Disclaimer: Don't own any of the bishies though I wish I did…

A/N: Well, I finally got this chapter up. I know it's been quite a while (almost half a year… has it really been that long?) but I can tell you that this chapter has been in the making for quite some time now and I hope its length makes up for some of the wait. It's surely the longest chapter I've written to date in any of my stories. Anyway, I just wanted to say that in this chapter, some of the characters' personalities seem somewhat different from those in the show. This is due to the different era this story is taking place in. You have to remember the backgrounds of some of the characters and how they've been brought up. Also, you get to see the slight influence the show Inuyasha (also not mine for anyone who actually cares about disclaimers) has had on this story later on in the chapter.

And for a few words:
Japanese lesson 101:
Baka – fool/idiot
Nekojin – cat person

Anyway, this chapter has some violence though not too much. It's more of a developing chapter and sets up the story a lot. Enjoy the info and I hope it's not too long that it ends up dragging. I wouldn't want to do that to anyone Well, enjoy!

-

Of Age and Era

Chapter 5: The Town With No Name

Takao's senses came back in full measure. As he took a sudden, deep intake of air, his nostrils were filled with the putrid smell of burning, rotting corpses. He tried to remember what he was doing, where he was, but his head pounded so loudly he couldn't even hear himself think. He willed his eyes to open, his limbs to move, but nothing worked. He could feel a strangely cold blow of air on the back of his head. He soon realized it was the wind blowing against an open wound - where he was hit, during the battle. His eyes began to ache as they were filled with tears. In the darkness of his shut eyelids, he saw images of the scene of the massacre play over and over. He tried harder to open his eyes but they still remained shut. He wanted to wipe the images away, to think of something else; he wanted to believe that it was all a dream, but the gentle roar of fire reminded him that he was still in the courtyard.

A burst of fire nearby sprayed ashes among the air entering his lungs and he gagged and coughed. This forced him control over his body and his eyes shot open.

Above him, the fluffy clouds hung, moving slowly over the land. He watched one cloud as it flowed along, like a log down a river, changing shapes as it collected more and more water. At least, that's what his grandfather always said clouds were made of, but many thought him insane for it.

"Ojisan…" Takao murmured. Only a few days ago, Takao learned of his grandfather's death. He was alone. And now… Now the entire palace was in ruin, all the people he'd ever known or cared about were gone. Takao felt an overwhelming loneliness. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. He was alone… completely alone.

Takao wondered briefly for how long he'd been lying there but then decided it didn't matter. He wanted to continue to lie, undisturbed, until he faded away into the earth. Nobody would find him there. Nobody was left to care about him anyway. When this massacre would be discovered, he would be counted as another victim among the bodies. For eternity, he would lie next to his family, the samurai knights.

Takao's focus shifted from his melancholic thoughts to the ground again as he heard a shuffle amongst the drone of the flames. Someone was walking toward him. No - there were two sets of feet. "You're awake. Good." Takao recognized the voice. It was the maturing voice of Hiwatari's. Takao lifted his head painfully from the ground and brought his body into a sitting position. He felt too weak and dizzy to stand at the moment. Hiwatari Kai stood over him. The Princess, Tatibana Hiromi, was close behind him. Although Hiwatari seemed completely calm and oblivious to the dead bodies littering the ground, Hiromi-san had a disturbed appearance. She was fearful and overly jumpy. Takao imagined he'd feel the same way if everything didn't feel so much like a dream. He knew that as soon as he came out of denial of the whole matter, he'd probably be acting just like her.

Hiwatari bent down to check if Takao was all right. He noticed the wound on the boy's head. "I'm sorry, but I had to make sure you wouldn't do anything foolish. I guess I hit you too hard though." Takao recalled Hiwatari hitting him with the hilt of his sword. "The King asked me to protect you. It was the only way to keep you from foolishly throwing your life away."

Takao muttered incoherently about protecting the palace but Hiwatari turned his attention away from Takao. "We need to get out of here. They may come back."

"Wait." Takao called. "What happened? Why did they leave in the first place?"

"I managed to hold them off long enough for them to have to leave and regroup. They'll be back shortly. We must leave." Takao nodded. He knew that if there were a next time, they wouldn't get out alive.

Takao got to his feet lopsidedly, but soon regained his balance. Hiwatari led the way toward the forest. Tatibana and Takao followed silently. Takao looked back at the ruins that were once his home. This would be his first time leaving them, and his last time seeing them. Those walls were all he'd known up until this point. Beyond the edge of the forest, Takao faced the unknown, and he wasn't quite sure he was ready for it.

"Wait!" a yell echoed along the open plain. The three travelers looked back to see a small body running towards them. As it neared, its form became more focused. It was a small boy, dressed in the outfit of the King's highest and most treasured servants: a rich material of golds and reds. "Wait for me!" the boy screamed again, as if the three had begun to leave again.

"Who are you?" questioned Hiwatari.

But the Princess knew. "Kyouju!" she screamed in excitement. "You're alive!" Tears of joy fell from her eyes, sparkling in the fading sunlight.

-

The four stopped shortly after, when the sun had finally set and it was too dark to travel the forest anymore. Hiwatari lit a fire and began preparing a meal from plants and berries. It would be no feast, but it was all they had. Meanwhile, the others were consumed in small talk, each giving their own proper introduction to each other and learning about the only survivors of the once prestigious castle.

"We've known each other since we were young. Kyouju's the only kid I've ever been allowed to play with." Tatibana explained to Takao and Hiwatari.

"So what is it you did at the palace?" Takao wondered.

"Oh." Kyouju blushed. "Nothing important like you samurai. It was my father - the reason why I was at the palace. My father was the King's advisor. He helped the King negotiate some important treaties with nearby kingdoms." Kyouju was saddened from talking about his father who was also killed in the attack. Takao wasn't the only one who had lost everything dear to him. "Just like Hiromi-chan, I've lived at the place my whole life." It was a little while before Kyouju realized his mistake of addressing the Princess so casually. "Hn! I mean Princess Tatibana!" Kyouju blushed and turned even redder than before.

"It's alright," Hiwatari spoke up. "It will be better if we all call each other by more common names anyway. When we get to the village, we'll have to buy some clothes. If we can hide her majesty's identity, we can begin to build a resistance against the group after her life. Until we can find out more information, we'll have to hide amongst the crowd. So, from now on, call me Kai." The others nodded.

"Listen," Kai continued, "I have a contact group that I believe will help us. It is a while away from the village, it will take us a week at least to get there, but in the end, it will be worth it. That's where we'll start rebuilding our forces."

-

Their supper, although made out of the most basic ingredients, was surprisingly delicious. Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju all thanked Kai. After supper, they rested by the fire. Kai wandered off, not to be disturbed. Hiromi and Kyouju were talking, trying to console each other. They both lost their fathers earlier that day. One more thing they had in common.

Meanwhile, Takao was staring blankly into the flickering flame that kept them warm and gave them light. Even after everything that happened, Takao couldn't stop thinking about Ojisan, even after all of the days he'd been dead.

"What's wrong Takao?" Hiromi's soft voice fluttered to his ears.

"I know this is going to sound selfish of me, but it's - just - I miss my grandfather. He was the only one who ever cared about me, who ever believed in me, and now he's gone. I never showed him the respect I should have. I never told him how much I was thankful for having him there." Takao was close to tears. For a samurai, he was highly emotional.

"I'm sure he knew." Hiromi tried to calm Takao. "Takao, there was something I wanted to tell you earlier when I gave you the Dragoon Sword. I chased after you but then Hiwatari-san - Kai - showed up and I never got the chance to tell you since."

Takao faintly remembered Hiromi's appearance at the courtyard. He didn't think much about it then after all that happened, but if he had, he would have realized how strange an occurrence it was.

"I wanted to tell you - I was there when your grandfather died. I may not have known him as well as you or my father, but from what I saw, he was gentle, kind, and rightly deserved his nickname of 'Great'. That night, he fought valiantly. The samurai who'd come to assassinate me, he was no more than a child, somewhere around my own age. Your grandfather offered him life. He offered to train him and to pardon him. The Great Kinomiya was as compassionate as he was strong and intelligent. He was a wonderful man." She paused for a moment, wondering if she should go on. "Takao, he was a magnificent teacher as well. He - he gave up his life to teach the assassin. I saw it. He didn't block the final blow, even though he could have. He gave the samurai life, after all the samurai did, He tried to teach the samurai that winning wasn't everything, I suppose. He did that for this samurai. That shows what a truly great man your grandfather was."

Takao was crying lightly now, but he was wide-eyed as well. "He did that?" Takao then turned angry. "He let that bastard live? I doubt the jackass even realized it himself!"

Hiromi was slightly shocked at the language, although she knew the reason why Takao was using it. "Takao, you're just upset that he's gone. But you can't hate him for it. It was the most compassionate act I have ever seen." Hiromi put her hand on Takao's shoulder to try and comfort him.

Takao mumbled to himself. "Compassionate…"

Elsewhere, beyond the light of the fire, Kai sat leaning against a tree. He was deep in thought. "The night the Great Kinomiya fell." Kai pondered on what he'd just overheard.

-

The fire smothered out as Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju gently fell asleep on the hard ground. Against the tree, Kai lay back. He would stay awake and alert. He had to protect them from anything that may come during the night. He was still as deep as ever in his thoughts. Feet away from him lay three of the victims of the assassins. They all suffered now from the losses they had. As a samurai, Kai killed as well. However, Kai never had contact before with any living victims. These three people were examples of those victims. What of the people who'd fallen to Kai's sword? Did they have loved ones; family members just like these three? Did those people weep undeservingly? Kai was taught by a great man but he was never told of the effects killing had. Kai never bothered to think about anyone else who was affected by it. Kai was never taught about compassion either. The compassion Kinomiya had, was that his secret to being the best? Was that what was holding Kai back from reaching his true potential, the lack of it?

Kai unsheathed his sword and studied it. He mustn't second-guess himself now. He was well on his way to achieving his goal. It was what he strove for his entire life. To go back on it now would be saying that his life was meaningless. These thoughts were the trial to prove that he deserved everything he achieved. Pushing on, as the pressure got tougher, that would be what made him great, not the compassion of Kinomiya's. He could keep it. Kai wanted to be the best and to be the best, letting petty emotions rule you would get him exactly what Kinomiya got - death because he was too compassionate.

Kai lay back further, his mind finally at ease.

-

"Ojisan, I don't want to kill people," a young Takao whined to his grandfather.

"Now come on Takao, we only kill when it's necessary. Our priority as samurai knights is not to kill our enemies, but to protect the royal palace. Most of the time, the battle will end with no loss of life. Once there is a distinct victor, there is no need to continue the battle."

"But what happens when the loser won't give up?" Takao sniffed. The idea of having to kill brought him to tears. Ojisan knew his grandson was too soft to be considered a true samurai, but that was what would teach everyone else that power didn't come from blocking out emotions, but from using the emotions. He knew that Takao would someday be even greater than he, and it would be because of Takao's feelings.

"That happens very rarely," Ojisan assured the child.

"But it does happen," Takao commented. He wanted an answer.

"Yes. There are samurai who believe nothing is more important than winning. In such cases, the duel will become one where only one person is left alive. Listen Takao, you must never let go of your compassion for other living things. That is what will set you apart from all others. Some people may think you're too soft but let them believe that and then show them you skill. They will see how powerful emotions are. It may be hard on your pathway to greatness, but it will be worth it in the end. Just keep pressing forward. You will be challenged in many different ways and all of those experiences, if you overcome them, will make you a better man."

"You really think I could be great someday, like you?" Takao smiled and wiped away his tears.

"Greater." Takao beamed yet he had no idea how much Ojisan meant it.

-

Takao woke up calmly in the morning. He didn't remember the dream he had that night. Instead, for the first time in days, he was cheerful. He couldn't really understand it himself. All he knew was the sun was shinning and he had people to wake up beside who weren't about to criticize him or make rude comments. All his life, the children samurai knights had taunted him. Takao loved to be with others, but they always made it difficult. Takao was different from all of them; he knew that. He didn't want to be there like the others but he practiced as a samurai for his grandfather's sake.

Takao sat up and the first thing he noticed was the Dragoon Sword at his side. He used to resent his training to be a samurai knight yet now, this sword longed to be in his hand and Takao felt a strong urge to train, to become better. Takao began to unsheathe the sword slowly, taking in its wonderful glimmer as the sunlight beamed off of it.

"Takao! You're awake!" Kyouju exclaimed happily. Takao hadn't even noticed him and Kai sitting by the fire. Hiromi was nowhere to be seen.

"Morning," Takao said as he went over to the fire as well. "So where is Hiromi?" Takao asked curiously.

Kai twitched angrily, his expression becoming irate. Kyouju smiled weakly. "She insisted on washing herself in the nearby lake and she absolutely refused for anyone to come with her." Kyouju motioned towards Kai when he said this. "She said she was much too dirty and that she wouldn't go anywhere until she was clean again."

"Baka!" Kai replied. "She could be killed in a heartbeat and there would be no way to prevent it." Then Kai turned his gaze to Takao and Kyouju. "All three of you have never been outside the castle walls, correct?"

"Yeah. What's your point?" asked Takao.

"My point is that none of you know how the world truly works. You've been pampered all your lives. Out here, you must be cautious at all times. You must pay attention to your surroundings, grow eyes in the back of your head, learn to listen for any restlessness in the forest. You can't just walk off on your own to take a bath everyday! Cleanliness is not a priority!" Kai fumed. Takao simply looked at Kyouju, smiled and shrugged. The sight of someone as normally calm as Kai to be upset by something as simple as a bath was highly amusing.

When Hiromi returned, Kai didn't say anything but he shot her a dark look and never laid eyes on her again throughout the morning. This cold treatment would usually send an unsettling feeling to the person receiving it. Kai, however, was always cold and distant thus Hiromi didn't even notice it.

-

As the day dwindled on, the four survivors of the castle's assault continued on their way to the nearest town. It would be another day before they reached it, but they were making good progress. After a short break for lunch, they came upon a much larger group. Kai stopped Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju in the bushes and told them to stay there as he took a look. Kai came cautiously into the clearing, his feet not making a sound along the forest's floor.

Before him was a large camp set up. Spotted everywhere, sparkling in the firelight of the campfires, were bags of gold, jewelry, coins, and other valuable items. A few sheets were tied up to trees here and there acting as some sort of dwelling to those lying under them. Some metal pots smoked as their contents boiled.

The camp was full with men. Men sat around the fires eating, their bowls clanking as they set them down on the rocks. Other men slept on leaves and sand, finding comfort as best they could. Others still, counted their loot, talking avidly amongst themselves. The one thing all these men had in common was their state of grubbiness. They were as filthy as they were worthless. These men were worse than peasants. They not only lived in the dirt, but they liked it as well. With all they stole, they often had enough to live a luxurious lifestyle. However, no matter how much money they gained, they still returned to this filthy way of living. Their faces, arms and feet were caked with mud. Their clothes were completely worn and black. Sand was crusted in their nails and along their ears making them partially deaf. Most of their teeth were gone or rotting and their gums were large and red. The stench that surrounded them was rancid. Sickness and disease was common amongst these kinds of people.

Kai looked at the bandits with utmost disgust. Not only did he believe these people didn't deserve to live as they only stunted the growth and wealth of the population and wasted good resources on their worthless selves, but they were now in Kai's way. This was an annoyance, to say the least.

Kai began to return to the others when a crackle of twigs surprised him. Takao was coming up to him, crashing through the forest. Hiromi and Kyouju were following him.

"What's going on?" demanded Takao. "We've been waiting so long we thought you were never coming back!

"Quiet!" Kai exclaimed in a harsh whisper. But the damage was already done. Interested murmurs were spoken behind him. Kai turned to see the encampment rising from their grubby seats staring at the four children just beyond the clearing.

For a moment, both parties stared at one another not making a movement. Takao, Hiromi, and Kyouju set eyes for the first time on a lower class of the kingdom. The bandits stared in return. Their concentration was not on the newcomers but on their rich clothing, jewelry and gold encrusted swords. Kai knew exactly what they were thinking. Not only could the bandits strip them of all their belongings but, as they were children, heirs to their families, they could make for good ransom objects.

Ghoulish smiles of yellow and black teeth formed one by one on each of the faces of the bandits. They picked up knives, sticks, anything that could be used as weapons as they advanced toward the children.

Kai stepped forward from the others to stand alone. "Stay back!" he barked over his shoulder. Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju just watched as Kai had a placid but defiant look as the bandits came at him. Hiromi covered her mouth to keep from screaming and Takao was about to shout out to Kai to move when the words were caught in his mouth by a sudden action.

Kai grabbed his sword and swung it from his sheath as if to make a backhanded slashing move at his enemy. As his sword cut through the air a bright light illuminated the sword and the light spread in front of its path, swallowing most of the bandits. Kai's first move was finished. Kai was standing with his sword to his right, the blade facing behind him. The light in front of him faded and all that was left in the place of the bandits were a few incinerated objects and black streaks that had been burnt into the ground.

Takao began to take a step forward with unease. "I said stay there!" Kai shouted at Takao without turning around. Takao was stopped in his tracks.

All of a sudden, the bandits who'd escaped the blaze of light came at Kai from both sides. Kai moved swiftly. He attacked one way, immediately came back the other way with his blade and attacked once more on the first side. Then he closed his eyes and sheathed his sword, wiping the blade with his sleeve as it returned to its holder. Kai turned and walked back to the others. As he walked, the remaining bandits fell to the ground, apparently dead. Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju were speechless.

"Let's go," Kai said in a subdued voice. He knew even after the events at the palace that none of the others were used to seeing death. Takao and Kyouju followed Kai not wanting to look at the graveyard any longer. Hiromi, however, continued to look at it sadly. Those were her subjects. They felt compelled to live in such dirt and steal what they needed rather than work for it. If only there was a way in which she could save others like them. But for now, it was too late to save these men.

-

The forest seemed to repeat itself. All that could be seen was tree after tree and eventually the question of whether or not they would reach the edge of the forest was clearly present in Kyouju's mind. His legs were tired and his feet screamed in pain with every step. He wanted to collapse but he wouldn't let himself. The last thing he wanted was for Kai to be mad with him. Kai was the toughest samurai he'd ever seen. Of course, Kyouju had never seen Kinomiya fight so he couldn't compare Kai to the Great Sword Master.

Back at the palace, Kyouju idolized the samurai knights. He was always so impressed with them, ever since he was little. Although he couldn't train to be a samurai knight as it was 'below his class' as his father used to say, Kyouju kept the statistics of all the samurai knights. He kept this secret list in his mind so that his father could not take it from him. Because of this list, Kyouju also knew for a fact that Takao, who'd been the lowest ranked samurai knight, had moved up to third in his class due to the overwhelming power of his sword. Of course, none of that mattered anymore, now that they were all dead.

Kyouju's head sunk lower as he walked. His eyes were staring down at the ground and watching where his next step should be placed. It was getting hard to see, however, in the fading light of the sun. The sun wasn't yet below the horizon, but the trees kept the light low to the ground out, forcing the pathway into a premature night. As Kyouju continued to stare at the ground, he bumped into something in front of him and fell backwards. Looking up, he noticed it was Takao's back in the way. The others had stopped in a small clearing.

"We should stay here for the night. It will be too dark to look for another place fairly soon," Kai said over his shoulder as he looked around. "Takao, Kyouju, go get some firewood and leaves. I'll start building the pit."

Soon afterward, the camp was set up and the four children were eating the final meal of the day. They ate their food quietly, caught up in their own thoughts. Hiromi thought about the purpose of the ruler and the ideal government for the people and the monarchy. Kyouju thought of the role of samurai and what they must do to prepare themselves not only physically, but mentally too, before a battle. The sight of Kai fighting today brought forth that thought. Takao thought about his training and how he yearned, even now, to be practicing his swordsmanship. Kai thought about their trajectory to the town and beyond. They would have less than a week before they reach their goal now. Although they were traveling a lot slower than Kai was used to, he was still pleasantly surprised at the speed at which they were going. They would reach the first town in the morning. And then they would head north towards the mountains and his home village.

Kai disappeared once more after supper, just like the night before. To Hiromi and Kyouju's surprise, Takao left shortly after without saying a word.

Elsewhere, Kai was sitting by a river. The whooshing of a sword cutting the air broke his concentration. Kai went to investigate. In a nearby clearing he found Takao practicing hard. He was more focused than Kai had ever seen him. Kai didn't disturb him, but he continued watching.

Takao's sword, the Dragoon Sword, glowed with a mystical light that seemed to come from its own blade. Takao wielded it skillfully. Each of Takao's attacks was precise and confident. His technique seemed almost flawless.

Kai's gaze bore into Takao's very being. He saw the samurai he'd met only days earlier. This samurai before him now, however, was not the same. He was infused with the power of Dragoon, a power that had been gaining strength and experience for centuries in the hands of the Kinomiya family. It was the Dragoon Sword leading the samurai now. Yet, Kai also saw a bit of Takao's own technique shine through. It was a little rough but, with some more practice, Takao could become one of the best. This was what worried Kai. Takao was a unique samurai and it could be that one day, Kai would have to face him in order to be named the best. And it could be a very difficult battle to win.

Kai left Takao to his practicing. Perhaps he had underestimated the samurai. From now on, Kai would keep a closer eye on him.

-

The following morning, the group of four left once more for the closest town.

"So, what is the name of the town that we're going to?" Kyouju asked, making light conversation.

"It doesn't have a name," Kai replied swiftly.

"Then, what should we call it?" Kyouju asked not understanding how a town could not have a name.

"I suppose," Kai contemplated, "it's formally known as 'The Town with No Name'." Kyouju almost tripped at Kai's vague response. Hiromi and Takao both laughed.

"You're joking, right?" Hiromi giggled. Kai didn't answer. His stoic expression seemed to answer the opposite and Takao and Hiromi stopped laughing at once and looked at each other to try and understand.

"Was he serious?" Takao mumbled to Hiromi. Hiromi shook her head not knowing what the answer was either. Instead, they stuck to silence.

Now that the group was quiet, some distant sounds of unrest and the smell of burning wood came to ears and nose. It seemed the town would be visible shortly.

"All right, you guys stay here," Kai said, bringing them off the path. I'll be back in a while."

"Hey, wait a minute! Why are you always running off?" Takao protested.

Kai stared at him harshly. Sensing an oncoming fight, Hiromi stepped in. "Please, Kai, why can we not go with you? I thought you said that we must always stick together."

"And as long as you three are together, I'm sure you'll be fine. Takao's a samurai. It is his duty to protect you should the need arise."

"Wha?" Takao was surprised at the confidence that Kai had in him. Since when did Kai think he had any talent as a samurai at all?

Kai continued his answer not taking any notice of Takao's reaction, as per usual. "I need to get us some peasant clothes. Those garments will make all of you stand out. The clothes that I wear are the same as a large number of samurai who frequent this town often. They will see me as nothing more than a stranger who has stopped for supplies."

Kai began to leave as if the matter was now settled. "I will return within an hour with new clothes and food. You must all be hungry for a good meal by now. Until then, stay here and keep hidden."

Kai disappeared down the path once more and all Takao, Hiromi or Kyouju could do was lay back in waiting.

-

Kai walked into the town just as he'd done so many times before. It was surprising how small this town stayed even though it was such a popular place. It was located at the crossroads of two of the largest roads in the kingdom. One headed from North to South. The other went from East to West. That was the one they'd been travelling for two days. Had this town been on the edge of a river, it would be a large merchant's city by now. However, because there was no way of transporting products other than by animal-driven carts, the town remained small and remained nameless just as it had been for years.

Kai looked around the market for the clothes he needed and for fresh vegetables and rice. Once he had everything he required, he returned to the forest. Although Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju were glad to see Kai return, they soon wished he'd forgotten about the garments. Hiromi wondered whether it would be less painless if she were just to give in to her enemies. The 'peasant clothes', as Kai referred to them, were rough and scratched the skin, the material seemed dirty even though it was brand new, and they smelled badly.

Kai ignored the complaints. He simply went about his business as if he couldn't even hear them. He laid down the food he'd bought and began to boil some water.

A scurry in the bushes grabbed his complete attention. It was approaching very quickly. Kai had only turned his head to look when the thing rushed by him, almost knocking him over. Kai had managed to dodge the creature's legs. Kai rose and drew his sword. The others were on edge now as well.

A cat-like human looked back upon the four travelers. He was almost Kai's height and looked to be around their age as well. He was an odd creature indeed. Amidst his long black hair were two cat ears. His sharp teeth bit his lip in a peculiar smile. His amber eyes had slits for pupils, just like a cat's eye. The addition of a black tail on his lower back made him seem even weirder. Along with his cat-like appearance, he wore black pants and a white shirt that carried the insignia of a white tiger. In his arms he carried the food which had been laid out on the ground next to the now-boiling pot.

"Thanks for the food," the creature said slyly.

"Bastard, you'll pay for this," Kai was ready to strike.

"Oh no, it seems I've made you mad. I'd better go then. Don't want to upset you further," the nekojin said in a mocking tone.

"Give us back our food you filthy demon!" Kai demanded.

"So that's a demon?" Hiromi asked Takao. She'd heard of the numerous tribes that lived in the kingdom but she had never seen one. Takao, who shared Hiromi's awe, shrugged in response. Kyouju, on the other hand, was fascinated by the demon and took in all the irregularities of this beast again. He loved to learn and this was always something he wanted to research.

"Hmm, tempting offer but, I don't think so," the demon answered to Kai. Then, his ears perked up and he turned and ran. Just as the cat demon left the clearing, another being ran into it. This time, it was a young boy about their age. Although he was human, he seemed almost as weird as the demon. This boy had blond hair and dots spotted on his face. He wore white robes and carried a staff in his hand.

"Damn! I just missed him!" the boy spoke as he stopped beside the four children who were looking at him. "Are you guys all right?" he asked in concern. "He didn't hurt any of you?" Takao, Hiromi and Kyouju shook their heads.

"Who are you?" growled Kai inhospitably.

But the young boy seemed to take no offence to the attitude. "I am a young monk. I was hired to get rid of some crafty cat demons that live in the area. You may call me Mizuhara Max. And that demon you just met, that was their leader, Kon Rei."

-
---

At last, Kyouju, Max and Rei have finally shown up! And yes, Rei is a demon! So, we got to see Hiromi's obsessiveness of being clean, Kai's prejudice against bandits and demons, the beginning of Takao's acceptance of being a samurai, and Kyouju's interest in the world of samurai. What's to come? Well, that'll just have to wait until the next chapter (which I have no idea when it'll be up). Until then, thanks to everyone who reviewed and for everyone's patience. I'll try to get another chapter up before the summer but no promises. It all depends on whether or not my courses become more stressful than they are now. Anyway, until then!

The next chapter will be The Devious.

.:Fey Phantom:.