Lady Cat stroked Sasshalai's hair softly as he slept, "He seems like a good kid."
Kiisan nodded, "But he's an enigma sometimes. He's very intelligent, friendly, and well...did he seem like he always knew what you were going to say?"
"Yes...I sort of had that feeling..."
"He reads minds," Kiisan explained.
"One of those, eh?" Anamaria mused.
Ignatius was beginning to snore so she jabbed her companion sharply in the arm. "Wh-what? What're we talking about?" he asked, trying to avoid any further outbursts of anger from Anamaria.
Lady Cat appeared rather unperturbed by this information, "One of those...I didn't even know that any still existed. Those people...I thought they were all killed."
Kiisan shrugged, "I don't know. You'd have to ask Sassha about that. I'm not an expert."
"Only a rebel, a True Rune bearer, and a priest!" Anamaria laughed. Ignatius blinked and yawned trying desperately to stay awake as the carriage drew the four closer and closer to Slalain Citadel.
The leader of Naco leaned out the window and waved a revel flag at the fortified headquarters as they approached. A red signal flare burst above the citadel, announcing Kiisan's return. It was followed by many more lights in the night sky. The fireworks sparkled, illuminating the stone walls many brilliant colors. Kiisan looked on in wonder. Lady Cat pulled the flag back in and smiled. "Sasshalai told me this flag would be a signal. I suppose your "welcome home" has gotten the entire Onwya countryside out of bed."
"I hope they all know that wasn't my idea," Kiisan groaned.
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 52- A Shout and a Growl
It didn't seem to matter much the time that Kiisan had returned to the citadel so much as the vital fact that he had returned. "No one can seem to keep their hands off of me..." he complained good-humoredly.
"Don't ever go off alone, Maiba!" Han Li scolded him, "I wasn't sure you were coming back! You can't end a revolution like that!"
Hai-Yong laughed, "Han Li has to get after you double for this because Falina's not here to do it! But be sure that when she sees you again she'll pick up right where she left off!"
Kiisan blinked in shock, "Falina...Falina's alive?!"
Sasshalai rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Yes Big Brother, she's back at my home."
"She's in Klikk?!" the young priest exclaimed.
Mio tugged on his friend's sleeve, trying to find an opportunity to speak with Kiisan, "Calm down now! We have so many things to discuss that have happened here since we left! There are new recruits for you to meet and plans for transportation to discuss, but-"
"Most of all, you need to get some rest first," Louis Abdul finished.
Anamaria and Ignatius watched slightly to the side as Kiisan was led away by some of his friends and eventually they were left standing in the hall with Father Izador. "I'm sorry," he began, "that you were just forgotten here. Thank you for taking care of Father Kiisan. I'll help you find somewhere to spend the night."
"That's very kind of you," Anamaria responded pleasantly, dragging Ignatius along behind her as they followed the ponytailed priest.
The second son of Emperor Leo Maximillian was named Jonathon. On his twentieth birthday he had received control of the state of Tawa. He took his duties as ruler of the state rather seriously and once every week personally left the state capital and traveled to see how his lands were fairing. Sanada was aware of this when she sent a spy into Tawa to measure the size of the state military and investigate the land south of Rugcnul from which the attack would come. Her spy had been instructed to stay clear of anyone on horseback and to avoid traversing the main roads. The spy had rushed off immediately proud for his talents to have been requested by the fussy strategist.
He strolled through the trees at a rather leisurely rate once he was sure that he had passed over the state border into Tawa and out of sight from the road. A cool breeze shook the dry leaves overhead and his leather boots crunched those on the forest floor slightly as he stepped softly on the many layers of dried plant material. He stopped momentarily to roll up his loose gray sleeves to keep them from catching on any branches and listened to the call of a goose flying over the forest.
The spy picked up his pace somewhat and hurried onward. The silence was beginning to unnerve him. No animals seemed to be moving about among the trees, despite the forest's reputation for being the home of flying squirrels. He paused again at what sounded like a growl, and he felt relieved, believing that it was merely an announcement of normal forest life. After taking one more step he heard the sound again. It was an ominous, unworldly growl. He pushed quickly through the brush onto the main road trying to escape the sound and nearly ran right into Prince Jonathon as he walked through the forest with the captain of the garrison of Jao-Nyang.
"W-what in-!" the prince began in surprise.
As fast as Sanada's trusted spy reacted as he turned to dash across the road into more trees, Kotsu, the garrison captain, reacted faster, grabbing the unfortunate spy by the arm and jerking him back. "Who dares bump into the royal prince and try to dash away?"
"No one of importance, merely a man with no time to waste. I assure you, Your Highness, that I meant absolutely no harm. I was only trying to make haste...a sound I heard in the forest alarmed me somewhat," the spy tried to cover for himself.
Prince Jonathon smiled in a manner that seemed almost too embarrassed by the way the spy was speaking about him to seem honest for a member of the royal family, but his response showed it was his a reflection of his true feelings, "Don't overreact so, Kotsu. He doesn't seem like a bad fellow. ...You say you heard something frightening? I think that is some of my father's efforts to awaken the powers of the Beast Rune."
Kotsu let go of the gray-clad spy with some reluctance and folded his arms, "Well then, you've wasted enough of Prince Jonathon's time. Why don't you get going now."
The spy smiled pleasantly and bowed a few times in succession, slowly backing away from the two Imperials, "Thank you for your absolute understanding."
And as he spun around a blue and white handkerchief fell from his pocket onto the road. Jonathon leaned and picked it up. The spy froze mid-step. "Isn't this...?" the chestnut-haired young man began to ask.
He did not have time to finish his question before Kotsu had pinned the spy down on the ground and was glaring at his prisoner ferociously, "We've caught a rebel! Confess now and save your life! What's your name? Who sent you?"
The spy rolled his eyes in exasperation; "It's obvious enough who sent me unless you've been living under a rock for the past nine months. As for my name, do you really think you would benefit from learning the name of such a low-ranking revolutionary? If I were anyone of note, you would recognize me on your own."
"He does have a point..." Jonathon observed, brushing some loose strands of hair out of his face.
"Yes, Milord. I suggest we return to Jao-Nyang with him. Perhaps we can get some information from him about the rebels and I am certain that at the very least we can use him as a bargaining piece. Father Kiisan is said to care very much about the well-being of all of his followers."
The prince tucked the handkerchief in his sash and nodded, "Very well then. We will take this polite rebel back to Jao-Nyang."