In too Deep

The ship bound for Fortune Island had landed without a hitch and the party departed as soon as they where able. Kain said something about showing his face to certain parties, and said it would be best to do so alone when Itazura asked if he wanted company. Hiei went immediately to the third division’s barracks, which where located close to the docks to make monitoring incoming vessels much easier. Toshie staggered down the gangplank and vanished into the nearest bar leaving Shiro, Itazura and Serena alone on the docks.

‘It’s pretty dark out, so I’d start up tomorrow. I’d spend a couple of days getting familiarized with the area as well,’ Shiro suggested. ‘This isn’t Ahrno after all.’

‘What about you?’ Serena asked. It was only now with Toshie gone that she strayed far from Itazura’s side.

‘I’m gonna hit up some old friends. If you have the time I’d visit Zatoichi.’ For some reason Itazura felt like he’d heard that name before. ‘He’s a bit of an oddball, but he’s a tradesman, so he’ll know some of the underground elements around here.’

‘Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for him, but I’ll be back in a couple of hours.’ Itazura rolled a loose coin across his knuckles before making it vanish. ‘At this time of night the folks are more liable to a cup of wine, meaning I’ll be more likely to get some information out of them.’

‘Be careful,’ Shiro warned before departing with Serena.

She gave Itazura a long searching look over her shoulder before departing and he found himself again thinking how she looked when she’d woken in his bed a couple of days ago now. Subtle curves, that hourglass figure, her round hips… yet what really stood out in his memory was her personality. Serena wasn’t straightforward; she deviated from the norm he saw in most girls he chased, and she was cruel in a fun, flirty kind of way. It was refreshing.

Setting off like a man with a mission he visited a few bars amongst the docks and began putting the tricks honed by time in Shin and Kusaka’s company to go use. He drunk watered down wine of his own accord even though he hated the stuff, gambled and cursed and made a good show of being disappointed, and eventually moved onto asking careful questions the moment the daily rumours began to circulate around the bar.

‘Bad business in Ahrno,’ one man said.

‘Queen Kaede’ll sort it out, you’ll see.’ A woman sitting opposite him replied.

‘Bloody rebels,’ another male snapped in a vicious whisper.

It was clear that these men and woman where mostly loyal to the Queen so getting any information out of them about the rebels would be difficult at best. Chances were they didn’t know anything of value anyway. He gambled in their company for another fifteen minutes and ensured he left with a little more coin than he had when he’d went in, and moved onto his second bar. It was farther away from the docks and had a quaint homely feel about it with cleanly swept tables, simple wooden chairs with thin and worn red cushions, and a well-lit spacious common room with a few paintings on the walls. He felt at home instantly.

Standing at the far end of the room on a small stage stood a blond-haired beauty with a microphone to her mouth. She wore a white formal dress with long sleeves. When she opened her mouth to sing Itazura gradually got more and more surprised. The girl could sing! She was hitting notes with perfect timing and pitch. Yet the crowd didn’t like her. They were booing her, shouting insults, and she soon ran off in tears. Heh, it was amazing how quick a good atmosphere could be ruined. Well, if they could ruin his night, then he could ruin theirs. He took a seat in their company and welcomed them to a game of cards, which he procured from his pocket.

‘Unless you’re all scared of getting beat by a child?’

He caught movement to the extreme right of his position and glanced momentarily in that direction. Seated on a table on his own was a man with long silver hair and black eyes, a black travel-worn cloak draping his shoulders and a pair of metal-plated gauntlets on his lower arm. He had leaned forward intently to watch the game.

‘Scared?’ The supposed leader of the group asked. ‘Deal the cards, boy.’ He’d pay for that too.

So Itazura dealt the cards and used every trick he knew of to cheat them out of their coin. He even lost a handful of games on the trot so it looked genuine. As he played he talked, and the fools where too focused on their hands to guard their tongues. Apparently there had been men and woman who walked around hooded and cloaked recruiting for the rebels. That meant they had a base of some sort established here on the island, so he slowly changed the flow of the conversation, and began talking about some of the rumours he’d picked up in the first bar.

It worked and they where oblivious. He went all in on the final hand and his opponent done the same with a large grin. Good. Let him see his hand didn’t matter. He was cheating too after all, because the hand Itazura had dealt the man consisted of two fives, a three, a kind and a queen. When they showed their hands the fellow had four kings, and he whooped as though he’d won something meaningful. Then Itazura showed his four aces and the man’s face drained of all colour.

He collected his winnings and left by the front door though he didn’t hang around. Once he was out in the street he closed the door to the bar and vaulted onto the roof silently, where he watched for a time. Two minutes didn’t pass before the people he’d cheated spilled into the street seeking his blood. He stalked across the rooftop as silent as a cat, dropped down near an open window, and snuck inside. He snuck up on the occupant of the room, put his hand around her mouth, and promised he meant no harm.

‘The idiots who booed you have found themselves out of pocket, and now they’re looking for me. Yours was the only window open.’ He began explaining. ‘You sung beautifully, and I hope this gets you to a better venue; preferably one that will appreciate your talents.’ He gave her the winnings plus a little from his own pocket and watched her face light up. In return she gave him a kiss.

‘Good luck.’ Then he vanished back out the window, took to the rooftops again, and landed lightly in an alleyway near the bar he was going to head to next.

‘Nice escape,’ a soft voice said from behind.

Turning he made shape to draw his bokken before noticing the man was the same man who’d watched him play cards.

‘Was that all sleight of hand? Or did you rig the desk?’

Itazura made a loose coin dance along his knuckles again as answer to his question. ‘I take it you don’t much like the fellow?’

‘Not particularly.’ He admitted. ‘It won’t do him any harm having his coin stolen. But I’d be careful regardless, young man. The streets around gambling dens can be dangerous places.’

‘… I know, but thanks for the warning. Itazura Kori.’ The man shook his outstretched hand and grinned with a knowing smile, as though he’d come to a conclusion about something.

‘I am Gin,’ no surname? Not that it really mattered. ‘Now, stay in this alleyway, and do not leave it. They come.’ Now that he mentioned it there where footsteps coming towards them.

Gin stepped out into the street and greeted the group Itazura had cheated. ‘Hello there, gentleman.’ He stood on his tiptoes and grinned further. ‘And ladies,’ he sounded so calm and in control. That nothing they did to him would match what he’d do to them.

‘Get out of the way, Shinigami. We have business with a kid who cheated us!’

‘… Does it really require eight of you to, what, re-take coin from a child?’ They where getting angry. Gin had hit a nerve. ‘But I recall seeing this child – the one you where playing at cards with? I thought so. He is long gone.’

‘Is that so?’ The supposed leader said again. ‘I suppose you had a hand in that?’ They loosened their weapons in their sheaths.

‘… I may have had a hand in his escape. But then I may not have had. I’m afraid my memory is a little fuzzy these days. You will have to forgive me.’ Then he smiled in a way that made Itazura picture Fujimoto. That was odd too. The more he looked at this man the more he seen Fujimoto's likeness.

‘… If I can’t have the boy then I’ll take your coin as compensation.’ The eight began to inch closer.

‘Poor choice,’ Gin whispered. His entire demeanour changed in the space of a heartbeat! One second he was calm and collected, with a cool attitude. The next he was amongst them with a face like a thunderhead, raining blow-after-blow on his attackers. The first fell with a shattered jaw, the second to a palm strike to the midriff. The third was swept from his feet and the fourth he avoided by spinning around his lunging pierce. It was then that Gin cast aside his cloak and drew a tantō that emitted white light with every slash. He flash stepped in place and all Itazura caught was the streak of white light from his zanpakutō, and then the remaining five fell. Each had been cut in non-vital areas that prevented them from fighting back, and Gin sheathed his blade with one fluid motion.

‘Maybe now you’ll remember who I am.’ And he was all calm again. It was all a little frightening.

‘Gagh…! You! You’re the White Wolf!’

‘Correct.’ Gin expelled his spiritual energy which was powerful enough to drive Itazura to his knees and make breathing difficult. He felt at his throat and felt like there was a hand gripped tightly around his windpipe! When the feeling disappeared he slumped forward into the dirt and breathed in air with every intention of becoming high on it.

‘You… nearly killed me!’

‘Not even close, young Itazura. But I did need to knock these louts unconscious.’ His spiritual energy was as large as Kusaka’s! ‘Forgive me.’

‘For give you? I should be thanking you! You took care of those guys like they were nothing.’

‘Fools like this? They are nothing. Now, do me a favour, and return to your home for now. Whatever information you hope to gleam with your questioning can wait until you know the way of these streets.’ Gin then vanished with a single impressive flash step that took him and his spiritual signature completely from the area.

‘Wow,’ that was impressive.

Turning on his heel Itazura wasted no time returning to the docks. As he neared the Shuuten’s barracks he caught glimpse of Toshie being thrown out the door, where he lay talking into the mud. Sighing he stopped and hoisted him to his feet. ‘Come on you,’ and the drunken fool obliged and allowed himself to be led.

Next Story >.