X: 2099
Prologue one:
“The Princess is meditating.” A quiet voice whispers.
“I’m sure she is,” the words floated back, a hint of laughter in them.
“Come now, my lady, let us in. I’m sure Yuz…I mean the princess won’t mind a visit
from her champions?”
“Perhaps you should think of something beyond yourselves. The princess could be
indisposed.” The original cold voice snaps.
Yuzuriha stifled the giggle that threatened to overtake her as she listened to the argument
outside the gauzy fabric that separated her tent from the priestess’. “What do you think,
Inuki? Should I go out and see what they want?”
The spirit dog refrained from comment, merely raised his dog-eyebrows at her, not
moving from where he lay at her feet.
Yuzuriha took that as a good sign and moved across the makeshift room to pull back the
heavy flap to reveal the three figures at her doorway.
Arashi, the priestess, frowned at such behavior, as she bowed slightly to acknowledge the
girl. She kept her hands knotted tightly in front of her, careful to smooth her cool exterior
after her sudden outburst. She, like the two men behind her, was draped in the red-ish,
gauzy fabric of the Shikaku, each wearing variations of the court uniform.
"Don't be so stuffy, Arashi-chan," the princess teased, reaching forward to gently pat the
girl on the shoulder. The hidden priestess of Ise shrine had been one of her closest friends
since Arashi had come to the Shikaku court.
And the two men behind her now, were her champions and also friends. They both
dipped their heads in her presence, although one of them couldn't resist grinning. She
knew why, imagine, he of all people needing to bow in her presence!
"Fuuma, Kusanagi." She greeted, using her princess voice before she too lost control and
dissolved into giggles. "What brings you to my tent?"
"Do we need a reason to sit in the presence of your beauty?" Fumma teased gently,
ignoring Kusanagi's glare.
"We came to inform you that the Dreamgazer has had another vision." Kusanagi blurted,
his face blushing slightly as he spoke. He was always so shy, Yuzuriha thought, so odd
for such a man. He could be so outspoken and direct in other ways.
Arashi gasped slightly at that news, it was what they had come for, leaving the relative
safety of the Shikaku court to seek out the legendary Dreamgazer. The journey had been
a long one, and all were shocked to find one frail young boy to be the object of their
search.
"Another? So soon after he'd already given the oracle my father demanded?" the princess
asked, her face a startling shade of white.
“He asks to see you.” Kusanagi told her softly.
The princess sighed, her usual jovial face suddenly became shuttered and closed. “Come
Arashi, we must prepare for what he has to say.”
***
All who had accompanied Yuzuriha, the child warrior, as she was called, were present in
the tiny shrine where the dreamgazer known as Kakyou sat in session. His frail body was
huddled behind yards of silk and other fabric, carefully arranged to conceal the
diminutive, yet beautiful young man. The few servants who kept the shrine knelt behind
him, unobtrusive in his presence.
The princess stood before him, Arashi at her side, along with the spirit dog, as always
supporting the girl. Her two champions stood on either side of the entrance, as was their
place. Off in the corner sat Aoki, the court scribe, who chronicled each of the
conversations between Yuzurihah and the Legend. In the opposite corner, leaning against
the wall and flipping his ridiculous hat, stood Yuuto, the strange mercenary who had
joined them halfway through their journey.
All was as it should be, Kakyou thought to himself, regarding the group. “I have had a
vision, Princess of Shikaku, one that concerns you and your …”he paused here, “friends.”
For it was true, the girl was uncannily attached to her honor guard and servants. More so
than any proper princess would be. But she was no ordinary princess, after all. She was
/kamui/.
“What is it, gazer?” she asked softly, her eyes never leaving his own.
“The earth is in danger.” He told her simply, “I have seen a future without the green lands
of our country. Where the fertile mountains become covered with silver slime and the
waters run foul. Even the air which we breathe, becomes only smoke to poison us.”
“Fine words from one who makes his living on dreams.” A snide voice cracked the
powerful speech.
Kakyou gazed at Yuuto gravely, “Disbelieve me at your own peril, Kigai.”
Yuuto stiffened suddenly, “Where did you hear that name?” he demanded.
“Oh, from dreams,” Kakyou smiled slightly.
“Enough, both of you,” the princess ordered, “If what you say is true, how can we
prevent it?”
The dreamgazer stood slowly, surprising them all, since they doubted he could move
independently at all. He walked stiffly, as if one not accustomed to it, coming to a stop
before Yuzuriha. Gently, he stroked her forehead, causing a bright symbol to come alive
at his touch. “There are always those chosen to battle for the majesty of gods. You, my
princess, and your friends, are they. You will meet your opponents seven days hence, at
the seventh hour, if you go to the seven springs of Watasumi.”
“Is that how it is? You tell us what to do and we do it?” Yuuto challenged angrily.
“Hush, Yuuto, haven’t you learned your lesson already?” the princess chided softly. “Our
opponents will come to meet us?”
“No, the seven dragons exist in another world. For a short time, you can be pulled into
their world. Then you must find them.”
“How are we supposed to do that?” this time it was Fuuma who challenged the
Dreamgazer.
Kakyou smiled sadly, “You will find out when you get there. I will give you this.” He
pulled from beneath his robes a tiny sea shell mirror, polished smooth on one side.
Taking the princess’s palm in his own, he placed the tiny object there. “When you have
need to speak with me, sleep with this under your head, and I will come.”
Aoki raised his head thoughtfully and asked the Dreamgazer if he could repeat the last
part, just to make sure his records were complete. Kusanagi began to groan, bemoaning
the use of a scribe who couldn’t even recall what was last said.
Yuzuriha tuned out the familiar teasing, only half-hearing as Fuuma joined in. “Kakyou,”
she said softly. At her words the entire room became silent. “We will go. For Shinkaku.”
End Prologue One
Prologue 2
Subaru Sumeragi frowned at the display that ran across the dimly lit screen, the processor
that served as his right eye cataloging all the code that ran by in neat streaming bits of
data. If he couldn’t get this code to work by morning, he’d have hell to pay with Satsuki
Yatohji. And no one punished quite like Satsuki.
The door to the lab slid open, the sound barely registering to
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