o o o
Yuki pointed to the side of the road, adamantly she whirled around, "Right here, the carriage was abandoned. And over there," She darted over the grass, notching the kimono to her knees and settled in a determined stop under the tree, "We were blindfolded and restrained by the palace men. You hardly said a word, but they refused to set us free."
Aidou studied the region under the shimmering tree in the noon sun. He hid the spot from Yuki specifically for the purpose of practicing swordplay. Clearly, she knew about it all along. He ruffled his hair in consternation, shook his head at the surreptitious story she forced him to ingest.
"I warned them many times, but they wouldn't listen. We were about to be taken to prison." Yuki curiously raised a brow, "Don't you remember?"
Aidou frowned sadly at her upturned furious brown-red eyes. "Then why aren't we in prison?"
"Because Ouj—" Yuki nibbled her bottom lip contemplatively, asserting determinedly, "We got away."
Aidou folded his arms across his chest, unamused. "Maybe you had a dream."
"I swear I didn't."
" 'I have to teach you a lesson. You'll remember everything.' "
Yuki surveyed the future Ice Master, adored son of the Aidou clan, who'd been purposely removed from the repercussion of their actions. Kaname could easily temper with Aidou's memories if he wanted, inherently meaning he contemplated tempering with hers too. Not only did he want her to recall their blood bond but convey how desperately she depleted her essence and mind in the bliss of pure blood. The deepening control of blood lust had long grabbed a hold of Yuki. She feared to lose her freewill further even though Kaname had always been deliberate and kind.
Whisking the crimson handkerchief from her pocket, Yuki admired it in the breeze.
Looks like I must bear this secret until the right moment.
"It doesn't matter anymore," She sighed but Aidou wrapped the handkerchief around his index finger and snatched the article to study.
His expression was remote and calculating as he traced the thread along with the corners of the silk material. "Kotaishi Kaname Shinno has refined taste. The needlework is threaded in gold leaf. Kuran purebloods are distant in nature and predestined to raise the world to another level, the rest of us can only adore them from the sidelines. Just that, it didn't hit me until now," Aidou folded the handkerchief thoughtfully and turned, "Years ago there was a surprising sanction placed on the Toma clan and Yamato Court because a woman was enslaved." He waited for her to retrieve the handkerchief.
"Rumors are meant to derail you," Yuki slipped it out of his hand.
"Not everyone is gullible."
"You know the Toma clan kept getting away with wrongdoings. Good, it finally caught up to them."
Aidou listened carefully, but lifted his shoulders a good measure and asseverated pointedly, "Kotaishi Kaname Shinno doesn't show his face, avoids the public, and excuses himself from ceremonies as a quick discipline. He's unreadable, no one knows him. Everything known about him are rumors from servants. Today he flew to Kurashiki to sit with vassals as soon as the news reached him. He fills your study with letters, curates your debutant, a personal homage to the debt he owes you." Aidou muttered in a disgruntled manner.
I am the one that owes him.
Aidou frowned at her downcast expression. "I'm not smart like him, but after what I heard earlier in the hall, I want to know why you didn't tell me it was you?"
Yuki stared at the swaying branches and closed her eyes in the breeze. "Do you think Lord Toma would've sat quietly after Ouji accepted to ascending the crown?"
"Lord Toma resents the monarchial system prioritizes the Kuran clan. He believes he is a better choice as a pureblood king. We've never known or seen another clan take the throne since our inception. We can't tell whether it's a good idea or whether a new ruler is what the vampire kind needs."
"Ouji never wanted to become a crowned prince. Underneath the layers of pureblood ego, laws, reputation, and role play, he had a simple wish. Instead, he chose to be noble and look after us. Zero and I saved him. The power struggle between purebloods isn't new. Ouji is controlling, quiet, and gentle. He has to be deceptive in warfare. Lord Toma is dictatorial, brazen, and wild. He doesn't care about the consequences of achieving his goals. Who portrays a better service to the vampire kind and humans? One pureblood averts from harm done to humans, finding avoiding humans safest. The other wants to trample over everyone to prove his glory and selfish birthright."
"Rokuro Toma gets tortured in prison mercilessly," Aidou watched her flinch at the name. "Your captor deserves punishment. You claim Kotaishi Kaname Shinno is gentle. Is he truly gentle giving an order like that?"
Her fists clenched, wearily she breathed as she remembered the torturous year at camp.
" 'How can you forget me when I live deep inside you.' "
" 'Yuki—that is the name you went by. It was given to you by your mother.' "
"I sound bias, I know." She mouthed rigidly.
Aidou gripped her wrists and firmly peered into her cool eyes that peered back at him like hollow black water, "I will never let anything happen to you. I will protect you, read with you, practice swordplay, grow old with you."
"I'm inconsiderate, rude—"
"Doesn't matter."
Yuki glanced at his tight hands curling around her wrists.
o o o
A breeze ruffled the pages in front of Kaname. He glanced over his shoulder to take a glance at the slowly approaching contour. Expressionlessly, Kaname resumed perusing notes from the minor lords.
"You couldn't keep away, could you?" Takuma closed the door.
"How dare you," Kaname gritted his fangs and leisurely leafed through the letters, "You don't think I check my investments and geographical lines prior to an impending attack?"
"I'm sure you do," Takuma considered the pureblood and narrowed his eyes, "I frequently have private conversations with Yuki. Certain secrets surfaced. We can't help ourselves; we've grown close. It's nice having a colorful feminine perspective compared to the masculine black and white spectrum of the Ichijo household on life."
Kaname preferred focusing on the notes than engaging in the conversation.
"It is inexplicitly rude to eavesdrop," Takuma drew a white fang from his pocket to inspect it in the light, "But we merely talked about a stupid pureblood who keeps doing stupid things. Yuki was frustrated, but she'll let it go, I suppose."
The crowned prince closed the letters and selected a book to add notes. "You seem excited. Can it be because your name was added to the list of suitors?"
His smirking expression flattened to desperate agitation. Scowling, Takuma eyed the fang between his fingers. "She is bound to you."
Kaname's crimson eyes flashed on the vampire. His mouth skewing in a sardonic line as the warmth of his gaze minimized. "You mean, your heart didn't skip a beat just now?"
Takuma closed his fingers around the fang, his gaze fastening Kaname's suspiciously.
Kaname suddenly smiled at the stream of ink on paper. "You grow close to the person your heart wants. Can there be anything more satisfying?"
"And you?" Takuma approached the table next to Kaname's arm and set the fang under the lamplight, "Sneaking to Kurashiki to watch her secretly, aren't you trying to close a gap?"
"Yuki is half Kuran, naturally I have to look after her."
"Whom are you going to open your heart and mind to if not me?" Takuma whispered.
Kaname regarded him reprovingly, "You try too hard. Don't you know we can sense why noble vampires glue themselves to us?"
"My father proposed on my behalf at your counsel. The person truly after Yuki's heart is Hanabusa Aidou."
"Strange," Kaname scoffed at the book he held, "Why would a man give up his chance to win the woman in his heart?"
"Why would he, indeed? You gave me everything that belonged to you. The food from your plate, your books, swords, and servants. Many years have gone by, yet you haven't broken the habit. How can I take her from you?" He questioned.
Kaname closed the book and tossed it on the table.
"Learning what she wants is a priority. I'm not demanding and I won't pressure her. Knowing Yuki finds comfort in me is enough, I've left my impression. If she follows you, she'll walk on broken glass. If she doesn't, you'll live a life broken like glass."
Kaname grunted under his breath at the trajectory of his assumptions.
"But if Yuki wants to be with me, I'll gladly return her love. I liked her from the moment I saw her and I'll continue to like her regardless of whom she marries."
"Now what?"
Takuma drooped against the table, admittedly heavily, "I can't be defeated, or I will be defeated. My heart rests in her hands. There's a chance for you yet."
"Chances are for ones who wait too long." Kaname gently voiced, a reminder to the childish impulses churning at the back of his mind. "The moment I saved her in the cellars was the moment I realized no amount of romanticism is worth endangering or sheltering her in the palace. Imposing on her desires and dreams is not kind, it's selfish."
"It won't be selfish." Takuma implied, "Not if she wants to be with you."
A snide smile trickled across cold lips.
Takuma patted Kaname on the shoulder. "What does Yuki's blood say? You haven't completed the blood bond. How can you be sure?"
o o o
" 'If your skin didn't heal, I wouldn't have to keep branding your slave mark.' "
Yuki clutched under her breast. The feverish toll of hot iron pierced muscle. She hissed, her eyes burning open and wheezed.
The fleeting shadow twisted into a silhouette and wrapped around her thick hair. Again, instilling a dream spell and letting her droop against the bend of his arm, Kaname waited for her to dissolve in the fog of the spell and tugged her tightly against his chest. She immediately turned limp in his arms.
o o o
Lord Toma examined the row of sturdy, capable vampires. His gaze shifted from their faces to their weapons. The burly men were sired from the blood of Toma, trained, and retained for centuries. He wasn't in a rush to drive a weapon in the heart of the Kuran empire. It consumed unreturnable patience to bite his tongue in a court that officially favored its own pureblood than the rank and loyalty of fellow purebloods. Ever since the coward steered the throne, he couldn't contain his animosity and found that he didn't need to. Kaname was a mere roach, not one with the skills or knowledge to lead the vampire kind. Lord Toma reared angry eyes upon a guard in front of him, he unsheathed his sword and smirked at the reflecting blade.
From the row, Jinmu bowed his head before speaking, "The rumors stand true. The weapon is tougher than we assumed."
"Don't let anyone else buy it." Lord Toma ran a finger against the blade and let his blood trickle the edge. "We need it to kill everyone in the Kuran clan."
Jinmu nodded, "We are armed and ready. What are your orders?"
Lord Toma clenched his jaw and hissed between fangs, "Raid the northern and western fiefs. Take all the humans you can."
"The minor lords have locked their gates and use hunter magic to repel intrusion. The formation can't be cracked without proper tactic."
Lord Toma wiped his bleeding palm on the blade and held it up, filling the room with its enticingly sweet scent. "What is hunter magic anyway? Bloody Rose, Artemis, the hunter initiation swords, so many compilations from one source, a pureblood heart. Why don't we test my pure blood against the barrier?"
"My lord, you are wise and brave, but we cannot stand watching you drain your blood. We need you for the war."
The corners of Lord Toma's mouth trembled. He rested calm eyes on Jinmu and padded him on the shoulder. "You care so much about me?"
Jinmu sank to the floor. "My lord, please don't jest. Protecting you is my life mission."
He chuckled, "I'll just replenish the blood in my body. Have some women prepared for me afterward."
"Yes, my lord."
o o o
As Kaname eased Yuki neatly in bed and under the blanket, he held back and peered into her peaceful and satisfied mien. Her hands, as it habitually happened, bunched into fists against her temples. He opened her fists and lowered the hands at her sides. She turned toward him, her fingers knotting in his sleeves. He paused and raised a brow. "You openly refuse me but cling to me in your sleep. How duplicitous, Yuki." Smiling, Kaname detached her fingers individually.
Chills petered his shoulders, a formal summon from the darkness. He glanced away from Yuki and withdrew into a stream of black smoke, a rapturous force through the window and winded in the forest. The grove was heralded by the anxious presence. Kaname's shadow bellowed in the breeze, rattling branches and scattering leaves over miles of terrain. The man did not jump but descended to his knees. Kaname's red eyes blazed upon him testily.
"There will be an attack, humans are the targets."
Kaname looped an arm around his back and gazed back at Haruka's estate.
"There's no better opportunity than now. Haruka-sama's vassals are out of the way and the minor lords won't be able to brace against a Toma army."
"Where?" Kaname whispered without looking at the man.
"The north and the west."
He blinked perceptively, "Jinmu, you took a big risk sneaking away to inform me tonight. Are you willing to put your life at risk after you're caught?"
Jinmu tipped his head up, his large eyes shimmering with conviction and honor at the crowned prince. "Yes."
Kaname sighed unsatisfactorily at the response, "I'm afraid it's not worth it." He stared into the trees, red eyes deciphering the slinking shadows concealed behind the shrubs. "If Lord Toma learns about your identity, he will use you against me, like he's tantalized to use Yuki. I can't have anyone else turned into a pawn while he claims to be master. The minor lords are under my protection, so are their fiefs. After our council, we delegated reinforcements to as many fiefs as possible. Let's not forget—" He reached a palm out and clenched it into a fist.
A gust of wind charred the narrow lane of trees, stripping the shrubs completely. The shadows stirred, exclaiming, and resisting the puncturing force ripping their sense of control from their ligaments. The duo flew midair and landed in front of Kaname. Whimpering, they exchanged glances and peeked at the looming pureblood.
"How valuable the weapons of the Toma army are lately," Kaname bent elegantly in a single move and extracted a sword from a man's hip.
Jinmu gaped at the spies and bowed his head. "This is my fault."
Kaname glared at the men shriveling away fearfully.
"Jin-Jinmu—" One of the men croaked, pointing shakily at Kaname, "Who-what are you telling him?"
Kaname drove the sword into the ground firmly and cradled the hilt between fine long fingers.
"We saw you leave secretly and followed," The second man mumbled, "Who is this pureblood lord?"
Jinmu clenched his fists against the ground. "I am ready to receive my punishment. I wasn't careful enough."
Kaname narrowed his eyes at the perspiring pair eyeing him curiously and in confusion. He rotated two fingers and tugged the wires of their memories, penetrating their minds. Jinmu numbed in dejection, head hanging, and hands locked underneath his weight. The men dazedly shrank on the floor after the energetic intrusion finished.
Kaname sighed quietly under his breath, mooring over the pair and the vampire on his left. "Lord Ichijo was right," He declared, "You failed to win his trust. After searching their minds, I saw they were ordered to find you at any cost possible. A tricky situation,"
Jinmu promptly looked up, "What do you mean?" He glared at the shaking men.
"If Lord Toma expected your betrayal, he'd have sent Tomas to do away with you once and for all. Toma blood is the only blood he trusts. You're obviously strong and capable, making the fragile humans easy kill. Hnh, as if humans aren't pitiful enough," Kaname huffed uncharacteristically, "A very Toma thing to do, but I have no interest or desire to touch humans."
"I understand, you don't like killing. Let me take care of them and face Lord Toma with the implications."
The men shrieked in despair. "Ah, we did what we were told. He said, 'he'd give us pure blood and make us powerful.' He promised and gave us swords."
"And what superb weapons you have," Kaname patted the hilt, "Sadly, he wasn't invested in transforming you. He sent you to your deaths. Jinmu doesn't have a kind bone in his body. He has two convictions he lives by. They are execution and blind loyalty. How can you defeat a vampire like him?"
The humans sought each other, wringing their heads. "Ffff-forgive us and let us go."
"We don't know what problems you have. We just wanted to be strong."
Kaname turned toward the spy, "Killing them justifies Lord Toma's instinct to distrust you."
"Do you want to release them?" Jinmu asked.
"Have mercy on us, great lord!" One of the men cried.
"You say, you want to be strong?" Kaname considered the duo.
The humans nodded nervously and scrambled to their knees. "Power is the only difference between vampires and humans. We can have anything we want with power."
"A juvenile's perspective," Kaname uttered regrettably, his eyes skewed on Jinmu, "Humans have untapped power but misuse it often. What do you want to do with this 'power'?"
The man on the right tugged his head sharply to the ground. "Secure my family financially."
"You're Kurashikan men, you're educated and employed. Still, you want to serve a pureblood without understanding his true intentions?"
"My lord," The man on the left lastly spoke up, "It's not that we happily submitted, the lord took away our lands and killed our relatives. If we serve him well, he will provide us with the largest land and money."
"Lord Toma kills your bloodline but promises you a safe haven." Kaname and Jinmu shared a glance.
"He anxiously wants me to kill them and return bloody-handed." Jinmu replied, "To face him with guilt over my deceit."
"The choice is yours." Kaname offered him the sword.
Jinmu gingerly reached for the weapon.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaname noted the sobbing men. "But if you return without pertinent information, you will be rendered useless. If you die by Jinmu's hand, not only yours but Jinmu's life will be severed. You can bid your reward goodbye. If you want true power, you'll need to depend on yourself and have sound judgment. What'll it be?"
The men fearfully dunked their heads on the ground. "Please, forgive us."
"We won't say a word."
Kaname twined two digits and tugged their neurological stream of thought. He removed memories of himself from their minds. The men swayed and blinked in perplex at one another silently as the weight of the mental strain diffused. Kaname searched Jinmu with a hard look. "I manipulated their memories of me. They'll readily testify everything you tell Lord Toma."
Jinmu gaped haphazardly at the crowned prince whose powers were an influx of mystery. Finally, he nodded and smiled in a thankful bow. "If tonight is my last night, I will die happy knowing I was in service to you."
o o o
He stared beadily into Lord Toma's eyes. The pureblood smirked coldly and sat up in the chair. Jinmu moved forward in the room and knelt before the pureblood.
"You came back earlier than I thought you would." Lord Toma remarked curtly, "Why?"
"Errands are not meant to take all night," Jinmu answered. "I was surprised you sent two men after me."
"Surprised?" Lord Toma raised a playful brow, "You should know by now how unpredictable and heartless I am."
"My lord, ask me anything you wish to know." Jinmu surrendered.
"Why didn't you kill the humans?"
"They appeared frightened. I didn't have the heart to kill the men who serve my lord." Jinmu bowed to the floor. "Forgive me for raising suspicion in your heart. If you wish to kill me, it will be an honorable death."
Lord Toma folded his arms, the sheen of amusement eradicated from his glare. "Enough. I sent them to test you, but you chose not to kill them. It makes me wonder if you are man enough to be part of my army."
"How do I prove myself to you, my lord?"
Thoughtfully, Lord Toma tapped his index finger on his knee without looking away from the guard. "I will let you know at the right time." He whispered, dismissing the human men bowing behind the screen door, "You get to live for now."
Jinmu did not budge from his submissive position. "Please, command me, my lord. I cannot bear if I do not satisfy you."
"Take this as a warning," Lord Toma replied, "Even though you took a blade for me after I was driven out of Kyoto. If I sense you are betraying me, I will kill you."
"Yes, my lord."
o o o
"Lord Toya's army does not maintain ample power to contend against a Toma attack." Lord Kisaragi voiced the thoughts of the grim-eyed warlords present at the council of war. "I volunteer my rearguard to fly at once."
Nagamichi turned swiftly toward Kaname at the center of the room. "I will send a third of my vanguard as aid," He glanced at his blond shadow, "Hanabusa and I will march within the hour."
"The borders are barricaded with hunter magic. Lord Toma is an expert at unsealing portals. No doubt he will penetrate the barrier using pure blood. The humans in the western fiefs are not armed. There is no land or mountain to flee. Water surrounds the region, they'll rush to the ocean to escape." Lord Ichijo stated somberly.
"Lord Aidou," Kaname called quietly, "Send your vanguard to the port."
"Right away."
"The rain maker clan is barely stable. The king purposely lets the carnivorous clan remain free at will. Lure the Tomas around Eternal Abyss and let the tribe do the work."
"The Toma army will be ready to face the dangers of Eternal Abyss." Lord Kisaragi countered.
"Good. Let's not forget how their army is equipped with a new weapon that can kill vampires in a single strike." Kaname replied.
"You've managed to weaken their armament," Lord Kisaragi grinned.
"Naturally." Kaname said with a leveled glance at the proud lord, "The humans we protect are the humans he targets. Haruka-sama and Lord Ichijo will stay in Kurashiki. This is your chance to take charge of their lines while Lord Toma is gone."
"Done." Haruka folded his arms across his chest, "I'll secure the townspeople and the border."
"Ichijo army has spread throughout the south along with the vanguard in the sky." Lord Ichijo added.
Not long after, Haruka's vassals and pureblood warlords maneuvered through the worldly elements without detection toward the north and west. Lord Toma's spies colluded the stratosphere in black, a dense vapor warping the south. Ichijos remained armed and alert as ever. Within less than an hour, Lord Kisaragi flanked the bottom of Eternal Abyss with his rearguard in wait for the imminent arrival of Tomas. The Healer Tribe was anxious by the barricade but did not shirk or evade their solid presence guarding the gates. Rain streamed down the frosted mountain as the army watched the opaque-blue clouds molten to ash-white by the chilling hour.
Yuki loosened her grip on Cyrus's rein on the steep boulder of the mountain she habitually escaped to after a nightmare. Although her dream was peacefully beautiful, she wasn't awoken from monstrous pain. Her hair tied back with a red string, her hunter's sword attached to her hip, she gravely observed the farmland and sleeping city of Kurashiki below.
She was woken up by the startling noise of her father ordering the servants and officials of the town. The black cloud of spies lifted and soared over the mountain she stood watching, swimming against the rifting frigidity of the night, deep in the catacomb of black mystery toward the west. As predicted, the Tomas were moving. She instinctively clenched the reins. Beneath her, Cyrus kicked his hoofs on the ground, sensing the overpowering tension in her body.
Another pair of hooves came within earshot. She happened upon a blond in armor, something which she hadn't conceived witnessing until the moment Aidou arrived directly in front of her. Two swords on each hip, the pale blue banner of the ice clan shimmered in the moonlight.
He stopped the mare and flashed her a confident smile. "I thought you might be here."
"Checking perimeters."
"Kurashiki will be fine. The Ichijo army is standing vigilant." Aidou kindly assured.
Yuki hadn't averted from the armor he adorned. So used to catching him in ornate blue robes, she hadn't realized how much bolder he would appear in the silvery armor, a vast comparison from the ordinary indigo.
"Most of our men are already in position," Aidou informed, "My father and I are about to join them. Before I leave, I wanted to give you something." He did not pat around to search his person, instead, he opened a hand in front of Yuki, bearing a crystal box glittering in the reflection of the moon.
Yuki peered at the glass-like object. "What's this?"
"A gift I made for you."
"Made?" She drew the box in her palms and admired the crystal framework.
"The ice is spelled, it won't melt in spring or summer," Aidou smirked and waited for her to unlatch the box. Inside the red velvet coffin was a long glittering hairpin, craved in the shape of a rose.
The delicacy was immediate, but after gripping the weight and sharpness, she detected the hardened crystal was intricately durable than regular hairpins. Yuki smiled widely and appreciatively at the wonderful gift. "Hanabusa," She gasped, "Who knew about your hidden talent? It's beautiful."
"That's the first time you said my name with a smile," He blushed deeply, "I've been carrying it around for weeks waiting to gift it to you at the right time."
"Thank you," Yuki beamed sincerely, "I'll treasure it."
"I'd love to see you wear it."
"How can I not?"
Aidou's smile deepened, the glacial crystalline of his eyes glimmered with affection. "Now you know I'm not just book smart with a photographic memory. I can't compare to your sword skills, but believe me I'll use my powers to protect you and Kurashiki. I can't say when we'll return. We're lucky to have enough warning about Lord Toma's attack. It's better you stay and watch over Kurashiki. Will you wait for me?"
She nodded shyly, "I will. After things have settled down, we can go on a picnic, properly." Yuki added reticently.
His eyes widened with hope. "Yuki-chan, you can't be coy right when it's time for me to go! Now I'm going to be distracted all night."
Yuki tightened her fingers around the box, unable to register and meet Aidou's excitement due to unexpected embarrassment.
"I guess this means you're finally opening your heart to me." Aidou chuckled, "I am extremely happy. I'll be back." He flashed her a brilliant blue-eyed smile and turned the horse down the steep hill, disappearing through the trail and shrubs.
Not that she could draw from tangible memory or experience on doting, affection, and romantic love, she hadn't opened her heart to a man before. Aidou was earnest, kind, and cocky at times, which did not exasperate as much as amuse Yuki. Her heart didn't titillate like butterflies inside her chest much like most stories insisted. Her composure was refined and contained. She could think clearly without losing wit or require relief from anxiousness. At best, she was relaxed and able in his company. It wasn't bad or great—just okay. Their clans wanted to join houses and eagerly waited for their connection to escalate. Yuki inspected the crystal hairpin and smiled. The Aidou clan was astute in resolving skirmishes, she wasn't largely worried and believed in their return.
Ichiru waited for Yuki at the estate in place of Takuma who had gone to the vanguard. Her father was with the townspeople. The estate appeared empty despite it was curtailed by over thirty Ichijo samurai. She waited for Ichiru to saddle a horse, handing him her hunter's sword in the process.
"We're just patrolling." He insisted, albeit, accepting the weapon as if he had no nuance as to what the item was for and slipped it inside his belt clumsily.
"The fastest of us is me, I will watch your back."
He felt an inexplicable surge of joy and smiled dazedly over his shoulder, lavender eyes twinkling, "Isn't this how you and Zero patrolled?"
"Yes," Yuki scanned the streets and indicated the fields as a short cut, all the while elated to know he received some excitement from the mere idea of 'patrolling' instead of living a life inside a laboratory due to heart issues. "Zero is stronger, faster, plus he has perfect aim. I would lead, take a direct hit, and he would clear the way. The idea of the rearguard is not as lucky as it seems. He is the least protected, meaning an easier target than the vanguard."
"Does this mean I really have to use this?" Ichiru dangled the hunter's sword.
"Not necessarily?" She gently lied. "Either way, we aren't getting attacked, but father asserted we stay alert together."
"You know, it's been several weeks since he proposed for your hand in marriage. We've been on alert, but it is strange he wants to hit the north and the west."
"The north is the home to healers, humans give up their resources to seek their help. The west is the port. Lord Toma is retaliating by weakening human support and seizing a port to quickly gain resources from the Ming. He's intrepidly showing how much he wants to win."
"But why does he choose to stay in Kurashiki?" Ichiru gruffly asked, checking the forest.
Yuki was not sure of his agenda, it would take work getting into the pureblood's sly mind.
o o o
Nagamichi accounted for the men in pale armor that presented without hesitation and fear the moment he volunteered their lives regardless of their intake on the impending attack in the western sea. He was not used to leisurely throwing names and found it particularly appropriate to be present, along with his son, Hanabusa, to fend off the Toma attack on innocent villagers. The hunter magic surrounding the village remained untouched as the hours forged. They waited, no one budged a muscle or resisted their posts despite fatigue and waning concentration. Ambushes were the norm, if they relaxed momentarily, it could be costly. The crowned prince's silhouette dazzled in white, a fading black in the flickering shadow of the moon. He sat hinged, waiting indifferently and unblinkingly in the dark at the front.
Nagamichi nudged his horse to stop beside the pureblood. "Kotaishi Kaname Shinno, it would be best you stayed back and let us guard the port."
Kaname hadn't blinked from the horizon reflecting on the sea. "No one dies on my watch. I'd like to see how long he thinks I can endure."
"Lord Toma outdid the bravest and fiercest of warlords in the past." Nagamichi hesitantly relayed, "Because you are young, your mind is fresh and untouched by repetitive tactics."
"What do you think?" Kaname asked without looking.
Nagamichi followed his sterile, cold gaze toward the ocean. "I also think he is waiting us out and intends to ambush after we've given up, on our way home when we're unprotected and off-guard."
"I'm intrigued." Kaname murmured. For a brief moment, his eyes glazed and narrowed.
"The night has passed." Nagamichi said aloud apprehensively, "The sun rises in less than an hour. The most he gains at the moment is that we're waiting anxiously for his move."
Kaname's brows skewed from the strange arrangement of words.
"He has us right where he wants, ready for something we aren't exactly sure of, but here we are."
His eyes widened and lips parted.
"For your protection, I demand you stay behind and let us do our best." Nagamichi tried once more.
"You said something irreplaceably strange now," Kaname uttered, his throat drying by the second.
"My lord?" Nagamichi blinked.
Kaname clenched the reins of the horse. "He has us 'right where he wants.' The north and the west." He gasped in incredulity, a shiver under his breath and clenched his eyes shut. "Check with Lord Kisaragi, what news from the Eternal Abyss?"
Nagamichi nodded and whistled a messenger over, ordering the vampire to transform and bristle toward the northern mountains. He returned to Kaname's side nervously. "Are you suspecting something we haven't thought of?"
Kaname had closed his eyes and searched his blood. The ripple in senses, the telepathic trigger and wave, the energetic incursion, and diminishing ascension of the blood bond. Him, being the source of power and provider of blood. She, the recipient and cornerstone of the energetic connection. He could see through her eyes, feel through her if she let him. If only she relinquished to the blood bond, he could distinguish clearly.
Your blood is my blood. You've always known I live deep inside you.
Yuki
Yuki!
A searing shot shook the center of his chest. Kaname's red eyes widened to a crusade of crimson. She staggered to her knees, screaming over her shoulder, blood outlined her lips, tears streamed down muddy cheeks. "…chiru!"
Kaname raised his head. Before the messenger landed in front of Nagamichi, he knew the dreadful news the vampire was about to deliver.
"The north stands still, not a drop of blood or conflict to be found." The vampire announced.
Kaname felt the weight of the mountains on his shoulders as his heart sank. "Not the north and the west." He covered his eyes as Yuki's surrounding peered into the consciousness between his brows. "The east and the south."
Nagamichi horridly gaped at the pureblood. "But we—"
"Why Jinmu?" Kaname muttered in aggravation under his breath, "He played you, he played us all."
The sun was rising, orange soaked the skyline and dusty clouds. The smell of blood tinkered even though everything around Kaname sat aloof and pristine. He could also feel the sharp jolt of agony riddling deep in his chest. In the south, Yuki gasped for self-control, peeking through bloody eyelids at the man.
o o o
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