Chapter 2: The Silent Horn

“Utterly stupid!”

Said Nobunori, Hashimaru's shoulders jerked, his cheeks pouted and flushed trying to keep in the laughter. 

The room had evacuated the crowds and the only ones remaining were a few samurai, Katsuie on the right, Nobunori on the left and Kinoshita hiding in a corner. 

Nobunaga tilted his head, “Sakumo, explain yourself.”

Sakumo bowed and knelt on his lord's left. 

“My lord, we have no chance of survival if we head out with our forces. We only have a thousand with us. And the Inner Palace won't lend us a hand…”

Nobunaga sighed deeply. 

The lanterns' flame flickered. Kinoshita got up and refilled the oil and stealthily returned into hiding. 

Nobunaga looked at Hashimaru then at Katsuie, and gave his general the floor to speak. The man knelt and bowed, his head touched the floor.

“Sir it may be perhaps that we are in no position to fight back, and it is as Nobunori said. Still, who is this man?”

He pointed at Hashimaru, who sat up and stared ahead of him. 

Nobunaga said, “he is an acquaintance of my sandal bearer – he looked at the war horn which rested on his side – a man of great skill," he said. So are you that man?”

Hasimaru smiled, “Yes sir.”

“If I can have a map to show you, the preferable route in order to avoid running into the Imagawa ret—”

“Get out of here you spy!!!”

Nobunori roared and rushed him, pinning him to the ground and pressing on his neck. “You think that we wouldn't know that you are with them and came to spy out our freedom!”

POW

Hashimaru’s lip cut in the lower edge. 

POW

The man hit him on his left cheek.

In no time his cheeks were red. 

Still Hashimaru looked at his eyes. 

A dog, a dog who barks and bites, driven by fear. 

Kinoshita rushed out and dragged Hashimaru away. 

“Please forgive his impudence, you know he is from the south, he can be really bash at times”

Kinoshita bowed to Nobunaga and dragged Hashimaru out. 

Yet Nobunaga's eyes lingered on him as the doors closed behind them.

…

“Kinoshita-senpai you can let go, there is no need to damage my silky clothes.”

He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.

I get the dread, but I am here to help also.

Kinoshita opened the door to the garden and gestured for him to enter.

“Stay here till I come for you again.”

“Ah, wait, I …”

“Don't worry she will keep you company, latere”

THUD

The doors closed. 

Hashimaru sighed deeply, stretching to his right and yawning. The evening sky crossed into its night and the light was carried wholly by the lanterns and the moon. 

He turned to see Lady Kaguya who sat on a rock that faced the pond, her eyes looked up into the story sky. 

Oh I see, this is quite a lovely company.

He smirked.

She said “Aren't they all beautiful"

Hashimaru looked at the sky, the stars adorned it like a decked kimono worn by the heavens, and they twinkled in rhythm with the sound of the wind. 

She said “My mother and I used to watch these tighter till late. In a world with so much lack of humanity…those moments feel like…”

The two of them looked at each other.

“Like and abundance of—” “love” she said, but he said” rain.

“Oh s-sorry, m-my bad…”

Hashimaru smiled and sat close to her, “eh, I didn't know you were this fluent, my lady.” he said to her ear. 

She jolted up blushing heavily.

Hashimaru said “Love, uh? It is certainly a quality that this era needs…especially we men who are consumed by greed, pride, ambition all to cover our fears you know.”

The wind blew in the garden and the moon reflected on the pond. Lady Kaguya got close to him and knelt down softly in a silky smooth voice. 

“You are not like them, Hashimaru-san.”

Hashimaru closed his eyes for a moment, “what made you say those things to a stranger…we just barely met.”

“I, uh, I j-just find you interesting. That's all!”

She said her face reddened as he turned to look at her. 

The wind carried her hair and her eyes were of a dark blue that glinted. 

My, if she is beautiful.

“Ahem!”

Someone stumped in.

Hashimaru sneered at him “Kinoshita-senpai can't you read the room, the room, uh…”

Lady Kaguya stood up, bowed and left. 

The man behind me was Katsuie and he said, 

“Follow me you have been summoned by his lordship Nobunaga”

“Sure, here we go again.”

Katsuie stopped at the porch that led to the inwards and said “this time, read the room Hashimaru.”

…

The two men appeared in front of Nobunaga again, this time the room was emptied of his retinue, only his two generals, and Kinoshita remained there. 

Kinoshita was messaging Nobunaga’s feet as he read a scroll. The room smelled of sake. A servant offered Hashimaru a cup and he took it and placed it beside him.

“You called for me, again my lordship?”

Nobunaga said “Kinoshita told me about your horn, by the way he described you, you aren't a soldier. So my question is: if we were to set out today or tomorrow, what exactly would you be offering?”

Everyone's eyes stared at him in expectation, the wind blew the chime and the creekers began their creed.

Hashimaru bowed, “I come not with an army, nor with gold. My sword I haven't unsheathed since the passing of my master, yet my lungs take breath. The sound moves or ceases at my command, just say the word and it will be done.”

TRASH

Nobunaga’s cup fell from his hand spilling the sake on the floor. His eyes widened, promptly sitting up with his hands interlacing between his knees. 

“Tell me about that horn.”

Hashimaru stood up, the horn tapped his belt. 

He said, “No sir, I shall show you”

His hand spurred to his side his right foot moved forward bracing his stance. 

CLICK

The horn was detached from his best.

Their bodies waved as a ripple of a sound that was passed through the room causing the vertigo to crawl up and down from their spines. Nobunori shot up. 

“What the heck is that?”

Hashimaru's eyes whitened, his face became red and veins bulged from his forehead. 

In a deep voice he said “This is the power of the Jinkai, as you are seeing and not hearing it, right now the waves you all are witnessing are answering to the horn, waiting for it to sound.”

Katsuie covered his mouth, his face contorted in a frown. Nobunaga's gaze froze in stillness, his breath controlled, only this pupils shook.

Hashimaru blew the horn, his lungs releasing the pent up breath at once. 

……..

No sound was heard, everyone blinked.

A crack of lightning appeared in the midst of the room, a gust of wind followed and hit Nobunori backwards sending him crashing to the wall. The ripples of sound pressed on Nobunaga's chest where the metal pendant was. He brought it out. 

Katsuie and Kinoshita's faces tightened. Nobunaga's mouth opened and trembled. 

The ripples stopped. The last flicker of the lantern went out, but the room was illuminated by the pendant that Nobunaga wore.

“Eh, n-nani?!”

DON