Title: The Powerful Stranger...
Part: 2/?
Pairings: None (probably at the moment)
Genre: AU, Non-yaoi, maybe, I don't know.
Ratings: Up to you.
Author: Mia_Alexia
Email: Angelic_approdite@hotmail.com
Warnings: Actually, none. Though let me warn you, I have a twisted sense of
humour.
Notes^ I said that I wanted to retire, why haven't I?
Disclaimer: All these characters belong to me! I wish... (In case some
people misunderstood the meaning of this message, it literally means that
NONE of these characters belong to me, well with the exception of Midnight
and Soar, they belong to me! No suing should the breed and name coincide
with any character you own).
----
The town was quiet; the midnight sky twinkled and sparkled with the various constellations. A lone stranger slipped through the town, a glow gleamed from under the stranger's hood, leading him through the dark alleys. A dark shadow prowled, following the lone stranger through the alleys and above them, a slick bird flew overhead watching their every movement.
I should have learnt the spell to cloak my crown from Mum, Kaede thought as he wandered silently through the alleys.
'Kaede, why in the world are we creeping around like thieves? You are the King of this kingdom in case you have not noticed!' Midnight growled, disliking the way they were going around.
'In case you have not noticed, this crown that I was coroneted with keeps glowing in the dark and I do not want people to think that I walk around with a lamp under my hood and so as to keep their curiosity to themselves, I have to lead a concealed life until I reach the palace,' Kaede reasoned while looking out to see if there was anybody on the road that he was about to walk on.
'Kaede!' Midnight snarled as he suddenly leaped into the air to cover Kaede.
'What? What is it?!' Kaede asked in bewilderment, looking around him in shock.
'Wait, I sensed something. Soar, do you see anything from above?' Midnight growled, still observing his surroundings.
'Nope, all is clear... Wait, yes I see something. It is to the left of you, it looks like a child...' Soar replied, circling closer to the ground for a better look in the dark.
'Midnight, why don't you go check it out? Kaede, shape shift and come join me up here,' Soar said, lazily gliding on a nice thermal.
Kaede shape shifted while Midnight watched over him. And as he flew up to meet Soar, he noticed that even though he was a hawk, a crown still sat upon his head and therefore, he was a hawk with a crown which was a very easy target to spot.
'Soar, don't you think it is a little weird that I should have a crown above my head even though I have shape shifted?' Kaede asked, worried that he may get spotted.
'Yes, I know. I have to investigate further into it, maybe we could ask a wizard or witch about this. Once we have settled, I may go and ask someone about it,' Soar replied, looking down below to see what Midnight was doing.
'Kaede, watch out!' voices blasted through his head as Soar screeched and Midnight yowled from below, Kaede's ears were ringing as an arrow whizzed past, nearly striking him in the wing.
'What in the world was that?' Kaede asked Soar and Midnight as he continued to glide in the night sky, focusing on where the arrow had come from.
'It came from down here, I have the perpetrator here,' Midnight replied, his voice hard and cold.
'I am coming,' Kaede said as he glided to a landing behind a large barrel and changed back into a human.
'Soar, do you see anybody else from above?' Kaede asked the hawk as he appeared from behind the barrel, startling the frightened male beneath the panther.
'No, there is nobody else,' Soar replied as he came to a rest on Kaede's forearms.
'Right, lets see what we have here...' Kaede said, igniting a ball of light in the palm of his hand.
The sudden brightness of the light blinded the boy that was struggling to breathe beneath the panther's extremely tense and heavy body. The two creatures peered into the boy's face, noticing his similar colourings to that of Kaede. The boy was cold, bewildered and unsure of what would happen to him.
'Midnight, get off him. I want to see his face,' Kaede order softly, careful not to offend his friends and protectors but to insert his authority gently.
'W...what is going on here?' the boy asked, looking at the two animals nervously and then to Kaede, who was hidden beneath the hood of his cloak.
'Were you the one who shot the arrow?' Kaede asked menacingly, his gaze was cold enough to freeze hell over.
'Y...yes, I did,' the boy stammered, wondering who Kaede was and how he managed to form a ball of light in his hand, so he decided that Kaede was probably a wizard.
'What is your name?' Kaede asked, penetrating the boy's mind, probing into his thoughts.
'Sendoh, Akira Sendoh,' the boy replied having decided to gain confidence since he knew vaguely what the stranger in front of him was.
'Akira Sendoh, do you know that it was my hawk that you shot at?' Kaede asked, his eyes flicking over to where Soar perched on his arm.
'No, I didn't. You see, the eagles around here have been making off with our lambs and other livestock that they can hook their talons into and since it was dark and I only heard the screech it made, I thought it was an eagle trying to make off with more of our livestock,' Akira answered bravely, carefully flicking his gaze over the hawk and the panther.
'I have travelled long and far, perhaps you could provide us with food and lodging?' Kaede asked, looking at the boy closely.
'Sure no problem, my father runs an inn, follow me,' Akira said with a sheepish grin plastered to his face and moved towards the illuminated streets, his hand clutching his bow and quiver.
'Can we trust him?' Midnight asked as they followed behind.
'Yes we can. He is as innocent as he says he is,' Kaede told them, dousing the light in his palm as he saw Akira Sendoh through true sight.
'Why did you not tell him the truth?' Soar asked Kaede, once they had settled in the inn.
'Shh... I will tell you later, his father knows magic and can converse with animals,' Kaede said as an elderly man came from the back room to receive them.
***
Akira Sendoh approached his father, stopping his father before he met the stranger that he had brought with him.
'Father, careful. He is not as he appears to be. I think he is probably a wizard of some sort,' Akira whispered into his father's ears.
Unknown to the both of them, Kaede resided in their present conversation.
'Are you sure?' Akira Senior asked, eyeing Kaede from behind his tall son's head.
'Yeah, he is dressed like a peasant but he created a ball of light in the palm of his hand and only the royals and wizardry folk can do it,' Akira said, getting excited.
'I shall watch myself, now go get refreshments,' Akira Senior replied and proceeded to greet Kaede.
***
'Hail stranger from the night, how may I help you?' the older man addressed him, eyeing the animals he had for companions.
'I would like food and lodging for the night, I am passing through and have just arrived,' Kaede said, probing the old man's mind and saw that the old man was really an innkeeper with true sight.
'Be my guest, I welcome you to eat and sleep freely, it is not often that we get visitors,' the old man said wryly.
'How may I address you?' Kaede asked, respectful of the old man because of the information he had gathered from his probe.
'You can call me Yosuke,' the old man replied, looking intently at Kaede.
'Thank you, Yosuke for your assistance,' Kaede said sincerely.
'Would you like to take off your cloak?' Yosuke asked as Sendoh came back in with the refreshments.
'Could you lead me to my room so that I can refresh myself before coming down for the meal?' Kaede asked as he remembered that he had been given a ring to wear when he was younger and now he knew that the ring had magic to cloak his crown.
'Sure, follow me,' Sendoh said, putting down the tray and moving towards the stairs that lead up to the rooms.
'Midnight, no straying,' Kaede said openly as he followed Sendoh, hoping to throw the old man off.
'Here is the room, toilet is down the hall and to the right, supper is in half an hour,' Sendoh said as he swung open the door of a humble yet decent room.
'Thank you, I will be down shortly,' Kaede said thanking Sendoh and he put down his bags and let the animals in.
As Sendoh went out the door, Kaede flung open his bag and took out a box. In the box was all the jewellery that his mother had been given by his father and those that she had collected over the years and the crown that he was given for his bride. Rummaging through its contents he tossed aside several non-valuables before he finally found what he had been searching for. Trying it on, he found that it was too small, holding it in his palm; he witched it to make it bigger and slid it on his ring finger on his right hand. Checking and satisfied that it worked, he washed and got ready for supper.
'So are the two of you coming down for supper?' Kaede asked the two animals telepathically, the panther, which was lying happily on the bed and the hawk, which was perched on the headboard.
'Yes we are, but remember to bring down the box,' Midnight said as he watched Kaede pack the jewellery back into the box with the pale gold crown for his bride on top.
'Yes of course, I would not want the crown that will go to my bride to go missing now would I?' Kaede asked the two animals sarcastically.
'Here, I'll teach you a spell, to lock the box so only your magic can open it,' Midnight said, recited the verses to Kaede and made him cast the spell over the wooden box.
'Um... Sir, supper is ready,' Sendoh yelled from below.
'Coming!' he yelled.
Kaede immediately used his magic to straighten his clothes and his unruly raven hair. Kaede looked at himself in a basin of water and decided that he looked presentable enough for his host. He walked out of his room and towards the kitchen.
'Good evening, I thank you for providing me with food and lodging for free,' Kaede said as he entered the warm and nicely lit kitchen.
'No, it's o...' Sendoh replied as he turned around, stopping altogether when he saw Rukawa's pale features enhanced by his head full of ebony hair.
'What?' Kaede asked, feeling self-conscious for the first time in his life.
'I... nothing, anyway, it is no problem, it is been a while since we had any guests of any sort,' Sendoh said, bustling about the kitchen, feeling the need to busy himself ever more.
'Um... is there anything I can help you with?' Kaede asked, peering around, using his true sight to see if there was anything wrong with his surroundings.
'No, just go and sit in the room that is adjoining to the right of the kitchen, my father is waiting for you there,' Sendoh replied, feeling out of breath, his heart thudding against his chest.
Kaede walked out; breathing a sigh of relief that the ring had worked and cloaked his crown, if not, he would have a lot of answering to do. As he entered the dining area, Kaede felt a strong wave of magic rush through his being. Looking around, he saw that the Midnight and Soar had settled comfortably in the room, the old man, Yosuke conversing with them.
'Good evening young man, how do you feel now? Your animal friends tell me that you have had a long journey all the way from Kowashita...' Yosuke said, looking inquiringly at Kaede.
'Yes, it was quiet a tiresome journey, but it had to be made,' Kaede said, dragging up a firm smile.
'Oh? Why is that? I mean, wouldn't it be better to have stayed in the village?' Yosuke questioned further, looking utterly curious.
'Yes, but something important came up and I had to leave almost immediately,' Kaede replied tiredly, raking a hand through his hair, the glow from the fire catching the white gold ring on his finger.
'That is a very interesting ring you have on, may I have a look?' Yosuke asked, his attention ensnared by the magical glitter of the light reflecting off the ring.
'Um... I'm not so sure, if you must, but you can only examine it from my finger, it has to remain on all the time,' Kaede explained, looking at the ring that resided on his finger.
'If I must... and I must, for I am so curious, your animal friends said that you would react this way,' Yosuke said, holding Kaede's hands in his old, calloused and wrinkly hands, turning Kaede's hand over to observe the craftsmanship of the ring.
'Is that so? I wonder what else they said about me...' Kaede replied menacingly, shielding his thought and probed the old man's mind.
***
Cloaking his thoughts so that the old man could not hear and so that he could communicate with the animals without them letting the old man in on their conversation. 'Tell me, what exactly did you tell the old man?' Kaede demanded, looking coldly at the two animals.
'I did not say anything, he asked and we answered. And mind your manners young man, you may be the King but you are still a youngling!' Soar screeched, fastening Kaede with a cold gaze of his own, his hawk eyes making it more effective than Kaede's icy sapphires.
'Oh well, at least we didn't tell him that Kaede is the King, Kaede would probably blow a gasket,' Midnight purred, looking carefully at Kaede than at Soar and yowling with laughter to be joined by Soar who screeched along, startling both the old man and Sendoh who was approaching the dining room.
Kaede looked at the panther that was yowling and the hawk that was screeching with laughter and broke into a grin himself.
***
This is a very interesting, this young man, has been very elusive and has avoided answering my main question directly. His ring, I am certain, is made of pure white gold. The texture and the design of the ring is one of the best craftsmanship ever. I have never seen such wonders around these parts and the only other place which houses such wonders is the palace. This ring is not only great in craftsmanship but also has powerful protection magic that has been so well hidden that it could pass for a normal ring with a slight amount of protection magic that has always been made for travellers, the old and wise Yosuke thought to himself as he watched Kaede smile fondly at the two animals making a din.
'Why or rather what are they doing?' Sendoh asked, pulling himself back together after being startled by the awful combination of noises made by the two animals.
'They are laughing, they found something funny to laugh at I suppose,' Kaede replied, a wicked gleam of amusement in his eyes.
'This is a very valuable ring; it possesses powerful protection magic that will be very valuable to you during your travels to Kanagawa. I take it that you inherited the ring?' Yosuke asked, extremely curious.
'I... yes, actually, I have had it ever since I was a child and have been wearing it for quite some time,' Kaede replied, wanting to probe and see where this was all leading but he felt that he should respect the old man's privacy and just listen to the questions to get a clue as to where this was all going.
'Okay, supper is here. Let's eat,' Yosuke said as Sendoh set the table, leaving Kaede mystified and wanting to probe even more.
'Yes, and please, call me Kaede,' Kaede told the old man, tensing a little when the old man looked at him curiously. They ate silently and went to bed, Kaede could not help but feel relieved of a heavy weight set upon him. He lay in bed and thought about his past, present and future before falling asleep. Midnight and Soar stood guard near him, asleep yet awake in case anyone should come in to hurt or disturb Kaede.
The next morning, Kaede woke up to a nice and warm morning, just perfect for setting out. He looked around his room, finally able to wake in a soft and comfortable bed instead on a damp hard ground.
'Good morning Midnight, Soar...' Kaede said with a semblance of cheerfulness, which disappeared when he discovered his companions missing.
Stumbling out of bed, Kaede used his magic to help him dress, groom himself and clean his teeth. After that, he rushed down the stairs in frenzy.
'Good morning Kaede, how are you this morning?' chorused three voices at the same time. Two voices telepathically and Sendoh, who sat at the table eating his breakfast bare-chested looking completely at ease.
'Why didn't you wake me? You made me worry about the both of you, don't you ever do that to me again,' Kaede said, all the words coming out in a rush, stumbling over each other.
'Oh Kaede, stop being such a fussy old grandmother!' Soar said, with a smile in his voice. And if he had a mouth, he would probably be grinning.
'Yes Kaede, as you can see we are fine. But at least it is nice to know that we will and are missed,' Midnight said, almost as if he were smiling.
'Have you had your breakfast?' Kaede asked, still a little concerned about Soar and Midnight.
'Yes mother, we have eaten and are so full that we could not possibly stuff another morsel down our throats even if you tried,' Midnight replied, slinking up to Kaede to rub his smooth pelt against Kaede's leg in an affectionate gesture.
'Oh well, at least you have been fed, we will be setting out soon, so you better fill yourself up,' Kaede said as he knelt down to rub Midnight's soft head and rub his cheek affectionately against Soar who had landed on his arm.
'What a weird boy, he is cold and distant yet with his animals he is so affectionate that he seems to be almost a stranger yet a familiar figure at the same time. What a character!' Sendoh wondered to himself, smiling slightly as he watched the affectionate exchange. 'Um... Kaede, do you want something to eat before you set off?' Sendoh asked, standing up.
'What? Um... ok, yeah sure. But make it simple. Nothing too elaborate,' Kaede said as he got up from his kneeling position with a blush so slight that Sendoh did not notice, knowing that Sendoh had seen his emotional side.
Gathering his emotions, Kaede moved to sit at the dining table. Just as he was about to sit, he realised something that he had been too tired to notice the night before; Akira Sendoh had no sign above his head. He thought long and hard about, he remember what his mother had told him about the commoners. If the commoner were an innkeeper, he would have a sign that he was one and so would his descendents. Old Yosuke had a sign of an inn above his head, but Sendoh did not! Kaede just sat there numb, not knowing what he should feel. Could it be possible that Sendoh also did not have true sight? The moment Sendoh entered the room with Kaede's bowl of soup and crusty bread; he was pierced with a wintry gaze.
'How old are you?' Kaede asked as coldly as he had last night in the alley.
'Um... seventeen, why?' Sendoh asked, not sure where this was leading.
'Do you have true sight?' Kaede persisted, assessing Sendoh once more with true sight, seeing that the older boy did indeed not have a sign above his head.
'Nope, sometimes I think that I was probably some outcast, picked up from somewhere. Even the youngest children here have true sight; it is a little uncomfortable every time I have to go around without it, people wonder if I am abnormal,' Sendoh said in a off-handed manner, shrugging his shoulders.
'No, you are not a commoner. You do not have a sign above your head to indicate that you are a commoner,' Kaede said ruthlessly.
'I don't? Then who am I?' Sendoh asked, mildly surprised at Kaede's persistence.
'I...'Kaede began but was cut off almost immediately when they heard yelling either for or at Yosuke. Immediately both boys rushed out, spying a small crinkly figure and a group of burly men closing in on him.
Boiling with rage, Kaede exercised his mind a little as he approached the group with Midnight by his side and Soar perched on his arm. Sensing that Sendoh also was ready to explode with anger. He experimentally lifted a couple of objects in his view and when he felt that he was ready enough, he stopped walking, a considerable distance from the group. Sendoh stopped as well; shocked that Kaede had not gone to confront the group who was constantly closing in on Yosuke.
'Kaede, aren't you going to save him?' Sendoh said, getting angry with Kaede for stopping and not doing anything.
'I am going to save him, but first you make them come to you, not go to them. Then they will be playing on your grounds and you control the rules,' Kaede replied, broadening his stance and taking a deep breathe.
'You might want to stand aside, things may get rough... I guess not,' Kaede said to Sendoh when he turned and saw a look of mockery and indignation flashed through Sendoh's expressive face.
'This is where the fun begins!' Kaede said, smiling slightly.
'Hey you bullies, picking on an old man? Scared to pick on someone your own size?' Kaede yelled from where he stood, Midnight poised for action, Soar appeared relaxed from his perch, Sendoh looked at Kaede as if he had loss his mind; giving away the element of surprise.
'Little boy, mind your own business, we are just settling some things that you shouldn't meddle in, right old man?' A large man who appeared to be the leader from the centre of the group snarled to Kaede.
'I wonder what the King would think if he were here now,' Kaede yelled back as the group advanced on them, showing Kaede the Royal emblem on the sword sheath even though they were all out of uniform.
'The old geezer is dead, there is nothing he can do anymore, not as if he had done anything right in the first place,' The soldier yelled back, all his men laughing together with him.
'You'll be sorry you said that!' Kaede said coldly, his moment of joviality disappearing so quickly that all the soldiers stopped laughing at once, staring menacingly at him.
'Kaede, you are just agitating them further, do stop,' Sendoh said, pleading with him.
'Kid, leave him alone and stand back and watch, he knows what he is doing, we trained him and he is going to prove that he is better than an entire army of imperial soldiers,' Midnight said to Sendoh, startling Sendoh speechless
'I... did you just speak to me? Did he just speak to me?' Sendoh asked, glancing from Midnight to Kaede and slowly saw Kaede nod his head, his eyes still trained on the advancing crowd. Midnight pushed his body weight against Sendoh's legs forcing him to move backwards. Soar took off from Kaede's arm, giving off an ear-piercing screech, momentarily taking Kaede's opponent's attention off him for a few seconds.
Without a warning, Kaede flickered and appeared in front of the 'battalion commander'. He gave the large man an accurate blow to the ribs, causing him to gasp and flickered back to where he initially was.
'You are not a commoner, no commoner would have been able to have done that, you are some evil wizard bent on over-throwing the imperial family!' the soldier yelled to Kaede after he had regained his breath from the eerily accurate blow.
'No, I am bent of helping the imperial family succeed in their reign, the previous King made many mistakes that the crown prince will right again, as according to the prophecy,' Kaede said softly, using his magic, letting the wind carry his words to the soldiers who were still far away.
'What crown prince? The King never had any children, not with any of his concubines, he threw his Queen out just after their honeymoon, the week after Reyes died,' the soldier said, looking very puzzled and a little afraid of the sorcery used.
'The queen had a son and he will come to set wrong right and the corrupt will pay!' Kaede yelled, rage suffusing him.
The soldiers broke into a run, coming towards Kaede; he let the first wave come, fighting them physically, swinging punches, dodging swing swords and dealing kicks all with the smooth grace of a practised fighter. Then he stood still, the soldiers around him stopped. Kaede took a breath and all the soldiers skidded backwards slightly, a look of puzzlement imprinted on their faces. A cold smile curled his lips and he turned to face Sendoh, straightening his clothes, he smiled warmly and winked his right eye and the soldiers on his right flew some distance and crumpled to the ground as if some great force had hit them. The rest of the soldiers were stunned, even Sendoh's jaw had dropped.
'Shut your jaws Sendoh, that was nothing,' Kaede telepath to Sendoh, his mind voice as cold as his expression. Watching Sendoh self-consciously close his mouth and gulp. Kaede began to walk towards Sendoh, leaving the soldiers behind.
'Hey, where are you going? We're not done yet!' the commander yelled from his position behind
'No? I thought we were done already,' Kaede said nonchalantly, his back still facing the crowd, glancing at the crumpled pile of soldiers. 'No, by some air of sorcery you were able to manage that even though you are some filthy commoner,' the commander said, gathering his men with a yell. They all raced towards Kaede, who stood his ground and without even moving, all the soldiers around him flew, slammed into anything that was in their way and crumpled heavily to the ground.
'What in the world? How did you do that?' Sendoh demanded as he gazed wide- eyed at the entire courtyard littered with crumpled soldiers who could not withstand the pressure of whatever that had hit them.
'Simple, mind-power,' Kaede said as he tapped the side of his head lightly. Looking to where Yosuke was, Kaede summoned him. From where he stood, Yosuke flickered and vanish to appear in front of them.
'Are you hurt father?' Sendoh asked, concerned for the old man, checking to see if he had any bruises.
'I'm fine Sendoh, why don't you go inside and prepare breakfast for Kaede?' Yosuke asked Sendoh wearily.
'Yes father,' Sendoh mumbled although he was fuming mad inside.
'Tell me Kaede, is there by any chance that you are the crown prince? I have my suspicions about you, especially when you came here yesterday night,' Yosuke said to Kaede, seeing that Kaede was a little stumped.
'I'm... I don't know what you are talking about,' Kaede protested unconvincingly.
'Oh Kaede, come on now. You can't fool an old minister of the court, especially not one who watched your father grow up and marry your mother,' Yosuke said nonchalantly, glancing at Kaede from the corner of his eye and seeing a very stumped boy.
'How...?' Kaede asked in puzzlement, then glaring slightly at Midnight and Soar who both tried their best to appear the innocent party.
'Oh yes, they told me and they even told me the story of your birth,' Yosuke said gently, trying to calm the fuming Kaede who had appeared very calm even during his battle with the soldiers.
'Oh you animals are impossible, I don't know why I even bother travelling with you,' Kaede said, fuming mad.
'Nah Kaede, you are such a softie and plus, we swore eternal loyalty to you,' both the animals said happily.
'Oh man, a lifetime stuck to these two, what could be worse?' Kaede groaned in amusement, his anger diffusing quickly.
'Seriously your majesty, I think you should be serious about this. How, if I may ask are you going to get to the palace? Those corrupt officials still reside there and they can't see the crown since they are of royal descent,' Yosuke said, worried for Kaede's safety.
'Don't worry, I will manage, now about Sendoh...' was all Kaede managed to say before he heard somebody yelling to him to watch himself and then he felt a heavyweight fall onto him and knock him out cold.
~ The End ~
The town was quiet; the midnight sky twinkled and sparkled with the various constellations. A lone stranger slipped through the town, a glow gleamed from under the stranger's hood, leading him through the dark alleys. A dark shadow prowled, following the lone stranger through the alleys and above them, a slick bird flew overhead watching their every movement.
I should have learnt the spell to cloak my crown from Mum, Kaede thought as he wandered silently through the alleys.
'Kaede, why in the world are we creeping around like thieves? You are the King of this kingdom in case you have not noticed!' Midnight growled, disliking the way they were going around.
'In case you have not noticed, this crown that I was coroneted with keeps glowing in the dark and I do not want people to think that I walk around with a lamp under my hood and so as to keep their curiosity to themselves, I have to lead a concealed life until I reach the palace,' Kaede reasoned while looking out to see if there was anybody on the road that he was about to walk on.
'Kaede!' Midnight snarled as he suddenly leaped into the air to cover Kaede.
'What? What is it?!' Kaede asked in bewilderment, looking around him in shock.
'Wait, I sensed something. Soar, do you see anything from above?' Midnight growled, still observing his surroundings.
'Nope, all is clear... Wait, yes I see something. It is to the left of you, it looks like a child...' Soar replied, circling closer to the ground for a better look in the dark.
'Midnight, why don't you go check it out? Kaede, shape shift and come join me up here,' Soar said, lazily gliding on a nice thermal.
Kaede shape shifted while Midnight watched over him. And as he flew up to meet Soar, he noticed that even though he was a hawk, a crown still sat upon his head and therefore, he was a hawk with a crown which was a very easy target to spot.
'Soar, don't you think it is a little weird that I should have a crown above my head even though I have shape shifted?' Kaede asked, worried that he may get spotted.
'Yes, I know. I have to investigate further into it, maybe we could ask a wizard or witch about this. Once we have settled, I may go and ask someone about it,' Soar replied, looking down below to see what Midnight was doing.
'Kaede, watch out!' voices blasted through his head as Soar screeched and Midnight yowled from below, Kaede's ears were ringing as an arrow whizzed past, nearly striking him in the wing.
'What in the world was that?' Kaede asked Soar and Midnight as he continued to glide in the night sky, focusing on where the arrow had come from.
'It came from down here, I have the perpetrator here,' Midnight replied, his voice hard and cold.
'I am coming,' Kaede said as he glided to a landing behind a large barrel and changed back into a human.
'Soar, do you see anybody else from above?' Kaede asked the hawk as he appeared from behind the barrel, startling the frightened male beneath the panther.
'No, there is nobody else,' Soar replied as he came to a rest on Kaede's forearms.
'Right, lets see what we have here...' Kaede said, igniting a ball of light in the palm of his hand.
The sudden brightness of the light blinded the boy that was struggling to breathe beneath the panther's extremely tense and heavy body. The two creatures peered into the boy's face, noticing his similar colourings to that of Kaede. The boy was cold, bewildered and unsure of what would happen to him.
'Midnight, get off him. I want to see his face,' Kaede order softly, careful not to offend his friends and protectors but to insert his authority gently.
'W...what is going on here?' the boy asked, looking at the two animals nervously and then to Kaede, who was hidden beneath the hood of his cloak.
'Were you the one who shot the arrow?' Kaede asked menacingly, his gaze was cold enough to freeze hell over.
'Y...yes, I did,' the boy stammered, wondering who Kaede was and how he managed to form a ball of light in his hand, so he decided that Kaede was probably a wizard.
'What is your name?' Kaede asked, penetrating the boy's mind, probing into his thoughts.
'Sendoh, Akira Sendoh,' the boy replied having decided to gain confidence since he knew vaguely what the stranger in front of him was.
'Akira Sendoh, do you know that it was my hawk that you shot at?' Kaede asked, his eyes flicking over to where Soar perched on his arm.
'No, I didn't. You see, the eagles around here have been making off with our lambs and other livestock that they can hook their talons into and since it was dark and I only heard the screech it made, I thought it was an eagle trying to make off with more of our livestock,' Akira answered bravely, carefully flicking his gaze over the hawk and the panther.
'I have travelled long and far, perhaps you could provide us with food and lodging?' Kaede asked, looking at the boy closely.
'Sure no problem, my father runs an inn, follow me,' Akira said with a sheepish grin plastered to his face and moved towards the illuminated streets, his hand clutching his bow and quiver.
'Can we trust him?' Midnight asked as they followed behind.
'Yes we can. He is as innocent as he says he is,' Kaede told them, dousing the light in his palm as he saw Akira Sendoh through true sight.
'Why did you not tell him the truth?' Soar asked Kaede, once they had settled in the inn.
'Shh... I will tell you later, his father knows magic and can converse with animals,' Kaede said as an elderly man came from the back room to receive them.
***
Akira Sendoh approached his father, stopping his father before he met the stranger that he had brought with him.
'Father, careful. He is not as he appears to be. I think he is probably a wizard of some sort,' Akira whispered into his father's ears.
Unknown to the both of them, Kaede resided in their present conversation.
'Are you sure?' Akira Senior asked, eyeing Kaede from behind his tall son's head.
'Yeah, he is dressed like a peasant but he created a ball of light in the palm of his hand and only the royals and wizardry folk can do it,' Akira said, getting excited.
'I shall watch myself, now go get refreshments,' Akira Senior replied and proceeded to greet Kaede.
***
'Hail stranger from the night, how may I help you?' the older man addressed him, eyeing the animals he had for companions.
'I would like food and lodging for the night, I am passing through and have just arrived,' Kaede said, probing the old man's mind and saw that the old man was really an innkeeper with true sight.
'Be my guest, I welcome you to eat and sleep freely, it is not often that we get visitors,' the old man said wryly.
'How may I address you?' Kaede asked, respectful of the old man because of the information he had gathered from his probe.
'You can call me Yosuke,' the old man replied, looking intently at Kaede.
'Thank you, Yosuke for your assistance,' Kaede said sincerely.
'Would you like to take off your cloak?' Yosuke asked as Sendoh came back in with the refreshments.
'Could you lead me to my room so that I can refresh myself before coming down for the meal?' Kaede asked as he remembered that he had been given a ring to wear when he was younger and now he knew that the ring had magic to cloak his crown.
'Sure, follow me,' Sendoh said, putting down the tray and moving towards the stairs that lead up to the rooms.
'Midnight, no straying,' Kaede said openly as he followed Sendoh, hoping to throw the old man off.
'Here is the room, toilet is down the hall and to the right, supper is in half an hour,' Sendoh said as he swung open the door of a humble yet decent room.
'Thank you, I will be down shortly,' Kaede said thanking Sendoh and he put down his bags and let the animals in.
As Sendoh went out the door, Kaede flung open his bag and took out a box. In the box was all the jewellery that his mother had been given by his father and those that she had collected over the years and the crown that he was given for his bride. Rummaging through its contents he tossed aside several non-valuables before he finally found what he had been searching for. Trying it on, he found that it was too small, holding it in his palm; he witched it to make it bigger and slid it on his ring finger on his right hand. Checking and satisfied that it worked, he washed and got ready for supper.
'So are the two of you coming down for supper?' Kaede asked the two animals telepathically, the panther, which was lying happily on the bed and the hawk, which was perched on the headboard.
'Yes we are, but remember to bring down the box,' Midnight said as he watched Kaede pack the jewellery back into the box with the pale gold crown for his bride on top.
'Yes of course, I would not want the crown that will go to my bride to go missing now would I?' Kaede asked the two animals sarcastically.
'Here, I'll teach you a spell, to lock the box so only your magic can open it,' Midnight said, recited the verses to Kaede and made him cast the spell over the wooden box.
'Um... Sir, supper is ready,' Sendoh yelled from below.
'Coming!' he yelled.
Kaede immediately used his magic to straighten his clothes and his unruly raven hair. Kaede looked at himself in a basin of water and decided that he looked presentable enough for his host. He walked out of his room and towards the kitchen.
'Good evening, I thank you for providing me with food and lodging for free,' Kaede said as he entered the warm and nicely lit kitchen.
'No, it's o...' Sendoh replied as he turned around, stopping altogether when he saw Rukawa's pale features enhanced by his head full of ebony hair.
'What?' Kaede asked, feeling self-conscious for the first time in his life.
'I... nothing, anyway, it is no problem, it is been a while since we had any guests of any sort,' Sendoh said, bustling about the kitchen, feeling the need to busy himself ever more.
'Um... is there anything I can help you with?' Kaede asked, peering around, using his true sight to see if there was anything wrong with his surroundings.
'No, just go and sit in the room that is adjoining to the right of the kitchen, my father is waiting for you there,' Sendoh replied, feeling out of breath, his heart thudding against his chest.
Kaede walked out; breathing a sigh of relief that the ring had worked and cloaked his crown, if not, he would have a lot of answering to do. As he entered the dining area, Kaede felt a strong wave of magic rush through his being. Looking around, he saw that the Midnight and Soar had settled comfortably in the room, the old man, Yosuke conversing with them.
'Good evening young man, how do you feel now? Your animal friends tell me that you have had a long journey all the way from Kowashita...' Yosuke said, looking inquiringly at Kaede.
'Yes, it was quiet a tiresome journey, but it had to be made,' Kaede said, dragging up a firm smile.
'Oh? Why is that? I mean, wouldn't it be better to have stayed in the village?' Yosuke questioned further, looking utterly curious.
'Yes, but something important came up and I had to leave almost immediately,' Kaede replied tiredly, raking a hand through his hair, the glow from the fire catching the white gold ring on his finger.
'That is a very interesting ring you have on, may I have a look?' Yosuke asked, his attention ensnared by the magical glitter of the light reflecting off the ring.
'Um... I'm not so sure, if you must, but you can only examine it from my finger, it has to remain on all the time,' Kaede explained, looking at the ring that resided on his finger.
'If I must... and I must, for I am so curious, your animal friends said that you would react this way,' Yosuke said, holding Kaede's hands in his old, calloused and wrinkly hands, turning Kaede's hand over to observe the craftsmanship of the ring.
'Is that so? I wonder what else they said about me...' Kaede replied menacingly, shielding his thought and probed the old man's mind.
***
Cloaking his thoughts so that the old man could not hear and so that he could communicate with the animals without them letting the old man in on their conversation. 'Tell me, what exactly did you tell the old man?' Kaede demanded, looking coldly at the two animals.
'I did not say anything, he asked and we answered. And mind your manners young man, you may be the King but you are still a youngling!' Soar screeched, fastening Kaede with a cold gaze of his own, his hawk eyes making it more effective than Kaede's icy sapphires.
'Oh well, at least we didn't tell him that Kaede is the King, Kaede would probably blow a gasket,' Midnight purred, looking carefully at Kaede than at Soar and yowling with laughter to be joined by Soar who screeched along, startling both the old man and Sendoh who was approaching the dining room.
Kaede looked at the panther that was yowling and the hawk that was screeching with laughter and broke into a grin himself.
***
This is a very interesting, this young man, has been very elusive and has avoided answering my main question directly. His ring, I am certain, is made of pure white gold. The texture and the design of the ring is one of the best craftsmanship ever. I have never seen such wonders around these parts and the only other place which houses such wonders is the palace. This ring is not only great in craftsmanship but also has powerful protection magic that has been so well hidden that it could pass for a normal ring with a slight amount of protection magic that has always been made for travellers, the old and wise Yosuke thought to himself as he watched Kaede smile fondly at the two animals making a din.
'Why or rather what are they doing?' Sendoh asked, pulling himself back together after being startled by the awful combination of noises made by the two animals.
'They are laughing, they found something funny to laugh at I suppose,' Kaede replied, a wicked gleam of amusement in his eyes.
'This is a very valuable ring; it possesses powerful protection magic that will be very valuable to you during your travels to Kanagawa. I take it that you inherited the ring?' Yosuke asked, extremely curious.
'I... yes, actually, I have had it ever since I was a child and have been wearing it for quite some time,' Kaede replied, wanting to probe and see where this was all leading but he felt that he should respect the old man's privacy and just listen to the questions to get a clue as to where this was all going.
'Okay, supper is here. Let's eat,' Yosuke said as Sendoh set the table, leaving Kaede mystified and wanting to probe even more.
'Yes, and please, call me Kaede,' Kaede told the old man, tensing a little when the old man looked at him curiously. They ate silently and went to bed, Kaede could not help but feel relieved of a heavy weight set upon him. He lay in bed and thought about his past, present and future before falling asleep. Midnight and Soar stood guard near him, asleep yet awake in case anyone should come in to hurt or disturb Kaede.
The next morning, Kaede woke up to a nice and warm morning, just perfect for setting out. He looked around his room, finally able to wake in a soft and comfortable bed instead on a damp hard ground.
'Good morning Midnight, Soar...' Kaede said with a semblance of cheerfulness, which disappeared when he discovered his companions missing.
Stumbling out of bed, Kaede used his magic to help him dress, groom himself and clean his teeth. After that, he rushed down the stairs in frenzy.
'Good morning Kaede, how are you this morning?' chorused three voices at the same time. Two voices telepathically and Sendoh, who sat at the table eating his breakfast bare-chested looking completely at ease.
'Why didn't you wake me? You made me worry about the both of you, don't you ever do that to me again,' Kaede said, all the words coming out in a rush, stumbling over each other.
'Oh Kaede, stop being such a fussy old grandmother!' Soar said, with a smile in his voice. And if he had a mouth, he would probably be grinning.
'Yes Kaede, as you can see we are fine. But at least it is nice to know that we will and are missed,' Midnight said, almost as if he were smiling.
'Have you had your breakfast?' Kaede asked, still a little concerned about Soar and Midnight.
'Yes mother, we have eaten and are so full that we could not possibly stuff another morsel down our throats even if you tried,' Midnight replied, slinking up to Kaede to rub his smooth pelt against Kaede's leg in an affectionate gesture.
'Oh well, at least you have been fed, we will be setting out soon, so you better fill yourself up,' Kaede said as he knelt down to rub Midnight's soft head and rub his cheek affectionately against Soar who had landed on his arm.
'What a weird boy, he is cold and distant yet with his animals he is so affectionate that he seems to be almost a stranger yet a familiar figure at the same time. What a character!' Sendoh wondered to himself, smiling slightly as he watched the affectionate exchange. 'Um... Kaede, do you want something to eat before you set off?' Sendoh asked, standing up.
'What? Um... ok, yeah sure. But make it simple. Nothing too elaborate,' Kaede said as he got up from his kneeling position with a blush so slight that Sendoh did not notice, knowing that Sendoh had seen his emotional side.
Gathering his emotions, Kaede moved to sit at the dining table. Just as he was about to sit, he realised something that he had been too tired to notice the night before; Akira Sendoh had no sign above his head. He thought long and hard about, he remember what his mother had told him about the commoners. If the commoner were an innkeeper, he would have a sign that he was one and so would his descendents. Old Yosuke had a sign of an inn above his head, but Sendoh did not! Kaede just sat there numb, not knowing what he should feel. Could it be possible that Sendoh also did not have true sight? The moment Sendoh entered the room with Kaede's bowl of soup and crusty bread; he was pierced with a wintry gaze.
'How old are you?' Kaede asked as coldly as he had last night in the alley.
'Um... seventeen, why?' Sendoh asked, not sure where this was leading.
'Do you have true sight?' Kaede persisted, assessing Sendoh once more with true sight, seeing that the older boy did indeed not have a sign above his head.
'Nope, sometimes I think that I was probably some outcast, picked up from somewhere. Even the youngest children here have true sight; it is a little uncomfortable every time I have to go around without it, people wonder if I am abnormal,' Sendoh said in a off-handed manner, shrugging his shoulders.
'No, you are not a commoner. You do not have a sign above your head to indicate that you are a commoner,' Kaede said ruthlessly.
'I don't? Then who am I?' Sendoh asked, mildly surprised at Kaede's persistence.
'I...'Kaede began but was cut off almost immediately when they heard yelling either for or at Yosuke. Immediately both boys rushed out, spying a small crinkly figure and a group of burly men closing in on him.
Boiling with rage, Kaede exercised his mind a little as he approached the group with Midnight by his side and Soar perched on his arm. Sensing that Sendoh also was ready to explode with anger. He experimentally lifted a couple of objects in his view and when he felt that he was ready enough, he stopped walking, a considerable distance from the group. Sendoh stopped as well; shocked that Kaede had not gone to confront the group who was constantly closing in on Yosuke.
'Kaede, aren't you going to save him?' Sendoh said, getting angry with Kaede for stopping and not doing anything.
'I am going to save him, but first you make them come to you, not go to them. Then they will be playing on your grounds and you control the rules,' Kaede replied, broadening his stance and taking a deep breathe.
'You might want to stand aside, things may get rough... I guess not,' Kaede said to Sendoh when he turned and saw a look of mockery and indignation flashed through Sendoh's expressive face.
'This is where the fun begins!' Kaede said, smiling slightly.
'Hey you bullies, picking on an old man? Scared to pick on someone your own size?' Kaede yelled from where he stood, Midnight poised for action, Soar appeared relaxed from his perch, Sendoh looked at Kaede as if he had loss his mind; giving away the element of surprise.
'Little boy, mind your own business, we are just settling some things that you shouldn't meddle in, right old man?' A large man who appeared to be the leader from the centre of the group snarled to Kaede.
'I wonder what the King would think if he were here now,' Kaede yelled back as the group advanced on them, showing Kaede the Royal emblem on the sword sheath even though they were all out of uniform.
'The old geezer is dead, there is nothing he can do anymore, not as if he had done anything right in the first place,' The soldier yelled back, all his men laughing together with him.
'You'll be sorry you said that!' Kaede said coldly, his moment of joviality disappearing so quickly that all the soldiers stopped laughing at once, staring menacingly at him.
'Kaede, you are just agitating them further, do stop,' Sendoh said, pleading with him.
'Kid, leave him alone and stand back and watch, he knows what he is doing, we trained him and he is going to prove that he is better than an entire army of imperial soldiers,' Midnight said to Sendoh, startling Sendoh speechless
'I... did you just speak to me? Did he just speak to me?' Sendoh asked, glancing from Midnight to Kaede and slowly saw Kaede nod his head, his eyes still trained on the advancing crowd. Midnight pushed his body weight against Sendoh's legs forcing him to move backwards. Soar took off from Kaede's arm, giving off an ear-piercing screech, momentarily taking Kaede's opponent's attention off him for a few seconds.
Without a warning, Kaede flickered and appeared in front of the 'battalion commander'. He gave the large man an accurate blow to the ribs, causing him to gasp and flickered back to where he initially was.
'You are not a commoner, no commoner would have been able to have done that, you are some evil wizard bent on over-throwing the imperial family!' the soldier yelled to Kaede after he had regained his breath from the eerily accurate blow.
'No, I am bent of helping the imperial family succeed in their reign, the previous King made many mistakes that the crown prince will right again, as according to the prophecy,' Kaede said softly, using his magic, letting the wind carry his words to the soldiers who were still far away.
'What crown prince? The King never had any children, not with any of his concubines, he threw his Queen out just after their honeymoon, the week after Reyes died,' the soldier said, looking very puzzled and a little afraid of the sorcery used.
'The queen had a son and he will come to set wrong right and the corrupt will pay!' Kaede yelled, rage suffusing him.
The soldiers broke into a run, coming towards Kaede; he let the first wave come, fighting them physically, swinging punches, dodging swing swords and dealing kicks all with the smooth grace of a practised fighter. Then he stood still, the soldiers around him stopped. Kaede took a breath and all the soldiers skidded backwards slightly, a look of puzzlement imprinted on their faces. A cold smile curled his lips and he turned to face Sendoh, straightening his clothes, he smiled warmly and winked his right eye and the soldiers on his right flew some distance and crumpled to the ground as if some great force had hit them. The rest of the soldiers were stunned, even Sendoh's jaw had dropped.
'Shut your jaws Sendoh, that was nothing,' Kaede telepath to Sendoh, his mind voice as cold as his expression. Watching Sendoh self-consciously close his mouth and gulp. Kaede began to walk towards Sendoh, leaving the soldiers behind.
'Hey, where are you going? We're not done yet!' the commander yelled from his position behind
'No? I thought we were done already,' Kaede said nonchalantly, his back still facing the crowd, glancing at the crumpled pile of soldiers. 'No, by some air of sorcery you were able to manage that even though you are some filthy commoner,' the commander said, gathering his men with a yell. They all raced towards Kaede, who stood his ground and without even moving, all the soldiers around him flew, slammed into anything that was in their way and crumpled heavily to the ground.
'What in the world? How did you do that?' Sendoh demanded as he gazed wide- eyed at the entire courtyard littered with crumpled soldiers who could not withstand the pressure of whatever that had hit them.
'Simple, mind-power,' Kaede said as he tapped the side of his head lightly. Looking to where Yosuke was, Kaede summoned him. From where he stood, Yosuke flickered and vanish to appear in front of them.
'Are you hurt father?' Sendoh asked, concerned for the old man, checking to see if he had any bruises.
'I'm fine Sendoh, why don't you go inside and prepare breakfast for Kaede?' Yosuke asked Sendoh wearily.
'Yes father,' Sendoh mumbled although he was fuming mad inside.
'Tell me Kaede, is there by any chance that you are the crown prince? I have my suspicions about you, especially when you came here yesterday night,' Yosuke said to Kaede, seeing that Kaede was a little stumped.
'I'm... I don't know what you are talking about,' Kaede protested unconvincingly.
'Oh Kaede, come on now. You can't fool an old minister of the court, especially not one who watched your father grow up and marry your mother,' Yosuke said nonchalantly, glancing at Kaede from the corner of his eye and seeing a very stumped boy.
'How...?' Kaede asked in puzzlement, then glaring slightly at Midnight and Soar who both tried their best to appear the innocent party.
'Oh yes, they told me and they even told me the story of your birth,' Yosuke said gently, trying to calm the fuming Kaede who had appeared very calm even during his battle with the soldiers.
'Oh you animals are impossible, I don't know why I even bother travelling with you,' Kaede said, fuming mad.
'Nah Kaede, you are such a softie and plus, we swore eternal loyalty to you,' both the animals said happily.
'Oh man, a lifetime stuck to these two, what could be worse?' Kaede groaned in amusement, his anger diffusing quickly.
'Seriously your majesty, I think you should be serious about this. How, if I may ask are you going to get to the palace? Those corrupt officials still reside there and they can't see the crown since they are of royal descent,' Yosuke said, worried for Kaede's safety.
'Don't worry, I will manage, now about Sendoh...' was all Kaede managed to say before he heard somebody yelling to him to watch himself and then he felt a heavyweight fall onto him and knock him out cold.
~ The End ~