Chapter 19

The cloaked figure led Koji down the alley and along a series of winding back roads until she reached a dead end with a featureless white wall. Then, Koji’s guide placed a hand on the wall and something dark began to emerge from the blank stretch of plaster, like ink coming through a sheet of paper. The darkness quickly formed a door, which the cloaked figure entered.

Koji would normally have debated whether he should follow, but the day’s events had left him so exhausted and unwilling to think of his own safety that he simply stood there.

The cloaked figure poked her head back through the shadowy doorway and asked, “Are you coming or not?”

This was enough to make Koji stir himself, and with no better options he simply sighed and followed his guide into the dark doorway.

Entering the portal felt like getting splashed with cool, refreshing water, and it returned some of Koji’s vigor. He looked around and found himself in a wide-open grassy area, with a cool night breeze blowing through his hair. As he took in his surroundings, he realized that he was no longer inside Behalan. The air smelled fresher, more lively than he had ever felt inside the city walls, and he felt a slight tingling on his tongue when he breathed in the refreshing outdoor air. Behalan stood on the coast in the far distance, glittering under the moon like a dark diamond.

He heard a sigh from behind him, and turned to see the cloaked figure stretching her arms above her head.

“Ah, it’s nice to be out of that town,” She said cheerfully. Then she looked at Koji and laughed. “It’s your first time outside the walls?”

“Well, not quite…”

“Hmm? Oh, right. We first met out on the road. Awkward, huh?” Before Koji could say something in reply, the cloaked person seemed to chuckle. “Well, guess there’s no point wearing this get-up anymore. Give me a moment to change.”

With that, she clapped her hands and the black cloak and hood unravelled into thousands of loose threads which blew away on the breeze. Underneath was a girl who looked a couple of years older than Koji. She had tanned skin, shoulder length light blonde hair with a dark patch in the center of her fringe, and while she still retained the orange eyes, they did not glow anymore. Her attire was also distinctly different from that of anyone Koji had seen in this world, comprised of a modern looking coat with a high collar and stylish riding boots. A pair of belts was wrapped loosely around her waist, with straps that held several small metal cylinders, and she wore gloves that had a sort of talisman stitched on the back.

“Much better,” She said, placing her hands on her hips. “I do apologize for the Halloween costume I was wearing before, but I have to keep up appearances for my enemies. Anyway, how would you like a cup of hot tea?”

Koji was at a loss for words at the girl’s transformation. Then he realized what she had just said.

“Wait, Halloween? You know what that is?”

The girl shrugged. “Yeah, sure do. I had to wear that cloak to intimidate anyone who might get in my way. So, no candy for me.” She seemed to sense Koji’s confusion and held up a gloved hand. “Come on, let’s get you nice and comfortable. Then you can grill me all you want.”

She turned and waved her hands, and the space in front of her shimmered like the air above a hot road. A large house appeared on the grass, looking just like a home Koji had seen back on Earth in a travel magazine.

“Wait,” Koji started towards the girl. “Can you at least tell me your name first?”

The girl held up one hand to her mouth as if shocked. “Oh, where are my manners? Of course. You may call me Makuro. I know who you are, Koji Hagane. Especially after that parade that you were in.”

Koji felt the familiar sense of shame wash over him again. “You saw that, huh?”

“I see everything,” Makuro said with a playful wink. “Now, come on in. I’ll brew us some tea and we can have a little chat. You’ve probably got some questions, and I have things to set straight with you and Behalan.”

Koji followed Makuro into the house. Inside it was decorated with numerous paintings of exotic landscapes on the walls and a cool blue wallpaper. There was a sitting room with some soft looking cream couches and a coffee table that was carved from wood to look like rolling waves on the ocean. The carpet underfoot was deep blue with golden patterns, and the air in the house smelled of freshly baked chocolate cake.

“Just take a seat anywhere you like,” Makuro told Koji once they entered the sitting room. “I’ll be back shortly with some refreshments.”

Koji did as he was told and sat down on one of the armchairs, feeling the plush cushions give way beneath him. He examined the room in more detail; there was an elegant looking grandfather clock in the corner, the first clock he had ever seen in this world. There was also a fireplace that was filled with flickering blue flames that cast no heat. Finally, there were several shelves filled with books lining the remaining empty space. Koji wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. This felt almost… familiar, like the house of an eccentric relative.

“Here we go!” Makuro came back into the room, holding one finger up in the air next to her head. Behind her, three silver serving trays levitated in her wake. One held a porcelain teapot and two cups, the second a delicious looking chocolate cake, and the third held something that Koji thought he would never see again.

“Is that takoyaki?” He blurted out, smelling the aroma of fried octopus.

Makuro smiled and guided the trays onto the coffee table. “Yeah, I thought you would appreciate something from home. Let me just…”

She pointed at the teapot and it floated up into the air before pouring out just the perfect amount of tea into both the teacups. She passed one to Koji and he took a sniff. It smelled amazing, like no other tea he had sampled before, either in Behalan or on Earth. He drank a bit and felt a surge of warmth fill his body from head to toe.

Makuro sat down and took a sip from her own cup of tea, sighing with contentment. She then cut out a generous slice of cake for Koji, and then helped herself to a ball of takoyaki.

“I can’t imagine they’ve been feeding you too well back in the city,” Makuro said after swallowing her food. “Anyway, now that we’re settled, you can ask me anything you like.”

Koji mulled this over. “Okay. Are you from Earth?” He started off. “You spoke Japanese to me before, and now you have this food from Japan.”

“Hm, that’s an interesting question,” Makuro smiled, sipping her tea again. She set it down on a saucer with a clink. “Yes, I am technically from Japan, though I no longer call that country my home. I joined up with the Magecroft Organization four hundred and seventy-two years ago, and have been traveling around ever since. I do like going back to Japan to visit, though.” She amended.

This brought up another question in Koji’s mind.

“The Magecroft Organization…” He said slowly. “Who are you people really? The Order calls you opportunists and predators, but… you don’t seem like a bad person.”

“The Magecroft Organization has existed for time immemorial,” Makuro said seriously, as if to keep Koji’s attention. “As for opportunists, is it a crime to seize an opportunity to make a bit of money? Magecroft is closer to what you call a, what’s the word for it? A company or corporation, and it’s only natural for any business to try and get as many customers as we can. There’s nothing illegal about it, despite what the Order might have told you. We’re one hundred percent legitimate. I can show you the paperwork if you want.”

“But the Order said that magicians interfere with destiny, or something,” Koji pointed out.

At this, Makuro laughed once more. It was a high, musical laugh.

“Oh dear, is that what they’re peddling these days?” She said with a giggle. “You’re a smart boy, don’t you see that if destiny were a thing, then it would also account for magic? There’s no one true path of fate like those stuffy High Lords preach. You walk your own path, and where you end up is up to you, not some pre-written script. My word, what a terrible thing to teach the youth.”

“So, the Order is a sham?” Koji asked after Makuro stopped tittering.

He ate a few bites of the cake, which was wonderfully moist and sweet. It was almost enough to distract Koji from what he had overheard the High Lords say about him.

“Oh, no,” Makuro said at last, her mirth disappearing. “The Order poses a very real threat. How long did they say they’ve been in control of Behalan?”

“Thirteen years,” Koji answered. He picked up one of the takoyaki balls and took a bite. It tasted just like the takoyaki he and his friends would often go and eat after a school day. He realized with a pang of dismay that he had trouble picturing his friends’ faces.

“And I can tell you, without a doubt, that Behalan was much better off thirteen years ago,” Makuro said. She took out from behind her back a large book, bound in what looked like black leather. The front cover was emblazoned with the Magecroft Organization's emblem. “Here, let me show you with my Lexicon.”

She opened the Lexicon to a page near the middle and laid it flat on the coffee table. A three dimensional image was projected up, reminding Koji of the wooden hand and coin he had used before.

“Now, I’ll let you see how Behalan was before the Order came muscling in on things and kicked us out.”

The image showed a vibrant city, with magical floating lights and scores of wealth-laden cargo ships bringing trade and commerce to the city. The Silver District was bustling with merchants selling goods, and everywhere was the sight of prosperity and cheer. While the Behalan that Koji had been living in was far from destitute, he could only describe what the Lexicon showed him as a golden age. He saw people with crystals in their homes that supplied fresh water, and traders traveling the roads from what must have been other cities coming to Behalan to do business. Overall, what he saw made him feel a sense of pity and loss for the current state of Behalan.

“I know it hasn’t been that long, but this Order of the Unbroken Path really has set progress back, what with their persecution of magic,” Makuro said, closing the Lexicon and stopping the projection. “I would have gone to confront them directly, but I need several different passes and documents for that, and they haven’t been given the green light yet. Any day now, but for the time being, I’ve had to work through proxies and those keep getting thwarted. You’d know a thing or two about that,” she finished, giving Koji a meaningful look.

Koji realized Makuro was talking about the various missions he had gone on to stop the Magecroft Organization. “Yeah… sorry about that. I didn’t know.”

Makuro shrugged and picked up her teacup again. “You’re forgiven. Playing on people’s fears and hopes to manipulate them is something the Order's kind does a lot. How else do you think they managed to get so many soldiers? Anyway, after the mishap in the Market District, I knew I had to change tactics. Can’t go around blowing up the people I’m supposed to be selling things to, eh? Not a nice way to build good public relations.”

“That was you?!” Koji suddenly shouted. Then he caught himself and lowered his voice. “Sorry, but you were the one who planted the bomb? I almost died!”

“It wasn’t meant for you, honestly.” Makuro said in a regretful tone. “Usually the Order takes all the magic items to the High Lords after they’re confiscated. I hoped to get them with the explosive, but that didn’t exactly work out. Ah, well. Live and learn.”

Koji hung his head. “It was my fault. I wanted to be a hero and hurt all those people. I hurt Sylvia.”

Makuro watched Koji with a sympathetic gaze. “I’m sorry that things haven’t turned out how you wanted for you here. You were tricked by the Order, and that’s happened to all too many people, I’m afraid. But in case you still have doubts, if the Order was as good as they claimed to be, their deeds would match, no? I’ve shown you what Behalan was like before these jokers came, and tomorrow I’ll show you a bit more. But I can see you’ve had a long day and humans need their rest. I’ve got a guest room here. You can spend the night and tomorrow we’ll talk some more, okay?”

“...Okay.”

“Good man,” Makuro smiled and led Koji upstairs to a room that was, while plainly furnished, still more welcoming than the bedroom in the house that the Order had given him.

“Sleep well, Koji. You need not fear any outside harm while you are my guest. And maybe I'll see about helping you later, after I've shown you round a bit."

Koji was too tired to say anything much back, and after a muffled, “Good night”, he sat down on the bed and stared out of the window at the serene nightscape that was laid out before him. In the distance, the city of Behalan was just barely visible; he wondered if anyone there missed him. Koji felt a stirring of anger and indignation at the thought of the High Lords, but he was too tired to properly be angry at anything.

Still thinking about what Makuro had shown and told him, Koji drifted off into a calm, dreamless sleep.