The Twelve Kingdoms Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadowed Land, The Northern Arrow ❯ The Shadowed Land, The Northern Arrow: Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

The Shadowed Land, The Northern Arrow: Chapter One

Greetings once again, as usual authors notes and rambles at the bottom. Happy reading.

- - - - -

Kouki kept his eyes fixed in front of him as he was paraded down the main path towards the large building of Houto palace. Lining the pristine stone path were humans of all stations and dress. All were on their knees with their heads touching the ground. The Kirin of Kou ignored all of them as he followed the group of Nyosen up the stone steps to his home for the next few weeks. The following days he would be subjected to hours of sitting still waiting for the one moment that would change his life. That moment he dreaded and looked forward to at the same time.

"Now it is time to offer the incense and pray for a successful festival." Tei-Ei instructed as she held out three incense sticks to him. Kouki took the incense silently and walked forward to the small alter set up in the main hall of the palace. After lighting the incense Kouki placed the sticks in the small jar set up to hold them and said a silent pray. `Please don't let me fail; I don't want to make the same mistake as others have." He thought as he ended his prayer. Kouki turned to Tei-Ei and nodded that he was done and the ceremony could commence.

Off to one side of the large chamber was a side room hidden with bamboo shades. Here is where the Nyosen and Kouki settled for the ceremony to continue. Kouki settled uneasily in his chair as the first person in a long line of Kou residents that had gathered in the main chamber stepped up to the alter. The person, a women dressed in fine robes with her hair pulled into an elaborate bun, grabbed three sticks of incense and lit them on the burning flames near the jar. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer as she waited for something to happen. After a moment she sighed in frustration and left from the front of the alter. One after another the group of people each took their turn at the alter, for days this continued until nerves finally were shot. People in the line were growing weary and started to chat while awaiting their turn at the alter.

"It is as I suspected, things are not looking any better for the kingdom. Two weeks and still we have no ruler, I told you that the Kirins for Kou were indeed weak." murmured a women at the end of the line to her male companion. All activity in the chamber and side room stopped at the statement. No one spoke for fear of causing more harm then good. Kouki remained silent as he ran the words over in his mind. `… indeed weak.' Flushed with anger he rose from his sear and burst through the bamboo shades shattering them in the process. The group of people was startled by the sudden out burst as they watched Kouki approach the woman whom had uttered those words.

"The only thing that is weak is your judgment of those whom you know nothing about. Neither I nor any other Kirin of Kou can or will be weak, we appear weak upon the shoulders of bad judgment." He hissed at the woman before turn on his heel and ran out of the room.

"Kouki." Called Youka as she and the other Nyosen got over their shock and swarmed out of the palace to follow him. Kouki was storming down the steps when Youka caught up to him and gently grabbed his arm. Kouki shook her arm off in a huff and turned to face the gathering crowd on the landing in front of the palace.

"I will not sit there and listen to those kinds of words that insult me and the previous Kirin's. We are not the problem; it is people like her that make the downfall of the kingdom. Every time something goes wrong it is placed on the shoulders of the Kirin to bear. I will not be this pitfall for someone whom will speak in such a way." He yelled as he started to cry silent tears. The drops leaking from his eyes led a trail unnoticed down his face. All the people in Houto palace stared astonished at the outburst of Kouki. The Kirin was a creature that rarely showed anger and malice towards anything.

"Hyeso." Kouki called to the sky after his burst out. A slight hiss filled the air as the sun was blocked by a large shadow as a large youma landed next to Kouki. The youma looked like a large hawk with shimmering blue feathers with white tips. The large bird called Hyeso lowered his head to the much smaller Kirin. Kouki grasped the neck of his shirei and hoisted himself up onto its neck. "Let's go Hyeso; I cannot be around here right now." He whispered to the youma. Hyeso opened his large wings and beat them towards the ground to lift in the air taking off into the sky.

"Kouki!" one of the sages yelled just as the shirei took off in the air. Kouki paid them no heed as he leaned forward on Hyeso to make him go faster.

"Kouki, are you going to be alright?" the large shirei questioned as he rose higher in the sky to avoid the large stone walls of the palace the led to the end of stone path and towards the Koukai.

"I will be alright when the citizens of Kou get common sense." He responded. Kouki grasped the long feather of Hyeso tightly as they flew through the sky. "Please head to the Kou country side Hyeso. I need some time alone to think." The hawk like shirei changed his direction slightly to comply with Kouki's request.

"Is it wise to venture into the depths of Kou at a time such as this with the land overrun with youma?" Hyeso questioned.

"I will be fine." He said as Hyeso started to descend towards the large land mass below them. The obviously once fertile land was dusty and dry from the lack of moisture. Off to the north was a small village that looked fairly well kept for the situation they were currently in.

"Where shall we stop Kouki?" Hyeso questioned as they dropped lower to the land.

"There, by the village." Kouki responded while pointing out the small houses in the village. Hyeso darted towards the village with a huge flap of his shimmering wings. Kouki held on tightly as his shirei landed softly on the dusty ground. While jumping down from Hyeso's neck the Kirin of Kou heard frantic voices coming from with in the village walls. Kouki watched as three men and two women came rushing out of the village each was armed with a large stick each. The five villages first looked to Kouki then to Hyeso.

"Who are you?" one of the man questioned Kouki but kept his eyes on the large hawk like shirei. The Kirin ignored the man for a moment as he turned to the shirei at his side.

"Please leave for now Hyeso as to not cause more trouble than is needed." Kouki instructed. Hyeso took on in the air with a huge flap of his wings that sent a cloud of dust in the air and disappeared. The five villagers watched at these astonished as the youma vanished.

"What in all the kingdoms are you?" the same man yelled as he stepped closet to Kouki. The Kirin of Kou locked his gaze on him with an emotionless face.

"I am myself and nothing more." He answered simply. The man that questioned him narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him as if he didn't believe him. One of the women turned and ran from the group back into the village. Kouki ran a hand across his head to shield his eyes from the sun. It was not just a little past midday and the sun was high in the sky.

"You caused quite a ruckus when you arrived. Please forgive them they were just startled by you arrival." Came a new voice from the village. Kouki turned to find the source of the voice, from the village came a woman with a small child in her arms. The three men and one woman from earlier all bowed slightly to the women as she approached. "My name is Lausa Kuji; I am the leader of this village and the surrounding area. You do us a great honor in visiting this disgraced land my lord." She said as she got down on her knees and bowed low. The others behind her followed her example as they bowed their heads to the ground.

"I see I am found out, please stand." Kouki said as he smiled at the villagers. All of the villagers save for Lausa stood and left from the area to attend to necessary duties. Kouki wondered why they had seemed to brush off the fact that he had just appeared out of no where.

"Please forgive us my lord but there is much work to do here trying to keep things going. Every moment of the day must be spent trying to find water and gather food as well as protect the village from the youma. Please come out of the sun so you are more comfortable." Lausa said motioning for Kouki to follow her. The Kirin of Kou followed her into the village, large heavy wooden door closed behind them with a bang.

"Why do you not travel to other kingdoms as refuges? I know that Kei accepts Kou citizens until the new ruler will ascend." Kouki questioned as he followed Lausa. The village leader smiled as she stopped in front of a small hut at the end of the beaten path they were walking on.

"Fleeing from ones problems will not make them any better. Staying here we learn how to care for the land even in times such as these. Even if a ruler is on the throne there can still be times that here is bad weather that will cause bad crops. If we can survive now then we will have no problems in times when there is a ruler." Lausa said as she entered the house with Kouki right behind. When she entered the house Lausa put the small child down in a wooden cradle. The single room that they were now in had over half a dozen children of different ages playing amongst themselves.

"I see." Kouki murmured. Just like the people on that were on the shouzan the people here were blaming him for the rough times. Maybe he was weak as the women had said at Houto palace.

"My lord, what has brought you here to this place? Is it not the time for the shouzan festival on Mt Hou?" Lausa questioned as she knelt in front of the holy creature. Kouki looked up at her and took a step back while shaking his head. He didn't want to answer the question, he was sure that people would cast him out if he did so. "Forgive me my lord I should have not asked you such a question. Please feel free to stay here as long as you like we are honored to have you." Lausa stood back up and walked to the other end of the room to tend to one of the now crying children. Kouki watched her silently deep in the thoughts that were swirling in his mind.

- - - - -

"Little one you are getting more energetic everyday." Kisa murmured to Ryuurin as she followed her charge through the mazes of rocks. The young Kirin was growing at a rapid rate she had grown almost an inch since her birth three weeks ago and her spirit shone through for all to see. At times she was more mysterious then Kouki had been when he had been younger. Many of the sages had already commented that she was more open then most newborn Kirin were when they were young. It was a challenge keeping track of her but Kisa was always on her tail keeping her amber eyes locked on her for safety.

The attack two weeks ago had rattled the sages and they were very jittery about Ryuurin leaving the palace. It turned out the two men that had attacked Kisa and Ryuurin had never seen a Kirin before and just thought that Kisa was a normal youma. Still they were removed from Mt Hou and banned from coming back at anytime.

"Little one it is best if we don't go near Houto palace, all the citizens of Kou are there." Kisa said as she followed Ryuurin up the path that led straight to where the festival was currently taking place. The young Kirin seemed to ignore her Nyokai as she jumped up on to the rocky ledges that over looked the palace grounds. Kisa jumped to where Ryuurin was standing watching the people milling around the grounds. There was a sense of urgency amongst the conversations that traveled to the pair's ears.

"Where do you think he fled to Lady Tei-Ei?" questioned one of the sages that was at the entrance of the palace gates. After Kouki had disappeared Tei-Ei had started to pull together many of the Nyosen to search for him on Mt. Hou.

"I don't know, I pray that he will be alright. We must find him as soon as possible so nothing happens that he may regret later." Tei-Ei said as she lowered her head in disbelief at what had happened.

- - - - -

Kouki was rocked out of his thoughts with shouts from outside the small building that he was in.

"It's the youma, they are attacking again." Yelled a frantic voice. Kouki stood up quickly and ran out the door. Outside villagers were running into any nearby shelter as the gates were attempting to close. However it was too late for a large youma burst through the doors. The youma was a pale ash color and it had the shape of a wild dog. It was a type of youma called a KiKi, this was a creature that usually traveled in packs but this one was different. It looked like it would be more at home in the Koukai then in the kingdom of Kou. The youma let out a screech like sound that sounded like a baby crying.

"My lord please return inside it is not safe out there." Lausa called from her home desperately. Kouki glanced at the village leader silently just before he turned to the youma that had turned its sight on him. Letting out a screech it charged towards Kouki whom had not moved an inch.

"You will be mastered so you cannot harm anyone any longer." Kouki murmured as he stood still with his back rigid.

"Please my lord return inside." The village leader cried one more time desperately as the youma got closer.

"Rin, Byou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zen, Gyou." He yelled as he moved his right hand up then down then left and then to the right and repeating those motions again three more times before he yelled the last word. The approaching youma stopped running just 5 feet short of Kouki and the staring contest began. Minutes slowly ticked by as the two creatures remained in their staring contest. After an hour of staring at each other none was budging however Kouki could feel that he had finally gotten the upper hand.

"Creature of evil, submit yourself, Shadow and light be united." He yelled. The youma shrieked as it blinked and started to back away. "Submit! Kimi Koubuku, Onmyou Wagou, Kyuu Kyuu Nyo Ritsu Ryou." Kouki took his hands and flung one above his head and the other towards the ground. "Kehi, come to me." The youma stopped backing away and remained still for a moment. Kouki walked up to the youma and lifted a hand up to its head. The new shirei, called Kehi, lifted his head to meet Kouki's hand.

"Kouki, we must now return to Mt. Hou for it is getting later in the day." Came Tuisai's voice from wherever she was. Kouki frowned slightly but nodded his head in agreement. He turned to face the gathering villagers and addressed them.

"I thank you for your hospitality and with you good fortune till the day that everything is good again. I have learned a lot here and I hope to see you again someday." He said before climbing on his new shirei's back. "Let's go Kehi the Nyosen must be pulling their hair out about me leaving like that." Kouki commented as Kehi rose up into the air and started back towards Mt. Hou. He had learned much from his trip to the world below and was ready for whatever life threw him now.

- - - - -

Author rambles: To Dark-Trinity's question I hope this chapter answered your question about Kouki's fears. To GeneWeiss's request for Keiki in the story, don't worry I now have a great idea for adding a cameo for Youko and Keiki later in this story. The second story will have them a lot more as well, En will also have a big part in the second story. Things from here on out will pick up. Leave any questions you have in the reviews.