《The Last Lily of the Lunar Garden - Vol. 1》 Chapter 1 - The Fallen
A stunning young woman with cascading black hair, appearing to be no more than eighteen years old, locks eyes with a slightly older man. The man¡¯s own black hair pulled halfway up into a ponytail as they both stood amidst the engulfing flames of the surrounding ruins. The man¡¯s face remains devoid of emotion, his expression a mere mask as they faced each other. The girl¡¯s clothes flutter in the faint breeze, torn and stained with blood, evidence of a fierce struggle that happened only moments before.
¡°It¡¯s over. There¡¯s no point in fighting anymore,¡± he utters with a hollow voice, his emotionless gaze unyielding even as he watched the young girl shake her head gravely in response, unable to find her own voice in the turmoil of the moment. ¡°Are you still prepared to sacrifice everything for a mere glimmer of hope, even when faced with the harsh truth?¡± he questions softly, his tone carrying the weight of resignation.
¡°I sacrifice myself not only for hope, but also for reasons beyond your understanding,¡± she responds wearily, her voice carrying the weight of countless battles fought.
¡°I understand more than you realize, dear child. You relinquish your life for the sake of love, but you¡¯ve forgotten; hate was born from a love that could never be. And I will be forever entwined in that hate¡±, he replies calmly, his demeanor unwavering all the while.
¡°Then there will always be someone there to stand against you,¡± she asserts, desperation etched across her face, her hand concealed behind her back. A ball of pulsating white energy begins to form in said grasp behind her, its radiance casting a defiant glow.
¡°Then I have no choice but to eliminate every one of you as you come,¡± he declares, raising his hand and directing a summoning gesture toward her. The ground behind him begins to ripple, surging toward the girl as it avoided contact with him.
The girl raises her hand in defiance, the glowing orb of energy expanding to shield her. As the scene is engulfed in a blinding white light a solitary faint voice of an unknown male echoes from afar.
Everything plunges into a heavy silence engulfed in darkness, until the tranquil sound of waves lapping against the shore of an ocean breaks the stillness. Within the peacefulness, a worried yet gentle male voice pierces the air.
¡°Hey! Someone¡¯s in the ocean! Someone help I think it¡¯s her!¡± his distant voice calls out in urgency.
As the darkness begins to recede, a young girl, bearing a striking resemblance to the weary, long-haired girl from earlier, lies peacefully on a makeshift bed in a small, dimly lit room with cloth walls. Dressed in loose red and white robes, she stirs slightly in her slumber, wincing as she began to awaken.
¡°Hm...¡± she murmurs, her eyes fluttering open. Her expression reflects physical pain as she slowly sits up, gingerly placing a hand on her forehead, strands of dark brown hair slipping through her fingers as she did so. ¡°Where am I?¡± she whispers to herself, her gaze scanning the unfamiliar surroundings with confusion clouding her eyes. A young man with ash brown hair and light brown eyes enters through a curtain-like entrance, catching her completely off guard. ¡°Uh-...¡± she stammers, taken aback by his unexpected appearance.
The young man¡¯s peaceful smile widens with relief as he sees her now awake, his features softening with genuine concern. ¡°You¡¯re awake. How are you feeling?¡±
In response, the girl rises to her fee, her gaze shifting between her clothes and the man before her, her confusion evident across her face. With a soft and gentle voice that exuded kindness beyond human measure she begins to inquire, ¡°Would you mind telling me where I am?¡±
¡°Tinder Village,¡± he responds simply, his eyes locked on her with a mix of emotions flickering across his gentle face. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re back, Akiko. We thought you¡¯d never return to us,¡± he continues, stepping closer to her and enveloping her in a secure embrace. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost you forever.¡±
She firmly pushes away from the man, her movements betraying a sense of urgency. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve got to go,¡± she insists, her voice tinged with uneasiness.
He frowns slightly as he watched her attempt to leave, his concern evident.. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asks, his tone laced with worry.
¡°I don¡¯t know what happened here but thank you for letting me stay,¡± she replies uncomfortably, edging toward the exit. Without another word, she turns away from him and hurriedly exits the dwelling, her nerves on edge as she stepped outside, immediately being met with the sight of a quaint village nestled by the ocean¡¯s edge. ¡°What?¡± she mutters, her confusion rising as she noticed the villagers smiling at her. ¡°Why is everyone looking at me as if they know me?¡± she takes a step back in bewilderment, unintentionally colliding with the same young man from inside the home. ¡°No!¡± She exclaims suddenly gripped by a momentary wave of fear.
The young man looks at her with concern, about to speak, but is interrupted by the stern voice of a mature woman calling his name from nearby.
¡°Vicious,¡± she addresses the young man, striding forward confidently. Her attire consisting of a long-sleeved army green top that bares her shoulders, paired with a sheer black wrap-around skirt revealing tight black leather leggings underneath. The ensemble completed with black leather ankle boots that reach just above her ankles. Her makeup dark yet striking, with deep gray lipstick and black eyeshadow enhancing her piercing dark brown eyes, while her medium-length deep brown hair pulled back loosely and held up by a large shimmering silver hair clasp adorned with precious gems and allowing her bangs to flow freely to frame her face.
Vicious directs his attention to the woman, his expression serious. ¡°She¡¯s back Shomei,¡± he declares, a glimmer of hope lighting up his demeanor.
Shomei glances at Vicious skeptically before turning her gaze to the young girl standing nearby. ¡°Hello,¡± she greets calmly, noting the troubled expression on the girl¡¯s face, treading lightly as a result.
A moment of silence holds between both women as the girl¡¯s gaze met Shomei¡¯s, sensing a a comforting aura emanating from her. ¡°Hello,¡± she responds softly.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering what¡¯s going on here,¡± Shomei begins, her tone gentle yet authoritative, acknowledging the girl¡¯s evident discomfort and confusion. ¡°Allow me to explain. We found you unconscious in the ocean yesterday and brought you here to ensure you were safe. Your clothes were torn, and you were on the brink of death, but, thankfully, you¡¯ve survived. Do you happen to remember anything before we found you? Perhaps your name?¡±
The girl nods thoughtfully to herself, as if recalling a distant memory. ¡°My name is... Kaori,¡± she mutters quietly, unaware of the subtle narrowing of Vicious¡¯s eyes at her response.
¡°A pleasure to meet you, Kaori. I am Shomei and this is Vicious. Do you know where you are from?¡± she asks politely.
Kaori continues to look down, lost in deep thought. ¡°Where I¡¯m from...¡± She closes her eyes as she visualized a dark, damp metal room with chains hanging from the walls, a sense of sadness enveloping her as she recalled the distant echoes of heavy machinery. She snaps her eyes open, a sense of unease gripping her just as the silhouette of someone approaching her in her vision occurred. ¡°A place¡­ With loud, metal buildings?¡± she ventures uncertainly, then shakes her head, turning her attention back to Shomei. ¡°Do you know a place like that?¡±
Shomei nods slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of one,¡± she replies softly ¡°But it¡¯s quite a long journey to get there,¡±
¡°I see. If I¡¯m pointed in the right direction, I can get there on my own,¡± Kaori responds calmly, undeterred by Vicious¡¯s evident concern.
Shomei smiles faintly, her response interrupted by Vicious¡¯s sudden interjection.
¡°Maybe you should go to the shrine first huh? It doesn¡¯t hurt to pray for a safe journey, right?¡± he suggests hastily.
Kaori glances over at Vicious, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. ¡°Shrine?¡±
¡°Yeah! Tinder Shrine is just west of here, but you shouldn¡¯t go alone¡± he insists, an encouraging smile emerging across his face.
¡°No thanks, I can just find my own way back to where I¡¯m from,¡± Kaori replies simply, her disinterest clear as she began to walk past Vicious and Shomei.
Vicious quickly steps in front of Kaori, effectively halting her from progressing. ¡°Well maybe if we go to the shrine, someone there may have information that could help guide you there,¡± he suggests earnestly.
Kaori pauses, her thoughts interrupted as Shomei addressed Vicious with caution.
¡°Vicious...¡± she says, her gazed fixed on him with a knowing look in her eyes, her expression stern yet understanding.
Vicious turns to Shomei, meeting her stare seriously even as she subtly shook her head in warning.
¡°Others will know of the place I¡¯m from?¡± Kaori questions, her skepticism unmistakable as she regarded Vicious¡¯s sudden knowledge.
Vicious shoots a light glare at Shomei lightly before refocusing his attention to Kaori. ¡°Let¡¯s go find out, okay?¡± he urges, swiftly taking Kaori¡¯s hand in his and pulling her along.
¡°Kaori,¡± Shomei interjects seriously, halting both Kaori and Vicious in their tracks. She watches intently as Kaori pulled away from Vicious, turning to face her in response. ¡°Is it what you want?¡± Shomei¡¯s question hangs in the air, her blank stare piercing into Kaori¡¯s soft brown eyes, searching for an honest answer from her.
Kaori meets Shomei¡¯s serious gaze, her own expression thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a shrine before,¡± she admits, her voice reflecting uncertainty. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think I have. But I would like to know if others could help me, so I won¡¯t have to burden you,¡± she nods to herself as the idea started to make sense as she spoke it out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve been enough trouble as it is, it seems,¡±
Vicious¡¯s smile widens with a sense of accomplishment as he retakes Kaori¡¯s hand, pulling her along with him out of the village. Shomei follows closely behind shaking her head in apparent resignation as she walked with them through a vast field of tall grass.
Kaori listens passively as Vicious spoke about the demons that occupied the field, her mind drifting off, preoccupied with her own thoughts. ¡°This guy is so strange and this Shomei woman doesn¡¯t seem to be the talkative type. Maybe she¡¯s mad at me or something? She seemed uncomfortable when I described where I was from. I wonder if it¡¯s some kind of city,¡± she shakes her head slightly, as if trying to clear her mind of the thoughts. ¡°Is this...¡± her words fade with her gaze fixated on the dilapidated shrine before her, her eyes glancing upward at the red ribbon hanging from the chipped torii gate even as she furrowed her brows with pity. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Shomei walks up behind Kaori, noting her expression, while Vicious stood ahead of them both. ¡°This is Tinder Shrine,¡± Shomei explains, her voice calm and informative, ¡°a place of worship that was built hundreds of years ago. It¡¯s also a stop for any deities on their journey toward the Temple,¡±
Kaori stares at the seemingly uninhabited shrine. ¡°It looks abandoned. Will there be anyone here?¡± she asks, her eyes shifting attention to Shomei who responded in the same informative tone.
¡°There¡¯s someone always here,¡± Shomei responds with reassurance, stepping through the large gate ahead with Vicious and Kaori following closely behind.
Kaori scans the area, noticing the overgrown grass in what once appeared to be an open area used for prayer. Her eyes slowly navigate to the main building, where the wooden steps stood broken and worn down with a combination of use and an unkind passage of time and noting that the banisters and railing was in a similar condition; the once bright red paint now chipped and faded. ¡°This place makes me feel so sad,¡± Kaori thinks to herself with a furrowed brow of deeply saddened emotions.
¡°Master Lasair should be around here somewhere. Hold on here, I¡¯ll go look for him,¡± Vicious announces hurriedly before darting into the main building, leaving Kaori and Shomei behind.
Kaori looks around with quiet curiosity, unintentionally drawing Shomei¡¯s attention as her thoughts escaped her lips. ¡°Is it always this way?¡±
Shomei¡¯s gaze drifts to the building nostalgically. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until five years ago,¡± she replies, her voice softspoken.
Curious at Shomei¡¯s tone she turns and looks at her. ¡°What happened five years ago?¡±
¡°A fight we thought would end this...¡± Shomei responds distantly, her eyes reflecting a closely held sense of regret.
Noticing Shomei¡¯s response along with the weight of the moment lingering between them, Kaori decides to keep her thoughts to herself. ¡°It must have involved that girl Vicious was talking about earlier. Akiko right?¡±
Shomei looks up with a soft sigh of relief as an older gentleman with a long white beard approached, dressed similar to Kaori, with Vicious at his side, indicating that he was indeed Master Lasair.
Master Lasair smiles faintly as he walked up, his eyes immediately locking onto Kaori the moment he noticed her. ¡°It was what we wished would end the horrific war this world has been though for over hundreds of years,¡± he explains in a low raspy voice, slowly stepping toward Kaori and stopping in front of her, studying her closely. ¡°You do resemble our previous goddess greatly. A gift to have you return to us,¡± he looks into Kaori¡¯s eyes as if searching for something, then bows lightly toward her. ¡°My lady...¡±
Kaori steps back in response to Master Lasair¡¯s actions, feeling uncomfortable and unsure of what was happening. She glances at Shomei, feeling even more awkward at the disapproval she held as Vicious stood happily at Lasair¡¯s side. ¡°Why are you bowing to me?¡± Kaori whispers uncomfortably, her confusion evident.
Master Lasair stands straight and smiles faintly as he spoke. ¡°You my dear may be the last hope of the Temple. The savior of this great land as we know it, regardless of whether or not you are aware of it,¡±
Shomei interjects urgently, ¡°You can¡¯t be sure of that so quickly Master Lasair, can you?¡±
¡°Of course he can,¡± Vicious responds just before anyone else could have the chance to speak. ¡°You¡¯re not going to deny his judgment, are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to deny him, it¡¯s just that... This girl being here means...¡± Shomei¡¯s voice trails off, her expression troubled.
¡°What does it mean? What¡¯s going on?¡± Kaori asks suddenly, her impatience growing, but her attention immediately drawn back to Master Lasair as he began to speak.
Master Lasair¡¯s words hang heavy in the air as he started to speak, his voice filled with solemnity. ¡°You resemble a woman who ascended to the heavens five years ago. She was a brave and pure-hearted young woman who desired nothing in this world other than the eternal light it deserved. She sacrificed herself in pursuit of that goal,¡± he looks down solemnly as he continued. ¡°Despite her efforts, visiting each and every shrine just as the gods before her, praying for the power to bring about change, her sacrifice alone was not enough. We lost followers because of that. But now that you have come, we know that her sacrifice was not in vain. You could be the last of your kind to grace Noroc, so we must care for you as the treasure you are and devote ourselves you entirely,¡±
Kaori shakes her head, clearly in disagreement with what she just heard. ¡°You have me mistaken for someone else. I¡¯m not here to save anything. I just would like to return to the only place that I can remember. I was told someone here knows of the place with metal buildings and loud machinery,¡±
¡°A city of loud machines?¡± Master Lasair exchanges a knowing glance with Vicious before turning his gaze back to Kaori. ¡°There is only one known route to the city you have described and I¡¯m afraid it would be nearly impossible to navigate on your own,¡± he smiles kindly. ¡°Perhaps I can convince you to stay here and pray? Your presence would bring hope to the neighboring villages,¡±
Kaori shakes her head in frustration she could no longer hold to herself. ¡°He doesn¡¯t care about me going to that city does he?¡± she sighs in near silence before speaking with determination. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to know how to get there. So, if there is only one way, please tell me, even if you think it¡¯s as impossible as you say it is,¡± her irritation starts to reach the limit as Master Lasair turned away from her.
¡°You¡¯ll have to find the Yaban in the sky known as the Sky Bandits,¡± Master Lasair continues, his tone disinterested. ¡°But rumor has it that they are no longer of this world, as they have not been seen in years,¡±
Kaori frowns, unsure of what he meant, about to ask for clarification until Vicious interjected lightly.
¡°Master Lasair, would it be possible for us to stay here for the night? If we leave now, we¡¯ll be caught out past sunset,¡± Vicious requests politely.
¡°I would be honored,¡± Master Lasair responds with a slight smile. ¡°My lady, would you follow me for a moment?¡±
Kaori nods reluctantly and obediently follows the old man into the building.
Shomei stands alone with Vicious in silence until Kaori is out of sight. ¡°Vicious,¡± she finally speaks, her voice once again gently yet firm, grabbing his attention. ¡°You do understand that this girl isn¡¯t Akiko, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°They say a god never truly dies,¡± Vicious responds thoughtfully, a sense of longing reflecting his eyes.
¡°Please don¡¯t expect her to be someone she¡¯s not. It¡¯ll only hurt the both of you in the end,¡± Shomei pleads, the pain in her voice mirroring the faint sadness in her eyes.
¡°She doesn¡¯t know who she is, so who¡¯s to say Akiko isn¡¯t with in her? The least I can do is try. Maybe the memory will come back to her,¡±
She watches Vicious sadly, watching him walk away toward the remains of the once great shrine.
?
?
Once awake, Kaori sits up quickly, her body covered in sweat as she breathed heavily. ¡°It was just a dream. Right?¡± She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and looks around seeing she was in small room with tatami floors and paper walls. ¡°I need some air,¡± she decides, feeling suffocated by the confines of the room. She gets up and slides open the door quietly, stepping out into the moonlit hallway after just as silently closing the door back behind her. She walks along the halls, careful not to make a sound, the soft glow of the moon casting shadows around her. As she walks, she hears the hushed voices of Shomei and Vicious talking nearby. ¡°They¡¯re up late. Maybe I should go back to bed before he starts calling me that other girl¡¯s name again,¡± she thinks to herself, rolling her eyes lightly at the thought. She starts to leave but pauses as she heard her name being mentioned, curiosity getting the better of her, and listens intently.
¡°Vicious, you can¡¯t ignore it. You heard her say her name was Kaori. Why can¡¯t you accept that loving someone isn¡¯t going to be enough to bring them back?¡± Shomei pleads, her voice tinged with frustration.
¡°Because there¡¯s no way someone like her could have failed against him, not after everything we¡¯d been through. And more than anyone, you should understand that. Besides, you heard Master Lasair; take her to each of the shrines on the way to the temple. That has to mean something. He¡¯s even notified Grand Master Valo about her,¡± Vicious argues, his tone filled with determination and hope.
¡°This girl is different. She may look similar to her but even I know they aren¡¯t the same. This just perpetuates a false hope if you keep going along with it,¡± Shomei insists in return, almost desperate to reach him rationally.
¡°It¡¯s better than no hope at all don¡¯t you think?¡± Vicious counters, his optimism unwavering.
¡°And what if she refuses to go?¡± Shomei asks, her patience wearing thin against his blind optimism.
¡°We can just tell her that we know of another way to the island, and she¡¯ll come with us easily,¡± Vicious replies simply, his confidence apparent.
¡°When she finds out you¡¯ve lied to her, she¡¯ll never forgive you, as Kaori or as Akiko. Is that any better than accepting Akiko¡¯s death?¡±
¡°Should we just let her go herself then? Get captured by the Yaban, they¡¯ll kill her on the spot,¡± Vicious asks accusingly. ¡°They¡¯ve all moved on now, maybe even have been eradicated. They are of no threat to her,¡±
¡°He¡¯s still alive and you know it. I want to keep her as far from him as possible. Wherever he is, you can trust he is with the last of whoever is left,¡± Vicious says, his tone becoming dark and mixed with hate.
Shomei sighs, crossing her arms as she looked away thoughtfully.
¡°I also...¡± Vicious begins, his voice trailing off as he looked down, lost in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to see that city either. She doesn¡¯t know what it could do to her,¡±
¡°I won¡¯t let you go alone but, don¡¯t lie to her about it. It¡¯s your choice to tell her of what the city holds, but don¡¯t take her on this journey without letting her know what it¡¯s about,¡± she says after a few moments silence between them, her tone resolute and unwavering. Kaori leans against the wall, her face contorted with anger as she clenched her fists at her sides. ¡°They aren¡¯t listening to me. All because I look like some girl who died years ago,¡± shaking her head in irritation and disbelief she stays silent for a moment, appearing to come to a decision. Quietly, she hurries down the hall, past the room she was sleeping in and toward the exit of the shrine. Hesitating briefly as she reached the gate separating her from the grassy field just outside. ¡°He said something earlier about demons. But that can¡¯t be true right? I mean where would they come from?¡± Glancing back angrily for a moment she returns her attention back to the exit and hurries out into the darkened field. She makes her way around, away from the village and the shrine and into a deep, gloomy forest. As she walks curiously through the dense vegetation, she begins to murmur to herself out loud in a softspoken tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another way to that city, they just don¡¯t want to tell me for some reason,¡± Growing increasingly frustrated, she adds, ¡°They didn¡¯t bother to ask me what I wanted before telling me about some girl I¡¯ve never heard of. They¡¯re probably lying to me about that too for all I know. Maybe even the demons,¡± After a long while of walking, she finally begins to see a bit of light coming from the top of the trees. However, the thick vegetation prevents her from seeing farther than a few feet in any direction. ¡°Where am I going?¡± She asks herself exasperatedly, stopping to look around. ¡°It all looks the same,¡± Leaning against a tree tiredly for a moment to regain her composure, she resolves to keep going. The ground suddenly starts shaking around her, causing her to stand up quickly and retreat behind the tree she was leaning against moments earlier. Her eyes wooden in fear as a large, wild boar with piercing red eyes runs into a nearby tree, causing it to collapse easily. She watches in horror as it sniffs around, its presence unsettling. Turning her back to the boar, Kaori closes her eyes and presses her back against the tree, trying to remain calm. Her respite is short-lived as the boar seemingly caught her scent and made its way to face her. Making eye contact with one another, the boar charges at her, causing her to panic and run as fast as she can through the forest. In her haste, she trips on an exposed branch, falling hard to the ground and hitting her head on a moss covered stone. She instantly goes unconscious, unaware of the danger still lurking in the darkened forest. Chapter 2 - Airship
The darkness starts to fade, revealing a scene of Akiko standing in a vast field of white calla lilies. Each flower emitting a soft, glowing light in the pale moonlight, with more falling from the sky like slowly descending stars. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she seemingly whispers to herself, her eyes cast downward before slowly turning at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
The scene fades from Akiko in the flower bed to a heavy darkness, leaving behind unfamiliar voices echoing in an argumentative tone.
An unfamiliar female voice breaks through the weighted silence, speaking with a wonderous curiosity in her voice. ¡°She¡¯s probably a worker for that Shrine down in Tinder, don¡¯t you think? Thought they¡¯d all quit by now though,¡± she speculates to another person in the room.
¡°Who cares?¡± replies a male with disinterest and apathy.
¡°I care! A rare find these days, but I wonder what she was doing so close to Bumi on her own like that,¡± the female voice muses, her footsteps fading in and out as if pacing.
(¡°They¡¯re so loud,¡±) Kaori¡¯s thoughts echo in discomfort, unheard to anyone else.
¡°What does it matter?¡± the male voice retorts, sounding almost tired of the conversation.
¡°Well, because she kind of looks like Akiko don¡¯t you think?¡±
(¡°I¡¯m not Akiko,¡±) Kaori¡¯s thoughts protest, knowing they wouldn¡¯t hear her otherwise.
¡°And? It makes no difference to me.¡±
¡°Do you think she¡¯s the one the everyone¡¯s talking about for the past couple of days?¡± the female voice asks, disregarding the man¡¯s remarks.
¡°I think you¡¯re an idiot for believing anything the likes of them say.¡±
¡°Stay here and keep an eye on her until she wakes up, I¡¯m going to let the Captain know,¡± she says lightly.
¡°I¡¯m not a babysitter!¡±
¡°Okay bye!¡± The sound of a door shutting is heard, followed by a long and almost deafening silence.
?
Kaori winces lightly, rolling over tiredly while seeming uncomfortable before opening her eyes and sitting up slowly, looking around in the dimly lit room. She barely making out that she was on a wooden bed hanging by chains from the side of the wall, with only one thin blanket between her and the bed and another that was used to cover her. She places a hand on her head lightly, feeling a small bump from where she had fallen. ¡°What happened?¡± She whispers to herself softly, suddenly hearing the sound of the familiar male voice answering her.
¡°About time you¡¯re awake,¡± he says quietly.
She moves back in the bed, her back hitting the chains that supported it, placing her hand on her head for a moment in pain. Quickly disregarding how she felt, she starts to speak with fear hidden behind her aggressive tone. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±
He steps forward a little, the details of his characteristics unable to be seen in the lack of light in the room. ¡°You do look similar,¡± he whispers quietly, almost unheard.
She stares in his direction trying to make out what he looked like with focus in her eyes, until the same female voice from earlier could be heard just as the door opened, letting slightly more light into the room. As such, the light revealed a tall young woman with long, bright blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail with her bangs flowing down over her forehead lightly. Her dark purple eyes matching her purple tank top that paired with high waisted black shorts and black strapped boots that went up to her knees. Her bright red lips seeming to suit her shining completion as she smiled while walking in happily.
¡°Tai! Captain wants to see you~¡± the woman says sweetly to what could now be seen as a handsome young man, appearing to be in his early twenties. His medium-length brown hair covering his eyes from Kaori¡¯s view, with goggles hanging loosely around his neck. Just under a black jacket, he wears a dark, though somewhat faded, shirt and long black pants with several pockets on the legs behind held up by a thick black belt that containing a pouch on one side, and heavy black boots. Draped around his chest was another thick leather strap, holding a jagged, black metal sword behind him. The woman grins mischievously then looks over at Kaori with a bright smile and wide eyes. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡±
¡°Probably from all your damn yelling,¡± he says coldly as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.
The woman rolls her eyes as Tai had left, then turns toward Kaori. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s always rude.¡± She strains her eyes a bit looking disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s so dark! He could have at least opened the window.¡± She walks over to a small circular window and opens the wooden shade lightly, allowing strong sunlight pouring into the room almost immediately. ¡°There we go.¡± She turns around quickly and looks over at Kaori, stepping toward her curiously, placing her hands on her hips as she leaned forward to look at Kaori closely. ¡°Oh, wow... You really do look identical,¡± she says with eyes wide in amazement.
She moves back a little as the woman moved forward, noticing her vibrant purple eye color even more than before.
¡°I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she says after backing away a little and raises her hands innocently. ¡°Promise,¡± she adds with a pleasant smile.
¡°Can you tell me where I am? And why I am here? And most of all who you are?¡± Kaori asks softly.
¡°Oh, sure! Follow me if you want to know,¡± she says playfully, walking to the door only to turn around and look at Kaori. ¡°C¡¯mon, I bet you¡¯re really curious,¡± she says with a playful wink.
She looks at the woman for a moment, reluctantly getting up and following after her down a dark hall, noticing everything around was made from wood that was creaking gently as if swaying back and forth. ¡°This must be a ship or something. I guess I was closer to the ocean than I thought.¡± She turns her attention back to the woman as they stopped at a door down the hall.
She listens for a moment as if trying to hear what was going on inside the room on the other side before giggling a little to herself and opening it revealing a large control room of machines that were surrounded by wooden supports. A large glass window that wrapped around the front area in an outward curve is covered in a sunlit, grey haze, obscuring the outside view. ¡°The girl as ordered Captain,¡± she says toward a tall man who looked to be in his early thirties in his face if not younger but his hair a long soft mixture of ash blonde and white that drew attention to his deep, emerald eyes. He smiles kindly at the sight of Kaori, showing that behind his slightly loose black pants and dark long sleeved black shirt hid a gentle man.
Kaori watches the man for a moment before looking away uncomfortably. She barely notices Tai who stood leaned up against the wall in the corner with one leg resting on the wall while he crossed his arms, keeping his gaze down with his hair hiding his eyes, but not his irritated aura that surrounded him.
¡°Welcome aboard,¡± says the kind man after a while, breaking the silence in the room. ¡°I am Keiji, captain of this vessel, and I believe you¡¯ve already met Breeze and Tai,¡± he says calmly. ¡°And might I assume you to be Lady Akiko?¡±
She furrows her brow a little in slight irritation at the comparison, about to speak until Tai¡¯s voice interjected.
¡°You¡¯ve pissed her off. I told you it wasn¡¯t her.¡±
¡°We¡¯re ignoring you now, remember?¡± Breeze says childishly. ¡°Ever since you ditched me earlier your word has become unwanted.¡±
¡°If you stayed out of my way there wouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Tai says standing straight and off the wall.
Breeze places her hands on her hips scoldingly. ¡°You¡¯re always saying ¡®stay out of my way¡¯,¡± she replies mockingly. ¡°But you knew damn well you needed my help.¡±
¡°You helping me is being as far away from me as possible,¡± Tai replies coldly.
¡°I¡¯ll give you far away when I push you off the deck!¡± Breeze yells threateningly.
Keiji clears his throat lightly, causing the two to fall silent, then looks back at Kaori. ¡°Have I mistaken your name?¡±
Kaori nods, looking at Keiji boldly, despite her rising anxiety. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not Akiko. My name is Kaori.¡±
¡°Kaori...¡± Keiji looks over at Tai with the same calming smile. ¡°You were right.¡±
¡°She¡¯s useless then... Might as well get rid of her. And I¡¯m not just talking about the new one,¡± Tai says gesturing toward Breeze.
¡°Meanie,¡± Breeze mumbles bitterly as she crossed her arms and turned away from Tai.
¡°I would like to know where I am now,¡± Kaori say toward Keiji with the confidence in her voice starting to waiver.
¡°It depends,¡± he answers thoughtfully. ¡°You are on the Airship Moa, yet we fly over Bumi forest. Not very quickly I might add but efficiently none the less.¡±
¡°Airship...¡± Kaori whispers softly to herself in amazement, her eyes wandering to the window just as bright grey clouds parted and the beautiful blue sky could be seen as birds flew by. ¡°In the sky?¡± She stops as she realized something and looks directly at Keiji. ¡°You must be the Sky Bandits, correct?¡±
¡°The one and only,¡± Keiji says with a sense of pride about him.
¡°They told me you weren¡¯t alive though.¡±
¡°The Temple followers do love stories don¡¯t they?¡± Keiji says with amusement in his voice. ¡°Well since you are not Akiko, Tai is correct; you unfortunately provide no incentive to us in keeping you on this ship.¡±
¡°So... You¡¯ll kill me?¡± Kaori asks, as she backed away lightly.
¡°Sheesh, what are they telling people down there?¡± Breeze asks looking offended while shaking her head in displeasure.
¡°You¡¯re Y- Yaban right? Vicious said I¡¯d likely die in your hands,¡± Kaori¡¯s gaze wanders worriedly. ¡°Is it not true?¡±
¡°Idiot,¡± Tai says hatefully, then turns away from everyone and walks out of the room letting the door slam hard behind him.
Breeze sighs a little as she shook her head then focuses on Kaori. ¡°So you met Vicious? Shomei too huh?¡±
Kaori nods lightly. ¡°Yes. They took me to a place called Tinder Shrine and I met a man who lived there who thought I was this Akiko girl as well.¡±
¡°Curious,¡± Breeze glances over at Keiji. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± She asks with a knowing smile.
He nods understandably. ¡°So, if you were with them, how is it that my crew found you alone about to be attacked by a demon of the Child of Sorrows?¡±
¡°Child of Sorrows?¡± Kaori asks in a confused whisper to herself her expression lost for a moment before shaking her head somewhat irritated but refusing to let it control the atmosphere of the room. ¡°They wanted me to visit each shrine and planned to lie to me about going, knowing all I wanted was to return to the only place I can remember.¡± She clenches her fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms while she struggled to keep her emotions in check at the thought. ¡°They didn¡¯t explain anything else to me,¡± she continues, her voice becoming quieter with each word. ¡°They just pushed me into a path I don¡¯t understand without listening.¡±
He looks at Kaori seriously, his expression reflecting it as if he didn¡¯t seem that way often. ¡°And where are you from?¡± He asks in an almost cautious tone.
¡°I¡¯m not... Sure... Shomei said they had found me in the ocean. All I can remember before that is a city I think. It was an all-metal building with loud sounds of machines and people.¡± She shakes her head looking frustrated as the thoughts escaped her. ¡°I can¡¯t remember much else, but they seemed to know what and where it was.¡±
Keiji¡¯s contemplative gaze shifts from Breeze¡¯s worried silence and moves to the expansive view beyond the window, maintaining a curious silence of his own.
¡°The man at the shrine said the only way there is by this airship and if I am of no use to you then would mind just taking me there? I know I¡¯ve been an inconvenience to you but, please? I don¡¯t want to go back to someone who wants to use me for their own reasons.¡±
¡°That place... Is a place that people tend to avoid,¡± Keiji responds reluctantly toward Kaori¡¯s gentle plea.
Kaori stays silent for a while, not completely understanding. ¡°So, you won¡¯t take me?¡±
¡°If we did, it would take a while. Maybe you can think about it on the way, reconsider,¡± Keiji replies, his tone unchanging. Stolen novel; please report.
¡°Why would I reconsider?¡± Kaori asks with skepticism.
¡°We just wouldn¡¯t want to risk your safety,¡± he replies, almost as if trying to reassure her.
She furrows her brow, wanting to say something in response but stops as Breeze gently interjected.
¡°You know, you look really uncomfortable in those clothes,¡± Breeze says lightly, changing the subject quickly. ¡°If you want you can change into something else. Just go down the hall we came from ¡®kay? I¡¯ll come find you in a little while.¡± She smiles eagerly as she started leading Kaori out of the room.
¡°Okay but-¡± She is cut off as Breeze closed the door on her and sighs lightly. ¡°What did he mean by that?¡± She turns away and looks around, forgetting where the room she was supposed to go. She wanders aimlessly until she found herself in a long hall with only a single door at the very end. ¡°Wonder where that goes...¡± she mumbles to herself, approaching the door in curiosity and reaching out to open it until her body is suddenly pulled forward just as the door was swung open before she could even touch the handle. She closes her eyes as the gust of wind hit her, unintentionally colliding with Tai, revealing that he was the one on the other side.
He pushes her away from him hard, causing her fall to the floor. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asks coldly, his goggles hiding his eyes as he wore them, protecting himself from the high winds caused by the open door and narrow hallway.
¡°I was just-. I mean, I thought-¡± She gets up slowly, shaking her head and looking up at him with a resentful glare. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to push me you know,¡± she says seriously.
He stands above her silently for a while, the wind blowing her hair around her body and nearly reaching him. ¡°Right,¡± he says absentmindedly as if talking to someone else then grabs Kaori by her collar, pulling her close to him hard and closing the door behind them. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± he says tonelessly as he led the way up a flight of stairs to the top of the airship, Kaori not too far behind.
She looks past Tai, her eyes wide in amazement of the beautiful combination of pink, purple, and orange clouds glowing in the sunset. ¡°Oh wow...¡± She smiles peacefully at the beauty before her, unknowing that Tai was watching her as she walked cautiously ahead of him.
He watches Kaori go over to the front of the ship as he went to sit down against a large mast with his knee up and his arm resting on it just after removing his goggles from his eyes. He looks up for a while until Kaori had walked over to him and sat down not too far away. ¡°What?¡± He finally asks in an exasperated tone after a while, looking directly at her for the first time; now apparent that his eyes were two different colors; one a piercing, deep ocean blue and the other a dark, yet soft, brown.
¡°His eyes...¡± She stares at him in silence for a moment, not noticing he was getting irritated with her.
¡°It¡¯s rude to stare,¡± he says hatefully.
¡°Oh. Sorry...¡± She says with embarrassment as she turned away to hide her now flushed face. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± she says after a while of silence between them.
He looks away from her and out at the distance, waiting for her to speak.
¡°What is a Yaban?¡± Kaori asks quietly.
¡°We are people the Temple call ultimate outcasts of the heavens, but our people seem to believe that we have been bestowed powers of guardians to protect Noroc. Whoever you want to believe, we¡¯re still not welcome anywhere by anyone,¡± he says carelessly, the thought of his words meaning nothing to him.
¡°Is that what your friends are as well?¡± Kaori presses further, seeming genuinely curious.
¡°Far from friends,¡± he replies dully. ¡°Keiji and Breeze are two of the very few left with pure blood.¡±
¡°And you?¡± She asks softly.
His expression becomes hardened, a flicker of anger passing through his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the first of our kind... Half human, half Yaban.¡±
¡°Is that... Bad?¡±
¡°What is with you? Why don¡¯t you know any of this yourself?¡± His irritation grows as he directed his question toward her.
She frowns a bit in response, speaking regretfully. ¡°I don¡¯t, but you don¡¯t have to be mean to me about it. I was just curious.¡±
¡°Then what do you know?¡± he asks bitterly, his patience wearing thinner the longer they were talking.
She looks out at the sky, lost in the vague memory of her dream. ¡°I remember a dark place, loud enough to hear people and machines but not loud enough to know anything that was said. I remember a man in a glass room looking like he was tired...¡±
Tai¡¯s gaze immediately sharpens, his attention fully focused on what she was saying with a sudden intensity in his expression.
¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone, but I feel like it was important to know them,¡± Kaori continues, her voice tinged with a sense of desperation. ¡°And that¡¯s it. I told everyone about this and found out that the only way to get back there was by this airship. Your captain thinks I should reconsider going though.¡±
He looks down a little, his gaze appearing distant once more before he meets her eyes again. ¡°Will you?¡±
¡°Why would I?¡± Kaori responds, her voice revealing a hint of defiance.
¡°It isn¡¯t safe there.¡±
¡°Why shouldn¡¯t it be safe?¡±
¡°Because you look like Akiko,¡± he replies bluntly.
¡°So what?¡± Kaori retorts sharply, her frustration evident. ¡°I¡¯m not her. I have nothing to do with her. I just want to find out what happened and where I came from.¡± She brings her knees to her chest and places her head down.
¡°That city is a place that will kill you without mercy,¡± Tai says with a sense of grave warning.
¡°I¡¯d still like to see it for myself,¡± she mumbles lightly after a while, as if processing what he said. ¡°There has to be something there if it¡¯s all I can remember, and no one else seems to be eager to help me out,¡±
He shrugs carelessly. ¡°Whatever, if you have a death wish then who am I to stop you?¡±
She pouts a little, looking irritated with him. ¡°You¡¯re mean,¡± she says suddenly, catching his attention.
¡°What are you, a child?¡±
She glares at him childishly then stands, looking tired of speaking with him. ¡°No, but you should be nicer to people you¡¯ve just met,¡± she says bitterly, then turns away from him and walks back inside the ship.
He watches as Kaori had left then turns his attention back to the horizon.
Kaori walks down the halls quietly, her expression frustrated until she ran into Breeze. ¡°Oh. Excuse me.¡±
Breeze smiles happily. ¡°There you are! Tai said you were up on the deck. See anything interesting?¡±
¡°The view is very pretty,¡± she says with a slight smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen something like that before.¡±
¡°You still haven¡¯t change yet, c¡¯mon I¡¯ll take you to my room and see what we have okay?¡±
She follows after Breeze obediently. ¡°Is he always so harsh?¡± She asks suddenly, unable to stop herself.
Breeze laughs a little. ¡°You mean Tai? I guess you two had a little talk, huh? Was he not on his best behavior?¡±
¡°He¡¯s a bit rude.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say if he¡¯s always been that way, but he has been since we met him,¡± she says thoughtfully.
¡°Have you all known each other long?¡± She asks with interest.
¡°Keiji and I have known each other for... Close to two hundred years now I believe, and I¡¯ve heard of Tai before but only met him about five years ago when he joined our crew.¡±
She tilts her head a little as she looked down, not understanding something. ¡°Wait. Two hundred years? How is that possible?¡±
¡°Wow, you weren¡¯t joking. You really don¡¯t know much, do you?¡± she says lightly, continuing walking at a slow pace down the hall with Kaori. ¡°Yaban age different from humans, our change in appearance is different for all of us, so some of us look very different across all ages, and the oldest known under normal circumstances has lived up to three hundred and fifty about eight hundred or so, but that was years ago.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s the power he was talking about then, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kaori asks curiously.
¡°One of many. You see we are all very different from each other and we all hold very different abilities.¡±
¡°Like what?¡± She asks with growing interest, and a bright look in her eyes.
¡°Keiji has the ability to see possible outcomes of the future, peer into the minds of others, and create barriers of protection,¡± Breeze explains, her voice carrying reverence. ¡°I can harness elements; mold and adjust them to whatever I want and encase them in a sphere. My hobby is potions too but not necessarily a power, and Tai...¡± She looks up as if trying to think of a specific way phrase what she wanted to say. ¡°Tai is very special.¡±
¡°Is he not able to do anything because he¡¯s half human?¡± She asks cautiously.
¡°Really the farthest opposite,¡± she says quietly, almost in a concerned tone. ¡°Tai can summon and control forces beyond this world, has the strength and stamina no one has ever possibly thought of, and even manipulate reality itself. I once heard that he has the power to alter a person¡¯s memories and will to drive them insane. He is the strongest of our kind in all of history.¡± She looks down in discomfort, quickly disregarding the feeling as she continued. ¡°But he¡¯s done nothing like that in a very long time though so it¡¯s hard to tell if he¡¯s even capable of it anymore.¡±
¡°Oh... I guess I shouldn¡¯t make him mad then,¡± she replies quietly, regretting asking the question.
¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s always mad,¡± Breeze remarks with a grins as they stopped at a faded purple door, the paint slightly chipped off but still maintaining a certain charm about it. ¡°Maybe you can help keep him in line. He¡¯s got an attitude for his age that he hasn¡¯t grown out of yet.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± she replies in an unsure tone.
¡°At least while you¡¯re here,¡± Breeze laughs a little and opens the door, revealing a circular bed in the corner of the room near a large window looking out at the now darkened sky. ¡°Hold on let me get a light so you can see.¡± She walks in and places small spheres in glass jars around the walls of the room then snaps her fingers causing them to all light with a small fire. ¡°There we go.¡±
¡°Amazing,¡± she says with interest.
¡°Thanks,¡± she replies with a proud giggle. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can put you in, huh? You¡¯ve got to be tired of those old looking robes.¡± She walks to another corner of the room where a large old treasure chest was sitting next to a paper screen that separated the corner with various clothes and pieces of cloth hung messily around it. She opens the chest showing a pile more of clothes that seemed to be thrown inside. ¡°Go ahead and take a seat while I look, okay?¡±
She nods lightly and goes to sit on the bed, admiring the fluffy purple sheets, until her eyes wandered to the white silk canopy hanging over the bed, draping down the side until it reached the floor.
¡°Hm... I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be comfortable in a dress...¡± Breeze says thoughtfully as she went through the chest, carelessly tossing things to the side.
She smiles a little, completely comfortable with being where she was. ¡°She¡¯s so kind when she doesn¡¯t have to be.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± She exclaims excitedly as she takes an outfit out and hides it behind her mischievously, quickly turning to look at Kaori. ¡°Want to change for me really quick?¡± she ask playfully.
Kaori stands with a hesitant nod and goes behind the screen with the handful of clothes Breeze shoved into her arms.
¡°If you need help, I¡¯m here,¡± she says kindly.
¡°Thank you,¡± she says from behind the screen nervously. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to wear this?¡±
¡°Absolutely. Unless you want to stay in those robes all day.¡±
¡°Hm...¡± She looks down at the clothes in her hands before touching the robes she was wearing.
¡°Hey, I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking but.¡± She walks around in a circle slowly as she spoke, her hands behind her back as she looked up thoughtfully. ¡°Well, you have to know by now about the city right? What will you do if there isn¡¯t where you¡¯re from?¡±
Kaori stays hidden behind the screen, changing clothes with slight difficulty in a thoughtful silence until she spoke. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far yet.¡±
¡°Well how about you stay here with us? I¡¯m sure Keiji wouldn¡¯t mind having you as part of our crew,¡±
She peeks around the corner of the screen curiously. ¡°Even if I¡¯m of no use?¡±
¡°Tai thinks you¡¯re useless,¡± Breeze replies with a corrective tone in her voice.
¡°Then he really wouldn¡¯t want me around.¡± She goes back behind the screen for a moment while Breeze continued talking.
¡°Who cares what he thinks. He hardly hangs around here anyway; besides it would be a lot better here than with Vicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± She steps out from behind the screen wearing a sea-foam green colored mid-sleeved light jacket that only buttoned up snugly around her mid-section and fell long near her calves, but not touching the floor, over a black undershirt, black slim fit pants that reached over her thighs and just above her knees, and black short boots that only went as far as her ankle. ¡°Is this okay?¡±
¡°Great!¡± She turns to face Kaori and smiles victoriously. ¡°It looks good. Do you feel comfortable?¡±
She nods with a slight smile. ¡°I prefer this in comparison,¡± she says contently.
She clasps her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m glad! You can keep it okay? It looks good on you.¡±
¡°Thank you very much. I mean, not just for this but for helping me in the forest too. I meant to show more gratitude earlier.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t thank me for that. Tai was really the one who found you unconscious with that wound on your head looking worse than it does now just before that demon was about to devour you.¡±
¡°I should thank him soon then.¡±
¡°He¡¯s usually out around this time, maybe in the morning huh? If he comes back.¡±
¡°Right,¡± she says with a relaxed tone.
¡°I¡¯ll show you to your room. It¡¯s not much since it was just storage before but if you decide to stay we might be able to change it.¡±
Kaori follows Breeze out of the room and down the hall a little.
¡°At the end of the hall here is Keiji¡¯s room, remember mine with the purple door, okay? Tai¡¯s door is the one on the left over there. Yours is on the right across the wall from mine.¡±
Kaori nods understandably. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±
¡°If you need anything you are more than welcome to see me at any time.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then. Get lots of rest,¡± she waves a bit as she walked down the other end of the hall away from Kaori, leaving her alone.
She looks over at Keiji¡¯s room door noticing a single sphere-shaped indent in the wood then at Tai¡¯s door looking as if it was hardly used with a thin line of dust around the floor. She turns and goes back into the room she had woken up from earlier that day and lays down on the wood bed, reluctantly falling asleep.
?
Akiko stands at top of a cliff looking out at a barren valley. ¡°I never thought this is what it would be like,¡± she says to herself, her voice heavy with sorrow. Sensing Vicious¡¯s presence beside her, she turns slightly, meeting his somber gaze with her own.
¡°Akiko,¡± he says softly, the weight of their situation evident in his tone.
¡°It¡¯s ironic isn¡¯t it?¡± she asks, her eyes drifting downward. ¡°The Temple prepared me for this outcome my entire life, yet the pain feels just as if I were hearing it for the first time.¡±
Vicious shakes his head, resolve reflecting in his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die,¡± he firmly asserts. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out something so don¡¯t worry about it anymore alright?¡±
She looks over at Vicious, tears shimmering in her eyes as she offered a grateful smile. ¡°Alright,¡± she replies, a flicker of hope in her voice, yet doubt still lingering in her eyes.
In a tender gesture, Vicious pulls her into a tight embrace, his determination and sadness wrapping around her tightly. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll protect you,¡± he vows, his embrace offering a fleeting moment of solace in the bleak atmosphere around them.
?
Kaori shifts restlessly in her bed, the remnants of her dream clinging to her consciousness as tears silently streamed down her cheeks. As she wakes, the weight of her emotions linger, leaving her heart heavy with sorrow, yet with a hollow sense of uncertainty. ¡°What was dreaming about? And why is it making me feel so badly?¡± With a resigned sigh, she rises from her bed, knowing sleep was no longer an option for her at that point. She silently slips out of her room and wanders down the familiar corridors that were now darkened with the night until she found herself standing before the door leading to the deck. Opening it cautiously, she steps out into the cool night air, feeling its gentle embrace soothe her troubled mind. Gazing up at the star-strewn sky, she finds herself captivated by the beauty of her surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful here. It¡¯s easy to feel at peace. Maybe I should stay with them if I could see this every day. But I want to see the city from my memories. If someone there can give me some answers as to what happened,¡± Lost in thought, she remains completely unaware of Tai¡¯s presence, closing her eyes for a long moment. ¡°What will I do if there¡¯s nothing there though?¡± She opens her eyes looking directly up just as tears fell down her face. ¡°Uhg...¡± She sighs heavily to herself in frustration as she shook her head and cleaned her tears away. ¡°Why am I still crying?¡± She asks herself in an exasperated tone.
Tai quietly walks up, instantly noticing her crying and sighs silently as he put his hands in his pockets continuing to walk forward; stopping at her side while he looked out at the horizon just as it started to grow warm from the glow of the rising sun. ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± he says quietly.
She blushes with embarrassment, sniffing lightly before turning away from him, about to leave as a way to save face.
He looks over his shoulder as she walked past him, causing her to stop as he spoke. ¡°You can stay if you want,¡± he says quietly, knowing she had stopped even as he looked back ahead of him. Chapter 3 - Island of the New Reform
Kaori looks down as she stood at a short distance behind Tai, then turns back around in attempt to face him, quickly realizing that Tai already had his attention fixated on the distant horizon with an aloofness about him. ¡°Did he see me crying? How embarrassing,¡± She feels her face become warm with embarrassment, causing her to hold her head low as means to hide it.
¡°Guess Breeze was playing dress up with you earlier,¡± he remarks nonchalantly, his tone devoid of any discernable emotion.
¡°I enjoyed it,¡± she replies softly, being careful to properly contain her emotions. ¡°She told me that if I couldn¡¯t find my home then I could stay here.¡±
His eyes narrow, showing a hint of suspicion in his expression. ¡°Do whatever you want. Just don¡¯t cry around me anymore it¡¯s annoying.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. It just came out,¡± she says looking more irritated with herself than anything. ¡°I thought coming out here would make it stop.¡± Her fingers fidget nervously in front of her as she continued on. ¡°Guess it didn¡¯t work.¡±
¡°Have you ever seen the sunrise before?¡± he asks indifferently, abruptly changing the subject.
¡°That¡¯s a weird thing to ask so suddenly.¡± She shakes her head, her gaze still lowered. ¡°Not from a place like this I think. Do you watch the horizon often?¡±
¡°No... But I saw you come up here on my way back and had to make sure you didn¡¯t do anything stupid like jump ship,¡± Tai replies matter-of-factly.
¡°Do you really think I¡¯d do such a thing?¡± she asks with palpable disappointment in her voice at his remark.
¡°You¡¯re the idiot who ran into the forest alone and nearly died, so I wouldn¡¯t put it past you,¡± he quickly retorts.
¡°His words are harsh, but I guess it¡¯s his way of showing he cares?¡± She feels a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, realizing the hidden warmth and concern behind his unsympathetic tone.
He stands at her side silently, both looking out at the sunrise silently over what seemed to be water in the far-off distance.
¡°Thank you,¡± she says peacefully, her eyes seeming calmer than they were earlier.
¡°For what?¡± he asks in response, yet not seeming to care whether she answered or not.
She starts to say something but is stopped by what sounded like Keiji, his voice distant and somewhat muffled.
¡°Have you got your report this morning?¡± Keiji¡¯s voice says steadily.
Tai rolls his eyes in irritation, looking away from the sunrise. ¡°You do know when I¡¯m ignoring you right?¡± he asks crossly.
¡°Were you?¡± Keiji¡¯s voice asks innocently. ¡°Mind coming down to the Control Room? And if you see Miss Kaori on your way, please escort her as well. Breeze said she wasn¡¯t in her room,¡± Keiji¡¯s usual calm tone hinting at a touch of playfulness and understanding as he spoke.
¡°Fine.¡± He touches his collar lightly then starts leaving down the steps, turning to Kaori as he noticed she wasn¡¯t following. ¡°Captain¡¯s orders.¡±
She sighs with a tinge of disappointment, then turns and follows after Tai, walking at a slow pace with him down the quietly creaking halls.
Tai opens the door to the control room as they reached it, walking in with Kaori right behind him, subtly ensuring the door stayed open for her before turning to look at Keiji.
Keiji turns from the window seeing Kaori for the first time since she¡¯s changed clothes. ¡°Good morning.¡±
¡°Good morning,¡± she responds politely.
¡°I see Breeze convinced you to change. Are you comfortable?¡± Keiji asks with genuine interest in his kind eyes.
¡°Yes, I am,¡± she says with a nod.
Keiji smiles in return to her answer. ¡°Good. It suits you as well.¡± He turns his attention to Tai. ¡°Have you found anything?¡±
Tai takes a small pouch from his belt and tosses it toward Keiji, who in turn caught it gracefully. ¡°Only an uproar about Akiko. Rumors are spreading that she was kidnapped by Yaban, wanted by the New Reform. Temple isn¡¯t too pleased, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Emperor finds out. Nothing really all that new.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less,¡± Keiji says with a calm smile. ¡°Seems they believed Miss Kaori here to really be Akiko.¡±
She places her hands in front of her, entangling her fingers nervously as she looked down, barely able to properly pay attention to them.
Keiji looks at the door as it swung open showing Breeze walking in and cleaning off the blood from a small cut on her cheek.
¡°I¡¯ve got someone in the engine room demanding to see Akiko,¡± Breeze says in slight annoyance, noticing the hateful stare from Tai glares as if he knew what she was talking about. ¡°Don¡¯t you give me that look,¡± Breeze says returning his same expression as she scolded Tai. ¡°It was either bring them here or he would go to the Temple and tell them where the Homeland was,¡± she says seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not risking lives like that.¡±
Tai crosses his arms and looks over at Keiji. ¡°We should just throw him off ship now, he wouldn¡¯t survive a fall into the ocean.¡±
Keiji looks down thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm...¡±
¡°What do we do? He¡¯s talking about Kaori, but we can¡¯t let her go back with him, can we?¡± Breeze asks worriedly.
Kaori glances at Keiji noticing his thoughtful expression. ¡°He¡¯s not really considering the other option, is he?¡±
Keiji nods lightly to himself. ¡°There¡¯s no way for him off this vessel. We can have a talk, but we won¡¯t surrender Miss Kaori unless it¡¯s what she wants.¡±
Kaori smiles gratefully in return.
Keiji returns a kind smile at Kaori before looking at Tai. ¡°Tai, you¡¯re coming too. It may help if you¡¯re there to reassure him of the difference.¡±
Tai turns his hateful glare toward Keiji. ¡°He pisses me off and I¡¯ll take care of him myself,¡± he says angrily as he walked out of the control room first.
Breeze and Kaori stay behind a bit as Keiji went after Tai just as calmly as ever. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be fun at all,¡± Breeze mumbles a small pout coming across her face before she turned her attention toward Kaori with slight reassurance. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything he wants, okay? If he doesn¡¯t listen, we could always go with Tai¡¯s plan,¡± she says encouragingly.
¡°Are you okay though?¡± Kaori asks worriedly, referencing the injuries on Breeze¡¯s face.
She smiles brightly at Kaori¡¯s worried expression. ¡°No biggie. He won¡¯t do it again, that¡¯s for sure. Let¡¯s go before he irritates Keiji.¡± She leads the way down the hall and down a set of stairs.
Kaori steps back hearing Vicious yelling angrily behind a door they had stopped at.
¡°You kidnapped her! I know she¡¯s here don¡¯t tell me she isn¡¯t!!¡± Vicious yells loudly, the frustration in his tone very apparent.
Breeze kicks open the door dramatically, everyone including Shomei already in the room. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t I tell you no yelling?!¡±
Tai turns just as Breeze had kicked the door open and rolls his eyes at her comment with an irritated sigh.
Vicious stands in silence as he saw Kaori, his eyes wide yet showing relief. ¡°Akiko. You¡¯re alive.¡±
Kaori looks down, her hair falling over her shoulders gracefully as she avoided eye contact with Vicious while he spoke to her.
Vicious steps over to her looking worried, ignoring everyone else in the room. ¡°Did they hurt you at all?¡±
¡°Who do you think you are, judging us like that?¡± Breeze says angrily while placing her hands on her hips.
¡°Akiko,¡± Vicious says cautiously, reaching out to touch Kaori. ¡°It¡¯s okay now, we can go on ahead with your journey now that I¡¯m here.¡±
Kaori looks up suddenly, pure anger and frustration in her eyes just before she slaps Vicious hard, taking everyone one by surprise; Breeze covering her face in shock, Shomei letting out a slight gasp, Keiji seeming to smile slightly, and Tai¡¯s eyes widening as he turned his gaze toward Kaori.
¡°K-... Kaori¡± Breeze stutters in shock.
Kaori stands with her hands clenched at her sides, looking at Vicious with a hard expression in her eyes, yet speaking with very little confidence as her tone wavered. ¡°I¡¯m not Akiko.¡±
Vicious keeps his head down silently, trying to process what just happened as he slowly placed a hand on his cheek.
¡°My name is Kaori. I will not go back with you to visit the Shrines. I¡¯m here of my own free will, so whatever else you have to say doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± She turns away and hurries out of the room quickly, her face red from the surge of emotions she had as she left without saying anything more.
Tai looks toward the door as Kaori left then looks at Keiji with full attention, as if he were talking to him. ¡°Why me?¡± He asks bitterly.
¡°Rather stay here?¡± Keiji asks with a smile.
Tai glares at Keiji for a moment in response before leaving the room.
Shomei quietly steps toward Vicious then looks at Keiji as he had started speaking in a lighthearted tone.
¡°I told you we didn¡¯t have Akiko here. If you asked for Miss Kaori, we would have been more than happy to tell you she was here,¡± Keiji says with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
Shomei sighs in tepid frustration at Keiji¡¯s attitude. ¡°Would you mind telling us what happened? How did she get to your ship?¡±
¡°Oh, I can answer that!¡± Breeze says excitedly while raising her hand for attention. ¡°You see Tai found her in Bumi forest about to get killed by a Child of Sorrow¡¯s demon. You know, if you really wanted her around you would have kept a closer eye on her.¡±
¡°I think the real problem was lying to her in the first place,¡± Keiji adds apathetically.
Shomei looks down at Vicious seriously continuing to speak toward Keiji and Breeze. ¡°You know they will not want us to give up hope.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not giving up hope if there¡¯s another way. Besides, you¡¯re not even sure if she is a reincarnation of a goddess, so what does it matter?¡± says Breeze with worry in her eyes.
Vicious looks at Keiji directly, his face still somewhat read where Kaori had hit him. ¡°He knows, doesn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve yet to ask,¡± Keiji says in a carefree tone. ¡°Even if he does, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t tell even me. He¡¯s not the type to easily follow orders after all.¡±
¡°He¡¯s right. Good luck getting that kind of information out of him,¡± Breeze adds with a slight scoff and a wave of her hand.
¡°I don¡¯t understand why you keep someone like him around, and even trust her to be alone with him,¡± Vicious says, his tone heavy with accusation.
¡°What do you really want from us?¡± Breeze asks seriously, changing the subject before she felt herself become angry. ¡°You heard what she said, she¡¯s not going back with you two on your little quest toward human sacrifice.¡±
¡°If you throw us off this ship you know what will happen,¡± Vicious replies ominously.
Keiji¡¯s eyes narrow to an unfamiliar look of seriousness. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s time we talk seriously.¡±
?
Tai walks down the hall where the bedrooms were, seeing Kaori¡¯s door slightly open prompting him to walk over and knock on the door lightly.
¡°I¡¯m not here,¡± she says quietly.
He opens the door a bit more seeing Kaori sitting on the bed with her knees to her chest and her head down. ¡°Obviously,¡± he says plainly as he looked at her, letting himself in casually before closing the door behind him with a soft click.
¡°What do you want?¡± she mumbles dismissively.
¡°For some reason Keiji wanted me to check on you.¡± He crosses his arms lightly and looks away, looking as if he wanted to leave as he noticed her apathy toward him yet ultimately making up his mind to stay and sighs quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re sitting here pouting. You¡¯ve done what Breeze has been wanting to do for years.¡±
¡°I lost my temper. It¡¯s not something I should feel proud about,¡± she mumbles solemnly, regret lingering in the air.
¡°I¡¯m not telling you to feel proud of anything. It was a weak hit anyway,¡± Tai casually replies.
She lets go of her knees and turns around facing Tai, her expression now agitated. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make fun of me you could leave the room you know¡±
¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you; I¡¯m stating a fact. Learn to take criticism for what it is.¡±
She raises and eyebrow as she stared at him questioningly, trying to decipher his intentions.
¡°If you really wanted to get your point across you would have hit him with a purpose.¡±
¡°What are you...¡± Her voice trails off, puzzled by his statement.
¡°A fist you idiot. When you want to get your point across you use your fist. If you¡¯re going to hit someone you need to make a big enough impact to leave a mark. Or else what¡¯s the point?¡± he adds in frustration as a response to her expression.
She looks at him for a moment unable to suppress a small smile that came across her face. ¡°You¡¯re strange,¡± she says simply, shaking her head dismissively at his angry glare. ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that next time.¡±
He catches her now calm expression and quickly turns away, fixing his gaze elsewhere.
¡°What?¡± she asks curiously, noticing his abrupt shift in attention.
¡°Nothing,¡± he replies stoically, his attention then drawn to the sound of Keiji¡¯s voice which spoke seemingly distantly. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
¡°Please come to the control room. Someone has decided to have a civilized discussion but we would like Miss Kaori¡¯s input. It does pertain to her after all,¡± Keiji¡¯s voice says in a strangely serious tone.
¡°Got it,¡± Tai responds passively, then looks toward Kaori once more.
¡°Captain¡¯s orders?¡± She asks softly, following after him as he led the way to the control room as directed and sees everyone already gathered there. She slowly moves her eyes toward Vicious and stares at him before bowing apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hit you,¡± she says suddenly.
¡°Yeah,¡± Vicious says rubbing his face a little. ¡°It¡¯s okay I guess,¡± he mumbles in response.
Keiji walks over to Kaori and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. ¡°Miss Kaori, we have come up with a proposal for you. We shall take you the city as you wanted. If you happen to find what you¡¯re looking for feel free to stay. However, if you don¡¯t... We would like you to go to the palace to meet the emperor of Lotus City. He has requested your audience, but we will gracefully deny until we are sure you are not from where you believe yourself to be. Of course, the trip to Lotus Empire will also be used to see if you are familiar with that area as well. Is this something you can agree to?¡±
Kaori looks toward Breeze, seeking reassurance.
¡°If you¡¯re lucky you might see someone you know some where right?¡± Breeze offers supportively.
Kaori looks back at Keiji and nods once. ¡°I agree.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± Keiji says lightly then looks at Vicious. ¡°As for you, you¡¯re more than welcome about this airship but you will remain under my command if you choose to do so. As long as Miss Kaori here follows through with her end, you shall never speak of the location for as long as you are alive. If you do... Well, I¡¯m afraid Tai has a hard time listening to orders, especially regarding controlling his behaviors.¡±
Tai shoots a dangerous and warning glare toward Vicious, his eyes holding a silent threat.
¡°Fine,¡± Vicious replies with resignation.
¡°That takes care of that! On to more pressing matters!¡± Breeze says lightly, hurrying to a control panel to pull up a holographic screen on the window. ¡°I¡¯ve got good news and bad news about the island. Good news is we arrive tomorrow, bad news is the ship won¡¯t go to the center where the city lies.¡±
Shomei looks at Breeze curiously. ¡°It¡¯s an airship though.¡±
¡°This thing took forever for us to get in the air, do you think we want it shot down?¡± Breeze asks sarcastically.
¡°Suppose not,¡± Shomei mumbles softly in response.
¡°Please just leave me as close as possible and I can find my own way from there,¡± Kaori says simply toward Keiji, her tone resolute.
¡°We can¡¯t, in good conscience, let you go alone. We want you safe after all,¡± Keiji responds as he moved away toward Breeze.
¡°That¡¯s very nice of you,¡± she says kindly. ¡°I really appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be going down there too,¡± Vicious says suddenly.
Tai looks at him with irritation. ¡°You¡¯ll just be in the way. You might as well stay here.¡±
¡°Me being in the way is the least of your worries now. Anywhere she goes I¡¯ll be right behind her to make sure she¡¯s okay. If you don¡¯t like it, you can go back to that waste land,¡± Vicious says coldly.
Tai balls up his fist, stepping toward Vicious with an intent to hit him until Kaori stepped in the way. ¡°Move,¡± he says harshly, staring down at her with coldness in his eyes.
Kaori shakes her head, not making direct eye contact with Tai. ¡°No,¡± she replies in a wavering voice, unsure of herself.
Breeze stops what she was doing to see what was happening, then looks at Keiji with interest for a moment, and back at Tai silently.
Kaori looks up at Tai¡¯s angry expression, the hesitation in her eyes apparent as he glared down at her.
¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work you know that,¡± Tai says angrily, then turns his irate expression toward Vicious just before turning to walk out the door, stopping for a second before walking out.
Kaori sighs a little in relief to herself after Tai had left and looks down, her thoughts drowning out everyone else who was talking around her. ¡°What is his problem? How can he be so nice to me one second then so cold the next? I really don¡¯t get his quick changes in character.¡±
¡°What do you think Kaori?¡± Breeze asks curiously, turning back to Kaori, confused as she didn¡¯t answer her. ¡°Kaori?¡±
¡°Huh? Oh,¡± Kaori shakes her head. ¡°Yes?¡±
Breeze looks at Kaori worriedly. ¡°We were talking about the route there if it¡¯s all clear, we¡¯d like to just get in and out if at all possible.¡±
¡°I-¡± Kaori stops, everyone being caught off guard as the ship jerked so hard that Kaori fell forward on her hands along with Vicious and Shomei while Keiji and Breeze fell forward on the control panel.
¡°The hell?¡± Breeze orients herself and quickly pulls up a hologram on the window, Keiji straightening himself out to see what Breeze had pulled up.
Keiji touches the side of his collar with a stern expression as he saw the outline of a long dragon start flying near them. ¡°Hellion. I need you to take her now.¡±
Shomei gets up and hurries to Kaori¡¯s side worriedly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asks with concern as she helped Kaori stand on her feet.
Kaori nods a little. ¡°What was that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a hellion,¡± Shomei says seriously. ¡°Freed from the depths of hell to cleanse Noroc.¡±
¡°Who would free something like that?¡± Kaori asks in disbelief, then turns to the door as Tai ran in before her question could be answered.
¡°Seems like he¡¯s finally found out where she is.¡± Tai says urgently, locking eyes with Keiji.
¡°Take her out of here. We need to get the ship somewhere safe,¡± Keiji asserts firmly addressing Tai.
¡°Wait a minute-¡± Vicious says in an attempt to interject.
Breeze shoots an impatient glare at Vicious. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for an argument Vicious. We only have one escape route, and you knew it was hers.¡±
¡°In any event, we will need you here to try and help us hold it off until we reach a safe drop point. If you¡¯re not up to the task you can jump ship now,¡± Keiji says blatantly.
Vicious lowers his proud gaze down and nods just as the ship jerked hard again. ¡°Fine.¡±
Keiji turns his attention back to Tai with a nod. ¡°Tai.¡±
¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Tai says quickly and grabs Kaori by her arm tightly and pulling her with him out of the room, hurrying as fast as he could down the halls with Kaori stumbling behind him with the ship shaking violently from not only several attacks but also from the abrupt turns to avoid further damage.
She tries her best to keep up with Tai but falls against the wall as the ship turned hard, and slumps to the floor as it eventually started to lose altitude. She looks down as the ship gave way under her and starts falling to the ground. ¡°No!!¡± She cries out in fear, her hand outstretched toward Tai as she fell.
He jumps out of the ship toward her without a moment of hesitation as they started closing in on the ocean below. He makes his way toward her, instinctively wrapping his arms around her and turning over in attempt to lessen the impact on Kaori as they both crashed into the water just before they were hit by an orb of darkness that came from the gaping maw of the colossal black dragon. He winces in pain, immediately losing his protective grip on Kaori once the water consumed them.
Kaori feels the air being knocked from her lungs as soon as the water hit her, sharp pain coursing through her entire body from the impact the fall had on her despite Tai¡¯s attempts. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe. My body hurts so much.¡± She opens her eyes slightly with a grimace of agony seeing a glimpse of Tai at a distance from her, his hand outstretched in attempt to swim toward her with a combination of pain and determination on his face, the air quickly escaping him the closer her got to her. She lets the last breath she held escape her as if calling out to him with her hand weakly attempting to close the distance between them. ¡°I... Can¡¯t reach you...¡± She closes her eyes lightly, surrendering to the darkness unconsciousness offered her.
?
Kaori runs through a dimly lit hallway, her heart pounding with fear as she heard the ominous sound of heavy footsteps drawing closer to her.
¡°Find it now!!¡± A commanding voice bellows, reverberating through the empty corridors, sending a chill down Kaori¡¯s spine.
Her gaze darts behind her, meeting the silhouette of a looming figure advancing toward her from the shadows. Despite the threat in his voice, there was a haunting calmness to his demeanor.
¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run,¡± he says with a soft yet condescending voice as he cornered her at a dead end.
?
Kaori regains consciousness, feeling the weight of her body pressing down on her as she struggled against the pain. With a grimace she opens her eyes, her vision blurred at first before gradually coming into focus. She notices movement that drew her attention quickly, seeing Tai soaking wet and on his hands and knees, gasping for breath.
Coughing lightly, Tai struggles to his feet on the hard stone ground near a looming cliff close to the ocean. He scans the area before his gaze settled on Kaori and makes his way toward her, holding his side in pain. His messy waterlogged hair drips down his face as he knelt down next to her, looking at her tiredly. ¡°You alright?¡± he asks, a rough concern barely visible in his expression.
¡°I think so,¡± Kaori responds, attempting to sit up, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her arm as she did so. She instinctively grips it in pain, wincing in discomfort, unaware of her own soaking wet appearance.
He immediately notices the blood quickly seeping through Kaori¡¯s clothes, sighing softly. ¡°You must have hit something on the way down. How much does it hurt?¡±
She shakes her head, forcing a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine really,¡± she insists, her expression failing to hide the pain she was feeling.
¡°Wait here,¡± he instructs before disappearing into the darkness of the nearby forest, leaving Kaori alone with her thoughts. He returns moments later with a pile of dried sticks that he tossed nearby between them, kneeling down, and hovering an open palm above the debris, starting a fire within the branches.
She watches the fire for a moment, her attention moving to her arm, the blood now seeping between her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡± She stares at her hand with an empty expression, only looking up as Tai directed his full attention back to her.
He gets up, moving to kneel at her side, looking at her arm cautiously. ¡°Pull your sleeve down,¡± he says quietly, making no attempt to touch her.
She unbuttons her jacket and pulls out her arm, wincing in pain as the fabric peeled away from her now obviously seen large, open wound on her bare shoulder just below the thin strap of her black tank top. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°This will hurt for a while,¡± he says ignoring her question, his eyes carefully examining the severity of her wound.
¡°What will?¡±
He takes a small dark blue glass bottle from his pocket and opens it, looking at Kaori directly in the eyes before doing anything. ¡°Fix it. Unless you want to keep bleeding.¡±
She shakes her head. ¡°No.¡±
He puts his attention back on Kaori¡¯s wound, tilting the small bottle and letting a few drops of an unknown liquid drip on her skin.
She watches her arm glow and feels a sharp pain as it slowly started healing before her eyes. ¡°It burns,¡± she says in a shaky tone as she clenched her fists hard, trying her best to ignore the pain. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a potion Breeze makes. She creates it based on what type of injury the person has.¡±
She feels the pain pass, only seeing a bit of blood left over, but her arm completely healed. She looks down for a moment, speaking after Tai had stood up and looked around, checking where they were while she pulled her sleeve back up and buttoned her jacked to where it was before. ¡°Did you...¡± Her voice fades off a little while she looked down, standing up steadily.
He turns and looks at her as she spoke, waiting for her to finish her thought.
¡°You jumped off the ship after me, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°So?¡± He asks carelessly.
¡°Why did you do something like that?¡± Worry seeps into her voice, her concern of him clearly displayed across her face from the gentle glow of the fire before them.
He avoids her gaze, his attention shifting to the crackling fire. ¡°Keiji made it a point that you are to be kept safe no matter what. I¡¯m only following his orders,¡± he says dismissively, though underlying tension hanging between them.
¡°Don¡¯t do anything so reckless again,¡± she says suddenly, her worry conflicting with gratitude. ¡°You don¡¯t know me well enough to risk your life for me.¡±
His hands find their way into his pockets lightly, his posture relaxed yet tense. ¡°Nothing was risked,¡± he mumbles, a shadow passing over his features. ¡°Anyway, I let Keiji know where we were,¡± he adds with a sigh before Kaori could realize what he said.
¡°Are they alright?¡± She asks with concern.
¡°They should be here by morning. Ask them yourself then,¡± he replies curtly, effectively cutting off the conversation between them.
Her frown deepens as she sighed, feeling a sense of disheartenment was over her. With heavy steps, she walks away from Tai and closer to the shore of the beach, drawn to the calming rhythm of the waves. Seating herself on the ground, she wraps her arms around her knees, her gaze fixated on the tranquil expanse of the ocean stretching out before her. ¡°Things already are getting dangerous. I guess they were right to come along¡­ I can¡¯t say that Keiji and the others are treating me any more special than a normal person though. After all they seem like the type that really value life no matter who¡¯s it is. But they seem to not like Vicious very much. I wonder why that is. Something to do with Akiko I bet.¡± A gentle breeze ruffles her long hair lightly, offering a moment of solace in the uncertainty she was trying to overcome.
He glances at Kaori for a moment, his attention drawn in the opposite direction at the sound of Keiji¡¯s voice emanating from his unseen communicator from the collar of his jacket.
¡°How is she?¡± Asks Keiji¡¯s voice in concern.
Tai takes a few steps further away from Kaori, ensuring his voice didn¡¯t reach her. ¡°I healed her wound, it seems to have reacted quicker than it should have. Other than that, she seems just as quiet.¡±
¡°It seems she feels comfortable enough to stay with us for the time being though. I¡¯d say we¡¯ve earned her trust at the very least,¡± Keiji remarks thoughtfully.
¡°It¡¯s not something I care about,¡± Tai responds with little to no interest in continuing the conversation.
¡°Nonetheless we do need to care for her. Don¡¯t we?¡± Keiji asks, his tone somewhat questioning.
¡°Keep your mind in the present,¡± Tai replies coldly, unaffected by Keiji¡¯s soft laugh on the other end.
¡°Just be on guard tonight,¡± Keiji advises cautiously.
Tai looks back at Kaori once more with his usual unreadable expression, until his features shifted where he suddenly seemed more serious, as if he noticed something about her he couldn¡¯t quite place.
She sighs lightly and gets up, going back to sit near the fire silently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± she asks Tai as he came to join her on the farther side.
¡°No,¡± he responds tersely.
She listens to the fire snapping as it burned. ¡°Akiko and Vicious... Were they...¡± she hesitates, searching for the right words. ¡°Together?¡± she finally asks, the uncertainty lingering.
¡°Something like that,¡± he replies critically.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°From what I heard; they loved one another but she knew she would die in the end so... That¡¯s that,¡± he explains, his tone showing no emotional response to the situation.
¡°Oh,¡± Kaori responds quietly, absorbing Tai¡¯s words with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. She shifts uneasily, feeling the distance between them grow, despite sitting near one another. ¡°Can I ask you, if you know what is it that is so dangerous on this island?¡±
He slowly looks up and stares at Kaori, not seeming to realize he was making her feel uncomfortable. ¡°The New Reform,¡± he slowly turns his distant gaze toward the crackling fire. ¡°There is a machine on this island designed to drain powers from those who have it. Keiji wanted you to reconsider in the event you are mistaken for Akiko and killed for no reason by the group called The New Reform; the people who rose up against the Temple¡¯s teachings and believe the only way to attain peace is through war rather than meaningless worship.¡±
¡°Do you think I should stop here then?¡± She asks quietly, looking at him with a worried gaze.
He stays silent for a long moment, his eyes locked on the fire but his mind far away in thought. ¡°It would be best to see for yourself at a safe distance. It might be a place you know but not one you¡¯re from.¡±
She moves to lay down, her back facing Tai. ¡°Where else would I be from...¡± she mumbles quietly, slowly drifting off to sleep.
He stares at the fire, in deep thought, hearing Kaori had fallen asleep soundly. He gets up after the fire had died down and walks to see a peaceful view of the ocean shore, turning quickly as he heard something in the distance behind him and places a hand on his sword, not able to turn around fast enough, resulting in getting stabbed in the side with a knife by a male dressed in a black jumpsuit and a bandanna hiding his face. He falls to his knees and looks at his hand, seeing his blood was a strange glowing blue color. ¡°What the...¡±
The man stares at Tai with a cold look in his eyes, speaking in a hollow tone. ¡°Coated in the blood of the innocent, made especially for you. Good luck recovering in time traitor.¡± He turns as a few people dressed similarly hurried from the darkness of the forest and surrounded Kaori, forcing her up. ¡°We heard you were here but didn¡¯t think the boss was telling the truth.¡±
Kaori is jolted awake, a new sense of pain and fear overwhelming her as her head was held up by a strong grip of her hair as two people detained her. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?! Let me go!¡± She tries to pull away hard, stopping all movement as she saw Tai on his knees bleeding badly, causing panic and worry to consume her.
¡°Let her go. She¡¯s not-...¡± Tai¡¯s voice strains as he attempted to intervene, falling forward on his hands, the immense pain radiating through him as he used one hand to grip his side tightly.
One of the captors chuckles, a sinister edge to the sound. ¡°Funny how she¡¯s with you isn¡¯t it? You wouldn¡¯t think us prepared but you see, the whole island is under surveillance, and we have been dying to try our newly developed technology on you and your friends. Now that we see it works... Well, we¡¯ve taken care of one of our biggest problems.¡±
Tai coughs, wincing in pain as blood started to stain his lips. ¡°Kaori...¡± he groans, his voice barely reaching a whisper, hearing her screams start to become distant. ¡°Don¡¯t...¡± he says weakly, using every bit of strength he had in an attempt to remain conscious.
¡°Let go of me!!!¡± Kaori¡¯s voice echoes with desperation as she struggled against her captors, managing to land a kick and a punch on two of the men holding her before they seized her once more, keeping her from running toward Tai.
¡°Enough!¡± the unknown man snaps irritably as he picked Tai up by his collar, locking eyes with him. ¡°She¡¯s ours now,¡± he declares gravely before hurling a weakened and bloody Tai into the ocean, grinning as he saw a trail of blood wash away with the rough waves, carrying Tai deeper into the water.
¡°No!!!!¡± Kaori¡¯s anguished cry echoes around them all as she watched Tai sink into the water, her outstretched hand desperately reaching out toward him as she struggled in the arms of the man restraining her.
¡°Silence her,¡± the man commands, followed by the swift action of an electric shock to Kaori¡¯s side.
She feels a searing hot pain radiate through her entire body causing her to gasp just before crumpling to the ground unconscious.
?
Kaori finds herself standing in a radiant familiar field of glowing flowers, the lights still falling down at a slow pace and placing themselves in an unlit flower. She steps forward slowly, hesitating as she felt a presence behind her. She remains still, a single darkened flower gathering her attention, even as a male spoke in a sullen tone weakly from behind her.
¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he whispers desperately.
She keeps her head low, heavy with emotion and tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Someone has to end it.¡±
¡°Please...¡± he pleads, his voice somewhat trembling.
?
Kaori eyes flutter open slowly, greeted by a heavy darkness. ¡°Where am I?¡± Confusion clouds her thoughts as she attempted to move, only to discover her hands bound above her head, the cold metal chains digging into her skin as she hung from the wall. She struggles against the restraints, her heart pounding in her ears as the heavy door nearby creaked open. With little light entering the room, she hears the sound of approaching footsteps followed by the deep voice of a man that cut through the silence.
¡°You surprised us, Akiko. We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have Yaban with you,¡± his voice says with a tone of feigned familiarity.
Straining her eyes to adjust to the scarce light filtering into the room, she is able to discern the silhouette of a tall young man with jet-black hair and callous dark brown eyes. Clad entirely in black, a gun, similar to Breeze¡¯s, holstered to his hip catches the faint glimmer of light. With a tremor in her voice, she finally breaks the tense silence. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asks in a small voice that barely became a whisper. Chapter 4 - Old Habits
¡°I¡¯m so stupid... I should have listened to them...¡±
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°It¡¯s all my fault anyway...¡±
¡°He¡¯s strange sometimes.¡± She thinks as she moved to lay down. ¡°If I didn¡¯t follow whatever that was I remembered, they wouldn¡¯t have to apologize... I feel so horrible causing them heartache like this.¡± She closes her eyes before tears could fall, slowly falling asleep peacefully.
¡°Calm down. Ignore it. If I try not to think about it I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She steps away, putting distance between herself and the others, only sighing deeply with an exhausted expression on her face while she tried to gather herself.
¡°I can¡¯t trust what little I know... What I do know hurts people...¡±
¡°I feel like there¡¯s no in between. There¡¯s nothing else for me here other than to live her life for everyone else¡¯s sake.¡±
Chapter 5 - A Favor Before I Go
Breeze steps into the control room of the airship, exhaling a sigh of relief as she smiled. ¡°Ahh... Safe and sound,¡± she says peacefully, the soft hum of machinery filling the air, accompanied by the gentle sway of the ship in flight. She turns as the rest of the group filed in behind her. ¡°Alright, so we are heading to Lotus City?¡±
Keiji nods in confirmation, his eyes scanning the room with a sense of focus. ¡°That was the deal, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he replies, steady and resolute in his response.
¡°Don¡¯t you think we should have a talk here first?¡± Vicious interjects with growing irritation and resentment toward them, his attention shifting directly toward Tai who was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed.
¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± Tai replies carelessly.
¡°Tell her,¡± Vicious insists, taking a step forward as mean to pressure Tai into talking.
Kaori watches the exchange with curiosity, her brow furrowing in confusion. ¡°Tell me what?¡± she asks, her voice soft yet also insistent.
Tai lets out another sigh, his expression unreadable as he glanced toward Vicious before turning his attention to Kaori while he pushed himself off the wall and stood straight. ¡°You want to know that bad?¡± he asks with indifference.
Kaori looks back at Tai uncomfortably. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°No one¡¯s told you why he¡¯s so important?¡± Vicious asks Kaori with a deathly serious tone in his voice. ¡°He has the ability to sense deities.¡±
Kaori looks at Vicious in disbelief, then turns to Tai as he spoke with a furrowed brow of concern.
¡°Don¡¯t talk about it like it¡¯s something that comes commonly to Yaban,¡± Tai interjects in a strangely calm tone as he walked closer to Kaori, stopping directly in front of her. ¡°But if you¡¯re so damn curious the first thing you should know is...¡± He pauses, lowering his eyes to meet Kaori¡¯s, paying no mind to her uneasy expression as she looked up at him earnestly. ¡°She isn¡¯t Akiko,¡± he says simply. ¡°Akiko was raised to love the world unconditionally; Kaori doesn¡¯t know of it,¡± he looks into Kaori¡¯s eyes with profound intensity, looking for something deep within them.
She looks up at Tai with wide eyes filled with silent curiosity as he stared at her. ¡°Why is he staring at me like that?¡± She feels herself blushing with discomfort of the situation and looks away from him, abruptly breaking eye contact with him.
¡°She is a different type of deity all her own,¡± Tai adds quietly, slowly looking away from Kaori and at Vicious, his expression becoming aggravated as he looked at him. ¡°Happy?¡± he asks sarcastically while he walked away from Kaori.
¡°Then she has to go to the Lunar Garden,¡± Vicious says suddenly with urgency in his voice. ¡°Before anything, she needs to take care of things there.¡±
Breeze looks at Vicious with a stern glare in her expression, quickly interjecting with seriousness. ¡°You know we can¡¯t go there, why would you even suggest that?¡±
Shomei lets out a soft, nearly unnoticeable, sigh as she uncrossed her arms, her movements deliberate yet subtle. Her voice remains calm and composed as she spoke, carrying a sense of wisdom and understanding. ¡°I think that no matter what our differences are now, it should be something that she needs to take care of. As a child of the heavens, she has certain responsibilities she must tend to regardless of her acceptance toward such a burden.¡±
Kaori¡¯s shoulders slump slightly as she looked down. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to be. Who decided it was my responsibility to do anything in the first place?¡± She shakes her head in frustration at her thoughts before pushing past everyone and leaving the room quickly.
Breeze watches the door as it closed behind Kaori, her expression reflecting concern and uncertainty.
¡°You should have told her as soon as you met,¡± Vicious says, his tone dripping with bitterness and resentment as he directed his words toward Tai, his eyes narrowing with accusation and hate.
Tai¡¯s glare at Vicious intensified, his entire self, fraught with tension and unspoken words, yet refrains from speaking as Breeze made her way to the door purposefully.
¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her,¡± Breeze announces with an upbeat sense of determination, only to look back as Shomei spoke.
¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Shomei offers with a reassuring smile and a nod.
Breeze smiles pleasantly, leading the way out with Shomei close behind.
Keiji lets out a weary sigh, his gaze wandering to stare out of the window with a sense of contemplation. ¡°So she is,¡± he murmurs softly, his eyes distant with his thoughts.
Vicious takes several steps toward Keiji, agitated at Keiji¡¯s demeanor toward the situation. ¡°You can¡¯t ignore the facts, Keiji. She needs to go there, before Aduro tries to make another collection.¡±
Keiji looks over his shoulder, meeting Vicious¡¯s gaze with a calm one of his own despite the tension between them. ¡°I can¡¯t make her do anything,¡± he states simply, accompanied by a nonchalant shrug of his broad shoulders.
¡°Why do you even have her on this ship then?¡± Vicious questions skeptically, his suspicion growing. ¡°It¡¯s for him, isn¡¯t it?¡± He gestures pointedly toward Tai, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny.
Keiji turns to face Tai, curious as he sought clarification from him. ¡°Is she here for you?¡±
¡°I suggested we get rid of her from the start,¡± his detached tone void of all emotion as he responded while rolling his eyes lightly.
Keiji offers a small smile at Tai¡¯s response before redirecting his attention back to Vicious. ¡°She¡¯s here of her own will. I believe she said she didn¡¯t want to go with you anywhere as you had attempted to lie to her before.¡±
¡°I-...¡± Vicious¡¯s voice falters slightly, failing to defend himself. His eyes fall to the floor momentarily before he continued. ¡°I want what Akiko would have wanted. What everyone wants in the end.¡±
Keiji¡¯s question hangs heavy in the air, continuing to challenge Vicious¡¯s perspective. ¡°Did it ever cross your mind to ask Miss Kaori what she wanted?¡±
?
Breeze knocks on the door to Kaori¡¯s room gently, seeming hesitant as her and Shomei wait for Kaori¡¯s response. ¡°Kaori? Can we come in?¡± She waits in silence for a moment before nudging the door open slightly, revealing Kaori standing near the small window and gazing outside, lost in thought. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asks cautiously, her voice soothing the discomfort swallowing the room.
Kaori exhales in defeat, her expression showing resignation. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters,¡± she murmurs distantly, her eyes meeting those of Breeze and Shomei as she turned to face them. ¡°As long as I follow the path laid out for me just like Akiko.¡±
¡°You should know that something like this was never a part of Akiko¡¯s plan,¡± Shomei interjects suddenly, reflecting solemnly on her past while she continued to speak on the origins of Akiko¡¯s journey. ¡°Like many gods before her, her fate was written in stone the day she had come to Noroc as a child by the scriptures at the Temple. It was said the heavens sent her here at such a young age so she would love the people of the world. And she did. She was raised in the Temple, studied all the teachings, harnessed her power as a god, and once she was of age, I was to take her to the last standing shrines as a way to help build faith for the people and help her build her faith in herself.¡± Shomei continues, her narrative unfurling like a tapestry of ancient lore, weaving together the threads of how Akiko¡¯s life not only interconnected with her but Vicious as well. ¡°When we arrived at Tinder, we had met Vicious who was, at the time, a Temple follower, and a Shrine Warrior. After a close call with one of the Loyal Four he vowed to protect her and continued on with us. Naturally during that time Vicious and Akiko had become closer, but it was unfortunately short lived as she had passed trying to fight off a being known as Aduro.¡±
Breeze¡¯s attention remains fixed on Kaori with worriedly, her brow furrowed as she searched for any sort of confirmation of how Kaori was feeling while Shomei carried on.
¡°Akiko never chose to stay here with Yaban,¡± Shomei continues calmly. ¡°She was forbidden to go near them. She had never flown atop this ship, and only on a very rare occasion did she meet Taiichiro. I truly believe that you don¡¯t have to fear going down a spiral you aren¡¯t in control of. You came to this place in a way where you are able to do things that you believe is right, not what the people believe is right.¡±
¡°Do you believe in doing things how Akiko did?¡± Kaori asks Shomei directly.
Shomei inhales quietly as she crosses her arms, gathering her thoughts at the question as it lingered in her mind for a moment. ¡°After she had died there was a lot of time for me to hate those who made it happen, and recover, then to think rationally,¡± her voice lowers with the burden of loss and grief weighing down her heart. ¡°What gives us as humans, or even Yaban the right to tell a higher power how to save the world when we were the ones who tried to kill it?¡±
Kaori frowns worriedly, feeling a profound sense of humility and acceptance at the weight of Shomei¡¯s reflection of the past. ¡°If everyone is fighting each other then, what does this Aduro have to do with anything?¡±
Shomei looks toward Breeze for an answer, hoping she would interject with the knowledge from the Yaban point of view.
Breeze looks down hesitantly as she stepped forward a little, looking down at her hands in front of her as she picked at her nails nervously, being careful to choose her words as she spoke. ¡°It happened a really long time ago,¡± she begins softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she started to paint a picture of the past while continuing on. ¡°The start of the first war over a thousand years ago. Where people started questioning the teachings of the Temples. The world was divided into three types of followers; those who were devout to the Temple, those who questioned the legitimacy of their ways, and those like us. The Yaban were called outcasts back then because no one wanted them to dirty the blood of humans for fear we were given the powers of demons. They had gone into hiding but never once denied a helping hand to followers despite what the scriptures say. While everyone started fighting over nothing the Yaban started to make secret colonies because many of our people would end up kidnapped, killed, or worked on like some type of experiment in an attempt to extract our abilities. The island that they all eventually decide to live on was called the isle of hope, but the Temple called it the wastelands, so that¡¯s what everyone came to know it by. It was found once and destroyed in an attempt to sway the follower¡¯s belief¡¯s, proving to them that by killing our people meant they had their best interests at heart. Many of the people died when it happened, and it seemed like the last straw for the gods. It¡¯s said that when the first deity had come to Noroc they lived at peace, but as time went on the Temple started to claimed rights over them while the Rebels refused them all together. From what Yaban are told, these threats are what caused our creation as an attempt to protect the gods. Now deities come to forgive us of all our sins. Some say Aduro is our true way toward repentance but...¡± She pauses, finding it hard to continue on with detail about Aduro¡¯s arrival to Noroc. ¡°Well, eventually he called upon four of the deadliest servants from hell to entice those with evil in their hearts to surrender their souls to him. When the gods first started to come in an attempt to bring him home to the heavens we soon realized he¡¯s our retribution. Because the deities have yet to do so to this day, it must mean we have yet to learn our lesson. Most of them fell at his hands, others at their own at the sight of what we had done to our world, and some as a way to escape the Rebels. Something we all feared would have been you recently... The one before Akiko, hundreds of years ago, was the first to have been targeted by the Rebels in a long time and they nearly accomplished it, but she was said to have jumped from the cliff of the isles to protect the gifts the gods had given her. There¡¯s not many of us left in the world, and many of our people have faltered at the will of the gods, but Keiji and I haven¡¯t, and I¡¯m sure Tai hasn¡¯t either. We want to protect you Kaori.¡±
Kaori slowly looks downward, her mind grappling with the weight of what she had been told before looking back at the women in front of her. ¡°What is the Lunar Garden?¡± she asks, turning to Shomei as she spoke.
¡°It¡¯s a field of flowers where the souls of the departed await guidance. On occasion Aduro will make his way there to guide those souls to him and use them as demons and servants to his loyal followers. We want that to be avoided at all costs.¡±
Kaori looks at Breeze with apprehensive curiously. ¡°And we can¡¯t go?¡±
¡°Well ¡®we¡¯ as in Keiji, Tai, and myself...¡± Breeze says thoughtfully, her hesitation growing.
¡°Why not?¡± Kaori asks with confusion.
¡°Well... Uh... I can¡¯t really tell you the reason just yet. I don¡¯t have permission,¡± Breeze explains uneasily. ¡°I hope you understand.¡±
Kaori nods slightly, her expression understanding despite her lackluster response. ¡°I guess...¡± She turns to look at Shomei, her eyes hopeful. ¡°If I go, will you let me come back here?¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Breeze¡¯s eyes widen in surprise at Kaori¡¯s request, seemingly touched.
Shomei nods once in agreement, unknowingly putting Kaori at ease with such a small action. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask anything of you that isn¡¯t necessary, and I won¡¯t keep you from a place your heart wants to be.¡±
¡°You really want to stay with us?¡± Breeze asks excitedly. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Kaori turns to Breeze, her face somewhat relaxed, despite the uncertainty she felt. ¡°Yes. That is, if it¡¯s okay with you?¡±
Breeze hurries over, her face lighting up with a bright smile as she envelops Kaori in a warm hug. ¡°Of course it is! Keiji will be more than happy to hear that,¡± she exclaims with genuine delight.
Kaori returns the smile, returning Breeze¡¯s embrace. ¡°If I¡¯m a goddess, I want to do things a different way. Is that alright?¡±
Breeze moves away and holds Kaori by the shoulders, her supportive expression clearly displayed across her face. ¡°Absolutely, and we¡¯ll be right here with you the entire time.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go to the garden then,¡± Kaori says to Shomei with an agreeable nod.
¡°Thank you,¡± Shomei says in soft relief, lowering her head in respect and gratitude.
Breeze giggles lightly, unable to hide her excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s tell Keiji the great news!¡± She takes Kaori¡¯s hand in hers and hurries out of the room and down the halls eagerly, Shomei not too far behind, her demeanor visibly calmer as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Breeze reaches the entrance to the control room and slams open the door hard. ¡°Keiji great news we-¡± she stops looking angry as she saw Tai holding his sword out at Vicious¡¯s throat noticing his forehead was bleeding and his face holding a dangerous glare at Vicious. ¡°What is going on here?¡± She asks in a scolding tone.
Keiji steps forward, his hand gently resting on Tai¡¯s sword, lowering it down with ease just before Tai put it away. ¡°A healthy debate among gentlemen I assure you,¡± he says with a smile while walking forward a bit. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Vicious replies curtly.
Tai moves his gaze away from Vicious and looks directly at Breeze. ¡°What is it you want this time?¡± He asks aggressively, his rudeness no different than usual.
Breeze¡¯s lips form a slight pout of dissatisfaction before speaking. ¡°First off; you¡¯re still rude,¡± she scolds, continuing on to carry that tone. ¡°You should know better by now, and second...¡± She moves behind Kaori, nudging her forward into the midst of everyone with eager anticipation. ¡°Tell them,¡± she encourages gently.
¡°Uh-... O- Okay...¡± she gathers her composure, meeting Keiji¡¯s eyes with feigned confidence. ¡°I would like to go to the Lunar Garden,¡± she announces simply, with determination hidden underneath.
¡°Would you?¡± Keiji asks softly, his expression kind.
Kaori nods once with a sense of firmness in her choice. ¡°Yes, and if you would allow it, I would like to return to your ship,¡± she adds with a slight furrow of her brow, hoping Keiji would agree.
Keiji raises a hand, signaling Tai to maintain his silence, seemingly knowing Tai wanted to interject from behind him without having to look. ¡°Just wait,¡± he says quietly, prompting Tai to cross his arms and turn away bitterly. ¡°What has made you change your mind?¡± Keiji asks Kaori, seeming to already know the answer.
¡°If there are things that I have to do then I will do it my way, and I would like for people I trust to be with me. I refuse to be the same as anyone before me... I want to do what I feel is right.¡± Kaori says hesitantly as her eyes drifted downward at her hands nervously, the little confidence she started speaking with fading.
Breeze claps her hands a little looking excited while Vicious stepped forward, his intention about to protest before he was stopped by a deathly glare from Shomei.
¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Shomei commands, causing Vicious to fall silent.
¡°Well, shall we have a vote?¡± suggests Keiji, looking at Breeze and Tai with a cunning smile. ¡°Only crew members that is. All in favor of Miss Kaori staying on board?¡±
Breeze raises her hand eagerly, barely able to contain her excitement until Tai slapped down her hand hard, taking her by surprise. ¡°Hey!!¡± she protests childishly.
Tai turns his attention toward Keiji, after reprimanding Breeze, noticing that Keiji¡¯s hand had only risen to the level of his face. ¡°You play too much,¡± he says bitterly.
Keiji chuckles softly in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m sure some good will come of it,¡± he reassures, lowering his hand lightly.
Tai shakes his head slightly, his frustration with not only the situation but with them, evident. ¡°Get those thoughts out of your head,¡± he warns dangerously.
Breeze grins happily, undeterred by Tai¡¯s irritated behavior. ¡°Right! Okay so the closest we can let you guys go is the Valley. Is that alright with you?¡± She asks curiously as she glanced at Shomei.
¡°It should be fine. The walk there shouldn¡¯t be long,¡± Shomei replies with a subtle nod, calm and composed as she did so.
Kaori gradually tunes out the conversation around her, her attention drawn to Tai as he exited the room. ¡°He really must hate Vicious. I wonder what happened between them.¡± She takes a step back as the others continued their discussion, slowly slipping out of the control room after Tai.
¡°Great right Kaori?¡± Breeze looks behind her, expecting to see Kaori, finding the space she was standing at empty. ¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Seems someone else has caught her attention for the time being,¡± Keiji says thoughtfully, observing the situation. ¡°We can inform her of the details later on.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Breeze replies with a little nod of acknowledgement. ¡°I¡¯ll set route to the outskirts of the garden,¡± she adds, turning her attention back to the controls.
?
Kaori ascends the steps to the deck, her eyes scanning her surroundings until they fell upon Tai who was staring up at the sky with a furrowed brow. ¡°He would be here.¡±
He looks over his shoulder as he heard her footsteps, then turns back to look at the sky, his eyes level with the horizon rather than looking up.
She walks up to his side and looks in the same direction, her hair flowing gently behind her. ¡°Should I say something? It¡¯s so quiet.¡±
¡°Seems like you¡¯ve made up your mind,¡± Tai says quietly, his voice barely breaking the silence between them as he continued to stare out at the horizon.
¡°I have,¡± she replies, not taking her eyes off of the sky, disregarding Tai¡¯s contempt toward her. ¡°So. Um... Your real name is something different isn¡¯t it?¡± She asks after a while. ¡°When we were at that island I heard it for the first time. Shomei and Vicious call you that as well,¡± she looks at him curiously as she noticed his eyes wander downward. ¡°Why did you change it?¡±
¡°Those who know a different side of me call me Taiichiro,¡± he responds with a guarded tone.
¡°I see. I like what you go by now anyway,¡± Kaori says, injecting a touch of light heartedness into her voice as she turned to look at him.
¡°Yeah?¡± he asks looking unimpressed.
¡°It suits you,¡± she says thoughtfully, a hint of a smile on her face. ¡°At least... That¡¯s what I believe.¡±
He raises his gaze lightly his eyes reflecting that his attention didn¡¯t seem as distant anymore.
She shakes her head lightly. ¡°I wanted to ask you about what you said earlier. Could you tell the entire time that I¡¯m like Akiko?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not like her,¡± he says quickly as if correcting her. ¡°The only thing you have in common is where you came from.¡± He turns and looks at Kaori directly. ¡°And I did know from the moment you looked at me.¡±
¡°How... How is that possible exactly?¡± she asks looking back at him curiously.
¡°It¡¯s in your eyes.¡±
¡°What is?¡±
He stares at her eyes directly, seemingly taken by the golden ring on the outer brown color of her eyes that glowed faintly. ¡°It¡¯s the mark of purity.¡±
¡°He has a habit of making me feel uneasy.¡± She stares back up at him, unable to look away no matter how uncomfortable she felt. ¡°Is it something only you can do?¡± she asks quietly in an attempt to hide how anxious she felt.
He nods slightly. ¡°Yes.¡±
She looks away after a while and takes a deep breath silently, regaining her composure. ¡°I see.¡± She closes her eyes tightly for a while, trying her best to understand everything. ¡°Calm down Kaori. You¡¯re safe here.¡± She frowns a bit before looking down at her hands, which were nervously interlocked by her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about what you said and... I would like to ask a favor from you.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
?
¡°So, we should arrive by tomorrow. After we get to the Lunar Garden we¡¯ll send notice to the Emperor about Kaori¡¯s arrival there,¡± Breeze says lightly while looking at the holographic map in front of her. Her fingers dance over the controls, adjusting the projected route.
Shomei nods in agreement, her expression calm and determined. ¡°We¡¯ll have her do what is needed and return quickly,¡± she adds with a steady and definite voice.
¡°As she requested to stay with us, I want to ask you to protect her in every way you can while under your care,¡± Keiji says seriously, his gaze shifting from Breeze to Shomei, emphasizing the importance of their responsibility.
¡°What is your plan with her exactly?¡± Vicious asks suddenly, his tone sharp and probing. ¡°I want to know in all honesty if you intend to have her help him,¡± he adds, his eyes narrowing with suspicion as he directed his question toward Keiji.
¡°I believe he gave that up¡± Keiji replies simply, unaffected by Vicious¡¯s intense glare.
¡°How can you be sure of that? Most of his life was him chasing after forgiveness, you can¡¯t expect me to believe after all that time he just gave up,¡± Vicious stares at Keiji hard as he spoke, his attention swiftly moving to Breeze as her voice interjected.
¡°Well after Akiko died you weren¡¯t there were you?¡± She asks sarcastically, her tone laced with bitter frustration. ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°I know that he should never be trusted,¡± Vicious says, crossing his arms defiantly, his distrust reflected in his stance.
¡°Look, just because he isn¡¯t someone you believe in doesn¡¯t mean he isn¡¯t a good person,¡± Breeze replies defensively, her tone firm as she spoke on behalf of Tai.
¡°I can never trust someone who helped start this,¡± he says seriously, his voice taking on a stricter tone as he maintained his stance.
¡°Enough, Vicious,¡± Shomei interjects softly, commanding Vicious¡¯s attention before Keiji spoke soon after, just as patient as ever.
¡°What¡¯s in his past is something we never ask of. We know as much as everyone else does of what he has done, but what you all fail to see is how he is now. Remember, we don¡¯t hate you for what you have done,¡± Keiji looks toward Breeze and offers a peaceful smile, seeking to diffuse the escalating tension that hung heavy around them all. ¡°About that route,¡± he continues, smoothly transitioning the conversation to a more practical matter.
?
Tai stands behind Kaori, still atop the ship, his presence a silent reassurance as he held back her hair in one hand and a dagger in the other. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asks skeptically, questioning Kaori¡¯s resolve.
She closes her eyes as she lifted her head at a level angle, her face a portrait of uncertainty masked by her determination. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she inhales deeply, strengthening herself for what was to come.
With a steady hand, Tai moves the dagger, its sharp edge poised just above the strands of Kaori¡¯s hair. He adjusts the grip on his dagger in hesitation, pausing just before decisively cutting her hair in one swift, clean motion he cuts through her hair, severing completely just above her shoulders.
She releases a soft exhale, feeling the weight of her once long hair leave her, and turns to face Tai who still held onto the severed strands.
He watches her with a stoic expression, his gaze fixed on her, watching her symbolic transformation into her own person. He looks down at his hand in silence, a hard to read expression on his face just before letting go and allowing the remaining hair to drift away into the breeze. He watches it flow by and vanish into the air without a word as if acknowledging the solemn significance of the moment. He turns his attention back to Kaori, taking in her new appearance where her once ankle length hair was now a much more manageable length where it grazed over her shoulders and neck.
¡°How does it look?¡± she asks with apprehension, awaiting Tai¡¯s opinion with a nervous air about her.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he replies with little to no enthusiasm, shifting his gaze to avoid eye contact with her.
She smiles in response despite his indifference, a sense of relief washing over her. She approaches him suddenly and locks her arms around his waist in a grateful and heartfelt embrace.
He winces slightly at the unexpected gesture, his discomfort reflecting pain, yet offers no protest to her actions until she had pulled away from him.
¡°Sorry. I just...¡± her voice trails off briefly as she collected her thoughts, her smile remaining as their eyes met. ¡°Thank you. This really means a lot to me,¡± she continues with sincere gratitude and warmth.
¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he mumbles lightly, his attention already drifting back to the vast expanse of the sky before them while he put away the dagger to his side holster. ¡°Keiji wants to talk to you. You better go back.¡±
Kaori¡¯s brows furrow slightly at his empty response, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features. ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡±
He shakes his head in silence, slipping his hands into his pockets, his response creating a clear emotional distance between them despite the moment they shared.
She nods to herself and steps back, accepting the wall his actions drew between them. ¡°Right then,¡± she murmurs, her eyes lingering on Tai for a fleeting moment before turning away, leaving him alone atop the ship. She heads back inside, walking the familiar halls until she reached the door of the control room, taking a deep breath as she pushed open the door and stepped inside, drawing the attention of everyone present. ¡°Um. Hi,¡± she greets timidly.
Breeze springs up from her seat at the control panel, her face lighting up with delight. ¡°Look at you!¡± she exclaims with enjoyment, breaking the silence that captivated the room. ¡°Did you just do that yourself?¡±
Kaori shakes her head slightly. ¡°No, I had some help,¡± she admits nervously, her fingers brushing against the end of her hair in an anxious manner.
¡°Well, he did a great job. You look so cute!¡± Breeze replies happily, her eyes sparkling with genuine admiration, knowing full well Kaori was referring to Tai.
A small, grateful smile plays on Kaori¡¯s lips at Breeze¡¯s compliment, her gaze turning to Keiji as he spoke.
¡°Very becoming of you,¡± Keiji adds kindly, his eyes warm with approval. ¡°I called you here to let you know that by tomorrow you will be leaving the ship with Vicious and Shomei and to the Lunar Garden to perform the ceremony.¡±
¡°Ceremony? What ceremony?¡± Asks Kaori in a curious tone.
¡°If you would like I could show you,¡± offers Shomei reassuringly. ¡°It¡¯s not complicated at all I assure you.¡±
¡°Yes please,¡± Kaori replies with a nod, eager to get started.
Breeze heads toward the door lightly as she spoke. ¡°We have a cargo place that¡¯s pretty empty now with plenty of space. I¡¯ll show you guys down to it,¡± she says brightly.
¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± declares Vicious, trailing after the group out of the control room, leaving only Keiji behind, with Tai walking in soon after.
¡°Still going to Lunar Garden?¡± says Tai carelessly while he entered the room.
¡°Upset?¡± responds Keiji knowingly, his gaze meeting Tai¡¯s with a sense of understanding.
¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Tai retorts with irritability.
¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know anything,¡± Tai grumbles under his breath, frustrated with Keiji¡¯s consistent peaceful nature while glaring at him.
Keiji stifles a laugh to himself, turning to the window. ¡°She looks nice don¡¯t you think?¡± Paying no mind as Tai walked to the control panel quietly. ¡°Any particular reason she decided to ask you for such a favor?¡±
¡°Said she didn¡¯t want him to see her as Akiko while they were together,¡± Tai says absentmindedly, his attention fixed on the control panel.
¡°A good reason,¡± he turns to Tai, his kind features softened by a hint of concern in his eyes. ¡°She may see something there that you don¡¯t want her to.¡±
Tai¡¯s brow furrows slightly, considering Keiji¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was intentionally keeping it a secret from her. There¡¯s no reason for me to.¡±
¡°You aren¡¯t concerned she¡¯ll leave us because of it?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be what she wants. Besides, I¡¯m sure half a day with Vicious and he¡¯ll empty everything on her.¡±
¡°He is still a bit angry. You proved him wrong about her already, and it probably hurt him just as much to hear that she wants to return here. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to try and make you hurt as well.¡±
¡°There¡¯s not really much else he can do to hurt me,¡± he says with a dismissive shrug.
¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about,¡± Keiji says, intentionally shifting the subject. ¡°Why did you jump off the ship after her?¡±
¡°Following orders,¡± Tai responds curtly.
¡°Were you?¡±
¡°You always say I don¡¯t do enough as it is,¡± he retorts sharply.
He chuckles at Tai¡¯s blunt response. ¡°After visiting the Emperor, I was going to suggest that we seek the Guardian Souls.¡±
¡°Were you?¡± He asks with little interest.
¡°Hopefully you are aware of their locations.¡±
He turns and looks at Keiji blankly as he crossed his arms, leaning against the control panel as he did so. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be passed down as legend?¡±
¡°Well, you know how much I enjoy a treasure hunt,¡± Keiji says with a cunning smile.
¡°What do you intend to do with them if you find them?¡±
His eyes lower ever so slightly in thought. ¡°Something the Temple hasn¡¯t done since they were lost. It may be the key to finally defeating Aduro.¡±
¡°It didn¡¯t work then so why would it work now.¡±
¡°Well, unless she falls victim to the mistakes of the past, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem don¡¯t you think?¡± He nods to himself, looking as if many possibilities were going through his mind all at once. ¡°I believe this may work. Especially considering that many of those before her didn¡¯t use them either. This could be the only opportunity we have left.¡±
¡°Whatever you say...¡± Tai sighs lightly as if giving up continuing the conversation. Chapter 6 - The Secret of the Lunar Garden
¡°She seems a bit worried...¡±
¡°Why do I always seem to wake up so sad? What am I dreaming about?¡± Her groan brings attention to her frustration as she sat up, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to dispel the lingering remnants of saddening emotions she felt. ¡°It must be morning,¡± she says to herself, recognizing the dim light filtering through the window despite the shades being drawn. With resolve, she rises from her bed and approaches the door, hesitating briefly before grasping the handle. ¡°I should try to be a little more happy. There¡¯s nothing I can do to change what I am, but I could at least try to change how I act.¡± With a deep sigh, she opens the door and steps into the hallway, glancing over to Tai¡¯s closed bedroom door noticing the layer of undisturbed dust. ¡°He didn¡¯t go inside last night. Does he ever?¡± She shakes her head, quickly dropping the thought as she walked down the halls at a quickened pace to the control room where she saw everyone there waiting for her. ¡°Am I late?¡± She asks curiously.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
¡°Okay, just like we went over earlier...¡± She stops in the middle of the field and moves to kneel down in prayer with her hands near her heart causing the small orbs of light to glow steadily brighter, but no more than the light cast by the moon. ¡°Souls that have departed from your bodies, your time has come. As goddess I allow you to rest easy. Leave up to the heavens and give heavy hearts their peace.¡± She keeps her eyes closed until a final gust of wind caused all of the orbs within the flowers to rise into the air. She opens her eyes and stares up at the sky just as the souls started to make their way up and fade into the star light above, her attention focused on a single orb of light that started to float downward. ¡°That must be his soul.¡± She pulls her focus away from the glowing orb for a moment only to see a tall dark figure standing in the shadows. ¡°What?¡± She stands, her body starting to freeze with fear as the figure grew closer, eventually seeing that it was a figure of a man dressed in heavy black robes and dark brown hair, his fair skin showing his light brown eyes as he walked closer, the foliage around him withering away.
Shomei nudges Kaori away just before turning back to Aduro and crossing her arms in front of her to block a dark mass from hitting her. She then takes several arrows from a holster on her back and shoots at Aduro, irritated as his presence disappeared into a cloud of smoke and darted through the forest after Kaori, who had started running after she was pushed away.
¡°I can¡¯t hear you. Am I dying?¡± Her vision begins to fade as she closed her eyes slowly, enveloped by a peaceful silence, even as Tai continued to call out to her.
Chapter 7 - A Thousand Years Old
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Did he love her too? Is that why he hates Vicious?¡±
¡°Why would I even ask something so personal? He¡¯s probably going to yell at me.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t need help... Why did he react like that?¡±
¡°What was that all about suddenly? Why was I so embarrassed?¡± She looks up as she heard Breeze call out to her lightly.
Chapter 8 - The Weight of Responsibility
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°How can anyone stay dressed like this and still move freely? It¡¯s so uncomfortable.¡± She adjusts herself in the clothes with discomfort, looking up to see the entrance to a large garden with beautiful pink flowers hanging from the trees above while some gently had flown off in the soft breeze making it seem as if it were snowing flowers. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡±
¡°Breeze is right. He really is rude.¡± She sighs with defeat, then walks over to the stone, seeing the wording on it written in a language she couldn¡¯t understand. She looks at it closely, somewhat intrigued as some of the characters started to move. ¡°Am I imagining this?¡± She turns quickly as she heard Soujirou speak kindly from behind her.
¡°This is all so stupid... There¡¯s no pleasing anyone.¡±
Chapter 9 - The Answer
Stolen novel; please report.
"I asked them to trust me, but right now I can¡¯t even be so sure of this myself.¡± She looks up, hearing Keiji say her name in a soft and gentle tone that hung heavy with concern and worry.
¡°I can do this.¡± She glances over at the others¡¯ sad expressions and offers a reassuring smile with a nod, then looks back at Soujirou. ¡°I should have told them about this earlier. Their faces wouldn¡¯t seem so worried now if I did.¡±
Chapter 10 - The Truth
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Chapter 11 - Pit of Devils Gorge
¡°I can almost remember my dream¡­ That feeling was so empty,¡± She looks over at her window, getting up to open it soon after. The cool air and warm sunlight brushes across her face instantly, the memory of her dream fading away just as quickly as it came.
¡°Safe from death, but otherwise I¡¯m not so sure...¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°We¡¯ve got to hurry, we can¡¯t let them find us!¡±
¡°Are there people already down there?¡± She turns her attention back to the gorge, her eyes in a trance.
¡°I don¡¯t feel well all of a sudden.¡± She rubs her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure, hearing the voice speak again from inside the canyon below much louder and closer than the others around her.
¡°Where am I?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t let him walk around hurt...¡± She hurries after Tai, trying to see how badly he was hurt while she spoke. ¡°Where are we at?¡±
Chapter 12 - Fire Soul
¡°Okay soul... If you can hear me? I would really appreciate it if you could help protect me? I can¡¯t do this on my own and I¡¯d really like some help here.¡±
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
¡°It¡¯s so hot in here.¡± She opens her eyes weakly, scanning the room absentmindedly. ¡°I thought he didn¡¯t come in here often... But even so, it feels as if I¡¯m encroaching upon his space.¡± She blinks slowly, her vision slowly fading. ¡°I need to get up... I shouldn¡¯t even be in here in the first place.¡± She blinks once more, her vision darkening but still able to see the silhouette of what she assumed was Tai. She moans softly, finally closing her eyes as she felt a hand touch her forehead gently, at the same time hearing an unfamiliar male voice, that she¡¯s hear call out to her several times before, speaking softly as if he were trying to get her attention while simultaneously establishing that he meant no harm.
Chapter 13 - The Test of Faith
¡°Okay... Flame Soul... I¡¯m asking you please give me your power... But not too much, I don¡¯t want to hurt him.¡± She looks at her hand as she felt a burning sensation but no pain from it. ¡°Oh...¡±
¡°Okay. I can do this.¡± She opens her eyes suddenly, looking directly at Tai, a large burst of flames appearing around her and shooting their way toward him.
¡°Why won¡¯t he stop?! He wants to kill me for real!¡± She manifests a spear of fire and throws it at Tai suddenly, the weight around her subsiding as the spear shot toward Tai.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Chapter 14 - Signs of Reluctance
¡°How interesting. That happened in the cave too. I wonder why.¡± She looks at Vicious with wide, confused eyes, realizing he had said her name several times. ¡°Huh? Sorry, what?¡±
¡°Just find Keiji... Just run until you find him!¡±
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
¡°He looks injured. Was he fighting something before he got here too? Is that why he wasn¡¯t there?¡± Her eyes seem to hold a sense of guilt as she looked away with confliction.
¡°This is weird... I hope we arrive to the Shrine soon.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine what anyone would want from someone who can¡¯t even protect herself.¡± Her demeanor relaxes only slightly, yet her expression remaining conflicted as Breeze walked in, causing her to look up in her direction.
Chapter 15 - Walk With Me
¡°Huh? Those robes looked like... The ones at Tinder?¡±
¡°What are they talking about?¡±
¡°What does he mean by that?¡± She places her hand on the door for a moment, taking in the silence. She finds the resolve in herself to open it, expecting to see Vicious to be the one still standing there, but is surprised to see Tai turning around to look at her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asks, trying to make it seem as if she had just woken up.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°They are truly like a family.¡± She stretches lightly before standing up and making her way to the door, sliding it open to see Breeze holding Tai by the collar, about to punch him as he resisted, and Keiji smiling uncomfortably at the both of them before noticing her.
Chapter 16 - The Summit
¡°I don¡¯t want them both here if they¡¯re going to argue. I don¡¯t feel like I have the energy for it.¡± She slows down to a walk, looking frustrated. ¡°It always feels like they have something against me, and it just further makes me feel like a burden, especially since my limitations bother everyone else just the same.¡± She suddenly feels her previously injured ankle weaken lightly as she stepped on a patch of ice, slipping suddenly and landing solidly on the frozen ground. She holds herself up on her hands and knees, looking at the ground in annoyance with herself. ¡°Stupid ankle. If I¡¯m really this powerful goddess they claim me to be, why am I so weak?¡± She looks up as Vicious had rushed over and helped her stand gently, holding her in his arms with a gentle touch.
¡°They both make this venture so tense. What really happened between them to make them this way?¡±
¡°Why is he so angry at me? I didn¡¯t do anything did I? Or does he just not want to even be around me?¡±
¡°There¡¯s something familiar about him... Why is that?¡± She shakes her head in an attempt to regain her focus. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t touch me...¡± she whispers with difficulty, her hands moving away from him and closer to herself uneasily.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
¡°Will this be the same as the last one? Will it try to reject me too?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t keep letting him touch me like this if it hurts him...¡±
¡°It was nice of him to tell me about the Emperor. But a bit sad. I¡¯m not sure if I can ever return those feelings...¡±