Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

Moving to look him in the eye, Kiara pushed on his chest. "If it is them, I am almost positive that they are watching us right now. That is why we must not defect from what we are doing. We must push on to the East. Riding on you I was able to catch my breath and am not winded like before. I can run for a while. Chiren you cannot act rashly right now."

  Stepping away from her, Chiren looked up at the sky as he closed his eyes with a growl, fisting his hands at his side. "I know that. It is just. Of all of the sadness here Mizareke and Raidon are the most. They were barely over thirty and didn't even come to Tikae's knees yet!"

  Moving and getting back in front of him, Kiara pushed on his chest and gave him a stern look. "But you have to use your head right now Chiren, not your emotions. If you do something stupid and get yourself killed in the process. What do you think your sister's reaction is going to be? She will want to hunt them down and kill them right?"

  When his eyes turned to her in shock, she had him back. "And what do you think will happen if she got near Noke or Kenji? You know that they would be able to disarm her, and we both know what would happen then." Dropping her head as she shook it, Kiara didn't even want that image to fly through her head of her best friend. "She is my absolute best friend in the world and I hat eto think about something like that happening to her. But it would because….."

  Pulling her close to him again, Chiren had an arm around her waist, and one around her shoulders as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder and took a deep breath. "Alright. I get it. But we still need to rest. There is a natural hot spring not far from here. We will rest there for the night and make for the East first thing in the morning."

  Nodding as he held her for a moment, Kiara sighed as she shook. Once he let go and stepped back, the two transformed and then headed for the hot spring. She had no clue what was going on right now in her own head. But she had to keep her head straight with this. It was now her generations turn to defend the country from an idiot.

  X

  Growling, Noke narrowed his eyes as Chiren and the dog went off for the North. He had banked on the fact that it was his family down there that was killed to send him off in a rage. He would have been so blinded by rage that they could have taken him out and one less demon to worry about. But he didn't do that! "Damnit. I am guessing that bitch was able to reason with him."

  Laughing as he crossed his arms, Kenji closed his eyes. "I am still not convinced that she has a miko for a mother considering she is a full demon. But she is the daughter of Kiyoshi. And being his daughter she has got to have a good head on her shoulders. She probably went through all the different things that could have happened and talked him out of it." Turning away from the wolf, he headed down the other side of the bluff. "If she takes after her father that way, though you may want to rethink your course of actions coming up."

  Turning a glare to the dragon, Noke narrowed his eyes. "My plans will not change. Taking him out would have merely been a bonus and less of a nuisance later on. My plans were worked out fully a long time ago. It would have been nice but it was not required." He then turned and went down off the other side of the cliff. He had a different destination in his mind.

  With a glare for the wolf, Kenji walked on. He didn't trust that runt at all. Nor the way he thought he wanted to just use his daughter. Rena was not much of a mate, but she did at least give him that much. His daughter may be a half demon, but she was no slouch. By day she had the look of a sweet and innocent human. She looked exactly like her mother during the day. By night however she would take on the shape of a dragon, with demonic powers equal to him, and her size was just a little smaller. However in both forms she could take out anyone that she came across. And the fact that her mother was a miko is how he knows Noke is a liar about the mutts of Kiyoshi. His daughter couldn't do purification no matter what. So he knew that there was no way that Kiyoshi's could."

  Once he got to the bottom of the bluff he looked up to see Shinra and Jonas standing there waiting on him. As he reached them, he turned stern eyes to his daughter. She was going to have to do something for him while she did what that wolf said right now. "Jonas."

  Blinking as she looked up at her father, Jonas let her head fall slightly to the side. "You want me to do something for you Father?"

  Looking back over his shoulder at the now empty bluff, Kenji sighed as he gave her a nod. "Do not trust that wolf for anything. Understand? Make sure you keep your head when it comes to him."

  Giving her brother a glare, Shinra growled as she crossed her arms. They used one after another to get what they wanted. But when Jonas was born, she was the first being that they actually cared about. "Okay if she isn't allowed to trust him at all, then how can you have her work for him Kenji?"

  "For one I want to see how this plays out and figure out what his exact plan is. It was that wolf that helped us with covering scents to do what we did to make the men turn on Tikae like we did. And knowing we have them they will have no choice but to do what we want or we kill that one's mate and kids." A smile forming on his face as Jonas held Tikae down and he was forced to watch as his leopard mate was gutted before him. The same face that their father made when he killed his mother the same way. "We got to see that face of pure rage and anguish on Tikae's face just like father's because of that."

  Stomping her foot, Shinra glared at him harder. "But still she is…"

  Pulling both sets of eyes to her, Jonas laughed as she folded her hands before her. "It is alright Aunt Shinra. All I need to do is play the nice and quiet helper until the time is right to show him who I truly am. After all, while he knows I am half demon, he thinks I took more after Mama than I did Father." Keeping her sweet smile, Jonas let her head fall to the side. "After all. We have a goal and he is just one of a few stepping stones to reach it."

  Pride welling in him, Kenji smiled as he gave her a nod and crossed his arms. "That's my girl."

  Branching Out Chapter 123

  Her face going pale as she gasped, Imae fell sidways into Sanzo's arms as her eyes went as wide as they could. Tikae and Toki were nothing but pleasant to be around. And their children were always well behaved and the cutest! Shaking her head side to side, she focused on Chiren. "Please tell me that this just a horrible bad joke."

  Tears once again dropping from his eyes as he glared at the ground, Chiren shook his head side to side. Fisting his hands at his side so hard his knuckles turned white. "I wish I could say that. But I can't."

  Breathing hard, Sanzo had his own glare for the ground. He knew Tikae well. Once he drove his brother into hiding and took over as Lord and settled down, he made trips to all the different Lord's. Motoichi included. For something like this to happen to him was more than surprising at least. But then his eyes flicked to the very quiet and reserved Kiara. She was shaking, her heart racing and hugging herself. This was so not how she would be normally.

  Dropping his head to his mate's ear as he steadied her, Sanzo sighed. "Love I will talk to Chiren and get the messages out. Your sister."

  Jerking her head up to look at her sister, Imae sighed when she saw the mess that she was in. Reaching out and grabbing her wrist, Imae turned and headed in the palace. "Come on Kiara." She has lived a long time thanks to Sanzo, and not once had she ever seen her sister in this state, or heard of it. And she knew that it had to be what she saw. Imae's early life before her father was filled with seeing death. Then the war with Motoichi, that was death on a different scale. But Kiara only ever saw what happened at the palace, and the gardens after it when Kado and Shoji attacked when Katana was a baby.

  Looking at the leopard as he jerked worried eyes to Kiara as she was drug off by Imae. He knew that look in his eyes. He was worried about her yes, but there was something more in his eyes when he looked at her. Now the question was if it was on Kiara's part. Shaking his head he sighed. When the South picks a mate, with the exception of Kurosai and Kiyoshi, it is usually in the middle of something horrible going on. Just look at him and Imae. They mated whi
le getting ready for a war.

  With a smile as he laughed some, he pulled shocked eyes from Chiren to him as he crossed his arms. "First off, I know what just happened. I understand the sensless loss of someone you love. However, I also know that look in your eyes. Just don't fight it."

  With his eyes more shocked than anything right now, Chiren met Sanzo's gold eyes as he let his head fall to the side. "What in the world are you talking about?"

  Shaking his head as he sighed, Sanzo rubbed the back of his neck. "With what just happened, I don't think even you realize it yet. But when you do, just don't fight it. And don't deny it, I see it."

  Blinking his eyes, Chiren was lost now. Completely. "You see what Sanzo? You are talking in circles."

  Shaking his head, Sanzo crossed his arms. "That look. I had the look with Imae, I see it in my son with Shian. I saw it in your eyes when your eyes turned to Kiara when Imae drug her off."

  With a glare now, Chiren finally got where he was going with it. And it wasn't like that! "I am worried about her yes but not for the reason you are implying." Looking down he sighed as his eyes half closed. "It was her reaction to what we saw. She was on the verge of tears with nothing to say. I have never seen her like that."

  Seeing that it was useless to try and beat it home as his father would say, Sanzo just sighed as he turned and headed for the palace. "Like I said boy. You don't even realize it yourself. But I see it. Anyway kid come on. You need to send your mother a message, and I will get one out for Kiyoshi and Shone."

  Nodding as they entered the palace, Chiren rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up. His head had been pounding since he saw the smoke. "If you would, send your fastest one to the South, and you don't have to send word to the West either."

  As they got to his study, Sanzo looked over his shoulder with an odd look. "You don't want the fastest to go to your mother and let her know what happened to her sister and her kids? Why I that?"

  Crossing his arms as he took a deep breath, Chiren met Sanzo's eyes with hard ones of his own. "What I originally set out to do, was to go down to the South for a member of Kiyoshi's pack. Then we would come here for Torakus, then to the West for Isamu and then back to the North for a few days. And then everyone would go home on their own. It was Kiara that kept me on track with that, so having her with me I was grateful. But Kiyoshi said after Yokiyo went hysterical before we left to let him know somehow if something bad happened he would have Katana, Seiji, Santrix and Kuri meet us in the West."

  Dropping his head as his eyes took on a distant look when he pictured his mother's and Nyoko's reactions to what happened. "Mother will find out before we get back to the North. We are going to stay here for a few days, then still have four days to the West, and then another two days back to the North. With everything that has happened, I would really like to have the others there for the last leg of the journey, and ready to go."

  Nodding Sanzo handed him the scroll to send to his mother as he sat down to write one to Kiyoshi. "Right. Here you go."

  X

  Once they were alone in her bedroom, Imae sighed as she turned to her little sister as they sat down on her bed. "Kiara how are you holding up? That is not something you will ever get used to seeing, but it is always hard on your first time seeing it."

  Hugging herself even tighter, Kiara dropped her head more. "It wasn't that Imae. It wasn't so much what I saw. Some of the scrolls that I would read at home had sketches and gruesome details about death and torture."

  Reaching out and tucking a lock of hair behind her sister's ear, Imae gave her an odd look. "Then what is it? Was it Chiren?" Her eyes going even wider as she gasped when she flinched then nodded. She had to wonder if something was going on there. They wouldn't be the first mated pair where at least one was from the Southern bloodline that happened in the middle of death and mayhem.

  With another long sigh, Kiara nodded. "Yes sort of."

  Letting her head fall to the side as she half closed her eyes, Imae didn't expect that kind of an answer. "Kiara do you think….."

  Growling as she shot a glare up at her sister, Kiara tensed. "Don't you even go there Imae! It has nothing to do with what you are thinking I am sure."

  Her eyes serious, Imae took a deep breath. "Then what was it?"

  With a groan, Kiara fell back on the bed and let her hands go over her head. "I felt totally useless right then! For the first time that I can remember in my entire life, I felt utterly useless. No matter what situation I have been in, I could always keep my head and think of something to do in it. I always came up with a plan for something. Or just react like when Hiroko went after Katana twice when he was a baby. But the look in his eyes. The pain that shined as he actually cried. I went blank. I just didn't know what to do."

  Giving her sister a sympathetic look, Imae smiled. Just the sound of her voice, she could tell that she wanted to cry. Probably out of frustration, but you could just tell. "It is alright Kiara. It happens sometimes and there is nothing to be ashamed of."

  With a groan as she sat up, Kiara dropped her head. "But that is the problem Imae. I have always known what to do. I can think on my feet in any situation and know in a few moments what I need to do to fix it. Not knowing what to do yesterday. It scared the hell out of me."

  With a smile, Imae looked out the window as she sighed. "It is alright Kiara. That is part of life. You can't always know exactly what to do in different things. And right then, I don't think anything you would have said or done would have stopped the pain in his eyes. Just wait until you are a mother though. That feeling of not knowing what to do because of something that they do or say happens a lot. I saw it tons with Mama and Father with you, and it happens to me all the time with all four of mine. Torakus the most."

  With a growl, Kiara turned away from her sister and crossed her arms. "Imae I am so not hearing that."

  "It's true though." But then she gasped and laughed as Kiara's stomach growled. "Are you hungry?"

  "Oh shut up. Of course I am. We had planned on spending the night with Tikae, but that didn't happen. So all we in the last two days was berries."

  "Well then come on. It is almost time to eat anyway. Soon as Ayame and Atsana get back with Akane, Shian and Hoshiko." Imae then headed out of the room and down the hall with her sister following behind her.

  Giving her an odd look, Kiara blinked. "Waiting on them to get back? Where did they go?"

  With a small smile, Imae gave a nod. "A days after you, Katana, Seiji and Santrix went home, we all went up with some of the army and buried the bones that were left after the fire in a mass grave in the middle of the village. Each year since then, Shian goes up to see the grave. They have been gone a few days now, and should be back tonight."

  Blinking Kiara nodded as she looked out a window that they walked past. "I see. It was about this time of year when all that happened wasn't it?"

  Crossing her arms, Imae glared as they headed for the dining hall. "Yes. And Mama. She just had to jinx it then too."

  Turning wide eyes to her sister, Kiara was lost. "Wait what? What did Mama jinx then?"

  Rolling her eyes, Imae shook her head as she sighed. "Torakus lead the way when you all snuck out. Mama said that since he was so worried about her, that it was because he might be kicking in with his demon blood early. Shian is sixty years old now, and according to Sanzo, she is starting to show signs of growing up. Torakus has less than ten years. And Sanzo and I can already see the bond that they have with each other. More than just a friend."

  Giving her sister an odd look, Kiara didn't know what to think about that. Shian was starting to show signs of growing up, so she hasn't yet. And Torakus wasn't grown yet. "Really Imae? They have that kind of a bond already?"

  Nodding Imae glared as she crossed her arms. "I am not going to fight them on it, I think it is cute. Kaori and I joked about it when Shian was first born. But I blame mother for jinxing it and making it happen so soon. My youngest is only twenty five years old. I am not r
eady to be a grandmother yet. At least wait until she is grown. Least that is what I hoped for."

  Seeing her first real chance to get her sister, Kiara tensed her legs as she smiled. "I see. Well you know maybe this is payback. After all, Mama's youngest pups are less than a month older than her first grandchild." Then she was off.

  With a glare as she took off after her little sister, Imae glared. "Get back here! Just you wait until I get my hands on you!"

  X

  Handing Sanzo the message, Chiren turned and looked at the door as the sound of Kiara and Imae chasing each other made him blink as he shook his head with a sigh. "I guess the East is as unpredictable as the South."

  Laughing as he handed the messages over to his messengers, Sanzo smiled. "That may be true. However to those that live it daily, it is the normal. Though the East is a little calmer than the South. But not by much. When Kiara and Yokiyo come it amps up more, but still not your typical palace."

  Dropping his head as he once again saw flashes of his family, Chiren took a deep breath. "I do not doubt that." He wondered now if he was ever going to get that sight out of his head.