"Brother Suikotsu?" Jakotsu called into the room, opening the unlocked door. He peered into the room similar to his own. Maps were spread over the floor, folded and open on the mat, and Suikotsu sat in the middle of the flurry of parchment.
"Yes Jakotsu?" the older man responded, looking up with a face that said he was in deep concentration and would only excuse the interruption if it was short.
"I brought you some rice in case you were hungry…" Jakotsu said in a voice that was sweeter than usual but still kept sincerity.
Suikotsu looked at him oddly. "Thank you…did you need anything else or were you lonely?"
Jakotsu beamed with appreciation, more or less to make Suikotsu feel more important than the blade Jakotsu was looking for.
"No, brother, I am quite happy with my solitude. Nice and quiet. But I was wondering if you have a good hunting blade." This caught a bit too much of Suikotsu's attention, so Jakotsu giggled a little bit and continued, "I wanted to make a new purse from the hides of a deer. My old leather one is getting old…there may even be a hole in it by the end of this season…" his usual ramblings proved to Suikotsu that he could be trusted with the blade.
It almost pained him to lie to the man…
"In my bag, Jakotsu." Suikotsu said with a nod. "Could you get it yourself? There—" he gestured to the many papers around him, "—are not mine and it is—"
"Do not worry, Suikotsu, I will fetch it myself. If you see oo-aniki, though, will you let him know I am out in the woods? I do not think I shall be long; I'd like to make this a quick kill."
Almost pained him.
"Yes, I will tell him when he returns…be careful, brother. The killer, I hear, loves pretty girls."
Jakotsu smiled proudly, opening the leather bag Suikotsu carried. He saw the blade, clean and gleaming. "Arigato!" But Suikotsu had decided his attention was no longer allowed to be focused on Jakotsu, and he was shuffling through the mess, nodding a good-bye absentmindedly.
He skipped out the door, knife swinging in his hand………………
Hoshiko leaned forward into Bankotsu's muscular chest, her hands playing with the tip of his braid.
"You kept your word, I'll admit…" Her aim was to boost his ego enough to make him think that her staying with him, traveling with him, would be a good idea. She would not stand another day with her sisters! She had to get out—see the world…be able to see Bankotsu again…
"I've had practice…" sighed Bankotsu, folding his arms behind his head, relaxed. Hoshiko rested her head on his chest, her eyes getting heavy. "You look tired…go to sleep. The night's pretty young…I'll wake you when it's time for round 2."
She shook her head, meaning to start again, but shut her eyes anyway.
"Go on, I'm gonna…rest my eyes, too."
Jakotsu swung the door open with full confidence the girl was sleeping. He had been listening, watching for some time, and she had yet to make noise. He danced into the room with a certain grace that contracted his intentions of killing her. She laid face down to Jakotsu's joy. After the head was severed, how would her face look? Scared—startled—sleeping peacefully—but that would a disappointment to know she left the dimension without feeling pain…. But still, the suspense was such a turn on.
Suikotsu's blade had not been out in this village, Jakotsu had searched his memory thoroughly. Suikotsu would not be blamed in case the murder weapon was ever revealed...not that he ever intended to leave the blade laying around like a fool...
Jakotsu crept to the side of the bed, his mouth dry. He felt that thrill—the blood running over the skin—red…so red—so beautiful…. He brushed aside handfuls of black hair, pulling down a quilt to expose her white neck. She was larger than Jakotsu remembered, but he knew it must be extra blankets...or maybe the whore was just pregnant...
He lay the sharpened edge on the back of her neck, pressing it in so slightly—barely breaking the skin. He'd make it slow, painful. He aimed the tip at the end of his mark and a dot of blood surfaced….
He shoved the knife forward, deep. A slow sweep. Blood spilt from the cut, ran down, and her back shook. Jakotsu ran the knife again—through veins—through bone—skin. His fingers wrapped in her hair—and he lifted……..
Jakotsu screamed loudest, and certainty had the higher pitch, but both Bankotsu and Jakotsu screamed for barely a second at the exact same time.
END of this part! What has happened! Did Jakotsu fail to realize the now-dead body was laying on top of a sleeping Bankotsu? Tsk, tsk…will Bankotsu survive? I don't know…I'm feeling sort of cruel at the moment…
Sorry for the late update, typing up written stories is so TEDIOUS! And when I've got forty other things going on…try to be patient!