"She should be," Gi-sama replied, carrying her back to their horses. "We managed to save her from the rampaging Konan forces just in time. It's a terrible shame about her family, though."
A flash of utter confusion ran through his head. "Konan forces? But wasn't it our--"
"She does not know that, Shunkaku," he answered abruptly. "And she will never know that. She has been in Konan for far too long and has been all but lost to the Kutou people. We must help her see that Kutou is her homeland, that Seiryuu is the god she must give her reverence to. With us standing beside her, she will be the one to bring Him down and free us from this destruction."
"Because she's the Chosen Seiryuu no Miko, right?"
"That is correct."
Shunkaku nodded in understanding but... something didn't feel right. He wasn't sure what it was, but had a feeling Hasaki would know and could help him deal with it.
'Hasaki, I don't understand why we didn't just talk to her and her family, and maybe convince them to come to Kutou,' he felt a familiar stir of frustration build up inside. 'I don't like this sneaky shit. Things should be right out in the open, especially for something like this.'
'Perhaps, but try to see it Gi-sama's way,' the badger explained from his lounging position on Shunkaku's shoulders. 'First off, this girl does not harbor any favoritism towards her heritage. She rarely calls upon her talents and we ketsu know that she is--sad to say--ashamed to be called a Seiryuu no Miko. Thus, it was unlikely she would have come with us in any case... and we were forced to take her away from the family that reinforced these terrible beliefs.'
'Also, try to remember that we do not want her to come to harm. All we did was take her away from a potentially dangerous situation and now we're bringing her to one of the safest places in Kutou,' Taiyo, Gi-sama's ketsu, added. 'Once we get there, it will be up to you to care for your Miko, for Ayuru and the others do not have the time to spare. Help her come to grips with this devastating loss by giving her your time and patience and you will reap great rewards for it.'
Shunkaku shook his head, his bangs swinging wildly back and forth. 'But I still don't understand why Gi-sama sent in those troops to take down that one stupid village. I like fighting as much as the next Warrior, but that was almost tastelessly easy.'
Hasaki sighed, then spoke carefully. 'Sometimes one must choose between evils, and we have chosen the lesser of the two. One village falls to save our country and people... it is a sacrifice we must be willing to make.
'Are you?'
"How much farther?
"Kishuku, if you ask me that again I will be forced to remove your tongue from your mouth, no da," a testy voice replied. "For the last time--I don't know. Measuring distance using ki isn't exactly a perfected art, no da."
"Sorry Houjun, but I'm just a bit antsy," the first said sheepishly. "We're close to my home- close enough to make me worried about my family and what the hell the Kutou army may be up to. I just want to find the Miko, go home, and make sure that everyone's OK."
Houjun softened his features in sympathy, for which Kishuku was very grateful for- the man could be downright scary when irritated. "I know you're feeling apprehensive, but it doesn't help us nor your family to get as distracted as you have been recently, no da."
'And you've been more uptight than Doukun, which is saying a lot,' Chie told him, swooping close enough to ruffle his hair. 'Even he's a bit worried at the pace we've been setting.'
Kishuku looked up to see the twin owls flying right above them, shadowed against the bright afternoon sky. Doukun still had some reservations about of flying and even letting Chie go off on her own during the day, but they were all close enough to each other that someone, either human or ketsu, should be able to sense trouble before it hit. Still, now that he was back in the air the boy looked more alive than he'd been in the past week or so.
Wish I felt that good, Kishuku sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. He stopped himself from asking Houjun again how much longer it would take to reach the Miko, but instead asked, "What do you think the others are up to?"
The Priest shrugged. "I'm not sure, no da. By now, they should be finished with whatever business was in Choukou and headed up to Hakukou, no da. They're probably going at an easier pace than us, I can tell you that, no da," he pointed out the rather quick canter they'd been going at for the past hour.
"They probably had an easier time in Choukou too," the other grumbled.
'All we've done the past three days is ride, Kishuku. It's not like we're exactly carrying the moon on our shoulders,' Shonin said wryly. 'The others have already gone through their hardest task, we still have yet to face ours.'
'Thanks, Shonin, I feel so much better now.'
'Don't snap at me, demon boy! I wasn't saying that to give you comfort; I was telling you a fact.'
"All right, would you both stop it?" Houjun asked in exasperation. "I know everyone's patience is next to nil, but it would be best if weWAIT!"
And he pulled sharply on the reins, causing his startled horse to rear up in aggravation. "Watch it!" Kishuku shouted, quickly coming to his side in case Houjun were to fall. But the other man's balance was amazing and he didn't move an inch on the saddle, a feat Kishuku was mildly awed by. When the beast came back down to all fours, Houjun still placidly sat there, but with distant eyes and a blazing character, as if his mind was no longer in this world. Gods, what's going on now? "Houjun..."
He stayed silent for a moment longer, then blinked and called up to the sky. "Doukun, come on down! I need your help, no da!"
"What's going on?" Kishuku asked in a troubled voice as one of the owls came spiraling down towards them, and then became Doukun as he landed with a light hop between the two riders.
"What is it, Houjun-san?" Doukun parroted the question.
"Here's what's happening, no da," he said, dismounting quickly and handing the reins to the youngest member of their crew. "I think I've found the Miko, no da."
'You found her?' Toshi asked incredulously, a feeling mirrored in everyone's thoughts and expressions. Thank GOD! Kishuku prayed. Finally! 'How do you know?'
"There was this flux of distinct energy that I almost missed, but I know it's hers, no da. I'll fill in bigger details in a while, but I need to go over everything now."
'Enlighten us.'
"Kishuku and I are going track the Miko by ki -sensing, no da. You, Doukun, are going to stay here with the horses and, if one of the ketsu tells you to, you'll lead the horses to where either Kishuku or myself is with the Miko and we'll ride off, no da. Chie will follow us from above, since flight the easiest method of travel, and Toshi and Shonin will stay with you, no da," Houjun explained as Kishuku got off his horse. "Do you three mind?"
The ketsu were perfectly fine with his plan and Houjun hesitantly asked Doukun if he too minded the part he had to play. "If you are worried about how I may feel, either useless or left out, do not. I am more than aware of my lack of physical traits, but doing this is still helping you," Doukun reassured the elder as took the reins of the horse from Kishuku. "Just be careful, you two."
"We will. Thank you, no da."
"Houjun..." Kishuku crept up to the Priest, feeling slightly abashed. "I've never tracked anyone using ki before..."
He smiled, but there was no trace of mockery in his eyes. "Come, let's start hiking, no da." He pointed at the nearby clump of trees and mountainous hillside and led Kishuku uphill.
They ambled a good hundred meters from the stationary group before Houjun spoke again, this time much softer and with a greater amount of gravity. "You won't have to worry about tracking, no da. I'm going to lead you most of the way to the Miko, then you're going to help her while I make a detour away from you two, no da."
Kishuku felt a twinge of nervous energy hit his stomach at the sudden change of plans. "What's going on?"
"Let me be brief. The flux of ki I felt... It's because at that moment the Miko had momentarily fallen unconscious." Kishuku inhaled sharply, a sound like a hiss and a growl growing in his throat, but Houjun ignored it and kept going. "I do not know if it is because of illness or some... darker reason, but I did not want to keep talking in front of you two."
"Why? It's not like we wouldn't find out!"
"Because someone's been following our entourage for the past hour and I wanted to make this separation look completely natural, which unfortunately involved keeping both you and Doukun from knowing what I did, which I apologize for. Thankfully the conversation we had has led this person to follow us," and Kishuku looked reflexively behind himself, pretending to be distracted by birdsong. He saw nothing and no one, though the back of his neck tingled in distinct alarm. "If whoever's trailing us is against Konan, then it would be foolish to take them straight to the Suzaku no Miko."
"And you want to steer them astray while I help the Miko," Kishuku filled in, a flash of clarity filling his mind. "I can do that."
"Good man," Houjun patted him on the back. "To find her, just--well, you know what it's like to feel Toshi inside, correct? It's very similar, but you'll know it. When I give you the signal, I'll shift and head in one direction while you go in the complete opposite; if I go left, you go right. But we better hurry up though, for I've wasted too much time speaking."
And the two picked up the pace from a light stride to a loping jog. Kishuku's heart kept jumping each time he saw a flicker of shadow or heard the snapping of twigs underfoot, making the five minutes of moving seem like fifty.
OK, I can do this. I can go find the Miko and keep her safe, while Houjun goes out and does something potentially fatal. No problem, no problem at all...
"Now!" Houjun hissed and made a quick 90° turn to the left. Kishuku's already-sparking nerves forced his reflexes to kick into full gear and he had no choice but to veer right and run straight into a thicket of trees. When he looked back, Houjun was gone but he could swear he saw the flicker of a white-tipped tail flying over the landscape.
Suzaku be with him... Kishuku prayed as he began to change to ketsu-shape. Be with me.
Usually when he shifted, there was some measure of joy or excitement he could feel pounding in his human-leopard heart. But it seemed that recently every time he shifted there was never any pleasure involved in the process. Sure he took leopard form when tussling with the guys or to run with Toshi, but it didn't offset the frequency of shifting as part of the tedious drills Iu-san had him doing over and over during class, and the painful memories it brought up from that day by the bar. Now he felt like it was part of a job; a necessary learned skill that seemed to be more of a qualification than a gift from Suzaku.
This is a really nice conversation, he thought sarcastically, now running on four legs instead of two. Just the uplifting things I need to hear. As if to punctuate that statement, he flexed his leg muscles and jumped into one of the larger trees with expert ease, deciding to practice his stealth techniques by using the lofty height to his full advantage.
Ah, but no less true, his feline self reproached. There are going to be times when being a Seishi will be one of the hardest and most burdensome things you'll ever have to deal with. And on the other side of the coin, you'll live some of your greatest days in the company of your Seishi friends and the ketsu. It's just a matter of balancing your ups and downs without letting the pressure kill you.
Kishuku couldn't come up with a good reply to that thought, so he let his attention focus on the slight tug he could feel growing stronger in his chest. It did feel similar to the pull Toshi had on him, but hardly as strong or as familiar. Using both finely tuned leopard senses and the mystical ki-tracking talent Houjun spoke of, he was extremely aware of everything happening within a good hundred-meter radius. He couldn't smell, hear, nor in any other ways sense anyone following him, but Kishuku began to taste blood and ashes coating the air and a feeling of utter dread hit him in the stomach.
Oh hellfire--I think there's a village up ahead! he thought, speeding up. He never made it.
Instead, a vicious snarl echoed through the small forest and Kishuku's attention was quickly diverted about twenty meters to his right. After wondering which one he should head to--either the source of the sound or the village--he heard human voices coming from the same direction as the growl and made his decision. Sprinting across the treetops, with every nerve and muscle ready for action, Kishuku was barely prepared for the sight he suddenly found himself gazing at.
A young woman lay unconscious against a tree, her clothes torn to tatters and multiple cuts and bruises coloring her pale skin. Standing in front of her like a living shield was a cream-colored coyote, growling and snapping menacingly at the trio of black-caped men wielding cruel-looking swords and scythes at them. The coyote was in no better shape than its charge, its sides heaving with exhaustion and a tear in its upper leg to hinder nearly all movement, but the animal refused to back down. Kishuku felt himself suddenly burn with righteous ire at the scene and knew--
I'll be damned if I let this fight go on any longer! And all the repressed emotions he'd been allowing to build over these past few days had finally found the perfect outlet and he let them loose.
The first man never knew what killed him. Without a sound, Kishuku had leapt from the branches and slashed at the head of the nearest enemy with his unsheathed claws; talons strong enough to shear off a deer's head in one swipe had a very similar effect on a human head. Shouts of surprise and panic were vaguely noticed but his mind was far too focused on the job of destroying the darkness that he didn't think anything of it. Using the distraction to his advantage he sprang off the falling body and, with a roar of feral pleasure guiding his flight, he sank his teeth into the neck of the second attacker and quickly tore out the man's throat before he could scream.
Blood so warm... so sweet with justice and fear... forgotten the taste and ready for more...
When the remaining survivor realized that the odds had slightly changed and not in his favor, he turned tail and began to run. Kishuku was about to give chase, a thought that inspired a great deal of vicious delight, but then remembered his greater duty to the Miko and tried to fight the bloodlust. The internal battle was harder than he would like to admit, but he just licked the last of the red nectar from his jowls and turned to see how she and the coyote were faring.
The girl was still unconscious, but an injured man that looked only a few years Kishuku's elder had replaced the coyote. His eyes were dulled with pain and shock, but there was a spark of intelligence that Kishuku recognized as the need to communicate something important. Though he could still sense danger from nearly every side, Kishuku shifted back to his human form to talk to the man. I'm quite capable of defending myself in either form, so I guess it doesn't matter too much.
The moment he was fully human, the other Seishi began to verbally assault him. "Who are you where did you come from get the hell away from us!" he shouted, crouching over the girl protectively.
It slightly grated on Kishuku's nerves to hear such terror in another's voice, but held his hands up in innocence and spoke in his most easy-going voice. "Hey, hey, I’m not here to kill you, I swear! My name's Sou Kishuku, Tamahome Seishi and not a Seiryuu, which should be further proof that I’m not out to eat your heart for dinner. Swear to Suzaku, I'm just here to help."
The other man's face contorted a variety of emotions, the most obvious being uncertainty and reluctant acceptance of the words. "I-I'm sorry for snapping, but it was really unsettling, seeing a huge cat jumping from nowhere and taking out two men in the span of a breath. But... I know you're not going to hurt us- I can tell. Thank you for your help," his hazel eyes bore into Kishuku's gray ones. "I'm Yuuki Keisuke, Chichiri Seishi, and this is my sister Miaka, Suzaku no Miko."
Yes! Kishuku did a mental dance, hearing the name and feeling a ring of truth sound in his chest. We've got the Miko! We can save the country! All I have to do is get her away from her family. But instead of letting his internal excitement show, he continued to speak easily to Keisuke and asked, "Is there a village doctor nearby where we can take you and your sister? You two don't look so good."
Keisuke quickly scanned the area and had he been in coyote form, Kishuku bet he would have seen the blond's ears twitching warily. "I... our village was ransacked a few hours ago, so the doctor that's there is probably taking care of more serious wounds than this." He waved a hand at Miaka's bruises though he failed to mention his own torn and bloodied shoulder. "The nearest village has to be--"
"Paifu, though Hakukou isn't much farther," Kishuku finished. At Keisuke's puzzled look he was about to mention the fact that his riding troupe had just passed them when prudence forced him to keep that fact quiet. So, I'll tell another truth. "I live around here, I can take you two there without a problem."
"No, I have to go back home..." and a brief flash of indecision crossed his face before he blurted, "but I want you to take Miaka away from here."
...Naaani?! That was a bit too easy... "Are you sure?" and the question caused Keisuke's face to darken dramatically.
"Those three men you saw... they chased us into this forest just to toy with us. And one of them let it slip that in order to protect Kutou they had to kill all the Suzaku no Mikos, and this game was just part of the fun." He paused at the disturbing truth, then plowed on. "It's not safe for my sister to be here anymore, and if there's another attack she may not come out of it alive. I can't bring her back home." He looked at the fragile figure with a sorrowful look. "Get her as far from the danger as possible. Please, take care of her in place of our mother and myself."
Kishuku was taken aback by the depth of trust the Chichiri Seishi was placing in him and knew that such faith was not easily given nor earned. "I'd be very honored to do that for you and your family. Suzaku as my witness, I will not let harm befall your sister." He bowed deeply and respectfully to Keisuke, then bent down and picked up Miaka as carefully if she were porcelain doll. She doesn't weigh much more than one... She groaned softly but otherwise stayed sickly silent--not a good sign.
"Thank you, Kishuku-kun. Take care," Keisuke smiled faintly. He ran a gentle finger over Miaka's forehead and cheek then whispered, "Onii-chan loves you, Miaka" before running towards the sound of fire and grief.
All of a sudden, his burden didn't seen quite so light anymore. Looking down on the face the girl that could save Konan, Kishuku realized that he never really thought of the Miko as an actual person. She was always just some faceless, nameless woman that would call down the god and bring peace to the land. It never really occurred to him that she was human too, that she was as affected by war and pain and loss as he was. To make it even worse she looked to be younger than him--but definitely older than Doukun--but it still didn't change the fact that she was barely old enough to choose a proper husband, much less become a channel for Suzaku to work through.
She's just a kid, she's just been tossed into this mess like me and Ryuuen and all the others, he thought, pulling her closer to him in the same way he cradled his siblings. But we've been lucky--we've had each other and the ketsu. Miaka's going to come into this without anyone she knows and cares about to support her. So I guess this means I'll have to be there instead of Keisuke--I'll have to be her surrogate big brother.
I think I can live with that.
A spark of danger flashed through his thoughts and Kishuku knew--oh Suzaku no!--that the spy he hadn't killed had come back, and he wasn't alone.
And this time Kishuku couldn't shift or fight. If he shifted, he couldn't hold or carry Miaka, but he didn't know how many men were out for his pelt. Simply standing them down would not be the smartest move he could make, especially if he got hurt and couldn't protect Miaka. God fucking damn them! He thought such vulgar words that he would have made a certain bandit very proud to hear them. I knew I should have torn out his fucking heart when I had the chance!
But life doesn't revolve around what-could-haves and Kishuku didn't have much of a choice but to run. The Miko was his first priority, and he had to get her to safety. As he began heading back the way he came, holding Miaka tightly to keep from jarring her, he suddenly realized what would happen if they followed him back to Doukun and the ketsu. It had nothing to do with the four taking care of themselves; rather, if they found a new pathway to get into Konan, then it would only serve to put the nearer villages at greater risk and the forces could spread. "Shit!" he swore aloud, torn between two risks and unsure of which to take. He never stopped moving but rather began to weave back and forth through the dense underbrush, trying to shake them off his trail. However, more than once his heart nearly stopped when a whistle of metal or wood flew next to his face or side. None of the killers made a sound louder than a rustle, but he knew they were there all the same and that they were getting ever closer.
I can't keep this up, Kishuku's mind whirled. I can't keep running like this. Sooner or later someone's going to catch me or I'm going to fall from exhaustion... He hated admitting that weakness, but carrying Miaka's extra weight, no matter how light she was, wasn't making this little expedition any easier. He suddenly wished he could have taken a horse with him, then chastised himself. How do you expect to become some great Warrior if you keep looking for the easy way out, huh, Kishuku?! Be a man and learn to rely on yourself!
Goaded by his own words, he picked the pace up until he was practically flying over the landscape. He could feel his mind starting to cloud up with the need to run and fight and breathe and rest, so he prayed that he would reach Doukun soon before he was forced to stop. Right now, the best chance for both his and Miaka's survival was running to the group and then taking care of business.
Of course, all of it depended on Kishuku's ability to keep Miaka and himself alive long enough to reach them.
Turning around for a momentary glance, a shock ran though his system when he saw a group of five night-cloaked wraiths teleporting from branch to branch just behind them. Each one wore a grin of complete malice, chasing after the two Suzaku-blessed with all the thrill of a hunter wearing down their quarry. For a moment, he felt a rush of despair at the fact that no matter how fast or how far he ran, they would always be faster and eventually catch them.
Suzaku... help me... help us get to safety...
And salvation came in the form of Ri Houjun, who suddenly appeared right behind the duo and, letting loose a ki blast with the force of an earthquake, effectively knocked all of the assassins away. Kishuku stared at the Priest before the man smacked him on the back and yelled, "Keep going, Kishuku! I'll take care of this!"
"Right!" he nodded curtly and continued his sprint with Houjun right beside them, taking out any of the spies that happened to get too close for comfort.
We're in sight I can see the road Doukun's standing there with the horses ready and the ketsu running to help fight we're gonna make it! his thoughts tumbled over each other, his mind so utterly focused on reaching his goal that he could barely feel the fire in his lungs and the needles in his arms. We're almost there we're alm--
And he heard a pained grunt from right next to him. His heart tumbled to his stomach when he realized Houjun wasn't keeping up--'Toshi! Help him!'--but he couldn't stop to help. Doukun and the ketsu were dashing towards them, no, past them to Houjun and the killers, and Kishuku felt something loosen within his chest. Sounds of a brutal fight reached his ears and thoughts as he leapt into the nearest saddle with Miaka still in his arms while Doukun helped a bleeding Houjun into the other. Then they were tearing down the road as if all the demons of hell and Seiryuu were on their heels, riding as if the dead could rise and follow them through this world and beyond.
