Disclaimer: Please see the Prologue of Suzaku's Oracle for a blanket disclaimer.
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Warnings: Rated PG-13 or Fiction T. Language. We're dealing with Leikaku bandits here. What else would you expect?
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Notes: 7-27-13 The last eight chapters and the prologue were spent focusing on Aneko, Chichiri, Tasuki, and even Empress Houki. Now it's time to delve deeper into my story. This chapter visit's the Mt. Leikaku Bandits, especially a character we didn't get to see enough of in the anime…Kouji! I always thought it would be fun to see the trials and tribulations Kouji went through, filling in as boss for Genrou. I was excited to realize doing so could serve a necessary purpose in OFG. Along with Kouji comes a whole cast of bandits. Kaneto is the youngest. Tohru is the best cook. Satoshi is Mt. Leikaku's spy. Noboru (mentioned in chapter one) is the best all-around fighter. There are others, too! I figured, if Tasuki's life as a bandit was going to be included in this story, I needed to create the people who were a part of it. ~Sapphire
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Oracles of the Four Gods
"Suzaku's Oracle"
By: Sapphire
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Part Nine ~ Leikaku Traitor
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…...
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Kouji couldn't believe his eyes. Never in his wildest nightmares had he imagined something like this. The solid building that served as the hideout of the Mt. Leikaku bandits lay in smoldering ruins. Nothing short of a massive earthquake could have brought it down; an earthquake just like the one that happened nearly a week ago. But the men, loyal men and friends, they lay strewn about dead, killed by swords, knives, arrows- Human inflicted wounds. Kouji recognized Eito among them and genuinely grieved the loss of the ex-soldier turned bandit. Eito was a decade older than Kouji, but still in his prime. How had this happened? Those that had managed to survive began crawling out of hiding in the surrounding woods.
"Kaneto!" Kouji shouted, spying the young bandit among the gathering surviving men. Kouji knew he could trust this one. The bandit in question looked up sharply at the sound of his name. "What the hell happened here?"
"Mercs," Kaneto replied quickly. "They attacked in broad daylight. No one saw it comin' 'till they were already inside."
"Inside!?" Kouji uttered in disbelief. "Who was on watch?" He looked around at all the men gathered around him. Kouji looked pointedly at Kaneto. "Genrou left me in charge. Who was on watch?" Kaneto swallowed.
"Shigeru," he reluctantly admitted. Kouji felt his stomach heave. Shigeru was one of their best. Kouji couldn't see him among the survivors.
"What happened to 'im?" Kouji asked. The ragged and tattered men before him refused to look him in the eye. All found something far more interesting to look at elsewhere. "Well?"
"He rode off with 'em," Kaneto finally answered.
"Whaddaya mean he rode off with 'em?" Kouji demanded.
"He fought 'long side the mercs. I saw him run a couple a our men through with his blade. He killed Eito. When it was done, he took off with those mercs." Kouji blinked in disbelief. He never would have thought Shigeru, of all the bandits, capable of such betrayal. "He let 'em in," Kaneto said. That last was the final blow. If a man as trusted as Shigeru could turn coat, any of them could. The Mt. Leikaku bandits were falling apart at the seams. Genrou was not going to like this.
"Tell 'im the other thing," one of the others, Daishiro, piped up, talking to Kaneto. Kouji raised his eyebrows, looking pointedly at the men.
"There was this woman," Kaneto started, looking Kouji directly in the eye for the first time. "She was with the mercs." He paused as if deciding how best to proceed. "She's like a demon or somethin'. Before the mercs left, she made the whole mountain shake 'till the burnin' hideout fell." Kouji's eyes darted to the charred piles of rubble. He'd assumed the earthquake had done it, but he'd never thought the earthquake was purposely caused by someone. Hell, he hadn't even known it was possible! He wished Genrou hadn't run off to Eiyou. This was too much responsibility for Kouji's tastes.
"You," he said, quickly pointing at six of the men that had just returned with him. "You make camp over there. That's where we sleep. An' don't forget the horses." They dismounted and started to work immediately. "You," he indicated three others that had been traveling with him. "Patch these guys up, then look for other survivors. If there ain't anybody, bury the dead." They nodded and went right to work. "You," he pointed to the rest of the returned men, "Start cleanin' up that mess." They dismounted and started to clear away the debris, setting aside anything that could be salvaged, and making piles of broken, half-burned planks that could be used for firewood. "Kaneto, Tohru, come with me."
The two men he'd signaled out followed Kouji along the destroyed defensive outer wall and up a winding path that skirted a steep cliff into the hillside. The trees eventually gave way to a clearing, at the back of which was nestled a small stone structure. Kouji headed straight for the door and pried the rotting, wooden thing open. Inside it was dim, but it was dry. It was clean, too, save for a light blanket of dust that had settled with disuse. Kaneto and Tohru hesitated at the threshold after Kouji had gone in.
"Ain't this the old boss' tomb?" Kaneto asked with the faintest hint of fear in his voice.
"Yeah," Tohru replied. "I think yer right."
"It's his tomb, all right," Kouji confirmed. "No one 'll be comin' round listenin' in. They're all scared as you." The two bandits hesitated once more. "The old boss ain't goin' ta get up out of there and start talkin' or nothin'. Get in here." They scurried inside, holding their breath until they were certain a ghost wasn't going to jump out at them.
"So, why'd ya wanna see us?" Tohru asked tenatively.
"'Cause Genrou an' I know Kaneto can be trusted, and you been with the Leikaku Bandits since the old boss' time. You've been behind Genrou since that bastard Eiken tried ta take over," he said. Both men nodded in understanding. "Anything I say in here stays in here. You think you can keep your mouths shut?"
"Sure thing, Kouji," Kaneto agreed. Tohru nodded.
"Good." Kouji leaned heavily on the top of the stone coffin where the old boss was entombed. "This'll be our headquarters," he explained. "We'll make all our plans from here."
"So, what's this all about?" Kaneto asked, all business.
"Genrou went off to Eiyou," Kouji started. "No tellin' when he'll get back. So it's up ta us ta take care a this mess." Both other men nodded. "Kaneto, you know why the mercs attacked?" Kaneto shook his head.
"I think they'll come back," Kaneto theorized. "They acted like they'd be back. And it ain't like mercs ta not loot."
"You got somethin' there," Kouji admitted. Tohru nodded in agreement. Mercs never ransacked a place then left empty handed. They would definitely be back. And there was something of value to be had. There was a stash of treasure they'd accumulated since Genrou took over. It was well hidden, but it was worth the effort to find. There was not enough there to rebuild the entire hideout compound, but to someone out to get richer quicker, it was an opportunity that couldn't be refused lightly. Only he and Genrou knew it's location, and Satoshi too, he suddenly recalled. Nothing got by Satoshi. But all the bandits knew of the treasure's existence. Shigeru knew about the stash, just like everyone else. If he was working for the mercs, it was likely he was the one who tipped them off.
It was customary for the treasury to get a share of the take before the rest was divided out among the men. They used this 'bandit money,' as they called it, to pay for food, a good supply of sake, repairs, horses, all the necessities that a community like theirs required- whatever they didn't manage to steal. If it was the treasure the mercs were after, then it would make sense for them to burn the place down and come back later to sift through the cooled ash to get it.
"Here's what we're gonna do," Kouji said after a long moment of thought. "We gotta fix the outer wall an' the gate. No tellin' when those mercs'll come back." Tohru and Kaneto nodded. "Then, we need supplies from the valley. Most a what we had burned."
"I'll do it," Tohru volunteered. "I'm cook. I know the food ta get. I can figure out what else, too." Kouji nodded.
"I'll give ya the money for it. It'll drain the bandit money. We'll have ta get some more." Kaneto's eyes gleamed with an idea.
"Ol' Lord Shou," he said. "He crossed the pass a week back with a big ol' load a silk. He'll be comin' back any day now with a big ol' load a money!"
"Good," Kouji said, the same gleam in his eye, the kind of gleam a bandit got when there was loot to be had. "You wanna take care a that?"
"Gimme a few men and no problem." Kouji nodded. "Hey," Kaneto suddenly asked. "What you gonna do?"
"I gotta make sure the wall gets done," Kouji reminded. "And there's other stuff. Like worryin' about that woman who makes earthquakes." Kaneto and Tohru both nodded. "Let's go," Kouji said. They quickly left the tomb and replaced the rotting door in the doorway. Then they scurried down the path along the cliff toward the main area of the compound.
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…...
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To be continued…
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Fushigi Akugi: I know, I don't normally do these, but when I originally posted this chapter years ago, my college roommate and I found this funny. Of course, it was three in the morning… I decided to keep this little bit in the post. Enjoy!
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"Tell 'im the other thing," one of the others, Daishiro, piped up, talking to Kaneto. Kouji raised his eyebrows, looking pointedly at the men. Kaneto swallowed, then looked down at the ground, refusing to meet Kouji's eyes.
"Your fly is open."
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(Okay, okay, lame, I know.)
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End Notes: Ack! Bandit-speak! It's so hard to write it consistently, yet make it sound natural when reading it aloud. I know I don't accomplish this 100% of the time, but I try so hard! And since I don't cuss much in my real life (as a nanny that's a really bad habit) it's hard for me to think of swearing as sounding natural. ~Sapphire
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