Chapter 11: Swords sheath
Aoshi ducks a wild naginata swing from one of the larger monstrosities, returning a precise strike with one of his kodachi's. The strange creature barely has to block, though. Before Aoshi can put any power into the swing, two of the smaller, yapping creatures lung forward. His second kodachi flies up, parrying the weak thrusts of the swords, returning it with a strong thrust through the skull of one of the yapping creatures.
Across the clearing, Saitou dodges a yari, only to come face to face with three of the small creatures, each with a kodachi sized sword. A quick slash of his katana relieves one of its head, but there are more, sending the former Shinsen Gumi dodging once more.
And so it had gone for over an hour as Saitou and Aoshi dance among the strange monsters. Four of the larger monsters lay dead, eight of the smaller ones, as well. Any one of these creatures would cause no problem for either of these warriors. Unfortunately, there was far more than only one.
The pair was slowly lessening the number of opponents, but they are beginning to tire and make mistakes. Both wear a dozen wounds, minor all, but they were beginning to take their toll.
Sweat runs down Aoshi's forehead, mixing with the blood from a shallow slash just above his eyes, as he goes into another pattern of attacks, keeping three of the larger ones defensive while managing to take down another "yapper", as he had begun to think of them.
Saitou grunts as he blocks the same yari as before, taking a weak slash on the chest. Turning with the hit, the inspector drops to a knee and slashes hard as he turns. The strike takes the smaller creature full in the side, bending it nearly complete. A high pitch squeal escapes it canine-like maw as it falls several feet away, clawing at the ground as it tries to stand.
A sudden burst of freezing wind rips through the clearing, a reminder that winter is almost upon them. The sudden wind distracted the creatures long enough for three of the larger ones to fall.
Aoshi smiles. Stupid creatures. he thinks. I'm not going to complain, though. This battle just turned.
Indeed it had, but not the way Aoshi had expected. Snow comes in hard and fast with the wind. At first, it was just a minor problem, but the sudden cold begins to slow all of the fighters, wearing at their endurance, as well as their control, even their footing. Finally, the storm comes on so hard that the creatures are forced to flee. Even if they had not, Saitou and Aoshi would have had to do so before long.
With the creatures gone, and in no condition to give chase, the two humans look for shelter from the harsh winter weather.
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It's several hours into the storm before Taiyoryu returns to the cave. Shaking the snow from his cloak, he heads deep into the cave, right past the fires set to keep the rest of the occupants warm. He pauses only long enough to speak with Tengoku, giving his report of his last look around before taking shelter from the storm. That report, predictably, was nothing to be found.
Moving quickly to the very back of the cave, he turns into the darkest section, a small cove that the torch light doesn't penetrate. Just inside the utter darkness, he pauses.
"What are you doing in here?" he asks, his voice as quiet as ever.
"I.." Meiyomi starts nervously. "I was just trying to see what it's like."
"It's dark." he says tonelessly.
"Not that." she says, starting to build in confidence. "I wanted to see what it would be like to travel with you."
"What does sitting in the dark have to do with what it's like to travel with me?"
"I.." Meiyomi starts, then drops it. She sighs, resigned, and is about to feel her way out of the small cove. Then her mind drifts back to her conversation with Yoake.
They had spoken for hours, giggling like little girls at the gossip. When Meiyomi had thought they were done, and was starting to walk away, Yoake spoke up again, surprising her completely.
"He's all alone, you know." Yoake said suddenly. "Taiyoryu." she specified. When Meiyomi had pointed out that he had Yoake, she waved that aside. "It's not the same." she had insisted. "I'm his daughter."
The way she said that told Meiyomi exactly what she had meant. To be honest, she had come back into the darkest corner she could find to think with-out being bothered by the others. She was interested in Taiyoryu, but how interested? She had spent the last several hours thinking about it. When she realized that he was still out in the massive storm, she had been worried in a way that she hadn't expected. She had just gotten her nerve up to speak to him about it when he had walked in.
And now I'm going to just walk away... she thinks. Not very likely. I've never run in my life.
"Now listen here, Akuma-san." She spoke with no fear. "I'm here because of you. You're not chasing me off that fast."
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It's all Yoake could do to keep from giggling again. She stood not far from the entrance to her fathers private area, eavesdropping on him and Meiyomi. Kaoru sees her and walks over.
"What are you.." she starts. The young seishin girl hushes her quickly, staring into the a small area so dark that Kaoru couldn't see anything with-in.
"That's right, let him have it." she mutters softly. A confused look crosses Kaoru's face, but Yoake keeps staring into the darkness. "Che, she's aggressive." She forces herself not to laugh, then waves her away from the cave entrance.
"What are you doing?" Kaoru asks again, when they are several feet away.
Yoake can't keep the smile from her face. "Every sword needs it's sheath." is all she says.
Kaoru can't help but wonder why that sounds familiar.
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Neither Taiyoryu, nor Meiyomi, are seen again until the next day. The storm still raged outside, leaving everybody to stuck in the cave. Tengoku instructs Shudoshi to use his powers to heal Kenshin, then Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko.
A warm feeling courses through Kenshin, accompanied by the pricks of thousands of needles as Shudoshi kneels over him, muttering in some unknown language. Kenshin winces in pain as he feels his wounds knit themselves together and his muscles regain the strength stolen from them by his injuries. Testing Shudoshi's work, Kenshin takes a few practice swings with his reverse-blade sword. His legs no longer wanted to buckle under him as he executed his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu techniques, nor did his arms protest as he used the god-like speed inherent with the style.
"Don't worry, Megumi-dono" Kenshin says when he sees the neglected look on her face. "Your skill will always be needed."
"Aa." Tengoku breaks in. "Shudoshi is the only one in this land who can do this. When we leave, there will be none. Your skills will still be needed."
"Hai, Ken-san." Megumi says, "But I can't help but wonder what the price of this magical healing is."
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"So," Sanosuke starts, watching as Kenshin tests his new found strength, "What good does all this do? We don't even know where your Atarashiikami is."
"We don't?" Tejina-shi says.
"Oi! You mean you know where he's at!?"
"Aa." the winged seishin says. "He kind of sticks out. We ride against him when the storm ends."
Aoshi ducks a wild naginata swing from one of the larger monstrosities, returning a precise strike with one of his kodachi's. The strange creature barely has to block, though. Before Aoshi can put any power into the swing, two of the smaller, yapping creatures lung forward. His second kodachi flies up, parrying the weak thrusts of the swords, returning it with a strong thrust through the skull of one of the yapping creatures.
Across the clearing, Saitou dodges a yari, only to come face to face with three of the small creatures, each with a kodachi sized sword. A quick slash of his katana relieves one of its head, but there are more, sending the former Shinsen Gumi dodging once more.
And so it had gone for over an hour as Saitou and Aoshi dance among the strange monsters. Four of the larger monsters lay dead, eight of the smaller ones, as well. Any one of these creatures would cause no problem for either of these warriors. Unfortunately, there was far more than only one.
The pair was slowly lessening the number of opponents, but they are beginning to tire and make mistakes. Both wear a dozen wounds, minor all, but they were beginning to take their toll.
Sweat runs down Aoshi's forehead, mixing with the blood from a shallow slash just above his eyes, as he goes into another pattern of attacks, keeping three of the larger ones defensive while managing to take down another "yapper", as he had begun to think of them.
Saitou grunts as he blocks the same yari as before, taking a weak slash on the chest. Turning with the hit, the inspector drops to a knee and slashes hard as he turns. The strike takes the smaller creature full in the side, bending it nearly complete. A high pitch squeal escapes it canine-like maw as it falls several feet away, clawing at the ground as it tries to stand.
A sudden burst of freezing wind rips through the clearing, a reminder that winter is almost upon them. The sudden wind distracted the creatures long enough for three of the larger ones to fall.
Aoshi smiles. Stupid creatures. he thinks. I'm not going to complain, though. This battle just turned.
Indeed it had, but not the way Aoshi had expected. Snow comes in hard and fast with the wind. At first, it was just a minor problem, but the sudden cold begins to slow all of the fighters, wearing at their endurance, as well as their control, even their footing. Finally, the storm comes on so hard that the creatures are forced to flee. Even if they had not, Saitou and Aoshi would have had to do so before long.
With the creatures gone, and in no condition to give chase, the two humans look for shelter from the harsh winter weather.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's several hours into the storm before Taiyoryu returns to the cave. Shaking the snow from his cloak, he heads deep into the cave, right past the fires set to keep the rest of the occupants warm. He pauses only long enough to speak with Tengoku, giving his report of his last look around before taking shelter from the storm. That report, predictably, was nothing to be found.
Moving quickly to the very back of the cave, he turns into the darkest section, a small cove that the torch light doesn't penetrate. Just inside the utter darkness, he pauses.
"What are you doing in here?" he asks, his voice as quiet as ever.
"I.." Meiyomi starts nervously. "I was just trying to see what it's like."
"It's dark." he says tonelessly.
"Not that." she says, starting to build in confidence. "I wanted to see what it would be like to travel with you."
"What does sitting in the dark have to do with what it's like to travel with me?"
"I.." Meiyomi starts, then drops it. She sighs, resigned, and is about to feel her way out of the small cove. Then her mind drifts back to her conversation with Yoake.
They had spoken for hours, giggling like little girls at the gossip. When Meiyomi had thought they were done, and was starting to walk away, Yoake spoke up again, surprising her completely.
"He's all alone, you know." Yoake said suddenly. "Taiyoryu." she specified. When Meiyomi had pointed out that he had Yoake, she waved that aside. "It's not the same." she had insisted. "I'm his daughter."
The way she said that told Meiyomi exactly what she had meant. To be honest, she had come back into the darkest corner she could find to think with-out being bothered by the others. She was interested in Taiyoryu, but how interested? She had spent the last several hours thinking about it. When she realized that he was still out in the massive storm, she had been worried in a way that she hadn't expected. She had just gotten her nerve up to speak to him about it when he had walked in.
And now I'm going to just walk away... she thinks. Not very likely. I've never run in my life.
"Now listen here, Akuma-san." She spoke with no fear. "I'm here because of you. You're not chasing me off that fast."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's all Yoake could do to keep from giggling again. She stood not far from the entrance to her fathers private area, eavesdropping on him and Meiyomi. Kaoru sees her and walks over.
"What are you.." she starts. The young seishin girl hushes her quickly, staring into the a small area so dark that Kaoru couldn't see anything with-in.
"That's right, let him have it." she mutters softly. A confused look crosses Kaoru's face, but Yoake keeps staring into the darkness. "Che, she's aggressive." She forces herself not to laugh, then waves her away from the cave entrance.
"What are you doing?" Kaoru asks again, when they are several feet away.
Yoake can't keep the smile from her face. "Every sword needs it's sheath." is all she says.
Kaoru can't help but wonder why that sounds familiar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neither Taiyoryu, nor Meiyomi, are seen again until the next day. The storm still raged outside, leaving everybody to stuck in the cave. Tengoku instructs Shudoshi to use his powers to heal Kenshin, then Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko.
A warm feeling courses through Kenshin, accompanied by the pricks of thousands of needles as Shudoshi kneels over him, muttering in some unknown language. Kenshin winces in pain as he feels his wounds knit themselves together and his muscles regain the strength stolen from them by his injuries. Testing Shudoshi's work, Kenshin takes a few practice swings with his reverse-blade sword. His legs no longer wanted to buckle under him as he executed his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu techniques, nor did his arms protest as he used the god-like speed inherent with the style.
"Don't worry, Megumi-dono" Kenshin says when he sees the neglected look on her face. "Your skill will always be needed."
"Aa." Tengoku breaks in. "Shudoshi is the only one in this land who can do this. When we leave, there will be none. Your skills will still be needed."
"Hai, Ken-san." Megumi says, "But I can't help but wonder what the price of this magical healing is."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So," Sanosuke starts, watching as Kenshin tests his new found strength, "What good does all this do? We don't even know where your Atarashiikami is."
"We don't?" Tejina-shi says.
"Oi! You mean you know where he's at!?"
"Aa." the winged seishin says. "He kind of sticks out. We ride against him when the storm ends."