Come by Night 2: Winter's Moon

Chapter Sixteen - The Fiend in the Armory

We creep toward our destination, careful not to make a sound. I'm not worried about myself. I am silence incarnate. But Katsurō? Well, so far he has managed to keep his staff from rattling. I'll take it.

The moment of betrayal is nearly upon me. It's not as easy as I want it to be. The crow and I have history. Yes, I want to kill him, but I cannot forget that we were brothers-in-arms once. He saved my life when we went against our other brother the night we chose to get out. Noburu would never have let us leave, and that bastard was stronger than either of us alone.

Even then, he nearly did for me. Katsurō deflected the killing blow at risk to himself, and now here we are. Yet, I won't hesitate to betray him, nor he me. We are yōkai.

Ahead stands the heavy door of the armory, and it has been a task to find it. The trick of this place is to stay on the administrative level. Believe it or not, Hell is superbly organized. It's pure bureaucracy and the tedium deserves the title of Hell. They even have a wing dedicated to accounting. We accidentally went there first.

Fortunately, we got through that fiasco without detection. Now a group of oni is coming our way. I flatten against the wall as they march past. One of the tusked brutes sniffs the air and turns his head our way. I hold my breath. He grunts when his fellow guard smacks him on the shoulder. The pace of his brothers forces him to keep going. Never underestimate the power of herd mentality.

I wait for several heartbeats until the hall empties. "We're clear," I whisper.

Katsurō makes a noise of acknowledgement in his throat. We continue on. I try the door, which opens. I grin and slip inside. Another good thing about Hell... no locks. With roving demon guards and each soul locked in its own personal Hell, there's no need. Who would steal from King Enma, infamous for his unforgiving temper?

Katsurō enters behind and closes the door. "I thought we were done back there when that oni sniffed us." He removes my broadleaf and shimmers into view.

"You should bathe more often," I remark, perusing at the impressive collection of rare weapons. I could happily get lost in this place for days!

"Heh - more like it was the scent of that woman's perfume on you."

"What?"

"You smell of your mouse thoroughly. Her soap, her sex... you reek, my friend. Best watch it, your little honeypot's humanizing you."

"I am not human," I say with heat.

"Then stop acting like it."

At first I am angry, then I pause. Am I really? I thought I was doing a fair job of playing my old self. But... have you truly changed me so much, Hotaru?

I spy a gorgeous tanto blade that is in a black sheathe decorated with sakura blossoms. This was made for a woman. It makes me think of you, so I stick it inside my kimono sleeve. You should have one and this will be the perfect gift to bring you.

"So where is it in here, do you think?" he asks. There are so many weapons that you'd think Hell was about to go to war. It is quite the collection! Most of these rare beauties disappeared from the battlefield when their owners died.

The cursed weapons will be kept in some kind of case or vault. These things are never so easy as a simple grab and take. I look over and smile smugly. Those cabinets on the far side of the room have the scent and aura of magic. I meander that way, my excitement growing.

I pass my hand over the most elegant chest, feeling the wards. My glamour melts away as the crackle of energy ripples across my palms. It can't be helped.