Hotaru's Ninja Niche

About Hotaru

You see Hotaru here, meditating on a mat of grass. Though she's facing away from you, you get the uncanny feeling she knows you're there. She slowly raises her head, and without turning, says, "Congratulations on making it past the guards. Nokanko has been into the sake again, I imagine."

Of course she has, you think. I left it out for her myself!

Hotaru slowly rises to her feet and turns towards you. "Greetings, stranger. Please, have a seat on the bench." You hadn't expected such a warm greeting, but you join Hotaru on the bench anyway.

Sitting nearer, you notice her features for the first time. Her skin is very light for an Agatean, making her fine black hair, tied back in a ponytail, stand out. Despite the cool weather, all she's wearing is an elegant, ceremonial kimono made from the finest lilac colored silk, the sleeves falling nearly to the ground. You notice her slender feet are unadorned, yet they appear impeccably clean. She's of average height and you guess her to be only 19 or 20. Her almond shaped eyes are so incredibly large and brown you can't help but stare. She returns your gaze unflinchingly and without blinking.

"I assume you have either come here to train as a Ninja or kill me. Either way, I feel I must explain some things to you about the Ninja, and about myself. We are a proud establishment with a long history. In fact, no one really knows how we came into being, only that we exist and have always existed. Some people may scorn us for the work we do, but we fulfill a vital role in contemporary society and politics. We take great pride in our work and find it to be most honourable."

She pauses and waits, as if she expects a response. You feel a bit disconcerted. The last thing you expected when coming here was to be lectured on the history of the Ninja.

After waiting a few more uncomfortable moments in silence, she stands and offers her hand to you. "It is time for us to take our tea. Please follow me. The guards will not harm you."

You stand but cross your hands behind your back. You know she must be up to something and are taking no chances. Seeing this, she smiles ambiguously and motions you to follow her out the door. She leads you back to the pond where you first entered, but this time you take a path off to the left towards what appears to be a garden. She pauses briefly to inspect a few of the herbs then continues on to a corridor.

"As is customary, we shall crawl as we enter the tea room." She turns her back on you, crouches down, and moves through the low door. You take a quick look around, suspecting a trap or ambush but see nothing. Reluctantly, you follow her into the room.

When you come inside you see Hotaru whispering to an older woman in the corner. They are behind a short table, abutted by tatami mats on both sides. On the table are very simple looking pieces of crockery and bamboo cooking instruments.

The other woman moves around the table and kneels on one of the tatami mats on your side of the table. "This is Tu, our resident tea master. She has decided to allow me to perform the ceremony for you." Hotaru motions for you to take your place beside Tu. When she sees you're ready, Hotaru bows deeply to both you and Tu then sets to work preparing the tea.

You can't help but admire the gracefulness and fluidity of her movements. Taking in your surroundings, you notice that the room is very plainly decorated. The only furniture is the rough hewn table before you and the mats on which you kneel. To one side is a small fire where Hotaru is now heating some water and in the back of the room is an alcove with a single scroll hanging in it. You try to read what it says but can't understand the Agatean symbols.

Your attention is drawn back to the table as Hotaru places a small cup of tea before both you and Tu. Tu reverently picks up her cup in both hands and sips at the liquid inside. You follow suit, but just as the cup reaches your lips you stop. You had been warned against exactly this! Yes - it was the old man on the docks where you first set foot in Agatea. He told you she would do this, and that she would lace the drink with poison. You sniff at the liquid guardedly. You can't sense anything, but not one to take your chances, you pretend to drink from the cup, being very certain none of the liquid enters your mouth, and set the cup back on the table.

You look up to see Hotaru looking directly at you. Her face is unreadable, but nonetheless you refuse to pick up your cup again. You continue to stare at eachother for a few agonizing minutes while Tu finishes her cup. As she sets her empty cup on the table she sighs heavily and says to Hotaru, "That is enough. You must leave now."

Hotaru finally breaks the uncomfortable eye contact with you and sets about cleaning up. When she finishes she looks up at you again. This time you take a bit of satisfaction in sensing malevolence behind those sparkling brown eyes.

"Very well," she says icily. "Follow me." She stands, moves across the room and crawls through the small door again. You look to where Tu was sitting, but she is now on the other side of the table, presumably carving additional whisks and spoons from the bamboo in her hand. Taking one last, suspicious look behind your back, you crawl through the small exit as well.

In the corridor, Hotaru is waiting for you patiently, a calm smile decorating her lips once again. You expect some biting remark from her, perhaps You're not as stupid as you look!, but she only smiles and says, "This way please," heading down the hallway, deeper into the guild house.

After wending your way through a couple more corridors, you come to what appears to be a nexus in the guild. There are five doors leading out of this room, as well as a staircase to the upper level. "I would like to show you how I prefer to spend my time when not on missions for the guild." She opens the door on your left and waves you through it. You draw a deep breath, bracing yourself for what horrors you know must await you, and move apprehensively through the door.

TO BE CONTINUED...