Spirits of the Earth

The lanterns emitted a warm light, hanging in the corners of Seiki's large room, and they illuminated his tall figure that walked up to one of the wardrobes, lining both its sides. His hands slowly took off the white haori, letting it slide down, and carefully folded it, placing it inside. The soft fabric was gone from his view as he sled the door back to its place.

The next step was the sword. The stand for his soul-cutter, Blood-red Blossom, was set right in front of the mat that he used as a bed. He removed the sheathed blade from his side, setting it into the stand, and started untying the obi at his waist. The black shihakusho he wore was slowly, but with grace taken off, baring the pale skin of his chest that covered his lean frame.

It was folded and set right under the stand with the blade. Then, he took off the pair of white gloves that covered his wrists and the backs of his hands, placing them before the folded hakama. It was just typical for him to perform his evening undressing as some strange ritual. Instead of simply taking his clothes off and tossing them around, he folded each piece and put it onto its appropriate place.

His gaze stopped at his right hand for a moment. It was wrapped in white threads as always, to conceal the large irregular scar, stretched across his wrist on both sides of his hand. He didn't feel it any longer - the bones have grown back, just like the muscles and skin that covered them - but a part of him disliked seeing his past failures. That part was the same one that made him keep his head up and stop him from looking down at the other pair of scars at his abdomen.

He untied the bandages, and folding them neatly placed them beside the gloves. It was time to clean the sword. A katana required everyday maintenance, or at least so he thought. And so, he stood up again, retrieving a piece of fabric from the wardrobe, and unsheathed the sleek, long blade to start cleaning it.

His white fingers ran up and down the steel, over and over till it glistened in the light. A silent sound came from the door, leading straight out onto the rock atop which his room was set. He, however, refused to raise his head from the sword.

Whatever it was, it was not his concern.

Stealing things always came kind of naturally to Khanna. It was an aptitude she discovered as a young girl, a slave in a rich household. You had to be invisible, silent and pretend you are not breathing, not listening and not looking. You had to pretend you were an object. As much as she hated it then, now it probably represented one of her most useful talents, something she could use always in her thefts, since pesky things like morals and honour weren't on her list of personality traits and never stopped her.

So, as expected honour and morals had nothing to do with the fact that she was currently hanging on a roof in the Draconi Forest in the middle of the night while strange animal sounds could be heard from all sides. Not that animals were something that could stand in her way, mind you, since she was in a particularly nasty mood tonight. But, anyway, as she hanged from the roof, trying to be as silent as she could and failing because of a nasty and large bruise on her left leg (bandits were nasty in this time of the year... like mosquitoes), she let out a string of unladylike curses.

Now, why she was on the roof was another matter all together, because that certainly wasn't a hobby of hers. Stealing precious treasures, on the other hand, was and it was also the reason why she was in that particular position. Thieves don't enter through the door like normal people with nice intentions, because they weren't normal people and because their intentions were quite nasty most of the time. Khanna was particularly nasty when she had a plan and it wasn't working out. Like now.

Finally, she set her feet silently onto the rocky floor. Her spine hurt because of the acrobatics on the roof, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward. If I were a priceless artifact of immense power, where would I be? She walked through the dark hallway in silence, her black cloak covering her face, her figure and transforming her from a young woman to a dangerous thief. She didn't know much about the family who lived here, her primary interest was the artifact she heard stories about in the nearby village.

Closing in on a door, she carefully looked to her left and to her right, satisfied to see that the hallways were completely devoid of any foreign presence and shadows. She smirked slightly beneath her cloak and slid the door to the side with her confidence peaking.

The door opening startled Seiki. He controlled himself and didn't look behind himself. Though, he wondered who it could be - there was no spiritual presence to be felt. Was it someone that was hiding it? But only some of the most skilled warriors were capable of that... Though, who would come to his room at this time?

He slowly turned his head, and gazed at the door over his shoulder. It was opened only to a slight gap... And just a shadow of a person could be seen. He kept noiselessly cleaning his katana, not concerned about the visitor.

However, he hoped that the person would go away. He disliked people seeing him in this state, without his complete gear on. They always asked questions - except for those that already knew. Though, not all did. Just a few were aware of what really happened.

If someone would enter, they would clearly see why - the two lines, running from his ribs almost to his hips were mirrored in the exact shape on his back.

So, what happens once a door is open? In most cases, it's a sign that a person is about to enter or leave a room, but in Khanna's situation it really meant that she just opened the door to trouble. And trouble is something she'll get, as it was something that usually happened and Khanna was a creature of habits.

The room wasn't brightly lit, it was actually quite dark. It looked like a bedroom but as far as she could see it could've been the bathroom. Her angle was just terrible and she could barely see few inches of the place. With a deep frown she pushed the door to the side a bit more, revealing more of the room to her sharp green eyes.

As per usual, she first looked the room over for valuables, but it looked strangely devoid of any objects like that, it was clean and practical. Masculine, she deduced as she let her eyes pass through the place once more. Deciding she wanted more, and feeling somewhat greedy and impatient, she pushed the door even further until she was able to see the whole room. And boy, what a mistake that was.

There was a person there. She could see his back. A very male person with a very male back who obviously held the a very metal object in his hands. She let her eyes trace over the large scars on his back, slightly taken aback. Khanna felt torn between running away like she was supposed to and staring at the incredibly bewitching scars. Did he even hear her? She cocked her head to the side. And wasn't that the katana she was searching for?

That made Seiki turn his head around completely. The door was opened and someone stepped into his room, judging by the sounds currently that person just stared at his back. A sigh escaped his mouth. He disliked being disrupted during his evening routines, as he assigned a special significance to weapon maintenance.

He was just about to send the person away and scold them for interrupting and entering without knocking, but what he saw was no Adachi. Actually, it looked more like... A thief.

A beacon of distaste flashed through his ever-cold eyes. His right hand arose, fully exposing the scar on his wrist, and he turned his chest halfway around, pointing at Khanna, while the left one kept the sword on its place.

"Fifty-three. Steel-rope cage, bind." he spoke, in his usual emotionless voice. Thick ropes of a steel-grey color appeared out of nowhere, fastening around the figure, and disappearing again, but the effect remained. A mid-level binding spell that would keep anyone in a lock, unable to do anything but speak and move his eyes. And a really high level of spiritual energy would be needed to break it.

All the while, he didn't flick a brow, though in fact, he was more than startled. A thief just saw him... Almost naked! So humiliating... How fortunate that he never blushed. Truly fortunate.

Generally, Khanna wasn't someone who got into serious trouble a lot. Actually, it happened just a few times and she always had a readied route out. This time, unfortunately, she had no way out of the house (it was a house, not a fortress... her way out was supposed to be through the door!) and now it seemed like her host was reluctant to release her too. Precious.

The ropes binding her weren't there... But they were because she literally couldn't move an inch. That was the moment when she felt a pang of mixed adrenaline and nervousness. How was she going to get herself out of this situation? Although the view wasn't all that bad (Katana, she was talking about the powerful Katana he held), to her adept eyes there was no way out. Wriggling out of invisible bonding stuff wasn't an option. Anger slightly started spreading through her body.

Her cloak was still hiding her head and that was something she was grateful for. But, she doubted that would last long. She could just eye the room and think, as she tried to keep her identity concealed as long as she could.

It seemed like this opponent is not masking his spiritual pressure, but simply lacks any. That made things much easier... Blood-red Blossom would not be needed, then. He sheathed it again, and carefully placed back onto the stand where it belonged.

After that, he stood up, giving the thief a complete view on his intimidating, but graceful figure, and stepped towards the cloaked intruder. Thieves, robbers and criminals were in his eyes unworthy. He would not bother fighting such scum with Blood-red Blossom. It was not even worth the touch of his hands.

The cape was moved away with the tip of his foot, and revealed a girl's face. Though, that mattered little - she was still an intruder, after all. Something like that was irrelevant when dealing with someone who breaks the law.

His cold eyes pierced her, looking down at her. What a waste of his time...

"An intruder." he spoke coldly. That was all.

There was an obvious look of dissatisfaction on her face. Khanna wasn't just an intruder, she was a skilled thief feared by rich people all around. Though, that wasn't something she proved tonight and thar made her very cranky and cranky meant reckless and reckless wasn't something that was going to get her out of this situation.

Nevertheless, her face remained passive, and she felt no fear although her cloak was down, just extreme dislike of the man in front of her.

"So, your special talent is what?" she smirked "Stating the obvious?"

Pissing off her captor wasn't the brightest idea of the century but Khanna couldn't stop herself. It worked like a defense mechanism and it wasn't a good one either. It would be so ironic for her dry humor and sarcasm to get her killed.

The look of disgust in Seiki's eyes deepened. It was one of the rare moments when someone could distinguish what he was most likely thinking or feeling. Indistinctly even then, though - but it was more than usual.

Like this, she could see him from up close. Though, it mattered little - she was just a thief. In the few years she could spend in a cell within the residence, she'd forget the sight... Or not.

He walked over to the stand with Blood-red Blossom. "I will grant you the privilege of laying your eyes upon my blade. Feast your eyes upon the sight." he spoke coldly, unsheathing the blade. A thief and intruder would most likely receive a death sentence, anyway... Or so he thought. He might just ease her waiting for the ordeal.

And to die by a blade so fair as his was more than any criminal ever deserved.

The steel made a silent screeching sound as the long, thin blade was revealed. He held it before his face vertically, and placed his right palm onto the cold steel. "I promise you you will not regret the sight. You will not have that time." The white hand, placed on the blade, pushed it forth a little.

"Break." he commanded it. White cracks spread from his hand, and the blade broke, scattering into myriads of gleaming shards. Those cascaded onto the floor like rose-white petals, and then, as he raised his hands, still gripping the hilt, up, they arose back up in a whirling current that blew back even a few strands of his hair. They were about to fall onto Khanna in a deadly stream, strong and sharp enough to tear the body into pieces, when the door opened again.

Shinobu's surprised figure froze in the door at the sight. Her brother without his shirt, coat, or gloves... Blood-red Blossom released into its true form and releasing surges of spiritual presence, and this girl on the floor... What was going on?

His ice-cold glance met with hers. What did she want from him?

It was a nice blade, she had to admit. Even though it seemed she was one foot in her grave, Khanna was still quite enthralled with the beautiful katana. And now she wanted it more than ever. All she had to do now is escape the invisible bonds, kick the person in front of her who seemed to be an incredibly powerful something and snatch the weapon from his hands before riding out to the sunrise.

Snapping out of her crazy imagination, Khanna finally decided to face the reality. She was going to die. Or be tortured so bad it would probably result in death. Yes, the guy in front of her seemed like the type to kill not torture, but with such a passive, expressionless face nobody could really know what was underneath the facade.

If she had any use of her hands she would've used her magic. After all she was a great illusionist and a good elementalist, but without her hands she could do nothing. Psyche enhanced magic was never really her forte.

As she watched the sharp shards of the blade in front of her, Khanna felt incredibly vulnerable. There was just a spark of fear in her emerald eyes as she quickly concealed it. She was going to die, that was it, and she didn't even do everything she wanted to do. There was just a pinch of guilt here and there in her vulnerable moment but she pushed it back. She wasn't going to let guilt ruin her last moments.

Instead of averting her eyes from him and the blade shards she looked straight at him, as if daring him to kill her. Fear was strangling her inside, but a small smirk was playing on her lips. She took a silent breath in and then... The door opened? Utterly confused, she was not able to see who just saved her from imminent death. She also wasn't sure whether to be thankful or not for a few more moments.

"Seiki... What is happening here?" Shinobu asked, gripping the door-hinges with her hands, and staring at her brother in confusion. What was he trying to do? Kill that girl? But why? An intruder? Thief? Also, why was he... Just in the bottom part of his hakama?

She blushed as she saw him like that. It was truly a little unnerving to see him shirtless, even though it was sure an intimidating sight. And rather aiming her gaze at the girl, she stepped in, reaching after her own blade.

"There was an intruder. She opened the door and broke in while I was cleaning my sword." he replied calmly. The blade shards ascended back towards the hilt, returning to their original form and reforming the blade, while his sister studied the thief with her eyes.

Seiki was cleaning his sword half-naked? Now that was something new to her. Though, it was nothing that could be neglected if there was an intruder within the house. She walked towards her, and pointing the tip of her own blade straight between her head glared down in a similarly cold way as Seiki before. "What are you doing here? You were not supposed to be within the gardens themselves as far as I know. Speak!" she asked her sternly. The blade did not quiver once.

Oh, and her hope perished as fast as it came to her. It wasn't a savior it was another of the crazy people who lived here. What was with this family and threatening with blades? Usually rich people screamed or ran away or fainted, some even managed to call the guards before fainting, but attacking the thief wasn't something that they did.

"Taking a midnight walk around the forest?" she said, but wished she didn't when the blade dug a bit into her skin. It didn't pierce it, but it was still cold and hurt. She pursed her lips slightly, looking at the newcomer, pondering on what she should say.

"I was... Curious," she said slowly. The best lies were those which were closest to the truth, so she kept it clean and simple. "I am a traveler and I tend to... Investigate things around, sometimes a bit too much it seems" Khanna said simply, looking the newcomer straight in the eyes.

"Don't lie!" Shinobu accused her harshly, barring her teeth as she spoke. "This house's gardens are a private property! No one is allowed to enter without permission from Takuya Adachi. And no one comes through without our knowledge. You were sneaking through the corridors. Only thieves do that. And you are a foolish thief if that is what you are!"

No one with half a brain would break into the residence of one of the most prominent knight houses of Adela, known especially for their skills in swordsmanship and martial arts. Unless they were horribly devoid of knowledge, or just that stupid, no one would do it.

"Tell the truth! What did you search for in my brother's room?" she asked her again. "If you will try to lie to me again, I will bury this blade into your skull!"

Utterly ridiculous. Khanna just smirked. Oh well, her lies couldn't always pass, could they? And her luck was bound to run out sooner or later, but it was too bad she first didn't get her hands on that katana or any other artifact in this place.

"Fair enough," she said calmly, ignoring the blade "But a thief is such a harsh word. I very much prefer to call myself a con artist." Khanna smirked again. Why did she always have to look like she had a death wish? She didn't, not really. Khanna was terrified of dying.

She underestimated her target, a mistake she now had to remember never to repeat. It was actually quite understandable considering how young she is. Still, her only mistake was about to become her last one, it seemed.

"Stop wasting my time! Speak!" Shinobu growled back at her, clenching her fists to control the urge to kick into the thief. The katana in her hands was almost shaking from the strength of her grip, and her eyes were as cold and hard as that steel. This woman... She was trying her luck. And Shinobu was tempted to pierce her skull with the weapon.

However, Seiki's figure, suddenly appearing at her side, made her freeze. She looked up at him, just to meet with a freezing glance. Her brother was one of the few people that would make her halt and stop even in the urge of battle. Somehow, his form always made her calm down, no matter what was happening. The idea of Seiki seeing her so shamefully clinging onto an emotion made her sick and ashamed of her own self.

The grip of her hands around the katana eased almost immediately. She was no longer angry, just calm and merciless. Seiki looked down at the thief.

"Shinobu, put your soul-cutter away, and inform father. I will take care of this." A bitter thorn of disgust could be heard in his voice as he spoke about the intruder on the floor. As always, Seiki didn't consider people other than nobles and warriors worth his time and attention. His eyes did not meet the girl's glance once, he just quickly examined her figure, keeping his head to show how much he disdains her kind.

Shinobu bowed her head to him, and sheathed her sword again. "I understand." she spoke quietly, in complete obedience, and noiselessly hurried out of the room.

Were they playing with her? Was the game called hot and cold? Because that was how Khanna felt at the time. At one moment the neurotic female threatened to spill her brains on the floor (thought Khanna was sure that spilling her brains around would make the other guy agitated), and in the next moment the ice brick man was trying to freeze her over with his glares. What a nice and welcoming family.

Keeping her mouth shut, Khanna observed the situation. There was a massive relief when the female stopped pointing the sharp katana her way. Seemed like the semi-naked guy had some control over her. Once she was out of the room, Khanna looked over to the ice brick guy, who still glared at her like she was dirt. Riiight, leave the dirt be, not worth your time.

"It's just the two of again, brilliant... So, what do you plan to do? Freeze me to death with your glares?"she asked sarcastically... Because sarcasm will sit just right with this guy. "Or are you up for some negotiations about my release," she smirked slightly.

Her constant use of sarcasm almost made Seiki twitch. Almost. But he kept his collected face, refraining from replying to her. Before Takuya would arrive, he would need to put all his gear back on. It would be a disgrace to show himself before the head of the house without most of his clothes, a disgrace he couldn't bear to face. A complete humiliation.

With his usual elegance, he put the top of his shihakusho back on, and fastened the sash around his waist. He picked up the wraps to hide the jagged scar on his wrist, stretched across both of its sides like a spiderweb, and quickly wrapped them over it. After he returned the pair of white gloves back on, he moved towards the wardrobe to retrieve his white haori. That was when the door opened, and Shinobu led their father in.

Takuya Adachi was, in appearance, much like his son - tall, and noble-looking. His black hair was shorter and slicked back instead of softly falling into his face like Seiki, and his attire was, to an extent, the same. Just like all warriors, he wore a black robe with white underlayers, but his haori had long sleeves, unlike the one his heir wore.

Shinobu bowed her head as she entered. Seiki immediately faced away from the wardrobe, and bowed to his father deeply. Takuya responded with a slight bow of his head, and Shinobu got out of the way as those two faced each other, with the thief between them. The head of the house scanned her with his crimson eyes, and then turned to his son with a question, mirroring in them.

"This woman entered my room without permission during the time when I was preparing to sleep." he informed him, appearing as official as it was just possible.
"It is true that I did not give the permission to enter the property of our residence to any one in the past month. Thus, she has to be an intruder." Takuya agreed. His level of officialism was comparable with his son's.
"She entered through the inside door. I immediately bound her, and attempted to carry out the execution right away to spare us all from wasting our time." Seiki explained.

The older man - though, he didn't look that much older - didn't look too amused. Shinobu behind him stepped forth a little. "I noticed a release of spiritual energy, and decided to find out what it was. As I entered, I saw my brother releasing Blood-red Blossom, about to execute the thief. I attempted to interrogate to find out the details instead of killing her right away, then I was sent to find you, father." she spoke silently.

Takuya's glance sled from each one of them to Seiki, an back again, to stop on the bound girl. All of a sudden, the binding spell was released, just to be replaced by a different one, which would allow her to stand up, but not move away from them, and would keep binding her arms completely.

"I am disappointed by the harsh actions both of you undertook." the head of the clan exclaimed coldly, before gesturing the thief to stand up, and his children to follow out of the room.

Khanna wasn't let down by the fact that the mean guy who just glared at her didn't respond to her question. Well, he didn't really think much of her, did he? Not that she cared, as long as nobody was trying to slash her open or decapitate her, silence was just fine. After ten seconds of silence, she found herself utterly bored. Her captor was dressing up (which was a shame by any standards) and she had nothing to occupy herself with, no one to annoy and no one to threaten her life.

What happened to her exciting, thrilling life? She didn't have a lot of time to think about that, since a small entourage entered the room. It was the neurotic female who already threatened to chop her up and an unknown person, who looked like the iceberg here. They both had their cold and emotionless masks on.

Were they family? Khanna wondered, though she had no reason to. The amount of emotions that came off the two (without the female, the female was somewhat more emotional) could fit into a small ring box. But, their egos couldn't even fit in the room right, she thought with a small smirk while the female and the used-to-be-half-naked guy explained what happened.

Khanna could easily feel a trace of magic and a lot of relief once the bindings were off from the rest of her body. She could live with her hands tied (for now) as long as she can walk and get up from the damn floor. She didn't like people looking down on her, it made her feel small and insignificant, and that was something she never wanted to become again.

As she stood up from the floor, Khanna threw a triumphant look towards Seiki and the neurotic female. There you go, she thought, the big guy is disappointed in you. Then she turned her head and continued walking.

They were led into a large hall, lit by a number by red-glowing lanterns. Their soft rosy light fell onto the wooden floor, illuminating a sole low table in the middle, with a single pillow before it. It looked like a cross between a hall and a work room - the huge desk, fit for someone sitting on the floor, was covered in papers and scrolls. Takuya took his place behind it, while Shinobu and Seiki - with the thief in the middle - sat down on the other side. Shinobu gestured her to sit down just as well.

Takuya prepared a clean scroll and opened a flask of ink. "I request from you all to answer nothing but the truth. Lying will only prolong your sentence, and so will any attempts to avoid answering." he proclaimed. He was obviously annoyed by the fact that he has to include his own children in a court like that - usually, he wasn't as cold and emotionless.

Seiki bowed his head low in response. "It would be a disgrace for me to act in a manner other than that." he spoke silently. His thick lashes obscured the dark eyes behind them, and his face remained unchanged, but in fact, he was deeply ashamed of acting in such a rush. He was convinced that he was going to get pulverized just as well.

Shinobu remained silent for the whole time. She didn't want to be involved in this at the slightest.

Takuya's hand that picked up an extremely thin brush, used to write down the date and situation on the top of the scroll, and he put it back down as that was done. Then, he turned to the 'intruder'. "What is your name, and what are you doing on the private property of the Adachi clan, and inside its residence? Do not leave out any details and answer honestly." he instructed her. The scroll was passed on to Shinobu, who quickly moved over to the side of the table to write down and keep track of every important information.

Khanna sat between the two, feeling extremely out of place as she allowed her gaze to roam around the room they were in. It wasn't as if she did it intentionally, but her nature and the nature of her job was such that even in that moment and in that situation she was searching for weak points and things she could steal. It was instinctive, and while not the most polite of things to do, it was a very handy skill considering that her memory is very detailed.

Finally moving her eyes back to the person in front of her, Khanna straightened up a bit in her place. Everyone was so official looking and serious, so she felt like she should keep up. Wouldn't want anyone to think any less of her than they already did (if that was even possible). Even thieves had some standards to uphold.

Khanna felt some kind of perverted satisfaction when Seiki seemed ashamed by his actions. It wasn't that he showed it on his face, but Khanna was very good when reading people (again, thanks to her line of work) and she could see him stiffen slightly. The air around him was a bit different than when they were alone. It was the subtle things, and to most people he would probably seem as indifferent as ever.

When the clearly-important-guy turned to speak to her, Khanna just kept a straight face. She would answer their questions and with some luck she will be released! If only there was a chance for that...

"My name is Khanna, I am a con artist and an artifact hunter who came here to hunt down his," she nodded towards Seiki "Katana. I entered through the west wing and the roof, so you should probably see to the security in those parts," she advised as she cocked her head slightly to the side.

The edge of Takuya's mouth arose a little at her last remark. He wasn't as stuck-up as his son, and could admit that she had some humor. In the meantime, Shinobu wrote it down in a very elegant manner, using the black ink to put a few words onto the paper.

"Thus, you admit that you are an intruder and attempted theft in our residence." Takuya concluded then. "You entered my son's room with the aim to steal his property. However, you did not succeed, and it is not completely lawful to judge your intentions. Therefore, your sentence should range from one half to three quarters of the usual sentence for intruding and theft." He couldn't judge her for something she didn't actually do...

He turned to his son. "Seiki. Do you admit that you attempted to carry out a death sentence without the proper investigation and judgment, only using your own sense of justice to assess the situation?" he asked, surprisingly coldly considering he conversed with his own son.

Seiki gave him a slight nod. "I do admit that. I took into account the circumstances, but I let myself get carried away by my emotions. She surprised me while I was maintaining my sword without proper gear, and I considered it humiliating, after what I proceeded to bind her and released Blood-red Blossom to execute her. In an attempt to spare time and effort, which I now see was mistaken."  He acted too quickly. To get carried away by something so low and beastly as emotions was under him... He disobeyed the law due to something like that.

Unforgivable.

Takuya gestured at Shinobu to write something down, and for a moment sat there in silence, thinking. After that, he put his hands down onto the table. Shinobu passed the scroll and ink back. "Seiki Naohiro Adachi. Disobeying of the law of the Adachi clan, and an attempt to carry out a punishment without permission. That means seven days within a second-grade cell." he exclaimed in a very official tone. Seiki, surprisingly, didn't appear to be fazed by it the least bit. He retained his emotionless face, and bowed his head.

"Very well. It is a deserved punishment." he agreed.

Takuya then turned back to Khanna. He didn't seem as cold as before, though there was a level of disdain in his eyes - after all, she was a thief, just scum in the society, and they were one of the most prominent and powerful nobles. "Is there anything else you would like to say in your defense?"

Khanna chose fair and square trials over mindless butchering any day. Besides, mindless butchering tended to leave bad blood marks all over the place. The gods knew that blood stains were so hard to wash, especially in winter when the water was really cold. You just have to rinse very thoroughly though and the stains will eventu-... Seriously? She was thinking about removing blood stains from clothes now? Khanna shook her head and concentrated on the situation around her.

Once again, Khanna found herself enjoying the chastising the big guy gave to Seiki. He should be ashamed, she proudly raised her head and smirked slightly to no one in particular. She liked the big guy who seemed to have everything under control. If she had to guess he was probably the head of the house and all these other people were under him and had to listen to him. Interesting.

What surprised Khanna was the fact that he actually gave Seiki a punishment. Seven days? Well, weren't they quite different from any other noble family she ever had the *luck* to run into. She just hoped her sentence won't be anything extreme. They weren't going to chop her hand off, were they? Khanna was, surprisingly, very emotionally attached to her hands. Or any part of her body really. Except her hair, they could take that and she would be thankful. Gods know that the stupid thing was usually in the way and was far too recognizable.

As she pondered on the possibility of a new haircut, Khanna was interrupted by the head of the house aka the big guy who could bring shame to the icy glare man.

"No, I think the ice man said everything," she said with a pleasant smile. No need to be rude to people who didn't try to kill her... Yet. "But can you untie my hands anytime soon. I am not used to being bound."

"Very well." Takuya nodded slightly. He wrote something else onto the scroll, and put both the brush, and the viol with ink down. He slowly screwed the glass lid back on, taking his time to make every graceful move with the same kind of royal manners his son seemed to posses, and then faced Khanna.

"Khanna. Trespassing onto the property of our residence and intruding into the residence itself with the aim of theft. That means 125 days within a second-grade cell." he announced. The scroll was softly rolled and closed. "If neither of you has any objections against your sentence, I call this case closed. Both punishments shall be carried out as soon as possible."

Shinobu stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Shinobu. You can leave now." Takuya instructed her, and she obeyed, noiselessly hurrying out of the door. The head of the house then proceeded to stand up. A couple of men in black robes, similar to those that Seiki wore, but without the white coats, entered, and gestured the couple before the table to stand up just as well. Seiki, keeping his ice-cold mask, approached them calmly as they put a pair of metal cuffs around his hands and his neck. The touch of the metal sent a chill down his spine, and something immediately changed...

Off course. The cuffs immediately suppressed any kind of spiritual or magical abilities. His spiritual presence that filled the air with an intimidating feeling was gone, concealed...

The same kind of cuffs would be applied to Khanna, too. The Kido spell that bound her was lifted, but the metal would hug her wrists and neck tightly, and it was harder than it seemed, making it more than difficult to escape from.

She would be led into a separate room before being put into a cell - one in which there was a clean white garb waiting for her, much like a kimono, or the shihakusho the warriors wore, only stark white instead of a deep black. Then, they would lead them both out at once, and into the depths of the residence - into the cells.

After the few minutes they were both given to change, Seiki was standing behind his guard, which dwarfed even him, despite how tall the Adachi heir was. As he was deprived off his usual attire - no haori, no hakama, no gloves, only the white bandages around his right hand were allowed to remain - he still looked surprisingly intimidating, though now he resembled a ghost with a curtain of black hair around his pale face rather than the dark figure he was before. The expression on his face was serene and calm again. He didn't seem to be fazed by the fact that he was about to be imprisoned at the slightest.

They took her black armour and her both daggers, very expensive and very sharp that were strapped to her back. They also took her shurikens, her two small stiletto daggers that were situated on her leg. They were all gone in seconds and Khanna felt unusually naked and uncomfortable without them. She just hoped they were going to return them when she was released.

To top that off, they put heavy cuffs around her neck and around her wrists which made her magical powers impossible to manifest. Well, it seems like she will have to actually finish the whole sentence off, no slacking. They even removed the three lockpicks in her cloak. Without the magic and without any of her weapons, all that Khanna really had was her charm and wit (which would help her in no possible way) and her sneaky, shadowy skills which were useful with breaking in somewhere but useless when trying to escape.

All that time Khanna kept her mouth shut and waited. She didn't mind her new clothes or the heavy... Accessory. But, what made her explode was when they took the simple hair tie that was keeping her mass of red locks up. Her long, blood red hair fell over the white clothes and pale face with sharp contrast and Khanna felt her anger building up.

"Hey, give it back... It's not as if I will break the chains with a magical hair tie!" she almost screamed, but her 'assistant' just raised an eyebrow and ignored her further. Bloody wonderful. She will be spending 125 days in a cell without any of her possessions and without a bloody freaking hair tie. Giving up, she allowed them to lead her through the hallways.

She kept her head down, allowing her blood red curtain of hair to distance her from everything, ignoring everyone and muttering under her breath about idiotic people and no sense of privacy. Khanna hated it, really, but she could only hope that they aren't going to burn all of her stuff while she is inside the cell. She raised her head finally only to see Seiki. Now that she had time to observe him, she could say that he was quite handsome, even with all of his clothes on. She quickly moved her gaze away. Stupid, idiotic thoughts that roamed her head decided to appear now? Seriously, she was going to ponder on a man while she was getting in a prison cell? Cursing her insane head, she threw a mean look to the other people. First they throw her in prison with a sentence of 125 days and now they take her hair tie?

Unforgivable.

A long corridor that led down to the cells was quite the long (and silent) journey, but eventually, they were led down into the section of the residence that had a single purpose - to hold prisoners. They passed the simple cells, and were taken into a part with larger ones. All of them had smooth wooden floors and a single narrow window, set across the thick wall. The wall opposing that one was simply thick iron bars, completely making up the third wall that faced the corridor. There was a single piece of furniture in each one of them - a single chair in the middle of the room.

That was where they were taken, into two cells opposite each other. The guards made Seiki sit down onto the chair, and connected horribly long, thick chains, hanging from the walls and ceiling, to the cuffs at his hands and neck, till his arms practically hung there. He closed his eyes, obscuring the midnight blue orbs with thick black lashes. His body may face the corridor, but he will not look.

Truth be told, he looked pretty bizarre, sitting on the chair like a statue. The white garb fell down to his feet like a loose dress, and with his arms slightly spread by the chains, head held high, he looked strangely majestic despite his position. The thick veil of black hair cascaded down to his shoulders and lined his face, with a few strands falling by the bridge of his nose and down.

What a horrible position to be put into. Chained, deprived of his spiritual power...

And without Blood-red Blossom. That was about the worst of it all.

"Food will come in the morning." one of the guards uttered, and both doors were locked before the chained occupants of the cells. A second grade cell was exactly this.

Seven days to repent his actions. That will surely be enough time.

Khanna was giving hard, dark and killer glares to people who cuffed her and were now leaving the cell. Oh if looks could only kill those people would have been long dead. Unfortunately, only daggers, swords and katanas killed and nasty glares were just.. Well, they were nasty, which was a pity. Khanna was angry for her damn hair tie and that was about the only thing she regretted leaving in the hands of those vile people. They could use justice and imprison her, but what kind of inhuman monster leaves a young woman with a hair as wild and as untamed as hers without a hair tie? Khanna huffed in anger as she tried to move one of the nasty buggers of hair from her face, unsuccesfully.

Giving up on that she looked for the first time at the person who was situated right across. His eyes were closed but there was no chance he was sleeping, yet he did look strangely peaceful. Any other day, Khanna would just leave him be, but she felt specifically agitated and bored at the moment. Plus she only had company for the next seven days so she better use him right. But, he wasn't much of a company, still he was quite better than nothing.

"So... You come here often?" Khanna tried. The line was terrible and was certainly not meant to be used when one was in a prison cell. Pursing her lips and cocking her head to the side she observed him "Yes, I am talking to you.. The guy who almost killed me."

He couldn't possibly ignore her forever. She was rather persistant, that one and she wasn't going to sit in silence and meditate on her wrongdoings like her cell mate intended. Khanna never really had the patience for that. Action, adrenaline and running was more of her forte, but if she was not able to do that, might as well practice her wit on someone.

If he comes there often... Off course not. Was she really so pathetic and trying to start a conversation? How foolish. He wasn't going to respond.

It would have been better if he would have killed her. His father was too mild. Thieves and criminals deserved nothing but death, and he considered the sentence she received not appropriate at all. One would have to lack honor to commit a crime... And why keep such a person alive? Honor-less trash and scum was not worth keeping alive. They could not be taught better... No, it was definitely not worth living a life like that.

He was doing the right thing. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing.

The chains rustled as his right hand twitched in the heavy iron cuff that was set onto it. It was painfully tight on the hand that was covered in a layer of white wraps, and he was starting to feel how his fingers were going numb, but he ignored it. It was the least of his concerns.

To get overwhelmed and defeated by something like that was under him.

And he decided to pay no heed to the girl, either. She was only trying to provoke him - something at which she would fail miserably.

Bored. Bored. Bored. Khanna was bored out of her mind and back. Usually when she was imprisoned, which wasn't something that happened much, she had a whole bunch of other prisoners around her ready to share stories, legends and comments with each other. Usually, it was quite a cheery bunch so time ran much faster with such a company. Unfortunately for her, her newest cell mate was as talkative as a brick wall. His silence was slowly but painfully ripping her ears. Who knew that silence could be deafening?

First, she counted things around. The cells, the wood that the floor was made of, the scratches n the metal cuffs around her wrists. Anything that could be counted or seen from her point of view. This occupied her for a half an hour and then she was once more left without anything interesting to do. Khanna already planned to play with her cuffs and try to unlock them for tomorrow and planned to write a poem a day after that.

"You know, I once met a dragon n the mountains." she started "He had this amazing ancient bow hidden in his cave. At first I didn't want to go. But then a friend dared me and I decided I had no other choice. I have a reputation to maintain," she stopped suddenly and threw a glance at him, to see if he was listening. He didn't even move. Oh well, she was just going to continue.

"So there I was, in the freaking cave with a gigantic dragon in search for an ancient bow, no help, no nothing from the outside...Feel free to interupt me if you want me to explain something... And when I finally saw the bow, after hours of searching while hiding from the dragon, it was the moat beautiful thing I ever saw. Unfortunately, although I escaped the cave with that beautiful bow I had to sell it not long after," she zaid wistfully "I wonder where it ended?" she asked herself more than anyone else.

Did she have to blabber all the time? The very sound of her voice was annoying him. He twitched his hands in the cuffs again, producing a series of clinks, and bent his head back a little, what was followed by more rustling. She should really shut up. He was not interested in a stupid thief's stupid tales.

Her voice completely shattered the fragile calmness he managed to build within himself, like a fortress in which he could hide only with his thoughts. Like this, he would most likely soon fall asleep as he should at this time of the day, but no, she had to keep him awake! He'd gladly blast a high-level spell straight into her head to shut her up... If only those cuffs wouldn't bind him.

No. He shouldn't think about more violence when he was punished because of it. It was the exact opposite of the reason why he was here. He should use the time to reconsider what he did, and learn to act different the next time.

The sight of a spirit, crowned by a white mask with a pair of long, jagged horns appeared in his mind. The memory sent a shiver down his spine, and he could feel a sting in the scar on his hand. The image disappeared quickly, but left him feeling uneasy. The spirit...

It was just like those spirits to mindlessly kill, he thought.

"Except the dragon, the giant hydra and the three frost trolls my life has been rather boring," she continued speaking "There was a whole bunch of wizards I robbed a few dark priests and even two demons. Though that last one too was on a dare," Khanna said calmly "That is where I got my favorite daggers, though, so it didn't go that bad. Well, except the nasty nightmares I have thanks to the first demon and a few fire burn on my back from the second one."

Khanna spoke to her wall like friend, she even answered and asked some of the question she supposed he would be interested in knowing. Not that he ever said anything, just kept silent. It was just that, it was getting rather dark and silent and Khanna hated it when she felt alone in the dark. This unstoppable speaking gave her the illusion that zhe was surrounded by people who were interested in her adventures people who she trusted.

"So, do you have any interesting adventures?" Khanna asked "You must have, you seem very skilled with a blade, and those scars I saw don't appear from sitting around and reading." Khanna deducted.

Seiki let out a sharp sigh. So she wasn't going to shut up... Guess he would eventually have to give her a reply. Well, no one said it had to be a long one, right? He could just as well just utter a few words.

"I am a Spirit Hunter." he replied coldly. "The scars I bear come from an encounter with a fallen ghost of the dead. And you were simply fortunate enough to see my blade in its released state and remain in the shape of a human afterwards. You should be thankful to Shinobu." The funny thing was that the scars at his sides looked nothing like claw or sword scars. They had the exact size as the blade of his katana, and the sharp shape that would signify a blade driven through one's body without opposing. The wounds that were made by one's own hands.

Ah, his sister. Nothing but trouble... Without her, this girl would be dead. That was the just judgment. But Shinobu had to stick her nose into everything! Just like always. What a shame.

When he finally answered her, Khanna could kiss him! Well, not really because sbe was cuffed to a wall and because if she wasn't cuffed he would've probably killed her by now. Yes, she realized quite well that she was a massive pain in the neck to him and that she annoyed him to no end. While that stopped giving her any pleasure many minutes ago, Khanna just wanted some company, she never asked him to uncover his darkest secrets or anything nearly as dramatic.

"Fallen ghost of the dead?" she inquired "I've never met any of those, didn't know they fought with katanas," Khanna said simply "But, I did fight a ghost of a necromancer who had the power to rise others from death. It was rather creepy and left me with some strange runes on my hand, which I later on discovered were a curse,"

Khanna shuddered slightly when she remembered how painful it was to neutralize the curse. The runes were still unnturally cold and sometimes burned painfully.

They had something slightly in common. Fortunately only one thing and only slightly, though... It made him flick his right hand in the cuffs as she spoke of it even then. His fingers clenched into a fist, sending the feelings of dozens of tiny needles passing through the muscles gone numb, and released again.

But could it be possible that she could see ghosts? He could only feel a very slight trace of spiritual presence off her, just a little stronger than from an average human with no magic or spiritual abilities at all, but was that enough to make her see spirits? Now, off course, he couldn't feel anything, but if his memories were accurate...

"Fallen ghosts. Evil spirits. Corrupt souls. Call them as you wish. They are the souls that could not pass on and became dark and twisted, consuming other souls. Those are the ones that we fight." he explained silently, still refusing to move more than his fingers and head. It was as if he was stuck to the chair.

"Can you see them?" he asked her. Off course, it was about nothing else than the ghosts - to see them was a rare gift...

Khanna was surprised to hear him speak that long. And, he actually seemed surprised that she could see ghosts. Couldn't everyone? She fought off at least a few dozen of risen ghosts and creatures from the other side and while she got the feeling most people had no clear idea how those monsters looked like, Khanna supposed she could just see them a bit better. The fact was that her high aptitude for illusion magic made her almost like a fiery bacon for those creatures. It were demons from the other side most of the tme, though.

"Of course, can't everyone?" she asked "I wouldn't say I've seen a lot of them, but I did have a few cases with ghosts and undead spirits. Though demons visit me much more lately. They ask for favors, magic only an illusionist can perform." she shrugged indifferently. Khanna always refused those offers. Bargaining with a demon was dangerous business even for an illusionist. Although sometimes the rewards for such tasks were very, very alluring to her.

Khanna of course refused to use her magic anywhere and anywhen unless absolutely necessary, in life threatening situations. Otherwise, her activated magic would conjure up who knows what to her doorstep. And otherwordly creatures tended to be very messy and ungrateful.

"Very few possess the kind and level of spiritual energy that allows them to see spirits." he proclaimed, keeping his eyes nearly closed. He wasn't going to look her in the face while they spoke. "The Adachi clan bears this gift. That is why we fight them." The evil ghosts always needed to be banished to avoid the souls of the innocent from being consumed. That was his duty, and everyone else's in this house... To fight and defeat them to the last one. The very last one.

The fact that she had such a gift, too, surprised him. It was unusual among humans... But she definitely couldn't feel spiritual pressure, otherwise she would have known he was in his room when she entered it. That he was sure if, or at least almost almost - his spiritual pressure was too great to be walked around unnoticed.

An illusionist. How very unusual. That kind of magic he hasn't met with often... It was one of the rarer kinds, too. Interesting... An unexpected combination of magical gifts in a piece of criminal trash, he thought. Maybe even a little bit wasteful.

Khanna pondered on his words for a bit. She never really saw her talent for illusion magic or her ability to see ghosts as anything unusual or rare. Those were just some tools she used on occasion, like most of her skills. But the way Seiki spoke about it, made it sound like something big, a gift or a responsibility.

"So, what kind of undead spirit caused your scars?" she asked him calmly "I must admit I never saw a spirit with a katana... Well, not that I've seen a lot of them but still..."

Khanna had some scars of her own, obviously, but none were anywhere near as serious as those she saw on him. She was a very observant person, although she obviously had a long way to go to master the skills of tact and diplomacy.

As much as he was talkative - at least when compared to his normal cold state - before, he now grew silent. He wasn't answering that question, even if she'd turn the world upside down. Not ever in a thousand years would a word leave his lips on that subject. It was too sensitive, and even after thirteen years too freshly carved in his mind. He didn't care that the silence would suspicious, or that she'd keep asking him more question. He didn't want to hear them and he didn't want to think about it.

"Just let me sleep." he spoke eventually.

The cold sensation of  Blood-red Blossom within his very own body. It was etched in his mind forever. But it was not something to talk about to a stranger.

He remained in one steady position like a statue. A gust of wind was blown through the window, and picked up the robe at his feet. It was illuminated by the light of the crescent moon that shone through the narrow rectangular hole in the wall, bathing his figure in an eerie light. He looked like a chained ghost, a scary, but beautiful sight. It was almost as if he was radiating his own white light.

The second-grade cells were most likely in a high-positioned part of the family residence - the air was cool and fresh, not full of the smell of earth and blossoms like the bottom ones. The staircase that led up there would also support that evidence - and if one wouldn't be chained, they could see the gardens from up there. All they way up to the Hill of Silence.

Khanna sighed deeply once he didn't answer her question. Well, it was quite obvious that he didn't want to answer her at all, and that sleep was just something he used in order to get rid of her curiosity. Did he even need sleep? He did spend all the time since they were brought here with his eyes closed, but still... He just didn't seem like any other normal guy who would get tired. Ah. That was it. He just didn't seem normal. Period.

She pursed her lips as she watched him. It was far too confusing for her to think about his thoughts, she would probably get lost or cursed or just go mad. Nobody would be able to sift through his mind without some permanent damage, or so she thought as she slightly cocked her head to the side, observing him very carefully, because observing people was what she always did when she needed to understand something.

Unfortunately, her hair was now seriously getting in the way of her observations. Dozens of fiery red strands were falling into her eyes, making it hard to look around or even blink. Oh gods, what she would do for a hair tie right now. Cheat, lie, steal or even hurt or kill. Just for a damn piece of cloth that was used for her damned hair. Did they really think she could do something with a piece of cloth? Because that was just... Too Ridiculous... Even for this crazy family.

She cursed quite colorfully in a foreign, now dead, language she used only when she was extremely pissed off. Khanna knew a lot of ancient languages, considering her work in ancient tombs and temples. They usually contained so much treasures, but to enter them you needed a thorough knowledge of dead languages and scripts. Of course, the language she was cursing in was taught to her by an old man, her mentor and friend. He rarely spoke anything that weren't nasty words and curses.

"You aren't really going to sleep, are you?" she asked, unnerved by the silence and the lack of hair ties around.

With a long breath drawn in and then breathed out, Seiki opened his eyes to a tight gap, looking through his lashes like if those were a second row of prison bars. "I would have been asleep already, if not for you." he replied quietly. Even then, his voice echoed off the barren walls of the cell, making the words sound just as hollow and empty as they truly were.

He didn't sleep to restore his energy, not anymore. A few hours a night would suffice him to that - four at most. He slept to restore his sanity. The life of a spirit hunter was neither easy, nor by any means safe for the mind. He sacrificed his emotions to it - maybe that was why he was always so cold? That was why he never shed tears? Was the fact that he gave his mind away for his duties the cause of his icy, stern manners, or was he naturally like that? Who knew.

Through his mind, a thought passed after a thought like the ever changing dunes in a dessert under the night sky. The wind, blowing through the window, picked up strands of his black hair and blew them into his face, but he didn't seem to even notice, just sitting there like some kind of an eerie, unearthly statue.

He indeed did try to fall asleep, but somehow found himself incapable of it, despite slowing his breath down and emptying his mind of all thoughts. The embrace of oblivion was not coming to him, it was not eager to welcome him like an old friend which it never was. And every time when he thought he found the peace, it burst up in flames of another thought, ringing inside his head. He didn't let his cellmate know how wild the inside his head was, though.

She would be surprised if she knew.

She pursed her lips in annoyance. Not only she was left without her damn hair tie, she was also locked into a cell across the most annoyingly untalkative person she could find. If he was a part of her punishment, he was doing a rather good job. Perhaps that was what the family did to all of those who tried to deceive them. They locked the prisoner along with Seiki and then waited. No doubt most people gave up and lost their sanity within two days.

She cocked her head to the other side, and inhaled deeply. Khanna slept occasionally and very lightly. There were times she hadn't slept for few days in a row, when she was on the run, or on an important errand. Sometimes she was lucky enough to get a dozen hours of interrupted sleep. But, most of the time, Khanna dreamed of terrible things, so she avoided sleeping for a long time. She slept like she did everything else - on the run, lightly and always ready to jump awake and flee.

"Well, considering I am here, might as well stay awake," she reasoned simply "Besides, you obviously don't need any more sleep or meditation," Khanna explained, obviously commenting on his calm and cool exterior "On the other hand, some socialization would do you good," one of her eyebrows raised slightly to her suggestion.

With a long and very clearly disappointed sigh, he opened his dark eyes wide open. They glimmered in the dim, distorted light, seemingly reflecting the white of his gown, and they were like a couple of almost-black orbs, lined by thick, dark lashes. Their dark color was surprising, considering how pale his skin was, and one would not expect someone so cold and emotionless to have eyes that reflected emotions like mirrors like that. Yes, they were beautiful, but they did not seem to be fit for him.

"Don't you think I know the best what would do me good?" he asked silently, in a voice nearly devoid of any emotions. His hands slowly clenched into fists, and pulled the chains, connected to the walls, down. To the surprise of anyone unfamiliar with the chains in these cells, they grew longer as he pulled them towards himself, sliding off the chair. He stood up to his full intimidating height, revealing his graceful, slender frame, and turned his back to her, keeping his arms crossed before his chest to keep them from tangling the chains. With a few long steps, he walked around the chair, and towards the window. The chains extended themselves, while other seemingly grew shorter to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the cuffs (and prevent the person wearing them from strangling themselves).

Like that, he seemed even more unearthly, truly closer to a pale, wind-blown illusion of a ghost, bathed in pale starlight, rather than a living, breathing man. He stood there, facing the window, in an uncannily calm manner, only disrupted by the wind that blew into his hair and garb, picking it up in slow waves.

The sight beneath was beautiful to his eyes. Endless gardens of sakura trees, blossom after blossom, stretched around the residence. Truly beautiful... Their petals were carried by the wind up in the air above them, illuminated by moonlight.

Khanna was rather surprised to see that he was able to move around and that his chains didn't present an obstacle to him. She quickly hid her utter shock behind a calculating mask as she resumed observing him. To most people, he wouldn't seem like a person who needed observing or someone who needed to be understood. They would see a person who is cold and utterly merciless with his words. But, Khanna had some reason to believe that was not the reality. Actually, she found him quite interesting to observe. His movements, his words, everything he did seemed so measured and in her head it just didn't add up right. Figuring him out, she concluded, would be her mini-quest of the week.

She continued watching him as he turned his back to her and went towards a window. He seemed like a very puzzling piece full of contrasts and dead ends she couldn't figure out. And, to be honest, he wasn't helping her cause in the least with his dismissive behavior and callous words.

"Nope," she answered easily to his question but decided not to move from her chair. Khanna continued in a nonchalant tone "You don't seem like the kind of person who does what is good for them. You seem like the self-sacrificing kind, always seeking for a higher purpose and honor in the world. Tragic, really." she smirked just slightly.

For a long time, Seiki was silent, gazing at the white trees beneath himself. What she said was not far from the truth, and that made him a little angry, even. She was striking fun of something she couldn't understand... It was too far from a criminal's mind to ever grasp the very concept of something like that. To him, his own self was not important. What was prized higher than his safety and comfort was law, order, duty, and honor. That was the sole purpose of his life, to be an example to the following generations. If he, as the heir of the head of the clan, would not, then who would? Who would create an example to follow to show how important it is to keep the law and orders?

"You call it tragic. Yet, I doubt you fully understand what you speak off. Your kind is too selfish and lacks the pride to grasp it." he spoke, raising his right hand and placing it onto the edge of the window. "You lack the understanding of duty. Without that, you cannot understand self-sacrifice. And without the understanding of self-sacrifice, you will never grasp even the slightest concept of honor and pride." As he spoke, his voice grew colder and harder, but when he turned his head to the side to shoot a glance at her, the sight of his face didn't fit to it.

The wind blew in a few petals of sakura blossoms, which landed in his hair and on the floor around his feet.

Khanna crossed her arms at his words. She knew enough of self sacrifice to know that could never be the road she would choose. It was reserved to people different from her, people who had different fate and different histories from the one she had. She didn't want to show people that she could be good and honorable, because when people see good they expect good, and Khanna didn't want to have to live to anyone's expectation. Not again.

"Oh, but you are wrong. I've known a lot of good people, honorable people, people you talk about in that high and mighty tone," she tried to keep her voice as far from bitter as she could "Most of them are dead now. Their honor and duty did nothing to save them, they had been buried and forgotten. This is why neither of the two matters. Only survival matters in the end, otherwise you would now sharing this cell with a knight, not a thief,"

So many good people she knew were now dead. Those were all people who deserved to be alive much more than she deserved it, but life didn't seem to matter. In the end, a thief and a liar could never disappoint you, they can never really surprise you with their actions. The self sacrificing people are the ones to look out for, because they were the ones who managed to hurt her much more. She shoved her bitter thoughts back in the darkest depths of her mind and locked them. She had no right to feel bad, she was who she was and she couldn't change that now that she was so deep in. In the end, she didn't even want to change it.

Only survival mattered? The very words were like hot iron, pressed to his skin. They boiled all of his blood inside his veins, and made it want to rise and burst out like a boiling stream of rage. How dare she...

Keeping his stone mask on, he slowly turned away from the window. "How dare you insult them by such words." he said silently. "What you speak of is just something all of those that have no pride and honor think. There is no reason in survival if nothing will remain after it." Death will claim them all, but when he leaves, he will embrace it without fear, knowing he lived for a good cause. Her? What will she leave that will survive the ages as a memory of her? Nothing but an empty pouch and a cheap coffin, rotting in the ground! But his memory will be remembered. Honor lives even when the body is dead.

"Survival of trash like you has no reason at all." he added then, in a perfectly calm tone, but his eyes were flashing with fiery rage. And what he said was what he believed in. To hold onto life and throw away one's pride and honor, just clinging onto naked survival was the pinnacle of distasteful manners, worth disdain. And every word he said, every glance he gave her was radiating with this disdain.

Khanna wouldn't dare admit it right now, but she had this strange, perverted satisfaction every time he lost his cool. He wasn't what you would call fiery or angry now, he was even scarier because he was even colder than usual (yes, he just proved that it was possible). But, she wouldn't do anything to show him his words meant anything to her. He learned his ways through his way of life, which was obviously different than hers, and she learned her own lessons and followed them diligently.

"I refuse to have to live up to someone's expectations," she said casually "Good or bad, honorable or not, I've seen so much of all those people, and I can tell you that the line is sometimes so blurred  and thin that you don't even notice when you cross to the other side," Khanna smiled to herself "Besides if you truly believe that honor lives on even after the body dies, why do you even fight? Want it or not, the wish to survive is something you are born with, while honor is something superficial, produced by the environment, the way you grew up and with whom."

Khanna's words easily slipped off her tongue. A few years back she would've screamed them in anger but now she knew better, she learned that there was no way to change someone like Seiki was. Not that she wanted to change him, he was quite a refreshing sight in her life.

He raised a brow. Slightly. Her opinion was definitely not shared by him. She completely misunderstood what he said... But it was a waste of time to argue with her about it. After all, she was not a noble, or a warrior, he reminded himself. She couldn't possibly understand - it wasn't in her. She simply didn't have that sense of honor that he possessed.

And so, he made a step back, sitting down onto the chair in a motion that bordered with unnaturally smooth and fast. For a moment, he was a flash of white, and in the next blink of an eye, he was sitting on the chair again. The chains clinked softly as they locked back in their original position, and he closed his eyes, the black lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly as he did so. Hopefully, she would now let him sleep.

He slightly bent his head back, and several strands of his black hair sled out of his face. His mind finally had its calm. The wind in the desert settled, and the dunes of sand stopped their endless travels through the vast emptiness of his mind. Now, he could embrace sleep. Finally. The morning would awake him soon, anyway.

Unexpectedly, Khanna found herself quiet for a while. She wasn't necessarily tired or sleepy, but she just didn't feel up for furthering this discussion. It was getting too personal for her liking and she was happy to get as far away from the subject before it awakens the pain back. After spending half of her life shoving everything in the darkest corner of her mind, a ridiculous discussion with someone who not only had completely opposite ideas from her own, but was also an insufferable git was not where she wanted to spill them back into her life.

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, praying for the sunrise to come as soon as possible and for the nightmares to avoid her for a few more nights. Nobody needed to see her thrashing around about the things from her past, especially not him. She relaxed as much as it was possible in her current situation and steadied her breaths.

Think of pretty things... Bunnies, kittens and small puppies, flowers, butterflies, Seiki, mone- Wait, what? Shaking her head with her eyes closed she made a disgusted face. He wasn't pretty, he was a horrible person. Stop it, stop it, stop thinking about him. Aggravated byher situation she gave up and surrendered to the darkness.

Sleeping deeply wasn't a habit Seiki would practice. He slept lightly, and usually shortly, too, awaking with the rising sun to train. Day by day, he trained and trained. And as he closed his eyes, the embrace of this light sleep indeed did greet him, taking him away from the barren inside of his cell.

Though, the sleep wasn't much of a relief. Finding himself inside the gardens around the residence, drenched in a glowing white fog, his gaze was locked before himself as he ran forth. All of a sudden, his dream self halted, stopping in a circle of trees. A girl stood between those, garbed in a black kimono, with long white hair, reaching almost to her feet. She walked towards him, and drew a long soul-cutter from the sheath at her back. His hands immediately clenched around his own weapon, and he leaped into the air to avoid an incoming strike.

The swords clashed, and his weapon broke in his hands, shattering into dozens of shards. They turned into blossoms, whirling towards him and locking him in a column of death and destruction, beautiful and horrible at once. They radiated a pale rose glow. The sky went dark.

The body of his dream self was shredded by the shards, and he covered the ground with blood. The woman arose her own weapon, and he saw the blade of Blood-red Blossom collapsing at him. But right before it would deal the death blow, it faded and became naught. The girl changed. She was no longer Blood-red Blossom...

Instead of long wisps of silver hair, she had a halo of fire around her head. The little thief.

And then, he woke up, drawing a sharp breath in, and opening his eyes abruptly. The rose light of the rising sun was filling the room, shining straight into his eyes from the window of the other cell. Morning... How peaceful and beautiful it was. The strange sensation of the dream soon disappeared, and was replaced by the usual cold calm that reigned over his heart.

The first sound he heard was silent clicking of wood. Someone was coming up, most likely in wooden sandals... And the second sound was humming. An eerie sound of a high-pitched voice, hauntingly echoing from the walls.

Isako.

He would have recognized his little sister anytime, anywhere. Even despite being bound, he could feel a faint feeling of her spiritual pressure, drawing closer. Yes, it was definitely Isako - the silhouette of which he caught a glimpse, moving through the corridor, was an evidence to that. And he was not mistaken, for it was her that appeared between the halls, carrying a tray with two glasses and two bowls of food. She looked like a doll, with a short dress, distantly resembling the shihakushos of warriors, bound by a thick sash. There was a large bow at her back, elegant, and her long black hair was pinned at the back to her head, all except for her bangs and two thin wisps, framing her face and falling over her shoulders. Her pale skin and small mouth, slender figure, silky black hair, all resembled both Seiki and Shinobu. Only her eyes were different - they were a bright crimson, like Takuya's. Such a blood-colored scarlet they were unnerving.

She gave a curious look at both cells. No one told her there were two prisoners here! And now she didn't know who to give food to sooner...

After a strangely calm night, Khanna was rather annoyed that the first thing that popped into her mind was her annoying cell mate. She groaned slightly remembering where she was and how she got there. Khanna reprimanded herself once more for getting caught. She had a certain reputation to maintain and making mistakes wasn't how she was supposed to keep herself so high stationed and independent from other thieves. Gods know she couldn't join the Thieves Guild, not after that incident.

Opening her bright emerald eyes, Khanna looked around and sighed when she realized her surroundings hadn't changed at all since yesterday. The same floor, same chair, same chains that were now causing her neck to feel slightly sore. Nothing better than certainty, and she was certain that her chances of teleporting somewhere far, far away from here during her sleep were slim to none. She was rather annoyed to see that there was no hair tie anywhere near her, so she deducted that this family just loved torturing their prisoners good.

She threw a look at her cell mate. His eyes were closed but she really didn't have the strength to start up a conversation with him. What if he was a cranky morning person? Well, he was seemingly always in a cranky mood, but what if he was in a specially cranky mood in the mornings? She decided she didn't want to test that. Khanna will give the the satisfaction to test him to someone else.

There was a sound of someone nearing their cells. Khanna straightened slightly in her seat and prepared herself for another disaster. Could anything good even happen at this point? Somehow she doubted it.

Isako's red eyes widened into an inhuman standard after noticing that the red-haired girl woke up. Her jaw dropped, opening the small mouth with slightly pointed teeth, and she skipped towards the door. Seiki was most likely still asleep, anyway... 

She put her palm onto the door, and it opened, without any key required. The doors of the cells recognized family members - those could open them, and no one else could. Her own spiritual presence was pretty unique, and so the door opened immediately, letting her enter without any restraints. She gave the chained girl a warm smile, putting the tray down. "Good morning, Miss Prisoner! I brought you food!" she greeted her cheerfully, picking up the bowl. "Here's some rice, and I got water for you to drink, too! You know you can move in the chains, so you can eat, right? So I don't have to feed you. Just don't go near the door, cause it will snap you back, and that hurts!" she warned her.

Her voice was a little like the chattering of a bird as she quickly talked, holding the tray in her hands with a perpetual smile. She seemed nothing like her ice-cold brother, though her physical form spoke clearly in the favor of their blood relation. This prisoner girl had one wild hair! She immediately got the urge to play with it...

And so, she put the tray with food before the girl, and took off one of the thin white threads, bound around her upper arms, tying Khanna's hair up. "You don't mind this, do you? I really like your hair! Besides, my name is Isako. What's your name?" she asked, her face appearing right beside hers, above her left shoulder. With the same wide, cheerful smile on.

For whatever reason, Khanna had this theory that the entire family she was the prisoner to was an emotionally disturbed bunch with crazy tendencies. So, it would be an understatement to say that this girl, Isako, surprised her beyond anything she saw since she came into their house. Except perhaps her cell mate's blade, which was pretty surprising and majestic thing, though now so painfully out of her reach. Oh well you get some, you lose some.

Food made Khanna's stomach grumble slightly. She couldn't remember when she ate last. A day, two, perhaps even three days ago. It didn't even matter what was on the platter as long as it was food. Taking the bowl happily she started eating as she watched the girl spoke in some super fast kind of way. Was that her talent? Not too useful, but charming nonetheless as Khanna found herself smiling - not smirking - at her.

"A pleasure. My name is Khanna," she said amicably. Her love for the girl rocketed sky high as soon as she got her long, red locks up. Khanna instantly decided that she liked Isako and that admitted to herself that she was perhaps to fast to condemn the whole family based on the action of her frozen hearted cell mate.

"Please do," she said happily "I've been begging for a hair tie ever since they left me here."

Remembering her manners, Isako bowed as Khanna introduced herself. Prisoner or not, she was not that kind of a rude girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Khanna! My whole name is actually Isako Rui Adachi, but you can call me Isako. Or Isa. And glad to be of help... I couldn't help it, I love your hair!" she giggled, further toying with Khanna's fiery hair in an attempt to pin it in a manner similar to hers. "It's wild and red. Everyone in our family has smooth black hair... I never got the opportunity to do something with hair like yours!"

All along, she had a warm smile on her face. Isako was one of the most amicable members of the clan, and she had her cheerful mood even so early in the morning. The silky strands of her hair were springing around her head as she walked around Khanna while making her hair, every step making her jump up a little. This girl seemed to be fun! She didn't know why she was in a cell, but she didn't care much. Khanna didn't look like a criminal... She appeared just a little bit older than Isako herself (who, despite being already half a century old, still appeared to be no more than sixteen or seventeen).

What was Seiki doing in the opposite cell, she didn't know, and she didn't ask for now. But as she glanced over Khanna's head at his figure, garbed in white, set at the chair, the glance of her scarlet eyes met with his midnight blue, and she stopped the seemingly neverending stream of words. Her jaw dropped. He was awake!

"SEIKIIIII!" she squealed, quickly grabbing the tray and kicking the door of the cell out. She burst out of Khanna's cell like a cannonball, and ran straight into his, followed by horribly loud clattering of her shoes, and the high-pitched sound of her voice. He was awake! She bashed into the door with her shoulder, and it opened under the pressure, letting her stumble in, almost immediately dropping the tray down (and pouring half of the water out of the glass). Her arms entwined around him, squeezing him tightly. "Seiki! I didn't know you were awake already! I didn't wanna wake you up so I didn't come to see you first... Sorry!"

He didn't give her any reply. He didn't even flinch as she hugged him, remaining cold and stern as always, but at the sight of his sister, there was no disdain, no cold disgust in his eyes. Compared to the bursting rage they mirrored last night, they seemed almost calm. "Good morning, Isako." he greeted her silently. Truly, he didn't seem angry - only distant as always.

It was nice to finally have someone who didn't look at her like a common piece of garbage, so Khanna was very entertained with the presence of the young looking girl beside her. She didn't seem like the rest of her family in the slightest, well at least not in the mental sense. While her cell mate and almost all of his family were giving her a cold shoulder and long, hate and disdain filled glares, Isako's eyes were filled with amusement and adventure. And those two were something Khanna could definitely relate to.

As Khanna ate her food slowly, relishing in it and hoping it wouldn't be her last (which was very possible considering the small disagreement she had last night with Seiki), Isako was happily working with her hair. Khanna felt relief as more and more of her stray curls were moved from her face and from the nape of her neck. It was pure satisfaction she felt. Interestingly, Khanna didn't see her new hairstyle but it seemed like the girl did more than just pull it up in a casual bun as she did, Isako seemed to work on something much more elaborate. This was fine with Khanna, she didn't mind being pampered from time to time - in other words she enjoyed it.

Snapping Khanna from her relaxing, her new best friend (yes, Khanna makes friends very easily, especially when they are as useful and fun as Isako) who squealed at her cell mate. Shifting her emerald gaze over to the place she knew she would find his figure, Khanna realized he was awake. Perhaps it was the genes or something else, but he didn't look as if he spent a whole night in a cell. He looked as hands--rested as he looked last night. Even his cold, uninterested eyes were just calm.

As she watched Isako jump in his cell with a surprising amount of energy and hug him, Khanna smiled slightly. It was interesting seeing him in such a situation, since Khanna found it hard to imagine otherwise. His demeanor didn't change, but Khanna could swear he seemed at least a tiny bit more approachable in that moment than in any other moment ever since she met him last night. It was a curious sight for her and she suddenly didn't feel like intruding. A small smile was tingling on her lips, but she said nothing and just observed, as always.

Isako kept squeezing her brother for a nice while, till she finally let go off him - accompanied by a clink of the also released chains, returning to their original positions - and she squatted down beside him. Surprisingly, he didn't protest against her putting her arms down onto his lap, and resting her head on them. He was calm as always, but no longer hostile. It was a calmness similar to that of the gardens beneath the cells they were in - tranquil and serene.

"Seiki, I was wondering if something is wrong... You weren't at breakfast, and I was worried. How long do you have to be here?" she asked, turning her bright eyes up at him. They were just as if small fires burned in them, reflecting the view, perfect mirrors and burning torches. "You know that I'm always worried if you don't show up somewhere." she added silently. He kept gazing forth, but he let one of his hands rest on her back. "Seven days." he answered.

She let out a sigh. "That's so long..." she muttered. "You know, I don't have anything to do if you don't train me, Seiki. I don't have to practice and train so hard, but still. I miss you in the house. I don't feel so safe as when you're around." she explained, gazing somewhere into the distance. He didn't answer for a while.

"You should return to your Kido training instead of being here." he reminded her then. She sighed. "Why do I always have to train? When will I finally not have to do it?" A thorn of irritation could be heard in her voice. He closed his eyes, holding his head somewhat higher. "That's an irrelevant question. There is nothing like stopping training. You have to practice until you reach the absolute peak of your abilities." he answered. That was what he was doing all his life - and even despite being an extremely skilled warrior, he still believed he was capable of more.

Isako sighed audibly. "You're always all about training."

(ooc: I can't believe I left you hanging for this long, I am such an idiot. Sorry for the long wait, real life got the better of me xD)

Khanna cocked her head slightly as she watched the two siblings talk. She never really had anyone so close, something like a family or such, so she was taken aback by the friendly and loving look in Isako's eyes, her words, her mannerisms. She looked like a  sister finally finding her long lost older brother. But, Khanna had to remind herself, Seiki was hardly a normal sibling, and Isako seemed just as different to Khanna as he did. Still she kept her mouth shut and instinctively listened in on their conversation, mingling slightly with her chains, her food sitting long forgotten next to her.

For a brief moment, Khanna tried to imagine Seiki as a kid. It proved rather difficult. He was one of those people who looked like they've spent their whole lives fighting against something and pledging their swords for someone, people who were honorable no matter the price and were always working their way up to perfection. And by the words they exchanged last night, she knew he was certainly all of that. In other words, he was the type of man that was completely the opposite of her.

And the look in his eyes, although distant and cold ninety-nine percent of the time, was very driven. Perhaps he found something Khanna's been searching for ever since she escaped from her life as a slave - a purpose. It was probably the only thing Khanna had no way of stealing from anyone, something that left her very alone and very lost in the world. She could have all the treasures, relics, hunt down anything from an animal to a man, read ancient runes and understand many languages, and yet she still could feel very useless. But, being the wild card she was, purpose was something that would probably avoid her forever.

Khanna took a deep breath before tuning in back into their conversation. She disliked reflecting on her life and thinking about her rights and wrongs, it made her life and job very difficult, but there was little she liked more than hearing about other people's rights and wrongs. She smirked slightly at Isako's words.

"Oh, he is." she confirmed Isako's words and nodded "And he's also all about honor, family, blood and serious stuff like that. But, what he needs is to look up the word fun in a dictionary." Khanna spelled out the word and smiled "It's a very easy skill to master." she joked.

"Oh, but so do all the other warriors, Khanna! But you know, you can't have fun when you're hunting spirits. It's a very, very dangerous matter. At least that's what Shinobu told me." Isako, springing back up to her feet, was soon chattering like a bird once again. Her shoes clapped against the floor with the hollow sound of wood. "And father said that family and honor is very important. Our clan is the only thing that will always be here to take care of us. And our pride and honor is what we fight for."

Before she could finish talking, she was frozen by Seiki's cold glance. "Do not bother, Isako. She is not of the kind that would understand the mere concept of honor and pride, the less why is it worth fighting for." he spoke silently, in his coldest voice. She raised a finger to her lips in hesitation, but shut up, frozen.

Unlike Seiki, Isako didn't understand what he saw as a grave difference between them and common folk. She, almost like a child, saw everyone the same, based only on what she felt. Still innocent... Little Isako.

Maybe that was why she was never that serious, or that uptight. Seiki simply closed his eyes, and further rested in the hold of the chains, like a statue of white marble, crowned by a wreath of raven-black hair. Isako had yet to understand a lot - about them, about pride, about why to defend it and about the difference between an Adachi and a common thief. And maybe one day she will understand why he was so cold and emotionless.

Dropping her head, Isako walked back over to Khanna's cell. "All warriors are serious." she whispered to her. "Maybe spirit hunting sucks the fun out of them!" she giggled.