Chapter Thirteen

So this was Airai.

Kagato gazed impassively out across the unfamiliar landscape, taking in the strange buildings and swathes of rich, alien foliage that flourished under the golden Arian sun. Temples and ancient pyres intermingled with the most modern and up to date constructions, giving the planet an almost surreal feel and as he stepped away from his spacecraft, he felt a slight chill dart up his spine. Airai was known for many things, including exotic perfumes and fine, delicate fabric. But it was also known for the mixing of dark magics, and as he gazed up at the copperish sky, he wondered whether the rumours were true.

"My Lord, what would you have us do?"

Tessei's voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned, registering the knight for the first time. He frowned, shaking his head.

"My mother has received several unpleasant letters from one of Airai's ambassadors." He said softly. "You know why we have come, Tessei. I seek to eradicate this man, once and for all."

"He must have threatened the Lady Aiko sorely, my Lord, for you to travel all this way in person." Tetta observed brusquely, and Kagato eyed him sharply, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated the man's words.

"He has committed the gravest of insults on her name." He agreed quietly. "And as such, I seek to handle the matter on my own. I have all the information I need to locate him...your company is not required on this trip."

"Then why did my Lord Prince bring us to Airai?" Tessei asked softly. Kagato's golden eyes glittered, and he offered the man a chilling smile.

"I like to know what you two are about." He said simply. "Especially considering that in my absence, you might feel compelled to discuss with my Lord Grandfather the fate of Aunt Misaki's poor baby. That wouldn't suit me at all - and besides, I have another errand for you. One here on Airai."

"The Emperor will wonder why we are away so long." Tessei gazed up at the sky with a mixture of wariness and dislike. "I do not like this world, Lord Kagato. It is full of things Juraians hold in the highest contempt."

"Indeed." Kagato inclined his head. "Which is why you both belong here very nicely, don't you think?"

He laughed, but there was little humour in his amber gaze and he wondered whether his companions realised how apprehensive he was himself beneath his bold words and implied threats. "Considering the nature of the threats made to my Lady Mother, I am curious to know more about these Cults of Airai. My research indicates the man who has so sinned has ties with some of the darkest Cults this world has to offer. If this is truly the case, I want to know more. Much more."

"About...black magic?" Tetta stared at him. "But..."

"I am a Prince of Jurai and your job is to obey my command, not question me at every juncture!" Kagato snapped. "You are simply knights - well trained, but not gifted in the kind of power I have at my disposal. Your absences won't be noticed by the Emperor, for I asked him myself if I might take you on a trip to pursue scientific ends of my own. If I should return to tell him you had been killed on the trip, do you think he would mourn you? Not my Grandfather. You are merely tools for him. Tools that can easily be replaced. I am giving you a chance to be irreplaceable - and more, powerful. Arian magic is a mystery to the whole of the universe. Imagine what we could do with it, if we were to wield it ourselves. Can you see the possibilities?"

Tessei and Tetta exchanged looks, and Kagato sighed.

"You need to open your minds." He said softly, resting his hand companionably on Tessei's shoulder. "They say the magic of Airai can keep a man alive forever. What would you do, if given the gift of eternal life?"

Tessei's eyes widened, and Kagato nodded his head.

"Discover what you can. Both of you." He said firmly, releasing his hold and offering another slight smile. "You will be well rewarded. Unlike my Grandfather, who keeps his power all to himself, I seek to buy your loyalty by sharing mine. And if this disgusting man seeks to threaten my mother's position, I will learn all there is to know about his people and their dark arts. If Juraians can wield such a power, why should they not? It is this I wish to know. Do not fail me, and you will not be sorry."

There was a moment of silence, then slowly Tetta raised his hand in a brisk salute.

"We will do as we can, Lord Kagato." He said frankly. "Come, Tessei. We will discover what our Lord Prince requires."

Kagato chuckled humourlessly.

"I thought that you might." He murmured. "Then go. I will meet you back here, at Souja, before midnight on this planet. Do not be late - else I might be tempted to hand you over to these cults for their ritualistic experiments. Rewards must be earnt, so make sure you work hard."

With that the two knights bowed hastily in his direction, hurrying off along a dusty dirt track towards a settlement in the far west and for a moment the Prince just watched them, pursing his lips as he evaluated the gamble he was taking.

"My magic is not worth very much, wielded as it is by a bastard Prince of Jurai." He muttered bitterly, clenching his fists as he turned to face the opposite direction, following the trail towards the coordinates he knew sheilded the Diplomatic Chambers of Airai. "Transferring those gems for Mikamo proved that - I could barely touch them. Maybe Tsunami has passed judgement on me as one born out of wedlock - if such a thing is possible. But either way, I am no match at present for Yosho's wretched Jurai Power nor my Grandfather or Uncle Azusa. I must seek other methods, and it seems only fair that I steal those methods from here. After all, if an Arian dared to sully the honour of a Princess...there must be something I can gain from this unwanted blood association."

He fastened his cloak more tightly around his shoulders against a sudden breeze that whipped around him, gritting his teeth as sand and dust was blown up in his face. He knew that the Chambers he sought were remote, to protect them from the bias and confusion of every day Arian life, and yet he had not dared to take Souja any closer for fear of the ship being recognised as a royal ship of Jurai.

"That I was ever here must not be known." He muttered fiercely, glancing briefly down at his attire as he did so and finding some comfort in the plain man's costume and dark cape that marked him out as just another travelling merchant. "If I was to be discovered, all would be at an end. But what I must do before I can leave here...have I come so far that I can kill this man who calls himself my birth father? Do I have that kind of strength within me? Killing Misaki's baby was one thing...I feel nothing for that loss. But a grown man - one my mother is fond of - can I achieve such a thing? I did not think I was so weak but I suppose we will soon find out. Either way, I must locate and eliminate him if I am to have any chance of ever being Jurai's Emperor. Think like a King, Kagato. Future rulers do not become squeamish about necessary sacrifices."

At length the pathway became more defined beneath his feet and as he squinted ahead of him, he could make out the tall stone facings of a big building, isolated and yet grandly designed in a mixture of modern and ancient Arian styles. It was like nothing he had ever seen on Jurai before, and for a moment he stood there, just staring up at the architecture in wonder and amazement. Inwardly he decided that whatever the Arians could not do, building was one of their gifts.

"Next to this, Jurai's unhealthy obsession with trees pales in comparison." He murmured. "No wonder we've been enemies for so many years. I can't imagine any Emperor of Jurai accepting that they were second best in something."

Arian characters were engraved over the building's main entrance and Kagato peered at them blankly, unable to decipher many of the letters.

"But this must be the place. The coordinates are right." He muttered. "So I suppose this is where I test how good a liar I really have become, isn't it?"

He hesitated, then reached up to loose his thick tail of hair so that it cascaded around his shoulders, taking the thick tie and fastening it around his brow instead. Checking his clothing once more to reassure himself that all was as it should be, he put his hands to the door, pushing hard. It swung back with a faint creak, opening out into an expansive, arched hallway and as he stepped inside, he was surprised to find that there was noone on guard duty. Huge staircases wound up either side of the room, leading up to corridors and suites beyond, and in the furthest corner a wood-panelled desk jutted out from the wall, unattended but clearly the starting point for any visitor to the premises. Kagato hesitated for a moment, then approached the desk carefully, glancing all around him for any sign of life.

As he reached it, however, a gasp escaped his lips and he found himself hard pressed not to start backwards. Behind the wooden fronting, a wide white-paged book lay open on the counter, and as he stared, unable to believe his eyes, a thin black scribing tool wound itself across the pages as if held by invisible hands. As he stared, he heard the faint sound of laughter and bit by bit a ghostly hand began to materialise in front of him, spreading and growing until the whole form of a woman was visible across the divide. As she became more and more opaque, the prince caught a glimpse of a name badge, and had just managed to make out the characters "A" "K" "A" before the woman held out a playful hand in greeting, her thick silver hair falling over her shoulder as she grinned at him.

Kagato muttered a curse, staring at her, and she smiled at him apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I startled you." She said contritely. "It's so much easier, you see, to split myself into many parts and do more than one job at once - and it saves energy if I'm not worrying about being visible when there's no need to be."

She spoke in Galactic Tongue, albeit with a thick Arian accent, and Kagato calmed his nerves, offering her a winning smile.

"I've heard a lot about Arian magic...but this is the first time I've seen it being used on such a mundane, every day level." He remarked. The woman laughed.

"Yes, well, sometimes it's helpful." She said with a shrug. "Can I assist you? Clearly you're not a local - do you have business with one of the diplomats?"

"I'm a merchant...from Shitori." Kagato said evenly. "I'm here to make delivery of an order made by someone in the Diplomatic Circle - but I've gone and forgotten the office number. I was told it was the upper landing, but you know, I'm so bad at recalling numbers."

He fumbled in the folds of his shirt, pulling out a neatly printed sheet of paper, which he pushed across the desk towards her.

"This is my delivery instruction." He added, eyes sparkling with mischief as she scooped it up, glancing at it and nodding her head. "Do you think you can help?"

"Yes, that's no problem." She agreed. "I can show you how to get there, in fact."

"But who will watch the desk?" Kagato objected. The woman grinned, then before his incredulous eyes she divided her body into two parts, one of which held the sheet of paper whilst the other turned her attention to the work still lying unfinished on her desk.

"More Arian magic?" Kagato demanded. The woman nodded her head.

"Yes." She agreed. "This way please, sir. It's really quite a long walk, and I don't want you to get lost."

"So how, exactly, does that work? How do you split yourself into two?" Kagato asked, as he followed his companion up one of the huge spiralling staircases. The woman laughed.

"It's been in my family for generations. It's not ideal - I mean, we couldn't live as two seperate beings." She said. "But it's a defensive tactic, basically. Working in a job like this carries considerable risks - with so many high profile people coming in and out. For all I know, you could even be a spy from one of Airai's enemy planets."

"I assure you, I'm not smart enough to be a spy." Kagato snorted, and the woman shrugged.

"That was just an example." She said carelessly. "In truth, though, if you divide into two selves, then you can't be so easily killed. A man or woman might attack one of you, but unless they hunt down and kill the other part, too, you won't die."

"I see." Kagato's eyes narrowed. "That must come in pretty handy."

"Yes, although it can be a nightmare when trying to work out if a relative really has died." The woman grimaced, rolling her eyes.

"Do all the Arians do that, then? This splitting magic? Truly, I never heard of anything like it before."

"Well, I suppose it depends on their upbringing. Not usually." The woman shook her head. "Potential exists within every Arian born child to wield great magical power - that is why we are so feared across the galaxy by great Imperial planets like Seniwa and Jurai. But most do not choose to wake their magic inside of them, and many more choose only to pursue it in a positive, helpful way. The Cults that we're so famed for are really a very small percentage of the population - the bad seeds that exist on every planet."

"It's all very interesting." Kagato twisted his features into a rueful smile. "I'm beginning to see why I got sent on this trip, now. And I thought that I was being trusted with something important, being new to this and everything. I didn't realise that people were so scared of Airai. I suppose they all thought I'd drawn the short straw."

"Yes, I suppose so." The woman's eyes sparkled with amusement. "But you don't seem afraid, so I guess the joke is on them."

"I guess it is." Kagato agreed. "You weren't kidding about the walk, either. It is a long way."

"There are many men and women working here." The woman said with a shrug. "And they're usually very busy. But they always stop for tea, so your delivery will be most welcome, I'm sure. I hope your craft isn't far from here? It can be hard to find a second time...in fact, I've heard it said that there are few non-native Arians who find this building without a guide."

"I had some pretty specific coordinates." Kagato said simply, quelling his surprise at this remark and absently beginning to wonder if it had been his hated half-Arian biology that had made his entrance so easy. "But no, my ship's not far."

"Then we've reached the end of our journey." The woman shrugged, handing him back his delivery slip, and the prince realised they had reached a large wooden door, carved with more of the Arian symbols.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me, though I'm sure that if you have any questions, one of the men will be able to help you. They sure do order a lot of tea, and they're old hands, even if you are not."

With that she knocked on the panel door, offering him a mischievous smile and then disappearing into nothing. Kagato frowned, gathering his nerves as a voice called him in, and he pushed the divide back, stepping into a wide, brightly lit chamber that held a long table and many chairs. Three or four men were sitting around it, discussing something heatedly in a language that Kagato could not decipher. At his entrance the man in charge got to his feet, eying him curiously.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"Ive come to deliver supplies of tea, sir." Kagato bowed his head respectfully, his loose hair falling over his shoulder as he did so. "Your...the lady...she kindly said that I should speak with you..."

"I really wish that Aya wouldn't bring all and every person who comes here into our meetings without a warning." A second man grumbled. "I suppose now you are here, we must handle this ourselves - but mark my words, I will be speaking to her about her casual nature."

"Aya?" Kagato stared, and the first man nodded his head.

"Aya Akara...I imagine she was the young lady who brought you up here. She's on duty today and she has rather a habit of befriending anyone who wanders in." He agreed ruefully.

"Akara?" Kagato frowned, realisation flooding through him as he remembered that one of Mikamo's team had claimed to be from Airai. "I see. I didn't know. I'm sorry, sirs. I meant no disrespect."

He bowed his head again.

"I was told to report to a...a Mr Saotome." He said, glancing at his forged delivery sheet as if reading the information, although the name of his true father was burned indellibly into his mind. "Akito Saotome-san?"

"That would be me." A third man stood and Kagato stared at him for a moment, meeting the golden eyes that were so like his own with a mixture of alarm and anger. Somehow he managed to keep his composure, forcing himself to bow a second time.

"My apologies, Saotome-san, for the interruption." He said softly. "If you could spare me some time..."

"You're new at this, huh?" Akito said slowly. Kagato nodded.

"Yes...yes, sir."

"Then I had better accompany you to your ship, and see that you have everything we need." Akito said at length. "Gentlemen, I will be back shortly. Continue without me - I can always catch up later."

"All right, Saotome. Don't take too long." The older man warned. "Some of you lazy fools might think tea is more important than work, but I assure you that tea won't get these papers settled!"

Akito offered him a rueful smile, then ushered Kagato out of the room, back into the hallway and towards the spiralled stairs.

"My colleague takes his work seriously." He said simply. "But everyone needs a break. Where is your craft? Not too far? It can be difficult to relocate this place, so it's better I come with you."

"Yes, sir." Kagato agreed quietly, allowing his companion to lead him back the way he had come. As they walked, he shot the man a sidelong glance, taking in his features as he did so. His eyes narrowed, as inwardly he made up his mind.

"Tessei and Tetta must not see this man." He murmured. "His eyes and mine are the same, but there are other things, too. My hair is more like his than like Mother's - hers curls far too much, and mine never really has. There is something in his bearing, too. I truly have found the right man...could Mother really still love this creature? A man from a world such as this, where they divide themselves in half and flit in and out of view at a moment's notice? And can he do those things? My research told me that the Saotome family have had ties to the Cults in the past...but is what that woman said true? Can anyone on Airai wake magic inside of them? What if he can...what if he can split himself and defend his life that way? I must think carefully."

As they crossed the foyer, the woman at the desk offered him a friendly wave and he returned it hesitantly, eying her carefully as he realised that she must indeed be a relative of Mikamo's scientific assistant.

"Akara can't be that common a name, and that silvery hair is distinctive. A sister, perhaps." He mused. "I will remember that. Dr Akara may yet prove either a help or a hindrance to me, if she has the same kind of magic as that Aya girl. I thought I had so well prepared for this trip, but how do you prepare to kill someone you've never met on a world you've never visited?"

"You're very quiet." Akito observed, as they left the building and headed back along the track towards the location where Souja had been discreetly moored. "You shouldn't be afraid. We do this a lot - and a lot of the rumours about Airai really are unfounded. We're not a den of witches and warlocks, you know - most of us have little or no time for magic."

"Really?" Kagato eyed him curiously. "Not at all?"

"Well, it might be useful for Aya to keep her records up to date and greet guests, but it really doesn't do much in diplomatic circles except create suspicion." Akito shook his head. "So you needn't worry. I'm not about to hex you if you haven't brought the right quantities of tea."

"That's good to know." Kagato responded absently.

"Are you sure that you haven't been here before? I'm sure you're familiar, but I can't think why that would be."

Kagato did not answer and his companion stopped, turning to send him a quizzical look. "This is your first trip to Airai?"

"Yes, sir." Kagato agreed levelly. "My very first, and probably my last."

"Have we scared you that badly?"

"No...I just...don't feel I'll have a reason to come here after this trip." Kagato responded. The man frowned.

"Do you have a name, merchant?"

Kagato's lips curled into a bloodless smile.

"My name is Kagato."

"Kagato, huh?" Akito looked startled, then he smiled. "Well, what do you know? I have a relation by that name...but I thought you were from Shitori? Isn't Kagato a Juraian name?"

"My mother is Juraian." Kagato said simply, as they rounded the bend, bringing Souja into view before them. Akito stared up at the ship with a mixture of confusion and consternation.

"But...that's not..."

"Not a merchant ship?" Kagato's hand slipped beneath his cloak, his fingers brushing the hilt of his sword. "No, it isn't. I'm sorry, Akito-san...I deceived you in that. I am not really a merchant and I'm not really from Shitori. And I didn't come to this world to deliver tea. I came here looking for you."

"For me?" Akito blinked, "But..."

"My mother never told me." Kagato added softly. "But secrets always have a habit of coming out. So when I came here, I knew I had to find you. Speak to you. Just like she has done, all these years."

"But..." Akito's eyes widened. "Kagato...my son? Could you be...are you really...?"

He grabbed hold of Kagato by the shoulders, taking the Prince by surprise as he searched the young man's face, inadvertently releasing Kagato's grip on his weapon as he did so. "Oh but...but now I see it! The eyes are mine but the brow...the nose...Aiko. My beloved Aiko...oh, my son, after so many years, I finally have the chance to see you face to face!"

Kagato struggled to regain his composure, meeting his father's incredulous gaze with an impassive one.

"Aiko thought it better for you that you not know." Akito continued. "That you never knew - in Juraian society, it's so full of politics and expectations. I would have married your mother if I could have...I always wanted to, and I still would, if I thought the Emperor Shigure would agree. But Jurai and Airai are not friends, and so we had to keep so many things a secret. And yet, here you are, before me, in the flesh. My own son. Prince Kagato of Jurai."

"Not so much Prince, not with a father who did not marry my mother." Kagato said quietly. Akito looked pained.

"Blame your Grandfather for that. I sought her hand on two or three occasions while I was stationed on Jurai, but each time met with refusal." He said sadly. "When she became pregnant, well, she made a choice to protect you both and I respected that. I withdrew here and I have never seen her since. I would not shame your mother - or you, either. I care too much about you both for that."

"If you cared so much for my mother's honour, why did you sully it when you were on Jurai?" Kagato demanded, anger suddenly flaring through him at these words. "She was a child - barely more than sixteen or seventeen! You took her honour and then forced her to accept a marriage with a dour brute that made her unhappy. A gentleman would have waited until he had secured her hand - Mother is a Princess, she's not a town harlot! You might have ruined her life and you might still ruin mine. And yet she is still fond of you. She still loves you, despite all of this - and I can't understand why."

"Aiko still loves me?" Akito swallowed hard then, "I know you must be angry, and I understand why you are. At the time, neither one of us thought things through. I was not much older than you are now, and this was my first diplomatic mission. We were indiscreet. But I did not abandon you...I have always been interested in you and your progress, as you grew. Your mother is so very proud of your achievements...of the Prince you've grown to be."

"Not a Prince!" Kagato exclaimed, re-establishing his grip on his weapon as he did so. "Thanks to you, I'm not a Prince. Not a true one, like my cousin Yosho. That's why I came here. Why I had to come here. You still put my mother at risk every time you write her a letter, Saotome-san. Every time you make contact, someone might realise that my eyes are not Lord Hotaru's eyes, or that I was born eight months after their marriage, and not nine. Every single letter is proof of betrayal...every last one."

"Does Aiko know you are here?" Akito asked softly. Kagato shook his head, rage flooding through him at the familiar use of his mother's name.

"She is Princess Aiko. Lady Aiko. Not just Aiko." He snapped, drawing his sword from his belt and watching as the blade flickered and flared before him. "And you will pay the ultimate price for risking my mother's honour and my own good name. I came here to kill you, Akito-san, and that's what I intend to do. Your connection with my mother must end now - and I'm going to be the one who severs it, once and for all!"

AFTER THE RAIN:
END OF PART ONE.