Home Is Where the Hearth Is

Life, Relocation

By cutting an indirect path around the side of the arena, Maxim and Fubuki (currently disguised as Hospodar Mikhail) were able to bring their dangerous cargo back to Yakisoba Yashiki without actually taking it through town. The Eerie Tree had actually been quite docile during their journey. However, that didn't excuse the risk they'd be taking by bringing the thing which had effectively killed Aotsuki Tsukamoto into a major population center. So, while it took a little longer, the two opted for the safer option.

When they did arrive at the front of the Yashiki, both saw that the door was still open and the yard still scuffed up. That seemed to speak to Mikhail himself still being asleep, but Maxim caught something on the edge of hearing. Carried by the soft wind, he could just make out someone humming a lullaby from inside the manor. That could be just the person he wanted to talk to, so he resolved to check it out. First, they had to do something about this tree.   Carrying the planter around the side of the building and into the courtyard, they found the spot where Ryūzaki Sanosuke had ripped this tree up and tossed it into the sky. It was already filled in, a result of Fubuki burying Roberto Fernández there after his mighty duel with Maxim. Not really knowing what the tree wanted or needed, Maxim merely plucked it out of the planter with his enormous strength and plopped its roots down on the freshly-churned soil. Those arboreal appendages dug deep into the dirt, anchoring the Eerie Tree there as its "face" adopted a serene expression. If the creature had any complaint about being planted over a corpse, Maxim couldn't make it out.   With their good deed finally accomplished, Maxim and Fubuki dusted their hands, figuratively and literally, and moved on to checking out the source of that humming within the manor. It didn't take them long to find. Moving down the familiar rooms and hallways, they found themselves in the red-curtained sitting room. As Maxim suspected, Kenas-unarpe Kamui was there in her mockery of a maid's uniform, cleaning up the very blood she'd spilled from Fubuki's veins. The bloodletting goddess acted remarkably casual for having been locked in mortal struggle with one of them mere hours before. Soon, Fubuki realized that this was because he was still disguised a Hospodar Mikhail. Kenas-unarpe thought her boss was in the room.   Dropping the disguise, Fubuki elicited a hyperbolic reaction of shock from the Kamui, who then dropped that act almost immediately. She appeared more tolerant of their presence than actively hostile. Maxim took advantage of the situation to drive to the heart of why he wanted to speak to her. With a bit of baiting and a bit of coercion, he hinted that he had some particularly dangerous prey to hunt, and might be convinced to invite her along. Although Kenas-unarpe had fed quite well recently on Fubuki's abundant "vitality," she still hesitated turn down such an offer. Eventually, Maxim decided to drop the name of his target, learning in to whisper: "Honda Tadakatsu."   Perhaps it was the patronizing way Maxim had been spinning his line, or perhaps it was simply because he presented his neck so temptingly by leaning in like that, but Kenas-unarpe went for the kill. She bit down forcefully on Maxim's exposed jugular, and only the sudden appearance of Hostimentum cloaking his body prevented him from sharing Fubuki's fate. The two backed off from each other again, the Kamui hissing for a moment before regaining her composure. By that point, it seemed the deal had soured. Kenas-unarpe wasn't interested in whatever hypothetical meal Maxim was dangling in front of her, and didn't even know who Honda Tadakatsu was to begin with. She invited him to visit with her later, alone, in a secret place to talk about it in more detail, but both Maxim and Fubuki immediately saw that for the trap that it was.   The pitch-black maid shooed the two out so she could get back to work on cleaning the manor, and our heroes allowed it to happen. Back in the foyer, Fubuki decided to take* her leave. Throughout the exchange, she* had been communicating telepathically with the clan's Daimyō, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, and now sought to join her* elsewhere. Maxim, meanwhile, stalked out to the back rooms of the manor. When he reached the organ room, with its plush carpet and towering pipes, he slammed a fist down to the floor in frustrated rage. His plan to recruit extra muscle against Honda Tadakatsu had fizzled out.   While he remained like that, head and fist down in anger, something caught the Knight Commander's eye. In the nearby hearth, almost unnoticed, a small ember had sparked to life and was now burning merrily. Maxim stood, rage momentarily overcome by curiosity, and walked over to investigate. As he approached, the spark grew into a flame, then a blaze, then exploded. A wave of soot and char washed over Maxim, blotting out everything else in the room. Although he raised his arm in time to protect his face and eyes, his clothing was now in dire need of a wash.   There in the hearth, where the ember had burned moments before, crouched a girl. She boasted dark hair, sooty white clothing, and a wooden mask of exotic make bound to the side of her head by a piece of red thread. After her coughing fit subsided, she finally was able to speak to Maxim. Apparently, he was the reason she was there. The girl seemed almost as confused as he was, but explained that she'd noticed him having a bit of a hard time, and so had popped out to make sure he was okay. As for who she was and where she was from... she had a hard time answering. People used to call her Fuchi, of that she was pretty certain.   Apparently driven only by the desire to see Maxim feel better, Fuchi promised him a gift if he'd cheer up. Once his initial protestations were waved aside, Maxim admitted that he favored two-handed swords like the one he'd brought from Albion. To that, Fuchi stuck her hand back into the hearth, which lit up like a furnace. After fishing around in the dancing flames for a moment, she returned with a black iron sword bigger than she was. Staggering a bit under the immense weapon's weight, she passed it on to Maxim. He took it cautiously, taking time to examine the Hearthforged Zweihander. It seemed of decent make, and extraordinarily dense even for its size. Near the base of the blade, a signature read 長曾禰 虎徹, "Nagasone Kotetsu."   This was as fine a gift as anyone could expect from mysterious girls crawling out of hearths, so Maxim made certain to thank her. Before Fuchi could reply, however, the fireplace belched ominously, then blasted out another violent fountain of soot. The poor girl in front of Maxim took the brunt of this explosion and he was able to avoid any more damage to his clothing by simply taking a step back. When the dust subsided, both Fuchi and a new arrival were coughing up a fit near the hearth.   The woman who had just crawled through the "door" left open was something to see. She was dark of complexion and taller even than Maxim, with burning red hair and a burnish to her skin. With an enormous smithing hammer swinging about, she crawled out of the too-small hearth and stumbled to her feet before accusing Maxim of stealing her work. She could only mean the greatsword little Fuchi had pulled from the fireplace, which meant this was probably Nagasone Kotetsu herself.   Maxim professed honestly that he was just as confused as she was, but at the same time felt quite taken with this new woman. After seeing his towering, muscular form, Kotetsu's own frustrations subsided. Neither of them quite noticed as Fuchi edged back guiltily to the hearth and vanished inside. Maxim was certainly big enough, and that sword would obviously be devastating in his hands, so it'd be a waste if he didn't keep it now. Kotetsu looked a bit defeated as she admitted that. She wasn't happy about how this had all ended up, but at least she'd found someone worthy of wielding her weapons.   Apparently, the smith had been working quite happily away when a small hand had popped out of fire in her forge and nabbed one of her weapons. Naturally, she'd crawled in after it, and that's how she'd ended up... wherever she was now. Maxim was able to help with that, at least, and offered to escort Kotetsu back to Shimonoseki while the two chatted. The other accepted his offer, and the two found their way out of Yakisoba Yashiki into the chill autumn air once again.   At that moment, Maxim got an annoying ping from Yoshitakatomo inviting him to some adventure in the Dreamlands, but he had more important things to do. Kotetsu occupied his whole interest as she described a bit of her past. Working originally for Ishida Mitsunari of the Oda Clan, she'd quit that job after the general's embarrassing defeat against Aotsuki Tsukamoto at Ōtsu Castle. Then, she'd gone to Fukui and gotten by making commissions for nobles and samurai, but her heart wasn't really in it. What Kotetsu really wanted was a job from a big name in Japan, someone she could hitch herself to and really do something with her skill. That opportunity had come recently from Mōri Motonari, who had her working on a secret project on the outskirts of Shimonoseki.   Maxim listened politely and interjected only with his own experience of meeting Ishida Mitsunari. As the sun passed its zenith in the sky, the two continued to chat amiably on their way down the road into Shimonoseki.   Having spoken at length about herself, Kotetsu began to express her curiosity about Maxim. That he was a foreigner wasn't too strange in Shimonoseki, but he'd said before that he attended a meeting with Ishida Mitsunari. That must make him someone pretty important, or so Kotetsu asked to confirm. Maxim shrugged off the question with a humble statement that he didn't consider himself a big shot, just someone who works with the Hashinara and Aotsuki clans. When asked about how well that paid, Maxim dropped his humility and said that it was enough to purchase Shima Province.   That got Kotetsu's attention. She was looking for somebody with ambition and power to work for after this Mōri job, so... But she couldn't just take Maxim at his word. She didn't know anything about the guy except that he'd somehow stolen a weapon through her forge. So, she gave him an option for later. If he and his organization ever found themselves in need of a blacksmith, he could bring her a letter of introduction from someone with a bit of clout. If that paper confirmed the amazing things Maxim was saying about himself, then she'd sign on, assuming she didn't have another job lined up.   Although it wasn't the clean recruitment Maxim had been secretly hoping for, it was definitely a step in the right direction. After confirming Kotetsu's whereabouts at the Old Ōuchi Manor outside town, the two found themselves arriving in Shimonoseki. Since Maxim was headed to the arena after this and Kotetsu wanted to inform her partner she wasn't ash in the forge, this is where they'd part ways. First, Kotetsu promised that she'd come and watch Maxim's next match, provided he used that weapon she gave him. With a fond farewell, Maxim turned and headed to the arena for the afternoon matches. That was a unique and valuable meeting, and he felt sure somehow that he'd see Nagasone Kotetsu again.   First, there was one last thing to do. On the way back, he stopped at a handy merchant and ordered a sizable amount of snacks and drinks for the rest of his companions. Perhaps with the offering, and a particularly juicy haunch of meat he'd picked out just for her, Haures wouldn't be too upset about his absence. Indeed, the feast was so large that Maxim was forced to hire a young Castillan lad, Jesús Fernández or something, to help him tote it the short distance to the arena.