Chapter 12: Ambush
The storm finally eases off after two days of being stuck in the cave. Meiyomi drives the carriage our of the cavern, Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, and Tengoku with-in. They plan for Megumi to wait with Meiyomi when the actual battle starts. This way, the two can stay out of harms way, hopefully, while refusing to be left behind. The rest of the Akuma Ryoshi disappeared into the woods around the carriage.
"Don't worry." Tengoku said when Yahiko asked about it. "They'll wait up for the carriage." A wink accompanies his words. His confidence in them could be heard in his voice as he continues. "Besides, they'll keep an eye out for tracks, trails, and ambushes."
Tejina-shi insists that Atarashiikami's hiding place is not far, only a couple days ride. The snow lays thick across their path as Meiyomi works their way through the wooded mountain side. Thus far, there have been few signs that there was much of anything running around out here, let alone an ambush. Still, none of the seishin seemed to show any interest at all in staying with the cabin.
Meiyomi looked around regularly, hoping to catch sight of Taiyoryu. She smiles as she thinks about the last couple days, when they were held inside the cave by the storm. She can feel her cheeks warm with the thoughts.
"Stop the carriage."
The soft tone snaps her out of her reverie. Looking to the side, she sees Yoake easily pacing the slow moving carriage. Meiyomi nods, bringing the carriage to a stop.
Kenshin opens the door. "What is it Yoake-dono?"
"Ambush, Kenshin-san."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where they are? wondered the form half buried in the new fallen snow. Gurak and his companions have laid in wait for the most of the day. Usually, they weren't so patient, but when Atarashiikami ordered something, you did well not to question.
Finally, the wagon pulls into view, two decent mares pulling it and four lanterns, one on either corner of the wagon, lighting the area around it. A feral grin crosses Gurak's ugly face as the wagon approaches.
Waiting for it to come beside him, the creature bursts forth from his snowy hiding place. His lanky body covered in the varying browns of thick furs. His course black hair hangs in contrast to the oily dull gray skin of his face. A wakizashi in his right hand, he stalks towards the wagon.
The sudden movement and the heavy crunching of his step betrays his presence. He knew this and expected it, though, and used it as a signal to the rest of his fighters to come out.
As he approaches the wagon, the driver pulls it to a stop. She stares at him cautiously, but shows no fear or surprise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as Meiyomi saw the strange creature, she pulled the carriage to a stop, as they had planned. She was ready for the sudden appearance, but the sheer appearance of it made her stomach turn. Thankfully, large, heavy furs covered most of its body. It's head showed, though. The greenish-yellow of its two fangs protruding from its bottom lip stands out against it's dull gray skin, which contrasts its course black hair. Of course, all of this stands in contrast to the light brown of the deer hides it wrapped itself in to keep warm.
A wakizashi rests firmly in it's right claw-like hand. It crunches heavily towards the carriage as more and more of these creatures appear. As Meiyomi looks around, her heart drops slightly as the carriage is completely surrounded by the creatures.
The carriage door opens and Kenshin climbs out, followed by the others. Megumi climbs up with Meiyomi, hoping to stay out of the way. Neither are fighters, so the two women try to keep the horses reigned in while not being in the way.
Kenshin steps to the front of the horses, preparing to draw his blade. Kaoru, to his right, holds her bokken before her in a strong offensive stance. Sanosuke, to Kenshin's left, cracks his knuckles in anticipation for the coming fight against these strange creatures. Tengoku stands behind the carriage, his heavy European style sword resting against his shoulder and metal shield in his left hand. Yahiko, to his right, brandishes his shinai anxiously. The five of them are spread out evenly, completely surrounding the carriage.
The beasts begin to advance, slowly at first, then moving in more freely.
Kenshin ducks the clumsy swing of a naginata from one, then draws his blade as he steps forward, bringing it hard into the chest of a beast coming in with a wakizashi. The first beast, over-balanced from his swing with the naginata, can't get the pole-arm in line fast enough to block the sword of the battousai as he reverses his motion, bringing it hard to the forehead of the stupid creature.
Kaoru, while not as fast as Kenshin, blocks a club of one beast. The surprising strength of the creature nearly knocks her from her feet, but she pivots with the block, using the momentum to speed her bokken as she brings the club out wide and smashes several ribs with her bokken. The strange creature collapses, clutching its side and gasping for breath.
"Too slow." Sanosuke mutters as he dances between the swings of the beasts. A sword-wielder to his right, a yari to his left, and Sanosuke between them, and they hit each other more often than they come close to hitting him. A swift rising strike to the one on his right brings it down. Moving quickly, he stoops, grabbing the strange blade of the creature. It's a lot smaller and lighter than Zanbatou, he thinks, but it'll do.
Yahiko dodges to his left as a heavy axe crashes down where he just stood. "Oi, baka," he taunts, "You can't hurt me if you move that slow." The creature growls at him, then swings wide, level with the ground. Yahiko easily ducks it. As he rises, he thrusts out with his shinai, catching it on the chin, knocking it off its feet. It rolls for a moment, moaning, then Yahiko walks up to hit, hitting it once more over the head, silencing it, at least for a while.
Tengoku brings up his metal shield, blocking an over-head strike from an axe, then thrusts out with his sword. The blade sinks to its hilt. The creature cries in agony as Tengoku yanks his blade out of it, then sinks to the ground, not moving farther. I'm the only one around the wagon with no qualms of killing, it seems. he thinks, looking over to the others, who seem content with simply stopping them. A tachi arches at him, drawing him from his reverie. Angling his body back and left, he lets the thinner blade bounce off his armour, causing sparks to fly. As his body turns, he brings his blade up and through the monsters arm and throat, sending it gurgling to the ground, thrashing for several moments before it dies.
Looking around, he sees that the battle was nearly over. That can't be it.. he thinks.
Sudden movement in the woods shows dozens more of the creatures.
I hate being right. he thinks as he braces for the next wave.
The storm finally eases off after two days of being stuck in the cave. Meiyomi drives the carriage our of the cavern, Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, and Tengoku with-in. They plan for Megumi to wait with Meiyomi when the actual battle starts. This way, the two can stay out of harms way, hopefully, while refusing to be left behind. The rest of the Akuma Ryoshi disappeared into the woods around the carriage.
"Don't worry." Tengoku said when Yahiko asked about it. "They'll wait up for the carriage." A wink accompanies his words. His confidence in them could be heard in his voice as he continues. "Besides, they'll keep an eye out for tracks, trails, and ambushes."
Tejina-shi insists that Atarashiikami's hiding place is not far, only a couple days ride. The snow lays thick across their path as Meiyomi works their way through the wooded mountain side. Thus far, there have been few signs that there was much of anything running around out here, let alone an ambush. Still, none of the seishin seemed to show any interest at all in staying with the cabin.
Meiyomi looked around regularly, hoping to catch sight of Taiyoryu. She smiles as she thinks about the last couple days, when they were held inside the cave by the storm. She can feel her cheeks warm with the thoughts.
"Stop the carriage."
The soft tone snaps her out of her reverie. Looking to the side, she sees Yoake easily pacing the slow moving carriage. Meiyomi nods, bringing the carriage to a stop.
Kenshin opens the door. "What is it Yoake-dono?"
"Ambush, Kenshin-san."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where they are? wondered the form half buried in the new fallen snow. Gurak and his companions have laid in wait for the most of the day. Usually, they weren't so patient, but when Atarashiikami ordered something, you did well not to question.
Finally, the wagon pulls into view, two decent mares pulling it and four lanterns, one on either corner of the wagon, lighting the area around it. A feral grin crosses Gurak's ugly face as the wagon approaches.
Waiting for it to come beside him, the creature bursts forth from his snowy hiding place. His lanky body covered in the varying browns of thick furs. His course black hair hangs in contrast to the oily dull gray skin of his face. A wakizashi in his right hand, he stalks towards the wagon.
The sudden movement and the heavy crunching of his step betrays his presence. He knew this and expected it, though, and used it as a signal to the rest of his fighters to come out.
As he approaches the wagon, the driver pulls it to a stop. She stares at him cautiously, but shows no fear or surprise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as Meiyomi saw the strange creature, she pulled the carriage to a stop, as they had planned. She was ready for the sudden appearance, but the sheer appearance of it made her stomach turn. Thankfully, large, heavy furs covered most of its body. It's head showed, though. The greenish-yellow of its two fangs protruding from its bottom lip stands out against it's dull gray skin, which contrasts its course black hair. Of course, all of this stands in contrast to the light brown of the deer hides it wrapped itself in to keep warm.
A wakizashi rests firmly in it's right claw-like hand. It crunches heavily towards the carriage as more and more of these creatures appear. As Meiyomi looks around, her heart drops slightly as the carriage is completely surrounded by the creatures.
The carriage door opens and Kenshin climbs out, followed by the others. Megumi climbs up with Meiyomi, hoping to stay out of the way. Neither are fighters, so the two women try to keep the horses reigned in while not being in the way.
Kenshin steps to the front of the horses, preparing to draw his blade. Kaoru, to his right, holds her bokken before her in a strong offensive stance. Sanosuke, to Kenshin's left, cracks his knuckles in anticipation for the coming fight against these strange creatures. Tengoku stands behind the carriage, his heavy European style sword resting against his shoulder and metal shield in his left hand. Yahiko, to his right, brandishes his shinai anxiously. The five of them are spread out evenly, completely surrounding the carriage.
The beasts begin to advance, slowly at first, then moving in more freely.
Kenshin ducks the clumsy swing of a naginata from one, then draws his blade as he steps forward, bringing it hard into the chest of a beast coming in with a wakizashi. The first beast, over-balanced from his swing with the naginata, can't get the pole-arm in line fast enough to block the sword of the battousai as he reverses his motion, bringing it hard to the forehead of the stupid creature.
Kaoru, while not as fast as Kenshin, blocks a club of one beast. The surprising strength of the creature nearly knocks her from her feet, but she pivots with the block, using the momentum to speed her bokken as she brings the club out wide and smashes several ribs with her bokken. The strange creature collapses, clutching its side and gasping for breath.
"Too slow." Sanosuke mutters as he dances between the swings of the beasts. A sword-wielder to his right, a yari to his left, and Sanosuke between them, and they hit each other more often than they come close to hitting him. A swift rising strike to the one on his right brings it down. Moving quickly, he stoops, grabbing the strange blade of the creature. It's a lot smaller and lighter than Zanbatou, he thinks, but it'll do.
Yahiko dodges to his left as a heavy axe crashes down where he just stood. "Oi, baka," he taunts, "You can't hurt me if you move that slow." The creature growls at him, then swings wide, level with the ground. Yahiko easily ducks it. As he rises, he thrusts out with his shinai, catching it on the chin, knocking it off its feet. It rolls for a moment, moaning, then Yahiko walks up to hit, hitting it once more over the head, silencing it, at least for a while.
Tengoku brings up his metal shield, blocking an over-head strike from an axe, then thrusts out with his sword. The blade sinks to its hilt. The creature cries in agony as Tengoku yanks his blade out of it, then sinks to the ground, not moving farther. I'm the only one around the wagon with no qualms of killing, it seems. he thinks, looking over to the others, who seem content with simply stopping them. A tachi arches at him, drawing him from his reverie. Angling his body back and left, he lets the thinner blade bounce off his armour, causing sparks to fly. As his body turns, he brings his blade up and through the monsters arm and throat, sending it gurgling to the ground, thrashing for several moments before it dies.
Looking around, he sees that the battle was nearly over. That can't be it.. he thinks.
Sudden movement in the woods shows dozens more of the creatures.
I hate being right. he thinks as he braces for the next wave.