Okay. I'm calling this a parody because I use things from various anime
shows. I even use a full line from InuYasha. As mentioned in my summary,
this was originally an English assignment. I decided to put it up here and
see how people would react. If I get enough positive reviews, I will
continue on with the story. Enjoy!
Dreams that are Reality
"These dreams," she said as she lay in bed, "are becoming more and more real." Her name is Kiara Isuzu. She is fifteen years old. Lately, she's been woken up by her dreams. Sometimes they are good, most of the time they are bad. With each dream that passed, everything became more realistic. She was able to feel everything around her. The ground beneath her feet, the wind against her face, everything.
Kiara sat there for a while. Her alarm clock went off, just as it always did. "What's the point of having an alarm if you wake up before it goes off?" she asked herself as she turned it off. Just then, she felt something warm run down her cheek. Slowly, she reached up and touched it. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the liquid, now on her hand. Blood! That was the same place she had been cut in her dream. "These dreams are becoming too real!" she exclaimed as she ran into the bathroom.
Using a damp cloth, Kiara washed the blood off her face. She examined her wound in the mirror. As she was doing so, she thought about her dream. Some sort of monster had attacked her. It barely missed taking her head off. She shuddered at the thought of it.
After she dressed the wound, she walked downstairs to the kitchen. Even though it's a Saturday, I should still eat right, she thought as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal. She could hear her little sister in the other room watching her Saturday morning cartoons. Ruri has been like that ever since she learned how to use the remote.
"Hello my beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter who better not be sneaking behind my back with some boy or else I'd kill her!" said Mika as she entered the kitchen. "How are you on this fine Saturday morning?" She always acts that way.
"Fine, Mother dearest," said Kiara, smiling while looking down at her cereal.
Mika is the single mother of Ruri and Kiara. She is a successful author. She has written several books, all in one series. Each book in her series takes place in the same fantasy world, but each story is different. Each book is also completely original. When anyone asked her where she got her ideas, she'd just say, "It came to me in a dream."
"Hey, what's that?" asked Mika.
"What's what?"
"What's that on your face?"
"What? Do I have a zit?"
"No, genius. What's with the bandage?"
"Oh. I was cut."
"By what?"
Uh-oh, thought Kiara. I can't really say that I was cut by my dream. She'd probably put me in therapy.
"By a...uh...a tree! Yeah, a tree! I was cut by a tree!" exclaimed Kiara.
"When?"
"On my way home from school yesterday."
"How did that happen?"
"I, uh, decided to take a shortcut home because I was in a hurry to get working on my homework. You see, I went through the forest and--"
"Stop there. I don't need a play-by-play. I think I'll join Ruri. Her silence is easier on the ears."
After her mom left, Kiara sighed with relief. That was an interesting conversation, she thought as she finished-off her cereal. At least half of my story was true.
She walked into the living room and sat between her mom and her little sister. A common ritual the Isuzu family performs every weekend where all members sit together and watch TV. It's the simplest way for them to bond and spend quality time.
After a while, Kiara went up to her room and changed. She started walking down the stairs.
"Where ya going?" asked Ruri.
"I'm going out for a while," said Kiara as she jumped, skipping the last few steps.
"Whatcha gonna do?"
"I'm going to spend some time with my friends."
"Can I come?"
"Sorry, Ruri. You can't."
"Why not?"
"My friends and I are going to do, uh, boring grown-up stuff. You wouldn't like it."
"You're a jerk! I hate you!" shouted Ruri, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry! Don't cry! Uh...how about this? While I'm gone, you can play my games and I'll get you something. Is that okay?"
Ruri perks up and says with a grin, "Okay!" She then runs upstairs into Kiara's room to play with her Playstation 2. Kiara let out a sigh of relief.
"That was smooth," said Mika as she lay on the couch, "I don't really think you had to add a gift to your little deal. The "play-time" would've sufficed."
"Not trying to sound rude or anything but aren't you supposed to be working on your book?" asked Kiara.
"I already finished it."
"Really? Have you found a title for it?"
"Yep. I'm calling it The Pursuit of Akujin," said Mika, sounding very pleased with herself.
"Akujin?"
"Yep. I made it up."
"Weird."
"What's so weird about it?" asked Mika, somewhat annoyed.
"Oh. It's just that 'Akujin' sounds familiar," said Kiara. She glanced at the clock. "Oh crud! I've gotta go! Bye, mom!" shouted Kiara as she ran out the door. She started running all-out to the mall. She was going to meet her friends Sakura, Kasumi, and Akane there. "I'm going to be late!" cried Kiara. "Time for a shortcut!" She started running through the forest in the direction of the mall. This wasn't Kiara's first time in the forest. She's been there countless times because it's the easiest route to school. She knows the forest like the back of her hand.
As she was running, she noticed something strange. The forest had changed somehow. It wasn't as she remembered. The deeper in the forest she ran, the more unfamiliar her surroundings became. The forest she knew didn't have a clearing, and here she was, running parallel to one that lay in the center of the trees. Even stranger, she felt that she had been there before. How is that possible? Even if I had taken a wrong turn, I'd know which way to go, she thought to herself.
BAM!! She fell to the ground. "Ow. I must've hit something," she said, holding the forming bump on her head. She looked up to discover that she had run into a boy, who had been knocked unconscious as a result of her rush. "Whoops! Sorry. Are you okay?" she asked as she crawled near him.
The boy was around Kiara's age. The clothes he was wearing were slightly torn. A Japanese sword was lying on the ground beside him, still in its sheath. His hair was the strangest thing Kiara had ever seen. It was long and gray.
"No way!" Kiara gasped. "He has a tail! And, ears?" Sure enough, the boy had strange ears sticking out the top of his head. She moved closer to examine them. "They look like...dog ears. I think I wanna...touch 'em," she said as she rubbed the furry gray ears with her fingers.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the boy, who recently regained consciousness. He glared at her with golden eyes.
"Um, uh, nothing!" she said, pulling back her hands. "I'm sorry I ran into you. I was in a bit of a hurry."
"Then watch where you're going next time, moron!" he shouted, sitting up.
"Moron? I just apologized and that gives you the right to be a jerk!?"
"As a matter of fact it does!"
"Hey, what's with your ears and tail? Are they real?" asked Kiara, whose annoyance had lifted.
"Aargh! Don't change the subject!"
"I can and I did!"
He sighed. "Yes. My ears and tail are real."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope. I'm telling the truth, 100%."
"Are you...human?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what are you?"
"You mean, you don't know?" he asked, a confused look in his eyes.
"How the heck am I supposed to know!?" she shouted.
"Man, you're a noisy one!"
"Answer the question!"
"All right, all right," he said, "I am what is known as an oomaki."
"So, oomaki are people with the ears and tail of a dog?"
"No! Oomaki are wolves! We appear to be human but, for obvious reasons, we are not. Although there are more humans than us, everyone knows about oomaki."
"So, what're you doing here?"
"I--," suddenly he swung his head to the right and stared at the trees beyond the clearing.
"What's wrong? Is something there? I don't see anything," said Kiara, following his gaze.
The oomaki's eyes grew hard and his ears began to twitch. "He's here," he said as he rose, grasping his sword.
"Who's here? What does he want?" asked Kiara, now standing with him. Suddenly she heard a terrible sound. It was the snapping and falling of trees. Whatever was doing that, it was getting closer.
"Let's get out of here!" cried Kiara, grabbing the boy's wrist. "Whatever it is, I doubt it's friendly!"
"It's no use. He will not stop until his mission is completed."
"What would that be?" asked Kiara, fear coursing through her as the sound became louder as it's maker came closer.
"He's after someone," said the oomaki, not budging an inch.
"W-Who?" she stammered.
"Me," he replied. He started walking toward the clearing, toward the oncoming enemy. "I'll hold him off for as long as I can. At least then you'll have a chance to survive." Just as he finished his sentence, the monster appeared, bursting through the trees. The moment Kiara saw it, she thought of her dream. It looked like the same kind of monster that had attacked her. It was two-times taller than the oomaki that stood before it. Covered in green scales, it had two long arms that dragged along the ground as it walked on two long legs. Five long knife-like claws were at the end of each of its hands. A thick tail dragged behind it. Sharp white fangs dripped with saliva as two red eyes glared at the oomaki from a pointed head.
Kiara's first instinct was to run, but she ignored it. She was speechless. She just met him, she didn't even know his name, and yet he was willing to risk his life to save hers. I've got to do something to help, she thought to herself. Why should he die for my sake? But what can I do?
"I've finally found you," said the monster with a grin, the saliva on his teeth shimmering in the light.
"Why were you looking for me?" asked the oomaki. "I forgot."
The monster chuckled, "How easy people forget. Master Akujin ordered me to eliminate you."
Kiara thought to herself, Akujin!? That was one of the names Mom used in her new book! How can that be?
"Wow. Aren't I the lucky one," said the oomaki.
"Not just you. All of his guards were ordered to destroy all the oomaki that remain."
"What!? Why would he do such a thing!?"
"Isn't it obvious?" asked the monster. "He believes that the oomaki are a threat. I myself wonder why such a powerful man fears you."
"How did this fear of his come around?"
"There was a rumor that the strongest of his guards was killed by a single creature. I heard that guard was almost as powerful as Akujin himself, but the creature left the battlefield with only one wound. That happened a little while ago."
"What makes you think it was an oomaki?"
"The creature that fought the guard was smaller than him. Humans aren't capable of that kind of power and that leaves the oomaki."
"Hmm...I'm curious. Why did you answer all of my questions?"
"I like to hunt my prey. I wanted to give your woman a head start," he said looking over at Kiara, "but it seems that she's too stupid to take her only chance."
"What!?" The oomaki whirled around and yelled at Kiara, "What are you doing, idiot!? Do you want to die? Run!"
"Too late," said the monster. He hit the oomaki and sent him flying in Kiara's direction.
Kiara could only watch in horror as he crashed through the trees, just a few feet away from her.
"Never turn your back on your enemy. Bad things may happen. Although hunting oomaki is fun, I prefer to hunt humans. They taste much better and aren't a hassle to defeat," said the monster. More saliva dripped from his mouth as he spoke. He began walking toward Kiara. She was petrified by fear and was unable to move.
"It's a shame that such a pretty one as you was caught in this," said the monster, now only a few feet in front of her. He raised his claw. "I promise to make your death a swift one."
This is it? This is how I'm going to die? Kiara thought to herself. What about that boy? Is he dead? He shouldn't have died for my sake. All I did was just stand here. I didn't even listen, let alone try to help him. Tears of frustration began to run down her cheeks. Am I that powerless? Am I unable to save those I care for?
"I'm sorry!" she cried as the monster's claw began to drop. She closed her eyes.
"What're you doing, moron!? Get out of here!"
"Huh?" Kiara looked up. The boy stood before her, preventing the monster's claw from smashing her by holding it up.
"So you're tougher than I thought! I'm glad. I wanted a challenge," said the monster, trying even harder to crush the oomaki.
"I can't hold this forever! Run!" yelled the boy, struggling against the added pressure.
"O-Okay!" Kiara began running in the direction the boy had been previously thrown.
"You fool. You just interrupted my meal. I'll take care of you later," said the monster, knocking the boy to the side with his other claw. "I need to eat before I do anything else." He started running after Kiara.
She heard the sound of his massive steps as he got closer.
"Look out!" the oomaki yelled, sprawled on the ground.
The monster had caught up and swung one of his massive claws at Kiara.
In that instant, she tripped. She heard the claw fly over her head. Getting up as quickly as she could, she saw that she had tripped over the boy's sword. Grabbing it, she started running again. All the trees that were in the path of the claw had five clean cuts and began to fall to the ground. Although she heard everything behind her, Kiara kept running.
The monster kept running as well. All he could think of was the taste of fresh blood, that he would have it in a matter of minutes.
Suddenly Kiara stopped. Her instincts told her to do so and they had become overwhelming. All she could do was obey.
Realizing his prey had stopped, the monster stopped as well. He and Kiara turned and faced one another.
It's now or never. I know that I will never be able to outrun him. At the least, she thought, I can die trying to save him. Hopefully that will help repent for my stupidity earlier. If only I ran then, when he told me to.
The oomaki could see them both in the distance. "Run, moron! You can't fight him! It's suicide!" he shouted. He started running towards them. He was by far faster than any human could ever be, but he wasn't fast enough to reach them.
"Farewell," said the monster as he swung his claw at Kiara.
"This is all I can do!" she shouted.
Kiara had completely lost control over her body to her instincts. She drew the sword from its sheath as quickly as she could. The speed at which the sword traveled was faster than lightning. Half of the monster's arm had been removed as a result of the attack. Immediately after she threw the sword at the monster. Without aiming, she hit him straight in the heart and he died instantly. She looked up and realized what she had done.
"What did you do?" asked the oomaki, who finally caught up to Kiara.
Trembling, she replied, "I-I don't know. Everything was so fast, I couldn't control myself and I--"
"No, no. You did good defeating him."
He walked over to the monster's carcass and pulled out his sword. When he got back to Kiara, she handed him his sheath.
"Hey, um, thank you for trying to save me earlier, um..."
"Call me Enzeru. I should be the one thanking you. You're the one who brought him down."
"My name is Kiara. Thank you, anyways." She noticed that Enzeru had been wounded. Some blood was running down from his forehead and he had a few cuts on his arms and legs. "Are you all right?"
"Huh?"
"You're bleeding."
"Oh. It's okay. An oomaki's wounds heal quickly. What's with the bandage?"
"I was cut earlier today."
"Really?" he asked. He thought for a moment, then tore the bandage off her face.
"Ow! What the heck was that for!?" shouted Kiara, punching Enzeru in the arm as punishment.
"Just as I thought! You're an oomaki!"
"What!?" she reached up and touched her cheek. The wound had completely healed. "S-So! Maybe I'm just a fast healer!"
"I know that you're an oomaki! Only an oomaki can grasp this sword!"
"But I don't have a tail! I can't be one if I don't have a tail!"
"That's right. But some legends tell of some oomaki being able to disguise themselves as humans!" he shouted. Suddenly, he realized something. "Where did you get your cut?"
"Now who's changing the subject?"
"Just answer the question."
"I was cut by a monster."
"Did he look like the one you just killed?"
"Yes."
Enzeru was speechless. Could it be her?
"Hey, what's the matter? I answered all of your questions. What was it that you wanted to know?" asked Kiara.
"You're the one who can oppose Akujin."
"What? You're not making any sense!"
"You're the one who killed Akujin's strongest guard."
"What? No I didn't."
"The one who defeated the strongest guard was an oomaki who left with only one wound. He was killed earlier today. You got the cut at the appropriate time and you are able wield my sword. You are the one everyone needs. Only you can help us. Help us defeat Akujin!" said Enzeru.
I don't even know where I am! How am I supposed to kill someone that I've never met? Kiara looked into Enzeru's eyes. They were filled with happiness, joy, and excitement, all a result of knowing that peace may be restored. She knew that she couldn't let him down. "Okay. Let's go defeat Akujin."
Dreams that are Reality
"These dreams," she said as she lay in bed, "are becoming more and more real." Her name is Kiara Isuzu. She is fifteen years old. Lately, she's been woken up by her dreams. Sometimes they are good, most of the time they are bad. With each dream that passed, everything became more realistic. She was able to feel everything around her. The ground beneath her feet, the wind against her face, everything.
Kiara sat there for a while. Her alarm clock went off, just as it always did. "What's the point of having an alarm if you wake up before it goes off?" she asked herself as she turned it off. Just then, she felt something warm run down her cheek. Slowly, she reached up and touched it. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the liquid, now on her hand. Blood! That was the same place she had been cut in her dream. "These dreams are becoming too real!" she exclaimed as she ran into the bathroom.
Using a damp cloth, Kiara washed the blood off her face. She examined her wound in the mirror. As she was doing so, she thought about her dream. Some sort of monster had attacked her. It barely missed taking her head off. She shuddered at the thought of it.
After she dressed the wound, she walked downstairs to the kitchen. Even though it's a Saturday, I should still eat right, she thought as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal. She could hear her little sister in the other room watching her Saturday morning cartoons. Ruri has been like that ever since she learned how to use the remote.
"Hello my beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter who better not be sneaking behind my back with some boy or else I'd kill her!" said Mika as she entered the kitchen. "How are you on this fine Saturday morning?" She always acts that way.
"Fine, Mother dearest," said Kiara, smiling while looking down at her cereal.
Mika is the single mother of Ruri and Kiara. She is a successful author. She has written several books, all in one series. Each book in her series takes place in the same fantasy world, but each story is different. Each book is also completely original. When anyone asked her where she got her ideas, she'd just say, "It came to me in a dream."
"Hey, what's that?" asked Mika.
"What's what?"
"What's that on your face?"
"What? Do I have a zit?"
"No, genius. What's with the bandage?"
"Oh. I was cut."
"By what?"
Uh-oh, thought Kiara. I can't really say that I was cut by my dream. She'd probably put me in therapy.
"By a...uh...a tree! Yeah, a tree! I was cut by a tree!" exclaimed Kiara.
"When?"
"On my way home from school yesterday."
"How did that happen?"
"I, uh, decided to take a shortcut home because I was in a hurry to get working on my homework. You see, I went through the forest and--"
"Stop there. I don't need a play-by-play. I think I'll join Ruri. Her silence is easier on the ears."
After her mom left, Kiara sighed with relief. That was an interesting conversation, she thought as she finished-off her cereal. At least half of my story was true.
She walked into the living room and sat between her mom and her little sister. A common ritual the Isuzu family performs every weekend where all members sit together and watch TV. It's the simplest way for them to bond and spend quality time.
After a while, Kiara went up to her room and changed. She started walking down the stairs.
"Where ya going?" asked Ruri.
"I'm going out for a while," said Kiara as she jumped, skipping the last few steps.
"Whatcha gonna do?"
"I'm going to spend some time with my friends."
"Can I come?"
"Sorry, Ruri. You can't."
"Why not?"
"My friends and I are going to do, uh, boring grown-up stuff. You wouldn't like it."
"You're a jerk! I hate you!" shouted Ruri, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry! Don't cry! Uh...how about this? While I'm gone, you can play my games and I'll get you something. Is that okay?"
Ruri perks up and says with a grin, "Okay!" She then runs upstairs into Kiara's room to play with her Playstation 2. Kiara let out a sigh of relief.
"That was smooth," said Mika as she lay on the couch, "I don't really think you had to add a gift to your little deal. The "play-time" would've sufficed."
"Not trying to sound rude or anything but aren't you supposed to be working on your book?" asked Kiara.
"I already finished it."
"Really? Have you found a title for it?"
"Yep. I'm calling it The Pursuit of Akujin," said Mika, sounding very pleased with herself.
"Akujin?"
"Yep. I made it up."
"Weird."
"What's so weird about it?" asked Mika, somewhat annoyed.
"Oh. It's just that 'Akujin' sounds familiar," said Kiara. She glanced at the clock. "Oh crud! I've gotta go! Bye, mom!" shouted Kiara as she ran out the door. She started running all-out to the mall. She was going to meet her friends Sakura, Kasumi, and Akane there. "I'm going to be late!" cried Kiara. "Time for a shortcut!" She started running through the forest in the direction of the mall. This wasn't Kiara's first time in the forest. She's been there countless times because it's the easiest route to school. She knows the forest like the back of her hand.
As she was running, she noticed something strange. The forest had changed somehow. It wasn't as she remembered. The deeper in the forest she ran, the more unfamiliar her surroundings became. The forest she knew didn't have a clearing, and here she was, running parallel to one that lay in the center of the trees. Even stranger, she felt that she had been there before. How is that possible? Even if I had taken a wrong turn, I'd know which way to go, she thought to herself.
BAM!! She fell to the ground. "Ow. I must've hit something," she said, holding the forming bump on her head. She looked up to discover that she had run into a boy, who had been knocked unconscious as a result of her rush. "Whoops! Sorry. Are you okay?" she asked as she crawled near him.
The boy was around Kiara's age. The clothes he was wearing were slightly torn. A Japanese sword was lying on the ground beside him, still in its sheath. His hair was the strangest thing Kiara had ever seen. It was long and gray.
"No way!" Kiara gasped. "He has a tail! And, ears?" Sure enough, the boy had strange ears sticking out the top of his head. She moved closer to examine them. "They look like...dog ears. I think I wanna...touch 'em," she said as she rubbed the furry gray ears with her fingers.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the boy, who recently regained consciousness. He glared at her with golden eyes.
"Um, uh, nothing!" she said, pulling back her hands. "I'm sorry I ran into you. I was in a bit of a hurry."
"Then watch where you're going next time, moron!" he shouted, sitting up.
"Moron? I just apologized and that gives you the right to be a jerk!?"
"As a matter of fact it does!"
"Hey, what's with your ears and tail? Are they real?" asked Kiara, whose annoyance had lifted.
"Aargh! Don't change the subject!"
"I can and I did!"
He sighed. "Yes. My ears and tail are real."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope. I'm telling the truth, 100%."
"Are you...human?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what are you?"
"You mean, you don't know?" he asked, a confused look in his eyes.
"How the heck am I supposed to know!?" she shouted.
"Man, you're a noisy one!"
"Answer the question!"
"All right, all right," he said, "I am what is known as an oomaki."
"So, oomaki are people with the ears and tail of a dog?"
"No! Oomaki are wolves! We appear to be human but, for obvious reasons, we are not. Although there are more humans than us, everyone knows about oomaki."
"So, what're you doing here?"
"I--," suddenly he swung his head to the right and stared at the trees beyond the clearing.
"What's wrong? Is something there? I don't see anything," said Kiara, following his gaze.
The oomaki's eyes grew hard and his ears began to twitch. "He's here," he said as he rose, grasping his sword.
"Who's here? What does he want?" asked Kiara, now standing with him. Suddenly she heard a terrible sound. It was the snapping and falling of trees. Whatever was doing that, it was getting closer.
"Let's get out of here!" cried Kiara, grabbing the boy's wrist. "Whatever it is, I doubt it's friendly!"
"It's no use. He will not stop until his mission is completed."
"What would that be?" asked Kiara, fear coursing through her as the sound became louder as it's maker came closer.
"He's after someone," said the oomaki, not budging an inch.
"W-Who?" she stammered.
"Me," he replied. He started walking toward the clearing, toward the oncoming enemy. "I'll hold him off for as long as I can. At least then you'll have a chance to survive." Just as he finished his sentence, the monster appeared, bursting through the trees. The moment Kiara saw it, she thought of her dream. It looked like the same kind of monster that had attacked her. It was two-times taller than the oomaki that stood before it. Covered in green scales, it had two long arms that dragged along the ground as it walked on two long legs. Five long knife-like claws were at the end of each of its hands. A thick tail dragged behind it. Sharp white fangs dripped with saliva as two red eyes glared at the oomaki from a pointed head.
Kiara's first instinct was to run, but she ignored it. She was speechless. She just met him, she didn't even know his name, and yet he was willing to risk his life to save hers. I've got to do something to help, she thought to herself. Why should he die for my sake? But what can I do?
"I've finally found you," said the monster with a grin, the saliva on his teeth shimmering in the light.
"Why were you looking for me?" asked the oomaki. "I forgot."
The monster chuckled, "How easy people forget. Master Akujin ordered me to eliminate you."
Kiara thought to herself, Akujin!? That was one of the names Mom used in her new book! How can that be?
"Wow. Aren't I the lucky one," said the oomaki.
"Not just you. All of his guards were ordered to destroy all the oomaki that remain."
"What!? Why would he do such a thing!?"
"Isn't it obvious?" asked the monster. "He believes that the oomaki are a threat. I myself wonder why such a powerful man fears you."
"How did this fear of his come around?"
"There was a rumor that the strongest of his guards was killed by a single creature. I heard that guard was almost as powerful as Akujin himself, but the creature left the battlefield with only one wound. That happened a little while ago."
"What makes you think it was an oomaki?"
"The creature that fought the guard was smaller than him. Humans aren't capable of that kind of power and that leaves the oomaki."
"Hmm...I'm curious. Why did you answer all of my questions?"
"I like to hunt my prey. I wanted to give your woman a head start," he said looking over at Kiara, "but it seems that she's too stupid to take her only chance."
"What!?" The oomaki whirled around and yelled at Kiara, "What are you doing, idiot!? Do you want to die? Run!"
"Too late," said the monster. He hit the oomaki and sent him flying in Kiara's direction.
Kiara could only watch in horror as he crashed through the trees, just a few feet away from her.
"Never turn your back on your enemy. Bad things may happen. Although hunting oomaki is fun, I prefer to hunt humans. They taste much better and aren't a hassle to defeat," said the monster. More saliva dripped from his mouth as he spoke. He began walking toward Kiara. She was petrified by fear and was unable to move.
"It's a shame that such a pretty one as you was caught in this," said the monster, now only a few feet in front of her. He raised his claw. "I promise to make your death a swift one."
This is it? This is how I'm going to die? Kiara thought to herself. What about that boy? Is he dead? He shouldn't have died for my sake. All I did was just stand here. I didn't even listen, let alone try to help him. Tears of frustration began to run down her cheeks. Am I that powerless? Am I unable to save those I care for?
"I'm sorry!" she cried as the monster's claw began to drop. She closed her eyes.
"What're you doing, moron!? Get out of here!"
"Huh?" Kiara looked up. The boy stood before her, preventing the monster's claw from smashing her by holding it up.
"So you're tougher than I thought! I'm glad. I wanted a challenge," said the monster, trying even harder to crush the oomaki.
"I can't hold this forever! Run!" yelled the boy, struggling against the added pressure.
"O-Okay!" Kiara began running in the direction the boy had been previously thrown.
"You fool. You just interrupted my meal. I'll take care of you later," said the monster, knocking the boy to the side with his other claw. "I need to eat before I do anything else." He started running after Kiara.
She heard the sound of his massive steps as he got closer.
"Look out!" the oomaki yelled, sprawled on the ground.
The monster had caught up and swung one of his massive claws at Kiara.
In that instant, she tripped. She heard the claw fly over her head. Getting up as quickly as she could, she saw that she had tripped over the boy's sword. Grabbing it, she started running again. All the trees that were in the path of the claw had five clean cuts and began to fall to the ground. Although she heard everything behind her, Kiara kept running.
The monster kept running as well. All he could think of was the taste of fresh blood, that he would have it in a matter of minutes.
Suddenly Kiara stopped. Her instincts told her to do so and they had become overwhelming. All she could do was obey.
Realizing his prey had stopped, the monster stopped as well. He and Kiara turned and faced one another.
It's now or never. I know that I will never be able to outrun him. At the least, she thought, I can die trying to save him. Hopefully that will help repent for my stupidity earlier. If only I ran then, when he told me to.
The oomaki could see them both in the distance. "Run, moron! You can't fight him! It's suicide!" he shouted. He started running towards them. He was by far faster than any human could ever be, but he wasn't fast enough to reach them.
"Farewell," said the monster as he swung his claw at Kiara.
"This is all I can do!" she shouted.
Kiara had completely lost control over her body to her instincts. She drew the sword from its sheath as quickly as she could. The speed at which the sword traveled was faster than lightning. Half of the monster's arm had been removed as a result of the attack. Immediately after she threw the sword at the monster. Without aiming, she hit him straight in the heart and he died instantly. She looked up and realized what she had done.
"What did you do?" asked the oomaki, who finally caught up to Kiara.
Trembling, she replied, "I-I don't know. Everything was so fast, I couldn't control myself and I--"
"No, no. You did good defeating him."
He walked over to the monster's carcass and pulled out his sword. When he got back to Kiara, she handed him his sheath.
"Hey, um, thank you for trying to save me earlier, um..."
"Call me Enzeru. I should be the one thanking you. You're the one who brought him down."
"My name is Kiara. Thank you, anyways." She noticed that Enzeru had been wounded. Some blood was running down from his forehead and he had a few cuts on his arms and legs. "Are you all right?"
"Huh?"
"You're bleeding."
"Oh. It's okay. An oomaki's wounds heal quickly. What's with the bandage?"
"I was cut earlier today."
"Really?" he asked. He thought for a moment, then tore the bandage off her face.
"Ow! What the heck was that for!?" shouted Kiara, punching Enzeru in the arm as punishment.
"Just as I thought! You're an oomaki!"
"What!?" she reached up and touched her cheek. The wound had completely healed. "S-So! Maybe I'm just a fast healer!"
"I know that you're an oomaki! Only an oomaki can grasp this sword!"
"But I don't have a tail! I can't be one if I don't have a tail!"
"That's right. But some legends tell of some oomaki being able to disguise themselves as humans!" he shouted. Suddenly, he realized something. "Where did you get your cut?"
"Now who's changing the subject?"
"Just answer the question."
"I was cut by a monster."
"Did he look like the one you just killed?"
"Yes."
Enzeru was speechless. Could it be her?
"Hey, what's the matter? I answered all of your questions. What was it that you wanted to know?" asked Kiara.
"You're the one who can oppose Akujin."
"What? You're not making any sense!"
"You're the one who killed Akujin's strongest guard."
"What? No I didn't."
"The one who defeated the strongest guard was an oomaki who left with only one wound. He was killed earlier today. You got the cut at the appropriate time and you are able wield my sword. You are the one everyone needs. Only you can help us. Help us defeat Akujin!" said Enzeru.
I don't even know where I am! How am I supposed to kill someone that I've never met? Kiara looked into Enzeru's eyes. They were filled with happiness, joy, and excitement, all a result of knowing that peace may be restored. She knew that she couldn't let him down. "Okay. Let's go defeat Akujin."