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Scene - The Estate

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As the gates swung open, Kaze brushed through them furiously, not even bothering to close them. He was mad with rage, a fevered passion driving his blood-And that passion was a foul one. He stormed inside of the Estate, the servants greeting and bowing to him, but he paid them no mind...He sought only one person now.

As he made his way to the second floor, he could smell the insence burning within the shrine upon the second floor...Mother was praying to those long past. Good...he was about to send his honored father to be one of them. As he made his way to the study, he could hear the dipping of brush into a bottle of ink-Calligraphy. His father often practiced it whenever he had something to hide...or not.

As Kaze threw open the door to the study, the man that would be his father did not even bother looking up. Old age had taken to him quite kindly-But a few gray hairs upon the side of his head, streaking across, and down his back, hidden by the noble black hair. His face had but a wrinkle here or there-More atop his brow than anywhere upon his face.

"What is it," Lord Tatsumaru asked calmly, but with a bit of iron in his voice. There was no surprise-It had not been the first time his adopted son had burst into his study, heated with rage about something or other...but this time was not like those other times.

A fist grasped at the back of the Lord's robes, and as the lord turned his head, it was met by a fist filled with angry desire, which met with a sickening 'Smack'. The lord's head lolled for a moment, and then was raised back in defiance-Only to meet the eye's of his angered son.

"YOU WHORESON," Kaze shouted, his fist rearing back to strike another blow, "You deliberately withheld the call from thine ears, the call that summoned us to battle! Was the sake good, that which you drank before you would send our enemies to hell without me at your side?!" And as he was about to strike another blow, when a shriek of fright came from the doorway-

"KAZE, STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS!"

Kaze turned his head for but a moment to see his mother standing there, and in that moment, the tide was turned. Within that moment, the father overturned the son with a shift of weight, throwing him onto the floor. With but the moment it took, he stood himself upright, holding onto his son's hand, locking one leg around it, and spinning around, twisting the hand with it. Kaze let our a renting scream of pain as his father pushed down on his palm, lifting up on the back of the hand, crying out at him-"Do you yield?" When Kaze did not answer, his father cried out again, this time much louder-"DO YOU YIELD?!"

"I YIELD NOT TO A KNAVE SUCH AS YOU," Kaze screamed in a mix of pain and anger, "YOU WHO WOULD HOLD ME FROM THE TIDE OF BATTLE AS YOUR SWORD DRANK OUR OPPONENT'S BLOOD TO IT'S FILL!" He let out another cry of pain as his father would twist his arm again.

"FOOL," He cried in return, "You are sick with anger! Know you not your place?! You are not yet READY to don your sword on the field of battle-Your judgment is too clouded!!" And then, a statement was made...one that would force his father to release him.

"YOU b*****d SON OF A WHORE, HAD YOU NOT TARRIED THAT DAY, NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE DIED LIKE YOUR SON!!"

And with that, Kaze felt his arm released...and for a few moment's, there was silence...until a loud thud broke through it like glass shattering against stone. That was the sound of the father, slamming his fist into his son's face...over and over, the sound reverberated through the walls until finally the horrified shriek of the wife rang through the household-

"STOP THIS!!! PLEASE, STOP IT!!!"

And for long moments, there was silence...it was so quiet, that the blood that dripped from the mouth of the son onto the hardwood floor, and for long moments, nobody spoke-Kaze's ragged, shallow breath being the only thing that filled the atmosphere.

"Get out of my sight," Spoke the father, turning on his heel, "I will speak to you no more this day, and for many days to come...you are but a fool." He brushed past his wife, who watched her husband storm down the stairs and out of the estate. As Sakura stared after him, looking back to her son, she decided it was best to leave him be, shouting for one of the servants to come and help him...he was in no mood to speak, and hardly ever spoke ill to the servants...she would leave him in their capable hands, chasing after her husband...

End Scene

Kaela didn't even have the time to respond about Lady Ryū's question before she was guided into the main estate. Girlfriend?!?!? she thought. She certainly wasn't blushing as she had no romantic intent on her mind. Is that something a mother normally does? She thought as was pushed along by Lady Ryū. She didn't even let me answer.

The way in was beautiful though; filled with so many flowers. She had never seen a garden like this before, much less the large house in front of her. The scent of her surroundings were overwhelming. She started to wonder: what if she could've lived a more peaceful life, a life that regular girls do. Would she would have planted flowers of her own? Maybe the scents of the flowers were getting to her head. She said openly, "it's really pretty."

It was loud enough that the 2 people she was walking with could hear her, though she didn't intend that. Her face had become flush from the scents and her eyes looked euphoric. She placed her hand on her cheek and felt the warmth of her face on her fingers. It was then that Kaela realized her condition: Ah, why was I imagining flowers? She questioned herself as her face went back to normal. She looked back and saw Lady Ryū smiling warmly at her. I wonder if she heard me, she thought. She was trying too hard not to leave an impression.

Kaela's face was still slightly flushed as she responded to Lady Ryū; "Milk tea if possible please."

They were doing quite a bit of walking just to get to the house. The atmosphere made it seem further. The scents were really getting her now. The redness in her cheeks weren't going away and her eyes looked more euphoric. She now had a strange smile on her face. Her overall appearance was now that of a blushing young girl. But she was really just being overwhelmed by the new scents. Her mind was screaming to regain composure, but the situation just seemed too enjoyable.

I hope this isn't an allergic reaction to something here.

Upon arriving at the house Kaela noticed a small terrace outside in the garden with a place to sit. Right now she still wanted to enjoy this new sensation more than being inside. She was like a child who had just got a new doll and wanted to play with it all day. She looked at Lady Ryū and smiled at her: "don't worry, I'm fine."

Perhaps she picked up on the concern in Lady Ryū's face. It's a look Kaela often had when it came to taking care of her sister. She walked off towards the terrace and sat down placing her hands in her lap. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, enjoying the wonderful new scents. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and turned her head towards a set of white flowers. She stared at them for a moment trying to single out their scent, then did the same for a set of purple flowers nearby. A crazy idea to try and pick up on each different type of flower's scent in the garden. But she was smiling with the same flushed face. She stopped her progress to focus on one set of flowers whose red petals matched the shade of her kimono.

Karei looked apon the gates, nearing the estate at her own steady pace. She wasn't exactly in any hurry. Approaching the gates, she looked to one of the servants near the gate. Usually, she guessed, the people at the gate would know to let people in because they're names on some sort of list. So she figured she'd start by introducing herself...

"Musei, Karei. I was invited." She watched the servant walk off for a moment. A few seconds passed, and she considered just leaving, until the gates swung inward, and she was allowed to walk into the estate, immediately surrounded by the scents of the flowers that were just all over the place. She took a moment to look over the estate as she walked toward the entrance of the house, admiring the gardens as she went, though she had to admit the scents were a bit overwhelming... I suppose the people who live here are just used to it after living with it for a while...

Sakura smiled, nodding, "I could trim a few so that you may take them with you if you wish. Those Hibiscus mixed with the Roses were actually leftover seeds, and so I thought they would mix beautifully. Little did I know they would turn out looking so well-But I'm afraid if I leave so many there, they will begin to overcrowd the roses." She chuckled a little.

As Kaze began to walk out through the front door, he was stopped by a presence he had not seen before within these noble gates. As his eyes adjusted to the sight, he found he was staring at a female-Though it was not that of the woman he had invited to have tea with him. A warning went off in Kaze's mind, and before his thoughts could catch up, his hand went instinctively to his sword.

"Halt," He said, "Who art thou-And why have thee come to thy place of residence? Be you a thief? Be that the case, I shall sever thou hands as punishment for entering this royal estate!"

"Oh?" Kaze looked at her, "You're lying-I don't see much reason for one such as you here!" He was about to draw his sword, when he heard a voice call from the sidelines.

"Kaze, dear-Is that a guest?"

Kaze stopped in mid-draw, staring at the woman for a moment, then shouting in return, "She says she was invited-Tho I have yet to see her produce proof of invitation!"

"Well send her over-And keep your hands off your sword! You will not treat a guest in my house that way!"

That was his mother for you...she had the keenest sense around. He sighed, sheathing his half-drawn sword, and pointing to the side the terrace was on. "That way. And dare thee make any move for assault, I will cut thy head from thine shoulders. Thou can make no mistake in that."