Chapter Thirty-Two
Tottori
Traylaymaru and Chate stood overlooking the large city on the other side of the mountains. The city sat just on the coast of the ocean and in such a spot that would provide protection from the mountains the two youkai currently stood on. Shaking his head, Traylaymaru jumped onto the path just below him and sucked in a long breath before he focused his attention on hiding his form. Chate snorted once the dark-haired youkai opened his eyes. "At least you didn't have to change your hair."
"Funny," Traylaymaru grunted and watched as the guard from Hiromoto's former guard switched his own form. Nodding satisfied, he mumbled quietly. "How long can you maintain the form for?"
Chate shrugged. "I don't know. I have never had to maintain a human form for longer than a day."
"This might test those limits." The dark-haired youkai grumbled softly.
Nodding in understanding, Chate waited until Traylaymaru began moving towards the human city and fell into step behind him. It took them only a matter of minutes to come to the large front gates and the guards stationed there immediately drew their weapons or hefted their spears in their direction. Once they realized that only two human males approached they relaxed their stances and nodded in greeting. The gates opened and swung wide and Chate gasped at the massive amounts of humans that lined the streets.
"Damn and here I thought Hiromoto's home was impressive." He whispered close to Traylaymaru's ear.
The dark-haired youkai gave a small nod of his head, not having anything to compare it to as he had never been to the youkai lords home. "Be alert."
As they walked through the city they took in all the sights. Many humans were dressed as though for war and a few sat on horseback guiding those men towards the center of the city itself. Traylaymaru frowned when his eyes fell onto many children, no more than ten to fourteen years of age also being guided. Grunting softly under his breath, he took in a few large men knocking on random houses and speaking with the occupants and then forcing an entrance. Men and children were then guided out of the house and commanded to fall into line by the guards on horseback.
Chate shared a look with his dark-haired companion and they shook their heads in disapproval. As they rounded the corner of one of the dirt streets, they saw many bodies piled up and blood sprayed on the snow-covered path and on the backside of the homes lined there. With surprised looks, they walked over and inspected the dead all having been killed by swords or by other unspeakable means.
"What are they thinking?" Chate muttered quietly.
Traylaymaru shook his head and waved his hand to the far end of the street where a single house sat and a crude looking sign that said archives. "If memory serves me right, this is where the humans store all their records. We might find something useful if we are granted permission to look."
"You have doubts?" Chate asked curiously as they walked to the lone house.
Traylaymaru knocked on the wooden frame of the house and an old lady poked her head out. "What do you want?" She asked in a low crackly voice.
"We were hoping to take a look at your records. There has been news spreading around and we were wondering if there were any documents speaking of these rumors." Traylaymaru asked softly, leaning close so he could speak to the old lady.
"Are you lords of some house?" She asked taking in the expensive-looking haori and hakama he and Chate wore.
"Lords, no but we work for one," Traylaymaru muttered.
The old lady looked extremely disappointed at his declaration. "I can let you in with a small fee." She held out her hand for some kind of payment and her eyes widened at the three silver pieces Traylaymaru placed in her palm. Immediately she waved them inside, her eyes lingering on the streets for a moment as though she feared the repercussions allowing them in would bring her. "Don't dawdle now." She said hurriedly.
As soon as Traylaymaru and Chate entered the house, she closed the cloth covering and shooed them out of the way so she could get by. "I trust you have heard the news of the coming war?"
"Only bits here and there," Traylaymaru admitted.
"Oh my. Lucky you were not stopped and forced to join the army." She grumbled as she waved them to the long tall shelves at the back of the house. "They are here today enlisting the men for the upcoming war."
Traylaymaru shook his head. "Who are they fighting against?"
The old lady shook her head. "They say that the people of Wa are heading here with a massive army and youkai who they have made allegiance with."
"Youkai and humans working together?" Traylaymaru glanced at Chate surprised.
The elderly lady nodded. "This is what I have heard. Even the emperor's army has been trying to recruit youkai to no avail."
Chate furrowed his brow and mouthed the word 'emperor to Traylaymaru who shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "So the humans are looking for allegiance with any youkai clans for what purpose?"
"To help them win the fight. Keep up, child." She murmured absently as she ushered them to the many scrolls. "You should be able to find something among all these scrolls. Do not linger long. I trust the emperor's army will be by within the hour to seek out more men for their army. My home is no exception."
"I saw the dead in the streets," Traylaymaru mentioned as he pulled a scroll down and read the date the document was written.
The old lady turned and nodded at him. "Any who try to run or decline the order is killed. Soon they will detain the women or children if the men do not comply."
Traylaymaru frowned not at all surprised by the tactics the humans portrayed. He had seen plenty during his travels on the mainland and how they treated one another. If someone was of lesser status they were treated poorly and if you held any kind of rank you were held in high regard. Shaking his head suppressing the growl that wanted to escape, he continued to browse over the different scrolls that the artisans who documented things wrote down.
There were definitely reports on the people of Wa gathering forces and sailing towards the mainland of Japan. It was strange because the people of Japan adopted the writing from Wa and a lot of their beliefs. The next scroll he read was that the humans had named someone as the emperor who was the leader of all the people. He clicked his tongue catching Chate's attention and he handed the scroll to him.
Once the guard read over the contents he blinked at Traylaymaru and smirked. Apparently this emperor was born of the gods and held in such high regard that many didn't even know what the human looked like. Chate shrugged, it wasn't really any different than their own beliefs to be fair. Stories told of their kind being descendants of gods and that was why they held the powers they had. But no one was alive to verify those stories. He handed the scroll back and shook his own head.
The old lady peered at the young men curiously, wondering why their lord would send them to the city when he would have been informed of the current recruitment for the army. All territorial lords had been commanded to keep their people in their villages until summoned by the imperial army and yet these two were here doing research. They looked to be trustworthy enough, and yet they seemed to hold an air about them that made her question their words. Were they in fact lords themselves and only declared themselves as servants? They certainly were dressed in finery that a lord himself would wear.
Smiling to herself she would get a handsome reward if she were to report them to the recruiting officers in the city so clearing her throat, she excused herself and slipped out of her archive hut making her way to the center of the city.
Chate furrowed his brow the minute the old lady slipped out. "Did you see the way she looked at us?"
Traylaymaru lifted his head from the scroll and he shook his head. "What did you see?"
"I don't know, but there was a gleam in her eyes that signaled danger," Chate growled low but in his current form it wasn't nearly as imposing.
Traylaymaru snorted. Quickly gathering up several scrolls and placing them into his bag, he waved his hand. "Perhaps it is time to leave."
"You're taking the scrolls?"
"What are they going to do? Stop us? We can fight our way out of here." Traylaymaru grunted quickly peeking outside the hut for signs of the old lady or the guards.
"I would prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict." Chate followed Traylaymaru quickly as they kept to the shadows of the buildings.
"You sound like Seihomaru." The dark-haired youkai chuckled softly. "I don't wish to fight either."
Chate grinned. "We could always just slip into our true forms and get out of here."
Traylaymaru nodded. "We might have to. Look." He pointed to the old lady walking in front of several guards waving them in the direction of her hut.
"Sly little bitch," Chate growled.
Traylaymaru lifted his brow at the term and snorted. "Interesting term for a human female."
Chate shrugged. "Am I wrong?"
"On the contrary, the term works in this case. Humans are so easy to read."
"Perhaps you should have given her more currency to sate her desire for more."
"They are greedy and always seeking more. Just goes to show you that you can't trust anyone." Traylaymaru slipped beside the building in the darker shadows and crouched down as the old lady and guards moved past their location. "Come."
Chate nodded and followed Traylaymaru towards the large gates of the city. If they were quick enough they could slip out without any confrontations, but of course, as luck would have it they were spotted by a male on a horse and they stopped with a sigh.
Traylaymaru turned and waited while the man approached them. "Where do you think you are off to?"
"We are headed back to our establishment to report our findings to our lord." The dark-haired youkai began.
The man angrily got off his horse. "Is that so? Was your lord not aware of the notice that none were allowed to venture from their villages?"
Chate grunted. "He sent us on an important mission. Rather than go against his wishes and find ourselves impaled by disobeying that request, we came here."
"Indeed." The male walked up to them and took in the fine silk haori. "What village are you from?" The man pulled out a scroll and waited for a response.
"We are from Hagi," Traylaymaru muttered quietly, his mind remembering the small human camp he had encountered four years prior, by now it should have grown to a small village with how quickly the leader had taken it over. If he remembered correctly the man had called himself Sanada.
"So you are followers of the Sanada clan?" The human man sneered, his face contorting in even more anger. "You are a long way from home."
"Is there an issue?" Traylaymaru grunted.
"Be wary of which clan you follow, especially seeing as many are taking over territories. All men are being recruited by the imperial army for the upcoming war." The man wrote down a bunch of information on the scroll then peered at them. "Names?"
"For what purpose?" Traylaymaru wrinkled his nose.
"For the recruiting officers."
"I am afraid that if we are recruited into your army without our lord's knowledge it will be very unpleasant for all parties." Traylaymaru snarled as best as he could in his human form.
"That is not my concern. Names." The man demanded.
"Foolishness." Chate barked. "You can go to Hagi and recruit us from there. We have a mission to accomplish and we are going to complete it. If you have an issue with that I suggest you take it up with our lord and commander." He snapped.
The man peered at them in stunned silence for a moment. "My task is to recruit members. You are here against the command of his imperial majesty so you now belong to this city. If you resist, you will be executed immediately."
Traylaymaru shook his head in Chate's direction. Deciding to play to the human's wishes he nodded his head. "Very well. If you insist we will do as her imperial majesty commands."
"His!" The man snapped. "Are you so dense?"
Traylaymaru bowed as best as he could. "Forgive my ignorance."
Chate just looked at his dark-haired companion as though he had grown an extra head. "What are you doing?"
"Shut up." Traylaymaru hissed between his teeth. "We follow along. Then we make our escape. Seihomaru wouldn't wish for conflict and besides, we might learn a bit more information to bring back to him."
"Do you know enough about the human culture to play along with this farce?" Chate snorted softly.
"Not really, but this is a great opportunity to learn some of their tactics," Traylaymaru smirked.
The man still remained rooted as though waiting for something, once he had both their attentions once again he tapped his foot, brush held over the scroll waiting. "Names?!" He snapped.
"Oh, right." Traylaymaru snapped his fingers. He racked his brain for human names and wrinkled his nose. "Keiji and Seiji."
The man wrote the names down and still waited.
Traylaymaru and Chate glanced at one another confused as to what the human was waiting for now. At a loss, the man looked up at them flabbergasted. "Family names?"
Chate mouthed the foreign word not entirely sure what was meant by the family names.
"The name of your family? Family name?" The man said again brush still hovering over the parchment not looking up at the confused and lost looks both Traylaymaru and Chate shared with one another.
"Uh?"
"Goodness man! Who was your father?"
Traylaymaru blinked. "Inao."
The man glanced at Chate and waited. "Your father?"
Traylaymaru cleared his throat. "Same. We are brothers."
"Age?"
Chate choked softly. "Be careful." He whispered to Traylaymaru who nodded.
He recalled that human lives were shorter, much shorter than youkai so him saying he was over a hundred would probably cause the human to either fall over from shock and surprise or get even angrier than he already was. 'How long do humans normally live for?' He questioned his youki, who was currently howling in amusement.
'How should I know?' Koya laughed heartily. 'Their lives are short like that of a fly.'
'So if I said I was twelve that would be appropriate?'
'Sounds reasonable.' His youki shrugged.
"Twelve," Traylaymaru muttered which earned him a sharp smack over the head from Chate.
"Maybe twenty years ago. My idiot brother." He snarled apologetically at the human who stared at Traylaymaru deadpanned. "He is Thirty-two and I am thirty-six," Chate grumbled.
"Old." The man nodded his head quite tired of the two human men in front of him. "Very well, come along."
'Baka.' Traylaymaru accused his youki.
'I had no idea, sounded reasonable to me.'
Chate leaned over and whispered in Traylaymaru's ear. "Twelve?"
The dark-haired youkai shrugged his shoulders. "Sounded reasonable. I have no clue."
"Baka." Chate chuckled softly. The man led them towards the back end of the city which took them over an hour to get to and finally he waved his hand to where hundreds of men and children sat and stood.
Traylaymaru eyed the many weapons lined up against walls, and large training rings that were similar to the ones at Seihomaru's Shinden-zukuri. He saw one small boy no more than fifteen try to lift a large wooden object and he shook his head confused. Many of the weapons he had never seen before so they were unimportant. Further back were several large cages and men and more boys were locked within the wooden frame.
"Go over there until the officer finds a place for you. I hope your skills are far better than what you portrayed earlier." The man grumbled moving away and handing the scroll to one of the heavily armed men seated at a small table.
Several children sat together sobbing and the men looked practically useless. There were some young men, most of them were old but all in all, it was a random bunch. None of which seemed to have any experience with combat.
Traylaymaru walked over to the training ring and watched a couple of men in mismatched armor being instructed by one of the guards on what to do. He snorted and nudged his head in the direction.
Chate rolled his eyes. "What are we even doing?"
"Call it mere curiosity." The dark-haired youkai muttered. He watched the men swing their swords awkwardly and one even dropped his sword. The guard stormed forward and smacked the man behind the legs with his scabbard and the man's knees buckled causing him to stumble to the ground.
Chate grunted. "Brutal tactics." He whispered.
Traylaymaru frowned deeply and nodded in agreement. "It's distasteful."
"Get on your feet man!" The guard shouted waving his scabbard in the air. "Grab your sword and get in there." Once the male was on his feet he was forcefully shoved back towards his opponent.
Traylaymaru's eyes fell onto one of the swords and he lifted it curiously. It was old and worn having seen many battles. There were chips and rolling along the edge of the blade and he scoffed tossing it onto the ground.
He was shoved from behind and Traylaymaru turned around curling his lip. One guard stood there and kicked the weapon at him. "Pay more respect to the weapons provided to you by his majesty." The guard barked at him.
Traylaymaru's eyes fell onto the old rusted blade and he lifted his brow. "That useless thing?"
The guard bent over and shoved it into Traylaymaru's arms. Surprised, he stumbled back into the wooden fence surrounding the training ring. The commotion was drawing far too much attention to Chate's liking and he sniffed. "That weapon is now yours." The guard bellowed a faint hint of a smile crawling across the smug face.
Traylaymaru scoffed and tossed the weapon aside once again. "Thanks, but I'll pass." He turned around and went to lean against the fence when he was grabbed and forced to face the guard once again. The dark-haired youkai sucked his breath in sharply and flinched back when the man shoved his face right into his breathing his foul breath in his direction. "Pick up the sword or I will use it to run you through you insolent mongrel."
Chate choked on his breath. The human had no idea how true those words were and if he weren't careful he would find out the error of his ways.
Traylaymaru snorted in amusement. "This thing wouldn't slice through pig fat let alone me. Who are you kidding?"
The guard blinked at him stupidly for a moment then solidly connected his armored fist into his cheek. Traylaymaru's head snapped back from the sudden swing and he snarled in warning, his anger growing. Flexing his hands, Traylaymaru turned his head and glared at the guard who tossed the sword at him yet again.
"Pick it up. If you are lucky you will survive this." The guard walked around into the training ring and drew his sword waiting for Traylaymaru to join him.
Chate raised his brows in surprise at the brashness of this human. Shaking his head he whispered to Traylaymaru who was snarling with his building fury. "Easy, remember humans are much weaker than we are. If we are to make this believable, you must hold back your strength."
"Ridiculous! Foolish imbecile." Traylaymaru muttered quietly. He dropped the sword once again and reached into the pack over his shoulder. He pulled out his own weapon and took it out of the scabbard swinging it in his hand as he sprung over the fence. "Hope you are ready for this." He growled as best as he could in his human form.
The human guard seemed unaffected by his approach almost as though he were accustomed to this sort of thing on a daily basis. Undeterred, Traylaymaru swung his blade one more time in his hand before he darted forward faster than the human anticipated. The guard jerked back and lifted his sword to parry the swing, but shocked at the strength this male had he grabbed the hilt with both hands to keep hold of his weapon.
Springing forward again Traylaymaru swung his blade again and as the man stumbled against the strong strike, the dark-haired youkai kicked the guard in the chest, knocking him back and onto the ground. "And you are some impressive guard from this imperial army with hopes of training them to fight?" Traylaymaru flicked his hand in the human's direction. "Preposterous!" He walked over to the guard and shoved his sword tip just to where his nose stuck out of the ridiculous headgear he wore. "You can barely move in such absurd attire, let alone maneuver when someone swings at you. Yet you wish to teach me a lesson in etiquette and swordplay? Idiot!"
Chate smirked in amusement. Not only did Traylaymaru manage to keep his human form intact but he held back his strength and used the human's movements against him. He released a sharp whistle, however, when he noticed a few other guards head in the direction the ring was situated.
Traylaymaru put his sword into his scabbard and spun around on his heel. With a nod, he and Chate quickly made their way out of the area before anyone could stop them. Most were still too speechless to even comment on what they had just seen. "And here I thought we would learn more than what the scrolls could show us."
Chate sprinted behind him, his breath short and as though he were out of air to breathe. "Damn, how do humans function in these forms?"
Traylaymaru chuckled as he ran towards the gates. "Who knows, but once we are out of the city we change and get out of here."
"True forms?"
"If you are not drained, yes."
"I am fine. A hundred years gave me enough stamina to get through a few days at least."
Traylaymaru nodded and quickly rounded a house before he jumped and tried to spring onto the roof of another hut. His eyes widened, however, and he fell face-first into the dirt when he didn't jump as high as he had anticipated.
Chate skidded to a stop and blinked down at his dark-haired companion. "You alright?"
Traylaymaru pushed to his feet and snarled. "Dratted humans can't even jump."
Chate laughed. "They are not built the way we are."
"Apparently. How do they live like this?" All the while his youki was howling with laughter in his head. "Come on, we are almost there."
They rounded the corner of the building and noticed several guards on horseback come rushing from the direction they had been and glancing at one another they realized that the shouts from the guards were alerting those situated at the gates. Immediately the gates began to close and Traylaymaru snarled.
Chate growled. "If they close those gates, we will have only one option left."
Traylaymaru nodded. "If we have to switch forms to get over the walls then so be it." Just as the words left his mouth the large wooden gates of the city slammed shut and both youkai glanced at one another with smirks on their faces.
"Well, the look on their faces should be entertaining enough." Chate snickered while focusing on his true form.
Traylaymaru snorted and closed his eyes feeling his power surge through his veins before Koya released his energy allowing his form to change into his true form. As soon as the pink cloud cleared Traylaymaru whirled around and snarled fiercely at the humans that rushed towards what they had suspected to be two retreating humans. Almost instantly the human's scent of fear erupted around them and most dropped their weapons in their terror. Chate lept over the walls effortlessly and Traylaymaru followed after giving the humans something to fear.
Chate and Traylaymaru sat just in the forest listening intently for sounds of pursuit and once they were satisfied that none came, they turned and began their long trek back to the Shinden-zukuri. With the scrolls packed neatly in his shoulder bag, the dark-haired youkai was sure there was something within the documents that would be useful. With a loud snort, he turned and began sprinting towards the Shinden-zukuri. He knew that along the way they would pass close to an elder youkai he had encountered a few years back if she were still alive, and perhaps she would have some additional information on what was happening on the mainland.
Seihomaru rolled his eyes for the hundredth time as Shinzou attempted to tell him to rest. They had been in the human's hut for several days and he was now tired of their constant ramblings. "I am fine. The fever broke days ago and I can hold down food." The humans had been repulsed when the large boar had been brought into their hut and gutted on the floor. Even more so when the youkai had begun eating it raw rather than cooked.
The young female had almost turned green in color and she had immediately got to the room in the back disgusted. Renji and his wife had shaken their heads. The more humorous reaction was the young boy who had eagerly grabbed a chunk and stuffed it into his mouth, blood dripping down his chin and chewing for what seemed like hours. His father had literally gagged as his son proudly gnawed on the hunk of flesh all the while declaring he wanted to be a strong youkai like those who sat in the house.
Shinzou laughed lightly. "I am not certain humans could handle raw flesh."
The boy turned wide eyes at him, still chewing on his hunk of meat.
Renji snorted. "How can you eat it like that?"
Seihomaru lifted a brow. "How can you eat it burnt?"
Shinzou chuckled, as he always seemed to do. The youkai Seihomaru noticed was always in a cheerful mood rarely showing any form of anger, he assumed it was because he was young and had pups of his own so it was something that he grew accustomed to. They had witnessed quite a few things about humans they had not known prior and it was refreshing to Seihomaru to see both races laughing or talking as though they had known one another for several years. Renji had actually opened up to Shinzou and Saza, but more so the younger one due to his stature and the fact he had pups close to his own son's age.
"Does your son eat raw food too?" Renji asked, seating himself close to the fire with a mug of hot liquid he had called coffee.
Shinzou nodded his head. "Both my pups do."
"Why do you call them pups?" His wife asked curiously handing the youkai in the room cups of that same hot liquid.
Shinzou sniffed at the contents before lifting his head. "It is what they are. We are inu youkai so all our young are referred to as pups."
Renji smiled. "I would not have guessed." He stated sarcastically. "With all the growls and snarls."
His son giggled around the hunk of food in his mouth. "My mouff hurths."
Shinzou held out a cloth for the boy to spit the meat into it. "You do not have teeth like we do to pierce the tough flesh."
The boy nodded a little sadly. "You has phangs."
Shinzou smiled. "I do. My pups have smaller ones called milk teeth."
"So much like the pets humans keep, you refer to much the same?" Renji questioned.
"We are beasts as you humans love to call us," Shinzou said.
"You all are so young to have already have had 'pups'," Renji muttered more to himself.
"I am the only one out of the group with pups," Shinzou stated. "My mate is back home with them."
Renji turned his eyes to them in surprise. "Oh, I thought that Saza was your father. But any of you could be related. I can't tell the difference."
"Our heritage marks is what distinguishes us from others," Saza smirked. "I only recently took a mate and she is with our first pup."
Renji smiled. "Congratulations." He lifted the cup to the taller youkai.
Kiya entered the room with Eiichi and both seated themselves close to the fire. "Heisuke returned from scouting the area. He said there are a few young humans arriving."
Renji smiled. "That might be my eldest boy Haru. He went on a hunting trip with a few of his friends." He gave a wave to his wife. "I wonder if his trip was successful."
His wife rolled her eyes as she refilled Renji's mug. "It might be wiser to have you meet him before he gets here. No telling what his reaction will be when he discovers youkai in our midst."
Renji frowned. "True. He might decide to attack thinking we are in danger." He pushed to his feet and placed his cup down before he pulled a large straw shawl down from a shelf. It was weaved together with twine and had many rows of thatched straw parts all lined up. Renji wrapped it around him and then placed a straw hat on his head. "I will return shortly."
Shinzou nodded his head to Kiya who quickly followed to make sure everything ran smoothly. Last thing they needed right now was a fight especially seeing as Seihomaru had just gotten over the worst part of his illness.
Seihomaru pushed to his feet and stretched. "Perhaps it is time for us to depart. We have been here for far too long and I am anxious to get moving."
"Are you certain?" Shinzou lifted a brow.
Seihomaru nodded and clasped his fur back onto his shoulder guards. "It isn't nearly as cold as when we first started our journey. Besides, this illness was caused by my own stupidity, not from the cold."
Shinzou grunted. "Oh?"
"I didn't want the twins invading my thoughts so I took measures to prevent it. Unfortunately, I did it without his knowledge and he had to take it down." Seihomaru tapped his forehead and then rolled his eyes.
Shinzou winced. "Ouch."
'Fool.' Shou snarled in his head. 'Far worse that than us delving into your past memories.'
'He is but a pup.' Shinzou snorted.
His youki scoffed but didn't say anything more. Shinzou lifted his eyes and chuckled softly at the look Seihomaru gave him. He quickly shook his head and scratched his nose. "I will go speak with Saza and start making the arrangements for us to be on our way."
Seihomaru grinned and watched Shinzou make his way out. "Thank you."
Just as Shinzou walked out, Kazuhisa entered and seated himself by the fire. "Weather is improving." He stated.
"It is. Everything alright outside?"
Kazuhisa nodded. "Soon we will be back home and we can get everyone together."
Seihomaru sat down next to him and grabbed his boots. "So you and Saza grew up together?"
Kazuhisa smiled. "We did. Much to our fathers dismay. We were terrors in our youth."
"Why do you call him Sazashi?"
"It's his adult name. He decided to stay with his birth name though." Kazuhisa said softly.
"Does everyone have a name they are given on their coming of age day?" Seihomaru questioned genuinely curious.
Kazuhisa nodded his head. "I was Kazuku, Sazashi was Saza. Shinzou was Shuka, Nii uses his birth name rather than his given adult name."
Seihomaru lifted his head startled. "Nii was his birth name? What was his adult name?"
"Nazahi. Most of us stick with the names given on our coming of age day. Some decide to go with their birth name." Kazuhisa shrugged his shoulders.
"I was Seiho but now Seihomaru."
"Yes."
"Interesting. I was not aware of all that." He sat up once his boots were fastened. "Females are given names too?"
"They are," Kazuhisa said. "Now that the twins will no longer be keepers of the soul wells, we will eventually have to figure out who will keep our souls safe."
Seihomaru sucked his breath in sharply. "I had forgotten about that. What will happen to the souls they do have in the wells right now?"
"I trust that the Gods will intervene before the youki are lost. One way or another the twins cannot be trusted to take on that task. Due to the youki being rumored as being descendants of the gods no deity will take chances on what happens to their young."
"Then let us make haste and get back home so we can discuss what we have discovered." Seihomaru stood up and made his way to the door of the hut, just as Renji and his son entered.
"So it is true." Haru glared at the youkai.
Seihomaru lifted his brow. "Renji, I thank you for your hospitality, but my clansmen and I must depart."
Renji nodded somewhat sadly. He had gotten close to a couple of the males but he knew they had their own lives to live. "If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."
Seihomaru smiled and inclined his head. "Perhaps we will meet again."
Hinata laughed lightly at her young son as he rambled on about their journey to their new home. "Your father was commissioned as a new guard in the west. Are you not excited to see him?"
Kai shook his head furiously. "He wants me to be a fighter like him. I want to do what you do."
"It is an honor to fight for your loved ones, Kai. I am only a baker." Hinata sighed knowing her son's desires to be completely different than what her mate expected of him. "You will see all kinds of things at the Shinden-zukuri where Seihomaru-sama lives. This is an important promotion for your father and you do not wish to disappoint him do you?"
Kai sighed. "I don't, but why can't I choose which direction my training takes me?"
Hinata laughed. "You will be fine, your youki has only just woken and now the training begins so you can protect those important to you. You already have the skills to bake so if you choose after all your weapons training to follow my footsteps then you can. That is after." She held up her hand when Kai wanted to protest.
Kai heaved a loud frustrated sigh. He was smaller than most his age and he definitely didn't have the bulk his father had but his father stated that once he began training he would grow more. He wasn't so sure. He was excited that his youki was awake but he had yet to converse with him or find out more about it. Having only seen it for a short bit during his waking ceremony, Kai had waited three months to be pulled into his merging pools to formally meet his youki.
His youki had not called him to form any kind of bond and he wondered if he had done something to anger it. He had yet to even hold any sort of conversation with it so his excitement had died over those few months. Frowning and thinking more on it, he had no idea what his youki even called himself.
Hinta glanced down at her son curiously. Kai's concentration was so focused on not what she was saying but something more with his thoughts and she smiled wondering if he was communicating with his youki. She wouldn't be at all surprised seeing as it was a wonderous thing for youths to learn and adapt to. Shaking her head with a smile on her face she lifted her eyes to the great gates that signaled their arrival to Seihomaru-sama's Shinden-zukuri.
She waved up at the guards in the towers when they looked down at her. "My mate is Chiharu who was recently appointed to Seihomaru-sama's guard by Hiromoto-sama."
The guard nodded his head and vanished over the edge. After several long minutes, the gates swung open and she was greeted by two guards she did not know. She had fully expected her mate to be there to greet her but there was no signs of him. She peered at the two guards and she nodded at them. "I am Hinata and this is my son Kai."
"Welcome." The shorter of the two guards nodded. "I trust several other families are headed here?"
She nodded her head taking in the dark green the shorter guard wore.
"This is Taiyu and I am Nii."
Kai peered up at the two youkai and shyly waved. Nii glanced down at him and gave a smile. "I believe your mate is currently in the training rings practicing with a few of the guards that accompanied him. If you like I can take you there."
Hinata grinned. "That would be great."
Taiyu led the way through the large field heading in the direction of the barracks. Nii noticed Kai's uneasiness and smirked. "Are you not excited to greet your father?" He asked quietly.
Kai looked up at Nii in surprise. "I am."
Nii raised a brow curiously but refrained from saying anything. He was currently listening to his youki who was muttering about something he saw within the boy and Nii peered at Kai closely, watching Shuzo who stood next to him staring.
'What do you see?' Nii questioned Shuzo.
'I am uncertain, but there is something.' His youki grinned, his lavender eyes meeting his gold ones in fascination.
'Interesting.' Nii snorted. If his youki sensed something it was wise to keep an eye on the youth and try to pinpoint whatever it was.
As soon as they approached the training rings, Hinata called out and raced towards her mate who grinned once he saw her. He walked over casually and pulled her into a brief hug before turning to his son who stood back warily. Nii furrowed his brow as he watched the encounter and wondered if his family were at odds with one another. Chiharu knelt in front of his son and they spoke quietly, all the while Nii watched Taiyu motion with his hands also seeing the interactions. Nii nodded his head slightly his eyes peering intently at the family.
Chiharu lifted his gaze and saw Taiyu wave his hands seeing it on several occasions before but not understanding what it was. "I never did ask what your hand waving meant." He stood and stared at the captain of the shadow guards. In truth, he was not entirely sure what the shadow guards were.
Nii chuckled. "It is his way of speaking."
Chiharu turned his head and stared at Nii. "You are Seihomaru-sama's second in command if I am not mistaken."
Nii lifted his brow. "His eyes and ears to be exact."
"I am not sure I understand how waving hands about is a way of speech." He shrugged his eyes moving back to Taiyu who sniffed. The silver-haired youkai lifted his chin and pulled the cloth around his neck down to show Chiharu the long white scar that went from below his chin, across his jugular and down to his collarbone. "Oh!" Chiharu exclaimed. "I had no idea."
Taiyu smirked and pulled the cloth back over his neck. Kai stared up at the youkai with wide eyes. "So you can't speak?" He whispered in awe.
Taiyu shook his head, but he grinned and then moved his fingers to his mouth and outward.
Chiharu nodded. "You are the captain of the shadow guards, right?"
Taiyu nodded his head.
"So how do you instruct us if you cannot speak?"
Masahiro approached them then and growled out slowly. "With me. He and I work as one and Taiyu gives instruction while I call out that instruction."
Chiharu inclined his head. "Might I ask what the shadow guard is? I was informed that while we train we are being watched closely to see where we fit in Seihomaru-sama's guards."
Masahiro raised a brow. "If you fit within the shadow guards then you will be informed of what they are. For now, you use your skills and we fit you in the appropriate place."
Chiharu sighed. "This is my son Kai. I would love it if he could start training alongside us."
Kai lowered his gaze and sighed. He knew this day would come, but he was not ready to start fighting. He only wanted to follow his mother and continue learning her baking skills, but with how demanding his father could be, it appeared as though he had no other option than to listen to his father. The last thing he wanted to do was dishonor his family because he was incompetent.
Taiyu frowned and waved his hand slightly and Nii nodded in agreement. "Isn't he a little young?"
Chiharu grit his teeth together. "No. He is far older than I was when I first began training. He is an adult now and he can learn to use his skills."
Nii looked at the youth and stared at the body language. Oh, he remembered how it was having been so wanting to prove himself as useful especially to his brother. When his own skills began surfacing and he surpassing Shigeo it had only forced them further apart. "I would let him enjoy his youth before you place him in a life of fighting," Nii said softly.
"Ridiculous. Come, Kai, show them what I have taught you so far." His father pulled the youth with him into the ring and handed the boy a short sword.
Kai stared at it uncertainly but nodded his head slightly. There was no way he could disobey his father, or dishonor his family right here in front of the guards watching.
Taiyu shook his head in disapproval but watched closely. If the boy was willing to follow in his father's footsteps then he had no right to persuade him not to. With a sigh, Taiyu leaned against the fence and watched intently as Chiharu began moving and his son take on an uneasy battle stance.
Nii placed his chin in his hand also leaning on the fence as he watched. This went on for about half an hour before Kai seemed to tire and he was about to call a halt to the show when Chiharu darted towards his son much faster than was necessary. He saw Kai clench his eyes shut and hold the sword to his chest when his father made to tackle him and then he was gone.
Chiharu stumbled to the ground in a heap then got to his feet quickly looking around for his son. "Kai?"
Taiyu blinked and then turned his gaze to Nii who furrowed his brow in shock. His eyes had not played tricks on him. He had indeed seen Kai vanish and now was nowhere to be found. 'Shuzo, give me sight.'
'Hai.'
Nii glanced around searching for the youths aura and found none. 'Where the hell did he go?'
Shuzo gasped audibly then. 'Nii, the shadow realm!'
Nii gaped startled. His eyes met with Chiharu for a moment and the guard's eyes widened when he saw the black and gold gaze. Without another word, Nii lifted his hand and opened his link to the shadow realm and slipped through it.
As soon as the darkness surrounded him, Shuzo appeared beside him in a glow of dim light and they stared at one another for a moment. 'Do you see him?'
Shuzo shook his head. 'I am more surprised that I do not detect his youki.'
'Has he not awaken him yet? Have we just discovered another eclipse youkai?' Nii questioned him not believing it.
Shuzo bent low to the ground and whispered to a few of the dark shadow beasts within the realm, and then picked up the little meowing monstrosity who popped up right beside him. 'I wondered where you ventured off to.'
Nii snickered. 'Go, search for his youki.'
Shuzo narrowed his eyes at Nii. 'If I go, you remain-' He stopped and spun around quickly. 'Do you feel that?'
Nii shook his head, his eyes glancing around him. 'What do you feel?'
'The pups aura. Come.' Shuzo grabbed Nii's with his free hand that was not holding the purring kitten and guided his host in the direction he felt the boy. It took them several minutes before Nii gasped when his eyes caught sight of the pup crouched down in the darkness, breathing erratically. 'Go to him. I will search for his youki.'
Nii glanced at Shuzo. 'Do not forget where you left us.'
Shuzo snorted indignantly. 'Give me more credit than that, baka.'
Nii rolled his eyes but rather than comment, he moved towards Kai and knelt down beside him. Placing his hand on the pup's shoulder, Kai jolted back and released a loud cry of fright. "Easy." Nii whispered.
Kai sucked his breath in sharply and stared at Nii. "What happened?"
"It appears as though you have ventured to a place that you have not been to before." Nii smiled, his eyes looking over the youth in interest. Seating himself next to the shivering youth, he sighed. "Do you remember how you got here?"
Kai frowned and shook his head vigorously. "My father rushed at me and I froze. When I opened my eyes I was here."
"So you did not come here with your youki?"
Kai shook his head. "I haven't really met him yet."
Nii furrowed his brow. "Well you will meet him soon. We wait here until they arrive."
"Yours is here too?"
Nii nodded and peered around the darkness trying to locate his youki's beam of light but there was nothing but darkness surrounding them. Kai flinched back suddenly at a tendril that popped up right in front of them. "Be at ease. That is one of my pets."
"Pet?" Kai stared at the swaying tendril intently.
Nii smirked and waved around the darkness. "There are all sorts of creatures in this place that we can train. As you grow you will discover new things about yourself that you can accomplish if you so desire."
Kai drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly. "I don't like this place." He whispered softly, his eyes wildly looking around the darkness for some form of grounding.
Nii gave the youth a small smile. "You will eventually become more comfortable with the visits. We usually come here with our youki because they guide us through the blackness. We use the shadow realm to our advantage when the need is great or we have to be somewhere quickly. It is dangerous to venture here without your youki, however."
"How did I come here though? My youki isn't here and I don't even know his name."
"I am uncertain. We will find the answers together." Nii smiled gently.
Shuzo growled low as he searched the shadow realm for signs of the pups youki. The spirit should at least be omitting an aura or glow signaling its location, but there was nothing there. Feeling frustrated with no traces he furrowed his brow trying to think of some way to locate the pups missing youki. He wondered if he focused on the pup's pools it would allow him to meet the youki there if he had not left the area. He remembered what Taizo had told him months ago about focusing on something and giving it a try to see if it worked or not and that the only way to discover things was to venture out and try it.
Closing his eyes, Shuzo focused on the pups aura and allowed his mind to search through the large span of area for a similar one and he indeed felt it faint and out of the current realm. Focusing his mind on that spot, Shuzo allowed himself to move through the darkness and materialize in the pup's pools. There was indeed a youki standing on the small island which was surrounded by the water but the youki only stood there staring at the tree as though lost. The tree frantically pulsed and hummed but it was receiving no response from its keeper.
'What are you doing?' Shuzo snarled his eyes on the youki and then the tree.
The youki whirled around startled and blinked at Shuzo for several long moments before he responded. 'I have no idea.'
Shuzo frowned. 'Your host is within the shadow realm and you are here when you should be guiding him.' His eyes turned to the tree once again when it pulsed desperately. 'You do not answer the call?'
'Call?' The youki turned his eyes to the tree. 'You mean the humming? I have no idea where I am, or what I am doing here.'
'How long ago did you wake?' Shuzo questioned the almost terrified youki which seemed rather humorous to him.
The youki shook his head. 'A few months ago I opened my eyes and I was here. There was a small boy in the water there and then he vanished. I have not seen him since or figured out where I am.'
Shuzo stared at the young youki curiously. The beings hair was stark white, and his eyes were a mesmerizing red. 'You are in your pools, your host's life.'
The youki turned his head to stare at Shuzo. 'Host?'
'You are in charge of his life, how his body works and functions. You are meant to give him advice, teach him how to live and be honorable. This is your duty. The fact that nothing is known to you is because of your refusal to touch the tree of life that is in desperate need of contact.' Shuzo nudged his nose in the direction of the pulsing tree.
The youki turned his head to peer at the tree and he nodded. Almost reluctantly he reached his hand out and touched the trunk. Immediately it hummed and almost twitched at the contact. The youki's eyes closed and he frowned intently as he listened to what the tree was telling him. Once it finished the youki turned red startled eyes to Shuzo. 'How is it you are here?'
'Because your host is lost and I am here to guide you to him.'
'You are like me?' The youki still seemed to be confused and almost not wanting to believe what it was that the tree told him.
Shuzo nodded. 'I am. Is this your first host?'
'I think so. At least I do not recall anything prior to waking here. I do remember a long white table and a beautiful woman sitting there though.'
'Memories of your life before this one.' Shuzo nodded his head, remembering having a similar image upon his waking.
'You said something about a shadow realm.' The youki furrowed his brow not knowing what it was exactly.
Shuzo nodded. 'Your host is waiting, as is mine. So let us be on our way.' He waved his hand to open the portal to the realm and the youki narrowed his eyes immediately.
Shuzo stood and waited for the other one to follow and once he did he led the way through the darkness his eyes fixated on the location he had left his host. The youki turned his glowing red eyes to his arms where they were cradled around a purring kitten. He wasn't sure what was happening or why but maybe this youki could give him the answers.
'I hate to sound ignorant, but I do not understand everything that is happening.'
'You will gain that knowledge. It comes with time and patience. You have some of those answers now, however. You touched the tree of life and it will give you more information when you have been able to process what it gave you already.' Shuzo muttered.
The youki shook his head. 'This place, I feel the presence of evil here.'
Shuzo smirked. 'Yes. If you feel that then you are already well on your way to understanding just what it is you are supposed to do.'
'This boy I met, that is my host?'
'Indeed.'
'How do you know so much about all this?' The youki questioned him curiously.
'I have been around a lot longer than you have. If this is indeed your first host, you will have a lot to learn yourself.' Shuzo focused his gaze through the darkness on his host's aura that hummed in his absence. He stopped and looked at the youki. 'What do you feel right now?'
The youki glanced around the darkness his eyes peering ahead of them. 'I feel a beckoning from that direction. What is it?'
Shuzo smiled. 'That is your host's aura calling you. If you follow it you will be able to find him and guide him. Usually, it is us who pull the shadows around our hosts in dangerous situations so we are right there beside them when they enter.'
'But I wasn't here.'
Shuzo nodded and began walking again. 'You will have to inform your host about this place and the dangers that lurk in the darkness. Advise him to only enter this realm when you are with him.'
'If he enters here alone?' The youki gulped nervously which seemed off to Shuzo.
'He can get lost and if he moves too deep within the shadows you will be unable to find him.'
'If he is lost, what happens to me?'
'If he has no heirs to pass you onto, you fade and go back to where you were before this.'
'So I die?'
'In a manner of speaking.' Shuzo wrinkled his nose. His eyes saw his host seated next to the youth and he motioned his hand in their direction. 'They are there.'
The youki glanced at him for a moment before he stepped forward, staring at the young boy he had seen only once before.
Nii stood up and Kai quickly followed both staring at the two youki. Nii caught sight of Shuzo's hand motioning him to move away and he did so without question. Almost immediately Shuzo stepped in front of him and that caused Nii to frown. 'What's up?'
Shuzo shook his head slightly as he watched the boy greet his youki.
'I remember seeing you before.' The youki muttered softly, kneeling in front of the boy.
"You didn't say anything to me." Kai accused.
'To be honest, I had no idea what I was supposed to do until I met that one.' The youki motioned his hand in Shuzo's direction.
Nii glanced at his youki curiously and Shuzo snorted softly. 'Later.' His youki mouthed the words.
Nii nodded his head in understanding. Now that they had been acquainted, Nii held out his hand for Kai. "I am certain your father and mother are worried about you. It is time for us to depart."
The youki glanced up at Nii. 'Where do I go?'
Shuzo sighed. 'Back to the pools. You and your host will have to speak when he rests and the tree will guide you on what happens next.'
Kai took hold of Nii's hand and the youki furrowed his brow in confusion. 'I stay here?'
Shuzo frowned. 'Not here, but in the pools I found you in.' The youki stood and started walking towards Kai and Nii and Shuzo quickly intervened. 'You must answer the call of your tree. The pools are where you go, this place is only when danger is near and you assist your host in remaining safe.'
The youki stopped and confused nodded his head almost sadly. He turned and began walking in the direction they had come from and Shuzo opened the portal to the physical realm, allowing Nii and Kai to exit.
Kai lifted his arm to shield it from the bright light the sun provided and almost immediately sounds rushed at him. Nii released his hand and nodded his head to Shuzo who stepped out beside him, closing the rift behind him. 'You seemed a little on edge.' Nii commented.
Shuzo nodded silently. 'Kai's youki has not had a host prior to him.'
Nii blinked at Shuzo in stunned silence. 'A new youki? When was the last time that has happened? And an eclipse youki no less.'
Shuzo shook his head uncertainty. 'Due to him being so confused and lost, I didn't want to take any chances for you to be a target if he had gotten any ideas.'
Nii nodded his head. 'What about Kai?' He watched as Hinata and Chiharu hugged Kai and asked him all sorts of questions he had no answers for.
'Hopefully, Kai's tree will guide the youki and teach him what needs to be done.'
Chiharu walked over and stared at Nii intently. "Thank you for getting our son. I don't understand everything that he is saying."
Nii frowned. "Your son went to a place that he should not be just yet. As for what he is, it is best we keep that conversation for a later time. My advice to you right now, let him be a youth. Do not force him to be in a situation where he will do what happened here again. Keep his training on hold for now. I will take him under my wing and personally train him when the time comes."
Chiharu frowned. "I don't understand. What happened exactly? My son said something about darkness and no sounds."
Nii nodded. "We will discuss this later in the main house."
Shuzo rolled his eyes at the clueless gaze Chiharu gave his host. 'Your father was the same when he was informed by Kazuki on what you could do.'
'Who, what?' Seihomaru's voice echoed in Nii's head. With a wide grin, Nii looked towards the gates of the Shinden-zukuri.
'You're back?' Nii exclaimed.
'Dratted pup fell ill while on his little exploration.' Taizo chimed in.
Shuzo furrowed his brow. 'Did he now?'
'Mostly his fault. Part mine because I had to take down that blasted barrier he put in place to keep the twin's thoughts out of our heads.' Taizo stated apologetically.
Nii glanced at Shuzo with a raised brow and his youki snorted indignantly. Chiharu looked to where Nii was looking but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. 'Barrier? Oh do tell.'
Shuzo snorted again but with far more vigor knowing exactly what Taizo was talking about. 'How close are you?'
'Half a day maybe.' Seihomaru muttered quietly.
Nii nodded. 'Good, we ran into something of great interest here only about half an hour ago.'
'Oh? We found out quite a bit on our travels and apparently the group we sent out got some important information too. Has Traylaymaru or Chate returned yet?'
'Not yet, but I would assume they shouldn't be too much longer.' Nii smirked. "We will discuss these matters tonight when our Lord returns."
Chiharu blinked at him. "Very well." He had no idea where the Lord Seihomaru had gone off to, but Nii was currently the one running things just as Makute did whenever Hiromoto had been away from home. All he knew was that Lord Seihomaru had left three months prior with a few of his guards with various missions but no one in the barracks actually spoke of what they were after.
Before Nii could walk away Kai ran up to him. "Thank you."
Nii glanced down at the shorter youkai and inclined his head. "Go meet with your youki tonight when you rest. You and I will meet up tomorrow, sound good?"
Kai nodded a little reluctantly. "I didn't know that you trained anyone."
Nii smirked and he pointed to Taiyu. "I trained him for his current rank. I used to be the captain of the shadow guard."
Kai's mouth dropped open and he shared a look with his father. Chiharu looked at the youkai impressed that he had accomplished so much at such a young age. Something he hoped his own pup would achieve someday. "You are going to personally train my son?" He furrowed his brow, not entirely sure what skills the youkai had. Oh, he had heard stories in the barracks about the youkai named Nii but most of what he heard was hushed or what he had assumed was just that, stories. None of his guards he had come here with really knew much about Lord Seihomaru or his guards and companions, but if Hiromoto had already promised his daughter to the young lord, then he had seen something no one else had.
Lord Seihomaru was roughly the same age as his own son and it had taken him by surprise when Hiromoto had informed his clan that his daughter Sukiaya would be presented to Lord Seihomaru. The alliance between the two clans had only been secured for a few short months before the announcement and it had left a lot of his tribe at a loss for words. Hiromoto had stated that he had spoken with the great magnolia youkai Bokusenou and had informed him that the alliance would bring strength and power making them a force to be reckoned with. None would argue or try to convince their king otherwise, so once Heisuke had announced that two hundred of their forces would assist in strengthening Lord Seihomaru's clan everyone went along with it and some even volunteered their services.
He had been one of them, wanting to see just what it was that his king had seen in the young lord and so here he was at the house and only a week after them being commissioned in the Shinden-zukuri, Lord Seihomaru had left, leaving his clan in Nii's hands.
'Have you discussed that matter with Hana yet?' Seihomaru's amused voice caused him to flush in embarrassment.
'Uh-' Nii started as he made his way through the village.
'He has not!' Shuzo snarled angrily.
Nii sighed. 'I keep meaning to.'
'Why are you waiting? Unless she has given you an indication that her choice changed.' Seihomaru questioned softly.
'I am an idiot. I know.' Nii admitted. 'I have been trying to think of some way to bring it up, but I can't think of anything that would make it sound not so stupid.'
'Just talk to her, Nazahi.' Seihomaru grinned through their link.
Nii choked and stumbled over his feet. 'Where the hell did you hear that name?!' He gawked.
'I have my ways.' Seihomaru snickered right along with Shuzo and Taizo.
Nii glanced at the hut he shared with Hana and swallowed nervously. With a quick glance at his youki who stood beside him, he slumped. "What do I say?" He whispered more to himself than to Shuzo.
'Tell her how you feel. I know you care for her and she you. There isn't really anything more that needs to be said. But you do need to take that step. You two have been rather careless and you could place her in greater danger should your seed take hold.' Shuzo sighed peering at Nii intently. 'Especially seeing as you two are not yet mated.'
Nii nodded. "I forgot about that little detail." He blushed as he recalled their last encounter at the cool stream. It had been a heated encounter and the cool water had done little to stop it. Squaring his shoulders, he made his way to the hut and sighed. 'I think it is time for me to remedy that little issue before it leads to other matters that will not resolve themselves.' He declared as he pushed aside the cloth leading into the hut.
Shuzo grinned. 'About bloody time.'
