Written: December 2012-May 2016
Posted: 3 May 2016, rev. 0
Category: Adventure/Other.
Summary: A collection of bits and pieces that fit into my Dragon & Phoenix universe
Disclaimer: The characters and story of Rurouni Kenshin are the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump, et al. Used without permission. This work is for entertainment only, and no profit is intended.
Notes These little bits occur in no special order. They just fill in some of the background of the story of Kenshin's history with Taka.
Glossary At end of document.
Tokaido Meeting
"Wherever the hell the woman's bodyguard is, now would be a great time for him to put in an appearance," Kenshin Himura thought as he dropped below the swing of an attacker's sword.
Kenshin surged back up and to his right, underneath the opponent's sword arm, his wakazashi scoring deep over the man's ribs and around to his shoulder blade. He pivoted on his right foot, bringing the sheath of the sidearm blade up to block another attacker's longsword, continuing his turn and slamming the wakizashi's hilt hard into the man's right kidney.
Kenshin was not really worried about taking out the remaining four opponents now ranged against him in the common room of the Mountain Rest-any fighters inept enough to put themselves at the disadvantage of using katana in an enclosed space were not going to be a challenge-but he was worried about trying to keep the fight away from any bystanders. Not to mention that he'd probably do a better job protecting his client if he knew what she looked like.
At least he knew he was looking for a woman, so that eliminated the Buddhist abbot and monk, the merchant and his servant as possible clients. That didn't help him figure out which one was the bodyguard with whom he was to join forces. Since Kenshin himself was wearing the black traveling robes of a Buddhist acolyte, it could be any one of the men.
That left six women: a traveling party of what appeared to be a lady and her companion, both in wide, veiled hats and wearing some sort of Chinese robes with trousers, along with two matrons wearing normal traveling kimono and leggings, and two maids dressed much the same.
Unfortunately, the women were grouped between the firepit and the wall, and there was a sword brawl being held between them and the exit. He'd be yelling at them to get out of the room, otherwise.
He smacked one opponent between the eyes with the flat of his blade, causing the man to stagger back into another attacker. They stumbled about a bit before untangling themselves and heading back at the redhead, blades raised overhead. They managed to bring their blades down in unison, parrying each other's strokes and flying past the redhead. There was a snicker from a bystander at their genius ineptitude.. They each took a step away from each other, turned, and then charged for Kenshin with all the determination of bruised egos.
Kenshin had to stop this now. The Tangle-footed Two were now attacking in the direction of the women, there were two more opponents between him and the ladies, and he was getting a mild headache from all the yelling and screaming in such a small space. Alright, the spinning attack it would be. He just had to make sure not to hit them so hard as to propel any of them into the women-
Kenshin was a master swordsman. He did not allow himself to be distracted in battle. Otherwise his nerves would have been absolutely galvanized as an unholy howling the likes of which he'd never heard suddenly bit the air. It appeared to be coming from directly behind and between the two swordsmen closest to the women.
They, unfortunately, were not master swordsmen, and distract them it did. Kenshin caught a swirl of silk and heard the raspy sigh of wind being knocked out of lungs before he completed his Ryuu (spinning attack). The spinning attack finally laid the Tangle-footed Two out cold. He held his weapon on them for a moment, to be sure they were out, then automatically did a short, snap chiburi and sheathed the wakizashi. As he turned to begin helping set the room to rights, he found himself face to face with the veiled lady. She wasn't veiled now, and she held a golden eagle's feather across her outstretched palms.
She was the bodyguard.
~~Not The End~~
Glossary
Katana—"Longsword:" longer of the two swords making up the daisho set carried by samurai.
Wakizashi—"Sidearm blade:" shorter of the two swords making up the daisho set carried by samurai.