Chapter Six
There was something in the air.
The chamber was dark, and as Hikari opened her eyes cautiously, memory of where she was flooded back to her. She frowned, realising that it was still the middle of the night, and that she had only been asleep for maybe a couple of hours at most. Glancing around her, she could see nothing and there were no sounds in the corridor outside, so she knew that the farmer and his family were all in bed and sleeping peacefully.
"So what woke me?" She wondered, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to remember what she had been dreaming. "It was just...dark, and snowy...and shadows...like someone was watching over me. But...is it Chichiri? Is this part of his magic - is he trying to find me?"
A faint flicker of hope stirred in her heart, but she quickly quelled it when she remembered the Seishi's cautionary words about the men they were going to seek.
"Would he risk pushing so hard to find me that way, if these Seiryuu people are so dangerous?" She wondered with a sigh. "I don't know. Maybe he would. He did say he'd protect me...I wonder, if I was to concentrate on him...maybe he'd be able to find me more easily? I wonder how you do that...do you just close your eyes, and, well, wish?"
She sighed again, then closed her eyes, screwing them up tightly as she focused all of her thoughts on the little party of travellers she had been parted from earlier that afternoon. Feeling stupid at pulling such faces, she was glad that she was surrounded by darkness, but though she tried to pin her thoughts on Chichiri, her mind kept wandering back to the shadows of her dream and at length she gave up, opening her eyes once more.
A face stared down at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes, and at the sudden company, Hikari let out a wild yell, pulling her covers up over her head instinctively as if trying to protect herself from some kind of monster. For a moment she cowered there, then, as nothing happened, she cautiously pushed the blanket back down, raising uncertain, fearful eyes to the apparition that stood before her.
His expression too registered confusion, and as she stared at him, she realised with a pang of terror that although he was quite clearly visible in front of her, she could make out the edges of the door-frame through his body. She swallowed hard, feeling sick with fright as she realised feverishly that she was face to face with some kind of ghost. She opened her mouth to let out another scream, throwing the blanket in the direction of the spectre as if hoping it might ward him off, and the thick coarse fabric dropped right through his body, causing him to start, and stare at her anew. A strange, bluish aura seemed to flicker around his body, and Hikari swallowed hard, realising that she had probably angered him.
"Go...go away. Get away from me!" She exclaimed. "Leave me alone! I don't believe in ghosts...leave me alone!"
"Hikari-san!"
The door of the bedroom burst open to reveal Koutaku, a burning candle in his hand and an apprehensive expression on his face. At the sight of him, Hikari scrambled out of her bed, hurrying to his side as she sought to hide behind him.
"It's a ghost...I saw a ghost!" She sobbed. "Watching me! I swear...I saw a ghost!"
"Papa, what's wrong with the lady?" A sleepy voice from the corridor alerted the schoolgirl to the fact she'd woken more than just her kind-natured host, and Koutaku frowned, turning back to the corridor as he cast his eldest child a glance.
"Go back to bed, musuko-kun. It's nothing - just a bad dream. She's had a difficult, trying day and it's got too much for her, that's all." He said softly. "Go tell your sisters to stay in bed and go back to sleep...I'll see to Hikari-san. There's nothing to worry about - just a nightmare."
The young boy stared for a moment, as if he'd like to stay, but under his father's firm gaze he nodded, turning around and trailing back towards the little chamber that was his own private domain.
"It wasn't a dream!" Hikari protested, unwilling to look back into the room because she was certain that if she did, the glowing, staring apparition would still be there. "It wasn't, Koutaku-san! I really saw a ghost!"
Koutaku eyed her for a moment. Then, gently, he took her by the arm, leading her back into the room as he closed the door, setting the still burning light down in a holder as the dim flame flickered and glowed. Hikari peered reluctantly around him, her eyes opening wide with surprise as she realised that the chamber was once more empty. She bit her lip, shaking her head as if to clear it, then she stared up at her host, unsure what to say.
Koutaku's attention was not on her, however. Instead he turned towards the bed, a strange expression on his face.
"Shunkaku?" He murmured. "I know you're here...so show yourself to me. Don't hide now."
Hikari swallowed hard as from the dim corners of the chamber, a bluish haze glittered and shimmered into a human form and once more she found herself staring into the bright, defiant eyes of the young man she had seen only moments before. She took a hesitant step back, feeling hard wood behind her as she remembered belatedly that Koutaku had closed the door, and she opened her mouth to scream again. Koutaku was too quick for her, however, pressing a finger to her lips as he shook her head.
"The children are trying to sleep." He murmured admonishingly. "Please. Don't scream. It's all right. I promise."
"But...but...he...it...was...standing right there! Staring at me!" Hikari pushed his hand away. "You can see him, can't you? You can, even if you didn't say so to your son. You know he's there...there's really a ghost, and you want me to be calm?"
"She can see me." The apparition spoke this time, his voice soft and almost echoey in the darkness of the chamber. There was a note of genuine surprise in his tones, and as Hikari stared at him, she realised that he really was not much older than she was, dressed in clothing unlike that worn by her host and his young family. Across his brow, a blue band held thick sandy hair back and with a jolt, Hikari registered that it was the same colour as Koutaku's own. As she swallowed her fear, she recognised several similar features between the man at her side and the spectral boy before her, and she took a deep, shaky breath of air into her lungs.
"Who is he?" She whispered. "What...what's going on? What do you mean...of course I can see..."
"Shunkaku is my younger brother." Koutaku said with a sigh. "He...he died when we were young, but he's always protected my family. He...we...its complicated. But Hikari-san, normally I'm the only one who can...see him. I didn't expect...if I'd have known you would, I'd have told you he was here. I didn't mean for you to be so scared."
"Your...brother?" Hikari digested this with some difficulty. "But he...died?"
"In battle, for my country." Shunkaku himself confirmed this, a steely glimmer entering his eyes as he nodded his head.
"And you choose to stay here? To hang around your brother like a swarm of flies, and haunt his family?"
"Protect. Not haunt." Koutaku corrected.
"It's still creepy." Hikari shivered, suddenly cold. "And why were you staring at me? Are you some kind of pervert or something? Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can come in on a girl when she's sleeping like some kind of peeping tom!"
Shunkaku's expression became one of surprise, and Koutaku shook his head slowly.
"I don't know why he's here." He admitted. "Shunkaku...?"
"She can see me." Shunkaku turned his gaze on his brother, a frown touching his lips. "She has...something about her, Aniki. Something I don't trust."
"Hikari-san is my guest, and you've scared her." Koutaku said reprovingly. "It was my decision to let her stay here this evening, because of the cold outside - you need to stop being so suspicious of everyone and everything, little brother. This is Hokkan...we're all quite safe here. Go back to the barn - go back to where you should be, please. The girl needs to sleep...and tomorrow she'll be leaving, anyway, as I'm going to try and help her find her friends."
"But Aniki..."
"Shunkaku."
"Fine." The young spirit sighed, folding his arms across his chest, but as he did so, he faded from view, and Koutaku sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I'm sorry." He said again. "I never thought you'd be able to see him."
"I don't know if I can even sleep now." Hikari admitted, moving tentatively across the chamber to the bed and pulling the blanket around her shoulders as she approached the window, staring out at the night sky. "He's always here? All the time? And your family don't even know it?"
"My brother loves me very much." Koutaku said softly. "And being unable to protect his own life, he's dedicated his energy to protecting things he loved in that life. You have to understand, Hikari-san, how close we were. Close enough that even our thoughts sometimes broke into one another's minds without a word being spoken. And for a long time, we were all each other really had."
His expression softened as he rested his hand on the sill, following her gaze out across the land.
"It was Shunkaku who brought Touka to me." He reflected. "I'm sure of that. That somehow he did...what seemed impossible. He's always tried to make sure my life is peaceful and happy, Hikari-san. In some ways, I hate that he has - that he's dedicated to this place, and not able to move on and be at peace. But then...I have no shrine or gravesite to go pay my respects. He died...a long way from this place. And...I suppose I'm selfish too. To lose him completely...it would be hard to do. After all...it's probably true even now that I love him more than anyone else. That was just the nature of the bond we had."
"I suppose I see." Hikari sighed. "He feels the same way, and he doesn't want to lose you either. I suppose when you put it like that, it's not so creepy. But even so..."
She frowned, tracing her finger across the glass as she caught sight of something in the distance.
"Koutaku-san?"
"Yes?" Koutaku eyed her quizzically.
"Is this all your farm's land?"
"Mostly." Koutaku nodded. "It's land left to me by my father when he passed away...Why?"
"That barn too? The one made of stone, right on the far perimeter?"
"Yes...what about it?" Now Koutaku's tone had changed, a flicker of apprehension in his expression as he glanced at her.
"What's that blue light?" Hikari asked softly. "Is it...Shunkaku's ghost? Or...what is it?"
"Blue...light?" Koutaku bit his lip, staring at Hikari as if seeing her for the first time. "You can see...that, too?"
"Yes." Hikari looked confused. "Why wouldn't I - it's right there. When I found your farm earlier...before I heard your flute...it was like that light was guiding me here."
Koutaku stared at her for a moment, as if unable to digest what she was saying. Then he sighed, slowly shaking his head.
"It's late." He said reluctantly. "And you must be tired...it's too cold to be wandering the house at night. Get some rest, Hikari-san. Tomorrow, we can discuss this all you like, and I will help you find your friends. However, for now..."
"For now..." Hikari echoed, then she sighed. "You promise he won't come back? I don't like the idea of sleeping with some spook watching me do it."
"I promise." Koutaku nodded. "He won't come back."
"All right then." Hikari frowned, nodding her head. "I guess you're right. It is cold. And I am tired. But Koutaku-san?"
"Yes?"
"Did I say something...that upset you? You looked at me so strangely just now."
"No...not really." Koutaku shook his head, offering her a smile. "It's just late. Tomorrow morning, Hikari-san...my family will be going to the market, and we can talk properly then, without scaring my children with the idea of ghosts walking the halls of this house. Okay?"
"Okay." Hikari sighed. "Till tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Koutaku-san."
Koutaku cast one last look out of the window, and Hikari had the distinct impression that his gaze had been drawn in the direction of the hut she had pointed out. He said nothing, however, merely inclining his head to acknowledge her words, and then leaving the room, taking his candle with him.
Now alone and once more in darkness, Hikari sank down on the end of her bed, taking a deep breath to steady her heart.
"A haunted farmhouse. Great." She muttered. "This world gets better and better...what the hell next? And why did he look at me like that? Is everyone in this place a little weird, or is it just the cold in the North freezing people's brains? And now I'm meant to sleep, when all I can see is that guy's eyes staring down at me?"
She shivered involuntarily at the memory.
"Whatever Koutaku says about him loving...protecting...he didn't seem that way. He looked cold." She whispered. "Like he didn't like what he saw. If Koutaku-san hadn't come in when I screamed...was he going to hurt me?"
----------
They could not have hoped for a better start.
It was barely past daybreak when Hyoushin and his companions left the inn, and as they did so, the commander gazed up at the sky, a faint flicker of approval in his violet eyes. All threat of storms and blizzards had passed with the night moon and that, despite the distinct nip in the air, the day was crisp and clear, a cold winter sun already gleaming on the horizon.
"Ideal for scaling mountain peaks." He reflected, gesturing to his already-shivering party of soldiers to follow his lead as he guided his white steed onto the clear mountain path hewn deliberately into the uneven, ancient rocks. "Today we will discover once and for all what we need to know...somehow I am sure of it."
"Are we going all the way to the top of that mountain, Hyoushin-sama?" One of the men asked, as they skirted away from Touran's town walls and the Meihi turned, nodding his head.
"That is the plan." He agreed, as a slight breeze whipped around him, teasing at his long tail of silver hair and causing stray wisps to pull loose from his warrior's band. "Stay closely together, all of you. The sky is clear and I do not believe we will encounter snow other than beneath our feet - but I do not want us to get separated once we have begun to make the ascent. After all, I intend on returning all of us to Kutou in one piece once we have completed the Emperor's mission."
"It's kind of beautiful, in an austere way." Aoiketsu reflected, and Hyoushin clearly heard Maichu snort at his friend's words.
"Stop talking nonsense, idiot. It's too frigging cold to be beautiful." He retorted. "You have some funny ideas, sometimes, you know - most men would prefer a woman to a great big lump in the ground."
"Most soldiers would simply focus on their instruction, without letting their mind stray." Hyoushin observed off-handedly, knowing without even turning to face them that his words had had the desired effect on both his young protegees. He raised his reins, encouraging his horse into a canter with the heels of his boots. "And if we travel a little quicker, it will be less cold."
For a while they rode in silence, crossing snowy, rocky terrain that seemed in places to be all very much the same. However, as they reached a turn in the pathway, the faint curl of smoke in the air indicated that they were approaching a settlement, and the Commander's eyes narrowed as he remembered his conversation with the woman at the market the day before.
"Meihi." He reflected. "Just as she said."
As they drew closer to the cluster of odd-looking, identical stone houses, Hyoushin halted his horse, holding up his hand to indicate for his companions to follow suit. As the gaggle of cold soldiers obeyed his command, he carefully dismounted the white beast, holding her steady at the reins as he surveyed the land in front of him. It was as the stallholder had said - there was no through path to Koku-zan's immense peak without crossing through the tribal settlement, and as he stood there, gripping the leather thongs tightly between his fingers, he felt a suffocating feeling wash over him, threatening to stifle him completely.
Meihi houses. Meihi people. Meihi language.
From somewhere in the depths of his mind he was sure he could hear the agonised, frightened scream of a mother as her young son was torn from her grasp, and before his eyes he could see the still, silent form of a man, blood staining his soft fabric robes as he lay on the barren, fire-scorched earth. Flames flickered all around him, smoke raising from the remains of the settlement buildings, and in the distance the harsh, barked instructions of the soldiers were punctuated by the panicked cries of children begging for their parents to come and rescue them.
"Stay with me! Nii-chan, stay with me!" A small girl's hands reached out towards him, eyes full of tears as she begged him not to go, and Hyoushin could almost feel the touch of her fingers against the fabric of his clothing as he saw himself as a young boy, detatching the grip as he promised,
"I'll go with Father...I'll go help him stop this! And then I'll come back, Lirayi. I promise, I'll come back! For you, for Mother, for Kaliri. Father and I will protect you - I promise we'll come back!"
He closed his eyes, feeling nauseous at the bare thought. All around him the children continued to scream, and amid them all was his own, desperate yell, as his father's body fell forward on the ground before him, lifeless and bloody as he died defending his family with nothing more than a stick and his own resolute love.
That day had been the end of Hyoushin's life - the end of his childhood and the end of his innocence. A darkness that he had fought to suppress for so long threatened to well up once more inside of him, and he fought with his composure, physically forcing the images back as they threatened to take a complete hold of his mind.
Even now, it sickened him to think of such young people as victims of such a cruel act. Children taken as slaves...parents torn apart and slain, people he had known, taken away forever.
"Hyoushin-sama?" Aoiketsu's voice helped steady him to the present and he got a hurried grip on his emotions, slipping his impassive expression back into place as he turned to face the young soldier. Inwardly, gratitude for Aoiketsu's intervention flared in his heart, but he revealed none of that in his glance, as he waited for the boy to speak.
"Why have we stopped?" Aoiketsu asked curiously, gesturing towards the village. "Do you think they're going to attack us or something, sir? Because we only have our swords, no armour...should we be ready for some kind of an assault?"
"These people will not harm us, but our presence here could disturb them." Hyoushin shook his head, well in control of his emotions now. "No, Aoiketsu. We must pass through this land to reach the peak of Koku-zan, where I believe Ashitare retrieved Genbu's Shinzahou and paid for the act with his life. However, we do not wish to cause conflict or excite Hokkan's authorities to the idea that the East have any designs on the Northern lands. I merely wished to ensure you were all aware of this...this nation is not like Kutou, and we must be aware of it at every turn."
"We're really going up there, huh? Up that one, Commander?" A soldier behind Aoiketsu gestured to the mountain peak, and Hyoushin nodded his head.
"Genbu no Shinzahou was there, so that's where we must go." He agreed. "This is the Emperor's directive. To trace Ashitare's whereabouts. It has occured to me that if there exists such a place atop a mountain where one Shinzahou was housed in the past, it may yet prove to be a location for one now. After all, we have had no luck with Kikei-sama's sources of indication for Touran...we have little else to try but this place, just in case Yui-sama's treasure is indeed sealed in the place Genbu no Shinzahou once lay."
"That does make sense." Maichu sounded unusually thoughtful. "I wish it wasn't so damn cold though...Hyoushin-sama, how do people even live in this climate without freezing to death? I swear, if I have a say in it, I won't be coming North ever again!"
"At least Hokkan is peaceful." There was a slightly wistful note in Aoiketsu's tones, and Hyoushin's eyes flickered in his direction, seeing, as he often did, a pensive look in the young soldier's unusual eyes. He nodded.
"And with our help, Kutou shall be so also." He said evenly, handing the reins of his horse to a startled Maichu who happened to be the nearest soldier. "Wait here, all of you - and Maichu, hold my horse. I won't be long, but I feel caution is the best course of action. The people here may know more than those within Touran. I will seek their guidance...honey will often get you more than barbs, after all - and several men charging through on horseback may not induce them to be explicit with their knowledge."
"Why would they care about helping us? We're not even from Hokkan - why bother asking them?" Another soldier muttered, loudly enough for Hyoushin's sharp ears to pick it up, and at it, the Meihi's eyes narrowed, his left hand flicking towards his sword as he drew the blade from its scabbard, walking briskly towards the man's horse.
"Hyoushin-sama?" The young man, a guardsman by the name of Kayu stared at his commander uncertainly, as he glanced from the fine silver blade to his companion's steely glance.
"The instruction of Kintsusei-sama is the word of your Emperor." The Meihi said softly, his words slow and deliberate so as not to be misunderstood. "If you have objections about following your ruler's guidance, Kayu, you may dismount. Treason against Kutou's Emperor is treason even if it is carried out within Hokkan's boundaries. Never forget why it is we are here...and what objective we seek."
Kayu's eyes widened, and he held up his hands, shaking his head.
"That's not what I meant." He said hastily. "I'm not objecting to the order, Hyoushin-sama - really, that's not it at all! But I don't understand why these people would be bothered about the East...that's all. I mean, it's our problem, isn't it? It isn't theirs."
"Ah." Hyoushin sheathed his blade, eying the young man for a moment. "Because these are people from the East, as well as from the North."
"From the...?" Aoiketsu looked confused. "Really? But how is that possible, sir? What would they be doing here, in the Hokkan mountains?"
"You ask a lot of questions." Hyoushin said softly, arching an eyebrow. "I don't remember that being a part of your brief...do you, Aoiketsu?"
Aoiketsu flushed, shaking his head, and Hyoushin nodded his head.
"That is what I thought." He replied. "Wait here, all of you. I will speak to the people...your presence may alarm them - especially if they realise you are from Kutou."
Before any of the other men could query his unusual decision any further, Hyoushin turned on his heel, approaching the boundaries of the settlement, not without faint misgivings stirring in his heart. As he stepped between the uneven stone walls that marked the edge of the Meihi village, he felt a sense of sad nostalgia wash over him and he smiled ruefully, shaking his head.
"I am not here for this." He murmured. "But I would rather face this on my own first of all, before I bring them through here. I did not anticipate meeting Meihi on my trip to Hokkan and I do not know how it might be - I would rather cover all the bases and besides, it is possible they may speak to one of their own kind, rather than to ones so clearly from the East."
As he drew closer to the centre of the settlement, he was aware of eyes on him and as he glanced up, a man in his middle years strode forwards, holding his hands up in a greeting that Hyoushin had not seen since he had been a very little boy. He hesitated for a moment, then drew his hands up to imitate the gesture, and the man smiled, inclining his head.
"You're a stranger to these parts." He said quietly, speaking in the same lilting Meihi tones that Hyoushin had striven so hard to shut out for so long. "Yet you are of our blood, clear enough. Your cheek is marked with the sign of slavery, my son - have you come from the East, seeking sanctuary?"
"From the East, yes, Father...but not for sanctuary." Hyoushin responded in the same tongue, the words feeling strange and bittersweet as they passed his lips. "I am here seeking something belonging to friends of mine in Kutou - something which will go someway, it's hoped, towards freeing people still caught in bonds. I am no longer a slave, although I have been, in the past. And I seek to ensure the freedom of other slaves. I didn't know till I arrived here that there were Meihi once again in the North...that others like me had escaped their bonds and sought to make a new start."
"Friends in Kutou?" The village elder looked startled, and Hyoushin nodded his head.
"One friend in particular." He agreed. "A man to whom I owe both my life and my freedom...a debt which can never fully be repaid. You are Meihi as sure as I, Father. You know my debt to him goes beyond anything else."
"Indeed." The older man bowed his head in understanding. "Then how can I help you, traveller from the East? Have you a name, that I can welcome a fellow Meihi to my village as brother and friend?"
"Hyoushin." Hyoushin said quietly, and the old man eyed him keenly, cocking his head on one side as he surveyed him with bright, violet eyes.
"A Kutou name." He murmured.
"Such my saviour has named me, Father, yes."
"And your true name? As a Meihi, what were you born?"
"I remember no other name, Father. Hyoushin is my name, and the only one I know." Hyoushin said evenly. "If I had a name before, it has been lost...along with the rest of my past before my rescue."
"I see." Understanding flickered across the man's expression and as it did so, Hyoushin saw the edge of a white mark coursing his companion's cheek. "Well, and the wounds of a slave run deeply, that's true enough. Hyoushin it is, then. And how may I help you, Hyoushin from the Eastern lands? What do you seek, that you come to Meihi territory and scale Koku-zan in such cold, bitter weather?"
"I do not feel the cold, Father, as I am sure you know. But it is true that my companions do and I do not seek to make them wait longer than I must." Hyoushin said briskly. "I seek only your permission for us to ride through your village in pursuit of our goal - in this you have my word in bond that no harm will befall your settlement. My friends are men from the East, and having heard from someone in the city how many of your kind are refugees like I - I wanted to make sure you knew there would be no conflict or threat to your people if we were granted passage."
"The word of a fellow Meihi will always be trusted." The old man smiled. "You and your friends may pass, Hyoushin. You are as we are - and we seek no trouble with the East or anyone else, now. We have peace, once again...we have no reason to expect further war."
"Indeed, then you are fortunate." Hyoushin observed, casting a glance around him as he realised slowly but surely others of the village's settlers had crept from their houses and buildings to watch the discussion. Some were of his age or younger, bearing similar scars on their faces, and a few had suffered disfiguring injuries which marred their ghostly, chiselled features cruelly with ugly, weaving scars. Some, however, were just small children, the next generation of Meihi growing up in a place safe from conflict, and for a moment, a sad smile touched his face as he surveyed them. Catching his gaze, the old man nodded his head.
"We are." He said softly. "Perhaps one day you too will find that peace, Hyoushin - when you are able to find the courage to speak your true name without fearing the memories it might invoke."
Hyoushin stared at his companion, momentarily startled out of his composed state, and the man chuckled, resting his hand on the soldier's shoulder.
"I too was a slave, once." He said softly. "I understand what it is, to escape that past. You and your friends may pass through here in peace. My people will not bother you - I hope you find what you are seeking."
"I'm beginning to doubt we will, but I thank you anyway." Hyoushin's gaze flitted to the mountain peak. "We seek traces of the Seiryuu Celestial Warrior, Ashitare...a man of the Dragon God, who died in these parts, and who was also born in Hokkan. Tell me, Father, before I return to my companions - have you heard legends of any such thing in these parts?"
"The wolf Ashitare was buried not far from my village, in the form of a beast, not as a man." The old man reflected. "It has long been a legend among our people, of the tribe whose blood runs thick with that of the wolf as well as the man. Do you not know such stories from your own childhood? Demons from the snowy mountains, who devour the flesh of humans?"
"I have encountered other demons in my life, Father - demons who take human form, and bear whips and other instruments of pain." Hyoushin said levelly. "But in the East, I remember hearing no such stories of wolves."
His companion shrugged.
"Such was Ashitare." He murmured. "You may go to the mountain, Hyoushin, and seek what you seek. But you will not find the Wolf. His spirit still stalks the lands hereabouts, and on the coldest nights, he howls his pain to the moon. He is not a man with whom you can reason, nor an animal you can tame. He is simply an essence in the wind...whatever you seek him for, you will not be able to reach him. He is dead."
Hyoushin's eyes narrowed, as he once more considered the possibility Kikei had deceived them. Slowly he nodded.
"Such was my concern also...I appreciate your help." He said softly. "We will make the ascent, but as you say, I imagine it will be a wasted trip. Still, I gave my word to complete this mission, and I will not break it."
He bowed his head, drawing his hands together in a gesture of peace.
"Thank you for your assistance, Father." He murmured. "I appreciate your time."
With that he turned, making his way slowly back towards the waiting soldiers, deep in thought as he considered the old man's words.
"A spirit who howls to the moon - an essence beyond life and death." He murmured. "Such a beast cannot be a reborn Celestial Warrior...then Suiko has deceived us? Or Kikei has? Or someone is mistaken. Is Seiryuu's treasure really in the Northern lands? Before and beyond the grave...what does that truly mean? If not Ashitare, the man of the snow mountains - who else? We are pursuing dead leads, and yet I don't know what else to do."
"Hyoushin-sama!" As he re-emerged from the settlement, he raised his head, offering his gathered men a faint smile.
"Well?" He said softly, holding out his hands for the reins of his horse. "We have their blessing. We will ride to the top - and we will see if there is any purpose in continuing this hunt for Ashitare."
"Thank goodness. I think my hands might drop off if we sit here much longer." Maichu shivered, pulling his cloak more tightly around him. "If it's this cold here, what's it going to be like on the mountain top?"
"We'll find out soon enough, Maichu." Hyoushin mounted his horse, tightening his grip on the reins. "All right. Let's go. I wish to return to Touran by nightfall, so we have no time to lose."
----
As the mounted men rode through the village, the elder stepped back into his home, pausing at the window as he watched the group pass by. A thoughtful look glittered across his expression and his finger strayed to his cheek, brushing against his own slave scar.
"Well well." He murmured. "A Meihi from the East, with the crest of the Emperor emblazoned on his belt. Yet the scars of his past rest deeply within that young man's heart...I wonder. What is the East like, these days? In what sort of a world has a Meihi put his faith behind the throne - is it time, finally, for an Emperor to bring the people of Kutou together in peace? These territories are harsh, yet I doubt we will ever trust enough as a people to return to the fertile Eastern lands."
"What do you think, Father?" A woman's voice startled him and he turned, watching his companion limp carefully across the room towards him as she rested her hand on his shoulder for support. "Men truly from the East - there are Meihi there who...who survived?"
"He was a slave once, but no more." The elder nodded his head. "A man who bore the Imperial crest of Kutou, and gave a Kutou name, not a Meihi one...a man who bears loyalty and debt to a man of the East - maybe things are finally beginning to change."
"But..." The woman bit her lip, her gaze flitting to the window as she watched the procession disappear towards the mountain. "Tell me about him, Father. His visage...his bearing. What sort of a man was he? A slave...who survived? Tell me, Father...who was he?"
"He gave his name simply as 'Hyoushin'." The elder spread his hands, shrugging his shoulders. "I know your thoughts, Lirayi, but you have to realise how desperate they are. True, he was a man of about the right age, but it means nothing, even if he was. There were many, many slaves in Kutou. Many, many Meihi who died at the hands of cruel masters - many people like you or I, who sought to escape. Not all were lucky...not all made it out. Even though you've not been able to know for sure...you have to put your heart at rest. The chances...are remote. And you pain me, constantly thinking in this way."
The woman sighed, shaking her head.
"I lost my whole family." She whispered. "And the things they made me do made me long for death more than life for so long, Father. To escape from their bonds, my leg was damaged beyond repair, and my left eye sees little beyond hazes and light. My cheek still bears their scar, and my memory still holds wounds that run yet deeper. And yet...the one thing that kept me living, was...was the thought that maybe...maybe I wasn't alone. Maybe...even though I saw my father brought down, even though I saw my mother's throat slit...even despite that, that there might be a chance...that Lilaihi..."
She faltered, tears touching her cheeks, and the elder sighed, reaching up to brush away the tears that had begun to fall.
"You must not." He said softly. "You cannot. Lirayi, you have freedom and life. Embrace it. Your brother's life is not assured...but your own is. Be glad for that, and come to terms with the things that you cannot change."
"I wish I could." Lirayi turned her face towards him, something glittering in her battered, clouded left eye. "Even though I know you are right. Lilaihi probably lies in a grave somewhere, unmarked and unmourned, just as my parents and my other brother all do. I should give up - but I can't. Because while I have hope, I can keep finding the energy to live, Father. Lilaihi swore he'd protect me - he swore he always would, no matter what. And I believe...I believe he will...one day...come back for me. Just like he said he would...I believe."
"Lirayi." The elder shook his head slowly, but said no more, knowing that no matter what words he chose, he would not change her mind.
His thoughts flitted back to the young man in Kutou's clothing, and he pursed his lips, considering.
"Hyoushin." He murmured, more to himself than to his companion. "Whatever you seek to do in Kutou, I wish you luck. It is a cursed land...a forbidden land, forsaken by even the Azure Dragon that seeks to protect it. So many crimes have been committed there that even the Divine refuse to save it...can the heart of one scarred Meihi make such a difference? Your blood debt to your saviour - will you let it drive you to death, or will, in the end, you use it to bring Kutou to life? I wonder...what the power of one man truly is."