Koroshi looked down at the small assembly of items laid before him.
	Largest among them were his broadsword and katana, his weapons of choice.  Next to them lay assorted daggers, knives that could be easily hidden, poisons, and other unpleasant looking bits of curved metal.  He was also bringing a shawl that had been his mother’s, three small bags of coins, a small bag of clothing, a fairly expensive suit of armor he had purchased upon entering the service of Lord Osameru, and an amulet he made a habit of wearing.  The everyday objects of a fragile life.
	Oddly enough, he was not sad that he had been pulled from the life he had known for five years.  The fact that he was, from this day forth, going to be working for the Emperor barely mattered to him.  It would just be more days of following his master around, killing off the occasional lunatic and even rarer, skilled assassins who populated the upper crust of society. When the summons had come from the palace, he had barely blinked.  He just thanked the messenger and walked away.  Complicity was not normal for him.  He was 6'5" and very strong, and he did enjoy letting everyone around him know just how great he was. This new position, however, had very little impact on his emotions.
	Moments earlier, he had said goodbye to his master.  He remained unemotional, as did his master, but both had the evidence of pain in their voices.  It had been a sad moment, but they parted on good terms, which was better than the alternative.  With that done, he was now ready to leave behind his old life.
	He finished packing, and strode outside.  The cool air blew against his face, and leaves blew around, in the spirit of autumn.  He glanced over at the short man who had come for him from Keiji.  He felt a flicker of pride at the obvious discomfort of the messenger.  Many people found it...odd to be next to Koroshi.  Between eyes that glowed red and his impressive height, he was definitely one to stick out in a crowd.  He mounted his huge black steed, and turned to his riding companion.  Time to go, he said softly.  Then, with a quick squeeze of his legs, he left his whole life behind, and headed towards a new beginning.




	Midori left Taki's room with Fushi and Kuyashii trailing behind him.  Taki had already gone ahead, informed her that Midori was coming, and returned again, shooing them all out of his room as he did so.  "You know, it's probably better if you wait elsewhere while I go check things out.  Maybe the library or something.  Just to be safe," Midori said, thinking, 'Seiryuu knows that I don't want to give mother any ideas.  She might think Kuyashii's part of the harem, and who knows how Kuyashii would react to that...'
	Fushi took Kuyashii off in the direction of the library while Midori continued on alone towards the women's quarters, feeling extremely self-conscious since this was the second time today that he'd been there.  He realized his hat was missing, probably still in Taki's room under a chair, but he, for one, didn't feel like going back and getting it.  He slipped the headband medallion that he normally wore in the streets back onto his head, that small bit of familiarity making him feel worlds better.
	His request to be directed to Miboshi's room was met with looks and glances that spoke volumes of jealousy and other things undefinable, despite the fact that he'd specified the nature of his visit only dealt with the safety of the realm.  'Grr....  You're a bunch of conniving matchmakers, the whole lot of you.  Sticking your noses and ears in where they don't belong.  There's only one, no, two women I know who aren't trying to make my life a waking nightmare right now.  Hopefully, Miboshi won't fall into the matchmakers' category, too.  I'd like to be assured of some peace and quiet while I'm palace-bound,' he thought. 'As long as Senritsu Koroshi is going to be my bodyguard, I hope he gets here soon so I can get back out there.'
	And then, Midori found himself standing in front of Miboshi's door, alone and unaware how long it had been since he arrived.  Being that he was the emperor, he could simply open the door and walk in, but his tendency was toward politeness.  He knocked on the door and waited for a response, completely unconscious of the striking figure he made while standing in the hall.



	As Miboshi closed the door to her room, she sighed and looked around the all too much gaudy room. In the left corner alcove away from the door, her overly large bed stacked high with silk and pillows called to her. A long sweeping red silk drape hung from one side of the alcove, sweeping the ceiling with a wide arch, then sweeping down into a pool on the floor on the other side. Sighing again she let the ball of fur under arm down.
	"Oh, Akuma what am I to do?" She says quality. Moving slowly to a wooden desk next to an open window facing an inner courtyard. She looks down at Akuma, Now playing with a small ball made from fabric cloth she had come across once. As she smiles her face lightened, loosing its harsh look for a second, before her eyes once again becoming bitter again.
	Sighing again, she slaps her hand down in protest on the desk. "I'm not going to let his highness's visit ruin my self reserve!" slowly taking a deep breath she looks down at her hand. 'Oh dear.' She had forgotten the knife; she had used to open a box, on the tabletop. Miboshi slowly raised her hand to examine the wound on her palm. Small welts of blood seeping from her pale skin. Closing her eyes for a second, she finally opens them to find a piece of cloth.
	Holding her hand close to her chest she moves to a pile of extra cloth near the desk. Finding a piece she could use, she quickly wraps the hand and sighs. "Oh dear, how am I ever going to explain this Akuma?"
	The small cat had stopped playing to look at his mistress, his pale blue eyes watching her. "Meow!"
	Shrinking down onto the floor, Miboshi holds her hand close to her chest, not so much because of the pain but for comfort. Fixing her noble cloths around her sitting figure with her uninjured hand, she closes her eyes and sits.

	The slave boat taking her to the 'New World' was crowded with sick, men and women; small children and elderly had no chance of fighting the sickness. 
	Every day there were some that would not see the next. She had hidden behind a large pole, saved from seeing the dead or dying being taken out by the traders. She had never really blamed her sister for selling her, but she now thought of her self as an only child, she had no family. She would have to fend for her self. Sitting there listening to the men and women weep, she lost something of her innocence.

	Sitting quietly, she was startled by a knock at her door. Opening her eyes, she looks around the room, Akuma asleep on her bed, the once white cloth in her hand was now red as dye. Sighing she stands and fixes her cloths.  She takes a deep breath as she walks to the door, ready to yell at Mali for not coming sooner.

	Opening the door with her uninjured hand she is shocked buy the man standing in her doorway. "Your Highness?" She bows her head slightly, looking down at her rumpled clothing she blushes wishing she had found time to change into something else.
	Akuma had somehow come up to stand next to her; he too was looking at the young man. "Meow!"


	Midori's first impression of Miboshi was a quick flash of green eyes before they were lowered slightly, hiding them from his vision.  'It's so hard to talk to someone when you can't look them in the eye, and she sounds a bit tense.  I don't know why, unless she's heard already...  I need to do something to loosen up the tension a bit, but what?'
	The meowing of a cat caught his ears and he looked down.  Emperor and feline stared at each other with equally grave gazes until Midori broke it by smiling, the warm brown of his eyes sparkling.  "So, you must be the lady's loyal guardian.  I will have to be on my best behavior, ne?"


	Miboshi smiles up at him, a small smile works its way onto her lips. Raising her head careful not to look into his eyes, she takes an inaudible breath. 
	"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. I've heard so much about you." Smiles and adds quickly. "From the other women of course." 
	Silently cursing her self at her mistake 'He should behead you now' she thinks, 'He's probably dead tired of all this talk of women'. Sighing inwardly she looks down at the small cat near her feet.
	The small cat purrs softly to gain bits of attention for him self. Miboshi quickly bends down and scoops the cat up into her arms. "Your Highness, you can hold him if you wish." Grins slightly. "He won't bite." Laughing silently, she watches him closely thinking "He's much more like his father then they said". Coughing slightly as she fumbles for more fitting words for her Emperor.
	But she never had a chance. As she was about to say something, a loud crash echoed in on her, drowning her out.
	Letting go of the cat, which fell sharply to the ground, Miboshi pushed Midori out of the way, throwing her self into him. She cried out as she heard Akuma cry out, confused as the day she found him. Silently she cursed her self for not acting more quickly. She moved to a sitting position next to him, flinching slightly as she moved her hand to her shoulder.
	"Ai, gods. That's going to leave a bruise." Smiling she looked over at Midori to make sure he was ok. As she watched him again she made a simple vow, she would find the person who tried to kill them, and she would show them no mercy.




	Koroshi ditched his royal escort, and strolled through the palace gates leading into the courtyard.  The place was huge, with gold everywhere, and all that wasn't gilded was done in a light blue.  He soon found himself at the foot of a huge flight of stairs, ending at the arched door to the palace complex, in front of a man who identified himself as Taki.
	"And you must be Senritsu Koroshi.  His majesty has been *eagerly* awaiting your arrival."
	"Well, I am here now," replied Koroshi. "So where is His Highness?"
	"Ah, I believe he was on his way to the royal harem..." said Taki.
	"Fine.  I will meet him there."  And, before Taki's obvious protest could emerge, Koroshi strode up the steps, past him.
	Koroshi went through another doorway, to enter...the palace gardens.  *Arg, this is so confusing!* He was, of course, utterly lost.  However, as he was far more intelligent than everyone else, asking for directions was out of the question.  His gaze drifted to an ornate bronze fountain...to the carving above the door...to the blue and gold decorations right below the roof...
	To the small, black-clad man, squatting on the roof, sword in hand.  In a second, Koroshi was in action.  In one fluid motion he threw off his cloak and whipped out his broadsword. He leapt onto the roof, but the assassin was already on the next roof.  One jump brought him within a sword of the man, so he took a swipe, but the assassin had already moved to block it.  
	Koroshi came down with an overhand attack, but his foe deflected it so that it severed a gold dragon ornament from the roof.  Koroshi swung his foot around for a trip, but the assassin slapped it with his sword, and Koroshi fell.  The assassin raised his sword for the kill...  And took a gold dragon ornament to the face.
	Koroshi used the momentum from the throw to effect a flip, thus bringing his feet into contact with the other man's chest, and causing both to fall from the roof.  Koroshi landed on his feet, while his enemy fell to his knees.  The assassin was fast; he was already lunging.  *Yes, very good.  But I am quicker.*	Koroshi brought his foot around, and felt it connect with his attacker's jaw.  He landed against a wall with a loud 'thud'.  He raised his left hand, and set up for a lunge that would crush the unknown *and soon to be dead* assailant's throat.  He never got there.  Before he could finish off the cloaked enemy, Koroshi's outstretched hand began to glow blue,
	*Well, okay, this wasn't how I was planning it, but...* 
	and a huge flash of light.  This was accompanied by five noises.  First was a horrible howl from his now toasty foe, second was the sound of a wall cracking.  The other three that emerged from the smoke were a cry from a woman, one from a man, and the sound of a very, VERY confused cat.


	The smoke cleared to reveal two young people lying on the floor, next to a cat that was attempting to run right THROUGH a wall.  The young man, by the way he was dressed, was no doubt Midori, his new charge.  The other was no doubt his favorite concubine.
	"Yes, yes I am, Your Majesty,"  he said. "And sorry about the smell."  His apology was accented by a waved hand in the general direction of the small, black lump at his feet.
	The emperor stood up.  "What just happened here?" he demanded.
	"This...thing...was an assassin.  I saw him before he saw me, and I took him out without trouble."  Replied Koroshi coolly, with a grin.  He raised his hand to clear away the smoke, then offered it to Midori.  Unfortunately, he hand was met with a blank stare.  "You...are a warrior of Seiryuu."
	"Indeed I am, Your Highness.  Seiryuu shichiseishi Suboshi, not too humbly at your service," which he delivered with a mock bow and a huge smirk.
	"Oh, stop it.  This is one of your allies, Miboshi."
	She slowly stood up.  "Greetings, Koroshi. You upset Akuma."  She suddenly swung her leg around, intent on bring all six feet five inches of him to the ground, but Suboshi stepped aside and snatched the bun lying low on her neck and causing her to lose her balance.  "If I were that bad, Taki would not have recruited me." He smirked.  "I'm sure your cat will be fine.  And it was not I who tried to kill His Highness, just the one who SAVED him.  You should be thankful."
	Midori, with his back turned, ordered, "Stop bickering," before returning to examining the ash on the ground.  He soon procured an amulet with carvings on it.  "The cult."
	'Ah, Seiryuu...  He's a bit arrogant is he?  But perhaps it's warranted if this is any indication,' Midori thought, taking a closer look at the charred heap and trying not to gag.
	Coming to stand behind Midori, Miboshi looks over his shoulder and gawks. "Your Highness, what is that?" Motioning to the amulet.
	Akuma sliped out of her hands, and ran to his corner of their room. Miboshi still gawking didn't even notice Suboshi coming to stand behind her.
	"Trouble.  Big trouble.  The very thing I came here to talk about, in fact.  But there's no time to explain right now.  She could be in danger..." Midori got to his feet and quickly walked out of the room, not bothering to explain who 'she' was.  He looked up and down the hallways as he went, eyes searching for anything that would make a better weapon than his bare fists.
	Startled as Midori stood, Miboshi took a step back to avoid being bumped, but bumped into Koroshi instead. Stiffening slightly next to him, she watched as Midori walked from the room. Frowning slightly she turns her head up slightly to look at Koroshi. "Do you know who 'She' is?"
	Koroshi looked at her with steady eyes, shaking his head, he looked up just as Midori turn the corner, going towards the main palace. "Should we follow him?" His voice cool and steady, but Miboshi was already walking to the door to peer out into the hallway.
	"Come on, we have to make sure he's ok."  Her own voice cool with a slight distracted tone. She began to move into the hallway, but Koroshi grabbed her by the arm. "What?" She looked down at his hand.
	"I should go. You should stay." His eyes showed with his arrogant boy way.
	She growls low in the back of her throat. "Let me go. You're not the only warrior here." She ripped herself from his grip and followed Midori down the hall to were 'She' was.




	'Fool...' A silent shadow watched as its companion was sighted and summarily chased by a raven-haired man that was easily his equal in speed and mobility.  Finally, the watcher turned and proceeded down the hall in the opposite direction.
	Unlike the assassin on the rooftop, this one was dressed a dark grey that was closer in nature to the shadows of the hallways than pure black would have been.  Also, their missions were quite different despite the fact they'd been sent at the same time by the same person.  The black clad one had been sent to kill the wearer of the medallion engraved with the speed symbol 'sokudo'.  This other intruder had been sent to retrieve a certain dagger that a thief too bold for his own good had taken earlier in the day.  
	Whether or not to kill the bearer had been left entirely to up to him.  Mugon shook his head in wonder Lucianna's puzzling double standard.  'If I were her, I would have ordered them both killed or, if not both of them, just the dagger thief.  Why allow me license to spare the one that appears to be the greatest threat?  There must be something I am missing...' Mugon frowned. 'Or perhaps she is more concerned about the damage to her pride than the identity of the dagger's owner being discovered.  Ah, well.  It is not my place to wonder why but simply to do as ordered.'
	Mugon slipped out a rectangular piece of paper engraved with symbols on it, one of many illusion cards that he had in his possession.  Since, from birth, he had never had a voice with which to speak, he'd become most creative with expressing his wishes and desires with the written word, a talent that served him well in the crafting and use of the cards.  The particular card that he was holding described an object that existed, as far as he knew, only in his imagination.  Nonetheless, he had perfect confidence that it would work for the purpose he'd intended.  He dashed it to the floor, watching as it changed into a glowing arrow that moved along the floor in front of him.  He followed it through the maze of corridors until it stopped in front of a door and vanished.  He sincerely hoped that it was because it had reached its destination and not because the spell had worn out faster than he had thought it would.
	Mugon readied another two illusion cards, one to simulate a smoke bomb and the other to cause temporary paralysis.  Then, he spun around, kicking the door in with his foot before gliding in with an almost eerie silence and grace.




	Where did you get all of these books?  These scrolls?" Kuyashii asked wonderingly. "I didn't think that could be this many different ones in the entire world..."
	Fushi smiled a little and said a little sadly, "This is only a mere shadow of what it once was.  Before..."  Kuyashii waited for Fushi to continue before finishing for her, "You mean before the last time when Seiryuu was summoned?  When the Nakago of that time finally got his revenge on the Emperor?"
	"Well...  Yes.  I just thought that saying so might..."
	"Bother me?  Just 'cause I'm descended from the Hin, too?  Nah, that was long ago.  The guilty party got his just deserts, and you shouldn't blame people for the sins of their ancestors.  It's not really fair since your ancestry is nothing that you had control over.  It's what people do with what they're given that counts."
	Kuyashii looked around a bit.  "There's so much in here that I don't know where to begin..." she said and, looking a little embarassed, continued, "That and it's been years since I've been able to get my hands on anything more complicated to read than a merchant's ledger book.  Is there anything in here that you know of that might help our current problem?  Anything at all?"
	"Well, there is the scroll for that's supposed to help Seiryuu no Miko find her seishi and be used in the summoning ceremony, but it might be better if it was left undisturbed."
	"Nonsense!  What good will it do rolled up in a drawer somewhere?  Somebody should be reading over it, extracting every syllable of meaning they can.  Even the slightest hint at what to do could be enough to change things drastically."
	'Change things, yes.  But the question is, Would it be to our benefit?' 
	Fushi mentally shook her head but led Kuyashii over to the small chest where the scroll was kept out of the air to minimize deterioration.  She opened it and held the blue-tinted scroll out to Kuyashii, trying not to let her hands tremble with the fear it gave her to even be touching it.
	'I've got to be careful now.  I don't even want to think about the trouble I'd be in if I were to accidentally rip this...' Kuyashi thought as she carefully opened the scroll and began scanning the columns of artfully printed characters for anything in particular that might leap out at her.
	Further contemplation of the scroll was interrupted as the sound of a crash came from somewhere down the hallway.  'What in the name of the four gods...' 
	Kuyashii hastily re-rolled the scroll and stuck it in the sash that was tying her robe shut.  "What was that?" she wondered aloud.
	"It sounded like it came...  From the infirmary?  But what would anyone be doing there?  Father isn't due back until a couple of days from now," Fushi said.
	"Well, somebody's in there now, and I don't think they came in for any medical treatment," Kuyashii said, her feet already moving towards the door.




	With a flick of his wrist, Mugon sent the cards whirring towards the two girls that entered, surprised to find that it was women confronting him, but his reflexes not slowing in the least.  The sudden darkening of the room as it filled with smoke blocked his vision, but his ears were keen enough to pick up the sound of one body dropping to the floor, evidence that his paralysis card had found its mark.  'Now, there's only one person in between me and the door,' he smirked beneath the half-mask covering the lower part of his face. 'No problem.'
	Mugon dove for the door in a burst of speed and made it outside without hearing even the slightest flicker of movement from whichever one of the two that he hadn't hit.  He didn't even have half-a-second to wonder about that oddity when he was tripped.  As he fell, he twisted in mid-air, reaching for a handhold on the person who'd done it to him.  Instead, his hand fastened around a roll of paper, and he bounced painfully off the hard floor.  The pouch containing his cards came loose from his belt and its contents scattered across the hall, most not activating except for about a dozen that he'd been saving for a low maintenance fireworks display.  These howled up into the air and exploded, raining down bits of the gilded scrollwork from the ceiling.  Mugon's eyes teared at the painful ringing in his ears from being too close to the blast, but he forced himself to scoop up a handful of the cards closest to him and run with all his might.  'Argh, it'll take me weeks to even come close to having that quantity of cards again.  All those hours of effort making those things wasted in one fell swoop.'
	Mugon skidded to a stop abruptly as a green-haired boy, wearing the very symbol Lucianna had spoke of, came rushing around the corner, anger flashing in his eyes and a sword held tightly in one hand.  He also stopped his headlong flight, his frown deepening and the knuckles on his sword hand turning white as he caught sight of what Mugon held none too gently.  Mugon couldn't help himself, he also looked down at his hand, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized exactly what roll of paper it was that he'd latched onto in his hasty flight.  'How...  What...  I'm not getting paid enough to deal with troubles like this.'
	He started backing up the way the way he came and swerved to the side at the command of some internal instinct.  He narrowly missed being tackled by the girl that had evaded his first cards and was undoubtedly the one who had tripped him.  He returned the favor, sweeping her feet out from under her with a well placed kick and caught a flash of golden yellow hair as he turned and ran again, abandoning caution in the hope that he'd bought some time to vanish among the corridors while the swordsman stopped to help her.




	Sometime during his rush through the corridors, Midori had acquired a sword from one of the palace guards who had been a bit shocked by the Emperor's demand, too shocked to put forth any kind of protest even if the man had been the type to give one.  It was not as fine in quality and balance as his own blade was, but in his urgency, he'd take what he could get.  Dimly, he could hear footsteps somewhere behind him, but since there were no shouts, Midori figured that it must be either Miboshi or Koroshi/Suboshi, possibly both.  He thought for a moment how foolish he'd look if it turned out that nothing was wrong after all, and he'd rushed out for nothing.  'Better to be a fool than deadly sorry,' he thought, turning the final corner between him and his goal.


	Miboshi ran after the Midori, fumbling down the hall careful not to bump into Koroshi/Suboshi. She really didn't need to get on his bad side right at this moment in time, not with Midori acting strange. She really did wish she knew who he was talking about, what was that name he said? She could hardly remember anything in this rush. It had been so long since she was allowed out of the women's area. As she ran she notice not much had changed since she was a child, and that she missed not being able to walk down this halls.
	She took a deep breath and pushed herself to run faster, cursing the tight shoes, pretty for court, but hell to run in. Flinching as she ran faster bumping into stupefied guards, all looked at the way Midori had went.  She noticed a few dared turn their heads to look at her. She must look a horrid mess, but did it really care? She ran faster, bumping into Suboshi, who was keeping up with her. She turned her head back and missed Midori by an inch. She slid to a halt and took a few deep breaths and slid to the floor looking at the girl in Midori's arms.
	She was pretty to say the least. A slight jealous pang bumped her heart. 
	Was this Midori's pick, was this girl his soon to be wife? Looking up at him, she noticed him looking down the hall. Realizing that the man who had done this to her she motioned him to hand her the girl.
	"Your Highness, go. I'll look after her." Trying her best to smile at him she motioned to Suboshi. "He'll go with you, that's what you're paying him for, now go!" She all but pushed him down the hall.
	Nodding Midori picked up his sword and hurried off with Suboshi in tow, more quite then she had heard him all night. Then something dawned on her; she couldn't wait to meet the other Seishi. She only hoped they were not like Suboshi.
	Watching the two men go, she called a few guards over to help her carry both women, for she just notice there were two, to her secondary quarters seeing Suboshi had destroyed her main room. Sighing and following the guards down the hall, only once did she stop and look down the hall that the two men had gone. A pang of guilt that she couldn't fallow, that she was a woman hit her. Then she remembered, she was Miboshi of the Seriyuu no shichiseishi.
	"Take them to my room, and wait." She ordered, then with out a blink of an eye she turned on her heels, hiked up her skirts and rushed after the men, hoping she was in time to help with her powers.


	Even in flight, Mugon took note of small details.  The azure shade of the parchment, its almost silky smoothness, the fine brushwork that made each character of the scroll's title look a masterpiece in and of itself...
	These impressions burned themselves into his mind so securely that he knew he could duplicate it, given half the chance.  Of course, if he didn't get away soon, he wouldn't have much of a chance to duplicate anything ever again.
	So far, Mugon had been extremely lucky about his corridor choices.  But, sooner or later, he knew his luck would run out and he'd collide with a passing guard or find himself trapped in a dead end.  'I don't think that they know about the dagger.  Maybe if I just give them the scroll, they'll leave me alone.'
	Mugon slowed to a stop and turned around, holding one hand up and out with the scroll and the other by his side, and keeping the other folded lightly over his few remaining cards, ready to flick one at his pursuers at the slightest sign of them doing anything other than reaching for the scroll.  
	He had no idea which cards he'd managed to pick up, whether they were offensive  (explosives, vicious animals) or something more... gentle (a flock of butterflies or bouquets of flowers).  More than ever, he cursed his inability to speak and hoped they'd get the general idea.