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runicloreNine Syllables
Author: Amber Michelle
Day/Theme: June 26 - the past is another land
Series: Twelve Kingdoms
Character/Pairing: Taiki
Rating: K
Words: 969
Notes:I'm not sure of the pronunciation of the far north-east province of Tai (承), so I used the most common one: 'Shou.' Fixed. :D Also... well, I admit there's no basis whatsoever for edible youma, but also nothing that contradicts it to my knowledge.
.............................................
The air froze Taiki's lungs when he left the cottage he and Risai had taken shelter in on their way to Jou Province. The village around them was deserted, still high in the foothills, and already buried under drifts of snow. He was bundled in a quilted wool cloak with the hood up and tied under his chin, and his boots were packed with the same, but the temperature cut right through it to make him shiver. They'd left Kei too late in the year to hope for better. Though Risai hoped to find shelter among the tents of the wanderers in the far northeast, the journey to find them at this time of year might kill them. Travel in the winter was impossible.
There used to be a military outpost at the end of this path, she said when they'd reached the peak of the mountains bordering Jou and started the trek downward. They will not be friendly to us by now, but they should have food stores. If we can't make it to the plains in time--
Of course, she planned to infilterate the ranks herself. If only I had my shirei, Taiki thought, it would be so easy. Risai was in no condition to fight, but if they had allies who could walk the path of shadows and spy out danger before it came to them, perhaps it would not be suicide to enter a provincial outpost for food, or even shelter. A shirei could warn them if they were betrayed. Gouran would have the garrison down in a mere hour, though that much blood-letting was not Taiki's preference. It was the ability - the assurance that Risai would be saved if she failed.
The hill was dotted with pines and evergreen shrubs, spaced widely enough he could look up and see the sky. The night was clear, and while the air was difficult, almost painful to breathe, it tasted clean and had a cool, minty quality. A white owl ghosted between the trees above his head, and Taiki followed it, placing his feet carefully on the snow to keep his step light. He'd used the same trick on Mount Hou. It was one of the first things Keiki taught him about hunting shirei: one must catch them by surprise. From Risai he'd learned to follow the snow owl to find food. In the mountains, that food would be youma. Tasteless, she'd said the first night she brought one to their camp, but edible. No, don't worry - it's you we'll have a hard time feeding in a month or so.
She had to boil the poison out, and the water she threw away smelled acidic and bitter. It couldn't be good for her to subsist on a diet like that.
Taiki heard a rustle and stood very still, drawing his hands into his cloak. Slowly, he removed his gloves and pushed them behind his belt. He remembered Keiki said the gestures were not necessary - that even the words weren't necessary - but this was the only way Taiki remembered how to do it.
He smelled like the stew Risai had that night. The scent was caught up in the folds of his clothes, and it drew the animal out from beneath the purple juniper branches. A cat. It looked like a snow lepoard with smoky gray spots on its fur, but its ears were long and sharp, with black tufts at the tips, and it was tiny. Harmless. With an unusual shape like that, most definitely youma.
Hold still, he pleaded silently, parting his cloak and making the first sign of the kuji-in. It tensed at the sight of his hands. Rinbyou-tousha--
He swept his arms to his sides and it bolted in a flurry of snow. Taiki held his arms in place for a moment, then let them fall.
Every time - this happened every time. He threw his head back and searched the sky for something familiar. There was nothing recognizable of course, because he still hadn't learned the constellations of this world. The moon was the only constant between this land and Hourai.
Gouran would know. The toutetsu knew many surprising things.
Sanshi wasn't there when Taiki subdued him, but she would know if something was wrong with him. Something must be wrong with him.
His spell was supposed to stop a youma in its tracks. When he trained on Mount Hou he had felt nothing at first, and the same thing had happened - his targets fled, out of either fear or impatience. When he subdued Gouran, he'd felt nothing until the staring contest began. Was he supposed to feel anything? Was the nine-syllable spell supposed to draw upon his power, or did it have power of its own? He couldn't remember.
Gouran. Sanshi. The moonlit forest felt empty and soundless, like he was in a vacuum. If he closed his eyes, he could feel her warm hand on his cheek, the softness of her fur, the strength of muscle at his back, the thump of Gouran's tail against the floor, his leg.
Taiki didn't want another shirei. Was that the problem?
They couldn't go on like this. Even if the tribesmen of Jou Province welcomed them with open arms, they were few against the many deceived by Asen, and those too frightened to resist. So many.
His hands fisted, and then he released slowly and put his gloves back on. It was cold, and Risai would wake. He didn't want her to find him gone. If he explained and she found out about his failures it would only discourage her.
After one last glance in the direction the youma had fled, Taiki followed his footprints back to town.
..........................................................
Will edit later. You know the drill.
Author: Amber Michelle
Day/Theme: June 26 - the past is another land
Series: Twelve Kingdoms
Character/Pairing: Taiki
Rating: K
Words: 969
Notes:
.............................................
The air froze Taiki's lungs when he left the cottage he and Risai had taken shelter in on their way to Jou Province. The village around them was deserted, still high in the foothills, and already buried under drifts of snow. He was bundled in a quilted wool cloak with the hood up and tied under his chin, and his boots were packed with the same, but the temperature cut right through it to make him shiver. They'd left Kei too late in the year to hope for better. Though Risai hoped to find shelter among the tents of the wanderers in the far northeast, the journey to find them at this time of year might kill them. Travel in the winter was impossible.
There used to be a military outpost at the end of this path, she said when they'd reached the peak of the mountains bordering Jou and started the trek downward. They will not be friendly to us by now, but they should have food stores. If we can't make it to the plains in time--
Of course, she planned to infilterate the ranks herself. If only I had my shirei, Taiki thought, it would be so easy. Risai was in no condition to fight, but if they had allies who could walk the path of shadows and spy out danger before it came to them, perhaps it would not be suicide to enter a provincial outpost for food, or even shelter. A shirei could warn them if they were betrayed. Gouran would have the garrison down in a mere hour, though that much blood-letting was not Taiki's preference. It was the ability - the assurance that Risai would be saved if she failed.
The hill was dotted with pines and evergreen shrubs, spaced widely enough he could look up and see the sky. The night was clear, and while the air was difficult, almost painful to breathe, it tasted clean and had a cool, minty quality. A white owl ghosted between the trees above his head, and Taiki followed it, placing his feet carefully on the snow to keep his step light. He'd used the same trick on Mount Hou. It was one of the first things Keiki taught him about hunting shirei: one must catch them by surprise. From Risai he'd learned to follow the snow owl to find food. In the mountains, that food would be youma. Tasteless, she'd said the first night she brought one to their camp, but edible. No, don't worry - it's you we'll have a hard time feeding in a month or so.
She had to boil the poison out, and the water she threw away smelled acidic and bitter. It couldn't be good for her to subsist on a diet like that.
Taiki heard a rustle and stood very still, drawing his hands into his cloak. Slowly, he removed his gloves and pushed them behind his belt. He remembered Keiki said the gestures were not necessary - that even the words weren't necessary - but this was the only way Taiki remembered how to do it.
He smelled like the stew Risai had that night. The scent was caught up in the folds of his clothes, and it drew the animal out from beneath the purple juniper branches. A cat. It looked like a snow lepoard with smoky gray spots on its fur, but its ears were long and sharp, with black tufts at the tips, and it was tiny. Harmless. With an unusual shape like that, most definitely youma.
Hold still, he pleaded silently, parting his cloak and making the first sign of the kuji-in. It tensed at the sight of his hands. Rinbyou-tousha--
He swept his arms to his sides and it bolted in a flurry of snow. Taiki held his arms in place for a moment, then let them fall.
Every time - this happened every time. He threw his head back and searched the sky for something familiar. There was nothing recognizable of course, because he still hadn't learned the constellations of this world. The moon was the only constant between this land and Hourai.
Gouran would know. The toutetsu knew many surprising things.
Sanshi wasn't there when Taiki subdued him, but she would know if something was wrong with him. Something must be wrong with him.
His spell was supposed to stop a youma in its tracks. When he trained on Mount Hou he had felt nothing at first, and the same thing had happened - his targets fled, out of either fear or impatience. When he subdued Gouran, he'd felt nothing until the staring contest began. Was he supposed to feel anything? Was the nine-syllable spell supposed to draw upon his power, or did it have power of its own? He couldn't remember.
Gouran. Sanshi. The moonlit forest felt empty and soundless, like he was in a vacuum. If he closed his eyes, he could feel her warm hand on his cheek, the softness of her fur, the strength of muscle at his back, the thump of Gouran's tail against the floor, his leg.
Taiki didn't want another shirei. Was that the problem?
They couldn't go on like this. Even if the tribesmen of Jou Province welcomed them with open arms, they were few against the many deceived by Asen, and those too frightened to resist. So many.
His hands fisted, and then he released slowly and put his gloves back on. It was cold, and Risai would wake. He didn't want her to find him gone. If he explained and she found out about his failures it would only discourage her.
After one last glance in the direction the youma had fled, Taiki followed his footprints back to town.
..........................................................
Will edit later. You know the drill.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-27 02:18 pm (UTC)承 is Jou, btw. The pronunciation's given in Kaze no Umi, and it should also be in the anime when Risai introduces herself for the first time.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-28 03:40 am (UTC)Yes, that's what I was thinking. The book - or the translation I read - left it kind of vague whether he'd ever recover fully or not, although they did say he would never gather more shirei. It just seemed like... maybe the author left that open a little bit.
I need some good-ending-Tai fic.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 11:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-29 06:08 pm (UTC)