Standard Disclaimer: Shogakukan Shojo comics owns Chichiri, Tasuki and Ryo. Yu Watase created them, I did not. I recieve no money from this story. Lord WuFang is my own creation, any resembelence they may share with any other author's characters is totally unintentional (honestly I don't read much).

Duty and Honor

Part 3

Charades wasn't working and Tasuki was getting very frustrated, very quickly. He had tried to get his prisoner to draw a picture, write a note, anything, but the index fingers on his hands were gone and the wounds were fresh enough that he knew there must be exteme discomfort in even picking up a mug of beer. Tasuki wasn't the most sympathetic guy in the world. Crap happens to good people every day and there ain't no reason for it. Not his problem, not his concern, but he had a feeling that this man's misfortune should worry him. Tasuki decided to continue his travels after it became apparent that he wouldn't be able to force the necessary information out of his prisoner. He hated leaving his horse behind but all of a sudden a sense of urgency took a hold of him and he figured that he really needed to get going. Chichiri had indicated in his last note that he and Ryo would be taking a rather circuitous route to Mi'uko and thus Tasuki would have plenty of time to catch up to them. Tasuki used the last of his cash to obtain a rather sad looking mule. It would get him where he needed to go though. He had his steed safely boarded at a local stable and prepared to leave when his newly set free prisoner stopped in front of his mule stopping his progress. He handed Tasuki a piece of paper.

"So now you feel like being cooperative?" Tasuki asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. Instead he looked at the piece of paper. It was heavily blood stained and the writing was terrible, but Tasuki could make it out. It read: He wants a war. Tasuki didn't need to ask who. He rode away with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. =====================================================================================

"I can't believe it is taking so long, why is it taking so long, Chichiri?'

"Well you were unconcious for most of the trip to the doc's you know. He wasn't local. I didn't feel comfortable taking you to just anyone you know."

"But if it had taken this long for you to get me to the doctor's I would be dead. You aren't trying to pull anything are you Chichiri?" Lady Ryuen trusted Chichiri, totally, but she wasn't a fool, they had been on the road for almost three days now.

"We gotta be careful Ryo, we go in direct and something bad will happen, I know it. So yeah we are taking a little longer, but don't worry we'll get there you know."

"Chichiri my people are dying, the longer we take the more people die. I know I agreed to let you do this your way, but..."

"That's right you did agree and we aren't far now, just be patient Ryo. You don't even know what you are going to do when you get there."

"What I am going to do? I am going to resume my life and end these silly fueds over my kidnapping."

"But how?"

"By my presense."

"That's it, you think it will be that easy? You're gonna need an explanation for who attacked you and why you left you know. If you don't come up with something that pleases Lord WuFang the fighting won't stop."

"I was planning on telling him the truth."

"That I took you."

"That you saved me."

"And how will you explain why I was there in the first place?"

"Well, I don't know why you were there Chichiri."

"Yes you do, and you know that you can't tell Lord WuFang that I was there to keep him from kicking your tail you know." Ryo was thoughtfully embarrassed for a moment.

"True, I'll just say you were there for a friendly visit."

"Good timing you know?"

"Yes." Ryo smiled, it was good timing.

"No, that isn't going to work."

"He knows you are my friend."

"Lord WuFang might think otherwise you know."

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't strike me as the type of guy whose kindness gains him true friendship. Most of his friends are there for the power or privileges it gains them. He will want to know what's in it for me you know. Why would I bother to save you?"

Ryo was disturbed by this, but she knew Chichiri was probably right. "I guess I can tell him you're still on my payroll."

"That'll really piss him off you know. He will wonder why you don't trust his security team. He will consider it an insult against him you know."

"Well what do you think I should say?" asked a frustrated Ryo.

"I think you should let me do the talking you know."

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"Furthermore I am not convinced that my beloved wife is dead. I am sure that everyone in the region shares my sorrow. If you know of Lady Ryuen's whereabouts please contact your local authorities. She may be hurt and confused or under duress, so her words may not echo what is in her heart, and if I know my wife, her heart just wants to be home, with me in the palace. Therefore I am asking all of you to keep your eyes out for Lady Ryuen, or her suspected kidnapper, her former bodyguard Chichiri." WuFang completed his speech. Once he returned to him chambers, he let out a snort. 'I can't believe I said all that with a straight face,' he thought, satisfied at his performance.

He knew that she was with Chichiri, but he couldn't figure out why. He had checked her expenses and didn't find any funds out of place, therefore she wasn't paying Tasuki and Chichiri, so why were they helping her? He wondered if there was a more physical aspect to her relationship to Chichiri, but she was still very young. They had engaged in the necessary activities for bringing about an heir and he knew that that was something that she had never done before. Her discomfort had been most noticable. He had even wondered if she was secretly kin to either Chichiri or Tasuki. She did have blue eyes, which many had thought was proof of her royal blood, the superstitious had thought it was a sign from God. He however had always wondered if her royal blood was in fact, impure. He wondered how he could go about finding out the truth. It was probably impossible. If Ryuen was the daughter of either Tasuki or Chichiri, then that would mean her mother had been having an affair with the help. This was not the sort of thing that got announced or recorded. Still it was worth finding out. If Ryuen was in fact a bastard child, then she had no right to the throne and their marriage would have been a lie by Konan, such an insult was indeed grounds for war.

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The High Lady of Konan had heard word of her son-in-law's plea through travellers/.

'He is a demon,' she thought to herself. 'How could I have married my only daughter off to such a monster? And our sacrifice has gained the us nothing, we are on the verge of war and Ryuen is probably dead. What a fool I have been. I must find a way to honor you my daughter.'

The Empress stood up slowly but with great purpose. She walked over to the dresser and picked up a small, curved blade with an ornate handle. The silver metal of the blade reflected the rich surroundings of the room. The inlaid furniture and arched ceiling. Her silk sleeve slipped down her arm as she raised the blade above her head. On the ivory handle two carved tigers wrestled viciously but she kept her eyes on the blade's tip, it was clean but in her mind's eye she could see the bood dripping from the blade, the handle kept perfect thanks to the smll groove that ran down each side of the blade.

'I will not witness the deaths of any more of my people. I will show them how cruel death really is.'

She dropped to her knees and brought the blade down in a single motion. When she hit the marble floor she turned her wrist up and fell forward. The steel hit her heart and blood began to pour from the wound, but the tigers wrestling on the ivory handle paid the blood no mind, for it flowed away from them, soaking the Empress' silk robes instead.

End Part 3