I'm hoping this'll start getting better soon. Like, serious drama kind of better. I have big plans for this one! Enjoy!

"Baka! He's over here!" Jakotsu roared at me, as I stood up straight.

We are fighting with Koga, the wolf youkai, and I can't seem to land a single blow.

He's too fast. Despite having memorized some of my brother's techniques, I simply wasn't as fast as him.

I huffed, turning to look, only to find they'd gone again.

I turned again.

All of a sudden, a new youkai came flying at me.

I gasped, and brought my swords up to block it.

The creature knocked me back, pressing the flats of my blades to my chest.

The creature's mouth was almost at my face, its saliva dripping down, and burning my skin with it's poison.

I screamed in agony, as I pulled one of my swords out from under the creature, and began trying to stab it.

The skin was thick. I could only pierce it enough to get the creature to roll off of me, shocked by the pain.

I got up, ran at the writhing creature, and stuck both of my swords into it.

After a little bit of a struggle, it finally gave in, and died.

I stood, panting for a bit. I'd pestered my brother about being all worn-out and sweaty after his battles before... now, I began to feel... like a hypocrite. He was sure to pick on me about this if he ever found out...

With what little strength I had left, I pulled those swords out, and returned them to their scabbards.

"Baka! Where were you?" Jakotsu roared at me.

I turned.

Koga was nowhere in sight. Jakotsu was perfectly irate. And there was fire light in the distance.

He can't really be angry with me, can he? I didn't call that youkai to come attack me! There's no way he can hold this against me!

"You're too slow!" Jakotsu snapped. "Kyoukotsu could move faster! Don't join a fight if you can't keep up!"

He jerked his sword back to him, and shoved it back into its sheathe.

"I'm going on ahead!" Jakotsu said. "Catch up when you think you can!"

He turned, and ran toward the fire light.

I frowned, as I watched him run off.

Now, I had no intention of following him. Quite the opposite, actually.

However... off in that direction... on our way from the temple, I'd spotted some rice fields. No doubt, there was a village nearby.

Going this way, then making for the fields, surely, I'd find somebody down there.

So, after letting Jakotsu put some distance between us, I started running down the path as well.

I ran straight for those rice fields, and began looking around for some sign that someone'd been there recently.

In the darkness, I could see faint lights. There it was. Just as I'd suspected.

I ran as fast as I could to that village, and soon had the pheasants there give me a meal, and a place to stay.

The floor was hard, and uncomfortable, and the food was bland, but, anywhere and anything was better than what the Shichinintai offered...

A few days later, in Bankotsu's POV:

"Kyoukotsu and Mukotsu were killed, that couldn't be helped." I said. "But, I still have someone to blame for it. I'd punish her, if you hadn't let her run off!"

Jakotsu, Renkotsu, Ginkotsu, and Suikotsu have returned, half-way successful, and missing the brat.

"Geez... she was being slow." Jakotsu said. "And she still complained... even when she gathered up the gall to start fighting battles..."

I raised my head slightly.

"Fighting?" I asked.

"Yeah... it shocked me, too..." Jakotsu said. "It started like this..."

Mori-hime's POV:

I bent over again to pick up yet another rice plant.

My back cracked as I did so.

My whole body was aching like never before. I couldn't complain about it, though.

These spiteful pheasants have stolen my swords, and forced me to work in the fields, until I've learned my lesson. I didn't even do anything to deserve this!

I called for a bath, and for my kimono to be cleaned. Nothing they couldn't do. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Stupid people... I am a princess! I should not have to do any of this!

I slowly straightened up, holding onto my back, for fear it might snap.

I stretched a bit, and looked around.

Everyone else was planting new sprouts already.

I looked into my basket, and glared at it.

I wasn't quite finished yet. I had another five or six sprouts to go.

They told me I'd gotten the easier rows. Those liars.

These rows were every bit as long as the others, with more sprouts in them.

"Keep going, ojou-chan." came a voice.

I scowled. This was the voice of Keisuke. An old man with a mocking attitude. He was like Bankotsu with a brain.

He wasn't frail, either. He twisted my arm around behind my back before I could slap him, once. He's usually the one in charge when the youkai attack the village. Oddly, though, he's the only one to get hurt in those battles.

I reached down, and continued about picking up the sprouts.

Just as soon as I was done, Keisuke came to me with a basket in his hand.

This was my first basket of sprouts to plant.

"It does you no good to keep that nasty glare on your face." Keisuke said. "You look prettier with a smile. So, smile while you finish this job. It'll go much faster that way."

He took my basket, handed his to me, and walked away.

My hands were shaking with fury, as I stomped down into the filthy water once more.

For hours, I was there, stuffing sprouts into the mud, readjusting them when Keisuke spotted the smallest problem with them.

By sunset, I'd reached the final row, and Keisuke simply sat on the dry land, watching me, sipping water from his bamboo canteen.

I was about on the edge now. No one would let me have any food or water because I hadn't finished my rows in the rice fields.

Cruel... absolutely barbaric... worse than the Shichinintai!

Silent tears streamed down my face, as I worked through my hunger, and dehydration, until the sun had set...

Baka - Stupid / Idiot / Fool.

Ojou-chan - Young lady.

Not too much longer... give me five chapters, and I'll be into the main conflict! Please, review!