Chapter 2: A Cruel Gift

KAIN

He must be hiding in his little nest up there.

Kain squinted his eyes at the distant pagoda roof but was disappointed to see Minister Hoji waving at him instead of Tendo.

Evicted it seems.

“Searching for me?” asked a familiar voice.

Kain turned to see Tendo sitting on a table behind him, a prawn ball in hand. Tendo had always been better at sneaking about the castle grounds. Years of mischief had taught him every nook behind every shelf, every backstreet and shortcut.

“I hope you got more out of Hoji than a prawn ball.” Kain grabbed it out of Tendo’s hand before Tendo could react, gobbling it down in a blink of an eye.

It’s cold…

Tendo’s eyes darkened for a moment, nigh unnoticeable for anyone without Retivim blood coursing through their veins. Eyes of bright scarlet were the Kamano Family’s trademark, Tendo’s had always been a beautiful shade of red with flecks of amber. Kain on the other hand boasted a darker shade of red with grey edges.

“... it’s true then?” asked Kain, solemnly.

Tendo lowered his voice, “The Shogun is dead.”

Kain couldn’t believe it. In all his visits, Shogun Danzo had always exuded an oppressive, indestructible aura, with the confidence deserving of the strongest Retivim. The man had seemed immortal, a constant presence in their lives as stalwart as Kamano Castle itself.

“Then what’s fath-”

“Excuse me, my lords. Lord Kamano requests your presence.” said a nearby servant.

“Perfect.” answered Kain.

****

Lord Kamano was a tall man even sitting down, his broad shoulders and filled frame a remnant of his storied past. His once jet black hair was now highlighted with slices of grey, tied into a traditional topknot. His Retivim eyes were a deep shade of crimson, surrounded by carmine edges. Age had drained them of their once vivid color, but they still retained a deep strength of hue.

He seemed relieved at the arrival of his sons, quickly sending away the remaining messengers and nobles vying for his attention.

“I see Hojo’s failed to keep his mouth shut again,” he muttered, “Your eyes tell me all I need to know.”

Slightly embarrassed, Tendo and Kain brought their emotions in check. A Retivim’s eyes reflected their emotional state of mind, and controlling what their eyes revealed was often considered just as important as using them in combat.

“Better, but not perfect. I’ll have to double your training time with Suichiro.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Kain, taking a seat beside their father. Tendo took the other seat.

“They’re rumors. Nothing but. If I panicked every time news of Danzo’s death spread, my heart would’ve given out decades ago. He’s not an easy man to kill. I would know.”

“Why’ve you convened the generals then? Those evening meetings?” asked Tendo.

“Sneaking out again, are we?”

“We’re not children anymore, father. We can handle it.” said Kain.

Lord Kamano chuckled, “Freshly sixteen and suddenly you’re both men? You, who still skips on his history lessons? Or Tendo, who sneaks about in the dead of night like a thief? You may no longer be children, but you have much to learn before you’re thrust into the world of politicking, court drama, and rumors.”

“And if the rumors are true? If war comes to Kamano? Do you expect us to hide, father? To run?” said Kain, his eyes glowing brightly.

“I’ve weathered these storms for over thirty years. Danzo will return from whatever hunt he’s on and the realm will calm. Kamano will survive, as it always has,” answered their father.

“Where have the traders gone then? We’ve heard nothing from Edo in weeks,” said Tendo, “Even if they’re rumors, what if they’re true? Kamano is every bit our home as it is yours. You expect us to just pretend everything’s fine when it might not be?”

Even the usually stoic Tendo was struggling to control his eyes. They truly were stubborn boys, always have been. In that, they reminded Lord Kamano of their mother.

Lord Kamano looked into their earnest eyes and sighed, “Perhaps… you’re right. You’re no longer the boys clinging to my robes you once were. I’m convening my council in two days time, just a precautionary measure, you two will be allowed to join, but only to listen. A word out of either of you and I’ll have Hojo teach you history for a week.”

“Was that so hard, father?” asked Kain, smiling.

“Hojo did say you’ve gotten soft,” said Tendo.

Lord Kamano pulled both his sons close, whispering, “There will come a time when I cannot shield you from this world. Do not be so eager to step into it, understand?”

Kain began to answer, “If it pl-”

A woman’s scream followed by a sudden crash interrupts him. The music comes to a halt as conversation and laughter are replaced with muted questions.

“Lady Sachiko!”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“It’s a sign, a warning!”

“Impossible...”

The Kamano family stand in unison and wade through the crowd to the courtyard center, where lies a table of gifts and tributes. A group of guests and guards surround the terrified Lady Sachiko, comforting her. Lying in front of her is the mysterious opened box, a red stained cloth covering its contents.

“Goro, bring Lady Sachiko to my physician,” orders Lord Kamano. The guard nods as he escorts the weeping Sachiko away.

Lord Kamano himself steps towards the box, parting the crowd with ease, his Retivim eyes a shifting shade of bright crimson and dark carmine. The sound of Lord Kamano’s sandals on stone rings through the silent courtyard. Kain and Tendo watch their father’s eyes as he approaches the box; they'd never seen them so chaotic, a constant shifting of red hues.

Lord Kamano grabs the red stained cloth and throws it to the side. It falls to the stone cobble with a wet splat, fully saturated with what could only be blood.

Sitting in that box is both a mockery of Lord Kamano and a threat, a sadistic punishment.

Shogun Danzo’s decapitated head.

His once healthy skin now a sallow yellow, an assortment of maggots crawling out of his now hollow eye sockets.

They’d taken his eyes. The ultimate sin against a Retivim.