Chapter 31: In the Dark
Kurama stewed in his worry as he left the princess with the prince, off to whatever mischief they had concocted. Mischief that Keiko seemed determined that he have no part in.
That was concerning. Why was she shutting him out now? She never had before.
There was also the matter of her health. Kurama wasn't convinced that her condition was improving. In fact, it appeared to be growing worse.
Kurama had searched through his large mental reference of mortal ailments but he had been unable to find a match for the princess's symptoms. It was very odd.
Yet she was determined to go through with the wedding. She and Prince Yusuke were definitely getting along well. That was something to be thankful for.
The sound of loud voices alerted Kurama to the fact that a group of people were bearing down on him at haste. He darted to the side and watched as half a dozen guards rushed past him.
Kurama followed the group, passing startled nobles and servants as they weaved through the halls.
A flash of blue caught Kurama's eye. A familiar shade of blue. He halted as the guards continued on.
Botan sat on a bench beneath the window, her face buried in her hands. A boy stood beside her, dressed in the clothes of a noble. He awkwardly patted her shoulder. His face was very pale.
Kurama nosed at Botan's knee gently. She lowered her hands and smiled waveringly at him. One hand petted his head. Kurama yipped, though his tail remained down and still.
Something had happened. Something that involved Botan.
"Botan?"
An unfamiliar voice. Kurama twisted around to see that two maids were approaching. Both looked confused and uneasy. One of them turned her head to look in the direction the guards had gone.
Kurama decided that comforting Botan could wait. He needed to know what had happened. He ran down the hall after the guards as the maids converged on Botan.
He didn't get far. Two turns later he was confronted by a scowling man who blocked his path with a sheathed blade.
A blade? Inside the palace?
Startled, Kurama skidded to a stop. The guard pointed the tip of the sword at him.
"Back," he said firmly.
Kurama scented blood in the air. He retreated, tail between his legs. When he returned to Botan, she was gone. Disappointed, Kurama began to wander in search of someone highly-ranked enough to actually know what was going on. Maybe if he were in the company of such a person, then he could get past the guards…
His usual options were not present. Prince Yusuke and the guard Kuwabara were both gone with the princess. The king would tolerate him, but getting past the king's guards might be a problem.
Kurama had stopped beneath the shade of a potted tree to consider his options when liquid ice shot through his veins.
Kurama's thoughts froze. His vision went black.
A pained sound slipped from Kurama as he returned to consciousness. His body felt like one big, painted bruise. The surface beneath him was hard, increasing his discomfort.
Stone, Kurama guessed as he tried to lever himself up. His fingers slid over the cold surface, finding the cracks and edges.
Wait? Fingers? Kurama opened his eyes. He had fingers. He had a hand. A human hand.
What? He hadn't changed out of his fox form. Not willingly.
Was this an attempt by Hiei to sabotage him? Had Hiei arranged this, somehow?
Or was it an effect of the ritual that they had both overlooked? Did it have a time limit?
Kurama looked around himself, doubt rising as he took in his surroundings. He was in a small, dim room. The floor and walls were grey stone. There were no windows, only a door across from him.
That door was out of his reach. Solid black bars strongly indicated that Kurama was not permitted to use it.
He was in a cage, Kurama realised as he looked up and noted that there were bars above his head as well. And to his left and right. They were spaced far enough apart that Kurama could slip his hand through.
Kurama experimentally pushed on them, then tried to force them apart. They didn't budge. He eyed the padlock speculatively. Though he knew it was possible to pick a lock, he had never done so before and wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. Did he even have anything on him that was suitable for the task? He doubted it.
Hiei couldn't have had anything to do with this, Kurama decided. The fire god would never put him in a cage. Kurama gave up on examining the lock and turned his attention to the rest of the room.
A wooden chair sat empty beside a small table near the door. Kurama took that as an indication that whoever had arranged this would eventually return and reveal their reasons.
He checked himself over. He was mostly unhurt but for a few blooming bruises here and there. He wore the same clothes he'd been wearing before the ritual had transformed him. What had happened to the fox's collar? Had it disappeared? Or perhaps his kidnapper had stolen it?
That seemed like a shame. Karasu had bargained for it, after all. Kurama hoped that neither Karasu nor Oru would be insulted that he'd lost the pretty thing.
Kurama tugged the scarf from his hair and used it to scrub his hands clean of dust. It was a futile effort, as the floor was coated with the stuff, but it was something to do, at least.
Kurama's power hummed through his veins, muted as no life lingered nearby but for rats and mice. Wherever he was, he suspected that it was underground. Maybe somewhere in the depths of the palace?
Who had put him here and why? Had they known beforehand that he was a deity? Was that why he'd been targeted?
If they didn't know that he was a deity before, they certainly did now. A fox turning human could not be mistaken for anything else.
The door creaked open on unoiled hinges. Kurama stiffened and edged back to the wall. A chill slid into the room, followed by a familiar and unwelcome figure.
Yukina's aunt. The one who hated animals.
The woman gave him a false smile.
"You're finally awake," she said as she sat down on the wooden chair. She set the lamp she was carrying down on the table, its light adding to the weak illumination from the two torches on the wall.
Kurama chose to remain silent, though questions burned on his tongue. How long had he been asleep? Why had she done this? How long had she known about him? What did she want from him?
"Nothing to say?" she asked. "Your friend Koto had plenty to say."
Nausea swept through Kurama as the implication of her words sank in. Koto. The woman knew about Koto. There could only be one explanation for that.
She had murdered Koto.
Kurama was face-to-face with the person responsible for killing deities.
Hadn't Karasu mentioned that ice deities were prevalent among the disappeared? Now it made sense. Most ice deities preferred the frozen peaks of Kottashima over the fertile fields of Ningenkai or the endless deserts of Tourin.
Kurama pushed his fear down, knowing that it would not help him in this situation. He needed to stay clear-headed and observant.
He studied the woman's face closely. She stared back, blood-red eyes narrowed. Kurama could see the resemblance between herself and her young niece. The shape of their features and their bone structure was the same, but this woman was akin to an ice sculpture; all sharp edges and stinging chill. Yukina was a flurry of soft snowflakes dancing in the wind.
"You don't seem surprised, Kurama," the woman said.
Kurama struggled to remember her name. Rei? Ree? Rui. That was it. Rui.
"I am not," Kurama said. He hoped that, by appearing assured, he could throw her off her game, whatever that was.
His absence would be noticed. Keiko would certainly be looking for him. Surely news would reach Hiei.
And Karasu. He had to be skulking around somewhere.
But could Kurama truly expect any help to come from that court? Karasu was an enigma. He did not often interfere in the affairs of the living. He might well feel that he'd done enough by merely warning Kurama of danger.
Kurama shifted into a more comfortable position, tucking his legs to the side. The cage wasn't high enough for him to stand.
"Do you think this cage will hold me?" he asked, keeping his voice level and calm.
Rui laughed, the sound like shattering icicles.
"I know it will," she said, her smile supremely confident. "You deities aren't as powerful as you think you are."
Kurama mulled that over. For a mortal, this woman was extremely arrogant. Koto, for all that she was a deity, had not been a fighter.
If this woman had captured another deity, one as volatile as Hiei, perhaps, she would have a much more difficult time containing them.
Unfortunately for Kurama, he, too, was not a fighter. He could kill Rui, of course. He could drain the life energy from her body, but that would not free him from this cage. Did anyone else know where he was? If he did kill Rui, would anyone ever find him here?
Kurama inwardly shuddered at the dismal thought of spending years stuck in this room, alone and trapped.
No. He'd wait and gather more information before acting. Rui's confidence indicated that there was more to this situation than Kurama currently knew. He could not act rashly.
"I could kill you," he said quietly to Rui, though he had no intention of actually doing so at that moment.
"You are the god of life," Rui informed him, a smile dancing briefly across her features. "It is not in your nature to kill."
Kurama barely resisted the urge to grind his teeth together. She was right about that. Killing was against his nature. But that didn't mean he could not do it.
"I could kill you," Kurama repeated.
"Try it," Rui responded. "The bars of that cage were forged in the black flames of the dragons. Your power won't reach beyond them."
Kurama's first reaction was to deny her assertion. That was ridiculous. He'd never heard of anything that could truly block a deity's power.
But, as he reached out to touch his captor's life-force, he realised that she was right. While he could sense the life brimming inside her like a well of clean, refreshing water, he could not touch it.
With a sinking heart, Kurama realised that he really was trapped.
This woman had already killed one god. Would he become her next victim?
"What do you want from me?" he asked, still maintaining his calm facade.
"For now, I just want you out of the way," Rui informed him. "You're too close to the princess. I can't have you interfering with my plans."
"Which are?" Kurama asked, his words edged with a bite.
"Not your concern."
Rui rose, her tall form momentarily blocking the light from the torch behind her and casting her form in shades of shadow. Then she turned and left the room, the door shutting with a heavy thud behind her. Kurama heard a deadbolt being pushed into place. He grimaced, his mood sinking into depression.
He watched the flames of the torches flicker until they were burned into his retinas. The faint scent of smoke lingered in the air. The room had to have some kind of ventilation or the smoke would have become overpowering.
Just how long had he already been here? Kurama had no way of knowing. Had Hiei already realised he was missing? How far away was the wedding? Days? Hours?
A sick feeling grew in Kurama's stomach. Did Rui have some sort of plan to stop the wedding? Was the princess in danger?
And, if Rui knew about himself, just what did she know about Hiei? Was Hiei in danger as well?
Kurama brushed that thought away with the knowledge that Hiei was more than capable of defending himself. He was also not a trusting sort of person. Rui would not catch Hiei unawares.
Kurama's mind slipped into the blackness of sleep, his head drooping forward. Before his closed eyes, he saw the twirling staffs of the fire dancers. But they were not wielded by the colourful, graceful forms of the Tourin natives. Instead, the staffs were spun by fire itself. Five pillars of flame moved like the fire dancers, twisting and weaving around each other.
Kurama roused himself from the dream, an uncontrollable shiver wracking his body. The flames of the torches sputtered and died, darkness descending on the room.
Maybe death wasn't his most immediate concern, Kurama wondered. Perhaps he was doomed to lose his sanity in this cage. Which would be worse? He suspected that he had a long time to think over the matter. In this deep darkness, even a minute felt like an eternity.
Kurama was awakened from his stupor by the sound of the door creaking open. In the still room, it cut into his consciousness with the force of a shout.
Kurama opened his eyes, expecting to see his captor returning. Only to be met with the sight of a shorter form.
Worried rose-red eyes fell on Kurama as Yukina hastily set her lamp down on the table. The light burned Kurama's eyes, though he was incredibly grateful for it. He'd begun to wonder if he had actually gone blind.
Yukina moved forward to kneel in front of the cage, heedless of the grime that stained her kimono from the unclean floor.
Kurama waited uncertainly for her to speak. Just how involved was this girl with her aunt's plot? She had to know something about it. Certainly, she had been the one to raise Keiko's suspicions about his true nature, which indicated that the aunt had confided something to her.
Perhaps that had been why Keiko had left him behind, Kurama realised. Had Keiko actually taken Yukina's suggestion to heart? How unfortunate. If Keiko had allowed Kurama to come along with she and Yusuke, then he would never have been captured by Rui.
For a long moment Yukina said nothing. Her hands clenched into fists on her knees. When she did speak, her voice was small.
"I am sorry about this," she said.
Her eyes glimmered brightly with tears.
"Sorry?" Kurama responded, the word void of inflection. His throat was dry and his stomach was gapingly empty. Unfortunately for him, hunger and thirst were not ailments that would kill him. They would just bring him endless discomfort.
"I—I didn't think anyone would actually get hurt," Yukina said, her words shaky.
Kurama resisted the urge to laugh at her. While he found that statement incredibly naive and delusional, here was a potential ally. He had to be very careful about how he handled this girl. She could be the key to his escape.
"No one else has to get hurt," Kurama informed her. "You could let me out of this cage. We could stop your aunt from harming anyone else."
A tear slid down Yukina's ice-pale face. She shook her head, lips trembling.
"It's too late," she said. "The princess is already dying."
Dying? The word sent a shock through Kurama's body. What had Rui done? Could Yukina be mistaken? Maybe it wasn't that bad.
"Dying?" he questioned.
"Yes." Yukina's fingers clenched tightly in the fabric of her kimono.
"You could help her," Kurama pointed out carefully. He settled into a more comfortable position, his legs crossed as he observed the girl.
"But my aunt would be furious… You don't know what she's like…"
"I'm beginning to get an idea," Kurama said dryly. He throttled down his impatience with the girl. Maybe asking her to release him was pushing too far. But perhaps he could at least convince her to help Keiko.
"How much time does the princess have?" he asked.
Yukina's eyelashes fluttered before she wiped at her eyes with her long sleeve. "Um, maybe a few days?" she asked uncertainly.
Hours, Kurama suspected, sensing that Yukina was being overly optimistic. That didn't give them much time.
There was only one person Kurama could think of who might be able to save Keiko in his place.
Hiei.
Even if he couldn't save Keiko, then at least he would know that Kurama was missing and who was responsible for that. Maybe Hiei could convince Yukina to turn on her aunt where Kurama could not.
"If you could save Princess Keiko, would you?" Kurama inquired.
"Of course," Yukina said. "But I don't know how…"
She lowered her head, avoiding Kurama's eyes.
"The only power I have is that which my people possess naturally," she said. "My aunt is much stronger…"
Mortals possessing power? Coming by it naturally? Not much was known about Kottashima and its people. It was possible, Kurama supposed, for mortals to possess a lesser form of the powers deities possessed.
Kurama badly wanted to pursue that topic but time was too short for that. He'd look into that later, if he got the chance.
"There is someone who might be able to help her. A man staying at the inn near the west market square," Kurama told her. "His name is Hiei."
Yukina's eyes wavered with uncertainty. "If my aunt finds out…" she began.
"If you're careful, she won't," Kurama told her. "If the princess's situation is truly grave, then the king will undoubtedly seek outside help. As long as your aunt does not find out that you were the one who brought Hiei to the palace, then you have nothing to fear."
To Kurama's relief, Yukina looked as though she were actually giving his suggestion some serious consideration. His heart began to lift in hope.
There was a chance that he could get out of this.
"I could ask someone else to fetch him," Yukina offered.
Kurama nodded, giving her an encouraging smile. "That ought to work," he agreed.
He watched a tear slide down the girl's cheek as her answering smile fell away.
"I really am so sorry about this," she said helplessly. "I feel so awful. I wish I could help you."
Kurama suppressed a sigh. "I know," he said.
Yukina left, pressing another apology on Kurama as she closed the door. Kurama rubbed his eyes before settling down to wait. He stared through the invisible bars of his cage until they faded into the darkness like the memory they truly were. He wished that he could speed the process along somehow. Being kept in the dark was going to drive him insane.
"Kurama."
Kurama gave a violent start, his eyes flying open. Only darkness met them.
Had he imagined the voice? Was he still dreaming? Had he even been dreaming at all?
"Hello?" he asked, his voice seeming to fill the darkness.
"I did try to warn you."
Kurama raised his eyes upward toward the voice.
"Karasu?" he asked.
"Who else?" the voice responded.
Kurama sighed. He shifted, wincing as his aching legs protested the change in position.
He supposed that, given the direction that Karasu's voice emanated from, the god was probably sitting on top of the cage. That was really quite disrespectful, Kurama decided.
"So nice of you to drop by and see me," he said dryly. "I don't suppose you could unlock this cage for me?"
"I don't have the key," Karasu responded.
Kurama laughed bitterly. "Of course not," he said.
"I can't help you," Karasu continued. "I've already done more than I ought to have. You're going to have to get yourself out of this one, Kurama."
"Why?" Kurama asked. "Why can't you help me?"
Even without the key, Karasu could probably remove the padlock. If not, then he could alert someone to Kurama's plight. Even a few words in the ear of a mortal would do.
But for Karasu to simply make no effort at all was insulting. They were friends, weren't they?
For a moment, the darkness swept in to fill the silence. Kurama wondered if Karasu had abandoned him.
But then, Karasu answered. "We all have our own masters, Kurama."
"Masters?" Kurama asked, his interest piqued. He couldn't begin to decipher Karasu's meaning. Did he mean Koenma?
"You'll find out soon, if things go poorly for you," Karasu responded.
Kurama shrugged in the darkness, resigned. While he was miffed with Karasu for not being willing to aid him, it wasn't like that was his only option. There was still Yukina.
"How far away is the wedding?" Kurama inquired curiously. Maybe Karasu would be willing to at least give him some information.
"It was supposed to happen yesterday," Karasu responded. "It has been postponed due to the princess's illness." A pause followed. "I suppose that means you lost the bet."
Kurama laughed again. "And Hiei did not even have to do anything," he said. "That does not seem fair, does it?"
"It's your own fault for being overconfident," Karasu rebuked. "For thinking that you and Hiei were the only ones with an interest in these events."
"I did not think that," Kurama returned. He wrapped his arms around his knees and glared into the darkness. While it was nice being able to finally talk to a friendly entity, he wasn't in the mood for one of Karasu's patronising lectures.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Karasu said. "You're in more trouble than you realise, Kurama. Did you forget about the murdered deities?"
"No, I haven't forgotten," Kurama said. "But I have a plan."
"Good. I hope it works out better than your bet with Hiei did. Either way, I'll see you soon, Kurama."
A beat of silence passed. Then another.
"Karasu?" Kurama asked uneasily, directing his eyes upward again. But he received no answer. Karasu was gone.
Had Karasu's last comment been alluding to the fact that Kurama might die here? Kurama hunched, burying his face in his knees.
He hoped that Yukina would come through for him.
But would she? Did she have enough courage in her to defy her aunt? The woman who had probably taken the place of her mother in her life?
Kurama stretched his legs out, only for his toes to meet the hard bars of his cage. He drew them back, scowling into the darkness.
Who had Karasu been referring to when he said that they all had 'masters'? Did he mean Koenma? Koenma wasn't a master of anything, as far as Kurama could tell.
Or had Karasu not been speaking literally? Maybe he was thinking of a concept, not a person? Maybe he had meant the affinities that every deity had?
If Kurama could be thankful to Karasu for anything, it would be giving him something to ponder in the darkness. That would, he hoped, keep the nightmares at bay for a little while.
Author's Note:
Merry Christmas!
Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story so far. I'm very grateful to all of you.
I can't give an expected post date for the next chapter yet as I haven't actually started it, but I think it will be late January, so Happy New Year as well.