Phoe-chan: Yes, Soushi-niisama did have TB back then but, give him rest
before he gets it. Not too early now or he'll die before he even reaches
the Ikeda-ya affair. And, yes, if you have any more information regarding
oniisama, please do tell.
amakasu toko: I share your pain. He is my oniisama after all. How could he be not popular? *sigh*
KasumiDestruction: Thank you. *sniff* You make me cry...not! ^^x kidding.
Important: How could I be so stupid? Shieikan is a dojo. I totally forgot. Atashi wa totte mo bakayarou na chijin da ze!!! *Some shouts are heard: Kill the author! She gives us wrong information!*
=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=
"Yeargh!"
[Another scream...] Souji thought, [Did he fall, or did he just charge? The wait is too much.] His muscles tensed and his grip on the stone that he sat upon was likely to cause deep marks on his hand. As soon as he tensed, he relaxed once more at the harmony and peace that the garden provided.
The pond reflected the lone light of the moon as well as the overcast shadows of the clouds overhead. It was surrounded by small flowering shrubs and a few rocks and small stone lamps. Either side of the pond was connected by a wooden, yellow bridge without any balustrades or handles on each side. Taller trees were planted against the wall with some reaching up higher than the wall itself.
Hiroki stood behind him in a distance two arms long. He waited like a good servant; not to speak when not spoken to. It was one of the most basic things he had to remember and often times he forgets it completely. He was glad that Souji was not the kind of master that would require him to act like a dog as other masters do. [Maybe he doesn't do it because he doesn't know yet.] He thought out of doubt.
"Nagashima-san," Souji began, "why are you acting as if I would bite you this very instant? You are so close at hand, yet still so utterly distant. What is the matter?" he asked turning to face him.
Hiroki started to open his mouth to answer but no words came as he was cut off by another voice.
"It is the rule for servants." The voice said in a matter-of-fact way. "'Do not speak when you are not spoken to. Do not move unless bidden yet stay close at hand in case needed.' You have to understand that you and he are not of the same level. Quit thinking like a farmer, Souji-san."
"Saitou-san!" Souji turned around giving quite a shocked look as he saw him and another person behind him who he concluded was the other man's servant. "Is it true? I didn't know about it." Nagashima nodded. "Well, what ever the policy may be, I will not go with it. He's still human like you and me, you know. Besides, we aren't sure if they are to be our servants since the results are not yet out."
Saitou sighed. "You'll get used to it soon, somehow. And another thing, it's better to assume that the best will happen because the will is powerful." He shook his head at Hiroshi who had a grin plastered on his face.
"Are you done already, Saitou-san?" Souji changed the topic as he felt quite uncomfortable with it. "Why did you come here?"
"Isn't it obvious that I'm done?" Saitou rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Honestly, you still think like a provincial boy. As for being here; I'd rather stay here than there. Those people keep on screaming as they charge. They are so noisy while contrasting the serene air here."
Souji gave a laugh. "Their screams reach here, too." He said those words just in time as another yell broke the serenity of the place. "There is just no escaping it. I think you did fine, Saitou-san. I didn't hear you complain about yourself screaming. I doubt you have had a hard time dealing with the test, haven't you?"
"Believe it or not, I did." Saitou admitted. "I just have distaste for screaming people. That Yamanami is harder to take down than a all. We ended up in a draw as was decided. I even have to use up to my sanshiki to end up as we did. Just as well, I didn't want to do zeroshiki. I think you're better than anyone else. All of them fell like lump of sacks...well, maybe not Inoue and Toudou. I think Harada did well, too, but I'm not sure since I left almost immediately."
"I think I didn't do well enough." Souji smiled but doubt was evident in his smile. "What happened to me was...I really don't know what...something like when I chase a wolf out of my family's livestock. Like, a farmer trying to protect my livelihood. I don't blame you, though, if you laugh."
Both servants tried to stifle their little chortles to no avail. But with a cutting glance from Saitou, they fell into dead silence. Not even a snicker was heard out of them.
"Saitou-san, it was fine, really." Souji said grabbing him by the shoulders to face him again. "A farmer's son would do that often and, however bad that may turn out to others, I'm still proud of it. I am not abashed; no, not one bit."
"I just hope you live long enough to stand by what you have said." Saitou shook his head. [Farmer or no, this captain must learn the ways of the city. He will be eaten alive if not.]
A long silence stood between them. It was thunderous and more so since no one knew what to say to the other. Other than the ruffling leaves that danced in the whispers of the wind, the only sound that reached the ears of the four people in the garden were the abrupt screams of the people who were spring in the dojo.
Souji's thought drifted out of the walls of the dojo and into the city. There were a lot of things he wanted to discover. Things that were not found in his home. Things that were foreign. Things that may lead him to know things that he should have long before; that he had never heard of in his hometown. The urge screamed out loud at him causing him to ignore the physical din silence around the garden.
The nudging thought did not last long as a servant cam out to them saying, "Sirs, Matsudaira-san requests your presence inside the halls. I think he is to pronounce judgment upon your assay on your swordsmanship skills."
"We shall follow." Souji stood up and nodded at the servant who called them. "Well, Saitou-san. I guess it is now time to final judgment. Good luck to you." With that, he followed the other man inside the dojo wearing a smile on his face.
[At least I don't need to tell him not to wear his heart on his sleeve.] Saitou thought as he followed as well. [That's the one thing he has an advantage over other people and as well as his enemies.]
The wind howled furiously behind them as if preordaining a disaster. Souji heard the howl in realization. It may be a village myth; but to him, it meant something ominous. It may be that he failed or something worse to come but whatever it was, he was ready to face it. Still he was not sure if it was for him or for another, but he was certain it will befall one of the four of them: him, Saitou or either of their servants.
amakasu toko: I share your pain. He is my oniisama after all. How could he be not popular? *sigh*
KasumiDestruction: Thank you. *sniff* You make me cry...not! ^^x kidding.
Important: How could I be so stupid? Shieikan is a dojo. I totally forgot. Atashi wa totte mo bakayarou na chijin da ze!!! *Some shouts are heard: Kill the author! She gives us wrong information!*
=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=8=
"Yeargh!"
[Another scream...] Souji thought, [Did he fall, or did he just charge? The wait is too much.] His muscles tensed and his grip on the stone that he sat upon was likely to cause deep marks on his hand. As soon as he tensed, he relaxed once more at the harmony and peace that the garden provided.
The pond reflected the lone light of the moon as well as the overcast shadows of the clouds overhead. It was surrounded by small flowering shrubs and a few rocks and small stone lamps. Either side of the pond was connected by a wooden, yellow bridge without any balustrades or handles on each side. Taller trees were planted against the wall with some reaching up higher than the wall itself.
Hiroki stood behind him in a distance two arms long. He waited like a good servant; not to speak when not spoken to. It was one of the most basic things he had to remember and often times he forgets it completely. He was glad that Souji was not the kind of master that would require him to act like a dog as other masters do. [Maybe he doesn't do it because he doesn't know yet.] He thought out of doubt.
"Nagashima-san," Souji began, "why are you acting as if I would bite you this very instant? You are so close at hand, yet still so utterly distant. What is the matter?" he asked turning to face him.
Hiroki started to open his mouth to answer but no words came as he was cut off by another voice.
"It is the rule for servants." The voice said in a matter-of-fact way. "'Do not speak when you are not spoken to. Do not move unless bidden yet stay close at hand in case needed.' You have to understand that you and he are not of the same level. Quit thinking like a farmer, Souji-san."
"Saitou-san!" Souji turned around giving quite a shocked look as he saw him and another person behind him who he concluded was the other man's servant. "Is it true? I didn't know about it." Nagashima nodded. "Well, what ever the policy may be, I will not go with it. He's still human like you and me, you know. Besides, we aren't sure if they are to be our servants since the results are not yet out."
Saitou sighed. "You'll get used to it soon, somehow. And another thing, it's better to assume that the best will happen because the will is powerful." He shook his head at Hiroshi who had a grin plastered on his face.
"Are you done already, Saitou-san?" Souji changed the topic as he felt quite uncomfortable with it. "Why did you come here?"
"Isn't it obvious that I'm done?" Saitou rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Honestly, you still think like a provincial boy. As for being here; I'd rather stay here than there. Those people keep on screaming as they charge. They are so noisy while contrasting the serene air here."
Souji gave a laugh. "Their screams reach here, too." He said those words just in time as another yell broke the serenity of the place. "There is just no escaping it. I think you did fine, Saitou-san. I didn't hear you complain about yourself screaming. I doubt you have had a hard time dealing with the test, haven't you?"
"Believe it or not, I did." Saitou admitted. "I just have distaste for screaming people. That Yamanami is harder to take down than a all. We ended up in a draw as was decided. I even have to use up to my sanshiki to end up as we did. Just as well, I didn't want to do zeroshiki. I think you're better than anyone else. All of them fell like lump of sacks...well, maybe not Inoue and Toudou. I think Harada did well, too, but I'm not sure since I left almost immediately."
"I think I didn't do well enough." Souji smiled but doubt was evident in his smile. "What happened to me was...I really don't know what...something like when I chase a wolf out of my family's livestock. Like, a farmer trying to protect my livelihood. I don't blame you, though, if you laugh."
Both servants tried to stifle their little chortles to no avail. But with a cutting glance from Saitou, they fell into dead silence. Not even a snicker was heard out of them.
"Saitou-san, it was fine, really." Souji said grabbing him by the shoulders to face him again. "A farmer's son would do that often and, however bad that may turn out to others, I'm still proud of it. I am not abashed; no, not one bit."
"I just hope you live long enough to stand by what you have said." Saitou shook his head. [Farmer or no, this captain must learn the ways of the city. He will be eaten alive if not.]
A long silence stood between them. It was thunderous and more so since no one knew what to say to the other. Other than the ruffling leaves that danced in the whispers of the wind, the only sound that reached the ears of the four people in the garden were the abrupt screams of the people who were spring in the dojo.
Souji's thought drifted out of the walls of the dojo and into the city. There were a lot of things he wanted to discover. Things that were not found in his home. Things that were foreign. Things that may lead him to know things that he should have long before; that he had never heard of in his hometown. The urge screamed out loud at him causing him to ignore the physical din silence around the garden.
The nudging thought did not last long as a servant cam out to them saying, "Sirs, Matsudaira-san requests your presence inside the halls. I think he is to pronounce judgment upon your assay on your swordsmanship skills."
"We shall follow." Souji stood up and nodded at the servant who called them. "Well, Saitou-san. I guess it is now time to final judgment. Good luck to you." With that, he followed the other man inside the dojo wearing a smile on his face.
[At least I don't need to tell him not to wear his heart on his sleeve.] Saitou thought as he followed as well. [That's the one thing he has an advantage over other people and as well as his enemies.]
The wind howled furiously behind them as if preordaining a disaster. Souji heard the howl in realization. It may be a village myth; but to him, it meant something ominous. It may be that he failed or something worse to come but whatever it was, he was ready to face it. Still he was not sure if it was for him or for another, but he was certain it will befall one of the four of them: him, Saitou or either of their servants.