Ally
The flame from the kerosene lamps flickered slightly then roared into fireballs of light as he walked slowly toward the bed. She remained still and stared at the door as he sat beside her. The room was now completely illuminated, but despite the fire she felt cold.
"Eight years," he said softly, "and it doesn't seem you've aged a day."
"You still look like a teenager." Her tone was spiteful, but he ignored it.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Do I look comfortable, Hao? Where is Hana?"
"He's sleeping." He scratched his elbow softly then rested his hands loosely in his lap. "It's way past his bedtime. How irresponsible do you think I am?"
"You kidnapped him, and now you expect me to believe you're responsible?" She bitterly closed her eyes.
"I took no such action," he sighed. "Hana ran away for a reason. This was inevitable, Anna."
"You sent Matilda to trick him into coming here. It's the same as grabbing him yourself."
"Let's not argue about the mechanics of this," he said dismissively. "It doesn't really matter."
"I don't want to fight." She glanced at the floor and lowered her head. "I just want Hana back. There's no need to start a war."
"This is already a war, and it began long before Hana decided to come here."
There was a lengthy pause. Anna's expression was hidden by the long strands of her hair, and Hao watched the flame from one of the lamps as it swelled and subsided.
"Yoh's probably at Kiyomi's village by now," he said with a light smirk. "That should be an interesting reunion, don't you think?"
"He doesn't remember her. You know that more than anyone."
"Yes," he chuckled. "That's why it will be interesting."
"They're in danger," she said angrily. "I know you don't care about that, but I do."
"Kiyomi knows she can't defeat him." His eyes narrowed. "It will be a massacre."
Anna clutched the fabric of her dress tightly in her hands and didn't respond.
"Or maybe not," he said quickly. "Maybe he'll leave without fighting."
"He'll fight," she mumbled. "They'll force him to."
"Well, that will give his inferior friends a chance to be useful. If they defend him he won't have to do anything."
She tightened her jaw.
"It really doesn't say much about your cause when you have so little faith in the power of your friends, Anna."
"They're strong."
"Not nearly strong enough."
"They're stronger than your so called accomplices."
He smiled. "We'll see about that, won't we?"
Hao slid closer, causing their legs to touch, and began twirling a few strands of her hair with his finger. She didn't move away, but after a few moments her hands began to tremble.
"As soon as you admit you were wrong, I'll let you leave this room," he said plainly.
"I wasn't wrong."
"Of course you were." He pulled the blond strands away from her shoulder then ran his hand slowly through the hair at the back of her head. Anna's facial expression was expected: completely blank.
"I did what was necessary to protect my son."
"From me?" There was anger present in his voice immediately, but his calm expression didn't change.
She didn't answer.
"Hana deserves the truth from his mother. Since you've been lying to him his entire life, you owe him that."
"I want my son back," she said defiantly. "Give him back to me, and we'll leave."
"He's such a strong boy." Hao ignored the demand completely. "And he has so much potential."
"I won't let you use him as a weapon."
"It's a shame he's been living in an environment where his growth is stifled. I'm afraid you've handicapped him for life."
"You won't turn him against me. I don't care what you do or say, Hana knows right from wrong."
"He only knows what you tell him. Running away was the best decision he's ever made in his life, and now he can be the man he was born to be."
"What do you want, Hao?" Her voice was fatigued, and she tightly closed her eyes when she felt him lean closer.
"My desires haven't changed," he said softly, pausing briefly to kiss her arm.
"This won't do anything but get people killed," she said with frustration. "You don't care how many people you hurt, do you? You're so selfish!"
"We're both selfish people, Anna."
He traced her neck with his finger slowly then rested his arm against her back. Her eyes filled quickly with tears, but she blinked rapidly to repel them.
"I find your audacity to be angry with me incredible," he said as he rested his forehead against her shoulder. "I am not the enemy."
"You spent the last eight years trying to take Hana away from me. That makes you my enemy."
"If I'm the enemy, what does that make Yoh?"
He placed his free hand in her lap, and his fingers feathered against her clasped hands. She released her grip immediately and allowed him to embrace one of them.
"There will come a time when he will discover the truth," he whispered, "and that day will be very soon."
A single tear rolled down her cheek and splashed against her dress.
"I may not be able to stop him from killing you."
Hao expected her silence. There was nothing in his mind she could say that would be relevant. He tightened his arm around her waist and exhaled against her neck.
"It's time for you to stop being stubborn," he said sternly. "You no longer get to decide Hana's fate. And if you want my protection, you'll play by my rules."
"I don't need your protection, Hao," she snarled. "I need my son."
"Hana is in training, and if you love him as much as you claim you'll allow that to continue. He's not strong enough for this fight, but he will be soon."
"Yoh would never harm him. This is just an excuse to use him for your personal gain."
"You've used him for your personal gain since he was born, Anna. It's time the boy started thinking for himself."
"You will not make me feel guilty for the sacrifices I've made." She pulled away from him and stood from the bed, taking a few steps back.
"We've both made sacrifices, Anna," he said wearily. "You seem to have forgotten that."
She began pacing in front of him. He watched her silently then rubbed his hands together.
"You've lived with Yoh for eight years. As his wife."
Anna stopped abruptly and stood in the middle of the floor with her back facing him but didn't speak.
"You didn't make the right decision, Anna. If anyone should be angry, that person should be me."
"So the answer is to start a war?"
"The answer is to take what's rightfully mine," he said with a growl.
Hao stood slowly from the bed and passed her as he walked toward the door. She didn't move from her frozen stance and looked away when he turned around.
"You want to kill me." It wasn't a question, and she glanced at the wall as she waited for an answer.
"Of course not, Anna."
"So why did you bring me here?"
"I had no idea you were coming so early. I'm just as surprised as you are."
"You expect me to believe your 'minions' acted without your orders?"
"Sometimes they do that," he said calmly. "Fortunately for them, I'm pleased with this decision."
He placed his hand on the door handle, but before opening it she grabbed his arm.
"Let me see him," she pleaded. "You can allow me that small request, can't you?"
Hao pushed her gently against the wall with his hand on her waist. She stared at his hair as he leaned into her face, and for several moments his silence sent chills down her spine.
"I didn't see him for eight years. You can wait for a few days."
He kissed her forehead softly, and she bitterly closed her eyes. She didn't move from her position against the wall until he was gone.
Manta paced back and forth inside of the small room while nervously rubbing his hands. The infirmary seemed to be the only elaborate building including Kiyomi's house, and there were several patient rooms aligned evenly along the long hallway. The room he was standing in was dark. Thalim was asleep from an herbal concoction one of the attendants gave him, and there was a small kerosene lamp hoisted above the entrance. Ryu was leaning against a far wall near the bed and watched Manta's pacing with worry of his own.
"I don't think this is a coincidence," Manta said anxiously. "Everyone seems to know him."
"Yeah," Ryu replied. "I noticed that."
He paused and bit his bottom lip. "No one has referred to him by name since we got here. They keep calling him the demon Asakura. Did you notice that?"
"Yes."
"...What do you think that means?"
"I have no idea."
Silence filled the room as Thalim's heavy breathing increased. Manta stared at the wall after his pacing stopped and scratched his head.
"I've never been here before, Ryu. None of us have. How would they know him?"
"He's lying to you."
Shumei's voice startled them, and Manta moved away from the door when the man entered. He seemed taller now that they were in close quarters, and his short dark hair hid one of his eyes as he glared at them. There was a long sword sheathed at his waist, and he rested his hand on the handle as if he was determining whether or not to use it, and Ryu narrowed his eyes when he saw it.
"Shumei, right?" Manta said politely. "My name is Manta, and that's my friend Ryu."
"Who's lying?" Ryu folded his arms over his chest tightly and clenched his teeth. There was something about the man that irritated him, but he didn't know why.
"The demon Asakura is wicked and cunning. He is a master of deception, and he hides his sadistic nature underneath that boyish smile. If you consider him your friend he has already manipulated you."
"What?" Manta blurted.
"You must not be talking about Yoh," Ryu countered. "That sounds more like his brother."
"Hao and his parents have been allies of this village since he was a child." Shumei stepped forward and balled his hands into fists. "That alliance was broken because of his demon brother."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Manta admitted sadly.
"Why are you calling him that?" Ryu's frustration was apparent in his voice. "Where did this...demon thing come from?"
"Only demons rejoice in destruction, laugh in the face of the weak...and delightfully bathe in their blood."
Manta stared at him with his mouth agape. He was confused but too afraid to ask for clarification.
"You're mistaken," Ryu said defiantly and stepped away from the wall. "Yoh is not who you think he is."
"You should be careful," Shumei said spitefully. "If he is your ally...it means everyone in this village is your enemy. And we kill our enemies."
"Captain!" An elderly man gingerly stepped into the entrance and paused to catch his breath.
"What's wrong?" Shumei shifted into a much lighter tone, and he reached out his arms to steady the man's balance.
"Master Junichi has returned," he said breathlessly. "And...he brought back a woman."
"A...woman?" His voice melted when he repeated it.
"She's so beautiful!" the man said happily. "You have to come and see her! He called her Tamao. The angel Tamao!"
Manta's eyes widened as he watched Shumei leave the room with the man, but Ryu grabbed his arm before he followed.
"What are you doing?"
"It might be best to pretend we don't know her for now," Ryu said gravely. "We don't need her to be a target, and we have to sort things out with Yoh."
"But when she sees us they'll know."
"If we make it blatant she'll play along, and then we can explain things to her in private."
Manta glanced at the bed and heavily exhaled. Ryu walked toward the door and stopped at the entrance.
"Ryu, what if he's right? What if...what if Yoh's been lying to us?"
"He hasn't. I don't know what that man is talking about, but he's not talking about Yoh."
"But...when he attacked Thalim...he has powers we're unaware of. Maybe he has a past we're unaware of too."
"You're being paranoid for no reason, Manta. Don't let him scare you."
Anna tapped her foot against the floor vigorously as she sat rigidly at the edge of the bed. The conversation with Hao was unsettling, as she expected, and now she was deeply worried. Hana was in danger, and she needed to protect him at all costs. There had to be a way out of that room, she determined. She stood quickly when the door opened again, and she exhaled as he entered.
"I said I wasn't coming back here."
"Why are you here, Pino?"
He didn't answer but stared at her with fatigued eyes.
"I think you know where my son is," she said softly. "I don't wish to run away...only to see him."
"I'm not going to help you," he snapped.
"You came back because you're not a bad person, and you don't want me to suffer."
"What makes you think you know anything about me?"
"I know that you came back."
Anna took a few daring steps forward, and he didn't retreat. She was standing inches in front of him and gazed into his eyes. Her stare was intimidating and stripping. Pino felt powerless to look away, and they remained in this locked exchange for several moments.
There's no need to fight me, Pino. Help me find my son.
He grabbed her hand suddenly and lead her to the door. She was startled momentarily but didn't pull away.
"Everyone should be asleep," he said sternly. "You won't be allowed to see him for very long. If you're not back before someone notices I'll get myself killed."
"Okay," she said with an eager smile.
