The oppressive weight of the earth pressed in around them as Ka Ryo Ten, light on her feet despite her owl-like features, led the way through the winding, dusty tunnels beneath Kokuhi Village. The air was cool and still, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and ancient stone. Behind her, the rhythmic thud of their footsteps was the only sound, save for the occasional soft rustle of Olivia's robes or the quiet clink of Kaelen's men's armor.
Your gaze fell on Shin, who trudged along, his shoulders slumped, his face still streaked with tear-dried dirt. Even in the gloom, you could practically see the storm raging within him. He clutched Hyou's sword, its dull gleam a constant reminder. He blamed Ei Sei. You understood the raw, visceral pain of that kind of loss, especially when it felt so preventable, so callously orchestrated. It was the injustice that burned brightest.
Ka Ryo Ten abruptly halted at a junction, where the tunnel split into two identical, dark passages. She pointed a slender, clawed finger down one. "This way."
Olivia, ever the curious one, stepped forward, her voice echoing slightly in the confined space. "Your Majesty," she began, addressing Ei Sei, who walked with a surprising natural dignity despite his simple peasant attire. "Forgive my forwardness, but if your brother, Sei Kyou, was planning such a clear rebellion, why did you not take steps to drown it out? To consolidate your power?"
Ei Sei exhaled slowly, a faint cloud forming in the cool air. "Drown it out?" he repeated, a dry, almost bitter laugh escaping him. "Lady Olivia, I have no real power to 'drown out' anything. I was crowned at thirteen. From that day, I was little more than a figurehead. The true reins of power have been held by the various factions of the Qin court, by powerful politicians who pull the strings. They will continue to control the state until I come of age to truly rule, in six more years." His voice held a quiet resignation, a heavy truth that settled in the damp air.
They continued their walk, the conversation now punctuated by the low drone of Ei Sei's revelations.
"It's strange," Olivia mused aloud, her brow furrowed. "That you wouldn't know of your own brother's plans for so long. Or have no one to counter him within the palace."
Ei Sei shook his head. "There is one man," he clarified, his voice softening slightly. "One man within the palace walls who is truly my ally. His name is Shou Bun Kun."
Shin, who had been walking with his head down, suddenly snapped to attention. His eyes, though still red-rimmed, widened in recognition. "Shou Bun Kun?" he muttered. "I know that name! He was the man who came to Hyou's village… the one who convinced Hyou to leave with him!" The accusation was clear in his voice, his grief finding a fresh target.
Ei Sei met Shin's accusing gaze directly. "Yes. That was Shou Bun Kun. He has been securing a number of hideouts outside the capital, laying the groundwork for what you see now. It was during that time that he came across Hyou, a boy who, as you know, resembled me exactly." Ei Sei's voice remained calm, almost dispassionate. "The shack we met in… it wasn't some chance meeting place. It was a pre-arranged hiding spot, one of Shou Bun Kun's. And Hyou was a drastic measure, taken to make sure the young Qin king could even reach that shack alive."
Shin's face contorted, a raw scream tearing from his throat. The king's calm, almost clinical tone as he spoke of Hyou, as if he were merely a tool, sent a fresh wave of blinding fury through him. "A 'measure'?! He was my brother! My dream! How can you speak of him like that?!" He launched himself forward, a wild, rage-filled barrage of punches aimed at Ei Sei's face.
But before Shin's fists could connect, Kaelen moved. With a speed and strength that belied his calm demeanor, he intercepted Shin. A powerful, calloused hand clamped around Shin's attacking arm, stopping his momentum dead. Kaelen's grip was firm, unyielding, holding the struggling boy in place. "Shin! Stand down!" he ordered, his voice a low rumble.
Ei Sei, held steady by Kaelen, met Shin's blazing eyes without flinching. His voice, though still calm, carried a new, stark intensity. "Listen, Shin. There is a war going on. A war for the throne, for the very soul of Qin. And in a war, I will use anything, and anyone, to win. Even if it means using a servant boy as a decoy." He held Shin's gaze, his own eyes piercing. "But understand this: Hyou was not just a 'servant boy.' When Shou Bun Kun came to him, and explained the gravity of the situation, the danger, and the immense purpose behind it… Hyou was thrilled."
Shin faltered, his struggles against Kaelen lessening, confusion warring with his anger.
"He accepted the dangerous task of becoming my double with a passion I rarely see," Ei Sei continued, his voice resonating in the tunnel. "He understood. He considered this opportunity a huge step towards fulfilling his dream of becoming a Great General. It was a chance to finally make his name known, to fight for something grander than himself. He chose this path, Shin."
The words hit Shin like a physical blow. The rage slowly, agonizingly, drained from his face, replaced by a dawning comprehension, then by utter, heart-wrenching sorrow. His body sagged, and the crude sword slipped from his loosening grip. His eyes welled up, and then, with a choked sob, he burst into tears, deep, guttural cries that echoed mournfully through the tunnel. Kaelen, seeing his fight gone, slowly released him, letting him crumple to his knees, burying his face in his hands.
Ei Sei watched him, his expression hardening slightly, but not without a touch of understanding. "This is the last time, Shin," he said, his voice firm, allowing no room for argument. "The last time you mourn Hyou. He chose his path. Now, you must choose yours, and move forward on your own. You can return to your village and live the rest of your life a slave, a nameless servant, forgotten by history. Or you can follow me. Take this chance, and fight to regain my throne."
He waited, letting his words sink in. "Only one of these paths," Ei Sei concluded, his gaze piercing, "will lead you to a chance at achieving your and Hyou's grandest dream: to become a Great General under the Heavens."
The group paused, watching Shin in the pale, ethereal light filtering from Ka Ryo Ten's glowing staff. As the first faint rays of dawn began to pierce through the tunnel's distant exit, painting the rough rock walls with subtle hues, Shin slowly, painfully, pushed himself to his feet. His eyes, though still red, held a flicker of a new, fierce resolve. He chose. He would follow Ei Sei.
They emerged from the dark, damp confines of the tunnels into the fresh, dew-kissed air outside Kokuhi Village. The sun was now a growing crimson sphere on the horizon, casting long, dramatic shadows.
Ka Ryo Ten, however, was immediately disgruntled. Her beak-like mouth turned downwards. "My reward!" she squawked, gesturing impatiently. "The Qin King owes me a reward for my assistance!"
Ei Sei, wiping dust from his face, turned to her with an apologetic, if slightly helpless, expression. "My apologies, Ka Ryo Ten. All my funds, indeed, all my royal belongings, were left back in the shack. There was no time."
"No time?!" she wailed, throwing her small hands up in despair. "I risked my life for you! And now you've got no money?" She began to cry, small, pitiful sounds. "How will I ever get my reward? Is it even possible for you to return to the capital and retake the throne?" Her doubts, though valid, were surprisingly blunt.
Shin, his face hardened by his recent decision, stepped forward. "I'll go with you," he declared to Ei Sei, his voice firm. "But understand this, King of Qin: I have no real loyalty towards you, or to Qin. I am simply using you. Using this path to get closer to my and Hyou's dream."
"Ei Sei," you interjected, stepping forward. "With all due respect, your strategy seems… thin. It's just the few of us. We're a formidable group, but against a rebellion, we're a mere drop in the ocean."
Ei Sei's gaze was steady. "We are not alone, Alex. We have to meet up with Shou Bun Kun and his forces. He has secured a rendezvous point, a clearing deep within the forest ahead of us. That is our immediate goal."
As they spoke, a chilling scene unfolded back at the tunnel entrance they had just vacated. Sei Kyou's soldiers had already begun scouring the caves, their frustrated shouts echoing from the depths. Unable to solve the mystery of their escape, their commander's face contorted in rage. "Summon Muta!" he bellowed.
A lean, shadowed figure emerged from the ranks, his eyes sharp, his movements almost unnaturally silent. Muta, an assassin with exceptional tracking abilities, knelt before the commander.
"Find them," the commander snarled, pointing to the tunnel entrance. "Bring back their heads. Do not fail."
Muta merely grunted, a low, guttural sound, his gaze fixed on the faint trail left by the fleeing group. He vowed to kill them and bring back their heads.
Unaware of the new hunter on their trail, your group pushed hard through the forest. They ran for what felt like half the day, the thick canopy providing some cover from the rising sun. Finally, as fatigue began to truly set in, Ei Sei urged them to take a short rest.
Tsunade immediately moved to Shin, assessing his exhausted state. Her hands, surprisingly gentle, tended to the raw wounds on his knuckles from his earlier outburst, applying a soothing balm from her pouch.
Ka Ryo Ten, still disgruntled about her lack of immediate payment, vowed, "I will go with you and Ei Sei. I will collect the reward I was promised, eventually!" Her declaration was more a demand than a promise of loyalty.
But just as Ei Sei urged them to leave, sensing the precious time they were losing, Shin collapsed to the ground. His body, pushed to its absolute limits by grief, exertion, and adrenaline, had given out. He lay motionless, utterly consumed by exhaustion and fatigue.
There was no time to wait. Kaelen, without a word, bent down. With a grunt of effort, he scooped Shin onto his back, adjusting the boy's limp form. His strong, steady pace resumed, carrying Shin towards the rendezvous, the forest growing darker as they pressed deeper into its depths.