First and foremost I would like to say congratulations to the web site and all of my fellow fan writers for making a July 2011 issue of the Times magazine. A three page article all about what we do, why we do it, and other things. I guess it may not seem that cool to others, but it was a fun surprise for me to sit down at my break table at work, flip through the first magazine lying in front of me (find a picture of the devastated Joplin, MO, which made me sad and thankful at the same time as I have two brothers that live near there, one of which works there; neither were hurt or otherwise affected), and find an article about what I like to do on my off time. I had one of those, oh, oh, I post stories on that page! moments. lol My co-workers were thoroughly amused.
Second, I'm loving all the attention this is getting, and I'm glad everyone has liked it so far. I will continue to work hard on it, try to polish it to a glow at least, and hope that it measures up.
Disclaimer: I own no palaces, lords, people, or animals… well, except for my cats, but the way they act you'd think they own me. XD
Chapter 3: The Palace
Kaoru stood just beyond the threshold of the palace with her chin high and spine straight. Only moments before she had bidden her father farewell and watched him walk his way south along the mountain. Too soon his back had disappeared behind the dense trees and foliage, leaving her alone and unprotected within this new world she was to be a part of. It at once frightened and excited her.
Apparently she had met this man… creature… before, but she could not recall the experience. Perhaps, she told herself, there never was any such meeting. Perhaps she, as a child, had simply laid down to rest, he had found her and, as a gesture of kindness or pity, returned her to her parents before any predator happened upon her so vulnerable. Whatever the truth, she was a little curious as to what she was going to find on the other side of the gate.
Once inside, however, she was faced with… nothing. No one waited to greet her and there was nothing in sight that gave a clue as what she was expected to do or where to go. The grounds themselves looked deserted. There were stray twigs, leaves, and old pine needles scattered about the yard. A quick study of the rooftops showed missing shingles that were blatantly evident, their broken wooden pieces joining the decaying leaves piling against the under-posts of the corridors. Even the barrier wall was besieged by overgrowth from the surrounding forest, its mixture of green, brown, and black pouring over the solid wooden structure in defiance of its purpose to keep such things out.
A little surprised by the amount of aging evidence, though unsure what she had expected since the palace was over a thousand years old, Kaoru scanned her eyes over the immediate vicinity. Gliding over the forefront courtyard and its surrounding veranda, she found herself fascinated by the multiple buildings that were connected by the covered porches. As the impressive boundary wall concealed most of the palace, there were very few buildings that topped its height enough to be seen. The central pavilion, for example, was one of these buildings, a detail that was to be expected since it would house the lord. Because of the trees and the wall, it was the only part of the palace that could be seen from the village. Once inside, however, it was obvious there was more to the place than first met the eye.
Curious now Kaoru stepped forward, hesitant at first, then with rising conviction as nothing detained her. Skirting the edges of the inner palace, a feat that was not easy nor quickly done, she found herself standing at the base of an entire city. Slightly staggered, she dropped the pack tied to her bokken and stared in awe at the sheer magnitude of hundreds of houses, workshops, training halls, and gardens. It was, in a word, beautiful; the intricate network of antique styled structures going on for what looked like miles up the face of the mountain. In fact, as she stood dumbstruck, her neck craning upwards, she could not distinctly see the boundary of this metropolis. There were simply too many other roofs and trees in the way. The incorporation of natural influence softened the colonized appearance and gave it a charisma that her own village lacked, even as her village was much smaller and clearly rural.
As she gawked she began to notice differences between the closer buildings and those further back. Everything was more meticulous, grandiose, better-crafted the nearer it came to the palace. As the city stretched away from the lord's home it became simpler, stouter, though no less well-made. What was curious was even with the age of the entire castle, barring the broken roof tiles, nothing seemed to be in disrepair. It was as if the owner had left and in his absence the palace had gone to sleep, tucked under a bed of tall grass, circling vines, and wildflowers.
Shock wearing off as her thoughts swam in wondering delight, excitement overpowered her apprehension and she wanted nothing more than to explore this forgotten world. It was easy to tell the changes in culture since its birth and the time she had grown in. In the back of her mind it was the same feeling she got when snooping through her mother's clothes and jewelry when she knew her father wasn't looking. A tight ball of anxiety mixed with enchantment curled in her gut as she fingered those precious items from a time before her, thinking about the life it had touched and changed and helped grow. With so many houses it was easy to imagine the people that had once lived there. What were they like, she wondered. What did they enjoy? Where did the children play? With so many families, there was bound to be children.
Nearly giddy with her own speculative dreaming, she skipped her way forward into the city's embrace. Passing the guardian assembly of domiciles closest to the palace, she was able to see even more as smaller houses came out of hiding. It was only one, however, that trapped her attention, a tiny gasp of astonishment catching in her throat. With bright new cypress shingles on the roof and shining wooden posts and steps, it looked brand new and alive next to the slumbering palace. It was petite, almost delicate and feminine, and there was a wonderful scent of cherry blossoms coming from it. Kaoru suddenly wanted to go inside. More than anything, she wanted to see what it could house.
There was only one thing marring its finery, a large black spot spread over the top of the stairs. At a distance it seemed indistinguishable from the wood, like a large burn mark or stain. As Kaoru came closer, however, and a low rumbling growl vibrated the air, she found herself making first contact with any source of life.
The first words that popped into her head were her father's. "A wolf will take down full grown men, if they have the inclination." If that's a wolf, than I'm the empress. Taking one slow step back, she couldn't help but whimper when it jumped abruptly to its feet, its ferocious growling becoming louder as it bared its teeth. This isn't even possible! I've never heard of a wolf that big! Some bears aren't even that size! Sleek and dangerous it slid down the steps, eyeing her with dark golden irises that said it would love nothing more than to rip her throat out.
Stumbling into the porch of a nearby house, her leg caught on a stray branch sticking halfway underneath the residence and tipped her back into a jumbled heap. At the same moment she feared she was dead a loud bark from behind alerted her to another presence. This one jumped over the top of her, placing itself between her and the wolf as it securely set its paws and barked in great agitation and anger. It was nearly as large as the wolf, and briefly she mistook it as one, except its features leaned more towards a mangy mutt than an elegant wolf. Its diminutive size and lesser breed did not stop it from facing the wolf down, though, and after a long, tense span of time the wolf finally gave up. With a deep snort and a dismissive swipe of its tail it turned and sauntered back up the stairs to resume its post.
Confused, speechless, and still half tangled up in her own clothes, Kaoru watched the dog trot back to her. Like a well-trained guardian it sat at her feet as if waiting for her next command and she uncertainly studied it back as she stood and straightened herself out.
"Um… thank you." She was going to reach forward and scratch behind its ears to show further appreciation, but it did something so totally unexpected that all she could manage was a soft sound of panic.
"Don't mention it. Saitou was just being a jerk. He can get like that when the lord gives him special orders."
"W-what?"
"Oh, don't take it personally, the lord just doesn't like anyone going near the shrine. So he told Saitou to stand watch to keep you away."
"Oh." Feeling surreal, she nodded as if understood this talking dog completely. Which she didn't. "Well…" Breathless, she swallowed against the rush of blood flooding her head and darkening her vision. "he should have just asked." And with a shaky smile, she fainted.
X
Voices were echoing in her ears, far away as if she were standing at the end of a long tunnel. Since her eyes were still closed she had nothing else to focus on but sharpening her awareness of what they were saying. A couple of the voices were indignant, one was slightly scathing, another was soothing, and still another was angry. They were arguing, but she was too addlebrained to understand over what.
"You didn't have to scare her into a fit, Sanosuke." There was a haughty air to the voice that spoke of a familiarity in scolding the other she was addressing.
"Hey, if anyone scared her it was that damn wolf! When I got there he looked about ready to eat her! If anything I'm probably her new hero." Kaoru recognized this voice, and though she was still befuddled, the bragging pride in his tone was amusing.
"Oh, great Hero Mutt, I bow to your glory. Too bad you ruined it by opening your big mouth." A completely different voice mocked his statement, its tone playful with laughter.
"Oh shut up." The pride was gone, replaced by annoyance.
"Please, you're going to wake her." This voice was soft and sweet; a soothing balm to her anxiety.
"Yeah, keep your voices down!" To counteract the sweetness, a new voice growled a warning a bit more forcefully than was necessary.
"That means you too, Yahiko. Loudmouth." The annoyance from the one she recognized sneered into childish teasing.
"What did you say you mangy dog?"
"You heard me."
"Enough."
The short command pulled her closer into wakefulness, light filtering into her parted eyelashes as the sounds around her became sharper. Even in the stillness after the new voice's abrupt order there was more noise than she thought should be possible.
"I think she's waking up, my lord." It was the soft voice again, something light and fluffy touching her cheek. It tickled her, and she felt her lips curve unconsciously. Cracking her eyes open wider, carefully at first, afraid of any bright light, than with quickening flaps of her lashes, she blinked at the ceiling above.
"Are you alright, miss?" The words were like a purr rumbling in her left ear, and she rolled her head to that side to greet the owner of such a sweet, innocent voice. What she found were large grey eyes framed by smooth tan fur, black tabby stripes pattering over the kitten's face like the kohl she sometimes saw on passing ladies. Her first thought was she was having that talking animal dream again. It would have been a nicer alternative, but a small part of her knew that this was the second animal to speak with her. The first had even happened when she knew for a fact that she was wide awake. Nothing was going to explain the situation away, and that kind of scared her about the reality of her life.
Noticing the kitten was waiting for an answer she nodded. Tearing her eyes reluctantly away, she looked first at the half-grown tiger sitting behind the miniature feline, to a fox, a weasel, and then the unkempt dog at her feet. Each one signaled a greeting of some kind, which she tried to respond to even though she was still a little unsure about her own sanity as these animals made such human gestures. When she turned her head finally to the right to greet the owner of the commanding voice, however, she was met with nothing more than a closing shoji and the quiet snap of wood on wood.
"You'll have to forgive the young lord, he's become rather shy." It was the fox speaking, and it tore her gaze from the door and all of the secrets it was hiding. The sight of its small, red body and bushy tail nearly made her jump as the feminine and dignified voice it emitted suggested the lady-like and noble appearance of a woman instead.
"Young lord?"
"You're lucky he caught you when you fainted or you'd be waking up sore." The weasel boldly scurried up her arm as Kaoru sat up, perching herself on her shoulder. Pulling her face away with a raised brow, Kaoru tried not to act uncomfortable. "The name's Misao, by the way."
"That's right, I forgot." The dog scratched absently at his ear with a hind leg. "She doesn't know who we are, does she?"
"Of course she doesn't, idiot." The fox was just a little too forceful with the statement, but Kaoru thought she could already detect a bit of tension between the two. "My name is Megumi, and the dirty mutt is Sano."
"I'm not dirty." Indignant his hind leg came down and he glared at the fox. "My fur just does this naturally."
"My name is Tsubame, ma'am." If anything the kitten looked even cuter as she shyly ducked her little head.
"And I'm Yahiko." The young tiger spoke up proudly, his awkward, in between features mixing the eagerness of childhood with the dignity of maturity.
Trying not to let any physical discomfort show because of their human speech, she swallowed and attempted a smile. "It's lovely to meet you all. I'm Kamiya Kaoru." Bowing her head respectfully, she cast a quick glance back towards the firmly shut shoji.
"Oh, you haven't met all of us yet. There's tons more."
"More?" Feeling lightheaded again, she tried to wrap her brain around the idea of a fleet of talking animals.
"Of course. You saw all the houses, right?" Kaoru nodded as the weasel, Misao, spoke in barely constrained enthusiasm. "Well they all belong to somebody. I mean, even Saitou has a family."
"Saitou?"
"You met him earlier. He was the wolf guarding the shrine."
"Oh."
"I apologize that he was so grumpy, but he gets like that when the lord gives him orders. He doesn't really like it, you see, because he was…" Misao trailed off for a moment, Kaoru's big blue eyes trained on her expectantly. "Well, because he's older, really."
"Just how old is he?"
"Who knows anymore." The large mongrel, Sano she recalled, stretched himself out along the floor at the foot of her futon. "I think he was like thirty or forty or something like that. Older than Kenshin, anyway."
"Who's Kenshin?"
"Sanosuke!" The fox jumped over and whapped him with a paw. "Let him introduce himself! And you shouldn't be so informal anyway!" Yelping, Sano jumped away from the smaller canine.
"Sorry, Fox, I wasn't thinking… sheesh."
"Well start thinking, you idiot!"
"Whatever…" Rolling his shoulders in a half shrug, he plopped back down on his belly with his chin resting on his forelegs.
"So who's Kenshin?" Trying again, Kaoru looked back and forth between the two, noticing they were still giving each other the evil eye.
"Don't worry about that for now. Why don't we see about getting some tea? You still look a little pale."
X
A few hours later and Kaoru still had no idea who Kenshin was, but since it didn't seem to be a big issue she'd given up on it. She was starting to get used to her new friends and in the process they had successfully distracted her with tea, letting her set up her new room (which was incredibly dirty and in desperate need of airing out), and then just recently showing her to the kitchens where supper was in progress. There had been no sign of the lord or even a shadow of his presence. Misao had suggested his quick reaction when she'd fainted, but she couldn't remember catching a glimpse of anyone close by when she had first arrived. However it had happened she did suppose she would have to thank him later for catching her fall.
At the moment she was preoccupied with watching her newest acquaintance cook dinner with an ease she was in serious envy over. Tae was a professional, or so Sano bragged, and even with the hands of a monkey she could cook better than even Kaoru's mother used to. There were a couple other, smaller monkeys that she barked orders at from time to time helping her out, but it was obvious Tae was the head chef. She didn't like sass, she wasn't about to be second guessed, and you did not, absolutely did not, try and steal food from her kitchen.
If you followed all her rules she was remarkably easy to get along with, and Kaoru found herself happily chatting away as she watched her cook. None of the others stayed to help or talk, some of them because they had no opposable thumbs, others because of their bad experiences with Tae and her kitchen. This left Kaoru alone with her new source of information, and she was learning fast just how much information Tae actually knew. There was some of it, though, that she was a little guarded with.
"Misao said there were more…uh… well, others that live here too. How did you all end up here, and how come you all…"
"Talk?" Tae laughed and waved off her attempt at politeness. "We live here, my lady. We have always lived here. Many of us were born here and most of us will more than likely die here. Just as your family has no doubt lived in your village for generations, so it is with us. This is our home, and the lord is our master. As to why we talk… well, we've all talked since we were children, just like you."
"But no animal I've ever heard of could talk. Why is there such an overabundance living here? Is it some kind of spell or magic aura surrounding the castle?" Already wooed by the idea, Kaoru became eager, her figure leaning forward against the counter.
"To tell the truth, I'm not sure how it happened. Only the lord knows the entire truth and it is not my place to ask for such details."
"Why not? It has obviously affected you, so why shouldn't you know how it happened?" Kaoru chewed on her lip as Tae ignored her, then continued thoughtfully. "Maybe it has something to do with that shrine. It looks much neater and cleaner than the rest of the palace. He even sicced that wolf on me for going near it."
"I doubt the lord meant for him to be so threatening about it. It's just that no one goes near the shrine, it's something that is understood. He probably asked Saitou to stand watch because he was aware you would not know this."
"He could have picked someone with a better temper." Mumbling under her breath, her curiosity forgotten as she remembered the wolf's threatening demeanor, she stared at the large pot simmering on the stove.
"What did you say, honey?"
"He could have saved everyone the trouble if he'd just greeted me at the gate and told me what was off limits. Anyway, that only proves it has to be special in some way, right?"
"That is the master's business and not mine. Now, why don't you go make yourself comfortable at the table if you're feeling restless. The lord might even decide to come for supper tonight since you're here. It'll be the perfect opportunity to tell him what you think of his manners."
Kaoru was being handled but she let it slide. Her crazy theory was probably a long shot in the dark anyway. Whatever was in that shrine it was completely off-limits and important to the lord. Maybe it's his dead wife, or something. Shrugging, she followed Tae's directions to the dining room, eager to explore some more. Once there she found that it wasn't much better than her new living quarters. Layered dirt on the short-legged table spoke of how long it had been since its last use, the seat cushions on the floor arranged around it were a permanent shade of grey, and the air was so musty she began to cough immediately. Performing a quick one-eighty, she marched her way back across the connecting walk and into the kitchen.
"Could you point me in the right direction for a wash cloth, Tae-san? The table needs a quick wipe down first." The whole room needs scrubbed, but I guess that'll have to wait until tomorrow. Trying to smile without offending anyone, as she knew how hard it would be to try and keep the entire palace clean in the form of an animal, she wondered if she had quite pulled it off when Tae sighed despondently.
"I apologize, my lady. Our lord has not taken his meal at the table in many years, I forgot how badly it has been neglected because of that. I'm ashamed that I sent you in there without cleaning it first."
"That's alright, it won't take me long to do a quick run through."
"Then you have my gratitude. The well is just out back, and you should find a bucket and some rags next to the porch on your way out."
Ducking her way through another door on the opposite side, she stepped quickly across a second room to the outer door. The air was instantly fresher, and with the slight bite of evening it would easily ventilate the dining room if the shoji was to be propped open. Making a mental note to do that once back inside she jerked the door shut behind her, turned to step off the engawa, and slammed into someone making their way in.
With her head lowered so she could look for the bucket Tae had spoken of she didn't see her sorry victim until it was too late. Apology already on her tongue as she slapped a hand to the ache on the crown of her skull, she froze in quick recognition when her mind decided to let her know there was only one other presence at the palace tall enough for her to bump into. It wasn't quite what she had imagined her first meeting with the palace lord to be like, and the quiet thump in her chest turned into a loud drumming in her ears. Her father had hinted at his appearance but there was still so much mystery surrounding him.
With her chin in her chest sapphire irises focused on his feet first. They were bare, long, and bright red with the promised talons her father had told her about. Curved and jet black, the talons extended each toe another half length or more. No sandal would ever fit those wide spread feet, but as the red of his skin glistened under the retreating sun light she saw there was no need for him to worry about covering. Small, hardened scales lined every last inch of each foot.
Dark hakama covered his legs, though they were well worn and had the distinct faded appearance of cloth that had at one point been black but was now a dull grey. Nothing covered his torso, and she was met with a full view of more red-scaled skin and hardened muscles. Strangely there were no scales across his abdomen, though, leaving only softer, smooth crimson flesh around his navel and up to his chest. He was slight in build but his shoulders still seemed broad, and she was amazed at the strength in each one of his muscles and the power in the way he held himself.
His face… It was indeed easy to see how her father could have mistaken him for a man all those years ago. With the body structure of any normal person, in the dark no one would be able to tell the difference, but his face was not easily mistaken for anything human. First and foremost his irises were larger, covering nearly the entire width of his eye, and the pupil was a vertical slit. His nose was flatter, squarer, and longer, pressed close to his face with diagonal openings for his nostrils. He had no eyebrows, a very pronounced bone formation, and sharply pointed ears.
Only his mouth looked human, and at the moment it was set in a very stern frown. Realizing just how long she had been staring, Kaoru felt her chest tighten and her eyes locked back with his. Amber bore into azure and she thought she understood why Tsubame was always so timid.
X
A/N: Yay. Introduced some new characters, got to describe some of the palace, which would be so fun to explore, and of course… the lord himself. Only a little bit about him for now. He's obviously going to be a complex character. Kaoru's already curious and she's only been there a few hours. And Saitou's a jerk… but he's always a jerk and that's why I love him. lol So anyway, more to come in the next chapter… Kaoru gets her first impression of the lord's personality and she's not going to take it lying down. Hope that everyone is happy so far, and leave a review to tell me why. Or why not, if you must. Thanks!