Author's Note: Thanks to Robotic Cannibal and I'm a fire truck for the favourite/follow.
Reason
Kai wondered to himself, what did those children know of the world ? They may have been right about the past, but, not yesterday. That kyofu was very much still alive and it would want revenge since he managed to beat it while blinded.
He sank onto the tatami matted floor and looked up as Yasu landed on his shoulder, that made him wonder who had gotten attacked by Jinsoku. Part of him worried it could have been Oishi, but the chief-retainer hadn't looked injured at all.
Because of the lingered warmth from the bath he drifted into a doze. In the waking dream Mizuki held onto Chikara with her claw-like finger-nails wrapped around his shoulder in the Tengu Forest. Beside him, Oishi roared in anger as some faint sunlight filtered through the trees above and he called something as the samurai rushed the witch.
Mizuki smiled revealing pointed teeth before Oishi's neck snapped by her magic. His own magic flared to life in a flash of red fire, Fudou's fire, that consumed the witch as he rushed to kneel beside Oishi's body. Grey mist flooded the forest and...there was a knock on his door-frame that startled him awake.
Oishi called, "Kai ? May we come in ?"
"Of course, Oishi." With that Oishi slid the door open and he, Riku and Chikara entered. Yasu flew to land on Chikara's shoulder as the younger man slid the door closed while Oishi and Riku joined him on the floor.
When the karou had settled he wondered, "May I ask what Lord Kira wanted, Oishi ?"
Oishi's face took on a stony, but subtly angry look, "Lord Kira said firstly that you stole my horse which I disupted. After that he announced that he wants Lord Asano to have you thrown out of Ako-"
Chikara snarled breaking into Oishi's words, "Why ? What has he done ?"
What other reasons did Lord Kira need then those he already had ? After all, there was his supposed disgrace of the man in front of the Shogun and now beating his champion. Considering that once the man had fought Oishi over his mon, that was ample reason to have him driven from Ako.
The chief retainer glared slightly at his son and continued, "because he thinks that you must be a demon to have beat his champion so easily. I told him that I would relate his request to Lord Asano, but that it was up to his Lordship to decide."
No he still was not a demon, just as close as he could humanly be. Before going to Ako that fact had made him proud for many years, now however, it just made him feel like an outsider. Because while Oishi had learned tatics with the comparatively gentle guidance of his father, what was he doing ? He was out killing bandits in the forest and crying about it afterwards.
Chikara's brown-eyes blazed with his father's suppressed anger as he sat down, exclaiming, "Lord Asano cannot send Kai away ! Everyone loves him and I haven't seen old Ken that happy since before Ichiro was killed by those bandits. Father you can't let him send Kai away, he doesn't have his memories to find a way home."
Yasu ran her beak through Chikara's hair trying to calm his young friend. Oishi nodded, responding, "I know Chikara, but Lord Kira said that if Kai can beat his champion then he has no need for memories. That he will be able to find a new home easily enough."
Riku spoke next, "He has a home here, he doesn't need a new one already. When is Lord Asano going to make his decision ?"
It still made him smile to be included as part of a true family, but he could not risk the lives of his friends by leaving. If Jinsoku saw him leaving, whether by will or force, without completing the mission Father would likely use some magic to raze Ako to the ground so that Makoto would be avenged no matter what.
He reached up to touch Makoto's tusk answering, "No matter that Lord Kira thinks I am a demon, I feel that it is my fate to be here. Unless the Shogun or Lord Asano orders me to leave then I would stay as I have never had so many friends before."
Chikara smiled at his words and then said, "We should go to visit old Ken, I am sure he would appreciate another visit from you Kai. At the least to make sure you haven't disappeared like a tennin into thin air."
Tennin ? Why would someone call him a heavenly being ? His beating of the kyofu was not that worthy of notice surely ?
Slowly, he nodded before he got up noticing as he did that his muscles had started to stiffen from sitting, so that he must have slept a few hours away in that nightmare. They left his room after he tied on his sword and wakizashi. Once again, in the now darkening twilight the people that they passed stared at him before quickly averting their eyes.
When they got to Ken's house on the field and the old man was told of Lord Kira's request Ken was outraged, "He's an up-start that Kira, he has no business being a lord ! He has no honour, he dares to wear his hair down in the Shogun's presence. Now that you, Kai, have beaten his champion, he will want to get rid of you for disgracing him. There's something in his eyes that I like not and if you are not here, then no one can beat his black samurai."
Oishi's eyes lit and he exclaimed, "If Lord Kira were to get rid of Kai, if he wished then, he could conquer Ako without our being able to stop him ! I must warn Lord Asano of this possiblity immediately.", with those words Oishi got up and strode outside into the now complete darkness.
Ken shook his white-haired head, "I know not what has happened to this world lately. My Ichirou has died, so has my wife. Were that not enough for the Gods, now a kirin that killed villagers and the Shogun have appeared in Ako. All we need is the Amakage to make an appearance."
Those words made him hide his uncomfortableness and he looked about the fire-lit hut. For the first time he noticed the second futon in the far corner, it made him wonder if perhaps he'd had a sibling before he'd been born. Perhaps if ever he found his mother, he would find out if he had siblings as well.
Tengu training had fallen hardest on him as Father and Akirou had no one else to train. What with there being no children being worthy to be amongst the Tengu for many, many years when he had been accepted. It would please him to hope that his mother was alive and not alone, if only it would be so.
