Chapter Seven

"This planet looks like something out of a history text book."

As Ryoko and Tenchi made their way cautiously across the grassland towards the small gathering of buildings the pirate had observed from above, Tenchi cast a glance around him, a rueful smile touching his lips. "If I didn't know better, I'd think this was a weird dream based on too much Art History study. Except that I know from experience that my real life tends to be stranger than my dreams, on balance."

"Now we're here, I'm even more confused about where we are, but I'm pretty sure it's all real." Ryoko said quietly, kicking idly at a stone that had strayed onto the uneven path. "Ryo Ohki's picking up a lot of things that she recognises too, Tenchi. She's pretty sure we're near to where Washu was taken prisoner. We need to be on our guard – there might be people waiting for us, too."

"Right." Tenchi nodded, casting Ryo Ohki a grin. "Ryo Ohki, you'll tell us if you smell people approaching, won't you?"

Ryo Ohki yowled her agreement, flicking her feathery ears as if to illustrate her point, and Ryoko smiled.

"I'm glad we have you on our team." She said softly. "Much better than that stupid, arrogant Lord."

"You really don't like Seiryo Tennan much, do you?" Tenchi remarked. Ryoko snorted.

"And I suppose he's your best buddy now?" She challenged. "This is the guy who abducted you, who attacked the nightclub in Osaka – which, incidentally, you lost college friends over, if you hadn't forgotten. This is the guy who tried to kill Mihoshi and Kiyone both on separate occasions. No, I don't like him much. He might be reformed, but I still don't wholly trust him. He's far too stuck on his own interests for my liking. I don't like his attitude – he irritates me."

"I don't hold a grudge over things that are both past and beyond his control." Tenchi said sensibly. "And as for being arrogant, well, on balance, he could be a lot worse. You've been to Jurai's court as much as I have, if not more. You can't pretend he's the worst. It's probably as much a survival instinct as your habit of blasting first and asking questions later. Different people develop different defence mechanisms growing up in dangerous environments. And one thing I have learnt from our frequent visits to Jurai is that being a member of the Emperor's council is potentially dangerous."

"You are talking about your Great Grandpa now, you know." Ryoko smirked appreciatively. "And Ayeka and Sasami's family."

"I didn't mean because of the Emperor." Tenchi shook his head. "But when you consider people like Lady Kuroda – or even Ramia Saotome, in her own way. Power and influence are dangerous things. That's why Tsunami trusts me with her magic. She knows I'll never be Emperor, so I'll never have the opportunity to really exploit what I can do."

"But you wouldn't anyway, you know, Tenchi." Ryoko paused, sending him an affectionate grin. "You're you, and that's all there is to it. All the arrogance in Juraian blood never got down to your level. You're far too Earth-born to be like Lord Tennan, and believe me I'm glad of it."

"I suppose you're far too Kii, then." Tenchi teased, and Ryoko nodded.

"Far too much of a bloodline mutt, and proud of it." She agreed.

Ryo Ohki let out a mew at that moment, and the pirate frowned, casting her a glance.

"You definitely have been here before, then?" She asked softly. Ryo Ohki nodded, hopping from her shoulder onto a large stone archway that seemed somehow out of place surrounded as it was by wild plants and briars. It was ancient, and mostly covered in thick greenery, but a small section of it had been cleared, and as Ryoko brushed her fingers against it, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Washu did this?" She asked. Ryo Ohki nodded her head, raising a paw against Ryoko's ear and Ryoko turned, seeing for the first time the strange black monstrosity that stood in the middle of the hut-like hovels.

"And that was where she was, when they jumped her?" She whispered. Ryo Ohki nodded again.

"Can you pick up her scent, Ryo Ohki? Any sign that she was here at all?" Tenchi demanded. Ryo Ohki leapt down from her stone perch, lowering her nose to the ground as she sniffed around for any recent trails. At length she dropped her ears, looking mournfully up at her mistress.

"Nothing fresh. Not since they took her hostage." Ryoko sighed. "And even that's beginning to fade, washed in with a bunch of other really bad smells. People on this planet clearly don't bath enough, that's obvious. If they did, their horrible body odour would not be masking out Washu's scent so quickly. I mean, she hasn't been missing more than forty eight hours at the very most."

"What do you suppose this statue is?" Tenchi bent to examine the black monument, eying the unfamiliar carvings with a confused gaze. "I wonder if that's Kii. I didn't get a good look at Tokimi's prayer before we left the Unko and I should have. We could really use her eyes around now."

"Ryo Ohki, do you know what this says?" Ryoko asked. Ryo Ohki frowned, twitching her ears thoughtfully. Then she mewed, hopping up onto the statue's base as she did so.

"It was something about this wretched World and that stupid eagle." Ryoko said darkly. "More heathen nonsense. Just like those scribbles Tokimi wrote down."

"Maybe it is those scribbles Tokimi wrote down." Tenchi suggested, and Ryoko's eyes widened.

"You mean…this is the same prayer?" She demanded, incredulous. "Is this what Sasami saw, do you think?"

"I don't know, but it makes you wonder." Tenchi sighed. "I wish Tokimi was here, Ryoko. I'd like to know for sure."

"But Seiryo said that Sasami saw blue fire." Ryoko frowned. "And this is just a statue...nothing else. It doesn't make a lot of sense."

"Still, if this is where Washu was..." Tenchi shrugged, running his fingers over the symbols as he did so. "This one I have seen before, Ryoko. Outside that building that Tokimi got all excited about - the Temple place. I think this was the same carving as the one for Eagle. Which backs up what Ryo Ohki remembers. And I'm sure that wretched prayer had some connection to the Eagle, too. It might be a stretch, but I'm sure there's a connection."

"Then what is that thing?" Ryoko gestured to the odd caped, cloaked shape that stood erect above the engraving. "That's not an eagle, however you look at it. It looks more like a midget in a cape."

"If it's even a person at all. Whatever it is does seem to be veiled somehow, even in stone." Tenchi frowned. "Honestly, I've no idea. But at least we're on the right track here. This is where Washu was...so she can't be too far from here, can she?"

At that moment, Ryo Ohki stiffened against Ryoko's neck, letting out a warning yowl, and Ryoko started, glancing around them as she sought the source of her companion's unease. At first she saw nothing, then, from the shade of the hut-like houses figures began to emerge, each dressed in identical uniform and each with cool, threatening expressions on their faces. She cursed, grabbing Tenchi by the arm, and Tenchi's fingers slipped down around the hilt of his sword as the men grew closer.

"We should get out of here, before we can't." Ryoko murmured, but Tenchi shook his head.

"If these are the people who took Washu, they must know where she is." He said frankly. "If we run away, we might never find out."

"I know you're right." Ryoko admitted. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me. For a moment, I just wanted to..."

She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess it's nothing." She said, squaring herself as she prepared to fight off the newcomers. "Just a sense of something really evil hit me for a moment. That's all."

"Surrender and submit yourself to Lady Yuzuha's mercy!" One of the men stood forward, and Ryoko realised he was the leader, a thick band of fabric around his upper arm marking out his status among the rest. In his hand he held a sword with an oddly carved hilt, and as he raised it, strange light seemed to glitter across its blade. Ryoko frowned, shaking her head as she launched herself into the air, light flickering across her palms in a warning show of strength.

"Speak a decent language or don't speak to us at all!" She shot back. "We don't want to play games with you and if you answer us, we won't hurt you. We just want to know where Washu is. All right? Washu."

At her words, the man stared at her, a mixture of confusion and fear flickering across his face. Then his eyes darkened, and he said something in his thick, unintelligible tongue, raising his hand and gesturing towards the two trapped visitors. At once the gathered soldiers seemed to advance on them, and Tenchi pulled his sword from its niche in his belt, flaring it into life as he waved it in the direction of the strangers.

"I don't think they understand your question, Ryoko." He said grimly. "And I don't know what he just said, but I don't think it was a friendly 'welcome to the planet' kind of greeting."

"Then we'll just have to make them understand." Light flickered and spread between Ryoko's fingers, and she sent a volley of bright orange energy in the direction of the lead soldier. Despite himself he stepped back, as Tenchi brandished his sword once more, making contact with a couple of the opposition's strange blades and slicing through the metal as cleanly as if it were butter. As the severed blades clattered to the ground, Ryoko let out an amused chuckle, taking in the bewildered expressions on the faces of the soldiers.

"Nice move. That showed them." She said appreciatively, sending a fresh volley of fire in the direction of the men. "But don't scare them all off. We need one of them, at the very least. We need to know where Washu is, and I'm sure these guys know where that would be."

Ryo Ohki let out a squeal at that moment, pressing herself flat against her companion's shoulder, and Ryoko sent her a startled look, flexing her fingers as she dodged the sweep of the leader's blade.

"What, Ryo Ohki? What's bothering you now?" She demanded. "These guys are just idiots with swords, and you know that we can take them. Why are you twitching? What's on your mind?"

Ryo Ohki let out a strange howl, fear in her amber eyes, and as Ryoko turned her gaze back towards the gathered men, she let out a gasp of surprise. The damaged weapons discarded, something had changed about their opponants, and the leader stepped up once more, a strange, cold glint in his eyes. As each of his followers clasped hands together, their captain raised his hands above his head, chanting in some strange dialect that sounded gutteral and eerie to Ryoko's ears. Despite herself, she faltered, as a dark haze of magic seemed to spread through her consciousness, grasping thin, snaking fingers around her heart and pulling her to the ground. As she struggled to move her limbs, she realised that she had underestimated the power at her opponant's disposal, and as she fought in vain against the paralysing effects of his spell, she was once more aware of that brush of evil, sweeping against her heart as he forced her to her knees.

"Ryoko! Ryo Ohki!" From somewhere in the fading world of her consciousness, Ryoko heard her fiance's voice shouting her name, and then, as if called from some divine source, a spread of white light engulfed her, surrounding her in its comforting, gentle glow as it grew brighter and brighter, obscuring anything else from her vision. In the background, she became aware of the fervent mutterings of the enemy, and she blinked as slowly movement returned to her weakened body. She turned her head, bemused, and her heart skipped a beat as she registered her companion, white blades of the Light Hawk spread out around his body in a glittering ethereal sheen.

"Tenchi!" She whispered, then, "I can't...fight any...more."

"It's all right." Tenchi's brows knitted together in concentration, and the ghostly white blades of his shield pushed further around them as he grabbed her tightly around the wrist. "Don't fight, don't ask, just trust me. All right?"

"Tenchi, I..."

"Just shut up and come with me!" Tenchi snapped, and surprised by the tone in his voice, Ryoko did as she was bidden, staring at him with uncomprehending amber eyes. Tenchi's grip on her wrist tightened, and then there was a sudden sweep of energy that rushed through her, leaving her gasping. She closed her eyes, feeling sick and dizzy, and for a moment the world seemed to be engulfed in bright lights and strange, swirling sounds. Then, as soon as it had come, it was gone, and everything was still.

She opened her eyes, staring up at blue sky as she registered the fact she was on the ground, the rich blades of grass soft beneath her body. Ryo Ohki leapt up into her line of sight, mewing and licking her on the cheek, and she reached up to grasp her small companion, struggling into a sitting position as she did so. She frowned, glancing around her at their surroundings, but there was no sign of either the houses or the massing soldiers.

"Are you all right?" Tenchi's voice came from behind her and she swung around, regretting the sudden movement as soon as she had made it. Her fiance stood a few feet away, concern on his face, and Ryoko frowned, rubbing her temples.

"What happened?" She asked faintly. "Your Light Hawk Wings...what...?"

"I guess I didn't know what I was going to do until I actually came to do it." Tenchi admitted. "But I had to get you out of there. So, well, I did."

"You teleported us?" Ryoko was alert now, gazing around her in surprise. "No wonder I feel ready to throw up - Tenchi, that's not nice!"

"You do it to me, when the need arises." Tenchi reminded her, dropping down on the grass at her side. "Besides, I'm not quite sure. All I know is that I had to protect you. It was like instinct - a sudden impulse inside of me. I didn't really control the magic at all. I let it do what it wanted to do. That's why I held on to you so tightly. I didn't know quite what was going to happen, but I didn't want to risk letting you go."

"Tsunami's magic." Ryoko sighed, glancing at her hands. "I guess I owe you."

"What happened, exactly? What did they do to you?"

"I don't know. It was odd." Ryoko frowned. "Like something crept up inside of me and stopped me from moving, or fighting, or drawing on any of my power. Like it drained me of any energy I ever had. It was cold and creepy, and like something really evil had touched me. That's all I really remember."

"Hrm." Tenchi pursed his lips. "I wonder if that's what happened to Washu."

"Seems likely, doesn't it?" Ryoko sighed. "I'm not a weak person, Tenchi, but whatever that magic was, I couldn't fight against it. It's like Ryo Ohki said. It takes you without you being able to fight."

"But it didn't affect me." Tenchi offered her a crooked smile. "Jurai's magic protected me, or so it seems."

"Tsunami always protects you, and she's more powerful than most enemies out there." Ryoko acknowledged. "I'm glad you were on my team, Tenchi."

She sighed, rubbing her arms absently.

"I still feel cold and weak, but at least I'm alive and they didn't get to take me away." She added. "Though I have no idea what it was they were saying. I didn't understand a word."

"Me either." Tenchi shook his head. "But if it was Kii - like the carvings - I bet Washu did understand."

"That doesn't help when we don't know where she is." Ryoko grimaced. "Or where we are, now."

"I'm sorry. I don't have great control of this magic yet." Tenchi bit his lip, and Ryoko shook her head gingerly.

"No, I'm not criticising." She said, offering him a sheepish smile. "Really."

Ryo Ohki mewed, leaping out of Ryoko's grasp and onto her shoulder as she rubbed up against her mistress's ear, and Ryoko frowned, eying her quizzically.

"Really? That's interesting to know." She mused.

"What did she say?" Tenchi looked blank, and Ryoko shrugged.

"Just that whatever it was he chanted at me was the same as what he chanted at Washu." She said. "Even though Ryo Ohki doesn't understand the words, she remembers them. It was the same spell. At least, it must have been some kind of a spell."

"Yes." Tenchi agreed. "I think there's little doubt about that. So those people - that uniform - whoever commands them has Washu."

"Doesn't take much to make that connection." Ryoko nodded. She frowned, holding out her hands to her companion.

"Give me a hand to get up, will you? We shouldn't be wasting time here."

"But you're still not recovered." Tenchi frowned, hesitating, then grasping her gently around the wrists, hauling her to her feet. "Are you sure? You're still quite pale."

"I'll live." Ryoko dismissed it with a flick of her fingers. "If they did this to Washu, Tenchi, they probably knocked out her magic good and proper, at least until they had her under lock and key. Who knows what they've subjected her to since? We can't sit around and do nothing. We know the force we're dealing with now, at least a little better than we did before. And if you're not affected by this magic, well, we might stand a good chance of getting her back unscathed. After all, if your sword can cut through their blades like that, we have nothing to worry about, do we?"

"My sword?" Tenchi looked blank for a moment, then his eyes widened. "My sword!"

"Yes, Tenchi. Your sword. You know, the thing your Grandpa gave you, that you're not half bad at swinging around when it suits you." Ryoko's brow creased in confusion. "What about it?"

Tenchi bit his lip, turning apprehensive eyes on his companion.

"I don't have it." He admitted quietly. "When I summoned the Light Hawk Wings, I dropped it on the grass. I...I don't know where it is now...but it's not here with us."

-----------------------

The hallways were long and dark, each one seeming the same to the frightened Tokimi as she was forcibly dragged through the blackness towards some unknown central chamber. The journey from the village hovel to the huge stone construction they were now deep within had passed in something of a terrified blur and as she was roughly pulled forwards, she let out a little whimper of fear, tears still glittering on her lashes. Her captor, the woman who had grabbed her so harshly in the village took no notice of her discomfort, merely hauling on the ropes that bound her once more as they continued deeper and deeper into the prison-like palace.

"Nii-chan, where are you? Washu-neechan, are you here?" Tokimi glanced around her, hoping for some sign of salvation, but there was nothing but cold dark walls on either side and, as they reached the end of this narrow passage, she saw large wood-panel doors that swung back to reveal a high-ceilinged chamber. Her captor gave her a shove, forcing her to enter and as she did so, Tokimi's eyes were immediately drawn upwards to the beautiful ancient paintings that decorated the ceiling over her head. Despite her terror, her eyes opened wide with wonder and disbelief.

"Eagle-kami-sama." She whispered.

"Chiaki, explain yourself."

A female voice, hoarse and harsh disturbed her thoughts and she glanced across the chamber towards the speaker, fright flooding her anew as she absorbed the woman's demonic presence. Cloaked and hooded, the being appeared almost human, but Tokimi felt the cold dread stir within her heart and she knew that this was nothing more than a facade, concealing the demon's horrific true form from those around her. At the sound of her voice, Tokimi's captor prostrated herself before her mistress, bowing her head in reverence.

"Priestess Yuzuha, I have taken prisoner a girl who is not of this world." She said softly. "She claims...Lady, she claims treachery. She claims to be Tokimi-sama, the Priestess of legend."

"What?" A flicker of rage mingled with fear flitted through the creature's aura, and she turned, moving swiftly towards where the woman and her prisoner stood. "Tokimi-sama?"

"That is her claim, Mistress, though she may be no more than just a half-wit." Chiaki sent her captive a derisive look. "She seems out of her mind to me, but I thought you should be the judge."

"Indeed." The creature's eyes narrowed, and Tokimi saw strange fire flicker within them. "Very well, Chiaki. You have done your duty well and I shall see you rewarded. You may leave me now - I shall handle this prisoner, and I shall summon you if I need you again."

"Yes, Mistress." Chiaki bowed her head again, then withdrew from the chamber, shutting the door with a harsh thud behind her.

Tokimi raised her gaze to her companion, frightened blue eyes meeting pensive glittering ones as for a moment captive and captor merely gazed at one another in silence. Then, at length, Yuzuha sighed.

"So, you claim to be a dead Priestess, do you?" She said, her tones rich with derision. "Is that what you think? That you've come to save this world from my rule, is that it?"

Tokimi swallowed hard, too frightened to even speak, and Yuzuha snorted, raising her hand and bringing it hard across the girl's cheek.

"You will answer me when I speak to you." She said sharply. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

"T...T...Tokimi." Tokimi flinched back at the sudden pain, tears springing anew into her eyes. "Inoue-no-T...Tokimi."

Yuzuha's eyes widened in surprise at the ancient construction with which her companion gave her name, and for a moment she faltered, as if unsure what to do. Then she curled claw-like fingers beneath Tokimi's chin, raising her head and staring deep into her sapphire eyes. She muttered something in a language Tokimi did not understand, then the claws were pulled away.

"Inoue-no-Tokimi." She murmured. "Yes, you believe it all right. There is no doubt in your expression, only pitiful, disgusting terror. You did not realise, did you, that this World does not look to you to be saved or cleansed? I should have you confined as a mad creature, and yet...and yet..."

She reached out a thin pale finger, touching Tokimi's cheek gently, and at the icy chill in her touch Tokimi flinched back, shaking with terror.

"I have read much about Kihaku, since I have been here. The people have a love of writing down stories of days when they believe they were great." Yuzuha murmured, derision in her expression as she gazed down at her prey. "About the tribes, and their ways. And I know much about Inoue-no-Tokimi. Much indeed. I have read about her family - the family whose natural ability to heal and help with herbs and flowers made them invaluable to the Priest's ill-fated tribe. How they died through famine and war, and how the sole survivor was left with the Priest, raised as a Hakubi but never quite one...a daughter but not a daughter in blood. Yes, I know about the Inoue."

Her eyes narrowed, and she drew her hand across Tokimi's cheek once again, causing the girl to cry out in pain and fear.

"I also remember how they described her, Inoue-no-Tokimi." She whispered. "With eyes of sapphire blue, set deep with ruby embers, the gaze of one who sees out across many worlds and pronounces judgement on behalf of the World. Tokimi-sama, the cleanser of Kihaku. The one who ended the World that time had once begun."

There was a strange, mocking inflection in Yuzuha's voice as she quoted the ancient writings, and Tokimi bit her lip, struggling to absorb the words.

"I thought nothing of it, at the time." Yuzuha continued. "It was long ago, and Kihaku was dead a long time by that point. It seemed futile to even care, and people always heighten descriptions of things they want to be remembered. And yet, here you are. And more, you stare at me with those same eyes...sapphires set deep with rubies. The eyes that only the Inoue tribe possessed...the eyes that marked them out from their tribal neighbours. The genetic anomaly passed down through the Inoue line...and inherited by the last of their kind, the Lady Tokimi, who decided to become Priestess and take vengeance on her whole World by killing every single one of the people who chose to remain under her rule!"

She smiled, an evil, cold curl across her lips as she grasped Tokimi by the wrists, pulling her forcibly to her feet.

"You are a shadow of that legend, but yet I believe you are the last Priestess of Kihaku. Tokimi." She said softly. "You think you are clever, evading me and trying to sway the hearts of my people. But you are not going to succeed. I have waited many years to see whether this legend these heathen people so firmly believe would come to pass, and now I know the answer. Now I have found you, I will destroy you. And Tadashi, and Shouhei, and any others who you have sought to draw to your cause. This is not Kihaku, this is Rikishouki. You killed one planet, Tokimi, in an attempt to free it from Settler rule. But you will not do so here. I know about the Priests of Kihaku, and that without Kihaku's core, you can't wage magic on me the way you did on your own people. Whatever low-level tricks you managed to get Tadashi from my sight, it will not be a match for me or my power. I shall put you to death as an example to the people here that I am the Priestess and none will challenge me. And you will regret ever coming to this planet. Mark my words, Inoue-no-Tokimi, you may not have died on Kihaku, but this time there will be no mistake. This time you will be consigned to flame with none but your precious Eagle to mourn you."

Tokimi stared at her companion, horror washing through her as, at Yuzuha's words, faint memories stirred within her heart. Images of Kihaku, racked by storms and volcanic eruptions flooded through her brain, as vivid as if they had happened yesterday, and over it all she saw her own form, flitting through the sky, hair floating out around her beneath the coronet of the Eagle as she pronounced judgement on the domes of the Settler people. As the pictures grew brighter, she saw the tapestry of Tsunami hanging deep within the Settler dome, and with a jolt, she realised where she had seen that tapestry before. She opened her eyes wide, struggling against the memories.

"Nii-chan." She sobbed. "Nii-chan's picture! Nii-chan!"

"Nii-chan?" Yuzuha stared at her for a moment, non-plussed. "What are you talking about, you wretch?"

Tokimi swallowed hard, drawing air into her lungs as she struggled against her dark memories. At length she succeeded, meeting Yuzuha's gaze with a strange, half-hysterical gaze.

"You are a demon!" She exclaimed. "You are evil and I hate you. I hate you! Nii-chan and Onee-san will come, and they will destroy the demon! Nee-chan did it before, and she'll do it again! You horrible, ugly demon monster, Onee-chan will come!"

"You truly are mad." Yuzuha's eyes narrowed. "It seems the legends are true, after all. Driven mad by the World indeed...such a sad fate for the last member of such a prestigious, peace-loving tribe."

She laughed, but there was no genuine humour in her tone, and each note struck through Tokimi's soul like a cold knife.

"You are simple indeed." She said softly. "There are no people to come rescue you, Inoue-no-Tokimi. There are no true Kii, not any more. You killed them all. You and your Eagle magic. The weaklings on this world won't provide you with any support, not when they know I've taken their precious figurehead a prisoner. I have waited a long time to execute the Priestess of legend. Now at last I have my chance. Tadashi and Shouhei - I will find them, and any others who support you and your cause. Your fate is decided, and there is noone to come and rescue you."

"Tokimi...killed...Kihaku?" Tokimi's eyes widened with horror, and she shook her head. "No. No! It's a lie! It's a lie!"

"So you don't remember." Yuzuha seemed amused. "How convenient for you, not to recall all the suffering you caused your people. But I've read the histories, Tokimi-sama. I've seen the writings of those who escaped your death-ridden world and began a new life here. And each of them writes about Tokimi-sama, the last Priestess. The one whose fate remains unknown, and yet, the one who brought the end of Kihaku about through her anger and her rage. Do you truly not remember spilling so much blood? Shame on you. Do the lives of your people matter so little? If that's so, clearly my sentence is just. You are a traitor to the people and noone here will truly seek to save you. Not when they know exactly who and what you truly are."

She reached out to touch Tokimi once more, but the frightened girl raised her bound wrists, flexing her fingers in a gesture of protection against evil forces. A flicker of blue energy flared briefly around Tokimi's hands, and Yuzuha faltered for a moment, eying her keenly.

"So even without the magic of Kihaku, your faith is enough to protect you from what you see." She murmured. "Yes, the legends are true. You are Inoue-no-Tokimi, with the sight of the Kii and the faith in the Eagle that the people on this world have long since outgrown. Still, you will soon learn that you are no match for me, Yuzuha of Rikishouki. Isao!"

She raised a hand over her head, and the doors of the chamber swung open, revealing the young guardsman who hurried forward, casting Tokimi a sidelong glance before bowing to his mistress.

"Have you found Tadashi yet?" She asked softly, and Isao shook his head.

"No, Priestess, but patrols are circling the area." He said hastily. "And Mistress, we have found more visitors...more intruders to Rikishouki."

"More?" Yuzuha looked startled, and Isao nodded, bowing once more then holding out something small and wooden, setting it down on the ground before her.

"A man and a woman. We attacked, but they escaped. The man drew on some devil magic, Lady, and took them away." He said earnestly. "But he left this. Priestess, this blade cut through the swords of our men. It's like nothing I've seen before."

"Well, well." Yuzuha's eyes narrowed as she bent to pick up the object, casting Tokimi a brief glance as she did so. "A sword of Jurai. How interesting."

"Jurai?" Isao's eyes became big with fear, and Yuzuha gestured in Tokimi's direction.

"Perhaps there is more to this than meets the eye." She said softly. "Isao, this is Inoue-no-Tokimi. I'm sure you know that name from your childhood teachings."

Isao's face visibly paled as he met Tokimi's gaze, and he took a step back, raising his hands in a gesture of protection. Yuzuha nodded.

"Indeed." She whispered. "They are making their move. After all this time, the prophesy of your ancient writers is coming to pass. The Priestess has returned, and must be made an example of. This woman destroyed your people's homeworld and slaughtered your ancestors. We will consign her to the Eagle's flame, as befits a servant of one who caused so much suffering. Take her and lock her in bonds. Chiaki will assist you. Ensure she cannot escape. And Isao?"

"Yes, Lady?" Isao eyed Tokimi in trepidation, but nodded his head. "What is it?"

"Find these other visitors. The owner of this sword." Yuzuha said simply. "The Kii have no love for Jurai...see that those creatures do not have the chance to harm this place the way they harmed Kihaku. Remember that we have a common enemy in the Juraians, after all. Find them out and you will be well rewarded."

"Yes, Lady." Isao bowed once more. "Have no fear. No Juraian will be able to survive on this world...we will make sure of that!"