Hi people! This is the second chapter! (Chichiri- How can you torture your
readers like this no da?) Readers? What readers? Oh! Like you… Meanwhile.
Well, like I said in the first chapter, assuming it uploaded, please
review!!! Oh yes, and I'd like to add before I forget that I'm not sure
about the genre and SOMEBODY GIVE ME ADVICE!!!
Chapter 2
"Look," Kiboku began explaining to a guard. "Whether you let us go through Kutou or not does not influence whether my friend here and I get through. Refusal only affects the amount of medical attention you're going to need."
"I can't allow you to pass without transport papers!" the hopeless guy repeated.
"I can't allow you to block my way. So… Gomen nasai." He casually knocked the guy out with a spell of sorts and started walking. "Come, Chichiri-san."
The blue-haired man raced to catch up. "You know magic no da?"
"Sure," Kiboku replied. "Self-defense sort of thing."
"Ah."
"Well, we'll be there soon," he said, changing the subject. "Once we get through here it's not too long considering we're in the wrong country."
"That's cool no da! I guess I should have answered the miko's call sooner though no da."
"You and the other three, " Kiboku snorted. "You people just never get when to join up with groups." He picked up the pace slightly. "Miaka, that's the miko, has found Hotohori, Tamahome, and Nuriko already. The only thing is, Suzaku draws the line at interfering with mortal affairs, so it's going to be a while before any summoning happens, what with one of the warriors having to stay at the palace."
"But this is a mortal affair, isn't it no da?"
"Well…" Here Kiboku looked slightly embarrassed. "It turns out that for some strange reason, I don't qualify as a mortal, which is really annoying since I'm not immortal either. It's strange. But as a result, I'm allowed to chat with the gods. Not that Seiryu listens to me," he added under his breath.
"Not mortal?"
Kiboku threw up his hands. "I don't know already!!"
"If you say so…" He dropped the subject.
"We're at the palace now, though."
"Already no da? Isn't that a bit fast?" He looked around. "I could have sworn we weren't even out of Kutou yet no da."
"Well if you must know, I created a demented time warp to get us there sooner, and then there're these things called 'transportation spells'." He sounded irritable. "… Gomen. I just don't like the prospect of that emperor… I thoroughly detest him."
"Doushite no da?"
"It's nothing, really. Personal reasons," he answered. "I blame him for all the bad things in the world, and besides, my sister got sent to his harem. It's like a prison over there, but for all these years he's just sat around and dreamed of Suzaku no miko." He rolled his eyes. "And I…" he trailed off. "Never mind. I don't want to burden you with a bunch of petty concerns."
"They aren't petty no da," Chichiri countered softly. "Your sister must mean a lot to you."
"Yeah… I suppose so." He glanced at the seishi. "She idolized me. She'd follow me everywhere. It was actually kinda disturbing, because she knew all my secrets…. Or at least all that anyone could know. You should have seen her when she was told that she was going to start training so she could enter Hotohori's harem." He smiled rather sadly. "That was the week I left. I couldn't take it." He shook his head suddenly, as if to clear his thoughts. "Ok. You're basically in because of the symbol. It's just amazing how naïve they are."
What are you going to do no da?"
His voice held a hint of contempt. "I personally think that His Majesty's guards are ornamental. We could be 'traveling companions'! They'll love me! I mean, I could be an ax-murderer for all they care to find out. It's just pitiful."
To Chichiri's surprise, everything went just as smoothly as Kiboku had said, since the guards were immediately pacified by the glowing "well" symbol. They were quickly ushered in, with Kiboku gaping and making "I-told- you-so" gestures. He rolled his eyes a bit, then mimed smashing the guy's head with an ax. Chichiri sweatdropped slightly and "daa"ed.
"Your Majesty!" The procession dropped to their knees at the sight of Hotohori on his throne. Only Kiboku remained standing, meeting the young man's eyes.
"Why don't you bow no da?" Chichiri hissed.
"his eyes did not waver. "There is no point in bowing to a prisoner, a caged bird." His tone taunted the emperor.
Hotohori, for his part, looked vaguely amused. That was, after all, what he thought of himself. "Leave us," he ordered. "We wish to speak to them alone."
"Very well," the men agreed, sounding a bit put out. They filed out silently.
"You are not ordinary travelers," Hotohori observed. "Who, then, are you to arrive in our palace and treat us with such… disrespect?"
"Suzaku no Chichiri no da!" Chichiri replied respectfully.
"Ore wa Kiboku!" Kiboku chirped. "I brought Chichiri-san here. I think I'm like his new guardian angel." He paused for a second. "I also figured I could kill two birds with one stone and find out where my sister is, since I can't really sense her. What news have you of the Lady Suisen?"
"Suisen, Suisen…" Hotohori racked his brain. "Ah, yes! She vanished yesterday. Left to change for dinner and never came back. Very strange indeed. Nobody can find any trace of her."
"Yesterday," Kiboku repeated. "I should have known." He did not worry too much. His sister had been a weakness, and he could not afford to have one. It was just as well that she was gone. Only one thing bothered him- Suisen was not dead. Nor was her lifeforce in any of the four countries…
"Kiboku-san no da?" Chichiri asked concernedly.
He jerked up. "Oh… I spaced out. Gomen nasai. What did you say?"
"Heika-sama wants to know if you are planning to remain here no da."
"Well, if it's all right with your Royal Highness," he began with the barest hint of sarcasm. "I would like to stay and assist your group in any way that I can."
"Oh, it's fine," Hotohori said dismissively. "We do have a slight problem though. Kutou sent us messengers informing us to give up the warrior Tamahome if we did not wish to start a war. His family living so near the border, he left."
"Well, I couldn't stop him," Kiboku muttered. "Tamahome-san is still in danger though. I suppose I could set up a ward to protect him."
"Protect who?" a voice wondered.
Kiboku turned around to see the Suzaku no miko. "Konnichi wa, Miaka- san," he greeted pleasantly. "I was just saying that I could protect Tamahome from any… hostile people in Kutou."
Miaka eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
"Ikawa Kiboku," he informed her. "I was told a bit about you by an… acquaintance." Chichiri noted that he was loathe to mention exactly who this acquaintance was."
"That works. So what's this about Tamahome?"
"I told you already! I can protect him in Kutou! Some people…"
"OK!!! That'd be cool!" Miaka agreed, her wariness gone. Naïve, in Kiboku's opinion. "How would you do it?"
"A spell, naturally."
"Humor the priestess no da!" Chichiri chided. "She isn't a mage, and you are in her service no da!"
"I serve no one," he replied loftily. "But basically I'll send out some ki to identify Tamahome's location, then I form a sort of magical barrier and send it off to him."
"O-okay," Miaka said uncertainly. "Can I watch?"
He shrugged. "Sure, but there's really nothing to see. I'm not your typical mage." He sent a death glare in what Miaka took to be a random direction, then calmly sat down and began rearranging his kesa.
"Nani?" The miko blinked. "Is that it?"
"I told you there wasn't anything to it."
"Are you absolutely sure you got the thing over there by glaring no da?" Chichiri asked, unconvinced. " I can't do that, and I'm Suzaku sei no da!" Could it be? Is Chichiri… jealous?
"I'm positive," Kiboku asserted. "Check if you like, but death glaring has its merits for directing ki." (AN- I'm not a mage, so I'm making all of this up, and will continue to do so. Humor the priestess no da!)
"It think I will check no da!" Chichiri focused his ki. "I don't believe it," he stated flatly. "It's actually there no da."
"Told ya!" Kiboku taunted. "Who's good?"
"Not you no da."
There was a good-natured brawl, then the hyper priests left to see their quarters.
Elsewhere, someone watched them, and waited.
The second chapter is OVER!! Actually, I have it written up to chapter eight, but I'm too lazy to type it up. I also write the ending last night, but it needs material in between chapter eight and the last one… *sigh* I've also been writing my other fic, chapter two to THAT is written and waiting to be typed up. REVIEW PLEASE!! I hate my work, and it's nice to be contradicted OR agreed with!
Chapter 2
"Look," Kiboku began explaining to a guard. "Whether you let us go through Kutou or not does not influence whether my friend here and I get through. Refusal only affects the amount of medical attention you're going to need."
"I can't allow you to pass without transport papers!" the hopeless guy repeated.
"I can't allow you to block my way. So… Gomen nasai." He casually knocked the guy out with a spell of sorts and started walking. "Come, Chichiri-san."
The blue-haired man raced to catch up. "You know magic no da?"
"Sure," Kiboku replied. "Self-defense sort of thing."
"Ah."
"Well, we'll be there soon," he said, changing the subject. "Once we get through here it's not too long considering we're in the wrong country."
"That's cool no da! I guess I should have answered the miko's call sooner though no da."
"You and the other three, " Kiboku snorted. "You people just never get when to join up with groups." He picked up the pace slightly. "Miaka, that's the miko, has found Hotohori, Tamahome, and Nuriko already. The only thing is, Suzaku draws the line at interfering with mortal affairs, so it's going to be a while before any summoning happens, what with one of the warriors having to stay at the palace."
"But this is a mortal affair, isn't it no da?"
"Well…" Here Kiboku looked slightly embarrassed. "It turns out that for some strange reason, I don't qualify as a mortal, which is really annoying since I'm not immortal either. It's strange. But as a result, I'm allowed to chat with the gods. Not that Seiryu listens to me," he added under his breath.
"Not mortal?"
Kiboku threw up his hands. "I don't know already!!"
"If you say so…" He dropped the subject.
"We're at the palace now, though."
"Already no da? Isn't that a bit fast?" He looked around. "I could have sworn we weren't even out of Kutou yet no da."
"Well if you must know, I created a demented time warp to get us there sooner, and then there're these things called 'transportation spells'." He sounded irritable. "… Gomen. I just don't like the prospect of that emperor… I thoroughly detest him."
"Doushite no da?"
"It's nothing, really. Personal reasons," he answered. "I blame him for all the bad things in the world, and besides, my sister got sent to his harem. It's like a prison over there, but for all these years he's just sat around and dreamed of Suzaku no miko." He rolled his eyes. "And I…" he trailed off. "Never mind. I don't want to burden you with a bunch of petty concerns."
"They aren't petty no da," Chichiri countered softly. "Your sister must mean a lot to you."
"Yeah… I suppose so." He glanced at the seishi. "She idolized me. She'd follow me everywhere. It was actually kinda disturbing, because she knew all my secrets…. Or at least all that anyone could know. You should have seen her when she was told that she was going to start training so she could enter Hotohori's harem." He smiled rather sadly. "That was the week I left. I couldn't take it." He shook his head suddenly, as if to clear his thoughts. "Ok. You're basically in because of the symbol. It's just amazing how naïve they are."
What are you going to do no da?"
His voice held a hint of contempt. "I personally think that His Majesty's guards are ornamental. We could be 'traveling companions'! They'll love me! I mean, I could be an ax-murderer for all they care to find out. It's just pitiful."
To Chichiri's surprise, everything went just as smoothly as Kiboku had said, since the guards were immediately pacified by the glowing "well" symbol. They were quickly ushered in, with Kiboku gaping and making "I-told- you-so" gestures. He rolled his eyes a bit, then mimed smashing the guy's head with an ax. Chichiri sweatdropped slightly and "daa"ed.
"Your Majesty!" The procession dropped to their knees at the sight of Hotohori on his throne. Only Kiboku remained standing, meeting the young man's eyes.
"Why don't you bow no da?" Chichiri hissed.
"his eyes did not waver. "There is no point in bowing to a prisoner, a caged bird." His tone taunted the emperor.
Hotohori, for his part, looked vaguely amused. That was, after all, what he thought of himself. "Leave us," he ordered. "We wish to speak to them alone."
"Very well," the men agreed, sounding a bit put out. They filed out silently.
"You are not ordinary travelers," Hotohori observed. "Who, then, are you to arrive in our palace and treat us with such… disrespect?"
"Suzaku no Chichiri no da!" Chichiri replied respectfully.
"Ore wa Kiboku!" Kiboku chirped. "I brought Chichiri-san here. I think I'm like his new guardian angel." He paused for a second. "I also figured I could kill two birds with one stone and find out where my sister is, since I can't really sense her. What news have you of the Lady Suisen?"
"Suisen, Suisen…" Hotohori racked his brain. "Ah, yes! She vanished yesterday. Left to change for dinner and never came back. Very strange indeed. Nobody can find any trace of her."
"Yesterday," Kiboku repeated. "I should have known." He did not worry too much. His sister had been a weakness, and he could not afford to have one. It was just as well that she was gone. Only one thing bothered him- Suisen was not dead. Nor was her lifeforce in any of the four countries…
"Kiboku-san no da?" Chichiri asked concernedly.
He jerked up. "Oh… I spaced out. Gomen nasai. What did you say?"
"Heika-sama wants to know if you are planning to remain here no da."
"Well, if it's all right with your Royal Highness," he began with the barest hint of sarcasm. "I would like to stay and assist your group in any way that I can."
"Oh, it's fine," Hotohori said dismissively. "We do have a slight problem though. Kutou sent us messengers informing us to give up the warrior Tamahome if we did not wish to start a war. His family living so near the border, he left."
"Well, I couldn't stop him," Kiboku muttered. "Tamahome-san is still in danger though. I suppose I could set up a ward to protect him."
"Protect who?" a voice wondered.
Kiboku turned around to see the Suzaku no miko. "Konnichi wa, Miaka- san," he greeted pleasantly. "I was just saying that I could protect Tamahome from any… hostile people in Kutou."
Miaka eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
"Ikawa Kiboku," he informed her. "I was told a bit about you by an… acquaintance." Chichiri noted that he was loathe to mention exactly who this acquaintance was."
"That works. So what's this about Tamahome?"
"I told you already! I can protect him in Kutou! Some people…"
"OK!!! That'd be cool!" Miaka agreed, her wariness gone. Naïve, in Kiboku's opinion. "How would you do it?"
"A spell, naturally."
"Humor the priestess no da!" Chichiri chided. "She isn't a mage, and you are in her service no da!"
"I serve no one," he replied loftily. "But basically I'll send out some ki to identify Tamahome's location, then I form a sort of magical barrier and send it off to him."
"O-okay," Miaka said uncertainly. "Can I watch?"
He shrugged. "Sure, but there's really nothing to see. I'm not your typical mage." He sent a death glare in what Miaka took to be a random direction, then calmly sat down and began rearranging his kesa.
"Nani?" The miko blinked. "Is that it?"
"I told you there wasn't anything to it."
"Are you absolutely sure you got the thing over there by glaring no da?" Chichiri asked, unconvinced. " I can't do that, and I'm Suzaku sei no da!" Could it be? Is Chichiri… jealous?
"I'm positive," Kiboku asserted. "Check if you like, but death glaring has its merits for directing ki." (AN- I'm not a mage, so I'm making all of this up, and will continue to do so. Humor the priestess no da!)
"It think I will check no da!" Chichiri focused his ki. "I don't believe it," he stated flatly. "It's actually there no da."
"Told ya!" Kiboku taunted. "Who's good?"
"Not you no da."
There was a good-natured brawl, then the hyper priests left to see their quarters.
Elsewhere, someone watched them, and waited.
The second chapter is OVER!! Actually, I have it written up to chapter eight, but I'm too lazy to type it up. I also write the ending last night, but it needs material in between chapter eight and the last one… *sigh* I've also been writing my other fic, chapter two to THAT is written and waiting to be typed up. REVIEW PLEASE!! I hate my work, and it's nice to be contradicted OR agreed with!