Chpt05
Disclaimer: Twelve Kingdom world, plot, and characters belong to Ono Fuyumi.
About how some names are spelled in English. I've never seen the official English JK DVD, so I took up all my translation from fan subs and websites. To me, it's hard to change my already deep-rooted concepts of each word's English version. However, if you pronounce the words, they shouldn't be too different. So live with it. :P
I looked up the army structure of TK world, and got some basic ideas from the site's diagrams and charts. Since I don't know how each rank is translated into English, I just assigned to each what I felt was its Western equivalent title.
Kokin Town was not a big town, but it had a market place in its heart. Since it was the closest town to Kei's southern border, all merchants from Kou looking to do business in Kei stopped there first to unload. Likewise, those going to Kou more often than not would stop there to refresh themselves. It was also one of Kei's heaviest defended towns, since it was furthest away from the empress' benevolence, and youmas horded remote towns and villages. The rich flow of merchandises also attracted gathering groups of raiders of about several hundreds altogether, under the leadership of three bandit top dogs.
"But I'm not really worried about this town being raided," a young waitress of a tea shop said in a lowered voice. She had a greasy towel hanging from her side pocket, behind a similarly clean apron, and she spoke loudly with confidence. Her face was shiny with precipitation, and she was also an apprentice to the shop's cook. Apparently, she was taking a break when she wasn't supposed to by chatting with her equally young customer. "Not because of the guards, but… you know, it's just people talking, though…"
"Actually, I don't know," the black-haired girl said. When the waitress' eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets, the girl quickly explained, "I'm from Sai."
"Oh no wonder!" said the waitress. Pause. "Why did you come all the way from Sai to this crazy place?"
Crap. "I… I heard a new empress has risen in Kei, and I came to… help out my cousins, you know, to build a new life," Buy it, buy it!
"Wow… ain't you the sweetest thing," said the waitress.
"So what are people saying?"
"SEI!!!" roared a bearded man with bulging eyes that was the cook, and he looked unhappy.
Sei, the waitress and amateur cook, cringed and crawled toward the angry man like a scolded puppy. Before leaving, however, she past over a lead for her young customer, "Mei-Ou has friends in here."
Suzu watched the waitress disappear behind a curtain that separated the room she was in and the shop's kitchen, indulging slightly in a déjà vu. She stood up shortly from memories and strode out of the shop. It was mid-day, their planned meet-up time, so she picked a direction and started walking, while speaking loudly to herself, "Well then, let's see what Youko and Shoukei have got!"
"There're usually no youmas around here, unlike other parts of You province, and no bandits mostly," an old woman said quietly without breaking much of her wrinkled smile. Her back was bent and her once indigo clothes was washed out to pale blue. Although she mustn't have as much hair as when she was young, she still wore a hairpin that seemed to be ivory, decorated only with a red string. She was walking slowly next to a young woman with long, dark, silky hair, and a, or so she believed with that blurred eye sight of hers, handsome young swordsman with crimson hair. The 'young man' was carrying bundles from that day's market for her.
"Why is that?"
The old woman studied her inquisitor through two thin eye slots, trying to see 'him' better. The corners of her wrinkled mouth sunk for a brief moment before they were pulled up again. "I'm not sure either… I talk a lot don't I? We're already at the gates – oh, no need to escort me past the gates. My sons will be here to pick me up soon. Thank you for your help, young man. Wouldn't this country be much better if there're more young people like you, especially when we have a struggling government? Well, thank you so much. Good bye." The old woman wobbled out of the town gate like a turtle.
"You need to soften your expression more," Shoukei said with an exasperated sigh," especially your eyes. Whenever you're serious your eyes get so sharp you scare people."
Youko felt her cheeks warmed, "Do I?"
"You do." Shoukei confirmed gravely, but started to giggle. She extended her right arm straight at Youko, and pointed one finger at her, "She called you 'young man'! Hahahaha!"
"… I know I'm not very spectacular over 'here'. There's no need to emphasize it," said Youko indigenously.
"Ha... oh… we should proceed to the Copper Pheasant, or we will be late," Shoukei dried a tear with the tip of her sleeve.
The two of them arrived at a restaurant much larger than the teashop Suzu was in earlier. It had two stories. The second floor was enclosed in walls of chestnut color with skies carved out in them. The street side opened up to a balcony just deep enough to seat pots of flowering plants. They had agreed to meet next to the viewing door on the second floor. An olive green vertical banner floating slightly from the balcony bore large, golden letters – The Copper Pheasant. Suzu was on the first floor when they came in, chatting with a group of three bulky men towering over her. Their dusty worn-out clothes suggested they were probably doing mandatory labors. The restaurant was so loaded with people that it was almost vibrating with voices. Not only because it was lunch time, but also because the market had just closed, and all the traders and market folks needed refuel after a whole morning's hard work. Suzu had managed to save the three of them a table before a wave of people hit. She saw the other two girls walking up the stairs, and excused herself from the machos. Since kirins tend to faint at the sight and smell of blood, Kei-Ou had been restricting her diet to near vegetarian to get along better with her taiho. But now…
"Give me Wen-Chen duck, half, shrimp ball soup, six grilled squids, and sweet ham buns, also six," said Youko, tracing her sight down today's-menu, which was a formation of bamboo pieces with dish names written on them hanging on a bulletin board next to the stairs. Can she really finish all those, was a shared question on the minds of Shoukei and Suzu, but they decided not to spoil Her Highness' day. When the waiter left with their orders, Youko said to Suzu, "You know, I would never have suspected that's your type."
It took the not-so-young girl two flaps of eye lids to realize what her friend was talking about, "HEY! I was collecting information! And you thank my hard work by picking on me?" She pouted, and turned for help, "Shoukei"
The imperial record keeper1 looked away, determined to keep out of this one.
"So you two teamed up and played around while I was working all alone by myself?" Suzu felt so wronged by their turning up together.
Shoukei noticed Suzu's childish jealousy, and began to explain, "We ran into each other by accident, but we tried to pretend not to know each other. Then some off-duty guards started to bother me…"
"Harass you," corrected Youko, "and putting hands on you. So I had to go punch their faces in."
"She did not actually do that," explained Shoukei, "So, Suzu, what did you find out from those men?"
"Hn, like I would tell you!" still pouting, Suzu replied with amazing display of maturity.
"I'll lend you that messenger bird of mine," said Youko, "for Sekki."
Suzu blushed and looked like she wanted to protest, but instead said "Well, if you insist, I guess I should let you in a little." Youko and Shoukei exchanged looks. "The guys down stairs said that the doctor of this town once saved the life of the bandit leader that possess the mountain ranges right out of this town, and so they leave this town alone most of the time. "
"Speaking of the doctor," Shoukei felt she had to interject, "I've heard disquieting news that he has been traveling out of town often so that sometimes he would be days absent, leaving his pharmacy in the hands of his apprentice…" She paused, uncertain if she should finish.
"It is a possibility," said Youko, "that there is an epidemic starting."
"But," Suzu said, looking at Youko, "but… you hasn't done anything to anger the Heavens, have you?"
Youko said nothing in return, as did Shoukei, who looked nervously at her along with Suzu. Their food was served then, and their stares all became directed at the food, with no one touching their chopsticks. Finally Suzu said, "Well, you did desert your duty last time."
"That wasn't even a day," said Youko, "Wouldn't the country of En be laid to complete waste by now if that's what the Heavens frown at?"
"I was only joking!" said Suzu.
"We know!" came a duet of answer. At that time, Youko decided she would not to tell her friends about the content of discussion she had with Batou, for she found it hard to utter.
"We have better start eating before the food turns cold," said Shoukei. Suzu and Youko murmured agreements. During the meal, however, Youko's friends noticed how she spoke too inconsequentially with too many pauses to prove all was well. That doubt was confirmed when after lunch, before either of them said anything, Youko announced it the day, and suggested them go ahead back to Kinpakyuu while she stays to 'take care of some stuff'.
"Youko," said Shoukei with unsmiling eyes, "is there something you aren't telling us?"
"Don't be silly," the girl answered, "I'll just be visiting the local bars, to see if I can get some more tips on this matter – tips that are off-limits to you girls." She finished with a mischievous wink.
"I'm no girl!" Suzu protested immediately, "I'm a-hundred-and-… and a handful of years old!"
"I remember that," said Youko, then she turned to Shoukei, "Inform Taiho that I will try to be back before dusk, so try not to come charging out here to nag at me. Hyanki, Hankyou!" The shireis answered from her shadow beneath the now food-free table.
"What about you? You, of all of us, should be accompanied by the shireis," Suzu asked.
"Don't worry," said Youko, standing up, "I won't be going anywhere besides the bars. If need be, I still have the Hinman." She led her not-so-convinced friends out of the restaurant and, without giving them a chance to protest, sent them away with her shireis. Now, of course I will go to but the bars, thought Youko, and marched toward the town exit in full stride.
Not much later, in Kinpakyuu, Kei-Taiho slumped into an elaborately carved red-wood chair with red silk cushions. His slender brows were locked in a head-on fight with each other, but his tone calm like a brooding storm. Standing in front of him were two guilty-looking young women, and beneath him, in shadow, were two sheepish youmas. "Shuujo is at a town near the Southern Border with but Jouyuu2 and an unknown time of return?"
Not a soul dared answer. What an incorrigibly self-willed… ruler! Thought Keiki, rubbing the ridge of his nose, while trying to unlock his eyebrows. She never consults with me these 'investigations' she does! What does she take me for? With a sudden stand he declared, "I've heard enough. Please retire for today, all of you."
1 As far as the anime went, we know that both Suzu and Shoukei went back to work for Youko after they each done what they had to. What were they working as, the anime ever revealed. However, I'm guessing on the kanji from a Japanese JK site that Shoukei was the imperial record keeper (女史) whose job was to record the history during Sekishi's rule. (http:12db.main.jp/db/08.html)
2 One of Keiki's less visibly prominent shireis. Jouyuu is a Hinman that possesses and controls Youko's body so she won't be harmed.