Low Tolerance
Part Ten
Another scream broke through the serenity of the evening.
Hotohori was already off his horse, rushing to the house from where the screaming came. The rest of the group followed quickly behind, though Tasuki paused a moment before rushing after his companions.
Hotohori threw open the door. "What is this screaming about?"
All occupants of the small, one-roomed house turned at his cry. A young woman lay on a bed. She was very beautiful, despite being drenched in her own sweat. Her blonde hair was matted to her head and her eyes were clenched in pain. Jamie thought she must be in her early twenties at most.
"What is the meaning of this?" cried the aged man kneeling next to the woman. "You have no right to come into a quarantined area, yelling and disturbing her."
Hotohori was taken aback, never before had a villager snapped at him. "How dare—"
Jamie had kneeled beside the woman's bedside. "Shush, Hotohori. Be quieter." Hotohori narrowed his eyes at her.
Tamahome took this silence as an opportunity. "We need to see the doctor. Jamie's been injured and—"
"And I'm much better now," Jamie interrupted. "In any case, the doctor needs to treat this woman first."
The woman flew into a fit of spasms and cried out, "Ju-an!" She fell limp a moment later.
"Unfortunately," said the older woman, "the doctor is away treating others. He may return soon, though it could be tomorrow or a week from now." This woman had salt-and-pepper hair, the only hint of her youth left; her eyes showed the wear of old age and her body seemed weak as well.
Jamie leaned forward a bit, but winced from the change. "If you don't mind me asking," she said quietly, "who is Ju-an?"
"Myo Ju-an is the doctor you seek," said the man.
"Shouka's been calling for him since she came down with the Shikonki." The woman looked down sadly at Shouka. "If, of course, you understand my meaning."
Jamie nodded, a slight grin formed on her face.
"I just—" The woman held her hand over her mouth and took a deep breath. "I just don't think she'll live to see him again." She turned to bury her head in her husband's shoulder.
Just because she submitted to wearing the awful robes, didn't mean Megyn liked them. In fact, she silently fumed at Nakago and the Emperor for humiliating her. She knew the only reason she was even wearing the costume was because she was scared to death of both of them.
As Nakago led her into the dining hall, Megyn immediately covered her midriff with her arms. There could be no less than a hundred guests sitting at the long tables.
She stood at the opposite end of the hall at the head table. The table was lined with seven chairs all facing outward to observe the other tables. The Emperor sat in the middlemost chair, three flanking either side of him. He was seemingly enjoying himself. He chatted with a young serving girl. She seemed to be playing along with the Emperor; it could be told at a distance. She giggled and hid her face in her hands, presumably to Megyn to hide the cringe, when the Emperor massaged her backside.
She saw Tomo and Suboshi sitting at the head table, each as far as possible from the emperor. Tomo sat next to a voluptuous, burgundy-haired woman. They seemed to be in a heated discussion (or a nasty, tongue-lashing, argument, whichever you prefer), so she didn't want to disrupt them. Suboshi sat by himself at the far right-hand side of the table. He looked lonely, stirring his drink silently.
As she tried to go to him, Nakago grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back against him. "Wait." She complied, but felt very uncomfortable being close to one of the men she feared most.
The serving girl excused herself, but the Emperor pulled her back and whispered something in her ear. She giggled again, but as she left, her face turned ashen.
The Emperor looked up and spotted Megyn and Nakago at the end of the hall. "Ah," he said loudly. "Finally, our Priestess has arrived."
The pain hadn't returned, so Chiriko brushed it off as a phase even though he had had these pains for several weeks.
Though he had only been Acting Emperor for less than a day, the job was already taking its toll. If there was a job more boring than acting emperor, he could not think of one.
There was a light knock at the throne room doors. He nodded his approval and the guards opened the door.
A young girl walked in, head bowed. Her head remained lowered as she knelt before the throne. Her hair was so blonde it was almost yellow. "Your evening meal has been prepared, Acting Emperor," she said. Her voice was sweet and soft, like a lullaby, Chiriko thought. "Would you prefer to dine in your chamber or in the dining hall?" she continued.
"Um," Chiriko said, rather at a loss for words. "The dining hall is fine."
The girl gave a small nod. "If you will follow me." She led him out of the room into the hallway. Her head remained bowed.
Jamie looked up from the dinner plate. She had been thinking for a long time. "Since I'm Priestess of Suzaku, Suzaku will protect me, right?" she asked Chichiri.
"Well, yes, no da. You are the key to summoning him and saving Konan."
"So even if I'm on the brink of death," she continued, "He wouldn't let me die?"
"Well, that's a difficult question to answer, no da…"
"And since I'm the Priestess, I must have some sort of power or ability, right?"
"I suppose you must have some special quality to be chosen as Priestess…"
"Thanks, Chichiri." She ran to Shouka's house.
Nakago pushed Megyn forward, his grip on her shoulder firm. "Put your arms down," he ordered quietly. She did as told.
"My, my, my, Miko-sama," the Emperor cooed. "Aren't you beautiful this evening?" He grasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips. His beard scratched her skin and she nearly shrieked when his tongue nudged her skin; she bit her lip and tears threatened to spring from her eyes. Nakago's grip on her shoulder tightened.
She managed, barely, to force a smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Please, sit." He motioned to the seats on either side of him. Nakago helped Megyn sit to the Emperor's left and he sat to the right, next to the burgundy-haired woman.
Megyn tried to inconspicuously wipe the back of her hand on her robes.
"Let the feast begin," the Emperor announced.
Jamie knelt before Shouka. "Shouka?" She poked the still woman.
Shouka stirred. "Ju-an?" she asked before opening her eyes.
"No, I'm sorry, but I'm going to help you see him again, okay?"
Feebly, she nodded.
Jamie put her hand on Shouka's forehead and prayed to Suzaku. "So you can see the one you love most," she whispered.
Shouka's forehead cooled slightly.
Suzaku, she prayed fervently, I will go through whatever task to complete my duties as your priestess, if you save this woman. She needs to live to see the man she loves. You're the one that represents love or something, right? You have to do this for me. Please. I swear my never-ending loyalty to you.
Shouka's forehead cooled dramatically and Jamie smiled before collapsing.
Chichiri dwelled upon his earlier conversation with Jamie. He had originally thought of it as a natural curiosity and had ignored it.
But no matter what the topic, his mind kept reliving that thirty-second exchange.
Why is it so important? he wondered. She has every right to be curious. But, why did she rush out of here?
A woman's cry jerked everyone's attention to the neighboring house. Even Tasuki stood alert.
"Shouka!" wailed Koushi, the older woman, clutching her face.
All five occupants hurried next door, an unknown fear coursing through the three seishi.
Chiriko followed the pretty blonde girl to the dining hall. Never had he seen hair so beautiful. "Um. What is your name?"
The girl responded without turning. "I've been given the name Ryuujin, Acting Emperor." Her voice was quiet and soothing, much like Chiriko's mother's.
He frowned at her name; it meant "dragon god." "You can call me Chiriko, if you want." He would ignore the meaning for now.
At this she spun around in shock and looked up at him (she was an inch or two shorter than he). She had the most beautiful blue-gray eyes with a hint of green. "I could never do that! You are the Acting Emperor and should be treated with the same respect and conduct as the real Emperor." Her voice had grown slightly louder, but not so much to be a shout.
"I insist. I would rather not order you to do so."
"If I must," she said as quietly as before.
Megyn sat quietly in the seat to the left of the Emperor. She wanted to cry. The Emperor of Kutou had licked her.
Suboshi sat two seats to her left stirring his drink.
A plate of food was set before her. The food smelled delicious, but she didn't recognize most of it. It didn't matter, though; she felt like she hadn't eaten in months.
"First, a toast!" announced the Emperor, rising to his feet.
Megyn nearly groaned. Why did he have to call for a toast after I got my food?
"Let us celebrate," the Emperor began, "the arrival of our Priestess of Seiryuu! She will save our country. To Seiryuu!"
"To Seiryuu!" the crowd repeated.
"Now, enjoy the meal!"
Everyone sat down and dug into their food.
Megyn picked up what looked like a dumpling and took a rather large bite. The piece of food lodged itself halfway in her throat. Nonetheless, she tried several times to swallow the chunk, but it refused to budge. Then she tried to move it back into her mouth, so she could chew it; that also failed. She placed her left hand over her chest and tried to breathe.
Suboshi noticed something wrong with his Priestess. He moved into the seat adjacent to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, quietly.
Megyn looked at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head.
"Here." He slid his drink into her hand.
She nodded and took a swig of the cool liquid, not caring what it was. The liquid pushed the hunk of food down her throat until the food was in her stomach.
She moved her hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Suboshi."
"Oh, I'm Amiboshi, Suboshi's brother. But please call me Koutoku. Really, I prefer it."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I remember now that Nakago mentioned Suboshi had a brother. He didn't say that you were twins. At least I don't think he did."
"Don't worry. We get mixed up all the time." He smiled.
"I have some friends at home who are twins, but none are identical, like you and Suboshi." She counted on her fingers. "Mark and Jeff, Helle and Leili, the Kimmies, Westies, and some others. Probably ten sets total."
His eyes grew wide. "There are that many twins where you live?"
Megyn nodded. "Yes. Aren't there that many here?"
"No. There may be two other sets of twins in this whole country, at most."
"Where is Suboshi, anyway?"
"Ya stupid girl!" Tasuki paced the room. "What the Hell were ya thinkin'?"
Jamie now replaced Shouka on the small bed.
"I'm so sorry," Shouka said quietly. "I had no idea you were going to do this, Miko-sama. I never would have let you otherwise." She was kneeling at Jamie's bedside.
"Jamie," Hotohori said, "you are still injured. It was an unwise decision, even if your intentions were in Miss Shouka's best interest."
"Yeah. Yer the one who's supposed ta save us. If ya die now, there wasn't no point in savin' 'er life. She'd die soon enough anyway."
"Tasuki!" Jamie gasped.
Chichiri, who sat cross-legged on the floor, used his staff to hit the back of Tasuki's knees, causing him to fall; then hit him over the head with said staff.
"Hey! What the FUCK was that for!"
"Behave yourself, Tasuki," the monk replied.
"He's right, though." Everyone stared, gaping, at Shouka. "I'm insignificant. You should not sacrifice yourself for me."
Jamie, who had been forcing consciousness on herself, spoke hoarsely. "Your healer will be here soon. I'm sure of it." She coughed. "Until then, I'll be fine." Her battle with unconsciousness was lost and her eyes closed.
"It's my fault," Shouka sobbed. Ju-an, please come home soon!
Suboshi hurried back to the dining hall.
"Oh. Here he is," he heard his brother say.
"Here, Miko-sama," he said, setting a glass of liquid before her.
"Remember, Suboshi?" Megyn said. "Just call me Megyn."
"Oh, sorry," he mumbled, sitting in his seat, which Amiboshi had recently moved from.
"Don't worry about it." She giggled. "What is this stuff, anyway?" She sipped the liquid.
"It's the finest drink in the world."
"It's good," she replied with a grin. She took another sip.
Chiriko ate his dinner quickly and in silence.
Soon afterward, he retired to his room for the night.
He now lay in bed; his thoughts on Ryuujin.
Why, he thought, is a girl with a name that means "dragon god" working at the Konan palace? It's strange. Maybe she is a refugee, one who fled from Kutou. I could not blame her if that was the case. I'll need to learn more about her…just in case.
Jamie floated in a dark, misty forest. She looked around. All she could see were dark, old trees that hid the sky. Or was there sky? She couldn't remember.
She glided down a path. The path was not wide, nor well trodden. Roots stuck up randomly and she could barely see the cart tracks in the dirt. This path had not been used in a very long time.
Without warning, a crossroads appeared. There were three paths: one to the right, to the left, and one that went straight. The path to the left smelled of her mother's freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies; the right had the rank smell of the football locker room after a particularly sweaty game. Then there was the path that went straight. It smelled of, well, nothing she could put her finger on. It just smelled like home, her family's smell.
Jamie was thoroughly and utterly confused. Was this some kind of test? She wanted to follow the smell of the cookies, but she knew that if this was a test, that would most certainly be the wrong choice.
She sat at the center of the crossroads to decide.
Megyn downed her fifth glass of the liquid.
"Don't you think you've had enough?" Amiboshi asked, feebly trying to keep the drink from his brother and priestess.
Megyn and Suboshi glared at him. Their faces were red and their eyes half closed.
"I dun shink sho," Suboshi slurred.
"Can I haff anubber grash?" Megyn asked.
A serving girl hurriedly poured her another glass.
"Anyway," she continued, "everyone came in an' den dere was dish girl, ba it wushint a girl, it wush a boy, an' ya know what wush da funny par'?" She paused for a moment. "It wush a Shuzashu sheishi! I'm da on'y one w'o knows 'bout 'im." She beamed, obviously proud and excited that she had such information.
Suboshi giggled while Amiboshi looked on worriedly.
Nakago walked over to kneel by Megyn's chair. "Which seishi was it?" he asked as if talking to a child, though he still sounded cold.
Megyn's brows furrowed and her eyes scrunched up. "I dun 'member. It wush…uh…" She traced the "willow" character on the tabletop. "It wush N'riko!" She grinned up at him drunkenly as if looking for approval or a reward for a job well done.
Nakago smirked. He put his hand on her head for a moment after he stood, as if patting it. "Very good."