"Fisherman."
Arimasa and his men met with the grouchy elder, who informed the other fishermen about their trade of free labor for rations and information, and were brought to different people for work. The level-headed taisho was about to join them, but the younger fisherman who was partnered with the grouch shook his head at the general with a soft smile. He instead led him into town. Kirameku Ha, Tsugahara, and about two or three men went with their taisho to follow the lad. Arimasa was now in a familiar part of civilization and immediately recognized the sights and sounds of the new parts of Niji Saku.
"Hey! You!" a man shouted.
Arimasa and the others turned to the voice and saw a rather short kid running through the village to escape someone. He was wearing a large straw hat with a wide brim that covered half his face and most of his shoulders with shade. He was jumping over hurdles with pristine movements and snatched different items from people to make a quick weapon. The kid was in the middle of making a rope dart, but he bumped into Arimasa, looked up at him, and hid behind his towering form. Some men were glaring at him, eyeing the kid with lusty and disturbing gazes that bothered the general, grinned with maliciously curved lips and missing teeth in odd places.
"Couple of tourists, huh? Look, hand over that shorty and you might not get a scar on that pretty face," one of the men threatened.
"Takeda," Arimasa called, turning to the burly soldier slightly. "Leave him alive."
"No promises," the soldier harrumphed, preparing to fight.
Arimasa turned to the kid and said softly, "Stay with me, okay?"
The kid wrapped his arms around the general, making him smirk, and turned to Kirameku Ha to say, "Guard the lad. Tsugahara. Make sure Takeda doesn't lose himself."
"With pleasure, my lord," Tsugahara said, punching his palm eagerly.
Together, the small group of men defended the rice hat kid and the fisherman lad in a display of fighting power that made the grimy attackers turn tail and limp off to safety. They mentioned something about waiting at the farm and more men appeared to tend to the wounded and beaten. That disturbed the rice hat kid, so Arimasa placed a hand on the kid's head and brought him closer to his chest to whisper, "You can stay with us. I'll be here for a while. Sounds like you'd be safer at the docks."
The rice hat kid didn't say anything. He only blushed, nodded his head, and looked at the soldiers a bit closer to inspect their armor and working linens. They were certainly fit! Even the burly Takeda was a beacon of the ideal male physique! Ultimately, however, the rice hat kid was closest to Arimasa and was able to observe the taisho's firm body firsthand. Kirameku Ha, however, was a bit suspicious about the rice hat kid and fisherman lad. It might have simply been his intuition, but he sensed something different about the two of them. Something about their spiritual auras called out to him. They were good people without a doubt. They were just... different. Arimasa could also feel that the fisherman lad was an odd one, but the rice hat kid seemed harmless. The men and rice hat kid followed the lad to a simple ryokan and ordered a round of drinks for everyone, paying for each item politely.
He then sat with them at a table that had an outside view and said, "Sorry about my grouchy father. He's a kind man at heart. He's just disappointed in one of your ancestors, Lord Ji - ah! Pardon me. Lord Arimasa."
"Are you sure you wish to speak about this so publicly?" Arimasa asked, looking around to see eyes on him and the men.
"Here is fine. I think the women find you handsome. Your eyes are striking, my lord!" the fisherman lad complimented with a nervous chuckle. "Niji Saku has been... a hard place to live in over the past century as my father explained. Many of the people moved to the farmlands or the sister town since your ancestor left. Those who are here are mainly surviving on hope and the last bits of morale. It's getting to a point where we're like you, trading labor hands for food or clothes just to make things easier."
The rice hat kid shook a bit at the lad's words like he was both frightened and disgusted at such a harsh reality he was going to have to bear. Arimasa placed a hand on the kid's hat again and whispered words of reassurance to him.
"Don't worry yourself, Rice Kid. We'll protect you!" Takeda declared, flexing the muscles in his arm to show his strength. "Men like that ain't worth giving away free labor. We'll show you how to fight tomorrow! You could use a lesson or two. Get some meat on those bones!"
"Any meatier than you and he'll be put on a roast," Tsugahara joked, earning a scowl from Takeda.
"This village lost wealth just because one man left?" Kirameku Ha asked, not understanding things.
"No. The village lost protection from very strong demons. Humans who side with them tend to resort to theft. It's not always money that gets taken," the lad admitted sadly.
"What about the army and the embassy that you said you had?" Tsugahara asked. "They're not protecting you?"
"They can only do so much with demons. They rely heavily on the Shinto priests here. That's why only some homes can afford to have a barrier. The rest are fair game. If you're a hell traveler, maybe you can join the Shinto priests and make the barriers a bit stronger," the lad suggested.
"I will. Looks like you need more than exorcists in this town," Arimasa said, nodding to the rice hat kid. "Where are you experiencing problems with demons the most?"
"Definitely the threshold of the hell travelers, but... I think the beaches are the best place to start. Clear out the docks for the ships first and it'll make travel much safer. From there, I'd probably move along the borders. If I remember right, Maekawa, your ancestor was working hard to form a border around Niji Saku. Maybe you should continue where he left off. Father would know more about what he was trying to do by forming the border, but my suggestion would definitely be to close off the village from any new demons entering in. That way, you can deal with the demons who are left here. It'll get hairy, but it's a start," the lad said.
"... Very well. Do you mind if we gather fish along with you while I work the docks and beaches?" Arimasa asked politely.
"Of course, my lord! Oh! Should I maybe try to get some bedding for the young one there?" the lad asked, nodding at the rice hat kid.
"We'll occupy part of the beach once it's purified. He can choose to stay on the ship or where we're allowed to go. Am I not meeting with the embassy today?" Arimasa then asked.
"Father felt it best for you to show us your power first. If you're really a hell traveler, then we'll take you to the embassy," the lad answered. "We just wanna make sure you're not some group of well-mannered pirates or something. We've had enough hardships as is. We don't need another burden."
"It is understandable," Arimasa said, rising to stand. He looked down at the rice hat kid and said, "Come, child. You need a safe place to sleep. Men like that will come back to get you, especially if you were meant to pay a debt. Kirameku Ha, with me."
"Yes, taisho," Kirameku Ha replied, nodding his head.
Interesting... Sesshomaru thought.
Eikichi finished his father's tale for the night when his young son walked outside to the engawa and curled up in his lap. So that's what Kirameku Ha meant when he said he wasn't from Heiwa. He was on an expedition from his homelands and came here. But then... if Arimasa purified the docks and beaches first, how did that sea snake demon that Meioshi knew wind up living there? Or any of the other demons like Uo and Yamashi? What about Lord Aka? How did he come to know Arimasa so well? Who was the rice hat kid? Was he in the parade? His lordship hadn't met him yet.
"Why was your old man out on the sea in the first place? They weren't in battle," Reijiro remarked.
"They were supposed to search for new territory in this direction," Eikichi replied. "Jissoji Castle was on the high-end of the political cusp. Uncle Arimasa's father was becoming a shogun, and, because the Kairyu were so successful, it was easier to gain control of waterfronts and beaches with their sheer might. Once Uncle Arimasa found out about his family originally living here, however, he wanted to protect this village and restore his family name."
"Why is Meioshi's last name Jigoku and not Jissoji?" Sesshomaru asked, interested in this smaller detail.
"Uncle Arimasa changed his surname once he finished Maekawa's unfinished works. Cousin changed her surname for reasons you must learn from her," Eikichi answered.
"Did your dad change his surname, too?" Sanraku asked.
"As the story goes, all of the Kairyu changed their surnames to distance themselves from the Jissoji name. No one ever returned home unless they had young siblings or struggling families to retrieve. Those who did escaped here or decided to live in territories that Uncle Arimasa inherited from Maekawa. Cousin now owns them," Eikichi answered.
"Why did she allow demons to live here after all that work her family did to expel them?" Jaken asked.
"Ah, that is something you will learn at the Youkai March tomorrow. Each demon has their own reason for coming here, and Cousin has her reason for allowing them to stay. The demons here are harmless now," Eikichi responded.
"Why is my spinning tot acting like a cat, my son?" Kirameku Ha asked.
The old man finally returned to speak to his people. He was hurt that Arimasa was gone and needed a moment to process things. Eikichi was about to get up, but his father shook his head gently and placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He used Eikichi's shoulder as leverage to kneel and sit down beside him. Eikichi was worried about his father. He had only ever seen him emotionally shaken when his mother passed away. Now, his beloved brother in arms had just said his goodbyes. Sesshomaru watched the exchange and felt this unbearable need to steal a plant or yesterday's newspaper from someone's home. Not out of malice but as a comforting gift for the old man's loss. His lordship began to wonder if a plant more well-known to youkai would suffice as a gift. His kind did have an assortment of foliage the gardening veteran would appreciate. It would require some thought, but... he could feel Kirameku Ha's sadness - could smell the change in him.
"This youkai march," Sanraku started, hoping to change the conversation, "What's it all about anyway? What do they do in their parade?"
"It's been suspected that the youkai are just competitive against the humans, but no one really knows why they went so big for this festival," Eikichi answered, shrugging his shoulders a bit.
Kirameku Ha was the one to explain the happenings of the youkai march. He said, "The emperor and First General visit the youkai district in the same manner they would for the townspeople. What the youkai do differently is explain their reasoning for wanting to become citizens and how they've contributed to the kingdom. They each tell their story of how they met the hell travelers or someone else from Heiwa who taught them the ways of peace. Similar stories are put together in a group dance. If the youkai were once leaders of their respective tribes, they teach the emperor their laws. Likewise, the First General is taught their ways of guardianship if the youkai were once warriors. It is quite a spectacle and supposedly an extraordinary learning experience. Humans would never have access to such political information without the use of questionable and dangerous tactics! That's where the marvel comes from, I believe."
"Why do the ruling youkai divulge such critical information to the humans at all?" Sesshomaru asked. "Wouldn't that put this village in danger?"
"The youkai here no longer serve their respective lands. They've nothing to lose by telling us these things," Kirameku Ha answered. "We don't go out of our way to attack any of them. One, the hell travelers forbid it; two, we have nothing to gain from it other than maybe calling an attacker out on misconduct and saving our own skin."
"The demons here are all rogues?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Not necessarily. Every demon has their own story. Some were refugees escaping war the same way the early settlers had. Others like Moeru simply traveled here for work and became great friends and allies to us all. Young Yuko's husband, Yamashi, tried to conquer this land but found love instead. I believe you will benefit in viewing the youkai march, young Sesshomaru," Kirameku Ha said, smirking and earning a look from his lordship. "If not to see the youkai who've been curious about you since you first came here, then surely learning about the youkai who have chosen peace will suffice as a learning experience. You, too, can learn crucial information about other ruling authorities and the laws they once either made or obeyed."
"How do you know I won't try to kill their clans?" Sesshomaru asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Well, they won't care for one," Kirameku Ha replied, chuckling and earning that ear twitch from Sesshomaru at the sound of his voice. "If anything, they might celebrate you. Whoever they cared about before leaving their clan is either living with them now or living freely elsewhere per their advice. I think you'd be doing them a huge favor."
"And if I go for their heads?" Sesshomaru questioned, tilting his head up.
"Meioshi deals with you accordingly. You seem to enjoy sparring with her," Kirameku Ha answered, catching a stray red leaf.
"That witch owes me a fight for exposing her flesh to me and drawing inappropriate portraits of other people," Sesshomaru said with a growl.
"Hmph!" Kirameku Ha responded with a smirk. "I'll leave that subject alone. But, I find that children enjoy the youkai march the most because of the candies your kind make. There's a special kind of sugar that only your kind know how to cultivate properly to make these sweets. Their taste is nothing short of legendary, and they craft their sweets into different shapes. I forgot who made the sugar swords, but one of the youkai made some for my tots."
"Never again shall they eat more than two," Eikichi mumbled, blue aura dropping on his head and shoulders.
"Did you have a favorite sweet when you were young?" Sesshomaru then asked.
"Eikichi has always had a love for sweet rice buns. I prefer a brown sugar bark that taisho's aunt used to make for us as children. Though she did make a mint stick once that I enjoyed very much," Kirameku Ha replied, smiling fondly at the memory.
"... Consult," Sesshomaru then said after a moment of silence went by. This gained the men's attention as they waited for an explanation. "After the youkai march, I wish for a consultation with you. The witch owes Jaken an intense foot rub."
"A foot rub?" Eikichi asked, turning to his father. Kirameku Ha merely shook his head, hoping no more would be said of the matter...