Peony's Blade

Chapter 6

The House of the Golden Sun was nothing more than a run-down establishment that could barely afford its upkeep. Once known as the most expensive pleasure house in Sucosa, it fell into a pitiful state of disrepair after their best courtesan eloped to a different country. At least, that was the story that was widely accepted.

Blade knew the truth. After all, it was he who had tracked down the courtesan and her lover and put them to rest at the behest of the madame. It was his services the Golden Sun had poured money into. With the loss of their best money-maker and the large sum they promised to the Shadows, the House of the Golden Sun had ironically become a shadow of its former self. Now, still indebted to the Shadows, it operated as a more affordable pleasure house with a hidden service for those with darker motives.

Blade sat in a small corner sequestered behind a decorative partition with a small bundle of cloth held in one arm. It was hidden away from the lanterns in the main house where the courtesans worked to please their patrons. Blade’s own patron was quite different to theirs, but they might as well have been working the same jobs. Though, he supposed with a hint of bitter irony, that would be quite a horrific comparison considering his current client couldn’t have been any older than fifteen.

The boy was skinny and scared, eyes darting from the bundle Blade held to every part of the room he could see. He was slightly hunched over, his hands clenched into tight fists on his laps, and his head lowered. A boy his age would be drinking in the beauties surrounding him, but this one barely spared them a glance.

Blade traced a finger over his porcelain cup and waited. The boy was smart enough to figure out how to meet a Shadow and had enough guts to request Blade. There weren’t many clients Blade took considering how expensive his services were, and he doubted the boy could afford a quarter of his fee, but the intrigue was too enticing to ignore.

“Bonsa Ru,” the boy said. Despite his nerves, the name was steady in his voice and full of venom. “I want him dead.”

Blade kept his expression composed. The name belonged to a powerful noble merchant widely respected by the people. This was precisely the reason meeting with a Shadow was so risky. When one wanted someone of high status dead, even speaking of it could cost him his life, but the reality was that Bonsa Ru probably had no idea who this boy even was.

“How much?” Blade stroked the small head peaking out of the bundle of cloth.

The boy jumped and leaned back even though Blade’s voice had been barely more than a whisper. “Huh?”

“How much do you have?”

“Oh…” He dug into the satchel tied around his waist and tossed a bag full of coins on the table.

Blade raised a brow. It was more than he expected but still not enough.

“If you need more…” The boy bit his lip. “I’ll give it to you by any means necessary.”

“You want to be an indentured servant, boy?”

“W-what?”

“It’ll take your whole life to pay off the debt. This,” Blade grabbed the bag and gave it a little shake, “doesn’t even cover half, nay, a tenth of what you’ll owe me.”

His face paled but his lips set into a grim line. The fists on his lap clenched even tighter. “If that’s what it takes—”

“And if you can’t pay off your debt, it’ll fall on your family. You have a mother, boy? A father, siblings? We could take them too if it makes paying your debt even faster.”

“But…” He shook his head, his jaw clenched. “I’m on my own.”

Stubborn.

“Lakken Hast, son of Riva and Dalen Hast. You have a little sister, too, or am I wrong? You want to lose her like you lost your older brother?”

Lakken’s lips fell open, his eyes widening and whatever colour left in his cheeks drained away. His fear finally exposed the terrified, foolish boy hiding beneath. Blade knew the moment he saw the boy that this job was not one he would be taking.

“Please,” Lakken said. The tears were next to come. “They don’t know anything. I’ll do anything to pay you. Please, don’t bring them into this.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking, boy.” Blade had enough. The intrigue had worn off. It had been a waste of time entertaining the boy’s wishes.

“You didn’t even ask why I want him dead.” Lakken’s lips trembled, and the tears steadily streamed out. “That bastard killed my brother for protecting my sister. He’s going to take her to be a servant in his house. We can’t do anything to stop him. Please, it’s the only way. Please, sir, please save my sister.”

Blade held in a sigh. This was exactly why he didn’t want to know the reasoning. They always had a reason for wanting someone dead. Unfortunately, many who wanted to hire him were too blinded by their anger to see or care about the damage they would do. As unfortunate as it was, eliminating Bonsa Ru would cause much more trouble than it was worth. If a worse man took his place, the commoners, including the boy’s family, would likely suffer for it.

Blade shifted the bundle of cloth in his arm and began to unravel it. Lakken watched in curiosity despite the desperate pleas he made. There was a small whimper as Blade grabbed a puppy by the scruff of its neck. It was a scrawny thing, skinny as the boy in front of him and just as pitiful. Its tail was curled up between its legs as Blade turned it so it looked at the boy. He gently placed it on the table where it shook its head, sniffing the wooden grain.

“Kill it,” Blade said. He slid one of his obsidian daggers towards Lakken.

“What?” Lakken stiffened.

“You want me to kill Bonsa for you.” Blade gestured at the pup. It whined and howled while its stubby legs wobbled beneath it. “His name is Bonsa. Kill him and I’ll kill the real one.”

Lakken’s hand shook as he grabbed the dagger. His breaths stuttered in and out, his eyes fixed on the pup. Taking the hilt of the dagger in both hands, he raised it over his head.

The pup had fully woken up now. It waddled over the table, sniffing, its tail up in the air. It stopped in front of Lakken and stared at him curiously before letting out a sharp bark. Then, with a groan it sat down and raised its hind leg to scratch its ear.

Lakken’s hands trembled in front of him. Every breath he took lifted his entire body. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his bottom lip quivered.

Finally, with a yell, he brought down the knife and stabbed the blade into the table, missing the puppy by a wide margin.

“I can’t!” Lakken yelled. “It’s not fair. It didn’t do anything. Why should I kill it?”

“What difference is there? The life of a man or the life of a mutt, the blood is the same.”

The boy fell into quiet sobs, his frustration and anger pouring out. Hopeless in his situation, but there was nothing Blade could do to relieve him. He wasn’t a saint, he wasn’t a hero. He was just a blade to be used at the hands of his clients and refusing the boy was the most merciful thing he could do.

“Go home,” Blade said. He was growing so weary. “And the next time you think of hiring a killer, know that you’re the one with blood on your hands.”

Plucking his dagger from the table, Blade left the boy and headed towards the stairs. There were other clients he was scheduled to meet, but Blade had no intention of meeting any more. The Golden Sun had a room reserved for him thanks to their partnership and he only ever used it when he was called in for business. He recognised several Shadows at work, taking requests from their clients, and the thought that assassins and courtesans were the same crossed his mind for the second time.

What difference was there truly? Both gave their bodies and lives to serve wealthy clients, and as weapons or toys, both were objects to be used.

Blade had resigned himself to that life and he might have hoped to get out of it in the past. If he did, he no longer remembered it. At least, he could choose which clients he could take until his master sent him on a mission he couldn’t refuse. He had the luxury of not seeing any clients at all, which is what he chose to do, but there would be no killing tonight.

Passing the courtesans and their patrons, he slipped silently into his designated room to wait for the miserable night to end.