The Guardian
By: Wildfire Sky
Ooo boy...you don't have to tell me I took forever to update. I know. And, as I said in Ante-Mortem, I am very, very sorry and ask that you forgive me. I'm a busy woman and writing chapters has taken the back burner when it comes to advancing my life. However, once everything clears up, I'll get back on the band wagon, alright? For now, I'll update every chance I get, but don't expect it to be any earlier than every week or so.
The Guardian
Chapter Five
He awoke to the first light of dawn, surrounded by blood...his blood.
The young boy began to sit upright, wincing painfully as the dried blood pulled at his tender skin, tearing and breaking with each slow movement. He crawled closer to the tree line, shying away from the light. He hated the light...hated it because of what happened in the rays of the sun...
For the first time, the child glanced around, half expecting to see his tormentor standing above him, wielding a sword with his blood dripping from it. Yet the forest was empty...quiet save for the soft calls of early birds. There was a fresh smell to it...the smell of morning dew. He might have enjoyed it, had it not been for the circumstances.
The boy twitched involuntarily. He needed to get into darkness...get away from the revealing light. He pushed his body against the tree trunk, forcing his body to stand. The world spun, his vision a blur...why? His wounds must be worse than he thought. The boy took a step forward and his world was suddenly doused in black. He stumbled, crying out in surprise as he ate dirt.
The clip clop of hoofs caused him to lift his head, swinging it around searching for the source of the noise. Was he near a path? No...no he couldn't remember seeing a path anywhere near here...so then why? Suddenly the noise turned deafening, the ground beneath him shaking violently. The army was nearly on top of him by the time he heard the snorting and whining of the cavalry.
He shrank back to the ground, pressing up against the tree. He couldn't tell if they were in front of him or behind, his blind sight forcing him to rely on fate. It was when he heard footsteps swishing through the grass, he knew that staying still was a mistake. The fear was only enforced as he felt the sharp jab of a sword against his chest.
"Get up!"
The young boy shook violently, reaching for the tree trunk for support. His legs wouldn't work, the limbs unsupportive as he struggled to obey the man's orders. There were more footsteps at the man's shout, and soon the boy could hear the low conversations around him of men questioning each other, until another booming voice ordered them silent.
The neighing of a horse was now closer and the boy pressed himself closer to the tree, curling up into a fetal position. He heard the man dismount, the clank of armor hitting against each other intensified by his fears.
"Yusan-sama!" a voice said, "We've found this child hiding in the woods. A spy for the imperialists."
Imperialists? The boy thought, No...oh, no...
Should he be mistaken for a spy...or for even having any association with the Imperialist army, he would be executed or held prisoner in some stinking cell until he died. No...how could Kami-sama be so cruel? Surely, he was more important than that! He had to be!
A deep, resounding voice answered the first. "A spy? He looks like a common urchin to me. Search his clothing for any Imperial markings then restrain him. We will take him with us back to Kyoto."
"Hai, Yusan-sama!"
The boy was rough grabbed beneath his arms and yanked upright, his legs falling limply to the ground. As the soldiers loosened their grip and began to search, he stumbled, his head swimming. Oh, Kami, if only he could see! He didn't care if it was the last thing he'd ever see, he wanted to see colors again. He cried out as he legs collapsed beneath him, weak from blood loss. The soldiers grabbed him again, giving him a shake that sent his teeth rattling.
"Brat!" the first voice snarled, "How dare you show such weakness before our great lord! You don't deserve to even be in his presence."
The booming voice spoke up again, "Be gentle, sergeant, can't you see the wounds on his body? This boy is no spy, however, it does look like he's been in some sort of attack."
The youngster saw his chance. It was a risk, yes, but whatever fate he had now wouldn't change. "My lord, Yusan-sama!" he said, falling to his knees and bowing before him, "Yusan-sama, please, I beg for your mercy!"
He was viciously kicked.
"How dare you speak to his greatness before addressed!"
The boy whimpered in pain as the blows rained down upon him. It seemed like they would beat him to death, the same death his uncle had promised only hours before. His face was pressed into the damp ground, muffling his pleads and mixing with his tears.
"Enough." The booming voice, who must have been Yusan, said quietly, "Let the boy up."
He was hauled to his feet and held between to soldiers. Blindly he moved his head about, trying to locate the people around him. Soft fingers lifted his chin, forcing his head back.
"You're blind, aren't you?" Yusan's voice questioned, his finger gliding over his eyes, "Yes, I can see it...that wound has blinded you. You, young boy, are lucky that your eyes weren't completely cut out."
The boy remained silent, letting the stranger examine him. Finally, the hands fell away and he heard Yusan step back.
"He will be put up with my sister when we arrive in Kyoto," Yusan commanded, "He will remain with Akoshin until he reaches the city."
The man who was the sergeant quickly obeyed, ordering the soldiers to remove the boy and place him with whoever Akoshin was.
And for the first time, the boy thought he had a chance in life...
Toorima released a deep snarl from with in his throat as he dug his fingers into the side of Sanouske's face, grinding the larger man into the hard wall. He could feel the waves of shock rolling from the occupants of the dojo, even the Battousai. No, this was the first time any of them had seen such speed from another save their legendary comrade, and it was something that they weren't prepared for. His style of fighting was based around speed and accuracy.
Hide and strike like a snake.
He pulled back Sano's head and smashed it against the wall again, harder this time.
Let the venom from you fangs fill their ever vein.
He grinned in primal satisfaction at the feeling of the fighter's jerking.
You have no weaknesses. You can't be stopped if your head is cut off...
He sensed movement...speed...anger...
Nor if your venom runs dry...
Battousai was beside him in an instant, his hands simultaneously moving towards the sword hidden inside Toorima's robes and the hand again Sano's face.
For your fangs can still inflict damage.
Toorima jerked away, sacrificing his attack in favor of keeping his well earned prize. He wrapped a protective hand around the sheath of the sakabatou, glaring in Kenshin's direction. The moonlight spilled around him, casting him in an almost alien glow as he stood facing Kenshin and his small band. The young woman was currently tending to their half conscious friend and the smaller boy, to Toorima's amusement, was standing behind the Battousai, wielding a wooden sword like he was going to do something with it.
"I suggest, Battousai," Toorima sneered, thrusting his chin forward, "That you tell your little friend to put his sword away. He is not a target yet, but I am very flexible in my picking."
Kenshin's eyes never left Toorima's as he ordered the boy to go. Instantly, the youngster began to wail and monologue, proclaiming that he had every right to fight beside him, that Sanouske was his friend too; he had to protect Kaoru and the name of the Kamiya-Kashin style...blah blah blah...
"Yahiko!" Kenshin snapped sternly, "If you do want to protect Kaoru-dono, take her away from here."
Toorima smirked. "Do you honestly think that if they hide, I will not eventually find them? A female who dresses like a man and a giant are easy targets to pick out in a crowd. Besides," he motioned towards the walls, "I have eyes all over Tokyo."
Kenshin stiffened slightly, a move that was only visible to Toorima's trained eye. He was boosting, and exaggerating, more than he should, but the situation was in his favor. He had the Battousai's sword, their only true weapon was on the ground bleeding profusely, and the target was occupied with protecting his love life. Oh yes, this was turning out to be more fun than he expected.
"What do you want, Toorima?"
The assassin's smile disappeared, "To be perfectly honest, I wanted nothing to do with you. To me, you were just another displaced warrior that the government couldn't get to...like me. You are simply another victim on my list. Another assassination."
Kenshin risked a step forward. "Then who hired you? Some politician?"
"I was intrigued by his offer," Toorima continued, dodging Kenshin's question, "When I heard it was the Battousai I was after, there was no way I could say no. What samurai in their right mind would turn down a chance at killing such a legend?"
Kenshin frowned, "Not many."
Toorima nodded, fingering his own katana as he stared at Kenshin in thought, "Indeed, I've heard of the many attacks on you and your adopted family, the most significant being Saitou. Perhaps you should have taken on a lower profile...or simply remained a legend, yes?" He shook his head, "It's unfortunate that I have to end this fun so quickly."
Kenshin slowly moved into a fighting stance, his eyes narrowing, "If you have the skill to take me down, then do so..."
Toorima smirked, "If you so wish, Battousai..."
The sudden sounding of multiple whistles shattered the air, causing Toorima to look up in surprise. His lips pulled back into an almost animalistic snarl as the tramping of boots and shouts joined the alarm.
"That damn girl..." he hissed, glaring at Kenshin, "Just saved your life." He straightened, shaking his head sadly, "It's very unfortunate that this must be cut so short...especially when I was beginning to enjoy myself. But don't worry, Battousai, I will be back...and until I do return, I'll take your sword as a souvenir."
Before Kenshin could move, Toorima had disappeared into the darkness, leaving not but displaced air in his wake. Kenshin jerked to a stop, his eyes darting across the empty grounds suspiciously, ready for attack from any direction. He searched the dojo for the assassin's ki, blindly hoping that he would detect him this time. A frown slowly crossed his face as it became more and more evident that Toorima had disappeared...with his sword...
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin spun around, searching for them. His eyes locked on the struggling form of Sano, the fighter trying to lift his abused body from the ground. Kenshin rushed over, swearing softly under his breath. Sano managed to flash Kenshin a weak smile as he approached, continuing to struggle.
"Hey Kenshin...did that bastard run off or something?"
Kenshin nodded, grabbing a hold of Sano's arm, "Aa...he's gone..."
"That's good...ah! Shit, don't do that!" Sano jerked away from Kenshin's touch, hot white flashes passing in front of his eyes from the increase in pain, "Aw hell, Kenshin...I think I broke something..."
Kenshin's frown deepened, gingerly prodding at his friend's body, checking for breaks. As his hand moved over Sano's chest, the fighter cried out again, a small trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. Instantly, Kenshin pulled away, searching Sano's face.
"I think you broke a rib, that I do. I'll have to call Megumi-san...but..."
Sano smirked painfully, "Yahiko and Kaoru took off only a second ago. They were trying to help me up, but I told them to run before I blacked out again." He leaned back against the wall, releasing a shallow sigh. He slowly shook his head, glancing at Kenshin from the corner of his eye.
"So...what now...?"
Toorima stormed into the cave, his red eye blazing angrily when he rounded on his captive. Before Genze could speak, Toorima had appeared from the darkness, his fist slamming into the older man's jaw repeatedly. Unfortunately for Genze, no one could stop Toorima's assault, and so he was forced to endure the blinding pain as the assassin took out his frustrations on the man's flesh.
"Wh...Why...?" Genze managed to say through his swollen and bloody mouth.
Toorima violently struck him again, "Did you forget to mention Battousai's other friends?"
"What other..."
"Don't play coy with me, Genze-sama!" Toorima locked his hands around the man's neck, squeezing dangerously, "The Battousai's friends! Zanza! That damn brat of a child! What about them?"
Genze groaned, unable to escape Toorima's hands. "I...I never knew..."
Toorima quickly backhanded him, cutting off his sentence, "Enough of your lies, Genze...you've managed to piss me off, a stupid move on your part."
Genze gasped for air as Toorima released him and stepped back, observing the slumped elder. "As of the moment, I hold the Battousai's sword...without it, he's utterly powerless against my skills." He turned away, "I suggest you get some sleep, Genze-sama...you won't be getting much once day breaks.
Genze let out a panic moan, shifting against his chains. "No...wait..."
But Toorima was gone.
The assassin carefully placed Kenshin's sakabatou against the far wall before kneeling on his cot, preparing for sleep. He needed to recharge his energy before making another attempt at the Battousai that much was for certain. This simple encounter had left him drained and deflated, despite the fact that neither he nor the Battousai had touched each other. There was something...something about the man that seemed to suck the life from him...a power that only that man seemed to hold...
And that scared Toorima. And fear was something he tried to purge himself of. Forever. Yet, even that was a constant struggle of which there seemed to be no end, and having no one to help him with this struggle made it all the more unbearable.
"Tomoe..."
He started at the sound of his own voice, his eyes snapping open. Why? After all these years he'd never dreamed, never thought, about that woman...that traitor. So why now? He'd meant to push her out of his mind, but some how, she just won't stay dead.
Grinding his teeth together, Toorima leapt to his feet, storming over to his shelving and pulling down a long knotted cord. He quickly tore off his black robe, throwing it carelessly to the ground as he knelt on the cold stone. The rope dangled in the air for only a moment before it came slashing across his back, leaving a crimson trail in its wake. Barely a grunt escaped from Toorima's lips as the whip came down again and again, its user struggling to drive away his impure thoughts.
"She's a whore! A damn whore!"
It came down again.
"Wretched, wretched woman!"
Again.
"You're where you belong! Burn!"
The end was dripping blood now, and Toorima's vision was beginning to wan. Yet, he continued cursing and hissing to himself as he beat his body.
"How could I...how?"
The whip came down a final time before it slipped from Toorima's hands. The assassin mumbled painfully, breathing slow and deep as he fought to maintain consciousness. He could taste copper in his mouth...his blood. He'd beat himself worse tonight...worse than he'd ever had before. His mind was swimming, the world blurring constantly as he swayed back and forth, another moan escaping his lips.
"T...Tomoe..."
No! Don't fall back when you've just moved forward...be strong boy!
Toorima bucked forward, the pain of his face hitting the ground went unregistered. All he could see was the beautiful, soft body of his beloved...flashes of a sight he would never want to witness again...a man, cradling her body, crying over it and caressing it in way that only he should have. And her blood...blood that this man had spilt...her life...ended by this creature. This shadow that had no face or name.
"Tomoe." He whispered again, "Why?"
His love reached up and stabbed this man's cheek. A symbol...his only clue and yet, an invisible one he couldn't see.
He grit his teeth, "I will find him, Tomoe. I will find him...and kill him."
Toorima forced his tired body up from the ground and back to his cot, not bothering to wipe the blood from his back as he fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but of a beautiful woman. He never woke up when the form in the corner moved...nor did he awaken when that same form towered over him, watching and studying. They remained like that for nearly two hours, one sleeping, and the other watching until finally the intruder turned away and moved to the shelf, removing on of the many items.
"Sorry, my friend," the form whispered, "But you're becoming distracted. I need to turn your focus back to the task at hand. See you soon, I hope."
And with that, the figure exited the cavern whistling a light tune as he stepped out into the dark night. Looking up at the star lit sky, the figure smiled brightly, patting the small item in his robe pocket.
"Tomorrow will be a good day."
(Looking around at the swarms of angry readers)...uh...heh heh...(coughs lightly/nervously)...let's finish this quickly. No excuse. Not really. However, for a bit of clarification, those of you who were expecting a long fight scene, sorry, but I decided against it at the last minute. I don't know why, but I just thought that only five chapters into the story and already Toorima and Battousai are dueling it out? That's a "no go" in my books. Just be patient, my friends, your fight is coming.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!
WATCH OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER! AND PLEASE ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK! STAY SAFE, I WANNA SEE ALL MY READERS BACK AND UNHARMED!