Author's Notes: I actually don't know if the book Yui and Miaka read was the original work or the translation. It looked to be in fairly good condition and sorta newish (compared to a 2,000 year old manuscript that is), so I was thinking it was the translation of the ShiJinTenShou rather than the original. Wouldn't the original be crumbling by then? I'll do more research and fix it if it's wrong. But for now, it stays as is. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, kind reviewer. Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter. Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, not the characters, storyline, plot, etc. I don't even own the manga, much less the rights to it or the anime. It all belongs to someone else, Yuu Watase for one, and I'm only doing this for my own enjoyment and it's all non-profit. I make no money from this. No tengo nada.
Chapter Four: To be the emperor is to live in a cage...
Saihitei looked grave as he listened to the most recent reports from the border of Konan and Kutou. There were tales of night time attacks on borders farms and estates from what were supposedly rogue bands of Kutou soldiers. The emperor of Kutou denied involvement, but Saihitei was skeptical of that. The internal wars within Kutou had almost completely ended. Not because of the people decided to follow their new conquerer, the emperor. The general of the Kutou armies was so brutal as he put down insurrections that the rebels feared to attempt any more rebellions, so the struggles drowned in rivers of blood. Now, those brutal attentions were being brought to new lands, it appeared. Saihitei knew that Kutou was hungry for the rich, plentiful lands of Konan. Long had the domain of Seiryuu lusted after Suzaku's lands.
Konan was well able to protect itself against many enemies, but it would require time to prepare their forces for great onslaughts. He made a note in his head to speak to his war advisors on recruiting more soldiers and intensifying the training of those who already were soldiers in preparation for battle...
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Miaka awoke with a start. Wide awake in an instance, she looked around the room quickly, trying to remember where she was. This was not home, not Yui's room, and definitely not anywhere she could recognize. Worried, she ransacked her memory to try and figure out where she was. A brief flash of red light, a piercing bird scream...ah. Now she remembered. She had somehow been transported out of the library to some desert place with Yui. They had been attacked by two men, then she was saved by a handsome young man, Tamahome. She felt less disoriented, knowing these facts. But now she was more worried than ever. Yui was missing. "I have to find her," Miaka said aloud, a steely determination showing in her demeanor as she straightened her back and shoulders.
Leaping out of bed, she splashed water on her face from the water basin on the room's dresser. Patting her face dry, she noticed her ribbons lay on the opposite end of the dresser from the water basin. Pulling back her hair, she tied it all in one, neat bun and secured it with her ribbons. There. She was ready to begin searching this strange place for her friend...
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Yui was frightened by the information she was finding on this book. Okuda Einosuke went mad and murdered his daughter not long after the text came into his possession, only a few months at the most. Just before the book came to him, his wife had died of a terminal illness. Why would Okuda kill his only child, and then himself? Looking at the notes, it appeared that Okuda thought his daughter was being possessed by some sort of demon or other negative spiritual entity. How strange that he thought that. Resolving to research more on this, Yui secreted the ShiJinTenShou from the library and headed home in the quickening twilight.
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Babbling Brook: Yes, short chapter. Live with it, there will be more later. I will be ramping things up a bit next chapter, hope you're as excited as I am. Thank you for reading, please review and tell me what you thought of it:D
