Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Taking a deep breath, Nyoko sighed as she smiled. "That is Kuri Papa."

  "Kuri?"

  Standing and headed for the door to meet them as they came over the wall, Nyoko laughed. "You remember. Yukani and Kamui's son."

  "I see that's right they did have a son didn't they." But then tears misted in her eyes as she thought about Raidon and Mizareke. It never should have happened to any of them, least of all those two. Her only hope was that they didn't suffer.

  With a sigh, Soichiro went to his mate and pulled her into his arms to try and stop the melt down before it got started. "Emiko. It's alright, we will find hunt him down and end him for what he did to everyone. I promise." Turning to his daughter as she stood there with sad eyes of her own. "Go and fetch your brother and bring them all here."

  Nodding Nyoko turned and went through the door. "Yes Papa."

  X

  Sliding off of Katana's back with Santrix, Seiji let out a growl as he landed on his feet. "I swear Katana. With as much fur as you have, I thought that it would be a more comfortable ride. It was like sitting on bones."

  Now back in his human form, Katana growled as he smacked his brother in the back of his head. "No one said you had to ride on my back you know. You can transform just like me and Kiara so there was no reason you had too."

  Laughing, Seiji moved away from his brother as crossed his arms and stood by Kiara. "But unlike you and Kiara, I am not as big or as fast as the two of you are. That's alright, next time I will just ride on Kiara's back."

  Growling at him, Kiara narrowed her eyes as she walked on past him. "Not."

  Blinking as he looked at her, Seiji sighed. "Come on Kiara. Would you really make me ride on his bony back again?"

  Without even turning around as she was joined by everyone else, Kiara closed her eyes. "Yes." She was not going to indulge him on this. And she could hardly keep up herself, there was no way she was going to carry someone else.

  "Well now if you are all done squabbling with each other, my father is waiting to talk to all of you."

  Hearing Nyoko's voice, Seiji looked up but went speechless. The last time that he saw her she was just starting to go from a girl to a woman, but was still scrawny looking. But now, there was no doubt how much she has matured. She was breathtaking. Giving her a half-smile, he shook his head. "Hey…"

  With a laugh to Seiji's reaction, Nyoko turned to her brother as she sighed. "Chiren you were about in lots and lots of trouble I will have you know." She then turned and walked with him and Kiara toward their father's study.

  Giving her an odd look, Chiren let his head fall to the side. "How was I almost in lots of trouble? I haven't even been here for twelve days."

  "That is exactly why you were almost in lots of trouble." She then crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. "It doesn't take this damn long to get from the East, to the West and then here. Where the hell is that cub at!?"

  Dropping his head, Chiren let out a sigh. "Oh man."

  Her eyes half closing as sadness took over, Nyoko looked down as she let out a small sigh. "When the message from the Eastern messenger got here, he got really worked up over what you said happened. I think he was even more upset about it than Mama was. Especially Mizareke and Raidon."

  Putting his arm around his sister's shoulders, Chiren sighed as she leaned her head toward him. "It will be alright. I can promise you that. I won't stop until I find who did it and take them out Nyoko."

  Nodding with a deep breath, Nyoko closed her eyes. "I know that brother. I just wish that it didn't have to be them."

  Moving his hand from her shoulder to her head, Chiren sighed as he took a deep breath himself. "I know Nyoko. I know."

  X

  Standing as everyone walked in the room, Emiko smiled at them all. "It is good to see you all again. Though I do wish it was under different circumstances. My how you have all gorwn."

  Pushing between Katana and Kuri, Kiara had concerned eyes as she went to Emiko and hugged with a small smile. "It is good to see you Emiko. How are you holding up?"

  Hugging her back, Emiko had a few tears mist in her eyes. "I will be fine dear. I should be asking you that since you were with him right after it happened."

  Shaking her head as she stepped back, Emiko smiled. "I will be fine I promise."

  Nodding, Emiko then looked past her to the wolf she hadn't met yet, and Torakus. "You must be Torakus. The last time I saw you, you were barely crawling." Turning to the wolf, Emiko blinked. He for sure took more after his father than he did his mother. "And I have not met you yet."

  Nodding, Kiara turned to Kuri as he gave her a bow. "That is our cousin Kuri. He is the second pup and son of Aunt Yukani and Uncle Kamui."

  Giving him a gracious smile as she gave a small head bow, Emiko sighed. "It is nice to meet you Kuri."

  Standing up now, Kuri smiled as he shook his head. "The pleasure is all mine My Lady. I have heard a lot about you and your mate from my cousins. I am happy to be here to help however I can."

  Clearing his throat now to pull all eyes to him, Soichiro pulled a scroll out of his sleeve. "Now that is all out of the way, we have a problem that we need to deal with right now."

  With blinking eyes, Chiren looked over at his father. "What are you talking about? Who is that from? What else happened?"

  Not hiding the snarl in his voice, Soichiro fisted the scroll in his hand. "We got this just a couple of days ago. It is from Kenji." Hearing the chorus of growls, he turned his glare up to meet his son's glare. "He is taking full credit for what happened to Tikae, Toki and everyone else.

  His throat constricting, Chiren saw red. At least Kenji had something to do with it! Turning his wild eyes to Kiara, he could hardly talk. "You were right."

  "I wish that I wasn't though." Turning back to Soichiro herself, Kiara was in full work mode. "Was there anything else? Or was he just boasting about it like it was something to be proud of?"

  Shaking his head, Soichiro crossed his arms. "Oh no that wasn't all he said at all. According to him with heave five more days to comply with his demands before he moves the entire dragon nation on us."

  His eyes narrowed, Chiren growled. He was responsible, at least in part to what happened to his family. And now he thought that he could just make demands of them! No way in hell. "So what are his demands then?"

  Holding up one finger, Soichiro growled. "The first was that I hand title of Lord of the North to him. The second one was that he wants two of the females in this room right now."

  Flinching as more rage filled him, Chiren glanced at Nyoko then a heated glare at his father, Chiren snarled. "He is daft. There is no way he is going to get the North, and he will only get to Nyoko over my dead body!"

  Holding two fingers out, Soichiro sighed. "Two son. He wants two females. Nyoko, and the black haired Kiyoshi look alike, Kiara."

  Tensing himself, Katana took a step and was in front of his sister. He may be her little brother, but she was still his sister and he wouldn't just sit and do nothing. "Never going to happen."

  Taking a deep breath, Kiara moved around Katana and went to Chiren. "I was right about that too. He must have been there watching. That is the only way that he would have known what color hair I had, and how much I look like my father. With all the smoke, that was why we couldn't smell anyone else."

  Nodding, Chiren sighed. "I agree. And who knows who he had with him."

  "What in the world are you two talking about?"

  Turning back to his father, Chiren sighed as he took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. "When we got there, and no one was alive, I was ready to snap. Just two days before that I was there. I stopped there and stayed a night when I was on my way to the South and everyone was fine and happy. Kiara snapped me out of my rage and said that they were probably watching waiting for me to do something stupid. Had I done that, it would have played right into their hands, and I would have been killed and Kiara at their mercy. Using that and Nyoko, she snapped me out of it and w
e went to the East."

  Nodding as he crossed his arms, Soichiro sighed. "I see. For that Kiara, I will forever be grateful. But now the question is where do we go from here? No one knows where he is when he goes in hiding. The only two that ever did know were Motoichi and Yori. Even Tikae didn't know where they were after he took the title from him. And how in the hell he was able to do it in the first place."

  "Right…" But before he could finish, Chiren turned to the window as the smell of dragons hit everyone's noses. Narrowing his eyes he sighed. "I know them. One of them is Hideo, and the others are Yukimura and Ieyasu." Then without another word he fled out the window to go and talk to them as they came in. Followed closely by Katana, Isamu and Torakus.

  Watching from the window, Soichiro sighed. He was going to be Lord soon enough as it was. He would let him handle this and see how it goes.

  X

  Knowing with what happened, everyone at this palace was probably irate, and they may or may not be welcome. As they came over the wall, Hideo, Ieyasu and Yukimura all landed with their hands up and on their knees in a bow. It was Hideo that spoke. "Lord Chiren. We mean no harm and have not come to start trouble. We only wish to speak with Lord Soichiro."

  With guards there now, Chiren didn't stop them from keeping the tips of their weapons on them as he took deep breaths. "But could we really trust you Ieyasu? After what happened to Tikae and Toki? Especially knowing that you were on his personal guard from the time he was an infant!"

  Keeping his head down, Hideo sighed. "My Lord the three of us had nothing to do with it. We were on a recon mission for Lord Tikae. But we do know that those that were loyal to Tikae that were forced to turn on him did so by force thanks to Kenji."

  Stopping just a few feet from them, Chiren crossed his arms as the others came up n ext to him. "I am sorry Hideo but how can we trust you with that? Myself especially seeing as it was myself and Kiara that saw what happened while the fire was still raging? How can I believe you that you didn't turn on him?"

  Standing now, Hideo met the young Lord's eyes but he didn't budge as they narrowed. "Lord Chiren of all the years that you have known us, you should know that we could never turn on him. Though my recon mission did tell me why some did, and I am sure with heavy hearts thanks to Kenji and his evil ways."

  "How so?"

  Looking at the others with him, Hideo blinked. He knew them by scent, but wasn't sure if Chiren would want them to hear. "My Lord?"

  Seeing his eyes hit the others, Chiren crossed his arms. "They are the heirs of the other lands. They will hear what you have to say."

  Nodding, Hideo met Chiren's eyes as the others stood up as well. "It actually started a couple of years ago. Some of Lord Tikae's most loyal warriors and friends would slip out in the night and never be seen again. Leaving no trace, nor scent as to where they were going. They were just gone. We thought it was Kenji, but had to find out what he was doing to do it. Though we did not find out on our own."

  Pulling eyes to him, Isamu sighed. "Well then how did you figure it out?"

  "We had help thanks to my mate Ina." His eyes back on Chiren, Hideo sighed. "I am sure you remember Sidhae correct?"

  Nodding, Chiren blinked. "I do." But then he gasped as his eyes went wide and his whole body tensed. "Don't tell me that he…"

  "I believe he did. He had a mate and infant chick. They were staying with us for a while. It was about a week before everything happened. Two wolves that were able to disguise their scent and took both his mate and chick. For some reason they didn't want her, or didn't realize that she was there. She heard them say that if he wanted them back alive, Sidhae better do as he is told. Once she was sure they were gone, she slipped out and went straight to Tikae, then came to find me."

  "I see then." Dropping his head, Chiren growled as he glared at the ground. That would make sense. He would do anything he needed to do to make sure that his mate and child was safe.

  Seeing the look in Chiren's eyes, Hideo smiled as he relaxed now. "However, though this is a tragedy no matter how you look at it My Lord, I do have some cheerful news for you and your family. Again that is also thanks to my mate."

  Growling, Chiren glared at him again. "Did you bring me Kenji's head on a steak?"

  Pulling eyes to him this time, it was Yukimura that drew their attention. "No My Lord. When we arrived home a couple of days ago to find what happened and the grave. But it was Ina that ran from us. When we caught up to her, she was headed across the ashes left of the main house. We could hear crying."

  Flinching as he paled, Chiren let his eyes go wide. Crying? How? He was sure no one could have survived that fire. "What do you mean you heard crying?"

  Dropping his head with a glare, Hideo fisted his hands to his side. "Lady Toki never trusted Kenji. Even before Lord Raidon and Lady Mizareke were born she feared an uprising from him. Though I am sure that she never thought those loyal to them would be forced to fight on Kenji's side. She never even told Tikae about it. Myself, Sakon, Sidhae and Ina were the only ones who knew. She had a stone safe room built under the house. A place that even fire couldn't reach. Just in case Kenji attacked."

  His face draining of even more color, Chiren blinked. "You mean that they were…." When he nodded, Chiren took a step backwards. "You are serious about this?"

  "I am My Lord. I am not sure when, but at some point before everything happened Lady Toki was at least able to get Lord Raidon and Lady Mizareke in the room. When we opened it, they were dirty, crying and hungry. But they were there huddled together."

  "Where are they?"

  Gesturing toward the wall, Hideo smiled. "Just over the wall in the arms of my mate."

  In a single leap, Chiren went from where h stood, to the wall, then fell from it and looked up just as he heard two little voices yell his name. Tears streaming from his eyes as Raidon and Mizareke raced across the field to him. Stooping down low he caught them both as they jumped into his arms, both of them crying hysterically. "It's alright now. It's alright. I promise nothing will happen to the two of you. I promise. Settle down."

  Leaning away from him, Mizareke couldn't stop her tears as she took a deep breath. "Chiren you are to going to get them right? You won't let them get away with what they did right?"

  Leaning his forehead to hers, Chiren smiled through his own tears. "I will never give up until everyone who helped of their own free will is gone. I swear it Mizareke. They will not get away with it." When she nodded and buried her face back in his shoulder as he stood up, Chiren turned to the female dragon. "You are Ina?"

  Giving him a low bow as she reached him, Ina smiled. "I am My Lord."

  "Come then. You helped to rescue and care for my cousins until they could be returned home. You are welcome in this palace always."

  "Thank you My Lord." Ina then joined him in leaping onto the wall and falling to the ground.

  X

  Her throat constricting when she watched her son go over the wall, Emiko almost fell over. What in the world was he thinking with everything that happened. But then tears rushed from her eyes when he came back over with a female dragon, but held Mizareke and Raidon in his arms! Ignoring the fact that she was in nothing more than a simple kimno, she leapt out the window and ran toward them. "Mizareke! Raidon!"

  "Aunt Emiko!"

  Moving to stand next to his father as he watched as Emiko caught them and fell to the ground, the three of them crying, Chiren felt a strange sense of right in this time of wrong. They were home. Not the home they should be, but home, and protected from Kenji."

  Taking her place next to Hideo, Ina smiled as he put his arm around her. "They were quite happy to know that we were bringing them here."

  "Thank you." Looking over at the dragons, Soichiro sighed. "It is good to know that you did not turn on him."

  Shaking his head, Chiren glared at he looked at his father. "The ones that did do so because Kenji forced them. By having wolves take their mates and children."

  With a gro
wl, Kiara was there now too and crossed her arms. "Wolves huh. It would appear that Noke had something to do with it too."

  With Mizareke still in her arms, Emiko stood up as she held Raidon's hand. The two of them have been through enough, they didn't need to hear the talk about it. "Come on then you two. Let's go and get you cleaned up and something to eat. Come with me Nyoko."

  "Right Mama." Nyoko then looked at Santrix. "Do you wanna come with us?"

  Nodding, Santrix didn't need to know the details right now. "Sure I will come."

  "Wait a second. The guard for the spring is…"

  With a smile, Seiji turned to follow them. "I will go stand in. I am not the heir, I get freedom from that. They can fill me in later. I got this."