Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi.

Author's Notes: Thanks again to Roku Kyu for beta-ing my story. Jeez, you'd think she was my mother or something. :P

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Lerra, Hokkan

"So… now what?"

"Beats the hell outta me. I ain't been here 'fore."

"Well, we need to start somewhere, no da. Let's find an inn, discuss traveling plans, then prepare for the rest of the journey, no da."

Tasuki grabbed his bag and ran like hell, more than happy to get off the damn boat he'd been on for the last four days. I don't fuckin' care how long it takes, I'm walkin' home. A Seiryuu Seishi attack and gettin' stranded in Sairou, big-ass rainstorms and sea-sickness… and Ki-ku wondered why I hate the water!

Though he never changed his stride, Tasuki felt a stab of pain in his chest.

'You all right?' Genrou asked.

'I guess. Still kinda miss Kishuku.'

'Nothing wrong with that.'

'I just don't wanna look like a baby or somethin', gettin' all teary-eyed thinkin' about him.'

'No one here would blame you if you did.'

'I ain't gonna cry! I just need flame the hell outta somethin' and I'll be okay.'

'I'm just letting you know that your brother warriors are still here for you if you want to talk.'

'Thanks, but I don't need any help,' Tasuki said defensively.

'I'm sure,' Genrou said with the barest hint of sarcasm, leaving his Seishi to hunt dinner. Once inside the inn, the group settled down around a tavern table.

"Come on, Tasuki, you can sit next to me," Nezumi said, grinning and patting the seat between her and Tenkei.

"No fuckin' thanks," he retorted, pushing Chiriko over and sitting down. "So now what?"

Chichiri took a deep breath. "Here's what we're facing, no da. We're in Lerra right now, and we need to get to Touran, the capital of Hokkan. However, we have two major problems. One; Not only do we need to reach Touran – problematic enough by the fact that none of us know how to get there – but we need to do it quickly, no da. Two; we don't have enough supplies to last us five days on the road if we bring along ten or so extra hands, no da. And, to be blunt, we don't really have enough for ourselves."

"I propose that we leave the soldiers here," Chiriko suggested. "Though Saihitei-san wanted us to be protected and prepared, it would do us no good to have guards but no food."

"I was thinking the same thing, no da," Chichiri agreed.

"We should bring at least one or two of them, though," Tenkei said. "Not protection, but for show. Sort of like how the two of us," she waved a hand at Nezumi and herself, "are for show."

Tasuki snorted. "Not that I could tell." He was gifted with a head-smack from Mitsukake and a swift kick from Nezumi.

'I think the more pressing matter is how to get to Touran,' Tama said.

"I agree," Mitsukake nodded. "For food, we can always hunt, though Suzaku – or rather, Genbu – only knows if we'll come across anything edible on the route there."

"I don't suppose the ketsu can magically learn the way?" Miaka asked, turning wistfully to the small-sized ketsu.

'Nice try, Miaka-chan. We can navigate Konan, but not a country nearly four times its size,' Shonin said.

"Is there a map we can follow?" Tenkei asked.

"Yes," Chiriko said, unrolling a large piece of parchment. "We are here; Touran is over there."

Miaka gasped and Tasuki groaned. "It's a million fuckin' miles away! How the hell are we gonna get there?"

"Walk? Run? Fly?"

"Yer fuckin' hilarious, panda-ass."

Chiriko sighed as he put away the map. "In all seriousness, I am not sure how we would get there. Chichiri-san and I could draw a tentative route to follow, but this map is not detailed. We could run into a number of problems that could be avoided if we knew the terrain," he emphasized.

"And it's not simply that Touran is so far away," Chichiri continued. "It's that we're under a strict schedule that we've not been keeping to, no da. We're days behind, and I harbor no illusions about the emperor's patience, no da. We can't even leave until tomorrow morning."

Tasuki glanced out the nearby window and saw twilight already beginning to fall. Shit and damn. Guess Suzaku thinks it'd be too fuckin' easy if we could summon him without all this runnin' around crap.

"And as you mentioned earlier, we have to get there quickly," Nezumi sighed. "I know this is a silly suggestion, but is there anyone native or familiar enough with Hokkan who'd be willing to help us? Be our guide?"

Looks passed across the table, and finally Mitsukake shrugged and said, "It's not a bad suggestion, but again, who do we ask?" Almost impulsively, the group scanned the inn's main room. It was mostly empty, with a few Hokkan-jin men scattered around, looking surly and cold and utterly uninterested in the group.

"Well… take your pick," Nuriko said to Nezumi, waving his hand around the room.

"Perhaps we should consider a different strategy," she said wryly.

'We also need to buy stuff,' Kangeki added. 'Not that we really know what to get.'

'Well, we know Hokkan is cold, so it'd probably be a good idea to find some heavy outerwear and traveling clothes,' Shonin continued, and Tama finished the thought. 'And here's another silly question – where are we sleeping? In inns or on the road?'

Chichiri shrugged, looking almost helpless in the face of such simple, honest questions. "I don't know. I think we – Saihitei-san and myself – assumed that there would be someone to meet us here in Lerra and take us to Touran, no da."

"Maybe they were waiting for us for days," Miaka said, "and since we didn't come in time, they left for the capital."

"And we're right back to Hotohori's thought," Tenkei sighed. "We need someone to take us to Touran."

'And I think we've got an answer to the problem!' Chie sent, her 'voice trilling happily. 'Come on outside to the stables.'

The Seishi dashed out to where the larger ketsu had taken up momentary residency. As the first one to enter, Tasuki was shocked to see a man kneeling down beside Genrou, stroking the wolf's fur with great affection. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stick straight up in angry defensiveness, and the sight of some stranger putting his hands on Genrou angered Tasuki beyond all reason. Genrou was his; not a random animal to touch and pet.

"Get the hell away from my ketsu!" he shouted, finally able to release some that goddamn anger he was holding.

The man got to his feet and pulled out a sword in one swift move, putting himself between the wolf and Tasuki. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice rough and deep.

"Who am I? Who the fuck are you?" Tasuki yelled, unsheathing his tessen. They circled one another, and Tasuki quickly sized up his opponent. Some kinda day-laborer? Workin' here in the stables? Why in Suzaku's name was he pettin' Genrou?

'He's our guide, you idiot!' the wolf said angrily, jumping between the two fighters. 'Ryutaro-san was kind enough to offer his services, though whether or not he'll still want to help is no thanks to you!'

Nuriko, entering and taking quick stock of the situation, immediately smacked Tasuki. "Baka! Your damn temper is gonna be the death of us! And I'm sorry, Ryutaro-san, for my companion's idiocy," he said, bowing respectfully.

Ryutaro looked from Nuriko and the incoming Seishi to Tasuki. He slowly put away the sword, though he never took his eyes off the red-head. "It is… understandable," he said carefully. He was a dark-skinned man, wearing an unfamiliar style of jacket that fit around his thickly-built frame. Black hair spilled out from his hat and shadowed his hazel eyes, now radiating skepticism. "It was not appropriate of me to be so familiar with a man's ketsu… though I do not believe it is any more appropriate to violently curse someone."

Tasuki opened his mouth again, but Mitsukake's hand quickly cut off any following retorts.

"Who are you again?" Chiriko asked.

"Ichu Ryutaro. Your ketsu told me of your predicament, that you are unfamiliar with the land, and are in desperate need of reaching the capital as soon as possible."

"Yes," Miaka said eagerly. "We'd be really grateful if you could get us there."

Ryutaro looked her up and down, though his expression was one of dismay rather than interest. "Is that what you're planning to wear through the trip?"

She pulled at the cotton tunic over her dress. "Yes. Why?"

"It's too light. You'll freeze the second we hit the mainland, or when we stop and rest for the night," Ryutaro explained, then sighed deeply. "All right, I'll help you – Genbu knows you'll need it. Follow me."

Hours later, the tired Seishi returned to the inn. Ryutaro, though he kept up a healthy stream of criticism towards the group, was a blessing in disguise. He had been persistent in making sure they were all well-equipped, beating into their heads the dangers of Hokkan's treacherous weather and making sure they acquired the proper equipment. It had cost them a goodly amount of okane to make so many purchases – clothes, shoes, and blankets for everyone – but the group could be well assured that they wouldn't freeze to death during the trip.

"Tomorrow we'll head out early. We'll buy more food as the stalls open for business, and we'll spend most of the day riding. It's going to be a hard trip, so get some sleep," he said before leaving them for the night.

Tasuki groaned as he flopped onto his bed, falling asleep almost immediately as he curled against Genrou for warmth.

-------------

As promised, they received an early morning wake-up call.

'Everyone, get your lazy Seishi butts outta bed, 'cause it's time to ride!'

Tasuki swore under his breath as he rolled over. 'Shut up, Genrou. It's too damn early to be perky.'

The mental equivalent of a yawn was returned. 'Wasn't me, Shun. But if we don't want the wrath of Ryutaro to fall on us, we should get moving.' Tasuki felt the wolf stir, and tightly hugged the animal to prevent him from leaving.

'Screw it. I ain't gettin' up yet.'

Again, that slightly unfamiliar mindvoice poked at Tasuki. 'Come on, everyone! If we wanna reach the river before nightfall, we have to get going.'

This time, he was aware of the other male Seishi stirring, each muttering incomprehensible curses. 'Whoever the hell is telling us to wake up needs to quit before I have myself some ketsu-meat for breakfast,' Tasuki projected the thought with great irritation.

A knock on the door barely announced the entrance of Ryutaro. "If you aren't dressed in ten minutes, I am leaving without you," he flatly stated before shutting the door and heading to the next room.

Semi-coherently dragging himself out of bed, Tasuki grabbed his new clothes as Genrou headed out with the other ketsu. Although it pissed the Warrior off to have to stow his bandit coat away for the time being, he wasn't left completely unhappy. The dööl – Hokkan's famous cold-weather coat – he purchased was a deep maroon red that snugly covered him from neck to ankle, and had sleeves that could be rolled out to cover his exposed fingers. The inside was lined with fur, easily warming his chilled skin. A long saffron gold sash tied around his waist and enabled Tasuki to carry the tessen by his hip, since the holster no longer fit over the thick coat. The hat sucked – thing's too damn ugly to exist, no matter how warm it keeps me – but the leather boots were acceptable – ain't bandit boots, but they'll do.

As soon as he finished, he turned his attention to the other Seishi. They wore dööls of similar style – Chichiri and Chiriko in tan, Mitsukake and Nuriko in blue – and were tying their boots or hats into place when Ryutaro walked in again. The Hokkan-jin man looked quite satisfied, though Tasuki couldn't tell if it was because they looked prepared to face the Hokkan weather, or because everyone was (relatively) awake.

"The ketsu are outside hunting. I bought breakfast – better hurry if you want any."

Downstairs, the girls were silently eating. They were dressed in the female counterpart of a dööl, wearing an extra jacket over the heavy tunic. Miaka had already cleared half the table, though she was currently napping against Nezumi's shoulder as the male Seishi shuffled into place.

"Ryutaro-san, is there anything we need to do before heading out, no da?" Chichiri asked, surreptitiously passing him a large bag of coins – payment for helping them. "Horses or tents, no da?"

"We have three horses. Double up to ride, or take ketsu-shape. I also noticed we have a large ketsu at our disposal; he will carry most of the bags so the horses won't be weighed down. We'll share space in a single tent." At Nezumi's raised eyebrow, he smiled. "Don't worry. None of us will be sleeping in anything less than a dööl and undergarments. The limited space will help conserve body heat. Here's the route we'll be taking," Ryutaro continued, indicating Chiriko to unroll the map again. He outlined the trip for them, and Tasuki's mind was only half on the lecture. Mostly he wanted to fall back asleep, and his eyes kept closing during the elder man's speech.

"If we travel fast and hard, we can reach Touran by nightfall of the third day. If, being the compulsory word here."

"How hard is hard and fast?" Mitsukake asked.

"We'll eat sparingly until we set up nighttime camp, ride in five or six hour segments, and sleep about six hours a night. If we're unlucky enough to come across a late storm, we'll ride through it. Anyone who can fly or run quickly will be pushed to do so. Ketsu form will be useful if it's small enough – less weight to carry."

Tasuki sighed. "Great. Sounds like a real fun way ta spend the week."

Ryutaro shot him a dark look. "This is going to be a serious journey. Treat it as such." Tasuki scowled in return.

Yeah, a really great fuckin' week.

"Is everyone ready?"

What they didn't eat was quickly packed up and stowed away for future meals. As they made it to the stables where the newly purchased horses stood, the ketsu were looking bright-eyed and excited.

'Glad to see someone's happy about this,' Tasuki said to Genrou, who was tussling with the two foxes.

'This will be good for you,' Genrou returned, 'as Center life has made you soft.'

'I ain't soft! I'm a tough-as-fuck bandit, and you know it!'

They ready to ride in less than twenty minutes. Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Nuriko took the horses; Nezumi rode Zouge, who carried most of the equipment. Miaka and Chiriko wore owl forms, though Tasuki thought it was anyone's guess as to how long they'd last in the air. Chichiri and Tenkei shifted into ketsu form and sat with himself and Mitsukake, respectively.

The biggest shock came when Ryutaro looked into the sky and Tasuki watched a black Seishi symbol appear under the man's hat. Moments later, a lovely snowy owl landed on Ryutaro's padded arm.

'I'm Hakuya,' she said brightly. 'Though I'd greatly appreciate not being made into ketsu-meat.'

"Holy shit, why didn't you tell us you were a Seishi!" the redhead demanded.

"What need was there?"

"Because… because!"

"Witty repartee there, Tasuki-kun!" Nezumi shouted down, and Tasuki gave her a one-fingered salute.

"I felt no reason to mention it," Ryutaro said bluntly, stroking the bird's breast before releasing it. "We'll talk later."

And he, too, took the shape of an owl and flew into the sky. Tasuki could barely discern the white birds against the gray-clouded sky, and smiled as he saw the trio of brown owls quickly catching up. He urged the horse into a strong canter, and soon they were chasing down the road as the sun rose to greet them.

Though the morning began well enough, Tasuki became frighteningly aware of how cold it was and how hard Ryutaro was pushing them. Even in the summer, Hokkan barely reached temperatures of sixty-five degrees, and there was no way the current weather was any higher than forty. Though he was used to the cold atmosphere, being a mountain bandit and all, the speed at which they traveled didn't make the trip any more comfortable; riding hard though the biting winds led him to believe that he was slowly being flayed alive. The dööl was a godsend in protecting his body, but his boots could only keep his feet warm for so long. Before he knew it, all the feeling in his toes and fingers had disappeared, and the skin on his face was red and raw. He even stopped hating the hat after he learned that the brim flipped downward, covering his ears and the back of his neck.

Tasuki could only marvel at Genrou's strength. The wolf never faltered in step, staying constantly under Ryutaro's shadow and his astonishing pace. There were the only three other ketsu in motion; Tasuki deduced that they either had an infinite amount of ki, or were actually the Four Gods in disguise. He could hardly imagine the kind of endurance they or the flying Seishi were capable of. Ironically, the horses seemed to be handling the exertion better than he was; they kept up a constant pace as if used to such abuse.

At their first pit stop, Tasuki almost fell off his horse. His legs and feet were so numb from cold and exertion that he couldn't work himself properly free of the stirrups. So when he tried to dismount, he felt himself start to pinwheel to the side. Then he magically stopped falling, as if a large pair of hands caught him in mid-plummet. He was too cold and shocked to react as the invisible fingers pulled him off the horse and gently set him down.

He looked around, and saw a flash of red from above. Nezumi gave him a weary smile and a wave. Then she toppled over, sliding bonelessly down Zouge's back.

"SHIT!" Tasuki shouted. Without thinking, he immediately jumped and caught her before she hit the ground. "Hey, Zouge. She all right?" he asked nervously, taking note of Nezumi's clammy skin and slight tremors.

'She's tired,' he said, the contrabass voice surprisingly strong. 'The only reason I can hold my own in this race is because of Nezumi is helping me. Elephants are not suited to the cold, but since she has been giving me almost all of her ki I am able to keep warm and survive.'

Tasuki slowly urged her to consciousness and helped her stand up, keeping one arm around her waist until he was certain she was stable. "Thanks for catching me," Nezumi said, bracing herself against Zouge's leg.

He gave her a dirty look. "Like fuckin' hell I'd let'cha break yer neck! Dumb-ass girls!" And he stomped away, but not before he heard the sound of her good-natured giggling.

A few feet from Zouge lay Genrou, prone beside Kohana, and Tasuki bent down beside the wolf. 'Genrou, how ya doin?'

'Tired,' he admitted. 'It's been a tough run.'

'So… ya did all that runnin' without my help?'

'Yes. You didn't offer, and I didn't take.'

'Fuckin shit, Gen-chan! Ya stupid wolf, of course ya kin use my ki! Fer fuck's sake, ya need it more than I do!'

Genrou licked his Seishi's hand in silent gratitude.

The rest of the group was equally as haggard. Nuriko was nearly dead on his feet; his arms were drooped over the saddle and the only thing holding him up. Obviously, Kohana had been borrowing ki from him, too. Chiriko was actually asleep on the ground, clutching Chie to his chest. Miaka's head was bobbing up and down from where she sat beside Mitsukake and Tenkei. Ryutaro, much to Tasuki's disgust, was perfectly fine. He was sweating and slightly red-faced, but was in no way as incapacitated as the other riders.

"Should I slow the pace?" he asked Chichiri, who seemed troubled by the scene.

"I don't want to wait, I admit, but I don't want anyone to die from exhaustion, no da," the Priest said honestly. "How far are we?"

"About as far as I expected – a third of the way to the river. If we keep this up, we'll make it there in time to eat a real meal and get a good night's sleep."

"From what you've seen… can we make it to Touran in the allotted time, no da?"

Ryutaro hesitated a second before saying, "Yes, but we've got to keep riding like this."

'We can do it,' Kohana said, though her words came out very raggedly. 'Just as long as we have ki, we can keep up the pace.'

"Then we better saddle up."

A pained groan emanated from Nuriko, and Mitsukake came beside the younger man. "We'll ride together," he said. "Keep helping Kohana, and I'll keep you from falling off the horse."

Nuriko let out a weak smile, barely finding the energy to raise himself into the saddle in front of the bigger man. Chiriko and Miaka had been helped into the second saddle by Ryutaro, and Tenkei floated up and took a seat behind Nezumi.

Chichiri laid a hand on Tasuki's shoulder, making the latter jump. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I believe you may need some support, no da."

"Aw, hell, Chichiri, I ain't gonna need anyone's help!" he said defensively, but then his common sense kicked in. "But if yer offerin'… guess I can't stop ya."

Chichiri gave him a knowing smile. "No, you can't, no da."

And once Tasuki had settled down, Ryutaro shifted and they were again flying through the snow-dusted road. This time, Tasuki consciously opened himself to Genrou, fully aware of how much the wolf depended on him. If Genrou was to keep up, he needed all the extra energy Tasuki could muster.

Come on, Gen-chan. We're gonna do this, we're gonna do this!

When the second stop came around, Tasuki couldn't even move; he was beyond tempted to skip the whole washing-up process. Even eating the leftovers Chichiri offered him didn't seem to help him recover. His whole body shook with exhaustion, his throat burned with the cold, and he had the damndest time trying to focus his eyes. Nothing seemed to work correctly, but the simple fact that Genrou was all right – tired, but hardly as incapacitated as before – was enough reason for Tasuki to suffer in silence.

Though by the time he returned to the momentary camping ground after relieving himself, Tasuki was firmly convinced that every part of his body had turned to ice.

I am so fuckin' pissed right now! My face hurts, my ears are buzzin', I can't feel my fingers, and I think my dick's about ta fall off. I don't know if it's 'cause of the ridin' or the cold, but if I ain't a man by the time we get ta Touran, I'm gonna take it out Mister I-Kin-Fly-For-Fuckin-Ever.

During the last few hours of riding, Tasuki was certain he had passed out from the strain. One minute the sun was brightly shining over the horizon, and the next he could clearly see stars dancing above their heads. While the actual process of giving his ki to Genrou was painless, the effects of losing so much life force so quickly had taken its toll.

If I die before we get ta the capital, I'm gonna be mad as hell.

To his partial dismay, Tasuki realized he was very much alive when, at last, Ryutaro stopped them for a final time that day.

"Time to set up camp."

They were in a large grove somewhat off the beaten road, surrounded on three sides by large evergreen trees. The trees offered protection from the cold, absorbing most of wind, for which Tasuki was eternally grateful. In the distance, he could hear the sound of water rushing by, and assumed that it must be the river. Though everyone was tired – some more than others – all hands helped. The trio of Priests set up the tent with Ryutaro's instructions, and the others tied up the horses and unpacked necessities. Tasuki and his tessen quickly became popular as he set up a lively bonfire and Chiriko cooked a quick meal of rice and greens. Zouge, Kohana, and Genrou were out within minutes of lying down beside the blazing warmth. No one argued when Chichiri paternally pushed everyone into the tent, and Tasuki nearly cried with joy when he saw the mats laid out over the waterproof tarpaulin.

It ain't home, but dammed if it won't do.

The last thing he remembered was Tenkei throwing blankets over him and Nuriko, and the comforting sensation that, even though he wasn't even in his own country, at least he was with family.

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The third morning began with the scent of cooking meat.

The previous day had been spent like the one before; running and riding until Tasuki had felt that his bones were going to rattle out of his skin. Food and drink had been meager at best, filling him with broth and dried grains. So when his wolfish instincts immediately perked up at the gloriously enticing smell, encouraging him to awaken and go outside, Tasuki did not hesitate to get up.

He tied up the dööl and his boots, groaning softly as his cramped muscles disagreed with him, and stepped out into the still-black morning without waking anyone. Ryutaro was crouched over a meager fire, and around him the smaller ketsu sat with random dead animals at their feet or talons. He was roasting a bird of some kind over the small flames, and was in the process of skinning a rabbit.

Tasuki felt his stomach give a loud gurgle. Urghaven't eaten real food in days… Suzaku, I'll be so fuckin' glad when we're done with this trip. He walked over to where the group converged, and knelt beside the other man. "Hey."

Ryutaro grunted in reply.

"Here," Tasuki said, sticking the end of the tessen in the pit. "Rekka Shin'en," and the little flames grew to a respectable size. He was damn proud of himself; the fact that the fire stayed in the pit and didn't turn into a huge firestorm was proof of his increased control. Gettin' better every day.

"Thank you," Ryutaro said.

Tasuki, subtle as ever, asked, "Why didn't ya tell us you were a Seishi back in Lerra?"

"One doesn't always need to broadcast their status. In my case, as with most Genbu Seishi, it is probably for the best that I do not make it known. The emperor would be quite displeased to find out that I, among many, have slipped through his grasp."

Tasuki drew a sharp breath. "Hey, that's right. Hokkan's all fucked up and shit."

Ryutaro nodded. "Crudely stated, but not untrue." He tilted his head towards the roasting bird. "Help me cook."

"I ain't good at doin' anything but burnin' stuff."

"Good enough."

With Tasuki's help, and careful application of the tessen's fire, the duo cooked three rabbits and two ducks with a pot of rice and hot tea on the side. Just as dawn rose over the horizon, the comforting scent of the homemade break-fast wafted through the morning mist. It was a simple meal – hardly a feast worthy of Saihitei's court – but to Tasuki it was heavenly. Gradually, the other Seishi joined them outside, also awakened by their appetites. For the first time during the whole trip, Ryutaro was not urging them to eat with haste. In fact, he seemed to be relishing the slowness of the cooking process. Tasuki didn't blame him; he liked spending time with his Suzaku brothers.

And sisters too, I guess…

It seemed that, despite his best efforts, Tasuki didn't loathe the two newest Seishi as much as he would have wanted to. If nothing else, the fact that Miaka seemed happier having girls around made him less inclined to dislike them. Often, he would spot her with Nezumi, drinking in the latter's every word. She was a talented storyteller who had magically gotten Miaka interested in the history of Konan through tales and myths. Yet the Hotohori Seishi had a terrible penchant for telling the most bawdy, raunchy stories whenever given half the chance. During the boat ride, Tasuki had gotten into the habit of trying to out-do her in shock value, so they would sit around throwing stories back and forth until one would collapse into fits of laughter or Chichiri made them stop.

Any girl who can tell a story wild enough ta make a bandit blush ain't all bad.

Tenkei, on the other hand, acted more as a big sister than a buddy to the Suzaku no Miko and the younger Seishi. She made sure everyone had enough to eat, was properly dressed, and had taken care of all the daily living things that the others often forgot about. Most of the time, Tenkei could be found with the two eldest Seishi. During rest stops and at night, she and Chichiri would make salves and poultices for the Seishi while Mitsukake took care of the ketsu. Still, Tasuki preferred to avoid her despite how much she tried to befriend him; calling her Tamahome brought back memories of Kishuku.

And I can't deal with that emotional shit right now.

The one thing he really disliked was that, on a regular basis, she would sneak up behind him and throw her arms around his waist. She acquired this annoying habit from Shiori, who found out how much he hated girls and took it upon herself to hug him every single chance she got; as if that would cure his slight case of misogyny.

Dumb-ass Ryuuen; I still gotta beat the shit outta him fer telling her that, Tasuki thought with a scowl, watching the violet-haired Seishi happily munch on a leg of rabbit and chat with Ryutaro. Then the sight of the elder man sparked a memory to life. "Hey, Ryutaro. Ya mentioned some stuff about Genbu Seishi and th' Emperor. Ya know anything?"

"Yes."

Moments later, all eight Seishi had taken a seat around the fire's circle, gazing at Ryutaro with undisguised interest and hope.

Ryutaro gave a half-hearted smile. "I see you are expecting more information. So… do you know about the emperor's self-serving gang?"

Nods around the fire.

"And that not all Seishi are inclined to agree with his method of peace-keeping?"

Again, everyone nodded. "We know civil war is looming, but little else," Nezumi said.

Ryutaro nodded. "There are the Faithful; the Seishi who believe that in serving Emperor Hoshitaro they are properly serving Genbu. And there are the Dispossessed, as named by the emperor, as those who turn their backs upon their duty to land, lord, and god."

"Lovely name there," Tenkei grumbled.

"What are you?" Nuriko asked warily.

"Neither. Though I have no particular love for the emperor, neither do I have an interest in becoming a part of the radical movement. I am a loner and perfectly content to stay that way."

'Liar!' Hakuya shouted, and Tasuki felt her mindvoice like a small icicle through his brain. 'Stop lying!'

"Lying about what?" Chichiri asked.

Ryutaro glared at the snowy owl perched beside Chie, and Hakuya simply fluffed up in response. "She is not in agreement with me on the fact that I prefer her company to any other human's. People annoy me."

"So why did you agree to help us?" Nezumi questioned.

"Because Hakuya volunteered my services and you paid well. Do you want to know more or not?" She held her hands up, and he continued. "Though the number of Dispossessed and neutral Seishi outnumbers the Faithful, the latter is an organized group. The Dispossessed are in need of a leader if they harbor any true desire of stopping the overzealous bullying done by the Faithful."

"What about the Chosen Genbu Seishi? What is their position?" Chiriko asked.

"The Chosen Miko is a strong supporter of the Dispossessed. She and the Emperor do not get along well. The Chosen Seishi… I don't know. I assume they would rally with their Miko, but they could just as easily be Faithful Seishi."

The Suzaku Seishi absorbed this lengthy information as Ryutaro got to his feet. "We better start riding soon; I let us dawdle for too long. We'll make it to Touran, but it won't be until late nightfall." They nodded, packing up for the journey's final stretch.

Although the ride was hard and fast, Tasuki did not feel that immense drain as he had the previous two days. Huh. Guess I'm stronger than I thought.

'It is because we aren't traveling with such intensity any more,' Genrou said, a hint of a smile in his voice. 'Your ki may stay with you, though if you'd care to run with me, I'd be happy to share the path with you.'

Taking Genrou's offer to heart, Tasuki got down and handed the tessen and holster to Chichiri during the first riding break. "Take care of it while I run. Nothin' better happen to it while I'm out there, a'ight?"

"Of course," Chichiri said seriously, tying the fan to his own belt. "If you need us to stop just let us know, no da."

Tasuki proudly lifted his chin. "I ain't gonna need ta stop. I'm the fastest fuckin' person in the world, and I'm gonna be the one leavin' you guys in the dust."

Once they began riding, Tasuki proved his word to be good as gold. He chose to run as a human, grinning and laughing while speeding over the frost-colored plains. The pair took off together into the distance, making sure to stay within sight-range of the riders but keeping a healthy distance between them. As he ran, Tasuki became well aware of how much Taiitsu-kun had increased his ki and his speed; he felt as if he could run to Touran and back again within the span of a day. He did not feel the cold quite as strongly now as when he was riding, and was more than happy to find freedom under his own feet.

At the second rest stop, Miaka came up to Tasuki with an interesting request.

"Tasuki, would you mind it if I ran with you and Gen-chan? As a wolf?" she asked shyly. She had never used the wolf-form before, and he was surprised to hear that she wanted to try it for such a long period of time.

"Ya sure, Miaka? It ain't no mornin' picnic, an' me and Genrou go pretty fast. Not ta say ya can't do it too if you were a wolf," he added hastily, "but I don't wanna wear ya out or nothin'."

"So it's a no?" she asked, her face falling.

"No, no! I'd like the chance ta run with you!" he said.

"Hurry up, slow-pokes," Nuriko called out. "We have to get going sometime this year."

Tasuki glared daggers at his brother, and Miaka giggled. "Guess we better get going?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Need me ta show ya how ta change?"

"Nope. I think I can do it myself."

Miaka closed her eyes in deep concentration and began the shift. Though the change wasn't as fluid as Tasuki's shift, she made it into wolf-form without so much as a hitched breath. Tasuki beamed a little before following her change. When he saw everyone else was ready to ride, he let out a howl of joy and sped off with Miaka and Genrou to each side.

As they raced over the lands, Tasuki felt pretty proud of his Miko. Though he didn't push her to a top speed, they were moving at a good tempo. Yet Miaka was happily keeping up with him, her tongue lolling out as she nearly flew over the ice and snow. The trio of wolves heralded the arrival of the Seishi on horseback, and Tasuki remembered the day when they rode out of Eiyou, surrounded by the cheers and joyful cries of the Konan people.

A'ight, so maybe Suzaku wasn't all wrong when he wanted us ta do this. It feels damn good ta be out like this.

The feeling of the wind brushing his now fur-covered skin, the rhythm of his paws hitting the ground in a lively tattoo against the ground… this was what the journey was supposed to be like. It was this sense of freedom and adventure; that he was doing and not simply sitting on his ass waiting for something to happen. He was alive and living.

They rode and ran through the whole day, watching the sun set before them; a silent tribute to their strength and determination. In the distance, Tasuki could see the sight of a large city growing ever taller as they closed the gap, and he let out a keen of thankfulness to Suzaku and the moon when he and Miaka finally ran underneath a pair of tall pillars with the word 'Touran' carved into them.

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