Shadows of The Ghost

The Red Fox

Genso woke to the unmistakable sound of an arrow hitting a tree. He got up and walked around the tree he had been laying against to find an arrow lodged in the trunk with a scroll tied to the shaft. He took the scroll, and read. Another name, another person to kill. This one was new though. Genso was at the frontlines during the war, yet he hadn't heard of anyone named 'Zaimu Tantosha'. The location was a village about three days west of his current position.

Genso packed up his supplies, stomped out the fire, and started walking.

He reached the outskirts of the village by late evening of the second day. The scroll was wrong about one thing, however. The outskirts were the village. Because the main area was blocked off by a twenty-foot-tall wall with a single gate at the north end, allowing people to go in and out. He walked through the village, hoping to find a rest house to spend the night in, and maybe a decent meal.

He heard the kunai slice through the air and flipped, hearing the sound of multiple sharp objects impaling themselves into the ground. He unsheathed the wakizashi on his side and managed to deflect the rest of the kunai, using his gauntlets to block others, dodging the rest. When the onslaught finally stopped, he looked up and found around five people standing on the rooftops. They were dressed normally, but their posture said otherwise. The footing was near-perfect, ready to move in a split-second, with no more than one person per rooftop to ensure quick escapes, and clothes that could be discarded immediately to blend into a crowd.

You've trained them well, Akai.

Genso sheathed his wakizashi and straightened. He watched as a figure walked out from behind one of the houses, dressed in the darkest of red. He watched her run over to him, sure she would try to attack him head-on using the many knives and short blades she kept hidden in her outfit. He readied himself to unarm her as she closed in on him.

Yet, he couldn't stop the leader of the rebellion, the Demon of Blood Forest, the Red Fox, and his last remaining friend, Akai Hana, from wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

He had to steady himself before he could fall. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders before she could reach for the kunai at her side to stab him after not seeing each other for five years. She moved away, holding him at arm's length, looking him up and down. He regarded her as well. She hadn't changed much when it came to her looks, that iconic red hair, that unwavering look of determination in her eyes. The same eyes that now tried to hold back tears.

Her armour hadn't changed much, save for the colour which seemed to have faded slightly. She always did wear that same dark red armour on the battlefield, hence the name Akagitsune, or Red Fox. She'd grown taller, but still carried herself with that same defiant personality that showed with every bit of her being.

She slapped his arm. "You haven't changed a bit," she proclaimed. "Come on, follow me. Let's get you squared up. We have a lot to catch up on." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away, heading for one of the closer buildings.

He followed her inside, closing the door behind him. She had set up a proper living area inside, but one look told him a secret hatch was leading to the basement under the rug on the room's southeast corner. Something only Genso would be able to figure out, given all he had learned from Akai.

He watched as she walked towards the kitchen, and followed, stopping and leaning against the door frame as she prepared a quick dish. He would never admit it, but they both knew Genso couldn't cook to save his own life. He didn't realise how much he missed the taste of that stew he now watched her cook. He walked back to the main room and took off his armour, setting on a mannequin that she used for target practice, judging from the knife marks on the poor straw figure's chest and face.

Once it was done, he helped her set up the table and sat, putting his pack down against the leg. She sat down at the other end and immediately began eating. He sighed, but couldn't stop the slight curve of his mouth as he remembered the memories this brought back. He had a sip and tried to fight back the nostalgia that came with that taste he could remember oh so well. They ate in silence, and he was halfway through his bowl when Akai asked the question he had dreadfully waiting for.

"What are you doing here? Can't be a social visit since you are carrying your swords." She asked, leaning back in her chair, her bowl already empty. Genso didn't say anything, but reached into his pack, pulling out the first scroll he had received and handing it across the table. She read while he continued eating.

He stopped when she finally put down the parchment, the colour drained from her face. "I'm sorry," her voice reached him in a whisper.

"Don't be, it's my fault," he replied, his voice lacking all feeling.

"Who has he had you kill?"

"Audun and Izom."

"So, that was your handiwork at the fort. But who's Audun?"

Genso would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. Akai always tended to forget the names of their enemies and even their friends, but he had hoped the last five years would have done something to better that.

"The one who handed our supplies to the enemy and vanished."

"Oh, him? Well, I'll be honest, I don't care about our old enemies from the war anymore. Now I tend to focus on helping others, looking out for those who can't look after themselves."

"I do not believe that warrants teaching people to throw knives at any weapon-carrying person that might decide to pass through here."

"Oh, they know that; I just wanted to check if you had lost your edge."

"I am both honoured and hurt at the same time. But the idea of protests, is it really necessary to put innocents in harm's way? Some of them must have families to take care of."

"It's because they have families that they are protesting. These protests are against actual acts of injustice, like the dam. They are robbed of their livelihoods, starved to death in fields, and work for meagre wages which are then taken away by tax collectors. They have suffered long enough and are ready to die fighting if it means their families can live happily again."

"That's a dangerous army you command."

"Since when did you get so cynical?"

"Since when did you start using words like cynical? Are you the Akai I remember?"

"I guess we are both hypocrites."

"No seriously, stop. I can't keep hearing you say such big words all the time." He jokingly covered his ears, not even trying to stop that playful smile from reaching his lips. This time, he couldn't stop the waves of nostalgia from crashing into him, bringing with it memories that he thought were lost to the passage of time, moments he wished never ended, and people he watched die.

Akai chuckled, her smile showing more emotion than it had all day. They laughed for what seemed like hours before she asked, "Who are you looking for now?"

He knew her question's real implication but decided not to comment upon it. "Somebody named Zaimu Tantosha, do you know him?"

Suddenly, all coloured drained from Akai's face as she heard the name. He didn't know who the person was, but it was someone she knew. Almost immediately, her expression changed, regaining a façade of calmness as she picked up their bowls and headed for the kitchen.

"You can sleep in the other room for now," he heard her speak over her shoulder, her tilted head indicating to one of the other rooms. "I'll wake you up in the evening."

He didn't argue. His fatigue had set in at the mention of rest, and he stood, thanking her, heading for the room. He took his armour and weapons with him, laying them down next to the futon and falling asleep within minutes.