Aww, no reviews? That's okay! XD This is the neeew chapter! I hope everyone likes it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The elderly woman that was with Danko earlier was the young girls' grandmother, and as she set warm tea for two on a small tray she balanced it over to the table with ease. Aoi-Yuki, who was sitting next to the chair Suzuno was in, had also gotten a small bowl of warm tea though he refused to drink it. Suzuno accepted the cup with a small thank you, while the other young teenager gulped it down with a wide smile.
"Ah!" Danko sighed loudly after she was finished; she had swallowed all of it down in one guzzle. "I love Grandma's tea! It's the best? Don't you think so Suzuno?"
The Priestess, unlike the girl sitting across from her, was holding the tiny, warm cup delicately with both hands like she had been taught, and only sipped mildly so as not to burn her tongue. Even though she was in a closed in area and she the guest, she somehow felt a little embarrassed by Danko's behavior. It was almost like how a boy would act in Tokyo.
"Well? Is it?"
"Y-Yes!" Suzuno replied, not wanting to anger her; she had a feeling Danko was impatient. "I love it. It's very nice."
"Thank you," Danko's grandmother said with a peaceful smile. Her dark eyes were barely shown under flaps of wrinkles from old age and her hair was a near blinding white from years gone by, but something about her beaming made her seem so young.
Danko slammed the wooden cup down on the table, startling Suzuno, and grinned widely. "Yeah, that's the good stuff! Anyway, what brings you here? This place is pretty boring, except for the Toroki coming recently."
"This place is boring? But it seems to have so many expensive things." She recalled the bath tubs that were just like modern ones in her time, and how wonderful the service was at the Inn. Even the outside of the town was clean and well-cut. She thought that this might have been a tourist spot of sorts.
"No, this is just a place where richer people live," she replied. Her Grandmother had taken her cup and filled it up again, though the young girl didn't toss it down in the same manner as before. "Some of the most wealthy people in Sairou live here, including the Commander of Sairou."
"The Commander?"
"Right. But right now he's out trying to take care of the other Toroki incidents; he's been gone for over two months travelling and everything, so he wasn't around when the incident happened here. He's also trying to make peace between Kutou's Commander."
"Oh . . ."
There was a silence between them for a moment, and Danko, who had closed her eyes while drinking some more tea, groaned in an irritated manner. Suzuno tensed a bit. She had a feeling she was supposed to say something other then just 'oh'. "You're not even curious?"
Suzuno looked at her with a confused expression; she tried her best to make it not look so offending. "Was I . . . supposed to be?"
"Hell yeah! I mean, do you know what's going on with Commander Shuri?!"
"Who's Commander Shuri?" Danko seemed even more annoyed now, heaving a heavy sigh. 'I thought I was supposed to be asking questions . . .'
"Okay, looks like you don't know anything." Suzuno didn't really appreciate how open Danko seemed. Not that it was a bad thing; usually speaking your mind was good, but the blonde seemed a little negative about her views. At least she was informed. "Well then Suzuno, listen up!
For as long as anyone in the world can remember, the Kutou army has been the most powerful. That's why they started lacking in a lot of pride when they lost a war they declared on Hokkan a hundred years ago when the first Priestess appeared. They sort of became a neutral country after that, Hokkan becoming the dominant country for a while.
But about ten years ago Kutou started a territorial war Sairou over a weird oasis that was discovered in the mountains between the border. It's something no one had ever seen before, so everyone was curious about it. Both Commanders were killled, and were replaced: Commander Shuri, who was seventeen at the time took over Kutou's army and was immediately recognized for how much tact, strength, and luck he had. He actually killed Sairou's Commander himself.
However, Commander Hazumu, who was only fifteen when he took over was known for being much softer than any previous Commander. Before they were strict, but he believed in more psychological training; sort of like being mentally healthy made you stronger. Both sides right now are equally powerful, and have been something like rivals for as long as we all can remember, both trying to prove their methods."
Suzuno tried her best to follow the story, nodding a bit every once in a while. She couldn't exactly understanding all these people, all the years, the fighting, and the places were what confused her the most. 'What was Hokkan?' She thought only Sairou and Kutou existed, but now there was a third country? Just how many were there?
Danko hadn't finished her story, and only stopped to take a much more refined sip from her cup of tea than she had before. When she put it down on the table again, she continued on with the story. Suzuno prepared herself; maybe some of these things would be useful in the future.
"So, both men have made Kutou and Sairou the dominating countries again, over Hokkan and Konan." Suzuno sighed as quietly as possible, adding the fourth country she had heard into her memory. "But just a year ago, the two Emperors announced that their children will get married, meaning that they'll have to combine into one big country and military. Neither Commander Hazumu or Commander Shuri like the idea of working side by side, especially since they've grown up enemies."
"Do either Commanders have family?" Suzuno asked. Danko glared. Was that another wrong question?
"Have you been living under a rock?"
'No, just in another world.'
"Yeah, whatever, I should've expected that. Anyways . . . Commander Hazumu has a younger brother somehwere who went missing after the war, and his Mom died a couple years after the war. His father was the Commander of Sairou, so he's obviously dead. Commander Hazumu lived in the castle for a while, but . . ."
"But?" Suzuno asked. This was rather interesting, and she figured she should keep Danko talking. It was giving her a lot of information on the more famous people in Sairou.
"There are rumors that he's in love with the Princess Nashie herself, 'cause he moved to live here in Midoru right after the marriage between her and the Prince Amai of Kutou was announced."
"What about Commander Shuri?" For once, Suzuno didn't really care if they were stupid questions; to be honest, this girl who was sitting in front of her even annoyed her a bit. She had a feeling that no matter what she said, Danko would find some way to twist it so it sounded idiotic.
"Well, the thing about him . . ." For once, her eyes turned sad. She didn't seem angry about it at all. "A lot of things have been going on with him. He's also an orphan, but it's different. Commander Hazumu's mother died of an illness and his father honorable in battle, but Commander Shuri . . . his is a lot more tragic."
"What?" Suzuno asked. This made her very curious. What could be more tragic than the story behind Commander Hazumu? His seemed so sad already.
"Well, no one knows exactly when or how, but many know that he watched his parents die right before him. Plus, his half-sister was in one of the villages in Sairou that was attacked during the war ten years ago, and . . ." She didn't finish the sentence, but at the same time Suzuno didn't want her to. Her words were so predictable, that it was almost as if she had already said it.
"After that, he only had one living relative, which was his sister's son. He's fifteen now, but about two months ago he went missing along with one of Commander's Shuri's best soldiers, Reikoku, who was also one of Prince Amai's best friends in the military. So right now, Commander Shuri is under a lot of stress."
Suzuno decided that she didn't want to hear any more about the story, and she looked down towards the table, biting her lip. 'Commander Shuri . . . his life seems so sad. To lose his parents, his sister . . . and now his nephew? But then, Hazumu's life is also difficult. They've both lost family and are missing family . . .' '
She recalled how earlier in the conversation that Danko said Commander Shuri was known for his luck. But how much luck could he have? She wanted to see who would call him lucky when it sounded to her like he lost everything . . .
"Wha?"
Suzuno jumped a bit when she felt the hand of the girl who was sitting across from her graze her cheek. She felt her skin herself, and stopped her breath when she realized that she was crying. She quickly wiped the tears away, pulling up her sleeves to her fingers and using them as cloth. She didn't know much about this world, but what she knew was that this person she was learning about, Commander Shuri, was an enemy. Commander Hazumu was an ally. But to hear something like that . . .
'They're supposed to hate each other,' she thought, 'But they're so alike . . .'
"Look," Danko said, for once smiling sympathetically. She looked much more mature, much more comforting when she looked that way. "I'm sorry I upset you. You're really one of a kind, you know? It's not often there are girls like you!"
Unexpectedly Danko jumped out of her chair when there was a loud crashing noise outside. Suzuno stood up as well, still trying to wipe the tears from her face hastily while at the same time focusing on where the noise had come from. A loud uproar of screams was heard, then an almost tingly, eerie silence. It wasn't more than a moment later that the two backed as far into the wall as they could, a loud, crashing noise striking a dent into the wall across them.
"What the hell's going on?!" Danko shouted out loud to no one in particular, grabbing hold of Suzuno and pulling her rather forcibly close to her bosom. "Be on your guard!"
"I-I can't breathe," Suzuno muttered, and she pushed herself away a little. It was then, as if the other girl had lost interest in protecting her that she let go and hurried into another room. Suzuno jumped and crawled towards a corner of the room, curling up when a second strike had slammed the wooden wall, this time opening a hole. The tea cups that were on the table flew off, the one she had possessed spilling the liquid on the timber floor.
"Suzuno!"
She looked up and stood up quickly to grab a sharp spear being thrown at her, taking a step back into the corner to brace herself as the cold javelin caught into her hands. She leaned over a little and twisted it to fit the room, trying her best to balance her body with the sheer size and weight of it. Danko was standing at the entrance of the dinner room, another weapon exactly the same slumped over her shoulder, being easily carried with one hand.
"You having trouble?" Danko asked. She jogged over, being sure to dodge the edge of the spear that was sticking out in her direction and grabbed the Priestess' wrist to drag her out. "Come on! I know you're scared but you can't hide here-"
Another slam beat the side of the wall, and this time a giant creature crashed through, sliding through and breaking that table that sat peacefully in the middle to smithereens. It almost looked like it had slipped when it had put full force in trying to get inside, and as it stood Suzuno's eyes widened. She dropped the spear that landed with a clank to cover her mouth and she turned toward the corner, not wanting to look.
The creature was huge, with a large, bulky body, but it looked like it had suffered a million times. Blood encrusted scabs covered dark emerald scales, and it's skin was so thin that it's protruding spine was showing, thick and powerful muscles covering some of the sleek white. It had long, refined claws on all fours, and it's lengthy, crocodile-like nose had a mouth with hundreds of tiny but sharp teeth.
What frightened Suzuno worst of all was not the fact that she could see the shoulder blades of the creature or that half of the skin where it's powerful looking jaw was had been ripped off or even the fact that one of it's glowing, golden eyes was missing from it's socket. Right on the top of its' thick, wide neck, which was visible because the reptile-like monster held it's head so low, was the symbol for 'Toroki'.
'A Toroki Creature!' Suzuno's thoughts went wild. 'Why did this have to happen?! Wasn't Toroki a Byakko Warrior? If he's here, why is he's planning this?!'
"Come on!" Suzuno was startled as Danko whipped her around and started pulling her out of the room, shoving the entrance door that was in the next room open almost expertly with the back end of the spear, trying to get away from it. Aoi-Yuki followed not too far behind, keeping perfect pace while eyeing the beast. Suzuno could hear her cursing over the creature. "Dammit, another Toroki . . . we just got rid of the other yesterday!"
The two ran out into the street right in front of the two floored home, standing right before the now broken wall. There was a crowd surroudning the house, loud whispers and even a few people hunched over in pain. Suzuno noticed there was spilled blood over the freshly trampled, golden brown trail and her heart nearly stopped. 'These people are hurt . . .'
Danko protectively pushed Suzuno behind her, bending her knees and holding up her spear veritcally as if guarding herself. Aoi-Yuki was next to the woman, little claws stretched out of his paws and his hair standing on end.
"Suzuno!"
Suzuno turned around towards the crowd, who seemed mostly focused on the two girls only to spot her three companions running to her. Tatara was the fastest, standing next to Danko and guarding himself while Lanva poised himself on the other side. Subaru held onto Suzuno, holding her protectively though the Priestess could feeling the young woman's arms shaking.
"Be careful," Danko warned the two men at her side as if she knew them for years, "This creature is powerful; I can tell."
"Think we can't?" Lanva said jokingly, his fingers curling to fists. "Let's go kick some ass!"
X x x x
Lotsa stuff on the two Commanders here . . Shuri and Hazumu! Enemies but so alike! BLAH! XD lol! I really like these two characters . . . I can't wait to introduce them! And we have another Toroki creature! Could this finally reveal the next Warrior? –Shrugs- Dunno. XD lol!