Shindou was shocked when Tenma charged at Kirino while roaring like a wild animal. The sound seemed to awaken the pink-haired boy from his game, but before he could move out of the way, Tenma slided and successfully stole the ball at his feet. Shindou held his breath when Kirino fell to the ground. Even though he was sure that the sorcerer wasn't evil, it was clear that he could use magic and Shindou had no idea how Kirino would react to Tenma's... unusual greeting. It was very much possible that he would become angry with them and order them to leave. But the sorcerer surprised him greatly.
Instead of getting angry, Kirino started laughing. He tried to cover it up by hiding his mouth with his hand, but it was obvious from the shaking of his shoulders that he couldn't stop. The response was so out of place that it made the whole situation seem unrealistic, bizar even, and none of the four friends knew what to do next. Especially Tenma looked quite uncomfortable. He still held his hand outstretched to help Kirino up and even from this distance, Shindou could see that the younger boy was thinking whether he should pull it back or not. It wouldn't surprise him if Tenma had forgotten all about the dangers when he saw Kirino play soccer and only realized them just now.
The sounds of Kirino's laughter died down soon after and he got up by himself, ignoring Tenma's outstretched hand. He looked at the four of them with a neutral expression, but once his eyes met Shindou's, a frown appeared on his forehead. "I don't remember allowing your friends to come here as well, Shindou Takuto," the pink-haired boy said. It didn't sound angry, but it was still a little intimidating. Especially the use of his full name all the time.
"W-well, that's because..." Tenma spoke up, but he trailed off when Kirino turned to look at him.
Shindou gulped. "I believe they can help us," he said in his defence. It felt like Kirino looked right into his soul during the following seconds, but the brunette stood his ground. He knew that Shinsuke, Tenma and Tsurugi could be of help, after all. Kirino looked away and sighed, silently agreeing. "Come," he said and he walked towards the fireplace and sat down, looking expectantly at them until they followed his example, albeit a little hesitant.
Once everybody sat down, Kirino turned to Tsurugi and asked: "How much did he tell you?"
Tsurugi took a few seconds to look at Shindou before he answered: "He said that he met you yesterday. And that you said that you would help us find Kariya."
"And further?" Kirino looked all of them alternately in the eye and everyone shook their head, signalling that Shindou didn't mention any other things. Kirino seemed content with that answer, the brunette in question noticed. "Well then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kirino Ranmaru, although most people know me by a different name." The reminder was met with silence and Shindou broke it eventually by introducing his friends.
"Can you really help us to find Kariya, Kirino-san?" Tenma asked once the introductions were over.
"I'll have to see about that," Kirino replied. "But first, if you want my help, you will have to do something for me too."
Glances were exchanged at the sudden request, mostly with Shindou, who was just as confused as his friends. "You didn't say anything about a condition yesterday."
"And you didn't say anything about having your friends come along, so I guess we're even now."
There wasn't much arguing at that, but Shindou was still a little hesitant to comply. What would the sorcerer have them do so suddenly? "And what if we don't comply?" he asked carefully.
Kirino shrugged indifferently. "In that case I hope you still remember your way out of here."
Shindou's heart skipped a beat. Would Kirino really keep them insinde the Misty Woods if they didn't do what he said? Deep down he had felt that the pink-haired boy was not evil, but hew much did he really know about him? Maybe he shouldn't have trusted him so blindly, after all? Anyway, it was clear that he didn't have much of a choice regarding the sorcerer's request.
"Alright then," he said softly. "What is it that you want from us?"
Kirino smiled briefly before he said: "When you have your friend back, I want each of you to forget what happened inside this forest. You are to never speak of it with anyone, nor to return here. If you do, it will have consequences for yourselves and those around you. Am I clear?"
That's all? The thought crossed Shindou's mind before he could stop it. He had expected something big, like a sacrifice or something. Now that it turned out to be so small, he sighed with relief. He nodded quickly to signal that it was okay and his friends followed suit, obviously relieved for the same reason. "I promise," they all said and Kirino looked pleased. He seemed to relax, as if a giant burden was just lifted from his shoulders. Shindou noticed the slight change in the sorcerer's attitude, but decided to keep in to himself.
"Well then," Kirino started in a more airy tone of voice, "can you guys tell me what happened?"
The four friends shared a look before Tenma eventually spoke up. "Yesterday I went to buy bread for Aki-nee and then Captain and I met Kariya's father."
"Captain?" Kirino asked and raised his eyebrow amusedly when Tenma pointed at Shindou. Then he nodded and turned his attention back to the younger brunette. "I take it that this Aki-nee is a relative of yours?"
"Yes."
"Kino-san runs the inn in Raimon," Shindou said, "and Tenma often buys bread or pastries from us. Ah, my father is a baker, by the way. When Tenma and I were about to leave, Kariya's father showed up. Normally he always sends Kariya if he needs anything from someone in Raimon, so we were surprised when he came himself. And then he told us that Kariya had disappeared."
Kirino held his chin and he stared at the wood that was stacked up in the fireplace. He was obviously thinking about what he had just been told. "So this man told you that his son vanished yesterday morning. What happened after that?"
"We kept quiet about it because we didn't know what happened. We didn't want to cause unnessecary panic," Tenma said. "But when we gathered at the field that afternoon, no one had seen Kariya and that's when we told the others."
"Hm, is that so?" the pink-haired boy mused. Tsurugi, Shinsuke, Tenma and Shindou waited expectantly, but that was all the sorcerer said. Shindou nervously tapped with his fingers as the silence continued. Wasn't Kirino supposed to use his magic now or someting? Even though he hadn't had clear expectations, he at least assumed that the sorcerer would take action as soon as they had told the story. But it didn't seem like Kirino would do anything of the sort, meaning that they had probably reached an impasse. He was so caught up in his sudden worries, that he didn't notice that Kirino had spoken to him until he found all eyes on him.
"Ehm, I'm sorry. Could you repeat that, please?" He felt stupid for asking it, but the sorcerer didn't seem to mind.
"I said, you only made it public that afternoon and not much later, you're running around in the forest. Why did you think this Kariya was in the Misty Woods? I mean, can't he just have run away from home?"
"Now that I think about it," Shinsuke started and then looked at Shindou and Tenma, "didn't Kariya's father say that there was a branch in Kariya's bed, at the exact same place where he always sleeps?"
The two boys nodded with serious looks on their faces, while Kirino confusedly looked from one to another. The sight was pretty comical, and Shindou would've laughed if it had been someone else. "Why is this relevant?" the pink-haired boy asked with a frown.
"Noburu-san told us that Kiriyo-... well, that you stole children from their houses and left branches in their places. Branches from trees that only grow here, so it could only be you. Or so he said," the short boy quickly added when he realized that his words might offend the sorcerer.
"And who exactly is Noburu?"
"He's a traveling performer," Tsurugi said. "He came to Raimon two weeks ago, but he only stayed for a few days."
"A performer, huh?" Kirino said and he looked at his hands, as if he was remembering something and wasn't quite sure how to feel about that memory. "Can you tell me about that story?"
The four youngsters told the semi-stranger whatever they remembered of the storyteller's tale. Every now and then Kirino asked a question, but overall he listened quietly. Afterwards he asked for details, strange things that any of them may have noticed and more stuff like that. No one asked whether the story was true or not, because they all felt like it couldn't be. This young boy who listened so intently and thought so hard about this case for their sake... He wouldn't abduct people just like that.
Would he?
Even though the atmosphere gradually changed and they felt more at ease around the pink-haired boy, a certain barrier remained between them. Of course they all were glad with the sorcerer's help, but the stories about Kiriyoshi that they'd been told since they were children weren't that easily forgotten. And it didn't seem like the sorcerer would break that barrier, either. Even though he talked normally and even smiled now and then, it was clear he had no intention of getting too close with any of them. And then that condition of his... Shindou thought. Why would Kirino ask that from them? Before he had time to properly think about it, Kirino addressed another question specifically to him. Afterwards, the matter didn't cross Shindou's mind again.
"Okay, I think I have a clear image of what happened, now," Kirino smiled after a while. Tenma and Shinsuke exchanged broad grins and Shindou barely suppressed a sigh of relief. Tsurugi seemed happy too, although he didn't really show it.
"Then, can you help us find Kariya now, Kirino-san?" Tenma asked eagerly.
Kirino firmly extended his hand to calm the other boy down. His expression was stern and there was not a trace left of the smile he previously wore. "Hold on, I said I would have to see about that, didn't I?" he said in a strict voice.
"Eh? B-but we told you so much..." Shinsuke stammered with round eyes.
The pink-haired boy's features softened and he lowered his hand. "What I mean is, I'll have to see if I'm able to help," he said, a little gentler than before. He hesitated for a few seconds and then added: "I don't know how far away your friend is, but my powers cannot cover the whole world, so to speak. This forest has become my stronghold over the years. Beyond its boundaries, my powers weaken quickly. If he's not inside or near the Misty Woods, it will be hard to find him, even for me."
"Oh, is that so..." the short boy said slowly. It was clear that this piece of information needed to sink in.
Kirino's eyes widened a fraction and he added: "Just so you know, your village is still well within my reach. If anyone violates that promise you made earlier, my powers will not be hindered by those few hundred meters of open space."
His warning was met with silence and the tension from before suddenly returned. Kirino had revealed his other side once again, reminding the four friends of who he also was. After a few seconds, Kirino broke eye contact and looked at the sky instead. It had turned red, a sign that the day would soon be over.
"It's about time you guys get going, or people will get worried and, even worse, curious. Can you come back tomorrow afternoon?"
"But-"
"I promise I'll look for your friend tonight. I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?"
Shindou nodded after weighing and judging the idea in his head and the other three boys followed suit. Kirino pointed at a spot between two trees and the mist split, creating a small trail. No matter how many times he'd seen it, it still awed Shindou. After bidding goodbye to the pink-haired sorcerer, the four friends set out on their way home again.
Kirino felt strange when the four boys finally left. A part of him was happy that they were gone now, because the pressure he had felt today was immense. He needed to pay constant attention to how he acted and what he said. Even though it wouldn't matter much if they saw another side of him as long as they kept their promise, Kirino was not yet convinced that they really would keep it. Therefore, it was better if he didn't become too close with them.
Another part of him felt disappointed that they were gone. It had been a long time since Kirino had spent time among people, but it still felt the same as before all of this happened. During the past years he had been able to ignore those feelings, but now he had no choice but to face it: he missed to be around other people. Although Tsurugi, Tenma, Shinsuke and Shindou hadn't been here for much longer than an hour, Kirino still felt so nostalgic.
He shook his head and tried to regain focus.
After all, he still had something to do today.
"Ah, I'm beat," a man with black hair and a purple cape sighed as he sat down on the ground. He kicked off his muddy boots and smirked as one of them barely missed the head of a blond man. This second guy was much bulkier than the black-haired one. A nasty looking scar ran from the corner of his right eye to his chin and his nose had oviously been broken once or twice before. Right now, he was glaring deadly at the man with the black hair.
"Noburu, watch where you throw those damn things!" he growled.
The black-haired man laughed tootily. "Don't whine, Egu. It was an accident," he said in a dismissive manner, obviously not meaning a word of what he said.
The blond man, now identified as Egu, got up from the ground and a second later, he held Noburu by his collar. For someone with such a big body, this man was surprisingly fast. He raised his fist until it was just in front of Noburu's face. "Well, another accident is about to happen," the big guy growled lowly. However, before he could punch the black-haired man, a stern voice reached the duo.
"Cut it out, you two. What are you, kids?"
Egu looked hesitant, but then he roughly pushed Noburu backwards and returned to his place near the campfire. The fire hardly provided any warmth, but it was better than nothing. The small flames sputtered and threatened to fade away every other second. Noburu had lost balance from the push, but he was already up and sat down by the small fire too. Egu avoided eye contact and tried to ignore the annoyance next to him.
"What the heck is with this wood?" Noburu complained after a few seconds. "This won't burn at all, no wonder the fire's like this. Oi, Egu, did you throw it in the sea or something?"
"Noburu, cut it out," the same voice from before said and a third man appeared near the small fire. His blond hair was tied in a tail, but some greasy strands had escaped that fate and were sticking to his face. He was much smaller and didn't have any obvious scars, but he was obviously related to Egu. He sat down with a sigh, followed by a muffled curse as the moist substratum left stains at his trousers. The canvas they had spanned between the trees did keep them dry when it rained, but it barely helped against that damn fog. There seemed to be more fog than the previous days, and it was annoying the hell out of him. "Did you get all the things I asked for?"
"Yeah, I did," the man with the black hair replied half-heartedly and held out a bulky old sack. "But damn, walking all the way to that place really is a pain. You better find someone else to run errands for you, Maeha-san."
"Oh shut up," Egu butted in. "It's not like you're that useful, nowadays."
"That's because I've already finished all my work."
Maeha ignored the two as he rummaged through the sack and took out a round bread and a bottle. He chomped down on the food, then used his teeth to remove the cork from the bottle and drink some of his contents. The smell of the drink spread around the place when he spilled some of it over his beard and shirt. Brandy. He burped loudly and took another gulp before he passed the bottle to Egu and focused on his bread again.
Noburu took another bread from the sack, but instead of eating it, he broke it into smaller pieces and stood up without a word. He walked away from the two other men and rummaged through his personal belongings until he found what he looked for: a head with a large rim and a piece of cloth in the same colour as his cape. He fastened the cloth around his face and put up the hat so that one only could see his eyes. Then he picked up the pieces of bread, which he had laid on the ground - it didn't seem to bother him that some of the food had gotten a little dirty - and walked a few dozen meters away.
At some point he stopped. At his feet was a strange pile of sticks, covered with organic material like branches, leaves and even a few small bushes. From a small distance, it looked just like a pile of rubbish, of which there were so much in the forest. Only when Noburu bent down, grabbed one of the sticks at the bottom of the pile and lifted it, it became clear that this heap was actually a panel that covered a hole in the ground.
The black-haired man looked down into the hole, and thirteen pairs of eyes stared up at him. Even with the little light that the moon provided, he could see how scared they were. Thirteen children were in the hole beneath them, each one aging between ten and fifteen. They were all tied up in the same way: with their feet, hands and arms. One leather strap around their ankles tightly bound their feet together, making it nearly impossible for them to stand, let alone move around. Their wrists were tied together in front of them, while a circular strap around their elbows went behind their back and prevented them from moving their arms too much. It was a simple tie, yet very effective. This way, the children could still put food in their mouth, but anything else was pretty much impossible for them.
After taking in all the fearful looks he received, Noburu threw the pieces of bread inside the hole. For a moment he watched as the children hurried towards the food, often falling face first because of their ties, and then he lowered the panel again. He took off his disguise as he walked back to the campfire and put it away before he sat down and took some food and brandy for himself.
It was quiet for a while as the three men ate. Egu, who was the first to finish, stood up and muttered something about standing watch. He walked towards the trees and left the other two guys behind. Maeha and Noburu finished their own meals in silence. A soft wind rustled in the treetops. It smelled kinda salty, which was no surprise, considering how close they were to the sea.
A figure appeared from the shadows and sat down without a word. He grabbed a piece of meat and some bread from the sack and then reached for the bottle of brandy. The two men who were already present paid him no heed. Only when the newcomer reached out for a third piece of bread, Noburu remarked: "Oi, Oruda, we need to last 'till the trade with that food, you glutton."
The man grumbled, but he put down the bread that he held in his hand. He took a last sip of the brandy and then wiped his bald head with his hands, leaving slight streaks of dirt. He was more tanned than anyone in the group and he gave off a dangerous aura. He wasn't downright intimidating, like Egu, but there was something about him that reeked of danger.
"You saw anything?" Maeha asked.
Oruda shook his head and lisped: "Nothin'. I'm telling you, guarding is useless. Everyone is too scared to come in here, so we're safe and sound. Plus, you can't see a damned thing with that damned mist around."
Maeha completely ignored what the man said and instead he asked: "When're you leaving to get the next one?"
Oruda's lips parted in a smile, revealing the hole where his front teeth were supposed to be. That was probably the cause of his lisp. "Tonight."
Kirino opened his eyes and reached for the cup of water he had prepared beforehand. His head pounded.
He had used his power to search the Misty Woods for Kariya. Even though he had trained himself to notice it immediately when a human entered the forest, that only regarded the area around him. The Misty Woods were a gigantic forest which covered a quarter of the country. Even if someone entered on the other side, it would take days for him to travel there to scare them off. That's why he only focused on what happened nearby. His mist did cover all of the ground in the Misty Woods, but it was generally so thin that he couldn't perceive anything with it.
But now he had forcefully thickened that mist to look for the missing boy, and the effort had exhausted him to the core. He looked up to the moon and ignored the pain in his head. In his mind he replayed the scene he had witnessed.
"So that's what's going on," he whispered to the moon.
Me: Gaaaaah! Gosh, I think I'm just as exhausted as Kirino... *huff huff*
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the tenth chapter. Today, it's... 16 May, meaning that I'm more than two weeks late... Hehe, yes, this was supposed to be updated at my birthday. Oh well, better late than never, right?
Also, to the guest who reviewed just a few days ago: Don't worry, I won't stop writing this story. ^^ Updates are just slow because I have exams now... (So why did I upload this despite my exams, you ask? Well, everything is better than studying for Economics, because it's driving me crazy and I don't like it... So I wrote this instead ^^)
If anything is unclear from this chapter, please ask me in a review or PM me. Well, I guess that's all for now.
Peace! (V)
