Some time had passed since Leopold Sturm annihilated the Maoist camp and slayed Han Long at the request of the Nationalist Chinese government. After completing his mission, Leopold was left with a difficult choice; dispose of the freed captive who had witnessed his actions, or risk jeopardizing the sensitive nature of his deployment against the Chinese rebels.
Despite the legendary Hurricane's brutal capabilities, he remained a father in the depths of his heart. As such, it would have been impossible for him to strike down the young girl who he had rescued from the grasp of the wicked jiangshi. Ultimately, Leopold made the decision to bring the girl back to Nanjing, in hopes that she could be returned to Japan. However, upon meeting with an officer capable of speaking the girl's language, Leopold learned that she had little interest in returning to her home in Kyoto. The translating officer was in agreement with the girl- allowing her to return to Japan risked the secret protection agreement between Nanjing and Berlin being brought to light. In his opinion, it was better that she meet a swift and "humane" end.
Needless to say, this was unacceptable to Leopold, who eventually resolved to bring the young woman back to Berlin, for there was one detail of which Nanjing's military garrison was entirely unaware; this girl was an exceptional, or at least that's what Leopold believed.
It wasn't clear why the Hurricane had come to this conclusion. After all, there was nothing outwardly abnormal about the girl's appearance or abilities. While she clung tightly to the ceremonial sword that had been recovered alongside her, she displayed no particular aptitude with the weapon beyond a rudimentary understanding of posture and body movement. Nevertheless, Leopold's mind was made up, and faced with no superior alternative, it only served to reason that a young exceptional not be left to the mercy of the wilds or a hostile government.
Before their return to Berlin, however, there would be a detour. Leopold Sturm had been relayed a second mission during his brief stay in China. He was to be flown to Siam to partake in another secretive undertaking. The objective of this foray was a mystery, but its urgency was stressed greatly. Given the nature of the relationship between Japan and China, it would be dangerous for the girl to wait in Nanjing until Leopold could arrange for a transport to dispatch from the Fatherland. Because of this, she would have to accompany him to Siam.
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Aoi sat up against the headboard of her stiff, wooden bed. There she analyzed the stained pages of a half-century-old Japanese-to-German dictionary, illuminated by the flickering light of a bedside candle. After being overtaken by a deep yawn, the girl peered through the dark at a highly mounted wall clock on the far side of the room. Spying the hour hand about to strike eleven, she promptly removed the blue silk ribbon from her hair, tucked it into the page she had been studying, and closed the book. She then placed the book inside the nightstand drawer, snuffed the candle, and made herself as comfortable as she could.
As she closed her dusky eyes, Aoi repeated her day's gained knowledge several times over, internally. Before long, the girl drifted to sleep, aided by the subtle chirpings of crickets and frogs in the distance. However, her rest was to be short-lived.
Not two hours later, Aoi was awoken by a sudden thud. The noise swiftly repeated, pulling her back to full alertness. She sat up and quickly scanned the blackened room. Unable to make out any distinct shapes in the darkness, Aoi struck a match and relit the candle. She then held the candle aloft and slowly panned across the room. What she found left her stunned.
Aoi's cherished sword, previously left resting against the crude, plywood dresser next to the window, was nowhere to be found. The girl's heart sank as she immediately sprang from the bed and dropped on her hands and knees, frantically searching for the weapon. Clinging to hope that she had awoken to occurred when the sword slipped from its position and fell to the food floor, she anxiously turned and lit the underside of the bed with her candle. Unfortunately, she found nothing but cobwebs and dust.
Suddenly, a cool breeze wafted over Aoi's back, causing her head to perk back up. Looking up, she found the window wide open to the chilled, breezy night. Certainly, this was evidence that someone had broken in and stolen the sword while she slept. Determined to retrieve her stolen property, the girl hastily flung open the dresser and retrieved a long, brightly colored, lozenge-camouflage smock, which she promptly settled over her plain pajamas.
Sparing not a moment, Aoi then stepped toward the window, intent on climbing through. Yet, just before her fingertips made contact with the sill, the framed panes suddenly slammed down, obstructing her exit. Refusing to be dissuaded, Aoi spun around and rushed for the door. To her shock, she saw the Hurricane's famous two-meter-long greatsword leaning across the sealed doorway. Well aware of the weapon's mystical nature, Aoi dared not make any sudden movements.
Since arriving at the unassuming military checkpoint and settling into its diminutive quarters, Leopold had often left his sword behind during his nighttime expeditions. Despite having been placed in the corner of the room and its owner being long departed, the blade had somehow been relocated to the doorframe. While Aoi had long suspected the weapon to be functioning as a sort of ward to keep her secure, this was the first time that it had behaved in any anomalous manner.
Glancing back toward the window, Aoi considered the possibility that the sword had also been responsible for blocking that exit, as well. However, as soon as her focus shifted back frontward, the girl was met with a fright that threw all contemplation from her mind.
The sword's frosty blue eye was open.
While it remained fixed on Aoi's person, the reptilian slit pupil seemed to jitter in place, as if straining. Carefully, the girl began to back away, watching as the black rift dilated in response. Testing the blade, Aoi stepped left. Sure enough, the eye followed. With her curiosity yet unsated, she completed the same movement in the opposite direction. As to be expected, the pupil shifted to the right along with her.
Her own eyes narrowing with determination, the girl rushed forward before reaching past the sword and clutching the doorknob.
It wouldn't budge.
Against her better judgment, Aoi then clutched the sword's massive grip. Even with both hands, her fingers were barely able to cross around the tightly wrapped leather. Though she pulled with all her might, the weapon remained firmly in place. Certainly, she expected this blade to be heavy, but there was something more to its unmoving stability- something supernatural. While the eye lacked any sort of lid of which to contort and display its emotion, the piercing, unwavering stare conveyed a particularly deep scorn. Unsettled by the ceaseless draconic glare, Aoi removed her hands from the sword and slowly stepped back. She was certain to return a scowl as she made her way back toward the window.
The girl was hell-bent on retrieving her lost heirloom and it would take more than a sentient slab of steel to sabotage her efforts.
Inhaling deeply, Aoi turned and prepared herself to face potential injury. She then overpowered her reservations and struck the window pane with her elbow. The glass, however, did not shatter. Again the girl struck, but to no avail. Several attempts later, she was certain that the mystic blade's powers were at play.
Aoi clenched her fists, prepared to berate the greatsword in her own native language, to whatever end that might bring about. Surprisingly, as she spun around to face the door, she found the weapon to have relocated once more. It now rested beside the door, providing a clear path of exit, which she was quick to take advantage of. Aoi was soon disappointed to find the doorknob still inoperable. Frustrated, she turned to the weapon, only to find its eye closed. Interestingly, there was a short, beaded chain wrapped around the sword's hilt. At the end of that chain, a small dagger was attached by its pommel. Warily, Aoi reached her hand out toward the short blade, fully expecting the greatsword's eye to snap open as she attempted to retrieve it.
To her surprise, it remained closed.
The girl quickly unwrapped the chain and inspected the dagger. It was of the ceremonial variety, shining, clean, and adorned with a carved ivory eagle's head. Glancing up from her observations, Aoi noticed that the Hurricane's blade had moved again- this time back to its original position in the corner of the room.
The message was clear; she had the sword's permission to leave.
Paying the interaction not a second thought, Aoi turned the doorknob, completely unabated. She then exited the room, passed by Leopold's locked quarters, and slipped out of the building, into the dark night.
Upon her initial arrival at the checkpoint, Aoi was careful to survey the surrounding area for any landmarks of importance. Beyond that, the girl had taken the liberty to study a map of the surrounding area between her self-taught language studies. Because of this, Aoi was well aware that there was only one village within an hour's walk from the small, roadside barracks. If the culprit had taken her sword with the intention of pawning it for money, that would certainly be the first place to look.
Undeterred by the rough earth pounding against her unprotected feet, Aoi raced down the dirt road toward the distant lights at the end of the jungle path. During her haste, she passed by a candlelit shrine, complete with a striking golden figure at its center. Though its aesthetic intrigued the girl, there was no time to stop and admire the intricacies of its construction. As Aoi continued on, she was careful to keep her breath shallow, so as not to attract the unwanted attention of the untold legions of mosquitos patrolling the forested area.
Before long, the girl had arrived at the modest village. Despite it being well past 02:00, several inhabitants were out and about their varied business. As Aoi entered the populated area, she took care to stick to the shadows. After all, she spoke little Siamese. Were she to be confronted by the local residents, she might find herself in a more difficult situation.
Over the next few minutes, Aoi slinked around the darkened edges of the settlement. Luckily, it didn't take her long to locate what appeared to be a night market, complete with food and various other items. While she wished to run directly to the merchant stalls, Aoi knew that such action would not be in her best interest. So, suppressing her desire to quickly cut through the open, she crept around the entirety of the village exterior until she was capable of entering the market from behind.
In a stroke of luck, Aoi found a wide-rimmed straw hat hanging on the wooden door of one of the houses directly behind the stalls. Placing it atop her head, the girl then tilted it forward to obscure her eyes and stepped out into the open.
While there was some sparse activity in the marketplace, it was mostly limited to vendors returning their items to the security of locked crates and trunks in preparation for closing. Remaining hopeful, Aoi scoured the premises, desperate to locate her stolen property. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation was soon set upon her.
The sword was not here.
Clenching her jaw, Aoi looked down at her bruised feet and sneered. That weapon belonged to her deceased father. It was the only thing she had left to remember him by. Whatever spoils it might fetch in the hands of a thief, it had infinitely more value to her. Dishonored by the weapon's disappearance, the girl silently cursed herself for being complacent enough to allow its theft.
"Hey, what is that thing you're- ...?"
Aoi's eyes widened with the realization that someone was speaking directly to her. She could not understand the final word of their question.
"Hello?" the person pressed on, insisting on her attention.
With a resigned sigh, Aoi slowly turned and found herself face-to-face with a tall boy who appeared to be around her age.
Aoi cleared her throat and shakily inquired, "What did you say?"
The youngster reached out and playfully tugged at her loose sleeve. "This..." he chuckled, "What is it?"
Glancing down at her person, the girl was reminded of her smock's colorful camouflage pattern- better suited to fracturing silhouettes in the trenches of the Great War than walking the dirt streets of a Siamese village bathed in greens and browns.
"You look- ..." the spoke once more before bursting into laughter.
Aoi glared back at him from underneath her straw brim, unamused. Though she couldn't understand every word, it was clear enough that he was mocking her. Flustered, she flipped the wide hat back, allowing it to fall around her neck by its twine.
Unsure how to properly protest his actions in Siamese, Aoi simply snapped, "No more!"
A look of surprise quickly overtook the boy's face as his laughter subsided. "Oh... you're not from here, are you?"
The girl shook her head in the negative.
"Where are you from?" he inquired.
Aoi paused, uncertain if she should disclose such information. After resolving that it couldn't do much harm, she relented and answered, "Japan."
"Wow!" the boy exclaimed, "So- ... from home!"
With that, a low gurgling rumbled aloud. The young man, clearly entertained, raised an eyebrow as a smile lit up his face.
"Was that your stomach?" he asked.
Embarrassed, the girl looked away. At home, she was careful to never miss a meal. Under her current, volatile living arrangement, however, she found herself frequently foregoing supper to afford more time for her language studies. On this particular day, she had also neglected to eat lunch.
Giggling cheerfully, the boy motioned for her to follow him. "Come on if you're hungry, okay?"
Aoi stood as still as a statue.
"What's- ...?" he inquired with a curious tilt of his head, "Aren't you hungry?"
The girl remained unresponsive.
Crossing his arms, the young man inquired, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I do," Aoi replied coldly.
"Then come!" he asserted, "I'll give you food."
After inhaling deeply, Aoi returned a stiff nod. Though she was skeptical of the boy's intentions, the girl was confident enough in her ability to escape if things looked uncertain. On top of that, the dagger she had retrieved from Leopold's greatsword was concealed within her smock, and she would not hesitate to use it if threatened.
"I will follow," said Aoi.
The boy led her down a series of winding side paths until they came to a rotted wooden bulkhead door in the ground next to what appeared to be the local clinic. He then began to unceremoniously pound on the hatch with his foot until a small, disheveled-looking young man flung the entrance open and beckoned them inside.
The youth accompanying Aoi then stepped aside and gestured for her to climb down the concrete steps. "Ladies first!"
Aoi quickly scanned the surrounding area to make certain that no one else would be following after them before hesitantly descending the short staircase. Near the bottom, the girl was forced to crouch down, as the ceiling was barely more than a meter high. As her companion closed the hatch and followed her down the steps, she glanced around the dug-out dirt room.
Two boys, including the one who had opened the hatch, and a girl waited inside the torchlit cavern. In the middle of the room was a chaotically piled mess of papers and open books, filled with messy, illegible foreign handwriting.
The young man who led Aoi to this hideout shouted an unknown command to one of his friends, who quickly removed a small loaf of bread from a sack next to him and tossed it toward Aoi. Though taken by surprise, the girl's quick reflexes allowed her to snatch it from the air.
"Sit," the boy behind Aoi urged as he pointed to the ground beneath her. Content with her meal, Aoi obliged.
Interested by her obviously alien appearance, one of the males turned to his friend who had entered alongside the girl.
"Who is she?" he inquired.
The other boy shrugged. "I don't know, she- ... speaks Siamese."
"What's your name?" the unknown girl in the corner suddenly spoke up.
"Aoi," the young woman replied in between starved bites.
The Siamese girl nodded in response. "I'm Dao."
Engrossed with her bread, Aoi didn't even look in the other girl's direction as she introduced herself.
"I'm Sunan," said the boy whom Aoi had first met in the market, "And that over there is Chai," he continued as he pointed to the young man who had let them in.
"T-that's Prawit..." added Chai as he pointed toward his final, unannounced companion.
Aoi did not care for their introductions, but she did make a mental note of Chai's nervous stutter. Should the need arise, his anxious nature could be exploited under dire circumstances. Equally noteworthy was the fact that Prawit was the only member of this little gang to remain silent.
Finding the aforementioned boy's silence more intriguing than the openness of the others, Aoi gave him a quick look over. Almost immediately, her face turned red.
Secured to Prawit's belt was her missing sword.
Flushed with rage, the Aoi lunged at him, striking her head on the low ceiling in the process. Pushing through the pain, the girl grabbed Prawit by the collar while simultaneously clutching the weapon's scabbard. Frightened by her outburst, the rest of the group quickly convened to restrain her.
"Let go!" Aoi shouted before giving Chai a vicious bite on his forearm.
Chai cried out in pain before falling over onto the dirt floor, clutching his wound.
Being the largest of his gang, Sunan took the lead in holding Aoi back. "What are you doing?!" he exclaimed in a panic, "Are you- ...?"
"That's mine!" she wailed, reaching toward the sword.
Summoning all his strength, Sunan managed to pull Aoi's hands behind her back and push her stomach firmly into the floor. "What's yours?!" he cried.
"That's mine!" she snarled, pointing at her stolen weapon once more, "It is mine, mine!"
Sunan shot his still-silent friend an angry look. "Did you- ... that?!" he inquired aggressively.
"I need it!" Prawit finally exclaimed back, "To kill the krasue!"
"Quiet!" Sunan snapped back, "There is no krasue, idiot!"
Tears welled in Prawit's eyes, catching Aoi off guard. "Yes, there is, Sunan! The krasue ate Pailin!"
"A- ... killed Pailin! Not a krasue!" Sunan replied angrily.
"Does the- ...?"
Aoi couldn't make out the majority of Prawit's final, emotionally charged question. One word, however, was quite clear throughout the heated exchange:
Krasue.
While the displaced young woman has bestowed a crash course in basic Siamese onto herself sometime just after arriving in the country, this word was one that she was familiar with long before ever arriving on the Asian continental mainland.
Known as Ma Lai in nearby French Indochina, the krasue was a vile creature that, according to local legend, feasted on the blood of humans and animals alike. To Aoi's recollection, it was a wicked spirit who appeared in the form of a woman's severed head, complete with its intact digestive system trailing behind as it floated through the air accompanied by dazzling scarlet lights.
While the exact details surrounding the creature's habits and appearance varied between accounts and fables, its rough description remained mostly consistent throughout history. Curiously, it seemed that this group of Siamese youths disagreed on the legitimacy of the krasue's existence.
To the contrary, Aoi was quite convinced of the existence of such malignant spirits- a particularly traumatizing experience in her past had resolutely decided that much.
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