《Roots Of The Realms》 Chapter 1: Prologue ¡°Kagami! Kagami! ... Mommy loves you baby!¡± A woman¡¯s voice shrieked, as she burned alive. A shaken Kagami, while grasping for breath, woke up. Sweat sprinted from her forehead and down her sharp jawline. Her dark brown eyes widened while her hand clenched her chest. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kanna said as she swung Kagami''s bedroom door open, with a bottomless feeling of concern and a look mixed with dread and empathy for her sister. ¡°Was it the dream again?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°It was about 15 years since our parents died in a house fire, leaving me and my sister Kanna orphaned. My little sister was only 2 when they died, so she has no real memory of the event or them. As for me, it comes in glimpses and glances with the only thing holding me to that night being the scar on my right hand. But on this day the nightmares are at their worst.¡± ¡°Kagami!¡± Kanna called out, with a worried look still residing. ¡°I¡¯m alright, jeez.¡± Kagami said, with a slight smirk and softened eyes as she tried to mask her fears of the past from her sister. ¡°Okay fine¡­ then you better get ready because I am pretty sure you are going to be late for work.¡± Kanna said, with a softened laugh. Kagami looked at her alarm and gave a sharp yell. ¡°Shit!¡± As she lunged out of her bed to get dressed whilst frantically getting all her clothes on. ¡°Have a good day with online class! I¡¯ll see you later!¡± Kagami yelled as she ran out of the house. Running throughout Hogo village, Kagami stumbled over her footsteps while trying to greet its members. Whilst running, she noticed an elderly member of the village screaming: ¡°The demons are coming, the demons are coming!¡± ¡°Demons?¡± Kagami confusingly stated as she ran into a woman. ¡°Oof!¡± Kagami looked up. In front of her is a youngish woman, possibly late thirties, with short grey hair and off-gold eyes with light crow''s feet around them. She is wearing black slippers and a black robe. "Really sorry about that. I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± Kagami said as she got up from the ground. "It''s quite alright my dear, but you should listen to your elders, Kagami¡± The woman said, with a calm demeanour. ¡°Huh? You mean all that stuff about demons?¡± Kagami asked. "There''s no such thing. All those stories about demons, sea creatures, and Beastmen were just folk tales told by our elders to make us behave as children.¡± Kagami said, adamantly with an assertive tone. The woman looks at Kagami with softened eyes, a gentle smile, and places her hand on her shoulder and says: "With age comes knowledge, with knowledge comes experience, choices, and regrets, and it is with that experience that we need to make sure to not make those same choices or suffer the same regrets.¡± Kagami raised an eyebrow in annoyance, gave a weak smile, and left running to make it to the bus. As the woman turned her head and watched Kagami run, with a sweet smile on her face, she yelled: ¡°I will see you soon, Kagami.¡± Kagami turned her head and saw a dragon symbol on the back of the woman''s robe and thought to herself: ¡°Wait a minute, I never mentioned my name?¡± *** ¡°Last bus leaving for Kathercrest City!¡± Kagami hears from the loudspeakers of the bus¡¯s intercom. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡± Kagami yelled as the bus left. ¡°Dammit!¡± She said while she placed her hands on her knees and panted. After Kagami regained her focus, she stood upright. Annoyed and frustrated she states: ¡°Okay, okay I have about 30 min before my shift starts, and the city is about an hour out by foot. Dammit! This always happens when I have that stupid nightmare. (Sighs) You know what it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± Kagami took 2 deep breaths, tied her short black hair into a low bun, and began to sprint. With every half step taken, she took a deep breath. Her heart beating like a wild animal in a cage as her legs began to feel chained to the ground. As Kagami was running, she heard her mother''s voice in her mind: "Mommy loves you, baby!"Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. At that moment, Kagami¡¯s eyes began to lightly glow a reddish-orange colour. Kagami felt her body begin to slowly heat up. Her breathing became easier, her heart calmed down and her legs became freer. She was getting faster and felt lighter in her movements. ¡°What the hell is happening to me?¡± Kagami questioned as to why her body suddenly felt so different. *** "Firefighter Kagami reporting for duty chief." Kagami said while taking light languid breaths and perspiring plentifully. ¡°Kagami, you really surprised me. Here I thought you would make it 4 in a row, but low and behold here you are with 7 minutes to spare no less.¡± Fire Chief Rex said, with a surprised look and a joking tone. "What can I say, sir, I like to keep the public guessing." ¡°Don¡¯t I know that, firefighter Kagami? But that¡¯s not why I wanted to talk to you.¡± Chief Rex said jokingly, but his tone quickly became serious. Kagami¡¯s grin quickly fades. ¡°Kagami, I know that today isn¡¯t a normal day, well at least not for you.¡± Kagami clenched her teeth and took a massive gulp. ¡°Look what I am trying to say is that¡­ I believe it would be best for you to take it-¡± ¡°SIR!¡± Kagami yelled. ¡°I¡¯m not a child that needs to be coddled nor am I a defenceless little girl that needs to be babysat. These are the few things that make me feel useful. Don¡¯t take that from me...please.¡± Kagami said as if she had sharp needles pinned against her throat. Chief Rex sighed. "I understand Kagami¡­Okay, you may resume your regular duties, but if I see that it¡¯s getting too much for you, I will be removing you from duty immediately. Is that understood?¡¯¡¯ Kagami nodded her head and left the room. ¡°If only you knew, sir, that being close to the fires is the only way that I feel connected to them.¡± Kagami softly muttered to herself, as she looked back into her memories, picturing herself at the incident. Crying out for her parents, whilst holding her younger sister in her arms, she helplessly stretched out one hand, reaching for them to no avail. She got burned. Kagami clenched her right hand and muttered to herself in a wistful tone. ¡°Never again.¡± ¡°Code 99! On Valkor Road by the outskirts of the Northern Village.¡± Kagami''s thoughts quickly became unclouded as the sounds of the fire alarms went off in the fire station. ¡°Let''s get rolling guys! Kagami are you with us or not?¡± Captain Henry said to his crew and Kagami. ¡°That was never a question.¡± Kagami said, with a fiery smirk which Captain Henry quickly mimicked. ¡°That¡¯s my girl¡± The fire engine, fully packed with squad A firefighters, Captain Henry, and the designated driver, drove off to the site of the fire. With the sirens wailing like crying children, the firefighter''s piercing focus was so intense it could choke the air. This was the atmosphere that Captain Henry instilled in his team and just another reason for Kagami to never want to leave. As they drove to the site, they could see smoke rising in the air. "We are approaching the site, sir. 7minutes out." Every firefighter perched on their seat, Kagami more so than anybody. As the fire engine rolled up Kagami readied herself for the fire. When the fire engine stopped Kagami was the first one to lunge out of the truck and said: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a dumpster fire,¡± Kagami said, with an air of disappointment in her voice. "A fire is a fire, Kagami and since you''re so eager you can deal with this one all by yourself." Captain Henry said, smiling. ¡°I¡­ yes, Captain,¡± Kagami said, reluctantly. As Kagami got the hose from the fire engine and readied herself to extinguish the fire, her heartbeat increased in speed. ¡°Why was this called as a code 99 and where are the paramedics? Was it a mistake?¡± Captain Henry quietly questioned himself, as he radioed in to figure out this situation. Kagami¡¯s body then started to heat up again like a blacksmith¡¯s furnace. Her eyes began to glow a brighter reddish-orange again and at that moment she said: ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± At the same time, Captain Henry''s radio goes off. ¡°Captain Henry! Where is your team!¡± A woman''s voice shouted over the radio. ¡°Captain Henry here. We arrived at the outskirts of the city. We are surprised you called a code 99 for a dumpster fire,¡± Captain Henry said. The woman''s voice responded immediately. ¡°NOT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY! THE NORTHERN VILLAGE! YOUR TEAM IS AT THE WRONG FIRE!¡± ¡°Village¡­ which northern village!?¡± Captain Henry said, in a panicked voice. ¡°HOGO VILLAGE!¡± All the firefighters looked in the direction of Kagami with grim expressions. ¡°Kanna-¡± Kagami said, with a fretful voice. Earlier in the day ¡°Have a good day with online class! I¡¯ll see you later!¡± Kagami yelled as Kanna saw her sister frantically run out of the house. ¡°And that ends today¡¯s online session. Thank you to those who attended.¡± A male voice said, over Kannas laptop. ¡°That said, I marked all your tests and no surprise that our top scorer with 100% is Kanna.¡± The male voice continued saying, in a proud and praising tone. A seated Kanna gave a joyful smile, but she expected nothing less of herself of course. As Kanna closed her laptop, she stood up from her seat and walked around the house, coming across a mirror. She looked at her reflection, running her hands through her long black hair and tapped the rose gold shield pendant clipped to it. She then started looking at how her bookshelf brown eyes shined in the rays of sun beaming from the house¡¯s windows. Her eyes quickly shifted to the 2 beauty marks on the right side of her eye. Kanna gave herself a curious look and stated: ¡°I wonder who I look more alike to? My mother or my father?¡± Kanna said, knowing very well she does not talk about her parents, especially with her sister. Then Kanna felt her stomach begin to growl as she walked away from the mirror to the kitchen and saw a barren fridge and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask some of the other villagers if they have extra eggs.¡± Kanna said, heading to the door to leave. As she was about to leave, she saw money scattered atop a shoe rack by the door. Kanna gave a blissful smile. ¡°Thank you, sis.¡± Kanna said as she left the house. On the way to the villages¡¯ markets, Kanna greeted its members, bowing to every elder that she passed. Arriving at the market, Kanna greeted the merchant and asked for 2 dozen eggs, some fruits, and vegetables. ¡°You¡¯ve got it, Kanna.¡± The merchant said, with a sunny smile on his face. Kanna then looked at some green bottles with golden caps on them. Kanna then said to herself: ¡°Kagami deserves something. Especially today.¡± While Kanna retrieved her groceries she asked the merchant for 2 bottles of saki to go with it. ¡°Oooh, Kagami having a hard time at work?¡± The merchant asked, concerningly. ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± Kanna answered, vaguely. As the merchant handed Kanna all her groceries, they heard a sharp scream coming further out. ¡°THE DEMONS, THEY¡¯RE COMING! THEY¡¯RE COMING!¡± Both the merchant and Kanna looked at where the scream came from and saw it was an elder of the village. The merchant with a heartbreaking voice stated: ¡°Age is really the ultimate killer wouldn¡¯t you s-.¡± At that moment Kanna heard a loud crashing sound and felt water droplets shooting at her face. Pieces of wood flew, while other villagers and visitors ran past her. Kanna turned her head back in the direction of the merchant and saw him completely pulverised by a large boulder. His feet project outwards as a pool of blood flows from the bottom of the boulder. Kanna frantically took her hand to touch her face and saw that the watery feeling she felt was from the merchant¡¯s blood. ¡°ROOOOAAAAR!!!!¡± Kanna then heard a sonorous roar so loud it shook the ground. She turned her head away from the merchant''s crushed body to the sound of the roar. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Kanna said, in a quivering tone as she saw a massive monster with a humanlike face, black as an empty night¡¯s sky and completely made of a rock-like material. It was stomping and crushing the lives of villagers and visitors still trying to run away. Grabbing villagers nearest to it and squeezed them until their heads popped off their shoulders as it was approaching her direction. ¡°Crap!¡± Kanna yelled, as her eyes widened, her heart beating with the power of a thousand drums and a sharp jolt hit her spine like lightning. She did not realise until she started gasping for breath that she had already started running away. Chapter 2: Set your heart ablaze Chapter 2: Set your heart ablaze Now running for her life, Kanna could feel her heart pounding in her ears the further she ran. Her legs got weaker and weaker, with every stride, and her arms lost strength. Kanna, throughout her fatigue, saw a wailing child as he stood next to a pool of his mother''s blood. "Mommy!!! Please wake up¡­ please!" Kanna stopped running and tended to the child. As she approached him, she saw a large hole created through the woman''s abdomen. Kanna, as calmly as she could, said: "Come on, baby, we have to go." "No! I want my mommy." The child said, reluctantly, to Kanna. Whilst trying to convince the child, Kanna heard a voice, malicious and feminine in tone, state: "Why do you want to leave? I thought we were having fun?" Kanna turned her head and her eyes widened as she saw a bleached-coloured skeleton soaked in blood with a slender frame, razor-sharp fangs and claws with jagged spikes protruding from its elbow, walking on 2 legs. Its eyes glowed crimson red. Kanna quickly grasped the child close to her chest. "Get away from him!" Kanna screeched at the skeletal figure as she clenched the child tighter. "Now why would I do that? Me and the young one were starting to bond." The skeleton woman said, with a bloodthirsty tone. Upon slowly approaching Kanna and the child, Kanna looked closely behind the skeleton and noticed a skeletal scorpion tail slowly rising in the air from its back with an enlarged telson and stinger. "Quite a thing of beauty, isn''t it? Unfortunately for me, my venom doesn''t come with this form, but it still packs a punch." The skeletal woman said, as she looked at the child''s deceased mother and laughed manically. It, standing right in front of them, looked down and gave both Kanna and the child a devious smile. "Don''t worry I won''t make you two suffer, how your people made mine suffer." The woman said, with a wrathful tone. Her tail slithered in the air, loaded with force, and jetted towards Kanna. Kanna had no concern for her safety. All she wanted was to protect the child. She held him tightly, placed her head down and closed her eyes in an attempt to shield him. But as the stinger was about to strike Kanna''s shield pendent, in her hair, began to glow a bright white. It created a light blue dome that surrounded Kanna and the child, shielding them. The scorpion''s tail recoiled, unable to pierce the barrier. A surprised Kanna opened her eyes and saw many houses of the village beginning to also produce the same light blue barrier. "So, there are still people of Hogo village that use protection seals, huh?" The skeleton woman said, in a surprised and nostalgic tone. Looking at Kanna, the woman said: "Well then, let''s see how strong this barrier really is." The skeleton woman''s body began to emit a red and black mixed aura and her strength tripled. She then repeatedly struck the barrier. With every strike, her power increased in speed, force, and ferocity. Kanna, still worried about the child, noticed after some time that the woman had stopped. "Ah, shit!" The woman yelled to herself. She spotted that the telson and stinger of her tail were cracking with pieces breaking off. "Cindara!!! Halt this action at once! Bringing you back to life was already difficult, but making your body-" An ominous voice scolded the scorpion woman in her mind. "Yeah, yeah, you old witch. I know." Cindara said, in an unsympathetic tone. "You have an objective to complete. Cease with these trivial games and complete the objective." The voice continued to say, as Cindara quickly stated: "What I''m doing isn''t trivial, you old hag! I will make these humans feel all the pain my people felt. You know nothing of being mistreated, tortured, and killed for being who you are. So shut up!" Cindara said, with a passionate fury. To which the voice responded, rage spilling from their words: "Watch. Your. Mouth. You insufferable arthropod." During the argument, a confused Kanna wondered who Cindara was screaming at and heard faint sirens of a fire engine nearing the village. "Kagami." Kanna said, with a pleased smile that quickly faded into an anxious expression as she looked at Cindara. Kanna knew that her sister would do anything to keep her safe, even if that meant throwing away her own life. While Cindara continued to argue with herself, Kanna, in a swift motion, picked up the child and ran in the direction of her house. After some time of arguing, Cindara noticed that Kanna and the child had disappeared. "Shit! Now look what you did!" Cindara said, in annoyance to the voice, as she was about to search for and kill the child and Kanna. Until the voice, in a thunderous tone, said: "The mission, Cindara!" "Alright! Alright! I get it!" Cindara said, with irritation. "Fenrir!!!" Cindara screamed into the air and in a flash a blood-soaked male-wolf-skeleton figure appeared in front of her with a hulking frame. It had a semi-protruding skull with crimson eyes, razor-sharp fangs and claws with bone stalagmite spikes protruding from its tail. "Yes, my lady?" Fenrir asked, with a calm demeanour. "I need to continue looking for the book, but there''s a girl that escaped me." Cindara said, looking at a map that was magically inscribed on the palm of her hand. "You? How?" Fenrir questioned, but quickly understood as he saw her tail chipped and damaged. "She has a protective barrier surrounding her just like many of the houses in the village. I need you to find her for me." Fenrir nodded and quickly turned away, but was grabbed by Cindara. "Do not kill her. That honour belongs to me." Cindara explained, maliciously. "That was never an option, my lady." Fenrir then emitted a similar mixed aura to that of Cindara''s. The colours of black and dark blue covered the gentleman-like wolf. Even with the lack of Fenrir''s keen sense of smell, his increased speed, power, and instincts should be enough to find Kanna. Both Cindara and Fenrir quickly separated in different directions. Nearing the Hogo village entrance * Waaaaahhhhh *Waaaaahhhhh The sound of sirens wailed in the air. "Alright team, we are already playing catch up! We can''t beat ourselves up over our mistakes! We need to remain focused and save lives." Captain Henry said to his team in a commanding tone, to which the squad quickly responded. "Yes, captain!" All exclaimed, except Kagami who was sitting in silence. Her leg was bouncing and her hands were fidgeting. All she could think about was her sister. Captain Henry slowly moved over to Kagami and said: "You can''t focus on what you don''t know. Focus on the here and now. I don''t want to lose you because you aren''t fully in the moment." Captain Henry said, with a gentle yet stern voice. "Understood, sir." "3 minutes out, sir." "Alright team, let''s do what we do best." Captain Henry said, as the fire engine rolled up to the village. The A squad, with a swift motion, jumped out and began to put out the fires while calling out for survivors. During this, Kagami noticed the houses in the distance glowing light blue, but she could not worry about that. She continued to look around and her eyes widened as she saw blood on the ground creating a trail. She immediately followed it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Kagami, where are you going?" Captain Henry questioned. While walking, Kagami quickly saw a flipped ambulance and heard faint cries. "heeelp." Kagami jumped on top of the ambulance and saw the door was missing. Kagami was shocked as she saw the driver''s head completely gone, with the front window having a massive hole through it. "What the hell happened?" Kagami stated and then heard a voice coming from the back of the ambulance. "Heeelp¡­ I''m back here¡­" Kagami swiftly went to the back of the ambulance and opened the doors to see a severely wounded paramedic. "Please¡­help me¡­get me away from those things." The paramedic said. Kagami was confused as to what the paramedic was referring to, so she dragged the paramedic outside. "Captain, I have an injured paramedic here!" Kagami yelled, to get the captain''s attention. "Oh shit! What the hell happened here?" Captain Henry exclaimed, as he radioed in for more ambulances and firefighters. As he finished, he looked at Kagami. "Okay, they''ll be here in- what the hell is that!" Captain Henry said, as he looked above Kagami. Kagami scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and then suddenly heard a thunderous sound. "ROOOOOOAAAARRR!!!" Kagami felt a jolt hit her spin. She slowly raised her head, stretching her neck to its full capacity. To her shock, she saw a massive monster, made of stone, standing directly behind her. Kagami felt her feet freeze and harden like cement. The monster lifted its fist in the air. Kagami, still frozen in fear, urged her body to move. The monster''s fist quickly rained down, intending to strike Kagami. Her eyes glowed and her body heated up as she jumped out of the way, and quite a distance at that. The monster''s fist struck the ground, crushing the paramedic. Their body flattened while blood dripped off the monster''s fist. Captain Henry quickly rushed to Kagami''s side. "Kagami, are you okay!?" Captain Henry concerningly asked, after which he gave a wondering look and noticed Kagami''s perpetually glowing reddish-orange eyes. "Kagami, what''s going on here?" "Captain¡­I don''t know." Kagami stated, as the rock monster rushed towards them at full speed. Both Kagami and Captain Henry jumped out of the way, but the monster continued its run. Captain Henry looked back at the monster and in a pleading voice yelled: "NO, NO, NO, PLEASE STOP!" As the monster charged down, it collided with the fire engine and its firefighters. The Squad A firefighters flew in the air, their bodies sprinkled with blood and fully contorted as they slammed to the ground. A devastated Captain Henry clenched his teeth and looked back at Kagami. "Go find your sister, Kagami. Make sure she''s okay." "Captain I ca-" Kagami tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted. "We''re not gonna make it out of this Kagami! At least if you and your sister are safe then I''ve done something right." A disheartened Kagami ran off in the direction of her house. Her eyes filled with tears. "That''s my girl." Henry said to himself, as he watched Kagami run off. Henry quickly turned back to the monster, now aiming its sites at him. "Come on then, you bastard." Henry said, readying himself for the monster. *** [Further in the village] A frightened Kanna, holding the child, continued to run to her house which was close in sight. "It''s alright, baby, we''re almost safe." Kanna said to the child and in an instant Fenrir appeared in front of them. Kanna stopped in her tracks and took a couple of steps back. "Good day, my lady. I believe you are the one I have been searching for," Fenrir said. "Stay away from us!" Kanna yelled at the hulking skeleton. "I am afraid I cannot do that, my lady, for my hatred of your kind is the sole reason for my existence." Fenrir said, with deep anger, approaching Kanna and the child slowly. "Now, let us see what I can do about that shield." Fenrir calmly said, as he charged up his aura and began to strike the dome continuously. Kanna, while clenching the child, was not as worried as she saw firsthand that whatever was protecting her was strong enough to hold. Fenrir quickly stopped his barrage and jumped back. "I understand now why Cindara had so much trouble with you." Fenrir said, as he saw his fist cracking with small fragments falling off. Fenrir looked around the village and wondered why most of the houses had protective domes, but she was the only villager that has one protecting her. Fenrir then saw the pendant in her hair and formed an idea. "Okay, let us see if this works then." Fenrir then twisted his torso to the right and made an X symbol with his arms and with his fingers straightened. He then focused all his aura into his right hand and lunged at Kanna. His right hand struck the shield. Both Fenrir''s hand and the shield began to have a power struggle. "Let us see what is more powerful. An immovable object or an unstoppable force." Fenrir said, throughout the power struggle. At that moment, the dome was losing its strength. Its power faded until Kanna''s pendent shattered into pieces with the residual energy sending Kanna, the child and Fenrir flying in opposite directions, with Fenrir quickly getting back to his feet. A stunned Kanna tried to get her barring''s together whilst on the ground. "That protective dome needs a larger surface area to be more effective. Which is why the houses of this village have them, but not the people, my lady." Fenrir said to Kanna, as Kanna finally got her thoughts together and told the child: "Run, baby, you have to run and hide!" "No, I don''t wanna leave you." The child said on the verge of more tears. "I know it''s scary, baby, but you have to be strong for me, okay? Please go run and hide for me." Kanna urged the child to go as Fenrir walked towards them. The child ran away as fast as he could. Fenrir looked at the child running away, to which Kanna begged: "Please! Leave him alone!" Fenrir turned back and looked at a grounded Kanna. "My code does not allow me to kill women or children, my lady." Fenrir, now standing above Kanna, pressed his foot on her knee and stomped it inwards. "AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Kanna''s screams echoed in the surrounding area. "Now ain''t this a bitch." Fenrir heard, as he saw Cindara appear and walk towards them. "Did you find the book, my lady?" Fenrir asked. "It''s actually quite amusing. While I was looking for the book, I''d have hoped it was in a house that didn''t have those stupid shields, but wouldn''t you believe it, the map led me to this home. The home of my prey." Cindara smirked, viscously, as she saw Kanna writhing in agony, clenching her knee. "Thank you, Fenrir, for finding her for me." "Of course, my lady." Fenrir said to Cindara, as she entered Kanna''s home looking for the book. "I am sorry, my lady, but it will soon all be over." Fenrir said to an agonising Kanna, but was quickly hit by a shoulder barge, sending him flying. Kanna''s pain quickly turns to a joyful sadness at seeing her sister. "What did you do to my sister!" An angered Kagami said to Fenrir. Fenrir, surprised by the attack, looked at Kagami and paid close attention to her brightly glowing reddish-eyes. "Those eyes, they look familiar?" Fenrir questioned, as Kagami went in for another attack. Fenrir, whose guard was previously lowered, readied it. Kagami''s seething anger was all focused towards Fenrir until a sudden sharp pain struck her side, sending her to the ground. "Kagami!!!" A distressed Kanna yelled. "Aaaahh! (Cough, cough)" Kagami screamed, laying on the ground, holding her side. Amidst the pain, she noticed a large hole in the front of their house. "Like the one made at the ambulance window." Kagami thought to herself. "Well, what do we have here? A brave insect wishes to fight back?" Cindara said, walking out of the house, her tail swaying in the air. "Fenrir, here! It''s a bunch of junk." Cindara said, throwing a red book at Fenrir which he opened only to find blank pages. "This cannot be?" Fenrir questioned. "Who cares? We did what we were supposed to do. Now I get to have my fun." Cindara stated, as her tail slowly moved to Kanna, wrapping itself around her broken knee and constricting it. Kanna screamed in pain while Kagami, still holding her side, reached for a piece of rubble and fired it at Cindara''s head. Cindara halted her torture of Kanna and felt the side of her skull crack. "You''re quite a strong insect, aren''t you?" Cindara said, snickering. "Be careful, my lady. She has quite a bit of power to her." Fenrir said, still feeling her earlier attack. "Alright, then. Let''s see what she''s got. Fenrir, remove the other girl. I''ll deal with that one later." "Yes, my lady." Cindara ordered Fenrir. As Fenrir dragged Kanna to himself, he noticed the book start to glow and writing appeared. Fenrir looked at Kanna and then the book. "How interesting." "Fenrir, I am amidst creating a portal. It is imperative you bring the book and, just as important, the girl with you." The ominous voice now appeared in Fenrir''s mind "Understood." Fenrir said, continuing to watch the one-sided duel between Cindara and Kagami. Every strike Kagami threw was dodged by Cindara, like a leaf dancing in the wind. One after another, nothing connected. Cindara quickly wrapped her tail around Kagami''s leg and slammed her to the ground. Kagami immediately coughed up blood as her body hit the ground." "Where''s all that fighting spirit gone to, little insect?" Cindara said, laughing hysterically. Kagami returned to her feet, her eyes glowing, glaring at Cindara with menacing intent. "Your eyes? They feel so¡­familiar." Cindara wondered, but Kagami could not care as she rushed in for another attack. Cindara still dodging effortlessly. "Whatever." Cindara replied during Kagami''s attacks and flexed her claws, slashing at Kagami''s face, barely missing, as Kagami turned her head at the last second. "Did she just dodge that?" Cindara asked herself, as she felt a powerful kick to her centre that sent her gliding back. Cindara looked at Kagami, the side of her face bleeding. "You monsters destroyed my home, killed my friends and tortured my sister. I''ll make you all pay, every last one of you!" Kagami said, with rage filling her words. Her body produced heat waves in her angered state and in that instant Kagami''s body burst into flames. Her cuts and bruises healed, but her gaze never left Cindara. "Sis?" Kanna worryingly questioned what was happening to her sister "An elemental." Cindara said, in realisation. "A fire elemental!" Fenrir furiously said, his aura uncontrollably flooding out of his body as he readied himself to kill Kagami. "Fenrir, don''t you dare get involved! This is my prey, as per our traditions!" Cindara ordered Fenrir, to which he quickly regained his composure. "Alright then little insect, entertain me." Cindara said, as she lunged at Kagami with full intent to kill. With tremendous speed, she swung and slashed her claws. Kagami was now like a spirit possessed, evading every attack, with her gaze never leaving Cindara''s. A frustrated Cindara swung her tail trying to sweep Kagami''s legs, but Kagami instinctively jumped forward, grabbed Cindara''s head and drove her knee through her skull, cracking it. Cindara''s head, now rocked, saw Kagami''s fiery fist flying and instantly felt a scorching pain connect, and drive her head to the ground. Cindara was stunned, now leaving herself fully exposed to another attack. Kagami stood over Cindara and raised her fiery leg to kill Cindara. Fenrir quickly intervened with a roundhouse kick, which Kagami blocked not moving an inch. "You cannot keep that up, you demon." Fenrir said, in a cold tone. At that exact moment, Kagami''s flames extinguished themselves as she felt an indescribable pain coursing through her body. She fell to her knees and then to the ground. Kagami gasped for breath as her chest tightened. She felt as if the weight of the world itself was crushing her muscles. "A house built on sand can never withstand the storm." Fenrir said to Kagami as she suffered on the ground. The portal then opened. "I will see you soon, you demon." Fenrir said, as he grabbed Cindara and placed her over his shoulder. He then placed the book in his mouth and went to drag Kanna through the portal. "Let me go! Kagami! Kagami!" Kanna screamed with deep concern for her sister, trying to fight back as she got dragged into the portal. "K¡­a¡­nna." A suffering Kagami said in a near breathless voice as she passed out. Chapter 3: A New Beginning ¡°Kagami! Kagami...Kagami!!¡± A bandaged Kagami awoke with shock running through her body. She tried to get up, but felt an immense pain coursing through her body. Kagami winced at every sudden movement, but persisted in sitting on the edge of the bed she was lying in. ¡°Where am I?¡± Kagami thought to herself as all the memories of the attack on Hogo village came rushing back. The death of her friends, civilians, and the image of Kanna being dragged away. ¡°KANNA!¡± Kagami exclaimed, as her eyes began to glow. She jumped off the bed, but her legs quickly gave out, sending her crashing to the hard wooden floor. All Kagami could think about was her sister. While her eyes flickered in and out of their glowing state, that singular thought gave her all the energy she needed to crawl to the door, grab the door handle and lift herself off the floor. She swung the door, with the strength she could muster, stumbled through and caught herself on the smooth white wall of the hallway. Kagami noticed stairs that led down and hurriedly took them. Every step felt like walking on shattered glass. Kagami gritted her teeth at every slight movement, but was almost at the bottom. Her mind flooded with more memories of Squad A¡¯s mangled corpses with different voices echoing in her mind. ¡°Mommy loves you, baby!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± Kagami¡¯s eyes glowed even brighter, but again her legs gave out as she fell down 5 steps of stairs. Kagami, at that point, did not care about the pain travelling through her body. All she focused on was the exit she was staring at. Now using every fibre of strength she had left, Kagami dragged herself to the exit and after finally reaching it she lifted her head. Kagami¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she saw a person sitting on the front porch. Their silky, short, grey hair shined in the sunlight while they sipped herbal tea and wore a black robe with a dragon symbol on the back. ¡°You''re awake? I thought you¡¯d be out for longer, Kagami.¡± ¡°It''s you,¡± Kagami said, surprisingly, as she saw the woman she ran into on her way to work. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be moving, Kagami, nor activating your ability. It''ll just make your condition worse.¡± The woman said to Kagami, who now snapped out of her surprised state and grabbed the shoulder of the woman. ¡°I need to get back home! I have to get my sister back!¡± Kagami yelled, in a distressed tone. The woman gently placed her hand on Kagami¡¯s and softly said: ¡°Kagami¡­you need time to heal properly.¡± Kagami¡¯s concerned expression turned to a wave of fierce anger as she grabbed the collar of the woman''s robe. You listen to me; I need to leave now! It just happened, which means I have time to find my sister. I¡¯m not asking!¡± Kagami¡¯s words burned with anger as she gripped the collar tighter. *Grrooooowwwwl* Kagami heard a low rumbling sound, with a large shadow being cast over the two women, coming from above them. She turned her head to the roof of a 3-story temple from which she exited and saw a dragon perched on top of it. Its neck was as long as a bullwhip and its scales were pure white like the first bed of freshly fallen snow at the start of winter. It jumped down to the courtyard, its golden eyes staring down at Kagami as it continued its growl. The woman quickly stretched her hand out. ¡°It¡¯s alright girl, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine.¡± The woman said, as she tried to calm her dragon down, but the dragon firmly had its focus on Kagami¡¯s hand still gripping the woman''s collar. Kagami¡¯s anger faded and the dragon¡¯s dominating presence snuffed out the fiery fury of Kagami as she released the collar of the woman. The dragon moved away from the two as it perched itself on one of the 4 walls surrounding the temple. ¡°I¡¯ve lost so much. I don¡¯t want to lose anymore, so please let me go,¡± Kagami desperately pleaded to the woman. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re feeling, Kagami and I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t get to Hogo village in time, but if I let you go now you might die,¡± The woman said, trying to convince Kagami. And she quickly added: ¡°It has been 2 days since the attack, Kagami.¡± Kagami¡¯s eyes widened to the fact. ¡°Kagami¡­the chances of Kanna being ali-¡± ¡°DON¡¯T. YOU. DARE.¡± Kagami emphasised, as she was washed with frustration. She clenched her hands and forced herself to stand up. Her body trembled from the effort as she held her right side and walked to the gate that exited the temple. ¡°Kagami, please!¡± The woman yelled to Kagami, who could not care less what the woman wanted. ¡°No! Those things took what little I had left away from me. I¡¯m not letting them take more,¡± Kagami said, as she slowly made her way to the gate. Kagami angrily continued with: ¡°All this for some book.¡± ¡°What book?¡± The woman hastily asked Kagami, as her mind started to put the pieces together, but Kagami ignored the question just wanting to leave. In a flash, faster than Kagami could blink, the woman appeared before her. Kagami took half a step back as the woman looked at her with a piercing gaze and for the first time, since they met, asked her with a deathly serious tone: ¡°What book.¡± Kagami was taken aback by the severe shift in tone and atmosphere from the woman. ¡°I mean those stupid skeletons took a red-looking book from my house.¡± The woman quickly grabbed Kagami¡¯s shoulders and asked: ¡°Did the book have any black markings or symbols on it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw a symbol of a black eye on the book when the skeleton lady threw it.¡± Kagami told the woman, who then walked off and muttered to herself: ¡°So it has been with them this entire time. Now why would he want it?¡± ¡°Excuse me, are we done here?¡± Kagami asked, still wanting to leave. The woman, after putting what little pieces of the puzzle she had together, told Kagami: ¡°Your sister¡¯s alive, Kagami.¡± ¡°What? How do you know that?¡± Kagami asked. The woman looked at Kagami, with a pondering gaze, said nothing and walked back to her porch where she sat down and poured more herbal tea. ¡°Hey! What do you mean? How do you know?¡± Kagami demanded an explanation from the woman, but continued to be ignored as the woman sipped her tea. Kagami then yelled: ¡°Hey! Are you deaf?¡± ¡°What use is the information to you, Kagami?¡± ¡°Huh!!!¡± ¡°No matter what I say, you¡¯re still going to run head-first into danger and get yourself killed. So frankly, telling you would put you in more danger and I will not be the reason for your death.¡± The woman stated. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kagami¡¯s blood started to boil, and the veins on her forehead pulsated with rage as she slowly approached the woman. ¡°Listen here, you bitch!¡± *Grroooowwwwwl* The dragon, atop one of the walls, growled at Kagami once again, but this time Kagami showed absolutely no fear and turned her head to the dragon. Her eyes glowed and her body burst into flames. The woman, now with a stone-cold expression, raised her eyebrow as she knew what would come next. Kagami¡¯s flames extinguished themselves as quickly as they were activated. The pain returned, coursing through her body as Kagami fell to her hands and knees. The woman placed her hand out once again to halt the dragon''s aggression. This time the beast immediately listened. ¡°Do you understand now? As you are now, you are not strong enough to save your sister nor are you strong enough to do anything to begin with. So tell me, Kagami what use is this information to you besides sending you on a suicide mission?¡± The women exclaimed and demanded an answer from Kagami. Tears began to form and swell up in Kagami¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you want from me? I know I¡¯m not strong enough and you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know what to do, but¡­ I¡¯ll figure it out! I always figure it out, even as a kid, I figured things out! Is it perfect, no, but it¡¯s all I¡¯ve got! It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯ve survived for this long¡­ It¡¯s all I¡¯ve got, okay. So, what else do you want from me, huh? WHAT ELSE?¡± Kagami screamed and tucked her head into her chest while trying to hold back her tears. The dam of her deep emotions started to crack. Kagami desperately tried to hold it all together. On the verge of the dam breaking down and crumbling to pieces, she felt a hand placed on top of her head. Looking up she saw the woman, who was just sitting, now right in front of her. The woman then spoke the words that always hardened Kagami¡¯s heart, even as a child, but words that she unknowingly sought out. ¡°I want you to trust me.¡± The woman said, with such softness and tenderness that Kagami¡¯s ever-present stern demeanour slowly started to crack and became gentler. ¡°Kagami, I want you to be stronger, I want to make you stronger. Will you put your trust in me to do so and help you save Kanna?¡± Kagami took in the words of the woman and took a large gulp as a single tear ran down that was quickly wiped from her face. She then gave the woman a look of pure determination and nodded her head. The woman stood up, spread her arms out wide, and said: ¡°Alright then, welcome¡­to the great Odia temple, my newest student!¡± The woman joyfully exclaimed, shouting so loud that even the heavens quacked. Her dragon simultaneously lifted its head as it roared to the sky in excitement. The woman went back down to Kagami¡¯s level and grasped her hands. ¡°From today onwards, you will be my responsibility and I, yours. So, call me Master Alexandra. Alexandra said, with an ecstatic smile. *** 2 days earlier, near the heart of Mount Moltenspire Fenrir stepped out of the portal, still dragging a reluctant Kanna. ¡°Let me go!¡± A frustrated Kanna screamed, ignoring the sharp pain that still emanated from her shattered knee. Fenrir, having let go of Kanna, saw the witch figure that was speaking in his mind. A hunched-over figure wearing a hooded cloak. Her jet-black hands, which resembled dried raisins, clutched a wooden staff. Her cloak only allowed her mouth to be visible with her blood-red eyes glowing from within the cloak. ¡°Well¡­done, Fenrir.¡± The shaken witch said with a weak and decrepit voice as she dropped her staff and fell to the ground on her hands and knees. From the witch, a shadowy figure appeared. Its body had horns sprouting from the top of its head, with white marble-shaped eyes and a smile so wide the corners reached where its ears would have been. The wide grin quickly turned to a frown. ¡°Mama! Are you okay?¡± The shadow said with a worried tone. Its voice vibrating with every word as it approached the witch''s level. ¡°I am quite all right. Making a portal to transport a living being consumes a plentiful amount of energy.¡± The witch said to her concerned creation as she lifted her head to see an unconscious Cindara, hunched over Fenrir''s shoulder, with severe damage. ¡°Leave her here. I will tend to her after I regain my strength.¡± The witch said to Fenrir as he nodded and placed Cindara on the warm rocky ground and took the book out of his mouth. ¡°What did you guys do to my sister? Where am I?¡± A frustrated Kanna exclaimed to Fenrir and the witch. Fenrir, with venom in his voice, then stated: ¡°To answer your first question, my lady, I did not do anything to that abomination. I left it as it was.¡± ¡°Then what about my sister bursting into flames?¡± Kanna angrily questioned. ¡°A tree will always grow to be nothing more than a tree, and for a demon, the same applies.¡± Fenrir said, with his black- dark blue aura maliciously flaring out of his body as he glared at Kanna. Kanna was nearly crushed by the pressure he exerted, but Fenrir halted and felt a great and intoxicating power coming their way. ¡°As for your second question, you are in one of the great volcanos of Western Katheroth, little girl.¡± Kanna heard a deep voice with a commanding tone coming from behind her, down a dark corridor. Kanna''s body instinctively trembled with fear. She slowly turned her head and saw green-feline eyes peering in the dark, accompanied by faint jingling sounds that echoed around the corridor. The jingling got louder and louder the closer the eyes came. Kanna did not realize, due to her frustration and pain, that the place where she was, was extremely hot. She could feel every sweat droplet escape the pours of her body. The sweat from her brow dripped down, gliding across her eyes, but she dared not look away from the figure coming towards her. Kanna did not know if her sweat came from the heat of the cave or from the fear of what was coming. Kanna flinched as the green-eyed figure snapped his fingers. The sound echoed around the cave. Gemstones that surrounded the cave lit up a majestic lilac colour, enlightening the cave. In the corner of Kanna¡¯s eye, she saw Fenrir kneel and bow his head. ¡°We have completed the objective, Lord Bellinor.¡± Fenrir addressed the figure, who finally came into the light. Kanna¡¯s eyes widened, with a feeling close to astoundment, to what she saw: a man with light-brown skin and short tied-up braided hair, with emerald-green feline eyes. But Kanna could not help herself to look at the parts of him that were not so human. Lord Bellinor had jet-black jagged horns protruding from his forehead. His forearms, hands, and the entirety of his lower half were also made of the same jet-blacked material as his horns. His fingers and toenails were razor sharp and he wore a golden necklace with a red eye symbol edged into its golden plate. Lord Bellinor stood in front of Kanna, looking down at her, and gave a mischievous smile as he met her gaze. ¡°You may rise, Fenrir.¡± Fenrir quickly rose to his feet as Bellinor walked past Kanna and sat on a throne moulded from the ore of the volcano. Bellinor looked at the weakened witch and the unconscious Cindara. ¡°I see there was a bit of trouble. What happened, Fenrir?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord. We retrieved the book as instructed, but had to fight to make it back.¡± Bellinor then looked at Fenrir, with his eyes as sharp as daggers and a vein began to bulge from his forehead as he asked: ¡°Was it Alexandra?¡± ¡°No, my Lord.¡± ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t. None of you would have made it out alive.¡± Bellinor said, with a sigh of relief, giving a slight chuckle. ¡°My Lord, a fire elemental awakened during the retrieval. Cindara underestimated the power that devil wielded.¡± Fenrir said, looking at Cindara on the ground as he clenched his fist in anger. ¡°So, more of them have awakened this time around? How interesting.¡± Bellinor said softly to himself. He then looked at the witch and asked her: ¡°Vermillia, what happens from here?¡± ¡°I noticed during Cindara and Fenrir¡¯s battle that the book has a blood curse on it,¡± Vermillia said. Bellinor then looked at Kanna. ¡°So, it will only respond to a blood relative.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord, but I require time to regain my strength. The amount of living material that I transported in a short time frame has drained me.¡± Bellinor waved his hand and Vermillia left, supported by the shadow figure, to her chambers. ¡°Fenrir, put our special guest with the others.¡± Fenrir nodded and dragged Kanna by her collar down the dark corridor. ¡°Others?¡± Kanna quickly thought to herself. She looked at Lord Bellinor, who gave her a wicked smile, as she heard a high-pitch-whistling sound that emanated from the walls. As Kanna was being dragged down what felt like a never-ending hallway, she demanded to know: ¡°What is going to happen to me now?¡± Fenrir did not respond to her question as he continued to drag Kanna. Fenrir then got to a door and unlocked it. Kanna entered what looked to be a dungeon, having lit torches on the walls, cells with rusted bars to Kanna''s left and cracked wooden cabinets with doors missing to her right. Kanna tried to look in the cells as she was dragged down the dungeon, but the inside was too dark for her eyes to register anything. Fenrir finally stopped at a cell, letting go of Kanna to open it. Fenrir grabbed Kanna¡¯s collar and threw her into the cell. ¡°Hey! There is no need for that!¡± Kanna angrily shouted. Fenrir entered the cell and got down to Kanna¡¯s level, grabbing her broken knee as he snapped it back into place. Kanna¡¯s deafening screams bounced off the cell walls. Fenrir quickly exited the cell, retrieved a vile of a light-green substance and threw it to Kanna. The vile bounced off her rolling to the cell¡¯s centre. ¡°If anything happens to her, it will be made sure that you all suffer a fate worse than death,¡± Fenrir said, walking off and leaving the dungeon. Kanna, in all her discomfort, quickly yelled, ¡°Who the hell are you talking to!¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking to us,¡± A feminine voice said. As Kanna looked across the cell, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she gave a face of pure shock. Kanna saw about 10 people in the cell all different races, genders and ages approaching the cell centre. All wearing torn and beaten-up clothing. The girl then grabbed Kanna''s vile and placed it gently next to her. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need that. If you plan to survive this.¡± The girl said, as she walked back to her corner. ¡°And what exactly is¡­this?¡± Kanna asked as the girl with her back turned responded: ¡°Hell.¡±