PART ELEVEN
Advent of War

Nakago eyed the other members of the circle as they stood solemnly in the center of the temple, awaiting the arrival of the priestess, awaiting the beginning of the ceremony that would invoke the power of Seiryuu. He himself stood directly in front of the ritual altar, so that Yui would be facing him as she made the invocation. To his right was Tomo, followed by Amiboshi, Suboshi, Ashitare, Miboshi, and then Soi, closing the circle on his left.

The temple itself had been thoroughly cleaned by the group earlier in the day, since no other could enter the sacred space. The lights had been lowered to a dim glow, the fountain beneath Seiryuu's sculpture set to run in all its glory. In truth, the sound of the rushing water brought a small measure of comfort to Nakago's unexpectedly thrumming pulse.

He didn't know why he suddenly found himself to be nervous. After all, wasn't this the day he had been waiting for, preparing for, all these years? What was there to be worried about? But the realization that in a few minutes all his plans would culminate, his destiny, wanted or not, would suddenly be placed in his own hands, naturally raised a little apprehension.

And then the priestess entered the temple, breathtakingly beautiful, graceful in her solemnity, and Nakago knew that there was nothing to worry about. His dream could not have been held in more capable hands. There was the fleeting memory of their kiss, not unpleasant, and although Nakago had not planned it, it was there between them now.

Without saying a word, Yui glided into the center of the circle, her ceremonial robes flowing behind her. The garment, Nakago noted to himself, was extremely becoming on her: the deep blues of her blouse standing in stark, lovely contrast to her pale skin; the loose violet ribbons streaming from her slender form; the pure white skirt swaying around her, cut from the sides, revealing glimpses of the long, elegant legs that carried her forward. The twin diamonds in her ears, matched by the glowing pendant at her throat and the single jewel embroidered into the belt at her waist, sparkled as she moved, catching what little light there was in the room and casting an almost divine halo around her.

Yui came to a stop before the altar. Unable to keep from looking up, she met Nakago's eyes, the crystal blues meeting and matching in a silent dance. There was an almost electric connection there, fueled by their earlier encounter, fanned to brilliant life by the energy building in the room, in anticipation of what was still to come. Finally Yui broke the gaze and looked down again, her attention going to the scroll that had been placed invitingly before her.

Nakago watched, almost entranced, as the young woman steeled herself for the coming words. He knew she had been instructed in what to say, what to do, down to every minute movement.

And so it began.

The voice of Seiryuu's priestess reverberated throughout His temple, strong, clear, rich.

"The four constellations in the heavens, and the four directions of the Earth," Yui began, her voice, to her own surprise, lacking even the smallest hint of any tremors. "Strengthened by law, truth and goodness," she picked the scroll up delicately in both hands, letting it rest flat on her upturned palms, as if making an offering to the Heavens.

"Please tell the protector of the East, Seiryuu," and with a sudden, forceful movement, she plunged the scroll into the basin of water before her, "that I will now speak the words."

Still her hands remained immersed in water. "From your dwelling in the heavens to the earth, reveal yourself to us." She drew her hands out, both cupping small palmfuls of water. In a single, fluid movement, she raised her arms up above her head, still holding the water, not spilling a single drop. "For the good of mankind, please make extinct every kind of evil."

Slowly, she opened her palms, flattening them, and turned them in to face each other, the water now running in small trickles down her wrists, her forearms, into the sleeves of her robe. "By using your divine powers, protect us." Yui lowered her arms, her hands remaining in their position with a small space between them, so that they were level with her chest.

"I ask only this...grant this request." And then she brought her hands together to clasp each other, as if in fervent prayer. "Seiryuu, descend from the heavens, and stand before me!"

There was a crackling in the air like lightning, a roar that sounded like gushing water and yet seemed distinctly alive, a swirling wind that suddenly caught Yui in its midst, whipping violently--and yet painlessly--around her. The halo that had seemed to encircle her when she entered the temple suddenly flared to painful brilliance, engulfing her entire body, removing her from the view of all seven of her warriors, almost removing her physically from the room.

Yui, her eyes shut tight against the light, felt a gentle easing of the pressure against her lids, and slowly she opened her eyes to gaze around her. It was like standing within a cloud, seeing nothing but a soft blue dimness, and yet sensing everything. Her own emotions hovered around her as if they were suddenly external to her, the fear, the awe, the hope. And somewhere else she could feel the thrumming of the others' emotions: that same fear, that same awe, that same hope... and something more, something darker, a mingling of sadness and regret, anger and hate, and a void...

"Seiryuu no Miko," a deep rumbling, the vibrations echoing within her very bones, stole her attention without mercy. And there before her stood the most magnificent creature she had ever seen. The sculptures of Him in the temple could not even rightfully be called representations of Seiryuu if this, indeed, was the god Himself. Dragon he could be called, serpent he resembled, and yet at the same time he was neither of these.

But then the image wavered, shimmered, as if it were truly nothing more than a vision. Yui blinked, and before her stood a man--if he could even be called that, given the sheer power of his presence, the breathtaking features of perfection. He was clad in the armor that was common to this world, but with a richness, a crispness that, had anyone else been present, would have drawn and held all eyes. Though human-formed, there was still that divine essence, and Yui knew that this, too, was Seiryuu.

"I am the Avatar of Seiryuu." Again, that captivating baritone voice. "You are the maiden who summoned me?"

And from somewhere within her, Yui found the courage to speak, "Yes."

"I will now merge with you and we will become one."

It was strange, Yui felt that she should have been more frightened, and yet there was a peaceful stillness within her, a calm acceptance of what was to come. No words were needed, but she knew that her body would be given to this god, would become a vessel for His power.

Seiryuu moved forward, closing the space between them, and for a brief instant, as his form collided with hers, Yui felt as if his body were solid flesh. But he kept moving, and then he was inside her, like some phantasm, merging with her. Though she could no longer see him, she could feel his presence in every cell of her body, surrounding her, infusing her. The sensation was ecstasy, or at least as close to it as she could imagine. Her skin burned as if liquid fire were flowing through her veins. Her pulse was racing, tremors racked her body, and then there was one, final spasm. Her body crumpled to the ground, and she lay there in blissful warmth, her sharp breathing the only sound.

Then a soft breath seemed to blow across her face, like a caress, whispering in her ear. "You can use my powers three times. When you wish to do so, you must chant, 'Kaijin'."

Her vision swam suddenly, and there was that bright light again, fading this time, and when she opened her eyes, she was lying on the floor of the temple, sprawled before the altar. The sudden loss of that strange sensation, that wholeness, left her feeling empty. But after a moment she realized the warmth was still within her, and she could feel the tingling throughout her body.

"Yui-sama," Nakago, finally able to see the priestess again, rushed forward, kneeling at her side. He lifted her gently, cradling her in his arms, "Are you alright?"

Yui found that she needed a moment to gather her thoughts, scattered as they were. "I'm fine, Nakago. Just... very tired."

"The summoning ceremony is highly draining for the priestess," Miboshi spoke up, also stepping out of the circle and eyeing the pair. "You should take her to rest."

Nakago moved to do just that, but the temple doors were suddenly thrown open, and every eye turned swiftly to see who it was. A group of the palace guards were gathered outside, and one of them called to Nakago. "Shogun! The palace is under attack!"

"What?" Nakago practically snarled at the man, startled by the news. "From whom?"

"Konan, sir. They outnumber us, and they have those creatures..."

An attack, from Konan, now? How did they know the summoning was today? Or was it pure coincidence? As of yet, Konan had not sent its human army out against them. What were they planning? Nakago asked, "How far have they gotten?"

"We tried to stop them as they stormed the city, and the people fled, seeing... Our soldiers fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered two-to-one, and then those things showed up, and we were cut down... They're almost to the gates."

"Nakago-sama," Tomo was suddenly at his side, "Please see to Yui-sama. I will handle this."

Nakago blinked, as if realizing that he was still holding the girl in his arms.

"You should go with Tomo," Yui told him, her voice still weak, as she attempted to free herself from his arms. "The people need you."

"I shouldn't leave you unguarded," Nakago reluctantly set her on her feet.

"I'll be fine in the temple," Yui assured him, "they can't enter into here, right? I'll stay here and rest, I promise. So go... and be careful."

Nakago nodded, then looked up at the others. "Soi, stay here with Yui-sama. The rest of you, come with me. Konan obviously thought they could stop the summoning ceremony today." Unsheathing his sword, which he wore even beneath his own ceremonial robes, he gave an almost feral grin, "I will take pleasure in telling them how wrong they were."

As Nakago strode toward the exit, the soldiers stepped back from the entryway to let him pass. The others followed close on his heels, all except Miboshi, who stood for a moment looking at Yui. Finally, he spoke, "And so it begins, my priestess."

Yui, still feeling drained and now leaning on Soi's shoulder for support, looked at him nervously. "What do you mean?"

But Miboshi did not answer, and turned to follow the others out into the battlefield. Yui watched them go with mournful eyes. Was this what they had to look forward to now? Now that she had the power of Seiryuu, which was something she was still struggling to believe, would it mean war for this country? Or peace? Would Konan continue to attack them, attempt to destroy them, or would they recognize the futility of the effort and give up?

And what was she supposed to wish for?

Seiryuu had told her to say 'Kaijin' to invoke the power of the wish. Now would be a good time, she thought, to make a wish to protect Nakago and the others, to protect Kutou from falling to these invaders. Perhaps she could stop things here and now. But doubt gnawed at her: what if she made a mistake, what if there was another way, what would Nakago think about it? And then there was the fact that her body felt completely drained, and she knew, instinctively, that she did not have the energy to handle such power coursing through her again.

Soi noticed Yui struggling to re-gain some of her strength. "Why don't we sit down, Yui-sama?"

Yui did not protest, but instead allowed the older woman to lead her to one of the low benches lined up against the far wall. "Thank you, Soi."

Soi was silent, merely watching intently as Yui slowly lowered herself to the seat, exhaling in relief as she did so. She couldn't imagine what kind of energy or strength the summoning ritual must have taken from the girl to reduce her to this.

"You're staring," Yui remarked as she leaned comfortably against the wall. "Do I look that bad?"

Chuckling a little, Soi seated herself next to the girl. "Worse."

"Thanks," Yui rolled her eyes at the comment. "I didn't expect the ritual to be so..." she trailed off as she realized that nothing in even her remotest fantasies could have prepared her for what had actually occurred. "Well, I didn't know what to expect."

"What was it like?" Soi asked in a whisper, feeling as if it were almost forbidden for anyone but the priestess to know this.

Yui shook her head, at a loss for words. "I don't know how to describe it. There was so much light, and so much emotion, and everything in me felt like it was being squeezed, but it wasn't painful. And Seiryuu..."

"You saw Him?"

"Some form of Him, I suppose." Yui stopped for a moment, thinking, really thinking, about the fact that Seiryuu was a god in this world, and she had seen Him... merged with Him. "What sort of place is this?"

"What do you mean?"

Yui startled, unaware she had said that out loud. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what sort of place is this'?" Soi clarified.

"I just..." Yui shrugged, once again not able to explain what was going through her mind. "Sometimes it just seems so impossible that this is happening, and yet here I am, here we are, and I feel like this is only the beginning."

Soi's gaze darkened for a moment as she looked towards the now-closed entryway to the temple. "Perhaps it is just the beginning."

Following her gaze, Yui instinctively picked up on her trail of thought. "What do you think will happen, with Konan?"

"Who's to say? Today's battle may be the decisive one, or it may simply be the first in a new war between the two countries."

Yui felt a tensing in her at the words, felt something ominous drape across her shoulders, and she shuddered with the thought that perhaps there was much worse yet to come. "Nakago..." the name came unbidden to her lips, and at Soi's startled glance in her direction, Yui hastily covered the slip. "I'm sure he'll know what we should expect, what to do."

Soi's eyes softened a little in silent agreement, but she kept her eyes fixated on the priestess, once again seeing her locked in Nakago's embrace. "You seem to care very strongly for Nakago-sama."

"Of course, he's my seishi, he saved my life--"

"No, I don't mean as your savior or as your seishi. I mean as a man."

The question took Yui by complete surprise, until she remembered that Soi had been standing there when she and Nakago had kissed, that she had witnessed the intimate moment between the two. Suddenly feeling shy, she managed to stammer out, "I suppose... Yes, he means a great deal to me."

Again, that painful wrenching in her chest, that tightening in her throat. She could feel that childhood hope, that dream that had been her anchor all those years, slipping like water through her fingers. Soi closed her eyes for a moment, trying to reign in her emotions, when Yui noticed her stricken look.

"Soi?" she asked softly, worriedly. Again, there was that look, just like before. Tentatively, she brought her arm across the other woman's shoulders, drew her closer, trying to offer some comfort for an ailment she knew nothing about. "What's wrong?"

Soi stiffened for a moment at the gentle contact, but she couldn't bring herself to break free of it. It had been so long since she had felt any embrace that was wholly without malice. "It's nothing, Yui-sama. Certain memories come back to me, at strange moments."

Yui found herself wondering what kinds of memories would have been evoked by thoughts of Nakago, by her admission that she cared for the man. And then it struck her that, perhaps, Soi too had loved somebody once...

Love.

The thought was like a load of bricks against her chest. Did she love Nakago? Was that what this strange emotion was? But she forcefully placed that thought aside and returned her attention to Soi. "Memories of someone you cared for?"

"Yes," Soi admitted it without thinking, without having realized the true nature of the question and answer until it was past. Sitting upright again, she looked at the priestess almost sheepishly, wondering what the girl thought about the fact that someone who had spent so many years as a common street whore could still actually hope to gain the love of a respectable man. After all, she had been ridiculed enough about it by the other women in the brothel, ridiculed so mercilessly that she buried those emotions deeply within her, to be shared with no one.

And then a sudden surge of anger built within her, anger and jealousy that this little girl sitting next to her had never had to suffer anything. She had no idea what it was like to be used so ruthlessly, to have body and mind shattered night after night, knowing there was no escape. What right did the priestess have to judge her? What made her so special, that Nakago could see only her? And why was she herself acting like a timid child, begging for approval?

"Will you tell me about it?" Yui's voice held nothing but concern, genuine warmth, but Soi was still blinded by that sudden, irrational bitterness. "Nakago-sama," she hissed out, hearing the venom in her own voice and simultaneously wanting to take it back and twist the knife a little deeper. "It was Nakago-sama. He saved me, years ago, and I've loved him ever since." Let the priestess feel that gutting pain for a change, this girl who had never suffered, this girl who had shown her nothing but kindness...

Yui felt the words like a slap in the face, but more than the words was the iciness in the woman's voice, in her eyes. Was this what Soi had thought of her all this time? As a rival for Nakago? Was all their time together nothing but pretense? Yui couldn't bring herself to believe that. She had seen real concern in Soi's face after the ritual, and they had shared more than a few moments of genuine friendship. Perhaps Soi was just hurting, lashing out, if, indeed, she had loved Nakago and then seen him with her.

"You should have told me," Yui whispered, trying to re-connect with this woman who suddenly seemed so far away from her.

"Would you have felt any differently?"

Yui gave that serious thought, then spoke truthfully. "No, I suppose my feelings would have been the same. But I wouldn't have... I would have acted differently, if I knew how you felt."

Soi knew she was telling the truth, and with that knowledge, she felt the last vestiges of her anger draining away. She couldn't hate this girl, she realized, even if she desperately wanted to. And she also realized that she didn't want to. "I'm sorry, Yui-sama" she apologized sincerely, truly regretting the way she had spoken. "I didn't mean--"

"It's okay," Yui shook her head, "You don't owe me any apologies. If anything, I should say I'm sorry, for hurting you like this."

"No," Soi told her sternly, "You've done nothing wrong. When I first saw Nakago-sama again, in that village, he didn't remember me at all. It shouldn't have surprised me, so many years had gone by, and it was such a little thing, but I had lived with that memory of him... I suppose that I've idolized him all these years. But it's obvious that he cares for you, and I do wish for your happiness, Yui-sama." Soi knew that, of everything she had just spoken, pieces of it were true, and pieces of it were not. But she wished it was the complete truth, and the fervency of that wish made it almost bearable.

"Thank you, Soi." Yui impulsively hugged the woman, "I want you to be happy, too."

Soi did not respond, but she returned the embrace. After so many years of keeping her feelings a secret, she felt strangely better having shared them with someone else, someone who did not judge her or mock her. Their conversation today had strengthened the friendship between them, she realized, although it was an odd feeling, having a woman she could call a friend.

The two continued to sit in silence, having said all that needed to be said, and now simply waiting for the return of the others, waiting for news of what was to come. Yui's mind turned back to the battle she knew was waging outside, praying that everyone she cared about would return safely. But the exhaustion of the ritual overwhelmed her suddenly, and, as the waiting continued, she slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Outside the palace walls was utter chaos.

The clash of swords, the screams of the dying, the stench of the dead, pervaded the entire city. Those who had the means to flee had done so, and those who didn't stayed boarded up within whatever shelter they could find. The Konan army tried to press their attack, but with the sudden arrival of the Seiryuu warriors, they were slowly being pushed back.

Those unnatural creatures, however, seemed to be pursuing a path of their own, bent on simple destruction. It was almost as if they could not distinguish friend or foe, attacking Kutou solider, civilian, and Konan solider alike.

Ashitare snarled and leaped at yet another of the men in red, whose sword was raised to strike him down. Alternating between wolf and almost-man, it was surprisingly easy for him to maneuver his way through the onslaught, then tear down whatever hapless soldier happened to be in his path.

But there was mass confusion before him, he could sense it like an almost palpable thing, and it was more than the ordinary kind, which was always present in a battle. Confusion from the Kutou soldiers, from the Konan soldiers, all locked in that deadly dance. Confusion and fear, the fear of monsters. Fear from those men in that dim gray-blue, fear from those men in that bright crimson-red.

It was almost every man for himself.

Ashitare knew little of the ways of men, cared even less, but it seemed strange, even to him, that this attack seemed so uncoordinated. Nevertheless, these men were threatening the one source of peace he had ever known, and such survival instincts had been harshly bred into him.

He lunged at yet another soldier, but before he could strike, one of the creatures was upon him, clawing and biting. Ashitare howled and whirled, trying to throw him off, but his normally superior strength seemed almost matched. He felt a sudden pain in his shoulder, could feel thick, hot blood coursing from the wound, and it enraged him. In a fury, he gained even more strength, changed back into his wolf form and evaded the grasp.

Swiftly turning back, he attacked his attacker, sinking his sharp teeth into the rotten flesh. And then, beyond all expectation, another demon appeared, different from the others, even more grotesque in appearance. But it made short work of the enemy before him, paid no heed to Ashitare, and turned to continue its own rampage. Ashitare had no time to see what its intent was, for he was soon thrown into the midst of another scuffle.

His shoulder ached, and pain lanced through him with each step he took, but there was no time to think about that. They were slowly gaining the advantage, he realized, pushing the men in red back further and further. And those other creatures were so few in number now, it almost surprised him. He spared a quick glance at his companions, those other Seiryuu seishi, who were scattered throughout the makeshift battlefield, each engaged with their own attackers.

The thought of helping them didn't really cross his mind. For one, he had his own share of soldiers to content with. It also seemed that they were doing just fine on their own. But for the first time, his personal experiences and a newfound sense of loyalty warred within him. Experience had taught him that men were cruel, that they cared nothing for anyone but themselves, and even less for what they considered a wild beast. But these men, and that young woman, had not been cruel. They had accepted him, although their reasons for that remained unknown to him, and he knew instinctively that he was considered part of their pack.

He continued his little dance of evasion and attack, but he was hampered now by his wounded shoulder, and he knew it. His strikes had become more cautious, his evasions more frequent. And his opponent, it seemed, had noticed. The man made some sort of harsh call, and he suddenly he found himself facing two more men. They attacked at once, and Ashitare leaped around them, morphing again into the beast, thinking the additional strength would help. But they turned quicker than he expected, and now he was a larger target. They struck, and one of the swords found its way into his chest.

It was only the tip of the sword, but he howled in pain. Again, that dull haze of rage infused him, and his ferocity returned. He struck and clawed and bit with complete abandon, and only when he had cleared an impressive radius around him, made it free of enemies, did he stop. That pause brought the awareness of pain back ten-fold, the pulsing in his shoulder, the burning in his chest, and he found himself sinking to the ground, his coat a sticky mess of blood.

But the sounds of fighting were dying away, and that, he thought, was a good sign. As his head landed harshly against the ground, he looked up to see the young boy--which one, he couldn't tell, he thought it might have been the one with the flute, because his eyes were a bit kinder--coming towards him. But then his vision swam, and faded, and as he lost consciousness, his last thought was that he hoped they had won.

END PART ELEVEN

Review Responses:

Blood Raven: As always, thanks for the great comments! I will be revealing a bit more of Miboshi's past in the coming chapters, as well as including a bit more Yui/Nakago interaction, so it should get more interesting than this chapter.

SexyBod: Thanks! Yui's my favorite, too, and I'm glad you're enjoying the way I've portrayed her in this fic.

God's Aneurysm: I'm glad you're enjoying this fic! Sorry for the long delay between updates, but I think it'll be like that for a while.

nodaaaaaa: Yep, still alive, just very busy (or lazy, when I'm not busy. ). I hope this update didn't disappoint too much...

Herz: Thanks!

Faraway Dawn: Yes, you are a wonderfully dedicated reader. Thanks for the compliments!

cinderash: Yep, and more info on that wife is to come. Thanks for the review!

MitsukiShiroi: Thanks for the nice review! I do plan to continue this fic, it's just very slow in coming. About the earring, to be honest, I didn't really think much about the mother's earring vs. father's earring thing. I just figured it would mean a lot more for him if he gave his mother's earring because, as you pointed out, he was closer to her.

obsessed dreamer: I'm glad you stuck with the fic, and that you're enjoying it. Thanks for the review.

mina: Thanks!