Silent Night (2/3)

The next few hours felt very long. The second ship didn’t return at all. No attack was launched. Most of her people returned from searching without anything to report.

“Everyone who is left…” Nishikawa flipped the paper up on his clipboard. “Mizukage sama. We have reports for the forests, and most of the city. However, we have disproportionate amounts of late reports from people who went to search either the sewers or the coastline.”

“The sewers?” Aiko repeated, leaning back in her desk chair. “That’s… there’s two points of ocean access to the sewer system, correct? If we are dealing with someone using the water, as it seems, then they may have infiltrated that way.” She looked up to the ceiling as she thought about that. The sewer had access points throughout the city. She couldn’t possibly put guards on them all, especially not if whoever was down there was competent enough to be keeping her chuunin and tokubetsu jounin this late. She had the unease that came from suspecting she had sent people to their deaths.

It was her job to do that, of course. But in their home? In the shadow of the statue of Aiko, it felt more than a bit like she had failed in her duty to watch over them.

“We need to consolidate,” she decided out loud. “We can’t secure a whole city against an unknown threat.” She pointed at the city map. “I want this evacuation center emptied- everyone should go to one of these three. Retract all search teams and see if we can find what’s happened to our people. No one lower than jounin goes out alone now. Chuunin in groups not less than 6. I want people here, here, here and here. I will be here.”

Utakata leaned over to watch her hand. Mei merely nodded and left to convey the new orders. “Mizukage-sama,” he said stiffly. “I don’t think it is wise to place yourself near the harbor. It seems our enemy controls the water.”

She considered a couple of responses, firstly that the city was centered around the harbor. It made sense for her to be in the middle, so that information could reach her quickly, no matter where it came from. But instead she shook her head. “This is Mist,” she said. “We control the water.”

A wave of appreciation went around the room at that one. She stood and slung on her jacket, feeling something about the kanji on the back centering her. She was the Mizukage and this was her city.

She went to her assigned station, making sure to portray calm assurance. Nerves were strained by this point. It would have been a lot better if an enemy had leapt up throwing steel: that was something they could fight. The long, cold wait was something intolerable.

As the hour dragged on, the list of people who hadn’t yet returned from searching began to look like a list of missing people.

In the distance, she heard a scream. Aiko straightened and faced the sound. She looked at Utakata. He wordlessly obeyed. She waited, tapping her side with an index finger.

He returned in a flutter of silk and leaned in to whisper to her. “One of the search members was found alive, but injured. He’s describing an attack, but…” Utakata trailed off. “It doesn’t make sense.” His dark eyes met her gaze seriously. “It sounds like an animal, more than a person. He said that his partner was overwhelmed by numbers and eaten.” His gaze slid off her to the harbor by them. “They came out of the water.”

Aiko reflexively grimaced. She knew eyes were on her, but the concept was hard to take without a flinch.

She was not surprised when she heard a quiet splash in the distance. Aiko turned to look at the ocean, uncrossing her arms. She tapped at the handle of her katana and narrowed her eyes.

A figure had stood up out of the ocean. Light glinted off of angular armor. It was bronze in color and old fashioned in design. The figure raised a hand.

Others stood up out of the waves. Aiko blinked rapidly now, because it seemed like they were insubstantial. As in- she could see the moonlight reflected on the waves through gaping holes in the bodies that otherwise looked like an invading army.

“Those aren’t living people,” Aiko said, suddenly recognizing the feeling that had been crushing down the last few hours. “They’re corpses.”

“Being controlled?” Utakata asked, jaw hard. “Do you think that’s the puppet master?”

“Either yes, or we are meant to think so.” Aiko raised her hand, signaling that her people should wait. “Let them come. I don’t think we want to be in the water with them.”