When Ameko woke, she could see Nikado in front of her, already up. He stretched, letting the wind stir his loose hair before he bound it back in its usual ponytail and began a few morning exercises. It had been several weeks since their decision to turn back from Ijihima, and now they were heading north again, back in the general direction of the capital and Rahiro. They had gone where the wind was taking them, and the monster trade was turning out to be quite profitable, she thought with a smile as she stayed under the blanket, content to watch for a moment. Things had been quiet lately, though, she thought, not even the usual monsters showing up. Rahiro and its neighbors had been more peaceful than the southern duchies, but still.
A sudden burst of queasiness made her groan, putting a hand to her forehead, and Nikado was on her like a tiger pouncing on prey, leaning over her. "Ameko, is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," she murmured around her nausea. "Nothing at a--" She scrambled to her feet in time to make it to the bushes to retch.
Nikado put a hand on her head as she straightened, checking for a temperature. "I don't think you have a fever, but this isn't the first time you've felt ill in the morning. I'm taking you to Aizaem."
"Is that really necessary? It's out of my system now," she insisted as Nikado took her hand and dragged her along. "I wanted to get in some practice this morning, too...."
"You'll have time on the road. Aizaem!" He spotted the healer around the back of the cart, thrusting Ameko at him. "She's sick, fix her."
Aizaem sighed, flicking Nikado's hand off the woman's shoulder. "What is it this time, a bug bite?"
"Hey, it could have *totally* been a scorpion," Nikado insisted with a huff. "And this is serious, she hasn't been feeling well."
Aizaem looked over at Ameko, raising an eyebrow at her resigned look. "All right, come in and shut the door so no strays come in."
"I think he's talking about you," Ameko told him.
"Too bad, I'm coming in anyway."
"Honestly, Nikado, your love is really demanding, you know that?" she sighed. "It's like being chained sometimes."
"...you don't like that?"
She rolled his eyes at his upset expression. "Nikado, you're a dear, but a little cold or fever is not going to be the end of the world. I can take care of myself."
"Symptoms?" Aizaem asked as he checked the woman's pulse, then her temperature.
"She's been throwing up a couple of mornings, no reason why," he said with a shrug. "Talira hasn't been cooking."
"And as I recall, neither have you, so food poisoning is out. Have a seat," he instructed Ameko, holding out a hand and running it over her body, attempting to sense what was wrong with his healing magic.
"You're so funny."
"I really don't think it's anything to worry about," Ameko insisted. "I'm perfectly fine."
"I have to agree," he said after a moment, stepping back and folding his arms. "There's nothing wrong with her, Nikado. Are you happy now?"
"Perfectly healthy people don't throw up before breakfast," he insisted.
"Sure they do, when they're pregnant."
There was a pause in the infirmary cart as both Ameko and Nikado paused to digest this. "She's pregnant?" Nikado managed at last in a stunned tone.
He gave the other man an amused look. "Yes, Nikado. That is what happens when a man and a woman have sex."
"Damn it, I know that, stop making fun of me," he sulked, sitting down on the end of the bed with a huff. After a moment, he added in a quiet voice, "I'm gonna be a dad?"
"Well, it's not mine, I can tell you that," Aizaem told him. "She's not my type."
"He's right," Ameko told the healer. "You aren't funny."
"That's why I'm a healer, not a comedian. I figure you're not much more than a month in," Aizaem told her. "It'll be quite a while before you have to tone down your physical routine. Do I need to give you two some alone time? Of course, that is what caused the problem in the first place. I knew you were faking sick those times," he told Nikado. "If you'd wanted to borrow the place, you could have just asked. It's not like I didn't notice."
"Yes, but you're not very subtle about it," Nikado sulked. "You're stepping on my fragile and delicate emotions."
"Your fragile and delicate emotions will live. I'll tell them you have a bit of a stomach virus and went to lay down," Aizaem said before exiting the cart.
Nikado let out a soft sigh as he watched him go. "Good ol' Aizaem. I don't know what we'd do without him and his wicked sense of humor."
"I found it hard to believe that he even had one," Ameko said. "Nikado, are you okay?"
"I'm gonna be a dad," he repeated slowly. "I...don't know what to say. I've never been a dad before."
"I would hope not, you're too young for that. Don't worry, it's my first time as well," she reassured him. "It'll be a learning experience for both of us."
He grabbed her suddenly, pulling her into a hug. "I'm going to be a dad. You're going to be a mom. We're gonna have kids of our own. Well, a kid, but still. Our dream is starting right before our eyes, Ameko!"
She smiled, patting his arm as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I know. I never thought I'd do this--or rather, if I did, I didn't think I'd be this happy about it. I get to bear the child of the man I love. Can anything be better than this?"
"Not at all. I can't think of anything else in the world that I'd want. Can you?"
She thought about it, then sighed. "I'd want a safe world for my child to grow up. Somewhere where they don't have to worry about bandits and unrest and war and monsters. And...I'd want my father to be there."
His expression fell as he let go of her, looking at her face. "If that's what you want, then we should do it," he told her softly. "But...I'm afraid of losing you."
She scowled, giving him a poke. "Shouldn't that be the other way around, Mr. Hero? You're the one always getting torn up in a fight. You'd be helpless without me and your sister and Aizaem to take care of your sorry ass."
"Yeah, that's true," he said with a soft smile, looking at the wall. "It's the kind of person I am. I cause people to worry about me a lot."
"Yes you do," she said, running her fingers through her ponytail. "But that is the kind of person you are. It's not always bad. You do keep me on my toes."
"Well, I'm glad I have some use," he joked. "So what do you want to do?"
"It's something I've been thinking about for a while," she told him. "I want to get into the central castle and rescue my father. But I don't know how. I don't think I could even get close without being identified."
"That's what you have us for," he told her, "and that's what we have Anko for. She seems like a flighty sort, but she's very reliable in the ways that we need her for. So if we got close, what would be the plan?"
"It'd have to be a small group," she mused, "something that wouldn't be noticed. Oh, if only I knew something about the castle. I went there when I was young but obviously I wouldn't have toured the parts I need to know about."
"Anko again," he told her with a smile. "We'll take care of the info when we get close. So we sneak in, find him, and sneak out? Is that it?"
"Nikado, is there something else on your mind?"
"It's Shiou," he said. "You said it yourself, didn't you? You want a safe place for our child to grow up. So do I."
"What are you thinking of doing?"
"I don't know, to be honest," he sighed. "But I just keep thinking about why the world is the way it is, and I keep coming back to him. He just...doesn't see what we see, Ameko. He doesn't help take care of the needs of the people, like food and clean water. He lets the bandits run wild as long as they're not interfering with him, and uses the military forces to crush those he doesn't like, in the name of upholding the peace. And then there's the monsters. He hasn't done anything about those."
"Nikado...are you thinking about killing him?"
He looked surprised for a moment. "No, that isn't...Well, I don't know what I would plan to do about him. I just don't know. But...to be honest, killing isn't a thought that's crossed my mind. It may be necessary in the crazy type of world we're in...but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It should be a last resort, not a first."
She let out a sigh, smiling as she leaned her head against his shoulder again. "I didn't think you had. That's one of the things I like about you."
"Ooh, tell me more," he teased, putting an arm around her.
"Not while we're strategizing. Do you think the rest of the camp would go with the idea?"
"I think so. The central city should have as much money as anyplace, and besides, if we're taking a small group inside the castle, then they won't be at risk."
"That's another reason I wanted to do it that way," she said with a nod.
"So who would you take? Besides us, obviously."
"Talira," she replied immediately. "She's the best, alongside you and me. And we work well together."
"That's sure a change," Nikado said with a smile. "I thought you two hated each other."
"Oh, she certainly aggravated me, but I don't think it was out of hate. She's not that kind of person. Rather, I should thank her. I think in a way, she was just trying to draw out my strength."
"Well, it worked," Nikado told her seriously. "You're a leader among us, and not because of your bloodline. We look up to you. I think if you asked, they would all follow you."
"It wasn't what I was expecting when I first ended up here," Ameko mused, looking up at the ceiling of the cart. "It seems like that was so long ago, but I guess it hasn't even been but a couple of months. I've really changed, Nikado."
"We all have," he told her seriously. "You've changed us. Before, we were content to not get involved in the problems of what was going on around us. But since you showed up, I think we've been opening our eyes to the world. It's not a pleasant place to be anymore. There's something wrong with that. Even Anko talks about wanting to change things sometimes, and she's about as resistant to that as you get."
"I've noticed," she said with a nod. "Well, shall we go outside and pitch our idea?"
"I guess so," he said slowly, giving his ponytail a tug. "I still think this whole prophecy thing is a crock of crap, though. I'm no hero."
"You can't do it?"
"No, I can do it, whatever 'it' is. I'm just not a hero."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I'm not...." He sighed. "I'm not that kind of person. I'm just a nameless kid from nowhere that's a bodyguard for a travelling caravan. I'm not big and important and I'm not doing it 'for the sake of the world' just because I think it should be done. I'm doing it because it has to be done to protect what I love."
"And?" she countered, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "That sounds plenty heroic to me. Actually, it scares me a little. Heroes can easily become martyrs."
"Don't worry about me. I'm hardly suicidal. I'm not going to waste my life. Don't be scared."
"I'm allowed to have one thing to be scared of, at least. Losing you."
"You won't lose me," he told her, standing up. "I'm hard to kill. Well, c'mon, let's see what the others are up to."
When they stepped outside, Ameko could immediately tell something was wrong. Instead of the usual cheery yelling and chatter, the place was quiet, most of the conversation now in mutters and whispers. She frowned, glancing over and noticing the same expression on Nikado's face. "What's got everyone all worked up?"
"Let's find out." Nikado stepped down from the infirmary cart, giving Ameko a hand before he motioned to his sister.
She came over, dragging Anko with her. "It's her fault," Talira said in a flat tone.
"What do you mean by that?" Nikado asked his twin with a scowl, looking over at the other woman. Ameko did as well, and noticed the woman's cheery expression was unusually serious.
"Did something happen?"
"More like I heard something pretty nasty," Anko said. "Are you familiar with the town of Umawarate, Ameko?"
"Yes, of course. It's at the edge of my father's duchy," she said, a sinking feeling forming in her stomach. "Why, what's happened?"
"You're not going to like this," Anko warned. "They're saying that the entire town has vanished. Or rather, the people in it. The buildings are all empty. But no one can get close to check it out for sure because it's overrun with monsters."
"So the monsters have come north, too," Nikado murmured to himself. "But why so many?"
"You're not listening to me, I'm not done yet. See, that's the thing," Anko said quietly. "That place was the home of a rebellion against the king, got started after your father was taken prisoner. Everyone's saying the king sent those monsters to that place."
Her eyes widened, and then she put a hand to her mouth, thinking. "I can see where they'd draw that conclusion."
"What do you think we should do, Ameko?" Talira directed to her. "Should we check it out for ourselves?"
"No, if there's as many there as they say, it'd be too dangerous, and there wouldn't be much to find out, anyway." Ameko thought about it, then paused as she realized the entire camp was watching her, waiting on her direction. "I think...we should go to the source," she said quietly, facing the rest of the camp with a calm expression. "If the king did do this, there has to be some way of controlling these monsters."
That caused a murmur among the camp. "Do you think we could get them to stop attacking people, if we could control them?" Nikado asked softly.
She looked at him with a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "I don't know. It'd certainly be worth a shot. At any rate, I think we need to make our way to the central capital. It's the only way we'll find out for real."
"And what are you going to do when we get there?"
"We'll need to find it...and take it."
There was a short pause as the members of the camp looked around at themselves. "I'm in agreement," Anko spoke up suddenly, her voice not particularly loud and yet still plenty audible in the silence. "I'll follow your judgement."
"So will I," Talira threw in. "This is getting too dangerous to make a decent living without havin' to worry about gettin' eaten by monsters or kings."
Mumbles of assent went through the camp. "You realize," Aizaem said slowly, "This isn't just stopping the monsters or a petty theft. You're rising up against the king. You're starting a rebellion."
Things went silent again as people considered that. "I'm aware of that," Ameko stated. "But if we don't defend our way of life, who will? It's not anyone's obligation but our own. And if we want to defend our way of life, we have to change the world. We have to make it a safe place for our future generations. Not for heroics or history or power. We're doing it for ourselves and for each other, because it needs to be done. Someone said to me that he didn't think my coming to this caravan was a coincidence," she said, glancing over at him. "And I agree. No one is here by accident. We are here because there is something we can do, and we have the ability and the will to do that thing. Even if it's dangerous or terrifying or sad. Because the alternate, to live in a world that continues to die, is not acceptable to us."
There was another silence, but this time it wasn't confused or unsure, but respectfully quiet. "You'll need a healer," Aizaem stated at last, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"I'll pull out the maps and see what the fastest way to the castle is," Jer said, turning to go fetch his scrolls.
"Well, what are you lot gaping around for? Let's get the wagons hitched, boys," Talira called with a grin. "We ain't the type to sit around and let life screw us over! We're gonna fight and kick and struggle like hell!"
This was met with a cheer as the camp quickly set to work loading up the breakfast supplies and going. "Here," Talira said to Nikado and Ameko, handing them each a roll. "You missed breakfast."
"I'll go give the boys a hand," Nikado said, going over to the mules, snagging a roll as he went. "Thanks, 'lira."
"Yes, thank you," Ameko agreed, accepting the other and taking a bite. "I'll go help as well."
"You really think we have a chance?" Talira asked her bluntly.
"I don't go on fool's errands, nor am I suicidal," she stated. "I don't mean to have a chance. I mean to win."
The younger woman's lips twitched in a smile. "That's what I like to hear. You're the right kind of person for the job, I think. In a way, it makes me feel glad."
"Why is that?"
"I get to have a leader to throw my weight behind," Talira told her. "Someone that can use me in the best way possible. That's what this place has been missing."
"Maybe it's what the world has been missing," Ameko sighed. "Shiou is no leader. The king is supposed to have the magical power to avert the natural disasters and ecological upsets that have been happening. But he hasn't. Either this world is too far gone for even his power...or he just doesn't care."
"Doesn't he have a kid or something?"
"A son, yes. I believe his name is Jun. I met him once, several years back. He's some years younger than I, I think he's still in his teens. Actually, I would fear for the boy," Ameko said with a frown. "If Shiou thought that his enemies would use his son to overthrow him, most likely the boy would be dead."
"You have amazing insight for someone that met him once."
"Hope that you're lucky enough to never meet him," Ameko stated, tossing the rest of her roll. "But if you do...you'll understand."
Once, the central city had been the center of the world, a beacon of civilization for the rest of the world to aspire to. She could remember visiting when she was young, hearing the sounds of the bustling streets and the flow of the fountains, seeing all the people smiling as they exchanged wares and the cleanliness of the place. Now, it seemed that there weren't as many people around, and it was quiet, and dirty. Even the water had stopped running. Ameko let out a little sigh as she adjusted her elaborate headdress.
"Not what you were expecting, hm, Madame Swan?" Anko asked from beside her. The woman was dressed in a costume that was also elaborate, though not as much as the layers that Ameko wore to disguise her identity and adopt the one of a mysterious, skilled dancer. "It seems business isn't as good around here lately."
"I hope your business fares better than mine," Ameko muttered, resisting the urge to straighten her sleeves. Oh, how she wished she could wear her sword, but it would be too difficult to disguise, particularly when she was performing.
"I'll give things a try."
"Where do you want to set up?" Jer asked her, looking around. "We probably don't want to draw too much attention."
"I agree. Let's find one of the smaller squares and break out the music," she told him as Nikado ventured up from the back of the caravan, frowning at the city before them.
"Not what you expected, Nikado?"
"No," he said quietly. "It's a very sad place. It's been ruined, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it's seen better days. It used to be beautiful, but that can be said of many things in the world."
"There are still things in this world that are beautiful, Madame Swan," he told her softly, taking her hand and bowing over it. "Let us hope that you can remind people of that."
She nodded as the wagons formed a loose arc along the edge of the square they had stopped in, the members of the camp who could play bringing out their instruments. She'd gotten more comfortable in her adopted role, although at first she was afraid that she wouldn't remember enough of her sparse dance lessons to pass for anything remotely like a dancer. But above all, it took grace and elegance, she remembered that much, and those were things she was not without.
The music started, and she strode to the center of the square, catching the gathering crowd's attention with her air alone. Raising a braceleted hand, she began to turn, throwing her head back as she spun. Then she was moving forward, arms and legs, head and body, all weaving a pattern of beauty among the rich, patterned cloth. Look at me, she commanded silently with her form, only the piercing gaze of her blue eyes visible around the headdress and veil. Watch and become enchanted. Forget the ugly world you live in. For a moment, I will give you beauty.
She could feel the eyes of the crowd on her, watching her every move, and she continued her dance without missing a step, as if she didn't notice anyone else around her. But she knew, she could tell by the quiet that almost smothered the music, that they were hers to command and enthrall. I wonder, she thought to herself, and the dance became wistful, yearning, filling the audience with a desire to gain something greater than themselves. If I were not born who I was, I think I could be happy, doing this.
All the same, she had no desire to give up her name. She was Ameko Satoka, daughter of Duke Akito Satoka of Rahiro, and she was neither a dancer nor a helpless child who could do nothing but be crushed under Shiou. She was who she was, and she was what she needed to be. And what she needed to do would be done.
She could hear the music working its way to the end, and she brought her dance to an end as well, the swirls of fabric coming to rest around her as she finished. The crowd began to stir from their spell at last, murmuring to themselves as a few tossed coins to the dancer. She stayed where she was, head bowed, slowly regaining the breath she'd found herself out of during the dance. Behind her, she could hear the bustle of the camp breaking open their wares, attempting to entice the crowd to trade and buy. She could only hope that Anko would find news.
"You did well," Nikado said, and she looked over at the man who was standing beside her. "No one could take their eyes off you."
"Then I accomplished what I set out to do."
"Let's let you retire for a moment, Madame Swan," he told her, offering a hand. "Let the merchants do their part, now."
It was dusk of the next day when Anko finally returned. Ameko had started to get worried, but had been reassured by several that it was not unusual for her work to take some time. The woman had quickly explained everything she had found out--that the dungeons were sparsely guarded, that Akito was indeed there, that the king was often seen holding some unusual sphere with a terribly deep blackness within, that the guard outside the secret entrance was going to be distracted with her feminine wiles the next night. There were also some things that were disturbing that she had heard, such as the rumors of horrific sounds from the dungeons, and that the king's son had gone missing recently. Ameko listened intently, rolling each fact over in her mind as she considered their next move.
"We are going to rescue your dad, right?" Talira asked her. "That is part of the reason we came, right?" The woman was camped out in the infirmary cart, which had become "Madame Swan's dressing room."
Ameko sighed. "Only if it doesn't endanger what we came to do. I don't want to be too greedy and use up all our luck. If it's not meant to be...it's not meant to be."
"We're going to need some time to look around the place and find this thing," Nikado said. "I think you should go ahead and get him out. You and Talira go and rescue him. I'll start searching for this thing. Talira can join me after while you get your dad back to the caravan."
"Nikado, it's not fair of me to do that. Talira should take him back, I should help you look."
"We'll cover more ground separate, and be harder to detect," he said with a shake of his head. "And we have a twin link. It's the logical choice."
She let out a sigh. "If something happens, I'm coming to help you."
"I know, love. I'll stay safe." He gave her a kiss on the forehead before looking at Talira. "We should move out soon. Are you ready?"
"Born ready, bro. Let's crack this foundation and level the walls," she told him with a thumbs up.
Ameko nodded, getting to her feet. The elaborate dancer's costume had been exchanged for dark, quiet clothing and her sword, her hair tied back. The twins were similiarly dressed, each armed with their knives. Talira was first out the dor, but as Nikado moved to follow, Ameko placed a hand on his arm. "Just a moment."
"Hm? What is it?" She leaned forward, kissing him on the lips as she put her hands against his chest, calling on a power she had never used before and yet seemed so familiar, pulling him close. He placed his hands over hers, and she could feel his own power, a dark, throbbing energy next to her bright, wispy threads. And around that and the both of them was a new power that was warm and glowing like the sun, bringing them together as she laid it around Nikado like a cloak.
"Protection magic?" he murmured as she finally released his lips, the man opening his eyes slowly.
"I don't want to take any chances," she told him. "You will come back. We have our dream to fulfill."
He grabbed her abruptly, seizing her around the shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug. "Absolutely. I'll defy fate, the stars and death itself if I have to. We will have our dream." Brushing a hand against her face, he opened the door for her.
They moved into the streets, which were completely devoid of human or even animal traffic, as silent as a tomb. Talira led the way, the younger woman light on her feet and stealthy as she scouted ahead. Ameko followed, Nikado bringing up the rear and keeping a watch behind them. The entrance had been just as Anko described, complete with lack of guard, and the noblewoman took a moment to bless her chatty friend for her good work. Nikado nodded, looking to Talira, and then he entered, making his way inside.
He was already gone from sight when she entered, or perhaps she just couldn't see him with his dark clothing on, slipping inside the gate with Talira behind her. Making a gesture downward, followed by a jerk of her head, the younger woman took the lead again, moving along toward the dungeons. There was one guard, looking miserable at his duty, who was quickly put to sleep by a well-placed choke-hold, and then the two were in the dungeons.
The sounds of something could definitely be heard further down the hallways, but Ameko wasn't so sure it was screaming. The sounds seemed more inhumane, like...monsters? Biting her lip, she gave Talira a look of concern before moving down the stairs, into the deeper dungeons. This floor was dark, only lit by a spluttering torch at the end of the hall, which was then blocked by a shadow between it and them. "What are you doing down here?" a soft voice asked. "You shouldn't be here."
Ameko didn't have time to identify where the voice was coming from, for there was a monster in front of them, staring down at the pair of women. Talira bit back a yell of surprise, pulling out her knives and charging the thing immediately. It did not move from her attack, letting the blades sink in as best they could into its thick fur and skin. "Please, you shouldn't be here," the voice said again. "If you're discovered, terrible things will be done to you. I don't know how you got here, but please leave now."
"Ameko," Talira said in a low tone, "am I imaginin' things, or is that monster talking to us."
"You're not imagining it," Ameko replied, looking up into the monster's eyes. Somehow, there was a nagging sense of familiarity she couldn't place.
"Lady Ameko?" the monster said in its soft tone, which seemed out of place coming from the massive beast. "You've come for your father, then."
Ameko frowned, narrowing her eyes as she studied the creature, trying to place the sense of familiarity. "Have we met?"
It didn't answer right away. "Yes," it said at last, "though it was a long time ago. I was much younger."
"Jun," she breathed out in surprise. "You're Jun, aren't you."
He shut his eyes, lowering his head as a sort of nod. "The prince? This is him?" Talira said in a low tone. "That's not...How?"
"I don't have time to explain," he told them. "You have to leave. Please. I don't want to see you hurt, Lady Ameko."
"He did this, didn't he," she stated, a sudden horror coming over her.
"Yes."
"What are you talking about?" Talira asked.
"Talira, he didn't set monsters loose on Umawarate. He made them monsters. That's how he controls them, because he created them."
The woman's eyes widened as she looked at Jun. "Your father is still alive, and hasn't had this happen to him yet," Jun said, turning around in the small hallway. "He was waiting for you to reemerge. I will help you, if you leave quickly."
"Jun, come with us," Ameko urged. "We'll find a way to help you. We're going to take that thing that he uses to do this. It's that sphere, isn't it?"
"You can't. You can't win against him, Lady Ameko. He'll do to you...what he did to me."
"I'm not going to lose to him, Jun. Even so, it's a risk I would take. The world is on its way to ruin; what difference would it make to die now or later?"
"You'd wish you were dead if he catches you," the monster muttered darkly as he stopped by a door. "This is it, but I don't have the keys."
"Don't worry, we do," Talira said, opening the door and allowing Ameko to step inside.
He was seated with his back against the far wall, somehow still looking the same as he had when she had left him. And yet she could see the marks under his eyes and on his arms, the weight he had lost. "Father," she got out in a choked sob, kneeling next to him and throwing her arms around his neck.
He stirred at the movement, eyes opening slowly as he looked at her. "Is this a dream?" he murmured, reaching up to touch her face.
"It's real, Father, I'm here. I've come to take you away from this madman," she reassured him, giving him a hug. "Can you stand?"
"Yes, I think so." He took her hand, and she pulled him to his feet, the taller woman looping an arm under his.
"Good. Now to just find my brother, that thing, and get out of here," Talira muttered as she stood by the door.
As Ameko looked over at her, her back went rigid, her face paling. "Oh no," she muttered, starting for the entrance to the dungeon.
"Did something happen to Nikado?" Ameko asked, feeling her stomach clench in fear. "Did he find it?"
"Oh, he found it, all right. And he found him. I gotta go save him," she muttered, continuing up the stairs.
"I'm coming with you," Ameko insisted.
"You need to get your father to safety, Ameko."
"He's my husband," Ameko told her. "I'm coming with you."
"You'll be killed," Jun told her bluntly. "Or worse."
"If he takes Nikado away from me, I may as well be dead," she countered. "I'm not leaving without him."
Jun looked from one to the other, his inhuman eyes sharp. "It can't be helped. Lady Ameko, I will see your father safely out. Be very careful. And...if it's already too late, then save yourself. Please don't get killed for the sake of revenge."
"I have no intention of doing that," she muttered, helping her father onto Jun's back. "You can find him, Talira?"
"What twin can't find their other half?" she muttered, pointing. "Let's go."
The hallways were deserted and quiet, strangely lacking in guards. Ameko didn't have time to question the oddity as she followed the younger woman through the elaborate halls. Like the city itself, they had seen finer days, and while some staff had apparently made an effort to take care of the upkeep, some of the finery had been ruined, stained or shredded, and there was an odd smell in the halls. Not of death, she thought, but something worse: despair.
"Up here," Talira told her, flinging open a door and running into the hallway behind. On the other side of the wall, she could hear voices, one of which she thought might be Nikado's. Please be safe, Nikado, she prayed to herself as she followed Talira around the corner.
The room they entered opened up into a room she had seen once before when she was young: the great hall, once full of people and decorated with the most beautiful things in the kingdom, now a bare, dark place. Nikado was standing at the far end, by the throne, with a small, glittering black sphere clutched in both hands. Shiou stood between the women and Nikado, back to them as he raised one hand, the room rippling with power.
"Nikado!" She had time to reach a hand toward him, the only thought in her head that of protecting him from the attack that was coming. He didn't even have that long, unable to get away from the warping of the air that streaked toward him.
There was a painful moment that stretched out forever as the attack hit Nikado, his eyes widening as he began to fall back, and then the protection spell began, just a moment too late. She screamed his name again as the white energy spiraled out, surrounding him as it shot through the roof and into the sky, forming a solid white pillar, obscuring the figure inside.
"No!" Shiou let out a snarl, calling more power to his hands as he tore at the pillar, to no effect. "You cannot take it from me! It's mine!"
It's holding out, Ameko thought numbly to herself, unable to bring herself to react further. Even a king's power can't tear it apart.
"Ameko." Talira pulled back on her arm, her grip tightening as Shiou turned toward them. "We gotta get out of here, now."
"You," Shiou said quietly as he saw Ameko. "The girl of the prophecy. You did that. Take it down, that's an order from your king."
"I will not," she whispered, eyes closed. "I will never let you have him, not while I still draw breath. He is my husband. He is the thing you could not become."
"Damn it, Ameko!" Talira snapped as Shiou's expression darkened, the king drawing more power to himself. Ameko did the same, twining threads of silver between her fingers, but before either of them could cast a spell, something had seized her by the back of the shirt, dragging her away with an irresistable force, carrying her down the front steps out of the hall.
"No, let me go!" she cried out, struggling. "Nikado!!"
"It's too late for that, Ameko!" Talira shouted back at her. "We can't do anything right now. We have to fall back and make a new plan. That's what you do when your plan fails, damn it!"
"No, I can't leave him! He's hurt, what if he's--"
"He's not dead!" Talira snapped with a dangerous intensity to her voice, moreso than Ameko had ever heard from the casual woman. "He is not dead. I would know if he was dead. As long as he's still alive and that spell of yours holds, there's hope. But not right now. You understand?"
They passed through some doors, and Ameko was finally lowered to the ground. Vaugely, she recognized the monster standing over her as Jun, and pieced together that he must have carried her out by her shirt in his mouth. "It will hold. As long as our love does not die, it will hold. And that will not die."
"I told you it was too dangerous," Jun fretted, pacing around.
"We need to get out of here," Talira said to Ameko, kneeling next to her. "He's going to come after us."
"No, I don't think he will," Jun said quietly. "He hasn't left the castle since he found that...thing. Oh god, I've left the castle, what if someone sees me?"
"We won't let you come to harm, Jun," Ameko reassured quietly. "You'll be safe with us."
"Lady Ameko...thank you," he said quietly, bowing his large head. "I don't know what to--" He cut himself off, looking back up at the castle.
Talira's eyes widened as she saw the sphere that radiated outward through the walls, enclosing the castle in a bubble. "That's a twins' barrier!"
"Not twins, in this case," Jun said in a low tone. "That's my father's doing. If he can't have his bauble, no one can."
"How? The king ain't no damn twin!" Talira demanded.
"The king has access to all forms of magic," Ameko said quietly. "Because he's the foundation of our world. But what he can do depends on his mindset and personality. It would be a very strong sense of self--or rather, a very strong rejection of everyone that is not him, to do that sort of thing."
"Damn it all to hell!" Talira turned to the closest object--a wall--and slammed a fist into it, ignoring the bloody mark she left behind on the stone. "You're telling me we can't even get at him now?"
"Talira...I'm sorry," Ameko said quietly. "I've misjudged the situation. We weren't strong enough for this. We weren't ready yet."
Talira sighed, pulling a bandage out of a pouch on her belt and awkwardly wrapping her hand. "That may be true, but we didn't have the time for that. How many other towns and cities would have been lost while we got properly prepared? At least this way, we've bought ourselves time. It can't get any worse. Ameko?"
The older woman was looking up at the sky. "No, you're wrong," she murmured darkly. "It can get worse. And it is."
Talira looked up, and her eyes widened. The sky above them was dark, a deep reddish gray, and in the sky, she could make out shapes of teeth and dangerous eyes. "Oh my god, what is that?" she asked, putting a hand to her mouth.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's starting to leak," Ameko said, pointing up. As they watched, the form of a monster became fully visible as it descended to the ground, landing somewhere far outside the city.
"They're coming for us," Talira said in a low voice. "How are we going to fight all of them? What are we going to do, Ameko?"
"We need to take my father and the caravan and leave this place for now," Ameko said softly. "It's far too vulnerable. We'll go back to the Rahiro central castle. It was a fort in the days before the king, it will be safe."
Talira looked at her, letting out a little sigh. "All right. I'll keep everyone off your back until we get there. We can think of our next move then."
