Chapter Eleven
For a moment, nothing moved in the forest, as the cold-eyed archer primed his weapon, clearly ready to launch an arrow towards them at a moment's notice.
"I don't bluff." He murmured. "And I don't miss. Last chance...don't say I didn't warn you."
"Shishi, Jin, grab hold of Hikari and don't let go." Chichiri said urgently, even as he strengthened his barrier around them. "Don't ask questions, and don't hesitate. Just do it."
"Chichiri?" Hikari cast the sorcerer a glance, but he shook his head, his gaze not leaving their assailant.
"Just trust me." He said softly. "Do as I say, all of you. And stay close...behind Tasuki and I. It's easier that way."
"Do you want another taste of my tessen, you creep?" Tasuki glared up at the branches. "I'm not scared of you or your poisoned arrow. A real man would fight his battles face to face - poison is a weak man's weapon!"
"So we differ in terms of strategy." Miramu seemed unphased. "My apologies again. But I'm sure you'll agree that the bow and arrow is a true fighting weapon, Tasuki...and I'm more than willing to show you how good a shot I am...if you so insist. I can pick my prize off a dead body as easily as I can take it from live hands...if that's how you want it to be."
"Tasuki!" Chichiri exclaimed, and Tasuki hesitated for a split second, glancing at his friend and then nodding as he seemed to read some unspoken message between them. He raised his tessen, biting his lip, then,
"Now!" Chichiri shouted, and Tasuki flexed his weapon towards the trees a second time.
"RekkaShin'en!"
Even as the spell was spoken, the surrounding woodland became further engulfed in fire and as Hikari was sure they were all going to be burnt to death, she felt something grab her arm firmly, as the world became strange, dark and swirly. She closed her eyes, opening her mouth to scream but her heart clenched in her chest and she found she could not make a noise. Instead she just swallowed hard, sure that she would be sick any moment if the dizzy spinning did not stop.
At length it did stop, as she clattered against something hard and dusty and she pressed her hands against it, struggling to re-orientate herself as she gazed around her in confusion.
To her left, Chichiri was eying his shakujou pensively, and as he caught sight of her, he offered her a faint smile.
"Just in time, but not the best landing. I'm sorry." He said frankly. "I guess I'm not quite there yet...but even so, he'll have a job following us here."
"Here?" Hikari murmured faintly. "You mean...we're not...in the forest any more? We went...into...your hat?"
"Better than being fried to death." Shishi struggled to her feet, rubbing her stiff body as she sent her uncle a rueful grimace. "But that was a pretty crappy landing, Chichiri...where did you dump us down, anyway? Are we even still in Kounan?"
"Kahou, I think." Chichiri pursed his lips, glancing around him. "I was aiming for Eiyou, but it was a bit rushed and I couldn't be as accurate as I wanted. But I'm pretty sure this is Kahou...so we've come a good way south. A long way from the river, anyway."
"I wonder if he got burnt." Jin reflected, holding out a hand to pull Hikari to her feet, and she took it gratefully, raising a hand to her head as the world swam.
"I feel kinda ropey." She admitted. "That was..."
She swallowed hard, and Chichiri eyed her keenly.
"I know. Not the best flight I've ever done." He agreed. "I apologise, Hikari-chan. It was the best I could manage, in the circumstances."
"And this is Kahou, all right." Tasuki said wryly. "You have a shitty habit of dumping people in places they don't want to be, Chichiri - but I guess anywhere's better than in the woods with a mad assassin, right?"
"I know, I'm sorry, but that was my thinking too." Chichiri nodded his head. "I don't know if he was bluffing about the poison in his arrow-heads, or if he wasn't. But I didn't think we should risk it. If he could really penetrate my barrier..."
He shrugged.
"Better we all got out of there as fast as we could." He added. "Eiyou is about a two hour ride from here, so we're a lot closer to the capital than we were a few minutes ago. Tonight, we'll find an inn hereabouts if we can. It is late, but not so late as all that. And I think we'll be safer under a roof."
"Who was that man, though?" Hikari asked faintly. "And why...why did he want the earring so badly he was willing to kill for it?"
"Kutou's payin' him, probably." Tasuki pulled a face. "People will do some low things for money, Hikari. And he was vermin...that was clear enough. He looked like he might've been sent by someone from Kutou, based on that evidence."
"What concerns me more is how he was able to hide from me." Chichiri admitted. "I don't think it was my power that was at fault. I mean, I did feel that he was there. But...when that arrow came...I couldn't sense him at all."
"And when he jumped down in front of us? Could you then?" Tasuki asked. Chichiri nodded.
"Once we could see him, yes. But by then it was a bit pointless." He said, frustration in his expression. "I can't think how to explain it. Suppressing chi isn't as easy as all that...and if he was as confident as he seemed about his ability to pierce the barrier - that must be what he was doing. That somehow he's able to hide himself."
"Could being an assassin make him able to do that? If he'd done enough sneaking around?" Jin wondered. Chichiri shrugged.
"I don't know. I wouldn't have thought so." He admitted. "When I first sensed him, his life force was strong...but then it dissipated into nothing in an instant. I guess a covert lifestyle might attune someone to concealing themselves more easily. But..."
"But not generally from Chichiri." Tasuki said grimly. "We need to be careful, that's what you're saying, isn't it? Because chances are we'll see him again...and have to deal with him, again. If he's that good, I doubt my fire even touched him. And if he's set on the Shinzahou...shouldn't we head to Eiyou tonight, not hang on here till tomorrow? Surely the sooner it's at the palace...?"
"Tasuki, we have an assassin tailing us even within our own lands for this." Chichiri's fingers slipped into the folds of his outfit, bringing out the small black case and glancing at it for a moment, before returning it to its hiding place. "That being so, I'm not taking it to the palace just yet. Do you think Hotohori-sama would forgive either of us if we made his son a target for a man like this Miramu?"
"And if he's willing to knock us off for money, he won't stall at an Emperor." Tasuki admitted. "You got a point."
"So what do we do, then?" Hikari asked uncertainly.
"I'm thinking on that." Chichiri admitted. "Whether we're going to Eiyou, or back to Reikaku-zan, or what, right at the moment. We've travelled a long way now, and he won't be able to cross that ground in a single night, no matter how good he is at concealing his life force from prying senses. So we should get something to eat, and rest, and then we'll deal with it in the morning. The fact he came right to us suggests he may have been able to sense us, Tasuki - he knew you and I both by more than just name, so that's something we have to take into consideration...that if this is Kutou's doing, they're more aware of us than we thought."
"I have'ta admit, he didn't look like he was from Kutou, even though his sucky attitude fit the bill just fine." Tasuki reflected. "His eyes were weird. Did you notice that? I don't know what it is about weird eyes an' psychopaths, but sure as hell there was somethin' in his when he was lookin' at us."
"If he's a hired assassin, it doesn't matter where he's from. He'll do the bidding of the one who pays the most money." Chichiri said grimly. "And I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him."
"Well, for now we should find somewhere to get a meal, and a room." Tasuki said with a sigh. "So long as it ain't...that place, I ain't got any preferences about where."
"That place?" Shishi stared at her father, who shot her a rueful grimace in return.
"None of your business, squirt." He said evenly, and something in his tone sparked Hikari's curiosity, distracting her momentarily from the peril they had faced.
"You've been to Kahou before, then?" She asked softly.
"Your father and Tasuki had a minor battle of fire and fists in one of the inns hereabouts, and caused a little bit of damage." Chichiri said casually. "I doubt that the landlord would welcome Tasuki back, even after this long - I told you, it's the danger of trusting teenagers with deadly weapons...especially when you add alcohol to the mix."
He shrugged, meeting Tasuki's gaze, and as a look passed between them, Hikari saw a flicker of gratitude flare in the bandit's bronze eyes. He nodded.
"Which is why we ain't goin' back." He added. "We'll find someplace else. Kahou's a biggish city. There must be somewhere we can go."
"Hikari, are you all right?" Jin cast her a concerned glance, and Hikari raised her eyes to his dark ones, managing a feeble smile.
"I...think so." She agreed. "Just...that guy shot his arrow right near me, and it was full of poison...I never...I thought...noone's ever tried to kill me before, and I..."
"Suboshi gave it a pretty good shot, didn't he?" Shishi reminded her. Hikari spread her hands.
"But when that happened, it was like...instinct." She said helplessly. "This time I was...it was different."
"Well, don't think about it any more." Chichiri advised her. "We know what we're dealing with now, and the most important thing is that he didn't seem to know who you were or anything about you. He barely cast you a glance, except to make threats. He was looking for Tasuki and I, as Seishi. Not Suzaku no Shinzahou. Which means whoever he's working for, he doesn't know that that's who you are. If he comes back, it will probably be us he'll clash with...and now we know he's around, we'll be sure to keep you as much out of the way as we can...all three of you."
"I'll look after you too, I promise." Jin added. "After all, that's why I came along, isn't it? To look out for you an' for Shishi."
"An' I don't need it as much as you do, Hiki." Shishi added. Hikari sent her a wan smile.
"I suppose." She agreed. "It was just so sudden. That's all."
"I suppose you couldn't feel this guy being there either, Hikari?" Jin asked, and at the question, Hikari looked surprised, shaking her head.
"No...why?"
"Well, after you sensed Chichiri-san before, I wondered if it was something you could do all the time, or..."
"You sensed me?" Chichiri started at this, grabbing the girl by the shoulders as he met her confused gaze with a startled one of his own. "Hikari-chan - is that how you came after Tasuki and I when we were facing Suboshi? You sensed my chi - you followed my life force to where I was?"
"I...guess I did." Hikari nodded, bewildered now. "I knew you were tired, and fighting, and...calling for help from Suzaku. But...I guess...you just got me."
Chichiri's eyes widened, and he turned to glance at Tasuki, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Suzaku no Shinzahou." He said simply. "An' you said you couldn't draw on her for strength, Chichiri. Guess you were wrong."
"Maybe." Chichiri turned his gaze back on Hikari, who bit her lip.
"Did I do something bad?" She asked hesitantly. Chichiri shook his head.
"No." He told her gently. "Quite the opposite. I'd already realised that you were probably drawn to the other Shinzahou, but that you were also drawn to me when I was using my power like that...that's what woke it inside of you, knowing we were in danger?"
"Yes. I think so." Hikari nodded.
"It's all on instinct at the moment, but I think we're starting to see flickers of your true power, Hikari-chan." Chichiri said softly, patting her on the shoulder. "Promise me that you'll try and do that again - sense my life force, or Tasuki's...can you do that for me? Even now we're not fighting...can you try?"
"I...don't know what I'm sensing for." Hikari admitted. "I did try to...well...focus on you when I was with Koutaku-san, but all that did was bring that stupid ghost to hover over me like God knows what. Is that what you mean?"
"Probably. Somewhat." Chichiri nodded. "Well. For tonight...we'll let it go. But tomorrow, Hikari - I want you to practice this some more. On finding Tasuki and I when we're not in the same room. All right? Will you do that for me?"
"Of course." Hikari looked surprised. "If it's important, then I'll try."
"Good girl." Chichiri grinned at her. "And now that's settled, let's do as Tasuki says and find somewhere to spend the night. Whatever Kutou are up to, and whatever that Miramu's agenda, we still have custody of two Shinzahou and we're a lot deeper into Kounan now than we were before. I think we can probably rest easy tonight, at the very least. Tomorrow we'll work out what we're doing next...with both Seiryuu and Suzaku no Shinzahou!"
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So, the direct approach had failed.
Miramu curled himself up against the wall of the old farmhouse, surveying the scorched riverside landscape ruefully as he pondered on the confrontation. A faint smile touched his face as he remembered the unsuspecting people he had overpowered, quizzed and killed on his way south, drawing on their tales of Suzaku's legend as well as their geographic knowledge to navigate the peaceful Southern lands.
He had gleaned much information from these random attacks – enough, he had felt, to face the Suzaku Seishi with some confidence. And, having learnt from residents of Choukou that one of them was a northerner by birth, he had bet – correctly – on the fact that the travellers would use the fast-flowing Shouryuu river as a point of navigation. He had been prepared for Tasuki's fire, knowing he was swift enough to dart out of the way so long as he did not let his guard down. And he had located and tracked their energy across several hills and fields, finding his patience borne out as he had finally pinned them down outside the old, abandoned farmhouse.
And yet, he had still miscalculated one thing.
"The sorcerer. Chichiri." He reflected aloud, gazing up at the moon overhead as he made out the stars of Suzaku. "I didn't realise his power stretched so far as that…I expected barriers and spells, but not that he could take them all out of this place and out of my range of vision completely. Careless of me…and I thought I knew all I needed to know about Suzaku's surviving warriors."
He put an absent hand to his throat, fingering the thick leather collar that covered his flesh from view. It had acted as a shield against knives and arrows in the past, but at that moment, it was something else that crossed his mind as he brushed his fingers against the character for 'shadow.' For a brief moment a sense of emptiness and nostalgia flickered through him, then he frowned, struggling to steady his thoughts as he refocused his attention on the matter at hand. After all, he told himself bitterly, it was only a matter of money. Life, death, oblivion – it had all translated into cold, hard cash.
"If I must live this life, so I will live it, till the time comes for me to meet Byakko's final judgment." He muttered. "And whilst I do so, I will make what I can from it too. At least this way I'm making my own decisions."
His eyes narrowed in resolution as he slid his hand into the folds of his dark clothing, pulling out the small fabric pouch that even now showed the dust and grime of a life constantly lived on the go. He unrolled it carefully, tipping the contents out onto his hand and separating the stems idly with his fingernail. As he glanced at the herb which flourished in the dry desert land of his birth, more images teased at his senses and he scowled, shaking his head as if to clear it.
"Enough." He muttered, taking one of the stems and putting it between his teeth, wincing slightly at the acrid taste as he dropped the remaining plant matter back into the pouch. Returning it to his pocket, he leant back against the wall with a sigh, closing his eyes as he forced his memories back into their proper place, concentrating instead on the best way to carry out his next move. As he sat there, the herb's effect began to creep over his senses little by little, and his scattered thoughts became clearer and more concise in his mind as he drummed his fingers impatiently on the ground.
"Those Seishi are no more than Suzaku's slaves, and I despise them for it." He whispered. "For not being strong enough to break free of his command. They're lauded as heroes across this land, and yet, in truth, they're nothing but meat for the sacrificial fire of their Beast God. If he commands them to die, they'll do so without a moment's thought. That attitude sickens me. They deserve to be taken out, with a mentality like that. And if they're so keen to defend this Shinzahou they stole with their lives, I'll be more than happy to oblige them. But still…Chichiri…"
He paused, biting his lip as he considered the problem.
"He truly is a shadow, just as I am." He murmured. "But that's all right. I know, now. And next time it won't be so easy…in fact, next time, I'll use it to my own advantage."
He got to his feet, spitting out the well-chewed remains of the herb stem onto the grass and scooping up his quiver of arrows as he glanced carefully over the remaining barbs. Most of them were normal fighting weapons that any soldier might carry with him into battle, but three or four bore the distinctive arrow-heads that he had modified himself, and as he gazed at them, a slight smile touched his lips.
"I won't waste my poison on chasing ghosts." He decided. "If the direct approach doesn't work, well, I'll find another way. The men of Suzaku are known in Sairou, too – and I've learnt enough of them to know that they have weaknesses as well as strengths. It's time I resorted to other methods. Kikei did say I should do as I had to, to retrieve the Shinzahou. And I like a challenge. Besides, I gave him my word I wouldn't fail. And I have no intention of coming second best to Celestial Warriors of any deity!"
He slipped his quiver back onto his shoulder, glancing at his hands as he contemplated the situation.
"Time has passed." He mused, his unusual eyes narrowing. "The warriors lack their comrades, but travel with mere children. One of them had red hair and bronze eyes - a cub, perhaps, to the wolf of Reikaku-zan. I wonder…surely family ties among the Suzaku are strong, in this land of peace. To attack Tasuki's get whilst both he and Chichiri are around to defend her – that would be foolish, since I know now that Chichiri need only spirit them away. I can no longer sense where he is – or how far he has taken them in one night. But I do know that their loyalties and connections surround that mountain – that blessed mountain full of bandits. And if Tasuki has family there…maybe Chichiri does too. Perhaps…if they won't accept my offer face to face, they'll do so when I add a little pressure to the equation."
His lips curled into a smile, and he slowly nodded his head, as he slipped back into the shadows from whence he had come, renewed energy coursing through his veins at the thought of a confrontation to come.
"Careless, to leave your homes and families so unprotected whilst you run around the countryside stealing other nations' relics." He whispered. "You'll pay for that oversight, I guarantee it. This game isn't played yet…if you want to up the stakes, that suits me fine. I will take Seiryuu's Shinzahou from you – you will regret not having given it up sooner, by the time I'm done with you, Suzaku Shichi Seishi!"