When Tamahome left for Kutou, he promised to return when the other Seishi had been gathered. Thus, Yui set out to find the last three Sei of Suzaku. Chichiri saw how it saddened Hotohori that he could not accompany and protect Yui, so she took his place to free him from his obligations as Emperor.
On their journey, Yui, Hotohori, and Nuriko were attacked by the bandits of Mt. Leikaku, who captured them and brought them to their fortress.

Episode Fourteen:

Tamahome sighed and sat down on his bed. Miaka was a sweet girl, cheerful and energetic like a little child, and just as tiring to look after. After a day of being entertained by her, it was heavenly just to have a moment of quiet

No sooner had he gotten settled than there was a knock on the door. “Tamahome! I brought you dinner!” Miaka cooed, opening the door and carrying in a tray. “I hope you don’t mind; I nibbled a little.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” he assured her, then did a double-take as he saw the scraps that were left on his plate. Well, I wasn’t that hungry anyway...

*

“‘In Kutou, the Seiryuu no Miko awoke Suzaku’s Sei Tamahome and served him dinner’,” Hiro read. “Dinner?! I don’t care about dinner! My sister has been kidnapped by bandits and you’re telling me about dinner?!” He closed his finger in the book and pointed at the cover. “I hate you, you know that?”

*

“I brought you some nice clothes, too,” Miaka chirped, setting a black silk outfit on the bed.

Tamahome looked down at it. She’d actually managed to pick out something with a decent color combination--black with pale gold trim and red accents--but the style was undeniably the geometric one of Kutou, rather than Konan’s loose, free-flowing fashions. “Um, thanks, but these are fine,” he said, gesturing to the clothes he was still wearing from the day before.

“Oh, don’t be shy.” She picked up a corner of the fabric and held it out to him. “It feels really nice.”

“Um, yeah, well... These are fine, really. I like these clothes.” Nonetheless he let Miaka put the corner of cloth in his hand. He’d never worn silk before in his life... Still, he didn’t want to let himself be pampered or become comfortable here. And these were the clothes that Yui had last seen him wearing. If he gave those up, it would be one step farther from her, from that memory of her peacefully sleeping, trusting in him to be there when she awoke...

“Did I do something wrong?” Miaka asked. “I’m sorry. I tried to pick out something nice...”

“No, no, they’re nice, really! Please don’t cry!” he begged as her mouth began to quiver.

“If they’re really nice, why won’t you wear them?”

“I’m, uh, just not used to getting gifts that nice, that’s all.” Miaka was trying so hard to be good to him; he didn’t want her to feel bad. “It just... I... um... couldn’t believe they were really for me, that’s it. If you’ll give me some privacy, I’ll put them on.”

“I’ll make sure you get used to it! Later, then!” She hugged him tightly, then bounced out of the room.

Tamahome picked up the shirt and sighed. It’s only clothes, I guess.

*

Nuriko groaned softly as a cold stone floor faded into existence under her back, followed by boisterous talking and shouts nearby. Slowly she opened her eyes to a view of waterstained walls, and the smell of alcohol and food drifted to her nose. Rolling over, she saw several tables filled with people, and was just starting to wonder about them when her last conscious moments flooded her mind.

“Nuriko?” Yui whispered, hearing the soft curse she muttered. “Are you all right?”

“I do believe this is the worst headache I have ever had in my entire life,” she answered after a moment’s painful contemplation. “I’ll live, though, I think. What about you?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m more worried about Hotohori.”

“Hotohori-sama?” Nuriko turned and saw him laying on the floor nearby, with Yui kneeling over him. She tried to push herself up on her hands to join them, but her arms were jerked back with a metallic ‘chink’. “What the... What is this?” she questioned, discovering that her hands and feet were chained behind her.

“Hm...?” Hotohori moaned. His eyes drifted open. “Yui...?”

“I’m fine,” she said, bending over him. “Which is better than I can say for you. You could have been killed!”

Hotohori tried to move his arms, and the chains jangled behind him. With some struggle, he pushed himself upright, gasping through his teeth as he flexed the injured shoulder.

“Hey, our ‘visitors’ are awake!” shouted a slightly drunk bandit from one of the nearby tables..

Yui leaned closer to Hotohori and whispered. “Dummy. Do you think you have to prove something to me after what Tamahome said?”

He smiled slightly. “Maybe I have to prove it to myself.”

“It’s not going to prove anything to anyone if you get yourself killed.”

Nuriko whistled softly to get their attention. “We’ve got company,” she whispered as a few of the bandits stood up and walked towards them.

“What brings you ladies out here?” one of the bandits asked, turning to Hotohori and Yui.

“We were, uh, looking for someone,” Yui said.

“Well, looks like you found someone, huh?”

“Please, my friend is hurt. Can you unchain me for a little bit so I can take care of it? I won’t try to get away, I promise.”

“What can you do, kiddo?”

“I’ve got supplies to clean it and bandage it in my bag.”

“She does look pretty bad. Guess it’d be shameful of us not to help a pretty lady, eh, guys?” The bandits chuckled assent. “Hey, you! Hook me up with the keys.” He pointed to another bandit, then to the Seishi’s things piled against the opposite wall, and ordered “Go get her junk outta her bag.”

“‘Pretty lady’...?” Hotohori mouthed in disbelief.

“Thank you, I’m very grateful,” Yui said as the bandit unlocked her chains.

“Just don’t get cute, or you’ll get hurt,” he warned, pulling her to her feet.

“Um, what kind of bottle is this?” the ordered bandit asked, pulling some bandages and a plastic bottle of peroxide out of Yui’s bag. “It’s like glass, only... not.”

“That’s the one I need. And whatever you do, don’t drink out of it,” Yui advised.

“Um, OK...” he said, handing it over to her.

She pushed Hotohori’s sleeve up and wet a piece of gauze with peroxide. “This is going to hurt a bit, but it’ll keep it from getting infected,” she said, dabbing one of the scrapes on his forearms. Instinctively, he jerked away from her with another gasp of pain.

“Hotohori?!” Nuriko asked, barely stopping herself from adding “-sama” in front of the bandits.

“You know, if you’re trying to kill her, we can do it a lot faster,” one of the younger bandits joked.

“It’ll make it better in the long run, I promise,” Yui said, holding his arm and cleaning the wound.

“I’m all right, I was just startled,” Hotohori agreed.

Yui cleaned and bandaged the scrapes from the rope, then pushed his right sleeve up to the shoulder for the wound from the spikes. She’d never seen such a severe injury in person, and felt a knot forming in her stomach as she tended to it, doing her best not to think about whose shoulder this was. And I’m the one who wants to be a doctor... Still, she was thankful when the peroxide stopped foaming and she could hide the wound with a pad of gauze.

Just as Yui finished fastening it down with a crisscross of cloth tape, there was a knock on the door. “‘Who is it?’” came a young voice, which answered itself with “It’s Koji, the Leader sent me. ‘Oh, you can go right in, then’. Thank you.”

One of the other bandits opened the door, and a young, dark-haired man with a pronounced scar down his left cheek walked in.

“So, what’s the Leader want now, Koji?”

“He asked me to bring one of the women to him,” Koji answered with a sneer. “Hate to do it to them, but you know how it is.”

“Well, we’d already undone this one,” a bandit said, grabbing Yui’s wrist. “May as well take her and save trouble.”

“No!” Hotohori cried.

“Leave her alone!” Nuriko shouted, kicking at the bandit’s feet, but missing when the chains jerked her ankle back.

“Wait, you really don’t want me,” Yui said nervously. She hated herself for trying to sell out her Seishi, but whatever was about to happen, they could probably handle it better than she could.

“I guess she’ll do,” Koji said, taking Yui from the other bandit.

“Let her go!” Hotohori shouted, struggling against his chains.

If I make enough trouble for him, maybe... Yui slammed her elbow into Koji’s ribs.

“Ow!” he grunted, doubling over. She tried to pull away from him, but unfortunately Koji found himself in the perfect position to toss her over his shoulder like a bundle of firewood. “I think Eiken deserves this one, huh, guys?” A round of snickers went through the group.

“YUI!” Hotohori shouted as the door closed behind her and Koji.

“I kinda feel sorry for that girl,” one of the younger bandits remarked.

“I feel sorry for any woman who has to get that close to Eiken,” another answered.

“We have to get out of here,” Hotohori whispered to Nuriko.

Nuriko nodded. “The quicker, the better, if we’re going to save Yui from...”

The two fell silent as one of the bandits walked over and squatted down in front of them. “Hey, pretty lady, you all right now?” he asked, leaning toward Hotohori.

“I’m not---”

Nuriko elbowed him. “Go along with it,” she said under her breath. “They might drop their guard around a woman.”

“I’m not all right,” he covered.

“Worried about your friend, huh?”

Hotohori nodded.

“Well, I’m sorry, but that’s the way things go sometimes.” He paused, then put his hand under Hotohori’s chin and lifted his face. “Hey, what’s this?” he asked, rubbing the lower edge of the bruise on Hotohori’s face--the black eye he’d gotten from Tamahome--with his thumb. “I know we didn’t do this one. Your boyfriend hit you or something?”

“I... don’t have a boyfriend,” Hotohori said, turning his face away ‘demurely.’

“Your husband, then.” Before Hotohori could answer, the bandit turned to Nuriko. “You oughtta be ashamed of yourself.”

“Huh?” Nuriko asked.

“Beating up on a pretty lady like this. Do you know how many men would kill to have a wife like her?” He turned to Hotohori again. “Why do you put up with a jerk like that?”

Nuriko could only stare and blink.

“Tell ya what,” the bandit continued. “Why don’t you let me and the guys take your mind off it? You know we’ll appreciate you a lot more than this jerk.” He pointed his thumb at Nuriko.

Hotohori stared at him for a moment, blushing fiercely. “That’s very kind of you, but I really mustn’t...”

“C’mon, we’re not like Eiken or anything. You can just serve us our drinks and chitchat. Unless you find one of us you like, anyway.”

Nuriko’s jaw began to migrate towards her belt.

“Please, I... I’m a married woman,” Hotohori said, staring at the floor.

“Ah, nobody’s gonna jump on ya. We won’t let him hurt ya for it, neither. Ain’t right to keep a lovely lady chained up, anyway.”

“At least it’ll get you loose,” Nuriko said under her breath.

Hotohori sighed. “If it will help Yui, the blow to my dignity is worth it for that,” he whispered back. “Very well. Since you’re such a gentleman about it, I suppose I have no choice.”

A rather alarming cheer went up from the surrounding bandits, and the one “offering” unchained him and helped him to his feet. “There, that’s better, ain’t it?”

“Yes, thank you,” Hotohori replied, rubbing his wrists and trying to assume a ‘feminine’ posture.

“Um, you treat my wife good, ya hear!” Nuriko shouted as they guided Hotohori over to the table.

*

“Ow! Stop that! Leave my back alone!” Koji snapped as Yui pounded on him.

“I’ll leave it alone when you put me down!”

“I’ll put you down when we get to Eiken--Ow! I’m gonna bang you against a wall in a minute!”

“Got a real spitfire here, eh, Koji?” one of the guards at the leader’s door said, seeing Koji weaving his way down the hall under Yui’s barrage of kicks and punches.

“Oh, she’s somethin’, all right. --Ow! Watch where you kick, girl!” he snapped, getting a better grip on her legs before reaching to knock on the door.

“Um, Koji, you’re not going to do that obnoxious talking to yourself thing, are you?” the other guard asked.

“You guys are no fun. --Yo, Eiken!”

“Took you long enough to get one,” came a nasal voice which would be laughable in any other circumstance. “Bring her in.”

Koji pushed the door open and tossed Yui onto the pile of cushions in the middle of the room. “She’s all yours. I’ll alert your next of kin.”

“Oh, I’m scared,” Eiken snickered.

Yui looked up and found herself sharing the cushions with a large, bald ball of what she assumed to be human flesh. She started up and darted back to the door, just as it closed in front of her and she heard a board slide across it. “Let me out of here!” she shouted, pounding on it. What am I going to do now!?

“Ah, a spunky one, huh?” said the mobile blob of grease that was Eiken. “I like ‘em that way.”

Looking around frantically, Yui snatched up one of the iron candlestands from the corner. “Stay away from me!” she ordered.

“Ah, isn’t that cute?” Eiken said, standing up.

“I mean it,” Yui warned, trying to hold him off with the still lit candles.

Eiken chuckled, and grabbed the candlestand. Yui dodged aside and twisted it out of his hand, then brought it around, striking his head with a ‘clang’ that knocked off his horned helmet.

He wailed loudly, clutching his head. “You’re gonna be sorry for that!” he whined, scrambling away from her. He tossed a cushion aside and picked up an iron fan with a cloth-wrapped handle. “Why don’t you just put that down and be a good girl, huh? Don’t make me use this!”

“No! Leave me alone!”

“OK, you asked for it. I don’t want to do it to a pretty girl, so it’s your own fault.” He flared the fan out and brought it back. “Lekka shin--”

CLANG!

As he swung the fan around, Yui brought the candlestand down to meet it with all her strength. Eiken cried out in pain and grabbed his arm as the iron fan skittered across the floor. Yui darted across the room and snatched it up. “All right, what’s so special about this fan!?” she demanded.

Eiken looked at her dumbly for a moment. “HELP!!! Guards!”

*

Outside the room, the guards listened to Eiken’s cries. “You think we should go in and help him?” one queried.

“Well, he did say not to open that door, no matter what kind of screaming we heard,” his companion pointed out.

The first guard perked up and smiled. “Hey, that’s right...!”

*

Hotohori looked around. The bandits near Nuriko were still too alert to safely free her. He concentrated on keeping their glasses full. The faster the sake disappeared, the sooner they could escape and rescue Yui.

In the meantime, Nuriko looked on with a sentiment that resided in the vast unexplored territory between wonderment and horror. Hotohori had fallen into the role alarmingly well, mingling with the bandits, trading polite chitchat punctuated with a ladylike chuckle, demurely shrinking away from their advances. Occasionally when he was between tables she would see the weary look on his face, but with the bandits, he was playing the perfect hostess.

“So what does your husband do for a living, anyway?” one of the bandits asked him.

“Ah...” Hotohori searched for an answer. Perhaps it would be best to avoid as much confusion as possible. “He’s a guard at the Imperial Palace, but he’s on leave just now.”

“Ew. I hate those guys,” one of them said, peering at Nuriko. “How would you feel about being a widow?”

“He isn’t so bad, really,” Hotohori insisted, setting the tray of drinks on the table. “I couldn’t forgive myself if I let something happen to him.” The querying bandits were drunk enough to find that amusing, and he slipped away amid their laughter and went back to Nuriko. “I’m terribly sorry about that, dear,” he said, then leaned close beside her and whispered. “Face this wall.”

“All right,” she whispered back, turning as quietly as she could. “It’s all right, honey,” she said a moment later for the benefit of the bandits.

Hotohori reached down behind her and arranged the chains so he could cut through them with one sword-stroke. “Stay still,” he whispered, his face close enough to her cheek to give the illusion of a kiss.

“Hey, why don’t you leave that jerk alone and come back here with us?” one of the bandits shouted.

“I can’t ignore my husband,” Hotohori insisted, rising and starting back toward the table. “I wouldn’t want anyone to say I was a bad wife.”

Suddenly, he was jerked to a stop by an iron grip around his waist. “I think you’d be a good wife,” said a slurred voice.

“Well, I like to think I already am,” Hotohori replied with a ladylike chuckle, trying to remove the enamored bandit without success.

The man leaned against him, closing his eyes happily. “You’re so pretty...”

“A lot of people say that.” Hotohori looked around at the bandits, most of whom were too inebriated to present a threat. They’re distracted enough, he thought, and tried to subtly drag the attached bandit toward where his sword stood against the wall. And the sooner we get out of here, the better.

“I love you,” the bandit slurred, nuzzling Hotohori’s side.

“I suppose I’m flattered,” Hotohori said, slowly picking up his sword and holding it behind him, out of view. This love-struck bandit was going to complicate things. Without the encumbrance, he could be across the room and cut Nuriko free in one bound, but now... He started back toward her, along the edge of the room, keeping the sword between himself and the wall to hide it. “But I really mustn’t. I am married, you know.”

“I love you more than he does.”

“Please, sir, I just met you...” Hotohori said, glancing up at Nuriko as he got closer. Just a bit more...

“Shiro, leave the lady alone. She’s too good for you,” one of the other bandits said, standing up from the table and walking over. “Here, I’ll get him off for you.”

“No, that’s quite all right,” Hotohori said hurriedly. If he finds the sword... “Just sit back down and enjoy yourself, don’t let me trouble you.”

“If I’d known she liked that kind of thing, I would have latched onto her an hour ago!” one of the men at the tables joked. The roomful of bandits erupted in drunken laughter.

“Shiro, come on, let go!” the bandit ordered, grabbing the amorous bandit and pulling, dragging Hotohori away from the wall. Finally Shiro’s grip slipped, and he fell away from his ‘hostess’s waist. “There, that’s better, ain’t i... Say, what’s that behind your back?”

Hotohori glanced up at Nuriko; he was close enough. If he missed this chance, he wouldn’t get another. With a hiss of steel, he drew the sword and brought it down on Nuriko’s chains. The bandits erupted in protests as Nuriko scrambled to her feet. She wrapped the dangling chains around her fists and punched the first bandit that approached them.

“Ooh, that’s gonna leave a mark,” she remarked as he sailed across the room, taking out three other bandits in his flight. “I applaud your patience, Hotohori. Now, shall we carve our way through these guys and go rescue Yui?”

“As quickly as possible,” he said, starting off, then felt himself jerked to a stop again and looked down to see the same bandit wrapped around his waist. “Leave me alone! I’m not even a woman!”

“I don’t care if you’re a man. I still love you,” he slurred.

Rolling her eyes, Nuriko brought her fist down on his head, jarring him into unconsciousness.

“Thank you,” Hotohori said, and started for the door.

*

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s coming,” Yui said, holding the iron fan behind her and the candle stand in front. “So, what’s so special about this fan!?”

“Why don’t you just be a good girl and give it back, and no one’ll get hurt, huh?” Eiken begged. “Please?”

“As if I’d trust you that far. Do you think I’m stupid? Now, what were those words you were saying? Lekka Shin... Lekka Shina... Lekka Shini...”

A look of horror passed over Eiken’s face as he realized that she would eventually guess the incantation. “No, wait, stop!” he shouted, waving frantically. “You win! I’ll give you whatever you want!”

“Let me and my friends go, and help me find someone among your bandits.”

“Sure! Sure! Whatever you want! I’ll do it, now give me the fan, please?”

“No. I’m not going to take your word on it. I want Hotohori and Nuriko standing here!”

WHAM! At that exact moment, a chunk of wall collapsed.

“Found her,” Nuriko announced, shaking her hand just slightly and climbing through the hole.

“Yui, are you all right?” Hotohori asked, following Nuriko into the room.

Now, that’s service! Yui couldn’t help but think. “All right, last thing. There’s a bandit here with a red character on his body. I want you to help us find him.”

“Tasuki!” Eiken blubbered. “It’s Tasuki! He has the character!”

Yui paused. ‘Fire Bandit Mountain’ was the only clue from ‘The Universe of the Four Gods’ that could even hope to fit here, and she was sure that had been Tasuki’s. “I knew that! Now, who is Tasuki!?”

“I don’t know!”

“You don’t know...?” Yui said dangerously.

“I don’t! The old leader said Suzaku’s Sei Tasuki was here during all the pep talks, but he never said which one of us it was! It’s not my fault!!”

“This is the Leader?” Nuriko asked in disbelief.

“So it seems,” Yui a sighed. “And you never have told me what’s special about this fan.”

Eiken stood looking at the Seishi, uncomfortably tightlipped. “Um, if you’ll give it back, I’ll show you.”

Yui conferred with her Seishi for a moment. “All right, I suppose,” she said, holding the fan out to him. A moment later, Eiken felt the edge of Hotohori’s sword lightly touch his ear. “Go right ahead. By the way, I don’t suppose I’ve introduced myself. I’m Yui, the Suzaku no Miko, and these are two of my Seishi, Hotohori and Nuriko.”

“Suzaku no Miko? S-Seishi?” Yui nodded, and Eiken swallowed hard before taking the fan. “Um... can I turn so I’m facing the fireplace, or will you chop me into teeny tiny bits?”

“I don’t see a problem with that.”

“But I don’t wanna be teeny tiny bits!”

Yui rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, but I wanted to see it so much!” came an unfamiliar voice. A flash of black and red streaked across the room, and Yui shrieked as it snatched her up.

“Yui!” Nuriko shouted.

“Let her go!” Hotohori shouted, turning around and lifting his sword away from Eiken.

The form that had grabbed Yui, apparently yet another bandit, jumped atop the railing of the stone walkway around the fortress. “Having trouble with the new recruits, Eiken?” he said, adjusting Yui over his shoulder.

“We’re not bandits!” Hotohori insisted. “Now, let Yui go!”

“Having trouble with the prisoners; that’s even worse. Geez, I leave for a few months and you let the whole place go to hell. You should just hand over leadership to me, Eiken—OW! Watch where you hit, that hurt!”

“What did you think the point was!?” Yui snapped. Once was bad enough, but being tossed over a bandit’s shoulder twice in one day was simply too much, in her opinion.

“Forget it, Genrou, the bandits are mine!” Eiken shouted, brandishing the fan. “And there’s nothing you can do about it!”

The red-haired man holding Yui yawned. “Gee, that was an original speech. Fine, Eiken, but if you want your no-doubt valuable prisoner back, you’re gonna have to challenge me for the leadership. Genjitsu shinzarou!” ‘Genrou’ threw out his free hand, and a pack of wolves suddenly appeared, leaping into the room.

“YUI!!!! NO!!!!!” Hotohori shouted, desperately fighting off a wolf that knocked him back as he tried to run to her aid. He could only watch helplessly as Genrou, with Yui over his shoulder, jumped from the railing to the forest below.

“Hotohori!!!” she called back, her voice rapidly fading with distance.

He finally landed a slash that halved the wolf attacking him. But there was no blood; two slips of paper fluttered through the air as he dashed to the balcony. “Yui!!!” Only the night wind and the rustle of leaves in the forest below answered him.

“Screw this,” Eiken squeaked as two of the wolves descended on him. He brought the fan back, then swung it, shouting “LEKKA SHINEN!”

With a sharp shriek, Nuriko flattened herself against the wall as a wave of flames exploded past her. Red fire swept over the room and onto the walkway, where Hotohori pressed himself to the wall beside the door as the flames blew past him. The flames devoured the wolves, but amazingly, the animals vanished, leaving only smoldering strips of paper that fluttered to the floor.

“What is this?” Nuriko wondered, picking up one of them and extinguishing a small plume of flame on it. “Paper wolves and fans that throw fire... Hotohori-sama, what have we gotten ourselves into?”

“I don’t know,” he said, going back to the now-singed walkway and scanning the forest below. “But we have to go after him. We can’t just abandon Yui.”

“I agree.” Nuriko walked over and leaned close to his ear, then gestured to the obliviously smug Eiken. “Why don’t we do that before he remembers that we are not his friends?”

With that, the two of them swung over the railing and dropped a few feet to the ground below. Hotohori leaned against the wall for a moment, holding his injured shoulder.

“Hotohori-sama?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

*

“Ow! Will you stop that!?” Genrou shouted, trying to open the door to a dilapidated building as Yui pummelled his back. “I’d like to be able to freakin’ walk when this is over!”

“You just abducted me! You should expect this!” Yui shouted back. Her arms were getting tired, though, so she stopped pounding on him anyway.

“This is not how a prisoner is supposed to behave,” he informed her, kicking the door closed behind him. Yui looked under his arm and saw a plain wooden room, with a sagging bed in one corner, and a rickety table with a few suspicious chairs around it in the center.

“Put your feet down,” he said, bending over. She slid off his shoulder to the floor, then looked up, for the first time getting a good look at her captor. He was of medium build and height, with bright red hair cut short and shaggy, and almost orange eyes. Earrings dangled from his ears and there were two strands of gold beads and jewels around his neck, visible under his long black coat. She also couldn’t help but notice that his eyeteeth were unusually long, almost like fangs.

“I’m bigger, stronger, faster, and a hell of a lot meaner than you, so don’t try to get away, all right?” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you; you’re just some insurance for me.”

She stepped back from him; he seemed sincere enough about not wanting to hurt her, but there was no sense in pressing her luck. “What makes you think Eiken even wants me back? I just made a lot of trouble for him, you know.”

“Eiken likes young women.” Genrou paused, then stepped towards her and took her chin. “Of course, when they’re as pretty as you, I understand why.”

Yui slapped him as hard as she could. “I’ll have you know, I’m taken.”

“Ow. By a freakin’ masochist, apparently.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by a knock at the door.

“Shhh. Stay quiet,” Genrou hissed, pulling out a knife and heading towards it.

“‘Who is it?’” came a familiar voice. “Why it’s Genrou’s best bud Koji, here to see him. ‘Oh, you can go right in, then.’ Thank you.”

“Koji!” Genrou shouted as the door swung open and the bandit who had taken Yui to Eiken walked in.

“Genrou!” Koji shouted back. Yui couldn’t help being reminded of Hiro’s “Laws of Guy-dom” as they clasped forearms and yanked each other into a “manly” hug.

“Long time no see!” Genrou shouted, smacking Koji’s back.

“Whose fault is that?”

“That was cold.”

Koji suddenly caught sight of Yui and stopped in mid-smack. “Is that the girl that Eiken had back at the fort?”

“Yeah.”

“Man, Genrou, of all the hostages to get...”

“Excuse me?” Yui protested.

“I bet your ribs hurt now,” Koji said.

“Hell yes,” Genrou agreed. “I think she was trying to snap my back in half, too. Anyway, Koji, this is... I didn’t catch your name, Miss.”

“I didn’t throw it,” Yui growled.

“Cute. Fine. Koji, cute girl. Cute girl, Koji.” Yui raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t believe you!” Koji protested. “Eiken’s gonna come down here and fry both of us in a few hours, and you’re still acting like a shameless flirt!”

“Hey, when you’re this good looking, you can’t help it!” Genrou protested, plopping down in one of the chairs. Yui rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, whatever, Fang-boy,” Koji teased.

“Look who’s talkin’, Scar-face.”

“Oh, that was cold, Gen-chan. Really cold.”

“Um, excuse me,” Yui interrupted before they got too off-topic. “Will someone please tell me what is going on here? What makes you think you have any claim on these bandits, anyway, ‘Gen-chan’?”

“See, I think she likes me,” Genrou teased, jostling Koji.

“You are so full of it,” Koji teased back before turning to Yui. “Genrou was practically the old Leader’s son by everything except blood. Everyone knows that he wanted Gen-chan to take over when he died. It’s just that no one expected it to be so soon.”

“I’ve been out traveling around,” Genrou agreed, “seeing the world—”

“Getting dumped by women everywhere.”

“Will you lay off, Koji? Anyway, I came back as soon as I heard that the old Leader had died, but by then Eiken had already taken over. Eiken. I can’t believe it. The proud Mount Leikaku bandits, following that ugly, brainless, whiny scumbag....”

“He got to the old Leader’s keepsake first. All of the guys are too afraid to go against it.”

“Do you mean that iron fan?” Yui asked.

“The tessen, yeah,” Genrou answered.

“What’s so special about it, anyway? I heard Eiken start to use some magic words with it.”

“If you say ‘Lekka shinen’, it’ll throw flames,” Koji explained. “It’s magic, made to fry your enemies.”

“It’s pretty good for impressing babes, too,” Genrou added.

Koji punched him in the shoulder. “Is that all you ever think about?! Eiken’s gonna use the damn thing on us!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh, yay, Genrou’s got a plan. And what is this great plan, oh excellent one?”

“Well, it hasn’t actually gotten here. But I’m sure it’ll show up before Eiken does.”

Koji groaned and rested his head on the table. “Remind me again why I’m your best friend, Gen-chan?”

“My stunning good looks? My charming personality? My razor-sharp wit?”

“Oh, yeah, I remember. It’s because you owe me 10 ryou.”

“I love you too, Koj.”

Choosing to ignore the blatant testosterone poisoning that was taking place in front of her, Yui rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ‘Fire Bandit Mountain’... It all fits. The Bandits’ mountain stronghold, and the fire from the fan. The mirror says there’s a Sei here, too... “May I ask you something?”

“You just did,” Genrou replied. “Why stop now?”

“Do you know any of the bandits with a red character on his body, or know which one is called Tasuki?”

Koji and Genrou looked at each other for a moment. “There’s plenty of guys with tatoos,” Genrou said at last, right as Koji opened his mouth to speak. Koji closed it again.

“That’s not what I mean,” Yui said.

“Lookin’ for the Sei we’re supposed to have, huh?” Genrou asked. She nodded. “What’s it to you, anyway?”

“Well, since the Miko’s come, the Sei of Suzaku have to be gathered so she can summon the god to protect Konan. I... That is, my friends and I thought maybe there’d be a reward in it,” Yui quickly covered. If Genrou realized that she was the Suzaku no Miko, he’d probably see the opportunity to extort someone much better than Eiken. What if he’d already figured it out? Her questions, her blonde hair... Well, she’d had to try; no going back now.

“Yuh huh. Where did you say you were from again?”

“I... came from the capital.”

Genrou and Koji looked at each other again, each raising an eyebrow.

“Let’s just level, Miss,” Genrou said. “If I don’t move against him tonight, Eiken’s gonna move against me in the morning, so I don’t have a whole lot of time to play around right now.”

Except when you’re ‘playing’ with your friend, Yui thought, but she didn’t say it aloud.

“So, just tell me. You’re the Suzaku no Miko, aren’t you?”

Yui sighed. “Yes.”

“Man, the best hostage of my entire life, and I’m probably gonna die before I can do anything with her.” Genrou sighed and leaned back in his chair. Then, suddenly, his mouth widened in a fanged grin.

“Oh no, I know that look,” Koji said, scooting his chair away from his friend. “What hare-brained idea are you getting this time?”

“Hey, girl,” Genrou said, leaning toward Yui. “You’ve got some of your Seishi with you, right? I mean, not right now this second, but around here, right?”

“Well, yes...”

“And you want to find this Tasuki guy, right?”

“Yes.”

“And I don’t want my butt barbequed, right?”

“I would assume that to be true, yes.”

“Then let’s make a deal. If you and your Seishi will help me get my gang back, I’ll help you find Tasuki once I’m in charge again. Whadd’ya say?”

Yui considered for a moment. “It sounds fair enough.”

Genrou blinked. “You mean, you’ll go for it?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Yes! All right!” Genrou threw his head back and let out a burst of maniacal laughter.

Koji looked at him for a few seconds, then sighed and turned to Yui. “Exactly how many Seishi do you have with you, anyway?”

“Two.”

Genrou stopped in mid-laugh. “Two?”

“Two,” Yui confirmed. “Hotohori is a swordsman, and Nuriko has superhuman strength.”

Genrou blinked again. “Hold up. These are supposed to be Seishi! Suzaku’s power and all that junk! Don’t you have anyone who can blow stuff up by looking at it or something?”

“Not... with us.”

Genrou’s head hit the table with a sharp smack.

“So, pretty much, it’s me, Genrou, a teenage girl, a swordsman, and a really strong guy against 200 bandits and a magic fan,” Koji listed. Yui nodded hesitantly, and Genrou’s head hit the table again.

“Hey, Genrou, let’s just forget the whole thing,” Koji said, patting his back. “I bet if we went and joined the Mt. Sounai bandits, you’d be in charge in under a year.”

Genrou whined for a second, then suddenly straightened again with another alarming grin on his face. “No, wait, I’ve got an idea!”

“Forget it, Genrou! I don’t know how hard you just hit your head, but you’re not dragging me into this mess.”

“Ah, c’mon, Koji! You like a good challenge, right?”

“No! You are insane, Gen-chan! Totally, absolutely, and in all other ways, nuts! You’re not talking me into this!”

As the two men argued, Yui sighed and rested her face on her hand. What have I gotten us into...?

To Be Continued...

*

PREVIEW

Yui and her Seishi help Genrou in his confrontation with Eiken, but when his part of their bargain is due, Yui finds that gaining Tasuki’s aid will be more difficult than she imagined. Any small chance in battle or any whispered rumor is a cause for hope.

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