by Max Jager
Letting out a content sigh, Yokiyo opened her eyes as she starred straight ahead. She didn't know what it was. But she was starting to get a bad feeling about something. 'I just hope it doesn't have to do with anyone we care about.'
Branching Out Chapter 122
"Kiara."
Hearing her name, Kiara looked up then blinked to see her cousin walking toward her. Letting her head fall to the side, she was just a little shocked. "Koto? What are you doing here?"
Rolling her eyes Koto sighed. She was dressed in a relaxed, but formal kimono, with a large obi, and even the traditional shoes and socks. This is what she was comfortable in. "I used you leaving and wanting to see you off to get away from Mama for a while. No matter what I say or do, I don't think I will ever make her understand that I don't like fighting at all. Yet she insists on trying to force it down my throat every day."
Laughing as she gave her a half-smile, Kiara shook her head. "If you really want to get out of it like Cho did, you should talk to Grandmother. She may be able to do something about Aunt Yukani maybe. Mother has tried to talk to her but she won't listen. So if anyone has a chance it would be her."
"Grandmother was always on my side and got me out of it." Dropping her head, Koto sighed. "I think that is why we moved back here when we did. But she wasn't really trying then either because of Grandmother. But now it is like I can't get away from her when she starts talking like that."
Another small laugh, and Kiara looked back at the palace with a worried look on her face. She had a bad feeling about all of this right now. "I do wish that my parents would hurry up and get here. I understand the rule they have, but this is a pain. Father said that we were leaving at dawn, and yet they aren't here yet. I just know it's mother."
Covering her mouth, Koto nodded as she laughed. "I bet that is it exactly."
Growling, Kiara turned to her cousin and made her flinch. "Shut your mouth."
Looking between the two females, Chiren was just a little lost at the moment. He had no clue what they were talking about. "Um could I ask what the two of you are talking about?"
Turning her smile to him, Koto sighed. "Aunt Yokiyo doesn't like to let anyone leave on their own. Even myself and my brother Kuri. And to say the least she wasn't happy about Uncle Kiyoshi saying Kiara was going. I was in the room next to the library and could hear them fight over it."
Still looking at the palace, Kiara sighed. "And father has always refused to let anyone leave without being here to see us off. But this is taking so long, I just know that Mother is trying to figure out a way to keep me here and not let me go."
Laughing as he put a hand on his hip, Chiren shook his head. "You never know she might be shocking you and bring you a pack."
However before anyone could say anything they all flinched and jerked their eyes toward the palace when they heard a loud gut wrenching scream from it. Kiara's eyes went wide as she moved before she realized it. "Mama…."
Rushing through the halls, bursting through her parents door to dead stop. Her mother was crying hysterically in her father's arms. Going to the side of the bed, Kiara dropped to her knees as she looked up at her father. "Father?"
His eyes stern and fully of concern at the same time, Kiyoshi met his daughter's eyes. "Go. She started to say she had a bad feeling and then this. She hasn't been this hysterical over a feeling since Motoichi. Report back the second you find anything out. If need be, I will send both your brothers, sister and Kuri to you for aid."
"Right." Kiara let her eyes linger on her mother for a moment. Looking to the door she saw Chiren standing in the door. Going to him she shocked him as she grabbed him by the wrist and drug him through the room and out the window over the balcony. Once on the ground they ran for the palace gate. "If we turn right and run straight through transformed for three days we can get to the East sooner."
Reaching out and stopping her, Chiren gave her an odd look. "Three days?"
Nodding Kiara was serious now. "It takes a day to get the mountain chain. A day over it, and a day on to Imae."
Shaking his head as he pointed north, Chiren sighed. "I can shave a day off of that if we go a different way."
Giving him an odd look, Kiara was anxious. She wanted to go. She needed to know what was going on out there to settle her mother down. But if he could really shave a day off of it, that would be ideal. "How is that?"
Still pointing North, Chiren sighed. "My Aunt Toki and Uncle Tikae live right where all the lands meet. Depending on where you go in their palace, you could be in North, East, West or South. That is a day from here. And a day to the East as the path from there is flat."
Thinking for a moment, Kiara nodded then followed him as they took off running and jumped to transform into a huge dog and leopard as they raced across the land as fast as they could. Worry and concern that something bigger may be brewing after what just happened with Yokiyo. And both of them wanting to get to the bottom of it as soon as they can.
X
With a sigh, Chiren glanced back at Kiara gain. She was pushing herself hard to keep up with him. He wasn't really running that fast anymore. He just figured since she said about transforming that she had the stamina to handle it, but clearly she didn't. Surging ahead some, Chiren spun and stopped making her slide to a stop as he transformed back to his human form. "If you push yourself to exhaustion, that's fine with me. But if you do that, you will be staying with Uncle Tikae and Aunt Toki while I go and get Torakus and get you on the way back. Or you can relent that you are tired and stop and rest."
Transforming back to her human form, Kiara moved over and leaned against a tree as she started to breath hard. "Trust me Chiren that won't be a problem. Thank you."
Smiling as he sat down and leaned on a tree near her, Chiren sighed as he crossed his arms. "You still aren't very good at running like that yet are you?"
Still struggling to catch her breath, Kiara glared over at him with a growl as she crossed her own arms. "Really? You are fifty years older than me. And I am sure have had much more practice with it. The only real practice with it I have had is inside the palace walls. I can't exactly practice running in dog form when Mama won't let me leave the palace walls hardly at all and puts a time limit and a distance limit on me."
Laughing, Chiren sighed. "That is true. You have it though. The only thing you need to do is to practice with it and build up your stamina. Got to have something to motivate you I think."
Rolling her eyes, Kiara turned her face away from him as she closed her eyes. "Oh great. Now you sound like Father and Uncle Kamui. I just walked away from a lecture into the garden when you got there about the same thing. I hear it enough from them. I don't need to hear it from you too."
"Really?"
Giving him another half glare with a smile, Kiara sighed. "Yes. I would have probably still in in the lecture when you got there had Mama not gotten a headache because of the twins."
With a bright smile, Chiren laughed. "Well then I may just have to come early next time and join in."
Shaking her head as she joined him in laughing, Kiara let her head fall back on the tree. Soon as her head hit the tree, a strong breeze flew into her face. She smiled at first. But just as it started to die down, she flinched as she shot to her feet with hard eyes. It was coming from the way they were going. There was smoke in the wind. "Something is wrong."
On his feet with her, Chiren had his hand on his sword as he glared around them. "What is it?"
Keeping her eyes facing the way they were headed, the wind was blowing right in her face. She was sure now. Something bad was going on here, and this had to be why her mother freaked out just before they left. "Smoke. It is feint, yet strong. We are still pretty far away from it but something big is on fire."
Closing his eyes, Chiren was somewhat relaxed now as he focused on his nose and tried to find the scent himself. But he couldn't smell anything on the window. "I don't smell anything on the wind at all."
Turning worried eyes
to him, Kiara sighed. "Not to be mean, but a leopard doesn't have the nose of a dog. You rely more on your eyes for distance, where as we do our noses. It is coming from the direction we are going."
Instantly tensing, Chiren's went wide. The next 'big' place that they would come on, the only place between them and where they were going, was where they were going! His eyes narrowing, Chiren took a deep breath. "If we transform and you run with me, you will wear yourself out for sure. I know you are too proud for normal, but I am asking that you just suck it up. I will transform and you will ride on my back. The next thing between us and where we are going, is where we are going. Uncle Tikae's Palace."
Seeing the raw determination in his eyes, Kiara only nodded. The last time she saw that determination in anyone's eyes was in Torakus's eyes when he was set on finding and saving Shian. Once he was transformed, she gave a few leaps up his side and was on his back. The second she gripped his fur he bolted. Running so fast that she had to actually lay down on his back and hide her face in his fur to block the wind.
X
Smiling as he watched what could be a great threat burn to the ground, Noke couldn't help but smile. He helped to force the hand of those loyal to Tikae to turn on him for Kenji. Putting him in his debt. And now it was just time to wait for Chiren to come back this way. He knew he would. And standing in the path of the smoke, they wouldn't be scented out. Giving Kenji a glare, Noke crossed his arms. "And for helping with this over the last decade, I have the temporary loyalty of the dragons correct?"
A sadistic smile on his face as he watched where hs little brother and leopard mate burned, Kenji nodded. "With my bastard little brother now gone, the dragons are now under my control. Fully. So yes when the time comes and you need my dragon army, for whatever it is. They will be there. So long as I get what I want out of the fight I don't care who you have them attack."
Nodding Noke turned back to the raging fire. "Agreed. Once that is done, we will both do as we please."
Smiling Kenji nodded as well, watching the part of the palace where his brother and his family were left. This is just the start of him claiming all the lands under his rule alone. Humans would no longer be tolerated and treated like they treat their cattle. Only used for food. During the fight he wanted his army in, they would turn on his wolves. And he would take this runt out. Something Kenji was a hundred percent sure that he could do without a problem at all. "Sounds like a truce."
Before either could say anything they heard the rumble. Turning Noke smiled to see the mortified look in the leopards eyes. "Ah. Chiren is back. And it seems he brought one of the bitch daughter of Kiyoshi and his human."
Smiling as he watched her slid from the leopard, Kenji's eyes went wide. For someone like Kiyoshi to have sired someone that was actually pleasing to look at with a human was a feat in and of itself for him. "I see then. So she is one of the pups he had with her. I want her. She looks like she will be a fun one to tame down I think."
With a sigh as he closed his eyes and dropped his head, Noke growled. "I told you that the miko is still alive. And her brother and adopted human daughter who is Lady of the East."
A glare for the leopard, Kenji growled himself. "And I still say that I call your bluff on that one until I see any of them alive. No way a human can do that and I don't buy it."
Opening his eyes, Noke focused on the leopard and dog. It wasn't going to matter if he believed him or not. He was living on borrowed time anyway. "I don't care if you don't believe me about that. And you can have her when the time comes. I told you the two that you are not too touch."
"Yeah I know."
X
Breathing hard, Chiren took a few steps before he fell to his knees. "No…..no this can't be…what the hell happened!?" It was a total ruin! Everything, even the stables were on fire! Blood reeked everywhere! He had to calm down and focus. He had to find them. They just had to be alive. They had to be!
In total shock, Kiara just looked around at the devastation. She read so many descriptions of things like this in the scrolls from her great grandfather, and the tiger before him. But she never thought that she would actually see anything like this in real life. And she was at a loss right because she just didn't know what to do!
His eyes flying open when he caught the scent of his aunt, Chiren let tears rush from his eyes. "No! Not them!" He then scrambled to his feet as he raced off in a mad dash away from Kiara.
Flinching and then giving chase after him, Kiara was actually finding it hard to keep up with him. "Wait! Chiren where are you going?"
Not answering her, Chiren rounded a corner to see the main house engulfed in flames. All sides and the roof caved in and dropped down. This was where his grandparents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins lived! "No. No. No. NO!" Falling to his knees he couldn't stop the tears as he slammed his hand in the ground forming a large creator. "Damnit I will kill who did this!"
Rounding the same corner just as she heard the last thing he said, Kiara gasped to see how much hotter and higher these flames were burning. Hearing the noise that Chiren was letting out, she slowly walked up to him and knelt down to her knees next to him. Looking down at the ground as her own tears tricked down her nose to drop on her lap, Kiara let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know what to say Chiren. Other than I will help you find who did this. I promise."
Sitting back on his legs, Chiren glared up at the burning ruins as tears gushed from his eyes though he snarled. "Oh we will find them. And I will take great pleasure in taking their life as they took the lives of ones I love. Their heads will be mounted here to show them all that their deaths have been avenged."
Really unable to stop, Kiara just stood up and hugged herself a she shook. She didn't know what to say to him to try and make it better. If that were even possible. Everyone she has ever cared about, or been close too is still alive. Chiren included. The emotions running wild through his eyes as tears streamed out of them were too much for her right now. She just didn't know what to do. For the first time in her life she felt completely useless!
But then she started to try and think. But then her eyes went wide as she took a shaky breath. "This has to be it. This has to be why Mama went hysterical before we left this morning."
Still snarling at the flames, Chiren stood up himself. He couldn't smell anything than the burning flesh in the smoke. But now he had to figure out who could have, or would have done such a thing like this. Especially to Mizareke and Raidon. They were barely in their thirties. Still babies by all accounts! "Who in the hell would have done something like this? Or could have done something like this. Uncle Tikae was the strongest one here!"
Flinching as she dropped her head, Kiara took a deep breath. She just felt foreign to herself right now. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "I don't know."
Snapping out of his rage, Chiren turned and looked at Kiara as he blinked for a moment. He almost forgot who he was with right now. This is the first time he has seen destruction of this level. He knows she hadn't before. "Kiara…."
Closing her eyes as she dropped her head even more, Kiara hugged herself tighter. "I am sorry I just don't know what to do right now. This is a first for me. I don't know what it is like to see something like this. Everyone I care about is still alive. I just feel so useless."
With a sigh, Chiren moved to her and pulled a shock gasp from her as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. A desperation that even he noticed as he closed his own eyes. "Just being here right now is all that you need to do. I don't understand the surge of emotions that I have right now Kiara, I don't expect you too. But knowing that someone is here with me, someone that can keep me focused is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. Thank you."
Looking over his shoulder as he hugged her, Kiara had wide eyes. The second that his arms wrapped around her, it was like something snapped in her head, and all of the sudden she could feel all sorts of strange emotions, and didn't know where they came from. Finally relaxing she gently placed her
hands on his chest. "You're welcome."
After another moment, Chiren eased her out of his arms as he turned a heated glare back toward the main house. "But this does change what is going on though. Right now we are in the very middle of all the lands. Do we go East or North and let my mother and father know what happened?"
Thinking for a moment, Kiara's mind kicked in gear and started turning. Looking up at him she nodded. "We go for the East. There we will stay for a couple of days. Imae can send word to your parents about what happened and what we are doing. And to Father so that he can have Katana, Seiji, Santrix and Kuri meet us in the West. We don't know it for sure, but the only two names that I can think of that would do something as horrific as this would be Kenji or Noke. And it is just odd that they did this after you were here and gone as you made your way to the South."
With a glare, Chiren snarled as he looked around him. "I wish I knew if it was one of them or both or who the hell it was. And where they were. I would….."