Uragiri watched as Ototo-shi was led home. Ikasu followed behind them; finally silent, but still preaching. He didn’t need to speak to these people of his God’s goodness, he had shown them. Did he plan to bring his immortal kingdom right here to Bethany? Uragiri shuddered when he remembered how Ototo-shi had stumbled from the grave, still ravaged by death. Who even knew how much of Ototo-shi was left? So far, Ototo-shi hadn’t said more then “Ikasu.” What made him different then the monsters in the fairy tales of the raised dead he had heard as a child? Ikasu had gone too far! Uragiri turned away from the celebrating crowd and made his way to the Guntai District.
Uragiri approached the guards.
“I have come to speak to your Captain,” Uragiri said.
“And who are you?” asked one of the guards.
“It doesn’t matter, but I came here to report magic.”
The guards looked at each other warily.
“Give us your report then,” the second guard said.
“No, I want to speak to the Captain.”
The guards looked at each other again. The first nodded to the second.
“Wait here,” the second said as he turned and went inside.
It was a long wait before the guard re-emerged from the building.
“Go in, but you will be punished if you’re wasting his time,” the second guard said.
Uragiri nodded and went inside. It was a small room and had poor lighting. Uragiri had expected something more comfortable. He glanced briefly at the guards that stood along the length of the walls; there was only room for three of them on either side of the room. A small man sat at a short desk. Uragiri approached the desk and waited. He wasn’t surprised that the Captain took his time to acknowledge him. After all, it had been a long wait for the guard.
“I was told you wished to report magic,” the Captain said.
“Yes, sir,” Uragiri answered.
“Who is the accused?”
“Ikasu.”
The Captain stopped writing and looked up at Uragiri.
“He hasn’t been in Bethany for over a month,” the Captain said.
“He just returned. Today, I think.” Uragiri was nervous now. He hadn’t expected the Captain to know of Ikasu. He wondered if that changed anything. He decided that it made it only all the more important to report what he had seen.
“What magic did he perform?” the Captain asked.
“He brought someone back to life.”
The Captain laughed.
“Really! I saw him do it myself!”
“And who is it that he brought back?” the Captain asked.
“Ototo-shi. He died four days ago from the plague. He was a friend of Ikasu’s.”
“Yes, he was.” The Captain nodded.
Uragiri waited.
“There is a price on Ikasu’s head. If any of the information you have given me leads to his arrest, you will be rewarded,” the Captain said.
“When I left them, they were returning to Ototo-shi’s house,” Uragiri added.
“Do you know anything else?”
“No.”
“Thank you for your report.”
