The Dagger

Moonlight could only do so much. It was pale; a mere reflection of the sun. Imperfect and flawed.

And damn near useless, Megumi thought bitterly. She was relying on her knowledge of the mansion's layout to navigate. It seemed that Kanryuu was growing wise to her discontent, her need to get out. Nearly all of the curtains were drawn, as if to specifically block her only source of light.

"Stop."

Megumi spun around; it seemed luck was not with her. That voice was familiar, as familiar as the motions required to make the spider's web.

And more familiar than the voice was the presence. The presence was a constant. Nearly always was Shinomori Aoshi in her shadow. Silent, but forceful. He and his men had been hired to guard her, or rather, to guard against her. Kanryuu's growing paranoia concerning her was the cause; he had decided to spend some of his precious money to hire a cook. Before, he ordered her to prepare his meals. And more wasted on these onmitsu, the Oniwabanshuu.

Since she had learned the secret of the spider's web opium, he seemed afraid that she would find a way to kill him. A doctor was resourceful, and Megumi herself as sly and cunning as a fox. Poison was the preferred method of murder among women, and Takeda Kanryuu was certain that if permitted, Megumi would employ it.

Aoshi seemed to be thinking a long these lines, because when Megumi turned to look at him, cold fury at being thwarted clearly written across her face, he said, "The only way you will escape Takeda Kanryuu is with that dagger you're hiding."

She reached for it, liking the feeling of power, the semblance of control it offered. What Kanryuu didn't know was that Megumi could never, would never kill him with poison. Poison, her father said sadly, was medicine that had been corrupted. Her medicine had been corrupted enough. To use what the Takani family considered their gift to humanity to kill yet again sickened Megumi deep in her heart. While she knew the dagger was no better, was just as evil, if not more so, as her father had died in Aizu, fighting against the soldiers' sword wounds, it still felt better than the poison.

Aoshi took a step back, and inclined his head. "His bedroom is just down this hallway," he informed her. "He sleeps very heavily, knowing that two of my men stand guard at his door, and two more at yours."

Megumi's heart froze; she hadn't seen...

Aoshi changed his mind, and strode forward, startling the woman.

"You are not the only one trapped here," he said thoughtfully. "By leaving, we both would regain our dignity, but lose everything else. Every promise of what we want would die."

"But so many more would live," Megumi said softly, the ice-knife's edge she always thrust forward dulling just a shade.

Aoshi neither agreed nor disagreed. "If you try to get past me, you will live," he said simply. "But you will never have a moment's peace. Your life will be spared because your master values it. If he could wrench from you the secret of this magic opium, I daresay you would find your life has expired."

Megumi pulled the dagger and sheath from its hiding place.

"I will continue to be imprisoned," said he, "but you do not have to. You can take the fruitless path of running away, but mark my words, my men will catch you. Or," his gaze flickered to the weapon she had stopped concealing. "That dagger will free you."

The moonlight gleamed off the edge of the dagger as Megumi drew it from its sheath. Aoshi's pale face was expressionless, his eyes fathomless.

"I don't mean it will defeat me," he warned. "Nor my men. Only one person will succumb to your weapon, Takani Megumi, and she is standing before me."

He turned to leave, but spoke once more:

"What is better, Takani Megumi? To wander aimlessly, hunted, with the hope that you may find your mother and brothers, or to be reunited with your father, in the afterlife?"