Chapter 8: Captured!
Kenshin was just coming around as a quick movement shakes the carriage. "Spell caster!" he hears someone yell. The voice is that of the Seishin, as he calls himself, that they had captured. He opens his eyes slightly to see him holding a tanto to Megumi's throat. It is then that he realizes he's not bound. In fact, he notices, nobody is.
Something to think about later.
He looks for a way to get the tanto away from Megumi's throat with out cutting it. Before he finds it, though, a dark figure drops, literally, through the carriage door. His dark gray cloak wraps around him immediately, hiding his every feature, save his unique sword across his back.
He examines Megumi's hand while the other continues to hold the tanto to her throat. "Not a warrior.." he hears the dark one murmur. He must be this "Akumu". Kenshin thinks.
Akumu leans closer to Megumi, smelling the scents on her. "Ginseng, some kind of tree bark, among others." He looks around to the others in the carriage, noting specifically, it seems the injuries the each have. "She is a herbal healer," he says with certainty, "not a spell caster."
"How can you know that?" the golden male demands.
"She does not carry the stench of the ingredients used for offensive magic." he says tonelessly.
"That means nothing!" the first insists. "She could be a cleric! I say we slit her throat, so we don't have to worry about it."
The darkly cloaked one waves his arm about the inside of the cabin. "If she was a cleric, they would all have been healed by now." he says, no question in his mind. "Now, go atop with Noboru. Take us towards our hide out."
The golden one stands stiffly, the look on his face showing what he thought of that command, then moves quickly out of the carriage, slamming the door behind him. With in seconds, the carriage was moving at a reasonable speed.
"What do you plan to do with us?" Kenshin asks.
Akumu, leaning comfortably against the side of the cabin, looks to Kenshin. His eyes glow bright red in the dark of the night. With his hood down, Kenshin can see him clearly for the first time. Dark, ebony skin with long, pure white hair, his glowing red eyes add an eerie glow to the dim light from the lanterns outside the carriage.
I can see why he is called Akumu, the nightmare.
"That," he says softly, his voice sounding more like his companions now, "depends all on you."
Despite the softer tone to his voice, it still had a feel of absolute terror to it. It's almost as if, even when relaxed, he can't stop being scary.
"You have not bound any of us." Kenshin notes, looking once more around the cabin.
"Iie." Akumu says. "We are not barbarians, after all."
"Just demons." Kenshin looks over to Sanosuke, who seems to have woken up half way through the conversation. For a moment, Kenshin feared that Akumu might outright kill Sanosuke. He surprises both by simply laughing. It was not the frightening laugh of his ally, but more like he had just heard a pleasant joke. Ignoring Sano, he looks back to Kenshin.
"You called me Akumu." he says softly. "Earlier, before we captured you." he specifies. "Why?"
"That is what..." Kenshin pauses for a moment, trying to remember the name given to the other one. "Shudoshi Hokasekai called you."
Again, he laughs pleasantly. "It is nice to know Hokasekai still fears me." A smile plays across his lips. "It is nice to know that I have not lost my touch."
"If that is not your name, then what is it?" Kenshin turns to look at Kaoru. She had not only regained consciousness, but also her composure. In fact, everyone had, by this time, regained consciousness. If she was afraid of this creature, she didn't let it show.
"I am called Taiyoryu." he says.
"Sun dragon?" Sanosuke mutters to himself.
"Aa." Taiyoryu says to Sano. "Sun Dragon." He laughs once more as all the lights seem to go out.
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"Wagon coming this way."
Tejina-shi stands directly before his Shireikan. The human looks to him from under his large helm.
"And?" he asks. "Wagons have come this way before. They have always gone past with out ever knowing we were here."
"No, Shireikan." Tejina-shi reiterates. "They are coming this way."
The way he stresses this leaves no doubt in Tengoku Hitokara's mind what Tejina-shi means. They have fought side by side for almost a decade now. If he says the wagon is coming to us, then I have no doubt it is. Tengoku thinks.
"Very well." he says. "Prepare to receive guests."
That is all he has to say as Tejina-shi bolts out of the cave, taking a position in a tree not far from the entrance. Tengoku stands just thirty feet inside the cave. In his heavy plate armour, he would never be able to climb a tree in time, or hide well enough, before this wagon arrived. He also knew that there was more to this wagon than what Tejina-shi said. Likely, he thinks, it is the ones he fought with earlier. A sigh escapes his lips as he thinks this.
A carriage comes sliding to a stop before Tengoku. He looks up in disbelief at the driver, a human. A smile crosses his lips as he sees Shudoshi and Yoake on either side of her.
Taiyoryu must be inside. he reasons. Aloud, he says, "Shudoshi. Yoake. It is good to see you again."
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As the carriage comes to a stop, Kenshin can hear a heavy voice speaking.
".... is good to see you again." it was saying as Taiyoryu opens the door.
"We have only been gone a day." The woman says.
Taiyoryu leads them all out. Kenshin spots his sword strapped securely to the top of the carriage. He had wondered where it was, but could not ask about it.
As his eyes adjust to the low light inside the cave, he spots a large man in heavy metal armour.
"You're human!" Yahiko blurts out.
The man laughs loudly, a sharp contrast to those he seems to ally with. Both of the gold skinned Seishin bow to him respectfully. Then, Kenshin understands. This man is their commander.
Kenshin was just coming around as a quick movement shakes the carriage. "Spell caster!" he hears someone yell. The voice is that of the Seishin, as he calls himself, that they had captured. He opens his eyes slightly to see him holding a tanto to Megumi's throat. It is then that he realizes he's not bound. In fact, he notices, nobody is.
Something to think about later.
He looks for a way to get the tanto away from Megumi's throat with out cutting it. Before he finds it, though, a dark figure drops, literally, through the carriage door. His dark gray cloak wraps around him immediately, hiding his every feature, save his unique sword across his back.
He examines Megumi's hand while the other continues to hold the tanto to her throat. "Not a warrior.." he hears the dark one murmur. He must be this "Akumu". Kenshin thinks.
Akumu leans closer to Megumi, smelling the scents on her. "Ginseng, some kind of tree bark, among others." He looks around to the others in the carriage, noting specifically, it seems the injuries the each have. "She is a herbal healer," he says with certainty, "not a spell caster."
"How can you know that?" the golden male demands.
"She does not carry the stench of the ingredients used for offensive magic." he says tonelessly.
"That means nothing!" the first insists. "She could be a cleric! I say we slit her throat, so we don't have to worry about it."
The darkly cloaked one waves his arm about the inside of the cabin. "If she was a cleric, they would all have been healed by now." he says, no question in his mind. "Now, go atop with Noboru. Take us towards our hide out."
The golden one stands stiffly, the look on his face showing what he thought of that command, then moves quickly out of the carriage, slamming the door behind him. With in seconds, the carriage was moving at a reasonable speed.
"What do you plan to do with us?" Kenshin asks.
Akumu, leaning comfortably against the side of the cabin, looks to Kenshin. His eyes glow bright red in the dark of the night. With his hood down, Kenshin can see him clearly for the first time. Dark, ebony skin with long, pure white hair, his glowing red eyes add an eerie glow to the dim light from the lanterns outside the carriage.
I can see why he is called Akumu, the nightmare.
"That," he says softly, his voice sounding more like his companions now, "depends all on you."
Despite the softer tone to his voice, it still had a feel of absolute terror to it. It's almost as if, even when relaxed, he can't stop being scary.
"You have not bound any of us." Kenshin notes, looking once more around the cabin.
"Iie." Akumu says. "We are not barbarians, after all."
"Just demons." Kenshin looks over to Sanosuke, who seems to have woken up half way through the conversation. For a moment, Kenshin feared that Akumu might outright kill Sanosuke. He surprises both by simply laughing. It was not the frightening laugh of his ally, but more like he had just heard a pleasant joke. Ignoring Sano, he looks back to Kenshin.
"You called me Akumu." he says softly. "Earlier, before we captured you." he specifies. "Why?"
"That is what..." Kenshin pauses for a moment, trying to remember the name given to the other one. "Shudoshi Hokasekai called you."
Again, he laughs pleasantly. "It is nice to know Hokasekai still fears me." A smile plays across his lips. "It is nice to know that I have not lost my touch."
"If that is not your name, then what is it?" Kenshin turns to look at Kaoru. She had not only regained consciousness, but also her composure. In fact, everyone had, by this time, regained consciousness. If she was afraid of this creature, she didn't let it show.
"I am called Taiyoryu." he says.
"Sun dragon?" Sanosuke mutters to himself.
"Aa." Taiyoryu says to Sano. "Sun Dragon." He laughs once more as all the lights seem to go out.
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"Wagon coming this way."
Tejina-shi stands directly before his Shireikan. The human looks to him from under his large helm.
"And?" he asks. "Wagons have come this way before. They have always gone past with out ever knowing we were here."
"No, Shireikan." Tejina-shi reiterates. "They are coming this way."
The way he stresses this leaves no doubt in Tengoku Hitokara's mind what Tejina-shi means. They have fought side by side for almost a decade now. If he says the wagon is coming to us, then I have no doubt it is. Tengoku thinks.
"Very well." he says. "Prepare to receive guests."
That is all he has to say as Tejina-shi bolts out of the cave, taking a position in a tree not far from the entrance. Tengoku stands just thirty feet inside the cave. In his heavy plate armour, he would never be able to climb a tree in time, or hide well enough, before this wagon arrived. He also knew that there was more to this wagon than what Tejina-shi said. Likely, he thinks, it is the ones he fought with earlier. A sigh escapes his lips as he thinks this.
A carriage comes sliding to a stop before Tengoku. He looks up in disbelief at the driver, a human. A smile crosses his lips as he sees Shudoshi and Yoake on either side of her.
Taiyoryu must be inside. he reasons. Aloud, he says, "Shudoshi. Yoake. It is good to see you again."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the carriage comes to a stop, Kenshin can hear a heavy voice speaking.
".... is good to see you again." it was saying as Taiyoryu opens the door.
"We have only been gone a day." The woman says.
Taiyoryu leads them all out. Kenshin spots his sword strapped securely to the top of the carriage. He had wondered where it was, but could not ask about it.
As his eyes adjust to the low light inside the cave, he spots a large man in heavy metal armour.
"You're human!" Yahiko blurts out.
The man laughs loudly, a sharp contrast to those he seems to ally with. Both of the gold skinned Seishin bow to him respectfully. Then, Kenshin understands. This man is their commander.