Chapter 46: Kuraikaji, The Cobra King
“So how are we going to do this?” Hagan asked as the group walked down the street toward Kuraikaji’s stronghold.
Aiden shrugged. “Pop in there and let ‘em have it, I guess.”
“You know it won’t be so simple,” Sezuni remarked.
“Why not?” Aiden argued. “We killed mosta the Cobras. Kuraikaji might be pretty good at fightin’ but he’s not gonna stand a chance against all five of us.”
“Four,” Iris corrected. “Due to the excessive use of magic during our last phase of combat, I’ll be unable to conjure without first acquiring some rest.”
“I don’t have much left in me either,” Lucas added. “I might be able to make one more light orb, but I’m going to have to rely on my sword for the most part.”
Iris turned to Sezuni. “How’s your arm?”
“I’m ambidextrous,” she replied. “I’ll be fine.”
“What’s the deal with that eye patch, anyway?” Hagan queried, breaking a short silence. “Is Kuraikaji a part-time pirate or something?”
“It musta got gouged out a while ago,” Aiden answered. “He’s always had it as long as I can remember.”
“He can’t be too tough with a big blind spot like that,” Hagan remarked.
Sezuni looked at him. “He didn’t become the leader of a thieves’ guild by losing fights, you know.”
Hagan was irked. “Why are you always talking about how Kuraikaji is such a great fighter?! We get it! Kuraikaji’s the man, and we suck!”
Sezuni’s face softened behind its concealment. “Arrogantly underestimating your opponent is a surefire way to ensure your own demise. All I’m telling you is the truth.”
The group approached the double doors leading into Kuraikaji’s lair. Constructed of bath stone, the building was noticeably larger than the surrounding structures. Massive pillars supported the edifice’s overhang, towering far above heroes’ heads. It also appeared to be well maintained, in stark contrast to the remainder of the city.
“Here it is,” said Aiden. “Ha! We took out so many Cobras that he doesn’t even have anyone left to guard the front door!” He twisted the doorknob.
As the group entered the spacious room, they carefully scanned the area for threats. They appeared to be in a lobby decorated with furniture, bookshelves, vases, and an old piano. From the ceiling, two large chandeliers provided excellent lighting. On the far side of the room was a decorative rug, which sat at the bottom of a stairway leading to another set of double doors. There were no Cobras in sight.
“Nice place,” Hagan commented.
Iris looked at Aiden. “Are you certain Kuraikaji is here?”
“He’s here, alright,” Aiden replied. He pointed to the doors at the top of the stairway. “I bet ya five hundred gold he’s in the room at the end of the hallway, just through that door. Probably cryin’ like a little girl after seein’ what we did to his guys.”
Aiden strode toward the staircase when Sezuni suddenly said, “Stop.” Halting, he turned back toward her. “Something doesn’t seem right,” she warned.
“Indeed,” Iris added. “I find it hard to believe that Kuraikaji would send all of his remaining men to eliminate us without preserving enough of them for personal protection.”
“Seems fishy,” Hagan agreed.
Sezuni gave a nod. “He would never leave his stronghold unguarded, especially during a time like this.”
“Just relax!” Aiden said nonchalantly, as he continued toward the stairs. “The only reason it’s unguarded is ‘cause we’re total badasses and took out all his guys! If there’s anyone left they’re probably–” he had only managed to climb a few steps before an arrow speedily buried into his leg. “Yeeow!”
“Aiden!” Iris shrieked.
Sezuni, Lucas, and Hagan drew their weapons as Aiden stumbled down the stairs and collapsed on the rug, moaning in anguish. Lucas darted his head around the room in an attempt to locate the shooter, but saw no one. Dropping the backpack, he kneeled beside Aiden. “Aiden, what happened? Who shot you?”
“Hell if I know!” Aiden sharply responded. “I’m a little busy freakin’ dying here!!”
While the two spoke, another arrow whizzed beside Iris’s head, causing her to let out a fearful scream.
“There!” Sezuni shouted, pointing to a small balcony concealed by a curtain. From it, a Cobra was barely visible, peeking out from the drape’s cover, preparing to fire another arrow. He shot it at Sezuni as Hagan returned an arrow of his own. In a display of incredible accuracy, Sezuni blocked the projectile with her katana while Hagan’s arrow plunged into the Cobra.
“Got him,” Hagan proclaimed.
As Hagan spoke, Lucas jumped to avoid another arrow shot from the balcony on the opposite side of the room, causing the sharp missile to smash into a vase. Sezuni quickly sheathed her katana. “Umbra orbis!” she shouted, eliminating the second attacker with a well-aimed shadow orb.
Lucas carefully inspected the room. “Is that all of them?”
“I think so,” Hagan replied.
“Is everyone okay?” Iris asked.
Aiden winced. “Not me!”
“You’ll be fine,” Sezuni said as she approached him. In one swift motion, she pulled the arrow out of his leg.
“Aaaaahhhh!” Aiden yelled.
Rolling her eyes, Sezuni reached into her pocked and handed him a small, half-empty bottle of red liquid. “It’s Sanguis Elixir,” she informed. “It should stop most of the bleeding but it won’t spare you much pain.” After Aiden had drank it, she dressed his injury using the yellow cloth around his neck. “There,” she said as she finished tying it. “Will you stop your whining now?”
The second Aiden opened his mouth to reply, the double doors at the top of the stairs burst open. Four Cobras dressed in brown cloaks entered the room, followed by Kuraikaji himself. Sezuni quickly jumped to her feet and unsheathed her katana. Responding similarly, Hagan raised his bow while Lucas gripped his sword. Two of the Cobras remained by the doors, armed with bows. The other two walked beside Kuraikaji toward the group, carrying ice orbs. Aiden stumbled to his feet, trying with all of his might to fight the pain surging through his leg.
Lucas noticed a sword sheathed on Kuraikaji’s waist. Damn, he’s a swordsman too.
“Settle down,” Kuraikaji said calmly, as he and his men approached. The throng of men halted halfway down the stairs. “I admit,” Kuraikaji went on, “I’m quite impressed by how easily you’ve managed to slaughter my men.” He looked at Aiden. “I never expected you’d retaliate so harshly after being banned from Secar and the Cobras. Especially with your own group of highly proficient fighters.”
“I wasn’t gonna let ya off that easy,” Aiden replied, desperately trying to mask his agony.
“We’re not here because of him,” Hagan asserted. “Your men attacked Azure! We want answers.”
“Ah, yes,” Kuraikaji responded, “that’s right. Very well. I suppose I could reward your effort with an explanation.” He paused briefly before continuing. “You see, one of my men recently made a startling discovery within a cave out in Hravart Desert: a portal to another dimension. I was intrigued by the news, to say the least, and accompanied five of my best men on an expedition to explore this unexpected finding.” He looked at Lucas. “From what you said in town, I can assume that you’re already quite familiar with the In Between and Damiano’s Disk.” Lucas remained silent.
“It wasn’t long after we arrived in the In Between,” Kuraikaji went on, “that we noticed a man walking alone in the distance. We approached him, but he saw us coming and quickly ran. Needless to say, my Cobras were much quicker and apprehended him with little effort. I asked him where we were. He was quite uncooperative at first.” Kuraikaji chuckled. “They always crack when a sword is held to their throat.
“I learned a great deal of information from that man. Apparently, this dimension I’d stumbled into was a buffer world between our realm and the land of the dead, also known as the Netherworld. With a little more prodding, he informed me that the monsters plaguing Aria had originated from this place. It seems that the beasts are nothing more than lost souls that have been transformed with advanced necromancy.”
“We already know all of that, too,” Hagan interrupted impatiently. “Just tell us why the hell your men attacked my town!”
“My,” Kuraikaji responded, “you’re a clever bunch, aren’t you? If you want the short version: this man turned out to be a member of the Spades. He informed me that the Knowms work for Javan Quinn, who has seized control of Aria secretly not only for massive wealth and political power, but in search of the second half of Damiano’s Disk being held by the Spades. To be blunt, I’m most fascinated by the power this object supposedly unlocks and want it for myself. I asked the man where the Knowms were holding their fragment, but he was unsure. Despite further interrogation, I was unable to learn the location of the Spades’ fragment either. So I killed him, and sent my men to find the two pieces of Damiano’s Disk themselves, one town at a time.” He looked at Hagan. “The destruction of your city was nothing personal, I assure you. Just luck of the draw.”
“That’s it!” Hagan shouted furiously, raising his bow. The Cobras beside Kuraikaji were about to launch their ice orbs when he made a ‘cease’ motion with his hand. They reluctantly obeyed.
“Say goodnight!” Hagan exclaimed, firing the arrow directly at Kuraikaji’s head. The group was flabbergasted as Kuraikaji caught the projectile in midair.
“No way!” Hagan blurted.
Lucas’s eyes widened. Whoa!
Kuraikaji smiled. “If you’re wise,” he said, tossing the arrow aside, “you’ll shut your mouth and open your ears for a moment. As I’ve said before, I’m highly impressed by your abilities as fighters. So much, in fact, that I would like to offer you a chance to work alongside me in acquiring the two fragments of Damiano’s Disk.”
“Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me,” Aiden commented nervously. The remainder of the group glared at him.
Lucas turned back to Kuraikaji. “We’re not interested, Kuraikaji.”
“Please,” Kuraikaji scoffed, “do you take me for a fool? You’re not going to convince me that you yourself are not at all interested in its power.”
“Of course we are,” Lucas responded, “but we only want to use it to restore Aria to the way it was before Quinn destroyed it.”
Kuraikaji laughed. “You’re not giving up on that pathetic hero act, are you? Listen, boy. There are no heroes in this world. The strong eat the weak, and that’s that.”
Lucas smirked. “Guess you’re just weak then.” The group was surprised by his response.
Kuraikaji became visibly furious. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to talk so big, boy.”
“We’re not the one’s desperately trying to make a deal, are we?” Lucas replied. “I think you’re scared.” The room fell silent.
Kuraikaji slowly made his way down the stairs, motioning for his Cobras to stay put. “You think I’m scared of you, huh?” he said calmly. “Then, considering you’re such a fearless warrior, I presume you wouldn’t be opposed to a fight to the death.” He halted in front of Lucas, towering over him. “What do you say? You against me. One on one. My Cobras will not interfere if your companions agree to stay put as well. Winner takes all.”
Lucas was stunned by the unexpected challenge. Now I’ve done it! This guy’s going to rip me to pieces! Ugh, I should have just kept my mouth shut.
“Answer me, boy,” Kuraikaji asserted harshly. “Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly transformed into a sniveling coward.”
Lucas lowered his eyebrows. “You’re on. Let’s do it.”