The blessed night came quickly. Jyo flung away the blankets and dressed quickly. It was cold, the cold bit into her bones. And she shivered with the cold and the fear in her heart.
She had to get to Konron-san in two days, or else, what the old man promised will never come true.
Slipping her hooded cloak around her, Jyo headed for her door. The material rubbed against her fresh wounds and she winced, trying to smother the sound in her throat. She pushed at her door.
Locked
The doors were locked.
Jyo wanted to scream in frustration. Only the sudden clang of the guards' pikes outside the windows stopped her. She wetted her little finger, poked a hole in the thin paper covering of the door and peered out cautiously. The door was locked with a large iron padlock on the outside.
Ginyuu knew. A dreadful ache welled up in Jyo's gut. She had to get out, by all means. Can the ring do something? Jyo decided to try. There was nothing to lose. Wrenching the ring from her finger, she willed it to loosen the padlock, unlock it, melt it, anything.
thud
The padlock broke into two, landing on the carpet outside the door with a soft sound.
*-*
"Welcome…" The old man greeted him personally at the gates. "I see you have finally made it here, Fugen."
He stood in front of the great emerald gates, feeling lost and small. The wind churned around him, warming his bare shoulders. Around the large mountain orbited rocks of various sizes. On them, he could make out tiny figures moving and flying from one to another. The wind took the chance to whip his hair against his nape, tickling it.
"Come." The old man turned and lead the way into the inner hall. "This is the Gyokukyokyu, the audience hall where I meet with all my disciples." The old man stepped up on a low platform and looked out to the swirling blues of the skies outside, his back turned to Fugen.
"Genshitenson-sama…."
The old man interrupted him.
"I know you have many questions, Fugen. They will be answered in time. But first, you will have to earn your place among the twelve sennins of Konron. I have eleven and one disciples. You will become the twelfth once you have passed my tests."
Eleven and one? Eleven and one made twelve. Fugen was puzzled. What was the old man talking about? He opened his mouth, wanting to clear his confusion.
"Genshitenson-sama. Taikoubou is here."
The old man turned towards the entrance. He gave a discreet nod at the bowed figure in the shadowed entrance of the hall.
"Enter." The old man ordered. A young man walked into the soft light of the hall. He was not too tall, just barely an inch shorter than Fugen. His brown hair was tousled by the wind, his clothing yellow and blue. The youth immediately knelt down in front of the old man. Fugen did not move, his attention caught by this young man called Taikoubou.
"Genshitenson-sama."
"Ah, Gyokutei Shinjin." The old man nodded again at another figure that appeared. "Come in."
An older man walked in, his long dark hair swaying slightly behind his back, his white boots making a sharp noise on the polished floor of the hall. Fugen's curious gaze switched from Taikoubou to this newcomer.
Gyokutei Shinjin bowed.
"I am to sorry to bother you in the midst of this…" Gyokutei murmured. He glanced sideways at the lithe blue-haired figure standing awkwardly at the side. "But Taikoubou kun refuses to learn swordplay. I have no choice but to come to you in this."
Gyokutei's head bowed low, strands of dark hair slipping down his armored shoulders. A frown appeared on Genshitenson's face.
"What is the meaning of this, Taikoubou?"
The young man kept silent.
Genshitenson questioned again, his tone demanding. Finally, a sulky answer came from the young man.
"I hate violence."
Genshitenson mused, staring at Taikoubou for a moment. Fugen was taken aback by this person's rather curt reply. Taikoubou stared back insolently at Genshintenson, casting a challenging look at the old man. He could almost hear a audible sigh escaping from Gyokutei Shinjin's lips.
"You may leave first, Gyokutei Shinjin. I will see to this matter myself." Genshitenson paused, stroking his beard slowly. The older man nodded, and bowed. Before he left, the shinjin glanced again at Fugen. It sent a shiver down Fugen's spine, and it was not pleasant.
"So, you dislike violence?" Genshitenson turned his attention back to Taikoubou. "I will set you to memorize three hundred scriptures on compassion and peace, and I will test you two days from now on what you have learnt, Taikoubou. Are you happy with that?"
Taikoubou gritted his teeth and nodded.
"You may leave."
Taikoubou stood up with a defiant air and bowed stiffly. He turned and prepared to walk out. Fugen's eyes followed him too closely and he noticed. Swiftly, Taikoubou's glance fell on Fugen….
Fugen started.
A familiar pain clutched at his stomach. Green eyes were staring at him. Green eyes…
Green eyes…
Kai ….
Slipping her hooded cloak around her, Jyo headed for her door. The material rubbed against her fresh wounds and she winced, trying to smother the sound in her throat. She pushed at her door.
Locked
The doors were locked.
Jyo wanted to scream in frustration. Only the sudden clang of the guards' pikes outside the windows stopped her. She wetted her little finger, poked a hole in the thin paper covering of the door and peered out cautiously. The door was locked with a large iron padlock on the outside.
Ginyuu knew. A dreadful ache welled up in Jyo's gut. She had to get out, by all means. Can the ring do something? Jyo decided to try. There was nothing to lose. Wrenching the ring from her finger, she willed it to loosen the padlock, unlock it, melt it, anything.
thud
The padlock broke into two, landing on the carpet outside the door with a soft sound.
*-*
"Welcome…" The old man greeted him personally at the gates. "I see you have finally made it here, Fugen."
He stood in front of the great emerald gates, feeling lost and small. The wind churned around him, warming his bare shoulders. Around the large mountain orbited rocks of various sizes. On them, he could make out tiny figures moving and flying from one to another. The wind took the chance to whip his hair against his nape, tickling it.
"Come." The old man turned and lead the way into the inner hall. "This is the Gyokukyokyu, the audience hall where I meet with all my disciples." The old man stepped up on a low platform and looked out to the swirling blues of the skies outside, his back turned to Fugen.
"Genshitenson-sama…."
The old man interrupted him.
"I know you have many questions, Fugen. They will be answered in time. But first, you will have to earn your place among the twelve sennins of Konron. I have eleven and one disciples. You will become the twelfth once you have passed my tests."
Eleven and one? Eleven and one made twelve. Fugen was puzzled. What was the old man talking about? He opened his mouth, wanting to clear his confusion.
"Genshitenson-sama. Taikoubou is here."
The old man turned towards the entrance. He gave a discreet nod at the bowed figure in the shadowed entrance of the hall.
"Enter." The old man ordered. A young man walked into the soft light of the hall. He was not too tall, just barely an inch shorter than Fugen. His brown hair was tousled by the wind, his clothing yellow and blue. The youth immediately knelt down in front of the old man. Fugen did not move, his attention caught by this young man called Taikoubou.
"Genshitenson-sama."
"Ah, Gyokutei Shinjin." The old man nodded again at another figure that appeared. "Come in."
An older man walked in, his long dark hair swaying slightly behind his back, his white boots making a sharp noise on the polished floor of the hall. Fugen's curious gaze switched from Taikoubou to this newcomer.
Gyokutei Shinjin bowed.
"I am to sorry to bother you in the midst of this…" Gyokutei murmured. He glanced sideways at the lithe blue-haired figure standing awkwardly at the side. "But Taikoubou kun refuses to learn swordplay. I have no choice but to come to you in this."
Gyokutei's head bowed low, strands of dark hair slipping down his armored shoulders. A frown appeared on Genshitenson's face.
"What is the meaning of this, Taikoubou?"
The young man kept silent.
Genshitenson questioned again, his tone demanding. Finally, a sulky answer came from the young man.
"I hate violence."
Genshitenson mused, staring at Taikoubou for a moment. Fugen was taken aback by this person's rather curt reply. Taikoubou stared back insolently at Genshintenson, casting a challenging look at the old man. He could almost hear a audible sigh escaping from Gyokutei Shinjin's lips.
"You may leave first, Gyokutei Shinjin. I will see to this matter myself." Genshitenson paused, stroking his beard slowly. The older man nodded, and bowed. Before he left, the shinjin glanced again at Fugen. It sent a shiver down Fugen's spine, and it was not pleasant.
"So, you dislike violence?" Genshitenson turned his attention back to Taikoubou. "I will set you to memorize three hundred scriptures on compassion and peace, and I will test you two days from now on what you have learnt, Taikoubou. Are you happy with that?"
Taikoubou gritted his teeth and nodded.
"You may leave."
Taikoubou stood up with a defiant air and bowed stiffly. He turned and prepared to walk out. Fugen's eyes followed him too closely and he noticed. Swiftly, Taikoubou's glance fell on Fugen….
Fugen started.
A familiar pain clutched at his stomach. Green eyes were staring at him. Green eyes…
Green eyes…
Kai ….
