Authoress' notes: Hm. What do the names I'm using here mean?
Maemi: Mouth of truth.
Masakisho: Masa--good and straightforward. kisho--one who knows his own mind
Raidonichi: first son of Raidon (the thunder god)
Kanaye: zealous
Yukio: one who gets what he wants.
Kodoku: solitude.
Taiyuko: Daughter (-ko), Sun.
Shinyu: God heals.
If you'd like a list of where I got these names from on the Internet, e-mail me. Or something. :P
P.S. I like constructive criticism and also other reviews! Yessiree, that I do.
Wayward Ransom, chapter 21.
In the sparsely furnished temple, the chatter of one young girl occasionally broke the silence as the temple guests considered the unconscious young stranger they had brought in a few minutes ago, who was now lying on the floor. His back could be seen clearly after removing his poor excuse for a shirt, to assess his wounds. Allowing him to rest chest-down, his head was temporarily cradled by a pillow, and his perfectly arched brow seemed contracted in discomfort even in sleep.
From his head, layers and layers of long black hair fell, obscuring part of his right shoulder, which was no doubt as covered in cuts as the rest of his back. His broad ribcage could be seen expanding and contracting as he breathed somewhat laboredly. His right upper arm sported a terrible-looking gash. There were no doubt more cuts on the backs of his legs, but it seemed more necessary to allow him some rest. It had been the concensus that moving him around too much could be detrimental right now.
Running her eyes up and down the stranger, Taiyuko couldn't help but giggle. She was the most elegant out of all of her sisters, and was instantly attracted to the stranger when she first laid eyes on him, in spite of his terrible condition.
"He's very beautiful, isn't he, dear Kodoku?" she said before covering her perfect, cherry blossom-colored lips with her delicate hand and giggling again.
Kokodu, who was the eldest, sighed. She reluctantly agreed.
Taiyuko glanced over at her sister, concerned for her sadness. "Dear sister," she said softly. "It's alright to find him attractive. It's not a dishonor or anything. I know it's terrible trying to recover from losing a finacee...but...it's been a long time since you laughed. I just want you to have some fun again."
Kodoku sighed again. She lifted up her eyes to meet her sister's gaze, and smiled. "You're very kind. It's been quite a while. I am wrapped up in my own thoughts too much lately." She turned her eyes to the young man on the floor. She noticed the thickly-built, meaty, calloused hand that rested palm-down near the stranger's head. Considering it looked like that hand could very well crush steel, she added thoughtfully, "I wonder what his story is, though. He seems to be a very strong warrior."
"Yes!" said Taiyuko girlishly. "He's certainly built to be one!"
Taiyuko reached down and, with a few delicate fingers, lovingly brushed aside the sweat-dampened shorter hair covering the young stranger's forehead.
"Huh...a cross-shaped scar," said the third sister, leaning between her two other sisters to see the stranger's forehead more clearly.
Taiyuko smiled, running a finger up and down his jawline. "How interesting!" she laughed. "Makes him even more handsome!"
"Taiyuko."
"Yes, mama?" The picture-perfect girl turned toward her mother, puzzled that her name would be said so sharply.
"You've only said that about ten times since our respected Masakisho and Raidonichi brought him here." She shifted her eyes over her right shoulder at her daughter. "We get the point. So hush about it."
Taiyuko smiled at her mother, trying to assuage her irritation. She tended to become a little more than silly in the presence of a beautiful-looking boy. "Yes, mama."
"And do not touch him anymore."
"Yes, mother," she said more quietly, and even moreso, disappointedly.
Masakisho sat to the left side of the matron, snickering. He turned his gaze back to the wounded young man lying on the floor. His amused expression disappeared, and he narrowed his eyes in thought.
He looks...familiar. Yes, I have seen him before...but where?
A deep, low groan was heard coming from the stranger's throat, and one of his eyebrows twiched, drawing itself inward even further. Soon the young man began to move, one side of his lips parted, revealing his gritted teeth. Arms shaking, the young man tried to raise himself, and his efforts caused the three girls to startle backwards a bit. Their mother leaned closer in, concerned, and Masakisho raised an eyebrow.
Managing to get himself partway off the floor, Bankotsu finally raised his head, opened his eyes, and glared at each one of them in turn.
Taiyuko put a hand to her chest in awe, and was ready to breathlessly comment about the young man's looks again. However, since her mother was already clearly irritated at her behavior, she thought the better of it and respectfully kept her mouth shut.
When he looked about ready to collapse to the floor again, the elderly woman shifted forward again, ready to catch his head. "Young man, I don't think you should be trying to get up...you're too-"
"Woman..." Bankotsu raised himself up to sit, and leaned carefully against the wall behind him, trying not to irritate the wounds on his back, and breathing heavily through parted lips. Looking down, he found a thick white sheet covering his legs. "Don't...worry about me, woman," he whispered.
He looked up at the elderly matron. "Was it you...who brought me here?"
"Yes," she answered. "Myself, my daughters, our respected Masakisho and his pupil Raidonichi all had a hand in it."
Looking around again, he caught sight of the girls again, and was regaining enough of his senses to appreciate their lovliness. He gave an exhausted smirk as his eyes moved from one, to the other, to the third. "Hey. Thanks," he said, with compeltely sincere gratitude. "I owe all of you a favor."
Hmm. An honorable one he is. No doubt about it, thought Masakisho. But I still can't place him.
"Do you have a trade? Or a skill?" asked Masakisho.
Bankotsu leaned even more heavily against the wall behind him, supporting his head against it. His expression turned dark and serious. Closing his eyes, he spoke but one word. "Death."
The room went silent for a few moments, and the three girls near Bankotsu gasped. Their eyes were wide in fear.
However, the matron was unaffected. "Mercenary?" she asked.
"Yeah," answered Bankotsu softly and shortly, with a menacing twinkle in his cobalt eyes. He shot an even darker grin in the direction of the matron. Old habits die hard...even the second or third time around, he figured.
He found himself impressed with the old woman. She was quite endearing to him: sharp as a tack, and seemed tough as nails. Those were qualities Bankotsu respected in anyone. "As long as it's worth my time and skill."
The woman humphed. "Yes...I can see it in your eyes," she said, her voice lowering and her eyes narrowing. "Well, young man. You can repay me by taking a trip to the daimyo's place."
"But--Shinyu--!" began Masakisho worriedly. Masakisho knew that Shinyu's age had not diminished her foxy intelligence at all.
Shinyu waved a finger to silence him. "No 'buts'." She turned toward the middle-aged man and warmly laid a hand on his forearm. "You will tell him about the daimyo. And his new monster. And the jewel. Right?"
"Well---I--"
"Don't act innocent, Masakisho. You know you want him dead, too."
Masakisho, lowering his guilt-ridden gaze, went very silent.
"When you fully recover, Masakiso will certainly give you anything you'll need," she began again, speaking to Bankotsu, but slyly glancing over to the man next to her. "And he will also fill you in on everything. I'll be back here eventually to see if you've brought something back as proof. His crossbow or his head, either one doesn't matter to me. As long as he's sent to the Sanzu."
Masakisho rolled his eyes. He never, ever would have intended to have anyone assassinated as a result of bringing in an unconscious stranger under his roof.
The fogginess from Bankotsu's head diminished a bit now that he was resting. He was slowly able to see who was furthest away from him. He saw a fair, lithe, strong-looking, lightly armored man, a few years older than himself, sitting casually in one far corner of the room. The armored man gave Bankotsu an unbroken stare, never putting down the pair of odd, sai-like weapons he held in one of his hands. Sitting next to him was a small boy with a bratty scowl on his face. A cute, comely, nervous-looking young girl with bobbed black hair and large, melancholic dark eyes stood by the door.
Twitching his head toward the girl by the door, Bankotsu snickered again. "Who's that?"
Shinyu turned to her for a second, then back at Bankotsu, smiling. "She's my youngest. She ran here to get help from Masakisho and Raidonichi."
"She's way too quiet and shy, especially around boys!" said the third sister.
"Hm." Bankotsu raised a corner of his mouth flirtatiously. "The prettiest."
Taiyuko was taken aback in shock. She knew she was the prettiest! She pouted, and her sister Kodoku stifled a laugh, covering her mouth quickly, amused at how easily miffed her sister became when not fawned over appropriately.
Taiyuko sighed, then looked over at her sister and smiled. She was happy that Koduku was smiling and laughing now, even though it was at her own expense.
The girl by the door flushed scarlet at Bankotsu's compliment, and in utter embarassment, exited the building through the threshold behind her.
Their mother gave the remaining two oldest sisters a sharp glance, and finally turned to Masakisho. "We'd better be going, anyway. I wanted to wait until the young man awakened to continue home."
"You are always more kind than is necessary, Shinyu."
After smiling warmly, Shinyu turned to her three daughters. They all got up, and left. Taiyuko, the last to exit throught he door, made sure to glance backward again toward the handsome young man, only to snap her head forward again, holding her nose high up in the air.
With the departure of the girls and their mother, Masakisho called Raidonichi and his little helper forward.
"You two...go get some bandages and medicine for our guest."
"Hey!" said the annoying-looking little boy to the monk, his fists raised. "Master Raidonichi is training me how to be a true warrior! And I don't believe true warriors should act like nurses!"
Raidonichi laughed at his sidekick, and ruffled his hair. He had been teaching him how to be a true warrior, a true man, for quite a while. The temple regulars always thought the way that the boy, Kanaye, practically worshipped Raidonichi was adorably endearing.
Gazing with an uncomfortable intensity into Bankotsu's eyes, Raidonichi corrected him. "Sometimes, the way to manhood involves not just fighting, but also aiding others." He turned to the little boy with a relaxed smile. "So now we must fulfill our teacher's wishes and bring some comfort to our guest."
"Whatever!" huffed Kanaye, and with that, the two of them left their teacher and their guest alone.
Bankotsu rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. It was intriguing to him as to why someone would dare to take in someone like himself--someone who was obviously not the ideal guest to have in one's residence. He was a bloody mess, and he carried two weapons for which he had no matching scabbards, clearly showing that the weapons were not his own.
"So tell me, monk. What's the real reason you decided to take me in?" he gruffly asked Masakisho.