Chapter Three
The sun was climbing in the sky as Hyoushin and Maichu reached the mountain town of Souun, and as the two men stepped though the gateway into the busy city streets, Hyoushin paused to glance across at the intimidating mountain peaks that loomed over the bustling, rough-edged settlement. Somehow, framed by the summer light, the tallest of the range almost appeared in the form of a hunting wolf, and as he gazed at it, he realised that it was quite a different prospect from the snow-capped Koku-zan on which he and Maichu had sheltered some days before.
"A southern mountain, without a flake of snow or chip of ice in sight." He reflected regretfully, as his clever amethyst eyes gauged the likely pathway beyond the crowded town. "Lush with vegetation on the lower levels, dry earth and rock at the peak. Not a forgiving mountain, I trust - and as we already know, the home of rogues. We must be careful in these parts - this is, after all, the region of Kounan which lives under bandit rule."
He turned, taking in their more immediate surroundings as he tried to get the measure of what sort of town Souun was. It was clearly not a rich town, he reflected, for some of the houses had tiles that needed replacing and many of the facing walls were chipped and dry, badly in need of repair. The children that ran between market stalls wore patched clothing and a quick glance told Hyoushin that most of the adults were no better attired, many of them dressed in plain, simple fabrics that had long since seen better days. And yet, despite the obvious hardships many of the townsfolk faced, there was a sense of joviality and security in the atmosphere.
"The children may be without shoes, but they are not without laughter." He murmured softly.
"Hyoushin-sama?" Maichu's quizzical glance told the Meihi he had spoken aloud, and he smiled faintly, shrugging his shoulders.
"It is the same wherever we are in Kounan." He said simply. "Have you not noticed? Even here it is the case. The people in Souun are not rich people, but they are also not oppressed. This is bandit country, is it not? Yet these people are happy and secure despite that. It seems an interesting conflict of circumstances. Do you not think so?"
"I hadn't really thought about it." Maichu looked surprised. "But we're not dealing with ordinary bandits, are we? I mean, that Jin kid that Miramu killed, he was one of them - wasn't he? And one of the Suzaku people is associated with them, too. So maybe they're not like other bandits. Maybe it's different. I don't know."
"I confess the more I see of Kounan, the more I am convinced that Aoiketsu has discovered something important." Hyoushin admitted. "But I wish it was not so hot. That we should come here in summer is inconvenient. I am afraid that my progress is slower because of it - and I am holding you back."
"I hadn't noticed it, if you are." Maichu said frankly, then he realised who he was speaking to and reddened. "I mean, it's all right, sir. It's not a problem."
Hyoushin eyed him for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"Speak plainly, and do not worry about formality." He said softly. "I am no longer your Commander, Maichu. I have been relieved of that position. And we are reliant on one another for our safety in this strange land. I would sooner you were not worrying about offending me. There is nothing that you can say which will perturb me. Your faith in me is much more appreciated than you know, after all."
"I guess." Maichu sighed. "Habits die hard, and all of that. It just sucks, that's all. This whole thing - it sucks. You say you're not my Commander any more, but you still are to me - and to Aoi too. And I still can't call you anything else because of that. But I guess...travelling like this..."
He faltered, and Hyoushin knew his young companion was eying him carefully.
"You don't look so fit." He admitted. "And come to think of it, you ain't eaten much since we've been in Kounan. Maybe we should stop somewhere an' get something to eat an' drink, huh? It'd be cooler, most likely, an' I remember from when I was here before that ale in Kounan is worth the price."
"It is not like we have much money, Maichu. Very little at all, in fact - only the money I carried with me when I was summarily dismissed." Hyoushin reminded him, inwardly startled by the boy's sudden perception. "As for my physical state, it is simply the heat of the day that tires me. It is difficult to find an appetite when faced with such an atmosphere. I am not unfit - my health is fine. It is, quite simply, a case of being too hot."
"But hot can become dehydrated real quick." Maichu said frankly. "It's all right, sir. I mean, Hyoushin-sama. I have some coin too, you know. I have what's left of the money you sent me to Kounan with in the first place. Because Aoi was so quick to meet with me, I never spent all of it an' I never had a chance to give it back to you. Besides, if you collapse or something, we'll attract attention to ourselves like crazy, won't we?"
"I imagine we've already managed that." Hyoushin said dryly, his gaze flitting to the townspeople, some of whom had already registered the appearance of strangers in their town. "I am not exactly inconspicuous."
"I suppose not." Maichu grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting about that."
"You keep forgetting about it?" Hyoushin stared at him, and Maichu shrugged.
"That you're Meihi and that they don't have those in the South." He agreed. "I've been with you six years now and I've just got used to it - I guess I didn't think about what people might do or say if it was the first time they saw someone like you."
Hyoushin eyed Maichu for a moment, then his lips twitched into a smile and he rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I think I prefer your directness to your attempts at manners, Maichu." he said softly. "And I will bow to your opinion. We will find an inn and get out of the sun - if just for a short while. It has struck me that we do not know Souun well, and nor do we know how to find our destination. We are an odd sight, perhaps, but in the seclusion of a tavern we might avoid so much attention. And we may come to learn something from the people around us - if we pay careful attention."
"Yes, that's true." Maichu brightened. "All right, then. I remember that there is a busy inn on the corner of the next street - I think it's the next turning, anyway. They seemed to have a lot of people coming in and out of there, the one time I came here. We should head for that - it's not far, and I don't remember their rates being unreasonable."
"I see you enjoyed your visit to the South quite considerably." Hyoushin observed, and Maichu reddened, shaking his head.
"I didn't spend the whole time drinking." He defended himself. "Honestly, I didn't. But inns are good places to meet people. Aoi. Kayu. You know. It's not like it sounds, sir. I promise."
Hyoushin shrugged.
"Your knowledge is proving useful once again." He said simply. "And I am in no position to criticise your methods, Maichu. I am no longer your Commander."
"I wish you wouldn't say that when I already told you it wasn't true." Maichu grimaced. "Please, sir. The Emperor did not authorise that letter and he didn't agree to this. So you're still the Commander. And dammit, it sounds defeatist when you talk like that...I don't like it. You're never defeatist - you're always sure of the way to go and you always just get on with things. But since we left Hokkan - sometimes...you sound like…you're not sure."
"Perhaps that is closer to the truth than I would like to admit." Hyoushin sighed, reaching up to run his fingers through his thick silvery hair.
To effect his disguise, he had discarded his warrior's tail in favour of the more traditional Meihi style knotted at the base of his neck, but in their walk through the forestland of Kounan the ribbons that tied it in place had long since come undone and now his thick, straight hair fell loose around his face, adding to his discomfort in the warm midday heat. The woven fabric of the robes Lirayi had stitched for him hung heavily against his tall frame, and though he had not known how to own it, he felt certain that he was reaching the end of his walking tether.
"I will not discard what Rayi made for me." He told himself, even as his fingers brushed against the black-stone pendant that still hung around his throat. "And I cannot see how else I can dress, and still maintain my guise as a Meihi. Since we left Hokkan, it has been my only defence - to claim my tribal heritage and pretend I do not understand Chinese. But here, in Kounan, dressed like this - I do not know how much longer I can manage it. It is foolish attire for such a hot day, and I must be crazy. Still, what other option do I have? If it were to be known who we really were..."
"Hyoushin-sama, are we going?" Maichu broke through his thoughts and Hyoushin nodded, falling into step with his young companion as they made their way towards the aforementioned inn.
"Maichu, I would like you not to use my name in public while we are in these parts." He said softly, as they walked. "I realise it is hard to remember, but I must ask you anyway. My name is known to the people of Suzaku, and so is my face. We must not take chances and draw attention to ourselves if we can prevent it...do you understand?"
"Yes." Maichu looked grave. "And I'll try and remember. I'm just not sure what else to call you, sir. That's the truth. If I can't call you Commander, and I can't call you...your name...what can I say? Just 'you' seems rude...even by my standards."
At this, Hyoushin offered a faint smile, brushing his fingers against the stitching of his robe as he touched the black-threaded Meihi character for 'peace'.
"There is one other thing you could call me." He admitted. "That name is not my birth name, Maichu. You do know that, I think?"
"I guess I never thought about that, either." Maichu looked sheepish. "But it's true, isn't it, that the Emperor gave you that name after he...when you met?"
"After he freed me from slavery." Hyoushin nodded. "You may say it, Maichu. Avoiding it does not change its truth. Yes. That was the name he gave me, because I told him I did not remember my true name."
"So that's no use either, then." Maichu sighed. "It was a long time ago, so I guess you wouldn't remember, but..."
"Lilaihi." Hyoushin cut across him, and Maichu stared, confused.
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"Lilaihi." Hyoushin repeated. "That is my true name, Maichu. I was not entirely honest with the Emperor, when I told him I had forgotten. I simply wanted to forget - but I am coming to realise that I cannot. So you may use that, if you must use a name for me in public. Liliahi."
"You must be kidding - I can't even say that." Maichu looked dismayed. "How the hell am I going to remember that, sir? It's not even a proper name!"
"It is a Meihi name, Maichu."
"I..." Maichu bit his lip. "Shit, I guess that did come out wrong. I meant it wasn't a usual kind of name...or...oh, I didn't mean it to come out rude like that. But shit, I don't think I can even say it. I don't speak Meihi. And..."
"Li. La. Ihi." Hyoushin interrupted softly. "Repeat it, please."
"Li...La...?"
"Li La Ihi."
"Li..lai..ihi?"
"Yes. Close enough." Hyoushin nodded. "It seems you are able to pronounce it adequately, so all that remains is for you to recall it. On the off-chance you will need to call me by any name at all - this is the one which you must now use. At least until we have made contact with Aoiketsu. Do you understand?"
"I...I guess." Maichu looked doubtful. "If that's what you want me to do. It sounds weird - it feels weird - but I'll try."
"No more strange for you than for me." Hyoushin admitted. "The Meihi in the mountains were the first to call me by that name in almost twenty five years, Maichu. And it is not a name I take pleasure in remembering, for many reasons. But we have moved beyond the point of sentimentality and personal preference. We have a duty and we must fulfil it. And that means using all methods at our disposal. Including my past, if it be so necessary."
"Lilaihi." Maichu murmured. "Okay. I think I got it. It still sounds kinda strange, but...I'll try and remember it."
Hyoushin nodded.
"This is the inn you mentioned?" He asked, gesturing towards the busy, white-fronted building that fronted onto the end of the next street, and Maichu nodded.
"That's the one." He agreed. "I guess you want me to do the talking again, huh? Are we going to stick with the guise we've used coming south - that we're traders?"
"Yes." Hyoushin reflected. "It seems the easiest thing. In the North, at least, Meihi weaving and carving seems to be much in demand. From that perspective, it at least gives us a reason to be travelling together."
"They're going to think I'm a slave owner again." Maichu grimaced. "But I guess there's no helping it. All right. I understand...I'll do as you say."
As they entered the crowded, quaintly decorated tavern, many heads turned to stare at them, and from across the room a middle-aged man got to his feet, approaching them with a quizzical look in his eyes.
"Can I help you?" He said softly, his gaze flitting from Maichu to Hyoushin as he seemed to be sizing up the situation. "We're real busy today, you know."
Maichu frowned, glancing at his Commander, then shaking his head.
"I can see that." He said frankly. "But we're just here to get out of the sun. My companion dislikes the summer heat, and we have an important meeting in the capital tomorrow. If we could just stop here a short while and refresh ourselves, then it'd be much appreciated. Kounan is hot in the summer, after all - and my companion is not accustomed to the weather."
The man's eyes widened as he eyed Maichu anew. Then he bowed his head, an apologetic look in his dark eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said frankly. "I'd taken you for a slaver, given the fact your friend here bears the scar. You know slavery ain't allowed in the South - an' you with the look of the East about you, I thought..."
"I don't believe in slavery. And nor do many people in Kutou." Maichu said quietly, though Hyoushin could see the indignation in his dark eyes. "I'm not a slave owner. My companion is a skilled workman from the North, and we've come south in search of trade. But if you're not willing to accomodate us...we can always go elsewhere."
The innkeeper's eyes opened wide with dismay and he bowed towards them again.
"My apologies." He flustered a second time. "It's just...you have to realise, in the past...this is Reikaku-zan land, and...the Kashira of the mountain doesn't take kindly to slaving. That's all. Your companion - the only time we've seen his kind in Souun before has been in those circumstances. And he is marked, so I thought..."
"He was a slave, but is no more." Maichu said softly, and Hyoushin decided it was time he took a hand in the conversation. He raised his hands in a Meihi gesture of peace.
"I hope we will not inconvenience you by our presence." He said quietly, speaking in his native tongue as he offered the innkeeper a faint smile. "We're just passing through Souun, that's all."
The innkeeper stared at him as if he was mad, then,
"What did he say?" He asked Maichu. Maichu met his Commander's gaze for a moment, then he shrugged.
"That he's hot and tired and he'd like to take a moment to rest here." He said evenly. "You're fortunate - it seems my friend is happy to overlook your hostility, so so will I."
"Doesn't he speak Chinese?" The innkeeper asked, and Maichu snorted.
"He's from the Northern mountains. Where would he have learnt that?" He demanded. "We can communicate, and that's all that matters. Will you serve us, or will we be forced to go elsewhere?"
"Please, take a seat, both of you." The innkeeper said hastily, indicating towards a free corner table, and Hyoushin cast Maichu a quizzical glance as if looking for further instruction. Maichu nodded his head, and Hyoushin made a Meihi gesture of thanks as they were guided to their seats. Before long they were served with cool, sweet ale and although he rarely drank alcohol, Hyoushin found himself glad of the coldness.
"Thank Seiryuu he's left us alone." Maichu took a sip of his own drink, sitting back with a sigh. "That was tough, you know. I hate the way they assume - but he was the worst of the lot. I guess these mountain bandits really have a thing against slavery."
"A sensible stance." Hyoushin murmured absently, running his finger along the rim of the glass. "Thank you, Maichu. You handled him well. Even if your Meihi translation leaves much to be desired."
"Well, to be honest, sir, you could have told him you were a chicken and neither of us would have been any the wiser." Maichu said sheepishly. "But I figured it didn't matter what you actually said. Only what he thought you said."
"It is good to be out of the sun." Hyoushin admitted. "And the ale is indeed refreshing. Once again your knowledge has proven useful."
"We could eat, while we were here. That guy's up for bending over backwards to serve us, so we might get a discount." Maichu mused, and Hyoushin shrugged.
"You may if you like." He responded. "My concern is replenishing lost fluids and cooling down. I am not hungry, but if you are..."
"Sir, you need to eat, you know."
"Yes, perhaps, but there will be time enough for that when the sun sets and it is less oppressive." Hyoushin shook his head. "For now I am just grateful to have something cold to drink."
Before Maichu could respond, the door of the inn swung open again to reveal a stranger, and at the sight of him many of the townspeople let out an exclamation, several getting up from their seats as they greeted him. Hyoushin frowned, trying to make out this newcomer in the midst of the flood of bodies.
He was tallish, though probably not as tall as Hyoushin himself, and of approximately the same age, although there was a youth and spirit in his bronze eyes which gave him the appearance of someone still in his mid to late twenties. A shock of flame-red hair crowned his head, tapering into a long, bound tail down his back, and bright, gaudy gems hung from his ears, indicating that this was someone who was not afraid of making an impression.
He was robed in what appeared to be bandit attire, but there was a tailored showiness to his clothing, and although he wore a blade at his belt, it was the odd silver implement strapped to his back that attracted Hyoushin's attention more. It looked like a simple harisen, yet it glittered with the glint of cold hard metal, and for the life of him Hyoushin could not work out what it might be for.
From the interest of the patrons, he guessed that this man must be both popular in Souun and somehow associated with the bandit mountain. He soon found he was right, for the innkeeper that had spoken to them a short time before pushed through the swathe of bodies, bowing his head in greeting.
"Genrou-sama!" He exclaimed. "This is unexpected!"
"Unexpected?" The bandit spoke, his words touched with a rolling mountain accent, and he offered the man a grin, revealing fanged teeth as he did so. "I would'a thought you'd be tramplin' down the mountain lookin' for me considerin' I'm a day late payin' our dues."
"That's true." The innkeeper owned. "But a day's only a day when it's Reikaku-zan. And I didn't expect it to be you comin' down to pay us, Genrou-sama. After all..."
"Why not?" Genrou demanded, a playful note in his voice. "I drink here as much as any of the others, don't I? An' I can do my own dirty work - besides, it's my fault the damn thing got held up."
He reached down to unhook something from his belt, and Hyoushin could see it was a leather pouch which clearly contained coins. The innkeeper took it eagerly, glancing inside it and then nodding his head.
"As ever, it's good doing business with you, Genrou-sama." He said frankly, and Genrou laughed.
"I ain't surprised you say that, considerin' the amount of time we spend in your joint." He said ruefully. "We won't be late next month...we gotta set the example, after all. It would'a been here yesterday but I got tied up with things on the mountain - you know what it's like when women get involved. The best laid plans go to hell an' back before you can make sense of them."
The innkeeper laughed, nodding his head.
"A day is nothing compared to some of the good-for-nothings who drink here." He said honestly. "If we can rely on anyone to keep their obligations, it's Reikaku-zan's men."
"Glad you think so." Genrou's expression became approving. "Well, you're obviously busy, an' I'm creating a distraction - so I'll leave outta here before I ruin your business. I got other errands to run yet."
"You're not drinking with us today, Genrou-sama?" One of the inn's serving girls shot him a surprised look, disappointment in her dark eyes. "Not even just the one? You've not been down to the city yourself in a while - we thought you'd forgotten all about us."
"Not today." Genrou shook his head, eying the girl with a mixture of wariness and amusement. "You can pout like that all you like, Maiki, but I got business an' I'm goin' to see to it before I think of drinkin' anywhere."
"I could always come with you and help." The girl asked hopefully, and the innkeeper shot her a dark look.
"Maiki, mind your manners." He warned her.
Genrou laughed.
"You never resist the chance to try your luck, kid." He said, amused. "But you should know by now that Anzu's more'n willin' to bring her sword out if she has to, an' one woman is all I can cope with. Let it go, huh? The mountain ain't no place for young girls like you - an' I'm near old enough t'be your father."
"I don't care." Maiki pouted. "I'm very mature for my age, you know."
"Maiki, go out the back and check the water levels, please." The innkeeper shot her a meaningful look, and Maiki's pout deepened, but she flounced obediently off in the direction he had indicated. Once she had gone, the innkeeper bowed his head towards the bandit apologetically.
"I'm sorry about her, Genrou-sama, an' the way she speaks to you each time you come in. If it wasn't that she was my niece..."
"The girl's got spirit about her, is all." Genrou shrugged, and to Hyoushin it seemed that he had almost liked the attention. "She jus' needs to pin it on a guy her own age. That's all. Like I said - one woman's more than enough for this bandit to handle."
"Send our best to Anzu-sama an' the others." The innkeeper told him, and Genrou nodded his head.
"Be sure to." He agreed "And no doubt you'll see plenty more trade from us before the next due date."
With that he turned on his heel, sauntering out of the establishment with as much casual swagger as when he had come in.
"What the hell was all that?" Maichu frowned, and Hyoushin's eyes narrowed as he tried to work out what had been familiar about the bandit's lean, wolfish features and glittering bronze eyes. Somehow he felt sure he had met the man before, even though he knew he had not, but despite his best attempts his tired, sun-fogged brain would not pull together the memories and make the connection.
"Someone from the mountain." He said at length. "From Reikaku-zan, bringing money to the innkeeper. Maichu, I have a thought."
"A thought, sir?" Maichu drained his glass, setting it down on the scratched wood table surface as he eyed his companion thoughtfully. "Shit, these southerners are weird as hell. He must've been crazy to turn down that girl - she was pretty lookin' as well."
"Maichu, focus." Hyoushin said sharply, and Maichu grimaced, a sheepish look in his dark eyes.
"Sorry." He said apologetically. "I'm listening."
"That man - that Genrou - he's come from the mountain." Hyoushin said softly. "From Reikaku-zan. Which is where you told me Suzaku's relic was hidden - correct?"
"That's what Aoi said, before he went strange on me." Maichu agreed. "Why?"
"Perhaps it would be as well for you to follow this man, then...at least until you discover the best path to this bandit stronghold." Hyoushin pursed his lips. "After all, we know that the place Aoiketsu is sheltering is somewhat associated with that place, do we not? And if we can locate Suzaku's relic in the meantime..."
"Finding Aoi is more important, surely?" Maichu looked surprised. "And if I do that, sir, what will you do?"
"For the time being, I will remain here and see what I can learn under the protection of apparent incomprehension." Hyoushin told him. "I do not wish to throw you into harm's way, Maichu - but I trust you can be careful. Do not attempt anything drastic on your own - simply discover the way to the mountain and whatever else you can. Do you think you can do that?"
"I'm not sure we should split up." Maichu said doubtfully. "You still don't look so fit, sir - you look tired and..."
"I'm sure I will be fine without your protection, Maichu." There was a note of irony in Hyoushin's voice, and Maichu reddened.
"That wasn't quite what I meant." He said hastily, and Hyoushin shook his head.
"The longer we argue it, the further away he will be." He said wisely. "Go now, Maichu. Do not worry about me. I will rest here a while and then conduct enquiries of my own. We will rendezvous at this same time tomorrow...that should be adequate for you to find out what we need to know. I would go myself, but...in this heat..."
"No, it's okay. I'll go." Maichu assured him. "If you think it'll be useful. And I'll report back here tomorrow at this time. You can count on me."
"Yes, I know I can." Hyoushin's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Take care, Maichu. I am running out of people I can trust."
"No problem." Maichu got to his feet. "I'll find out what we need to know. And I'll be back again. It takes more than one mountain bandit to kill me!"
With that he was gone, and Hyoushin sighed, sinking back in his seat as he finished his own drink. He set the glass down on the scarred wood, running his fingers through his thick silver hair.
"I am useless like this." He muttered, slipping into his own language almost unconsciously as he fumbled at his belt for a fresh tie with which to fasten back the thick, heavy locks. "Relying on Maichu so much is not good, but the weather here is taking its toll on me more than I'd like. Even so, I am fortunate to have him. I do not know what I would do without him, considering the fact that Kounan's weather has hit me so severely."
Carefully he bound his hair back from his face, somewhat relieved to feel the faint breeze of air from the inn door reach his neck. It was, he realised, cooler even inside the packed inn than it was in the direct glare of the southern sun.
"Nice as it would be to remain here indefinitely, this is not a pleasure trip." He told himself ruefully. "I should leave also, and see what I can find in this city."
As he prepared to get to his feet, the sound of voices made him pause, as he heard the young girl who had been flirting with the bandit re-enter the tavern.
"You idiot, Maiki! You know Genrou-sama's too old an' too good for the likes of you!" One of her fellow serving girls hissed, and out of the corner of his eye Hyoushin saw Maiki adopt a defensive stance.
"I can't help it." She protested. "Genrou-sama's a proper man. Not like some of the idiots who come in here an' try groping us. He can hold his ale, an' he's handsome, too. What's wrong with tryin' my luck? You only live once, after all."
"Yes, but shit, Maiki, ain't aimin' for the friggin' Kashira of Reikaku-zan a bit out of your tree?" The second girl said scathingly. "The guy pretty much rules Souun – or hadn't you noticed a little thing like that? You ain't nothin' in comparison – jus' another tavern girl an' that's all. Besides the fact he is twice as old as you or near enough - an' married, too. You're nuts in the head if you think you stand a chance gettin' his attention - everyone knows that Anzu-sama's one o' the prettiest women in the area even now, an' a crack swordswoman t'boot. You really want to risk pissin' her off with your games?"
"Kashira of...Reikaku-zan?" Hyoushin's eyes widened as he digested this, and inwardly he cursed his own incompetence. "And I have sent Maichu after him. That was foolish, Hyoushin."
For a moment he debated hurrying after his young companion with the intention of recalling him, then he hesitated, realising the folly of his thoughts.
"To go after the boy now would only be to attract attention to him." He realised. "And I could well put him into danger since he is able to blend among the ordinary folk and I am not. He is a skilled enough soldier, surely, simply to observe without generating too much suspicion…and he is much like everyone else in appearance and apparel. I must think more clearly - this wretched heat is making a mockery of my judgement."
He rubbed his temples, as the pieces fell into place and he realised what about the man had been so familiar.
"The Kashira of Reikaku-zan is Tasuki of Suzaku." He muttered. "And that young girl - the one possessed by Doryoku - she was his daughter. The resemblance is clear - why did I not make that connection before?"
"Guys our age are so immature." Maiki was speaking again, and Hyoushin forced his remonstrations aside as he once more focused on the girls' hushed conversation. They were, he realised, only just within his earshot, and that their words probably did not carry into the main body of the tavern, but they had overlooked his presence in the corner, and Hyoushin knew it was because he had pretended not to understand Chinese.
"So they talk freely, and I will listen." He decided grimly. "At least that way I will learn, I hope, what kind of man I have sent Maichu after."
"Not all of them are." The other girl objected. "You're just too picky. That's all."
"No, they all are." Maiki groaned. "They suck. And they act like idiots after just a few glasses of ale. What kind of a man flops all over you on the least excuse?"
"I don't know." The other girl seemed to be considering this. "There was that one young guy - nice-spoken an' pretty t'look at too. He was handsome enough, an' friendly, too, without resortin' to gropin'. I can't imagine he'd be the kind to flop all over. He was well-dressed an' cultured, like."
"Okay, I suppose, but that was one occasion, once." Maiki folded her arms. "People pass through. He was from the East - y'could tell soon as he spoke, no matter how cultured he was. He's probably long gone back to Kutou by now."
"That's where you're wrong, Mai-chan." Her companion said lightly. "Because he's been here more than once. He's stoppin' in one of the villages- the Eastern Village, I think. He's a friend of Suzaku's Chichiri-sama, because I've seen him here in Souun with people from there. He's obviously not going to be a loser, is he? You jus' need to open your eyes more."
"A well-cultured, finely spoken young stranger from the East..." Hyoushin pursed his lips. "So this is the area that Aoiketsu has settled on, then. It must be him...which means our instincts in coming this way were correct."
Carefully he shifted in his seat so he could see the two more clearly, half-wishing he could ask them questions but knowing that if he did, they would close right up and he would lose any chance of discovering more.
"I am an oddity to look at and that can be a benefit or a hindrance, depending on the situation." He realised, frustration in his amethyst eyes. "If I go after Maichu, I will bring attention on him. And if I stay here, I may learn more. But it would have been useful to have had him interrogate these girls - he has the adequate charms to so do, after all."
"From the village, huh?" Oblivious to the Meihi's attention, Maiki seemed to be thinking this over. "Still, he's not as cool as Genrou-sama. Genrou-sama's a bandit, and that's exciting - he's a swordsman and a warrior for Suzaku. You can't beat that...like I said, he's a real man. Not just some pretty-boy from one of the villages. Friend of Suzaku or not, I'm only interested in Genrou-sama."
"Then you'll be lonely a long while, idiot." Her friend said disparagingly. "Because he ain't going to bite."
"I like a challenge." Maiki shrugged. "An' you can talk, since you don't get hardly any men payin' you attention, either."
"I ain't as desperate a specimen as you." Was the girl's scathing response. Her gaze drifted across the room, resting momentarily on Hyoushin, and the Meihi stared back at her, assuming a blank, half-focused look as he hoped his observation of them hadn't been noticed.
"Hey, that one's a weird'un." At length the girl spoke, and Hyoushin resisted the impulse to react as he realised he was now the focus of their conversation. "Did you see him come in? Spoke in some weird language an' look how he's dressed. Talk about a foreigner to these parts - wonder what the hell he's doin' in Souun?"
"You'd think there's be better places to come all this way to visit." Maiki admitted. "I don't know, though. He's weird lookin', sure, but in a good way. He's not as handsome as Genrou-sama, but you know, he's interestin'. I'd call him attractive - exotic. His eyes are just like amethysts...I never saw anyone like that before."
"You're a hopeless case." Her friend sighed, shaking her head. "What's the point in snagging a guy who don't even speak your language?"
"It might be a good thing." Maiki replied carelessly. "Then I wouldn't have to listen to him boast."
At that point the innkeeper's call interrupted their conversation, and the girls dispersed to carry out individual errands, their interest in their strange visitor forgotten in light of the steady stream of customers waiting to be served. Hyoushin sighed, inwardly relieved to no longer be the subject of their scrutiny.
"If they had known I understood every word, they would have been more circumspect." He reflected ruefully. "I am not sure I like being so examined. But still, I have learnt something from their conversation. They have seen Aoiketsu - and if I am clever, I may yet discover which path leads to the Eastern Village. If he remains in the company of Suzaku's Chichiri, then what I most need to do is locate his whereabouts. Without Maichu, I am unable to risk revealing myself by asking questions…but at least, for the time being, I have something to go on. And that, for now will suffice. I will take a room here as a base and see what I can discover today – tonight, when the sun sets, I will be better able to investigate. And tomorrow I will reconvene with Maichu – with luck one of us may well have found Aoiketsu by that time!"
So, they would be going to Kutou.
As Aoiketsu leant up against the tall tree that spread its leaves over the Ri farmstead, he chewed down on his lip, observing the two figures that, not far away were completely engrossed in their own affairs. Since the sun had risen that morning, Hikari had tackled Chichiri about the honing of her magic, and, having heard her out, Chichiri had agreed that it was time once more to work on the girl's inner power. Consequently, and even despite the scorching Kounan sun, the two had been working hard almost all of the day, and as Aoiketsu watched them, he felt a faint sense of wistfulness stir up inside of him.
"This is the thing that Hikari can do that makes her different from me and anyone else in this world." He murmured, as he made himself more comfortable against the broad, dark-wood trunk. "But in the end, if she succeeds…then it'll be time to lose her completely. And even though I say I can deal with it – can I really?"
His mind flitted back to the kiss on Koku-zan's snowy slopes, and despite himself he sighed.
"Soldiers live day by day. They don't think of what the future holds." He reasoned. "But I don't think that I've been thinking at all like a soldier of late. I've allowed a girl to get in the way of my duty…and even though it's complicated, I've no intention of changing that decision. Hikari's had an effect on me and I can't explain it – while she's here, and I'm with her, I'm happy and everything is fine. But it's not fine. Kutou's still in pain. If Hikari succeeds, she'll still have to go home. If she fails, we all die. There's no happy ending. But even so, I can't walk away."
"It's no good, Chichiri." At that moment, Hikari's voice broke through his thoughts and Aoiketsu glanced up, taking in the expression on the schoolgirl's face. "It doesn't matter how much I try, I can't wake Suzaku on my own. When I'm in trouble, he comes to help me – but I don't want to be in mortal danger before I learn how to control this thing. If I'm going to try and raise him…"
"It's not an easy business, raising a God." Chichiri came to rest a hand on her shoulder, sending her a lop-sided grin. "You're not doing as badly as you think you are, Hikari-chan. When you first came here you had no connection to your Shinzahou side at all. You didn't even want to acknowledge that connection. Now you're actively looking for Suzaku. And you might not feel it yourself, but I do – that flicker of the phoenix's spirit has grown more vivid in your aura. You are stronger - you just haven't had cause to prove it yet."
"You really think so?" Hikari looked doubtful, reaching up to loosen her thick hair from its braid as she ran her fingers through it. "I guess I've made up my mind completely about doing this and saving Kutou and Kounan and everyone, so I'm trying my hardest to be strong. But I still don't understand a lot about it…or about being any kind of a Miko. So…maybe that's part of it. That I don't really know what I'm trying to do."
"Can that woman help?" Aoiketsu took a hand at that moment, and the two – sorcerer and student - glanced up as one person, Hikari shooting him a startled look as if she had seen him for the first time.
"Aoi-kun?" She murmured. "Were you watching us?"
"Not much else for me to do." Aoiketsu looked sheepish. "Sorry…wasn't I supposed to?"
"I guess it doesn't matter." Hikari shrugged. "There wasn't much to see, anyway."
"What woman do you mean, Aoi?" Chichiri eyed him keenly. "Who do you think might be able to help us?"
"That Taiitsukun dame you and Myoume were talking about last night…when we were with the Emperor." Aoiketsu replied. "Isn't she all powerful or something – isn't there any way she can help?"
"Taiitsukun…" Chichiri frowned. Slowly he shook his head.
"She's being as obtuse as ever about all of this." He said sadly. "No, Aoi, I don't think so. Or she's not willing to, perhaps that's more like it. I did go see her, before you returned to Kounan. But she maintains that Hikari isn't able to raise Suzaku using the power within her. And that's that. She's charged us with saving this world, but even so…"
"She's not giving us any pointers." Hikari sighed, sinking down beneath the tree as she leant up against it. "I'm hot and tired, and frustrated, too. It's harder than it looks, using magic. You make it look so easy, Chichiri…but it really isn't."
"Well, I trained hard to use my power when I first understood what it was I had." Chichiri told her. "I've had a lot of years to hone my skills. And besides, my gifts were Suzaku-given, true, but yours are fragments of Suzaku's own self. His power lives within you – that's different. Even I don't know entirely how to raise that. I've dealt with Shinzahou before, and even used them in some respect or other. But you're not a thing, Hikari-chan. You're a person. And that makes it very difficult indeed."
He offered her a smile.
"I wouldn't want you to be hurt." He added. "Tamahome would never forgive me, if I let anything bad happen to you."
"Dad, huh." Hikari became pensive, and she shrugged. "I guess they're probably pretty worried, back home. But I think Mother understood why I had to do this. And I want to see it through. So in that case, I have to push myself, don't I? Even if I'm scared or it hurts – I have to."
"Have you finished for the afternoon?"
Before anyone else could respond, Aidou came across the grass, wiping her hands dry on her apron as she cast them a quizzical glance. "It's getting later, even though the sun is still out – I'm beginning to prepare dinner and I'd like to know if everyone's going to be attending."
"We're done for today, Aidou-chan." Chichiri assured her. "I think Hikari's about reached her limit for one afternoon."
"Good." Aidou smiled. "In that case, Hikari-chan, I'd like to borrow you for a while."
"Borrow me?" Hikari looked startled. "In what way?"
"I've sent Eiju to fetch firewood and Meikyo's hauling water." Aidou told her. "But I need someone to put out the plates and help me prepare things. Mei-chan's eager but the plates are heavy and stored up high - I worry about her dropping one on herself. Besides, an extra pair of hands is always useful when cooking, and even with Meikyo's help there are several mouths to feed. Will you come and put my mind at rest?"
"Oh." Hikari smiled, scrambling to her feet. "Sure. I guess that'd be okay. And I'm hungry, so if I help out that'll mean we eat sooner too, right?"
"You really are Miaka's daughter, when you say things like that." Chichiri reflected, amused, and Hikari blushed.
"People do say that." She admitted. "I guess I'm going to find out soon enough just how much like her I really am, aren't I?"
She offered Aidou a sheepish grin.
"You know, at home, I always hated setting out the table or helping in the kitchen." She added. "I'm not a very good cook, no matter how much I like to eat, and it was always too much bother. I guess I just left it all to Mother, most of the time…I didn't even really think about helping her out."
"It's a daughter's responsibility to help her mother." Aidou chided gently. "I helped mine and Meikyo helps me. You should do the same for Miaka-sama, Hikari-chan. Even in your world things can't be so different as that."
"I don't know." Hikari admitted. "In this world, even I'm different, so it's hard to tell. I'm realising a lot of things I never realised before, since I've been here. I'll come help, Aidou-san. Maybe if I do that, when I go home I'll know a little more about what goes on in the kitchen."
"Shall I come help out too?" Aoiketsu asked. "Myoume's still scouring the area for any sign of danger, but…"
"Do you cook, then?" Aidou asked him doubtfully, and Aoiketsu shook his head.
"No, but…"
"Then you can help by staying well away from the kitchen." Aidou said pragmatically. "We'll do quite well, thank you, without any clumsy hands at the stove."
Hikari stifled a smile, as Aoiketsu sent Aidou an uncertain look.
"In any case, Aoi-kun, I want a chance to speak to you myself." Chichiri's good eye glittered with amusement at his wife's words. "So you come with me, and let Hikari go help Aidou to prepare dinner. It'll be better all round that way, you know."
"All…all right." Aoiketsu recovered himself, nodding his head. "I'll do that."
"Then it's settled." Aidou looked approving. "Fine. Come on, Hikari. Dinner won't cook itself."
"I'm coming." Hikari nodded, and as the two of them headed back to the house, Aoiketsu stared after them, confused.
At his expression, Chichiri chuckled.
"Aidou has a way of making herself understood." He said mildly. "Don't take it personally, Aoi-kun. She has the strong belief that men are useless if let near the kitchen – and she probably has good reason to think so. Although I'm adept at preparing food in the wilderness, I confess I'm not so good at doing so within the safety of my own home. Her opinion of male domestic skills was low before – but I'm afraid I've coloured it permanently with my cooking incompetence."
He shrugged.
"Besides, she's always been a believer in the traditional family roles." He added. "That was the way she was raised, after all. She takes a lot of pride in her cooking, and she's very good at it. I find it's better not to try and change her mind, when it comes to that. Good nutrition is an important thing, you know."
"She's not really the kind of woman that I'd want to argue with." Aoiketsu admitted. "You and she are so completely different, Chichiri – how do you handle that?"
"Ah. Well. We have more in common than you might think." Chichiri said reflectively. "My wife is a very resolute woman, Aoi, but she also has a very kind heart. And having her has been both my strength and my comfort many times over the past years we've been together. You may learn that, one day, when it's your turn to settle down."
Aoiketsu's expression became grave.
"Maybe." He hazarded. "If I ever do."
"Is that the soldier speaking, Aoi? Or something else?" Chichiri eyed him in interest, and Aoiketsu shrugged his shoulders.
"It's difficult to say." He owned.
For a moment there was a pause, then,
"You've not spoken to me any differently since we came back. It's like nothing has changed, even though everything has." He murmured. "And you knew, didn't you? Before we left – that I'd come here with an ulterior motive."
"Yes." Chichiri agreed cheerfully. "But I followed Myoume's counsel and trusted in you. And she was right, I think. I don't doubt your intentions to help, Aoi."
"You're not angry with me for trying to deceive you?"
"I'm a sorcerer, Aoi. I've spent a long time perfecting the art of both illusion and disguise." Chichiri looked amused. "It would be hypocritical to criticise someone for deception, now wouldn't it?"
"But even if that's true, you're an honest person." Aoiketsu glanced at his hands, toying idly with the ring on his finger as he considered what he wanted to say. "And I took advantage of your kindness to try and find out things about your family. I…I didn't know that Miramu had hurt Meikyo, though. I…I am sorry for that. It wasn't…"
"It wasn't anything to do with you. And nor was Jin's death." Chichiri said quietly, shaking his head. "Don't apologise for things that aren't your fault, you know? I'll accept an apology only for the deception you tried to play – not for anything else. After all, even that deception had good intentions, didn't it? Your aim was to help Kutou, not hurt Kounan."
"It still is." Aoiketsu admitted. "More than anything, that's what I want."
He sighed.
"When I was younger, and we were still training and stuff, I had this naïve idea of becoming some strong soldier to save Kutou and then, when it was over, there'd be a peaceful world for us all to live in." He said slowly. "And in this world I'd find someone, settle down and have a family. I'd take the exams and become an official and do all those things that I was trained and educated to do. But…"
"But…?"
"Whatever we're going to do, I may still come out dead the other side – or at the very least still looking like Kutou's traitor." Aoiketsu said gravely. "And more, Chichiri…I didn't realise that there'd be a Hikari in all of this. That makes it…complicated to say the least."
"Ah. Hikari." Chichiri smiled. "The exact reason I wanted to speak to you. Although I think it's possibly too late. Still…as her self-appointed guardian, I think you need to know that Hikari's time here is only limited. She will go home. And if you fall in love with her, Aoi-kun – you'll only come to suffer for it in the long run. Both of you will."
"It is too late." Aoiketsu responded quietly. "I'm already too far past that line. I…I think she is too. It's like fighting fate, trying to swim against it. Myoume told us we had a connection, and we do. But I think it's become more than that. Even so…"
"Even so, you understand what it'll mean?"
"Yes." Aoiketsu nodded. "I know that Hikari's only here to help save this world. And that even if we win – even if we succeed – she has another home to go to where I can't reach."
"She does." Chichiri agreed. "An alien world to this one. I've seen it, briefly, and I won't pretend I understand it. Tamahome sacrificed everything and suffered much to go there. But his was a special case. You...may not find it so easy, even if you did make up your mind to follow her."
"I wouldn't even know how to." Aoiketsu grimaced. "But you've been to her world? How…is that possible?"
"To follow the Miko and raise Suzaku, a lot of things were possible." Chichiri said evenly. "Tasuki and I both followed Miaka and Tamahome to her world. In order to save our world and hers from a dangerous threat…that was what we were called upon to do."
"A dangerous threat." Something in Chichiri's words made Aoiketsu frown, and he eyed the sorcerer keenly.
"You mean Nakago, don't you?" He murmured. "My father. Kutou's Shougun Gi Ayuru."
"Yes." Chichiri agreed. "So you are aware of that connection. I did wonder whether or not you were."
"I've come to be." Aoiketsu admitted. "And that he hurt Kounan's people a lot during the war. I feel bad about that…if there's something…"
"I already told you not to worry about things you didn't do." Chichiri chided, shaking his head. "No, Aoi. Your father's actions are not yours…you owe no apology for them."
He took a step away from the tree, gesturing for his companion to follow him and non-plussed Aoiketsu did so, as the two men left the relative security of the Ri land and stepped out into the village. The streets were busy, despite the fact it was beginning to grow late, and as they reached the central pathway through the cluster of houses, Chichiri held up his hand to indicate for his companion to stop.
"Watch for a moment." He said softly. "And tell me what you see."
Aoiketsu frowned, glancing around him as he wondered what the enigmatic sorcerer meant.
"The Eastern Village." He said at length. "With Reikaku-zan in the background, and…"
"No. Not that." Chichiri shook his head. "Within the village itself. Look and tell me…what do you see?"
Aoiketsu turned back to the scene that surrounded them, creasing his brow as he struggled to understand what he was supposed to be looking for. Across the way, two young boys struggled with a heavy cart-load of wool skeins, their merry banter telling him that it was almost time for their work to finish and their playtime to begin. At the house next door, a pretty young woman of about nineteen was cleaning the front step of her simple, ramshackle home, a small girl of no more than two years old clinging to her skirts as she went about her chores. At the opposite end of the mud track, a middle-aged man, balding and round about the middle from ale was teasing another man about half his age about his prowess with a local woman, and beneath a tree, watching everything with a serene sense of peace was an elderly man in his middle seventies, twisting his white beard absently in his fingers as he reflected on his juniors.
"I just see people in the village." Aoiketsu said eventually. "I'm sorry, Chichiri. I don't know what I'm supposed to see."
"Just what you have seen." Chichiri smiled, humour dancing in his ruby gaze. "People. Happy, safe, secure people living their every day lives. That's what I wanted you to see."
"But I don't…"
"Sixteen years ago this village was burnt to the ground." Chichiri continued. "The people who lived here largely fled, and most did not come back. Aidou was the only one who chose to stay here – to begin to rebuild the village and start afresh. I admired her for that, and offered her my help. In time, it became more our project than simply hers. And I realised that resolution is part of life – one of the strengths that people have, if they only come to look for it."
He gestured towards the flower-flanked street.
"This place was devastated, yet someone believed in it enough to bring it back to life." He said softly. "Now it's a thriving settlement again, with close ties to Souun and Reikaku-zan…and consequently very few troubles. The people here are happy and safe – you can see that for yourself. Now do you understand? Nakago destroyed a lot of things…within Kounan and within Kutou. But you're here to help rebuild them. You have that faith in your country, Aoi-kun – that love of Kutou that makes you want to see it happy and at peace. That was the faith Aidou had, when she decided to stay here. You shouldn't worry about the things your father did or didn't manage to do. Your concern is what you can do – that's powerful in itself, you know."
"Powerful…" Aoiketsu murmured, looking on the village with new eyes. "You can't tell that anything like that happened here."
"Many villages in Kounan suffered through the war – although this wasn't one of them." Chichiri agreed. "But human beings have an ability to recover, you know. They're stronger than they seem, sometimes. I learnt that from my own experience."
"But Hikari and Myoume have both seen this world destroyed, haven't they?" Aoiketsu turned to his companion, and Chichiri became grave, nodding his head.
"They have, but I won't accept that and I don't think you will, either." He said evenly. "It's not something we're going to let happen without a fight, after all. That's why Hikari's here. Why all of us are here. Even if the exact path isn't clear yet – there must be something that we can do. All of us. It doesn't matter where we're from or who we're representing. It's about the future of all the people here. Not just in Kounan or Kutou – not any more. This is about everything. And the Gods want us to work together."
Aoiketsu was silent for a moment, taking this all in. Then he nodded.
"I told Reizeitei-sama I'd act in Kounan's name to repay my father's blood debt to him." He said quietly. "But it's not just about that to me. Myoume's said this too – about borders not being important. Saving Kutou is about protecting Kounan, too. And vice versa. It's all linked together. And if we try and separate everything into sides, we'll just mess up and fail, won't we?"
"I thought you were a wise young man when I first met you." Chichiri reflected. "Now I know you are…and I'm glad to see it."
He smiled.
"Reizeitei-sama wasn't too harsh on you, I hope?"
"He did point a sword at me." Aoiketsu admitted. "But I think that I can forgive him that. I think we wound up coming to terms, Chichiri. I…he's not that different from me in some ways. He said it himself – that the war robbed us both of our fathers. And mine did kill his, but Hikari's killed mine. Yet we're all on the same side now – what do you suppose they'd think of that?"
"Hotohori-sama would accept it if it was to Kounan's good." Chichiri said decidedly. "I know that without even stopping to think about it. He was a truly strong Emperor, Aoi. And his son is much in his mould."
"I wonder if I'm in my father's mould." Aoiketsu admitted. "Chichiri, something's been bothering me. Since I discovered I was Nakago's son…Myoume said something else, when we were travelling. About my squeamishness, and that it's shielded me from my…my killer instinct. That…maybe…some part of him is in me, after all."
"Undoubtedly, you know. He was your father." Chichiri said frankly. Then he smiled. "Don't look so dismayed. That isn't a bad thing."
"But Nakago…wasn't he your…enemy?"
"Very definitely." Chichiri agreed gravely. "But in some ways perhaps he was more his own enemy than ours. His motives were twisted, after all…but it wasn't entirely his own fault that he ended up that way."
"I don't understand."
"I suppose noone has ever spoken to you about that final battle in Hikari's world, have they?" Chichiri reflected. "Well, then I will – and maybe then you'll understand a little bit more about the man who sired you."
"All right." Aoiketsu agreed, as they walked down the central street and towards the village limits. Trees flanked the outside of the Eastern Village, through the centre of which a glittering stream wound its way from the mountains down towards the river that fed Souun, and even though the day was hot, here with the protection of the branches overhead there was a gentle, cool breeze.
"This is a good place to talk." Chichiri explained, as Aoiketsu glanced at him. "Take a seat. Aidou will be cooking a while yet, and if she can't find me, she'll know where to send Eiju to look. I'm predictable, you see – a creature of habit, you know."
"I can understand that." Aoiketsu did as he was bidden, sinking down on the soft grass as he gazed across at the village beyond. "It's a nice view, with the mountain behind, and cool and peaceful with the stream and the trees. Kounan is truly a beautiful country, Chichiri. I never realised it till I came here, but it is."
"Yes, it is." Chichiri agreed. "And so will Kutou be, one day – when peace is restored. After all, with its plentiful resources of water, it has the potential to be a strong, thriving state once again."
"I hope so." Aoiketsu admitted. "I guess time will tell."
Chichiri nodded, dropping gracefully down beside him as he crossed his legs, settling comfortably on the ground.
"I met your father several times, and matched my magic against his on occasion, too." He said pensively. "He was strong – stronger than the other Seiryuu were. Stronger than me, also – my sorcery is not feeble, but Nakago's abilities were something else and it was all I could do to shield against him. It was not easy to face him…in the end it took the combined strength of all of us to take him down. Tamahome was the vessel and he cast the final blow. But it was not only his strength that killed Nakago. It was the strength of all seven of us."
"All…of you?"
"That's right." Chichiri agreed. "In Miaka's world, with Seiryuu and Suzaku in the sky above our heads. We made them enemies, Aoi. Because of that fact, neither Kounan nor Kutou were granted peace through the wishes of the Miko. That came for us later…for Kutou it never did. That's why I'm so conscious this time that we're not drawing lines in the sand. This might be Kutou's last chance – and if Hikari and Myoume's visions are right, it could be everyone's last chance to properly finish the legend and bring peace to this world."
"I still can't believe you went to Hikari's world." Aoiketsu admitted. "I thought it was hard – that people from this world couldn't."
"We were Seishi answering the call of our Miko." Chichiri grinned. "It drew Nakago and Suboshi there, too. Both of them died in the Miko's world. Yui and Miaka both went back there too soon and dragged this world and that one into direct contact with one another. It was that which first allowed Tamahome to go there…though it was by no means the end of it. To cut a long story short, Nakago felt he could conquer even the Miko's world…and so he lost interest in the fates of Kounan and Kutou."
"Lost interest in…" Aoiketsu's brows knitted together. "So he was evil after all, then? He did take off and abandon Kutou when they needed him most!"
"Nakago was a Hin." Chichiri said quietly. "A member of a tribal clan who worshipped a spirit called 'Tenkou'. Tenkou was an evil man who had cast himself as a deity in order to generate power in this world. In some respects, Nakago found himself pulled into the same trap…and I don't believe Tenkou was at all innocent in any of the things that followed. But, because they were different, and because of their contrary faith, the Hin were feared. Like other tribes in Kutou, they were persecuted and slaughtered under the regime of the Emperor Shoukitei. I realised that Nakago was one of them quite quickly. But I did not understand why he fought for his Emperor or for Seiryuu when he was born into that clan."
"Maybe it was like Hyoushin-sama. Maybe he was repaying someone who saved him." Aoiketsu suggested, but Chichiri shook his head.
"Nakago sought two things." He said quietly. "Revenge and death. That was all. Nothing else."
"Revenge and…death?"
"When Tamahome's fist pierced Nakago's chest, the force of it was strong enough for the two men to form a brief, sharp connection." Chichiri continued. "It may even have been Nakago's active doing – certainly he seemed more relieved than anything else that the fight was finally at an end. Through that connection, Tamahome saw the memories that had driven Nakago thus far. It painted a tragic picture…and made it clear that the true villain in all of this was not the Shougun but the man who had made him into the creature he became – Shoukitei, Emperor of Kutou."
"Shoukitei was a corrupt, greedy, twisted bastard." Aoiketsu agreed. "We all know that, even in Kutou. But even so…"
"Nakago saw his people slaughtered. He saw his mother raped, and it woke his power inside him to such a pitch that he destroyed not only the men attacking her but the woman herself." Chichiri said softly. "He was only a child, filled with this alien, frightening strength that had destroyed someone he loved and trusted and brought him into the power of an evil, corrupt man. You are a handsome young man, Aoi – so was your father, and for this reason he suffered terribly at Shoukitei's hands. That man's womanising was almost legendary – but the fact that Shoukitei used young boys at his court as much as his women...may not have been so widely known."
"My father?" Aoiketsu's eyes widened with indignation and dismay. "When he was a child?"
"Shoukitei also made the boy witness the death of his friend in Kutou's custody." Chichiri agreed gravely. "In that life, death would have been his escape. But all the time there was that fear…accident or not, he had killed his mother. Accident or not, Aoi – he punished himself for that by forcing himself to keep living. And as time went on, and he became more and more isolated…so he became more and more fixated on revenge. His true aim against Kounan was never a hatred of our people. He as much told Hotohori-sama so when they fought that last time. It was a hatred of Kutou's regime – a desire to bring the Emperor to dust and destroy all the things that had made his existence a living hell. He was searching for a meaning to his own life - a reason to keep going, and keep fighting. In the end, maybe he was also looking for something - or someone - to destroy him, too."
Aoiketsu stared at the sorcerer in horror, a cold, icy grip encircling his heart as he digested his companion's words.
"All of that…is the truth?" He managed at length, and Chichiri nodded.
"All of it." He agreed. "Your father did evil things, but he was not born evil. And of course you have elements of him inside of you. The difference is simply this, Aoi. You have grown up with people who have taught you and helped you – you haven't been scarred the way he was. To have Nakago's spirit is not a bad thing. He was not a truly bad man. He was a truly tortured one, in the end. Death was his release. His freedom. That eventually, somehow, someone had ended the thing he could not end for himself."
"That almost sounds like Miramu." Aoiketsu realised. "He said that he keeps on living…keeps on doing things…because he isn't able to die. That same thing…is that why he said we were alike? Because inside of me is the blood of a man as twisted by circumstances as he is?"
"Possibly." Chichiri agreed. "It's hard to know for sure."
Aoiketsu sighed.
"And in light of that, given Nakago's apparent loyalty to Shoukitei, I guess I can understand a little bit why Myoume's so suspicious of Hyoushin-sama." He added. "But…no. I know him, Chichiri. He's not the one. I swear."
"I believe the same as you." Chichiri smiled. "Whoever raised you to be this kind of soldier is not a man capable of such dark, treacherous acts. I'd stake my reputation as a sorcerer on that fact, too. Whatever he has suffered – he is not like Nakago, and he is not going to betray his Emperor. By your own testimony Kintsusei-sama rescued Hyoushin – he didn't abuse him. The relationship between your Emperor and your Commander is different to that between Shoukitei and his Shougun. No…I think you're right. We need to look elsewhere for our true foe."
"And you…don't think it could be me? Even though through my father I have Hin blood?"
"Aoi-kun, I know it isn't you." Chichiri rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. "When I first saw you, it struck me that you had Nakago's eyes. But you didn't have the cold glitter in your expression that he often had in his. You can tell a lot by people's eyes, you know."
Aoiketsu looked sheepish.
"No kidding." He said ruefully. "One of my nurses when I was small used to call me Aoime. She thought it was some kind of omen, because it was so rare. I guess she was right…they were my legacy from Seiryuu after all."
"Yes." Chichiri said comfortably. "You and Hikari have had no choice in that, I'm afraid. She's Suzaku's and you're Seiryuu's. That's how the Gods have designed it to be, or so it seems."
"Even though Hikari was born in that world?"
"But Hikari was here before she was born." Chichiri said sensibly. "Miaka entrusted her to Suzaku before she even took her first breath - that's what makes her so unique and special. She's only truly the Shinzahou while she's here…her own world wouldn't support it. It's a very different place, Aoi-kun. A very different place indeed."
"I can't even picture it…the things she says about it are odd enough." Aoiketsu admitted.
"You know that the trip to Kutou won't be an easy one for you, if you go in Suzaku's company." Chichiri eyed him keenly, and Aoiketsu nodded his head.
"I'm prepared for that." He said firmly. "Even to be attacked if it comes to it. I'm a good fighter, Chichiri. I can defend myself and Hikari both. Myoume said that so long as I'm with her she shouldn't come to harm. So I'm going to make sure that's the case."
"I suppose the question is how much are you willing to sacrifice for the benefit of Kutou?" Chichiri asked softly, and Aoiketsu hesitated for a moment. Then he spread his hands.
"I'm a soldier." He said evenly. "I'm trained to fight to defend my Emperor and my land, even to death. And that's what I'll do, if it's what it takes. Because that's what I've always been raised to do. To put Kutou first...before everything."
Chichiri smiled.
"Yes. You are Seiryuu's all right." He decided. "You're no Seishi, but you have the spirit of one all the same. And from what Hikari and Myoume have said, you're a strong fighter, too. I'm glad you feel like you do, because I'm fairly sure that I won't be facing battle in the East this time around. Tasuki and I...I think we'll have to stay here."
"We'll be okay, though." Aoiketsu said firmly, realising as he spoke that he meant every word. "Somehow, Chichiri - we will do this. I swear. Whatever it takes to save Kutou, we'll find a way. I know it. We will."