Tenjia had escaped to the forest with Ritsu, who was in shock that her home was now under the control of rebels, she looked behind her shoulder and saw smoke in the air and stopped, Tenjia turned to see and looked at her. He stood behind her and hugged her before he pulled his blade out and pushed her back before he stared at the trees, blade raised and ready, until a grey haired adult appeared and he sheathed his weapon.

"Namui, why aren't you back fighting.." He said and the male simply sighed.

"Sensei told me to follow you and help with taking, M'lady somewhere safer." He said and Tenjia nodded before turning to look at Ritsu who looked away and continued walking. "Keep up." He said and walked after her, Namui nodding and joining the two and looked behind and saw the smoke before shaking his head and turned to facing forward.

"Know any way to safety." Namui asked and Tenjia thought about it.

"We'll head down south, and find a home, purchase it and keep an eye out for anything that'll tell us if things are safe." He said and Ritsu slowed down before taking hold of his sleeve before looking at Namui.

"You both seem to be very close." Namui said and walked beside them.

"Yeah, we've been together since I was assigned as her guardian.

"Surprised you're both now being wed." He said with a snicker.

"She's a misanthropist."

"But doesn't that mean she's hate you also?"

"I gave her a reason not to."

Ritsu simply edged closer to Tenjia, Namui nodded and the two stopped before Tenjia placed his arm in front of her and stared ahead when there was movement, a male, about 18, fell out the bushed, his short yellow hair was recognizable and Namui smiled before they calmed.

"Kikaito.." Tenjia said and looked at Namui, "Your lover." He said and Namui nodded.

"What are you doing here love." Namui said and Kikaito got up and pointed at the smoke pillars coming from the city. "Rebels attacked, come with us, it's not safe anymore." He said.

"Are you three the only ones that made it out."

"We're not sure." Tenjia said and continued walking before Ritsu followed him, holding his sleeve and Kikaito nodded before he walked, Namui bringing the rear and looked behind them to make sure they weren't followed.

Later that day, Kikaito stayed with Ritsu at the small camp they made, Tenjia out hunting and Namui making a fire. Kikaito was helping Ritsu with something, She had a lot of trust when it came to him and Tenjia, but she had nothing for anyone else, and secretly, her father.

"What were you doing out here, Kikaito." She asked.

"Oh, I was at the other village looking at a house." He said and thought, "How about we go there tomorrow." Kikaito said before having arms wrapped around him.

"Silly, Tenjia said we're moving down south, and waiting things out, maybe we can get a chariot and some supplies for the trip, I have enough for some blankets and tarp for tents." Namui said.

"I have enough for food." Kikaito said and looked at him. Ritsu nodded and looked at her small coin bag and looked in, enough for the horse, but a chariot? Giving a small sigh, she put it away and looked at the couple, two males in love. She felt a slight emptiness in her chest and when Tenjia came back with two rabbit and some fish, that feeling disappeared, replaced with relief that he came back.

"I have enough for the chariot and horse." Tenjia said and set the animals on the floor and grabbed a large stone before he pulled his dagger and began to skin the rabbits, Namui taking the fish and began to gut and scale them.

Ritsu nodded and and looked at Kikaito who gave a grin, the one she knew well, the 'I-know-what-your-feeling' She placed a finger on her lips and he made a zipping his lips close motion and looked at the two males at work.

"So you still haven't told him." Kikaito said.

"No….not yet." She said quietly and sighed.

"You're going to tell him sooner or later." He told her and gently hit her head.

After they their fill, Namui and Kikaito slept together and Ritsu was sleeping, her head on Tenjia's lap as he watched her, stroking her hair faintly. He looked over to the fire and watched the flames do their dance, the embers joining the flames, the wood making the music with crackling as it burned. Tenjia grabbed his rolled up armor and placed it under Ritsu's head before he got up and climbed a tree and looked around the camp before he looked away and made sure they wasn't any search parties looking for them.

He got off and saw that Ritsu was up and watching him.

"Sleep with me…" She said and she layed back down. Nodding Tenjia laid in front of her and placed her arms on his chest and closed her eyes, he wrapped his arms around and closed his eyes.

"Wake up." A voice said and Tenjia opened his eyes, everyone was ready and Ritsu had poked his cheek and he got up before rubbing her head and she puffed her cheeks. He smiled faintly and stretched before looking at Namui, who tossed him armor and weapons before he placed his bow on his back and his katana to his side and Ritsu hugged his arm and walked with.

"Does she always hug your arm when you with her." Namui asked as he began to walk, Kikaito beside him.

"Yes, but it doesn't bother me, she feels safer with me like this, besides, I know where she is at all times." Tenjia said and looked at her. She nodded and looked at him.

"And….I like holding onto him." She said and looked at Namui.

"I see." He said and shrugged before turning his attention ahead. After a few hours of walking, they reached a village, with a wall built around it, a market village.

Tenjia and the others were at a tavern and he began to assign the roles.

"Namui, you get some packs, some tarps and blankets, Kikaito, you get food and other supplies, Me and Ritsu will go get the horse and chariot." He said as they all nodded, "We'll meet her at noon, got it." He said and they went their ways. Ritsu giving her bag to Kikaito and walked after Tenjia.

"There's a stable somewhere here," Ritsu said and Tenjia nodded before feeling her grab his hand, the sight of the people put her off in a nervous state and feeling Tenjia hold her hand, gave her some comfort. Kikaito was at the food district and had some parcels of bread, rice and cheese. He was being told by a merchant how fresh the fish he was selling were and how recently he caught them. Namui was at another side getting more arrows for Tenjia's bow, and of course some tarps and blankets. A merchant offered him some pots for him. Namui nodded and bought the needed items.

The stables were filled with horses with different colors, some brown, some white, some multi-colored. Tenjia was talking with the stable master how much one was along with a chariot for four. The old man scratched his beard and nodded before leading him to a horse of brown and white coloring.

"He was imported from the west, quite good for traveling." He said and looked at Tenjia. "With the chariot….i'd say….about a coin bag that could hold 10,000…"

Tenjia simply gave him a bag, "make it 20,000." He told the elder who nodded and bowed.

"I'll have her ready for you in two hours." He said and Tenjia gave him another bag.

"5,000 more to make it one hour." He said and the elder nodded before yelling at his workers to get the horse and chariot ready. Ritsu walked over and stared at the newly bought horse and smiled faintly before looking at Tenjia and he nodded before he walked over and placed a robed over her and hid her as some rebels entered the marketplace.

He gave a whistle that only other guards he trained with could hear. Namui had caught up with Kikaito who soon heard the whistle and he pulled the robed over his head before doing the same to Kikaito who only looked to the side and saw the rebels and the two hid inside a crowd.

Thirty minutes passed and Tenjia and Ritsu where at the tavern, waiting but keeping watch as the rebels walked around, She went behind him and hid as some rebels looked at Tenjia, he simply stared back and blinked as Namui and Kikaito reached them and looked at Tenjia before they nodded and made their way to stables, the elder gave the reins to Tenjia and Namui opened the door in the back, Ritsu entered first as Kikaito closed the door behind him, Namui tied their supplies to the top of the chariot and joined the two inside the chariot as Tenjia sat down on it and have the elder another bag of coins before making the horse move.

"Have a safe trip." The elder called as Tenjia waved and began to make his way down the dirt road.

Ritsu looked through the front of the chariot and looked around before going back inside and Namui joined Tenjia in the front and sighed.

"To many rebels now, what now?" He asked.

"Like I said, we continue our way down south and find a home." He said and sighed. "I just hope the Emperor and Sensei are alive." He said and Namui nodded.

"But we have our orders, to take Ritsu somewhere safe and wait things out." Namui stated and looked over his shoulder and to the interior of the chariot to Kikaito who was watching Ritsu sleep.

"What are you feelings toward her." He asked Tenjia.

"Even though it's my duty to protect her, I've taken it to personal offence if any try to harm her, we grew up together, so i'm not letting anything get to her." Tenjia said, "I love her too much." Tenjia said and looked at him.

"In a romantic way or…"

"I'm not sure if it's like that, but that's how I feel." Tenjia said before facing forward. What caught his eye, made him ready to fight, "A checkpoint." He said and Namui nodded before he tapped the wall and Kikaito looked around for a way to hide Ritsu when he looked at his seat and gently hit it, a hollow sound, he opened it and shook her awake.

"Hide quickly.." He told her and she nodded before going inside it and he placed something to leave it open slight and placed the blanket over her. "Don't worry and stay still." Kikaito said and smiled faintly before he sat on the opposite seat and felt the chariot stop.

Tenjia starred as some rebels searched their supplies and looked under the chariot.

"Why so many supplies?" One of them asked.

"Going down south." He replied and heard the door open before Kikaito walked out and the men looked around the chariot and exited before the yellow haired male walked back inside and closed the door behind him.

"They're clear." Another said and the man motioned them through, the horse simply snorting and began to pull the chariot through. Once they were clear, Kikaito opened the seat and helped Ritsu out and she sighed before she sat down and stretched.

"You okay?" He asked her and she nodded and looked over to the front and at Tenjia who kept controlling the horse and Namui looked in and smiled at them both before looking back ahead.

Ritsu tugged on Namui's arm and looked at the ground, taking the hint, Namui got in and she quietly sat beside Tenjia and hugged his arm. She felt his lips press against her hand, a faint reddening on her cheeks began to form, Namui smiled faintly and looked over to Kikaito who sat beside him.

Tenjia pulled away from her head and looked at the dirt road before looking at the sky as the sun began to rain down on them and he went back to looking at the road, passing some travelers who walked away from the marketplace maybe about an hour ago but looked ahead and kept a keen eye ahead and felt her head on his shoulder and he looked at her, she was sleeping, he looked back ahead and spotted what seemed to be the Imperial city, well, what's left of it, taking the chariot to a safe distance, he saw that there were bodies littered on the floor, some buildings burned down.

"A shame…" Namui said as he looked out from a window inside the chariot, "You think anyone else got out."

"I hope so." He said and looked away from the ruins and made the horse go into a slightly faster pace.

Kikaito sighed and nodded before he looked into his parcel and grabbed some bread to eat. Namui covered the window and looked over to him and tilted his head. He leaned over and took a bite from the bread before Kikaito could.

"Hey!?" He said and held his bread to himself, "My bread."

"So."

"Gosh."

Tenjia simply shook his head and saw that they were away from the city, due to the open view he saw, the ocean spread out in many directions, the sun's light making sparkle and he decided to stop and gently laid Ritsu on the seat before he tied the horse to a tree and Namui walked out and stretched before Kikaito walked out.

"Why are we stopping?" He asked.

"So we can see where are we heading," Tenjia answered and grabbed a map before he looked at it and thought. "Well we are a day away from a village, but after that, it'll be maybe a week before we reach another marketplace." He said and Namui nodded.

"I had enough for a tent, Maybe M'lady can rest with Kikaito inside the chariot, we can rest in the tent." Namui said as he grabbed the tarp and poles. Tenjia nodded and walked to the front of the chariot and picked her up carefully, not wanting to wake her before he took her inside the chariot and placed his pillow and blanket over her.

He walked out the chariot and stared at the same merchant he saw and tilted his head.

"Hello, everyone, my name's Zao, a chinese merchant, mind if I stay the night, I have a long way ahead." The man said and looked over to Namui before he realized who they were, "My apologize, I didn't recognize you both were Elite Guards." He said and bowed politely and placed his bags down before Kikaito began to cook, "I just past the city, what happened?"

"Rebels attacked the city and palace." Tenjia said, "We are the only one's left i'm afraid." He said.

"So the Empire has fallen I take?" Zao said and sighed, "The nation is doomed." He stated and they all nodded, "Where are you heading."

"Somewhere safer, maybe to a different nation if it comes to that." Tenjia said and sighed, "Though, i'm not sure if one the people with would like that." He said and looked at the chariot before he looked over to the merchant.

"Ah...hopefully you have a fine journey." Zao said and grabbed his bag before pulling out a piece of bread and cream, "Let's eat and have a safe night."

"You can ride with us until the next marketplace, I'll get you a horse to make you travels faster."

"That's such a gift, but I can't honestly, I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not." Namui stated as he roasted some meat on the fire. Kikaito looked at the meat and chopped up some vegetables.

"What do you sell?" Kikaito said before looking over to him.

"Nothing much, but I do have a guitar for sale."

"How much?" Tenjia asked as he checked up on Ritsu.

"Only 800, that's all I ask." He said and Tenjia walked over and handed him the coins and sat down as the man unhooked a small guitar, a dark brown around the edges, but it was a cream coloring, with a design around the base of it. "Very good quality." He said.

"You're right.." He said and strummed it, he nodded and set it beside him. "Hopefully she'll like it."

"Who?"

"Namine Ritsu." He said and the merchant looked surprised and looked at chariot. "Yeah….The princess."

"I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"No, that's just how Tenjia acts, even when he's with M'Lady." Namui said and set the meat to roast, while Kikaito set the vegetables in some water. "He's usually quiet, but very terrifying." He said and bonked his head.

Tenjia moved his hand away and sighed with an irritated vibe that made Kikaito and Zao wary.

"So easily angered." Namui said and chuckled before returning to the food.

Tenjia shrugged and looked over to the food and felt his stomach rumble before he felt arms wrap around him, a soft yawn before a voice spoke with a tired tone.

"Tenjia…..I'm hungry." Ritsu said quietly and rested her head on his back. He nodded and sat down, before she laid her head on him again and went to sleep again. Kikaito smiled and stirred the vegetables before Namui began to put some of the meat in it.

Zao began to put up his tent before he finished his bread and cream before saying his farewells and went to sleep. After the meat stew had finished, Ritsu ate quietly with Tenjia near a tree, while Kikaito was having his cheek pinch by Namui. He shook his head at them both and looked over to Ritsu who raised her spoon to him.

"Here.." She said and Tenjia ate what she was giving him before she blushed faintly and went back to eating. He tilted his head and went back to eating what Namui and Kikaito had made before he place his bowl aside and took Ritsu's bowl before beginning to feed her with a slightly amused grin while she blushed more and when she finished she walked to the chariot and got into her makeshift bed.

Kikaito joined her later on before closing the door and Namui went to sleep inside the tent. Tenjia didn't go to the tent before climbing a tree and watched for anything that could have followed them, besides the merchant. He sighed and jumped down before entering the tent and laid down on his blanket and closed his eyes.

"Hurry Tenjia!" A voice said as a 12 year old looked around took in his surroundings and turned his eyes back to a girl with hair long enough to reach half way down her back, her eyes had a small playful glow before disappearing into an abandoned home, maybe belonged to a wood cutter or blacksmith. He sighed and ran after her before noticed something move through the window.

"Ritsu!" He called before he saw a pair of hands grab the girl and he was about to take his dagger and throw it at one of the hands before something hit him in the back of the head, his vision going blurry before he could try to get up, his eyes closed. Silence, nothing but silence.

After what felt like an hour, Tenjia slowly got up, remembering what happened, he ignoring the headache stabbing at his mind, he simply grabbed his dagger and with his blurry vision slowly clearing itself up, he focused on one thing, to help Ritsu and escape before they could harm her.

" .Her." He said and a man walked out with a grin, "I'll kill you….if you hurt her." He said and his vision cleared, the man simply landed a hit on him, sending him staggering back but he ran at the man, the headache still raging, but he ignored it, the man swung again, but he simply ducked and sent the dagger into his arm, the man yelled before Tenjia pulled out and stabbed his leg, making the man fall to his knee.

The dagger was pulled out quickly before he began to repeatedly stab his neck, Tenjia stopped after leaving a bloody mess, he wiped the blood of on the corpse's shirt and he got off of it before he made his way inside, he opened the door, staring at Ritsu who was tied up, some blood was on her, her blood, Tenjia's mind went blank as all emotion left his eyes, he walked over and was about to reach her when another kidnapper kicked him with enough force to slam him onto the wall, making cough up blood, Tenjia slowly got up, before the man hit him again.

"Hey Hikaru, come and look at this brat." A man with bushy brows said as he laughed and picked him up by the hair.

"Ahh, trying to be a hero, say Zeikeo, how much would he be for the ransom?"

"Who cares, check out what he did to Kaio, saw the brat murder him."

"What…..just kill him." He said before Tenjia bit down on Zeikeo's hand and the man yelled and dropped him before he grabbed his dagger and stabbed Hikaru's leg, yanking it out, Tenjia climbed and began to stab Zeikeo's chest, before giving the final blow to his face, into the eye, deep enough to kill him before Hikaru grabbed and threw him.

"You little…" He said and limped over to Ritsu before picking her up, "I'm going to enjoy making you watch as I kill her, forget the ransom." He said before Tenjia crawled to him slowly.

"Don't touch…..her..scum." He said and held his dagger tightly. Ritsu slowly opened her eyes and looked at the male body, her eyes growing wide before she faced her attention to Tenjia before she screamed and Hikaru growled.

"Shut up!" He said and slammed her to the wall before she gasped in pain and she looked as Tenjia was staggering up before he fell again. "Watch as I ki-" He stopped as a blade was plunged into his back and out his chest, barely touching Ritsu, a man in about his 40s simply shook his head.

"That just won't do…" He said and Tenjia was being helped by a 13 year old boy, with a light-grayish coloring to his hair. "Namui, take Tenjia back home….I'll talk with M'Lady." He said and set the body aside before Namui nodded and began to take Tenjia away.

Tenjia's eyes snapped opened and he sat up fast and looked around, he was inside the tent, night was still taking it's toll, Namui was asleep, he rubbed his eyes and walked out the tent before he walked to the chariot and opened the door slowly and looked inside and saw that Kikaito and Ritsu were still asleep. He closed the door and looked around before he walked back to the tent to continue his rest.