Dark Dreams (Closed)

[Bayushi Haruka]

The sound of Senshi's hoarse cries caught Haruka's unconscious mind, but it was the sound of the clash, the breaking, and the dull thud of a body that shot her senses awake. Her reflexes were to try and defend them as she grabbed onto her wakizashi still at her side and had it drawn and facing towards the sound before she knew what she was doing.

The sweat dripped off her brow as she came to realize what she faced. Senshi's body laying there and now bleeding again. The reason for it was not immediately present, but she now regretted having moved so fast as she gripped her side and stowed her blade.

She had no knowledge of the nights that had plagued him as she came up to this body, and took him into her arms, just kneeling there with him, holding him close and looking over his wounds.

Nothing too severe.

Her head dipped down as she rested it against his, uttering a labored breath as her tense action had shot adrenaline through her system. She trembled as she held him trying to calm and refocus herself.

"Senshi! Wake up Senshi I'm here!"

The sound of the servants and guards could be heard, but they dare not enter in after Alana stopped them. She was first to the scene but did not proceed as she saw Haruka there holding the Master of Secrets to her.

[Bayushi Senshi]

His eyes were still firmly shut as he lacked the strength to open them. "Tomatsu... Haruka... Tomatsu..." His weak voice droned on in a repetition of the names. Outside the room the servants could be heard talking to one another confusedly.

This made no sense to them, there is no earthly way that Senshi should awake, what manner of devilry forced him up? How could a simple dream have such an effect?

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka hissed intensely,
"Off with you all. Alana.
You, stay."

The gathered group anxiously cleared off yet again as the Mistress of Secrets was clearly in no state to be disturbed, but they would not go far as they seemed on edge from the events they'd seen.
They'd sooner be caught lingering, than be too far out of earshot to help at a moment's notice.

Their favorite servant, being unfortunately mute approached cautiously. Haruka just held Senshi in her arms all the more securely and seemed to rock lightly back and forth. Alana looked on in silence but knelt to her eye level and bowed respectfully.

"Help me move him back to the bed, Alana."
It wasn't truly necessary to speak her name considering she was the only other conscious person in the room, but regardless she lent Haruka her strength and they maneuvered the Champion onto the bed and onto his back.

Panting heavily and staying at his side Haruka gently checked him over, cautiously but firmly picking out the pieces of the shattered cup out of his skin. She was visibly shaking, but Alana was one step ahead of her as she went over to the writing desk and wrote out a few words for her to read.
She put it into Haruka view partially and she noted it.

Senshi-dono has been suffering from bad dreams for some time,
he stopped sleeping so the servants gave him medicine to let him rest.

Haruka's hand tensed a bit, trying to help clot one of the light wounds from bleeding. With a nod, Alana knew she could leave her side. She backed off gently and remained in the room, cleaning the broken cup from the floor while Haruka tended to her husband.

Gently running her fingers through his hair as she did to try and soothe him, she continued to try and speak to him as he fought through the drugs.
"Please my Senshi, take heart... I'm right here. It's me, Haruka. You're safe, I'm safe..."

She kept her head next to his, her whole form trembling with anxiety as she watched him suffer this way. What dreams could have driven him to such lengths, how long would it be until the medicine subsided..

[Bayushi Senshi]

The adrenalin rush over, Senshi began to feel the firm grip of sleep try to take hold of him. He fought against it, using every trick he knew to stay awake. He analyzed his situation, he was comfortable, he moved so that he would not be. He felt numb, so he tried poking at his side where he had been cut. He was warm, so he struggled to find as much skin contact to the air.

The end result was a flopping that brought him perilously close to the edge of the bed. He banged his head against the headrest, and finally his eyes opened through the dried teary muck.

"Nuh- nnnno! I won't sleep!! H-Haruka?" He fought against the drugs, but they kept gaining purchase. Finally after an alarming few minutes of struggling and coaxing from his wife, he passed out, slumped over her's legs.

[Bayushi Haruka]

She cursed in a foreign tongue, her irritation rather sharp at this point. Haruka knew she couldn't help him with the way he was. Her gaze shifted to the servant waiting and watching anxiously in the corner.

"You get the drugs to pull him back out of this now Alana.. Please." Her tone grew desperate as she started shedding her armor, only keeping her protective clothing on. The mute woman practically flew to write the message down before going out to the others and quickly sorting out the necessary herbs to help pull him back out.

She only departed for a manner of minutes but Haruka just gently rocked back and forth, trying to hold onto him, trying to protect him somehow. The emotion of being so helpless overtaking her as she started to cry. She clung to Senshi's lifeless body.
"Please hold on my love.. please.. I'm here. I... I'm here."

Her whole demeanor degraded into something pitiful. She wouldn't let go of him as she embraced him.
But within minutes the necessary reversal drink was prepared as Alana practically flew to Haruka's side, offering it up to her carefully. With a quick breath and a wipe of her eyes she took the cup from her.

Alana cautiously backed away again as Haruka gently took a sip of the drink to hold it in her mouth and kissed Senshi deeply, nursing the herbal drink to him. It was deeply intimate and even Alana found herself blushing and averting her eyes at the sight, but Haruka never faltered as she just held onto him, embracing her husband.

[Bayushi Senshi]

No sooner had the sleep taken him then he was awake again. And far less groggy. He was angry, very angry, but then suddenly softened at the touch of his wife's lips. He kissed her back, and suddenly regretted not having two arms to hold her with. He made due with what he had, and ran his fingers through her hair.

He noticed then the presence of another in the room. His eyes settled on Alana, and his kissing stopped. He slowly peeled away from Haruka, and stared daggers at the servant. "Who drugged me?" He seemed angry, but at least his rage had been tempered by his wife. He knew she was incapable of answering, but his anger and fatigued gnawed at him. He stormed over to Alana in three fast strides and stared down at her.

[Bayushi Haruka]

Alana shrank and quivered, unable to echo a sound as her posture became subdued, submissive, and terrified of her master's wrath. But before Senshi could do another thing, Haruka pulled on his shoulders, drawing him back. Her eyes told the poor servant who had so honestly cared for the two what she spoke then with her words.

"Go on Alana, you're dismissed now."

Her eyes practically trembled as she looked up between the two master Scorpion of the family. She bowed hastily and decided it best to try and escape the wrath now, Haruka would turn her husband around swiftly keeping a firm grip on his shoulders and trying to get him to refocus.
Alana took the opportunity the Mistress of Secrets had given her and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Finally alone again, Haruka's head dipped.
"I'm sorry my love, my Senshi. She would never have done anything to harm you or put you under. We both know her too well."

Her concern was etched in her burdened expression. "Please.. calm yourself before you simply react." She spoke gently in hopes of trying to ease the storm of his inner turmoil that now reflected in his action.

[Bayushi Senshi]

Senshi sat down at his gaijin made desk, and rubbed his temple with his hand. His brow hung heavily over his eyes. "I'm sorry. Are you back to stay then? Our son is to be born here and soon?" It was an obvious attempt at changing the topic to something blissful before his dander were raised any higher by the terrors of his sleep, or the stress of his work.

He didn't even make eye contact, or try to hide his feelings effectively. It was obvious that he knew why she was there, and that he needn't have asked. He just seemed off, almost dementedly tired and stressed, if there is such a thing. He was off his game. To put Haruka at ease use to come naturally to him, this was another thing all together.

[Bayushi Haruka]

Senshi's attempts at pacifying her concern were far too little and far too late for her mind. Haruka came over and stood at his side looking to him, giving him the space to breathe, but also the chance to reach out to her if that was what he so desired.

Finally realizing that she had forgotten to remove the lion pelt cloak from her shoulders she gently shed it and put it around him as if it could give him all the more comfort somehow, her hands lightly passing over his shoulders as the weight of it settled on him.

"I have returned for good now. I've ridden so much it actually hurts..."
Her gaze bowed, knowing the irony of such a statement. It wasn't as though he hadn't voiced his concern for her continuing to ride while carrying their child. But for her to set traveling and this war aside was a necessary step.

Her hands rested on his shoulders as she tried to assess how his state would be now that he was pulled out of his drugged slumber.
"Our son will be coming soon, that much I can feel. His warrior spirit stirs all the more each day enough so that it seems to overpower even my strength."
She smiled, though a bit sadly as one of her hands wandered through his vibrant blonde hair. Seeing him like this kept her happiness subdued. In truth she didn't know what else she could do or say in that very moment, having forgotten everything else in concern for Senshi.

[Bayushi Senshi]

Senshi calmed himself as the weight of the cloak hit his shoulders, "Where did you get this?" He actually seemed genuinely interested, it was such an oddity. And then he sighed, and it turned into a yawn as he began flipping through the pages of maps and potential strategies.

"I am glad that you have returned, my dear. I long for happier times... when this is all done, would you mind riding out to Lookout Mountain with me? I miss our time spent there." His tone was unchanged, he was completely drained of all energy, only he drugs kept him at all lucid.

[Bayushi Haruka]

She took comfort in him remembering a simpler time. "Oh you know I would love to ride out with you again." Haruka nussled the back of his head with a slight gleeful giggle, just trying to be playful and uplifting.

"But as for the cloak," She brushed a hand over the mane of the lion's head that was now perched on his shoulder. "It was a gift for my efforts among the Lion in their conquest of Toshi Ranbo. Your friend Tomatsu-sama saw fit to bestow me with it as well as a title of 'friend of the Lion'. Needless to say since that victory he's kept me quite busy with peace negotiations with the Crane."

She paused a moment, taking a breath to collect herself, though a smile never left her. "I know you did not specifically request it, but I took the initiative to ensure that the Lion settled their differences with an honorable foe to help bring this civil war to an end all the sooner. I unfortunately couldn't attend the actual discussion but one of my best trained geisha is at his side even now."

She sounded for once rather confident in herself and her abilities. "I hope this pleases you my Senshi. So that we may sooner refocus the empire on our true enemy."
Haruka was a woman of accomplishments, but she still sought his approval in all she did.

[Bayushi Senshi]

He rubbed his brow, feeling calm for the first time in weeks. "Good, thats good." He chased away the horrific thought of being forced to kill his best friend, as it tried to draw purchase in his psyche yet again. "Tell me, how goes your efforts with our true enemy?"

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka rolled her tongue in her mouth a bit. He was always quick to hone in on his purpose as a courtier. Such conversation was anything but polite and she always felt anxious when discussing such things aloud.

"Things are all moving along as anticipated. I've not heard anything new to report but as far as I'm aware the serpent is still moving through unhindered. Their master conveyed very little concern..."

Her mind drifted back to something else and she left his side to attend to a small lock box. Quickly taking hold of the key and opening it she removed a small gaijin trinket that was ornate but simple. She brought it over to him, holding it in her palm.

"I know this is a strange time to bring this up, but during our wedding I was gifted a magical item. However it lays dormant, because I've chosen not to activated it. The master of the serpent gave this to me and with it perhaps you might be able to... speak with him directly..."
She bit her lip, anxious to hear what he'd think.

[Bayushi Senshi]

He perked up at the news, "Would such a device divine his location or give away mine? We need to find a surefire way to know where he is if we ever want to stop the traitor." He was far sharper and harsher then usual, but he remembered to catch his breath and calm his mind before continuing, "Have you shown this trinket to any of our shugenja?"

[Bayushi Haruka]

Again her lips tensed as she continued to explain. "It seems to have the ability to detect when he is nearby as it glows and warms when it draws near the twin trinket. But as for betraying one's immediate location, it does not seem to have such power."

She stood firmly trying not to waver or show any sort of hesitancy. Haruka may have been his wife, but this was far from a tasteful conversation. "There is only one shugenja who showed me how to activate it, and he has taken to a monastic lifestyle now. If you so wish we could seek him out at the temple of Osano-Wo, but besides Tadaka-san no other shugenja has seen it."

She placed the trinket down on the desk before him allowing him to take it at his leisure. Much as she had acted calm and collected in the face of the taint, there was a part of the darkness that did strike a bit of fear in her. Enough so that meditating on such memories caused her to turn away with a pained expression. Haruka faced the window and removed the mask from her head with a heavy sigh to try and recenter herself.