hostility and suspicion. At least, not entirely. Without a family name, she was, at best, the last orphan of a wiped out family, and at worst, some minor lord's shameful bastard. In her case, she didn't even have a proper first name; just symbols and sounds Master Ebon pulled from the ancient language. His little "Clever Blossom". She always wondered why he picked something so gentle, but Master Ebon always refused to talk about her past.
Either way, she was a black spot on the clean image of proper society. No matter how much good she did for her country, the suspicion that she might someday turn out to be a secret pirate and that her blood would lead her to betray her country would always stick at the back of the minds of those she met. Similarly, a pure-blooded orphan of a dead bloodline was likely too weak to defend herself. After all, why else would they have been wiped out? A bastard born of a noble's impulsiveness was bound to be impulsive themselves, right? No matter how you looked at it. She was bad news. The best she could hope for was marrying a man with a good name, and then her child or her child's child would gain some renown.
...But Master Ebon would never allow her to marry. She was too useful a tool to let go that easy. A bastard may be dishonorable, but a bastard isn't without their own talents.
She stopped her morning walk at a stream to grab a small drink of water. As she carefully sipped at her cupped hands to avoid getting a drop on her clothes, she caught her reflection in the pond. The Dragon's Eyes. It was a rare trait in Ninja. Combined with her dark black hair, it really was no wonder that people were scared of her. Some said that that eyes of piercing Jade could only come from a pact with a demon. Still others believed that it was a sign of great power from an ancient bloodline. Risa wasn't nearly as superstitious. Eye color came from one's family, not divine or infernal omens, and that was a mystery she'd probably never solve. The Demon Bastard. She had come to terms with what she was long ago. She picked herself up and continued through the town.
River's Path had a strange beauty when it was empty. The barely awake sun bathed the town in a soft golden light with stripes of shadows still covering the forested areas of the town. When it was like this, Risa felt like a proper shadow. The world was hers and hers alone as she and it shared a somber, secret dance down the cobblestone roads. Most wouldn't assume such a quiet place would be home to the main branch of a major school, but Master Ebon valued a more traditional time without giant city walls. Few were foolish enough to attack anyway.
"Too many thoughts," she whispered to herself, "I need to focus. This is too important."
She had managed to waste more than half an hour lost in her thoughts. If she kept like this, she'd just be worse for the wear. She made quick pace to the main school of the Evadinja and Master Ebon's office.
"You're early," he scolded from behind his desk as she entered the door, "punctuality is as much about not being too early as it is about being too late."
"Understood, Master," she said with a respectful bow. Nothing more need be said between student and teacher.
Master Ebon appeared to have been talking with a young man when she entered. He was an attractive young man that appeared to be only a couple years younger than herself. His clean cut look and tailored clothes betrayed the fact that he was clearly the son of some lord. She thought to ask about his presence, but chose to wait for further orders from Master Ebon. Her Master had a brief whispered conversation with the young noble. The boy's pointing and gestures seemed to indicate it was about her. After they were done, Master Ebon cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Risa, I'd like you to meet your fiance."
Master Ebon's words made her stand at attention. Anyone that knew Master Ebon would have been shocked by that statement. "Excuse me, Master. I don't believe I heard you correctly."
"This young man is to be your husband," Master Ebon repeated with a wicked smile on his face.
Risa's gaze shifted to one of confusion and concern. Her posture slumped in disapproval. "Then I did hear you correctly, but I'm afraid I don't understand the meaning."
"This young man is Nei Satake or, as many know him, 'Bending Willow'," Master Ebon explained, "His father, Daigo Satake, fought alongside me in the early parts of the war, earning him the True Name, 'Swift Oak'. His family has been doing extremely well for themselves, and he asked me if I had any strong students that could act as his youngest son's bride. Naturally, I thought to mention my star pupil." Master Ebon continued his sickening grin.
"But Master," she pleaded, "My name. Surely there are better candidates. Why?" She fiddled nervously at the inside of her sleeves as her face went flush with panic.
"Nonsense," Master Ebon continued to dismiss her concerns, "He is the youngest son. He has no need to bring more honor and prestige to his name, and his family wishes to introduce strong children into the bloodline."
Risa took a step forward and locked her hands together as if she were begging. "Master. Nothing would make me happier, but I'm just wretch. A nothing. His family would be served better by so many of your other students."
Master Ebon leaned forward on his desk. The wicked grin shifted to a stern look of disappointment. "Risa. Your skills and beauty are more than adequate. This is a great honor for you."
Her thoughts raced without her face betraying any of her internal conflict. There was too much distance. She turned to the young man to see if he'd offer any help. "Surely it's Bending Willow's decision of who he wishes to marry. You can't expect him to marry someone he's just now seen."
Master Ebon's patience was beginning to wane. "Risa, my dear student. He has not only seen you training, but he picked you out himself. Don't you want kids and a family of your own?"
The boy wouldn't be a problem. His reactions likely wouldn't be fast enough. She stiffened her body and clenched her fists in anger. "Of course, I do, but not like this?"
Master Ebon tried to reason with her. "We don't always get to make the choice of how things happen."
She could hear Master Ebon's breathing growing more irregular from this distance. An emotional opponent was easier to catch off-guard. If she could keep the conversation going, she could get close enough without raising suspicions. "Can't he say these things himself," she fumed at her fiance, "surely my future husband isn't too shy to talk to his wife."
Master Ebon furrowed his brow at his beloved student. "You are being an impetuous child, Risa. I did not raise you to be this kind of woman. I raised you to be something better."
Just a bit closer. She shifted her focus back to her Master. Every inch was a small victory, but it wasn't enough. She needed a distraction; a moment of weakness. Her face turned a bright red as she yelled at the closest thing she had to a father, "Something better? How could anyone learn to be anything but a monster from the man that would force such a thing on his only daughter? I don't want to marry some random stranger!"
Master Ebon slammed his fists on the desk with a loud thundering clap. "You do not have any choice in the matter!"
Good. He hadn't noticed. His focus was entirely on the argument. The young boy was in a state of panic and confusion. She felt one last time at the inside of her sleeve. The trap had been set. Now the prey only needed to take the bait. As she envisioned the moment of victory, her next move became clear. No more half measures. She would have to fully commit to this if she wanted any chance to succeed. Risa gave her adoptive father a long silent stare, walked slowly up to his desk, turn her gaze to the flow, placed both her hands on the edge of the desk, took a deep breath...
...and then she cried.
"Please father," she managed to gasp out from her constricting throat, "Please. I beg you. I don't want to marry this man. Please. Doesn't your daughter's happiness mean anything to you?" She clenched the ends of her sleeves hard as the tears flowed down in rivers.
"Risa I-," Master Ebon reached out to touch Risa's shoulder and comfort her.
There was her chance.
Risa clutched at his outstretched wrist and used the momentum of his leaning to pull him face down into the desk. As she rose back up, she used the momentum of her swinging arm to slip the knife hidden under her sleeve into her right hand and and brought it back down with a shocking amount of force. By the time Bending Willow even registered what was happening, her knife was already on its trajectory towards her target's neck. The inexperienced young boy had no chance of stopping it now. She couldn't help but scream. She needed the extra burst of energy. Only a kill shot would do the job here. It needed to be a stroke that only Master Ebon could dodge. It was the only way to prove it was really him.
The next thing she knew, she was sprawled out on the floor in an intense but all too familiar amount of pain.
She didn't know what hurt more, the overwhelming force of Master Ebon's counterattack or the fact that, even after all these years and all her training, she still was no real match for him. The stronger she attacked him, the more it always hurt when he fought back. At least she had gotten better at maintaining her composure. Some of the students always told her that she should be proud of that pain. It was a sign of her strength. Maybe they were right. She was stronger than she used to be. Then again, they never trained with Master Ebon.
"Explain yourself," Master Ebon demanded from above her.
"Sorry Master. I thought," she paused for a second to cringe in pain and catch a few short pants, "I thought you were an imposter there for a second."
"An imposter?" Master Ebon looked at her with disgust, "What would possess you to think that?"
"You were acting strange," she managed in a fairly straight tone of voice.
"Strange? How so?"
"Well, apart from the fact that you'd never give me away to some noble's son, you made a few mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
Risa managed the strength to pull herself back up into a sitting position. "Well, for starters, you didn't punish me for showing up early, the head of the Satake's name is 'Daiki', and you'd never call any of your students a 'star pupil'."
Master Ebon gave her a cold stare. "And you attacked me for this? For minor inconsistencies?"
"Not exactly. Even with the fact that you were in here early enough with a stranger to set me up for an ambush, that wouldn't have been enough to attack; just to remain on guard."
"So, you attacked me without provocation or reason?" Master Ebon inquired with an eyebrow raise.
"No," she gave a light chuckle, "I attacked you because, in all my years of training, I've never seen you smile once. You're not this emotional. It was either an act or you were a spy. Few but you could've dodged that attack."
"What if I'm one of those few enemies that could dodge that attack?"
"I've seen that technique enough to know the real thing from an imitator. If I still had my doubts, Master, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Master Ebon's face shifted to a more sombre and serious look. He gave Risa a solemn nod.
"That was a test, wasn't it?" Risa asked.
Master Ebon looked back at Nei. "I assume that meets your approval, young Master Sataki?"
Nei looked down at Risa and looked her straight in the eyes. "Wow," Nei said in atonishment with a huge grin on his face, "you were right. She got every single one of them right, and she's really strong. She'll be an excellent body guard."
"Ah. I see," Risa said flatly, "Then I'm acting as an escort, am I?"
"Hopefully in more ways than one," Nei said with an attempted but failed flirty tone and a boyish chuckle.
"Why do I get the feeling that the fake engagement wasn't just a test," Risa said suspiciously to her Master.
"An astute observation," Master Ebon chimed in, "No. The fake engagement wasn't just to test you. You will be acting as Master Satake's fiance while also being his bodyguard."
"I guess my fake self is a lucky girl then. She'll surely be happy to be a wealthy, pampered bride. Although, what's with the misdirection? This isn't just a body-guarding job, is it? Who's after him?"
"A band of pirates known as the 'Crimson Gulls' has been trying to kidnap him the young master and has been attacking the members of his family."
Risa finally got up off the ground and began to brush herself off. "And you want me to trap them and find out why they're attacking him the Satake family and see if there's any more pirates in our territory. That's why you needed me then, isn't it? You needed a strong but unrecognizable student."
Master Ebon replied with a silent solemn nod. "You'll be leaving at once to avoid any spies or other students spotting you as you leave. Only engage them in combat if absolutely necessary."
"Understood Master," Risa said with a respectful bow. She turned to her now 'fiance', "Shall we leave with haste then, my lord?"
"Huh," Nei said with a big goofy smile on his face, "Smart, strong, respectful, AND beautiful. I must've really hit the jackpot." He stared deeply into her eyes with a focused leer.
If he looked any longer into her eyes, he might see her as she was. She couldn't let something like that get in the way of her mission. Risa shied away from his gaze and gave a slight blush. "My lord. You're staring. It's embarrassing."
"Don't mind me," He said, breaking off the intensity of his gaze and gently turning her face towards his, "I just figured I'd just get into my role. I am your fiance, after all. Besides, there's no reason to be unfriendly. We're gonna be spending a lot of time together over the next couple of days."
He genuinely believed his words. She could see that in his eyes. His playful and awkward flirting was more than just a bit of youthful teasing. He was clearly attracted to her. It was a shame that he was maybe just too young and naive to realize the gravity of his actions. He was cute and he had influence, but even with all that, it could never work. A normal girl might be ecstatic to have the eye of an attractive noble like him, but a woman like her and a noble born boy of his kind would only end in disaster for one of them; probably him. Still, she needed to be polite for the sake of the mission.
"I look forward to our time together then," she said with a smile that came more from her eyes than her lips. She held out her right hand to shake his and brushed a lock of her hair aside with her left.
"Indeed," he replied while cupping her hand in both of his, "I'm trusting you with my life, and hopefully you can trust me with yours."
Master Ebon interrupted the moment. "Alright, Risa. It's time for you to get ready."
Master Ebon pulled out a box from under his desk. He opened it to reveal a bright red kimono with a simple floral print. It was certainly beautiful, but it was much brighter of a color than she was used to wearing. It was the kind of formal wear that would catch a guy's eye easily, but wasn't terribly suited to stealth.
Risa expressed her concerns, "Don't you think this is a bit bright for traveling clothes?"
"We want you to be seen," Master Ebon corrected, "If something like this doesn't do it, nothing will."
"Understood." She gave another respectful bow.
"I need you to pack lightly. Take only what you absolutely need for the mission. Understood?"
She gave a nod of recognition.
"Good. Now hurry up and get changed. I need you out of here as soon as possible. We can't have someone spotting you and ruining this whole mission."
Nei Satake started looking around the room. "Is there anything you need me to grab?"
"Not particularly," Risa replied, "It's probably better to procure supplies on the field."
"Are you sure," Nei insisted, "Surely you'll need some weapons to keep me safe. What about a katana? Maybe a nice set of nunchaku? Daggers? Maybe a cool fan that doubles as a fashion accessory and a weapon? Surely my bodyguard needs a weapon."
"Too obvious," Risa explained, "If I'm carrying a visible weapon, it'll be obvious to the pirates that I'm a bodyguard, and they won't attack. My job is to look like your defenseless fiance. Should the situation be outside your own skill and call for a weapon, yours or one of the enemy's will suffice."
"Fine," Nei relented, "what about kunai or smoke bombs? Maybe some hidden wrist blades? Caltrops might help to slow pursuers."
"Where do you suggest I hide those items," Risa continued to lecture the immature ninja.
"Surely it can't be that hard to hide those," Nei pleaded.
"In this?" Risa asked while holding the kimono up for inspection, "Maybe a few, but I'm not sure they'll make much difference and keeping them hidden might hinder my mobility."
"Okay. What about some explosive tags?" Nei added in a desperate attempt to be relevant to the planning.
"That's a bit overkill for an intel mission, don't you think?" Risa put the Kimono back down. "Besides, I don't want to risk them going off while I move about."
"Yeesh," Nei relented, "you really think about all of this before planning for a mission?"
"It's my job," Risa stated before pausing a moment and adding, "and I think about a lot more than that for a mission like this. I should be fine with a throwing needle and a garrote wire hidden in the sleeves, I think."
Nei gave Risa and Master Ebon a stunned look. "Will that really be enough to take down a band of pirates?"
"You can ask them if they live," Risa said without even a hint of joking or sarcasm.
Risa could tell Nei was impressed by her demeanor and skill. Despite their minor age difference, Nei clearly hadn't seen as much conflict as Risa had, and the current conversation only managed to highlight the vast chasm that sat between their skill levels. That was an unfortunate side effect of a noble life. Since it was risky to put an established noble family and their bloodline in danger, they frequently were excluded from combat duties unless absolutely necessary. Sure, a noble child could have the best tutors in the world, a good form, and a proper diet, but there was a major component of danger missing in their education. Someone like Nei could become a very potent adversary if given enough time and combat experience to grow into their skills. This fact, of course, didn't stop many noble sons from being bothered when a peasant girl proved to be their better on the battlefield. The idea that their training just wasn't adequate was a terrifying concept for any ninja to face.
Nei rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I was honestly hoping I could help protect you, but I guess you really don't need my help."
Risa walked up to Nei and gave him a soft smile while placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, my lord. We don't all reach our potential at the same rate. Your life is more important here though. It's my job to make sure you live until the day that you're more useful to your nation. Maybe on that day you can show me exactly what kind of man you really are."
Nei relaxed a bit at her words. Her words had protected his ego for now. Risa looked over her outfit one more time before giving it a nod of approval. She turned back to the young lord.
"Please turn around," she said to Nei.
"What?" Nei asked with a bit of shock at the sudden demand.
"I need to change. Please turn around, my lord."
"H-here," he stammered out, "Why here?"
"We don't exactly have time to find a changing room, my lord. Time is of the essence," Risa said with a half-joking, half-serious glare, "Now please. Turn around."
Nei began to blush a bit, but agreed to her demands while Risa began to disrobe. Risa gave a moment to look at her own frail frame. She was, by no means, sickly, but she frequently wished that she could be a little stronger or at least as agile as the other students in her school. Her bones and muscled ached at the thoughts of old wounds, bruises, and broken bones. The medical ninjas could fix you up every time, but they couldn't make you forget; not entirely. Her thoughts were interrupted by the fact that she could hear Nei's breaths get shorter and watched as his hands fidgeted nervously. The young noble clearly wasn't as experienced with women as he'd have others believe. That suited her just fine. He'd be easier to work with that way.
"No peeking," Risa said with a playful tone.
"Will you be needing anything else?" Master Ebon asked from behind his desk.
Risa gave it a second to think while she fastened the Obi on her Kimono. "As a matter of fact, you should have one of the servants send a change of clothes and my personal effects to the next town down. I don't have time to grab them myself."
"I'll make sure The Slender Cat gets them to the inn by sunset," Master Ebon confirmed with a nod.
"Personal effects?" Nei confusedly asked, "What kind of jewelry do you need for this mission?"
"Not those kind of personal effects," Risa corrected.
"Then what?" Nei prodded.
Risa gave a wicked little smile. "Surely an influential and attractive young man such as yourself understands that women have... certain needs."
Nei's neck and ears turned beet red at this statement. So many Ninjas trained their entire lives to withstand the stress of combat and torture, but shockingly few knew how to protect themselves from embarrassment or provocation. That was always an advantage that a good pirate warrior had over even some of the best Ninjas in the world.
Risa finished up adjusting her Kimono and storing her weapons. She leaned over to the young noble's ear and whispered, "You can turn around now."
Nei turned around slowly and with uncertainty as if he were worried that this were another sick joke. However, as he finished turning, his eyes grew wide from the sight. It was obvious that the effect of the kimono had worked. The young man clearly found her more than just a little bit attractive in her formal wear. The contrast of her long dark black hair tied up partially in a bun against the bright colors of the kimono transformed her serious student exterior to that of a soft gentle flower. Very few would expect her to be the well-trained warrior she was. Even Nei who knew this for a fact had probably forgotten the fact for a brief moment.
"Now," Risa said with a polite curtsy, "Shall we get going before anyone spots us?"
"Uh... Of course," Nei managed to stammer out.
Risa gracefully glided across the room in her formal attire before gently fiddling with a panel at the back of Master Ebon's office. After a short moment of small gestures, she slid the panel aside to reveal an opening to a tunnel.
"What is that?" Nei asked with a look of slight shock.
"Secret exit, my lord," Risa explained, "surely your family manor has more than its fair share."
"Well, sure, of course," Nei tried desperately to cover for his own ignorance of his home's secrets.
"Well, it stands to reason that an important noble like Master Ebon would need such things as well. Now come. This will lead us to our escape method." Risa gestured for her fake fiance to go through the tunnel.
Nei timidly crawled in the dark tunnel as Risa pulled a lantern out of a nearby cabinet and lit it.
"Master," Risa said with a bow, "I will not disappoint you."
"See that you don't," Master Ebon shot back.
Risa blinked and frowned for only a moment before switching back to a polite smile. Such a brusque reply was to be expected of her relationship with her Master. He was rarely warm to even his closest friends. What made her think he'd fake affection even in front of noble company? She slid the panel closed behind her.
As she led Nei down the dark stone-laden corridor, Nei felt the need to break the awkward silence.
"So, I've been wondering," Nei started without finishing his thought.
"Yes, my lord," Risa prodded.
"Nothing. It's just... You have pretty eyes and all," Nei continued his thought before pausing again.
"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you appreciate them."
"It's just... How do I put this? Don't you think you'll stick out with them? If we're going undercover, aren't you worried someone will notice you," Nei let out a sigh at the relief of finally getting that concern off his chest.
"It has..." Risa paused to carefully consider her words before continuing the line, "... been a problem in the past, but I've gotten good at averting my gaze when necessary. It's a talent that comes naturally to one of my standing. Not that I'd expect you to know that, my lord. I've tried teaching myself techniques in the past to change my eye color from manuals, but without a proper teacher..."
Risa slowly turned her head back towards her ward with an unnatural grin and her eyes closed. She slowly opened them to reveal a bright red set of eyes that glowed like a demon. They felt like they could burn a hole in Nei's very soul.
"I'm afraid the technique has been a bit hard to master," Risa growled in her most sinister voice.
Nei fell backwards from shock and fear. Risa let out a hearty laugh.
"That's not funny," Nei protested with a bright red flustered face, "you're supposed to be protecting me, not scaring me witless."
Risa laughed for a few seconds more before wiping her eyes and composing herself again. "Relax, my lord. It's just a bit of fun. Surely you didn't want us to be somber the entire time. It would be a long trip that way."
"Fine," Nei huffed, "I suppose you have a point, but next time, I'll be scaring you."
"We'll see, my lord, we'll see," Risa reassured him, "And don't worry. I know how to compensate for my... unique circumstances."
After a short walk further, the secret passage exited out to the back of the Evadinja manor and a pair of horses drawing a cart filled with various crates.
"Does my lord know how to steer a cart?"
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know enough."
"Excellent," Risa said with a sign of relief, "That'll make this easier."
She climbed into the back of the cart and opened one of the larger crates. Inside of it was a cushy bed of straw, enough room to fit a person, and some emergency supplies like a lantern.
"I will be hiding in here until we reach the next town over."
"But," Nei tried to object, "I thought we would be traveling side by side."
"It's like you said, my lord. I might attract too much attention going out of town. Plenty of people around here know of me." Risa leaned up against the edge of the crate and tried to give her charge a reassuring gaze. "I doubt anything will happen this close to Master Ebon's home, but even if it did, I'll be able to hear you from in here. We'll drop off the cart with the Slender Cat when we reach the inn, and you can pretend that you picked me up from there."
"I guess..." Nei said uncertainly.
"I've done this before. This is the easy part," Risa ruffled his hair a bit, "If anyone attacks, I'll just show them my 'demonic side'." Risa let out another small chuckle. Nei clearly didn't find it funny.
"Alright. You sit back and relax and leave this to me," Nei tried to posture a little bit.
Risa gave another teasing smile and slid herself comfortably into the crate and closed the lid on top of herself. Others might have found the experience scary or even claustrophobic, but she somewhat enjoyed it. Inside this small dark universe, she was free to be herself and get lost in her thoughts. She spent the next hour thinking about home, her mission, Ms. Fujiwara, and everything else. It wasn't that hard to pass the time. She was a very patient woman. She could've gone the entire trip like this honestly.
However, her thoughts were eventually interrupted when the cart was stopped to the sound of a woman's voice.
"Hey! Long time, no see, Nei," she bellowed out with a heavy voice, "How have you been holding up?" Risa could her the woman emerging from the brush on the side of the road like she was hiding.
"Oh. Hey Angelina," Nei replied, "Not bad. You?"
"Can't complain. Business has been going well," the woman had a casual tone to her voice.
"That's good to hear. Things have been a little stressful for my family as of late," Nei returned with his own casual tone.
"Oh? That's interesting. Tell me more," Risa started to notice that something seemed off by her accent. It wasn't native to the area, but it was trying to be.
"I can't say much, but my family's been having trouble with pirates recently," Nei explained.
"You don't say? Oh please do tell me more, Nei."
That was it. She was good, but there were some vocal ticks that die hard. It was subtle, but it was undeniable. This woman had a pirate accent.
"Uh... Of course," Nei managed to stammer out.
Risa gracefully glided across the room in her formal attire before gently fiddling with a panel at the back of Master Ebon's office. After a short moment of small gestures, she slid the panel aside to reveal an opening to a tunnel.
"What is that?" Nei asked with a look of slight shock.
"Secret exit, my lord," Risa explained, "surely your family manor has more than its fair share."
"Well, sure, of course," Nei tried desperately to cover for his own ignorance of his home's secrets.
"Well, it stands to reason that an important noble like Master Ebon would need such things as well. Now come. This will lead us to our escape method." Risa gestured for her fake fiance to go through the tunnel.
Nei timidly crawled in the dark tunnel as Risa pulled a lantern out of a nearby cabinet and lit it.
"Master," Risa said with a bow, "I will not disappoint you."
"See that you don't," Master Ebon shot back.
Risa blinked and frowned for only a moment before switching back to a polite smile. Such a brusque reply was to be expected of her relationship with her Master. He was rarely warm to even his closest friends. What made her think he'd fake affection even in front of noble company? She slid the panel closed behind her.
As she led Nei down the dark stone-laden corridor, Nei felt the need to break the awkward silence.
"So, I've been wondering," Nei started without finishing his thought.
"Yes, my lord," Risa prodded.
"Nothing. It's just... You have pretty eyes and all," Nei continued his thought before pausing again.
"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you appreciate them."
"It's just... How do I put this? Don't you think you'll stick out with them? If we're going undercover, aren't you worried someone will notice you," Nei let out a sigh at the relief of finally getting that concern off his chest.
"It has..." Risa paused to carefully consider her words before continuing the line, "... been a problem in the past, but I've gotten good at averting my gaze when necessary. It's a talent that comes naturally to one of my standing. Not that I'd expect you to know that, my lord. I've tried teaching myself techniques in the past to change my eye color from manuals, but without a proper teacher..."
Risa slowly turned her head back towards her ward with an unnatural grin and her eyes closed. She slowly opened them to reveal a bright red set of eyes that glowed like a demon. They felt like they could burn a hole in Nei's very soul.
"I'm afraid the technique has been a bit hard to master," Risa growled in her most sinister voice.
Nei fell backwards from shock and fear. Risa let out a hearty laugh.
"That's not funny," Nei protested with a bright red flustered face, "you're supposed to be protecting me, not scaring me witless."
Risa laughed for a few seconds more before wiping her eyes and composing herself again. "Relax, my lord. It's just a bit of fun. Surely you didn't want us to be somber the entire time. It would be a long trip that way."
"Fine," Nei huffed, "I suppose you have a point, but next time, I'll be scaring you."
"We'll see, my lord, we'll see," Risa reassured him, "And don't worry. I know how to compensate for my... unique circumstances."
After a short walk further, the secret passage exited out to the back of the Evadinja manor and a pair of horses drawing a cart filled with various crates.
"Does my lord know how to steer a cart?"
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know enough."
"Excellent," Risa said with a sign of relief, "That'll make this easier."
She climbed into the back of the cart and opened one of the larger crates. Inside of it was a cushy bed of straw, enough room to fit a person, and some emergency supplies like a lantern.
"I will be hiding in here until we reach the next town over."
"But," Nei tried to object, "I thought we would be traveling side by side."
"It's like you said, my lord. I might attract too much attention going out of town. Plenty of people around here know of me." Risa leaned up against the edge of the crate and tried to give her charge a reassuring gaze. "I doubt anything will happen this close to Master Ebon's home, but even if it did, I'll be able to hear you from in here. We'll drop off the cart with the Slender Cat when we reach the inn, and you can pretend that you picked me up from there."
"I guess..." Nei said uncertainly.
"I've done this before. This is the easy part," Risa ruffled his hair a bit, "If anyone attacks, I'll just show them my 'demonic side'." Risa let out another small chuckle. Nei clearly didn't find it funny.
"Alright. You sit back and relax and leave this to me," Nei tried to posture a little bit.
Risa gave another teasing smile and slid herself comfortably into the crate and closed the lid on top of herself. Others might have found the experience scary or even claustrophobic, but she somewhat enjoyed it. Inside this small dark universe, she was free to be herself and get lost in her thoughts. She spent the next hour thinking about home, her mission, Ms. Fujiwara, and everything else. It wasn't that hard to pass the time. She was a very patient woman. She could've gone the entire trip like this honestly.
However, her thoughts were eventually interrupted when the cart was stopped to the sound of a woman's voice.
"Hey! Long time, no see, Nei," she bellowed out with a heavy voice, "How have you been holding up?" Risa could her the woman emerging from the brush on the side of the road like she was hiding.
"Oh. Hey Angelina," Nei replied, "Not bad. You?"
"Can't complain. Business has been going well," the woman had a casual tone to her voice.
"That's good to hear. Things have been a little stressful for my family as of late," Nei returned with his own casual tone.
"Oh? That's interesting. Tell me more," Risa started to notice that something seemed off by her accent. It wasn't native to the area, but it was trying to be.
"I can't say much, but my family's been having trouble with pirates recently," Nei explained.
"You don't say? Oh please do tell me more, Nei."
That was it. She was good, but there were some vocal ticks that die hard. It was subtle, but it was undeniable. This woman had a pirate accent.
Risa immediately tried to assess her surroundings. If this woman was a hidden pirate bandit or a member of the Crimson Gulls, she'd surely have her allies waiting in the sidelines. However, no matter how hard Risa looked or listened, she could not find a trace of anyone else in the area. The woman was alone? Was she a scout? No. There'd be no real point to that this far away from civilization. They might as well ambush them if they were this far out. What was her angle and why did Nei know her? Did Nei know she was a pirate or was the young pirate playing him without Nei realizing?
"Come on, Angel," Nei said while rubbing the back of his head and averting his eyes, "You know I can't tell you about that."
"Tch. You still don't trust me, huh," The woman gave him a half-disappoint, half-teasing look.
Risa didn't take her eyes off of the pirate woman. She kept waiting for some kind of ambush signal or angle to her attack, but she really did just seem to be familiar with the young lord. If she was a better Evadinja, she could sneak out of the box and set up a good ambush location, but with Angelina looking in the direction of the box at all times, she was sure to be spotted. As a matter of fact, Angelina's gaze hadn't left the box for more than a few seconds at a time. It was a basic thing, but she blended the action with her coy act so well that Nei hadn't even noticed that he didn't have her full attention. This pirate woman was definitely sneakier than she let on.
The pirate woman gave Nei a little pout of her lips to seal the deal.
"Okay," Nei relented, "just a small hint. We're after a group of pirates that have been attacking my family as of recent."
Risa mentally cringed. She could compensate and plan for a lot of things, but she couldn't always plan for the incompetence of others. Had he really just told her all of that with only a little bit of prodding? Hopefully the woman hadn't noticed the important part of his wording.
"We?" She asked with an act of playful curiosity, "So, there's more of you here?"
She had.
"Oh... Uhh.. No. I'm meeting up someone special in the next town up. I'm all alone," Nei tried to save the situation. Unfortunately, confessing to being alone in ambush territory wasn't a much better lie. Risa took a quick survey of the situation. The woman was just a bit too far away for a quick attack, and, being in the middle of the road, there wasn't a lot of territory to use to her immediate advantage. She could throw her lantern at the woman, but Nei had let her within range that she could easily attack him before she'd get into range. She had even been careful to place Nei between herself and any reasonable threats. The only real advantage Risa had in this situation was surprise.
The Pirate woman stopped to consider his words before covertly looking back at Risa's crate one last time.
"Well," she said in a much darker and more mature tone, "then perhaps you have something special for me, then?" She raised an eyebrow as she traced her finger along Nei's chest.
"I uhh... don't know what you're talking about, Angel," Nei started to stammer.
"Oh come on," she began to press, "if you're alone, you don't have to keep up the act. You know exactly what I'm asking for." Her hand seemed to get a bit more aggressive as it felt along Nei's torso. Risa couldn't be entirely certain as the woman was being careful to keep her hand obscure from Risa's vision.
So, that's what she was here for. Risa had to admit, Nei wasn't as competent as a Ninja his age should be, but his willingness to do this out in the open was certainly bold; especially this close to River's Path. Then again, maybe it was just a bit of youthful stupidity, or maybe the pirate woman had pushed him to do it. It didn't really matter. It was still foolish. Either way, Risa was fairly certain the pirate wasn't going to kill him. At least, not now.
The bigger question now was the Pirate woman herself. Perhaps she had believed Nei's lie about being alone, but she was at least aware of the fact that someone could be hidden. Was she just being careful, or was she specifically trying to draw Risa out? If Risa jumped out now, she risked blowing her cover, but if she waited...
"Hmm," Risa thought to herself as she began to crack a very small but still genuine smile, "and here I thought this was gonna be boring." It always made her uncomfortable that she enjoyed moments like this, but she couldn't deny the truth. She was what she was. This situation was certainly a conundrum, and a lesser ninja would get the answer wrong, but Risa lived for this exact kind of thing. It was what she was born to do. She knew exactly how to handle this kind of scenario.
The secret to understanding the right course of action in situations like this was to work backwards from the outcome. Most importantly, Risa couldn't afford to let the pirate get away at any cost. Even if the pirate woman suspected someone was here, she didn't know that Risa was onto her scheme though. Risa didn't need to stay hidden, Risa just needed to foil her plans without letting her know that she was aware of them. She had to make it look like an accident to keep her cover; a coincidence. A chance meeting. Unfortunately, this meant she couldn't just come out of the crate since the pirate woman had been watching it so intently.
"It's... Well, it's complicated," Nei tried to explain.
"We have time," the pirate woman countered calmly. Although, her voice was beginning to strain back a minor bit of frustration.
Getting out of the crate wasn't difficult. The bed of straw at the bottom was for more than just comfort. It covered the crate's fake bottom and the well-crafted trap door well. She took extra care as she landed to keep her kimono from accumulating too much dirt. Risa could clearly see the Pirate woman's feet in front of her. Risa was close to her objective, but she was far from finished. The problem was finding a blind spot for the pirate woman. She'd definitely keep an eye at her feet if her training was worth anything. So, a straight forward approach was impossible. Risa needed a distraction without raising suspicion that she'd caused it. Something natural. She grasped a small stone from the dirt road between her fingers, stealthily spun behind one of the carts wheels opposite from Nei, and took a look at her surroundings.
"I don't think you understand," Nei tried once more with a bit of an apologetic tone.
"I get it just fine, Nei. There's some juicy top secret thing you don't want to tell me," the woman fumed, "I'm not stupid. I just figured... You know. I've scratched your back enough. Surely you can let me know. I promise I won't tell anybody." Her voice seemed to perk back up near the end.
A sparrow in the trees. Perfect.
Risa felt at the stone in her hand. It was smooth and well-rounded from all the wagon travel. That was fortunate. That made the trajectory of this shot at least twice as easy. It was still tricky though. She couldn't make a sound, and she couldn't hit anything close by; Not one branch, not one leaf. This would only give her a momentary distraction as well. There wouldn't be enough time to react after throwing the rock. She'd have to trust his shot and move while throwing the stone. She definitely wouldn't get a second shot at this. The slightest stiff breeze could destroy her plan in a second. The entire mission could be lost on this action. She could feel it.
It was honestly a bit too easy.
"It's not that," Nei continued to backpedal, "I just don't think you should be involved."
"And why not?" the woman asked with a glower so strong Risa could practically hear it.
With one last deep breath, she closed her eyes and arched the small stone through the air with a smooth, effortless motion. The stone whizzed just barely past the sparrow's beak and scared it out of it's branch. Not a single muscle or joint ached as she continued the motion into a quick twirl and she hid herself behind one of the horses. She could hear the pirate woman shift for just a second as her concentration was broken by the bird. She shouldn't have noticed Risa at this point, but she couldn't stay long. A brief glance shouldn't reveal anything, but her legs were showing behind the legs of the pack animals. Still, she needed to wait just a small second. If Risa was right, the woman would give her her opportunity any second now.
"It's not that," Nei pulled the woman's attention back to him, "It's just... I guess. Can I really trust you?"
"I think so, but maybe I can prove that to you," the pirate woman's weight shifted towards Nei.
"What do you mean," Nei inquired without a single clue.
"Just... Close your eyes," she said in a soft tone. Her weight shifted a little closer to Nei and Nei began to tense up a bit.
There it was. A quick flip around the horses and neither of them should notice. No fancy tricks. No disarms. No violence. She just needed to stay in character.
"Excuse me," Risa called out innocently from a couple of feet behind the woman kissing her mission objective, "I don't know who you are, or what your relationship to him is, but... Do you... uh... mind not kissing my future husband?"
For the Ninja, names are even more important. For a well-trained ninja, there is no single moment greater than the one where they receive their "True Name". The True Name is not a name in the traditional sense, but rather a statement of the greatest truth the ninja has found in their training and adventures. The True Name is the force that will steer the actions of its owner for the rest of their life. It is destiny. It is kismet. A ninja without a True Name is considered weak or uncertain.
It is, therefore, a great irony that one of the most influential ninja of the modern era went a great many years without receiving her True Name, and that when she received it, she molded it more than it molded her. It is an even greater irony that, among the many names and titles she would receive, the one that had the most impact on her life was also the most simple; her adopted name. She was...
"Risa."
A familiar voice called from behind her.
"Risa, what are you doing up so early?"
"Morning Exercises," Risa replied matter-of-factly to Ms. Fujiwara. Without a pause, the young ninja continued to slowly run through the motions of her various techniques and strokes. Her form would have to be perfect for today. Not a single fiber in her muscles could afford to be out of place.
"But the sun is barely up," Ms. Fujiwara said, wiping the sleep out of her eyes, "What's got you up this early?"
Without missing a beat in her routine, Risa explained, "Master Ebon told me that he has a special task for me today. It's not wise to keep the Master waiting." As she finished her statement, her focus wavered for just a moment. Her wrist gave a dull ache as her strike was slightly diverted from its course. The average ninja would see no problem with her technique, and would even consider it a thing of beauty, but she was not accustomed to average tasks. A mistake like that in the heat of battle could tip a skilled opponent off to weaknesses in her form.
"Even so. He's not your only priority. Have you even had breakfast?"
Risa continued with a renewed focus, "Yes. A couple of hours ago."
"A couple of hours?" Ms. Fujiwara sputtered out, "how long have you been out here?"
"Clearly not long enough," Risa said as her ankle gave a small but sharp twinge of pain to indicate a misstep.
"Your style would make Ellipsis jealous. I'm sure Master Ebon will be pleased with your results just fine, young lady. Come. You need proper rest," Ms. Fujiwara said dismissively with a smile, "Get back inside. We'll get you a proper breakfast before your big mission."
Ms. Fujiwara, or Nanako as some in the house called her, was a woman in her 30's whose front of naive optimism often showed a side of hidden wisdom. Her light walnut hair and deep brown eyes reflected softly in the morning light, giving her an almost ethereal sense of welcome. For years, her bright attitude had kept the people in the servant's quarters happy as they whiled away their days doing menial tasks for the main school. She had even been kind to Risa where others had not. This had garnered something approaching fondness from Risa, but she knew deep down that any day that, like all things, Ms. Fujiwara could be taken from her. She chose not to dwell too long on such thoughts should they invite weakness. The world was at war, after all. Peace and happiness were important in hard times such as these, but some could ill afford to rest or consider such things for themselves.
"Are you coming over here or am I going to have to drag you over," Ms. Fujiwara frowned at Risa. Risa realized that she wasn't going to leave without an answer.
"I'm sorry," Risa gave a forced but convincing smile, "I need to go see Master Ebon."
"The task must be really important if Master Ebon is having you come in this early. Did he say what this was about?"
Risa just shook her head.
"Well, you be careful and come back safely, Risa. You understand?" Ms. Fujiwara looked genuinely concerned. Then again, she looked concerned anytime Risa would have to go on an important mission. Ms. Fujiwara may have understood that a certain level of danger was necessary to Risa's life, but she never fully accepted it. She probably wouldn't ever let Risa leave if she ever fully understood how dangerous things really got. "I don't want you coming back dead."
Risa thought to say something before leaving the room but gave her a gentle nod instead. It was, of course, a lie. Master Ebon didn't need her for another solid hour, but she didn't want to be there when the rest of the servants woke up. Not all of them were as kind as Ms. Fujiwara, and they would surely ask questions about her mission that she couldn't answer. She couldn't blame them for their hostility and suspicion. At least, not entirely. Without a family name, she was, at best, the last orphan of a wiped out family, and at worst, some minor lord's shameful bastard. In her case, she didn't even have a proper first name; just symbols and sounds Master Ebon pulled from the ancient language. His little "Clever Blossom". She always wondered why he picked something so gentle, but Master Ebon always refused to talk about her past.
Either way, she was a black spot on the clean image of proper society. No matter how much good she did for her country, the suspicion that she might someday turn out to be a secret pirate and that her blood would lead her to betray her country would always stick at the back of the minds of those she met. Similarly, a pure-blooded orphan of a dead bloodline was likely too weak to defend herself. After all, why else would they have been wiped out? A bastard born of a noble's impulsiveness was bound to be impulsive themselves, right? No matter how you looked at it. She was bad news. The best she could hope for was marrying a man with a good name, and then her child or her child's child would gain some renown.
...But Master Ebon would never allow her to marry. She was too useful a tool to let go that easy. A bastard may be dishonorable, but a bastard isn't without their own talents.
She stopped her morning walk at a stream to grab a small drink of water. As she carefully sipped at her cupped hands to avoid getting a drop on her clothes, she caught her reflection in the pond. The Dragon's Eyes. It was a rare trait in Ninja. Combined with her dark black hair, it really was no wonder that people were scared of her. Some said that that eyes of piercing Jade could only come from a pact with a demon. Still others believed that it was a sign of great power from an ancient bloodline. Risa wasn't nearly as superstitious. Eye color came from one's family, not divine or infernal omens, and that was a mystery she'd probably never solve. The Demon Bastard. She had come to terms with what she was long ago. She picked herself up and continued through the town.
River's Path had a strange beauty when it was empty. The barely awake sun bathed the town in a soft golden light with stripes of shadows still covering the forested areas of the town. When it was like this, Risa felt like a proper shadow. The world was hers and hers alone as she and it shared a somber, secret dance down the cobblestone roads. Most wouldn't assume such a quiet place would be home to the main branch of a major school, but Master Ebon valued a more traditional time without giant city walls. Few were foolish enough to attack anyway.
"Too many thoughts," she whispered to herself, "I need to focus. This is too important."
She had managed to waste more than half an hour lost in her thoughts. If she kept like this, she'd just be worse for the wear. She made quick pace to the main school of the Evadinja and Master Ebon's office.
"You're early," he scolded from behind his desk as she entered the door, "punctuality is as much about not being too early as it is about being too late."
"Understood, Master," she said with a respectful bow. Nothing more need be said between student and teacher.
Master Ebon appeared to have been talking with a young man when she entered. He was an attractive young man that appeared to be only a couple years younger than herself. His clean cut look and tailored clothes betrayed the fact that he was clearly the son of some lord. She thought to ask about his presence, but chose to wait for further orders from Master Ebon. Her Master had a brief whispered conversation with the young noble. The boy's pointing and gestures seemed to indicate it was about her. After they were done, Master Ebon cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Risa, I'd like you to meet your fiance."
Master Ebon's words made her stand at attention. Anyone that knew Master Ebon would have been shocked by that statement. "Excuse me, Master. I don't believe I heard you correctly."
"This young man is to be your husband," Master Ebon repeated with a wicked smile on his face.
Risa's gaze shifted to one of confusion and concern. Her posture slumped in disapproval. "Then I did hear you correctly, but I'm afraid I don't understand the meaning."
"This young man is Nei Satake or, as many know him, 'Bending Willow'," Master Ebon explained, "His father, Daigo Satake, fought alongside me in the early parts of the war, earning him the True Name, 'Swift Oak'. His family has been doing extremely well for themselves, and he asked me if I had any strong students that could act as his youngest son's bride. Naturally, I thought to mention my star pupil." Master Ebon continued his sickening grin.
"But Master," she pleaded, "My name. Surely there are better candidates. Why?" She fiddled nervously at the inside of her sleeves as her face went flush with panic.
"Nonsense," Master Ebon continued to dismiss her concerns, "He is the youngest son. He has no need to bring more honor and prestige to his name, and his family wishes to introduce strong children into the bloodline."
Risa took a step forward and locked her hands together as if she were begging. "Master. Nothing would make me happier, but I'm just wretch. A nothing. His family would be served better by so many of your other students."
Master Ebon leaned forward on his desk. The wicked grin shifted to a stern look of disappointment. "Risa. Your skills and beauty are more than adequate. This is a great honor for you."
Her thoughts raced without her face betraying any of her internal conflict. There was too much distance. She turned to the young man to see if he'd offer any help. "Surely it's Bending Willow's decision of who he wishes to marry. You can't expect him to marry someone he's just now seen."
Master Ebon's patience was beginning to wane. "Risa, my dear student. He has not only seen you training, but he picked you out himself. Don't you want kids and a family of your own?"
The boy wouldn't be a problem. His reactions likely wouldn't be fast enough. She stiffened her body and clenched her fists in anger. "Of course, I do, but not like this?"
Master Ebon tried to reason with her. "We don't always get to make the choice of how things happen."
She could hear Master Ebon's breathing growing more irregular from this distance. An emotional opponent was easier to catch off-guard. If she could keep the conversation going, she could get close enough without raising suspicions. "Can't he say these things himself," she fumed at her fiance, "surely my future husband isn't too shy to talk to his wife."
Master Ebon furrowed his brow at his beloved student. "You are being an impetuous child, Risa. I did not raise you to be this kind of woman. I raised you to be something better."
Just a bit closer. She shifted her focus back to her Master. Every inch was a small victory, but it wasn't enough. She needed a distraction; a moment of weakness. Her face turned a bright red as she yelled at the closest thing she had to a father, "Something better? How could anyone learn to be anything but a monster from the man that would force such a thing on his only daughter? I don't want to marry some random stranger!"
Master Ebon slammed his fists on the desk with a loud thundering clap. "You do not have any choice in the matter!"
Good. He hadn't noticed. His focus was entirely on the argument. The young boy was in a state of panic and confusion. She felt one last time at the inside of her sleeve. The trap had been set. Now the prey only needed to take the bait. As she envisioned the moment of victory, her next move became clear. No more half measures. She would have to fully commit to this if she wanted any chance to succeed. Risa gave her adoptive father a long silent stare, walked slowly up to his desk, turn her gaze to the flow, placed both her hands on the edge of the desk, took a deep breath...
...and then she cried.
"Please father," she managed to gasp out from her constricting throat, "Please. I beg you. I don't want to marry this man. Please. Doesn't your daughter's happiness mean anything to you?" She clenched the ends of her sleeves hard as the tears flowed down in rivers.
"Risa I-," Master Ebon reached out to touch Risa's shoulder and comfort her.
There was her chance.
Risa clutched at his outstretched wrist and used the momentum of his leaning to pull him face down into the desk. As she rose back up, she used the momentum of her swinging arm to slip the knife hidden under her sleeve into her right hand and and brought it back down with a shocking amount of force. By the time Bending Willow even registered what was happening, her knife was already on its trajectory towards her target's neck. The inexperienced young boy had no chance of stopping it now. She couldn't help but scream. She needed the extra burst of energy. Only a kill shot would do the job here. It needed to be a stroke that only Master Ebon could dodge. It was the only way to prove it was really him.
The next thing she knew, she was sprawled out on the floor in an intense but all too familiar amount of pain.
She didn't know what hurt more, the overwhelming force of Master Ebon's counterattack or the fact that, even after all these years and all her training, she still was no real match for him. The stronger she attacked him, the more it always hurt when he fought back. At least she had gotten better at maintaining her composure. Some of the students always told her that she should be proud of that pain. It was a sign of her strength. Maybe they were right. She was stronger than she used to be. Then again, they never trained with Master Ebon.
"Explain yourself," Master Ebon demanded from above her.
"Sorry Master. I thought," she paused for a second to cringe in pain and catch a few short pants, "I thought you were an imposter there for a second."
"An imposter?" Master Ebon looked at her with disgust, "What would possess you to think that?"
"You were acting strange," she managed in a fairly straight tone of voice.
"Strange? How so?"
"Well, apart from the fact that you'd never give me away to some noble's son, you made a few mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
Risa managed the strength to pull herself back up into a sitting position. "Well, for starters, you didn't punish me for showing up early, the head of the Satake's name is 'Daiki', and you'd never call any of your students a 'star pupil'."
Master Ebon gave her a cold stare. "And you attacked me for this? For minor inconsistencies?"
"Not exactly. Even with the fact that you were in here early enough with a stranger to set me up for an ambush, that wouldn't have been enough to attack; just to remain on guard."
"So, you attacked me without provocation or reason?" Master Ebon inquired with an eyebrow raise.
"No," she gave a light chuckle, "I attacked you because, in all my years of training, I've never seen you smile once. You're not this emotional. It was either an act or you were a spy. Few but you could've dodged that attack."
"What if I'm one of those few enemies that could dodge that attack?"
"I've seen that technique enough to know the real thing from an imitator. If I still had my doubts, Master, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Master Ebon's face shifted to a more sombre and serious look. He gave Risa a solemn nod.
"That was a test, wasn't it?" Risa asked.
Master Ebon looked back at Nei. "I assume that meets your approval, young Master Sataki?"
Nei looked down at Risa and looked her straight in the eyes. "Wow," Nei said in atonishment with a huge grin on his face, "you were right. She got every single one of them right, and she's really strong. She'll be an excellent body guard."
"Ah. I see," Risa said flatly, "Then I'm acting as an escort, am I?"
"Hopefully in more ways than one," Nei said with an attempted but failed flirty tone and a boyish chuckle.
"Why do I get the feeling that the fake engagement wasn't just a test," Risa said suspiciously to her Master.
"An astute observation," Master Ebon chimed in, "No. The fake engagement wasn't just to test you. You will be acting as Master Satake's fiance while also being his bodyguard."
"I guess my fake self is a lucky girl then. She'll surely be happy to be a wealthy, pampered bride. Although, what's with the misdirection? This isn't just a body-guarding job, is it? Who's after him?"
"A band of pirates known as the 'Crimson Gulls' has been trying to kidnap him the young master and has been attacking the members of his family."
Risa finally got up off the ground and began to brush herself off. "And you want me to trap them and find out why they're attacking him the Satake family and see if there's any more pirates in our territory. That's why you needed me then, isn't it? You needed a strong but unrecognizable student."
Master Ebon replied with a silent solemn nod. "You'll be leaving at once to avoid any spies or other students spotting you as you leave. Only engage them in combat if absolutely necessary."
"Understood Master," Risa said with a respectful bow. She turned to her now 'fiance', "Shall we leave with haste then, my lord?"
"Huh," Nei said with a big goofy smile on his face, "Smart, strong, respectful, AND beautiful. I must've really hit the jackpot." He stared deeply into her eyes with a focused leer.
If he looked any longer into her eyes, he might see her as she was. She couldn't let something like that get in the way of her mission. Risa shied away from his gaze and gave a slight blush. "My lord. You're staring. It's embarrassing."
"Don't mind me," He said, breaking off the intensity of his gaze and gently turning her face towards his, "I just figured I'd just get into my role. I am your fiance, after all. Besides, there's no reason to be unfriendly. We're gonna be spending a lot of time together over the next couple of days."
He genuinely believed his words. She could see that in his eyes. His playful and awkward flirting was more than just a bit of youthful teasing. He was clearly attracted to her. It was a shame that he was maybe just too young and naive to realize the gravity of his actions. He was cute and he had influence, but even with all that, it could never work. A normal girl might be ecstatic to have the eye of an attractive noble like him, but a woman like her and a noble born boy of his kind would only end in disaster for one of them; probably him. Still, she needed to be polite for the sake of the mission.
"I look forward to our time together then," she said with a smile that came more from her eyes than her lips. She held out her right hand to shake his and brushed a lock of her hair aside with her left.
"Indeed," he replied while cupping her hand in both of his, "I'm trusting you with my life, and hopefully you can trust me with yours."
Master Ebon interrupted the moment. "Alright, Risa. It's time for you to get ready."
Master Ebon pulled out a box from under his desk. He opened it to reveal a bright red kimono with a simple floral print. It was certainly beautiful, but it was much brighter of a color than she was used to wearing. It was the kind of formal wear that would catch a guy's eye easily, but wasn't terribly suited to stealth.
Risa expressed her concerns, "Don't you think this is a bit bright for traveling clothes?"
"We want you to be seen," Master Ebon corrected, "If something like this doesn't do it, nothing will."
"Understood." She gave another respectful bow.
"I need you to pack lightly. Take only what you absolutely need for the mission. Understood?"
She gave a nod of recognition.
"Good. Now hurry up and get changed. I need you out of here as soon as possible. We can't have someone spotting you and ruining this whole mission."
Nei Satake started looking around the room. "Is there anything you need me to grab?"
"Not particularly," Risa replied, "It's probably better to procure supplies on the field."
"Are you sure," Nei insisted, "Surely you'll need some weapons to keep me safe. What about a katana? Maybe a nice set of nunchaku? Daggers? Maybe a cool fan that doubles as a fashion accessory and a weapon? Surely my bodyguard needs a weapon."
"Too obvious," Risa explained, "If I'm carrying a visible weapon, it'll be obvious to the pirates that I'm a bodyguard, and they won't attack. My job is to look like your defenseless fiance. Should the situation be outside your own skill and call for a weapon, yours or one of the enemy's will suffice."
"Fine," Nei relented, "what about kunai or smoke bombs? Maybe some hidden wrist blades? Caltrops might help to slow pursuers."
"Where do you suggest I hide those items," Risa continued to lecture the immature ninja.
"Surely it can't be that hard to hide those," Nei pleaded.
"In this?" Risa asked while holding the kimono up for inspection, "Maybe a few, but I'm not sure they'll make much difference and keeping them hidden might hinder my mobility."
"Okay. What about some explosive tags?" Nei added in a desperate attempt to be relevant to the planning.
"That's a bit overkill for an intel mission, don't you think?" Risa put the Kimono back down. "Besides, I don't want to risk them going off while I move about."
"Yeesh," Nei relented, "you really think about all of this before planning for a mission?"
"It's my job," Risa stated before pausing a moment and adding, "and I think about a lot more than that for a mission like this. I should be fine with a throwing needle and a garrote wire hidden in the sleeves, I think."
Nei gave Risa and Master Ebon a stunned look. "Will that really be enough to take down a band of pirates?"
"You can ask them if they live," Risa said without even a hint of joking or sarcasm.
Risa could tell Nei was impressed by her demeanor and skill. Despite their minor age difference, Nei clearly hadn't seen as much conflict as Risa had, and the current conversation only managed to highlight the vast chasm that sat between their skill levels. That was an unfortunate side effect of a noble life. Since it was risky to put an established noble family and their bloodline in danger, they frequently were excluded from combat duties unless absolutely necessary. Sure, a noble child could have the best tutors in the world, a good form, and a proper diet, but there was a major component of danger missing in their education. Someone like Nei could become a very potent adversary if given enough time and combat experience to grow into their skills. This fact, of course, didn't stop many noble sons from being bothered when a peasant girl proved to be their better on the battlefield. The idea that their training just wasn't adequate was a terrifying concept for any ninja to face.
Nei rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I was honestly hoping I could help protect you, but I guess you really don't need my help."
Risa walked up to Nei and gave him a soft smile while placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, my lord. We don't all reach our potential at the same rate. Your life is more important here though. It's my job to make sure you live until the day that you're more useful to your nation. Maybe on that day you can show me exactly what kind of man you really are."
Nei relaxed a bit at her words. Her words had protected his ego for now. Risa looked over her outfit one more time before giving it a nod of approval. She turned back to the young lord.
"Please turn around," she said to Nei.
"What?" Nei asked with a bit of shock at the sudden demand.
"I need to change. Please turn around, my lord."
"H-here," he stammered out, "Why here?"
"We don't exactly have time to find a changing room, my lord. Time is of the essence," Risa said with a half-joking, half-serious glare, "Now please. Turn around."
Nei began to blush a bit, but agreed to her demands while Risa began to disrobe. Risa gave a moment to look at her own frail frame. She was, by no means, sickly, but she frequently wished that she could be a little stronger or at least as agile as the other students in her school. Her bones and muscled ached at the thoughts of old wounds, bruises, and broken bones. The medical ninjas could fix you up every time, but they couldn't make you forget; not entirely. Her thoughts were interrupted by the fact that she could hear Nei's breaths get shorter and watched as his hands fidgeted nervously. The young noble clearly wasn't as experienced with women as he'd have others believe. That suited her just fine. He'd be easier to work with that way.
"No peeking," Risa said with a playful tone.
"Will you be needing anything else?" Master Ebon asked from behind his desk.
Risa gave it a second to think while she fastened the Obi on her Kimono. "As a matter of fact, you should have one of the servants send a change of clothes and my personal effects to the next town down. I don't have time to grab them myself."
"I'll make sure The Slender Cat gets them to the inn by sunset," Master Ebon confirmed with a nod.
"Personal effects?" Nei confusedly asked, "What kind of jewelry do you need for this mission?"
"Not those kind of personal effects," Risa corrected.
"Then what?" Nei prodded.
Risa gave a wicked little smile. "Surely an influential and attractive young man such as yourself understands that women have... certain needs."
Nei's neck and ears turned beet red at this statement. So many Ninjas trained their entire lives to withstand the stress of combat and torture, but shockingly few knew how to protect themselves from embarrassment or provocation. That was always an advantage that a good pirate warrior had over even some of the best Ninjas in the world.
Risa finished up adjusting her Kimono and storing her weapons. She leaned over to the young noble's ear and whispered, "You can turn around now."
Nei turned around slowly and with uncertainty as if he were worried that this were another sick joke. However, as he finished turning, his eyes grew wide from the sight. It was obvious that the effect of the kimono had worked. The young man clearly found her more than just a little bit attractive in her formal wear. The contrast of her long dark black hair tied up partially in a bun against the bright colors of the kimono transformed her serious student exterior to that of a soft gentle flower. Very few would expect her to be the well-trained warrior she was. Even Nei who knew this for a fact had probably forgotten the fact for a brief moment.
"Now," Risa said with a polite curtsy, "Shall we get going before anyone spots us?"
"Uh... Of course," Nei managed to stammer out.
Risa gracefully glided across the room in her formal attire before gently fiddling with a panel at the back of Master Ebon's office. After a short moment of small gestures, she slid the panel aside to reveal an opening to a tunnel.
"What is that?" Nei asked with a look of slight shock.
"Secret exit, my lord," Risa explained, "surely your family manor has more than its fair share."
"Well, sure, of course," Nei tried desperately to cover for his own ignorance of his home's secrets.
"Well, it stands to reason that an important noble like Master Ebon would need such things as well. Now come. This will lead us to our escape method." Risa gestured for her fake fiance to go through the tunnel.
Nei timidly crawled in the dark tunnel as Risa pulled a lantern out of a nearby cabinet and lit it.
"Master," Risa said with a bow, "I will not disappoint you."
"See that you don't," Master Ebon shot back.
Risa blinked and frowned for only a moment before switching back to a polite smile. Such a brusque reply was to be expected of her relationship with her Master. He was rarely warm to even his closest friends. What made her think he'd fake affection even in front of noble company? She slid the panel closed behind her.
As she led Nei down the dark stone-laden corridor, Nei felt the need to break the awkward silence.
"So, I've been wondering," Nei started without finishing his thought.
"Yes, my lord," Risa prodded.
"Nothing. It's just... You have pretty eyes and all," Nei continued his thought before pausing again.
"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you appreciate them."
"It's just... How do I put this? Don't you think you'll stick out with them? If we're going undercover, aren't you worried someone will notice you," Nei let out a sigh at the relief of finally getting that concern off his chest.
"It has..." Risa paused to carefully consider her words before continuing the line, "... been a problem in the past, but I've gotten good at averting my gaze when necessary. It's a talent that comes naturally to one of my standing. Not that I'd expect you to know that, my lord. I've tried teaching myself techniques in the past to change my eye color from manuals, but without a proper teacher..."
Risa slowly turned her head back towards her ward with an unnatural grin and her eyes closed. She slowly opened them to reveal a bright red set of eyes that glowed like a demon. They felt like they could burn a hole in Nei's very soul.
"I'm afraid the technique has been a bit hard to master," Risa growled in her most sinister voice.
Nei fell backwards from shock and fear. Risa let out a hearty laugh.
"That's not funny," Nei protested with a bright red flustered face, "you're supposed to be protecting me, not scaring me witless."
Risa laughed for a few seconds more before wiping her eyes and composing herself again. "Relax, my lord. It's just a bit of fun. Surely you didn't want us to be somber the entire time. It would be a long trip that way."
"Fine," Nei huffed, "I suppose you have a point, but next time, I'll be scaring you."
"We'll see, my lord, we'll see," Risa reassured him, "And don't worry. I know how to compensate for my... unique circumstances."
After a short walk further, the secret passage exited out to the back of the Evadinja manor and a pair of horses drawing a cart filled with various crates.
"Does my lord know how to steer a cart?"
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know enough."
"Excellent," Risa said with a sign of relief, "That'll make this easier."
She climbed into the back of the cart and opened one of the larger crates. Inside of it was a cushy bed of straw, enough room to fit a person, and some emergency supplies like a lantern.
"I will be hiding in here until we reach the next town over."
"But," Nei tried to object, "I thought we would be traveling side by side."
"It's like you said, my lord. I might attract too much attention going out of town. Plenty of people around here know of me." Risa leaned up against the edge of the crate and tried to give her charge a reassuring gaze. "I doubt anything will happen this close to Master Ebon's home, but even if it did, I'll be able to hear you from in here. We'll drop off the cart with the Slender Cat when we reach the inn, and you can pretend that you picked me up from there."
"I guess..." Nei said uncertainly.
"I've done this before. This is the easy part," Risa ruffled his hair a bit, "If anyone attacks, I'll just show them my 'demonic side'." Risa let out another small chuckle. Nei clearly didn't find it funny.
"Alright. You sit back and relax and leave this to me," Nei tried to posture a little bit.
Risa gave another teasing smile and slid herself comfortably into the crate and closed the lid on top of herself. Others might have found the experience scary or even claustrophobic, but she somewhat enjoyed it. Inside this small dark universe, she was free to be herself and get lost in her thoughts. She spent the next hour thinking about home, her mission, Ms. Fujiwara, and everything else. It wasn't that hard to pass the time. She was a very patient woman. She could've gone the entire trip like this honestly.
However, her thoughts were eventually interrupted when the cart was stopped to the sound of a woman's voice.
"Hey! Long time, no see, Nei," she bellowed out with a heavy voice, "How have you been holding up?" Risa could her the woman emerging from the brush on the side of the road like she was hiding.
"Oh. Hey Angelina," Nei replied, "Not bad. You?"
"Can't complain. Business has been going well," the woman had a casual tone to her voice.
"That's good to hear. Things have been a little stressful for my family as of late," Nei returned with his own casual tone.
"Oh? That's interesting. Tell me more," Risa started to notice that something seemed off by her accent. It wasn't native to the area, but it was trying to be.
"I can't say much, but my family's been having trouble with pirates recently," Nei explained.
"You don't say? Oh please do tell me more, Nei."
That was it. She was good, but there were some vocal ticks that die hard. It was subtle, but it was undeniable. This woman had a pirate accent.
"Uh... Of course," Nei managed to stammer out.
Risa gracefully glided across the room in her formal attire before gently fiddling with a panel at the back of Master Ebon's office. After a short moment of small gestures, she slid the panel aside to reveal an opening to a tunnel.
"What is that?" Nei asked with a look of slight shock.
"Secret exit, my lord," Risa explained, "surely your family manor has more than its fair share."
"Well, sure, of course," Nei tried desperately to cover for his own ignorance of his home's secrets.
"Well, it stands to reason that an important noble like Master Ebon would need such things as well. Now come. This will lead us to our escape method." Risa gestured for her fake fiance to go through the tunnel.
Nei timidly crawled in the dark tunnel as Risa pulled a lantern out of a nearby cabinet and lit it.
"Master," Risa said with a bow, "I will not disappoint you."
"See that you don't," Master Ebon shot back.
Risa blinked and frowned for only a moment before switching back to a polite smile. Such a brusque reply was to be expected of her relationship with her Master. He was rarely warm to even his closest friends. What made her think he'd fake affection even in front of noble company? She slid the panel closed behind her.
As she led Nei down the dark stone-laden corridor, Nei felt the need to break the awkward silence.
"So, I've been wondering," Nei started without finishing his thought.
"Yes, my lord," Risa prodded.
"Nothing. It's just... You have pretty eyes and all," Nei continued his thought before pausing again.
"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you appreciate them."
"It's just... How do I put this? Don't you think you'll stick out with them? If we're going undercover, aren't you worried someone will notice you," Nei let out a sigh at the relief of finally getting that concern off his chest.
"It has..." Risa paused to carefully consider her words before continuing the line, "... been a problem in the past, but I've gotten good at averting my gaze when necessary. It's a talent that comes naturally to one of my standing. Not that I'd expect you to know that, my lord. I've tried teaching myself techniques in the past to change my eye color from manuals, but without a proper teacher..."
Risa slowly turned her head back towards her ward with an unnatural grin and her eyes closed. She slowly opened them to reveal a bright red set of eyes that glowed like a demon. They felt like they could burn a hole in Nei's very soul.
"I'm afraid the technique has been a bit hard to master," Risa growled in her most sinister voice.
Nei fell backwards from shock and fear. Risa let out a hearty laugh.
"That's not funny," Nei protested with a bright red flustered face, "you're supposed to be protecting me, not scaring me witless."
Risa laughed for a few seconds more before wiping her eyes and composing herself again. "Relax, my lord. It's just a bit of fun. Surely you didn't want us to be somber the entire time. It would be a long trip that way."
"Fine," Nei huffed, "I suppose you have a point, but next time, I'll be scaring you."
"We'll see, my lord, we'll see," Risa reassured him, "And don't worry. I know how to compensate for my... unique circumstances."
After a short walk further, the secret passage exited out to the back of the Evadinja manor and a pair of horses drawing a cart filled with various crates.
"Does my lord know how to steer a cart?"
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I know enough."
"Excellent," Risa said with a sign of relief, "That'll make this easier."
She climbed into the back of the cart and opened one of the larger crates. Inside of it was a cushy bed of straw, enough room to fit a person, and some emergency supplies like a lantern.
"I will be hiding in here until we reach the next town over."
"But," Nei tried to object, "I thought we would be traveling side by side."
"It's like you said, my lord. I might attract too much attention going out of town. Plenty of people around here know of me." Risa leaned up against the edge of the crate and tried to give her charge a reassuring gaze. "I doubt anything will happen this close to Master Ebon's home, but even if it did, I'll be able to hear you from in here. We'll drop off the cart with the Slender Cat when we reach the inn, and you can pretend that you picked me up from there."
"I guess..." Nei said uncertainly.
"I've done this before. This is the easy part," Risa ruffled his hair a bit, "If anyone attacks, I'll just show them my 'demonic side'." Risa let out another small chuckle. Nei clearly didn't find it funny.
"Alright. You sit back and relax and leave this to me," Nei tried to posture a little bit.
Risa gave another teasing smile and slid herself comfortably into the crate and closed the lid on top of herself. Others might have found the experience scary or even claustrophobic, but she somewhat enjoyed it. Inside this small dark universe, she was free to be herself and get lost in her thoughts. She spent the next hour thinking about home, her mission, Ms. Fujiwara, and everything else. It wasn't that hard to pass the time. She was a very patient woman. She could've gone the entire trip like this honestly.
However, her thoughts were eventually interrupted when the cart was stopped to the sound of a woman's voice.
"Hey! Long time, no see, Nei," she bellowed out with a heavy voice, "How have you been holding up?" Risa could her the woman emerging from the brush on the side of the road like she was hiding.
"Oh. Hey Angelina," Nei replied, "Not bad. You?"
"Can't complain. Business has been going well," the woman had a casual tone to her voice.
"That's good to hear. Things have been a little stressful for my family as of late," Nei returned with his own casual tone.
"Oh? That's interesting. Tell me more," Risa started to notice that something seemed off by her accent. It wasn't native to the area, but it was trying to be.
"I can't say much, but my family's been having trouble with pirates recently," Nei explained.
"You don't say? Oh please do tell me more, Nei."
That was it. She was good, but there were some vocal ticks that die hard. It was subtle, but it was undeniable. This woman had a pirate accent.
Risa immediately tried to assess her surroundings. If this woman was a hidden pirate bandit or a member of the Crimson Gulls, she'd surely have her allies waiting in the sidelines. However, no matter how hard Risa looked or listened, she could not find a trace of anyone else in the area. The woman was alone? Was she a scout? No. There'd be no real point to that this far away from civilization. They might as well ambush them if they were this far out. What was her angle and why did Nei know her? Did Nei know she was a pirate or was the young pirate playing him without Nei realizing?
"Come on, Angel," Nei said while rubbing the back of his head and averting his eyes, "You know I can't tell you about that."
"Tch. You still don't trust me, huh," The woman gave him a half-disappoint, half-teasing look.
Risa didn't take her eyes off of the pirate woman. She kept waiting for some kind of ambush signal or angle to her attack, but she really did just seem to be familiar with the young lord. If she was a better Evadinja, she could sneak out of the box and set up a good ambush location, but with Angelina looking in the direction of the box at all times, she was sure to be spotted. As a matter of fact, Angelina's gaze hadn't left the box for more than a few seconds at a time. It was a basic thing, but she blended the action with her coy act so well that Nei hadn't even noticed that he didn't have her full attention. This pirate woman was definitely sneakier than she let on.
The pirate woman gave Nei a little pout of her lips to seal the deal.
"Okay," Nei relented, "just a small hint. We're after a group of pirates that have been attacking my family as of recent."
Risa mentally cringed. She could compensate and plan for a lot of things, but she couldn't always plan for the incompetence of others. Had he really just told her all of that with only a little bit of prodding? Hopefully the woman hadn't noticed the important part of his wording.
"We?" She asked with an act of playful curiosity, "So, there's more of you here?"
She had.
"Oh... Uhh.. No. I'm meeting up someone special in the next town up. I'm all alone," Nei tried to save the situation. Unfortunately, confessing to being alone in ambush territory wasn't a much better lie. Risa took a quick survey of the situation. The woman was just a bit too far away for a quick attack, and, being in the middle of the road, there wasn't a lot of territory to use to her immediate advantage. She could throw her lantern at the woman, but Nei had let her within range that she could easily attack him before she'd get into range. She had even been careful to place Nei between herself and any reasonable threats. The only real advantage Risa had in this situation was surprise.
The Pirate woman stopped to consider his words before covertly looking back at Risa's crate one last time.
"Well," she said in a much darker and more mature tone, "then perhaps you have something special for me, then?" She raised an eyebrow as she traced her finger along Nei's chest.
"I uhh... don't know what you're talking about, Angel," Nei started to stammer.
"Oh come on," she began to press, "if you're alone, you don't have to keep up the act. You know exactly what I'm asking for." Her hand seemed to get a bit more aggressive as it felt along Nei's torso. Risa couldn't be entirely certain as the woman was being careful to keep her hand obscure from Risa's vision.
So, that's what she was here for. Risa had to admit, Nei wasn't as competent as a Ninja his age should be, but his willingness to do this out in the open was certainly bold; especially this close to River's Path. Then again, maybe it was just a bit of youthful stupidity, or maybe the pirate woman had pushed him to do it. It didn't really matter. It was still foolish. Either way, Risa was fairly certain the pirate wasn't going to kill him. At least, not now.
The bigger question now was the Pirate woman herself. Perhaps she had believed Nei's lie about being alone, but she was at least aware of the fact that someone could be hidden. Was she just being careful, or was she specifically trying to draw Risa out? If Risa jumped out now, she risked blowing her cover, but if she waited...
"Hmm," Risa thought to herself as she began to crack a very small but still genuine smile, "and here I thought this was gonna be boring." It always made her uncomfortable that she enjoyed moments like this, but she couldn't deny the truth. She was what she was. This situation was certainly a conundrum, and a lesser ninja would get the answer wrong, but Risa lived for this exact kind of thing. It was what she was born to do. She knew exactly how to handle this kind of scenario.
The secret to understanding the right course of action in situations like this was to work backwards from the outcome. Most importantly, Risa couldn't afford to let the pirate get away at any cost. Even if the pirate woman suspected someone was here, she didn't know that Risa was onto her scheme though. Risa didn't need to stay hidden, Risa just needed to foil her plans without letting her know that she was aware of them. She had to make it look like an accident to keep her cover; a coincidence. A chance meeting. Unfortunately, this meant she couldn't just come out of the crate since the pirate woman had been watching it so intently.
"It's... Well, it's complicated," Nei tried to explain.
"We have time," the pirate woman countered calmly. Although, her voice was beginning to strain back a minor bit of frustration.
Getting out of the crate wasn't difficult. The bed of straw at the bottom was for more than just comfort. It covered the crate's fake bottom and the well-crafted trap door well. She took extra care as she landed to keep her kimono from accumulating too much dirt. Risa could clearly see the Pirate woman's feet in front of her. Risa was close to her objective, but she was far from finished. The problem was finding a blind spot for the pirate woman. She'd definitely keep an eye at her feet if her training was worth anything. So, a straight forward approach was impossible. Risa needed a distraction without raising suspicion that she'd caused it. Something natural. She grasped a small stone from the dirt road between her fingers, stealthily spun behind one of the carts wheels opposite from Nei, and took a look at her surroundings.
"I don't think you understand," Nei tried once more with a bit of an apologetic tone.
"I get it just fine, Nei. There's some juicy top secret thing you don't want to tell me," the woman fumed, "I'm not stupid. I just figured... You know. I've scratched your back enough. Surely you can let me know. I promise I won't tell anybody." Her voice seemed to perk back up near the end.
A sparrow in the trees. Perfect.
Risa felt at the stone in her hand. It was smooth and well-rounded from all the wagon travel. That was fortunate. That made the trajectory of this shot at least twice as easy. It was still tricky though. She couldn't make a sound, and she couldn't hit anything close by; Not one branch, not one leaf. This would only give her a momentary distraction as well. There wouldn't be enough time to react after throwing the rock. She'd have to trust his shot and move while throwing the stone. She definitely wouldn't get a second shot at this. The slightest stiff breeze could destroy her plan in a second. The entire mission could be lost on this action. She could feel it.
It was honestly a bit too easy.
"It's not that," Nei continued to backpedal, "I just don't think you should be involved."
"And why not?" the woman asked with a glower so strong Risa could practically hear it.
With one last deep breath, she closed her eyes and arched the small stone through the air with a smooth, effortless motion. The stone whizzed just barely past the sparrow's beak and scared it out of it's branch. Not a single muscle or joint ached as she continued the motion into a quick twirl and she hid herself behind one of the horses. She could hear the pirate woman shift for just a second as her concentration was broken by the bird. She shouldn't have noticed Risa at this point, but she couldn't stay long. A brief glance shouldn't reveal anything, but her legs were showing behind the legs of the pack animals. Still, she needed to wait just a small second. If Risa was right, the woman would give her her opportunity any second now.
"It's not that," Nei pulled the woman's attention back to him, "It's just... I guess. Can I really trust you?"
"I think so, but maybe I can prove that to you," the pirate woman's weight shifted towards Nei.
"What do you mean," Nei inquired without a single clue.
"Just... Close your eyes," she said in a soft tone. Her weight shifted a little closer to Nei and Nei began to tense up a bit.
There it was. A quick flip around the horses and neither of them should notice. No fancy tricks. No disarms. No violence. She just needed to stay in character.
"Excuse me," Risa called out innocently from a couple of feet behind the woman kissing her mission objective, "I don't know who you are, or what your relationship to him is, but... Do you... uh... mind not kissing my future husband?"
Once again. Sorry about the length. Hopefully you enjoy the adventure. Suggestions start below.