The Wizards of Ceres: 4
Title: The Wizards of Ceres, chapter 4 - Kurogane Demon-Queller
Pairing: Kurogane/Fai
Rating: R in later chapters. This chapter; PG.
Summary: In which Kurogane Demon-Queller reports to his superiors, and his loyalty is brought into question.
Part 1 - Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V
Part 2 - Chapter VI - Chapter VII - Chapter VIII - Chapter IX - Chapter X
Part 3 - Chapter XI - Chapter XII - Side Story: The Prince of Valeria - Chapter XIII - Chapter XIV
Part 4 - Chapter XV - Chapter XVI - Chapter XVII - Chapter XVIII - Chapter XIX - Chapter XX
Edo had its own walls, of course, and its own wards, for all that it was miles to the nearest border and miles more out of the way to the nearest gateway to the outside world. Kurogane eyed the walls with mixed feelings as he approached; on one hand, it struck him as massively redundant, a waste of resources and energy that could be better spent elsewhere. On the other hand, if ever an enemy army -- or oni invasion -- did breach the outer walls and drive all the way to the heart of the realm, this would be the place for any last stand.
Not that Kurogane was likely to see it. His duties kept him far away from the capital, usually; most likely in the event of some catastrophic invasion, he'd die out there on the front lines before the fight ever came this far. He sighed, and shook his head. His thoughts were getting positively morbid.
He touched his horse's flank, urging a little more speed out of the wearied beast; not that they could go all that fast on this crowded, traffic-choked street, but pedestrians spilled out of his way as he approached. He'd been this way many times before, but people still gaped at him as he passed; mounted tall on a black warhorse that few could afford to maintain, dressed head to toe in heavy black armor, and with the hilts of the two swords his rank entitled him clearly visible, a promise of explosive violence and threat.
One side of Kurogane's lip curled as a mother snatched her child off the street, dragging her under an overhanging awning, but he otherwise ignored it. These people had heard only snatches of rumors about him and his duty; they had no idea what exactly he did, what he faced, so far outside of the borders of their safe little city. And as long as he kept to his duty, they never would... and so he decided to take their half-fearful fascination as his due respect, rather than as insult.
Being back in the city was simultaneously soothing and nerve-wracking at once; a relief to be back among people again, and yet... the crowding, the bodies pressed close from all sides, set off his battle alarms and put all his teeth on edge. It didn't help to remind himself that he was unlikely to encounter enemies here; it was the knowledge that if he did, it would be almost impossible to fight in this crowd that grated. And... the people themselves. Talking, laughing, shouting... a cacophony of living noise poured into his sensitive ears. He set himself to endure.
The crowd was thickest around the gate itself, wagons and foot travelers waiting in a queue for their chance to be inspected and passed through. Kurogane shouldered his horse impatiently between them, and none dared to bar his path, until he reached the portcullis itself, and halted on the challenge from the posted guard.
One of them stepped forward, and saluted, his leather-and-chainmail clinking. "Lord Kurogane. You've returned?"
Kurogane relaxed slightly; at least this pair of guards recognized him on sight, and he wasn't going to have to waste time on any stupid arguments about not carrying passes today. "Obviously."
The guard nodded. "We received word from the Red Sundown gate two days ago that you had entered the gates. We've been expecting you. And, um..." His gaze flickered behind Kurogane, searching for other horses, other riders, and his expression showed dismay when he saw none. "Only you?"
"As you see." Kurogane let his voice go flat, grating. He had a lot to discuss with Amaterasu, on that subject. But not with a gate guard.
The guard's mouth opened as if to ask a further question, but then, intelligently, closed. He stood back, and waved Kurogane under the wrought iron portcullis into the city proper.
Inside the inner gates, the streets were wider, cleaner, and emptier; only the city's noble clans, and the inhabitants and servants of the palace itself, were permitted to dwell here. As a semi-member of both categories, Kurogane had his own residence here, although he was rarely present for more than a few days at a time.
His horse needed little urging, now; on the familiar streets of the palace city, it knew that home, and stables and bedding and food, were close at hand, and it clopped willingly down the cobbled streets with all the enthusiasm Kurogane himself could hardly muster. It was hard to say which he wanted more at this point; real food, a real bed, or a bath. Hard living in the wilderness for weeks on end without access to bath water -- interspersed by furious battles that tended to coat him with demonic filth -- had accustomed Kurogane to putting up with dirt, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
He arrived, finally, in the courtyard of his own house; dismounted with a tired grunt and a clatter. "Tadaima," he called out, but received no response -- his student must be elsewhere today.
Kurogane controlled a faint irritation. He was absent for weeks at a time, and it was never entirely certain when he'd be back, so it was unreasonable to expect the boy to be there just when Kurogane returned. Still, this meant that he was going to have to stable and care for his horse himself, before he could look after his own needs. He sighed resignation, and turned left, into the stable block.
When he finally emerged into the house proper, lugging his gear over one shoulder, he received an unpleasant shock -- he was not alone in the house after all. A man in the formal, dark garb of the high Court, modified into daily wear for those whose business actually took them outside of the castle, was waiting for him in the main room of his house. After a moment, Kurogane identified the man as Lantis, one of the Imperial Household's personal message boys. Kurogane felt a stab of foreboding, before the man even spoke. "Well?" he growled, by way of opening the conversation. "What are you doing in my house?"
The messenger ignored the challenge, and instead gave him a smooth, courtly bow. "Lord Kurogane of Suwa. News of your return has traveled swiftly to the central court, and Her Sacred Highness Tsukiyomi bid me convey her gladness to hear of your safety."
"And?" Kurogane said, impatience growing in the face of these meaningless pleasantries. "She didn't have to send a messenger to tell me that."
"And," the man continued impassively, "her sister, Her Royal Majesty the Divine Amaterasu, Empress of the holy land of Nihon and all surrounding territories, requests and requires you to appear at Shirasagi Castle at the first available moment upon your return."
He recognized that phrasing, and minor irritation flared into major irritation. 'First available moment' from one of these messengers inevitably meant right now. "What does Amaterasu have to say to me that is so bloody important that it can't wait an hour?" he growled.
Another smooth bow, and this time Kurogane could detect the faint mockery hidden in the gesture of respect. "Her Majesty does not confide her reasons to one such as myself. She merely bid you come, and sent me as an escort and guide."
As if he needed a guide. The flunky had merely been sent to ensure that he come up to the palace right now, without food or a bath or a chance to change clothes. Kurogane opened his hand and let the heavy packs fall to the bamboo floor with a shattering crash, but the messenger didn't bat an eye, and Kurogane tried with some difficulty to calm himself.
The inconvenience and attendant insult was doubtless deliberate, intended to put him off balance and weaken his self control. Well, he'd put up with worse than Amaterasu on a bad day; and at least this court summons would give him a chance to report to Princess Tomoyo sooner rather than later. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he snapped, when he had managed to tamp most of the snarl out of his voice. "Lead the way."
------------------
Kurogane and his guide climbed the hill leading up to the castle on foot; no horses were permitted on the castle grounds itself except those ridden by the royal family. Despite his bad mood, a part of Kurogane's heart eased as the castle itself came into view. The sheer stone walls that rose gracefully out of the moat; topped by the many-tiered castle buildings, the black crenelated roofs. He'd spent a year here, training, and while many things about that period had been painful, the castle itself was still a beacon of security and peace.
They passed between the flame-arched doorways and across the moat, but to Kurogane's surprise, instead of going straight in to the main receiving chamber they turned left across the open grounds. Another series of small bridges crossed the small creeks dividing the grounds, and in the distance Kurogane caught a glimpse of the gazebo that sheltered the sacred tree.
Another right turn, and Kurogane finally recognized where they were going; an outdoors pavilion was set up and waiting, with a wide expanse of white sands bordered on one side by a wooden walkway. The court was receiving here, today, it seemed; for the yard was surrounded on three sides by men and women in the outfits of the Imperial Guard, and more people in full court dress waited in the shade of the overhang.
Kurogane growled under his breath; sitting under the sun in his full armor for however long this took was going to be a bitch, and he was sure Amaterasu knew it. Gritting his teeth, he handed his swords to the corporal in charged, and stepped out onto the white sands, crossing to the center where he knelt, properly, and bowed, touching his forehead for a long moment to the white sand before he straightened up.
He glanced first to the left, where Princess Tomoyo sat enthroned in her long robes, surrounded by her personal guard as usual. He still recognized most of their faces, although there were a few new ones he couldn't put names to; he made a mental note to find out who the new additions were, and make sure their training had been up to snuff. Tomoyo gave him a brief smile, but it faded quickly; she looked... solemn.
On the other wing of the pavilion sat the crown heir, Amaterasu's younger half-brother Touya. By tradition, the male heir to the throne was the de facto leader of any offensive foreign military action, but in this generation that role had been somewhat usurped by his older sister. As per usual, he lounged at her left hand looking rather bored, but at least his gaze on Kurogane held no particular animosity.
The prince was surrounded by servants of his own, including Rondart, the court recorder; the presence of the scribe indicated a level of formality to this audience that Kurogane wasn't quite sure how to interpret. The man glanced up at Kurogane once, the light flashing off of his spectacles, then bent back over his paper, pen scratching assiduously.
Amaterasu herself was in the central seat; in her battle dress today, he noted with approval, a much fancier and more gilded version of the armor the palace guards wore, topped with an intricately embroidered black tabard. It was clearly for show, however, as her hair was pulled up in one of the elaborate styles not suitable for any amount of riding or fighting. Her expression was... unamused.
"Your Imperial Highness, Divine Amaterasu," he greeted her with the usual formalities, and then decided to get right to the point. "What do you want?"
Touya winced. Amaterasu regarded him with grave, dark eyes, and responded in a cool voice, "So, Kurogane Demon-Queller. You have returned from another successful hunt."
He did not bother to confirm the blindingly obvious. "I gave my tokens to your majordomo," he said instead. He really would prefer not to have to carry the damn things around, but a man had to eat.
"Alone," Amaterasu said.
Oh, Gods, was that what this was about? Kurogane's irritation flared into simmering anger, partly with her, partly with himself, even now. "Yes."
"As we recall, you left Edo seven weeks ago with an escort of five ashigaru."
He couldn't even remember their names, now. He hardly ever bothered to remember the names of footsoldiers, because he didn't want to get too attached; a precaution that proved justified depressingly more often than not. "I told you not to send them with me. I told you I work alone. I told you they were bloody amateurs and would just get in my way. You should have listened to me then."
"Our stated intentions," Amaterasu said icily, "was that they would accompany you on your hunts, to learn the art of demon-slaying from an expert. With the idea that they would swell our ranks of demon-hunters as well, in time."
"Grooming my replacement already?" Kurogane inquired through his teeth. "I hadn't realized you had planned to retire me so soon."
"You would be far more valuable if you were less intractable," Amaterasu snapped. "Nevertheless, as you well know, we are always in need of more skilled warriors... the more so as war approaches in the north."
His head came up; he glared directly at his monarch. "I've already told you a hundred times," he snarled, "I won't get involved in wars between humans. That's not my job; my duty is to hunt and kill the abominations. You have thousands of ordinary soldiers who can fight your wars for you."
He glared; she glared back. It was Touya who broke the deadlock, clearing his throat and sitting up from his casual lounge. "It's always been enough in the past, it's true," he said. "But things are different now, especially if some of the rumors we've been hearing about Ceres using wizards on the battlefield, are true."
"And that brings us back to you," Amaterasu said coolly. "To your last mission, to your... encounters."
Kurogane sat very still, suddenly aware of the heat of the sun on his back, the sweat trickling down his sides under the armor. Fucking hell! How had she found out about that? There'd been no one to see them within miles! How did she always find out about things? He could not help but glance over to Tomoyo, who was regarding him with sad, solemn eyes. He cleared his throat. "What about my last mission?" he said, trying not to give too much away in his voice.
"You found a Ceres wizard outside the wards," Amaterasu said angrily, "engaged in what could only have been espionage activities, and not only did you not kill him, you helped him, and then let him go!"
"When I left Nihon seven weeks ago," Kurogane said, taking refuge in strict, controlled formality, "we were not at war with Ceres, to my knowledge. I had received no orders concerning the treatment and disposition of Ceres wizards, especially not ones outside of Nihon's jurisdiction."
Amaterasu said freezingly, "The rule of Nihon does not end at the wards. All the lands for a hundred miles around are ours to control."
Kurogane shrugged, under the bulky armoring. "A legal fiction, and you know it -- who is your reach beyond those walls? Whatever patrols venture beyond them during daylight hours, and us. The demon hunters. We've always been expected to exercise our judgment."
"It is not your judgment that is in doubt now, Lord of Suwa," Amaterasu's voice had gone dangerous, and she leaned forward in her chair, poised as if to strike. "On the eve of war, we cannot afford disloyalty or treason in any of our people, least of all our most powerful soldiers."
And that was just too much, the insults and the blazing heat beating on his armor and days' worth of riding fatigue, too much after all the blood he'd laid down for his country -- his own and others, as well, the others he couldn't forget. She'd as much as accused him of killing those useless soldiers she'd loaded him with, in order to protect his position -- and yes he blamed himself, for not being able to save them, but he'd tried.
Images boiled up in his head of the night ambush, the screaming melee -- two of the soldiers died in the first moment of combat, as he tried with all his strength to drive the oni back, clear some space for them. The vermin had come in a shrieking swarm and Souhi had cleared a path of flame, but it wasn't enough -- the soldiers had been wearing chain mail and leather, no better than cheesecloth against their hungry mouths.
He'd heard the scream as he turned around, to see the youngest of the soldiers clawing at his own arm, the white of bone showing through as they devoured their way upwards through the flesh towards his heart... the glint of steel and flame as he brought the sword around, amputating the ravaged limb so that the rest might be saved; but it had been too late already, too late by then, and the boy had died in his arms, of shock and blood loss. Kurogane couldn't even remember what his face had looked like.
It was Amaterasu who'd sent the boy out to die, Amaterasu who'd fed them into the very horrors that Kurogane spent blood and bone to fight -- and now she was accusing him of treason? He brought his head up again, and whatever look was on his face made the guards surrounding the courtyard shuffle nervously and put a hand to their weapons.
"I have never," he breathed, just one hair's edge away from a blood fury, "been disloyal to Nihon. You think -- that I would betray my own country? You think I would betray my own family?"
A movement, to the side; he blinked the haze from his vision in time to see Tomoyo stand from her place, her eyes on her sister; she caught Amaterasu's gaze, and shook her head, just once. Amaterasu frowned, but then gave a grudging nod, and they both settled back to their original positions. "Very well," she said, slightly ungraciously, Kurogane thought. "We accept your assurances. Moving on. What can you tell us about the wizard of Ceres? What are his fighting strengths? What abilities did you see him display?"
They had switched from an interrogation to a debriefing session, and Kurogane groped for balance on the rough ground, easing away from the almost battle-stance. He thought it over. "About the only thing I saw him do in the eighteen hours I spent in his company was talk to horses. If that's what Ceres has to throw against us in battle, I don't think we have too much to worry about."
That answer didn't seem to much please the court; but if they didn't want to know, they shouldn't have asked. Kurogane settled back against his heels, sweating under the hot sun, and prepared to make all their lives at least as difficult as his was right now.
---------------------
He got his chance to vent later, out of the sun, once the court session had broken up and the three royal siblings had retired to different chambers inside the castle. Finally, finally he was permitted to go and see Tomoyo, and make his real report.
Reporting quickly turned into ranting, pacing round and round the elegantly-furnished chamber while Tomoyo waited him out with a small, patient smile. Souma stood behind her, half-faded into the background, but she was a demon-hunter like himself and Kurogane had no worries about her.
"Why doesn't she understand?" Kurogane raged, making another circuit around the room's low table. "The oni are a greater threat to our country than any human army could be. They won't stop, they don't give up, they can't understand surrender or treaties or truces. We need to spend every minute of our day out there, hunting them down, before their numbers grow too great for us to handle. We don't have time to play politics or conquistadors in other countries. There aren't enough of us to spare!"
"That's why she's so intent on training new hunters," Souma suggested quietly, from the wall.
"Yes, and that --!" He spun around to face her, slamming his fist into his open palm in frustration. "If that's what she really wants, then give them to me in the city, give them to me to train! I didn't learn to fight them in a day, and neither did you -- it took years of training, and in a battle like this one there is no margin for error! If you make one mistake, you're dead, and worse than dead. Sending greenies out on the battlefield like this with no preparation is no better than murder--"
"You know why she doesn't assign you students," Souma said wearily. "You don't spend enough time in the city to train anyone for the length of time you're suggesting. None of us do. Because, as you say, we're needed outside the walls, every minute that we can spare."
"And that's exactly why this idea of pulling us off patrols and sending us to fight in the army is moronic!" Kurogane forged on to the next sticking point. "So what if there's war in the north? There's always been war on some border! She's only interested in martial glory -- her own mooks aren't good enough so she wants to, to poach us from you so that she can use us like attack dogs on her enemies --"
Tomoyo raised a hand, and Kurogane cut himself off, taking a few deep breaths to try and contain his fury. He was going dangerously close to the edge, he knew. Apologetically, he stepped forward and knelt down in front of his princess; even with her sitting on the raised dais, this still only brought his eyes level with hers. She smiled at him and extended her hands, and he exhaled heavily and took them in his own. His hands always felt so clumsy, so rough compared to hers, soft and tiny and perfect.
"My dear Kurogane," her voice washed over him, sweet and silvery as always, full of fondness. "So determined to make the world right, to make it what you think it should be. Your dedication has always been admirable. In that way, really, you and my older sister are not that different."
Kurogane bared his teeth. He wasn't sure that was a compliment. Tomoyo smiled, but it quickly faded. "I know that you have only the best intentions. But there is more going on here than you know."
He paused, suddenly uncertain. "What do you mean?"
"My sister has to think of the good of the whole empire, not merely the facet that is our charge," Tomoyo went on. "She makes her decisions and chooses her priorities as best as she can. And although I am the Tsukuyomi, who presides over our spiritual defenses, our ultimate goal is the same; the safety and welfare of all of Nihon."
"I know," Kurogane grumbled, subdued now. "Of course that's mine, as well. But --" Her hands tightened slightly on his, and he cut off his objection midsentence.
"It is true, that Nihon has fought victoriously in many wars for years without requiring the aid of the elite hunters. But the war that approaches us now is not like any that Nihon has faced before. It is no mere border conflict. It may well be a battle for the very survival of our empire, even the survival of our people."
A sudden chill shot through Kurogane. "What? You're not talking about Ceres, are you? They're a fraction of our size, there have been clashes at our borders for years, they --"
"Are a small country, and one we have long known and never been in fear of, it's true. But something is changing in Ceres, something that blocks even my vision. Their king is ruthless, and cunning, and powerful. More than that, he has spent many years searching for a way to defeat us, and we believe that he may have found such a way -- the wizards of Ceres. He has been seeking them, and gathering them, and grooming them for years for this task, and now they have entered the stage at last."
Kurogane opened his mouth to object; the image of the feckless, flighty wizard he'd met flashing his mind. Defeat Nihon? Him? Surely not. Tomoyo caught the thought, and shook her head slightly.
"There is much that goes on beyond what your eyes can see, Kurogane. Do not underestimate this man that you met. From what you have described to me, he is very intelligent, and very powerful." Kurogane snorted disbelief at this, but Tomoyo merely smiled, shaking her head again. "And he is not the only wizard that Ceres has gathered, in the years leading up to this war. An army of spears and bows, we need not fear. An army of wizards is another matter entirely."
Momentarily stricken, Kurogane could find nothing to say. It had never occurred to him -- and it should have -- that Fai was not the only one of his kind. Could there have been other wizards, other scouting parties, sent out from Ceres at the same time? Approaching Nihon, seeking out weaknesses from other directions? And if he had known, he thought helplessly to himself, would he have chosen differently?
"You should have brought him back to Nihon," Tomoyo thought, and only now was there a note of sad reproach in her voice. "We would not have harmed him; there is much we could have learned from him. It would have been better if you would stop and think, some times, before you act so carelessly."
"I did think," Kurogane objected, nettled. "I wasn't careless. The wizard said no one from his country knew how dangerous the oni were; now he's going to return to his country and spread the word. And they'll listen to him. They'll have to change their plans to deal with them, one way or the other. If this king of Ceres is really as smart as you say he is, maybe he'll give up on the idea of going to war with us; it'd weaken his borders and defenses too much, leave him way too vulnerable to attack. Now he knows the real threat, he'll have to take it into account as well.
"Maybe he'll send his wizards out to fight the oni, if they're as powerful as all that. Best solution all around. Wizards and hunters from both countries fight the real enemy, the Empress gets to go on fighting over the same borderlands with Ceres that we have for hundreds of years, everyone's happy."
Tomoyo blinked, and her eyes widened; her lips parted and she gave a breathy laugh of real delight, gravelly coming from her stunted vocal cords. "So that was it! I should have guessed that was your plan. Well done, Kurogane. Perhaps you aren't as careless as I thought." Her smile faded a bit. "Still so single-minded, though. Always fixated on killing the oni, to the exclusion of everything else."
"Someone has to." He raised his head again, met her eyes seriously. "What do you want me to do, Princess? Are you going to pull us from our patrols, send us north, like Amaterasu wants?"
Tomoyo glanced up, her eyes flicking between himself and Souma. A small frown appeared on her face, and she bit her lip. "No," she said at last. "No, I don't believe that is necessary... Not yet. There are still many ways that the future could change."
"And if it does?"
"Then I will do what I have to in order to protect the existence of this country," she said, her voice and her eyes perfectly level.
Kurogane bowed his head in acceptance, although a part of him roared in protest at the idea. He didn't want to get pulled around by the leash, he didn't want to serve any commander other than Tomoyo, and he didn't want to be put to butchering humans; he especially didn't want to have to hurt the wizard... Hastily, he pulled his hands away from Tomoyo, before she could read too much of that stomach-twisting feeling from him. Although from the slight widening of her eyes as he broke contact, he wasn't sure if he'd moved fast enough.
He stood, somewhat stiffly after kneeling for so long, and kept his voice neutral with an effort. "I'll accept that if it's you, Princess; that way I'll know it really needs to be done."
Interview over; time to leave, go back to his house and eat and have a bath for fuck's sake. He turned to go, avoiding Souma's questioning stare, but before he could move out of reach, Tomoyo caught his hand. "What?" he asked, voice gruff to conceal nervousness.
"He seems like a fascinating person, this mage," she said, and her 'voice' was mischievous now. "I would have liked the chance to meet him."
He cleared his throat. "He would have been okay with that, I think. He -- actually, he asked me to pass on greetings to you. His regards, that is. For the spells that you did." For the person who cares so much about you, he heard the wizard's voice say again, in his head, and pushed back hard on a threatening blush.
"Perhaps we will meet at some more propitious time, then," Tomoyo said, the ghost of laughter in her voice; and then she let him go.
----------------
Syaoran hurried through the crowded streets, ducking and weaving where he could; he nearly overturned one lady going the other direction with a bucket of tofu, and apologized profusely to her before he wheeled and went on. In the line slowly inching towards the gate he was able to catch his breath, although his foot drummed impatiently on the cobbles. Finally he was able to approach the gate, and showed his tokens to the guard; his city pass, with the Suwa crest painted on it, and his apprentice's badge. It was still strange to him, even after living here for years, when they waved him through and he passed into the imperial city itself. So different from how it used to be, sleeping in alleyways or cheap inn rooms with his father...
He'd regained his second wind by the gate, but trotting up the hill robbed him of it again, and by the time he burst through the courtyard into the main room of his house he was panting again. "I'm back!" he yelled, hopping on one foot to try and get his boots off. "Are you here, Sensei?"
His master was there already, despite his best efforts to beat him home; the tall man had to duck his head under the doorframe leading to the bath. His hair was dripping water onto the towel draped around his neck, and he wore a simple hakama and robe. It was strange how Syaoran could be more nervous of his master dressed so simply in everyday clothes than he was of him dressed in his hunting armor, but most of the training exercises usually took place in street clothes, so that was probably why.
"You're late," Kurogane greeted him flatly. "Where have you been?"
"Down in the city," he explained in a rush, shedding his other boot and stepping up onto the wooden floor. "I heard from Suoh that you'd come back! I didn't know when you planned to come in!"
"Yeah," Kurogane said, and pulled the towel over his head, scrubbing the water off once more. "I had to go up to the palace first."
"Suoh said you'd been called to an audience with the Empress. He said that you were in trouble because while you were out on patrol you met an enemy outside the walls, and you -- it isn't true, is it? That you -- " He was nearly bursting with the urgency to ask the questions crowding in his head, to get some explanation -- but the scowl on Kurogane's face cut him off.
Kurogane muttered something under his breath, threw the towel angrily away from him, and looked up at the ceiling as though imploring the gods for patience. "I just got done reporting to the Empress, and to Princess Tomoyo," he said. "It took four bleeding hours. I'm not about to go over the whole affair with my student in my own home's entryway. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning, and I'm starving. Make yourself useful, will you, and get me some food."
"Oh! Of course. Yes, Sensei." Syaoran subsided, hurrying about his daily chores despite his churning anxiety.
There wasn't much in the kitchens for anything fancy; while Kurogane was away for weeks at a time Syaoran only had to cook for himself. But he managed to get together some miso and some pickled vegetables, some fresh bread and some cheese, and the two of them settled in to dinner, Syaoran nibbling while Kurogane devoured.
"Sorry there's nothing fresh," Syaoran apologized. "I can go to the market tomorrow, to pick up some fresh fruit and meat."
Kurogane nodded, looking slightly distracted. "Get some more oat flour while you're there, and anything else you need to bake. I'll be leaving in four days and I'll want travel food for a month at the least."
Syaoran was crestfallen. "Already? I mean, you're going to leave again so soon?" He'd been hoping that his teacher could stay around for a week at least. "I hoped... That is, I thought maybe we could have some training sessions, you could teach me some new moves."
"Depends on how well you can do the old moves. You been keeping up on your drills?"
"Yes, Sensei!" Syaoran said indignantly. "Every day. I've been practicing with Suoh and Akira!"
"Good. You can show me later. After that, we'll see." Kurogane tipped his head back, draining his bowl of the last of the broth. "But I'm leaving in four days, one way or the other."
Syaoran chewed his lip, already half-knowing the answer, but then forged ahead and asked. "Can I go with you, this time?"
Kurogane started, nearly choked on a bite of bread. "No. Hell, no! Wait four more years, and then ask me. You're not nearly ready."
He knew that was true, knew his teacher was right, but it was still so frustrating. Especially having to stay in one place all the time, while Kurogane got to go on patrol, got to go places. It wasn't that he was lonely, exactly, not with his friends in the city... nor even that he didn't like the city itself. And he'd always be grateful to his master for taking him in, giving him a place to stay when he had nowhere else to go. But... he missed traveling, sometimes, felt stifled always staying within the same walls when he longed to see new places, new horizons.
But he'd lost that freedom, years ago, and all thanks to Ceres. Syaoran frowned, gathering up the wooden dishes and the small amount of leftover food. All because of Ceres. It couldn't be true, could it? this rumor that Kurogane had betrayed the Empire, met an enemy outside the walls and given aid to him. Syaoran greatly admired his teacher, and had always deferred to his judgment before, but...
Kurogane watched him for several minutes, chewing thoughtfully, before he spoke again. When he did, he said, "While I was at the palace today, the Empress was talking about pulling the hunters off their patrol and sending them off to the north."
"Take you off patrols? But why?" Syaoran asked, startled.
"To fight against Ceres. Seems they're just that desperate for new troops with more firepower."
"Oh!" Syaoran's mind immediately started turning over this idea. If the army was recruiting... maybe they wouldn't look so askance at younger recruits? Would they let him join, young as he was? He wasn't at his teacher's level of swordsmanship yet, of course, but he'd been training with him for two years now. Surely that would count for something even if he was blind in one eye...
He realized Kurogane had been watching him closely. "Like that idea, do you?" he asked.
"Well..." Syaoran hesitated, flustered. Whether the army would take him or not, he couldn't just leave and join up without permission from his master. "I - I mean, it would give me a chance to do something useful, for a change."
"Useful. Fighting Ceres is useful?"
"Well, of course it is!" Syaoran said hotly. "They're the enemy, aren't they? Nihon's enemy. They're the ones attacking us. We didn't start it. Of course we have to defend ourselves. And besides..."
"And besides," Kurogane finished for him, his eyes narrowed. "You hate Ceres, for what they did to your father, and you want revenge on them."
Syaoran bit his lip, and didn't say anything.
"Kid, I didn't spend two years teaching you the sword so you could use it to indulge your personal grudges."
Syaoran thought that was rather a lot to swallow, especially coming from Kurogane, but he wasn't about to say so. Instead he burst out, "But they're evil! They're barbarians. They attacked us -- we were just traveling through their country, just traveling, and -- they're attacking Nihon, too! How could you," and now the question just popped out of him despite himself, "how could you help one of them? You know what they're like! They do horrible things! How could you help one of the enemy, and save their life, and then let them go?"
Kurogane was silent for a moment, and then answered slowly, as if he were thinking very hard; "They may be Nihon's enemies, but they aren't mine. And besides, you don't know anything about what this one man was like. Everyone from one country isn't the same. He wasn't a soldier; he was just a wizard, and he had nothing to do with what happened to you and your father. Don't blame people for things that have nothing to do with them."
"I -- I guess," Syaoran stammered, but then burst out, "but that isn't right, either. The wizards, the wizards are the worst ones of all. You can't trust them. They're always looking at things you can't see, they could just say anything and how do you know it's the truth? That's what they did to -- my father hadn't done anything wrong, he hadn't done anything at all, but they still arrested him and they killed him because some wizard said he was a spy!"
When the bear-furred guards had come for them, come to arrest Fujitaka, his father had told him to run and he had, lost himself in the streets and the rundown buildings, losing all pursuit, until he'd finally made it across the border, grieving and alone, into Nihon. He'd only found out what happened to his father much later. "They're all liars!"
Kurogane had sat back from the table, his arms folded across his chest. "We've got a problem here, then," he said, as Syaoran stopped for breath. "The problem is, you see, this man when I found him was well outside Nihon's borders, not even within sight of them. He wasn't doing anything, when I met him, that could be considered an act of war. He was in trouble, real immediate deadly danger, when I found him; if I had done nothing, he would have died and worse than died. And I would have had to go on knowing that I effectively had killed him, because I could have helped him, and didn't.
He leaned forward again, his eyes boring intently into Syaoran's. "Now, he could have been doing something with his magic, something that I couldn't see. But I couldn't prove that, one way or the other. So what you would have had me do, was to take a man who was from another country -- who was doing nothing more than traveling through lands outside of his own country -- and kill him for an act that I suspected, but had no proof of. And how would this be different from what they did to your father?"
Syaoran stood there, with his mouth hanging open. He hadn't thought of it that way before. Kurogane sighed.
"You're a good kid, your heart is in the right place. I've always known that, or I wouldn't have agreed to take you as a student. But you're going to lose that if you let the hunger for revenge take you over. I'm not saying that you can't feel anger, can't feel hatred. But you have to control it, make it your tool; you can't let it control you. If you're going to pick up a sword it had better be for the right reason. If your only aim in learning swordsmanship is hurting and killing people to satisfy your own feelings, then you can leave this house tonight. Is that clear?"
Syaoran swallowed. Looked at the floor, and muttered, "Yes, sensei."
"Good," Kurogane said gruffly, and then sat back a bit, relaxing his stare. "Now get moving, cleaning up the dinner dishes, and we'll take an hour or two before sunset to see how well you've been keeping up your drills."
to be continued.
Author's notes:
In case anyone was wondering what's up with Tomoyo, she's deaf and mute from birth. The version of Tomoyo in the world of the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle movie, the one with all the birdcages, was subject to this, and I found myself liking the idea enough to really want to use it here. Fai would have identified Tomoyo as a mage, gifted with telepathic power; she can read the thoughts of those nearby but can only 'speak' to them if she is touching their skin. Unless, of course, the other person were also a mage; but there are so few magic-users in Nihon that this has never come up.
As an aside, the parallel between Fai losing his companions and Kurogane losing the soldiers Amaterasu sent with him was deliberate, although we didn't know about it until now; the fresh guilt and sorrow of those deaths was part of what prompted Kurogane to pick Fai up and care for him, not wanting another death on his conscience so soon.
Pairing: Kurogane/Fai
Rating: R in later chapters. This chapter; PG.
Summary: In which Kurogane Demon-Queller reports to his superiors, and his loyalty is brought into question.
Part 1 - Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V
Part 2 - Chapter VI - Chapter VII - Chapter VIII - Chapter IX - Chapter X
Part 3 - Chapter XI - Chapter XII - Side Story: The Prince of Valeria - Chapter XIII - Chapter XIV
Part 4 - Chapter XV - Chapter XVI - Chapter XVII - Chapter XVIII - Chapter XIX - Chapter XX
Edo had its own walls, of course, and its own wards, for all that it was miles to the nearest border and miles more out of the way to the nearest gateway to the outside world. Kurogane eyed the walls with mixed feelings as he approached; on one hand, it struck him as massively redundant, a waste of resources and energy that could be better spent elsewhere. On the other hand, if ever an enemy army -- or oni invasion -- did breach the outer walls and drive all the way to the heart of the realm, this would be the place for any last stand.
Not that Kurogane was likely to see it. His duties kept him far away from the capital, usually; most likely in the event of some catastrophic invasion, he'd die out there on the front lines before the fight ever came this far. He sighed, and shook his head. His thoughts were getting positively morbid.
He touched his horse's flank, urging a little more speed out of the wearied beast; not that they could go all that fast on this crowded, traffic-choked street, but pedestrians spilled out of his way as he approached. He'd been this way many times before, but people still gaped at him as he passed; mounted tall on a black warhorse that few could afford to maintain, dressed head to toe in heavy black armor, and with the hilts of the two swords his rank entitled him clearly visible, a promise of explosive violence and threat.
One side of Kurogane's lip curled as a mother snatched her child off the street, dragging her under an overhanging awning, but he otherwise ignored it. These people had heard only snatches of rumors about him and his duty; they had no idea what exactly he did, what he faced, so far outside of the borders of their safe little city. And as long as he kept to his duty, they never would... and so he decided to take their half-fearful fascination as his due respect, rather than as insult.
Being back in the city was simultaneously soothing and nerve-wracking at once; a relief to be back among people again, and yet... the crowding, the bodies pressed close from all sides, set off his battle alarms and put all his teeth on edge. It didn't help to remind himself that he was unlikely to encounter enemies here; it was the knowledge that if he did, it would be almost impossible to fight in this crowd that grated. And... the people themselves. Talking, laughing, shouting... a cacophony of living noise poured into his sensitive ears. He set himself to endure.
The crowd was thickest around the gate itself, wagons and foot travelers waiting in a queue for their chance to be inspected and passed through. Kurogane shouldered his horse impatiently between them, and none dared to bar his path, until he reached the portcullis itself, and halted on the challenge from the posted guard.
One of them stepped forward, and saluted, his leather-and-chainmail clinking. "Lord Kurogane. You've returned?"
Kurogane relaxed slightly; at least this pair of guards recognized him on sight, and he wasn't going to have to waste time on any stupid arguments about not carrying passes today. "Obviously."
The guard nodded. "We received word from the Red Sundown gate two days ago that you had entered the gates. We've been expecting you. And, um..." His gaze flickered behind Kurogane, searching for other horses, other riders, and his expression showed dismay when he saw none. "Only you?"
"As you see." Kurogane let his voice go flat, grating. He had a lot to discuss with Amaterasu, on that subject. But not with a gate guard.
The guard's mouth opened as if to ask a further question, but then, intelligently, closed. He stood back, and waved Kurogane under the wrought iron portcullis into the city proper.
Inside the inner gates, the streets were wider, cleaner, and emptier; only the city's noble clans, and the inhabitants and servants of the palace itself, were permitted to dwell here. As a semi-member of both categories, Kurogane had his own residence here, although he was rarely present for more than a few days at a time.
His horse needed little urging, now; on the familiar streets of the palace city, it knew that home, and stables and bedding and food, were close at hand, and it clopped willingly down the cobbled streets with all the enthusiasm Kurogane himself could hardly muster. It was hard to say which he wanted more at this point; real food, a real bed, or a bath. Hard living in the wilderness for weeks on end without access to bath water -- interspersed by furious battles that tended to coat him with demonic filth -- had accustomed Kurogane to putting up with dirt, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
He arrived, finally, in the courtyard of his own house; dismounted with a tired grunt and a clatter. "Tadaima," he called out, but received no response -- his student must be elsewhere today.
Kurogane controlled a faint irritation. He was absent for weeks at a time, and it was never entirely certain when he'd be back, so it was unreasonable to expect the boy to be there just when Kurogane returned. Still, this meant that he was going to have to stable and care for his horse himself, before he could look after his own needs. He sighed resignation, and turned left, into the stable block.
When he finally emerged into the house proper, lugging his gear over one shoulder, he received an unpleasant shock -- he was not alone in the house after all. A man in the formal, dark garb of the high Court, modified into daily wear for those whose business actually took them outside of the castle, was waiting for him in the main room of his house. After a moment, Kurogane identified the man as Lantis, one of the Imperial Household's personal message boys. Kurogane felt a stab of foreboding, before the man even spoke. "Well?" he growled, by way of opening the conversation. "What are you doing in my house?"
The messenger ignored the challenge, and instead gave him a smooth, courtly bow. "Lord Kurogane of Suwa. News of your return has traveled swiftly to the central court, and Her Sacred Highness Tsukiyomi bid me convey her gladness to hear of your safety."
"And?" Kurogane said, impatience growing in the face of these meaningless pleasantries. "She didn't have to send a messenger to tell me that."
"And," the man continued impassively, "her sister, Her Royal Majesty the Divine Amaterasu, Empress of the holy land of Nihon and all surrounding territories, requests and requires you to appear at Shirasagi Castle at the first available moment upon your return."
He recognized that phrasing, and minor irritation flared into major irritation. 'First available moment' from one of these messengers inevitably meant right now. "What does Amaterasu have to say to me that is so bloody important that it can't wait an hour?" he growled.
Another smooth bow, and this time Kurogane could detect the faint mockery hidden in the gesture of respect. "Her Majesty does not confide her reasons to one such as myself. She merely bid you come, and sent me as an escort and guide."
As if he needed a guide. The flunky had merely been sent to ensure that he come up to the palace right now, without food or a bath or a chance to change clothes. Kurogane opened his hand and let the heavy packs fall to the bamboo floor with a shattering crash, but the messenger didn't bat an eye, and Kurogane tried with some difficulty to calm himself.
The inconvenience and attendant insult was doubtless deliberate, intended to put him off balance and weaken his self control. Well, he'd put up with worse than Amaterasu on a bad day; and at least this court summons would give him a chance to report to Princess Tomoyo sooner rather than later. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he snapped, when he had managed to tamp most of the snarl out of his voice. "Lead the way."
------------------
Kurogane and his guide climbed the hill leading up to the castle on foot; no horses were permitted on the castle grounds itself except those ridden by the royal family. Despite his bad mood, a part of Kurogane's heart eased as the castle itself came into view. The sheer stone walls that rose gracefully out of the moat; topped by the many-tiered castle buildings, the black crenelated roofs. He'd spent a year here, training, and while many things about that period had been painful, the castle itself was still a beacon of security and peace.
They passed between the flame-arched doorways and across the moat, but to Kurogane's surprise, instead of going straight in to the main receiving chamber they turned left across the open grounds. Another series of small bridges crossed the small creeks dividing the grounds, and in the distance Kurogane caught a glimpse of the gazebo that sheltered the sacred tree.
Another right turn, and Kurogane finally recognized where they were going; an outdoors pavilion was set up and waiting, with a wide expanse of white sands bordered on one side by a wooden walkway. The court was receiving here, today, it seemed; for the yard was surrounded on three sides by men and women in the outfits of the Imperial Guard, and more people in full court dress waited in the shade of the overhang.
Kurogane growled under his breath; sitting under the sun in his full armor for however long this took was going to be a bitch, and he was sure Amaterasu knew it. Gritting his teeth, he handed his swords to the corporal in charged, and stepped out onto the white sands, crossing to the center where he knelt, properly, and bowed, touching his forehead for a long moment to the white sand before he straightened up.
He glanced first to the left, where Princess Tomoyo sat enthroned in her long robes, surrounded by her personal guard as usual. He still recognized most of their faces, although there were a few new ones he couldn't put names to; he made a mental note to find out who the new additions were, and make sure their training had been up to snuff. Tomoyo gave him a brief smile, but it faded quickly; she looked... solemn.
On the other wing of the pavilion sat the crown heir, Amaterasu's younger half-brother Touya. By tradition, the male heir to the throne was the de facto leader of any offensive foreign military action, but in this generation that role had been somewhat usurped by his older sister. As per usual, he lounged at her left hand looking rather bored, but at least his gaze on Kurogane held no particular animosity.
The prince was surrounded by servants of his own, including Rondart, the court recorder; the presence of the scribe indicated a level of formality to this audience that Kurogane wasn't quite sure how to interpret. The man glanced up at Kurogane once, the light flashing off of his spectacles, then bent back over his paper, pen scratching assiduously.
Amaterasu herself was in the central seat; in her battle dress today, he noted with approval, a much fancier and more gilded version of the armor the palace guards wore, topped with an intricately embroidered black tabard. It was clearly for show, however, as her hair was pulled up in one of the elaborate styles not suitable for any amount of riding or fighting. Her expression was... unamused.
"Your Imperial Highness, Divine Amaterasu," he greeted her with the usual formalities, and then decided to get right to the point. "What do you want?"
Touya winced. Amaterasu regarded him with grave, dark eyes, and responded in a cool voice, "So, Kurogane Demon-Queller. You have returned from another successful hunt."
He did not bother to confirm the blindingly obvious. "I gave my tokens to your majordomo," he said instead. He really would prefer not to have to carry the damn things around, but a man had to eat.
"Alone," Amaterasu said.
Oh, Gods, was that what this was about? Kurogane's irritation flared into simmering anger, partly with her, partly with himself, even now. "Yes."
"As we recall, you left Edo seven weeks ago with an escort of five ashigaru."
He couldn't even remember their names, now. He hardly ever bothered to remember the names of footsoldiers, because he didn't want to get too attached; a precaution that proved justified depressingly more often than not. "I told you not to send them with me. I told you I work alone. I told you they were bloody amateurs and would just get in my way. You should have listened to me then."
"Our stated intentions," Amaterasu said icily, "was that they would accompany you on your hunts, to learn the art of demon-slaying from an expert. With the idea that they would swell our ranks of demon-hunters as well, in time."
"Grooming my replacement already?" Kurogane inquired through his teeth. "I hadn't realized you had planned to retire me so soon."
"You would be far more valuable if you were less intractable," Amaterasu snapped. "Nevertheless, as you well know, we are always in need of more skilled warriors... the more so as war approaches in the north."
His head came up; he glared directly at his monarch. "I've already told you a hundred times," he snarled, "I won't get involved in wars between humans. That's not my job; my duty is to hunt and kill the abominations. You have thousands of ordinary soldiers who can fight your wars for you."
He glared; she glared back. It was Touya who broke the deadlock, clearing his throat and sitting up from his casual lounge. "It's always been enough in the past, it's true," he said. "But things are different now, especially if some of the rumors we've been hearing about Ceres using wizards on the battlefield, are true."
"And that brings us back to you," Amaterasu said coolly. "To your last mission, to your... encounters."
Kurogane sat very still, suddenly aware of the heat of the sun on his back, the sweat trickling down his sides under the armor. Fucking hell! How had she found out about that? There'd been no one to see them within miles! How did she always find out about things? He could not help but glance over to Tomoyo, who was regarding him with sad, solemn eyes. He cleared his throat. "What about my last mission?" he said, trying not to give too much away in his voice.
"You found a Ceres wizard outside the wards," Amaterasu said angrily, "engaged in what could only have been espionage activities, and not only did you not kill him, you helped him, and then let him go!"
"When I left Nihon seven weeks ago," Kurogane said, taking refuge in strict, controlled formality, "we were not at war with Ceres, to my knowledge. I had received no orders concerning the treatment and disposition of Ceres wizards, especially not ones outside of Nihon's jurisdiction."
Amaterasu said freezingly, "The rule of Nihon does not end at the wards. All the lands for a hundred miles around are ours to control."
Kurogane shrugged, under the bulky armoring. "A legal fiction, and you know it -- who is your reach beyond those walls? Whatever patrols venture beyond them during daylight hours, and us. The demon hunters. We've always been expected to exercise our judgment."
"It is not your judgment that is in doubt now, Lord of Suwa," Amaterasu's voice had gone dangerous, and she leaned forward in her chair, poised as if to strike. "On the eve of war, we cannot afford disloyalty or treason in any of our people, least of all our most powerful soldiers."
And that was just too much, the insults and the blazing heat beating on his armor and days' worth of riding fatigue, too much after all the blood he'd laid down for his country -- his own and others, as well, the others he couldn't forget. She'd as much as accused him of killing those useless soldiers she'd loaded him with, in order to protect his position -- and yes he blamed himself, for not being able to save them, but he'd tried.
Images boiled up in his head of the night ambush, the screaming melee -- two of the soldiers died in the first moment of combat, as he tried with all his strength to drive the oni back, clear some space for them. The vermin had come in a shrieking swarm and Souhi had cleared a path of flame, but it wasn't enough -- the soldiers had been wearing chain mail and leather, no better than cheesecloth against their hungry mouths.
He'd heard the scream as he turned around, to see the youngest of the soldiers clawing at his own arm, the white of bone showing through as they devoured their way upwards through the flesh towards his heart... the glint of steel and flame as he brought the sword around, amputating the ravaged limb so that the rest might be saved; but it had been too late already, too late by then, and the boy had died in his arms, of shock and blood loss. Kurogane couldn't even remember what his face had looked like.
It was Amaterasu who'd sent the boy out to die, Amaterasu who'd fed them into the very horrors that Kurogane spent blood and bone to fight -- and now she was accusing him of treason? He brought his head up again, and whatever look was on his face made the guards surrounding the courtyard shuffle nervously and put a hand to their weapons.
"I have never," he breathed, just one hair's edge away from a blood fury, "been disloyal to Nihon. You think -- that I would betray my own country? You think I would betray my own family?"
A movement, to the side; he blinked the haze from his vision in time to see Tomoyo stand from her place, her eyes on her sister; she caught Amaterasu's gaze, and shook her head, just once. Amaterasu frowned, but then gave a grudging nod, and they both settled back to their original positions. "Very well," she said, slightly ungraciously, Kurogane thought. "We accept your assurances. Moving on. What can you tell us about the wizard of Ceres? What are his fighting strengths? What abilities did you see him display?"
They had switched from an interrogation to a debriefing session, and Kurogane groped for balance on the rough ground, easing away from the almost battle-stance. He thought it over. "About the only thing I saw him do in the eighteen hours I spent in his company was talk to horses. If that's what Ceres has to throw against us in battle, I don't think we have too much to worry about."
That answer didn't seem to much please the court; but if they didn't want to know, they shouldn't have asked. Kurogane settled back against his heels, sweating under the hot sun, and prepared to make all their lives at least as difficult as his was right now.
---------------------
He got his chance to vent later, out of the sun, once the court session had broken up and the three royal siblings had retired to different chambers inside the castle. Finally, finally he was permitted to go and see Tomoyo, and make his real report.
Reporting quickly turned into ranting, pacing round and round the elegantly-furnished chamber while Tomoyo waited him out with a small, patient smile. Souma stood behind her, half-faded into the background, but she was a demon-hunter like himself and Kurogane had no worries about her.
"Why doesn't she understand?" Kurogane raged, making another circuit around the room's low table. "The oni are a greater threat to our country than any human army could be. They won't stop, they don't give up, they can't understand surrender or treaties or truces. We need to spend every minute of our day out there, hunting them down, before their numbers grow too great for us to handle. We don't have time to play politics or conquistadors in other countries. There aren't enough of us to spare!"
"That's why she's so intent on training new hunters," Souma suggested quietly, from the wall.
"Yes, and that --!" He spun around to face her, slamming his fist into his open palm in frustration. "If that's what she really wants, then give them to me in the city, give them to me to train! I didn't learn to fight them in a day, and neither did you -- it took years of training, and in a battle like this one there is no margin for error! If you make one mistake, you're dead, and worse than dead. Sending greenies out on the battlefield like this with no preparation is no better than murder--"
"You know why she doesn't assign you students," Souma said wearily. "You don't spend enough time in the city to train anyone for the length of time you're suggesting. None of us do. Because, as you say, we're needed outside the walls, every minute that we can spare."
"And that's exactly why this idea of pulling us off patrols and sending us to fight in the army is moronic!" Kurogane forged on to the next sticking point. "So what if there's war in the north? There's always been war on some border! She's only interested in martial glory -- her own mooks aren't good enough so she wants to, to poach us from you so that she can use us like attack dogs on her enemies --"
Tomoyo raised a hand, and Kurogane cut himself off, taking a few deep breaths to try and contain his fury. He was going dangerously close to the edge, he knew. Apologetically, he stepped forward and knelt down in front of his princess; even with her sitting on the raised dais, this still only brought his eyes level with hers. She smiled at him and extended her hands, and he exhaled heavily and took them in his own. His hands always felt so clumsy, so rough compared to hers, soft and tiny and perfect.
"My dear Kurogane," her voice washed over him, sweet and silvery as always, full of fondness. "So determined to make the world right, to make it what you think it should be. Your dedication has always been admirable. In that way, really, you and my older sister are not that different."
Kurogane bared his teeth. He wasn't sure that was a compliment. Tomoyo smiled, but it quickly faded. "I know that you have only the best intentions. But there is more going on here than you know."
He paused, suddenly uncertain. "What do you mean?"
"My sister has to think of the good of the whole empire, not merely the facet that is our charge," Tomoyo went on. "She makes her decisions and chooses her priorities as best as she can. And although I am the Tsukuyomi, who presides over our spiritual defenses, our ultimate goal is the same; the safety and welfare of all of Nihon."
"I know," Kurogane grumbled, subdued now. "Of course that's mine, as well. But --" Her hands tightened slightly on his, and he cut off his objection midsentence.
"It is true, that Nihon has fought victoriously in many wars for years without requiring the aid of the elite hunters. But the war that approaches us now is not like any that Nihon has faced before. It is no mere border conflict. It may well be a battle for the very survival of our empire, even the survival of our people."
A sudden chill shot through Kurogane. "What? You're not talking about Ceres, are you? They're a fraction of our size, there have been clashes at our borders for years, they --"
"Are a small country, and one we have long known and never been in fear of, it's true. But something is changing in Ceres, something that blocks even my vision. Their king is ruthless, and cunning, and powerful. More than that, he has spent many years searching for a way to defeat us, and we believe that he may have found such a way -- the wizards of Ceres. He has been seeking them, and gathering them, and grooming them for years for this task, and now they have entered the stage at last."
Kurogane opened his mouth to object; the image of the feckless, flighty wizard he'd met flashing his mind. Defeat Nihon? Him? Surely not. Tomoyo caught the thought, and shook her head slightly.
"There is much that goes on beyond what your eyes can see, Kurogane. Do not underestimate this man that you met. From what you have described to me, he is very intelligent, and very powerful." Kurogane snorted disbelief at this, but Tomoyo merely smiled, shaking her head again. "And he is not the only wizard that Ceres has gathered, in the years leading up to this war. An army of spears and bows, we need not fear. An army of wizards is another matter entirely."
Momentarily stricken, Kurogane could find nothing to say. It had never occurred to him -- and it should have -- that Fai was not the only one of his kind. Could there have been other wizards, other scouting parties, sent out from Ceres at the same time? Approaching Nihon, seeking out weaknesses from other directions? And if he had known, he thought helplessly to himself, would he have chosen differently?
"You should have brought him back to Nihon," Tomoyo thought, and only now was there a note of sad reproach in her voice. "We would not have harmed him; there is much we could have learned from him. It would have been better if you would stop and think, some times, before you act so carelessly."
"I did think," Kurogane objected, nettled. "I wasn't careless. The wizard said no one from his country knew how dangerous the oni were; now he's going to return to his country and spread the word. And they'll listen to him. They'll have to change their plans to deal with them, one way or the other. If this king of Ceres is really as smart as you say he is, maybe he'll give up on the idea of going to war with us; it'd weaken his borders and defenses too much, leave him way too vulnerable to attack. Now he knows the real threat, he'll have to take it into account as well.
"Maybe he'll send his wizards out to fight the oni, if they're as powerful as all that. Best solution all around. Wizards and hunters from both countries fight the real enemy, the Empress gets to go on fighting over the same borderlands with Ceres that we have for hundreds of years, everyone's happy."
Tomoyo blinked, and her eyes widened; her lips parted and she gave a breathy laugh of real delight, gravelly coming from her stunted vocal cords. "So that was it! I should have guessed that was your plan. Well done, Kurogane. Perhaps you aren't as careless as I thought." Her smile faded a bit. "Still so single-minded, though. Always fixated on killing the oni, to the exclusion of everything else."
"Someone has to." He raised his head again, met her eyes seriously. "What do you want me to do, Princess? Are you going to pull us from our patrols, send us north, like Amaterasu wants?"
Tomoyo glanced up, her eyes flicking between himself and Souma. A small frown appeared on her face, and she bit her lip. "No," she said at last. "No, I don't believe that is necessary... Not yet. There are still many ways that the future could change."
"And if it does?"
"Then I will do what I have to in order to protect the existence of this country," she said, her voice and her eyes perfectly level.
Kurogane bowed his head in acceptance, although a part of him roared in protest at the idea. He didn't want to get pulled around by the leash, he didn't want to serve any commander other than Tomoyo, and he didn't want to be put to butchering humans; he especially didn't want to have to hurt the wizard... Hastily, he pulled his hands away from Tomoyo, before she could read too much of that stomach-twisting feeling from him. Although from the slight widening of her eyes as he broke contact, he wasn't sure if he'd moved fast enough.
He stood, somewhat stiffly after kneeling for so long, and kept his voice neutral with an effort. "I'll accept that if it's you, Princess; that way I'll know it really needs to be done."
Interview over; time to leave, go back to his house and eat and have a bath for fuck's sake. He turned to go, avoiding Souma's questioning stare, but before he could move out of reach, Tomoyo caught his hand. "What?" he asked, voice gruff to conceal nervousness.
"He seems like a fascinating person, this mage," she said, and her 'voice' was mischievous now. "I would have liked the chance to meet him."
He cleared his throat. "He would have been okay with that, I think. He -- actually, he asked me to pass on greetings to you. His regards, that is. For the spells that you did." For the person who cares so much about you, he heard the wizard's voice say again, in his head, and pushed back hard on a threatening blush.
"Perhaps we will meet at some more propitious time, then," Tomoyo said, the ghost of laughter in her voice; and then she let him go.
----------------
Syaoran hurried through the crowded streets, ducking and weaving where he could; he nearly overturned one lady going the other direction with a bucket of tofu, and apologized profusely to her before he wheeled and went on. In the line slowly inching towards the gate he was able to catch his breath, although his foot drummed impatiently on the cobbles. Finally he was able to approach the gate, and showed his tokens to the guard; his city pass, with the Suwa crest painted on it, and his apprentice's badge. It was still strange to him, even after living here for years, when they waved him through and he passed into the imperial city itself. So different from how it used to be, sleeping in alleyways or cheap inn rooms with his father...
He'd regained his second wind by the gate, but trotting up the hill robbed him of it again, and by the time he burst through the courtyard into the main room of his house he was panting again. "I'm back!" he yelled, hopping on one foot to try and get his boots off. "Are you here, Sensei?"
His master was there already, despite his best efforts to beat him home; the tall man had to duck his head under the doorframe leading to the bath. His hair was dripping water onto the towel draped around his neck, and he wore a simple hakama and robe. It was strange how Syaoran could be more nervous of his master dressed so simply in everyday clothes than he was of him dressed in his hunting armor, but most of the training exercises usually took place in street clothes, so that was probably why.
"You're late," Kurogane greeted him flatly. "Where have you been?"
"Down in the city," he explained in a rush, shedding his other boot and stepping up onto the wooden floor. "I heard from Suoh that you'd come back! I didn't know when you planned to come in!"
"Yeah," Kurogane said, and pulled the towel over his head, scrubbing the water off once more. "I had to go up to the palace first."
"Suoh said you'd been called to an audience with the Empress. He said that you were in trouble because while you were out on patrol you met an enemy outside the walls, and you -- it isn't true, is it? That you -- " He was nearly bursting with the urgency to ask the questions crowding in his head, to get some explanation -- but the scowl on Kurogane's face cut him off.
Kurogane muttered something under his breath, threw the towel angrily away from him, and looked up at the ceiling as though imploring the gods for patience. "I just got done reporting to the Empress, and to Princess Tomoyo," he said. "It took four bleeding hours. I'm not about to go over the whole affair with my student in my own home's entryway. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning, and I'm starving. Make yourself useful, will you, and get me some food."
"Oh! Of course. Yes, Sensei." Syaoran subsided, hurrying about his daily chores despite his churning anxiety.
There wasn't much in the kitchens for anything fancy; while Kurogane was away for weeks at a time Syaoran only had to cook for himself. But he managed to get together some miso and some pickled vegetables, some fresh bread and some cheese, and the two of them settled in to dinner, Syaoran nibbling while Kurogane devoured.
"Sorry there's nothing fresh," Syaoran apologized. "I can go to the market tomorrow, to pick up some fresh fruit and meat."
Kurogane nodded, looking slightly distracted. "Get some more oat flour while you're there, and anything else you need to bake. I'll be leaving in four days and I'll want travel food for a month at the least."
Syaoran was crestfallen. "Already? I mean, you're going to leave again so soon?" He'd been hoping that his teacher could stay around for a week at least. "I hoped... That is, I thought maybe we could have some training sessions, you could teach me some new moves."
"Depends on how well you can do the old moves. You been keeping up on your drills?"
"Yes, Sensei!" Syaoran said indignantly. "Every day. I've been practicing with Suoh and Akira!"
"Good. You can show me later. After that, we'll see." Kurogane tipped his head back, draining his bowl of the last of the broth. "But I'm leaving in four days, one way or the other."
Syaoran chewed his lip, already half-knowing the answer, but then forged ahead and asked. "Can I go with you, this time?"
Kurogane started, nearly choked on a bite of bread. "No. Hell, no! Wait four more years, and then ask me. You're not nearly ready."
He knew that was true, knew his teacher was right, but it was still so frustrating. Especially having to stay in one place all the time, while Kurogane got to go on patrol, got to go places. It wasn't that he was lonely, exactly, not with his friends in the city... nor even that he didn't like the city itself. And he'd always be grateful to his master for taking him in, giving him a place to stay when he had nowhere else to go. But... he missed traveling, sometimes, felt stifled always staying within the same walls when he longed to see new places, new horizons.
But he'd lost that freedom, years ago, and all thanks to Ceres. Syaoran frowned, gathering up the wooden dishes and the small amount of leftover food. All because of Ceres. It couldn't be true, could it? this rumor that Kurogane had betrayed the Empire, met an enemy outside the walls and given aid to him. Syaoran greatly admired his teacher, and had always deferred to his judgment before, but...
Kurogane watched him for several minutes, chewing thoughtfully, before he spoke again. When he did, he said, "While I was at the palace today, the Empress was talking about pulling the hunters off their patrol and sending them off to the north."
"Take you off patrols? But why?" Syaoran asked, startled.
"To fight against Ceres. Seems they're just that desperate for new troops with more firepower."
"Oh!" Syaoran's mind immediately started turning over this idea. If the army was recruiting... maybe they wouldn't look so askance at younger recruits? Would they let him join, young as he was? He wasn't at his teacher's level of swordsmanship yet, of course, but he'd been training with him for two years now. Surely that would count for something even if he was blind in one eye...
He realized Kurogane had been watching him closely. "Like that idea, do you?" he asked.
"Well..." Syaoran hesitated, flustered. Whether the army would take him or not, he couldn't just leave and join up without permission from his master. "I - I mean, it would give me a chance to do something useful, for a change."
"Useful. Fighting Ceres is useful?"
"Well, of course it is!" Syaoran said hotly. "They're the enemy, aren't they? Nihon's enemy. They're the ones attacking us. We didn't start it. Of course we have to defend ourselves. And besides..."
"And besides," Kurogane finished for him, his eyes narrowed. "You hate Ceres, for what they did to your father, and you want revenge on them."
Syaoran bit his lip, and didn't say anything.
"Kid, I didn't spend two years teaching you the sword so you could use it to indulge your personal grudges."
Syaoran thought that was rather a lot to swallow, especially coming from Kurogane, but he wasn't about to say so. Instead he burst out, "But they're evil! They're barbarians. They attacked us -- we were just traveling through their country, just traveling, and -- they're attacking Nihon, too! How could you," and now the question just popped out of him despite himself, "how could you help one of them? You know what they're like! They do horrible things! How could you help one of the enemy, and save their life, and then let them go?"
Kurogane was silent for a moment, and then answered slowly, as if he were thinking very hard; "They may be Nihon's enemies, but they aren't mine. And besides, you don't know anything about what this one man was like. Everyone from one country isn't the same. He wasn't a soldier; he was just a wizard, and he had nothing to do with what happened to you and your father. Don't blame people for things that have nothing to do with them."
"I -- I guess," Syaoran stammered, but then burst out, "but that isn't right, either. The wizards, the wizards are the worst ones of all. You can't trust them. They're always looking at things you can't see, they could just say anything and how do you know it's the truth? That's what they did to -- my father hadn't done anything wrong, he hadn't done anything at all, but they still arrested him and they killed him because some wizard said he was a spy!"
When the bear-furred guards had come for them, come to arrest Fujitaka, his father had told him to run and he had, lost himself in the streets and the rundown buildings, losing all pursuit, until he'd finally made it across the border, grieving and alone, into Nihon. He'd only found out what happened to his father much later. "They're all liars!"
Kurogane had sat back from the table, his arms folded across his chest. "We've got a problem here, then," he said, as Syaoran stopped for breath. "The problem is, you see, this man when I found him was well outside Nihon's borders, not even within sight of them. He wasn't doing anything, when I met him, that could be considered an act of war. He was in trouble, real immediate deadly danger, when I found him; if I had done nothing, he would have died and worse than died. And I would have had to go on knowing that I effectively had killed him, because I could have helped him, and didn't.
He leaned forward again, his eyes boring intently into Syaoran's. "Now, he could have been doing something with his magic, something that I couldn't see. But I couldn't prove that, one way or the other. So what you would have had me do, was to take a man who was from another country -- who was doing nothing more than traveling through lands outside of his own country -- and kill him for an act that I suspected, but had no proof of. And how would this be different from what they did to your father?"
Syaoran stood there, with his mouth hanging open. He hadn't thought of it that way before. Kurogane sighed.
"You're a good kid, your heart is in the right place. I've always known that, or I wouldn't have agreed to take you as a student. But you're going to lose that if you let the hunger for revenge take you over. I'm not saying that you can't feel anger, can't feel hatred. But you have to control it, make it your tool; you can't let it control you. If you're going to pick up a sword it had better be for the right reason. If your only aim in learning swordsmanship is hurting and killing people to satisfy your own feelings, then you can leave this house tonight. Is that clear?"
Syaoran swallowed. Looked at the floor, and muttered, "Yes, sensei."
"Good," Kurogane said gruffly, and then sat back a bit, relaxing his stare. "Now get moving, cleaning up the dinner dishes, and we'll take an hour or two before sunset to see how well you've been keeping up your drills."
to be continued.
Author's notes:
In case anyone was wondering what's up with Tomoyo, she's deaf and mute from birth. The version of Tomoyo in the world of the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle movie, the one with all the birdcages, was subject to this, and I found myself liking the idea enough to really want to use it here. Fai would have identified Tomoyo as a mage, gifted with telepathic power; she can read the thoughts of those nearby but can only 'speak' to them if she is touching their skin. Unless, of course, the other person were also a mage; but there are so few magic-users in Nihon that this has never come up.
As an aside, the parallel between Fai losing his companions and Kurogane losing the soldiers Amaterasu sent with him was deliberate, although we didn't know about it until now; the fresh guilt and sorrow of those deaths was part of what prompted Kurogane to pick Fai up and care for him, not wanting another death on his conscience so soon.