3rd P.O.V
- 13th December, 1867
"Hehhh... What an awful night."
Heisuke hadn't had a drop of liquor since the departure from the campsite at Kodai-ji, which led to his rather unfortunate mental scrutiny. Prior to that particular evening, he was indeed grovelling to his fellow Goryo-Eji companions, and complaining about some mysterious hip-cramps, yet they offered only a sidelong glance in retort. He decided to shift the conversation.
" I bet there's going to be rain, tonight." Heisuke gingerly attempted to switch up the conversion to whatever popped up in his sporadic mind, as only a grunt was perceived to his ears. Along with, the clinks and clatters of compact armour and gear in the dead silence of the enshrouded night. Heisuke glanced tediously in the fellow's direction, offering a blank look.
"Oh," was the response.
The emptiness in the vacuous voice had startled Heisuke to the point he'd flittered a look again in his stoic partner's direction, albeit the fact it only left him with a plunging sensation gnawing at his mind. Returning back to his own pace of footwork, he resumed his steady trek.
Oh - it was the only thing, Heisuke himself could really say, too. In all honesty, he wasn't used to this callous treatment, unlike the reception back at Nishi Hongan-ji. How did it make him feel? Why did it make him feel a certain way? In a sense, he felt infantile, as a variety of large words popped up in his aggravated thought track: babied, cajoled, coddled, agitated. ANYTHING.
Like a child, being dismissed.
It was enough for Heisuke to back down completely, shrinking into his own space. Was there anything to be said?
In fact, in further inspection, there really wasn't anything Heisuke could comment or remark on. The isolation he felt constantly devouring his insides as well as his overriding brain was enough to make him grit his teeth in frustration; as Guards of the Tomb, wasn't companionship something cherished? Valued, in a vague sense?
He plodded onwards racking his brain whilst yanking at his tassels in further insight to the evening, glancing upwards tediously as he clicked his angular jaw. Sure enough the position of the agonisingly crawling moon hadn't changed not a single bit from his last observation, for only the radiance of the dwindling lunar rock continued to shine despite all evidences of Heisuke's mood falling downhill.
A simple pit stop, left Heisuke buzzing.
He raked an armour plated palm into the crevices of his knotted hair, unwinding the bristles of his tousled chestnut hair with a severe expression. All throughout the journey he'd noticed rather subliminal messages such as the way many of the night's banners, familiar slogans of inns, housing residences, stores, restaurants, anything his accentuated eyes could track! All.. All of them...
They triggered his mindset, and lulled him to the past. What past? It was only a few months ago, following the path of the lunar calendar; it had been so long... since his departure from the ruthless Shinsengumi. It was absolutely absurd in his mind feeling such heart wrenching guilt; he'd bid his farewells and his "mata ne" goodbyes. They were saddening, but it was a fitting exit for both him, and his mutual Hajime Saito.
And yet, he found himself reminiscing. Why, exactly? In his mind, his heart... his resolve! He had nothing to offer his overworked mind which exerted paranoid thoughts: why had they returned to this particular ward of Kyoto? This particular prefecture?
It was, according to Itō, his superior and mentor, a humble meeting with his former commander Isami Kondou, to his secret residence in Samegai. No other content was given. A secret. That fact alone, left Heisuke rather skeptical even for his own hapless self; in his dour mind it was hard to fathom the fact Kondou was being rather secretive on this occasion; was it Hijikata offering the concept of secrecy? In reality, Heisuke was rather fearful of encountering Kondou once more; he'd hoped for two things, the first being that Kondou had enough decency to respect Heisuke's leave, but also... maybe to try to convince Heisuke just to come back for a bit?
Heisuke wasn't sure these days what to think, much less grasp any thoughts on his previous bosses' perspectives. He wasn't even sure what he wanted.
But he felt the minuscule breaths he once took, which resembled of home. It wasn't something to be savoured for too long, as he attempted to dismiss all other lurking temptations to turn his head over his shoulder; for a strangely desired sense of comfort, he reached for his kodachi. Pursing his tight lips, he pressed his juvenile yet sturdy straight shoulders against the wall behind him, regaining a rather gloomy expression.
Yet, he was abruptly reeled into reality, steeling his jaw as he absorbed his surroundings. He had a knack of patting down his curly dark bangs over his forehead, grazing his lash-rimmed eyes.
His glimmering lenses were strained on the distance which was littered with the trail of fellow Goryo-Eji Guards, all compact in their rows. However, the guide at the front clad with an oiled chonmage, had taken a baffling standstill. This proceeded for another second, as Heisuke was left in an rather uncomfortable air of silence.
True to his word, the guide belonging to the Shinsengumi had prior kept to his solemn promise of leading the group into the depths of Kondou's den, which had led them on a solid embark for a full 30 minutes. Heisuke, who was rather fixated on his own grovelling thoughts, hadn't taken much to the fellow's appearance and garbs; the uniform of a regular soldier, as well as their startling height had awfully reminded Heisuke just how juxtaposing the Shinsengumi, and Guards really were.
But then again... - His brow was sharply harrowed done as he blurred out the ongoing events laid hereafter, as his position was situated at the rear of the platoon. He zoned out, his turquoise eyes suddenly delved into a murky hue.
Again, he whispered to oneself and no one particular, a dreary expression which, to the foreign eye, seemed rather wistful.
Shinsengumi, and the Guard ...
Kondou, and Itô ...
"None of it really matters..." it was as if by the spur of the exact moment Heisuke had enunciated the dull phrase which reverberated in the dusk of the brewing evening, he was overwhelmed by the sensation his partner had jerked to the side simultaneously, eyes seemingly bulging out of their sockets. Scared stiff, and he could virtually feel this change in motion.
"Oh-?" Finally an emotion twinged upon the facade of Heisuke's diligent comrade, despite the fact it felt wrong. Terrible, terrible distraught etched upon the man's dewy features elucidated by the moon's enthralling iridescent grasps, as he rapidly turned to Heisuke.
Alas... his eyes did not follow hereafter, nor were they laid upon Heisuke. In fact the jolted man, who was consumed with a wretched expression and clamped jaw, had raised both arms to brush them against Heisuke's shoulders to the point it made the lad topple over in an hurried array. Much to his astonishment Heisuke was swept off his feet from the tremendous force, landing with a searing pain inflicted on his rear.
"ACH! AIIII..." he cursed on numerous occasions under his breath whilst barely perceiving his surroundings; indeed for a splitsecond he rather felt infuriated and at a loss of words for such an aggressive approach. What on earth was going through his partner's mind? Heisuke was just about to incline with his lips forming a borderline-snarl, until he felt his heart immediately plunge.
And there, as the atmosphere was gradually filled with a completely foreign tension Heisuke had only experienced back at the Ikedaya Incident, he was caught off guard by the flirting expression of the paled man slowly crumple with a bleary countenance.
From that point did the figure's head flop down onto the ground with a morbid squelch, which was enough for Heisuke to completely shut down his primal senses. Acute vision harrowed down at the thick crimson pool encircling the decapitated corpse that fell to the ground with a lifeless thud, Heisuke's facial expressions were scrunched up indefinite horror.
He saved me. He... saved me.
Bewildered, Heisuke had completely closed off the possibility that this was happening to his surroundings. He envisioned the distant cries of impeding battle, clattering, banging, twinging hissing blades, to be but a mere fallacy. In its stead, he could only think one thing.
I was about to be beheaded... yet he saved me.
Heisuke's trained eyes threatened to bulge as they refused to shut, nor could he even begin to speak; the words he'd wanted to emulate prior to the horrendous scene of finding his partner dead before his eyes had vanished. All he was left to work with, was his parched throat scorching with incoherent jumbles.
"O-Oi... W-What... H-Hey...?" Heisuke whimpered as a reoccurring dreadful thought never ceased to pop to and fro his mind, until he begun attempting to hobble back up to his feet, although it was easier said than done. It had appeared that they had collapsed upon himself, hereafter leaving him as a collateral mess on the ground clad with the heavy sets of heaving armour.
Just then, it came apparent how the wafted copper brews had startlingly managed to lift under his nostrils, causing him to gag relentlessly. He covered his mouth with the back of his smooth palm. He couldn't stay there, nor could he press himself to keep going. After all... with the humiliating defeat at Ikedaya still looming in his mind, how would he mend his tarnished pride?
"... Damnit!" Dismissing the possible life forms hovered above him as he began pounding his inner palm deeper and deeper into his forehead with enough force to thud and rattle his brain, he attempted to unwind the tight knot wound around his head which strengthened his forehead protector. Firmly, he rooted the phrase "Keep alive at all costs! Don't fight!", which awfully reminded him of Sanosuke's heeding caution before his departure.
Again, there was an unintelligible scuffle of padded sandals that seemed to loom closer and closer towards Heisuke's spot, which sent a flurry of nerves cascading down his spine. He knew fully of the consequences of his sudden fleet of fear trembling down his spine, yet he held no firm reasons for his wavering lip. In any case, he was just about to shrink further into his wallowing despairs before jolting in surprise at the phantom visage of a foreign face; the guide!
He hadn't noticed the stream of bodies which were laid in set rows as far as the Guard's Company had started from; Heisuke couldn't comprehend in his bleak mind, how a human could easily cut through a force of skilled men in such a primeval manner. They were all respectably held at a high status, hailing from Itô's school of style.
He was just about to incline with his brow furrowed to form a face of enquiry, before he stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly, carefully and surely his paranoid eyes had instantaneously picked out the hovering palm which reached for its scabbard, vehemently unleashing a discord of metallic CLANKS of their kodachi.
Move, move! Move damnit! - Within seconds Heisuke had glimpsed just how much of a damned scenario things had turned out to be, as he froze up. No matter how hard he kept screaming at himself to budge, he refused to evade those same agonising memories back at the Inn, where he was caught with those crippling injuries that left him unable to work for months.
Padded footsteps embarking to their demise... ever increasing pace as they followed up the stairs, to meet their maker.
And there, staring dead in the eyes of a more sagacious, but certainly ludicrous member of the Shinsengumi, was enough for Heisuke's shoulders to chatter in a riled manner. There wasn't time to appreciate the glimmer of the seeping blade radiating the translucent glimmers of moonlight; there wasn't time for Heisuke to even begin regretting to turn a blind eye to resenting Shinsengumi.
There wasn't any time... for Heisuke to-
"HIYAAAHHHHHH!" Onwards, led the battle cry of his former Shinsengumi subordinate.
"Mmph..." Heisuke shied away using the crook of his elbow to bury his face in a meek attempt to evade the impact, with hinted desperation.
"HEISUKE!"
In a flash, all noises were blocked out.
When Heisuke had finally approved of his curious intuition, he managed to sneak a peek upwards with a heated face from the sheer intensity of the encounter. But alas! He was completely astonished by the counterattack led against the Shinsengumi's tremendous blow; what sort of stranger would be able to completely fend off a direct attack aimed for Heisuke?
Internally at the moment's bliss for surviving the blow unscathed, he jerked his head upwards in order to spy his saviour; his pleasure was outlived. For, only the fullest concentration was delivered to his Shinsengumi saviour. In that pitiful night, the fluttering Shinsengumi Blue's as well as the cluttered hakama, proved to Heisuke just how extreme the situation had become.
A Shinsengumi... protecting him from a Shinsengumi?
The individual had taken the brunt of the lethal blow with their own bare hands, both limbs encasing the sword's edge in an almost prayer-like gesture above their head. To Heisuke, this seemed utterly preposterous of an idea! What sort of blithering idiot would counterattack the direct blow by using their own hands, with the possibility that the blade would slice freely right through them?
The figure, to his surprise, kept an intent gaze fiercely over their shoulder. To Heisuke.
The stare was enough for him to comprehend their implicit tranquility.
It had appeared that Heisuke's nimble frame had caused a sort of, scowling feature upon the new Shinsengumi saviour, their brooding expression accentuated by the sharpness of their eyebrows. The coolness of the gaze, had almost reminded Heisuke of just... of just how reckless he was. Just how... just how foolish, he'd been laying flat on the ground awaiting his searing fate. How could he understand this despite the muteness of the solider?
"H-Huh..." he was left profoundly breathless as his chest was elevated and sunken with every painful breath, arms outstretched to his sides as he followed every splotch of blood derived from his saviour's trembling hands. What made matters worse, was that just as Heisuke was attempting to bring his feet, he'd just caught glimpse of the figure's unruly hazel hair that twinged in his mind; it brought upon a memory he wasn't sure he'd completely forgotten, nor could he partially remember.
The silent saviour proceeded to land a mute round-kick into the side of the Shinsengumi guide, leaving their own brethren handicapped as they crumpled willingly across the ground. Again, the guide hadn't uttered a cry of despair, which was a shock.
The posture, as well as the smoothly defined kick was enough for Heisuke to wince, especially since the move had left the audible sound of bone crunching.
"I... I know you..." Heisuke started with a skeptical expression as he gasped at the events laid hereafter. His fated saviour's sculptured cheekbones which boomed of higher prosperity, their bangs which loomed deadly close over their eyes yet never babied the deadly leer in their watchful stare. Their arched back which was globed in its own remarkable manner, as well as their slender legs which took tremendous steps-
And fled, before their consequences would soon catch up with their actions.
"WAIT! WAIT! PLEASE!" Heisuke cried as he yanked himself back to his feet, tip toed out of the carnage of the scene which had brought him back to reality; why had he lost focus all of a sudden? Nonetheless he brought about a determined expression, still a tad off-course by the fact that most comrades of the Guard, were all dead around him. Lifeless, wretched decomposing corpses which strangely enough held no meaning to him.
Heisuke was unsure for a second, he gnawed at his lower lip in agitation. He couldn't just stand there and patiently await Itô, since his own Company had taken a sharp split precisely an hour ago from the secondary formation; he still couldn't comprehend the trauma within him, or the way the Shinsengumi Guide had turned on him- them.
The atmosphere was riddled with curiosity as well as insane ridicule, so much so it could just as well throttle you with its sworn secrecy. Heisuke, pledging to himself to seek the specific person who had saved him beforehand, felt the trepidation of his hammering heart, as he clutched his robes in a bundle, just above his heart.
A friend, a friend, is who saved him.
That reason alone, was enough to drive his slacking heels into a full on sprint, in the direction of the rustling Shinsengumi Haori.
➰ - 5 minutes later.
Heisuke's sight momentarily was strained gazing into the dusky landscape strewn around his circumspect; often he pondered of taking a sneaky gander around the nearest corner before frantically trotting off in forceful complacency.
No! He couldn't afford to wander off and procrastinate on such an imperative occasion, nor could he begin ambling in such an idle manner whilst peeking into the shutters of the closed-up market stalls in the dead of night. Oh why, oh why did she choose to run off on such a dismal night?
As he continued to ponder, whilst gritting his clattering chiffon teeth in earnest displays of vain warmth gathering, he picked up his slacked heels to brush against the soles vigorously.
He knew fully in his heart, that the one who'd jumped into the brawl, was her.
Who?
"Isamu Chikasa..." Heisuke exhaled as he paused for a second, whilst drifting his body around the sharp corner. Dismissing the entirety of the scene including the barrage of sealed barrels, banisters rolled up into neat stacks, pens with empty contents, as well as a lonely individual digging their sandals into the dirt with a slumped posture. No doubt, in Heisuke's peering irises, was that anyone else.
To the lad, he found it rather difficult to approach the usually jovial figure that was stalking down the desolate street in her wake; Heisuke had a tendancy to keep the opposing gender at a remarkable distance until he felt his cheeks finally regaining their normal texture. Alas, he felt the situation far more complex than trivial means of interaction, thus he took his strides to catch up to her in no time.
Heisuke was a proud lad - in fact, you might commend on him being an official adult, finally at 21. In the years gone past he was rather lanky though inevitably short for his age, often commenting on how his "time" was somewhere near in the future. Fast forwarding to now, 2 years later, Heisuke's height exceeded that of his Saviour - "Isamu Chikasa."
"... I... I find it a bit strange you're here Chikasa, but," Heisuke breathlessly paused between a thoughtful chuckle as he raised his voice, "thank you, for saving me!"
There wasn't a single response nor a flick of surprise, as only the audible steady pounding of their sandals echoed throughout the straggly gust of the night. Heisuke was a bit intrigued at first as to why her extraordinary face was burrowed in a deep sullen expression, as he tilted his body to scan her face closer. It was a rather adorable display, coming from Heisuke.
"Are you okay, Chikasa? O-Oi.. let's get your hands all cleaned up..." Heisuke was sure enough at this point she'd immediately brush him off by stating her status was 'perfectly fine' and normal. But as his heart became quite wobbly as he scooped her hands, he felt the tinge of the sub-zero temperature engulf his own flushed fingertips.
Covered in a scarlet fluid which tricked down her inanimate hands, Heisuke had plucked at the courage to bundle them together with his own, blowing at them in a vain attempt to heat them up. Funny enough it only accentuated his own heated cheeks, sucking them inwards before he began to speak (Ignoring his own heart ready to burst out of its chest in fluent embarrassment).
"I just... I was a bit scared... that's why I was on the ground. My partner pushed me at the nick of time before the blade reached me... I just, I can't..." Heisuke trailed off with his knitted brow as he pondered deeper at her blemishes which covered the surface of her bony hands, the flutter in his heart causing him to tentatively smile. "I think, when I saw the Shinsengumi Blues... I kinda got a bit nostalgic for a second, you know?"
Heisuke found his nattering to be a bit boring (who could possibly care for his busy chatter?) , as he restricted himself for a wavering moment. Observing the deep crevices in her empty hands, he brushed over the stained fingers with his quirked thumbs, rubbing the excess fluids down his kimono. As they proceeded to meander in whatever direction suited best, Heisuke gave her a lop-sided smile.
"I think it's clean now, isn't it? I mean... my attire is a bit grimy now, but that's okay!" Heisuke paused to comically glance down at the splotches of blood over his Goryo-Eji kimono, as well as the tainted crest which bore his Master's logo. He shrugged, tightening his jaw. "I think I've made up my mind; even if you're a capable woman, you're also a bit too reckless. I see myself in that, which is why... I'm taking you back."
Heisuke's resolve was already made up, as his chest swelled with pride.
Maybe there wasn't a reason believable enough to follow, nor was there any leaders to follow after the deeply traumatic experience he'd just underwent. However, as of then, Heisuke was sure that in the situation alone, it would be best to protect the two of them; deep in his heart, Heisuke was sure she'd do the same for him... right? Because, they were friends.
Despite this change in demeanour, he was taken completely by surprise when the female quaked for a moment, whispering coldly with her titled shoulders caving inwards on her body. It was the first time she spoke. "I wasn't supposed to be there... I just, wanted to carry on in Okita Captain's stead. He's... He's..."
She's his subordinate, right? - Heisuke wasn't a fool to dissuade this, although there was another thought which stirred in his mind whilst gazing at her nonchalant visage. Where was Souji? Was he somewhere nearby?
Nonsense!
The pitiful expression engulfing her countenance proved more fragile than ever before. He was afraid it would shatter right before him, leaving him in the aftermath of shards unable to piece themselves back, bit by bit.
Heisuke had parried with her in the past and acknowledged the fact her swordplay was in a sense, clumsy. He'd conversed with her on many occasions though he hadn't actually gotten to know her very well, but it was apparent she was, passionate. If someone, in Heisuke's mind, was so... unbearably callous, calculative, and apathetic, it made Heisuke shiver. The similarities in the hardship of both their lives proved all too similar; the life of a female foot soldier undercover, and the life of a torn once-captain.
And he was sure, that he'd earnestly missed her tender smile. Perhaps it was something irrelevant, or something small and significant. But he believed in those moments, it would uplift the melancholy he felt swallow him whole.
The slur in their movement was evident, as they snaked their way through a narrow alleyway. Heisuke, whom appeared quite boastful, had remarked on how he'd known the minuscule passageways of the city like "the back of his hand". All the while he was patiently awaiting for Chikasa's own trudging footsteps to follow after his own body, as he fitted himself into the tight area.
She willingly trailed behind him, yet created a shrill noise of discomfort when her nose was pressed in an upheaval, against his broad back. For a splitsecond she murmured softly under her breath, questioning Heisuke's sudden pause in the journey. She peered over his shoulder with a look of distinct condensation.
They were a little... flabbergasted at first. It was a natural imminent response to finding the dingy alleyway blocked off, and finding it ever so remotely passable. Amidst the empty vessels of crates, odd mesh wired caskets specifically designed to carry crustaceans, rusty harpoons and unraveled chocks of rope, lied silhouettes of unnamed animate objects which were strewn across the floor. They covered the entirety of the surface area, for only they gazed upon in profound observation.
They swarmed, jiggled and appeared to be gliding across the gravel in a smooth fashion. As the duo could only gape in sheer bewilderment to the appearance of the dark-dwelling creatures hobbling down on the ground, they could barely perceive the features until the moon had found its way peeping over the secreted passage; their undeniably animalistic snouts which snuffed at the ground in a display caused Heisuke to find absolutely fucking hilarious. He began to ridicule the feigns, sticking his finger at them.
"For a second," he started with a snigger, "I was quite shocked! SCARED, even! But Chikasa, I'll kill these street-runts! I'm not scared anymore!" At this point Heisuke had raised his almighty leg over his head, to ward off and intimidate the young sows.
Street pigs - Chikasa internally noted which was evident by her frank expression, scrunching it up as she began racking her memory. Was it even possible to come across a herd of roaming piglets out in the cold of a late December night? In any case, why did they appear easygoi-
"AAAIIIIII!" Heisuke cried aloud as he took a large step back, cursing cursing and cursing on numerous occasions when he felt the scalding flames dance around his wriggly toes. This caused Chikasa to peek over Heisuke's shoulder, witnessing the impressive feat of the piglets breathing the flames in a set row. Only at that point once it was processed in her mind, she deemed it completely abnormal, tugging Heisuke back by the elbow in an attempt to keep him at bay.
"T-They... B-B-Breathe... B-B-Breathe," Heisuke, startled out of his wits, had craned his neck down into his body in fright as he stammered. Surely, this was all... a trick? A trick? Before he shaped his quivering lips to speak, whilst he hastily shook his head realising the sudden danger of the calamity, on a whim he grabbed ahold of Chikasa's hand speeding off out of the tiny alley.
"I'LL PROTECT YOU! COME ON! THIS IS ABSURD!" Heisuke uttered with a forlorn frown etched upon his disdained demeanour, he couldn't shake off the livid sensation that whatever was happening, was insane. Insane! Heisuke muttered to oneself as he paced himself with sharp breaths, tugging along the sluggish Chikasa. She thought he was being rather frivolous.
Once taking a gander over his shoulder, it became apparent that the mystic fire-wielding runts did not follow in hot pursuit, as they left the trail cold. This led to Heisuke slowing down a tad, unconsciously still gripping ahold of the woman's hand; he'd noticed how spaced out she'd been and how the only phrase she's enunciated was Okita Souji, thus leading him to assume she was not in the right mindset to take the lead.
"How about this small district..." Heisuke suggested as he rubbed his bleary eyes, taking heed due to the fact he hadn't blinked in ages. Following down a sturdy trail which led onwards into a more broader stretch of allies complied between two fanciful residences, Heisuke found himself peering down them in warded suspicion; again, in the solace of the moon below them, Heisuke was distraught to find another batch of dusty specks hobbling to and fro across the ground. The sooty oddballs were covered in a frosty layer of auburn bristles which hinted their mammal descendants, but Heisuke knew all too well of underestimating such controversial beings.
Sporting a frown, he murmured, "not this path," before attempting to find a more secluded spot which would lead them down the temple grounds back to the Shinsengumi's brand new HQ, Nishi Hongan-Ji. However it was at the imminent point he'd left the entrance of that particular alleyway, when he felt an ominous presence clawing at his back. In fact as time progressed, he relished in the daunting realisation there was a tremendous presence right behind him.
The brilliance of the abysmal aura left him raising his knees, picking up the pace furiously. Alas! He was caught in the nick of time in hot pursuit from his pursuers, as he dared to take a peek.
There, on the Main Street for all eyes to follow! Haphazard sooty swines began bounding in a maniacal frenzy after the dwindling couple, their bumbling causing the ground to quake in a turbulent terror. Jolted out of his wits, Heisuke attempted to dart into whatever alleyway suited best to evade the hobbling supernatural creatures, despite the fact he was surely denied that freedom. Whatever crevice he turned to for aid, it appeared there was an even larger stack of creatures waiting to pounce from their situated caliginous spots.
And thus, it was decided spontaneously that the best route would be to follow the Main Street, as their slacking heels instantly took speed. Never did they bring haste, even Chikasa according to Heisuke's attentive stare, was also rather acquiescent. The flight of their pursuit had almost an detrimental effect, since Heisuke was sadly out of breath before passing the next turn into the main's street's derived corner. At that point however, he was forced to stop in his tracks.
Swerving his legs until he regained a loose stance, he protectively brought himself in front of the dazed female, growling in retrospect. His murky orbs had caught something glimmering in the mist of the street, which caused his hair follicles to stand on their edges. Deliberately sheathing his wakizashi with a slow, steady and dissipating hiss, Heisuke was finally ready to face whatever lurked in the gloom.
Indeed, it was a marvelling sight for the duo to receive. Amongst the sounds of squeaky trotters against the gravel, or the snooty snuffles of moist nostrils against the ground, there ahead lie a distorted shadow, which was initially at a standstill, before proceeding to embark in an ambiguous saunter; why was the being approaching them? Where they about to offer sanction, or perhaps... reprimand?
But the presence was dastardly, it wasn't something regular on an eve's walk. It spoke of forthcoming bitterness, enshrouded resent and hatred that bore before the innocent eyes. And yet, it was only a casted shadow, nothing more, nothing less. You could almost dismiss the shadow as but a simple glare of the moonlight, or an illusion casted by the wafted fog.
Bloodlust. That sheer overriding sensation which tortured the brain, shrivels the heart and moral. The one which wields pure emotion and converts it into a powerful mechanism of primal instinct; to kill. Heisuke, knew all too well of this sensation; he was brought up with it, watched it stir amongst his comrades, and even pledged to overcome it one day.
Bloodlust. The aimless sought to kill.
The nerves of the young man were enough for him to retract gently, squeezing the muted woman for comfort. Although she was partially regaining conscious to the point she handed him a dim expression; neither realised that they were both holding their breath in agonisingly wreaked anticipation. Holding, holding.
"Don't get in our way!" Heisuke cautioned with an amplified tone that reached into the abysmal mist, echoing throughout. "Come out!"
A sharp, piercing metallic thunk continuously was driven against the floor. They were driven in repeated reps that didn't follow a specific rhythm, but all the while was in a consistent sluggish pattern. Clunk... clunk. To Heisuke, the owner of the noises far proceeded his expectations; as he strained his eyes into the edging hues of raven night, he envisioned the appearance of a set of blades all drawn against the ground: or large yari spears, longbows, an axe, sickle, scythe, clubs, or even trucheon! He could feel his startling word bank override before-
Taking a circumspect, the dismal duo was bestowed the rare appearance of the gloom-dweller. It became apparent that Heisuke's intuition was completely off by a milestone, for the weaponry snaked around the silhouette had glimmered with a viridescent glower in the atmosphere. Each curve was linked until it formed a necklace of a sort; iron chains wrapped around the figure. It was ear-deafening, the tremendous groans of the brass shackles scraping against the ground, jolting Heisuke on a whim.
"A certain person, whom I may not be inclined to name..." the wispy tone that erupted into the unsettling area was enough to bring a sense of loathing splattered across Chikasa's face; she was reawakened by the resemblance in the eery mutter, "would, call me... bitch."
Heisuke was forced to keep a stern facade, despite the fact he was dealt with million questions invading his mind. The voice's edge, depth of tone, pitch, as well as lack of sincerity had led Heisuke to assume they were a male, which was hardly an assumption, because who could possibly wield such a mass of iron bundled across their forearms, snaked across their wrists, and flung to their sides?
Heisuke evaded swiftly the uproar of hogs scuttling towards him with their mouths agape, jerking the back of his wakizashi's hilt against the incomers; successfully he had accomplished his goal of parrying away the almost-summoned creatures which latched to his calves. Luckily his legs were enveloped in tight onyx stockings which prevented him from the torch burns of the inferno's heat; alas he found it difficult also bringing Chikasa into safety. Despite that moment's instance of dread, he was almost relieved when the soldier drew her own sword out of its lamenting scabbard in a meticulous manner, she still wielded the same cautious, low eyes, wariness and furrowed brow as before.
"Chikasa!" Heisuke clamoured as he jerked his hips to the side, avoiding the brunt of an extremely temperamental boar striking to his hips. As he changed his footing, he reached outwards to grab her sword in mid-clutch, his intent glaze focused to her own chocolate brown orbs. "... trust me, I told you I'll keep us safe!"
Moments onwards he thrusted the half-drawn blade into his own grip, firmly casting it against the unlucky but familiar boar. Heisuke, whom appeared rather boisterous, was internally at ease by the use of two wakizashi; for a bleak moment he'd envision Chikasa's passionate resolve fluctuate into his own energy! Merging with their heated intent to conclude this night! Heisuke felt this greatly.
Meanwhile, the harsh soles of the shadow's sandals had rippled into the atmosphere once more. To Heisuke, he'd assume by their stance, that their appearance was more than a coincidence; perhaps relevant to the events that had just occurred with the Guards? Either way, he was oblivious when he felt a brutish force bustle itself in his direction, as he felt the coursing rivet of the wind alarm him at a moment's second.
THWAK!
Luckily, much to Heisuke's inner relief, the blow of the shadow's intertwining figure hadn't taken much of an impact on him. With closer inspection he was saved at a millisecond's whim by Chikasa's rapid thinking. She had applied herself between the shadow-dweller and Heisuke, grabbing the "bull" by the horns, which Heisuke was sure belonged to a bull. Anything! But... a woman's groan elicited from the sheer manhandled force?
Horns! Horns indeed! Their smooth, ivory complexion radiated against the moon's fluent illuminance would betray the naked eye; had they once previously belonged to Indian elephants, their tusks shrunk from a master's craftsmanship! Thus ensured Heisuke's utter oblivious to the scenario which even he had uttered under his breath, although he hadn't much time to ponder nor react before having to pry Chikasa off the female shadow-dweller's protruding horns which stuck out of their head.
"AICH! You will pay... for this! Wretched fiend! I will return what's rightfully mine!" The horned shadow-dweller spat ruefully, hoisting herself amongst the company of amicable hogs. From there it was certain to both Shinsengumi and ex-Shinsengumi member, that the woman was driving incantations flooding into the piglets' ears. She was manipulating them with atrocious acts! Were they her spies? Minions?
He directed a reproachful look back at the concentrated Chikasa, and back at the apparent-female shadow.
"..." Heisuke was in mastered silence when he'd caught glimpse of their exchanging glares, to the point it was certain that they were the ones conjuring the god-awful mist amongst them! He was surely in a state, as he took a gigantic step backwards.
I'll let you take care of that, Chikasa... I feel like there's bad blood, which i'm sure you can take care of. - Heisuke motioned with the swerve of his head, fine eyebrows harrowed down as he jerked his angular jaw in the direction of bumbling swines. Each one had taken their own little flustered flare of flames within their gaping mouths, but as Heisuke quoted, they hadn't the same spark as before. Thus! That gave the lad the most optimal opportunity.
He herded the remaining hogs which had reluctantly joined in the brawl, their trotters and moist snouts squeaking with the gist of the moment, for Heisuke was instant enough to bring them into a corner. Driving them with the fear of succumbing to both his swords' edges etched into the hogs' minds, their hysterical squeals and nickers were perceivable in the compact air. Now! He could return to assist-
"HEISUKE! L-LEND ME SOME STRENGTH!" The exclamation was a split-second decision which Chikasa had approached with reluctance; even Heisuke had assumed she preferred independence in her duty. Therefore, when Heisuke has managed to peer over his shoulder after his accomplished job, he was set on edge by the vision of Chikasa being towed away. What on earth?
It wasn't possible - He restated in his mind over and over, spontaneously breaking into a top-speed sprint (which complimented his title of master forerunner quite complacently!), and checking the calculations. Heisuke's speed had made him superior to Chikasa, yet when it came to brute force and willpower, she would hastily triumphant on many occasions.
What had gone wrong?
"I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU!" He bellowed in retort, a swell of flourishing compassion and a sense of duty overcoming him as he managed to reach their spot, before abruptly pausing in his tracks. He made a face, before scanning the vacant area; hang on? Hadn't he heard her desperate plea-
"UP! 12 O'CLOCK!" Chikasa instructed Heisuke, as he proceeded to raise his jaw. What he saw, was absolutely maniacal! Chikasa was being towed away tucked in the night's glaringly uncomfortable silence, up in the air! Suspended in the air's wrathful grasp; was that even something the deities would permit? Heisuke was left aimlessly toddling to and fro, catching the glare of the moonlight enabling him to watch the shadow lifting her in whatever direction suited best.
Heisuke tracked this with humble ease. He drew a sharp breath which filled his diaphragm, exhaling out a heavy output. He was serene, his temples loosened as he contracted his thighs. He curled into a tightened ball, whilst managing to slot Chikasa's longsword between his clenched teeth. Sheathing his own sword in its sheathe, he was left boggling into the vacuous night's air, before-
He leapt! Exiting the retracted position with enough momentum to leap a foot into the air, he grasped ahold of Chikasa's dangling sandals, fending off the tightened knot forming in his stomach. True, his adrenaline was rushing to the point it was devouring his conscious to breathe properly in the air, but he kept his wits about him. I won't, ever let go!
Well, taking a step back, how did Heisuke even reach this situation? - Dangling in mid air whilst being towed off to only the Gods' knows where, what was the former dilemma? Wanting to chase after a former comrade? Reminiscing of his old job and co-workers? Being alive, at all?
He felt his squirming tongue poke against the sword slammed into his mouth, concentrating profusely not to land any sort of internal cuts within his mouth! How could he possibly return the sword, when he could barely keep himself from slipping! He gripped Chikasa's bony ankles for dear life, unintentionally causing the dearest woman to squirm in response.
"Heisuke! Leave!" She commanded, which caused the entity above to wriggle at the warning.
"Another being? Why, we must get rid of them!" The shadow-dweller returned as she forced a raspy cackle down her parched throat, her impeding presence leaving Heisuke momentarily fighting for dominance! Only then did he notice the pricks of the fire-breathing soot-coloured piglets crawling down the shadow's body frame and trickling down Chikasa's tense body, before gnawing at Heisuke's curled fingers.
He was sure he delayed the mode of transportation, even just for a second!
Heisuke was about to incline by gesturing for Chikasa to grab the sword tucked in his occupied mouth in a discreet manner, until he was dragged across the floor. Correction, his body was HEAVED by a foreign sensation strangling his hips! It was grounding enough that even Chikasa complained with a prolonged groan, as they simultaneously turned their heads over their shoulders.
Chikasa let out a strangled noise.
Heisuke's eyes threatened to bulge, his heart seemingly ready to pour out of its ribcage.
The grounding presence which had yanked Heisuke down to the ground with ease, bore a severe expression. Their hunched frame, as their arms were outstretched and latched around Heisuke's lanky stature, completely outclassed the youthful lad in prosperity, charisma, and indefinite experience.
Wispy auburn bangs which complimented his chiseled cheekbones, though the sunken appearance of his cheeks accentuated by the moon would lead to the conclusion he was suffering from sleep deprivation. Nonetheless, his tufts of hair which fell down to his corded neck, was pinned into a hefty knot at the back of his head, which prevented any hassle in battle.
Alas, he kept his trained fern orbs rheumy and intent, moving past the surprising appearance of Heisuke, to the likes of a slumped Chikasa being yanked by her shoulders. Pursed lips as he managed to sneak a forlorn frown, Heisuke had just about envisioned the absence of Okita Souji's Shinsengumi attire, before all images before him became a blur. They ceased to simply exist.
The pertinence of the man wasn't confirmed in Heisuke's ushering mind, as he found himself lulled to a trance of deep sleep awfully inviting. In the back of his mind, he could've sworn he'd heard the audible clamour of Chikasa calling out for Okita Souji, but he was just too nauseated from being caught in the air. Lightheaded...
Okita hadn't a trouble plunging his trustworthy weaponry into whatever deemed ill in his mind, which also included most of the population of the swines prancing off Heisuke's build, and against Okita. Perhaps their flame was finally ignited, for they bleated a tremendous uproar of fumes and combustion!
Okita was erratic enough to dodge the forthcoming attacks to which he landed his hollow blows; he would take an almighty step back, before creating another two steps in response. Luckily, he'd received the revelation of abnormalities in the area with roaming caution; not once was he out of place, much to Heisuke's grim expression. Exceedingly calm and at ease, similar to a summer day's blazing spar!
THWAK! SPLAT!
Eventually, Chikasa had managed to claw her way out of the lock against her shoulders, contacting the ground before thrusting herself into a roll across the floor to avoid any serious injuries. Heisuke, was cushioned by his fluffy portions of voluminous locks and his lack of distance from the ground; he'd coincidentally spat out the sword before it could split open his bloody tongue any further! It landed with a series of metallic clatters.
Okita fought with bravery; his frame quaked with every impact at whatever inferno was sprawled his direction, for he was able to leap to the side. Thankful for his long legs and globe arched back, he would've taken another stride, hence his eyes darted to the distance.
However, he was caught in the reality of the situation. For a long time coming he'd been suppressing the urge to cough or wheeze; it tickled at his button nose and fluttered up his blocked throat, yet he'd known the consequences all too well. The sheer force of simply hacking a cough, would lead to another series of exasperating wheezes. He'd experienced it over, over and over again.
"!" He widened his glossy hued eyes as he abruptly halted dead in his tracks, keeling over with a fist driven against his chest for support. He felt it, he felt his bronchitis shrivel as he braced for the coughs, allowing them to flow as he expectorated wet, laborious coughs that jolted most of the starring figures in that scenario. To Okita, it was an immediate defeat, a withdrawal in his mind.
And with that, his resolve to fight was crumbling before him, as he rubbed his grimy hands against his kimono, his sword clattering aside with a CLANK! A pained expression flitted across his affronted visage as he wiped away trickled of sweat beads rolling down his smooth cheeks; he resembled the most violent, yet docile creature you could scavenge from a salvaging heap.
With that interlude, Chikasa immediately brought herself to shuddering in complete sorrow. She knew in her mind, there wasn't a point, nor a hint of self-deprecation that would drive her to believe Okita was fine. Because, he wasn't.
But Okita didn't let her believe he wasn't.
A silhouette which hardly resembled the horned gleaming shadow had lurked in the backdrop of the scene in total observation. The masked figure, who'd concealed their presence enough for none of the Shinsengumi to notice, had crept up behind the weakened Okita Souji in a sinister stalking motion, their strides measured with the stroke of their hand reaching above their head-
Before striking down against the nape of the disease-riddled Samurai. The instant crackle of bone, the flooding emotions of different shades of despair immobilising Chikasa the moment she'd reached for his side, as well as the timid Heisuke landing against the cold sleek gravel with hazed insight.
Kondou, or Itô - he memorised his lamenting words.
Chikasa, or Souji - he accordingly followed his frost-nipped breaths elevated into the cumulus of the eve, the fumes curled into their own brusquely minuscule forms.
"None of it... m-ma..." Heisuke barely muttered, eyes rolled upwards.