Kouga Claim Set 2 Theme #86 Grudge
Kouga and Tsume
He was there, the well-built leader of the north tribe.
The coward who abandoned his men and left them to die.
The bastard who tried to have his men make a bargaining chip out of Tsuki.
And now he had tried to kidnap her.
Ayame seemed to sense the tension in the air. Yet, her voice was calm.
“Hello, Tsume,” she said.
Tsume ignored her.
“The weird little stray was really the Maiden of the Moon. You’re bloodline must be cursed, Kouga,” he said.
Kouga clenched his fist. The nerve of him!
“You know, if it weren’t for the persistence of that kid; I would have just taken her, but the little brat was able to hear her somehow.”
Kai had done that?
He drew his Gorashi out.
“So you did get it…” Tsume began.
“Yeah, and I’m not afraid to use it,” Kouga said.
“Are you serious?” he asked with a laugh.
“Completely. You tried to steal my sister at night when she was weak and we were away. That’s low, even by your standards.”
“You’re a punk, you know that, Kouga? Why did someone like you get promised to Ayame? Why did someone like you find not one, but three shards of the jewel? Why did someone like you get the legendary Gorashi?” Tsume demanded.
So it seemed the grudge wasn’t one sided.
Tsume paused to catch his breath. “You think you’re better than everyone else, but you’re really not. I’ll show you this right now!”
“Shut your trap for a minute and let me explain things in a way your pea brain can understand. You’re jealous that the elder engaged me to Ayame instead of you? Listen, we may have made that promise when we were kids, but that doesn’t mean you can try to force her to like you more than me, and I’ll be damned if you try to just take her from me if she’s chosen me instead! The same goes for Tsuki! To you, she may be a useless girl, but she’s my little sister and I will never trade her to another clan, especially not yours! It’s time you pay up to the men you left behind that day!”
Ayame stood between them before he could charge forward.
“Please, stop! You both lost friends that day. You can try to hide it, but you’ve both changed since then. You both are going through the same thing. So please, stop fighting over these stupid things and just admit you were wrong! The dead don’t hate you; they just want you to understand that it’s okay to be sad!” she said.
“Who told you that?” Tsume asked.
“The dead. I may not be the maiden, but I’m strong enough to hear them. Your men only wanted you to remember them. Fighting with Kouga, taking Tsuki hostage, none of those things would have brought back your men.”
“I know that! They told me so themselves when I took the brat! Creepy thing started talking in their voices and I couldn’t do anything for them!”
So Tsume felt guilt about the whole thing, too.
Punching him seemed a lot less satisfying now
“Tsume, if you want to ease your pain, help us rebuild,” Kouga said.
“Serve under you and that brat? I don’t think so! I’d rather be dead! You only got your status because of a cursed bloodline and an arranged marriage. As far as I’m concerned, you and I are enemies.”
Tsume jumped back as a string of lightning was headed his way.
“Tsume, if you ever come around here again, I won’t hold back! This is my family, you understand?”
“Yeah. I understand. Just you wait; my clan will come back stronger than ever!”
With that, he left.
“Kouga, are you worried?” Ayame asked.
“No. I don’t know how many survived, but their numbers must be small or he wouldn’t have tried to pull that kidnapping by himself. Something else must have happened to his clan other than the raid at the castle.”
“Poor Tsume.”
“I offered him a second chance, Ayame. It’s more than he deserves, but I offered it. Or perhaps you want to tell me that you would rather go with him and be his wife?”
“Absolutely not!” she said.
“Good, because I would have fought for you.”