Songbird

Chapter 9 - The Songbird

North of the Kantai markets was Iwo Park, a collection of well-manicured private estates, nestled upon its ever-rising hills of verdant green, dotted here and there with colorful gardens both private, and public (for residents of Iwo Park at least). At the center of the district sat a massive cherry blossom tree, with a trunk as wide as a city block, and branches so thick people could walk along them with ease. The Spirit Blossoms they called it due to its roots being connected with the World Tree, thus guiding the souls of the dead from across the Jade Sea towards its blossoms, to rejoin the cycle and be reborn again.

If any place in Issei could be considered sacred, it was the Blossoms, so much so that Iwo was the only place in the city free from the machinations of the Syndicate and its infighting. No gangs or guilds would even dare to strong-arm their way into the district. The Druids of the Eternal Enclave, who protected the Blossoms, made sure of it. They “protected the cycle of life and death”, and crossing the Druids was a surefire way of ensuring your soul would be “lost” on its way to the world tree.

They were also the only group with the secrets of resurrection, and playing nice with them was good insurance in case of any unforeseen accidents.

Andros walked along the cobbled paths of Iwo Park, which were covered in fallen blossoms from the sacred tree. Above him the Spirit Blossoms loomed over him, casting a shadow over the area as a near-constant trickle of blossoms slowly drifted to the ground. Despite the lovely aesthetics, Andros felt uneasy whenever he had to make his way to Iwo Park. Being this close to the Druids of the Enclave made him feel uncomfortable, but he could never really understand why.

Maybe he just felt uncomfortable around spiritual-types, or maybe it was the proximity to death. Regardless, Andros did his best to avoid them. Part of him regretted even coming here, and now that he was here, he found himself restless, his heart beating faster, sweat trickling down his brow, the constant fidgeting he was doing with his hands.

He chewed the dried leaves Tendo had given him to help with this feeling, but being this close to the druids, it only helped marginally. Perhaps he should’ve listened to Tendo and waited for his companions to return, but this was something only he could do.

Talai’s documents were written in a cipher. Though he could only partially decode the cipher, it was eerily familiar…

He had helped develop it, but it was changed just enough to where he couldn’t just decode it immediately, and there was only one other person who knew it.

His ex-girlfriend…

He arrived at her cottage, in plain view of both the ocean and the Spirit Blossoms. Compared to the other homes around Iwo Park, it was relatively modest. A wooden building with a single floor. At the front entrance was a small pond housing a variety of fish, turtles, and frogs. At the rear was an enclosed garden. Her neighbors consisted of large villas, and grand estates closed off by walls and fencing.

Taking in a deep breath, he attempted to calm himself, and knocked on the front door. Only, he didn’t. Instead, he pulled a small flask out of his shirt pocket, and took a large sip of the Goliath liquor inside. Though it tasted like a mix between pineapples and volcanic ash, it got the job done, and he felt himself relax a bit.

Finally, he knocked on the door, and waited… partially hoping that she wouldn’t be home right now.

A minute passed…

He knocked again.

Another minute passed…

Andros was just about leave when he heard the door open.

It wasn’t who he expected. In front of him stood a grey-skinned Tiefling woman. Her long dark hair was tied up into a bun. Embroidered on her robes was the sigil of the Akiyama clan, a blazing phoenix bursting out of a rising sun. She set a hand on the katana at her waist, and glared at him.

“What is your business here?” She asked.

“I’m here to visit Xue.”

“Xuefeng,” The samurai corrected. “Only those close to her may be so casual with her name. Others must refer to her by her full name.”

“I think I’ve earned that right,” Andros argued. “We’re… friends. Old friends.”

“I have never heard of you. Regardless Lady Xuefeng is not receiving guests today.”

“Tell her its important.”

“I will not bother the lady with your request,” The samurai said. “If it was important I would know about it. Now lea-“

“Hana!” Came a familiar voice. “It’s fine, it’s fine… let him in! I need to speak with him… about my task.”

Hana sighed, then stared at Andros closely. “Fine… but I will report this to him.” The samurai stepped aside, allowing Andros entry. She escorted him through the home, leading him to a large room, mostly empty aside from the table at the center, and the shelves along the walls filled with various books and scrolls.

Xue sat on a soft rug by the table, her back straight, hands clasped on her lap. She appeared to be exhausted. Old makeup failed to mask the bags under her glowing violet eyes. Her long crimson hair was unkempt, yet she wore fine silks, far beyond what Andros could possibly afford, as well as a new pearl necklace, and new diamond earrings.

Hana stayed just outside of the room they were in, standing guard.

“Andros…” Xue said, smiling. “Forgive my manners.” She stood up. “May I offer you some tea? We have coffee too since I know that’s your preference.”

“I’m fine… how are you?”

“Fine,” Xue said plainly. She moved over to the sliding door, and closed it. Taking in a deep breath, she relaxed slightly. “Please, have a seat.”

Andros nodded, and seated himself. “Are you alright? You seem out of it.”

Xue smiled briefly. “I’m just a little tired. I’ve been having a lot of later-night performances. The life of a bard isn’t all glitz and glamor, you know?” She glanced down at the ground.

“If this is a bad time I can come back lat-“

“No,” Xue interjected. Her gaze fell back onto him. “I’m actually glad you came. It’s nice to see a familiar face.”

Andros couldn’t help but to smile at that.

“It’s good to see you, Andros.” She said, smiling back at him.

“You too,” He said. “What’s with the samurai?”

“Oh… Ever since I started getting more popular I figured it would be wise to have security. The Akiyama are big fans, and clients of mine, and they’ve offered me a bodyguard. Don’t mind her, she just takes her job very seriously.”

“I see…”

The two fell into silence for a short while, unsure what to say, but seemingly not averse to each-other’s company.

“There’s a reason why I came to visit,” Andros eventually said. “I found these…” He set Talai’s documents on the table. “Recently an artifact of mine was stolen. I got it back, but I found these documents… some of them I decoded, and they definitely hint at have cognitive research, but… well does the cipher look familiar to you?”

Xue looked over the documents. “I… this does bear a similar resemblance to the cipher we made, but…” She shifted uncomfortably. “I’ve never seen these documents before. Y-you’ve had research stolen before, right? Perhaps our cipher got cracked.”

“Maybe…” Andros murmured. “But for as long as I’ve been in the city we’ve been the only ones interested in this kind of research. At least you were. You’ve made plenty of connections since you’ve retired. Do you know anyone else with an interest in the cognitive realms?”

“I… don’t know,” Xue said. “What about the person who stole this? Maybe it’s them.”

“No… they were just hired help. Funnily enough that same thief was kidnapped, and the person who kidnapped them also had an interest in the artifact. They’re who I got the documents from.”

“It could be the kidnapper then.”

“I don’t think so,” Andros continued. “I haven’t confirmed this yet, but I doubt she even knew what the artifact even was. She does know the cipher. Some of what I’ve deciphered implies contact with another far more knowledgeable person.”

“Oh… I see…” Xue shifted uncomfortably, and glanced back down at the floor. “Is there something I can do to help?”

“I was wondering if you’d help me decipher this,” Andros said. “We made the original cipher, and two heads are better than one. It’ll be like the old days.

Xue smiled, glancing up at Andros. “I’d love to,” She frowned. “But… I can’t. I have to perform later tonight, but… maybe next time?”

“It shouldn’t take long,” Andros said. “Especially with the both of us-“

“No.” Xue sighed. “Today is really not a good time, Andros. I’m sorry. But since you came all this way I wouldn’t mind catching up over some drinks? I have this sweet wine imported from Mahara. I think you’ll love it.”

“I…” Andros paused for a moment, then smiled. “I would love to.”

Though their intimacy ended on a relatively sour note, Andros fell right back into old habits. As they spoke, he felt his anxiety begin to slip away. They spoke of recent events, recalled humorous anecdotes, and simply enjoyed one-another’s company as the hour went on. He did still regret how things ended. Maybe he could’ve done some things differently, maybe they both could have, but their lives unfortunately diverged in a way that made it impossible.

“How have you not found anyone else yet?” Xue asked, giggling. “You haven’t been falling into the pits of your research, have you?”

“It’s hard to find something serious like that,” Andros said, grinning. “You’ve raised the bar, you know? You’ve ruined other women for me.”

“Shut up,” Xue said lightheartedly. “Or maybe I was just the only one who could tolerate those weird episodes of yours. You know, when you lock yourself in your dark room for a few days, only to find out your previous hypothesis’ were wrong, and then you go ahead and lock yourself up for another week an-“

“You were always welcome to help,” Andros said. “Or distract… or both.”

“Only to speed you up,” Xue giggled, leaning over to gently set her head on top of his.

Andros felt a rising warmth in his chest. “I miss those days, you know?”

“Yeah… back when things were a little simpler.”

“Do you ever think… maybe we could make it-“ As he glanced down at her hand, he saw what looked like bruises on her wrist.

Xue quickly pulled her hand back, blushing as she turned to look at the wall. “No.” She said firmly. “We’d just end up hating each other again. You’d hate the crowded lifestyle the being a bard brings, and well… I just don’t care about our old research anymore. And that’s your life. Your passion. Your soul. It would be wrong for me to try and pull you away from that. Also… I’m already with someone else. I’m sorry.”

Andros felt his heart sink. The urge to throw up briefly came, but he suppressed it. “I… I see…” He frowned, glancing away. “They treat you well I hope?”

“He does…” Xue said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “He’s… he’s a good man.” She nervously rubbed her wrists, where he had seen the bruises previously.

Andros couldn’t help but to look. “What-“

“Oh?” Xue chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t worry about that. Had to deal with some… over enthusiastic crowds. It’s why I have Hana now. And why she’s a little overzealous in her protection.”

“Of course,” Andros said. “I was just concerned.”

“I know,” She smiled. “I need to get ready for tonight’s performance. The Akiyamas are holding a wake after the death of the Admiral. I’m due to perform. Most of the important people in the city will be there, but you can come if you’d like! I think I have a spare invitation here somewhere…”

“I’d love to,” Andros said. It may also prove useful to the investigation if he went too.

“Great!” Xue said, heading over to one of the shelves in the room, retrieving a red envelop for him. “It’ll be at Suzaku Castle tonight.”

“Looking forward to it.”