Red Shadows
Chapter 1
When Kenshin found her just outside the village gates, he was not sure if she was an ally or foe.
A girl lay faced down, a lifeless heap on the ground. She looked unconscious and was motionless, her damp clothes clinging onto her small boned body. As he walked closer, her deathly pale face came into his view.
She was not wearing his village cloth.
Kenshin looked warily at her, his grasp tightening on the hilt of his sword. Was it a trap? As he stared at her in the heavy downpour, Kenshin's instincts kicked into another direction and he kneeled down beside her, pressing his fingers into the veins of her neck.
A faint pulse weakly jumped under his fingers. She was alive.
Kenshin sucked in a breath when he looked down at her face. She was so pale, and must have done some running because her bare feet, face and clothes were all smeared in mud. Kenshin's wariness turned into anger as something clicked in his mind - a girl, escaping from a nearby village… could it be...? Kenshin decided to bring her back into the castle. If his assumption was correct, she could provide them with information their country needed.
The thunder rumbled overhead, rain splattering onto his long, red mane and brown hide as he heaved the girl over his shoulders. She was so light. The umbrella could only do so much to shelter them both in the monsoon rain, but it was better than nothing. As he reached the castle gates, a woman in white tunic with a smock stood waiting at the entrance with a worried look on her face. She brought her hands to her mouth when she saw him approach. "Your Highness!" She gasped in horror. "Tae," Kenshin acknowledged but shook his head in a silent plea to not ask questions and passed her the umbrella. Tae understood; she took the umbrella and looked at the girl over his shoulders, "But is there anything I can do?"
Kenshin pondered for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing and accentuating the dark crossed scar on his left cheek as he tightened his lips. When he spoke, his voice was a deathly tone, just like the sharp edge of his sword.
"Summon Megumi and Aoshi to my chamber. Now."
Kenshin watched as Tae tucked the heavy blanket over the sleeping girl in his bed. He had quickly changed into dry clothes when Tae eyed him chidingly. Autumn winds had started to blow into the land, and nights were chilly. Tae had dried the wet girl off and changed her into some fresh clothes, making her features clearer than what Kenshin had made her out in the pouring rain. Her features were sharp, small-boned and she could not be more than twenty five. She looked so frail. Mumbling a spell, Tae waved her hand over the sleeping girl's head and her hair slowly lost its dampness, turning into dry and smooth ebony locks.
"She has a slight fever, but Megumi should be here soon."
A knock echoed from the door.
"Come in." Kenshin commanded.
The door opened and a lady in a flowing purple tunic and straight, long midnight black hair stepped in, accompanied by a tall, stoic man in a dark tunic and pants under a clock. Both dipped into a low bow. "Your Highness", they murmured in greeting.
"Aoshi, Megumi." Kenshin spoke, his voice low. "We have an intruder. I'm guessing from Yukishiro's domain."
There was a silent pause, while Aoshi narrowed his eyes. Kenshin pointed at his bed.
"I found her just outside the castle gates. She was already unconscious when I found her, and has not woken yet. Megumi, check her for wounds and spells. She might be a trap sent from Yukishiro." Kenshin's jaw clenched as he spoke Yukishiro's name. Megumi understood his anger. If they had stooped so low to use an innocent girl for their devices... Megumi nodded and walked towards the bed, while Tae stepped back to give her space.
"Aoshi, find out who she is. Her name, her age, her parents, her background, and why she is in the state she is in now. We will release her if she has no link to Yukishiro, but if she is in any way connected in one way or another, she is our prisoner."
Tae and Megumi stared at their King, but did not say a word. Aoshi placed his left hand across his right chest and bowed in acknowledgment.
"I would like to request a drop of her blood to expedite our search." Aoshi spoke, "If she has magic lineage, it will be easier to track her identity and bloodline."
Kenshin pondered for a moment, and nodded his consent.
Aoshi walked over to the sleeping girl and gently pulled her left hand out from under the covers. He singled out her thumb and pricked it deep enough for a big, deep red goblet of blood to pool at the surface of her skin. The women watched nervously behind him. Aoshi blew a puff of breath at the pricked finger. The blood suddenly disappeared and her thumb was healed, without any hint of scar. Aoshi released her hand.
"The blood has been sent to the rest of the Oniwabanshu. We will look into the matter immediately. I shall take my leave." With a low bow, he disappeared into the shadows.
After Aoshi was gone, Megumi did her routine medical check on the sleeping girl under Tae and Kenshin's watchful eye, standing alert in case a spell was let loose. Megumi soon stood up, straightening her back as she let out a sigh, signalling that she was finished. Gently, she tucked the sleeping captive back under the sheets. She faced Kenshin and Tae, her face full of concern. "There are no signs of severe damage or magic on her. Her feet are bruised and swollen, most probably due to running a far distance. They will naturally heal in a few days. The other small wounds have also been taken care of. But…" Megumi bit her lip.
"But what?" Kenshin demanded.
Megumi took in a deep breath before she continued, "She's malnourished. I suspect for a very long time already. Her internal organs are weak and her vital signs are poor. She has a fever due to the cold and needs medication. If she does not wake up to eat, she will die."
There was silence as Megumi's words sunk into all of them.
"When will she wake up?" Tae inquired softly.
Megumi shook her head. "I am not able to tell. We have to first force feed her something if we want her to survive. Once her condition stabilizes, she might wake up..." She paused, pursing her lips before staring straight into Kenshin's eyes. "Ken-san, can't you feel it? Her sleep is not natural."
Kenshin held her gaze for a moment before turning to look at the slumbering girl. "I feel it." Although her face was peaceful and her breathing was deep and even, her aura was in absolute chaos. Her strange aura vibe was making the room rise in tension, and he knew it. "But I do not know what it is."
"Magic?" Tae questioned.
"Might be." Megumi replied carefully, "Or it might be a trauma. Either way, I cannot do anything until I get more concrete symptoms. If we diagnose her wrongly, it can cost her her life."
Kenshin nodded his head. "Alright. Both of you can leave now. Megumi, you will be granted full access to my chambers in case she needs medical attention. Tae, prepare some gruel and bring it over after the council meeting."
Megumi and Tae bowed. "Your Highness, should we move her to another chamber?" Tae suggested, "You will have no bed to sleep tonight, and it will be easier for us to tend to her if the need arises."
"No, she will stay here." Kenshin cut in immediately, "She is not from the village and the other servants will not know how to deal with her. There is also a possibility that she is cursed. My chamber is heavy with protection and wards; it should be able to push down any spell she holds. She will stay here until she wakes."
Tae bowed dutifully, "My apologies, your Highness. I will immediately assign a chambermaid to attend to her."
Kenshin nodded his agreement and watched the women as they took their leave. Once the door closed shut, he turned back to face the girl tucked into his bed. He walked over and stared at her sleeping face. Her aura was still volatile and bounced off him like small nudges pushing him away. Kenshin could not help but feel sorry, yet angry at the girl who was oblivious at the amber eyes looking down at her. Kenshin was wary of her connections with Yukishiro. The Yukishiros were royals of the neighbouring lands, not very prosperous but comfortable, and there was a steady sense of cordiality between their kingdoms.
Until their magic suddenly changed.
Soujiro had sent him a missive a few days ago, reporting that Vohon had been hit with a curse and a few villagers had perished, warning him to be careful. For I am afraid, the curse is one of ice blended with black magic that we have never encountered before. Lord Kenshin, I will only assume, but it is very likely that the Yukishiros have a new ally that we do not know about. Lord Shishio has been injured but is expected to make a full recovery. We bid you to be safe. Kenshin had shown Saitoh the letter and even the emotionless man had let out a string of curses. An emergency meeting was held with his advisors, who were given orders, tasks, and responsibilities to figure out at the last resort, if a preparation for war was necessary.
Yesterday, he received news from Aoshi that all of his spies and countrymen currently in Yukishiro's land, Zemlya Snihom, were suddenly uncontactable.
Clenching his fist, Kenshin closed his eyes and took deep breaths and willed himself not to get lost in anguish at the thought of his trusted men probably lost forever. It wouldn't help. He was the King of Chevron, and he had duties. Snapping open his eyes, Kenshin stared at his captive for a few moments before turning around, flicking his right wrist and walking out of his chamber.
The unnamed captive slept, and his fury had to wait.
"Is that all the information we have about Yukishiro?"
Everyone around the table glanced at each other before each giving a curt nod to their king.
Kenshin sighed as he processed the information in front of him. King Yukishiro Oibore feared dead. Possibly overthrown by his own son, Enishi. Suspicions of Enishi using forbidden, black magic. Traces of unknown magic left on their border wards, but no attack attempt at Chervon yet.
"And are our men in Yukishiro's land presumed dead?" Kenshin's voice sharply rang across the table.
"No," Aoshi calmly replied, looking at the king in the eye. "As you know, all Oniwabanshu members are sworn into the clan with blood rituals, allowing the leader to be distantly aware of each other's life force. Hannya's is still strong and with no significant changes. We believe he is alive and well."
Kenshin felt himself releasing his breath in relief. But Sano stood up furiously and with his face in a snarl, raised his voice at Aoshi, "Then why aren't we able to communicate with anyone there?! Yahiko would never miss out on his reports!"
"Magic barriers, imprisonment, or in bid to keep low." Saitoh drawled. "Impulsive as always, rooster head."
Sano's face turned three shades of dark red and vulgarities flew across the table. "Fuck you, Saitoh!" Sano spat, "My cousin is in there as your fucking spy under your fucking care and is that all you gonna say to me!?"
"Sit down, Sano." Kenshin interrupted wearily, "We aren't finished."
Kicking the legs of his chair, Sano sullenly cursed, but mumbled an apology and let himself be pulled back to his seat by Megumi's firm grip.
"Yukishiro has not attempted to attack us," Kenshin pointed out, "and if Hannya is alive as Aoshi mentioned, the rest of our men might be alive too. If so," he paused. "What exactly is their motive?"
The council glanced at each other again, but no one spoke up.
All of a sudden, Kenshin felt his wrist band tighten. He immediately called out to Megumi and Saitoh, who stood up and followed him as he hastened out of the room. The band wound tighter and squeezed his wrist in a deathly grip as he raced down the corridor to his chamber.
"Your Highness, what is the matter?" Megumi gasped as she kept up with both men.
"The captive's in trouble."
As he neared his chamber, he could hear a faint feminine whimper from within.
Opening the door he saw the captive thrashing in his bed, unconscious but whimpering as if in agony. All three ran towards her and Megumi quickly assessed her condition.
"Her fever is burning up too high," Megumi hurriedly said. "Help me get the gruel now. She needs to eat to have the energy to fight the fever."
Saitoh nodded and muttered that he would get Tae before disappearing. It was then the captive gurgled, and her trashing turned violent. Her hand unconsciously hit Megumi, who gasped as she tumbled onto the floor. To prevent further damage, Kenshin sat on the bed and pinned the wild flailing arms down with his hands. The captive continued to make panicked breaths but her eyes remained closed, as if fighting an invisible demon.
As Megumi unsteadily stood up, Kenshin glanced at her with a look of apology on his face and quickly scanned her to see if she was hurt. The captive was held down, movements subdued but Kenshin could feel her pushing against his weight, a strength that was almost inhuman.
"Cast a sedative spell on her." Kenshin ordered Megumi.
"But..."
"Just a weak dose will do. We can't force feed her in this state."
As if on cue, Saitoh and Tae entered with a young maid holding a steamy, aromatic bowl of what Kenshin was presumed to be food. Megumi sucked in her breath and nodded, placing her forefinger lightly on the girl's forehead before muttering a spell. Instantly, the captive movements weakened and she made a small noise. When her motions were no longer strong against his, Kenshin pulled her into a sitting position and hugged her back towards his chest, securing her arms so that she could not protest. He frowned at how warm her body was and how he could clearly feel each rib bone.
The next hour was spent trying to feed the captive the gruel. It was a messy affair, but with a little magic Tae, Megumi and the young maid whom Kenshin learned was named Tsubame managed to get some food into the girl's body. The captive had stilled her movements by the end of the feeding and was limp against Kenshin. Her body was still warm, but her breathing was even and her aura was less agitated. The captive was tucked into bed after the bedsheets were magically cleaned up and Kenshin was shooed by Tae to take his own bath. He nodded his assent, but signalled Saitoh to remain as he dismissed the rest.
Saitoh gleamed at his King, staying silent. Kenshin quirked his lips at his Head of Magic and Security's presence, his posture taut and rolling off offensive aura. Between the two of them, they were neither ally nor foe.
"I would appreciate it if you stopped wasting my time, Lord Battousai." Saitoh drawled, his words dripping with sarcasm. Kenshin chuckled, and shook his head. "I apologize. I just wanted you to check our captive for any curse that could have been implanted in her."
"Hmph. That would be unnecessary," Saitoh answered, as he scoffed at his King and crossed his arms. "Since she was brought into your room, the spell wards in your room have notified me not only of the intrusion, but also scanned her for any spells or curses that she would have carried. Obviously," Saitoh smirked, "You seem to have forgotten about what I can do, my King."
Kenshin cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, flabbergasted because he did forget. The wards in his room were set by Saitoh and his wife, Tokio, who was one of the most powerful witches in the council.
Saitoh took pleasure in his King's discomfort, letting out another sound of contempt before turning around and sauntering towards the door. "If you need a more thorough assessment, the weasel would be a better choice."
The door creaked close as he walked out and away, leaving Kenshin in his own thoughts.
As Kenshin stood under the hot water, he closed his eyes, felt the liquid cascading down his body and reflected over the day's events. A sleeping captive in his bed. Unrest in his neighbouring lands. His men, uncontactable but probably alive… What is Yukishiro plotting? Kenshin tried to piece together the information he knew and remembered about Zemlya Snihom. The country and Chevron had been on cordial terms since he ascended the throne 5 years ago, having met King Yukishiro Oibore a few occasions in formal events. He was a proud, strict man in power for at least a decade, but a worthy king whom Kenshin could tell, put his men before himself. Enishi was sometimes together with his father at these functions but never spoke to anyone. Kenshin vaguely remembered him as a man who never smiled and had a cold look in his eyes as we watched the people around him. He frowned, trying to think about other details but Enishi, but there was none.. Enishi was shrouded in a cloud of mystery, having most information concentrated on King Oibore. He made a mental note to have Aoshi submit a detailed report about Enishi and his recent movements.
But as Saito reported, the attacks in Vohon were sudden and very much unlike Oibore's fighting style yet matching their magic fingerprint. The sudden barrier around their land also roused speculations of the death of the king, overthrown or not. If Oibore was dead, Enishi would be king…
Sighing, Kenshin turned off the tap and muttered a spell, spelling himself dry before shrugging into a soft tunic. Something did not feel right; was it just exhaustion? Opening the bathroom door, he found two stormy eyes from the bed looking at him. There was silence as both studied each other.
Uncertainty.
Distrust.
Fear.
"Where am I?" She rasped, breaking the tense silence. Kenshin could feel her aura - weak but wrapped around herself in a defensive measure.
Kenshin straightened his shoulders before addressing the captive in his bed, staring back at her.
"You are in Chevron."
The captive blinked, surprise written on her face.
"Che… Chevron?" Her voice was weak, but her eyes darted to his hair and she seemingly started to panic. "You cannot be… Are you the King?"
Kenshin cocked his head.
"What if I am?"
The captive visibly struggled as she tried to push herself out of his bed.
"I..."
Kenshin swiftly walked over and caught her arm before she cringed away from him. He gently pushed her back down the bed, ignoring her weak protests. Locking eyes with her she stilled, her aura shrinking back in fear. Kenshin blinked at how easily he managed to read her aura, despite the fact that she was awake.
"I could interrogate you now," Kenshin coolly whispered as he tightened his grip on her arms, clearing the fleeting thought from his mind while the captive flinched. "But I suggest you sleep off your fever tonight. We will continue tomorrow."
She widened her blue, stormy eyes but missed Kenshin's hands shifting, placing two fingers on her forehead and muttering a spell. As a yellow gleam of light absorbed into her skin, she rolled her eyes and shut them, falling limp into his bed.
Just as Kenshin released his captive, he sensed Aoshi behind his door. A loud rap on his chamber door and a muffled voice confirmed his presence.
"I bring an urgent report."
"Come in."
Aoshi opened the door and bowed before stepping into the chamber. "Your highness." He murmured.
"Aoshi," Kenshin acknowledged him, "What brings you here at this timing?"
"I have come to report regarding the lady in your bed." Aoshi calmly replied. "And I believe, is urgent for you to know."
Kenshin nodded his head as a signal for Aoshi to continue.
"She is Kamiya Kaoru, 25 years old, from Zemlya Snihom. Or should I say, from Zemlya Boha."
Kenshin's mind clicked at the name Zemlya Boha. Kamiya - the Land of God. How could he forget?
"You remember Yukishiro went into war with Lord Kamiya 13 years ago and won after Lord Kamiya died in battle. Yukishiro claimed Zemlya Boha as his land and changed it into Zemlya Snihom, promptly changing the maps so Zemlya Boha does not exist today. We thought that Lord Kamiya had perished, bringing down the whole monarchy, but what we didn't know is that Kamiya had a daughter who is now sleeping in your bed."
Kenshin frowned as he stared at the sleeping girl, his mind whirling. Lord Kamiya's daughter? "How could she have escaped everyone's notice?" Kenshin demanded, "We have records of all the princesses of our surrounding lands."
"She is not a princess. Not in any records we find. We did not even know that Kamiya had a child until this check. Her missing identity might have to do with Kamiya's governing system. Without her blood, we might not have been able to identify her with the lack of records surrounding her birth."
"You used her blood to track her bloodline? So she has mage blood?" Kenshin asked sharply.
"Yes. Lord Kamiya was a mage, so she should have inherited some of his magic. But her blood tells us that she is only a half. Kamiya must have married outside the royal family."
Kenshin kept silent for a moment, the deep breaths of the sleeping Kamiya filling the silence between the two men.
"So she might be a prisoner of Yukishiro." Kenshin said, his golden eyes never leaving the troubled face of the girl in slumber.
"We have no concrete proof, but yes."
Kenshin clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger. He himself did not know what was making his blood boil, but there was something in her face and aura that told him that the Yukishiros' had made her suffer badly.
They will pay for it.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and forced his mind to concentrate on Aoshi and the information he had about her.
"Her name is Kamiya, Kaoru?"
"Yes."
"And she has links with the Yukishiros."
"Yes."
Aoshi looked at his King while Kenshin calculatively stared at Kaoru. There was a considerable silence between them before Kenshin spoke, a soft but definite order.
"Then she shall be our prisoner, until she is able to give us useful information regarding them."
"Understood. Shall we prepare a cell for her?"
Kenshin pressed his lips into a thin line, still staring at the sleeping captive. "Yes. We move her when her condition stabilizes. Is there anything else?"
"No, your highness."
Kenshin finally turned to look at his head spy, "I need you to find out about Enishi and his last known movements these past three years. We might have overlooked some important information. Send me detailed reports as soon as you get them." Their eyes locked, amber clashing with ice. "You may go."
Aoshi gave a curt nod, pulling away his gaze before turning around and walking away. The sound of closing chamber doors echoed in Kenshin's ears.
Kenshin did not say a word for a few moments, looking down at the sleeping face that he had moments before cast a strong compulsion spell. He voiced her name in his head.
Kamiya Kaoru.
Closing his eyes, he turned and went to the corner of his chamber, his daily nocturnal spot. Picking up and cradling his sword, he pushed the faint, innocent female aura resonating from his bed into the back of his mind as he shut his eyes, mediating himself to sleep.
A chaotic aura and a pulsing wrist band - he did not know which one woke him first.
Snapping his eyes open, Kenshin did a quick check on his surroundings as he raised his eyes to his captive. The wall candles in his room flickered, illuminating a huddled figure in his bed.
Kamiya?
Sensing no urgent assistance required, Kenshin stood up and warily walked over to her as her aura bounced against him. It was the same aura when she was first brought into the castle, unconscious, but now, the girl was shaking uncontrollably.
He slowly placed his palm on her forearm to not scare her. While she did not show any reaction, her aura was humming against Kenshin and was calling out to him, putting him on the edge. Knitting his eyebrows, he firmly gripped her arm and shook her gently. Her huddled hands came free and Kenshin saw her pale face, glazed eyes that stared into space. It was not the blue, stormy eyes that stared back at him hours ago. Strands of hair fell across her face, her features of an empty doll. She was not heavy, but made no move to stand on her own.
"Stop it." A sudden soft, broken voice left her lips.
Kenshin paused.
"Why do this to me?" She whispered, this time in a stronger voice, but laced with pain. She started sobbing, and Kenshin did not know what to do.
"Kamiya," he tried.
And she sharply turned her head at his voice, at her name, her azure, glazed eyes piercing Kenshin's as her aura suddenly seemed to snap so hard, it resounded in his ears. He would have dropped her in shock, but her hands had grabbed his sleeves, her small hands weakly holding him captive. Her eyes cleared up for a moment and Kenshin could clearly see the fear and plea in her dark, blue, stormy gaze that reflected her soul.
"Please, help me."
Eyelids shutting close, she let out a soft broken wail, tightening her grip on his clothes as she slid back into the bed. Her tug refused to let go, pulling Kenshin to fall in together with her movements while he hurriedly used an arm to break his fall, lest his body be crushed on top of hers. Nose merely inches away from hers, and Kenshin could feel short, rapid pants warming his cheeks.
Her movements ceased when her head hit the bed, her long black hair flailing across the sheets in a wavy, messy pattern, some strands spraying over his arm. Her stiff fingers finally loosened its grip, freeing his sleeve - but somehow Kenshin was frozen in place, staring at the pale face of the woman under him. Up this close, he could clearly see her sunken cheekbones, protruding out of her yellow flesh, daunt and proof of starvation.
Anger unbeknownst to him churned in his gut, his fist clenching into the bed sheets as he looked down at the captive. His finger unconsciously reached out to trace her jawline, but her clammy, boney skin startled his senses and he jerked his hand away. Staring at the hand as if betrayed, Kenshin clenched it and sighed as he pondered on the next best course of action. Before Kaoru first woke, she was frail enough to be left alone in his chambers. Now, having seen her antics, Kenshin didn't want his chambers to be unattended if she woke up or had her nightmare fit again. Sunrise was in an hour's time but he didn't think he could go back to sleep, not with flashes of dark, blue stormy eyes haunting him whenever he closed his eyes. It was also still too early to disturb his aides...
Sighing once again, he finally pulled away from Kaoru and sat on the side of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes in bid to clear his mind. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his vision wandered to the captive's sleeping face and Kenshin found himself just gazing at her - her chest that rose and fell with her small breaths, filling his quiet chamber with the sound of her slumber.
The door suddenly slammed open and a girl in green robes ran into the meeting room, panting and catching her breath while locking eyes at Kenshin.
Recognition filled everyone's eyes, but before anyone could react the girl had flung herself towards Kenshin and grabbed his sleeves.
"There was a missive. Vohon has been attacked, again, and Soujiro has been injured. Yumi requests your immediate assistance."
Saitoh threw down the stack of reports onto the table and breathed in heavily, closing his eyes while he fumbled his pocket for a cigarette. His wife clucked her tongue at him from across the table, but he ignored her chiding voice as the sweet, warm smoke comfortingly filled him.
"Treat the hard work of your subordinates with respect."
"Did you read the report."
Tokio sighed and looked down at the beaten stack of papers, "I did."
Saitoh blew out the smoke, not saying anything as the silent understanding between the couple settled between them. While he liked to see an agitated Himura, half the enjoyment was gone when it also directly involved him. The king was probably storming around the castle at this very moment, barking orders to prepare for Vohon's aid while handling a certain captive who finally woke up. He didn't care about the whole fiasco, but he knew he should step in soon before the king's orders went overboard and involved his own men.
As Saitoh reached out for his sword, he only then realised that his wife had disappeared. Musing at how he unknowingly let his guard down around her, he left his office in search of the King.
Saitoh strolled down the castle stairs, taking in the sight of various castlemen hurriedly passing by him. Sano was one of them, and he managed to throw Saitoh a dirty look before continuing with his sprint and jumping down the corridor that reminded Saitoh of a rabbit.
He finally came to a stop in front of a heavy wooden door. One of the two armoured guardsmen wordlessly unlocked the door, and Saito briefly nodded in acknowledgement before entering.
The prison was dark and damp, even with sunlight seeping through the small windows along the cell walls. Eyes behind metal bars were suddenly all on him, but also quickly looked away to focus back on the sounds of a lady's experated and stubborn bickering further down one of the jail cells.
"I told you I don't know anything!"
"Then where are you from?"
"I told you it was… up north."
"And I asked to name your village."
"Vis-Visvere?"
"That's in the East."
Saitoh arrived just in time to see the captive's face puff up a bright red, her eyes angrily glaring at Aoshi's stoic face through the metal bars which she gripped and futility shook in her rage. Kamiya Kaoru, was that what the report wrote? Kenshin stood a few feet away, observing the interaction with a frown. He glanced at Saitoh approaching, but said nothing and looked back at the girl.
"I have nothing to offer." Kaoru finally gritted out, her eyes darting at Kenshin and Saitoh before quickly looking away.
"We'll decide after you thoroughly explain your origins."
The air was heavy with tension, and even the other prisoners made no sound.
After a long silence, Kaoru's shoulders slightly slumped as she dropped her gaze to the ground.
"Can you just let me go back north? I already said I have nothing to offer and won't interfere with your affairs."
Saitoh cut in, "Escaping from Enishi?"
Thump.
"I don't... know who he is."
"We can drop you at the south instead."
Kaoru's breath visibly hitched.
Kenshin's eyes narrowed while Aoshi stayed eerily still.
Thump.
"I need to go, north." She gasped out.
Thump.
"Are you Enishi's lover?"
Kaoru felt her head burst and all she saw was red through her racing heartbeat. Whipping her head up, glaring straight at the person who had the atrocity to speak those words. Her heart clenched as a warning to not speak, but her anger could not be contained.
"How dare you." Kaoru snarled at Aoshi, "How dare you! He killed father-!"
Thump-
A sudden small wave of dark aura exploded from Kaoru and she gasped, falling on her knees as her hand clenched her chest.
A curse.
The unspoken realisation dawned amongst the three men; Aoshi immediately moved to unlock the prison cell and Kenshin rushed in to check her pulse, while Saito stayed in place, murmuring a spell. Kaoru was unconscious, her pulse weak, but was alive. Kenshin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stared at her sleeping face, assessing her aura - it was as weak as her pulse, but it held anger, sadness, and an edge of defeat.
Aoshi knelt next to Kenshin, lifting Kaoru up from the floor and from his arms. "Your highness, I will move her to the prison infirmary and have Megumi assess her." Kenshin clenched his hands, resisting the urge to carry her to the infirmary on his own. He was king, and he had other matters to do. Both men stood up and Kenshin silently watched Aoshi hurrying away with Kaoru in his arms. Saito and Kenshin start walking towards the door, walking past the prison guards who had come in and were barking at the inmates who had started murmuring amongst themselves.
As they exited and the door closed behind them, Saitoh spoke up. "The curse analysis should take half an hour. I'll have Tokio report to you when it's done."
Kenshin nodded, and they both went their separate ways down the corridor.
There was much to be done.
End of Chapter 1
Author's Notes
Territory List
The territory names derive from Ukranian, with the meanings in brackets.
Chervon: Himura's territory (Red)
Vohon: Shishio's territory (Fire)
Zemlya Snihom: Yukishiro's territory (Land of snow)
Zemlya Boha: Kamiya's territory (Land of god)
I started penning this since 2014, and have roughly the whole plot planned out, but I don't know if my brain can churn out the rest of the story for me. As such, this piece might be a mess because it has a mix of my different writing styles even after rewriting the best I could (and no beta, god bless google docs though). After watching Rurouni Kenshin's final movie, it spurred me to pick up and continue writing the chapter after six years. With the first chapter finally up, hopefully I will have the strength to finish this series.
Also, happy birthday Kenshin!
~zhuang