Wildfire
Chapter three: The Repossession of Honetadare
By Funara
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the YYH characters. And I'm beginning to doubt that I ever will. I do own all the original characters though.
Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been a little lazy and a little busy. However, this chapter has now been finished, so read, enjoy and review! Oh yeah, and by the way, this chapter has some Kuwabara/Yukina in it.
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"Y-your Majesty, Kurama-sama! Near the village of Honetadare! Sosen no miko—she—she's badly hurt! And the Orb has been stolen!"
For a moment, every eye was locked on the messenger as they sat, frozen in their seats. Then, as reactions struggled to the surface, a sudden wave of noise crashed down as several representatives leapt to their feet.
"No!"
"That's not possible!"
Kurama hurried to the messenger's side, Tojin right behind him. He knelt next to the messenger, Tojin on the man's other side, and grasped his arm. "How did it happen? Who told you?"
The herald, nervous and shaking, breathed slowly before answering, "One of our scouts rode to the palace, Sire. He—he saw it happen, I think."
"From whose division? Did you recognize him?"
"I-I don't know, Your Majesty—but he was wearing our uniform." Kurama let his arm go and briefly met Tojin's glance over the herald's head. His chief advisor looked grim.
Kurama and Tojin swept out of the forum as Homura said, unnecessarily, "Meeting adjourned." They hastened toward the main entrance, their strides long and hurried. Tojin turned towards Kurama.
"It could be a false alarm, Your Majesty. We don't have verification that it was indeed one of our soldiers."
"I know," Kurama replied, eyes forward. "But I intend to find out."
The main gate was thronged with guards as Kurama and Tojin approached. A cry of "His Majesty the Emperor!" dispersed them, and Kurama observed a general and a lieutenant kneeling next to the scout, who was panting heavily. The general stood up and saluted Kurama.
"Your Highness, he's in no condition to talk. He rode and ran the twenty miles from Honetadare to here."
"You know him then? He is one of ours?"
The general nodded. "Shiba took some of his men out scouting. He's one of them."
Then the situation was definitely real. Kurama addressed the general again. "Do you know the way to Honetadare?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good. Bring out four horses, and send someone to alert Mukuro-san and Shigure-san of the situation. Take some of your best men. We're going to Honetadare." The general bowed.
As the soldiers left to do as they had been told, Tojin said quietly to Kurama, "Is it a good idea to involve Alaric, Your Majesty?"
Kurama turned slightly towards him. "This is an international matter. It's their concern as well."
Tojin was silent as the four saddled horses were brought to the front gate, along with Mukuro and Shigure, both already dressed appropriately. They said nothing, and Kurama assumed they had been told what was going on. The four of them mounted, as did the general and ten of his men. He took the lead, Kurama and the rest behind him as sixty hooves pounded the packed earth.
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The horses had been galloping for over half an hour, their bright chestnut coats gleaming with sweat. The capital city was behind them, as were the green fields on its outskirts. They were nearing Honetadare, a village that rested on the border between Alaric and Gandara.
The general slowed down his horse, and the others followed suit, as the band approached the forest beyond which lay Honetadare. They cantered slowly, single file, alert and watchful.
The sudden thump of hooves made the general throw out his arm. "Halt!" All gazes were directed towards the forest, bodies tense. The hoofbeats had slowed to cautious clop-clops. The general spoke again. "State your title!"
"Shiba, fourth general under his Majesty the Emperor of Gandara!" Four horses emerged among the foliage, one of them carrying the speaker, a robust man, lightly armored. He looked unsurprised, but relieved, at the sight of Kurama and the others. "I recognized your voice, Warade."
Warade looked equally relieved. He turned to Kurama. "This is Shiba, Your Majesty. My younger brother, and also a general." Kurama smiled a little at Warade's pride. Shiba bowed as much as he could while still staying on his horse.
Kurama urged his horse forward, next to Warade. "I'm honored to meet you, Shiba-san, but I'm afraid there are pressing matters at hand." His lingering smile changed into seriousness. "One of your scouts came back to the capital with news that the Orb had been stolen. Can you tell us what happened?"
Shiba ran a hand over his face before sighing and answering. "It's true, Your Majesty. In fact, we were just returning from Honetadare." Kurama stiffened, but Shiba noting the movement, continued, "There's no point in going there. A couple days ago, we heard rumors that the village had been taken over by a secret organization, so we went to investigate. Turns out, the rumors are true. We can't get into the village—there are defenses everywhere, and we figured we'd inform you—Your Majesty—first and wait for orders. But one of the villagers we ran into, who somehow got out, said that he saw an explosion. When he went to check it out, he found a woman with Sosen's symbol on her cheek, bruised and bleeding. She passed out, but before that, she told him that the Orb had been stolen."
"Sou ka," said Kurama. "But what happened to the woman—Sosen no miko?"
Shiba shrugged helplessly. "We don't know, Your Majesty. The villager went to get water for her, but when he got back, she'd disappeared. And we can't find the villager either now."
Tojin rode forward. "So we don't know what happened to either the Orb or Sosen no miko?"
"That's correct, sir."
"Do you know who took over the village?" The voice was Mukuro's.
Shiba turned, not recognizing her. "Yes…we do." He glanced at Kurama. "The organization is led by a black market merchant named Tarukane Gonzo."
Kurama inhaled sharply. "Tarukane? A member of the Black Black Club?" He remembered well the stories he had heard from the local merchants—stories detailing the lives of the crime lords who formed the Black Black Club and the hideous betting matches they held.
Shiba nodded. "Aa. That's the one."
Kurama furrowed his brow, pondering. It was unwise to try and get into the village now, when they only had a handful of soldiers, and yet, the longer they remained inactive, the worse the situation would become. Kurama turned towards the others. "There's nothing we can do here. We'll return to the palace and discuss it there."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Their party, increased by four, turned around and began to gallop back to the palace.
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Kurama, Mukuro and Tojin sat around a table in a room similar to the one where the Orb negotiations had taken place. Except now the situation had veered out of the hypothetical and into the drastically real.
"There is little choice but to send troops to Honetadare," said Kurama. "The chances are high that the Orb could be located there, or at least Sosen no miko. And the village needs to be freed."
Mukuro leaned back in her chair. "Then Alaric will also provide troops. However, I think it is best if I return to Alaric before sending a force to Honetadare. I don't wish to relay my orders back and forth."
"Ii yo ne." A very slight burden lifted itself off his shoulders. "When will your troops be prepared?"
"A few days. I will send word."
Kurama and Mukuro stood up and shook hands over the table. "I appreciate your aid, Mukuro-san," Kurama felt obligated to say.
Mukuro made a careless gesture. "This is a matter that concerns both our countries."
The three of them exited the room, Mukuro to prepare to for her departure, Kurama and Tojin to tell the rest of the decision.
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The day dawned cool and crisp on the morning that Alaric and Gandara's forces were to take back the village of Honetadare. Kurama, clad in his sleeping robe, sat on the bed for a few minutes, watching as the seemingly pale sunlight melted away the night, before getting dressed.
Mukuro had sent word, as she had promised, informing Kurama of when her soldiers would be ready.
In three days' time, I will send my soldiers to Honetadare. They will approach from the Alaric border and gain entrance to the village by whatever means necessary. Civilian casualties will be kept to a minimum, and the aim will be to both retrieve the Orb and the priestess as well as to capture Tarukane and his key followers.
He'd sent a messenger back, complying with her message. And ordered Shiba and Warade to select a group of about seventy soldiers, just to be on the safe side. Neither he nor Mukuro knew how many guards Tarukane might have.
Kurama shut the door behind him quietly and started for the main gate, where the soldiers would be gathering. In the distance, he could hear the sound of the gong and the drums, the traditional wake-up calls for the soldiers living in the barracks.
When he arrived at the entrance, there were the dozen or so usual guards stationed there, several of them engaged in conversation with a man dressed in a black tunic. The man turned at the sound of Kurama's footsteps, and Kurama recognized him as Anju, one of his imperial advisors.
"Ah, Your Majesty," he began, his voice naturally low but pleasant, "good morning." He cocked his head a little, the mannerism slightly out of place. "You are up very early."
"I intended to see the soldiers out."
Anju smiled. "You have risen before your own conscripts, Your Majesty. Have you had breakfast yet?" Kurama shook his head. "Then let us have breakfast and return when all is ready." He nodded to the guards, who saluted him, and approached Kurama. The two of them turned to the breakfast hall.
Kurama glanced sideways at Anju. His most distinctive feature was certainly the deep gash that snaked its way across his neck, but the harsh personality that the scar seemed to demand belied his amiable aura. A man of contrasts.
"We don't see each other often, Your Majesty."
Kurama met his gaze. "That's true. I don't see everyone on a day to day basis."
"Let me introduce myself properly then. I am Anju, as you know, and I was overseer of the imperial army for six years before Yomi-san chose me as one of his advisors."
He didn't quite look the part, but Kurama was sure that his friendly manner could quickly give way to authoritativeness. "Were you a general?"
"Oh, no." An almost apologetic smile. "I only manage affairs for them. I don't get mixed up in business like that." They had reached the breakfast hall, and Anju held the door for him. "I recognize the necessity of bloodshed, but suffice to say that I still don't prefer it." He shut the door behind him. "And here we are. I must excuse myself—I know I said we should breakfast, but I have already eaten. Please enjoy your meal though. Preparations should be ready in an hour." And he left through the door they had just entered.
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The early morning chill had mostly vanished by the time the seventy soldiers had lined up in front of the gate. Shiba and Warade, the two brothers, were commanding thirty-five each, and they each had several lieutenants below them who would divide up the companies. A headcount was taken as the feathery plumes on un-donned helmets waved gently, and then, they were ready.
Kurama strode up and down the straight lines, reviewing the troops. Gandara was a diverse region, and the infantry and cavalry reflected that. He thought he had even seen someone with a mop of bright orange hair.
At the single reverberation of the gong, Kurama advanced to the front of the forces. "I wish you good luck today. The success of your mission will heavily figure in our political relations with Alaric. I trust that you will neither fail your generals nor your emperor. May Sosen favor all of you."
Kurama stood to the side as someone gave a cry, and the lines of soldiers surged forward past him, through the gate. Within minutes they had disappeared, and the guards had dragged the gate closed.
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The noise of the marching army had drowned out the natural sounds of the forest. Not that there were any animals brave enough to make a sound when loud predators were around. Any atmosphere was immediately interrupted with the arrival of humans, especially soldiers.
Not that he cared. Yuusuke yawned hugely.
"Oi Urameshi, if the horse is making you sleepy, get off and let me ride."
Yuusuke grinned. "Yeah right, Kuwabara. I got upgraded to cavalry, not you. So I get the horse."
Kuwabara shot him a dark look from his vantage point several feet below Yuusuke. He was probably still sore at losing the cavalry post to Yuusuke, who had joined a year or two after him. Nevertheless, Yuusuke had proved to be more adept than he and had therefore been promoted sooner.
Yuusuke changed the subject, folding his hands behind his head with difficulty. The armor was both uncomfortable and bulky, but he had wanted to be a cavalryman. "We're all gonna be infantry when we get to the village anyway. Who're you with?"
"Kazemaru. You?"
"Yeah, same here. We've been with him a few times; he's all right."
"Yeah, I guess so."
They didn't say anything until the horses and men in front of them began to slow. Yuusuke craned his neck, having a better view than Kuwabara. "What's going on?"
Before Kuwabara could answer, they heard the voice of Kazemaru. "Listen up, men, we're here. Seven of you are with me. Cavalry, dismount and get your infantry partner. Whatever infantryman has no partner will be my partner. Hurry up."
Yuusuke dismounted quickly, tying his horse nearby and picking up his lance. He moved to stand near Kuwabara. The other five partnered up as well. Kazemaru, a former ninja who still wore his traditional tunic, shaved his head and bore his Buddhist manji on his forehead, as their captain, stepped into the center of their circle.
"Your orders are simple. Free the villagers, kill Tarukane's men, try not to kill too many civilians, and if any of you come upon Tarukane or the Orb or the priestess, take special care and get a hold of whatever it is quickly. Let's go."
The circle broke apart around the same time Yuusuke and Kuwabara's comrades had also separated. From the front, a shout was heard. "They're attacking! Charge the main entrance!"
The first division deflected a volley of arrows before they were able to slash the heavy wooden door open. There was a collective shout as the soldiers streamed in.
Yuusuke and Kuwabara, lance and sword ready, respectively, surged in with the rest of them and immediately turned right, following Kazemaru's shaven head. The ninja was nimble, using his nun-chucks to knock out black robed adversaries and still advancing at the same time. Yuusuke and Kuwabara did the same, mowing down any warrior that made hostile advances.
By now, they had separated from the others. Kazemaru paused for a moment. "How many?" he asked tersely. All seven of his men answered. "Good, let's go." And he was off again, bursting into hovels and defending against the opponents who rushed to meet him.
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On the other side of Honetadare, Alaric's forces had also gained entrance to the village. Instead of men, though, they met strange, horrific hybrid creatures that salivated poison and snatched heads without warning, huge tigers with horns bursting from their backs, and bears with long saber fangs.
Hiei forced his sword through the gut of a gruesome screeching bird, using his left hand to push the blade up and through the bird, slicing it in half. The men in his company labored to follow him, finishing his half-kills and tackling with difficulty those that Hiei dodged.
He didn't care about whether or not they made it alive. He had other reasons for coming here.
When the residents of the hideous menagerie had been slain, Hiei leapt lightly over their corpses, dashing further into the village, looking for hidden opponents—and something else. A black robed man darted out from behind a building, ax raised high, but Hiei was quicker and bisected him before he could bring his weapon down.
As he spun around to meet the man's partner, he saw it—a high tower, heavy chains, visible from far away, crossed over its single window. That was it. He made quick work of his adversary, finishing him with three strokes, and blurred in the direction of the tower.
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Yuusuke had no idea how long they had spent battling their way through Tarukane's henchmen, but he was getting tired of the ceaseless massacre. Kuwabara fought his way over. "Hey Urameshi!" he shouted. "What's the point of this!"
"I don't know!" Yuusuke shouted back. "Just get as many as you can!"
As he said that, the blond haired boy in front of them fell, clutching at his shoulder. One of Kuwabara's friends. "Kirishima!" Kuwabara tried to get to him, but his dark-haired partner had already picked him up. As the other boy was hoisting Kirishima onto his shoulder, a black robed man loomed in front of him, and he recoiled, but Kuwabara was there first, fighting him off. The man cursed and turned to retreat.
"Bastard! Come back here, you coward!" Kuwabara followed him.
"Kuwabara!" Yuusuke shouted after his friend. "Don't go after him! We have to stay with everyone else!" But Kuwabara was already chasing the man down. Yuusuke swore. "Dammit! The idiot!" And he proceeded to run after Kuwabara.
The masked, black robed man glanced back over his shoulder at the two boys chasing him. Fuck. He made for the tall tower in front of him. He could take them on one at a time in the tower's narrow stairway.
Kuwabara yanked open the wooden door and sprinted up the stairs. Below him, he could hear Urameshi's swearing, and he grinned wryly. His friend had followed him.
Without warning, the henchman turned on him and lashed out with a short blade, catching Kuwabara in the arm. Kuwabara retaliated with his sword, but it was too heavy to thrust swiftly. The move pushed his opponent backward, and he grunted, pulling out his blade. Kuwabara dodged his knife and punched him with his free hand. The man clutched his bruised face and bolted up the stairs.
"What the—hey! Get back here, you dickhead loser!"
The top of the stairs ended in another wooden door, chained and padlocked, but the blade of his knife sliced easily through a weak link, and he stumbled through, still clutching his face. He looked around wildly before noticing a frightened figure huddling in a corner of the room. In a last ditch effort, he advanced.
Just moments later, Kuwabara burst through the door and came to a screeching halt, finding himself in a small room. A single chair was placed next to the chained-up window, and a small bed lay to the side of the room. In the middle of the room stood the man he had been chasing, his arm locked around the neck of a young girl, switchblade pressed to the side of her throat. The girl was terrified, tears falling from her bright red eyes, and strangely, crystallizing before they hit the ground.
Kuwabara blinked, momentarily stunned. She was beautiful and delicate, sea green hair tied back with a modest red bow, large red eyes looking at him imploringly. A surge of protectiveness went through him, and he gathered himself, ready to charge her captor. The masked man only smirked and pressed the blade closer, halting Kuwabara's advance. "What do you intend to do, boy? I could kill her before you made a single move."
They stayed that way, in a frozen tableau, beads of sweat rolling down Kuwabara's face, for an interminable amount of time, when abruptly, a lance flew by Kuwabara's face, piercing the man's hand and his neck before he could utter an exclamation. The orange-haired teen whirled around as the man dropped to the floor, and the girl freed herself.
"Who—Urameshi!" The thought that Yuusuke had followed him had slipped his mind during those crucial seconds.
Yuusuke grinned rakishly. "I saved your sorry ass, Kuwabara! You woulda been here for hours, just standing there."
Kuwabara immediately went on the defensive. "Shut up! I just didn't want her to get hurt!"
"Her? Oh, right." Yuusuke looked around Kuwabara to the girl sitting on the floor, a ways from the body of her captor. "You all right?"
She nodded, traces of fear still evident. "Th-thank you."
Yuusuke took a few steps toward her. "No problem. What's your name, anyway?"
"Yukina," she said softly.
Kuwabara spoke this time. "Well, uh, Yukina-san, you should probably come with us." Yuusuke noted amusedly that his friend's face was reddening. "It's not safe here, but I'll protect you—"
But as he was reaching a hand out to her, Yuusuke's senses prickled, and he whirled, only to see a dark figure blur in front of Kuwabara.
"Don't touch her." The voice was deep and menacing, matching the glare the stranger was giving Kuwabara. His sword was pointed at Kuwabara's neck, barely pricking him. Kuwabara didn't dare move.
Shockingly, Yukina looked joyful at the stranger's appearance. "Oniisan! You came! Oh, I'm so glad!" She stopped herself short of hugging him. His sword was still pointed at Kuwabara, though his red eyes—the same color as hers—were trained on her, a glimmer of relief in their depths. "Oh, but oniisan—these two have helped me. They're not Tarukane's men." At her words, the dark-haired stranger slowly eased his sword away from Kuwabara and sheathed it, folding his arms over his chest.
Yuusuke scratched his head as Kuwabara stumbled backward, rubbing at his throat. Yukina looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. This is my brother, Hiei. He came to get me."
Kuwabara was muttering curses under his breath. Yuusuke sweatdropped. "Oh, okay…I'm Urameshi Yuusuke, and this is Kuwabara Kazuma. We're soldiers from Gandara. Uhh…well, everything's okay up here, so I guess it'd be best if you came with us back to Gandara."
"No." Hiei was glaring at him. "She's coming back to Alaric."
"Sorry man, I know it's inconvenient, but we were told to bring back anyone we found. And hell, I already got in trouble for not following orders last time so—"
"I couldn't care less about your petty affairs. She's my sister, and I have every right to bring her back." Hiei's voice held more than a hint of a threat.
Yuusuke held his hands up. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to do this. My captain's gonna have my head if I tell him we found a girl, and we didn't bring her back." Yuusuke grimaced at what Kazemaru was already going to do to them for straying off. Suddenly, a thought popped into his head. "Hey—you're not Sosen no miko, are you? 'Cause she was supposed to be around here somewhere…"
Hiei stepped forward and drew out his sword before Yukina could answer. "Enough with your idiotic questions. Move."
Yuusuke glanced at Kuwabara, whose look of uncertainty matched his own. I reeeeaaally don't want to do this, but here goes nothing. Yuusuke snatched up Kuwabara's sword, ignoring his protests. "No offense, but I gotta do this." Hiei smirked as Yuusuke lunged at him.
Hiei disappeared quickly as Yuusuke swiveled, searching for an opening. A slash opened up on his back, and he clamped down on an exclamation, whirling again to meet his opponent. Hiei jumped backward to avoid his two-handed thrust. This boy has no idea how to use that sword. Hiei locked blades with him, both straining against their swords, and Hiei won out, shoving Yuusuke at an angle. The teen's sword flew through the air and clattered to the ground some ten feet away.
"Dammit!" Yuusuke scrambled backwards, hands groping for anything, and as Hiei rushed him, his fingers found the lance he had thrown earlier, and he pulled it out of the body and chucked it again.
Hiei sliced the lance lengthwise, cleanly in half, and made for Yuusuke again. But in the instant that the two halves of the weapon fell to the ground, there was the sound of something cutting through the air, and Hiei barely made a half turn before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Next to him, a throwing star skidded onto the stone floor.
"Oniisan!" Yukina, who had been watching the fight with horrified eyes, rushed to her brother's side. She cradled him in her arms, fingers probing for the wound. Two tears made their way down her cheek and crystallized as they hit the ground.
Yuusuke put his hand to his back, feeling the slippery blood. His armor hadn't held. He looked up at the doorway, and standing there, still holding another throwing star, was their captain, Kazemaru. He wore a look of fury on his face, and Yuusuke gulped as he stalked over to him and grabbed him up by the front of his uniform.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" he asked, enunciating each word with a dangerous edge. Yuusuke gulped again.
"Uhh…well, Kirishima got hurt, and some guy tried to attack him and Kuwabara fended him off and followed him, so I tried to get him back, but he couldn't hear me, so I followed him. And then we got here, and the bastard was holding Yukina-san hostage, and Kuwabara was standing there so I threw my lance and killed him. Umm…then Yukina's brother Hiei came, and when I told him that she had to come with us, he got really mad, and I had to fight him, 'cause I knew you wanted us to bring back anyone we found. Plus, I kinda thought she might be Sosen no miko."
Kazemaru glared at Yuusuke for a moment before dropping him back onto the floor. Yuusuke muffled a curse. Kazemaru was still glaring at him. "Fine—you're off the hook this time. At least you tried to follow orders, albeit in a questionable manner." He glanced at Kuwabara, who was standing off to the side, and at Yukina, who was still cradling Hiei. The former ninja narrowed his eyes at the sight of Hiei's uniform.
"A soldier from Alaric. Huh." Kazemaru picked up his throwing star. "Well, don't worry about him, he's not really hurt. This throwing star's specially blunted, so he's just out." Yukina didn't look much comforted as she continued to hold Hiei.
Kazemaru turned to Yuusuke and Kuwabara. "Everything's wrapped up in the village. Someone got Tarukane. We're going to have to take her and her brother with us, so get up and let's move out."
—to be continued—
Sou ka—I see.
Ii yo ne—Fine; very well.
Manji—A Buddhist symbol. It looks like a swastika, which was stolen from the Hindu religion and twisted by Hitler.
Oniisan—older brother
Notes: Whew. This was an enormous chapter, about twice the length of chapter two. The title's not so great, but you did get to meet Hiei, Yukina, Yuusuke and Kuwabara. And heck, I even threw Kazemaru and Kirishima in there. Anyone remember them? They're canon YYH characters. Oh, and speaking of vague YYH references, Anomura mentioned something about the name "Honetadare" seeming familiar, and that's because it is a real setting in YYH. They only mention it once in the manga, but Honetadare (or Bone Ulcer Village) is the name of the village where Tarukane has his headquarters and where Yuusuke and Kuwabara go to rescue Yukina. So I didn't make it up.
A note about the production of this fic: Since finals and New York State Regentses are coming up, production of this story will probably be slow, but I promise I'll try very hard. I'd just like to apologize in advance if the next chapter doesn't come out for a while, because as my time is decreasing, the complexity of the story is increasing. I haven't even really touched on the crux of the story yet…
Anyway, that's all. Reviews, anyone?