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Well, here I am again! As I mentioned, this part was written ages later than the first part. Please don't wonder that I don't mention the dreary routine of army life, but focus on the other story lines until they've had the time to get to even the general vicinity of the Temple! I hope I haven't written anyone too OOC. Also, I'm trying to at least bring in a few of the 03 characters now. When I began this story, it hadn't come out yet, so I could hardly have planned them in. Hence they don't take on as large a role as the other characters, but I did try. I really managed to find a good role for Ryo, and those who haven't showed up yet still will, trust me. Yes, even Jyou shows up, thought later on. So don't despair if your favorite character is as of yet absent. But if they're from 03, don't set your hopes too high as to their positions. By the way, Mimi isn't OOC; she's just become stronger and more self-reliant in the meantime. Okay?
As an extra disclaimer, I don't own any of the various quotes I use at any point in this story! While I was editing this part, I came across quite a few that I'd used, including one from Thomas Edison, which I attribute to Izzy… Hey, the comparison's not all that far off! *indignant sulk* Anyway, I hope you enjoy anyway! ^-^
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Part II - The Clouds Thicken
-----*****-----
Yamato was awakened earlier than he'd expected by a summons. He was ready within moments and went to see the Dark One. He wondered what it was that couldn't wait at least until dawn. When he came out, he was surprised to see a third of the force already mobilized and in arms. His friend stood there in full battle armor, eyes shining feverishly. "Well, you certainly took your time. Since the enemy now has a method of spying out our movements, we have to move at unexpected times. They won't be looking now; they'll be too busy mobilizing their troops. I'm leaving you in charge of the force here. They're moving to attack in full force, but I trust in your abilities. That Prince is a fool. It should be easy to defeat him. Once you do, come back and meet up with me at the capitol. With their entire force out here, I should have captured it by then."
Yamato nodded. "As you command."
She grinned and cocked her head. "Just one thing: promise me you won't get killed."
He was slightly taken aback, but tried to cover for that and grinned. "It would take more than that to get rid of a cockroach like me."
The Dark One slapped him on the shoulder. "Good! It would be a real pain if I had to come back and name another commander in my absence. See you then!"
Yamato watched them move out under cover of darkness and sighed. Then he went back to his tent just to be alone for a moment. He knew why she was worried. Yamato would be facing the man he'd seen in the crystal ball on the battlefield, and he was not too sure if he could really try to kill him…
Yamato stopped and blinked. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before? He would have someone else play commander and he'd play second-in-command. That approach also had distinct tactical advantages. He would just have to pick someone he could trust… The full-blood Dark Riders didn't like him very much, for a number of different reasons, so he would have to pick a half-blood… On the other hand, there was always Ryo. Everyone knew Ryo, though he'd never given a last name. He had absolutely no Dark Rider blood in him, and had come and joined their clan in search of adventure. The last Dark One had been intrigued by his determination, and had put him to the test, which he had passed admirably. He would be sympathetic to Yamato's cause and still trusted by the bulk of the armed forces. Smiling, Yamato got up to look for him, but then sat down, remembering that he now had the authority to summon him. But then he'd have to explain to the Dark One's advisors…
Yamato sighed. He hated having to deal with them, because they hated him so much. Why did they accept Ryo but not him? Yamato had come within a hair's breadth of defeating their current Dark One, while Ryo only managed to get to the semi-finals. He sighed. Talk about force of habit…
He nodded curtly. "And that's just why I'm going to go looking for him myself."
With that, Yamato stood and left the tent, searching for his chosen accomplice.
-----*****-----
Daisuke awoke with a start. Many of the other younger members of the prince's personal bodyguard with whom he shared a room were already moving around, although it wasn't even light yet. Daisuke wiped his eyes, feeling the lack of sleep. He let discipline take over for once and mechanically got up and splashed some cold water on his face. At that, he was immediately awake. He stretched and tried to remember what he had dreamt, but it was already running away like water. Something about that servant girl he'd seen… Suddenly the events of the night before came into sharp focus, and caused him to stagger under the blow. The unfortunate result of this was that he lost his balance and fell face-first into the basin of cold water. He got up sputtering, although he'd managed to catch himself before he hit the bottom, but the shock of the cold water somehow seemed to counteract the shock of everything sinking in. He wiped his face off on the towel by the basin and moved off, making room for the next guy who wanted to use it. As he looked around, he found that everyone was talking about the assassination and Taichi's decision to go to war immediately to at least temporarily regain the Temple. He really didn't want to be reminded of the look of absolute hatred on his role model's face, so he purposely tried to avoid being drawn into a conversation. Instead, he focused on the mystery of Sora, the dead girl who they'd followed to Hikari's chamber, Hikari's vision, and Takeru's desperate quest. He had to smirk at the last of these. If Takeru had waited just a little longer for Hikari's vision, he wouldn't have had to go. Still, the old sage was always good for a few surprises, so he might already know and Takeru might get some invaluable piece of information from him that would decide the war in their favor. You never knew with that guy. Daisuke could only hope his friend would come back soon, even if only for Hikari's sake. Besides, if the prisoner really turned out to be Takeru's brother, he should be there. In Taichi's state, he might easily forget his promise in the face of a Dark Rider and not even ask questions before killing him; and that would not be good.
"Say, weren't you one of the ones who discovered the body?" Another young recruit asked him.
Daisuke looked up in spite of himself. For some reason, he felt compelled to answer. "Yes, why?"
The other smiled at him. "You never know which rumors to believe. By the way, my name's Kazu."
Daisuke grinned. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to talk about it. It would take his mind off of the worse aspects of the matter, like Taichi's obsession with revenge. "The door was locked and the window was barred. It's assumed to have been a Dark Rider, dressed as a servant. Actually, I saw her. She had black hair, and it was braided around her head like a crown. She was beautiful!"
Ryo cocked his head. "How did you know it was her?"
Daisuke shrugged. "My friend Iori, you know, the son of the bodyguard who saved the king's life during the last assassination attempt, said something about it being the black hair."
"How was he killed?" Somebody asked.
"How did the assassin escape?" Another person asked.
Suddenly Daisuke found himself bombarded with questions that didn't cease until a messenger came to tell them they had to be ready to march in one hour's time. In the chaos that ensued, nobody had time to ask him any more questions. In fact, Daisuke was so busy himself that he didn't think he'd have been able to think of answers to them anyway. He was caught up in the rush of getting ready, finding his sword, gulping down a hurried breakfast, and running out to the grounds; Daisuke found himself being handed a pack of supplies before he was even aware of what was going on. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Gods for his extensive training. Just then the commander of the prince's bodyguard came up and addressed them. It was a striking, red-haired woman with a serious expression.
"As you may have heard, our country has lost its king in its most dire hour of need. We need a new king, and for such we must recapture the Temple! We will be joined along the way by forces from the other provinces, ready to fight for the good of our country. For Prince Taichi!"
"For Prince Taichi!" They all yelled in reply.
-----*****-----
Ken looked up from his books and frowned. Taichi wasn't really going to leave now, was he? It was understandable that he would want to regain the Temple, but if he left now the provinces wouldn't have adequate time to raise the armies he would need to attack the invaders! He had always known Taichi had rash tendencies that led him too often to act before engaging his seemingly tiny brain. Still, when the prince had declared his intentions to march the following morning loud enough for the entire wing to hear the news, Ken had assumed he'd sleep on it and realize the foolhardiness of that approach. He shook his head, realizing the danger of the situation. If something didn't happen fast, they would lose the war before it had even started. He stood and rushed over to the window, but he gritted his teeth as he judged rightly that it couldn't be stopped now: the entire force of the citadel was up in arms. How could Prince Taichi put all their lives at stake for the sake of one battle that his tactical mistakes made it doubtful he would win, anyway? Besides, the enemy was more than likely to have figured out that their next step would be the recapture of the Temple. That gave them a distinct advantage: While they concentrated their forces on taking it back, the Dark Riders could come around, take the capitol city, and cut off the supply lines. Ken shook his head. Something had to be done, and fast. Much as he hated to admit it, the only person who could help him now was Koushiro. He had to find a way to speed up the transportation of the messages, at least.
Just as he was about to leave the room, Ken stopped. He turned back to see his set of armor propped up neatly against one wall, looking like nothing so much as one of the ornamental sets in the great hall. He gulped and nodded decisively. The way he could serve his country best now was to try and minimize the damage Prince Taichi could do to them in his single-minded pursuit of revenge. The armor was more difficult to put on than he'd remembered, but once it was on he lost no time in rushing to the workshop. He sounded like a thunderstorm, but he didn't care.
When he reached the workshop, Koushiro wasn't there. Miyako opened up and was openly shocked to see him dressed for battle.
"Ken! I didn't know you were going, too…"
"I didn't want to, either, but Taichi's a fool. He'll get us all killed if someone doesn't mediate his actions. Look, you need to find Koushiro and try to invent something that will get the message of the need for troops out faster. I fear the messengers won't reach the provinces in time. Could you do that for me?" Ken answered, hurriedly.
Miyako stared at him for a moment, then grinned like a kid who's just been offered a candy bar.
"Of course! In fact, I'll do it just for you."
Ken blinked at her, not understanding, but he did nod. At least she'd do it. Still, he had to make sure…
"And make sure you get Koushiro, at least to help you! I don't think your bombs with fancy names will help us here."
She pretended to pout. "They're not bombs with fancy names!" Then she grinned again. "I will, though. Good luck!"
Ken smiled. "Thanks. I have a feeling I could use it."
-----*****-----
Taichi was overseeing the last-minute preparations for the march. Those Dark Rider bastards would pay for the death of his father! He had never led a war effort before, but just the thought of killing Dark Riders was sufficient grounds for the move. He didn't even care about getting the Temple back. Hey, it wasn't like he actually wanted to be crowned king, but he did want the authority to run this war…
Suddenly a figure in full battle armor ran up out of nowhere, slightly out of breath. Taichi looked up distractedly. "Who is… If it's about the rations I… Ichijouji? But…"
Ken caught his breath before standing to attention. "I'm coming with."
Taichi stared at him for a moment. "Wait, you're one of Hikari's friends, right?"
Ken nodded, looking for a moment like he was trying to order his thoughts into intelligent phrases, but somehow not quite managing it. "I…I've done an extensive study of battle tactics and the history of warfare, and as it's an open secret that there's a distinct lack of military advisors…Okay, let's just say I couldn't just sit at home and watch you leave without me. I want to serve my country to the best of my ability, and…"
Taichi grinned. "It's nice to know there're other people who take this war effort seriously, who I can be certain aren't trying to suck up to me or avoid saying anything to not get kicked out of the council. I appreciate your offer, but you're even younger than I am and I'd hate to get any of my sister's closest friends killed…"
Ken looked away. "She doesn't consider me one of her closest friends. As for the other, I don't care if I die. Hikari's got Takeru anyway…"
Taichi mentally kicked himself. How long ago had he stopped paying attention to his sister's life? The time had passed so quickly… Still, the boy's arguments were legitimate, and it was hardly like he couldn't use the help. He didn't even pretend to know anything about military tactics, himself. Sure, he was supposed to know it, but…he always hated lessons and just crammed before tests and stuff, forgetting everything afterwards. Hikari knew that, and she might easily have told her friends about it. Still, his showing up prompted questions in Taichi's mind. He'd never been quite so sure of himself as he liked to appear, and he began doubting the intelligence of his insistence to move out immediately. Still, he wasn't going to stop now. He wanted to see Dark Rider heads roll.
Taichi grinned. "Any suggestions as of the moment?"
Ken made a face as if he'd feared that question, but calmed himself and looked serious. "It's my personal opinion that you should have waited to ready the troops. We should have given the messengers time to carry out their duty. However, it's too far into motion to stop right here. It might lower the morale of the men if you were to draw them back now, and that might be the greater of the two evils. I took the liberty to instruct Miyako and Koushiro…I mean Inventor Izumi and his apprentice…"
Taichi waved it off. "Koushiro's a personal friend of mine. You don't have to treat me like the king in council."
Ken nodded. "Well, I instructed them to begin work on a device that might still relay the message in a timely fashion so the provinces would have at least a little time to draw together the necessary troops to add to our armed forces."
Taichi regarded the younger boy with interest. "You know, I never even thought of that. Thanks for offering your help. It wouldn't even have occurred to me call on your services. You're young enough that I didn't immediately think of calling on you."
Ken smiled sheepishly. "It'll be hard to get used to referring to you as the prince and not as Taichi."
Taichi grinned back. "Don't worry, I can call you by your first name, too… Uh, that is?"
Ken smiled slightly. "Ken, just Ken."
Taichi sighed. "Well, Ken, from this moment onward, you are my official military tactical advisor. When I'm king, I'll make a place on the council for you. Its lack of military intelligence is good in peacetime, but ridiculous in war."
Ken nodded, though he didn't look exactly pleased. "I thank you Taichi."
-----*****-----
"You know, that's a pretty dangerous plan! I mean, for me." Ryo grinned.
Yamato sighed. "It's okay if you don't want to do it…"
Ryo laughed at this. "No, that's why I want to do it! Okay, you're right, it is a good idea, and probably necessary. Just one question: How are we going to convince the Council? I know they don't like you."
Yamato smirked. "I was hoping you could manage that, which is why I came and told you about it first. They don't accept anything I suggest point-blank. I have the Dark One's authorization to run the battle, or they wouldn't even permit me to do that!"
Ryo cocked his head inquisitively. "Why would she put someone in command who's basically powerless?"
Yamato rolled his eyes. "I think she overestimates her power. Even the most feared and respected leader can't stand up against people's well-worn customs. It just doesn't work that way. Sure, some things can be changed, when the time is right. But others…" He shook his head.
Ryo grinned. "So, why didn't you have me summoned? Surely the common fighters don't purposely disobey you? That would just be too weird."
Yamato shook his head. "I guess my customs are just as well-worn as the people's. Now, if I'm really lucky, the Council already sent a summons for me."
Ryo laughed at this. "I didn't know you could be ironic."
Yamato grinned. "It's hard not to be, with an opposition like that."
-----*****-----
Miyako couldn't stop grinning. Ken had asked her for help! Okay, sure he'd asked her to get Koushiro to do it, but what the hell. She was the only one he'd told about his plan to save the kingdom from a prince who was, by all appearance, beyond rational thinking. That had to mean something, right? On the other hand, he'd referred to her inventions as bombs with fancy names…and that wasn't exactly very nice. Still, he'd come to her for help, and she'd be damned if she'd let him down!
Going over to her worktable, she suddenly realized that she didn't have any ideas whatsoever. She propped her head up on the table. Well, there was always the technology she'd used for the Scrying box… If she could turn that around to make it send things over a distance, too… But they didn't have anything to transmit the message to… Hmm, that was a problem…
Without even thinking about it, she called out, "Koushiro!"
As luck would have it, he was just coming back in. Miyako had her back to the door, which is why she hadn't seen him. He had already begun, "Say did you know… Oh, what is it?"
Miyako just realized she'd have to tell him everything now. Her habits had gotten away with her again. Then again, maybe she could pass it off as…
"Uh…I'm trying to invent something that can send messages instantaneously over long distances, without a receiver on the other end." Miyako grinned, hoping he'd fall for it.
Koushiro shook his head at her. "What are you hiding from me?"
Miyako sagged. She should have known she couldn't trick him.
"Ken came by and gave me an earful of Taichi's bad military tactics. He decided to go with as an unofficial councilor in military tactics, and he asked me to see if I could remedy at least some of Taichi's more immediate mistakes and invent something to get the messages out to the provinces in a timely fashion."
Koushiro eyed her carefully. "You know, I think you like him."
Miyako blushed a bright pink. "Well, maybe just a little…"
"Well…" Koushiro set down the load of junk that he'd carried in from somewhere. "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"
Miyako grinned sheepishly. "I could definitely use some suggestions."
"Why don't you make the same three dimensional image appear right in front of them? In fact, we can use the Scrying box to check if our messages were received! …Wait, Taichi took it. Prodigious! Still, we have the directions, so it shouldn't be a problem to make a new one…" Koushiro trailed off.
Miyako grinned. "Yeah! And we can make the settings the same on both, so we can make sure we're sending it to the right place to begin with!"
Koushiro nodded. "Then you should begin with the sketches right now. I'll start pulling together some of the materials we'll be needing, and then begin building another Scrying box. Now, where did I put those directions…" He headed single-mindedly into the back workroom, nearly stepping on an airtight bag of highly explosive gases that would probably have shot his foot off if he'd made the slightest misstep.
Miyako shook her head, walking over and placing it up onto a counter. "Ken was right: I need Koushiro for this…despite all his faults…"
-----*****-----
Once Takeru awoke in the middle of nowhere, he wondered what he was doing there. The night before, everything had seemed so logical: He had to find Gennai and help save his brother. However, in the daylight he found himself taking a much more logical view of the matter. Sure, there was no way around it; he still had to find Gennai. On the other hand, he realized that he had no idea where to look. All he knew was that Gennai lived somewhere out in the Blackwood Forest. In fact, that's all anyone knew. For a moment, he considered going back. Just then he heard trumpets in the distance. From the vantage point of a nearby hill, he looked out to find the one thing he hadn't expected, but felt he really should have. Naturally Taichi would have followed through with his rash decision to move out in the morning. Takeru had secretly hoped he might reconsider, but Taichi didn't tick like that. But the knowledge that they were indeed already moving out made the thing official: If he wanted to save his brother's life, he would have to move quickly. Without another pause, he went back to his makeshift campsite and got his stuff together. His horse was still grazing from the picket line he'd tied it to. He replaced the saddlebags, removed the picket line and stashed it away in one of them. He'd just have to hope he'd find the old sage in time. That decision fresh in his mind, he set his horse off at a trot towards the Blackwood Forest.
When he got there, he discovered a fresh problem: The growth was so thick that the merest thought of bringing his horse in was out of the question. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to reach them in time once he got the answer if he didn't have the horse. If he just left it out on a long picket line, it might be stolen. However, he didn't think people would risk coming too close to the Blackwood Forest, especially with so much else going on. Still, how could he make sure the poor animal got enough to eat while he was gone? The picket area would only go so far, and then he'd have to come back, at least to move it.
He turned to his horse. "You can stand a little less food than normal. You're absolutely pampered up there at the castle!"
The horse watched him as if to say, "Food?"
Takeru sighed. "Okay. I promise to be back and move it after two days at the most, okay?"
He stroked the horse's muzzle and it whinnied happily.
TK sighed and turned towards the foreboding forest. "And now to you."
-----*****-----
Mimi stood up and wiped her forehead. She snapped her fingers, and the fawn awoke out of its trance. It stood up again carefully, on wobbly legs, then walked over to its mother, who Mimi had penned up in the meantime. Mimi smiled. It had taken hours to remove that coil of wire from its stomach! And then sewing it up again and everything…
She walked around a bit to loosen her stiff muscles, then knelt again to gather her things together. She went over and petted the small fawn. It looked up at her with wide, watery eyes, as if pleading for her to help his mother. Mimi smiled and opened the pen, letting the mother attend to her young one. The animals and monsters of the Blackwood Forest knew her by now, but a concerned mother would occasionally panic when she had to perform an operation like this, so she had built a pen for the purpose of keeping them out of the way. The doe, seeing that her young one was in order again, turned and licked Mimi on the cheek. Mimi laughed, but pushed her away.
"I'm just glad he's okay again. You really should watch your young ones more carefully."
She then waved to the two as she went into her small, one-roomed cabin. She put away her sewing tools and the rest of the poultices she'd used for the operation. Then something struck her and she turned around. She snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot! I'll have to go and gather some more herbs! I'm almost out of some of the more important ones!"
Sighing, she went and took her basket out of the alcove near the door that served as a set of shelves. She briefly remembered her mother having done the same thing for a moment, and paused, gulping. That had been the morning when the first monsters had arrived. Her mother had rushed out to help a group of frightened rabbits that'd fallen into a pit and had never returned. That was many years ago now. Her father had gone out looking for her and never come back, either. Later Mimi had found large, human bones in a pit with small rabbit bones, all marked by the teeth of some ferocious beast, though it was no animal she was familiar with. Mimi had separated out the human bones and buried them together. For lack of a place to go, she had remained in the forest, looking after the little cabin by herself. It was the only way of life she knew. Despite her expectations, she wasn't in the least lonely. The animals were all her friends and all willing to listen if she had something to say to them. By now she had learned to speak the language of the birds and beasts of the forest, though there were a few like deer that she just couldn't get. Even the larger and more ferocious animals were no strangers to her, but she always had to be wary of the monsters. Especially since they were invisible… Also, there was that old man she saw wandering around sometimes, though she could never catch up with him enough to see where he lived. Every time she'd followed him, out of curiosity, she came to the edge of a lake, where the path ended. Now, it was obvious he couldn't live in the lake, so apparently he'd laid a false trail for her. But for that he'd have to be an even better woodsman than she was, which was not very likely. On the other hand, what other possibilities were there?
Mimi smiled slightly, "Mother would be proud if she could see me now. I've become a true creature of the forest. Still, I wonder what normal human settlements are like. I've never seen the world outside this forest in my entire life. I wonder what goes on outside this woody sanctuary."
She walked down the path away from the house. She knew exactly where to find the herbs she was looking for; she'd gathered them many a time in the past.
-----*****-----
Takeru looked to the left, and then looked to the right; but all the trees looked basically the same. He slumped to the ground. What had he gotten himself into, now? He couldn't even figure out which direction he'd come from any more!
Gradually he became aware of a noise, almost like a soft rumbling of thunder. He sincerely hoped that didn't mean it was going to rain. At a time like this, that was the very last thing he needed.
It was then he began to hear what almost sounded like…footfalls? He stood, his senses beginning to ring all the alarms, but there was nothing in sight. He crouched down slightly, his hand going to his sword, eyes moving constantly, trying to spy movement on the forest floor… There! Or was that the wind? The footfalls had stopped, and he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was, it was standing right in front of him. Takeru shook his head. Maybe it was just his nerves. After all, this forest could really get to you…
And then it attacked. Takeru was knocked down by the force of what felt like huge paws, almost knocking the wind out of him and ripping through his light, leather armor like it was soft cheese. When Takeru saw the blood and felt the pain, he knew for certain that his mind was not playing tricks on him. He was a good fighter, but it's hard to fight an enemy you can't even see. Confronted with this entirely new situation for which he had come totally unprepared, Takeru did the same thing anyone would do in the same situation: He panicked. He was only barely aware of what was going on, but kept slashing at it repeatedly with his dagger, since the weight of the thing prevented him from drawing his sword. The creature drew back with an inhuman cry, and Takeru even thought he could see it for a moment as he drove the blade home, before he completely lost consciousness.
-----*****-----
Miyako looked up from her efforts and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She'd been working straight through for what felt like hours, still without a plan that promised to work!
Koushiro came around the corner of the back room with a slightly smaller version of the Scrying box in his hands. "I took the liberty of making a few changes. I think I know why it…Miyako, is something wrong?"
She slammed her hands down on the table and burst into tears. "I just can't get anything down that looks good! Ken will be disappointed and he'll hate me and we'll lose the war and…"
Koushiro put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down a little. Maybe you're a little too emotionally involved. Try taking a break for a while and then come back to it. You can't force ideas."
Miyako shook her head. "But Ken's depending on me…"
Koushiro sighed. "What was the first thing I ever taught you?"
Miyako looked up. "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration…and necessarily in that order…"
Koushiro nodded. "Exactly. You can't help your crush at all with merely the ninety-nine percent perspiration. You need to be with it one hundred percent, but you're worried about Ken. Take a break and come back when you're ready to give everything you have to the process of creation."
Miyako wiped her eyes and nodded. "I'll try…"
Koushiro grinned. "Great! Just one more thing: I think I've figured out what happened the first time that made it smell funny and nearly blow up."
Miyako looked up, forgetting her tears. "Really? What!"
Koushiro looked down at the device in his hands. "It's complicated. Actually, I have to tell you that the device shouldn't have worked with the energy source you used. In fact, it's a wonder it worked at all. It must have been getting its energy from something else that was not entirely compatible to the construction."
She blinked at him. "I don't understand."
Koushiro shook his head. "Neither do I, but it's worth thinking about. It might help take your mind off of things."
Miyako grinned at him. "Thanks! I'll be back soon…"
Koushiro smiled. "Good luck."
With that, Miyako ran out the door to the workshop.
-----*****-----
Takeru awoke with a start to find himself lying in a comfortable bed in a small cabin. Takeru blinked as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings. "Where am I?" He asked nearly unintelligibly, more of himself than of anyone else.
"You know, you're pretty stupid." A voice spoke.
Takeru attempted to sit up. He hadn't even noticed he wasn't alone! But he suddenly felt dizzy and flopped back down on the bed again, groaning.
Just then a brown-haired young woman came into sight from somewhere behind him, clicking her tongue. "Imagine trying to take on one of those invisible monsters by yourself. I mean, seriously now!"
Takeru groaned. "I have to find the sage Gennai…"
This seemed to spark her interest. "So that's his name! Well, good luck finding him, especially in your condition. You have to rest at least another day or so!"
Takeru tried to sit up again but fell back down. "No! I have to find Gennai and save my brother…"
The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're not going anywhere, understand? I might not know much else, but I do know my art. You are staying right here."
Takeru stared at her, not daring to move his head. For some reason, it was feeling rather tender.
"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here? What are these monsters? Why are you helping me? How…"
She raised a hand, interrupting him. "Stop! Stop! I can only answer one question at a time! Okay, my name is Mimi Tachikawa and this is my little cabin in the woods. As for how you got here; I carried you, obviously. And I had a rather personal reason for helping you: my parents were both killed by the monsters. They just came up out of nowhere and decided to make this neck of the woods into their new humble abode. Naturally, uninvited."
Takeru bit his lip. Maybe he'd gone a little too far. The thing with her parents seemed to have really upset her, and he owed her his life… "I'm sorry… I just don't have the time to sit around here twiddling my thumbs while a war is conducted in the outside world!"
Mimi shook her head. "You know, for a guy who obviously has at least some latent magical talent, you're pretty dense, you know that? Look: try to stand up! Hell, you can't even sit up. So how're you gonna find some elusive sage that even I, having lived here all my life, can't find, huh? Just lay there and try to get better. That's all the world demands of you right now."
Takeru scowled. "But that's not all I demand of myself."
Mimi clicked her tongue and sighed. "Okay, whatever. If it's really that important to you, I'll go out and see if I can find the guy, but tomorrow. I wasn't just walking out in the woods for fun when I ran across you, I was gathering herbs. And if I don't hurry, I'll never get them before night falls and the monsters get really bad. And in that case, there's precious little I could do for you in anyway. I know you're not as stupid as you look, so what part of your upbringing made you so thick-headed?"
Takeru sighed. "I'm worried about my brother, is that too difficult to understand? And I have to return to my lady back at the castle…"
Mimi grinned. "So that's the way of it. Now you're beginning to make some sense, finally. Look, I'm really sorry about your brother, but for now you need to take care of yourself. How can you help your brother if you kill yourself running into the next-best monster?"
Takeru relaxed. She was absolutely right, and he was acting like Taichi…and that was the guy who caused half of this mess in the first place. "In how many days can I travel again?" He asked, dreading the answer.
Mimi sighed. "That depends entirely on how much blood you lost. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay? I really meant it about the herbs."
Takeru sighed and nodded.
"That's a good boy." Mimi said. He heard footfalls and a door closing, and then it was only half as light.
-----*****-----
Mimi shook her head. She might only have learned a few magical tricks from her mother to use in healing, but to fight an invisible monster and win… That took not only a great deal of courage, and or stupidity, but also a large portion of luck, and or magic. And when she'd tried to do a simple sleep spell on him, that guy's body had actually shielded against her magic! She couldn't hardly pretend to be an expert, but that just had to mean something. And then the war he mentioned…
She shook her head and looked up at the sky. "You hear me God? I am not leaving my home! You'll have to come up with something better than a noble fool with latent magic ability to get me to move house!"
Needless to say, she didn't get an answer. Still, she felt a lot better about the whole thing.
"Okay, now that that's settled, I'd better…"
There was a slight rustling sound and movement. Mimi looked up and was shocked to see the very last person in the world she'd expected.
"Oh, God, what are you punishing me for? I really need those herbs!" She chided in the general direction of the sky, but sighed and looked ahead at the figure only a short distance away through the forest.
"Hello, old man. I hear your name's Gennai. I have a question: Does God have it in for me or what?"
He grinned. "Well, that depends entirely on your perspective, Tachikawa."
-----*****-----
"And that's why I think Ryo should appear to be in charge." Yamato finished.
After some discussion, he had managed to convince Yamato to carry his idea to the Council himself. After all, Ryo didn't have the authority to do so, and they might actually start to respect his decisions. That, he was convinced, outweighed the obvious disadvantage of their dislike for the second-in-command. From the looks on the Council's faces, Yamato was beginning to wonder if Ryo made a better politician than him. Or maybe he just understood people better…
The speaker stood. "What you suggest is an interesting proposal. We will have to discuss the matter at length. You have other matters to attend to, I imagine. We will convey our answer at our leisure and at such a time as it shall have been reached."
Yamato nodded and left the Council tent. Well, that was the best he could hope for. Now the matter was in their hands. And they were right; he did have a lot to do. After all, there were preparations to be made for a prolonged stay. If they were to conduct a battle against a superior force as soon as this could arrive, they should at least be able to choose the place. He completely agreed with the Dark One on that point. But why did she move out with a good part of their forces? He had to admit he didn't understand it. Nor had she made a real effort to explain. He knew they were going to take the castle at the capitol, but why divide their forces? Unless it had something to do with the prophecy… He nodded to himself. That had to be it. She didn't want to endanger the entire mission just because of some stupid prophecy made back in Khire…
He shook his head. "Now I'm getting confused. I don't know what she was thinking, leaving me in charge. I'm just not cut out for a top command position…"
"Feeling sorry for yourself?" A voice sounded.
Yamato looked up. "Ryo! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you have gone back on duty?"
Ryo laughed. "The Council brought me up there and told me about my new duties. I was also used as a messenger to send to you, to let you know your suggestion was accepted."
Yamato looked worried. "This is too easy…"
Ryo smirked and nodded. "You know, I think they're planning to get rid of you. If I pretend to be the leader, it would be easy for them to convince the main body of the troops that I am. Especially if they want to believe it."
Yamato felt his chest tighten. He suddenly became aware of just how dependent he really was on the Dark One. She had him under her wing all this time, and he was hardly out on his own when the Council was quietly trying to get rid of him. Maybe she was testing him to see if he was worthy of his position…
"What should I do?" He asked Ryo, hoping the other had an idea out of this mess.
Ryo shrugged. "Just make sure they can't bump you off. Of course you could also… Hmmm… Do you like being second-in-command to an army that doesn't even like you?"
Yamato was shocked by the question. "I…I don't know…"
Ryo nodded. "I thought as much. Give the matter some thought. You could pretend to die in the battle, and then escape. I'd even help you. It's not that I'm particularly eager for your position, but I kind of feel sorry for you. It must be tough having been an outsider all your life and never having got a chance to learn the game of politics. I'd rather see you desert than fall victim to a political assassination."
Yamato gulped and nodded. Despite himself, he had to agree. And then the Dark One's words came to mind: 'Just one thing: promise me you won't get killed.' He couldn't help but wonder: Had she already known?
-----*****-----
After wandering about aimlessly for a while, Miyako found herself once again in front of Ken's door. This had to be the third time that had happened! She looked down the hallway, but there was no one in sight. Although it wasn't usually her style, she reached out gingerly and tried the handle. To her surprise, she found it unlocked. All the maids had keys to come in and change the bedding in the rooms of those higher-born people who chose to live here at the castle, but they always left a room the way they found it. Ken must have been in such a hurry that he hadn't even locked it after him. That was unusual, because he always locked it, even if he was only gone for five minutes. His books were too valuable to leave unguarded, even in the best of cases. She stood there for a moment, indecisive, but then pushed open the door and entered, quickly shutting it behind her.
She found herself facing a very normal, almost meticulously tidy room with a small, overstuffed bookshelf on one wall. The only signs that it was lived in, at least up until that same morning, was a book laying out on the table. Drawing closer, she found it to be a detailed history of the last Dark Rider invasion ages before. She grinned. To think anyone was interested in that stuff… Stepping up to the bookshelf, she found it to be full of military history and lectures on military tactics. There was one, obviously imported, narrow book among the large tomes with some funny symbols on the side that looked like confused bits of wire. She wondered off-handedly if the person who made up their written language was an inventor… The one thing that was obvious was that, whatever it said, it was also a book on military tactics.
Although she felt slightly guilty about it, she started opening drawers in the desk. There was one with writing materials, one with empty pages, probably for notes. Then a small one caught her eye. Pulling it out, she found the only thing it contained was a single, small painting, covered with glass. It was some kind of a family portrait, but a piece of cloth had been pasted over one part of it. She frowned. Ken's deceased father and mother were quite apparent, and one child, who might be Ken, was visible. At closer observation, she found the piece of cloth to be pasted over what looked to be a face. Was that Osamu? Ken had never talked about his reasons for coming to the capitol, and she had always just taken it for granted. Did it have something to do with his older brother? She turned away, replacing the picture face down, as she had found it. It wasn't any of her business, anyway. Still, she couldn't help but continue her search through the drawers in the desk. All the others seemed to be full of the expected. There were notes, diagrams of battles, and psychological analyses of various personality types who might be in the position of general and how they would have to have come to power and how to recognize them through their tactics, figure out their strategies and use their weaknesses against them. The family portrait was the only object in the room that actually suggested the inhabitant was truly human.
Looking around, she wondered how long he'd been obsessed with intelligent warfare. They had all known that he spent a lot of time studying stuff. Daisuke had even made an occasional joke about Ken actually wanting to study, but nobody really knew what he was so busy learning. At least, if they did they hadn't told her. Ken was such a nice, quiet, kind, intelligent guy, who seemed more peaceable than warlike, but then where did all these books come from? Oh, yeah…hadn't he said something about that? He said he hadn't wanted to go either. On the other hand, he had made it quite obvious that he didn't want to get them all killed by some fool of a prince, more bent on revenge than on saving the country. Apparently he had an idealistic streak no one had known about. Then again, it's hard to know a guy who's so closed off to the world that he never talks about himself. Ken was constantly observing others, while displaying nothing of himself. This would make him a good general, come to think of it, but Miyako couldn't help but wonder if he was lonely sometimes and just wanted someone to make the effort to breach those walls and capture the bright soul within…
Miyako stopped. Gradually a grin crossed her face and she bounded out the door, almost slamming it behind her as she rushed down the hall in the general direction of the workshop. She felt like yelling "Eureka!" Finally she had gotten her inspiration.
-----*****-----
"So it's begun then." Gennai sighed, after Mimi had told him everything she had found out from her little guest.
She cocked her head to the side, confused. "What's begun?"
He smiled. "I should have known it when the monsters showed up."
Mimi blinked. "Known what?"
Gennai just grinned. "And then the other signs…"
Mimi began shaking with frustration. "What the hell are you talking about!"
Gennai looked up at her, grinning broadly. "Did you say something?"
The pretty brown-haired girl shook her fists in a gesture of frustration.
The old man raised a hand to calm her. "It's okay, I was just teasing. No, this is the war it talks about in the old prophecies. Now, if I could only find the things…"
He went into a back room and started audibly shifting and throwing things out of his way. An occasional stray object came flying out, so instead of trying to dodge it all, Mimi seated herself down next to the window and sighed, looking out. They were in the old sage's house at the bottom of the lake. She wondered how he could stand it down there at first, but she was beginning to understand. Despite the strange company - Who could understand what fish were thinking? - It was rather cozy down here. The water kept the warmth of daylight long into the night, and the insulation protected the house from the wind and weather - though not from the water. She smiled. Once, when she was really little, she'd asked her mother what the forest was called. Her mother had smiled, patted her on the head and said, "You know, fish don't have a word for water. So why should we have a name for the forest?"
At the time, that had seemed quite logical to her. Now that she was here and trying to reach out with her mind to talk to the fish, as she did with some of the more intelligent animals, she kept getting confused. Their cold and watery world was so different from her woodsy, airy world up on the surface that the fishes' thoughts were completely foreign to her. She couldn't quite decipher them, and eventually she stopped trying and just watched them swim to and fro before the glass windows.
Just then Gennai came back in, shaking his head. "I must have them somewhere in there, but the place is so cluttered up since your Mom stopped coming to clean it that I can't find anything in there."
At this, Mimi looked up. "You knew my mother?"
Gennai smiled. "Of course I did, Tachikawa-chan. We were good friends and neighbors."
Mimi sat down and smiled. "Why didn't I…"
He waved it off. "That can be explained another time, but you should bring the young man down here. It's a dangerous place on the surface at the moment, and he's pretty much defenseless."
Mimi nodded. She had to see the sense in that. However… "I can't carry him down here on my own."
The old man waved this off, too. "Why don't you ask your animal friends to do you a little favor? I'm sure they wouldn't mind after everything you've done for them."
She cocked her head at him. "You know, that's not a bad idea…"
Gennai grinned. "I never have bad ideas!" Then he laughed, though Mimi didn't see the humor in it.
"Uh…yeah. Well, I'd better get going then. How do you open this place up, anyway?"
Gennai thought for a moment. "You're right. You should get going."
Mimi felt like she could strangle him, but if her mother could handle his quirks, then, by God, so could she. She forced a smile. "I agree. So, could you open it?"
Gennai looked around for a moment. "Ah, here it is…" With that, he pulled out a board with a bunch of buttons on it from under a pile of stuff. "I knew I had it here somewhere…" He pushed a combination of buttons and a screen appeared out of nowhere with a bunch of little ideograms, or at least that's what Mimi figured they had to be. It's not like she could read them… However, she'd be damned before she'd admit that, so she didn't say anything. Within moments, a little diagram of the house showed up, and the water disappeared from the stairs they'd come down. The whole time, the little old man was typing away to his heart's content. Mimi had to admit the connection between the movement on the screen and the buttoned board was an absolute enigma to her, but she held her tongue. "Thank you. I will be back shortly, then."
He grinned. "Oh, take your time…"
She sighed. "Aha… So, how will I let you know to open it up?"
He handed her a stick with more buttons on it. "You take this with and press this button at the edge of the lake."
Mimi stared at the stick with buttons. "So…this button?"
Gennai smiled. "No, the blue one. Blue for the lake."
Mimi scratched her head. "How is pressing a button going to part a lake?"
He just smiled at her. "Trust me, it will."
Mimi looked at him skeptically for a moment before carefully taking the stick in her hand and looking at it carefully, turning it over and over. She blinked a couple of times, but then shrugged, putting it in her basket. "Okay, so it was the red one?"
Gennai slapped his forehead. That gave Mimi an idea. "Why don't I just tell you when we're there?"
At this he looked up in sudden interest. "How were you intending to reach me at the bottom of the lake?"
Mimi shrugged. "It's easy. A simple mind-call and…"
At this, a little light began to gleam in Gennai's eyes. "Yes! I mean, try it now!"
She turned her head a little and stared at his suddenly eager face. "Okay, I suppose…"
Gennai looked like he was torn between doing a little victory dance and waiting for her to do it. Mimi stared at him, but reached out carefully. So, can you hear me?
Gennai clapped his hands. "Wow! So that's what it feels like! Your mother would never do that for me. She always seemed to find my interest in it went a little beyond the normal… And that just because I was curious! No, thanks, uh, what's your first name, anyway?"
Mimi smiled a little skeptically. "Uh…Mimi. My name is Mimi."
"Well, Mimi-chan, you can leave the remote control here then…"
Mimi blinked at him. "Is that what the funny stick with the buttons is called?" She pulled out the…remote control? It fit: a funny name for a funny device. She blinked at it a couple more times before handing it to the old man, who didn't even notice she was holding it out until the last moment when he took it and grinned at her.
"So, hear you as soon as possible?" He asked, eagerly. "That really feels cool…"
Mimi smiled skeptically and nodded. "I'll try not to be long…"
As Mimi left, she heard Gennai going off into the other room muttering, "I could have sworn I left it here somewhere…"
-----*****-----
When Takeru awoke with a start, he found himself alone. This was hardly surprising, as he knew that Mimi had gone out to gather herbs, but the silence made him uneasy. There was an utter absence of animal noises. The fly he'd been watching crawl along the ceiling when he'd started dozing was still there, but it didn't move or make any sound at all. It was almost like it was…listening? Maybe… And then the door banged open and Mimi stood there panting, a look of alarm on her face. She closed the door behind her and slid to the ground, still trying to catch her breath. When she had recovered slightly, she came over to the bedside. Takeru wanted to ask her what was wrong, but Mimi raised a finger to her lips. Suddenly he heard a voice in his head.
You alright?
He started, and then stared at her, blinking. Finally he nodded.
Mimi breathed a sigh of relief. Look, I've got to find some way to get you out of here. I never thought those monsters were nearly that intelligent…
Takeru blinked at her uncomprehendingly. He was getting over the initial shock of the unexpected form of communication, but that didn't mean he understood what she was referring to.
Mimi sighed. They've decided that you're too dangerous for them and actually intend to attack in number. I'm no great mage, and I have no way of fighting them. I don't even know what you did earlier…
Takeru opened his mouth, but Mimi shook her head. Then he tried to think an answer at her, in case she might pick it up. I just kind of knew where it was…
Mimi held her head as if it were ready to burst. You know, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't scream into my head. It's not very comfortable.
Takeru tried not to exert quite so much force. Is…this okay?
Mimi sighed. If that's the best you can do, whatever. We can fine-tune it later. Now, can you get up, or do I have to carry you? I've rigged a kind of a litter outside and hooked it up to a couple of my friends.
Takeru tried to sit up. It made him dizzy, but he did manage it. Mimi reached out an arm and hooked it under his arm on the opposite side. He put an arm around her shoulders and both pulled to get him into an upright position. Takeru was surprised at Mimi's apparent strength. He was fighting with dizziness and couldn't properly set one foot in front of the other. Mimi had to pretty much carry him all the way. By the time she set him in it, he couldn't see anything any more and just barely noticed it had started moving at all.
-----*****-----
Mimi wiped the sweat from her forehead. That guy was heavier than she remembered! She sent a mental message to Gennai that the young man was on his way and he'd have to be at the top to help him get down at all. Herself, she shook her head. She knew she was probably being stupid, but she didn't care. If she died luring them onto a false trail, nobody would mourn her, except perhaps that eccentric old man. She'd be damned if anyone else were going to die unnecessarily! Smiling, she went back into the small house and removed the sheet. She sniffed a little at it, then nodded: It still had his smell on it. Having lived all her life in the woods, she'd learned how to smell like an animal. Whatever these monsters were, they mainly used the sense of smell, too. Her experience had told her that.
She covered the first part of Takeru's real trail with fresh earth, then went back to the entrance of the house where she'd left Takeru's sheet and started dragging it along the ground in a totally different direction. The smell of fresh earth would cover Takeru's smell admirably, and his smell on the blanket should cause them to follow her instead; or at least so she hoped. Then again, they'd already proven themselves more intelligent than she had thought remotely possible, so they might actually see through the trick…but no. There was no way they could have prior understanding of a trick like this. She might not be able to use it twice, but she could use it once; and that once was now.
-----*****-----
Somewhere along the ride, Takeru began to become aware of his surroundings again. What he saw made him wonder if he was still dreaming. He was on a kind of sturdy fabric sled, being pulled by a pair of deer. But that wasn't the strangest part: He was coming up to a lake with a hole in it, and a little old man standing at the top of it grinning like a small child that's just been given a piece of candy. Suddenly it struck Takeru to wonder what had happened to Mimi. He reached out tentatively to find her, but she was nowhere around. He started. Was she okay? He hated to think she'd put herself in danger for his sake… Then again, it would probably have something to do with her parents, anyway…
"Well, so there you are. Mimi-chan was telling me all about you…"
Takeru stared at the old man, trying to think. "Are you the sage Gennai?"
Gennai grinned. "Am I that renowned? And that even though I made special precautions to keep a reputation for being secretive and reclusive… Ah, well."
Takeru blinked. This was the sage Gennai; the one who he had hoped could help him save his brother? He began to wonder if he should have tried something more direct, like accompanying Prince Taichi. This guy was absolutely ridiculous. Still, maybe the old man could still help him. You should never judge a book by its cover. Takeru decided to try and cover common ground in the meantime. "Where's Mimi?"
Gennai smiled. "She's a resourceful young woman. Naturally she's covering your tracks. From what I can tell, she wouldn't want the monsters to claim any further victims."
Takeru stopped. That meant she was still in danger… "I'll have to mind-call and tell her I've arrived…"
At this, Gennai looked peculiarly interested. "Mind-call? You mean, she taught you how to do that? Do you think I could learn, too? I like people mind-calling me, it feels cool."
Takeru blinked. "Um…whatever."
Whatever he did, he'd have to call her up here. Once he started moving, he'd start losing consciousness again, and then he'd be in no position to do anything. He started to reach out as though with fingertips, feeling for her mind. When he found it, he called. I'm at the lake now.
She took a while to answer, making him doubt for a moment that she'd heard him. Then he felt her words as strongly as if she were standing right next to him. Then get help and start going down! I'll be there as soon as I can, don't worry. Gennai can hear me, even if he isn't particularly telepathic himself.
Takeru restrained himself from asking what 'telepathic' meant, but only for the moment. He made a mental note to ask her about it later. For the moment, however, his main concern had to be getting down that flight of stairs, and his chances of getting down without falling into the water on either side didn't look to be all that promising. However, he soon found that he needn't have worried. As soon as Gennai moved him onto the steps and made him sit down, they started moving downward, taking him to the bottom of the lake. Gennai unhitched the deer and let them go before following.
-----*****-----
Mimi breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was safe, which could hardly be said of her. They had taken a while to discover the trail, but they'd been hot on her heels for some time already by the point she received the message. Knowing him to be safe, she was able to leave the sheet on the ground and swing up into a tree, not leaving so much as the slightest whiff of her smell, let alone his, on the trunk. This was vital, as she knew from experience that some of them were more than capable of clambering up after her and swinging through the trees much faster than she could jump. She'd have to climb a little further up for better cover and then bring all her noises to a standstill. She knew they could hear her. That's why she'd barely escaped with her life the last time. It took a well-placed sleep-spell and their apparent loyalty to each other to even get far enough away that she could escape. After that they had apparently decided that she was not one to pick a fight with, but not particularly dangerous if left alone, so they left her alone as well. Whatever they were, they were certainly no fools.
Just as she felt she was well enough hidden by the leaves and branches, she heard a twig snap on the ground and instantaneously froze. She didn't even dare to move into a slightly more comfortable position, for fear the branch would creak. Suddenly, and to her utter surprise, she heard voices below.
"Did anyone see where she went?"
"I think she's up a tree…"
"Yeah, but which tree? I can't get a single trail besides the one ending here…"
"She's probably gone by now, anyway. You've seen how she can move through the trees…"
Just then Mimi heard more footsteps nearing. "She tricked us, the murderer is gone."
"This is it! We left her alone until now, but this is called siding with an obvious enemy! You two: go back and burn up her house. Without a shelter, we'll get her sooner or later; even if she's smart enough not to return there immediately."
"And I always thought she was a rare, nice human, who likes animals…"
"Everyone can be wrong once in a while. Apparently we will have to destroy all humans, after all. Where did that false trail lead?"
"To the side of a lake and a couple of deer, who refused to talk. There were no other off-shoots."
"Damn… We'll have to await further developments. For the moment, we should go and await her at the clearing in case she tries to return to her home after all."
After that the footsteps retreated. Mimi breathed a sigh of relief that she had escaped with her life, but then the immensity of what she'd heard struck her. Destroy all humans? Was that her fault for saving that one man's life? Would the price of one person's rescue be the death of a race? She couldn't stand that kind of responsibility! Still, her decision was made and she could hardly go back on it now. And even if she did, it wouldn't make any difference. Wait…he'd only been defending himself! Or was the incident not meant to be an attack in the first place? Was it he who had misunderstood it in the first place? There were so many questions, but Mimi didn't have any answers. Climbing up even higher, she could see over the trees to find a trace of smoke already filing up from the general direction of the only home she had ever known. Her heart sank as she finally accepted her fate. Still, she felt she at least had the right to be mad about it! Raising a fist to the sky, she complained forcefully, though not loudly, "Stupid God, why couldn't you just leave me alone?!"
Silence greeted her, but she had the eerie feeling God was gloating at her, which just served to make her even more angry. Still, she had more important things to do at the moment. Climbing down a ways, she began jumping from tree to tree on her way to the lake. That eccentric old man had better not try to mess with her this time, she was in a worse mood than a snorting rhinoceros getting ready to charge.
-----*****-----
Lord Osamu Ichijouji stood. "The surplus money from this year's budget should go to the treasury to guard against the attack of the Dark Riders! Anyone with any sense can see it's only a matter of time before they attack the country again!"
Head of Council Henry Wong spoke up. "I'm inclined to agree with Takato, your lordship. In view of the long-term environmental issues at stake here, I think we should use it for incentives to cause the farmers to leave some of their fields to lie fallow. Our net food production is too great already, due to the new inventions we have received from the capitol. The farmers export most of the excess to the Dark Riders for a profit. Especially if there is an upcoming war, we will need to solve this problem before it gets out of hand. If the Dark Riders are defeated and enough of them are killed, the food will have nowhere to go…"
Lord Ichijouji smashed his fist down. "And if they defeat us, there might not be any farmers to harvest the fields in the first place! Am I the only one who takes this threat seriously? Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it! Before the last invasion the country also had adequate warning, but did not take it into account! The last invasion was caused by overpopulation on their part. We defeated them, and they found land elsewhere. Even merely the fact that there is such a market for excess food across the borders suggests the smaller people are facing hunger! Before the last invasion, the same sign was given! And it, too, was ignored. You press me to leave the province without resources to help fight a war? How many of you have ever seen war before? The last time we managed to defeat them by diplomacy, but this time that will not suffice! I tell you, they are preparing for the attack, if they have indeed not already mobilized their troops! I cannot permit this movement…"
Just then, everyone grew very quiet and stared at something behind his lordship. He whirled around to see a hologram of the princess, bowing slightly to the assembly. Then she held up a sign. Someone read aloud: "The king has been assassinated and Dark Riders have occupied the Temple. I pray you send reinforcement troops as speedily as possible to join those already marching for the scene of battle. I thank you for your time."
Then, as quickly as it had come, the hologram was gone.
Lord Ichijouji turned to his council. "I trust no one has any more objections to my suggestion?"
"We might still be able to solve this with diplomacy…" Henry began, but Takato intervened.
"I think most of us are on your side. We will take a vote, but I think most of us will be in favor of a war effort. If Prince Taichi is already marching, there is precious little we can do to prevent a war."
Henry wisely held his tongue in the face of the obvious opposition, even from his friend Takato. He didn't want to lose his reputation in the council for the sake of a decision he apparently couldn't do much to change, anyway. The best he could do was to take his defeat gracefully and hope for an opportunity to effect things later. Hence, when the ballots were cast, he voted in favor.
When the votes were counted, there was found to be a unanimous vote in favor of a war effort. However, Lord Ichijouji had one more thing to say. He stood and faced his council. "I consider myself well-guided to name a steward in my absence, who will also, in the event of my death, take on the role of running this province until my son is capable of doing so himself. This man must be thoroughly honest, not apt to invoke any radical changes, and capable of running things smoothly in my absence. Though we have often stood in opposition upon smaller matters, the choice is obvious. I appoint Henry Wong."
Henry stared at him, uncomprehendingly. Perhaps Lord Ichijouji thought more about his people than he let on… "I thank you for your faith in me, my lord. I will do my best to maintain the status quo in your absence, just as you express a desire for me to do."
Lord Ichijouji nodded. "The only major point left on the agenda is the fact that you must vote me the resources to fight this war."
As they settled down for a long debate, Henry took the opportunity to glance at his friend, Takato. He was relatively new to the council, as the last representative of the farmers had to retire, due to his increasing age and the strains of the day's travel from his village to the capitol of the province. All in all, he was taking well to his new role. Henry smiled. He could only hope the war wouldn't actually touch them here and shatter small families like Takato's apart. The brown-haired young man had only recently married a girl called, what was it? Oh, yeah, Jen. Henry hadn't been able to be present at the wedding, as he was otherwise occupied as one of the only permanent members of the council. It wasn't that he was absolutely against war. He knew how to fight if necessary, but he generally preferred other methods to outright battle. Perhaps, after all, he was the right choice for a steward…
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Yamato stood on a rocky outcropping, overlooking a narrow valley with steep, rock-strewn slopes on either side. He smiled. This would be an ideal place to meet the oncoming army, as well as being on the main road running south to the Temple from the capitol, anyway. First of all, it would be impossible for the most likely larger, opposing force to use their superior numbers to their advantage to outflank them: No matter what the size of one's army, only a certain number of men can stand in ranks with limited maneuvering space. Besides, if the man was as rash and tactically inept as the Dark One had judged him to be, then he could use the rocky slopes to hide a good number of men and ambush and outflank his opponent, attacking him from three sides simultaneously. The Dark One was depending on him, and he could hardly let her down! He'd just have to focus on the prince as his opponent, and set it separate from the face that would not leave his consciousness. When he really concentrated on something he could almost forget it for a moment, but as soon as his thoughts were left to themselves, there it was again. He still wasn't quite certain if he could actually kill the owner of that face if he faced him on the field of battle. But it wasn't like he had much choice in the matter. In war you either survived, or you didn't. If you couldn't kill the guy in front of you, he would kill you. Not that Yamato particularly cared either way…but the Dark One was a friend, and she desired for him to live. She had told him so. Unlike himself, friends were worth living for. And then there was his little brother, somewhere on the enemy side. He wondered what he might look like by now. He only vaguely remembered him at all, so it was doubtless he would remember his face. But still, there was the blond hair. Amongst the Dark Riders, hair coloring showed up immediately: Either it was blond or black. It wasn't, say, blond at first to grow out dark later on. His father had told him that his brother was named Takeru and had blond hair, so that would be true. If Yamato decided to escape after the battle, he would follow all the way back to the capitol himself to look for his brother. Since his mother was a permanent resident there, Takeru would probably be there, too. Unless he was even now marching with the enemy…
Yamato shook his head, trying not to think about it. At least for the moment, he had a promise to keep to his commander and friend. Until he was released from that promise, he was obligated to follow through with this wherever it took him. She was his friend, and even if the whole body of the Dark Riders hated him and wanted him to bite the dust, he would stick around as long as he could. He owed her at least that much.
That decision made, he went back to oversee things back at the camp. Now that he knew where the first battle would take place, he could base the rest of his preparations off of that.
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Okay! Well, since that's done, I hope you liked it! It might be a while before I post the next part, since I pretty much had this part done before I posted the first part and I really do have a lot to do. Oh, and a note to those with a little more foreknowledge: Yes, the book with the funny "confused wires" writing was in Chinese. In fact, I was referring specifically to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". It was written in China during the period of the Warring States. I specifically like the version translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Actually, I borrowed heavily from it for the military tactics in this story, all the way down to the assassination of the king in order to get Prince Taichi to react rashly. But I also used some of my knowledge out of military history and my own common sense, as well. I wish I could get a hand on Clausevitz' "On War"! He was a Prussian general…but I'm probably boring most of you to death. But if there is someone out there who reads this and knows where I can get a good copy of "On War", please e-mail me! Thank you!
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