Ciao!!!

Shadow's Light is being obstinate- Chapter 19 refuses to be molded from an assortment of small, related scenes into a real chapter- it'd infuriating considering that only the last 5% of work have to be done, yet I am incapable of connecting everything. I guess this is what writer's block is like… well, luckily for me I have my second story, so I'll just give you more RtK until SL finally decides to cooperate! Again, part of the credit for this chapter goes to my beta, my twin and my friends- they made me include more and more evilness and dark plots in something I intended to be more light hearted *sighs*. Have to admit, though, it makes the story more interesting (and longer…). I have also managed to acquire yet another future scar… was stupid enough to cut myself on my bowstring in archery practice, a pretty nasty slash on my left arm (I am right-handed when it comes to archery though left-handed at fencing… pretty illogical if you ask me) that required twenty-three! stitches and slows down my typing speed. Just because I forgot to wear my armguard… Urgh, I hate being stupid and clumsy…and then teachers are in a 'we-are-going-to-vacation-soon'- mood- meaning they don't really want to prepare the few lessons we're not writing tests in, thus making for a wonderful opportunity to 'ask-Chi-to-do-a-report-on-the-subject-of-whatever-book-she's-carrying-around-with-her-lately'. Much, much work… anyways, it doesn't stop me from writing, so here you are! Enjoy!!!

"…." Denotes talking

….. denotes thinking

*~* means a change of scenery (either temporal or local, I think which one of those will be clear) has taken place

Disclaimer: I do in no way own any rights, moral or others, to Rurouni Kenshin, its characters or plot. Characters other than the characters from Rurouni Kenshin bearing any resemblance to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I do not intend to make any profits out of this story, it's written for entertainment purposes only and any attempt by persons natural or legal to make money from it in any way is not in accordance with this author's express wishes.

Chapter 9

In obscuro

Calmness and equanimity had never been a particularly prominent character treat of King Kamiya. Rather, he possessed a short-fused, explosive temper and had never been good at being composed and levelheaded during a crisis. It was not surprising that being in a dungeon in the company of an unconscious Battousai and a rather creepy Chain Master who studied him out of luminous yellow eyes while murmuring what, to the best knowledge of King Kamiya, could be a curse or a prayer made Kamiya edgy.

The King had taken to pacing the circular dungeon, walking as close to the walls as possible what with the amount of… equipment stored on shelves and machinery lining the roughly hewn stone walls. The more distance there was between him and the murderer in the center, the less likely it was that he just went and strangled the helpless man right now. He had never been so furious in his life, or so confused. Battousai had not been afraid of him. He had stared him down with these… abominable eyes of his, and had stammered nonsense. He, the King, not knowing who he was? Utter rubbish! The redhead only wanted to infuriate him, perhaps to ensure himself a quick and painless death, but Kamiya wasn't stupid enough to fall for these ploys, oh no, he wasn't. Battousai would give him the answers he craved, and in doing so would vanquish all the demons and fears still haunting the monarch. He would soon have avenged his father's death, and would have solved every riddle involving Battousai.

Staring down on the slumped figure hanging from mangled wrists the King felt his fury increase. There he was, so close to his answers and yet so far away because that coward had fled into unconsciousness. And, judging from the relaxed look on his battered face, he had found something that had eluded the King even in sleep when he wasn't under some kind of drug- peace. His face twisting into an ugly grimace of envy and hate the King sneered at the captive. Why would he be allowed something he, the most powerful being in the whole of Dunkelland, was denied?

He collapsed because he was tortured, you git! the little voice in the King's head shouted, rising to an annoyingly high, almost female pitch as it grew more and more irritated. Kamiya rubbed his brow. Somehow, this little conscious of his got out of control…

He is a coward and a murderer, and he got what he deserved, he argued against himself, trying to find something to support his statement, resuming his angry pacing around Battousai's body. Of course, Kamiya just had to look at the wounds on the assassin's back then, the angry red slashed and deep, blistering burns he had gotten while shielding his King from the blast of the Greek Fire- See, he was shielding you! Helping you! He isn't that bad!- and couldn't help but think that nobody, no matter what his crimes were, deserved something like that. The King had his share of less than pleasant experiences, some of them even so bad that he couldn't, or wouldn't, remember them, but still, the things this red-haired man had had to go through…

I won't feel bad for him! He murdered my father! He thought furiously, shoving all feelings of sympathy as far away as he could.

And you want to deny that you felt at least the tiniest bit relieved when you heard that King Koshijirou had proceeded to the afterlife? Sarcasm certainly fit him. It was a part of himself that the King realized not often enough, but his conscious had the part down perfectly. It was a fact that Kamiya's first thought after hearing the news of his father's death had been that he was free now. And it was only several minutes later that this sense of a weight being lifted from his shoulders was replaced by the mindless fury he was feeling now. You think you are feeling now, his mind corrected.

I am feeling now, the King insisted, finishing another round of pacing and staring into the tranquil face of Battousai again. That mind held all his answers. And he was furious. Very furious. He would have his answers now.

King Kamiya started shaking the prisoner, calling him, hissing at him, cursing at him to wake up. But Battousai stubbornly refused to come out of unconsciousness. Just another mistake no his part… King Kamiya called for the Chain Master, who had disappeared into what the King presumed were his sleeping quarters earlier, cackling all the while.

*~*

He was dimly aware of the dull, throbbing agony that was his body, lurking somewhere at the edge of his consciousness. It couldn't reach him where he was, being shut off by the barrier of darkness that kept him within the half-light he had come to associate with his subconscious, but it was there, and sooner or later he would return to it. He just hoped it would be later than sooner- it had been a long time since he had felt so peaceful and protected. The outside world was just a distant memory, and time, or rather the passage of it, held little importance in the limbo he was in. Battousai felt himself lose the restraints he had put on himself, felt his mind free itself of the rigorous control he had to exert when awake, felt himself. There was no doubt, no fear, no hesitation, no duty, no pain. There was only being, and the soft, soothing waves of his ki. Deep meditation had immersed him in his center before, but it couldn't compare to what he was experiencing now- the pure bliss of oblivion.

The throbbing intensified, exerting a pull on his thoughts that got harder and harder to resist. Stinging threads connected with his thoughts, painfully making him aware that he would have to leave his haven too soon. The light dimmed, a certain sign that he was entering the dark barrier separating him from reality. Resignation substituted the blissful absence of thoughts, and then the darkness was upon him.

Blazing fire rushed through his veins as his whole body froze simultaneously, thousands of nerve-endings misfiring, shooting their angry warning message at his brain, overloading his senses with what he couldn't even put in words. It just hurt. It hurt so much that even he couldn't stifle the groan that tore at his vocal cords.

"I have awakened him, young King." So it was that voice again… the voice of the crouched, disfigured creature that had put him in his current state. Battousai snarled weakly as his tired, tearing eyes came to rest on the whiter-than-death skin only partially covered by strands of what he would rather call gray, greasy sheep's wool than hair. The Chain Master- he had told his latest victim his title while trying to break him with some of his nastier inventions- only chuckled before breaking out in a full-fledged, coughing and wheezing bout of laughter.

"I told you he would wake up, young King. Alas, he hasn't screamed yet, but I can fix that, oh yes, I can!" Yellow lanterns posing as the creature's eyes fixed themselves onto his torn body, promising unbelievable pain.

"I don't want that… yet. You can have him later. For now, leave us, Chain Master." King Kamiya sounded too calm and collected. The ice lacing his voice hinted at his true feelings, though. The King was angry. No, more than angry, he was driven by the furies of hell.

"I have some questions." Narrow, blue slits swam in and out of focus as aches he hadn't realized when first waking up manifested themselves, increasing the pressure on his brain and the fuzziness the whole world suddenly possessed. He doubted he would be able to make his voice cooperate, even if he wanted to.

"You will answer them." No doubt, the King was furious. Battousai couldn't imagine anyone resisting the command- except himself. He wasn't afraid. There was nothing the King could do to him that he hadn't already experienced. Pain was, after all, only an illusion, a mechanism the body used to tell the mind that something was wrong with it.

"Why did you kill my father? What did you wish to accomplish by murdering your King? Who are you? And why did you say I don't know my name? You know as well as I do it's Kamiya! How did you get into the castle? Why did you try to kill me? Why did you abate from your plan and shield me? And why did you allow yourself to get caught? Answer!"

He tried to, he really did. But his dry throat closed up on any sound, except for a slight, embarrassing moan. He would have answered a few of the King's questions, like how he got into the castle. Alright, so this was the only question he would have answered… had he told the King her true name? What had he said? He couldn't remember, all he remembered was that Sanosuke and the King had entered the room, and then the darkness had claimed him. He had struggled, had heard them speaking, and distantly he remembered saying something, but what?

"Answer!" the King shouted angrily, his face reddening. He was being shaken, the King's nails biting into his raw and bleeding shoulders, causing sparks to appear in front of his eyes. He was so cold… and the room started spinning, too. Battousai knew his focus was slipping away, he was losing control and succumbing to the numbing darkness again, escaping the torture that just breathing was. His thoughts lost their coherency, all he knew was that her eyes sparkled, so beautiful when she was angry… spirited, lively… her true name… she didn't know her name…

"Answer me! Battousai!" She shook him harder, his eyes slowly fading, losing their amber shine, dulling, a blue hue appearing at the outer rim of his iris.

My name… I know it. You don't know yours, but I can't tell… not yet! he wanted to say, but his body had lost its connection to his mind almost completely now, save for the pain that was still present and shoving him farther into the twilight opening up in front of him. The veil of darkness separating his center of peace from the world had grown thin indeed, and he distantly wondered if this was because his life was following his consciousness in slipping away, fading…

"You will answer! Or I'll have you killed!" But he didn't. His eyes had closed again, impossibly blue at the last moment, dark, delft blue, a reminder of Akai the donzel. The King was livid.

"He is a stubborn one, young King. He will not speak to you." Soundlessly, the Chain Master had appeared again, his luminous gaze taking in the redness in Kamiya's face, the King's balled fists and flashing eyes.

"He won't speak to me? Fine! Then he will die! I will have him executed publicly tomorrow, at noon. You can play with him until then!"

*~*

She was tired, more so than usual. Staying up late, studying the old scrolls about the healing techniques of the Ancient People, mixing new ointments when she should have rested after the King had called her drew the spidery thin lines of restlessness into the dark circles around her dulled brown eyes. She was too young to be so… thinned out, exhausted, but the illness she had been cursed with since she was born left her more susceptible to loss of sleep and lack of rest. After leaving unnoticed when the King had turned to the man named Hoji, she had gone back to her home at once.

Sighing, she lifted the black veil from her head, pulled the pins that held her long, luscious hair up on her head out and sank down onto the soft mattress of her bed. The medicine woman was the most skilled in her field, a girl who had been raised by nuns and understood the languages of the Ancient World, who had run from the seclusion of the cloister and had found a friend in the old woman who had rescued the thin child, blue with freezing and panting with the strain running and the winter cold had put on her, had taken her in and healed her with herbal teas before offering her to teach her. And the child had accepted the offer, studying with more concentration and effort than she ever had at the cloister, finally able to put her knowledge of Ancient Greek and Latin into good use as she translated the texts of Hippocrates and Paracelsus into the common language. It was her pet project, an endeavor so huge that she never really could see the end of it- even after several years now she hadn't translated more than one of the large volumes sitting on her shelves into her neat, tiny handwriting. Still, she held onto her dream- if more people, especially healers, could read of how the Ancients cured illnesses and cared for wounds then perhaps the image of healers overall would turn away from the 'witch' and 'wizard' picture and to the scientists they really were. And perhaps people then would not die of things like the flu just because there wasn't anyone who administered willowbark tea or infusion of peppermint.

The medicine woman allowed a smile to grace her lips that had been pressed together tightly in stress. She cleared a little space for her to work in- as neat as she tried to be, her cramped quarters didn't allow for separated writing and draught-mixing places. Parchment softly rustled as she turned a page in the book she was currently working on, and her swan-feather quill scratched thin lines of dark ink onto the surface. The properties of sage… a very soothing and sweet herb, and medically quite powerful. She knew a place in Dunkelwald forest where it grew quite abundantly- perhaps she should restock her supply? She loved the smell of fresh herbs in her house… and now she was getting distracted. Frowning, she focused her tired eyes on the dancing flow of the Greek text she was supposed to be reading when a knock on her door broke the last remnants of her concentration.

"I'm coming- just give me a minute!" she called, reaching over to grab her veil. If people saw how young she was she was certain to be called a witch- eternal youth, it seemed, was part of the 'selling your soul to the devil'- package according to myth.

"No need to hurry, the door was- oi, you're young!" Rolling and imprecise, the man's accent hinted at a backland heritage, far from the centers of culture and learning, and thus a breeding ground for superstition and prejudice. She sighed again- in all likeliness she would have to invoke the protection of the King and hope he valued her enough not to let her end as kindling for the next town bonfire.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to control her racing heart that was straining against her ribcage with the added fuel her fright lent. She knew she should not stress herself like that, that her heart could not keep up when she put it under duress like that, but she couldn't help but fear what she would have to face now.

"I… I was just… the King wants you to come and look at a prisoner," he ended his stuttering attempt at conversation lamely. The medicine woman raised one slim, dark eyebrow questioningly.

"A prisoner? I didn't think the King would ever call his personal doctor to see to a prisoner." She was shaking. Fortunately, the young soldier in front of her didn't seem to notice.

"Well… you see, this is the one I told you about. The one who was involved in the trap incident as well," the soldier shifted nervously from one foot to the other. The presence of that startlingly beautiful young woman made him rather uncomfortable.

"You have told me about- ah, I remember. You were the one who led me into the King's chamber, the one defending Battousai!" Her memory having returned she smiled at him. "You said he was a prisoner?"

"He is a prisoner, medicine woman… say, don't you have a name? I can't keep calling you medicine woman, can I?"

"Why not? Everybody else calls me that," she answered flippantly, throwing some of her hair falling into her face back over her shoulder.

"I… uh, forget it." The soldier was stuttering.

"Perhaps you should tell me your name first? Or shall I go on calling you 'soldier'?" By now, a coy smile curdled pink lips, and the soldier's nervousness grew.

"Uh… I'm Sanosuke. Sagara Sanosuke." His feet seemed a rather interesting object to study.

"Well then, Sanosuke, I am called Megumi." It felt strange, uttering her name. Nobody had called her that since the death of her teacher.

"Megumi," Sano nodded, grabbing her hand and eliciting a surprised gasp from her, "it's nice to meet you." He bowed politely. "Uh… say, could you come with me now? Kamiya's not too patient, and Battousai's not too well, so it'd be better if we're quick."

She blushed and went to gather her first aid supplies. His deep, rich Baritone sounded in her ears, and her hand tingled where he had touched her. She shook her head. It's been too long since somebody thought of you as a woman if you're falling for a stupid soldier, she chided herself.

He waited patiently for her to throw a few herbs and instruments into a black leather satchel, don the black veil and cloak and nod to him that she was ready. Although her face showed that she was tired Sano felt a pang of regret as she id it behind that hideous veil. She was so pretty… but then, that was her problem. Many would call her a witch if she went unveiled. It was bad enough as it was already. Though Sano's family lived on a small farm in the middle of nowhere his father had seen to it that his children learned at least how to read and write, something most peasants never bothered with, and during his time with the Sekihoutai he had seen enough cases of religious fanaticism and prejudice to make him seethe with rage- how could people be so blind and stupid? The Sekihoutai had done their best to enlighten the people, but there were too few of them and too many advocates of blindness. The way the young medicine woman had trembled when he had seen her without her veil attested to it that Megumi herself had been a victim of that blindness at least once too often already.

"Well, are we leaving or are you going to perforate the air with your contemplating stares any longer? It doesn't appreciate it at all."

"Huh?" Sano didn't really understand what she wanted to tell him, but he quickly caught himself and invited the medicine woman to come along with a wave of the hand.
"So, are you going to tell me who this prisoner I am to help is, what his problems are and how he got into prison?" she asked, rolling her eyes in the secrecy of her veil at the young soldier's denseness.

Sano lowered his head- and snapped it up fast enough to provoke whiplash. The medicine woman… she was young. She possessed a brilliant mind. And she was willing to listen to him… inklings of a plan formed in his mind, and a sly little smile played around the corners of his mouth. He would answer her question- and perhaps the injustice she suffered as the medicine woman would have sensitized her enough to see the innocence of another, and to help when she could.

"The prisoner is Battousai. He has been burnt, shot, whipped and otherwise tortured. How he got into prison… well, I think it was because he shielded the King against the fire spreading from the amphorae filled with a highly flammable substance, which is almost impossible to extinguish." No emotion was betrayed in his voice, though his rolling accent became more prominent and his tone dropped a few notches.

"Greek Fire?" The medicine woman only sought to verify her suspicions.

"I believe that's what it's called. Anyways, I only came when the fight was almost over, so I didn't see much. But then…" Sano continued to relay what he had seen and heard, sparing nothing and aiming to be objective about his report. If Battousai came out a little better than his opponents it was not because of him…

"But… this rather points towards his innocence!" Megumi gasped, hurrying her steps to keep up with Sano's long strides.

"So?" Sano asked dryly, causing the lifting of an eyebrow on the medicine woman's part.

"So he shouldn't have been… so he shouldn't be where he is," she said, panting, and slowing down as her breath hitched in her throat. Damn her weakness!

"That's what I said when we last met, didn't I?" Sano pointed out. He was getting irritated at the cynical, know-it-all behavior that woman exhibited.

"We have to do something about this- perhaps…" Sano grinned.

"Perhaps you are thinking what I'm thinking. Tell me!" She did.

*~*

The way down to and through the dungeon tested the limits of the medicine woman's strength. She was breathing heavily, sweating and stumbling slightly by the time she reached the circular cell Battousai was kept in for the moment. The Chain Master had not deemed it necessary to lower him from where he hung even though his legs had given up serving him and his wrists, chafed and bloodied as they were, had to bear all of his weight. He looked pale where his skin was visible, and, alarmingly, the leg wound didn't want to stop oozing thick, red liquid. He had lost too much blood to be conscious by now, Sano thought, and thankfully would not be awake when Megumi treated him.

"Why haven't you told me it's that bad? I just hope my supplies will suffice… he's really, really bad off. You!" She furiously turned to the Chain Master who had appeared behind them in his customary prowling manner, "get him down there. The King has ordered me to treat him! And then… go away and don't come back tonight!" She was livid. There couldn't be anyone but that creep who was responsible for this.

The chains clanked loudly, some mechanism protesting being moved with a groan before they suddenly gave, thumping the unconscious assassin unceremoniously onto the floor. The Chain Master slinked by them with a hateful look, but he didn't dare speak out against an order of the King- he could play with this one tomorrow morning before his execution. Meanwhile, there was another subject he hadn't played with for a long time…

Sano turned the limp body of Battousai around until he came to lie on his back. As bad off as that was, they had to tend to his leg first, even he with his limited knowledge knew that. The medicine woman tuttered while rummaging through her supplies, murmuring strange words in a foreign tongue while discarding one bundle of herbs after the other. At last, she pulled out a small pouch filled with a whitish powder.

"Alright, that should do once that dart is out… it stills the flow of blood. Then we have this… to reduce fever, and this, to disinfect." She arranged the substances neatly on the floor.

"You… are going to… take it out?" The voice was so weak it was barely above a whisper, shaky and scratchy and followed by a retching cough. "Thank you."

He couldn't even open both of his eyes, and the one that was open stared at them so unfocusedly that the medicine woman wondered whether he saw anything at all. Bright amber in color it was startling nonetheless, burning through her until it could look deeply into her soul. She shuddered at the thought of what he might see there, and quickly averted her gaze. She hadn't expected her patient to wake up- but then, rumors said Battousai liked to defy the odds and make the impossible possible.

"You will have to hold him down, Sanosuke. He can't move when I pull it out. It doesn't seem to have any barbs, but then, it's in quite deep, perhaps even scratched the bone." She was all focused now, forgetting about amber eyes searching her soul while she cut the fabric of Battousai's tight-fitting trousers open to ease access to the wound. Sano hissed through his teeth as he looked at the sturdy wooden projectile that was as thick as his index finger. His hands steadily cleaned his friend's face with a cool, wet towel he had brought along with a bucket of fresh water. Akai seemed to appreciate the effort, as he gave him a feeble smile of gratitude that turned into a grimace too soon as he clenched his teeth against the agony ripping through him.

"No. Didn't… so deep." He struggled to speak, and his hold onto consciousness was fickle at best. His hand twitched weakly at his side, spasms born from the pain that was deeply etched into his face.

"Then it's good. Sano, hold his leg. On three…" A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and once again she was submitted to the intent gaze of a golden eye.

"Thank you," he murmured, squeezing her shoulder as though he wanted to reassure her. Had he felt her nervousness? Did he know that his was the first time she dealt with injuries like his? And if he knew, how could he show such faith in her?

"I'm ready," Sano announced quietly. She nodded, tore herself free of Battousai's hypnotic eye and silently prayed to every Kami and all the Healers of old not to let her down. Her countdown was so quiet that even Sano couldn't hear it before she gave the dart a mighty pull, putting all her weight behind her slender arms.

Battousai's body jerked, his leg muscles twitched, his eyes were shut tightly and a moan escaped tightly clenched teeth and white lips. He almost lost the fight against the beckoning darkness again, but this time his will was stronger and he stubbornly persisted. Anger helped him along the way- being angry with the King for putting him into this situation, angry with himself for being so stupidly slow, angry with Sano for not being there earlier, angry at the world for shaping him into what he had become…

"Whoa! Akai, stop it! You're blowing all that powder stuff out of your wound again, and you need it!" Sano tried to reach his friend, who was emitting a frighteningly strong wind that not only buffeted the medicine woman's veil and robes but also sent the pouches and bundles of herbs flying. Dimly, he was aware of his ki reacting to his anger, and with a mighty effort he managed to calm down enough to stop the winds.

"What is he?" the medicine woman asked, shaking her head, panting slightly while moving to retrieve her supplies, "he really should consider going to BAM1!" Sano could only nod. Battousai really should think twice about exploding like this in his condition.

"No more of your little air manipulation, Battousai," Megumi admonished sharply, "you're going to need all your energy later, believe me." He didn't look like he would try anything anytime soon- the pallor to his skin had increased, more visible now that his face was cleaned of blood, soot and dirt.

She deftly wrapped the cleaned and salved wound in bandages that had been boiled in clear spring water and kept between sacks of lavender, needing several layers as blood seeped quickly through the first few.

"Now for the rest of it… turn him around so that he lies on his side," the medicine woman instructed Sano.

"That… isn't a good idea. Two of my ribs are broken," Battousai gasped, feeling the sting of the astringent medicinal salve bite deeply into his leg wound. The medicine woman sighed. Work was going to be more tedious and take longer than she had planned.

*~*

"The King has found his little surprise?" A chuckle, then the rustling of parchment, or the newly invented paper. "Very good. I commend you for your efforts in our cause, Shishio. You have proven a very valuable asset once again- I hope you're not thinking about giving up your post as Gohei's assistant?" For the first time in weeks his sponsor spoke to him, his voice like the low keening of the north wind through barren trees.

"After all the trouble I went through just to get it? No, my Lord, I won't give it up. After all, you will make me Minister of the Interior once you have taken your rightful place!" Shishio's eyes gleamed a manic red. All his plans came to a successful end sooner or later- it was just as good that this plan had succeeded on his first try. Hoji's trap had been a masterpiece, and even though that pathetic Kamiya boy had survived it had taken out the only real danger they faced- the master assassin Battousai. How that infuriatingly evasive man had managed to find out about their control over King Koshijirou stood to be determined- but that he had taken the brutal approach of removing him to be replaced with young and impressionable but strong-willed Kamiya had been a damper to their quest if there was any.

"Make you Minister of the Interior? Certainly, my good Shishio, I will do this. Or would you rather have the position as my right-hand advisor and head of the Council of Elders? I could arrange that too…" the brittle laughter that permeated the strong, deep voice sounded purely for a second, "or I could offer you the two positions at once- valuable help is so rare these days, and I know you would never betray me to grab for power yourself, would you, Shishio? No, you're too intelligent for this. Dunkelländer are very, very traditional- they'll never accept a ruler who doesn't stem from the royal bloodline. There will be a revolution before you can even say the word. So you'll go for the second best, isn't it that way, my loyal friend?"

Shishio calmly chose to remain silent. Meetings with his sponsor were always conducted in utmost secrecy, and never once had he seen the face of the man who was planning to overthrow Kamiya, the man whose agents were sowing the seeds of rebellion amongst the people of Dunkelland. He didn't even officially know his identity, though that had been easy enough for Hoji to find out. Contrary to this man's belief, the middle-aged strategist only worked for Shishio, faithfully reporting anything the man in the shadows ordered him to do or told him back to him.

"I have pledged my loyalty to you, my Lord," he answered, purposefully neutral.

"And you are, of course, known for never breaking your word? Well, then tell me, how is Battousai and when is he out of the picture for good?" A pale, strong-knuckled hand grabbed the mug full of an earthy-smelling, alcoholic beverage, the sound of its content disappearing in huge gulps filling the silence between the question and the answer.

"My men report he's close to dying and will be executed tomorrow at noon, per order of the King." Shishio saw no use in withholding the information he himself had only obtained a few minutes before leaving for the notoriously shady pub he always met his 'Lord' in.

"Very good… always a little rash, that little nephew of mine, but a good head on his shoulders… no wonder Koshijirou named him his heir even though he wasn't of age yet… would have been too easy otherwise. I bet the sly old badger suspected something… but then, I had his ear… he would even raise his son the way I told him… Shishio, why are you still here?" Lost in his musings the man behind the shadows had momentarily forgotten about Gohei's assistant still sitting across the table from him. Now, with an apology, the tall, pony-tailed man left, a look of disgust on his face as his cloak touched one of the more regular patrons of the pub.

"Watch out, slime!" A very good minion indeed… he would be of use for some time yet. Dryly grinning, the thirty years younger brother of King Koshijirou studied his half-empty mug out of silver-gleaming eyes. Kamiya would fall, soon, and then Dunkelland would be his and his alone.

*~*

Battousai was paler than ever before, panting heavily and trying to keep his face from showing his emotions even though he failed miserably. The medicine woman had cleaned, disinfected and bandaged all of his wounds- at least the deeper ones, as there weren't enough bandages available to wrap him from head to toe, Sano restraining him as his willpower failed to keep his muscles from twitching and jerking. He had stayed conscious- barely, clinging to the pain and fury in his heart to forget about the agony in his body. His eyes scrunched shut he tried to relax now, to gather enough strength to thank the soldier and the healer, but their words were faster than his efforts.

"You can't stay here- the King will have you executed tomorrow, I heard someone say it on my way down here earlier," Sano blurted, studying the frail figure of the most feared man in all of Dunkelland.

"I… know," he managed, working hard to steady the room as two faces dancing the Waltz around his head wasn't exactly the thing to relax him.

"We will get you out of here. But you'll have to walk. Do you think you can?" Sano looked very doubtful. Battousai fixed his sternest gaze on him.

"If need be, I'll… run out of here," he said, gasping in the middle of the sentence as a wave of agony crested over his head, almost forcing him under.

"No need for that. We will help you as much as possible- just watch out for Kamiya, the Palace Guard and Saito. They seem to have a sixth sense where people are concerned." The medicine woman had abandoned her veil as it was in her way, brown eyes sparkling down into his. "He has quite a temper, Kamiya, but it helps him when it comes to things like these."

"She," Battousai murmured weakly, eyes clouding over with an implacable emotion. He wasn't quite lucid, in a weird trance that lay between waking and sleeping. All he knew was that he could trust these two people with the most important secret of his life, contrary to his old rule of 'three can keep a secret if two of them are dead'.

"She? What do you mean?" the medicine woman was the first to realize the implications of what Battousai had said.

"She?" Sano looked startled, distraught.

"She." Battousai affirmed, his voice unwavering now that the cat was out of the proverbial sack. Sano and Megumi looked at each other before returning their attention to him.

"Explain."

… to be continued …

So sorry it is still going so slow- I have the chapters planned out and everything, it's just that my schedule's tighter than ever at the moment… do you think I should speed up the plot? I know I like to spend a lot of time on character interaction, but perhaps that impedes story progress too much? Now, I just hope you liked this chapter nonetheless (after all, there was a sighting of the plot in there!), but before we get to my favorite part here's some

Information

In obscuro: Latin for: In the dark. I like Latin… can only read it though, writing and speaking are out of the question.

Hippocrates: Ancient Greek doctor. His oath persists until today and is to be taken by every aspiring physician.

Paracelsus: Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim 1493 - 1541 AD- famous Alchemist and Apothecary, believed in spiritual alchemy and didn't want to transform lead into gold but cure diseases.

Kamiya and her/his pronomina: Kaoru and everybody besides Kenshin think she's male and address/think of her that way. As soon as somebody knows she's female, the address will change to female form. For the moment, though, she harbors the firm belief that she's a man, and she will have some trouble accepting the truth- if you grow up believing something it's hard to let go of that belief, after all.

1B.A.M.: Battousai anger management…

Alright, that's it for info- hope you're not bored out of your mind because now it's off to my favorite, and I feel so glad to say that you really seem to like Romancing the King so far- so here's the

Reviewer's corner

CurlsofSerenity: First of all, thanks for your e-mail concerning your new chapter. It's a wonderful idea! My twin has been very helpful with this chapter again- he's dissecting one of the fish in his aquarium that died of unknown causes at the moment so he can help me with anatomy (it's really for a science project for 'Jugend Forscht'- he's studying the reproductive cycle of cichlids of the variety sterbaii), and thanks you for saying he's twisted- he likes that! Hope to see you around!!!

Hiromi: Wow, thanks a lot for all your praise and your wonderful reviews! I love them, especially your critique! I have been influenced by Thomas Mann a little, a very wordy German writer who though nothing of filling a page with a single sentence- I tried to be better this time around and keep my sentences shorter. Holidays, yes- in three week's time already! I'm going to stay at home and do nothing but what I want to- until the last week when it's studying again. There will be a chapter a week of this story for the moment, as I have hit a wall with Shadow's light, my other story… I hope to get to the romance soon! By the way- your favorite sentence is exactly the one I wrote my chapter around. I occasionally have a sentence in my head that is crucial to a story, and I need a whole chapter to get it across… I'm so delighted you picked it as your favorite!

Zeh Wulf: Not cracking yet! *evilgrin* But there's a new twist- evilness abound. My twin has a field day writing me little horrors I can put into my story. Saito is suspicious- I can tell as much because it would be totally OOC for our favorite wolf to be complacent and let everything happen. The Palace Guard will have their hands full, oh, and Aoshi will have a surprise coming up! *rubs hands* In these final hours is getting better and better- I can't wait until I can read the next chapter (9) to see how you tied it all together. Damn school! Want free time! *grins* Guess I'm a bit too emotional at the moment- it's Christmas time!!!

allin656: Uh… yes, it's going to take time- I'm never good at hasted relationships (even though they can be fun to write as they tend to explore the 'what comes after' really good….).

teddy grahms: Hope you'll read on even after the ending of this chapter *hides*

Nanakilover/Brukaoru: I have tried to clear up the he/she thing in my annotations above- it's confusing even for me because I keep wanting to type 'she'! Thanks for reviewing and liking my story!

kitty-jinx: Yikes, so many reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I will write as fast as I can and will not let Chrissy whine for too long!!!

Natsuko: My twin pesters me into writing at the moment- he loves his cameos of evil. His character is absolutely horrible- he drew me a picture and I was like 'Ugh- that's what you want me to write?' He grinned and wrote me an introduction line, and I took it from there. I am a little winded at the moment, seeing as everybody seems to want a piece of me, but there's no giving up. I always think of what my parents have to do, with all the organizing and working, and I am grateful that my life is comparatively easy. Thank you so much for your encouragement- it gives me strength and happiness, and I run around glowing the whole day when I get your reviews!

Felina: Wow, you blow me away with all your praise! Just one question (yes, I'm unbelievably stupid and have a bad common knowledge): Who is Nero Wolfe? A writer? And what did he write? Okay, this were three questions, so I'm going to stop now. Thanks!!!

predestinedsoul: She is under the assumption that she is a man, so she thinks getting her period is normal for males. It's all the upbringing… but I will explain more later in the story. Thanks for your insight, though- I almost forgot about it!!!

Special thanks to: EnjeruJoshin and Ari and Kat- I'm doing a little jig in your honor 'cause you put me on your 'favorites' list!!!

All my readers: Thank you ever so much!!!

So this is it until next week! Cya!!!

Chibi-chan