Chapter Eight
It was nearing midday by the time the group of dusty Kutou travellers reached the steep mountain pathway that led up to one of the most fearsome and imposing peaks in the Kanin mountain range. The sun was climbing high in the sky, for the journey that Miramu had anticipated taking one hour had taken closer to two, and as Maichu reflected on the climb ruefully, he acknowledged to himself that perhaps bringing Suiko along for the ride had not been the Commander's best decision. The mage had walked in relatively cooperative silence for the first ten minutes or so of the trip, but it had not been long before she had begun complaining about the uneven ground and the dry, dusty surface, and on odd occasions when Hyoushin's back had been turned, random springs had spouted up from cracks in the ground. One had almost created a minor avalanche on the unsteady slope of the rocky path, and as a result the petulant guardian had received a sharp scolding, sending her into an even deeper sulk.
"She's like a kid." Maichu decided now. "Proof positive that women should never, ever be brought on missions like this. Bad enough we have Captain Kill-A-Lot with us…it would be much better if it was just the Commander and us soldiers. But I suppose…he knows where it is…"
"We're here." At that moment the assassin halted, turning to face his companions with a flicker of his usual, lazy smile. "Up this path is the opening to Toroki's cave. This is as far as I'm going…and I suppose that means you too, Aoi-kun, doesn't it? We can have a nice little chat about all kinds of things while your big strong Commander goes and steals Byakko's hand mirror."
"You seem to mistake idiocy for wit far too often, Miramu." Hyoushin said, a faintly bored note in his even, Eastern tones. "Aoiketsu, you have my apologies for assigning you such a mission…however we will try not to take too long inside."
"It's all right with me, sir." Aoiketsu's expression was one of determination, and Maichu shot him a rueful grimace.
"Keep an eye on his hands." He told his friend quietly. "That Miramu guy's weird and twisted, and you're way too pretty for your own safety."
"Maichu, shut your face." Aoiketsu glared at him, and Maichu shrugged.
"You never know with guys like that." He said pragmantically. "You were the one who said he was fixating on your eyes. Just be prepared, okay? Don't let him do anything he shouldn't while we're in that cave."
"I'm a better soldier than that, you idiot." Aoiketsu told him scathingly. "And besides, Miramu hates everyone. Me included, most likely. You just worry about your side of things, and don't let this Toroki dame kill you, okay? I'll be fine – I can take care of myself."
"Well, if he causes you any trouble, kill him, like the Commander says." Maichu said firmly. "Even if it means a whole shitload of blood, Aoi. Even if you puke up an' pass out…do it. Okay? I'll carry you back to the camp if necessary – but I'd love to see someone wipe the smug, arrogant smirk off his ugly assassin face."
Despite himself, Aoiketsu laughed, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder as he slowly shook his head.
"It'll be fine." He said firmly. "And I'm not as impulsive as you, so that's probably why I'm playing guard. You're the one who needs to be more careful."
"Maybe." Maichu acknowledged. "The way Miramu ran down her powers made her sound kinda creepy. But it's okay. She'll just be one woman I won't let touch me...how hard can that be?"
"For you, practically impossible." Aoiketsu bantered. "Especially if she happens to be pretty."
Maichu snorted.
"And I was worried about you." He retorted.
"Maichu, Kayu, let us go." Hyoushin's words prevented Aoiketsu from replying, and after exchanging grimaces with his friend, Maichu hurried to join his commander, the eager Kayu and the impatient Suiko as they began their ascent up the steep mountain path.
"Commander, do you really think Aoi is all right, left alone with that weirdo?" He asked, as they moved out of earshot, and Hyoushin pursed his lips, slowly nodding his head.
"I believe Aoiketsu is an adequate enough soldier to be able to defend his life, even against a professional killer." He said at length. "You should turn your mind to the task ahead, Maichu. It is my job to concern myself with the well-being of my soldiers. Yours is only to do as you are bidden to the best of your ability."
His expression became sombre.
"After all, if something should go awry, it will be I who takes the responsibility with Kintsusei-sama." He added.
"It's not that." Maichu admitted. "I just don't want Aoi getting killed. He's such a baby around blood, even if he is good with his sword."
"Then it is probably time he stopped being a baby." Hyoushin reflected. "I have faith in his skill. Besides, the matter is not open for discussion. The decision has been made. Our task is to recover Byakko's treasure on the Emperor's behalf."
"Seiryuu-sama's power should be enough for the Emperor of Kutou." Suiko pouted. "He's cruel, making us come to this horrible dry place like this to search for alien magic."
"Yet that is our brief, and so we will carry it out." Hyoushin was unmoved. "If you have complaints, Suiko, you can address them to Kintsusei-sama when we return."
"Maybe I will." Suiko folded her arms. "I'm not afraid of him."
"None of us are afraid of him, you silly woman." Kayu said sharply. "We respect him, that's all."
"We're Imperial Guard. That's what we're trained to do." Maichu added. Suiko snorted.
"Trained, like dogs or horses." She murmured.
"Now you sound like Miramu." Maichu objected. "I thought you didn't like the way he spoke and thought, Suiko-sama."
"I don't." Suiko bristled, shaking her head decidedly. "He's dry and dead, like this land. And I'm not like him. He's Byakko's rubbish. He's nothing to do with Seiryuu-sama."
"You keep saying that." Hyoushin said thoughtfully. "What do you mean by it, Suiko?"
"By what?" Suiko looked startled.
"Byakko's rubbish."
"What I said." Suiko shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "He left Sairou. He came to Kutou. He pretends to like the Emperor and do Seiryuu's work but he doesn't belong to the East and I don't like him. Just because he made Byakko discard him, it doesn't mean he should be welcome in Kutou. He's dirty and tainted with blood."
"Well, he is an assassin." Kayu reflected. "Hyoushin-sama, does the Emperor really trust Miramu?"
"As much as you or I, I imagine." Hyoushin said frankly. "It is not a matter of trust, but necessity. Miramu is an unsavoury travel companion for all of us, but there is no questioning his knowledge of Sairou. We have made quicker progress thanks to his company - therefore I feel we can stand to bear it a little longer. Once we return to the East, I imagine his involvement in our business will be at an end."
"Kikei-sama trusts him." Kayu said thoughtfully, and Maichu sent his companion a startled glance.
"That pompous old priest?" He demanded. "What has he to do with a contract killer? I thought he was supposed to be a holy man!"
"You shouldn't speak so casually about one in the Emperor's trust, Maichu." Hyoushin said lightly, and Maichu grimaced, looking rueful.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry, sir. I guess I'm just surprised...that Lord Kikei would be involved with an assassin."
"For the Emperor's business, of course." Kayu said smartly. "Like us, and Hyoushin-sama. For Kintsusei-sama's benefit."
"I suppose." Maichu acknowledged. "I guess you know better than me in that respect. He's the one who sponsored your training in the first place, after all...isn't he?"
Kayu nodded, a sheepish grin touching his lips.
"I guess he's my patron in that respect." He agreed. "I owe a lot to Lord Kikei's kindness."
"As, I am sure, do many other war orphans who benefitted from the kindness of a shrine priest." Hyoushin reflected absently. "I recall that not long after the death of the Shougun, Kikei-sama took time to visit the most devastated parts of the capital, and on occasion distributed food and water on the Emperor's command. These days, he rarely leaves the palace complex - but he was a younger man then, I suppose. I imagine that he sees you, Kayu, as a means by which to continue his wide-ranging work for Kintsusei-sama. Certainly in this case he seems to have been correct in his judgement of Miramu. He has indeed provided us with much needed guidance."
"But he's still not much cop when it comes to the actual retrieving of this treasure." Maichu said darkly, as they reached the opening of the cave. "This is it, huh? It doesn't look like much. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was an empty cave and that Miramu'd been putting us on."
"There's magic in the cave, idiot soldier." Suiko said disdainfully. "Dirty, dusty, desert magic. I can feel it. It's nasty. I don't like it."
"There is your confirmation, Maichu." Hyoushin said evenly. "Suiko can sense Byakko's magic from here. This is indeed the place. Keep in mind what Miramu said of Toroki's powers, all of you, and be alet. Follow me - we're going inside."
Maichu shrugged his shoulders, obediently following his enigmatic commander into the darkness of the cave. Kayu and Suiko were not far on his heels, and as they drew futher into the black, Hyoushin pulled some flint from his pocket, striking it against the wall of the cave to generate a flare of light. As he did so, it was clear that the passage had once been more than just a naturally formed rock opening, and Maichu let out a breath of relief as he registered the old, disused torches in sconces along the wall. Hyoushin lit two of them, taking one from its sconce and indicating for Kayu to follow suit. He gestured for his companions to follow him and they obeyed, moving futher and further into the belly of the mountain slope. They walked in silence for a while, Maichu finding that his every nerve was straining to hear or see any sign that the cave was inhabited beyond the old, abandoned miner's lights and the faint burrows in the trackway beneath their feet that told of the carts carrying gems that had been hauled through here some years before.
At first, there was nothing, and glancing across at his leader, Maichu could tell that Hyoushin was just as wary and as alert, his left hand not far from his sword as he led the procession. At intervals, the passage forked or veered off into side pathways, and as they reached each of these openings, the Meihi cast Suiko a quizzical glance, silently asking her which way they should be taking. Since entering the darkness, Suiko seemed to have discarded her petulance somewhat, and she had cooperated, shaking her head solemnly at each and every useless turning.
Maichu dearly wanted to ask his Commander how far they were going to walk into the mountain, and how they would find their way back out, but he knew that to speak now would be to give themselves away to the enemy. His mind flitted back to Aoiketsu and with a wry grimace he realised that perhaps his friend had had the easy task after all.
"At least he can see Miramu." He reflected to himself ruefully. "And he knows what to expect from that guy."
A that moment, Hyoushin halted suddenly, holding up his hand to indicate for them to stop. They did so, Maichu drawing breath sharply as he registered what had caused his leader to halt.
Up ahead, in the entrance to a further chamber stood a woman, and she was watching them intently.
As Maichu ran his gaze over her, he remembered Aoiketsu's teasing words about Toroki's prettiness and he bit his lip, acknowledging to himself that in a sinister, creepy kind of way, the young woman who now faced them was attractive. She was not tall, nor was she particularly imposing in her physical form, and yet there was something about her that demanded a second look. Waves of snow white hair framed her face, flowing wild and loose across her shoulders, and she was dressed in the dusty, patched village attire of the West, not unlike the women of the town of Eiroku that they had passed through on their way to the mountains. Her complexion was much like Miramu's, the olive, gypsyish tone of the West, and somehow this was in strange contrast to the stark shade of her hair. However, it was her eyes that disconcerted Maichu the most, for they seemed to convey more than just simple interest. Indigo blue, like those the assassin also possessed, somehow where Miramu's eyes had lost soul Toroki's had gained it, for emotions and colours both swirled up in their depths, making Maichu feel like she was looking right through him to his very core.
And, as he recalled Miramu's words about Toroki's power, it was quite possible she was.
He bit his lip, trying not to show how unsettled he was.
"Well." At length she spoke, breaking the silence. Her voice was edged with the same Western accent as Miramu's had been, her tones low and musical and somehow conveying much of the emotion that flickered in her strange eyes. "So you have come."
"Are you Toroki?" Hyoushin asked softly, and Maichu's impression of his leader went up several notches as he registered the perfect calm in the Meihi's tones.
Slowly the woman nodded her head.
"I am." She agreed. "And you are men of the Dragon, come from the East to seize the treasure belonging to Ousugi Suzuno, Byakko no Miko who saved this land a century ago. Correct?"
"Yes." Hyoushin inclined his head, silver hair falling over his shoulder as he did so. "We've heard much about your prophetic powers, Toroki...I am not surprised that you saw us coming."
"I have waited for you for a long time." Toroki admitted. "Tell me your name, Man of the East."
"Hyoushin of Kutou." Hyoushin said quietly. "We have not come here to harm you. Simply to negotiate with you about the Shinzahou you protect."
"I am Byakko's chosen Seishi, born to guard Suzuno-sama's mirror." Toroki raised her strange eyes, meeting the Commander's gaze straight on with a mournful look, almost as if she regretted the words she spoke and Maichu wondered if she was quite sane. "I must protect that treasure with my life."
"We have orders from Kutou's Emperor, which cannot be gainsaid." Hyoushin said evenly. "We do not seek to take the mirror by force, Toroki, but we will not leave here without it."
"Yes. I knew that would be your answer." Toroki sighed, and Maichu saw her run her left hand along her right arm, slipping her slender fingers beneath the black fabric that cloaked her right hand from view as she slid the cloth away from her skin. "I knew you would stand there and say such things to me. The East has great ambitions, I know this. But this is not a concern of mine. I am from Sairou...and I do not look to fight with you either. Byakko's treasure belongs to the West...yet you seek to steal it?"
"We have come merely to recover it for our Emperor." Hyoushin's eyes narrowed at the baring of her right hand, and in the dim light of the cave Maichu was sure he saw something white glittering against the skin of her index finger. At his gaze, Toroki nodded, holding up her hand so that her character was clearly visible.
"I am Toroki." She repeated. "Byakko has invested trust in me which I must honour."
Her eyes narrowed, as she ran her gaze over each member of the party once more.
"I hear it." She whispered. "I see it in your faces. The things to come...for the East. If they persist...one of you will lie dead, slain by a brother and a man you consider friend. Betrayal will fall upon your Emperor's head, and destruction will come from the Dragon's mouth. These things...I see them all. You who stand before me...your Emperor, betrayed by one born of the blood of a suppressed tribe, and Suzuno-sama's treasure...stained with the blood of this world."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kayu demanded, clearly unnerved, and Maichu found he was scarcely less so, as he stared at her in horror. Toroki shrugged.
"I don't know, yet." She admitted. "What I say makes no sense...not even to me. When you have gone, maybe then...I will know the answer to your questions. But for now..."
She hesitated, flexing her fingers.
"I will not prevent you from taking the Shinzahou." She added. "Such a thing I cannot stop from happening. I knew you would come and relieve me of it. However, I must still defend it. Byakko has charged me to fight and I must fight. Even though it is a battle I must lose."
"Your words make little sense indeed." Hyoushin said frankly, and Maichu was surprised to hear a faint flicker of something else in his Commander's tones. With a jolt, he wondered if his pragmatic, down to earth leader had been rattled by Toroki's words about tribal betrayal. However, Hyoushin's eyes were fixed on the exposed white character of Toroki, and Maichu realised that the Meihi was far more concerned with Miramu's description of Toroki's latent magic.
"You fear me, Hyoushin of Kutou?" The woman seemed to realise this, for she took a step towards him, tilting her head on one side. "Perhaps you should. You have many things you hide...and even I cannot see what they all are. You are an enigma even to your fellow man - a stranger to me, yet one I've seen before. I do not understand how this is - but I know you. Hyoushin of Kutou - such a name means nothing to me. But I know you. And our paths will cross again."
Her eyes narrowed, as she reached out her finger towards the Meihi commander.
"Perhaps I can see more clearly who you are." She murmured. "Hyoushin..."
"Leave the Commander alone!" Kayu reacted impulsively, pushing the girl back as her hand came close to brushing Hyoushin's scarred cheek, and Toroki stumbled, her character making contact with Kayu's skin instead. Kayu let out an exclamation, pulling away as he glared at her, and Maichu was once more unnerved by the sudden unearthly look in her eyes.
"May Byakko have mercy on your soul, Hei Kayu." She murmured, and at the sound of his name Kayu faltered, staring at her in alarm.
"What did you say?" He demanded. "What are you talking about? You have no business knowing my name or prying into my head!"
Toroki's eyes narrowed, and she cast Maichu an interested look.
"And you are Shi Maichu." She murmured, and Maichu felt a cold chill run down his spine. "Yet you come here, stand before me...together...like this. Unfortunate..."
"Stop this now." Hyoushin cast Kayu a glance, then drew his sword, holding it out to divide the soldiers from the strange young woman who stood before them, eyes gleaming, like the predatorial cat she represented. "You have said you cannot prevent us taking Suzuno-sama's treasure. Our need is greater than yours. Kutou has a purpose for which the Shinzahou is necessary. If you are aware of this - if you are aware of the reasons for our coming, it is foolish to stand against us, or to torment my men in such a manner with your witchcraft. If you realise it is hopeless, step aside."
"Will you kill me, Hyoushin of Kutou?" Toroki asked softly. Hyoushin's eyes narrowed, and Toroki smiled.
"You have entered into bond with the devil to spare my life." She whispered. "So another might take it, one day, when I am less defended than I am now. You have promised not to kill me, but the truth is, you cannot. No matter what you do with your fine silver blade and your cold amethyst eyes, you cannot kill Toroki. Today is not that day."
"You sound as twisted as Miramu." Maichu told her frankly, and to his surprise, Toroki's eyes widened at his words.
"Miramu." She murmured. "So I was right. He came this far, but he chooses not to face me."
"Miramu told us that you had the power to read people's thoughts, and see their futures and their pasts." Hyoushin said quietly, still holding his weapon out as if to create a barrier between them. "And that from the resulting energy you unleash madness on those around you. If this is the case, and it is through this power that you knew of our coming, why must you stall us in this way?"
"Because I must do my duty by Byakko." Toroki said sadly. "Your being here is painful for me. I can see and hear whispers of your lives, flashing and flooding over me as you stand before me. I do not relish this encounter, Hyoushin of Kutou. It is not nice to be haunted by the futures of strangers. And you..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I cannot understand why." She murmured. "But I feel sure we will meet again."
"Once we have the treasure, we will not linger in Sairou, so I imagine you are mistaken." Hyoushin said evenly. "But if we cannot talk you into rescinding it, we must take some other course. Suiko, if you please."
Suiko pushed back her cloak, bringing her hands together and Maichu heard the sudden sound of rushing water, pouring through the underground chambers as it made new pathways up towards Toroki's cave. The mage spread her hands, as the floor beneath their feet divided and a sudden flare of mountain water shot upwards like a spring. Suiko's eyes narrowed, and she pushed her hands out in Toroki's direction.
"You're a pain. And you're boring." She said firmly. "And you're annoying Hyoushin. Besides, you really need a bath!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the swell of water struck Toroki full on, knocking her back into the cave beyond and as her head struck the hard stone, she slumped, unconscious. Hyoushin's eyes narrowed as he glanced at her still form, then he held up his hand, indicating for Suiko to desist.
"Enough." He murmured. "She will cause us no further trouble, but we are bound not to kill her."
"She's creepy." Maichu shivered as they stepped past her still form and into the cave beyond. "That she just knew our names like that. And what did she mean, about the Emperor and...all of that stuff?"
"I do not pretend to understand the delusions of mad women." Hyoushin said evenly. "And she was quite clearly insane. Whether or not her power of precognition is as strong as Miramu indicated, I don't know. Certainly she was able to draw your names, so she must have some latent ability. Yet she did not seek to attack us with the magic that assassin claimed she had. Perhaps he exaggerated...and more than likely her words were intended simply to unnerve us."
"She wanted you to run away." Suiko said scornfully. "Silly. As if Hyoushin would run away from a woman."
"Quite." Hyoushin's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Especially when on my Emperor's business."
"You think she was making it up? All that stuff?" Kayu asked uncertainly. "Why do you think she asked Byakko...to grant me mercy? What was that?"
"A scare tactic." Hyoushin said evenly. "She drew your name from you to frighten you, that's all. As Suiko said, she hoped we would leave of our own accord."
"Is this what we're looking for?" Maichu paused beside the glittering green-backed mirror, reaching out a hesitant finger to touch its shining surface. "Commander? It is a hand-mirror, this Shinzahou?"
"Yes." Hyoushin nodded his head, scooping the mirror up and glancing at it. "Suiko, you are more adept with magic than the rest of us. Is it from this place that you felt Byakko's magic so keenly?"
"That stupid mirror is Byakko no Miko's Shinzahou, if that's what you mean." Suiko nodded. "It's ugly...I don't like it. But that's what it is."
"Then that's what we came for." Hyoushin seemed relieved, slipping the mirror into the cloth bag he had brought, and nodding. "And we should return to camp. That was more simple than I imagined it would be...the Emperor will be most pleased when I make report to him. Miramu's advice seems so far to have been borne out...perhaps, after all, there is some justification for Kikei-sama's trusting him."
"Kikei-sama has good judgement." Kayu agreed. "Even if Miramu is a murderer, I guess he tells the truth."
So it would seem." Hyoushin nodded. "Kayu, I do not want you to dwell on anything that that girl said. You either, Maichu. We will not discuss it among the others - I will report it to the Emperor if need be, but I do not wish to create fear, especially with those of your comrades who have more superstition than we. And as for what was said about Byakko, Kayu, you can take comfort in the fact you are a man of Seiryuu, and that your patron is Seiryuu's most senior living priest. I am sure that you have nothing to fear from Sairou's tiger."
"I guess not." Kayu laughed ruefully. "When you put it like that. I guess she was trying to just scare us."
"We won't tell the others." Maichu agreed. "If that's what you think is better."
"I see no need to generate unecessary speculation." Hyoushin said evenly. "We have more important things to do. Such as locating and retrieving Byakko's relic, before returning to Kintsusei-sama in the East."
He cast a last glance back at Toroki's unconscious form.
"She really did not fight us." He murmured. "But in the end, we have what we came to retrieve, so so much to the better. We have not drawn blood, and we have kept the Emperor's word. She will recover, after all...and likely she will not come around until we are long gone from this place."
"Then lets go back and relieve Aoi of his babysitting duty." Maichu murmured. "Mission accomplished!"
---------------
"At last."
Shishi glanced at her reflection in the mirror, casting herself a rueful grimace as she rested her elbows on the unit before her. "I feel like I've wasted far too much of everyone's time...it really sucks, having been stuck here like this for almost two whole days."
"That's not really the way to thank Anara-san for her hospitality, you know." Hikari scolded, leaning up against the wall as she folded her arms across her chest. "Don't say things like that when she's here - okay? We're all impatient to go, but at least thanks to the map she's sketched, we should be able to catch up with ourselves and find Toroki's cave more easily. Mustn't we?"
"Yes, I suppose so." Shishi frowned. "It's just a pain. I didn't even think that a whack like that could've laid me up for so long as it did - I guess it was harder than I thought. Bastard drunkards! If we had time I'd like to go back and show them what I think of them! But as it is..."
"As it is, there ain't gonna be any suicide missions on this trip." Jin's voice cut across her, as the young bandit strode into the room, Anara's map clutched in his hands. "Well? Are you ready? I swear since Hikari came to this world, Shishi, you've taken longer an' longer to get up an' far more time lookin' in the mirror than you did before. Are you goin' to turn into a proper girl on me?"
"Shut your face, idiot." Shishi flushed, turning to glare at him angrily. "Of course not! And I'm ready. Stop complaining. We can go any time - we were just waiting for you!"
"There's nothing wrong with being a proper girl, either." Hikari objected. "It's not a disease, Jin."
"I ain't gonna win this, am I?" Jin said ruefully, holding up his hands. "Fine, I get it. I give. Now come on, the both of you. Girls or not, we've got to get movin'. Accordin' to Anara-san's map, there's a town not far from here...by the name of Eiroku. It's on a direct route into the mountains, but we're goin' to have to be on our guard if we take that path. Apparently the people are kinda prickly an' it's full of the bandit types you've already fallen foul of once. More to the point..."
He hesitated, then he frowned, shaking his head.
"Anara-san's husband told me that there are all sorts of stories buzzin' in Eiroku." He said softly. "He'd been there, makin' some kind of delivery or trade - I don't know what exactly. But apparently the whole town is alive with talkin'. Some strangers were there a few days back, an' one of them was a witch who replenished the dry well in the town centre. Geiyo-san didn't seem too clear on details - but the strangers weren't from Sairou. That seems clear. The only thing I can think of is..."
"That they came from Kutou?" Shishi's eyes widened. "Shit, Jin, you're kidding? They reached Eiroku already?"
"A witch who replenished the well?" Hikari looked startled. "What do you mean?"
"What I said." Jin shrugged. "Apparently she looked like nothing on this earth - some kind of demon, or witch, or something like that. But she had power over water, and she brought a miracle to a town which has scrabbled for water for a long, long time. Everyone's talking about it."
"And because of that, we think Kutou's people have been there?" Hikari frowned. "Why?"
"Because Seiryuu is a water dragon, stupid." Shishi clenched her fists angrily. "Water's the damn element of the Eastern God...an' we know they have their stupid Shinzahou. It's not that big a jump in understanding - don't be slow, Hiki."
"Hey, I don't know as much about all of this as you do!" Hikari defended herself. "All I really know about this God of Kutou's is that it's some kind of dragon - give me a break!"
"That's not really important." Jin said briskly, before Shishi could retaliate. "The bottom line is, it probably was Kutou's lot. And they must know something about Toroki's whereabouts too. It's too much of a coincidence otherwise."
"Jin's right." Shishi sighed. "Shit, I'm really sorry. I've messed up badly, haven't I?"
"Hey, your health is more important. I told you that." Jin sent her an easy grin. "We'll just have to step on it and hope they haven't got the insider knowledge we now have. The odds that they do aren't that great - for all we know they're still scouring the mountains. And there's a lot of mountain to scour. Besides, Shishi, you and I have lived most our lives on mountains. We know the way to tackle them and what to look for. It ain't over yet...so don't look like that. It doesn't suit you."
"Is Eiroku the quickest route?" Hikari asked quizzically, and Jin shook his head.
"No, but if we take the direct path, it means we'll probably be camping out somewhere in the desert." He replied. "Or at the edge of the mountains...either going or coming back."
"I say we risk the desert." Hikari said determinedly.
"Hiki?" Shishi shot her a doubtful look. "Are you sure about that? With Kutou's people sniffing around? For all we know, that bastard assassin might be with them."
"I think so." Hikari nodded. "It's all we can do to catch up to them now...we have to take a few risks. Besides, if they're already in the mountains, it won't be a problem. Will it?"
"Hikari's probably right." Jin pursed his lips. "Okay. Then that's what we'll do. We'll cut past Eiroku and head into the desert. But it'll be a hard walk, Hikari, and I won't be able to help you over the roughest bits if I'm carrying supplies. Okay?"
"I'll cope." Hikari assured him. "This is important. We can't waste any more time."
"You're leaving, then?" Anara's voice came from the doorway, and the trio turned, seeing their host watching them, a smile on her face. "Shishi-chan, you look much better - I'm glad to see it."
"I'm fine, now. Just annoyed at having been such a bother for everyone." Shishi admitted.
"Thank you for everything you've done for us, Anara-san." Jin added. "And for the map especially. I guess it ain't easy to do, huh? Giving away information like this to strangers."
"No...but I think...you're good people." Anara sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "The truth is, events have made me suspicious too easily. Too much bad has happened and it's hard to balance it with the good. Besides, Myoume...when she left, I knew...she felt that I wouldn't miss her being there. That she felt she was a burden to me and...in some ways, I suppose she was. Because of it, she thought I loved her less than I had her poor brother, which was never the case at all. But she was...not really my Myoume, when she left here. I did not like - I have never liked Toroki at all. But...Toroki was a part of Myoume, and so I tried my best to accept that, as a mother."
She glanced at her hands.
"If Myoume is still a part of Toroki, I'd be glad to know it." She murmured. "If you can take that cursed mirror and free my little girl from her sentence. No matter what wrath Byakko throws down on my head, I'll bear it - if only my daughter didn't have to suffer in such a terrible way any more."
"We'll do our best." Hikari said softly. "I promise, Anara-san. It's the least we can do, for all the help you've given us."
"And with that, we really ought to get going." Jin added. He bowed his head in Anara's direction, then, "Take care, Anara-san. If we pass this way again, we'll be sure to stop to say hello...and hopefully, to bring news of your daughter."
"I would like that very much." Anara's smile returned at this, and she nodded. "Suzaku's people have a reputation for being full of heart...I'm glad that the rumours were true ones. I wish you luck, all of you. And safe passage to the Kanin peaks."
It was with these words still ringing in their ears that the three travellers set off once more on their quest, leaving the village far behind them as they set forward with renewed purpose.
"It's really kinda sad." Hikari reflected, as they passed through a particularly tricky section of the rocky path. "Anara-san, I mean...and this Toroki girl we're going to see. I guess I never thought about it like that before...that being a Celestial Warrior can possibly alienate you from everything else. I mean, Chichiri and Tasuki aren't that way, and nor is Dad. But then I guess Dad's abandoned all of his Seishi roots now, pretty much - hasn't he?"
"I guess so." Shishi looked uncharacteristically thoughtful. "I don't really know about Papa...Kashira and Chichiri. I mean, I didn't know that Chichiri's family had died until you mentioned it - maybe there are other things I don't know about him too. But I can't imagine Papa...Kashira has that many secrets in his closet."
"Kashira's a pretty open kind of guy." Jin agreed. "But I suppose they did lose friends, didn't they? That's pretty shitty, when you come down to it...havin' to bury people you're close to. Kashira's always said that his bein' a Seishi is somethin' to do with the stars an' this world, so he's always Tasuki, no matter whether he's Genrou or he ain't. I don't know if even he totally knew what he meant - I sure as hell didn't. Not really. But maybe what he was sayin' is that Genrou has a life an' a family an' all that shit. But if Suzaku calls, Tasuki has t'drop everythin' and snap to attention. Maybe that's it. That in the end, a Seishi has to sacrifice everything to serve the Beast God."
"And if they don't, they end up screwed. Like Kutou." Shishi said bluntly. "That Nakago creep who caused the last war was like that - Chichiri said as much, didn't he? That they followed their own ends, and got distracted."
"I suppose this Toroki must be a strong person." Hikari reflected. "To leave her family, and give up her normal life to accept her duty."
"She can't be too much older'n us, either." Jin agreed pensively. "Because I wouldn't've said Anara-san was much older'n Chichiri-san, if she even is. An' Chichiri-san married Aidou-sama late, really."
"I guess she takes being Toroki pretty seriously. Taiitsukun was right, saying she'd be hard to negotiate with." Hikari kicked absently at a stone, watching as it rolled off the path and into a dip. "What if she really doesn't want us to have it?"
"We'll just have to see what we can do." Shishi responded. "An' hope we can sweet talk her somehow."
"I've been thinkin' more about the other one." Jin admitted, and Hikari shot him a surprised look.
"Jin?"
"Ame...furi?" Jin's brows furrowed. "Was that the name?"
"Yes." Hikari agreed. "What about him?"
"Well, we don't know where he is. Only that we're not to try and antagonise him." Jin replied. "But takin' Byakko's treasure...won't that piss him off some?"
"Taiitsukun said he'd abandoned Byakko's path completely. I doubt he'll care, and we're not going looking for him." Hikari shrugged. "Toroki is the one we're concerned with, Jin. Don't let's worry about people we're probably never going to meet."
"Hiki's right." Shishi nodded. "Kutou's lot are more realistic a threat to us than some Westerner who we have nothing to do with. Focus, huh? You're gettin' off the point."
"I suppose I am." Jin brushed his fingers absently against the hilt of his sword. "All right. I jus' take protectin' the two of you pretty seriously, that's all. Especially since what happened in Hengei, which was supposed to be pretty peaceful a town to stop in. We know nothing about Amefuri an' it bugs me that we don't."
"But since we're not looking for him, and he doesn't know who we are, the chances of it being an issue are remote." Hikari reflected.
"On a more important note, Hiki, can you feel this Shinzahou thing yet?" Shishi eyed her friend questioningly, and Hikari shook her head, frustration flickering in her hazel eyes.
"I was sure that the closer we got, I'd be able to. I felt the Seiryuu one so strongly." She said helplessly. "It was like it called out to me...like I couldn't miss it, no matter what I did. But we're heading on a direct path to Toroki's cave now. And I don't feel any different. I guess maybe my powers do only work when I'm near to Tasuki or Chichiri. Maybe it's mostly Chichiri's spiritual powers that did it, anyway. Perhaps I don't have that much spiritual power myself after all...it wouldn't surprise me."
"Are you being pessimistic again?" Jin shot her a glance, and Hikari flushed.
"Sorry. I guess I am." She admitted. "I'll stop now. I just want to be more use to you guys. That's all."
"You're fine. Don't worry about it." Jin assured her. "After all, you didn't pick up on the Seiryuu one till you were in Makan...right? We haven't reached the mountains yet. We might not do so tonight, in fact...looking at the sky, I think it must be getting on for evening as it is. We can keep moving till it's dark, and I think we'll reach the first lie of the mountain territory by then, so I reckon there'll be a cave or something we can camp in."
Shishi's eyes narrowed, as she scanned around the landscape.
"I guess a cave would be best." She murmured. "If we can. I think we'd be puttin' ourselves at risk if we tried to camp outside anyplace."
"That goes without saying." Hikari frowned. "Why so emphatic?"
Shishi gestured across the ground to a series of tracks, and Jin's brows knitted together.
"Horses." He murmured. "So there must be a path that's suitable for mounted men after all. And judging from the direction, I guess it's from Eiroku. Considering the position of the sun, and where we are, that'd fit. Dammit. We don't know if it's Kutou's men or if it ain't - but it could just as easily be mountain bandits, if such things exist in Sairou. An' they ain't our bandits, Shishi...they ain't our people an' we don't know their ways. Even a mountain cave might be dangerous."
"How far into the mountains is Toroki's cave?" Hikari asked softly. Jin shrugged.
"It's a coupl'a hours walk through the range." He said. "At least, that's my estimate from the map. It might be more - dependin' on the paths."
"And it'll be dark before we get to that point." Shishi sighed. "We can't scale a strange set of mountains in the dark, dammit. I guess we'll jus' have to pick somewhere sheltered an' hope for the best."
"Or I'll stop up and keep watch." Jin said grimly.
"You need to sleep too." Hikari objected, but Jin shook his head.
"S'my duty." He said briskly. "Besides, it won't be the first time I've been sentry. One night won't hurt me, an' I'm sure once we get the Shinzahou, I'll get all the sleep I need. Besides, Shishi's better but it ain't a good idea for her to push herself too far after her injury. An' I wouldn't ask you to do it, Hikari - we're here to protect you, not the other way around, an' even if you have Hotohori-sama's shinken, you ain't got a clue how to use it."
"You always haveta play the tough guy, huh?" Shishi shot him an amused glance. "Protectin' Suzaku's Shinzahou is top of your priority list, ain't it?"
"I'm protecting the both of you, you ape." Jin retorted, sending her a dark look, and Shishi smirked, shaking her head.
"Yeah, I'm sure you are." She agreed ambiguously. "Very carefully, too."
"Shishi!"
"Relax. If you feel that way, I ain't gonna argue with you." Shishi shrugged. "I mean, I feel pretty okay, but maybe you're right. I ain't gonna cause another hold up, so for once I'll let you have your way."
"Shishi doesn't argue...I guess she must still be convalescent." Hikari laughed, and Shishi sent her a dark look.
"Hey!" She protested. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"If you don't know, it's too late to fix it." Jin quipped, amusement in his dark eyes.
"Stop wisecracking at my expense and give me the map a second, will you?" Shishi retorted, holding out her hand for the parchment and Jin shrugged, obediently handing it over.
"What are you looking for, Shi-chan?" He asked curiously, as the redhead unfolded it, running her gaze over the inked track that Anara had carefully sketched. At length she glanced up.
"If we take a step or two off the path here, there's the remains of a mining village just over this rise." She said softly. "There aren't any mines in this area now, right? They've been exhausted...right?"
"Well, they don't smuggle over the border any more, so I guess so. At least in this area of the mountains." Jin nodded. "You think we should make camp there for the night, then?"
"It's not far off the path, and if it's a village, there might be shelter." Shishi nodded. "It's startin' to get dark, an' we're not going to get into the mountains before it does. P...Kashira always says mountains are illusions. That they ain't ever as close as you think they are. Better we camp somewhere there's shelter rather than risk it...besides, the horse tracks don't go in that direction. If it was bandits or if it was Kutou's idiots, they ain't been there."
"I suppose you're not so out of it after all." Jin flashed her a grin. "Hikari, you agree?"
"It sounds sensible to me." Hikari nodded. "Just over the rise? It's really not far out of our original path, and if we ration out our supplies and sleep, we can leave first thing in the morning. I doubt that Kutou's people will be in the peaks overnight either - we won't be losing time."
"Then it's settled." Jin agreed. "Good thinking, Shishi."
"I'm not an idiot, you know." Came the indignant response. "I'm Kashira's blood, don't forget. I ain't a complete simpleton when it comes to survivin' on my wits."
With that she stalked off in the direction she had indicated on the map, and Hikari and Jin exchanged looks.
"She feels to blame for the delay pretty badly, huh?" Hikari mused. Jin nodded.
"Shishi for you." He agreed. "It ain't like her to be ill, and I'm sure she's fine now, thanks to Anara-san. But she's pissed that she's held us up - now she's gonna try twice as hard to prove herself useful."
"Still, this village sounds like a good idea." Hikari reflected. "The desert is meant to be cold at night...and it would be nice to have shelter."
"Then we shouldn't let her get too far ahead of us." Jin responded. "Before her idiocy gets us all into trouble again."
"Jin, have you and Shishi honestly not had a fight since we left Kounan?" Hikari sent him a confused look. "Because sometimes you seem as you normally are. And sometimes you seem...annoyed with her. She gives you the funniest looks, too - especially when you say things to me. Is it me she's mad at? I don't get it - it doesn't seem like either of you are cross with me. But I am confused."
Much to Hikari's surprise, colour flushed Jin's cheeks and he shook his head, clearly discomfitted by her question.
"I ain't got a clue what you mean." He said at length. "Maybe the desert's gettin' to you now - causin' you to imagine things."
"No...and I'm not imagining the fact you've gone bright red, either." Hikari grabbed him by the arms, meeting his gaze head on. "I want to know, Jin. You're both my friends and I need to know if something's up. After all, right now I feel out of some kind of loop...and I don't like it."
Jin sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he did so, inadvertently loosening the band that held it in place and as it fell free and unfettered around his shoulders, Hikari stared at him in disbelief.
"You're hair is longer than mine, almost!" She exclaimed. "If you came to my school looking like that, the principal'd hoick you into the office...why is it all the guys in this world have hair as long as the women, anyway?"
"Hikari?" Jin sent her a confused look, a flicker of relief in his eyes as he spied a change in subject, and at the sight of it Hikari shook her head, meeting his gaze with a serious one of her own.
"No...seriously." She said quietly. "If something is wrong - Jin, tell me. Please. If I've done something - or Shishi has...or whatever it is...we're friends, right? Something's been bothering you the whole trip - and it happened again just a while ago, when Shishi ribbed you about protecting me. You didn't take anything so seriously as that in Hokkan - is it just because you're in charge? Or is it something else? Don't you...like being my guardian?"
Jin eyed her for a moment, then he murmured a curse, shaking his head.
"It ain't like that." He said quietly, and Hikari was taken aback by the solemnity in his dark eyes. "To tell you the truth, I don't think I'm protecting Suzaku's Shinzahou at all. Not really."
"Not protecting..." Hikari's eyes widened. "But...?"
"I don't think of you as the Shinzahou." Jin admitted. "I think of you as Hikari. That's who I'm protecting. Hikari."
"I don't understand." Hikari looked confused, and Jin sighed, fumbling with his hairtie as he pulled his thick mane back into its customary band.
"I'm a bandit. I've been that since Kashira took me in, and I'll be it till I die." He said softly. "That's all I am, even if I am damn good at it. I ain't Kashira. I ain't Chichiri-san. I ain't any kind of Celestial Warrior and I don't have the right to...to protect somethin' like a Shinzahou. I ain't important enough for that."
"Don't be stupid." Hikari snorted. "It's nothing like that - and it's not like I'm much use as a Shinzahou anyway!"
"You're wrong." Jin shook his head. "You protected Chichiri-san in Makan. You helped save Meikyo from Miramu. Whether it's you or Suzaku inside of you, if you weren't the Shinzahou, you'd not have been able to do those things. You're blessed, Hikari-chan - and that's what makes it difficult for me. So it's easier...I'd rather protect you like I protect Shishi. As Hikari. Nothing else. If that's okay with you."
"Sure." Hikari looked surprised. "If that's how you feel. But you're being silly."
"Maybe I am." Jin's gaze flitted to the mountains as he bit his lip, and Hikari saw him fighting something out inside himself. He shrugged.
"Kashira told me to kick it before it got a good hard hold of me, and he was right." He murmured. "But I think...he was too late. And that bothers me just as much, in some ways. That right now - that on this journey - I ain't completely myself."
"Jin?" Hikari's brow furrowed in bewilderment. "Who are you then?"
"No...I don't mean like that." Jin met her gaze once more, offering her a sheepish smile. "Never mind. It doesn't matter...and Shishi's gonna be wondering where we are at this rate."
"So we'll walk and talk." Hikari slipped her arm into his, pulling him in the direction the redhead had gone. "Okay?"
"There's not much to talk about, you know."
"I think there is." Hikari said firmly. "And I'm stubborn, like Shishi is. Besides, we're friends, right? And whatever it is that's bugging you, Shishi obviously knows all about it. Otherwise why'd you keep giving her dark looks? If it's just about me being Shinzahou, you can forget that - I'm no more special than anyone else, and twice as useless in a conflict situation. But if it's something else...Jin...tell me, okay? Please?"
Jin faltered, then he met her gaze head on, slowly nodding his head.
"All right." He said softly. "The truth is, Hikari...I...I ain't seein' you as I see Shishi. I mean...I am lookin' out for the both of you. But Shishi...is my sister. At least, that's how it always seems. You...you ain't that. I don't even know when it began, or how...not really. But you ain't like a sister to me. You...you're somethin' else."
He glanced down, colour touching his cheeks again as Hikari's eyes widened with sudden comprehension.
"You've become somethin' more to me than that." He whispered. "An' it's awkward. Stupid. Impossible. You don't belong in this world, even...an' so I'm tryin' to do as Kashira told me. But it ain't so easy as that."
"Jin..." Hikari swallowed hard, and the bandit glanced at her, shaking his head as he brought his finger up to her lips.
"Whatever you want to say, don't." He murmured. "Whatever it is, I don't need to hear it. I told you. It's impossible. You come from that world, an' I come from this. An' Kashira's said how messy that is - how it was for your folks, an' all. I won't screw about with things so badly, not for you or for me. So I don't want you to say anythin', or to discuss it with you again. Shishi knows about it, damn her - I wish she didn't, cos she's hot keen on teasin' me. But now you know...why she is. She...we...that's why I'm takin' your safety so seriously, I suppose. But I stopped protecting you as Suzaku's treasure a long time ago. I protect you as Hikari, because Hikari is the thing that's important to me. That's all."
Hikari bit her lip, her mind whirling as she absorbed the sincerity in her companion's tones.
"I guess...I understand." She said at length. "I..."
"That's enough." Jin smiled. "No more. Okay? No more. We have a lion cub to catch up to, and she'll come screaming after us if we don't find her. We'll make camp in the village for the night, and tomorrow we'll head for the mountains. Finding Toroki and the Shinzahou is the most important thing...nothing else is. Okay?"
Hikari was silent for a moment, digesting this. Then, slowly, she nodded her head.
"If that's how you feel." She agreed quietly. "All right. Then that's what we'll do."
Relief flooded Jin's face as he realised the subject was over, and he shot her a warm grin.
"Thank you for understanding how it is." He said softly. "Come on. I think I see the roofs of abandoned houses just ahead of us...we should settle, make what kind of a meal we can with the stuff we got from Anara-san's village...and rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day."
"I suppose it will." Hikari returned the smile with a faint one of her own. "All right then. The village it is - let's go."