20 Zhaohu's Order

It was daybreak the next day after Suirou captured the exorcist. He spent the night sleepless, much like his father for the past twenty years. It had only been a single night and naturally, Suirou would have only slept the three remainding hours of dawn but he felt the toll of a disturbed routine. Perhaps it wasn't his lack of sleep that irked him, no. That was just a speculation. The truth, he hated to admit, was the exorcist in his dungeon.

The black wolf unveiled the sheets that covered his legs and walked to the hearth of his chamber. The fires had been stoked hours prior and now it was but dying embers buried in silver ashes. He stared at it curiously, reminded of his father's obsession and he cursed. He could not fathom twenty years of disturbance.

A knock sounded from his door and Suirou immediately composed himself before instructing the visitor to enter.

"My lord," entered a birdmaster. He was a gray wolf with chartreuse eyes, almost yellow and was robed in a faded brown tunic. Young, inexperienced, Suirou thought, like himself and was probably the son of one of their household. But unlike Suirou, the birdmaster was innocent…for now.

"The letter from Emperor Zhaohu has arrived, lord." The birdmaster bowed and Suirou eyed him with wistful envy. The gray wolf was a mere lowborn yet Suirou could tell from the language of his body and the glint in his eyes that his days were blissful. And it was common to those ignorant of contemporary matters.

"Are you in the academy?" Suirou asked.

The birdmaster, keeping his head low, answered, "I was, lord."

"Then you are well-informed about the world's history." Suirou walked to the birdmaster, keeping his eyes on the wolf that did not meet his face. He snatched the letter from the young wolf's extended hands. "The most recent history in which we will be inheriting from our progenitors."

"Yes. Lord." The birdmaster swallowed, suddenly uneasy of the black wolf's close presence.

"With that in mind, what could you tell me about the humans and the exorcists?"

"That they are the first beings to walk the earth…but they have been on the world for far too long, my lord, and their time is over. The exorcists were purist tyrants who abused their power."

Suirou nodded his head. "Wouldn't you agree that twenty years is more than enough for humans to have lived?"

The birdmaster did not answer, afraid of the outcome.

"I won't bite," Suirou said and walked behind the birdmaster, both hands on his back as he inspected courier. "My father was Emperor Zhaohu's most trusted general and my father believed that as long as there are humans, there is the possibility of our downfall. But the Tiger did not allow for the complete eradication of the human race. Hence, my father, while still sane, ensured that the human population be in constant supervision and culled every few months or so. From every village in Fukamori to Kumokage and Yofuchi."

"I would say that it is a wise decision, lord," the birdmaster said. He was nervous but his tone suggested that his reply was not simply to please Suirou's statement.

"Not wiser than seizing the Tiger's throne and executing his plan." Suirou nodded his head disapprovingly. He circled the gray wolf like a prey, occasionally brushing his tail against him as he spoke. "As long as there are humans, there will always be godkissed among them and as long as there are godkissed humans, there is a way inside this physical realm. How long until heaven grows tired of its cowardice? There are still plenty of deities up there that could make an army and the only way to keep them from this world is to eradicate the only passage. Do you understand my logic?"

The birdmaster agreed.

"Once there are no more humans, the deities will eventually run out of Yang energy to feed on and soon enough they'll fall like shadows—a righteous end after thousands of years hiding behind exorcists. They'll know what it's like to be in the place of our progenitors—in agony for the rest of their immortal lives."

Suirou walked in front of the terrified courier and with the tip of his claw, directed him to look up. How innocent indeed, Suirou thought. They were about the same age, a few years in difference at most yet the gray wolf was not burdened with Suirou's problems. The birdmaster was just another carefree lad who would tremble at the sight of chaos. Suirou was fond of Guren like the birdmaster before him. Especially at their first taste of oppression—the look in their eyes as the harsh reality sinks in that they are powerless against to those above them.

"They do not teach you that at the academy," Suirou said, bridging his last statement. He bent down, touching his muzzle on the gray wolf's ear. "But you are literate. Enough. Had we adapted the systems of humans, you would not even comprehend half of what I'm saying and that alone would put me off mood. Be grateful that the Guren value literacy."

"I am most grateful, lord."

Another knock resounded from the door.

"Enter," Suirou raised his voice.

"My lord." There bowed a wolf enforcer. He was covered in snow that melted to the floor and he smelt of char and burnt flesh. Smudges of ash were splayed across the cloth of his tunic. "The dungeons were raided."

Suirou looked unfazed but inside, he clasped his jaws tightly.

"Summon my adviser and the head enforcer to the war room," Suirou commanded and the wolf guard rose to his feet, bowed and left.

~

https://imgur.com/7EdqDVz

~

To the standing warden of Hatsukochi,

Your loyalty to the great emperor is commended and shall be rewarded accordingly at the deliverance of the exorcist alive and unscathed by order of his Majesty. In addition, his Divinity has required that the existence of the exorcist be kept in solemn privacy. The exorcist is to be escorted sealed by a shaman but not clamped in iron. Furthermore, she should be well groomed and dressed presentably before entering the Tian Liang palace. Failure to please the Emperor Zhaohu's commands will be met with proper retribution.

This, our great sovereign has declared.

Transcribed by the Grand Avolar Linio of Tian Liang

Signed,

Yi Zhaohu

~

The rustic parchment was pinched between Suirou's thumb and index fingers. The letter had crinkled from the force of his touch and the young wolf lord stared at it blankly as though entranced by the ink that bled through its surface.

The silence was heavy inside the war room—a hollow chamber enclosed in stone walls with only two windows across each end. The ceiling was high and mounted with a single but large gilded candle holder hoisted by a rope knotted securely to a stone pillar.

The room was especially made to be dark and vast—foreboding to those of lower ranks. Wolves were much more active in darkness and the echo of sounds in the chamber made it easier to intimidate members of the ruling body to submission should there ever be a disagreement.

"What does the letter say, lord?" asked Kamazuki Musashi, the advisor.

"The Tiger wants the exorcist…" Suirou said.

"I find this unsurprising," said the head enforcer, Hasekura Tomiko. She continued, "There hasn't been an exorcist for twenty years and there hasn't been a war other than a few rabbles from rogue clansmen. The great emperor is bored and wishes to face the thrill of battling his old enemies."

Suirou sighed. "He expects us to deliver the exorcist like a porcelain doll."

"Then there is no question of doing otherwise," Musashi said. The wolf was old, strands of white, curly fur had overtaken his natural brown coat. Suirou had not needed Musashi's counsel since he was old enough to realize his father's ambition. Yet he kept the old advisor so that his decisions were acknowledged by first generation Guren.

"That I would have done right away but since we are holding this small meeting means that I cannot." Suirou curt nodded his head and the wolf enforcer standing idly by the pillar stepped forward.

"The exorcist was broken out of prison by Wei Bao and a Ronin. They were aided by three manifested fox spirits. The dungeons were set ablaze and a few prisoners were able to escape."

Suirou looked at Tomiko. "This, I hold you responsible."

Tomiko leaned forward. "How—"

"Save your breath. You'll make up for this loss by recapturing the exorcist."

Tomiko leaned back, restraining herself from answering to the young wolf lord. She looked at the enforcer. "Do you have any leads about where they might have gone?"

The enforcer nodded to disagree.

"Are there any other survivors?"

"There are a few, Mistress."

"Rally them to the barracks. We start searching by nightfall." Tomiko got up and was about to leave the room when Suirou stopped her with a command.

"Clear Akako," Suirou said.

Tomiko paused, unsure of what she just heard.

"Pardon me, my lord?" she said.

"A new objective," Suirou got up from his seat. "Not just Akako but every human village in the three countries. But for now, we deal with what is closest."

Musashi shifted on his seat. "If I may offer a word of counsel—"

"No you may not." Suirou silenced him. "This is the perfect time to finally execute my father's plan."

"Emperor Zhaohu would not allow it," Tomiko said. "He requires more godkissed essences for shadows continuously crossing."

"There is enough Guren in the world. If Zhaohu wants it, he could keep a pigsty with humans in it. At least then, it won't be enough to sustain the parasites hiding in heaven."

Tomiko wanted to protest but Suirou did not allow it.

"Your loyalty is to our clan first and foremost, Hasekura Tomiko. Whatever consequences the Tiger instills could be waived by the deliverance of his exorcist. So if you do not want to displease our great sovereign, you will capture the exorcist. Take all the time you need to prepare. I want that village free of humans by the end of winter. You have time. Do not fail me."

Tomiko looked at Musashi and the old wolf returned her glance with a nod of his head. Then the head enforcer excused herself before leaving the room.

Suirou turned to Musashi. "As for other matters," the black wolf said, "Summon the overlords of Yofuchi and Kumokage. We have much to discuss."

"Do you plan to execute every human in Hatsukochi?" Musashi asked.

"Have I not made myself clear on that part?" Suirou asked mockingly. "It's about time the rogue clansmen creep out of their burrows and fight. If we give them a reason to come out, we could finally exterminate them."

"With all due respect, my lord, we do not know the full capabilities of these rebels. We could be endangering the lives of our people for no just cause."

"That is where you are mistaken, old one. Think about what the existence of this exorcist means," Suirou said. "It was not even a day ago when I left her in the dungeon and she was already broken out by Wei Bao himself. And with them a Ronin and fox spirits. Tomorrow, what will be on her side, a band? And on the other day, an army?"

"Be that as it may, we should directly report to the Emperor Zhaohu so that he could instruct us of the proper measures."

Suirou took the crumpled letter from the table and held it in front of Musashi's face. "We have reported to Emperor Zhaohu," Suirou said, "And this is his response. The Tiger expects us to be delicate with that relic of a dead age. If we want to recapture that exorcist, we need to force her out and what better way than to kill the people she's supposed to protect? By doing so, we would be accomplishing two objectives at once."

Suirou then returned to his seat and relaxed on it. "Summon the overlords."

Musashi got up from his seat and excused himself.

When Suirou was alone in the chamber, he slumped on the wooden table, finally relaxing. The scent of old varnish permeated his nose, bringing back memories when he was a child. He recalled the words of his father back at a time before the old wolf was driven to insanity. It was in this very same war room that Shinsou promised.

The wolves will reign above all else.