End of Chapter Thirteen: Someone was dead because of her, someone that as far as she could tell she'd never even had the time to realize she actually cared about. It made everything else in the world seem irrelevant, the only thing she'd ever truly connected to was stolen from her. She couldn't stop her body from wracking itself with sobs, eventually crying herself into unconsciousness.
Chapter Fourteen: A Rook's Gambit
"In all things it is better to hope than to despair."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Chizuru twitched a little, then started awake, though the room was pitch black hinting at the late hour. She had been having nightmares but unlike previous ones she couldn't remember them once she opened her eyes. Her body felt suddenly energized, a strange anticipation edging into her mind and bringing her back to the waking world with a quiet urgency.
Then the door opened and she had to turn her eyes away from the bright light of the lantern the person was carrying with them. She didn't recognize them but by the manner they were dressed she assumed they were a soldier. The man looked her over as she tried to adjust to the light and sneered before turning to glance down the hall, the distant sound of metal on metal was something she clearly recognized. "You need to get up woman, Lord Kaoru wants you moved."
Chizuru sighed and pulled herself up out of bed, picking up her kimono and when the man didn't move she put it on over her bedclothes, it was a more feminine clothing they'd left since she'd woke here anyway.
"Hurry up." The man muttered something about women. No sooner was her sash tied than he dragged her along with him down the hall, ignoring her small cry of pain at where he pulled her from under her arm. She didn't continue to protest as she walked with the man at a swift pace, she wasn't sure what he wanted but it just seemed pointless to struggle so she let herself be lead closer to the sounds of combat, she could make out a scream that was cut off and she swallowed. Was he taking her to watch more people being slaughtered?
Then they passed through a door out of the room and into the upper story of a courtyard area and she gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. The silver haired warrior below was wearing a kimono that was intimately familiar and as she came outside the gilded eyes of Kazama moved to her before continuing smoothly on to cut his next target in half. She saw Kaoru coming down when he hadn't yet noticed and she moved in that next moment without thinking, knocking away the man holding her with no effort before leaping off the ledge of the second story to slam into her twin. She didn't alter his course as much as she'd hoped though as his sword still sunk deeply into Kazama's upper arm. If he'd of had a split second he could have removed an arm.
Kazama didn't give him that, he'd flipped around and Kaoru was still off guard form the unexpected leap from Chizuru, instead the smaller of the men was kicked firmly in the chest and knocked fifteen feet back. "Kazama!"
It was hard to believe her eyes, but she realized that Kaoru had lied to her…she was ready to cry again, though for a much different reason than sadness. The frustrated glance Kazama gave her helped calm her nerves. "Get this blade out of my arm."
His tone was dark, and definitely had a pained edge he was doing his best to cover. Chizuru winced at the crimson liquid pouring from the wound after she pulled free her brother's blade, she didn't have time to say much though as Kazama reached out with the injured limb and pushed her down, blocking a follow up attack from the demon he'd only just knocked away.
"Chizuru wasn't suppose to get in the way…" Kaoru muttered, obviously angry at the interference though his glare was on Kazama. "You need to die so I can make things even between she and I."
"Nice family values you have there." Kazama mocked, even while he kept a superior tone he was being pressed back. Only having one good arm to lend to the fight and Kaoru having the strength of two was difficult even if he didn't openly admit it. "Though I'm afraid you are the one that will not be leaving this building."
"An uppity prick to the last, I always heard your family had a history of being prideful but I'm fine if you want to go out never accepting the situation you are in." Kaoru returned with a manic expression in his eyes that made Chizuru frown further; he was trying to kill Kazama when his only reason was to torment her? "You would kill your mates twin brother?"
She could feel an ache in her arm, the same one where Kazama had been stabbed but hers still worked fine, she glanced around the courtyard there were dead soldiers everywhere one had to have a sword.
"I will kill anyone that would raise a claw or fang toward me." Kazama replied. "Your relationship with Chizuru has nothing to do with it. You were destined to die the moment you worked with Kodo to create the water of life."
"Oh, figured out that much did you…rumor was your grandfather liked to collect knowledge on the other demon clans. Did you have a book on the Yukimura before our near extinction you knew we were healers but did you have any idea how far that went? Chizuru and I have blood capable of healing any wound a demon would gain, part of why the other demons didn't mind letting us die out. Why we'll build our own army of demons so we can take out everyone human and demon alike." Kaoru was speaking as he fought with Kazama. It was so far his swiftness that was saving Kazama from another heavy strike, he could dodge the various attacks of the smaller man but he couldn't manage to counterattack without leaving Chizuru open.
"Furies are an affront to the natural order." Kazama hissed, getting in a small strike and cutting Kaoru across a cheek before having to bring his sword back in to block. "You think those things won't just destroy everything? You'd knock all the world off of balance because you feel you are owed something? You don't think all of the demons would prefer revenge for what was done to us? Your clan can survive yet you'd infect it with this travesty? You've turned yourself into a pathetic creature grasping for more power than you can control."
While they fought and threw insults at each other Chizuru was backing up to a sword, she wasn't a great swordswoman but she knew how to wield it and with Kazama there she had to try to stop him. Kaoru might be related to her but she could barely remember him and no matter how tragic his life was, he couldn't be allowed to do this. If she had to kill him herself then she would do that.
Chizuru managed to make it to a blade and wrap her fingers around the hilt but Kazama had done a marvelous job of pissing Kaoru off, if nothing else Kazama could be counted on to irritate his opponents to the level that they would start making mistakes. Somehow she doubted that was the reason for his behavior but she appreciated what she could get. She leapt up off the ground, seeing the glint of silver from the side of her eye, but she couldn't pay attention to her hair. A moment later she'd buried her borrowed sword all the way to the hilt in Kaoru's stomach, it wasn't a killing blow for a demon but obviously painful, she couldn't move in time to avoid his sword but again Kazama had pulled her away only to take another long gash down his right side, he was openly wincing after that but he didn't falter from standing.
"Thanks." He commented to Chizuru without looking at her. Instead his gaze was focused on his opponent but Kaoru was just finishing pulling the sword from his stomach, a clear grimace on his youthful features.
"Sister…" Kaoru glanced at Chizuru in shock; obviously his plan hadn't included her openly attacking him. Her cut had been more vicious than even she'd realized and his slowed steps allowed Kazama to dash in and start regaining ground he'd lost.
"Your quick tongue has started to slur it seems." Kazama's comment made Kaoru growl in response. "You are much less eloquent than a moment ago."
"It doesn't matter if I die here, Kodo already left with the best of the furies, ones that were given my blood undiluted. They will not be like others. They are perfected, one of them is equal to a demon and he will have dozens." Kaoru retorted with a laugh. "You think you can best them when you can't even best me?"
"Speaking a little soon I think…" Kazama moved in at a opening, but his steps lead him over a small pit, the trap sprung Kaoru slammed his own blade down, shocked at how swiftly Kazama had recovered and blocked. Earning a smirk from Kazama as he pressed Kaoru's hit backward, sending him wide and slicing a deep gash across his left leg before needing to parry again.
"You are one of the final members of the clan involved with healing, what do you think the Chikage clan exalted in? Did you not do a little bit of study? Or did you not care that I am descended from countless generations of warriors?" Kazama mocked, getting in another few slices as he continued to push Kaoru back, his own bloodlust painfully clear in an almost gravity that was pulling down on the field.
"It doesn't matter, the other demons uncle created will be better. They'll lead Chizuru and our family back even if I'm dead." Kaoru replied harshly, though a misstep spelled his end. As soon as he tripped slightly backward Kazama's blade dug into his heart, catching the wrist of Kaoru's blade as his own blood continued to flow from his varied wounds, they were healing, but not fast enough to be safe. Kaoru only smirked at him as the light started to die from his eyes, murmuring. "This is fine, you'll die as well…"
End Chapter
Sorry again for the shorter chapter but inspiration is hard for me at the moment. I'd rather post something short than nothing at all. It keeps me interested and working with the fiction. In good news I commissioned two Chizuru x Kazama pictures from an artist today. One for a scene that happens next chapter and just one I wanted lol.
-Aura
To my reviewers:
DivineRose91 – Kaoru is a jerk yeah, I don't like the guy at all. Though killing him with a sword through the heart makes me happy. Kazama was like 'I don't think so jerk', and he was a little insulted that the guy would not only try to backstab him but then tell him he'd never win against some pseudo demons. Unhappy Kazama! Yeah I want to come up with more but I'm still pretty bummed with the hubby leaving and it's hard to get the inspiration for much of anything. I figure it'll take me another week or so to adjust as much as I will.
Animawolf – Yeah, I like how protective I think Kazama would actually be. Even while acting like he doesn't care, which makes it cuter somehow. Says: 'don't care' Does: *slays them all!*
Me-and-eM – I try not to be too predictable, it's sort of dull. There was a lot of drama, that's for sure. Kodo will show up yet, he just hasn't yet. Though hopefully Chizuru being the one to rescue-ish Kazama was a good surprise.
Manelloveskazama – I haven't seen too many but I appreciate the compliment! I really love Kazama too!
Litschi – I actually like Sanan – well some of the time. I liked how he dealt with things in the anime/Hijikata's ending. Though I think he should have died a lot sooner than he did what with going pretty crazy and all. As far as counting sheep – I'm sure they have something similar if not exactly. If a battle lasted 4-5 days (or in my case in the story 3 days) people didn't just not sleep at all for that long. People had to withdraw from battle lines to sleep on both sides; particularly in the longer battles that lasted past nightfall it was common for them to withdraw for a time. The same way that sieges tended to work.
Miho – Kaoru sane? Pft, I have a hard time picturing him as sane. Mostly he irritates me. I never liked him. That aside, I have always enjoyed the idea of being connected on an emotional level to your loved one. It's been a concept I've had for ages and ages but only rarely use.