These are the tales of the noble and great Clan Ryoku as told by the Royal Official Scribe for the San Nin De Lai, all-powerful and all-knowing. Ever watchful over those that carry Their blood and Their will. I observed Clan Ryoku as one of them and then when I ascended, as their scribe. Learn what you can from Clan Ryoku of the Six Great Clans from both their triumphs and their failures. See through my eyes and know all there is to know.
Makoto of the Six
Royal Official Scribe
Watcher of Clan Ryoku
Proof of Existence
Edo, Japan.
1829 (Bunsei 12) February 2nd
Commander Takeru of the Ryoku and his charge, the Young Lord Shinosuke were on horseback traveling from Edo City to their village in the mountains. They rode hard at first, hoping to make it home before the storm hit, but they were not fast enough. It was a chilly mid-winter on the southern island of Japan. It was the first snowstorm of the season, and it left the trails leading to the villages hidden under a foot of snow.
Takeru led the way while Shinosuke trailed behind him. He could feel his horse struggle to walk through the mounds of snow, and it was moving increasingly slower. He urged his horse Takafumi on, but he felt the animal groan in protest. By then, the snow was falling so thickly; human eyes could not see even five meters ahead. The snow was not their only problem. Takeru was also worried for the Young Lord's safety. Being an immortal Takeru was fine, for he could not feel the cold. However, Shinosuke was human.
"My Lord Shinosuke!" Takeru called behind him. "We must find somewhere to wait out the storm. We are still days from the castle."
"Can you see anywhere we can take shelter?" Shinosuke answered, his voice carried by the wind.
Takeru scanned the area with his gifted eyes and spied a shrine. He saw no signs of any shrine keepers or priestesses, so they were sure not to disturb anyone.
"There is a dojo some distance away. We can take refuge there for the night," he called to his young charge. He could see Shinosuke sigh with relief as his warm breath hit the chill air. Takeru screwed up his face and urged his horse on determinedly. As an immortal, Takeru could withstand the harsh temperature, all he cared about was Shinosuke.
It took some time to reach the dojo in the thickening snow. It was not exceptionally large. Just one main dojo in the middle of the compound with smaller structures surrounding it in the shape of a U. Takeru hoped the owners to provide them with shelter through the night. If they refused, they had limited options. The horses were straining, and Takeru could sense they were nearing their limit, as was the Young Lord. They entered the dojo's grounds cautiously, Takeru used his abilities to scan every inch for signs of the dojo owners of disciples.
The grounds were covered in a thick layer of untouched snow, showing that owners might have taken shelter elsewhere during the storm. But then Takeru saw a light coming from one of the smaller structures on the right. He approached the small building on horseback and sensed mortal blood. Whoever was inside must have heard the horses neighing because Takeru heard some rustling. An elderly man came hurrying out the door with a weapon in his hand. Takeru quickly jumped off his horse and stood between the old man and Shinosuke, who was still mounted but unarmed.
"What do you want? Come to pillage while the dojo master is away?" the old man called into the snowy night brandishing a sword.
"No," said Takeru softly, holding up his hands. "We were on our way back to Edo when we were caught in the storm. We seek only shelter. Not treasure." Silence followed his words. Only the wind and horses made sounds as the old man considered them, then he lowered his weapon.
"You were foolish to travel in this," he said against the howling wind, his voice loud and gruff. Takeru sensed concern, not anger.
"Come on, you can put the horses in the stable and take the room next to it. But just for tonight," he added in a raised voice.
"We understand," said Takeru bowing. "And we are very grateful." The old man took hold of the horse's reign and began guiding them to the stables.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality Sir," said Shinosuke his voice soft and full of sincerity. "We shall call upon the Master when the storm has passed to give him and you a proper thank you. What is your name so that we know who it is we are so obliged to?"
"You may call me Yoshinori young man," he said "My Master will be most welcome to receive you. He is on a journey at the moment, with his disciples. He should return before the sakura blossom."
"We will remember," said Shinosuke. Takeru smiled to himself, thinking how proud he was of his young charge.
It did not take long to get the horses into the well-equipped stable. They said their goodbyes to Yoshinori then Takeru draped his arm around Shinosuke's shoulder. He looked up at him, with his watery eyes and his paler-than-ever skin, and Takeru held him even closer.
"Come My Lord, let's get you warm," he said as he led him to the sleeping quarters near the stables. It was small, only about eight tatami mats, but it suited their needs perfectly; it had dry futons, a fireplace, and a tea kettle. Takeru started a fire in the small hearth in the middle of the room. It was a sunken fireplace with the teapot bound to a contraption in the ceiling. Eager to make Shinosuke as comfortable as possible, he found supplies to make tea.
Shinosuke sat on the other side of the fireplace, still shivering slightly in his kimono. Takeru looked over across the fire and his eyes drooped at the sight of him. How could he allow Shinosuke to come to such a pass? He chided himself while he stoked the fire, waiting for the water to boil. The Young Lord was silent as Takeru worked, but he could feel his eyes on him. Once the water boiled, Takeru prepared the tea and handed Shinosuke a cup. He took it gently, careful not to burn himself, and sipped the tea slowly. Takeru watched the tea do its work as it made Shinosuke's body heat rise.
"We passed a small shrine next to the entrance," said Shinosuke staring into his tea. "Tomorrow I would like to make an offering to the spirits for guiding us here and ask them to bless Yoshinori."
"Yes, My Lord, we must," Takeru agreed as he took a sip of his tea. Shinosuke was turning into a fine young man indeed.
In some ways, Takeru saw him as a boy, even though he had come of age some years ago. He still had a youthful glow; he had an unlined face and lawless skin like untouched snow.
As Takeru stared at him through the crackling flames, he pictured his fangs piercing that perfect skin while in the throes of passion. He bit his lower lip and blinked away the vision with difficulty. He recalled his Ryoku training after being sired. Learning to resist human blood was the first challenge. He received no such training in resisting his more carnal desires. And being alone with Shinosuke in an empty dojo all night presented him with a lot of possibilities. Takeru looked back over the crackling flames to Shinosuke.
"You should sit closer to the fire My Lord, you'll be warmer," said Takeru once Shinosuke had finished his tea. He was worried his charge would freeze before the storm ended, and they were safe to go home. He looked up at Takeru's words, and then his eyes drifted down and away from him.
"What troubles you, My Lord?" he asked at once, eyebrows raised.
"Perhaps I would feel warmer if I could sit next to you," he answered. Takeru was shocked that he nearly dropped his tea into the fire. He stared blankly at the look of longing in Shinosuke's eyes. Takeru could sense how much the Young Lord wanted to be near him. It amazed him he had not sensed it before then. Shinosuke must have been holding back his emotions while he focused his mind on getting warm, but at the moment, they were loud and clear and focused on Takeru.
Staring at the flames instead of Shinosuke he said, "That would not be prudent My Lord."
"Prudent," Shinosuke whispered. His face fell. "That is you, Master Takeru of the Ryoku, Prudence, and propriety. Don't you ever forget all of that and just…be?"
"I…," Takeru started, but then he closed his mouth, and started again still staring resolutely at the fire. "We Ryoku are a noble clan. You and my honor are all I have, My Lord. If I were to do something to jeopardize those things …my existence would mean nothing."
Shinosuke did not respond at first. Takeru could feel Shinosuke staring at him even though he could not see him. Takeru had hoped that he would let the matter rest, but then suddenly, Shinosuke was on his feet and walking over to him. Takeru froze as Shinosuke sat on the ground directly beside him daringly.
"Is that the existence you want? An existence of denying yourself, of denying who you are?" he asked him incredulously, his eyes piercing into Takeru's very soul. "I have lived that way for many years, and I am sick of it," he continued, and Takeru finally looked at him, and he saw the fire in his eyes. He saw the pain and passion there, and he could not look away. He understood Shinosuke's pain well.
"My Lord, please do not think me unfeeling," Takeru started. "If I had the nerve to risk everything and dared to give in to my desires, there would be no turning back. It is something I could never take back, never undo. Like becoming immortal, it would change everything forever. I take risks with my life my Lord because I am immortal. I don't take risks with my virtue." Takeru was never a man of indulgence. He was not raised that way. He lived a life of denial and discipline as per the vows he took as a young man himself.
"Aren't some things worth risking everything for?" Shinosuke asked incredulously. Takeru did not respond. He just looked back into Shinosuke's marble eyes as a voice in the back of his head thought how stunning his charge was; his princely robes fell delicately on his slender shoulders, his milky white collarbone peeked out from the top of his layered kimono. His lips were the color of cherry blossoms and at the moment they were parted slightly and the pained expression on his exquisite face only made him look more irresistible. Luckily, his shoulder-length black hair covered the veins on his neck for it was not the time to test Takeru's need for mortal blood when Shinosuke was mortal with warm blood pumping through his veins. Takeru had to shake off the urge to throw his arms about his young charge. He wanted to look away, but Shinosuke's deep expressive eyes held him captive.
"I know you are frustrated My Lord, but you know that I am no good for you. I am not good for anyone in that way. You belong with a human like you."
"You think it matters to me whether or not you have a heartbeat?" Shinosuke asked as disbelief spread across his face and he inched closer to Takeru. He was too close to him Takeru thought distracted by Shinosuke's smell which was intoxicating.
Takeru could hear Shinosuke's heartbeat quicken as his warm blood rushed through his body. It was all he could do not to tear the delicate cloth away from the Young Lord's shoulders and taste his milky white skin. "What matters to me is whether or not you feel something for me and if you want me the way I want you. Well?" Shinosuke waited for Takeru to answer with his hands on his knees.
There was no way he could lie to Shinosuke. He was the only other person besides Takeru's maker that he could not lie to. Watching him wait for his response only made it more difficult. He sighed and looked down away from Shinosuke, and he could almost feel his heartbreaking as he broke eye contact with him.
"I honestly can't say yes or no to that. I do not know what it is I feel because all of this is very foreign to me. I was sired before I really understood anything about myself. What I know is that I cannot bear to be separated from you, that I would hunt down anyone who tried to harm you, that I want to be your side, my Lord," he said with his eyes still on the ground and he noticed the gap between them was smaller now. Takeru could feel his self-control slipping.
"I couldn't bear to be separated from you either," said Shinosuke as his hand slid across the floor. He rested it on top of Takeru's hand, and he did not pull away. He could not. "I've wanted you since I was still a boy in your eyes, but I knew I couldn't have you. Your honor and your duty to my family made it impossible for me to pursue you. Therefore, I hid my genuine feelings as best as I could. I knew that not having you as a lover would not be as difficult as losing you as my guard. I had to be content with just having you by my side."
"So, I distracted myself with concubines but no more Takeru. Unlike yours, I have limited time on earth. If I died tomorrow knowing that I did not even try, I would mourn what we could have had in my afterlife. My soul would not be at peace. Now, I sit here as a man, not a boy telling you I love you, asking you if you love me too."
Takeru looked back up into Shinosuke's eyes, and he saw it. It was not lust or infatuation. It was love. Then without saying a word Takeru pulled Shinosuke by the hands into his arms and kissed him fully on the mouth. He did not know what made him do it. All he knew was at that moment he could not think of anything else. Shinosuke responding quickly by pulling his hands free and wrapping them around Takeru's neck, kissing him back. Shinosuke's mouth was moist and slightly sweet with remnants of the tea he drank. And they were soft, pressing against Takeru's lips lightly. Suddenly they were on their knees, caressing each other as their mouths moved together rhythmically amidst the howling wind and the crackling flames.
They stopped briefly, Shinosuke panting as they stared at each other. Then Shinosuke smiled. The grin spread across his face, and then he laughed. "My Lord?" Takeru said slightly, concerned with his reaction to their first kiss.
"I woke up this morning thinking of this journey home," he said while putting a hand up to push Takeru's long black hair out of his eyes. "I was hoping I could speak with you freely about my feelings. I never imagined that this day would end with me in your arms, Takeru," and they kissed again, this time more playfully, his tongue excitedly exploring Takeru's as his hands moved up into his hair.
Takeru could practically feel Shinosuke's elation because he was elated as well. He knew nothing had changed, that his feelings about their situation were the same, but when Shinosuke said that he loved him, Takeru knew he felt it too. There was no other explanation for it. He was in love. He knew they could never go public with their relationship, that their love would be pushed into the shadows. At that moment it did not matter to them. They knew hard times were ahead of them. What they did not know was how short their time together would be.