Chapter 1 : Recruitment
Today was a recruitment day. The army
had stopped beside a temple isolated in the woods to test a bunch of men
who wanted to join them.
Lord Kunzite looked at every candidate's
testing fight but rarely intervened to give or deny his assent. His captains
handled that quite well, and it were tactical reasons that made him check
the candidates.
Golden hair caught his attention right
away and he focused his attention on the young candidate that stepped
in the training square. A gaijin spy?
Metallia had always tried to invade Yamato
first because it was rather isolated from other countries. Which kept
her army concentrated against one enemy only.
But at that time, foreigners threatened
to occupy the place. The issue was dividing the nation, which was of great
help for Kunzite's plans. He had plenty of opportunities to dispatch scattered
clans until they'd realize the threat and achieve to unite against Metallia.
And golden hair… Only foreigners had hair that fair, apart from
the Shinma themselves. And no gaijin was allowed to bear a samurai's sword.
Kunzite rested his chin on his crossed
hands to look closer.
The candidate gave a native's name. Shiro.
He said he was 18, but that might have been be a lie, or his androgyn
frame made him look younger than he was. His japanese was flawless but
far from scholar, and a light accent gave him away as being from the western
coast. His features were a unique mix of japanese and western traits.
Even though his eye color – a bright green - was typically not local,
their shape was : almond-like and huge, intensely expressive. The harmony
of his Asian face was enhanced by slightly accentuated traits, giving
the ensemble a hint of sharpness echoing to that seen in his look.
From that peculiar appearance and his
captains despising comments, Kunzite gathered that Shiro was probably
born from a harbour's whore and an anonymous gaijin sailor. Not exactly
an honorable lineage, even less a warrior's one. Many already questioned
why he was even allowed to bear a sword and pass the test.
The answer came fast and wild.
The lieutenant he had to fight against
was forced to step back as Shiro attacked him restlessly, swiftly moving
his blade dangerously close to vital points, until they broke contact
and stepped back to observe each other.
Murmurs flew around the soldiers, as
they realized how deceiving was Shiro's youth and obvious bad lineage.
Kunzite forgot the offensive spell he'd
been preparing in case Shiro was a spy. No warrior could concentrate on
a fight and hide from his magic, and he felt no intention of treachery
to him in the boy's aura.
Yet he perceived a wrath that wasn't only
directed at enemies – more exactly, for now it was mainly directed
at the poor lieutenant. His latest attack, barely regular and catching
the soldier in fault, proved it as he stopped his move after blood was
drawn, and a glimpse of fierceness flashed in his eyes.
A killer's heart. Brother of the blade,
and addicted to blood. The Shinma hissed between his teeth.
The boy moved back slowly, giving a nod
to the captains. He noticed Kunzite's undivided attention and froze, but
didn't look down, as most others did. Surely he hadn't heard enough about
the General to be scared. Or maybe he found his attention less disturbing
than the human captains' own.
Kunzite was aware of the looks and whispers
exchanged by his subordinates after Shiro's demonstration, and as the
boy cast a distrustful glance at them, he assumed he knew what they were
thinking about, too. And he obviously didn't like the thought. That meant
troubles to come.
Shiro went back in line with the other candidates, waiting for the captains
final decision.
Once all the men were tested, captains
quickly made their choice. The list of the accepted ones was announced,
and the others left the encampment. Being one of the best candidates,
Shiro was among the ones selected to stay, of course. He then waited,
like the rest of them, for his assignment.
Kunzite left his captains discuss the
matter between them in the secret of the temple. It was always almost
longer than the choice of recruits themselves, as all wanted the best
fighters, and it took forever before they could settle for a compromise.
Outside, new recruits were wandering
around, surrounded by regular soldiers. The shinma spotted a gathering
which center was, unsurprisingly, the gaijin half-breed. No outspoken
hostility for now, but Shiro's distant attitude to his new comrades didn't
help.
Kunzite broke in.
" You. The fair-haired one".
The soldiers froze and turned around as
they recognized his voice. They carefully stepped away from Shiro, wondering
how bad that would turn. It was never good when Kunzite talked to a mere
soldier.
The boy didn't seem to notice that and
saluted him zealously.
" My lord?"
" Come with me."
He didn't discuss and followed him out
of the camp, ignoring the whispers in his back.
Once out of sight among the trees, Kunzite
closed his eyes briefly, in search for something, and flapped his cape.
Shiro's eyes widened as a cloak of darkness
suddenly surrounded them, covering everything.
Then it unveiled, and the set had changed. They were still in the woods,
but on hill side. Shiro recognized under them the road he'd walked to
the temple.
He turned to Kunzite, uncertain.
" You see the man who's coming our way?"
The boy looked back at the road and saw
a silhouette walking in their direction.
" Hai. He was one of the candidates. You rejected him even though
the captains wanted to recruit him."
" That's right. Kill him now, and I'll give you a place in my army."
Shiro stood up straight. A test. He understood
that. As others before him, the warlord probably needed an evidence that
a half-breed street boy could fight.
He nodded and silently slid down towards
the road, hiding behind a bush.
When the man passed in front of him, he
attacked him without a word. The man was good, and Shiro battled for a
little while before he could find a flaw in his defence.
But then he found it, and struck fast and
right.
His katana pierced through the armor's
flaw, straight to the heart, then he unsheathed his tantô and cut
the man's throat.
Kunzite walked down to him and looked at
the corpse for a few seconds.
" Do you want me to cut his head too?" Shiro asked.
The shinma had a slight smile.
" That will suffice. Death is what matters. Not the decorum."
He measured the young recruit. He was calm,
barely out of breath by the fight. He had probably killed already. His
fighting skills were not just theoritical. He didn't argue with the so
not local "result over decorum" statement. And…
" Won't you even ask why I wanted him dead?"
Shiro had a quick look at the body and
pondered for a second.
" He was a better fighter than most of those selected today. So if
you rejected him, it was not because of his poor skills. Was he a spy?"
Kunzite's smile widened into a snarky smirk.
" Not bad. Let's go back to the camp."
Darkness envelopped them again and brought
them back to the camp.
" My Lord?"
" So, you do talk on your own?"
The boy was unsettled by the irony, but
proceded to ask.
" How… The darkness, what?…"
" Teleportation. It's a spell. Didn't you know before you applied?
This is Queen Metallia's army. I am her lead demon general."
From the look he gave him, obviously the
boy had not known, or rather not believed what he'd been told. But he
reacted well, constraining into a respectful distance his surprise and
whatever feelings – fear, disgust, loathe – the news could
inspire him.
Kunzite entered the temple and found
the captains still ferociously discussing who would integrate which recruits.
They were actually arguing over Shiro's case.
" Don't lose time on him. He's destined to my private militia."
They all looked at him perplexed. One of
them dared the obvious question.
" Which private militia?"
" The one I've just created. More questions?"
He contained a cynical grin at their upset
faces. That alone would have paid out for their endless debates.
Later, as night was falling down, each
captain went out and called a short list of names. Each recruit was welcome
by their corps comrades.
After the last name was called, Shiro remained
alone in the temple's courtyard. He looked around at loss. He paced to
Kunzite as he saw him coming out of the temple after all his subordinates.
" My Lord? My name… was not called? Have I failed the test?"
The shinma gave a roll to one of his lieutenants
and turned to him.
" No. You don't belong to any of these corps. You're directly under
my command. It's time to go, actually."
Darkness.
Darkness didn't uncover completely this
time. When the cloak unveiled, they were surrounded by stone. Cave walls
radiating of an unhealthy light, green in places, in shades of violet
in others, and striated with pulsing veins of plants, like roots or lianas.
Shiro dared not move.
The Shinma looked around, then seemed to
make up his mind. A dark blue light surrounded him, and stone started
to melt around them. Walls moved back, leaving space for two rooms, one
of which's ground lowered into a pond. From a hole appearing in the wall
beside, water started to flow and filled it, escaping by yet another forming
cavity. In the other room, a wall curved itself into a niche covered with
what looked like thick moss.
Shiro got nervous and discreetly took a
step back from Kunzite. But he wasn't really surprised and knew he couldn't
delay the inevitable. It always turned out that way.
Stone stopped moving on its own and the
Shinma turned to him. A food tray materialized in the air between them
and Shiro caught it in fear it would fall.
" Only take in the food I'll bring you, nothing else suits your kin
here. Do you need something else?"
Shiro bowed with a negative nod.
" Nee, dômo arigato, Kunzite-dono. Uh... Where are we?"
" We call it the Dark Kingdom. It's where we Metallia’s children
were born. There is no way out from here to your world, but many dangers,
so don't go anywhere without me. Fine. Duty calls. Train when you have
spare time. There's a training room at the end of this corridor. I'll
meet you here tomorrow morning to get you back to the surface."
And he was gone in one of his black teleportation
things.
Shiro watched empty space where he had
been, then what seemed to be his new apartments. Two rooms for him alone.
While mere soldiers always shared one for at least ten men. And no price
to pay?
He shuddered. What a weird man… No,
not man. Demon. He was obviously not human. Shiro had an insane giggle.
No human would ever treat him that well.
He sighed and shrugged. The price would
come. He had no doubt about it. And it would be as high as the favor was
great. And it would hurt. There was no other way. And since he now was
in debt to a demon granted with magical powers and that all of his comrades
looked at in fear, he didn't even want to think of what would be that
price.
For now, he'd just enjoy his apartments,
train as requested, and try to survive. If Lord Kunzite wanted a killer…
then he had chosen the right person.
He smiled in the half-light. Hey, it wasn't
that bad. He had already had his first kill in that army on his first
day in. And the demon hadn't mentioned anything about him not being from
a warrior's lineage. Which was pleasantly new.
Well, for a demon… humans were probably
all the same. Pointless.
He ragingly unsheathed his sword and struck
throws in the air. He would show him they were not all that worthless. |