"You should have just pardoned her," Minha had told Hayate hundreds of times.
He made such a stupid call agreeing to let Sakyo have the killer of his late cohort put to death for vengeance, not without knowing who was being talked about first. He should have made Sakyo name the killer without being lured into a verbal trap, then he could have refused to turn the angel over, just give her a slap on the wrist punishment instead. She was much to valuable to be lost in such a ludicrous way.
Her father had shared the prophecy made over her mother with them while the angel slept. The angel needed to have at least one child to continue on her mother's destiny and begin a dynasty. With any luck, she could have a daughter in the next two years that could be physically mature enough to be married off to Takashi without him getting too old for her. So long as she was cared for properly.
Takashi. Minha looked over at her son sitting next to her in the fighting pit stands. He was watching the sky, hardly blinking, even as rain dropped down over them. They had been watching Hiei fight, with the angel coming in and trying to demand his freedom. When Hayate refused, she jumped into the ring with him. Followed by four others, Yasha, Kurama, her cousin, and another human. They watched the group take out a pack of dire wolves with ease, but now had trouble with the next ten demonic beasts that were loosed.
Takashi fidgeted in his seat. He was worried about the angel, up there in an aerial battle in the sky against the thunderbird. He loved her, his hero. If anything were to happen to her, he would be devastated.
Minha heard a roaring cry, seeing the thunderbird falling speedily towards the ground, with a semi-transparent white dragon attacking it as it fell. Minha watched in shock as the angel was riding the dragon, commanding it even. The rain, lightning, and thunder stopped abruptly as the thunderbird hit the sand with a sandstorm producing thud. The dragon landed gracefully next to the dead creature. When the sand dust had cleared, Minha saw that the angel had scrambled off the back of dragon, and then, much to Minha's dismay, vomited all over the ground in the most unladylike fashion.
"Nanashi!" Hiei's voice roared over to her from the other side of the fighting pit. It was ridiculous enough that he was in there in the first place, not to mention that the angel, Kurama, Yasha, and two strangers whom knew Nanashi had joined him in the fray. Minha racked her mind for a way to convince Hayate to pardon them, setting his fear of looking tyrannical for pardoning whomever he wanted aside. He was the king by blood and rights. He did not have to submit to anyone like that.
Minha looked over at the space between Hiei and the angel. A minotaur was charging straight for her. Minha gasped at the sight of catching her in the wing and side, throwing her up in the air. The dragon caught her quick enough, but even at a distance, the blood frothing from her wounds were visible. Hiei flitted over to her in a rush, slaying the minotaur himself before turning back to the angel. He called Yasha over to them. That was when Minha noticed her left wing. It hung lower than her right one, and at an unnatural angle. Takashi let out a sickening whimper while Minha stared open mouthed when the top half of the angel's wing fell from her back and to the ground. Yasha held the angel's face in his hands, not letting her see what had happened. He then whispered something in her ear. She slumped before him unconscious. The other four men, Kurama and Hiei included, were still fighting with the remaining demonic beasts. Yasha held the angel. He was struggling to figure out a way to pick her up with half her wing missing.
Minha rose to her feet. "Pardon them. All of them. Now," she whispered the demand to Hayate.
She looked at Hayate. With her standing and him sitting, they were of equal height. He looked shocked. "I..." he puttered out uselessly.
"This stupid match of a death sentence might have cost the angel her wing," Minha hissed at him. "Pardon them!"
"She... she won't die... she could be healed..." Hayate ruled, shifting uncomfortably.
Minha gritted her teeth, trying to decide what to do next. The angel needed a healer immediately, a talented one. Minha knew she was one of the best, better than Asa. "Stop the match!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "I pardon them all!" she ruled, unsure if Hayate would allow her that as it contradicted him. Nothing happened. She did know one way that could both get the angel aid immediately and force Hayate's hand. She ran to the edge of the stands and jumped over the barrier.
"Minha!" she heard Hayate shout behind her.
Minha ignored him. The fall to the ground was farther than she expected, shocking her system when she hit the ground. Adrenaline spiked through her, allowing her to ignore any pain or injuries she may have endured. She sprinted across the sand towards Yasha and the angel. She shoved him over, ordering, "get her on her stomach now." Yasha fumbled to follow her orders. "Get her left wing stretched out and align the broken part with the part still attached." He did as he was bid, Minha helping him as he moved. She tried to keep her mind clear and focus, rather dwelling on the trauma the angel just went through. She could not be lost, nor could her wing be lost. "Keep her and me guarded. I need to focus if I am going to properly reattach her wing," she instructed. The demonic beasts were still fighting around them with the other.
"Mother!" Minha heard the voice of her son echo across the fighting pit.
She looked up, even though she should have kept her eyes on the angel. Takashi was down in the fighting pit now as well, running towards them. His clean and pristine sword in his hand. The chimera saw him, turning away from its battle with the ginger haired young man with a bright orange energy sword and towards her son. Its three different and ugly heads roared at it rounded on him. Yasha was on his feet, running towards him, but was much too far away to reach him in time. No one was close enough to reach them in time. Takashi turned to face the chimera coming for him, sword held out in front of him like a club.
When the chimera leapt, a green vine shot out over the distance, wrapping itself around Takashi's waist, yanking him out of the chimera's grasp just in time. Kurama had his rose whip in hand, tugging it over and over until Takashi was with him. Kurama put him protectively behind him, shielding him from the chimera. His rose whip lashed again and again at the chimera, forcing the beast keep its distance from the two of them. Yet Kurama looked worn out himself, lashing the whip slower and more sluggishly. He was backing up with Takashi held fast behind him. The chimera was getting closer and closer still.
Hiei was suddenly standing close to both Minha and the angel, hovering protectively. "Heal her," he grunted down at her.
Minha heard the sounds of fresh roars echo across the fighting pit. Four more beasts had been loosed in the fighting pit, not to mention the Younger Toguro. She did not think she could heal the angel without protection in these conditions. She still had to try. She bent over the angel, trying to focus, to make bone, sinew, muscle, and joints to knit back to together. She blocked everything out, even the off and animistic smell from the fighting pits.
"STOP THIS MADNESS IN THE NAME OF YOUR KING!" she heard Hayate roar over the everything. Everything seemed to stop. Even the beasts seem to pause at the sound of his voice. "I PARDON THEM ALL!" he stated, jumping into the fighting pits, joining the fray. Ayane had as well, running across the sand to Minha.
The chimera seemed to jump back to its senses first. Its heads roared, running towards Hayate as he was the newest prey. Hayate met it fearless, bow and arrow conjured up in an instant. Three arrows were buried in its large chest before the beast to close half the distance between them.
Minha turned back to the angel, channeling all her energy and focus into healing her wing back on. She tuned out anything and everything around her, trusting that Ayane and Hiei would protect them. She had to succeed in this, less the angel be grounded forever. Ayane was standing guard over the two of them with Hiei protectively. Minha silently thanked the Great Hawk Spirit that she had been studying the angel's wing every chance she could get when around her. Bone first, muscle second, ligaments, blood vessels, all in good time. She tried not to think about how much blood she might be losing in the process.
Minha's neck felt stiff by the time she had finished with the wing and turned to the angel side. She was struggling to get the angel onto her back. Hiei bent down long enough to assist her. Her side was bloodied, but only a shallowly: only skin and muscle damaged, no bones or organs were touched thankfully. Easy to heal, even if the angel was paling beneath her. Minha felt drained by the time she healed that wound completely.
She wiped her brow, looking up at the fighting pit around her. It looked as if the fighting with the beasts had still continued, even after the king had shouted his pardon. All the kings guard were in there with them, making it such an easy fight odds wise. All the beasts were dead or dying. The angel's cousin was battling a grotesque looking Younger Toguro now.
Minha looked at Ayane, seeing a rather nasty set of gashes over her chest and torso. Another healer, one with teal blue hair was upon her, healing the wound before Minha could even consider doing that herself. Internally, Minha raged. She looked down at her gloves, able to heal with them on, but not able to bless or curse with them on. One man was at fault for them, at fault for the angel and her son almost dying.
She turned, looking over at Hiei, meeting his eyes. He frowned at her, but nodded his head. An image flashed in her mind, showing her that Sakyo was near the kennels where the demonic beasts had been stored before released. He was raging internally in his own right that both Hiei and the angel had managed to escape death again.
Minha looked to her right, seeing the opening where all the beasts had entered the fighting pit each time. She rose up and ran for it, hoping no one would notice. She managed to get to the kennel room undetected, stopping before the monster of man. He was alone, standing in front of one last kennel, speaking to the beast inside of it soothingly. A wyvern; stronger and deadlier than any of the other beasts released previously. It would likely kill a good number of those in the pit before it was stopped. Sakyo was paying her no mind, likely had not noticed her as he unlocked the cage with the wyvern in it. She silently snuck her gloves off and set them on the ground. Stealthily, she stole up behind him as he was speaking to the wyvern, telling it about all the meat awaiting its starving self in the fighting pits. He was waiting for them to think the fighting was all over and then loose it on them all, unless she stopped him first.
When she reached him, she did not hesitate. Her hands clamped down on his bare hand, cursing, "I bless you to get into that cage with the wyvern."
He turned around, striking her in the face with his free hand. The strike knocked her loose of him and onto the ground. Then, without another word, he waltzed his way into the cage, but without shutting it behind him. The wyvern was sniffing at him curiously. Minha was up and running to shove the door closed and locked it before either wyvern or Sakyo tried to escape.
"What are you doing?" he shouted at her, running for the the door.
Minha stumbled back away from the door and ran away from them, wishing she could block out the pained sounds of screaming coming from the cage.
She rushed passed Hiei who was standing inside the entry way, watching the cage with a ghost of a smile hanging on his lips.