Wildfire
Chapter six: Two Methods of Departure
By Funara
Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho ain't mine. Not now, not never. Y'all know who's got these goods. Go ask Togashi, yo, if yar interested in buyin'.
Notes: Another chapter. This one was difficult to start, but fairly easy after that. And it's reasonably sized too. Read and review, ne?
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The young, black-haired man continued to lean casually against the door of the throne room, puffing on his pipe, looking idly satisfied at the shocked expressions his remark had elicited. He removed the pipe from between his lips.
"I am serious, you know." He turned to the doors, rapped a few times, and turned back to address Kurama as they swung in. "Why don't you come in to see what's been going on in your absence?" He smirked and entered.
With no other choice, Kurama, Tojin and Anju followed him into the throne room and were greeted by the familiar sight of the members of the assembly standing along the sides of the room. Kurama lifted his eyes automatically to his throne and noticed that no advisors were seated around it.
"Ah yes," said the young man who'd led them in, noticing the direction of the emperor's gaze. "They are not aware of this meeting and are elsewhere, tending to their responsibilities. Sit down, if you will." Kurama and the other two chose to remain standing.
The black-haired assemblyman had stowed his pipe somewhere and was standing easily, confidently a few yards from the throne. He waited until all eyes were on him. He didn't have to wait long.
"My name is Sakyo. I am, as you can see, a member of the royal assembly, and have been for several years. Let me explain to you, Your Majesty, the nature of the motion that has been brewing within the assembly.
"After the death of Saruda-sama, we did not expect his…unusual method of choosing a successor. Nonetheless, we abided, but when this emperor died, we anticipated a successor chosen by other means. It was surprising to us, therefore, that the method chosen was, apparently, random selection." He cast a glance in Kurama's direction.
"We resolved not to question your appointment, Your Majesty, though we did have our doubts. Gandara had had enough trouble with imperial heirs without our bringing up more issues." The false sincerity glimmered liquidly behind his words.
"Unfortunately, our doubts were proved correct. Your Majesty, your actions have caused chaos in our nation." Sakyo was sure to make solid eye contact with Kurama. "You rejected Alaric's offer to share the energy that could be extracted from the Orb, an offer that would have benefited Gandara immensely in the future. Following that, you lost the Orb and the priestess because of a failure to remove Tarukane Gonzo's organization from Honetadare. When you finally did, you still could not locate either the Orb or Sosen no miko, and the prisoners you captured provided no information. You refused to torture Tarukane, which certainly would have led to the procurement of valuable knowledge, and now, he has escaped." Sakyo faced Kurama with the hard gaze of a judge, having laid out his defendant's errors and follies. All of them, summed up succinctly. All of them, with the exception of the most recent. Sakyo, with the barest hint of a cold sneer, said, "Incidentally, how was your meeting with Mukuro-sama today, Your Majesty? Your last efforts to repair the situation?"
Kurama met Sakyo's hard, gloating gaze expressionlessly. It was natural for him by now—to immediately mask his feelings when events took a terrible turn. He would not break; he had taught himself over and over to affect untouchability. "Mukuro-san rejected our request for information. Alaric has cut off ties with Gandara."
There was a moment of non-reaction. Then, the members of the assembly gasped as one, dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Alaric and Gandara had been allies for centuries, immediately after they had split into two countries. The news was like tearing apart a brother and a sister.
The assembly continued to whisper quietly. Kurama thought wryly that they had become better at handling bad news since the day that he'd proposed to disregard Mukuro's offer. How many long days ago had that been? His attention turned outwards again as Sakyo calmed his colleagues.
"This is the last step, Your Majesty. You have failed us. The assembly demands that you step down."
Kurama eyed the black-haired young man skeptically. This was pushing it too far. "The royal assembly was created to aid the emperor," Kurama informed him, glad he had quickly absorbed all that he had been taught. "Gandara is still a monarchy. You have no power to ask for my resignation."
Sakyo was unwavering. "Then those who agree with me will start a revolution. We have the resources and the ability."
"Gandara's soldiers will destroy your revolution."
"You cannot." Sakyo smiled lazily. "Eliminate us, and the nation's people will know why, that you ordered your troops to kill several assemblymen who only asked the emperor to resign, for what they believed were valid reasons. They will know that we wanted the best for Gandara, and they will continue in our steps. A revolution is something that you can't afford."
Kurama was disgusted. He's willing to gamble the safety of Gandara just so he can fulfill his own personal agenda? "And what would you suggest?" he asked sarcastically.
"Your resignation," replied Sakyo.
"Who would replace me?"
"Exactly what we were discussing before you arrived," he replied smoothly.
"Gandara can't afford to have another messy succession, not after the last one. We need to stabilize and correct our mistakes."
"Of course we do. But under your rule, Your Majesty, we will most likely keep on blundering and falling deeper into the ruts we have created. We need a more experienced ruler to rectify your errors."
Kurama watched Sakyo coldly, but inside, he was thinking quickly. There was still much he could say, but he doubted that Sakyo would bother to listen at this stage. He must have been plotting this for a while. He mentally kicked himself for not noticing the mutiny, but it was too late now—he was trapped between two equally unfavorable choices. He glanced around the hall and noticed the faces of Sakyo's supporters—easily identified by their looks of smug triumph.
"Well, Your Majesty?" Kurama turned his gaze back to the Sakyo. "I believe we've talked enough. Make your decision. You have all the necessary information and choices laid out for you."
"I would have to disagree," came a slightly hoarse voice.
Sakyo spun around as every head in the room immediately turned towards the source of the voice. A short old woman with a deeply lined face and grayish pink hair strode confidently down the walkway, her hands tucked neatly behind her back. Her tunic was red with green hems and a green sash, except for where it wrapped around her chest—the wide hem was deep purple there. Her shoes were the same shade of violet as her hem, and underneath her tunic, she wore a white shirt and pants.
"Who are you?" asked Sakyo.
The old woman stopped a few feet in front of Sakyo. Several soldiers hovered behind her, not knowing if they ought to detain her but unwilling to hurt an elderly lady. She looked up and met Sakyo's eyes squarely. "I am Genkai, though better known as Sosen no miko. I want to speak with the emperor."
Sakyo surveyed the woman before him skeptically. What kind of trick was she trying to pull? Every fool could recognize the robes that marked a priestess—that mismatching outfit certainly wasn't it—and everyone knew that priestesses were always beautiful and young. "Sosen no miko was badly injured and disappeared a few days ago. You are nothing but an impostor. Soldiers!"
The soldiers converged on her instantly, but before they could touch her, they froze in mid-motion and as one, were thrown backward by an invisible burst of power. They sprawled across the walkway, some twenty feet away, groaning.
Genkai frowned a little. "Hmph. Must be getting old if they only went that far." A symbol glowed softly on her left cheek.
Kurama recognized the symbol at the same instant Sakyo did. It was the character that had come to represent Sosen—the traditional characters for "wolf" and "god" intertwined into one shape. The mark of the priestess.
Genkai spoke to Kurama. "Now that that's been done, let's go somewhere where we can talk." She eyed the roomful of disbelieving courtiers. "Not here, for sure."
Kurama stepped towards her with only the slightest hesitation. Whatever she had to say, it could help him and would at least allow him a chance to organize his thoughts.
Sakyo blocked his way. "You cannot leave, Your Majesty, until we have finished here."
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Meeting with a god's priestess is more important than addressing your desire to be emperor, isn't it, Sakyo-san?" He brushed past him.
"He'll be back," added Genkai, leading the way out of the throne room as if she lived in the palace herself.
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The cells in Gandara's dungeon were not badly furnished—at the very least, they had the necessities required for survival. A cot with a single sheet was placed along the left wall of the cell, leaving about three feet between the foot of the "bed" and the barred door. A small stool stood next to the bed, and there was a medium-sized urn tucked into the far right corner. A crude metal tray bearing some food and water sat on the ground.
Hiei was sitting in the space between the cot and the door, his legs pulled up to his chest. He sat just out of the view of a guard who might look down the hallway. From there, he could sit quietly and feign sleep while listening to the conversations of the soldiers, hoping to gather information.
Yukina had been let go yesterday. She'd been unable to convince them to release Hiei but had whispered the emperor's decision to him in the dead of night. At least she was safe.
The slightly muted sound of boots on the stone steps reached Hiei's ears. It was not time for guard change.
"Oi, Takashi, guess what? You'll never believe what's—"
"Shh! There are prisoners here, you idiot!" hissed Takashi.
"Oh. Whoops." The other soldier had lowered his voice, but sound carried fairly well in the underground cavern, unlike in the staircase that led to it.
"Yeah, whatever. What were you saying?"
"The assembly's holding some sort of meeting. They want to get rid of the emperor!"
"Keep it down, idiot! But why would they wanna do that?"
"Oh come on, even you're not that stupid. He's been messing up a lot lately, and everyone knows that none of the assembly guys wanted him for an emperor. They all wanted the job."
"Well, yeah, but isn't it a little dumb to—yo, Basho." Again the sound of boots on stone.
"Yo yourself. Hear what's going on?"
"Yeah, Murashita was just tellin' me that—"
"Right, so I just walked by, and they're arguing in there, don't know how long…"
Hiei carefully pulled his boot off, safe in the knowledge that the guards were engrossed in their conversation. There was no one in the cell opposite his. He pulled out the thickly wadded cloth at the bottom of his boot and extracted a very thin, sheathed knife. He took it out and slung the sheath through his belt, balancing it.
The knife was one of the sharpest he owned and the only one they hadn't found in their search of his person. He held it close to a link of the chain that locked the door to the other bars. He sliced through first one half, then the other, of a single link. Pulling the chain slowly, making sure not to let his hands show, he finally got it all and dumped it on his cot. The next part would be the tricky part.
He had oiled the hinges of the door with the oil that he'd taken from the food they gave him. That way, when he opened the door, it wouldn't squeak shrilly and give him away. He took a deep breath, opened the door as little as he had to and slipped through.
It was lucky the dungeon was badly lit and that Hiei was fast. Before the guards could cry out at their escaped prisoner, Hiei had clapped together the heads of the two nearest him and taken out the third with a well-placed punch. He picked up a short sword and flitted up the stairs.
The steps spiraled once and then led straight to a wooden trap door. There were no sentries. Hiei pressed his ear to the door. He could hear the voices of soldiers—many soldiers. The door must lead to the head office of the barracks. He swore softly and glanced around, looking for another way out.
The space at the end of the staircase was barely lighted by the torch that hung in its bracket on the inner wall. Hiei retreated down the stairs that led to the trapdoor and moved quietly towards the other end of the space, away from the staircase up which he'd come. He encountered a heavy wooden door. It was locked.
After employing the same trick he'd used before, he slipped through the door, wincing at the noise it made when opened. He hurried up another staircase.
After lightly climbing at least five flights of stairs, Hiei again found himself in front of a wooden door. As he sliced the chain open, he wondered how far up this tower could possibly go.
His question was immediately answered when he pulled open the door. It led to no staircase, but merely to a narrow ledge. Hiei glanced over the edge and saw the ground, at least ten meters away. However, the tower was situated near a high stone wall. Hiei pulled his head in and glanced at the door. There was a rotting rope ladder, probably ten feet long, nailed to it. He guessed that this used to be an emergency exit.
Hiei sheathed his knife and tucked the short sword into his belt as well. He grasped the ladder, praying it wouldn't give way immediately and climbed down a few rungs. When he'd braced his feet firmly against the wall, he pushed off and allowed himself to slide down to the end of the ladder, chafing his hands. The rope was as far away from the tower as it could get. Hiei jerked the rope as it snapped and landed on the top of the stone wall, pulling the rope with him before it could fall to the ground and alert someone.
Crouching on the wall, Hiei rested for a moment, glad there were no guards nearby. He jumped to the ground on the other side of the wall. After burying the rope ladder, he set off through the wooded area, intent on making a clean escape.
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Genkai and Kurama walked in the royal gardens. They were in full bloom at this time of year, bursting with healthy leaves and colorful flowers, but Kurama was not paying as much attention to them as he usually would. He was wondering where Genkai intended to lead them.
He was also wondering if she sensed, as he did, the presence of another person who had followed them from the throne room. He glanced at the trees and bushes on either side of the cream-colored brick path. He turned to the pinkish-haired old lady to ask her to pause for a moment so he could take care of the man who was following them.
Almost as if she could read his thoughts, Genkai abruptly stopped. She held a finger to her lips and looked around cautiously before slipping into the greenery on the right side of the path. Kurama watched her disappear with a soft amusement. A few moments later, there was a strangled yelp and a thud. Genkai reappeared, dragging an unconscious man behind her. She let go of him at the side of the pathway.
"He was hiding behind a tree. Probably a spy from the throne room."
"That's not surprising."
Genkai looked up at him with sharp, clear eyes. "You have a good head on your shoulders," she said finally.
Kurama blinked. "Thank you."
"Do you believe that I am Sosen no miko?"
Kurama smiled. "Should I?"
Genkai let out a dry chuckle and bent to roll the man into a nearby bush. As she dusted her hands off, she said, "If I were you, I would."
"You don't wear a priestess's robes."
She snorted. "How could I possibly get around in those ridiculously wispy things?"
Kurama laughed, feeling more at ease than he had for a while.
"Anyway, let's keep walking. This was the only one listening, so we should be all right." She started down the path. Kurama fell into step beside her.
After they had passed a grove of trees from which white petals occasionally fluttered, she spoke again. "Let me be upfront with you, Kurama-san. I don't have that much time to spare, so I'll be brief. I want to give you advice. Back in the throne room, that man with the long black hair wanted to end your rule, correct?"
"Yes."
"Naturally, you don't want that." She fixed him with a glance but went on without waiting for a reply. "I heard most of your discussion, so there's no need for me to repeat what was said. Let me cut to the point. Both of you argued well, but I lean towards the opposition more."
Kurama raised his eyebrows. "You believe that Gandara will benefit from an abrupt change of power at a crucial time like this?" he asked incredulously.
Genkai waved her hand. "No. I do agree with the man's point that from the eyes of your subjects, you have not been helping the country. I don't doubt that you remember all that has gone wrong. You need to prove yourself to the people."
"I know; that's why I need to stay on and fix what I have done."
The priestess shook her head. "There is nothing you can do from your throne. Your emperorship limits your ability to do the one thing that will begin to solve your problems."
"Finding the Orb."
"Exactly. I have a proposition for you: Leave the palace. Leave your duties to your advisors. I doubt a young man like you ever really wanted to become emperor anyway. Gather a few loyal men and go find the Orb yourself. It's the only thing you can do."
"And if the royal assembly chooses to revolt?"
She shrugged. "It won't be any of your business what goes on in the capital. People will criticize you, but you must find the Orb. It's your first priority. Besides, their first priorities are to reconcile with Alaric. Some good may come of it. They won't rush to make laws that benefit themselves, not until they can prove themselves."
"I don't think my opponents will be happy to know I'm still around."
"They don't care. So long as you are not present in the capital, you pose no threat to them. They know you won't be able to gather a following, so you're not going to be murdered or anything."
Kurama was silent. This was a chance he'd dreamed of since he'd become emperor barely two months ago—a chance to leave the palace that imprisoned him and the duties he did not want to fulfill. But there were still things that nagged at him. He voiced one of them. "How can I find the Orb without the slightest idea of where it is? It could be anywhere in the world."
Genkai nodded. "There is no way to know where it is without help. If I knew where it was, I would have gotten it back myself. But there is a great deal of knowledge about the Orb that can help you."
And she told him about the composition of the Orb and how he could that to track it down. She explained in detail its nature and what would happen if the energy were released and exactly how that energy was released. The history of the Orb and its connection to Sosen, the duties of the priestesses and how they were accomplished, and which gods might aid them. Kurama asked questions when he needed to, but mostly listened quietly, remembering as much as possible.
Finally, when she had finished, Genkai held her hands out and summoned a box made of red-brown wood. It was about half the size and twice as deep as the ceremonial boxes that swords were stored in and was carved with six symbols, one on each side and one on the top and bottom. Kurama only recognized the one engraved on the top as the symbol that had appeared on Genkai's cheek earlier. "This is a Half Box. If you were listening, you know how to use it. The Orb really isn't as big as most people think it is." She handed the box to him.
"Arigatou gozaimasu."
She nodded and turned around. "You better get started soon."
As they walked back towards the throne room, Kurama had one question left to ask. "If you know all of this," he began,"why don't you search for the Orb?"
She answered without hesitation. "Because it's your duty now. I have other things to tend to."
She didn't elaborate or say anything else on their way back, and neither did Kurama.
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Sakyo looked up to see the emperor and the priestess entering the hall. He tucked his pipe back into his robes and turned to face them. In the back of his mind, he wondered where Saitama was—he wanted to know the details of what the miko had said to the emperor.
"So, Your Majesty, have you made your decision?"
Kurama drew level with Sakyo. "Yes. I will not resign as emperor. Instead, I will merely leave my duties to my advisors." He glanced at Tojin and Anju before turning back to face Sakyo. "I will be leaving the palace for a while. I intend to undertake a journey."
Sakyo watched him closely, speculating. It all came down to the same thing. He smirked slightly. "Very well, then."
—to be continued—
Arigatou gozaimasu—Thank you very much.
Miko—priestess
Notes: Yes! YES! This chapter marks the last time we'll be seeing those pesky assemblymen for a long while. Political intrigue will be a distant remembrance, just another bad dream. I can finally scramble back into my depth! And next chapter, I can definitely promise you that Kurama and Hiei will get their long-deserved meeting. Finally! So, to repeat my mantra: review, ne?