The Distortion

A commotion was stirring up at the castle’s gate. The samurais’ advance was halted. The ones at the rear asked for the reason. They did not like the answer.

“I am not letting you through wielding such a weapon. And by the heavens, what is this about a tiger?!”

“Please, both the weapon and the animal are necessary for the act.”

“I do not care, I cannot let you pass.”

The argument with the guards had been going on for longer than expected, bearing no fruit in the process. Laith nervously shifted his eyes towards his brother, screaming inwardly for help…in vain. Adam anticipated the obstruction and Daisuke reassured him they would work their way around it. Daisuke’s argument was based on the fact that the scimitar wasn’t a common weapon in Yamato, so it could pass for an accessory needed for the performance. As for Râad, the tiger was a revered beast in Yamato so maybe they could use that reputation to sway the guards somehow.

It didn’t sound very convincing to Adam…and he hated being right. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a better alternative that didn’t involve some form of violence, which Daisuke refused categorically. Adam was in no position to insist. By joining on such short notice, this problem was essentially their fault.

The situation was already fairly delicate, even before Laith’s current complication. There was one major issue they had to address before setting foot anywhere near the castle: a proper and reliable disguise for the most recognizable faces. Considering their past with the Daimyo in question, Akira and Daisuke—and their respective family members—had to conceal their identity in fear of the obvious. The best solution they came with was to wrap their entire faces in bandages under the pretext of hiding major facial injuries.

The guards let that one slide, which left the whole ordeal with Laith. Confronted with the setback, some hasty ideas flashed in everyone’s collective mind. A bit of violence sounded quite enticing right about now. Maybe they should knock out these guards and proceed with their plan; they were no more than a couple of individuals, nothing they couldn’t deal with. However, the raiding samurais would still run the risk of exposing themselves very early on, before even recovering their weapons. Not only that, the enemy would be in his best shape, still untainted by the mirth of the festivities, namely the effect of the celebratory drinks. Too risky of a maneuver overall…but the raid had to proceed somehow…

Fortunately, those desperate thoughts never translated into actions. One of the enemies came to the rescue, ironically.

“What seems to be the issue here?” a feeble old man showed up at the gate.

“Good evening, Atsuo san!” the guards saluted him. “This man here wants to bring in a weapon on top of his dangerous animal. We told him repeatedly he is not allowed to, but he refuses to listen.”

“You refuse to listen as well, I told you repeatedly it is simply for performance’s sake!” Laith protested heatedly.

Atsuo inspected him with a long and inquisitive look before approaching him slowly, his cane rapping on the wooden bridge.

“Hmm, I presume you are the foreigners I heard about…” Atsuo caressed his pointy beard. “Apologies for being blunt right away, but I shall first ask the obvious: how did a couple of strangers like yourselves end up performing on the day of the festival in a foreign country? What were you doing here in Yamato to begin with?”

Adam awaited this particular question, so he stepped forward to answer.

“Atsuo san, we do indeed owe you an explanation so allow me to introduce myself,” He cleared his throat. “My name is Badr, a sociologist from Sultanate Al-Furat located in the Risen continent. I’m currently traveling across the world and visiting various countries in relation to my field of study. This is my fourth destination, which I reached around two weeks ago.”

Man lies like he breathes…, Laith thought.

“I would assume a country coming off of civil war was not something you had hoped for.” Atsuo said, still wearing an apprehensive squint.

“It is indeed unfortunate, but luckily, I was made aware of the current ceasefire before I arrived here. I was however fortunate that a festival would coincide with my arrival. Understandably, I wished to take part in this celebration in any way possible, for I believe a cultural event would help me get an even wider perspective on the Yamatojin as people.”

“I am certain it would,” Atsuo rubbed his pointy beard. “But that does not explain why the swordsman and the tiger are here.”

“Apologies, I failed to mention that this man is my brother Fahd, and that’s his companion. The world is large and scary and I cannot hope to travel alone as a mere Scholar, so I enlisted his service to ensure the safety of my journey.”

“I see…” Atsuo turned towards Laith. “May I take a look at your blade, young man?” Atsuo asked nicely.

“Of course, no problem.” Laith said, carefully unsheathing his scimitar.

The old man examined the blade closely. He was intrigued how such a blade was designed to be wielded with one hand; its sheer size and weight would make it highly unpractical to be used effectively in combat. He considered for a moment the possibility that the sword may have been entirely for show, but the sharp edge told a different story. It was a lethal weapon, no doubt about that.

“Quite the peculiar blade you have in your possession, vastly different from what you find around here. Though I have to say, you must possess insane strength in your arm to swing this thing efficiently.”

“That is true. I had to work my right arm like a mad man to master it.” Laith replied, triumphantly flexing his right arm.

“I’m almost tempted to see you in action…but I’m afraid tonight is not the ideal setting, is it?” Atsuo asked, hiding a provocative intent.

“Most definitely. While I would very much enjoy sparring with a samurai, tonight is a celebration.” Laith reassured him.

“Good. I trust the same goes for keeping a tight leash on your companion?” Atsuo shifted his sight towards Râad.

“Rest assured, he’ll always be by my side. He won’t budge unless I ask him to.” Laith gave his friend a pat on the head.

Atsuo handed the scimitar back to his owner. “Allow me to be honest with you, but if it was up to me, I would not have let you in. There are far too many questions surrounding you and I can’t help but have doubts.”

“It’s completely understandable, Atsuo san.” Adam replied. “Maybe we can provide some of the missing details as we go inside. We wouldn’t want to delay our preparations.”

“I believe the Daimyo would not be pleased with that.” Daisuke added, his muffled voice underneath the bandages sounded sufficiently different than his usual. While he was relieved that someone came to their aid, he would have preferred it not being Atsuo. He knew him personally so if anyone were to get extra suspicious of them, it had to be him.

“Should I be worried about you?” Atsuo asked in reference to the bandaged individuals.

“Sir, I’m afraid we have sustained major injuries during the war. Even if we have partially recovered, it would be impertinent to show our disfigured faces in front of the Daimyo.” Akira explained, his voice also unrecognizable.

“That is true, and you should be grateful for him because he is the one who agreed to welcoming the two foreigners. Now please, follow me.” Atsuo turned around and lead the way inside the castle.

The situation was mostly deemed safe. The only concern was the man with the scimitar, but the blade was a singular weapon, and in the unlikely scenario that the swordsman turned his weapon against them, the guards could handle it—the same applied for the lone tiger.

The raiding samurais let out a sigh of relief as they successfully accomplished the first step of their plan: getting inside the castle. And it turned out to be a neat castle.

The courtyard was marvelous. The first feature everyone noticed was the sky lanterns—small hot air balloons made of paper—suspended in the air by a burning fire like bright miniature suns lighting up the dark sky. Other paper lanterns were floating atop some narrow water currents present in the courtyard. Despite all of their resentful emotions, the raiding samurais could not hide their awe at the sight of the stupendous scene.

They walked by the stage that had been prepared for the slew of performances which stood to the far left of the courtyard. It was a dimly lit square platform with pillars in the four corners supporting a curved roof. The back side of the stage showed a simple painting portraying a pine tree. While it was certainly a faithful recreation of a traditional stage, Nakamura’s extravagant touch was present. The pillars, as well as the roof, were illustrated with various symbols and pictures using some of the most vibrant colors. Translucent curtains fell down on both sides of the stage while covering a little of the front, conferring a sense of mystery to the platform as a whole.

The raiding samurais would have loved to keep reveling in their admiration, but they quickly reminded themselves why they were here. They headed straight ahead, towards the secondary compound of the castle made up of clustered buildings. A clear distinction from the main compound was the notable absence of the four-story tower standing taller than any other building in the entire complex. Atsuo stopped at the first building they met, a warehouse of sorts from the looks of it.

“This will be your changing room. You will finish whatever preparations you have inside. I realize it makes for a poor changing room, but it is the closest to the stage, and it has a backdoor.” Atsuo said.

“It is of no concern, we are grateful regardless.” Daisuke responded with a slight bow.

As soon as Atsuo left, Yuuna immediately tugged at Adam’s sleeve. She was on high alert ever since they stepped inside the castle but didn’t mention anything, not that anyone noticed her—everyone was as alert as she was, albeit for a different reason. Yuuna waited until they were on their own to address the issue.

“Adam, this is not good.” she whispered.

“What do you mean? We just got in, what happened?”

“Nothing…yet. But the plan will be in jeopardy if I don’t intervene.” she kept glancing in all directions, scanning the entire area with watchful eyes.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked nervously.

“We are being watched.”

Adam blanched. “How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve been on the watching side before. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” she was still keenly observing the surroundings.

“What about the fragment then? We were entirely relying on you in that regard. What are we gonna do about it now?” Adam struggled to keep his voice low.

“As soon as I deal with the issue, I’ll get right back to it.” her words didn’t inspire much confidence.

“This is not what we agreed on, you don’t just bail on us at the last second. I don’t like this Yuuna, I don’t like this one bit.” he tried to hide his distress, but his face and tone told another story.

“Believe me, I don’t like it either, but I have to do this. I’m so sorry.” she said right before vanishing with a swift leap.

A careless move on her part.

She had been so focused on whoever was watching them she neglected the fact that she was concealing her identity as a ninja all this time. Unfortunately, that single leap was enough to blow her cover because no samurai was capable of such feat. As if Adam wasn’t troubled enough by her sudden exit, three samurais were already surrounding him—and his brother—not looking pleased in the slightest. Adam hid his concern to the best of his ability, while Laith did his best to calm Râad who bared his fangs instantly.

“What is the meaning of this? What is a ninja doing among our ranks?” Akira sounded very upset.

“She’s with me…us, me and my brother.” Adam answered honestly…no use in being coy at this point.

“So, we have in our ranks two foreigners who are somehow in league with a ninja. Remind me again why we let these people into our ranks?” Haru sounded like he had no issue slicing them up right then and there—if he had a sword that is.

“Ah, I bet you were waiting for an excuse to come at us.” Laith addressed Haru with a hostile glare.

“Maybe I do, brat.”

“Stop calling me a brat.”

“What if I don’t?”

“How about we find out?” Laith had had it with this man. Judging from his threatening growl, Râad was on the same page.

Adam squeezed his brother’s arm, cautioning him against throwing a tantrum.

“We don’t have the time for petty squabbles, Haru.” Kaito took a step forward to face Adam. “But I still would like to know about what she is doing here with you.”

“She is helping us with our own…mission. You don’t have to know about it and you don’t have to worry either.” Adam answered, nervously pushing back his glasses.

“You do not get to tell us whether we should worry or not.” Akira said menacingly.

Adam gulped. His mind was already saturated with concerns; he certainly didn’t need another one added to the list.

“You’re being strangely calm, Tokugawa san,” Akira spoke over his shoulder, “Did you know about her involvement?”

“…I do.” Daisuke answered hesitantly.

Haru and Kaito faced him, directing their hostile stares at him.

“And you had no objections?” Haru asked.

“At first, I did.”

“And now you’re fine with it?” Kaito said.

Daisuke nodded.

“You’re the last person I expected to trust a ninja.” Akira stated.

A few moments of restless confusion among the samurais took place before Adam mustered the courage to speak up.

“Look, I know I’m not in a good position to say this, but I think it’s better if we all calm down. We have nothing to gain from arguing when we’re already this deep into the raid. Let us all set aside our issues and focus on the role each was given. That would be best for all of us.” He could really use his own advice because Adam’s mind and body could give in at any moment.

Akira pierced Adam and Laith with a penetrating gaze. “How convenient that time is always on your side…” He spoke with gritted teeth, before turning away from them, “You better hope this raid will be a success, for you own sake, because if not…you better start praying to whatever deity you believe in.” he stepped into the warehouse.

The samurais followed him, exchanging concerned glances and indistinct murmurs.

“I told you ninjas bring nothing but trouble…” Daisuke whispered to Adam.

“Not now, Tokugawa san…not now.”

Inside, the once dead and hollow room came to life. A standard atmosphere for a changing room. The first thing they did was separate the space in two with the stashes found inside, one half for the men and one for the women—the women’s occupied a larger space. The costumes varied to fit the assigned performance, and once again, it was Laith who stood out the most. He changed back to his original sandy tunic and turban to make it truly a unique performance—that earned even more side glances than before, but he stopped caring. It was one of the many replicas sown to him by his mother; the last one was worn out from the tedious journey.

He checked if the second group of performers—comprised of the Tokugawas and Akira’s circle—were ready. They agreed that no act should start without the next one already having finished preparations and waiting backstage. Laith was ready, and the rest of the men were…that left lady Tokugawa.

Preening always lasted longer than expected, however simple it was, as was the case for lady Tokugawa whose role didn’t require as much as some other women. Laith was glad he didn’t have to wait for the ones who would play the role of a “geisha”. The process of painting their faces with the flagrant white powder alone would last longer than his entire act…they would also need to see to their eyes and lips next.

I gotta hand it to the ladies, they are patient creatures alright…, he thought.

While waiting for lady Tokugawa to join them, Daisuke called Adam and Laith.

“So, the rear gate is luckily on the same side as the second compound we’re in. As soon as you finish your act Laith san, you will head there. If there are guards, which I don’t believe will be many, I’m afraid you have to deal with them on your own. I would have liked to send more people with you, but I fear the risk of drawing more attention than needed. Once you secure the gate, the innkeeper who welcomed us will be waiting there, providing you with our weapons.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem, Râad is with me so I’m confident we can manage.” Laith reassured him.

He then looked at his concerned brother.

“Should I worry about Yuuna?” he asked.

“Just focus on your task. Don’t bother with anything else.” Adam answered in coldly, his mind in a completely different place.

Lady Tokugawa eventually finished the long and arduous makeup process and joined her husband Daisuke who asked for everyone’s attention briefly. The bustling room fell still, frighteningly so. Daisuke stood before the door and cleared his throat.

“Whatever ends up happening tonight, I want to thank you all for joining me and standing with me. I could not have asked for better comrades to fight alongside me. Perhaps there were better alternatives to dealing with this for I know I’m walking a dangerous path, but it is the path I chose to walk. You agreed to accompany me nonetheless and for that, you have my gratitude. Still your hearts and steel your spirits, we have nothing to fear. All that is left is to wish you good fortune.”