[12K] The Sky of the Past, the Sea of Mirrors :: Chapter I
Title; The Sky of the Past, the Sea of Mirrors
Author; yukina_raven
Fandom; The Twelve Kingdoms
Rate; PG13 [overall] :: PG [this chapter]
Genre; Action/Adventure/Drama
Pairing; None
Summary; She cannot help but to wander, searching for a missing brother. And the only thing she can remember is a single name: 'Rokuta'.
Chapter I
the message
Rokuta.
The girl staggered down the muddy road. The rain was relentless as it often was during the rainy season. Even if it wasn’t raining, everything was wet and muddy. Traveling along these roads was a very difficult task now. Whether on foot, horseback or cart, the sinking mud made travel slower than ever. Flying was the only way to get around, but that was not an option for her. Trekking through the mud made the muscles in her skinny legs burn. Her whole body ached, protesting her movement. She had not eaten in days and had survived on the rainwater that fell from the dark sky. Her feet were bloody and swollen from walking without protection. Various cuts and scrapes were infected, including one on her right heel that made walking even more painful.
She tripped, right at the center of a crossroad. The mud seeped into her nose as she sunk into the ground, but she no longer cared. Her long black hair was tangled and filthy with blood and grim. It was so long it reached her ankles because she did not even think of cutting it. Her clothing had been worn for days and it was falling apart. The rain had soaked it clean through and blood stains spotted along the back of it. It was dirty and had holes here and there. Now it was muddy as well as she lay there still as stone. She had a passing thought that soon she really would be stone, for she was about to become a corpse. The girl knew she would die here on this muddy road.
The rain began to fall heavier now and she closed her eyes. She was so cold she felt her fingertips and her toes begin to grow numb. A painful ache gripped her chest and she whimpered, but the sound was lost in the rain. She could not remember who she was or where she came from. She barely even knew how to speak. Yet despite all that, one name had stayed with her. It floated in her mind as a pressing desire to find the person it belonged. That one name that had kept her going all this time.
Rokuta.
“I suppose,” Itan sighed, “that it really is too much to ask that you actually pay attention during the morning conferences.”
The bearded man turned in time to see Shouryuu smother a yawn with one hand. His eyebrow twitched. Beside the king was Enki, leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep.
Beside Itan, Shukou gave a soft sigh. “One step at a time, Itan.”
“Considering every conference has been going smoothly for a long time, you can’t blame me,” Shouryuu cut in with a lazy smile.
“How can you say that?” Itan snapped, face beginning to go red with anger. “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing!”
“Not at all,” Shouryuu replied. “Besides, I even stayed awake this time. I’m improving!”
Itan scowled and Shukou cleared his throat loud enough to startle Enki, who nearly toppled over. “Your Majesty received the letter from Kei, did he not?”
Shouryuu smiled. “Of course. Rokuta and I will be accepting the invitation.”
The blonde haired boy glanced at the king from the corner of his eye. Meeting his gaze, Shouryuu gave a slight nod. “We’ll leave tomorrow and we should make it by nightfall for the festival.”
The king stood, adjusting his robe slightly as he did. “If you hear from Seishou while we’re gone, send a message, would you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Shukou replied. He gave a slight bow as the king walked by, exiting the room with Rokuta trailing after him.
“Where are you going?” Itan demanded. “You still have paperwork to sign and seal before you leave tomorrow!”
Shouryuu gave him a lazy wave in reply as he walked. He rounded a corner and vanished. Shukou sighed again.
Walking along the edge of the palace, Shouryuu observed all the blooming cherry trees in the garden. En had been lucky this year to have an unusually mild winter. Generally the kingdom was colder than the other kingdoms because of its northeast location. Though not as cold as Tai and Hou, En had its share of nasty blizzards and temperatures that fell well below zero. This year, however, they had been lucky and as a result the spring was a lush one. Not that it mattered here on Kankyuu. The weather was always fair here.
“You look like you’re thinking about something important,” Enki commented from beside him. He was staring up into Shouryuu’s face with a deep frown. “That’s unusual.”
Shouryuu blinked. “Is it? I think deep thoughts all the time.”
“No you don’t.”
“How would you know for sure?”
“Oh I know.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You’re thinking about girls. That’s all you think about.”
“If that were all I thought about, then surely En would not be such a prosperous kingdom.”
“That’s because I’m here.”
“And surely if you were the only one here, En would not be such a prosperous kingdom either.”
Enki glared and Shouryuu smiled back. “Well, I could use a drink.”
The kirin made a face at him. “Are you serious? The sun hasn’t even reached its peak yet.”
“It’s never too early for a drink.”
Enki sighed and stopped walking. He watched as Shouryuu gathered his usual jug of saké and the small cups that went with it. He knew the ministers would be angry if they found out Shouryuu was skipping his paperwork to drink. He thought about telling on him, but decided against it. Instead he followed Shouryuu into the gardens.
“I can’t believe Keiki let Youko have a festival,” Enki commented when they reached the center.
Shouryuu sat on one of the stone benches by a shallow pond, pouring himself a drink. “Kei has been doing very well lately. He most likely had no excuse to refuse her.”
Enki plopped himself down on the grass by the bench, sitting cross-legged and closer to the shore of the pond. “I’ll say. I don’t care too much about the reason, but the fact that so many kirins and rulers decided to come is what interests me.”
“It interests you, does it?”
“Yeah. I mean it just shows how well things are going nowadays. The kingdoms are so stable that rulers and kirins can leave them for a few days to enjoy a festival.”
Shouryuu laughed. “Youko has done a great job.”
The conversation continued after that. King and kirin talking casually with one another, speaking of the state of En and teasing each other lightly. It was a peaceful sight to the palace officials that happened by. It was much more common to see the two arguing than it was to see them at peace. Indeed, the serene mood in the En palace could be reflected almost everywhere now. The Twelve Kingdoms were enjoying a rare moment of peace lately where most of the kingdoms were stable. Although many were still suffering without kings, like Hou and Kou, elsewhere things were getting better. Kei especially had improved greatly since Youko had taken the throne. Shouryuu in particular was happy about this. He and Youko had shared a close friendship since they had first met. Seeing her evolve from a reluctant empress to a commanding queen made him proud.
The two sat and talked for a long time before the peace was shattered. Heavy footsteps could be heard, drawing closer. Enki turned to glance over his shoulder just in time to see Seishou rushing towards them. He was completely out of breath by the time he reached them and looked a little haggard. This startled both En Ou and the kirin.
“Something the matter?” Shouryuu inquired.
The serious look that Seishou gave him spoke volumes. “There’s been… a massacre.”
“What…?”
“Tei Province… We found a messenger from the town of Dashinku when we were traveling through it. He said the entire city had been destroyed.”
Shouryuu stood quickly, placing his saké cup on the bench. “That’s impossible.”
Seishou shook his head. “A few of my men and I went to investigate when we were told. It’s a graveyard. There was hardly anyone left.”
Although the run was warm, Shouryuu suddenly felt cold. He could feel Enki tense up beside him.
“We brought the messenger with us, but he isn’t going to survive much longer. He said there was something he had to tell you and could not let anyone else’s ears hear it.”
“I understand. Take me to him at once.”
Seishou gave a small nod and turned. He began to lead the way only to stop when he heard an extra set of footsteps. Turning slightly, the general frowned at Enki.
“Taiho, you must stay here. The man is gravely injured. Even I can smell the blood on him. I’m sorry.”
Enki wrinkled his nose at the mere thought. If a human could smell blood, then he would be overwhelmed. Shouryuu nodded at his kirin.
“In that case, stay put and don’t come anywhere near the west side of the palace,” he ordered.
“Okay…”
Seishou and Shouryuu left the gardens, leaving Rokuta standing by the pond all by himself. An uncomfortable feeling of uneasiness swept over him. He lifted his thumb to his mouth, biting down lightly on his fingernail. How could a whole town be slaughtered like that? Not even youma would’ve done such a thing. But there was something else about this that left the taiho feeling on edge; something he couldn’t put his finger on.
The room the messenger was being kept in was generally reserved for important guests. When Shouryuu entered he understood why Enki could not be allowed near here. Not only could he smell the blood, but also the man appeared to be bleeding profusely from a wound on his face. The entire left side was bandaged but the white was now stained completely through with red. Shouryuu had to guess that perhaps the man was missing an eye.
“We are unable to stop his bleeding,” Shukou said when the king entered. “It won’t be much longer now…”
The three officials Shukou, Seishou and Itan stood near the door as he entered, keeping just out of earshot as requested. As Shouryuu approached he realized the messenger was not a man but a boy. He appeared in his early twenties, perhaps his late teens even. The king knelt beside his bed and boy turned sharply. Blood was caked to the right side of his face and after a moment Shouryuu realized his ear was gone.
“I am Shouryuu, King of En. Tell me what has happened.”
The man’s jaw moved several times before his voice actually came out. It was strained and weak. It was so hoarse that it sounded like it belonged to a much older man.
“Your… Majesty,” He whispered. “There was no… reason. She just started… killing people.” He coughed violently and blood tricked down the corner of his mouth. “My message…”
From where he stood near the entrance, Shukou could not hear what the man was muttering to the king. However he did see Shouryuu tense and then jerk back, shock mixed with confusion clear on his face. He frowned when he saw it and felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him then. Everything had happened so fast that he still didn’t know what was going on. That a whole town had been slaughtered seemed too farfetched even if Seishou had seen it with his own eyes. As he watched, the man eventually went still and Shouryuu remained kneeling for a long time. Then he stood and turned, looking more serious than any of three men standing there had ever seen him.
“Shukou, send a letter to the Queen of Kei with my apologies that we won’t be seeing her tomorrow. Things have gotten a little… complicated all of a sudden.”
My message… is from the one responsible. It is… the only thing she ever said…
‘Rokuta’.
Author; yukina_raven
Fandom; The Twelve Kingdoms
Rate; PG13 [overall] :: PG [this chapter]
Genre; Action/Adventure/Drama
Pairing; None
Summary; She cannot help but to wander, searching for a missing brother. And the only thing she can remember is a single name: 'Rokuta'.
Chapter I
the message
Rokuta.
The girl staggered down the muddy road. The rain was relentless as it often was during the rainy season. Even if it wasn’t raining, everything was wet and muddy. Traveling along these roads was a very difficult task now. Whether on foot, horseback or cart, the sinking mud made travel slower than ever. Flying was the only way to get around, but that was not an option for her. Trekking through the mud made the muscles in her skinny legs burn. Her whole body ached, protesting her movement. She had not eaten in days and had survived on the rainwater that fell from the dark sky. Her feet were bloody and swollen from walking without protection. Various cuts and scrapes were infected, including one on her right heel that made walking even more painful.
She tripped, right at the center of a crossroad. The mud seeped into her nose as she sunk into the ground, but she no longer cared. Her long black hair was tangled and filthy with blood and grim. It was so long it reached her ankles because she did not even think of cutting it. Her clothing had been worn for days and it was falling apart. The rain had soaked it clean through and blood stains spotted along the back of it. It was dirty and had holes here and there. Now it was muddy as well as she lay there still as stone. She had a passing thought that soon she really would be stone, for she was about to become a corpse. The girl knew she would die here on this muddy road.
The rain began to fall heavier now and she closed her eyes. She was so cold she felt her fingertips and her toes begin to grow numb. A painful ache gripped her chest and she whimpered, but the sound was lost in the rain. She could not remember who she was or where she came from. She barely even knew how to speak. Yet despite all that, one name had stayed with her. It floated in her mind as a pressing desire to find the person it belonged. That one name that had kept her going all this time.
Rokuta.
“I suppose,” Itan sighed, “that it really is too much to ask that you actually pay attention during the morning conferences.”
The bearded man turned in time to see Shouryuu smother a yawn with one hand. His eyebrow twitched. Beside the king was Enki, leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep.
Beside Itan, Shukou gave a soft sigh. “One step at a time, Itan.”
“Considering every conference has been going smoothly for a long time, you can’t blame me,” Shouryuu cut in with a lazy smile.
“How can you say that?” Itan snapped, face beginning to go red with anger. “You make it sound like that’s a bad thing!”
“Not at all,” Shouryuu replied. “Besides, I even stayed awake this time. I’m improving!”
Itan scowled and Shukou cleared his throat loud enough to startle Enki, who nearly toppled over. “Your Majesty received the letter from Kei, did he not?”
Shouryuu smiled. “Of course. Rokuta and I will be accepting the invitation.”
The blonde haired boy glanced at the king from the corner of his eye. Meeting his gaze, Shouryuu gave a slight nod. “We’ll leave tomorrow and we should make it by nightfall for the festival.”
The king stood, adjusting his robe slightly as he did. “If you hear from Seishou while we’re gone, send a message, would you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Shukou replied. He gave a slight bow as the king walked by, exiting the room with Rokuta trailing after him.
“Where are you going?” Itan demanded. “You still have paperwork to sign and seal before you leave tomorrow!”
Shouryuu gave him a lazy wave in reply as he walked. He rounded a corner and vanished. Shukou sighed again.
Walking along the edge of the palace, Shouryuu observed all the blooming cherry trees in the garden. En had been lucky this year to have an unusually mild winter. Generally the kingdom was colder than the other kingdoms because of its northeast location. Though not as cold as Tai and Hou, En had its share of nasty blizzards and temperatures that fell well below zero. This year, however, they had been lucky and as a result the spring was a lush one. Not that it mattered here on Kankyuu. The weather was always fair here.
“You look like you’re thinking about something important,” Enki commented from beside him. He was staring up into Shouryuu’s face with a deep frown. “That’s unusual.”
Shouryuu blinked. “Is it? I think deep thoughts all the time.”
“No you don’t.”
“How would you know for sure?”
“Oh I know.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You’re thinking about girls. That’s all you think about.”
“If that were all I thought about, then surely En would not be such a prosperous kingdom.”
“That’s because I’m here.”
“And surely if you were the only one here, En would not be such a prosperous kingdom either.”
Enki glared and Shouryuu smiled back. “Well, I could use a drink.”
The kirin made a face at him. “Are you serious? The sun hasn’t even reached its peak yet.”
“It’s never too early for a drink.”
Enki sighed and stopped walking. He watched as Shouryuu gathered his usual jug of saké and the small cups that went with it. He knew the ministers would be angry if they found out Shouryuu was skipping his paperwork to drink. He thought about telling on him, but decided against it. Instead he followed Shouryuu into the gardens.
“I can’t believe Keiki let Youko have a festival,” Enki commented when they reached the center.
Shouryuu sat on one of the stone benches by a shallow pond, pouring himself a drink. “Kei has been doing very well lately. He most likely had no excuse to refuse her.”
Enki plopped himself down on the grass by the bench, sitting cross-legged and closer to the shore of the pond. “I’ll say. I don’t care too much about the reason, but the fact that so many kirins and rulers decided to come is what interests me.”
“It interests you, does it?”
“Yeah. I mean it just shows how well things are going nowadays. The kingdoms are so stable that rulers and kirins can leave them for a few days to enjoy a festival.”
Shouryuu laughed. “Youko has done a great job.”
The conversation continued after that. King and kirin talking casually with one another, speaking of the state of En and teasing each other lightly. It was a peaceful sight to the palace officials that happened by. It was much more common to see the two arguing than it was to see them at peace. Indeed, the serene mood in the En palace could be reflected almost everywhere now. The Twelve Kingdoms were enjoying a rare moment of peace lately where most of the kingdoms were stable. Although many were still suffering without kings, like Hou and Kou, elsewhere things were getting better. Kei especially had improved greatly since Youko had taken the throne. Shouryuu in particular was happy about this. He and Youko had shared a close friendship since they had first met. Seeing her evolve from a reluctant empress to a commanding queen made him proud.
The two sat and talked for a long time before the peace was shattered. Heavy footsteps could be heard, drawing closer. Enki turned to glance over his shoulder just in time to see Seishou rushing towards them. He was completely out of breath by the time he reached them and looked a little haggard. This startled both En Ou and the kirin.
“Something the matter?” Shouryuu inquired.
The serious look that Seishou gave him spoke volumes. “There’s been… a massacre.”
“What…?”
“Tei Province… We found a messenger from the town of Dashinku when we were traveling through it. He said the entire city had been destroyed.”
Shouryuu stood quickly, placing his saké cup on the bench. “That’s impossible.”
Seishou shook his head. “A few of my men and I went to investigate when we were told. It’s a graveyard. There was hardly anyone left.”
Although the run was warm, Shouryuu suddenly felt cold. He could feel Enki tense up beside him.
“We brought the messenger with us, but he isn’t going to survive much longer. He said there was something he had to tell you and could not let anyone else’s ears hear it.”
“I understand. Take me to him at once.”
Seishou gave a small nod and turned. He began to lead the way only to stop when he heard an extra set of footsteps. Turning slightly, the general frowned at Enki.
“Taiho, you must stay here. The man is gravely injured. Even I can smell the blood on him. I’m sorry.”
Enki wrinkled his nose at the mere thought. If a human could smell blood, then he would be overwhelmed. Shouryuu nodded at his kirin.
“In that case, stay put and don’t come anywhere near the west side of the palace,” he ordered.
“Okay…”
Seishou and Shouryuu left the gardens, leaving Rokuta standing by the pond all by himself. An uncomfortable feeling of uneasiness swept over him. He lifted his thumb to his mouth, biting down lightly on his fingernail. How could a whole town be slaughtered like that? Not even youma would’ve done such a thing. But there was something else about this that left the taiho feeling on edge; something he couldn’t put his finger on.
The room the messenger was being kept in was generally reserved for important guests. When Shouryuu entered he understood why Enki could not be allowed near here. Not only could he smell the blood, but also the man appeared to be bleeding profusely from a wound on his face. The entire left side was bandaged but the white was now stained completely through with red. Shouryuu had to guess that perhaps the man was missing an eye.
“We are unable to stop his bleeding,” Shukou said when the king entered. “It won’t be much longer now…”
The three officials Shukou, Seishou and Itan stood near the door as he entered, keeping just out of earshot as requested. As Shouryuu approached he realized the messenger was not a man but a boy. He appeared in his early twenties, perhaps his late teens even. The king knelt beside his bed and boy turned sharply. Blood was caked to the right side of his face and after a moment Shouryuu realized his ear was gone.
“I am Shouryuu, King of En. Tell me what has happened.”
The man’s jaw moved several times before his voice actually came out. It was strained and weak. It was so hoarse that it sounded like it belonged to a much older man.
“Your… Majesty,” He whispered. “There was no… reason. She just started… killing people.” He coughed violently and blood tricked down the corner of his mouth. “My message…”
From where he stood near the entrance, Shukou could not hear what the man was muttering to the king. However he did see Shouryuu tense and then jerk back, shock mixed with confusion clear on his face. He frowned when he saw it and felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him then. Everything had happened so fast that he still didn’t know what was going on. That a whole town had been slaughtered seemed too farfetched even if Seishou had seen it with his own eyes. As he watched, the man eventually went still and Shouryuu remained kneeling for a long time. Then he stood and turned, looking more serious than any of three men standing there had ever seen him.
“Shukou, send a letter to the Queen of Kei with my apologies that we won’t be seeing her tomorrow. Things have gotten a little… complicated all of a sudden.”
My message… is from the one responsible. It is… the only thing she ever said…
‘Rokuta’.