Upon entering the palace, the rather zealous and somewhat impolite security would check Akuta's papers, leading him through dark and labyrinthine corridors, pass countless doors that had no text on them. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear a man screaming in agony, his guide unphased by the sudden sounds. Eventually he would be led to a cast crimson door bearing a garish mon of crossed aces on it, the doshin pushing the door open even as he beckoned Akuta to enter the well-lit and exquisitely decorated room beyond.

After having taken a bath in the cleanest water he could find and putting on his singular non-patched and damaged kimono, Akuta almost looked the part of a reputable samurai. There was always the air of something off about him though. His gait was too relaxed, he didn't quite bow as deep as would be appropriate based on the functionaries he met with. It was easy to tell he didn't belong here...but one does not ignore a summons of this nature. And so, he made his way to the castle and after the hassle from the guards, he was guided in. The sounds in the distance didn't seem to much phase the wolf either...but he knew that he could end up being the one making them soon.

Once they made it to the door, a deep breath was taken and Akuta passed through the threshold into the room and waited awaited. He quite felt like the fly entering the parlor of the spider.

Beyond the doors, a tall and rather imposing woman sat behind a mahogany desk worth more money than Akuta had ever had to his name. He could hear the woman breathing through some sort of re-breather device, the sickly whistling sounds echoing in the otherwise quiet office. She wore two mon on her chest - that of the Soshi and that of her office, two axes crossed. "Good morning, Akuta-san, yes?" The magistrate made no effort to bow, looking down at the ronin much like Kuni might look at Spider samurai. "I am Soshi Haru, Lord Executioner of Governor General." While there were comfortable pillows on the ground, Akuta was not offered a seat. "I am very glad to see you." Once her words might have sounded like a sensual purr, the rebreather causing her to wheeze in a way that made it sound like she was dying.

Well isn't that a scary looking bitch... Akuta approached as far as he thought was the proper distance and he would offer a deep bow the Lord Executioner. In most other situations he may have plopped down, but as he wasn't offered a seat here, he wasn't going to take it...be harder to make a doomed run for it sitting down.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Soshi-dono. One does not often meet the Lord Executioner and I am honored to be in your presence. Have you had rice today?"

Haru squinted her eyes, her fingers dancing on her densai as if she was making notes. Why would someone in her position would have wanted to make note of a ronin was perhaps a little disconcerting thought. "I believe you were present yesterday during the incident." An eyebrow rose as if to ask a question. "This would be correct, no?" She made no reference to rice - having no longer a proper mouth to eat with.

"There was certainly an incident that was observed, yes. Parties involved were none too keen on explaining exactly what was going on and I typically know better than to ask questions that might find me at the mercies of your interrogators."

Well, at least I made the attempt at pleasantries...but she seems to be all business, so let's match that.

"I am sure Soshi-dono knows all about it, however...which leads me to wonder why I am present in such a formal fashion."

"Well, yes. That is how the sembei crumbles." Haru replied, her voice wheezing in a ghastly manner even as her eyes glimmered with mirth. "Well. Let's say that the reasons why you were brought here are strictly not your business, dog." she looked markedly at the ronin, her fingers manipulating the densai in her hands. "Now, would you tell me what you saw yesterday, as precisely as possible." There was a short pause, Haru pulling a drawer open, dropping a small pouch on the table, the credit-chips clinking happily within. "There is money involved."

"So I've heard...and I see. Well, at least your honesty is refreshing, Soshi-dono."

As she makes her demand, he pauses as he replays the events in his mind. "I was travelling through the Horogai Mall on my way back to where I sleep when I heard some ruckus from a nearby alleyway. Curious, I slipped into the alleyway and took up a position hiding in the shadows behind some cover while I saw two individuals in the alley with blades drawn, approaching a third. The third figure was hunched against the wall with their features obscured. Another ronin entered the alleyway brazenly, brandishing his sidearm in an attempt to defuse the situation, unaware of the identity of the figures involved. Your agents opened fire and felled him before turning back to their quarry who appeared to manifest some supernatural ability in an attempt to frighten those involved away. The creature, which I believe to be some sort of gaki, had a face bereft of features beyond a pair of glowing red eyes."

He pauses again here to collect his thoughts, gauging her reaction so far. Even if her mouth and nose didn't give away anything, perhaps her posture and eyes would.

"Your agents made a tactical withdrawal and, without knowing their identity, I waylaid one in an attempt to apprehend and turn into the authorities regarding the suspicious circumstances. After Doshin 1st class Shosuro Taiki-sama provided their identification, hostilities ceased and he contacted the security teams for cleanup."

He would add, almost as an afterthought, "The creature with the red eyes seemed to be able to pass through solid objects and slipped through the wall as it made a retreat of it's own."

"It is not as if all of us wreathe our words in lies." Haru replied, wheezing still. her mechanical lungs struggling to keep her alive. "Horogai mall, yes." Yet, crippled as the lord executioner was, her fingers danced on the densai with grace befitting a musician. "Mhmhm. Brave wolf. Foolish wolf." she added, shaking her head. "Nothing here is as it seems. But I am sure you know as much." Looking up from her densai, Haru chortled, the sickly sound filling the room. "Supernatural creature, yes. Pair of glowing eyes. Mhmhm. Yes, yes." she nodded, her fingers drawing lines. "Yes, lord magistrate's agents were in civilian clothing." Haru explained. "Very fortunate you did not manage to kill Shosuro-san." There was a short pause. "He is recovering well. You don't need to worry about a blood-feud. At least not yet."

"Why do you believe it was a gaki? Did the creature say anything? Did you feel anything in its presence?" she pressed, laying down her densai for a moment, figuring she had his full attention. "Where did the creature go? Soshuro-san provided us with a rather colorful report."

"I had made the basic assumption that if there was to be lethal retribution for me attacking a Scorpion agent, I would have been dead when I walked through the door and the business would have been tidied up...and true. But someone in Soshi-dono's position wouldn't much suffer from lying to a dog, as I believe she has succinctly put it."

When the mention of the colorful report is made, Akuta can't help but to smirk for a moment. "Shosuro-sama may have been led to believe that, in the moment, I knew of the creature. An improvised intimidation tactic to persuade him into answering my questions. As for the creature saying anything, it said something about how we should fear it. When it attempted to frighten those present in the alley, the sensation was something...primal, something instinctive. Tapping into the deep dark part of the mind that makes you fight or flee. As for my belief that it was a gaki...I've picked up bits of knowledge here and there to make an educated guess. My parents died in the criticality event and I've seen some of the things that wander the Desolation."

He swallows hard, trying to mask his distaste for the fact that the Scorpion were the ones responsible for the death of his family, forcing himself to try and be calm. "The creature phased through the wall, slipping into the darkness after your agents retreated."

"Mhmh." Haru murmured in her sickly wheezing tone. "I did saw his wounds." she remarked, though did not dwell on the matter. Fate of a doshin did not move Haru overtly - she had far larger things on her plate. "Mhmhm. Primal." Haru rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath, her fingers drumming the mahogany table. "Fair enough wolf-san, we'll write down your educated guess."

"Through a wall you say. Interesting." Her pallid eyes were on him. "Exceedingly interesting." Not that she would bother to explain why this was interesting. "Now, would you want a chance to earn some cash?" Haru asked Akuto, reaching for the purse that laid on the table, jigging it in her fingers.

"I am sure that Soshi-dono will be able to contact much more knowledgeable individuals than I based on the information provided to get a more accurate answer, if that is her wish."

When the prospect of earning funds is offered, an eyebrow is raised. "That depends on what Soshi-dono would ask of me, but it is difficult to argue with being able to feed oneself."

"Oh yes. But such personnel are eminently less disposable." she admitted. "We have our reasons to believe that this creature is linked to the one reported attacking people around and near the perimeter." Haru referred to the miles long fence that surrounded the Desolation. "We would have you to look into this. Discreetly, of course." Digging into the purse, she pulled out a five koku chip, tossing it at Akuma. "One to go with. Three more if you come back with information we can use. Nine more if you come back with head of either of the two." Her palling eyes focused on Akuta, Haru waiting for a response.

Catching the chip out of mid-air, Akuta rolled it in his palm as she spoke. "I can handle discreet and around the perimeter. Should I have to travel into the Desolation however, it would make my task significantly easier if I had an access permit...but I'll do what I can to look into it. A few words into the right ears and you'll never know what might pop up."

"I will have permit made for you." Haru replied without a blink, reaching for his communicator, tapping the runes carved on the surface a few times. "Kiyoshi. Draft a travel permit to Desolation to a wolf-man called Akuto. Yes, the same man we discussed earlier today. I trust you have his information. Now get to it." Closing the call, she tucked the communicator back to her pocket, turning her attention back to the ronin. "Excellent. The papers should be ready by the time you get out. As for communicating us." Haru reached into a drawer, pulling out an old, beaten communicator before tossing it to Akuto. "This should be safe enough. Kiyoshi will be taking your calls. He'll know what to do. Questions?"

"Much appreciated, Soshi-dono." Akuta gives another bow as the Scorpion continues. He'd have to remember this Kiyoshi name however. When the communicator was tossed, the wolf snatches it out of the air and gives it a glance for a moment before throwing it into a pocket.

"I presume I will be operating under the 'You don't know me and this conversation never officially happened' auspice of security work, so I suppose the only questions I have are this: Do you have any current leads beyond my own and should I seek the skills of a priest should I do battle with the creature?"

"Very good." Haru bobs her head as if to dismiss the ronin. "Yes, that would be the case. The good thing with wolves is that you always have plausible deniability." she adds with a sickening, wheezing chuckle. "Mhmhm. We believe that both of these creatures are gaki - and indeed linked somehow. Recruit help might not be a bad idea." Her gaze made it evident that finding such help would be his problem.

"And if you find us laying in an alleyway with our entrails missing, no harm no foul." A grim chuckle escapes the ronin as he gives a roll of a shoulder. "If there is nothing else then, Soshi-dono, this one can take his leave and begin the investigation in earnest."

"No." Haru hissed, sounding almost jovial. "Very good. Carry the Fortunes - any that might stick on." she added, cackling dryly, her laughter interrupted by a hacking cough.

/scene!