Chapter 3
"Your Majesty."
From behind his desk, Soo-Won paused, the brush in his hand poised mid-stroke as Kye-Sook pulled the screen door closed behind himself. Teal eyes focused on the scroll firmly clutched in his advisor's hands.
"The largest of Northern Kai's royal families have sent word. They are asking us to open trade negotiations in exchange for the land of Sen Province we demanded."
The flicker of the candles sent long shadows dancing across the walls of the dim room.
"They are also refusing to acknowledge Li Hazara as the current ruler of the Sen Province. They have labeled him a traitor."
Setting the brush aside, the king took a moment to process the information.
When they had sent word across the Kai border, they had emphasized the great deal of trouble such a skirmish had caused their kingdom. By downplaying the Fire Tribe's role in the coup and insinuating threats of war, their plan had been to intimidate Northern Kai into giving back territory that had once belonged to Kouka. However, they had not foreseen the families handing Li Hazara over so readily.
"Prepare my horse," he ordered. "We leave for Sen immediately."
-x-
Rei tossed and turned in her sleep.
The flutter of crows' wings and weeping and heels against marble. The wind through treetops. A door opening. The crunch of hallowed ground. There is the brush of a cat and a song she knows and the trickle of water.
Slender brows crumpled together.
She is dancing when a wine glass breaks. Someone takes her wrist and the world below her turns into the sea. And then she is in an empty room, building castles out of sand when a familiar voice calls for her in the distance. As she turns to find them a gnarled hand lays across her eyes.
Darkness.
A single petal of white withers into black.
Her chest surged with the sudden intake of air, racking her sore throat but quelling the burning deep within her lungs. Her eyes swam with spots as they focused, looking for someone—anyone— but the space next to her was cold.
Sitting up, Rei pushed the slick bangs from her face.
A dream, she thought. It was just a dream.
But what did it mean?
Her first instinct was to run to the fire and demand answers, but would the fire answer her? Did their bond expand across time and space?
Composing herself, she listened, but only the soft snoring from the other tent could be heard. Taking a second glance at the empty spot next to her, Rei pushed out into the crisp morning.
Even in the beautiful blush of pinks and oranges, the outskirts of Kai looked much the same as Kouka's Fire Tribe: bare and bleak. Though, somewhere along the border, the mudflats had turned into rolling hills and the wind picked up a distinct hint of sea salt.
Finding herself alone, the raven haired woman knelt in front of the ashes from last night's fire, taking care to pile the rest of the twigs and kindling in such a way it would seem tedious to anyone else. Still, the familiarity of her old routine soothed her nerves and within minutes hungry flames lapped the air.
Crossing her legs, violet eyes focused intently on the fire, murmuring the scared words under her breath. Creasing her brows, Rei drove her mind's eye into the heart of the flames, but the fire was stubborn and untamed. Beads of sweat ran down her temple as she pushed harder, trying to break through the unseen barrier—
"Rei?"
Silently exhaling, the Martian princess lost the connection.
Keeping her temper in check, Rei glanced over her shoulder to where Yona stood, dressed and red-faced from the chilly morning. In the smaller girl's hand she noticed a bow.
"Hunting?"
"No, just practicing." Rubbing her left arm, Yona moved to sit next to the older woman. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
Choosing to not answer, Rei took the red-head's arm, inspecting the purple and yellow bruises marring the otherwise delicate skin. "You need to rotate your elbow straight when you draw back or the bowstring will keep snapping you there on release."
"Huh?" Blinking, Kouka's former princess grabbed her bow, careful to adjust her hold on it per Rei's critique. "Like this?"
"Better." Nodding, Rei maneuvered Yona's arm just a bit more. "Be mindful every time you pick the bow up and once you make a habit of it, it will come naturally."
"Thank you, this should help make practice a lot more bearable." With a confident nod, Yona took her seat again. "How long have you used a bow?"
"All my life." At her answer, the red-head's eyes brightened with more questions, but Yona restrained herself. The two women sat comfortably in the quiet dawn, watching as the sun rose over the barren hills
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
Rei's eyebrow quirked upwards as Yona returned to their tent before emerging with a new bundle in her arms.
"I think these should fit." Holding out her arms, Yona presented Rei with a fresh set of clothes. "There's a stream at the bottom of the hill over there where you can change and wash up."
Unable to decline the generous offer, Rei carefully received the clothing, hugging them close.
"Why are you all being so kind?" Unable to withhold a flare of suspicion, the Martian warrior eyed the younger girl. "Why are you helping a complete stranger?"
"Because it's what people do." Standing tall, Yona met Rei's gaze head-on. "It's what's right."
Surprised by the spark of tenacity that ran through the other girl's violet eyes, Rei couldn't help but accept her answer with a smirk. Yona was spirited, something Rei could appreciate.
Nodding in thanks, the raven haired woman followed the direction of Yona's pointing finger to the small stream of running water. Really, it wasn't much more than a dribble, but it was enough for Rei to at least wash her face and for that she was thankful.
Scooping as much water into her cupped hands, the Martian princess paused, gazing down at her rippling reflection. Weary and dirty, but alive.
Alive…
Clenching her jaw, Rei let the water trickle from her palms, dotting the thirsty ground below.
"Why?"
Scooping more water into her hand, she furiously began scrubbing at her face.
Venus, Mercury, Jupiter… everyone…
Slamming her fist into the damp sand, the Senshi of Mars felt the steam as it rose from between her fingers. Hunching over, Rei let her anger subside into a single hot tear that rolled off her chin.
Everyone.
-x-
Yona smiled as Rei crested over the hill, dressed in the pale blues and dark navy trim of a familiar outfit.
Yona wasn't quite sure why she had kept that particular set of clothing, but she was sure it had something to do with the memories. They were from the Wind Tribe, kindly gifted to her only to be shredded not long after her and Hak had fallen from a cliff face. She had to make some major alterations in order to repair all the holes, but seeing them up close now, Yona couldn't help but feel proud of how far her skills had come.
Besides, blue wasn't really her color.
Yona greeted Rei with a charming smile. "They look good on you!"
"Thank you," the Martian replied with a ghost of a smile of her own, smoothing the long skirt out around her legs. "Did you make these?"
"Kind of." Giggling to herself, the shorter girl gestured for Rei to follow. "Come on, Yoon is cooking breakfast."
-x-
Despite being sandwiched for most of their day's journey between the bickering Ryokuryuu and Hakuryuu, Rei found herself to be in a relatively pleasant mood. Their little group had made good time trekking through the arid wastelands of Kai, stopping only momentarily here and there to reorient themselves and collect water.
According to Hak, Li Hazara's estate wasn't too much farther into the countryside, but dusk was quickly approaching. For now, they would stop at one of the local villages and replenish supplies before resting for the night.
Though anxious, the priestess agreed it was in their best interest to wait and confront Li in the daylight.
"Rei?"
A sideway glance told Kija she was listening.
"Why did they chose you to portray Hiryuu?"
Around her, the other dragons were trying not to look as though they were eavesdropping. Repressing the urge to roll her eyes, she thought on the question for a moment.
"Because we made an easy target."
Because I was a fool, she thought. Even confessing this internally stung the priestess' pride more than she would have liked to admit.
"But couldn't they have picked anyone?" The words slipped lazily from the green dragon's tongue, but his eyes were keen to watch her expression for change.
Setting her jaw, Rei turned to face him, taking his bait. "Would you have picked just anyone?"
"No." The corner of his mouth quirked upward as he observed her guarded look. "Only the most beautiful."
His comment earned him a disgusted scoff.
Picking up her pace, the Martian warrior settled into a stride next to Shin-Ah, leaving Jae-Ha chuckling in her dust.
Lagging towards the back of the group, Yona watched the interaction with amusement.
"Do you really trust her?"
Blinking in surprise, Yona glanced up at Hak as he walked next to her. His dark eyes were serious, but lacked judgement. He was asking for her honest opinion and the gesture flattered her; he was finally seeing her as a comrade and not just the airheaded princess she had once been.
Turning her eyes forward, they fell on the back of their most recent traveling companion.
"I do." His unwavering gaze drove her to explain further. "It's hard to put into words, but I feel…It feels kind of like seeing an old friend again."
"You think you know her?"
"No, it's just a feeling…"
The Thunder Beast's bland expression told her he wasn't buying it.
"It's hard to explain." The red-head bit her lip, frustrated by her own lack of the words. It wasn't the same sense of connection with the dragons, but something was there. Somehow. "Besides, I don't see how she would benefit from tricking us."
Hak pursed his lips into a thin line. Maybe not, but he could think of a long list of people who would…
Withholding an irritated sigh, Hak let the subject drop.
"Looks like we made it." At Yoon's announcement, the group came to collective halt.
"Yay! Zeno is hungry!"
"We're here to resupply these things." Yoon listed off items and spices they needed, purposefully assigning each dragon with a task. "While you guys take care of those, Yona and I will buy some Iza seeds."
As they entered the village, Rei trailed behind with Hak, neither of them been given any specific errand.
There were two early observations Mars had made about the "Dark Dragon": First, they both shared a mutual disinterest in each other's existence. Secondly, he was utterly and hopelessly in love with Yona. In fact, a majority of their party seemed to share his sentiments regarding the sweet natured red-head. Yona's eyes, however, always found their way to Hak when she laughed.
Venus would have been elated by their coy, young romance. Rei sighed just thinking about the shenanigans the golden haired goddess would have pulled on them "in the name of love".
By now their presence in the village had caused quite a commotion. The old and young alike filled the dirt roads while curious eyes peered out from inside thatched doorways.
Violet eyes caught sight of the brightly colored Zeno dragging around Seiryuu, the latter desperately trying to keep his mask from flying off. A flock of squealing village women shuffled after the oblivious duo. Not too far off Kija and Jae-Ha stood, both surrounded by women who clung to their arms with girlish delight. The silver haired man seemed flustered while his counterpart appeared to relish in the feminine attention.
She'd never admit it out loud, but Rei could see why they drew in such a crowd. Zeno was all charismatic energy while Shin-Ah was aloof and mysterious. Kija had a certain purity and self-righteousness about him while Jae-Ha was easy-going and flirtatious. Of course, it helped that they were all young and quite handsome, as well.
As if feeling her gaze on them, Jae-Ha's cobalt eyes met hers from across the roadway, accompanied by a teasing smile and wink. Letting out an ill-humored snort, Rei diverted her eyes elsewhere.
"Hey!" The flustered Senshi nearly jumped as Yoon came to stand next her. "Can you help carry these?"
Without waiting for a response, he dumped a bushel of musty smelling grains into her arms.
"These are the Iza seeds." Grumble, the boy-genius hefted a full basket of vegetables over his shoulder. "And they're not cheap, so don't drop any."
Shooting him a pointed look, Rei cradled the contents of her arms closer. Ignoring the feeling of eyes on her, Rei followed Yoon back to where Yona stood entertaining some children. Upon her approach the princess opened a sack, allowing Rei to empty her arms.
"I think we have everything." Nodding, Yona motioned for Hak, who in turned grabbed Kija and Jae-Ha. Zeno and Shin-Ah followed close behind, leaving the village women to pout.
Squinting against the sunset, Hak pointed beyond the village to an outcropping of large boulders.
"We can stay there for the night."
"Hazara's place is just beyond those hills?" Everyone's attention flickered to Rei, whose enigmatic gaze was focused forward.
Her heart thumped with revitalized anticipation.
-x-
Black eyes studied the narrow face of the man who sat across from him. Long and neat hair, pale cheeks, and perfectly trimmed nails. This was the king of Kouka?
This greenhorn was the one who repelled their perfectly devised plan?
"So, this is the first time we meet in person." Soo-Won's words cut through the tension of the dim room with a lighthearted airiness. "Li Hazara."
The older man swallowed, studying the calm expression slated across the younger man's face.
"You and the leader of the Fire Tribe, Kan Soo-Jin, staged a battle in Fire Tribe territory with the intention of joining forces and capturing Kuuto, no?" The young king paused, giving Li a chance to argue the facts or plead for his life, if he so wished. When none came, he continued, "However, that plan failed and resulted in Kan Soo-Jin's death. The Fire Tribe is now facing their punishment accordingly, but you..."
Pulling out a scroll from his sleeve, Soo-Won unfurled it on the table in front of him. Li's eyes widened as his eyes caught the array of wax seals littering the bottom of the parchment.
"What is this?" Standing, the gruff man leaned across the table and snatched up the document, mouth gaping as he read the words.
"It would appear that the families of Northern Kai have already decided your fate for us." Sky blue eyes narrowed as the men at his side moved forward, circling the table. "Li Hazara, you are now an outlaw of Kai and Kouka's rightful prisoner."
"What?! You can't do this!" Baring his teeth, Li Hazara struggled against the restraints slapped around his wrists. "Guards!"
Guilty and confused looks swept around the room, but none moved to help their master.
"Traitors!"
"Quiet down already." Annoyed, General Geun-Tae hit Li over the head with a closed fist, roughly knocking the other man out.
"Can you try to not kill the prisoner, old man?" Joo-Doh scolded, provoking a sharp retort from the Earth General.
Chuckling at his general's noisy ways, Soo-Won exited the room, only to be met with the surprised faces of numerous snooping servants and maids. Flanked by bodyguards, the blonde smiled, causing the women to blush and giggle as they parted to let him by.
Turning a corner, Soo-Won sighed to himself, letting his shoulders relax. Really, he couldn't have asked for a better outcome. There was always the fear of resistance by the people, but it appeared that they had no issues abandoning Li Hazara.
"Shall we try to see if we can find anything of interest while they ready the prisoner for transport?" Without an answer, Soo-Won headed down a random corridor, sharp eyes studying the intricate wood carvings and terracotta statues, logging everything to memory.
Though he had visited the Kai Empire a few times as a child with his father, their customs and traditions were much of a mystery to him. The thought of finding books to bring home and study or exotic teas to sip made him hum with delight.
Caught up in his daydreaming, Soo-Won nearly toppled over when a woman carrying a tall stack of bed linens rounded a corner and bumped directly into him.
"Your Majesty!" The two guards lunged forward, but were called off as Soo-Won raised a dismissive hand.
Gaping, the woman stammered, "You're—you're!"
Scratching the back of his head, Soo-Won shuffled his feet.
"I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!" The middle-aged woman scrambled to her knees, bowing so deeply her nose touched the ground. "Please, forgive me!"
"Of course. It was just an accident." Crouching, the young man helped to collect the strewn about linens, folding them as neatly as he knew how.
"Master Soo-Won," the old woman started shyly, as she stared down at the floor. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Hm?"
"I-if you are arresting Master Hazara, what will happen to Lady Chin-Sun?"
Blinking, Soo-Won stood. This was the first time he had ever heard this name. "I didn't realize Hazara was married?"
"No, no, she is not his wife." Fidgeting, the woman ushered him to follow her.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Soo-Won wove down the many halls of the large Hazara estate until the woman finally came to a stop outside a door.
"Days ago, Master Hazara brought us a girl to look after." Gaining a little courage, the woman slid the door to the room open. "The doctors say she isn't ill, but for some reason she is trapped in a deep sleep. Us servants have been taking care of her ever since."
"A deep sleep, you say?"
"Your Highne—" Waving off the anxious soldier's oppositions, Kouka's king stepped into the murky room, his hand on the hilt of his own sword.
Across the room a young woman, around his age, was lying on her back in a halo of long, quicksilver hair. Her complexion, though flawless, was ashen even in the warmth of the candlelight. Had it not been for the even movements of her chest, Soo-Won would have guessed she was already deceased.
"Who is she?" His words were whispered as he hovered over the slumbering beauty.
"We're not sure. Master Hazara sent her to us from Kouka and we have been taking care of her ever since." Anxiety creased the corners of the older woman's mouth. "What will happen to her? With Master Hazara arrested, we will no longer be able to look after her…"
"I wonder if she has any connections to that woman…"
"W-what?"
"Oh, nothing," he chuckled, his pensive expression easing back into a casual smile. "If you will allow us, we can take her back to Kouka where we can care for her."
"Your Majesty!" One of his bodyguards murmured in disagreement, but a single look from the fair-haired man reminded them of their place.
"Really?" Tears sprung to the woman's eyes, her lower lip wobbling in relief. "Thank you!"
Again, she sank to her knees, bowing deeply.
"Thank you."
-x-
Rei awoke to the late morning sun's kiss with an irritable grimace. She had slept soundly through the night, free from dreams of dread and death. So soundly in fact, she had slept past dawn for the first time since she could remember.
Taking a moment to stretch her achy limbs and straighten her clothing, the Senshi of Mars reluctantly left her warm sanctuary.
Jae-Ha, who sat around the small campfire with Kija, greeted her by pouring a cup of tea that smelled like wild flowers and peppermint. Nodding in thanks, Rei took a seat across from them, soaking in the cozy silence while casually ignoring Kija's sulky glowers. Clearly, he had still not forgiven her for impersonating his precious Hiryuu; even if it had been against her will.
"There's a lot of movement." A sudden, soft voice sent shivers running down Rei's spine.
Turning, she found herself looking up at the curious masked face of Seiryuu. Throughout their time together she had yet to hear the young man utter a single word which, along with his blatant staring, made Shin-Ah an almost unnerving presence. Hearing him speak now did little to sway her initial opinion.
"Hazara's place?" Hak, with Yona trailing at his side, looked north.
Shin-Ah gave a minute nod.
"Damn," the dark haired man swore. "We had better get moving then. It's at least a half hour away."
Ah, that was right. The power of the blue dragon warrior was that of extraordinary eyesight; Shin-Ah could see for miles upon miles given the right conditions. Rei was beginning to think she had sorely underestimated the dragon warriors' abilities.
"I suppose someone should wake Zeno up, then?" Sighing, Jae-Ha stood and stretched.
-x-
Rei stood frozen as she watched the listless, exhausted faces of servants staggered by, their belongings thrown heavily over their shoulders. A few armor clad guards stood rigidly at the mouth of the mansion's courtyard, eyeballing those as they left.
Catching the eye of a young woman, Rei made a move towards her. "What is going on here? Where is Li Hazara?"
Lowering her head, the woman moved on without a word.
Put off by being so blatantly ignored, the Senshi of Mars scowled.
"Excuse me?" Stepping in front of the next crowd of older, sun beaten men, Rei could hear the irritation rising in her own voice. "Have any of you seen a girl with buns for hair around?"
"What are you? Crazy?" Throwing her dirty looks the men shouldered past.
A few yards away, Yona shared a worried glance with her comrades.
"Sir, have you—"
A hand on Rei's wrist had the raven haired woman turning.
"I have seen your friend." The wrinkles in the old woman's face stretched and deepened as she spoke. "She was brought here a little over a week ago, the girl with hair like starlight."
"Yes, that's her. Is she alright?" Rei searched her worn face for answers. "Where is she now?"
"She was brought to us gravely ill, I'm afraid. Under the master's orders, we cared for her, but nothing we could do would wake her."
Violet eyes darkened.
"And then, last night, Kouka soldiers arrived at our doors and arrested Master Li for his crimes committed against their kingdom." Motioning to the passing bodies, the old woman sighed. "Without anyone to run the estate, we are all being forced to leave. There would be no one left to care for her so they so graciously took her back to Kouka with them."
"They took her… to Kouka? Why?" The Senshi could feel the strength leaving her voice.
"You see, even in the short time she was here, the staff had grown very fond of the lovely thing. Some even gave her the name 'Chin-Sun'." Glancing down, the woman gave Rei a moment to process the information. "I don't think they wanted such a precious person to suffer alone."
Rei found herself taking a step backwards, her hands clenched at her side. A sense of disgust bubbled in her stomach as the image of Li's malicious smile crossed her thoughts; one last cruel joke, no doubt.
"I'm sorry. I wish you and your friend the best, my dear." Ducking her head, the old woman hobbled back to her waiting companions.
"Rei…" The brush of Yona's hand on her shoulder had the Senshi of Mars turning away, hiding her face.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time." Her voice was level, emotionless.
Yona's frown deepened as a heavy atmosphere pressed down upon them all.
"It wasn't a total waste of time." Folding his arms behind his head, Yoon looked a little uncomfortable as he spoke. "I mean, we were able to collect a lot more Iza seeds for the Fire Tribe along the way."
"Now that you mention it, we did promise that Tae-Jun we'd bring him more Iza seeds," Jae-Ha thought out loud. "And his camp is set up near the Sky Tribe border…"
Catching on, Hak sighed.
"We can't deliver you right to Kuuto's doorstep, but we can bring you as far as the Sky Tribe border."
The raven haired woman dropped her shoulders, eyebrows creasing she registered their words.
Yona's grateful gaze lingered on Hak before turning to Rei. "Yes, why don't you come back to Kouka with us? Hazara may have been arrested, but I doubt your friend is in any danger now."
"I can't—"
"It's not a big deal if you do." Crossing his arms, Kija interrupted her. "We just happen to be going the same way is all."
Rei frowned, but before anyone could form further objections, Zeno was guiding her along by the shoulders.
"Do you think the villages around here have anything good to eat, Miss Rei? Zeno is starving!"
"We just bought a whole bunch of food yesterday!" Yoon scolded.
"Food! Food!" The yellow haired boy cried.
Turning to Yona, Rei searched the other girl's kind eyes. "Thank you for everything."
"Anything to help a friend," the red-head replied good-naturedly.
For the first time in weeks Rei smiled.
-x-
"Your Majesty, Soo-Won!"
Blue eyes tore themselves from pressing paperwork as the screen door rattled open with an abrupt use of force. Without even taking the time to straighten his crooked hat, the king's flustered adviser slammed the door closed behind him.
"What were you thinking?!" Kye-Sook demanded.
Wincing, Soo-Won had been dreading this moment ever since he had returned back to the castle from Sen. He had bought himself some time by hiding away behind his duties, but now, cornered in his office, he would have to face the seething man before him. There weren't too many people in life that scared Soo-Won, but Kye-Sook was definitely someone he did not like pissing off.
Gaining no response, Kye-Sook stepped further into the room. "She could be a spy! Or worse, an assassin!"
"Adviser, I assure you that the girl isn't endangering anyone." Setting his pen in its ink well, the young king leaned back into his chair. "I had the doctors attend to her as soon as we arrived back and they confirmed her coma is legitimate."
Still looking miffed, Kye-Sook crossed his arms. "And what was the point of bringing an ill girl back to the castle? Couldn't you have prepared a room in town for her?"
"Li Hazara has informed us that this girl is an associate of the fugitive from the Fire Tribe battle." Propping his elbows on his desk, Soo-Won's expression sharpened into something deadly serious. "The one everyone is calling 'Hiryuu'."
Yes, the one who was stirring up quite the rumor mill with her debut. So much so, they had to mobilize a small, covert network of their own people to dispute the gossip. The legend of Hiryuu held a mystical power over the people of Kouka, especially the Fire Tribe, and these whispers were now considered a direct threat to all of their plans. It had to be stamped out as quickly as it had ignited.
"I see," the dark haired man commented as he caught onto the king's train of thought. "You think that by keeping her in the castle that woman will come after her?"
"Yes, but I'd like to keep that fact quiet." Tired after not sleeping from their night-long ride, Soo-Won heaved a sigh. "For now, she's our guest and will be treated as such."
"As you wish." Seemingly satisfied with their little chat, Kye-Sook bowed and made his exit.
"So scary…" Soo-Won mumbled as he hunched back over his work.
-x-
Hello and thanks for reading!
Sorry I missed last week, but I am back! I hope you enjoyed this one.