Beauty is a Beast

chapter 13

When Asami reached the gates of the glass castle they were already thrown open. They were counting on the element of surprise but it now seemed like they were expected. Fine, have it your way.  He drew his sword, his men following suit, and led the way inside. After all it was rude to keep his host waiting.

Everything was eerily silent for a pleasure house. The tree lined path only bothered by thier foot steps and the cold wind. It seemed a storm was blowing in. The fountain in the crossroads of the manor entrance trickled in the calm before the storm. As Asami marched his men inside. The inside of the manor was cleanly decorated in posh furniture and many expensive fabrics. And unlike the exterior suggests the manor was clearly a wooden structure; the glass was only a outer layer to make the castle stand out.

As they proceeded into the manor they found Micheal waiting for them in the foyer his own diamond encrusted blade in hand. Asami did not wait for him to speak he charged. But before he could even reach Micheal a scream broke through their bloodlust filled silence, and Micheal smiled.

"FIRE!!  AKI'S ROOM IS ON FIRE!" another geisha screamed from the second floor as she came running down.

All Asami had to do was life his left arm and his men dispersed to save the occupans of the manor incased in glass. Asami then side stepped Micheal and rushed to where the woman had come from. His inevitably fight forgotten in his rush to find Akihito in the blooming chaos.

Micheal moved first thrusting at Asami's back.  Asami spun to meet him in the middle-only his long perfected instincs and years with the sword did he succeed in catching his blade or buckle under the force. Asami parried the sword to his right and brought his down in and vertical slash. Micheal rolled away and quickly jumped to his feet. To charge Asami again.

By this point his men and the workers and geisha were nearly all evacuated but the fire had quickly spread across the manor. Asami's desperation increased and as the fight dragged on. His second passed, Asami caught his eye but he shook his head and he carried three geisha on his back and out of the quickly burning manor.

Micheal smiled and Asami roared "WHERE IS AKIHITO!" He charged Micheal and easily sent his falled to the floor his sword flying out of his hands.

"Now you too shall know the pain of losing what you hold most dear" Micheal laughed from his debauched state on the floor.

Just before Asami was going to thrust his blade into Micheals throat Yuri rushed into the room. "Akihito is safe!" He then held up one of Akihitos handcrafted arrows with a green piece of cloth tied to the shaft.

"Now let my brother go Asami!"

Asami glared at Yuri, "I can't do that. He will never stop chasing Akihito if I do. He has already been chasing him for five years and tormenting him for far longer then that. I will kill him for his sins against my fated pair."

Asami then thrust his sword into Micheals chest. He watched as Micheals eyes faded into the empty abyss, and his body thumped to the floor.

"NO!" Yuri screamed

His shout seemed to vibrate off the very walls. It must have been the final push the manor was waiting for the entrance calapsed as did the stairs. When Asami's vision cleared enough for him to see Yuri was gone.

Asami frantically searched for another way to the second floor. He had to confirm for himself Akihito had actually gotten out. Asami sheethed his sword and tor off a part of his shirt to wrap around his head, to keep the smoke from damaging his lungs.

Above the kitchen there seemed to be a piece of hanging railing he could use to haul himself up. Asami rushed to it and used one hand to quickly throw hiself to the second floor. In the process the rest of the railing calapsed. Asami didn't give it a second thaught he rushed to what he assumed Akihito's room was.

He body slammed the doors open only to see the room already completely overtaken by flames. But there was no burning corpse so Asami quickly fled the room.

He barley got more then five feet before the whole floor calapsed. Asami laid hiself flat so the impact could be evenly distributed through his body. He was then barrier alive in burning rubble.

~~●●●●●●●~~

"That latter leads to the surface, you will find yourself in the alley way of a jewler. Just get to the main street and it shall lead out of town. General Asami's forces have set up camp just past the corn feilds just past the Eastern city exit." Yuri explained as he pointed off the Akihitos right.

"Thank you I don't k ow how I can repay this kindness.."

Akihito thaught foe a moment before he took one of his arrows out of the sealed quiver and handed it to Yuri. "Give this to Micheal and tell him I'm sorry but I will never be coming back, I'm not who I used to be."

Yuri nodded and Akihito turned his back on him. He claimed the ladder quickly stalling only to push the head cover aside and haul himself out. Yuri was right he come out in the alley of the jeweler and clothing store the glass castle often commissioned from. Just up ahead should be the main road; which was bustling with evening traffic.

Akihito decided to keep off the street and stick to the shadows, just in case guards were looking for him. He made his way to the Eastern exit. The streets seemed emptier but more chaotic somehow.

"~did you hear~"

"~fire~"

"~castle~"

"~general Asami~"

The people were probably worried wondering why Asami's camp has been staying for so long. He paid it no mind as he tried to quickly but quietly rush through town. Ducking between stalls or hiding in alleys whenever he saw guards or just suspicious people in general.

He slowly made his way out of the city, he could now see Asami's camp. Over come with a sense of joy he no longer cared to who say him Akihito raced through the fields to Asami's camp. Soon...soon he would see Asami and they could leave, and never come back. He would tell him how he felt and stand by his side as an equal, at least in where thier beliefs and feelings were concerned. When he reached the camp he rushed to Asami's tent, and burst through the entrance.

"Asami!"

But Asami was not in his tent only Kirishima and a few other luteniants. They seemed to be having a meeting, but were all now staring at Akihito faces slacked in shock. Akihito couldn't help but laugh a little at their expressions. That seemed to knock Kirishima out of his stupor.

"Akihito?! Thank God your back...wait why are you looking for Asami shouldn't he already be with you?" Kirishima asked he was starting to get a worried look to replace his usual frown.

"What no I escaped through an underground tunnel in the dungeons.....Where is Asami?"

Kirishima sighed and leaned back on the war table set up in the middle of the space. He pressed a hand to his temple obviously the weight of his fingers no longer enough. "He went to go rescue you from the glass palace. He should be there now."

Kirishima turned his back on Akihito to address his men. "Send word that-"

Akihito rushed out before he could finish the snippets of conversation he could hear from the towns people finally made sense. He had to get back to the castle and fast. He rushed to Nightmare hoping to all the God's that Asami was safe...