Passion

My Boy

It was still early in the morning, a fact for which Miyuki was thankful. The villages were still dormant allowing Miyuki to move freely down the main road without drawing attention. For now, he needed a safe place to keep Elara. He could most certainly leave her on the outskirts of the village, but then he risked her being taken on the off chance someone was following him. He didn't want to make that mistake. His only other viable option would be to stow her at the stables.

"I'm sorry, my love. You're going to have to stay here for now."

After departing the stables, the newly instated general needed to not look like one. The villages were awake now and the inhabitants milled about. The markets were just opening and the villagers had begun their daily routine. Miyuki had only just left the capitol, but he could never be too cautious-- carelessness causes death. He had lost too many companions to carelessness.

Miyuki quickly bought some new clothes and bartered some extra Malus apples-- a specialty of the capitol. He had to get rid of anything that could identify him. A simple association to the castle could ruin everything. The King entrusted him with this mission and so he had to follow through.

Still, he wasn't sure where he could find Chris.

"Kazuya... is that you?"

A soft spoken voice from behind the stall to his left solved his problem rather quickly. There stood a tall man with a full head of hair. Thick eyebrows atop deep set eyes scrunched together in disbelief. Miyuki had to admit, he had aged quite well.

"Oh man, and here I thought I'd never find you."

"You're looking for me? Why?"

"Come with me Chris, we need to talk."

The serious look Miyuki was sporting and his hushed tone both expressed the gravity of the situation.

"Alright, follow me."

Chris led him out of the markets by the back alleys of the villages. Miyuki counted every turn and memorized unique markers. It was a habit of his, one that greatly aided his rise in the ranks. A remarkable memory is well suited for the battlefield.

Eventually, they approached a hatch door hidden deep within the villages. Chris spared a few looks around and then knocked a sequence on the door which promptly swung open.

"Chris, you're home early, why-"

Amazingly, an even taller man than Chris emerged from the steps beneath the hatch door.

"My boy, who is this?"

My boy? But... there's no way...

Miyuki was able to piece things together rather quickly and quickly butt in.

"I can explain but not out here."

The man gestured inwards, "come in, come in."

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It took a few moments for Miyuki to soak in the weight of their words. He had been told that Chris' father had been killed by enemy combatants; yet, here he stood before him-- in good health, even. They told him how the King had had them smuggled out of the capitol.

Jorge was a Councilor and had approached the King after he overheard other Councilors talking about a coup d'état. He was directed to follow up that intel. Eventually, it led him to uncover that the top Councilor, Lord Hebiya, was planning to usurp the throne. Something about, "the king is not fit." Hebiya somehow realized that there was a leak amongst the Council. The King announced that Jorge had been killed and after that, he and his son Chris were confined to the Eastern Villages. No wonder Chris never came back to training.

"But what do you think he means by 'snake has coiled around jade' councilman?"

"Hebiya, my boy. Hebi means snake. He must have been trying to tell you that his will still lives amongst the Council." Jorge paused for a brief moment.

"There's a traitor within the Council."

"He asked me to find you. Why would he send me here?"

"Because my Second was Lord Hebiya's biggest supporter-- Lord Ochiai. Is he still on the Council?"

"He's the top Councilman, now."

"Miyuki, my boy, we need to get you back to the King's side as soon as possible."

"My horse, she's in the stable. And I'm low on food."

"I'll fetch her first thing in the morning. Chris will get you what you need."

Miyuki rose and chuckled, "I appreciate that, Councilman, but only I can get Elara from the stable." He ran a hand through his hair. "She's a spirited one, won't let anyone but me handle her."

"I'll sneak you through the village, then. Chris," Jorge said as he looked at his son, "let us prepare. We set off for the castle at dawn."

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As the day began to break, the three men departed for the castle at a speed they would soon come to realize was too quick. Elara managed to complete the trip in twenty-four hours with one brief stop but the other's horses could not manage the same. They stopped and made camp after riding until the sun began to retire.

"Miyuki, my boy, you managed to get to the Eastern Villages from the castle in one day?"

"I told you, Elara is a spirited one."

The three men made small talk for a while and then joined the sun in its retirement. They set out again at first light arriving at the capitol a half a day later.

Nothing could prepare them for the storm that was brewing.