The Twelve Kingdoms: Shadow of the Moon

they're done."
    The young couple in the courtyard again turned to face the tree, their hands entwined together.

Chapter 54
    R akushun had insisted that they take a room at a proper inn and Youko had insisted that it was a waste of money.
    "How could the Royal Kei even think of staying in a cheap place like this?"
    "The only person saying I'm the Royal Kei is you. Because you're my friend, for the time being, I'm taking what you're telling me at face value. But at this point, nothing's been carved in stone."
    "And if it were?"
    "In any case, it doesn't make any difference."
    "You know, Youko . . . . "
    "Look, with the traveling money I've got, this kind of inn is within my means. We don't know how long it's going to take to get a reply from the government. If we move into some high-class place and the days drag on, we'll be out of money before we know it."
    "You're the Royal Kei. You shouldn't even have to pay. To start with, what innkeeper would ever take money from a king?"
    "Then better that we stay here. It wouldn't be fair to take a room and then try to skip out on the bill. And I'm definitely not going to start freeloading off people."
    They ended up getting a room that could be said to be the best of the worst. It was a small, four tatami-mat room, about eight by ten feet. The room slept two. It had a window facing the courtyard. There was a small table beneath the window. It was the best they could hope for on their budgets.

    It was dusk when they returned from the shrine. First off, she used the bath in the room, changed, and then washed her traveling clothes. Hot running water every day and a fresh change of clothes, she really was in hog heaven.
    She went down to the dining hall where Rakushun was waiting and they ate dinner. This wasn't some meal where you stood and ate off a cart. This was a proper dining room, and eating there was a real luxury. She slowly drank her tea, and was about to announce she was ready to go back to the room.
    A scream came from outside the inn.
    This was no normal scream. Youko at once reached for the sword. She hadn't shed her habit of never being apart from the sword for even an instant. She grasped the hilt and sprang toward the door. The street was in an uproar. On the street corner across the way, people were running around in a great panic.
    "Youko."
    "I don't believe it. They're here."
    She had believed that the youma would not chase her all the way to En. And now that she thought about it, there was no reason for her to think so.
    In the first place, there weren't many youma in En. Every night they got a room in an inn. They traveled only during the day, so it was natural that they wouldn't run into any youma. But she shouldn't have expected that her enemies would pursue her only in the mountains or only at night. Perhaps it was only good luck that had spared them so far.
    "Rakushun, get back inside the inn."
    "But, Youko . . . . "
    The screams of the fleeing people sounded familiar in her ears. The most piercing of the cries, that was the sound of a person in mortal danger. Mingled together with the screams was that sound like a wailing baby. The cries of the youma. Youko knew it well.
    She drew the sword, pressed the sheath into Rakushun's hands. "Rakushun, get out of here. I'm begging you."
    He did not reply. She felt only his presence slip away from her side.
    The flood of people surged closer. Youko spied in their midst a black shadow like a small mountain. It resembled a huge tiger. Bafuku, she heard somebody shout.
    Youko lowered the point of the sword and positioned herself lightly on the balls of her feet. The steel blade glittered in the light from the adjacent shops. The tide of onrushing people parted to the right and left of her.
    The tiger rushed on, mowing down the people in front of it. Behind the tiger was a huge creature that looked like a big bull.
    "Two of them . . . . "
    She steadied herself. She felt that long familiar sensation with something more than fear. Exhilaration. The melee of people poured out the alleyways and piled into the shops around her. She spotted a gap between her two foes. She sprinted toward them, building up momentum, brought the sword to the ready.
    First, the tiger. The huge beast bounded toward her as if to pounce. She ducked at the last second and drove the tip of the sword into its enormous head. She pulled out the sword, planted her feet, plunged it in again, and then spun around to face the charging blue bull.
    Their