Kodachi was not sure if she was hoping that Sasuke's information would prove genuine or not. On the one hand it took him long enough to get this lead from his network of fellow professionals - whatever that meant. Akane had been missing for days and the excitement might well be over if Kodachi did not find her soon. On the other hand was the location that Sasuke's tip had led her. An office-building in Nerima.
What kind of adventures were there to be had in such a location? There was little hope of finding anything interesting inside. Kodachi had hoped for some secret temple hidden in the jungle or something similar. She had not expected to end up within a few hours walking distance of her home. Here was little chance of encountering savages, highpriests or deadly traps that would send giant boulder tumbling after you. The closest this place would get to having a snake-pit was a meeting room full of lawyers.
With low spirits Kodachi crossed the lobby and entered the elevator. If there was anything interesting here it would be at the top. Maybe a bald megalomanic CEO had made this building his command center in his bid to take over the world?
The elevator brought her only to the fourth floor before opening its doors, but the doors opened to a dream come true.
It was like stepping out into a fairy tale book. A big European castle had been build inside the empty shell of the office building. It was like everything Kodachi could ever have hoped for. There were turrets to keep princesses incarcerated if they proved uncooperative or had been prophesied to bring doom at their birth.
High walls with arrow slits and battlements on top. She could almost see the defenders pouring hot oil on the invaders trying to climb those walls and shooting burning arrows at their siege engines. They even had a moat surrounding the castle.
Giddily Kodachi strolled to the open drawbridge to take a closer look. From the wooden structure she peered into the murky depths of the water surrounding the castle. There was little to see.
She took out the bento she had brought along and selected a small piece of meat. She tied it to the end of her ever present ribbon and cautiously lowered it into the water.
Nothing happened. No hissing or blubbering, no hectic activity as if the water around her bait suddenly had started boiling with hundred little bites, no green logs suddenly blinking sleepily and taking curse towards her under their own power, no fins coming for the meat with a cheerful smile, Nothing at all.
Disappointed she reeled her improvised fishing gear back in. Whoever lived here apparently was not hiding any surprises in the moat. Some people just were not good with pets.
But he kept some very disciplined servants. Kodachi had, while trying to keep out of view, seen guards standing to attention all over the place. She had heard of that type of guards. They were not allowed to move at all and usually were made fun of by tourists. Kodachi did not see the security value of soldiers stiff from standing to attention for hours, but she could easily see how it would be fun to have them stand motionless in full armor in the blazing sun until they keeled over unconscious.
Clearly the lord of this castle valued loyalty and the readiness to follow orders above intelligence and instinct of self-preservation in his servants. Kodachi approved.
Without being seen she managed to climb and swing herself to an alcove in one of the towers that overlooked the inner courtyard. Squatting in the shadows like an exotic gargoyle she observed what was happening down below.
Two figures could be seen slowly circling each other on the cobblestones. One of them matched the description of Akane's masked abductor. The armor, cape and the iron mask made him look very much like the sort of swashbuckling hero or villain Kodachi had always hoped to meet. The only thing missing to complete the image straight from Dumas or Errol Flynn was a weapon.
Not that he would need a bow, foil or musket against the adversary he was currently facing. His opponent was obviously inferior in every conceivable way. The body language of the man in the iron mask was saying this clearly.
The opponent was garbed similarly fantastic. Unmistakably female she wore a strange outfit that included a veil, a collar and shackles on wrists and ankles. As Symbols of enslavement and submission they appeared to clash with the frilly ribbons running down her arms and legs. Those adornments would have looked more at home on the sort of silly magical girls that her brother liked to watch on TV. Kodachi was not a fan of such plebeian entertainment.
The outfit together with her proudly martial and aggressive bearing made the female fighter look like some sort of harem warrior or a fighting slave of a Pythagorean world.
Kodachi was deeply intrigued.
She could hear the man in the iron mask speaking now: "I declared that I would consider allowing you to partake of my wisdom and experience in the art of fighting when you were able to understand my lessons, but you are not yet ready to benefit from any lesson I might deign to give you, my future bride."
The Iron Mask, as Kodachi had nicknamed him in her mind, was a man after Kodachi's taste; strong and forceful. So self assured, his confidence in his own superiority was shining through in every move he made and every word he spoke. None of the petty self-doubts and insecurities that plagued lesser man seemed to affect him.
Unfortunately it seemed from what he had said, that he was already spoken for. The grunt from the veiled fighter could mean that she did not share his opinions about their coming nuptials, but Kodachi suspected that she was merely playing hard to get.
The fact that somehow the skirt and top of the veiled girl seemed to have become shorter as he said this only confirmed Kodachi's theory. She just did not understand just how the girl managed to modify her clothing to show of more of her body.
The Iron Mask continued addressing the girl: "You are not yet ready because even with all the help you have been given you have not yet learned to control your temper. As long as you allow your anger to control you during your fights you will never amount to anything, Akane."
Kodachi did a double take. The female fighter was Akane? Now that she looked for it, it was easy to see. It had not been the veil that concealed her identity, but the sheer inconceivability of picturing the boring and prudish Tendo girl in such an outfit.
The girl confirmed the identification by making a move typical of her. With a snarl she lunged at her opponent to force him to spar with her. The masked man neatly dodged.
The way Akane charged through empty air and her opponent's cape while he sidestepped and slapped her passing behind made Kodachi think of bullfighting.
The Iron Mask appeared to agree as he gave a loud "Ole!" when Akane blinded by his cape almost ran into a wall.
The fight, if such a one-sided confrontation could be called that, only lasted for a few more rounds. Kodachi was impressed that Akane managed to keep relative cool for so long, but when the Iron Mask started to laugh as she stumbled Akane lost it. Having given up all attempts to stay calm she made a last desperate charge.
The charge transformed into a waddle and finally stopped in a kneeling position.
Somehow Akane had become bound in her own ribbons. Her clothes had shrunk to reveal her nude body and her veil had turned into a gag. She was reduced to angrily glaring at him in humiliation while her opponent laughed.
Kodachi was pleased to notice that he also possessed a delightful sense of humor compatible to her own — something that every girl looked for in a potential partner. She did not know how he had done this to Akane. Unlike her delusional brother Kodachi knew that such things as magic sadly did not exist in real life, no matter how much she wished them to. But perhaps if there were hidden castles in the middle of Tokyo there might also be a "foul sorcerer" right here. She had no prejudices like her sibling and certainly did not object to anyone who would bring a bit of magic into her life.
Kodachi watched on as the masked man walked away leaving a bound Akane behind.
Akane this Kodachi knew was truly in love with Ranma Saotome. Somebody would have to be blind with denial and delusion not to see this. That meant two things for Kodachi: 1 her pursuit of Ranma was unlikely to ever succeed and 2 the masked man's vowing of Akane was equally doomed. Ranma was taken and the Iron Mask wasn't. The poor deer would need somebody who would dry his tears in the near future and it might just be her.
While Kodachi was musing on her future a new person had entered the courtyard. She, too was wearing a veil, but from her meek demeanor and her maid-like outfit Kodachi quickly concluded that she was merely a servant. The girl was pulling a small handcart after her towards the still bound Akane.
"Miss Akane, there you are," the servant exclaimed, "the Prince told me that he left you here."
Kodachi's opinion of the Iron Mask went up another notch upon learning that he was genuine prince.
"You really should control your temper better around Prince Wildpferd or he will never start to teach you, miss Akane," the maid chided her.
With a grunt that spoke volumes on the maids physical weakness she hefted Akane on the low four-wheeled cart.
"But don't worry, Little Ashes, will get you back to your quarters in not time." The maid announced as she carted Akane of into the interior of the castle.
But Kodachi did not care. Her new love had a name: "Wildpferd", a name that held promises of untamed strength and struck a familiar cord deep in Kodachi's soul.
Kodachi would have to proceed careful in winning his heart.
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(Posted Mon, 15 Nov 2004 19:35)
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