I realized that my attention had been completely taken by this fiction and it's not a very good thing since I have numerous pending stories. In short, I will be updating the other stories but updates for this one will take longer after Chapter 12. This fiction is still a long way to go before it gets finished and my goal is to finish as much stories as I can this year. I'm really sorry for that.
Princess-of-doctors: Hohoho! I have ruined your imaginations. But then, it's up to you to imagine what could have been a fiery night between the two. ;) Ooops. Sorry for the spoiler! _
ThePinkMartini: Well, this is still YuiNak! I swear! It's just that Nakago's not in the scene yet. Once he comes in, you'll realize he is The One!
Lyndel: Heehee. Nakago will come out in, I think, Chapter 11 or 12. That's not so far from this chapter since I update hang on, I wish it'll be worth it. :)
Khryztinne: Uhm… Soi? JUST KIDDING! I'm not really a fan of yuri so Soi is out of the harem. Basically those are the potential loves for Yui. Four so far, minus Nakago because he had yet to enter Yui's life. :D
():Well, normally, Tomo's one of the person vying for Nakago's attention but I want to give Nakago a hard time since he's such a baddie!
Disclaimer: FY is not mine.
Cave to the East
By Slavedriver2008
CHUUIN WAS TAPPING his fingers as she arranged the contents of her bag. Yui heaved a sigh and refused to turn to the performer, which was an ordeal in itself. He continued to make impatient sounds and she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. When she looked up, numerous feathers danced in front of her, as if tied to an invisible string. But she can see it clearly, thin blue lines that made the feathers float in the air. She flushed immediately, recognizing the power he emitted.
"Stop, please," she said, turning to him with a stern look. The man smiled mischievously.
"I was merely entertaining you," he said smoothly, making her frown more. "There is no reason to hurry. My money can last us for a month in this inn, where we can do interesting things," he said. The proposal made her cheeks bright and she tried to hide it by bowing her head lower.
"What's more interesting than finding the other warriors?" she said, turning her attention on packing.
"Oh, if you didn't stop me, I could have shown you just how interesting it is to stay in this room—with me. Last night was perfect, the moon was high and beautiful, the air was balmy and we were naked under the sheets. It's any poet's ideal night for romance," he teased and she flushed more. "But no, you have to cry and make that annoying little girl face. You even asked that boy to sleep between us for Seiryuu's sake."
"I thought you prefer a beautiful voluptuous woman, Ryou-sama?" she asked and he made a sound of annoyance. "And you said I have yet to mature…"
"I was being gallant and dense as you are, you chose to hurt my feelings." The performer looked away and she chuckled. He was getting dramatic, maybe he was practicing his lines. He eyed her a little sternly. "Laugh all you can, girl. After all, you took advantage of poor helpless me."
Yui gasped and turned to him, cheeks as bright as the apples on the table. He slowly picked one fruit and produced a knife from his sleeves, peeling the scarlet skin very slowly.
"I did not take advantage of you—I was… I was trying to uhm… make you warm."
She heaved a sigh and returned to her packing. Shinji was out in the streets, playing around, watching guard, while she pushed everything she had inside the backpack. The performer gave her numerous things to bring and she could not find it in herself to refuse his gifts. The events that happened last night made her flush once again. Yes, last night was filled with the air of romance and she could have just given in. There were instances that she wanted to, but her feelings betrayed her.
Ryou-sama wanted to make love to her, he whispered so. Love. What was love? And how do people make love? Does the warmth she felt last night, the goosebumps that filled her skin, and the uncontrollable pumping of her heart when they touched, enough to equate as love? She felt the same way when the man in her dreams touched her. But she realized, as the performer started to hum a familiar melody he loved to sing during performances, that Ryou-sama's arms felt better than the man in her dreams. He felt real, solid. He, on the other hand, was dreamy and fluid, like the foams of the sea.
"Ryou-sama…" she said softly, turning to the man. He stopped slicing the apple and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What do you mean when you said you will make me your wife?" she asked and he laughed, loud and crackling.
"Do you want me to show you?" The illusionist licked the knife very slowly and the skin at the back of her neck prickled. She doesn't like it whenever he gave her that mischievous look. He was scary when his dark pools of gray glimmered and his thin lips contorted to a smirk.
"No, I simply wanted to know…" she said nonchalantly, turning away. Arms landed on the floor between her legs and a body neared hers. She gasped when he slowly lined her ear with the warm tip of his tongue.
"Aki's ears taste like plums…" he whispered in a deep silky voice. The redness on her face intensified and her ears burned. "I wonder… if it's the same between those beautiful legs…"
"CHUUIN!" The performer moved backed and she covered her face. She had unconsciously dropped the formality between them but he doesn't seem to mind. "How can you say something humiliating?" She stood up and placed the bag on her back. The performer stood, laughing lightly. "I can't believe you can speak so casually about something private—Argh! I'll never fall in love with a man!"
"Kekeke! Do you by any chance prefer women?" he teased and she turned abruptly, blinking. What did he say? "I can also become a girl, and I can use my fingers—"
Yui slapped her forehead and shook her head. She never thought the performer would unabatedly tell her private things she never understood. She was young and she doesn't know much about men. And he was a testament to that fact. Men were unpredictable and they say the weirdest things. They push, prod, get angry, and then they want to make love to you when night comes. It doesn't make any sense. Yui wondered, if Kotoku and Shunkaku will grow up to be like Ryou-sama or if something had awfully gone wrong with the latter. How can he make love with a finger? And why would girls make love with another girl? Was it the same as him sleeping with another man?
"You're insane," she breathed out, not finding the answers to the questions she posed in her head. The performer stepped closer and fingered her chin.
"Tell me, fake boy, what would you do if the next warrior is a female?" He raised an eyebrow and she blinked. She hadn't considered the possibility since the warriors she found were all male. "Would you strip your clothes and sleep with her as well? Would you let her kiss you, move her tongue—"
"STOP!" She made a sound of disbelief. "Gods, why do you have to tease me nonstop? You speak more sense when you were hallucinating last night!" She slapped his hand, evidently annoyed. He cupped her cheek and she moved away.
Chuuin pulled her neck and before she could protest, leaned down to kiss her surprised mouth. Yui shut her eyes, flushed. He kissed her, very gentle, as if asking for an apology. She responded on her own will, like it was imbued in her. He slowly moved away and she met his eyes. He slowly thumbed her cheek and smiled.
"When I said I want you to be my wife, I was speaking the truth. Something deep binds us and I know you feel it as well. When you're ready to fall in love, think of me. I'm waiting," he whispered and she blushed. She smiled, his words touched her heart but it refused to beat wild for him. Chuuin slowly let go, smiling mischievously. "And remember, I'm the first man who ever kissed you—your lips belong to only me!" he said childishly and Yui stared back with disbelief.
"You are unbelievable," she breathed out, turning around and heading for the door. He followed and paced with her. She will never understand men, especially someone as complicated as the warrior Tomo. Maybe it was inherent in him to show numerous emotions, and she could not differentiate which was serious and which was not.
"Don't forget to meet me in Tenryo after two weeks," he reminded as they stepped out of the inn. "The troupe can only stay for two weeks in every village. After that, we get thrown out. Don't forget." She turned to him and nodded. Shinji walked toward her, smiling, and taking her hand.
"Hai!" She was about to turn when he spoke again.
"What's your name?" he asked and she hesitated. "Once we meet in Tenryo, I will no longer be Ryou-sama but the Seiryuu warrior Tomo. Likewise, the twins will be Amiboshi and Suboshi."
"Yui. It's Yui." She smiled wide. "But please only call me by that name when we meet again."
"Yui…" he said, saying her name softly. He laughed lightly, as if remembering a distant memory. "I will see you again, Yui." She nodded, blushing, and went off to her next adventure.
TO REACH THE satellite province of Sakana, the visitor had to be ferried across an underground river, whose waters overflow the caverns when the moon is high. Sakana remained a territory of Kutou despite the rebuilding of the Konan Empire less than ten decades ago. Only Kutou can make the finest boats that could cross the underground river and only a man bourne of Kutou's land can predict the movements of the water.
The river was called Kirei and the cave has two names, one on each side. The mouth of the cave near the city of Souun was called Natsu while the other end, which opened to the province of Sakana, a fishing country, was called Haru. Only one tribe lived in the marshes of Sakana. They call themselves Kodomo no Haru, the children of the Spring. But what set their people apart was not their talent in breeding the best game fishes in the country but their capacity to control the typhoons.
"Sakana?" a man with a toothy grin laughed when she asked for a ferry service. The performer had left her numerous coins she could spend before they reunite in Tenryo. She was reluctant to accept but he insisted that his "wife" live leisurely while doing her duties. "There's no such village here! And you say it floats on the waters? What kind of stories did your parents tell you, boy?" the man berated her, laughing hard.
"Gomenasai…" she bowed slowly and moved away. How was it possible that no boatman in Souun knew about Sakana? Had the scholars lied about the sacred land? She rummaged through her head, looking back on the exact passages in the texts she read without her teacher's consent.
Sakana was nestled between the capital of Kutou and the East capital of the Southern empire. It can be reached by a boat from Souun and by land from Eisei. Was it possible that the people of Souun never knew the presence of the village? But the problem, she realized, was that no scroll listed the exact location of the fishing village. It was her fault to assume that foreign boatmen knew. Why would they care about a village under Kutou? If they knew it existed, they would have attacked and stole its resources.
Yui sighed and her shoulders slumped. She can't stop looking now, not when three people were waiting for her return to Kutou. She accidentally collided with a body and the man fell to the ground. She immediately assisted him up. The man accidentally thumbed the silver ring on her left hand and she immediately pulled away.
"Gomenasai, daijobu desu?" she asked and the man nodded, smiling as he looked through her face. A chill crept through her spine when he spoke.
"You say you are looking for a fishing village?" he asked and she nodded, hesitant. "I know that village, I can ferry you."
"How much would it cost me?" she asked very politely. The man waved his hand and smiled.
"We'll talk about the price once we arrive. Trust that I will not ask for more than what is proper," he said, turning toward a small boat. It was good for four people and seemed to be made of old weak wood. Yui sighed and stepped inside, heart palpitating.
While on the road, it was better to trust the kindness of strangers. Shinji sat beside her and the man nodded. He was an old man with white hair and moustache. She was momentarily concerned that he might be unable to row. But as they left the port, his muscled arms showed from the shirt, testament to a life in that kind of service. The princess saw nothing but the trees and mangroves as the man continued to row. Every now and then birds of various colors would fly above them and wait in the age-old roots. The only sound came from the movements of his paddle and the gentle lapping of water on the boat's body. She could not remember how long he was rowing with the same view and the monotonous sound. When she turned and the port capital of Souun was engulfed by the leaves of trees, a large cave caught her view. She gasped. It was real! The man was bringing her to Sakana!
The princess's mind wandered as the boat neared the mouth of the cave. It was only fitting that a warrior would come from the tribe, she thought. After all, the warriors came from various tribes within the empire and all clues led to the hidden fishing village. Never in her wildest dreams could she think of crossing the river. Wisdoms always warned that those with tainted hearts can never cross it. The boat will be engulfed by the waters in unimaginable lengths and the soul will forever be trapped in the abyss. The thought scared her. Was she pure enough to pass? The boatman stopped paddling and turned.
"Do you want to continue? The water is higher than I had expected," he said, the sound of Kutou more evident in his tongue.
"Please go on, my brother and I need to reach Sakana before night falls," she begged. The man looked at her intently and then nodded, not worried. She expected him to decline.
"My wife waits for me as well. Let us continue then," he said and he moved the oar, paddling them toward the cave. Slowly, they were engulfed by darkness and the only thing that emitted light was the oil lamp that hung from the boat's head. "It is unusually dark today," he whispered.
The boat rocked a little wildly, waves hit the sides, sending sprays of mist on her face. She touched Shinji's hands and he snuggled to her as they moved back and forth, being toyed by the waves. A strong wave hit the side of the boat and it almost capsized, making her scream. The man stood in front of them, unmoving, gazing at the darkness ahead. Yui's heart palpitated wildly. Something was moving the waves, a familiar fleeting power. It was very faint and very thin that she could barely feel it. But it was a force she had been exposed to in the last weeks. Seiryuu. Does the god want to kill her?
The man continued to steer the boat in the darkness and Yui's skin prickled as a cold wind gushed through her skin, sending bolts of warm electrifying sensations in her pores. It throbbed and her flesh felt like it was being infiltrated by lightning. Small dancing lights appeared before them and the man continued to steer, unmindful of the floating light. As they passed by the little glows, one of it touched her skin and it burned her. She winced from the pain but kept her mouth shut tight. She held strongly to the boy, not wanting any of the bolts to touch him. Yui smelled the faint smell of blood and burned flesh. It was hers.
"Are we still far from the village?" she asked and the man turned to her, very slowly.
"I could not find the way across the darkness," he said. "The shadows seemed to be devouring the light from our lamp. I am afraid we are lost in the middle of the river." Yui's eyes widened and she bit her lip, trying not to panic.
"Surely there is another way?" she asked but the man shook his head.
"We have to wait until the darkness lifts from the cave and allow us to pass. Holy Seiryuu, I hope he will forgive us for whatever we had done and guide us home." The man took off his hat and sat down, fanning himself. The air was unusually thick and hot, the way before a heavy rain pours.
Yui's eyes widened. Rain. Would it rain on them? If that happens, the water will rise and they will be trapped inside the cave. She closed her eyes and prayed to Seiryuu, forgetting the stinging that continued to touch her skin.
Seiryuu… Please guide us through the cave… I am close to finding your warriors… Please…
The waters became rougher and the boat swayed wildly, devouring her prayers into mild screams. The man held strongly to the boat's stern and closed his eyes, muttering words she could barely understand. He was calming the waters but his powers were not enough, the boat continued to rock wildly, throwing them off balance.
"Hold to the boat, if you fall to the waters, you will die." The man's voice was stern but it lacked panic. Yui's heart was drumming on her throat as they continued to sway. She whimpered, holding tightly to the boy.
"Why are you afraid?" a voice asked and when she opened her eyes found the blue-haired man sitting across her. He smiled and reached for her cheek. "I am here… And you are mine… What's mine does not fade away so quickly."
The boat stopped rocking and she felt warmth from her body, burning brightly in the dark, engulfing the shadows. The bluish light filled her and after it had touched every blood on her body, moved to the boat, to the raging waters, to the cave itself. The whole place lit up and Yui gasped. Around them were the most beautiful crystals of blue, limestones that covered the walls of the cave, and the breathtaking clear waters.
Yui looked down and saw numerous colored fishes swimming in the deep abyss as the waters glowed. The boat man gasped and kneeled down to continue his prayer. Seiryuu smiled. The burns on her skin slowly faded, flesh regenerating quickly and no wound were left to leave a mark. Slowly, the tunnel lit up and showed them the right way. The man immediately paddled and they moved slowly, drowning in the chorus of crystal running water. Their eyes met and warmth filled her. He moved closer, still holding her cheek.
"It's beautiful," she whispered when he was a face away. His smile widened and his eyes glimmered. She reached to touch his handsome flawless face. "Are you Seiryuu?" she whispered but his image slowly disappeared, leaving a tingling sensation at the tips of her fingers.
Rays of the sun shone brightly and she covered her eyes, him disappearing completely in the sunlight. Shinji pulled her shirt and she looked at him. He smiled wide and then pointed to what was ahead of them. From afar, she saw numerous houses standing on the waters with poles. Her eyes widened and she looked around, mystified. It was a beautiful village with houses made of marble and wood, standing above the waters like a moat.
"Welcome to Sakana, the village of the Kodomo no Haru," the fisherman said bowing to her. "I hope you find our place suitable to your needs, holy one."
The villagers slowly went out of their stone houses as the boat snaked the water pathways. The children pointed to her and some of the mothers cried when they saw her face. The girls showered petals on the water's surface and the gentle smell of jasmine permeated the air. Everyone smiled at them, chanting words she could not understand. Her eyes met sharp auburn eyes and the woman held her gaze. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders, long reddish brown hues around a beautiful small face. Her stares were blank.
"Holy one?" she asked the man, turning to forget the woman she saw amidst the crowd. The man smiled softly.
"Seiryuu had never visited this country but with your arrival, he came with the waters," he said slowly, showing her the waters under their boat. She gasped.
The waters that lapped against the boat glittered, creating an image of a head of a dragon. She turned back to the way they came and she covered her mouth to hide her surprise. On the clear waters were glimmering lights and the waves that hit their vessel created the body of the dragon, swimming languidly on the waters. The hair on her skin prickled as she watched it move, as if they were standing on its head. She had never seen a dragon before and it was an image that no water magician can copy.
The boat stopped and when she turned around, found a marble temple with two large stone dragons that served as its pillars. The fisherman helped them climb the platform and she touched the dragon marble, looking around. The villagers had taken out their boats and were paddling toward them, chanting praises to the god of the East.
The dragons were guarding a closely-shut door. A large and long dragon was lying on the spot where the gaps of the door should have been and its head was pointed up, showing an angry growling face. The princess turned around and found the cave, directly at the dragon's sight. It was facing the East, she thought. The cave was in the East from where she stood and South from the other end. How was it possible?
"This is the blessed temple of Seiryuu," the man said. "I am Ashita. By day I am an ordinary boatman, but before the holy one I am the guardian of the South temple." The villagers had stopped before the temple and watched them.
Yui looked up at the marble dragons. It was familiar, too familiar that her eyes misted. This was exactly similar to the temple the bard brought her the night his father died. Inside, if it was indeed the same temple, was the High Priest who turned into stone. Miboshi. The high priest was one of the Seiryuu seishis.
"This gate is very familiar…" she said softly. Ashita bowed and smiled.
"The Dragon has two heads, one looks toward the blinding eye and the other faces the dragon's heart. One head can be awakened by an immortal, while the other by his own true blood." The man smiled again. "That is the riddle for the holy one. It had been passed to generations of tribe rulers, waiting for the girl who rides with the dragon on her heels."
"I don't understand…"
"You are tired from your journey. We will offer you the best that we could give during your stay," Ashita said, bowing low again. Yui responded with a bow, unsure. When she turned to where she saw a woman, she was gone.
DARK CLOUDS FILLED the sky. Chuuin doesn't like the rain, especially when it comes with lightning and thunder. It had always scared him as a child and the rain always make him suffer, sleeping on damp clothes on wet cobblestones for days and days on end. Even staying under the bridge would not fend off the rain. He had been sleeping on the streets for a long time the forces of nature made him irritated. He parted the pearl curtains on his carriage and looked ahead.
Lightning lined the skies, angry and fierce. Cold wind brushed through the make-up on his face, swaying the feathers that he placed on his head. When she left, he hid his face. No one will recognize him except her. No one will be able to read through the colors of paint on his face but her inquisitive teal eyes. White and blue and black. The colors of loyalty, of courage, of wisdom. When she comes back, she will know immediately. But until that day, he will hide his face in a mask. A mask that only she can see through and erase. Oh, he'll let her do that—in his room of course. And they will be alone. Yes, they need to be alone.
"Yui…" she called in the raging wind, hoping it would reach her. The performer sighed.
After she left, he assembled the troupe and claimed the leadership of the theater. The bastard was dead and he was the best man for the job. His first order was to return to Tenryo, in San'un province. They were to stay for two weeks and wait for her to return.
The sound of horses' hooves came from the distance and their carriage stopped moving. He eyed the horizon closely. A large falcon glided in the air above them, creating a sound that sent a shiver through his spine. The bird flew away and his eyes widened when it glided back, kilometers away from them, bringing a battalion of Imperial soldiers.
"Ryou-sama—" the bald burly man named Boen called to him, voice evidently panicked.
Chuuin opened the door of his carriage, never taking his eyes off the running horses, filling the horizon in spots of black and blue. The banner of the ruling family flew with the wind and his heart beat wild. It no longer bore a blue dragon holding a silver ring but that of an indigo shield with a two-headed black dragon.
The Murasaki House had claimed the throne.
The rest of the performers went out of their carriages as well, shivering at the sight of the soldiers of Kutou. They covered the land like ants, running on strong stallions, their armors glimmering in the dark gnashing sky. The ground shook as they came closer. Chuuin's eyes were fixed on the man in the middle, the one who led the soldiers, the man the falcon guided with sharp blue eyes.
Chuuin clutched the shell inside his robe and placed it on his palm. He had not completely healed but to get to Hikyu, he will fight tooth and nail. The man's horse slowed down but the rest of the soldiers continued to wash toward them like ashen rain, moving in circles, and trapping them inside. The horses neighed loud, hooves pillaging the once green earth.
The bedlam parted and the leader's horse walked proudly toward them. The man beside him took off his helmet and smirked. His dark hair was tied in a high ponytail and his little eyes bore those that had seen bloodshed. In short, Chuuin thought, he had the eyes of a murderer.
"Bow down before the shogun of Kutou, you lowly creatures!" the man screamed. They all kneeled before the stallion, facing the ground.
"Seiryuu shinchiseishi Tomo," a deep smooth voice said and he looked up, surprised.
At the general's hand was a blue orb and his sign shined brightly inside the ball of crystal. He resisted the urge to show his mark, even though the crystal was forcing it out of him. A foot kicked him in the face and he fell on the ground.
"Do not resist, you imbecile!" it was the devil-looking right-hand man. Chuuin swore he will kill him someday. A strong force hit him and he screamed, coughing out blood.
The performer looked up at the shogun and his emotionless blue eyes smirked back. His eyes widened. He was… Another force hit him and he gagged, trembling in violent strokes as he fell to the ground. The shogun took off his helmet, showing off a handsome face. Chuuin coughed blood, messing the seamless designs on his face.
"Tomo-sama, let me introduce you to the miko," the shogun said sternly.
Chuuin looked up and his jaw clenched. A girl, of fifteen years old, looked down at him with awkward indigo eyes from inside a black carriage. Her long black hair was tied in neat and graceful knots commonly found in nobles. Gems covered her hair and her robe was made of the finest silk. Chuuin recognized her immediately—the first princess of the Murasaki house.
"You will come with us to the palace and await the other warriors," she told her, raising an eyebrow.
Bless Seiryuu, Chuuin thought as his fellow performers helped him up and brought him inside his purple carriage. Every part of his body throbbed as if he had been whipped all day. Imperial guards surrounded their carriages and Chuuin saw the shogun smirk at his helpless state. The general wanted to kill him, Chuuin could tell. But his mark was stopping the former from doing so.
For the first time in his life, Chuuin was happy he had the mark. The handsome shogun pulled the reins of his horse and paced with the carriage of the miko. Chuuin's fist tightened and he struggled to sit up from the bed, wanting to see a clearer image of the girl. The shogun covered his view and he slumped back to the bed, bruised and beaten. His mark throbbed.
Yui… a pained smile left him. I can't keep my promise…
A/N: I have not forgotten that this is a fantasy-adventure story. Although I do get carried away sometimes by the interaction between characters, it's a good thing that I'm getting back into the adventure aspect. Heehee. Yui found a temple and who's this priestess? Please do leave reviews!