Chapter 8
"My real name is Usui Horokeu, son of Lord Omyaji of Hokaido or much known as the North."
They were encircling the table, listening well to Horohoro's story.
"Father is a busy man as a leader of our clan and our land. He has a little time with his family, but when he was with us I'm happy. Soon he became the personal mentor of the prince, his little time he was giving to us became little, and he always talks about AshLee and how great he was. And I felt jealous."
His eyes softened.
"Father is a great swordsman. And he wanted me to become one too. But I have a different dream, and that is to become a great archer."
He paused, and then his expression became sad.
"Then one day when father went home, I saw him carrying mother tenderly and put her to bed. When I went near them, I saw blood stains on my mother's dress. I felt frighten that time and shook her, demanding her to wake up. But she didn't."
"I asked father what happened. They just went in the palace for some business. But father didn't answer me. Instead, he walked away without telling any words."
He clenched his hands on the table.
"It was in my mother's wake when I learned what really happened that day…"
A young blunette was looking at the picture. The smile of his mother in that picture was really beautiful. He felt so sad knowing that he wouldn't see that anymore.
The room was plain white, decorated by flowers and some tribal designs. Everyone was wearing black, mourning for their mistress. Like the young girl beside him, crying endlessly.
Young Horohoro hugged his sister. He promised to his mother he will protect Pirika, whatever happens.
"Look there he is."
Horohoro looked up, and saw a boy in his age walking toward his mothers' coffin. He had a wild orange hair and crimson eyes. Beside the boy was a man with red hair and Horo's father.
"Thegreatprince huh?" whispered the man behind Horo, mockery was obvious on the man's tone.
"Because of him Mistress Usui died."
Horohoro's eyes widened as he heard that and decided to continue listening to them.
"Yeah. If only he didn't act all high and mighty. "
"I heard those bandits attacked his carriage. The Lord and some soldiers fought them. But that prince suddenly came out, wanting to fight too."
"As if he could do something... Looked what happened, one of those bandits attacked him. Thanks to the mistress he was save."
"How?"
"Mistress Usui shielded him on the last minute. She was the one who got stabbed."
"Tsk."
"Let stop talking about this. The king is here. If someone heard us we're doom."
They murmured something incoherent and kept silent.
Horohoro looked once more at the boy. The orange hair boy's expression was blank and he was silent. Horohoro felt some anger towards him.
"He didn't say anything that time. He didn't talk to anyone. He didn't even say sorry for what happened."
He gritted his teeth. It took a moment before he regained his composure.
"Years pass… finally father got some time for me and Pirika, all because the prince was gone. But since mother died, father and I didn't come along well. We're always fighting… we can't understand each other. "
"Then one night we had a massive argument. He still demanded me to become a swordsman, saying I can't save anyone with an arrow. I yelled at him, telling that his damn sword didn't save mother. Then he slapped me. I felt furious and went to my room. Midnight came, I decided to run away. But Pirika saw me, trying to stop me. I said I can't live with father anymore. And she requested that at least she wanted to come with me. "
"Remember? We promised mother we will take care of each other whatever happens. We will protect each other. We won't live each other behind… Please Onii-chan…"
"That's what she said. And we end up here in this inn where we met everyone. We did our best to hide from father so we won't tear apart."
Horo lowered his head. Everyone was still silent. When he looked up to Anna he spoke once more.
"There… that's the truth. I didn't know what you're talking about. I'm not the archer you are looking for."
"I still don't believe you," the blonde stated impassively.
"What? I'm telling the truth. I didn't kill that damn prince," Horo yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. "Why are you defending that prince so much anyway? What are you, a spy?"
Anna stood up and glared at him. "It's none of your business. I don't care if you're telling the truth. I only saw the reasons why you killed the prince."
"Damn girl…" Horohoro said to no one, looking angrily at the girl who went out the room. He stood up and went in his own room.
Yoh fell silent. He didn't know what to do. He knew Horohoro won't do something like that. But Anna was stubborn. She didn't believe in anyone.
"Manta, are you alright?" Yoh asked to his friend besides him who was looking down.
The midget shook his head, and then asked softly, "Why does fathers must be like that to their sons?"
Yoh didn't know what to tell him. He didn't know the answer himself.
"Baka!" Ren said as he stood up, "Fathers were born to challenge their sons, not to please them." Then he walked out.
"It's not over yet…"
Yoh heard and looked at the pink haired girl. "Did you say something Tamao?"
Tamao shook his head sadly. "Nothing."
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The stars… They're glowing… Twinkling brightly… Like her eyes…
"You made a wrong decision."
Horohoro didn't move from his position. He don't need to turn his head to see who owned that stoic voice. He just sat there on the porch, never leaving his gaze from the sky.
"I did what I think is best."
"Why? Did she ask for the best?" questioned of the person who was hiding in the shadows.
"You don't know anything. You don't know what I feel," Horohoro said as he gritted his teeth.
"I do…" His tiger eyes opened. "I know the feeling of pressure of showing someone that I can defeat him, the feeling to protect the person who shows care to you… who only care for you."
Horohoro keeps silent.
"You know what could your sister possibly thinking by now?"
No answer.
"You betrayed her."
Horohoro jerked from his position and lunged on him. He grabbed his collar and looked at him angrily. "Pirika is not like that."
"But that's the truth."
"I only sent her back to father for her best."
"But she didn't ask for that. She was happy with you… in here," Ren yelled back and slapped Horo's hand away from him.
Horohoro clenched his hands on his side. He felt stupid. He can't even stop the emotion he felt now. "I… I don't know."
A punch on his face sent him on the ground. Horohoro looked up at the man who owned that powerful fist.
"Crying won't help you," Ren said blankly, his eyes were hidden under his bangs. He didn't know why he was developing some emotions now. He felt angry to have these feelings. Yet he knew he needed to do something.
That was the last words Horo heard from Ren before he went away. Horo punched the wooden floor.
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How? How can things happen so fast? So fast that his mind still thinking what really happened to him? To him to be brought in this kind of place.
"Don't worry Manta, everything's going to be okay. I will do something." Yoh said, assuring him.
Manta gritted his teeth then held the bars in his front. "Tell me Yoh how? How could things be okay? How can I be okay if I'm already here?"
Tears threatened to fall from his eyes now as memories flooded in his mind.
He was just there in his usual place in the market, standing in front of his store, selling fruits, like the other days.
But the different that day was his usual noisy store was too silent. Thanks for the missing blue haired girl who was not there now, and probably won't be back there anymore.
Everyone was sad, even the afro comedian who became a great friend of Pirika. No one wanted to say anything, afraid that they could hurt someone's feeling.
How he missed the arguments in his store, the laughter, and when they were chatting happily.
Manta sighed once more and looked at the people who were walking back and forth who were looking for the things they want to buy.
Then on the other side of the street, he saw something that took his attention. Soldiers…
They approached him, showed him a paper which gives the soldiers the authority to search in his store. One of the soldier said that someone inform them that his store were selling illegal weapons.
Manta was surprised. But he didn't feel nervous, knowing that they were mistaken.
He saw Horohoro's angry expression and Chocolove's being confuse when he entered the store.
Soon the soldiers pulled a big wooden box from their storage. And to his fright it was full of swords and some kind of spears. The worst thing was they found a small sachet of opium there.
Even to their protest that those things doesn't belong to them, they were still sent in jail.
Yoh looked at his friend with pity. He knew Manta didn't mean to yell at him.
When he went back to the store after he got their lunch, they were not there anymore. When he went out he saw a big man with spiky hair smirking at him, Salvage Pan.
"My, my, the well known heroes of market are the real villains. Tsk. Too sad your real identities were discovered. They are in jail now you know. Why don't you join them?"
That what Salvage said to him. Laughing like a maniac with his two friends.
"I still can't understand how those things in that box were replaced by weapons," Horo said in the other corner of the cell, "unless someone of us was doing something behind our back."
"Are you accusing me?" Chocolove asked as he noticed Horohoro was looking at him.
"Why not? You're the only criminal in our group."
"What? I already change. I won't waste the opportunity you guys gave to me. I can't believe you Horohoro. Besides, who was been accused here as a killer?"
"You…" Horohoro said angrily as he grabbed Chocolove's shirt.
"Enough. Don't fight. It won't resolve our problems," Yoh yelled at them.
"You can only say that because you are not here," Horohoro yelled back at him. "To think that you're one of us you should be here too in this cell."
"You're stupid Horo. If he was here no one will help us to get out of here."
"I don't care if we get out of here or not," the midget murmured. "It won't change the things happening now, I am already here…"
"Manta…"
Tears flows on his cheeks. "Yoh… It's only a month… if father heard about this, all the things I've done will go to waste… Everything…"
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"The midget was over reacting."
Yoh looked at the blonde beside him. He was now outside, leaning on wall. The visiting hours is over. They were just waiting for Tamageroh who was still talking to the chief soldier.
They accidentally saw Yoh while he was in his way toward his friend. It seems that the old guy asked Anna to accompany him in the village. And when Tamageroh heard what happened to the others, he decided to go with Yoh, dragging Anna along.
"If he is not really guilty and things get clear he will be out and continue his business like nothing happened," Anna continued. Even though she didn't talk to them and doesn't look at them, she still heard the things the guys discussed earlier.
"You don't understand Anna," Yoh said softly. "Do you know Earl Damansumi Oyamada?"
Anna nodded. "The richest merchant in Funbari. Why?"
"He is Manta's father." Anna looked at him disbelievingly. "The Earl was quite hard to my friend."
"That's not new. Damansumi was known for his arrogant attitude."
Yoh smiled weakly. "I met Manta almost a year now in the inn. He was too silent that time, always with a straight face, thinking deeply. When I tried to talk to him he said he was a busy person and he didn't have time to have friends. I felt sad, but I didn't get angry at him."
"Then one day I found him in the village, full of bruises, surrounded by some thieves. I helped him and sent the thieves away. He was holding something protectively that time, a pouch with only 10,000 coins."
"He got himself almost killed for only ten thousand coins?" Anna asked sarcastically.
"That is what I was thinking that time. I also told him that. But he answered me 'It was the capital I only have for the business I will built.'"
"Only ten thousand?"
Yoh nodded. "That money was given to him by his father. He was sent away by his father saying that he needs to make that small amount of money to million in just one year or else his father will disown him."
"Seems impossible," Anna commented.
"Yeah. But you know his almost there? From selling fruits followed by building store for accessories and house appliances. Manta made it and I was happy for him."
"So when he was not here he was reporting to his father, right?"
"Yes. He should submit a monthly report. His father wanted to make sure that when he passed his fortune to him it won't go to waste. If Manta is not suitable, he will give it to the other."
"And now the midget was afraid because if his father heard about this he will think that Manta only grows his business in an illegal way," Anna stated.
A nod from Yoh. "And the deadline is only a month away."
Silence. Yoho decided to open a new conversation.
"Tell me Anna, did you still doubt Horohoro?"
"What do you mean?"
"You accused him as a killer. I really don't know who you are. But I assured you, he is not a bad person. When he and Pirika came in the inn, they only wished for a simple life and were looking for a job. That's why Manta helped them. And being with him for almost a year, I knew he wouldn't do such thing."
"I don't want to talk about him."
Yoh shut his mouth and sighed inwardly. Silence occupied once more before he spoke again.
"I'm… going home tonight."
Anna looked at him blankly. This was the first time he said such thing.
"You're going home when you're friends needs you the most?"
"It's not that… It's… I really need to go home now."
Anna looked at him annoyingly before she shifted her gaze away from him.
"Do whatever you want. I care less."
Yoh sighed and looked at the blue sky.
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Night came faster. The sky was dark and the place was silent. A silhouette ran towards the back.
He looked side to side and quickly hid in the shadows when a couple of soldiers walked pass his way. He looked once more and when every way was clear he quickly ran towards the vines. He pushed them aside revealing a secret small entrance.
He crawled silently as he could.
His spine chilled as he felt something caressed its body on his legs. He looked at it and saw an orange cat with black stripes.
"Meow!"
"Ssshhh! Keep quiet Matamune. And don't scare me like that," he whispered.
Then he stopped. If the cat was here then that means…
He looked ahead and saw shiny black shoes. He slowly looked up and saw a face identical to him, brow slightly raised. He gulped, and smiled nervously.
"H-hi… Onii-chan…"
And that's the Chapter 8. Wooh! I hope you like this…
For those who read Tics Thank You… I will update that this week… If I get a free time… Eheheehe!
Again thanks for reviews and please R&R.
