Treading in the Mist…
Disclaimer: I stake no claims in the ownership of Fushigi Yuugi, dattebayo! :P
Author's Notes: I'm back once more! Did you miss me? No? Awwwww…
Getting down to more important business, I'd like to thank the following reviewers for their encouragement!
VampireSiren: Thank you! I'm glad I could give you an enjoyable read!
Patriot16: Thank you for the correction! I'll make sure to remember that! :) It's really nice that you pointed it out to me. I hope you find the chapters to come just as enjoyable!
Anonymous: Thank you for the kind words! Here's your update!
August: Thank you for the review! I've always thought the Seiryuu seishi were being treated too unfairly! As for Tomo, he has to be weird or else he wouldn't be Tomo! :P
LadyxAbsinthe: Thank you! Enjoy the next update as well!
Nile1283: Ah! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter that much! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down either!
I'd also like to thank the many others who've conferred me the honor of following my work and adding my work to their favorite list!
On with the tale now!
Note to self No.25:
Dragons travel at Mach 5!
The room from where I would be transported to where my seishi were was all too similar to the room where I'd met Seiryuu in my dreams. But this time, it was just Taiitsukun and I.
"Remember all that I have told you, priestess." Her voice echoed in the empty halls.
"Yes ma'am!" I quipped, grinning at the deity in front of me. She merely chuckled once more as she lifted her hand that held a pure white orb that glowed brightly.
"May your journey meet its good end, priestess."
The orb's radiance grew in size until I couldn't see anything in front of me. And then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded and I found myself in between knotted trees. The sky above me was a deep indigo. It was early night. I was in the woods… alone. Now, I really wondered if Taiitsukun was playing another one of her classic pranks on me. And then,
"Nakago-sama,… please control yourself! Losing your temper is not for the best."
It was Soi and from the looks of it, the shogun was probably doing target practice on the other seishi.
"Aredhel-sama is alone out there in the woods! Probably dead! All because some idiot couldn't control a stupid horse!" I heard Nakago growl. It was a rare sound. And from that, I could make out just how worked up he was!
"But Nakago-sama! It wasn't Suboshi's fault that-"
"-Silence!" his voice rose once and everybody's died away.
I had to get there before the shogun turned psychotic!
"Nakago? Soi? Amiboshi? Suboshi? Aishitare?"
There was silence for a while and then,
"Who goes there?" it was Amiboshi.
"It's me. Aredhel!"
"How do we know it is you?" Soi asked, her voice calm and even toned.
Whoa… it was one thing to be cautious. But this…
"Guys! It is me. Remember how I fell from the horse and broke my hand? Guess what! Taiitsukun fixed it for me. She's not-"
There was the distinct sound of a sword being draw and before I could utter another word, I felt the shogun's sword on my throat.
"Give me one good reason why I should trust you." His voice was so cold!
"Nakago?"
Our eyes met in the growing darkness and for a long while, we stared at each other and then… he hugged me. It was the last thing I had expected him to do. His hands tightened their grip around me as I felt his breath leave him in what I assumed was a relieved sigh.
"You're safe." His voice was just as calm. But somehow, it had a tinge of warmth in it. I smiled, hugging my seishi back.
"Yes, Nakago. I'm sorry if I've made you worry." I drew away from him, smiling. He just stared back. Yet, there was tenderness in those eyes. It was unlike anything I'd seen before.
The fire flickered in the middle as we sat around it, my seishi surrounding me, with a million question on where I was and what happened.
"We were so worried, Aredhel-sama." Soi's hands smoothed my hair as her eyes sparkled with tears threatening to break free.
My hands found their way over hers,
"I'm back, Soi. And I'm safe and sound. So, don't worry! I'm not going away again unless you guys kick me out!" I laughed.
"Oh, Aredhel-sama!" she hugged me as her tears finally landed on my shoulder.
My seishi… my wonderful lovable seishi! I smiled gleefully as she let go of me to wipe those stray rivulets away.
"So, what happened after I was lost?"
Amiboshi answered, "It was horrible, milady! We were searching high and low and all of a sudden, we had these…visions… disturbing visions!"
"Visions?"
"Yes… I believe it must be the mountain witch's doing." Suboshi spat out, throwing another dry twig into the fire.
"Mountain witch? You mean Taiitsukun?"
"She's known for playing pranks on unsuspecting travelers, milady." Soi joined in. I didn't know what to say for a while. I turned to Nakago. Something about his demeanor made it abundantly clear that he didn't believe it was Taiitsukun's doing.
"It wasn't Taiitsukun, Suboshi." I said, not taking my eyes off Nakago.
"How can you say that, Aredhel-sama?"
"Because, she was the one who tended to my wounds and guided me back to you. And I'm sure Nakago knows who's really behind the visions."
They all turned to regard the shogun with bewilderment.
"Don't you, Nakago?"
He didn't reply.
"Anyway, what do we do from now? Where do we go?" I asked Nakago. And this time, pat came the reply.
"Sairou, of course."
I smiled as I shook my head.
As though preplanned, something glowed from inside Nakago's cloak. His brows furrowed as he searched for the source of the glow and took out a clam shell – Tomo's shell. For a moment, he stalled, looking down at the thing in his hand perhaps calculating if he should open it there. And then, without a word, he got up and walked away from us.
Something told me that whatever was the news from Tomo wouldn't be good.
"I wonder what news Tomo-san has for Nakago-sama." Amiboshi was wondering out loud.
"Whatever it is, I hope it's good." Soi replied, though one could not mistake the slight tone of unsettlement in her voice. Silence fell around us once more as we waited for Nakago to return. I knew each of us wanted that moment never to come and yet, knew we couldn't dally around not knowing what was in store for us. Then, Nakago walked back into the clearing.
My intuition was impeccable that day!
His fists were clenched and he had a murderous look about him as he walked into the light of the bonfire. Soi was the first one to speak – the bravest of us all.
"Nakago-sama…"
"The emperor has sent an army into the forests and cities in search of us. Tomo has been forced into hiding." His voice was level but it did little to hide the anger he felt inside. His statement was met with silence. I turned to the twins and the courtesan to find them staring at the shogun like he had just heralded the End of Days! When the silence dragged on,
"What do we do now, Nakago?" I was aware that my voice didn't tremble.
"We fight! We'll not let them take Aredhel-sama!" Soi cried. The shogun said nothing.
"Even with the seven of us…" he began,
"you cannot be thinking of giving up, Nakago-sama!" Soi interjected. She had never spoken up to the shogun before! There was silence once more. But this time, a sense of gloom hung over the glade. Then, there was a growl.
"Nakago-sama. The enemy is moving in." I turned around to find Aishitare stand there, a really big gash was slowly staining his tunic red.
"Oh dear lord!" I turned towards my wounded seishi. He drew laborious breaths and it was apparent he had run into the enemy. "They'll be here by dawn tomorrow." He growled as he let me examine his wounds.
"Nakago…" I turned around to find the shogun look at his bleeding comrade with merely a frown on his face.
"You knew it was impossible for us to escape… didn't you?" I was aware of my voice breaking as I instinctively tightened my grip on Ashitare's hand. The shogun didn't reply.
"There never was a surefire way out of this; was there, Nakago?"
"This was the farthest we could ever go against… him. I was hoping we could have held out longer." He finally spoke. And in his voice, I sensed something that I'd never heard before – defeat. His face was still as stoic as it ever was but still… we could all sense something emanating from the shogun that day. The manipulations he had in mind were slowly unraveling and for the first time, the shogun didn't have a plan B.
I turned to Soi who probably saw whatever I saw. Her eyes hardened as she took a step towards him and sunk into a bow.
"We shall protect Aredhel-sama with our final breaths, Lord Nakago. We await your orders." She turned to the other seishi and I saw them sink into a similar bow. They had to be completely out of their minds!
"I shall take Aredhel-sama towards the border. This might be our final chance to-"
"-No."
Nakago stopped midsentence and turned my way, his expression was one of incredulity.
"You will die, milady. Don't you understand? Now is not the time-" he began, but I didn't let him finish…again.
"I know what's happening, Nakago. If we go to the Sairou borders, mark my words! We will all die! This is a trap. Tomo has been compromised. And they'll know exactly what we're up to. And moreover… Tenkou…" my eyes darted towards the shogun momentarily,
"He knows how you think. You've worshipped the bastard, for crying out loud!"
"There is no other way." His voice was so deathly calm; I shrank away from him physically. But I had to say what I had to say, whatever the result!
"There is, Nakago. Just that you simply don't want to accept it!"
"Aredhel-sama!" I felt Soi's fingers clasp around my forearm. She didn't want a fight. I pulled my hand away from her grasp and took another step towards the shogun. It was about time!
"We should go to Khonan. Now."
"Aredhel-sama…" I heard Soi implore once more. And once again, I chose to ignore her. My eyes narrowed at the shogun in front of me.
"There is no way they will ever let us cross the borders. We might as well walk into the palace and surrender."
"And how do you know that, Nakago? How do you know that without even giving it a thought?" my voice rose.
"I know what draws you towards Khonan, milady. And you should know that your loyalties should be towards the people of Khutou."
Oh no, he didn't!
"A bit too altruistic of you, Nakago… thinking of the people of Khutou all of a sudden! What is it? Are you missing your darling emperor already?"
"MILADY!"
I'd expected Nakago to be the one who'd shout but surprisingly, it was Soi. Her beautiful face was marred with an angry scowl and it scared me when I realized that it was for me. Tears were swimming in her eyes. And as she shook her head, they ran down her face. I knew I'd overstepped the line. But I had to say something before the stubborn idiot decided to sacrifice him and the others just so some silly notion of his might live!
"Since her eminence is all too aware of everything that goes around her, what, pray tell, is her plan now? The entire land of Khutou lies between us and the borders of Khonan." His voice was so cold and his eyes merely slits that I knew the reason I was still alive was because I was the Seiryuu no Miko.
Oh… that was right. How on earth were we to get there? I sent murderous thoughts towards Taiitsukun as I stood there, Ashitare panting painfully to one side and Soi and Nakago glaring at me on the other with the twins behind me, wondering whatever was going on!
"WHOAAAAAAH!" It was Suboshi who had cried out. Oh great! The army was here probably. I turned around expecting countless men in blue armour only to find myself staring at a really huge golden dragon, regarding us with what could only be called a benignly amused expression.
"What in the name of Seiryuu's blessed nose-hair is THAT? And why the hell is it smiling at us?" Suboshi had officially lost it!
"Are you just going to sit there, swearing or is anyone going to climb onboard?" a tiny voice chirped from atop the beast. And then, I saw her… the same cute little girl that served Taiitsukun burst out of a tiny pink cloud.
"Nyan-nyan!" I cried as I ran towards the dragon, leaving my flabbergasted seishi behind. She hovered in the air before me, holding my hand. A very stern expression was on her face.
"You need to go to Khonan. Now."
I turned to where Nakago stood regarding all that went in front of him with a very dark scowl. When our eyes met, I let him know… I was pleading… genuinely wanting him to know that this was the only way! Seriously hoping he wouldn't just turn around and leave.
"Milady…"
"This is the only way. We're cornered and you know it. Please Nakago… I'm begging you!"
The moment dragged on slowly and then,
"Get up there, Soi. Amiboshi and Suboshi too. And get Ashitare some help with his wounds."
"Nakago…"
He didn't answer. I knew what he had in mind. He was going to stay behind. He was going to make sure the rest of us got off alive. All because he was being an obstinate idiot!
"If you're going to die here. I might as well join you!" I got away from the dragon and towards the shogun.
"Milady-"
"Time is short, priestess!" I heard the nyan-nyan exclaim.
"I'm not leaving you here alone." Nakago looked down at his hands in mine. I wasn't going to leave him here. Not after all the trouble we'd been through together.
"Please Nakago." Now I was crying. And this seemed to surprise him for some weird reason. Wasn't it natural to cry for the ones we loved? His fingers caressed my cheek gently as his eyes darted over mine. My hands covered his as I said, my voice was barely above a whisper,
"Please…don't do this alone."
There was no answer. And after what seemed like an eon, a heavy sigh. Something in me brightened as he did that! He would trust me… now of all times! Clutching his hands, I turned to my other seishi. They were all smiling and Soi was openly laughing as she cried. And seeing her, I couldn't help but laugh myself.
Soon enough, we were all on top of the dragon and amidst the clouds. Nakago sat beside me and Soi as we flew. And when our eyes met, I could discern a sense of calm about the shogun.
About time he sported that expression!
"Aredhel-sama…" I felt Soi's hands on mine as we hovered over what I presumed were dense forests. And through that brief touch, I understood all her fears.
"It's alright, Soi. She is Taiitsukun's hand maiden. And she isn't exactly the evil witch here. As a matter of fact… she happens to be the mother of the four gods."
From the way her eyes grew large and the tiny gasp she took, it made me wonder who exactly spread these rumors about Taiitsukun. Another trick up Tenkou's sleeves for sure!
"Where are we going?" I heard Suboshi ask the nyan-nyan warily. His hand was on his ryuuseisui.
"Hasn't your miko told you? You cannot summon Seiryuu just yet." The little girl said, her hands gently stroking the dragon's mane.
"And why exactly not?" the shogun's voice held a tinge of irritation.
"Because he won't come… not now." The wind picked up pace just a little.
"Aredhel-sama!" I heard Amiboshi and Suboshi exclaim from behind me and I mentally cursed Taiitsukun.
"Tenkou is too strong in Khutou. And furthermore… your emperor has fallen down the dark path."
"What do we do now?" Soi's hold over my hand tightened.
"You go to Khonan. Simple as that!" The nyan-nyan grinned.
No sooner had she said it, the dragon began to descend. And soon enough, we were grounded. It seemed like the edge of yet another forest.
"Where the heck are we?"
The divine hand maiden tittered as she shook her head.
"You're outside the village of Seirin in Jusoh. Eiyou is merely three days by carriage from here."
"Wait!wait!wait!WAIT! Eiyou as in the capital of Khonan?" Amiboshi stammered. The little girl tittered once more as she nodded.
"But… that's… I mean… Nakago-sama! We couldn't have!"
"Get yourself together, Amiboshi. You sound like an idiot." The shogun deadpanned.
The nyan-nyan giggled once more and I couldn't hide my smile. But then, her eyes hardened as she turned my way,
"You know what needs to be done, miko. And remember… you have a purpose here. Do not stray from the path."
I nodded. Understood. No straying from the path. Now all I needed to do was to find this person with the symbol of the phoenix.
"Well… safe journey to all of you!" she called out before jumping on the dragon once more.
"Thank you so much!" I cried, eliciting another titter from the girl.
The dragon spread its wings once more and in another instant, the girl and the beast vanished. When we were once more alone, I turned to my seishi. They were staring at me raptly, probably wondering what my next plan was. Now, how was I to tell them that my next plan was to go meet the emperor?
"We need to find a place to spend the day, Aredhel-sama." Soi spoke first, her hand still on mine.
"Yeah. Now that we're here. You must have an idea what we must do next, ne?" Suboshi piqued.
"I'm sure you must have a plan, Aredhel-sama." Amiboshi smiled. Ashitare merely grunted.
All I did was smile weakly. The shogun hadn't spoken yet. He stood there, with his back to us facing what I presumed to be Seirin village.
"Nakago…" The other seishi fell silent.
"I'll inform Tomo of our location. And we had better get to the capital fast. It isn't safe here. Khutou has always eyed this village as the starting point when the war begins. Moreover, Ashitare needs to be tended."
With that, he walked towards the houses. Even in the guise of a merchant, Nakago exuded the splendor of a Seiryuu warrior. And I for one decided then, I was not going to let Tenkou mar this man before me anymore!
Author's Notes: Yes! We're right back where we started! For those who've read the novels, the next chapter is worth a treat! :P and for those who haven't, patience my friends! :D
As always, do let me know what you think!
Yours in fellowship,
Anarya of Lorien.