*************Chapter Ten**************
*****The Eighth Warrior Revealed!*****
**************************************
On the second day of fast, hard travel, the group had a bit of a surprise waiting for them when they awoke. The Seiryuu had followed their trail and were at their camp, waiting for them to wake. Nousatsu hid behind a large tree in the uncertainty. If she was found out, who knows what Nakago might do to not only her, but the Suzaku seishi as well.
"Well well, what have we here? Thought you could run? Not very likely. Since I see that the dark stranger that saved you last time isn't here, I would say you have no chance against us, Warriors of Suzaku!" Nakago said arrogantly. The rest of the Seiryuu seemed to share his opinion, and glared upon the Suzaku like wolves glaring at their prey in the instant of victory.
"Where is Nousatsu?" Tasuki thought.
It didn't seem to be part of her personality to miss a fight, especially with the ones she had made a point to make sure the Suzaku knew she disliked.
At that moment, Nakago's eyes shifted as he looked past the Suzaku and into the forest behind them. He smiled sardonically and said:
"What have we here? The Suzaku's secret weapon against us? His power must be
courage. That is why he hides behi-" Nakago broke off suddenly as he reached behind the tree and pulled Nousatsu out into view.
"Zora?" Nakago was fully stunned.
He looked at the Suzaku, reading their faces. They had sent her . . . and they were concerned for her. He smiled as he thought about thousands of tortures for his new hostage. His grip on the girl loosened.
Nakago turned to face 'Zora', and found himself staring at the tip of a sword. He backed up and swirled around to give Tomo a shocked look. Tomo folded his arms across his chest and gaze back with a look that purely taunted, 'I told you so'. Nakago soon found that his hostage was advancing on him.
"You disgusting, mind-controlling, hormone-charging easy BASTARD!"
Nousatsu spat out with an angry, revolted look on her face. "I regret that I even looked at you, that I even pretended I was attracted to you! I will give you and your lackeys what they deserve!!! AAHHH-YYAAA!"
Nakago and the others didn't even have time to think about what was going on as
Nousatsu attacked in every way she knew how. Soon, all the Seiryuu were unconscious except for Nakago. She lifted his head off the ground where he lay; gasping for air, blood streaming down his face.
"My name is Nousatsu. Remember it well." She hissed, and put Nakago out with one last kick.
As she rose to face the Suzaku, they noticed a red light streaming from her forehead. As they stared, they noticed the light coming from her neck, and her right palm. She noticed the light as well.
"What is this? Why am I glowing like this?"
"You are the Eighth Warrior of Suzaku!" Miaka gasped. "We owe you our lives!"
"What? That can't be. I can't be the Eighth Warrior. I don't have the power..." Nousatsu said in disbelief.
"You are!" Tamahome said in awe. "You carry all of our symbols." He pointed to each one as he listed them off. "Mine on your forehead, Hotohori's on your neck, and Nuriko's one your chest. Mitsukake's on your palm, Chichiri's on your knee. Tasuki's on your forearm, and Chiriko's on your foot. Each one carries a different power, and now all those powers are yours."
Nousatsu didn't know what to say or do. She examined all the symbols one by one, and asked what each one's power was.
"Mine is fighting," Tamahome said as his own symbol glowed.
"Hotohori's is swordplay," Miaka supported. "And Nuriko's is supreme strength."
"Mine is sorcery, no da," Chichiri added.
"I have the power of fire, thanks to my tessen!" Tasuki said, displaying the symbol for all to see.
"I have the power to heal," Mitsukake said humbly. "And Chiriko had the power of
knowledge."
The next thing that Nousatsu said was totally unexpected. "I do not deserve the gifts that have been bestowed upon me. I didn't earn them; in fact, my actions should have repelled them. All my life I was the horrible little girl that was brought up by her father, if that even is her father. I didn't earn this!" She was so confused, why should such a gift from the Gods come to one who hadn't even worshiped them faithfully?
Tasuki came to the rescue. "So what if you didn't earn them. Just think of these powers as an honor for helping us. You were born with this, it just chose to reveal itself now. Do you think I earned my gift of fire? I just took it and ran, like every bandit does!"
She smiled, obviously feeling better. "Then let's get this group going! We have a city to drink our way through, wouldn't you say so Tasuki?!" She stepped over Nakago's motionless body and headed for the horses with a renewed sense of determination.
*****The Eighth Warrior Revealed!*****
**************************************
On the second day of fast, hard travel, the group had a bit of a surprise waiting for them when they awoke. The Seiryuu had followed their trail and were at their camp, waiting for them to wake. Nousatsu hid behind a large tree in the uncertainty. If she was found out, who knows what Nakago might do to not only her, but the Suzaku seishi as well.
"Well well, what have we here? Thought you could run? Not very likely. Since I see that the dark stranger that saved you last time isn't here, I would say you have no chance against us, Warriors of Suzaku!" Nakago said arrogantly. The rest of the Seiryuu seemed to share his opinion, and glared upon the Suzaku like wolves glaring at their prey in the instant of victory.
"Where is Nousatsu?" Tasuki thought.
It didn't seem to be part of her personality to miss a fight, especially with the ones she had made a point to make sure the Suzaku knew she disliked.
At that moment, Nakago's eyes shifted as he looked past the Suzaku and into the forest behind them. He smiled sardonically and said:
"What have we here? The Suzaku's secret weapon against us? His power must be
courage. That is why he hides behi-" Nakago broke off suddenly as he reached behind the tree and pulled Nousatsu out into view.
"Zora?" Nakago was fully stunned.
He looked at the Suzaku, reading their faces. They had sent her . . . and they were concerned for her. He smiled as he thought about thousands of tortures for his new hostage. His grip on the girl loosened.
Nakago turned to face 'Zora', and found himself staring at the tip of a sword. He backed up and swirled around to give Tomo a shocked look. Tomo folded his arms across his chest and gaze back with a look that purely taunted, 'I told you so'. Nakago soon found that his hostage was advancing on him.
"You disgusting, mind-controlling, hormone-charging easy BASTARD!"
Nousatsu spat out with an angry, revolted look on her face. "I regret that I even looked at you, that I even pretended I was attracted to you! I will give you and your lackeys what they deserve!!! AAHHH-YYAAA!"
Nakago and the others didn't even have time to think about what was going on as
Nousatsu attacked in every way she knew how. Soon, all the Seiryuu were unconscious except for Nakago. She lifted his head off the ground where he lay; gasping for air, blood streaming down his face.
"My name is Nousatsu. Remember it well." She hissed, and put Nakago out with one last kick.
As she rose to face the Suzaku, they noticed a red light streaming from her forehead. As they stared, they noticed the light coming from her neck, and her right palm. She noticed the light as well.
"What is this? Why am I glowing like this?"
"You are the Eighth Warrior of Suzaku!" Miaka gasped. "We owe you our lives!"
"What? That can't be. I can't be the Eighth Warrior. I don't have the power..." Nousatsu said in disbelief.
"You are!" Tamahome said in awe. "You carry all of our symbols." He pointed to each one as he listed them off. "Mine on your forehead, Hotohori's on your neck, and Nuriko's one your chest. Mitsukake's on your palm, Chichiri's on your knee. Tasuki's on your forearm, and Chiriko's on your foot. Each one carries a different power, and now all those powers are yours."
Nousatsu didn't know what to say or do. She examined all the symbols one by one, and asked what each one's power was.
"Mine is fighting," Tamahome said as his own symbol glowed.
"Hotohori's is swordplay," Miaka supported. "And Nuriko's is supreme strength."
"Mine is sorcery, no da," Chichiri added.
"I have the power of fire, thanks to my tessen!" Tasuki said, displaying the symbol for all to see.
"I have the power to heal," Mitsukake said humbly. "And Chiriko had the power of
knowledge."
The next thing that Nousatsu said was totally unexpected. "I do not deserve the gifts that have been bestowed upon me. I didn't earn them; in fact, my actions should have repelled them. All my life I was the horrible little girl that was brought up by her father, if that even is her father. I didn't earn this!" She was so confused, why should such a gift from the Gods come to one who hadn't even worshiped them faithfully?
Tasuki came to the rescue. "So what if you didn't earn them. Just think of these powers as an honor for helping us. You were born with this, it just chose to reveal itself now. Do you think I earned my gift of fire? I just took it and ran, like every bandit does!"
She smiled, obviously feeling better. "Then let's get this group going! We have a city to drink our way through, wouldn't you say so Tasuki?!" She stepped over Nakago's motionless body and headed for the horses with a renewed sense of determination.