The Dragon's Eye: Part IV and Chapter

[StormLordXIII]

Hi all,

Here's the next installment in the Dragon's Eye novella. The attached pdf contains the whole story as usual so newer readers can jump right into the thread. Newest chapters start on page 31 with the next Chiaki segment.

As usual, comments and critique are most welcome. Also, the dramatis personae has been removed to avoid spoilers. It needs to be extensively re-edited and will be published again in the final installment.

Up to page 40 now and I thought I would be finished, but it seems like I've only penned about half of what I wanted to write... this may continue for more installments if people enjoy reading it!

In this section:

Earthside: Chiaki infiltrates the imperial treasury and Baojun Katanaka holds court with a mysterious informant.

In Malifaux: Kaeris makes a discovery which threatens to imperil the Arcanist movement while Dominic makes his last, desperate gamble with the shifty Jakob Lynch.

*People who enjoyed the "World in Chaos" short story from Twisting Fates will be in for a surprise in this installment and the next!

Finally, I've decided to post a snippet of one of the part IV chapters for newer readers. If you enjoyed this segment, feel free to peruse the rest of the story.

EDO, THE THREE KINGDOMS

BAOJUN KATANAKA

“I shall bring light to the darkness and peace to violence. Yet if I must bring death to the living in the process, so be it. My blade is righteous. The flesh of my enemy is not.” – Izamu Katanaka

The garden was silent but for the chirping of cicadas nestled invisibly in the surrounding bushes. The evening was dying. Blazing streaks stained the sullen sky the shade of ripe mulberries, and the outline of the bulbous, yellow moon was faintly visible beyond its fortress of autumn clouds. Little stars began to emerge slowly as the minutes passed, and soon, all faded to black, alight just barely by the bloody hews of the dying sun.

Baojun Katanaka could feel rather than hear the sound of the pebbles beneath his feet. He knew it was improper to besmirch the Iwakura with his footprints, but this evening, he did not care. He paced back and forth, bursting the smooth lines layered into the pebbles by a ceremonial rake, violating their pristine form with explosions of stones and dust. He was in a contemplative mood, his constant rage and sense of pride precariously checked by the beauty of the evening and the sentimentality of the moment. The fortune of the evening’s report was critical to the future of the Katanaka clan – it was either ascension or a slow, agonizing decline to mediocrity akin to the likes of the Dervish Swords.

After several minutes of furious pacing, the Oyabun and Patriarch of the Ten Thunders left the sanctuary of the garden for the comfort of the indoors. His home was modest at a first glance and did not seem to match the status of its owner, the most powerful man in all of Nippon. The dwelling had only five rooms, each with traditional tatami flooring and sliding walls, thin screens of ornate polished wood and cured paper painted with simple jasmines and lotus flowers in shadowy black ink. The true value of the house resided in its mutability. Since all of the screen walls moved, the house could change instantly overnight with minimal effort. The Oyabun never slept in the same room more than two evenings in a row and he habitually rearranged the walls of his home every week so as not fall to an assassin’s blade. The only constant in the entire house was the Iwakura which he had just effaced in anger and concern. Even the stations of the dozen Torakage lieutenants patrolling the grounds of his property shifted regularly. Like the deepest of vaults, the Oyabun was untouchable.

Despite his supreme paranoia, Baojun Katanaka was a man of refined taste. Each room was decorated with beautiful ikebana bouquets and old artifacts, sleek furniture and ornate, artistic masterpieces. Although these articles evoked feelings of elegance and intricacy, they were not luxurious or opulent. The Oyabun was shrewd, ruthless, calculating, and wealthy, but not vain.

Baojun gave a sigh as he stepped over the threshold into his own personal labyrinth. The vestibule was dark. With as much poise as he could muster, the Oyabun lit several candles and sat, waiting and reflecting on the evening, running through the tasks of the next day. After what seemed like hours, he knew his contact had arrived from the soft sound of footsteps behind him. “You are late. Is this how you show respect to your Oyabun? I could have you killed for such insolence.”

The voice rang out through the gloom. “Gomanasai, my Oyabun, but I was delayed. I am honored to be addressing you this evening and I again apologize for the lack of punctuality. My last contact was delayed and I did not want to update you without speaking to him first. It will not happen again.”

The Oyabun continued looking out of the vestibule into the garden. He did not even turn to face his informant. “No, it won’t. Speak.”

“Chiaki has entered the Forbidden City as planned. As instructed, Ichiki-san is escorting her -”

The Oyabun rose. “That is all I need to hear.”

“ - But there has been a complication.”

It was only now that the Oyabun turned around. He gazed at his interlocutor through beady black eyes. Bedecked in the saffron garb of a high-ranking Ten Thunders operative, the informant wore the cracked porcelain mask of a Torakage but the flowing robes of an élite. He was disarmed and distinctly ruffled – the Oyabun’s guards had taken no chances, even for a member in the upper echelons of the Ten Thunders. “What complication?” There was venom in the question.

“The Guild.” The informant looked up through the window at the bulbous, yellow moon, the only light other than the guttering candles in the pitch darkness. “They seem to appreciate the value of the evening as we did. They are not so foolish.”

Baojun Katanaka gave a brief shrug. “They are inferior to the Ten Thunders in every respect. I see no reason for concern.”

“They have raised the Forbidden City to the ground, Oyabun.” For an imperceptible second, the informant thought he saw the Oyabun startle, but then the moment was gone.

“For what purpose?”

“Our agents outside the imperial palace say that the Guild instigated a riot. The tide of people are tearing apart the palace as we speak. The Guardsmen have disappeared. I believe their intent was to infiltrate the palace. Perhaps, like us, they known that he limens is thin this evening. You can feel it, surely.” Ichiki looked at their moon once again.

The Oyabun ignored this editorial. “Be more specific in regards to the Guild Presence,” he snapped.

“It is not easy for me to describe. Our contact informed me that a century of Guild Guard clad in the garb of Empire musketeers marched upon the palace gates. Lucius Matheson was leading them.”

“How are you certain that the governor’s secretary was involved?”

“We saw the golden mask. There was no mistaking him.”

“Continue.”

“Lucius is clever. He showed the entire crowd the power of one soulstone, using it to burn down the palace gates. He then convinced them that there were more stones inside. You can understand what happened next. The palace guards did not stand a chance against thousands of hungering civilians. I would assume that many of them went to participate in the riot after seeing the power offered to them.”

“Naturally. This is not an inconvenience, however. I am sure that this has been more of a boon to Chiaki. She is better off approaching the oracle bones undisturbed. Moreover, it makes that intolerable royal family in Zhong Guo even weaker and more open to our… negotiations. What concerns me more is what the Guild wants inside the imperial treasury that they could not bribe, murder, or barter for.”

“All of Emperor’s men are in our pockets, Oyabun. They will be manipulated by no one else, surely.”

“Astutely observed. Very well. Thank you for your report. You have done a service to the Ten Thunders and to your Oyabun.” Astutely observed, but an excuse nonetheless. Even he does not know.

The informant bowed low. “This brother is pleased to have served.” He turned to leave.

Baojun Katanaka barked, “One more thing.” The informant turned around, his porcelain mask glinting in the darkness. “I am growing concerned about our special investment in Malifaux.”

“You have defied the impossible, my Oyabun. What else is there to say?”

“Plenty. The Arcanists. I grow weary of Viktor Ramos’ continued inquiries into our Breachside investments. The warning I penned him personally seems to have had no effect on his… persistence. His mistrust of our organization should not be tolerated. Will I need to cross the Breach myself to take care of this, or can you assure me that our assets will handle the situation with the competence and aplomb expected of our brothers?”

“I have good news on that subject. We have acquired one of Ramos’ most prized assets. Have no fear, he will not trouble us much longer.”

“Excellent. See to it that it is taken care of. Your life depends upon it, Shigeo.”

The informant turned to leave once again, but stopped himself for one, brief moment. “Oyabun, how did you know it was me?”

“If you think for a moment that I do not know about men who take keen interest in my daughter, then you are a fool. Are there any other impertinent questions that you have for me? The evening is still young and I have other demands on my time in light of recent events.”

“No, Oyabun. Goodnight.” Shigeo bowed for a final time before marching out of the villa to retrieve his weapons from the guards.

After he was sure Shigeo had departed, Baojun Katanaka rose to retrieve his own saffron robes hanging on a hook in the vestibule. He draped them over his shoulders regally before exiting, leaving the villa in pitch blackness. All was going to plan beautifully. But he had one more unexpected, unscheduled visit to make. He had to see the investment for himself. A little anarchy was good for the soul. He hoped to teach that to someone besides his own daughter one day, for his own daughter who knew that all too well.

Dragon's Eye IV.pdf

Edited July 14, 2013 by StormLordXIII

[Da Git]

Sorry, been out of Malifaux for a bit & only just got to read parts III & IV. Still really enjoying how this pans out & agree that you still have a long way to go with these character developements! Ganbate!

2 small things I'm not really a fan of

His home was modest at a first glance and did not seem to match the status of its owner, the most powerful man in all of Nippon.

As a criminal syndicate boss hiding in the shadows, I wouldn't have the oyabun as the most powerful man in Japan...

He hoped to teach that to someone besides his own daughter one day, for his own daughter who knew that all too well.

Small grammar error here... need to get rid of the who I bolded.

If you want I can go through it again looking for more errors (sorry, but there were a couple that wouldn't show up on spell check!). Still loving it, keep going!

[StormLordXIII]

Hi! Thanks for the feedback! Sorry about the relative pronoun typo in the last sentence - I saw it right after I posted and never got around to editing it.

Next segment's coming soon... still no idea how I'm going to link everything, but it's getting there.

Thanks again for your support! It's getting me through this one.