"I wonder who he's writing." Kaito nodded towards the letter.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Suzume snatched it up off the table and scanned the beginning of it quickly. It was written in the formal scholar's script. Most women did not know the written word of men. Any court-raised girl knew the informal writing, for poetry and simple correspondence, but her mother had insisted she learn the forbidden characters, though Suzume protested learning it all the way. She was glad of those lessons now. The letter began with unimportant salutations, and blessings upon the emperor to whom she assumed the letter was being written though there was no address placed on it yet.
There is still no further sign of Princess Suzume. It weighs heavy on me to report that we believe she has perished at the hands of yokai, along with my lieutenant who was escorting her, though we found no remains. It was my error to send her away. Had I realized how vital her return was to you, I would have taken more careful action. I will accept any punishment you deem necessary. I beg of your mercy, and that you might forgive your humble servant. Our quest continues, nonetheless. I will not fail you again.
A hundred questions buzzed in her mind. Why was the emperor searching for her when he had exiled her? What was Daiki looking for on the emperor's behalf? Suzume glanced up and Daiki was standing in the doorway. Had he seen her reading his letter? She mentally shook herself. He would likely assume she could not read it. Suzume dropped the paper to the desk without a word as Daiki crossed the tent towards her. A heavy silence fell over the space.
"What were you doing?" he asked, his voice light but she felt a hint of danger in his tone.
"Are you hunting the dragon?" Suzume asked, nodding towards the sketch that Kaito had dropped onto the table when Daiki returned.
He followed her gaze to the sketch and then back to her and frowned. But it was quickly replaced by a smile, one that said he was hiding something. "That's nothing you need to worry about. I'll keep you safe." For the briefest moment, his eyes flickered in Kaito's direction before coming to rest on her once more.
Living in the White Palace had taught her how hide her true feelings. Outside she appeared unruffled, maybe even relieved. Inside her heart beat faster. She resisted the urge to glance in Kaito's direction. Suzume looked at Daiki once more, his round red face and beady eyes were just as she remembered. He had never seemed like one for politics or subterfuge, and yet she couldn't shake this feeling of unease.
She pressed forward with their plan. "It will be a relief once you find him. I barely escaped this time. I would not want him to come back for me," Suzume said past tight lips.
Daiki sighed and pinched his brow between thumb and forefinger. "If I had known the danger to you, I would have sent one of the warrior priests with you. You must have been terrified." He reached for her, but as he did Kaito growled and Daiki pulled away as if thinking better of it.
Suzume did look at Kaito this time. His eyes were trained on Daiki.
"Something the matter?" Daiki asked sweetly.
Her attention snapped back to Daiki. "You couldn't have known," she said with a melodramatic smile.
Daiki's eyes narrowed for a moment. "You are fortunate he did not devour you."
"He said I was too pretty to eat." She covered her face with her hands as if embarrassed about giving herself a compliment.
Kaito barked a laugh, and Daiki's eyes flickered that way once more. Before he said, "Of course, you are beautiful and I am sure that would be reason enough to spare your life. But yokai are known for consuming humans with powerful spiritual energy."
"I don't have any spiritual power, though I was sent to a temple to train as a priestess." She forced a laugh as the idea of her having any sort of power was ludicrous.
Kaito was sidling behind Daiki, his hands already half transformed into claws. Though Daiki body was facing towards her, his eyes were following Kaito as he stalked closer to him. His hand drifted to a sword at his side that Suzume had not seen before. Things were going to get ugly very quickly.
Suzume buried her head in her hands, pretending to be overwhelmed by emotion and let out a fake cry while she figured out what to do next. "It was awful, what he did to that temple, when he took me..." She choked on a pretend sob. When he did not reach out to comfort her, she grabbed his hand from across the table. "That's why I am so glad I found you again and I was able to escape from that monster."
His stare was cold and indifferent. Suzume slowly retracted her hand as his head turned towards where Kaito stood behind him, half monster half man.
"I know you're there dragon, show yourself," he said slowly.
Those who lived at the White Palace were masters of control. They only revealed what they wanted and only presented whatever face suited their purposes. Suzume's mistake had been assuming Daiki was a besotted fool. This was one of the emperor's most trusted men. She thought he reached his position through family connection, but she'd been the one who was played all along.
Kaito lunged for the general, claws bared, slashing into his flesh while Daiki fumbled to draw his blade before he attacked. Suzume reached for her staff, ready to join the fray, but Kaito shouted at her.
"Don't get in my way!" he snapped.
Daiki stood spinning in circles, looking for Kaito and tilting his head as if he were a blind man.
"Fight me like a man," Daiki said, squinting in the direction Suzume was facing.
Kaito stalked around him, and Daiki clutched onto his blade unable to see anything it seemed.
"You cannot even see me and yet you think you can defeat me?"
"You were a fool to enter here," Daiki said, lunging towards where he had last heard Kaito's voice. But Kaito stepped easily out of the way and Daiki tumbled forward falling onto the ground.
"Enough playing around, let's get the information we wanted and leave."
It was almost painful to watch Kaito taunt Daiki this way. Even though Daiki had used her, the dragon clearly overpowered him.
Kaito grabbed Daiki by the back of his hoari, dangling him in front of him, only then revealing his face.
"You are too full of pride, human."
"And you would have done better not to underestimate a human." Daiki smiled and just then vines burst out of the ground, wrapping themselves around Kaito's torso, binding him tightly in place.
Daiki was dropped to the ground. Suzume reached for her staff. As she did, a crowd of masked men poured into the room and grabbed her before she could draw her weapon.
Kaito roared her name as she was dragged out of the tent into the night.
12
As they dragged Suzume out, it only fanned the flames of his rage. It was one thing to draw them into a trap. It was another to take what belonged to him. The general smiled smugly at Kaito, proud of himself for capturing a dragon. The general was a child compared to him, and a fool if he thought these paltry bindings would hold him. The vines that bound his body were already covered in frost. Ice pulsated from his body and turned the vines which attempted to entrap him brittle, and they crumbled as he flexed outwards.
The vines crumbled, tinkling to the floor. Shards of ice fell all around him, and ice crept out from his footsteps as he approached the general. The smirk on his face melted like the ice that encrusted everything around him and the general stumbled backwards in his haste to escape.
Kaito delighted in seeing him squirm, like the wriggling insect he was. He would enjoy the chase and then he would make the arrogant human suffer for daring to challenge him.
His power was unfurling from within him, unwinding like a coil, forcing the transformation upon him. He assumed his true form, that of a giant serpentine creature, and as the numerous coils of his body grew they pressed against the fabric walls of the tent, causing it to burst apart at the seams, scattering the general's belongs along with it. Papers flew through the air before drifting to the ground. Kaito's storm clouds gathered in the sky pelting the paper. The black ink ran blurring into an unreadable mes
s.
The general had fallen back, and into his trap. Rin and the others who'd been guarding outside the tent were prepared for him. Kaito was surprised to see that the general had foreseen this as well, and a group of warrior priests were chanting as they shot blessed arrows at Rin, who had assumed her massive kitsune form. Tsuki, blade in hand, was hacking his way closer and closer to them, pushing his way through their ineffectual barriers. Noaki had appeared behind them, and with a swipe of his sword ended the lives of three of the warrior priests. Blood mixed with the rain falling from the sky, turning the mud crimson.
Kaito arrived in time for the fighting to be over and to discover that the general had gotten away. The remaining priests had retreated, but this was only a moment's reprieve. Their battle had only just begun. As soon as he rejoined the others, Rin looked to him waiting for orders. In her true form: a large white fox, feet tipped with flames, red markings on her red fur, and numerous tails whipping behind her, she was quite imposing.
"Should I go and retrieve her, master?" she asked in her rumbling voice. She had changed since he had last known her. The Rin he knew was a trickster, full of smiles. Subservient yes, but not a warrior. She'd grown stronger since he'd been sealed. But he didn't need her assistance. He would retrieve the priestess on his own.
"That won't be necessary," he growled.
Things had changed while he had slept - the world, Rin, and himself. Kaito had never been the type to make these types of errors. How had not seen the trap for what it was? Before Kazue had sealed him, he had been a master of strategy, always two steps ahead of his enemies. But he had been blinded once again by Kazue. He was so desperate to find out more about the man with a piece of Kazue's soul that he had not considered the general until it was too late. He would not make the same mistake twice.
While Rin had leapt up, ready to fight for him, Tsuki was wiping the blood of his blade as if Kaito was not there at all. The siblings and Noaki's continued presence near Suzume bothered him. It had been at their insistence that they send Suzume in. Kaito narrowed his eyes, watching them, but Tsuki was absorbed in cleaning his weapon. Only Noaki met his gaze, but his impassive stare gave nothing away.
When he looked away, Noaki scanned across the camp. His eyes grazed over the nearby tents, perhaps searching for Suzume's spiritual energy. But Kaito could feel her. Like a flickering candle in a dark room, he could spot her anywhere. After a few moments of silent scrutiny, Noaki turned to Kaito. "Something is shielding her energy."
Kaito searched again for Suzume's energy and was surprised to find it had disappeared entirely, as if someone had snuffed out the candle. The thought sent a ripple of momentary fear through him. She's not that easy to kill, this is all part of their plan. Kaito was preparing to launch himself into the sky once more, but Tsuki's words stopped him.
"We can find her," Tsuki said to his father.
"You've done enough," Kaito growled.
Tsuki turned towards Kaito as if seeing him for the first time. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It was your idea to bring her here. Do you think I could trust you with finding her?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to go in the first place?"
"And I wanted to go alone." He glared at Tsuki, who held his stare.
There was no use wasting any more time arguing. His annoyance at Tsuki was outweighed by his fear for Suzume.
"I don't need you slowing me down." Kaito snarled, turning he prepared to take off.
Akira's words stopped him. "This happened because you continue to underestimate humanity. That has always been your weakness."
Kaito spun towards her, teeth bared, and lunged for her throat, his jaws just ghosting around her neck. "Do no question me further." He growled again.
Tsuki came back into view and grabbed a hold of the hilt of his blade. "You are not our master."
Rin turned on Tsuki and growled low in her throat like a dog protecting its owner.
Everything was falling apart, and every moment they wasted was another that their larger quest was put at risk. He didn't need them.
"As I said before, either you obey me or your leave." Kaito launched himself into the sky, not bothering to wait for their response.
Kaito slithered through the sky. He did not bother to cloak his spiritual energy, but let the gathering clouds mask him instead. As his temper had risen, so had a storm arrived summoned by his anger, and his need to unleash his wrath. Inside him a storm was raging: over his error in letting Suzume go, his lack of control over the others. They all boiled inside him and were pressing against his skin needing release.
Tents lit up like bonfires in the night courtesy of Rin's fox fire. Despite his order to stand down, she was following along, causing a diversion. Soldiers shouted as they rushed to go and put out the flames and this was his chance to unleash his power upon them. The ice poured out of him like a great sheet. Soldiers running towards the fires could not avoid the deadly shafts of his ice, and were impaled. A few turned and held up shields. Before they could regroup, and attempt a return attack, Kaito flew higher and out of range.
Using the clouds to hide him, Kaito listened for their shouts, trying to detect their positions but his rage had brought unexpected hindrance and the sky burst open with thick sheets of rain that hammered down on his skin and drowned out all other sound. His anger was overwhelming his control, but he reveled in the feeling, having too long held onto his anger at the humans. This was his revenge. Against humanity which had spread like a disease across the land. Against Kazue who had trapped him in stone. In that moment he forgot about Suzume and could only think of unleashing his anger.
He dipped below the clouds and swooped closer to the tents, preparing to unleash another attack. But as he drew closer, a bevy of arrows was fired towards him and Kaito twisted out of the way, his serpentine body coiling in the sky. One stray arrow hit its mark, embedding itself into his underbelly. Fiery pain radiated outward from the wound. The arrow had been imbued with spiritual energy. He had found his missing priests.
Using the clouds as cover once again, he hovered over the camp, spreading out his senses and searching for the priests who had struck him. These were the same damn fools who had tried to ground him the last time he'd come across the general's army. A multitude of mundane human energies attempted to cloud and confuse him. You cannot run from me. Kaito waited, weeding through the sheer volume of bodies in his minds eye until he found them, and there in the middle was a bright beacon of energy, at least twice as powerful as those around him. This had to be the man who held a piece of Kazue's soul inside him.
He would rip Kazue's soul from his chest if that's what it took. He flew lowe,r searching for him. Then just as quickly as he had located the priest, his energy disappeared, masked once more. Kaito dropped even lower. If he could not lock onto his energy, then he would find him visually. But as soon as he appeared from beneath the clouds, more arrows were flying in his direction. They ricocheted off his hide, as if they were nothing at all. The priest had not risked exposing himself to shoot, not while Kaito had him on the run. He had felt Kaito's probing and knew he was after him.
The dragon scanned the camp, searching for him, but the scurrying bodies beneath him all looked the same. He flew higher, half his body coiled in the clouds, and his head peeking out. He would not leave himself vulnerable to attack while he searched. But the arrow that already struck him was throbbing with pain. It felt as if thousand tiny fingers were creeping through his body, touching on every nerve then alighting with agony. He pushed the pain aside, focusing instead of his task. He would find this man.
Through the crowd, which was rushing one direction or another, he spotted him. One single man dressed from head to toe in black with a quiver of arrows on his back was running away from the fighting. Kaito gave pursuit through the sky, his gaze fixed on the fleeing priest. The pain was becoming more of a distraction, his abdomen was seizing, muscles twitching. Without realizing it, he was flying
lower. The priest turned to face him and suddenly all he could see was green eyes flashing in the darkness. Kaito stopped, a wicked grin on his face. He had him now.
The priest drew his bow and shot another arrow before Kaito had time to maneuver. His movements were too slow from the first spiritual arrows effect. Kaito roared with pain, as the second arrow punctured his shoulder. The sky thundered his displeasure and lightning flashed across the clouds, illuminating the ground below. The man turned and disappeared between a couple of tents out of Kaito's sight once more. Then a group of soldiers scurried out in his place, bows and arrows at the ready.
With his target priest out of the way, there was nothing stopping him from unleashing his power against these fools who attempted to attack him. He showered them in spears of ice. The soldiers were struck by ice but did not stop, they merely burst into puffs of smoke. Kaito roared in frustration just as arrows came flying from every direction all at once.
One of the arrows caught him on the side, and another on one of his legs. The pain doubled and tripled with each strike. Kaito spun for a moment in the sky, thrashing about, trying to remove the arrows that felt as if they were tearing him apart from the inside. This wasn't possible. The other warrior priests shouldn't have been strong enough to hit him. Unless the powerful priest had blessed their arrows. Focusing on anything other than the pain was impossible. When he reached back around to try and remove one of the arrows with his mouth his whiskers brushed against it and they sparked, burned by the holy energy imbued in the wood. He caught a glimpse of an ofuda wrapped around the shaft, and his suspicions were confirmed.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 46