Ashes Fade Away

Chapter 18

By Sakata Ri Houjun

Warning: Violence abounds...

AN: Specail thanks to the love of my life, Hikari, for beta-ing this for me.

~***~

Miaka ran her fingers nervously along the taunt bowstring of her weapon, testing and retesting it's strength. She was nervous, she couldn't help it really. Upon her lips she could still feel Tamahome's parting kiss, a final reminder of what lay before them once this was all over. He had told her to remain as far as she could from the fighting, to stay hidden among the back row of the archers for her own safety. But how could she do such a thing?

Despite his warnings, she had moved up to the very front of the ranks, standing proudly, ready, waiting. Any minute the battle would start. The signal would be given and she would raise her bow to the sky, setting free her first arrow. She knew those she killed would remain faceless, unknown. And perhaps that was what was best, never knowing her victims.

In her quiver was a volley of twenty-six arrows, she had counted them herself. she reached back and fingered one of the feathery shafts, noting that her hands weren't shaking, which was good.

An arm was placed on her shoulder and she turned to find herself facing one of the twin archers she had trained with, though which one was hard to tell since they were identical. He flashed her a comforting grin.

"I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this, Your Highness."

Miaka returned the smile, reaching up to touch his hand. "I'm only doing what is right."

The sandy-haired youth nodded once before turning to face the assembled ranks of warriors, organized so expertly by Hotohori and Tamahome. "Then I'm honored to be fighting alongside you."

From up ahead, a hand was raised. As though acting with one mind, Miaka, Suboshi, and the rest of the archers reached back for an arrow, readying their weapons. The sigh of bowstrings filled the air like a silent prayer as they aimed for the sky. Miaka's heart raced, waiting for the hand to lower. It was almost time.

*~~~*

Tasuki stood protectively over his lover, the mage chanting almost inaudibly in a foreign tongue. Chichiri had been casting a barrier to hide their forces' presence and needed absolute concentration. The redhead's amber eyes darted between the mage and Hotohori, who sat astride his mount, Tamahome to his right, Nuriko to his left. Kouji was further back, amongst the rest of the assembled ranks.

As soon as word was given, Chichiri would lower their shield, the archers would let loose the first volley upon their enemy, and the fight would truly begin. Tasuki felt on edge, torn between bursting directly into the fray once it began or running to his lover's side to protect him in case he didn't recover fast enough.

The sorcerer's remaining eye was closed tightly, his hands wrapped around a simple wooden staff, the only weapon that he seemed to have any knowledge of. The end of the weapon glowed with a bluish light as he chanted, the only indication that there was indeed a shield around them.

The sun was setting, dusk was falling around them, shrouding the meadow they were position in shades of blood. Another omen perhaps, the rouge thought idly as he glanced back at Hotohori again.

Before them lay Isan's seat of power, the palace gleaming like a jewel in the dying light. At any given time it might have looked beautiful, but for tonight it was decorated in the remnants of war, imposing as a fortress. The country's army waited in organized ranks, oblivious to their presence thanks to Chichiri. They wore simple armor, no different from what they had to protect them, trained only in the basic of weaponry and fighting tactics. They would be no problem to break through.

What waited beyond the army was what had Tasuki worried. The feared Knights of Isan were stronger, better armed, and more prepared for war than most of his men assembled, despite their lesser numbers.

But what they had on their side was the element of surprise. Chichiri had an extensive knowledge of the palace's layout, every secret passage and hidden entrance, some not even King Akunin was aware of. Those ancient passages were their ticket to getting with the interior walls and hitting the enemy from both sides.

Five teams of select men were to go in and infiltrate the palace from within while they distracted the enemy directly. That plan was Hotohori's doing and the redhead felt certain that this time, the gods were on their side.

His amber eyes darted towards the crown prince again, and this time he gave Tasuki a slight nod. The time had come.

Nodding back, he closed the distance between himself and Chichiri, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. The cerulean-haired mage halted mid-chant, his eye snapping open. The glow on his staff blinked from existence.

Chichiri turned to smile at the brigand as the whistling of over a hundred arrows was nearly drowned out by the shouts of alarm that came from the fortified palace. For a split second, everything disappeared around the couple, there was no war, no battle, only each other and their love. Tasuki took Chichiri's hand, bringing it to his lips while people ran past them.

Chichiri's smile deepened as he mouthed that he loved the redhead, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear him over the roar of their comrades rushing into battle. Tasuki nodded once in response before turning to join in, dashing off with his extraordinary speed, both of his daggers poised and ready to spill blood. Chichiri closely followed his lover, staff folded against his side, blue ponytail flapping behind him as he charged forward.

*~~~*

Hotohori had no qualms about holding back for his own safety, instead urging his horse straight into the heat of battle. Many of the army balked at his appearance, not quite understanding why the crown prince was attacking the palace. For each soldier he struck down, he muttered an apology under his breath, knowing these were his countrymen, enlisted men who had sworn fealty to protect the royal family.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed how Tamahome was holding back slightly. He was fighting just as fiercely as any of the others, but only enough to subdue, which took a bit longer to accomplish rather than just slaying his enemy. From behind the former knight's blind side, a soldier attacked with a spiked mace. Hotohori turned his blade against Tamahome's assailant, disabling the killing blow and disarming the man with his skill.

"Tamahome," the brunette shouted above the scream of the mace wielding soldier that he had just slain. "Don't hold back any more, unless you aren't willing to protect all that is precious to you!"

the dark-haired fighter nodded as he then turned his sword just so, exposing the deadly edge towards his next attacker, a spray of warm crimson painting his armor as he heeded the prince's warning.

However, there came an answering grunt from behind Hotohori, and he turned to find Nuriko cleaving a soldier who had just tried to kill the prince while he had his attention on Tamahome. The large ax held in those dainty, feminine hands seemed out of place. But combined with the young man's strength, it proved to be quite effective.

"I can't watch your back all the time, Your Highness," Nuriko shouted with a smile and a wink before turning around, his braid flopping behind him as he moved to push back four men who rushed him at once with the broadside of his weapon.

"Go on," the violet-haired man urged, grunting with the effort as he shoved them of their feet. "We'll be right behind you!"

Hotohori nodded as he spurred his horse, charging through a gap that had appeared before him, the gate looming ahead, his sword poised and ready.

*~~~*

Kouji's green eyes sparkled with adrenaline as he attacked the oncoming enemy again and again. His blood sang with excitement each time he struck down another soldier, another body falling under his sword. Isan's army was no match for them and their progress was gaining headway with each passing moment.

From off to his left he could see a white mount making its way, Hotohori acting like a beacon of hope to lead those fighting for freedom towards their ultimate prize. A flash of familiar red to his right indicated that Genrou was holding his own. And when he looked, indeed his old friend was standing back to back with his lover, the pair trading off blows and working almost like they were of one mind.

He quickly scanned the bloody battlefield, finding the others, just as another volley of arrows hailed in from their starting point. An opposite volley answered the last, the archers mounted on the turrets of the castle just now attacking even though the battle had been underway for what seemed like hours.

Kouji's mind became focused once more at the sound of the palace gates opening, the loud creak of the hinges almost casting a silence over the battlefield. Nearly all the combatants gazed at the glimmering sea of polished armor that spilled from the open gates, illuminated by torches.

The dark-haired brigand's eyes locked with a pair of icy blue orbs which belonged to an imposingly tall man leading the intimidating reinforcements forward. Kouji could feel his blood heat up as this man, obviously a general by the insignia inscribed on his breastplate, stepped forward, unsheathing his sword.

"Now this is getting interesting," he muttered to himself. And indeed it would, for the Knights of Isan just joined the war.

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Next Chapter: Blood of Heroes