[12K] The Sky of the Past, the Sea of Mirrors :: Chapter III
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 III
remains
It took several days to travel from the royal palace to Dashinku. Normally it should’ve only taken a day and half however the small army led by Shouryuu received word of a horrible sight just near the Ryuu boarder. The king feared the worst and was disappointed to discover he was right. The bodies of dead youma and soldiers littered the muddy road. Blood had turned the ground a rusty reddish color and the smell was enough to make anyone gag. Seishou stood beside Shouryuu as they observed the carnage. The men they had brought with them moved through the wreckage in search of any survivors.
“What are youma doing in En?” Seishou mused. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“They aren’t from En,” Shouryuu said and glanced upward. The gray clouds were still heavy in the sky and it looked like more rain at any moment.
It took Seishou a moment to understand. He looked shocked. “Ryuu?”
Shouryuu nodded. “Enki told me that Ryuu was starting to unravel. The last time he visited the kingdom he came across a disturbing amount of corruption among all the government officials. They were taking bribes and pardoning criminals left and right. One can imagine that the royal court is in the same state. These youma prove it and these soldiers are not from En.”
The king glanced down the road, gauging the direction they were traveling in. It made sense they had come from Ryuu. He had been expecting the kingdom to fall ever sense he had heard Enki’s report. He hadn’t expected it to happen now of all times.
“This is bad timing,” he grumbled.
Seishou nodded, his face grim. “If Ryuu is suffering youma attacks then the youma will start to spill into En and Kyou.”
“I suspect… this is where our murderer has come from.”
Seishou again looked taken aback. “Are you suggesting Ryuu attacked Dashinku?”
“I don’t know. Dashinku was doing well this year with food and other supplies. If Ryuu is struggling and the government corrupt, it’s possible. However the Tei province is on the other side of En, near the Kei boarder. Stragetically it doesn’t make sense.”
Shouryuu paused as a solider approached them both. The young man shook his head, confirming no one was left alive. Shouryuu sighed heavily.
“My suspicion is that this was the work of the youma.”
He turned and began walking back towards his mount. Seishou followed, looking thoughtful as he took in what Shouryuu was saying.
“But could youma really accomplish such a thing as wiping out a whole town? That seems a little…”
“It’s too early to tell,” Shouryuu said and turned to Seishou. “We’ll have to see for ourselves.”
Seishou frowned and nodded slightly. As they left the scene of the massacred platoon the general could not help but ponder how serious Shouryuu was about this. Seishou had come to know the king well after five hundred years of serving him. What he had learned most of all was that Shouryuu did everything with a carefree like attitude. He never outright gave the impression that he was serious in whatever it was he was dealing with. This time seemed very different, however, and Seishou wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was due to the fact that so many people had died in such a short time.
Or maybe, he suddenly realized, it’s because of the Taiho.
Indeed the mention of the Taiho’s name at the center of this mystery was a cause for great concern. Seishou understood Shouryuu’s worry in that case and also felt an increase in his own. Whatever was going on was big and the general was beginning to fear it was big enough to undo five hundred years of peace.
The destruction was worse than Shouryuu had thought. Buildings lay in ruins, a few of them still smoldering from the flames that had burned them down. Other poorer houses were simply smashed in as if someone had stepped on the roofs. Rubble lay scattered across the street mixed with food, blood and the corpses of the people who once lived happily. Women, children, and men… every age and every gender, species and class had been taken down. No one had been spared. The heavy smell of death had settled over Dashinku and it was doubtful it would ever leave.
“Search for survivors,” Shouryuu ordered, voice heavy with grief. He had never been too fond of seeing his people lying dead.
Silently the soldiers began to march off in separate directions, staying together in pairs just in case. Seishou stayed beside his king with a deep frown on his face. He had seen the sight before but it still got to him.
“Your Majesty, we already…”
“We’ll search again.”
“Yes…”
The two walked in silence. Shouryuu knew searching for anyone alive was pointless. If anyone had survived they would be long gone by now. Even so he knew he had to try. Yet while Seishou and the soldiers looked for any living souls, Shouryuu himself searched for other things. He was looking for clues as to who might be responsible for such a thing. Anything at all that stood out as different En Ou was determined to spot it.
It was several hours later when he finally did. It was sheer luck that as he lifted up some heavier piece of wood he spotted it. It was a small bracelet made of jade beads and clearly meant for the wrist of a small child. It was not the nature of the bracelet itself that caught his attention; rather it was the silver charm hanging from the end of it. He shoved the heavy beam away and crouched, picking it up gently. Inspecting the charm he saw the Japanese writing engraved on it. Unless they were taika or kaikyaku, no one else in this world would know how to write this character in Japanese.
Noticing Shouryuu crouched down, Seishou approached behind him. “What is it?”
Shouryuu stood and closed his hand around the bracelet. “It’s nothing.”
Seishou turned away and Shouryuu quickly pocketed the bracelet. He didn’t know what it meant just yet however he had a hunch it would be clear to him soon. For now he would keep it. Shouryuu and his men searched for a little longer afterwards before they confirmed they could find no one alive.
“It’s unfortunate, but we can’t do anything more for this place,” Shouryuu told them. “For now we’ll do what we can to prevent the same tragedy befalling any place else. We’ll rest here and leave in the morning.”
The small platoon set up camp on the outskirts of the ruins. Although grateful to rest physically, Shouryuu’s mind was still racing. Everything about this was just unsettling. As he sat by the fire they had made, thinking about what he had seen, a commotion from the front of the camp caused him to glance up.
“A survivor? But we didn’t find anyway earlier,” a solider was saying loudly. “Quickly, bring her.”
“She won’t let us come close. She’ll run away if we draw near.”
Shouryuu stood quickly and moved towards the voices. Seishou was there and he stepped aside for the king.
“Your Majesty, she was trying to steal food.”
In the dim firelight Shouryuu could see the shape of a small child crouched on the dirt, eyes wide and frightened. Her hair was ridiculously long and she was very filthy. He raised a hand at the soldiers surrounding her and they backed away, lowering their weapons uncertainly. He crouched to her level and smiled gently.
“Did you come from Dashinku?”
The girl’s eyes widened at his voice. She said nothing so Shouryuu continued, “It’s all right, and no one will hurt you. You’re hungry, right?” He offered her the piece of bread he was holding.
The girl stared from him to the food in his hand hesitantly. Then she moved very slightly, inching forward on her hands and knees. Seishou watched as she came just close enough to snatch the bread from Shouryuu and scarf it down quickly. He frowned at her behavior and Shouryuu stood to join him.
“She’s like a youma herself,” Seishou muttered.
“I think she’s just hungry. Leave her be.” To the girl the king said, “You’re welcome in camp. We have plenty of food to share.”
He motioned the soldiers to follow him and left her be.
Shiori watched the man’s retreating back in silent wonder. The taste of the sweet bread he had fed her lingered on her tongue and it made her hungrier than ever before. She sat where she had been left for several hours, watching as the soldiers went to their tents to sleep. A few remained on guard, occasionally switching with those who exited the tents. She kept her eyes on the man who had fed her, however. He remained by himself near the burning fire and did not move. The cold night air was becoming unbearable and she pulled herself to her feet. Slowly she staggered forward until she was near the fire herself. The warmth was heavenly and she sank down beside it, keeping a wary eye on the man near by.
Noticing her, he inclined his head in acknowledgement. He offered no words to her and returned to staring at the fire. So Shiori proceeded to do the same, casting uncertain looks at him occasionally. At some point he offered her more food, which she greedily ate. Eventually with the heat of the fire and a full belly, she fell asleep. Seeing this, Seishou felt it safe to finally approach.
“What are you planning to do with her?” He asked Shouryuu.
“We can’t just leave her here. We’ll have to take her with us back to En.”
Seishou blinked. “To Shadowlore Palace? Are you sure that’s wise?”
“She’s just a child. Besides, I think she might be a kaikyaku.”
“How can you tell?”
“Her expression when I spoke to her is one I’ve seen before among the kaikyaku in En.”
Seishou frowned and glanced down at the sleeping girl. It might explain why she looked and acted the way she did. Still, he felt uncertain about bringing her to the palace. It seemed wiser to bring her back to a city where she could be taken care of.
“Get some sleep,” Shouryuu said, interrupting his thoughts. “We’re heading back early tomorrow.”
Seishou nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
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 III
remains
It took several days to travel from the royal palace to Dashinku. Normally it should’ve only taken a day and half however the small army led by Shouryuu received word of a horrible sight just near the Ryuu boarder. The king feared the worst and was disappointed to discover he was right. The bodies of dead youma and soldiers littered the muddy road. Blood had turned the ground a rusty reddish color and the smell was enough to make anyone gag. Seishou stood beside Shouryuu as they observed the carnage. The men they had brought with them moved through the wreckage in search of any survivors.
“What are youma doing in En?” Seishou mused. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“They aren’t from En,” Shouryuu said and glanced upward. The gray clouds were still heavy in the sky and it looked like more rain at any moment.
It took Seishou a moment to understand. He looked shocked. “Ryuu?”
Shouryuu nodded. “Enki told me that Ryuu was starting to unravel. The last time he visited the kingdom he came across a disturbing amount of corruption among all the government officials. They were taking bribes and pardoning criminals left and right. One can imagine that the royal court is in the same state. These youma prove it and these soldiers are not from En.”
The king glanced down the road, gauging the direction they were traveling in. It made sense they had come from Ryuu. He had been expecting the kingdom to fall ever sense he had heard Enki’s report. He hadn’t expected it to happen now of all times.
“This is bad timing,” he grumbled.
Seishou nodded, his face grim. “If Ryuu is suffering youma attacks then the youma will start to spill into En and Kyou.”
“I suspect… this is where our murderer has come from.”
Seishou again looked taken aback. “Are you suggesting Ryuu attacked Dashinku?”
“I don’t know. Dashinku was doing well this year with food and other supplies. If Ryuu is struggling and the government corrupt, it’s possible. However the Tei province is on the other side of En, near the Kei boarder. Stragetically it doesn’t make sense.”
Shouryuu paused as a solider approached them both. The young man shook his head, confirming no one was left alive. Shouryuu sighed heavily.
“My suspicion is that this was the work of the youma.”
He turned and began walking back towards his mount. Seishou followed, looking thoughtful as he took in what Shouryuu was saying.
“But could youma really accomplish such a thing as wiping out a whole town? That seems a little…”
“It’s too early to tell,” Shouryuu said and turned to Seishou. “We’ll have to see for ourselves.”
Seishou frowned and nodded slightly. As they left the scene of the massacred platoon the general could not help but ponder how serious Shouryuu was about this. Seishou had come to know the king well after five hundred years of serving him. What he had learned most of all was that Shouryuu did everything with a carefree like attitude. He never outright gave the impression that he was serious in whatever it was he was dealing with. This time seemed very different, however, and Seishou wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was due to the fact that so many people had died in such a short time.
Or maybe, he suddenly realized, it’s because of the Taiho.
Indeed the mention of the Taiho’s name at the center of this mystery was a cause for great concern. Seishou understood Shouryuu’s worry in that case and also felt an increase in his own. Whatever was going on was big and the general was beginning to fear it was big enough to undo five hundred years of peace.
The destruction was worse than Shouryuu had thought. Buildings lay in ruins, a few of them still smoldering from the flames that had burned them down. Other poorer houses were simply smashed in as if someone had stepped on the roofs. Rubble lay scattered across the street mixed with food, blood and the corpses of the people who once lived happily. Women, children, and men… every age and every gender, species and class had been taken down. No one had been spared. The heavy smell of death had settled over Dashinku and it was doubtful it would ever leave.
“Search for survivors,” Shouryuu ordered, voice heavy with grief. He had never been too fond of seeing his people lying dead.
Silently the soldiers began to march off in separate directions, staying together in pairs just in case. Seishou stayed beside his king with a deep frown on his face. He had seen the sight before but it still got to him.
“Your Majesty, we already…”
“We’ll search again.”
“Yes…”
The two walked in silence. Shouryuu knew searching for anyone alive was pointless. If anyone had survived they would be long gone by now. Even so he knew he had to try. Yet while Seishou and the soldiers looked for any living souls, Shouryuu himself searched for other things. He was looking for clues as to who might be responsible for such a thing. Anything at all that stood out as different En Ou was determined to spot it.
It was several hours later when he finally did. It was sheer luck that as he lifted up some heavier piece of wood he spotted it. It was a small bracelet made of jade beads and clearly meant for the wrist of a small child. It was not the nature of the bracelet itself that caught his attention; rather it was the silver charm hanging from the end of it. He shoved the heavy beam away and crouched, picking it up gently. Inspecting the charm he saw the Japanese writing engraved on it. Unless they were taika or kaikyaku, no one else in this world would know how to write this character in Japanese.
Noticing Shouryuu crouched down, Seishou approached behind him. “What is it?”
Shouryuu stood and closed his hand around the bracelet. “It’s nothing.”
Seishou turned away and Shouryuu quickly pocketed the bracelet. He didn’t know what it meant just yet however he had a hunch it would be clear to him soon. For now he would keep it. Shouryuu and his men searched for a little longer afterwards before they confirmed they could find no one alive.
“It’s unfortunate, but we can’t do anything more for this place,” Shouryuu told them. “For now we’ll do what we can to prevent the same tragedy befalling any place else. We’ll rest here and leave in the morning.”
The small platoon set up camp on the outskirts of the ruins. Although grateful to rest physically, Shouryuu’s mind was still racing. Everything about this was just unsettling. As he sat by the fire they had made, thinking about what he had seen, a commotion from the front of the camp caused him to glance up.
“A survivor? But we didn’t find anyway earlier,” a solider was saying loudly. “Quickly, bring her.”
“She won’t let us come close. She’ll run away if we draw near.”
Shouryuu stood quickly and moved towards the voices. Seishou was there and he stepped aside for the king.
“Your Majesty, she was trying to steal food.”
In the dim firelight Shouryuu could see the shape of a small child crouched on the dirt, eyes wide and frightened. Her hair was ridiculously long and she was very filthy. He raised a hand at the soldiers surrounding her and they backed away, lowering their weapons uncertainly. He crouched to her level and smiled gently.
“Did you come from Dashinku?”
The girl’s eyes widened at his voice. She said nothing so Shouryuu continued, “It’s all right, and no one will hurt you. You’re hungry, right?” He offered her the piece of bread he was holding.
The girl stared from him to the food in his hand hesitantly. Then she moved very slightly, inching forward on her hands and knees. Seishou watched as she came just close enough to snatch the bread from Shouryuu and scarf it down quickly. He frowned at her behavior and Shouryuu stood to join him.
“She’s like a youma herself,” Seishou muttered.
“I think she’s just hungry. Leave her be.” To the girl the king said, “You’re welcome in camp. We have plenty of food to share.”
He motioned the soldiers to follow him and left her be.
Shiori watched the man’s retreating back in silent wonder. The taste of the sweet bread he had fed her lingered on her tongue and it made her hungrier than ever before. She sat where she had been left for several hours, watching as the soldiers went to their tents to sleep. A few remained on guard, occasionally switching with those who exited the tents. She kept her eyes on the man who had fed her, however. He remained by himself near the burning fire and did not move. The cold night air was becoming unbearable and she pulled herself to her feet. Slowly she staggered forward until she was near the fire herself. The warmth was heavenly and she sank down beside it, keeping a wary eye on the man near by.
Noticing her, he inclined his head in acknowledgement. He offered no words to her and returned to staring at the fire. So Shiori proceeded to do the same, casting uncertain looks at him occasionally. At some point he offered her more food, which she greedily ate. Eventually with the heat of the fire and a full belly, she fell asleep. Seeing this, Seishou felt it safe to finally approach.
“What are you planning to do with her?” He asked Shouryuu.
“We can’t just leave her here. We’ll have to take her with us back to En.”
Seishou blinked. “To Shadowlore Palace? Are you sure that’s wise?”
“She’s just a child. Besides, I think she might be a kaikyaku.”
“How can you tell?”
“Her expression when I spoke to her is one I’ve seen before among the kaikyaku in En.”
Seishou frowned and glanced down at the sleeping girl. It might explain why she looked and acted the way she did. Still, he felt uncertain about bringing her to the palace. It seemed wiser to bring her back to a city where she could be taken care of.
“Get some sleep,” Shouryuu said, interrupting his thoughts. “We’re heading back early tomorrow.”
Seishou nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”