Brief Respite

Eien Akagawa

As we escaped the battle I mentally cheered our good fortune. One warship god and a smaller one from this long boat. The amount of money that I would get would more than cover the cost of my lost ship. I’d have to get rid of this one, I didn’t need anything that could be traced back to me.

For the moment I relaxed with my mask off in one of the seats while I Iroha floated in an orb in the engine shrine. Earth gods like her can reform and dissipate the spiritual shell around them whenever they choose. If they're awake to do so anyway. The gods made for specific jobs never got to wake up.

Eien, why don't you turn on the radio. It's not every day that you get to listen to one.

I glanced over at a machine sitting against the wall near me. I had seen them in shops that catered to the upper class. They had a small god within that bounced sound from their ‘parent’ god. Somehow they had managed to make many of these children gods to transmit sound. It was a fantastic invention.

I leaned over and flipped the switch and the sound of music filled the cabin. It was something in the style from the west with strings. I settled back and listened, trusting Iroha to guide the ship back to Edo. The music soon turned quiet and a man’s voice took over.

“And that concludes a live performance from the Marcus Brothers who are visiting from overseas. They're only here from now to the twelfth. You get four days with them so mark that on your yearly calendar folks. And now for the last bit of news. We’ll be seeing something new on our streets soon from overseas. Iron carriages that don’t require a god to move it. I suppose it’ll be something like the electricity that’s been popping up lately.

“Anyway, that’s all we got for today's show. Enjoy the spring weather and don’t you dare miss those cherry blossoms. This is Ban Baiko, signing off.

The music was nice but I can't say that I liked the announcer. Much too energetic compared to the somber tone of the music. I thought about tearing out the radio to keep but it'd be more trouble than it'd be worth.

We’re about to cross into the city boundary.

“Thank you.” I stood up and walked out of the cabin to look over the city. In the air there were a few airships around but not many. Those that owned airships would keep them grounded due to the battle just outside Edo’s boundary. In the beginning it had been a heavily enforced rule to keep civilians out of harm's way. However, in the end the Shinsengumi washed their hands of the matter. They had bigger things to worry about.

The city of Edo was a large and growing metropolis. Many places were constantly getting rebuilt to a new vision that the nations overseas brought. The outskirts were constantly getting expanded upon with new ideas for markets and homes. While the hovels of poorer folks kept getting moved around.

The center of the city was the old district. Full of traditionalists and their mansions. They had to deal with the slow invasion of western buildings and construction. The Ryu clan had decided to build their new pet project right next to them, something called a skyscraper. Even now, I could see it from where I was. I wasn’t sure how tall it was going to be but right now it was probably a couple of houses tall.

Next to the budding skyscraper was a shipyard for airships. Rumor had it that the Ryu clan had built the shipyard right there to annoy the old families. Anything to get them to vacate the old district so they could rebuild it into something more modern.

Speaking of the westerners, the majority of them had taken over the bay area further off in the distance. Due to a war in 1877 involving several major clans and several world powers the gods of the earth decided they had to teach us petty humans a lesson. They enclosed Japan in The Great Barrier which was a few miles out to sea. It looked like a fine mist and due to its nature, no one could enter or leave Japan without an onmyōji. And if I could have, I’d have entered the field as they were making a killing helping ships enter and leave.

Further north along the waterfront was the temple district. The onmyōji often worked out at sea on the boats and this provided an easy commute. They worked with the priests who were often scattered throughout the city.

But my destination was south of the city. A scrapyard that was in consent use by Edoites. Due to all the construction going on, the old man was making a killing. Which would make it easier to scrap this ship.

Soon the ship started to lower towards the landing area in the scrapyard. There was only one other ship there and it wasn’t one I recognized. I went back into the cabin as the ship settled onto the ground.

I headed to Iroha as the orb around her vanished. She settled primly on the altar with a neutral expression on her face. She pushed off the altar and went past me to head outside. She must have been in a bad mood. Scavenging the battlefields weren’t pleasant for either of us.

I picked up the two god orbs we had plundered and carried them out with me. Iroha had set up the plank which made it easier since these orbs were a pain to carry. I nodded at her gratefully and she just shrugged.

Old man Akagawa lumbered up with a cane in his left hand. In youth, he had been a man who towered over everyone. Now, he had a hunched back and his strength had been reduced. He even wore a cap to hide his greying hair. But despite getting up there in years, he still held a strong presence.

He looked at me from underneath busy eyebrows. Then at the orbs and the ship. He sniffed and put on a pair of spectacles. He held out a hand and I gave him one of the orbs.

I gave him the paired bird gods while I kept the one from the longboat. He looked it over with a critical eye. “I assume you want that ship gone as fast as possible?”

“Yeah, ten percent still good?” I asked, referencing his handling fee.

“That will do,” his voice was firm and deep which belied his years. “You made quite the profit today. Still, you should stay out of the business.”

“I know I know.” I shook my head at him. “I’m afraid that if I do it again, that Iroha here will leave me.”

“I wouldn’t leave you,” she said, finally speaking with her mouth. It was easier for gods to communicate with their partners through their mind but she spoke for the benefit of the old man. “I would just teach you a lesson.”

Her lessons consisted of pranks. I fondly remembered some that she had pulled on me while I had been under her care while growing up. At least now I remembered them fondly. At the time, they had not been fun. Such as finding all the frogs she had hidden in my room one time. One had been in the walls for weeks.

A sound had me spinning around to face the ship. I juggled the orb in my arms as I put a hand on my katana. A young woman in a white kimono stood on the ship. Her gold headdress caught the light and the charms clinked as she moved. How had I not heard the charms before now?

I glanced down at Iroha who had a smirk on her face. The little monster had pulled a fast one on me. Old man Akagawa raised an eyebrow.

The woman had her long blonde hair done in a ceremonial hairdo which was now messy. A small light brown nub of some sort was growing from the center of her forehead. I squinted at it, unsure of what it was. Then my eyes went to her feet. Instead of regular feet she had hooves padded with cloth.

This woman was of the Kirin clan and that nub must have been the beginnings of a horn. She was already changing into godhood. Even if the Kirin’s were known for despising bloodshed, they were still powerful and would do what needed to be done. How else would they control a third of Edo? I took a step forward, ready for anything.

“Mr. Eien, I require your services.” I nearly dropped the god in my arms. I hadn’t been expecting that.

“I’ll go make some tea,” Old man Akagawa said as he turned and walked away.