Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Additional Note (Please Read): This tale is a companion with, The Conqueror & Ri: A Twist of Destiny. If you haven't read both stories' chapters preceding this one, you should do so now. I would like to thank all my readers and my Beta. Also, a very special and sincere shout out to the bard, Silvermoonlight. Hope things are getting better for you, love. ;-)
Xena & Gabrielle,
A Turn of Fate,
By, Ahkiken
Chapter 35: The Sacrifice
Wearing his yellow kimono, Koska strolled the first tier of the massive warship. Anticipating on going above deck and eating breakfast, he stirred in cogitation that was vexatious. The decision of keeping their course toward Higuchi, instead of altering it to Shinto, remained zany to him. Morimoto, as well as his five thousand men's efforts to inhibit Yodoshi from ravaging the town village and leaving its Korei-den temple in ruins, were futile. The Shogun knew his Daimyo's plight would end in dereliction, so did Moku, and if it weren't for Zicalus' coercive explication, they'd be treading to Shinto.
Koska harbored no regrets for roughing the young and naïve Samurai up. Because of Zicalus' inclination to save comrades whom was bound to become deceased, the third-in-command felt they were dooming their own village, its place of worship, and citizens. He also feared for the lives of the Samurai and monk on board the vessel.
'Why are we fighting to defend other villages anyway?' Koska complained, dismissing the Tri Sanctuaries requisiteness to Amaterasu. 'We are of Shinto! Our primary allegiance is to protecting its citizenry and the Shin-den Sanctuary. Let the Clan of Higuchi avert their own village and temple's destruction.'
Reducing his growing anger at Harukata's deference to the sun Kami's behest of safeguarding the remnant temples, Koska garnered some relief from the knowledge that the females from Greece were travelling with them to Japa, and two of them showed proficient skills. The Warrior Princess proved she was an amazing combatant and competent teacher. Her petite companion, Gabrielle, had validated her worth, too, surprising him when the Shogun trained the cropped blonde and bestowed a samurai rank on the Grecian woman, all in less than a month's time.
At first, Koska surmised that the Shogun made Gabrielle a Samurai 'cause of penitence for the oath Xena had imposed on him to withhold evincing her forthcoming death in Japa. Nonetheless, the bard displayed that she possessed fortitude by beheading Neji during his hara-kiri, and skillfulness after defeating him in a bout inside the armory. Maybe the Shogun's choice for selecting her wasn't generated by guilt because, somehow, she became chosen to embody the design of Ryujin, the dragon Kami of the sea; etched on Gabrielle's back.
That revelation was still mystifying to Koska's ruminations. He couldn't ken why any of the Kami's from Japa would boon a foreigner with such power, which induced great protection that has the faculty to obliterate steel; like it did Neji's tanto. He was rueful for his failing to prevent Gabrielle's life from becoming endangered by not harking the Warrior Princess' cautionary advise about Neji, thus causing him to wonder if his negligence implemented the protective marking. If not, perhaps more would become revealed, anent to the remarkable phenomenon of the Ryujin tattoo once they arrive in Japa.
Rounding out his thoughts on the extrinsic Greeks, he focused on the younger girl who had found a way to escape helping out the servants in the galley, and wounded up being trained along with the first squad of Samurai by Xena. He hadn't paid heed to Tanya, nor her potential as a fighter, until discovering she had procured a victory over Ekko, elevating her to pertain a status in Xena's special class. Koska now knew he'd foolishly underestimated the warrior-women, considering that he probably misjudged their entire gender.
Before setting sail from Japa to Greece, his central trepidation was leaving their tumultuous country just to tarry a useless woman, who'd instigated the problem to begin with. Finding out they'd be journeying back with three, in lieu of the single individual they needed, Koska secretly sheltered his agitation, till Xena's discourteous conduct pushed him to enact on it. However, looking at everything that's happened overall throughout the topsy-turvy month at sea, and knowing the ship contained adroit fighters, he'd grown contented. He could only imagine the formidable force Xena and Gabrielle would be as a unit.
'It's plausible that we can preclude the daemon's triumph over Morimoto and Korei-den.' His optimism quickly teetered to a grousing cynic. 'What am I thinking? Even with the Warrior Princess and Gabrielle San's capabilities, it'll be for naught. When we reach its shores, Higuchi will already be a wasteland.'
Gritting his teeth in calamitous ratiocination, Koska's musings came to a halt at the scenery that greeted him on the main platform. Baffled, he surveyed numerous Samurai from the second squad encircling the Shogun and clamoring about. A couple of them noticed Koska, and rushed to him.
"Master Koska, it was spectacular!"
"What are you talking about, Kanan?" He inquired.
"The Shogun and Xena Sama! Their exhibition was incredible!" Kanan exclaimed jubilantly. "She even used mine and Hayato's katanas!"
"They sparred?" Koska asked incredulously.
"Yes." Chiyo replied. "And they were really into it. Sometimes, it seemed more like a parlous battle than a friendly duel."
"Come now, Chiyo. They only fought dexterously, making it appear that their contest was serious. Besides, I saw that both of them had opportunities to score fatal strikes, but neither did so." Kanan disputed.
"Shut up, Kanan." Chiyo railed. "Do not discount what I have seen."
"I do not need to stop expressing you're an idiot to premise the Shogun and Xena Sama were dueling with the intent to harm each other."
Chiyo grunted from frustration. "You better pray we don't spar, 'cause I'm gonna hurt you!"
Kanan retorted, "Yea right! I like to see you try!"
"That's enough." Koska ended their bickering. "I'll uncover what has taken place here."
Passing the two men, he walked forward to plow through the crowd that surrounded Harukata, whilst listening to their cheers of astonishment and reverence. Upon espying the Shogun who was bedecked in his red armor and holding his blade in hand, Koska viewed how fatigued he looked, standing in the middle of the awed Samurai.
The second squad continued their shouts, not noting the Shogun's weariness, making Koska use his gruff tonality to disperse them, "All right, the duel is over! Give our Shogun some space!"
Almost all the Samurai scattered and restarted their practice, but a few stayed, seeking an answer to a pivotal question.
"Master Koska, is Xena Sama going to begin our session?" Anzio queried.
"Now that the reprieve for Neji's death is concluded, Xena Sama will-"
"We'll see, Anzio." Harukata interceded, confusing Koska. "Now go. I have to speak with my elite Samurai."
The three warriors wanted to discern what Harukata meant, but reluctantly did as he bade. Once they were relatively by themselves, Koska appraised Harukata closely, noticing that the armor's chest-plated buckles were slashed and mangled, allowing his sides to be unguarded.
Next, he concisely questioned, "What happened, Shogun?"
Harukata sheathed the katana, and unclasped his helmet, placing it in the crook of his arm. "Xena and I had a physical encounter."
"Kanan and Chiyo has informed me of that." Koska predicated. "They are split on whether y'all clash was formal or not."
Harukata's retention replayed the early morning's episode; ascertaining that Gabrielle had switched worlds with her doppelganger, then Xena's intentions to assail Ri, which caused him to intervene and suffer the effects of what Xena termed 'the pinch'. Cutting off the flow of blood to a person's brain invoked excruciating pain, something that the Shogun hadn't ever endured in his long lifetime. It perturbed him to personally witness how easily the pressure point could be applied, and was a major factor in his choice to confront the Warrior Princess, because of the determination to keep the occupants of the ship safe from her wrath.
Hoping such days were gone, Koska's own cognizance reminisced of Xena's bellicose deportment and rudeness at times, making her seemingly threatening. She'd thrashed two hundred Samurai, plus Zicalus on her second day aboard, as well as made comments about imperiling his health and Neji's. It wasn't difficult to deduce that Xena had limned terrorizing prospects to Harukata whenever she felt inclined to, hence, cultivating their contention. He pondered if her and Gabrielle's face-off yesterday had anything to do with it?
No longer awaiting Harukata's response to what he had said, Koska asserted, "Y'all were battling for real."
The Shogun nodded without saying a word.
"I don't understand Xena!" Koska blared, omitting her added cognomen of Sama. "Why did she attack you?"
"Quiet down, Koska." He whispered. "Most of the second squad that beheld our combat aren't aware it was a critical affair. I want to keep it that way."
Mimicking Harukata's hushed tone, Koska repeated, "Why did she attack you?"
"It's complicated." The Shogun was taciturn.
"What do you mean?"
"I must have a discussion with Xena, before averring what has transpired today." Harukata explained.
"So... You and she have already resolved y'all differences?" Koska bordered on becoming assuaged, 'til Harukata shook his head, giving a negative reply. "This is unbelievable, Shogun! If you two are still antagonistic to one another, what is hampering her from being openly hostile and dangerous to everybody on this vessel?"
Harukata sighed, feeling the weight of Xena's increased enmity due to his provocation. "Xena is uncanny, and if she wanted to, she could've killed me, along with every Samurai on this deck. No matter my misgivings and her dire dilemmas, she retains a sense of honor."
"Okay." Koska nonchalantly agreed to query, "What if she refuse the sacrifice now?"
Shutting his eyes for a moment, Harukata ruminated on the crisis of Japa that heavily relied on Xena's death to ensure solubility. Gabrielle had previously told him that she, and her renewed betrothed, were aspiring to be married prior to the Warrior Princess' demise, but what if his actions resulted in Xena permanently denying to die for the liberation of the thousands of souls that Yodoshi devoured. In his haste to accost the somber, sable-haired woman, the Shogun had possibly put Japa in greater risk of never getting rid of the evil entity that harrowed its land.
"I don't know, Koska." He admitted, opening his orbs to descry him. "Once Xena calms, I'll converse with her. In the meantime, forbear making any contact with her, and we will abstain from taking retaliatory proceedings, until further notice."
"We're to do nothing?" Koska became aggrieved.
"Precisely." The Shogun reinforced, pivoting to trek to his cabin for solace and meditation.
Koska's restiveness intensified, and he exploded at the retreating Shotgun, "You are handling this incorrectly! I demand that you reconsider, and let me dish out severe-"
His tirade got snipped as Harukata glared at the mortified third-in-command of the Shinto Clan. Uncaring of the curious Samurai who'd gazed in their direction, he approached Koska, and the cropped, ebony-haired man took advantage of the precious seconds he had to acknowledge how unwise it was of him to demoralize himself, especially in the presence of his fellow Japian warriors. Trying to affirm his will over their provincial leader's indomitable authority was idiotic and it could spell his undoing for exchanging dutiful proclivity for challenging absurdity.
"I beg forgiveness, Shogun... I... I was out of line, and deserve any punitive you deem fit for my dishonor." Collapsing onto his knees and bowing low in obeisance, Koska's mentality steeled itself for the Shogun's castigation.
Standing in front of him, while gripping the pommel of his sword, Harukata relented beheading Koska and accepted the submissive Samurai's apology. "You will do what I decree. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Shogun..." Koska acquiesced with concealed heartiness.
Choosing not to glance at Harukata's reproachful visage, Koska didn't dare to move from his rendering posture. After hearing the Shogun's receding footsteps, that was when he felt secured to raise his head to peer at Harukata walking below deck, but wasn't spared the second squad's woeful expressions. Lowering into a bowed position once more, Koska allowed his entire being to teem with shame.
{X&G}
Deciding to enjoy some downtime, the monk deferred his duty of depositing refreshed water basins to the people who didn't receive theirs yet, in favor of eating with Gabrielle's clone, albeit, he was the only one doing it. Since entering Xena's lodging, he would periodically glimpse at Ri, who'd simply imitated his cross-legged pose on the floorboards hither to him, then started to continuously swirl the spoon in the bowl, not tasting the meal at all. Leaving the strawberry-blonde to her own devices for several minutes, Kenji chose to try erasing the glum countenance she broadcasted.
"Are you inured to this kind of food?" He prompted, disrupting the silence.
Some moments eclipsed, till Ri realized Kenji had spoken to her. "Sorry, what did you say, Kenji San?"
Kenji smiled in reward for Ri's retentiveness; retaining knowledge that had just been avowed to her once. During their hasty walk to the room, he divulged to her the three different appellations in Japa and what they implied. Although the monk presumed the young woman, whose identity was concealed in a large, brownish cloak, wasn't paying attention to him because of her quietness, he became gaily astounded that she had. Luckily, the trail from Gabrielle's cabin to reach the Warrior Princess' was achieved without a hitch, except for when Jirou from the third squad spotted them. Nevertheless, the Samurai was so engrossed in his fretting about not getting fresh water, he didn't register Ri, and the possibility of her being discerned was vanquished.
"You haven't eaten a sole spoonful of your breakfast, and it impelled me to ask if you're unaccustomed to this kind of food?" Kenji inquired.
Ri was steeped in apprehension alluding to her troubling circumstances. She'd gotten transported to an unfamiliar world, losing the people whom cared deeply for her, and instead of gaining sympathy from the warrior who shared a resemblance to the person who'd rescued her from slavers, Xena was a staunch supporter in blaming her for effectuating everything that occurred. The accusation was preposterous. She didn't have a clue the gem that was connected to her glimmering necklace concatenated to a Omphalos stone. Overall, she was a victim like Gabrielle, too.
Not ceasing whirling the utensil, Ri was grateful that she did have one ally in the Shogun, and Kenji wasn't acting distrustful of her, either. On their route, the former Handmaiden listened to the monk's elucidation, while listing the countless cabins they'd passed, coaxing her to conclude that each were filled with an occupant. She wondered how the other passengers on the ship would perceive her unique arrival at the expense of Gabrielle's disappearance. Would they be sympathetic to her situation or disdainful, siding with Xena?
Finally, she actually analyzed the watery-looking rice, professing, "I'm not acquainted with my cereal being this soggy, but I am appreciative and will eat it."
"It's Okayu."
"Gods bless you." Ri erroneously believed Kenji had sneezed.
"No, Ri Kun..." He chuckled. "The porridge is called Okayu. It is a Japian dish, made mostly for the sick, because it's easy digest. I make it 'cause it is the easiest meal to prepare as well."
"Oh." She responded, scooping some of its contents for consumption.
Kenji watched her chew, querying, "Do you like it?"
After swallowing, Ri opined, "Okayu isn't bad... A tinge bland, but edible."
Uncertain if her description was favorable to Kenji, Ri immediately ate more, so it wouldn't seem like she deliberately tried to be impolite. Notwithstanding, the monk respected Ri's judgment and resumed eating his portion, also. Quiescence reigned again, and as the storyteller consumed her meal, she espied the dwelling, distinguishing that it was familiar.
'I had a vision of this room...' She rationalized, dropping the spoon and becoming disturbed. 'I was in here on the day the vessel got attacked!'
Kenji had just finished his breakfast when he descried her features. "Ri Kun, what's wrong?"
She looked at him, delicately broaching the subject she'd already urged about, "Please, don't take offense, Kenji San. I know you'd said that we will apprise the Shogun, but I'm deeply concerned apropos of the ship getting raided."
"Ri Kun, there are no other ships around us for miles." The monk proclaimed. "If we are to be assailed, it's not going to happen today, okay?"
Grasping the jewelry that was at fault for the quagmire, Ri's fears were remaining undeviated. "We're still going to tell the Shogun, right?"
"Yes." Kenji assured.
Ri was pacified at the moment, settling down enough to sluggishly undertake feeding herself once more. Kenji decided to continue their conversation from earlier, prior to Xena and Harukata's entrance into the cropped blonde's cabin.
"So, you're eighteen and reside in a castle?" He asked, hoping to placate her.
Ri's head bobbed automatically. "I'll be nineteen in the moon of December."
'Extraordinary!' The monk cogitated. 'Ri Kun is a copy of Gabrielle, moreover, she's younger.'
Other than the mysterious marvel of them switching places, and having slightly different appearances, the bald man found it puzzling to cede to accepting that both identical women had a gap in age differences.
"Interesting..." Kenji mindlessly uttered.
"What is?" Ri was curious.
"Your life." Kenji speedily answered. "How did you come by living in a castle?"
She smiled and swallowed the porridge in her mouth to commence the tale, but as soon as the smile had come, it left. Though she wasn't conscious during the Cronus when the pre-Conqueror saved her and others from the misery of slavery, Ri learnt in detail of what happened that night from Minya four years later. Omitting the dreary end of Krykus, including his cohorts, she'd always got a thrill out of reciting the heroic event in bardic fashion to her best friend Iona. Withal now, being separated from those persons she missed vehemently, Ri felt no elation.
Sullenly, she gave a shorter version, "I was rescued by Milady. Afterwards, she took me with her and... And that was that."
"Ah, I'm sure it had to be far exciting than that." Kenji made an effort to recover Ri's brief cheerfulness.
Alas, it didn't work and he observed Ri, taking note whilst she clutched the sparkling adornment tightly again with tears gleaming her aqua irises. Instantly feeling sorry for the long-haired girl and her misfortune, Kenji awkwardly tugged the willing stranger in an embrace.
'Before leaving for her mission, Milady didn't avouch that she loved me. She'd only presented this dratted necklace, not even bidding me a farewell!' She clung onto Kenji, while her cognition shifted into overdrive, infusing Ri with melancholic probabilities, compelling her to verbalize them aloud, "What if Xena is accurate and Milady is reprehensible for sending me here and taking Gabrielle away. What if... What if I'm stuck on this Terra forever!"
The realization of plausibly never returning to her own world had crashed on Ri hard, causing her to break down and cry uncontrollably. Not knowing any consoling affirmations that could appease the trim, strawberry-blonde, Kenji stayed silent, letting her unburden the dolor within.
To Be Continued...