The Storyteller

by Relinquished

The Nameless City lives in a waking slumber in the absence of its source of life. The Seishun Empire is collapsing and the presiding Council of Nine is searching for the legendary Storyteller, their only saviour.

The Storyteller

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenipuri and have taken major liberties with intertextuality to create the plot, so don't sue me!

Summary: The Nameless City lives in a waking slumber in the absence of its source of life. The Seishun Empire is collapsing and the presiding Council of Nine is searching for the legendary Storyteller, their only saviour.

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The Storyteller

By Relinquished

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The Nameless City lived as if in slumber in the absence of its source of life. A blanket of grey shrouded its walls and the sun's ashen light illuminated the immense towers of the castle in the centre. The tolling bell sounded in the misty morning, marking the noon of yet another day.

On the streets stirred the only signs of life. A city of people dressed in earthen, muted colours, shuffling about their lives, in no hurry to get anywhere. There was noise, the noise of vehicles and animals, children and adults, but there was no sense of liveliness or vibrancy. It was a city living in a waking slumber, breathing in everyday as if in a dream.

Deep within the inner chambers of the looming castle, the Council of Nine sat in conference. It had been three days and nights since the session had begun, but it had not yet adjourned. None had entered bar the Nine and none had left. Council had had longer sessions before and all knew it was wise to leave an enchanter's work to enchanters.

In the centre of the Council Chamber was a mahogany table, carved in the shape of the full moon, polished to a gleam. Nine seats were placed around it, each of the same make as the table they surrounded, each once occupied by the enchanter whose name was carved in gold on the table in front. The light from the lamps hung on the walls flickered and released scentless fumes, never fading or running out in the three days since they had first been lit.

The atmosphere was tense within the Chamber as the deep and urgent voice of the semi-transparent hologram filled it.

"There have been further sightings of bloodhawks1 on the Eastern border."

"I will see to it," a new voice spoke up.

Green eyes stared intently at the hologram as long fingers laced together in front of an ageless face. Oishi Syuichiroh, Third of the Nine, inclined his head as the hologram made a slight bow in his direction.

"I will station my men to await your orders, Master Oishi."

Oishi leaned forward in his seat and brushed the map spread out on the table, his eyes darkening. A small figurine of a hawk, blood red in colour, appeared on the map, right over the mountain ranges that marked the border between their Empire, Seishun, and the next.

"Is there anything else, Yanagi?"

"No, that is the whole borderline report," the hologram replied. "I will report to Master Fuji if anything else happens."

"Report to Momoshiro, Yanagi," Master Fuji Syusuke, Second of the Nine, interrupted softly. His honey-coloured hair almost covered his eyes as he sat back in the seat opposite Oishi. "I will not be able to be contacted once Council is adjourned."

"Yes, Master Fuji." Yanagi's form disappeared from sight.

"Jackal's bloodhawks have finally appeared," Fuji mused. He pressed the tips of his fingers together, looking pensive. "It is almost an open declaration of war from him."

"I thought the peace treaty2 prevented him from doing that," the youngest of the Council, Echizen Ryoma, said.

"Whatever the peace treaty said before doesn't matter now that he has released the bloodhawks."

Echizen glared at the older man as he was corrected. The Prince of the Nameless City was young and arrogant, never respecting his superiors until they showed him, once and for all, that they deserved it. Only one of the Council had ever done that.

Fuji was slight of build, but deceivingly strong. His sharp mind and intellect bested all of the Council, earning himself the title of Master Prodigy. He was sitting to the left of the Council Leader, the First, who remained silent and stern. Each member of the Council shifted in his seat restlessly, watching the map in front of them. They ranged in appearance, height and build, but they all shared the same ageless look about them, creating an aura mystery and wisdom.

Next to Oishi sat the Fourth, Kikumaru Eiji, whose dark red hair caught the light from the lamps as he moved. The Fifth sat next to Fuji, contrasting to the Second's slightness by his tall, lanky appearance. Inui Sadaharu was already keeping records of what he had heard and was passing the papers to Oishi. Kawamura Takashi, the Sixth, was fingering the figurine of a soldier in front of him, his large hands almost dwarfing the small object. Across from him sat the Seventh, Kaidoh Kaoru, who sat back and folded his arms with a glare. The Eighth was Momoshiro Takeshi, who had clenched his fists and looked ready to break the nearest object as his violet eyes narrowed. Echizen sat across from him, a low growl issuing from his throat.

"We need to hurry our search," Oishi said seriously. "If war is upon us . . ."

"Kawamura and Momoshiro have just returned to us," Inui added. "Kaidoh and I will go this time."

"No." The order came from the head of the table as the First spoke. "Fuji and I are going this time. The rest of you will stay behind to receive reports."

The First of the Nine, Head of the Council, Tezuka Kunimitsu exchanged looks with the Second. Fuji nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, his eyes serious. The others looked slightly surprised. The First and Second rarely ever left the castle stronghold as they held the most power and were in charge of protecting the city. Usually they would take it in turns from the Third and Fourth onwards to leave the castle.

"Are you sure, Tezuka?" Oishi asked worriedly. "With war upon us, you cannot possibly think to leave the city unprotected . . ."

"The city will be fine." Tezuka glanced at the map. "For now, the bloodhawks will remain in the mountains. Rikkaidai's army will take several months to cross the sea, provided that they stop for provisions at Turn Cape and a further two months at least to cross the Jyousei Planes. We will, at best, be gone for three months."

"Will you be successful?" Echizen asked.

That was the question hanging on the Council's minds. So far, none of the searches had proved successful this time round. The Council had protected the Seishun Empire and the Nameless City for millennia on end. Their first and foremost task, aside from protecting the Empire, was to instate Storytellers, the ones who were chosen to save the Empire in times of the greatest need.

"We will see," Fuji said gravely. His clear blue eyes glowed in the light. "The White Phoenix watches us."

He named his patron goddess, the White Phoenix Gwenhwyfar3. Tezuka nodded in agreement as he turned his attention back to the map. The miniature fleet settled in the ocean had inched forward ever so slightly, indicating that the real fleet had just travelled another mile across the ocean.

"Rikkaidai approaches," he said. "Inui, keep a close eye on their movements in case they decide to rally Jyousei Shounan. I would not put it past Yukimura to gather as large an army as he can before advancing on us. If they do, Kikumaru and Kawamura will set out for Fudomine to call upon their allegiance to us."

"Tachibana is not unreasonable," Momoshiro noted.

"He proved that, when he let you off for trying to tup his sister," Kaidoh pointed out dryly. "This also proves that he is a remarkable man."

"At which point, Oishi, I will ask for a report as to how successful this is." Tezuka frowned. "We may need to replan if it doesn't work out."

"It should not be a problem," Fuji reassured him. "Tachibana is still in your debt for assisting him to the throne."

"All right, that's my instructions for the next few months." Tezuka stood and placed his hands on the table. "We will contact you regularly while we are gone. Do not attempt to contact us unless it is absolutely necessary. Adjourned."

†††

Around the castle, the news had spread like wildfire. The First and Second of the Council were leaving. It had not happened in the lifetimes of anyone in the whole Empire, which was startling news in itself. The City without the First and Second was like a warrior with no armour or weapons. A dead warrior. Not that they didn't respect or trust the de facto leader, the Third. It was just that his power could not possibly compare to Tezuka's or Fuji's, who were the centres to the City's defence. Oishi was the Records Keeper and Ambassador, who had little experience on the military field.

"How long has it been, Fuji, since you last left?" Kikumaru asked his friend, watching as the Second prepared himself. "Not since the turn of the era, surely. Tezuka has gone out before, but you've always stayed."

"If I recall correctly, the last time was when Tezuka instated the first King of this dynasty at the Third Turn of the Eras4," Fuji replied with a small smile. "I remember, because the Church of St Rudolf was destroyed then."

"Anyway," Kikumaru said quickly, handing Fuji his dagger. "Are you sure your skills haven't rusted since then?"

"I'm fitter than you are."

"Fuji!"

The Second only laughed as he tucked the dagger into his belt and reached for a small knife, which he tucked into his boot. Kikumaru jumped to his feet and wrapped his travelling cloak around his shoulders for him, fastening the clasp securely. Fuji then picked up his pack from the bed and shouldered it.

"Be careful, Fuji," Kikumaru told him. Fuji was shorter than him by half a head, but he latched onto the other's neck just the same. "What am I saying? You are the Second, of course you're going to be all right."

"Take care of yourself," Fuji told him likewise. "And of the others, the younger ones especially. Momoshiro, Kaidoh and Echizen have not half the experience nor the patience you and the others do. Keep the Prince in line."

"Will do." The Fourth let him go. There came a soft knock at the door.

"It's time, Fuji."

It was Tezuka. The Second turned and clasped his friend on the shoulder.

"I'll see you soon."

†††

Echizen Ryoma, heir to the Seishun Empire and Crown Prince of the Nameless City, fought to keep his tongue in check as he stood in front of his father. They were in the throne room, a vast, luxuriously furnished chamber, hung with brightly coloured tapestries that contrasted with the greyness of the City.

His father was a twit, an irresponsible and lazy man who loved his women. Echizen Nanjiroh was the epitome of a spoilt brat. Ryoma gritted his teeth at the sight of the way his father fondled the serving women as they passed him. He cleared his throat sharply, jarring the older man out of his thoughts.

"What do you want, boy?" Nanjiroh snapped.

"The Council . . ."

"The Council knows what they're doing," Nanjiroh interrupted. He fixed an annoyed stare at his son. "You best let them do their work."

"I am a member of the Council as well!" Ryoma retorted angrily. "And you were too, before you were crowned. They do not respect the nobility and the laws of the Empire."

"They are above nobility. It's time you learned that." The king waved a hand dismissively in his direction. "They know what they're doing, so you just sit there and learn from them."

Bowing stiffly, Ryoma exited the chamber. He stormed into the entrance hall, where servants scattered at the sight of his furious expression. It wasn't fair, he thought murderously, that the Council would have so much more power in the kingdom than he did. He was the Crown Prince after all, shouldn't the Council be subjected to him, rather than the other way around?

"You are troubled, Echizen."

He came face to face with the Third, Master Oishi. The kind face was placid, but held slight concern as they looked at the prince. Echizen could never find it in himself to hate Master Oishi, because he was just the type to never offend.

"Master Oishi." He wasn't allowed to address them without their title.

"Can you tell me what is troubling you?"

He shrugged, turning his face away to hide the dark expression. Oishi sighed and laid a hand on his back, urging him gently forward towards the front doors. The servants pushed the immense double oak doors open for them so they could walk outside.

The courtyard surrounding the castle was lined with trees, but on the whole was made of cobblestones, paved flat and smooth. They walked here constantly, when Echizen could get away from his tutors and duties long enough to relax. Master Oishi knew this was one of the most effective ways of calming the prince down when he was angry.

"You do not like Fuji." A statement, not a question, and one that startled him. Oishi smiled slightly. "Rather, you do not think he deserves your respect."

"I never said . . ."

"You don't have to, Echizen, I can see it already." The Third glanced up at the treetops, fingering the brooch that held his cloak. "He has not earned your respect like Tezuka has, and yet you can never seem to prove that you are worth more than he, am I right?"

Mutely, still a little angry, Echizen nodded.

"And you believe that, as the crown prince, you should be respected more in Council for your status." The expression on the prince's face betrayed him. "Do you recall the hierarchy of this Empire?"

It had been drilled into him since birth. The hierarchy of the Empire was the ladder of power and who held them within the Empire. At the topmost rung were the King and Queen, his father and mother, who were closely followed by the Council Members. Below the Council was the nobility. He recited these, and the ones after it, with the air of one who had repeated them once too often. When he had finished, Oishi smiled again.

"Do you know where in the hierarchy you stand?"

"At the bottom of the Council, top of the Nobility," he muttered.

"Do you know why you are subject to the Council?"

He knew, and Oishi knew he knew, but he chose stubbornly not to speak.

"Council members are gifted with the knowledge of the ages," Oishi told him. "Not only because we study it, but because we experience them also. Though you are a member, you are bound to earth and the courses of nature. It has been since the Council was first formed, the law regarding the selection of Council members. The Ninth, the last, will always be the heir to the throne, who will relinquish his position when he is crowned."

This meant that he was the youngest and most inexperienced member of the Council, subjected to the wisdom and experience of the eight others, who had seen the ages come and go before he was even considered. They were ageless and immortal and he was not5.

"Because of our immortality," Oishi continued, "we have seen our friends and companions grow old and die. If you were to imagine that your beloved pet would die and you were to continue to live, what would you feel? We have all experienced this and we knew we would from the day we took our oaths."

Echizen looked away, slightly ashamed at his previous anger. He did have a beloved pet, a cat he had named Karupin, and he knew he would die of grief if he was to lose him.

"I-I'm sorry, Master Oishi," he mumbled.

"It's all right. You have lessons to attend, do you not? I doubt your tutors will be very pleased if you were to be late."

†††

From atop one of the tall trees lining the courtyard came a cheerful voice. Oishi looked up, seeing no one amongst the leafy branches, but knowing for sure who it had to be. He folded his arms and rested his weight on his right side in a posture of ease and yet exasperated amusement.

"Get down here," he ordered, the smile still present. "You are a council member, Eiji, so behave like one."

"Hoi, I like climbing trees, thank you," was Eiji's pert reply. But he swung into view anyway, sitting on the lowest branch and waving at him. "It's fun."

His red hair was askew from hanging upside down and swinging through the branches, but he smoothed it down quickly with one hand. His dark blue eyes were wide and gleamed with mischief, matching the bright smile on his boyish face. The Fourth was Oishi's close friend and partner.

"Eiji . . ."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Eiji made a face at him. "'Fess up. All right, so I heard almost everything you and Ochibi said. Big deal."

"It's the prince's privacy," Oishi told him sternly.

"You sound like Tezuka, nya," the redhead told him smartly. He chuckled. "Old-fashioned and strict."

"Stop it," he said, not unamused at the jibe at their leader. He knew it was out of fun. "You must have something to do, rather than eavesdrop."

"I have had no reports and Fuji isn't here to check up on them. Usually when I'm bored I talk to him, or practice archery with him, but he's not here so I have nothing to do."

Oishi nodded understandingly. Fuji and Eiji were close friends and had been since they had first met, when the Council had been formed. There were only rare moments when the two of them weren't seen together. Eiji would obviously be bored and running amok without calm and collected Fuji to restrain him.

"Well, I won't do very well for an archery partner, but I can help you if you want to talk," he offered.

With a bright smile, Eiji flung an arm around the other's shoulders and led him away, gesturing widely with his hands as he began the conversation on how he hadn't eaten for three days already and was starving. Oishi grinned at his enthusiasm despite his hunger, briefly understanding why Fuji often treated the redhead like a child and doted on him like one.

†††

That evening, two strangers rode into the village Ryouga lived in. He was the son of the village leader, which gave him the responsibility of greeting newcomers and offering the hospitality of the village to them. He thought the task was tolerable, sometimes even enjoyable, but they hadn't had a visitor for a while now, especially not any who would stay for very long. He wondered just what these two newcomers wanted.

"Greetings, sirs," he greeted them. They stopped in front of him, reining their horses in. "I am Ryouga, son of the village leader. If I may inquire your business here . . .?"

The two strangers exchanged glances from beneath their hoods, before the taller one cleared his throat.

"We are travellers," he said. "Passing by on our way to Rokkaku."

"Ah." Ryouga didn't let his distrust in them show. "Then is there anything we can assist you with? Provisions? Rokkaku is still two weeks hard ride from here and there are no villages between here and the border."

The second man spoke then.

"Provisions will be much appreciated, thank you," he said politely. "We won't detain you for very long, seeing as we have a long way to go."

The provisions were brought, packaged and secured to the horses. Meanwhile, the two horsemen had dismounted and were whispering between themselves. Their hoods were still pulled over their heads, covering their faces from view. Ryouga watched them from the corner of his eye as he oversaw the provisioning.

It would be better to get them out of here before anything happens, he thought. That way, we won't get involved into anything dangerous.

†††

They didn't want to stay long in the village, if they could help it. This little village was defenceless to whatever dangers they could attract, once the enemy knew they had left the City. Usually the Nine met with very little trouble when they went out on patrols, but that was before Rikkaidai had mobilised.

At first, Tezuka hadn't been sure whether it was a good idea or not to bring Fuji out with him. The Second was the City's centre of defence, without him the City defences would drop devastatingly. But he could feel the need to bring him outside, after centuries of not having left the City.

If Fuji was unsure of being outside the City's walls, he didn't show it. His voice was light and cheerful and he hummed to himself as they checked their horses and baggage over once more.

"We haven't been out together for a long while now," he commented, as he checked the strap of the harness. He carefully avoided expanding on just how long 'a long while' was.

"The circumstances never called for it before," Tezuka replied.

"Darkness is impending upon us and yet there is still such peace. It seems as if nothing touches what lies within these borders."

"The calm before the storm."

Fuji regarded the First over the saddle of his own mount with a smile.

"Perhaps." He stroked the mane of his horse. "Will it be a hurricane, or a typhoon, do you think? Weather is unpredictable, but surely you can chance a guess."

Tezuka snorted in contempt as he reached over to adjust the straps on Fuji's mount for him. The Second stood back to let him do the task, even though he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. He looked up at the sky.

"It's past midday," he said. "If the border is a fortnight's ride from here, we cannot tarry for long."

"A hard ride for the rest of the day should get us through the forests," Tezuka said firmly, going back to his own mount. "We will make camp there."

They mounted, Fuji politely thanking the villagers for their assistance before Tezuka kicked his horse into a gallop. The Second followed closely, the two of them disappearing in a cloud of dust. Ryouga watched them leave, slightly relieved. He hoped not to see them again a while yet.

†††

Notes:

1 bloodhawks – these creatures are about the size of a Labrador when fully grown, their feathers are blood red. Aside from this fact, the bloodhawk feeds on the hearts of humans and animals alike, so were sealed off at the last Turn of the Eras to prevent them from injuring anyone. Only one man, Jackal Kuwahara, now has the power to release them, handed down in his family for generations.

2 peace treaty – after the last Turn of the Eras and the defeat of Rikkaidai, the rulers of all the nations came together to sign the peace treaty. The treaty stated that each nation was to keep its own armies within their borders and the only contact between the nations was through trade and tourism. Any movement that has intention to harm another nation is seen as breaking the treaty.

3 White Phoenix Gwenhwyfar – there are three patron deities of the people. They are the Gold Dragon, Absalom, the White Phoenix, Gwenhwyfar, and the Red Python, Rhydderch. All Council members have Absalom as their chief patron, but can also have the phoenix or the python as a second patron

4 Turn of the Eras – the dynasties are counted in Turns. So far there have been three Turns, meaning that the current dynasty is the fourth. Each Turn marks the beginning of new bloodlines to reign the nations and the beginning of the new dynasty is preceded by total chaos until the legendary Storyteller is found and restores peace.

5 'They were ageless and immortal and he was not.' – the first eight members of the Council are granted immortality upon their instatement. This means they cannot die of natural means, nor can they kill themselves, but they can be killed by another. By tradition, the Ninth of the Council is the crown prince of the Nameless City in the empire of Seishun, but he is not granted immortality because his position as the Ninth is only temporary, until he ascends to the throne.

These are the notes for this chapter. Sorry guys, but you'll have to wait to find out the detailed role of the Storyteller, amongst other special facts, because that would spoil the story.

If you have any questions to ask, just comment/review, or email me!

Relinquished