A Peaceful Carriage Ride

Kizuna

I held my hat in my lap as we rode Masa’s carriage. Eien sat with Masa on the other side while Iroha sat next to me. Riding in a carriage was a first for me. Usually if I was traveling on the ground I would be riding in a palanquin. I quite liked it.

Masa stared longingly out the window, his forehead resting on the glass. Hitsu stayed behind at their home since she apparently didn't like airship travel. They had separated with a kiss, a hug and then another kiss. Eien had to drag him away as it looked like they would just repeat the process ad nauseum. Ever since, he had stayed silent.

Iroha, is Masa always like this?

Oh yes. Sickening isn’t it?

I looked out the window to see us pass the crowds of the city.

I wonder… Is their love real or are they playing a game in front of everyone?

Iroha scooted over on the seat and held my hand.

You’re nervous about the future. Do you wish you had found love?

Maybe…

I was kidding about keeping you away from Eien. If you want him, you can have him.

I had to work hard to keep a straight face but even then Eien gave me a funny look.

No, I can’t take him. Maybe if we had met under other circumstances… But I don’t think that’s an option for us anymore. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him right now. Maybe given time but…

She squeezed my hand.

I understand. You don’t really have a good point of reference. You’ve been kept in that little fishbowl that you grew up in.

I locked her out of my memories. Thankfully she hadn’t seen the paths that Lady Hino had put in my head. And most of all, she hadn’t seen how close I was getting to changing into a god. I could feel the thrumming of power just on the other side of a thin veil. Along with the promise of oblivion. I did my best not to think about it and most of the time I was successful.

Stop looking at those.

I have a question for you.

I looked down at Iroha who was swinging her legs against the seat.

What is it?

Will you ever come back?

I don’t know.

“Masa,” Eien interrupted our private conversation. “I didn’t get the chance to ask at your home but there's something I need to know.”

“Hm?” Masa shook himself out of his contemplation and looked at Eien. “What is it?”

“Yesterday before I fought Extli, he mentioned something about an assassin running around. The way he said it made me think it wasn’t like the normal plots between the clans.”

“Hitsu would probably be better to ask but she did talk about it last night.” He clapped his hands on his knees. “Okay, this is what I remember from the conversation. This assassin came up from the south and has been killing clan members and sowing discord. In fact, yesterday before the battle between the Eye-borrowers and the Kirin clans, he assassinated Onibashi. A retainer of the Kirin clan.”

“Wait,” I said, interrupting. “That’s why he didn’t show up to support us?” If they had been there, the battle wouldn’t have gone poorly. “How did he manage to kill him? Onibashi was a failed god but he was still strong.”

“He’s very strong. From what people have said, he kills hundreds of people in one sword swing.”

Eien shook his head. “That has to be an exaggeration.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Masa shrugged. “Hitsu did hear and confirm that Onibashi had been cut in two with one sword swing.”

“I had met Onibashi before,” I said. “He put on a combat demonstration for us when he sought aid after being banished from his clan. No sword could cut his skin. How could someone cut him in two?”

“Well,” Masa leaned forward and put up a finger. “This assassin is either a very powerful member from a clan or he possesses a very old weapon. Old enough to have become a god of the earth, a tsukumogami. In fact,” he turned to look at Eien. “Eien here has a weapon like that.”

“It’s not useful if I can’t use it.” I gave him a questioning look and he sighed. He pulled out his jitte and held it on his lap. “Whatever god inhabits this isn’t awake and I don’t think they want to wake up. The only side benefit is that it’s a lot harder to break.”

“If you run into him then maybe you won’t go down in half a second,” Masa said jovially. “Our lives are in your hands.”

“If he just assassinated someone yesterday, then we’re not going to meet him.” Eien put away his jitte. “Those things take time to set up.” The carriage jolted slightly and our eyes turned towards the front of the carriage.

“Unless that’s him,” Masa said slowly, his eyes widening.

The window slit for the rider beside me slid open and Norihisa poked his head in. “I’m glad I made it in time.”

Masa visibly relaxed. “You almost scared me out of my skin.”

“It’s what I do best.” He looked towards Eien. “Do you have my payment yet?”

“Yep.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small book. He reached over and handed it to Norihisa.

“Actions Beyond Reckoning,” Norihisa said, reading the title. “Thank you, your debt has been repaid.” He pulled his head back and shut the window.

“Wait, you gave him a romance book for his payment?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“Yup,” Eien said while smiling. “Despite his life of debauchery, he is also a romantic. He dreams of falling in love someday.”

“What? But? That doesn’t…” I sputtered.

“Yeah, I know. He said that it’s his way of finding someone for himself.”

I shook my head in bemusement. I didn’t know how he was going to find someone to love living like that. “I guess if it works for him.”

The carriage slowly rolled to a stop. Masa opened the curtains hiding the window on the side of the carriage and smiled at the guard. The guard bowed and we rolled into the Ryu shipyards.

“Do you have an idea of which airship that we’ll be taking?” Eien asked Masa.

“We’ll be taking a yacht. It’s the sleekest and smoothest experience that you could get in the air. Fast as hell too.” His face turned glum. “I just wish that Hitsu liked flying.”

Shouting from behind the carriage startled us. Eien slid open his window and poked his head out. “It’s the Shinsengumi. I think the Kirin clan finally asked them for help. We’d bett-”

A scream interrupted him and the carriage bolted forward. He pulled himself back in and squeezed between me and Iroha. He opened the driver's window and shouted, “Norihisa, what’s going on!?”

“The driver’s dead!” The carriage turned sharply and Eien fell onto my lap. “We have assassins around us!” Bullets thunked into the wood of the carriage and the wood split and showered us with splinters, giving us small cuts. I felt faint from the blood welling up from my skin. I swallowed my bile and tried to ignore it.

Outside, Norihisa screamed a word that I couldn’t understand. “We have protection for two minutes until that charm goes out! Where am I driving to!?”

“Hold on to something you three,” Eien said to us. I watched wide-eyed as he opened the carriage door and climbed out onto the side. He slammed the door shut as an explosion went off behind us.

“What’s happening!?” I shouted, almost panicking. Things didn’t escalate this fast in the path that I had been following. I knew the Shinsengumi were going to come, I had planned for it but I didn’t know about the assassin’s coming this fast. They weren't supposed to have focused on us.

“The Shinsengumi have been blocked off by flames. I don’t know if they took casualties!”

“Get on this side of the carriage,” Masa said, coming over to my side. “I need to give directions. I held onto Iroha as we switched sides. Eien swung himself onto the front of the carriage.

Then a bright explosion rocked the carriage. Outside the window, on the edge of the Ryu shipyards, a plume of smoke came from the first skyscraper. Flames licked the top floors.

“Grandfather,” Masa whispered as the carriage took another sharp turn.