The Man Beneath the Braid - 7
~*~*~*~
He sat quietly in a shadowed corner, slim arms wrapped around his legs, chin resting lightly on the tops of his knees. The minutes seemed to tick by with almost painful slowness, keeping time with the slow, agonized drip of water against the floor...with the soft tapping of the guard's fingertips against his spear, just beyond the reach of the bars.
He'd given up trying to talk his way out of what awaited him...had even given up trying to convince the guard to give him some paper, something to write with...so perhaps he could apologize to Hotohori-sama...to Miaka, Tamahome. But, the guard didn't even seem to hear his requests...so, he instead opted to sit silently in the corner, settle things with himself and his god as best he could before he heard the thud of boots coming down those stairs for what he knew would be the final time.
Sighing softly, Nuriko closed his eyes, brushed a brief, trembling hand through his hair. As he drew his fingers free, however, he couldn't help but watch how the silken strands clung to his flesh, how they shone so softly--even in the low light--as if consumed with their own warm, comforting violet radiance. It really was beautiful hair, he reflected, feeling a soft smile touching at his lips. It flowed free and wild over his shoulders, tumbled down his back in thick, heavy waves...and, then, there was the soft, flowery scent of lilac that still clung to the waves, still surrounded him in a cloud of solace and familiarity and comfort...
The smile faded a bit, dropped a touch of the warmth from his lips. "You were with me all along, weren't you, Korin?" he whispered, drawing his fingers up and out, letting the flood of hair pour back down onto his shoulders, lie still against his chest. His eyes drifted closed. "And, now...now I'll be with you again...won't I? Together forever...ne?"
But....leaving these people...these people he loved... Leaving Hotohori-sama...Miaka...Tamahome...leaving before meeting the other seishi, before learning about them, drawing them into the slowly-expanding circle of friendship and love he was just beginning to experience...
//Wait.\\
Something paused within him, made him stop...freeze.
//Wait.\\
Nuriko sat up, straightened his back against the cool stone of the wall, opened his eyes and drew in a sharp breath. "They can't kill me," he murmured, a slow, tingling ripple of shock sliding up his spine, shivering its way straight to the core of his being. "They can't kill me...because..."
//They need me.\\
The thud of booted feet on the staircase drew him up out of his thoughts, made him turn towards the cell door, watch as two uniformed guards came into view, exchanged brief words with the man standing just outside. After a curt, firm nod from the man, the two guards stepped up to the door, spent a moment jangling the key within the lock...then, swung it open, took a few thudding steps inside.
Nuriko rose to his feet, careful not to stumble over the rope dangling from his wrists, and watched as the guards parted, made way for a familiar robed figure.
"Jokuko-san," he acknowledged softly, offering a slight nod. His hands, he let hang respectfully in front of him, brushing lightly against the smooth, silken fabric of his new tunic and pants.
The man seemed vaguely surprised at being addressed, paused a moment before entering fully into the cell, smoothing absently at his robes as if the wrinkleless fabric was in need of such attention. "Nuriko," he said formally, inclining his head slightly. "I have not looked forward to this..."
Nuriko closed his eyes, drew in a soft breath. "Please," he said quietly. "Don't stretch this out."
The man stared at him for a long moment, blinked as if unable to comprehend him...then closed his eyes softly, nodded. "Very well," he murmured. "Let it not be said that you faced your fate without bravery." His gaze shifted, slid to the taller of the guards...the one who was staring at the young seishi with wide, stricken eyes, looking as if he was about to turn and run in the other direction. "Lochu. Begin. I will...return in a few hours."
The man called Lochu turned quickly, regarded Jokuko with wide, stricken eyes. "But...but, sir...I can't..."
Jokuko's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
The man shook his head almost violently, glanced back to Nuriko with eyes large and blinking in the dimness. "Sir...I can't...to a woman..."
Jokuko sighed. "Lochu, this is not a woman."
"But...but, sir..."
"This is NOT a woman." The dark eyes snapped up to focus on the young seishi, stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "Nuriko. Remove your shirt."
For a long moment, he stood there, motionless and uncomprehending...and, then, he held up his wrists, waited as the other guard tugged the ropes away, let them drop heavily against the floor. And, then, he bent slightly, lifted the silken bottoms of his tunic...and pulled it up over his head.
Lochu stared at him, looking shocked and almost stricken. For a moment, Nuriko was afraid the man was going to rush over to him, touch his chest just to be sure that it wasn't some sort of illusion.
//Where the hell has he been the last few weeks??\\
"A...a man...?"
Jokuko sighed. "Yes. Lochu...if this is going to be a problem..."
The other guard, the one who had removed his binds, immediately straightened, surged forward and gripped onto Nuriko's wrists, ripped him away from the wall and threw him hard onto the floor in the center of the cell. The young seishi hit the ground hard, somehow managed to avoid smashing his head onto the stone.
The guard straightened again, offered Lochu and Jokuko a smug smile. "I will do it, sir. Lochu may...retire to his end of the dungeon if he so wishes."
The elderly advisor closed his eyes, nodded slightly, and motioned for Lochu to leave. A moment after the tall guard had stepped out of the cell, Jokuko bowed his head slightly, seemed to stare at Nuriko with something like pain in his eyes...and then, he took a long step out into the hall, watched as the door slid closed behind him. Meanwhile, Nuriko had picked himself up again, stood as tall and proud as he could with the bruises of the fall throbbing painfully against his shoulder and legs.
"Remember, Hon," Jokuko warned, his face shadowed and lined through the gaps in the bars, "he is shichiseishi. He must not die."
Then, the advisor turned, drew his hands into the folds of his robes, and hurried up the nearby stairs...even as the guard--the one called Hon--drew a long, slender whip from his back...and turned back to Nuriko with what could only be called a smile drifting over his lips.
~*~*~*~
AN: More to come. I'm trying to keep a balance between my fics...but I can tell you right now, I'm going to be trying to finish this story, A Fragile Light, and perhaps get another chapter of Choose Your Own Adventure out before I do anything else. Then, friends, I plan on turning my attention back to The Last Wish and, perhaps, I'm Him. Thanks for your patience, and if you've made it this far, do leave a review. They make me sewwwww heppy. ^_^.
~*~*~*~
He sat quietly in a shadowed corner, slim arms wrapped around his legs, chin resting lightly on the tops of his knees. The minutes seemed to tick by with almost painful slowness, keeping time with the slow, agonized drip of water against the floor...with the soft tapping of the guard's fingertips against his spear, just beyond the reach of the bars.
He'd given up trying to talk his way out of what awaited him...had even given up trying to convince the guard to give him some paper, something to write with...so perhaps he could apologize to Hotohori-sama...to Miaka, Tamahome. But, the guard didn't even seem to hear his requests...so, he instead opted to sit silently in the corner, settle things with himself and his god as best he could before he heard the thud of boots coming down those stairs for what he knew would be the final time.
Sighing softly, Nuriko closed his eyes, brushed a brief, trembling hand through his hair. As he drew his fingers free, however, he couldn't help but watch how the silken strands clung to his flesh, how they shone so softly--even in the low light--as if consumed with their own warm, comforting violet radiance. It really was beautiful hair, he reflected, feeling a soft smile touching at his lips. It flowed free and wild over his shoulders, tumbled down his back in thick, heavy waves...and, then, there was the soft, flowery scent of lilac that still clung to the waves, still surrounded him in a cloud of solace and familiarity and comfort...
The smile faded a bit, dropped a touch of the warmth from his lips. "You were with me all along, weren't you, Korin?" he whispered, drawing his fingers up and out, letting the flood of hair pour back down onto his shoulders, lie still against his chest. His eyes drifted closed. "And, now...now I'll be with you again...won't I? Together forever...ne?"
But....leaving these people...these people he loved... Leaving Hotohori-sama...Miaka...Tamahome...leaving before meeting the other seishi, before learning about them, drawing them into the slowly-expanding circle of friendship and love he was just beginning to experience...
//Wait.\\
Something paused within him, made him stop...freeze.
//Wait.\\
Nuriko sat up, straightened his back against the cool stone of the wall, opened his eyes and drew in a sharp breath. "They can't kill me," he murmured, a slow, tingling ripple of shock sliding up his spine, shivering its way straight to the core of his being. "They can't kill me...because..."
//They need me.\\
The thud of booted feet on the staircase drew him up out of his thoughts, made him turn towards the cell door, watch as two uniformed guards came into view, exchanged brief words with the man standing just outside. After a curt, firm nod from the man, the two guards stepped up to the door, spent a moment jangling the key within the lock...then, swung it open, took a few thudding steps inside.
Nuriko rose to his feet, careful not to stumble over the rope dangling from his wrists, and watched as the guards parted, made way for a familiar robed figure.
"Jokuko-san," he acknowledged softly, offering a slight nod. His hands, he let hang respectfully in front of him, brushing lightly against the smooth, silken fabric of his new tunic and pants.
The man seemed vaguely surprised at being addressed, paused a moment before entering fully into the cell, smoothing absently at his robes as if the wrinkleless fabric was in need of such attention. "Nuriko," he said formally, inclining his head slightly. "I have not looked forward to this..."
Nuriko closed his eyes, drew in a soft breath. "Please," he said quietly. "Don't stretch this out."
The man stared at him for a long moment, blinked as if unable to comprehend him...then closed his eyes softly, nodded. "Very well," he murmured. "Let it not be said that you faced your fate without bravery." His gaze shifted, slid to the taller of the guards...the one who was staring at the young seishi with wide, stricken eyes, looking as if he was about to turn and run in the other direction. "Lochu. Begin. I will...return in a few hours."
The man called Lochu turned quickly, regarded Jokuko with wide, stricken eyes. "But...but, sir...I can't..."
Jokuko's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
The man shook his head almost violently, glanced back to Nuriko with eyes large and blinking in the dimness. "Sir...I can't...to a woman..."
Jokuko sighed. "Lochu, this is not a woman."
"But...but, sir..."
"This is NOT a woman." The dark eyes snapped up to focus on the young seishi, stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "Nuriko. Remove your shirt."
For a long moment, he stood there, motionless and uncomprehending...and, then, he held up his wrists, waited as the other guard tugged the ropes away, let them drop heavily against the floor. And, then, he bent slightly, lifted the silken bottoms of his tunic...and pulled it up over his head.
Lochu stared at him, looking shocked and almost stricken. For a moment, Nuriko was afraid the man was going to rush over to him, touch his chest just to be sure that it wasn't some sort of illusion.
//Where the hell has he been the last few weeks??\\
"A...a man...?"
Jokuko sighed. "Yes. Lochu...if this is going to be a problem..."
The other guard, the one who had removed his binds, immediately straightened, surged forward and gripped onto Nuriko's wrists, ripped him away from the wall and threw him hard onto the floor in the center of the cell. The young seishi hit the ground hard, somehow managed to avoid smashing his head onto the stone.
The guard straightened again, offered Lochu and Jokuko a smug smile. "I will do it, sir. Lochu may...retire to his end of the dungeon if he so wishes."
The elderly advisor closed his eyes, nodded slightly, and motioned for Lochu to leave. A moment after the tall guard had stepped out of the cell, Jokuko bowed his head slightly, seemed to stare at Nuriko with something like pain in his eyes...and then, he took a long step out into the hall, watched as the door slid closed behind him. Meanwhile, Nuriko had picked himself up again, stood as tall and proud as he could with the bruises of the fall throbbing painfully against his shoulder and legs.
"Remember, Hon," Jokuko warned, his face shadowed and lined through the gaps in the bars, "he is shichiseishi. He must not die."
Then, the advisor turned, drew his hands into the folds of his robes, and hurried up the nearby stairs...even as the guard--the one called Hon--drew a long, slender whip from his back...and turned back to Nuriko with what could only be called a smile drifting over his lips.
~*~*~*~
AN: More to come. I'm trying to keep a balance between my fics...but I can tell you right now, I'm going to be trying to finish this story, A Fragile Light, and perhaps get another chapter of Choose Your Own Adventure out before I do anything else. Then, friends, I plan on turning my attention back to The Last Wish and, perhaps, I'm Him. Thanks for your patience, and if you've made it this far, do leave a review. They make me sewwwww heppy. ^_^.