by Max Jager
With tears streaming down her face, Imae's legs shook like leaves in a storm. Her breathing as heavy. She couldn't imagine what that would feel like for a little girl. "But why? Why would they want her so badly to do such a thing? I know her family never liked Yusuke because he was a demon. But they never bothered anyone."
"Two reasons actually." Once all eyes were on him, Katana sighed then turned and looked at Imae. "The first was the fact that Kaori's family never got over the fact that she had left. They had been searching but hadn't found her until recently. But Kaori was already almost dead and….."
Hissing as he had to force his wind not to whip, Torakus was now drawing blood from his hands with his claws. "But that is whent hat bastard must of come into play and they went after her."
"Torakus!"
Not even flinching at all the voices saying his name at the same time, Torakus turned a glare up to his father. "But father it was Noke. He and his grandfather promised them land and treasure if they could produce either a half demon or a demon female for Noke to mate when he was older. The Lord now is a direct line from Kaori's brother and sent them straight after her. It happened only two days after we left the strong hold and came home."
Breathing heavy himself, Sanzo didn't know if he wanted to rage or mourn his friend. He never thought that something like this would have happened to Yusuke. Looking up at the mountain he took a deep breath. 'I promise you this old friend. I won't let anything happen to your daughter.' "We are going to have to let both the West and North know what is going on. If that little bastard is still trying to find a female to force into a mating with that grandson of his, both Cho and Nyoko may become targets."
He then turned to his son with soft eyes as he sighed and held his mate. "Considering what has happened, and the fact that had you not done that, we would have lost her. You all will be let off the hook this one time. But only this time. Next time come to us and….."
Relaxing some now, Torakus looked up at his father. "I did try to go to you, Mother, Aunt Ayame and Uncle Atsana. Every time I did before I even had the chance to ask if we could go check on them I got shot down. I heard the same thing. 'Give it some time then we will all go back up'. And Mama was pregnant and then…"
Cutting her son off, Imae moved to him and threw her arms around him as she sighed. "I am really not happy that you did this Torakus. I should have at the very least said that you and your father could go check on her to put your mind at ease. But you did good son. You saved her. Be proud of that." Stepping back she touched his cheek with one of her hands. "I mean that. I am going to go and talk to Shian."
Nodding as she hugged him again, Torakus hugged her back. "Thank you Mama. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Like your father said. We will let it slide this time." Imae then turned and headed for the hot spring. "Mama?"
"Coming!" Yokiyo gave the kids a smile as she reached out and grabbed her daughter's braid. "Come Kiara."
Growling as she tried to balance herself, Kiara sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice in the matter."
Crossing his arms, Sanzo sighed as he glanced back up at the mountain again. He was going to have his men go up there and burry what was left of the bodies to show them at least some respect in death. Looking back down at his son as he kept his eyes down and half closed. "Torakus." When he looked up at him he smiled as he laid his hand on his head. "Well done son. Well done."
Nodding Torakus let his head drop again as he looked at the ground. "I was hoping against hope that I would make it all the way to the top and she would be there with her father still. That's where I know she would want to be right now too."
"I know that son. We all do. But now it is up to us to keep her safe." Lookin gat him sideways, Sanzo smiled as his eyes flicked up to him. "You got that right?"
Nodding sharply, Torakus smiled at his father. "I got it father."
X
Though she tried, Shian couldn't help but cry as soon as they got to the hot spring. Just thinking about what Torakus and the others were talking about, she couldn't help it. She had no more family. She had no flock of her own. Right now she felt like she had nothing. And she really didn't want to be a burden or a pest to anyone here. 'Mama. Papa. I am so lost without you two here with me.'
With a sigh and a smile, Hoshiko slid herself over and leaned on Shian's shoulder. "You know you can let it out Shior. No one here would judge you for crying like that after what you just went through this month. You are home and safe now. Mama and Papa would never turn you or or let anyone touch you again."
Still fighting her tears Shian looked at her as her eyes half closed. "That may be now. But what about in a year? Or two? I don't want to be a burden on anyone Hoshiko. I just really don't know what to do with Papa gone. I always knew that I would lose Mama someday. But I never thought that I would lose Papa."
Pulling their eyes to her, Santrix laughed as she winked at them. "Don't give us that line Shian. You know very well that Imae would never turn a chick out on her own. You won't leave this palace unless you have an armed guard with you at least I would bet."
Turning her eyes to the water again, Shian tried to stop the tears but even more spilled out. "Buts till I…."
"You are home and there is nothing that I want to hear about it young lady. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"
Jumping along with Hoshiko and Santrix, Shian turned to find Imae standing there with Kiara and her mother. Shaking, Shian dropped her head some. "But I don't want to be a burden for you Imae."
Dropping to her knees and leaning into the water, Imae hugged the girl as she let her own tears mist. "You will never be a burden to me Shian. Ever. Your mother and I were close. And I know if the roles were reversed, she would not turn one of my chicks our in the cold. And I won't do it to her only daughter. Understand?"
Turning in the water, Shian let the tears flow freely as she threw her arms around Imae's neck. "Oh thank you!" Then for the first time since her father's death she sobbed as hard as she could as she clung to her.
Branching Out Chapter 119
Blinking as she turned toward the window, Cho let out another sigh when she heard the yells and clanging of steel. "Mama. Why does Isamu think he needs to train so hard? I mean every single day he is training some way."
With a laugh, Yuriko didn't even look up from her desk as she sighed. "Your brother trains like that for a few different reasons. Though we have peace, he knows how fast things can change. And because he doesn't want to let Katana get ahead of him. You know the push that they have with each other to see who can get stronger than the other one."
Turning back to her writing, Cho just shook her head. She understood training for a just in case. But the thing with Katana she didn't know if she would ever understand that. "And Mama I just don't understand that either. I doubt I will ever understand the contest between not only them but all males."
Laughing again, Yuriko couldn't help but nod in agreement with that. "That my dear I would have to agree on. The only thing that I can really tell you on that one is it is just a male thing."
However before either of them could say anything else, they both looked up as the door opened and a maid stood there in a bow. Standing Yuriko moved toward the door. "What is it?"
When her lady was close to her the maid stood and held out the scroll that she was told to deliver. "A falcon messenger from the East is here. They said that it was urgent."
Taking the scroll, Yuriko blinked as she gave the maid an odd look. "This is addressed to my mate. Why then did someone not take it to him at the training fields?"
Shaking her head the maid gave another bow. "I do not know that My Lady. I was simply asked to bring it to you."
With a smile, Yuriko nodded her own head as she turned around. "Thank you. You may go." Once the door was closed, Yuriko couldn't help but take a deep breath. "An urgent message from the East. I don't have a good feeling about this."
Looking up with wide eyes, Cho let her head fa
ll to the side as her mother started to read. "What does it say Mama?"
Her eyes going wide, Yuriko tensed as she held a finger up to her daughter. Fear ripping through her as she read what Imae wrote. Kaoru and her father went to a new low. Promising eagles and humans things they had no intention on giving for a demon or half demon. The name Noke was enough for her to know who she was talking about. "Cho."
Blinking at the harshness of her mother's tone Cho tensed as her eyes went wide. "Yes Mama?"
Breathing hard, Yuriko rolled the scroll again as she turned a stern look on her daughter. "I want absolutely no argument from you on what I am about to say is that clear? You are to just do as I say and be done with it. Understand me?"
Nodding as she blinked, Cho had never seen her mother like this. It kind of scared her. "Yes Mama. I will do what you say without question."
Nodding, Yuriko stuffed the scroll in her kimono. "Good. From this moment on and until I say so, you are not to leave the palace grounds for any reason. You are going to have a guard posted with you at all times. You are not to even think about trying to give him the slip or you really will not want to deal with your father or myself. Understood?"
"Yes Mama."
A sharp nod, Yuriko then turned and headed for the door. "Good. Come with me." Once in the halls, Yuriko made her way toward where Isamu and Kaien were training in the garden. "Right now you are going to be with your brother and his weapons master. He is your constant guard."
Running to keep up with her mother, Cho nodded. "Alright Mama. But what about when he is training with Isamu?"
Turning to head for a door, Yuriko sighed. "Then you will simply be there with them both."
X
Smiling as he laughed, Kaien was breathing hard with this last round of sparing done, he sheathed his sword. There wasn't much left to teach him. He was already running him out of breath daily. "My Lord, soon there really will be nothing more for me to teach you. Next the only thing you need is experience."
Breathing hard as well, Isamu smiled at him as he sheathed his own sword. "Thank you Kaien. That means a lot. But sparing with me daily will help me to work on my stamina and speed more. As well as keep me in shape."
Shaking his head as he crossed his arms, Kaien sighed with a laugh. "That is true My Lord. However, I don't think that I would be able to keep up with you for much longer. Or my men."
Holding his hands up by his head, Isamu looked up at the sky as he laughed and closed his eyes. "That is a shame. I was going to say bring them all on."
"Isamu."
Flinching as he tensed, Isamu felt like someone threw ice cold water in his face when he heard the tone of his mother's voice. Turning he saw her worried look and hardened his eyes. Something happened somewhere. His eyes flicked to Cho who was running to keep up with her. Going back to his mother's eye he crossed his arms. "What happened?"
As she reached them, Yuriko didn't even look at her son as she fixed Kaien with hard eyes. "I will tell you later Isamu. Kaien. I must go and fetch my mate. Cho is going to be staying here with you and Isamu. You are now not only Isamu's weapons master, but you are her one and only guard. I don't care if she is with her father and her brother both. You will stay in ear shot at all times. Is that clear?"
With shocked eyes, Kaien nodded as he bowed. "My Lady."
Growling as his mother turned and headed for the stable, Isamu was more than a little annoyed. He wanted to know what happened. "Mother."
Moving faster than when her daughter followed her, Yuriko didn't even look back at her son. "Later." Then she vanished into the stable. Seconds later flying out the other side on a dragon mount headed for his father. "Well."
Rolling his eyes, Isamu turned to his sister as she sat on a bench near by. "Cho what was all that about?"
Looking up at him, Cho shook her head side to side. "I have no clue brother. I was practicing my writing with Mama while she went through scrolls. A maid brought in the message from the East and said it was urgent. Then Mama just freaked out."
Tensing when he heard the East, Isamu turned back toward where his mother was going and growled. If it came from the East, then something happened. He was closer to Torakus, but he knew Imae wouldn't just lie. "If it came from the East something bad happened. But what is the question now."
X
Jerking his head from his recruits, Shone turned startled eyes to find Yuriko coming fast toward him on one of their dragon mounts. Tensing he walked over to the side as he watched her dive the dragon from the sky. As she got closer, the worried look in her eyes made his throat constrict. The worst about something happening to one of the pups flying through his mind as she landed. "Yuriko what…."
Sliding from the dragon the instant that it landed, Yuriko stepped to him as he did her. "You need to call Kaoru, her father and her son to the palace at once Shone."
Tensing as his eyes bore into hers, he never thought after what happened when Cho was an infant that she would ever say that. "What happened?"
Holding the scroll out, Yuriko couldn't help but shake now she was so nervous and worried about what that pup and his family will do next. "This came urgent from the East."
Taking the scroll, Shone started to read it but growled low in his chest as he did. That damned woman was at it again. But this was even worse than when Cho was born.
"Shone. Yuriko.
I regret that I must inform you that a member of the Southern Lands is up to no good again. A falcon named Yusuke. His human mate passed of old age a month ago. Torakus got one of Mama's feelings I would say and snuck out to go check on their chick Shian. We thought that it was because her mother just passed. It turns out that it was far worse than that.
Right after she was there when Cho was born, Kaoru, her father and her son showed up at the East to get Sanzo and I to betroth Hoshiko to the pup. Torakus put a fast stop to that. However, it turns out he wasn't happy with that. The human's that Yusuke's mate was related too were approached by the pup's grandfather. They were promised land and treasure to produce a demon or half demon female to mate the pup when he was old enough. The humans worked together with some Eagles and killed everyone else that Shian held dear, taking her with them.
Had Torakus not snuck out when he did with his sister and my siblings, she would have been lost to them. Keeping her in a cage like she was lower than a dog. Just a warning. I really do not think that we have seen or heard the last from this pup. Even before when he was here with his mother and grandfather there is something vile about him. Just make sure that you do what you need to protect Cho. Be safe.
Imae."
Breathing hard to try and calm down, Shone closed his eyes as he rolled up the scroll. "Where did you leave Cho at?"
Wringing her hands Yuriko looked back toward the palace. "Before I came here I took her to Isamu and Kaien. I also told him until further notice, even if she is with you and Isamu both he is always to be near."
Putting the scroll in a pocket, Shone got on the mount and pulled her up to sit on his lap. Reaching down and grabbing a guard as he walked past. "Tell me do you know who Dai of the Norther Tribe is and where is at in the West?"
Blinking the guard nodded. "I do. Master Kaien had me follow them to see where they went when they left after Lady Cho was born."
"Go straight here as fast as you can and tell him to come to the palace right away. And to bring his daughter and grandson. But do not breathe another word to them understood?"
"My Lord."
Once they were in the air, Yuriko let out a long sigh as she looked down. She knew how he was going to react to this. But it was vital that she knew. "Shone about Cho….."
Shaking his head no as he kept his eyes on the palace, Shone growled. "No. She is not going to be anywhere near that room."
Giving him a stern look, Yuriko sighed. "She has to see him Shone. For her sake."
"No." Looking down at his mate and then back up to the palace, Shone sighed as he growled. "I don't like that she
is in the same country as that bastard, let alone let her be in the same room with him. She can figure out who he is by scent. She may not be a fighter, but that pup has one hell of a nose."
Growling back as she pulled his eyes to her, Yuriko glared with crossed arms. "Scent can only go so far Shone and you know that. She has to see him. Scent can be masked. If she sees him, it doesn't matter what his scent is. You will be there, as well as I am sure Isamu and Kaien. Nothing will happen to her but she has to see him."
Growling as they landed, Shone did see her point. With a sigh as he sat her down then dismounted himself, he put his arm around her as they headed for their pups. "Fine. But she stands between Isamu and myself, and Kaien is a breath away from her from behind."
"Right."
X
