Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings
Interlude


The morning sun is cut to pieces by,
The ringing resonance of the story telling bell.
This time you'll soar high,
like the wind, you'll be,
Flying with your own wings.

Soon you'll get beyond the fear of your getting hurt,
But if you let me go, I will disappear...

But in the future you'll be holding me,
So until this dream comes to an end,
I'll run through anything to you.

All of the sad memories I will now release,
I will give them up right at this moment, now...



 The end of summer was coming fast, the oppressive heat that had held Tokyo
and it's outskirts in it's shimmering grip had finally given way to a gentler
warmth broken by a steady breeze that held the cool promise of autumn.
Tsuzuku Ryudo strolled across the park-like grounds of Kyowa College with a
book on dragons tucked under one arm. He intended on finding a nice shady
spot under a tree and do some research while he waited for his two younger
brothers to finish at the campus library.

 He had learned long ago to ignore the admiring and sometimes jealous stares
and whispers from the young women and men he passed, yet today they bothered
him. It had been a hard week on the second born Ryudo and he was starting to
question many of the things he had thought he had accepted about himself.

 First and foremost was the assumption that he'd be able to control the
Dragon if it manifested. It hadn't happened that way. He had barely held onto
his consciousness as he had sworn he would do, but  the sheer primal power of
the creature he was had overwhelmed him and he'd become lost in it. He'd
caused a great deal of property damage to downtown Tokyo and had injured many
people. He closed his eyes for a moment against that wince of his soul. And
The Four Sisters where still hunting them, that he and Hajime knew for sure.

 He sighed, changed trajectory slightly to avoid a group of doe-eyed girls
heading his way. That was one of the other things he was wrestling with. He
knew he had the reputation of a rake, had taken many of the girls that chased
after him out, yet never more than once. So far, none had truly interested
him and that bothered him. Many where true beauties and full of intellect and
wit, yet they were like a fun diversion, nothing more and he would string
none of them along, not wishing to hurt any of them.

 He decided he'd have to talk to Hajime about it. Though his oldest brother
seemed to have as much interest and luck with the lady's as himself. He
wished Grandfather had not died so soon. He knew that the old man had died
without passing on many of the family secrets.

 The breeze pressed against his back and he stopped mid-stride as he caught
sight of the translucent fabric which had draped itself across his shoulders
from behind and fluttered out in front of him on each side. Then the breeze
seemed to turn playful, sending one end of the scarf up to brush against his
face as he grabbed for the other. The scent it brought with it set his senses
tingling. It was of jasmine and fresh turned earth and the salt filled wind
off the sea. He smiled as he pulled the scarf off his shoulders, brought it
to his face and inhaled deeply. What a wonderful perfume! Then he held two of
the corners and shook it out to see what the glimmer of gold in the pattern
was. He gasped as the fabric flowed down to reveal an almost 3 dimensional
golden dragon on an opalescent white background. It was beautiful!

 "Hey! You!"

 Tsuzuku turned, the scarf still between his hands to see a medium-tall young
woman about his own age in stylishly torn black Levi's and a gray mid-drift
top. Her long copper colored braid was flying behind her as she came running
and waving his way.

 "You caught it! Thanks so much!" She smiled as she hopped to a stop in front
of him, put her sunglasses to the top of her head. He could tell immediately
by her accent that Japanese was not her first language.

 He almost forgot his manners as he gazed into her face. She had to be one of
the most beautiful women he had ever seen. It was as if the best features of
both east and west combined in her face. And those eyes! They where almost
golden! The same perfume that clung to the scarf wafted towards him in the
breeze from her. He swallowed hard and blushed, covered it with a bow and
offered the scarf to her. 

 "This is yours, I take it?"

 "Yes. This is the third time today it's taken off on it's own to sight see."
She gave a sigh and glared at the scarf reprovingly as she took it, then
seemed to remember her manners and bowed back quickly.

 "Jasmine-san!" They both looked up to the new arrivals. One was a younger
Japanese woman, the other was a girl around Amaru's age, with the same
features as the one they had called Jasmine but softened by youth and
blue-black hair and violet eyes instead of the older woman's auburn and gold.

 The Japanese one was out of breath, just waved her hand back and forth. The
girl was not and put her hands on her hips as she looked up at Jasmine and
said something in English that he couldn't quite catch in a scolding tone.

 "Don't be rude, Elenora." Jasmine scolded back. "This nice man just rescued
my scarf."

 "Ryudo Tsuzuku." Tsuzuku introduced himself with another little bow.

 The girl gave a proper formal bow and said in perfect Japanese, "Forgive my
rudeness, Ryudo-San. I said that maybe we should staple the bloody thing to
her head."

 Tsuzuku fought hard to stifle his laugh at that and the hard stares the two
gave each other.

 "Esa-chan, remind me to leave her at home next time we go out!"

 Esa-chan had gotten her breath back, grabbed Elenora by the hand.
"Jasmine-san, we've got to go! The bus is getting ready to leave and Shubata
Sensei will kill me if he has to send a car for us!" She gave Tsuzuku a
little bow as she turned and started trotting back the way they came.

 "Thank-you again, Ryudo-san." Jasmine bobbed at him and started to turn.

 "Um...wait, please!" Tsuzuku for once found himself unsure of what to say as
she turned back to him. "May I ask where you got that scarf? It's beautiful."

 Jasmine looked at the length of fabric in her hands with a soft, secret
smile. "Yes, it is, isn't it. It was a gift, so I'm not sure where it came
from."

 "Oh. That's a shame. My family is very partial to dragons and I would have
liked to get one." He flushed as he said it, felt like he was stumbling over
the words.

 She smiled at him, their eye's locking for a moment. Then she looked a
little startled and blushed back as she lowered her gaze to stare at the
scarf in her hand. It fluttered out as if reaching for the beautiful young
man before her.

 "Jasmine! Now!" The girl's voices carried back to them on the breeze.
Tsuzuku could hear a bus horn honking.

 "Coming!" She yelled back over her shoulder, then made a deep formal bow. He
bowed back, was startled when she stepped up close, draped the scarf around
the back of his neck. "Here." She whispered then was off and running before
he could straighten.

 He pulled the scarf into his hands and stared at it in amazement for a few
moments then yelled, "Wait!" as he ran after her, using as much of his
supernatural speed as possible without attracting undue attention. The bus
was just gaining speed and merging into traffic as he reached the gates.
Damn! How did she get to it so fast? He had started to take a few steps after
it when a hand on his arm brought him to a halt. He snapped his head sideways
with an angry frown that quickly changed into an apologetic grin as Matsuri
blinked back up at him, a little startled. Tsuzuku never frowned like that.

 "Are you all right, Tsuzuku-kun?" She asked in a small voice.

 "Yes, Matsuri-chan. You just startled me, that's all." He looked after the
bus with longing disappointment.

 She noticed the scarf in his hands and followed his longing look at the
departing bus in suspicion. "Who where you chasing?" She asked sweetly.

 "I'm not sure." He answered, looking at the fabric between his hands with
that little smile that melted girls hearts.

 "Nani?! Let me see! Oh, that's beautiful, Tsuzuku!" She smiled with delight
as he let the scarf out, took the bottom to keep it steady in the breeze.
"Where did you get it?"

 "This woman just gave it to me." He said quietly.

 "Is that who you were chasing?"

 He nodded.

 "Was she beautiful?" Matsuri asked playfully as she helped him fold it,
expecting one of Tsuzuku's glib brush-offs.

 "Yes. She was very beautiful." He sighed, looking dejected.

 That startled her. Normally Tsuzuku just smiled gently and shook his head
with something along the lines of 'no, Cousin, I'm not interested' when she
asked questions like that. She smiled inwardly. Tsuzuku finally interested in
a girl? But who was it? 

 "Do you recognize this perfume, Matsuri?" He asked, offering the thin
rectangle to her.

 Matsuri took it, held it to her nose, frowned. "I don't smell anything,
Tsuzuku."

 "Are you sure?" He asked, sounding startled. He could smell it from here.

 Matsuri inhaled again deeply. "Nope. Nothing. Sorry! Why? What do you
smell?"

 "Jasmine and the sea. You really can't smell it?"

 Matsuri shook her head as she gave it back. "So, who was it? You got her
name, right? Are you going to call her?"

 "Matsuri!" He said with a shy blush.

 Matsuri had a hard time constraining herself. She was so happy, it was about
time!

 "Well?!" She demanded an answer.

 "Not really."

 Matsuri groaned inwardly.

 "Her friend called her Jasmine. She's American, I think, and has a sister
named Elenora. But other than that, I don't have much to go on."

 "Well, that's not much." Matsuri agreed. "So, how are you going to find
her?"

 "I don't know." He gave a little, elegant shrug and a determined smile. "But
I will."

 "Hey! Tsuzuku-kun! Matsuri-chan!" Amaru and Owaru called together as they
came up.

 Tsuzuku put the folded fabric into his front pants pocket quickly, gave a
little warning shake of his head and pleading smile to Matsuri who nodded
with understanding and greeted his brothers back.

************

 Elenora frowned at her sister as she settled next to her on the bus,
distracted from her eavesdropping on Esa-chan in the seat in front of them.
Their escort was still trying to fend off the advances of the young man who
was sitting next to her and had been trying to pick her up through-out the
whole tour. Elenora had decided that after the next stop, she'd swap places
with Esa to give her a break.

 "You didn't loose it again!" She almost growled.

 "No." Jasmine leaned across her to look back out the window. Elenora turned
with her, saw Tsuzuku Ryudo pause at the gates to the school they had just
visited, the unmistakable white and gold gleam of the scarf in his hands.

 "You gave it to him?!" Elenora whispered with shock.

 "No. I let him borrow it." Jasmine smiled playfully, then settled back into
her seat. 

 "But why?" That scarf was the family heirloom, passed down through a hundred
generations from Mother to Eldest Daughter. That Jasmine should give it to a
stranger was beyond belief. Unless...she focused on her sister, fine tuning
her senses.

 Jasmine shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt right. I think it wanted to be
with him for a while. Don't worry so much! I'll go and get it in a few days
or it'll come back on it's own."

 Elenora continued to study her sister, her expression and manner much more
mature than her 12 year old body, saw something that Jasmine was not yet
aware of in spite of all her power. "He's one of them, isn't he?"

 Jasmine nodded, all traces of humor gone from her face. "Yes."

 Catherine had sent them to Japan two days ago at the request of Shubata
Chiba, the Elder that was in charge of the main Chapter house in Japan. It
seemed that they where having a little 'problem' with dragons and wanted the
Order's own pair to check it out. Shubata had sent them on a series of
whirlwind tours with no briefing, wanting to hear their first impressions
without the coloring of outside information.

 The first one to the artillery range was 'private', arranged by a younger
member of the Order who was with the JSDF. The others were arranged as
'public', meaning time spent on a tour bus. They had both groaned and
grumbled at that, but Shubata simply told them that it would be a good chance
for them to further their education, that he expected a written essay on the
different styles of architecture and it would also give them a chance to get
the 'feel' of Tokyo.

 The range, the remains of the bridge and the government building had reeked
of dragon energy. Jasmine could detect four, two at the range, one very, very
powerful, beyond anything she had ever sensed before, one at the bridge and
that same one and a different one at the government building. Elenora
confirmed her but swore she could feel three at the government building. They
had chatted with the people in the areas, asking innocent but leading
questions and had pieced together the basic story.

 At the range, one of Japan's oldest and most renown philosophers had died in
a tragic accident involving a freak typhoon and minor earthquake. The
Lieutenant who was escorting them through the shattered grounds hemmed and
hawed and finally admitted that he thought he had seen a huge black dragon.
They had both tried to wheedle more information out of him, but he had
nothing more he was willing to say. He had given his word to Matsuri and her
cousins that what he saw that day would remain his secret alone until he
died.

 There where many more witnesses to the bridge and government building
disasters, but in the way of all civilized and educated people, they had
dismissed the Fire Dragon as a trick of the flames itself, or some special
effect created by the terrorists who had set the bomb to scare people.

 Jasmine couldn't wait to get back to the Chapter house and get the whole
scoop. And she wondered if Shubata had sent them to Kyowa College in the tour
of Tokyo's landmark buildings just to see the beautiful old grounds and halls
or to meet one of his troublesome dragons themselves. She suspected the
later.


************


 Tsuzuku spent most of that evening drawing sketches of Jasmine, Elenora and
Esa-chan and keeping an eye on his brothers. Hajime had gone to meet Shinkai
to sneak into the reporters building for a late night foray into the top
secret morgue to attempt to gather some more information on the Four Sisters.
He had talked himself out of looking for her as he drew, convinced himself
that a relationship with a girl was not a wise thing right now with all that
was going on. It would just give their hunters another target and another
pawn to use against them.

 "Wow! Who's that?" Amaru asked from over his shoulder.

 "Just some people I met today." He answered nonchalantly.

 "Ooooh. Uh-huh." He winked at his brother slyly. "Which one do you like?
It's gotta be this one, huh?" He pointed to Jasmine. "Hey, Owaru! Come here
and see this!"

 "Wait! I've almost passed my record for killing tanks!" Owaru called back
through the wide arch, focused on the video game he was playing in the
adjoining room.

 Tsuzuku closed his sketch book firmly, looked sideways at his youngest
brother.

 "What?" Amaru asked all innocence. "I just wanted Owaru to see how good you
draw."

 "I think it's time for bed. It's past ten."

 "Aw, that's not fair, Tsuzuku!" Amuru pouted.

 "Fair or not, it's time for bed. Owaru, you too!"

 "O.K. Just one more min... ah, shit! Ooops..." Owaru grinned over his
shoulder at his brothers, looking sheepish. "Sorry."

 "Bed." Tsuzuku sighed with a resigned smile.

 "O.K., O.K. Come on Amaru." Owaru grumbled.

 Tsuzuku listened to the sound of his brother's settling in for the night as
he made some coffee, read over the notes Hajime had added on the Four
Sisters. Nothing much more than they already knew or had guessed. The
question was, how much did the Organization really know about them? Maybe
more than the brother's knew about themselves? That thought made his stomach
knot. There where so many pieces of the mystery that they were missing.
Important pieces. He had taken over researching the family tree and legends
letting Hajime focus on their enemies. So far he had only come across
tantalizing hints hidden in the abstraction of myths.

 He paged through the book he had borrowed from the library again, wished he
had access to the records that Kamadura no Gozen had told Hajime he had
studied at the Village of the Dragon Springs. Maybe it was time to take a
family trip and disappear into China for a while. It might also throw their
hunters off their trail, give them some time to breathe. He'd have to suggest
that to Hajime in the morning. He stopped at the picture of the Red Dragon
glowing against white clouds, touched it with a tremble in his fingers. So
much power. So much passion. So much destruction. Was this what he really
was?

 He shut the book firmly then went to the open window to enjoy the cool
evening breeze, finish his coffee and just listen to the night. The clock in
the hall struck eleven thirty. Hajime had said he'd be late and not to wait
up. He washed the coffee carafe and his cup, walked through the house turning
off all but the kitchen and main hallway lights on his way to bed.

 He quietly opened the door to Amaru's room, peeked in. The youngest of them
was curled around his pillow, smiling at some dream. He closed the door,
padded down the hall and frowned at the light coming from under Owaru's. He
opened the door ready to scold. His frown softened as he was greeted by his
brothers soft buzzing snore somewhat muffled by the manga draped tent-like
over his face. He turned the light off, closed the door behind him and headed
for his own room.

 He undressed by the hamper, pulling the scarf out of his pocket before he
tossed his pants in. He shook it out wanting to look at it again. The perfume
rose up out of it, still as strong as it had been this afternoon. He inhaled
deeply, closing his eyes. It filled his nostrils and he swore he could taste
the jasmine. He realized he was getting an erection. That was some perfume.
He still couldn't understand why Matsuri hadn't been able to smell it, it was
so strong! The breeze from the window blew against the scarf and it wrapped
itself around him, it's edges fluttering against the naked skin of his back
like feather soft fingers. A little shiver of pleasure ran through his frame.
He 'tsk'-ed with a self-recriminating smile, determined not to start
something that could not be finished.

 His body had sexually awakened when he had turned fourteen and he knew from
reading and locker talk that it was normal for boy's his age. Being curious,
he had tried to relieve himself and had just succeeded in making himself very
frustrated. No matter how hard he tried, what he visualized, he could not
orgasm. When he turned sixteen, he decided to stop trying. It hadn't been
hard, he had never felt the burning passion the other boys described. It had
been more like an annoying tickle that could be ignored. Yet still he felt it
was something, like his good looks, that just set him farther apart from the
rest of his class mates. He had been too embarrassed to mention it to Hajime,
still couldn't. He wondered if his eldest brother or Owaru had the same
problem. He wondered now if it was part of being a dragon.

 He tried to fold the scarf back into it's rectangle, but the breeze kept
fluttering it around, seeming to give it a life of it's own as one corner or
the other continued to escape his hands and reach out to caress him. He got
the absurd notion that the thing was trying to seduce him. He got a little
alarmed when he realized it was succeeding. He let go of it, stepped back
away from it breathing fast as it puddled onto the floor, still. What was
going on? It was a scarf, nothing more.