[12K] The Sky of the Past, the Sea of Mirrors :: Chapter II
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 II
gatherings & tricks
Lord Gyousou let out a soft sigh. He had discovered quickly after becoming king that royal gatherings were not his thing. He was a solider and thus use to the duties of a solider. Usually this did not include attending balls and listening to nobles prattle on about their lands. Speaking of, beside him the Queen of Kyou was talking to him. She was so young looking that it was easy for him to forget she was his equal. He hadn’t yet figured out if he liked her or not. Had it been up to him, Gyousou would have never attended this gathering. Not that he didn’t appreciate the invitation, but he saw no need to have parties though this may have been because such things were what caused Tai’s previous king to lose the Way.
Light laughter broke his train of thought and mercifully caused Shushou to stop speaking. Gyousou turned his attention to the source of the sound, a group of fair-haired people standing in the center of the room. They were the taihos of the kingdoms that were present. At some point they had all managed to break away from their master’s to come together. Gyousou easily spotted Taiki’s black hair among the others. He smiled slightly at the sight of Taiki’s cheerful face. Indeed Gyousou had not wanted to come, but Taiki had. He had been so eager to see Keiki, Renrin and Enki that Gyousou hadn’t had the heart to refuse him. Currently Renrin was telling a story to the other kirins, which was apparently causing the laughter. Taiki looked fascinated by whatever she was saying, his eyes bright and curious.
“Ren is still unstable, yet Renrin and her ruler came anyway,” Shushou spoke up from beside him. “That’s awfully irresponsible.”
Gyousou sighed and the queen smiled. “My point is that if they have the time, why has King En and his kirin not bothered to arrive?”
For the first time Gyousou turned to look down at her. He arched a thin eyebrow at her. “I hardly think it’s wise to start gossiping about other kings.”
Shushou gave him a flat look. “I’m concerned, King of Tai. En is far more stable than any other kingdom right now. There shouldn’t be anything keeping him from coming, right?”
“Just because a kingdom is stable doesn’t mean it can’t have its share of problems. Perhaps something unexpected came up or maybe they’re just running late. Maybe he just didn’t want to come.”
Although Gyousou had to admit that she had a point. He had been looking forward to seeing the King of En again almost as much as Taiki had been to see Enki. But both were mysteriously absent. Perhaps he really was just late but Gyousou wasn’t so sure. Speaking of being late, he had yet to see the Queen of Kei. Keiki was here, standing with the other kirins, but she seemed mysteriously absent. Occasionally Gyousou caught Keiki glancing around with a deep frown on his face. Something must be going on that he was unaware of.
As it turned out, Gyousou’s hunch was fairly accurate. The queen in question was pondering heavily over the letter she had recently received from the King of En. Youko was troubled by the suddenness more than the content. The letter was simple and it told her only that they would not be attending. Yet the way it was written caused Youko some alarm. She couldn’t shake the feeling something just wasn’t right.
“I think you might be overacting,” Suzu said from her seat on Youko’s bed. “Maybe he just got busy.”
“Maybe…”
However Youko knew Shouryuu wasn’t one to just skip a chance to take a break from his kingly duties. Only something very important would keep him away. Sighing, Youko rolled up the scroll and placed it back on the small table in the center of the room. She was dressed up in her formal attire but the arrival of the letter had stopped her from stepping out. She knew Keiki was going to scold her about it later. It must’ve looked very informal for the kirin to arrive without or before the ruler.
Suzu hopped of the bed and approached her, fixing something on the back of Youko’s garment. She was also dressed up nicely, though she wasn’t nearly as stunning as Youko.
“I guess this means Rakushun wouldn’t be coming,” Youko sighed. “I was looking forward to seeing him, too. It’s been awhile.”
Suzu glanced over Youko’s shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he come?”
“Enki was going to bring him along when he and En Ou arrived. But if they aren’t coming…”
Suzu finished what she was doing and patted Youko’s shoulder. “You can see him another time, right? Right now you should get out there and greet everyone.”
Youko nodded dejectedly.
“The one behind these murders spoke the Taiho’s name?” Shukou asked in disbelief. “That’s what the messenger said?”
Shouryuu nodded. “They used his Hourai name to boot. I can count on my fingers how many people know that name. But what’s also troubling is the way he made it sound like one person was responsible for this.”
“That’s impossible,” Itan snapped. “Even several youma wouldn’t have been able to lay waste to a city so quickly. This whole thing sound suspicious.”
“There’s no doubt Dashinku was destroyed,” Seishou said. “I saw it.”
“No one is doubting that,” Itan replied with a wave of his hand. “Clearly something happened. I hardly believe, however, that what the messenger said was true.”
“A dying man certainly wouldn’t waste his last breath on a bunch of lies,” Shukou said thoughtfully. “He is more likely to spill out the truth if anything at all.”
The three men fell silent at that, pondering those words. Shouryuu had his gaze glued to the floor the entire time in thought. He had a theory but there were too many holes in it. In truth he was at a complete loss of what to make of this, but the King wasn’t going to accept defeat so easily.
“Where is the Taiho now?” Seishou asked to break the silence. “Perhaps the next logical step would be to ask him.”
“He is presumably in the gardens where he was left,” Shukou replied.
“He doesn’t know anything,” Shouryuu said and finally lifted his gaze to stare at them. “Whoever is behind this, I don’t think they know Enki personally. How they got his name is a different story but I don’t think it’s from knowing him.”
“Then how…?” Shukou began but trailed off as Shouryuu stood.
“I want to see Dashinku for myself.”
Immediately the three officials stiffened. Shouryuu waved a lazy hand at them. “I won’t go by myself. Seishou, you and some of the men are coming with me.”
Seishou looked relieved if also a little baffled. He bowed at the waist respectfully. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Shukou, keep an eye on Enki and tell him he has to stay here. Until we’ve figured this out, I think that’s for the best.”
Shukou bowed as well and Shouryuu left the room to change. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find but he knew some answers were waiting there beneath the rubble.
After Youko’s formal introduction and welcoming to everyone attending the gathering, she took the chance to meet the other rulers who had attended. Naturally she was not allowed to mingle with anyone else but them. This was all right with her for now. After all, Rakushun wasn’t here so she had no reason to want to. She still felt sad about not seeing her friend. Even Suzu’s encouragement hadn’t helped much.
It was interesting, Youko thought, meeting her fellow rulers. She actually ended up being more interested in meeting the other kirins. Aside from her own, she only really knew Enki. Gathered today were the kirins Taiki, Renrin, Sairin and Kyouki. As most people seemed to do, Youko took a quick liking to Taiki and vice versa. Youko also enjoyed her visit with Kouko, who struck her as very wise and kind. Likewise she related well with Seitaku, who did not care for and was unfamiliar with formalities.
At some point, Youko didn’t remember exactly when, Shoukei arrived and beside her stood Rakushun. At seeing him, Youko brightened. She hurried over to them, moving as fast as possible in her heavy robes.
“Rakushun! You made it!”
The young man scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Yeah. I was surprised when Shoukei showed up instead of the Taiho of En. She said she had come to pick me up.”
“I didn’t think it was him when I first saw him,” Shoukei laughed. “But I guess it’s really him. He said it would probably be better if he came in his human form. Anyway I thought after you got that letter I’d go get him myself.”
Youko abruptly hugged her. “Thank you so much, Shoukei!”
Behind her she heard Keiki sigh. The stoic kirin was now standing beside her with the all too familiar look of annoyance on his face.
“Your Majesty, this is a room only reserved for royalty. Rakushun and Shoukei are not allowed in here. For that matter, neither is Suzu.”
Suzu poked her head out from around Keiki, smiling at Shoukei. The blue haired girl waved at her in return and Keiki sighed again. He knew this must’ve looked so horrible to the other rulers and kirins gathered…
“You are Rakushun, correct?”
Everyone in the small group gathered near the door turned at the voice. Renrin stood before them with her hands folded lightly in front her. At her side was Taiki and by his side was Gyousou. Rakushun, immediately intimidated by the three so above his class, shrank back slightly.
“Y-Yes, that’s me, Taiho...” he stammered.
Renrin smiled. “I have heard of you from the Taiho of En. He once mentioned your name to me and for some reason I did not forget it.”
Rakushun turned red and Youko tried not to giggle beside him. Renrin continued, “I’m sorry to bother you so soon after your arrival, but I have a question to ask you. Do you know what has befallen the King of En and his kingdom?”
“Befallen…” Rakushun echoed, looking alarmed. “Why, did something happen?”
“We’re concerned about his sudden decision to not attend,” Gyousou replied. “It struck a few of us as odd. Renrin mentioned that you currently live in En so we though you might have heard something.”
“No... I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you, Your Majesty.”
Gyousou frowned and did not reply. Perhaps they were all just worrying about nothing.
“I see,” the white haired man sighed. “Thank you.”
As he turned away, Rakushun touched Youko’s shoulder lightly. She gave him a curious look and the two remained frozen as the others surrounding them moved away save for Keiki. After a few seconds, Rakushun gave Youko a serious look.
“I didn’t want to mention this in front of everyone, but… well, I thought it was unusual that the En Taiho never showed up. In the past he would always arrive at the time he told me he would. He never once didn’t show up, even if it was just to tell me he couldn’t stay long. I thought it was unusual but didn’t think much of it until the Taiho of Ren asked me that question.”
A deep frown tugged on Youko’s lips. “I see…”
“Your Majesty shouldn’t concern herself with it,” Keiki told her sternly. “If there are problems, the King of En is more than capable of handling it.”
“I know,” Youko replied. “But Shouryuu has done so much to help me that it would be rude to not at least make sure he’s all right. Keiki, could you please have a letter sent to him for me? I just want to make sure and to offer him my help if I can.”
Keiki did not seem too happy about the idea but Youko was expecting that. They stared at each other for a moment before the kirin sighed and gave a small bow to her.
“As Your Majesty wishes.”
The taiho left Youko to her guests to fulfill her request. In some regards he understood what she was trying to do. A letter to make sure things were well wasn’t the problem. The problem was that if things were not well Keiki knew Youko would rush off to help her friends without a second thought. That was just how Youko was and while it was part of the reason why she made a great ruler it was also the reason she got into frequent trouble. Even if they both knew Shouryuu could handle himself (five hundred years have proved that) it would still not stop her. Besides Kei still needed their Queen. The kingdom was not quite out of the woods yet.
Keiki turned out onto the narrow walkway that wrapped around the palace exterior. The air was chilly and the wind stirred almost unnaturally. It caused him to pause the moment he felt it, staring up into the sky with a small frown. The wind was familiar and it made him uneasy.
“Taiho of Kei, you have chosen a very unique ruler.”
Keiki turned to see Renrin standing a few paces behind him. She was smiling gently with her hands folded in front of her. Keiki noticed she was holding something in her palm but could not see what.
“The ruler or Kei and the ruler of Ren are similar,” she continued, glancing out into the garden near by. “They have little regards for formalities.”
“This does not seem to bother you,” Keiki pointed out.
Renrin laughed. “I have grown accustom to it. After all, if he was more familiar with formalities then there would be no need for me.”
A stronger gust of wind ruffled the hair and clothing of the two kirins. A blizzard of cherry blossoms from the near by trees was carried on the breeze, floating around them as they stood. Renrin and Keiki turned their gazes to the sky again. It remained a lovely shade of blue though it was now clouded with pink and white petals.
“It would seem something is indeed happening,” Renrin observed.
“It feels like a shoku is approaching,” Keiki said matter-of-factly.
“Yes…” Renrin turned her head in the direction the wind was blowing. “But it comes from En.”
It was still raining.
Why does it always rain on us while the people above the clouds enjoy never ending sunlight? Why do the Heavens hate us common people? Why? Without us there would be no kingdoms and no Heaven.
Sitting propped up against a tree, Shiori’s amber brown eyes stared into the cloudy sky. The raindrops rolled down her face and stung her eyes but she did not look away. The sickly girl with the torn clothes and the long black hair had been found on the muddy road by what she assumed to be a platoon of soldiers. They were a rather plain lot and looked like they had seen many battles during their travels. The captain, who had stopped the whole platoon to avoid crushing her, had picked her up. From there her injuries had been treated and her clothing changed. She had been fed bland food and given plenty of water. Slowly but surely she had regained her strength.
That had been several days ago. How long exactly she wasn’t sure, but it was long enough for her to recover most of her strength and for her to travel with the platoon for quite a distance. Now she sat outside in the rain, clinging to a damp blanket to keep the chill away. A strange wind had been blowing lately so it was even colder than before. The leaves and branches of the tree kept her relatively dry but not quite dry enough. However Shiori had begun to grow uncomfortable staying in a tent full of men.
Heavy footsteps caused her to lower her gaze. She stared at the armored shins of the captain, who then proceeded to crouch before her to meet her gaze. He was a middle-aged man with a friendly face, but his eyes frightened Shiori. They belonged to a man who had taken many innocent lives.
“You shouldn’t be sitting out in the rain like this,” He told her kindly. “You’ll catch a cold. You’re still recovering you know. We crossed the border into En not that long ago. Rest up until we can get you to see a real doctor.”
Shiori blinked slowly at him and the water from her eyelashes fell down her cheeks. The captain chuckled at her.
“Not very talkative, huh? Well that’s all right.” He squinted at her slightly and studied her. She shifted uncomfortably and looked away. “You don’t look much older than fifteen, I’d gather. Did you lose your parents?”
Shiori nodded. The captain sighed softly and gave her a gentle pat on the top of her head. Then he stood as a smaller man came rushing over to him.
“Captain, in the sky! Youma!”
The captain’s face darkened. “Quickly, get to your mounts! We have to get out of here before they find us!”
Shiori was pulled quickly to her feet. She jumped, startled at the sudden movement. Before she knew what was happening the captain was tugging her along until he eventually scooped her up in his arms. A horrible screech filled the air and the sound of wings alerted her to the youma attack. Looking up, Shiori spotted a flock of large black birds.
“Kingen!” someone shouted. “Don’t let the tails get you!”
Everything after that was a blur. The platoon didn’t get very far before the Kingen descended on them. Once they did everything became a blur of black and red. The sounds of shouting and screaming and screeching echoed so loudly in her ears that Shiori thought she would go deaf. Suddenly a great force slammed into the captain carrying her. She went flying and hit the ground painfully hard, rolling off the path and into some underbrush. Sharp thorns dug into her skin and Shiori covered her face. She didn’t roll very far and when she stopped she remained completely still. Her breathing was rough and her chest hurt with fear. She heard the sound of the battle near by but it was no longer deafening.
It felt like an eternity before the sounds of the battle change. Although she couldn’t tell what was going on, the noises suddenly unburied a memory. The sounds of beasts falling and swords slitting throats filled her ears. Eyes squeezed shut, her mind’s eye saw a city engulfed in flames. She stood on a hill and could feel the heat from the fire, but her eyes were on a tired middle-aged woman who knelt beside her. Her head was bowed and tears rolled down her face.
A deep male voice echoed sadly, “Rokuta…”
Shiori’s eyes flew open. There was suddenly silence save for the noise of the rain. For the first time since the battle, Shiori became aware it was raining. The silence was eerie and gave her goose bumps along her exposed arms. Shakily she stood, staggering as she pulled herself to her feet. Thorns had embedded themselves into her arms and legs but she didn’t seem to notice them as she climbed out of the brush. Before her on the path lay the bodies of all the Kingen and the entire platoon. Shiori stared and somehow the sight did not affect her.
Then she spotted it. A figure stood in the center of the battlefield covered in blood. The shape was human by Shiori could not be entirely sure. To her it appeared to be a woman with long black hair and a white dress. At the figure’s side was a strange looking sword Shiori had never seen before. Suddenly the figure turned to look at her.
Shiori bolted. With strange grace she weaved through the corpses on the battlefield and ran as fast as she could. She did not look back.
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 II
gatherings & tricks
Lord Gyousou let out a soft sigh. He had discovered quickly after becoming king that royal gatherings were not his thing. He was a solider and thus use to the duties of a solider. Usually this did not include attending balls and listening to nobles prattle on about their lands. Speaking of, beside him the Queen of Kyou was talking to him. She was so young looking that it was easy for him to forget she was his equal. He hadn’t yet figured out if he liked her or not. Had it been up to him, Gyousou would have never attended this gathering. Not that he didn’t appreciate the invitation, but he saw no need to have parties though this may have been because such things were what caused Tai’s previous king to lose the Way.
Light laughter broke his train of thought and mercifully caused Shushou to stop speaking. Gyousou turned his attention to the source of the sound, a group of fair-haired people standing in the center of the room. They were the taihos of the kingdoms that were present. At some point they had all managed to break away from their master’s to come together. Gyousou easily spotted Taiki’s black hair among the others. He smiled slightly at the sight of Taiki’s cheerful face. Indeed Gyousou had not wanted to come, but Taiki had. He had been so eager to see Keiki, Renrin and Enki that Gyousou hadn’t had the heart to refuse him. Currently Renrin was telling a story to the other kirins, which was apparently causing the laughter. Taiki looked fascinated by whatever she was saying, his eyes bright and curious.
“Ren is still unstable, yet Renrin and her ruler came anyway,” Shushou spoke up from beside him. “That’s awfully irresponsible.”
Gyousou sighed and the queen smiled. “My point is that if they have the time, why has King En and his kirin not bothered to arrive?”
For the first time Gyousou turned to look down at her. He arched a thin eyebrow at her. “I hardly think it’s wise to start gossiping about other kings.”
Shushou gave him a flat look. “I’m concerned, King of Tai. En is far more stable than any other kingdom right now. There shouldn’t be anything keeping him from coming, right?”
“Just because a kingdom is stable doesn’t mean it can’t have its share of problems. Perhaps something unexpected came up or maybe they’re just running late. Maybe he just didn’t want to come.”
Although Gyousou had to admit that she had a point. He had been looking forward to seeing the King of En again almost as much as Taiki had been to see Enki. But both were mysteriously absent. Perhaps he really was just late but Gyousou wasn’t so sure. Speaking of being late, he had yet to see the Queen of Kei. Keiki was here, standing with the other kirins, but she seemed mysteriously absent. Occasionally Gyousou caught Keiki glancing around with a deep frown on his face. Something must be going on that he was unaware of.
As it turned out, Gyousou’s hunch was fairly accurate. The queen in question was pondering heavily over the letter she had recently received from the King of En. Youko was troubled by the suddenness more than the content. The letter was simple and it told her only that they would not be attending. Yet the way it was written caused Youko some alarm. She couldn’t shake the feeling something just wasn’t right.
“I think you might be overacting,” Suzu said from her seat on Youko’s bed. “Maybe he just got busy.”
“Maybe…”
However Youko knew Shouryuu wasn’t one to just skip a chance to take a break from his kingly duties. Only something very important would keep him away. Sighing, Youko rolled up the scroll and placed it back on the small table in the center of the room. She was dressed up in her formal attire but the arrival of the letter had stopped her from stepping out. She knew Keiki was going to scold her about it later. It must’ve looked very informal for the kirin to arrive without or before the ruler.
Suzu hopped of the bed and approached her, fixing something on the back of Youko’s garment. She was also dressed up nicely, though she wasn’t nearly as stunning as Youko.
“I guess this means Rakushun wouldn’t be coming,” Youko sighed. “I was looking forward to seeing him, too. It’s been awhile.”
Suzu glanced over Youko’s shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he come?”
“Enki was going to bring him along when he and En Ou arrived. But if they aren’t coming…”
Suzu finished what she was doing and patted Youko’s shoulder. “You can see him another time, right? Right now you should get out there and greet everyone.”
Youko nodded dejectedly.
“The one behind these murders spoke the Taiho’s name?” Shukou asked in disbelief. “That’s what the messenger said?”
Shouryuu nodded. “They used his Hourai name to boot. I can count on my fingers how many people know that name. But what’s also troubling is the way he made it sound like one person was responsible for this.”
“That’s impossible,” Itan snapped. “Even several youma wouldn’t have been able to lay waste to a city so quickly. This whole thing sound suspicious.”
“There’s no doubt Dashinku was destroyed,” Seishou said. “I saw it.”
“No one is doubting that,” Itan replied with a wave of his hand. “Clearly something happened. I hardly believe, however, that what the messenger said was true.”
“A dying man certainly wouldn’t waste his last breath on a bunch of lies,” Shukou said thoughtfully. “He is more likely to spill out the truth if anything at all.”
The three men fell silent at that, pondering those words. Shouryuu had his gaze glued to the floor the entire time in thought. He had a theory but there were too many holes in it. In truth he was at a complete loss of what to make of this, but the King wasn’t going to accept defeat so easily.
“Where is the Taiho now?” Seishou asked to break the silence. “Perhaps the next logical step would be to ask him.”
“He is presumably in the gardens where he was left,” Shukou replied.
“He doesn’t know anything,” Shouryuu said and finally lifted his gaze to stare at them. “Whoever is behind this, I don’t think they know Enki personally. How they got his name is a different story but I don’t think it’s from knowing him.”
“Then how…?” Shukou began but trailed off as Shouryuu stood.
“I want to see Dashinku for myself.”
Immediately the three officials stiffened. Shouryuu waved a lazy hand at them. “I won’t go by myself. Seishou, you and some of the men are coming with me.”
Seishou looked relieved if also a little baffled. He bowed at the waist respectfully. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Shukou, keep an eye on Enki and tell him he has to stay here. Until we’ve figured this out, I think that’s for the best.”
Shukou bowed as well and Shouryuu left the room to change. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to find but he knew some answers were waiting there beneath the rubble.
After Youko’s formal introduction and welcoming to everyone attending the gathering, she took the chance to meet the other rulers who had attended. Naturally she was not allowed to mingle with anyone else but them. This was all right with her for now. After all, Rakushun wasn’t here so she had no reason to want to. She still felt sad about not seeing her friend. Even Suzu’s encouragement hadn’t helped much.
It was interesting, Youko thought, meeting her fellow rulers. She actually ended up being more interested in meeting the other kirins. Aside from her own, she only really knew Enki. Gathered today were the kirins Taiki, Renrin, Sairin and Kyouki. As most people seemed to do, Youko took a quick liking to Taiki and vice versa. Youko also enjoyed her visit with Kouko, who struck her as very wise and kind. Likewise she related well with Seitaku, who did not care for and was unfamiliar with formalities.
At some point, Youko didn’t remember exactly when, Shoukei arrived and beside her stood Rakushun. At seeing him, Youko brightened. She hurried over to them, moving as fast as possible in her heavy robes.
“Rakushun! You made it!”
The young man scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Yeah. I was surprised when Shoukei showed up instead of the Taiho of En. She said she had come to pick me up.”
“I didn’t think it was him when I first saw him,” Shoukei laughed. “But I guess it’s really him. He said it would probably be better if he came in his human form. Anyway I thought after you got that letter I’d go get him myself.”
Youko abruptly hugged her. “Thank you so much, Shoukei!”
Behind her she heard Keiki sigh. The stoic kirin was now standing beside her with the all too familiar look of annoyance on his face.
“Your Majesty, this is a room only reserved for royalty. Rakushun and Shoukei are not allowed in here. For that matter, neither is Suzu.”
Suzu poked her head out from around Keiki, smiling at Shoukei. The blue haired girl waved at her in return and Keiki sighed again. He knew this must’ve looked so horrible to the other rulers and kirins gathered…
“You are Rakushun, correct?”
Everyone in the small group gathered near the door turned at the voice. Renrin stood before them with her hands folded lightly in front her. At her side was Taiki and by his side was Gyousou. Rakushun, immediately intimidated by the three so above his class, shrank back slightly.
“Y-Yes, that’s me, Taiho...” he stammered.
Renrin smiled. “I have heard of you from the Taiho of En. He once mentioned your name to me and for some reason I did not forget it.”
Rakushun turned red and Youko tried not to giggle beside him. Renrin continued, “I’m sorry to bother you so soon after your arrival, but I have a question to ask you. Do you know what has befallen the King of En and his kingdom?”
“Befallen…” Rakushun echoed, looking alarmed. “Why, did something happen?”
“We’re concerned about his sudden decision to not attend,” Gyousou replied. “It struck a few of us as odd. Renrin mentioned that you currently live in En so we though you might have heard something.”
“No... I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you, Your Majesty.”
Gyousou frowned and did not reply. Perhaps they were all just worrying about nothing.
“I see,” the white haired man sighed. “Thank you.”
As he turned away, Rakushun touched Youko’s shoulder lightly. She gave him a curious look and the two remained frozen as the others surrounding them moved away save for Keiki. After a few seconds, Rakushun gave Youko a serious look.
“I didn’t want to mention this in front of everyone, but… well, I thought it was unusual that the En Taiho never showed up. In the past he would always arrive at the time he told me he would. He never once didn’t show up, even if it was just to tell me he couldn’t stay long. I thought it was unusual but didn’t think much of it until the Taiho of Ren asked me that question.”
A deep frown tugged on Youko’s lips. “I see…”
“Your Majesty shouldn’t concern herself with it,” Keiki told her sternly. “If there are problems, the King of En is more than capable of handling it.”
“I know,” Youko replied. “But Shouryuu has done so much to help me that it would be rude to not at least make sure he’s all right. Keiki, could you please have a letter sent to him for me? I just want to make sure and to offer him my help if I can.”
Keiki did not seem too happy about the idea but Youko was expecting that. They stared at each other for a moment before the kirin sighed and gave a small bow to her.
“As Your Majesty wishes.”
The taiho left Youko to her guests to fulfill her request. In some regards he understood what she was trying to do. A letter to make sure things were well wasn’t the problem. The problem was that if things were not well Keiki knew Youko would rush off to help her friends without a second thought. That was just how Youko was and while it was part of the reason why she made a great ruler it was also the reason she got into frequent trouble. Even if they both knew Shouryuu could handle himself (five hundred years have proved that) it would still not stop her. Besides Kei still needed their Queen. The kingdom was not quite out of the woods yet.
Keiki turned out onto the narrow walkway that wrapped around the palace exterior. The air was chilly and the wind stirred almost unnaturally. It caused him to pause the moment he felt it, staring up into the sky with a small frown. The wind was familiar and it made him uneasy.
“Taiho of Kei, you have chosen a very unique ruler.”
Keiki turned to see Renrin standing a few paces behind him. She was smiling gently with her hands folded in front of her. Keiki noticed she was holding something in her palm but could not see what.
“The ruler or Kei and the ruler of Ren are similar,” she continued, glancing out into the garden near by. “They have little regards for formalities.”
“This does not seem to bother you,” Keiki pointed out.
Renrin laughed. “I have grown accustom to it. After all, if he was more familiar with formalities then there would be no need for me.”
A stronger gust of wind ruffled the hair and clothing of the two kirins. A blizzard of cherry blossoms from the near by trees was carried on the breeze, floating around them as they stood. Renrin and Keiki turned their gazes to the sky again. It remained a lovely shade of blue though it was now clouded with pink and white petals.
“It would seem something is indeed happening,” Renrin observed.
“It feels like a shoku is approaching,” Keiki said matter-of-factly.
“Yes…” Renrin turned her head in the direction the wind was blowing. “But it comes from En.”
It was still raining.
Why does it always rain on us while the people above the clouds enjoy never ending sunlight? Why do the Heavens hate us common people? Why? Without us there would be no kingdoms and no Heaven.
Sitting propped up against a tree, Shiori’s amber brown eyes stared into the cloudy sky. The raindrops rolled down her face and stung her eyes but she did not look away. The sickly girl with the torn clothes and the long black hair had been found on the muddy road by what she assumed to be a platoon of soldiers. They were a rather plain lot and looked like they had seen many battles during their travels. The captain, who had stopped the whole platoon to avoid crushing her, had picked her up. From there her injuries had been treated and her clothing changed. She had been fed bland food and given plenty of water. Slowly but surely she had regained her strength.
That had been several days ago. How long exactly she wasn’t sure, but it was long enough for her to recover most of her strength and for her to travel with the platoon for quite a distance. Now she sat outside in the rain, clinging to a damp blanket to keep the chill away. A strange wind had been blowing lately so it was even colder than before. The leaves and branches of the tree kept her relatively dry but not quite dry enough. However Shiori had begun to grow uncomfortable staying in a tent full of men.
Heavy footsteps caused her to lower her gaze. She stared at the armored shins of the captain, who then proceeded to crouch before her to meet her gaze. He was a middle-aged man with a friendly face, but his eyes frightened Shiori. They belonged to a man who had taken many innocent lives.
“You shouldn’t be sitting out in the rain like this,” He told her kindly. “You’ll catch a cold. You’re still recovering you know. We crossed the border into En not that long ago. Rest up until we can get you to see a real doctor.”
Shiori blinked slowly at him and the water from her eyelashes fell down her cheeks. The captain chuckled at her.
“Not very talkative, huh? Well that’s all right.” He squinted at her slightly and studied her. She shifted uncomfortably and looked away. “You don’t look much older than fifteen, I’d gather. Did you lose your parents?”
Shiori nodded. The captain sighed softly and gave her a gentle pat on the top of her head. Then he stood as a smaller man came rushing over to him.
“Captain, in the sky! Youma!”
The captain’s face darkened. “Quickly, get to your mounts! We have to get out of here before they find us!”
Shiori was pulled quickly to her feet. She jumped, startled at the sudden movement. Before she knew what was happening the captain was tugging her along until he eventually scooped her up in his arms. A horrible screech filled the air and the sound of wings alerted her to the youma attack. Looking up, Shiori spotted a flock of large black birds.
“Kingen!” someone shouted. “Don’t let the tails get you!”
Everything after that was a blur. The platoon didn’t get very far before the Kingen descended on them. Once they did everything became a blur of black and red. The sounds of shouting and screaming and screeching echoed so loudly in her ears that Shiori thought she would go deaf. Suddenly a great force slammed into the captain carrying her. She went flying and hit the ground painfully hard, rolling off the path and into some underbrush. Sharp thorns dug into her skin and Shiori covered her face. She didn’t roll very far and when she stopped she remained completely still. Her breathing was rough and her chest hurt with fear. She heard the sound of the battle near by but it was no longer deafening.
It felt like an eternity before the sounds of the battle change. Although she couldn’t tell what was going on, the noises suddenly unburied a memory. The sounds of beasts falling and swords slitting throats filled her ears. Eyes squeezed shut, her mind’s eye saw a city engulfed in flames. She stood on a hill and could feel the heat from the fire, but her eyes were on a tired middle-aged woman who knelt beside her. Her head was bowed and tears rolled down her face.
A deep male voice echoed sadly, “Rokuta…”
Shiori’s eyes flew open. There was suddenly silence save for the noise of the rain. For the first time since the battle, Shiori became aware it was raining. The silence was eerie and gave her goose bumps along her exposed arms. Shakily she stood, staggering as she pulled herself to her feet. Thorns had embedded themselves into her arms and legs but she didn’t seem to notice them as she climbed out of the brush. Before her on the path lay the bodies of all the Kingen and the entire platoon. Shiori stared and somehow the sight did not affect her.
Then she spotted it. A figure stood in the center of the battlefield covered in blood. The shape was human by Shiori could not be entirely sure. To her it appeared to be a woman with long black hair and a white dress. At the figure’s side was a strange looking sword Shiori had never seen before. Suddenly the figure turned to look at her.
Shiori bolted. With strange grace she weaved through the corpses on the battlefield and ran as fast as she could. She did not look back.