for hamburger jack aka I hate you
Jun. 13th, 2010 02:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kat8chaThere were comfortable ways to travel in the world, first class on a train or an airship were the most comfortable way to travel. Kite had travelled on train a few times and on an airship more than once. But such trips were expensive and more importantly conspicuous. When travelling to the Shadow Council you needed to travel sedately, it was best to travel as close to invisible as possible. Being that most members of the Shadow Council were considered 'villains' or 'dark magic users' or 'convicts' by most of the civilized countries of the world… it was hard to travel completely invisible.
Though some managed.
"Eishirou…" Mizuki whined from where he had barricaded himself in the basket of the air balloon. It was a barricade of expensive plush purple fabrics and a handful of pillows. Their food supply sat in a basket covered in runes that glowed faintly in the light of the moon and located right next to Mizuki's barricade. It would have been inside the barricade but Kite had refused to allow it.
Kite turned from where he stood on the other side of the basket (the area of the basket was a total of four paces) to look at Mizuki. Above their heads a contraption of steel and ruins glowed hot, flames spurting upwards to fill the balloon with hot air. "Yes, Hajime?"
Mizuki's knees drew closer to his chest and his eyes narrowed. To hide his smile Kite turned away and looked back out on the inky black star studded sky above and the stretch of verdant (in the sunlight) forest below. Behind him Mizuki huffed, a loud but sweet quick indrawn breath that was let out in a manner similar to a sigh.
"Eishirou." Anger in Mizuki's voice that faded into simple annoyance. "Can't you make this flying basket go any faster?"
Kite turned away from the view and took two steps forward to raise his hand so that it hovered just outside the red glow of the steel contraption. "The hot air controls our up and down motion, Eishirou, but I have already explained that we travel according to the speed of the wind. Weather magic is your specialty." One reason Kite had agreed to travel to the Shadow Council with Mizuki was that the other man's magic was supposed to get them there faster. However once Kite had actually asked for Mizuki's participation the curly haired 'weather wizard' had turned away and claimed that his magic could ONLY be used in the name of St. Rudolph.
Just like he was protesting now. "I told you, my power comes from the spirit world. I can ONLY wield it to serve a greater-"
Kite cut him off and closed their distance with one more step before he leaned down just outside of Mizuki's barricade. He had seen what Mizuki had done to a man who threatened him once, he had summoned lightning out of the sky to char the man's flesh from his bones. The thunder that had followed had scattered the man's accomplices. "You were the one who asked for transport to the Shadow Council, Hajime. You have no place there, you are not a member and I doubt that you will ever be one. We both know that 'St. Rudolph' is a lie that you use to fool your precious acolytes." Kite took a breath and leaned back so that he sat on his heels instead of the balls of his feet. Mizuki had curled even further into the dark corner of the wicker basket. "But you do draw your power from the beyond, so I suggest you convene with your 'spirit guide' or whatever he is and summon up a strong wind soon or your life will be in danger."
Even if Mizuki was good in bed and even if Kite enjoyed his company the hours of whining and the lack of help had deteriorated Kite's impulse control. Kite was also irritated by the constant strain of keeping the fire burning and a light shield of protection around the balloon.
"There's no need to be crude about it." Mizuki said with a diffident sniff. "Fine then, I'll waste my energ-"
An arrow whizzed by and struck the thin protective shield around the balloon, a second later another arrow followed, it too bounced off the shield, and then another arrow, and another and… one arrow punctured the bottom of the wicker basket close to Mizuki's fort.
"What?!" Mizuki gasped surprised and stared down at the black arrowhead poking out of the basket's floor. Kite leaned over the side only to duck back in, an arrow grazing his cheek. "Eishirou! You're bleeding!"
Kite swiped at the trickle of blood. "Rokkaku." He had seen the fletching of the arrow, it was Rokkaku red and the fletching had been unmistakable. No one would ever attempt to mimic Rokkaku's fletching.
"This isn't their territory!" Mizuki whined, his fingers curled around his purple blanket, his grip so tight his knuckles were white. "They live in the forests to the north! We've been going south-east!"
Kite hummed his agreement but he knew that Rikkai's constant push for territory and 'civilization' of wild areas had forced many non-humans to move. Kite himself had been part of the force that pushed Rokkaku out. While the archers themselves were almost entirely human (a few mixed breeds were mixed in) the leader that Rokkaku had gathered around for years was not. Rokkaku members were primarily men or boys, with a few girls, who had been abandoned as children. They were taken in by Ojii, a benevolent sort of spirit. Given his age and appearance Kite had assumed he was some sort of tree spirit, perhaps a dryad or a magician who had bonded with one, but he had been easy enough to injure and the threat to Rokkaku had been delivered. To find Rokkaku here though…
Well, it was a surprise. An unwelcome one, but a useful one.
"KITE EISHIROU OF THE HIGA CLAN," A young, exhuberant, and primarily loud voice rang out. The sound caused sleeping birds to rouse and fly from the trees giving the shout a chorus of caws. "MIZUKI HAJIME OF THE CHURCH OF ST. RUDOLPH."
Raising an eyebrow Kite looked over his shoulder at Mizuki who was now standing and clutching the edge of the basket hard. It was a step up from his safety blanket. "What did you ever do to Rokkaku?"
"Seduced one of their prize archers away to be an acolyte." Mizuki sniffed. "I mean, Atsushi left of his own free will!"
"YOU WILL LAND IN THE CLEARING UP AHEAD OR YOU WILL FACE OUR WRATH."
"How do they even know we're up here." Mizuki leaned over the side of the air balloon and a red arrow flew past close enough to cut off some of Mizuki's hair. "HEY!"
Kite wrapped an arm around Mizuki's waist and tugged him back, then he tightened the arm and pressed his mouth to that special place behind Mizuki's ear. It smelled of lavender and also faintly of sweat. "Saeki Koujirou. It is said that his third eye has a limited distance but that when you are within the perimeter you're entirely his prey." It was said that even the best stealth magic could be defeated by Saeki's third eye, something Kite had seen for himself. Kai's stealth magic was impressive and it had been ruined by Saeki's third eye, leading Ojii's assassination to stop with a simple injury. "If you won't be summoning that wind, Hajime." Kite squeezed Mizuki's waist tight. "We're going to have to land."
While the archers had found out they could not harm the balloon their next step would no doubt be to target the wicker basket that Kite and Mizuki rode in. Kite had found that it was impossible for him to keep the fire going, protect the balloon, and protect the wicker basket as well. His skills did not lay in protection or fire magic, doing both was already draining him dangerously. Next time he would travel by train and leave Mizuki behind.
Mizuki's shoulders practically poked Kite under his chin. "Fine, I'll summon your wind."
Though some managed.
"Eishirou…" Mizuki whined from where he had barricaded himself in the basket of the air balloon. It was a barricade of expensive plush purple fabrics and a handful of pillows. Their food supply sat in a basket covered in runes that glowed faintly in the light of the moon and located right next to Mizuki's barricade. It would have been inside the barricade but Kite had refused to allow it.
Kite turned from where he stood on the other side of the basket (the area of the basket was a total of four paces) to look at Mizuki. Above their heads a contraption of steel and ruins glowed hot, flames spurting upwards to fill the balloon with hot air. "Yes, Hajime?"
Mizuki's knees drew closer to his chest and his eyes narrowed. To hide his smile Kite turned away and looked back out on the inky black star studded sky above and the stretch of verdant (in the sunlight) forest below. Behind him Mizuki huffed, a loud but sweet quick indrawn breath that was let out in a manner similar to a sigh.
"Eishirou." Anger in Mizuki's voice that faded into simple annoyance. "Can't you make this flying basket go any faster?"
Kite turned away from the view and took two steps forward to raise his hand so that it hovered just outside the red glow of the steel contraption. "The hot air controls our up and down motion, Eishirou, but I have already explained that we travel according to the speed of the wind. Weather magic is your specialty." One reason Kite had agreed to travel to the Shadow Council with Mizuki was that the other man's magic was supposed to get them there faster. However once Kite had actually asked for Mizuki's participation the curly haired 'weather wizard' had turned away and claimed that his magic could ONLY be used in the name of St. Rudolph.
Just like he was protesting now. "I told you, my power comes from the spirit world. I can ONLY wield it to serve a greater-"
Kite cut him off and closed their distance with one more step before he leaned down just outside of Mizuki's barricade. He had seen what Mizuki had done to a man who threatened him once, he had summoned lightning out of the sky to char the man's flesh from his bones. The thunder that had followed had scattered the man's accomplices. "You were the one who asked for transport to the Shadow Council, Hajime. You have no place there, you are not a member and I doubt that you will ever be one. We both know that 'St. Rudolph' is a lie that you use to fool your precious acolytes." Kite took a breath and leaned back so that he sat on his heels instead of the balls of his feet. Mizuki had curled even further into the dark corner of the wicker basket. "But you do draw your power from the beyond, so I suggest you convene with your 'spirit guide' or whatever he is and summon up a strong wind soon or your life will be in danger."
Even if Mizuki was good in bed and even if Kite enjoyed his company the hours of whining and the lack of help had deteriorated Kite's impulse control. Kite was also irritated by the constant strain of keeping the fire burning and a light shield of protection around the balloon.
"There's no need to be crude about it." Mizuki said with a diffident sniff. "Fine then, I'll waste my energ-"
An arrow whizzed by and struck the thin protective shield around the balloon, a second later another arrow followed, it too bounced off the shield, and then another arrow, and another and… one arrow punctured the bottom of the wicker basket close to Mizuki's fort.
"What?!" Mizuki gasped surprised and stared down at the black arrowhead poking out of the basket's floor. Kite leaned over the side only to duck back in, an arrow grazing his cheek. "Eishirou! You're bleeding!"
Kite swiped at the trickle of blood. "Rokkaku." He had seen the fletching of the arrow, it was Rokkaku red and the fletching had been unmistakable. No one would ever attempt to mimic Rokkaku's fletching.
"This isn't their territory!" Mizuki whined, his fingers curled around his purple blanket, his grip so tight his knuckles were white. "They live in the forests to the north! We've been going south-east!"
Kite hummed his agreement but he knew that Rikkai's constant push for territory and 'civilization' of wild areas had forced many non-humans to move. Kite himself had been part of the force that pushed Rokkaku out. While the archers themselves were almost entirely human (a few mixed breeds were mixed in) the leader that Rokkaku had gathered around for years was not. Rokkaku members were primarily men or boys, with a few girls, who had been abandoned as children. They were taken in by Ojii, a benevolent sort of spirit. Given his age and appearance Kite had assumed he was some sort of tree spirit, perhaps a dryad or a magician who had bonded with one, but he had been easy enough to injure and the threat to Rokkaku had been delivered. To find Rokkaku here though…
Well, it was a surprise. An unwelcome one, but a useful one.
"KITE EISHIROU OF THE HIGA CLAN," A young, exhuberant, and primarily loud voice rang out. The sound caused sleeping birds to rouse and fly from the trees giving the shout a chorus of caws. "MIZUKI HAJIME OF THE CHURCH OF ST. RUDOLPH."
Raising an eyebrow Kite looked over his shoulder at Mizuki who was now standing and clutching the edge of the basket hard. It was a step up from his safety blanket. "What did you ever do to Rokkaku?"
"Seduced one of their prize archers away to be an acolyte." Mizuki sniffed. "I mean, Atsushi left of his own free will!"
"YOU WILL LAND IN THE CLEARING UP AHEAD OR YOU WILL FACE OUR WRATH."
"How do they even know we're up here." Mizuki leaned over the side of the air balloon and a red arrow flew past close enough to cut off some of Mizuki's hair. "HEY!"
Kite wrapped an arm around Mizuki's waist and tugged him back, then he tightened the arm and pressed his mouth to that special place behind Mizuki's ear. It smelled of lavender and also faintly of sweat. "Saeki Koujirou. It is said that his third eye has a limited distance but that when you are within the perimeter you're entirely his prey." It was said that even the best stealth magic could be defeated by Saeki's third eye, something Kite had seen for himself. Kai's stealth magic was impressive and it had been ruined by Saeki's third eye, leading Ojii's assassination to stop with a simple injury. "If you won't be summoning that wind, Hajime." Kite squeezed Mizuki's waist tight. "We're going to have to land."
While the archers had found out they could not harm the balloon their next step would no doubt be to target the wicker basket that Kite and Mizuki rode in. Kite had found that it was impossible for him to keep the fire going, protect the balloon, and protect the wicker basket as well. His skills did not lay in protection or fire magic, doing both was already draining him dangerously. Next time he would travel by train and leave Mizuki behind.
Mizuki's shoulders practically poked Kite under his chin. "Fine, I'll summon your wind."
