Tomo thought back over Nakago's orders, trying to figure out exactly what the general wanted. He knew better than to question Nakago, but it didn't really make any sense. He felt a little guilty for lying to Nakago. He had no idea how to break the spell of kodoku. I was always under the impression that there was no way to break that spell. And now I have to follow this moron until we both fail in our missions. Why is Nakago always difficult like this? He gave up wondering about it, remembering that he had trusted him, Tomo, with this very important mission. The fiery-haired Ashitare was riding a horse a little ahead of him. While he wasn't Nakago, he was still eye-candy for Tomo.
"Tomo," Ashitare began, "would you please not look at me like that? It makes me uncomfortable." Ashitare growled slightly, exposing two fine, pointed fangs. Tomo widened his eyes innocently.
"Whatever do you mean? I was merely admiring your new clothing. Its much better than what you were wearing when you arrived." Now that he had said it, Tomo actually DID notice what the warrior was wearing. He wore dark green pants and a long sleeved white shirt. Over the shirt was a forest green vest with gold trimming and ties across the front. Tomo was about to compliment Ashitare's apparel, but then he remembered that he, Tomo, had been the one to choose it in the first place.
The two rode on in silence, picking up their pace to a canter. Tomo couldn't wait to ditch the false warrior and get back to Kutou where he belonged. All the while, he wondered how on earth he was supposed to prevent this beast from killing the priestess of Suzaku and why Nakago had issued such an order. He remembered that Nakago had said something about… that was it! Nakago didn't want the priestess to die because he wanted to sleep with her. Tomo could appreciate the cruelty of the plan, but he felt that Nakago was being too evil in this case. Plus, that would just delay Tomo in his progress with the general. Tomo suddenly hated the priestess of Suzaku even more and wished Nakago had not ordered him to spare her. He looked to the side and saw Ashitare concentrating on the road ahead, his fiery hair blown about by the wind.
Tomo was surprised by the transformation the man had gone through. He had not been hard to catch. It had required a little research, of course, but once he had found out about the people closest to the warrior of Suzaku, it had been no problem to get the man to take a dose of kodoku. The drug had been disguised in wine, and he had disguised himself to look like the bandit's friend, Koji, in a section of forest disguised as the bandit's headquarters. That man, Tasuki, was a fool. But now he was completely reformed. He still wore that stupid harisen strapped to his back, but he now fought with a sword. Try as he might, Tomo had not been able to get the man to forsake his jewelry. So he still wore a pair of earrings with blue stones and three jeweled necklaces, two of which had mixtures of blue and red, while the third was only pink. Maybe some things were just too ingrained into a soul to change. If Tomo remembered correctly, the pink one was the same necklace the priestess had been wearing. How the bandit had stolen it from her, Tomo didn't know or care. There were other differences in the man as well. His eyes were frightening. Tomo could feel the angry heat of his gaze whenever Ashitare looked at him, which, thankfully, was not often. His skills at riding a horse were much better than before, and he seemed cold and distant. Tomo couldn't help but remember that the man had been warm, clumsy, and loving around his priestess. It seemed strange that this was the same person. It can't be the same person. It's the same body, but someone else is controlling it now.
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Nakago sat alone in his private chambers, brooding. Now that all his orders were on their way to being carried out, he had nothing to do. He was bored, and almost wished he hadn't sent Soi away to baby-sit the priestess. He picked up a goblet, and set it back down without taking a drink. Ever since he had been hearing the reports on the priestess of Suzaku, he had wanted to see her.
"Why would Suzaku's priestess have blue eyes?" He mused quietly to himself. "Maybe she's of my people. The way she is described, I can almost imagine it." Brown hair with light red and blonde streaks and blue eyes and her slight structure seemed to fit his tribe, of which he had thought he was the only survivor.
"It would be a shame to kill her before I find out." He looked at the door to his chambers, almost expecting Soi or Tomo to barge in. He nearly sighed with relief when he remembered they were both out on missions. It was a good thing that Tomo was completely loyal to his will, but he could do without the man's affections.
He ran through everything in his head once again. Amiboshi would probably die at the hands of the Suzaku warriors any day now. He almost felt sorry for his priestess. Almost. He had sent the one she loves to his death. It was perfect. Nakago could already see Megumi's rage and tears… all directed at the wrong person… And things weren't going too well for Yumi either. It looked as though the real Tamahome had been killed in the attack. Miboshi died later, but he served his purpose in killing Tamahome. The people of Konan would never figure out why THAT particular village was completely slaughtered. And if they did, it would be too late. Miboshi did well, Nakago realized. He silently took back his original condemnation of the Seiryu warrior upon hearing of his death. It would have better if he could have taken out Chichiri and Chiriko, but that really was expecting too much of him.
At present, it looked as though the biggest threat was Mitsukake with his healing powers. Chichiri would be more dangerous, if he was with the priestess. But thankfully, he was not. He didn't fear Tasuki at the moment either, unless… He ran his hands through his hair. Unless Mitsukake can heal the kodoku poison… Now that both priestesses had lost a warrior, Miboshi and Tamahome, they would have to fight over the shinzaho. He had already asked Tenkou what needed to be done when Miboshi died. With Suboshi's help, Megumi would be able to acquire the shinzaho, and if Nakago was needed, he would come to her aid and gain his priestess's confidence. Because Suzaku's priestess needs it too, they will fight over it. It is so easy to manipulate the angry…
A timid knock on his chamber doors brought Nakago back to the dull present. He stood up and answered.
"Come in and state your business." The door opened and a soldier walked in and bowed his head.
"I have assembled my squadron to acquire the priestess. We await the attack." He bowed his head again and left, closing the door softly behind him. Nakago smiled slightly, a smile of ice and cruelty. The priestess of Suzaku… she will never summon anything. Except for hate and tears… Nakago picked up the goblet again. This time, he took a long, slow sip, already tasting victory. That he got the priestess of Suzaku as well… that was just a bonus.
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Blind to the plans being made to turn her against her friend, Megumi continued to make her way through the countryside of Konan, steadily drawing nearer to the two people she was looking for. Soon I get to see Amiboshi and Yumi! Then we get this mess sorted out once and for all! Megumi thought. They had ridden in silence for most of the day. She had tried to speak briefly with Suboshi, but he had been too troubled about the fate of his twin to offer much conversation. And Soi had been a little peevish.
Megumi squinted and rummaged around in her clothes before pulling out her glasses. She placed them on her nose and peered ahead again. Just like she thought she'd seen, a village was fast approaching. With the expertise that came from practice, Megumi reined in Sango, waiting for her warriors to come level with her.
"Hey! Let's stop here for the day! I need to get some shopping done. It's hard to ride in these dresses, right Soi?" The woman looked at her almost surprised that she had been addressed before nodding curtly. Suboshi looked confused.
"Why do you have to go shopping?" Megumi patted his shoulder, smiling. He was kind of innocent, even more so than her in some ways.
"Because I do Suboshi. Soi's going to come with me, okay?" The younger twin nodded slowly and Megumi smiled.
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Soi didn't know anything about the young woman before her anymore. At first she had considered the priestess of Seiryu as a very weak-willed person with no sense of self. After the unexpected murder of the guard, she had been forced to change views again into seeing the priestess as a mentally unstable person. And now she was reconsidering again in face of the headstrong, cheerful person she was confronted with now. She reminded Soi of herself during the more carefree part of her life, before she was sold to the brothel, her life as Kaen, not Soi.
No sooner had they reached the village and picked out a place to stay, the priestess had grabbed her hand and led her off into the fairly large marketplace on a shopping expedition. Soi couldn't deny that she did take some pleasure from such things, but she was still confused.
The priestess was bending over the counter of a small stall, excitedly sorting through some of the clothing presented. Soi looked down quickly when she noticed a small, scruffy child reaching for the purse at the priestess' waist. With a lightening-quick hand, she seized the child by the back of the shirt. The little boy promptly began to wail.
Soi looked down at the child. He looked younger than eight. The crying attracted the attention of the priestess, who turned around in confusion.
"What are you doing, Soi?" She asked, her hands on hips. Soi looked down at the limp child for a minute.
"I was thinking of adopting him." Soi said sarcastically, before getting to the point. "You really need to be more careful, pr- Megumi. There are pickpockets. This child was about to make off with your purse." She said, berating herself mentally. I almost called her the priestess of Seiryu! In Konan no less! Soi saw the priestess look down and pull a few coins from her purse. Soi released the child when the priestess pressed the coins into his hand. He ceased crying for a moment, before looking down at the money in his grubby hands and running off.
The priestess smiled in a satisfied manner before returning her eyes to the clothing she was attempting to purchase. Soi was then forced to reevaluate the priestess once again.
Soi was caught off guard again when she saw the priestess hold up a soft yellow fabric to her shoulder, pursing her lips in concentration. Finally she nodded and smiled, tucking the tunic under her arm.
"Yellow is a good color on you Soi, or at least I think so. But then again, Yumi always did tell me that I wasn't too good at things like fashion and stuff." The priestess said with a smile. Soi raised one slender eyebrow and watched as the priestess selected several more pairs of tunics and shirts before purchasing them. The next thing Soi knew, the priestess was handing her a small parcel.
"These are for you. They should fit, and they're pants, not kimonos, so they should be easier to ride in." Soi was a little dumbfounded as she took the package. The priestess was a good head shorter than her, and it felt a little strange to walk side by side with her, almost as if she were walking with a younger sister or something.
In no time at all they reached the inn they had chosen for lodging. Suboshi was waiting outside with a bored expression on his face and he waved when they came in range of sight. Soi looked up distractedly. It was already dusk. Had we really been out that long?
Later that evening, in the room they were sharing, Soi was letting down her hair when she heard a murmur of appreciation from the priestess. She looked over to where the girl was sitting, smiling away.
"I did say I really like your hair, right Soi? It's really long. I wish mine could grow that long." The priestess held up a lock of her shorter, limp brown hair. Soi found herself smiling a little. It had been a long time since she had spoke with another girl besides the palace servants.
"Hey Soi, can I ask you something?" The priestess asked suddenly. Soi was a little apprehensive, but she nodded anyway. The girl took a breath before blurting something out.
"Do you love Nakago?" Soi blinked. Did she love Nakago? She looked down for a moment.
"Of course I do, what a silly question." She said. Of course I love him. He was the one who rescued me back then; he cared enough to rescue me, didn't he? The priestess' brow furrowed.
"Why?" She said again, sounding a little out of it. Soi didn't see any harm in telling it, so she leaned her back against the wall and began.
"He rescued me when I was younger. My parents were very poor so they sold me to a brothel. It… it was my first customer, and I didn't want to… well… so I ran away. But he chased after me, and Nakago, he saved me." She said. Soi wondered why she was fragmenting her speech, almost as if she were embarrassed.
"So, does he love you?" The priestess pressed. Soi looked back at her, her eyes turning icy for a moment before turning soft again.
"I… I don't know." She said honestly. Once again, she didn't know why she was bothering to speak at all to this girl. She was the priestess of Seiryu, a pawn, a way to get what she wanted, but she was forced to reconsider Megumi again, watching the concern and sympathy flicker in her eyes.
"Soi, maybe, well, never mind. It's just really nice when you talk to me. Kind of like Yumi was still with me. My big sister, even though I AM older than her." Megumi chuckled a little, before rolling over to extinguish the candle. She muttered a goodnight, and Soi stared up at the ceiling, her mind in turmoil as she tried to figure out exactly what she did feel.
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Mitsukake gazed into the pearly gray sky. The light of predawn crept into the small house and across the faces of his sleeping companions. As usual, he had woken up earlier than the rest of the party, but it didn't bother him. It gave him time to think. He was glad that the priestess had come to save him from his solitude. When he was with her, he almost felt happy again. Shoka had been dead for three years, but it always seemed as though it were just yesterday when she were alive, smiling for him, loving him. After she had died, he had sworn never to treat people again. What right did he have to be doctor if he couldn't even save the one he loved most? His duties brought him back to the world of the living. He had not chosen to be a warrior of Suzaku, but that didn't mean he could pretend he was not one of the constellations.
He studied the warriors of Suzaku and the priestess, all sleeping peacefully. While it was true that they were all strange in their own ways, he couldn't imagine them being any other way. Yumi somehow reminded Mitsukake of Shoka, although he knew the two were nothing alike. Yumi was energetic and stubborn. She had a fiery spirit and didn't like to hear "no" as an answer. Shoka had basically been her opposite. She was steady, responsible, loving, but shy. The two looked nothing alike, but still, when he looked at the priestess, he sometimes could not get Shoka out of his head. Maybe she is Tasuki's "Shoka". That would explain a lot.
He was lost in his own confusing thoughts when he heard a slight scratching at the door. He jumped up, suddenly alert. A quick glance around the room told him that everyone was still here; no one had left without his knowledge. That would make no sense, since they were all asleep. Whatever was outside the door scratched again, more feebly this time. Mitsukake stood up and carefully walked over to the door, careful not to tread on his companions. He pushed the door open and heard a small mewing at his feet. Mitsukake looked down.
A small cat was pawing his feet. It looked as though it had not completely escaped the ravaging of the village, for it bore small injuries on its body. Smiling sadly, remembering what had happened here, Mitsukake carefully scooped the cat into his arms and wrapped the creature in the excess fabric of his shirt. He was surprised when the cat didn't struggle at all. Usually, wounded animals were vicious. Maybe he knew that Mitsukake was only going to help him. Tama. I'll call him Tama.