The Demon and the Nightingale

Chapter 1

        “This room is completely secure so we can talk freely, Kai.” The old man gestured to the space directly in front of the padded woven-mat flooring, as an invitation to his companion to sit down. The room was a typically-sized, ordinary sitting room and simply decorated with dark wood and bamboo, as well as sliding screens. The room was furnished with padded kneeling cushions, a low, but smoothly-carved table of gleaming wood, as well as a few floor lamps of medium-height with shades of soft but durable paper that bathed the room in a soft, yellow light. It was the sort of room found in most peasant dwellings in the kingdom of Yashima. In a smooth, fluid movement, Kai knelt in front of his sensei. Likewise, Master Gorō took his place in front of Kai, and fixed him with a steady, unblinking gaze. Kai was said to be the Yamanoha clan's best ninja, and he certainly looked the part. At around 6 feet tall, he somehow managed not to draw attention to himself even though he towered over most Yashima men. As one who was trained almost since birth in the various deadly arts of ninjutsu, he had a lean but well-muscled physique. Like most of the inhabitants in the Eastern Realms, he had long straight hair, like raven-black silken strands. But unlike most Eastern Realms people, his eyes were an unusual shade - a cross between dark grey and silver.

            Master Gorō has something that's been weighing heavily on his mind. But I wonder why he wants to tell it to me?

            “You're wondering why I asked for this secret meeting, eh?” the crafty old man smirked. Very little gets past his sensei, even if he was a balding, rather wizened, grey-haired man in his 60s. Master Gorō's keen powers of observation and insight are as razor-sharp today, as when he was a young man and a mere shinobi-in-training who rose through the ranks to become one of the most respected elders of the Yamanoha ninja clan. So while Kai was actually a bit taken aback, it was something that didn't really shock him. His face remained expressionless and impassive, as he was trained to do. But he still felt a strong inner turmoil within him.

            “Perhaps, Master Gorō.”

            “Hmph! Don't you 'perhaps' me, boy! Caught you unawares, didn't I?”

            “That is why you are called Master, Master Gorō,” Kai replied, in a bland, seemingly-respectful tone that somehow held a very subtle undertone of cheekiness. The old man's next words revealed that he noticed that.

            “Ugh! Young people these days don't respect their elders at all!” But Master Gorō said it with a thin, weasel-ish smile. The boy's always got some guts, I'll give him that …

            “My most humble apologies, Master Gorō.”

            “Ah! Enough of that pandering to me, Kai! I've something highly confidential to discuss with you! Lord Takeo Matsuda has a special job for the Yamanoha clan.”

            “I see. I hate to say this, but you're lying.”

            “Am I, boy?” the old man replied in a soft, genial manner that somehow sounded spine-chilling at the same time. “What makes you so sure about that?”

            “The rest of the Yamanoha clan aren't here,” Kay replied matter-of-factly.

            “Nice to know you've always had your wits about you, Kai. And true, I did lie a bit about Lord Matsuda's request.”

            “He wants me to handle this 'request' personally.”

            “You're not the Yamanoha clan's best shinobi for nothing.” There was a twinkle in Master Gorō's eyes, and his smile was absolutely, devilishly gleeful.

            “And Lord Matsuda is an extremely wealthy aristocrat who is well-loved by his vassals and prefers to spend his time in patronizing the arts and living a cultured, leisurely lifestyle, and no longer involves himself in intrigues and subterfuge as before. Our clan has long served the lords of the Matsuda Domain, and we have proven our worth to them time and again. But he hasn’t requested a shinobi to spy on someone or have someone assassinated these past few years - does he?”

            “And he still doesn’t, Kai. But he does want someone from his household to be rescued.”

            “I see. But a simple rescue mission isn’t all that difficult to carry out. Why not ask for the other ninjas instead?”

            “It's not just any simple, cut-and-dried rescue mission, Kai. The lord wants to keep things hush-hush. And no one's good at doing that better than you, the devil's own assassin.”

            “You know I don't like that name. It draws too much attention.”

            “But it's the very name Lord Matsuda used when he specifically asked for you. I'm afraid you're stuck with it, boy.”

            Kai gave a small shrug of indifference. Secretly, Master Gorō is actually rather proud of his young protege. Having spent decades personally training almost all the Yamanoha shinobi, the old man has seen it all, ninjas of varying kinds and skills, mostly passable ones, a few who were downright hopeless and nearly useless, some who developed unique skills and abilities - and those who are like Kai. Unusually robust and strong even as a baby, Kai was also a fast learner, able to quickly master nearly all forms of martial arts, stealth and espionage that their clan was famous for - all at the tender young age of 13.

            “Anyway, Lord Matsuda wants someone very reliable who can do the job very, very discreetly. The person who needs to be rescued is one of his personal musicians, the one called Aryah. Do you know her?”

            “Yes I have, Master Gorō. She was one of the performers during the New Year concert Lord Matsuda organizes for his family. Every year, relatives and the households of his 2 sons arrive to convey their New Year greetings to Lord Matsuda and to watch the concert. But unknown to them, I kept myself hidden inside the performance hall the entire time. There have been recent rumors that potentially serious trouble is brewing within the Matsuda household.” His face remained impassive as he continued speaking with his mentor, but he felt an inner sort of thrill as he recalled that moment when he first saw her. It wasn’t just her “exotic beauty” that caught his eye, or her extraordinary singing voice and musical talent. She was certainly quite easy on the eyes, a young woman apparently in her early 20s, of medium height, long-limbed with a slender but curvy body, vivid blue eyes, whose waist-length, softly wavy hair had an unusual auburn color with reddish undertones. But the main attraction to him was Aryah’s chi. Kai had the special gift of being able to “see” a person’s chi, enabling him to know what sort of personality and moods that person has. But on that fateful day, he has never before a seen a chi so bright and beautiful before. And it was also on that fateful day that he fell in love for the first time.

            “Kai?” Master Gorō narrowed his gaze at his protégé. What’s got this boy all distracted?

            “Yes, Master Gorō?” Kai gave himself a mental shake. Dammit, the old man’s gonna find me out!

            In truth, Master Gorō immediately saw that something was stirring the normally-still waters of Kai's composure. If it were any other day, the wily old man would drag out whatever was on the boy's mind and berate him for letting something shallow, like a pretty face distract him from a crucial mission that must be concluded in a swift, decisive and quiet manner. But on that very moment, Master Gorō sensed something else - an unusual element that wove its way into the boy's inner emotional turmoil. And it was fear. No, it wasn't the fear of death. Instead, it was the fear of discovery, that he was hiding something that didn't belong to him. And then, the old man sensed the undercurrent of a second element, or rather a second emotion as well. Guilt? How - strange … As it was stated before, on any other day, the boy would even be additionally subjected to a severe tongue-lashing and stern lecture as well. However, Master Gorō made the tactical decision not to make this one of those days.

            “Do you know what to do?”

            “Yes.” Inwardly, Kai breathed a sigh of relief that his sensei decided not to probe any further into the inner workings of his mind - or his hormones. But a split second after that, he didn't lower his guard completely. Just because the old man hasn't said anything doesn't mean I'm in the clear. I'm just safe - for now … His mind all of a sudden recalled something Master Gorō taught him when he was just a beginner, and not even 10 years old at that time …

            “Remember this, little Kai. It's easy for any fool to be able to take in his surroundings and act accordingly. But if you want to be a full-fledged shinobi, you should do much more than that.”

            “What should I do then, Master Gorō?”

            “Look beyond the physical world. Look beyond your five senses. See what cannot be seen. Listen to what cannot be heard. Touch what cannot be felt. And most importantly, understand what is unspoken.”

            “When will you do it?”

            “At the right time, Master Gorō.”

            “Good. You may leave.”

            After giving a deep bow, Kai stood up and disappeared. Master Gorō smiled in that sly, foxlike manner of his, and it was a truly scary sight.