Echoes of the Requiem

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Rin and Kaze both looked puzzled. As far as they knew, Altimeria didn't have a slum like this beneath. Or perhaps it was more its own city entirely than a slum, a city where depravity reigned and the iron fist was the only law around. It didn't take any great amount of thinking to figure that much out. However, neither liked the idea of being swallowed up down here.

"Um... Thanks?" Kaze winced, not feeling too durable at the moment. Her whole body ached, probably because she'd managed to hit every possible thing on her way down. It was a miracle she was actually on her feet.

"I didn't exactly have choices..." Rin said, defending himself. He'd known full well that that wasn't a fight he was going to win. Heck, a fight that he was supposed to win that didn't involve him going against a cripple was almost certainly one he was going to lose being skinny and untalented as he was. He'd never actually been in any fights but he knew one thing and that was that he was pretty bad at any kind of athletics and fighting was just athletics but a little more violent.
 
"Well ... giving the girl over was an option." Ila said casually gesturing toward Kaze as if it was just something to be done. "But playing the hero is always a good choice too." She said with a shrug, surveying their surroundings for a moment then starting off toward the mouth of the alleyway. "You got names?"
 
Rin and Kaze introduced themselves, the latter more reluctant. To Rin, basically selling someone seemed like an unthinkable thing, much less someone he didn't particularly dislike. Maybe it had been a joke or something but he'd never take that kind of thinking seriously. It kind of conflicted with the fact that Ila had helped them so he decided that she probably wasn't a bad person and just let it go.

"It was about as likely to happen as sharing," he shrugged with a hint of a sarcastic tone.

Kaze on the other hand was fuming, either not picking up or not caring about how serious the topic was. She was not someone's belonging or some object to be handed off. Sure, this girl had helped out but this kind of thinking in general didn't sit too well with the miko, nor did anything or anyone in this kind of place, this Lower Altimeria, really. If it was her, it'd be burnt to the ground as a pond of scum beyond redemption. Glancing out into the street had been enough to solidify that judgment.
 
Ila took note of the names and gave a very brief introduction of herself in return. She was rude, but not without SOME manner of civility. Aside from that, she kept her occupation to herself. Trust was a hard thing to give given their situation, and the only thing Ila had on her side was the fact she seemed to be their only ally.

What would they think if they knew she was essentially a hitman? she had no reason to assume they wouldn't think she was there to finish off the job of the soldiers under a different contractor. No, better to keep that to herself until it became relevant.


Introductions aside, Ila took some amusement in Kaze's clear opposition to her suggestion of Rin handing the girl over like some belonging. A small snicker escaped her and she gave an understanding nod to Rin before starting off up the alley. "Now now, Princess. You heard the boy, he likes you too much to hand you off to some other guy." Ila teased, gesturing for Rin and Kaze to follow her. they'd stick to the alley's to keep out of sight. Drawing attention by running through the streets would only lead them right to them. The alleyways were twisty in Lower Altimeria or "LowTown" as some of the locals called it, and lucky for them, Ila knew them like the back of her hand.

"We'll take refuge at one of my hideouts until we can figure out how to get you guys out of town. From there, we'll have less prying eyesand be able to work out a plan. As well as figure out WHY they're after you." She said, glancing back at them in question, searching their faces to see if either of them might have anything to hide concerning the matter. "sound good?"
 
Kaze followed along after Ila, biting her lip to keep from lashing out at the cheeky little girl. She had no way of knowing her way around this place and while she had no trust at all for her, there wasn't a choice. If she didn't follow, they'd be caught by the soldiers and if Ila turned out to be a hostile, they weren't in any condition to fight her off anyway. Even if she wasn't hurt, Ila was a lot faster than her so it wouldn't take much to grab Rin and run for it. The kid couldn't fight to save his life. She couldn't even dislike him given the fact that he'd stood up for her but he might as well be a rag doll that could walk. Civilians might not have anything exceptional to do but most weren't nearly as weak as he was.

"And why you decided to help us without seeing money but yes," Kaze added flatly. This was one thing that she was very interested in knowing. She had no idea what it was that Rin had that Hitogami had wanted but whatever it was, it was very, very important, enough to double cross a god over but information wasn't something she was giving for free. If possible, she'd like to keep it ambiguous whether they knew what it was that he had. If it was some kind of weapon, it meant that despite Rin's pathetic performance, he could be enough of a possibility of a threat to keep thoughts of selling off out of Ila's mind. Whether or not she had those ideas right now, Kaze was more than a little mistrusting of everyone down here. She glanced back at Rin who looked pretty oblivious the whole time. It wasn't too surprising. His brain was probably vegetating out after being chased around more than he'd even been in his life.
 
The addition from Kaze made Ila turned her head, but she couldn't answer it. "Seems to me that even if I told you it wouldn't change the fact you don't trust me. Isn't that right, Miko?" She said with a half smile, leading them farther and farther still from the bar they'd met. Shadows seemed to dance along the walls as the alley opened up a little bit, shady characters kept to themselves, huddled around flaming trash cans and some drunks passed out in the middle of the walkway. "Careful, they look harmless, but some of these guys will snatch and run if you pass too close."
 
"You could try," Kaze suggested though she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer if it meant that she'd have to watch her back even more than she was already. This place was eerie, every little thing putting her on edge. In a place where there was no law, everyone was dangerous just because of desperation if nothing else. When not getting your way meant a good chance of death, people tended to try extremely hard and do things they normally would even consider. Her injuries made it even more uncomfortable. Rin seemed blissfully unaware of Ila and Kaze's little exchange, more interested in getting to a safe place where he could sit down.
 
Ila gave a brief nod, but left the conversation hanging there as they entered the apartment building. The halls were dimly lit, but they were surprisingly clear. Not CLEAN, but there were no sleeping homeless, or piles of trash and belongings. This was the underground.. people stole and killed for their belongings, so it was only natural they kept everythign they owned inside their homes and shoudl they need to flee, they needed a clear path to run with as much as they could. That being said however, it was remarkably quiet after they'd passed a few doors in on the third floor.

Ila stopped at a door that looked no less run down than the rest. The finish peeling and door rusted and the number on the door had been scratched off by something, even around the keyhole there was a ton of scratches where someone had obviously been too drunk to properly open the door, and there was a large crack where said person had had enough of the doors "nonsense."

When it was opened however, it became clear why it had been so quiet. Ila and Dante's home took up 6 rooms of the building where it seemed they'd built a sort of mansion within the building itself. The wood was finished on the floors and there was a set of stairs the lead up the furthest wall and split up the sides to the second floor. The entrance was well furnished and there was even a reading corner with books on dark magic and mythology. and all along the walls there was a collection of unique items from all corners of the world, mainly weapons in certain places but it was all tasteful.

Ila entered off to the side, avoiding the reading corner and headed for the steps while pulling out the slip of paper her sister had given her. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back."
 
Kaze shook her head, understanding that she probably wasn't going to be getting an answer right away and that she had no way to force the issue in her condition. Rin seemed to just be following along, mechanically moving. It wasn't too surprising as he looked exhausted. He was just a normal kid having to run for his life for the first time so it wasn't all that surprising but his complete lack of response despite being in a place like this made her wonder if it was just that he'd been gripped with shock. She would have just started getting answers about how to get back to the main city but that wouldn't work at all. She had no way of telling when Kaminari was going to return and if they came back too early or ran into Hitogami first, they'd have simply failed. So she did about the only thing sh could do at the moment, rest and pray. She didn't pay much attention to the room and the numerous probably mostly stolen things in it. After all, they wouldn't be here for long.
 
The time that passed was brief, and soon Ila had reappeared at the top of the steps, leaning forward on the railing to observe the two as they seemed to completely ignore her request for them to get comfortable. A slight sigh escaped her. There was no helping it.. she was technically not a friend of theirs after all. Merely a way for them to get out of the sight of the soldiers.

That being said, Ila figured it would only be a matter of time before soldiers asked the right person who she was and her reputation would bring them right to her doorstep. In the Underground "The Blade" could go a long ways, her reputation would keep the loose lips of snitches shut, but for the right price and feigned protection....SOMEONE was going to talk.

She considered Rin, but noticed the young man just sort of....'there' and gave another sigh. From behind her she pulled out a small bag, and with a swift toss it was quickly fired for his chest. She would've aimed for his head, but knocking the boy out wasn't going to bring him back to earth. "Dress your girlfriends wounds... Miko. Tell me why you ended up in my city?"
 
Rin grabbed for the bag much too early, leaving it to bounce off his hand. He started to lean back but it nailed him in the chin, dropping him back into the chair behind him. The bag landed in Kaze's hands. She pulled up a chair and sat down, handing the bag over. It didn't take much to decide what she was going to tell and what she was going to keep secret. At this point, she knew so little that secrets weren't really even secrets. It was common knowledge that they wanted Rin. Any idiot could deduce that. The fact that he had something valuable was obvious too. If he didn't, they wouldn't be chasing him. So she started from the beginning, hitting all the major bases. In short, she'd been tasked by the god to bring him in, reasons she wasn't graced with. She'd had to sneak Rin past the soldiers to get to the temple only to find that the head priest wanted whatever he had and managed to blow a hole in the floor which had led to them dropping. Meanwhile, Rin had managed a clumsy bandaging job, not that most of the wounds would benefit from wrapping, being numerous bruises more than large cuts. He stayed silent the whole time as if thinking about things.
 
The story was given, and in all honesty, Ila didn't understand all of it. This was more Dante's area of expertise but Ila understood the main idea was that SOMETHING about this mute of a boy was special. She recognized the threat of having an entire congregation after them and thought that perhaps staying in her home wasn't such a good plan. Even in the underground there were religious zealots and people starving to regain their grace in the eyes of whatever god or goddess they decided to follow. Even though their lives were primarily run by the select few no one dared to challenge, some people in these cold dark underground roads and passages still sometimes hoped to return to their lives in bliss and wished they'd never found the truth of the lies they'd been told topside.

Ila had a feeling it was only a matter of time before they were found.. and if that was the case..where would they go? She supposed they could go to find answers... but where? Then the spaced out look in Rin's face began to bother her. Here they were, the women making the plans and trying to figure out how to not DIE and the one man in attendance was zoning out in his thoughts. Ila had half a mind to throw something at him..but as Kaze was her only source of information she thought it unwise to risk hitting her. Still, she narrowed her eyes and yelled out to gain his attention.

"Hey! IDIOT!" She said in a rude tone. " Some input would be nice as we're trying to save YOUR ass!"
 
Rin looked up from botching the bandaging job. He didn't have any idea of what was going on any better than they did.

"You want me to figure out how to stay alive in a place I don't know that's full of people who want to kill me? I couldn't even keep myself from getting beaned with the med bag," he said, "Just what are you expecting me to do?"

Right. Now they asked the kid who couldn't even do sports to save his life to actually save it. He wasn't going to manage to come up with anything better than running around and hoping that if he hid under a rock long enough they'd forget about him. That was what he did before when people didn't feel like leaving him alone but somehow he was pretty sure that that wasn't going to work this time. Kaze just sighed and reminded herself that Rin was just a civilian.
 
Ila frowned at that, lowering her gaze to really take stock of the young man. Again she found herself wondering WHY this young man was so suddenly Altimeria's #1 fellon.. but even still, she couldn't help but to feel a little bad. Some part of her feeling guilty for questioning him as if he would have all the answers.

"..right.." She said while reaching up to rub at the back of her neck a bit uncomfortably. she wasn't going to apologize.. not to some kid.. but still.. she felt the NEED to. Instead, she chose to let out a long sigh. They were going to get nowhere.. just what did she think would happen? That all the answers would magically appear now that she brought complete strangers into her home?

Not likely.. What would Dante do?

Ila's eyes moved to the bookshelves. Which one would hold the answer? What kind of book would have information that would help them right now?

The shadows stirred at the entrance to the home, shifting upwards and splitting into vapors to reveal the mature young Dante in full stride, naturally, she paused. Staring at Rin, then Kaze, then looking up to Ila with a an annoyed glare. "...So you bring fugitives to our home? our HOME ila? Really? No. Out. All of you, Get out before you bring those bastards crashing down on us!"
 
Rin looked over at Dante with surprise. So they knew each other. It got him thinking but stuff was starting to cease to surprise him. On the other hand, Kaze was far from at a loss for what to do. Taking him by the arm, she dragged him towards the door. As far as she was concerned, this was a perfect time to hit the road. To her, Ila was only trusted out of necessity and this other woman seemed even further from looking to harbor them. If nothing else, it was hard to see what would stop her from selling them out.

"Thanks for the hospitality. We'll just go," she said, opening the door. She doubted her ability to really protect Rin on her own but these two just weren't safe either. It seemed like a far more reasonable idea to just evade capture till Kamikaze came back. Then all of this could be solved. Surely the god would remember that he'd ordered her to find the kid and that there was now a large hole in the middle of the temple floor. That would be hard to miss. Then if it was as important as the priest was making it out to be, they'd be found. Or so she told herself.
 
Ila almost panicked, "W-Wait a second! Dante! Come on!"

Dante leered toward her sister. Sure, Dante had a fleeting interest in the boy's strange aura but she had no intention of having soldiers ruining her beloved books and collectibles. "It's hard enough as it is keeping the place tidy enough for company without you bringing in stray enemies of the upper level!"

"But don't you see they need help." Ila argued. " What chance do those two have down here? They'd be turned over to the soldiers or killed and lost down here forever!"

Dante's dark brows piqued at this. "..And since when have you cared for more than the company of those who's odor is thrice stronger than their drink lathed breath..?" she asked, half amused even as Kaze and Rin were headed for the door. "What is it about these two that fascinates you?"

Ila simply frowned and looked off to the side. "I dunno..."

Dante eyed her sister for a moment then looked to Kaze and Rin before giving an exhausted sigh just as Kaze was excusing herself. Dante raised a hand, ladies didn't rush and jump in front of people afterall, and spoke as calmly as she could muster. "Hold it.. Just a second. At least tell me what you plan to do. Maybe.. Maybe we can help you get safely where you need to go?"
 
Kaze thought about whether to answer or not for a few seconds but once again came to the decision that it couldn't hurt. It wasn't like she was giving any details or that there were any details to give.

"We're going to avoid capture for a few days and wait till Kamikaze gets back," Kaze replied. For about the first time since his arrival, Rin scoffed at her.

"If this was really that important, the god took a terrible time to go on a trip. If it were so important, I wouldn't have budged."

It wasn't that he had a better idea of what to do but he was not nearly so hopeful that help would just come and everything would be solved. Cynicism was one of a few byproducts for being talentless in a world that revered geniuses and prodigies. Kaze inwardly groaned as she would rather do things on her own than with a bunch that she didn't even marginally trust. Even if doing it on her own seemed just as daunting a task.
 
Dante listened to the plan and then Rins cynicism with some bit of intrigue. "The boy has a point... something doesn't quite sit right here.." she intoned and a glint of intrigue passed through her eye. Who could resist the possibility of a secret that involves the gods? Directly at that. Sure the gods affected their daily lives, via mikos, priests, shamen, but this looked like it was something far higher up the ladder.

"And what if your beloved Kamikaze is involved in your pursuit? Perhaps you should try to rely on more than just blind faith.." She said calmly, not trying to come off as judgmental, then turned her gaze to Rin. "Come here for a second, boy. I would like to take a look at you.. maybe see what it is that they are chasing you for."
 
Kaze looked at Dante, offended. To her, it seemed simply stupid, nonsensical to consider that. After grasping for a good reasoning for a few moments, she found it.

"I brought him to the temple. If Kamikaze wanted him, all he had to do was take him and there wouldn't have even been a struggle. It isn't like he could get away on his own," she pointed out. No god would have needed trickery or deceit for so simple a task and it wasn't like there was a benefit to having Rin haphazardly run loops around who knew where before bringing him in. On the other hand, Rin wasn't so quick to defend the god and made his way over to Dante. He'd already decided that at least for the moment, he had no better options and that she could off him any time so he wasn't exactly losing anything by having her have a look at him.
 
Ila couldn't help but nod at Kaze's reasoning.. It was sound. A god was..godly right? Why would he need to chase someone? "The Miko's got a point, Dante.. Maybe you're over thinking this whole thing."

Dante gave a thoughtful nod to Kaze and when Rin moved to her she began walking in a slow circled around him. "A fair point.. Though I wouldn't allow faith blind you to the possibility. A god is only as powerful as their following.. Don't get me wrong, they're gods for a reason, but they also try to keep their followers happy. If your god stole something from a human, would that not make the god seem vulnerable? That a Human child..however pathetic (No offense, my boy.) would hold something of importance to a god?"
 
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