“There’s a story everyone in my line of business knows. It’s about Shoji Nakamura, a brilliant Aynu artisan, who produced raw parts of such quality people would cut off their own healthy limbs just so they could wear a piece he made. The story goes, he was so obsessed with his work it eventually drove him to madness. Occasionally, bizarre reports about people, who wore his parts, came out in public and although none of them has ever been confirmed, vicious voices began to say that since Nakamura poured his soul into the parts he made, his madness dripped into them as well. Envious gossip, I’d say, and they certainly didn’t diminish the demand for Shoji’s work. Then all of a sudden the great artisan refused to produce any more parts and soon after he disappeared. That was thirteen years ago. His pieces have become the most sought-after and somehow legendary. They are considered perfection in itself.”

The Source’s quiet, empty stare made her aware of the enthusiasm in her voice. She looked away and added dryly: “Anyway, a Nakamura piece is every artisan’s wet dream.”

“Why were you so eager to meet Tengu?”

The personal nature of the question surprised her. “I told you, it was a good business opportunity,” she responded with some delay.

“Why else?”

“No other reason.”

The pressure of the tube against her head suddenly intensified, causing her a strange vibrating sensation around the temple. It didn’t hurt, but it was unpleasant.

“Don’t be reluctant to answer my questions,” said the Source. His seemingly encouraging tone contained a subtle warning.

She shifted her sitting position by folding her legs to the other side, and adjusted the tube, which extended at least four meters from her head, over the couch, to the wall. It was a discreet attempt to release the pressure on her temple, but it didn’t work. The strange vibration remained.

“Do you really have to ask? Wouldn’t you want to meet the man, whom the Emperor deemed the most dangerous threat to humankind since the Event?”

The pressure on her temple changed into a light pain and the frequency of vibrations increased. She got the impression of bees buzzing inside her head. The Source’s black eyes were staring at her motionless.

She hissed a curse and continued to talk: “I didn't care so much why, I admired how he carried out his acts. With a certain raw boldness and ingenuity, our world hasn’t seen in a long time. We were all stuck under this heavy, oppressive atmosphere of the Emperor’s rigid reign, and he...he was like a breath of fresh air…a change. I needed to see for myself who this man was. I guess I hoped that by being close to him, I’ll change too.”

“And did he fulfill your expectations?”

A mischievous spark kindled in her eye. “In the ways, I’ve never imagined.”

~~~

She looked at Tengu’s face, then at his offered arm, then at his face again. What he was implying was impossible. He was playing a twisted, dare game. But she could play it too. She stepped closer, reached behind her back, and pulled out her knife. It was the folding type with a spring-loaded blade of no more than ten centimeters in length. She fixed his little finger with her left hand and held the blade in its proximity.

“This will hurt,” she said, giving him a chance to back off.

He only nodded.

“Your decision,” she said and with the tip of the knife pressed under the edge of his nail. She flipped it upwards forcefully, exposing the soft skin underneath. She made an incision in the middle and squeezed the skin until the blood stopped pouring out. Even if this was an artificial piece she knew it hurt him like hell. The nervous system could not discriminate between different stimuli and conveyed them all, including pain. Yet, his hand remained perfectly still and he didn’t wince once. She wiped the blood away with her sleeve and spread the skin with the knife, revealing a metallic grey surface beneath. She flipped it upwards too, wiped more blood away, and examined it carefully. There it was -- the ancient Aynu character “Naka”, the authentic signature of Shoji Nakamura.

She let go of his hand and took a step backward. She didn’t suspect even for a moment, his left arm was artificial as well. It was perfect in the way only a Nakamura piece could be.

“Where did you get it?” she asked almost whispering.

“Could you please…” He pointed his chin at the open wound on his finger.

“Oh, right.” Swallowing the saliva that gathered in her throat, she stepped closer and put the nail back in its place. The blood, which settled beneath it, gave it a dark red color.

“You should dip the finger in the nano solution, it will heal--”

“I’ll deal with it later,” he said and pulled down his sleeve. “I showed you this in the hope you’d take me seriously. So, do we have a deal?” The half-smirk half-smile appeared once again on his lips.

She wiped the bloodied knife on her black pants and stashed it behind her back. Looking him in the eyes, she spoke calmly: “I made it a habit not to poke into my clients’ business. They ask me to do a job, I do it, no questions asked. The Settlements’ underground can be pretty colorful and I handled quite some bizarre requests. You, playing piano in a freaking cave – odd enough, but you having a Nakamura piece and wanting another one – that’s too weird, even for me.”

A concern flickered briefly in his eyes. He averted his stare and walked to the piano. His fingers passed over the keyboard, pressing a few random keys as he spoke: “You’ve been probably wondering why I retained this old piece when I could have replaced it easily with a newer model. The answer is, it wouldn’t matter to me. None of them would feel like the Nakamura and I can’t…I won’t settle for less.” With a sudden movement, he closed the fallboard and turned to her again. “You do understand that, don’t you?”

She shook her head, but she understood. Worse, she empathized with him.

“Where did you get the piece?” she asked again.

“If it was relevant to my request, I would tell you. But it isn’t.”

“How’s it not relevant? Do you even realize how exceptional it is that you have one Nakamura part? I’ve been dealing with body parts practically all my life and the only Nakamura pieces I’ve seen were the ones in my father’s old books from the Institute.”

His quiet stare was unsettling and she started pacing around the room. “You are aware Nakamura raw parts are not produced anymore?”

He nodded.

“The last ones were made more than a decade ago and are probably all used. To know the identity of the owners is practically impossible, as the pieces were custom designed. Anyway, killing people for body parts they already wear isn’t really my thing,” she said, throwing him a glance sideways.

He nodded again.

“If a piece would be in circulation, I’d know it. So far, every rumor about a possible Nakamura turned out to be nothing more than a wishful gossip. Orion’s resourceful and we have good connections, but I can tell you right now, there’s more chance of me having a tea reception with the Emperor than obtaining a Nakamura piece.”

She stopped and fixed her eyes on his. “Unless…you know something I don’t.”

He took his time to answer. “Perhaps, the tea reception wouldn’t be such a bad idea, considering the parts are in the royal lab of the White Palace.”

She made a step closer. This wasn’t just weird anymore, it was downright suspicious. “How the hell would you know this?”

“That’s something I’m not yet willing to share with you. You’d have to trust me.”

She stared at his face, hoping to find some traces of dishonesty, which would make her decision easier. But she found none, quite the opposite - she was certain he didn’t lie. An obscure part of her, immune to reason, experiences, and even instincts, began to consider his request as a viable possibility. She knew this wasn’t just another ordinary decision she had to make. It was one of those defining moments, which would tilt her life in a certain direction. She had to choose. Two options, two different fates. Either way, there would be consequences.

“Why do you need me for this job? You and your followers can do it yourself. After all, you did break into the Imperial warehouse.” If only he’d let it go, she was hoping quietly.

“The warehouse was an isolated building, and I lost two of my men on that day. We were lucky, very lucky to escape. As much as our attacks inside the Forbidden City might seem impressive, our subversive tactic would not work in this case. Getting inside the Palace requires a different, more sophisticated approach and people with the right connections. Besides, I wouldn’t even know what to look for. An expert in artificial parts is needed either way. I invited you here because I was told Orion’s Belt never failed their clients, no matter how demanding they were. But, if you decline, I will not hesitate to offer this job to someone else.”

“I’ll do it.” She was surprised at how easily words of such weight came out of her mouth.

Tengu’s face lighted up with satisfaction “Perfect!” he said. “I promise, I will assist you in every way I can. I’m very thankful for--“

“You said parts… are there more than one?”

“Well…yes.”

She resumed pacing. “So here’s what’s going to happen: we become an exclusive provider for your group, and whenever we need protection or help, you will be at our disposal. All the other pieces we take stay with me. And….I want 100 taels, regardless if we succeed or not, and I want them upfront.

“In silver or gold?”

“What do you think?”

“Fine,” he said after a moment of consideration. “I agree.”

“If you try to wiggle out from any part of the agreement, I’ll revenge. And don’t take this as an empty threat, because I know a whole lot of people that can make the life for you and your comrades harder than it already is.”

“Don’t worry, I’m more than a fair partner. I’ll prove it to you.”

It was a folly, one big folly. And yet, she was certain, more than ever, she made the right decision. “About the royal lab…is that the only information you have?“

“Yes, that’s the only confirmed information I have so far. If anything else comes up, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Okay, then. I’ll check the options and let you know about the plan. Now, if there’s nothing more, could you please show me the way out? And I’d be grateful if I could take the other path this time.”

“The other path?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out a piano wouldn’t fit in the tiny tunnel, I had to crawl through. If you ask me, that isn’t exactly the best way to treat guests. Especially, when you want something from them. You’re lucky I can take a bad joke.”

His eyes took on a playful glow. “It’s a good way to test a person, don’t you think?”

“If you want to test somebody’s claustrophobic tendencies, then yes.”

He smiled and opened the wooden door for her. As she was about the exit, he placed his left hand over her lower back and accompanied her out of his cave room. She quivered slightly at his touch but allowed it, regarding it as another odd courtesy on his part. There were no torches on the wall after Tengu's cave and as they left the illuminated part behind, the large hallway grew increasingly dark. They passed through a part of complete darkness and Ana had to rely on Tengu for guidance. He seemed to know the path by heart, for there was no hesitation in his movement. His hand on her back pulled her closer each time she stumbled or drifted in a wrong direction. She was not used to such protective treatment and as soon as there was enough light again, she slipped from his hold. The dim, flickering light came from oil lamps, placed at the entrances of a few smaller niches filled with containers and boxes.

“There’s a natural source of clean water inside the cave, but we do have to stock up on food,” said Tengu, noticing Ana’s interest.

“And on firearms.”

“That…just a few. As I said, breaking into that warehouse didn’t go exactly according to the plan. The Imperial guards were quick onto us. We couldn’t take much.”

Ana was tempted to inquire more, but the next niche filled with wooden cases attracted her eye. Inside a partially uncovered case on the top, she thought she saw apples. She stopped and looked again. She wasn’t mistaken, there really were apples.

Tengu walked inside, took an apple, and offered it to her. She took it with both hands, gazed at it for a moment, and then bit into it ferociously, devouring it with her eyes closed.

“By all means, here, take another one with you. I’ve never seen anyone eating an apple with such exhilaration,” he said, smiling at her.

She swallowed the last piece and wiped her mouth. “How come you have real food?”

“Well, some we appropriated from the Emperor’s friends in the Forbidden City. But these apples are from the locals around here. They grow them.”

“The locals?” she asked and quickly pocketed the second apple.

“I’ll explain…but…all in due time.” Eying her with a charming smile, he beckoned her to continue the walk.

The stalagmites and stalactites slowly disappeared and the smooth rocky surface changed into dirt walls. The light of the lamps was gradually replaced by natural light, creeping into the cave from somewhere upfront, and the sound of running water filled the corridor.

“Why the name Orion’s Belt?” asked Tengu, leaning closer to her as the gushing sound of water increased.

“Oh, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you one day…All in due time,” she shouted in his ear.

A breeze of cold air brought with it drops of water, wetting their faces. Soon after, a massive wall of water at the end of the corridor came into their view. They stopped just behind it. Ana stretched forward over the edge to see what was below.

Tengu grabbed her by the elbow. “You should be careful! The water is so strong it can pull you right with it!” he yelled out, his voice melting with the sound of the waterfall.

Relying on his grip, she leaned even more forward. Tengu was watching her, looking amused by her reckless move. She was well aware his grip was all that prevented her from falling over the precipice and she could see it in his eyes he was aware of it too.

He pulled her back and gestured for her to follow him. Behind one of the bigger rocks on the left side of the corridor was another underground passage, large enough to easily walk through.

“So this is the main entrance,” said Ana following Tengu close behind.

“Yes, this is it.”

“I could see a piano and a sofa fitting through here, but I keep wondering…why?”

“We spend quite some time in here. By and by, each of us brought in a few things. The sofa…that was a present from my comrades. To make my life a bit more comfortable, they said. And the piano, well, one of the locals was going to burn it, so I paid him not to. Everyone has his whims, playing the piano is mine.”

“Where did you learn to play?”

Before she got an answer, they reached the exit and walked out of the cave. Glad there was nothing else but an endless sky above her, Ana threw her head back and let the few sun rays that sneaked from behind the clouds bathe her face. She could now see the whole waterfall, dropping some hundred meters straight down, crashing into a whirl of foam far below and almost immediately transforming into a calm river. Like a large, lazy snake of a beautiful emerald green color, it moved peacefully through the ravine. She wondered if it was the same river, whose sound they heard last night during their hike.

“There’s a nice place to bath in the river further down. I can take you, if you wish,” Tengu proposed.

Another dare game, she thought. “Tempting, but no thanks,” she politely declined with a smug look. Even in the bright daylight, his face was exceptionally white.

A small, provocative smile curved his lips. “Perhaps another time then.”

They headed up the hill above the waterfall and came across a rather steep rock wall. Tengu climbed it quickly, while Ana lagged behind, unable to find a good hold. He offered her a hand and as she grabbed it, he pulled her up like she had no weight at all. She smiled to herself. The Nakamura piece lived up to its reputation.

Once on the top, it took them less than ten minutes to reach the spot where she so infamously crawled inside the rabbit hole. She noticed there were more rebels than before. Some looked tougher than the others, but their eyes all reflected the same savage desire for survival she often encountered on the streets of the Settlements. Tengu was different from all of them, and not just because of his antique prosthetic arm. The way he spoke, so softly and eloquently, the whiteness of his skin, his controlled politeness and manners, the way he moved with subtle elegance… He wasn’t just some random thug or a dissatisfied ex-boss that came from the Settlements and decided to rebel against the Emperor, neither did he fit in with anyone or anything else she’d encountered so far.

She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts that consumed her mind, and scanned the area for H. She spotted him further down the hill, tied to a tree. “What the…H!” she shouted and turned to Tengu. “Untie him! Immediately!”

Tengu seemed just as surprised as she was and before he had a chance to say anything, a very large man with a dark beard and puffy cheeks, one of them particularly red, tramped towards them.

“He wanted to follow her in the tunnel, boss. We had to immobilize him. He was a handful too,” blurted out the large man. “His punch threw me on my butt. Ichiro had to step in to contain him. He wouldn’t let go, though. Had to dislocate his shoulder too.” He was adjusting his jaw with his large, hairy hand while he spoke and then laughed out loud, joined by some of his comrades.

Ana ran towards H, but her path was blocked by the Aynu, who appeared out of nowhere.

“Move away!” she hissed.

“Ichiro!” Tengu’s voice came from behind her. The Aynu pierced her with his eyes and stepped aside at once.

She squatted by the tree and began to untie H. He grimaced as she tried to ease one of the thick ropes around his shoulders.

“Fuck, sorry…just a sec…here…”

H stood up, glaring at her while rubbing his left shoulder. “Where the hell have you been for so long?”

“Sorry, I got caught up in the conversation,” she mumbled and hitched the backpack with the sword onto her back. H picked up his machete just as Tengu approached them.

“This is--“ began Ana in haste.

“Your partner, I presume,” interjected Tengu, turning his full attention on H. “I apologize, my men can be overprotective sometimes, but they meant no harm. My name is Gabriel,” he said, offering his left hand.

H remained still. With the machete gripped tightly in his hand he narrowed his eyes on Tengu.

“Yeah, he does that…the old greeting way,” remarked Ana, grinning and battering her eyelashes at H, but he ignored her attempt to lighten up the situation altogether and kept his stare focused.

Tengu withdrew his arm. Bearing an expression of a well-versed host, he didn’t seem to be offended in any way.

“Hanneghan,” said H out of the blue.

“And your first name?”

He’s pushing it, she thought, observing the situation quietly. Tengu, who was shorter than H and, at least in appearance, less strong, seemed to be completely unaffected by H’s hostile attitude. He exhibited such control and confidence that even she, despite knowing what H was capable of, would have a hard time deciding who to bet on if things escalated. Out of precaution, she grasped H’s wrist. “He does that too…asking for first names,” she said through her teeth and tried to pull him closer to her, but he didn’t let her.

“Hanneghan is just fine,” said H sharply and shook off her grip.

A few, for Ana very long seconds passed, when a half-smirk half-smile reappeared on Tengu’s lips. “Ichiro!” he called out, keeping his stare on H. The Aynu materialized by his side.

“Please help Mr. Hanneghan with his shoulder. We obviously cannot let him go like this. He is our guest after all.”

“I’m perfectly fi…arrggghh….fuck!” yelped H and bent over in pain, as the Aynu grabbed his damaged shoulder and readjusted it with one very quick move.

“You’ll be fine in a few days,” said Tengu with a pleased smile. ”Ichiro is a specialist for such things. If you ever experience any back pain, I warmly recommend him.”

H was breathing heavily, his face turning dead serious.

“We should go,” said Ana to Tengu with pleading eyes.

“Of course. Let me take you to Ren. He’s the guide that brought you here. He’ll escort you back to your car,” he said and began to walk down the hill. The Aynu and the large man with hairy arms moved to follow him, but he stopped them with a raised hand. "No need," he told them and they obliged.

As soon as they gained some distance from the rebels, Ana caught up with Tengu. “How come you have an Aynu amongst your soldiers?” She threw a wary glance behind to make sure the mere mention of him didn’t cause his magical reappearance behind her back.

“Anyone can join, as long as they prove their loyalty.”

“Loyalty to you?”

“Loyalty to all of us.”

“But an Aynu?”

“Ichiro is my second in command.”

She shook her head at yet another unexpected blow. It seemed the more she found out about Tengu the less she understood.

“So, we get to spend another lovely two-day hike with Mr. Friendly Talkative,” muttered Ana upon seeing their guide sitting on the rock not far from them.

“I’m afraid his attitude might have been partly my fault,” said Tengu. “Ren is our latest recruit and guiding you here was a test not just for you but also for him. I instructed him not to be too friendly. Considering he hates people from the Settlements, it probably wasn’t a very hard assignment for him--”

“Wait, what? A test?” she frowned.

“Yes. There’s a much shorter way to get here from your entry point. Ren will take you on it now. No more than three hours or so and you’ll be at your car.”

Ana braked to a stop, her mouth open. “So you made us walk all those hours in vain?”

“Yes.”

“Are you serious? You sent a young, unarmed newbie with the two of us armed and told him to be an ass while dragging us for two days in the woods? There are a million ways this could have gone terribly wrong!”

“I know.“ His grey-blue eyes were smiling at her bewilderment. “I expect my men to be resourceful and ready to die at any time. Does this surprise you?”

“Things could go wrong right now too,” said H, directing a dark look at Tengu.

A confident smirk crossed Tengu’s lips. “I trust Ana.”

H flinched at Tengu’s mention of her name and immediately looked at Ana. Feeling awkward about it, she didn’t know what to say. She rolled her eyes and resumed walking at a much faster pace. She hated playing a part in someone else’s game without knowing it.

Ren stood up as soon as he saw them coming. He barely acknowledged Ana and H, but his face lit up with admiration upon seeing Tengu.

“Ren, please see our guests to their car. The short way this time,” said Tengu and placed his hand on Ren’s shoulder. “You’ve done well.” Ren bowed his head humbly, unable to hide the excitement that filled his eyes.

Tengu gave a brief nod to H, then turned to Ana. “This is as far as I go.” His eyes lingered on hers for a while. “I’ll be in touch, Ana.”

As soon as he left, Ren set off in the opposite direction without saying a word.

“Well, Ana, shall we?” asked H smugly.

“Oh, shut up!”

“Please tell me, I didn’t put up with all this crap for nothing. Did we get the deal?”

“Mhmm, we got the deal,” she replied, biting her lip.