by Max Jager
With her head held high, and a bright smile on her face, Kaoru glided through the palace just in front of her father and her son. When the guard came and said that they were wanted right away, she just knew that Shone had come to his senses and was going to betroth his daughter to Noke and not saddle her with a pup that was birthed by a human. Even if he was born a full demon.
Stopping at the door for a moment, Kaoru glanced back at how tall and proud her father and son were at the moment. Surely they thought the same thing she did. When the doors opened and she walked in, her eyes darted to the small girl with the chocolate eyes between Isamu and Shone. That had to be Cho! 'She is beautiful. Which is good, she will not give my son ugly pups in that case.'
Stopping a few feet from them, she joined her father and son and gave them a low bow. Smiling as she stood up, Kaoru folded her hands before her. "You called for us Shone?"
Nodding as he kept his arms crossed, Shone nodded. "Indeed. There is a matter that we need to discuss."
Letter her head fall to the side, Kaoru blinked with a blank look. "Matter? What matter is that?"
His arms crossed with a glare, Isamu let his eyes land on the pup the second that they walked in the room. This was Noke. Before they got here, they made sure to tell Cho, and that she was to play along with the fact that she was supposed to be betrothed to Katana. But this pup was something different. There was something about him that just made him hate him more and more with each second that he was standing there. When his eyes landed on his sister, he fisted his hands at his side. It was like he was looking at a piece of meat. Narrowing his eyes he tensed to be ready for anything. 'He better not even try it.'
With a glare, Shone growled down at her. "Tell me this. Do you or your pack know anything about a flock of falcons of the East being slaughtered? The half demon chick of the village leader being taken prisoner by humans? This happened, oh little over a month ago?"
Her throat constricting as she forced a look of pure shock on her face. How did he know that? But if he knew, that meant that somewhere between there and their den, she got lose and wasn't coming after all! "I have no clue Shone. How horrible that is." Turning to Dai and Noke she blinked. "Papa? Noke?"
Rolling his eyes, Noke turned his back to them all. The chick wasn't coming so it wasn't like he really had anything in it anyway. "I don't know a thing."
Growling as Shone turned his eyes to the pup, he took a deep breath. "You have your mother and grandfather's attitude pup. That isn't going to fly in this palace. Watch it."
With a growl of his own, Dai moved and put himself between Shone and his daughter and Noke. His eyes hard he crossed his own arms. "Well come on Shone out with it. What are you getting at?"
His glare now on Dai, Shone pulled out the scroll he got from Imae. "I got this from the East this morning. It seems that her eldest son snuck out to check on the chick and found her in a cage like dogs. The humans bragging about how they were going to be paid handsomely for taking her to be a mate for a wolf in the west Noke."
Uncrossing his arms, and fisting his hands at his side, Dai growled again. "You are insane you know that Shone!"
Stepping closer and forcing him to step back, Shone gave him an odd look. "I am insane? You promised something to humans that I am sure you had no intention on giving them for a female for your grandson and I am crazy!?"
Taking a step closer to Shone this time, Dai snarled at him. "The hell are you talking about Shone? I wouldn't promise a damned filthy human anything! And all this coming from a human and half blood chick? Really Shone I thought you were smarter than that!"
Refusing to budge, Shone kept his glare as he took a few deep breaths. "I know one thing. If it comes from Imae or one of her chicks, it is the truth. That is all I need to know here."
"You are an idiot!"
Taking another forceful step closer to Dai, Shone pointed in his face. "Really? So you mean to tell me that after you found out that Cho was already betrothed to Katana you didn't run to the east to have them betroth their daughter to him?"
Shaking his head as he flung his arms around, Dai couldn't hardly contain his anger. "I did but that is a damn far cry from you are now accusing us of now Shone!"
Before any of the adults could say or do anything else, every turned toward Cho when they heard steel clang and ring out through the hall. With Cho falling back into Kaien's arms and her brother in front of her easily holding off the attack from Kaoru.
Nodding to Kaien as he now had Cho fully in his arms going out the window, Shone turned to Kaoru and grabbed her by her clothes and flung her back into her father's arms. "How dare you try and attack my daughter. I should kill you for that alone."
Glaring up at him as she stood, Kaoru had frustrated tears falling from her eyes. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening! "How dare I? Had you only done what I asked forty years ago, then none of this would be going on! None of it! But no you had to saddle your daughter with a tainted little bastard. Probably all she is good for anyway."
Growling as he pulled her eyes to him, Isamu never sheathed his sword. His knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the hilt. "You better watch your mouth when talking about my sister."
Turning from the pup, Kaoru stormed up to Shone and pushed on his chest. "Mark my words Shone. One way or another I will see her mated with my son. By force if need be. Or I will see her dead before anyone else gets to look at her."
Her rage at what she was saying about her precious and sweet daughter, Yuriko moved before anyone could react and slapped Kaoru so hard she hit the ground. "Really Kaoru? Since when did the need for power and status drive you to be like this? With all you have said and done, especially after Shone and I mated, I never once thought you would raise your hand to a pup. Shame on you."
Shaking with pure rage, Kaoru growled as she turned and looked up at her with narrowed eyes. "It is all your fault you know. You did it all! You are the cause for my ruined life you bitch!"
Taking a couple steps back, Yuriko blinked with shocked eyes. "How am I the cause of anything going on in your life?"
"Had you not been around then I would have been able to mate with Shone! I would have had his son! I would have had his daughter! It's all you! You are the root cause of all my suffering!" Kaoru then lunged up at Yuriko, but was stopped when she felt the pain of something going through her chest.
Looking down, she found the glaring and gleaming eyes of Isamu as he stood there, with his sword shoved through her chest. "You little bastard…" But then her body went limp and fell with a thud as he pulled his sword from her.
Slinging her blood off of his sword onto her own body, Isamu stood firm as he forced the bile to stay down out of his throat. He really wanted to throw up right now, but refused to do it before them. But killing wild game that they would eat and killing another demon was different. She deserved no less, going after both his sister and mother. But his body was not reacting very well to this.
Hearing a growl, Isamu glared up into Dai's eyes as he snarled at him. "She went after my sister. Then after my mother. Her life was mine to take because of that."
Knowing his grandfather, Noke just stood there and said and did nothing. He would attack, Shone would step in and kill him for going after his son. Then he would take their bodies and leave. Though he would finally be able to go through life and do what he wanted to do and not what they wanted.
Closing his eyes as he sighed when he heard the gurgle from his grandfather and then a thud on the floor he just shook his head. "Idiot."
Turning to the pup who as of now hadn't done anything, just had an attitude problem. "Did you say something boy?"
Nodding as he turned and walked toward first his mother's and then grandfather's worthless bodies, Noke didn't try to hide the annoyance in his voice. "They were idiots. Plain and simple. What they did or did not do I had no part of. I will take them and take my leave now." He then lifted the bodies with ease and headed for a window.
Stopping to give Shone a evil filled glare. "Like I care what warning you have for me. They were the ones that planned my life for me, though once I was of age, I had no intention on doing what they wanted. Overthroiwng the West to teach you a lesson for not mating with her. That was my mother's plan. Mine are much different than that." He was then out the window and then another jump and he was over the wall. Dropping the bodies as soon as he hit the woods.
Crossing his arms, Isamu growled as he kept his eyes on the window the pup went out. "Why don't we just kill him now? You and I both know he is going to be nothing but a pain in our side at some point Father."
Turning and leading Yuriko away from the blood, Shone sighed. "Because evil as he is son, he didn't do anything or I would have killed him. That is the only thing that saved his life. Just make sure you keep your training up."
Nodding as he left, Isamu growled at the window again as he walked over to look out. "Trust me Father. That isn't going to be a problem."
X
Once he was deep enough into the woods it looked like he was going home, Noke turned and headed away from the den. He was going to sneak around to the mountains between the North and East where Kenji would be at. There he would use the manipulation that he learned well from his grandfather and mother to get refuge and training. He would use him and what he can do to help him in getting what he wanted. And then in the end when he was no longer useful, he would be disposed of.
And that was when he would make his move. Laughing as he crossed his arms, Noke looked up to the sky. "No one will see it coming when I actually make my move. Those that have denied me anything will pay. Cho will be the first, only because of what her parents did. And then somehow the other lords as well. And I know exactly who I think I want to actually make my mate when the time comes."
Branching Out Chapter 120
Watching with a smile, Chiren couldn't help but laugh as he sat on a bench watching his father try and spar with his little sister. It wasn't working out so great at all. She didn't want to her her father, and he was being way too easy with her. "Father you do know that she is more than half grown. In less time than it took for her to get to this point she will be grown. You really don't have to treat her like she is a fragile little egg anymore."
Turning to his son with a glare, Soichiro crossed his arms as he growled. "Oh really? And you mean that you are rougher with her than I am right now Chiren?"
With a groan as she dropped her practice blade to the ground, Nyoko dropped herself and sat down as she crossed her arms. "Yes he is Father. Why do you think that I am as strong as I am now? Because unlike you he doesn't go easy on me and leave openings on purpose for me to try and get."
Taking a deep breath and a sigh, Soichiro turned around to look down at his daughter. "Yes Nyoko you are strong. But you are still my little….."
Another loud groan as she fell backwards on her back, Nyoko threw her arms over her head. "I know that Father! Yes I am always going to be your little girl no matter what. But Papa really! Even Mama is rougher with me when she spars with me than you are right now."
Turning, Soichiro tossed his practice blade to his son as he threw his hands in the air with a sigh. "Fine then. Fine. Since I am too soft with her, let's see what she can do against someone who isn't soft with her son."
Standing and moving to take his father's place, Chiren laughed. "Just watch then. She just might shock you."
Shaking his head as he crossed his arms, Soichiro glared at his cubs. "Yeah well I will believe that when I see it." When they both just smiled he growled as he waved at them with a hand. "Well go on let's see it then."
"See what dear?"
Turning to his smiling mate, Soichiro growled. "I am being lectured by our cubs about how soft I am when I spar with our daughter."
Stopping to stand next to him, Emiko laughed as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Dear you are soft with her. You still act as if she is an eggshell and if you touch her too rough she is going to shatter. She is stronger than you think."
Growling as he half glared at his mate, Soichiro sighed. "Well thank you for not helping with the argument Emiko."
Laughing as she turned toward her brother and took her stance, Nyoko smiled. "Oh just watch Papa."
Watching as his eyes went wide, Soichiro was a bit shocked when the moved. They were both going at full speed for both of them, and not holding anything back in the least. "Well now. They really don't hold back from each other do they?"
Shaking her head Emiko watched her cubs as well. "No they don't. Chiren believes the same as the other Lords and Ladies do. That even though this is a time of peace, everyone still needs to train and be ready to fight just in case something happens. And he makes sure that Nyoko is in that."
"I know. I know. I understand that thought process." Flashes of his brother killing his father with a sadistic smile and laughter flew through Soichiro's mind. He would never get that image out of his head. "I learned a long time ago. When we had a time of peace after my father sent my mother and brother away. Out of nowhere Motoichi showed up, and killed first Hiro and then Father in cold blood. I learned the hard what that there may be peace now. But that doesn't mean that there will still be peace in as soon as a couple of months."
But before anyone could say or do anything, they turned to the sky when the smell of a falcon coming hit their noses. And he was coming fast. Her heart skipping a beat, Emiko turned worried eyes to Soichiro. "He is a messenger from the East. But why is he coming so fast right now?"
A glare on his face, Soichiro looked as both Chiren and Nyoko stopped sparring and were moving toward him. Turning back to the messenger he took a deep breath. "It must be something important for him to be coming as fast as he is. Just what is the question."
Landing just a few feet from Soichiro and his mate, the messenger was breathing hard as he dropped to a knee and gave them a bow. "My Lord. I bring you an urgent message from Lady Imae."
Taking the scroll, Soichiro gave him a nod then turned to a maid. "Show him to a room where he can rest the day and night before returning." When she lead him away he turned and started to open the scroll. 'I have a really bad feeling about this.'
"Soichiro. Emiko.
First I hope this finds you well. Second I am writing to inform you of some recent events that have happened here in the East. First let me bring you fully up to speed. A month after Hoshiko was born, a wolf named Kaoru tried to force Shone and Yuriko to betroth Cho to her son. When they refused, she came here along with her father and son to have us do the same thing with Hoshiko. Torakus put a swift end to that one.
A month ago, a good friend of Sanzo's, Yusuke, lost his human mate Kaori to old age. Days later, Kaori's family that was still store that she left the human world for a demon, and eagles attacked them. Killing Yusuke, and the entire flock. Kaoru, Dai and Noke offered them treasure if they could produce a demon or half demon female for the pup Noke. They chose Yusuke and Kaori's daughter Shian. She is ten years younger than Hoshiko. Taking her captive and locking her away in a cage like a damn dog. Torakus had one of Mama's feelings and snuck out along with his sister, and all four of my siblings. They found her and got her out and brought her home.
I do not know what else this pack has planned. But they are clearly up to no good and will stop at nothing to get this pup a mate it would seem. I have no clue why though. Just make sure that you keep an extra eye on the wolves of the North, and that Nyoko is well guarded. They destroyed a whole flock of falcon de
mons for a half demon chick. Who knows what they would do for someone like Nyoko.
Imae."
With a glare on his face, Soichiro snarled as he turned and stormed toward the palace. "Everyone come with me. Now. We need to talk inside."
X
Gasping as she jumped to her feet with a start, Nyoko pulled startled shocked eyes of her father to her. "Wait really! Shian? No way!"
Giving her an odd look, Soichiro was serious as he watched her sit back down. "Nyoko how do you know who she is?"
Looking up at him, Nyoko sighed. "Last summer when you let me go and stay with Kiara for a month in the East. There was another chick there with her father and mother. Shian. She is beautiful and so sweet. She wasn't hurt before Torakus got her out was she?"
With a sigh, Soichiro looked back down at the scroll sitting on his desk as he crossed his arms. "It didn't say that she was hurt at all. Least physically. I can only imagine what having something like that happening to her did to her head and emotions."
