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 Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:40 pm
The Prince ran up to her and grabbed her away. "This is not your decision! You stain you hands with blood for no reason! As the Crown Prince of Konan, I order you to stop! You will only cause yourself to be arrested for murdering injured men, no matter what they do! You killed him and by order of the Emperor, I should take you to jail, for you to be hung! I care not for them, but you are a Celestial Warrior! You are not a noble, and can not deal out death sentences!"
Chiriko went over, "Your Highness," he said softly, "Let her go. You do it then, if she can't. You have the authority. She's just trying to protect her priestess."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:53 pm
Bowing respectfully to the Prince, she shook her head. "Then I must be imprisoned, for I must do this. As the current leader of the Mount Reikaku Bandits, I cannot allow these men to live for the crimes they have commited. It would be putting not only the Priestess, but everyone else living at the compound in danger if they were to escape." Her hands clentched around a small dagger she had in her belt, as she slipped the sleeve of robe up. Down the front of her arm were twenty hash marks. She knelt down, dabbing the blade of the dagger in the blood, before slicing another mark into her arm. "Twenty one..."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:19 pm
"No," he said, his voice a bit more gentle. "You should not have to do this." He looked at her, "You can not do this. I am next in line to be Emperor and I command you not to do this. I will do as Chiriko asks and dispose of them as I should have." He drew out his sword.
Chiriko frowned and watched the whole thing. "Hey Nuriko, we're here for the Priestess, and while they are both pretty enough to be women, neither of them are the Miko. Let's go find her, I'm tired of these power games. Bandit Leader verses Emperor... blah..." He walked off in the direction he felt the Miko's life force. "Who knows how longs it's been since rain fell in this area," he said sourly, "I am sorely unappreciated."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:30 pm
She looked over at the man who was starting to leave. "I would suggest waiting. The Priestess is the base right now. If you try to enter, you will be attacked by the other bandits. Wait, and I'll take you to her." Not to mention, she was certain Tamahome would start fighting as well. He hadn't seen another warrior, except for her, and having several of them suddenly appear... it would probably make him worry abit.
Glancing back over at the Prince, she once again shook her head. "While your help is appriciated, it is something I must do. As the current leader, it is my duty to keep the honor of Mount Reikaku. If I do not end their lives with my hand, then we have lost our honor. Then we would become no better than a group of common thieves and murderers. I am sorry, your Highness."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:39 pm
"You would be a common murderer, in the eyes of the law. I care not for your bandit rules, only the rules that govern this Empire and keep it in peace. This sort of vigilante justice is not permitted."
Chiriko sighed and rubbed his head, "This is hell, I walked straight into hell." He threw is hands up, "Just let her kill them already so we can go see the Miko. Why are you here anyway? Aren't you suppose to be in the palace, not getting dirty and all?"
The Emperor blinked and looked over to Hatori. "I can not believe what I am hearing. I am the Prince of Suzaku, not just the prince of the empire. I felt the Miko."
Chiriko shrugged, "Then let the lady kill them, forget you ever saw it, and lets get on with it! You are both pig headed and I'm sick of it. Nuriko and I came here to find the Miko, what's with your honor to her eh? She's probably alone with a bunch of horny men." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Go on love, toast them or whatever..."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:49 pm
"If Tamahome followed my instructions, the Priestess would be in the kitchen, with the women, getting something to eat," she said, a small smile on her face.
Mika, slowly, walked over to each man, saying the same small prayer she had uttered before, and stabbed them. With a bit of their blood on her dagger, she cut a new mark for each one of them. Once her job was finished, Mika stood up, the blood already seeping through her robe. With that, she closed her eyes, whispering another prayer. Mika was devout to Suzaku, and she wished these men would return to him. With that, the bodies were engulfed in flames, incinerating them quickly. The mark on her ankle was growing very bright as the flames died just as quickly, leaving piles of ash. Mika scooped up some of the ash into each of the vials, before turning back to the group. "It is done. Alright. I'll show you to the base." She headed back up the mountain, the four vials tucked into her belt.
It wasn't far, but she made sure to glance behind her every few feet or so, to make sure the others were following her.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:56 pm
The Prince scowled at the woman and red haired man, and he hoped the other warriors were more civilized. His mark shone a brillant red at his irritation.
Chiriko didn't like what was going on either, but he wasn't about to have the two of them come to blows about it. "We can only hope Tamahome is more level headed," he said as a jest. He grinned and sang a tune. After he was done, he yawned, "Hey we aren't doing too bad are we? That only leaves Mitsukake and Hotohori to find."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:02 pm
"Hotohori has been found. He's just on a trip right now," she said, as she approached the gates. "He's my twin brother. He's probably getting things ready for tomorrow." She sighed slightly, as she lead them inside, holding her hand up for the guards, to let them know to hold their fire. She was supposed to have been getting horses for the trip, but apparently, that didn't happen. Not to mention, having to deal with the remains afterwards. There would be a special ceremony tonight, for the fallen, and then... needless to say, the remains would be put with the others who disobeyed. "Well... here we are. The Mount Reikaku Bandit Camp."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 12:55 pm
((-______- Maaaaaan, you guys move so fast! I'll try to catch up in the story. ^^"))
Nuriko had been shocked speechless throughout the ordeal, so she nearly died of heart attack when Chiriko spoke to her.
"The . . . the Priestess?" she asked, completely mind-blank and caught off guard.
Then she remembered. She looked from the Crown Prince to the bandit girl to Chiriko, and back again. Then she looked down at the ground, biting her lower lip and wringing her hands.
"I . . . I . . ." she hesitated. Slowly she looked up, an apologetic smile on her features. "You go on ahead, Chiriko. My . . . I feel as my duty lies here, with the Prince, at the time being." She turned and walked over to stand a little to the left behind the Prince, her eyes worried and tense. "I am at your service, Your Highness."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 1:20 pm
Chiriko raised his eyebrows and blinked, looking at Nuriko. "Oh, well I guess that can't be helped. I don't blame you really, he is prettier then I am... and richer then I am... and the future Emperor and all." He walked off toward the smell of food, since Tasuki had told them that the Miko was with Tamahome eating. "Oh poor me, my bird has flown away to a more lovely peacock." He looked over his shoulder and grinned, winking with one of his scarlet eyes, teasing the healer a bit. "La La La" could be heard as he went inside.
Riku just watched the odd fellow with a bewildered look on his face. "What on Earth was that about?" He looked down to Nuriko. "Thank you young lady, for your concern, I am touched by it. I assure you that I won't strain my arm." He smiled, a very kind and gentle smile, it was obvious he had high morals, but that didn't stop him from being nice. He still seemed a bit flustered by the scene earlier. He decided to talk to her to get his mind off the disturbing scene. It's not right for that poor, innocent girl to have to do such horrible business. And not just because she's a girl, I wouldn't wish for anyone to have to do that. "How much do you know about the Miko and her warriors that went before us?"
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:26 pm
Lian bit her lip, feeling guilty. It wasn't that she was staying with the Prince because he was pretty, no. She wasn't that shallow. She was worried that Tasuki might do something . . . bandit-like. Nervously she played with the ties of her bag, refusing to look up at the others.
Suzaku, this is strange. When I was told to protect the Priestess, I was never told I might have to protect the feelings for others as well as myself! If only Liang were here . . .
"I thank you for the compliement," she said quietly to Riku. She tried to smile, although her bangs hid her face. "It's not everyday I get praised by the Crown Prince."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:39 pm
"No... I suppose not." He let out a bit of a sigh and sat on a nearby rock, looking up into the sky. He'd of course, snuck out again. If his father found out that he was hanging out at a bandit camp, he was quite sure the Emperor would be angry. But he didn't really care. Riku knew it was his duty to rule after his father, but he also wanted to experiance how people lived, to better educate himself in his subjects. He sighed, "I seems Master Chiriko likes to tease. Don't take his comments to heart."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:48 pm
Lian's smile to the Prince's remark was a bit strained.
"Yes, I understand," she replied. "It's just . . ." she sighed, and looked past the mountains. The land was spread out before her. "I tend to listen to people more than I talk. It's strange, if you can comprehend. I'd much rather hear people than hear myself . . ." She laughed a little shakily. "There I go again, rambling to myself."
She leaned against the rock face near the Prince. A slight, cooling wind had picked up, and tugged playfully at her purple hair. Her eyes were still on the land below them.
"You . . . you didn't come here on the Emperor's consent, did you?" she asked softly, not looking at Riku. "I doubt His Majesty would ever let his son go near bandit regions . . ." She straightened up and smiled at him. "But that's none of my concern, is it?"
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:58 pm
He looked over, his long hair obcurring part of his face. "No, I didn't. I snuck out a week ago, stole a horse from a farm... well I didn't really steal it, I bought it without their knowledge. In his place in the barn I left a handsome jewel worth about 15 horses." He shrugged, "I wanted to see this area with my own eyes more then anything. I want to live up to the great legacy my ancestor left me, since I am marked. I have studied every strip of parchment, every book and account I could of Emperor Saihitei, and I know he too ran from the Palace to come to his Priestess in these mountains. I wanted to see the place, and as I got closer, all of a sudden I felt the Miko's ki. I think Hotohori... the original Hotohori guided me." He let out a soft laugh, "Though I am probably just full of self grandisement and conceit."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 3:10 pm
Lian smiled gently as she extended a hand to help Riku up.
"No, I don't believe that. You don't strike me as the stuck-up, snobby type," she said. "I believe in karma, and all that stuff." She looked up to where Chiriko and Tasuki were. "And, to be honest, I like knowing that you, as the Crown Prince, and the future Emperor, wants to know all these things. Forgive me for saying so, but . . ." she paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "I think that an Emperor who is truly passionate about his people will go out and be one of them. I think an Emperor like that . . . well, he'll be a better success than one who just sits there on the throne and throwing out orders."
I really need to stop talking like this, she berated herself. This is the Crown Prince you're talking too!
So then why is it so easy to talk to him like he's a regular person? a small voice in her mind asked.
She chose not to answer that.
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