Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction other than my enjoyment in spending time with them.

However, the plotline for this story and all original characters do belong to me (and yes, the dang text as well:P) and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Musical selection: 'Escape From the Tavern' from the "Willow" soundtrack; composed by James Horner; 1988, EMI International.

Warning: This chapter is rated "M" for harsh language and depictions of extreme violence. On a less serious note, there are also references to the events in OVA 1, for those of you who object to that anime. :P

Acknowledgment: My deep gratitude to my beta readers for this chapter: Kryssa, Purple Mouse, and Ryuen.

****

Chapter 16. Escape

Tasuki pulled the cinch strap a little too hard, causing Makaze to snort in irritation. "Sorry, 'Kaze," he muttered as he loosened the strap, returning to tight-lipped silence as he rechecked the contents of the saddlebags.

Hatsui and Urumiya exchanged glances as they saddled their own horses but made no comment, recognizing the futility of trying to lift Tasuki's dark mood.

A shadow briefly blocked the sunlight pouring through the open door. Namame stepped into the barn, sending motes of dust swirling in a cheerful dance that contrasted with the tense atmosphere.

"Here you go, lads," Namame announced, holding out a bag of leftover rolls from breakfast. "Inami insisted that you pack these for the road, and she's slipped a few other things in there as well. Now remember: once you leave the tunnel, keep to the eastern ridge of the mountains. Shijo's estate lies just southwest of your path, but you should be able to stay at least three leagues outside his land and still reach the Sairou border. Like we said, we suspect that Shijo is up to no good, so it's best to avoid his troops, not to mention that there's no easy way to cross over if you're on his holdings. His father antagonized the Sairou-jin to the point of them erecting a whopping great wall to prevent his constant raids."

Urumiya took the bag with murmured thanks, but Tasuki kept his back to Namame as he closed his saddlebags with quick, angry motions.

Namame's blue eyes gleamed with amusement at the obvious snub. "Still sulky then, eh, lad?"

"No. Sulking is for kids who're told they're no longer welcome in their friends' home." Tasuki lifted his gaze, his eyes alight with rage so intense that even Namame took an involuntary step back. "Pissed off is what I am! I know damn well when I'm being shunted out of the way so that my over-aged, fuck-brained friends can make a suicidal last stand ta prove some point about still havin' balls after eighty-odd years!"

Namame blinked, then grinned. "Huh. I'd heard that Tasuki of Suzaku had a mouth on 'im, but I've not had the pleasure of hearin' you go all out till now. 'Tis a pity that Inami isn't here to hear you as well; I'm sure she'd be pleased to know that you think she has balls."

"You think this is funny, don't you." Tasuki walked over and stood nose-to-nose with Namame. "Will you still be laughing when those soldiers, who outnumber you a hundred to three, cut down the people you love right in front of your eyes?"

"Mayhap you're bein' a bit negative, laddie." Namame's voice was mild, but his thickened accent betrayed his anger. "You're makin' us out to be the helpless old fools yonder bairns took us for earlier, fools who can't handle themselves in a fight. It might surprise you to learn that we've seen a bit of action in our day. We were takin' down enemies back when your dad was but an itch in your grandad's drawers."

"I'm not denying that. But I don't think that you've seen what I've seen, either. Have you ever watched a fellow seishi get skewered with a sword while a whole fuckin' army stood between you and him? How many of your brother seishi have you buried, anyway?"

"None in this lifetime, thank Genbu. But I've buried a fair number of friends under those circumstances, so I'm no edjit to risk lives unnecessarily." Namame's tone grew harsh as he poked a finger at Tasuki's chest. "An' I'm thinkin' that I'm not the seishi with his priorities up 'is erse—or did Suzaku appoint you to look after Genbu's own while leavin' his priestess to play ley-di-oh with those who want her dead?"

Tasuki pushed Namame's hand away, his features flushed with fury. "I know my responsibilities! I also know that Miaka would be a damn sight safer if we wiped out the people that're huntin' her—an' we're more likely to do that with six seishi than three! But if your reason for sendin' me and Miaka away is for her safety, explain one thing to me: why are you sending Hatsui and Urumiya away as well? If it's not about pride, why won't you at least accept their help?"

"Because we don't know the exact game the emperor is playing." The doorway was blocked again, this time by a tall, armored figure backlit by the sun. Uruki's smooth tones resonated through the barn. "Our emperor is a subtle, devious man. Perhaps this is the frontal assault that it seems to be—or perhaps his purpose is to flush out Miaka and put you on the run. It's possible that the Imperial soldiers in town are just a feint, and there's an ambush waiting for you on the other side of this mountain. If that's the case, you're going to need Hatsui and Urumiya's help."

Uruki's voice softened as he continued. "We're grateful for your loyalty, Tasuki, but Namame is right: Miaka's safety must be our primary concern. She's the only priestess left in our world, and thus the responsibility of every seishi of the Four Gods—if for no other reason than the fact that the Enemy wants her so badly. So although dividing our forces isn't the optimal strategy, I don't believe that we have any choice."

Tasuki ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then dropped his belligerent stance. "You're right. I dunno why I didn't see that myself. Maybe I'm just tired. Tired of runnin' and leavin' friends behind to fight, tired of losin' people I—" The words caught in his throat, and he shook his head.

"I know." Compassion vibrated through Uruki's deepened tones. "The gods have set a hard road before you, but I have faith that you're up to any challenge that comes your way. You can trust us as well; trust that we'll fight with intelligence as well as strength, and buy you as much time as we can. For now, however, we have to part—although I think that an apology is in order before you go."

Tasuki sighed. "Yeah. I'm sorry; I guess I was actin' like—"

"Not you, Tasuki."

Namame uncrossed his arms, startled. "Who, me? What did I do?"

"It's what you didn't do. You could've explained the situation as easily as I did, but instead you chose to bark out orders instead of reasons, and so ended up causing unnecessary strife."

Namame drew in a breath as if to protest, but something uncompromising in the silhouette of his partner stopped him in his tracks.

"All right then," he grumbled. "Tasuki, lad, could be that I treated you like an untested greenling instead of a Miko no Seishi, an' for that, I'm sorry." He rumpled Tasuki's hair affectionately. "Any road, there's no need to fret on our behalf; we're tough old coots, and the Emperor's troops will soon learn that to their sorrow."

He clasped hands with Tasuki and the younger seishi, trading well-wishes and quips with them.

"It's time. Miaka is waiting," said Uruki, and turned back towards the house, long chestnut braid swinging between broad shoulders.

"Nag, nag, nag," muttered Namame humorously as he followed Uruki out of the barn. "'Tis a sad fate to be driven so hard in my twilight years by my own awd love."

Tasuki followed him, grinning, while Urumiya whistled for his eagle. Kasen flew down from the rafters and perched on his gauntleted arm as he strode towards the door, but Hatsui hung back for a moment, staring after the elder seishi.

"Hey, Urumiya, did you notice something different about Uruki just now? She seemed a little…I dunno…gruff or something."

"Oh, for Genbu's sake!" Urumiya gave Hatsui a sharp cuff to the head with his free hand. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Ow! What was that for?" Hatsui rubbed the sore spot on his head, then smacked his fist into his palm in triumph. "I know what the difference is! She looks taller in her armor, that's all!"

****

Miaka dropped her veil and turned her face to the sky, closing her eyes and savoring the warmth of sunlight on the only exposed part of her skin. The rest of her body was covered by layers of light, sand-colored cotton and a neat turban, donned at Tasuki's insistence once they had exited the tunnel. Rolling her shoulders to loosen her stiff muscles, she overbalanced and had to clutch the man in front of her to keep from falling off the horse, apologizing by way of a self-conscious giggle.

"Enjoyin' yourself?" Tasuki's voice was half-sarcastic, half-admonishing as Makaze cantered forward to draw even with her. The Suzaku seishi was dressed in the same kind of desert robes, although Urumiya and Hatsui remained in their normal Hokkan deels. "If you're havin' trouble stayin' on, you can always come back and ride with me."

"No need; she's doing fine," Urumiya replied easily, patting one of Miaka's hands where it rested on his waist. "You might as well let Makaze have some time off from carrying both of you. If we have to make a run for it, Miaka goes back in the saddle with you, and Makaze will be fresher if he's not worn out from carrying two riders all day."

Tasuki muttered something under his breath and dropped back to keep watch as rearguard.

"Is he often this moody?" Miaka nodded at Tasuki's retreating form, then turned her eyes to watch Kasen as he rode the thermals in long, lazy circles above them.

"Tasuki? Not really…I mean, yeah, lately…I guess, ever since you…" Urumiya shook his head impatiently. "What I'm trying to say is that you're his priestess, so it's natural for him to be protective of you, even if he knows you're with friends. I remember the one time Hatsui and I met up with the Priestess of Genbu. We were just kids, but I was ready to take on the world—and that bastard Nakago—if he so much as looked at her."

"Nakago. I know that name, but I can't remember…" Miaka shivered, her hands tightening involuntarily on Urumiya's waist. "It makes me feel like I did yesterday, when we were going through the mountain tunnel."

"Yeah, I know what you mean; the tunnel creeped me out as well. I know that it was a miracle of workmanship on Namame's part, moving all that earth and stone out of the heart of the mountain, but all the same, it was so…so…"

"Dark. Dark and clammy. I felt like the walls were closing in, and that Tasuki's and Hatsui's lamps were going to be snuffed out at any minute. And the bats!"

"Don't talk to me about the bats," Urumiya pleaded jokingly. "Squeaking and rustling above us—gah! I know that they're harmless, but all the same, I kept a tight hold on Kasen so that he wouldn't stir them up. If they'd gotten scared by him and starting flying around our faces…well, it wouldn't be very seishi-like for me to gallop through the tunnel screaming like a girl."

Miaka let out a peal of laughter. "I've never heard a man admit to being afraid of bats! Besides, you always seem so confident."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Urumiya leaned forward, waiting until Hatsui, who was scouting ahead, disappeared around the curve of the next foothill. "It's just an act," he confided in a low voice. "I was barely thirteen when Hatsui and I were dragged into a confrontation with…well, into a big mess that required us to be guardian seishi before our time. All I knew was that Hatsui was even more frightened than me, and since I was one year older than him, I faked it and pretended to know exactly what we were doing. It was Genbu's mercy that Tasuki and Chichiri showed up in time to save our green asses. Even so, ever since then Hatsui has looked up to me like…well, like I really know how to handle the worst situations. So now I'm stuck faking this confidence, probably for the rest of our lives."

Miaka leaned her cheek against his back as she mulled over his words. "You know, I think that there's not much difference between real confidence and faking it."

"How can you say that? It sure as hell feels different!"

"That's true. But in the end—what I mean is, I've listened to you and Hatsui talking to Tasuki, and it sounds as if you've survived some tough missions. If your fake confidence leads Hatsui to trust you enough to overcome impossible obstacles, does it matter if it's not real? Or maybe your success makes it true."

Urumiya was silent for a long moment. "How do you know these things?" he finally asked. "How do you know me so well? We only met each other the day before yesterday."

A soft sigh. "I'm not pretending to know everything about you; it's that your words reminded me of me. Ever since I arrived, I've been faking confidence myself, and if it weren't for Tasuki, I might just—I'm sitting behind you, trying to enjoy the day, but the entire time, I've been wondering how Namame, Uruki, and Inami are doing, or if they're even still—" Miaka choked up. "See?" she whispered. "Not so confident after all."

Urumiya reached down to where she held onto his waist and covered her hand with his own. "They're all right. They'll be okay."

"And you know this because…?"

"Because I'm faking confidence. By your own rules, that means it's true, right?"

Miaka smiled sadly and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I guess so. But—" She paused, interrupted by the sound of Makaze's rapidly approaching hoofbeats. Tasuki pulled up in a cloud of dust and reached out a hand to Miaka.

"Get on Makaze now. And pull your face veil up."

"What's wrong?" Urumiya helped Tasuki swing Miaka onto Makaze's broad back.

"Hatsui hasn't returned from those foothills up ahead. See what your eagle can detect."

Urumiya gave a shrill whistle, and Kasen changed course, dropping out of the thermals like the fire arrow for which he was named. Urumiya held his hand up to point at Kasen as he swooped by, the seishi's gaze going slightly out of focus as he used his power to look out of the eagle's eyes.

"Damn it!"

"What do you see?"

"Looks like a military party of some sort. They must've been hidden beneath a ridge or something; otherwise, Kasen would've alerted us. Now they're surrounding Hatsui and appear to be questioning him. Wait; some soldiers have broken off from the group, and are riding—"

"Straight towards us," finished Tasuki as he fastened his own face veil beneath his turban. "I can see the dust clouds up ahead. Miaka, make sure that you keep your veil on, and try not to talk. It's too late to run, so we'll hafta go to our backup plan. Might as well break off, Urumiya; keep Kasen outta this for the time being."

Moments later, they reined in their horses as the approaching soldiers gave a warning shout. Miaka kept her eyes downcast as the men surrounded them, doing her best to act like a timid, frightened boy. Not much of a stretch, she thought nervously, as the soldiers pointed their swords at her companions.

"Explain your presence on Lord Shijo's borders!" The man who spoke wore a gold uniform beneath black armor, the ornate design and insignia on the armor indicating his rank as captain. He glared at them, his lip curled beneath a thin, drooping mustache.

"Our pardon," apologized Urumiya. "We are simple merchants trying to establish a trade route. It was our understanding," he brandished a scroll map, "that we were three leagues outside Lord Shijo's land. It was not our intention to trespass."

"The Emperor has authorized Lord Shijo to establish security for Hokkan's borders outside his own estate. Your intentions are of no importance."

Urumiya's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his tone mild. "We didn't know. We'll be happy to apply for the proper papers, if you'll let us know which town—"

"You will accompany us at once. Lord Shijo will decide your disposition. Hand over your arms."

The soldier nearest Tasuki reached out for the tessen strapped to his back. Tasuki let out a curse in a strange language and struck the man's hand away. Swords sang out of scabbards, and Miaka found herself with a blade pointed directly at her throat.

"Wait!" shouted Urumiya. "He doesn't understand Hokkan-go very well! Let me explain what you want, and then—"

"Tell him to throw down his weapon immediately, or he can watch the boy's blood drain into the sand!"

Urumiya exchanged words with Tasuki in the same foreign tongue, and with one final glare, Tasuki tossed the tessen and holster to the ground. Urumiya's sword soon followed, but even this gesture failed to appease the captain. He pulled his horse close to Makaze, glaring into Tasuki's eyes.

"What's wrong with you, eh? What're you doing in Hokkan if you don't know how to speak like civilized folk?"

"He's a member of an offshoot tribe of the Kel, my lord Captain," Urumiya explained in an appeasing tone. "The Kel, as you know, are the most experienced traders in the land, and we were trying to set up a route for the transport of fine wools between—"

"I'm not interested in your petty dealings," snapped the captain. "The only thing that interests me is that you and your friends follow my orders to the letter, or be ready to pay the price." He pointed his sword at Tasuki and swept it in a line parallel with his throat. "You can understand this, can't you, you damned desert scum."

Turning his horse, he cantered back towards the foothills, as the rest of the soldiers surrounded their prisoners and forced them to follow in his wake.

****

Miaka was hungry. She was tired and apprehensive as well—but hungry more than anything. It had been almost twenty-four hours since their capture, and they had finally reached Lord Shijo's castle after hours of hard riding broken by a brief period for sleep. She'd slept fitfully, once waking to find Hatsui snoring softly beside her, but she doubted that Tasuki or Urumiya had slept at all. At least, every time that she'd woken during the night, they'd been awake, their eyes gleaming with reflected firelight.

Her stomach rumbled, and she fought back a surge of annoyance. It was bad enough that their captors had brought no extra provisions for them, but did they really need to steal their prisoner's food as well? Pigs! thought Miaka, fuming at the memory of how the soldiers had wolfed down Inami's bread and pastries. The injustice of it had almost been enough to inspire one of her crazy fist-swinging attacks, but one warning glance from Tasuki reminded her to keep her temper under control. Food was important, but it wasn't worth dying for…or getting her companions killed, either.

"Dismount!" barked the captain, and the soldiers obeyed with military precision and speed, keeping their prisoners at swordpoint the entire time.

Miaka stepped back after Tasuki had lowered her to the ground, instinctively avoiding sudden moves that might agitate their captors. As soon as Tasuki dismounted, a soldier darted up and grabbed Makaze's bridle. The stallion flattened his ears and snorted, but Tasuki placed a hand on his neck, moving his fingers in subtle gestures. Makaze calmed immediately and allowed himself to be led to a nearby paddock with the other horses. Miaka looked at the variety of horses milling around the enclosure, ranging from steppe ponies of the nomads to common farm horses and more than a few finebred specimens—and her heart sank. No doubt these horses had been taken from other captives of Lord Shijo's guard, as well.

A contingent of heavily armed, gold-liveried guards descended from the polished wood veranda of the palace to exchange words with the military party. Despite the captain's assurances, the guards pulled the captives aside and patted them down for concealed weapons. Miaka held her breath, hoping that the layers of nomadic robes would keep the guards from detecting the unusual binding across her chest.

To distract herself from her nervousness, she looked across the courtyard. A troop of mounted soldiers paraded in the distance, following the lead of two men. Although the soldiers were clad in Shijo's gold-and-black uniforms, the two leaders wore normal Hokkan deels. Miaka frowned, squinting at the long, silver hair of one and the other's fur hat perched on dark hair. Something stirred in her memories, and she reached out to tug at Tasuki's sleeve.

At that moment, a shrill cry sounded from above them, and Kasen plummeted from the sky to land gracefully on Urumiya's gauntlet. The guards and soldiers jumped in surprise, raising their swords.

"Wait!" The captain approached Urumiya, studying Kasen through narrowed eyes. "Is that a steppe eagle?"

Urumiya nodded warily as Kasen shifted his weight from foot to foot, pulling his neck in and clacking his black-tipped beak.

"I've not seen one tamed before. Is he trained to the hunt?"

"Of course."

"Let the creature be," the captain ordered his troops. "No doubt Lord Shijo will be interested in this new acquisition."

Urumiya's lips tightened at the casual commandeering of his eagle, but he merely gave a brief nod and followed the captive party up the stairs and through the ornate golden doors of the castle.

Miaka and Hatsui gaped at the size of the huge entrance hall, every wall adorned with tapestries of a gold-helmeted hero battling demons and monsters, fighting back hordes of savages, or partaking in the hunt of dangerous carnivores. Awe seeped into Miaka as she pondered what godlike being had inspired such worshipful display.

"Is that supposed to be Genbu in human form?" asked Hatsui, echoing her thoughts.

"No," said the captain. "These tapestries depict the glorious deeds of the former Lord Shijo, father of our current lord and the founder of the Shijo Dynasty."

Miaka bit her lip, glad that her veil concealed her expression as she recalled Namame's mocking words about the previous Lord Shijo and the manner of his death. What wouldn't she give to have the elder Genbu seishi beside her right now, as this sycophantic ass described a mere two generations of minor nobles as a dynasty! She could almost hear Inami's contemptuous diatribe in her ears.

Almost.

"And what of our patron god?" asked Urumiya, interrupting her melancholy thoughts as he lifted his arm to indicate the absence of tapestries depicting Genbu or his seishi.

"Over there." The captain waved casually at a small plinth in a corner of the room, bearing a crude carving of a black tortoise in onyx.

It wasn't even Genbu thought Miaka; it was just a plain tortoise without the snake arching over its shell. Urumiya and Hatsui's eyes flashed in anger, but before they could speak, the guards pushed them towards one of three large corridors leading from the entrance hall.

It was a confusing journey, the corridor angling at times before making abrupt turns or branching off into multiple side passages. Miaka was soon hopelessly disoriented as to their direction, so she fixed her gaze on Tasuki walking before her, his robes helping to conceal the fact that he was subtly guiding Urumiya with a hand on his elbow.

Miaka frowned in confusion. Why did Urumiya need Tasuki's help? She finally noticed that Kasen was observing their passage with his bright bird eyes, tilting and swiveling his head to look behind as they made one confusing turn after another. He was memorizing their route, she realized—or at least, Urumiya was memorizing it through Kasen's eyes.

"Halt!"

They had arrived at a heavily guarded entranceway, with enormous doors that extended from floor to ceiling. The captain saluted the new set of guards, and they moved forward to take the weapons of the military party. Tasuki watched intently as the tessen, along with all other weapons, was transferred to the palace guards.

Hatsui tilted his head towards Urumiya and murmured, "Interesting that Shijo apparently doesn't trust even his own military to carry weapons in his presence."

"Silence!" hissed the nearest guard and grasped the hilt of his sword to make his point. Satisfied with the security around the prisoners, the guard pushed open the door and allowed the military party to enter.

This reception hall dwarfed the previous entrance hall, its soaring vaulted ceiling imbuing the room with a sense of regal immensity. Unfortunately, the architectural artistry was countered by the excesses of the interior décor. Brightly enameled panels decorated every inch of the walls, once again depicting the ancestors of the Shijo clan taking part in glorious deeds. Scattered thickly throughout the room were pedestals that bore jade statues or priceless vases. It seemed that every surface was gilded and festooned with ornamentation, unintentionally producing the effect of wealth displayed at a level of ostentation that bordered on the ridiculous. Miaka wondered if the Emperor of Hokkan himself possessed half as many treasures as the Shijo family.

At the end of a long carpet stood a dais that held three gold-enameled chairs. The men flanking the center chair looked up as the prisoners entered the room. The one on the left appeared old, his skin pale and wrinkled, his head bald except for a few remaining tufts of white hair. His robes were of rich grey silk adorned with muted silver cranes, the severe cut suggesting controlled refinement. He leaned forward with the predatory stoop of a carrion bird, examining the newcomers with narrowed eyes and curled lip, exposing his sharp yellow teeth.

The man on the right regarded them with an openly hostile stare from beneath heavy-lidded eyes. He was a squat man of perhaps sixty, bedecked with a more elaborate version of the black and gold uniform worn by the captain. He exuded a tangible air of self-importance, giving him the appearance of a puffed-up amphibian.

Councilor Vulture and Councilor Toad, thought Miaka, and she might've been amused if not for the guards pointing spears at her head. She moved closer to Tasuki, who reached back to nudge her behind him. Hatsui and Urumiya edged slightly nearer to her, and she realized that they were subtly shielding her with their bodies.

Despite the commotion of their entrance, the man in the center chair did not glance up at them. From his position of importance and the rich gold embellishments accenting his chartreuse silk robes, he had to be Lord Shijo, but he was not at all what Miaka had expected from Inami's vitriolic remarks. Instead of looking like an iron-fisted tyrant, he was a surprisingly ordinary-looking man, only medium height with a pleasant, vacuous face, his slightly receding chin adding to the impression of weak good humor.

His attention was currently riveted on the two people standing immediately before the dais: a middle-aged man in a simple but elegantly cut suit of bronze silk, and a young woman wearing a sheer face veil. She appeared lovely, tall with lush black hair caught up in elegant loops, her form draped in diaphanous layers that complemented the season with their gentle hues of spring green, rose, and yellow. Her eyes were cast modestly downward, but she stood with a confident grace that belied her submissive posture.

"So, Lord Asukai, it seems that we have an agreement in the making here. An alliance between our clans will promote our interests and the interests of a safe, free Hokkan for the foreseeable future." Lord Shijo's voice, a slightly nasal tenor, was as innocuous as his face.

Lord Asukai made a slight bow. "You honor me with your offer, Lord Shijo, but as I have just explained, any agreements must be approved by all of the subchieftains of my clan. I regret that I cannot make any promises at this time. However, I must thank you for the hospitality shown to myself and my daughter."

Shijo looked momentarily nonplussed by Asukai's diplomatic refusal, but he brightened at the mention of the daughter. He rose from his chair and approached the young woman, catching her hand between his own.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lord Asukai. I'm sure that you'll convince your chieftains of the urgency of defending Hokkan's borders. I look forward to meeting with you again…and the lovely Mayumi, of course." He paused to smile ingratiatingly at the woman. "I invite you to stay and enjoy my hospitality for as long as you like."

Lord Asukai cleared his throat, and his daughter gently pulled her hand from Shijo's grasp, hurrying obediently back to her father's side. Hatsui coughed, covering a laugh as he watched her surreptitiously wipe her hand on her skirt.

That slight sound was enough to draw Shijo's attention, and he frowned at the new arrivals at the entrance.

"I'll have to excuse myself, Lord Asukai. I'm afraid that there are urgent matters that demand my attention at this time. I'll see to it that we get another chance to meet before you leave."

Asukai bowed, leaving the reception room with a single intent glance at the military party. His daughter hurried after him, but her eyes, bright with curiosity, lingered on the captives. Hatsui flashed her a wide smile and inclined his head, until Urumiya drew his attention back by stepping on his boot.

"So what do we have here?" Shijo was once again smiling in his friendly, vacuous way. He stared at Kasen, whose dark brown and black feathers spread in an impressive display as the eagle flapped his wings. "Most hawks are hooded and wear those little straps—bells—tresses, right?"

"Jesses, my lord," answered Councilor Toad stolidly.

"Right, jesses. But why is it here—and who are these people?"

"They're intruders, my lord," answered the captain. "I captured them near your western border."

"We were three leagues outside the border!" Hatsui stepped forward to confront the captain. "We weren't anywhere near Lord Shijo's land when you took us prisoner! Where I come from, we call that kidnapping."

"Ah, kidnapping. No, we don't approve of that here; we're a civilized people, and we don't hold with such barbaric practices." Shijo raised his eyebrows in query. "Can you explain this, Captain?"

"They're suspicious characters, my lord," the captain replied, pointing a finger at Tasuki and Miaka. "Those two look to be Sairou-jin, if you ask me."

"Sairou-jin traveling with Hokkan-jin," rasped Councilor Vulture. "Suspicious indeed."

Councilor Toad nodded in agreement. "These are troubled times, and we mustn't take any chances. I suggest that you hold these people, my lord, until we confirm their identities and purpose."

Urumiya exchanged a desperate glance with Hatsui as the guard moved forward. He took a few steps towards the dais. "Wait! We'll tell you who we are."

"And that would be…?" Shijo's look of mild enquiry contrasted with the scowls on the faces of his Councilors.

"We're Genbu no Seishi, defenders of Hokkan." Green light glowed around Hatsui and Urumiya. "We offer our services in exchange for safe passage for our companions."

Shijo held up his hand before his eyes, shielding them from the bright light of Genbu. "But we already have—"

"Enough defenders for the time being," interrupted Councilor Toad.

Hatsui and Urumiya exchanged startled glances. Interruption of a high-ranking lord was usually an executable offense in most noble courts—but instead of becoming angry, Shijo merely coughed in confusion and glanced toward Councilor Vulture, who nodded at him.

Councilor Toad stood up and approached the prisoners. "Explain why you think you may defy Lord Shijo's decision."

"We have no intention of defying Lord Shijo's decisions," replied Urumiya, his pointed remark making the nobleman squirm slightly. "Nor do we believe that you meant to question our loyalty to our country. After all, we are Hokkan's legendary warriors, as the people of this land will tell you. Anyone who claims allegiance to Genbu would hardly imprison his chosen representatives, would he?"

Councilor Vulture pursed his thin lips in thought. "True enough. But you still haven't explained your purpose in traveling or the identities of your Sairou-jin companions."

Shijo joined in. "That's right. We don't even know what their faces look like. Lord Tsuyama, remove their veils."

Councilor Toad reached up towards Tasuki's face—and was suddenly caught in an iron grip and forced to his knees, his arm twisted behind his back. The palace guards gave a shout and jumped forward, swords upraised.

"Wait!" cried Urumiya. He addressed Tasuki rapidly in the strange language he had used earlier. Tasuki immediately released the Councilor, straightening his robes and veil with an air of affronted dignity as the squat man skittered angrily back to the safety of the dais.

Shijo raised a hand hesitantly. "What is the meaning of this, Genbu warrior?"

"My companions are members of the Kel tribes, my lord. In their culture, asking a grown man to reveal his face before strangers is equivalent to asking him to strip naked and dance for you."

Shijo flushed uncomfortably, and Miaka had a sudden flash of insight. Shijo had no idea of how to handle people, let alone rule a fiefdom. He was nothing more than a puppet for the machinations of his malevolent council…which made him no less dangerous, unfortunately.

"I, uh…I didn't mean to disrespect their culture—"

"Nor do they have the right to disrespect you, my lord!" hissed Councilor Toad. "You are the one who rules here!"

"A moment please." Councilor Vulture drew his counterpart and Shijo aside, and whispered urgently at them until Shijo lost his look of mild confusion, replacing it with a mask of resolve.

"I have made my decision," Shijo announced with almost convincing gravity, reciting his coached words with care. "The honorable Genbu warriors are free to go on their way…but their companions must remain in our custody."

****

"That's insane!" Hatsui burst out. "You have no evidence against them!"

"That's right," replied Shijo, his hands spread in mock helplessness. "No evidence of who they are or where they're from…except those turbans and robes of those Sairou-jin wanderers, what d'ye call 'em again?"

"Kel Tagelmoust," replied Councilor Toad, licking his wide lips. Miaka found herself unwillingly fascinated by the action, almost expecting a long tongue to flick out from his mouth and snag a fly. "The Kel claim that their origins are older than those of any emperor, so they swear allegiance to no country and recognize no boundaries between sovereign states—"

"Which makes them the least likely people to foment trouble between countries," argued Urumiya.

"That may be." Councilor Vulture extended his scrawny neck towards Tasuki and Miaka. "But until we find evidence to the contrary, we'll have to hold them as a possible threat to Hokkan security."

"Let me see if I understand this," said Hatsui, his tones suffused with disbelief. "You have no proof of treason or any other crime committed by either of these travelers, but until you get evidence, you'll have to keep them in prison without any hope of trial or release."

"That's right," said Shijo. "If we find evidence against them, they'll have a trial before the highest judges in our state." He gestured Urumiya and Hatsui forward, and lowered his voice confidentially. "You have to understand; they're different. Hiding their faces behind veils, wearing these robe and turban things—they're not like us."

"Like us?" echoed Urumiya.

"Yes. Normal Hokkan-jin. Decent Genbu-fearing folk, instead of these heathens who worship," he flapped a hand contemptuously, "desert spirits."

Hatsui flushed angrily, but Urumiya placed a hand on his arm, restraining him. "So I take it that there's nothing we can say to change your mind?"

Shijo assumed a resolute expression. "Unfortunately, no."

Urumiya bowed and backed respectfully away from the dais. Turning to rejoin his companions, he locked eyes with Tasuki and gave a subtle nod—then jerked his gauntleted arm towards the ceiling.

Kasen burst into the air, making a rapid, spiraling ascent before diving like an arrow and striking out viciously at the guards nearest Tasuki and Miaka. His talons ripped into flesh and tore out eyes, as screams of agony echoed through the throne room.

The military captain immediately turned on his captives, lunging for Tasuki's throat, but Tasuki was ready for him. Whirling his arms, he caught the captain's attack in the folds of his sleeves, then drove his elbow into the man's throat, sending him crashing to the ground, gasping helplessly for air through his bruised windpipe. Urumiya leapt forward and dragged Tasuki and Miaka down as Hatsui spun in place, his hands outstretched before him. Black needles shot from his fingertips and flew through the air, piercing the battle armor of the soldiers and the palace guard, as a few loyal men threw themselves before Shijo and his advisers to shield them.

"Get the weapons!" Hatsui gasped.

Tasuki, Miaka, and Urumiya dashed towards the exit as Hatsui covered their retreat with a steady stream of his lethal needles. They paused at the doors, opening them slightly to allow the noise and commotion from the throne room to reach the corridor. In less than a second, the outside guards rushed through the open doorway, only to be met by the heavy wood panels smashing into their faces. Tasuki and Urumiya released the doors and snatched up their confiscated weapons from the dazed, bleeding guards, then took off down the corridor with Hatsui and Miaka following closely in their wake. They ducked into an alcove, breathing heavily, listening to the shouts for reinforcements echo through the halls.

There was a clatter of wings, and Urumiya stuck his arm out into the corridor. Kasen landed on his wrist as lightly as a sparrow. He murmured softly to the eagle, clicking his tongue in a strange rhythmic pattern, until Kasen erupted into flight once more, skimming the ceiling as he flew swiftly out of their sight.

"Where's he going?" asked Miaka.

"I sent him to get the horses," Urumiya replied. "We'll need them free and ready to ride as soon as we get out of here."

"If we get out of here," Tasuki grumbled. "They may have led us the long way around to confuse us, but I'm still certain that we're hell and gone from the front gates. This fucking place is as huge as a fortress."

They crept out into the corridor, following Urumiya in the direction that Kasen had flown, listening for the telltale rattle of weapons. Miaka had just begun to breathe easier, believing that they would make a clean escape, when a shout sounded from behind them.

"Damn it, they've found us!" cursed Tasuki.

"Wait!" Urumiya cried, his eyes appearing to stare into the distance. "This isn't what I asked him to do, but— Stop running, and get against the wall! NOW!"

"Do it!" shouted Hatsui, shoving Tasuki and Miaka towards the far wall as he guided Urumiya to the near one. Tasuki pressed Miaka against the wall and shielded her with his body.

A deep rumble came from the corridor, sounding like a storm breaking in the near distance. The rumble grew rapidly louder and closer, and Miaka felt the floor tremble beneath her feet. The triumphant shouts of the soldiers pursuing them suddenly turned into cries of dismay—and Miaka caught her breath as the entire herd of horses from the paddock thundered past in a wild stampede, the wind of their passage lifting her hair. The sounds of shattering pottery were accompanied by the clatter of hooves slipping on marble, and screams from the men in their path.

Kasen flew shrieking above the horses' heads, intensifying their frenzy, but the eagle wasn't the only force driving the palace invasion. A familiar trumpeting neigh reached their ears, as the huge stallion at the rear forced two other horses away from the rest of the herd, and pulled up, snorting and blowing, before Tasuki and Miaka.

"Good work, Makaze!" Tasuki grabbed Makaze's bridle, leaping into the saddle and pulling Miaka up after him as Hatsui and Urumiya retrieved their own mounts. In the distance, the panicked squeals of the stampeding horses mingled with the cries of palace guards as they were trampled by the runaway herd.

The seishi group cantered cautiously across the marble floor as Kasen flew swiftly past them, banking around the next bend in the hallway.

"Damn, there's an entire troop of palace guards heading towards us!" shouted Urumiya.

"This way!" ordered Tasuki as he spurred Makaze down a side corridor.

Miaka barely had time to notice the relative lack of ornamentation down this narrow corridor before they burst through swinging doors into a large room filled with cooking fires, huge iron woks, and servants clad in white. The large, portly cook cried out in terror as he dove away from the horses, while a minor chef waved a basket and shouted at the errant riders. Miaka reached out with one boot as she and Tasuki rode through, and kicked the steaming plates of food off a marble countertop. The crash of breaking porcelain mingled with the cries of the cooking staff, and Miaka felt a sense of vindication at ruining Shijo's food after his men had stolen hers.

They burst out of the doors at the far end of the kitchen and turned to ride deeper into the palace as the shouts of the kitchen staff faded in their wake. The corridor ornamentation changed again, this time featuring niches holding ornate vases filled with sprays of cherry blossoms. The three horses cantered around the next corner—and nearly ran down a group of ladies walking sedately, admiring the flowers.

"Watch out!" cried Hatsui, and the ladies scattered, screaming, except for the tall one in the middle, who brandished her parasol threateningly at the horses bearing down on her. Hatsui pulled desperately on his reins. His horse veered away, and he leaned down and scooped up the lady who had been in their path.

"Stop hitting me!" he yelled, as the woman landed a few good whacks with her parasol. He grabbed at the parasol, inadvertently pulling off her veil as well. "Lady Mayumi!"

"How do you know my name?" Mayumi spat, her black eyes flashing. "Are you some lackey of Shijo's? Let me go this instant!"

"No, damn it, ouch! We're trying to get away from that bastard!"

Mayumi looked over at the Urumiya and the robed and veiled figures of Tasuki and Miaka as they slowed their horses. "You're the criminals from the throne room!"

"We're not criminals! We're Genbu no Seishi—shit, doesn't anybody respect their God's warriors anymore?"

Mayumi stopped struggling. "Genbu no Seishi? Then maybe you can help my father—"

Urumiya pulled his horse close to Hatsui's. "We can't help anyone unless we get out of here. Do you know a way out, Lady Mayumi?"

"Through there!" Mayumi replied breathlessly, pointing at a bamboo latticework grille in the wall. Tasuki immediately turned Makaze toward it. "The ladies' gardens are though that—Aiiieeeee!"

The stallion blasted straight through the grille, shattering the thin bamboo lathes, as Hatsui's and Urumiya's mounts followed closely in his wake. They galloped along manicured paths, past trickling fountains and sculpted gardens, their progress marked by the startled shrieks of women taking the air, until they pulled up before a low gate leading to a dusty road.

"Down that road," gasped Mayumi, "down that road lies the canyon maze. But it's impossible to find your way through without one of Shijo's guides!"

"Don't need it when we've got Kasen," Urumiya pointed at the eagle already riding the thermals above the canyon walls. "Thank you for your help, Lady Mayumi."

Hatsui let Mayumi down but instead of riding off, he dismounted swiftly and planted a passionate kiss on her curved lips.

Tasuki jerked on Makaze's reins, and the stallion snorted and stamped irritably, reflecting his owner's impatience.

Hatsui reluctantly broke the kiss. "Genbu no Hatsui," he said huskily. "Just remember that—Genbu no Hatsui."

He remounted and spurred his horse to join the others, leaving Mayumi standing in the gardens, dreamily touching her lips. "Ready to go!" he announced happily.

"Finally!" Tasuki turned Makaze sharply towards the gate. "Damn it, we're not on a pleasure jaunt, you idiot!"

Makaze cleared the low gate in a single leap, the two Genbu horses on his heels. They galloped down the road towards high limestone walls shimmering in the sunlight, the peaceful atmosphere shattered by the loud pounding of war drums from the palace watchtowers.

"They're sounding the alarm!" said Hatsui. "They're summoning their soldiers to stop us!"

"No shit, Loverboy," spat Tasuki. "We're gonna hafta ride faster to make up for the time you wasted picking up girls. Urumiya?"

Urumiya listed in the saddle as his eyes turned upward in a trancelike manner. "We're clear so far. When we reach the canyons, take the first branch off the right."

"Let me take his horse's reins," Hatsui urged. "I'm used to guiding him while he's channeling Kasen."

Makaze dropped back, allowing Hatsui to join Urumiya in the lead as the horses slowed upon entering the twisting paths of the canyon maze. Miaka gazed at the stratified walls of rock surrounding them, and forced down an oppressive feeling of claustrophobia. Every turn in their path led to another branching of the ways, some of the paths wide enough to allow all three horses to trot abreast, while other paths grew so narrow that they could only move in single file.

"A small squadron of soldiers is entering the maze behind us, and a larger one is approaching from the east." Urumiya narrowed his eyes as if he could sharpen Kasen's senses even more. "The rest of Shijo's soldiers appear to be assembling to the south of the canyons."

"We've got to hurry!" said Hatsui.

"No point; they can't move any faster through the maze than we can, and from the look of them, their scouts are busy deciphering maps. It's more important that we keep out of their way. At least we've got Kasen to show us—"

He suddenly pitched to one side, almost falling out of the saddle, his cry drowned by the shrieks of the eagle flying above them. Kasen plummeted towards the cliffs, swerving upward at the last moment, as a giant claw reached out of the sky to attack him. There was a strange pressure in Miaka's ears; then, with a sound like a muffled implosion, a nightmare beast appeared above the wildly flailing eagle.

"Get back! Get under here!" shouted Tasuki, spurring Makaze towards a rock overhang. "Urumiya, break off contact with Kasen before that thing follows your ki here! Do it now!"

"I can't! He needs my help to escape—" Urumiya blindly turned his face upward as Hatsui pulled both their horses into the shelter of the overhang.

"Damn you, you're endangering Miaka! Break off, or I'll kill you myself!"

Hatsui spurred his horse between his partner and Tasuki's drawn sword, slapping Urumiya smartly across the face. "Onii-san, do it!"

Kasen struggled above them, twisting and diving to escape the giant talons. The creature's metallic shrieks resounded off the canyon walls until Miaka thought she would go deaf. Her ears popped one more time, and a second shadow raced spiderlike across the ground and up the cliff walls.

Urumiya gasped, his eyes clearing as he broke off the connection to his companion animal. Miaka's heart twisted at his pained expression, but the Enemy left them no time for emotion or anything other than the desperate attempt to survive.

"Anyone have any doubts left as to Shijo allying himself with the Enemy?" Tasuki muttered grimly.

"At least they seem to have stopped their attacks on Kasen." Hatsui looked momentarily hopeful. "Do you see, Urumiya? He's flown off towards the west."

"They only attacked him because he was projecting Urumiya's ki. Now they're concentrating on finding us."

"But they can't see us under here, and as long as we keep blocking our ki—"

"They'll find us by figuring out where we're not." Urumiya looked over at Tasuki, bearing no grudge for the earlier threat. "Don't forget, Shijo's soldiers are making their way through the maze, and it's only a matter of time before they find us. There's no other choice; we'll have to attack the beasts. How many do you think are out there?"

Tasuki studied the black spidery shadows running along the valley floor. "At least two. I'll use the tessen, and you—"

"No!" Urumiya interrupted. "Hatsui and I will go out to fight them on our own. You stay here with Miaka until we distract them, then take off, keeping to the left turning paths."

"Forget it! I'm not leaving you two to deal with those things alone."

"It's your job to protect the Priestess! Or didn't you just remind me of that at swordpoint?"

"I am protecting her! It takes two seishi to bring down even one of those fuckers. If you try to kill two of them on your own—and if you fail—that'll leave me trying to take down both of those scumfucks while shielding Miaka at the same time. I'm telling you that our best chance is with all three of us together!"

"Fine, we're wasting time!" Hatsui said, unexpectedly taking charge. "Get your tessen ready, and on the count of three, we'll charge out all at once and try to take them by surprise."

He peered out from under the overhang, trying to catch a glimpse of the creatures' flight patterns, as Tasuki unholstered and brandished the tessen.

"There they are! On the count of one…wait!"

A silver disk came spinning out of nowhere, swooping low between the cliffs before spiraling up into the sky, intercepting one of the beasts and neatly decapitating it. The headless body crashed heavily onto the rocks, the impact shaking the ground as its thick, oily blood spattered and soaked into the dust.

"What the hell just—?"

Miaka looked up—and three mounted figures burst into view, black silhouettes against the bright midday sun. Her heart caught in her throat as she recognized the long braid of the rider who caught the flying disk in his grasp.

"Uruki-sama!" she gasped, tears of relief and gratitude springing to her eyes.

Namame, Inami, and Uruki raced their horses along the top of the opposite cliff. Miaka shrieked in dismay as they charged straight at a small crevice in the cliff, but their horses cleared the obstacle in one fluid, coordinated leap.

A metallic scream rent the air, and the second nightmare beast banked towards them, batwings blocking the sunlight and rows of daggerlike teeth glistening in its gaping mouth. The Genbu seishi pulled up their horses and stopped in an instant. Namame flung a weapon that looked like two small boulders tied at each end of a long cord, while Uruki sent a blast of wind to speed the spinning rocks, and Inami fired off a fountain of ice and snow directly into the creature's faceted eyes, their three seishi powers blending with consummate elegance and precision.

Namame's weapon twisted around the beast's neck, the boulders smashing into its skull, and its body crashed down to join the first beast crumpled at the base of the cliff.

Inami pointed downward, and a fountain of snow streamed out of her fingertips to join with rocks and earth that were erupting out of the ground to form a long, sloping ramp. One after the other, each of their horses leapt confidently onto its icy surface, sliding down the ramp until they reached the canyon floor in a display of stunning horsemanship.

"We thought you children might need our help," Uruki called pleasantly, while Namame summoned his rock weapon with a sharp gesture, making the cord unwind from the dead creature's neck.

"See, ye doubtin' bairns, we're not dead yet! Whoops, duck!"

All of the seishi and Miaka ducked low as Namame's rocks spun close overhead.

"Idiote!" spat Inami as Namame caught his weapon with an awkward lunge. "Stupid son of a cross-eyed goat! We will be dead if you do not control those rocks!"

"Ah, my love, this isn't the time for singing love songs. I know that you adore me, but we have to get these two youngsters across to Sairou right now. Who's going to lead?"

"Me and Urumiya," said Hatsui, as Kasen dove down to settle briefly on Urumiya's forearm. "He's the one who can find the way with Kasen's help."

Kasen burst into the air again under Urumiya's command, as the five Genbu seishi formed a protective echelon around Tasuki and Miaka. The band of warriors took off at full gallop through the widening gap between the cliffs.

"Soldiers up ahead!" shouted Urumiya. "Coming in from the left—only three men, probably scouts."

Swords sang out of scabbards, and in less than five seconds, the scouting party attacked. Uruki's disc flew out and decapitated one man instantly, while Inami ran another through with her sword. Miaka hid her face against Tasuki's back to block out the dull thunk of iron cutting through flesh and bone, but she couldn't block the acrid scent of freshly spilled blood.

I'd forgotten what it's like to be in battle, she thought.

Mercifully, the skirmish ended quickly, and they galloped further through the maze before Urumiya was forced to raise a hand and signal for a halt.

"We've got more trouble," he panted. "We're almost through this damn thing, but a full regiment is approaching the eastern opening of the canyons, while our only other exit, the southern branch, is blocked by a troop of at least fifty soldiers. We can try to outrun the regiment on the eastern side, but if we fail…"

"We need to go south to reach the Sairou Wall in any case, isn't that true?" Uruki was barely winded, his deepened male voice smooth and unhurried.

Hatsui frowned in his direction. "Er, you sound different, Uruki-sama—"

"Can Kasen at least find a way for us to sneak up behind the troop?" Tasuki interrupted impatiently.

"Yes, but we'll have to be quick. So are we decided?"

"Presto,andiamo! We waste time!Inami tossed her head. "In culo alla balena!"

"'Up the arse of the whale it is, cara mia!" Namame grinned. "Just like old times!"

****

Two ranks of horse soldiers resplendent in the black and gold uniforms of Shijo's military force charged across a beaten earth field at their opponents, men clad in the same uniforms but with the added ornament of bright green scarves loosely fastened to their epaulets. Wooden swords flashed as the two forces met violently, then parted just as quickly, leaving four soldiers groaning on the ground.

"No, no, NO, you asses!" shouted Tomite, as Hikitsu rubbed his forehead in annoyance. "You're supposed to strike and counter at the same angle, and then try to snatch the scarves! Sergeant, go out there and show these idiots the maneuver for the tenth time—and tell them that the next man who screws up will go against me, except I'll be using a real sword to teach him a final lesson!"

"Yes, my lord!" The grizzled sergeant galloped out to shout instructions and abuse at the inexperienced men.

Tomite blew out an aggravated breath. "Once again, we've been relegated to training the greenest, most incompetent troops, wasting our time and probably theirs as well. These men are more likely to sprout wings and become celestial beings than they are to win the simplest battle! When the hell are we going to do anything significant around here?"

"Maybe it's just as well. Until we know what Shijo's up to, it's probably better that we don't do anything to make him stronger—including teaching his troops the best way to fight." Hikitsu shook his head. "But it's damned annoying to be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. We're not likely to find out what's going on with Imperial politics by questioning the local scorpions and mice."

"At least Sergeant Cho is helpful. Polite and respectful as well. Everyone else here treats us like carriers of a particularly nasty disease."

"He's probably a spy," warned Hikitsu.

"Yeah, I know," said Tomite, watching the sergeant put the soldiers through the maneuvers. "I can't help liking him anyway. Even if he's a spy, he's the only person around here to treat us decently."

The sound of thundering hooves drew their attention. Sergeant Cho left the troops to stand beside the seishi as two palace guards on horseback approached at full gallop, pulling up before the three men and sketching a barely polite salute.

"There's been an assassination attempt on Lord Shijo!" the first guard shouted breathlessly. "His Lordship is safe, but the assassins have escaped into the canyon maze. Take your men to the canyons and reinforce the troops at the southern exit!"

The guards turned to ride off, but Sergeant Cho gave a warning shout. "Hold there, you!" He galloped up to them. "How many assassins were there?"

"Four," replied the second guard, but the first gestured at him angrily. "We don't have time to deal with the likes of you! You'll do as told, and not delay us with your stupid questions!"

"Seems to me that you are the stupid ones, letting assassins into the palace to take a shot at Lord Shijo, then letting them escape again. Not to mention that I'm doing you a kindness."

"What kindness?" snarled the first guard.

"Giving you a chance to mend your ways before Lord Tomite connects your eyeballs with the shaft of his arrow."

The guards looked up to see Tomite glaring at them, his bow drawn and an arrow already nocked and aimed straight at their heads. They turned pale and began stammering out pleas and excuses.

"Shut up!" barked Sergeant Cho. "Get down in the dirt like the pigs you are, and humbly beg forgiveness for your filthy manners! Then be on your way, and never let me see your ugly faces again!"

The guards did as commanded, dismounting and groveling with their foreheads pressed to the dust, then hurriedly remounted their horses and rode away, glancing fearfully over their shoulders until they were safely out of arrow range.

Tomite lowered his bow. "Thank you, Sergeant Cho."

"No need, my lord. It's time that someone put that scum in its place. A decent soldier shouldn't have to put up with garbage from the lowlifes that make up the palace guard."

"There aren't many around here who feel the need to give us even the slightest respect," remarked Hikitsu thoughtfully.

Sergeant Cho grinned, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes and mouth in his sun-darkened countenance. "Well, I was taught at my otou-san's knee that it was a foolish man who underestimated the Holy Warriors of Genbu."

Tomite matched his grin. "Then it's time we earned that respect and showed you what a Holy Warrior can do. Get the troops ready—we're going to see some real action at last!"

****

"Rekkaaaa shin'eeeenn!"

A huge gout of flame shot out at the four soldiers charging at them, incinerating the men. The soldiers had only a brief moment to scream in agony before falling silent and charred in the path. Tasuki lowered the tessen, panting heavily, while Miaka nearly gagged on the stench of burnt human flesh.

"Is that the last of them?" asked Hatsui.

"It's the last of this lot, but—"

"But the eastern regiment is almost here!" Uruimya shouted angrily. "We'll have to retreat; we can't defend ourselves out here in the open!"

Reforming their protective echelon around Tasuki and Miaka, Hatsui, Urumiya and the three elder Genbu spurred their horses up a narrower canyon to the right. The path climbed slightly before curving around to form an S-loop, and they turned in the shelter of the high cliff walls to make a stand against their pursuers.

There was a shout, and the first of the new soldiers rounded the curve, swords upraised in challenge.

Miaka kept her head down and hung on to Tasuki, catching brief glimpses of the battle raging all around her:

Tasuki's sword swinging above their heads, parrying arrows and sword thrusts with celestial speed.

Uruki flinging his disk with one hand and gesturing with the other, sending a blast of wind to accelerate Namame's stone weapon, while Inami sent a barrage of hailstones flying into the soldiers' faces.

Hatsui gasping with effort as he shot a lethal spray of black needles from his fingertips, taking down a soldier about to strike Urumiya from behind.

The green light of Genbu flashed bright against the shadowed cliffs as they doggedly fought against a seemingly endless numbers of attacking soldiers. Despite their fierce defense, the seishi party was pushed back, until they finally burst through onto an open plateau and into the bright light of day.

Catching a glimpse of Kasen diving through the open sky, Miaka followed his motion to the plain below them, a plain extending south to an enormous wall nearly ten meters tall, bristling with battlements and manned by guards clad in white tunics and silver armor.

The Sairou border.

****

Hikitsu and Tomite's troop of soldiers rounded the curve and paused at the intersecting paths, one trail leading up a steep rise and the other leveling out and veering off to the left. The horses skittered away from the charred corpses on the ground, the animals' nostrils flaring as smoke still rose in tiny wisps from the bodies.

Muted shouts and the clash of metal echoed faintly from somewhere above them, and a few of the reinforcements started towards the rising path eagerly.

"Hold!" shouted Sergeant Cho, and the impulsive men reined in with abashed expressions. "Let me go to scout ahead, my lords, and I'll report back within the minute."

"Be careful!"

"To be sure, my Lord Hikitsu. Mine might be an old hide, but I'm nonetheless fond of it, and I do my best to keep it intact." Cho saluted them with a cocky grin and galloped up the rising path. True to his word, he returned shortly thereafter, but his expression was troubled. "My lords, I need you to see something. Have the troops wait here."

Hikitsu looked over at Tomite, raising an eyebrow in query, but Tomite shook his head slightly and mouthed, 'I trust him.'

"All right then. Soldiers, wait here for our command!" Hikitsu joined Tomite in following Cho up the curving trail. Shortly after rounding the first curve, they began to encounter more bodies of Shijo's troops, many of the dead missing their limbs or heads, and most of them flayed to the bone.

Tomite reined in his horse above a particularly grisly corpse. "Burnt in some instances, flayed in others…these men died a hard death. You're right, Sergeant Cho, we're up against some savage fighters. Almost unnatural in their power, I'd say."

"That's not all, my lord. Please continue this way." Cho urged them forward at a brisk trot.

Within moments, the path met and ran alongside a sheer wall. The sounds of the battle raging above them were much clearer here, although the combatants remained beyond their sight.

"There!" said Cho, as a flash of green light briefly lit the air above them, accompanied by a whoosh of air and a man's cut-off scream. "And again!"

"Green light?" asked Tomite—then met Hikitsu's horrified gaze. Hikitsu tore off his eyepatch, revealing the same green hue glowing from his right eye.

"Damn it, we're fighting on the wrong side! Cho, get down there and tell the men—" Tomite paused, realizing that he was asking the sergeant to commit high treason.

"Tell them whatever you choose, Sergeant Cho. I would suggest sending them back to the castle to protect Lord Shijo, but you may do whatever your conscience commands." Hikitsu crushed his eyepatch in his fist. "However, if you choose to bring them here, you will be meeting us as shichiseishi—and as you can see from the men lying here on the ground, the Genbu seishi give their enemies no quarter."

Cho turned his horse to face downhill but turned back to meet their gazes with one equally as fierce. "You'll meet me again, my lords…and then you will see what I'm made of."

He started off down the hill as the two seishi spurred their horses onto the winding uphill path.

****

The Shijo soldier hit the ground heavily, clawing at the ropes wound around his throat by Namame's rocks, while Hatsui spun to see the last remaining soldier rise up behind Namame, raising his sword above the grey-streaked head. Black needles flew through the air, embedding themselves in the soldier's eyes, throat, and heart, and with a strangled cry, the soldier toppled off the edge of the sheer cliff.

Winded and gasping for air, Hatsui and Namame supported each other as they climbed wearily back to their companions.

"Explain again why we decided to carry out this last ambush on foot instead of horseback, laddie?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," panted Hatsui, drawing a shout of laughter from Namame and a clap on the shoulder that nearly drove him to his knees.

Urumiya and the rest had dismounted and now stood staring out over the expanse of land separating them from the Sairou border. At least one hundred meters of open land lay below them, open land that was rapidly filling with Shijo's reserve troops. Rank after rank of soldiers aligned themselves before the Sairou wall to form an impenetrable barrier of black and gold. On the battlements above them, the white-clad Sairou border guard held their weapons ready and cautiously watched the movement of the Hokkan troops below.

"So?" asked Hatsui as he rejoined them.

"So we appear to be royally fucked," Tasuki replied as he scowled at the impossible distance.

"Won't the Sairou guard help us out?"

"How the fuck are they supposed to know who we are, or even what's going on? They can't initiate an attack against Shijo's troops unless they wanna make a formal declaration of war between Sairou and Hokkan. Stupid as Shijo is, you betcher ass he ain't gonna let his troops move against Sairou until he has more muscle from the Emperor or the Enemy."

Urumiya's frustration boiled over. "This isn't the path I'd chosen for us! We weren't supposed to end up here, but those damned soldiers forced us back up this hill!"

"Like as not, that one regiment was made up of members of the Emperor's own elite troops; their fighting style was more akin to those bastards we took down back at our house. Don't blame yerself, laddie. We did our best, and at least you bought us some time to make another plan," said Namame.

"I'll send a message to Kasen to find out if there's any other way across the border." Urumiya tilted his face up towards his eagle, and the great bird swooped across the plain, ignoring the stray arrows shot futilely in his direction.

Suddenly Kasen banked toward the tallest Sairou watchtower, flying straight through the open window that was carved into the white stone. Urumiya, startled, gave a brief shout but fell silent immediately, his eyes rolling back so that only the whites showed.

"Urumiya!" Hatsui shook him violently.

"No, wait!" cried Urumiya. "There's a light…white…white…?" Suddenly his voice dropped into a trancelike monotone. "Send them here. Get them to the wall, and we can help you. Get closer to the wall…"

He suddenly began coughing, breaking his trance and returning to normal.

"Get them to the wall, is that all we need to do?" inquired Namame sarcastically. "Only a couple hundred troops between us and that accursed wall, not to mention the fact that we're a good distance up this cliff, but who's bothered by small details, eh?"

Inami swore profusely in her own tongue and made the sign of the evil eye at the troops below, while Uruki placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "We can't waste time on getting upset. We must concentrate and think up a plan."

"We need to build a bridge and get over it," blurted out Miaka. She blushed as all eyes turned to her in surprise. "I'm sorry, that was a saying I learned recently when I went to…went to… um, I can't remember." She shook her head, embarrassed.

"Wait, she's right!" Hatsui said. "A bridge—can you three create another ramp from snow and rocks like you did when you joined up with us? A ramp that might take Tasuki and Miaka across to the top of the Sairou wall?"

Namae's features grew grim. "Some years back, laddie, that would've been just a minor effort for the three of us—but I'll not lie ta ye. This battle and the one with the Emperor's men has taken a fair bit out of us, and even with our powers combined, I'm not sure that Uruki, Inami, and I could make a bridge half as long as you need it."

"What if Urumiya and I added our ki forces to yours? We haven't tried that before—"

"But it could work," interrupted Tasuki. "The Suzuku Seven used to combine forces when we were desperate, at the last battle with Nakago in Miaka's world, and…" he paused, glancing at Miaka, "…you know."

"Let's do it." Uruki set down his disk weapon. "It's a grave risk, but we have no other choice. We'll hope that we can get Tasuki and Miaka at least close enough for the person in the tower to give the help he offered."

Uruki took position between Inami and Namame and caught their hands in his own. They raised their linked hands as one, closing their eyes and focusing their power. Urumiya and Hatsui stood behind them, gripping the shoulders of the elder seishi as they sent their ki power.

Suddenly the ground exploded right at the edge of the cliff, and a blast of snow and ice coated the flying chunks of earth, forming a narrow but solid ramp that began extending out over the open plain.

"Go now!" gasped Uruki. "And Genbu's blessings be upon you both!"

Tasuki pulled Miaka up onto Makaze and spurred the stallion onto the partially formed bridge. Miaka gripped Tasuki tightly and closed her eyes, unwilling to see the sheer drop on either side of the ramp.

Hatsui suddenly turned his head. "I hear horses approaching!"

Right then, the bridge of snow and rock began to disintegrate at the edges. Makaze stumbled as one of his hooves sank into the snow, but he gamely regained his balance and kept charging up the ramp.

"Keep your focus, damn it!" hissed Uruki through gritted teeth.

*

High up in the Sairou watchtower, delicate, gnarled fingers caught a length of brightly woven string and formed an intricate knot, the colors of the string almost glowing in the intense blaze of white light.

*

The hoofbeats ceased, replaced by the sound of running feet. Hatsui felt sweat forming on his brow, but he kept his focus forward, willing the bridge to keep forming ahead of Makaze's flying hooves while bracing himself for a sword cut from behind.

Suddenly there was surge of ki beneath his fingertips, and he heard a grunt of relief from Namame as fresh power flowed through all of them, creating a hard, unbreachable surface on the ramp.

*

Makaze sensed the new strength of the bridge, his neck extending as he opened his stride, his legs bunching for a powerful leap at the rapidly approaching wall.

*

Guard captains on both sides of the wall stared at the astonishing sight of the huge horse approaching on the magical bridge. They shook themselves from their stunned inaction and shouted commands at their troops. Archers raised their weapons to track the riders' progress, and drew back their bowstrings.

*

The delicate fingers flew across the string, weaving intricate knots while twirling and catching the porcelain weight fastened to one end, and, with a quick, decisive movement, tied the end to the beginning to form a complete loop.

*

A hundred bowstrings twanged as their arrows were released, and Makaze kicked off in a last desperate leap for the wall. Tasuki realized with a sinking heart that they were just a little too far…

At that moment, a golden, transparent globe completely surrounded the horse and riders, lifting them as lightly as a bubble while a gentle wind sent them drifting over the wall. Arrows bounced uselessly off the mystical shield, and with another light gust, they were out of range of the Hokkan archers and firmly in Sairou territory.

****

"Hurray!" shouted Hatsui, leaping up and punching the air in triumph. "They're away!" and he turned and hugged the man behind him, knocking his fur hat askew.

"Get off me!" growled the unfamiliar youth while straightening his hat. "Try that one more time, and I'll knock you all the way back to your basket!"

"I…what…when…who are you?"

Namame, pale and sweating but with his usual cocky grin, took a long look at Hikitsu's eyepatch and Tomite's wild, dark hair. "If memory doesn't deceive me, I seem to recall these two from tapestries I've seen back in the day, not to mention that extra surge of power we all felt at the end. Genbu no Tomite and Hikitsu, am I right?"

Hikitsu gave a small, polite bow in acknowledgment.

"That's impossible!" protested Hatsui. "Even if they survived the attack on Mount Gyoukuei, the last time we saw them, they were just little kids!"

"Whether you want to believe it or not, it's still us." Tomite looked up at Namame. "I think that I recognize most of the others, but I don't remember you."

"Genbu no Namame, at your service...as you've been at ours."

"The little rock man?"

"Not so little and flesh instead of rock, but other than that, you've got it straight, laddie."

Inami turned around, leaning on Uruki's shoulder for support. Her face was drawn and exhausted but her eyes still sparkled. "Sorprendente! So, you are not dead; that is good! But you are not bambini either. Explain this, immediatamente!"

"Patience, mia cara, you are frightening the children," Uruki chided gently, pushing his braid back over his shoulder with a weary gesture.

"Rimudo!" Tomite's eyes went wide. "What happened to you? You look—"

"Old, yes, this is a thing that happens to people when they don't die in their youth. Also, I'm no longer Roun Rimudo, although I'm still Uruki. But explanations will have to wait until we're safely out of this tangle. I suspect that the soldiers down there might have a slight grievance against us."

"Pah!" said Namame with high good humor. "What can a few boggin' soldiers do against the full might of the Genbu Seven? Let's be on our way, for now that Tasuki and Miaka are safe in Sairou, we have our own duties. We've a rebel army to raise!"

"Tasuki and Miaka? Is that who those veiled people were?" Tomite punched a fist into the opposite hand. "Damn, I would've liked to have met up with Tasuki again! Wouldn't he be surprised to see us now, eh, Hikitsu?"

Hikitsu shook his head slightly. "Doesn't matter. The important thing is that we were able to help them get away. Now we have another task, it seems." His mouth finally curved in a genuine smile for the first time in his new life, as he looked at the seishi gathered around him. "The Genbu Seven, is it? It's been a long time…a very long time."

Hoofbeats resounded from the nearby cliffs, and a man clad in black and gold appeared in the path. He dismounted and bowed low before the Genbu seishi.

"One of Shijo's men?" asked Urumiya, as Kasen shifted nervously on his arm.

"I suspect that he's one of ours," said Hikitsu. "Sergeant Cho, rise and answer one question truthfully. Are you a spy?"

Cho lifted his chin, his demeanor proud and unflinching. "Yes, my lord Hikitsu, I am a spy—but not for the Shijo upstart. I was sent here over a year ago by a group of Hokkan nobles who wanted to know what plans and alliances Shijo might be forming. I answer only to the leader of those nobles, Lord Asukai…and to the faithful servants of Genbu."

"I'll vouch for him," said Tomite. "If he were going to betray us, he would've brought a full company of Shijo's soldiers with him."

"Come with us, then, laddie." Namame waved an arm expansively. "We're a small rebellion to be sure, but we hope to become a major obstacle to Shijo and the Enemy before all this is through. Just be ready for a bit of a skirmish as we try to escape this accursed territory."

The Genbu Seishi and their new ally turned to ride down the hilly path. Urumiya released Kasen to scout ahead but reined in his horse as he noticed Hatsui standing where they left him. He trotted up to his partner.

"Something wrong, Otouto-kun?"

"How did Tomite know about my basket?" Hatsui burst out. "Did you tell him?"

"Don't be stupid! I met him just now, at the same time that you did! It's probably something that he remembered from your former lives together."

"I guess," replied Hatsui disconsolately. "But did you see…the other thing?"

"What other thing?"

"I think…I think that Uruki-sama is a cross-dressing man!"

"Oh, for Genbu's sake!" Urumiya cuffed Hatsui in the head.

****

Tasuki and Miaka sat unmoving on Makaze's back within the globe that had landed gently in the courtyard of the Sairou fortress. They gazed at the Sairou soldiers who were pointing their spears at the mysterious intruders, and the Sairou soldiers regarded them just as curiously.

"Stand down!" rasped a man's voice, and the soldiers immediately lowered their spears.

The ranks of soldiers parted, allowing a path through their midst as they bowed their heads respectfully. A man, stooped with great age but moving with deliberate grace, walked through the crowd, supporting the arm of an elderly woman who was shorter than Miaka. The woman lifted her face and smiled at them. Miaka was struck by her delicate beauty. She had thin silver hair coiled in intricate braids and fine features covered in tiny wrinkles, like a porcelain portrait that had been cracked but still displayed the exquisiteness of its subject. Her most striking features, however, were her still-brilliant green eyes, as bright and perspicacious as Miaka's own.

The woman held up a looped string between her fragile fingers, and with a single tug, released the loop. At the same instant, the golden shield around Tasuki and Miaka disappeared.

Tasuki swung Miaka down and dismounted immediately. To Miaka's surprise, he dropped down in a deep bow, touching his forehead to the ground as if in the presence of royalty.

"Thank you for saving us. It is an honor to meet you at last, Byakko no Miko no Seishi Karasuki. Byakko no Miko no Seishi Amefuri."

"Rise, young one. There is no need to bow before us, for you are of no less honor…Suzuku no Miko no Seishi Tasuki." Karasuki's green eyes met Miaka's above her face veil, seeming to look straight through the concealing folds of the boyish disguise. She smiled in amusement.

"And this, I take it, is the Suzaku no Miko."

****

****

Glossary of Terms:

Edjit (Scottish) – idiot

Bairns (Scottish) - children

Ley di oh (Scottish) –Aberdeonian game like hide and seek

Awd (Scottish) –old

Ki (Japanese) –life force

Presto, andiamo! (Italian) – Hurry, let's go!

In culo alla balena! (Italian) – literally: Up the ass of the whale! An encouraging shout, like "Let's go get 'em!"

Cara mia (Italian) – my darling

Sorprendente! (Italian) – Amazing!

Immediatamente! (Italian) – Immediately!

Boggin' (Scottish) – filthy, nasty

Disclaimer: The seishi powers, life histories, and characteristics of Byakko no Karasuki and Byakko no Amefuri are the original creations of Kaze-chan, as described in her epic novel of the Byakko arc entitled, "It Was A Normal Day in the Market." They are used here with the express permission of Kaze-chan, and may not be used anywhere else without her permission.

*

Author's Note: (10-30-06) Before I start on my usual litany of apologies and excuses, I have to express my profound gratitude to Kaze-chan for permitting me to use her wonderfully three-dimensional characters in this fic. It has been over four years since I fell in love with her Byakko fanfiction, "It Was A Normal Day in the Market." "Market" was a rare accomplishment, since back in '02, few FY authors tackled the Byakko or Genbu story arcs. Kaze-chan, at the tender age of seventeen (!!), created such a richly textured vision of the legend of Suzuno Oosugi and her seven Byakko seishi that for me and many other readers, her characters and storyline will always reverberate in our hearts.

So being able to revisit Karasuki and Amefuri feels like revisiting old friends; I'm wallowing in nostalgia here!

Unfortunately, for those of you who might have grown fond of them, this is the last appearance of the Genbu seishi in the Hidden Paths saga for quite a while. Like Tasuki and Miaka, we'll have to leave them behind as we travel into Sairou. However, Namame and Company will keep busy raising rebel forces against Shijo and the Enemy, while Hatsui works on making some time with the daughter of a certain Hokkan noble.

Before I left the Genbu behind, however, I learned a few interesting facts. As I was reading through the translations of the Genbu Kaiden to confirm Uruki's original family name, I was startled to find a section in which little Hatsui unfolds a map of the Hokkan for Tomite and Takiko. In this scene, Tomite explains that the ShiJinTenChiSho is comprised of four major countries, plus twenty-four other smaller countries! So once again, completely by accident, I find that canon FY as written by Watase Yuu supports my random fanficcy assertion that there are more countries in the ShiJin than Kutou, Konan, Sairou, and Hokkan. This makes it possible that Inami could have come from a foreign land and speak a different language, as does Namame. So there. :P

Now on a more serious note, you might have noticed some harsh depictions of the effects of battle between the seishi and Shijo's men. I deliberately made the violence more graphic to drive home the realism of Hidden Paths as opposed to normal conventions used in anime. Yes, Tasuki's tessen does more than humorously singe Tamahome—it burns men to death as well as demons. There's nothing cartoonish about Uruki's razor winds or Hatsui's needles or any sharp weapon wielded by the seishi. They are warriors; they are under attack, and they're willing to kill to protect Miaka. This is a truth that Miaka is forced to face along with you, my patient readers.

Point made, I think, so onward and outward. What's coming up in the near future? I'm afraid that for the month of November, I'll be taken up with National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo) in which I will struggle desperately to kick out 50,000 words of my original novel (this in addition to hosting Thanksgiving dinner, decorating for Christmas, going to parent-teacher conferences, and taking my best-beloved to hospital for some hopefully-minor surgery.) So unfortunately, I won't have time to work on HP 17 until December.

But when I do—expect the long-awaited return of Chichiri, the Doctor, and Joss in a hair-raising adventure (sneak preview: anyone up for slipping past Gallifreyan transduction barriers?), as well as finding out what Tokaki and Subaru have been up to. I hope to include more storylines than just those two, but we'll have to see what pans out; after all, it's unkind of me to keep expecting you lot to slog through chapters of 15,000 words.

Did you notice that this note is a little short on excuses and reasons for my long absence, as well as lacking promises about the timing of the next update? This is all to the good, I believe, because the gods laugh whenever I make definitive plans and promises. :P

Before I go, however, I must thank my three wonderful beta-readers: Kryssa, Purple Mouse, and Ryuen. Together, they attacked problems with grammar (and, I'm embarrassed to admit in one instance, spelling), syntax, and story flow, and helped me polish this chapter to the best it could be. They have my abject gratitude for their valuable input.

I also need to thank Adam, my coworker, for lending me his copy of "Wicked Italian" all those months ago. Without that valuable and snarky little guidebook, Inami's exclamations wouldn't be half as fun. So thanks, Adam, and "in culo alla balena!" to the end!

Finally, there is one promise that I will make here. Now that I've got this chapter uploaded with a couple of days to spare before NaNoWriMo, I'm going back to R&R all of the wonderful FY fanfics that I've been forced to ignore in my mad efforts to get this chapter done. So here I come, Jessica, Inuphantom, Nikki (I'm 25 through the promised beta-read - -;) and anyone else I've neglected.

See you soon!

Ja ne!

Roku