Falina cast a long thoughtful glance at the young man she had mentally dubbed her "guard." Since Matataki had left Klikk the thin man had always been near seeming to keep an eye on her. Sometimes he read a bit, but overall the task did not appear to bore him. "Azai," she said to him, gesturing for him to come closer, "Azai, I have something to ask you about."
"What do you want to know?" he inquired, scuffling over to the dark-haired girl.
She looked up at him seriously, "Sensei said something to me about the gathering of the one hundred and eight something-or-others before he left...do you know what that's about?"
He stretched his arms as he considered her question, staring out at the plants, a distant look in his eyes. After a few moments he stood still and looked down at her, "Stars. The one hundred and eight Stars of Destiny. They're nearly finished gathering."
"...Is it like astrology? Are the stars actually moving?" she questioned further.
"No, it's more like people," Azai explained, "The Stars of Destiny are people who can change the flow of the times. Maybe it will make more sense if you know that you're one of the stars."
She gazed at him with a quizzical expression; "I'm one of the stars?"
"The chief star, the Tenkai star, draws all of the others together. That's what I've been taught. You, Master Matataki, his son, and I are all stars now..." he elaborated.
"I see..." she turned to look at the flowers as she sorted out the situation in her mind, "We'll probably have to go to where the others are eventually if all the stars need to meet. ...You've never been introduced to Kiisan."
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 63- Like a Flower
Before the sun had fully risen that morning to shine over Jao-Nyang, the tiny group had snuck out of the fortress. Han Li strode resolutely in the lead followed closely by Kiisan, who clutched his staff apprehensively. A thin fog had blown in and floated among the trees eerily. Anamaria and Ignatius glanced about for any sign of the target the wind mage was sure would come. Sasshalai lagged somewhat behind, a hand pressed gingerly against his bandaged arm. The sixth member of the group followed the most slowly and least eagerly of all. Carlos held the shield Sasshalai had given him with both hands and trudged along bringing up the rear. The morning air was cool and damp and made his hair hang limply over his shoulders. They headed off the path into the forest surrounding Rugcnul and were enveloped by the mist.
By the time Mio realized that Kiisan had left the fortress the small group had been gone for half and hour. The sudden disappearance shook the orange-haired strategist, but Sanada appeared unperturbed. "I told Han Li I wouldn't bother him about his plans if he didn't bother me about mine," she told the anxious young man, "If you have any further doubts go ask Matataki. He seems fairly confident, and I'm pretty sure that he has some powers of prediction..."
When Mio approached the wizard about Kiisan's departure, he was as nonchalant as Sanada had said. "I really wish my son would have stayed back since he was injured at Rugcnul, but I suppose I couldn't have any say in the matter..." Matataki sighed, "That was the way it was meant to happen."
It took some time, but at last Mio was able to find someone who shared his feelings on the matter. "How could he?" Sowari despaired, "Why? ...Carlos never cared much for battle...And he didn't even tell me where he was going! ...I'm sure I could have assisted them..."
The strategist nodded his agreement; "I never viewed Father Carlos in that light either. Lady Sanada and Master Matataki both seem to believe that this incident is important though and had to occur how it was meant to."
Sowari pulled off his headband and tossed it on the floor, "It's still just too much to me! ...I mean, how dare they?!" he fussed, shaking his head vehemently.
"They'll be back soon enough I guess..." Mio responded weakly, sliding down into a chair.
For sometime they had been silent as they traveled deeper into the forest, but as time passed and the fog began to lift, they grew less tense and Sasshalai struck up a whispered conversation with Han Li. "He's an orphan," the boy told the wind mage, "Are you going to do it?"
"I thought as much," Han Li replied, "I think I might. It depends on how things go at Rupanda. Maybe when a stable enough government has been established..."
"I think that'd be great," Sasshalai smiled, "For both of you."
"Yes, I know-" the older man broke off suddenly and held up a hand. Kiisan, Carlos, Ignatius, and Anamaria all stopped instantly. Carlos held his breath.
A draft of warmer air blew and swirled around them. Sasshalai's eyes widened nervously. Anamaria sniffed the breeze and caught a whiff of blood. Ignatius' hand slid slowly to the hilt of his blade. Kiisan leaned back on his left foot and a twig snapped under his boot.
All eyes turned to him for a split second before returning to their worried search of the nearby brush.
A low growl rolled like distant thunder. Carlos let out the breath he had been holding softly. All six tensed. Sasshalai closed his eyes. Carlos could feel his palms sweating and the shining shield slipping out of his grasp.
The next sound they heard, as they strained their ears for another sign, was the crackling of dead leaves and crunching of twigs beneath a great weight. Han Li's eyes narrowed. Ignatius drew his sword as slowly as one turns the pages of an ancient text.
Again they heard the crackle and crunch. Kiisan squeezed his fingers tighter around his staff. The Circle Rune on his palm began to glow slightly, responding in some way he could not fathom to the approaching force.
Another warm gust rushed past them, shaking the branches of the trees around them. Carlos began to feel faint.
The scent of blood grew stronger. Anamaria unsheathed a dagger. Sasshalai opened his eyes.
The sound of heavy footfalls grew louder. Ignatius spread his feet apart and gripped his sword tightly, trying to fall into a solid stance.
From among the trees a form began to emerge. Glowing eyes confronted them as the beast tore through the last stretch of trees between them. "The Beast Rune..." Han Li growled, "I knew that I'd come face to face with you one day..."
It lunged towards the dusty man who pulled out his dirk and spun it around all in one deft movement, cutting the golden wolf's nose. Kiisan took a few steps back, his heart beating like a war drum. Even the way Han Li and Sasshalai had spoken in horror of it could not fully prepare him for confronting the creature before him. The beast was shaped roughly like a wolf, but was larger than any wolf the most frightening fairytale could invent. Not only was it enormous, it had two ferocious heads. Blood spattered its coat of golden fur and it barred its long, scimitar-like fangs. Its narrow eyes were tinted a shade of crimson.
This was the full force of a True Rune unleashed.
The wolf-like monster seemed focused largely on Han Li. "Oh, you remember me, now do you?" the tanned man spat at it, "I'm awfully impressed that you had enough brains to recall me. ...I remember you too!" He narrowly dodged another snarling lunge toward him, striking furiously with his dirk.
Anamaria and Ignatius had stood shaking for a few moments when the golden wolf had approached them, but Anamaria eventually partially recovered her composure. As the creature and Han Li played a deadly game of tag among the trees she lifted her dagger high.
The two combatants doubled back towards the others and she took the opportunity. She threw the dagger, which embedded itself in the face of the wolf, just below an eye. Both heads roared: one in pain, the other in anger.
Emperor Leo Maximillian strode towards the inner sanctum alone. He could not spend his entire day preparing for the defense of Rupanda. He needed to know if unleashing the Beast Rune had been worth it. Before the creature had headed into the forest it had torn its bloody way through a smattering of villages to the south. It was too risky to send an intelligence officer out to look for the beast. If they came close enough to see what the monster was doing there was a high chance they would not be able to return with the information.
The guards admitted him without question. Hiiragi and Takauka were crouched over a shallow bowl of water on the tiled floor. They did not so much as look up to acknowledge his presence. Something about their deeply intent expressions as they gazed into the swirling water irritated him. He stormed over and kicked the wooden bowl over, spilling the water on the floor. The faces of both men turned up immediately to gape at him. "Emperor..." the larger man gasped.
Both men were priests and, Leo Maximillian thought, a little bit crazy. "Hiiragi," he replied firmly.
"I'm Takauka," the man replied, picking the bowl up. The bearded emperor scowled. To him there was no difference between the two. They both wore the same long, layered blue and white robes that nearly reached the floor and their faces were mostly hidden by a white cloth that hung over their heads. As far as the Aronian Emperor could see one man was tall, the other of an average height. The taller man had large hands and his companion was pale. They had the same accent from the state of Kesten and similar voices. He could not use hair color as a distinguishing factor because their heads were covered. They performed the same tasks. It did not matter which man was which.
"One of you wipe that up," he commanded in frustration, waving a hand toward the spilled water, "And then we'll talk. I have something to ask you about."
"Yes, certainly," the paler man replied, getting up to fetch a towel. He cleaned up the water quickly and returned the bowl and towel to a shelf on the far side of the room.
"What do you wish to speak with us about?" Takauka asked calmly, offering the emperor a chair.
Leo Maximillian sat down and sighed, "The Beast Rune. I need you to point out its whereabouts to me. ...And when did I tell you to forget all formalities when addressing me? ...We can be most imperial when we wish to be. You need not forget it."
The priests turned to each other in what appeared to be a single sigh.