Chapter One:

The Sound of Silence

A once vibrant sky appeared tainted, red as if reflecting the spilt blood of innocents, soldiers, and trespassers alike. A young woman watched in awe and terror as the city crumbled under the thumb of its own destruction. Eyes normally identical to a clear blue sky were now shadowed, obscured from the lack of light, and instead reflected the vibrant crimson all around her. The sun itself seemed to have disappeared from how the smoke gathered above them, the thick soot darkening the skies as well. From where she stood amidst a harrowing battle, she could hear the screams of the villagers, the victims who had failed to evacuate, the cries of her soldiers, the ones who've entrusted their lives to their cause, and the angry shrieks of those they battled, the petty party that fought against them using technologies of the west borders, magic.

Running head first towards an overwhelmed soldier, the blue-eyed woman brought her sword upwards to parry what would have been a deadly blow before deviating the blade thrusted her way and dealing her own attack causing the other to fall. She heard gratitude from the soldier but ignored it as she continued on trying to lessen the casualties as much she could. But she felt pathetic as this was all she was able to do now. Manipulating what little magoi still remained in her body, she urged them to use it, to empower her and able her to put a stop to the senseless carnage.

They couldn't refuse but neither could they fully oblige. As it was they would be using her very life force at that point; the only thing she could do now was small compared to what she could do where she in any better state. But that choice was robbed from her hands the moment they assumed the city had been filled with simple soldiers; none of them had expected the magical tools, much less those weapons, the dark vessels that were mauling down her troops faster than she could get to protect them.

They had been fooled.

The woman wasted not a single breath to avoid the deaths of her soldiers and to continue and advance forth with them in order to quell the battle that had started because of her inadequacies. She wouldn't have them pay for her mistakes. She raised her sword, commanding the soldiers and few magicians at their army's disposal to advance, and was about to head alongside with them when she heard a distinctive whistling amidst the cacophony of death surrounding her.

Metal, and it was coming steadfast towards her. Her muscles, already at the peak of their pain, could not respond fast enough to what her brain registered in that millisecond and she quickly braced for the impact. One that didn't come.

Instead it hit another, her brother. The boy four years younger than her, one that at the prim age of eighteen was old enough to be considered a man, toppled over onto his back, the arrow piercing cleanly through his left shoulder. Without a second thought, the woman dropped to her knees, worry and dread filling her quickly and overflowing. He groaned in pain as she pressed the wound down, warm blood rushing through her fingers, but not taking it out unable to as she was. Another figure came down next to them. His older twin, she cradled him against her own body and broke the arrow in half, her palms surging with a dark energy, before pulling the tip that had passed through him and putting pressure on the wound. The woman could only stare, ice-cold horror filling her.

The warm liquid in her hands made her turn down to watch the crimson blood—her own brother's—slipping through her fingers. His life threatened after trying to protect her.

The dread she felt suddenly vanished and was quickly replaced with another more alien emotion that she didn't reckoned having. It boiled the blood in her own veins with its fire, tensed her muscles readying them for the pounce, and shut down her mind to any warning.

Standing with a turn towards the roaring battle that continued behind them, the woman reached up to her hair that was primly put in a bun and took the metal feather pen pinned to it, the plumes a dark crimson that matched the blood staining her hands and the rest of her armored body. At her touch the eight-pointed star shone on the feather's base and she felt the surge of magoi, her life, coursing through her with that same fiery rage.

Her siblings yelled, knowing how close to the edge she was, as did her companions, her djinn fervently discouraging her decision. But there was no dissuading her now.

They spilt her kin's blood—blood is what they would pay.

"You made a vow, my king."

The reminder from both her djinn simultaneously made her grip lessened but at the sensation of his blood still on her hands—a frightening reminder of what she shouldered—her fervor renewed more intense than before.

That is a promise between him and I. But my most important oath was another and it is the reason you chose me.

They were silent at her answer. They could feel the determination and rage that fueled her now. Rage at her own incompetence, and determination to end this battle, one of many to come. And like that they knew she was not backing down. They pitied the fools who would encounter the blade of her wrath.

The woman held steadfast to the feather pen undoing it from its place and brandishing it out, a pale golden light emerging from the eight-pointed star.

Spirit of Vainglory and Champions, in the name of my magoi, envelop me to grant me greater power. This I command of you and your household…"

"My king…" a deep, baritone voice answered her. The sound reverberated in her head as the feather pen shifted in form, the rest of her body shaping as the small surge of her magoi came to her call.

Come forth, dwell within my body.

Beleth.

The young woman sat quietly inside the carriage that strode forth on its way back to the capital of their country, Rakushou. The whole ten days of travel that it took from their encampment had been intolerable, especially because she couldn't keep them—or more to the point, her—still in one place.

The twins clamored inside their shared carriage unable to sit down in peace, or at least Suisei, the older, couldn't. Her mouth rambling off at speeds unimaginable to them as they heard her rant about the manic mess that was left behind in their last battle. The youngest twin, Sousei, sat next to the young woman, their older sister, resting his head on her shoulder trying his best to ignore Suisei's shrieks.

"Can you seriously believe the balls on those savages?" Suisei bellowed at the top of her lungs still livid even after ten days. She let out a grunt as she stomped her foot down. "Information, strategy, numbers; I can't believe we were outsmarted like that."

"It was a miscalculation, Sui," Sousei replied with an irritated sigh of his own. Seated, he held a hand to his shoulder at the wound that had yet to heal completely. "Magical tools weren't something we expected to surface, neither that they would outnumber us like they did. We all did what was in our power. And we won over Hakucho; it belongs to the Kou Empire now. As it should be."

"But we could've avoided so many deaths had we—had I not failed to foresee it."

The twins stared at their sister's hands as they remained aloft in the air. With no voice, the sign language that the two had created was the only way for anybody to communicate with her. Both gave her an intense stare until Suisei took a quick stride to sit before her and Sousei leaned in, the two siblings taking their older sister's hands in theirs. She felt their hands squeeze hers tightly and she raised her eyes to gaze at them.

Identical faces gazed back at her. Eyes a darker color than her own stark, bright blue; hair darker, as well, than her own caramel brown brushing Sui's shoulders and Sou's neck. They smiled the smiles that made her tremble inside from their love and loyalty.

"We carry this burden with you, Haku-nee," Suisei said, the smile broadening as her hands squeezed hers tenderly. "Sou's right. There was nothing else we could've done."

"Besides," Sousei added with a smirk, "had you not done what you did, we could've lost more than the men we did." He pressed himself closer to her side, his hand tightening around hers as well. "The only reason there are any survivors is because of you. Let's be thankful for that, Kohaku."

Kohaku's brow furrowed slightly at the reminder of what she had done. Back then she had thought that her actions were the right course to take—to save her men and to secure her siblings' safety. Now she doubted her rash actions, ones that had cost many their lives. Despite the dark thoughts that lingered in her mind, she refused to say them aloud lest she worry them. Instead she smiled at them and nodded, accepting their words of comfort.

The carriage continued on its way and reached a rather rough patch of road making the whole thing shake violently. Sousei groaned and shifted in his sit trying not to move much. The two sisters festered over him but he waved them away with a grimace.

"Stop it, you hens." Suisei puffed her cheeks at the insult while Kohaku simply chuckled, not denying it. "It's mostly healed, anyway. It barely even hurt."

Suisei's eyes glinted, a smirk coming to her lips. "Want to test that out?"

Before she even could come close to hitting him, Kohaku slapped her hands away from Sousei, frowning. "Don't even joke like that."

Blowing a raspberry, Suisei laid down to rest her head on Kohaku's lap as Sousei rested against her shoulder once more. Kohaku thought that they could finally have some silence for the rest of their trip until Suisei whispered over the noise of the carriage as it traveled.

"You think that the capital's changed since we last saw it?"

"Doubt it," Sousei replied with a sigh. "But I find that we're having a stretch of bad luck. First, Hakucho, and now the news of the emperor's death. What a shitty way to return to Rakushou."

"At least we're going back," Suisei added. "Had father still been in command, we'd be on our way home."

Kohaku didn't comment and instead quietly mulled over their words, knowing about the truth that they so eloquently spoke of.

The Reizei family, of which they belonged to, had been one of the first allies of the Ren family during the great war against the Gou and Kai Kingdoms. Their father, Reizei Koujiro, had been a great armed force for Ren Hakutoku as he aimed to unify the three countries that waged their war against one another. After the empire was forged, their family had been one to receive great status and wealth among the involved. There had even been some talk about unifying their families back when the empire barely flourished, a marriage that she'd heard only whispers of when she was younger. Had the plan gone through, Kohaku guessed that the oldest daughter of their family, Masami, would have married the emperor's oldest son, Hakuyuu. Regrettably, before any actual planning started, the revolt and attack on the royal family took the emperor's life along with that of his two eldest sons.

It didn't take much of Kohaku to notice the sudden change in their father, how on edge he was, after the younger brother, Ren Koutoku, took to the throne of the empire. He hid it well for the year that they remained at the capital after the fire, but after that he took them back to their home, the city he governed over to the south of the capital, Shika. Even after they had returned, Kohaku and Masami asked if they could go back but their father denied their request. He continued his support from his position as General of the Southern Armies but she could tell that he did so resentfully.

Now that the emperor had died, however, his father had sent word to them from Shika where he laid in bedrest, sick, to go and pay their respects. But Kohaku knew better than to believe those words. This wasn't a visit to pay condolences, this was a trip for information. Stubborn and callous, her father was a man who appreciated wisdom more than brute force as his weapon of choice. And in his search for knowledge he seldom left any stone unturned. And now that the tides had turned, he needed to know who would succeed the throne to plan from there—that's what Ren Koutoku's death meant in his eyes from how she saw it.

Despite not sympathizing with her father's views, she knew him well enough to know where his allegiance fell. Even though he viewed his friend's only living son as the legitimate heir, he always thought of the good of the empire first and foremost, something he taught her and her siblings from the crib. If anything, she knew he would support Ren Koutoku's eldest son if and when he became emperor.

Kohaku had her doubts about that, however. As the General Commander, she had heard plenty of the First Prince's ruthlessness in the battlefield. It did worry her that such a person would, more than likely, rule over her homeland. It didn't really matter to her that they had known each other as children, either. That was over a decade ago and people tended to change.

"General. Captains." All three of them turned their heads upwards to their driver's voice as he spoke through the slit that connected the front to their cabin. "We're arriving at the palace."

The twins swiftly moved from Kohaku as she tried shaking the stiffness from the ride without having to stand. As she did so, her gaze wavered over to the window of the carriage to look over Rakushou. The veil of night was all over the city and no light, except the small illumination of the stars and moon, hit the empty roads and quiet houses. The palace wasn't any different either except for the torches lighted up by the few servants that came to welcome them.

Suisei was out the carriage first without even waiting for it to stop. Once it did, Kohaku helped Sousei down with much bickering from his part. As the twins helped unload the carriage, Kohaku kept silent a few feet away. The ominous atmosphere killed her. The quietness did nothing to absolve that foreboding either. At least the gentle flutter of tiny wings kept her grounded, her sensitive ears overhearing the rukh that surrounded the palace as they made their way to the East Wing.

But at nearing the place where they would stay, Kohaku couldn't help but frown at the sight of who waited for them there. Prim and proper despite the late hour, Masami stood with a few more servants flanking her on either side. The sweet smile spread across her lips, her doe-like eyes a dark blue much like the twins eyed them with a welcoming warmth, at least to them. But after so many years of being unable to speak, Kohaku became an expert on reading her sister's moods through simply her eyes. And she knew that look, faking warmth but cold ice on the inside. At least for her.

Reaching them, Masami embraced Suisei and gently kissed Sousei on the cheek, her hand hovering over his injured shoulder. She neither touched nor addressed Kohaku.

"I'm glad to see your travels went well." She smiled at the twins, her hand gently atop Sousei's shoulder, before a slight grimace came to her lips. "I'm sorry I had to leave so soon after the battle. I wished I could have stayed longer."

"No need for apologies," Sousei clarified and touched her hand with his. "Father sent you here before us for a reason. And I'm guessing it's important. Nothing you could've done."

"We had Haku-nee for company, anyway," Suisei scoffed, hooking an arm around Kohaku's. "Even with you gone, Ami-nee, we didn't have to worry."

It was then that Masami finally eyed her and Kohaku could not had felt colder had she been bare in the snow. Wanting to change the subject, she yawned slightly and turned to Suisei with a smile. "It's late already."

"Yes," Masami agreed. "I'll take you to your rooms." As they walked Masami boasted about the splendid accommodations that they'd been given. The chatty mood and smile became sullen and it disappeared as she let out a tired sigh, "You will need the rest; tomorrow we'll have a long day ahead of us."

Kohaku certainly agreed with her on that but refrained from commenting as she guided them to their rooms in the inner palace. She quietly chatted with them about the past two days she'd been present and how she witnessed the return of Lady Hakuei and Prince Hakuryuu after having met with the rest of the Ren family. She also mentioned that, with the exclusion of the princesses, most of them had conquered dungeons of their own. At the mere mention of that, Kohaku felt Masami's glare from the corner of her eye. Used to her behavior, Kohaku ignored it the best she could until they reached their rooms. Kohaku sighed at seeing them; the four rooms were separate, and Kohaku realized that hers was the farthest to the right, away from Sou's and Sui's and with Masami's in between.

She's definitely glad to see me.

Quickly reminded that they needed rest, the twins went to their respective rooms with a quiet pair of goodnights. Kohaku smiled and bid them goodnight as well but the smile quickly vanished when the two sisters were left to themselves. Wanting to avoid what was surely to come, Kohaku hurried to enter her room. To her dismay, however, Masami quickly stepped in the way of the door's entrance.

A wicked grin came to her lips as she stared evenly at her, "There weren't any problems on the way here, were there, lamb?"

Kohaku bit the inside of her cheek to keep from clicking her tongue. She could hear the ruckus in her head as well as Beleth rung from her feather pen that adorned the bun that sat at the nape of her neck.

"How dare she…" he growled, his voice tainted with anger. She pleaded for him to calm down despite also hating her using such name, one that he had given her the day they contracted.

Relaxing for the both of them, Kohaku shook her head. "None whatsoever."

"Good," she replied with a crude smile. "Let's keep it that way during our stay. I don't want you opening your mouth unnecessarily." A scoff came from Masami as she covered her lips daintily with her sleeve. "Oh, my apologies."

The jab being at her muteness this time, Kohaku didn't waste her energy on holding back. "Don't worry, dear sister. I won't interfere in your schemes. All the more power to me when I see you fail and plead for my help."

The giddiness in her eyes changed to anger in the blink of an eye. "Don't push it, lamb. I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here. Just be quiet and do not call attention to yourself." Grabbing at her wrist, Masami opened the room's door and shoved her inside. "You better be ready tomorrow. You have to attend…no matter how much that irks me." Kohaku started at her for a second before Masami closed the door with a resounding clap.

Goodnight to you too, sister dearest.

But as much as she hated their usual routine, Kohaku had resigned herself long ago from changing anything about it. But rest was what she needed now and thinking about Masami wouldn't grant her any sleep. Quickly changing into some night clothes, she sat on the edge of her bed ready to lay down except that she still held her two vessels close.

The feather pen that held her first djinn, Beleth; and the gold bracelet with bone edged on it where the second rested, Marbas. She could feel them both stirring, their fury towards Masami boiling underneath the surface and their concern filling her heart to the brim. She smiled and thanked them for their worry before placing them right beside her pillow where a leather-bound journal laid, a carnation hairpin lying between the pages.

Kohaku laid down with her sight never leaving them, her hair splaying out behind her. Unconsciously, her hand reached up to the base of her neck were a jagged scar protruded. She no longer held a voice, and hat journal held the thoughts she wished she could say. Yet they would stay hidden away from prying eyes. Not wanting to think any more about it, she tried to sleep and from her exhaustion of battle and the trip, she found it much easier than she thought it'd be.

Such beauty at the crack of dawn.

Kohaku couldn't keep the smile from spreading onto her lips as she looked across the expanse of the palace gardens. Having woken up earlier than she thought she would, she found herself going to waste time before the funeral. With three hours to spare, she knew she'd have enough time to simply go look around.

The early sun's rays were barely reaching over the palace walls and spilled over into the inner gardens giving them a glorious glow. Her hand brushed against the railings of the halls as she stepped out of it and onto the beaten path. Memories of days already over a decade old came flooding into her head at the familiar place.

Eleven years had passed since she last set foot on these gardens. The twins were barely six at the beginning, tender cherubs that got into trouble and bullied the poor fourth prince, Hakuryuu. But because they were around the same age, she had wanted them to get along better which prompted her to play with them when she could. Back then her and Masami were in better terms than they were now, too, much better ones. Despite being six years apart as sisters, they would play dress up and bake together and were sometimes joined by the first princess, Hakuei, who was but a year older than Kohaku herself.

Barely ten, she had spent plenty of time within those walls as well, half a year before and a full year after the fire. She recalled well the times when she would follow Hakuyuu, the two becoming good friends after she showed an interest in swordplay. Hakuren often joked around about her being too small to hold a sword or polearm properly making her rage every so often. The rare times that Hakuyuu got Kouen to join them and spar with her. The times she would spend with Koumei and his pigeons, her songs lulling both in a sense of security. Her visits to the two unlikely Ren children, Kougyoku and Kouha, along with the even rarer times where she got them to go out into the gardens together with her rushed through her mind. It truly felt like an eternity ago when all of them would spend the afternoons together in this very garden.

She stepped out of the beaten path and headed for an oak tree, one that had grown considerably taller. Lifting her hand, she placed it upon the hard oak and smiled at hearing the life that fluttered inside, the rukh that made up all life surging within it.

Kohaku may be unable to see them but because of Beleth, a djinn that wielded sound magic, her ears had grown more sensitive over years to the point that she heard the flutter of the rukh's wings. She always wondered what they looked like, what type of bird or insect with wings they resembled, and envied magicians in a way because they could see such life. Leaning against the trunk, she slid down to a sit before closing her eyes and listening to the life around her. At times she found it fitting that someone unable to speak would enjoy the sounds of the world.

Then again, with Beleth's power, her capacity to make sound was her power. And she knew the lethalness that it could have, just like a real voice and words, and how much they could hurt.

"Kohaku…anegimi?"

The rather formal honorific combined with her name made her look up at the high and gentle voice that had called her. Magenta eyes stared back at stark blue, confusion and amazement blatant on both. But recognition quickly came over Kohaku's mind.

Magenta eyes, pink hair. Kou…gyoku…?

In an instant, Kougyoku's confusion shifted to happiness and the young girl fell to her knees to meet Kohaku eye-to-eye, grasping her hands tightly in her own. "It is you! Goodness, at first I thought I as dreaming but I knew it had to be you!" She shook her head and grimaced slightly, "No one told me you were coming. How have you been? Are Masami-san, Sousei, and Suisei with you too? Oh, I can't believe no one told me anything!"

Kohaku just listened as Kougyoku rambled on question after question and simply stared at the young girl before her. Gosh, she's changed. Back when she had last seen her she had been a shy little mouse too scared to speak and instead mumbling away. Now all grown, she was a bright young woman, in both elegance and properness.

A little too much make-up though. She shrugged that idea away and instead listened as Kougyoku kept talking until she stopped abruptly her cheeks slightly dusted in pink.

"S-Sorry," she said, her shoulders slumping a bit but the smile never leaving her lips. "It's just—it's so nice to see you after so long."

Way too long.

"B-But I'd like to talk more with you, anegimi," Kougyoku said standing up and reaching for Kohaku's hand as well. "I want to tell you so much about what's happened here and the things I've accomplished. And I also want to hear how it's been with you and your siblings as well."

She wished she could grant her that simple request but knowing that it'd be better to let her know as soon as possible, Kohaku reached up to the ribbon that tied around her neck undoing it. Kougyoku's eyes lowered to the scar and widened, her mouth slightly open.

"W-What…happened?"

Kohaku had gotten used to the question after so long but never really knew how to answer without anyone there to explain. Instead all she did was open her mouth to speak and nothing but air followed. She gave the younger girl a grim smile before shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. It seemed to take Kougyoku a second before her eyes softened as if understanding. "You…can't speak." Her eyes came down to the hand that Kougyoku held even tighter now and glanced back up to see a sullen expression coming over her gentle face. "I'm really sorry. Whatever happened—I'm sorry."

The sincere sentiment made her smile but a tiny ringing pierced her ears making her grimace. She would have just ignored it had Kougyoku not visibly reacted to it, covering her ear discreetly. She chuckled and slightly rubbed at her ear, "It's getting rather late, don't you think so? We should head inside and get ready?" The thought seemed to hit the young princess, making her stop. "Wait. Is that why you're here, anegimi? To see father?"

She only nodded before standing a few steps back from Kougyoku. Clasping her fist to her palm, she bowed low out of respect as the family of the diseased. Kougyoku, flustered by the action, told her that such things weren't necessary, at least not from her. Instead she asked Kohaku to accompany her back to her quarters to get ready. Seeing no harm in that, Kohaku accepted and walked alongside Kougyoku as the two made their way back. As she kept talking, though, Kohaku noticed the subtle change of tone to her voice, a more sequestered tone.

"It's been quite an uproar as of late." Kougyoku held her hands together underneath her sleeves and held them shyly up to her face. "Many things have happened and Kouen onii-sama has been talking about many a strange topic lately. T-They do go over the top of my head at times but they seem to be a great deal to him."

Deeming it necessary—regardless of how much she found it degrading—Kohaku forfeited her sign language and resorted to simple gestures to ask what she meant. Kougyoku only shook her head as if troubled.

"Truthfully, they are quite a mystery for me to even grasp in the slightest." Kohaku nodded, understanding, but Kougyoku struggled to find her words as she started again. "B-But I did understand that onii-sama wants to unify the world under a single king. Something about it being key to bringing conflicts to an end." She shook her head and chuckled nervously just as they reached her room. "Shouldn't be bothered to think of such matters now of all times, right?"

Kohaku nodded but didn't agree. The things she spoke of sounded rather important, not to mention quite interesting. Unifying the world to bring peace was a concept that she heard her father talk plenty about. It had apparently been the ideology of the first late emperor, Hakutoku, too. But it was one that eluded her own way of thinking till this day.

How could it be possible to unite many peoples with different views and cultures under one ruling power? No matter what angle she saw this from, she couldn't fathom that being the answer to everything. Her mind was brought back when Kougyoku pulled her into her quarters and called for her handmaidens to enter and help them prepare.

Because of the occasion, Kohaku had to dress in simple black and white robes unlike Kougyoku who, because of her place in the imperial family, had to were something a little more elaborate. The young princess, her slight confusion and melancholy forgotten, hurried to change and came to the maids that were currently doing Kohaku's hair. She gave them instructions about how to do it and unable to verbally protest she let them. The maids fought against Kougyoku's excitement as she walked around making their job harder at prepping her for the ceremony. Kohaku chuckled and felt bad for the young women that had to dress her.

But the job, and her hair, was done with quickly and she had to admit that they had done a splendid job given the strenuous orders from the young princess. It was a simple bun held up just a bit low from the crown of her head—thank god— with a simple silver ornament from Kougyoku's to hold it in place. Because of how long it was the rest of her hair was laid to fall over her shoulder. The one thing that she didn't let them do, however, was her make-up and swatted them away to go and help the other struggling maids with Kougyoku. Already twenty minutes before the ceremony started, the young princess apologized for the delay with a sheepish smile.

"You're entering first, aren't you, anegimi?" She received a nod as answer. Kougyoku sat still for the maids as they helped her with what was left. "You should go ahead then. I'll be sure to find you later so that we can ta—I mean…—" She shuffled nervously in her sit making the maids' job a bit harder. "At least I'm…um—"

The poor girl's struggle made Kohaku smile. Conversations like these weren't new to her so she wasn't bothered by it. Waving dismissively at her, Kohaku reached out to touch Kougyoku's hand reassuringly. With a nod, she assured her she knew what she meant and with a cross over her heart promised she'd meet her again to talk like she wanted to.

With that settled she excused herself and exited her quarters to return to her room where she assumed the others would be waiting already. Sure enough, as she got closer, she could hear Sou and Sui chatting away but no sound of Masami. She hoped she had gone on ahead but was disappointed when she saw her standing beside the twins waiting for her. The twins turned to greet her with their cheerful good morning. Masami, to keep up appearances, bowed her head in the only sort of acknowledgement she gave her these days.

"Where'd you run of to?" Suisei asked already dressed. The white dress she had on looked rather nice but Kohaku knew her baby sister enough to know that she was hating every second in it.

"We thought you bailed on us," Sousei jested. He scoffed at the idea while adjusting his own burly outfit, "For a second I thought you'd pitted us with the task."

"Oh, do you really think me capable of leaving you little devils behind?" she signed with a grin.

The two turned to glance at one another before an identical smirk came to their faces knowing full well the answer to that question. Masami cleared her throat, getting their joint attention, and with a sweet smile motioned them towards the west wing where, on the largest compound, the wake was currently taking place.

"Now that we're all here, let us be on our way."

Masami didn't wait and led the way. Sousei and Suisei followed behind her while Kohaku remained a few feet behind. Despite the distance, she could clearly hear all the sounds coming from that place. Footsteps as they entered the wake, murmurs of some people that she didn't bother to pay attention to, and the distinct fluttering of wings that always followed. Oddly enough, though, there was no crying. That alone gave left her somewhat disturbed. Or maybe her previous experiences with funerals had imprinted some kind of standard.

The closer they got to the wake, the more she began seeing people lining up to enter much to her surprise. Once inside she was even more amazed; the whole compound was filled to the brim with people. Most were bowing low, foreheads touching the ground, paying their respects with silent prayers. It wasn't hard not to notice the large group of priests that stood upon the dais where the late emperor laid for his waking. When a faint sobbing came to her ears, Kohaku was baffled that she had missed such sound from the outside. Ignoring its sudden appearance, though, she could easily pinpoint the source since the whole floor was as quiet as a graveyard; it was the empress dowager, Ren Gyokuen.

"Must suck…" Kohaku's ears perked at hearing Sousei's whisper as he leaned closer to Suisei's ear, "being a dowager twice now for auntie Gyokuen."

Reaching up, Kohaku, discreetly as possible, hit Sousei's back. She got both their attentions with that and she frowned, telling them to be quiet and to mind their manners with very minute hand movements. The two apologized sheepishly a second before Masami stopped them at their spot. Kohaku hadn't minded their way until they settled down to kneel before the late emperor. Taking their place, the four bowed low, foreheads touching the ground, and followed suit with the rest of the mourners present.

But a few seconds was all she waited for before tilting her head to the side to glance back at the back and to see where exactly they sat at. True to their previous connections and closeness to the royal family, she supposed, she and her siblings got a first row sit at the wake. From her place, Kohaku needed only to glance upward to see the emperor's dead body up at the dais.

"…father said he died of illness…" Kohaku's ears perked, this time from hearing Masami's whisper. Despite it being at a noise level that would be confused for prayers, she heard it as if it were only them in the room. "…he doesn't believe that."

Who would?

She couldn't be sure without placing the blame but by the state of the emperor's body, their father's suspicions were certainly valid ones. They mostly revolved around the organization that the imperial family had harbored under their roofs. Despite how much they had helped the empire grow, their father had always warned them about the snakes that lurked within the empire, their very home. She suspected that the informants he had in the palace that told him about the organization had also told him about how they had been the ones to not only raise the Magi that now served the Kou Empire but were also responsible for bestowing the majority of the Ren children with Metal Vessels.

Frankly, Kohaku could share the apprehension their father had towards these people now that she stood before them. Despite how much she tried to ignore it, her eardrums were irritated from the high-pitch noise that thundered in the room. At first and from the outside it had been a simple fluttering. It had quickly turned into a buzzing that hadn't bothered her much until she started paying more attention to it. The rukh around these people beat their wings vehemently, contrasting the soothing sounds she heard from nature's rukh.

It bothered her immensely.

Her foreboding thoughts and the noise became nothing but background when she heard the grand doors open again. This time she waited until the new arrivals reached the foot of the stairs to glance up and see who they were. The children of the royal family, of both brothers, stood together to join their mother in mourning and to say farewell to their father and emperor.

"Welcome back…" Gyokuen spoke softly as she held the deformed hand of her late husband, "my beloved children." Nothing but silence answered her. "What's the matter, come here. We haven't seen the princesses since they married; his majesty will be pleased."

Kohaku flinched at hearing Kougyoku's fearful call to her father but all cries ceased when their brother, whom she vaguely recognized as Kouen, moved to silence them. "B-Brother…?" Idle prattle that didn't really matter to her ensued. No matter what the empress dowager said, neither she nor Masami believed that the emperor had died of illness. She focused on the imperial army instead as they walked further up the dais to say their goodbyes.

Even from where she sat, Kohaku could tell some of them apart. The older princesses were all a blur since she never really interacted with them; the only exceptions were Kougyoku and Hakuei, and both she saw among the group. Despite much different now than she recalled, Koumei and Kouha were also discernable among the crowd. One that stuck out like a candle in the dark was little Hakuryuu who was not so little anymore. In his late teens already, she could see the resemblance he held to his brothers, and mostly to Hakuyuu. What she didn't like, though, was the look in his eyes. But if she had to give it to someone, it would have to be Kouen; if anyone had truly seen change since she last saw the whole lot of them, it had been him.

I should probably get used to calling them Highnesses. Pesky honorifics; she never did get around to remember that change after their father took hold of the throne.

Suisei's shifting in place took Kohaku away from her train of thought as did the words she whispered, "…my knees hurt."

"Shut up, Sui," Sousei retorted. "Be glad we don't have to see the corpse up front. Poor Kougyo—ugh."

She didn't miss the baffled expression that came over his face when he glanced up from his place. Following his line of sight, she scowled at what Gyokuen did. Her vision might not be as good as her hearing but the way the dowager clung onto Kouen and the words she unmistakably heard her say painted enough of a picture. The sweet falsetto of her voice reminded her too much of Masami's and sent pure shivers of disgust down her spine. She even heard the children up front share the same feeling at the display, especially the princesses and Kouha although in very different ways. Thankfully, he cut the inappropriate display of affection short moving Gyokuen aside and letting the ceremony continue.

"Gross." Suisei shuffled in place again trying to undo the pain on her knees. "Auntie Gyokuen sure knows how to pick 'em, though."

She intended to remind her of her manners but thought better of it at the truth of her statement. That she's right about.

First the first emperor, Hakutoku, then the emperor after him, Koutoku. Now her fishing expedition brought her to the next likely candidate for the throne.

"…he'll surely get it." Kohaku couldn't agree more with Masami. Surely Kouen would obtain his inheritance and become emperor, and it would then be open season for Gyokuen if that really was her goal. The priest's words driveled on, through one ear and out the other, as he read the emperor's will to declare the next emperor. But as he read on and the words drifted in hear head, a foreboding sunk in her gut. It bothered her because it rarely failed her.

"The third emperor of the Kou Empire is…Ren Gyokuen. And she shall be assisted by the Imperial Priests in tending to national affairs."

And true to its nature, it hadn't.

The whole floor was silent for a brief second as the information sunk in before the hall erupted into a cacophony of confusion. Kouha's outburst most of all pierced her eardrums along with Sou's and Sui's. Masami was quiet, perhaps having figured something Kohaku had failed to see.

The numerous voices became quieter as Gyokuen gave her reasons behind the decision and why it was paramount that she took the sit as interim empress: Kouen needed to remain at the helm as Commander General of the Western Subjugation Army. A good portion of those present weren't satisfied with that explanation, though. A few seconds is all it took before she felt the floor tremble beneath them. Looking over her shoulder, Kohaku, along with the rest present, watched as the various followers of the Ren family, along with that she assumed were assimilated Household Members, stood in loud protest.

Suisei and Sousei moved to stand as well already knowing fully well who their father, and by extension their family, would support. They were stopped albeit barely by Masami, a hand on both their arms, "You can't."

"We can't stand by and let the empire be broken in two," Suisei protested, already up on one knee.

"She's right. Father would do the same." But before Sousei could fully lift himself, Kohaku slammed her open palm against the wooden floor getting their full attention. She scowled at their foolishness before signing.

"Don't act rashly."

"But Haku-nee—" Their words were instantly silenced when Kohaku glanced up at them, her bright eyes appearing rather cold and piercing theirs as she peered at them.

"M-Mother, please reconsider." She turned away from her siblings towards Hakuei as she spoke up to her mother. The panic on her face said it all: she didn't want the empire split, either. "Even if this is his majesty's will, this is—"

"Empress dowager." Silence came over the room as Hakuryuu took the front and spoke loudly as he kneeled and saluted his mother. "Please ascend to the throne. There is no one else who can do so."

Kohaku clicked her tongue and saw the figurative rupture in the empire as the priests surrounding them began to bow before Gyokuen. They spoke in unison, repeating the words that Hakuryuu had spoken, each time with a more fervid intensity.

"This is…" Suisei's voice sounded no more than a whisper amidst the cries. She held onto Sousei as the four of them stood up not wanting to partake with the priests. Sousei held onto Sui's hands as they dug onto his arm from the fear. Kohaku watched them from the corner of her eye, the gesture seemingly innocuous, and glared at the empress dowager and the throng of priests that surrounded them. She and her horrid organization spread terror not just among her country but in her siblings too.

Such audacity, there's no way she would stand for it. Taking Sousei's hand and with Masami following close behind, she dragged them away from the malicious crowd to Kougyoku's side—to where the better alliance fell.

No matter what, despite what her father believed and how much she loved her country, none would deny her the one wish she had. The oath that she had taken upon herself to keep and the reason why she had obtained the powers of the dungeons.

This time I will protect them: the people I hold dear to me.

"What a catastrophe."

Kohaku watched from where she sat, legs tucked away beneath her as she covered herself from the outside cold with a blanket over her whole body, as Masami grimaced and tossed aside a towel she used to wipe her damp hands.

After what happened during the waking the morning of that day, everyone had been put on edge. She had noted that the twins seemed a bit more disturbed that she would have thought at first. Because of how late it was the two had already retired to bed; what was unusual was that they went to Sou's room together. Kohaku supposed they needed some comfort, the kind that they usually found from sharing each other's space like they did when they were younger. In a way, she envied them that closeness, one that she lacked with Masami. And, frankly, no one could blame them. The events that happened were freaky even to her.

Speaking of freaky, Kohaku couldn't keep herself from watching as Masami visibly fumed in her room. The bitching she did wasn't that welcomed but it did somewhat help her calm down.

"Honestly," Masami complained with a hefty sigh, "to think father would be right with his suspicions about the organization."

Now that she thought about it, they weren't known much by any given name. Most of the ones that knew of the group only knew them as the organization. Their other recognizable name seldom surfaced in public, either: Al-thamen. Kohaku stuck her tongue out as even thinking about it left a bitter taste in her mouth. After today she wondered if their father really understood the kind of snakes that their empire nested in their bosom. But from what little she saw they could manipulate, Kohaku feared that they could destroy the Kou Empire from the inside out if allowed to continue on as they did. That she couldn't simply let be.

Her attention got driven away from her thoughts, though, when she caught Masami walking around in circles, panic etched on her face. As amusing as it was to see her so anxious, she had to admit it was making her dizzy, too.

"Calm down, Masami. You're going to dig a moat there and I like my room as it is, thank you very much."

Masami didn't take the joke well. She grimaced at reading her signs before clicking her tongue. "Do you not see the severe complications this could have?" She groaned and started up her digging on Kohaku's floor again. "If this country is split in two, we have to choose the winning side in order to preserve the legacy of our family." At saying this Masami stopped and frowned, turning on her heel to glare down at her. "Not like you would care, anyway."

The comment by itself annoyed her but she didn't let it show. Instead she tried to be the voice of reason for once in their lives. "I do care. But panicking won't help us think clearly."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Having thought about it since the morning ceremony, Kohaku had all the answers she needed. It would need a little effort to make Masami see things her way, though. I'll try.

"Think. From what I see, the imperial family has a higher chance of winning this battle even against that organization. Not only do they have five Metal Vessel users but seven Metal Vessels themselves, not counting Hakuryuu. And if we join them, they'll have me who has two. That's a total of nine against their lot of magicians."

"You said it," Masami retorted with a scoff. "A lot. They number in the hundreds, could even stem to the thousands from what we saw this morning. How much more of a disadvantage do you want?"

"But we have something they don't." At seeing her older sister's peeved look she paused for a dramatic flair that the former wasn't really in the mood in. It instantly made her burst out with a screech asking what in heaven's name she was talking about. "The people's trust. A country isn't based on royalty; it's based on the people they rule. Without them there would be no kingdom. Kouen's got his share of followers in Kou. Surely that will amount to some merit on the long run."

Her comment finally calmed Masami down a bit, enough to get her thinking. With a sigh, she gazed up at Kohaku with an annoyed frown, "I suppose it is a viable factor."

"Good to know we're on the same page. Now we have to let our alliances be known, at the very least to the party we want involvement in."

That made her sister tense up visibly, something that she enjoyed and took every minute of in. "You mean to his highness?"

Correcting her, Kohaku lifted three fingers from under her blanket. "Plural." Not wanting for Masami to cop out, she stood letting the blanket that had covered her fall and pool on the floor around her feet. Stepping out of the little circle she'd made for herself, Kohaku headed for the door where she stopped briefly to glance over her shoulder at Masami to give her a swift nod towards the outside.

"Now?" Masami cried as if not believing what she meant by the simple nod of her head.

"Better now than later."

Masami didn't seem to find a complaint for that but groaned in frustration, nonetheless. Letting her guide, the two headed for the First Prince's study despite the late hour. With every minute they got closer to the library where the study was, Kohaku noticed just how stressful this was turning out to be for her sister. So, against her better judgement, she reassured her that so long as she did what they always did in these kind of situations that everything would turn out fine. It calmed her down a bit but it renewed as soon as they stopped in front of the door.

"Just follow my lead."

We've only done it, like, a thousand times before.

Not letting her sarcasm get the best of her, she opened the door and let Masami enter first as she walked into the room and down the hall. Treading through tall shelves filled with not only books by scrolls upon scrolls, Kohaku had to keep herself in check. Now wasn't the time to lurk in literature like the worm she was, that would have to be for later. She followed close behind Masami and stopped when they reached the end where, to her surprise, the three princes were; possibly having met for some conference after the fact, she thought. The two bowed low with a salute before Masami addressed the three with respect in both their steads.

The first to acknowledge them had been the Second Prince as he spoke from behind his feathered fan with a bore expression. "Lady Masami. General Kohaku. To what do we owe such late night visit?"

"Your highnesses, if I may so boldly speak…" Masami started trailing a bit at the end. Kohaku only gazed at them all equally, her hands behind her back, a seeming sign of respect, which her sister watched meticulously for the small movements of her fingers as she signed. "First and foremost, allow me to give my sincerest condolences for your loss."

Koumei glanced briefly at his brothers before nodding. "Much appreciated, Lady Masami, but you sound like you have more important matters to address than simple condolences."

Masami's gaze shifted down briefly before replying. "I do. My sister and I have come to inform your highnesses and the General Commander that, as far as the Reizei Household is concerned, we will support you as the heir to Kou's throne despite the late emperor's will."

"What's with this all of a sudden?" Kouha asked with an arched eyebrow, his hands resting on his hips. "Come to take sides before everything goes down."

Well, he wasn't wrong. And although she would've liked the reply to be given more hastily, she saw Masami's hesitation before she spoke up again, repeating what she signed. "Indeed. We are not foolish and do see what is transpiring within the walls of the empire. We do not wish to see our prosperous home be destroyed by—"

This time Masami's pause didn't cause Kohaku annoyance, it made her want to laugh. Masami cleared her throat, her cheeks slightly dusted hopefully from shame, possibly from some slight anger too. Oh, it was hard trying to hide her smile right now.

"By…?" Koumei asked, tilting his head slightly.

"…by petty family matters."

The three men became silent—Koumei and Kouha baffled that she would say such thing, Kouen showed no reaction whatsoever.

Masami shuffled in place and now Kohaku's annoyance came back at seeing her sister's confidence drop so easily. Gosh, she needed some backbone. "Although it's clear that that is not all there is to it, we, frankly, do not care."

"Just a few more."

"What we wish is for the Kou Empire to continue its prosperity and we are determined to aid you to the fullest of our individual abilities. That is what we came here to tell you." At finishing her speech, Masami bowed with Kohaku following her example.

The three remained quiet until Kouen spoke up. "I understand." The deep rumble of his voice drummed through her eardrums in a mix between pleasant and domineering, with the latter tilting the scales somewhat. But as she looked at him, she suddenly felt the piercing gaze that fell over her as his eyes, crimson tinted slightly gold, peered straight at her. "And what do you believe is this 'petty family matter' you spoke of, general?"

Kohaku could hear her sister's voice slightly tinged with the anxiety that grew by the second. "Y-Your highness, it was I who—" But her words fell short when Kohaku reached out to touch her arm and stop her, not gazing away from the intense look he appeared to give her.

This man… She and Masami had done this charade more than a thousand times when addressing officials: people that Masami hated to speak to yet found herself obligated to, and people that Kohaku understood more of than her sister. None ever noticed the small movement of her fingers as she signed, much less the miniscule eye movements that Masami had painstakingly developed over the years. And yet he, somehow, had.

This irritated her…greatly. But instead of letting that irritation climb and let it be seen, she smiled sweetly yet somewhat loftily before shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey, you better speak when talking to En-nii," Kouha said with a scowl.

She simply ignored him, instead raising her hand to sign at Masami. Her sister became flustered, cheeks reddened, before answering her in hurried whispers, "Are you insane? There is no way I'm saying—"

Koumei, confused as much as Kouha, spoke up, "What is the matter?"

Masami turned to them with a hint of a grimace on her face while Kohaku did the same, a sweet smile on her lips. "I apologize for her behavior. However, it's not possible for her to answer you."

"What're you talking about?" Kouha asked clearly irritated. "Can she not speak or what?"

"She cannot."

The slight glee that she caught in Masami's voice, the shift in her attitude, annoyed her. All panic gone, confidence came off of her at her favorite topic: humiliating Kohaku. "She suffered injuries during an ambush. We thought her dead but the heavens allowed her to keep her life, not so much her voice." Masami motioned to her with her hand, as if demonstrating them a specimen of some sort. How she hated being toyed with like this. "What you saw her do is how we communicate with her."

Kouha arched a fine eyebrow and turned to his brothers. Koumei's brow furrowed, somewhat confused before turning to their older brother. Neither saw any apparent confusion from him, though. Wanting some answers, Koumei took it upon himself to ask. "How does she command her soldiers then?"

"They're all taught the language. And our two siblings, her right-hand captains, can easily translate her orders to the new recruits or in cases of emergency." Masami placed a hand upon herself, boasting her own intellect next, "The same applies to myself when we're discussing strategies."

Kohaku sighed—her lips parting slightly and air passing through her lips—and tuned out Masami's voice as she continued to talk. Her eyes wandered through the library, her curiosity as to what laid written in those scrolls nagging strongly in her mind. But at feeling an intense baring towards her, her eyes flickered to the front where she met a pair of crimson eyes tinted gold in the candlelight. It was odd; for whatever reason, she couldn't turn away. The look in his eyes was fierce, almost like a feral animal awaiting a prey's mistake, brimming with conviction but at the same time distant, cold, and surprisingly lonesome. At least from what she saw, and it strangely reminded her of a tiger.

The sounds of water pellets hitting the roof above and the walls surrounding them caught her attention; from the looks of it, it must have started raining. The noise distracted her from the man that sat before her, seemingly bored by Masami's ongoing speech, but she didn't waver her gaze away from the three princes as a whole as she continued to listen to the rain as it fell outside.

Fluttering came then as if out of blue. Boisterous and loud, it resounded through her ears, and it had been so sudden that she unconsciously flinched from the flood of noise that coursed into them. Noisy, cacophonous, and radical: this had to be that rukh, the same kind that she heard that morning during the funeral.

Focusing on it, she asked for Beleth's help; pinpoint it, let it rebound in her ear canal and through the room and the outside, and locate it. They weren't far by the sound of it. If anything, they must surely be inside the palace towards the west wing. But then just as sudden as the rukh's noise, she heard a yell and the sound of energy crackling just before something crashed violently through concrete.

Several times.

I know that voice…

"Kohaku, what are—" But Masami's words fell on deaf ears. Before anybody knew what was happening, Kohaku turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

Hakuryuu.

There was no mistaking it. The shout she'd heard and the scream of pain that followed the hit of a building were from the same boy that had raised his voice at the funeral. And despite being on the other side of the palace, she heard them loud and clear. And she wasn't about to stay still and do nothing about it, not when she heard the rukh that followed those dark priests seconds before.

Masami's hollers for her to return were far behind her at the speed that she took off on. Taking the shortest route she could find, she went through the gardens ignoring the rain that poured overhead and quickly drenched her through. She was almost there when the ruckus stopped leaving her eardrums buzzing and raw. Worry crawled through her at the silence but she didn't let it cloud her mind; what mattered was to get there and make sure Hakuryuu was safe.

She skidded to a stop, her lungs burning by the time she reached the place and her eyes wide at the destruction that stood before her. From where she stood under a hallway she could see the damage to the palace, bricks still falling from the recent impact, and not far from there was Hakuryuu sitting and injured from the impact. Not letting her lungs rest or listening to her muscles that demanded some after the sudden sprint, Kohaku ran to him and took a knee to check his wounds.

"Who are—" but she didn't let him speak one word as she grazed his left shoulder with her fingers, prying parts of his torn clothes from the wound. She grimaced at seeing the flesh that tore open, dirtied from the impact against the concrete bridge that had done the damage.

But for him to survive this, to even make such indent on concrete walls—

No, analyzing the situation right now wasn't what mattered. What did was getting him treated. Walking to his side, she grabbed onto his other arm and swung it around her shoulder, accommodating it before doing her best to lift him. Hakuryuu groaned from the pain and started disputing her help until he saw the look on her face. Nothing but genuine concern was etched on it.

"You shouldn't have bothered yourself," he said with a groaned as they took a few practice steps forward. She ignored him and fixed his position so that it'd be easier, if a little, to carry him. "I would have managed, somehow."

Sure you would have. Just like you managed with whoever attacked you.

Too bad that she couldn't really say that to him. Stubborn people were not her favorite, more so the stubborn injured ones. Not paying attention to his numerous protests—goodness, could the boy complain—she used her foot to lift his polearm and catch it in her free hand before dragging both their asses out of the rain and back to the hallway where at least the rain wouldn't hit them. Sitting him down against a pillar, she sat down before brushing her hands across his face to wipe away the water and drenched hair, inspecting him for any further wounds she might have missed. But at finding nothing else besides his injured arm, she let out a sigh of relief, her lips lifting slightly at the edges.

"Please," Hakuryuu repeated reaching up with his wooden hand to gently push aside her hand from his face. "Don't bother." This made her frown and slap at his hand; it didn't hurt, it just startled him that she had done so.

Stubborn kid.

Relying on her old charades, she tried her best to tell him not to move as that would only aggravate his injuries. She thought about how she'd get help without leaving him unattended but that soon proved to be a futile endeavor when she heard footsteps quickly approaching from where she'd come from. And surely enough, at turning her head in that direction, she saw two distinct figures that ran ahead of the rest all the while calling to her.

"Haku-nee!"

Kohaku wasted no time and, as soon as Sousei and Suisei turned the corner, began giving out her orders shifting back into her commanding persona.

Go for the healers and maids. Now!

"I'll go!" Suisei shouted before running back towards the infirmary. Sousei stayed behind with her and kneeled beside the two.

"What happened?" he asked the two.

"I don't know."

"Nothing."

Kohaku had enough of his pessimism and was so grateful that someone was there with her who understood her language. Boy, get ready to hear it from me.

"Don't be an idiot."

At hearing this, Hakuryuu turned to Sousei with a frown. The younger twin simply raised his hands in surrender before pointing at her. "Don't blame me, prince. She's making me translate and explicitly told me to do so word for word." Kohaku wasted no time and continued to signed away, this time a little faster making Sousei unable to stop for an instant. "You keep saying not to be bothered when you're clearly injured. Prince or not, I won't leave you wounded and drenched to the bone." Pausing briefly, she lays a tender hand on his forearm and gives it a slight squeeze. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, dragonet."

Hakuryuu's brow furrowed in confusion, the word swirling around in his head from how familiar it sounded. It seemed vague but he recalled someone calling him by that name when he was little. But the memory fled him when more people started arriving.

Taking the reins, Kohaku instructed them, through Sousei, to clear the area of people in case any collapses occurred. She stayed by Hakuryuu's side awaiting the medical team and told Sousei to go help the others as well to clear off the place. When more footsteps started to come, she hoped that the healers had finally arrived but to her disappointed it was another group. The princes came forth, quickly taking helm of the situation, and close behind them was Masami as they all overlooked the scene in astonishment.

But beyond that, Kohaku saw the lingering anger that brightened her sister's usually dark eyes and instantly remembered what she had done. Running off on her like that, especially in front of the princes, wouldn't bode well for her. It wasn't that she felt bad, either—frankly, she hadn't even thought about what would happen to Masami after she left so suddenly— but she knew that in Masami's eyes it was a sign of huge disrespect. She knew that her sister found such acts highly punishable just like their father did. And true to what she assumed of her, Masami strode right to stand before her.

Kohaku saw her mouth begin to move and clearly heard the air move through her lungs as she inhaled to speak. But the moment she saw the healers and maids rushing around the corner, she forgot about Masami and brought her attention back to Hakuryuu, helping the staff get him up and towards the infirmary. Once done with that, she turned ready to face Masami but what she hadn't expected was for the hit that cut across her face, striking her cheek and making her head recoil a slight bit. Biting her lip, Kohaku wanted to cry out from the force but was shocked to hear Masami's sob as it became slightly louder. Baffled, she turned to stare at her sister's unshed tears just before Masami reached out to cup her reddened cheek, concern visible on her face.

"You ran off without a word. You've no idea…how worried I was. Don't ever do that again."

The moment the tears began to roll down Masami's face, Kohaku had to keep herself from letting her mouth fall open. The action caught her by surprise for a slight second, to say the least, before she saw the same look that she first caught when Masami rounded that corner. Her dark blue eyes, although glazed, held the tiniest of glints in them and it was one that she recognized well enough. Saying nothing, she lowered her head and played along by feigning remorse. Undoing the ao from her ruqun, Masami wrapped it around her shoulders to keep Kohaku warm, an action that belied what she could see in her eyes.

"Let's take you back to your room to dry." The moment she started pulling her along, Kohaku forced herself to stop to look over her shoulder to where the twins were helping the servants. "They will be fine." Kohaku grimaced from the tight grip on her arm. "You need to be tended, too." Dragging her forth again, Kohaku kept her gaze down trying her best to brace herself for what was surely to come.

So much had happened in the span of the day that Koumei was more exhausted than usual. Having just finished their talk about the actions the organization had taken—the crowning of their empress and the attack on Hakuryuu—it was a day that he wanted over with so that he could rest.

Playing with a strand of his hair, Kouha mulled over a certain meeting that he couldn't keep from his mind. Finally overwhelmed by the suspense and wanting to relieve some of the tension he felt on his brothers, he spoke up.

"How'd that happen?"

"How did what happen?" Koumei asked.

"That mute girl," he clarified with a nod to the door. "How's that commanding a part of our army?"

Koumei tapped his chin with his fan a couple of times, recollecting his thoughts about the subject before answering. "If I recall correctly, Lady Kohaku is acting as interim general in General Koujiro's stead." A yawn escaped him without his noticing but he simply ignored it. "But then again, she has much more potential than her father at commanding, being a Dungeon Capturer and all." This made him turn over to Kouen in slight curiosity, "She possess two, doesn't she?"

"Really?" Kouha asked, astounded. His eyes wandered off towards the ceiling while he scratched at the back of his head, deep in thought. "And why do I have the feeling that I know her?"

"You met her when you were young," Koumei explained, "Around the same time we met you, too." Kouha kept quiet as he rummaged through his brain for the memories his brother spoke off. Meanwhile, Koumei turned to walk closer to his older brother, leaning in and hiding part of his face with his fan. "My brother and king, that the Reizei Household so openly declared allegiance to us is troubling. General Koujiro never approved of the late emperor's crowning. His children, I believe, aren't any different."

"How did she get two, though?" Koumei and Kouen turned up to Kouha who had been so indulged in his own thoughts that he failed to see he'd interrupted Koumei. Half of their younger brother's mind had been on something else while the other half brought him back to the number of djinn the woman possessed. His mind quick to change, though, raced through other questions. "I doubt she could get more, though. Right? It's not like she's as strong as you, En-nii."

Kouen didn't mind the questions thrown at him yet answered none. "The number is irrelevant so long as we have her implicit cooperation. So long as they do no trespass where they shouldn't then what they or their father think is meaningless."

Kouha and Koumei stood behind their brother's decision, though it wasn't to say that questions still didn't linger. Especially for Koumei who had heard the reports of the expedition that General Kohaku had led some days prior through the southwest. Despite his acceding, he knew that his brother and king would be curious as well. After all, that mission had the highest death toll recorded on any of the General's expeditions which said something for a commander that usually refrained from using force. And the ones who survived refused to speak a word of what had occurred.

Something curious, indeed.

"You wretched brat."

Masami's hand struck down with force where she'd previously hit Kohaku. This time, though, she could tell that her sister wasn't holding back. The slap from before had been one for show; this one had been dealt with the sole purpose of hurting. And Kohaku had felt every ounce of it, her jaw furiously throbbing from the impact.

"Have you any idea the shame you caused me?"

She didn't answer and instead reached her hand up to cup her pounding cheek. Masami, however, denied her that comfort, batting the hand away before it reached her face. "Not only did you embarrass me at that meeting but you also left me looking like an idiot in front of the princes when you ran off like that."

She raised her hand and brought it down but Kohaku, out of instinct, stepped back in time to avoid the hit that would have struck her on the same place. This however only made her sister angrier and she reached out to grab her wrist and yank her closer to her. Her grip was so tight that it started to leave marks on her wrist, making her wince at the searing of her nails biting into her skin.

"You may be a Dungeon Capturer and you might hold father's favor as a general but never forget—" Gasping audibly at feeling Masami's nails finally cutting through, Kohaku felt the pain as drops of blood dropped from the small wounds. "I'm the one that holds your strings. And you know exactly what I'll do if you disobey."

At hearing this, Kohaku stopped resisting and no longer cared for the pain coming from her wrist. Standing still, her shoulders slumped, her head lowered in quiet submission, and simply let Masami do as she pleased.

Smirking, Masami raised her hand and struck the same cheek a couple of times with the same force, perhaps harder; she couldn't tell. When she grew tired of that, or conscious that those would leave visible marks, she stripped Kohaku of her wet clothes only to continue on the rest of her body. Throwing punches wasn't something that she often did but it seemed to be what she favored when she was this angry. One after another they came but, thankfully, Kohaku only felt the first five or so before the pain started to blend together. It was then that Masami stopped and stepped away.

Thank god.

Kohaku grabbed at her clothes to cover herself but was met with a grim sight when Masami returned with needles, a dagger, and a candle in her hands. A malicious smile spread across her face before she spoke, "Who said I was done?"

Of course. How stupid of her to think she'd be satisfied with only that. She gripped her clothes tightly around her body for a second before letting them drop to the floor once more. Lying face down as she was told, Kohaku bit her tongue at what shortly followed.

Almost instantly, she felt the magoi inside her stirring and heard the faint voices of her djinn, the feather pen and bracelet laying a few feet away from her, close enough for her to reach. And yet she refrained from doing so. Even without being in contact with them, she could feel their concern for her, as she had times before when this happened, and their revulsion towards Masami. And she could just imagine the outcome if she decided to use either of her vessels to draw her away. It was easy to imagine her sharp fangs tearing into her jugular as vicious bitterness clouded her mind, or her head exploding in a colorful array of warm blood and pink flesh from the rapid vibrations going through it.

But that's all she could do. All she ever did.

In some ways it helped her cope. It helped her forget and detach from what was happening right now. But not even the gruesome ways she could think of killing Masami could keep her from feeling the pain: the searing heat of the wax as if fell on the tender parts of her body, hot needles that pierced through her flesh, the hot flame that touched up against her back, or the welts that started to form from the hot blade on her back.

Kohaku couldn't help but choke on her tears as they crawled down the side of her face at the awfulness of it all. Most of all, she couldn't stand the smug smirk on Masami's face, the glint of satisfaction in her eyes. Where it not for the gruesome things she was doing, one would think her the perfect depiction of eloquence.

And all she could do was nothing. Nothing except bear with it until it ended. And the saddest thing of all was that Masami knew, as well as she did, that after what had happened that night and from how late it was that no one would bother them.

No one would go check on her.

No one would save her.

And despite how much she wanted to scream from the pain, she couldn't, and that only made her spiteful, not at Masami but at herself. In the end, even if she could scream, there was no point.

Nobody would come.

No one would hear her.

A/N:

*Nervous laughter*

Hey, everyone! Now before anyone says anything, I know that I still owe a couple of other stories. I know I shouldn't be starting yet another story when I haven't even finished EoT:Rewrite or started my fourth installment in the KH saga I'm writing x3 (which I know a lot of people have been waiting for). And don't even get me started on the RRP.

But I might start two at once, both of which I have the outlines ready for. It'll just take effort to write the chapters. But that all depends on how well received this one is :3

That is it for the general information.

Now for what matters on this story in particular.

First let me give you the summary on my profile:

"In silence - and in self-defense - I figured things out in my own little way." (Loretta Young)
Unable to speak, Reizei Kohaku has never found it hard to express herself within her family and the people and soldiers who are under her command. But behind the impregnable silence lie secrets that have haunted her and her family for years, those of a young child that ravaged through countless of lives. She lives every day of her life in fear that the day will come when the silence of their secrets will be broken. Now as the General of the Southern Army, she must see to the Commander General, Ren Kouen, and the Imperial Princes of her beloved Kou Empire, but through their doubts they begin to figure out what her small family keeps quiet. But Kohaku won't allow it to be found; she's ready to give up everything in order to take that secret where it belongs, to her grave. Her determination starts to waver though the more time she spends with the Imperial Family, and more so with the First Prince. Soon she'll be caught between a rock and a hard place: unravel the truth and destroy everything she's ever loved, or forever be the silent lamb of the family and lose every and all chances of being herself.

I've gotten really into Magi in less than six months. That's a record with me (not counting Yuri! On Ice). But this manga/anime turned out to be such a complex story that I instantly fell in love with it. And well, you can guess how my mind worked with it. And this happened~

Honestly, this chapter was the toughest thing I've written. It took about four drafts for me to come up with something I actually liked for a first chapter.

Hard but worth it o(*ω*)o

Anyway, this is the first one in Magi fandom and that I'm very excited to start.

So, as always, hoped you enjoyed the very first chapter of Silent Lamb and stay tuned for the next chapter!

\(๑❛ワ ❛๑)/