~An American Miko~
Chapter One
Truth & Pain
It had been a week since Myst had fallen into the country of Konan, in the universe of the four gods, and she was learning much of the country and it's people and customs from Hotohori.
The handsome man wouldn't let her out of bed however, and had the female servants help her in and out of the bath. He wouldn't let her anywhere else and would hardly let her do anything on her own, though he was always sweet about it.
The servants twittered and would gossip about normal things with her, but wouldn't talk about Hotohori much, if at all.
In the week she had been there, Hotohori and she had become good friends and she had found out much about him from their talk. Well, at least what he was like, but not anything about his past or what he did. She knew that he must be someone important to live like this, but not how important.
The ladies kept talking about Emperor Saihitei. So where they somewhere near the palace? Is that why Hotohori had all these servants? Did he work closely to the emperor? Hotohori had come earlier that day to tell her that he had some important matters to attend to and would not be able to see her again until later that night.
When the maids finally left she made up her mind. 'I've been laying here for days just letting my brain dribble from my ears. I'm bored to death! They're going to have a stiff on their hands if this keeps up. That's it!'
She slowly got out of be, still careful of her sore ribs, and stood looking around the room for her clothes. When she finally found and donned them, she looked around for something to tie her shortish hair back with. Luckily her own hair-tie was sitting right on what looked to be an elaborate vanity and she pulled her hair back into its sloppy ponytail.
She studied herself in the mirror. The wound could still be seen above her eyebrow, but the bandage had been aloud to come of just yesterday. Her ribs were still bandaged though, but she almost liked the look.
Myst nodded to herself and started for the door, then stopped herself and looked instead at the window. 'It might be better to go that way. Less chance of getting caught if Hotohori really doesn't want me out. By all rights, I probably should still be in bed, however I am tougher than most and sometimes heal at an almost unnatural speed.'
Once outside she walked down the walkway, breathing the fresh air and her flip-flops slapped against her heals. 'Why did I ever wear these things to the gym? Flip-flops in the work out room and then jogging home? Huh. oh well.'
Myst rounded a corner and stopped, staring in open amazement. 'My god! We're not just by the palace. we're in the palace! My god!' She started walking again, staring at everything in amazement and delight.
'I wonder where Hotohori went? What kind of job does he have here? No wonder he lives so well.' She kept walking and came across what appeared to be the main building. The guards that were posted around the walkway didn't stop her, so she assumed she was aloud to be here.
She walked up the tall flight of stairs and passed some more guards who just looked at her oddly. 'I wonder what this place is for. Most likely eating or the throne room or something. Well, they're not stopping me, so I guess there's no harm in looking.'
She walked to the middle of the walkway and opened one of the huge red doors there. She noticed a few men kneeling on the floor in front of the throne, reporting something about crops in the east. She started to leave before she was noticed, when the man who was obviously the emperor spoke.
"So what you are saying virtually is. Mistyc?"
Myst's eyes widened then flashed with anger as she whipped around to face the young emperor. "How dare you!" She stepped into the light, not caring that she was speaking to an emperor. "How dare you keep something this important from me, this piece of who you are. I don't know what you call friendship here, but I thought that we were friends Hotohori, or whatever your name is. You lied to me! I don't know if it's just you, or if everyone does that here, but friends just don't do that where I come from!"
The emperor got to his feet as she backed up. "Myst wait! Please!"
Myst shook her head and shouted over her shoulder as she turned and ran. "Friends don't do that your majesty! So think where we stand!" She ran harder as she heard his shows clomping down on the steps from the dais as he tried to run after her.
Hotohori's voice echoed as she ran through the door. "Stop! Stop! Wait! Please!"
She stumbled past the guard as pain flared in her side. The two guards heard their emperor's shouts and ran after her. When one caught up to her and grabbed her arm, she turned and her right fist hooked him in the jaw, throwing him back before she began running for the stairs again. The other caught up to her just as Hotohori, in full imperial robes came running out the doors and into sight.
Myst had just reached the long set of about 40 stairs, when the guard hit her over her already injured head with the blunt of his pike. She let out a cry of pain as Hotohori cried out and reached desperately for her.
Hotohori tried to lunge for her with outstretched hand as she fell forward down the many steps. "Nooo! Mistyc!"
The guard that had hit her grabbed hold of his emperor to keep him from falling down the stairs as well, as they watched the strange girl tumble down the stairs.
She came to a stop at the bottom, a twisted heap. Her head was turned to the side and blood dripped from her slightly parted lips. He right leg was bent oddly and her right arm was twisted beneath her. There she lay as still as death.
Hotohori stood paralyzed and staring, until a pool of red began seeping around her. He gave a mournful cry of horror that rang through the silent courtyard and flung himself down the stairs after her.
**********
A.N.: Next chapter is comin' up. Keep reading!!! Gotta go. Is late! Have early college! Ja Ne Na No Da!!!!!!!!!!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman
It had been a week since Myst had fallen into the country of Konan, in the universe of the four gods, and she was learning much of the country and it's people and customs from Hotohori.
The handsome man wouldn't let her out of bed however, and had the female servants help her in and out of the bath. He wouldn't let her anywhere else and would hardly let her do anything on her own, though he was always sweet about it.
The servants twittered and would gossip about normal things with her, but wouldn't talk about Hotohori much, if at all.
In the week she had been there, Hotohori and she had become good friends and she had found out much about him from their talk. Well, at least what he was like, but not anything about his past or what he did. She knew that he must be someone important to live like this, but not how important.
The ladies kept talking about Emperor Saihitei. So where they somewhere near the palace? Is that why Hotohori had all these servants? Did he work closely to the emperor? Hotohori had come earlier that day to tell her that he had some important matters to attend to and would not be able to see her again until later that night.
When the maids finally left she made up her mind. 'I've been laying here for days just letting my brain dribble from my ears. I'm bored to death! They're going to have a stiff on their hands if this keeps up. That's it!'
She slowly got out of be, still careful of her sore ribs, and stood looking around the room for her clothes. When she finally found and donned them, she looked around for something to tie her shortish hair back with. Luckily her own hair-tie was sitting right on what looked to be an elaborate vanity and she pulled her hair back into its sloppy ponytail.
She studied herself in the mirror. The wound could still be seen above her eyebrow, but the bandage had been aloud to come of just yesterday. Her ribs were still bandaged though, but she almost liked the look.
Myst nodded to herself and started for the door, then stopped herself and looked instead at the window. 'It might be better to go that way. Less chance of getting caught if Hotohori really doesn't want me out. By all rights, I probably should still be in bed, however I am tougher than most and sometimes heal at an almost unnatural speed.'
Once outside she walked down the walkway, breathing the fresh air and her flip-flops slapped against her heals. 'Why did I ever wear these things to the gym? Flip-flops in the work out room and then jogging home? Huh. oh well.'
Myst rounded a corner and stopped, staring in open amazement. 'My god! We're not just by the palace. we're in the palace! My god!' She started walking again, staring at everything in amazement and delight.
'I wonder where Hotohori went? What kind of job does he have here? No wonder he lives so well.' She kept walking and came across what appeared to be the main building. The guards that were posted around the walkway didn't stop her, so she assumed she was aloud to be here.
She walked up the tall flight of stairs and passed some more guards who just looked at her oddly. 'I wonder what this place is for. Most likely eating or the throne room or something. Well, they're not stopping me, so I guess there's no harm in looking.'
She walked to the middle of the walkway and opened one of the huge red doors there. She noticed a few men kneeling on the floor in front of the throne, reporting something about crops in the east. She started to leave before she was noticed, when the man who was obviously the emperor spoke.
"So what you are saying virtually is. Mistyc?"
Myst's eyes widened then flashed with anger as she whipped around to face the young emperor. "How dare you!" She stepped into the light, not caring that she was speaking to an emperor. "How dare you keep something this important from me, this piece of who you are. I don't know what you call friendship here, but I thought that we were friends Hotohori, or whatever your name is. You lied to me! I don't know if it's just you, or if everyone does that here, but friends just don't do that where I come from!"
The emperor got to his feet as she backed up. "Myst wait! Please!"
Myst shook her head and shouted over her shoulder as she turned and ran. "Friends don't do that your majesty! So think where we stand!" She ran harder as she heard his shows clomping down on the steps from the dais as he tried to run after her.
Hotohori's voice echoed as she ran through the door. "Stop! Stop! Wait! Please!"
She stumbled past the guard as pain flared in her side. The two guards heard their emperor's shouts and ran after her. When one caught up to her and grabbed her arm, she turned and her right fist hooked him in the jaw, throwing him back before she began running for the stairs again. The other caught up to her just as Hotohori, in full imperial robes came running out the doors and into sight.
Myst had just reached the long set of about 40 stairs, when the guard hit her over her already injured head with the blunt of his pike. She let out a cry of pain as Hotohori cried out and reached desperately for her.
Hotohori tried to lunge for her with outstretched hand as she fell forward down the many steps. "Nooo! Mistyc!"
The guard that had hit her grabbed hold of his emperor to keep him from falling down the stairs as well, as they watched the strange girl tumble down the stairs.
She came to a stop at the bottom, a twisted heap. Her head was turned to the side and blood dripped from her slightly parted lips. He right leg was bent oddly and her right arm was twisted beneath her. There she lay as still as death.
Hotohori stood paralyzed and staring, until a pool of red began seeping around her. He gave a mournful cry of horror that rang through the silent courtyard and flung himself down the stairs after her.
**********
A.N.: Next chapter is comin' up. Keep reading!!! Gotta go. Is late! Have early college! Ja Ne Na No Da!!!!!!!!!!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman