Chapter Ten
Soujirou fidgeted slightly and leaned back listening to Hoji drone. What he really wanted to do was have a rematch with that vampire hunter. The man had been far better than he could have ever expected or hoped. It would be a thrilling challenge to finally fight someone who might actually stand a chance.
"Soujirou." Shishio said sharply catching the boy's wandering attention. Grey looked into crimson before the boy nodded wondering why he had been called on. The whole meeting had covered the usual mundane things. There hadn't even been mention of the two humans with the audacity to challenge the vampire society, or about the current unrest among the slave population.
"Yes?" Soujirou asked straightening up and glancing around.
"You used your powers the other night. Why?"
Soujirou gave a guilty smile. He had forgotten that Lord Shishio always knew when he used his talent. It wasn't something Soujirou did often because it drained him. That was probably why he felt so tired and compliant at the moment. Sometimes, depending on the number of dead raise and how they died, he would be down for a week or two. However, two children that he had slaughtered with his own hands were hardly a challenge. Within an hour or two he should be fully rested again. The only hitch about it was he had to be awake to be recharging. Otherwise he would have recovered during his daily sleep.
"I was playing Lord Shishio." Soujirou replied. What else would he be doing? Of course, his quizzical nature was generally looked down on, but Shishio had never minded it so long as he did what he was supposed to. Shishio was very forgiving about things like that. He wanted one thing: binding loyalty. Anything else was optional. "The man was very good at the sword, but I wanted to see how well he was controlling himself."
"And?" Shishio asked leaning down into his favorite pose.
Soujirou gave a bobbing nod and his smile grew, "He is a very disciplined man."
Shishio made a low rumbling sound that usually accompanied his thoughts about something serious. His crimson eyes flickered over Soujirou, calculating, but the boy was already off in his own thoughts again.
Of course Shishio would deploy some of the Ten Swords, but Soujirou wasn't sure if he would be allowed to battle. Shishio might actually want to give them a chance to reach him. If that were the case then he would send out some of the lower members. Possibly Chou or Fuji.
There was a sharp noise catching everyone's attention as the doors banged open. Usui was hauling his werewolf along. The lean wolf's arms were pinned behind him, but that didn't stop him from thrashing and doing quite a bit of damage to his captor.
"This insolent dog has betrayed you." Usui said with a vicious cuff to the side of the wolf's head. He jerked his hand back before it was bitten.
"How dare he accuse me of such!" Saitoh seethed with his golden eyes shinning with rage. He shook the oni off and stomped up to the base of Shishio's seat. He bowed respectfully and continued in a rage filled voice that shook with fury, "We had an agreement. I would serve that abomination only if he did not fetter my role as alpha of my pack. I'm sure you know, and are amused by this, but I care far more for them than I ever will for you or your kin. If his manhandling results in the death of one of my pack members then you will cease to have my co-operation!"
Shishio's mouth twisted up into a smile. Soujirou looked down with interest. The werewolf leader rarely let his presence be known and he had only directly spoken to Shishio of his own accord once over the years. This must truly be a grave trespass on the oni's part to invoke such a venomous reaction.
"Speak then. What has our wayward oni done to displease you?" Hoji spoke up. He was always keen to have the alpha under his own grasp. He had been most unhappy when some upstart oni had been granted the privilege.
Saitoh merely glowered with his topaz eyes glowing in the dim light. Soujirou's smile widened. The wolf had opened his case, but he apparently wasn't stupid. Starting it was one thing. Being the first to speak was clearly another. He was waiting for Usui to make his own accusations so that they could be parried and dealt with.
"This ungrateful wretch was plotting to free the werewolves. I found he has been in contact with some rather interesting people." Usui sneered.
Saitoh raised a murderous eyebrow and growled, "It is my pack's job to be security. That means we are expected to know everything. How would we know anything if we didn't speak to others?"
"Mikos?"
"Of course, they are of the Shinto faith. One cannot ignore the Kami."
Shishio gave a derisive sneer at that, but Saitoh never wavered. The werewolves were stupidly involved in such religious affairs. Silly to think that there were Kami everywhere. Soujirou shook his head slightly. The only thing you could believe in was your own strength.
"So you were trying to get your collars off. Very clever little wolf, but I am afraid you've been caught." Shishio purred in a rough voice. That didn't bode well for the werewolf leader Soujirou thought. He shrugged. If he didn't know any better it would seem the two were actually working together to work against. Then again, Shishio was incredibly smart. Maybe he planned it this way. After all, oni were hardly any better off than werewolves. Perhaps the two had an alliance at one point. One that had gone badly.
"Can I?" Hoji almost stuttered in excitement. So far he hadn't really been able to get his hands on anything other than the occasional human slave. Soujirou shook his head slightly. Whatever Shishio had planned it would prove far more entertaining. It wasn't often that he caught someone red handed.
Shishio raised a hand stopping the vampire in his tracks. He obediently backed off even though the feverent look in his eyes remained.
"Since I don't trust either of your words I believe a little duel is in order. Chou, provide Saitoh with his katana. Let the dog prove his worth for once if he can. Usui, you have my permission to do whatever you like with your pet, with one provision. It must be done here, in this room and in front of the whole court."
"As you wish." Saitoh replied giving a low bow with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Soujirou noted that he had probably been looking for such an opportunity for quite a long while.
Everyone in the room knew that it was impossible to get those collars off. Shishio had killed all the mikos that had been brought in to create and bind the subjugation collars. Only he knew the phrase that could be said to release them. Shishio and Shishio alone. He hadn't even trusted Yumi or Hoji with such knowledge. He hadn't trusted Soujirou either, but the boy didn't mind. Most of the time he didn't bother to think about the werewolves. A habit he might have to change once the dust settle and the hunters were disposed of.
Chou carefully went to the shelving and easily found Saitoh's katana. He also noticed something else.
"'Ey Boss." He said nervously licking his lips. Whatever he found wasn't good and he was in charge of keeping the weapons. "Didja move Battousai's sword 'cuz it ain't in it's spot."
Soujirou immediately realized what that meant. Someone had gotten past the wards and removed the sword. And since it went missing during the day it wasn't a vampire. Which left humans, werewolves, and one certain oni.
Shishio sat back not perturbing in the slightest and waved at Chou to give the werewolf the katana. Soujirou scooted closer to watch. Why would Shishio worry about one stupid reverse-blade sword? It could hardly be used to do damage. Especially since it had probably already found its way back to its master.
Saitoh appraised the blade and tested the keen edge. With a nod he immediately shifted into a flawless stance. Despite having his sword taken away his skill had obviously not diminished. Perhaps he had been practicing without it. That would prove interesting since his muscles were finely honed to the movements, but without the weight of the steel blade.
Usui easily unstrapped his shell and slid the long spear out of its holder. There was a vicious smirk on his lips. Apparently Saitoh wasn't the only one who had been looking for this moment.
The hall that the meetings were held in was easily large enough to accommodate a battle. The rest of the Ten Swords moved against the wall to allow more space, but most of them watched with keen interest.
"So who do you think will win Sou?" Kamatari asked from his other side. She had been silent throughout the whole meeting, "I want to win my bet with Chou."
"It is hard to tell because I have never seen either of them fight, but I know Saitoh has his own style." Soujirou tried to remember if he had seen anything in Okita's movements that might give away his leader's vices or strength. But no, the werewolf had always been perfectly neutral. "Usui is an oni and therefore much stronger, but perhaps not faster. It's anyone's game really!" He finished with a large smile.
Kamatari rolled her eyes, "Very helpful. You sound excited. Find your revenge-bent killer, did you? Just remember to be careful hun. Humans aren't like us. They find strength in the oddest places."
"Yes Kamatari." Soujirou replied dutifully. He would never understand humans.
"Loyalty will never be your fault Usui, and for that crime above all others you must be extinguished. I promise to make it quick." Saitoh sneered and rushed forward. He didn't seem surprised overly much when his katana tip slid up the slick shield.
Soujirou's keen eyes made out the movement behind the shield and he smiled. Would the wolf get out of the move Usui was pulling? Perhaps, but definitely not unscathed. Whoever won this was going to bear some scars.
Saitoh noticed too late the spear that thrashed out from beneath the cover of the turtle shell and stabbed upward. It tore into the muscular upper legs ushering forth a flood of crimson. The blood quickly soaked through the wolf's pants turning the navy fabric black and turning the floor below slippery. Before he could recover completely from his body's immediate shock Usui had slashed through the other leg. His second hit was far less effective however.
"He should have aimed for the left leg first." Soujirou murmured in fascination. He had never learned anything other than the katana and he wasn't sure he could battle someone with a spear. The dynamics of fighting were all similar, but pole weapons were moved in different ways from blades. Perhaps the only one in the room who truly understood Usui's moves was Kamatari. Her scythe was the most similar to the long spear.
"And why do you say that Sou?" Kamatari asked not taking her eyes off the battle.
"Saitoh favors his right, but I think he's ambidextrous. That means he can use both sides of his body evenly. Taking out his left leg first would have caught him off guard making it easier to slice through the right."
"A fatal mistake then?" Kamatari questioned lightly and Soujirou shook his head with concentration, "Not if Saitoh can't get past his shield."
"I for one hope that the werewolf wins." Kamatari huffed in annoyance. It wasn't a secret that Usui was probably by far the most hated being on the entire premises by all species alike.
The two were trading some quiet taunts that not even Soujirou's keen ears could make out. Usui pressured his next attack, no doubt going for a killing blow. Werewolves could be killed in many more interesting ways than vampires. Or even humans for that matter because they were hardier and had greater endurance.
Saitoh, rather than avoid the attack, coiled up and launched forward with his katana outstretched. Usui was laughing even as the blade broke his turtle shell and sliced through his spearhead rendering it useless. He hadn't stopped even when the katana continued its unhindered path straight through his midsection.
The force of the blow dragged the oni's lithe body through the air before firmly pinning his upper half to the wall with a sickening thump. The lower extremities slid down the wall on impact and lay in a forlorn heap at the foot of the stonewall. Blood oozed and bubbled sluggishly coating the wall and katana.
Saitoh smirked and turned to Chou.
"You should retrieve and clean my blade before the acid in his blood mars it."
Chou looked frozen under the wolf's fierce gaze. He started up at Shishio who nodded before scrambling over and trying to pry the steel from it's new home.
"Well done. You will have a new master soon. Apparently your old one was weak." Shishio said giving a grin. Saitoh bowed again before he walked out without another word.
"Good riddance. Lord Shishio is so smart, isn't he? Either way he wins." Kamatari commented appreciatively and Soujirou had to agree. Usui had always been the most vexing problem and now he was gone without anyone but a werewolf to cast the blame at. A flawless move, but then again, it was Shishio.
"Yes Kamatari."
"Now if only this meeting would end. Even in his death Usui was a selfish bastard." Kamatari yawned. "We could have been done already."
"But it was an excellent fight."
"I suppose, but that's not what I'm interested in at the moment." Kamatari shrugged, clearly not impressed by the short battle.
Their conversation was cut off by a slight knock on the door. There was a short pause before Chou, who was still near the door trying to pry the katana out of the wall, opened it at Shishio's gesture.
Kikisha came in silently. She did her customary bow before straightening. Soujirou had never considered it odd that the female werewolf was pretty much the only one who ever spoke directly to Shishio concerning matters of security. It was no secret that Saitoh hated the vampire king with a passion, and it was logical that his mate would be the same way. The young female was low enough in the pack that she could be assigned such a low, distasteful duty and she was polite enough not to get herself killed. So why was Soujirou questioning this now?
He couldn't help it. His people-watching always seemed to led to some new insight where random thoughts suddenly connected. And he had seen her on several occasions speak to Saitoh almost as an equal.
"The two hunters are packing up their camp."
With those words she gave another low bow and left the room. That was okay however. That short sentence was perfectly constructed to make its meaning clear.
Soujirou's mind wrapped around the delightful probability of facing the skilled hunter again and his smile widened into a grin. This time they would battle in a proper arena rather than with dirt and trees. There he could hit full speed without any worries about rocks or tree roots. If things went well he could continue the little séance from earlier with two new members. His daydreaming about the past lent a few more clues and he was confident he could revive the other two family members. Imagine, a wonderful family reunion!
He vaguely listened as Shishio gave out orders. It seemed he didn't want the Ten Swords to challenge the hunters directly. Whether he was afraid to put more forces out without a good chance of victory, or if he was eager to fight was unclear. The lowest members were assigned to deal with any slave uprising. Although an event like this had never happened it was not hard to imagine the heart their food might take if given some hope.
Apparently Shishio didn't trust the werewolves to take care of the problems. Not after the little display given earlier. The vampire was notoriously cautious about assessing his enemies. Usui had obviously planted a small grain of doubt about the servants' pliability and usefulness.
A small thought nagged him that he should ask Shishio's permission about Misao, but as it was he wasn't sure she was ready to accept him. And he wasn't going to force her. Well, after the association he'd had with her, he knew she could make life for him very unpleasant if she really wanted to and she was incredibly stubborn. No, it could wait to be cleared up when Aoshi's murder was properly taken care of and she had a chance to let go. That was the proper course of action.
"Dismissed." Hoji's pompous voice cut across Soujirou's wandering thoughts and he shrugged.
There were a couple of hours before the sun would make its appearance on the land according to Soujirou's internal clock. The intruders wouldn't make it until the next evening. There was nothing much to do except wait. Something Soujirou had never been particularly fond of, but something he understood for its usefulness.
He didn't see any point in training in the meantime and he had perfected the image of the two missing family members in his mind. There wasn't much for him to do until it was time to rest.
Perhaps I should just go to bed early, Soujirou thought to himself. After all, what could it hurt?
Changing course back towards his room he was surprised when he ran into Misao. She was sneaking along the shadows obviously on a mission of some sort.
He almost informed her of his presence, but changed his mind. He was curious what she was doing down this particular corridor. It wasn't precisely banned for use to the werewolves, but it split into two different paths. One led back around to the library, a place where few within the crypt actually bothered to visit, and the other snaked down deeper to the bowels of the stronghold. The former was perfectly acceptable, while the latter was not.
Misao didn't even hesitate to take the forbidden path. Soujirou waited listening for the sounds of her body reacting to the effects of the collar. Silence met his ears and he started to get an uneasy feeling. Had Saitoh actually figured out how to get those collars off after all and Usui hadn't been bluffing?
Deciding the only way to find out was to confront Misao he followed intending to get some answers. He wasn't particularly thrilled to consider that he could be murder in his sleep. Normally that wouldn't bother him and maybe it was a bit of arrogance, but the truth of the matter was that they depended quite heavily on their werewolves. Perhaps the reason he declined on, even if it was bad form. He didn't want someone to cater his whims or watch his back. Despite the achy, hollow feeling that sometimes weighed on his body he wasn't up for trusting anyone.
He had no one to trust growing up. Trust led to hurt. And the one time he opened himself up he lost the other person. No, it was easier to shove all feelings behind a vault of a smile and not consider that they were ever a factor.
She stopped slinking a good ways in and relaxed slightly. She navigated the maze of tunnels and slimy stairways in a way that bespoke of familiarity. She had been coming down here for a long time. That meant that Saitoh didn't truly have all the collars off because he wasn't the type of man to hesitate, and neither were his pack. If the collars had been removed all the vampires would be gone that day.
There was practically no light now and Soujirou's eyes were having a bit of difficulty adjusting. Although they were far better than either those of a werewolf or a human even they needed a source of light to function. It didn't seem to slow the werewolf down. She nimbly scrambled down the damp tunnels. They were definitely underground now. He could smell the mildew and earth rotting away and felt the ground underneath him slick with slime. When he accidentally brushed a hand across the rough wall he recoiled and wrinkled his nose. Just what was she doing down here?
They went on for another half an hour like this and Soujirou was beginning to lose his curiosity. It was rapidly being replaced with a growing irritation and a nagging feeling that there wasn't enough time for this. He needed to be in a safe place when the sun rose. Not some lightless hole where it smelled of decay and animal droppings, and where fungus ruled. Of course, his room wasn't obviously safe either, or at least not from Misao. Not considering the last time they had spoken he had advocated that she mind her own business or that she should quit thinking about revenge.
As he moved forward to confront her she suddenly called out softly. There was a slight pause before another, unfamiliar voice called back barely above a whisper.
Soujirou could hear Misao scuffling around and heard the flint strike just in time to back out of candle range. To his surprise she didn't have a candle it was a crude lamp. Something no slave should ever be in possession of. He barely avoided being seen in the unexpected ring of warm light that flooded the area.
Blinking owlishly at the sudden stimuli he waited for his pupils to adjust. Meanwhile he let his gray eyes wander the area and knew exactly where they had ended up. Shishio had never had a use for the extensive, inescapable dungeon that ran under the crypt. He always dealt with his enemies directly leaving nothing to chance. After all, the strong slaughtered the weak, that was how it went. To let the weak live was a disservice to nature.
However, if he remembered correctly because this was long before he was turned, Shishio's predecessor had a fetish for keeping prisons down in these cells. It was doubtful that anyone had been down here in a long while. And to think that any of the prisoners had survived in darkness without food or water for so long was hard to consider.
Yet he watched as a human woman crawled out of the cell. The bars had long since rusted and the door was open. She was free to leave at any time so why didn't she? Did she enjoy living in a world that was blind and smelled of sewer?
The woman appeared fairly young with dark brown hair and eyes. The hair was slightly mussed, but still in good order looking like it had been trimmed recently. Her clothing was that of a traditional miko. While on the thin, pale side she certainly didn't seemed starved. Misao had been coming down for a long time; he was sure of that now.
"Here, I brought you some venison. I guessed that you probably were getting a bit tired of goat by now. Shishio doesn't usually let us hunt so I suppose this is a treat. Oh, and Sano sent you some nuts. I don't know where he finds these things half the time." Misao said shaking her head and laying the items out on a makeshift stone table.
The young woman gave a polite, reserved nod to the chatty young werewolf, and although she must have been starved delicately started to eat her meal.
"Thank you Misao for your generosity."
"It's nothing. We're friends right? But anyway, the hunters are coming tomorrow night so I guess your freedom is close at hand."
"If they succeed." The miko replied mildly with a smile.
"They will! I mean, how can they lose?" Misao retorted hotly, She jumped to her feet and started pacing, "With Lord Aoshi gone there is no reason for me to stay here."
"What about your pack? They surely would miss you."
"Maybe. Well, yeah Sano would, and Okita I guess. They're my friends and all." Misao said and frowned, "And I guess Tokio would miss me too. Saitoh too."
"What about that vampire you were speaking of last time?" The miko asked sipping the cool water that had been set before her. She looked pretty calm. Perhaps she wasn't one of those fanatical types that Soujirou was so familiar with.
"What about him? The jerk." Misao grumbled and plopped down again. She played with her braid, "Why does it always feel like I have to spill my feelings out to you? It's annoying. Okay, so the guy's not that bad for a vampire. But I still don't like him. I don't want him to take Lord Aoshi's place."
"I doubt he's trying to do that." The woman said, "Maybe he feels just as lost as you are about Lord Aoshi's death."
"He doesn't show it at all then!" Misao screeched making both Soujirou and the woman wince slightly. She pulled out a throwing knife and started flipping it around with dangerous energy. "It's like to him, oh well, Lord Aoshi is dead so what?"
"Misao, things happen. Death is part of life and the Sun Goddess knows what she is doing. You shouldn't judge based on your limited knowledge." The young woman cautioned.
"I guess. But things are so unfair!" The young werewolf pouted. "I should get back. Saitoh has me on patrol today for what Okita and I did the other night. I wish I had came down earlier, so we could talk longer. Sano and Okita are great, but they're guys and they don't like their masters. They just don't get it."
"You're welcome. I will lend an ear for as long as I can provided you keep an open mind about what I tell you."
"I will Sayo and thank you!" Misao yipped and bounded past Soujirou, who was luckily still hidden in the shadows. Her footfalls faded into the distance, but the boy vampire knew that he could easily find his way out. It was a talent. Once he had been somewhere his memory was nearly flawless as to its makeup. The maze would be easy enough to get out of and he would catch her before the sun rose. At the moment he had something else to take care of first.
"Lurking in the shadows is hardly appropriate for a man of your stature."
Soujirou stepped out mildly surprised that she could sense him before he remembered that no matter how young she looked she was still a miko.
"You know I am not a man." Soujirou pointed out mildly standing a yard or so away. Her brown eyes were searching his face and she gave a slight nod.
"If you insist, vampire."
They stood for a moment appraising each other before she pushed aside her food and stood up. It was only then that he could see the tremors of pain and faintness that ran through her body. She took a deep, pained breath before leaning against the bars.
"You are sick." He stated. He could practically taste the sickness that ran through her mortal veins and it made his stomach unsettled. Sickness didn't always taste bitter, nor did it taint the blood, but she was half-felled already by a disease that even an oni wouldn't touch.
She gave a wistful smile and bared her hands with the backs facing him. They were wrapped skillfully in bandages, but he could clearly see the pus that caked the linen and smell the decay. Her left pinky was missing and her right thumb was half its original length.
"I haven't been down here as long as you are assuming, or for the same reasons. I was never a prisoner and I am a full miko. I… I contracted this disease and felt it was better to suffer alone. The werewolves were kind enough to lodge me down here in the safety and solitude of darkness." Sayo explained carefully.
"So you took off their collars." Soujirou said ruefully and rubbed the back of his head. That Saitoh truly was a clever one. Imagine, the years it must have taken to get to this point. But Soujirou still didn't understand how Misao had been able to slip through the wards so easily. Her collar should have prevented her from ever going down there in the first place.
"Those that I could." Soujirou wondered what she meant by that, and he wondered why she was telling him this now. Unless there was absolutely nothing to lose by saying such things now.
She didn't notice his quizzical smile because she had bent over to search for something. He watched her rummage through her belongings vaguely insulted that she didn't seem to fear him in the slightest. It was like she was a walking corpse already. Only corpses of mortals failed to fear him.
She pulled out a slight, short weapon and held it out before her. For a moment he thought she might commit suicide, but instead she just held it ready.
"I am aware what you must do, however, I cannot make it easier for you than it already is." She turned the short blade so that it could be moved at any direction. Interesting that she would have some defensive training, but both of them knew that it was pathetic for its purpose. Even without a katana he could sweep past her guard and break her neck before she blinked.
"I thank you for your information. It makes it much easier on Misao, but I'm sure that's what you intended, did you not?"
She gave another smile, but didn't say anything in reply.
Soujirou hurried out the maze. He had paused briefly to wipe off his blade and extinguish the lamp. Although it seemed damp down in the tunnels he wouldn't want an accidental flame to spring up. There wasn't much to burn, but it was better safe than sorry.
Coming out of the underground twists and turns he hesitated a moment. He wanted to confront Misao, but he wasn't sure which way she had gone and the sun was getting perilously close to rising. It wouldn't do to have to drag his body to a safe place fighting slumber all the way.
He decided to head towards his room in the hopes that Misao would be going near the same way.
What had the human meant by what she could? Did that mean that only some of the werewolves were released from constraints? If so why couldn't she release the others. Well, there was no use in mulling over it now. He supposed he could have asked and she might have answered, if she knew. But that was done. She would speak no more. He would imagine one so weak as to fall victim to leperacy would wish for death and fondle it like a good friend. Perhaps her training had been drummed into her preventing her from taking her own life.
He turned the corner with nearly as many questions as he had answers. That didn't bother him. He would figure them out with time, he always did. He loved challenges and puzzles. They endeared themselves to him in the most teasing way.
"Ah… Soujirou." Misao yipped in startlement and jumped back, "I thought you were in your room. I was just going to talk to you!"
She shifted nervously rubbing a shoed foot across the stone floor and looking downward.
"You have no collar?" Soujirou stated in a lit voice and smiled widely wondering secretly how she would respond.
He was rewarded with a red face and sputtering denials.
"Of course I have a collar!" She huffed taking refuge in anger, "I've lived here all my life. Why wouldn't I? That's a stupid idea and I can't believe you'd be such a jerk!"
Within an instant the boy vampire had a lithe, powerful hand curled around her neck. Her emerald eyes bugged out and she stopped breathing all together. He slid his fingers around her smooth skin and withdrew slowly.
"Really? It must be insubstantial in addition to invisible then."
"Pervert!" She screeched, not having processed his point just yet. Her face flooded with crimson making a sharp contrast to her dark hair. She cupped her neck and delicately massaged it with her fingertips. "You really scared me!"
"I did not mean any harm Misao; I was just checking for a collar." Soujirou replied wondering why she would think he would hurt her. "Why do you not have one?"
She eyed him with a guilty look and started playing with her braid. When he didn't say anything she started to get fidgety. Finally she broke down in the face of unresolved silence.
"You killed her didn't you?" She asked in a quiet, meek voice. She didn't wait for his confirmation of the deed, "She asked me once if I would grant her that favor. I refused. But I was so careful. How did you follow me anyway? Never mind."
"You are off topic." Soujirou reminded politely. He definitely wanted to find out. His limbs were feeling heavy with fatigue as the sun drew closer to the horizon. Every moment he stood here was another moment that slipped past retrieval.
"Lord Aoshi deemed that I did not require a collar." She said proudly with narrowed eyes.
That made sense. Under Aoshi's direction she wouldn't need one. To think of the young girl doing anything against her late master's wishes was inconceivable. Loyal to a fault unto death. But then again, Aoshi had never been close with the rest of them. He had old secrets, dark secrets that he had always clutched to his chest and hid away.
It was quite possible that the vampire would work with whoever was in his best interest. Even Saitoh if it came down to it. So it made sense that the ninja would have kept his side ventures, especially ones of that nature, apart from him. Soujirou was devoted to Shishio, and still remained so.
"Are you okay? You look like you're going to drop dead right now." Misao said then her hands flew over her mouth, mortified at the unintended insult.
He gave her a reassuring smile. Things like that didn't bother him. Why should they? He was stronger this way.
"I think that you have patrol duty. And I must retire." Soujirou said in reply still thinking about Aoshi. He was sure the older vampire hadn't originally intended the relationship and it put an unsettling doubt in him. Why had he then? Soujirou hadn't been very encouraging to say the least. The boy had been more than a bit leery and Aoshi hadn't pushed him, but the man hadn't given up either.
"Aren't you going to punish me?" Misao asked in disbelief then, again, clapped her mouth shut. He shook his head with another wide smile and left for his room.
Shishio would soon fix that problem, but it would have to wait on the more pressing problems. Besides, he felt like he would be betraying Aoshi by forcing a collar on the girl. It could easily wait. He had disposed of the miko and there wasn't much harm Misao could do by herself.
Soujirou didn't see how he had the right to step up and punish her himself. It brought to mind a saying he had heard as a child in the human village about never hitting another man's dog lest you were bitten.
A/N: You people have no idea how difficult this chapter was to write. It took me a week and I've tweaked it several times. I'm still not satisfied, but hopefully you all will like it okay. Oh, and I'll reformat all these chapters to HTML once I'm sure it will upload properly.
Reviewers:
Mary-Ann: Thank you. It takes a bit of manuvering to do that, but I do enjoy my AUs more when they have bits of the original story. Keeps things a bit more constant. I overthink everything. Fyyrrose would tell you she wishes I would stop and shut up sometimes. But that's why I write. To get it all out of my head so I don't explode.
Wistful-Eyes: At least it seems a bit more normal now. Don't worry overly much about Kenny's past. There will be a bit more detail on that later on (okay, like in two chapters since there's not that many left). Kenshin killed Tomoe. As for Enishi... you'll see ^___^ *dances Spring break for eevee* After two exams and a paper I'm ready!
Fyyrrose: Yes, he is so! And his ego will trip him up someday. I gave Shishio a sweet deal there. He's had a good rule. But all dictators must go down the toliet... or up in flames at least. I love the gauntlets! *grins* Honor has different definitions... Besides, you and I play to win so we admire that. You're saying this to the vegitarian who hasn't killed anything larger than a bunny. So you wreck my angst with your humor?!! No one takes you seriously except maybe HH and XD.
Soujirou fidgeted slightly and leaned back listening to Hoji drone. What he really wanted to do was have a rematch with that vampire hunter. The man had been far better than he could have ever expected or hoped. It would be a thrilling challenge to finally fight someone who might actually stand a chance.
"Soujirou." Shishio said sharply catching the boy's wandering attention. Grey looked into crimson before the boy nodded wondering why he had been called on. The whole meeting had covered the usual mundane things. There hadn't even been mention of the two humans with the audacity to challenge the vampire society, or about the current unrest among the slave population.
"Yes?" Soujirou asked straightening up and glancing around.
"You used your powers the other night. Why?"
Soujirou gave a guilty smile. He had forgotten that Lord Shishio always knew when he used his talent. It wasn't something Soujirou did often because it drained him. That was probably why he felt so tired and compliant at the moment. Sometimes, depending on the number of dead raise and how they died, he would be down for a week or two. However, two children that he had slaughtered with his own hands were hardly a challenge. Within an hour or two he should be fully rested again. The only hitch about it was he had to be awake to be recharging. Otherwise he would have recovered during his daily sleep.
"I was playing Lord Shishio." Soujirou replied. What else would he be doing? Of course, his quizzical nature was generally looked down on, but Shishio had never minded it so long as he did what he was supposed to. Shishio was very forgiving about things like that. He wanted one thing: binding loyalty. Anything else was optional. "The man was very good at the sword, but I wanted to see how well he was controlling himself."
"And?" Shishio asked leaning down into his favorite pose.
Soujirou gave a bobbing nod and his smile grew, "He is a very disciplined man."
Shishio made a low rumbling sound that usually accompanied his thoughts about something serious. His crimson eyes flickered over Soujirou, calculating, but the boy was already off in his own thoughts again.
Of course Shishio would deploy some of the Ten Swords, but Soujirou wasn't sure if he would be allowed to battle. Shishio might actually want to give them a chance to reach him. If that were the case then he would send out some of the lower members. Possibly Chou or Fuji.
There was a sharp noise catching everyone's attention as the doors banged open. Usui was hauling his werewolf along. The lean wolf's arms were pinned behind him, but that didn't stop him from thrashing and doing quite a bit of damage to his captor.
"This insolent dog has betrayed you." Usui said with a vicious cuff to the side of the wolf's head. He jerked his hand back before it was bitten.
"How dare he accuse me of such!" Saitoh seethed with his golden eyes shinning with rage. He shook the oni off and stomped up to the base of Shishio's seat. He bowed respectfully and continued in a rage filled voice that shook with fury, "We had an agreement. I would serve that abomination only if he did not fetter my role as alpha of my pack. I'm sure you know, and are amused by this, but I care far more for them than I ever will for you or your kin. If his manhandling results in the death of one of my pack members then you will cease to have my co-operation!"
Shishio's mouth twisted up into a smile. Soujirou looked down with interest. The werewolf leader rarely let his presence be known and he had only directly spoken to Shishio of his own accord once over the years. This must truly be a grave trespass on the oni's part to invoke such a venomous reaction.
"Speak then. What has our wayward oni done to displease you?" Hoji spoke up. He was always keen to have the alpha under his own grasp. He had been most unhappy when some upstart oni had been granted the privilege.
Saitoh merely glowered with his topaz eyes glowing in the dim light. Soujirou's smile widened. The wolf had opened his case, but he apparently wasn't stupid. Starting it was one thing. Being the first to speak was clearly another. He was waiting for Usui to make his own accusations so that they could be parried and dealt with.
"This ungrateful wretch was plotting to free the werewolves. I found he has been in contact with some rather interesting people." Usui sneered.
Saitoh raised a murderous eyebrow and growled, "It is my pack's job to be security. That means we are expected to know everything. How would we know anything if we didn't speak to others?"
"Mikos?"
"Of course, they are of the Shinto faith. One cannot ignore the Kami."
Shishio gave a derisive sneer at that, but Saitoh never wavered. The werewolves were stupidly involved in such religious affairs. Silly to think that there were Kami everywhere. Soujirou shook his head slightly. The only thing you could believe in was your own strength.
"So you were trying to get your collars off. Very clever little wolf, but I am afraid you've been caught." Shishio purred in a rough voice. That didn't bode well for the werewolf leader Soujirou thought. He shrugged. If he didn't know any better it would seem the two were actually working together to work against. Then again, Shishio was incredibly smart. Maybe he planned it this way. After all, oni were hardly any better off than werewolves. Perhaps the two had an alliance at one point. One that had gone badly.
"Can I?" Hoji almost stuttered in excitement. So far he hadn't really been able to get his hands on anything other than the occasional human slave. Soujirou shook his head slightly. Whatever Shishio had planned it would prove far more entertaining. It wasn't often that he caught someone red handed.
Shishio raised a hand stopping the vampire in his tracks. He obediently backed off even though the feverent look in his eyes remained.
"Since I don't trust either of your words I believe a little duel is in order. Chou, provide Saitoh with his katana. Let the dog prove his worth for once if he can. Usui, you have my permission to do whatever you like with your pet, with one provision. It must be done here, in this room and in front of the whole court."
"As you wish." Saitoh replied giving a low bow with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Soujirou noted that he had probably been looking for such an opportunity for quite a long while.
Everyone in the room knew that it was impossible to get those collars off. Shishio had killed all the mikos that had been brought in to create and bind the subjugation collars. Only he knew the phrase that could be said to release them. Shishio and Shishio alone. He hadn't even trusted Yumi or Hoji with such knowledge. He hadn't trusted Soujirou either, but the boy didn't mind. Most of the time he didn't bother to think about the werewolves. A habit he might have to change once the dust settle and the hunters were disposed of.
Chou carefully went to the shelving and easily found Saitoh's katana. He also noticed something else.
"'Ey Boss." He said nervously licking his lips. Whatever he found wasn't good and he was in charge of keeping the weapons. "Didja move Battousai's sword 'cuz it ain't in it's spot."
Soujirou immediately realized what that meant. Someone had gotten past the wards and removed the sword. And since it went missing during the day it wasn't a vampire. Which left humans, werewolves, and one certain oni.
Shishio sat back not perturbing in the slightest and waved at Chou to give the werewolf the katana. Soujirou scooted closer to watch. Why would Shishio worry about one stupid reverse-blade sword? It could hardly be used to do damage. Especially since it had probably already found its way back to its master.
Saitoh appraised the blade and tested the keen edge. With a nod he immediately shifted into a flawless stance. Despite having his sword taken away his skill had obviously not diminished. Perhaps he had been practicing without it. That would prove interesting since his muscles were finely honed to the movements, but without the weight of the steel blade.
Usui easily unstrapped his shell and slid the long spear out of its holder. There was a vicious smirk on his lips. Apparently Saitoh wasn't the only one who had been looking for this moment.
The hall that the meetings were held in was easily large enough to accommodate a battle. The rest of the Ten Swords moved against the wall to allow more space, but most of them watched with keen interest.
"So who do you think will win Sou?" Kamatari asked from his other side. She had been silent throughout the whole meeting, "I want to win my bet with Chou."
"It is hard to tell because I have never seen either of them fight, but I know Saitoh has his own style." Soujirou tried to remember if he had seen anything in Okita's movements that might give away his leader's vices or strength. But no, the werewolf had always been perfectly neutral. "Usui is an oni and therefore much stronger, but perhaps not faster. It's anyone's game really!" He finished with a large smile.
Kamatari rolled her eyes, "Very helpful. You sound excited. Find your revenge-bent killer, did you? Just remember to be careful hun. Humans aren't like us. They find strength in the oddest places."
"Yes Kamatari." Soujirou replied dutifully. He would never understand humans.
"Loyalty will never be your fault Usui, and for that crime above all others you must be extinguished. I promise to make it quick." Saitoh sneered and rushed forward. He didn't seem surprised overly much when his katana tip slid up the slick shield.
Soujirou's keen eyes made out the movement behind the shield and he smiled. Would the wolf get out of the move Usui was pulling? Perhaps, but definitely not unscathed. Whoever won this was going to bear some scars.
Saitoh noticed too late the spear that thrashed out from beneath the cover of the turtle shell and stabbed upward. It tore into the muscular upper legs ushering forth a flood of crimson. The blood quickly soaked through the wolf's pants turning the navy fabric black and turning the floor below slippery. Before he could recover completely from his body's immediate shock Usui had slashed through the other leg. His second hit was far less effective however.
"He should have aimed for the left leg first." Soujirou murmured in fascination. He had never learned anything other than the katana and he wasn't sure he could battle someone with a spear. The dynamics of fighting were all similar, but pole weapons were moved in different ways from blades. Perhaps the only one in the room who truly understood Usui's moves was Kamatari. Her scythe was the most similar to the long spear.
"And why do you say that Sou?" Kamatari asked not taking her eyes off the battle.
"Saitoh favors his right, but I think he's ambidextrous. That means he can use both sides of his body evenly. Taking out his left leg first would have caught him off guard making it easier to slice through the right."
"A fatal mistake then?" Kamatari questioned lightly and Soujirou shook his head with concentration, "Not if Saitoh can't get past his shield."
"I for one hope that the werewolf wins." Kamatari huffed in annoyance. It wasn't a secret that Usui was probably by far the most hated being on the entire premises by all species alike.
The two were trading some quiet taunts that not even Soujirou's keen ears could make out. Usui pressured his next attack, no doubt going for a killing blow. Werewolves could be killed in many more interesting ways than vampires. Or even humans for that matter because they were hardier and had greater endurance.
Saitoh, rather than avoid the attack, coiled up and launched forward with his katana outstretched. Usui was laughing even as the blade broke his turtle shell and sliced through his spearhead rendering it useless. He hadn't stopped even when the katana continued its unhindered path straight through his midsection.
The force of the blow dragged the oni's lithe body through the air before firmly pinning his upper half to the wall with a sickening thump. The lower extremities slid down the wall on impact and lay in a forlorn heap at the foot of the stonewall. Blood oozed and bubbled sluggishly coating the wall and katana.
Saitoh smirked and turned to Chou.
"You should retrieve and clean my blade before the acid in his blood mars it."
Chou looked frozen under the wolf's fierce gaze. He started up at Shishio who nodded before scrambling over and trying to pry the steel from it's new home.
"Well done. You will have a new master soon. Apparently your old one was weak." Shishio said giving a grin. Saitoh bowed again before he walked out without another word.
"Good riddance. Lord Shishio is so smart, isn't he? Either way he wins." Kamatari commented appreciatively and Soujirou had to agree. Usui had always been the most vexing problem and now he was gone without anyone but a werewolf to cast the blame at. A flawless move, but then again, it was Shishio.
"Yes Kamatari."
"Now if only this meeting would end. Even in his death Usui was a selfish bastard." Kamatari yawned. "We could have been done already."
"But it was an excellent fight."
"I suppose, but that's not what I'm interested in at the moment." Kamatari shrugged, clearly not impressed by the short battle.
Their conversation was cut off by a slight knock on the door. There was a short pause before Chou, who was still near the door trying to pry the katana out of the wall, opened it at Shishio's gesture.
Kikisha came in silently. She did her customary bow before straightening. Soujirou had never considered it odd that the female werewolf was pretty much the only one who ever spoke directly to Shishio concerning matters of security. It was no secret that Saitoh hated the vampire king with a passion, and it was logical that his mate would be the same way. The young female was low enough in the pack that she could be assigned such a low, distasteful duty and she was polite enough not to get herself killed. So why was Soujirou questioning this now?
He couldn't help it. His people-watching always seemed to led to some new insight where random thoughts suddenly connected. And he had seen her on several occasions speak to Saitoh almost as an equal.
"The two hunters are packing up their camp."
With those words she gave another low bow and left the room. That was okay however. That short sentence was perfectly constructed to make its meaning clear.
Soujirou's mind wrapped around the delightful probability of facing the skilled hunter again and his smile widened into a grin. This time they would battle in a proper arena rather than with dirt and trees. There he could hit full speed without any worries about rocks or tree roots. If things went well he could continue the little séance from earlier with two new members. His daydreaming about the past lent a few more clues and he was confident he could revive the other two family members. Imagine, a wonderful family reunion!
He vaguely listened as Shishio gave out orders. It seemed he didn't want the Ten Swords to challenge the hunters directly. Whether he was afraid to put more forces out without a good chance of victory, or if he was eager to fight was unclear. The lowest members were assigned to deal with any slave uprising. Although an event like this had never happened it was not hard to imagine the heart their food might take if given some hope.
Apparently Shishio didn't trust the werewolves to take care of the problems. Not after the little display given earlier. The vampire was notoriously cautious about assessing his enemies. Usui had obviously planted a small grain of doubt about the servants' pliability and usefulness.
A small thought nagged him that he should ask Shishio's permission about Misao, but as it was he wasn't sure she was ready to accept him. And he wasn't going to force her. Well, after the association he'd had with her, he knew she could make life for him very unpleasant if she really wanted to and she was incredibly stubborn. No, it could wait to be cleared up when Aoshi's murder was properly taken care of and she had a chance to let go. That was the proper course of action.
"Dismissed." Hoji's pompous voice cut across Soujirou's wandering thoughts and he shrugged.
There were a couple of hours before the sun would make its appearance on the land according to Soujirou's internal clock. The intruders wouldn't make it until the next evening. There was nothing much to do except wait. Something Soujirou had never been particularly fond of, but something he understood for its usefulness.
He didn't see any point in training in the meantime and he had perfected the image of the two missing family members in his mind. There wasn't much for him to do until it was time to rest.
Perhaps I should just go to bed early, Soujirou thought to himself. After all, what could it hurt?
Changing course back towards his room he was surprised when he ran into Misao. She was sneaking along the shadows obviously on a mission of some sort.
He almost informed her of his presence, but changed his mind. He was curious what she was doing down this particular corridor. It wasn't precisely banned for use to the werewolves, but it split into two different paths. One led back around to the library, a place where few within the crypt actually bothered to visit, and the other snaked down deeper to the bowels of the stronghold. The former was perfectly acceptable, while the latter was not.
Misao didn't even hesitate to take the forbidden path. Soujirou waited listening for the sounds of her body reacting to the effects of the collar. Silence met his ears and he started to get an uneasy feeling. Had Saitoh actually figured out how to get those collars off after all and Usui hadn't been bluffing?
Deciding the only way to find out was to confront Misao he followed intending to get some answers. He wasn't particularly thrilled to consider that he could be murder in his sleep. Normally that wouldn't bother him and maybe it was a bit of arrogance, but the truth of the matter was that they depended quite heavily on their werewolves. Perhaps the reason he declined on, even if it was bad form. He didn't want someone to cater his whims or watch his back. Despite the achy, hollow feeling that sometimes weighed on his body he wasn't up for trusting anyone.
He had no one to trust growing up. Trust led to hurt. And the one time he opened himself up he lost the other person. No, it was easier to shove all feelings behind a vault of a smile and not consider that they were ever a factor.
She stopped slinking a good ways in and relaxed slightly. She navigated the maze of tunnels and slimy stairways in a way that bespoke of familiarity. She had been coming down here for a long time. That meant that Saitoh didn't truly have all the collars off because he wasn't the type of man to hesitate, and neither were his pack. If the collars had been removed all the vampires would be gone that day.
There was practically no light now and Soujirou's eyes were having a bit of difficulty adjusting. Although they were far better than either those of a werewolf or a human even they needed a source of light to function. It didn't seem to slow the werewolf down. She nimbly scrambled down the damp tunnels. They were definitely underground now. He could smell the mildew and earth rotting away and felt the ground underneath him slick with slime. When he accidentally brushed a hand across the rough wall he recoiled and wrinkled his nose. Just what was she doing down here?
They went on for another half an hour like this and Soujirou was beginning to lose his curiosity. It was rapidly being replaced with a growing irritation and a nagging feeling that there wasn't enough time for this. He needed to be in a safe place when the sun rose. Not some lightless hole where it smelled of decay and animal droppings, and where fungus ruled. Of course, his room wasn't obviously safe either, or at least not from Misao. Not considering the last time they had spoken he had advocated that she mind her own business or that she should quit thinking about revenge.
As he moved forward to confront her she suddenly called out softly. There was a slight pause before another, unfamiliar voice called back barely above a whisper.
Soujirou could hear Misao scuffling around and heard the flint strike just in time to back out of candle range. To his surprise she didn't have a candle it was a crude lamp. Something no slave should ever be in possession of. He barely avoided being seen in the unexpected ring of warm light that flooded the area.
Blinking owlishly at the sudden stimuli he waited for his pupils to adjust. Meanwhile he let his gray eyes wander the area and knew exactly where they had ended up. Shishio had never had a use for the extensive, inescapable dungeon that ran under the crypt. He always dealt with his enemies directly leaving nothing to chance. After all, the strong slaughtered the weak, that was how it went. To let the weak live was a disservice to nature.
However, if he remembered correctly because this was long before he was turned, Shishio's predecessor had a fetish for keeping prisons down in these cells. It was doubtful that anyone had been down here in a long while. And to think that any of the prisoners had survived in darkness without food or water for so long was hard to consider.
Yet he watched as a human woman crawled out of the cell. The bars had long since rusted and the door was open. She was free to leave at any time so why didn't she? Did she enjoy living in a world that was blind and smelled of sewer?
The woman appeared fairly young with dark brown hair and eyes. The hair was slightly mussed, but still in good order looking like it had been trimmed recently. Her clothing was that of a traditional miko. While on the thin, pale side she certainly didn't seemed starved. Misao had been coming down for a long time; he was sure of that now.
"Here, I brought you some venison. I guessed that you probably were getting a bit tired of goat by now. Shishio doesn't usually let us hunt so I suppose this is a treat. Oh, and Sano sent you some nuts. I don't know where he finds these things half the time." Misao said shaking her head and laying the items out on a makeshift stone table.
The young woman gave a polite, reserved nod to the chatty young werewolf, and although she must have been starved delicately started to eat her meal.
"Thank you Misao for your generosity."
"It's nothing. We're friends right? But anyway, the hunters are coming tomorrow night so I guess your freedom is close at hand."
"If they succeed." The miko replied mildly with a smile.
"They will! I mean, how can they lose?" Misao retorted hotly, She jumped to her feet and started pacing, "With Lord Aoshi gone there is no reason for me to stay here."
"What about your pack? They surely would miss you."
"Maybe. Well, yeah Sano would, and Okita I guess. They're my friends and all." Misao said and frowned, "And I guess Tokio would miss me too. Saitoh too."
"What about that vampire you were speaking of last time?" The miko asked sipping the cool water that had been set before her. She looked pretty calm. Perhaps she wasn't one of those fanatical types that Soujirou was so familiar with.
"What about him? The jerk." Misao grumbled and plopped down again. She played with her braid, "Why does it always feel like I have to spill my feelings out to you? It's annoying. Okay, so the guy's not that bad for a vampire. But I still don't like him. I don't want him to take Lord Aoshi's place."
"I doubt he's trying to do that." The woman said, "Maybe he feels just as lost as you are about Lord Aoshi's death."
"He doesn't show it at all then!" Misao screeched making both Soujirou and the woman wince slightly. She pulled out a throwing knife and started flipping it around with dangerous energy. "It's like to him, oh well, Lord Aoshi is dead so what?"
"Misao, things happen. Death is part of life and the Sun Goddess knows what she is doing. You shouldn't judge based on your limited knowledge." The young woman cautioned.
"I guess. But things are so unfair!" The young werewolf pouted. "I should get back. Saitoh has me on patrol today for what Okita and I did the other night. I wish I had came down earlier, so we could talk longer. Sano and Okita are great, but they're guys and they don't like their masters. They just don't get it."
"You're welcome. I will lend an ear for as long as I can provided you keep an open mind about what I tell you."
"I will Sayo and thank you!" Misao yipped and bounded past Soujirou, who was luckily still hidden in the shadows. Her footfalls faded into the distance, but the boy vampire knew that he could easily find his way out. It was a talent. Once he had been somewhere his memory was nearly flawless as to its makeup. The maze would be easy enough to get out of and he would catch her before the sun rose. At the moment he had something else to take care of first.
"Lurking in the shadows is hardly appropriate for a man of your stature."
Soujirou stepped out mildly surprised that she could sense him before he remembered that no matter how young she looked she was still a miko.
"You know I am not a man." Soujirou pointed out mildly standing a yard or so away. Her brown eyes were searching his face and she gave a slight nod.
"If you insist, vampire."
They stood for a moment appraising each other before she pushed aside her food and stood up. It was only then that he could see the tremors of pain and faintness that ran through her body. She took a deep, pained breath before leaning against the bars.
"You are sick." He stated. He could practically taste the sickness that ran through her mortal veins and it made his stomach unsettled. Sickness didn't always taste bitter, nor did it taint the blood, but she was half-felled already by a disease that even an oni wouldn't touch.
She gave a wistful smile and bared her hands with the backs facing him. They were wrapped skillfully in bandages, but he could clearly see the pus that caked the linen and smell the decay. Her left pinky was missing and her right thumb was half its original length.
"I haven't been down here as long as you are assuming, or for the same reasons. I was never a prisoner and I am a full miko. I… I contracted this disease and felt it was better to suffer alone. The werewolves were kind enough to lodge me down here in the safety and solitude of darkness." Sayo explained carefully.
"So you took off their collars." Soujirou said ruefully and rubbed the back of his head. That Saitoh truly was a clever one. Imagine, the years it must have taken to get to this point. But Soujirou still didn't understand how Misao had been able to slip through the wards so easily. Her collar should have prevented her from ever going down there in the first place.
"Those that I could." Soujirou wondered what she meant by that, and he wondered why she was telling him this now. Unless there was absolutely nothing to lose by saying such things now.
She didn't notice his quizzical smile because she had bent over to search for something. He watched her rummage through her belongings vaguely insulted that she didn't seem to fear him in the slightest. It was like she was a walking corpse already. Only corpses of mortals failed to fear him.
She pulled out a slight, short weapon and held it out before her. For a moment he thought she might commit suicide, but instead she just held it ready.
"I am aware what you must do, however, I cannot make it easier for you than it already is." She turned the short blade so that it could be moved at any direction. Interesting that she would have some defensive training, but both of them knew that it was pathetic for its purpose. Even without a katana he could sweep past her guard and break her neck before she blinked.
"I thank you for your information. It makes it much easier on Misao, but I'm sure that's what you intended, did you not?"
She gave another smile, but didn't say anything in reply.
Soujirou hurried out the maze. He had paused briefly to wipe off his blade and extinguish the lamp. Although it seemed damp down in the tunnels he wouldn't want an accidental flame to spring up. There wasn't much to burn, but it was better safe than sorry.
Coming out of the underground twists and turns he hesitated a moment. He wanted to confront Misao, but he wasn't sure which way she had gone and the sun was getting perilously close to rising. It wouldn't do to have to drag his body to a safe place fighting slumber all the way.
He decided to head towards his room in the hopes that Misao would be going near the same way.
What had the human meant by what she could? Did that mean that only some of the werewolves were released from constraints? If so why couldn't she release the others. Well, there was no use in mulling over it now. He supposed he could have asked and she might have answered, if she knew. But that was done. She would speak no more. He would imagine one so weak as to fall victim to leperacy would wish for death and fondle it like a good friend. Perhaps her training had been drummed into her preventing her from taking her own life.
He turned the corner with nearly as many questions as he had answers. That didn't bother him. He would figure them out with time, he always did. He loved challenges and puzzles. They endeared themselves to him in the most teasing way.
"Ah… Soujirou." Misao yipped in startlement and jumped back, "I thought you were in your room. I was just going to talk to you!"
She shifted nervously rubbing a shoed foot across the stone floor and looking downward.
"You have no collar?" Soujirou stated in a lit voice and smiled widely wondering secretly how she would respond.
He was rewarded with a red face and sputtering denials.
"Of course I have a collar!" She huffed taking refuge in anger, "I've lived here all my life. Why wouldn't I? That's a stupid idea and I can't believe you'd be such a jerk!"
Within an instant the boy vampire had a lithe, powerful hand curled around her neck. Her emerald eyes bugged out and she stopped breathing all together. He slid his fingers around her smooth skin and withdrew slowly.
"Really? It must be insubstantial in addition to invisible then."
"Pervert!" She screeched, not having processed his point just yet. Her face flooded with crimson making a sharp contrast to her dark hair. She cupped her neck and delicately massaged it with her fingertips. "You really scared me!"
"I did not mean any harm Misao; I was just checking for a collar." Soujirou replied wondering why she would think he would hurt her. "Why do you not have one?"
She eyed him with a guilty look and started playing with her braid. When he didn't say anything she started to get fidgety. Finally she broke down in the face of unresolved silence.
"You killed her didn't you?" She asked in a quiet, meek voice. She didn't wait for his confirmation of the deed, "She asked me once if I would grant her that favor. I refused. But I was so careful. How did you follow me anyway? Never mind."
"You are off topic." Soujirou reminded politely. He definitely wanted to find out. His limbs were feeling heavy with fatigue as the sun drew closer to the horizon. Every moment he stood here was another moment that slipped past retrieval.
"Lord Aoshi deemed that I did not require a collar." She said proudly with narrowed eyes.
That made sense. Under Aoshi's direction she wouldn't need one. To think of the young girl doing anything against her late master's wishes was inconceivable. Loyal to a fault unto death. But then again, Aoshi had never been close with the rest of them. He had old secrets, dark secrets that he had always clutched to his chest and hid away.
It was quite possible that the vampire would work with whoever was in his best interest. Even Saitoh if it came down to it. So it made sense that the ninja would have kept his side ventures, especially ones of that nature, apart from him. Soujirou was devoted to Shishio, and still remained so.
"Are you okay? You look like you're going to drop dead right now." Misao said then her hands flew over her mouth, mortified at the unintended insult.
He gave her a reassuring smile. Things like that didn't bother him. Why should they? He was stronger this way.
"I think that you have patrol duty. And I must retire." Soujirou said in reply still thinking about Aoshi. He was sure the older vampire hadn't originally intended the relationship and it put an unsettling doubt in him. Why had he then? Soujirou hadn't been very encouraging to say the least. The boy had been more than a bit leery and Aoshi hadn't pushed him, but the man hadn't given up either.
"Aren't you going to punish me?" Misao asked in disbelief then, again, clapped her mouth shut. He shook his head with another wide smile and left for his room.
Shishio would soon fix that problem, but it would have to wait on the more pressing problems. Besides, he felt like he would be betraying Aoshi by forcing a collar on the girl. It could easily wait. He had disposed of the miko and there wasn't much harm Misao could do by herself.
Soujirou didn't see how he had the right to step up and punish her himself. It brought to mind a saying he had heard as a child in the human village about never hitting another man's dog lest you were bitten.
A/N: You people have no idea how difficult this chapter was to write. It took me a week and I've tweaked it several times. I'm still not satisfied, but hopefully you all will like it okay. Oh, and I'll reformat all these chapters to HTML once I'm sure it will upload properly.
Reviewers:
Mary-Ann: Thank you. It takes a bit of manuvering to do that, but I do enjoy my AUs more when they have bits of the original story. Keeps things a bit more constant. I overthink everything. Fyyrrose would tell you she wishes I would stop and shut up sometimes. But that's why I write. To get it all out of my head so I don't explode.
Wistful-Eyes: At least it seems a bit more normal now. Don't worry overly much about Kenny's past. There will be a bit more detail on that later on (okay, like in two chapters since there's not that many left). Kenshin killed Tomoe. As for Enishi... you'll see ^___^ *dances Spring break for eevee* After two exams and a paper I'm ready!
Fyyrrose: Yes, he is so! And his ego will trip him up someday. I gave Shishio a sweet deal there. He's had a good rule. But all dictators must go down the toliet... or up in flames at least. I love the gauntlets! *grins* Honor has different definitions... Besides, you and I play to win so we admire that. You're saying this to the vegitarian who hasn't killed anything larger than a bunny. So you wreck my angst with your humor?!! No one takes you seriously except maybe HH and XD.