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Splintered Light Chapter 9.1: A Celebration of Shame

Unlike the rest of the crew, Mr. Chen didn't have a wake-up call. Situated just forward of the engine room, the Cat's workspace also served as his cabin, and was far larger than any other living arrangement on board, including the captain's. On the other paw, that also meant that everything in his room smelled perpetually of scorched metal and ash. He didn't mind though, especially since it had been the same for him back home on the Isles; his one-room shop had included a small nook while the shelf with a mattress that was his aboard the Wave Rider was actually finer than the reed mat he had used back in Jiuyan.

Living arrangements aboard the Wave rider were, in many ways a step up from what he'd had back home, but there were downsides too. Mr. Chen had no rank; on the Wave Rider he was just "Mr. Chen the Armorer". Despite being sufficient for daily repairs and basic fabrication the equipment and facilities provided to him aboard the ship were nothing compared to the countless specialized tools he'd had before leaving home. His daily activities aboard the ship were uninspired and unspectacular; he was a glorified blacksmith, not the kind of artisan whose talents would be worthy of note.

His ability to work with metal was seen by the crewmen as unspectacular and specialized. They looked at him no differently than a seaman who knew how to communicate with flags or chart a course; not everyone could do what he could but he was just another small piece in what it took to keep the ship moving. Mr. Chen was unspectacular to them and completely unnecessary until or unless their weapon needed to be repaired. If the lack of respect and inability to utilize his talents to their fullest was not bad enough the greatest negative of serving on the Wave Rider was a daily issue: Mr. Chen hated deep water.

The Cat never would have willingly chosen a life at sea and he wouldn't have given up his life in Jiuyan if he'd had a choice. Back home he had been a master craftsman, sought out from across the isles for his talents with metal and forge. He'd had blades ordered from him by the Emperor himself and his work graced the belts of noblemen and heroes. His name was spoken in hushed whispers around the empire, synonymous with quality and value. Everyone wanted one of his pieces of art and spoke of him fondly as a lord of the forge.

There was much to be said for the fame and renown, but the greatest downfall of being well known was that secrets were impossible to keep. Cats were not common among the muscle-bound world of the blacksmith and it was difficult to maintain the proper image when one's peers were easily twice his weight and possessed of the build one would expect from a man who moved huge amounts of ore on a daily basis. Mr. Chen was respected for his work, not his appearance... but that lasted only as long as he managed to exude manliness. That persona ultimately failed him.

Mr. Chen had lived a good life as a crafter of fine weaponry, and his start in the art was also the way his profession came to an end. He had been adopted as an orphan by Mr. Xao, an Ox who was known for his axes. The weapon crafter had taken the young Kitten in at some eleven years of age-- older than most apprentices, but apprenticeship was not the only thought on Mr. Xao's mind. Chen had served his master as an errand boy; he'd move about town bearing messages or making purchases so as to free his master's time at the forge. The arrangement had worked well enough for some four or five years with Chen spending all his spare time watching his Master work.

As soon as Mr. Xao was confident that Chen could wield a hammer without hurting himself or the tools the Ox put him on the forge and began expecting results; Chen was just as surprised as his master when it turned out he had learned enough from watching to accomplish a halfway passible blade. The Cat had an affinity for the metal work and that skill continued to grow as the apprenticeship became formalized and Chen began to learn all there was to know about the craft. He served beneath the Ox for a few more years before the term took on an entirely new meaning, and he became his Master's lover-- eagerly.

From that day on Mr. Xao began to instruct Chen in more than just the art of crafting weapons; he taught the cat the importance of presentation-- not just in what he crafted, but also in the image he would show to others. Chen was the only person to know of his master's preference for using males and, in turn, Mr. Xao expressed that Chen would have to be even more careful as the Cat's own preference to be taken by a male was even less desired in a man who was supposed to exude maleness in his every action. To any highborn owner of a sword any craftsman who was anything less than a MAN would not be worthy of crafting a weapon.

Within ten years Mr. Chen became one of the youngest master weapon crafters in the isles. His skill at crafting swords surpassed his master's own but the two continued to work and live closely; together they provided axes and swords that were in such demand that the waiting list for any but a nobleman was measured in years. Many questioned the fact that Mr. Chen did not end the journeyman portion of his training and open his own forge, none realized that the truest reason he did not separate from his master was because of their partnership that was far more than their trade.

Things had gone well for him then, and continued to do so for the next two years until an unexpected illness took Mr. Xao from him. Although a master craftsman in his own right, Mr. Chen had only ever served in his lover's shop as an apprentice and, as such, he had no claim to the property; Mr. Xao's brother took possession of it and evicted the cat without recourse. Unwilling to let that dissuade him, Mr. Chen was able to commit to an agreement with a local nobleman, who promised him the funds to start a new forge in exchange for one blade a month for three years. The Cat readily agreed to the deal that would ultimately become his undoing.

Professionally, Mr. Chen wanted for nothing; his benefactor held true to providing him a fine collection of tools, a simple cottage, and the best forge he could have asked for. The obligation of one weapon a month was nothing for a master of the Cat's talents and that left him time to pursue business with others. He became more than just wealthy; Mr. Chen was rich in his own right, but he was a man in his early 30s and, while the rest of his peers became married and had children the cat was alone-- and he felt it.

The greatest mistake of his life was giving into that loneliness late night after far too much drink. The Cat had dropped his pants in an alley for a rather forward Shikoku after spending time together in a bar. Mr. Chen wasn't really interested in the Dog, but the stranger was obviously interested in him and if the emotional loneliness couldn't be resolved then the Cat was convinced that he would at least be able to resolve the physical loneliness. They were in the alley only a pawful of minutes, but it was long enough to be spotted... and recognized.

There was little discussion to be had after that; Mr. Chen was ruined just as surely as his master had promised. The nobleman patroning him withdrew the support and demanded immediate repayment, returning all weapons the Cat had supplied. Even with all of his savings Mr. Chen was still unable to repay the nobleman and refund the money of the other patrons who were unwilling to accept the work of a man who "lay-as-a-woman". He received messages on his door, imbedded with his returned swords always to that effect; women didn't belong working at a forge.

With little and no prospects, no friends, and no way to make a living with his skills, Mr. Chen had no choice but to flee-- he otherwise risked being put to death when he failed to come up with the funds to repay his benefactor. Using what money he'd had left, Mr. Chen gathered the meager belongings of his that hadn't been owned by the nobleman funding him and he fled to the docks. Three months later he found himself aboard the Wave Rider, often looking back on his life and wondering how things could have been different-- how they SHOULD have been different.

Sadly enough, the Cat had not learned from his mistake, and that was all the more clearly pointed out to him when fingers wrapped around the end of his tail and gave it a light tug. Lord Sento spoke to him in their native Jiunani tongue. "You were supposed to awaken me when the sun came up, Chen."

Mr. Chen, who had been sitting on the edge of his sleeping shelf lowered his head, speaking down into his lap as he addressed the Tanuki behind him. "My apologies, my Lord."

Nobody aboard the Wave Rider knew that Lee Sento was the first son of Kai Sento, a powerful landowner and head of the Tanuki Sento clan-- nobody except the Cat. It was a strange duality in their association; just like the young Lord Sento, nobody on the ship knew of Mr. Chen's past either-- nobody except the Tanuki. For the first few months they had been united in their secrets while remaining distant to one another but, before long, young Lord Sento revealed to Mr. Chen why it was he had exiled himself from his family's home.

As with a master weapon smith, the son of a noble and well-respected Lord was expected to have a certain bearing along with a willingness and eagerness to provide the clan with heirs; Lee Sento had an inclination for neither, and spent as many nights with the older weapon smith as not. It was at the young Tanuki's discretion, of course; Mr. Chen dared not refuse the advances of a nobleman's son-- even one in self-exile. Perhaps, he considered, that was yet another one of his life mistakes.

There was a long pause as the Cat's companion said nothing to follow up the apology. Resisting the urge to stand up and start this day, Mr. Chen eventually turned around, slowly rotating his head to look at the Tanuki. Lord Sento still hand a hold of his tail, but seemed more interested in his own groin. Finally the young man spoke. "Did you bathe last night, Chen?"

The Cat nodded his head. "Yes, my Lord. I bathe twice daily... three times when allowed."

The Tanuki finally let go of his tail. "I see. The outlanders aboard this ship... can you believe that many of them wash no more often than perhaps twice a week? One of them actually asked me if I was part Otter because I enjoyed bathing. Barbarians."

Mr. Chen nodded. "I am told that most crew are given a chance to bathe every other day, but the Captain has graciously offered me my own water as I work the forge."

Lord Sento slid off the mattress and hopped down to the floor naked, arching his back as he stretched, then twisted his torso one way then the other. "Mmm... that is fortunate for us then. Warm some water and you may wash me before I go. Then be sure to bathe yourself... you smell like the bad kind of sex."

The Cat bowed his head again. "Yes, my Lord."

Mr. Chen went immediately to the still-glowing forge and took a few moments to stoke the flames. Most metalworkers the Cat knew would have gone nowhere near a furnace wearing nothing but their fur but he was comfortable with his knowledge of fire that he need not fear it. He gathered up a cauldron and poured in two buckets from the water stores he kept near the forge, focusing on the heat rather than the sound of Lord Sento urinating into the chamber pot.

The weapon smith took the opportunity as he waited to stretch his body. The Tanuki was young and energetic, and, although Mr Chen was not yet to his fourth decade, the teenager had a verve about him that could leave the Cat sore in many ways. Lord Sento, like any other nobleman, was used to getting his way and when they were together the Tanuki could have him any way he desired-- and he desired many different ways.

Despite what many commoners would say about the offspring of nobility, Mr. Chen had many opportunities to meet and interact with a good number of them. Most folk assumed that the children of nobles were spoiled brats who always demanded to have things their way; in truth, most were polite and proper without any preconceived notions of what to expect save for the fact that people were always giving them everything they asked for. Just like any child the offspring of nobility had the capacity to be well behaved or brattish; Lee Sento was somewhere in between.

The teenager spoke up after another long pause. "The Oaf spoke with me yesterday."

The announcement from the Tanuki was vague but Mr. Chen realized that Lord Sento spoke of Archie Lews, the large Dog with whom the cabin boy had not made friends. Looking back to his guest, the Cat saw that Lord Sento was sliding into the metal wash basin that served as a tub. Quickly dipping the bucket into the cauldron of warm water, Mr. Chen moved over to attend Lord Sento. "I would not be surprised, my Lord. This ship is only so large so you are bound to meet him eventually. You did not kill him, I hope?"

As with most sons born to noble houses, Lee had learned about the art of war from a very young age. It showed in the way he conducted himself: patience and prudence before making a move followed by decisive and immediate action when the time was right. It was how the Tanuki had felled the big Dog; it was how he had ended up on the Wave Rider; it was also most likely how he'd convinced Mr. Chen to allow him into his bed. The Cat knelt down by the wash basin and used a cloth to drip water all over his guest's shoulders. Only once Mr. Chen started the bath did Lord Sento speak. "He apologized to me."

The Cat's ears rose. "He did? Good. You were owed that and more, my Lord."

Lord Sento nodded. "Yes. He is learning slowly. Thank you for encouraging me not to kill him, Chen... you are a good man... a loyal man."

"Thank you, my Lord."

The Tanuki reached out with a damp paw and clamped it over Mr. Chen's forearm. "I am glad that you are here with me, Chen."

The Cat flicked an ear; sometimes the young man was hard to fully understand. "It is my room, my Lord... where else would I be?"

Lord Sento laughed in response. "On this ship, Chen. Out of all of the ships that could have awaited me at the dock I found one with a countryman who knew me for who I am and was willing to not speak up."

Mr. Chen nodded dutifully. "Of course, my Lord. It is not my place to speak of you. Should you not wish anyone to know then it is my honor to remain silent."

The teen turned his head back to look at him; the Cat had forgotten how flexible Tanuki could be. "You please me very much, Chen."

The statement could have meant many things but the moment Lord Sento's arm wrapped around the back of Mr. Chen's head he realized which way the young man meant it. The weapon maker was pulled in close, his muzzle meeting that of the nobleman son's and they kissed upside down. The gesture did not last long, however, as Lord Sento used the cat's off-balanced stance to haul him bodily into the wash basin.

It was his Lord's will that they get dirty before they get clean. Despite having control for so few things in his life, Mr. Chen was not unhappy about giving up his will to Lord Sento. The Cat still had a strong feeling that their clandestine 'relationship' was a bad idea, but it was a hard thing to discontinue if it was his Lord's will. That, and, he had to admit, he enjoyed it far too much. He was at his Lord's call in all ways, and that was precisely the way that Lord Sento made use of him.

The cabin boy was late to his duties, but Mr. Chen was there to beg an apology; as armorer aboard the Wave Rider there were times when work was backed up and he needed an extra body to help with some pounding at the forge.