Summary: Four young people and an immortal share an incredible adventure.
Categories: Gatchaman Characters: Berg Katse, Dr. Kozaburou Nambu, Jinpei, Joe Asakura, Jun, Ken Washio, Original Character, Ryu Nakanishi
Genre: Action/Adventure, Epic
Story Warnings: Mild Language, Mild Violence
Timeframe: Other
Universe: Alternate Universe
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 10
Completed: No
Word count: 16774
Read: 33178
Published: 05/26/2007
Updated: 05/26/2007
1. Chapter 1 by Ali
2. Chapter 2 by Ali
3. Chapter 3 by Ali
4. Chapter 4 by Ali
5. Chapter 5 by Ali
6. Chapter 6 by Ali
7. Chapter 7 by Ali
8. Chapter 8 by Ali
9. Chapter 9 by Ali
10. Chapter 10 by Ali
G-Force: Legends -- Prelude
"How much farther do we ride?" Kujaku The Archer called from the back of the riding group as he chewed on the nib of a shuriken in the shape of a feather. "It has been days, old man."
The old nameless priest looked back from the front, a small patient smile on his face. "In time, young archer. We will reach our destination."
Jinpei The Thief rode forward, excited. "Will that be soon?"
The old man nodded. "When the whistled tune is heard, we will have arrived."
"Stop speaking in riddles, priest!" Kujaku called again.
"Kujaku, quiet," Akeila The Hunter said sternly. "The Priest has been right so far and there's no reason to distrust him now."
Ryuoh The Traveller continued in his relaxed manner, lying on his back atop his horse, cloak pulled over his eyes. "Aah, Kujaku, you need to learn to trust your comrades. Did the Priest not say that we are meant to be as one for a great purpose?"
Kujaku snorted. "A purpose he has not yet told us. We could all be destined to die together for his own likings."
"Oh shut up, Kujaku," Jinpei said. "Must everything end in death for you?"
"That is the way it has been. For what reason must I think differently?"
Akeila rode faster. "You are a pain, Kujaku. I see no way whatsoever we will be able to work together, despite what the Priest has said."
The little man laughed aloud in front of them. "No, you four will bind together as though it were a natural force about you. It has all been written, like it or not. Eventually the four of you will work as one like it was the most perfect harmony in the world."
The four then rode in silence, though Kujaku remained sullen. Akeila unbound her hair and braided it again before tucking it back into her cloak. Jinpei continued to ride ahead with the Priest, enjoying his company, while Ryuoh lazed in the back.
After a while the Priest halted them. Kujaku tugged his reins, the horse startling a moment. "What is it, Priest?" he asked, readying his crossbow.
The Priest was smiling. "Do you not hear? Do you not hear the Song of the White Shadow?"
They tried to listen, but they heard nothing, lacking the mystical perception that was talent of the Priest. "There is only the wind, Priest," Akeila said.
"I hear nothing," Jinpei said. "Are you sure?"
Ryuoh caome forward and listened again. He stiffened. "Wait. It's there. I hear it. It's getting clearer."
The Priest urged his horse to go on, and the four travellers followed. "Yes, Ryuoh is right. We are closer now, the Song clearer. It is a song that will bring hope to those it protects and fear to those who oppose it."
As they rode on, the Song grew louder, thicker. It was a clear, haunting whistled tune the wind seemed to carry and weave through the air.
"So we have arrived," Kujaku said. "Where is here?"
The Priest led them over a hill and stopped to admire the view. As the four too came to a halt, they froze, mesmerized by what they saw below in the valley.
"Behold, the land of the Seven Shields."
Curious gazes followed them as they rode through. Most of the people were dressed in black and white, with markings of their Clans. The Seven Shields had spread their Clans far and wide, as they were sent from the Heavens above and did not age, knew not what time meant outside of the four seasons and night and day. The Seven Shields -- Gyou, Karura, Fuma, Hinoe, Lien, Shiro and Shimada -- have been walking the face of their Earth for many generations already, and it was left with Shimada alone to start a family of his own, to spread his Clan. He was the youngest of the Seven Shields.
Soon Kujaku observed that the curious stares were not of alienation, but of awe and respect. It was unusual for him: he often drew stares because he was the last of his clan, his tan skin and light hair and eyes were not a common sight any longer with thanks to the Darkness, who had eliminated his clan off the face of the world. Akeila drew stares for her beauty, for certain, but this was not the case now. It couldn't be, as there were also eyes upon Jinpei and Ryuoh. He grew uncomfortable.
"Where to now?" Akeila asked quietly. "Where are you taking us?"
"To Lord Gyou, of course," the Priest said.
The four stopped, holding their horses back.
"To the Shield of Power? What for?" Ryuoh asked. "What is it that we've done?"
The Priest laughed and urged them to move on with him. "You have done nothing other than prove your worth. He is the reason why I was sent to unite you."
Jinpei rode close to Akeila. "Akeila, Lord Gyou requested our
presence!" he whispered. "Do you think this is the great purpose the Priest spoke of?"
She nodded, still stunned by the news. "And we must not turn it down. Lord Gyou's word is not to be challenged or questioned. Remember that he is the First Shield of Heaven, the Shield of Power."
They rode forth and entered past the gates of the main fortress, a place called Firebird's Hiding. Leaving their horses -- but not their weapons -- they followed the Priest into the chamber where in a simple setting there were seven places of honor set at random. For now five places were empty, and only Gyou and Karura, the Shield of Wisdom were present.
The Priest dropped to his knees and bowed, the other four followed suit: it was not wise to offend Lord Gyou.
"Stand," his voice boomed. Gyou was imposing with his tall muscular build, the black haired pulled back in a band, a neatly trimmed beard making him appear regal. In contrast Karura was lithe and beautiful, her blue-white hair falling straight past her shoulders, her expression gentle.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice," she spoke. "We did not mean to interrupt any of your current businesses, but what we have asked you here for is of grave importance." She then turned to the Priest. "Great Elder, thank you for your efforts. You may leave now."
He bowed deeply. "Thank you, Gracious Lady."
Once the Priest had left, Kujaku, Akeila, Jinpei and Ryuoh found it difficult to hide their apprehension and doubt. Akeila was the first to speak. "My Lady Karura, for what reason is it that you've chosen us?"
She smiled. "Akeila, Hunter. I only selected. It is Lord Gyou who summoned. He will speak now."
Gyou stood and stepped down to them as he spoke. "The four of you have been summoned from the four corners of the world, and you have, I assume, come to witness the Darkness's growth in power. All four of you have lost families and homes to them, is that not true?"
"Yes, Lord," they answered in unison.
"The wars between the Seven Shields and their Clans against the Darkness are growing. We usually fight together, keeping Seven as one, but I fear that now we can no longer afford that. With the spreading wars each Shield must now go on his or her own, to counter each attack with their Clan. Unfortunately, herein lies a problem."
"Which is, my Lord?" Ryuoh asked.
His brow creased. "Shimada, our youngest Shield, has no Clan. And in spite of his skills I cannot think to leave him to do battle alone. Which is why I have called the four of you."
"We were called here to become nursemaids to the youngest Shield?" Kujaku blurted. "This is the great prupose we travelled all the way here for?"
Akeila shot him a glare. "Kujaku, be quiet."
Gyou was slightly annoyed, but could very well understand why. Kujaku had his reputation. "Shimada is not exactly a waif, as you may think, Archer. And by my saying that he is the youngest, remember that the Shields are ageless, and that would make him far older than all of your ages put together."
Karura giggled, then came down to them as well. "I have chosen the four of you to act as his Holy Guardians. You will attain the level of Time as we have, as well as the use of our brand of skills over the elements. And I am sorry to say, however, that you may have no choice in this matter, as it has been chosen by my word, and it will not be defied."
They stood in silence for a little while, before Ryuoh responded, "So it shall be, my Lady."
Akeila and Jinpei bowed. "So it shall be, my Lady."
Kujaku nodded. "So it shall be, my Lady."
Karura smiled demurely. "Now you shall come to see the young Lord Shimada."
Jinpei leaned close to Akeila, whispering, "Akeila, I have heard that no one has seen Lord Shimada's face; he is ever shrouded."
It was a whisper but it did not escape Karura. "That is true, young Thief. That is upon our command that he is shrouded so. We have our reasons." She looked back to Gyou. "Gyou, whereabouts is Shimada?"
He groaned, a pained look on his face. "Do note, Karura, that we have not seen neither shadow nor dust of both young Shimada and Shiro. They are up to their galavanting as always. I refuse to summon them again."
Karura shook her head. "You can be so grumpy, Gyou. Those two are young, let them be."
"They are Shields, Karura."
"And they are also young. I said leave them be; time and again they need to leave the wars behind." She looked to one of the higher windows and whistled. A Firebird appeared and swooped down to her.
Kujaku and his comrades stood in wonder as the creature spoke in a female human voice. "You summoned me, my Lady Karura?"
She took the creature to her arm, stroking its flame-wings. "Whereabouts is your young master Shimada, Azrael?"
The Firebrid sighed. "With Lord Shiro. You wish me to call my master to your presence?"
"Yes. And please hurry, Azrael."
"So it shall be, my Lady." And the bird took off at blinding speed, casting a streak of fire in the sky where her wings had touched.
to be continued...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
tattered wings on the ground, evidence of war
fire in the sky, form of a bird, a Phoenix
yes, they still live
they are immortal
It was not long before Azrael returned in a fiery streak, followed by another if not larger Firebird, entering the same window she exited. Azrael circled the room a few times before settling down on a window ledge, while the larger Firebird descended to the floor and took human form, revealing beneath its flames a shrouded figure Kujaku and the others assumed to be Shimada, the Shield of Mercy.
"You summoned me, Karura?" he said, voice light and clear.
"Where have you been galavanting?" she asked, as a stern mother or sister would. "Did I not remind you of a special occasion today?"
A second larger Firebird came through the window and took form before touching the ground. "The fault is mine, Karura," said another voice. Now there stood a young man in a black uniform of trousers, boots and a high-collared shirt, very much like that of a clergyman, though less formal. His eyes were large and pretty, and his hair was a muss of darkness, neither short nor long. "I asked him to come with me."
The first figure proceeded to remove his cloak from his head, unaware of the presence of the four strangers. "Shiro, I can take the blame myself," he said. "I am not that much younger than you in whatever you consider as Time."
Shiro, the Shield of Protection, turned to see the four newcomers, and suddenly aware that the cloak had left Shimada, he jumped into a panic. "Shimada, your shroud!" He leapt right in front of him, quickly pulling the cloak back over the youngest Shield's head, so tight it looked as though he was strangling him.
"Shiro! Shiro, let go!" Shimada cried from underneath the dark cloth. Shiro let go as Shimada tore the shroud off his shoulders. "What were you trying to do? Commit murder?"
Shiro shrugged. "Your punishment?" he asked, thumbing at the four strangers in the chamber. "You recall you're not supposed to be seen outside of these walls."
"I *am* within these walls. And they are inside here with me," he replied. "It is not my fault."
Many had assumed that the reason why Shimada was ever shrouded even in battle was because perhaps that Shimada was not as beautiful or as fair as the other Shields were, that he was horribly scarred and was ashamed of his appearance. The assumption was a complete opposite of what was the truth. Shimada's clothes mimicked that of Shiro, among other things. The two younger Shields shared the same height and build, but Shimada's eyes were a deep blue and his dark hair fell long and over his eyes. There was a sense of kind, gentle arrogance about him, his wisdom betraying his youth.
Jinpei swallowed. "The reason for the shroud, Lady Karura?"
"Many times before Shimada was attacked unawares by commoners, relentlessly followed by strangers meaning well and harm alike. He draws unwanted attention to himself, and we try to avoid that."
Kujaku smirked: a troublemaker of a Shield? "So what exactly does he do that draws so much attention?"
Shiro shrugged as he leaned against the wall. "Merely by existing, actually."
"You exagerrate, Shiro," Shimada said, arms folded. "And I don't exactly appreciate you speaking of the reasons for the shroud, Karura."
"They must know and understand, young Shimada, because they will be your companions from now on."
He blinked, once, twice, then bowed his head low to her. "My apologies, Karura. I didn't know." He turned to Kujaku, Ryuoh and Jinpei, his gaze lingering longer on Akeila. "You are Karura's chosen ones?"
They bowed almost simultaneously. "Yes, Lord."
They saw him cringe. Apparently he did not like his title. "Shimada will be all right, thank you," he said. He turned back to Karura. "Have they been Changed?"
"As of tomorrow, Shimada," she said, "they will defy Time as we do, and hold the degree of power as we do. They will be your four Holy Guardians."
Kujaku stepped forward. "Wait. What degree of power? And what do you mean by defying Time?"
Shimada answered. "As you know we do not know Time outside of the four seasons and the division of night and day. We are ageless and remain so. Bestowing that upon the four of you will simply mean that you will be able to accompany me until the day I should perish, for then you will return to your normal mortal state where Time will touch you again. By degree of power, we mean this." And Shimada leapt into the air, remaining weightless
as streams of water appear out of nowhere, circling around him like solid rings. Water transformed into fire, fire into wind before he dropped to the floor again. "There will be one or two limits, though, Karura?"
She nodded. "Your power over the elements will be limited to your weapons alone. When the changes are done, Shimada will help you through."
The Changes were strange enough. There was no real way to decribe it other than to say that all Seven Shields were gathered in a circle around them, and all seven had brandished their blades -- the legendary Seven SoulSwords -- and something happened between then and the moment they found themselves in their beds in separate rooms that they could not remember and did not dare ask about.
They did remember the presence of the Seven Shields, Shimada clearly appearing the youngest. There was the Third Shield of Heaven Fuma, Shield of Courage; the Fourth Shield Hinoe, Shield of Faith, and Lien, the Fifth Shield, Shield of Peace. The Shields were awe-inspiring on their own separately, but once they were together, the amount of respect and authority that they carried was almost too great to appease that they felt greatly humbled by them.
Kujaku awakened aching in the dead of night in what was to be his new living quarters. He felt warm, and he cursed the damned fool who covered him with the soft blankets. He kicked them off and went to the window to open it, and there outside he saw Shimada sitting on the ledge of a window across, unaware of being seen or observed. Apparently he was waiting for someone, or something.
As Kujaku watched, he saw a figure approach Shimada, a figure he recognized as Hinoe, the priestess in black, the Fourth Shield. "Shimada?"
he heard her call. "You called for me, child?"
"Hinoe," he began, "tomorrow... should we go into war again, I will not be with you. We would all be separated, and I don't know what to think of that."
Hinoe sat down next to him, her hand on his. "We will not be completely separate, Shimada. We would return after each battle to Firebird's Hiding. You know that."
He laughed shirtly, bitterly. "Can I confess to you, Hinoe, Seer who walks into my dreams and knows my soul, that I am afraid of doing battle alone?"
"But you will not be alone. You will have them."
He shook his head. "I would feel responsible for them, not the other way around. They are supposed to protect me? I do not doubt their abilities, but I fear of how my priorities will change for them. As they would likely not want any harm come to me, I too want nothing to come to them. I don't know, Hinoe..."
She nodded, understanding. "It's your own protective instinct. You are the Shield of Mercy, and you would protect the weak, show forgiveness to the wrong. It is not wrong, what your soul is telling you."
"Could I bear it if anything ever happened to them? No, they are here to represent the Shimada Clan, as I do not have one. It would make them blood to me, just as you to your sons and daughters." He sighed, shoulders sagging, head bowing low. "I don't know if I can deal with such responsibility now."
Hinoe ran a hand through his hair, untangling it. "You have dealt with matters far harder than this, Shimada. You will prevail, as you always have. Rest now. It is far into the night."
She moved back, away from him. "Hinoe?"
She nodded. "Should you dream tonight, Shimada, I will be there to hold you. Do not fear."
He smiled wanely, then turned his gaze back to the stars. Kujaku had listened to the conversation, and found that Shimada was indeed young, that being a Shield did not make him any less human than he himself was. There was much to learn, to do, before any of them would be ready to serve Shimada as his Holy Guardians. Hopefully, Time would allow them, Time would barricade further attacks from the Darkness, Time would protect them and bless them.
Azrael grabbed a beakful of his hair and tugged. He awoke with a jolt, a sharp pain throbbing on his scalp. "Was that necessary, Azrael?"
"It is now that you have overslept, my Lord," she answered smartly. "I don't suppose you remember that today you begin training with the four Guardians?"
"I remember," he said, rising out of bed and heading for the pool of water in the corner of the room. "I could not stop thinking about it, even in my sleep. Hinoe is going to approach me today, I know that for certain."
Azrael went to the cupboards to pull out his clothes for him as he washed, speaking as she wnet about her work. "You are very disturbed, my Lord. Is there anything?"
"No, Azrael, thank you. Today, I pray, with the training in mind, I should get over this soon enough." He dressed quickly, pinning his cloak at his throat, but leaving the hood down. "Shall we?"
Azrael flew out the window, and Shimada shifted into his Firebird form and flew out after her.
to be continued...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
tattered wings on the ground, evidence of war
fire in the sky, form of a bird, a Phoenix
yes, they still live
they are immortal
"Show me your weapons of choice," he said.
Kujaku laid down his crossbow and arrows, and a set of feather-shaped shuriken. Akeila wore a whip at her waist, and held twin daggers. Ryuoh carried a glieve, a bladed staff. Jinpei carried shuriken and a set of bolos. Shimada regarded them thoughfully, and smiled.
"Well chosen. These weapons will suit you well in executing your powers."
"What of your weapons, Lord Shimada?" Jinpei asked. He saw again the pained expression on Shimada's face at the mention of the title, having forgotten.
Kujaku nodded. "I see you are not with your blade. Isn't it a rule that the Shields should not verture without their SoulSwords?"
Shimada looked at Kujaku with some wonder. Wonder if he has some ill feelings towards him; he had been antagonistic for the most part of the day already. "It's called a SoulSword; that should well explain why I do not have to carry it."
"So where is it?"
Shimada held his hand out, close to Kujaku's face, and when the SoulSword shot out of the palm of his hand, Kujaku had to move to preserve his handsome face, falling down. When he recovered Shimada stood there before him, the SoulSword of his name in his hand. The blade was long and graceful, much like its owner, the hilt and guard well-crafted, the symbol of the Seven Shields carved onto the stone in the guard. His free hand was beckoning to Kujaku, asking him to take it to stand. Reluctantly, he took it.
"The SoulSword, given its name is within me," he answered.
"Then how is it that the descendants of the other Clans all have identical swords?" Akeila asked.
Shimada undid his cloak and walked ahead, leading them to the training grounds outside Firebird's Hiding. "When each child of a Shield is born, there is a brief ritual of the 'birthing' of the sword. The new child's palms are slit by the Shield of Heaven's SoulSword, and with that done a new SoulSword will come to the child when he or she comes of age."
Jinpei swallowed at the thought of having a child's hands slit. "But you have no children?"
He smiled, shook his head. "I have no wife. I do not follow the ways of the other Shields."
Ryuoh stared. "You don't?"
"The other Shields believe in spreading their Clans, to maintain their existence, to defy Time terms of bloodline. The men have many wives, the women many husbands. I believe in spreading my bloodline, yes, but I also believe in choosing what's right for myself."
"You mean monogamy?" Akeila asked.
"Not necessarily," he sighed. "It's more that I am selfish, that I do not want to fulfill a world's need and ignore my own. The world needs an existing line of Shields by my blood. I need a woman I could love." And he said nothing more.
"The idea is to project the elemental powers you now possess in your weapons," he began. "Your weapons are from now on the vehicles of your powers. Without them, you are to only depend on whatever human skills you possess. Which will not be easy once you have grown accustomed to using your powers."
Kujaku humphed impatiently. "Enough talk. Why not show us?"
Shimada shrugged. "There would be no point in my demonstration as I do not need to project my powers onto any objects, and the SoulSword I use to project only when the need is clear. It is you who needs to try and see just how it works."
Ryuoh sat down on the grass. "Forgive me, Shimada, but Kujaku is right. It is not as easy understand something we cannot see."
"Hmm." Shimada picked up a shuriken from Jinpei and held it. "Just for you to see then." He held the shuriken flat upon his palm, his thumb holding it, a readied throw. "Anything you touch will now become a channel for your powers, but that is to your will, and you have control over that. It does not mean that the food you touch will take into effect, unless that was what you willed." The shuriken began to glow hotly, like a blade held over blue flames. "Choose which element you would like to project. As this is a throwing weapon, water and wind would not be truly ideal. I am projecting fire. Lightning is also a good one to use."
Pulling his arm back, he threw the shuriken and it ripped through a nearby rock, melting a neat hole into the stone.
And it was the beginning of a host of trials. Shimada showed Akeila how her whip could be used to cause whirlwinds and waterspouts, Ryuoh how his staff could break the earth and lift the stones into the sky. Kujaku learned to throw feather shurikens of fire and lightning, shoot arrows of ice and granite. Jinpei learned to command both wind and fire to his bolos, the winds to carry it wherever he wished and fire to surround the spinning weapon.
Shimada was pleased by their progress, but he grew weary by the end of the week, realizing that the little tasks he had been helping them with using his own strengths all added up to what equalled a full battle. He had exhausted himself far quicker than he had anticipated and by the last night of the week sought his bed even before sunset.
And he dreamed...
Two women, one a woman he already knew, this woman he loved but could not make his. The other became obligation, the mother of his son. But from the woman he truly loved he had a daughter. And both children were to die, his intended wife raped, his lover missing. And he himself bound by fine steel threads... his own SoulSword embedded in his heart...
"Hinoe!"
Azrael awakened at her perch by the window to her master's cries. She saw him struggling in his sleep, tears escaping his closed eyes, calling still for Hinoe. He was still trapped in his dreams.
She spread her wings and left the room quickly, to Lady Hinoe's room, only to find that she was not there.
Akeila had heard his cries and wasted no time getting dressed, armed and to his room. She'd been awake upon her bed, unable to rest, and her room was not far from his. She readied herself for a battle, only to find Shimada in a state of nightmare.
She sheathed her blade and approached the bed. A firm protectiveness infused itself within her then, and she sat upon the bed, slowly taking Shimada's form into her arms, holding him close. He continued to tremble and call in his sleep, but as she stroked his hair, whispered easy words to him, he slowed, then stopped, relaxing into her arms. Within him the dream faded away, and slowly rose to consciousness, comforted by the warmth he felt against him.
Then he realized it was not Hinoe. He looked up, but did not move. "Akeila..."
"You were dreaming, Shimada," she told him. "It's all right."
He rose away from her, sitting up on the bed, still looking very disoriented and frightened. Azrael came back into the room, and when she saw her master awake she flew to his shoulder and caressed his face with her fiery wing. "Forgive me, my Lord. I could not find the Lady Hinoe. Are you well?"
He nodded, giving her a soft pat on the head. "Yes. Now. Akeila was here. Thank you, Azrael." With that he sent the bird away, to be alone with Akeila.
"Your dream was so fierce, Shimada," she said quietly. "I feared that you would not wake."
"While I fear that I have become too dependant on Hinoe," he added, a small embarrassed smile on his face. "I'm sorry; this is not the image I should be projecting to you. I'm supposed to be a Shield, am I not?"
"You are human, too," she said. "Why are you dependant on Hinoe?"
He sighed, smoothening the blankets over his legs. "Hinoe is a Seer. She can walk into dreams and see what is in the heart and soul. I trust only her with my matters and concerns, because I cannot lie to her, and she does not speak to others of me. She pulls me out of my nightmares, tells me that they're only dreams..."
"But they're not?"
"Not all of them," he said. "Tonight... I need to speak to her about tonight's dream."
She took his hand. "Why not speak to me? I am here, while she is away."
There was doubt in his eyes.
"We will be accompanying you for the rest of your life, Shimada. We have sworn to always be at your side. You will need to trust us."
There was a long moment of silence, before he turned to her and spoke of the dream, and she listened intently.
to be continued...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
tattered wings on the ground, evidence of war
fire in the sky, form of a bird, a Phoenix
yes, they still live
they are immortal
Akeila had not thought for a moment that one of the women Shimada had spoken of in his dream might have been her. She could only hope to think so. She remembered losing her focus the moment he ripped the shroud off his shoulders when Shiro had nearly strangled him, recalled that his gaze lingered longer upon her than the others. She had had many good men in her life; why did the one she felt was right have to be the Shield of Mercy?
But then of course, what were the odds of him even thinking of her?
"You think her beautiful?" Shiro asked.
Shimada sighed. His back was to his best friend, his gaze upwards to the Heavens: home. "More than I could care to admit."
"Is she the one?"
Another sigh. "I don't know." He turned to face Shiro, who was wearing an expression of amusement on his face. Shimada found a small smile of his own. "You find this amusing on my behalf?"
"Shimada, you've been here as long as I have. My Clan now spans five generations, Gyou's already ten. And here you are still alone." Shiro snickered. "This is a good start."
He shook his head. "She's one of my Holy Guardians. We are bound by duty. It would not be allowed."
Shiro folded his arms. "And by whose authority is it not allowed? Not yours nor mine."
"What of Karura, or Fuma? Hinoe and Lien? Gyou? What would they think of it?"
"Does it matter if you love the woman?"
Shimada's shoulders sagged. He turned his back to Shiro again, eyes skyward to the stars. "I don't know."
Azrael swept into the room, landing above Shimada's bed. She nudged his bare shoulder, trying to wake him. "My Lord, they call! The Shields call!"
He awakened almost immediately and got dressed. Instead of flying out the window, he went out the door, to call the Guardians.
Standing in the corridor, he swept his arms up and all four doors came open by the force of winds, and fire lit the torches and lamps that had been doused. Kujaku was the first awake, as the winds Shimada sent tore the blankets off him, and he wore nothing beneath. "Was that very well needed, Shimada?" he asked angrily.
"The Shields call," he said firmly. "We must go now. It is time to try your abilities of flight, Guardians."
He waited for them to dress, trying not to allow his gaze to wander to Akeila's room where she fastened her mail and weaponry. Once they were ready he led, shifting into a Firebird. "Come now. You've all chosen your forms." He flew out the window.
Kujaku shifted into a Condor of Fire and followed. Jinpei morphed into a Wind Swallow while Ryuoh changed into a Wood Owl. Akeila swept herself into the air as a Swan of Water. They were mearly trials; soon Akeila, Jinpei and Ryuoh found that in a matter of urgency as this, the form of Fire was fastest, and they shifted elements to catch up with Shimada and Kujaku. They made a reminder to ask Shimada of this.
When they arrived at the main chamber, the other Clans had all gathered. Gyou and Karura's Clans were of many members, as were Fuma and Hinoe's. Shiro and Lien had smaller numbers, but it was Shimada who stood with no more than five including himself, his shroud hiding his face.
Shimada remained regal even as Fuma burst into laughter. "Shimada, my young brother, that is all?"
"It is far more enough than I need, Fuma," he replied. "It is not numbers that count here."
Lien shot Fuma a dirty look, her violet eyes burning fierce. "Fuma, leave Shimada be. He is of good judgment, and as I observe of greater maturity than you."
Fuma glowered, saying nothing more. Lien had never been one to lose an argument.
Beneath the shroud, Kujaku swore he saw Shimada smile.
"Why have you summoned us, Gyou?" Hinoe asked.
Gyou cast his hands and a floating landscape of the Earth appeared in the center of the room, allowing all to see. "The Overlord has sent his
Dark armies out. He knows of the changes in our tactics."
"How do you propose that?" Shiro asked.
"He has sent his troops to seven different provinces," Gyou explained, casting light upon the seven said areas for them to see. "He wants to separate us."
Karura nodded. "It would seem. Hinoe, can you see which attacks are the fiercest?"
Hinoe cast her Sight upon the landscape, red markings noting the intensity of the attacks. "Canti is of greatest threat now. The stronger troops have been sent there."
"So I will go with my Guardians," Shimada said.
There was a hush of silence. Gyou stood. "Shimada, your company is but five. What hope have you to defeat the stronger army?"
"Hope that the stronger they are, the more arrogant they are. They will not expect any amount of threat coming from such a small group. They will let their guard fall, and we will strike them then."
Karura could see his determination even with his face hidden behind the shroud. She looked to his Guardians. "And what have you to say about this?"
"Shimada has trained us well," Akeila said. "We will be able to tend to this matter."
"And we will not forget to protect the Shield of Mercy," Jinpei added confidently, bringing a round of smiles.
Kujaku nodded. "The sooner we fly the sooner we may set our Barricade around the province. Shimada is right; they will not anticipate an attack wave of great proportions from a group such as ours."
Ryuoh twirled his staff. "We will prevail; fear not, Lady Karura."
There was a rustling of cloth, and it was then that they saw Shimada down on one knee before Karura, asking for her blessing into battle. Kujaku, Akeila, Ryuoh and Jinpei followed suit, and with a nod and an agreement from Gyou, Karura summoned her SoulSword from her hand and laid the blade upon Shimada's bowed head. "Go, Shimada. Be well, be victorious."
"So it shall be." With that he stood and shapeshifted into a Firebird once again, the other four mimicking him before they flew out together as five, their destination as Canti.
"Ryuoh, Barricade."
Ryuoh thrust the glieve into the ground, cracking it. The crack moved as though with a will of its own, spreading outwards into two arcs surrounding small province of Canti, and from the cracks rose a mighty wall of stone, capturing Canti, protecting it.
The army of Darkness that approached the province saw before them an interesting sight: Canti no longer visible behind a wall of earthern rock, and no more than five figures standing before the wall, one of them the Seven Shield, the Shield of Mercy.
The captain of the army could not contain his hilarity. "Lo! And I see before me the foolishness of the youngest ever-shrouded Shield of Mercy. The Overlord has sent the most powerful of his soldiers here, and you with your small company dare face us head on?"
Shimada called for the SoulSword, and even as it appeared, soldiers on the front lines drew back. Shimada was imposing with the shroud; he was truly frightening when holding the sword in his grasp. Kujaku raised his crossbow, an arrow of fire already awaiting flight, Akeila unleashed her whip from its coil, Jinpei whirling his bolos over his head, Ryuoh standing firm with his glieve.
"It was my hope that you would see no threat in us," Shimada said. "It just about evens the odds that stand here before Canti. We flew here as five and we will fight as five. You face before you a force as one."
"And you shall greet your death as five. Attack!"
Akeila snapped her whip up, and like a ribbon she whirled it around and around, until it formed a tunnel and with a single crack the empty tunnel transformed into a whirlwind, shooting towards her enemies, knocking them down.
And the was the beginning of the first battle of Shimada and the Holy Guardians.
Kujaku's skill as an archer drove arrows of ice through the bodies of his targets, reloading the arrows without halt, freezing their hearts mercilessly. From his hands flew bolts of lightning conducted by feather shurikens, incinerating the enemy.
Jinpei was acrobatic in the air, moving swift and sure, diving amidst the arrows of the Darkness. His bolos became a ring of fire swooping over their heads, killing them instantly. Shuriken of granite tore through more careless bodies who before their untimely deaths had laughed at the young thief who was attacking them.
Ryuoh seemed more partial to using his own strength, beating soldiers left and right with his bare hands, and when he found himself surrounded the glieve rose and swept across, a whip of wind slicing them in half and half again.
None had ever seen Shimada fight in a true battle before, and the demonstration of his powers were as deadly as they were beautiful. He summoned the Dragons of Water from beneath him, their beastial roars echoing across the field of battle as they flew towards the Darkness, devouring them. He cast wind razors that slit throats adn bolts of flame that burned skin and bone. His black shroud decorated the sky with his every glide and soon it was only left with the arrogant captain of the soldiers left breathing and bleeding, crouched close to the ground.
Shimada's form touched the earth, and with steady steps he walked towards the fallen captain, the SoulSword in hand.
The captain found nowhere to move; Shimada was swifter than thought,
and he was clearly no match for him. He had seen how effortlessly the Shield and his comrades had defeated the massive, powerful army, and now feared for his life.
"N-no... please, Lord Shimada. Have mercy! Please!"
Shimada halted before the quivering man, sword by his side. With the shroud over him, the captain only saw the Shield as an angel of death, waiting to claim one more for its troubles.
"Please, Lord! N-no! Lord Shimada, I beg of you!"
The SoulSword pierced the earth, standing on its own.
"You ask of me forgiveness, beg for my mercy upon your wretched soul that you have given away to the Overlord of Darkness," he spoke. "Do you not know that those who return to him in failure suffer painfully, beyond this lifetime and lifetimes after, their bloodline cursed with his Darkness?"
The captain now bowed at Shimada's feet, his hands clutching the cloak about him. "Please, Lord Shimada. Show me mercy. I cannot return to him. I know now from your words. Mercy, Lord Shimada."
Shimada remained stoic. "That is by design that you would die the moment you seek him. Here and now for me to leave you, you would die slowly and painfully of your injuries. Neither is an act of mercy that is of my name."
He pulled the sword out from the earth, and with the quickest gesture the sword plunged into the man's heart, his body sagging. When he withdrew the blade, the captain fell back, a small contented smile on his face.
"That is my mercy to you: to avoid the awful fate that awaits you from the Overlord, and the sparing of the pain if I leave you." The blade vanished back into his hand. "Go now. You are free."
"Th-thank... you..." And he was free.
"Shimada," Akeila called.
He turned, and with no other beings present he lowered his shroud to expose himself. Now they saw the fine film of tears in his eyes the cloak had concealed. "It was mercy, was it not, Akeila?" he asked softly. "I have seen the judgments cast by the Overlord, the torture, the agony. Could I spare him that fate?"
Kujaku laid a hand on his shoulder. "You could. You are the Shield of Mercy. It was true, and just."
With the Barricade lowered, the Shield and his Holy Guardians took flight again, racing across the sky, back to Firebird's Hiding.
to be continued...
Word quickly spread of Shimada's small company, the five warriors who fight on their own and without fear and regard. The lacking in the concept of the Clans as the other six Shields made them stand out, all the more revered by the people. The five became the symbol of strength and hope for the Earth, a team more tightly bound than by the laws of blood, and whose talents weaved together in a flawless harmony, just as the old Priest had predicted what seemed many many years ago.
Shimada had found their bond unusual. They were complete strangers to each other, none even knowing each other's history, and yet they meshed together [as though it were the most natural thing on Earth], he thought.
And there were other things. As far as he knew, telepathy was established only among the Seven Shields, and even that according to will, whether they want tbe heard, or not. But not with Kujaku, Akeila, Jinpei and Ryuoh. With them, their voices are constantly in his mind, their emotions twining with his own, as though in true complete union. It made him wonder enough to ask them about it one evening when they had all gathered in his room.
"I do not know, if I am the only one who knows and feels this, but I need ask of the four of you," he said. "Telepathy is something that is considered somewhat sacred, as it only appears to the Seven Shields, and even that we have considerable control over it, to use only when we feel fit." He took a deep breath, wondering if they would think him insane after this night. "But it seems I can hears your voices in my mind, constantly. Now and again I can even feel your emotions within me, and I turn to find a greater understanding of each of you. My question to this would be, am I the only one in this room who feels so?"
A brief silence before Kujaku spoke. "You are not. I can hear their voices, I can hear your whispers, Shimada. If in battle you are harmed I can sense it inside me."
Akeila nodded. "As do I. But what is it? I could not come to you to ask for I had no way of explaining it to you, Shimada."
"I have made it clear, have I not?" he asked. "This is not recent for me. It has been like this for me for a while now. I do not know how long it has been for the four of you."
Jinpei spoke. "I have been seeing and hearing for nearly a month."
"As I," Ryuoh said. "How did it become so?"
"It is the uniqueness of your bond," came a voice at the door. They all turned to find Lien standing there. "Forgive me for intruding your privacy, but I have been listening. You need full understanding of this, my young brother." Her smile was demure, her shoulder-length hair covering half her face.
"So speak and explain, my sister," Shimada said. "I'd like to know."
Lien stepped inside and took a spot on the floor. "The five of you are soul-binding," she said. "It is no longer in the aspects of talent and skill that you are meshing together in an undefeated balance. Your minds, hearts and souls are now also in the process of uniting as one."
"Does that mean we would no longer be independant of each other?" Akeila asked.
"You will be powerful alone, but you would be even more so when united. You will be able to exist separately, but it would not be for long, as even separated you would find your ways back to each other."
"It still does not explain why it has come to be this way," Kujaku stated. "What spell was cast to result in this soul-binding?"
She shook her head. "No spell was cast, Archer. It is likely a choice of the Heavens. Should you want to ask Karura, Gyou, or even the Seer Hinoe, they would not be able to give a proper answer that will completely satisfy you." She got up to leave, but stopped at the door and looked back. "Accept it; this will carry farther than you imagine, beyond lifetimes."
The five stared at the door for a while, before Kujaku sighed and said, "She speaks in even more confusing riddles than the old Priest, Shimada."
And Shimada burst laughing.
"Shimada and his four Guardians have grown mroe and more imposing, Overlord," the Mage spoke, kneeling before the darkness that stood in front of him. "What do you decide of them?"
The voice seemed to appear from all around, no certain bodily source. "A soul-bind is forming within them," his voice spoke. "Shimada is the core of their bond. They will fall when he falls. We will wait. He has no one we can immediately threaten."
"We should not wait, Overlord!" the Mage exclaimed.
"Silence!" And there was nothing but. "I live beyond Time, as he does. I can afford to wait for his destruction. The loss of the Seventh and youngest Shield will cripple the other six enough for me to strike them all dead."
The Mage bowed low. "As you wish, Overlord."
<Shimada, this telepathy is almost enjoyable>, Jinpei sent to him. Shimada could not help but laugh quietly. They had been playing with their newfound joint talent, and so far it was as enjoyable as it was troublesome. It grew difficult for Shimada to remain serious during a Shields call when Kujaku was busy making fun of the other attendants present.
Akeila was worried of this talent. She was not certain how often Shimada or any of the others could enter her thoughts, and it grew to be hard for her not to think of the Shield of Mercy in the light of love, hard not to let her slow love for him grow and become visible. It grew into a paranoia that she felt she was beginning to lose control of, and one evening she approached him in private.
"Shimada?"
He nodded. A small gust of wind blew the door shut, drew the curtains at the window. A slow sweep of his arm cast a sparkle in the air about them, and she watched this in wonder, never having seen it before.
"A Shroud of Silence," he explained. "The others would not be able to hear our voices or our thoughts here."
Her head hung low, arms limp by her side. "So you do know."
"Did you not know of mine before yours?" he asked, his tone soft.
Her head came up, surprised. "You..."
There was a small smile on his face. "Yes. Though I am not sure whose were more evident first. Or maybe I have more ways to conceal it than you."
She dared a step forward, then another, and another, until she was so close to him she could catch the scent of his skin. Her tension evaporated the moment he laid his hands on her shoulders, holding her gently.
"Why did we not speak sooner?" she asked. "Why conceal it all this time?"
He shook his head, then laid it upon hers, their distance now closer. "You and I both know why."
"Could we not defy it, Shimada," she said, looking up into his eyes, understanding fully now why they were ever shrouded. "Could it not be of good fortune, if we were to be united?"
"That is what I wish, but I do not know how it would stand with the other Shields," he said, pulling her closer, now their bodies touch. "For the first time I feel I can fulfill both the need of this world and the need of my own soul, but I am so doubtful of it." He breathed deeply, inhaling her very scent, as though to remember. "You are my Guardian. It is still also doubtful of what the other Guardians may think."
She smiled briefly. "They know. I am certain they do. I do not conceal it as well as you do."
"Oh?" he asked, smiling.
"Jinpei has decided to be the keeper of our children, should we have any," she giggled. She leaned against his shoulder. "I cannot believe I'm actually speaking to you of this."
His hands slid down her back. "Nor I myself."
"But you and I can never be?" she said, tears at last forming in her bright green eyes. "Because of where we each stand?"
"For now," he said. "We both defy Time now, our chances are many more."
She sighed, the breath shaking. "Should you be intended with another woman?" Shimada could tell she was hurt by the idea of it.
He brought her even closer now; any closer and the bed would be their next venture. "Remember this, Akeila, Hunter. Though by obligation my body were to go to another, it is by love that my heart and soul would be only yours."
Her tears fell then. "If only we could..."
"Someday," he told her, then kissed her once. "Time will allow one moment for us, and we will take it then, but it is not now."
The kiss had caught her off-guard, and she was sorry that she had not paid a little more attention to it. But she saw the smile that was upon Shimada's face, implying that he had heard the thought, and he kissed her again, making it last enough for both of them to remember their silent pact to each other.
"I will wait for you," she said.
"And I you."
For a moment she thought she was going to say what she had truly meant, but her voice did not have the courage.
<I love you, Shimada>, her soul spoke, with fire and courage.
His smile grew, and he nodded. <And I love you, Akeila. It will come>.
She left his room just as he cast away the Shroud of Silence, both elated by the weight that had finally been lifted from their hearts.
to be continued....
"I don't think we should allow ourselves to get involved in his personal life, Fuma," Shiro said, a scowl marring his face. "He lives as he feels and sees fit. So leave him be."
Fuma shook his head. "Do you not understand, Shiro? He's going into battle alone, without the rest of us. Should anything happen to him, should he be killed and reverts back to his True Form, what then? The Seventh Shield will be gone! He needs to further his Clan before it's too late."
"The Guardians are there to protect him, and Shimada is no longer a child!" Shiro shot back.
"By our standards he is still the youngest Shield," Gyou said.
Shiro's hands shook with anger. "Time does not touch us, Gyou! We have no age, there is nothing that states who is older or younger!"
"The Heavens stated it, Shiro," Karura replied gently, trying to leash his anger. "But I can see why you're so concerned over him. You are both great companions of one another, you both share many things. Tell me, Shiro, if he has any intention at all in furthering the Shimada Clan?"
Shiro calmed slightly at Karura's words, but his anger was now purely directed at Gyou and Fuma. He looked to Hinoe and Lien for support, and they urged him to speak. "No. He believes in finding a woman he could love. He believes he should not fulfill just this Earth's needs and let his own rot unnoticed."
Gyou stood. "That selfish little --!"
"You don't understand him!" Shiro retaliated. "That is the way his passion works! It is focused so strongly that whatever he gives it to will be all that is acceptable. And all he gives it to now in this matter is finding someone he could love to help further his Clan."
Fuma snorted, annoyed by Shiro's words. "So has he found this person? This woman?"
Shiro immediately thought of the Huntress Akeila, but found he could not speak her name to them, for fear it would worsen the argument. "No. Not as yet."
Gyou sighed, exasperated. "Then we cannot expect to sit back and wait until he gets himself killed."
"He is not as reckless as you, Gyou," Shiro said under his breath. "He will burn, he will live, and he will thrive."
"Why did you not tell them, Shiro?" Hinoe asked later as she accompanied him back to his quarters.
"And let Shimada face what could be disaster? I think not."
Hinoe nodded, regarding him carefully. "You are very protective of him, Shiro, You serve your name well. But what makes you so certain that by telling them of him and Akeila you would be doing them harm?"
Shiro sighed, shoulders sagging. "They summoned her to be his Guardian, not his lover," he said. "They would not accept it."
"Have they ever denied Shimada's judgment before?" she asked him then. "Have they ever doubted his decisions? They did not hesitate for long when he asked to face the Dark Armies alone with the Guardians. They have never disagreed with his battle plans and tactics before."
"What is your point, dear sister?"
She stood in front of him to block his way, her eyes hard. "They trust him, Shiro, my brother. *I* trust him, as do you." Then she turned on her heel and walked away.
Kujaku had mastered -- through all his doubt and fear -- many of his elemental skills, and it was his dissipation into air then that served him well. He was ever present in the conversation not only between Hinoe and Shiro, but also the conference between the six Shields. He moved in an invisible quiet mist, and now retook his human form to fly off to Shimada.
"So that was the exchange, Kujaku?"
He nodded. "Yes, my lo-- Shimada." He had managed to catch himself in time before he continued speaking. "Hinoe and Shiro believe that it's of your complete judgment if you were to love Akeila, so why should you worry any further?"
Shimada's brow creased. "I'm surprised that you accept this so well. I thought you would be one against me in this matter."
Kujaku smiled; Shimada thought that was rather rare. "I felt so since we were first introduced to you. You say you are far older than all of us put together, but I saw that from your mannerisms you have much to learn of the womenfolk and what they can do to the hearts and minds of men."
He laughed a little. "I suppose that is true. For a while I thought I was incapable..."
"Incapable of what?"
"Of love," he answered flatly, eyes averted.
It was Kujaku's turn to frown. "Why? Because you are a Shield?"
Instead of answering the given question, he said, "You have a question for me, Kujaku?"
"What?"
"Of why I refuse to take my title?"
Kujaku's eyes grew wide. [How...] "Truth. Yes. The question has occured to me. Why is that, Shimada?"
Shimada sighed and sat down upon his bed. "To call myself a Lord, would not be right, for I am not perfect, nor am I infallible. You would argue that I have great command of my powers, but what good are they if the body housing them cannot last as long? And then there's the four of you..."
"What of us?" Kujaku asked sharply. "Have we done something to have upset you? Why did you not tell us sooner?"
"You have done nothing to upset me, Kujaku. None of you have. It is just that --" He took a breath before he continued on. "I feel such an obligation to you. I feel as though I need to protect you at all times, with all my strength and will. I know it needn't be so, but it is my nature and I cannot help it."
Kujaku had so far not let a single emotion cross his face; he had listened intently to the Shield's plight -- if it was even considered a plight -- before deciding to attempt to reason with him. "We were asked here to be Guardians to you, the Seventh Shield, the Shield of Mercy. And though we appreciate your concern for our lives, that should not be such. Our duty is to protect you, for you are but one and only, and you are indispensible. People such as us would come and go."
He saw Shimada shaking his head. "No, no. You, Akeila, Ryuoh, Jinpei... all mean too much to me now for me to simply allow you to come and go."
"Your duty is as the Shield of Mercy. Your duty is to simply exist and further your Clan so that the battle may never be lost without you," Kujaku said coldly. "Our duty is to protect you and no more. Let us do our work, Shimada. Who should protect you, if you are so keen on protecting us, constraining us from our task?"
Shimada fell silent. This argument, clearly, he would lose. Kujaku was right; all of it was right.
"Let us each do our tasks, Shimada," Kujaku said. "That is how it has been arranged. And in truth, I think it is the best way to keep our small team functioning as it is."
He nodded; there was nothing more he could say to that.
"And about Akeila..."
Shimada's head came up fast. It was more abrupt than he could care for.
"I suggest," Kujaku said, a wide grin on his face, "that you consider this quickly, before the other Shields force to another woman on to you to further your Clan."
Shimada laughed; Kujaku was so brilliantly blunt. "I will."
The moment was shattered when a ferocious flapping of fiery wings shot through the window, nearly knocking both Shimada and Kujaku down.
"Azrael!" Shimada called, quite angry. "What in Heaven's name do you think you're doing?"
Azrael flew back to him: he could swear she was panting hard. "Below, below, my Lord. People from Kieta have come to seek sanctuary. Their land has been almost destroyed by the Darkness."
"What?" Shimada's eyes blazed, his anger apparent. "Why was I not
informed of this?"
"None of the Shields were informed. Lady Hinoe is away, so there was none to See. The other Shield have left for battle already."
Kujaku's fists curled. "Why did they leave without Shimada?"
Azrael shook her head. "I do not know, but please, my Lord, many are in need of care, and there is a young woman on the verge of death. She needs you."
Azrael's brief report kindled the emotion that was his name, and quickly he snapped up his shroud and wrapped it around his shoulders, pulling the hood up to obscure his features. "Kujaku, call for the other Guardians. There is much work to do now."
Kujaku nodded, and then ran out of the room.
"How bad are things below?" he asked his servant.
Azrael rested upon his shoulder. "A great number injured. The Darkness, they said, sprang from the earth without warning."
"The girl you spoke of?"
"She was taken by a poisoned arrow. Her people could not cure her," she explained.
He was visibly frowning beneath the shroud. "Has she any family?"
"None, from what I can tell. She is being held by a stranger. Why do you ask of that, my Lord?"
He had never had to do this before. Usually people such as this girl were taken by the older Shields, not him, only due to his beliefs. Vaguely he recalled his dream from many nights ago, the woman who was to be an obligation, opposed to Akeila, the woman he knew now he loved.
And more clearly, he could recall his promise to her. ["Remember this, Akeila, Hunter. Though by obligation my body were to go to another, it is by love that my heart and soul would be only yours."]
"What it would take to save her, would need a family's consent," he said coldly. "It is best she has none."
With that he transformed into the Firebird and glided down below to the gates of Firebird's Hiding.
to be continued...
The manservants of Firebird's Hiding worked non-stop around the injured and needy, as did the four Guardians and Shimada himself. Azrael led him to the girl she had spoken of, and when he saw her he felt his heart collapse.
She was young, as young as Akeila had been before her Change time ago. Her dark hair was long and thick, strands plastered to her damp face, her small pale face reflecting no more than pain. Then and there alone he knew she would die.
Unless...
"Ryuoh," he called.
Ryuoh came quickly. "Shimada?"
"Take this woman up to my quarters. Quickly. She may die." His tone was unreadable.
<Shimada>, came Akeila's voice in his head.
He halted. If only it didn't have to be... but the dream he'd had...
<She is the one, is she not?>
<Yes>, he told her. <Akeila, I -->
She shook her head. <No. Do what you must, as the Shield of Mercy, the last element of hope for the world. Go.>
He turned to her, met her eyes. She did not lie, did not attempt to change her mind. All her heart spoke to save the girl by whatever means. She remembered his dream, as well as his promise to her.
<Go, Shimada.>
So he did.
Looking at the girl now, her breathing labored by the poison seeping through her body, her heartbeat uneven and weak, he felt more and more protective of her. Like Akeila, she was a wonder to set eyes upon, but unlike her, she was so vulnerable, so helpless.
He had seen this ritual done before, though he used to think that it was an excuse for the other Shields to extend their Clans. But he was different, as Akeila had said, and as Kujaku had once pointed out, that he was "Mercy, the last element of hope for the world, ever protected from harm. The most precious element." So Mercy was his name, as it was his intent.
Slowly he undressed her -- not as though he had never done it before; he had helped others in different preparations, and in this matter was not virginal. She breathed in painful ragged gasps now: his time was short.
He undid the clasp of his cloak and let it fall away from his shoulders: should the woman awaken, she would be one of the first to see his face. He looked at her again, she was so close to dying, but she was so young...
Shimada said a silent prayer, a call of forgiveness to Akeila despite that she has permitted this, and unsnapped the collar of his black uniform, to begin.
And when bare skin touched bare skin, when the touch surpassed the surface, the young woman's healing began.
When he awoke he was almost certain that what he had done was a mistake. Not in the moral sense of it -- he'd saved her life, after all, with consent from Akeila, but in that he was inexperienced in the healing and did not know to what extent it would affect him. There was a dull throbbing in his head, and unsteady hands clothed himself again. Slowly he left the room after making sure his guest was well.
Her name was Kotori. He knew that now. Her soul had told him so.
A slight gesture made the air sparkle with its protective barrirer, and it was not long before he heard news of an attack nearby. He would go with his Guardians now; there was no time to call for the Shields, and perhaps it was just as well. It was truly time now.
Now he would reveal Shimada's skill and wrath.
Kujaku immediately disliked the pale hue to Shimada's face. "Shimada?"
He did not reply. Kujaku frowned deeply, concern tracing his face.
Ryuoh was quick to come to his rescue. "The girl is well?"
He nodded. "She is healed."
Akeila reached for his hand; it was unnaturally cool. "And what of you? Did it do anything to you, the ritual?"
"I don't know," he breathed. "I've never done it before, and I had no one to consult with. I could not wait; she would have died."
"For now?" Jinpei asked. "Are you well for now?"
Kujaku folded his arms upon his chest. "I would not allow you to go into battle if you are not as well as what is right, Shimada."
A warm wind lifted his cloak slightly: anger. Kujaku said no more. "I am fine. We will go now before the Dark Armies find another target." Then he transformed and took off into the skies.
Kujaku ran after him. "Shimada! Wait!" He too changed and followed the fiery trail left by the Shield.
Thief, Traveller and Huntress soon followed suit until they reached where the Dark Armies were moving, and so was born their new battle.
Jinpei kept close watch of the Shield, suddenly aware that something was not right in his movements. And then he came to witness what would be made of Shimada's anger if one is not wise.
Shimada held out his sword hand, and called his own name to summon the SoulSword. The lean graceful sword rose from the center of his palm and into his grasp, and he readied himself. The first Dark Soldier to approach him was met with the quick blow of the holy blade and instant death.
Kujaku smiled: he had taught the young Shield well. Shimada swept with smooth arcs, sidestepped neatly and gracefully as soldier after soldier fell at his blade. He attacked with a fearless ferocity that none of them had ever seen on the battlefield. Thrust his blade in, drew it upwards to break a man in half; took to the sky and sliced the air as well as the Dark Creatures that flew within.
Akeila cleared the paths with her whip for the other three Guardians to strike: Kujaku released arrow after arrow lacing each one with white flames, Jinpei's bolos flew by command striking at choice, and Ryuoh's whirling glieve opened gaps in the walls of soldiers so large that many fell back terrified.
Shimada glided in the air, still wielding the SoulSword, scanning the area for any further bouts of attack. "Clear below?"
"Almost," Kujaku said, as he ripped open a Soldier with an ice shuriken.
"Not yet," came a hollow voice.
Shimada turned and was met with a blow to the chest, sending him down to the ground where he tumbled and skidded upon landing, the holy sword knocked out of his grasp.
"Shimada!"
The Shield drew himself up to his knees, hand upon his chest, gasping. He had never felt anything like that before; something told him he was dealing with one of the Overlord's many Mages.
"So the youngest Shield is away from his overprotective elders," the Mage spoke, a taunting tone to his voice. "No more a child, are we, Shimada?"
Kujaku could see no more of the Mage other than the shadow that was there above Shimada, threatening him. He pulled back an arrow: "Lightning."
He let fly, and the bright flash of light not only blinded the Mage but also destroyed the shadows that surrounded him.
Shimada took his chance and leapt high and away, clearing from attack range. "A Mage of the Overlord," he said. "You don't usually carry enough courage to want to surface. You leave your minions and captains to their work."
There was a wicked grin on the Mage's empty face, a sparkle in the pupilless eyes that chilled. "And see how they have failed in a simple battle? I have come to settle this matter myself; I tire of failure."
Shimada gestured, and the SoulSword that lay beneath rose and flew to his hand. "We will have to see, no, Mage?"
Jinpei reached for Akeila. "Akeila, he cannot. He's not well..."
Kujaku's fists clenched. "The fool..."
There was a powerful explosion of heat above: the Mage's burst of flames did not defy Shimada's barriers, but the force of the blast pushed him back, nearly off balance.
With a cry, Shimada rose the blade high and called for the Water Dragons, and upon calling the pair of lithe dragons danced and whirled around him until he gave the command to attack. This one attack, the Mage could not defy and he fell back.
"Surround him!" the Shield called to his Guardians. "Contain him as much as you can."
Akeila whirled her whip around the fallen Mage and a wall of thorn rose about him, trapping him within. When she saw that he was burning his way out, she signalled for Jinpei.
Jinpei threw his bolos, icing the thorny wall, but it was still if not much use.
Ryuoh thrust the glieve into the ground and set the blade to cut a circle around the Mage, a wall of stone rising, but that too, the Mage defied.
Kujaku leapt into the wind above the Mage and rained upon him a storm of shuriken. "Escape my blades if you can, Mage!" He made a second pass and rained upon him again, then remained aloft, signalling the otehrs to continue their attacks.
The Mage grew weary; he would have to escape. But it was not going to be without a small score for himself.
"The last of your Clan, Archer! Now you may be no more!"
In the flurry of attacks none of them could see the ball of power in the Mage's hands, none saw its direction until it shot out of the circle, at Kujaku.
"Kujaku, no!!"
Kujaku was only aware of a pair of hands holding him, a shadow of black cloth cutting between him and the blast set to kill. Then he heard a scream so close to him; when he opened his eyes, he saw the Shield leaning against him, the firm grip now loose, the entire body limp. Then it set.
"Shimada!"
The two floated down to the ground, and once their feet touched it Shimada wordlessly collapsed into Kujaku's arms. As the Archer held the Shield protectively, he sought out the Mage and the other Guardians. "The Mage!" he demanded angrily. "Where is that accursed Mage so I may rip out his heart!"
Akeila hurried towards him with Jinpei and Ryuoh in tow. "Forgive us, Kujaku," Ryuoh said. "Our attacks waves were too fast and too many. He escaped in the confusion."
Akeila knelt down by the fallen Shield. "Shimada?" She pulled the shroud back to expose his face: he was unconscious. If he was in any danger now, they had not the experience to tell.
Jinpei shook his shoudler gently, hoping to wake him, but there was nothing. "Kujaku, is he --"
He shook his head. "I don't know." He sighed deeply, remembering that flash of black, that voice of warning, that scream... "Shimada, you stupid, stupid bastard. Why? I'm supposed to guard you..."
["What can a mere four human Guardians offer you in terms of protection until you can prove yourself to the others?" "If I swear fealty to you, then it becomes my greatest concern, the sum of my duty as Guardian. If you ask the others who were brought here with me, their answers will be the same."]
Words of the past haunted him, and he wondered if Shimada's actions today were because of those words.
Ryuoh lifted Shimada from Kujaku, carefully wrapping the Shield in his black shroud. "Come. The sooner we return to Firebird's Hiding, the sooner the other Shields can help him."
With a unanimous nod the four took to the skies again, Shimada in Ryuoh's arms. They flew fast until they heard the Song of the White Shadow in the air, the notes more urgent than usual.
to be continued....
"What happened?" Gyou demanded angrily when the Guardians returned with the fallen Shield of Mercy. The air about him was crackling insistently, and the Guardians wondered if at this point they had failed in their tasks as Guardians to the Shield.
Karura stood and held Gyou back. "Gyou, enough. Let them speak."
Kujaku wanted to tell them that it was his fault, that he had let his guard down far enough for the Mage to attempt to strike him only to strike Shimada instead. He wanted a punishment, a renouncement of his position as the Shield's Guardian for he felt now he did not deserve it. But it was Akeila who spoke.
"A Dark Mage emerged upon us, attacked the Shield of Mercy," she said. "We five battled against him, and our flurry of attacks were too many, too confusing. He struck Shimada during this. We did not see his bolt."
Karura nodded. In their hurry the Guardians did not notice that only she, Gyou and Fuma were currently present, and they worried of this as Shimada's closer companions of Hinoe, Lien and Shiro were unavailable. "Quickly: take him to the Healing Chamber. This way."
They had never seen Karura run before, nor had they seen the expression of worry that she had failed to cloak from them. Fuma, too, as arrogant and nonchalant as he usually was, could not mask himself. Gyou remained stoic; they could not read him.
The Healing Chamber was a sparse room, about the size of their apartments but only with a single bed, and a few scattered chairs. Candles bordered the room, first unlit. A wave of her hand and Karura lit the room in the warm eerie fire of a hundred candles. "Here. Lay him here."
Ryuoh tore the cloak from the Shield's shoulders and laid him down on the bed. Through the dark material he had not been aware that Shimada's skin was now ashen and cold, and that he breathed in awful gasps, pain crossing his face every now and then. Knowing this now made his heart and soul ache. "My Lady Karura..."
"Did you see what the Mage struck him with?" she asked them, her voice gentle yet so urgent. "How the blast of formed, anything at all?"
Jinpei steeped forward, bowing quickly. "My Lady, from the Mage's hands. A ball of light that grew until it was set to fly."
She tilted her her, regarding this. "Anything more? I'm afraid that is not enough to determine the nature of this."
Akeila lowered her head as she began. "Within the light... I am not certain, but I saw something inside, travelling within it."
"What was its form?"
"It... I'm not certain. It was black, like a snake or serpent of a sort." She saw the change in Karura's eyes. "Is that bad?"
She nodded gravely. "Very, though this is not the first time I've encountered it. What puzzles me now is why he cannot fight back."
"Should he be able to?" Kujaku asked, speaking for the first time since returning to the stronghold.
"Yes. The Shield's powers could filter poison blasts such as these, but Shimada does not seem to be doing so..."
Fuma stepped closer. "Then we'll have to do it for him now, before it takes him!"
Karura whipped around. "No, Fuma! Wait!"
He was faster than her; he had by this time placed a hand over Shimada's heart, but the moment he touched the younger Shield tensed, then cried out, convulsing so suddenly that Fuma drew back in shock.
Jinpei could not stand it any longer. He broked away from the other Guardians and lunged towards the bed, his hand touching Shimada's.
Gyou pulled him away roughly, pushing him back to his companions. "No, boy. Leave him! There is no skill that you have that may help us now."
"You talk as though this is our fault!" Jinpei said angrily. Akeila held him back, rubbing his taut shoulders.
Fuma continued to stare at the Shield of Mercy. "He... he protested, Karura," he stammered. "He wouldn't let me touch him."
"It is not his will, but his body that is protesting," she said. "You used too much on him, more than his body could take at once. That was why he recoiled."
"His body is weak," Fuma said. "Why?"
Then Ryuoh remembered the girl from the courtyard, the dying girl. "My Lords, My Lady, earlier he had gone to heal a Kietan woman who came with the other survivors of that province. She was near death, from what I observed. But he had taken her to heal."
Fuma turned. "He conducted the rite?"
Akeila nodded, trying not to show her emotions. "Yes. He said that she would live."
Karura absorbed this. "That was explain why he is so weak now. But I believe I know of a way to help him."
Gyou sighed. "Karura, did you not see how he recoiled when Fuma tried to heal him? What more could you do?"
Her head came up. "Did you not see, Gyou, that when the young thief touched him he eased? He did not cry out, his convulsions ceased?" There was an angry, challenging tone to her voice. "Jinpei, come here."
Jinpei hesitated, afraid that Gyou may pull him back again. But when he looked to Gyou he saw a nod of approval, and from the other Guadians quiet urging hands. He stepped towards the Shield of Wisdom.
Shimada had fallen prey again to the pain, the convulsions, ragged cries escaping his throat as he tried to fight back. There was an amazing notable change the moment Jinpei was in immediate vicinityof his body: the pain seemed more bearble, his movements softer, his voice dropping. His breathing seemed easier. None of the Shields knew what to make of it.
"Let them go to him," came a voice: Lien. All turned to see her. "They have been soul-binding. Not only do his powers run through them, their strength runs through him also. Let them be close. Their combined strength will aid him in the healing."
Karura gestured for the other three Guardians to come to Shimada's side, arranging Kujaku and Akeila on one side, and Ryuoh with Jinpei. From then the Shields witnessed something they had never in their eternal existence seen before.
Energy seemed to eminate from the five, radiating like a slow burning fire. Their presence alone -- their hands were away from the body -- was aiding the young Shield, coaxing him to relax, to calm. Karura took her cue.
She placed a hand over Shimada's heart, as Fuma had done, and commenced her healing, weaving her power through him, to push back and eliminate all that is deadly within. Shimada winced a little, pain visible for short moments, moaning softly as the process continued.
Kujaku felt very strange: when the blast first caught Shimada he could feel the poison seeping into him though it did not take effect. It was as though he could feel what was happening within his Lord, and now in turn he could feel the strength returning, feel the warm fire of healing licking every part of the Shield's being until soon, Shimada brethed deeply, easily, and slowly he opened his eyes.
"K-Karura..."
For the first time she smiled. She removed her hand from his chest, placing a finger over his lips. "Shh. Rest now. You have been through much. Save your strength."
He tried to turn his head; he sighed at the effort it took. "The Guardians...."
Akeila took his hand. "We are here, Shimada," she said, smiling.
"Always," Kujaku said, his voice low.
They saw him smile gently, as that took much effort too. "I... feared, something had happened... to you..."
Fuma now smiled too; behind him, Gyou wore a look of gentle calm and relief. "They are well, which is very much more than I can say for you. Let us move him to his chambers," he said, gesturing for the Guardians to do so.
Shimada blinked, then shook his head. "No... the girl... Kotori. She is still there..."
Fuma smiled turned wicked. "Well, at least at last we may see some hope of you furthering the Clan, perhaps?" He 'oofed' when Karura drove her elbow into his ribs.
"I am here, my Lord," said a soft voice.
Kotori wore a simple robe that the servants of the House had given to her, and Azrael was with her, acting as her guide and escort. Seeing her master, the Firebird lofted to the bed, resting on the pillow where she stroked her master's cheek with her soft wings. "My Lord," she greeted.
Kotori hesitated in entering the room further, but when she Shield of Wisdom nodded and smiled at her, she dared to come closer. She was a lovely woman, her dark hair falling long past her shoulders in thick waves, her eyes a soft sparkling green. She was lithe and fragile, and moved very carefully as though she stood on hallowed ground.
Shimada saw her beside him, and was glad to see that she was well. "Thank you, my Lord, for saving my life. The servants told me of of your actions, and I am grateful to you."
He smiled, then it faded. "You are not angry, or upset of it?"
"How could I be, when it saved my life?"
He sighed, closing his eyes: he was weak, tired. "I did not ask for your consent, I had no right or permission to touch you, did I?"
She shook her head, the smile never fading. "You brought me back to the realm of the living, and in return of that I will remain here to serve you in whatever way you choose. It is that much I can do to show my gratitude."
At last he nodded, and finally drifted away into a warm, welcoming slumber.
to be continued...
Shimada slept for a long time; Jinpei grew bored of the silence that had lasted for three days now. Every now and then he stepped to the Shield's quarters, hoping for any change, but he would still be fast asleep, showing no intent whatsoever of awakening.
"You are troubled, young Thief?" came a voice.
He turned, coming face to face with the maiden Kotori. It was odd, having her around, the latest addition to the Shimada House. She was mostly quiet, a very pleasant young woman who did nothing to trouble or intrude upon Shimada or the other Guardians. She was most often found in the kitchen: Ryuoh had a special liking for her cooking.
Jinpei shook his head. "Not troubled. Just very restless. I am not used to not hearing Shimada's voice for such a long period of time."
Kotori placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and led him away to the main chamber. "Lady Karura said that the Shield of Mercy would be needing a long rest after that battle. Moreover he went to fight not long after healing me."
Jinpei enjoyed her company, simple as she was. He liked her, though he knew that she may now be his Lord's betrothed despite what Akeila felt for the Shield. He was compelled to know, to find out. "Have you toured the entire grounds of Firebird's Hiding?" he asked.
She nodded. "Much of it. Though I haven't been allowed far; I am still healing, after all."
"Would you like to see the gardens? I think you may like what you see."
Kotori smiled. "I would like that. Will you escort me there?"
Jinpei could not hide his boyish grin. "With pleasure, milady."
She giggled and allowed him to lead the way.
"You are right; this garden is beautiful," she said. "But I feel you brought me out this far for another reason?"
Jinpei halted in his steps. Caution crept into him. "How did you know?"
She smiled, shrugged. "I am the daughter of a Seer Priestess. The talent lies in the blood, though I must confess, I do not match my mother's skill and power."
"A Seer Priestess? Like Lady Hinoe?"
"Akin, but not perfectly. Hinoe has unsurpassed power, of course." She knelt by the pond and dipped her hand into the cool water; the carps that gathered about her fingers made her laugh. "So what is your question?"
Jinpei now felt bery embarrassed, ashamed that he had taken her into privacy to ask when she had already known of his purpose. "I wanted to know, milady, if you are now Shimada's betrothed?"
Her head came up quickly, first smiling, then slowly the smile faded. Turning her eyes away, she said, "By right I am, but I see that I'm not the one he truly wants. His heart is with the Woman of the Moon, is it not?"
"Umm..."
"You may lie to give me a smile, but I will not intrude on the Shield of Mercy's choice," she said sadly.
Jinpei clambered onto a rock to sit at level with her. "But your feelings for him?"
She smiled again, though her eyes were still averted. "What I feel for him cannot match what Akeila feels for him. I feel gratitude and loyalty, she feels love and devotion. I love him in the way that I would serve him and accompany him for the rest of my life. But she loves him in the way that she would fight beside him, guard him and die for him, if not with him, but never after him. I am too afraid to do what she does."
"Does he know?"
She shook her head. "I am not sure."
Jinpei shifted uncomfortably. "I just thought I'd tell you, I came forth because I want to guard Akeila's feelings and what she holds for the Shield."
Now Kotori smiled again. "You are very protective of her."
He smiled back, and a soft tone of red came to his face. "Heh. But I hope you see that Shimada cares much about you as well, and feels very responsible for you. He looks after you well."
"Only because I now hold his first heir."
Jinpei slipped off the rock and fell into the pond.
"Jinpei!"
He resurfaced, sloshing about a little before coming back to the bank. "I'm all right, milady. It's just.... his heir? You hold his child now?"
She nodded, then sighed. "That's probably the only reason why he's allowed me to stay."
Jinpei stood by the bank, wringing out his damp garments, finding a small fish in his shirt. "That is not so, milady. He cares and looks after you because it is his nature, that as the Shield of Mercy he would like to keep you from harm of any form. To use you so, is the last thing he would ever do. To anyone."
Kotori smiled again, a genuine smile. "Thank you, Jinpei."
"Shimada?"
Shimada was sitting up on his bed, nestled in a mound of pillows. The windows were wide open, and the goings-on of his house below caught his attention for the most part. He took his time turing to see who was at his door.
"Kujaku," he said, a smile coming to him face. "You're somewhat a sight for sore eyes."
Kujaku shrugged as he stepped in. "You have been at rest for a little more than three days now. All you have been seeing as of late would be your dreams."
He chuckled. "What's strange is I didn't dream. Just a long comfortable period of warm blankness." He saw that Kujaku was tight in his movements, shifting about uncomfortably. "Is something on your mind, Archer?"
"More or less, Shimada," he replied, absently taking a seat on a nearby chair.
Shimada frowned. "It would have nothing to do with the previous battle, I hope. But I would hope hope wrong, for that is probably the very thing that is weighing you."
Kujaku nodded. "I am not usually one of apologies, but in this I cannot do any more. You could have died, and it would be of my fault." Immediately he cast his eyes away, as though afraid of meeting the Shield's deep blue stare.
"Kujaku," he said, a hand reaching his Guardian's shoulder. "The only reason why I could not fight back the poison was because my body was already weary. In other circumstances I would've remained conscious though a little slower, perhaps. It's happened before, of course, never like this. It is forgivable, my Guardian."
"I failed to protect you!" His head came up so quickly that Shimada drew back, recoiling in the motion. "I swore fealty to you to protect you! And I failed in that!"
"And does that immediately implicate that you no longer deserve to be in my presence, that you perhaps deserve to pay for that one oversight, that one mistake. Maybe by torture, or death?"
Kujaku quieted down; strange enough that his loud words were defeated by the soft careless tone of the Shield's. Stranger still that he was so forgiving. Just how far did this Shield's title go, he wondered.
Shimada shifted on the bed, moving closer to the chair where Kujaku sat. "Kujaku, you should not have to die because of a mistake."
"I should not, perhaps," he breathed. "But that's how life often is."
"You forget who you are serving now."
He looked up again. "But not who I am fighting against."
Shimada sighed deeply, sinking back into his pillows. "How long has it been since I've told you that you were stubborn? Someday you'll learn, Kujaku. And you'll see then."
Kujaku nodded; he'd lost. "Perhaps."
There was quiet for a bit before Kujaku heard the rustling of cloth, and only then did he notice that the Shield had left his bed. "Shimada, should you not be resting still?"
Shimada did move rather stiffly, but moved nontheless. He whirled around on Kujaku. "I should, but I can't bear this any longer. Though you may think I enjoy sleeping, I feel three days would satisfy that need for quite a while."
"So you wish to venture?"
Shimada slipped behind the screen and slid into the pool of hot water, the heat relaxing his knotted muscles. "That would be a good plan, as long as Shiro covers up for me and I don't get noticed walking about when I should be immobile."
Kujaku chuckled. "So when it comes to galavanting and adolescent nonsense you and Shiro conspire?"
The Shield dove under the water, coming up again, pushing back the wet strands of hair from his face. "Like brothers defying their parents." He sighed. "Maybe someday at last they would take me seriously and no longer treat me like a coddled pet."
The Archer nodded. "If you are up to it, maybe some swordwork would be at hand? A little something to make up for the three days you've been asleep."
Shimada laughed. "All right. That will be your punishment: to exercise swordwork with an out-of-practice Shield."
"Oh, the agony," Kujaku said with no existing emotion.
Then both men laughed.
to be continued...
Time passed since that incident, and Shimada grew into a more formidable opponent to the Darkness than ever. Kujaku had polished him well, and their skill as a team of five grew stronger. Now and again the Seven Shields are able to battle together, and it was within these rare moments that the older six Shields see that the youngest Shield is no longer worthy of the title 'child'. There were times, too, that the likes of Shiro and Hinoe came to miss their youngest, for he had found his own place of solace and comfort with the four Guardians. Though he still approached Hinoe for his dreams and visions, and Shiro for the sly galavanting, the instances were not as frequent as they were before.
"He has grown away from us, Hinoe," Shiro confessed one evening. "He is ever with the Guardians now."
Hinoe nodded. "It is time for him. We have doted and shielded him for so long, that it is our fault that he was a lesser Shield then. Now with them, he has grown, he is faster, stronger, no longer a child we need to hover over at all hours of the day."
Shiro looked up to the sky for a moment, to see the stars appearing. "He has not completely discounted us, has he?"
Hinoe chuckled. "That, dear brother, is the very last thing you need worry of Shimada. No matter what he is still our brother, the seventh of the Shields of Heaven, and his place would always be here."
"Dive!"
Together Shimada and the Guardians shifted into forms of fire and dived into the midst of the battle field below, scorching whichever Dark Soldier was near, searing the ground as they landed. Weapons drawn, they commenced their attack.
"Persistent bastards, aren't they, Shimada?" Kujaku noted as he cut through a small group of Dark Soldiers. "You'd think they'd have backed off by now."
"Your enthusiasm has a tendency to frighten me, Kujaku," Shimada said from above as he unleashed a rain of fire on the crowd below. "Keep your head at what's at hand."
Ryuoh lifted two men and hurled them against the rocks, watched as they bounced. "I do not like to be the bearer of odd news but don't any of you find this battle a little too easy?"
Jinpei let fly his bolos where they hardened into granite to slice through an oncoming group towards him, knocking all down at once. "I was thinking of that myself, Ryuoh. What do you think they're planning?"
Akeila looked to the horizon, and witnessed a sight she had never seen before. A moving cloud of black was coming towards them, and there were flashes of steel, glints of red. "Shimada, there!"
Shimada turned, and his breath caught. "Scavengers."
"What?" Kujaku asked, setting an arrow to his bow. "Scavengers?"
"They're creatures without wills of their own, they only know to kill, and their targets are set by he who controls them."
"So what are their targets?" Jinpei asked.
Shimada hovered back slightly, his senses screaming at him. "We are."
Kujaku snorted. "We've defeated their entire army here without much trouble. Why worry of these creatures?"
"All it takes to destroy them is anything sharp, a blade or arrow, but they are fast. Much faster than we are. It's more likely they will strike us before we them."
"How fast is fast, Shimada?" Akeila asked.
He visibly trembled. "Much faster than we can Shift." He recalled the SoulSword to his hand from its hiding place. "Hold off as many as you can, then make an escape. We have to get away from them as quickly as possible. Remember, only our blades and arrows will work. Coating them with the elements will not help."
Kujaku grabbed a number of his shuriken. "Jinpei!" He tossed them over to the young Thief. "Your bolos will not work here. These should help."
"Many thanks, Archer!"
Ryuoh swept his glieve through a converging crowd of Scavengers, slicing them neatly, making them vanish. His jaw dropped. "They... they're spirits of some kind?"
"Of an evil king, my Traveller," Shimada said. Then, "Away, Ryuoh!"
Ryuoh turned and three more of them appeared so fast and so close: one managed to tear through his leather cloak as he side-stepped, and was spared certain death by Akeila's daggers. "Shimada is right; they are fast," she said. "We must go!"
Kujaku let fly three arrows at once, and as the sharp blade ripped through a set of Scavengers each time they vanished as though they never were. "This is ridiculous. That is all it takes to destroy them and we run? We should stay to finish them o-- aaaaaagghh!"
"Kujaku!"
Shimada touched the edges of his cloak, and instantly steel decorated them. He dived through the army of Scavengers surrounding Kujaku, ripping through and eliminating them. Quickly he took the Archer by the arms and lifted him into the sky. "Kujaku..."
"It's only a flesh wound, Shimada," he said, glancing at his bloody arm. "I may still fly." And so Shimada reluctantly let him go, and the Archer flew on his own, throwing shuriken with his good arm.
Shimada turned back. "Take flight, all of you! We cannot do this one by ourselves!"
Jinpei shot into the air, while Ryuoh followed behind. Akeila had still to appear.
Shimada searched about him. "Akeila!"
"Shimada!"
The Shield bolted in the direction of her voice, finding her surrounded by Scavengers and barely holding them off with only her twin katana. Her leg was bleeding, as was her back.
"Akeila!"
SoulSword in hand, Shimada rushed into the attack, swiftly cutting through each Scavenger that stood in his way, side-stepping more quickly than he had ever done before, blade moving in perfect accuracy and grace. Closer he grew to Akeila, and once within reach, he took her into the sky.
In his arms she was limp and weak, her blood soaking the Shield's garments. Her breath, to his relief, was still steady, her heartbeat strong. She would live.
As they flew he passed the Huntress to Ryuoh. "Take here for a moment, while I finish what these demons have started."
Jinpei held back. "But Shimada, you said that our weapons laced with the elements stand no chance against them!"
"You need your weapons to generate the powers of the elements. I do not."
He climbed high into the air, circling the remaining Scavengers that followed them. Making sure he stood directly over them, he called for the winds to lift the grains of sand beneath him, and soon a whirlwind of dust and sand enveloped him and the Scavengers beneath him.
Fire began red, then blue, then white-hot, melting the sand and uniting the grains to one another, shaping and melding until the heat was so intense that sand had converted to glass, and about the Shield now were hundreds of daggers formed of sharp glass.
"Go back to whence you came, and dare you return, dare to touch my Guardians and you shall all meet today's fate tomorrow, and again and again."
With a sweep of his hand the glass daggers left his side, as though with sense of their own hunted the Scavengers and slashed each one, vanquishing them. In a matter of seconds the entire army had vanished, leaving behind only the glass shards that had sealed their fates.
Landing together at last, Ryuoh, Jinpei and the Shield fussed over Kujaku and Akeila, binding their wounds to the best of their abilities, Shimada healing them as much as he could manage at once.
"You must be exhausted enough from that battle, Shimada," Akeila said. "Should you not rest?"
He smiled at her. "Whatever power I used had nothing to do with the strength of my body. It has to do with far deeper."
Her hand touched his, and she smiled when she saw the color coming to his cheeks.
"If the Scavengers are so powerful," Kujaku began, "why only deploy them now? If the Darkness knew the extent of the damage they could cause, why not use them instead of the Soldiers?"
"Scavengers take a lot of magic and strength to create and deploy, Kujaku. They cannot be sent out at only a moment's notice at any chosen time. It takes time to generate them, then program them to their orders. Whoever decided to deploy them today, he has things on his mind I cannot fathom." He closed his eyes, visibly sagged as he let out a long, slow breath.
Ryuoh caught him and laid him against a rock. "You are tired, Shimada," he said, a small grateful smile on his face. "Rest for a moment, before we return back to Firebird's Hiding."
"It's just as well," Jinpei said. Thumbing at the Archer and Huntress, he said, "Those two don't look up for the flight back."
Kujaku picked up a rock, and channeling what he could of his powers, sent it flying at Jinpei. The young Thief was instantly smacked by a jet of water, sputtering and choking.
"That should teach you to watch your mouth about my presence, Jinpei."
The group laughed together for a while, and rested until time was right.
Presently, Shimada jolted.
"Shimada?" Akeila called. "Is something wrong?"
His eyes were wide and staring, but they could not see what he was looking at, could not begin to guess what he was seeing, or why he was so startled by it. They fell back in surprise when he got up quickly.
"We must return to Firebird's Hiding now," he said simply.
They stood with him, and prepared for flight. "Why?" Ryuoh asked. "Is something happening back there?"
They were mildly surprised by the smile that greeted them, and a little more than puzzled.
"Kotori... has given me a son."
to be continued...
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