Foxes and Dragons, Oh My

Eien Akagawa

“Bye Eien!" Taya blew me a kiss of fire as she vanished back into her wheel. It tickled against my cheek as the twins roared away, leaving flames in their wake. They had said that they wouldn’t be able to help us for the rest of the day as they had a prior engagement planned.

“How serious is Taya about you?” Kizuna asked me.

“I honestly couldn’t say.” I stared after the dying trail of flames. “On some level she’s playing around but I think that there are some genuine feelings there.”

“Why not reciprocate?”

“She’s long been dead and no longer human.” I turned away to face Masa’s home. “We wouldn’t be able to give each other what we need.”

“Love is able to conquer a lot of things.”

“And bring much misery too.”

“Fine Mr. Grumpy.” Kizuna looked down at Iroha who was holding her hand. “And what do you think?”

“I don’t like her,” she said flatly. “Anybody that wants to get close to Eien must pass my judgement.”

Kizuna looked over at me with a devious look. “And how do I fair in that regard.”

I rolled my eyes as Iroha responded. “I like you but I don’t want you to be more than friends with Eien?”

“What?” Kizuna bent down at eye level with Iroha. “I thought I’d be perfect for him.”

“If you were serious about it, then maybe I’d consider you.”

“Oh mother! Give me another chance!”

“Are you two done with the comedy routine?”

Kizuna rolled her eyes and stood up. “You could join in sourpuss.”

I shook my head. “I’d rather just get this done.”

I walked away from them and headed towards the front door of the house. It sat a few streets away from the docks. It was a medium sized western house painted white. I knew from experience that the inside matched the western exterior.

I knocked on the door which had a small window at the top covered with purple curtains. After a few moments the door opened and revealed a western woman with a beaming smile. The sun glinted off of a gold tooth in place of her top left canine. She had long fluffy blonde hair with a pair of fox ears on top of her head. She wore a green western dress with lace. Her green eyes flicked over the three of us quickly.

“Why hello!” she said with too much cheer. "Eien, it's been so long since I've seen you!” She stepped forward to pull me into a hug. I tolerated it since there really was no stopping her once she had her mind on something. After we separated I checked to make sure that I had all of my weapons and money.

"Give it back.” I held my hand out to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her ears twitched.

“My ammo.”

She huffed and gave me back my two speed loaders with the bullets still attached. “So untrusting."

“I know better than to trust you." I tucked away my speedloaders. “May we come in?”

She looked past me and her face lit up. “Oh my god! You brought a friend that isn’t Norihisa!” She bustled past me and wrapped Kizuna in a hug. “Come in, come in all of you.” She shuffled us all into the house.

Her energy disappeared as soon as she shut the door behind us. She gave us a sly grin. “You three are playing a dangerous game.” She took Kizuna’s hat and hung it on the nearby coatrack. “The clans have all heard that you are running around and would love to get ahold of you. If even we have heard of it, that means you two are well and truly up the river.”

“Kizuna,” I said as she was beginning to panic over her hat. “Meet Hitsu of the Kitsune clan. Don’t trust her as far as you can throw her. She knows more than she’s letting on and doesn’t reveal anything of hers.”

“You wound me Eien.” She gave me a kind and caring smile. “I only care what’s best for you.”

“And yet I still have yet to see your true face.”

She flashed her gold tooth at me and turned around. “Come with me to the parlor everyone.”

Kizuna leaned over to me. “How worried should I be?’

“Moderately.” I took hold of Iroha’s hand and led the way. “If I can’t convince Masa to help us then she’d gladly sell us out. I say this knowing that she can hear us too.”

Why is it that you always take me to the most entertaining places?” she asked as she followed behind us.

“Shouldn’t you know the answer to that?”

“It’s different living through it.”

We entered the parlor to find Masa sitting in an armchair smoking a pipe of all things. I put a hand to the bridge of my nose and squeezed at the ridiculous sight of the dark haired man. He wore a white western suit with black shoes. What looked like golden gloves were actually dragon scales from his godhood.

“Please tell me that you haven’t fully westernized.” I stated more than asked as I sat down on a couch across from him. Iroha and Kizuna sat on either side.

“Like you’re one to talk,” he said while putting his pipe down. “You’re wearing a western suit too.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “And it’s looking rather ragged too.” Hitsu sat on his lap and cuddled with him.

Iroha had done her best to fix and clean my suit but there was still an obvious tear on my suit and haori that Iroha couldn’t fully disguise. However it was better than nothing and I was thankful towards her.

“Yesterday was rather trying.”

“Who beat you up?” Hitsu opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand. “I don’t want you to tell me. I want Eien to tell me what happened.” He rubbed his forehead against hers.

“Fine,” she grumbled and turned her eyes towards me.

“I fought Extli and he managed to get my shoulder pretty good.” I shrugged. “He’s out of my weight class so I’m surprised that I made it out at all.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kizuna looking guilty.

“Extli?” Masa murmured. “He’s strong from what I’ve heard.”

I shook my head. “Everything you hear comes from that vixen on your lap.”

“True, true.” He wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled closer.

“Do you two have to be this obnoxious this early in the morning?” Iroha said, stating what I was feeling. “It’s disgusting.”

“This is what love looks like,” Hitsu said and she tucked her head in the crook of Masa’s neck.

“Since your information is so good,” I said to get us back on track. “That must mean you know why we’re here.”

“You need a ship,” Masa said. “I can get you one from my family's shipyards but I want to come with you. And I want a favor from you in the future.”

“That’s fine-”

“No it’s not,” Kizuna interrupted. “Shouldn’t I be the one to pay the favor?”

Masa shook his head. “A favor from you is worthless. Well, not true. You are the princess of the Kirin clan but I don’t want it. I think a favor from Eien would be better for me in the long run.”

“And if your plan succeeds,” Hitsu cut in. “You won’t be in the country anymore. You wouldn’t be able to pay us back.”

“Exactly.”

Kizuna crossed her arms and lapsed into silence. I had to wonder how much of this she was following from the seer. Or if this conversation mattered at all. I shook my head and focused on Masa.

“I’ll owe you a favor in the future,” I said. “Do we have a deal?”

“Yup.” He grinned. “Now there was one thing that Hitsu didn’t know. Where are we going?”