Author: Nami-chan.
Pairing : :DateSana, MotoMoto, KoSasu, IeMitsu, and some other I won't spoil
Disclaimers : I think we all would like to have the on right Sengoku Basara, but it's not my case
beta : Fantasia di tempesta
Dragon Tales Book Two
Part 14
When the letters inked on the paper before him seemed to blur no matter how hard he stared at them, the young general of Tokugawa clan knew that he needed a break. Ieyasu rubbed his closed eyelids with his thumbs, helping his tired eyes to rest. He let out a tired sigh, exhausted by all the political work that he had done since he left the Toyotomi clan. He stood up, tried to stretch his legs, and opened the sliding door leading into an inner garden.
A pleasant breeze passed through his hair as he closed his eyes and caught a whiff of Mikawa's sandy cliffs carried by the wind.
Ieyasu flashed a wide smile when he noticed that he wasn't as alone as he thought. Judging from the birds that landed all over his armor-clad shoulders, Honda Tadakatsu, his vassal, had waited for him on the terrace for some time.
"Tadakatsu?" Ieyasu called out, startling some birds by his sudden sputter.
The half-man, half-machine retainer raised his head, dropping a handful of seeds he had held in one hand. He tried to get up out of respect for his lord but didn't do so as Ieyasu rushed to convince him to stay in his current position while reminding him what would happen if the other got up so suddenly. The patio roof would certainly be destroyed.
Once he was sitting again and Ieyasu laughter had subsided, Tadakatsu emitted a whirring and accusing sounds toward his lord.
Ieyasu looked slightly ashamed as he ran a hand on his nape. "I know that I work too much. But if I stop now, everything I've done so far will be nothing," the young man replied. He got reprimanded with a clicking noise from the other.
"Okay! Okay!" said Ieyasu jokingly, his friend's insistence amused him. "I promise, I'll go eat something right now, is this good?"
Tadakatsu was about to respond with another sound of his own when a different voice echoed.
"Lord Tokugawa?" A soldier called from the office room.
"I'm here," Ieyasu replied instinctively.
The soldier then put his head through the door leading to the garden, his relieved expression disappearing to make way for a more formal look, he stood right when he presented his report to his lord.
"Lord Todo and Lord Ikeda are here to request an audience with you, my lord. They wish to join you to fight against Ishida Mitsunari," the man assured.
Ieyasu flashed another bright smile. "Tell them I'll meet them soon."
The man did so after a final bow, leaving Ieyasu alone with Tadakatsu. The solar general didn't turn back to face his friend, but Tadakatsu knew his smile disappeared when he said:
"It is when we suffer the most that we must show them the most beautiful smile we can muster, so that they keep their faith in the future. Don't you think so, Tadakatsu?"
Tadakatsu didn't have the heart to respond. Perhaps it was because he was half-machine, after all.
Oooooooooooooooooooo
Saying that Tsuruhime was energetic was a severe underestimation and Keiji had to learn it the hard way.
At first, he was quite happy with the idea of the girl accompanying him for the rest of his journey home. The wanderer never refused a little company, plus he still felt bad for leaving the wonderful woman that was Magoichi when he just made her acquaintance. He would see her again, of course, because he knew she was the right one for him.
However, he somewhat regretted accepting the very moment when they came off the boat and she immediately started talking and blamed his manners with a lady - right after bidding their goodbyes to both Magoichi and Motochika - as he reached out to help her down to the dock.
He stared at the pirate for a moment while preparing his horse, another valuable travel companion who was much abused during the attack of the ship; Keiji could never give enough thanks to the crew for the great care they had brought to his horse. The Maeda vagabond had therefore signified by his eyes that he would return as soon as he can, and he wouldn't let Motochika get out without explanation concerning the pain that afflicted him.
'Orochi... what does it stand for?'
Tsuruhime didn't hesitate to get on the horse for a second but Keiji immediately knew that it was most likely the first time she saw one.
"Are you a cow?" She asked the animal, confirming Keiji's suspicion.
It was at this moment Keiji realized that the journey would probably be very long and very painful.
The miko didn't fail to ask him questions, filling the air with different words and sounds of wonder - sometimes sounding too high-pitched to be enjoyable. Every sapling or blades of grass would be interesting for her and every trivial thing seemed to be something new in her eyes. Keiji wouldn't dare talking about the people they met on the road. She addressed them a hello of course, because she have manners, but her voice when she asked question about them to Keiji could only reach their ears, as she wouldn't wait for them to be out of their hearing range. And it was quite embarrassing.
It was certainly exhausting, but extremely refreshing, too. Keiji had to admit that despite his nascent headache, it felt good traveling with her. He even found some joy and liked to respond as enthusiastically as she was.
After a while, they left the highway to continue on a less frequented forest road. Tsuruhime eventually run out of new questions about the environment and the people they met. Even so, she hadn't given up. She began asking questions about Keiji, about his private life, about what he loved or what he saw during his travels. It would have been easy to answer, since Keiji was inexhaustible when it came to his experiences, but only if he could stop her flow of questions first.
Somehow, it had to be karma... he began to understand that they were pretty much alike, after all. That was why the one-eyed dragon often pretended to have some urgent work to do and would sent Kojuuro to watch after him when Keiji paid visit to Oshu with lots of new stories to share…. He finally understood that constant talking could quickly become too much for someone with a temperament like Masamune. When they pointed it out to him, Keiji pouted a little and thought that he wasn't appreciated as much as he would have expected.
Oddly enough, Motochika sincerely liked him, but seemed to hate the girl's character. Keiji understood almost everything when it came to love and he liked to think he was good at judging characters. Even so, he would still have some problems when it came to understanding every single thing about people.
Speaking of Tsuruhime, she had been silent for several minutes now. Keiji looked over his shoulders and saw her childish face wearing a smile too sad for the girl.
She was sitting sidesaddle behind him, her hands firmly gripping the saddle despite the smooth stance the horse had.
"What are you thinking about?" Keiji asked, curious to know what could disturb such an enthusiastic person.
"My home," she answered truthfully. "I was so eager to bring my predictions to the pirate... so I left without telling anyone. But, I don't like to worry them."
The vagabond's expression was one of empathy, knowing exactly what was going through the miko's mind himself.
"You ran away from your home, right?" He asked with a slightly amused laughter.
She puffed her cheeks angrily and immediately protested. "No! They knew very well that I had to leave. It's just that…," her shoulders fell and she made a little sheepish smile. "I didn't really have the permission to leave," she confessed.
Keiji's laughter boomed. "I went through that, too."
"Really?" She exclaimed, as if Keiji's remarkably similar experience was an incredible thing.
"You'll understand when we arrive at Kaga," he replied with a nod.
He quickly turned back to the road in order to hide the fearful grimace that flashed across his face. He knew that he too would understand... he had ran over the line this time, two full years without visiting home even once…. He already knew how his aunt, Matsu, would react. And it was not going to be pretty.
His previous sentence seemed to have thrown a comfortable and relaxing silence between them. Well, relatively silent, since he could still hear Tsuruhime humming a tune behind him.
That was when he noticed that, in fact, he already was missing the girl's incessant chatter. It was almost silly to have thought it was kinda annoying right now. Especially because it seemed that it was his turn to speak if he wanted to continue the conversation.
"Why were you so adamant about coming with me, especially if you don't have the right to leave from your home?"
Keiji decided to simply return to their previous conversation, too curious to know what had prompted such a young miko to disobey her orders and leave the warmth of her home. He felt her shrugging behind him when she answered.
"To be honest, I don't really know what made me do it. It's just that there's something inside me, telling me to go with Maeda Keiji. And I had always been told to have faith in what my heart says." She asserted putting one of her hand on her chest.
Keiji smiled. Just a great need to travel, eh? How old was he when it took him? When the curiosity to see the wonderful world around him had become too high to bear? When the desire to meet people like Masamune, Motochika, Yukimura and even Tsuruhime had become as necessary as breathing?
"Anyway, you'll not regret the trip. You see, I can assure you that Toshiie and Matsu are very nice people, and I have never met a cook better than Matsu in the whole country...," he said with pride. "... well, Sasuke isn't bad when he's paired up with Kojuuro…," he finished in a whisper.
He heard the girl chuckle behind him. "You seem to hold them dearly. Hearing you talking about them really makes me want to meet them in person. I just wonder why you don't spend more time with them."
Keiji always had trouble hearing about that revelation and he still had trouble admitting it himself. He didn't know why he would go back home so rarely when he liked his family this much. The easiest answer he had, though holding a small amount of truth, sounded false. Yet it was the one he gave to Tsuruhime.
"Don't tell anyone about it, okay?" He asked, teasing her with a false air of secrecy.
"I'm a big girl. I know how to distinguish what should and what shouldn't be repeated," she answered, offended by his lack of trust.
Keiji took the girl's remark into account and went on. "I sometime feel like I put myself between them... I mean, they love each other so much; I don't want to be a bother for them. And the wanderer life calls for me, I don't even know if one day, I would find a place to stay."
The end of his sentence was a lie to anyone who knew how often he came back to Echigo. In fact, it was way more often than the time he came to Kaga.
Tsuruhime nodded, considering his answer. She was a shrine maiden, so Keiji didn't doubt one second that she could understand more through his word than he could himself. She was nice enough not to comment on that.
Then she let out a languished sigh. "If only my twilight ninja could love me as much as this," she said, letting out another sigh.
Keiji nearly fell from his horse. Stunned by the mere fact that he had her wrong all along, the girl wasn't reading him at all. No, she was pretty much in love and the mere mention of a couple had thrown her miles away from here.
Ohoh! Maybe love played a huge part in what motivated the girl to leave, after all. That was the kind of adventure that spoke to Keiji.
"Uh, hehe," he chuckled when he heard her sigh again. "A first love is a wonderful thing, it has to be cherished because it's fragile like a cherry blossom," he encouraged.
"When he saved me from some bandits, his fiery hair sways with the wind and black feathers flutter all around him. He was so wonderful," she replied with pleasure.
Keiji could almost hear the stars in her eyes reflected in her voice. It was a great story, indeed; a man saved this innocent girl and she now had her eyes only for him. This was the very reason that he fought for peace in this warring country. It was for helping those kind of stories to grow in people's hearts, but he would never dare to tell Tsuruhime about it.
Nevertheless, it was time to end this conversation because the great door of Maeda's territory could be seen at the path's end.
"We've reached our destination," Keiji indicated.
He felt Tsuruhime move on his horse, probably trying to see over his broad shoulders.
"It's a good thing. I'm dying for a good bath and a good meal."
Once again, Keiji couldn't suppress a chuckle.
They stopped in front of the large wooden gate, and Keiji dismounted to greet the guard who was waiting there.
"Lord Keiji!" The man in tan armor exclaimed.
The man waved at him and hurried to assist him when the wanderer reached to help the girl down his horse. He arrived just in time to see her put her foot down and give her thanks to Keiji.
The smile Keiji turned to him quickly erased when the wandered took notice of the frown plastered on the soldier's face.
"Something wrong?" Keiji asked instantly.
"Something terrible happened," asserted the guard, shaking his head. "Lady Matsu is missing."
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Motonari couldn't remember when was the last time he felt so serene in his life. He smiled so often these days that his cheeks ached when he got to bed. Nothing was bothering him now, the only thing that mattered was learning Xavi's precept and appreciating his dear sun through the palace's walls.
He wasn't ready to admit it, but he also appreciated the ceremonial dance session orchestrated by Sorin. The young preacher was a nice project manager and Motonari was happy to have become his aide-de-camp. He could say that he was truly happy. He had felt love for one man for whom it was hardly more important than another sunrise, now he could share all the love he had in him with people appreciating its value.
Sitting on a terrace and enjoying the good weather, he was reading a book in a quiet and relaxing silence when his fox ears began to quiver, capturing sound vibrations before it reached his human ears. It was the sound of heels tapping on marble floor approaching him.
"There you are, my dear Sunday!" said the small blond when he saw him.
Displaying a smile, Motonari rose to greet the missionary, dusting his black dress with his hand.
"You seem quite restless, Sorin. However, it's not the time for us to sing, if I'm not mistaken," Motonari remarked.
"No, no, you're not wrong. I was looking for you. I wanted your opinion on one thing... and it seems I can't find Muneshige anywhere." His agitation was visible enough in the lively gestures he made with his hands accompanying his words.
The kitsune blinked when he heard his superior in Xavism's request. Now that he thought about it, it had been several days since anybody heard of Sorin's giant handyman. Well, not since a dispute erupted between them. There were even rumors about Muneshige slapping Sorin. Motonari didn't dare to imagine such a thing. A vassal slapping his lord, this was impossible in a place bathed in Xavi's love.
"I'm listening," Motonari replied. "What is it?"
"We need more money to organize Xavi's festival! I want to assign this task to you, as treasurer of Xavi."
Motonari was touched by this honor. At that time, he would gladly leave to advocate his love throughout the country if Sorin requested for it. The territory of Aki didn't have much more wealth compared to its neighbors. Motonari's glory resided in his powerful army and the diversity of his people instead his personal wealth. Even so, Motonari spent much of it in his military budget to design new weapons - something that felt so distant to him, now that his soul was at peace.
However, he knew someone whose thirst for adventure always brought more money.
"My territory is at Xavi's service, and if that isn't enough, I know a pirate whose treasure we can borrow."
Sorin seemed more than delighted with this idea.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooo
A shiver ran through Motochika's body. He instinctively wrapped his arms around his body, pulling the edges of his jacket to cover himself. From the horizon, he could see Shikoku Island and he was almost relieved to notice that the only light he spotted was not the one coming from a fire but that of a setting sun, coloring the land in red and orange.
He heard Magoichi approaching him, but he didn't turn away from his island to face the young woman.
"Thank you for lending me your ship," he said.
"It's the least we can do. I almost destroyed yours, after all," she replied.
Motochika frowned. Looking back, this woman had attacked him for a reason, after all. He knew how intelligent she was. There was no way she didn't knew of the consequences that her actions could have. Was she trying to atone her wrongdoings towards him?
"I don't know what would have happened if Hideyoshi took this land from me," he began, trying not to sound accusing. "When it comes to clans, you're exactly like me. The clan means more than everything else, but you should have known that this man was dangerous. He would turn my people into slaves just to torture me in prison… if I didn't lose my head first."
Motochika finally turned to face the woman, plunging his ocean blue eyes into the gunner's brown ones. "Men like him always thirst for more power. I saw it in his eyes."
Magoichi stared back without flinching, her arms crossed over her chest. She wouldn't let herself be unsettled by the pirate's words. She had done what she thought was right for her clan, even if she had to go against an old friend. She would certainly do it again when necessary. The times had changed and only those who could adapt will survive. It wasn't her problem if Motochika refused to see that.
She finally shrugged. "What's done is done. Now he's gone and your people are safe... who knows, maybe it will be you who will destroy them." She accused him in turn.
Motochika shook his head because he knew she could be right. No one had been cursed by Orochi for hundreds of years, making the legend behind the creature fall into oblivion. Some people still pass down the precautions to take against its malice. Motochika was grateful that his father was one of those people, but in a world where magical forces declined and slowly becoming useless, so much things had been lost forever.
Only the gods knew what the creature would push him to do.
"I won't let myself be ruled by an entity that nobody remembers," Motochika muttered, resting his forearms on the railing in a more relaxed position.
"Are you sure it's Orochi? There are still plenty of malevolent entities who relied on possessions." Magoichi questioned him.
"There aren't many beings who are able to possess a descendant of the Oni." Motochika replied with a sigh. "You know the same story as much as I do…. I can't be wrong, all the signs are there."
"You mean the marks and all the stupid things your father told to scare us when we were kids?" She insisted.
"I just hope that Ieyasu will answer my letters soon," was the only valid response that came to his mind.
Silence fell between them when Shikoku's first harbor came into sight, Magoichi was about to leave to give her orders to her crew.
"You rely too much on your supposed friends."
Motochika only continued to scrutinize his land as he heard her turn and left.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Like the first time it happened, Yukimura remembered everything the other did after his fight with Kenshin. His eyes widened at the words and gestures that weren't his own, even if it was done by his own body, along with the dark thoughts which he was aware of but couldn't hear. The young tiger had seen and experienced horrible things on the battlefield, but this was something he found most distressing and frightening by far. Not being be able to be the master of his own body had become an anguish of his daily life and he had no choice but to live with it until a solution was found.
So, when Kenshin wished to officially speak with him, he initially refused the request. He was still far too shaken by his experiences. He even injured Sasuke, dammit! How could his master's rival could still want to be in the same room with him was beyond him.
But another part of him, the part that he knew was courageous and steadfast, refused to let go without a fight and it was this part that led him to accept the meeting.
While he couldn't remember what happened after he lost consciousness, Yukimura knew that Echigo's soldiers accompanied the men of Kai back to Ueda. For that, he was grateful and slightly appeased to be allowed time to regain his conscience after such a trial with friendly souls behind him.
Yukimura also ordered after the incident to never be left alone again. Someone had to monitor his every moment to prevent the demon lurking within him to have the opportunity to do anything more dangerous. And even if Yukimura felt bad after hurting him, even though he knew that once the demon won, his friend was likely to be hurt again - he couldn't entrust this task to anyone other than Sasuke. Yukimura had more trust in the ninja than in any other man.
The samurai knew his friend would have the strength to kill him if necessary.
Kenshin had always preferred the silence of the tea room more than the castle meeting room. Glancing at Kasuga, who was practicing the tea ceremony with ease, the three men were now ready to talk. Yukimura was sitting on his heels with Sasuke at his right and Kenshin in front of him offered a sympathetic smile.
"Be without fear, young tiger. The evil that affects you isn't unknown to me," Kenshin began, breaking the long silence that had followed the civilities.
Yukimura's back straightened up, his eyes searched for Sasuke. He hesitated to speak, fearing that his need to know more would be taken for restlessness.
Kenshin took his time to go on and watched as Yukimura squirmed in discomfort in his wait, taking the opportunity to teach the young man a lesson about patience.
Three cups of tea were served before the conversation resumed, one for Kenshin, one for Yukimura and after a short reflection, Kasuga finally gave one to Sasuke as well. Once everyone was served, the kunoichi sat silently next to her lord, her eyes occasionally coming to rest on Yukimura. The samurai hated the pity he saw in the girl's eyes.
It was only after Yukimura had drank and put his cup down that's the Lord of Echigo began his story.
"The devil at least had the courtesy, or should I say the pride, to reveal his name to us. It seems that one of the Orochi's head had taken over your heart, young tiger."
Yukimura lowered his head in shame. Ashamed to see nothing, ashamed of being so easily fooled by a demon, ashamed to be too presumptuous when he thought he had gotten rid of this evil by himself. How mortifying it was when he so stupidly fell into all the traps that had been set for him.
"This is the source of the shame that falls on me today, Uesugi-dono." Yukimura asserted as his jaw tightened.
Kenshin didn't change his expression when faced with the young man's confession of helplessness. Taking a sip from his tea cup, he said, "I think, rather than shame, you should feel somewhat honored to have been chosen by a creature as old and as powerful as Orochi."
He tried to reassure the younger one, even if he fully understood Yukimura's resentment.
The young man chose to continue to display his frown, unable to agree with the older man on this point. Choosing to ignore Yukimura's disapproval, the man resumed his story.
"The legend of Orochi has somewhat been lost. So, unfortunately, I can't pretend to know more than what has been told as a children's tale." Kenshin replied.
Yukimura and Sasuke exchanged glances. As a child, Yukimura loved listening to the stories and legends the ninja would tell him when he was able to put him to bed. Wanting to please his young master, Sasuke had learned stories of all kinds from all over the land of the rising sun, yet it was the first time they heard about Orochi's legend.
"Would you care to enlighten me with your wisdom?" Yukimura asked, curious to learn more about the devil who had broken into his heart.
The religious man chuckled a little laugh before speaking again, "I asked you to come to talk about everything I know. Isn't such setting suit a tale perfectly?"
Yukimura could only nod in approval. Somehow, a strange atmosphere made its way into the small pavilion. The fuming hearth that warmed the place had enveloped the room in a comforting feeling that Yukimura experienced only when he was under his beddings... or in Masamune's arms if he allowed himself such a thought. He almost would let himself be lulled to sleep by Kenshin's voice, if this story wasn't so important for him.
"You should feel grateful that Lord Kenshin is granting you the honor of sharing his knowledge. He could very well leave you with that possession on your own." Kasuga intervened, seemingly bothered by something while she had remained calm until then.
Kenshin smiled at her. "I'm grateful for your support, my beautiful blade. But, the help I offered to the young tiger right now is not a mere charity," he rebuked her.
Kasuga apologized profusely for her behavior, trying not to get carried away when she saw the discrete blink Sasuke sent to her.
"Be assured that I, Sanada Yukimura, am more than grateful for all the help offered by Lord Kenshin." Yukimura confidently asserted, effectively silencing the apprehension that the young woman had toward him.
Although amused by the whole scene, Kenshin had to clap his hands to bring everyone's attention back to the subject. It was like teaching a class of young children. Once all eyes riveted upon him, he finally continued his story.
"Orochi was demon who survived the Great War. It was a giant snake that was still feared by the population, even after the war," Kenshin told the other three as they listened closely.
"They say that he had eight heads and an immense body spanning over eight valleys and eight mountains. He could take down an entire domain or bring famine in one breath that held the worst disease if he wished to do so. Once a year, people presented him a girl to eat in as a part of their deal to ensure their safety."
Hearing this, Kasuga couldn't hold back a slight shudder. Her face revealed her aversion towards what she had just heard and restrained herself not to comment on the it. Even Yukimura seemed troubled by the idea that people can sacrifice an innocent person to a demon, despite how horrible and dangerous it was. The young samurai had often seen people act to protect their cause altogether, sacrificing a single person without a great cause to defend was something cowardly for him.
"And no one rebelled against this?" He couldn't help to ask.
Kenshin merely shrugged his elegant shoulders in response. Sasuke chose to answer for him, seeing that the man was messing with Yukimura.
"It was a different era. Besides, legends don't always reflect reality," the ninja reassured him.
Yukimura was still making an almost sulking expression. "Being possessed by such a creature is outrageous," his fist tightened on his knees.
Kenshin hid his chuckle behind one of his hands, placing the other on Kasuga's knee to reassure her. Again, he resumed his story.
"Do not be alarmed before knowing about the serpent's fate, as every tale ends badly for all evil. Like any other criminal, divine punishment finally got the better of him." Kenshin said, calling their curiosity.
"The snake made the mistake of wanting one of the emperor's daughters, the most beloved of the country, as a sacrifice. This was what finally broke the straw for the people who barely put up any resistance until then, as they were still weakened after the Great war. Soon after, a man of the name of Susanoo volunteered to save the princess. Deceiving the snake, he offered the beast eight liquor-vat of the most refined sake to drink, one for each head. Enticed by the fruity smell of the refined drink, the demon didn't refuse. Weakened by the drink, he couldn't resist against the hero's attacks and Susanoo cut each of its head, enclosing them within the liquor-vat and freed the princess. In return, the Emperor offered him his beloved daughter's hand." Kenshin paused to take a sip of tea.
"A just punishment, indeed. It was heroes like Susanoo who forged our country," Yukimura commented with a hint of pride in his voice. He would have liked to meet such a man in this era. He certainly would have been a formidable opponent to fight.
Kasuga and Sasuke both hummed their approval.
"And we are now at the exact point where the legend converged. I only know about one version, but I am certain that other versions exist as well." Kenshin wanted to finish his story, noticing that Yukimura's attention span wasn't that extensible.
"Like all legends dating from the Great War," Sasuke whispered in Yukimura's ear, reminding him how he had learned three different versions of his favorite story after meeting the dragon's oracles.
"It is said that Orochi's leading head, the eighth, used its last strength to conjure a curse before it was sealed. The curse states that each head will be able to return to earth, taking the body of a human being worthy of their greatness when the time comes and they will take revenge on those who had deceived them." Kenshin lowered his head with a sigh. "And this is where my knowledge ends. With the evidence that the curse is becoming reality before my eyes," the man stated while he let his crystal clear eyes fall upon Yukimura.
"Now the question is: as Susanoo's blood ran in almost every inhabitant of the land of the rising sun, what will the Orochi do to carry out his revenge?"
TBC
Well, another chapter went by. Suggestions? Comment? Theories? I'm listening so feel free to ask... But I won't spoil the rest!
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