Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Now really confused, Akane just blinked at her mother as she stood there. "What are you talking about Mama?"

  Waving her hands in the air, Imae kept her eyes closed "Go. Go find your brother and aunt and go. But make sure you stay with them or nothing and no one is going to get me to let you leave until you are older than your great grandmother." She then opened her eyes to see a smiling Sanzo coming toward her.

  Letting out an excited squeal, Akane threw herself into her mother's arms. "Thank you Mama!" She then turned and hugged her father before she raced off to find her brother and aunt.

  With a smile, Sanzo stepped up around his mate and put his arms around her as she leaned back against him. "It's alright Imae. Don't worry so much, she will be fine."

  "I know that." Letting her head fall back to his shoulder as she closed her eyes, Imae took a deep breath. "It is just that they are all growing up so fast, even for demons. I feel like none of them really got a childhood. Our chicks and all the others."

  Looking down at her from the side with a smile, Sanzo laughed. "What is bringing this on all of the sudden?" Then he blinked as her eyes opened to look up at him. "Does this have anything to do with Seiji and Nyoko mating?"

  Rolling her eyes, Imae dropped her head. "Yes. I mean Sanzo come on. He is the same age as Torakus. There are only a couple weeks between them. And then I see how much closer Torakus and Shian get every day. He will be grown soon, so it is only a matter of time before my chick is mated. And who knows how long after that before we are grandparents." Dropping her head even more, Imae let out a growl. "Now I know what Mama felt like with me."

  With a laugh as he picked up his mate in his arms and headed back toward the palace. "Yes my love I know this. But that is how things work. My parents, Soichiro's, Shone's, and even your grandparents all sort of rushed with kids. Your grandfather's parents were a few thousand years old when your grandfather was born. It is fate that one day our kids are going to mate and have Kisa of their own one day."

  Kissing her cheek as he entered the palace, Sanzo laughed. "And just like your grandfather did your father, he will one day do with Katana. One day I am going to give the East to Torakus, retire with you. And then we can spoil our grandkids just like your grandparents do."

  Giggling as she hugged his neck, Imae smiled into his eyes. "And you can't wait for the day that you are a grandfather can you?"

  "You bet I can't wait." Leaning in and kissing her gently as they reached their room. "But the best part is that I get to see the grandkids with you."

  "I know. That means the world to me too." Imae then melted into his arms as he walked in their room and seared her mouth with his. She didn't want her chicks to grow up so fast. But unlike most humans who mate with demons, she got lucky enough to be able to watch them as they grew up. She will get to see their mates. She will get to see her grandchildren. Things that being a human she shouldn't be doing with her mate a demon. But she was, and when put to her like that, she figured it wouldn't be so bad to see them all start their own families.

  X

  Silent tears spilling from her eyes, Jonas flew on her cat. Her father was taken away from him when the wolf betrayed him and killed him. Then she soon lost her Aunt when they went to take the head of the wolf. That one flea bag took out her entire family that was left. She was all that was left. She would lead the rest of the dragons as their Lady. She would fulfill her father's dream. Closing her eyes, Jonas took a deep breath. "I will make your dream a reality Father. I will make them all pay for what they have done. I will rule the lands on my own! I will do it! And I do it all in your great name!"

  But the growl from her mount made her look down and then she hardened her glare when the scent caught her nose. It was the bitch pup of Kiyoshi! "I will start with her! Down!" Holding on as her moutn flew down she smiled. It wasn't only her. There was a falcon and half flacon with her. The same two that are purification users! 'Perfect. I will kill them all!'

  X

  Stopping with a start, Kiara felt Akane walk right into her back. It was her! Jonas! "Torakus." Her eyes dialating as they started to bleed, her entire body started shaking as it filled with rage. She wasn't going to hold back at all this time. She was going to die.

  Stepping forward, Torakus moved his sister behind him as he narrowed his eyes and drew one of his swords. "What do you want to do Kiara?"

  "Take her and go home."

  Flinching, Torakus glared at her with a hiss. "Are you nuts! I wouldn't want to face Mama if I left you here alone."

  "I said leave now damnit!" Kiara turned on him with a glare and a growl to show she meant business. She didn't want to hold back. Knowing Akane was there she would have too.

  Gasping when he saw her eyes, Torakus's eyes went wide. They were fully dialated and bleeding. She wasn't going to play around this time. "Right. I will get Father and Uncle Atsana and come back."

  "Fine." Turning back to the dragon, Kiara pulled her naginata and snarled. She just didn't want to have to hold back in this fight with her. She was going to die.

  Throwing his sister in the air, he jumped as he transformed and caught her on his back. Reaching the sky he flew hard down toward the palace. Closing the gap that took them a few hours to get in a matter of seconds.

  "Mama was right Torakus. I should have stayed home. I bet that now she won't let me leave the palace walls until I am older than Great Grandma is right now."

  Flapping his wings to slow down as he landed, Torakus looked back at his sister. "I wouldn't get down about that. Father will talk to her and you won't be palace ridden forever. If not for knowing who may or may not be with her, we would have stayed while she dealt with it."

  Landing, Torakus looked up to see his parents walking out of the palace with his uncle and aunt. "Mother….."

  Looking up to see her chicks, but not her sister, Imae flinched as worry shot into her eyes. "Where is Kiara?"

  With a sigh as Akane stood behind him, Torakus stood tall. "Jonas showed up while we were out. I think with the way she changed direction, she just happened upon us. Kiara stayed to fight, I brought Akane home to get Father and Uncle Atsana."

  "She is fighting Jonas!" Imae was still as she stood next to Ayame with wide eyes. She couldn't believe this!

  Nodding, Torakus turned to his father and uncle as he narrowed his eyes. "I told her I would be back with the two of you. Come on I will show you where they are at."

  And before Imae could say anything else, she closed her eyes as the wind picked up, looking up she took a deep breath to see the three falcons soaring fast through the sky. Crossing her arms she groaned as she let her head fall backwards. "I thought that something like this might happen." Looking down at Akane she sighed with a smile. "Anyway. Come on Ayame, Akane. Let's go and see if there is anything in the kitchen that can feed everyone since I don't think they are bringing home food."

  Nodding, Akane walked between her mother and her aunt as they went back in the palace. "Am I forbidden from leaving the palace from now on Mama?" Though she tried, she couldn't hide the worry and sadness in her eyes or her voice.

  Smiling as she put her hand on her daughter's head, and sighed. "No I am not going to do that to you. It wasn't your fault, or theirs that she showed up. And it was handled the way that it should have been. You won't be palace grounded."

  Letting out a squeal, Akane threw her arms around her mother's waist. "Thank you so much Mama!"

  X

  Growling, Kiara shook with rage. Jonas stopped not far from where she was. She was going to leave her cat there as a getaway no doubt. But that was one thing that she was going to stop first before she dealt with Jonas. Fueling her arrow with just enough purification, Kiara used her nose to pinpoint exactly where the cat was at. With a feral smile she narrowed her eyes. 'There you are. Soon as I see your rider, you are gone.'

  Snarling, Jonas stepped out of the tree line. A sword in her hand today. "Today you bitch. I will have your head. I will!"

 
Smiling as she loosed her arrow, Kiara growled. "I don't think so. You have no way to get away from me in that form anymore."

  "What are you….." But then she flinched when she heard the pain filled scream of her cat followed by pure silence. Her scent was gone! Tears filling her eyes as she turned and charged Kiara. "You bitch! She was all I had left of my father! Now she is gone too! You're dead!"

  Blinking for a second, Kiara easily stayed her with her naginata as her eyes went back to normal. "What do you mean all that you had left of your father?"

  Silent tears streaming down her face, Jonas tried to force her sword to her. "Because you and everyone else messed up the plans that my father made with Noke, he turned on him and killed him! Then my Aunt Shinra! I am all that is left now! My father gave her to me!" Then she snarled as she pushed harder on the dog. "I am all that is left. I will do what he couldn't. I will rule all the lands in his name!"

  Pushing back and slinging her away from her, Kiara growled. "Get off of it! Your father let a wolf take him out because he isn't as strong as you think that he is. If he was as strong as you say he is, then he wouldn't have been taken out, but he was. And I am taking you out. What are you even doing here anyway?"

  Snarling as she took up a defensive stance, Jonas narrowed her eyes even more. "I didn't know where I was going to end up. I just knew that I wanted to start avenging my father and killing off those that tried to stand in his way. That was when I smelled you and the falcons with you. I figured that the three of you would be good targets. Even thought about targeting the half flacon first."

  Her eyes back to bleeding, Kiara flared her demonic and purification powers as she growled. "You were going to target my niece!?"

  "I was! Once less purification abomination in my way of finishing my father's plans! I would have loved taking her head!" But then just as she finished, she just barely had enough time to jump out of the way. Looking back with wide eyes to see the naginata slam into the ground making a whole and destroying the trees for a few dozen feet after it.

  As she looked up at her, Jonas flinched as a fear ran up her spine she hasn't ever had. Her eyes were fully bleed out. She was glowing. She never heard of eyes like that without the demon transforming. But it was the cold resolve to kill her that was in her eyes and scared her. 'What have I done?'

  X

  Landing on a tree between his father and uncle, Torakus glared about what he heard Jonas say about Akane. But then it was Kiara that made his eyes go wide. She was flaring everything that she had as high as it could go. Her eyes were fully bleed out. She should be transforming but for some reason she wasn't. "I know we just heard about how she wanted to try and kill one of us, but something she said just before that must have really pissed Kiara off."

  Nodding, Sanzo shivered as he hissed. He had grown used to Kiara's purification over the years. Even Yokiyo's didn't bother him. Imae's, Torakus's and Akane's never bothered him. But the way Kiara was doing right at the moment. It was sending the same sensations over him that he felt the first time that he met Yokiyo and she pinned him to the ground to save him from Kiyoshi. "One thing is for sure, this is not a good thing. I haven't felt pain from any of the purification from the South or the East since before Yokiyo was pregnant with Kiara."

  With a hiss himself, Atsana was more tense than the other two were. He had grown used to Imae's, and that of his niece and nephew. He could tolerate Kiara and Katana's to a point. But this was in a class all of itself. "I agree with that one. I have grown used to those here in the East. But this is rather unpleasant for me."

  Looking back and forth between his father and uncle, Torakus was a bit confused. He didn't feel anything. "What are the two of you talking about? I don't feel a thing right now."

  Crossing their arms, both Sanzo and Atsana turned on Torakus with crossed arms and a hiss making him flinch. "Lucky chick."

  X

  Attacking time and again, Kiara gave Jonas no room for an attack of her own. Her rage fuled her right now. Up until now she had managed to dodge or run from her attacks. But she was working like a normal human at the moment, and she was starting to slow. It would only be a matter of time before she got her. And with no mount to fly her away, it was inevitable.

  Then finally, Kiara saw her chance. She wouldn't be able to dodge it. Slamming her naginata down toward her, connecting with her sword and sending her flying back into a tree so hard it broke the tree and knocked the breath fully out of her. She was done. Walking toward her, Kiara growled. "By you showing up here today you saved me the trouble. I had every intention on hunting you down and taking your head to my mother. Did you really think that my father would let you anywhere near my mother when you attacked them?"

  Breathing hard as she tried to catch her breath, Jonas glared at the dog. Without her cat, and in the middle of the day. She wasn't going to get out of th is alive. She was dead soon as the dog got close enough to her. So she might as well say what she wants to say and get it done with. "Maybe. Your mother and sister, if you really want to call her that, are nothing but weak. Neither would have lived through any attempts on their lives if not for Kiyoshi and Sanzo. They deserve to die! All of you do. Down to that little half demon retch!"

  As she reached her, Kiara grabbed her by the throat, Kiara easily lifted her off of her ground and held her in the air. Turning she slammed her into another tree. "You bitch. First you attack me, then my mother. Show up at the North and demand my best friend and Cho. Then you think that you can attack me and then get to my niece. Haven't you learned that you can't win? You haven't won a single fight that you have had with anyone from the four lands."

  As the hand on her throat tightened, Jonas laughed as her eyes half closed. "Kill me or not, it makes no difference. I am sure that Noke will have his day. I want his head and his hide for killing my father. But I do hope that he makes your life hell before he kills you."

  "I wouldn't bet on it." With a growl, Kiara flexed her hand and took her head off, both her head and body dropping to the ground in a heap. Fueling her naginata with purification, she ran the blade through both and turned her to dust. "It's done." Taking a deep breath, Kiara blinked when she just now realized that Torakus had come back and was there with Sanzo and Atsana. Slinging the blood off of her blade, she turned and sighed as they dropped down around her. "It is now safe to say she won't be a problem anymore. And if what she said is true, Kenji and Shinra are no longer a problem either. Noke killed them both somehow."

  Nodding, Sanzo looked at the pile of ash as he crossed his arms. "Did she tell you why she was in the East in the first place?"

  "Basically. She said that shew as just searching, and smelled us and figured she would 'take the three of us out' and came after us. Not sure if that is the truth or not." Kiara sighed as she crossed her arms. "Though, she did say she was going to try and target Akane first when she smelled us. But I don't think that Imae needs to know that. Poor Akane will never get to leave the palace again."

  "I can agree with that. But I don't think that you really have much to worry about that. Imae won't restrict her like that." Taking a deep breath, Sanzo relaxed. "Come on let's get back to the palace."

  "One more thing Sanzo." Kiara turned and looked toward home, then turned back to Sanzo. "I think that I am going to head home now and let Father know what is going on, so that he can let Soichiro and Shone know too. Noke and Kenji were working together. Not sure what they were planning other than trying to overthrow us all. She said her father's main goal was to rule all the lands on his own. I have a feeling that at some point, that may be what Noke is going to want to try and doo."

  Nodding, Sanzo thought for a moment. "That is very possible. But, and I don't want to hear the whole 'I am not a pup anymore' lecture either Kiara. There isn't a soul alive who wants to make your mother mad when it comes to any of her pups and you know it. I am going to have Atsana escort you home."

  Rolling her eyes, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Dropping her h
ead she growled. "Fine. I really don't want to face Mother right now if I show up on my own either. Though….." She then looked up at Atsana and half smiled. "I do hope that you can keep up with me."

  Hissing at her, Atsana shook his head as he crossed his arms. "Don't worry about that one My Lady. Shall we?"

  Branching Out Chapter 134

  Looking up as she slid off of Seiji's back, Nyoko sighed with a small groan. Once they left the North, they didn't stop at all. And she was now more than a little sore all over. But as they started to walk toward the palace, she smiled. Forever more this was home now. Not just a place she visits to see her best friend. 'I guess it is time to start a brand new chapter in my life here with Seiji.'

  "Are you alright there Nyoko?"

  Turning and looking up into the amethyst eyes that still amazed her each and every time she looked into them, Nyoko smiled brightly. "Yes I am fine. A little sore from the ride home, but I am fine. I as just thinking."