Bloodstained Rose

Chapter 15

The pulse had felt like being struck by a hammer, ripping a ball of meat from Tetsu’s shoulder as it punched through. An awful burn followed. Ever since, the heat from the initial strike had only seemed to fade. Adrenaline pumped through his veins while the sound of his heart started to drown out the surroundings. The pain in his soles continued to nag away at his feet. He had taken the eastern route around the town to avoid being detected.

Trying to go back to the Temple would have been futile. He was not sure if he would be able to hold his own against the Liberation troops. He continued around the outskirts of town to try to find another escape route. The rifle in his arms only seemed to weigh him down at this point. Being able to operate it was out of the question, but having one of their weapons could prove useful later. After getting to the south face of town, he spotted Minoru steering his carriage away to safety.

“Minoru, wait up!” Tetsu cried out.

Minoru turned to him and gave his horses a quick tug. The animals whinnied in unison, causing the carriage’s wheels to squeak as they came to a halt.

“What happened to you, kid? What are you doing with that thing?” Minoru asked.

“They’re after me, help me, please!” Tetsu begged as he rushed towards the back.

“In the back,” Minoru said as he turned towards the trunk of the carriage. There had been a large rug draped over the top to shield the payload, but with the circumstances it had been for show. Tetsu had crawled under, hoping that Liberation or any of the other belligerents had not spotted them. As he quivered, he heard Minoru call out to him, “Are you hurt?”

“They hit me with this thing. I had to take it away from somebody,” Tetsu groaned, muffled by the thick carpet over his face. “It really hurts. I’m bleeding just a little bit.”

“Put some pressure on it, I’m going to get us to the orchard.”

Rei’s spirits were just as battered as her body at this point. It had been a few weeks since her world had turned upside down. Every day in the field had been a mix between having to walk for a few hours, and then spending the last few training for the fight ahead. By now, she had started to wonder if the next battle with Vic and Yulia would have a different outcome. In the few weeks, she had gotten used to the battle robe and the abilities it offered her. She was certain she could put up a better fight, but Yulia’s strength had scarred her fighting spirit.

Her back still hurt and the old backpack she had managed to recover from the rubble of the barracks only tacked on. Every step would cause the weight inside to shift into her cracked ribs. Although the pain was more bearable than it was when the journey began, it still served as a reminder of the defeat.

This is what I was training for. She thought of the years under Hideo’s wing, the countless days training, and the many warnings of the struggle ahead. She had not planned for such an advanced army to come and destroy the village. Surviving the massacre felt like it was one in a million chance and she could not afford to squander away a comeback.

She had to do this for everybody in the village. The many years she had spent avoiding her own people had only come back to bite her. A few weeks of being alone in the valley made her wish she could have spoken to them again. Watching Jin, Naomi, and the others die in front of her lingered endlessly in her head. As she came to a stop for the night, she started to think of Shugo once again. He had gone against the grain of the village and sacrificed so much time for her to learn poetry.

While she started to collect wood for a fire, she had felt the weight of guilt from his passing come down again. Instead of preparing for one more quick training session, she felt empty. The familiar emotions from that night creep back up once more. She could not bring herself to lift another finger. The cold started to settle in, but the biting sensation only passed her by.

“I could have stopped all of this.” She muttered while thinking of the ritual.

Watching him disembowel himself and being forced to swipe his head off was an image forever burnt into her head. She continued to hear his words from the many times he tried to force her to write poetry.

What do you feel?

As the sun started to set overhead, she noticed a patch of dirt next to her undisturbed. The light from the sun started to pull away from it, only forcing her to reach out and poke her finger in the soil.

Something, write something. She tried to force something out while she searched through the thoughts still in the hollows of her mind. Anything, write anything.

The feeling of the cold valley air had been consumed her as she found became entranced by the Deep. She could feel the water from the endless river, washing away her thoughts.

“What do you feel?” his voice echoed. A chill swept through her, causing tears to start to roll down her face.

“Nothing.” She repeated, feeling her voice start to crack.

“What does that feel like?”

“It hurts,” she muttered, now feeling herself slipping out of phase with reality. The Deep started to consume her, bringing her to a state between a dream and lucidity. “I don’t know if I can fight it anymore.”

“You’ve come too far to give up,” Shugo’s voice echoed from the Deep again, this time growing closer. Rei lowered her head as she could feel him getting closer. “You have been given another chance to fight back and you cannot let it slip away.”

Rei opened her eyes to see her alone in the abyss. There was not a star or the moon in sight, only an ethereal glow emanating from the water’s surface. She felt the cool and translucent liquid send chills up her spine. While she waded into the dark river, the shadows around her seemed to dance, whispering secrets only the realm seemed to understand. In the corner of her eye, she could see a figure starting to emerge from the dark. Shugo, her once-vibrant friend, began to move through the gloom. He been wearing the same robe he had died in, still undamaged from the ritual. She reached out to him, squeezing the cold air trying to feel her friend’s touch once more.

“What am I supposed to do?” she asked him, trying to reach for his hand.

Shugo nodded, a silent acknowledgement to the goals that had been set out. As she reached closer, his body started to lower into the water, slowly drifting away. Rei became desperate to pursue him, watching him begin to fade in the obsidian surroundings. The darkness wrapped around her, distorting the reality of the realm once more. Soon after, the light from the setting sun above had torn through the veil, releasing her from the abyss. Once again, she found herself alone in the valley, still searching for answers.

“Shugo,” she said aloud.

She propped herself up, trying to comprehend the cryptic messages from the Deep. The sun had already set beyond the horizon, leaving her alone beneath the stars. After getting to her feet, she started to walk further away from the wood pile she had previously set up. She could feel something starting to call out, leading her towards the brush ahead. The tall grass swayed under the cold winter breeze, barely obscuring what lies beyond. Rei stepped forward, swiping away at the green to reveal a small dirt trail.

It was the closest thing to civilization she had seen since she left the village. Across the ground she could see treads along with several prints from hooves pressed in the dirt. She started to follow the path ahead, leading her towards a small plume of smoke in the distance. Further down the road, she had noticed it was emanating from a small house. Once again, her heart started to race—a glimmer of hope after a long trial in dreaded valley.

Minoru had brought the carriage to a stop by the cottage overlooking the apple orchard. They had travelled the past few hours, getting as far as possible from Nojiri. The entire world had seemingly come down upon them. With the town erupting into combat, they would be forced to take refuge. Minoru and Tetsu had set up the horses into a nearby stable before tending to his wounds. Soon after, the two had gathered inside; it was a small house. It had been Minoru’s choice to live out here and away from the town. In springtime, the orchard would be filled with workers to maintain the fields. With the winter months nearing its end, the many trees had remained lifeless yearning for the spring.

“I didn’t think you lived this far out of town.” Tetsu said as he continued to shiver in the cold air. He had placed the rifle he had taken from Genji over in the corner before taking a seat at the table.

“It’s not that bad. The ride home is relaxing. It’s a little lonelier than it’s been, but thankfully I have some company tonight,” Minoru started up the fireplace as he spoke. The room had slowly started to light up as he lit the candles on the table. A small flame that started to grow inside the mantle, forcing the cold air from out of the room. Minoru stepped over towards the table and gave Tetsu’s yoroi a tug before concluding, “Looks like we’re gonna have to get this thing off. It’s going to hurt.”

Tetsu shrugged at the thought, but after thinking of the pain of the pulse round tearing through his flesh, he chose to muster through. He painfully tried to pull the upper part of his yoroi over his head. Hours of sitting under sitting in the carriage caused his shirt to fuse to the wound. After a gentle pull, he let out a quick groan the cloth had finally been ripped free.

“How does it look?” Tetsu questioned as he had refused to stare at the opening.

The mere sight of blood was enough to make him nauseous. As Minoru started to wipe away the grime, Tetsu started to hum under his breath to calm his nerves.

“Not good, kid,” Minoru said as he continued to clean the area. “It’s a little nasty and I can’t see how deep it goes. The best I can do is clean this out and keep it covered for now. It is still going to hurt.”

Tetsu shrugged at the thought. As Minoru continued to clean the gaping wound in his shoulder, his attention had been pulled to shadowy figure on the outside. The cloaked figure continued towards them, barely outlined by the bright moonlight. He paused the treatment and carefully made his way over to the front door.

“What is it?” Tetsu asked as he tried to turn his neck to look out the window.

“There’s somebody coming up the way now.”

“I think it might be them!” Tetsu kicked back from the table. Minoru leaned into the door and quickly fastened the chain lock.

“It’s not them and there’s nobody coming to hurt you,” Minoru assured him. The person out front had neared the front door, immediately causing him to crack it open. “Who are you?”

The cloaked figure paused, raising its hands, and speaking with a hoarse but still feminine voice, “I’m passing through to find the next village. Can I please come inside?”

“Well, what’s a young lady like you doing out in the cold?”

“I’ve been travelling for a week or so now, I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“You don’t have any weapons on you, do you?”

“Just a sword, sir.” The woman was hesitant to reply. She had been visibly shaken by the frigid valley air, barely able to face him.

“Well, what are you doing with that?”

“Please, its cold,” she raised her voice, lowering her hood to reveal her bright orange locks of hair. Minoru had been surprised to see her travelling alone but paused to let the woman continue. “My name is Rei, and I have nowhere else to go. I’ll leave my weapon outside.”

“It’s ok, let her in.” Tetsu spoke, lowering his head as the wound continued to sting.

“I don’t see the harm.” Minoru said to him before closing the door to release the lock.

Just as soon as he could open it, Rei forced her way past him to escape the cold. She took notice of the fire in the mantle raging and made a dash towards it. After throwing her pack on the floor, she kneeled into the flame to let the heat finally warm hands. The cold had caused her face to become flushed; her nostrils had become damp in the winter night.

Minoru laughed, “Let me get you something so we can get that coat off you. It’s freezing.”

“Thank you,” Rei replied as her teeth rattled together. “I’ll be fine with the coat.”

“If you say so,” Minoru said before walking around the table. “Sorry, I don’t have a lot to eat. I didn’t plan for this many, well, anybody come to think of it.”

“I’ll be fine, thank you.” Rei said finally, turning to face the two.

The moment Tetsu glanced at her orange hair and bright green eyes, he could recall that night. His head had ached for days after Shugo had struck him with the helmet. Everything following that night had felt like a turning point in his life. Rei pulled her hands towards her mouth, exhaling her warm breath into them.

“I know you.” Tetsu said quickly.

“You do?” Rei asked, surprised.

That night, Tetsu had been masked. With the many events since then, she could barely recall the night. The last time the two were in each other’s presence, Rei had dead set on trying to retrieve the scrolls from him. Using his abilities, Tetsu had easily dispatched Rei before getting blindsided by her friend Shugo. It had felt like yesterday.

“You’re not mad about that still, are you?” Tetsu asked.

Rei had drawn a blank. She stared at him, shaking her head dismissively before turning back towards the fire.

“Come on, kid. The girl forgot you did something and here you are bringing it up!” Minoru exclaimed as he started to scrub the wound with a rag.

“We fought once,” Tetsu said before letting out a hiss. “You and that other guy.”

“Shugo.” Rei spoke. After braving the cold and the month of being alone, her eyes had started to sparkle.

“It was a few months ago, I’m sorry.” Tetsu quickly said as his eyes widened. He bit his lip as Minoru continued to apply first aid.

“It’s not on my mind now,” Rei said, still focusing on the fire. She stared deep into it, still thinking of the village, the carnage, and the pain. Her back still felt sore in the cold. Each breeze reminded her of being crushed by Yulia, and then watching Jin get struck down by Vic. She choked back a tear and gently took a deep breath. “I’m happy somebody besides me remembers him.”

“I don’t understand.” Tetsu stuttered while trying to get the words out.

“He’s not with us, I mean.”

Rei started to think of Naomi, Hideo, Toki—each memory a stabbing pain. A tear finally broke through. She could not bring herself to describe that night.

“It’s you then, you’re from that village,” Tetsu chirped. He cut himself short and followed up with, “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“You don’t know how good it feels to be able to talk to somebody,” she sniffled. “How it feels to have everything in your life disappear.”

“Well, you are not wrong,” Tetsu sighed at the situation. “My town is in danger too. There’s this group that’s here; well, two groups. It’s a terrible situation.”

“Why are you here then?”

“It’s really complicated. I tried to help but I couldn’t do anything. Everything I’ve done so far has made everything worse.”

Minoru spoke up, “Alright there.”

“You can’t fault yourself for that.” Rei said to him softly.

She had felt warmer inside trying to give some positive reinforcement. For the better part of the last month, she had constantly thought of revenge and finally getting retribution. The thirst of retribution would only subside with time.

“I just hope everybody is alright,” Tetsu said, sighing and then immediately hissing. “What happened to you?”

“It’s kinda tough,” Rei’s voice had nearly dropped to a whimper. “There’s just a few people I wanted to pay a visit.”

“That bad, huh? Well, I can’t help you there. I don’t wanna hurt anybody.”

“I didn’t want to, but they’re making me.”

“You don’t have to,” Tetsu jerked his arm back for a second as he felt the gash start to sting once more. “You really gotta ask yourself if it’s something you could live with.”

“With what I have to live with, I can’t make peace with that,” Rei turned to face him once more and asked. “What happened to you?”

“These guys called the Global your-ray, err.” Tetsu stumbled over his words. He could not remember the name.

“The Global Eurasian Initiative.” Minoru corrected him.

Just before the attack, she recalled Hideo’s story and hearing of the battles in Kashmir. The mere mention of the name had sent chills down her spine, a cruel reminder of her loss that continued to haunt her. A painful wound had been opened again, only causing her expressionless face to burn with a fiery determination.

“Where are they?” Rei asked him.

“No, wait, it’s not like that,” Tetsu quickly interrupted Minoru. He looked at Rei, recognizing the face. She had been filled with resentment, but he started to think of Nomad and the others again. “I don’t like them, but there’s some that helped me and I don’t wanna hurt them. Those bastards in Liberation are going to take over the town and there’s probably going to be a big battle. I’ve done everything I can to try and stop it, but I can’t do anything.”

Everything started to fall into place. She knew that Hideo had wanted her to meet up with Liberation and had a feeling she would be able to learn much more from them. The missing pieces of the puzzle were in reach.

“Well, you’re in luck,” Rei turned to him and finally cracked a smirk. “My father was in Liberation, and I’ve been looking for them too.”

“I don’t want to kill anybody,” Tetsu replied. “I don’t think the Liberation guys are somebody we can trust, and they have coaxed my brother. There’s this other guy. I don’t like him. It’s like he’s just talking fancy or something to everybody to get them to do what he wants.”

“I think the word is ‘manipulation’, which he seems to be good at,” Minoru said as he started to finally wrap the gauze over the wound. “I don’t think it would be safe for anybody to go back to the Nojiri for at least a few more days.”

“The whole town might be destroyed before then,” Tetsu declared as he slammed his fist down on the table. Once again, he started to feel his many mistakes starting to weigh on him. “I can’t believe I lead them to Nomad and the others.”

He lowered his head, going silent before getting a chance to finish. There was no way of knowing if they were safe or not unless he had gone back. His imagination only swirled thinking of the team being in Paxton’s clutches.

“No, he’s right. We need to do something soon,” Rei added before looking back into the fireplace. Seeing Tetsu’s face only made her imagine what he had gone through before she had arrived. She pondered for a second and then said, “We don’t really have that much to fight them.”

“I have one of their weapons. I took one from Liberation,” Tetsu said, pointing to the pulse rifle leaned up against the corner by the mantle. “It hurts too. That thing can definitely kill somebody.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be a good idea if we walk into the village and try to storm the place,” Rei said as she looked over towards the rifle. She had been familiar with their destructive capabilities, but knew full well of their might in numbers. “I’ve fought these guys before, they’re very dangerous.”

“If you two went in, Liberation might try to kill you,” Minoru cut in once more. “Tetsu, you’ve already been wounded. There’s nothing you can do in this fight until you heal.”

Rei nodded and quickly said, “That’s right, I’ll have to do the fighting.”

“You would do that?” Tetsu asked excitedly.

“I’ll try to deal with the Global guys before they show up. I think with this thing I can hold my own,” Rei said before giving her robe a pull. The red material snapped back into her chest with a slight pop, hugging the curves of her body.

“You’ll die.” Minoru assured her as he tied the knot on the bandage around Tetsu’s shoulder.

“I’m not alone, we have Liberation here,” she said back. “My dad fought with them, I think we could maybe team up and drag the fight away.”

“Then if that’s the case,” Minoru continued, “why not we all just ride into town instead of you going to battle the G.E.I. by yourself and just hoping they pick sides with you? Do you have any way to prove you were with them?”

“Yeah, I have this,” Rei said as she lifted her arm over her shoulder, reaching her fingers into the cloth of her robe. As she clenched her hand, the red and white, rosy fabric formed a handle in her grip. Minoru’s face turned completely grey as it appeared as if she were pulling the weapon straight out of her body. Rei stood in front of the fire, taking a quick swipe at the air, and finally stopping the blade in front of the mantle. The black metal sword was mesmerizing as it had not reflected any of the light from the room. Its surface had mesmerized the two, causing them to remain silent as she continued. “This was given to me by my father, Hideo-Ji-Ni. He told me that when I find Liberation, I am to present this.”

“That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.” Minoru gasped as his heart finally started to pump again.

“I didn’t know this suit could do that, but I figured it out. It’s like it has this,” Rei started to wave her hands, confused as to how to describe the onboard AI. “It’s like this thing has a mind of its own and it’s watching over me. I’m trying to learn to stop clashing with it. It knows myself better than me, if you can believe that.”

Minoru reached his hand towards his chest, gripping his robe as his face had gone pale. It was something beyond what he had seen from the G.E.I. or the many occurrences in Nojiri.

“What horrors have you been bestowed upon you, child?” Minoru asked, visibly struggling to make sense of the sight.

“You have no idea.”

“Well, it sounds like we have the best plan ever!” Tetsu exclaimed as he raised his arms over his head. He let out a hiss before lowering his wounded arm, causing Rei to smile for a moment.

“It would appear so.” Minoru said finally.

They had the equipment needed to do this. By morning, they would make their way back into the town. Rei would have to present the weapon to somebody and hope that Hideo’s legacy had remained.

If they were willing to fly across the planet to kill him, Rei started to think about the G.E.I. and their rampage. Somebody somewhere in the struggle must remember his name.