Kagirinai

Chapter Seven

-Life-

"So…have you ever even seen this…Master of Life?" Shiori asked as the group stood before a massive temple that was made of pure gold and white marble.

"Nope." Ming said, looking around in slight awe. "This palace is awesome. I might just have to trade." She laughed.

Sakimori sighed, taking in their surroundings. "I would think this place be a bit more protected."

Kurogané took in the surroundings as well. "It almost seems too easy." He said.

The elder Uchiha nodded, heading forward. "Well I suppose we can't spring any traps just standing here, so let's get on in there." He walked ahead, not paying attention as he started up the steps. But once the others got to the bottom, they slammed against an invisible force field.

"Ow!" Shiori yelled, holding her nose.

Shusui frowned. "Shiori, are you alright?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, and seeing that she was fine, Kurogané reached out until his hand was placed against the clear wall.

"I don't think we'll be able to follow after you Mori." The ebony haired man said.

He came back, trying to touch the wall but felt nothing. "I have to go by myself?"

"Looks like it." Ming said. "Hurry up and find her. Tonight is not the new moon but tomorrow is. We cannot spend a lot of time here and we are in the prime hours now."

Sakimori nodded, looking back at his cousin. "I will be right back." He said, running up the steps and taking two at a time. When he was finally at the top he went into the massive doorway. The inside was even more beautiful than the outside. Sakimori looked around in awe. It was massive and decorated with paintings that only made him think of happiness and life. But it also had a gloomy weight in the air. It felt as if the sounds that normally filled the halls were missing, and the silence was heavy.

He continued forward until finally he reached a pair of golden double doors. He pushed one open and entered a large room that he assumed was a throne room. On the opposite wall was a giant window, a stain glass sun lighting the room with translucent yellow. "Hello?" he called, instantly feeling stupid. Of course no one would answer him. He continued in anyways, looking around the room.

If she was supposed to be in this place, where would that mage put her? There were no towers that appeared to be dungeons. He didn't even think there were locks on the door anywhere here. He stopped when he was finally at the golden throne. It was gorgeous, engraved with suns and encrusted with yellow topaz and rubies. He looked over the chair, noticing a small sun on the arm of the throne. The center was a bit more out than the others, so out of curiosity, he pushed it and heard a loud crack.

Sakimori blinked, looking around, since it had sounded like falling marble on marble. He went around the throne and saw behind it was now a staircase leading downwards. "Bingo." He whispered, hurrying down the steps. Finally, the place started to look like a dungeon, and when it opened up there was a single door at the end of the hall. He ran towards it and went in, stopping dead in his tracks. Because inside a golden cell was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

She was young, but clearly not a teenager. She had the look he would imagine a fairy would have, since her hair was green and cut short, though one side was longer than the other. Her outfit was made of white fabric, and if it were any lighter it would be nearly see-through. It tied around her neck, the two strips crossing in the front and concealing her slightly large bosom, before tying in the back once more. Her skirt went all the way to the floor, but had a slit up each thigh, revealing her legs as she sat on a cushion on the floor. A gold anklet was on her left foot, a bracelet to match on her right wrist. Around her neck hung a diamond, the gem nearly nestled protectively in her cleavage.

At the sound of him entering her gaze shot to him, and he was met with a pair of intense hazel eyes. She looked upon him with curiosity, but most of all, hope. "Are you my champion?" she asked, rising from her seat and slowly making her way over to the bars.

"Are you Life?" he asked, unable to move from his spot.

A small smile came to her face as she gripped the bars. "I prefer to be called Valencia, if that is alright."

He walked towards her, stopping when he was beside the bars. "Valencia…" he nodded, a huge blush spreading across his cheeks. "You are a goddess…" he breathed out.

Her smile widened. "Have you come to free me?" she asked in a near whisper. "I can hear the earth crying. It's in so much pain…and for so long I've been unable to do anything about it. Tell me you're here to release me from my prison."

"Oh!" he nodded. "Yes, I did." He seemed to snap from his daze. He looked around and then went to the cell door, pulling on it. He frowned, glancing back, "Is there a key? Or something?" he asked, but when he looked down there was no lock. Sakimori stepped back and thought before pulling out his laser gun. "Please…stand off to the side Valencia." He said.

When she had done what he asked, he stepped forward and pressed the gun to the high point of the bars and fired, moving down until he did so to seven of them. There was a thin black, smoking line coming from each, and then he did the same to the bottom of the bars. Once that was finished, he pushed on them one by one, causing them to fall in and then leave an opening for her to escape.

Valencia smiled widely as she carefully stepped over the threshold she'd been stuck behind for so long. "I can't believe I'm finally free." She said in awe, before running forward suddenly and hugging Sakimori tightly. "Thank you so much! You really are a true champion!" she said, looking up at him with shining hazel depths as she continued to hold him.

Sakimori's blush darkened and he seemed a bit awkward in her hold. "Um…no problem…" he said softly.

She finally released him, though she remained close. "As my champion, I will allow you a reward for freeing me." she told him. "Is there anything that I can give you? A desire, a wish you want fulfilled?"

"A w-wish?" he asked, hating the image that flew into his head, especially since it concerned desire.

The green haired woman nodded. "Whatever you want, I will give it to you gladly." She smiled.

"Um…" he swallowed. "I…can't think of anything…and we really need to go. We still have to find…Death…or something…" he said softly, seeming a bit distracted as he stared at her.

Valencia's smile changed slightly. "Yes, my sister must be freed." She nodded. "Tell me, what is your name, champion?"

"Sakimori." He replied, giving her a small nod.

She reached up and placed a hand against his cheek. "Sakimori, Savior of Life, when you decide what you want from me, you need only ask." She said, getting up on her toes and kissing the opposite cheek. She grabbed his hand then and pulled him back towards the stairs, ready to get out of this place.

He allowed himself to be pulled along, looking around once more when they were in the throne room. "You…live here?"

"Sometimes." She said. "Every once in a while I traveled to explore the lands I cared for, and help people where I could. But for the most part I stayed here, and never knew a single unkindness. Until that wizard came." She shivered, despite the fact that it was very warm in the temple.

"And your sister…is Death…" he frowned. "Everyone says…she may not help."

"That is because they do not know her." Valencia said strongly. "She may be unwilling and stubborn at first, but even Lettie knows that the dark mage cannot rule this place any longer. Balance must be restored, and cannot take place without her aid."

Sakimori nodded, though he still seemed confused. "I thought…death was bad…at least where I come from, it is not something worshiped."

The green haired woman glanced back at him. "Death is a natural part of Life, and while it should be feared, it does not mean that it is bad. Many fear not Death, but what lies beyond. They are uncertain about their souls, and whether or not they earned eternal peace in the Promised Land."

"I'm still a bit afraid to meet her." He admitted with a small smile as they finally came to the open gateway.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you, my champion." Valencia said softly before they exited the temple. She smiled brightly, releasing his hand and holding her arms up to the sky. "The sun!" she giggled, smiling up at the warm rays. And before everyone's eyes, the green haired woman seemed to take on a new light, as if life filled her to the point of overflowing. She opened her eyes and lowered her arms, turning and looking back at Sakimori. She held her hand out to him in a silent request.

He placed his in hers and went down the steps, passing the point of the force field. The others ran out from the shuttle, meeting them halfway. Ming smiled, bowing before Valencia. "Oh Mistress of Life! It is I, Queen of Kagirinai and Master of Air."

Shusui bowed as well. "And I, Master of Earth." He said.

Valencia smiled, nodding to the two of them. "Have you located the other Masters? They will be necessary in the fight ahead."

Ming nodded. "Both Fire and Water are back with my people and safe from the mage."

Shiori came to the doorway of the pod and looked out at them. "We don't exactly have time to dilly dally." She announced, gesturing to come aboard. They headed back, Valencia growing more excited with this new object as they sat down and strapped in.

But instead of taking her own seat, Valencia stood next to it with a frown. "Must I sit in this thing?" she asked, ignoring the other oddly dressed people and looking to her hero. "Can I not sit in your lap for the journey?"

Sakimori blinked, looking up from his buckles. "Um…no…it wouldn't be safe…this thing travels very fast."

She pouted slightly, but did not make a fuss. "Pity." Was all she said as she took her seat. She sat back and picked up the buckles, glancing over at Ming and how hers were fastened, before putting hers together in a similar fashion.

Once everyone was in their seats, Shiori started up the pod, and then it jerked forward. Valencia let out a startled sound, her eyes wide as she gripped the arm rests of her chair so fiercely her knuckles turned white. She was completely rigid, her body pressed as far against the back of the chair as it would allow.

Ming glanced over, seeming to see her expression, since that was how she had reacted at first. "Please relax Goddess, if you do it's much better. I promise you will get used to it." Sakimori nodded, reaching over and patting her hand.

"Yeah Valencia. It'll be okay."

The queen gasped. "How dare you refer to her in such a casual manner!"

"It's okay, really." Valencia said, smiling as she relaxed beneath the ebony haired man's touch. She turned her hand over, grabbing his before he could pull it away and holding onto it. And in an odd way, it did make her feel better about the speed with which they were travelling. "Sakimori is my champion, and as such has certain privileges to which I will allow him. Calling me by my given name is one of them." she informed the queen.

Ming simply huffed, crossing her arms and glaring off. Kurogané glanced back at his cousin, arching a brow. "…champion?" he asked, and only Sakimori could hear the tone in his voice that indicated he thought it to be a ridiculous term.

"I saved her…" the elder man tried to explain. "So she calls me that."

He glanced to their joined hands and his lips thinned in disapproval. "Hm." He said, turning back to the front.

Valencia just watched the man in open curiosity. "You remind me of my sister." She told him, earning his jade gaze. "Death."

Kurogané gave her an odd look. "How?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Your aura is very similar to hers, as well as the façade that you put up for people to see, so that they will not know how truly kind and noble you really are."

He appeared uncomfortable with her words. "Whatever." He muttered, turning to the front once more and ignoring them.

Valencia blinked and looked at Sakimori. "What is this…whatever?" she asked.

"It is how we get around. So we don't have to walk." He explained. "We call it a ship."

She smiled at him. "I meant the word your relation used." She clarified. "Whatever. Is it a native word from your home?"

"Oh." Sakimori blushed a dark red, since he was embarrassed now. "Yes, it's like…'I don't care'…I suppose."

"I see." The green haired goddess said, seeming to understand. "Do you have many such phrases in your world?"

"I guess we do." Sakimori shrugged, looking off.

Valencia smiled at him and leaned closer. "Will you tell me about your home on our journey to my sister?"

He met her gaze once more, before nodding. "Of course…anything you wish to know."

Her smile brightened, and she listened with eager ears as he told her things about Earth. It was all fascinating knowledge to her, and hearing these things helped take her mind off of the speed with which they were travelling, as well as help to pass the time. And although the information was interesting, she couldn't help but think in the back of her mind how upset her sister would be when she was freed. Because despite it being many years since their capture, she knew that nobody could stay angry for as long as Death can. And Death was not someone you wanted to piss off.