Chapter 2
A New World
The next morning Rusuta was awakened by Koni shaking her arm, he looked panicked.
"Rusuta, Rusuta wake up!" said Koni.
"What, what is it?" she said startled.
"Everyone's gone!" he told her and she sat up immediately.
"What!" she cried getting out of bed. Rusuta ran to her mother's room, no one was there, Jivana and Varundo's and Kumico's was all the same and downstairs the house was deserted.
"Where, where are they?" worried Rusuta as Koni came down with Velia.
"This is what they were being so suspicious about, it has to be, Kumico never leaves," said Koni.
"But, why, why didn't they tell us instead of giving us such a shock," said Rusuta calming down. Velia came over with a piece of paper she'd found.
"We're sorry we couldn't tell you we were leaving, we didn't want you to worry. We're on a mission that could ensure the future of our family and our race. Right now we know we will be back for the Chunin exam but if we are not than I'm afraid that means that we are no longer alive. Take care of each other. Love Krysta, Jivana, Varundo and Kumico," read Koni.
"No longer alive, they've, they've gone off to die? No it's impossible!" cried Rusuta.
"Ensure the future? What could they be doing that could kill them?" worried Koni.
"Big brother, mommy and daddy are coming back, aren't they?" worried Velia. Rusuta and Koni looked at each other, Rusuta was numb and scared, this had been what Krysta had meant when she had said she would have to get used to being alone?
"It's ok Velia, they'll come home safe, no one can hurt our parents," said Koni hugging his little sister.
"Mother, why have you done this," sighed Rusuta walking off.
In the forest Krysta and the others had walked all night, now with dawn they had stopped to rest for a moment.
"It only took us a few days to cross the forest when we first arrived, and though we were going in a different direction I see no reason to suspect heading West to the Sand Territory should take us any more time," said Kumico looking at their map.
"We haven't got three days, besides we had Rusuta and Koni with us then," said Krysta.
"Krysta how are we going to find the scroll? It could take ages to go through all the rubble," asked Jivana.
"We'll only look in the area where the Temple of Stars stood, we should be able to still find that area from it's unique carved markings, if there are signs of previous excavation then we know the scroll has been taken, if not then we know it was destroyed. If we find it, we just take it home," said Krysta.
"They will have found the note now," said Varundo.
"We can't think about them, we have to stay focused," said Kumico.
"You're right, come on, let's get moving again, before one of the rouges find us, I'd rather not be held up by needless fighting," said Krysta and she jumped into the tree and started going off towards the Sand Territory. Jivana, Varundo and Kumico were not far behind.
Rusuta and Koni were training in their garden but Koni could tell Rusuta wasn't totally focused on training her attacks were weak and she kept looking towards the distant trees.
"Rusuta come on you're not even trying," he told her stopping a moment.
"I'm sorry, I can't stop thinking about mother, I feel really angry she's done this but those last words, I'm so worried. What is she doing?" said Rusuta.
"Rusuta we have no idea where they've gone, it's not like we can follow them, we have to get ready for the exams, after all isn't that why they didn't take us in the first place, they've gone on secret missions before, they'll be fine," smiled Koni.
"Still I have this horrid doubt," she said before Koni hugged her comfortingly.
"Your mother's not going to die; nothing's ever been able to kill her why now should it be different. My parents are there too, and Kumico. She's in good hands," he told her.
"Koni," sighed Rusuta closing her eyes before feeling her runes spark up, Koni let go of her and Rusuta sighed heavily, "I have to go feed."
"I'll come with you," said Koni.
"No we can't leave Velia alone and she, she really shouldn't see this, I remember how frightened I was when I saw my mother do it, I was only five, Velia may be ten but…" she replied and Koni nodded understanding and Rusuta left into the trees.
"Big brother, is big sister ok?" asked Velia sitting on the porch.
"Yes she's fine, how bout you show me those fan skills huh," he replied cheerfully. Velia stood up and took her metal fan from her pocket, she opened it carefully, it wasn't very big but it was sharp as a samurai sword. Velia moved into the yard a little and giggled before throwing it like a Frisbee towards her brother. Koni back flipped out of the way and the fan flew back to Velia who ran at Koni with it held firmly open so she could slice away at him using her remarkable hand to hand combat skills.
Rusuta walked into the forest and despite feeling the odd pinching sensation from her runes she seemed not to be in pain.
"I'm on my own this time, I guess I'll have to hunt for myself, I guess my projection Jutsu would come in handy," she thought to herself closing her eyes and enacting her seeking power, luckily there was a spy close by and Rusuta did not have to walk far to find him. However unlike the others who tried to run this Shadow Ninja looked at her with glaring evil eyes.
"A Shadow Ninja, you'll do," said Rusuta drawing her whip.
"What makes you think I'll die so easily child," said the Ninja Rusuta almost froze in shock, they had never spoken to them before, though it's not like Krysta gave them much of a chance.
"Don't make this harder than it is for me Shadow!" glared Rusuta, the ninja laughed evilly and drawing two Kunai he rushed towards her. Rusuta was still quite fast and dodged before tying up the ninja in her whip she soon had him bound to a tree. From his mask all she could see were his eyes, they were a shining blue and looking at them Rusuta felt a crippling fear take hold of her she dropped the handle and backed away a little.
"You, you, no…" she stuttered frightened. Suddenly the ninja coughed and cried out in pain before flopping over as the whip uncoiled, the poison in the blades had killed him. Rusuta carefully went over and undid his mask the man was bald and covered in scars Rusuta kneeled relieved.
"Thank goodness mother isn't here to see me flinch like that," she sighed picking him up and biting into his neck. Rusuta closed her eyes and tried to relax but suddenly red hued pictures flashed through her mind. Fire, weapons, rubble and a dark ghostly shadow. Suddenly a sword slashed towards her sight and Rusuta cried out letting go of the man and jumping back before realising she was alone in the forest.
"Why do I keep seeing those things, I don't even know what I'm seeing, but that sword, I know it was a sword and it came straight at me, but there's no sword here or anyone to attack me? It always feels so real," she said sitting down again knowing she's safe. Rusuta sat and looked at the draining body in front of her, she sighed heavily before leaving to go back to the house, from the edge she could see Koni training with Velia, they were really going well.
"I hope what I'm seeing has nothing to do with me, that it's just a glitch in my brain or something. I don't want anything to happen to this place, or my family. For everything to just stay like this forever. Just me and Koni," she smiled walking over to them and joining in.
With the coming of the orange skies of sunset Krysta and her group had made it out of the forest and stood upon the edge of the Sand territory.
"We know this forest too well," sighed Krysta knowing they'd gone through faster than they had ever done before.
"All our travelling, all our lives familiarity is inevitable," said Varundo.
"Yes, all this wandering, we're nothing more than ghosts ourselves," sighed Krysta.
"Krysta we're not ghosts, we wander for the sake of our home, our family and just think once we have the scroll, all this wandering will be at an end," smiled Jivana.
"Long ago I would have loathed that notion, is it my age that makes me feel like I would rather spend my days peacefully instead of endless fighting?" thought Krysta as they continued into the sand.
"Krysta does not truly wish to face the ghosts of the past," sighed Kumico quietly.
"Why, only understanding them can protect us from Orochimaru?" said Jivana.
"To destroy the scroll will mean destroying the last fragments of the traditions and powers of the Creed, those who descend us will never know the contents and will never be able ever again to learn complex Jutsu like the Plasma Seal, it will leave our kind substantially weakened. Krysta cares so deeply for the old ways that inside she feels she could never destroy them, she will feel as though she has failed," explained Kumico.
Night fell and in the dull moonlight the group reached the ruins of Yukusha, the rubble was covered in sand from the winds that burned across the desert, so much was hidden that it was barely recognisable as her home. Krysta knelt beside the rubble marking the old gate and for a moment seemed almost to be preying. Jivana and Varundo watched her silently until Kumico went over to his niece to tell her they should start excavating immediately. Krysta stood and went further into the rubble, Jivana and Varundo followed, she was searching for the temple, or what at least was left.
Rusuta tucked Velia in for the night and joined Koni in the garden, he hugged her warmly. It was such a clear night and the stars hung like diamonds in the sky above them.
"I can't feel mother you know," she said quietly.
"Why not?" worried Koni.
"I think she cut the connection when she left, so I would not worry," she replied.
"You can do that?" he asked.
"I think so. Mother once told me that the blood that connects mother and I allows energy to be passed between us like a river, it's possible the river can be blocked but it must be taking a lot of mother's strength," said Rusuta.
"Then, how can my mom feel Krysta, how can I feel you?" he asked.
"When my mother found the star she and your parents were torn apart, but only in three places. Your fathers arm, your mother's face and my mother's heart. The star was reborn through the energy in those pieces and then the star used them to revive my mother. It must have something to do with that, how my mother holds their blood in her heart. I don't understand how it works for us, you could feel me before I gained my thirst," she tried to explain.
"Don't worry once she comes back your mother can explain it," laughed Koni confused.
"I guess, if she comes back," sighed Rusuta and Koni hugged her.
"Hey none of this maybe stuff, Krysta will come back, and my parents too, no matter what they're doing they won't die, nothing will ever kill them," smiled Koni.
That night as Rusuta lay asleep in bed she felt restless and although she slept her dreams rushed past like lightning. Rusuta found herself surrounded by fire, dark figures stood on the other side of the flames holding their hands out to help, however none would come closer and Rusuta was trapped. She heard the clinking of swords as one by one the dark figures were sliced in half and vanished Rusuta cried out in fear as she woke up clutching at her chest and panting as if she'd stopped breathing for a long while. Her eyes were wide and frightened and sweat dripped off her face onto the floor until she could see herself in the gleam of it. Suddenly she felt her heart stop violently and in a moment of shock it started again throwing her back onto the bed writhing for a moment in pain.
"Homaru, Homaru, help, I'm dying," she panted frightened.
"That's not you. Some other force is, and it's sending you it's pain," Homaru said helping her calm.
"Oh no, mother," she thought automatically.
"No, your mother is not this cruel, not even Alana would do this to you. This force is dying a slow death, it's trying to contact you and has no other way but there's no identity to the spirit energy," said Homaru and Rusuta sat up before feeling something in her neck, it was a small dart, she looked at it in terror as a drop of purple liquid fell out of the end of the nib.
"What is this, someone, shot me, as I slept? Was that just a hallucination, is someone trying to kill me?" worried Rusuta going to the window, a dark shadow could be seen jumping into the trees and despite the danger the impulsive Rusuta jumped out of the window and after it.
"Stop! Stop!" she cried following it, suddenly she came to a clearing and as she warily looked around she heard a rope twang before she had to avoid hundreds of small sharp blades as they all flew at her at once. She lay on the floor exhausted for a moment before something else fell into the clearing. A shower of blue petals, Rusuta picked up a few and looked at them confused before hearing her assailant run away into the distance.
"Homaru, is someone, are they trying to get rid of me?" worried Rusuta.
"I think this was just a frightening message, those blades were too sloppily set apart, even a child could have dodged them. What are these blue petals?" he asked.
"I don't know I've never seen a blue flower before?" said Rusuta gathering all she could before leaving hastily to the safety of the house.
As dawn broke the sun revealed that the team had been digging through the sand and rocks all night without turning up a thing.
"Are we sure this is the temple?" asked Jivana.
"The spire is still sticking up out of the ground, I can't understand why we have found nothing significant," wondered Krysta looking up for a moment.
"How long should we dig before deciding the scroll is either gone or destroyed?" asked Varundo puzzled.
"It's doubtful we will even find it's case if it has been destroyed, but at this rate there seems to be no way to know," said Kumico.
"Hey who's that over there?" asked Jivana standing up. The group looked and on the other side of the rubble area were two human figures; little could be seen of them other than their long red capes.
"Oh great Sand Ninja," said Varundo.
"Let's get a closer look," said Krysta and the group crept over.
Hiding behind some rocks the group peered down on the two people, they were children, not much older than Velia. They had streaks of red paint on their faces and looked very tribal. They both had red hair messy and unkempt and wore light brown rags and necklaces made of what looked like animal teeth. The girl had a bracelet of stones painted blue and they both seemed to be digging in the rubble.
"They're just orphan urchins searching for stuff to sell," said Jivana.
"Hyuna ka, ic ven touna ka," said the boy holding up what looked like a gold coin. The girl jumped around happily crying,
"Dolg na! Dolg na!"
"That language," gasped Varundo.
"It can't be!" cried Jivana but Krysta had already come out of hiding and gone over to them. The two children gasped and backed away frightened but Krysta caught the boys arm.
"How can you speak that way!" she cried amazed but she looked so frightening the boy merely tensed up and struggled.
"Krysta stop!" cried Kumico as he came over with the others to calm her. Suddenly a red light was emitted from the boy's left ankle and Krysta let go in surprise.
"Iku ka!" cried the girl taking his hand and running away with him.
"After them!" cried Krysta.
"They're just children," said Varundo.
"They were speaking Yulikas," said Kumico.
"I have to know how they can speak Yulikas, it's impossible that those children are Blood Creed, come on!" said Krysta running after them.
"Kumico, you're joking right?" said Jivana.
"I'm afraid not, this is most perplexing," said Kumico.
"Then we should go after her," said Varundo.
"Better than staying here," sighed Jivana and the group ran off too.
Krysta followed the children until they ran into tight cave hidden in the wall of a large valley cliff. Jivana and the others caught up just as Krysta was to follow them.
"We're a long way from Yukusha, those kids really don't want to get caught," panted Varundo.
"Can you blame them, they probably think we're going to kill them," panted Jivana.
"Come on we have to catch them," said Krysta before they heard a screaming war cry and from the high cliff two more strangely dressed people jumped down. These were adults and they didn't look too pleased with Krysta's party.
"There are more of them?" said Jivana.
"I don't care how many there are they won't stand in my way, let's go guys!" cried Krysta unleashing her whip and sparking all her runes to life. Jivana and Varundo did the same and the three stood ready to fight. The two fighters looked at each other and whilst the male didn't seem phased and glared angrily ready to fight the female looked at them curiously.
"Rakuro ka, tasdn wodn," she said and the male glared at her before moving back a little. She then came towards Krysta and revealed a strange mark centred around her navel, it began to glow red and Krysta told her friends to stay calm for a moment.
"You, you are, like us," said the woman difficultly.
"You mean, you warrior, are like us," glared Krysta.
"Lentsoni entwh!" cried the male angrily.
"Rakuro ka!" snapped the woman.
"Why, are you after those children," she asked calmly.
"To ask them what it seems I can now ask you, how can you speak my language, why do you bare rune marks?" said Krysta.
"Should the answer not be the same, as to why you can understand our language, and have rune marks of your own?" she asked back, it seemed this woman despite looking youthful was incredibly wise. She was a little shorter than Krysta but not by much and had long white hair that draped over her shoulders feeling like an add on to her thin brown tunic. She carried a staff with her; right now she leant on it like a walking stick.
"Lacuna ka," they heard a voice say, it was Kumico.
"Kumico ka?" cried the woman amazed as he appeared, "How, how are you alive?"
"Kumico, you know her?" said Varundo.
"It's impossible to believe, but this woman was once to be my bride," he told them.
"Your bride!" screamed Krysta not understanding, the male rushed to the woman's side fearful of an attack.
"That was many years ago, I thought you dead since the Great Tear," glared the woman.
"Great Tear?" wondered Jivana.
"The sealing of Yukusha, the rune was carved throughout the sky, it looked as if the sky tore apart and swallowed Yukusha," said Krysta numbly, "then you, but you can't be, you're, you're Blood Creed?"
"And those children too?" said Jivana amazed.
"This can't be, Yukusha was destroyed, there could not have been any survivors?" worried Varundo suspiciously.
"And yet Kumico, you survived," said the woman.
"Kumico, is it truly possible, some of my kind survived," said Krysta quietly.
"It seems not only possible but actually true, this is an amazing find," he told her smiling.
"Ouna od koo ilk su kina," glared the man hatefully.
"You have a point there, who are these others Kumico?" asked the woman.
"My name is Jivana and this is my husband Varundo, we're Krysta's aides," said Jivana.
"Krysta?" asked the woman.
"Yes, I am Krysta, of the Monolo clan," she said nobly. The woman's eyes widened shocked before turning to her companion who was now walking away hastily.
"Rakuro ka!" she called after him.
"Kumico, is this true? Is she really the, the," she stammered afraid.
"What's wrong, she won't harm you?" worried Jivana but the woman suddenly fell to her knees and seemed to be bowing. Krysta heard her muttering something in Yulikan, it was so muffled she could be barely understood. Then she stood again and looked as though she'd been crying.
"Krysta, so joyous it is to know you too survived the Great Tear, come, come inside the city, this is such a grand thing everyone must know," she said trying hard to contain her happiness.
"City, you have a city?" said Krysta amazed.
"But, it's just a cave?" said Jivana and the woman led them inside. They walked far into the darkness of the cave before stopping in front of a large boulder.
"Krysta Monolo, saviour of the Blood Creed, I Lacuna Umi Elder of the new Blood Creed welcome you home to our new glittering city of Starlight Yukusha!" she announced moving the boulder aside and letting the group inside.
"Oh my gosh," gasped Krysta looking at it all.
"It's amazing," gasped Jivana.
"How did this all get in here?" said Varundo. Before them lay an inner world lit by glistening red stones that hung from the roof as stalactites and stuck through the ground randomly. Into the rock walls streets and caves had been cut and inside them families seemed to live as people wandered the streets as if this way of life was normal. Suddenly the two children from before appeared and looked fearfully at Krysta. Lacuna knelt down to them and whispered something before patting the young boy's head. The children turned to Krysta happily before bowing and running off giggling and laughing happily.
"Word would never be spread as fast as by the mouth of the youth," smiled Lacuna leading them away.
As she walked them through the streets people stared at them and came out of their houses to see them. Krysta felt a little wary seeing them all, there were not many children and the true population seemed as to be nothing more than attributed to a small village than a city, all these people survivors of Yukusha's sealing? How could it be? After a while they came to a large building cut into the rock, it looked exactly like the old Yukushan Temple and Lacuna led them inside to a small comfortable room where they sat to rest.
"Lacuna, this is amazing," smiled Jivana.
"You rebuilt a whole city on your own?" asked Varundo.
"No, not alone. Every one of the adults here were with me and we built it together, in all there were ten of us," said Lacuna.
"Lacuna, how did you survive? I mean, the Star gave no warning, I merely survived by the skin of my teeth," said Kumico.
"I suppose that even though the Star decided to destroy my home, it was smiling upon us that day," sighed Lacuna sadly, "Lady Krysta, you must realise that even though you were never held within Yukusha's walls our surprise at your life comes from the fact that with the death of your parents we had no hope of you ever learning your true identity, or even living this long on your own. The Star chose well, I should have realised you would return one day, somehow."
"Krysta wasn't alone, she had us," smiled Jivana.
"Of course, although I'm surprised, I never heard word of Jun and Yumako taking children other than their daughter to the secret hiding place," said Lacuna.
"Actually, we lived in the village Krysta was hidden in," said Varundo.
"Then, how can you bare runes?" asked Lacuna confused.
"I think the more pressing matter is how you and approximately nine others survived the destruction," said Krysta.
"Oh yes, of course, please excuse me," said Lacuna.
The group watched as Lacuna stood a paced a while, trying to decipher exactly how to tell her story, to her it was long and complicated, how could she explain.
"You weren't always an Elder," said Kumico as if helping to start her off.
"No, I wasn't. I was merely twenty at the time of the sealing. I worked in the Temple under Elder Chihaku instructing the young of our kind. I was with nine young warriors on night manoeuvres in the desert. Four girls and five boys all nine ten and eleven, all of them that night would become orphans. We were practising stealth in the desert when the ground shook with bone shattering ferocity. The sky burst with red light and the children ran in fear. I turned towards the source of the light and realised I still had one child with me, in the distance we saw the flames rise and the lightning that split the sky and the ground. Together we watched Yukusha disappear in a frightening display of smoke, fire and blood. Finally unable to watch any more I grabbed the young child and ran away after my other wards just as the explosion sent a shockwave throughout the desert, even we were hit and for a moment we fell to the ground in shock. The look in that boys eyes, he was traumatised so severely, he screamed every night as he dreamt about the event after," she told them.
"How horrible," said Jivana amazed.
"In the morning we ventured back to our home, but as I'd much expected it was nothing but rocks and dust, no bodies, no bones, nothing to bury or ritualise to ensure safe passage to the void, I've realised years later that the Star made sure that our kind made it to the void the moment it ripped the sky asunder. I took the children away and after days of searching we found the cave we met you at. We took shelter inside and though at first we scraped to survive, as the children grew older, they gained strength in their hearts and it is with their help and powers that this complex has been built. Once we had a complex it was only a matter of time before work and friendships produced fruit and gradually we have tried to start rebuilding our race, our first generation was in the beginning born twelve years ago now from four families we have what is starting to look like a population that is becoming healthy once again. The Star brought our race to utter extinction, but here, those that survived and their descendants will be safe knowing they need never fear another disaster like the Great Tear," she told them proudly.
"You've done so much in such a short time," said Varundo.
"Yes and now we have she who was chosen to be our leader back, the luck of the Blood Creed must be changing," smiled Lacuna. Suddenly the door opened and Lacuna's male companion entered, though he still looked hatefully towards Krysta and her friends.
"Rakuro ka?" asked Lacuna, her male companion glared at Krysta and went off into the temple.
"He has a major attitude problem," said Jivana.
"It's not his fault. Rakuro, he's the little boy who stood before Yukusha's destruction and watched until the end," she said sadly.
"Him?" said Varundo.
"Yes, the trauma made him completely alone inside. I'm the only person he will talk to, and even then it's only in Yulikas, you'll find we speak in Yulikas a lot here, but we all know our ancient language was dying out towards the common one of the world so even if we are rusty, we can speak that too," Lacuna explained.
"Hmm he reminds me of someone," sniggered Varundo a little.
"Please do not think ill of him, he is our strongest warrior and protects the city better than even me, he has a loyal heart and if you look close enough, you can still see the fear left from that night in his eyes," sighed Lacuna, "I should show you to a room where you can rest."
"Lacuna, I have something I must ask you. Those children seemed to be searching for something, have they gone out before?" asked Krysta.
"Yes, it's a shame but we have often gone to the rubble to gather whatever is left of our kind to bring it back," said Lacuna.
"I need to know if you have found an item called the Scroll of Meaning, it was kept in the Temple Shrine," said Krysta. Lacuna looked at her puzzled before nodding understandably.
"I do not know of all the items found, but if you give me time I can find out," she said and Krysta and the others agreed. Lacuna moved to the door to take them to special living quarters but Krysta snuck away in the direction of the mysterious Rakuro, she didn't take kindly to being glared at so and no matter his trauma she was determined to find out why.
After a while she appeared on a large rooftop balcony, from here she could see the whole of the new city, it was truly awe inspiring, for a moment she forgot her reason for being here and looked over the edge of the railing.
"Alana, it's beautiful," she said quietly.
"Yukusha, I always dreamed it would look like this one day, a shining beacon and glimmering jewel, the heart of the world," Alana replied happily.
"Hy vahe ou ocume?" she heard a deep male voice say from behind her. Krysta turned and Rakuro stood behind her. He was taller than she'd thought, like the children he had the red streaks of paint on his face. He was tanned from the desert sun and heavily toned. He had the same brown rags and the necklace made of teeth. His right ear was pierced and from it hung an earring pendant made of another tooth. He had sun bleached red hair in long bangs around his neck and shoulders and upon his right pectoral chest muscle was a typical Blood Creed Rune.
"You must be Rakuro," she said cockily. He glared at her silently.
"I know, you don't like to talk, or is it that you can't understand me?" she glared. Rakuro stood up against her towering over her frighteningly before shoving her backwards towards the edge.
"You like getting your kicks by shoving a girl," laughed Krysta, "well this girl likes to fight." Krysta unleashed her whip and Rakuro revealed a strong metal lance, tipped at both ends with bladed spikes.
"Oh yeah, this is going to be good," smiled Krysta but before she knew it Rakuro had leapt at her and started to attack. Krysta jumped away and started to fight too but his lance was made good use of as he batted the end of her Plasma Blade away time and again. Suddenly he turned it round and leapt into the air before bringing it down tip first intending to impale her on the end. Krysta just barely escaped but ended up pinned to a wall.
"You're, you're really trying to kill me aren't you," she said quietly.
"Wretched Star child!" he cried before moving to stab her once again before suddenly getting a good electric jolt out of Jivana's chakrams.
"Krysta!" she cried as Rakuro walked away shaking off the shock only to be pinned against the wall at the end of Varundo's sword.
"Ok lance boy let's see how you like being pinned to a wall!" yelled Varundo.
"Rakuro ka!" cried Lacuna appearing.
"Your little apprentice just tried to kill Krysta," said Jivana angrily.
"Ouna elcomwe reeh!" Rakuro struggled.
"Rakuro ka eughne!" cried Lacuna, "Let him go, please." Varundo looked to Krysta and she nodded. Varundo moved away and Rakuro pushed past, he went towards Lacuna and glared at Krysta who glared back at him before leaving the area.
"Lady Krysta are you alright?" asked Lacuna.
"I gather you are the only one who will be calling me that name," glared Krysta.
"What do you mean?" asked Jivana.
"Lacuna has been neglecting one detail of the resurrection of the Creed. She may still worship the Star, the youth of this place fall incredibly short of that ideal, in fact I think it can be safe to say that the Plasma Star is feared and hated in this place," glared Krysta.
"Is that true?" asked Varundo. Lacuna sighed and nodded,
"Yes I'm afraid so, I've done all I can to teach them the love of the goddess but please understand, they saw their home, their parents, their friends perish in an act of divine anger and rage, how can they ever put that behind them, I realised I was foolish to try, so in the end all I could do was try to teach the real stories to the new generation. I'm sorry my lady, but Rakuro, whilst he is our strongest warrior, hates most fiercely the Plasma Star and the Goddess."
"Krysta, we should leave," said Jivana.
"What? Why?" worried Lacuna.
"You want this place to be safe from disaster? Krysta has the Goddess Alana in her body, and the Plasma Star has fused with her lethal whip. With those who hate the goddess it's only a matter of time before someone like Rakuro becomes the reason for another disaster," said Varundo.
"You're right, Lacuna, give us the Scroll of Meaning and we will be on our way," said Krysta.
"I'm sorry my lady, we don't have it," she said sadly.
"Are you sure?" asked Jivana.
"We found a scroll in the ruins, but we gave it away ten years ago," she replied.
"To who?" worried Krysta.
"A man who said he was a friend to the Creed, he even had a rune mark to prove it," she replied.
"Guys, I think we're going to be staying a while," said Krysta and her friends worriedly nodded.
"What's wrong?" asked Lacuna.
"Lacuna, I think you should tell us everything, I think there's something you should know," said Krysta and the three went back inside the temple.
