© December 2002
All I need
By Youjibaracuda
~*~SIX~*~
Irishiko crossed her arms, closing her eyes as she heard the rest of the members of the Akan discuss the matter she had brought to them.
Those who had been part of the Akan for longer instantly resented Korin's involvement with anything, whereas the younger members, though not completely understanding what was going on, still understood that their plans had been changed for the worse.
"Listen, whatever we do, we have to rescue the inventor and the Queen," Ero interrupted everyone's conversation.
"We need a plan. Iri-sama," he continued, turning to the woman who was sitting in the corner of the wagon they were all sitting in, her head resting against one of the walls, "You said you had already thought of something."
All eyes turned to their leader.
"The Boss always has a plan," Pyelio (or Pye for short) spoke up. One of the youngest of the group, Pye looked up to Irishiko, believing that she could do no wrong.
Irishiko pushed herself up and moved to the table where everyone else had gathered a while just before sunset.
She slowly looked to each of the members of the Akarui Kon. Standing next to her was the ever faithful Ero, his long fiery hair tied back loosely, letting a couple of wisps fall into his grey eyes. Sitting next to Ero were Jasper and Natalia Kain. They were forty three and thirty nine, respectively, and, being happily married for fifteen years, were part of the original Akan. They were also the Akan's resident explosives experts. They looked to Irishiko with complete faith, trusting in her abilities.
"I think we have to follow along with what Korin as ordered us to do," Irishiko began.
"WHAT?!" Byron Alveria cried, "You're going to go along with that bastard?!"
The thirty four year old was usually very gentle and kind (though a bit on the ditsy side of platinum blonde), and had a physique that had made more than one lady drool. However, his immaculate appearance and gentlemanly ways only hid the fact that his fencing abilities were lethal. Though, at this moment, his manners were thrown out the window at the preposterous proposal of the brown haired woman before him. He remembered all too well what had happened five years ago and wondered why Irishiko seemed so calm about it all.
"Will you let me finish?" an irritated Irishiko glared at the hazel eyed man. "I have no intention of doing what he wants, but the fact is that we still have to rescue Lancen from the CeJalii and if we want to keep the Fanelian Queen alive, we have to do it in less than seven days….Six actually."
She leaned forward to look at everyone in the eye. "I don't want this to get out. If the CeJalii find out that we know where they're hiding the inventor, this could all go down the drain."
"You know where Lancen is?" Ran Salkur spoke up. He was a physically well built man of an age between thirty and forty (no one was actually sure how old he was). His body was his weapon and he kept it in very fine condition. He was a damn good cook too.
Ero looked to the stoic twenty five year old who sat to the right with crossed arms. "I think Ivan could tell us."
Ivan LeRon was the perfect three Cs: calm, cool, and collected. Nothing could phase this guy. He lifted his gaze to Ero and shook his black hair out of his amber eyes.
"I overheard some CeJalii talking when we passed through Basram. They said they were keeping someone important in one of the wherehouses on the docks of Ezgardia."
"Hmph. 'Overheard'? More you like you beat it out of them," Pye teased.
Ivan shot the blue haired man an icy glare before closing his eyes and returning to his original position. Though it sometimes didn't look it, Pye and Ivan were very good friends, rarely finding one without the other. Pye was Ivan's junior by five years, but his small and sleek frame along with his shaggy cut straight blue hair made him look like he was sixteen as opposed to the twenty that he was. He was a pick pocket by nature, and could get into any locked/barricaded/fortified place in the blink of an eye (which was exactly why Irishiko kept him around). He had grown up with Ivan and his younger sister Ephrye in a small town on the outskirts of Palas. He and Ivan had joined with the Akan three years ago along with Ran.
Irishiko ignored the two boys and continued, "I don't want all of us to go. I'm going to go and get Lancen back while the rest of you continue to head for Zaibach as planned, only you'll take a regular route."
"You're not going alone, love," Natalia spoke up. "It's impossible for you do it by yourself in less than seven days."
"I agree," Jasper said firmly. "You have to do this with a team."
"Fine," Irishiko consented, "I'll take Pye and Ivan for infiltration and reconnaissance."
"You're going to take me too," Ero told her. "The only way to catch Korin off guard is to complete this mission before he expects us to. In order to do that, you have to take me."
"Ero, I need you to be in charge here while we're gone," Irishiko argued.
"I'm more use to you if I go along," Ero countered. "You'll be back in Fanelia with Lancen within five days, most likely less, I promise."
Irishiko sighed and knew he was right. She just didn't like the idea of going with more than three people, but Ivan and Pye were essential. If she took anyone else, someone who ran into the rest of the Akan would notice a considerable number was missing and that would arouse suspicion. She nodded her head towards Jasper.
"Alright then. Jasper, you'll have immediate command authority while we're away. I want you to take the long road to Zaibach, and make sure that you're seen. As far as Gaea is concerned the Akarui Kon will be traveling towards Zaibach. NO ONE is to know about this operation, is that understood?"
"Yes, m'am," Jasper nodded his grey head at her.
"I know I can trust you," Irishiko smirked at him.
"Well, I wouldn't be too sure," Natalia said, tossing her long curly violet hair over her shoulder. "Maybe all the power will go to his head."
There was a collective chuckle from the group as they felt the tension in the air being released.
"Vixen! Be quiet!" Jasper turned to his wife with a glare, but mischief playing in his dark eyes, "You say another word, I'll blow you sky high!"
"See, Iri? This is the kind of leadership you're leaving us with?" Natalia said, her violet eyes twinkling.
"I'm sure you'll work it out," Irishiko said in an amused tone. "The four of us will move out before dawn then, and I want you to leave around mid-afternoon of tomorrow, Jasper. With any luck we'll all arrive in Zaibach at the same time."
"Sounds like a good plan," Byron stood up, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. "That means I get to sleep in tonight."
Irishiko shook her head at the man as Ero smirked.
"What are you talking about, Byron?" he said to other man, "You're going with us out to the docks of Asturia tomorrow morning."
Byron's face fell. "What? Why do I have to go? Why can't Ran or Karia go?" he whined.
"Because Karia can't handle all the horses on the way back and Ran has to be here to make breakfast," Ero answered simply.
Byron groaned and started mumbling about how he never caught a break.
Everyone was starting to disperse to get ready for the operation when a voice spoke up.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Irishiko-sama?" Ephrye raised her amber eyes to the older woman.
"Ooh, the Ice Queen has spoken," Pye whispered to Ran who tried not to laugh.
Nineteen year old Ephrye LeRon had followed in her brother's footsteps and joined the Akan a little over a year ago. Like her brother she was tall and thin, with super straight black hair that was cropped in a very short bob, a longer part of it covering the left half of her face. She was known as the Ice Queen by a few of the males of the Akan, since she was the perfect CCC, as her brother was, and hardly spoke a word to anyone. Her weapon of choice was a long black leather whip that had been a gift from her mother. (Don't ask.)
Irishiko raised an eyebrow at Ephrye. "Really? What have I forgotten?"
"I was under the impression that you said Korin had mentioned the involvement of King Van Fanel," the girl responded flatly.
Irishiko groaned inwardly. She hadn't forgotten about that, but she'd been hoping to avoid the subject. Dealing with royalty was a hassle she was not in the mood to undertake right now.
Jasper looked to Irishiko, knowing all too well her dislike for the upper classes, but knew that this issue would have to be addressed.
"You can't leave him in the dark about this Irishiko," he said. "It is his wife that has been kidnapped, after all. Someone needs to keep an eye on him so that Korin doesn't force him into a bargain that will ruin Fanelia. And you know what Korin is capable of. There are those who would give half of Gaea to get their hands on Fanelian resources and you know it."
Irishiko sighed, "I don't know how we're going to keep an eye on him without all this leaking out. None of us can afford to be caught in the palace with him. If you recall, there are warrants for arrest on all our heads in half of Gaea."
"Not to mention that King Van is not one to just sit back and let things happen," Ran spoke up. He quickly tied back his wavy shoulder length brown hair before continuing, "He'll probably want to come with you."
"I think that would be a good idea," Ero spoke up.
"No, it's not," Irishiko countered.
"It's the only way it would work, Iri-sama."
"Really? How do you figure? This will blow everything if the King of Fanelia is with us! Don't you think more than one person would notice that both the royals of Fanelia are gone? It would ruin everything!" Irishiko argued, her patience growing thin.
"What would ruin everything is if Korin got to him before we do!" Ero retorted, also becoming irritated at his leader's stubbornness. "And Korin can't get to him if he can't find him!"
Irishiko was about to snap back at him when a hand came down on her shoulder. She looked at Natalia who had a worried expression on her face. "Iri, calm down. You're not thinking rationally. Korin knows he could get to you this way and break you. By giving in to your emotions about this, he's winning. You know what Ero is saying is true. You would have thought of it yourself if it weren't that you're so emotionally involved."
Natalia smiled kindly, "Be the leader we know you are. Don't let him break you. Think about what's the right thing to do."
Irishiko closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Natalia was right. Korin was trying to break her by opening old wounds that he knew never healed. He wanted to kick her down, and there she was, playing right into his plan.
She squared her shoulders and held her chin high. She wasn't going to give that bastard from hell the satisfaction of beating her.
"You're right. Ero, I apologize. I was acting childish. Of course we have to take the king with us, it's the only way this will work. I'll speak to him tonight and we'll proceed as planned."
Irishiko looked up look at all her friends, her only family. They all held in their eyes undying respect and devotion for her and she was not about to let them fall apart and shatter everything they stood and fought for because of this trivial thing.
"That is all," she said softly and turned to jump from the wagon just as the sun slipped under the horizon, silhouetting her figure as she walked away.
"Okay, what's really going on?" Pye asked turning to everyone else with his hands on his hips, "There's more to this than anyone is saying."
The four older members of the Akan turned their glances away uncomfortably.
"WELL?" Pye demanded.
"I don't think it's for any of us to say," Karia spoke up in a sad voice.
Ero crossed his arms and frowned. "I agree with Pye. I would very much to know what's underlain in all this. There should be no secrets between any of us. Not when it concerns our mission as a group."
Byron shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Jasper and Natalia who looked as if debating with themselves.
The oldest man finally sighed and turning to his wife, he said, "I guess it's time to tell them." "Though I'm not sure Irishiko is going to like this," he said more to himself than anyone else.
Natalia stood before everyone. "Alright, kids. I guess it's time for a history lesson."
When everyone had accommodated themselves to a spot on the floor Natalia began to speak.
"Eleven years ago, a young woman named Irishiko was in search of a swordsmaster. She knew about the art of fencing, but wanted to master a regular sword. On the borders of Asturia she found Mohku Maeo, man only in his mid twenties, but an expert with the sword. He agreed to become her swordmaster and so it was for a year during which they had fallen in love and married. By this time they had moved to Zaibach, and finding the corruption in Gaea too much to bear, they met up with a young couple with explosives expertise, a petite girl with deadly arrows, and five others."
Natalia smiled as she recalled the memories.
"Together they fought to better people's lives the only way they knew how, thus becoming the brightness in the night. The ten of them fought for some years, and Irishiko and Mohku had a son. This boy, named Ehli, grew to be a beautiful child, quickly befriending all of the Akan."
Natalia paused here and looked to Byron for a moment, "I recall the newest member of the group, a talented blonde swordsman, was especially fond of the boy."
Byron lowered his head, a sad smile playing on his lips and his eyes watering. He had indeed loved the child.
"But as any of you can tell," Natalia continued seriously, "The life we lead is a dangerous one. Five years ago, an enemy had found out where the Akan had been staying in Basram. While the group was out on a mission, Ehli had been left in the care of the trustworthy innkeeper. Later that night, the group returned—"
Natalia had to stop, her voice breaking, memories flooding her mind. Her husband laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder as she sat down, letting Jasper continue the tale while she let tears slip from her eyes.
"The building was ablaze," his raspy voice resounded, "There no survivors from the flames. We were all devastated." Jasper glanced at Byron, who still had his head down, but he could see the young man trembling.
"Some days later, Mohku was captured by a man named Korin, a man who had lost faith in the human heart. He wanted to put an end to the Akan and threatened Irishiko. She, though grieved, knew that the Akan's missions were more important for the good of people and refused Korin. He killed Mohku that same night."
Jasper stopped then, letting the shocked silence settle on the others of the group.
"Korin had not been responsible for the death of her son, but she never got over the passing the man she loved," Jasper said quietly. "Now, Korin is once again trying to push her down so that the Akan's work will end, and he's doing it by pushing her emotionally."
After a moment, he spoke up once more, "She's a strong woman, your leader. Others have always come before herself, and even though this is very difficult to deal with, all she wants is to continue with the mission she and Mohku had resolved when all this began."
Ero felt tears of compassion sting his eyes. He looked in the direction Irishiko had walked off to, digesting the information he had received.
So that's it…he thought, That's why she wants to deal with this by herself. She doesn't want anyone else to fall into Korin's hands.
Ero's brows furrowed. He wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt her again, not as long as he still had air in his lungs. He would keep her safe, no matter what it took.
~*~
TBC…
Okay, y'all. Baracuda here. So those are the members of theAkan…I'm so in love with these characters…it's a pity that most of them won't appear again…I'll see what I can do about it. *laugh* I'm trying to update this as quickly as I can, so I'm sorry if this has taken so long. I'm very happy about how motivated I am to write this, and if everything goes as planned, it'll be complete by the end of the year….i hope…@_@;
I want to thank all of you that have reviewed so far….you guys rock! ::sends out collective hug::
--Youjibaracuda
"Let me explain…no, it's too much, let me sum up…"
---The Princess Bride
On to the next chappie! ¬_¬ ------ ---- ----V