Rokuro watched Lord Hikaru ride out the gates with a scowl. He grasped the hilt of his sword; if he did not value his life and that of his men, he would chase after him and run the arrogant lord through. These were dangerous thoughts, spoken aloud and his head would soon be parted from his shoulders. The others stared at him, his brothers in arms, four less than they had been that morning. They looked to him, as lieutenant, for guidance, and he should set an example. In their eyes, he saw his own thoughts. They wanted vengeance. Treason was like a weed, and as much as he'd like to see Lord Hikaru die as his brothers had—ripped apart, bloody, and broken—if he acted, his men would suffer. He already had the memories of his brothers' deaths on his conscience, he would not add the rest of them to the list. Or his soul would not rest, even after death. As it was, the violent ends of the four would haunt his dreams. No, Rokuro would not find his vengeance through rash acts.

"If it wasn't for him, Daiki, Jun, Hiro and Captain Sadao would be here." Masayoshi spat on the ground. He was a round barrel-chested man, squat and with a long mustache and goatee. Masayoshi was a man you wanted beside you in a fight, but he had never learned the art of holding his tongue.

His companions nodded in agreement anyway. The men had no love for the young lord. Lord Hikaru thought he was better than them, and he mocked the Yokai. A foolish man did not fear Yokai; they were cruel, vicious and petty. If you did not pay the right favors and dishonor them, they might curse you and your family for three generations. Just thinking of those red gleaming eyes and the tusks as long as his arm, he felt lucky to have gotten away with his life. He pulled out his lucky talisman from beneath his shirt and gave it a rub. The men passed around a jug of warm sake and refilled their cups. The more they drank, the rosier their cheeks and the looser their tongues became.

"How can we serve him?" said Osamu. He tossed back his sake. "Now his brother, Lord Hotaru, is a man I would gladly die for."

Dangerous words. Rokuro took a drink, the liquid burning a trail of fire down his throat. It dulled the edges of his pain but did not take it away. His men, his brothers, nodded their heads in agreement with Osamu's drunken ramblings. He knew he needed to still their tongues. If the wrong ear heard them, they'd all be brought before Lord Kaedemori for treason. Then he thought of Jun. His younger brother in blood and recently by the blade. He had been all of seventeen, as green as they came. But talented with a sword, more talented than Rokuro, and loyal to a fault. He had been so proud when Jun had joined the royal guard.

When the boar had come charging at Rokuro, he had seen his death in those red eyes. Lord Hikaru had mocked the Yokai and they had come to teach him a lesson, but while that coward fled, Rokuro stayed to fight. It should have been Rokuro who took that tusk to the gut, but Jun jumped in front of him at the last minute. He could see his face clearly: young innocence shocked as the tusk went through him. The boar pulled back and tossed him like a rag doll, only to continue chasing the lord. Rokuro had held Jun in his arms as he died, too young to die in such an awful way, blood frothing on his lips as his insides filled up with it.

The jug came back around to him, and Rokuro took a swig straight from the source. Then he slammed down the jug and stood up. His men, his brothers, stared up at him, a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces.

"Lord Hotaru should inherit. Lord Hikaru is not fit to be elder."

Silence fell. It was one thing to grumble and complain, but he was skirting treason. One more toe and his life could be at stake. The men wanted this, but they feared to take it. They looked anywhere but at him. But how many more men would die? Could he with good conscious let Lord Hikaru lead them to ruin? He knew this was the right path as if divine intervention was guiding him. Jun. Daiki. Hiro. Sadao. They should not have died in vain. They had not even found Daiki's, Hiro's and Sadao's bodies; their spirits would never be able to rest until he got vengeance.

"If only!" Hisoka laughed, giving him a chance to back down and save face.

But he had made up his mind. "We have a chance to do what is right for the clan. Lord Hikaru has gone out in the night, when the Yokai reign. He has angered them, so we should leave him to their mercy."

Silence followed this proclamation, but this time they looked at him, hopeful but wary. Turn back now, pretend you were drunk, stop this before it's too late.

"Are you saying we should follow after him and..." said Takeshi.

Rokuro clenched his hands into fists. He would give anything to follow him and wring his neck, watch the light fade from his eyes. Perhaps he had drunk too much and gotten ahead of himself. It was not too late to laugh it off as a joke. Then he thought of Jun dying in his arms and he knew there was only one choice.

"Let the Kami judge him," he said, looking from man to man. "You saw how he disrespected the guardian's forest. How he laughed at the idea of the Yokai. They will not stand it, and he will learn what it means to mock the gods."

The men shifted in their seats, glancing from the corner of their eyes at one another.

"And if the Kami spare him?" asked Shinji.

"Did any of you see the young lord leave this evening?" Rokuro replied, arms folded over his chest as he let his message sink in. He will never step foot within this palace again.

They murmured insubstantial words to one another, filling the silence. Rokuro did not take his eyes off them, though their gazes flickered to the guards at the gate, to the men on the wall, fearing they'd heard their devious plotting.

"It's time to close the gates, the night is closing in."

Osamu opened his mouth, prepared to challenge or correct, but then realization dawned on his face and he lowered his head as he said, "If a man chooses to face down the monsters that lurk in the night, then that's no business of ours."

"And what do we tell those on duty?" Shinji asked. Of all the men, he still held reservations, Rokuro could see it in his eyes. If anyone broke their silence, it would be him.

A grin spread across Rokuro's face. "The guards will be changing soon. When the fresh guards come on duty, make sure to tell them that an impostor has been seen. Anyone coming to the gate claiming to be Lord Hikaru should be sent away. If he persists, they have leave to use all necessary force."

Shinji stared at him. An intelligent man, but faithful to the clan above all else. If I am tried for treason, I bring you with me. Slowly, Shinji bowed his head, conceding to his lieutenant's command. The others rose together, and one by one they went to do as they were bid, bound together by their secret. When Rokuro was alone once more, he pulled his lucky charm out and squeezed it hard enough to bite into his flesh.