Ashes Fade Away

*(9/?)

By Sakata Ri Houjun

Warning:  Very violent chapter.  We get to see the

true extent of King Akunin's tyranny.  Don't read if

you're really depressed because it is pretty graphic.

********************

Hotohori was enjoying the feel of the afternoon sun on

his face.  The silence of a lazy autumn day stretched

onward, making simple moments like this seem to last

forever.  He wondered briefly when was the last time

he had enjoyed himself like this.

The ever silent Chichiri sat nearby, his presence a

solid comfort in an otherwise isolated atmosphere. 

Mitsukake was always coming and going and at least one

of his companions was always by his side.  The two

brigands also visited often, Kouji apologizing

earnestly several times. 

Another day or two and he'd finally be home once

again.  Although it wasn't bad here, he knew that his

father must be worried by now.

Suddenly, Hotohori heard the mage stand and he turned

to watch the robed man face the doorway.  Before he

could question, Tasuki burst through the curtain, a

look of pure horror on his young face.

"Genrou?  What..?"

The redhead ignored the prince's query as his golden

eyes swept the length of the room.  "Mits?" he called

out only to be answered with silence.  "Mits!"

"He's not here," Hotohori replied, taking in the

distraught man's appearance as he pushed past

Chichiri.  He was sweaty and dirty but what caught

Hotohori's attention where the stains of crimson,

bright and fresh, all over his clothes and skin.

Tasuki peeked into the back area used for storage as

if he hadn't heard the prince.  "Mits, get yer ass out

here!"  When the doctor failed to appear, he finally

turned his worried eyes upon Hotohori.  "Have you seen

Mits?"

The prince shook his head and then Tasuki glanced over

to take notice of Chichiri, who looked away.  His gaze

lingered o bit longer, sadness flashing behind his

eyes, before he started to move towards the doorway.

"Wait!" Hotohori commanded, halting Tasuki's exit. 

"What's wrong Genrou?"

For a moment, Tasuki looked ready to cry, but he took

a deep breath.  "The day after you guys came here, the

princess said she wanted to stay.  Kouji and me had to

figure out how to cover your disappearance and we went

through yer saddlebags.  We found your seal and wrote

a message to explain some delay.  I think Kouji came up

with the excuse that the princess got sick on the boat

and yer waiting till she feels better to travel."

Hotohori nodded, realizing he had forgotten to think

of that.  "So, what's wrong?"

"Apparently, King Akunin didn't buy it."

The prince felt Chichiri start and glanced over to

watch the mage clench fists tightly.  Turning back to

Tasuki, he raised an eyebrow.  "What do you mean?"

"He's scouring the kingdom for you guys and his pet

knights ain't playing nice with the locals..."

Hotohori's amber eyes widened as the brigand's meaning

sunk in and he eyes the blood with fear gripping his

heart.  "I think I saw Mitsukake out back."

The peace of the afternoon slipped away as Tasuki

left.  The prince forced himself to a sitting

position, ignoring the dull ache from his wound and

waving off the hovering mage who came to his aid.  He

knew he wasn't fully healed, but if the blood he saw

was any indication, then there were going to be others

who need this cot more.

"Chichiri, leave me.  I want you to go and help.  They

will need you more than I do."

The mage nodded once, understanding Hotohori's

meaning.  He quickly brought his hands up before his

face and, in a flash of magic, disappeared.  Hotohori

sighed in the sudden solitude, but knew he wouldn't be

alone for very long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miaka had been visiting pleasantly with some of the

women when Kouji arrived with the first of the

casualties in tow.  Although her mind reeled in panic

and revulsion at the sight of blood, she sprang into

action, gathering the children who played haplessly

nearby to some secluded area so they wouldn't have to

see.

She then turned and ran to help, taking a hold of the

small child the blue-haired brigand carried.  He fixed

her with a harsh stare, green eyes glazed over with

fury and sadness.  She shifted the weight of the child

as his head rolled to one side, revealing a sucking

wound where one eye should have been.

"What happened, Kouji?"

He turned his eyes to the impassive Tamahome.  "Ask

yer companion," he snarled before weeding back into

the crowd.

She faced the knight, curious to what Kouji had

implied only to feel the small boy she carried wrap

arms around her neck weakly.

"Mommy..," he whispered.

An elderly woman Miaka had been talking to earlier

appeared then and pried the child from the princess's

arms.  "Here.  I'll take care of him."

Miaka muttered a thanks to Subaru before walking up to

Tamahome.  He averted his eyes as she questioned him. 

"Do you know what's going on?"

He refused to answer her and she furrowed her brow. 

"Say something!"

She still didn't get a response and she shoved at him

as the cries of the dying assailed her ears.  He

finally locked eyes with her, his gaze sad and filled

with guilt.

Miaka felt anger well up and she grit her teeth as she

spun to join in with the others who were helping. 

Tamahome watched a moment as her auburn hair

disappeared among the bloody, tearstain faces.  The

knight closed his gray eyes in shame, fully aware of

what must have happened to these people.  He had seen

it a hundred times even though he had refused to take

part.

He looked down at this hands.  Even though they were

clean, he felt dirty, as if he were directly

responsible for the chaos around him.  The wail of a

young child brought his attention back to the disaster

at hand and he noticed the source of the sound.  A

blonde-haired girl stood among the others, one small

fist rubbing at red, swollen eyes as she cried.

A pang of guilt compelled Tamahome to act.  Quickly,

he shed his cumbersome armor, knowing that it would

make those around him uncomfortable, and ran to the

aid of this lost child.  He picked her up and held her

close.

"Don't worry, your big brother is here..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hotohori leaned against a tree outside the building

that was beyond overflowing.  And yet, the flow of the

injured did not stop.  Some could not be saved and

some had died already.  But even those vacated spots

didn't offer much ease to the number.

The young prince overheard that these people were

coming from all over Isan.  That meant his father's

punishment had been hard, swift, and far-reaching. 

But he had never known the true extent of his father's

cruelty, never seen the result.

He shook his head is disbelief at how naive he had

been and closed his amber eyes to the truth before

him.  But the screams didn't make it any less real.

"It's hard to watch, isn't it?"

He looked up the see the young boy, Chiriko, perched

on a rock nearby.  His clothes were covered in blood,

his hair no longer bound, but his face determinedly

stared ahead at the chaos.

Hotohori continued to peer at this child.  "You don't

seem shocked by this for one so young."

Chiriko sighed sadly.  "It's nothing new to me."

"What do you mean?"

Chiriko finally looked up to meet the prince's gaze,

his eyes sad.  "Two years ago, my own village was

attacked.  I watched the knights of Isan slaughter

my mother, father, and siblings.  It's a callous 

word to use, slaughter, but that's what

it was.  I alone was spared because of the

intervention of one young man.  Eventually, I was

found by Genrou, Kouji, and the others when they cam

to assess the damage.

"Mitsukake was with them at the time and he took me

in, becoming not my guardian but my brother and

friend.  He and I are alike because of the pain we

both bear.  He lost his wife and child and now uses

his skills to benefit others in ways he thought he

never could.

Sometimes, I think that his is the greater pain

because he's older, but that is really quite absurd. 

Age doesn't matter.  Not anymore in this place.  We

all have our burdens, but they are equal."

"My god..," Hotohori stated as he turned back only

to see Miaka moving among the commoners as if she were

one of them, Nuriko joining her.

"This is really too much for Mitsukake to handle." 

Chiriko pushed himself to his feet and smiled sadly at

the prince.  "I guess the choice is all yours now."

"Choice?"

"It's obvious that your wound is healed now.  You can

go home anytime you wish."

Hotohori let his eyes soak in the agonizing sight

before him before setting his jaw firmly.  "I have to

go back..."

"Why?"

"To stop my father...to stop all this..."

Chiriko shook his head.  "You can, but not that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Can you halt King Akunin's tyranny once you've

returned to the comfort of your old life?  There, he

has all the power and you could be struck down as a traitor

if you stand against his will."  He sighed

wearily.  "I must join Mitsukake.  I can't leave these

people when they could use me the most."

With that, he ran off, weaving into the crowd to put

his training to use.  Hotohori stood still a moment

longer, contemplating the boy's words, before moving

to lend his aid to these suffering people.

*******************

Next Chapter:  The tears of a rogue.