by Karma
He felt an odd sensation, and tried to ignore it, hoping that it would go away. It persisted, and gradually his other senses returned to him.
"Aniki~~~"
The sensation was...a tug...someone was...yanking his hair. And it hurt. Kind of. Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared face to face with his younger brother, Owaru. Seeing him awake, Owaru cheerfully yanked his hair one last time, just for the heck of it. Tsuzuku winced at the sting of it and glared at his younger brother, who was now smiling.
"Oh good, you're awake."
"How can a civilized being possibly sleep with his younger brother yanking on his delicate head?" Tsuzuku glared at the other dragon, who only grinned in response.
"Guess what guess what?"
"What?" He asked, irritated. He felt like swapping away at his brother like an insect, but restrained himself.
"We're all together!"
Tsuzuku sat up. "All of us?"
"Yep! Amaru and you and me and Matsuri and Hajime! Remember?"
"Matsuri?"
"She's okay! Aniki's plan worked!"
Tsuzuku breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great." It worked. It shouldn't have, but it did. Matsuri must be pretty special, like us, to be able to accept foreign energy so easily. I doubt it would have worked with anyone not from our bloodline.
"Aniki, you sure slept for a looooong time."
"..."
"Everyone's already wake and we're trying to figure out what to do. We can't do anything without you, so I volunteered to wake you."
"Wonderful..."
"Come on."
Reluctantly, he followed his overly-enthusiastic brother. He had been sleeping underneath a tree surrounded by plants, and he now moved towards a clearing where he spotted the rest of his family. It was a bright, early morning, and they were all just sitting around on the moist ground. Matsuri was leaning against Hajime's side, looking weary but not half as sick as before. Amaru was sitting in front of them, pulling on the grass in boredom. The youngest Ryudo turned at his older brothers� approach and grinned.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
Tsuzuku and Owaru joined the little group, and the five of them sat there, in a circle, in silence. Owaru and Amaru sensed that their oldest brother was in a serious mood, and so refrained from joking. Silence, instead, ensued.
"Aniki...do you know where we are?" Owaru ventured. "Cuz...uh...this doesn�t look like Tokyo."
Hajime shook his head, and Tsuzuku�s heart sank. Stop it, he chided himself. If you don�t know where you are, how can you expect him to? Still...part of him has been hoping that once they found their oldest brother that everything would turn out all right. Hajime always seemed to know everything and he had been hoping that this would not be an exception. That his brother had a reasonable, rational explanation for why his family was stuck in another time and place. Of course, at this point, a reasonable explanation was almost impossible, so really he was expecting too much of his older brother.
"Last thing I remember was the ship," Amaru contributed helpfully. "Just right after Fairyland and the Tokyo garbage dump. And then it exploded."
Matsuri nodded. "The maniac with the claws set off a bomb and it exploded."
"And we woke up here." Me without my clothes on. Tsuzuku smiled wryly. "Separated."
"Separated?" Hajime looked at them worriedly.
"Yep, me and Amaru. Tsuzuku-aniki was left by himself." Owaru grinned, throwing an arm around his younger brother. "Aniki...we were lost and starving. And Amaru ate everything I caught!" He laughed, to show that he didn�t really care, and Amaru looked at the ground. "And then we saved a whole bunch of people from being cut down by this crazy old man with a sword." Owaru stood up and made slashing motions with his arm. "And me and Amaru took care of him and his men." The white dragon grinned enthusiatically. "Aniki, you should�ve seen Amaru! He kicked their butts!" Owaru put his hand over his heart and sniffed. "It would�ve made any older brother proud." Amaru beamed, and Owaru slipped his arm over him again before speaking in a more regretful tone. "The other guy got away, though..."
Hajime smiled while Amaru chimed in. "And at the castle we were invited in by the prince. He was trying to save the people that we were saving, see. And that�s where we ran into Tsuzuku."
"Prince?" Matsuri looked interested. "You met a prince?"
"This land is really archaic," Tsuzuku explained.
Hajime looked at Tsuzuku expectantly, and the red dragon suddenly realized it was his turn to speak. Better edit the parts about me waking up without my clothes. Otherwise I�ll hear no end of it from Owaru and I might embarrass Matsuri. "I..."
"Aniki woke up here without his clothes!" Amaru told the audience helpfully, and Tsuzuku felt like slapping himself. Of course, he just *had* to tell Amaru didn�t he? He smartly skips telling Owaru but when Amaru asks him with his wide innocent eyes why he wasn�t wearing his clothes from Tokyo, he just *has* to give an honest answer because he never lies...
"How embarrassing!" Matsuri laughed, and Tsuzuku glared at his younger brother before looking at his older.
"Why weren�t you wearing your clothes?" Hajime asked. Then he realized the implications of it, glanced at Amaru, and shook his head. "Never mind. And then?"
"I met a traveler and he took me to the castle." That about summarizes it. "He lent me clothes and knew the prince in the castle, so that�s where I ended up."
"Sounds like you all had a grand adventure," said Matsuri lightly. "Me, I was stuck with Hajime the WHOLE time..." she laughed and Tsuzuku could tell that Hajime looked slightly embarrassed.
Tsuzuku changed the subject. "Niisan...do you know how we can get home?"
Hajime watched him intently, while the other younger brothers looked more serious.
"When we were in dragon form yesterday night...I tried to leave here, to see if it was possible." Tsuzuku looked at his older brother, the one who always protected them, the one who raised them ever since they were little, and then shook his head slightly. I tried, I really tried. He had willed with his might, and pushed against the sky in an attempt to leave. "It�s not."
Matsuri covered her mouth with her hand in shock. "Oh no..."
"Well, that�s ok, right?" Owaru said cheerfully. "Cuz if we left in our dragon forms we wouldn�t be able to bring Matsuri along. Unless we carried her in a blanket, like the seagull carrying a baby."
"That�s a stork." Amaru corrected.
"Whatever. Some western white bird."
"And we don�t even know how we got here, so we can�t go back the same way." Tsuzuku looked up at the sky regretfully. It was a beautiful sky, the atmosphere was peaceful, and it definitely did not belong to the city of Tokyo. He looked back at Hajime. "What should we do, Niisan?"
"I say we should enjoy it!" Owaru exclaimed suddenly. The others looked at him in surprise. "I mean, it�s been a while since we all went on a vacation together, right? And no goons will be after us here. It�s peaceful here. And we don�t have to go to school..." Hajime�s eyes narrowed and Owaru continued hurriedly. "Aniki, we said that we�d follow you every where, right? Tokyo�s great, but nothing�s holding us back there. It�ll be peaceful here, for once. And look at this place!" Owaru spread out his arms for emphasis. "It�ll be just like we went camping!"
Amaru grinned. "It�ll be fun!"
As long as we can avoid getting pulled into the war that�s going on...Owaru�s right, it can be pretty peaceful. Tsuzuku looked at the blue dragon. "Owaru�s right, Niisan. Nothing holds us anywhere."
"Well, until we can figure out how we came here and how we can leave, I�m afraid we don�t have much of a choice."
Owaru gave Amaru a high-five.
Matsuri groaned. "All of my hard work to civilize all of you...all gone to waste! We can�t take baths here or eat with plates..." She looked at her soiled clothing despairingly and covered her face with her hands. "And now my cousins are going to revert back to a bunch of monkeys!"
Owaru hunched his back and imitated a monkey, Amaru followed, and Tsuzuku moved next to his older brother. "Niisan," he whispered. "We have to be careful. This world that we landed in...it�s at war. The prince that we met had lost his country and just yesterday, he threw a funeral for the dead. As long as we avoid other humans, we should be all right. But if we�re not careful, we may get caught up in their battles and we�ll be hunted for our powers, just like in Tokyo..."
Guibu dressed for the new day. He did so slowly, in an attempt to sort his thoughts. What the hell am I going to do? The fact that he lost his memory was now known to everyone after he stupidly called the prince the wrong name. Why did I call him that? Stupid, stupid stupid! If he�s not Hoshiki, then who is? Sighing, he covered his face and recalled the rest of the night before...the man who called himself "Darun" demanding to know who Hoshiki was, the prince looking concerned, and the other man, "Narcasse" looking thoughtful...
They stared.
"Hoshiki? Who the hell is Hoshiki?" Darun gave Guibu a peculiar look.
"Er..." Isn't he Hoshiki? Confusion, doubt, and dread pervaded through his mind. What...? Who's Hoshiki? What am I doing? Who are these people? Feeling overwhelmed, he sat down on the floor and clutched his head. Why can't I remember? Clearing his voice, he spoke. "Well, it's been a pleasure seeing everyone. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone now." He glanced at the people blocking the door, decided that it would be too much of a hassle to move past them, and stayed where he sat, hoping they'd leave.
Arslan looked puzzled as well, until he realized that Narcasse was watching him. "Are you all right, Your Highness?" asked the master strategist.
"..Yes..." Arslan felt deeply, deeply disturbed. He forced himself to ignore it and looked at Guibu. "How are you feeling, Guibu?"
The minstrel was pale. He sat on the floor, head bowed, so that his eyes did not meet those of anyone else. Upon hearing the name that the woman called him, he looked up at the being that spoke. The boy that he had mistakenly called Hoshiki. He bowed his head once more. "I...just need a little rest, Your Highness." He felt lost, miserable, and alone in his confusion.
"Guibu."
The minstrel looked back at the man with dark hair.
"You never answered my question. Who is Hoshiki?"
Smiling weakly, Guibu spoke in fast sentences. "Why him, of course. You know, the "star" prince? It was an inside joke." With me being the only insider.
Afterwards, they had left him, although he could tell that they were now worried. The prince "Arslan" had told him to keep his room and get some sleep, and having nothing better to do, he had followed his orders.
I�m probably going to get kicked out today. Wonderful. What do I do for a living? He remembered. I play songs. Glancing around the room, Guibu spotted his instrument and picked it up tentatively. He plucked at the strings and almost wept with relief when he realized that he still knew how to play.
With similar thoughts, Arslan stared out his window. It was a brand new beautiful morning, but he did not take pleasure in its beauty. He had not slept a single wink the night before. When Guibu called me Hoshiki... Arslan shivered, recalling the confusion, a deep sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Thinking... Hoshiki? Why does that name sound familiar? And then, unbidden, a line from his vague dream entering his thoughts.
"The transaction...was not complete."
Arslan shivered again, feeling cold. They had left the room then, leaving Guibu confused and alone in his thoughts. Darun had asked Narcasse if there were any princes named Hoshiki near by, because there was a chance that Guibu was a spy all along. To Arslan�s relief, however, Narcasse had shaken his head and said that there were none. The strategist had then suggested they talk to Farangis to discover why she had looked so upset and after a discussion with her, they realized that he had lost his memories. I wonder why he didn�t tell us. But it was understandable... Not knowing where you were, how you got there, or who you were...it was understandable that you didn�t trust those you couldn�t remember.
And he felt guilty. Arslan felt guilty, although he had no reason to. Farangis had been horrified when she realized that Guibu had not been joking, that he really could not remember anything, Darun had felt bad for thinking him a traitor, and Narcasse had simply looked thoughtful. And me? After finding out that he lost his memory, how did I feel? Guilty. Like I had been the cause of it...
What happened, Narcasse had asked me. "What happened when Guibu had been dying, when you held him, what did you see? How did he recover so quickly?" And Arslan had responded with the truth... "I don�t know, I don�t remember..."
And then the maid that had dressed Guibu�s wounds had told them in the hall, surprised that they didn�t know...that he had no wounds, and that she thought she was simply instructed to clean the enemy�s blood off of him. "The enemy�s blood," she had said. "Because it couldn�t possibly be his. He has only a few minor wounds, none serious enough to create all the blood."
Arslan groaned. What happened? Why can�t I remember? He ran his fingers through his hair uncomfortably. Why is Guibu�s death-wound gone? How is that possible? Sighing, he heard an excited knock on the door.
"Come on in."
Eram ran in, with a wild and horrified look on his face. "Your Highness," he puffed. "Lord Narcasse has sent me to tell you that His Majesty, King Andragoras of Palse, has returned!"
Arslan felt dread in the pit of his stomach. My father... has returned...?
"Command has now been returned to Palse�s one true king. Anyone who attempts to undermine my authority will be guilty of treason. You understand that, don�t you, Arslan?"
King Andragoras was an ugly, buff, and well-muscled man. His hair was long, red, and shaggy, from his months in imprisonment by the Lusitanians. The same dark red hair covered the bottom of his nose in a twisted mustache and the bottom sides of his face as what was supposed to be a beard. His voice was deep and harsh, and he looked upon his son in displeasure.
Arslan knelt before his father, the king of Palse. Somehow, the king had escaped from imprisonment by the Lusitanians, and now stood in the only strong point that remained loyal: Castle Peshwal. Besides him kneeled the Darun, Narcasse, Quishward, and the others that remained loyal to the throne.
How could he insinuate that I would betray him? I knew he hated me, but never this much... Arslan forced his face to remain calm and emotionless. Inside, his heart stirred with a rush of emotions. Look what I�ve done while you were gone! He felt like screaming. Instead, he simply nodded his head with the greatest of effort. "Sire, I do." Not. I don�t understand anything! How did he escape? Why did he have to escape now? Why am I thinking these thoughts? Shouldn�t I be happy to see him again, to be relieved of being in charge? His thoughts moved in a circle, coming and going back to the same thing. Why does he hate me so?
"Your pardon, Your Majesty." Arslan suddenly felt dread as Darun moved to speak. Don�t Darun...he�s going to punish you for treason. "But Prince Arslan was only trying to act on your behalf. The Crown Prince has brought honor to your name. He has been acting as your agent. How can you accuse him of committing a high crime?"
King Andragora�s face darkened in anger and Arslan felt near panic. As touched as he was by Darun�s protest, he was horrified at the thought that his friend would be punished for defending him from his father. Darun...thank you... Instead, he spoke quickly, hoping to curb his father�s temper. "Now Darun, stop! You can�t take that tone with His Majesty." Please forgive me for speaking to you in such a way...but the last thing I want is for you to get punished as well.
Darun bowed at the slight reprimand and said no more. Andragoras spoke. "Here is what I command: Arslan, you�re going to the southern coast to gather the troops. You will leave at once and I do not want to see you again until you have secured 50,000 men!"
I already have secured 50,000 men, you idiot! I�ve secured more than 50,000 men and have done perfectly well without you! Arslan felt like crying. Instead, he forced his face to remain still and calm, while he heard the whispers begin around him. Quiet whispers, expressing their discontent and surprise.
"South? There�s nothing south but Port Giran!"
"This is exile!"
Arslan ignored them, as did his father. He stared at the king coldly, feeling anger and indignation. And hurt. How could you do this to me? Arslan bowed. "I accept your imperial command." What choice do I have?
More suprised whispers.
"He accepted!"
"I can�t believe it!"
And then, a silky smooth voice spoke out, surprising Arslan. It was Narcasse. Calmly, the strategist glanced at his lover, then his prince, then back at the king. "Naturally the Crown Prince, like all loyal Palsians, will obey your royal command." It was a subtle, gentle rebuke at the king for accusing his son a traitor and then expecting him to follow his command. "And although we are most surely unworthy to serve His Highness, we will do our utmost to fulfill this command." Upon his words, Arslan was seized by terror, and then by relief. It did not occur to him that his friends would not be coming along, but Narcasse thought ahead and was telling the king that they were. Oh gods, thank Narcasse for seeing everything.
"You will not be going with him." Arslan�s heart sank. They�re not...coming...I�m going completely by myself. Alone. He forced himself to keep his mask on, although it was getting increasingly difficult to do so, and watched his father emotionlessly while he continued. "Darun and Narcasse will return to the barracks. The rest of you will stay here until I take back the Royal Palace."
This is it, then. I�m leaving everyone and going by myself to do something I�ve already done. I won�t see any of them -- Darun, Narcasse, Farangis, Guibu, my mother... My mother? How is she? If my father is here, shouldn�t my mother be as well? Is she all right? Although she had not been the most attentive of mothers, she had shown a few (very few) signs of affection towards the prince. Arslan ventured an inquiry. "I have but one request, Your Majesty."
"What is it?" The king asked in an irritated and annoyed voice. As if I�m nothing more than an insect.
"Before I leave, I�d like to see my mother." It�s not too much of a request, please, please, please fulfill it. She never smiled at me or held me or anything, but she has been very kind to me and I just want to see her one last time, to say good-bye, to see for my own eyes that she�s well... If he was to choose which parent he loved, if any, or which he liked more, it would be the queen.
"The queen has had many days of hardships and worry. She�s in bed and you aren�t going to disturb her with your petty conversations. From this day forward, you will obey MY command and your only concern will be regarding YOUR merit." What have I ever done in my entire life BUT follow your command? Arslan bowed his head once more. How could I even hope that he would let me see her...?
Leaning against the wall and at the side of the king�s view, Guibu felt anger stir with him. He did not remember anything about himself or others, but he retained knowledge on acceptable customs and culture, just as he remember how to play his instrument. And the king was acting nothing like a father. Nothing at all. Not a single word uttered of encouragement, greeting, or inquiry of health. Nothing, nothing at all. King or not, he�s a terrible father.
"What are we going to eat today?" Matsuri asked. She stood up and stretched. "Now that we�re all here, we need a lot of food. I don�t usually cook outdoors, but I�ll try my best!" She made her hand into a fist of determination, and grinned.
Tsuzuku glanced around. "There are a few plants here, Niisan...we can probably catch an animal or two." Or eat some plants.
"Ne, ne, Aniki! This place has small animals and stuff, but there was a valley a while back that had even more food." Owaru patted himself on the back for coming up with such a brilliant discovery.
That�s right...that valley had more edible plants. What more, it was near a river, so we can have plenty of water... "He�s right, Niisan. The valley isn�t far, we passed it coming here. And it�s near running water." Tsuzuku looked around. "We should probably catch something to eat here and then head that way."
Amaru ran in carrying something. "Look, look! I caught a rabbit!" He cradled the rabbit gently, and held it out triumphantly.
"Are you going to share it?" Owaru asked.
Amaru looked horrified. "We�re not going to eat it!" He looked at Hajime. "Are we?"
"Ah, it�s so cute!" Matsuri squealed.
"Are you hungry?" Hajime asked his cousin. Not being a dragon incarnate, she was the one who was the most susceptible to hunger and weakness.
Matsuri looked at the adorable rabbit and shook her head. "I�m fine."
Hajime looked at Tsuzuku. "How far is it?"
"Half a day�s walk."
Hajime nodded. He picked up Matsuri, who did not protest, and glanced at their tiny camp. There was nothing worth taking, so he looked back at his younger brothers. "Let�s go."
Arslan bowed and prepared to leave. He was escorted to his room, where he was allowed to pack all personal belongings that he wished to take with him. There, he dressed in more princely clothing and took his golden helmet, which signified him as the Crown Prince.
He was spared no time to say his farewells to his friends. Instead he was lead to the stables, where his horse was prepared with supplies. He ordered my horse to be prepared the instant he came back! He wanted me gone immediately! Mounting his saddled white horse, Arslan rode out of Castle Peshwal.
The prince heard a cry and glanced up. It was Azrael, Quishward�s pet falcon. He was a beautiful peregrine with golden-brown feathers. Smiling, Arlsan out his hand and called the bird�s name. Azrael landed gently, his claws digging onto his golden gauntlet, and Arslan had to smile at its appearance. That he was here, with Arslan at his departure, meant that Quishward had given him to Arslan. Thank you, Quishward. Azrael was a beautiful beast whose company Arslan had always enjoyed. He came and went as he pleased, never staying in one place; so no person really could claim that he was his master. Quishward, however, was to whom he returned the most often, and the fact that he was here meant that the role of Quishward had just been transferred to Arslan. "I�ll be just fine, my friend." Arslan told the bird. I will be fine. Eventually.
Only when the castle was no longer in view did Arslan remove his helmet, bury his face into his horse�s mane, and finally, weep.
He felt panic as he heard the knocking on his door. Looking around frantically for somewhere to hide, he did not notice when his servant opened the door. She spoke to the beings behind the door, nodded, and then looked at him. "It�s your fiance and his brothers, Your Highness."
He looked at his bed frantically, and attempted to crawl underneath it. He was half-way under it before an arm grabbed him roughly and pulled him out. "What are you doing?" A familiar and cheerful voice asked. He froze, which made him easier for the White Dragon to pull into view.
"Running and hiding from us like that! How rude!" The voice held no malice in it, he was teasing, as always.
With his hands on his shoulder, the White Dragon spun him around to face his fiance. "Chuukei, meet your fiance, Hoshiki." He flushed in embarrassment when his eyes met the one that he would marry. The Red Dragon, as beautiful as ever, gave him a thin, weary smile. Although calm, his eyes held unhappiness. He knew, then, that the White Dragon had dragged the Red Dragon along, that he didn�t want the marriage anymore than he did. And the one whose hands were on him, the one whose love he DID desire, was not his.
"I�m sorry, Aoiki. I talked to my father and he refuses to change his mind." The White Dragon explained. "His said that our families should be tied to protect the throne and he�s fixated on Chuukei. I suggested Kikei, but he gave me this look of disproval. He said that he had his reasons and when I pressed him for details, he said that Chuukei was the only mature person available."
His heart sank once more. What about you? He wanted to ask. Kikei�s too young, but what about you? But he knew, it did not have to be said. His father felt that both the White Dragon and the Black Dragon were too immature. The Blue Dragon could not be spared. And so, the duty of the marriage fell upon the Red Dragon. And he was afraid to ask, for it would reveal his feelings and he did not wish to upset both his fiance and his friend. It�s too late, it�s too late, it�s too late...
"Isn�t this neat, Oniisama?" The Black Dragon smiled happily. "At least it�s Aoiki. It could�ve been much worse."
His fiance sighed wearily and gestured towards the door. "Everyone but..." He appeared to have difficulty speaking. "Everybody but my fiance and me out. That includes servants."
He felt nervous and worried. What now?
The others departed, leaving just him and the brother of the one he loved.
Something bit him, and it woke him up. It was dark. He had cried himself to sleep, and then slept the whole day because he did not sleep at all the night before. Something sharp bit his ear again. Crying out, Arslan looked around, surprised. He was still on his horse, which was...running. Puzzled, he pulled the reins on his horse to stop it. He felt blood trickling down his ear. Touching it in a daze, he felt Azrael land on his shoulder, his claws around the golden armor. Azrael bit his ear again, flew off, came back, and bit his horse. The beast started running in panic once more, while Arslan held on to its reins in fear of falling off.
What�s Azrael doing? He touched his ear and winced at the pain. He then became aware of noises. Loud noises, people talking, deep voices.
"He went that way."
"After him!"
"He�s got a horse! Only the leader�s got a horse, we can�t possibly catch up."
Clutching the reins tighter, Arslan kicked his horse. He glanced at the falcon that was flying above him and smiled briefly. "Thanks, Azrael." Riding in the dark, he fervently wished that he was not alone. I wonder how many of them there are...can I take them on? But he was not arrogant enough to risk it. I can�t die here, not yet. Only one of them has a horse... He kicked his horse once more, forcing the beast to run faster. How long have I been out? It�s dark...I don�t recognize anything. How stupid of me...if I had just been awake... Feeling fear gnaw at him, Arslan ignored it and concentrated on moving ahead. Silently, he rode in the dark.
Behind him, he heard hooves as his pursuer, the leader, was catching up. Oh no...
His horse was getting tired, he could tell. He was wearing gold armor and his horse had been dressed in gold armor as well. All of this, impractically, added up to a heavier burden. He wanted to remove parts of it to relieve its burden, but was afraid that if he did so, it would only give his pursuers another reason for following him.
Behind him, he heard his enemy approach even closer. He wished that he was as brave as Darun, or as cunning as Narcasse, but he had none of their skills. His only option was to try to lose them. Suddenly, his horse stopped. He looked down and saw a pit of darkness. An abyss...calm down, it�s not an abyss. You�re just scaring yourself. It�s just the edge of a cliff. Uh oh. Well, here goes. Arslan turned his horse around and drew his sword.
He had been staring out the window all day, wondering what he was going to do now. With the new ruler in charge, he doubted that he would be permitted to stay much longer. And so, he gathered his things and decided that he would leave. The problem was that because the king was fearful that Darun and Narcasse would attempt to leave, the guards had been doubled. And so, Guibu had spent the entire day looking out the window, wondering what he would do. It was now dark, and since the king has not yet examined everyone here, he assumed that he would be permitted to stay the night.
He heard a soft knock on the door. Who could that be? Reluctantly, he got up, crossed the room, and opened it.
To his surprise, it was the one called Farangis. He had not spoken to her since she had slapped him the other day. Moving aside, he let her in and closed the door.
"Yes?"
The priestess looked at him, and he could tell that there was much she wished to say. But then she shook her head slightly, and walked towards the window. She looked out into the night sky and looked at him when he approached her.
"See that?" She gestured towards a guard post.
"Yes."
"In a short while, a fire will be started there. We�re going to escape and go after Arslan then." Farangis finally turned and looked at him, her dark green eyes meeting his own violet. "Are you coming?"
He stared at her in surprise. "Aren�t you afraid of the king�s reaction? This is treason."
"I fear the wrath of the Goddess more than the wrath of any man." Farangis was a priestess of the Misra temple and had been selected to protect Arslan. Misra had promised a protector for the prince in his time of need, and she had been selected by the other priestesses to go. They had envied her superiority above them in all categories -- looks, skills, and everything else -- and had chosen her to get rid of her. But because she hated Lusitanians, she had agreed.
She�s got spirit. I like her. Guibu grinned. They did not have a lot of time, but he had to ask. "Why are you asking me?" He was probably of little use to the prince, having no memories and only being able to sing. And if there was camaradie between him and anyone else here, he did not remember it.
"The prince would want you there as well. He was worried about you." She spoke hesitantly, and Guibu knew that that was not all. But she said nothing else, and he accepted her answer. He gathered his things and nodded.
"Well, let�s go catch ourselves a prince."
"Oi, Aniki! Look!"
Upon the cliff that they had been on just days before, stood a person. He was on horseback, fighting against a larger group of men. He was, unfortunately, heavily surrounded and one of the larger men shoved him off his horse. Lying on the ground, he scooted back a little, until he could literally feel the edge of the cliff behind him.
"Go save him!" Matsuri shouted.
Owaru looked at Amaru. "Race you there!" The two boys took off.
Tsuzuku, however, was ahead of them, having started running the minute he had seen the figure. He did not stop to question why he was trying so hard to save a stranger, he had simply acted. By the time the two younger brothers had started running, he had already reached the bottom of the cliff. Quickly, he moved half way up the cliff, stopping, finally at a small flat part in the middle of it where he barely had enough room to stand.
Arslan watched the oncoming men with dread. Carefully, he stood up and got into sword stance, preparing to fight once more. He blocked another sword blow, the force vibrating him enough to step back another step. But there was nothing behind him to step back onto, and he fell into the darkness.
Tsuzuku caught the falling person, as he anticipated. What he did not anticipate was the weight of the person, combined with the distance of the top of the cliff to where he stood as well as the acceleration of gravity. These forces combined increased the forced exerted upon him by the person and knocked him off where he was standing. As the two tumbled downwards, Tsuzuku instinctively shielded the other being with his body. He held the stranger tightly, his face pressed against his chest. Tsuzuku took most of the blows himself, the other�s sword tumbling with them and cutting into him while he tried his best to cover the other�s head with his own hands and arms. They tumbled for what seemed like an eternity, falling in the darkness.
When the floor stopped moving, Tsuzuku realized that they had landed at the bottom of the cliff. Dazed, he loosened his grip on the person that he had been trying so hard to protect and waited to hear his brothers.
Seconds later, they were there.
"Aniki!!!!"
"Niisan!"
"Tsuzuku!"
Tsuzuku felt hands lifting the person that he had been holding against. His last thought before he passed out was, Why did I do that again?
He woke up to feel someone pinching his cheek. Groaning, Tsuzuku swatted at his brother blindly.
"Aniki, you okay?"
"If you let me sleep, I�ll be okay." Sighing, Tsuzuku opened his eyes and winced when he saw the sky. It was bright. A new morning. Feeling slightly sore, he sat up and found himself being embraced by his youngest brother.
"Tsuzuku-niisan, I�m so glad you�re okay!"
Surprised, Tsuzuku let himself be held before his brother released him. Why wouldn�t I be okay? And then he recalled the night before. Tumbling down a cliff, trying hard to rescue someone. How strange...usually I�m not so chivalrous. Sighing, he looked Amaru. "Is the person all right?"
Amaru nodded enthusiastically. "Niisan, you�re a hero!"
He felt Owaru slap him on the back. "Aniki, you were great!"
He nodded, and looked around. His eyes landed on the person he saved the night before, and he groaned inwardly.
"Aniki, you saved the prince!"
And just when I wanted to avoid pulling us into a war... Sighing, Tsuzuku examined the prince. Unconscious, his helmet, armor, and outer garments had all been removed, so that Matsuri could dress his wounds. But because they had no bandages, his cape had been torn into pieces and were now wrapped around him. His wounds were numerous and all over him, but none of them were mortal or terribly serious, thanks to the red dragon.
"Tsuzuku, are you all right?" Matsuri asked him worriedly. "You have no wounds to dress, but still..."
"I�m fine. Just a little sore, that�s all."
Sighing, Tsuzuku looked at Hajime. "Sorry, Niisan..."
"What? Why are you apologizing?"
"It looks like I just dragged us into the war." And yet, part of him did not regret it at all.
There were eight of them: Darun, Narcasse, Guibu, Farangis, Eram, Alfreed, Melain, and Jaswont. They had followed the prince�s trail all night. Narcasse had thought it was funny, and had told Darun that they needed to teach Arslan a few more out door tricks. But they were also grateful for the trail, for it made tracking the prince so much easier. By morning, however, there was still no sign of the prince himself.
They did not get really concerned, until the tracks began to indicate that his horse had been running. Until they were led them to a cliff. And then there were no other signs of the prince.
Desperately, Darun hunted around for a sign that the prince had been there, for a possession of his, for anything -- but nothing was found. The trail led to the cliff and that had been the end of it.
Guibu looked over the cliff. It was steep; anyone that fell off of it in the night would probably not survive. He looked for any sign of Arslan below, but they were so high up that he could not see anything below very clearly. He then looked back at Darun. "If he fell down this cliff, he would not survive."
"No...Arslan wouldn�t be stupid enough to fall down a cliff! He wouldn�t!" Alfreed looked at her brother desperately, forgetting the fact that Melain had never known the prince well. "He wouldn�t, would he?"
Melain studied the horse tracks carefully. "There was another horse here. And by the looks of it, Arslan�s horse was dragged away on this trail." He indicated towards the ground, a different trail, which led away from the cliff and towards another direction. "He was probably kidnapped."
"We ruined most of that trail," Farangis noted, "But not all of it. We can still follow it."
Darun nodded. "Let�s go."
The others departed, leaving just him and the brother of the one he loved.
Feeling nervous, he looked at the other expectantly. "Yes?"
The Red Dragon studied him. "Would you be offended if I stated that I have no desire for this marriage whatsoever?"
"Not at all. I feel the same way you do." I don�t want you, I want your brother. And you don�t want me, you want your servant.
"Good. Tell your father and I�ll talk to mine. Maybe we can change their minds." There was doubt in his voice, he already knew the outcome but was still desperate for any hopes.
He shook his head sadly. "My father does not listen to what I say. He never did and never will. He does not respect any of my wishes at all."
"Oh..."
"But maybe, if you could convince your father to transfer the marriage to one of your brothers instead of you...?"
His fianc� stared at him in surprise.
He had not wished to reveal his feelings, but he had to give it a try. "You...you�re in love with Hisui, aren�t you? And at least I�m friends with your brothers...I don�t know you at all." And I love your brother, he added silently.
The red dragon stared at him in surprise. "How did you know?"
A shift. A distortion.
"I told you I would return."
"What do you mean?"
"When you wake up, you�ll see."
A shift again. Another distortion.
He was listening with the queen, listening to the bard Hisui. The musician sang enchantingly, and the music was simply stunning to listen to. He paused before he began his next song, a love song.
And he could tell that by the way he sang that the minstrel was in love with someone. Or at least, there was someone that he held very, very dear to him. He wondered who it was. Little did he know that it was the minstrel�s very own master...
He woke up to the sun shining brightly in his eyes. What...? Sitting up slowly, Arslan felt pain shoot throughout his body. It was nothing too terrible, and he simply ignored it; a skill he had learned in his youth. Looking around in puzzlement, he was greeted by a pretty girl.
"Good morning." She had long, slightly dirty brown hair, a fine facial structure, and bright, aquamarine eyes.
"Good morning."
"How are you feeling?"
Arslan looked down and was embarrassed to find himself undressed. The only thing covering him was the remains of his cape. All over him, parts of his cape were tied around his wounds. And then the rest of the cape covered the lower half of his body, similar to a blanket. Blushing slightly, he looked back at her and smiled. She looks familiar. "A little sore, but nothing I can�t ignore."
"Yo, prince! Long time no see!"
To his great surprise, Owaru sat down next to him. Owaru!?! "You fell off a cliff the night before and Aniki saved you!" He gestured in a direction, and Arslan�s blue eyes followed. His eyes widened in surprise. Tsuzuku.
The handsome Ryudo from before was talking to someone he did not recognize. His older brother, I presume. He stopped when he noticed that Arslan was awake, and nodded at him.
Arslan nodded back, grateful. I remember falling...and then someone caught me and held me tighter than anyone has ever held me in my life. And we were tumbling down, and he saved me by shielding me with his body... Arslan looked down, and hoped that no one would notice the blush deepening on his face. I feel like such a fool.
"Hey everyone, he�s awake!" Owaru waved at his siblings before returning to talking to Arslan. He indicated the girl before them. "This is my cousin, Matsuri. Matsuri, this is Prince Arslan. And that cool guy over there is my older brother, Hajime."
Both Hajime and Tsuzuku got up and moved to sit nearer to him, and Arslan wished vainly that he was wearing more clothes. But none of them seemed to care, so he did his best to not draw their attention to the fact that he was naked. Amaru sat down next to him as well, his face smiling in greeting.
Hajime studied Arslan. He frowned slightly, and briefly, but the fact that he frowned set off Tsuzuku�s curiosity. He, in turn, studied Arslan as well, trying to figure out what made his older brother frown. Hmm...
Feeling eyes upon him, Arslan found Tsuzuku and Hajime staring at him. Feeling more and more uncomfortable, he looked at Matsuri and smiled. "Did you dress my wounds?" At her affirmative response, he smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
His eyes traveled back to Tsuzuku. I hope he didn�t get too hurt because of me. To his surprise, the pretty Ryudo did not have a single scratch on him. Or at least, none that were showing. Then again, he�s not naked like I am. He felt himself flush slightly once more, before he met Tsuzuku�s dark eyes with his own blue. "Thank you."
Tsuzuku smiled charmingly. "My, but we�re rude hosts. Just staring at our guest and none of us making conversation."
"I was making conversation," Owaru protested.
Tsuzuku ignored him and turned his attention back to the prince. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He had been awake long enough to know that for breakfast they were eating some fish that Owaru caught in the river. And then they used Arslan�s helmet, which they found at the bottom of the cliff as well, as a container to hold water from the river.
Arslan nodded. "Both..."
They found the trail to the bandit�s camp, which they promptly attacked. To Guibu�s great surprise, there was very little of them, and they only had two horses, of which one was Arslan�s. To his greater surprise, they recognized and hated him and Melain. With fury, they attacked the redheads the most, but were easily and quickly defeated. Guibu was pleased to discover that he also knew how to fight. It felt good knowing useful skills.
"Melain, do you know them? Because they seem to hate you." Alfreed asked her older brother, while pilfering through their items.
"When I first met Tsuzuku and Guibu, escorting the princess, we ran into them and took care of them. For the most part. Most of them ran away, though..."
"The princess!" Darun looked at Narcasse with worry. "Will she be all right under King Andragora�s company?"
"At this point, he will be so intent upon retaking the throne that I doubt he would pay much attention towards her. And I don�t think he knew about her relationship with Hermes; he never cared for court gossip, and so he will probably not think to use her as a hostage."
Darun nodded, satisfied. He moved his sword at the leader�s neck. "Where is he?"
"Where is who?" The other man squealed.
"Where is the boy whose horse you stole and whose items you took?"
The other man gulped. "He fell off the cliff."
Darun stared at him in fury. He promptly cut off the man�s head and moved to slaughter the rest that were still living, the prisoners.
"Normally, I�d stop him. But seeing as how Melain and Guibu had let them go before and they�re still continuing their occupation..." Narcasse shrugged. It was, after all, a high crime to attack a prince. Guibu shivered, having no recollection but feeling partly responsible for the men�s deaths.
When he was done, Darun mounted his black steed.
"Where are you going?" Narcasse asked his friend. Why does he look so amused, I wonder... Guibu watched them both with interest.
"I�m going to go back and cut off Andragora�s head for making us leave Arslan alone."
Guibu, like all the others, stared in stunned silence as Darun prepared to leave.
"Don�t be rash. Now THAT�S treason." Narcasse laughed. "There�s a time and place for everything, my friend, and now is neither the time nor the place." He gestured towards the sky. "Look. I think someone�s trying to tell us something."
It was Azrael, crying out in the sky.
"Azrael, if Prince Arslan is still alive, take us to him!"