During The Fall Part II
The general population was feeling unrest.
Something in their intuition was warning of an impending change in governance, despite the government going to great lengths to keep things under wrap. Or it could have something to do with the amount of white-veiled men roaming around public grounds, stirring up black rukhs and spreading unsavory gossip.
At this point the emperor was just grasping at any new hint threw in his direction, desperate for a solution.
That was when Koutoku made his appearance in court, spouting words of resolution and a new offer from Al-Thamen. Deciding to entertain his notion just this once, Hakutoku permitted one listening with the Organization.
"Who is he?"
Hakuren shrugged as they watched a group of veiled men carry a child towards the throne. Unlike the men around him, the child held an aura that was far more powerful and sinister. He was an unusual being – though dressed in the standard Kou attire, his appearance was anything but. From the long, thick braid hanging from the back of his head to the eerily crimson pupils surveying the room, everything about the child screamed a foreign entity.
Murmurs of dissent swept through the room when the child showed no signs of reverence, even after his dais was placed before the emperor. He merely wore a bored, taunting expression throughout the entire procession, as if he was the lord of this room rather than the imposing figure before him.
"Who is this that you brought before me?" Hakutoku demanded, not happy that the suspicious visitors were once again in court, but if they have methods to solve the current problems, he was at least willing to be slightly accommodating.
"My emperor, we humbly beg your forgiveness for the Banker's rude request last time. In order to show our sincerest apology, we have obtained and now present before you a treasure from the Far East – a child of wonder and miracle." Simultaneously, the veiled men bowed in unison, leaving the child sitting there. He didn't budge an inch from the small throne that he was carried on.
Hakutoku raised one eyebrow questioningly. "I have no use for a child at court."
"Allow us to demonstrate to you his ability," one of the veiled men flicked his wrist at the child, indicating by the movement for the child to work his magic. The child rolled his eyes as if it was the most bothersome thing in the world to deal with these people, but stood up nonetheless from his little platform.
All the members of the court gasped when, instead of walking, the child floated down from his platform and onto the throne's staircase. Even after he landed, his hair floated in the air as if carried by an invisible wind.
"We present to you Judal, an Oracle from the far Eastern countries. He can help you look into the future and guide your Empire towards a grand design."
Instantly the court came to life as members discussed the potential of such a child. No one noticed how Judal glanced towards the imperial princes, his face suddenly morphing into a Chesire's grin. But it was only a fleeting glance before his head snapped back towards the throne as if being forcefully turned.
"Silence!" Hakutoku raised his voice to settle the court. Once the last murmur died out, he turned towards the foreign visitors again. "I have listened to your requests and offerings, but I cannot accept a being of unknown background into my court. Your presence is not welcomed in this palace."
"But dear, I think he is a very cute child. Can't we at least keep him?" Gyokuen, who was formerly silent throughout the whole meeting, interjected from her seat. She latched onto her husband's arm while she spoke. "I don't think a child can be of much problem in the palace."
"What is mother thinking?" Hakuren hissed from the side of his mouth when he saw their father's expression waver.
"I have no clue, but we cannot allow even one person from these people into the court." Hakuyuu whispered back before standing up from his seat and making his way towards the throne. "Father, I advice that you do not keep this child. We already have our hands full dealing with certain events recently, we cannot afford to have more things to deal with." He glanced pointedly at the visitors when he emphasized 'certain', but they didn't take the bait.
Everyone in the room turned their attention towards the First Imperial Prince. They could sense the Emperor deliberating, torn between suggestions made by two people dear to him.
"Hakuyuu, don't be a spoilsport. Think of what the child could do for our Empire if he is truly an Oracle? And if he turns out to be a fake, there is still no harm in keeping him here. I am sure he will be very well-behaved." Gyokuen flashed her sweetest smile at her oldest son. As if on cue, Judal bowed his head, looking for all the world like a well-mannered child.
That small action seemed to win Hakutoku over. "We will let the child stay for now under the conditions that none of your organization stay within the palace. But if he acts suspiciously in any ways, I will be swift in delivering my punishment."
"Of course, my Emperor." The men bowed and retreated from the chamber.
The court was quickly dismissed thereafter. In the midst of people moving about, Hakuyuu didn't see where Judal was brought to. One moment the child was standing on the throne and in the next, he was gone, little pedestal and all. The Emperor and Emperess also retired to their own respective chambers, leaving the two princes in the council chamber.
~oOo~
"Kouen."
The unexpected call halted the red-haired teen in his tracks. "What is it that you require of this one, First Imperial Prince?"
"Meet me tonight in my room. Go by this route." Hakuyuu handed a piece of paper to Kouen. "Make sure no one is tailing you."
Kouen knew better than to ask what the prince wanted. He doubted that Hakuyuu would ambush him - the man was noble in this sense, he didn't need to worry about any harm coming to him. "Yes, my Prince."
Hakuyuu gave a curt nod and walked on with Hakuren by his side, the two princes conversing quietly between themselves, soft snippets of 'that child', 'danger' and 'Organization' floating towards the red-headed noble standing some ways off.
Kouen waited until he was in the privacy of his own chambers before he unfolded the paper, carefully imprinting the route into his mind and then burning it. Given the secretive nature of the way the Prince handed him the paper, he understood implicitly that all evidence of their encounter should be destroyed as soon as possible. Once certain that not even a single shred of the print were left, Kouen began to make his preparations.
When night fell, he made his way towards the prince room via a circular path around a pond edge, weaving amongst the cattails and using them as additional cover. Slick mud acted as dampener to his travel, silencing any footsteps except the occasional squelch when Kouen pulled too fast. Several times he slipped, only saved by quick reflexes when his hands grabbed onto the cattail stalks. Finally, after many twists and turns, he made his way passed the First Imperial Prince's garden.
Before Kouen left the area though, he was careful enough to remove his shoes, washing it with the waters of the pond and scrubbing it with some cattails to remove treks. Only when these were done did he move towards his destination.
"Enter." A voice answered when Kouen followed the instructions on the paper and rapped the door lightly in a rhythmic pattern.
The teen walked into the room, careful to not drip any water on the floor. Hakuyuu was seated by his table, dressed in nothing more than a thin nightgown, his hair for once escaped from the confines of the head ornament. Under the influence of the dim candlelight, his eyes seemed more turquoise than the usual sky blue and it added a layer of depth and sophistication into his being. The older man was leaned slightly over the table, apparently reading a scroll before the interruption. Even so, in this lax state, there was a quiet austerity about him. It was a side of the prince that Kouen have never seen before and something that would be engraved into the latter's mind for years to come.
When Kouen entered, Hakuyuu peered up from his paper and beckoned the boy to sit down. "Do you know about Judal?" No point in circumventing their conversation. They were short on time here.
"I have heard of him, but have never seen him until today. The Organization is very secretive about his nature. I cannot provide any further information on him."
"Does Koutoku know about him?" Hakuyuu pressed.
"I do not know."
The older man sucked in a deep breath. He really didn't want to involve Kouen in this whole mess, what with his favoritism of the younger boy, but there really wasn't an option. They needed information, someone that could go with relative ease around Koutoku's household. "I need you to do something for me. Find out more about the Oracle and his ties to the Organization. Also find out how much your father knows about the Oracle and what plans he had in mind. Can you help me do that much? This is for the benefit of the Empire." He had no doubt in his mind that Kouen was a rational person that had the good of the Empire on his mind. If there was one thing that Hakuyuu was proud of, it was his acute judgment of people which had seldom led him wrong.
There was a moment of hesitation as Kouen deliberate on the request. Even though Hakuyuu provided the option of backing out, his tone implied that Kouen didn't have any other choices. If he were to refuse, he would ultimately lose the trust and respect of the Imperial Prince, something that he treasured immensely. Besides, it was not like he wasn't keeping a lookout on the Organization already. What was so hard about keeping the lookout on another additional person?
"Yes, I would do as you asked to the best of my ability," Kouen bowed.
Only then did Hakuyuu smile. "Thank you, you have my gratitude for it."
After Kouen left, Hakuyuu sighed and placed his head upon his arm. Somehow he felt like he was doing something immoral by engaging his younger cousin in the issue. However, for the better of the empire and as an experienced general, Hakuyuu also knew when sacrifices needed to be made.
The opportunity to meet the mysterious Oracle came sooner than expected, but not in the form of Kouen.
Hakuyuu had just finished dealing with the more urgent matters and found some time to spend with his siblings. He took them towards the little pond behind his private garden, allowing them to frolic near the waters. In the midst of their play, when it was least expected, Gyokuen appeared with an uninvited guest.
"Mother," Hakuyuu stood up from where he was squatted beside Hakuryuu, his sight moving to the little figure hidden behind the empress's folds of robes.
"You can come out, dear," Gyokuen smiled to the little figure, moving slightly to the side and ushering him out.
A head of dark, tufted hair appeared, followed by gleaming red eyes and a bored expression. Judal came out from behind his hideout and stared at the siblings. The younger ones moved slightly back, unnerved by the newcomer's staring eyes.
"Mother," Hakuyuu repeated, his tone taking on an edge. Be it an adult or child, letting a stranger into the family compound was strictly prohibited.
"Meet my children – Hakuyuu, Hakuren, Hakuei and cute Hakuryuu." Gyokuen acted as if her oldest son hadn't spoken, pointing to each of them as she introduced their name. "This is Judal, please treat him nicely." She ushered the foreign child forward.
A flash of displeasure fleeted across Judal's eyes before he executed a stiff bow. "Pleased to meet you."
The two oldest siblings looked at one another, a silent communication passing within that brief look, after which Hakuyuu nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
They conversed for awhile, the three adults talking about nothing in particular whereas Hakuryuu and Hakuei tried to play with the newcomer. But Judal turned down all their offers of play, not in the least interested in playing with the royalties. He stood by himself near Gyokuen, all the while looking around at the palace wing.
After a while, Gyokuen took her leave. Judal trailed obediently behind her. "It is late. I shall retire to my chamber first. Hopefully I can see you again at another time."
"Yes mother," all the siblings echoed.
Just as Gyokuen and Judal turned the corner, Hakuyuu saw the Oracle turned back. His eyes landed on the three princes and in an instant, a most saccharine smile crossed his features.
"Bye bye," Judal called out, all traces of innocence gone as he grinned knowingly back at them. And for the first time, Hakuyuu felt a deep fear run through him.
~oOo~
Another morning greeted the Kou Empire, the tranquility of which was broken by brawls in the market. Several youngsters had set fire into the government's financial office using homemade fireworks. With the easterly winds blowing strongly, the flames spread in no time, passing into a nearby neighborhood. It happened that this neighborhood was occupied by high-ranking court officials. The flames licked hungrily at the wooden structures, consuming it within the blink of an eye.
Standby guards and soldiers rushed to the scene, carrying buckets of water with them as onlookers surrounded the area. It took several hours for the flames to be finally put out, but no suspects were caught. They had disappeared the moment the fire and chaos started. However, they left behind a message, a letter that was sent anonymously to a local lord.
"'Down with the Central and their corruption.'" Hakutoku repeated after the messenger made his report.
"Yes, the criminals were apparently targeting the current governance. They purposefully attacked an area with a high density of high-ranking officials."
The emperor nodded, his expression grim. There have been a lot of reports recently on outbreaks in the empire, ranging from local squalls to larger actions such as this fire. All the outbreaks were related to dissent with the current rule and the trouble-makers were mostly clans that were defeated in the past. This was like a domino effect. The capture of the Western clan members had prompted an onslaught of other ex-clans to raise their voice against the government. And as their voices increased, more and more people joined into the ranks, gathering in power like an unstoppable avalanche.
At this rate there will be a large rebellion sooner or later, and the empire would fall into pieces. It was his job to ensure that that didn't happen. And so Hakutoku sent out more emissaries to different areas to negotiate contracts with clan leaders, hoping to dissipate their anger through offerings of peace. While it has successfully ameliorate many of the former uprisings, it had the setback of stretching the Central's influence thin and encouraging other clans to fight for their rights as well.
Meanwhile, Judal appeared near the emperor time and time again in the name of an Oracle and suggested the emperor to forcefully stamp down these uprisings. He was determined that nothing short of violence could draw a full stop to the issues. But time and time again Hakutoku turned down that suggestion, believing in ruling using respect rather than fear.
In no time, the Kou Empire's foundation was shaken as dissension ran rampant.
And then one day, Judal appeared again before the council meeting, dressed in his formal Oracle attire.
"Who allowed his presence in this room?" Hakutoku sighed, tired of the child's suggestions.
"That would be me, my dearest emperor." Gyokuen made her entrance from the side of the room, walking to stand behind Judal. "He has an interesting proposition that may help our current situation."
Murmurs of surprise passed through the room as they saw the empress appear in a council that was solely suited for men. Although Hakutoku made no law against women serving in military ranks or entering into prestigious meetings, they were still generally excluded from such places.
"Speak."
Judal stepped forward, all the while smiling. "You are only an emperor in title, but are you truly worthy of being a true king candidate? Your country is falling apart, that should say something about your poor ruling."
"Why you—" A few generals stood up, hands at their swords. How dare he spout such impudence, in front of the emperor no less!
They were halted by Gyokuen, who raised her hand warningly. "Hear him out. Anyone who harms him is equivalent to disrespecting my will."
The generals looked back at the emperor, awaiting his orders expectantly. Hakutoku sighed and waved his hands. "Let him continue. But realize that I will not tolerate such insolence again."
"I could give you the powers of a king to rule over the land, to win wars and collect treasuries beyond your imagination. All you need to do is summon me and pass my test."
"And what test may this be?"
"A test to see if you are worthy of being a king."
"And if I failed?" Hakutoku propped his cheek on his elbow, clearly not interested in a child's words and was just entertaining him for the sake of his wife.
"You pay with your life." Judal's eyes suddenly took a wild glee in them, the lust for danger apparent.
Immediately, a few more generals rose to their feet, alarmed by his blasphemous claim. Just as quickly, Gyokuen also came forward, shielding Judal with her sleeves. "Stand away from him!"
"Enough!" Hakutoku slammed his hand on the throne for emphasis. "This is a place for formal meetings, not childish brawls. Return to your positions! And you," he turned towards Judal. "Get out of this room right now. We do not have space for a child's words."
"But my emperor-" Gyokuen came forward.
"Including you as well, please return to your own chamber and don't cause any more uproar. Teach this child how to keep his tongue properly."
"…yes, my emperor." Gyokuen dipped her head, leading Judal out of the room by his hand. There was a pout on the child's face, showing his disappointment in failing to incite any arguments.
~oOo~
Things didn't go well at all after the council. On the contrary, it took a sharp dip. The frequency of outbreaks increased at such an alarming pace that sometimes there were two outbreaks occurring at the same time in one street. With how common these occurrences have become, there were hardly any guards left to rectify the situation.
"Tonight's wind is not blowing well," Hakuyuu commented as he watched the willow branches swaying in his garden. The moon was partly veiled by dark clouds, leaving the corridors shrouded in darkness. Not even the numerous candles placed along the pillars were enough to illuminate their path.
Closely behind him came Hakuren, who shuddered slightly at his brother's words. "Let's not talk about such unlucky omens. Things are bad enough as it is lately."
Hakuyuu readily agreed, not wanting to breach anymore unsavory topics. But an abrupt movement in the garden caught his attention. He thought he saw shadows moving near the lake, disappearing behind the fake mountains. "Who is it there?" He lowered his voice as he drew his sword, carefully angling it so the blade didn't reflect whatever little moonlight there was. Hakuren followed his example, readying his spear as they slowly made their way to the spot they last saw the suspicious shadows.
And then they saw it, dim silhouettes weaving amongst the fake rocks, their movements lean and stealthy. Had it not been the occasional flicker of light off reflected metals, the two princes would not have spied these shadows. But as luck would have it, whoever was sneaking was not very skilled in the arts of stealth.
When they saw two – no, three people emerge from behind the mountain, Hakuyuu and Hakuren went into action.
They charged into the fray, Hakuyuu removing the weapons from two men with quick blows to their head, rendering them unconscious. The third man was slightly faster and trickier. He ran blindly onwards, jumping into the lake and swimming. Fortunately, Hakuren's spear was long enough to catch onto his shirt and haul him bodily from the water. The second prince dumped the man onto the ground roughly, leg stepping on his chest to prevent him from running away.
"Who are you and what is your purpose here?" Hakuyuu asked as he watched the man gave up struggling. In the dim darkness of the night, he couldn't make out the man's features. But based off the attire, the man was a common civilian, most likely a rebel from a previous clan.
The man opened his mouth to speak, but rather than forming words, he started gurgling on white foam. After some struggling, he ceased moving. He was dead. The two princes stared in shock at the dead man.
"My my, we can't have him revealing too much, can we? Not that it will change anything."
At that voice, Hakuren stiffened again, fear stamped across his expression.
"Mother," Hakuyuu spun around, seeing his mother standing on the little bridge across the lake. Behind her stood a couple more veiled men, and in her right hand was a staff, the design of which was the likes he had never seen before. The end of the staff glowed a purple-black color. Judal was floating a few distances off, his eyes glinting with glee as he watched the proceeding. "Are you involved in the assassinations and outbreaks lately?"
Gyokuen's face contorted into a sickening smile that almost seemed inhuman. "What if I am?"
"Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from making the empire fall?"
Gyokuen covered half of her face with her sleeve. "For the sake of welcoming Father into this world and for the sake of destroying Solomon's arrogance, I need to set certain plans into action."
"What are you talking about?"
"None which concerns you. Ah, my bad, perhaps it does concern you in some ways." Gyokuen tittered. "I need you two and Hakuryuu dead in order for the plan to proceed accordingly." As if on cue, a loud wail that seemed more beast than human rendered the night air. In no time, torches lit up following the sound as people in the household woke up. More and more screams were heard in other parts of the palace.
"Ah, it's almost time," Gyokuen looked up into the night sky. "The rebels have made their way inside; they should start the killing about now. Have fun and good night, my dear children." She waved and in a sudden blast of wind, disappeared from sight. Not a single trace of Al-Thamen and Judal was left behind.
"We must hurry and find Hakuryuu," Hakuyuu was the first of the two to snap out of his daze.
As if emerging from a dream, the sudden din of chaos crashed into their ears, making them realize the direness of the situation. Blood-curdling cries surrounded them, some cut off in the middle when the owner was brutally murdered. It was not the time for them to wonder about their mother's strange powers and connections with the Organization. Their siblings were in trouble.
On their way to their brother's quarter, the two princes encountered many dead servants and some dead rebels. They also confronted several wandering rebels - obviously lost in their navigation of the complex palace hallway, quickly disposing of them and hurrying forward.
Thankfully, although the rebels have infiltrated the quarters, they didn't seem to know the exact location of the royalties' room. No one had reached Hakuryuu's area yet. Hakuren went in to retrieve their youngest sibling while Hakuyuu stood watch. The young prince was scared beyond words, clinging desperately to his older brother's shirt as he followed them blindly. After that, they made their way to Hakuei's side, only to find that their sister had been evacuated early on by some guards.
"How about father?" Hakuren asked as he speared another man. Hakuryuu was still holding onto his pants leg, making it even harder for him to move.
"I am sure he can take care of himself. Our priority is to get out of here fast." Hakuyuu ordered as he ran his sword through two more men, their blood spraying all over his white robes. The enemies kept on coming now that they have spied the two royalties, and just as quickly as they came, the two princes hacked them down, determined to protect their youngest brother. In no time the whole area was littered with the wounded and dead.
But these were not what made Hakuyuu nervous. It was the rapidly growing smell of smoke that warned him of a fire somewhere in the palace. Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to spy red flames fanning out towards them, jumping from one wooden pillar to the next, consuming everything in its path without abandon. And in no time, they were surrounded by angry fires, threatening to consume them as well.
By then a few of the rebels have realized their perilous position as well, but rather than keeping calm, they ran about in panic, pushing their comrades right into the hungry flames. Nonetheless, there was still a large number that kept coming at the princes, deadest on fulfilling their missions.
"!"
Hakuyuu turned at his youngest brother's cries just in time to see a sword rammed into Hakuren's back. The second prince didn't even have the chance to cry out before he was down on the ground and dead, his face frozen in confusion. With his fall, the enemies surged forward, swarming in on the remaining two.
But Hakuyuu did not falter in his defense. He knew it was a losing battle from the way his blood ran into his eyes and the increasing difficulty with breathing, which might have something to do with the fires around them burning away precious air. Yet he still hadn't completed his mission: he needed to get the message out, notify their father and the empire about the empress's betrayal. All along they had been doubting the wrong suspects, believing that only ex-clan members were capable of the assassinations when in fact, the mastermind was someone so close to the emperor.
Hakuyuu looked down at his youngest sibling and a new energy flooded through his tiring limbs. It was highly unlikely of him to escape, what with the increasing wounds on his body, but he could still get Hakuryuu out. He felt a sword slide cleanly through the frontal portion of his head, cutting away the hair and leaving an ugly gash. The attack left him temporarily reeling from pain and opened to the enemies. More and more weapons impaled through his body as he fought blindly, one against many, protecting his only chance.
And so he hacked away, felling one enemy after the other.
In the end, only the two princes were left standing. Hakuyuu felt his body gave out as he fell to the ground, his knees hitting painfully against concrete. Hakuryuu came to him, crying and begging for him to stand up again. What with the blood clouding his vision, it was hard for him to make out his brother's features.
Hakuyuu shook his head, his mind made as he held onto the younger boy. "Ryuu, look at me. I need to tell you something important that you have to pass on to father. The one that tried to kill us is-" he leaned next to the boy's ears, "-mother." He didn't know what prompted him, but he added, "remember this well and avenge our death." With that, he used his remaining strength to run his sword across his own abdomen, spilling his life over his brother to protect him from the flames.
Little did he know that his words were going to be the trigger for his brother to step off the wrong path. And little did he know that their father was already dead, perished along with them in the fire.