All appeared to be still and quiet as the Vessels approached Takatori’s castle. They had travelled through the Join and now stood on top of a small rise overlooking the grandiose residence. Ken wondered if Kase was among the samurai that he knew had to be in there somewhere, along with the Adepts. All in all they had a lot of heavy duty foes to face tonight.
He shuffled uncomfortably before quietening again, unwilling to draw attention to himself or have to admit he was nervous. He felt a soothing touch on his arm and turned to find Omi smiling at him. He grinned back, suddenly determined to make sure no harm came to his young lover, Takatori or not.
The metallic sound of Aya’s katana being drawn from its saya reminded him that he needed to don his bugnuks. He worked his fingers into the glove, his hand in a loose fist around the green stone of Earth.
"Let’s go." Aya’s deep voice was calm and quiet and somehow soothed him even more. There was work to be done. The final member of an evil and insane family to be dealt with. Vengeance to be claimed.
The courtyard and stables were almost deserted, most of Takatori’s samurai having ridden off, presumably to search for Omi. Ken gave a little grunt of satisfaction. It made their job so much easier.
There were two samurai standing guard at the door. A quick toss of Yohji’s wire and a bolt from Omi’s crossbow made short work of them and Ken moved forward only to be brought up short by Aya’s hand on his shoulder.
"Wait a moment, we need a diversion." He concentrated on his stone and directed a beam of pure energy from it to one of the piles of hay just outside the stables. The dry material caught almost immediately.
Ken nodded his approval. "That should keep them busy for quite a while."
Aya grunted and led the way into the castle. They were met by a group of four samurai. The site of one of them made Ken gasp out loud and he darted forward, bugnuks swinging. The samurai fell clutching at his abdomen. He gazed up at Ken and his eyes widened in horror.
Ken stared down at him. "We’re even now, Kase."
Kase’s eyes narrowed. "See you in hell, Ken."
Ken turned away, tears in his eyes. "I’ve already been there."
The other Vessels had taken care of the rest of the samurai and Omi’s tentative hand on his arm brought Ken back to a sense of his surroundings. He took a deep breath and nodded at the Air Vessel. He would be fine.
* * * * * * *
Yohji followed Aya, who was storming through the castle like a one man tornado, determined to watch the Fire Vessel’s back. He wasn’t given a great deal to do as the katana in his lover’s hands carved a swathe through anyone who got between him and Takatori Reiji.
Realising that the rest of them were just slowing Aya down he concentrated on clearing a path for the redhead instead. Omi and Ken seemed to realise what he was doing for they soon joined him in taking on the samurai, leaving Aya free to find Takatori.
* * * * * * *
Crawford glanced up from his examination of the floor as Takatori Reiji burst into the room accompanied by four of his samurai. The man looked shaken and his first words bore this out. "You have to help me!"
Schuldig leaned back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, well, aren’t you fickle!" For once Crawford had to agree with his irritating lover.
"We’re under attack!"
Crawford shook his head. "We no longer work for you, Takatori. Remember?" He stood up and motioned to the others. It was time to leave.
"I can offer you money, power."
"It doesn’t interest us."
"What do you want then?"
"Nothing that you can give us."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Nagi passed him, hand firmly entwined with Nanami’s. Jei followed, one of his knives held menacingly. Schuldig went so far to pat the idiot on the shoulder.
"It means you’re on your own," Crawford said and followed the other Adepts out of the room.
* * * * * * *
Omi had soon picked up on Yohji’s plan to take out the samurai, leaving Aya free to find his fa…uncle, so it came as a bit of a shock when he turned a corner and almost bumped into the fleeing warlord. Firing a bolt through one of the accompanying samurai, he gazed up at the man who had caused so much grief to him and his brother Vessels. "Why?"
"You have no right to speak to me!" Takatori appeared furious that he would even dare.
Omi’s blue eyes narrowed and he glared back at his relative. "You disgust me. Go on, run. Run to your fate." It didn’t matter that tears were streaming down his cheeks. For the first time in his young life, Omi was feeling pure hatred and it hurt.
Takatori ran on, trying to avoid the death that was waiting for him and Omi cried for what might have been or should have been.
* * * * * * *
His samurai falling like leaves around him Takatori ran on. Aya guessed that he would head towards the stables and try to get away on horseback so he made his way to the courtyard, still lit by the blaze from the straw he’d set fire to earlier.
He didn’t have long to wait. Takatori flew out of the door and into the courtyard, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw him standing there, katana in hand.
The warlord’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you and what do you want of me?"
"I am Fujimiya Aya and I want you to die just as my family died at your hands."
Takatori drew his own katana and stepped forward. "Pathetic. If you really can use that sword I could make a place for you. Repay you for your loss."
"You can never repay what you owe to me. You cannot return my parents or my sister to life so stop talking and fight if you’ve the stomach for it."
Takatori stepped forward and lunged, surprisingly agile for a man of his bulk. Aya side-stepped the lunge and parried. The man was strong, he’d give him that. He jumped over a swing and narrowly avoided an overhead blow by bringing his own blade up at the last minute.
Both men stepped back. Those few exchanges had given them the measure of each other, Aya realised, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"You’re good, I’ll grant you that. You’ve been taught well."
"Well enough to finish you. Enough talking!" He rushed forward, swinging the katana in a wide arc. Takatori blocked and tried for a thrust to the body. Aya brought his blade low to block once more. They stepped back once more. Takatori edged towards the stables.
Aya saw his opening and charged forward, katana held as if for an overhead blow. Takatori moved to block and Aya brought his blade down at the last second and drove it through the warlord’s body.
"Bested by a peasant, ridiculous! Quite ridicu…" Takatori’s lifeless corpse crumpled at Aya’s feet.
He stood there expecting to feel something at the death of his hated enemy but all he felt was empty. Killing the man hadn’t brought back his parents or the smiling face of his sister. The void left by their deaths remained unfilled.
A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Yohji stood gazing at him, serious for once, his green gaze understanding. "Come on, Aya, let’s go home."
He retrieved his blade from Takatori’s body and allowed Yohji to lead him back to where the other Vessels waited. He took a deep breath, remembering. "We have no home."
"We can rebuild," Omi said.
"And we’ve been offered accommodation for tonight," Ken added.
Aya looked beyond the other Vessels to see the four elderly magicians smiling at him. His eyes widened in surprise.
*Make the Join and follow us. We have much to discuss.*
Aya did as he was bid and the Vessels found themselves at the mountain home of the old men. They were given food and beds for the night and told that more would be revealed to them in the morning. Exhausted as they were, the Vessels didn’t argue.
Their guardians, or whoever the ancients might be, seemed to know that they had paired into two couples for they gave them two separate rooms after they’d eaten. Aya sank thankfully onto the large futon he would be sharing with Yohji. "I should sharpen my katana."
"Do it in the morning while the old ones tell us whatever it is they want us to hear. You’re exhausted, Aya. You need sleep. The sword can wait."
"You could be right. Yohji, did you feel any better after Takatori Masafumi died? Did it make up for what had happened with Asuka?"
"Not really." Yohji sank onto the bed beside him and lay back, arms behind his head. "I’m guessing that Takatori’s death wasn’t the cure for your grief that you thought it might be."
"I just feel empty, Yohji. The logical part of me knows that I’ve done the world a favour but it doesn’t seem to matter."
"You feel empty because that’s where the rage was. Now it’s gone and it’s left a hole. I can feel the difference in you."
Aya lay down next to Yohji and curled against him. He was so warm. It eased some of the emptiness. "How am I supposed to fill it?"
"That I don’t know, Aya. Perhaps the old ones can answer you."
"Perhaps." He felt Yohji move slightly and his arms enfold him. Sighing softly he fell asleep.
~TBC~