Chapter Two
"So this is where you've been?" Asura asked.
"Well, I came here three years ago," Ash jumped off the tree. "The other years I was wandering around. Anyway, I'm sure Lord Death is eager to await your return," Ash walked between the two men. "Shall we get going?"
"Yes of course," Vajra answered. "By all means lead the way."
While carrying the witch soul, Ash led the two men through the quickest route to the main road. All it pretty much is a five foot wide gravel path, also known as the border line between Adelbar Forest and the Screaming Woods. She's been there before. The source of the screaming was a group of human girls dressed up like witches and banshees.
"I've always wondered why there was a forest called 'the Screaming Woods'," Vajra broke the silence.
"The name is self-explanatory," Ash explained. "Every so often, there would be a group of girls going into the woods at night and start randomly screaming. I don't even know why."
"Did you ask them to stop?" Asura asked.
Ash stayed silent for a moment.
"Did you kill them?" Vajra asked.
"Close but one night, the screaming stopped abruptly. I went to go investigate the next morning and I saw six mauled bodies. So I think they attracted a bear or a pack of wolves," Ash finally answered.
"How did you even hear them?"
"I occasionally take strolls to heighten my night vision," the trio emerged in a ditch that led up to the gravel road Ash mentioned before. "And this is where we say our farewells."
"Thank you my lady," Vajra bowed respectfully.
"What will you do, Ash?" Asura asked.
"Go home or find Xavier," Ash looked at her childhood friend.
"A friend of yours?"
Ash nodded. "Yes. Perhaps our paths will cross again," the huntress turned and wandered back into her forest.
Asura watched the faint glow of the witch's soul disappear in the distance Ash quickly traveled.
"The girl moves quickly," Vajra commented. "Come on; let's look for the village Ash mentioned before."
"Of course," Asura turned away from the path Ash darted down. He would like to see her again. It has been five years since he's last seen her. He wants to hear the adventures she had. Of course, they wouldn't be as interesting as his own.
"How well did you know Ash?" Asura's weapon asked.
"We both grew up in the same village but we spoke every so often," the meister answered. "I was considered as an outcast by the other children and adolescences. But Ash was the only one who cared about me out of every other child. I think she sensed how sensitive I am. I didn't really ask her why she would waste her time with me."
"Aww… you liked her," Vajra teased.
"Don't be ridiculous. I just… enjoyed being around Ash."
"Right, I'll just leave it to that answer. I've heard that Ash is considered as a hunting master. Well, was. After she moved into the Adelbar forest, not many people heard from her. I wonder how she trained to reach that level…"
"She didn't need any. Ash was naturally good at the hunt. She's very silent, nimble and she's good at tracking. As for archery, she needed to develop strength before she could pull back the string of a bow. At the age of fourteen, she became the village's huntress."
"I wonder if Ash has any smarts to back that so called 'natural talent'," Vajra's face lit up. That means he has an idea. "What if we asked Lord Death to have Ash join us?"
Asura looked at Vajra in surprise. "What gave you that thought? Ash wouldn't agree to it."
"How would you know? I thought that the two of you spoke rarely."
"We did but…" Asura reconsidered saying that thought quickly. "Never mind, I think I see a lit home. Good, I was beginning to think we wouldn't find the village Ash mentioned."
"You're not getting off the topic that easy," Vajra gave Asura an evil stare.
That stare made the meister feel even more uneasy than he already was. First he has the tear in his clothing. Now he has to deal with Vajra? Maybe it would be better to go find Ash...
"Good riddance the two of them left," Ash thought; still carrying the witch soul. "I don't think I could have lasted another ten minutes without them not getting suspicious of the 'disappearances'."
Ash retraced her steps back to Xavier. Only to find that he wasn't at his nest. Perhaps he went to her hut. Where else would the eagle go with a sprained wing?
Her guess was correct. She found Xavier perched on a rotting log next to a hidden path that conveniently led to a lake.
"Where have you been?" The eagle asked; his tone sounded a little concerned. Then he saw the witch soul Ash was holding. "So it was a witch draining the life of our home. I should've known."
"Well, who else could it…?" Ash trailed off in the realization of something. "Wait. How would you know about the draining off life when you weren't present?"
Xavier unfolded his wing and groomed an area of it. "Do you wish to know?"
"I am a little curious, yes."
"Do you know what killed the cat?"
"Last I checked, I was a human and I challenge curiosity intelligently."
"The soul if you please…" Xavier hopped off the log.
Ash laughed. "You're not getting the soul until I have some answers. In the meantime, I'll just leave it in my-"
"Alright fine!" Xavier puffed up.
Ash smiled. The best way to bribe this bird is with a witch soul. "So you'll tell me?"
Xavier looked up at the sky. "Night will soon be upon us. I will tell you in the morning."
"Then you won't get this soul until then. Good night," Ash retired to her hut.
Asura and Vajra rented a cheap room for the night. While Vajra was sound asleep in his bed, Asura sat in the corner and gazed out the window. There is something about Ash that intrigues him. But what?
He remembered how the witch died. She didn't even notice Ash. She just stood there as her life and soul was taken. Now that he thinks about it, Asura didn't sense Ash's soul as well. Does she even have one?
Asura stood up and looked at Vajra. The weapon was still asleep. Maybe if Asura left for a couple of hours, he wouldn't mind…
The meister made his decision. He'll wait until morning since it is nighttime. He jumped at sound of a howling wolf.
"Go to sleep," Vajra groaned. "I hear you fidgeting and it's getting annoying. If anything happens we'll be up before the intruder takes another step."
"I suppose you're right…" Asura crawled into his own bed and stared at the ceiling. The meister fell into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning Asura stuck to his plan and retraced his steps to Adelbar Forest. Vajra was to return to Lord Death.
Asura only hoped he could find Ash before he goes mad from all the noises in the forest. All he has to do is remain calm.
He found the huntress sitting on a log with her back to him and she was speaking to a very large white bird that appeared to be glowing in the sunlight.
"So your life is bound to this forest?" he heard Ash ask.
"Yes," the bird answered. "Hence the name 'Adelbar' which means 'eagle'. So this forest was named after me."
"Then where did 'Xavier' come from?"
"Excalibur named me such when I traveled with him. I had no choice since I had no idea where I was."
"Couldn't you just fly?"
"It was a complicated time Ash," Asura felt Xavier's eyes on him. "You have a visitor."
Ash whipped her head around; alert and battle ready. She relaxed when identified Asura.
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked. "I don't like random visitors."
"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Asura asked.
"My apologies," Ash hopped off her log. "Usually it is I who finds trespassers not the other way around. So," she crossed her arms. "why are you here?"
Asura hesitated on his answer. She's using a threatening tone and she's well aware that he's part of Death's party of warriors. Does this mean that she has a lot of power as well?
"I'm not known for my patience," she warned.
Asura flinched. "I thought I could speak to you since Vajra and I caught you at a bad time."
"What do you want to talk about?" Ash dropped her arms and approached Asura.
"I'll just leave the two of you alone," Xavier walked into the forest.
Ash tilted her head and offered Asura a friendly smile.
Behind Asura's scarves he felt his cheeks heat up. Just like when the two of them were younger; Ash always offered smiles to him. She hasn't changed as far as he knows.
"What made you want to leave our village?" Asura asked when Ash made him follow her to a clear blue lake.
"I didn't like the idea of staying in one place," Ash answered and sat at the edge of the water. "I felt like I wanted to explore the world I was born in before I decided where I truly wanted to settle down," she tucked a lock of dark blue hair behind her ear.
"And you decided to stay here? Why?"
"I like it here. Not many people bother me and I have Xavier to keep me company," she looked at him with dusty gold eyes. "You won't sit?"
Asura hesitated but sat next to the huntress.
"What made you join Lord Death's guard?" she asked. Asura could sense the curiosity in her voice.
"It's a complicated story," he answered. "I'd rather not say."
"That's fine," Ash looked at the tear in his clothing. "Did the witch do that to you?"
He followed Ash's gaze. "Yes. But I'll get it fixed soon enough."
"Very well," Ash looked at the lake.
"Since you traveled around a lot you must have seen amazing things and met extraordinary… people."
"What are you implying?" her eyes flicked to look at Asura.
He shifted away from her. "Well… erm…" he searched for an answer. One he could not give. Well, not without getting hurt.
Ash laughed. "Are you thinking that I slept with men?"
Asura stared at her in surprise. She doesn't feel uncomfortable about such a subject? Asura takes back his previous thought, Ash has changed.
"Asura, I only ever did go into society to participate in hunting competitions. Other than that, the open wilderness was my only companion. Then there's Xavier."
Asura stared at his reflection in the water. "You've changed Ash," he looked at her.
Ash's expression darkened and she looked away, her hair hid her face. "I know."
Asura cocked his head. Is Ash hiding something?