Chapter 26: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Stifling air finally getting to him, Ryukotsussei dismissed his councilors with a flare of anger and watched with a grim smile as his throne room emptied. Just as the last of the useless males exited the room he motioned for a servant, and when the female bowed before him gave curt instructions for her to summon his newest allies – twin dragon sorceresses called Koume and Kotake.*
He had known of them for some time but had never really bothered with them before now, however, going into war as they were, he figured they would come in handy. One was fire and one was ice, and they could combine and become a truly fearsome enemy when called on to do so. The more, the merrier when it came to taking everything away from that bastard dog, as far as he was concerned.
But now it was time to see just what other uses he might put these females to...
It took some time for them to respond to his call, which didn't have his temper in the best shape, but he also knew that while he was still more powerful than they were it wasn't by much, and it wouldn't do to anger them. So for now, until he no longer needed them he would have to grit his teeth and be polite, much as it jarred.
When the time came, though, that their usefulness outlived itself, he would take great pleasure in destroying them.
As the two females finally appeared, he smiled grimly and motioned for them to take seats near him so they could speak. Though as they did so, both sleek and beautiful and graceful, he thought that perhaps their usefulness might extend itself to other... matters. They could be most pleasurable for a nice long dalliance... he'd heard it rumored that the two shared everything – even lovers. That might actually be... interesting.
Koume, all red fire in a human form with pale skin, fiery red tresses and flaring reds and oranges and yellows for her eyes, and Kotake, sleek icy blue hair, even paler skin, and sapphire eyes. Yes... the boredom he'd been feeling lately with his wives and concubines could possibly be alleviated with these two – at least for a time.
But that was for another time; right now he wanted to know more of what they were capable of. Perhaps they could be used in some manner that he hadn't thought of. He wondered whether they had a way to help him hide his soldiers as the time to attack grew closer and he began to move them all down from the mountains. He didn't want Touga to get an accurate count of just what was facing him.
"I wish to discuss certain possibilities with you both. I am not certain what you are capable of with your sorcery, but something has occurred to me to wonder – is there a chance that you would have a way to hide the true size of my army from any who might be looking as I move them into position for the start of the war?" he asked, his voice actually marginally polite.
Kotake idly considered her delicate looking but deadly claws as she thought about it, then she inclined her head. "There are several possibilities. Which method we will be able to use will depend on the size of your army, where they are, and where they will be going – as well as how fast. Most illusions will not hold if the object of them is moving too quickly, so you will need to take that into account when you begin to move your army into position," she said coolly, her voice as cold as daggers of ice.
Koume nodded, her hair floating around her as though it were made of living flame and hypnotizing a certain dragon Lord – which she was well aware of. She smiled dangerously, pleased. "Yes, there are certainly several things to take into account with such spells." Her voice crackled faintly like a fire, drawing Ryukotsussei in further; he was so caught up in his fascination that he didn't notice the faint predatory smiles passed between the sisters.
'The fool seems to be attracted to these forms, Koume,' Kotake thought at her sister, and smirked inwardly at the agreement from her. 'I am sure we can use this to our advantage, my love, ne?'
'Absolutely, Kotake. Turnabout is fair play, after all, is it not? Since he is planning to use us.'
What Ryukotsussei hadn't taken into account was that neither sorceress was a fool. Both had already figured out that he was merely intending to use them – in more ways than one – and then kill them when he no longer had a use for them. But... they had their own agenda, that being the acquisition of the Shikon no Tama, and they had no qualms with working with Ryukotsussei to get it – until they reached the jewel, and then all bets were off. And once the jewel was in their clawed hands, then they would be the ones to rule this world, and Ryukotsussei would be sitting in hell amongst all the others he'd already sent on to that destination.
And they certainly had an advantage that no one even knew about – they were telepathic between each other, as they really were one mind, heart, and soul split between two opposing elements, and in them, both elements combined, becoming one when needed. They were a truly dangerous opponent, as the so-called Dragon Lord would soon find out. Both scoffed inwardly at his title – soon, the world would be ruled by the Dragon Ladies, and to hell with males. They were foolish creatures that were ruled by their urge to rut, whose only true use was for a female wishing to procreate, and they would not be missed by either sister.
Ryokotsussei's admiration of their forms was interrupted by a flare of power as Koume began playing idly with her fire, spinning it between her fingers as they spoke, followed by the same flare of power from Kotake, as she played with her ice, freezing and unfreezing the water that was at the core of her very being. And as he watched them play with their elements, his mind was caught by the thought that he wished he'd taken these females and had them breed him heirs – a son from each. He thought sourly of the weak, pathetic little monster he called heir at this time, and all the other brats he'd sired on his wives and concubines. They were all useless and weak, and suddenly it occurred to him that he'd be much happier if they were all to die – the whole lot of them, bratlings as well as wives and concubines. And if they did... then he could start over – though he wouldn't be foolish enough to mate again, he could still breed heirs from these females. With his power and theirs, his heirs would be of awesome strength and power.
The West would tremble at their stature...
"With your strengths and mine, children born of our blood would be the most powerful beings to ever exist," he said slowly, narrowed eyes meeting the arrested gazes of the two females. "Can you imagine the power?"
Koume and Kotake stared at him for long moments, and then turned opaque eyes to each other.
'It is an... interesting thought, is it not? Perhaps... if he did not already have other wives and children. Though just because he has them now, does not mean he will always have them,' Koume purred inwardly, her sister's agreement coming in the form of a raised brow.
"You already have many wives and several sons," Kotake said a moment later, her voice dismissive. "I would never agree to bear a child that would be forced to bow to ones weaker than he."
A dangerous smile twisted Ryukotsussei's face, making him look devilish in the moment. "If you were willing to agree, you and your sister both to bear me a son each, then those other females and the monsters they bore me could easily be... taken care of," he said, a sadistic gleam in his eyes at the thought of sinking his claws into those brat's bellies – as well as the females he'd been stuck with for so long. Their blood would taste so good... and his freedom would taste even better.
Once again the sisters looked at each other. It was quiet for a moment in the throne room, and then Kotake said, "We will think on this and then return to you here two days hence to give you an answer. Is that acceptable?"
Thoughts of filicide* running through his mind in rivers of blood, Ryukotsussei inclined his head with a wicked smirk. "It is."
The females rose gracefully and prepared to take their leave, Ryukotsussei standing as well to escort them from the palace. The room fell silent as the trio disappeared, but if anyone had still been around to watch, they would have seen an odd mirage effect ripple through the room and out the door.
That meeting had not gone unnoticed.
~oOo~
Kenichi barely made it back to his rooms before he reappeared, so horrified by what he'd just heard that he had barely been able to hold his invisible state long enough to get to safety. That bastard would murder his own children and wives? Mine...
There was no more delaying his departure. He would take his wife, his little Mine, and head for the safe-house his true master, Touga, had prepared for him and signal him to come and get them. There was much he was willing to risk for his Lord, his own life included – but not his beautiful Mine.
He'd always had a hard time believing that his little wife was even related to that horrible monster, let alone that she was actually his daughter. But with what he was certain was now going to happen here within the next few days... Ryukotsussei might have no sense of smell, but he did, and those females were going to agree to his terms of bearing him sons. Oh, not that they were going to fall into line with his true desires, in the end, because he could smell cross and doublecross all over them and Ryukotsussei, as well, but it would be the death knell of all the rest of his children and their mothers.
And while he really didn't care about the others, as they were all spineless, honorless bastards, Mine was not and he would never allow anyone to harm her. So, while his priority was getting his wife to safety, he would at least have the decency to leave a message warning them of the plot with Ryukotsussei's chief wife and some of the children. If they chose not to believe him, then that was their problem, not his.
With all that in mind he forcibly calmed himself and went looking for his little female. It was just about time for the evening meal, and it was a good thing he'd years of keeping a straight face in any circumstances under his obi, because he would need every bit of the control those years had given him to be able to look at the dragon Lord during dinner without wanting to kill him. After dinner was over, he would be retiring with his wife, and unbeknownst to the rest of the denizens of the palace, they would be making their way out of the place that was truly little more than a prison and heading for the Western borders while everyone else was still sleeping. He hoped. He really didn't want to be making for the borders while being pursued. He couldn't just reach them and sue for asylum from the soldiers guarding the other side of that border – their only chance was for he and his wife to reach Touga's safe-house and then call for him.
He reached his wife just as the bell for dinner sounded, and with a tight look he expressed not only his concern, but that she would have to wait for them to be alone after dinner to find out what was bothering him. But she knew him well and knew that he wouldn't be acting as he was unless something was really wrong, so ignoring the jeering look from her oldest brother as well as the elbow he thrust into her side as he passed her heading into the dining room, Mine simply smiled in acquiescence and followed quietly behind her husband.
Kenichi hadn't missed the elbow to his wife's sidu nor her pained, almost silent gasp, and he glared with inimical hatred at Ryukotsussei's heir. Still, while he wished nothing more than to run his sword through the bastard's gut, he would leave warning of the Dragon Lord's plot. He wasn't about to tarnish his own honor by silently aiding Ryukotsussei's plans. Plus, anything that interfered with what the dragon was wanting to do was a good thing, as far as he was concerned.
Just one more candlemark of dealing with these glorified snakes, he thought to himself, managing to smile pleasantly enough at some of the others as they all entered the dining room. And suddenly, though he'd been years in this place, now that his freedom was looming before him he was so impatient to escape that he could only be glad that no one else with a decent sense of smell lived in this place – or they'd have made him almost immediately.
The room, already fairly silent, fell totally quiet as Ryukotsussei entered and took his seat, draining his cup of sake to indicate that everyone else could begin the meal. His hackles rose – the dragon was highly excited, barely containing himself, and Kenichi just knew he was imagining killing everyone in the room. Sick, disgusting bastard, he growled inwardly. I can hardly wait to make it back into the West – I will be able to breathe deeply and freely for the first time in years, and not catch the disgusting scent of that depraved monster – or any other foul thing.
His mind almost fried out, however, when he detected the faint scent of arousal – and realized that it was coming from Ryukotsussei himself. It wasn't hard to deduce from the expression on his face just what was exciting him in such a manner, and Kenichi had never had a harder time keeping a straight face – the male was actually being sexually excited by the thoughts of killing his wives and children. He watched covertly as Ryukotsussei's orangy eyes hovered over his oldest son, and he actually flexed his claws as his eyes fell closed – it was clear that the male was so excited that he was close to orgasm. He'd never been so horrified in his life, and he'd seen some pretty terrible things – but when the bastard's eyes opened and fell on his little Mine, Kenichi's eyes narrowed and his hackles rose; the disgusting bastard smirked faintly and actually licked his clawed fingers, openly imagining the taste of her blood - to anyone in the know of his plans. That was all she wrote for him; he stood rather abruptly and pleaded feeling ill to excuse both he and his wife from the table.
He could feel Mine's curiosity and fear as he led her from the room, but she held her calm as they made their way through the palace to their rooms. He was so proud of her, and determined; he'd see that monster dead before he'd allow him to lay one disgusting claw on her again. He'd already abused her enough when she was a child; it was, indeed, a miracle she'd ever survived her childhood, as her mother had not.
Mine was Ryukotsussei's youngest and smallest child from his youngest and smallest wife; he'd seen her when she was just barely at the cusp of adulthood and had forcibly taken her as his wife. She'd hated her husband, and not for nothing; Ryukotsussei was a sadistic monster who enjoyed causing pain to his wives and concubines. Mine hadn't been more than one hundred – about eight or so in human years – when the bastard that had sired her had abused her mother so badly during sex that she had died.
It was also fortunate that the little girl hadn't been of a physical type that attracted the insane dragon – he'd been known to rape his own children... and not just the females. Mine had been spared that, though eventually, in anger he might have forced himself on her anyway, attracted or not; it was just fortunate that he had come to serve in this place and had fallen for her, asking him for her hand in marriage before any true harm could be done to her – by her sire, or her brothers, who were just as depraved as their sire, for obvious reasons. He could only be grateful that it seemed that kami had been watching over his little dragon princess until he could arrive and do so himself – she was the only one of the bunch that was worth anything at all.
How she had grown up with the personality she had he would never be able to understand, because he couldn't trace anyone that might have been a good impression on the little girl in any way. It was not an understatement to say that the entire palace complex could burn down, taking everyone that lived within its confines with it, and none would be missed or mourned – none of them would be any great loss. The few servants that were worth anything would not have been in positions to help form her personality, so even a kind servant didn't present an open avenue of influence for the soft heart and kind nature she so obviously had.
In the end, however, it was a mystery that wasn't really that important; what was important was that she was sweet and warm-hearted and kind, and he wasn't going to allow her to ever be harmed again.
The moment they were back in their rooms and he had raised the sound-proof barriers, he went searching – he was going to make sure their rooms were spy free before he said a word. Raising a finger to his lips to indicate that she should maintain her silence, he waited for her now frightened and confused nod, and then opened up all his senses to their limits – his sense of smell, and his ability to detect even the smallest auras the most important of them.
It didn't take long for him to feel the faint heat of a new interloper; tracking it down in short order, he wasn't surprised to find a small firedrake buried at the foot of the double futon on the bottom layer, curled up as though it were still in the egg. But it was not a baby, as the hissing threats that came from its jaw as its tongue flickered, tasting the air, could attest to – with not one bit of remorse, Kenichi snapped its neck, then ordered his wife to use her fire to completely destroy its body, leaving no trace of it behind for anyone to find.
Once he was satisfied that there was nothing else left in the room and that their soundproof shield was still intact and hadn't been compromised, he sat her down and told her what he'd found out earlier that day, holding her tiny body in the shelter of his arms as she cried with the horror of what her evil father was about to do.
"Have no fear, my little love, for we are leaving this place tonight and making for my Lord Touga's safe-house that he prepared for us. You will be safe, Mine."
She pulled away from him to look up at him with drowned eyes. "Will he be angry, though, that you've run away from your post now, when so much is at stake, just to protect me?" she asked, her voice wavering and so very concerned. She couldn't imagine that he wouldn't be; someone in her father's service faced with just such a dilemma would be expected to stay and sacrifice himself and his wife to his duty to her sire.
Kenichi shook his head with a coaxing smile. "No, Mine. Touga-sama isn't like that. He puts the lives of his people before anything else; he would rather us run now and save ourselves than stay behind for any reason. He isn't like your father at all, and that is why I would follow him into hell if such was asked of me, though he never would. And besides – if he's going to kill all of his children, including you, he'd have to kill me, too, and he would know it. So it's no longer even safe for me, and there would be no point in staying any longer as I wouldn't be able to do my Lord any good, anyway, if I were dead. This is it, for after tonight, we will be safe in Touga's care, so what I need you to do now is gather a small pack of your possessions. We cannot take much," he said regretfully, "for we will be on our own until we can reach the border, so we can only take what we can safely carry. But you don't need to worry – I have plenty of money, my love, and I will replace what kimono or other things you lose because of this."
His pride in his wife doubled when she squared her shoulders with a small sniffle and nodded. "O-okay," she sighed, and bent immediately to her task. Quickly and efficiently she rifled through her tansu, pulling out two kimono and a sleeping yukata which she rolled up and stuffed neatly into a small leather traveling pack. Once satisfied with that, she moved to a small stand and picked up her little box of jewelry; she didn't have much, as she wasn't one to wear ostentatious things. Most of what she had were small jeweled hair sticks, as her hair was her one real vanity; it was thick, silky and lustrous, waving down her back like a living waterfall to a point just below her hips. She shoved the whole box into the bag, making sure it was packed in the middle so as to be as protected as possible.
Within minutes, she stood with a final glance around and nodded. "I'm ready, Kenichi. This is all I really need."
He nodded, swiftly packing his own small travel bag; opening one of his smaller chests, he took out a waterskin and two pouches filled with travel rations; he handed one to her, keeping the waterskin, which he would fill on the way out of the palace, for himself to carry.
Once he was finished he looked at her, her large eyes glittering in the fitful moonlight that filtered into the room, and motioned for her to join him on the futon; setting their small packs against the side of the bedding, he sat at the top of the bed and leaned against the wall, pulling her into his embrace as she climbed on after him.
That was how they spent their last few hours in Ryukotsussei's hell – curled up together, love their only comfort in the difficult hours of waiting – and in the frightening hours of running to come.
But Kenichi was determined as he fingered the hilt of his sword – they would make it. They would get out of this place, get to the border and then over it to the safe place that Touga had prepared and then, hopefully by morning, they would be safe in Kangetsu... the home he hadn't seen in years, now.
And as the hours counted down until they could sneak away, a deep, sudden longing for the home he'd been so long without washed through him, and he could barely keep down the excitement, the sheer joy that it was finally time to return.
He would enjoy showing his wife the magnificence that was the city, the palace, that he'd been born in. And even more he'd enjoy making it her home, too – the first home that would actually signify safety to her and not danger, and ultimately death, as this place always had.
"You will be safe, my little love, I promise you," he whispered into the night.
Mine's fingers tightened into his haori, and she nodded into his chest.
Safe.
How strange... and utterly wonderful it will be to feel so.
~oOo~
Light glistened on newly opened eyes and sharp ears listened to the sounds of the deep night; after listening so for some minutes, Kenichi nuzzled his wife's crown tenderly and with a near silent purr, woke her up.
"Come, Mine, it is time to go. We must be absolutely silent. I will go ahead, and you will follow behind, holding onto my hand," he practically whispered, and sighed as she nodded against his chest. "Good. Remember – we will have a better chance of getting away if we are not seen or heard. The one good thing here is that no one will be able to tell by scent that we are moving around when we shouldn't be," he grunted quietly as the two untangled themselves and stood up, Kenichi picking up the packs and handing his little wife hers.
She nodded; he caught the glint of light hitting her eyes again as she looked up at him, nervous - but so trusting. She trusted him to keep her safe, and his heart swelled. He didn't care how many people he had to kill to make it out of this place with her alive and unharmed, he would do it.
Pulling her to him for one last, comforting squeeze, he met her eyes, passing as much strength and determination as he could through their bond. When she smiled at him just a little, he turned and led her to the door of their quarters, listening intently as he opened the barrier. He would leave it in place, letting it fizzle out naturally as its energies ran out and were not renewed – that would give them until morning, at least, before anyone would notice that it was gone.
He stood there gripping his wife's hand for several minutes, listening, taking in the scents, and when he was satisfied that there was no one out and about in the halls directly nearby, he slid the door open as quietly as possible and led her out, sliding it shut behind him and allowing the soundproof barrier to drop back over the room behind him as he chose a direction and set out, his wife moving silently behind him.
They made it through several halls before he heard the guards that littered the palace moving, and without hesitation, he slid open a door on the right side of the corridor and hurried inside, tugging Mine in and sliding the door shut behind him just before the guard turned down that hall and began to move through it. The lantern he carried as he muttered to himself, peering down connecting hallways as he passed helped Kenichi keep track of his progress, and finally, after about five minutes of breathless waiting, the hunchbacked guard moved past the room they had taken refuge in, the swinging lantern light making eerie patterns on the walls as he passed. He squeezed his wife's hand as he felt it tremble slightly, encouraging her silently.
Once again he waited for a time after the hallway had fallen into darkness before slipping out of the room, letting his wife slide the door shut as he kept a lookout; then once it was closed again he led her down more corridors, easing silently through the maze of Ryukotsussei's palace. They had to hide several more times, each one an exercise in keeping themselves calm and as silent as the grave, and it was definitely taking a toll; Mine would be exhausted by the time they had made it to safety – at least, emotionally exhausted.
Mine almost quit breathing as her husband came to a sudden halt, her heart rate increasing a little as she realized that they were in a corridor that had no real rooms to hide in if a guard came along. They were basically trapped, and thinking quickly, she motioned for him to give her his pack and the waterskin, and shoved them into her obi in the back, which was covered by her cloak; with a saucy wink, and a wildly beating heart, she boldly stepped out into the connecting corridor, coming face to face with the guard that was patrolling down that particular hallway.
"Who goes there?" came a harsh, though quiet voice; this was an area of sleeping quarters, after all.
"None of your business," Mine answered, allowing a certain amount of arrogance to slip into her voice. "I can go where I please. My husband and I were enjoying... some time to ourselves. Now go about your business, and stay out of mine."
The guard, taken aback but recognizing the Lord of the place's daughter, along with one of his councilors, muttered his apologies and hurried off, not wanting to displease any of that family. It was a dangerous thing to do if you wanted to stay alive.
Kenichi was stunned but thoroughly pleased at his wife's nerve; her quick thinking had gotten them out of a tight spot. It did occur to him to wonder just what that guard had been doing; this wasn't one of the areas he should have been patrolling. But then he shrugged it off; the goings on in this place were finally no longer of any concern to him.
With a tight but proud smile at her, he once again grabbed his pack and the skin and then took the lead, moving quicker now as they were almost to the gardens, where he would be taking one of the biggest risks of this getaway.
For them to get outside the palace walls unseen, he would have to use his invisibility trick and fly over the walls at the same time. Normally, that would not be a problem. But this time, he was carrying Mine with him, and while he could also make her invisible, he was shaky with the skill at best – it was an extremely difficult thing to do, and he wouldn't be able to render them unseen for very long.
They made it to the place he'd found, a small nook of the garden that abutted the low wall, and came to a halt. Taking a deep breath, he turned to his wife and let it out, once more firming his determination to see her to safety.
"This part is the most dangerous part of our journey, Mine," he whispered almost directly into her ear. "I will fly us over the walls of the palace-" he stopped when his wife jerked back to stare at him wide-eyed.
"Kenichi!" she exclaimed, her voice also a bare whisper. "We will be seen!"
He put a finger to her lips. "Shh, my love. I have learned of a way to also, as long as I am holding you, dematerialize you as well as myself. But... it is difficult, and if I waver even once, someone may see something that makes them suspicious. We could be followed at that point. So I need you to embrace me and hold on tightly, alright? Do not move for any reason once I have started to move us into the air."
She looked at him with worried eyes, but nodded. "What about when we land on the outside of the walls?"
His jaw tightened for a moment. "That's when we begin to run – but silently. Once we get some distance from the palace, we may fly, but we will have to fly low so as not to be spied."
"The border region?"
He knew what she was asking.
"Is heavily guarded. We will be in great danger there, but I know of one place that for some reason the guards avoid. That is where we will attempt to slip across." He leaned down and kissed his wife's sweetly bowed lips quickly. "But we have no choice. We face death, yes, but we also have the chance for freedom and safety. If we stay here... you know what will happen."
She nodded after a moment and taking a deep breath, she let it out. Then looked down. "I... I hate my family, but... I feel guilty that I didn't try to warn them of what... what..." she trailed off, unable to actually articulate the horror that was soon to fall on this place.
"Do not worry, my love," Kenichi soothed, cupping her cheek with a tender hand, "four of the places we hid this night were in the sitting rooms of that bastard's first wife and of several of your siblings. I let fall warning letters in each room. They will find them come morning. If they choose not to heed my warning, then that is on their head."
A brilliant smile warmed her features and her husband's heart melted. "Thank you, Kenichi! You know me so well," she said, her voice barely audible. After a moment spent looking into each others eyes, she closed her own for a moment and nodded, clenching her husband's hand and then letting it go. "I'm ready," she said, opening her eyes again. "We should go before someone comes."
He smiled back at her briefly, his pride in her once more overtaking him, and then he pulled her to him, allowing her to get settled as she gripped him tightly; once she whispered of her readiness and fell still, he closed his eyes and concentrated hard.
Slowly, both beings began to disappear, becoming little more than a light haze in the air, and knowing that was as good as it was going to get, Kenichi launched them into the air, moving slowly and with the breeze so as to make it seem to anyone who did spot them as though the light cloud of haze was simply nothing more than kiseru* smoke.
It took a good little while to make it over the walls of the inner and outer baileys, and to both Kenichi and Mine it felt like an eternity before they finally floated over the last wall, meandering lazily into the trees on the opposite side of the palace than they really needed to be. But it couldn't be helped; in order to maintain the illusion of simple smoke, he had to follow the breeze. Still, by the time they'd made it over the last wall his control was faltering and the smoky appearance they'd been cloaked in was becoming thicker, rather than fainter as it should have were it truly just a small cloud of smoke from someone's kiseru.
Fortunately for them no one really noticed, and Kenichi set them down inside the perimeter of the forest, far enough back so they couldn't be seen, and with an almost explosive gasp he released, allowing them both to reconstitute. Sweating, he held his wife tighter for several long seconds, trying to calm his own heart as she was hers before they attempted the next part of their escape.
The stress of this first part of their escape attempt already had Mine feeling tired, as though she'd spent days running, and she knew that they still had a long, long way to go. But as tired as she was, she would not allow it to stop her or hold her back. She knew that her husband was doing this to save her – after all, even though he would have eventually needed this same escape, if he were by himself it would have been easy. This desperate run for safety in the middle of the night that was exposing him to danger was to save her, and she would not allow her fear or weariness to end with their capture and his death.
She would rather die herself then be the cause of his death – after all, the only happiness she'd ever known had been at his hands, and she loved him more than anything in this world or the next. More than her own life, and certainly more than anyone elses. He was everything, and she would make it through this long and fear-ridden night – if only for his sake.
She would.
Once their blood had cooled a bit, Kenichi released his tight hold on his wife and looked down at her with a small smile. Speaking just above a whisper, he said, "This next part is the easiest part of the whole thing, little one. While we must still be careful, and I need you to follow me as you did inside the palace, holding to my hand and moving quietly, as long as we take care we should be fine until we get close to the border with the West. When we do, we will stop and take a few minutes to prepare ourselves for the last part. Are you ready?"
"H-hai," she forced out, her throat tight with worry – mostly for her beloved. She could feel his tension through their bond, and she was determined to ease it as much as she could. She smiled at him, then quickly bounced onto her tip toes and kissed his chin. "I'm ready."
He looked her over, studying her face, and then his smile widened just a bit with pride. He returned her kiss with a hard but chaste one to her lips, and then turning, took her hand and led her back into the shadows.
Within moments, they had disappeared as though they'd never been there, just two more shadows in a forest full of them.
~oOo~
Touga rubbed his eyes wearily, taking note of the late hour and his wife's slightly wilting figure, then sighed and motioned impatiently for silence. The raised voices of his Generals died.
"It is late, and little of import has really been said this eve. It is too soon to know for certain where Ryokotsussei will attack, so for now we will leave the troops deployed where they are. But the borders are to be watched closely – I have information that his armies are much greater in number than they have ever been."
One of the Generals frowned. "Are you certain your informant was correct, my Lord? We have been keeping a close watch on the movements of his armies, and have seen only minor buildups in his count."
Touga nodded. "Yes, Masao, I am sure. He is hiding the extra soldiers in the mountains so that we will not see them. But I do know that they are also mostly fodder, not true warriors. We will have the Southern House with us in this battle, and as a matter of fact, the Southern Lord will be arriving soon, along with his armies to join us. We may also have the East with us," he continued, filling them in on what Arata had found out about their hatred of the dragons. "Ryukotsussei is a fool – he has made enemies of all of us, thinking in his arrogance that he will be able to best all of the other Cardinal Lords and their armies. Of course, he thinks so because he thinks to gain the Shikon no Tama and use it against us all, but that is neither here nor there, as he won't be getting his claws on that bauble – ever."
"There isn't much time – will you be sending an envoy to the Eastern Lord to speak to him on this matter?" the same male asked, and Izayoi looked him over discreetly, remembering Touga's tale of his son's mother – and the male she loved, but couldn't have.
Masao... she could see why the female would want him – he was beautiful, though not quite so much so as her own husband. Tall, broad-shouldered and with black as night hair flowing down his back and ruby eyes, a single blue slash above each eye only emphasizing the red of them. He had also not looked on her with hatred, merely studying her closely as Touga had introduced her. It would be interesting to meet Sesshoumaru's mother and see the two together, she thought.
"I will be attending to that matter myself in a few days," Touga replied; there was a stir in the room at that. "But for now, that is not important." Something seemed to occur to him at that moment, and he said, "I am certain that my heir had Takako moved to much more... comfortable accommodations once her sire crossed our borders. Where is she?"
Another male answered. "In the dungeons under the main palace. We have kept her isolated, with no one allowed to speak to her, and only her guards and those who bring her meals allowed to even go near her."
"Good," Touga grunted shortly. "I will go visit with our prisoner tomorrow. For now," he said, with another glance at his weary wife, "we will adjourn this meeting until I have further information and instructions for you. It need not be said – keep your eyes open, even here. Dismissed."
The room emptied quickly as the few Generals still in residence in the citadel left for their own rooms – or other pastimes, and once they were alone Touga stood and helped his wife to her feet, then led her from the room.
"Is that it for the night, Touga?" she asked softly as they made their way through the somewhat quieter halls. The later hour made sure that it was also much emptier in the ways and byways of the palace, and she felt a bit more at ease without all the eyes – especially the hostile ones – plastered to her.
He looked at her fondly and nodded. "Yes, my Lady, it is. You have had a long day, have you not? But you held up admirably, and I'm more proud of you than I can say. It will be much like this for some time, though – until this war is over, providing we win, of course," he said with heavy irony, "but things will slow down again afterward. It isn't always quite this... tiring."
Izayoi sighed as she thought about it, but then nodded again and squared her shoulders. There was little point in fussing about such things – it couldn't be helped. She would just have to take her rest where she could.
After all, it could always be worse – she had remembered some of her adventures as Kagome, roaming the territories of Japan with an impatient hanyou who had no true concept of human weaknesses always cracking a whip over them. She remembered sometimes weeks of rapid travel and little rest or food, and this was nowhere near as bad as that.
Thinking about some of the other people involved in this, she realized that it could also be even worse than that, as well, and that she should be thankful for the comforts she did have – like a soft bed to sleep in when it was time, and a loving, supportive, gorgeous husband to stand by her and help her through all the treacherous currents that abounded in this undoubtedly beautiful place.
They had just reached their rooms when Izayoi remembered something. "Oh! Touga... you promised to take me out to see the city from the air when under the full moon, and it is a full moon tonight," she said, looking out the shoji and into the small, private garden on the large terrace adjacent to their room.
Touga glanced out the doors and smiled slightly. "So it is... are you certain? I know you are weary."
"Yes! After all, it will only take a few minutes, true? I'm not so dead on my feet that I can't spare even a few moments to see for myself what you described," she replied, her beautiful face pleading. "And if we don't go now, I will have to wait a month, by which time we won't be worrying about such things as this, we will be in the middle of battle, no doubt."
Giving in to his little wife's pleading, as she was, unfortunately, correct, Touga followed her out to their garden and then wrapped her in his arms and pelt to keep her warm. Lifting into the air he quickly flew out over the palace compound and then the city below it, heading for the steep cliffs and the tall retaining walls.
Within minutes he was in good position, and with a quiet voice beckoned his little female to look. Even he, who had been born here and lived here all his centuries, never failed to fall in love with his home all over again when he saw it in such a way.
When Touga turned and the city and the palace above it came into view, Izayoi gasped with wonder, her eyes wide. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Under the pale wash of the cool moon the city literally glowed. It was like a beacon, a lighthouse, a shimmering wonderland, almost seeming as though it were alive as the light moved in waves across the walls and roofs of the palace. Someone traveling towards this mountain, especially from the air, would not be able to miss the wonder of the city, and even those traveling down on the plains below, if they were to look up would wonder what the glow in the clouds was, because it was bright enough to be seen even through at least a light layer of clouds. It was only too bad that it only did this on one or two days a month, and at night...
"It's... it's so beautiful, Touga," she said finally, the wonder she was feeling clear in her voice. Touga was pleased with her awe, and smiled down at her.
"Hai... it is, is it not? I have always loved my home, and no matter the centuries I have spent here I have never grown bored with this sight," he sighed. "I do not think I ever will. This... this is why I cannot let that overgrown lizard win, nor find the Shikon no Tama. For Kangetsu, for my people, he must be destroyed. The world would be dark, indeed, if my home were ever to lose its glow."
"Yes," Izayoi whispered, "it would truly be a terrible blow to lose something of such beauty." She looked up at her husband, then, with a determination that surprised him. "And we will not. I will not stand to let darkness reign here or anywhere else. We will win, and we will send Ryukotsussei back to his lands with his armies destroyed and his chances of conquering anything gone."
With one last glance at the beauty shining before them, Touga slowly headed back to their rooms, his heart touched and fiercely rejoicing in his little female's unconquerable fighting spirit.
They would win this war.
Failure was not an option.
~oOo~
The night moved slowly for the two on the run through unfriendly territory, and Kenichi glanced back through the shadows at his wife's face as they moved through dense vegetation, too close to the border to risk flying any longer, and noted her weariness – but also her determination. She wasn't going to falter.
He was glad she was so determined; they still had a ways to go – and now the most dangerous part of the whole escape was approaching. They had to not only get across the border, but get across and make it to the safe place, without being caught.
By himself this trip would have been a bit tiring, but easy. But Mine along for the ride added a whole new dimension to things and too much danger to count.
Sighing inwardly, he set it aside; there was little point in worrying at it, since there was no two ways about it – it was too late to go back, and there was no point, because it was death behind them and death before, but at least forward also had an equal chance of safety as it had of death. To go back held no such hope.
Coming to a sudden halt, he listened closely, and then, motioning for his wife to move silently, veered off to the east, the noises coming from ahead letting him know that there were border guards and troops there, and that it was time to move slowly and silently.
Getting a good distance away, he came to a halt and pulled his wife around to meet his gaze. He ran it down her little bright-eyed face solemnly. "It's time. We've reached the border, my little love, and from here until we get to the safe place my Lord made for me we are at great risk, although much more on this side, of course. If we make it across this side of the border to the West, we might be taken captive, but I can still summon my Lord and he will come and set the matter straight. Still, these next hours are not going to be comfortable."
Mine nodded, smiling up into her husband's concerned face. "I won't deny I'm tired, but I've been worse, and though I'm afraid, I know we will make it. I refuse to lose you, Kenichi, and I will fight to the death to follow where you lead me."
Her eyes, so many beautiful shades of green, sparked with the fire she carried in her soul, and her odd scent, for a dragon anyway, of forest and green life and growing things, strengthened around her just a little, easing his troubled mind. It had always been that way – she smelled like no other dragon he'd ever met. It made him wonder about her mother, and he wished he'd asked more about her from some of those in the palace who'd known her. He'd never talked with Mine about her, not wanting to bring up bad memories.
He shook off those thoughts, setting them aside for a more appropriate time, and drew his little wife over to a small grouping of boulders set behind a small outcropping and hidden by trees. If anyone happened to stumble in this direction, they should be hidden there well enough.
"Come, little Mine. We will rest here for a short time, take a little to eat and some water. We have actually made better time than I thought we would," he explained at her concerned query. They definitely needed to get across the border before daylight...
Actually glad to know that they had the time to take a bit of rest and food, Mine followed her husband into the small little glade and within moments the two were breaking their fast and sharing the waterskin – still being as silent as possible.
It was deep in the belly of early morning, perhaps four candlemarks past midnight, and they still had about one and a half candlemarks until daybreak. Since they were sitting literally less then a quarter of a ri* from the border, they should have no problem getting across, and they were right where they needed to be – for some reason, the section of border just to the east of this glade was never fully guarded. At least on this side.
The other side, though... it was going to be a problem. The other side of the border was very close to the Taijiya village, and they were very strict about guarding the borders. Kenichi was certain that vigilance would be at an all time high under the circumstances, so their chances of getting across without being spotted were slim. Still, if things worked out right he could use his trick once more, and get them past any danger of discovery. It would leave him severely exhausted, but the safe place Touga had set for them wasn't far past the border, and it was warded so that if they made it into its confines, the wards would go back up, and even if anyone were hot on their trail, they would be kept at bay by the defenses of the place until Touga could arrive.
The two sat quietly together for a time after finishing refreshing themselves, Kenichi keeping close track of time, and after about a half a candlemark he squeezed his wife's tiny hand and sighed, barely audibly. "It's time," he breathed, his worry coming back a hundred-fold – he didn't fear death for himself so much, but he desperately feared death or harm to his wife. The only reason he could say he feared dying himself was because he would no longer be with his beloved, or be able to take care of and protect her. All his true fear was on her behalf, not his own.
Standing and pulling her up with him, he studied her little face for a few moments to fix it in his mind – his reason for doing this, and then kissed her.
"Listen, my love. You must stay totally silent, and follow my lead without hesitation. If I pull you into my embrace, go limp against me and do not move – I will be doing as I did earlier and making us invisible. We will get through this," he said softly, reassuringly, though he couldn't say whether he was reassuring himself or her.
It didn't matter, it worked to do both, and with a final glance and kiss he tugged her after him and set out carefully for the last barrier to their freedom and safety – the border between the North and the West.
Unfortunately for them the forest that they'd been hiding in during their trip began to thin out and then finally ended, leaving a seemingly great distance to cross right out in the open. Kenichi stopped just under the eaves of the last trees, looking across the plain to the Western border and all around for any enemy that would be in their way.
To his dismay, there were many fires on the plain – it was clear that the watch on the border had been upped – even more than he'd known. But those were, at least, still a little distance away – the area near them was empty of life. He studied the route he needed to take – that would lead him near the taijiya village, unless he went further around it, which might be a better option, though it would take a bit longer to get to his safe place.
But he could see that there was, indeed, a great deal of activity near the slayer's section of land, and though the village did not sit in sight of the border itself, they claimed that area all the way to the border, and he could see the fires from those on watch – just as the fires burning in the opposite direction from Ryukotsussei's men.
Well, he decided, there was no help for it. He would aim for the darkest area between the opposing forces and hope neither caught sight of them.
There was nothing else to be done – it was the moment of truth.
Crouching low into the somewhat tall, now brown and dry grasses of the plain, he took off at a slow and steady pace, stopping every so often to listen and to look around, making sure that their path was still clear. For a while, everything seemed to be going well – he smelled nothing nearby that could pose a problem. But then... a scent came teasingly on the wind and he froze, Mine instantly following suit as he scented the air – only to find nothing. He frowned, worried.
"Stay down," he whispered to his wife, and then stood up just a bit from his crouch to look around as much as he could – the full moon helped, but it also hindered, because just as it would help him see if someone was out there, it would also help them see him.
Unmoving, he continued to scent the air and search the vicinity, but for some time, he found nothing. And just as he was about to crouch back down and continue on, that same scent came again, and he froze – it was an odd scent, but one that instantly had his hackles up and he knew that danger was stalking them on silent feet.
Some of Ryukotsussei's slithering serpents had found them.
"Up, Mine," he hissed, "take your true form - fly and make for the border!" At her distressed denial, he said, "I will be with you, I am not leaving you. Now go!"
Without further ado, she did as asked, a deep haze surrounding her body as she changed, and within seconds a beautiful dragon with varying shades of green and yellow scales stood before him, her eyes looking at him with fear before she took to the skies with a mighty heave, flattening the grasses of the prairie meadow with her power, Kenichi at her side.
Just as she launched herself into the sky, a high-pitched shriek sounded below them, and Kenichi looked down to see several scouts take their own true forms and follow them into the air.
Damn! They were almost atop us! We're going to have fight our way out, he thought with dismay.
Sure enough, the three scouts immediately attacked, and before the two knew it, they were in a fight for their lives. Mine twisted around the first one to attack her, getting her coils locked around him and then squeezed, putting more and more pressure on until the scout died in a shower of blood, ruined flesh dropping back down to the meadow. Kenichi was too involved with his own opponent to pay too close attention to her victory, merely noting that she was okay, while continuing to fight his own.
The scout he was facing was larger and more developed, and with little option he drew his sword and attacked, his superior skill with it soon having his own opponent on the run. Just as he turned from that opponent, already sheathing his sword, his wife cried out, and he rushed after her, terrified to see a bleeding gash along her side as the final scout went after her injured area with a vengeance.
With a terrible cry of fury, Kenichi rushed up to the heavy male attacking his little wife and grabbed onto him, de-materializing them as soon as he had him in a good grip... and then, when the struggling male stopped in horror at what was happening, he let go, re-materializing himself but leaving the scout trapped in an unnatural state for his body. Within moments,he died, becoming nothing more than a burst of energy and not a living being.
His mind was rather stunned at what he'd just done – he'd never thought of using his ability as a weapon, but it appeared that it was a very effective one... and then that thought went missing as his wife issued a tiny little cry as she landed once more and returned to her humanoid form. He immediately landed near her to see her examining a painful claw mark along one side, her kimono torn and red with blood. He was furious, worried, and pissed that she was in pain, but there was little he could do at this point, and as he carefully examined it, he found that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought, though it was no doubt painful, she would heal.
"Do not worry, Kenichi, I've had worse," she winced after a moment, folding her half-torn obi down to at least tighten it around her kimono so as not to have her clothing falling open.
He watched her fix her clothing with open worry... they weren't even quite across the border...
And she was already injured.
We're so close, yet so far, he fretted. Still, there's no going back, only forward.
Only forward.
~oOo~
*Koume and Kotake-does anyone recognize these names? Just curious.
*filicide-killing of ones children
*kiseru-traditional pipe with two bands of metal wrapping the stem.
Edited 12/18/13
