To Masahiro"s surprise, their departure date was subject to delay after delay. In the morning, Masahiro was dutifully packing away his things in preparation for the long journey when a solemn Narachika appeared at his door.
"I"m sorry to say that the reports and paperwork regarding the incident are not yet complete, please be prepared to head out the day after tomorrow, or possibly the day after that."
"..........................................eh?! "
Thinking back, Masahiro had realized that Narachika had always hated paperwork like this, and his lack of enthusiasm often leading to prolonged delays for which he was frequently reprimanded.
Well then....
Masahiro unpacked his things, put on a fresh set of clothes and set out for the village instead with Mokkun and Taiin in tow. Although his injuries had mostly healed, his strength was slow the catch up. The fresh air of the country side would be a good change from the that of the stuffy manor.
"Do you really thing Narachika can finish?" Taiin piped up from behind him, voice edged with doubt.
"Uh...... well..... I guess. We can"t go home until he finishes, so.... uh, well...I"d really like to go home, I"m sure he"ll keep that in mind."
Masahiro muttered. He didn"t sound hopeful in the slightest. At his feet, Mokkun merely shrugged. He didnt even look up.
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Genbu looked up gloomily as a southerly breeze picked up. Although he appeared to be a child of no more than ten, the ages of the Shinshou cannot be determined from outward appearances. In truth, he, like the others was thousands of years old. It was unfortunate, that his aged master had the tendency to a.s.sign tasks based on outward appearence. It was a fact of life that had remained largely unchanged every since he took up service.
April was half over, and the thin lobes of clouds that hung at the edge of the horizon promised the appropriated of a balmy summer. A look of uncertainty crossed his face as he gazed at the sky.
"It"s been a month since we sent the message. I wonder if everything is okay..."
He sat on the thatched roof of one of the many guest houses in the Yutari manor, the home of Chogu Yutari, and the local political and administrative headquarters of the surrounding county.
In the capital, the houses of n.o.bility were thatched with white cypress, the houses here where thatched with hay. Genbu picked at the hay moodily, barely taking note of the figure that coalesced behind him, dark cloak rippling on the southerly breeze.
"Should we sent another message? "
Genbu looked up, meeting the brown eyes.
"Perhaps that would be for the best. Although Seimei has cautioned us against such actions, it"s really been far too long. "
"So...."
"Well, Taiin"s not here right now, so I can send some river currents, or use the water mirror. "
Rikugou nodded before Genbu even finished, the red stone bobbing at his throat like a droplet of fire. Genbu looked up, was it just his imagination or had that stone always been that dark? He could have sworn it was lighter before. Was it a reflection of Rikugou"s thoughts?..... or could it be a ....!
Abruptly, he shifted his gaze to the east. The winds had changed, and carried upon it, was a presence he couldn"t identify. Was it youkai?...He wasn"t sure.
It didn"t feel like youkai. It didn"t feel like anything he was familiar with.
"Genbu !"
Beside him, Rikugou stiffened, his gaze fixed on a thick grove of trees at the wall of the manor. There was something odd about the shadows of the leaves that shifted with the breeze. In the midmorning light, the shadows seemed to move out of sync with the leafy boughs that cast them, as though ebbing and flowing with a mind of their own.
The two shinshou watched tensely for what seemed like minutes, when without warning, the lazily swirling shadows darted forth, coalescing into a river of shadow. five feet......ten feet... now fifteen feet. A ma.s.s of darkness burrowed forth from the ground, parting a great swath in the lush gra.s.s. Slits opened into great yellow eyes as the serpent like creature, stretch upwards on arms of shadow, towering over the shinshou.
Rikugou stood his ground, spear gripped in white-knuckled hands. At his side, Genbu took a defensive stance, steeling himself for the first strike.
But the strike never came. Instead, the creature merely stared at them for what seemed like and eternity, great yellow eyes fixed on them as if judging their worth, before it grunted. It opened it"s jagged jaws and spoke, a deep unearthly hiss of roughly formed words.
"I am an emissary of the G.o.ddess of Doukon, she has requested your attendence." The creature ground out with a rattling hiss.
Rikugou and Genbu collectively sighed in relief, as the tension melted into disbelief.
Over a month ago, under orders from Seimei, they had sent a message to the G.o.ddess of Doukon. A month had pa.s.sed with no reply.
"Well it seems she really takes her time, as you know, we"re here on behalf of Seimei"
Genbu looked distinctly displeased at the creatures lack of apology. At his side, Rikugou laid a stern hand on his shoulder.
"Take care with your words, her holiness is a G.o.ddess, our lord Seimei is human after all. As his servants, we have no right....."
"That may be true,....but..." Genbu looked away.
The night that Touda had regained his memories, a message had arrived from Seimei. Requesting that the Shinshou should take council among the spirits of Doukon and act as the emissaries of Seimei to the G.o.ddess of Doukon. The exact details of his message to the G.o.ddess were to be imparted through Genbu"s water mirror. For this purpose, Seimei had retained Tenko at his side. A water shinshou like Genbu, she was also capable of the water mirror technique, making face to face conversation possible over long distances. But this was only possible with two water mirrors, hence Genbu had been sent on the task.
A brief hesitation and genbu stepped back, summoning the water mirror with a fluid motion of his hand. It hung in the air that had been empty mere seconds before, a smooth gla.s.sy patch of water that rippled occasionally with the ambient breeze. A few seconds later, Seimei"s image appeared from it"s depth, rippling into clarity.
Through Taiin"s gales he had been more or less informed on the situation at hand. He greeted them cordially and asked briefly about Gurren"s whereabouts before arranging the meeting with the G.o.ddess. After a few words, Genbu and Rikugou bid the creature to wait as they left to speak to Narachika regarding their departure. Reluctant to set foot in the domain of humans, the creature waited, hidden in the shadows at the edge of the grove.
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Genbu recalled the last time he had seen Narachika.
The Onmyouji had sat within one of the many studies in the manor, composing his detailed report to the bureau of onmyouji regarding the incident at Doukon. Following the satisfactory resolution of the incident, he had elected to stay in Doukon for a period of time, the official reason being the observation of recovery efforts in the district and an period of extended observation to confirm that the area was indeed free of all demonic activity. The actual reason, of course, was to allow Masahiro some time to recover.
At the successful resolution of the incident, both the yutari manor and the surrounding village had welcomed the onmyouji with open arms, and unparalleled hospitality. Narachika realized of course, that this out pouring of grat.i.tude may not be totally altruistic, especially in the case of the Yutari court.
"It was more than likely that they were hoping for a favorable report from Narachika. For a remote county like Doukon, a chance to put in a favorable word in the capital was valuable indeed."
He had told Masahiro. Masahiro looked at him with an troubled expression, and his brother, older by many years, had responded with a certain good-natured weariness.
"That"s how the world is. Regardless of how simple and straight-forwardly you try to live, things are never as simple as you think. Behind every sincere act, lies a self-serving seed. You can"t really blame them, especially since it benefits us."
Masahiro"s gaze had grown distant as he listen. His expression conflicted.
Through his conflicted look, Genbu had the distinct impression of his youth. He was young, but not so young as to not comprehend such things, but at the same time, not so adult as to approve of them.
"It"s not good to get deeply involved with such things, but politics with moderation is best......at the very least, to ensure that things proceed smoothly and in your favor."
At his side, Mokkun said nothing. It was interesting. Genbu, had mused to himself that the shattering of his seal had change Touda in more ways than one. He been much quieter than before, a man of even fewer words.
But now was not the time to dwell upon such things, he arrived in the study to find Narachika poring over his reports.
Narachika looked up as he became aware of the shinshous" presence.
"What is the matter? Masahiro went to to village to visit the children."
Rikugou was momentarily caught off guard by the statement, and it was Genbu who spoke, his voice edged with something akin to resentment.
"You shouldn"t a.s.sume that we only have business with Masahiro."
A strange look pa.s.sed across Narachika"s face. "Well.....I didn"t mean anything by it."
It would have been apologetic, that is, if his words had not been tinged with something hard and ugly.
Genbu caught it immediately, but before he could speak again Narachika put down his brush and spoke again.
"Isnt that the way it is? ............. That"s grandpa"s att.i.tude anyway, so it wouldn"t surprise me if the shinshou shared it as well. Masachika is well aware of it as well."
Rikugou opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but Narachika cut him off, silencing him with a wave of his hand.
"....But we"re not so stupid as to not recognize our own talent, or lack there of. No amount of refinement will turn steel into gold, right? Isn"t that why Touda only acknowledges Masahiro as Seimei"s grandson?..... his only grandson.... "