Ch.1: Any Last Words?
The sky was red with sunset and fire. With desperate eyes I scanned my eyes over
the rest of the city, then over the paltry remainder of the palace guard that had been. On
my back, a boy of no more than fifteen years was being carried by me. He was dressed in
tattered, ripped, but still fine silks. He had lost one fine shoe, but he had not
complained. I smiled inwardly. , I mentally commented to him.
A yell in front of me snapped me back to attention. Quickly I set the boy down and
held onto him with one arm. He clung half to me, half to the fabric at his side, trying to
be strong. His voice barely cracked a whisper. "Chichiri", he had dropped all formality
and was just using my name, "what's happening?"
I did not have a chance to answer, for then something the size of a small earthquake
rocked the ground beneath us and we tumbled in a bundle into the ditch beside the road.
Before he could react or cry out, I shouted above the melee for the remainder of the guard
to line up, picket-fence-like, and pick off anyone they saw. The location gave a bit of
advantage; the ditch was higher up than the rest of the road, so we were able to hold off
for a little while until I could get the boy to safety. Speaking of such, I looked over to
him. He looked like he was still in the palace, somehow, with cheeks smudges with the ashes
of the throne room, his clothes clawed upon by greedy merchants that did not realize just
who they were grabbing at. He was the emperor, the emperor of Konan.
Konan was up in flames. How ironic it was that Suzaku was our god.
"Shichiseishi Chichiri", he said, suddenly businesslike, "what actions are to be
taken now?" He was looking up at me with expectant - and familiar - eyes. I knew he
resented being carried around like a child, like a piece of luggage, but there had been no
other way to save Hotohori's child. Of course, Boushin had learned swordplay since he was a
child, but he had lost his sword a while back, in the ruins of the streets. I prayed that
it would come to good use in some poor commoner's hands; that was Hotohori's sword, and it
should never be used for anything other than for the good of Konan.
"We are going to defend this road until help arrives", I replied and purposefully
dropped the trademark 'no da' s that made my character cheerful. This was not time for
cheer. This was time for seriousness. I never did like that much.
"If help arrives?", the young emperor echoed my words. "I do not think help will
arrive at this desperate hour -" He was cut off by a sudden surge of men from the other
side of the enemy. Over the din I heard a familiar incantation, followed by a burst of
flame that left corpses smoking. I turned back to Emperor Boushin and gave him a firm look,
but not at all displeased at this turn of events. "You see", I said conversationally,
"help has arrived".
The boy frowned. "That is hardly enough to sustain us for more than a few hours".
"We will make our disappearance then", I answered.
He turned to me, his silks flying furiously against the onslaught of warm wind. We
knew what it was, the ashes of the fire that licked at our cheeks and turned our clothes and
faces a dreary gray. For a moment I saw his father instead, calm and defiant at the same
time. They both had the characteristic elegance even in the most desperate of times, had
that special air around them that commanded all attention no matter if he was in the crowd
or on the stage giving a speech to the people. This was the similarities between father and
son. His eyes were ablaze now. "No!", he cried, the hands making fists at his sides, "I
won't run like I did to Mother!"
I had taken him away from the room then. The palace would have been the last place
to hide, but the Empress had insisted that there were some things she needed to pack away
and take before she and the rest of the court fled the city. They would be able find refuge
in the mountains near Tamahome's village, close to Kutou but not too close to attack. No
one would want to anyway; it was too small a town to attack and it was situated at a
cleverly concealed strategical point. But they never got there; the enemy had gotten
through the (formerly) impenetrable wall around the palace, and in the confusion I only had
time to grab the emperor and one stop at the rooms for his sword, and then we were off with
what remained of the guard. When I found the emperor he was standing over his mother, a
look of abject disbelief on his face. He cried her name several times before I dragged him
away.
It had been purely by chance I was there. I had been scheduled to leave the next
day to the front lines and see what I could do to help there. Now, I had not the chance.
There was no front line, as there was no Konan army, no beautiful capitol city, no busy
villagers bustling in marketplaces. Just broken streets and flames everywhere.
Calmly I looked over the sea of men dying and towards the sunset. It looked more
like the demise of a kingdom than a sunset, but right now who was to thidecide that? Half-
hearted he threw blows at me, so slow that even Chiriko could have dodged them. And when
his momentum carried him too far that one moment, I tapped him on the base of his neck and
he fell limp into my arms. Checking to see all that was supposed to be carried was still on
my back, I picked up the boy and began to run. As I ran I caught the eye of one of the
bandits that I passed by. He was back-to-back with another. He wielded two swords and I
recognized him immediately from the scar down one cheek. As repayment for the hospitality
he had shown to me last time I visited Mt. Leikaku, I took out a small knife and flung it at
one particularly sneaky fellow that was almost upon him. He turned to look, then turned
back and nodded his head. "For the visit", I mouthed to him, and he shot me a grim smile
before turning back to his work of cutting down everyone before him. I hurried on.
It was not until much later did I hear pursuers behind me.
, I wondered now. Rightly, I could not recall whether
I had enough energy or not to summon a location but I guess I must have considered it,
because I could remember flinging my kasa away to the wind. It would be of no use here.
There were heavily breaths behind me now. I had to hurry. I had to find a hiding
spot before they caught up with me. On impulse I sped up a little and used all my cunning
to dodge from one tree to another, trying to lose them in the tangle of undergrowth and
looming forest. I rounded down a hill and stopped behind a tree. As I guessed, the
pursuers ran past me, down the rest of the hill, either thinking I was before them or could
not stop their momentum. I saw that there were five of them, all armed, and I knew that
they were not friends.
Doubling back I hit the main road on a surge of desperation. I had to get the
emperor to safety! The path wound into a small one, too small even for a child's wagon. I
struggled through brambles to the end of the path and sighed with relief. A cottage was
there, with warm lights shining from within.
I slunk into the shadows by the door, then quietly knocked on it. I prayed it was
not some hideout for the enemy. Fortunately, I was blessed, for it was no face of a soldier
that peered down into the darkness, but the kind face of a farmer. Before he could fully
close the door I was up, and blocked it with my foot. I must have looked hideous, for he
gasped in surprise and let the door hang open. Swiftly looking behind me, I stepped inside
and shut the door with one toe as I looked to the occupants of the room.
The mother seemed to take in the bundle in my arms first, for she hustled forth and
took the boy from me. I sighed with relief that my burden was lifted, but I knew I could
not stay. The farmer must have seen the fabulously priced silks that the boy still wore,
for suddenly he knew that this was no ordinary boy. Immediately he looked at me, and I
gestured to the red symbol on my knee, still too winded to speak.
The farmer gave a nod. "I will come back and tell you everything", I managed to
say, "but I must return". The couple nodded, and I sighed wearily. I waved a hand towards
the candles that lit up the whole house and immediately the farmer went upstairs to blow
them out. I waved my thanks to the farmer's wife, and then wheezed out, "Hide him", and
made my way out of the door.
I led the pursuers back to the losing battle. Apparently someone had found that the
emperor had been removed and now, with nothing to fight for, they had begun to fight in
desperation for their lives. I took my staff and began to fight. It was not until several
months later that I saw Tasuki at all.
Apparently I had been incorrect. There was a front line to Konan's surviving
forces, disorganized as it was. But even with Tasuki and I working at two different ends,
trying to boost up morale, everyone knew it wouldn't matter in the end. Already some people
were leaving for home, deserters that didn't care about the glory of their country for
their emperor anymore. No one stopped them. No one called them names or tried to insult
them. It was all very understandable to each other, and we didn't blame them for leaving.
Instead, we gave them our blessing; in the end, they would be all that was left of Konan.
The fighting began in earnest again three days after I had led the remainder of the
guard to the front lines. Tasuki and the rest of the bandits had already left. We had
remained to bury who we could, not caring if it was friend or foe. When we got started to
fight again, it felt monotonous, a feeling we all felt now. There was no glory in this,
none at all; all there was a weariness that wore away at flesh and bone until there would be
nothing left.
Men died beside me, but by some twist of fate I managed to survive until the last
charge. We had all known it was coming; there was no way around it. To my amazement and
temporary disbelief, there was Tasuki, still larger than life, standing in the dike we had
dug , surveying the land while both sides took a rest. We did not speak.
Then the arrows began to whistle again, and I turned my head away. Around us both,
men fell with cries or grunts, or some silently, knowing death had come on silent wings and
that they would not be able to escape. Tasuki rounded up the rest of the men that were
still surviving, and all together they formed a last, desperate plan that they knew would
not work. I took no part in the forming of the attack, though one young soldier did ask for
my opinion. I don't think Tasuki realized I was there, standing beside him, until the
soldier pointed him out to me. Finally, the soldiers with one remaining captain at their
head, would lead the attack, while the last half of us brought the rear. We would wait an
hour, until we were sure all the arrows we had were spent.
As we sat waiting, we said nothing to each other. We heard the dull rumbling of the
first wave of our last warriors leaving, and still we sat. Tasuki had not gone with the
second wave, either, when it left, but instead turned to me once it had left and the dike
was empty, and said, "You have to stay here, Chichiri".
I gazed at him as coolly as I could with my one eye, and countered like I had
Boushin not-so-long ago, "And why is that?"
He gestured vaguely to the archers above our heads. "They need someone to lead
them", and then he looked at me closely. "Someone both they know, and I know, that they can
trust. That would be you".
"What makes you think I will consent to this?", I asked.
He gave a snort. "You've never denied me anything before, Chichiri." , I said
softly to myself,
He grasped his tessen. "I'm going", he said, and began to climb his way out. I
grasped his ankle and pulled him back down. He looked at me blankly once he had slid down.
Normally I would have expected him to scream and rant about how hurt his face was, but now
he just regarded me, waiting for whatever I was going to say. And suddenly I could find no
words.
"Don't tell me not to go, Chichiri. You know better than to stop me."
I nodded, and once he was gone I made my way to higher ground, where the archers
were shooting. Giving out commands were easy; formations were easy, as were the evaluating
of desperate situations that we all knew we would never get out of, and whoever had hope had
it blown away when both waves diminished and then disappeared completely. There was only
us, now. I turned my head away when the soldier piled onto our forces. I was thrown back
into the bottom of the dike until some soldiers came around, looking for any survivors and
put them out of their misery. When they came to me, I turned my head and shut my eyes. I
did not see the face of the soldier that killed me.
Nor did I see when Tasuki died. All I felt was the twang of nothingness I expected
to feel, like I had felt Nuriko and Mitsukake and Chiriko and Hotohori died. I did not know
that he was the last person standing in the second wave, still firing 'Lekka Shien' s left
and right even as he went down. And when the sword came plummeting at me, all I could
regret was that Tasuki would be shouting at me now for being a coward.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Author's note:
Actually, I had thought that I shouldn't put this chapter up. But it seemed a shame
to throw the idea away, so I just put it in anyways. Next chapter coming up soon, but
there won't be any actual action for a little while.
Andrea Weiling
The sky was red with sunset and fire. With desperate eyes I scanned my eyes over
the rest of the city, then over the paltry remainder of the palace guard that had been. On
my back, a boy of no more than fifteen years was being carried by me. He was dressed in
tattered, ripped, but still fine silks. He had lost one fine shoe, but he had not
complained. I smiled inwardly. , I mentally commented to him.
A yell in front of me snapped me back to attention. Quickly I set the boy down and
held onto him with one arm. He clung half to me, half to the fabric at his side, trying to
be strong. His voice barely cracked a whisper. "Chichiri", he had dropped all formality
and was just using my name, "what's happening?"
I did not have a chance to answer, for then something the size of a small earthquake
rocked the ground beneath us and we tumbled in a bundle into the ditch beside the road.
Before he could react or cry out, I shouted above the melee for the remainder of the guard
to line up, picket-fence-like, and pick off anyone they saw. The location gave a bit of
advantage; the ditch was higher up than the rest of the road, so we were able to hold off
for a little while until I could get the boy to safety. Speaking of such, I looked over to
him. He looked like he was still in the palace, somehow, with cheeks smudges with the ashes
of the throne room, his clothes clawed upon by greedy merchants that did not realize just
who they were grabbing at. He was the emperor, the emperor of Konan.
Konan was up in flames. How ironic it was that Suzaku was our god.
"Shichiseishi Chichiri", he said, suddenly businesslike, "what actions are to be
taken now?" He was looking up at me with expectant - and familiar - eyes. I knew he
resented being carried around like a child, like a piece of luggage, but there had been no
other way to save Hotohori's child. Of course, Boushin had learned swordplay since he was a
child, but he had lost his sword a while back, in the ruins of the streets. I prayed that
it would come to good use in some poor commoner's hands; that was Hotohori's sword, and it
should never be used for anything other than for the good of Konan.
"We are going to defend this road until help arrives", I replied and purposefully
dropped the trademark 'no da' s that made my character cheerful. This was not time for
cheer. This was time for seriousness. I never did like that much.
"If help arrives?", the young emperor echoed my words. "I do not think help will
arrive at this desperate hour -" He was cut off by a sudden surge of men from the other
side of the enemy. Over the din I heard a familiar incantation, followed by a burst of
flame that left corpses smoking. I turned back to Emperor Boushin and gave him a firm look,
but not at all displeased at this turn of events. "You see", I said conversationally,
"help has arrived".
The boy frowned. "That is hardly enough to sustain us for more than a few hours".
"We will make our disappearance then", I answered.
He turned to me, his silks flying furiously against the onslaught of warm wind. We
knew what it was, the ashes of the fire that licked at our cheeks and turned our clothes and
faces a dreary gray. For a moment I saw his father instead, calm and defiant at the same
time. They both had the characteristic elegance even in the most desperate of times, had
that special air around them that commanded all attention no matter if he was in the crowd
or on the stage giving a speech to the people. This was the similarities between father and
son. His eyes were ablaze now. "No!", he cried, the hands making fists at his sides, "I
won't run like I did to Mother!"
I had taken him away from the room then. The palace would have been the last place
to hide, but the Empress had insisted that there were some things she needed to pack away
and take before she and the rest of the court fled the city. They would be able find refuge
in the mountains near Tamahome's village, close to Kutou but not too close to attack. No
one would want to anyway; it was too small a town to attack and it was situated at a
cleverly concealed strategical point. But they never got there; the enemy had gotten
through the (formerly) impenetrable wall around the palace, and in the confusion I only had
time to grab the emperor and one stop at the rooms for his sword, and then we were off with
what remained of the guard. When I found the emperor he was standing over his mother, a
look of abject disbelief on his face. He cried her name several times before I dragged him
away.
It had been purely by chance I was there. I had been scheduled to leave the next
day to the front lines and see what I could do to help there. Now, I had not the chance.
There was no front line, as there was no Konan army, no beautiful capitol city, no busy
villagers bustling in marketplaces. Just broken streets and flames everywhere.
Calmly I looked over the sea of men dying and towards the sunset. It looked more
like the demise of a kingdom than a sunset, but right now who was to thidecide that? Half-
hearted he threw blows at me, so slow that even Chiriko could have dodged them. And when
his momentum carried him too far that one moment, I tapped him on the base of his neck and
he fell limp into my arms. Checking to see all that was supposed to be carried was still on
my back, I picked up the boy and began to run. As I ran I caught the eye of one of the
bandits that I passed by. He was back-to-back with another. He wielded two swords and I
recognized him immediately from the scar down one cheek. As repayment for the hospitality
he had shown to me last time I visited Mt. Leikaku, I took out a small knife and flung it at
one particularly sneaky fellow that was almost upon him. He turned to look, then turned
back and nodded his head. "For the visit", I mouthed to him, and he shot me a grim smile
before turning back to his work of cutting down everyone before him. I hurried on.
It was not until much later did I hear pursuers behind me.
, I wondered now. Rightly, I could not recall whether
I had enough energy or not to summon a location but I guess I must have considered it,
because I could remember flinging my kasa away to the wind. It would be of no use here.
There were heavily breaths behind me now. I had to hurry. I had to find a hiding
spot before they caught up with me. On impulse I sped up a little and used all my cunning
to dodge from one tree to another, trying to lose them in the tangle of undergrowth and
looming forest. I rounded down a hill and stopped behind a tree. As I guessed, the
pursuers ran past me, down the rest of the hill, either thinking I was before them or could
not stop their momentum. I saw that there were five of them, all armed, and I knew that
they were not friends.
Doubling back I hit the main road on a surge of desperation. I had to get the
emperor to safety! The path wound into a small one, too small even for a child's wagon. I
struggled through brambles to the end of the path and sighed with relief. A cottage was
there, with warm lights shining from within.
I slunk into the shadows by the door, then quietly knocked on it. I prayed it was
not some hideout for the enemy. Fortunately, I was blessed, for it was no face of a soldier
that peered down into the darkness, but the kind face of a farmer. Before he could fully
close the door I was up, and blocked it with my foot. I must have looked hideous, for he
gasped in surprise and let the door hang open. Swiftly looking behind me, I stepped inside
and shut the door with one toe as I looked to the occupants of the room.
The mother seemed to take in the bundle in my arms first, for she hustled forth and
took the boy from me. I sighed with relief that my burden was lifted, but I knew I could
not stay. The farmer must have seen the fabulously priced silks that the boy still wore,
for suddenly he knew that this was no ordinary boy. Immediately he looked at me, and I
gestured to the red symbol on my knee, still too winded to speak.
The farmer gave a nod. "I will come back and tell you everything", I managed to
say, "but I must return". The couple nodded, and I sighed wearily. I waved a hand towards
the candles that lit up the whole house and immediately the farmer went upstairs to blow
them out. I waved my thanks to the farmer's wife, and then wheezed out, "Hide him", and
made my way out of the door.
I led the pursuers back to the losing battle. Apparently someone had found that the
emperor had been removed and now, with nothing to fight for, they had begun to fight in
desperation for their lives. I took my staff and began to fight. It was not until several
months later that I saw Tasuki at all.
Apparently I had been incorrect. There was a front line to Konan's surviving
forces, disorganized as it was. But even with Tasuki and I working at two different ends,
trying to boost up morale, everyone knew it wouldn't matter in the end. Already some people
were leaving for home, deserters that didn't care about the glory of their country for
their emperor anymore. No one stopped them. No one called them names or tried to insult
them. It was all very understandable to each other, and we didn't blame them for leaving.
Instead, we gave them our blessing; in the end, they would be all that was left of Konan.
The fighting began in earnest again three days after I had led the remainder of the
guard to the front lines. Tasuki and the rest of the bandits had already left. We had
remained to bury who we could, not caring if it was friend or foe. When we got started to
fight again, it felt monotonous, a feeling we all felt now. There was no glory in this,
none at all; all there was a weariness that wore away at flesh and bone until there would be
nothing left.
Men died beside me, but by some twist of fate I managed to survive until the last
charge. We had all known it was coming; there was no way around it. To my amazement and
temporary disbelief, there was Tasuki, still larger than life, standing in the dike we had
dug , surveying the land while both sides took a rest. We did not speak.
Then the arrows began to whistle again, and I turned my head away. Around us both,
men fell with cries or grunts, or some silently, knowing death had come on silent wings and
that they would not be able to escape. Tasuki rounded up the rest of the men that were
still surviving, and all together they formed a last, desperate plan that they knew would
not work. I took no part in the forming of the attack, though one young soldier did ask for
my opinion. I don't think Tasuki realized I was there, standing beside him, until the
soldier pointed him out to me. Finally, the soldiers with one remaining captain at their
head, would lead the attack, while the last half of us brought the rear. We would wait an
hour, until we were sure all the arrows we had were spent.
As we sat waiting, we said nothing to each other. We heard the dull rumbling of the
first wave of our last warriors leaving, and still we sat. Tasuki had not gone with the
second wave, either, when it left, but instead turned to me once it had left and the dike
was empty, and said, "You have to stay here, Chichiri".
I gazed at him as coolly as I could with my one eye, and countered like I had
Boushin not-so-long ago, "And why is that?"
He gestured vaguely to the archers above our heads. "They need someone to lead
them", and then he looked at me closely. "Someone both they know, and I know, that they can
trust. That would be you".
"What makes you think I will consent to this?", I asked.
He gave a snort. "You've never denied me anything before, Chichiri." , I said
softly to myself,
He grasped his tessen. "I'm going", he said, and began to climb his way out. I
grasped his ankle and pulled him back down. He looked at me blankly once he had slid down.
Normally I would have expected him to scream and rant about how hurt his face was, but now
he just regarded me, waiting for whatever I was going to say. And suddenly I could find no
words.
"Don't tell me not to go, Chichiri. You know better than to stop me."
I nodded, and once he was gone I made my way to higher ground, where the archers
were shooting. Giving out commands were easy; formations were easy, as were the evaluating
of desperate situations that we all knew we would never get out of, and whoever had hope had
it blown away when both waves diminished and then disappeared completely. There was only
us, now. I turned my head away when the soldier piled onto our forces. I was thrown back
into the bottom of the dike until some soldiers came around, looking for any survivors and
put them out of their misery. When they came to me, I turned my head and shut my eyes. I
did not see the face of the soldier that killed me.
Nor did I see when Tasuki died. All I felt was the twang of nothingness I expected
to feel, like I had felt Nuriko and Mitsukake and Chiriko and Hotohori died. I did not know
that he was the last person standing in the second wave, still firing 'Lekka Shien' s left
and right even as he went down. And when the sword came plummeting at me, all I could
regret was that Tasuki would be shouting at me now for being a coward.
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
Author's note:
Actually, I had thought that I shouldn't put this chapter up. But it seemed a shame
to throw the idea away, so I just put it in anyways. Next chapter coming up soon, but
there won't be any actual action for a little while.
Andrea Weiling