"Well, who is he?", asked the Pope, clad in glistening white robes. Rings sparkled along his pale fingers as he swished the goblet of wine with a flourish.
"Kenshin, sir, Himura Kenshin."
The Pontiff turned swiftly onto the Guard.
"Ken-shin?"
"A Japanese name sir."
"Japanese?"
"An eastern group of islands sir."
"He is from that country?"
"Yes, sir."
Suddenly the Pope threw a fit, Pope Leo X and his short temper.
"And why do I have to deal with it. By the Holy Mother, how is this foreign riftraft my buisness. What good is he to us Christians?!", screamed the Pontiff.
"Your Holiness sir. He.....he is a Christian......."
The Pope turned to the Guard in disbelief, he slowly tilted the goblet of wine to his lips.
"And his problem is."
"Oppression in the east, among other things. The practice of Indulgences was another."
"And who does this knight--"
"Samurai, sir. Not knight."
"Does it look like I care Giovanni!?", interrupted the Pope with a glare, he continued, pacified:
"Who does this samurai think he is, to medle with the Roman Curia."
"He is the Battousai Sir."
"Battousai?"
"Yes sir, the Hitokiri Battousai."
Kenshin walked along the path steadily. It was freezing. He was used to the strange stares people gave him for his outlandish looks. It was not comofortable still to be so much shorter than well, everyone. But the strange sword he carried, a katana gained even more stares. Knights teased him and his butter knife, they refused to admit that the katana was sharper, even though it really was. Either way Kenshin would not boast that his was more impressive, by far the gold accented claymores and longswords of the Roman and German knights were far more 'intimidating'. He kept modesty as a value though, something he was surprised at seeing knights who were considered almost as 'Christian' as priests, lacks o much of it.
"Oh, what I would do for a good sip of saki."
Alas, only wine here. But he still refrained from alchohol, outside of communion that is. The Catholic Monk who raised him here, in Italy, Rome, always stressed on the importance of Communion, and yet, to his confusement: The Importance of NEVER drinking alcohol. Which was ironic due to Leo X's drinking ways.
"You there, page!", cried a strong gruff voice. Kenshin whirled around to meet the gaze of a man, tall and comly but strangly familliar. Of course! It was one of his own! But so long had Kenshin seen one of his fellow kind that he had forgotten how to recognize them.
"Page! My horse he is limping. I Know nothing of them, tell me, is it ill?"
Kenshin swallowed down the urge of hot comeback, he was not a Page. Pages, who were young boys training to become a knight. But then, coming from this tall man on his stallion, Kenshin probably looked very small indeed.
"I am no Page, but yes your horse is ill.", Kenshin replied in Japanese. Hoping the man knew his own tongue and would not make Kenshin look like a fool.
He raised an eyebrow, then answered slowly,
"By God and all his saints, I have not heard words such as these for a very long time indeed."
"Amen. For I have not either."
"Roland."
"Kenshin Himura, but is Roland your true name.", Kenshin responded.
"It is the name is recieved when i was baptized, what grander name is there?"
"How about the name your parents gave you."
The man stood still, a surge of silent emotion surged through him, at least, as far as Kenshin could tell.
"Sagara, Sanosuke Sagara."
"Bennedicte! God bless you Sanosuke, i think we were meant to be."
"It is not every day that two christian samurai meet on a road in Italy."
"By Kami your right."
Kenshin flinched.
"You are a pagan then?", Kenshin asked skeptically.
"No I was raised by Japanese traders, who picked up christianity along the trade routes. I am just to used to exclaiming like that, i slip it every once in a while. Forgive me, i meant not i swear."
"There is no problem, even if you were a Shinto it would make no difference would it?"
"By Mary! You speak like a demon possed beast, if that was said within the earshot of a Christian you would be hanged!"
"Are you a Christian?", Kenshin asked.
"yes", Sagara responded.
"Then hang me..."
Sanosuke blinked. He only stared as Kenshin sighed and continued walking. Somehow something triggered, and Sanosuke could only follow the small samurai. He felt.....that something walking there, besides a foreign hair style and clothing was special. Something new, and change was not easily dealt with on this side of the Empire. Sanosuke could only follow, with growing excitement.