Elvengirl: I'm finally back...sorry this took so long. Alot of stuff including a trip to China occured. I'll try to be more regular in updates from now on.
Cast:
Misao Makimachi: Leila
And so, Hector, Lyn, Guy, Saitou Ephidel, and Shinomori Jaffar - on different paths and with different thoughts - set off to Kyoto.
Meanwhile...
"What's that?"
"A swordsman? Doesn't he know of the sword-banning act?"
"Let's keep our distance just in case."
Karel walked along an open road, his eyes on the ground in front of him. People passed him, some stopping to stare, all making comments about his openly worn katana. He ignored then, his mind wandering back to the events of a few days ago. His parting with Lyn, and the subsequent conversation with Ephidel. The image of Lyn's tears, and the echoes of the talk still rang in his mind...
"So, you're going to Kyoto? Say your goodbyes to the Kamiya girl?"
Karel glared at Ephidel, who shrugged, not caring that he'd touched a soft spot.
"Sorry, not my place to ask. We'll be allies in the fight against Kishuna, so at least try to act like it."
"We?"
"In the wake of Pent's death, Erk has alot on his plate. I've been assigned command in Kyoto. You don't approve?" Ephidel asked, to Karel's discouraged look.
"Does it matter?"
"Not really. Now c'mon, if we leave for Yokohama now, we'll be able to catch the early boat to Osaka." Ephidel turned to leave.
"No." Karel remained where he was.
"Why? Not enough money? The Government will pay..."
"It's not that!" Karel muttered, though that was the second sore spot Ephidel had touched, "As seen with Pent's murder, Kishuna's men can appear and disappear at will. If they attack us on the boat, innocents will be at risk."
"Must you still think like a rurouni?" Ephidel's voice was full of exasperation and annoyance, "Hurry up and start thinking like a hitokiri! Do you want to go at it again?" Ephidel gripped his sword.
"If you wish for a fight, you may have it, but this on has no intention of becoming The Sword Demon ever again! No one else may be involved in this battle. This one acts alone."
"Fine. How will you be getting to Kyoto then?"
"I'm taking the Takaido trail."
"Alright. If you don't dawdle, if should take you at least five days. Kishuna's spun a web of intelligence across this country. He knows what every single fly is up to. Do not forget that the battle against Kishuna has already begun."
"As if I don't already know that," Karel muttered, watching the people skirt to the side as they passed him. That was good. The less innocents involved the better. He gripped his sword knowing that if he kept it out in the open...
PHWEE! A loud whistle blast split the air. Karel jumped and looked behind him. And enraged policeman was pounding up the road towards him.
"You there! how dare you bear a sword right out in front of me!"
Karel did the only logical thing he could do at the moment. He ran.
"I'm really glad Ephidel can't see me now!"
Stretching nearly five hundred kilometers from Japan Bridge (Nihonbashi) to the Sanjo o Bridge in Kyoto - the East Sea Road (Tokaido) has been an important route since ancient times.
However, with the fifth year of Meijii, the coming of the railroads has resulted in an even smalled number of people travelling on foot.
Karel wandered the busy streets of Odawara, the first city after Tokyo. He had finally managed to lose that persistant policeman. Hadn't Ephidel told them anything? He was out of breath, and wanted nothing more than to spend the night at one of the many inns that kept Odawara thriving. However, if he did stay, Kishuna might take the opportunity to attack, and that would result in innocents getting harmed. Mumbling that he was in a hurry, Karel waved off a young advertisor.
"Must be flat broke!" stated the young woman. Karel fell over. Did everything in this new era revolve around money?
"Been awhile since this one's done this," Karel sighed as he struck a match and began to light the small pile of sticks he had gathered. Wearily he stared into the flames, his mind drifting off to Tokyo.
"They're probably all furious with me right now, and what's worse is that they have every right to be."
An image of Lyn's tear-stained face flashed before him. Karel frowned, an intense sadness welling up inside of him. He had gone alone to keep them safe...yet what were these feelings, of loneliness, of longing? Why did he feel this way.
A scream split the quiet night and knocked Karel out of his thoughts. He leapt up, slashing at several trees. No one was there. In the distance he heard voices. Several men and a girl. He headed in that direction, knowing that the assailents could not have been with Kishuna, they were most likely bandits or theives. People had to be avoided, but this couldn't be ignored.
In a clearing nearby, a young girl stood, shrouded in a cloak back against a tree, surrounded by about four thugs.
"What's so frightening, eh girly? After all, you invited us here," One of the bandits laughed, leaning on the tree.
"That's true," the girl replied with a sultry voice, "Did you bring it?"
"Sure did," said another, holding up a bag of gold coins, clearly stolen.
"Good for you," the girl smiled, tossing off her cloak, "Now it's time to hand it over!" The bandit's jaws dropped. This was certainly not what they were expecting. Instead of the beauty they had anticipated, they had a kid. Albiet a cute kid, but a kid nonetheless. She was of average height and had red hair, part of which covered her left eye. The right eye was a bright amber that gleamed with determination. Annoyed and slightly embaressed, the bandits sighed and began to leave the clearing. This had been a waste of time. To expect a woman and recieve a girl was a let down to the highest degree, in their expectations anyway. The girl growled angrily. The bandits ignored her, muttering about their dissappointment and what they should do next.
"Can't believe we followed a kid," said one, a little to loudly.
The girl finally snapped.
"I'm a kid, am I!" She yelled, knocking out one of the men with a flying kick. "I'll have you know I'm sixteen!" She jabbed her elbow into another man's face. Two of the bandits came up behind her and restrained her. The final, rubbing his nose from where the girl had hit him, drew out a katana.
"We've already robbed, so what will murder matter?" he snickered. The girl simply sniffed and flipped out of her restrainer's arms.
"If you continue like that, you'll never capture me," she laughed, her feet knocking out her captors. Finally a blow to the gut took out the final bandit.
"Well, that was easy. Who knew I'd be able to trick them so well?" The girl picked up the fallen money sack and grinned like a madman.
"Now, this is a surprise. I never expected the damsel in distress to do the robbing," Karel remarked, coming out of his hiding place.
"So...a girl like me shouldn't be stealing?"
"Yes...I mean no...I mean, no one should be stealing?" Karel exclaimed. flustered. The girl's upfront attitude reminded him of Lyn.
"So you think you can boss me around, huh? Then maybe I should take something off you." The girl took a good long look at Karel, "Though you don't look like you have much."
Karel sighed. It never ended.
"I guess I'll just have to take that sword of yours."
"Oro? My...sword?"
"It's gotta be worth something if you're carrying it against the law." The girl suddenly lunged at Karel, who skirted the attack. The girl swung around, attempting a kick. Again Karel evaded. This continued for about five minutes, until the girl finally landed a punch.
"How's that?" She yelled, triumphantly.
"How's what?" asked Karel, brushing off the punch as if it were mearly a gust of air. "It's not like you had any force behind those attacks, amature. Now, we should go return this money..."
"Katsatsu Tobikunai!" The girl threw a spray of kunai at Karel, who blocked with the only available item he could find.
"My cloak!" the girl exclaimed. Karel looked down at the now ruined cloak.
"Sorry..." he offered.
"Give. Me. Back. My. Money. And. My. Cloak." The girl was really mad now.
"The cloak sure, but the money's not yours." Images of Lyn flashed through Karel's mind.
"I stole it so it's mine! You can at least pay me for the cloak."
"Fine." Karel reluctantly handed his katana to the girl, "It's not a normal sword so you won't get much for it..."
"Oh well. I can always use small change..."
"No...wait!" Karel gasped. It wasn't supposed to work that way. Stupid reverse psychology. "That sword's precious to me!"
"Like my cloak was to me!"
"Fine. How about money instead?" Karel was starting to figure out how this strange girl worked, and produced a small change purse.
"Alright!" The girl looked in, "I knew you were poor."
Karel winced, and held back a nasty comment.
"Satisfied? I'm taking this money back to its rightful owner. Stop stealing alright?"
His words fell on deaf ears.
"I told you. That's mine!"
Thus had they come full circle. Karel left, trying desperatly to ignore the girl's natterings. The bandits, all wincing in pain, watched their retreat.
Karel looked up at the inn, then down at the label on the baf. This inn was the place. He sighed. He was back in Odawara, cursing himself for getting involved with this girl. This would set him back somewhat. Karel could already hear Ephidel scolding him.
"It looks like the robbery's gone unnoticed," said Karel, "That's better for us." Without warning, he leapt up onto the roof.
"Not bad," said the girl, jumping up beside him, "You must be a bandit to."
Karel shook his head, taking a longer look at her. He determined her to be a kunichoi, a female ninga. Not dwelling on it, Karel jumped down and headed for the treasury, the girl in hot pursuit.
"And all is now well," Karel smiled, placing the bag on a pile of others.
"It sure is!" said the girl, grabbing as much money as she could. Karel fell over. Was there no stopping her?
"Out! You've done enough stealing as is!" Karel began pushing the girl out the door.
"But I need it to get back to Kyoto..."
"Kyoto?"
"So, you're from Kyoto? What are you doing out here then?"
"I was looking for someone, and now I'm returning home," the girl smiled. They were leaving the town now, crossing a wooden bridge over a small river. "A person who raised me during the Bakamatsu. He left me with a friend of his, an old man, after Meijii began...but I wanted to stay with him. So everytime I hear a rumour, I rush to Tokyo, or wherever, to try and find him. But each time I fail."
Karel sidestepped the girl's misplaced anger.
"Well, it all makes sense now...uh..."
"I'm Leila. Makimachi Leila."
"At any rate...a girl like you shouldn't be stealing, no matter how badly you need the money. Those men you knocked out where probably yakuza members and..."
"THERE THEY ARE!"
Karel and Leila gasped.The Yakuza had surrounded them. They were trapped on both sides. Leila was immediatly at Karel's back, muttering something about spliting the enemy between them. Karel sighed irritably. This was exactly the kind of thing he was trying to avoid. The Yakuza charged. Karel slashed.
"You stole, and she stole from you. This one will call it equal and punish both sides." Karel sheathed his sword. The bridge broke.
"Wow...you might not look like much...but you got it where it counts," Leila gasped, pulling herself out of the water.
"This one has defending his share of riverbanks, plus it's easy when all the weight is concentrated in the middle." Karel absently helped Leila up, his attention on the opposite bank where the yakuza members lay groaning, those who had made it out of the water. Clearly they were not up to following. A good thing to. Being persuded by Yakuza was the last thing he needed.
"It's almost as good as the folks who raised me," Leila smiled, brushing herself off.
"Almost, huh." Karel grunted, turning away, determined to continue throught the night.
"Yeah. During the Bakamatsu, they defended Edo castle from the shadows."
Karel stopped. Edo Castle? Could she be talking about...
"I wonder how they're all doing right now...Jaffar-sama and the rest of the Oniwabanshu."
Elvengirl: Well, until next time then.