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Vigniti Tres : Part Two
angelicreation Touga eyed the approaching copse of trees warily. His survival instinct was telling him he should just turn around and leave now while he still had the chance of escaping relatively intact, but he knew he was surrounded. He couldn’t see them but their presence was felt; every hair on the back of his neck was on end.
I shouldn’t have come here, he said to himself. He was quite right in his assessment; these people didn’t take well to the city guard at all, especially since they’re all exiled from Ohtori. And here he was, Captain Kiryuu Touga of the Ohtori City Guard, walking right into the realm of the wild.
He gritted his teeth and kept his hands away from his sidearm when he felt the thin razor edge of a dagger at his throat, wielded from behind. The hand holding the blade was steady and the pressure just enough that should Touga move at all, he’d slit his own throat.
“Why should we wolves let you live?” The voice was deep and male. Touga knew it well.
“Take me to your mistress, Tsuchiya,” Touga said steadily. “I have a request of her.”
“And why should she care about any request from the city guard? You know what we do to those that believe they can impose rule upon us,” came the reply tinged with contempt.
If it was for anyone else… Touga let a smirk touch his face knowing full well the effect his next words would have, for they affected this wolf just like it did himself. “The Panther sends her words. Remove your blade before you accidentally behead her through me.”
Tsuchiya Ruka drew in a long breath and removed his blade, motioning it forward to the dense copse of trees where the encampment was located. “She is in there,” he said, voice unreadable. “Go before I change my mind.”
Touga didn’t bother to look back at Ruka, he knew the man was bluffing; nothing having to do with Juri was ever impeded by that man. Pushing past some heavy boughs, the guard captain looked down upon a rather lively, almost wild, bunch of gypsies – most of them sporting their clan trait of blue hair.
Finding their mistress wasn’t particularly hard. She found him first.
A pair of strong, yet skilled hands ran up his back and he felt her press her body against his. “What foolishness brings the domesticated into the den of the untamed?” Her voice was seductive and she wrapped her arms about his waist, using the momentary distraction it caused to draw his own sword leaving him unarmed.
Touga didn’t turn around, but tensed his muscles. It was all a game with these people. They played by their own rules and the only way to not get bitten was to not react; the best defense against a pack of wolves was to stand your ground. If you run, they only chase and wear you down until you have no chance at all.
“The Panther needs your help,” Touga began. “Actually, she needs your brother’s help.”
“Is that so?” She walked around to look at his face, her short unruly mop of cerulean hair partially falling into her eyes, lips curled up in a predatory grin. Her eyes glinted dangerously.
“We captured her a few hours ago. She hangs at high noon,” he said quietly so only Kaoru Kozue, leader of the Kaoru clan, could hear him.
Kozue watched Touga for a moment, her gaze unable to faze him. She walked forward and handed him back his sword before turning back toward one of the brightly colored tents. With a commanding look over her shoulder at him, she sauntered into the darkened tent. Touga nodded, sheathed his sword, and followed after the wicked gypsy. He’d known what price he’d have to pay the moment he decided to approach the Kaoru Clan and their hot-blooded mistress. |
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