The Long Road to Freedom 2: Fire on the Water

Trapped

1404 early-Muromachi Period, Autumn, Shanghai

Kintsuke had been given a room and an attendant, quickly settled comfortably in one of the guest quarters. She'd also been given a choice to make. She could either step into the role both Daiyufan and Shoucheng had been meant to fill as heir to the family, or she could hunt down a worthy female for her grandfather to breed. The first option was far more complicated than a simple 'yes' or 'no' for her; and why his current female was not agreeable enough for the task, she could not ask, for that would be rude. She did wonder, though...

Aside from her suspicions, she found her stay comfortable and the other demons here fairly agreeable. Her room was well furnished, warm, soft, and inviting, sharing the same gentle hint of mint which permeated the entire castle, and which Kintsuke found she enjoyed. Gentle waves of familiar youki flowed soothingly from the numerous braziers inside the castle and out, and the weather on the island was constant and comfortable.

Most notable for her more immediately was the reliable presence of food. After only a couple days she could already see her body recovering from the slow starvation she'd been enduring, and by the end of the week, she had her healthy glow back. Indeed, she couldn't find anything really to complain about in this place, however, it was time for a day trip away. That time was upon her again.

She informed the attendant she'd been assigned that she would be stepping away from the castle for the day, but would remain close by, and made her way out and down the tower of stairs. On the third level, she began to feel it, a repelling sensation that urged her back to the higher levels. The further down she went, the stronger it became.

'Odd,' she thought absently.

Here on the final step it felt the strongest, and her entire body buzzed with electricity, making her hair stand on end. Slowly, cautiously, on a hunch, she reached her hand closer to that force that repelled her and met solid, insistent resistance that crackled angrily.

'A barrier...to keep people in?'

She blinked at the invisible wall for a moment before glancing back to examine the outside of the castle, as if something there would offer her a hint. Her attendant had followed her, and now meekly explained to her that it was the master's divine will that Kintsuke remain in the castle for the time being. She simply nodded and dismissed the female.

She vaguely remembered Shoucheng mentioning something about how this 'father', Kintsuke's grandfather, controlled the fates of all who wielded the black flames. Was this one of the ways he did it? Was this his doing? She noted that one of the large braziers was burning higher than the rest, its black flames tinged here and there with a pinkish hue; and it made her smile inside.

'I believe I understand now. This must be one of the many abilities one can train their fire to have.'

She was intrigued by the idea, wondering how exactly that would work, but the thoughts were quickly drowned out by a surge of panic. She couldn't leave... She was trapped in this place now. The full implications of that settled heavily on her shoulders and fear shot through her, frigid and hollowing, for the first time in decades.

Slowly, almost dazed from the near-shock, she made her way back to her room, fighting to maintain some measure of calm. There, she released the layers of decorative screens that sectioned off the innermost chamber of her quarters where her bed was set up and seated herself on it, blinking through the jumble of thoughts and emotions.

Part of her began to panic, the other part began sorting through excuses to give her grandfather to let her leave. Perhaps his permission was all that was required to make it past the barrier. She was certain she could escape any detail he sent along with her. Yes, that was her best option, she was sure, but what to say?