Disclaimer: Clamp owns CCS. I only own the plot and the ideas that come with it. Please don't sue or plagiarize. Kamoku No Otome means 'silent maiden'. Enjoy!
Um, Kero and Yue won't be in this story, while the Cards will.
Wow! Thanks for the reviews� I really appreciated them� Write more and more so I know what you think! The longer your reviews are, the better I feel!!! ^.^ Thanks to Anne Onimus for introducing me to www.freedict.com it really helps if you need word translations! Oh, and if you didn't know by now, Unmei means 'destiny' or 'fate'. Ten' on means 'blessing of heaven'. It's a healing spot, and it's like a pilgrimage that sick or mentally ill people visit. Bo is their currency.
Did you feel slightly depressed reading that first chapter? Don't worry, it will get slightly better. I think�
Kamoku No Otome
Chapter 1: Unmei
When first I glanced you,
I knew you.
When first I spoke to you,
You did not speak but I knew.
That there was something in your
Eyes that I wanted to make mine.
But for now, I'll keep silent and watch.
- P. Elizabeth
*-----*-----*
Inside Unmei�
He was sitting in the corner, staring at nothing in particular, his robes slightly dirty. His messy brown locks were brushed away as he spotted his other companions.
A girl of 21, dressed in a healer's robe of grey and green came striding in, followed by a young man dressed in blue, filled with magic, one could only describe as powerful.
Their eyes searched the inn, until they saw him. His glare made them stop slightly before the healer smirked and walked over to him. His amber eyes regarded her coldly before he stood up from his seat.
"It took you guys long enough�"
"We were just held up by Mei's insistence on buying root of ragwort. Nothing happened." The young man, carrying a staff of cobalt wood, grinned, while his eyes glinted behind his glasses. Mei, the healer, humphed, and went to the bar to order them some drinks.
Then the two of the men sat down, in a corner stall, where they could survey the whole room.
It was what happened subsequently that caught the whole room's attention.
The inn doors opened. A beautiful woman, dressed in traveling clothes walked in. She wore a long purple skirt and white blouse while her long hair was in a ponytail. She looked around, taking in the inn's nice accommodation. She walked out again, as if to fetch something.
And then she brought a person. Before she could go to the innkeeper, who was now upstairs cleaning, she was grabbed.
A man, around the age of 27, slightly burly and most likely drunk, held her arms tight so she couldn't move. The young woman struggled a bit but stopped when her companion began to move closer.
And it was this that really brought the attentions of the blue-dressed magician and his male friend to them.
For what happened was that the drunken man clutched his head. He began to scream as he let go of the woman and held his temples. He staggered and it wasn't because of his state. It was because something inside his mind was tormenting him. The room was so quiet except for his yells. Every eye was on the man.
He finally ran out, his anguished yells echoing. The woman dressed patted her clothes before giving a worried look at her companion which had stayed quiet all this time.
Li, the blue-magician's companion stared hard at the figure that was draped in black.
The hood was up and nothing could be discerned about whether it was a man or woman. Nothing could be seen as the person was covered fully by those robes.
But the glare somehow drew the covered one to look at him. And it was this that made him recoil inside.
One thing could be seen besides the robes. A shining silver mask, one that was surprisingly feminine had a permanent tear on it. It had no mouth, but eye holes and a nose so the wearer could breathe and see. And the eyes that looked at him were mesmerizing.
They were an emerald green that looked unblinkingly. Li could feel power in the gaze and it was now that he could see the control and magic that hid under all the robes. Something inside him cowered at the sheer power but the masculine side smirked and kept him glaring.
It was the masked woman who looked away, still not blinking.
He felt out of breath and it seemed that he had undergone a test without him either knowing. Next to him, the blue magician breathed slowly out, shuddered and muttered.
"Was it just me or did we just pass an investigation..? I felt something probing my mind softly but it was so quick I couldn't stop it."
Li did not reply but kept his eyes on the figure that followed the innkeeper.
*-----*-----*
Later that evening�
It seemed that Unmei was jam-packed that night. Right after Li, the blue magician and Mei had their dinner, they were headed towards their separate rooms for a good night's rest.
But only they were stopped by one of the serving girls, a brunette that told them that they were expected upstairs by two people. Told the directions, for the inn was well furnished and quite large, they took their time finding their way up to the upper class rooms.
Mei was examining a plant that was a part of a flowering display when Eriol, the blue magician finally found the right room.
Knocking sharply, Eriol stopped Mei's examination and smiled at Li.
"Maybe a customer needs us for a job� after all we are bounty hunters." He said, while Mei sniffed.
"You mean you two are bounty hunters. I just follow you's to keep you healthy."
The door has mysteriously opened.
"Come in�"
Mei slowly entered, after being followed by Li and finally by Eriol who closed the door behind them.
They walked into a sitting room where it was there that their bidders sat.
It was that same woman that had been molested that called them in. She wore a lavender blouse and black pants. She was serving tea in some china.
Sitting next to her was that same masked figure except that this time it was wearing a forest green robe.
"Good evening madam..." Eriol started.
"Please sit down and have a cup of tea. It's been freshly brewed." She ushered them down, all three sitting opposite to the woman.
"My name is Tomoyo Daidouji. This is Kamoku, my companion. Please don't try to speak to her. She doesn't talk. You are probably wondering why I asked the three of you to join us for some tea."
"Don't you think we should introduce ourselves before you continue? After all, we've never met." Li's harsh voice made Kamoku look at him.
"Actually, I already know who you are."
Pointing at Mei, she smiled.
"You are Meiling Rae, healer by nature, skilled in using the bow and with sufficient knowledge in martial arts."
She turns to Li.
"Syaoran Li, bounty hunter, skilled martial artist and swordsman and you capable of sensing magic."
Finally she looks upon Eriol.
"Eriol Hiiragizawa. Magician and adept staff wielder."
Eriol looked amused.
"How did you find out about us so simply? Are some spies around?"
She smiled, charmed in spite of herself.
"Actually, I just know. I have my sources."
That bit of information didn't truly calm Syaoran down; it just made him slightly more edgy.
"So why are we here? What do you need us for?" asked Meiling, interesting despite her glances towards Kamoku.
"We need to get somewhere. It's not going to be easy. We need to get to Ten' on. After that, you can choose to leave or you can follow us. We will be tackling something else after that." Tomoyo passed the cups of tea around.
"May I ask why it's going to be difficult?" asked Eriol, sipping his tea and sighing softly.
"It's because something will most likely be after us. Anyway, Kamoku and I are not used to the terrain that we have to pass to get up to that altitude. It is, after all much excluded."
"How much do we get for risking our necks and helping you?" Syaoran asked rudely.
Eriol glared at him while Meilin gave him a disapproving look.
"Well, for getting us safely to Ten' on... that would probably be 15, 000 Bo� each?" Tomoyo said, firmly and accordingly.
Shocked faces greeted her. Meilin, Syaoran and Eriol were more used to salaries of 6,000 Bo each.
As they faced each other, they nodded all at the same time.
"We're in."
And Kamoku just sat there, looking at all three with a neutral look. She hadn't made a single noise all through out the conversation.
*-----*-----*
They sicken of the calm, who know the storm. - Dorothy Parker.
Chapter 2
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