They saddled the horses at dawn, bidding Akio goodbye. The atmosphere was tense with unspoken hostility between brothers, Ryuu being the only clueless individual in the party.
"It's a pity you're leaving so soon," Akio said, looking deceptively calm. As always, there wasn't a part of him that was out of place. Not his immaculate conical hat, slicked back hair, red silk robes or polished shoes. "I assumed you would stay until the General's return."
"A King should never leave his post for too long. You never know what kind of wretched vermin might sneak in," Shuhei responded cryptically as he helped the women into the carriage. "Nevertheless, it was a pleasure seeing you again. Please send word upon General Tsugumo's return. I would appreciate your cooperation to investigate this opium problem." He watched Akio's brows narrowing and tossed a half-smile. "Perhaps next time you could visit me in Donggu instead."
"If the occasion allows for it," Akio said begrudgingly, neither agreeing nor rejecting. His eyes flickered to Inka who studiously avoided his gaze.
Shuhei cleared his throat noisily. "Well, we should get going. Until next time, brother."
Akio gave a curt nod and stepped back, his gaze never shifting away.
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Gazing out the window, Inka mulled over Kyou's confession. After listening to his side of the story, her green-eyed monster and doubts gradually dissipated. She had already forgiven him and reconciled with the fact that similar feelings would bombard her in the future but, she promised to get a better grasp of her emotions before then. She recalled a saying that 'real ladies do not make a scene and are always composed in the face of distress.'
Inka bit into her lip. She wanted to be better for Kyou — to meet him halfway. They had plenty to learn but, as long as she wasn't alone then it would be worth fighting for. Satisfied with her decision, she eventually dozed off to the lulling sway of the carriage.
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Kyou narrowly missed a ditch when his alarmed Commander snatched his horse's reins and pulled him to a complete stop. Rei searched the Emperor's weary face with concern. "Kyou, is something bothering you?"
"I couldn't sleep very well," he mumbled, stretching his sore neck from side to side.
Rei lifted a brow curiously. "And does this have anything to do with the young lady in the carriage?"
Kyou sighed with great effort. "Inka caught Attaw attempting to seduce me yesterday and it was an absolute disaster. I don't even know if I have been forgiven."
Rei's brows knitted with confusion. "Why was General Attaw here? More precisely, how did she enter the palace without anyone knowing?"
"Akio had conveniently planned it to sabotage my relationship with Inka. He wanted her to find me in a compromising situation and since Attaw's feelings aren't a secret, the bastard used it to his advantage. Unfortunately, I have no proof to call him out on it." Kyou still seethed about being manipulated like that. "I find his sudden fancy in her strange. Almost irrational."
"I don't know His Majesty well but, judging by your expression I'm assuming it's bad," Rei said wryly. " Do you think he has an ulterior motive?"
"I cannot confirm it. Akio has always been hard to figure out and lately I feel like I'm being constantly watched though I don't know by whom." Kyou grimaced. "There are rumours about his involvement with the Nerium — shadow assassins who pledge their loyalty through blood."
"I've heard about them," Rei confirmed. "An occult group of killers. Frankly, no one has ever seen them or knows for sure if they exist. They could be fabricated for all we know."
"Even so, we need to be —," Before Kyou could finish his sentence, a series of explosions erupted all around, blowing up chunks of earth and spooking the horses.
"It's a landmine!" Rei bellowed, forcefully steering away to take cover.
Unfortunately, the carriage driver lost control of the horses as the animals whined and backtracked, kicking their front and hind legs rebelliously. Their violent thrashing snapped the carriage's harness and sent the vehicle barrelling down the hill, diving towards a perilous cliff.
"The carriage! It's headed downhill!" Kyou shouted hysterically.
"I'm after it!" Ryuu shot ahead of them, leaning over his horse to go faster.
Another bomb detonated from beneath, throwing Kyou and Rei off their horses. Landing on their backs, their ears rang from the discombobulation.
Kyou groaned distractedly. "Didn't see that one coming…,"
Rei cursed bluntly, rolling up to stand. "The horses are gone. We need to catch up with the carriage."
Without the horses, it was impossible. To make matters worse, they were imminently ambushed by a group of anonymous assailants garbed entirely in black. Their fearless challenge and attire marked them as assassins.
"This just keeps on getting better and better," Kyou growled sarcastically, deftly unsheathing his sword.
"Your brothers will have to deal on their own," Rei remarked. "We have enough as it is."
Inside the runaway carriage, Kuriko was screaming as she held on for dear life. Her terror filled eyes watched as Shuhei and Inka tried to bust open the jammed door. "This is bullshit!" He repeatedly kicked the wooden frame.
"Shuhei! Can you hear me?" They heard Ryuu's harsh voice from outside.
Shuhei shoved open the small window to find his brother racing the carriage at breakneck speed, the wind slicing through his hair. "Kairyuu, the door is stuck! Can you open it from the outside?"
Gritting his teeth, Ryuu urged his horse closer and switched into a side saddle position. In a single jump, his body plastered against the carriage, and he grabbed the window's ledge to steady his footing. Glancing down, he realized the door had sunken in from the explosion. Grabbing his knife, he started bashing the crooked hinges with its blunt hilt. "When I tell you to kick it, do it!" Several frustrating seconds later, the hinges fell away. "Now!"
"On the count of three." Shuhei said to Inka. "One! Two!" They braced themselves. "Three!"
The door splintered into pieces from their combined efforts and without wasting time, Shuhei grabbed onto Inka's waist. "We have to jump!" The scenery raced before them, a blur of sky meeting the earth.
Inka didn't have time to respond when Shuhei jumped, pulling her along. Releasing a shrill cry, they tumbled down the hill with her body was cocooned within his arms. They rolled to a stop at the edge of the cliff, just in time to watch the carriage disappear into the gorge below.
Horror sunk its claws into Inka. "Where's Kuriko and ─," she stopped short when the couple appeared in a tousled heap beside them. Ryuu groaned in pain while Kuriko trembled intensely.
Momentary relief assailed her, and she flopped back onto the ground, panting harshly. She was thoroughly shaken by that close brush with death.
"Is everyone alright?" Shuhei rasped, adrenaline still pumping in his veins. Pushing up to his feet, he surveyed their surroundings. That attack had been deliberate, and it wasn't safe to stay here like sitting ducks.
"We're alive, aren't we?" Ryuu grunted as Kuriko untangled her limbs from him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her disheveled hair and crumpled dress, looking a far cry from the poise noble lady she was.
Kuriko threw him a helpless glare. "How can you laugh at a time like this?"
"Sorry," he mumbled, duly chastised.
"Where's Kyou and Rei?" Inka suddenly realized that the other two were missing.
"We were separated during the explosion," Shuhei remarked. "We need to leave right now."
"I don't think that's possible," Kuriko spoke up, her eyes fastened on fast-approaching figures in the distance. The unmistakable glint in their hands proved they weren't here to help.
Ryuu swept her timely behind him to avoid the attacker's blade and delivered a swift kick. Moving behind, Ryuu snapped the assassin's neck with a quick twist. "Stay with Inka." He shoved her away to dodge a series of flying shurikens.
Kuriko was too petrified to move, her delicate senses overtaken by fear. Her lungs contracted when an assassin pounced on her. Eyes squeezing shut, she waited for the pain that never came. Cracking an eye open, she was stunned to see Inka fighting her attacker.
"Don't move from my side!" Inka shouted, forcing the assassin backwards. Seizing the man's wrist, she twisted it mercilessly, eliciting a howl of pain as he dropped his weapon. Far from finished, she angled her palm upwards and dislocated his jaw before spinning and booting him squarely on the back.
Kuriko watched in terrified awe as the man fell facedown — unconscious. "That was amazing!" She praised breathlessly, her eyes round like saucers. "I didn't know you could fight like that."
"I'm quite out of practice," Inka confessed, rotating her sore wrists. "Come on, we'll leave the rest to Shuhei and Ryuu." Together they fled to safety, crouching behind a large boulder to watch the brothers incapacitate the enemy.
"These aren't normal assassins," Ryuu panted, hastily brushing his sweat with his shirtsleeve. "They don't usually operate in a group."
The lines bracketing Shuhei's mouth deepened. "We need to get to Kyoutarou. I have a bad feeling about this."
Ryuu frowned. "I don't understand. Who is trying to kill us?"
Uneasiness shadowed Shuhei's expression. Keeping his voice low despite the flare of angry heat in his chest, he said, "There's only one man mad enough to attack his own brothers."