Whispers in the Wind
Chapter 1: The World is Ours

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends. Pretty obvious, isn't it?

Summary: A series of ficlets and the like revolving around the relationship of Gracia and Magoichi Saika, based on the events from the video game. Expect lots of fluff and lessons learned according to the gun-slinging maverick himself, as he attempts to teach innocent Gracia what it means to live.

Rating: This chapter is a nice and safe K+ rating.

…

She was a beauty.

Not your typical beauty, but a beauty nonetheless. While other women donned brown or black tresses, she possessed a rare color; a light shade of red styled short and simple. Her eyes were bright, that entrancing green especially suiting her silken almond shaped face. Curiosity brimmed within those glossy retinas, always asking, always looking for answers. She would never admit she was attractive, though. How could she, when she herself did not believe it?

She was young.

She had so much to learn, and it helped that she was more than willing. As soon as her mind opened to the countless possibilities the world could offer, she started to think more and more, yearning to see the bigger picture, opting to start running than to continue walking. At that particular memory, thin lips curved downwards into a firm frown. Her father was the right hand man of the most powerful man in Japan, a title that affected even the smallest members of his family. A title that kept her from pursuing her only goal; to see the world.

Why couldn't she follow in the footsteps of her father? He had seen to and fro and back again, while she had only set foot inside their wide castle, a journey she repeated grudgingly every day, for as long as she could remember. She was taught to never settle for second best and yet they never gave her the chance to apply it. The castle walls could only provide so much illusion. Once you've seen a part of the sky, your heart and soul will crave more.

And so, after countless debates, conflicts, verbal spars and temper tantrums (just to show how desperate the cultured girl was), Gracia Akechi (1) finally decided to ignore everyone else's thoughts and start her own path in life. She had done the unthinkable, on her own she might add, and grabbed a few basic necessities, hoping to journey the roads of life before she turned back and headed towards the stone prison she had come to call home.

Enough lessons. Enough tea ceremonies. Enough chatter about marrying into a wealthy and influential family. It was time to experience something beyond that of ink and parchment.

Her head turned side to side almost instantly, as she made her way across a dirt path 

surrounded by foliage. She could faintly hear the birds chirping and the woodland creatures springing from tree to tree. For a brief moment, Gracia closed her eyes and relished the feeling of freedom. The silence that sometimes came around her helped her think for her own, for once, without the incessant implications and constant urging from her peers and family members. For the first time in a very long time, she was able to hear herself think.

Seeing as how sheltered she grew up, young and frivolous Gracia had no idea what could happen to a woman alone in the woods. Granted, she wouldn't have left her house if she knew about the upcoming war between the Oda and the Azai-Asakura, but unfortunately, that was not her case.

Before she could react a little more appropriately to the situation, Gracia soon found herself running for her life, as a small group of dangerous men darted towards her. Gracia didn't need formal education to know that they had no good intentions for her.

She didn't get far from their grasp, however, as her petite frame tripped towards the ground from a big root sticking out in the ground. She shrieked at the sudden pain from herankle. How would she escape these men now? Mentally, Gracia cursed herself for not looking where she was going. That small mistake would end up causing the end of her life.

"Stop your running little girl…" one of the men said, in a sick sort of way.

"You're not getting away from us." The other one of them added, as he licked his lips menacingly at the defenseless Gracia. She winced as her eyes caught sight of their sharp swords. The only thing she had in her arsenal was a bracelet her parents had given her, and she confidently assumed this would do little damage to her assailants.

Gracia put up the fiercest glare she could muster, but even this couldn't hide her growing fear. Anticipating absolutely anything at this point, the young girl snapped out of her foresight when a sharp, baritone voice cut through the midday air.

"Stop right there."

It was commanding and fierce, and Gracia's heart soon leapt at the sound of help. She didn't care whoever saved her, just as long as she would get to see another day. She hadn't even started on her quest yet!

She managed to catch a glimpse of her savior when a small gap opened in between two restless men. His back was turned to them, a long rifle in perfect view. A clean ponytail stood out among his dark auburn locks, a few wisps of bangs swaying at the slight movement of the wind.

"Who are you?" one of the men asked. She noted slight fear in the underlined tone.

"The name's Magoichi Saika. You are?" The mysterious man answered cockily, finally turning around so they could see his face. The weapon he was carrying with one hand was suddenly placed atop his shoulder, nonchalantly. His robe was opened slightly at the front, giving a little view of his finely formed pectorals. Although most women would be gawking at the dashing man, Gracia could only repeat words of thank you in her head, her softening gaze resting solely towards his eyes.


Magoichi was finally able to get a better look at the woman he was about to rescue; she sat awkwardly on the ground trying to pry away from the men around her. It was moments like these that Magoichi hated, when people take advantage of the weak.

Especially when the weak were weak women.

He gave her physical assets a quick glance. She wasn't much to look at as compared to other women he had seen, but she was still young and developing, so he let it slide. He pushed aside his instincts for a while, and crouched down to get a better look at the girl. He smiled inwardly when she abruptly backed away from him.

"You're a little younger than most women I rescue," he stated. Although he had to admit that even from afar, she looked a little appealing, up close he had to eat his words. She was far from ugly, he could give her that much.

Gracia's eyes widened at the sudden closeness between her and the stranger. What surprised her even more was how casual he seemed to be. It was as if nothing life threatening was happening, and he just happened to come across her. She stayed silent, hoping this man was as capable in fighting as he put off.

"Get him!" one of the men shouted. Two of the men lunged at Magoichi, swords gripped stiffly in their hands. Gracia watched with astonishment at how quickly the battle had ended. Magoichi evaded every swing of their swords with ease and countered with a swift yet powerful kick to the ribs. One of the men attacked him with ill time, and as a result, became the sorry victim of Magoichi's blow to the chin using the wooden hilt of his gun.

Gracia was dumbfounded. Not once in her life had she seen such prowess! Sure, she watched her father and brothers spar, but on one hand, none of those moments were real. This, on the other hand…

"Whenever there's a woman in need, I'll be right there," Magoichi said, with pride. His weapon rested on his shoulder once again, as the men that encroached Gracia earlier started to retreat from her form on the ground.

"Get outta here." Magoichi told the men. They all took his word and ran towards the opposite end of the road. Gracia continued to stare at the man who saved her life; the sunlight behind him gave Gracia the impression of Magoichi as someone sent from above to help her.

As soon as the men disappeared from sight, Magoichi took heed of Gracia, as she struggled to stand up. His stare traveled downwards, towards her ankle, a white-gloved hand slowly rubbing it up and down. He placed his weapon on the floor and crouched down to her level once more, examining the slightly dislocated bone.

Gracia stopped what she was doing immediately. Her eyes trailed to Magoichi's concerned face, his head turning a few angles to the right as he tried to figure out how to help her stand up again. All of a sudden, green met brown, Gracia blinking at Magoichi's words.

"It's just a minor sprain. You'll still be able to walk, with a little bit of help," he said, ending his statement with a nod. Gracia blinked, and watched Magoichi walk towards the side of the road, looking for something in the bushes. As he bent down to rustle the leaves, Gracia wondered if the man was someone in the medical profession. He was a pretty good fighter, if he was.

Moments later, Magoichi came back from his search with a handful of colorful red herbs and a roll of bandages from his pocket. She noticed they were dirty, but didn't bother to say anything as he silently worked on her ankle. She helped him take off her sandal and watched again, as he rubbed the herbs on the red blotch on top of her anklebone. Quickly, she felt the coolness of the medicinal herb, smiling at the comfort it provided. Magoichi finished off the job by carefully wrapping the bandage around the area, securing a few sprigs of the herb inside.

The silence was finally broken while Magoichi continued to wrap the bandage around her foot. He glanced at her meaningfully, putting emphasis to his words.

"This place'll be a battlefield before you know it, swarming with guys like those. You should just—"

His words of warning were cut short when Gracia failed to hold her ever-developing inquiry. "Are you a doctor, Mago?" she asked him, locking eyes once again. While he looked for herbs for her ankle, her head was already thinking of a proper nickname, a small quirk she developed as a child.

Magoichi, disregarding her nickname for him, shook his head. "No, I'm a mercenary," he replied, tying the last few ends of the bandage together. "I make my way by fighting." He finished the deed with a tight pull of the two ends, securing it into place.

"I just used a few of those herbs on your leg. Just something I picked up." He added, pointing to the area he had previously scavenged. His eyebrow quirked at the loose end of the bandage, and swiftly tied it up again, noticing how easily amused the young girl was, her line of sight switching almost instantly towards where he was pointing, a smile on her face.

She seemed just about as excited as a child.

"Wow, you're really smart," Gracia concluded, kindly.

Magoichi finally finished the task of wrapping the bandage, and wiped his neck with a brisk movement of his shoulder. He regarded the girl again, eyes softening to her serene and innocent features, and started to talk again.

"Okay, that should be fine."

Gracia glanced up at his face again, this time, with sadder eyes. He was going to leave her…alone, now. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"You should take care. Get yourself on home now." Magoichi sternly patted her on the back, as he started to get up. He failed to notice the conflict that was raging on within the girl.

He was a mercenary, which meant he could fight. Gracia already had enough proof of that. Other than that, he could hold his own with injuries too. It took her a split second to make her final decision. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't regret it.

As Magoichi grabbed his rifle off the soil, Gracia stood up at the same time, with a surprising speed that she didn't expect, especially after that ankle injury. She guessed it was the herbs taking effect.

"I've run away," she stated. Magoichi already had his back turned to her, but her voice deemed that he stay and listen to what she had to say. "I want to see the world, just like my father did." Ah, he should have expected she was a free spirit.

Magoichi, however, did not expect the next few words that came smoothly out of her mouth.

"…and now I've found the perfect teacher!" Gracia's smile started to grow wider. It was a decision that was bound to give her consequences, but it was better to experience these than to read about them in books and poetry. It was a once in a lifetime chance, and she was going to take it with both hands.

With her newfound strength and belief, Gracia's smile turned into a whole-hearted grin, as she pointed at Magoichi with the same white-gloved hand she used to rub her sprained ankle moments ago.

"From now on, I'm following you!"

…

(1) 'Gracia' is her Christian name, which was given to her after being baptized as a Christian. Her historic name is 'Tama Akechi', but because I'm following the game's format, and as well as to avoid confusion, we'll use Gracia instead.