The Heaven Slayers made their way from Soryu village and the Heichi
grasslands to the Kaunikauna plains. From there, they would move to
the state of Rz’oawrein, and go to Rz’oawrein city to find the next
devil.
On the road, Anju watched Akira. He still could not believe that the
girl was as powerful as Genzo said she was. He understood that she was
the daughter of the legendary Hyudo Kusagana, but still, it seemed
incomprehensible for her to have this kind of power, and then consider
herself human.
The second of the Twelve Dragons walked up to Genzo, who was keeping
at watchful eye on Akira and Mitsuki. Anju tapped on his shoulder.
“Genzo.” Anju prodded.
Genzo stopped walking for a second to look back at Anju. “Yes?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little strange for a single girl to be this
powerful?” Anju said quietly.
“There is nothing unusual about Akira’s powers. She is a very gifted
young woman. And she needs us to protect her.”
Anju sighed. “I see that. But still she’s a little...”
“Are you saying that you do not trust her?” Genzo asked.
“I’m not saying that, I just think her power’s a little...irregular.”
Genzo shook his head in amusement and continued to walk, only looking
back at Anju to say,
“Sounds to me like the Second Dragon is jealous.”
Anju’s eyes widened. “What!?”
**********
Later on that day, around a third of the way through the Kaunikauna
plains the sky was becoming darker, so Genzo decided that the Heaven
Slayers should camp out for the night. And so they did.
Eventually Anju fell asleep, Akira was practicing some moves, Miki
said she was going for a walk, and of course that just left Genzo and
Mitsuki. They hadn’t really been speaking to each other since their
argument at the Tsukiyo Inn, and Mitsuki felt bad for yelling at her
grandfather.
So, the apologetic Mitsuki made he way around the campfire, and sat
next to her grumpy by nature grandfather.
“Whatcha doing?” Mitsuki asked.
Genzo looked at Mitsuki for a minute. “I was just resting.”
“That’s nice. I’m...look...about what happened in Soryu-“
Genzo silenced her. “No. I understand. It is not easy when others seem
to think that they are ones who should control *your* life. You must
feel as though I do not care about your opinion, do you not?”
“Sometimes...” Mitsuki admitted sadly.
“You must not feel that way. Because it is not true. I do love you,
Mitsuki. You are all I have left in life. And I want to know that when
I leave this earth, you will be safe.”
Mitsuki looked honestly at Genzo. “I will be fine, Grandfather.”
Genzo chuckled lightly to himself at that, and Mitsuki smiled at him.
He so very rarely laughed out loud.
“I am sorry, Mitsuki. I forget how much you and mother are alike.”
Mitsuki picked up a stick from nearby and poked at the fire. “Mom was
something, wasn’t she?”
“Yes...” Genzo said wistfully. “Yes she was.”
**********
The wind whipped apart as Akira sliced into the air with the
Dragon-edge sword. She followed it with a quick and sharp horizontal
slash. Akira then stabbed her sword in the ground, and wiped the sweat
from her forehead.
Typical Akira still continued to train, even during the hunt for the
devils. But this solitary training was not always about becoming
stronger. It also gave Akira a chance to think.
Things just seemed to be pilling up on Akira these days.
Akira swung Dragon-edge into the air again. She wanted so many things,
like the life of a normal girl. It wasn’t until now that the young
knight realized that was not going to be easy.
People had always told her so, but in those days they were just words
that were spouted a good deal of times. She never thought that they
might have known what they were talking about.
All that Akira was aware of now was the danger. At first when Mitsuki
said that she was going to join the Heaven Slayers, Akira was happy.
Happy to have a friend to support her. But now it felt like she was
putting Mitsuki in danger.
Above all, that was Akira no.1 priority. Mitsuki’s safety.
Every time Akira thought about Mitsuki in danger, it made a cold
shiver run down her body. She would never forgive herself if anything
happened to Mitsuki.
The young knight was starting to become aware of how precious Mitsuki
was to her.
Akira heaved Dragon-edge up again, and preformed a shallow slash into
the air, but as Akira balanced herself by pushing back her right leg,
the dark haired girl stumbled a bit.
Miki watched in amusement as Akira struggled to pull off the Heaven
Slice, one of Hyudo’s Kusagana’s well-oiled techniques. Even though
Genzo had taught her the move correctly, Akira still could not execute
it.
“You’re balancing on the wrong leg, Akira.”
Akira turned around when she heard someone call out to her. It was
Miki, with a small smile on her face.
“How long have you been there, Miki?” Akira asked.
Miki walked up to Akira. “Long enough. Try the move again.”
Akira sighed and lowered the Dragon-edge. “I can’t. I keep staggering
when I perform it.”
“That’s because you are putting pressure on the wrong leg. You see all
the weight of the Dragon-edge is on the right side of your body. If
you just move your *left* leg back, you’ll even out the weight.”
Akira nodded to Miki, and raised her sword to waist level. The young
knight did as Miki requested and pushed her left leg back, and then
slashed her sword into the air. This time however, Akira did not trip
up. Lowering her sword slowly, Akira looked back at Miki with a smile
of appreciation on her face.
“Thanks Miki.”
Miki smiled again and shook her head. “No need.”
Akira and Miki walked over to a large tree and sat down. For some
reason, neither one of them felt like going back to the campsite.
After sheathing Dragon-edge, Akira looked up into the night sky, and
looked at the stars. Beautiful...
An image of Mitsuki flashed in Akira’s mind for a second, and she
shook her head quickly to remove it.
Miki watched that curiously. “Something wrong, Akira?”
The girl didn’t say or do anything for a while, until she swiftly
stared at Miki for a second, shaking her head.
“No...I was...just thinking about someone.”
Miki had a fair idea of whom Akira was thinking about. She and Mitsuki
were getting closer.
Akira thought to herself for a second, and then looked into the sky
again.
“Miki, what is there between you and Anju?”
The hazelnut haired girl shot a surprised looked at Akira, one that
transformed into a contemplative smirk.
“You noticed, huh?” Miki said.
“Kind of hard not to. I mean he is always flirting with you.”
Miki looked hard at the ground below her when the smile dissolved. She
had never really told anyone about what happened with Anju, mostly
because she felt it was no one’s business but her own.
“Anju and I,” Miki began. “We were in a relationship, about seven
years ago. And it didn’t work out. We have not seen each other since
then, and I guess he still thinks that there is something between us.”
Akira looked doubtfully at Miki. “And is there?”
“...I don’t know anymore.” Miki admitted.
“But you care about him as a friend...right?”
Miki shuffled her back on the tree it was rested on and closed her
eyes. “I guess so.”
Akira played with her hands a bit. “What if...what if you think that
you might be starting to care about him more than just a friend?”
“I do not know, really. Considering what happened between us, I would
not know whether to take him back or not.”
Akira’s gaze changed into an inquisitive stare. “What if you forgot
what happened between the two of you? Would it be okay then?”
Miki smiled a little. “Some scars take a long time to heal, Akira.”
Akira returned the smile sadly. “Yeah...”
**********
The next morning, the Heaven Slayers packed up their things and
continued down the Kaunikauna plains towards Rz’oawrein. Akira and
Mitsuki were walking at back talking about something; Anju and Genzo
were discussing the details of the plan at Rz’oawrein, and Miki was
sharpening Kotetsuseiken with a flint stone as she walked.
As the gang walked along the trail, Mitsuki noticed a small, old,
ramshackle hut, with an equally old women sitting on a chair in front
of it. She was frail and withered, bony limbs and fingers, and a cloud
white mane of hair thrown over her shoulders. Her small lips curled
into an ominous smile as Genzo and the other Heaven Slayers walked up
to her.
“Excuse me,” Genzo said. “But do you know how far we are from
Rz’oawrein?”
The old hag looked up at Genzo slowly. “About three miles sonny...”
Genzo nodded in appreciation. “Thank you.”
The gang started to move on again, till the old woman called out to
them.
“Wait. Would you like to have your fortunes read? Only five gold
pieces for each of you.” Said the old hag.
Anju snorted. “Fortunes? Hah! I don’t believe in all that fate crap.”
The old woman grinned. “You’re wrong boy. Everyone has a destiny. Even
unbelievers like you.”
Miki sheathed Kotetsuseiken, walked up to the old hag’s hut and sat
down on the chair in front of the old woman. “I’ll do it.”
The old hag grinned at Miki as she put down five gold pieces, and
sought out the hazelnut haired girl’s palm.
Anju sighed. “I don’t understand. Miki believes in this?”
Genzo walked next to Anju. “Not everyone is as doubtful as you are,
Anju.”
The old hag closed her eyes slowly, and mumbled a sacred chant under
her breath. One of her frail, bony fingers travelled across Miki’s
palm, and her face contorted in discovery as she ‘absorbed’ Miki’s
destiny. A few minutes later, the old hag finished her job, and smiled
darkly at Miki.
“Well, young woman. Sometime in the future you are going to feel a
long lost emotion.”
Miki thought to herself. {What could that mean?}
The Soujumah priestess then thanked the old hag, and Mitsuki took the
second reading. She was predicted to have to make a big decision in
the near future. Genzo was next. The woman said that one day he would
choose to make a hasty sacrifice. After some gentle nudging from
Mitsuki, Anju reluctantly had his fortune told as well. The old woman
foretold that he would have a moment of happiness.
Next up was Akira. The young knight took a seat in front of the old
hag and put her palm out. The old hag then read her palm, but whereas
the other’s fortunes were fairly vague, Akira’s fortune was quite
specific.
The old woman stopped and looked hard at Akira.
“I foresee a great meeting. In Tundrana.”
Akira blinked. {Tundrana...didn’t I dream that...?}
The face on Akira was confused, but she shook it off and paid the old
hag. “Uh...thank you...miss...” Akira said uncertainly.
The gang then gathered up and continued walking along the path.
Mitsuki looked back and waved at the old woman.
“Thanks!”
The old woman smiled portentously again, and waved her small hand back
at Mitsuki.
“Farewell children...” The old woman’s eyes darkened. “Fare thee
well...”
Back to Prophecy of Krishinda: The Kusagana Myth Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction