"Where did the dragons come from?" Tsuki asked as he strolled over to her, his arms slung behind his back. He casually watched the priests running to grab weapons. Noaki and Rin were a few steps behind him.
She clenched her staff tighter. Her mind was made up. "I think they're the same dragons who attacked us on the river," Suzume said.
She didn't want to consider what a fool she'd been before. Of course it wasn't Kaito. He wanted nothing to do with her. If she hadn't interfered during the earlier attack, then the city wouldn't be in danger now. But she could fix this.
Rin had already transformed into her massive kitsune form. "Are we certain it isn't Kaito?"
"It isn't," Noaki said, his eyes turned up toward the sky.
Ryuu stopped giving commands to walk over to them. In his hand he was gripping his sword. When it was close to Suzume she could feel the spiritual energy radiating off of it. This was not some manmade blade, which only reinforced her belief that he was not what he appeared. But questions of that nature would have to be for another time.
He seemed at ease despite the chaos around him, and he looked over Tsuki, Noaki and Rin. "I don't remember letting you free."
"We heard there was a fight. We thought it might be fun." Tsuki flashed him a smile.
Ryuu's expression didn't change and she feared that he would try and seal them again.
She stepped between her friends and Ryuu, her arms outstretched to draw attention to herself. "They attacked you because I asked. If you want to punish anyone, then punish me."
Ryuu's stared at her for a moment, and she got the sensation that he was seeing into her soul. She stared back at him, not willing to back down.
"Can I trust you to not turn on me this time?"
"I think this time we're on the same side," she replied, with a defiant tilt of her head.
It seemed to be enough for Ryuu, for now. He nodded. "They can join the ground forces." He pointed to Noaki and Tsuki. "You and Rin follow me."
Suzume nodded to Noaki and Tsuki and then chased after a battalion of soldiers who were going out into the city, presumably to stop the stampede of people who were shouting and fleeing from the attack of the dragons. Every few minutes they heard a crash as ice was flung at a building or a roof collapsed under the weight of an attack.
Ryuu led their group out of the courtyard and down the winding city streets. The town was like a maze in itself, and with the additional chaos of the attack, they had to navigate around panicked villagers trying to escape. Suzume would have gotten lost straight away without Ryuu to guide them.
He led them to a nearby hilltop, where they could see the village sprawl from above. The dragons were moving through the village, destroying with abandon. Watching the devastation from a distance, Suzume felt suddenly helpless. What could they do against these agents of chaos? Then Suzume heard a song drifting on the wind. She didn't so much hear it as she felt it. The energy was alive, blowing across the entire village. The waves along the coast were crashing against the shore and the clouds gathered overhead were crackling with energy that flashed against the gray sky. The hairs on her arms stood on end just to hear it. At the same time, it awoke the craving within her. She wanted the power. To breathe in the wind and let it fill her. She wanted that power to complete the part of her that wasn't quite whole.
The overwhelming desire became so great, Suzume had to cover her ears with her hands just to block it out. But her eyes were hungry to find the source, and she scoured the horizon until they came to rest upon the old man. He was perched on the eve of a house, his robes flapping around him in the center of the maelstrom. His gray hair flowing like a banner behind him. And the wind seemed to circle outward from him.
The power within him spoke to her. The song called forth the wind and it buffeted against the dragons who were being drawn toward them, directed by the current of the strong wind they could not escape. Instead of fighting it, the dragons rode the wind, on a collision course with Suzume and the priests.
Lightning cracked through the sky and the clouds opened up. Rain poured down upon her and the feeling of overwhelming flames within her calmed. Her clothes were quickly soaked but she couldn't help but smile. Because with the rain she could think clearer. I can do this, I can control the power.
The dragons were almost close enough now that she could see the whites of their eyes. I can control it, she chanted in her head. The rain was already starting to let up and in a few moments she would unleash the full fury of her flames.
"Get ready." Ryuu raised his hand, telling them to hold. The priests notched their arrows.
Flames sparked to life on her palms, and a ball of fire formed there just from her command. The old man was right, she could control it. And then she heard it, that familiar laughter.
Do you think you can control her? Hisato's voice taunted in her head.
She shook away the thought. It was just her own self-doubt. He couldn't be here.
I am a part of you, Suzume, or have you forgotten? She felt it, the brush of a hand inside her skull. Her pupils dilated. When she had taken Hisato's power inside of her, a part of him had remained. She'd been able to forget about it until now. But he had chosen the worst possible moment to reveal himself.
"Now!" Ryuu shouted.
The warrior priests unleashed their holy arrows, firing them at the dragons who weaved out of the way. The arrows flew in a useless arc past them. Rin shot her own fiery balls at the dragons, but they retaliated with their ice. Suzume was frozen in place, too afraid to move.
You are only meant to destroy. Embrace it. Hisato's voice purred inside her head.
Suzume tried to put out the flame in her hand, but she couldn't stop it. It was as if an invisible string was pulling her along. The dragons were upon them now and one of their icy projectiles was headed straight for her. The flames burst out of her, from every inch of her, creating a flaming barrier which repelled even her companions. It melted the ice before it could even touch her, and the dragons reeled away from her, afraid of her fire.
Hisato had control of her now and it wasn't like when Kazue took control of her body. She was aware of each step she took toward the edge of the hillside. She was putting herself in clear view of the dragons.
"Suzume get back," Ryuu shouted at her.
But she could not heed his call. Hisato used her like a puppet and used her flames to shoot several quick blows at the dragons, taking no concern for the homes nearby. The dragons dodged most of them, and her fire caught onto the roofs of nearby buildings and trees. The city would be in a blaze if she couldn't get control soon.
The dragons circled, ignoring even the holy arrows which the priests continued to fire. One dragon in particular came barreling toward her. She shot her flame at him, and though he tried to avoid her fire he couldn't get away fast enough and the flames leaped along his side. Another came to his aid as he lost altitude, but that second one was hit as well. They came crashing to the ground.
Suzume struggled against Hisato's control. She screamed futilely inside her head. She may as well be paralyzed as he marched her toward the fallen dragon. It stared up at her with horrified eyes. And then with a flick of her fingers he erupted into flames. His agonized screams shook her to the core as she was forced to watch him writhing on the ground as the fire consumed him.
The dragon she had partially burned came toward her, and Suzume turned to face him with hands raised as if she would embrace him. Before he could land a blow, she shot another fiery projectile at him. He rolled out the way, but just barely.
"Give my message to The Dragon," Suzume said, her voice booming with power. "Tell him if he comes near me again, he will suffer the same fate as this creature." She pointed to the burning dragon who'd been reduced to nothing more than a smoldering carcass. This was the true strength of her power.
The dragon signaled to his companion and the two of them flew away together.
Why are you doing this? Suzume said to Hisato.
Hisato laughed inside her head. You ran away, but you still want him to save you. Either you destroy the dragon or I will for you.
And then just as quickly as he had appeared, Hisato was no longer inside her head. Suzume collapsed to her knees. Rin rushed to her side, but kept back. The fire was dying away from Suzume's body as the rain fell from up above. The priests and even Ryuu hovered around her in a circle as if they were all afraid to touch her. The stink of burning flesh mixed with wet earth and made her want to gag.
"Kazue, what have you done?" Rin asked her. She did not disguise the horror from her voice.
Suzume's fingers clawed into the earth. They thought Kazue had taken over her again. And perhaps it was better if they thought that. Because she had done this to herself by taking in Hisato's power. By being greedy to be stronger. She'd been trying to run away from it for so long, but there was nowhere she could run that Hisato couldn't find her. He was a part of her. At least when Kazue took control of her, she could blame her actions on her.
What would they think if they knew Hisato could take over her body? They'd never trust her again. This would have to be a secret she kept to herself until she could find a way to break his control over her.
Wet footsteps on the grass approached her. Suzume did not even want to raise her head to look at them. But she could feel his presence. A part of her cried out to him, aching to be reunited. She stared at him through the wet curtain of her hair. The old man held his hand out to her.
"Come, it's time."
Suzume took his outstretched hand. It was time. Either she learned how to control it or either Kazue or Hisato would consume her.
26
When Kaito landed in the courtyard of his palace, he found several of his dragons waiting for him. They ran toward him as he landed. He'd watched the fight from afar, until the storm had made visibility impossible. The only consolation was if he still could not approach the village, that meant Suzume yet lived. But he didn't know how much longer she would be. His brother was out for blood and Suzume wasn't strong enough to fight him. He needed reinforcements and now.
"All of you go to the village and stop this foolish attack." Kaito threw his arm out toward the village, as he strode over to them. There were probably a few more dragons loitering around the palace. He'd need them all to stop Jirou and the others who had joined him.
The pair who'd run toward him lowered their heads in shame. He was already in a dark mood, and being disobeyed only made his anger greater.
"What is this? I gave an order!" he roared. Thunder rumbled overhead as he spoke. But it wasn't his thunder, he could sense that. Something else had called down this storm. But he didn't have time to investigate, nor did he care.
The two dragons shared a look as if goading one another into speaking.
The younger of the two dragons, Kenji, spoke. He tried to give Kaito a defiant look, but Kaito’s glare forced him to drop his gaze to the ground as he spoke. "Why are you trying to stop the attack? The village has been nothing but trouble lately." His face was burned from forehead to neck, where holy fire had struck him.
Though Jirou would never admit it, Kaito knew that he had instigated the attack which had gotten Kenji burned. And yet the young dragon still blamed the humans. Kaito had underestimated their loyalty to Jirou. At first he had thought it just a few outliers, but as the two continued to stand before him ignoring his command, he realized he was losing control—if he'd ever had it at all.
He should tear them apart limb by limb for their insubordination, just to make an example of what happened to those who disobeyed him. Before he could punish them, however, two dragons came careening into the courtyard still in their dragon form. At their head was Jirou. There was a burn along his side, and he stank of spiritual energy. It served him right, but seeing the extent of his injuries it was difficult to believe Suzume had done such a thing.
The other dragons rushed to Jirou’s aid, but Kaito's snarl stopped them in their tracks. They hovered over him and his companion, the she-dragon, Chihiro, instead. They stared wide-eyed at the burns covering both their bodies. Chihiro collapsed onto the ground and could not move.
"See to her." Kaito nodded to Kenji and the other dragon and they rushed forward to check her wounds.
"What have you done?" Kaito growled, coming to stand before his brother.
"I did what you wouldn't," his brother spat. He could not maintain a human visage and remained in dragon form. Even though his true form was ten times Kaito's current size, he couldn't help but think how small Jirou seemed. A petty, vain creature who'd put the lives of those who trusted him at risk, all to make Kaito appear the fool.
"You nearly got yourself killed, as I said you would."
"She killed Kenta," Jirou growled and tried to rise up to look imposing, but he couldn't even keep himself upright. Rage burned in Jirou's gaze. A part of Kaito wanted to ask what happened to the priestess, but that would reveal too much. It seemed impossible that Suzume could do such a thing, but he couldn't deny she was close by. There was no other explanation as to why he couldn't approach the village.
"This is why I told you not to go." Kaito raised his hand as if he would strike his brother. To his credit Jirou glared up at him, braced for a blow. Kaito didn't strike him, but his anger had made him lose control of his form, and his scales came to the surface, his hands were tipped with claws.
Striking him out of anger would prove nothing, and he turned to walk away. Where was Ai? She was supposed to stop Jirou. He would have to find her and get the answers from her mouth.
"How many more of your men must die before you see the truth?" his brother called after him.
Kaito rounded on him and walked up to his brother bearing teeth like a ferocious beast. "I see perfectly. My brother cannot grasp the order of things and you got one of our own killed."
"It is you who is blinded by your love of that woman."
There was an audible gasp from the dragons around the courtyard. More had come from within the palace, perhaps sensing the rising tension of Kaito and Jirou's spiritual energy. His brother rose up off the ground, still in dragon form. Kaito froze, anger turning his skin to ice. In fact, ice was radiating out from where he stood, freezing over the entire courtyard, his brother included who, in his weakened state, could do little to fight the ice which was slowly encasing him and would suffocate him. He should kill him now, where he stood, and end this insubordination. Before Kaito was sealed, he wouldn't have questioned it even for a moment. But there were so few of the first children left, it felt like a crime to kill his own kin.
"You let one woman trick you and now you're letting your love for another blind you," Jirou hissed. He was testing Kaito's mercy.
Kaito tightened his grip and the ice encasing Jirou was covering everything but his brother's nostrils. A few more inches and he'd lose all of his air supply. All the eyes in the courtyard were on him, holding their breath, waiting to see what he would choose. He could not decide what was worse, letting him live and let him challenge him or the guilt of having killed his kin.
In the end he let go of the ice strangling his brother. The ice broke apart around him and Jirou fell onto the ground, no longer able to keep himself upright.
"I have no love for humans," Kaito said and gazed at everyone around him, to make certain they understood his words.
"Prove it and kill that woman," Jirou said. His voice was raw and hoarse, and still he taunted Kaito.
Kaito glared at him. He couldn't kill Suzume even if he wanted to. But if they knew she had command over him, then it really would be over.
"I will not make your fool’s mistake and attack unprepared." Kaito gestured to the half-repaired courtyard, and the meager few dragons who would stand as his army. Surely all of them would have witnessed the threat the humans caused. And as the injuries and deaths mounted, Kaito could see this wasn't a problem he could ignore anymore. "I will not risk more lives. We must plan. We need a strategy."
"Don't use your words to twist your true intent. You want to spare her. But I looked into her eyes, she wants you dead."
This had to be his brother's trick, to seed more doubt. "Enough!" Kaito roared.
But Jirou would not listen. "She gave me a message for you. She said if you come near her again, she'll destroy you."
Kaito balled his hand into a fist at his side. He didn't want to expose his anger and hatred to them. The message brought him back to the moment she'd placed this damn spell upon him, banishing him from her sight. Was it not enough that she had sent him away? But now she made threats as well. In the past when she'd run her mouth, he thought it only boasting. But ever since she'd banished him, he'd seen a different side to her. It was written in the skin of his men. They were not just threats anymore, and she had power that might even rival Kazue’s. Perhaps she had it all along and he'd been the one who was deceived. Once again, he'd fallen for the wiles of a human, given into their spell.
"You must choose a side," Jirou said, at last returning to a more human visage. "Either the yokai or humans."
From his dragons to the visiting lord, all of them were watching him, waiting for his answer. He'd let humans make him soft, and he'd been protecting them only for them to turn on him. Even now his people were dwindling because of Kazue, because of her son, and because of Suzume. Well, that ended now, it ended here.
"I will say this before all of you here. I am the Great Dragon, blessed by the eight, and chosen to rule over Akatsuki." His voice echoed like thunder across the courtyard as he unfurled the full strength of his power. "Our kingdom is infested with the menace known as humans, but today I swear to you, yokai will rise again. Even if it means we must wipe humanity from this island."
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 91