THE DOOM: Northward Bound For Sagely_Sea!
Title: THE DOOM: Northward Bound
Author: Mathias
Recipient: sagely_sea
Pairing/Characters: Tezuka, Atobe, Niou, Oshitari … + others
Rating: R
Warnings: … None?
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Tezuka is trying to go on a quest, but keeps getting delayed by people wanting to get in his pants As Atobe invades Rikkai, General Tezuka from Seigaku offers his aid in defending the country and pushing the Ice King back.
Notes: … In which Sagely-Sea asks for a fantasy adventure with swords … and apparently gets this hot mess instead OTL (sorry Sagely-Sea)
The change was imperceptible at first; the morning frosts that still formed even as the blush of new spring spread throughout the lower part of the country, well past when it should have left. But even as the villagers recognised the oddity in the weather, they said it was to be expected, a consequence of living so far north, so close to the borders of Hyotei that remained gripped in winter all year round.
And as the frosts finally vanished to give way to spring and summer, it was easy to ignore such a long-lasting cold. A one year off phenomena, they said.
Less easy to ignore was the next year, when the lasting cold was followed by the fingers of ice, that reached out and snatched at night. That stole away the warmth and breath of the villages, leaving them to be found cold and unbreathing when the day finally rose.
It was a slow approach, the invasion into Rikkai. Spread over months that turned into years, where the winters grew longer, until it never left the north entirely. Soon the cold penetrated the summer, and it never ended.
And as their northern neighbours moved south to escape the unending winter, so too did the fingers of ice and snow, following them down and bringing the morning frosts that formed earlier than ever before and the river that froze over for the first time in living memory.
And as the northern men came down, so too did the whispers and rumours.
Atobe was driving his forces south. And on the lips of the King of the frozen tundra of Hyotei, was but a single name - Tezuka.
-
“Jackal's latest report arrived,” Sanada said as he walked into the room, barely noticing the squires that closed the door behind him. They were required to be akin to deaf and blind to all but direct commands when serving in the private rooms of the King.
He gave a perfunctory salute of his hand over his chest before he continued talking. “There was another attempt through the pass, but the outer wall held. They're getting more bold.”
There was no reply for a long time, King Yukimura staring out the window at the shine of the afternoon sun upon the lake and the flowers in his private garden. He was young, perhaps younger so than his iron hold upon his seat over power and country might suggest to outsiders. But to Sanada's eye, he looked older than ever as he looked at the late-blooming flowers.
“It's early summer as well,” the man said finally, frowning.
They could both feel the slight chill to the room that had lingered well past its time and required an extra blanket thrown over at night. They were far away from where they knew Atobe's forces had come to a grinding halt at the first wall that guarded the pass down from the northern stretches of Rikkai, but Atobe's icy reach still worryingly extended this far down.
“Seiichi.”
Yukimura turned to glance at him, raising his eyebrows slightly in question.
There was no need for formalities in the private room between them, even as Sanada still stood. “We could contact Shitenhouji; they still owe us a life debt for saving that red haired child of theirs. That could be traded for a sorcerer to strengthen our borders again.”
His suggestion was met with a narrowing of eyes and Yukimura turned away again, a firm line to his mouth that gave Sanada all the answer he needed.
“I am not indebting myself to Shiraishi,” Yukimura said and Sanada could see the tensing of his shoulders that belied the calmness of his voice. “Masaharu is still our country's sorcerer. He's just...”
“A deserter.”
“He's still alive. He's going to come back.”
Sanada exhaled impatiently. “Our northern defences crumbled because of him running away.”
He didn't miss the tension in the air between them as they argued over their flighty sorcerer once again. Nor did he miss the expression on Yukimura's face as he seemed to wave away his comments. He was far too lenient on Niou and always had been and Sanada couldn't help the bitterness that arose at it.
Yukimura rose, moving over to the central table in his room where he had a selection of maps weighted down on the top. Without even thinking about it, Sanada moved the markers slightly around the dark stretch that indicated the sprawling mountains and the narrow passage of the northern pass guarded by their wall and fort, as per Jackal's latest update.
The only way through the mountains.
It wasn't until Sanada finished and withdrew his hand that Yukimura spoke.
“Get Renji here, I want his opinion.” Yukimura stared at the little flags dotted around the map, his gaze lingering into the stretch of land beyond the mountains, which remained all but lost to them at this current time, trapped in an endless thrall of winter.
Sanada nodded and moved to the door, opening it and startling the squire standing outside. He moved immediately to stand to attention and as Sanada looked at his curly head, he had a feeling the young man wasn't even daring to breathe.
“Fetch Advisor Yanagi immediately. He should be in the central library.”
The young man ran off with a salute that Sanada made a note to himself to berate him for over its form when he had the chance. But at the pace he was heading off, at least it shouldn't take too long for Yanagi to arrive.
His gaze lingered on the light charcoal line drawn around their country, marking the now almost completely defunct magical defence line. The physical borders on the west and south had held up, mostly due to them facing stretches of water that extended well into the horizon. The east ran parallel to Shitenhouji which was growing slowly but had potential that he knew Yanagi was keeping an eye on.
“We could pull another two units off from our western defence company,” Yukimura said, gesturing. “The west will hold with minimal support for the time being. Our priority should be the northern threat.”
“It would still take weeks of hard travel for them to make their way to the northern pass,” Sanada said fairly, pointing out the likely journey that would take them through cities for resupplies. “I have a small command here, I can make my way north in half the time.”
“It's not enough men,” Yukimura said firmly. Although Yukimura didn't have direct command over their military, it didn't surprise Sanada at all that the man kept a running record of everything that was going on anyway instead of relying on him as his father had done with Sanada's own before them. “You'll make no difference.”
Perhaps once upon a time, Sanada would have taken insult at that comment, but there was no joking tone and sly smile with Yukimura's words, just a crease between his eyebrows as he looked down at the map.
“Let's wait for Renji to come. He might have some further insight.”
Yukimura finally glanced at him and then turned away to head towards his seat again. “He might.”
Sanada watched as Yukimura lifted the stopper from the crystal decanter on his side table, picking up a waiting glass to hold it out to him. “Shall we drink while we wait for him, then?”
-
While Yukimura reigned and kept a running knowledge of everything in the kingdom, and Sanada was known as the Warlord that had immediate control over the spread of armed forces throughout the country, it was Renji Yanagi who sat in the seat of power behind them both as Advisor.
He alone, save for perhaps Niou, kept the closest of eyes upon everything that happened in their country and used that to stand behind the other two.
But even he wasn't able to predict everything and sometimes unexpected things happened that managed to slip through his notice.
The small fleet of ships coming up through the channel to the east just days later took them all by surprise even as they got the first reports of it from the southern boundaries. The flags were blue, the bold stripes down it immediately recognised by all three of them as coming from Seigaku.
In the current state, it was tempting to strengthen their defences immediately in response, but it was too risky with their numbers too low and with majority of their strength focused in the north and unable to leave.
“The dowager queen recently stepped down from her position. Seigaku's been pushing for growth since Nanjirou came into power. They're a country to watch in the next few years. Nanjirou is particularly pushing for a widening of their trade network - they've been negotiating with Higa and Fudoumine recently,” was Yanagi's assessment of the country.
“Their military?”
“Still small but expanding rapidly. They have a competent general. He was here briefly in his younger years,” Yanagi paused and Sanada didn't like the sly sideways look that the advisor gave him, his eyes narrow slits and his lips curled into a smile. “Kunimitsu Tezuka, remember him, Genichirou?”
Sanada's expression went blank. Yes, he did indeed remember Tezuka from the time he spent in Rikkai in their youth as a courtesy of the close friendship that had existed between Tezuka and Sanada's own grandfather's.
“He'd be a good general,” Sanada said, well aware of the way Yukimura was looking at him from across the table. He kept his gaze focused on the map of their country spread over the tabletop and to the channel where he knew Tezuka and his fleet of ships were. “Focused, strong leadership skills, an eye on the larger picture. He was very skilled with a blade when we were younger as well, I imagine he still is.”
“It sounds like you were very alike, Genichirou,” Yukimura said with an unreadable smile that Sanada frowned in response to.
“We were friends.”
Yukimura tapped his fingers on the armrests of his chair, looking at Sanada's face with as much intensity as he was the map. It was almost an oppressive silence between the three of them before Yukimura finally spoke.
“Then perhaps in respect of your old friendship, you should be the one to greet him at our shores and see what he wants.”
Sanada glanced up at Yukimura. It was a test, he realised, with the way Yukimura was smiling that to perhaps someone else might seem innocent enough, but to Sanada who had known him for far too long, made his shoulders tense and become too aware of the underlying threat.
“I'll trust you to make the appropriate call when the time comes.”
-
It wasn't often that Sanada doubted himself and his decisions, particularly in regards to fulfilling Yukimura's commands. They usually met on the same frequency, in which Sanada's on-the-run decisions coincided so well with Yukimura's vision for the bigger picture of Rikkai, whatever it may be.
But he also knew that his king and long time friend was extremely proud and reluctant to admit that they may need some help with blocking Hyotei's advance lest it overwhelm them. He placed too much faith in tradition, in what had once been coming back to them and perhaps Sanada was worried that he would let that overwhelm his thinking in keeping them adaptable and finding ways without them.
That being said, Yukimura wasn't remiss in his faith placed in Jackal and his ability to continue to stall Hyotei. It had been a very long time since anyone had breached the outer wall of the pass, and certainly not since Jackal had been posted to the north with his reputation as the Iron Defence of Rikkai. It seemed to be holding true, for now, but Sanada was well aware of the need for reinforcements, and soon.
He moved swiftly through the castle, his heavy footsteps loud enough upon the stone floors to alert anyone ahead of him that turned and moved out of his way.
It was a brave man that stopped him as he moved towards his own quarters with a hand on his arm.
“Leaving so soon, Warlord Sanada?”
It was Yagyuu, carrying a stack of notes in his arms that Sanada glanced at briefly before looking at his face. He was just thankful that he hadn't automatically reached to pull a knife at the first contact as he had been known to. Somehow he doubted Yukimura would be too pleased if he happened to stick a knife into the gut of his head healer.
“Where are you going?” Sanada asked, ignoring the question.
“The King asked me to attend to him. I also have news of Masaharu that he'd like to hear.”
That got Sanada's attention. “Has the deserter reappeared, then?”
Yagyuu's smile was bland as he looked at him. “Not at all. He just sent another of his messengers.” He gestured behind him, and Sanada only just noticed the fox that was hovering next to Yagyuu patiently. It was wispy, insubstantial, obviously made of magic. He could almost see the air moving around it as its tail moved from side to side.
“He wanted to leave straight away, but Masaharu's messengers have always been easy to convince to stay around for a little while longer.”
Sanada wasn't quite sure how one convinced a fox made of magic to stay around, but he didn't argue with it. Perhaps it was a result of Yagyuu having spent most of his life around Niou and just knowing his style.
“What does he have to say for himself?”
He didn't like the rueful smile on Yagyuu's face or the way that he reached down to trail his fingers over the top of the fox's head.
“He said 'still not dead'.”
Sanada waited for a few moments, looking at Yagyuu expectantly for him to say what else Niou had sent... until the realisation set in that Niou had said nothing else.
What a fool Niou was.
Yagyuu seemed more concerned with petting the top of the fox's ears than its actual message and Sanada frowned at him for a moment before moving to stride off past him down the hallway again.
“Send his messenger back and tell him to take responsibility for his actions already,” he snapped.
But even as he said it, they both knew that each time Niou's fox messengers had come, even when they'd returned to their owner, they hadn't been able to be followed, simply melting into the air when they tried. Yagyuu had tried sending messages with them, but they had no way of knowing whether or not they listened to him and relayed them to Niou, even as they wound around his legs and rubbed their heads against his side as he stood there.
“He's coming back, Sanada,” Yagyuu said and even his quiet voice reached Sanada as clearly as though he was standing right next to him.
Sanada paused mid-stride. “He's done enough damage as it is.”
He heard some kind of murmured words behind him as Yagyuu spoke, but he kept walking and didn't look back.
-
It was a short ride from the capital on the lake where Yukimura spent his days, to the small walled town that guarded the natural inlet that was serving as a port for the incoming Seigaku ships. Sanada had brought a small company of men with him, but it was him alone that waited ahead by the shore and watched the first of the boats lower into the water and row towards them.
He could pick Tezuka immediately, even from a distance and there was a strange tension running through him not unlike that which occurred as one watched and waited for an approaching enemy to draw finally close enough to be able to do something.
Tezuka hopped out of the boat into the shallow water with well practiced ease and made his way to shore, holding his hand out to Sanada as he approached.
“Genichirou, brother,” he said, and Sanada could hear the warmth in his voice.
He looked the same as he ever had, though he filled his tunic out much better than he ever had when they were younger and his grip was firm as Sanada reached out to grasp his hand tightly.
“Kunimitsu. It's been a long time.”
He looked at the ships behind them in the inlet and the men lining the deck of the closest one. “Why are you here?”
“Atobe is using Rikkai as a pathway to get to Seigaku. Our grandfather's fought together when Yamabuki made moves out of their territory and we did in our past as well. I've come to do so again.”
Sanada stared at Tezuka's face and it was hard not to believe him from the level gaze and the hand that hadn't yet let go of his own.
“Tell me what you know about Atobe. I'll send a message to Yukimura and your men can disembark when he answers.”
He told himself that it was a logical choice to make, to accept the offer of help as it was extended to them. It had nothing to do with his own bias towards Tezuka and the trust he placed in someone he realised was still his friend and brother in arms.
Although, as he drew back from the waters edge with Tezuka in tow, he did have to acknowledge that it was easier to accept the offer for help from Tezuka than it would have been from anyone else. And somehow he had a feeling that Tezuka knew that all too well as well.
Even with the message sent immediately, it took over a day and a half for Yukimura to allow Tezuka's men to disembark from their ships and for Tezuka to move to the capital to meet with him.
But it wasn't long after that, that Sanada found himself back in Yukimura's private rooms, talking Tezuka through the boundaries of Rikkai.
“I brought along one of our country's sorcerer's to supplement your own to aid in the country's magical defences, but we weren't expecting there to be none.”
Tezuka sounded genuinely surprised and for that, Sanada was thankful. It meant that word hadn't travelled that their magical defences had all but crumbled and they were missing a key part of their country's core.
“Originally we had a circle of them, but it became tradition generations ago to have the sole collective defence centered around a single entity.” A foolish tradition now that he said it aloud. It should have been an obvious point of weakness, that none of them had ever picked up on until now.
“Masaharu's been the most powerful one in recorded history, everyone acknowledges that,” Yukimura said, leaning back in his seat and watching the two of them archly.
“He's also the most unreliable one we've had in recorded history,” Sanada said, well aware of how Yukimura's eyes narrowed at his statement, unimpressed.
“And no one knows the measures he's put in place?” Tezuka asked, sounding almost disbelieving.
“Yagyuu, our healer, knows probably the most of anyone, they've been friends for a long time. But his magic isn't compatible with Niou's own and he wasn't able to supplement the magical supply required to uphold the defences.”
“You were foolish,” he said bluntly.
Silence greeted his statement and Sanada noticed the tension in Yukimura's shoulders and neck even as he looked coolly at Tezuka across the table.
“Masaharu is missing, he's not dead. While he's alive, our barriers are still capable of being restored.”
“He's as good as dead to us, for all the damage he's done. And you have no way of knowing he really is still alive. Optimism can only do so much in a time like this.”
Yukimura's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. It was foolish to speak so bluntly to Yukimura, Sanada knew that, but it was easier to do so with Tezuka there. There was a definite increase in tension between them though, but Tezuka pushed it aside to press on.
“Atobe took advantage of this,” Tezuka said.
“Your country's border was probably the weakest entry point he located. Higa controls the north east seas and islands,” Tezuka gestured in a sweeping motion to the wider map to the side, “Under normal circumstances, I imagine he'd come down through their territory. In the past few years there have been reports from Kite that Hyotei ships have tried making their way south through him and been held off.”
Sanada grunted finally and stood up as well, facing Tezuka across the table. “You said Atobe is moving south to get to Seigaku. How can you be sure?”
Tezuka looked at him evenly and there was noticeable reluctance in the slight shift in his expression. “He's made it obvious enough to us.”
There was a tone of finality in Tezuka's voice and though Sanada wanted more information, the unimpressed expression on Yukimura's face was a strong enough indicator to do it in his own time. His King seemed to think very little of Tezuka's claims that Hyotei's push to the south was purely for what he considered a mostly unremarkable country.
“We'll move north,” Sanada said. “I'll take the men here, and the men Kunimitsu has brought. We can be there by mid-summer if we push fast. Jackal can use the early summer to his advantage to hold them off until we arrive.”
“Even with the numbers from Seigaku, there's not enough people,” Yukimura said coldly, glancing at Tezuka. “We've discussed this before, Genichirou.”
“We'll make no difference staying here,” Tezuka said, looking at the map. “By going north we will at least make an impact, as small as it may be.” Although as they caught each other's eye, Sanada realised neither of them believe that they would do nothing up there.
“Summer is the best chance we have. Once autumn hits, it will become too difficult. He'll use the incoming cold weather behind him to push into the country, regardless of whether the mountain pass holds or not,” Yanagi finally spoke, stepping forward from where he was standing next to Yukimura, all three of them looking at him.
Sanada nodded at his words and looked at Yukimura who still looked unconvinced.
“Give us a day to prepare and then we'll move out. Seiichi, pull Yagyuu from his full time duty and focus him on finding Niou.” Sanada hated the bitter taste of falsehood in his mouth as he spoke to Yukimura. “There's no victory in pushing Atobe back into Hyotei unless we can seal our borders shut behind him.”
-
Perhaps there was some small guilt at having left the country to its own defences, but it was so easy to block off contact from the outside world and imagine that nothing had gone wrong.
It had only meant to be a few days, originally. It would have been fine. Niou only had to visit the central lodestone every few days to recharge it, the web of protective lodestones around the country's borders sustained themselves for long enough without his help.
But alone in the abandoned fort he'd taken up residence in, there was no constant expectations on him, no eyes watching his every move and it was absolutely liberating. And perhaps it was too easy for the days to become weeks and then to stretch into months.
There had been the contact with the outside world that arrived shortly after he did; the bird that had flown in through the open window to fly around his head and then to melt into the thin air as he made to touch it, so characteristic of Yagyuu. There had been no tracking spell on the bird and Yagyuu wasn't following behind it, but Niou still upped the defences on his fort and send out his own messenger in return, to let him know he at least wasn't dead.
His only company otherwise were the creatures of the forest that came in through the open doors, that no human eyes could see, and the magical birds that sometimes hung around for days as Niou tempted them with wisps of his own magic and stroked along their coloured plumage that was so like smoke as it trailed into nothingness around them.
No one breached his circle of magic, that spread to the edges of the trees and confused anyone that walked into the forest. And Niou heard no human steps beyond his own for so long, as he padded through the empty rooms and ran his fingers over the edges of dusted books in different languages.
Until he came.
The knock took him by surprise; he hadn't even noticed the trespasser through his forest or how easily his defences were knocked aside.
Even the sparks of lightning sent his way were brushed off as the first footfall passed his doorway and into the room. Niou stood up from his seat at the table, calling back even his fox messenger that was visiting Yagyuu, feeling the small snippet of magic flow back into him as it returned.
“Who are you?” he demanded. His first thought was someone like Yagyuu, from the glint of his glasses, to the smile that was all too familiar and it immediately put Niou on guard. “How did you get here?”
He groped out with his magic for his barriers, still in tact, stretching around the forest to deceive anyone that try to pass them. There was no sign of any forced entry, no sense of humans nearby them or inside them at all and Niou looked even more warily at the stranger.
“Hello darling sorcerer.” Their voice was low and buttery and Niou could feel the compulsion and the power washing over him in those simple words.
Niou felt himself being pushed down, by hands or by magic, he didn't know and didn't really care. The same was caressing his skin and the voice spoke again, in his ear this time.
“It would please me so much if you stayed here a while longer.”
And really, when it was said like that, it really was difficult to get himself to disagree and Niou let himself sink into the sensations, reaching out himself, pulling them down on top of him and tangling his magic with their own.
A little while longer, perhaps, was fine.
-
“Where is Renji?” Sanada demanded, looking around the crowd in front of him. The unit from Seigaku was melding well with his own, both teams efficient as they saddled up their horses, almost ready to move out.
Tezuka was nearby, carefully securing his own bag to the back of the saddle, pausing to look around as well. “It appears he's not here, Genichirou,” he said, unable to stop himself and he turned to finish up his task, not missing the twitch of annoyance on Sanada's jaw and trying not to feel too amused.
“Give him another half candlemark. If we push through the middle part of the day, we can still make it,” Tezuka said.
Even as he said that though, Tezuka was very aware it was pushing it, with a hard ride ahead to the river crossing guaranteed whether or not they left now or a little later. Low tide was coming later in the afternoon now, but it still left a preciously small window in which they could all cross before they had to lose a day in travel that they could scarcely afford.
“I've left Shuusuke in the care of your healer,” Tezuka said, even though Sanada had heard everything the night before. Sanada just grunted in response. “Hopefully together they can figure out Niou's system and reactivate the boundaries or at the very least, try to find him.”
From what Sanada had told him last night though, neither of them were going to be successful. It was dangerous, having a powerful sorcerer with little maturity or self control as the centre point of an entire country's defence and Sanada and Yukimura seemed well aware of it. While Fuji was hardly at that level, he possessed a control of self that Tezuka knew he wasn't alone in finding disconcerting.
“He might learn something as well,” he added on, which would be a great bonus for their country.
Tezuka paused as he moved to buckle his sword onto his saddle as well, feeling Sanada's eyes on him.
“You're not going to keep it on you?” Sanada asked and Tezuka narrowed his eyes slightly at his tone. It seemed almost like a test.
“You believe our large number will face opposition moving through your country, brother?” Tezuka asked, and he was gratified to see a hint of amusement pass over Sanada's face at his taunt.
“It's best to be prepared,” was Sanada's noncommittal answer. “Although from the reports, swords won't do much good against Atobe.”
Tezuka inclined his head in acquiescence at that. Atobe fought primarily with magic and while his forces were still very much men and mortal from all accounts he'd heard, they were still backed by an extremely powerful magic that made them all the more terrifying.
Still, Tezuka kept his sword on his saddle and checked that his daggers were in their usual place in his boots and the visible one on his belt. To at least give him enough time to draw his sword if need be.
Sanada moved off then, to move amongst his command and ensure they were all ready to go before he went to saddle up Yanagi's horse, in the hopes of leaving as soon as the late advisor made his appearance.
Tezuka followed his lead, walking around his own Seigaku men, distinguished by the small blue insignia on their chests that some put their hand over in a salute towards him as he passed. They were good men that had followed him into the potential unknown of Rikkai. He hoped they were good enough to return as well.
It took just a little while longer before Yanagi finally appeared, running a little as he carried his bag with him. He looked almost stressed, an expression that didn't seem to fit at all with the image that he had presented the previous night.
“My apologies for being late, Genichirou,” he said, moving to his horse that he knew immediately was his own. “I lost track of the time and got lost in my study.”
Sanada just glanced at him as he swung himself into his saddle, a silent indication to keep talking.
“I was studying written histories last night and may have found a lead on where Niou might have gone off to. I sent the information to Yagyuu before I arrived, he can follow it up.”
Sanada nodded and twisted around as he turned his horse in a tight circle to face the exit out of the castle. “Explain it more to me later. We're moving out,” he called out loudly, his voice carrying through the ranks.
-
They moved at a grueling pace, rising before dawn and only settling down after the moon had risen. The pace was a little hard on his men, not used to traveling so long on horseback, but Tezuka was pleased to see them performing their duties with no complaints. He ignored the small containers of healing cream that he saw passed around their group to rub at their chafing thighs late into the night.
As long as it soothed their complaints during the day as well and they could maintain this pace, he could not object.
Sanada and him alternated during the day between moving along the line of men and leading at the front, each night convening with Yanagi to ensure they were still on the right path. Occasionally they spent a little time together during the day, mostly to discuss matters of their command - a horse that had gone lame partway through the day, if they were on time and sometimes, in quiet tones as they pulled ahead slightly, their own speculations about what was happening up north.
The latter topic only really came about though when they had dinner together, around their own separate fire away from the masses. Sometimes Yanagi joined them, but often the man vanished for the night after their short meeting, for an early night he said. As long as he reappeared when they were to go in the morning and packed up his own belongings, Tezuka didn't concern himself overly with it.
He knew Atobe was far to the north, there was little risk.
It was one night such as those that they sat together, watching the fire slowly burn down into the embers. Together they were men of silence with no unnecessary words between them, which Tezuka found refreshing. It reminded him of why exactly he had gotten along so well with Sanada in their youth.
“You never revealed why Atobe was targeting Seigaku,” Sanada said, glancing at Tezuka. There was no accusation in his voice as he spoke, just a simple statement. “You know why, though.”
Perhaps he had figured out Tezuka's reticence to reveal the information in front of Yukimura and trusted that his friend would tell him now. And for that alone reason, Tezuka felt inclined to tell him.
“We've met, King Atobe and I. On a trading route through Higa territory,” Tezuka said, just a little stiffly. But the fire was warm and the whiskey passed between them helped as well. “They got into a conflict with Higa and we intervened.”
Higa had very little in terms of land, but they were grossly protective of what islands they did have and barred any unauthorised entry into the inlets. Atobe had had the unfortunate encounter with the ship holding Kite and the more aggressive of his lieutenants.
From what he had gathered, Hyotei had been there illegally and it had taken on his part, some very swift negotiation to get Kite to lower the sword from Atobe's neck where it had been firmly placed early on into the ambush.
“I'm afraid Atobe became rather infatuated.” To anyone else perhaps, he might have felt some measure of embarrassment confessing that particular fact, one that had been obvious to only him and his closest advisor Oishi. But to Sanada, it was just a statement of facts, to help him piece together the web of motivations to help him defend his country.
“You said Kite's been sending reports of Atobe attempting to move south through his territory,” Sanada said, frowning a little.
“Yes, repeatedly. He's tried in less than ideal sailing conditions as well, in the hopes of avoiding Higa's patrol.”
That particular attempt had failed, Atobe not counting on Higa having a bevy of sorcerers who were very adept at manipulating weather and sea conditions for their ships' benefit.
“Atobe's interest isn't in Seigaku,” he said, looking across the fire at Sanada. The lighting cast strong, almost ominous shadows across his friend's face and his eyes were unreadable as Tezuka looked at him. “It's in me.”
Sanada didn't speak for a long time, and for a fleeting moment, he wasn't sure Sanada believed him. And even if he did... who was to say that he would continue defending his border, knowing that Atobe had no real interest in his people?
The fire dwindled as they sat in silence, listening to the murmurs of the people sitting fires away as they talked, about menial topics that were still so important to them; their families, their farms that they had been pulled away from, the words of their children that they had left behind... the taxes of the cities they lived in and their human, day to day concerns.
Tezuka exhaled slowly, keeping his eyes firmly on Sanada.
“He's still coming through Rikkai, the fool,” Sanada said finally. “His motivation isn't our concern, we have to defend the country's border.”
Tezuka nodded, feeling an unfamiliar wash of relief over him. He took another sip of the whiskey, feeling it warming down to his fingers.
“Thank you, brother. I'm indebted to you.”
Sanada snorted and took a drink of his own. “Tell me that after we get to the wall and see its state.”
-
Their path took them along the edges of the forest where they camped one night, even though it was still early into the afternoon and Sanada disliked the loss of the extra candlemarks of travel. However, the extra time gave them the opportunity to make repairs to their equipment and replenish their supplies somewhat. Time that their whole unit sorely needed.
Tezuka could hear some appreciative sighs as the men slid off their saddles and moved to set up camp with a skilled efficiency that had come from much training and been honed through the past few days of practice where their only light was the moon.
He lingered for a while, watching the men and then made his way towards the forest. It suddenly seemed like such a good idea to wander through the trees and perhaps look for some firewood. If he was less tired from days of traveling at a grueling pace, perhaps he would have questioned the sudden whimsy to do what should have been another man's job, but Tezuka didn't question it as he was now.
The trees in the forest were thick, moreso than he had anticipated as the sun shone down through their foliage and he carefully kept the exit to his back to know where the camp was.
Even so, there was so much to focus on, from the birds that called out to one another from the branches of the trees; to the movements in the distance between the trunks, of what he could only assume was larger game, watching the intruder in their midst.
The sword at his hip felt heavy and his footsteps through the foliage on the floor, overly loud.
There was no logic to the route he chose as he went, picking up pieces of wood and piling them in his arms. The forest got more silent as he went though, his footsteps the loudest sound in there. As Tezuka looked back, the edge where he had entered was still visible, though surely, he had taken more steps than that.
It was strange, but he was no stranger to magic, both from people and in the world around them. There were a number of magical lakes in Seigaku that sparkled in a way most unnatural as the morning sun hit them. Beautiful but unworldly. Tezuka had only seen two in his time and in both the water had been clear and ordinary as he cupped it in his hands to look at them, and became remarkable as the drops returned to the lakebed.
He'd dove in once, swimming down until his chest burned with the need for air. The bottom of the lake had seemed so close as he'd first struck out with his feet in the water, just a few strokes away before he could touch it with his fingers. But even as he reached the limits of his air, as he swiped with his hands through the water, there was nothing but empty water in front of him.
And as he'd turned around to head for the surface, it had been but a short few kicks away, as if he had gone nowhere at all.
The forest too, that had much the same feeling as those lakes, surely had the same magic in it. He could lead himself to believe it just from the strange atmosphere and the small, brightly coloured birds that flitted through the leaves as he looked up, so swiftly and sometimes vanishing into thin air even as he looked at them.
In such a forest, one would expect to hear people's presences from a distance, and with Tezuka's senses straining, he thought that even moreso. He reached out to touch the trunk of a tree to balance himself as he stepped over its roots, and as he looked up again, he nearly dropped his armful of firewood as someone appeared.
They could be a ghost, for how suddenly they had appeared before him, and he would almost be inclined to believe it from the white hair and ghostlike fox that stood beside him. The fox vanished even as he stared at it and he was almost holding his breath to see the man disappear into thin air as well.
But he didn't, even as their eyes met and their lips parted in surprise, their eyes widening in much the same way.
“What are you doing in here?” they asked, no, demanded.
“It should be obvious,” Tezuka said, making a small gesture with his arms to indicate the firewood he was carrying and he saw the anger that had so quickly appeared, deflate just as swiftly.
The mixture of emotions he was reading off of the strange man were confusing, almost muffled as he tried to look closer. Tezuka took a step closer and it was like the world lurched beneath his feet and he just stopped himself from dropping what he was carrying.
“Don't try to move.” There was a strange mixture between a threat and... almost concern in the voice.
The fox reappeared then, behind him and the touch of its nose against his leg was strangely insubstantial and yet there and Tezuka wished he could lower his hand to touch its head. Somehow though, he suspected it would be just as skittish as its owner and vanish beneath his fingertips if he tried.
“You're not from Rikkai,” they said finally and the fox trotted away, looking much too pleased with itself.
“No, I'm not.” It seemed wise to speak the truth, in such a situation where he was concerned about even moving. “I'm visiting from Seigaku.”
“Seigaku? That's different.” He came closer then and Tezuka could see the relative youth in his face even as the white hair belied their age. He was also becoming sure they were very much real, as their hand reached out to grab his arm, warm and solid as any other's.
Tezuka said nothing and didn't move as those hands moved to prod at his face and side, although his jaw tensed slightly. He watched the fox instead as it pranced between the trees, and focused on the weight of the wood he was carrying that became heavier as the time ticked on.
“Who are you?” he asked finally, as the man moved as though to walk away. His feet were suddenly free to move and the first step he took, he nearly overbalanced. But he caught himself before he did, frowning up at the other as they whistled at the fox, which turned to look at him and trotted back.
“I'm just a humble fox farmer,” he said with a laugh at an inside joke only known to him. “I raise them in the forest, all by myself.”
“One hardly makes you a farmer of them,” Tezuka observed and he was rewarded with the man smiling at him.
“How many make a farm, then? Three? Five? Ten?” As he spoke, more foxes seemed to appear, poking their heads around trees just a few paces away and further into the forest. They appeared and disappeared faster than Tezuka could count, moving between the trees faster too than they should be able.
“More than you have,” Tezuka's answer came and he moved, glad that he still could, stepping away from the strange fox man.
He glanced behind him, and the forest looked different to how it had when he'd passed through originally, with no sign of the path he'd taken to get here from the campsite and for once, there was a cold rush of fear in the very depths of his stomach.
“You're camped on the edge of the woods, aren't you?”
“Yes.” No details were necessary to give.
The look he received was long and silent before they whistled again for the fox to reappear by his legs. “You should move and not get too comfortable there. The forest doesn't really like men that bring swords and axes near it.” He could their gaze on the short sword in his belt and then flicking down to his boots with the two daggers in hidden sheaths.
“We're not going to harm the forest,” Tezuka said, just a little impatiently as he watched after him.
The stranger shrugged. “You might find some of your men being dragged away into the night, then. Magical places don't really discriminate.” There was a pause and the man stopped. “You at least, should camp on the outer edge, away from the tree line.”
Tezuka didn't reply and after a long moment, they shrugged and moved away again. “Come visit again. I don't see many people now, it was fun.”
And then the man vanished. And with his disappearance, so too did the brightness of the forest seem to vanish, becoming almost oppressive as he stood there. But as he turned around to look behind him, suddenly the path was clear and he could almost hear the sound of the men moving through the camp that seemed but a few footsteps away.
-
“You were a long time, Kunimitsu,” Sanada said as he stepped into the campsite. It was near nightfall now, very different from the dappled sunlight that had been there when he had first left the camp, as the men used the afternoon light to see. Now the fires were starting and Tezuka placed his own armful of firewood down.
“I met someone in the forest unexpectedly,” Tezuka said, straightening up. “He said he was a fox farmer, though his foxes were none that I have ever seen before.”
Sanada's expression was suddenly sharp and Tezuka frowned as his gaze became intense upon him. “Did they give a name?” he asked.
“He gave none. Just cryptic words.”
“And his face? His hair?”
Tezuka suddenly became aware of Yanagi approaching as they spoke, a quickness in his step suggesting some measure of urgency that he normally didn't see in the normally contained man. “He had white hair. Perhaps of age with your King?” Tezuka frowned slightly. “Blue eyes.”
Sanada swore and Tezuka blinked in surprise, hearing Yanagi come to a stop next to him. “We're changing our plan, Renji. We've located Niou, we're going to drag him back to the capital.”
It was difficult to tell, with the careful mask that the advisor wore, but there might have been surprise from the way his eyes opened into slits and the slight tensing of his shoulders that Tezuka only just picked up on.
“Leave him, Genichirou,” Yanagi said finally. “I'll send a message to Yagyuu and leave the task to him. Masaharu has his job he needs to do and we have ours. We must get to the northern pass.”
Sanada looked so reluctant to follow Yanagi's words, but Tezuka could see him thinking it over and could perhaps even follow his train of thought. It was mixed with his own disbelief though, that the man he'd met in the forest had been... Niou of all people.
The most powerful sorcerer in Rikkai, was that sort of person? It baffled the mind. Somehow his sudden disappearance from the court seemed to make a bit more sense, however selfish and careless of a decision it had been.
“Niou also mentioned that we shouldn't camp along the forest,” Tezuka said carefully. “I believe he was just trying to get us to move on quickly, however,” he added on quickly, as Sanada frowned at him as he spoke.
The idea of sentient trees seemed ridiculous, even as he looked at them looming just a few paces away. Seeing the men nearby made him think about Niou's words about them being dragged into their depths during their sleep...
Foolishness, surely.
“We'll move out at first light tomorrow,” Sanada said firmly, looking around them as well. “Tell them to stay away from the trees.”
He wondered at Sanada seeming to somewhat acknowledge Niou's words, but Tezuka nodded. Yanagi looked somewhat pleased anyway and his gaze lingered on the advisor until the man noticed him and turned away first.
-
Atobe, the Ice King of Hyotei sat in his private chambers, watching the sunset through the ice of his window. It was cold in his room, but he felt none of it, even as ice tendrils spread from where his fingers lay on the sill.
“He's vanished from my sight,” Atobe said, speaking seemingly to himself, and then there was a footstep behind him and a man stepped out from the shadows. He laughed softly to himself. “I knew you were there, Yuushi.”
Oshitari nodded his head in acquiescence. His smile was always a little too slippery and deceptive to be honest, but Atobe trusted him, as he always had through the years that they had been together. He'd never steered him wrong, after all.
“I always am,” Oshitari said.
Atobe turned to look out the window and frowned. He'd been following Tezuka so closely, along the channel into Rikkai, and his journey north with someone that made Atobe's fingers clench in the silken material of his trousers. Sanada.
But it had been a clear picture if he closed his eyes, although he couldn't hear his words as they spoke at night; he could see their stretch of men that he all too proudly knew was too few.
Until today when the presence Atobe tracked almost constantly, disappeared completely. And even as he sat there with his eyes closed and stretched out his fingers of magic across Rikkai, there was no sign of him.
“Where could he be?”
“They're camping near the southern edges of Minstrelsea,” Oshitari reported and Atobe did wonder how Oshitari was always knowledgeable about their movements whenever he spoke to him. Perhaps his friend too, followed them just as closely as he did. “Those forests have always held much magic and has always been very good at hiding things from prying eyes.”
Atobe's eyes narrowed at that and he was silent for a long moment as he closed his eyes and poked around the forest that stretched into the distance as far as his magical senses could see.
“What else does it hide?”
Oshitari's smile seemed as natural as ever, but there was that small twinge of suspicion as Atobe looked at it and he carefully schooled his own face into neutrality.
“Nothing, Keigo,” Oshitari's words were easily said. “Just old magic that has grown very strong in its age. The trees hide their own secrets, but no one else's.”
Atobe frowned slightly and pulled his awareness away from Rikkai, and back to watching Oshitari. “As long as Tezuka is leaving there,” he said and he became all the more suspicious as Oshitari seemed to relax.
He stepped closer to Atobe and the hands running up his arm made him sigh. Oshitari had never minded the icy cold of his skin or the way he leaned into the warmth.
“Tezuka will be heading north immediately,” he said. “And if he's wise, he won't be stepping into that forest again.”
Oshitari leaned closer and his breath on Atobe's ear was so warm and his voice, soft and buttery in a way that made warmth pool in Atobe's lower abdomen and relax even more in his seat. “Perhaps you should send him a reminder though, he should be close enough now to be within your dream reach.”
He'd never pushed himself that far - there had never been any need to extend his reach that far into other's territories... but Oshitari wasn't lying. With the magical defences of Rikkai all but scattered, Atobe was finding it easier to invade south.
“It's nearly nighttime. Relax, Keigo, you'll need all your energy for tonight.”
Atobe sighed and was so aware of Oshitari's warm hands and he nodded, closing his eyes and letting his consciousness and magic fly south into Rikkai.
-
Tezuka dreamed that night, as he lay in the outer ring of his men, as far from the forest as he could. It was foolishness, he knew that, to listen to someone like Niou, but he still did, even as there was little protection from the elements this far from the forest and the press of bodies that provided much of the warmth in the night.
He fell asleep to the snorting of the horses and the soft footsteps and murmured voices of the men on guard, soft snores rumbling across the camp.
He walked through the forest in his dream, although it was much lighter than it had seemed in real life. There were no animals here this time though, and no foxes as he became aware of himself looking for them.
But there were footsteps, light on the ground and Tezuka turned to look, spotting the white hair of Masaharu Niou before his face came into focus and the surprised but somewhat curious expression on his face.
“So you're invading my forest in both states,” he said. There was no anger in his voice, just curiousity. “Did you move from your camp?”
“No, we didn't. Genichirou insisted on staying. They're not going into the forest though.”
Niou tilted his head at him and Tezuka became aware of the piercing gaze he was receiving that seemed to cut through his dreams onto his sleeping body. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Sanada never listens to me. That doesn't surprise me. But did you?”
It was strange, referring to himself and being so aware that this was a dream. And yet as he reached out to grab onto Niou, the skin beneath his hand felt so warm and real, as did the surprised expression that he got in return.
“I'm sleeping at the very edges, away from the trees.”
Tezuka let go of Niou's arm and the other man touched his forearm with his other hand, frowning as he did so, as if wondering what had happened.
“Good. Good,” Niou said, more to himself than to Tezuka.
He looked around them, noting the silence and lack of anything else near them save the sunlight and the trees. “No fox charges this time? Are you taking a break from farming?”
Niou smiled at that. “They're off doing other things, the world of dreams doesn't interest them as much.”
“I see.” He didn't.
He wondered how real this dream was, and whether he was really talking to Niou. Somehow, he wouldn't be surprised, even as he'd always thought of his dreams as things of make believe. But Niou standing next to him felt so real, it was a difficult task to think otherwise even as he knew this was as dream.
“You're Masaharu Niou, aren't you? The missing sorcerer.” Tezuka found himself asking and immediately Niou's expression shuttered and he seemed to take steps back and further the distance between them as if him being nearby had never happened.
“You've been talking to Sanada.”
There was no point in lying, or denying it. Tezuka nodded and Niou's expression became mutinous.
“Niou...” Tezuka wasn't sure what to say, and he closed his mouth again as Niou stared at him longer.
“... You call Sanada by his first name. You should do the same with me if you're going to ask me a question,” Niou said and Tezuka thought he detected a smidgen of huffiness in his voice and the tilt of his chin.
“Very well.” It was awkward though, and Tezuka visibly paused before he spoke again. “Masaharu...”
But before he could continue, he could feel his consciousness start to stir and became aware of the hardness of the ground and the sounds around him, as though he was being pushed out of the dream forcibly... and then suddenly the feelings vanished, the forest scenery changed and Niou disappeared.
This time he found himself on a cliff, overlooking what he immediately recognised as the northern pass into Rikkai. Although he had never seen the pass for himself, he had heard enough of it from Sanada to recognise the fort, so similar to the more southern one he had spent his youth in. More telling perhaps, was the snow on the ground that normally would have filled him with so much dread as it signaled winter's approach into Rikkai.
It was too early still for the snow to be falling like this, he knew that. Not reality that he stared at, then. Perhaps someone else's dreams, as he seemed to have invaded Niou's before.
And indeed, there was someone near him and Tezuka turned around to face them.
“Masaharu?” he found himself saying and instantly knew it was a mistake as the presence grew almost ominous.
“Not Masaharu,” a voice said and they were there, in the swirling snow. The long fur coat and pale icy skin was all so familiar, as were the blue eyes upon his own and the pleased smirk on the man's face.
“Atobe,” he said, nodding at the man.
“It's been a long time since we've met in person, Tezuka,” Atobe said and the hand upon his arm was so different to the warmth of Niou that Tezuka tensed up in surprise. “You're taking a long time to get north, I thought you'd be here already.”
This was a dream, though a dream of Atobe's making, Tezuka knew. He wondered at pulling himself out of sleep, but somehow he doubted it would succeed as Atobe sunk his magical claws deeper into his mind to keep him there.
“We have a lot of men to transport north. It takes time,” Tezuka said, keeping his eyes on the fort. He thought there would be Atobe's forces on the northern side, but there was nothing. The snow around them was untouched and the fort itself looked untouched.
“I only needed you to come north.”
Tezuka frowned at Atobe and pulled his arm free, taking a step back. “Your offer to join you in Hyotei didn't interest me years ago and it still doesn't.”
But even as he said that, he knew it was a little untrue. Tezuka would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it, lying in his bed in Seigaku and considering his position within the country. He was a general and he was happy with that, but Atobe had offered him a lot more.
And worse still, Atobe seemed so aware of it, of where his thoughts had wandered those nights from that first meeting they'd had. He could probably taste the lie in Tezuka's words, and Tezuka watched Atobe's lips curl into a knowing smile that seemed all too smug.
“Come faster, Tezuka. Winter is coming and the fort isn't going to last much longer.”
And before his eyes, the fort changed and there were burning holes in its outer wall, stone crumbled to the ground around it. How long had it been, he wondered, since the outer wall had been breached?
“Is this happening?”
Atobe looked at him and then back to what he had made appear. “It will happen if I don't get what I want. Ride faster, break away from your men if you need to.” The grip on his arm was back, cold and biting into his skin as Atobe dug his fingers in. “You're taking too much time and I'm getting impatient.”
Tezuka pulled his arm from Atobe's grip and moved to walk away. Though in his dreams, he wondered where exactly there was to go.
“I'll arrive when I do. You will have to wait,” Tezuka said dismissively and it was satisfying to see Atobe's composure slip just a little at his words.
There was silence between them as they stared at each other and Atobe made to leave himself, which would undoubtedly signal the end of Tezuka's dream. And then he paused, at the edge of the cliff overlooking the pass.
“One last thing, Tezuka. Stay away from the forest.”
“Goodbye, Atobe,” Tezuka said and he was pleased that he jerked out of sleep with his lips still forming the words and he sat up.
It was cold as he sat there, but there was no snow on the ground and it was hard to believe that just moments before, he'd been in a world of ice that wasn't too far from here.
Tezuka looked at the forest again and then stood up. He needed to wash his face.
Go To Part 2
Author: Mathias
Recipient: sagely_sea
Pairing/Characters: Tezuka, Atobe, Niou, Oshitari … + others
Rating: R
Warnings: … None?
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Tezuka is trying to go on a quest, but keeps getting delayed by people wanting to get in his pants As Atobe invades Rikkai, General Tezuka from Seigaku offers his aid in defending the country and pushing the Ice King back.
Notes: … In which Sagely-Sea asks for a fantasy adventure with swords … and apparently gets this hot mess instead OTL (sorry Sagely-Sea)
The change was imperceptible at first; the morning frosts that still formed even as the blush of new spring spread throughout the lower part of the country, well past when it should have left. But even as the villagers recognised the oddity in the weather, they said it was to be expected, a consequence of living so far north, so close to the borders of Hyotei that remained gripped in winter all year round.
And as the frosts finally vanished to give way to spring and summer, it was easy to ignore such a long-lasting cold. A one year off phenomena, they said.
Less easy to ignore was the next year, when the lasting cold was followed by the fingers of ice, that reached out and snatched at night. That stole away the warmth and breath of the villages, leaving them to be found cold and unbreathing when the day finally rose.
It was a slow approach, the invasion into Rikkai. Spread over months that turned into years, where the winters grew longer, until it never left the north entirely. Soon the cold penetrated the summer, and it never ended.
And as their northern neighbours moved south to escape the unending winter, so too did the fingers of ice and snow, following them down and bringing the morning frosts that formed earlier than ever before and the river that froze over for the first time in living memory.
And as the northern men came down, so too did the whispers and rumours.
Atobe was driving his forces south. And on the lips of the King of the frozen tundra of Hyotei, was but a single name - Tezuka.
-
“Jackal's latest report arrived,” Sanada said as he walked into the room, barely noticing the squires that closed the door behind him. They were required to be akin to deaf and blind to all but direct commands when serving in the private rooms of the King.
He gave a perfunctory salute of his hand over his chest before he continued talking. “There was another attempt through the pass, but the outer wall held. They're getting more bold.”
There was no reply for a long time, King Yukimura staring out the window at the shine of the afternoon sun upon the lake and the flowers in his private garden. He was young, perhaps younger so than his iron hold upon his seat over power and country might suggest to outsiders. But to Sanada's eye, he looked older than ever as he looked at the late-blooming flowers.
“It's early summer as well,” the man said finally, frowning.
They could both feel the slight chill to the room that had lingered well past its time and required an extra blanket thrown over at night. They were far away from where they knew Atobe's forces had come to a grinding halt at the first wall that guarded the pass down from the northern stretches of Rikkai, but Atobe's icy reach still worryingly extended this far down.
“Seiichi.”
Yukimura turned to glance at him, raising his eyebrows slightly in question.
There was no need for formalities in the private room between them, even as Sanada still stood. “We could contact Shitenhouji; they still owe us a life debt for saving that red haired child of theirs. That could be traded for a sorcerer to strengthen our borders again.”
His suggestion was met with a narrowing of eyes and Yukimura turned away again, a firm line to his mouth that gave Sanada all the answer he needed.
“I am not indebting myself to Shiraishi,” Yukimura said and Sanada could see the tensing of his shoulders that belied the calmness of his voice. “Masaharu is still our country's sorcerer. He's just...”
“A deserter.”
“He's still alive. He's going to come back.”
Sanada exhaled impatiently. “Our northern defences crumbled because of him running away.”
He didn't miss the tension in the air between them as they argued over their flighty sorcerer once again. Nor did he miss the expression on Yukimura's face as he seemed to wave away his comments. He was far too lenient on Niou and always had been and Sanada couldn't help the bitterness that arose at it.
Yukimura rose, moving over to the central table in his room where he had a selection of maps weighted down on the top. Without even thinking about it, Sanada moved the markers slightly around the dark stretch that indicated the sprawling mountains and the narrow passage of the northern pass guarded by their wall and fort, as per Jackal's latest update.
The only way through the mountains.
It wasn't until Sanada finished and withdrew his hand that Yukimura spoke.
“Get Renji here, I want his opinion.” Yukimura stared at the little flags dotted around the map, his gaze lingering into the stretch of land beyond the mountains, which remained all but lost to them at this current time, trapped in an endless thrall of winter.
Sanada nodded and moved to the door, opening it and startling the squire standing outside. He moved immediately to stand to attention and as Sanada looked at his curly head, he had a feeling the young man wasn't even daring to breathe.
“Fetch Advisor Yanagi immediately. He should be in the central library.”
The young man ran off with a salute that Sanada made a note to himself to berate him for over its form when he had the chance. But at the pace he was heading off, at least it shouldn't take too long for Yanagi to arrive.
His gaze lingered on the light charcoal line drawn around their country, marking the now almost completely defunct magical defence line. The physical borders on the west and south had held up, mostly due to them facing stretches of water that extended well into the horizon. The east ran parallel to Shitenhouji which was growing slowly but had potential that he knew Yanagi was keeping an eye on.
“We could pull another two units off from our western defence company,” Yukimura said, gesturing. “The west will hold with minimal support for the time being. Our priority should be the northern threat.”
“It would still take weeks of hard travel for them to make their way to the northern pass,” Sanada said fairly, pointing out the likely journey that would take them through cities for resupplies. “I have a small command here, I can make my way north in half the time.”
“It's not enough men,” Yukimura said firmly. Although Yukimura didn't have direct command over their military, it didn't surprise Sanada at all that the man kept a running record of everything that was going on anyway instead of relying on him as his father had done with Sanada's own before them. “You'll make no difference.”
Perhaps once upon a time, Sanada would have taken insult at that comment, but there was no joking tone and sly smile with Yukimura's words, just a crease between his eyebrows as he looked down at the map.
“Let's wait for Renji to come. He might have some further insight.”
Yukimura finally glanced at him and then turned away to head towards his seat again. “He might.”
Sanada watched as Yukimura lifted the stopper from the crystal decanter on his side table, picking up a waiting glass to hold it out to him. “Shall we drink while we wait for him, then?”
-
While Yukimura reigned and kept a running knowledge of everything in the kingdom, and Sanada was known as the Warlord that had immediate control over the spread of armed forces throughout the country, it was Renji Yanagi who sat in the seat of power behind them both as Advisor.
He alone, save for perhaps Niou, kept the closest of eyes upon everything that happened in their country and used that to stand behind the other two.
But even he wasn't able to predict everything and sometimes unexpected things happened that managed to slip through his notice.
The small fleet of ships coming up through the channel to the east just days later took them all by surprise even as they got the first reports of it from the southern boundaries. The flags were blue, the bold stripes down it immediately recognised by all three of them as coming from Seigaku.
In the current state, it was tempting to strengthen their defences immediately in response, but it was too risky with their numbers too low and with majority of their strength focused in the north and unable to leave.
“The dowager queen recently stepped down from her position. Seigaku's been pushing for growth since Nanjirou came into power. They're a country to watch in the next few years. Nanjirou is particularly pushing for a widening of their trade network - they've been negotiating with Higa and Fudoumine recently,” was Yanagi's assessment of the country.
“Their military?”
“Still small but expanding rapidly. They have a competent general. He was here briefly in his younger years,” Yanagi paused and Sanada didn't like the sly sideways look that the advisor gave him, his eyes narrow slits and his lips curled into a smile. “Kunimitsu Tezuka, remember him, Genichirou?”
Sanada's expression went blank. Yes, he did indeed remember Tezuka from the time he spent in Rikkai in their youth as a courtesy of the close friendship that had existed between Tezuka and Sanada's own grandfather's.
“He'd be a good general,” Sanada said, well aware of the way Yukimura was looking at him from across the table. He kept his gaze focused on the map of their country spread over the tabletop and to the channel where he knew Tezuka and his fleet of ships were. “Focused, strong leadership skills, an eye on the larger picture. He was very skilled with a blade when we were younger as well, I imagine he still is.”
“It sounds like you were very alike, Genichirou,” Yukimura said with an unreadable smile that Sanada frowned in response to.
“We were friends.”
Yukimura tapped his fingers on the armrests of his chair, looking at Sanada's face with as much intensity as he was the map. It was almost an oppressive silence between the three of them before Yukimura finally spoke.
“Then perhaps in respect of your old friendship, you should be the one to greet him at our shores and see what he wants.”
Sanada glanced up at Yukimura. It was a test, he realised, with the way Yukimura was smiling that to perhaps someone else might seem innocent enough, but to Sanada who had known him for far too long, made his shoulders tense and become too aware of the underlying threat.
“I'll trust you to make the appropriate call when the time comes.”
-
It wasn't often that Sanada doubted himself and his decisions, particularly in regards to fulfilling Yukimura's commands. They usually met on the same frequency, in which Sanada's on-the-run decisions coincided so well with Yukimura's vision for the bigger picture of Rikkai, whatever it may be.
But he also knew that his king and long time friend was extremely proud and reluctant to admit that they may need some help with blocking Hyotei's advance lest it overwhelm them. He placed too much faith in tradition, in what had once been coming back to them and perhaps Sanada was worried that he would let that overwhelm his thinking in keeping them adaptable and finding ways without them.
That being said, Yukimura wasn't remiss in his faith placed in Jackal and his ability to continue to stall Hyotei. It had been a very long time since anyone had breached the outer wall of the pass, and certainly not since Jackal had been posted to the north with his reputation as the Iron Defence of Rikkai. It seemed to be holding true, for now, but Sanada was well aware of the need for reinforcements, and soon.
He moved swiftly through the castle, his heavy footsteps loud enough upon the stone floors to alert anyone ahead of him that turned and moved out of his way.
It was a brave man that stopped him as he moved towards his own quarters with a hand on his arm.
“Leaving so soon, Warlord Sanada?”
It was Yagyuu, carrying a stack of notes in his arms that Sanada glanced at briefly before looking at his face. He was just thankful that he hadn't automatically reached to pull a knife at the first contact as he had been known to. Somehow he doubted Yukimura would be too pleased if he happened to stick a knife into the gut of his head healer.
“Where are you going?” Sanada asked, ignoring the question.
“The King asked me to attend to him. I also have news of Masaharu that he'd like to hear.”
That got Sanada's attention. “Has the deserter reappeared, then?”
Yagyuu's smile was bland as he looked at him. “Not at all. He just sent another of his messengers.” He gestured behind him, and Sanada only just noticed the fox that was hovering next to Yagyuu patiently. It was wispy, insubstantial, obviously made of magic. He could almost see the air moving around it as its tail moved from side to side.
“He wanted to leave straight away, but Masaharu's messengers have always been easy to convince to stay around for a little while longer.”
Sanada wasn't quite sure how one convinced a fox made of magic to stay around, but he didn't argue with it. Perhaps it was a result of Yagyuu having spent most of his life around Niou and just knowing his style.
“What does he have to say for himself?”
He didn't like the rueful smile on Yagyuu's face or the way that he reached down to trail his fingers over the top of the fox's head.
“He said 'still not dead'.”
Sanada waited for a few moments, looking at Yagyuu expectantly for him to say what else Niou had sent... until the realisation set in that Niou had said nothing else.
What a fool Niou was.
Yagyuu seemed more concerned with petting the top of the fox's ears than its actual message and Sanada frowned at him for a moment before moving to stride off past him down the hallway again.
“Send his messenger back and tell him to take responsibility for his actions already,” he snapped.
But even as he said it, they both knew that each time Niou's fox messengers had come, even when they'd returned to their owner, they hadn't been able to be followed, simply melting into the air when they tried. Yagyuu had tried sending messages with them, but they had no way of knowing whether or not they listened to him and relayed them to Niou, even as they wound around his legs and rubbed their heads against his side as he stood there.
“He's coming back, Sanada,” Yagyuu said and even his quiet voice reached Sanada as clearly as though he was standing right next to him.
Sanada paused mid-stride. “He's done enough damage as it is.”
He heard some kind of murmured words behind him as Yagyuu spoke, but he kept walking and didn't look back.
-
It was a short ride from the capital on the lake where Yukimura spent his days, to the small walled town that guarded the natural inlet that was serving as a port for the incoming Seigaku ships. Sanada had brought a small company of men with him, but it was him alone that waited ahead by the shore and watched the first of the boats lower into the water and row towards them.
He could pick Tezuka immediately, even from a distance and there was a strange tension running through him not unlike that which occurred as one watched and waited for an approaching enemy to draw finally close enough to be able to do something.
Tezuka hopped out of the boat into the shallow water with well practiced ease and made his way to shore, holding his hand out to Sanada as he approached.
“Genichirou, brother,” he said, and Sanada could hear the warmth in his voice.
He looked the same as he ever had, though he filled his tunic out much better than he ever had when they were younger and his grip was firm as Sanada reached out to grasp his hand tightly.
“Kunimitsu. It's been a long time.”
He looked at the ships behind them in the inlet and the men lining the deck of the closest one. “Why are you here?”
“Atobe is using Rikkai as a pathway to get to Seigaku. Our grandfather's fought together when Yamabuki made moves out of their territory and we did in our past as well. I've come to do so again.”
Sanada stared at Tezuka's face and it was hard not to believe him from the level gaze and the hand that hadn't yet let go of his own.
“Tell me what you know about Atobe. I'll send a message to Yukimura and your men can disembark when he answers.”
He told himself that it was a logical choice to make, to accept the offer of help as it was extended to them. It had nothing to do with his own bias towards Tezuka and the trust he placed in someone he realised was still his friend and brother in arms.
Although, as he drew back from the waters edge with Tezuka in tow, he did have to acknowledge that it was easier to accept the offer for help from Tezuka than it would have been from anyone else. And somehow he had a feeling that Tezuka knew that all too well as well.
Even with the message sent immediately, it took over a day and a half for Yukimura to allow Tezuka's men to disembark from their ships and for Tezuka to move to the capital to meet with him.
But it wasn't long after that, that Sanada found himself back in Yukimura's private rooms, talking Tezuka through the boundaries of Rikkai.
“I brought along one of our country's sorcerer's to supplement your own to aid in the country's magical defences, but we weren't expecting there to be none.”
Tezuka sounded genuinely surprised and for that, Sanada was thankful. It meant that word hadn't travelled that their magical defences had all but crumbled and they were missing a key part of their country's core.
“Originally we had a circle of them, but it became tradition generations ago to have the sole collective defence centered around a single entity.” A foolish tradition now that he said it aloud. It should have been an obvious point of weakness, that none of them had ever picked up on until now.
“Masaharu's been the most powerful one in recorded history, everyone acknowledges that,” Yukimura said, leaning back in his seat and watching the two of them archly.
“He's also the most unreliable one we've had in recorded history,” Sanada said, well aware of how Yukimura's eyes narrowed at his statement, unimpressed.
“And no one knows the measures he's put in place?” Tezuka asked, sounding almost disbelieving.
“Yagyuu, our healer, knows probably the most of anyone, they've been friends for a long time. But his magic isn't compatible with Niou's own and he wasn't able to supplement the magical supply required to uphold the defences.”
“You were foolish,” he said bluntly.
Silence greeted his statement and Sanada noticed the tension in Yukimura's shoulders and neck even as he looked coolly at Tezuka across the table.
“Masaharu is missing, he's not dead. While he's alive, our barriers are still capable of being restored.”
“He's as good as dead to us, for all the damage he's done. And you have no way of knowing he really is still alive. Optimism can only do so much in a time like this.”
Yukimura's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. It was foolish to speak so bluntly to Yukimura, Sanada knew that, but it was easier to do so with Tezuka there. There was a definite increase in tension between them though, but Tezuka pushed it aside to press on.
“Atobe took advantage of this,” Tezuka said.
“Your country's border was probably the weakest entry point he located. Higa controls the north east seas and islands,” Tezuka gestured in a sweeping motion to the wider map to the side, “Under normal circumstances, I imagine he'd come down through their territory. In the past few years there have been reports from Kite that Hyotei ships have tried making their way south through him and been held off.”
Sanada grunted finally and stood up as well, facing Tezuka across the table. “You said Atobe is moving south to get to Seigaku. How can you be sure?”
Tezuka looked at him evenly and there was noticeable reluctance in the slight shift in his expression. “He's made it obvious enough to us.”
There was a tone of finality in Tezuka's voice and though Sanada wanted more information, the unimpressed expression on Yukimura's face was a strong enough indicator to do it in his own time. His King seemed to think very little of Tezuka's claims that Hyotei's push to the south was purely for what he considered a mostly unremarkable country.
“We'll move north,” Sanada said. “I'll take the men here, and the men Kunimitsu has brought. We can be there by mid-summer if we push fast. Jackal can use the early summer to his advantage to hold them off until we arrive.”
“Even with the numbers from Seigaku, there's not enough people,” Yukimura said coldly, glancing at Tezuka. “We've discussed this before, Genichirou.”
“We'll make no difference staying here,” Tezuka said, looking at the map. “By going north we will at least make an impact, as small as it may be.” Although as they caught each other's eye, Sanada realised neither of them believe that they would do nothing up there.
“Summer is the best chance we have. Once autumn hits, it will become too difficult. He'll use the incoming cold weather behind him to push into the country, regardless of whether the mountain pass holds or not,” Yanagi finally spoke, stepping forward from where he was standing next to Yukimura, all three of them looking at him.
Sanada nodded at his words and looked at Yukimura who still looked unconvinced.
“Give us a day to prepare and then we'll move out. Seiichi, pull Yagyuu from his full time duty and focus him on finding Niou.” Sanada hated the bitter taste of falsehood in his mouth as he spoke to Yukimura. “There's no victory in pushing Atobe back into Hyotei unless we can seal our borders shut behind him.”
-
Perhaps there was some small guilt at having left the country to its own defences, but it was so easy to block off contact from the outside world and imagine that nothing had gone wrong.
It had only meant to be a few days, originally. It would have been fine. Niou only had to visit the central lodestone every few days to recharge it, the web of protective lodestones around the country's borders sustained themselves for long enough without his help.
But alone in the abandoned fort he'd taken up residence in, there was no constant expectations on him, no eyes watching his every move and it was absolutely liberating. And perhaps it was too easy for the days to become weeks and then to stretch into months.
There had been the contact with the outside world that arrived shortly after he did; the bird that had flown in through the open window to fly around his head and then to melt into the thin air as he made to touch it, so characteristic of Yagyuu. There had been no tracking spell on the bird and Yagyuu wasn't following behind it, but Niou still upped the defences on his fort and send out his own messenger in return, to let him know he at least wasn't dead.
His only company otherwise were the creatures of the forest that came in through the open doors, that no human eyes could see, and the magical birds that sometimes hung around for days as Niou tempted them with wisps of his own magic and stroked along their coloured plumage that was so like smoke as it trailed into nothingness around them.
No one breached his circle of magic, that spread to the edges of the trees and confused anyone that walked into the forest. And Niou heard no human steps beyond his own for so long, as he padded through the empty rooms and ran his fingers over the edges of dusted books in different languages.
Until he came.
The knock took him by surprise; he hadn't even noticed the trespasser through his forest or how easily his defences were knocked aside.
Even the sparks of lightning sent his way were brushed off as the first footfall passed his doorway and into the room. Niou stood up from his seat at the table, calling back even his fox messenger that was visiting Yagyuu, feeling the small snippet of magic flow back into him as it returned.
“Who are you?” he demanded. His first thought was someone like Yagyuu, from the glint of his glasses, to the smile that was all too familiar and it immediately put Niou on guard. “How did you get here?”
He groped out with his magic for his barriers, still in tact, stretching around the forest to deceive anyone that try to pass them. There was no sign of any forced entry, no sense of humans nearby them or inside them at all and Niou looked even more warily at the stranger.
“Hello darling sorcerer.” Their voice was low and buttery and Niou could feel the compulsion and the power washing over him in those simple words.
Niou felt himself being pushed down, by hands or by magic, he didn't know and didn't really care. The same was caressing his skin and the voice spoke again, in his ear this time.
“It would please me so much if you stayed here a while longer.”
And really, when it was said like that, it really was difficult to get himself to disagree and Niou let himself sink into the sensations, reaching out himself, pulling them down on top of him and tangling his magic with their own.
A little while longer, perhaps, was fine.
-
“Where is Renji?” Sanada demanded, looking around the crowd in front of him. The unit from Seigaku was melding well with his own, both teams efficient as they saddled up their horses, almost ready to move out.
Tezuka was nearby, carefully securing his own bag to the back of the saddle, pausing to look around as well. “It appears he's not here, Genichirou,” he said, unable to stop himself and he turned to finish up his task, not missing the twitch of annoyance on Sanada's jaw and trying not to feel too amused.
“Give him another half candlemark. If we push through the middle part of the day, we can still make it,” Tezuka said.
Even as he said that though, Tezuka was very aware it was pushing it, with a hard ride ahead to the river crossing guaranteed whether or not they left now or a little later. Low tide was coming later in the afternoon now, but it still left a preciously small window in which they could all cross before they had to lose a day in travel that they could scarcely afford.
“I've left Shuusuke in the care of your healer,” Tezuka said, even though Sanada had heard everything the night before. Sanada just grunted in response. “Hopefully together they can figure out Niou's system and reactivate the boundaries or at the very least, try to find him.”
From what Sanada had told him last night though, neither of them were going to be successful. It was dangerous, having a powerful sorcerer with little maturity or self control as the centre point of an entire country's defence and Sanada and Yukimura seemed well aware of it. While Fuji was hardly at that level, he possessed a control of self that Tezuka knew he wasn't alone in finding disconcerting.
“He might learn something as well,” he added on, which would be a great bonus for their country.
Tezuka paused as he moved to buckle his sword onto his saddle as well, feeling Sanada's eyes on him.
“You're not going to keep it on you?” Sanada asked and Tezuka narrowed his eyes slightly at his tone. It seemed almost like a test.
“You believe our large number will face opposition moving through your country, brother?” Tezuka asked, and he was gratified to see a hint of amusement pass over Sanada's face at his taunt.
“It's best to be prepared,” was Sanada's noncommittal answer. “Although from the reports, swords won't do much good against Atobe.”
Tezuka inclined his head in acquiescence at that. Atobe fought primarily with magic and while his forces were still very much men and mortal from all accounts he'd heard, they were still backed by an extremely powerful magic that made them all the more terrifying.
Still, Tezuka kept his sword on his saddle and checked that his daggers were in their usual place in his boots and the visible one on his belt. To at least give him enough time to draw his sword if need be.
Sanada moved off then, to move amongst his command and ensure they were all ready to go before he went to saddle up Yanagi's horse, in the hopes of leaving as soon as the late advisor made his appearance.
Tezuka followed his lead, walking around his own Seigaku men, distinguished by the small blue insignia on their chests that some put their hand over in a salute towards him as he passed. They were good men that had followed him into the potential unknown of Rikkai. He hoped they were good enough to return as well.
It took just a little while longer before Yanagi finally appeared, running a little as he carried his bag with him. He looked almost stressed, an expression that didn't seem to fit at all with the image that he had presented the previous night.
“My apologies for being late, Genichirou,” he said, moving to his horse that he knew immediately was his own. “I lost track of the time and got lost in my study.”
Sanada just glanced at him as he swung himself into his saddle, a silent indication to keep talking.
“I was studying written histories last night and may have found a lead on where Niou might have gone off to. I sent the information to Yagyuu before I arrived, he can follow it up.”
Sanada nodded and twisted around as he turned his horse in a tight circle to face the exit out of the castle. “Explain it more to me later. We're moving out,” he called out loudly, his voice carrying through the ranks.
-
They moved at a grueling pace, rising before dawn and only settling down after the moon had risen. The pace was a little hard on his men, not used to traveling so long on horseback, but Tezuka was pleased to see them performing their duties with no complaints. He ignored the small containers of healing cream that he saw passed around their group to rub at their chafing thighs late into the night.
As long as it soothed their complaints during the day as well and they could maintain this pace, he could not object.
Sanada and him alternated during the day between moving along the line of men and leading at the front, each night convening with Yanagi to ensure they were still on the right path. Occasionally they spent a little time together during the day, mostly to discuss matters of their command - a horse that had gone lame partway through the day, if they were on time and sometimes, in quiet tones as they pulled ahead slightly, their own speculations about what was happening up north.
The latter topic only really came about though when they had dinner together, around their own separate fire away from the masses. Sometimes Yanagi joined them, but often the man vanished for the night after their short meeting, for an early night he said. As long as he reappeared when they were to go in the morning and packed up his own belongings, Tezuka didn't concern himself overly with it.
He knew Atobe was far to the north, there was little risk.
It was one night such as those that they sat together, watching the fire slowly burn down into the embers. Together they were men of silence with no unnecessary words between them, which Tezuka found refreshing. It reminded him of why exactly he had gotten along so well with Sanada in their youth.
“You never revealed why Atobe was targeting Seigaku,” Sanada said, glancing at Tezuka. There was no accusation in his voice as he spoke, just a simple statement. “You know why, though.”
Perhaps he had figured out Tezuka's reticence to reveal the information in front of Yukimura and trusted that his friend would tell him now. And for that alone reason, Tezuka felt inclined to tell him.
“We've met, King Atobe and I. On a trading route through Higa territory,” Tezuka said, just a little stiffly. But the fire was warm and the whiskey passed between them helped as well. “They got into a conflict with Higa and we intervened.”
Higa had very little in terms of land, but they were grossly protective of what islands they did have and barred any unauthorised entry into the inlets. Atobe had had the unfortunate encounter with the ship holding Kite and the more aggressive of his lieutenants.
From what he had gathered, Hyotei had been there illegally and it had taken on his part, some very swift negotiation to get Kite to lower the sword from Atobe's neck where it had been firmly placed early on into the ambush.
“I'm afraid Atobe became rather infatuated.” To anyone else perhaps, he might have felt some measure of embarrassment confessing that particular fact, one that had been obvious to only him and his closest advisor Oishi. But to Sanada, it was just a statement of facts, to help him piece together the web of motivations to help him defend his country.
“You said Kite's been sending reports of Atobe attempting to move south through his territory,” Sanada said, frowning a little.
“Yes, repeatedly. He's tried in less than ideal sailing conditions as well, in the hopes of avoiding Higa's patrol.”
That particular attempt had failed, Atobe not counting on Higa having a bevy of sorcerers who were very adept at manipulating weather and sea conditions for their ships' benefit.
“Atobe's interest isn't in Seigaku,” he said, looking across the fire at Sanada. The lighting cast strong, almost ominous shadows across his friend's face and his eyes were unreadable as Tezuka looked at him. “It's in me.”
Sanada didn't speak for a long time, and for a fleeting moment, he wasn't sure Sanada believed him. And even if he did... who was to say that he would continue defending his border, knowing that Atobe had no real interest in his people?
The fire dwindled as they sat in silence, listening to the murmurs of the people sitting fires away as they talked, about menial topics that were still so important to them; their families, their farms that they had been pulled away from, the words of their children that they had left behind... the taxes of the cities they lived in and their human, day to day concerns.
Tezuka exhaled slowly, keeping his eyes firmly on Sanada.
“He's still coming through Rikkai, the fool,” Sanada said finally. “His motivation isn't our concern, we have to defend the country's border.”
Tezuka nodded, feeling an unfamiliar wash of relief over him. He took another sip of the whiskey, feeling it warming down to his fingers.
“Thank you, brother. I'm indebted to you.”
Sanada snorted and took a drink of his own. “Tell me that after we get to the wall and see its state.”
-
Their path took them along the edges of the forest where they camped one night, even though it was still early into the afternoon and Sanada disliked the loss of the extra candlemarks of travel. However, the extra time gave them the opportunity to make repairs to their equipment and replenish their supplies somewhat. Time that their whole unit sorely needed.
Tezuka could hear some appreciative sighs as the men slid off their saddles and moved to set up camp with a skilled efficiency that had come from much training and been honed through the past few days of practice where their only light was the moon.
He lingered for a while, watching the men and then made his way towards the forest. It suddenly seemed like such a good idea to wander through the trees and perhaps look for some firewood. If he was less tired from days of traveling at a grueling pace, perhaps he would have questioned the sudden whimsy to do what should have been another man's job, but Tezuka didn't question it as he was now.
The trees in the forest were thick, moreso than he had anticipated as the sun shone down through their foliage and he carefully kept the exit to his back to know where the camp was.
Even so, there was so much to focus on, from the birds that called out to one another from the branches of the trees; to the movements in the distance between the trunks, of what he could only assume was larger game, watching the intruder in their midst.
The sword at his hip felt heavy and his footsteps through the foliage on the floor, overly loud.
There was no logic to the route he chose as he went, picking up pieces of wood and piling them in his arms. The forest got more silent as he went though, his footsteps the loudest sound in there. As Tezuka looked back, the edge where he had entered was still visible, though surely, he had taken more steps than that.
It was strange, but he was no stranger to magic, both from people and in the world around them. There were a number of magical lakes in Seigaku that sparkled in a way most unnatural as the morning sun hit them. Beautiful but unworldly. Tezuka had only seen two in his time and in both the water had been clear and ordinary as he cupped it in his hands to look at them, and became remarkable as the drops returned to the lakebed.
He'd dove in once, swimming down until his chest burned with the need for air. The bottom of the lake had seemed so close as he'd first struck out with his feet in the water, just a few strokes away before he could touch it with his fingers. But even as he reached the limits of his air, as he swiped with his hands through the water, there was nothing but empty water in front of him.
And as he'd turned around to head for the surface, it had been but a short few kicks away, as if he had gone nowhere at all.
The forest too, that had much the same feeling as those lakes, surely had the same magic in it. He could lead himself to believe it just from the strange atmosphere and the small, brightly coloured birds that flitted through the leaves as he looked up, so swiftly and sometimes vanishing into thin air even as he looked at them.
In such a forest, one would expect to hear people's presences from a distance, and with Tezuka's senses straining, he thought that even moreso. He reached out to touch the trunk of a tree to balance himself as he stepped over its roots, and as he looked up again, he nearly dropped his armful of firewood as someone appeared.
They could be a ghost, for how suddenly they had appeared before him, and he would almost be inclined to believe it from the white hair and ghostlike fox that stood beside him. The fox vanished even as he stared at it and he was almost holding his breath to see the man disappear into thin air as well.
But he didn't, even as their eyes met and their lips parted in surprise, their eyes widening in much the same way.
“What are you doing in here?” they asked, no, demanded.
“It should be obvious,” Tezuka said, making a small gesture with his arms to indicate the firewood he was carrying and he saw the anger that had so quickly appeared, deflate just as swiftly.
The mixture of emotions he was reading off of the strange man were confusing, almost muffled as he tried to look closer. Tezuka took a step closer and it was like the world lurched beneath his feet and he just stopped himself from dropping what he was carrying.
“Don't try to move.” There was a strange mixture between a threat and... almost concern in the voice.
The fox reappeared then, behind him and the touch of its nose against his leg was strangely insubstantial and yet there and Tezuka wished he could lower his hand to touch its head. Somehow though, he suspected it would be just as skittish as its owner and vanish beneath his fingertips if he tried.
“You're not from Rikkai,” they said finally and the fox trotted away, looking much too pleased with itself.
“No, I'm not.” It seemed wise to speak the truth, in such a situation where he was concerned about even moving. “I'm visiting from Seigaku.”
“Seigaku? That's different.” He came closer then and Tezuka could see the relative youth in his face even as the white hair belied their age. He was also becoming sure they were very much real, as their hand reached out to grab his arm, warm and solid as any other's.
Tezuka said nothing and didn't move as those hands moved to prod at his face and side, although his jaw tensed slightly. He watched the fox instead as it pranced between the trees, and focused on the weight of the wood he was carrying that became heavier as the time ticked on.
“Who are you?” he asked finally, as the man moved as though to walk away. His feet were suddenly free to move and the first step he took, he nearly overbalanced. But he caught himself before he did, frowning up at the other as they whistled at the fox, which turned to look at him and trotted back.
“I'm just a humble fox farmer,” he said with a laugh at an inside joke only known to him. “I raise them in the forest, all by myself.”
“One hardly makes you a farmer of them,” Tezuka observed and he was rewarded with the man smiling at him.
“How many make a farm, then? Three? Five? Ten?” As he spoke, more foxes seemed to appear, poking their heads around trees just a few paces away and further into the forest. They appeared and disappeared faster than Tezuka could count, moving between the trees faster too than they should be able.
“More than you have,” Tezuka's answer came and he moved, glad that he still could, stepping away from the strange fox man.
He glanced behind him, and the forest looked different to how it had when he'd passed through originally, with no sign of the path he'd taken to get here from the campsite and for once, there was a cold rush of fear in the very depths of his stomach.
“You're camped on the edge of the woods, aren't you?”
“Yes.” No details were necessary to give.
The look he received was long and silent before they whistled again for the fox to reappear by his legs. “You should move and not get too comfortable there. The forest doesn't really like men that bring swords and axes near it.” He could their gaze on the short sword in his belt and then flicking down to his boots with the two daggers in hidden sheaths.
“We're not going to harm the forest,” Tezuka said, just a little impatiently as he watched after him.
The stranger shrugged. “You might find some of your men being dragged away into the night, then. Magical places don't really discriminate.” There was a pause and the man stopped. “You at least, should camp on the outer edge, away from the tree line.”
Tezuka didn't reply and after a long moment, they shrugged and moved away again. “Come visit again. I don't see many people now, it was fun.”
And then the man vanished. And with his disappearance, so too did the brightness of the forest seem to vanish, becoming almost oppressive as he stood there. But as he turned around to look behind him, suddenly the path was clear and he could almost hear the sound of the men moving through the camp that seemed but a few footsteps away.
-
“You were a long time, Kunimitsu,” Sanada said as he stepped into the campsite. It was near nightfall now, very different from the dappled sunlight that had been there when he had first left the camp, as the men used the afternoon light to see. Now the fires were starting and Tezuka placed his own armful of firewood down.
“I met someone in the forest unexpectedly,” Tezuka said, straightening up. “He said he was a fox farmer, though his foxes were none that I have ever seen before.”
Sanada's expression was suddenly sharp and Tezuka frowned as his gaze became intense upon him. “Did they give a name?” he asked.
“He gave none. Just cryptic words.”
“And his face? His hair?”
Tezuka suddenly became aware of Yanagi approaching as they spoke, a quickness in his step suggesting some measure of urgency that he normally didn't see in the normally contained man. “He had white hair. Perhaps of age with your King?” Tezuka frowned slightly. “Blue eyes.”
Sanada swore and Tezuka blinked in surprise, hearing Yanagi come to a stop next to him. “We're changing our plan, Renji. We've located Niou, we're going to drag him back to the capital.”
It was difficult to tell, with the careful mask that the advisor wore, but there might have been surprise from the way his eyes opened into slits and the slight tensing of his shoulders that Tezuka only just picked up on.
“Leave him, Genichirou,” Yanagi said finally. “I'll send a message to Yagyuu and leave the task to him. Masaharu has his job he needs to do and we have ours. We must get to the northern pass.”
Sanada looked so reluctant to follow Yanagi's words, but Tezuka could see him thinking it over and could perhaps even follow his train of thought. It was mixed with his own disbelief though, that the man he'd met in the forest had been... Niou of all people.
The most powerful sorcerer in Rikkai, was that sort of person? It baffled the mind. Somehow his sudden disappearance from the court seemed to make a bit more sense, however selfish and careless of a decision it had been.
“Niou also mentioned that we shouldn't camp along the forest,” Tezuka said carefully. “I believe he was just trying to get us to move on quickly, however,” he added on quickly, as Sanada frowned at him as he spoke.
The idea of sentient trees seemed ridiculous, even as he looked at them looming just a few paces away. Seeing the men nearby made him think about Niou's words about them being dragged into their depths during their sleep...
Foolishness, surely.
“We'll move out at first light tomorrow,” Sanada said firmly, looking around them as well. “Tell them to stay away from the trees.”
He wondered at Sanada seeming to somewhat acknowledge Niou's words, but Tezuka nodded. Yanagi looked somewhat pleased anyway and his gaze lingered on the advisor until the man noticed him and turned away first.
-
Atobe, the Ice King of Hyotei sat in his private chambers, watching the sunset through the ice of his window. It was cold in his room, but he felt none of it, even as ice tendrils spread from where his fingers lay on the sill.
“He's vanished from my sight,” Atobe said, speaking seemingly to himself, and then there was a footstep behind him and a man stepped out from the shadows. He laughed softly to himself. “I knew you were there, Yuushi.”
Oshitari nodded his head in acquiescence. His smile was always a little too slippery and deceptive to be honest, but Atobe trusted him, as he always had through the years that they had been together. He'd never steered him wrong, after all.
“I always am,” Oshitari said.
Atobe turned to look out the window and frowned. He'd been following Tezuka so closely, along the channel into Rikkai, and his journey north with someone that made Atobe's fingers clench in the silken material of his trousers. Sanada.
But it had been a clear picture if he closed his eyes, although he couldn't hear his words as they spoke at night; he could see their stretch of men that he all too proudly knew was too few.
Until today when the presence Atobe tracked almost constantly, disappeared completely. And even as he sat there with his eyes closed and stretched out his fingers of magic across Rikkai, there was no sign of him.
“Where could he be?”
“They're camping near the southern edges of Minstrelsea,” Oshitari reported and Atobe did wonder how Oshitari was always knowledgeable about their movements whenever he spoke to him. Perhaps his friend too, followed them just as closely as he did. “Those forests have always held much magic and has always been very good at hiding things from prying eyes.”
Atobe's eyes narrowed at that and he was silent for a long moment as he closed his eyes and poked around the forest that stretched into the distance as far as his magical senses could see.
“What else does it hide?”
Oshitari's smile seemed as natural as ever, but there was that small twinge of suspicion as Atobe looked at it and he carefully schooled his own face into neutrality.
“Nothing, Keigo,” Oshitari's words were easily said. “Just old magic that has grown very strong in its age. The trees hide their own secrets, but no one else's.”
Atobe frowned slightly and pulled his awareness away from Rikkai, and back to watching Oshitari. “As long as Tezuka is leaving there,” he said and he became all the more suspicious as Oshitari seemed to relax.
He stepped closer to Atobe and the hands running up his arm made him sigh. Oshitari had never minded the icy cold of his skin or the way he leaned into the warmth.
“Tezuka will be heading north immediately,” he said. “And if he's wise, he won't be stepping into that forest again.”
Oshitari leaned closer and his breath on Atobe's ear was so warm and his voice, soft and buttery in a way that made warmth pool in Atobe's lower abdomen and relax even more in his seat. “Perhaps you should send him a reminder though, he should be close enough now to be within your dream reach.”
He'd never pushed himself that far - there had never been any need to extend his reach that far into other's territories... but Oshitari wasn't lying. With the magical defences of Rikkai all but scattered, Atobe was finding it easier to invade south.
“It's nearly nighttime. Relax, Keigo, you'll need all your energy for tonight.”
Atobe sighed and was so aware of Oshitari's warm hands and he nodded, closing his eyes and letting his consciousness and magic fly south into Rikkai.
-
Tezuka dreamed that night, as he lay in the outer ring of his men, as far from the forest as he could. It was foolishness, he knew that, to listen to someone like Niou, but he still did, even as there was little protection from the elements this far from the forest and the press of bodies that provided much of the warmth in the night.
He fell asleep to the snorting of the horses and the soft footsteps and murmured voices of the men on guard, soft snores rumbling across the camp.
He walked through the forest in his dream, although it was much lighter than it had seemed in real life. There were no animals here this time though, and no foxes as he became aware of himself looking for them.
But there were footsteps, light on the ground and Tezuka turned to look, spotting the white hair of Masaharu Niou before his face came into focus and the surprised but somewhat curious expression on his face.
“So you're invading my forest in both states,” he said. There was no anger in his voice, just curiousity. “Did you move from your camp?”
“No, we didn't. Genichirou insisted on staying. They're not going into the forest though.”
Niou tilted his head at him and Tezuka became aware of the piercing gaze he was receiving that seemed to cut through his dreams onto his sleeping body. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Sanada never listens to me. That doesn't surprise me. But did you?”
It was strange, referring to himself and being so aware that this was a dream. And yet as he reached out to grab onto Niou, the skin beneath his hand felt so warm and real, as did the surprised expression that he got in return.
“I'm sleeping at the very edges, away from the trees.”
Tezuka let go of Niou's arm and the other man touched his forearm with his other hand, frowning as he did so, as if wondering what had happened.
“Good. Good,” Niou said, more to himself than to Tezuka.
He looked around them, noting the silence and lack of anything else near them save the sunlight and the trees. “No fox charges this time? Are you taking a break from farming?”
Niou smiled at that. “They're off doing other things, the world of dreams doesn't interest them as much.”
“I see.” He didn't.
He wondered how real this dream was, and whether he was really talking to Niou. Somehow, he wouldn't be surprised, even as he'd always thought of his dreams as things of make believe. But Niou standing next to him felt so real, it was a difficult task to think otherwise even as he knew this was as dream.
“You're Masaharu Niou, aren't you? The missing sorcerer.” Tezuka found himself asking and immediately Niou's expression shuttered and he seemed to take steps back and further the distance between them as if him being nearby had never happened.
“You've been talking to Sanada.”
There was no point in lying, or denying it. Tezuka nodded and Niou's expression became mutinous.
“Niou...” Tezuka wasn't sure what to say, and he closed his mouth again as Niou stared at him longer.
“... You call Sanada by his first name. You should do the same with me if you're going to ask me a question,” Niou said and Tezuka thought he detected a smidgen of huffiness in his voice and the tilt of his chin.
“Very well.” It was awkward though, and Tezuka visibly paused before he spoke again. “Masaharu...”
But before he could continue, he could feel his consciousness start to stir and became aware of the hardness of the ground and the sounds around him, as though he was being pushed out of the dream forcibly... and then suddenly the feelings vanished, the forest scenery changed and Niou disappeared.
This time he found himself on a cliff, overlooking what he immediately recognised as the northern pass into Rikkai. Although he had never seen the pass for himself, he had heard enough of it from Sanada to recognise the fort, so similar to the more southern one he had spent his youth in. More telling perhaps, was the snow on the ground that normally would have filled him with so much dread as it signaled winter's approach into Rikkai.
It was too early still for the snow to be falling like this, he knew that. Not reality that he stared at, then. Perhaps someone else's dreams, as he seemed to have invaded Niou's before.
And indeed, there was someone near him and Tezuka turned around to face them.
“Masaharu?” he found himself saying and instantly knew it was a mistake as the presence grew almost ominous.
“Not Masaharu,” a voice said and they were there, in the swirling snow. The long fur coat and pale icy skin was all so familiar, as were the blue eyes upon his own and the pleased smirk on the man's face.
“Atobe,” he said, nodding at the man.
“It's been a long time since we've met in person, Tezuka,” Atobe said and the hand upon his arm was so different to the warmth of Niou that Tezuka tensed up in surprise. “You're taking a long time to get north, I thought you'd be here already.”
This was a dream, though a dream of Atobe's making, Tezuka knew. He wondered at pulling himself out of sleep, but somehow he doubted it would succeed as Atobe sunk his magical claws deeper into his mind to keep him there.
“We have a lot of men to transport north. It takes time,” Tezuka said, keeping his eyes on the fort. He thought there would be Atobe's forces on the northern side, but there was nothing. The snow around them was untouched and the fort itself looked untouched.
“I only needed you to come north.”
Tezuka frowned at Atobe and pulled his arm free, taking a step back. “Your offer to join you in Hyotei didn't interest me years ago and it still doesn't.”
But even as he said that, he knew it was a little untrue. Tezuka would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it, lying in his bed in Seigaku and considering his position within the country. He was a general and he was happy with that, but Atobe had offered him a lot more.
And worse still, Atobe seemed so aware of it, of where his thoughts had wandered those nights from that first meeting they'd had. He could probably taste the lie in Tezuka's words, and Tezuka watched Atobe's lips curl into a knowing smile that seemed all too smug.
“Come faster, Tezuka. Winter is coming and the fort isn't going to last much longer.”
And before his eyes, the fort changed and there were burning holes in its outer wall, stone crumbled to the ground around it. How long had it been, he wondered, since the outer wall had been breached?
“Is this happening?”
Atobe looked at him and then back to what he had made appear. “It will happen if I don't get what I want. Ride faster, break away from your men if you need to.” The grip on his arm was back, cold and biting into his skin as Atobe dug his fingers in. “You're taking too much time and I'm getting impatient.”
Tezuka pulled his arm from Atobe's grip and moved to walk away. Though in his dreams, he wondered where exactly there was to go.
“I'll arrive when I do. You will have to wait,” Tezuka said dismissively and it was satisfying to see Atobe's composure slip just a little at his words.
There was silence between them as they stared at each other and Atobe made to leave himself, which would undoubtedly signal the end of Tezuka's dream. And then he paused, at the edge of the cliff overlooking the pass.
“One last thing, Tezuka. Stay away from the forest.”
“Goodbye, Atobe,” Tezuka said and he was pleased that he jerked out of sleep with his lips still forming the words and he sat up.
It was cold as he sat there, but there was no snow on the ground and it was hard to believe that just moments before, he'd been in a world of ice that wasn't too far from here.
Tezuka looked at the forest again and then stood up. He needed to wash his face.
Go To Part 2