Asa was not what he appeared to be. Though coming to such a conclusion was not so clear cut. There wasn’t a single distinct thing about the young man that made him stand out, actually if Umbra were to be honest, he didn’t look like anything special. Which ironically was what was making the armoured mercenary take a good hard look at the man that was now acting as their guide.

Now back amongst the turbulent crowds ambling along the promenade, the monger’s cries drowned out the fearful quiet whisperings that Aki was chanting under her breath. She saw something in Asa that Umbra did not, something that terrified the young girl into obedience. Occasionally her eyes would wonder towards the Katana wrapped in the black obi tied around his waist. It was a highly ornamental blade encased in a red scabbard that was beautifully adorned in pink Sakura petals and interlaced rope that had been weaved with golden threads.
The hilt guard of the blade was the most curious detail as it looked like an actual fire that had been frozen in time.

Overall, it was a beautiful ornate blade that sang with the promise of eternal flame.

The man should have stood out of the crowd like a sore thumb, and yet he didn’t. Not only that but no one seemed to even give this stranger a second glance, a stranger in Scara brae and an Akashiman to boot, Aki herself seemed to almost wilt under the constant stares thrown her way once they recognised that she herself was an Akashiman…

But not Asa…

Umbra stared harder at the man they were following before catching a glance at the runes that ran the length of the samurais long black scarf around his neck. Adorned with seals, or runes or whatever the Akashiman equivalent of an enchantment was, Umbra was still able to recognise it for what it was while also reconfirming their earlier suspicion about why the man seemed so unassuming.

‘Because he is wearing enchanted clothing to make him appear so’ Umbra reasoned and placed a palm over the battered pommel of their sword.

The man was either rich, or he had a connection to someone who was, maybe this mistress of his, the lady Yua that Asa and Aki kept on talking about.

Asa’s pace was also quite incessant almost as though he seemed to almost be in a hurry to get somewhere, though Umbra purposefully made sure to instead match their pace with the slower injured girl instead. Their deliberate slower pace would cause Asa to stop to look over his shoulder every so often to allow the girl and her guard to catch up before he would hastily lead the van ever closer to the water’s edge.

Aki for her part looked all but resigned to her fate, though her wounds had been tended too she was still clearly under a great deal of pain, she was just able to hide it better than most.

The kind doctor and his daughter had loaned the girl a pair of boots and a woollen cloak when they had sensed that the situation was more complicated than they wanted to involve themselves with. Which was completely understandable, they had their own look of apprehension when the Akashiman had entered their living room.

But they were not unkind to the girls plight either as they had given Umbra a single order before they left, ‘look out for her’

It wasn’t until Asa came to a stop at the end of the pier did Umbra see the transportation the young man had promised. A small unassuming gondola was the only boat moored to the pier, its simple black wooden frame however looked ill-suited to handle the waters around Scara brae and would more than likely be drawn towards the churning currents and smashed to pieces against the nearby rocks.

“You must be kidding” Umbra uttered venomously as they regarded the samurai with something comparable to utter contempt.

“This vessel shall see us to my mistress’ abode in one piece I assure you” Asa said nonplussed and turned to Umbra and Aki with a look of sincerity “Of that you have my word.”

Umbra remained doubtful, though it was Aki who lowered herself into the gondola first and dutifully sat down on one of the empty seats with a graceful ease while Asa watched her intently with a plain gentle smile. Reluctantly, Umbra followed their ward down onto the gondola a moment later before taking their own seat while leaving Asa to set about untying the rope.

Now with an ore in hand, Asa pushed the small boat away from the pier while the current mirror like stillness of the ocean seemed to favour the Akashiman as the gondola had started to be gently swept away as the currents lured the them further out to sea.

‘Well, this is a fine mess.’ Umbra reflected all the while keeping a keen eye on their samurai companion. The young man made no effort to steer their vessel at all, seemingly perfectly content to allow the currents to usher them further out to sea.

Umbra’s fists tightened in vexation, steeling their resolve to see how this would play out. There was nothing to be gained out at sea, and Asa did not look like the type to attempt anything, not when the gondola was the only thing keeping them afloat.

And even if he did, the iron clad warrior was confident in their ability to end a fight before either blade could be drawn.
Umbra meanwhile continued to scrutinise other little details they could make out about the young samurai, such as the small handle that stuck out from the folds of his obi to the collection of hilt guards he paraded around his waist like trophy’s. Had it not for the enchanted scarf that made Asa appear more mundane than he actually was, Umbra was sure that there were certain aspects that he was still yet unable to see.

Perhaps a different tact was in order.

And besides there was something else that was gnawing on Umbra’s mind. The relative ease Asa had found Aki had also been highly suspicious. The man had literally entered the right place at the right time with full confidence that Aki was right where he had expected her to be.

Could it have been another enchanted item? There was only one way to know for certain.

“How did you find the girl so quickly?” Umbra asked Asa bluntly.

“Hmm, I suppose there is no harm revealing such information” Asa replied with a flippant tone after a moment of consideration
“All those under the employ of my mistress bare a mark, and such a mark can be easily tracked with the right tools” Asa explained with a gesture towards Aki who squirmed under the attention before acquiescing and lifted up her long locks of hair black silken hair to reveal a brand seared into the back of her neck.

“Items such as?” Umbra pressed.

Asa chuckled before he gave his own glib answer “A hand mirror, of course”

‘Of course,’ Umbra mentally repeated sarcastically before turning to look at the port city that was now fading into the distance, one look ahead however revealed a cloak of fog sweeping along the surface of the water. It swirled around them on an errant gust of wind shrouding them in its haze within an instant. Aki yelped as up ahead day turned to night in mere seconds as moonlight cut a swath through the unnatural haze causing it to dissipate almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Only now they were not drifting out towards the turbulent oceans but were instead just off the shore of Scara Brea’s great lake that located towards the centre of the island. Umbra instantly recognised the teleportation magic for what it was, though it had been cast with such a theatrical flair, it had been all but seamless in its execution. It was alone ample reason enough for the armoured warrior to discreetly began reassessing what they knew of this lady Yua and the samurai that revered her so.

Asa breathed in easily and tugged the enchanted scarf from around his neck and held it loose in his free hand allowing it to tumble about in the sudden gust of wind. Umbra turned to see the man for what he truly was. Asa’s skin was ruby red, it always had been, though it had been impossible to notice along with the two red horns that signified just exactly what the young man truly was.

A red Oni whose raw strength was considered the stuff of legends.

Umbra’s hand drifted over to the familiar worn hilt of their sword, clutching it in a powerful reassuring grip. The weapon was an old ally, one that had seen them through many dire situations, though here and now, Umbra feared the weathered blade was heavily outclassed.

The jolt that arced up their arm was just as unpleasant as learning it’s source. A single quick glance downward revealed that the old sword had been enchanted with several glowing golden halo’s that hung in the air around the weapons hilt.

A seal. One that would cause harm while also making it impossible to draw the blade from its scabbard.

Asa chuckled to himself at the sight, “Ah, Ahem. That would be one of the many rules that must be followed in my Mistress’s home, no outsider blade can be drawn while within her domain” He explained with a self-satisfied smile. Though Umbra was quick to note that Asa’s own Katana bore no such seal.

The gondola continued seamlessly forward, propelled by forces unseen towards the nearby shore where a massive structure lay in wait. The pagoda was impossible to miss, eight thatch roofs all stacked upon each other covered in paper lanterns bathed the towering structure in a warm golden glow. But around it’s base was what looked like a sprawling Akashima compound split in on both sides of an estuary.

Umbra only needed single look around to discern the type of person that could live in such a grandiose estate. whilst the plethora of paper lanterns gave ample light sources that were beautifully reflected in the flowing river under the artificial night. The abundant amount of black, red and gold architecture all expressed an air of wealth, power and luxury.

“And this place is?” The warrior asked Asa curiously as the gondola drifted under a large arched red wooden bridge that connected both sides of the compound.

“The Higanbana, House of sin and pleasure. You should be honoured, only a select few are allowed to know of its existence.” Asa said reverently as he stepped out onto a nearby pier as the Gondola came to a full stop. Aki joined him a moment later, her eyes fixed on the ground before her.

Umbra trailed behind the two with dark brooding thoughts. The Oni continued his role as their guide though Aki seemed to know her way around as she did not have a single misstep whilst following in their guide’s shadow. As they headed deeper into the compound a handful of servants, all Akashiman girls like Aki scurried out of sight as they caught sight of them, Aki’s shoulder slumped ever so slightly as one of the servants openly stared at her before she closed the shoji between them.

Eventually the Oni led them past a beautiful Sakura Garden towards a single building that stood alone within the centre of the compound. There the red Oni abruptly knelt down onto his knees and bowed with his forehead touching the wooden floorboards building’s porch.

<Lady Yua, I have retrieved Aki as you requested> He said respectfully in his native language.

Through the open entrance Umbra could make out a lavish room adorned with artefacts from Akashima and the world over, the most notable being a large oversized ornate scythe, its wicked blade gleamed in the light of the lanterns was hauntingly familiar.

Though Umbra’s eyes did not linger on the wicked weapon for long as a figure stirred from atop a mound of pillows languidly pushed themselves up casting a shadowed silhouette onto the shoji screen that separated them.

<Aki, you say…> The sultry voice said slowly as though languishing over every syllable sensually and deliberately. Aki swiftly joined Asa in prostrating themselves on the wooden floorboard as Lady Yua began to chortle quietly.

<It’s good to have you back my dear> Her words though lost on Umbra immediately brought tears to Aki’s eyes. <My apologies I did not mean too->

Yua sat up from her mountain of pillows as shadows started to writhe around her frame, Yua’s ears stood up on end atop her head while her nine long tails thrashed around with reckless abandon. <Of course, I know you did not mean to run away. After the incident I had little choice but to ensure that the boar demon that did this to you has been appropriately punished>

The creature of myth and legend leisurely stood up to her full height with an ominous laugh. A wave of her arm acted as a signal for a quartet of Akashiman handmaidens to swarm in from the four corners of the room with black and red cloth fabric. With a practised ease they set upon dressing Yua quickly and efficiently, wrapping her previously naked body in a black loose yukata and red obi while the other handmaiden quickly tended to her hair pulling half of it backwards into a bun held in place by a single golden ornate hair pin.

<The swine has been strung up within the Higanbana’ s main reception left to bleed out, such is a fitting punishment for what he had done to you, is it not?> Lady Yua asked as she poked her head around the shoji screen as one of her handmaidens pushed it to one side allowing Umbra to see the dark-haired Nogitsune for all her sensuous brazen beauty.

Her heterochromatic purple and pink eyes settled over Umbra’s armoured form with a curious glint “Oh, and who might this be?”