Hello, it's the first full moon of the lunar year again! To commemorate the occasion, here is a Sea of Hidden Dragon double release. (So hit "Next Chapter" button after you're finished with this one. There really is another chapter up!) Because, er, I feel hideously guilty for leaving y'all hanging for nearly a whole YEAR on this story. Sorry, mea culpa. For those who do not keep up with Et Cetera my excuses included deaths in the family and other real life problems. If your default response is the raise of an eyebrow and a sardonic "You have a life?" come sit by me and we will be bestest friends ever. :D

A word of warning: chapters 9 & 10 are flashback chapters. I promise it will be the only time for this story. And it is mostly just Tezuka and Fuji backstory. You know, why they're so awkward when they meet up in chapter 8 and stuff. And this brings Book II: Awakening Dragon (which...doesn't really have much to do with dragons or awakening, all told) to a close.

Next up will be Book III: Storm. Book III is where plot FINALLY starts to move forward. It is also known as TeniPuri Regional/National Best Moments: SoHD Style. Despite my best intentions, the book is SIX chapters long, from Chapter 11 to 16. Last book (IV) is also 6 chapters long (Chapter 17-22) and plot will move relatively quickly for that one. If I can get the damned edits in.

Last but not least, this chapter is virtually untouched from its first draft at this time. I may have to revise again later. T_T


SEA OF HIDDEN DRAGON

와룡장해 :: 臥龍藏海

by Shiraume

[11/2012 & 11/2013]

BOOK II: AWAKENING DRAGON

[02/22/2016 Version]

Chapter 09

Suburban outskirts of Tokyo, Seishun's capital city, four years ago.

Clear blue sky arched overhead. Sunlight was pale golden in hue, but still warm. Autumn colored trees with scarlet and yellow, and painted every field in gold. The air was dry and crisp, bringing out every color in full.

Thunder of hooves grew louder in a deserted road lined with colorful trees, shattering the afternoon quiet. A gray horse, so white that it was blinding in the sunlight, hurtled past, followed closely by another. The second horse was light bay, but its coat was of an odd, almost crimson hue. Breathless laughter from the first rider only spurred on the second rider on the bay horse, and the two galloped even faster until they were racing neck to neck.

Finally, the two passed an ancient tree circled with stone base – likely the warden tree of the village –at the same time. Then as one, both slowed to a halt.

"Another draw," Fuji said, his voice a touch breathless. "I nearly had you this time." His horse stamped its white legs on the dusty road, as if demanding why they have stopped. The ruddy bay horse wasn't much better, snorting with obvious impatience.

"Nearly," Tezuka conceded, reaching down to pat his horse's neck, trying to calm it down. The spirited mount tossed its head, the white star-marking on its forehead flashing, but calmed under his touch. "But not quite."

Fuji narrowed his eyes, only half playful. "One more run, then?"

"Tomorrow." Tezuka nudged his horse forward, and his mount obeyed, walking quietly save for the twitch of its tail once in a while. "It will be dark by the time we return."

"Tomorrow," Fuji agreed. "Let's stop by the well. We have two hours of riding ahead of us. We might as well get our horses a drink of water before we start."

The walk to the public well was only minutes away from the village warden tree. At the well, they both dismounted. With a practiced familiarity of routine between them, Tezuka went to draw water from the well, and Fuji led both horses to the trough nearby for travelers and villagers to water their animals. They continued to work in silence until Fuji deemed their horses had sufficient water to drink their fill. Fuji then reached for a wooden ladle to offer water to Tezuka first, who received it with thanks.

"More?" Fuji asked with a smile, which Tezuka answered with a short shake of the head. Taking the ladle from Tezuka, Fuji drank one ladleful, then another, and stopped. "The water here is so much cooler and sweeter than in the city. I wonder why?"

"We're both hot and thirsty. Any water would taste cool and sweet."

Fuji shook his head. "You have no romance in your soul, Tezuka."

"You have too much of it." Tezuka's tone was frank, but lacked barbed edge. As expected, Fuji only laughed.

"Between us we have just enough, then."

Tezuka allowed a small quirk of his mouth in return. "Do you want to eat before we leave?" he asked, more practical concern taking the fore as he noted the position of the sun sinking lower in the sky.

Fuji shook his head no. "Not hungry. You?"

"Me neither. We'll head straight back, then."

Together, they put back everything where they found them and rechecked the horses, offering them treats and adjusting their equipage. Shortly after, they were both mounted and ready to go. The two riders started off at a more sedate pace than before, an easy run where they could appreciate the scenery while their horses kept moving forward. Occasionally they kept up a light conversation between them, mostly about the beauty of the countryside, the autumn, and their plans for tomorrow.

When they finally arrived at their destination, it was little after dusk, and everything was dark. The two of them had, by the force of habit, first gone to Fuji's house. It was here that Fuji had spent the last few years while his father and brother traveled through the distant parts of the empire. Like most of the landed nobility in the empire, the Fuji family kept a few houses in different regions. While Fuji family's main manor was located in the clan's ancestral estate, there was a secondary house in Seishun's capital, from where the elder Lord Fuji attended court. When he bothered to stay in town, anyway; most of the times, the current Lord Fuji was busy traveling with his younger son, Yuuta, to create intricate maps of the empire's regions. Fuji's father, the current Lord Fuji, was an eccentric man, said to be more interested in mountains and valleys than people. How on earth he'd won the heart of the beauteous Princess Yoshiko, the epitome of chic sophistication and grace in her youth, was a mystery never solved.

So accustomed to Tezuka as a visitor to the house, the attendant who'd brought them a lighted lantern reached for the reins to Tezuka's horse automatically.

"I should head home," he said, waving a hand to stop the attendant.

Fuji shook his head. "Stay. You know I don't mind. It's late and your parents would assume you're staying with me, anyway."

It didn't take him long to decide. "All right. Thanks."

"Come on. Let's go have dinner and play a round of chess before we go to bed." Fuji was already walking ahead, confident Tezuka would follow him. The room he went to was actually the game room, but the household attendants, used to their young master's ways, quickly brought their dinner to the game room instead, spreading the meal on the table before withdrawing.

After dinner and two rather heated games of chess where they each won a match apiece, the two of them retired to the garden together. "I miss the large garden at my father's manor," Fuji commented after they traversed the entire span of the small garden. "That's one thing I really miss from there: gardens. Chiba doesn't have much in the way of gardens either, but at least there are really nice beaches there."

Chiba was the capital of Rokkaku, an archipelago dominion off the eastern shore. Like the dominion it represented, Chiba was often considered the back and beyond by the rest of the empire, a rustic fishing village hardly on par with other dominion capitals, some of which had grand courts to rival the imperial capital. But Fuji harbored deep-seated affection for Chiba, perhaps unsurprisingly, given that he and his younger brother spent five years there.

"And my great-grandfather's mansion in the imperial capital. That one has the best gardens. Your said the Tezuka estate manor has a large garden, right?"

"Yes."

Tezuka's short answers often annoyed those who bothered to try and have conversations with him. Aside from Oishi, Fuji was possibly the only one who didn't take offense at his brusque answers. Inui didn't count: the man talked at anyone who stayed within earshot for any length of period regardless of whether he was answered or even listened to.

True to the form, Fuji continued without a pause. "Too bad I don't have a basis for comparison. How's your grandfather's bonsai collection doing? You mentioned your grandfather was planning to get some new ones this fall."

"He has a dozen new projects." Picturing the extensive collection displayed on the custom-made decorative shelves in a dedicated greenhouse, which occupied a place of honor in the garden, Tezuka came up with a rough estimate. "The total number has gone over a hundred and twenty pots, excluding those he planted back in the garden."

"Your grandfather planted them?" Fuji's voice was laden with incredulous laughter. "Why, whatever for?" Bonsai were regular trees restricted to small stature purely by human effort. Planting them back in the soil, where they were no longer limited to tiny pots for source of water and nutrients, would mean that they would resume growing at whatever pace that passed as normal for each particular species.

Tezuka shrugged. "He doesn't like to keep the ones that do not meet his standards. But he doesn't want to throw them out either, even if not every bonsai survives once planted."

"Mm. It must be quite a sight, your estate garden. I'd like to see it."

"If you'd like," Tezuka said, and meant it. His parents found Fuji quite charming, and he had no doubt his grandfather would come to like Fuji as well. "We'd have to make it a trip."

"How long?"

"It takes a two day's ride to get there. So we should wait until the spring, when the days become longer."

An odd expression crossed Fuji's face. Before Tezuka could decipher it, however, Fuji's usual smile replaced it. "If we have time then, sure."

"We should be able to spare a week or two during spring," Tezuka pointed out. Usually, Fuji would leap at any opportunity to go off and miss training. And Fuji rarely turned down an invitation from him.

"Who knows? We might be busy by then. Oh, by the way, did I tell you about the letter from my father? It arrived just the other day, and I think you'd like what it came with."

Tezuka wasn't sure if this was Fuji changing the subjects or Fuji being his usual whimsical self, but let it go. "What is it?"

"A map. Of the Haku Mountain range in Yamabuki. Father said he was sending me a copy for safekeeping. Would you like to see?"

"Yes," Tezuka answered instantly. He'd always wanted to revisit the Haku Mountain range, the highest peak of which his grandfather had once taken him as a child. But the Haku Mountains were an extensive chain of mountains with more than a dozen peaks, and a precise map would be most welcome.

"Come with me to the study, then. We'll take a look before we go to sleep."

"Alright."


The next day, Tezuka was summoned by his mother as soon as he returned home. When he entered his mother's room, his mother was waiting for him with an anxious expression on her face. To see his mother so perturbed was rare, but he was even more startled by the mild disapproval that accompanied her first question. "Were you with Fuji-kun again last night?"

"Yes." He'd stayed over at Fuji's house many times before, and his parents had never objected. Nonetheless, he supposed he should have sent word home. "Forgive me for not sending a message. It was late when we arrived."

His mother bit her lip, looking even less at ease. "Was Fuji-kun why you weren't in attendance at the court yesterday? Master Ryuuzaki spoke to me. She asked what was keeping you so busy lately that you no longer have time to assist her in the training halls."

Tezuka stiffened. There was no formal arrangement for him to regularly assist the Lady Ryuuzaki, more popularly called Master Ryuuzaki, in training the younger students. But it was also true that he'd been remiss, and in fact, he'd barely shown his face around the court this week. His grandfather would have been displeased.

"My deepest apologies, mother," he said, bowing deeply. "I will rectify my behavior in the immediate future."

Instead of being mollified, his mother seemed less upset but more unhappy with his answer. "That's not what I meant, Kunimitsu. You've always been a good child, and your father and I couldn't be prouder of you. It's just..." She hesitated, a strained smile pulling at her lips. "Don't you think you're spending too much time with Fuji-kun lately? You shouldn't be so partial about your friends."

Again, it was the truth. "I will be more mindful," he promised.

His mother looked as if she had more things she wanted to say, but she said nothing more, nodding at him in dismissal. Tezuka bowed and withdrew from her room.

Being scolded or even commented upon was a truly uncommon experience for Tezuka. His friends sometimes joked he was probably born the model way, too, and certainly, as long as he could remember, Tezuka had done his best to be an upright, hardworking, and dutiful son his parents and grandfather could be proud of. His interview with his mother rattled him enough that he found himself heading straight to the court that day, and he ended up staying an extra hour at the training hall to oversee the practice. Master Ryuuzaki raised an eyebrow at his sudden enthusiasm, but turned her class over to him without a comment, watching from the sidelines and only stepping in when Tezuka himself was too busy to do it.

"Didn't figure you for a mama's boy," Master Ryuuzaki commented offhand while the two of them were writing progress reports about the training session.

If it had been anyone but her, he might have felt insulted. However, he respected Master Ryuuzaki, had been trained by her, and knew her well enough not to be offended by the blunt jab. "My apologies for neglecting my duties here, Ryuuzaki-sensei," he said politely, bowing his head. "I will attend the training session regularly from now on."

Master Ryuuzaki chuckled. "You don't have to go quite that far. They're not officially your duties yet. I can't name you the adjutant master until you hit twenty, or I'd never get it past the old dotards in the council. Thank the gods your birthday's in a month." Her wizened eyes beheld him with amusement, and it took him conscious effort not to fidget under their penetrating regard. "I just wanted to know what you were doing on your days off. You've never used to have those before."

Tezuka was unconvinced by her professed ignorance. Master Ryuuzaki always knew every last detail of what was happening in the court – and out of it. He doubted his recent escapades had truly escaped her attention. No, the question was, why did she suddenly decide to interfere? She'd never cared what the two of them got up to before, when both of them were under her tutelage.

"Nothing that warrants concern," he reassured her, irritation beginning to rear its head.

"Tezuka. I consider myself numbered among your mentors. Out of all the students I've taught over the years, you are the best I've had, equaled by just one other. So take what I'm about to say as the concern of someone who has the right and the reason to worry about your well being."

Taken aback by her serious tone, Tezuka bowed his head with a polite assent.

"Are you aware Kikumaru is the only person who's spent less time than you in the court in the past four months since you lot returned from the imperial capital?" She raised a hand, forestalling Tezuka's answer. "I don't mean to imply you've slacked off in any way. I've empirical proof otherwise. But you've spent all your free time almost exclusively in the company of Fuji."

Uncertain where this was going, Tezuka did not refute her. Besides, what she said was true.

"I know the two of you were close since Fuji came to stay at Seishun. I understand you missed each other while you and others were away at the imperial capital as Falcon Squad. But, while I don't discourage friendship, four months is a long time to spend in anyone's company, even your best friend's. Perhaps it's time to branch out and spend some time with your other friends?"

Master Ryuuzaki's advice echoed his own mother's, and it was something that did niggle at the back of his mind. He'd neglected his other friends, especially Oishi, and he intended to correct his oversight as soon as possible. "I will do so, sensei. My apologies for causing you concern."

The smile on her aged face carried affectionate pride. "Trust me, you've caused me the least worry out of the whole lot. And..." She thumped him on the back, her hand carrying as much strength as that of a man. "Pay no mind to vicious rumors at court. Just crush a few big heads in the training hall, do a few demonstrations, and show up regularly. Come spring, things will quiet down."

Vicious rumors? "Spring?"

Master Ryuuzaki raked a critical eye over him, the flicker of surprise melting away in her steely gaze. "When Fuji leaves," she clarified. "He's to return to the imperial capital in the spring. Didn't you hear?"

"I wasn't aware." The news was a shock, because Fuji never once mentioned it. No. Tezuka's quick and precise memory recalled Fuji equivocating and changing subject when the topic of a trip in the spring came up. Possibly, Fuji knew and had deliberately kept him in the dark. But why?

The rumors would calm down in spring, after Fuji left, Master Ryuuzaki said. The nature of the rumor became suddenly transparent, and Tezuka frowned, his anger deepening. The two of them had spent an inordinate amount of time together lately, he'd grant, but what part of their behavior, in public or in private, could possibly be misconstrued so much?

More importantly, however, he was rather annoyed with Fuji. There was no reason to try to keep Tezuka in the dark about his departure in spring. Besides, the imperial capital wasn't the end of the world. They could still easily visit each other. Besides, Tezuka intended to pursue a career in the military, and once Tezuka gained court position high enough, he too would be required to reside in the imperial capital.

Or, Tezuka thought with a frown, perhaps the rumors had come to Fuji's attention before this, and thought to keep a certain distance between them so as to disprove them. For his part, Tezuka was determined to ignore any gossips. He certainly wasn't going to go out of his way to prove anything to anyone, or stop associating with Fuji.

After he finished with the reports, he took his leave of Master Ryuuzaki and went to find his friends. He found them gathered in a pavilion in the garden for lunch, and joined them.

"Tezuka," Oishi said with surprise, then smiled. "Hey. Are you attending the court today?"

Although the court of Seishun was open daily to its officials, the Lord of Seishun, like other dominion lords, spent better half of the year at the imperial capital, so not everyone attended court every day. Senior members of the court were required to convene for a formal meeting at the beginning of every week, but younger members, like Tezuka and his friends, were left to their own devices to perform their duties on their own for the most part. Since Tezuka and his friends had only recently graduated from the Falcon Squad and returned from the imperial capital, they did not actually have defined duties until the Lord of Seishun formally granted them positions within the court and assigned their duties accordingly.

Of course, it meant the senior courtiers often saddled them with extra duties, such as archives, sorting reports, and writing correspondences. Oishi in particular was in high demand for his meticulous and efficient hand at paperwork. Inui seemed firmly entrenched in the research department, with some side projects in the pharmaceutical potions. Kawamura was assisting his father, and seemed to be enjoying himself. Kikumaru helped Oishi when he felt like it, and otherwise spent his time in the archives, the library, or training hall, dodging any and all work that came his way.

"Fujiko-chan's not with you today?" Kawamura asked, referring to Fuji by the nickname of his own creation. His question sounded perfectly ingenuous, which meant either the rumors hadn't spread that much yet, or his friends knew and didn't believe them.

"No."

"Pity." Inui was scribbling something in his thick notebook. His obsessive record keeping was legendary. Tezuka had visited Inui's private rooms before, and knew for a fact in this particular case, legend fell short of the reality. For one, the stories of Inui keeping a hundred notebooks' worth of record were an underestimation by perhaps another hundred or more. "I have a new juice for him to try. I could use a second opinion." His pointed look was directed at Tezuka, which Tezuka ignored completely. Glued to Oishi's side, Kikumaru immediately shrank back until he was scarcely visible. What Inui oh-so-benignly called juices were concoctions of unknown origin and content, with the foulest tastes imaginable to ever grace the unfortunate palates of those around him. After a few members of their group passed out at the very taste of those juices, Inui had been sternly forbidden to test those juices on other people. Fuji, however, had a truly discomfiting and bizarre fondness for Inui's juices, which often distressed Kikumaru who did not so much detest them as lived in mortal fear of them.

Their lunch passed without much fanfare, and it was only when they started to disperse that Oishi exchanged a significant look with Kikumaru before coming to intercept Tezuka.

"Can I talk to you in private?"

"Yes."

Together, Tezuka and Oishi walked through the garden, and paused near one of the buildings dedicated to military training. They stopped at the archery range, which was deserted around this time. "I hear Fuji will be leaving us in spring," Oishi said, and there was a hint of regret in his voice.

"So I've been told." And Tezuka was definitely going to track down Fuji and talk to him about that the first chance he got.

"I heard the Empress summoned him. I hope it's not..." Oishi hesitated. "Not – you know – because of the rumors."

Ah, so Oishi and his other friends did know. "What sort of rumors?" Tezuka was mildly curious despite his indignation. While he had a good idea what the rumors were likely about, they had never reached his ears before Master Ryuuzaki mentioned them.

Of course, that could be because he'd been absent from the court so much lately.

Oishi started, and looked at him wide-eyed. "You know...the one about you and... Don't tell me you haven't heard?"

"I haven't."

Oishi looked away, looking a bit embarrassed. "We-well. It's just, you and Fuji do spend a lot of time together. You've never done that before, with anyone. And Fuji... I know you two just missed each other a lot, since we spent the last three years at the imperial capital and Fuji stayed here, but even Eiji doesn't spend that much time with Fuji. So...some people put the two and two together, and...got a few sticks short, apparently."

"Ah."

"Not everyone believes it, of course!" Oishi, always quick to support him, was fluttering in denial. "We don't, and many people don't. But, um, there was this messenger from the imperial capital earlier this week, and he was sort of asking around about it. I think he might have come from the Empress."

"How long," Tezuka asked with a carefully neutral voice, "has this rumor been going around?"

Oishi returned his look gravely. "If you mean when it started, a couple months. But – do you remember, ten days ago, when you and Fuji did a demonstration?" Tezuka nodded. "And, uh, how you two ended up – you know..." Oishi's voice lowered with visible discomfort. "...in the equipment room?"

It took all of Tezuka's considerable power of self control to not twitch in annoyance. The incident in question had been perfectly innocuous, an accident really, but the fact remained: Tezuka had been caught in a rather suggestive position with Fuji by the young ladies of the court. Problem was, one of the young ladies was known to be the biggest gossip in all of Seishun. While Tezuka was not in the habit of listening to gossips, he didn't even want to imagine what embellishments might have been added to the story, which no doubt grew more and more grandiose and scandalous with each rendition.

"That was sort of...the oil added to the fire. Some people..." Oishi winced. He was one of the rare sorts who never could lie convincingly to save his life. "A lot of people have been talking about nothing but that this whole week."

To make the matters even easier for the gossipers, Tezuka and Fuji had been absent from the court for equally long. And they had been seen together all around the city during that time, as any number of eyewitnesses could attest. Wonderful. No wonder Master Ryuuzaki and even his usually imperturbable mother were concerned.

"Anyway, if that's why Fuji didn't come today, just tell him that we're his friends and know better than to believe those silly rumors."

"I'm sure he knows already." Tezuka rather doubted anything could keep Fuji away if he didn't wish it. "He'll be back." And if Fuji didn't return today, he'd visit Fuji at home. They needed to talk.

Oishi nodded. "Well. It's good that you're not, um, bothered. Because I half wondered if that's what kept you two away this whole week. I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Sorry. I was kept busy." He nodded to Oishi. "I'll let Fuji know you were concerned."

"Okay. Oh, I almost forgot. I had something to tell you. I found something for you while I was sorting through the correspondences. It's not official yet, but Lord Yamato sent word he'd like you to take over the training of Seishun's corps as his proxy. Basically, he wants you to take over for him in managing our military forces. The council will have to approve, of course, but I don't think anyone will raise a serious objection. It'll probably come up in the next meeting, so make sure you come, okay?"

"Understood. Thank you, Oishi."


Notes:

Thing about Tokyo – I know in canon reality Hyoutei, Fudomine, St. Rudolph and Yamabuki are ALL from Tokyo. I debated coming up with a random city name, or even leaving it unnamed, but I already am leaving the actual empire unnamed in the story. I think for simplicity's sake, it will be Tokyo for Seishun. No other dominion capital city comes up in the story, but if I end up putting names during revisions, hell, I'll just make this up as I go. That, I'm very familiar with. :D

...okay, I TRIED, but hell, there's too much information to cover. More notes on political structure to come. Later. Way later.