Love at blades edge Pt2 – Death of a master
#2 of Love at blades edge
Written with permission to use their likenesses, I make no claim to the characters depicted herein.
In the days following their encounter Hyo and Hageshi spent most of their days in one another's arms. Having buried the bodies of their fallen and stripping the carriage of anything valuable, including the jade dragons egg, they had set fire to what remained. The horses set free, save for the two they rode away on. The rain would wash away what else remained to stain the grass and cherry trees, soon leaving little to no evidence of what had transpired that fateful day.
"You know this can't last forever..." Hageshi would say in a rueful whisper as she sat between Hyo's thighs on the front steps of their little hut, staring down the valley at the small rustic town below. Fires and torches being lit in the houses bellow as the smells of dinner cooking drifted up to the watchful pair of eyes. She could feel the grumble of Hyo's belly against her back, the fact of which brought a smile to her lips, however brief. "Someone will come looking for you sooner or later, honour demands it" the kitsune continued, Hyo knew she was right as much as he wished she wasn't.
He had forsaken his masters, if that was not punishable enough on it's own, he had abandoned them for one of the rival house. Nothing but his death would absolve his house of this stain and Hyo knew it. Death was coming for him, he didn't know when, but he was sure it would be sooner than he wished. He cherished his time with the kitsune, her strength and courage inspired him. The more he learned about her, the more he wanted to know. Born to common folk she had worked hard to get to the levels she had before her master was assassinated by unknown parties, casting her out into the world as a rhonin. Usually the title was enough for the common man to spit in your direction, but the kitsune was so loved and respected by her people they were sad to hear of her being called to the House of Migi.
"You need to eat, you'll need your strength for what's coming." Try as she might, Hageshi could not keep the note of worry from her voice. She had heard stories of the warriors in Hidari, if they were even half true and recalling the brute of a panther she'd fought not so long ago, the kitsune knew trouble was coming. In the few short days she had spent with Hyo she had learned to read through his calm exterior, she knew this weighed heavy on his heart. Torn between honour and love, he had given up his life for a kitsune he'd only just met. It was a big gamble, for both of them, but as she now realized the snow leopard was not afraid of risking it all for the things that mattered. A fact which she both admired and hated, knowing it would probably lead him into taking risks he probably shouldn't.
The odd couple had fallen into a routine of sharing the workload, helping each other with cooking and cleaning. Despite their business in the small kitchen they managed to dance around each other without getting in one another's way. Both taking turns at being punch drunk fools as hands groped and caressed when an inviting curve of bulge was presented at the right time or angle. By the time the food was ready for consumption, obvious flour caked handprints would be outlined over crotches or on behinds from their playing. Sometimes the food forgotten all together as a counter would be swept clean and passion overtook them.
That night was different, the lovemaking seeming more intense and desperate, as if they somehow knew it might be the last time. Much like their first time the kitsune would be beneath the snow leopard, staring up into his eyes as her lips parted in a soft pant. A hand gripping the back of his neck as she pulled his lips to hers with a fiery passion, a needy whine bursting into his muzzle as strong feline hips rocked firmly between kitsune thighs. Despite having taken it a few times by now, the fact the feline had a canine knot still caught her every time he tied with her, though his cat did seem to know how to use it better than most of her own kind. Slipping a hand down against her lower belly to press down as he ground his knot within her, lighting up nerves even she had not known she had and wringing a climax strong enough to make her feel dizzy as she in turn coated his swaying balls and inner thighs with her climax. The way she squeezed and writhed beneath him would set Hyo off soon after, groaning heavily against her shoulder as his girth throbbed and pulsed strongly a few times before he released his own thick ropes of seed within the radiant kitsune beneath him. Collapsing on top of her, trying to hold his weight from her by his elbow, his nose pressed to hers as they stared deeply into one another's eyes. No words needed to express what they both knew to be true at that moment.
Hyo woke the next morning to a hard weight being dropped onto his chest, opening one eye and peering down at the object Hageshi had placed there not so gently. His heart caught in his chest as he saw the hilt of the dagger, the head of a wolf with ruby eyes. The symbol of his house, they had finally found him. "There's a note too. It says someone named Buruto is coming for you?" Hageshi read the name out again, a confused look on her face until she turned to look at Hyo. Even through his fur she could see his pale colour; clearly this was not good news at all. Hyo sat up in their bed, taking the note from Hageshi's hands to read it for himself and make sure she'd read it right, but she had. In plain black lettering was the name Buruto, his old master. Memories of the hardships Hyo had suffered growing up under his tutelage came flooding back, fingers raising to trace along the faint scar along his jaw from the first time he had disobeyed Buruto and received a punch hard enough to send hip flying over the banister and a story down onto the stone courtyard. He could still hear the sound of his arm snapping beneath him, the ache of weeks after from having the bone reset still followed him.
Deciding it best not to involve the villagers below in their fight, Hyo and Hageshi collected their belongings and headed back to the place it all began. Hoping to catch Buruto off-guard if they found him early enough, or at least out in the open and on even ground. Despite the need for urgency, the pair found their feet to be dragging, unwilling to move at a brisk pace as each step drew them closer to what could possibly be the end of them. Finally they reached the edge of the cheery tree orchard where it had all began, the faint breeze bringing with it the sweet scent of the blossoms. Hyo came to a halt, head raised as he stared straight ahead with a low growl and agitated flick of his long tail behind him. Hageshi followed his gaze and saw the shapes of men approaching from the opposite direction, wearing similar outfits to the one Hyo had worn the first day she had met him. "Buruto..." the kitsune said with resignation, stepping in behind Hyo as he slowly approached the group.
"Hyo, I hear stories that you have forsaken your masters? From the look of the bitch behind you, it looks like they're true. Can't say I wouldn't do the same as you for a piece of ass as fine as that, but is even that Totsuzen pussy worth your honour?" the large black bruin said with a grin, showing off his white fangs. His four cohorts laughing on queue as he turned to glare at them. "As subtle as a drunken bull as always" Hyo hissed back at Buruto, dropping his pack and drawing his Daisho. These five were clearly not diplomats and carried little rations; they were not planning on bringing anyone back, at least not alive. That much was obvious, but the bears threatening demeanour cemented that fact as his grip never left the hilt of his massive odachi. "Kill the bitch, the he's mine" came Buruto's command and not an instant later had the four small felines behind him drawn their katana. With an annoyed sigh Hageshi would pace over to a cherry tree and place her bundle down beside it before turning to face her opponents, an arm outstretched with a paw facing palm up before she made a come hither motion with her fingers. The fact she had not drawn her swords seemed to give the four armed men pause, if only for a moment. "Show off..." Hyo would say softly to her, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he watched the four try in vain to even touch the kitsune, but the way she danced and moved around their blades they would have better luck nailing water to a tree. Her confidence was all he needed, turning to face the bruin just in time to see his attack and roll to the side in a dodge. Even with his hearing Hyo had not heard the long blade being drawn, luckily he could hear the bears lumbering steps though. Rolling again to dodge a hard overhead swing, the blade scraping against the stone where Hyo's head had been not a moment ago. Quickly getting to his feet and facing Buruto, the first few probing stabs he knew so well from their years of training easily deflected with his shoto while his faster reflexes would leave small cuts in Buruto's hide. Being a seasoned warrior though, Buruto was able to ignore the small cuts Hyo had managed to land, letting them fuel his anger and letting his swings hit harder until eventually he would create an opening and land a strike against the snow leopards left leg. A spray of crimson followed by a pained cry as Hyo stumbled to regain his footing, but it was not to be. Buruto knew better than to let his enemy regain their composure, especially a traitor like the feline. With a firm strike he would swat Hyo's daito from his grasp, sending it clattering across the cobbled path and catching Hageshi's attention.
With three of the four men put down with their own swords running them through, she would draw the final blade across the pleading feline's throat just in time to see the large bear grab Hyo's hand still holding his shoto and twist it back with a sickening snap. The snow leopard being lifted by his broken arm from the floor as the bears large fist first knocked the wind from his lungs, soon followed by a an even harder blow to the side of his face, instantly swelling his eye shut and making his head spin. With a cruel laugh Buruto tossed Hyo like a ragdoll, against a nearby cherry tree, his barely conscious form slumping down at the base of the tree as the large ursine form loomed over him. Hyo knew his time was drawing to an end, how he wished he could see Hageshi one last time, but then he did. The kitsune had her daito drawn and was running at Buruto, blade drawn high as she meant to spear it down into his exposed back. The faint glimmer of hope Hyo felt at seeing her rushing to his aid vanished in an instant as Buruto whirled around and caught Hageshi's wrists in his own, holding her easily up in the air. "It's true what they say, if you want something done right, you got to do it yourself" his large form shook with a laugh, stabbing his odachi into the ground between Hyo's thighs before reaching up to grasp the shoto at Hageshi's hip. Hyo's one good eye opening wide as he tried to beg for Buruto not to do it, but it was too late. The blade was already piercing Hageshi's body; soon appear out beneath her left shoulder before she was tossed aside to land beside her backpack beside the tree, eyes wide with tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared helplessly at Hyo.
With an ear splitting roar Hyo would be on his feet in a flash, Buruto's heavy odachi snatched up in his good hand to be thrust forward and up...right through the jaw of the stunned bear to jut out of his forehead like an odd shaped metal horn. The large form gurgling and grunting as his ruined synapses fired, eyes rolling back into his head before his lifeless form slumped and fell over. With his hear sinking into his stomach Hyo rushed over to kneel beside Hageshi, a hand stroking against her cheek as he stared into her fading eyes. "You can't go yet, our story isn't done" Hyo pleaded with her, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. "A true warrior doesn't cry..." Hageshi would try joke, wincing in pain as her soft laugh caused the blade to shift. With trembling fingers she would slowly pull it free, the front of her kimono suddenly turning deep scarlet as the wound was now unblocked. "B..bye H..Hyo, my love".
There was nothing but darkness, no sound or temperature. This wasn't quite how she had pictured the afterlife, there was just nothing. Hageshi felt herself drifting about aimlessly, shouting out in the hopes of someone answering. After what felt like ages finally she got a response, a faint musical sounding voice replied with "Hello Hageshi, are you ready to go back now?" the words came as a surprise for sure. "Back? What do you mean back?" she would say, trying not to get her hopes up, knowing she may very well be in the spirit realm and they often tricked unsuspecting travellers like her. "To Hyo of course, he needs you. He was right you know, your story isn't done yet" even as she began to stammer and stutter the single word "Yes!" a light would begin to grow, growing to bright Hageshi would have to cover her eyes and block her ears from the sound of rushing wind. In an instant it was silent again, the light vanishing to be replaced by darkness and the smell of cherry blossoms. Hageshi blinked a few times, hands reaching down to her chest where the shoto had pierced her only to find no evidence of the wound. A faint glow caught the corner of her eye, sitting up and turning about to find a stunned Hyo holding what appeared to be the jade dragon egg. A long slender form seemed to be swirling about inside it, the same soft laughter and voice coming from somewhere inside asking "Can Hira come out now?" Hyo turned to look at Hageshi as she moved beside him, her hands cupping beneath his as she stared down at the glowing egg before in unison both spoke out an unsure "Yes."
Brilliant white light began to shine through the cracks forming on the jade egg until with a bright explosion it disintegrated, revealing a small emerald scaled wyrm sitting in their palms, smiling up at the stunned pair. "I'm Hira, I healed you because your love fed and healed me."