Chapter 1
Wanderer among strangers
Ayame and Kiku emerged from the tunnel. Fresh cold air and sunlight assailed their senses. At first all Ayame knew was the bright light of the new sunrise, but soon she saw an oncoming figure. She squinted, tracing the tall and noble outline slowly. Her eyes widened with realization.
"Lord Godha." Ayame whispered numbly.
"Father!" Kiku cried.
Kiku jumped down from Ayame's back and ran into the man's outstretched arms. Godha bent down and held his child firmly, choking with both happiness and relief. The two held each other for minuets...hours, Ayame could not tell. She stood apart from the pair, watching them cynically.
Ultimately, it was their happiness for her own.
Kiku had been spared at the price of Rikimaru. If Godha had not been such a desperate man she and Rikimaru never would have been forced to enter that hell alone. If Godha had just been a little more damn careful with his own child then Kiku couldn't have been held as ransom in the first place. The death of Rikimaru, the death of Wo Milu Lee, the betrayal of Rei, the now meaninglessness of her life, everything tore at Ayame. She gripped Rikimaru's sword tightly.
Life is filled with death. It is always this way.
Death.death.my death.
Kiku looked up from her father's embrace. She turned around, still protected by her father's arms, and gazed mournfully at Ayame. Her eyes were filled with child tears.
"Thank you for saving me, Ayame." She said brokenly.
Ayame stared at the child for a long time. She was left with nothing now, nothing except guilt, sorrow, and the anxiety of desolation. Ayame moved her gaze to the morning sky.
"I did nothing. It was Rikimaru who saved us." She said, still griping the sword tightly. She swallowed thickly. The sword.death.my death.
"Ayame, you did rescue Kiku. I shall never be able to thank you enough." Godha whispered solemnly.
Ayame smiled, a smile laced with hysteria. She had done nothing to aide in the rescue. She had raced through tunnels, passed over lava, slain a demon king, and still, still it had not been enough. A boulder had stopped her. A mere boulder. The guilt ate away at Ayame. It was her own ineptitude that led to this tragedy.
"Ayame?" Godha questioned.
The burden lay on her. And the sword was sharp. Very sharp.
"Ayame?"
Ayame could picture it all so very clearly in her mind. She would draw the blade, and the blade would reflect the few birthing rays of sunlight, turning the metal into milky whiteness. She would heft the weight of the sword, finding its balance, and she would inspect the blade's perfect edges. She would see that they were at their sharpest, at their most lethal, and she would sheath the blade again. She would sheath the blade where it belonged. And when she had done so, she would fall to the ground, the cursedly cold ground, and all would be well.
"Ayame." The voice came again, from miles or feet away.
Ayame turned to Godha. She stared at the man who now seemed unfamiliar.
"Ayame. Do not think it." He said.
Ayame didn't know what she was thinking. But as she thought of this she had a thought, which amused her to no end. Her hysterical smile widened. Was she a stranger among wanderers, or a wanderer among strangers?
"Ayame." His voice demanded. "Plunge it into the earth."
Kiku made a whimpering noise.
The sword. The sword.
Where to imbed the sword?
"Ayame."
Where to place the blade?
Where to let it fall?
"Ayame! Plunge the sword into the earth!"
But when all was said and done, all her sorrow could not change the fact that he was still her lord.
With all her strength she plunged the weapon into the earth. The earth gave little resistance and seemed to accept the offering gratefully. Ayame stood transfixed, watching the sentinel sword as it watched over the land that had separated it from its master. Ayame was fated to live as Lord Godha ordained. With nothing to grip, she looked at her own bare hand. Such that is to be a wanderer among strangers, she decided.
Lord Godha and Princess Kiku moved to her side. They watched the sun rise solemnly. Ayame had a bitter thought that this was a travesty of a family. A broken orphan child like her did not belong with this regal pair. As if sensing her thoughts, Kiku turned to her.
"Ayame." Kiku whispered, pulling at Ayame's shirt. "I love you." the girl said, looking up to Ayame as she would an older sister. Ayame looked down, and for the first time, she truly saw her own little sister. Ayame let out a long sigh.
"I love you too." Ayame whispered hoarsely.
Three tears traveled down her cheeks. One for the death of Rei, who Ayame had not the heart to hate. One for the death of Wo Milu Lee and the innocence that so rarely is. And one for the death of Rikimaru, the death of the greatest part of herself.
And the sun rose ever higher.
Authors note:
First chapter of the new series complete! Cha cha cha! You like?
Ayame and Kiku emerged from the tunnel. Fresh cold air and sunlight assailed their senses. At first all Ayame knew was the bright light of the new sunrise, but soon she saw an oncoming figure. She squinted, tracing the tall and noble outline slowly. Her eyes widened with realization.
"Lord Godha." Ayame whispered numbly.
"Father!" Kiku cried.
Kiku jumped down from Ayame's back and ran into the man's outstretched arms. Godha bent down and held his child firmly, choking with both happiness and relief. The two held each other for minuets...hours, Ayame could not tell. She stood apart from the pair, watching them cynically.
Ultimately, it was their happiness for her own.
Kiku had been spared at the price of Rikimaru. If Godha had not been such a desperate man she and Rikimaru never would have been forced to enter that hell alone. If Godha had just been a little more damn careful with his own child then Kiku couldn't have been held as ransom in the first place. The death of Rikimaru, the death of Wo Milu Lee, the betrayal of Rei, the now meaninglessness of her life, everything tore at Ayame. She gripped Rikimaru's sword tightly.
Life is filled with death. It is always this way.
Death.death.my death.
Kiku looked up from her father's embrace. She turned around, still protected by her father's arms, and gazed mournfully at Ayame. Her eyes were filled with child tears.
"Thank you for saving me, Ayame." She said brokenly.
Ayame stared at the child for a long time. She was left with nothing now, nothing except guilt, sorrow, and the anxiety of desolation. Ayame moved her gaze to the morning sky.
"I did nothing. It was Rikimaru who saved us." She said, still griping the sword tightly. She swallowed thickly. The sword.death.my death.
"Ayame, you did rescue Kiku. I shall never be able to thank you enough." Godha whispered solemnly.
Ayame smiled, a smile laced with hysteria. She had done nothing to aide in the rescue. She had raced through tunnels, passed over lava, slain a demon king, and still, still it had not been enough. A boulder had stopped her. A mere boulder. The guilt ate away at Ayame. It was her own ineptitude that led to this tragedy.
"Ayame?" Godha questioned.
The burden lay on her. And the sword was sharp. Very sharp.
"Ayame?"
Ayame could picture it all so very clearly in her mind. She would draw the blade, and the blade would reflect the few birthing rays of sunlight, turning the metal into milky whiteness. She would heft the weight of the sword, finding its balance, and she would inspect the blade's perfect edges. She would see that they were at their sharpest, at their most lethal, and she would sheath the blade again. She would sheath the blade where it belonged. And when she had done so, she would fall to the ground, the cursedly cold ground, and all would be well.
"Ayame." The voice came again, from miles or feet away.
Ayame turned to Godha. She stared at the man who now seemed unfamiliar.
"Ayame. Do not think it." He said.
Ayame didn't know what she was thinking. But as she thought of this she had a thought, which amused her to no end. Her hysterical smile widened. Was she a stranger among wanderers, or a wanderer among strangers?
"Ayame." His voice demanded. "Plunge it into the earth."
Kiku made a whimpering noise.
The sword. The sword.
Where to imbed the sword?
"Ayame."
Where to place the blade?
Where to let it fall?
"Ayame! Plunge the sword into the earth!"
But when all was said and done, all her sorrow could not change the fact that he was still her lord.
With all her strength she plunged the weapon into the earth. The earth gave little resistance and seemed to accept the offering gratefully. Ayame stood transfixed, watching the sentinel sword as it watched over the land that had separated it from its master. Ayame was fated to live as Lord Godha ordained. With nothing to grip, she looked at her own bare hand. Such that is to be a wanderer among strangers, she decided.
Lord Godha and Princess Kiku moved to her side. They watched the sun rise solemnly. Ayame had a bitter thought that this was a travesty of a family. A broken orphan child like her did not belong with this regal pair. As if sensing her thoughts, Kiku turned to her.
"Ayame." Kiku whispered, pulling at Ayame's shirt. "I love you." the girl said, looking up to Ayame as she would an older sister. Ayame looked down, and for the first time, she truly saw her own little sister. Ayame let out a long sigh.
"I love you too." Ayame whispered hoarsely.
Three tears traveled down her cheeks. One for the death of Rei, who Ayame had not the heart to hate. One for the death of Wo Milu Lee and the innocence that so rarely is. And one for the death of Rikimaru, the death of the greatest part of herself.
And the sun rose ever higher.
Authors note:
First chapter of the new series complete! Cha cha cha! You like?