Kaito roared as the energy burned through his flesh, spreading like a disease inside of him. He lost control of his limbs as the spiritual energy of the arrows sapped away all his strength. He lost altitude and then he fell into a cascading tumble to the ground where he slammed into the mud. His limbs were frozen in place, trapped by the power of the arrows.
Kaito raised his head and saw a figure walking towards him. In the gloom of the falling rain it appeared to be a woman. Kaito blinked hard, not willing to believe what he saw as Kazue came closer. But as the figure closed in Kazue's form melted away and in her place was a man dressed all in black. His bright green eyes blazing in the gloom.
Kaito resisted the urge to jump up and attack him, and instead laid very still on the ground, waiting for the priest to get close enough. The man approached and when he was within reach Kaito reached out, grabbing him by the ankle and bringing the man tumbling onto the ground. He wrestled with him for just a moment, each taking turns on top before the man got the upper hand. All Kaito could see in the gloom was the glow of his green eyes. As he straddled the dragon, the man suddenly froze.
Kaito took his chance and lunged forward, knocking his head into the other man's head. It knocked him backwards where he fell to the ground. Kaito gave pursuit but before he could catch him the priest spoke a quick chant, flinging an ofuda at him, which froze him in place. The man stood just a few feet away panting. His eyes were still glowing that ethereal green. Rain from the storm Kaito had called down fell onto the both of them. Inside Kaito was raging. I'll tear him limb from limb once I break free.
The man took a step toward Kaito, raised his bow, and pointed an arrow at his chest. Kaito attempted to unfurl his power to break through the man's spell but the holy energy only bound him tighter, squeezing against his own yokai energy.
Kaito stared into the eyes of his would be killer. Was this how it ended? With an arrow through the heart by a mere human?
13
They dragged Suzume out of the tent and as she clawed and kicked against her captors, the sound of Kaito's growls echoed through the night. His power flooded out of him, pulsing through her, raising the sparks along her skin in response. Her captors, being mere copies of the original, did not so much as flinch as they carried her away from an angry dragon. She had to get a hold of herself. Looking in control even when you weren't gave you the advantage more than anything else. Losing control meant losing the game, and she only played to win. Suzume took a few deep breaths, calming her mind and giving herself a chance to reassess her situation. But her mind was racing, the world she thought she knew had just come crashing down around her. Daiki had tricked her? The emperor was looking for her? Kaito had fallen into a trap.
Despite the growing panic within her, Suzume steadied her steps and walked without a struggle. The copies brought her to the center of the room, before taking a step back and standing as sentries at the door. She left her expression blank to prepare for Daiki's inevitable arrival. She knew what role she had to play. This was not over and there was still more she could learn. Kaito could take care of himself. Outwardly she might have looked unafraid, unflappable, but inside a hundred different questions crowded to be asked first. What does Daiki want with me?
The minutes ticked by and Daiki did not come for her. Her foot tapped of its own volition, and she abruptly stopped looking at the blank-eyed copies who did not care if she was fidgeting. I should just attack them and look for Daiki on my own. But she did not follow through with that thought, and instead tried to keep herself still by kneeling beside a table at the center of the room. Her fingers drummed on the tabletop, giving away her agitation.
Suddenly the tent flap opened and Daiki walked in. Suzume gave him a withering look as he entered, as if she was not his captive and remained his superior. She would continue to play the part of princess. This role had protected her in a dangerous place like the White Palace and it could protect her here. The only thing that had changed, was she knew Daiki's motives now. Which only gave her the advantage.
"What is the meaning of this? How did the dragon follow me?" She demanded. By speaking first she took control of their conversation.
"Don't worry, you are safe now." He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I never would have dreamed..." He shook his head before correcting himself, "I never thought... That is, we didn't know he would come after you." He put too much emphasis on the last word, like Suzume was nothing. He too was trying to grasp at a persona that gave him comfort -- she doubted she was the first person to fall for this act.
Curiously Daiki continued to stand over her. If she stood now it would lack grace and it would acknowledge his superior position in the room. So she remained sitting but her words were laced with poison as she said, "Are you saying I was bait?"
He waved his hands in front of him to dismiss the accusation. His cheeks were flushed. Either he really was a bumbling idiot, or one of the best actors she'd ever seen. "That is not it, I just thought you were Izume's daughter, nothing more..."
"I thought I meant more to you," she said with a fake pout. She couldn't resist. She was under no illusions about his feelings now. But neither of them were willing to give up the act just yet.
"If I had known you were one of them I would never have let you out of my sight," he snapped, revealing too much in the process.
Suzume's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. Her gaze flickered towards the black clad clones. Others like her, like the man she had met in the forest. "Like them?" she repeated, fearing she'd be the one to give too much away.
He dropped his hands and stared at her, there was no use pretending anymore. As they stood emotionally bare, they came to a silent understanding.
"Did you really think I would marry you, after your mother was disgraced? Your very paternity has been brought into question. You and all your siblings. I cannot marry a girl of questionable birth," he said bluntly.
When last they had met, she did believe that, and that was the sad part. Maybe it had been naive to believe he was in love with her.
"Then what did you want from me?" she asked. Her temper was rising and along with it that tingling feeling, which meant her powers were going haywire.
Daiki shook his head, as if she was an idiot for not seeing it from the start. "You really thought I loved you? I knew you for the snake you were the moment I met you. And had you not fallen so low, you would have made the perfect wife. You're just like you mother."
The insult stung, but Suzume didn't let it show on her face. Instead she sat very still, letting him tighten the noose around his neck.
"All you were ever good for was gaining connection with your grandfather and his clan. Everyone knew his influence came from your mother's marriage to the emperor." He laughed again at some joke that was meant for him alone.
Suzume grit her teeth and dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Hold your tongue, let him spill the truth.
"After your mother shamed your family, your grandfather's star fell. And now it's me who they come begging favors from because I have the powerful connections now."
His belly shook as he laughed at his own joke. Rain hammered on the tent in a sudden downpour. Outside Kaito roared. He had broken free of his bonds it seemed and was searching for her most likely. It wouldn't be long before he came to save her, but before he did, she had to know.
"My grandfather was looking for me?"
"Among others, and now I can see why."
Suzume's hands were suddenly very clammy, she wanted to wipe them on the front of her clothes, but that would not be very princess-like. Not that it really mattered anymore, since she'd been exposed. Daiki knew she was not the shy, innocent girl she had pretended to be, just as he was not the bumbling fool he pretended to be.
"Why is the emperor looking for me?" she asked.
"You know why."
"Because I am looking for you," a voice purred by her ear.
Suzume turned slowly. The room felt as if it w
as spinning. Even as she turned around she tried to convince herself that this wasn't real, that it was all a dream. Hisato grinned at her as their eyes met. His eyes were dark and bottomless, swirling with chaos and danger. Seeing him here beside Daiki was like finding a bug in your soup. This was a place that held echoes of the person she had been, a life she had been ripped from. But here he was sitting down beside her, a strange juxtaposition of round and red Daiki. Hisato filled the room with his presence, with his insane yet charismatic smile, and his relaxed posture, as if this was exactly where he belonged. She felt like she was tipping sideways and slipping into some form of alternate reality. This could not be real. Daiki and Hisato working together. Hisato and the emperor? Two worlds that had been firmly separate in her mind were suddenly colliding.
"What are you doing here?" Suzume asked, the words flying from her mouth before she could stop them. She could not stop the fire that prickled along her skin, a warning of danger, and a defense she could not use against Hisato, unless she wanted to get burned in return.
"I missed you, Suzume." Hisato leaned across the table, brushing his hand over the back of her hand which was dancing with flames. Suzume felt the pain reflected in her own fingertips where his had touched her, a warning of what would happen if she tried something reckless.
"It is true then, you are a witch," Daiki said, and she heard the note of fear in his voice.
Suzume did not want to take her eyes off Hisato, and said to Daiki with looking at him, "And you were a two-faced liar."
"You wench." Daiki reeled his hand back, smacking her so hard she was knocked backwards onto the ground.
The fire inside her could not be contained any longer. It encircled her like a halo of flame, surrounding her as she glared at Daiki. The general loomed over her with hatred and fear in his eyes.
"Even when you've fallen this low, you think to look down on me?"
He stalked closer to her, as if he would strike her again but before he could touch her, something burst from the front of his chest. It glistened with a dark substance, and a stain spread out across his haori. Daiki looked down at the foreign object protruding from his chest. Blood dripped from the tip of it, landing in his upturned hand. Hisato came out from behind Daiki, blocking Suzume's view.
"Why?" Daiki gurgled.
Hisato titled his head to the side as he regarded Daiki. "You've made too many mistakes, general. And now you threaten me? It cannot be forgiven."
Daiki sputtered, spitting blood onto Hisato's face, which he wiped away with a smirk. Holding out his hand, a ball of black energy formed, then elongated and contorted, turning into a blade dark as midnight, which seemed to absorb all light around it. Hisato held up the blade and plunged it into Daiki with a sick wet noise.
Suzume stared at the lifeless body of her one time betrothed, lying on the ground in growing pool of his own blood. Sightless eyes stared at her in accusation. Numb with shock, she could not take her eyes off his slack expression or the blood spatter on his face. Daiki is dead?
There was no more logical thought left in her. Suzume jumped up and ran for the door, but the copies of the masked man held out their arms, stopping her in her tracks. She spun around searching for another exit, even if she had to cut through the tent walls to do so. But Hisato was there, arms outstretched as if he would invite her into his embrace.
"Don't even think about running," he said as he stalked closer to her as Suzume. She backed away, her heart ramming against her rib cage as if it would burst out of her chest at any moment. "You cannot run. My soldiers will stop you."
"When I tell them you killed Daiki..."
"But I am right here, Suzume." Hisato shifted forms, taking on the face of Daiki, his face flushed and breathing heavy. If his corpse hadn't been a few feet away, she would have been convinced he was the real thing.
"Why?" She choked on Daiki's last word. It was mixed with bile at the back of her throat.
"He put something precious to me in danger." Hisato reached out, attempting to place his hand against her cheek, but the flames sparking on her skin kept him away. Suzume could feel the heat of her flames reflected in her skin. As if whatever bond that held them together before had only gotten stronger. It made his point: hurt Suzume and you hurt Hisato. He transformed back into his usual form, smirking at her.
"Now where did we leave off?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, that's right. You played a nasty trick on me back on the mountain top," he purred.
"I thought you'd enjoy that. You like games, don't you?" she said, but her voice shook as her eyes kept drifting to Daiki's dead body.
Hisato looked to the side, seeing how it was distracting her. He snapped his fingers and a black void opened up beneath Daiki's body. It slid head first into the portal before tumbling head over heels into the darkness below. Once he was gone, not even a stain from his blood remained.
Hisato's dark eyes were trained on her. "I've missed your smart mouth, Suzume." He pressed his finger to her lips. "You know I do these things to protect you, don't you?"
"Is this where you say: hurting you hurts me?" She knocked his arms down using a maneuver Tsuki had taught her. She turned and fled for the nearest tent wall, hands aflame. She'd burn her way out if she had to.
But Hisato was there before she could even try, blocking her path. "We're meant to be together, Suzume. I wanted you to come to me but we're running out time."
"What do you mean, running out of time?" Panic suddenly seized her chest but the feeling felt foreign as if it belonged to someone else entirely.
"They know about us. I can protect you from them. If you'll join me."
"And by them you mean the emperor? Is that the lie you told Daiki to get him to your side?"
"It wasn't a lie, Suzume. The emperor knows about your power and he wants it."
She shook her head. "I can take care of myself."
He shook his head mirroring her."Life cannot be sustained on its own, the fox eats the bird, the bird eats the worm, the worm eats the remains of both the fox and bird. It is vanity that makes you think you can be without me. No one can understand what sleeps inside you but me."
Suzume balled her hand into a fist and looked Hisato in the eye as she said, "Feel free to underestimate me. It will make defeating you so much easier." Suzume focused her energy on her fist, and to her surprise a ball of fire erupted in her hand. She unleashed it towards Hisato, half hoping it would hit it's mark and half fearing it would.
He dodged her attack with ease, laughing all the while. "Oh, my dear Suzume, you are so predictable."
She spun around and Hisato was behind her. "I'll do it again." She tried to focus her power to create another ball of flame, but it did not come. She balled her hand into a fist instead.
"You act without thinking, just like your element. You burn with anger, impatience. You embody all of Kazue's impulsiveness."
"I am not Kazue."
"You're correct, but she is in you, waiting to consume you. You took her heart into you and Kazue is greedy. She will not stop until she has all of you. Unless you can learn to harness her power first. Which is what I can teach you." He held out his hand again, as if she would take it and join him.
"You're lying. Kazue is gone. I watched her energy disappear." Even as she said this, she thought back to Noaki, who could not be parted from her because of Kazue's heart.
"You watched the memories of Kazue trapped in that heart burn up. But what made up Kazue continues to live on. She will draw us all to you, until she has reunited her soul and is reborn in you."
A harsh wind blew in through the tent door and rain blew in with it, falling onto the floor as a man entered dressed all in black. He was not another replica like what had been guarding the door, but the original. His eyes were a blazing green, unlike anything she had seen before.
"What perfect timing," he said to the man with a smile. "Suzume there's someone I want to introduce to you." He motioned towards the man who had not moved from the
doorway.
Suzume was trapped between the two of them, the man in black, dripping silently on the floor, and Hisato whose laughter was dark and terrible.
"I assume you finished it?" Hisato asked him.
A cold chill ran down her spine. "Finished what?" Suzume asked eyes darting between the two of them.
Hisato smiled at her maniacally. "Killing the dragon."
14
"It is done," the masked man said to Hisato.
Suzume hands were sparking with flames now, an all encompassing rage suddenly bubbled up within her. Hisato had tried before to convince Suzume to seal Kaito once more. And it seemed he had manipulated this man into doing his bidding. She strained to listen for the sound of Kaito's roar but heard nothing but the hammering of rain falling on the tent. Now even that was letting up. Was it fading as Kaito's power faded with it?
Hisato looked at Suzume with a grin. "Now there is nothing left for you. Join me."
She was consumed by a sudden urge to destroy. The urge was so powerful she did not even consider her own wellbeing and launched herself in Hisato's direction, slamming her hands into Hisato's chest. The blow knocked Hisato back and the rebound toppled Suzume backwards as well, knocking the masked man over in the process. She and the masked man landed on the ground in a pile, and as soon as their bodies collided she felt it: an explosion of fire from deep in her gut bursting out from inside her, and out every inch of her. A bright red stream of her power swirled out of her, and headed straight for the man beneath her, whose every pore was seeping with green energy. Their energies collided together, commingling and becoming something else entirely. An almost humanoid shape hovered above them, like a blob with small appendages for arms and legs.
When Hisato got back to his feet, a trail of blood dribbled from his lip. The energy she and the masked man had created transformed into a shaft, slamming into Hisato's chest and his left shoulder, tearing into his flesh and severing the arm at the joint. Suzume clenched, prepared for the reflection of pain in herself but found nothing. The energy kept moving through Hisato, burning a hole in the cloth wall of the tent and scattering papers everywhere as Hisato crumpled onto the ground like a broken doll.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 47