Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The Clan Echizen ❯ the attacker ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Blahrg…. I own nothing. Wah. I cry. T_T

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" BURNING! OH YEA!"

The leaves of the bushes exploded as a man wearing metallic armour shot out from behind them, bearing down on Fuji with a large mace.

Fuji easily dodged, laughing to himself and notched an arrow, readying to let it fly.

The man grinned, scratching the back of his head; his hair was short and light brown, his chin squared and somewhat sombre or perhaps more timid. His clothing was that of a guard's. The armour was made up of several steel plates that connected together with chain mail in the centre to form a `shirt' of metal that would block any piercing attack.

He grinned and hefted the mace up and pointed at Fuji with one gloved finger.

" Fuji! Long time no see - YEAH BABY! BURNING! Lets fight!" he shouted, eyes filled with flames.

Ryouma and Momo stared at him, aghast by the over enthusiastic attitude being exhibited by the attacker. They backed up, starting to edge away from Fuji and the stranger when they were caught.

Fuji grinned at them, eyes mere slits, he held up his bow and pointed the notched arrow directly at Ryouma's head.

" This is Kawamura Takashi. He's a friend of mine that works as a guard for the compound - you've probably never seen him around before because he works down in the village tracking down thieves and bandits for Nanjiroh-san. He'll be helping us train today - and he, Ryouma-kun, is your next opponent!"

Fuji motioned for Momo to back away from Ryouma, as he was hovering rather protectively over the teen.

" The aim of the game Ryouma is to escape Kawamura's grip. He is going to chase you and attempt to `kill' you. All you have to do to pass this test is to avoid him for twenty minutes; what say you? Willing to give it a shot?" Fuji said, lowering the bow as Momo drew back.

Momo gestured to Kawamura with one hand, grimacing when he saw how heavy and powerful the mace Kawamura carried truly was. The weapon had been designed to bash someone's head in, and was no tool to be used idly as a training weapon.

" He's not going to attack Echizen with that, is he? He'll kill Echizen." Momo said with a growl, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.

Fuji smiled.

" Of course he's going to attack Ryouma-kun with the mace - but he's not allowed to kill Ryouma-kun, seeing as if he does, we'll all be hanged for sure. If Ryouma-kun is as precious as his mother seems to think, he'll have no problems avoiding Kawamura for a measly twenty minutes." Fuji pointed his bow up and fired into the tree, embedding the arrow in the dark coppery wood.

" Of course, if he's too scared, he can just fail this test and go on to the next one. It's not like I really care if Ryouma-kun is a coward - "

" I'll do it." Ryouma said; he turned and gave Kawamura a serious looking over, taking in the details as to not miss another tucked away weapon that might be lurking to finish him off.

Fuji looked pleased.

" I knew that you had it in you Ryouma-kun. You'll make us proud if you pass this test, I promise you that." He said.

Kawamura grinned again.

" Alright! BURNING! Let's GO!" He hefted the mace and started to lurch forwards when Ryouma dove toward the tree, scrambling up to the first branch.

Fuji looked disappointed.

" You're not even going to try to avoid him? You're just going to hide up in that tree?" He said with astonishment.

Ryouma smirked down at Fuji as he climbed still higher, positioning himself on a sturdy but high branch.

" You never said that I had to actually be on the ground Fuji-Sensei. All you said was that I had to avoid him for twenty minutes - judging by the heavy armour he is wearing, this distance should be good enough. After all, he is carrying a rather large weapon which I suspect he will have to put down in order to climb up the tree."

Fuji clapped his hands, bowing lightly to Ryouma.

" Congratulations, you passed the second test. You may come down now."

Ryouma shook his head.

" You said that I would have to avoid him for twenty minutes. If I were to come down now, I would be putting myself in danger and I would fail the test." Ryouma said. For once he was thankful that he had been able to use strategy to get himself out of something. He would have to thank Oishi-Sensei for the many lectures he had received in thinking things through before acting.

Fuji looked impressed.

" Excellent of you to think so strategically. All right. Since that is the case, you can complete the next lesson by getting the arrow I just shot up there… somehow I wasn't suspecting for you to actually be up there already… Hm. I tip my hat to you Ryouma-kun. You've been paying attention for once. That's two out of four tests… not bad." He grinned again; eyes closed and sat down in the grass, lying on his back.

Kawamura looked disappointed. He shifted the mace again - it dropped from his shoulder and hit the grass, which dipped down low, forming a gouge.

Almost instantaneously, Kawamura flinched and bowed respectfully to Momo.

"I..I'm sorry if I made a bad first impression; I get a little carried away when I've got my mace…" he said.

Momo gaped at him with disbelief flourishing on his brows.

He turned and looked at Fuji, who simply smiled softly at him; it was clear that Fuji had known about the change in attitude, though Momo was unsure of why it had occurred exactly.

Momo clenched and unclenched his fists, letting out a loud sigh that made Kawamura flinch.

" Fuji-Sensei, I should have known better…" Momo grumbled, sitting down in the grass on the other side of the tree, the side nearest Ryouma.

Ryouma breathed a sigh of relief and reached up, yanking the arrow painfully from the tree trunk. At first, the wooden weapon seemed to catch in the bark, but he managed to wiggle it completely out without compromising his balance.

He saw Fuji smile again, and knew that had been the reason for the test in the first place.

Fuji usually tried to test him with tests and games designed to knock balance or sense away from Ryouma; he was used to the constant threats, and such had taken action to keep himself from falling into most of the traps, as most were life threatening.

Ryouma supposed that it was Fuji's way of teaching him that the world was full of dangers, but he hoped that Fuji would someday run out of dangerous activities to force upon him. It was becoming a tad too risky to underestimate Fuji, or for that matter, to show up late when Fuji was in a bad mood.

After twenty minutes of sitting in silence, Ryouma slipped back down from the tree and handed the arrow to Fuji, who smiled again and motioned for Ryouma to take a seat in the grass beside him.

There was a notable lazy look to Fuji's attitude, which did not give Ryouma any reassurance, but he sat down anyways.

Fuji sighed and plucked a strand of greenish yellow grass from the ground, twirling it around in between his fingers.

" You're getting better at guessing my strategies, aren't you Ryouma-kun? It's going to be harder and harder to trick into foolish mistakes. I will congratulate you when you have passed the final tests - I am warning you now though Ryouma-kun. These tests will not be the little baby tests I have just given you. There will be actual danger involved in them; do you understand?" Fuji said softly.

Ryouma nodded; he clasped his hands on top of his lap and awaited the next set of instructions he would have to follow.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, and then Fuji began to speak again.

" Ryouma-kun, do you know anything about the Yamabuki area and its rulers?" Fuji asked; the question was rhetorical, for it seemed that Fuji himself would be answering it without waiting for Ryouma to answer.

Fuji sat up and looked directly into Ryouma's eyes, conveying the importance of the information he was going to reveal.

" Ryouma-kun, the woman that rules has a son that is deeply infatuated with anything he considers to be `above normalcy.' He surrounds himself with people that meet certain attributes, such as black hair and brown eyes. Ryouma-kun himself falls into this category, does he not?" Fuji reached out and touched Ryouma's cheek, eyes half opening to reveal the coldness of the fact.

" I have heard things from the state - things that your mother knows nothing about - and they seem to say that Akutsu Jin has heard of your appearance, perhaps through a picture or such, and is planning to use you as a bargaining chip against Her Ladyship your mother. He will ask for you to come to the Yamabuki states in exchange for complete diplomacy… but this is not what I worry about. The mere fact that he has interest in Ryouma-kun is of no interest. Most of the countries would like Ryouma-kun to become a part of their family; this includes several men that have… different tastes. Akutsu Jin is one of many male admirers… I have heard similar tales from my brother Yuuta that a few of the bandits in the area are also interested in making Ryouma-Kun their leaders bride."

Momo scowled and crossed his arms.

" Well, they'll never get their hands on Echizen. It's not as if we're going to just GIVE him to them." Momo said.

Fuji nodded.

" Of course. My brother's commander has the same thoughts exactly, although, I am sure he is more interested in putting one over on the bandits themselves instead of protecting Ryouma-kun. Their leader, Mizuki is trying to prove himself as the best bandit catcher of the land. Yet the real question through all of this melancholy speech is what will be done to protect Ryouma-kun if either Akutsu Jin or the bandits decide to come for him. Certainly we cannot have two lazy bodyguards wandering around with Ryouma-kun. There must be a change in the structuring of guardianship if things are to progress smoothly. This is why I believe that Ryouma-kun must be prepared to have to give up both Momo and Kaidoh if need be. Ryouma-kun must learn to run from attackers that might try to kill both of his guardians in order to go after him."

Ryouma sniffed disdainfully at Fuji.

" Do you think me a coward?" he said.

Fuji shook his head.

" No. It is not that you are a coward Ryouma-kun; it is that your father and mother cannot loose their only child to thieves and monsters like Akutsu Jin. Ryouma-kun, you must be willing to flee, for your parents would be put in grave danger with your capture. It would take years for a new heir to be raised, if one were to come, and it would be unwise to let the bandits use Ryouma-kun as a bargaining chip."

Ryouma frowned and looked deep into Fuji's eyes, trying to figure out if Fuji had not realized that what he had said was false.

Surely Fuji would know of her Ladyship's pregnancy? They were cousins - word did not elude anyone in the main branch family's bloodline.

Could it be that no one aside Ryouma, Kaidoh and Momo knew of the pregnancy outside of the Lord and Lady?

This would mean that word was not wanted spread out amongst the main family…

Perhaps it was to keep something from happening…

Fuji sensed the uncertainty in Ryouma and grasped him by the shoulders; their faces were only inches apart.

" Ryouma-kun, is there something you know about this that I do not?" Fuji said softly, the sound cold and calm.

Ryouma felt worry drip into his mind.

Should he tell Fuji everything? Would it be safe to speak such things out in the open lands where anyone could overhear them?

He looked over to Momo, who shook his head stiffly.

No.

Ryouma would not speak what he knew in such an open place.

" I cannot say here Fuji-Sensei. It would be unwise on my part." Ryouma said, equally cold and calm.

Fuji nodded and pulled away, turning back to his speech.

" As I was saying, it would be unwise for the Thieves and Rouges to get a hold of Ryouma-kun. This is why we have tripled the guards around the main house, starting tonight. At this time, both Kaidoh and Momo will be present at all moments in Ryouma-kun's day and night. He is not to be left alone and one must always be awake at all times, even when Ryouma-kun is asleep to assure that nothing happens. The thieves and bandits that could be hired to steal away Ryouma-kun are strong and skilled - we will head back for now and I will have a talk with Kaidoh and Momo in private while Ryouma-kun is in the library where he will research for me the many variations of foliage that can be used when in need of food."

Fuji clapped his hands and tilted his head to one side, smiling at Ryouma.

" So, let us hurry! Kaidoh and Momo need desperate training and I will not have them protecting Ryouma-kun unless they have everything they will need to know about their enemies."

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The library was perhaps the mustiest place in the entire Echizen Compound.

Ryouma knew this to be truth, for there was never a shortage of dust on the books left shelved for studying.

It was a peaceful place, the second most popular place for Ryouma to spend his time.

One was generally left alone to study when in the great Library, for the one taking care of it was Inui-Sensei who everyone avoided if possible when he was researching, which he always was.

The place was lined with books from wall to wall, making it rather crowded for more then one person to be in a row at a time; this enabled peace and quiet to generally float around at all times.

The one thing that did annoy Ryouma about the Library was the fact that it was sometimes too quiet for his taste. It was terrifying to sit alone in the great rows of books, for even the slightest sound of creaking floor boards or wind coming through an open window would make him jump.

Ryouma had spent many a hour hugging a book to his chest while searching for something - most times to no avail, for Inui had his own system for storing the most important books on the highest shelves to insure that none of the precious ones would be damaged or stolen. (Ryouma was sure that no one would dare to steal the books, for fear of Inui, not for fear of the great height at which they dwelled.)

Ryouma sighed and found himself a small table closest to the windows; this was the best place to acquire the necessary light required for reading. He settled into the chair, peeking half out the large bay window that looked out on a small courtyard that no one used any more. He flipped the book open and hastily began to read about the herbs and plant life that he would likely need to challenge Fuji for the next test. He suspected that he would have a much more specific test then before. Why else would Fuji ask something like this of him?

After a while of hasty reading, Ryouma began to find the words hard to read; a sleepiness of the silence was beginning to dawn on him. A shadow fell across his book - Ryouma turned half-heartedly and glanced out the window.

Nothing.

As usual…

There was never anything very interesting outside that particular window; even the flower garden that had once been grown there by the earlier Echizen's ancestors was unattended and barren.

Ryouma knew that Inui-sensei likely used the area for testing his alchemy, but he had never seen his sensei outside amongst the wasted plants.

He frowned, yawning, before turning back to his book for last minute cramming.

It was kind of funny…

Where could a shadow have come from?

There were no longer any trees or things that could have caused a shadow dwelling in the courtyard.

He leaned closer to the book and strained to read the words that were getting smaller and smaller.

It was no use…

He rested his head on his arms atop of the book, closing his eyes.

A few minutes rest…

That was all he needed…

Strong hands shook him awake.

Groaning groggily, he looked up at his waker; it was Momo, looking stern and somewhat disgruntled.

Ryouma suspected that Fuji had come up with something harsh as a means to `train' his guardians up to a level acceptable of him.

"What…" Ryouma managed to grumble; closing the book beneath him before Inui could find out he had been sleeping on something filled with knowledge.

"Someone has set fire to the main gates - your father wishes for you to be kept here in the Library, out of harms way. Kaidoh is going to keep watch of you while I go to investigate the cause of the flames with Fuji-Sensei." Momo growled.

Ryouma raised an eyebrow.

" Maybe it was Fuji-Sensei's way of teaching us not to be wary." He said.

Momo flashed him a quick smile.

" Somehow I don't think so… Fuji was with Kaidoh and I when it happened… even he isn't fast enough to start something like that, though I wouldn't put it past him." Momo gave Ryouma a low bow and slipped away down the rows of books.

The sound of the door opening made Ryouma shiver; footsteps echoed.

Kaidoh strode up to him, an expression of restlessness set across his face. He gave Ryouma a low bow and leaned back against wall bookshelf nearest the table Ryouma sat at.

" It is lucky that your mother left a few hours ago incognito. Tezuka-Sensei believes that this attack was ment to stall her return to negotiations with Yamabuki." Kaidoh said softly, eyes closing.

Ryouma scowled and flipped open the book again.

" She always leaves without saying good bye - she's very inconsiderate." Ryouma said; he flipped pages until he had the correct one. He found the part he had fallen asleep on and went back to reading it, not wanting to show his fatigue to Kaidoh.

It didn't matter that he had shown Momo; Momo was the kind of person that didn't think too harshly of someone that fell asleep during his studies. Kaidoh on the other hand tended to give very dark looks to Ryouma if he were to even show a tinsey little break in his strength; perhaps it was because of worry.

" She was called away in a hurry because of Akutsu's antics on the border between Seigaku and Fudomine." Kaidoh supplied, a hint of stress in his voice.

Ryouma suspected that he had been warned to say as little as possible and felt a twinge in his chest.

Why were they always keeping everything from him?

If they wanted him to become the ruler of the clan, they would eventually have to start telling him things…

Ryouma clenched his fists and banged the book.

Kaidoh raised an eyebrow, but did not move from his place.

" Echizen-San, sometimes there are things that cannot be controlled; even your parents have limited power when dealing with time. If things are to run smoothly, time must be broken to our control so that nothing may hit us from out of the ordinary - " Kaidoh said.

A shadow fell across Ryouma…

He looked up -

Again…

There was nothing out in the courtyard that could have caused the light to shift so suddenly into darkness.

Ryouma frowned and looked down at his book, trying to throw his attention back to his studies.

He sighed.

The book was useless to him now. He could not concentrate on it for all the money in the world.

Stretching, he stood up and hefted the book into his arms; he stalked past Kaidoh and weaved in and out of the musty bookshelves until he found the one he had taken the book from in the first place. He shoved the book into its place and sighed, leaning forwards to look at the other books sitting beside the abandoned copy.

The light from the windows behind him dimmed a little and he was forced to squint to make out the words inscribed in gold leaf on the spines of the books.

Hands clamped on his shoulders.

Ryouma scowled; turning to ask Kaidoh what book he should read for Oishi-Sensei's lesson plan -

He was met with deep black vibrant eyes - eyes he had never seen before.

A hand clamped across his mouth -

Ryouma tried to struggle -

Something connected with the back of his head and the last thing he saw was darkness.

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The world was spinning…

Ryouma groaned and tried to open his eyes, but found that someone had tied a blindfold around his head.

All was dark.

He tried to shout but was choked by the gag in his mouth.

He was being carried; he was sure of this, for his feet did not seem to be able to touch the ground. His body was bouncing up and down atop the unseen shoulders of the one that had attacked him.

He picked up the delicate sound of someone whistling to himself or herself and struggled to move.

At once there was a squawk and Ryouma found himself struck again with something blunt; yet this time he did not loose consciousness.

The pain burned at his face and the back of his head where he suspected he had been hit before.

" Nya - Ochibi keeps moving! This is getting troublesome, ne?" Ryouma's captor said, rather cheerfully.

The captor shifted Ryouma to one side, keeping the teen level across his shoulders while reaching up to ruffle Ryouma's hair playfully.

Ryouma froze.

What was this?

Was he being stolen to become someone's pet?

He struggled, willing to fight to the death to avoid becoming anyone's slave -

" Atobe-boss is going to be angry with us if we keep hitting him in the head - " another unseen people grumbled to themselves.

Ryouma stiffened.

There was more then one person kidnapping him?

A shiver tore down his spine unbidden to his mind. It was a physical reaction brought on to the unfathomable idea that others would want him in ways Ryouma was not willing to give and it terrified Ryouma more then anything had ever terrified him before in his life.

" Well, it's not Atobe-boss's problem, is it? He's sitting on his ass preening himself up for the introduction to his newest `bride'. A few little bruises are a small price to pay for a successful kidnapping, Shinji-kun." Another person said with a growl.

The person carrying Ryouma let out a sigh and shifted Ryouma to his other shoulder.

" Nya, Kamio-kun; you're going to scare Ochibi with talk like that." He said.

Ryouma struggled again, trying desperately to escape the grasp of his captors; he didn't care where he would end up during his struggles as long as he could get away from the mongrels that had stolen him away from his friends and family.

" That's it. He's struggling too much - "

Before Ryouma could slip away, a hard object connected with the back of his head.

All went dark once more.

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Ryouma woke from his forced slumber when something warm was draped across his forehead; his face was throbbing bitterly, which made him suspect foul play had accounted for the pain.

He was lying on a bed, he realized in a flash, and was tucked gingerly into a warm comforter of bluish grey. Silky curtains splashed down, for it was an exotic sort of canopy bed similar to ones Ryouma had seen in his father and mother's separate rooms.

He looked up and saw a man with short deep ruby hair; the man had the exact pair of eyes Ryouma had seen just before being kidnapped.

The man leaned over him, settling a warm washcloth across Ryouma's head. He smiled softly and sat down on the edge of the bed.

" Hoi Hoi Ochibi! I was hoping that you would wake up already - we've got loads to do." The man grinned roguishly and reached out, ruffling Ryouma's hair.

Ryouma narrowed his eyes into slits of fury.

How dare a common thief speak to him with such impertinence and familiarity?!

He tried to pull himself up from the bed to strike at the man -

His body refused to be commanded and instead he found a shudder of pain flourishing down his spine to his legs.

The man laughed nervously, scratching his head.

" Ochibi shouldn't try to move right now. we had to cast a temporary paralysis on you to keep you from wiggling free during your liberation." He tapped his chin with afterthought.

" Did I introduce myself to Ochibi yet? Well… I'm Eiji Kikumaru, thievery expert and acrobatic specialist - you're in the hands of the Black Forest Bandits!" The man held out a hand and shook Ryouma's vigorously.

" You can call me Kikumaru if you like." The man said.

Ryouma felt baffled.

He knew that some form of bandits had captured him, but he had never thought to be attacked by such horribly named ones. He clenched his fists underneath the blankets and glared up at Kikumaru, furious.

Kikumaru sighed and shook his head.

" Well… At least I one day hope to call us that. Right now we are under the control of your future husband, the GrakuenKaizer Atobe Keigo."

In an instant, Ryouma's eyes widened in shock.

This was a familiar name - at last a familiar name.

Oishi-Sensei had told him many tales of the GrakuenKaizer….

The GrakuenKaizer was a man that had once worked for the Echizen Clan's original family over five thousand years beforehand. Tales had told of his power and generosity with the common folk; he had been made out as a hero in all the texts Ryouma had read.

But sometime during the Dynasty, he had become obsessed with himself, power and perfection. He had been banished from the lands of Seigaku, never to return…

It was then that he had located the great demon sorcerer that had given him eternal life… or so it had been rumoured…

The tales spoke then of greed and cruelty exhibited by the GrakuenKaizer…

The man was vain and narcissistic in nature, loving only himself. He gathered the most vile creatures and men throughout the land, drawing them under his vast grasp, plotting to take Seigaku for his own.

He had become a thief, stealing all that interested him from everyone and everything; even the peasants that he had once treated with love were now targets…

His followers increased ten times their fold until he had been sealed away by Hazuka Kaidoh….

Hazuka Kaidoh, the Echizen Family's strongest and most loyal High Priest; his actions had brought Kaidoh and all of his ancestors into the deepest folds of the Echizen family.

Sealing the GrakuenKaizer away had cost the High Priest his life, and in the end the barrier Hazuka had created was the only thing left of his body. He had put his flesh and spirit into the spell…

And now…

It seemed that the barrier had been broken.

Something or someone very powerful had severed the bonds cast out into the world to keep the GrakuenKaizer from regain the strength he had thus lost.

Oishi-Sensei had warned him to keep on guard for those who would bring back the evil that had been sent away… and Ryouma had always thought that he had been foolish to even think that something could return after five thousand years of imprisonment…

Ryouma looked at Kikumaru, trying to determine if the man knew of the GrakeunKaizer's exploits, but found only amusement and excitement alive in the mans eyes. Perhaps the GrakuenKaizer had decided to keep a low profile after such a long time of being kept under harsh power.

Oishi-Sensei had used the GrakuenKaizer as a warning against greed and lust -

Now it seemed that he would have to come face to face with the one man that had been feared through five thousand years of ruling….

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T.B.C