Above, the leaves of deciduous trees and the needles of pine completely blocked out the sky. Below, roots and rocks made my cage rattle and shake violently. I clung to the bars for support. Tch.. what an unkempt path...
It was evident that no one had traveled this far onto this path in what must have been months... Maybe that was part of the reason I hadn't known about the Lords of the Forest; no one else had either.
But when we broke free of the trees and sky finally opened up to us, it became evident that many people knew of the castle in the forest. In the sky, the full moon looked big enough to swallow us whole; it bathed the world in a milky glow. Inside towering stone walls, the castle stretched towards the sky like a man made mountain; tall twisted metal decorations rose like spines on a lizard. At its feet was a broad court yard the size of my entire village, artfully decorated with beautiful rose gardens and sparkling fountains. In this expanse of smooth stone and moonlight, hundreds of people were gathered.
They milled about, waiting, and seemed nearly as nervous as I was, but were significantly better dressed. For the most part, they seemed like average villagers, but their clothes were the kind that was worn at special occasions, like church or festivals. Visiting a castle certainly required such formalities... and yet, in comparison I was in rags. As I passed in my cage, those that glanced at me gave me strange looks.
When Kaito found a suitable place to rest his horses, I spoke in a whisper. "Oi, what are all these people doing here, Kaito...?"
He lifted his eyebrows. "They're here for audience with their lords too, Tsukimura."
"Their lords..? There's more than one here?" I looked up towards the castle that seemed to have buildings that sprung up out of nowhere. On and on it went into the dark. ".. I guess this is a pretty large place."
"Yep. There are six lords here, so people come from all over to have them judge their fates." Kaito said before leaving to fill a bucket for his horses to drink from. I squeezed the bars of the cage, staring at the face of the castle and the enormous, elegantly carved wooden doors on its front.
… I could die in there... I'd go in and never come out...
I wouldn't have let Kaito see my tears. But since he was gone... one might have slipped out...
When Kaito returned, he re-secured the gag in my mouth. But not without a fight. When he successfully tied the white fabric around my head, he had a few aching bite marks to show for it. With a scowl, he marched me to the head of the crowd, just as the doors opened. Like the mouth of a giant, the doors groaned, and with their opening a wind blew. Like the castle was trying to swallow us.
Kaito had to shove me to move me in with the rest of the people who were entering the castle. I felt like a sheep in a herd; I'd never seen so many people before. Some people were bound like I was and had tears on their cheeks, but most merely looked anxious. But everyone was quiet.
Somehow, it felt like a funeral procession. And maybe it was, for many... depending on how kind these Lords of the Forest were... I really was uncertain of what to expect...
The inside of the castle was dark and cold. I couldn't see anything beyond the torch light of a few sconces upon stalagmite-like pillars that went up and up into obscurity. The scuff and click of feet shuffling and whispers of the anxious lingered like tortured souls, echoing eerily. When finally the creeping crowd stopped and everyone was within the castle, the doors to the outside world began to move. They groaned and swung shut with the resounding clang of a lock.
I swallowed thickly as hope for escape was snuffed out. Damn you, Kaito... if I never get to see Haruka again...
At the head of the chamber, larger fires burned in raised metal bowls, illuminating six raised thrones. Each was made of varying materials; some were made of wrought metal and fabric, and some were made of wood and stone, but all were elaborate and beautiful. Behind them was a large pale door, carved with painstaking detail. Everyone waited breathlessly.
When the white door opened with a clamor, the room fell silent. From the darkness, strange people emerged. I gasped when they came into view.
They were beautiful. Strange, definitely, but undeniably beautiful.
The six of them were young men, dressed in fine fabrics and precious metals, but since they were lords that shouldn't have surprised me. In the firelight, they all appeared vaguely orange, but beneath that, I knew the colors of their hair was strange... Red hair, white, yellow, purple... I'd never seen hair like that... and their eyes were very different but all stunning, not merely simple almond shapes. They moved with grace and their expressions were mostly of distaste. But that was to be expected of the elite, wasn't it... suddenly, as a cowherd in rags, I felt very small.
H... how did they become lords? Via beauty pageant...?!
A severe young man in black stepped forward as the others took their seats. The clicking of his heels echoed throughout the chilly air. Even when he stopped, the sound reverberated so hollowly that I struggled to imagine the true shape of the cavernous chamber. The man before us wore spectacles and adjusted them before he spoke.
"As always, we welcome you to our castle." He began. But he didn't sound welcoming. He sounded like he was wasting his time, speaking to ants, and wouldn't mind setting us on fire... I shivered. "As your rulers, it is our duty to correct and punish dangerous persons. As such, we Lords will hear the grievances and concerns of you, our people.
"Each lord has taken time out of their busy schedule to attend to your needs, but our duties prevent us from speaking at length. Each dispute must be concise and presented elegantly. If such parameters cannot be met, then said persons will be punished." He pushed his glasses up and I felt the room grow colder still. "We are not here at your leisure; you are here at ours.
"Each of the six domains will be given one hour to lay all of its disputes at our feet. We will immediately decide the fate of those involved; verdicts will be carried out in a similar manner. All decisions made by a lord are final and law; any quarrel will be met with severe punishment. If, within the allotted hour, your complaints are not heard, you must await our next audience upon the next full moon." The man briskly turned and strode towards his seat. "Now then, If there is no one from the first domain who has a dispute, then I would like to continue with the next domain."
I gave Kaito a panicked glance and swallowed thickly. Th... this is... insane..! My fate will be decided within only one hour...? And anyhow, which domain are we...? I've never heard that we were a domain, let alone that someone held dominion over us...!
Suddenly Kaito shoved me. I hissed in outrage as Kaito pushed me into the light of the fires and spoke. "We are of the first domain and have a dispute to settle, my lord."
The tall man paused and glanced over his shoulder. He regarded us with cold loathing. I bit down on the gag. I... I guess we're the first domain, huh...?
"... what a surprise. It would seem you have subjects in need of your ruling, Lord Shu." The man adjusted his glasses menacingly and took his seat with grace. I tensed. Which one is this Lord I'll be paraded before..? I sifted through the haughty expressions. The red haired one seems especially pissed to be here... maybe it's him... or perhaps the strange boy with the stuffed toy...
But, as the moments ticked by, none of them moved to declare my fate. … was there a mistake...? Can I go home now...? Five aching minutes later, still, no one had moved.
"Lord Shu!" The man with the glasses suddenly snapped. He was shaking visibly as he readjusted his spectacles. I recoiled at the sudden outburst and heard sounds of mixed responses from the other lords, varying from exasperation to amusement.
… does this happen often...? It seems like he doesn't get too many visitors... that would explain why I'd never heard about him...
Finally, someone raised their hand with a sigh. It was a man with a mess of slightly curled hair the color of sand who'd been slouching in his throne. If I hadn't known better... I'd guess he'd been sleeping, not just resting his eyes... but that wouldn't be becoming of a lord... would it?
When his eyes opened, they were already locked sharply with mine. Blue eyes...? Their color and intensity shocked me. Like the sky... After a moment he closed them with a sigh.
"... so much noise for one woman..." He ran a hand through his already disorderly hair and glared down at Kaito with irritation. "State your purpose."
Shu's eyes and hair were strange; I'd never seen hair colors other than black and eye colors besides dark brown. Everything about this place was strange. I just wanted to vanish, slip free from my bindings and sprint into the forest. It didn't matter if I'd never find my way home; anything was better than this dark place... anyone was better than these freakish yet mystifying Lords.
My eyes watered as Kaito pushed me to my knees under the heavy gaze of the audience and its irritable Lords. I felt naked, wearing only tired rags while everyone else wore silks and strange styles.
"This woman stole a calf from me." Kaito announced, sounding as comfortable as speaking to simple villagers. As if he'd known this Lord Shu for years. The strange man lifted a thin brow and leaned his cheek on a hand.
"What? You came to me for that?"
Kaito didn't hesitate. "Yes. I came to offer her to you as a slave."
My eyes went wide at that. I whipped my head around to glare up at Kaito. He refused to meet my eye. I made an angry noise through the gag.
KAITO. Prisoner is one thing, death is another..! But I'm not a working mule, damn it..! I'm no offering..!
The light haired lord seemed bored by the idea. "A slave..? Why would I want her for my slave...? She looks filthy."
That stung my pride. I swiveled my glare back at the arrogant prick in the chair and bit down on the gag. Lovely. Then let me go; I'm far too good to be a slave to you.
"Because, I feel it is a fitting punishment for her crime." Kaito said and he finally met my glare. "She believed that her cow was worth more than just a cow because her attachment to it. Just as she believes she is more than a woman, by attempting to perform a man's job of cow herding. She should be introduced to the duties of a woman, since no one taught her. You see the way she dresses; she thinks she can fulfill the role of a man!"
A murmur went through the crowd of people and even the other lords shifted in their chairs. I felt cornered. And humiliated. And loathed myself..
… I don't think I'm a man... I don't want to be a man..! I just want to help my family... is that so much to ask..?!
"... she wears trousers..." A woman whispered. "How pitiful.."
"What a disgrace... if I caught my daughter in that I'd beat her bloody..." "Maybe she thinks she's better than others... what a wretch..." "... disgusting common blood..."
I closed my eyes and wished I could close my ears.
"... you're all so noisy. Be silent." Shu drawled tiredly. I refused to move. I just wanted it to be over... "Hey. Woman."
No... I don't want to be here... just kill me and be over with it...
"Hm... or do you want to be called a man?" The tired man mused, drawing chuckles from the audience. "Hey, don't ignore me. Make her look at me, peasant. And remove that from her mouth. I have some questions."
Just let me die, please..!
I screamed into the gag and struggled against Kaito's grasping hands. I wanted so badly not to cry; I wanted to be brave, not in tears. But when Kaito gripped my hair despite my struggles and yanked my head back I couldn't stop. I panted and glared through wet lashes at the smug look on the blond man's face. Kaito tugged the damp fabric from my mouth.
I immediately spat towards the arrogant Lord Shu. Lord my ass.. He raised an amused brow.
"Why did you take this man's cow from him?" He asked smiling vilely and resting a finger on his temple. I leered balefully. You wouldn't understand... you probably kill people as easily as I breathe...
I grit my teeth as the moments ticked by and his smile staled and finally vanished.
"Hey. Answer me." He leveled a heavy gaze on me then smiled again. "Depending on your answer, I might let you be my personal servant."
My temper boiled.
"I stole it because I HATE Kawamaru men! Because that calf was important to me! Because you can't just trade lives like that! And because I think ALL LIFE is precious!"
I didn't know I'd screamed it. Until the haze of anger faded, and I could still hear the echos of my own voice bounce around the stones of the audience chamber. I froze.
"I..." I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. Sorry? Hell no. Woops? Maybe.
I shut my mouth and pressed my lips together, praying that if I pinched them enough that the words would come back and I could swallow them with my pride. But they didn't. I prepared myself for violence. But it never came.
Instead, there was laughter. Wicked laughter. Chilling and frightening. From all six lords in their thrones. They leered at me in amusement and I'd never felt more vulnerable in my life. I felt naked and judged. I wanted to cover myself with my hands and turn away. In my bones I felt the panicked thump of my heart, pounding so hard it hurt.
The laughter faded as blond man raised a lazy hand and smiled indulgently. He addressed Kaito. "Thank you, good citizen... My brothers and I will take great care to... educate this young woman. It seems she is in dire need of guidance. You may leave her in our care."
Kaito bowed and made me do the same. "I pray she can become of use to you. And that you remember the Kawamaru family if she pleases you."
It all seemed so far away... their words. Kaito's grip on my hair... the cold stones under my knees... it was a world away.
All except his eyes. Blue and laughing.
… I don't deserve this... I don't understand... I only wanted to help... to let Yuki have a good life... to let Haruka have a good life...
"... it's not fair..." I whispered. Kaito was leading me from the cavernous chamber into further darkness. His hands were on my shoulders.
"... no, it's life, Aika..."
"Then I'd rather be dead, Kaito.."