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The Prophecy of Genbu	By : Ree Category: +. to F > Fushigi Yuugi Views: 1223 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Author�s Notes: Well, this is the second
chapter of the Prophecy of Genbu.
:D If you have stuck around this
long, then my congratulations to you!
Please read and review, reviews will be replied with more chapters and
some cookies! And the high ratings are
for later chapters, right now I�m getting the story out ;) Thanks!

Chapter Two

The Gaze of
Sorrow

Cassandra and Iname rode over rocky and barren territory on
their way towards the capital. Snow was
falling frequently and they often took shelter in a local inn when night came
or if the option wasn�t available, a local home where Iname used his powers to
help the family in exchange for the shelter.
As the days passed, they began to get to know each other more. They talked about their families,
childhoods, dreams, anything they could think of. Most of the time Cass confused Iname beyond belief, but he went
along with her to make sure she didn�t suspect anything. He hadn�t found the courage to tell her the
reason he was bringing her to see the Emperor, a man called Tokoyami. Iname knew the time was drawing near; he
would have to tell her. The question
was: how? The answer came in the form
of a man called Dong Jia in a small hunting village near the sea. When the pair arrived, Iname immediately
felt uneasy. Cassandra�s ankle had healed
and while she did ride on the second horse once in a while, she preferred to ride
with him. This was one of those times
she was sitting sideways in the saddle in front of him and he placed an arm
around her waist while keeping the other near his glaive. He felt eyes on them and looked around. For the briefest of moments, Iname�s eyes
scanned the area, but he didn�t catch the silver pair of eyes that watched them
so intently. The steel-like gaze
followed the pair as they arrived at the local inn to book a room for the
night.

�Make sure they�re watched.
Don�t let them leave until I�ve had words with them. Also�� the
silver-eyed speaker trailed off, his eyes on Cass. �Bring me that girl. But
do it discreetly.�

�Of course sir.�

The man�s eyes narrowed.
Those two�there�s something about them I don�t like, he thought
and adjusted the silver scarf around his neck and shoulders. Cassandra was feeling tired from the journey
and decided that she was going to go to bed early. Nodding, Iname made sure that she was safely in the room and in
her bedroll before he headed outside.
He went into the market, gathering news and gossip about the capital and
recent events. But the moment he was
deep into the village market, men converged on the inn and made their way
towards their room. Their footsteps
were quiet and the only sounds were the rustling of their clothing, their
grunts and whispers, and their heavy breathing.

�Keep quiet, we don�t want to attract any attention,� the
leader hissed as he slid the door open.

Slipping easily into the room, they began to rifle through
the bags and belongings of Iname and Cassandra. They examined the contents but didn�t take any, whispering
comments to each other.

�Such fine food��

�Clothing comes from a town east of here. From the looks of it, a farmer�s son most
likely.�

�Herbs, bandages, and all sorts of medicines are in this
basket. They seem recently used.�

The hushed voices carried and stirred Cass out of her light
doze. Sitting up, wearing a camisole
and the jeans she�d had when she landed in Hokkan, she frowned. The whispers caused a chill to go down her
spine and she collected the long-sleeved shirt she�d been wearing and slipped
it on. Heart pounding loudly in her
ears, Cassandra pushed the covers aside slowly and swung her bare feet out of
the bedroll. Carefully she slipped from
her blankets and began to move towards the door. Bare feet ghosted over the wooden floor as she pressed her ear
against the door. Suddenly, the screen
was jerked aside and with a yelp, she toppled forward. Pain shot through her arms and her chest and
she�d just narrowly avoided smacking her chin on the hard wood. With a wince, she looked up.

�Well, well, lookit what we have here.�

�She�s been spying on us��

�Damn, what the hell�s this wench wearing?�

�Enough! Orders are
orders and we�re to take her straight to Jia so he can have a word with her.�

�Uh�boys�� she finally spoke up, smiling at them
sweetly. �I�m not going anywhere with
you.�

�Oh yes you are.
Come on, you�re coming with us,� the leader said and reached for her and
ended up getting smacked as a result.
�Ouch! You damn bitch, what do
you think you�re doing?�

�Like hell I�m going anywhere, so keep your paws off me!�
she snapped and leapt to her feet.

�Come on, girlie, don�t make a fuss.�

Simply choosing to remain quiet, Cass ducked under the legs
of one man and proceeded to crawl towards the door. All efforts of silence gone, the men began to fumble for her in
the dark. One actually gripped
Cassandra�s ankle before she wrenched it loose and kicked him in the face. The man howled and she scrambled into the
hallway, closing the door behind her.
Scrambling to stand, the teen tripped over the hem of her jeans and
landed face-first on the floor.
Wincing, she struggled to stand again and this time managed it and began
to run down the hall. Tawny hair flew
and green eyes were alight with panic as she hurried down the stairs. People were starting to shout, causing quite
the ruckus as the frightened girl continued to flee from her pursuers. Wrenching open the front door of the inn,
she ran barefoot into the snow-covered street and shrieked at the cold on her
bare skin.

�Iname! INAME!� she
screamed her friend�s name loudly, causing many in the street to stare.

�There she is!�

�Get her!�

Cassandra spun and darted forward only to run smack dab into
something solid. Firm, callused hands
gripped her shoulders tight and she struggled valiantly against the grip. Looking up, she saw the man had silver eyes
and�blue hair? Where the hell did
that come from? The man�s hair was
a deep sapphire blue and slicked back and away from his features. These were features hardened by time,
weather, and age. Gazing a bit closer,
Cassandra saw a deep sorrow radiating beneath the hard exterior of his
eyes. It was a grief that she knew and
understood too well. He gazed at her
imperiously and sneered as the men approached.
All of them were panting and out of breath, giving her looks of deep
loathing.

�Jia, we can-�

�Spare me your excuses.
I send you to do a simple task and you botch it,� he snarled.

�Sir, we really-�

�Silence!� he barked, his voice rough and growling. �You�re all pathetic imbeciles. And you, young lady, are coming with
me. I have some questions that I want
to ask you.�

�No! Let go of me!�
Cassandra wailed desperately, struggling in his tight grip. �Iname!�

�What did you say?� Jia whispered, his eyes narrowing as he
gripped her tighter.

Before she could answer though, a grunting sound was heard
and one of the men went down. Behind
him was Iname, his green eyes blazing with fury. The glaive his father had given him was held firmly in his hands
and he lowered it before slowly approaching.
Silver flashed in the night and one by one, the rest of the men went
down as the flat of his blade struck their heads. Finally, it was only Jia left with Cass struggling in his arms.

�Iname!� Cassandra cried.

�Bastard, let her go,� he said firmly, looking Jia straight
in the eye. �I won�t tell you again.�

�Hmph,� Jia smirked, his expression amused as he glanced at
Iname. �How old are you, boy?�

�Huh?� that question caught Iname off-guard and he faltered
for a moment before recovering. Then a
flush came to his cheeks and he coughed.
�I�m fifteen, what�s it to you, jerk?�

�Thought so. You�re
nothing but a kid with a fancy stick.
I�m ten years your senior and you�re a punk.�

�Hey!�

�Now if you�re through, I have some questions for this young
woman. Goodnight,� Jia mocked and,
keeping a firm grip on Cass� shoulder, began to pull her away.

�Let go of me, you jerk!�

�And why should I do that?� he asked, continuing to drag her
away, no matter how much she fought.

�You�bastard�� Iname growled and glared harshly at Jia. �Release the Genbu no Miko!�

That made the entire street fall deathly silent. Spectators had gathered around when the
conflict had first broken out, and now there was nothing but silence. The silver-eyed man was also shocked. Iname�s words had startled Cass so much that
even she couldn�t speak. What in the
world is he talking about? I�m no miko, she thought and gasped when Jia
released her. Whispers began to break
out and people began to run to spread the word. Iname panted as he glared at Jia, daring him to contradict what
he had just said.

�What right do you, a punk kid, have to say such a thing?�
he hissed as his eyes were agleam with suspicion. �Just who do you think you are, kid? One of her warriors or something?�

�Who am I?� Iname mocked and then moved his glaive to rip
his shirt on the small of his back. A
sigil for the word �cow� glowed black on his skin in the center of the small of
his back. He turned so Jia could see
it. �I am Iname, one of the Genbu
Seishi!�

Jia�s eyes widened as he took in the gleaming symbol. There was no doubt about it�the kid was one
of the seven warriors that were supposed to guard and protect the Genbu no
Miko. Not only that, but live and die
for the young girl as well if need be.
That was all part of the duty of being one of the chosen warriors. So, it really is true, he thought and
frowned. Pushing Cassandra off to the
side, he walked forward so he and Iname were a foot apart.

�Cassandra�� Iname began.

�Yes, Iname?�

�Go back inside before you get sick.�

�But what about you?�

�Don�t worry about me,� he said, his eyes never leaving
Jia�s. �Just go, so I don�t have to
worry about you.�

At his words, Cassandra hurried back inside the inn. What Iname said confused her. Just what did he know that she didn�t? She raced inside, her min still teeming with
thoughts as she left her friend behind.
The two males remained in the now-empty street, facing each other down
in the snow.

�Do you honestly think you would stand a chance in a fight
with me, boy?� Jia finally spoke, breaking the icy silence. �And if she is the one, why doesn�t she
know? You should tell her.�

�Just who do you think you are, my father?� Iname demanded
furiously.

The silver eyes softened and he turned. �No, but I was a
father once. A long time ago.�

With that, Jia departed into the night. Iname stared after
him with a curious expression before heading back for the inn�and
Cassandra. He walked up the stairs and
debated on how he should tell her. When
he opened the door, he saw that she was waiting up for him. She was sitting cross-legged on one of the
pallets and looked up at Iname.

�Sit down please,� she said softly and indicated the pallet
next to her. �Tell me what is going
on.�

With a heavy sigh, Iname sat. �Now what I know is mostly legend and a few facts. However, it�s time you found out. There is a tale of the four gods of
legend. Seiryu of the east, Suzaku of
the south, Byakko of the west, and finally, Genbu of the north. Genbu protects Hokkan. Konan is the land of Suzaku. Sairou is Byakko�s domain. And Kutou is where Seiryu rules. Each god has seven constellations associated
with him. Genbu�s are Hikitsu, Tomite,
Uruki, Namame, Urumiya, Hatsui, and�Iname.�

�That last constellation.
Why do you call yourself by that name?
And why do you have that symbol on your back? What does this all have to do with me?� she wondered.

�I�m getting to that.
Be patient. Now, each country
also has a miko, a priestess, so if the time comes when the country is on the
verge of collapse she can summon the beast god. However, this can mean that if one country has a miko and the
others don�t, one of the countries may send someone to kill her. This is where the constellations come into
play.�

�Go on,� she urged.

�The constellations are significant because the seven of
them are the names of the men and women chosen to fight, live, and die for
their miko. They are called the Shichi
Seishi, or the Seven Star Warriors.
They wear the mark of the constellation they�re named for and are
blessed with special powers. I, as you
know, became blessed with the name, powers, and sigil for the constellation
Iname. I am one of the seven whose duty
it is to serve the Genbu no Miko, which I think is you. What puzzles me is that almost 200 years
ago, there was another Genbu no Miko.
Legend states that she gathered all of her Seishi and managed to summon
the beast god, Genbu. After that, she
vanished from our world and no one ever saw her again. The legend also says that the miko
herself�has to come from another world.�

Cassandra sat there with shock written all over her
features. The pieces of the puzzle were
finally starting to come together in her mind.
Why she was suddenly here, the atmosphere, the people, Iname�s confusion
as she spoke of her home�it all makes sense. I must have been brought into the book when I read it
somehow. That�s when she remembered
one of the first lines in the book: that once the page was turned, the story
became true through a spell. So
that�s why this place seems so strange.
It really is another world.

�Iname�what�s going to happen to me now?� she finally asked,
her bangs hiding her eyes.

�Well, I-�

He stopped speaking as he looked at her. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her
hands were trembling in her lap. They
were balled into fists to keep her from losing it completely. A blank look came to Iname�s features before
he reached over and touched Cassandra on the cheek. She looked up at him for a moment before throwing herself forward
and sobbing wildly into his chest. At
first, Iname balked, but then relaxed and stroked her hair.

�It�s all right, Cassandra.
I�m always going to be here to look out for you and protect you. You don�t have to worry about anything while
I�m here.�

�How am I going to get home?�

�There�s only one way I can think of. Become the Genbu no Miko and summon
Genbu. He is the only one who can
successfully send you home. But�� Iname
looked down at her with hurt in his eyes.
�Am I really that terrible of a person that you don�t want to be around
me?�

�No! No, Iname, it
isn�t that at all!� she insisted, swiping at her eyes. �You�ve been so kind to me. I don�t know what I would have done if I
hadn�t met you when I did.�

He smiled and brushed the tears from her cheeks gently.
�Good, now let�s get some sleep.�

With that, Iname ruffled her hair and went to his pallet to
lie down. Cassandra blew out the lamp
and lay down as well. Even as Iname�s
snores filled the room, she couldn�t get the image of Jia�s silver eyes out of
her mind. They looked so
heartbreaking. Why is he like
that? Finally, she couldn�t take it
anymore. Sitting up, Cass reached for
her coat and put it on. Gathering her
boots, she crossed the room quietly and went to the door. Every creak in the floor sounded so loud in
her ears, but Iname continued to snore loudly.

�He may be a good friend, but he sleeps like a rock and saws
logs with a passion,� she mumbled as she closed the door in the hall and
slipped on her boots. �Better for me
though.�

Tapping her feet to make sure that her boots were snug and
on all the way, Cass slipped downstairs.
Making her way out of the inn, she shivered as she emerged into the
snowy street. Clutching her collar
tight, hands buried in the soft rabbit fur, Cassandra knocked on the first door
she came to. Lights were gleaming
within and she could hear a family just sitting down to supper. A deep longing came over her and she missed
hers for just a moment.

�I wonder if my family even knows I�m gone,� she mused as
the door opened slowly.

�What do you want?�

The man that spoke was gruff, a patch of gray hair
stubbornly clinging to the sides of his otherwise bald head. He had a straight nose and serious brown eyes. Cassandra bowed politely to him and looked
up. Even though he skulked in the
doorway, he was tall and rather imposing.

�Excuse me sir,� she said and shivered. �But I was wondering
if you knew someone by the name of Jia?�

He looked startled for a moment and his expression softened.
�Aye, lass that I do.�

�Can you tell me where he is?�

�Yes, but first come inside. It�s freezing out here and you�re barely wearing anything.�

�Oh no, I couldn�t impose-�

�You�ll come in and that�s that.�

Without another word, he walked inside and Cassandra, this
being her only lead, followed. The
inside was warm and smelled of rich stew, fresh bread, and spices. Looking around, Cass saw a large family
sitting down to dinner. The children
looked at her with wide eyes and she flushed.
Of course, I�m still wearing my jeans. The old man sat down with a groan and gazed at Cassandra with
a serious eye. She shivered in her
coat. The man�s gaze was like steel,
even if his eyes weren�t that color. A
few moments passed in silence then he turned to the children and frowned as he
noticed how they were gawping.

�You stop staring, youngsters,� he admonished and one turned
to him with a guilty expression.

�But grandpa, she�s the Genbu no Miko! You heard what that man said in the market
today!�

�I know, but staring is rude and you know that. So,� he turned to Cass. �You�re looking for
Jia?�

�Yes, you said you know him, sir,� Cass answered, startled
at being addressed so suddenly.

�And I do indeed know who he is and where. Why you be looking for Jia, missy?�

�Well�� Cassandra paused and looked at her hands as she
twisted her fingers together. �When I looked at him, there was just something
in his eyes that shone of a great loneliness.
A loneliness that I understand all too well. I couldn�t stop wondering about him. Plus, he tried to kidnap me and I wanted to know why. I didn�t do anything to him so why did he
try?�

The old man looked at the fire in the hearth for a moment,
his eyes serious. �Are you here alone?�

�Yes! I-I didn�t
want Iname to come in case they got into a fight again. Jia�s older than him and it would just
result in them getting hurt. I don�t
want them to get into another argument.�

�Well missy, you�re right about one thing. My boy Jia is a strong warrior and won�t be
defeated so easily.�

�S-so he�s�?�

�My son.�

�Oh!� Cass gasped and then looked down at her hands
again. �So that�s how you know him.�

�Missy, why do you really want to see Jia? Even I haven�t seen him for nigh on five
years. Ever since that accident, he
hasn�t been the same and hardly anyone approaches him.�

�Accident?�

The old man looked at Cassandra for a moment and then rose
to his feet. He walked stiffly towards
her and placed an arm on the small of her back. Guiding her to the door, he began to explain the route to find
his son. Cassandra listened eagerly and
as soon as he finished, she thanked him profoundly. Quickly, she hurried into the street and rushed down the way that
he had indicated. For a while, the man
watched her run of and sighed. Dong Yao
closed the door behind him and returned to his chair next to the fire as his
family looked on.

�Grandpa, why did you tell the miko-san about Uncle Jia�s
family?� an older teenage girl inquired as she set down a loaf of bread on a
stone plate. �You know that it wasn�t
an accident. It was murder and we all
know that. So why did you lie to her
and say that?�

�Sakura, an old man has his reasons. Now do me a favor and poor your old grandpa
a drink.�

As he sat back in his chair, he looked out the window as
snow began to fall. Perhaps that
young thing can help my boy. After all,
his daughter looked a lot like that lass.
He smiled as he drifted off into his mind, lost in the happy
memories of when Jia still had his family.
Cassandra meanwhile was plowing through the deep snow banks on her way
to the edge of town. It seemed the
further away she was from the town, the deeper the snow got. Huffing and puffing, she continued until she
spotted a small cabin in the distance.
With her breath coming in puffs before her, she continued plodding
through the snow. Each step made her
boot sink further into the bank and she yelped as it fell into her boot.

�Oh damn that�s cold!� she whined and began to try and scoop
it out. �Oh that�s really cold!�

No matter how hard her cold, red hands tried, snow kept
falling back into her boots. Cass
finally gave up, her hands becoming redder and chapped from the cold. Clutching her coat close, she trekked
on. When she got closer though, her
attention was drawn to three graves underneath a tall fir tree near the
cabin. Graves? Was this the result
of the �accident� that old man was talking about? Panting heavily, Cassandra finally stepped up to the
door. Raising her hand, she rapped
loudly on the wood and then waited.
When she didn�t hear anything for a few moments, she frowned and tried
again. Still getting no answer, Cass
jumped down to move behind the cabin.
Shivering as the snow touched her skin, the tawny-haired girl cursed at
finding no back door. When she turned
to head towards the front door again�she heard low snarling. A chill went down her spine and she turned
around. Please don�t let there be
anything out there, she pleaded.

�Please�� Cass whispered as her heart began to race as she
pressed against the front door. �Oh
no��

It was her worst fear come to life. She was alone and in the trees she saw
silhouettes she�d only seen in her nightmares.
It was a pack of wolves and because of the harsh winters and scarce game
in Hokkan; they were now becoming rabid with hunger. They�d slipped quietly towards Cassandra without her being any
the wiser and now had her surrounded.
Panic rose in her throat and she opened her mouth to scream, but it was
stuck. Her heartbeat roared in her ears
and she felt tears stinging her cheeks.
Trembling with fear, she winced as the wolves howled into the
night. Run! I have to run! But�I can�t move! I�m too
scared. She whimpered and felt her
entire body shaking in pure terror.
Widened green eyes watched as the pack began to move closer to her,
snarling and growling.

�Help
me�� she whimpered in a small, trembling voice. �SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!�
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The Prophecy of Genbu