That night, the companions found a clearing that ended in a cliff. They laid out their pallets with the women on one side of the fire and the men on the other. Ashura set down next to Sakura while Mokona bounced on Syaoran's 'bed'. Dinner was a quiet affair, eating some of the rations Lady Kendappa had provided in the knap-sacks. Afterwards, Karura told Ashura stories of the world's they'd been to while Lady Karura did her hair. Syaoran looked across the fire and a thought occurred to him. He turned to Ryuu who had laid down next to him.
"Hey Ryuu, what happened 300 years ago that's making guys hunt down this Taishakuten guy?"
Ryuu was silent for a moment. "no one's exactly sure how or why it happened, but he raised a rebel army and tried to storm the castle. Many tribes stood against him, especially the Ashura tribe, the gods of war. But Shashi, Lord Ashura's wife, betrayed her tribe and slept with Taishakuten, then told him all about the Ashura tribe. Taishakuten destroyed them, then the god-King. Shashi became pregnant with twins wan belong to Taishakuten, the other to Lord Ashura. She gave birth and tried to kill Ashura with her own hands. He was in the Mahyah forest all the time, until Lord Yasha freed him. During the 'Holy War' my mother, the former Lord Ryuu, fought against Taishakuten. I was just a little kid so I was left with my cousins most of the time and learned what happened form them."
"hmm." Syaoran hummed thoughtfully to himself. Then Syaoran realized what Ryuu said. "Wait, you said the war was 300 years ago. How could you have been a kid then? You look my age."
Ryuu blinked for a minute before it processed. "Oh. I'm 316 years old." Syaoran's jaw dropped. "Don't look so surprised. We're gods, Syaoran. Our life spans are infinite. Humans live at most 300 years but we live for 300,000. Lord Yasha, Lady Karura, and Lady Kendappa I know are all about the same age and are about 100 years older than me. They were what humans call teenagers during the war. Soma's older, I know because she was almost an adult during the 'Holy War'"
"Mokona knows people who live along time!" Mokona piped up, bouncing in between them. "Yuuko told Mokona that Clow Reed, the man who helped make Mokona and Mokona, lived a really, really, really long time because of his magic. He was loads of fun even if he was really old. He would play with Mokona all the time and he never even looked old at all!" Its ears drooped. "Mokona really misses him. He died a long time ago."
Ryuu gently patted the small thing on the head. "We all know that feeling. My mother died defending people from demons.. At least she died for her people that she cared about."
Syaoran didn't respond, but instead stared at the flames, remembering his father who died in the ruins he loved exploring.
"Some and Yasha are just like Ashura. Their tribes were wiped out, their names taboo, and they became fugitives from Taishakuten." Ryuu's low voice broke through Syaoran's memories. "The Soma tribe was killed because their blood gives immortality to whomever drinks it, but it can only be done once in their life time. Taishakuten killed them so that no one could become immortal. Soma escaped with Lady Kendappa's help and was hidden by Lady Kisshuten until Yasha started up this journey to bring Taishakuten down Lord Yasha's tribe was killed because they shielded the 'cursed child' Ashura. We all went back to the Northern Lands a while ago to give the dead a proper funeral."
Ryuu paused unsure ho to go on, or if it was his place to do so.
"Lady Karura's younger sister, Karyoubinga, was kidnapped by Taishakuten and held captive for three days. She was forced to sing and she died. She was very weak and couldn't survive outside the sky castle. Her body was fed to a bunch of mangy animals. Lady Karura swore revenge for her beloved little sister. She faked her death so that she could join us and her tribe would be safe."
"What about you Ryuu?" Syaoran asked. "What's our reason for fighting him?"
"I don't have a personal vendetta against him like the others, and I know I risk my tribe's safety but... I'm not gonna just stand around and wait for him to hurt someone else just to have a reason."
Syaoran couldn't answer that. He stared across that fire at Sakura as she was getting ready to sleep, mentally digesting what Ryuu had told him. It didn't seem so strange now that their new traveling companions were out for revenge. What Syaoran didn't understand was what Taishakuten gained from killing so many people.
Sakura, who hadn't heard a word, tanked Lady Karura for doing her hair and laid down on her blanket with Ashura curled up close beside her. Syaoran smiled slightly as he watched her.
"I've been meaning to ask, Syaoran," Ryuu once against broke through his thoughts, through this time it was in a normal volume. "What price did you pay to the Dimensional Witch to get the fluff-ball?" Pointing to said creature who was snuggling against the other boy.
Kurogane broke into the conversation. "That damned witch took my sword. Practically black-mailed me, the lousy wench." Kurogane grumbled as he rolled over and ignored everyone again.
"She took my marking. I can't do my magic with out it." Fai said grinning from his place away from the fire.
"And what about you, Syaoran?" Lady Karura asked, getting in to the conversation. "What price did the Dimensional Witch demand of you?"
Syaoran didn't answer immediately. "My price was my relationship with Sakura"
"And what does that mean?" Soma asked slightly confused.
"It means that no matter how many feathers are returned to the Princess, she wont' remember our childhood together or what we were to one another; she'll never remember me." He paraphrased what Yuuko had said.
"So even though you grew up together, you're basically a stranger to her, just a traveling companion." Lady Karura summarized. Syaoran nodded.
"You really care about her don't you." Ryuu said easily. It wasn't a question.
Syaoran smiled slightly but didn't answer. There was not much talking after that. THey all settled down. They kept watch in turns through the night. When dawn came they headed for Zenmi Castle.