An Unexpected Visit - Wait, What Do You Have That Big Sword For?

[Anadwen]

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?"

[Caerina]

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."

[Anadwen]

"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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

"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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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...

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

"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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[Caerina]

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.