Priestess of Seiryuu
Part Nine
Finally, after way too long on that horse, Megyn arrived in Kutou.
Megyn shakily dismounted with Suboshi's. She stared at the palace, dressed ornately in blues. She noted the similarities between the Kutou and Konan palaces; only the colors seemed different.
"Tomo. Suboshi," said a calm baritone, walking towards them.
The man was tall and had blonde hair, a rarity since Megyn had arrived. He wore silvery armor, which seemed unscratched, and what looked like a green claw as his left shoulder guard; a deep blue cloak wrapped around his broad shoulders. As he moved closer, Megyn realized exactly how much taller he was than her; almost a foot! He scared and intimidated her. Tomo and Suboshi were easy to fool, she wondered if she would be able to pull off her act with this man.
"Who is this girl?"
"She says she is the Priestess of Seiryuu, Nakago-sama," Tomo answered.
"Is that so?" He faced Megyn.
Megyn inadvertently shrunk back under his gaze. "Yes, sir," she said softly. "The Priestess of Suzaku and I were brought here together. What other purpose could I serve than to be the Priestess of Seiryuu?" She looked up to hold his gaze for a few seconds.
He broke her gaze as he knelt before her. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Seiryuu seishi, Nakago, and the general of Kutou's forces." Standing, he said, "I must take you to meet the emperor. He will be greatly pleased." He turned to Tomo and Suboshi. "I will speak with you when I am finished."
"Yes, Nakago-sama," both replied with a bow.
"Come with me, Miko-sama."
Megyn nodded and followed Nakago into the palace.
Hotohori neared a cluster of buildings he assumed were those of the Mount Reikaku bandits. As his horse skidded to a stop, he leapt off and ran to the nearest building.
Stopping the first bandit he saw, he asked, "Where is your leader? I must speak with him at once!"
The redheaded bandit eyed him suspiciously, but offered to lead him there nonetheless. He tugged at the three horses he led and Hotohori followed.
Soon, the bandit tied the horses to a railing and said, "In here." Hotohori, once again, followed the bandit.
They stopped at the entrance to a small room. The bandit entered first to say, "Hakurou, this guy needs to talk to you. He says it's important."
"Let him in," said another voice, one that Hotohori could only assume was the leader, Hakurou.
The bandit waved him in.
Upon entering, Hotohori saw Tamahome and Chichiri kneeling with their backs to him. "Tamahome! Chichiri!" he exclaimed. As they turned in response to their names, they revealed to Hotohori what they were kneeling next to. "JAMIE!" he cried, rushing over to her side. He gasped at her bandaged stomach and, for a moment, was utterly speechless. "What happened!" he demanded, recovering from his stupor.
Jamie smiled up at him. "The dagger wasn't much help, Hotohori. Sorry."
He gaped at her and again demanded, "What happened!"
Megyn remained bowed to the Kutou emperor throughout Nakago's explanation. He was nothing like Hotohori. He was old and really unattractive. He spoke to her like an object and looked at her like a piece of meat. She did all she could to avoid cringing or sticking up her nose in disgust.
"Very good, Nakago!" he said, eyeing Megyn.
Nakago did not answer.
"Now we can combat the Suzaku priestess easily."
"She's dead," Megyn said. "Tomo killed her and we left her body in Konan."
Nakago remained stone-faced and the emperor replied with a simple, "Ah."
All was silent for a moment, until the emperor said, "Then, I suppose we just need to complete our seishi, so we can summon Seiryuu.
"Now I have other business to attend to. Nakago, take the Priestess to her room." The emperor clapped twice and a soldier appeared in front of him.
"Come, Miko-sama," Nakago said.
Megyn followed him out of the throne room and to another building.
"This building is for the seishi and priestess," he explained as they neared the building. "This is my room." He pointed to a door. "Never enter without my permission. This is Tomo's room." He pointed to the door next to his and then the one next to that. "This is Suboshi's room, and the next one will be yours. Next to you is Amiboshi, Suboshi's brother and another seishi."
"Why did you leave one room open between them?" Megyn asked.
"They were near the middle of the line of rooms. The emperor insisted there be seishi surrounding the priestess." He held open the door to her room. "You must be tired. Go sleep. I will send someone to wake you for the evening meal."
Megyn nodded and strode into the room. "Thank you," she said before Nakago shut the door. Without bothering to look around the room, she curled up in the bed and fell asleep.
Genrou waved a farewell to Hakurou and Kouji as he and Hotohori, Chichiri, Jamie, and Tamahome left for Choko to find the healer.
Jamie had not taken the news of Megyn's betrayal well. She had first tried to mutilate Tamahome, who recounted the events of the last few hours, and then she screamed for about a half-hour about how untrue it was. Now she had resigned herself to sobbing against Tamahome, who sat in front of her on the horse.
Before that drama, Jamie told everyone that Genrou was the seishi Tasuki. They also found out that there was another seishi in the capital running Konan. Only two seishi left.
Chiriko sat on the throne and clutched his chest. He was breathing heavily; the pain enveloped his heart.
Several minutes later, the pain had dissipated to a tolerable level. He sighed. He thought of a reason for the pain. It would have been easy to discover a reason for an older man with this pain, but not for a thirteen-year-old. It would be impossible for a boy his age to get these same pains, wouldn't it?
Unable to think of a reason, he left the throne room for the library. Maybe there would be something there that could explain these pains he had been getting lately.
It was nearly sunset when Nakago knocked sharply on the door to the Priestess's bedchambers. This girl was going to help him, though she did not know it. He would finally get revenge on that bastard emperor.
Noting the lack of an answer from the room, Nakago slipped inside. "Miko-sama," he said, kneeling.
The girl stirred slightly in her bed, then sat up. She yawned, but covered it with the back of her hand. She looked at Nakago sleepily, her eyes half closed.
"It is time to prepare for the evening meal. The emperor has had a banquet prepared in celebration of your arrival."
She looked at him, the information sinking in. Then she rubbed her eyes and stretched. "All right, then," she said, a sleepy edge to her voice. She jumped off the bed, but tripped on the sheets and went crashing to the floor. Peeling herself off the floor, she groaned and muttered, "Oww…"
"Are you hurt, Miko-sama?" Nakago asked, unemotionally. He really had no doubt that the girl was uninjured; he only asked out of formality. He had rapt faith in the abilities of this girl. From what Tomo and Suboshi reported, this girl was most certainly not from this world. By her comments and the bits of foreign clothing she wore, there could be no question.
"Nope," the girl said, cheerily. "I'm rather prone to being a klutz." She stood at her full height. "It's kinda embarrassing."
As she stood, Nakago became aware of her clothing. She wore simple dark pants, a light shirt, and a dark tunic. She was covered in dirt and there were leaves in her hair, which was an unshapely mess. Parts of her tunic and pants had torn. Besides that, she smelled appalling.
"Miko-sama," he began, "you cannot go to the banquet in that state. You must cleanse yourself in the baths. I will show you there and have your robes brought to you." He stood and led her to the baths.
Now, Megyn was comfortable enough with nudity, just not her own. She had been to traditional baths before, but still wished for an American bath like she was used to.
She sunk low in the water, uncomfortable because of the watchful eyes of her attendants. She relaxed against a large boulder in the center of the bath.
Before bathing, a doctor was called to treat her ankle. He bandaged it tightly and, while his attention was elsewhere, she stole some spare bandages. With the stolen bandages, Megyn wrapped both feet. Not only comfortable, but rather functional. The warm water soothed her sore ankle.
I hope they don't hate me, she thought. I was only trying to help. Poor Chichiri! I was so mean! I want him, and all of them, to forgive me when I get back. I will make it back soon. I promise. Please, Suzaku, she prayed, let me be able to keep that promise.
Footsteps approaching were the sign that her bath had to end.
"Miko-sama," said one of the attendants, "the emperor wishes for your presence as quickly as possible. We must dress you now."
Megyn sighed and scuttled to the edge of the bath. The attendants, waiting for her to exit the bath, held a large light blue sheet of cloth, presumably a robe. She hurried out of the bath, covering herself as much as she could, and let the attendants wrap the cloth around her. The cloth made Megyn feel a great deal more comfortable. The attendants took her to a small room off the bath. Then they began to undress her.
"Hey!" Megyn squeaked. "Wait a minute! What are you doing!"
The attendants jumped back in surprise. "We just wanted to dress you, Miko-sama," one said, her voice shaky.
"Well, I can dress myself, thank you."
"Forgive us, Miko-sama."
"Forgive you? Why would I forgive you?"
"We are sorry that we have angered you," another said.
"Angered me? You haven't angered me. You haven't done anything wrong."
"Then you won't tell Nakago-sama or His Highness?" said the youngest girl there. She was slightly younger than Megyn, about Chuei's age. Another attendant shushed her.
"Don't worry," Megyn giggled. "I'm not telling either of them anything. They scare me, too." She winked then waved them out of the room. They left, all too happily.
She quickly checked the spot by the vanity where she had stashed the dagger Hotohori had given her. She was relieved to find it exactly where she had left it.
Megyn walked to the chair where someone had lain out new clothes for her. They were all in blues with splashes of lavender and frills of some sheer material. How pretty, she thought. She picked the first piece up to examine it further.
"What the Hell is this!"
Chiriko's pain had nearly disappeared. He was in the palace's massive library. He was still unable to find any sort of hint to what the pain could be.
He sighed and wandered into the chambers assigned to him. He turned to one of the guards and asked him to bring the physician.
The doctor arrived within the minute. He bowed before the acting emperor.
"How many years have you lived?" the doctor asked, standing up to examine Chiriko.
"Not much more than thirteen years."
"Then, Acting Emperor, what is the problem?"
"I've been having these pains in my chest," Chiriko said.
"Describe the pains," said the doctor, pulling off Chiriko's robes.
"It feels like someone is," he paused to think of an appropriate word. "Like someone is trying to pull my heart out of my body, but it only occurs occasionally."
Apparently, the doctor had finished his exam of Chiriko. "Acting Emperor, you seem to be as healthy as one your age is expected to be. I cannot think of a suitable diagnosis."
Megyn stormed out of the room, clutching a robe around her body, and barked orders at the attendants to find Nakago immediately. They hurried out of the bathing area.
A moment later, Nakago strode into the room. "Are you ready for the banquet, Miko-sama?"
Megyn looked at him as if he were mad. "What, may I ask, is this?" She opened her robe. She wore a blue shirt that exposed her stomach and tied in the front with a lavender-tinted, sheer bow and V-necked to show off her breasts. The shirt also sported blue-tinted, sheer sleeves. To cover below her waist was a white fabric, tied on with a simple, blue cord. Up either side of the fabric was a slit that stopped about three-fourths up her thigh.
"Those are your priestess robes," Nakago replied, coolly.
"I can't go anywhere like this!"
"The emperor insisted you be dressed in your formal robes for the banquet."
If it was, in fact, an order from the emperor, Megyn could not refuse. She hung her head in defeat and took off the protective robe. "All right."
They were nearing a village, which they assumed was Choko.
Jamie had eventually fallen asleep on Tamahome who was relieved. He nudged her shoulder to wake her up.
"Oye!" Tasuki said. "Stop mopin'. She's gone. One of those Seiryuu bastards. She was jus' playin' you. Get over it."
He was greeted by four cold glares from his companions.
"She's not lost to us, no da," Chichiri said, quietly. "She will come back."
"Yeah," Tasuki agreed. "To kill us."
"You have only known her for less than a day," Hotohori said. "You know nothing about her."
"I know what I need to. She's a fuckin' traitor and she will only try to kill us."
"You really don't know anything," Tamahome cut in. "She would never try to kill Jamie or any of us. Well, maybe you, but that wouldn't be a loss, would it?" He glared pointedly at Tasuki.
"Bastard."
"If she really is on their side now," Jamie said, quietly, "she is going to try to summon Seiryuu before we can summon Suzaku. She's very competitive. That means we have to beat her, if we want to summon Suzaku."
"See. Even she knows that damn girl is a lost cause."
"I never said that. I would never say that about my best friend."
A pained scream broke the silence as they entered the city gates.