Chapter Thirteen
So, it had been just as bad as the reports had suggested.
As Kayu and his young companions crossed through Kutou's troubled southern province, the soldier reined in his horse, pausing for a moment as he glanced around him at the tell-tale signs of devastation littered across the land that lay before them. The area was peaceful now, with the occasional song of a bird as it flew from charred tree branch to charred tree branch, but Kayu knew better than to be fooled by the pretence of serenity. This barren, charcoal-scattered area of land had once been a thriving farming village, and as he surveyed it, his brows knitted together in consternation.
This was the place that Koku Maru had given his life fighting for his Emperor, and despite himself, Kayu felt something inside of him clench at the memory.
"The people in the Southern Province aren't demons...they're just frightened of the people who've grasped power and they can't fight against them."
Even now Maru's words echoed in his head, and he almost thought he could visualise the soldier lounging up against the barracks wall, long tail of hair whipping in the wind and a warm grin on his face as he recounted his latest news.
"That's why the Emperor deployed us - to protect them against those troublemakers. Things are going to be all right there, eventually. The people are starting to trust in the Emperor and his word - that he really does want to make sure they're safe. And that's why I'll keep going back. Because so long as its dangerous for them, we should be there. It's not the ordinary people of the Southern Province who cause so much suffering, after all. They're the victims, Kayu - and we're all that stands between them and devastation."
"Maru was always so positive and resolute towards the people and the problems here." He reflected, his gaze scanning the remains of house posts and the skeletal blackness of dead, war-scorched trees. "He loved his work, despite the dangers - he enjoyed patrolling in the South and making a difference to the people and their lives here. It really seemed like nothing could ever bring him down, not so long as he had so much belief inside of him.Yet in the end, this is where even he died, too. How many more people in Kutou need to pass away before someone realises that the Emperor only wants to bring peace?"
"Kayu-dono?"
The voice of one of his young companions startled him and he turned, casting the soldier a faint smile as he did so.
"Kayu-dono, why have we stopped here?" The boy, no older than sixteen years old suppressed a shiver, glancing at the barren landscape. "Everything here is dead and burnt - there's nowhere for us to stop for food or water or anything."
"We're not stopping here except to see for ourselves why the Emperor's sent us South." Kayu said gravely. "This whole area...the people here...who knows what horrible things they suffered at rebel hands. It's our duty to make sure it doesn't happen again. You all understand that, right? That we're not going to Kounan except to find the relic and Shinzahou of Suzaku in order to bring them back to Kutou."
"How will we know that it is the Shinzahou, though, Kayu-dono?" Another youngster eyed him doubtfully, and Kayu bit his lip, half wishing that he had had some of the more experienced soldiers to choose from when picking his companions to travel south. And yet, he knew that had he taken Ouno, Jakou or Bouri, it would have been difficult for him to maintain any kind of command over them. In any case, he knew that his older comrades would shortly be dispatched by Kintsusei to help consolidate the new Southern Garrison in this bleak, death-tainted area, and looking at it, Kayu rather felt he had got the best of the deal. After all, he was only passing through, and the scale of the responsibility on his shoulders told him better than anything that the Emperor still had faith in him.
He did not answer the boy's question immediately, gazing at each of the five young men that had been selected to come with him to Kounan. None of them were older than seventeen - the youngest barely more than fifteen - but all were promising and strong young fighters with the Emperor's name burnt firmly into their minds and their hearts. Their loyalty and obedience was unquestioning, and Kayu had the strange sensation that they had already accepted him as their new captain.
"Hyoushin-sama's treachery has caused shockwaves through the whole of Kutou." He mused to himself, tightening his grip on his reins as he contemplated this situation. "But if he truly is dead...Kikei-sama seemed certain that he was. And yet, the Emperor also thought that sending Maru and the others to the Southern Province would suppress any further rebel risings there. Not everything is so sure. If the Commander truly was a traitor, then death is his only justifiable fate. But death in the South...can we trust any assassins sent so far from Kutou? I wonder. I wonder what exactly I'm taking these men to face after all."
"Kayu-dono?" The youngster pressed, and Kayu realised he had still not answered the soldier's question. He smiled again, spreading his hands.
"We don't know precisely what form the Shinzahou takes." He admitted. "But we do know the identity of the one who guards it. As I told you, our duty is to recover the girl known as Sukunami Hikari in order that our Emperor might speak to her about the treasure and its location. Kikei-sama seemed of the opinion that she keeps it with her at all times - in which case, locating her is imperative."
He twitched his reins, pressing his toes into his horse's flanks as he urged the beast once more into a canter.
"I've seen the girl in person myself." He added. "So identifying her shouldn't be difficult. She's about the same age as some of you - fifteen or sixteen, with long dark hair worn in an uncommon style, and hazel eyes. She will most likely be in the South-West region of Kounan...in the shade of the mountain that hides Suzaku's relic. That seems to be where our opponents are making their base."
"How much further do we have to ride, then, Kayu-dono? Till we get to the South-West?" A third youngster piped in, and Kayu shrugged.
"At least another day. Probably two." He hazarded cautiously, glancing up at the sky as he did so to plot their direction more clearly. "We're on a direct course, so it shouldn't be much more than that. We'll cross the border shortly using the smuggler's path and then we'll be within the south. Bear in mind, all of you, how you are dressed and how you must act once we are in the Phoenix's territory. Kutou's soldiers will only be treated with suspicion - keep your swords close, but do not reveal yourselves as military men. We're the Emperor's hope at the moment, and we can't let him down."
The was a moment of silence, as these heavy words sank into each of the young minds around him, then the first soldier spoke up again, tilting his head on one side as he eyed Kayu quizzically.
"Kayu-dono, is it really true that Hyoushin-sama was working for the South all the time?"
Kayu bit his lip, shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know what Hyoushin-sama's aims or motives are or were." He said slowly. "That's the truth of it. Such matters are only known to the Emperor and his principle ministers. All I know is that Hyoushin-sama was relieved of his command and exiled...and that is all the information I've been given."
"But doesn't it make you curious as to why?" The youngster pressed, and Kayu frowned.
"Questioning the Emperor's decisions is not our place." He chided, then faltered, realising how like his absent Commander such a reproach sounded. He swallowed hard, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Kintsusei-sama's sent us with a job to do. Hyoushin-sama's not any of our concern, and we shouldn't worry about it. The Emperor isn't a foolish man - he'll know what to do about it."
"I guess that's so." The soldier sighed. "Sorry. Just there are so many rumours flying around the palace, and I wondered...what the truth was. Since you're in Kikei-sama's trust, Kayu-dono, I thought maybe..."
He trailed off, reddening slightly as he realised the impertinence of his own words, and Kayu snorted, shaking his head.
"I'm a soldier, just like you. I'm not a government official." He responded. "It's not my business to know those things."
Yet even as he spoke the lie, he felt it choke up inside of him, as if somehow by speaking the words he was betraying the man who had commanded him for so many years. He frowned, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the scene in the Hokkan inn - Maichu's indignation, and the way in which Hyoushin had easily relinquished both his command and the Shinzahou into Kayu's own hands.
"Almost as if he knew something else, even then." He realised. "And took Maichu - why, though? Maichu's straight down the line - he's not easily persuaded to do deceitful things. But he's also not that smart when it comes to danger...and surely, not a discreet person to take with you anywhere, when you disappear? Hyoushin-sama seemed to have a contingency plan even when I sprang Kikei-sama's letter on him. To think he'd travel so purposefully south - to find Aoiketsu? Or to find Suzaku no Shinzahou?"
His eyes darkened with anger at this thought.
"A man who I trusted and who I looked up to in training to be a soldier turns out to be another enemy of the Emperor." He muttered under his breath, kicking his horse to pick up the pace even more. "I can't forgive him for that - or for involving Maichu or Aoi in any of this. Maichu's fool enough to fall for anything, and Aoi'd believe every word the Commander said. Kikei-sama was right to tell me all the things he did...it's up to me to extricate the two of them before death warrants and treason accusations rain down on their heads, too. For Kintsusei-sama's sake, I have to be decisive...no matter what!"
The room was dark, the thick fabric curtains drawn across at the window as if to keep the bright Kounan sun from penetrating the chamber, and, as Chichiri slipped into the room, his gaze rested on the figure that lay in the slim pallet bed. His thick silver hair had been bound back from his face by Myoume's careful hands, and at first glance he seemed to be sleeping, but as Chichiri drew closer the figure stirred, his eyes opening as they struggled to bring the newcomer into focus.
At the movement, Chichiri bowed his head slightly, sitting down beside the bed and setting the herbal remedy he had brought to one side. Although it was clear the man who lay before him was still extremely weak and fragile, his return to consciousness still brought relief to the sorcerer's heart as he realised at last he could tackle the Meihi on the subject of Miramu's poisoning techniques.
"So you are finally awake." He murmured. "I suppose that means that my basic herbal remedies have done you some good at least - although I still don't like the pitch of your fever, Hyoushin-san."
"Who..." The man's word was faint, and Chichiri noted the beading sweat on his brow. He frowned, moving to the window to draw back the heavy drapes and sunlight glittered across the chamber, brightening it in an instant.
"Ri Hou Jun." He responded, turning back to the patient with a smile. "This is my home. And you're Hyoushin of Kutou - the right hand man of Lord Kintsusei - correct?"
Hyoushin's eyes narrowed, his fevered amethyst gaze flicking around the chamber as he sought to get to grips with his bearings in the sudden light.
"What is this place?" He asked softly.
"My home, in the Eastern Village." Chichiri resumed his seat beside the wounded man. "In Kounan, at the foot of Reikaku-zan."
"Kounan." Hyoushin murmured, and Chichiri got the impression that faint shards of the man's memory were returning to him little by little. He paused, then, "Where is Maichu?"
"Maichu is quite all right - and Aoiketsu too." Chichiri assured him. "You were the only one hurt. Aoiketsu ran here for help, and this seemed the best place to bring you. You were attacked by the Byakko assassin Amefuri - but he's gone now, and so long as Myoume is here, I don't think he'll come back."
"Miramu." A flash of cold anger glittered for a moment in the Meihi's eyes, and Chichiri nodded.
"You were struck by his arrow." He agreed gravely. "The wound itself is not serious, but we think it may have been laced with poison. Unfortunately we don't know what that poison is. My remedies aren't enough to purge your system of it...but Aoiketsu says you're more familiar with Miramu and his methods than he or Maichu are. And if you can think of anything that might help you recover, we'll do what we can to obtain it."
Hyoushin frowned, eying the Seishi uncomprehendingly.
"Who are you, truly?" He whispered, and Chichiri thought he heard the edge of a lilting accent in the man's words. "If you know so much...of who I am...why are you seeking to help me?"
"Because you're not my enemy." Chichiri said evenly, even as he realised that his companion was still somewhat confused and disorientated by the effects of the poison. "I fought in one war between Kutou and Kounan, and I regret that it ever took place. This time, I'm not fighting against Kutou. If the only way to heal this world is to help Kutou's men, so be it."
He shrugged his shoulders, reaching down to roll back the leg of his trousers and as he did so, Hyoushin's eyes widened at the sight of the glittering red slashes across his knee.
"Suzaku." He murmured, and Chichiri nodded.
"I am Chichiri." He agreed. "One of Suzaku's Celestial Warriors, as Miramu and Myoume are Amefuri and Toroki of Byakko."
"Even less reason to h...help me, then."
"Your Emperor seeks peace, doesn't he?" Chichiri asked. Hyoushin nodded slightly, and Chichiri pursed his lips.
"So do all people." He murmured. "In all lands. This doesn't make us different, after all. And I believe your Emperor is an honourable man. Equally, I know your loyalty to him is unquestionable - both Aoiketsu and Maichu have said as much. But it isn't Lord Kintsusei that worries me. Someone else at Kutou's court is the real enemy - the enemy of all of us, Kutou and Kounan alike. So long as he remains there, potentially in possession of so much power, none of the four lands are safe. And nor is the life of your King, Hyoushin-san. His existance is threatened just as sure as anyone else's."
Hyoushin was silent, digesting this, and Chichiri eyed him keenly.
"You know the man called Kikei?" He asked softly, and Hyoushin's eyes narrowed. Slowly he inclined his head.
"I do." He agreed faintly. "But you, I am sure, do not."
"No, only by name." Chichiri shook his head. "But Myoume - Toroki - believes a man of a tribe is behind the conspiracy to betray your Emperor."
"Then it could easily be me, could it not?"
"It's not you." Chichiri replied. "Your caution does you credit, but you shouldn't protect this man. He's a Priest of Seiryuu, but he's also a Hin - isn't he? Like Nakago, the Shougun who destroyed so many lives so long ago. He's of that tribe, isn't he? Myoume believes that he is our enemy. That he is the one who will kill us all."
Hyoushin hesitated for a moment. Then he frowned.
"As do I." He admitted softly. "I have no loyalty or faith in Lord Kikei. Nor do I seek to prot...protect him. But my Emperor does, and I do not wish to commit treason by speaking to a man of Kounan about the affairs of Kutou's court. I am already...in trouble enough for being...here."
He winced at this point, and Chichiri registered the rigidity in his body as he fought off the spasm of the fever.
"Right now, saving your life is our priority." He said gravely. "Because of all people, you might be the only one who can make Lord Kintsusei realise the danger he's in. Aoiketsu believes he trusts you more than anyone, despite any attempts to discredit you. And it might be the only hope for this world, in the end - the difference between life and death."
He bit his lip, a pained expression on his face as unwelcome memories came unbidden to his senses.
"I fought in the last war, and lost friends at the same time." he admitted. "I hated it, then. Now I have two young children, and I do not wish them to grow up in the same kind of environment as the children born in that time. Children who lost parents, like the Emperor Reizeitei-sama. My family are precious to me - my son and daughter more important than anything else anyone could ever offer me. To protect their lives and their futures, Hyoushin-san, I would do anything. As a father and as a Seishi, I need your help. To protect all people, all families...but in particular, to protect my own."
A flicker of something crossed Hyoushin's gaze at this, and Chichiri realised he had hit a nerve somewhere, as the pale-skinned Meihi struggled to bring himself into a sitting position, pulling his blankets more tightly around his body as if protecting himself from unpleasant memories. Despite the severity of his condition, Hyoushin's amethyst eyes seemed already more alert as he pieced together the fragments of fact into one complete picture, and the sorcerer found he was glad to see it. Ill as he was, it was clear that Hyoushin had not yet given up the fight to keep his life, and Chichiri realised that he was dealing with someone whose will was not easily broken down by difficult circumstances.
"Be careful." He cautioned now. "Your wound has stopped bleeding, but it could start again. And you're not in any fit state to be moving around."
The Meihi hesitated, as if digesting this, then he frowned.
"Tell me why you are really here." He said quietly. "Chichiri of Suzaku. Why have you come to me, now? To save my life? Perhaps. To convince my Emperor of danger? Such a thing is my duty with or without your in...interference, even at the cost of my life. Why should it truly concern you? Aoiketsu seemed also so convinced...but I am...uncertain of your motives in h...helping me thus. You believe so much that Kounan too is under threat because of Kikei's deceit?"
"Do you believe in the visions of the Byakko warrior, Toroki?" Chichiri asked. Hyoushin sank back against the wall, considering the question carefully.
"I have no reason to believe or disbelieve." He said at length. "I know her only from when I took from her Byakko's Shinzahou in my Emperor's name."
"Are you aware that she and Miramu - Amefuri - are brother and sister?"
"Yes, though I do not see why this is important." Hyoushin's lip curled in distaste. "Miramu acts beyond the bounds of reason, and Toroki claims to see beyond them. That is all."
"Myoume has seen the destruction of this world. The death of everyone in it." Chichiri said frankly. "Many things she's predicted have already come true, including the death of someone considered a friend of my family. It was she who told me that the man betraying the Emperor of Kutou was tribal born...yet like me, she has never met Lord Kikei and knows nothing of him other than the visions she has seen. And more...Hyoushin, she believes you are important enough to Kintsusei-sama to make him listen to you. She seems to know you as well as anyone, even if you don't think so."
He paused, eying him keenly, then,
"Including the truth of your real name." He added softly. "And it's meaning - Man of Peace."
At this Hyoushin started, flinching in pain as he jerked his injured body.
"What?" She whispered. "But..."
"Myoume sees things beyond anything we can." Chichiri told him evenly. "And she believes that you might be the only one who can save your Emperor. More, that we - all of us - need to work together to save your land from destruction, because if Kutou gets destroyed, so will the other lands. Kikei seeks to purge this world of the things he sees as being in his way - but by doing so, he's going to eliminate the very things on which life in this world depends. The stars in the sky over our heads...the four quarters represented by the four Gods and their constellations. Once, in the past, Kounan lost one of its constellations and the implications were far-reaching and frightening. To lose all of them at once...would spell certain death for this world."
Hyoushin's eyes narrowed as he absorbed this.
"This is Toroki's prediction." He said softly and Chichiri nodded.
"Suzaku's Shinzahou has given us the same indication." He added. "That something of great magnitude is coming. That someone will unite the four treasures and use the Beast's power to ultimately destroy the Beast Gods and the world which they oversee."
"I have never much been a man of Seiryuu." Hyoushin admitted. "I act on my Emperor's will, not my own. However..."
He hesitated, and Chichiri frowned, eying him keenly as he observed the sudden preoccupation that flickered in the Meihi's odd amethyst eyes.
"What is it?" He asked gently. Hyoushin shook his head.
"The fevered ramblings of a dying man." He said evenly. "It makes me indiscreet...and I say more than perhaps I should."
"If we have any say in it, Hyoushin, you won't be a dying man." Chichiri said frankly. "I don't believe in letting people die when there's a chance they might live."
Hyoushin eyed him for a moment, and Chichiri saw a flicker of acceptance in his still-fevered gaze.
"Aoiketsu said similar things." he murmured. "That you were one in whom I could trust - that if I...I came to your village...he thought you would hear us and help us. Yet...you must forgive my caution and reticence. With Miramu on my trail...his poison means death, and that would be a curse brought upon your people, had I come here sooner. Even my being here now...when your attempts may yet be fruitless."
"You don't need to apologise for thinking things through before acting." Chichiri said frankly. "And as for the poison, the fact you've managed to wake yourself up is a good sign. It suggests your body is still fighting it."
"I cannot take full credit." Hyoushin frowned. "At least...I think...someone helped me back to the surface."
"Someone?" Chichiri eyed him sharply, and Hyoushin inclined his head.
"A woman dressed in white." He murmured. Then his lips twitched into a wry smile. "Although it was perhaps a delusion brought about by high temperature. I felt that someone was with me...even within my thoughts...but I am sure it makes no sense that anyone was."
"A woman in white, huh?" Chichiri looked pensive, remembering the stain of tears on Myoume's cheeks and the way she had spoken with such certainty about Hyoushin's true identity. "Well, I don't know anything about that, but whatever it was, I'm glad to have the chance to speak to you. I hoped you might know more about what this poison is..."
"I do not." Hyoushin shook his head slightly. "I believe Miramu uses many, some herbal, some not - and I am not a man who approves of his methods. I have learnt to fight with a sword, not with cowardly weapons - so our acquaintance has never been on amicable enough terms for that kind of trust of information."
"You have no idea at all?"
Hyoushin sighed, and Chichiri could tell that, despite the length of their conversation so far, his companion was fighting a painful battle to draw each breath into his lungs to speak. He bit his lip.
"You're not up to this, are you." He said quietly. "But I don't know what else to do. I'm making your pain worse, and I'm sorry...but..."
"I have lived with pain before. I do not fear it." Hyoushin said pragmatically. "Physical pain can be borne, Chichiri. I am equal to it."
He sighed again, and for a moment Chichiri realised how vulnerable and raw the rising fever was rendering his emotions.
"It is the mental pain I fear." Hyoushin murmured. "The return of memories I seek to suppress. In this state, it is hard to be rational and composed. I have many things I would rather not consider...however...in these things there is one thing that might..answer your question. If you...you truly seek to help me, and help my master in Kutou."
"I'm listening." Chichiri said gently. "What do you mean?"
"When I was a boy of six, I was b...bitten by a snake." Hyoushin murmured. "The symptoms were...much like this. The physician of our settlement had a remedy...which purged the poison from the wound and allowed healing. I do not know what it contained, however. Or what snake it was that bit me. However I believe...that Miramu uses venom of some nature to slay some of his victims. Those of which he wants to make certain, since herbal potions can often be expelled or eradicated with the right knowledge. Snakes are another matter - their bite usually means death, regardless of the species. When he attacked me, he did make cryptic remarks to that effect - I believe he thought it didn't matter if I knew the manner of my death, although he was not explicit as to the species. Still, that may be why I am still able to fight this, so far. Because I have battled it once before, and won."
Chichiri looked thoughtful.
"A Meihi remedy?" He asked. Hyoushin nodded.
"Yes."
"But you can't tell me what it was made of?"
Hyoushin shook his head.
"I was six years old." He repeated. "I am thirty five now - you cannot expect me to recall such details over almost a thirty year period. And there was no reason for me to know, in any case. I was never old enough a tribesman to be app...apprenticed to any craft, and medicine would probably not have been my choice if the opportunity had arisen."
His amethyst gaze flickered with pain, and Chichiri could tell that it was not all caused by the injury to his left side. He sighed, resting a hand on the wounded man's good arm.
"I'm sorry." He said honestly. "I have no idea what you've been through, or what memories this is raking up for you, especially in the state you're in now - to make you suffer is not my intention. I know only too well how easy it is to be haunted by the ghosts of the past, and how much a person can seek to escape them. But I have to ask you this. If you don't know the componants of the remedy - is there anyone I could go to who would?"
"Not unless you plan on making many days journey into the snow of Hokkan." Hyoushin said bitterly. "The only surviving settlement of Meihi I know of who live in peace shelter on Koku-zan, along the path to the peak. My sister is among them. But from the south, it is many many days travel. Ten, at least, I'd wager. Perhaps more."
"Not necessarily." Chichiri glanced thoughtfully at his hands, then, "This settlement is on the slopes of Koku-zan?"
"Yes, but..."
"And the people there...would they help, if I asked? Would they even understand me?" Chichiri asked. "You speak Kutou's dialect to perfection, but I'm pretty sure that's not your first language, is it? The Meihi have their own language...would they know what I wanted, if I went and spoke to them in Chinese?"
"You are a fool if you think you could make such a journey and back within a shorter space of time than three weeks." Hyoushin said pragmatically. "By which time the poison will either have spoken for me, or I will have overcome it on my own. Or, if you are correct about Toroki's vision, we might all be dead."
"I could do it in an afternoon. Maybe less, if I knew precisely where I was aiming." Chichiri said pensively. "I know Koku-zan. An ally of mine is buried at the peak - so that shouldn't pose me too much of a problem."
"An ally...?" Hyoushin frowned, then, "The burial, with the barrier of red light..."
"Yes." Chichiri agreed. "The resting place of Nuriko, a dear friend of mine who died in the cause of helping Kounan."
"So it was indeed Suzaku's work protecting that grave." Hyoushin reflected. Chichiri smiled.
"In a way, you know." He agreed. "Actually, it was my magic. I'm a sorcerer by nature, Hyoushin-san. I grow herbs and sell them in memory of my comrade Mitsukake, who was a doctor and a healer, but my own gifts are bent more towards spiritual magic of varying levels. And that includes suppressing and transferring my life force to other places through a medium - I could go to Hokkan and return in a matter of an hour or less, depending on how long it takes to produce such a remedy. My question to you is simply whether you think they would help me."
"The Meihi are not like other peoples. They act in peace and friendship." Hyoushin said quietly. "They would seek to help. And many of that settlement were former slaves of the East, like I was. I imagine they picked up enough Chinese dialect in those days to understand you. I did, after all, and the language between the four lands is not so different as to create a barrier. A matter of accent, perhaps - but even so, not enough to be a problem. Besides, the man who holds leadership there is named Bakaru, and he is a Seishi of Genbu's calling. And he speaks your language with near as much fluency as I do."
He frowned.
"It would seem that Suzaku's power is as wide ranging as Seiryuu's, then, if you are truly able to travel such a distance in so little time."
"I can." Chichiri nodded. "And I meant what I said about my family. And about the innocents whose lives would be affected or ended by all of this. That's why I exist - to protect those lives, even if it kills me. And if that means helping Kutou, I will help Kutou. My mission is always to protect the people of Kounan - and if the way to do that is to help resolve Kutou's suffering, so be it."
Hyoushin stared at him for a moment. Then a faint smile touched his lips, and Chichiri realised they'd reached an accord.
"You are as I am." He murmured. "You are bound to your loyalties and your hopes. You spoke, before, as if you understood the difficulty of discarding the past. Suzaku's work brings suffering, then? And yet you still act in this way?"
"As you do." Chichiri agreed. "My entire village was wiped out by flood when I was eighteen...I survived because of Suzaku's power, but everyone I loved was swept away and killed. For a long time, I couldn't accept it. But Suzaku...Suzaku kept me for this purpose. And now I have a life of my own again. A family. A wife I care about, children I adore. I told you - as a Seishi, I will protect Kounan. But as a husband and father - I will defend my family to death, if need be. No matter how high the cost."
Hyoushin's eyes closed for a moment, and Chichiri could tell he was remembering something. At length, he nodded.
"When my settlement was ravaged by Kutou's soldiers, I promised to protect my siblings and my mother from harm." He said softly. "But I was ten years old...and I failed. My father was slain in front of me, and I know now that my mother was also murdered, my younger brother and sister taken as slaves as I was. My brother died in slavery...I was not able to protect them, no matter how much I wanted to. But there are children in Hokkan's Meihi settlement. And there are children in Kutou, also, Chichiri-san. Children who know nothing about the evils of Shoukitei's regime or the slavery that flourished. There are slaves still in bond, because my Emperor's grip on the land is still challenged by rebels and dissenters. Like you, I do not wish to see another generation suffer the way my sister and I both did."
He smiled again, opening his eyes, and Chichiri found himself somewhat reassured by the renewed glitter of life in the amethyst gaze.
"Tell them...that Lilaihi sent you." He said softly. "My sister's name is Lirayi, and if she knows you have come from me - to help me - she will no doubt ensure you get what you want, if it is possible to do so."
"Lilaihi. Lirayi." Chichiri repeated the names slowly, then nodded. "All right. Lilaihi is your real name, then? The one that means Man of Peace?"
"Meihi by definition translates as Tribe of Peace." Hyoushin inclined his head slightly. "It is as you say."
His fingers moved to his throat, fingering the black pendant that still hung there. He hesitated, then began to clumsily unwind the fastening with his right hand.
"Take this, too." He added. "Then she will be certain you truly have come on my errand. The character is 'Rayi', hope - it may help you to locate my sister, if you have trouble making yourself understood, for it is the second character that makes up her name."
He loosened it, holding it out, and Chichiri took it, running his fingers over the smooth ebony rock. He nodded.
"I will do as you say." He agreed. "Thank you, Hyoushin. Hopefully I can help you help me, now. And help you recover, too. Aoiketsu and Maichu are both very worried about you, you know."
"They are good men." Hyoushin nodded. "But then I have always known it of them both."
He frowned, then,
"Chichiri, one other thing."
"Yes?"
"I would like to speak to...to the girl called Hikari."
"To Hikari?" Chichiri eyed him keenly. "Now why would you want to do that? And particularly when you're in no fit state for long conversations - even this one has put your will to live under considerable strain."
At this, Hyoushin offered a vaguely rueful smile.
"To survive, one must be strong." He said simply. "Life is as it is - to find courage to live it is up to the individual. Whatever that life brings."
He drew a shuddering, painful breath into his lungs, then,
"Aoiketsu told me that girl is Suzaku's treasure." He said softly. "But she is also the person I came here to see most of all. For my Emperor's sake, to see if she truly is Seiryuu no Miko, as I now believe she must be."
"I see." Chichiri faltered, pursing his lips. "You know that's something we've not discussed with Hikari at all, yet."
"Still, the legend of the Miko is that, when the land faces devastation, the Priestess will come from the other world. Is it not so?"
"Yes...why?"
"And you believe Hikari is a true Miko, don't you?"
"Yes, I do." Chichiri admitted. "But although the signs are all there...I'm not convinced yet about what path we should be taking."
"I will help you." Hyoushin said softly. "So long as our goal is the same - and I believe your words, Chichiri. Suzaku's you might be, and born in Kounan, but you are an honest man, and I believe what you say. So I will assist you - and approach my Emperor, if I am able to do it. So long as I may speak to the girl - and explain to her the needs of Kutou."
"Toroki also says she's Seiryuu's Miko." Chichiri sighed. "But she's such a young girl, and Seiryuu is such a powerful beast...even though it's almost certainly that way, I'm not sure how to bring the news to her or even suggest that she might take it upon herself to raise him. I haven't forgotten what almost befell Hongou Yui when she attempted the same thing - and Hikari is the child of very dear people to me. I don't want her to be hurt."
"I am not well enough versed in the legends to know all you probably do." Hyoushin admitted. "But Kutou faces destruction. The Seishi are already destroyed, but the Shinzahou are not. Your land is only in danger by default - not because something is actively attacking it. Kutou is the land crying out for help. If Seiryuu has any claim to protecting the East...would it not make sense that it be through this girl? Given that, will you ignore her destiny?"
He smiled slightly.
"Besides, the Seiryuu mage Suiko predicted that uniting the four Shinzahou would bring Seiryuu no Miko into the picture." He added. "How many girls are there from the other world in this one at present? And more, if she truly possesses the power of Suzaku's Shinzahou within her - Suiko's portent is correct. If the four were to be united in Kutou...surely there would then be a Priestess of Seiryuu who could save the Eastern lands as much as harm them? Hikari is Kutou's last hope. And I must speak to her...even if it kills me, I must."
Chichiri stared at him, then he muttered a curse under his breath.
"I know you're right." He admitted unwillingly. "And that it means...Hikari..."
"Has to go to Kutou at some point." Hyoushin inclined his head. "And risk encountering Kikei's ambition and treachery."
"Something which I also know, but had been trying not to consider quite so plainly." Chichiri chewed on his lip. "Still, right now, I'm going to Hokkan in search of something to counteract snake venom. And you should rest. But later, I'd appreciate it if you told me whatever you could about Suiko's prediction and what you know. Whatever you can tell us without betraying Lord Kintsusei - Hyoushin, I think we really do need your help. And in return...in return I'll do as you ask. I'll make sure...you get to talk to Hikari. About Kutou, and raising Seiryuu."
Hyoushin sighed, sinking back against his pillows as he closed his eyes.
"The Southern Lands have been Kutou's enemies for a long time." He murmured. "To align with men of Kounan to save the East seems a strange kind of irony. But I have trust in your word. I have trust…in you."
Chichiri grinned.
"Good. That saves time, you know." He said briskly. "Aoiketsu already understands the severity of what we need to do - and he wants to save Kutou too, which is why he became involved with us in the way that he is. He and Maichu are as welcome as you are in my village and my home whilst you are recovering. You have my word – to me, Kutou is not the enemy. It never really has been, you know – just evil men of ambition within it. The ordinary people suffer as much as the ordinary folk did in Kounan during Nakago's raids. We are not so different. And I'm glad you understand that too."
"As you say." Hyoushin said softly. "I will endeavour to keep breathing until you return, Chichiri. I would like to be of some use in the saving of my homeland."
With that he was asleep, and Chichiri paused only to pull the blankets more securely over his fevered body before leaving the chamber, closing the door softly behind him.
"Chichiri?" Aoiketsu was waiting for him in the hallway, and at the sight of him, Chichiri paused, offering the young man a smile.
"He's come around, and I've spoken to him - he's regained rationality." He said gently. "But he's very tired, Aoi - I don't want you to disturb him right now. He's told me something that I might be able to use to help him - at least, I'm going north to speak to his people there, in the hope they really do have a remedy for his symptoms. Can I trust you not to go in there until after I return? If he can sleep a while, I think it would do him good."
"I promise." Aoiketsu looked relieved. "That he's awake is a good sign though, isn't it?"
"Hopefully." Chichiri agreed, remembering as he did so what Hyoushin had said about the white woman who had invaded his thoughts.
"If Myoume wants to watch him in my absence, she's more than welcome." He said at length. "With her family's apothecary background, I think she's the only one who should...will you tell her where I'm going and what I said? If my mission is successful, then with any luck you can speak to your Commander later...but for now..."
"I understand, and I'll tell her." Aoiketsu promised. "Just so long as he's okay, I'll do whatever you tell me."
Chichiri grinned, clapping his hand down on the young man's shoulder.
"I thought your dedication to him was strong." He reflected. "Having spoken to him a while, I understand it. I want to help him too, you know. I think he's as good a man as you've told me...and with any luck, we won't let Miramu win this round."
He paused, then,
"I want you to keep a close eye on Maichu, however." He added. "Miramu isn't here, and I know that if he did come, Myoume would see him off. But even so, her other prediction remains and we don't know the full implication of it yet. So, can I trust you with that task?"
"Maichu's my friend, so it goes without saying." Aoiketsu nodded. "In fact, I'll take him up to Reikaku-zan and see if we can convince Tasuki to give him back his sword...that way at least if trouble came he could defend himself."
"I don't think Tasuki will hurt him. I spoke to him and Shishi seems to have done so, too." Chichiri assured him. "Going to the mountain is a good idea, however - do so. It'll give you both a break from the pressure here and for the time being you're the one Maichu'll trust most of all."
"Yes, but he'll trust in all of you if I do." Aoiketsu said simply. "He's that way - if he trusts someone, he believes in them. And we've been friends a long time."
"So I realise." Chichiri nodded. "I'm beginning to think that there are some very respectable soldier attitudes in the East after all, you know."
"Well, Hyoushin-sama trained us." Aoiketsu spread his hands. "I hope you find what you need in Hokkan, Chichiri. I'll take Maichu and go to the mountain - hopefully by the time we get back things will have improved!"