Chapter 6: The Deal
Rikimaru was awakened out of his sleep when he felt his hand brush against something thin and sharp somewhere near his head. He rubbed his eyes slowly and reached over to get the object carefully, for Ayame was still asleep on his chest. It was an arrow, and a note was attached to it. The note simply read:
Meet me just outside your Lord's territory. You'll come alone if you know what's best for that little whore of yours.
Gaida
Rikimaru felt a surge of anger as he read the last few words, and angrier still as his eyes went down to the name of the person it was from. Crumpling the paper and stuffing it into his pocket, he thought of how he was going to slip out and do this. Rikimaru decided not to worry Ayame with it and looked down at her. She readjusted her position of her head on his chest and he could see that she was about to wake soon. He was right, and eventually, Ayame fluttered her eyes open, looking up at him.
"How long were you awake and staring at me?" she asked groggily, a smirk slowly starting to form. Rikimaru just smirked back at her. With a slight groan, Ayame slowly rolled herself off of him and got up, brushing grass and dirt off her yukata. She watched as Rikimaru stood as well.
"I guess we better head back to the palace." Rikimaru suggested.
"Yeah…it was fun being free while it lasted." Ayame said wistfully. And the pair headed back through the way they had come, the last rays of the late evening sun shining around them.
Rikimaru stood in his room, dressed in his usual clothing, Izayoi strapped protectively on his back, the blade unsheathed about an inch for easy access. He checked the hidden pockets of his clothes, making certain that the items he brought were secured. Rikimaru then slipped quietly out of his room, and finally, made it out of the palace.
A large replica torii gate marked the end of Lord Gohda's territory. It was old, and looked as if it was deteriorating, having been there for who knows how long. The once vibrant red trim at the tops faded, chipped away by the weather and time. Rikimaru approached the gate carefully, his hand on the handle of Izayoi, ready if needed. He could not sense anyone…not yet at least. Suddenly, there was a sound of someone stepping onto a twig. From behind one of the large pillars supporting the gate, stepped Gaida.
"Ah! Glad to see that you chose to show. But enough talk, you're coming with me." Gaida smirked. And before Rikimaru could do anything, Gaida pulled out a scripture, and in a flash of light, they both disappeared.
When Rikimaru finally felt solid ground beneath his feet, he looked around warily to find himself in a strange throne like room. Despite the various burning torches of light here and there, the atmosphere was dark, and Rikimaru did not like the feeling of it one bit. He took a step forward, his breathing behind his mask slowly quickening as he felt a ki spark nearby. A voice called out from the darkness near the front of the room.
"Milady…I have brought him." Rikimaru realized that this was Gaida speaking.
"Excellent. Now leave us." The voice that spoke was unfamiliar, yet definitely feminine. Whoever spoke seemed to be enjoying his uneasiness. Suddenly, there was a hiss, and the room brightened. Rikimaru looked to the front of the large throne room, to see a woman, dressed in an elaborate kimono of fiery red silk, sitting upon a chair. Her long brown hair was loose around her, flowing in a nonexistent breeze. She sat forward eagerly, studying her new toy.
"Rikimaru…I've been longing to meet you." The woman said sweetly, her cat like eyes roving up and down him. Rikimaru couldn't have felt more uneasy.
"Who are you?" he growled at her.
The woman gave a tiny sigh. "Now what kind of greeting is that?" she asked, smiling. "My name is Lady Kagura, and welcome to my fortress."
Rikimaru just looked at her in silent confusion before speaking. "What do you want?"
Lady Kagura just continued smiling in that deceivingly sweet way, so much in a way that it disgusted him. She didn't seem fazed in the least bit. "I have been watching you for some time now. How interesting…you are very talented. You may not know it yet but you could be of great use to me." She paused, watching his reaction hungrily. "I want you to join me."
"Never!" Rikimaru said without hesitation.
"Ah! But you haven't heard the other end of the deal now, have you? You see…you have no choice. Not only have I been watching you, but I have been watching your little…lover as well. That would be appropriate to call her that, I assume?" she said, the smile on her face only getting wider, and if any, more desperate. Kagura lifted her hand and made a fluent motion with it, causing a bowl of water to appear in the space between them. A clear picture was on the surface of the water. It was Ayame. She was sleeping, a look of peace adorning her face.
"Ayame…" Rikimaru murmured as he looked at the scene. He suddenly realized what she was doing. "If you hurt her…" he began fiercely.
"I promise not to hurt her…but if you refuse…" Kagura looked at him for a moment, then snapped her fingers, causing the image on the water to turn a sickening blood red. Rikimaru's eyes widened at the thought of her doing so. "Follow everything I say, and she lives."
Rikimaru looked away. What was he going to do? He was afraid for Ayame's sake, but he was afraid for his own as well. What was Kagura going to have him do for her?
"Well…?" her sweet voice prodded him. Rikimaru closed his eyes a moment. A vision of Ayame with him, and saying those words he dreamed she would say. "I love you Rikimaru…"
Rikimaru could not stand the thought of her being harmed. He took a deep breath in.
"…yes."
"Perfect." Kagura said. Silently, she thought to herself how much she was going to enjoy this little ordeal.
------------------------------
Author's Note:
…AHHH THE ANGST!! Well, not yet, but soon anyways! LOLOLOL! AHH I'm hyper…review please...
And check out our updates site...just read our first entry to find out what it's purpose