"Ken! Ken, for the love of the gods, wake up!! Ken!"
"Uh..whah? Daisuke.." Ken mumbled, turning over in his sleep. Daisuke whispered again, shaking his shoulder. Finally the bluenette woke, cloudy-eyed and lethargic. Daisuke grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, but Ken just yawned and stood there limply. In his urgency, Daisuke grabbed Ken and slapped him across the face, hard enough so that he would wake up fully. "What the hell was that for?!" Ken hissed, grabbing Daisuke by his shirt collar. Dai scrambled out of his grip and backed off. "I saw a bunch of people coming near us. I think it's AIVOS." He said, alerting Ken. "AIVOS? Are you sure?" Ken said.
"Positive." Daisuke replied.
"How fast are they coming?"
"Fast enough. We need to find Yamato and Lord Taichi. Ruki too, because I haven't seen her."
"I think she went to hunt or something. She knows these woods, she'll be fine on her own."
"Fine. Find Yamato, and I'll find Lord Taichi."
"Sure." Ken said, and went deeper into the woods, in the general direction he had seen Yamato leave last night. He made his way through the brush, getting his courtesan's robes tangled and ripped with every branch he passed. "As soon as we get to a village, I'm getting new clothes." He mumbled, finally ripping off the rest of the robe's trail. As he pulled it off, he heard sounds of soft breathing, accompanied by the sounds of caresses and murmurs of love. A half-smile touched Ken's face, as he knew how passionate Yamato could be. He crept silently, coming closer to the sounds until he came to a hidden clearing. In the soft morning light coming through the trees, he could see the Lord Taichi, blissfully asleep. Yamato's hand would touch Taichi's cheek, then draw the sleeper closer to him, and would trace a kiss up the prince's cheek bone. Taichi's hand was fastened deep into Yamato's hair, a very delicate spot. Only Yamato's bejeweled robe, used as a blanket, was visible. Sorry to ruin such a scene, Ken crept up to Yamato and tapped him on the shoulder. Yamato jerked up, flipping around to see the offender.
"Yama, relax. Only me." Ken whispered.
"You found me out then, Ken-chan?"
"We have problems. Daisuke saw a bunch of AIVOS people heading our way. Maybe you and Lord Taichi should get dressed.."
"If I can wake him up. I think I put him into a pretty good delirium."
"Try. We may need to fight before this day is out."
"AIVOS..." Yamato said slowly. He knew little enough about the notorious group, but the rumors were plenty. Some people said that they bought children to sell to work camps or other disagreeable professions. Apparently the owners of the businesses needed the children to keep their profession alive. Others claimed of a massive army put together by AIVOS with the aim of taking over the Kinghood itself. Then the theives and brothels could go out into the open. He shook his head and gently went back to Taichi. He looked like a little boy when he was sleeping, with his hands curled and his face peaceful. There was no hint of what had gone on the night before. Yamato took one of Taichi's hands and squeezed it gently, causing a groan of protest from the Prince of Courage. "Come on, Tai.." Yamato said, squeezing harder.
"Five more minutes.."
"Tai, come on! Daisuke saw AIVOS."
"AIVOS! Why didn't you tell me!" Taichi pulled himself up in a flash, pulling on tunic and breeches within a matter of seconds. He had turned from lover to lord, Yamato mused. Taichi turned back to him with a frantic look in his eyes. "How many? What weapons? Where are they? Where's Daisuke? What.."
"Daisuke is with Ken, I don't know how many there are, I haven't seen the weapons, and they are far enough away for you to calm down and get a plan working." Yamato interrupted, watching Tai relax only slightly. "Okay," said Taichi, only slowing down enough to hear what Yamato was saying. "Do you know how to fight?" The prince asked suddenly, stopping the blond in his tracks. "Well..no, not really. I only had to know specific pressure points to avoid a customer's unwanted attentions, not how to really fight." Yamato admitted, fingering the ornamental sword at his belt. "Great..," said Tai, "I'll have to keep Daisuke around you and Ken then. We might have to run after all."
"Daisuke only needs to guard Yamato. I can fight just fine." said Ken, walking through the woods coming torwards them. "I'm half-Clayr, remember? I have my knives, and they don't look fast enough to catch me." He smiled, running his finger along the blade of one of his knives. "How many?" Tai asked again, and Ken shook his head. "More than enough. Dai's still watching them, but I counted at least ten." Taichi moaned and sat down. "We can't fight them..there are too many." Ken shook his head again. "It's too late to run. They've got the road blocked." Yamato looked at both of them, then sat down next to Taichi. "It may be better that we die..considering what we've done." Tai looked at him, and a determined glint shone in his eyes. "No. Daisuke is my underling, and he will not die for my folly. As for what we've done, no one will never know. It dies here Yamato." Yamato nodded, thow deep in his heart he knew that it would not, at least for him. Taichi stood up, clenching the hilt of his sword in one hand. "Let's go."
-------------------------------------------------
The vixen crept under the forest bushes, watching the boots of the men go past her. She couldn't believe how much noise they were making, and how obvious their presence was. Her ears perked as she heard the start of a conversation. Perhaps she could learn something interesting.
"Sun's too damn bright in Love country."
"Duh. These idiots like it that way. It just shows how sheltered they are."
"What'dya mean?"
"I mean that they love stuff like sunlight, think it's symbolic or something. What they don't realize is all the underground stuff that's runnin' right under their noses. There are some nice brothels around."
"Like we're ever going to see'um."
"We might if we find a suitable kid around."
"Probably not. We're supposed to be looking for some other kid."
"Hmph..If the customers can't hold them, then it shouldn't be our problem to fetch them back."
"It's an important one. The Captain said that he was the crown prince. The damn woman we gave him to lost him. How can you lose a fancy courtesan is what I want to know. She said he left with another one of the kids we gave her, some half-clayr."
"I remember him. We had to go to their freaky mountain. They were all real tall, with gray or pale blue eyes, except for the ones they called of the old blood. They say that those Clayr have deep violet eyes, like the night sky or something. They handed us off this kid and just dsappeared. They scare me."
"Anyone who can read other people's emothions or see the future isn't natural. We should kill them all."
"When we win, we will. I'm sure of it. Right now, we have to find the king's brat so we can kill him."
"He isn't a brat anymore. They say he's good looking."
"I don't go that way."
The vixen heard no more, as out of the bushes near her charged the Lord Taichi. "Oh gods.." she thought to herself, then sat to watch the fight. Taichi lept into the fray with sword whirling, striking down thugs before they knew what his them. Daisuke held back, staying with Yamato, but with sword out. The half-Clayr came in more gracefully, the deadly blades moving more as if it was a dance then a battle. The vixen could not help but watch his movements, almost like her own. He was fast, too fast for the AIVOS mercinaries, the edges of the blades singing in time. She was facinated. She decided that she would have to get to know this Ken a bit better.
However, as well as they were fighting, Ken had been right. There were just too many. Soon the group was backed into a huddle, surrounded by AIVOS thugs. The vixen knew she could not interfere. Better she was uncaptured and able to free them then captured or dead. She hissed and crept away back into the bush.
"Uh..whah? Daisuke.." Ken mumbled, turning over in his sleep. Daisuke whispered again, shaking his shoulder. Finally the bluenette woke, cloudy-eyed and lethargic. Daisuke grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, but Ken just yawned and stood there limply. In his urgency, Daisuke grabbed Ken and slapped him across the face, hard enough so that he would wake up fully. "What the hell was that for?!" Ken hissed, grabbing Daisuke by his shirt collar. Dai scrambled out of his grip and backed off. "I saw a bunch of people coming near us. I think it's AIVOS." He said, alerting Ken. "AIVOS? Are you sure?" Ken said.
"Positive." Daisuke replied.
"How fast are they coming?"
"Fast enough. We need to find Yamato and Lord Taichi. Ruki too, because I haven't seen her."
"I think she went to hunt or something. She knows these woods, she'll be fine on her own."
"Fine. Find Yamato, and I'll find Lord Taichi."
"Sure." Ken said, and went deeper into the woods, in the general direction he had seen Yamato leave last night. He made his way through the brush, getting his courtesan's robes tangled and ripped with every branch he passed. "As soon as we get to a village, I'm getting new clothes." He mumbled, finally ripping off the rest of the robe's trail. As he pulled it off, he heard sounds of soft breathing, accompanied by the sounds of caresses and murmurs of love. A half-smile touched Ken's face, as he knew how passionate Yamato could be. He crept silently, coming closer to the sounds until he came to a hidden clearing. In the soft morning light coming through the trees, he could see the Lord Taichi, blissfully asleep. Yamato's hand would touch Taichi's cheek, then draw the sleeper closer to him, and would trace a kiss up the prince's cheek bone. Taichi's hand was fastened deep into Yamato's hair, a very delicate spot. Only Yamato's bejeweled robe, used as a blanket, was visible. Sorry to ruin such a scene, Ken crept up to Yamato and tapped him on the shoulder. Yamato jerked up, flipping around to see the offender.
"Yama, relax. Only me." Ken whispered.
"You found me out then, Ken-chan?"
"We have problems. Daisuke saw a bunch of AIVOS people heading our way. Maybe you and Lord Taichi should get dressed.."
"If I can wake him up. I think I put him into a pretty good delirium."
"Try. We may need to fight before this day is out."
"AIVOS..." Yamato said slowly. He knew little enough about the notorious group, but the rumors were plenty. Some people said that they bought children to sell to work camps or other disagreeable professions. Apparently the owners of the businesses needed the children to keep their profession alive. Others claimed of a massive army put together by AIVOS with the aim of taking over the Kinghood itself. Then the theives and brothels could go out into the open. He shook his head and gently went back to Taichi. He looked like a little boy when he was sleeping, with his hands curled and his face peaceful. There was no hint of what had gone on the night before. Yamato took one of Taichi's hands and squeezed it gently, causing a groan of protest from the Prince of Courage. "Come on, Tai.." Yamato said, squeezing harder.
"Five more minutes.."
"Tai, come on! Daisuke saw AIVOS."
"AIVOS! Why didn't you tell me!" Taichi pulled himself up in a flash, pulling on tunic and breeches within a matter of seconds. He had turned from lover to lord, Yamato mused. Taichi turned back to him with a frantic look in his eyes. "How many? What weapons? Where are they? Where's Daisuke? What.."
"Daisuke is with Ken, I don't know how many there are, I haven't seen the weapons, and they are far enough away for you to calm down and get a plan working." Yamato interrupted, watching Tai relax only slightly. "Okay," said Taichi, only slowing down enough to hear what Yamato was saying. "Do you know how to fight?" The prince asked suddenly, stopping the blond in his tracks. "Well..no, not really. I only had to know specific pressure points to avoid a customer's unwanted attentions, not how to really fight." Yamato admitted, fingering the ornamental sword at his belt. "Great..," said Tai, "I'll have to keep Daisuke around you and Ken then. We might have to run after all."
"Daisuke only needs to guard Yamato. I can fight just fine." said Ken, walking through the woods coming torwards them. "I'm half-Clayr, remember? I have my knives, and they don't look fast enough to catch me." He smiled, running his finger along the blade of one of his knives. "How many?" Tai asked again, and Ken shook his head. "More than enough. Dai's still watching them, but I counted at least ten." Taichi moaned and sat down. "We can't fight them..there are too many." Ken shook his head again. "It's too late to run. They've got the road blocked." Yamato looked at both of them, then sat down next to Taichi. "It may be better that we die..considering what we've done." Tai looked at him, and a determined glint shone in his eyes. "No. Daisuke is my underling, and he will not die for my folly. As for what we've done, no one will never know. It dies here Yamato." Yamato nodded, thow deep in his heart he knew that it would not, at least for him. Taichi stood up, clenching the hilt of his sword in one hand. "Let's go."
-------------------------------------------------
The vixen crept under the forest bushes, watching the boots of the men go past her. She couldn't believe how much noise they were making, and how obvious their presence was. Her ears perked as she heard the start of a conversation. Perhaps she could learn something interesting.
"Sun's too damn bright in Love country."
"Duh. These idiots like it that way. It just shows how sheltered they are."
"What'dya mean?"
"I mean that they love stuff like sunlight, think it's symbolic or something. What they don't realize is all the underground stuff that's runnin' right under their noses. There are some nice brothels around."
"Like we're ever going to see'um."
"We might if we find a suitable kid around."
"Probably not. We're supposed to be looking for some other kid."
"Hmph..If the customers can't hold them, then it shouldn't be our problem to fetch them back."
"It's an important one. The Captain said that he was the crown prince. The damn woman we gave him to lost him. How can you lose a fancy courtesan is what I want to know. She said he left with another one of the kids we gave her, some half-clayr."
"I remember him. We had to go to their freaky mountain. They were all real tall, with gray or pale blue eyes, except for the ones they called of the old blood. They say that those Clayr have deep violet eyes, like the night sky or something. They handed us off this kid and just dsappeared. They scare me."
"Anyone who can read other people's emothions or see the future isn't natural. We should kill them all."
"When we win, we will. I'm sure of it. Right now, we have to find the king's brat so we can kill him."
"He isn't a brat anymore. They say he's good looking."
"I don't go that way."
The vixen heard no more, as out of the bushes near her charged the Lord Taichi. "Oh gods.." she thought to herself, then sat to watch the fight. Taichi lept into the fray with sword whirling, striking down thugs before they knew what his them. Daisuke held back, staying with Yamato, but with sword out. The half-Clayr came in more gracefully, the deadly blades moving more as if it was a dance then a battle. The vixen could not help but watch his movements, almost like her own. He was fast, too fast for the AIVOS mercinaries, the edges of the blades singing in time. She was facinated. She decided that she would have to get to know this Ken a bit better.
However, as well as they were fighting, Ken had been right. There were just too many. Soon the group was backed into a huddle, surrounded by AIVOS thugs. The vixen knew she could not interfere. Better she was uncaptured and able to free them then captured or dead. She hissed and crept away back into the bush.
