This chapter corresponds with the side story, Our Side of the Mirror.
The Palace and Center were both frighteningly loud this time of morning. Despite the fact that most of the inhabitants should have been asleep at sunrise, a great number of Seishi and councilors had come to the open courtyard to watch their Emperor and his guardsmen embark upon their long and difficult journey.
"What a crowd," Kishuku murmured to Ryuuen as they loaded their two horses in front of the Palace gates. "I don't mind people, but damn! This is a lot!" Toshi and Kohana, knowing that their presence could spook the horses, had already left the city's borders and waited on the designated traveling road.
"We're popular, what can I say?" he winked back, then waved a hand behind Kishuku. "Shun-kun! How's it going?"
Stalking over to them with Genrou at his side, Shun'u's rather irate face told everyone how it was going.
"Get. Me. Out. Of. Here!" the bandit punctuated each word, slamming his stuff onto one of the horse's back and earning a 'whuff' of irritation from it. "Lemme shift! Lemme run! For the love of god, just get me the fuck outta here!"
A pause before Genrou helpfully commented, 'He's a bit nervous about the excursion.'
"Aww, poor baby," Kishuku cooed mockingly. "Do you need someone to hold your hand?"
"Fuck off, Ki-ku!"
"Same to you!"
"Don't make me hit you both, because I'll do it."
"Shun!" a voice screamed out over the dim, and when the trio of turned a familiar copper-topped blur slammed into Shun'u, toppling the both of them over.
"Arusei!" Shun'u yelled, or as well as he could yell with a set of arms wrapped around his chest. "Get off of me, dammit!"
"I just want to say goodbye!"
Ryuuen raised an eyebrow while Kishuku explained the background of this relationship. "So should we help him?" the Nuriko Seishi asked.
"Nah, he didn't want help before. I think he'll survive this," he said maliciously.
"You're cruel."
"Thank you. Hey, I see Doukun and Houjun coming."
He was right; walking at them and leading a packhorse was Houjun, who was decked out in what seemed to be a monk's kesa instead of his Priest's robe, along with a white shirt, khaki pants, and a woven straw kasa. Sitting on the horse and looking extremely uneasy was Doukun, still dressed in his usual five-layered red and yellow dress robes rather than a more unencumbered riding outfit. Ryuuen and Kishuku waved to them and both waved back, thankful to find a set of familiar faces.
"Good morning to you," Doukun said, cheering up as they came together.
"You too, Doukun. Things going well for both of you?" Ryuuen asked.
Houjun grinned, his look answering the question very fully. "Somehow... I just can't stop smiling, no da. I wonder why."
Kishuku laughed and agreed. "Boy, I know that feeling! But Doukun... how come you're wearing such nice clothes?"
The boy shrugged sheepishly from his perch on the saddle. "My mother still harbors delusions that I am going on a very civilized business trip rather than traipsing across the countryside. She wanted me to look my best."
"Civilized?" Kishuku raised an eyebrow, turned and watched Shun'u and Arusei exchange curses and vows (respectively). "Uh, I don't think so!"
"It's going to be a bit hard to ride in that, isn't it?" Ryuuen frowned.
Doukun smiled slyly. "Normally, yes, but I anticipated my needs," he said, then pointed to one of the saddlebags. "Not only do I have a set of riding apparel in my bag, I am also wearing a tunic under all these... things. I'll put these away when we're out of the city's limits."
The trio chuckled at his foresight, knowing how much help that trait could turn out to be. "Oh yeah! Speaking of traipsing, where's Chie? And Shonin, for that matter?" Kishuku put forth.
As if on some silent cue, the silver vixen melted through the crowd toward her Seishi and, circling overhead, were two birds that could only be Chie and Takeshi, judging by their size and color. Following behind Shonin and parting the sea of humans and ketsu with evident ease was Saihitei, leading his own beautiful stallion.
Boy, aren't we special? Kishuku thought dryly. Saihitei was actually dressed to go riding; a worry Kishuku privately harbored was that he would come out wearing the imperial robes and expecting to be shuttled around everywhere. It didn't seem to be the case here, and although it looked like he was wearing a red silk tunic with expensive tan trousers, he still looked more fit to straddle a horse than poor Doukun. All three of the Warriors were decked out in their usual outfits--Shun'u in his famous black overcoat, Ryuuen in a long pink tunic, and himself in all gray--and carrying their favorite weapons too. Ah, but at least we have some idea of what we're getting into. It pays to be a Warrior when you have no idea what might be out there and ready to kill you.
When Saihitei saw their little circle, he hailed them with a, "Good morning to you all," and they began exchanging pleasant greetings. Chie landed on the horn of Doukun's saddle, her wing blessedly free of bandages and moving unhindered once again, while Takeshi continued to fly above his Seishi. Shonin had jumped into Houjun's arms, then crawled up to her usual perch on his shoulders. The group was chatting about the trip and last minute preparations when Saihitei noticed Shun'u on the ground, still flailing his legs and arms quite helplessly under Arusei's grip.
"Is he in this position with every woman he comes across, or are we missing something?" the Emperor looked terribly confused.
Kishuku couldn't stop himself from bursting out into gales of laughter. Suzaku almighty, if only they knew how much Shun hates women! The thought made him laugh even harder, forcing a snickering Ryuuen to explain the "episode" to Houjun, Saihitei, and a far too curious Doukun. When the boy started asking some questions he wasn't sure any of them wanted to answer, Kishuku tapped Arusei on the shoulder and kindly asked her to let go of their Seishi partner.
"I'm sorry to break up this beautiful moment, but I must ask you to release our riding buddy," he grinned. "You can have him after we come back, but we do have to have him for the moment so we can save the country."
"Oh, well, when you put it that way..." she jumped to her feet, blew the fallen Shun'u a kiss, and dissipated back into the crowd without so much as 'slam, bam, thank you man.’
Sitting up, Shun'u glared daggers at Kishuku before growling, "Not one word. Not one goddamn fuckin word if you wanna keep your-"
"Now now, Bandit-Mouth, we've got children around," Kishuku said in a singsong, keeping the smile on his face and indicating Doukun as the 'children.’ Shun'u looked over Kishuku's shoulder and his scowl turned very dark. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna to kill ya slowly 'n painfully when no one's watchin."
"Good. You're OK." Kishuku offered his hand and Shun'u took it reflexively, getting upright without a problem.
Finally, after all six had been brought together and separated all their gear evenly on the horses, they decided it was either now or never.
"Got everything? Ready to go?" Ryuuen pointed at each person. As they answered an affirmative, he let out a holler of excitement and leapt onto the back of one of the horses. "Let's ride!" At the exclamation the people began to quiet down, waiting with baited breath as to what the Seishi and Emperor were going to do.
Saihitei mounted his horse, while Houjun and Shonin sat behind Doukun and Chie went airborne. The two remaining Seishi just glanced at each other before Shun'u graced him with a sharp smirk. "Gotta better idea--I'll run!"
So with that declaration, Kishuku jumped into the last saddle and called out over the courtyard, "Open the gates!"
The sentries standing to the sides of the metal barrier pulled it open, welcoming the company to ride out of the city. But the moment the gates were spread, the silence was shattered by a symphony of voices filling the air. From every side, from the Center to the city, people were offering up prayers to Suzaku to protect the Emperor and his Seishi guardians, shouting out their support, and well wishing as fervently as if they were the ones embarking on the journey. From behind, Kishuku waved to an encouraging Tatsuko and Machi before turning back to Saihitei, who nodded to him and Shun'u.
Let's make this look good!
Shun'u took off first, running as fast as his feet would carry him. Genrou kept up right beside his bondmate, apparently relishing the speed and feel of the land under his paws. Quickly following behind, spurring their horses into an eager canter, were Saihitei, Houjun and Doukun with Ryuuen and Kishuku acting as rearguards. Then Shun'u, in no small part due to his extravagant sense of flair, shifted in mid-step and changed to his svelte wolf form, earning shrieks of delight and thrill from the onlookers as the red wolves sped down the road, howling with pleasure.
Oh yeah... Kishuku grinned as he flew past the awed and excited faces he had unwittingly sworn to protect. So far, looks very good.
They rode like that for a while, leaving the Capital behind in a cloud of dust as they reached the edge of forests and dove straight into its heart. Kohana and Toshi caught up with the group without an incident, loping just behind to their Seishi boys with staggering endurance, while the wolves still led their pack along the beautifully colored trail. The sun had long since peaked over the clouds and darkness was trying to assert its dominance by shadowing the ground like a wild mosaic.
Everything's so active, so new, so free, Kishuku thought enthusiastically. Gods, I don't understand how people can just ride and never look at what's around them. He was admiring the world with youthful innocence, grinning at the littlest things he saw--a flash of yellow flowers, a small chipmunk, the way Saihitei's hair whipped back and forth in perfect time. This is what it means to be alive!
Suddenly, he became distracted by one of his partner's distressed whines.
"OK, you know what? This isn't funny anymore!" Ryuuen finally burst out when they were miles from the nearest city. "My rear is killing me, and we really need to stop!" Despite the certain discomfort riding brought to his lower, more sensitive body parts Kishuku quickly adjusted to the natural motions of the horse and rode as if he'd been practicing for quite some time. He felt sorry for Ryuuen, who apparently hadn't quite gotten the hang of horseback riding yet.
"Why don't we pause for the moment, Houjun-san?" Doukun looked into the elder's face. "I would like to rid myself of these burdensome clothes in favor of a tunic, and we can discuss our plans in detail now that there are no prying ears or eyes."
Houjun voiced his agreement and Saihitei brought his horse to a stop ahead of them, causing all Seishi to come to a standstill. Ryuuen nearly fell out off the horse and kissed the ground while the others got to their feet without too many problems. The Tasuki pair caught wind of the plan via telepathy, turned on their heels, and came dashing back to the group.
As Kishuku dismounted, one of the wolves caught him completely off-guard as it jumped him straight on and slammed him to the dirt with backbreaking force.
"Goddamn you, Shun!" he shouted, managing to brace himself just barely before the moment of impact. "I hate it when you do that!"
With his forepaws on Kishuku's chest, Shun'u plopped his furry red rump on the other's stomach and let his tongue loll out his mouth in a very contented grin. Having been in this position far too many times, the Tamahome Seishi reflexively tightened his abdominal muscles in an effort to keep the 90-lb. wolf from cutting off his breathing entirely.
Figures that he'd have to pick the most uncomfortable place to sit! Had he not known better, Kishuku would have thought Shun'u was just playing around. However, he was willing to bet that the bandit would be saying something on the lines of, "Got'cha back, asshole!" if he had vocal cords.
That's it--Shun'u Stew when we set camp tonight!
"Gentlemen, and I use the phrase lightly," Saihitei said wearily as he tied the horses to some low-hanging branches. "We are in the midst of a rather dangerous adventure, and it's only just begun. Can we focus?"
"He started it," Kishuku grumbled as he knocked the wolf off his chest and got to his feet. It shifted back to a maniacally grinning Shun'u, who was more than happy to continue taunting his fellow traveler.
"You two are what, 17 going on 5, no da?" Houjun asked dryly, pulling out a red scroll from a bag. "Anyway, as much as I love to banter with you folks it's time to discuss business, no da."
While Doukun changed clothes, the rest quickly found themselves seats on rocks, trees, or other assorted forest debris and formed a crude circle so they could easily hear one another.
"Forget it!" Ryuuen declared. "After that ride, I think I need to stand."
"Do you not ride?" Saihitei asked.
"See, I can ride but I haven't done it in months. Thus... my legs and bottom are a teeny bit pissed at me for the new, invigorating exercise," he said, leaning against a nearby tree. "So if you don't mind, I'll just stand."
'Seishi, the flyers and myself are going scouting,' Shonin informed them. 'Kohana, Toshi, and Genrou will stand guard for you. We'll all be in mind-contact, though.'
'Thanks everyone. Hope you don't find anything,' Kishuku told her, grievously reminded of the last time he was out with Toshi...
'Me too.'
A rustle of leaves and feathers was all the sound they heard as all the ketsu went their separate ways, leaving their bondmates to talk about what they had been unwilling to say in public.
"So Houjun," the Emperor of Konan began. "Tell us everything you know."
The first thing the Priest did was talk about the Mitsukake Seishi. "As far as I can tell, he or she is in Choukou and we should reach it at least two hours before dusk, no da. That's counting breaks we'll take for eating and other personal matters too, no da."
"Sounds pretty easy," Shun'u shrugged casually. "What'sa problem, then?"
He hesitated before saying, "Well... from what I've heard, it seems as if Choukou's been, er... overrun by a demon, no da."
Kishuku's mouth moved without words coming out for a few seconds, while everyone made similar sounds of disbelief and dismay.
"Yer fuckin kidding me! Ain't no demons this close ta th' Capital!" Shun'u shouted.
"You know that, and I know that, but do the demons know that?" Houjun asked sagely.
Kishuku quickly jumped in before Shun'u could begin his usual ranting, "What if the Seishi was killed by the demon? Then where would we be?"
Houjun just shook his head slowly. "The only reason I know he or she is alive is because I can feel a distinctive ki coming from that direction which I can only assume is the Seishi, no da. Whether or not he or she is in good health is another story, no da."
"That is not much to go on," Saihitei frowned deeply. "But that also brings up the point of keeping the land in a state of grace. Would this be natural or unnatural deaths?"
"Something like demons popping up in towns aren't exactly everyday occurrences, heika," Ryuuen put in. "If it were dormant, I'd be a little more unsure about killing it, but if it's actually attacking and murdering people then that's a different story."
I have a feeling I know what's coming next, Kishuku thought grimly. "So if we go there, does this mean we have to take out the demon before moving on?"
The answer didn't surprise him. "Most likely... yes. It is our duty to take care of the people, no da," Houjun said. "But I wanted to propose this question to you before we went off to Choukou; do you want to split up into two groups, so that we cover more ground in a shorter period of time, no da?"
"Ya mean, like some of us go ta Choukou and th' others go try 'n track th' Miko?"
"Yes, pretty much, no da."
Shun'u thought for a moment. "Don't sound like a bad idea."
"Yeah, but sounds too easy," Ryuuen crossed his arms, looking unsettled. "What's the catch? We beat up a demon here, pick up a Miko there... there's gotta be some reason why we're called to do this instead of just any Seishi off the street."
"I've been wondering that too, but right now it doesn't seem like we'll have the chance to discuss it in great detail, no da," the Priest sighed. "As for this being too easy... well, let me start at the beginning, no da. Do you all know of the skirmishes taking place between Kutou and Konan?"
"I do, but mostly military stuff. Nothing really in-depth," Kishuku said. "I think it's the same for all three of us," and he indicated 'us' and Shun'u, Ryuuen, and himself.
"I can greatly clarify the issue for anyone who has not been keeping up," Saihitei offered as Doukun, now dressed in a more appropriate orange pants and tunic set, ran over to join them. "Doukun, are you aware of the uprisings between Kutou and Konan?"
"Very much so, Saihitei-san," he said as he sat next to Shun'u. "Why?"
"Perhaps you can help me explain some of the more... withheld details as to why Kutou and Konan are not on the best of terms."
The two summarized the relationship between the two countries, though it was quite obvious they would have gone on for hours had time not been against the travelers. So the duo spoke of Kutou's history and penchant for violence. Since Konan was the smallest of the four countries and Kutou stood as the second largest they were always trying to overthrow the Konan royal family and gain the lands for their uses. Most attempts were rather passive--using techniques of deceit and treachery rather than violence to achieve their goal--and to date none had ever worked. Recently, however, Kutou had actually taken a very active role in fighting Konan, starting with the denial of the annual ambassadors making it into Kutou with their peace treaties.
"And it was claimed that we had never sent them in the first place," Doukun tied everything up, his words full of righteous indignation. "How dare they suggest such a thing! As if we have no honor, when I'm more than certain that they are the reasons the treaty never arrived!"
"What is worse..." Saihitei said, sounding dark and disturbed. "Because of their belief that the treaties never made it, their ministers are outraged. Very few know this, but..." he paused and looked down at his feet. "Gentlemen... Konan is at war, and has been for more than two weeks."
A shiver of dread, unlike anything he'd felt before, ran down Kishuku's back. My home, he felt horror grow within his chest. Oh blessed phoenix, tell me it's not true. Tell me my family is not in danger, tell me my country is safe. Suzaku... it can't be true...
"Fuckin shit!" Shun'u swore, his sentiments echoed by most of the company and the ketsu. Kishuku could see his own sudden fears mirrored in almost everyone's face, and if it wasn't there, then anger was.
'Damn them to the deepest hells!' Toshi's mindvoice was red with rage. 'Those devil-spawned dragons! Konan is not a strong country, it cannot hold against Kutou's military.'
"Which is why we must hurry and find the remaining two," Saihitei reiterated that very important fact.
"That was an uplifting background check, you two," Kishuku let out a tired sigh. "But I don't see how this connects to the Miko? Is she dead? Is she trapped in Kutou? Give me a hand here!"
"Like the Mitsukake Seishi, we have to believe here too that she's alive and in Konan, no da," Houjun expanded. "But the scroll and my senses seems to be giving the indication that she is close to the northeastern border of the land, no da."
"Which is right next to Kutou and war-ravaged Konan..." Ryuuen breathed quietly. "If we go to find the Miko up near all these battlegrounds, it'd be like walking into a goddamn nest of vipers."
"And, very likely, a trap," Saihitei finished, his brow furrowed in dread. "So it seems this will not be the afternoon jaunt we'd been hoping it would be."
After a minute of silent worry, Doukun spoke up. "Houjun-san, I remember you had mentioned the idea of dividing our party into two. I, for one, think that it may be the best thing we can do, especially under these circumstances."
Kishuku shook his head. "I'm not so sure, Doukun. For one, if we split into two, the group going to get the Miko could be attacked and horribly outnumbered by the Kutou soldiers. And as for the demon... we don't even know what kind it is. I'd rather not go into something like that without as much backup as I can."
The youngest member disagreed and his symbol shone as he voiced his thoughts. "You are thinking too much like a Warrior. There are those battles that cannot and should not be fought with our fists. Think, instead, like the leopard you are bonded with. He is the most accomplished stalker of the cats and may pass among humans without their knowledge. If you were to go fetch the Miko it is very possible that you can avoid the Kutou soldiers altogether and still bring her back to safety."
The kid's got a point, Kishuku admitted to himself. If I really wanted to, I could go from one end of Konan to the other without being seen.
'With practice maybe, but you're still far too fond of making a scene when you fight,' Toshi said bluntly. 'I wouldn't let you go alone.'
'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Toshi,' he growled back.
"But regardless of Kishuku going, it still would be best if only a small number of Seishi went to bring the Miko back," Doukun said, the cho sign fading from sight. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I do. All right, so that justifies only a few people getting the Miko," Ryuuen thought aloud as he started to pace. "But what about the demon? Or demons? Houjun, you're the Priest with the training on evil and that stuff- why don't you go with the group that needs to get the Mitsukake Seishi?"
He shook his head regretfully. "In any other case I would, but I think it would be best if I went with those looking for the Miko, no da."
"How come?" Kishuku asked, somewhat bristly. Rest of us aren't good enough?
"First, I have the most experience traveling through dangerous lands, no da. Believe it or not my life hasn't always been at the Center, and I do have some skills that could make the journey much easier. Second, I know where the Miko is and can trace her by following her ki trail, no da. Everyone knows where the Mitsukake Seishi is; for all you knew, the Miko could have been anywhere from the eastern border to the western, no da. Thus, I can use her ki like a rope and "pull" us closer to her, no da," he explained so very rationally that Kishuku found himself giving in.
But I'm still not sure I like the idea of us splitting up for such dangerous missions...
"So we are decided in rending this group into two?" Doukun reiterated the fact. "At least, that is my impression."
"What does everyone think?" Saihitei looked around the circle. "Ryuuen?"
The violet-haired boy let out a deep-chested sigh and said, "I think it's a good idea, but I'm just worried about us getting together once both Miko and Seishi are found."
"We can work that out later. Shun'u?" Saihitei went down the line.
"Cool with me."
"Kishuku?"
Great... I'm going to sound like the bad guy. "I've still got issues with the idea of only two or three people going against the Kutou troops. Otherwise... I do agree with what Doukun and Houjun have been saying."
"Then let me put it this way: if three Seishi cannot handle a group of Kutou soldiers, then it's doubtful the addition of three more will be anything more than inconsequential," Doukun clarified helpfully, once again lighting up his forehead. It seemed that every time the boy opened his mouth, his character came right to life.
Fine. All right, I get it. I see this is not going to go the way I'd like it to go... "I guess so," he said grudgingly. "But if we end up dead or worse, I'm going to kick your asses."
Everyone laughed at the joke (except Doukun, whom Kishuku had to convince he was kidding) and Saihitei finished the count, which turned out to be unanimous in splitting up. The only issue was...
"So who's going to kidnap a Miko and who's going demon hunting?" Ryuuen asked brightly.
Houjun was obviously going to find the Miko and Doukun suggested going with him. "I am not a fighter and would rather avoid confrontation if at all possible. The problem with the demon will most likely involve some sort of battle and I am ill equipped to help." No one argued and Houjun agreed to let him join, not only because of Doukun's choice but also because he and Chie could fly and do scouting from above and escape the easiest in the face of capture.
"Who else wants to join us, no da?"
Ah, what the hell! "I will," Kishuku offered.
Shun'u raised his eyebrow. "Ya sure, Ki-ku? I could go if ya'd rather fight a demon."
"No thanks," he replied flatly. "I'll leave that fun little job to you. Besides, if we're going where I think we're going, I could help with directions. I'm pretty familiar with the area."
"I really don't see a difference in choosing one over the other, no da," Houjun told them. "Kishuku spoke first, he'll join us, no da."
"Then it is settled," Saihitei spoke decisively. "Houjun, Kishuku, and Doukun will travel to the northeast and find the Suzaku no Miko. Ryuuen, Shun'u, and myself shall head north towards Choukou and see if we can find the Mitsukake Seishi."
"What about after we find th' others? Then what?" Shun'u asked.
"It'll take us much less time to find the Seishi than the Miko. For one, we have less land to cover, less time to spend getting from here to there. What if we decide to head east after we've completed our part of the mission and find the other half?" Saihitei proposed.
The group tossed strategies back and forth until they finally decided on a plan. Once either group finished their duty, they would meet in-between Choukou and the eastern border of Konan and wait in the chosen village for the second company to arrive.
"You'll like Hakukou," Kishuku grinned proudly. "It's small but it's homey."
"It's out of our way, going backwards and away from the Capital, but maybe we'll help somebody during the ride," Ryuuen figured out. "All right, I think my butt's in working condition again. We better start riding before I get too comfortable here."
"Right at home in the wilderness aint'cha, Girly-Boy?" Shun'u cackled, and was quickly sent flying toward the horses the hard way.
'Couldn't he just learn not to bait the superstrong Seishi?' Takeshi asked.
'No, that would defeat the purpose of being Shun,' Genrou answered calmly as the ketsu streamed back to them from all points of the forest. 'Changing the subject, I'm happy to note that there was no one around, malicious or not.'
'Ditto for us,' Chie chirped, or the owl's equal of chirping.
