The General's Daughter

a/n: For my loyal readers at ff.net—For fear of getting banned (o.o), I did not put the explicit sex scene in here; it’s just implied.

There are some racial epithets in here and if you find these insulting, my sincerest apologies. The Koreans and the Japanese REALLY despised each other at this point in time and I thought it would be best to keep up that air. The Ming didn’t really like either of them, but they weren’t that violent in their dislike.

Ming= present day China (Ming Empire: 1505-1615, the last twenty years or so roughly SC2’s time era)

Canton= present day Guangzhou

“Garlic Eaters”= racial epithet by Japanese for Koreans at the time, one of many.

Chapter 9

I woke the next morning lying on Mitsurugi’s chest, black hair blanketing both of us.

Last night had been wonderful—my first time. Granted, the location wasn’t what I had in mind, but he was gentle, careful. It hurt, but I heard it was supposed to hurt the first few times. He made love to me so many different ways, we exhausted ourselves around dawn.

Here it was, noon: the sun shone down on us, warming my back. I just stayed there for a few minutes.

“ . . .you know they’ll be looking for us. . .” Mitsurugi’s soft tenor whispered peacefully into my ear.

“. . .let them look.” I sighed blissfully. I didn’t want to move from this spot. It was shady, but it allowed the sun to come through in good amounts. The ground was surprisingly dry and bug free. Mitsurugi’s robe covered us from waist down, covering everything important from any exposure.

The bushes rattled and I looked up sleepily. Something cute and furry made its way down a branch in a low tree, but I ignored it.

“Miyuki? Heishiro! Where are you two?! We have to leave!”

Before either of us could respond to Taki, said ninja entered the clearing. She came in so she didn’t see anything more than our heads and naked shoulders. “You two are so busted. Get dressed—we have to leave! Maxi got some information about Soul Edge.

That perked us both up. Keeping the robe over us, we managed to dress without exposing humiliating information.

“Took you two long enough. . .” Taki said through hushed breaths to me while we ran towards the campsite. “If he hadn’t made his move last night, I was going to get the both of you drunk!”

“Eh?! Not that I mind the ‘getting drunk’ part. . .”

“I just thought you two would hit up nicely once you two got along with each other. You’re both so headstrong!”

We reached the campsite where apparently Maxi had broken down everything by himself. He was fairly jumping up and down with excitement. “Come ON!! I found a lead! Hurry up, you three; we have a boat to catch.”

My eyes widened. “A BOAT?? As in this alleged lead is over in the Garlic Eater’s land?!”

“No, more west and south than that. In Ming territory, in a city called Canton.” Maxi seemed to have trouble pronouncing the foreign name. “Hurry UP; the next boat to Fuzhou leaves in less than a week! We have a WEEK to get to Nagasaki!”

Mitsurugi was already helping me into the cart. “Well, let’s get going!”

For almost seven days straight, we rode to Nagasaki. Upon entering the city, I cringed—I was NOT a city person. Too many people in one location, so much noise. . . “Okay, can we please find the ship and leave. . .? Please?”

“We have to get supplies, first: I am NOT going overseas without at least a WEEK’S worth of clothes.” Taki sniffed.

“We have twelve hours to spend before we have to shove off.” Maxi said. “Go shopping, get supplies, whatever you want to do. I’re fre for one thing: the bars! Meet in eleven and a half in front of the ship Sweet Lily Rose.” With that, the pirate dashed off into the nearest bar.

“Must go SHOPPING. Yuki, you’re coming with.” Taki grabbed my forearm in her inescapable grip and dragged me to the nearest bazaar.

Once there, she looked me right in the eye. “Yep, I knew it.”

“What??”

“You’re so in love with him, it isn’t funny.”

I shook my arm from her grasp and snorted. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have slept with him. . .”

Taki smiled. “Eh. . .good point.”

It was at this moment in time that we realized we were still wearing our armor and our weapons. Everyone was staring at us and a few people were coming towards up brandishing their own weapons. “Uh. . .this is a bad thing.”

“I noticed. Um, people. . .we’re not here for war; we’re just traveling.” I put my hands up, palms outward in a gesture of friendship and peace.

“You are wearing weapons, woman; what would we believe?” A man stepped out of the shadows to my right. He was wearing a bone mask in the shape of an oni. He slowly began moving his hand to his sword; so did I, never keeping my eyes off his.

“Yoshimitsu! Long time no see!”

The man let his hand down. “Taki? Is that really you?! Last time I saw you, you were about yay high!” He held a hand up to about mid-waist.

“I was NEVER that short!” Taki protested. She clapped the man on his shoulders. “So, how’s the gang?”

“Hungry.” Yoshimitsu said promptly. “But everything here is so expense! You try and feed eight men.”

Right then, I decided to try and patch some things up. “Uh. . .I have money. . .I can get you something to eat.”

The man looked at me, countenance unreadable through the oni mask. “. . .you are certain? I will not eat unless my companions eat as well.”

Quickly, I counted my money. I had enough to feed not only nine men, but also Maxi, Mitsurugi, Taki and myself for maybe a day. If I kept it, it would last just the four of us a few weeks. Besides, this man had tried to fight me less then ten minutes ago. . .

But these men were hungry and I could never let someone go hungry, not even an enemy! “I have enough.”

A benevolent air came from the man as he sighed. “Despite my accosting you, you are still kind. You have a good heart, child.” He seemed to smile as he led me to the least expensive restaurant.

Eight men were already there, eying Taki nervously. “Hiya, boys; remember me?” Apparently they did, because more than a few of them flinched. Taki blew the largest one a kiss and ducked inside the restaurant.

“Uh. . .the hell?!”

“Let’s just say there was a fighting match.” Taki giggled. “And let’s just say they lost miserably. . .”

“. . .oh.”

Yoshimitsu, followed by the eight men that were sitting outside, came in and sat down. They each ordered the least expensive item on the menu—bowl of rice and water. I did as well because I was not that hungry.

Despite the fact that they were all skin and bones, they did not just dive into their food as a normal man would have. They did the prayer, then thanked the hostess, then me, then began eating. They ate with a quiet refinement, not gulping down their food as a starving man would have.

I finished and sat back sipping tea—I demanded tea be brought to the table and the others have tea as well.

They finished quietly, thanked me again and one by one left the table, except for Yoshimitsu. “Taki, may we have a moment?”

“She’s taken, Yoshi.” Taki said around a mouthful of rice.

“I’m aware. I would like to speak with her in private.” He emphasized the last two words. Taki’s eye’s widened in understanding, but she nodded. She quickly finished her rice and left the restaurant.

I looked the man square in the eye. “Don’t touch me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, child.” The man brushed off my comment as if I said something about the weather. “I know Taki and I know Mitsurugi Heishiro and I am familiar with the pirate Taki is seeing. While I do not approve, he treats her right and would not hurt her at all.”

I sat back, confused. “So what does this have to do with me?”

“More like what you have to do with it. I know what Mitsurugi-san seeks; he cannot be allowed to possess it. Nor can you, for it is the deceiver of souls and all that is good.” Yoshimitsu lowered his voice. “It must be destroyed and only you or Ta-san or Mitsurugi-san can do so.”

Eyes narrowing, I leaned closer. “You mean. . .?”

“Yes I do. Its name must not be spoken here, for there are greater enemies to speak of. If they knew I was speaking to you, you would be killed.”

“Then why speak to me?” I whispered.

“Because you are not to die here. It is not your time.” Without another word, Yoshimitsu just. . .disappeared.

I recognized that voice—the one from my vision! “Wait--!” Too late; he was already gone.

What a creepy guy.

Nine hours later found me, Mitsurugi, Taki and Maxi aboard the ship.

“It will take us about two or three months to sail to Fuzhou. From there, we’ll head to Canton via horseback or foot or cart. There, a man claiming to be the original craftsman of Soul Edge will meet us in an abandoned monastery.” Maxi explained as we wanderhe She Sweet Lily Rose trying to get our bearings.

From what I know of Maxi, he was a pirate captain before an incident involving a golem and his crew. He has been hunting the golem ever since and will not rest until the golem is dead. He was nervous not steering the ship but he said he’d get used to it.

We separated to our own rooms, ones that would barely hold one individual.

“I don’t like this ‘meet someone we hardly know in an abandoned monastery’ idea.” I bluntly stated as soon as Mitsurugi and I had our room. “It just SCREAMS ‘trap’!”

“I know, but it’s the only lead we have to work with! Trust me on this, ‘Yuki-chan!” Mitsurugi put his head on my knees and looked up at me with --

Oh god, not the FACE, and the EYES. . . “Aright, aright, I trust you. But don’t give me the—waagh!”

Mitsurugi pinned me to the deck of the room and began kissing me passionately. “The look was a distraction; now I have you where I want you!” He began tickling me mercilessly.

“Agck--! Okay, you win!” I pretended to struggle; he let go. As soon as he turned his back, I pounced on him. “Gotcha!”

A few moments later, we just decided to go to bed.

Like we’d get any sleep. . .