Chapter Fifty-One

"Your Highness . . . one of them is awakening." The voice of a young, informative girl said.

"Great! About time someone woke. It's been four days; I was ready to think of them as comatose. Which would kind of suck." This time it was the voice of an energetic man.

Puriti Hongo couldn't recognize either tone that spoke, and though feeling intensely weak and disheveled her mind was already going into overdrive. Her blue eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, immediately coming face to face with another set of eyes the same color. These, however, were under much thicker, slender eyelashes and a bright, sky-like shade.

"Hello there!" came that same masculine yet childish tone from before, playful and greeting. Puriti backed away to try and give herself some space and looked around, realizing she was in a small, wooden-walled room with two beds. While she rested in one as she had quickly come to see, she saw that Kumoi lay curled up in the other, her hands clinging fiercely to a pillow.

In the room was an old fashioned lamp burning a small flame on top of a dresser, along with windows that were covered by plain, rosey curtains. It was ordanairy, but nothing she was used to at the same time.

She nodded a little to herself as him in confirmation, satisfied with her surroundings as she turned back to the man who couldn't have looked older than his late teens. She traced along his fair, smooth skin and hair so light it seemed to glow even in such a dim room, then she noticed the uniform he was wearing and instantly knew where she was. 'I'm in the Universe of the Four Gods. . .'

"Who are you?" she asked fiercely, hoping she had found someone she could have recognized through the books words. As far as she remembered she couldn't particularly remember any mention of anyone within the book with his beautiful looks, but as she looked behind him, she came across a girl that she knew right away. "Seki!"

The pretty young lady with dark, braided hair and the same colored eyes seemed to jump at the mention of her name and held the plate which normally carried drinks over her chest tightly. Her bone-thin, weak figure was lined with bruises alone her arms as her legs, some light as if they had been there for a few days and others dark, puffy and new. Puriti sent a glare in her direction, remembering the events that had gone on when she had read the book. "You . . ."

"H-How do you know my name?" Seki asked, bewildered. Her voice seemed to tremble a little, especially as the blond man looked in her direction with a question in his eyes. "I've never met you before! Did that girl -the Priestess- tell you about me?"

"No, but I knew what you did to her! You traitor!"

Puriti jumped off the bed and drew a fist back as she readied to send a blow to Seki's direction, but was immediately stopped by a blade that swiftly came before her face. Out of reflex she had closed her eyes to protect herself, but after a moment opened them again to see a small dagger, the tip of it pointing against her nose just enough to sting.

She followed the arm of the holder all the way until she could see the young man's face again. Something inside of her shivered; he no longer looked so sweet. The other arm that did not hold his weapon held the young girl whom Puriti was ready to spar with closely to his chest as if protecting her.

"Don't you dare touch her," he warned, a malicious aura marinating the room as he spoke. "Seki would never promote a betrayal. If the Priestess was fooled into a trap it was only by her master's orders, not her own. She is a spy who follows orders, after all."

"Wait a second," Puriti muttered, her pitch becoming a little louder as she got over the shock of the danger in front of her. She had no fear for her life, no matter who was before her. "Why would you have spies? Isn't the Prince in Kutou supposed to marry the . . ."

"Fool!" Seki spat, gaining back some sort of confidence now that she was in no danger. She pressed her body even closer to her savior, as if she were feeding off of his strength. "The one standing before you is the Prince of Kutou! Prince Amai!"

There was a pause between the three, and slowly the newly revealed Prince withdrew his dagger, placing it in a tiny hilt along his waist. There were several more thin swords at his side as well, showing his excellence as a warrior. Puriti calmed herself much more and sighed, knowing that at least for now she was trusted. 'It's probably better not to get in trouble here . . . it doesn't matter what kinda blood this guy's got; he's good, and I can't beat him right now..'

Amai also seemed to do the same thing, exhaling loudly and dramatically, his shoulders slumping as he did so. As soon as he did he puffed out his chest and stood up straight, a grand smile lining his features. There was no longer any trace of cruelty in his eyes.

"So," he started, a finger lightly tapping his lip as he thought out his words, "You're not the Priestess of Byakko, but you wear her clothes, as Seki said . . . And not only that, you seem to be up to date on the news. Or at least as informed as the populace. You're just a funny girl all around, huh?"

Puriti scowled. She didn't like how that sounded. She placed one hand on her hip, balancing all her weight into one leg and giving him an irritated expression. "And what's that supposed to mean? What is it that the people don't know!"

Amai glanced at her for a second, then he covered his mouth politely as he started to chuckle, which soon turned into loud laughter that filled the room. Both girls, startled each for different reasons, stared at him in confusion and then at each other, but the smaller of the two turned away before any real contact was made.

Even though he still had little fits of giggles after a few moments, he spoke. "You really are weird! Normally people bow down to me, or they're actually smart enough to realize when they could get into trouble for what they say. But you . . .!" He sniggered. "You're acting as if you have more authority than I do!"

"And? So what?" Puriti replied. She didn't see anything to be laughing about in this situation. "Aren't you going to answer my question?"

"No; Just who do you think I am?"

Again came that threatening voice of his, and Amai's laughter stopped. He turned around and walked towards the small entrance of the room and opened the door. At that moment soldiers wearing uniforms much like his piled in, two of them grabbing her arms and gripping her tightly while the others hurried over to Kumoi's bed.

"Huh . . ." the other girl, who had been disturbed awake, looked around half-asleep as she was being pulled out of the bed by force. It took her a moment but as soon as she was aware of her surroundings she started flailing. "What the hell! What's going on! Puriti, it was you, wasn't it! Get me out of here!"

"Shut up, Kumoi!" Puriti shouted back as she was being pushed towards the door and out in the hall. No one seemed concerned with covering their mouths, and Amai and Seki stepped aside, both observing the girls fervently. "You think I want this? I didn't ask to be hauled off by some fat men with swords! Hey, asshole, where are they taking us?"

The last sentence was directed just as Puriti was going by Amai, her glare directed right at him. Instead of being angry by the insult he smiled. It was one so softly pleasant and sweet that it almost took the blonde haired woman off guard. But with his words, even his cheery tone couldn't hide the underlying disgust.

"Where?" he repeated. "To jail, of course! Then maybe an execution later, for talking back at me the way you did. That's what you get, for talking back to me."

For good measure Puriti spat on his shoes, which he didn't seem to show any sort of negative reaction towards but instead smiled more. Before she could shout any more she was already out, Kumoi still loud and hysterical from not knowing what was happening.

'Damn!' she thought, keeping her rising anger silent for the time being. 'We're really in trouble here . . . Last I remember, Suzuno was going into that room in the palace with the King. I don't know how much farther she's gotten . . . But she better not get caught by these guys.'

x

"Hansu . . ."

Lanva had been by both Subaru and Suzuno's side ever since they had been asleep. He was sitting properly in a chair for once, his eyes somberly looking down at the hands that rested together between his legs. Every once in a while he would look up to the girls if one was turning or struggling a little –he'd gotten nervous when Suzuno started to cough furiously- but other than that, his mind was completely distracted.

'It's been hours since then,' Lanva thought as he remembered the conversation he had held with the old man that claimed to be Chu Chin, 'but it feels like it's happening right now. Hansu . . . it's been five years since I've seen or heard from him . . .'

"But I have a message from Hansu; just as you are looking for him, he's looking for you, too. And he's not hoping for a happy reunion."

"What could he mean by that?" he asked out loud, a hand wiping a little bit of nervous sweat from his face. He just couldn't understand the connection of things; for him, it didn't make any sense that Chu Chin would know the whereabouts of someone he hadn't seen in so long. "We were best friends before he dissapeard . . . Why would he be in contact with a criminal? One we captured together . . ."

" . . . Lanva?"

Lanva glanced up slowly to see Subaru. Her voice was weak from just waking up and her eyes half open, but something about them seemed a little concerned. She stretched a little to try and relieve her muscles from the tension she felt, at the same time being careful not to wake Suzuno, who was resting beside her.

She reached out a small hand and touched Lanva's face. He leaned into it and closed his eyes, smiling just a bit. "What's wrong . . .?"

"Nothing," he said after a pause, taking the hand she had offered into both of his and kissing the palm. The sweet sorrow in the affection seemed to travel through the young warrior's arm, making her worry even more. "Just thinking about something someone said . . ."

'He's not himself,' she thought, a frown coming to her face. 'He doesn't even look like himself. So serious . . . so sad.'

"I won't bother you with it," she said bluntly, though it seemed to bring a mutual comfort. He let go of her as she propped herself to sit up, adjusting herself to get out of bed. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep; it feels like I've wasted so many hours!"

Lanva laughed a little, standing up along with her. "You're fine; Toroki and Amefuri fell asleep in the kitchen at the table after talking about everything that happened."

"And what about Tatara?"

"I don't know. That guy's such a weirdo; he just up and left a little while after we all got here. He didn't even bother to check and see if Suzuno was okay."

"That is strange," Subaru muttered, her mind in reflection. 'Tatara usually takes care of Suzuno so well, too . . . he's very delicate with her. Then why would he . . .?'

The both of them began to walk out the door and into the hall, neither of them really sure what to do at the moment. Subaru smiled as she stepped into the kitchen and found the both young boys's faces against the table, their expressions childish and peaceful. She glanced at the single window half covered by drapes and noticed that it was already dark outside. 'I really did sleep the day away . . .'

"So," Lanva started, adjusting his fingers together behind his head. He put on a big grin, showing that the saddened mood he was in had disappeared. "What do you wanna do right now? No one else is awake, so we could . . ."

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no," she said with a cute smirk, trying to sound harsh but ultimately teasng him. "You only just deflowered me yesterday, and already you want to go again? You're a jack rabbit if there ever was one."

"But I'm your jack rabbit, love bunny."

"Shhh! Someone might hear you," she said through giggles as she received a small peck on the cheek. She turned towards the cabinet, noticing a pot that seemed to have plenty of stew earlier from that day gone cold. "Hmm . . . why don't I heat this up for us and the others when they wake up? I'll add some good spices too."

"Sounds good to me."

Both of their teasings had caused Amefuri to be disturbed, his eyes slowly opening yet not exactly comprehending everything quite yet. Both noticed his presence and looked at him as he finally sat up and stretched. When he was finished, he looked at the two of them and gave them an awkward smile.

"I see you've got a customer, Lanva," he said jokingly, earning a heavy blush from Subaru and loud laughter from his friend. Somehow, Toroki remained completely asleep, Aoi-Yuki resting on top of the table next to him comfortingly.

It didn't take long for him to remember something when he looked to Subaru. He stood up slowly to not awaken the last of the sleeping companions and spoke as he moved, motioning for the both of them to follow him down the hall.

"I need some help," he said simply, opening the door. "Mom's hurt . . . I think you should be able to heal her without too much trouble, since it's only a small wound in comparison to Suzuno's. Are you feeling better from that, Subaru?"

"Much better," she replied with a soft smile, stepping in. She didn't need any explanation for what had happened; when she healed Suzuno, the memories of everything that had gone on included the beautiful woman, so she knew exactly what to do. Amefuri knew exactly what went on through Toroki; Lanva was the only one oblivious.

All three of them were expecting Higashi; however, none of them expected to find her already awake and lively from the events of the day. She was sitting up on the side of the bed, her legs spread wide open and a bottle of alchohal already in her hand. Luckily, the clothes she had been wearing were still covering her to a degree, but she still wasn't modest enough for the average.

Amefuri hurried over, swiping the drink from her hand and pushing her down against the bed a little roughly by her shoulders. When she realized what was happpening she looked directly to her son, who seemed a little flustered, then she pulled him into a strong hug that brought him down long with her.

"Hey, baby boy!" she said, a wide grin on her face. She didn't seem to notice the other two in the room at all, her focus completely on Amefuri. "Where've you been? I haven't seen you in like . . . forever!"

"You saw me yesterday, Mom," he replied, chuckling as he released himself from her grip and stood up. He looked over to Subaru, who understood as she stepped forward. She gave Higashi a pleasant smile that instantly warmed the older woman, and she calmed down.

"This one of your friends?" Higashi asked, earning a nod in reply. "Nice to see you've been growing up 'n everything. Turning into a real man, as they say."

None of them exactly understood what she was saying, as her speech was starting to slur now that she had calmed down. All three of them took a short glance at each other but as soon as Higashi closed her eyes, Subaru went right to work.

"So, that's your mom," Lanva thought, giving Amefuri a strange expression as he went by his side. "She's hot."

"Runs in the family, I guess."

"What about your da-" before Lanva could even finish his sentence he drowned out his own voice, turning his head to the side. He wasn't always a respectful person, but something told him the subject would be a little taboo. "Nevermind."

X x x x

Sorry for not updating for a while. T.T I'm still loyal to this! It's just that 2 jobs plus school equals barely any time to do anything. XD Right now I'm doing a lot of planning during class though for this story! I did that last year all the way to near the ending of the story, but things pop up and now I'm rewriting it again (So fun!). I've got quite a few fun things in store, and a warrior I wasn't planning to come in for a long, long time might come in sooner than I thought (Sooner meaning like, thirty or more chapters than what I expected. Lol!).

And hey, look at that! Kumoi and Puriti are back in the picture, and they've come across the sweet-but-deadly Prince Amai (Finally, he comes back in). I love his dialogue because he doesn't talk anything like a Chinese Prince. XD And Does anyone remember Seki, the Inn-Girl? I hope.

And I think I'm very happy with the beginning scene between Lanva and Subaru, how they've become so emotionally and physically attatched to each other as the series has gone on. :D Lanva will need Subaru a lot in future chapters.

And Amefuri's father will play a crucial role later in the story (Or should I say sooner? We learn of him soon!). I'm excited about this!

Thank you all so much for your patience!

Suzuno Oosugi- Oh, I always love how you go so deep into this story:D Hansu doesn't play a strong role until much, much later, but it's sort of going to be the much deserved 'Lanva-Subaru' saga kind of thing. I feel like I barely ever use them! XD And yup, Toroki also gains a vague love interest, though I'm not planning to go too far into it. And Tatara . . . well, let's just say 'Soon'!

Care- Leaving? Like for vacation? How was it:D And if you love romance, there's going to be plenty of love-stuffs soon (As in literally two or three chapters away XD)! I hope you like it!

sesshomaruobsessed- Hmm . . . I actually wasn't thinking of Toroki's special hearing when I wrote that scene, but it might incorporate some goodies there! –Has a cute new idea- It might even tie a few things together that I've been having trouble with! Yeay! –Parties-

Queen of the Paperclips- Yeah:D I think making Lanva a not-warrior (I dunno how else to word it!) yet sort of makes it more exciting, like a 'When is he gonna be revealed?' sort of thing. And how? I already have it, and I think it'll turn out well! Lots of future stuff between Amefuri and Suzuno and Tatara, especially very soon!

RabidMantisGirl- lol! Tatara is just one of those guys, you know? He's my most difficult character to put in, by far. :D But I'm trying my best! XD Gosh, I need to actually listen to Heavy Metal. I'm a generally Pop/Alternative/Rap fan. I listen to some rock music though, like Three Days Grace and Linkin Park and stuff. Good stuff!

Kaeru Soyokaze- O.O LOL! XD –Is also shot- Tatara really does seem that way . . . It almost seems like he has no sex drive in the story, unlike every other character. He starts showing more feelings soon, or we start being able to get more into his thoughts. I'm excited about that!