Thanks to Sylv-chan for pre-reading for me and to all the people who nagged for this chapter!
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%% Speech in one of Kousaten's native tongues
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.. Rurouni Knight Hazard - The Journey Begins
Chapter 6
By Jade One
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Kyarash looked down at the small mirror. It was something the Book had made for him. It had spun it from the substance of the gate. "Well, I wonder what I shall see today?" he questioned. The mirror showed him things. It showed him the future, it showed him the past but it also showed him what was happening in the far reaches of Kousaten. He could watch them now, watch the Priests and their plots and defend himself from them. He could see the King and his Heir and that was what he wanted to see today.
%How about we see what the King is doing? Now that the Priests have called him, he is the most dangerous thing in this world.%
"He is?"
%For the moment.%
"That's good. I'd hate to think I went to all the trouble to get you if I could be stopped by the King."
%You can be beaten now.% The voice cautioned. %But in time, the power of the King will be as nothing.%
"Good." Kyarash held up the mirror. "Show me what the King is doing."
The mirror's surface swirled and its black surface glowed for an instant before it cleared to display an image.
The man was surrounded by the priests but he seemed to be ignoring them. %The King.% The voice hissed to him, identifying the person the mirror was showing. The King, Hiko Seijuro was a tall man and while he seemed to be ignoring the priests Kyarash knew that was not the case. He simply had them under his control. His long black hair was tied at the nape of his neck and he wore a white cloak.
"Is that the Wings of the Dragon?" There had been several references in some of the books he had read to the mantle worn by the Kings. They called it his wings but what exactly that meant Kyarash did not know.
%Yes... Those are the Wings... There were others who came with the King this time. The Wolf you have seen. He should be dead by now but if he was tough enough to survive the storm he is far from the others. I will show you the others now. They are with the King.% The image the mirror was showing expanded. It now showed a group of oddly dressed people standing on a wind yacht. They were waving to the multitudes as the yacht made its way out of the city.
There were two women, although one was almost a child. The older woman had long black hair and she wore a smock over her cloths. She looked capable but there was a slyness about her. Something in her eyes and the way she looked around her. She had seen more than she should. The other, the child, had wide blue eyes and her hair was confined to a long plait which snaked its way around her as she moved. The plait almost seemed to have a mind of its own. She was somewhat scantily dressed in shorts and a short sleeved shirt and she was peering around herself brightly, trying to take everything in at once.
%The first one could be trouble, but the child is an innocent.%
Kyarash nodded his agreement and turned his attention to the men.
There were three of them and they were all different from each other. He focused in on the one with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. This man wore a coat that looked similiar to the Kings. It was loose fitting but had sleeves. "Is that the Heir?"
He could feel the Book considering the question and considering the man. %I do not think so. There is something different about him. He is not tied to Kousaten in the way that the King is. He is strong though.% The voice paused. %Ah... I see now. This man is the Magi. The woman child is the Wanderer and the woman is the Speaker.%
"Which one is the Heir then? If the King is sending the Heir on his quest, I should know who I must oppose."
The image in the mirror broke apart into swirling colors as the Book locked on the the man requested. Finally the image cleared and this time it was locked on to one of the others. This man was short and had long red hair that was tied in a similiar manner to the Kings. He had wide amethyst eyes, almost like the child's but they had the woman's experience and more. He also had a cross scar on his cheek. "I thought you said the King's budo was perfect?"
%It is. No one has ever been able to break it.%
"Then why does the Heir bear scars? Wouldn't he have been able to defend such attacks?"
%He isn't dead is he?% There was an undertone of malice in the voice. %The King's Budo is perfect in that all his opponents have died and that he has never been defeated. I never said that he has never been wounded. The other man feels strong enough to fight him. He wouldn't win but he would put up a fight and he may be able to wound the King or Heir. So it is possible that the Heir has faced those who are near equal to him and they have left those marks on his body. I would imagine it cost them their lives though. The Heir's technique is not perfect until he becomes the King.%
"That is good to know. The Heir can be fought then." Kyarash's eyes narrowed in speculation. "I think I should test him further."
%It is wise to test their strength.%
"It is. In that case please send out some drones. I would see what I am to face."
%Consider it done.%
Kyarash turned back to the Gate, dismissing the other man as the black glassy surface caught his attention. He loved to look at it and to watch the red lightnings which passed over it. He could feel the darkness seeping slowly, ever so slowly into the land, hear it in the howl of the wind. It was his victory. "They should not have denied me. They should not have denied Kousaten."
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Kenshin looked out at the hundreds of people who had turned out to wave to the King and Heir as they set out on their Quest to save Kousaten. Hiko was accompanying them to the edge of the city so that the people could get a look at him, after that, he and most of the Priests would be returning to the palace to ensure that the land was still run smoothly while Kenshin and his friends travelled through the land in search of the Book. But, he plastered a pleasant expression on his face, he hadn't expected this many people. He'd been in parades before but he had never been the one being paraded. It was rather overwhelming and he couldn't even see the road they were travelling down.
And their method of transportation..!
The Priests had rather casually escorted them to it this morning. They called it a 'Wind Yacht.' It fit the name, since it hovered in the air. It was the power of the magic of Kousaten they had said, although getting Sano on the thing had been interesting. Kenshin could remember his fear of trains. In fact he'd only come with them that time because Kaoru was paying and getting him on the train to ensure the ticket did not go to waste had been an interesting experience. Getting him on the Wind Yacht had proved to be more of an adventure. It hadn't helped that he still had a hang over from last night's celebrations. He was even now hunched up in the centre of the deck, refusing to look up.
"How much further to the city gates?" Kenshin questioned as he raised his hand to wave at the crowds. He'd been told it was expected but how anyone could possibly think he was waving at them was beyond him.
"Not that much further, your highness. We are beginning to enter the outer parts of the city now," one of the Priests responded to him.
That was another thing which was beginning to annoy him about Kousaten. He'd asked them all, very politely to stop calling him 'your highness.' He had a name after all, and he wasn't going to be offended if they used it. 'Your Highness' made him feel uncomfortable and it always left him wondering who had managed to sneak up behind him. But they all insisted on calling him that. It was getting to be frustrating and Shishou wasn't being any help. He was just lapping up the attention. Oh well, in a short time they would be away from the rest of the Priests. Some Priests and guards were going to accompany them but the majority would be returning to the Palace. Perhaps he could convince those who accompanied them to use his name. Techniqually he'd be in charge and they'd have to obey his instructions.
At least, he could hope that would be the case.
"Well Baka, this is where we leave you," Hiko said, gesturing towards the fields that lay beyod the city. As he jumped lightly to the second yacht, the one that would be making the trip back to the palace, he looked back at Kenshin, his usual smirk planted firmly on his lips. "Happy hunting, baka deshi. Be sure to bring back both Books now!" With that he turned away and began to direct the movement of priests from one yacht to the other. There were a sizable number who had just accompanied them through the city for show.
"Both Books? Shishou! One has been lost..." Kenshin trailed off. Hiko was not listening to him and he knew his Shishou. He wasn't going to listen. He let out a small sigh. He could only hope the first Book would be enough or that it would point the way to the next one.
"Well, Ken-san? Shall we go?" Megumi questioned, moving forward to stand beside him.
"Aa, I think we should. May be Sano will relax once we have gotten started. Misao-dono," Kenshin looked over at the child. "Could you please point the way?"
Misao struck a pose and extended one arm. "We go that-a-way!" she exclaimed happily, almost bouncing in the direction she had indicated.
Kenshin nodded at the Priest who was at the helm of the craft and the whole thing hummed with magic as it rose slightly higher into the air, turning to face the direction indicated. After that the craft slowly began to accelerate, moving away from the city. It quickly passed over the fields which surrounded the city and was soon skimming over and between large trees.
Sano raised his head and took a peak at the new scenary and the trees which were whizzing by at incredible speeds. He resolutely hid his head again and grumbled something about it being too light.
Megumi, fox ears almost visible walked over to him with soft steps. "Oh..." she made the noise in a truly insincere caring tone. "Does tori atama's head hurt?"
"Yes, woman! My head hurts!" He snarled at her. He looked up, squinting but still managing to almost bare his teeth. "You should know! I've got a hang over. Now go away and let me suffer in peace."
"What? And miss this opportunity? Don't be silly, Sano!" Megumi was unconcerned at his attitude. "Besides if you are nice, I might be able to come up with something for that head."
He looked at her suspiciously. "Really?"
"Only if you're nice."
"I am nice."
Kenshin looked away from the scene with a slight frown. He wondered if Sano remembered last night. He had, after all been very drunk. But that had been the least of their concerns. They were used to dealing with Sano when he was drunk but last night all their skills had been tested. It was not normal, even if it was a gift from the land. While there were styles which supposedly relied on your being drunk, he knew Sano didn't know any of them. Hell, when he'd asked Hiko if that was the real reason he drank so much... Kenshin shuddered. His muscles still ached. 2000 push ups hurt! So why, when Sano was drop dead drunk was he also beyond human? It was only luck that he hadn't hurt anyone or anything. Well not too badly. The columns he'd shattered weren't structual so everything was still standing. The engineers had assured him that everything would be okay.
Kenshin doubted that. Everything just got harder from here. Just so that Sano remained in control they had to keep him sober and that was not going to be easy. But that was the decision they had made is a small private conference held before the man in question rose to greet that 'bloody big bright light in the sky.'
He sighed and looked past the trees which were passing beneath him with such a frightening speed. The city was receeding into the distance behind them and it almost looked like they were sailing on an ocean of green. But far, far into the distance he could see looking from the side of the wind yacht several small mountain ranges. They didn't draw his eye though. They seemed to be framing another mountain, one that rose in a single jagged pyramid, towering above the others. It almost looked like Mount Fuji, but from this distance Kenshin couldn't tell if it was capped in snow. What he could feel and sense though was not the quiet, calm, incredible patience he always felt when he watched the mountains in Japan. Instead, these and especially the peak, even from this distance seemed to be daring him, waiting with a kind of frenzied, frustrated impatience and anger at their lot. He shook his head, slightly bemused. Mountains could not feel. He was imagining it. He had to be.
"It's not a mountain, your highness."
Kenshin looked up to see one of the priests approaching him. "That there," he pointed, directly to the peak Kenshin had been gazing at. "It's not a mountain."
"What is it then?"
"A temple." It was a simple statement of fact.
"It can't be."
"It is the largest structure on this planet." The Priest looked over at it. His face held both awe and fear. "It was built by the Malforms but more than that, no one knows for sure."
"It is so large."
"I know, your highness. Our guess is that it is not solid but rather held together by some magic which still persists to this day. An amazing feat considering the Malforms were destroyed by the Second King."
"Your guess?"
"Aa... The jungles are so thick and dangerous around there that in all the time between the Second King and now the most successful party to ever explore those ruins only managed to penetrate to the base of the Temple before they were forced back. And that was over two hundred years ago. There have been other attempts both before that and since and while most have returned safely there are some which have just vanished into the forest."
Kenshin looked back at the peak. No wonder he felt that something was wrong with it. A breeze blew around him and he shivered slightly letting his eyes trace back from the peak, over the forests to the trees that were passing by. Kaoru-do... He caught himself, almost hearing her voice chiding him for his use of that honorific. Kaoru... I hope you're alright.
"MOU!"
The shout could be heard for several metres in any direction and then it faded to silence in the thick jungle. While the jungle was alive with its own noise, it seemed it didn't like foreign noises distracting it and so any sound was quickly muffled. Not that Kaoru was in any state to notice.
She was hot. The kimono she had been wearing in Tokyo was fine for the mild autumn day but was decidedly uncomfortable in the searing sultury heat of the jungle. She was tired. Since the tall trees blocked most of the light, they were travelling in a kind of half twilight. And it and the heat were making her sleepy. Add to that her bed of last night and she was almost quivering with exhaustion. Well, not exhaustion but the threat of a full blown screaming attack. She was dirty. Clambering over and in one case under large fallen moss covered tree trunks had left her covered in a thick film of jungle material and sweat and she wanted nothing more than to bath. The fact that she was unlikely to be able to do that any time soon did not improve her temper.
"Come on, Busu! If you don't keep moving we'll never get out of here." Yahiko shouted down to her from the top of an impossibly large trunk. His clothing was stained from travel but there was a satisfied, almost contented look in his eye.
Kaoru picked up a small handful of turf and threw it half heartedly at him. "I know," she said rising to her feet again. Despite how much she wanted to give in and scream out her frustration, now was not the time. "So Jungle-boy-chan, what's the best way to get up there?"
"Don't call me 'chan'!" His response was so ingrained. "Be nice, or I won't tell you!" He looked back down at her, hands on hips and a smirk on his features.
"What did you say?" Kaoru's anger was back, full force. Her usually expressive eyes sparked with something extra.
Yahiko's eyes widened suddenly, there was something in the air behind Kaoru, something powerful that shimmered. "Alright, alright!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Just go through that thicket there," he pointed, to a large cluster of fern like plants. "There's a break in the trunk and it's easy to get through."
"There. You see how easy that was?" Kaoru questioned moving towards the thicket.
"Yeah, I see," Yahiko murmured. For an instant there something had been wrong. There had been something behind Kaoru. It had been gathering itself but it would have struck him. And that would have hurt. But what was it? Was it Kaoru or was it something else? He didn't know. For the moment, it doesn't matter. He shook his head slightly with the thought. I'll just have to be careful around Kaoru. She's probably worried about the others. He jumped down from the trunk as Kaoru emerged on the other side.
"We'd better continue. If this is Kousaten, I want to see more of it than this stupid jungle!"
"Hai, let's go."
They continued walking through the jungle on a thin game trail. It was narrow and winding and always seemed to be ascending but it was better than trying to hack their way through the thick jungle growth. As they walked they both noted that there were plenty of bushes around. The kind that they had eaten the berries from last night and this morning. In fact the bushes were positively groaning with the fruit. At least they wouldn't go hungry.
Yahiko looked around as a sudden cool breeze fluttered his hakama. Something wasn't right, he could sense it. He could almost smell it but he couldn't put his finger on it. He narrowed his eyes, looking deeply into the shadows. Something was wrong but all he could see were bushes covered in fruit...
Covered in fruit..?
The branches of the trees were in some cases brushing against the litter that covered the earth. They were covered with plenty of berries. No... that's wrong... His feeling of unease grew. It didn't help that the jungle had chosen that moment to fall silent.
It's only temporary, you know the kind of silence you get occasionally in the wild... Or when a predator's near. Something provided the last thought.
THAT'S IT! Yahiko forced himself not to move in any manner which would betray his growing concern and panic. The bushes were loaded with fruit because nothing had been allowed to eat it. The bushes from last night and this morning had fruit but there was evidence that the birds and other animals were making it their meals. There was nothing here. Not a single berry was disfigured by the peak mark of a beak, and no branch had been stripped by a larger animal.
"Kaoru," Yahiko began. He was rather glad his voice was firm.
"Hmm?" She didn't look back at him, although her voice was quiet. She probably hadn't figured it out yet but she certainly had noticed the quiet of the jungle.
"I think now would be a good time to run," he managed just as the heavy snap of timber behind them heralded the arrival of the animal that had made this its hunting ground. It roared at them but Yahiko didn't look back as he pushed Kaoru forward and followed her, running along the jungle path for all he was worth.
"RUN!"
To Be Continued...
Definitions
Busu - ugly
Baka - idiot
Shishou - Master
Mou - Damn (general female exclamation of frustration
Deshi - Student/pupil
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