Andromeda

“Grandfather!” Chiharu shouted as she hung over his dead body unable to do anything but hold his head in her lap. Saki and Yuki kept their distance at the entrance of the room. After a minute Tamotsu came over to her side pulling her away wrapping his arm around her back for comfort. He walked out of the room with her whispering something to her leaving Saki and Yuki unattended and left to stare at each in confusion and worry.

Saki had only met the man earlier, but she still felt some sadness for his passing. However, it concerned her the face that she saw on Chiharu. ‘There were no tears… She just lost the most important person in her life and she didn’t cry…’ She looked over at Yuki and then ran off down the hallway.

‘…what’s she thinking?’ Yuki did not know what was going on anymore or why someone would want to kill the kind old man, but the look on Saki’s face was familiar to him. He had seen that determination before and he was not about to let her out of his sight. “Wait for me, Saki!”

Chapter 43 – Shadows that Scream

Yuki traced Saki’s shadow through the halls into even more unknown and darker areas of the mansion. The further that they went the stranger things became making Yuki even start to question what sort of family this truly was. His answers would come soon enough as he found Saki stopped at the entrance for a room in some of the deepest parts of the house. “Saki?”

Saki had arrived shortly after Chiharu and watched the two debate on a matter than she could not hear. The uneasy feeling that she had been getting from the home the entire evening suddenly felt like it had gathered together in concentration. It made her stomach churn and her eyes narrow. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this…’ She did not even notice Yuki getting close to her or speaking to her (completely zoned out).

“Saki?” Yuki tapped his hand on her shoulder trying to get her attention seeing that she had been ignoring him up to that point. However, the reaction was not as he had hoped as Saki was taken completely off guard by it and nearly screaming before she cut herself off, but not before they knew she was outside.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Tamotsu shouted from the room pulling out a pistol aimed at the door.

Saki covered up her mouth and tried to cover up Yuki’s when he spoke again, but they got entangled. Upon hearing Tamotsu’s voice shouting at them, they panicked as vibrations of surprise went up their body. They lost their balance and fell over with Saki hitting the ground and Yuki landing on top of her. Their heads and part of their shoulders exposed to the doorway. “This is all your fault, Yuki!”

“Mine? You didn’t answer me! What was I supposed to do?” They began to ignore the danger that they were in fighting between each other.

Tamotsu’s eyes twitched a little in annoyance at the children, but seeing that they were not a threat he return his pistol back to his side. “What are you two doing here?” He started to walk towards them seeing that they were ignoring him still in their arguments only making him more frustrated with them. “Shut up!”

Yuki and Saki were quickly silenced petrified by the loud voice and Tamotsu staring down at them. It was enough to turn their faces blue.

“What’s wrong Tamotsu?” Chiharu said stepping out from the place she had been not concerned by her lack of clothing.

Yuki turned his head away quickly when she saw the bare legs of her and Saki nearly punched him if she was not flustered by what was going on. “What’s going on here? And where are your clothes?!”

“I was changing… Tamotsu, what are they doing here?”

“I was trying to find out, Lady Chiharu.” He glared down at them making them crawl away out of sight of the door to give Chiharu her privacy. Tamotsu followed them out into the hall as they stumbled over the other to stand up. “You two… I’ll have my men escort you back to your rooms. You’ll remain there until the morning when we’ll return you home. Understand?”

Yuki nodding quickly in agreement willing to leave on his own if Saki did not grab him by the collar of his robes. Saki stepped forward regaining her composure and stared back at Tamotsu. “There’s been a murder in the house and you just expect us to ignore it?!”

“You will.” The tone in his voice was commanding and solid not wanting any talking back. It was a voice that was used to ordering around others and expected those that he commanded to follow without question. Saki was not one of his men though and she stared back at him unimpressed by his demeanor.

“I’m not leaving here without some answers.” She could tell that she was starting to get to Tamotsu. “There’s something strange about this family! What’s going on here?” Saki was not going to let this family intimidate her any longer. This was not a time to be keeping secrets with someone being in the house possibly killing people, especially Chiharu’s family.

There was a long pause between Tamotsu and Saki as they glared at each other. Yuki kept himself behind Saki knowing that she was not going to let him get away now. However, it was Chiharu that broke the staring contest between the two as she stepped out into the hall covered in all black clothing. “It’s alright, Tamotsu. I’ll tell her.”

“But Lady Chiharu!” Chiharu glared back at Tamotsu making him back off from his protest.

Chiharu stepped forward meeting stares with Saki looking ready to speak, but Yuki pushed down over Saki’s shoulder getting his head in between them. “You’re a ninja! Aren’t you?” The glow and excitement on Yuki’s face made everyone sweat and Chiharu look like she was pouting a little with her secret revealed before she could even speak. Saki was quick to punch Yuki and get him off her back. She was interrupted from her beating of Yuki by Chiharu speaking up.

“The weakling’s correct…” Saki paused her movements looking over at Chiharu. “My family, my clan has been assassins for hire for many generations and in the past our heritage traced to the ninja. We still keep that pride today.” Chiharu hung her head down for a moment paused as though she was thinking or holding back on her words. She quickly turned her head up and looked forward. “And I’ll restore my family’s honor by getting revenge on those that killed my Grandfather!”

Saki and Yuki were held in shock at hearing those words from someone so young. Chiharu pushed the two of them aside to be followed up by Tamotsu. It took time to process and accept it, but Saki moved quickly to catch up to Chiharu grabbing her by the arm. “What do you mean revenge? You can’t kill someone!”

Chiharu snapped her arm free and in the process slapped Saki back too with a venomous look that was through listening to anything. “I’m the last of my clan! I have to avenge my clan!”

The slap that she received stung more inside her than her face when she heard Chiharu speak. She grabbed back at Chiharu refusing to give into the child. “No! You can’t do this! You’re just a child!”

“Get the hell away from me! I thought of all the people you’d understand, but it seems that I was mistaken.” Chiharu spun around on her feet launching the back of leg through the air to send Saki back away from her. Yuki caught Saki being thrown to the floor from the impact.

He stretched out his arm futilely trying to stop Chiharu. “Chiharu! You shouldn’t kill someone!” Chiharu was getting further away from them, but Yuki was not going to give up on Saki’s fight. He had been down this road and knew how it felt. “I know how you’re feeling! Chiharu stop!” It seemed to hit a nerve with Chiharu as she paused in foot step when Yuki spoke. “The rage and anger inside you is too much to contain. It speaks to you telling you this is right. That you must do it. There’s no other way. If you don’t it won’t be at peace.”

Chiharu turned part way looking back at Yuki. Her were fists tightened at her side and shaking. “Is that all you can do, talk?”

“It’s feels uncontrollable doesn’t it?”

“It’s no use, Yuki…” said Saki pushing herself up from Yuki walking towards Chiharu.

Yuki jumped up to his feet trying to catch up to Saki confused to her change. “Saki?! What’s wrong?”

“I’m going with you!” Everyone was paused a little shocked by Saki’s declaration. Yuki closed the distance between them and grabbed her shoulder pulling her back. Saki ripped her shoulder free and finished walking the distance to Chiharu. “I’m not letting you go out there alone!”

“Lady Chiharu won’t be alone I can assure you that,” said Tamotsu stepping around Chiharu to intercept Saki. However, Chiharu waved back Tamotsu to step towards Saki with a change in her an eye. “Lady Chiharu?”

“Let her come…” A grin started to appear on Chiharu face as though she was enjoying the moment. “Tamotsu give her some new cloths too. I’ll be waiting for you.” Chiharu marched off with an over-confident stride as she left the three behind.

Tamotsu turned to look back at Saki with a disapproving look. However, he said nothing and walked passed her back to the room they had been in before. He expected Saki to follow him as she did with Yuki trailing behind. Saki was directed to a locker that held cloths that would fit her while Yuki just stood back waiting from a safe distance.

‘Why’s she doing this? This isn’t our fight.’ Yuki had not known Saki to act like this before. She was willing to protect and defend someone, but to help in someone’s revenge. It did not feel right to him. He feared that the fights that they had been in could be changing her, but was more afraid of the look in her eyes that he had seen. It was in her nature to defend someone, but she could not be defending everyone and not look out for herself. ‘…fine…’ Yuki walked over to Tamotsu looking at him, he had stepped out while Saki changed in privacy. “You got something I can wear?”

Tamotsu looked into his eyes seeing the look of determination that he seen before. ‘He’s a strange one. A fool one minute and fearless the next…’ He walked over to the opposite side of the room pointing to Yuki a locker. “This should fit.”

A few minutes later Saki stepped out from her place only to find Yuki staring back at her in the same ninja garb that Chiharu ran off in. “What do you think you’re doing, Yuki?”

“I’m not letting you go out there alone, either! Besides my abilities might have some use out there.”

She exchanged looks for a moment with Yuki, but could see that he was going to go with her regardless of what she said. “And can you use them when you need?”

“Well…no…but just in case!”

“Whatever…Mr. Tamotsu show us the way.” Tamotsu nodded silently and walked out. The quiet walk left them plenty of time to think about what they were getting into. Saki was certain about what she was doing, but still felt unsettled by everything. They had gotten an answer to the secret behind the family, but it still did not explain why they were attacked. She had her theories, but there was little time to ponder it.

Chiharu was waiting for them in what looked like a hanger below the mansion, but with the cars parked it would have been more accurate to call it a garage. There was a door open on one of the cars that she stood by. Once she saw that they had arrived she entered the car waiting for Saki and Yuki to catch up.

Yuki waited until they were taking off from the underground garage along with several other cars before he looked over to Chiharu with a question. “If you’re a clan of ninjas…why are you using cars?”

Saki sighed out loud looking away while Chiharu looked narrowly at him. “Because the enemy is on foot still within our grounds. But we won’t be able to catch up to them without an advantage.”

He took the answer though was not too pleased by it. “Seems like cheating,” he said whispering.

“We can only run so fast!”

“Sorry!” Yuki said jumping a little. ‘Sharp ears…’ He decided to wisely keep quiet the rest of the time in the car until it came to a rough and sharp stop.

The panel between the driver’s seat and the back of the car opened up. The driver kept his eyes forward, but spoke back to them. “Lady Chiharu! Reports from the house say that they finally got the sensors to pick up the intruders. We are ahead of them now.”

“Very good!” Chiharu exited the car running out into the forest that surrounded the back of the estate. The road that they followed ran through the forest and around it. It placed them within intercept distance of the intruders. All Yuki and Saki could do was follow as they caught glimpses of other black silhouettes coming out of the neighboring cars. Chiharu knew where she was going leading everyone from the sounds that she could pick up from the enemy. ‘They’re making far more noise than I would have expected. But they’re very close.’ Once she was in range of them keeping in advance she ordered her men to spread out to flank them as they closed. Yuki and Saki stayed behind Chiharu waiting for the moment.

Chiharu waited grinding her hand against the hilt of her short blade strapped to her back. She was fighting the urge to charge in knowing that her enemy and vengeance was in front of her. In the end it was Saki holding her back that kept her from moving any further. However, in the distance the noises came to an end. ‘They’ve stop! Why? Did they discover us?’ The answer for Chiharu came soon as she heard sounds of screaming. It was of men being killed, but she did not know whose it was. ‘Is it them or my men? Did they kill my men, just like Grandfather?’ Her eyes narrowed and power applied to her muscles as Saki could not stop her any longer. Chiharu leapt from their hiding and charged straight for the noise.

“Damn girl! Come on, Yuki!” Saki rushed to her feet following after the rage blinded Chiharu. They arrived quickly behind her as she had already stopped finding a dead body. It was one of Chiharu’s men from the house. They found another next to him. Chiharu ran off into the dark of the forest leaving them behind. “Chiharu! Don’t go alone!”

Chiharu eyes could not see anything, but revenge. They had killed her Grandfather and now her men as well. She would have them die for what they had done. She kept running to where she believed the enemy to be. However, her foot tripped on a wire trap sending her to the ground completely open.

A masked shadow leapt out of the nearby brush with a blade held high to make the strike. “The Chinen Clan dies tonight!”

To be continued…