Hametsu

Chapter 1

   Tsubaki stirred crinkling her nose as smoke began to fill her nostrils. She heard faint and distorted shouting at a distance... the clang of swords and the sound of a rifle being shot.
Suddenly between the chaos she heard her sisters voice.
   "Tsubaki! Get up!" Mitsuki shouted sliding on her knees next to her older sister. "C'mon!" She desperately shook Tsubaki's shoulder.
   Her eyes fluttered opened and she pushed herself up from Mitsuki's hold of her shoulders.
   "Suki what's going on?" She groaned sitting up. "Why am I on the floor?" Her eyes widened. "What's burning?"
   Mitsuki was quick to stand. "The palace is under attack, probably rebels, it's been set on fire. They came at me as soon as I came back from training." She explained looking around as Tsubaki stood up.
    Narrowing her eyes she saw her sisters katana stained in blood. This wasn't another one of Mitsuki's elaborate jokes.
She shook her head, "If its rebels, I need to get the Tiger's Claw and we need to find mom and dad."
    She looked back to her desk. Her cup of tea was knocked over, the tea had already soaked into the paperwork she'd been dealing with, and on the tray next to the pot a small alabaster bottle stood out. She shook her head, had he really poisoned her?
Tsubaki took the small bottle and tucked it away in the obi around her short kimono.
   "What are you doing?" Mitsuki asked
   "Could explain why I was passed out in the in the middle of this room. Could be valerian..." She answered trying to shake off the dizziness she felt.
    Mitsuki's eyes went wide "Valerian?! Tsubaki that's toxic you could die!"
   Tsubaki held her head squeezing her eyes tight, "Amateur dosing it seems, seeing how I can stand." You look for mom and dad. I need to go to the weapons chamber for my scythe. Whatever happens meet at the ginkgo throne." Tsubaki instructed feeling for the daggers she kept strapped to her thigh.
   Mitsuki sheathed her katana shaking her head, "Amateur dosing or not you've been poisoned. If valerian doesn't kill you now-" 
  "I know," she interrupted, "I have six hours at most. But right now we need to move."
  Mitsuki sighed, nodding she released her claws from the braces around her wrists, their gold shade gleaming as they rung out with their usual shing.
   "Be safe," Tsubaki gave her sister a small smile
  "Don't die," Mitsuki replied before they took off in different directions.
   Mitsuki's long high ponytail swayed behind her as she ran toward the sounds of swords clashing. Dashing into the ball room she found the General of their army locked in battle with four rebel soldiers.
   "You'll pay with your life for this treachery," he growled as he pushed three of the men off of himself with a swing of his huge sword.
  Mitsuki caught sight of the fourth man running gung-ho towards him. "Uncle!" She warned running towards them.
   The Sakaiko clan were not only the sovereign family of Anhui province, they had made their infamy in being a fearless warrior clan producing the finest and fiercest warriors known throughout the five provinces. As members of the Sakaiko clan and daughters of the sovereign Duke, Tsubaki and Mitsuki had been brought up on a well-rounded, meticulous combatant training. The fiercely commanding future Duchess, heir to the Tigers Head and the infamous combat prodigy the Tigers Fangs.
   Mitsuki was quick to react and managed to reach the rebel soldier before he got too close to the general, allowing him to concentrate on the three opponents in front of him.
She made skillful use of the sharp claws she used as weapons, slicing at her opponent's throat. The rebel solider dropped to his knees letting go of his katana as he shot his hands up to the blood gushing from his neck wound. She turned her attention to the three men her uncle was fighting. He was down to two.
   Mitsuki unsheathe her katana and threw it at one of the men. It pierced him and running towards him she jabbed it all the way through his abdomen. Having disposed of the remaining rebel the general turned his attention to the soldier Mitsuki had left bleeding out. He was struggling to breath.
   "Who are you working for?" He demanded
The soldier looked up at him in disgust. Wheezing he answered, "For power."
  "What kind of crap-" Mitsuki shouted driving her claws into his chest finishing him off.
   "Mitsuki!" The general shouted grabbing her wrist and yanking it out. "Child we keep them alive  for information," he let out a sigh, "I've said this to you before."
  "Riiiight," she answered leaving her hand limp in her uncles grasp.
   "Anyways traitors they are so death was inevitable," he replied wiping the blood off her claws with his cloak. "Is your sister alive?"
  "For now," Mitsuki replied
He glared, "Explain."
   "She was poisoned, most likely valerian. She went for the Tigers Claw we're suppose to find mom and dad and meet at the Ginkgo Throne."
  The general groaned. "And you let her go?!"
  Mitsuki threw her arms in the air. "She said the poisoning was amateur work, that she had at most six hours."
  He ran his thumb and middle finger over his brows squeezing at his temples. "Okay she's had poison resistance so we have to trust she's alive...for now." He shook his head, "That bastard! I didn't think he'd go after her too. It must be better thought out than we suspected." He thought out loud.
   Mitsuki turned to him narrowing her eyes. "What is?"
   "Let's go!" He commanded breaking out into a sprint.
  Mitsuki ran next to him. "What is better than you thought? Who went after her? And Why? What's going on?"
  "I cannot answer all your questions but-" he began only to be interrupted by a group of rebel soldiers charging their way.
  "Mitsuki this way," he grabbed her wrist guiding her down a different path.
   Mitsuki scrunched up her face, her feet stumbled as her uncle dragged her along.
    "We can take them!" Mitsuki cried out
He pulled her into a hallway and hid behind a pillar. His arm wrapped tightly around her.
  Mitsuki could feel the rise and fall of his heavy breathing.
Why wasn't he fighting back?
  "Unc-" she began.
   "Hush now little bird," he shushed her sternly. "On this day we are on the losing side."
   Mitsuki looked up at her uncle, mouth hung slightly open. "But- but we don't lose," Mitsuki stammered. 
    "We have to find Tsubaki," he replied instead giving her a  small wryly smile.
  When they saw their chance they dashed in the direction of the ginkgo throne, however as they ran Mitsuki began to slow down shaking her head. 
    "We should be fighting," she protested, "Sakaikos don't run! You said that."
   Her uncle stopped, he looked over his shoulder at Mitsuki.
    "Follow your orders Lieutenant this is not the time to act like a petulant child," he snapped.
   "No I'm going to fight," she insisted
He turned around to face her his hand on his sword. "If you're so eager to die I'll kill you myself," he unsheathe his katana.
   Mitsuki balled her fists her eyes brows clashing together she readied her claws when  suddenly her uncle reached out and shoved her aside. As she lost her footing she closed her eyes bracing herself for her inevitable fall. Mitsuki heard a shot ring out. Hitting the floor with an oof she opened her eyes to find her uncle on his knees. His hand over his gut, blood seeping through his fingers dripping down to the floor.
   "No,"  Mitsuki whispered. Her eyes wild and wide she shook her head frantic. "No no No!"
Tears began to fog her vision. She dragged herself closer to him, her hands shaking. "Un-uncle," She stammered, "I-I-I am sorry this- this is my fault. You-you're going to be okay."
Mitsuki put her hand over his trying to apply more pressure.
  He grunted as he sunk lower into the floor. Weakly he took out his short barreled pistol and took a shot behind Mitsuki.
   She turned her head to find the rebel solider  closer than she had thought, in fact she had completely forgotten about who had shot her uncle.
   "You need to remember to watch your back," her uncle gave a weak chuckle.
  Mitsuki felt hot tears burn in her eyes. She quickly wiped the tears away. "Okay lets go," she grabbed his arm and placed it behind her neck.
   "Mitsuki-" he began with a grunt as Mitsuki tried to pull him up.
    "Uncle please we are close to the ginkgo throne just- please- Tsubaki will know what to do- please," Mitsuki pleaded tears mixing with the sweat on her face.
    He closed his eyes and heaved himself up with Mitsukis help. "Don't cry little bird. Let's get going"