"We will be heading back to Ionia."
"NO! I'm not going. Those guys are still out there. What they did to mom… Aren't angry. She was your sister. Did you– Do you even care about her?" Rin's voice broke as she cried.
Kaze wanted to scream as loud as he could, 'I do!' But he held himself back. It was a flimsy situation, one that required careful proceeding.
On one hand, he was mad. He was angry at the new revelation. That someone would dare take his sister away from him. He wanted their blood. He wanted them to feel what she had felt and what he felt.
But the more logical side of him, built through years, was resolute. She's too young to be killing. It wasn't a healthy environment to grow up in. Most importantly, it wasn't safe. The last thing that her mother would want was for her child to seek revenge.
'Why not both?' Another voice spoke from within him. It was simple. Get revenge, flee.
"Don't be mistaken, I care for your mother more than you can imagine!" he said softly to the child that was broken by tears.
"Then why won't you fight for her? Let me fight for her?" she screamed.
"Because that's not what she would have wanted… I don't doubt that until her last breath, she was wishing for your safety. What do you think?" Kaze reasoned.
Rin cried louder.
"Ionia is safe… comparatively." he said, pulling her into a hug.
"But it's not fair…" she wailed.
"I know."
For the second time that day, Rin fell asleep in her uncle's arms. He tucked her in the bed.
'We might need to stay here a bit more,' he thought with a frown. 'Sorry, Mei Mei, for being such a hypocrite. But debts have to be paid.' He clenched his fists with resolve.
He exited the room with one thought in mind, he needed information. He could ask Rin, but he didn't want to force her to remember. Plus, he didn't want her to know what he was going to do.
Downstairs waited Vander, Silco, and a woman Kaze didn't recognise. Of course, the bar was even busier than before. But the three had time to converse with each other amidst their jobs.
"Oi Kaze, anything you need or r' you just here to have fun?" asked Vander with a signature grin.
Kaze smiled but his eyes still maintained their seriousness, "I heard this establishment was the best in all of the undercity. Best water, inn, and safety among other things."
"Second best inn," Vander quickly corrected.
"Such a popular spot might as well be the best source of information as well, don't you think?" Kaze hinted. He crossed his hands, resting on the counter.
"I suppose so… So watcha wanna know? I'll try my best to answer!" Vander grinned, getting straight to the point. Mischievousness and seriousness blended in his face like oil and water.
Kaze pulled out a happy picture of Mei and her husband.
"They're dead, murdered. Been dead for a while now… Know anything?" Kaze inquired, his deep voice rumbling with something more.
Vander paused, pity struck his face, "I'm sorry for your loss. Months ago, that man in the picture had offended a local Chem gang in that part of the undercity, the Sludge gang if I remember correctly. They particularly don't take apologies."
Vander watched Kaze's face carefully. He saw murder in the older man's eyes. Normally, Vander would advise against going up against dangerous gangs like these. Vander put himself in his shoes. Lord knows what he would do if Felicia or Silco got killed.
Vander knew a fighter, a killer, when he saw one. He knew no one could stop him from his warpath. So, Vander trusted Kaze to hold his own. But it was his duty to at least let Kaze know what he was getting into.
"They are well equipped with guns and Chem-Tech. It'd be hard to defeat them. For your safety, just so you know where not to go, here's their base. Also, they might have other friend gangs." he pointed at a map of the undercity he pulled out from underneath the counter. "Don't die, I doubt they would welcome you with open arms…"
"I know, thank you." Kaze nodded. He could feel the trio of eyes watching him as he went upstairs to his room.
That night, he meditated to go to sleep so he would be ready the next day.