Katsuhiko

... Has anyone noticed that the members of Raven's Nest aren't usually given a choice of whether or not to join?

"So, basically, everything's gone to s**t." Alysteir finished. "Or, well, it will go to s**t, if we don't win this. And I'm not even talking about the whole 'dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria' kind of thing. People with angel blood are going to be executed en masse. Demons will take over the High Plane."
Micah shook his head. "That couldn't happen. What about us? We have powerful heroes on our side."
Alysteir barked out a humorless laugh. "Who? That cold-hearted sociopath, Glide? I take it you don't know-"
"Whoa, dude, back the f**k up!" Glide snapped. "Who the f**k are you callin' a cold-hearted sociopath?"
"We don't have time to argue." Alysteir replied. "We'll need more help than what we have right now, if we'll have any chance of getting through this."
Glide thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, kid. Maybe we should check out the High Plane."
"That's a great idea." Therali said. "If nothing else, we can use our Arena to prepare. Maybe even set up defenses and make our last stand up there, when the time comes."
"Not yet." Alysteir cut in. "We need to recruit someone else, first. If we don't go now, he won't survive long enough for us to get him later."

...

Alysteir led the way through the Nexus, to an unmarked door. "It's this way." He said. "I just hope we're not too late..."
"Me and Iccy will go with you to get him." Glide stated. "Therali, time on the High Plane is basically the same as it is here, right?"
Therali nodded. "Right. Time won't pass for us while we're up there, though it will still pass normally around the 'verse. And we'll actually be able to get Up There; the magic that stole our powers is starting to wear off. It's not much, but we'll be able to orb again."
"Good." Glide said. "Round up everyone, take them Up There. Leave Shetani here, so she can orb us to you guys when we get back." He turned his attention to the others. "If anybody needs to get something from here, you'd best get it now. Report to Therali when you're ready to go."

...

"So, what's the deal?" Glide asked, following Alysteir. "Who the hell are we picking up?"
"And why is everyone staring at us?" Icarcti added. "Gods, you'd think they'd never seen an anthro before..."
"They're xenophobic." Alysteir replied, mostly ignoring the humans around them, looking for the town's prison complex. "That's part of the reason we had to get here so goddamn fast; they're gonna execute our new recruit in a day or two."
Glide blinked. "Well, what the f**k for?"
"For being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Alysteir said. "Come on, it's this way."
Glide took Icarcti's paw, he and the bat following Alysteir to a large building of black stone, the barred windows set high in the walls.
Alysteir charged the doors, leaving his feet as he neared them and slamming his shoulder into them, throwing his full weight against them. The metal doors didn't budge. "... Right." The angel wolf muttered, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Of course, it couldn't be as easy as bashing the doors down." He glanced at Glide. "Would you care to do the honors, 'hero'?"
"Don't f****n' call me that." Glide growled, releasing Icarcti's paw and focusing his energy into his palms. "Step back, angel boy. You get caught in this and it's gonna fry your a*s. ... Y'know, on second thought, stay right where you are."
Alysteir rolled his eyes, moving to stand a few feet behind Glide.
Glide's paws began to glow faintly, the Varixian approaching the doors and beginning to draw runes in the stone around the door frame. Once the final rune was drawn, Glide let the energy disperse, not bothering to watch where it went before spinning around and hooking his arms around Icarcti, shielding the little bat.
A few seconds later, the runes around the doors lit up. There was a brief pause, then the doors exploded into shrapnel.
Alysteir swung his arms upward, summoning his wings to form a barrier in front of him, protecting him from the metal fragments flying through the air. "Where in the f**k did you learn to do that!?"
Glide shrugged, letting go of Icarcti and picking small bits of metal out of his mane. "When you're the fat guy's favorite, you learn all kinds of fucked-up s**t."
"Glide, you're kicking down the fourth wall again." Icarcti commented, grinning.
"Yeah, well, that's the way I am." Glide replied. "I think we should get in there and get our newest recruit as soon as f****n' possible, because... blastin' those doors down was sure to piss a lot of people off."
Alysteir nodded, drawing his blade. "The guards aren't going to be happy to see us."

...

Alysteir hooked an arm around a guard's neck, using his free paw to weave a quick spell in front of the guard's face. "Sleep..." He hissed. As the guard lost consciousness, the angel wolf let him go.
Glide drew Magus in a flash, slicing the guard's throat before sheathing it again.
"... What the f**k was that for?" Alysteir asked.
Glide shrugged. "I'm an a*****e."
"As if that's news to anyone." Alysteir muttered, rolling his eyes. "Come on, his cell should be-"
"Over here!" Icarcti called, cutting Alysteir off.
Glide moved to stand beside Icarcti, looking into the cell the little bat was facing. Inside was a young ratling, sleeping on a pile of dirty blankets on the floor of the cell.
Alysteir grabbed the keys from the dead guard, using one to unlock the cell door. He opened it and stepped inside, kneeling beside the ratling and shaking him. "Katsuhiko, wake up, it's time to get you out of here."
The ratling sat up slowly, raising a paw to rub at his eyes. He squeaked and chittered at Alysteir.
"It's okay." Alysteir said. "We're friends."
Katsuhiko got to his feet, adjusting his tattered shorts. He looked down at his waist, then shook his head, sitting back down on the blankets.
"What's wrong?" Alysteir asked.
Katsuhiko squeaked in response, occasionally gesturing with his paws as he communicated with Alysteir.
When the ratling had finished, Alysteir turned to Glide and Icarcti. "He won't leave without his weapons. They were taken from him when he was captured. The guards probably have them on the other side of the building."
Glide rolled his eyes, grabbing Icarcti's paw. "You babysit the little jackass, we'll go get his goddamn weapons."
Alysteir nodded, watching the Varixian and bat walk off.

...

"So, you know." Katsuhiko squeaked out. "I'm... not who I appear to be."
Alysteir nodded, not looking at the young ratling. "Yeah, I know."
"You're not g-g-gonna tell them, are you?" Katsuhiko asked, tail flicking nervously.
Alysteir didn't respond. He glanced down at Katsuhiko, noticing fear in the ratling's eyes, but also a small glimmer of hope. "... Do you want me to tell them?" He finally replied.
Katsuhiko shook his head at first, nodded after a moment, then shook his head again. "I-I don't know. It would make it easier f-f-for everybody. But... that's kind of what I'm worried about..."
"I already know someone's after you, Katsuhiko." Alysteir said. "The gorgons are going to find you eventually, one way or another. If you tell the others who you really are, why you're really here, they'll be ready when the gorgons show up."
"... I can't ask them to shoulder my burden." Katsuhiko sighed. "I'm... I'm dishonored, I don't deserve allies. I lost my daisho, I can't even face battle now. I'm useless."
"Like it or not, you're coming with us." Alysteir grinned, patting the ratling on the head. "Because I'm not going back to a future where the most prominent samurai in the entire Shadowlands got lynched before he even became famous."
Katsuhiko raised an eyebrow. "I'm the most prominent samurai in the Shadowlands? How can I be sure you're being honest?"
Alysteir shrugged. "You can't." He said, turning his attention to the hall outside Katsuhiko's cell. "But it looks like your daisho's on the way back. And just in time, because I'm starting to remember this, and the guards are gonna show up really soon."
Katsuhiko sprang to his feet, launching himself out of the cell. He glanced left, then right; guards were coming from the left hall, Glide and Icarcti from the right. The ratling raised a paw, tilting his head to the side.
Glide nodded, tossing the katana toward Katsuhiko.
Katsuhiko smirked, grabbing the weapon's sheath in one paw, the other gripping the hilt. As soon as the guards were close enough, he slid the katana from its sheath, striking with it in the same smooth motion, the weapon slicing through both of the guards. "Tanukin-n-nagi's back..." The ratling hissed, flicking his tongue against the katana. "Honor has been restored."
"What the f**k kind of assassin masters iaijutsu?" Glide asked, tossing the ratling's wakizashi to him. "And for that matter, what the f**k kind of assassin uses a katana-wakizashi combo?"
Katsuhiko merely laughed, turning his head and showing Glide the brand on the inside of his ear.
Glide's eyes widened. "That's... That's the mark of a samurai clan that's been dead for centuries..."
"Not dead." Alysteir said. "Hiding. Waiting for its chance to rise again."
"Where the hell are the rest of 'em, then?" Glide asked. "We could use their help."
Katsuhiko immediately stopped laughing. He looked up at Alysteir, giving him a slight nod after a few seconds.
"He's the last." Alysteir stated. "Gorgons petrified his entire clan."
"Oh, that's just f*****g peachy." Glide responded. "Well, hopefully he'll be enough to help. Come on, let's get the f**k out of here before more of those chuckleheads show up." He slipped his paw into his pocket, pulling out his Nexus key and leading the group back to the door they had arrived from.

...