Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I waited, and waited. Until the barest of moves caused me to spring in action. Saitō's attack didn't come as a standard upper blow; he went straight to the heart. Almost had me there. Fortunately, my reflexes took over; my opponent didn't expect me to launch myself at him. His slight retreat – an inch, at best – deviated his blade out of the trajectory. My left hand shot up, the dagger sliding along his blade to swat it aside as I entered his safe space.
Fast like a snake, I slammed the butt of my weapon into his nose, not strongly enough to break it, but with enough force to make him see stars. Saitō Saitō's gangly body jerked backwards; I tugged on his sword arm, engulfing it around my body and twisting. His wrist slightly popped when I tore the katana out of his grasp, and send him tumbling to the ground. Another twisting motion upon his arm, and he was facing the ground, the tip of his sword caressing the dark hair bound into a loose ponytail.
It had lasted less than a second, but I was panting from the incredible amount of energy I'd had to deploy to beat him. Stunned, both Okita and Harada watched me, jawslack.
"She got Saitō,"Harada whispered. "I can't believe it."
The groan that rose from the ground told me my opponent was still stunned. I grinned, and shrugged to downplay the demonstration. At last, that blasted cloud I'd been waiting for passed over the moon ! I released Saitō's sword at once and dashed away under the cover of the trees.
"Eh !" she's escaping ! "Harada !"
I could see easily enough in the darkness, and I ran on the path that followed the river. No choice but to leave my previous pack behind. I hoped they would cut the chase, but the brat was too stubborn for his own good. Already, heavy footsteps shuffled at dead leaves on my tail. If only I could find a tree to hide… I took up speed, stumbling across roots that littered the ground.
It was the treacherous moon that got me this time. As the silvery light returned, I felt Okita straight behind me. I heard the familiar ringing of steel, then a shout. "Souji, no !" The next moment, something seared my left arm and I fell. My body tried to twist around like a cat, but the momentum sent me crashing faster than my arms could anticipate. My skull met something hard, and I nearly didn't hear the sickening crack of my own bone such was the strength of the hammer that embedded itself in my brain.
I welcomed the darkness with open arms.
Hours probably passed with me making heads or tails of anything. There was a soft voice, gentle fingers prodding my skull as I drifted in and out of consciousness. An angry voice, as well, much deeper, swore.
"Not a girl again !"
And Souji – I recognised his snide tone – answering "No", and them something like katanasan, then "not a girl. Don't think we can hide her with a hakama this time."
Hakama ? I remembered hakama from my Aïkido classes in high school. I would have snorted had my head not felt like the desert after intense bombing. Was the moan of pain mine ? Probably, for the gentle voice asked the others to leave the room. Right, I'd have to find that angel and …
Out of it again. Dreams came, unbidden and incoherent. Many a time, I felt I was awake, only to realise it wasn't the case. Damn, I hated this semi state of consciousness. Couldn't I shake out of my daze already ! Shadows danced in my field of vision, or was it just my imagination ? A girl's face, worry etched in golden-brown eyes. Jet black air, and a stern face. Others that I mingled.
A loud noise shook me awake; the pain immediately returned. The stinging in my arm wasn't so bad. The pressure upon it told me it had been bandaged. But my head, damn it to hell! My head felt like it had been crushed by an elephant. Fuck, head trauma and concussion. Weeks of inactivity to come, if I was lucky. If the commander of those brats really was a demon, I doubted I'd survive long enough.
There was too much light flooding the room and I squinted to keep it from assaulting my sensitive eyes.
"Oi, she's waking up. You didn't kill her Harada!"
The loud, expressive voice rumbled over my ears like a storm, threatening to break it into a thousand tiny pieces. I lifted my uninjured arm to my eyes to filter, at least, the light that was killing me. I mumbled a 'shut up', but the kid didn't seem to ear me as he came closer, nearly shouting in my ear.
"What ? Are you all right ?"
"Shut the hell up," I eventually cried out. "You're too loud !"
"She sounds like Hiji…" He was interrupted by an amused snort.
"Sh… ! Just go and tell them she's awake."
"Sorry, lady kistune," a softer voice said. I knew that voice. Was Harada here ? Was he the one who'd thrown something at me ? I struggled to open my eyes, finding myself in a plain room. The walls were paper thin – literally – and the beams above my head blackened by age. I blinked, then turned my head to frown at the newcomer.
A small man slid the door aside, his eyes wary as he tried to assess my injuries. My head hurt like hell, and it swam when he asked Harada to pull me up. The tall spearman was gentle, but I couldn't keep a grimace from marring my features.
"Not today," the small man said. "She needs more rest, she's probably fractured her skull. I'll tell the commander."
He left so silently, like a ghost slipping away from reality. But outside, I could hear his soft voice responding to a deeper, angry one. "I'm sorry, lady," Harada said again, distracting me from the conversation outside. "Souji had drawn his sword, I just wanted to stop you."
He seemed so genuinely mortified; after pulling me out of the water and saving my life, he'd tried to stop his psychopathic comrade. I blinked; the lines of his face were already blurring, but I caught his desolate gaze. Even though I couldn't vouch for the others, I chose to trust this one. He seemed as earnest as they came. "You got the arm," I murmured. "Not the head. 'tis not your fault."
"Still… my spear threw you off balance."
"Don't fret, I'll survive. Just keep your demon away until I can stand, right ?"
His mouth curled upwards at the nickname, and I found myself very, very tired. So I just closed my eyes, and another night went by without me noticing, interrupted by someone who forced foul liquids in my mouth.
Sleep wasn't as fitful as the previous time; I awoke better rested even if my head still hurt like bitch. Darkness prevailed in my empty room, shadows upon shadows, barely outlined by the filtering moonrays.
For a moment, I thought I heard someone breathe in the room. Freezing, I kept myself in check, totally silent. Must had dreamt it. Slowly, I allowed my head to relax on the hard cushion and got back to sleep.
The sound of the door whoosing open shook me awake; it was the small man again.
"Good morning, lady. Are you hungry ? I brought rice rolls."
Actually, not so much. But my body was protesting about something else, and very organic. I badly needed to pee.
"Who are you ?", I asked, weary of a man who could slip by so effortlessly. I wasn't at my best; I any of his abilities could be a threat to me. "Yamazaki, I act as doctor around the compound."
The gentle voice; that was him. I sat awkwardly, mindful not to put pressure on my right arm. The room decided to spin for a bit, so I just closed my eyes. "You have my thanks for your care, Yamazaki."
"You're welcome. There, medicine for the pain."
I eyed the white powder warily, wondering if they would dare feeding me with drugs. Yamazaki caught my unease and said: "Hijikata's family medicine. It relieves aches and pains."
That name rang a bell for an unknown reason, but I had no reason to distrust the makeshift doc.
"What it is made of ?", I asked.
Surprised, the small man cocked his head aside. "Gyukakuso." I sighed; my knowledge of botanic was pretty basic, and there was no way I could find what plant this corresponded to without a good dictionary. So I swallowed the powder, and washed it down with the water Yamazaki handed to me.
"Arigato. Now is there anywhere I could, erm, relieve myself ?"
"Will you be able to stand ?" he asked.
The next few minutes were the most awkward ones I'd ever lived – hospital included – as Yamazaki helped me up, and supported me to a private area in the room where a chamber pot awaited me. Fortunately, he didn't stay, choosing to wait aside my futon. Getting dressed up was a struggle of all times, what with that vision swimming every time I turned.
Yamazaki shook his head, muttering under his breath that the captains had got me good this time. He seemed rather pissed, so I eventually grabbed a rice roll, and smiled at him.
"I started it."
"Uh ?" His stunned expression nearly got me to laugh, but I couldn't afford it. My intracranial pressure would probably go all sorts of awry if I did.
"The fight. I challenged them."
In hope to escape. Too bad I messed up, I thought.
"Still…" The rest was drowned by the wall sliding again. A gust of cold air rushed into the room with a tiny man with big eyes, and an air so childish that I wondered if he even was twenty yet. Probably not.
"Kondu-san, Sannan-san and Hijikata-san are waiting."
Yamazaki's face grew grave; the worry of a well-trained nurse dancing in his gaze. As if, in one interrogation, he feared they might undo all the progress he'd made with me. Should I expect to be beaten black and blue ? I squared my shoulders, wincing when my upper arm stung at the movement.
"Well, let's get this over with," I sighed.
I stood too suddenly; the room started spinning, and I felt Yamazaki's hands at my side to steady me. I gave him a weak smile. How I hated it, being a damsel in distress ! Damn it ! We walked, slowly, upon a wooden passageway that slightly creaked beneath our feet. Despite the cold, I just wore my socks. From what I gathered, no shoes when circulating under a roof.
The guy by my side gave me a heartfelt smile: once more, I was struck by how young he seemed. What was his role in the compound ? My gaze eventually made him uncomfortable, and he sheepishly said.
"I heard you got Saitō . I'm Heisuke."
I nodded my assent, absolutely unable to repeat his name; he'd eaten most of the sounds. But at least, I knew that et'ské was a rowdy, loud teenager.
"Please don't escape, Lady Kitsune, my commander would kill me."
My eyebrows shot up. First, I needed to find out what a qits'né was. Secondly… kill him, really ? "Wait. Like, literally ?" The boy nodded thoughtfully. "Seppuku is the price of failure, yes, and I've got a lot on Hijikata's nerves recently."
And despite my abysmal knowledge of Japan, I couldn't ignore what seppuku was. The idea of sacrificial ritual chilled my bone, and I nearly slipped on the polished wood.
"Howdy. What a great place to work! "
My ironic comment was met with raised eyebrows, but Yamazaki stopped up in front of another room. The door was already open; they awaited us. I took a deep exhale, trying to abate the pounding at the back of my skull, and followed both my guards inside. Many men sat, cross-legged, along the paper walls. Some faces, I recognised; Souji and Saitō with an ecchymosis upon his nose. Was it broken ? I spotted Harada as well. A single cushion sat in the centre, all alone, waiting for my ass to grace it. I cautiously lowered myself upon it, crossing my legs in front of me. My very posture caused a few gasps behind me, but I had not a care in the world.
That damn room was swimming again. "Call me if you need me," Yamazaki whispered to me before he joined the others behind me. I nodded briskly, putting a hand over my eyes to wait for the dizzying spell to die. Then, I managed to focus; three figures faced me. One had glasses, and a soft, feminine face. Beautiful. But his eyes held such intelligence, and a calculating streak. In the middle sat, cross legged, an imposing man with a kind face. And to his right…
I blinked. To his right sat a stern looking man, a mane of dark hair framing his features. His eyes pierced me. Fierce. Warrior. Strategist. Ruthless. His features were set in a deep frown, his arms crossed over a deep purple crossed shirt. I repressed the shudder that ran up my spine; I'd been subjected to many, many intense stares before his. But damn, even after Lord Elrond or Tristan, it still made an impression.
"Are you the demon ?" I blurted out.
The words had flown out of my mouth without a filter. Damn that concussion ! Snickers travelled around the room as the man's eyes narrowed at me, swirling with anger. Whoop, but he was impressive ! So I shrugged, trying to appease the tension.
"Hey, blame Souji. I'm not one for nicknames."
"Aren't you, Kitsu ?"
More snickers, at my expense, this time. Damn them and that culture I couldn't understand ! The dark-haired man's eyes travelled to the back of the room, and I inwardly relaxed. Being pinned by his attention was overwhelming, and I now understood his subordinates' fear. That man could make you pee your pants with just a look. Fortunately, his comrades in arms seemed to know it too, for it was the glasses man who talked first. His voice was silky, deliberate, like one of a politician.
"So. Rumours run about a Kitsune in Kyoto…"
He allowed the silence to drag, a known technique of interrogation to pry out information. But I wasn't about to confirm anything; I didn't know even what a Kitsune was.
"Yeah, and look at the hair !" Heisuke nearly yelled. I winced; did he have to be so loud ! "Well, they also said she had big breasts, could be her."
"Souji !" the demon commander sharply said. The tone brooked no argument, and if I had been able to whirl around, I might have glared the infamous swordsman to death. Unfortunately, I wasn't in possession of my full abilities, so I just snarked instead. "You guys really have no shame."
This shut some of them up, at least. And the three commanders facing me had the grace to look flustered. Well, all but the demon commander whose features were closed off. Big breasts… were they really talking about me ? All right, I had a nice C cup, bordering on D when I indulged too much into my chocolate… which wasn't about to happen here. A pretty standard size, if a little generous, in France. Perhaps not so standard in Japan.
"So, are you a Kistune, or not ?" the gentleman from the middle asked.
"A kitsune with a skull fracture, perhaps," I snorted. The kitsune seemed to be magical, or at least, to have power. Better to play the game for the moment. Where was Wikipedia when you needed it ? The demon commander huffed derisively, eyeing me with suspicion. "Kondo-san, surely you do not believe this to be true ?"
The bespectacled man stroke his chin, his grey eyes fixed upon me.
"Truly, Hijikata-kun ? You doubt it after all that you've seen ?"
Damn, I couldn't make sense of those names. Hijikata, I thought it was the medicine ? Already, my pain in the ass brat had been called Okita and Souji alternatively. The commander differently as well… speaking of which, he didn't seem too convinced.
"This had nothing to do with… this is different. She's a gaijin, with red hair and good fighting technique."
"Thank you."
Silence descended in the room like an icy breeze. What ? perhaps I shouldn't have interrupted; I probably looked seemed very impolite right now. Anyway…
"We have no choice but to keep you prisoner, or kill you after what you've seen yesterday evening."
Realisation dawned upon my painful mind, and I zapped the threat to concentrate on the witnessing. "Oh, you mean your zombies ?"
"Zombies ?" That word seemed almost foul in his mouth, as if it didn't belong here, amongst that waterfall of Japanese words that flowed so efficiently. Shedding the zombies aside, I tried to describe instead.
"Brain-dead guys that attacked me ? Difficult to kill, all pale hair and red eyes ?"
"Ha."
Ah, so this was what worried them so. Despite the stupid concussion, I was glad my brain could still align two thoughts together as I remembered they wore the same vest with white triangles – the Shinsengumi Haori. Meaning those people were theirs. Escapee, disease ? Experiment, vampires ? I shrugged it aside; none of my business. After middle earth, I thought I'd seen it all.
"Oh I've seen worse, don't worry about it."
There was a collective gasp at the back of the room, and muffled conversations. The demon commander exchanged a puzzled look with the kind man – Kondu-san. Fortunately, the third man didn't seem so fazed by my reaction. Did he believe me a magical creature ?
"You are missing the point. The Shinsengumi's reputation in one the line." His silky voice should have been soothing, if not for the threat embedded inside.
"I can promise I won't tell. I'm a woman of my word."
"You're not leaving this place…", the commander stated strongly. My hackles rose, and I felt like flinging his threat back to him.
"Alive, I heard you, all right."
The statement brought another freezing mood in the room, but discussion soon took over about what they were going to do with her. How long before she healed, and could escape ? Unless…
"I hope you're not planning to keep me tied up ?"
"She'd better be." The captain frowned, this time, the statement too displeasing for his morals. "Out of the question, Souji, we are not keeping a woman tied up day and night in the Shinsengumi quarters." His gaze returned to me, authority oozing in his voice. "Albeit you are forbidden to step out of the captain's court."
"I'll need a tour, I have no idea of the layout." But I now knew I was in Kyoto. Small steps…
"I will do it myself," the captain answered, his voice strong. "Hijikata-san already has a page."
"Hai!" came a feminine voice at the back. Kondu… or was it Kondu-san ? The man ignored the interruption, turning his kind eyes upon me. "Perhaps you could be mine ?" It seemed like a deal, albeit I had not idea what it entailed. Given the woman that had spoken was still alive - the demon's page -, it might be a satisfactory agreement. If temporary… until I could escape.
I bowed my head in acknowledgement, hoping to convey my feeling on the subject. Unfortunately, the movement caused the dizziness to return, and I landed, hands first, onto the tatami mat. "Fais Chier," I swore, in French. "This is going to get old very fast."
Yakamazi was at my side this instant.
"Can I take her back to her room ? The swelling will need time to subside."
"Do that. It'd be funnier to kill her if she can fight. After all, she took Saitō out."
Count on it, brat !
The volume rose so abruptly after that tasteful comment that I buried my head into my hands. Yamazaki led me out and I breathed a sound or relief… right before my stomach twisted into knots. I fell to my knees, and retched upon the ground. "Fucking concussion," I rasped before passing out.
Again.