Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Auguries of Innocence ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

(Author's Notes: Thank for the reviews for the first chapter! I'm glad you enjoyed it! *smiles* Have fun with the second chapter of Auguries of Innocence. ~Cinaed)

Auguries of Innocence

Chapter Two

For Shin Mouri, the next few weeks passed in a stunned sort of blur. They left the mountains he had roamed since he first learned to walk, heading deeper into the empire of his enemies. The group who had captured him was decent enough, feeding him more than most would feed a prisoner. He was kept warm and clothed, and the one called Rei Fuan made sure Shi stayed in tip-top shape without ever trying to mount the Xiongnu's steed. Still, the Xiongnu leader grew listless and pale; the youth pining mentally and physically for his companions and the mountains he loved.

It had been nearly three months before they finally arrived at the capital, everyone, both soldier and prisoner, exhausted from the travel. The leader T'ian forced Shin to ride Shi through the outer area of the round city, the Xiongnu feeling the curious stares of the commoners upon his frame. The Xiongnu sat, his back ramrod straight, upon Shi, determined to keep some dignity, at least. He closed his eyes when they reached the gates that led into the Forbidden City, the inner part of the city where the nobles and royal family resided; he didn't open his eyes even when Dais rambled about how beautiful and elegant the buildings were. What Xiongnu ever needed more than a house of stone to occasionally sleep within during harsh weather? Sleeping outside was much healthier, and easier to hide the spot from enemies.

"We're here," Shin heard the leader of the band announce, his tone impassive. "Xiongnu, our horses and yours will be kept in the stables." He paused, and then added, "Your mount will come to no harm."

Shin at last opened his eyes and glanced down at the stable boy, who looked as if he was waiting for Shi's reins. Reluctantly, the weaponless Xiongnu dismounted, patting his stead on the neck before letting the stable boy walk away with Shi's reins in his guiding hands. Shin turned, and was immediately flanked by Shuu and Sekhmet, their weapons ready for any tricks the Xiongnu might have up his sleeve. Shin chose to ignore them, glancing instead towards the scarred warrior.

"Are you to lead me to this glorious emperor of yours?" Scorn dripped from the youth's lips, but Cale didn't rise to the taunt, the look on his face giving nothing away.

"Very well," T'ian said slowly, and led the group towards the throne room.

~*~

It was then that Shin Mouri first saw the second emperor of the San Dynasty, the man known as Ryo San. The emperor was clothed in silk robes, the royal azure and sky blue colors making his intense eyes seem even bluer, the jade belt seeming almost out of place among the blueness. Long locks of raven black tumbled to his shoulders, for the emperor had discarded the old notion of topknots. A few necklaces of gold adorned his bronzed flesh, but that was all the jewelry the emperor wore. He sat upon a golden throne, engraved with script that no Xiongnu would ever be able to read. Those tiger-blue eyes focused on Cale and at last the emperor spoke, his voice quiet and yet reaching every listening ear.

"Soldier T'ian, I was informed you had captured a leader of the Xiongnu." Those intense eyes flickered to Shin, and the young man felt a shiver run up and down his spine. "This is the Shin Mouri?"

Cale placed his no-dachi and Shin's Fu Pa before him and knelt, pressing his forehead to the wooden floor as the soldier bowed to his emperor. His eyes gazing into the wood, Cale's voice was quiet, weak compared to Ryo's. "Yes, great emperor." The soldier quickly fell silent, knowing that he was only to speak when spoken to.

"Name the soldiers who helped you capture the Xiongnu," Ryo commanded without bothering to glance at Shin a second time.

"Shuu Rei Fuan, Dais Bing, and Sekhmet Au-Yang, Emperor."

"All commoners?"

"Yes, Emperor."

The emperor stood, and his robes shifted aside to reveal cloth slippers that Shin had to fight to laugh at. Cloth slippers? What use were cloth slippers? Ryo didn't seem to notice the Xiongnu's amusement; instead he demanded that the men who T'ian had just named step forward.

The three men stepped forward, both crumpling to their knees as they bowed before the emperor, Dais trembling a little as he did so. When Ryo began to speak, they gazed at the emperor's feet, but didn't rise from the floor.

"Commoners T'ian, Rei Fuan, Bing, Au-Yang, I, as the Emperor, decree that from now on forevermore you and your descendents will have a place in the royal guard at the palace. After the celebration, you four will be showed to your new rooms."

"Thank you for your blessing, Mighty Emperor," they murmured once more, bowing again. Shin openly sneered at their groveling. The Xiongnu had no leader that they had to plead and stoop to.

But now the Emperor's attention was back on the Xiongnu and his expression was almost detached. "Xiongnu, you will bow to me." The statement made Shin gawk at him for a moment.

"No!" The furious reply burst from the Xiongnu's mouth, and the youth looked defiant, his green eyes smoldering with anger. The courtiers all went silent as they waited to see how the emperor would react to the open defiance.

Ryo made a casual motion with his hand, and suddenly Shin was on his knees, gasping in pain. The soldier called Shuu Rei Fuan had cracked his weapon against the back of the Xiongnu's knees. A second later, the weapon rained a single blow on Shin's back to make the captive gasp once more and crumple face-first into the wooden floor, feeling its coolness against his burning cheek as several courtiers laughed at the spectacle.

"That's better," the emperor commented, his tone cool, before he waved his hand once more. "Soldiers, take him away to the slaves' quarters. I will decide his fate later. You may return after you have delivered him there."

"Yes, Mighty Emperor." Together, Cale and Shuu dragged the breathless Xiongnu to his feet, and dragged him from the Imperial Court while hundreds of courtiers watched.

~*~

Shuu noticed the glare being leveled at him by the prisoner and rolled his eyes. "Stop it."

The Xiongnu continued to glare, looking at him with about as much hatred as he had towards the king. The commoner took in the prisoner's flushed cheeks and his flashing green eyes for a moment before sighing. "I could have hit you a lot harder, all right?"

"You didn't hurt /me/," was the sneering reply he received in return.

Shuu raised an eyebrow, and lightly brushed his fingers against the spot his weapon had struck the youth upon his back. The Xiongnu couldn't hide the wince, for Shuu knew a bruise was already beginning to form. "Of course, I didn't hurt you. What was I thinking?" His tone held more than a hint of sarcasm, and Shin glared.

From the other side of the Xiongnu, Cale rolled his eyes but didn't comment on their antics, instead continuing to haul the prisoner to the destination the Emperor had ordered.

~*~

The two soldiers left Shin under guard by the overseer of the slave quarters and disappeared to return to the Imperial Court. The Xiongnu had never ceased glaring at the unscarred member of the duo and as soon as his object of hatred had vanished from view he turned the glare upon the overseer.

Who promptly boxed his ears and locked him into a room, saying that he'd be given some food in a couple hours. With that, the overseer went off to try and sneak a peek at the festivities that might occur because of the capture of the Xiongnu leader.

Shin leaned against the locked door, glancing around his prison. He still didn't understand the use of houses. His ignorant gaze flickered around the small bed chamber, furnished sparsely with an odd horizontal and rectangular object and several wooden, upright rectangular objects. He gazed suspiciously at the horizontal object that was covered by several blankets. He supposed this is what his enemies called a `bed,' an item that was used for sleeping. He cautiously moved over to it, and lay down, surprised at the softness. After a few minutes, however, the Xiongnu found himself wiggling. It was too soft. How could anyone sleep comfortably on this? It was far too yielding, and he knew it would hurt his back.

Shin yawned, unable to help it. The traveling here had exhausted everyone, especially the prisoner. Determined not to sleep in this torture device, the Xiongnu grabbed the blankets, which would keep him warm in the cool room, and proceeded to curl up on the wooden floor.

This was much more comfortable. How in the world could his foes sleep on those horrible beds? Just a mystery he'd never figure out….

With that final thought, the worn out Xiongnu warrior closed his eyes, resting his head on the cool wooden floor for only a few seconds more before he slipped into a dream that he would not remember in the morning, a dream of tall, towering, majestic mountains that reached the heavens of gorgeous trees that could cradle a full grown man with one of their smallest branches, and of a familiar sought-after voice's drifting in a Xiongnu song to yearning ears.

(To be continued)

(Author's Notes: Yes, Ryo is the emperor. *grins* How many of you saw that coming? I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review, whether it's praise or criticism. Also, I honestly do not know whether or not Xiongnu used beds or not. I figured Shin would never have used one, living in the mountains and sleeping on the ground all his life.)