"Fuqin! What the hell happened to you!?" Milady questioned.
The elder was the first to return from the Demon Knight's Arena. Of course, he flew Meioshi and Jaken back to her belongings, but not without a bit of... Extra luggage to slow them down. Jaken ran after the elder while Meioshi stayed behind to pack her things. She gathered something of interest. Since the arena was surrounded by sandfalls, everyone was just a tad bit dustier than before. Sesshomaru, of course, was frowning. He missed a good battle from the looks of it. How dare that foolish witch sweep his grandfather off his feet on some new adventure in the middle of a seafaring escapade!
Hikozaemon II merely huffed at the question before smirking. He then said cryptically, "I just went out for a walk."
"Where's the big-hipped one and the little imp?" Milady asked, checking her father-in-law for wounds. His clothes were slightly scratched and sandy. He also smelled of drool and acid, but he was overall fine.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken called, running to his lordship's side. He slid to a stop like he remembered something and whispered an 'oh' before taking some steps back. This caught Sesshomaru's attention and made him look at Jaken with the faintest bit of concern. "Is me Lord feeling better?"
"Better?" Sesshomaru probed.
"You were upset earlier. I wanted to give you proper space this time. To be a better servant to you, after all," Jaken said with a smile. He almost seemed bashful and innocent. "Oh! I got to fight while you were away! Your grandfather is so powerful, me Lord! His stories are true! He can fire the sun from his jaws! It was amazing! Lady Meioshi is also craftier than I thought. Her witch hats are special. That had to have been what you meant by her hat being a lantern when you met."
"Her hat was a lantern?" Milady questioned.
"So, she disguises her abilities through harmless illusions to ward off danger? Did the Green Pheasant gift her with these hats then?" Hikozaemon II asked, turning around to wait for Meioshi to catch up to them.
"What beast of the underworld did that little seductress fight this time?" Sesshomaru growled.
"Several, actually. But, she decided to take something a little more her speed from her opponent's arena," Hikozaemon II said, seeing Meioshi pull her flower pots harshly to drag them. She was smiling victoriously and still had her wagon strapped to her waist and hips. "She didn't quite obtain her opponent's affections."
"She got something of better value than a prized male?" Milady asked in a challenging tone. "Doubtful."
"You underestimate the girl," Hikozaemon II replied, quirking his lips to smirk.
"S~ah! So much treasure!" Meioshi cheered. She had two tall pots meant for flowers filled with sapphires from the demon knight's arena and a bottle of sand and magical water on her shoulders. "It's just like old times with papa! Great uncle, help me hide these from pirates!"
Kirameku Ha walked out of his lodging with a smirk. Meioshi laughed proudly as she tilted her hat up and let the winds take her hair. The sun was rising. Sesshomaru wanted to be mad at her, but he couldn't stay angry at the good doctor. Not when she smiled like that...
Princess Gongsim felt the winds change and just sighed. She accepted total defeat. The demons' quarters stirred from the good doctor's return, but she was too joyful to even notice their mouths dropping at her new riches.
_________________________________________________________
It had been a decent seven days since arriving in Agmaui Sijang. They didn't stay in Goryeo for very long. Sesshomaru was a bit disappointed that the stay wasn't going to be longer. He overheard the merchants saying they would disembark in another five days or less. Aside from demons coming for Meioshi out of vengeance practically daily, Meioshi was already loading up her things and giving away some of her sapphires to the workers. She taught them more self-defense techniques, gave them check ups, and restored the barrier over the port and hall. Now, it was saying her farewells to Kunimatsu and Ohta until they returned from this supposed trade route.
She embraced them both and escorted them to school every morning. During the day, she would collect her flowers, meditate, and go shopping. When it was almost time for lunch, she would buy her meats from the butcher, cook them and some side dishes, and bring her boys lunch. Sesshomaru followed her periodically and took note of Ohta's genuine happiness. When school resumed, she spent her time learning the language of Goryeo in exchange for teaching Nihongo. Much like her time at home with the ladies, she was very playful and calm. She even wore fine kimonos or hanbok and skirt arrangements. But, ultimately, she simply preferred her doctor's garb or farmer's attire. At night, Meioshi was a mother to Ohta: making dinner or simply speaking with him. Sometimes, she'd stay up late until everyone slept and go out to do battle. Sometimes, she'd visit Kirameku Ha. Sometimes, she'd be with Homugi and Yuko. Hasumi and Milady seemed to be catching up on things, so that left Sesshomaru on his own. With Jaken demanding fighting lessons, the inu prince felt the true weight of loneliness for a spell.
He felt out of place, too different, in someone else's shadow. He may have moved like the wind, but he didn't carry the smiles, voices, or daily toils of the others on his back. This journey gave him the most "out of body" experience to date. During the day, Sesshomaru largely checked on his family, spoke with Nihipali about his own lessons, and kept tabs on Jaken or Meioshi. Maybe that's why he found himself on Meioshi's boat or in her greenhouse at night or even looking out into the sea to smell the air. It was said the ocean air smelled salty, but his lordship smelled spice and some sweet thing. Whenever he took Meioshi's place to fight, she didn't argue with him. She thanked him, restored the barrier, and said her gentle goodnight.
Today was going to be different, though. Meioshi had just returned from dropping Ohta and Kunimatsu off at school. She was walking back to her lodging and was getting ready to clean it up with some help from Homugi and the little helpers. Reijiro and Sanraku visited before exploring the market and monitoring the ships or merchants' quarters. His lordship noticed a bit of a lingering between Homugi and Reijiro. It was like the two wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. It reminded Sesshomaru of his parents. When Toga and Milady couldn't formally speak their minds in a crowd, there was this look they exchanged that spoke in their place. Though not quite the same in this context, it was a familiar action. Once Reijiro and Sanraku left, Homugi hopped inside to explore Meioshi's quarters. Kirameku Ha was inside along with the three grandmothers.
He didn't know when he walked up to Meioshi's engawa, but he was towering over her blankly. It seemed like she was waiting for him. He finally spoke, "Is Jaken cured, servant? He has been training without fail, yes?"
"Afraid not, my lord. Your poison is potent, but it is very slow-acting," Meioshi said with visible concern. "His response to danger has been effected as evident by my prior battle. I have thought of ways to test my theories, but we can't be here to do them. On these lands, he seems just fine. Something else triggers your venom. I can't tell what does and doesn't."
"What connection do you really have with these beasts of the underworld? Even the ones here can sense you," Sesshomaru complained.
"Comes with the job of being a holy warrior," Meioshi said with an almost proud smile, sitting down and leaning against the doorframe. "We're quite different from demon slayers and priestesses. Our rules are specific and our enemies even moreso. I am an enemy to the gods and pure blood demons, not just one or the other. They've been hunting me down since I was little."
"... How young were you?" Sesshomaru asked uncharacteristically softly. "When you were first attacked?"
His little Rin was young when she and her family were attacked. Far too young. Meioshi's words brought him back to the day when he met her. As destitute and hungry as she was, she had such a grand capacity of compassion in her heart to care for him. Meioshi was quite cute as a little girl. Had Lord Arimasa not risen from the grave to say his goodbyes, Sesshomaru wouldn't have seen the good doctor reverse in age. A little explorer. One girl appreciated another chance at life, the other sought to understand life and the meaning of a second chance.
"I was about... nine or ten when I saw a demon leave hell for the first time. Frightful occurrence! Just before I received my wings, no less," Meioshi replied, looking into the sky. "Speaking of, when did you learn how to fly, my lord?"
"... Seven," Sesshomaru replied with the faintest hint of bashfulness. "Father taught me."
"I miss seeing you fly," she said sweetly, locking eyes with his lordship. "Your grandfather is a very gentle flyer. I wondered if you were like him. Was there a special place that you got to see when you flew on your own for the first time?"
"... A green lagoon. The waves crossed each other. One side was gold from the sun's rays; the other purely blue. The sides became one after crossing like a painter mixed their pigments," his lordship replied. "The beaches were plush at the touch. Foliage was so pure the green leaves looked blue. Plants normally red were practically purple. The canopies under the trees sung songs like the winds orchestrated the reeds and tall grass... I didn't want to leave it. But, if I stayed, life would have become dull."
Ah, so that's why his heart had a beach in it. The Nintojo identified a place close to his lordship's heart... Meioshi thought.
"Sounds pretty!" the good doctor complimented. "I wonder if there's a place like that here for you to discover. Will you visit this beautiful country again... even after our rivalry is no more?"
"Obviously," Sesshomaru said almost snippily. "The cuisine is acceptable, there's treasure to be found, and the merchants' small pocket of prestige please the House of Inu's ruling class."
Meioshi smiled widely then laughed. She then said, "You amuse me, lordship! I admire your observations. You're like Yamashi. You see the economic potential of things, but you have this subtle respect and appreciation for nature's delicate beauty. Do you like ikebana at home? You'd do well in it!"
"... It is a favored art among the ruling class. Children tend to eat the displays if left to their own devices," Sesshomaru replied honestly.
"Sounds like me!" Meioshi chuckled.
"You're too much of a drunkard to appreciate fine arrangements," Sesshomaru insulted.
"Phrase it how you will. Ikebana is not a favorite past time of mine, but I do enjoy it's beauty. Blame it on my occupation, but I prefer more tangible hobbies like landscaping and building gardens. I'm too dirty for something so pristine!" Meioshi cheered proudly.
You're also too unromantic, Sesshomaru thought.
"Shame, honestly. You were good at it," a familiar voice said.
Kirameku Ha sat down to set up a gaming table and pulled out a collection of pieces seated in a beautifully crafted wooden box. Sesshomaru watched as the old man took out smaller boxes filled with miniature daggers in sheaths, a checkered board, and a stack of cards. Anju and Homugi came out with tea and snacks.
"Do you spend your days drinking in taverns and playing games?" Sesshomaru asked with a frown.
"Certainly not! This is just one of my favorite games to play with great uncle!" Meioshi replied. "Most swordsmen know this one. You might like it yourself, my lord."
"What's it called, doctor?" Homugi asked curiously.
"Ō no senpō. It's a strategy game," Meioshi explained excitedly. "In the throne room, which is represented by the small bowl in great uncle's hand, are crowned daggers. These are the four kings represented by the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. Two opponents choose the kings they want to play as. Each king has a full set of sixteen daggers to play with. The pieces represent the strength of his army, and the army always has eight low-ranked pieces (represented by the rather plain daggers at the front) and four second-ranks. They're the vanguard. On the king's row are unique combinations of higher ranked soldiers that are needed to control the territories on the board. The King of the North has three third-ranks. The King of the South has one third-rank and two imperial ranks. The King of the East has two third-ranks and one imperial rank, and the King of the West has no thirds but three imperials."
"Doesn't that make the King of the West the strongest piece?" Homugi asked, picking up the crowned dagger. It was excellently crafted!
"Not at all! That's where the other 48 pieces come into play," Meioshi said, choosing the King of the North for her match.
"You would choose the northern king. Have you spoken to your hero?" Kirameku Ha asked, choosing the King of the East.
"Thanks to great uncle Tsuguhara, I have no choice! I had hoped to properly visit her after the okiya village was destroyed. Unfortunately, his lordship there needed my immediate attention with the attack on his lands. I have to hurry this trip along before another one occurs, hence the short timeframe," Meioshi answered.
"Who's your hero?" Homugi asked cutely.
"You'll meet her soon. She's a queen," Meioshi answered vaguely, smiling warmly. "I was elected to be her daughter's bodyguard, but I chose to be a doctor instead. On that note, do you intend to visit your sons in the East, great uncle?"
"My sons have all moved to the sister town. That's why they were at the festival this year. You were going to see them before you met Lord Jaken," Kirameku Ha explained.
"Those sneaky cousins of mine! Tight lips, tight lips!" Meioshi complained, wiggling her toes cutely. "They left no clues!"
"What's the sister town, Lord Kirameku Ha?" Homugi asked. So much information today! Sesshomaru eventually sat down next to Anju.
"Mokutotochi is Heiwa's historical rival," Anju started with a smile. "Pardon my interruption, my friend."
"You've a right to speak. Your husband was born and raised there before we met him in Heiwa," Kirameku Ha said, taking his south and north cards from the deck and arranging his pieces.
"Really?" Homugi asked.
"My beloved was a feisty thing! Very dashing and adventurous," Anju complimented, blushing at his memory. "Mokutotochi is the other town in the hell travelers origin story. Demons used to plague Heiwa and Mokutotochi viciously in ancient times. When a war broke out involving Mokutotochi and another clan, Heiwa's men were asked to join forces, but Heiwa was simply in no position to aid them with the constant attacks. When Unmei was coming into power, the demons on the battlefield were more his priority. Once he learned how to truly exterminate them, the demons went to Mokutotochi to recover and started killing the people there. Unmei's journey to purify the cities led to an alliance, so they became sister cities. The nobles and royalty of the sister kingdoms typically married back then to ensure a strong alliance. Is that cute, little emperor still running away from that?"
"Pfft! Who knows?" Meioshi responded, shuffling her cards and completing her side of the board.
You would! He wanted to marry you! Sesshomaru thought incredulously.
"As part of the alliance, however, Heiwa became a sort of third-party army," Meioshi said, watching Kirameku Ha move his pieces. He ended his turn and waited. Meioshi moved hers with careful thought and continued, "Unfortunately, the union was short-lived. The imperial family had formed after our first civil war. That broke the royals ties to each other and performed a sort of quality control on the nobles. The status of a noble is now voted on by the emperor's chosen criteria. Mokutotochi is now run by a shogunate that mainly deals with the First General's army and policing force. Our military forces are quite strong as a result, but they also agreed to merely act as a third-party army. We only fight if needed."
"The general you honored on that island was originally from Mokutotochi then?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Yes. He was the son of one of the shogun's men and a noblewoman," Meioshi answered. "Arrest, top left."
"How do you intend to gather clues on my Meido Stone while on this trip?" Sesshomaru asked.
"My hope is to follow Lord Aka's advice. There must be another stone similar to it that can be used as a beacon. Lady Rakuyama can hide the thing in something as simple as a treasure chest or as complex as a labyrinth. The problem with that is she can drag such a stone down into the Underworld or someplace beyond normal reach. As a titan, you are one of the untouchables. She's the most opportunistic and the most ballsy. She will and can enter other realms and territories," Meioshi explained.
"What happens if you find a stone that merely birthed this Meido Stone? Like a shard broken from the main boulder?" Kirameku Ha asked.
"Sounds similar enough to the Shikon Jewel, but I don't think that's how this particular stone functions. Lady Rakuyama had plenty of time to be interested in ye olden power gem. Now, it is possible that another stone could try to rejoin with it, but Lord Sesshomaru knows very little about its origins or creation. This will be a learning experience for us all. Rakuyama doesn't care for power. She already has it. She's a titan. That stone has to be of great importance or hold something of interest for her to keep it. My fear is that she'll use it to destroy us all. Only the gods and other untouchables can stop her..."
ray id: php-master