Chapter 21:

To help ease Shinrei's consternation, Ciel decided to help with the washing. The plates, utensils and cookware all needed to be cleaned. The extra food was stored away for later. Ciel was surprised to note that the Mibu Clan also apparently had some form of refrigeration, which impressed her, seeing as she still saw no signs of Dust usage.

"So...any thoughts about the offer?" asked Shinrei as they worked.

"I'm not sure," said Ciel. "I'm very honored by it. But I don't really know if that's what I want?"

"You're not interested?" asked Shinrei.

"Well, I am," admitted Ciel, "But..."

On one hand, seeing Shinrei turn the ocean into his own personal weapon, and dance his way through a flock of Grimm without hardly even breaking a sweat was impressive. it would be amazing to be able to do that herself. However, at the same time...

"You're still a bit disoriented," said Shinrei. "Everything feels kinda topsy turvy to you now, like the world's stopped making any sense. Makoto-sama's offer is one possible direction for you to take, but you're suddenly being faced with so many."

Ciel nodded. "You aren't upset?"

"I can understand you're being a little too confused to make up your mind," said Shinrei. "I have to admit, it's rare to see him personally invite someone to become his student like that. I was the last one. It means he sees a lot of potential in you, the potential to be better than him when it comes to our art."

"He wants someone to be better than him?" asked Ciel.

"Of course," said Shinrei. "He's always said that the most important aspiration of any master is to be surpassed by his students. Both Saisei and I are aiming to get better than him at our respective arts someday. That he's issued you an invitation means that he thinks you have the potential to surpass him as well. And I don't think he's wrong."

"Would it be bad if I decided not to?" asked Ciel nervously. It made her uneasy that so much was being attached to Makoto's casual-sounding invitation.

"Not really," said Shinrei. "It's a good thing he made that invitation to you in private."

"Would he react differently if he were in public?" asked Ciel. She'd dealt with those kinds of people before. They behaved differently according to who might be watching them. That was technically true of anyone, but some people became especially dangerous if they felt that they were slighted with potential witnesses around them. What might have been something minor turned into a public humiliation for them and they would stop at nothing to redress what they saw as a grievous wrong.

"He wouldn't," said Shinrei. "Makoto-sama has never been all that concerned with maintaining face. He's too focused on his work as the Chief Physician to care about that stuff. It's a trait that all the Elders share to some extent or another. The problem is that a lot of other people are concerned on their behalf. There are some who would see turning him down as a pretty serious insult. Unfortunately, some of those people can be rather dangerous to cross, even by proxy. People who get angry on behalf of others are extra dangerous, 'cause they get that extra kick from a sense of righteousness, whether it's warranted or not."

"I...see..." said Ciel. Her movements stopped, leaving her up to her elbows in soapy water.

Shinrei reached over and dipped his own hand down into the water, finding hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Hey," he said. "It's okay. Nobody here is gonna take offense. All that matters to us is that you're comfortable with whatever decision you make."

"Thank you," said Ciel, squeezing his hand back gratefully as she looked at him.

It took them a few seconds to register that they were standing, arm deep in soapy water, staring into each other's eyes. They both blushed and quickly pulled away from each other, returning to their respective tasks.

As they worked, Ciel reflected on what she had learned. Makoto seemed like an admirable person, especially considering that he didn't seem interested in his own reputation, only his work. But it said a great deal about him that other people considered his reputation to be worth protecting, even if he didn't, and were willing to go out on a limb to do so. She could understand why receiving such an offer from someone who was apparently so important was quite momentous.

A few minutes later, they finished the dishes and returned to the living room. "So what now?" asked Ciel.

"Well, it's up to you," said Shinrei. "We have books and games and stuff for everyone. It's probably nothing as fancy as you would have back in Atlas, but it keeps the boredom away."

"Would it be all right if I took a look around?" asked Ciel.

"Sure," said Shinrei. "Just mind the borders. Our countryside is like any other place on Remnant, so you probably have a good idea of what's out there."

Ciel nodded.

"Otherwise, just take it easy," said Shinrei. "The people working here are kind, so they'll let you know if you wander someplace you shouldn't, usually some place where they're working. You want me to come with you?"

"It's okay," said Ciel. "I can find my way around, I think."

Shinrei nodded. "Okay. Dinner's gonna be at around six...give or take a few minutes. Or you can eat under the pavilion like we did last night. They'll have lunch out there at noon, if you get hungry."

Ciel nodded. "Okay."

Shinrei stepped closer, his nearness making Ciel's heart beat a little faster. He carefully lifted a hand to the level of her shoulder, holding it an inch away from her, almost as though waiting for permission to touch. When Ciel did not flinch or step away, he rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "You'll be okay, no matter what you choose."

Ciel twitched her own arms, hesitating for a second. Finally, she gave in and threw them around Shinrei's shoulders, hugging herself to him tightly. Shinrei froze in surprise before returning the favor.

"Thank you so much," said Ciel. "I'm glad I met you."

"Me too," said Shinrei with a small grin.

They let go of each other and Ciel, still sporting a light blush, left the house.

Left in the empty living room with nothing to do, now that his part in the refugee work was done, Shinrei yawned and stretched. "I guess I'll catch up on some reading," he said.

This place, this settlement was truly amazing. That was the impression that struck Ciel as she wandered about. The refugees were housed in numerous buildings, sprawling complexes with courtyards and gardens, free to come and go as they liked. Everywhere she looked, she could see children playing with toys that had been given to them by their hosts, while the adults chatted or read, or played games of their own. This seemed more like a tourist town than a temporary site for refugees.

It'll be hard to leave this place behind, realized Ciel. If they get too comfortable here, they won't want to go anywhere else. She paused and thought about it. I guess I'm like that too, she realized. The real reason for her hesitation in answering Makoto's question hadn't been confusion or disorientation. She had found herself in a comfortable place. Here she was, being taken care of by others, lavished with attention and consideration. After what she had been through, it was such a relief that she was reluctant to leave it all behind.

Perhaps it was all right. After suffering at the hands of her teachers and her peers, Ciel did feel justified in getting a little pampering. She was happy that the people here cared only for their well being. But it also made her feel ashamed. Nothing good would come of simply languishing in place. If she just stayed here, over time, this place would become just another prison, a luxurious one, but a prison all the same. The Mibu wouldn't need walls or bars or androids to keep her from escaping, because her own sloth would do all that for her. Her own heart and mind would be her true prison.

No matter what, she thought, I have to keep moving forward...not just for me, but for Penny too.

But did she want to go to the capital and study the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu? Was that the path she wanted to take? What other options were there?

Ciel wandered further, heading into the park. Aside from the pavilion where food was being served, she saw more children playing. Some were even flying kites in the breeze that blew through the place.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

Ciel yelped and jumped, spinning around to see Saisei grinning impishly at her, the faunus' fox tail wagging eagerly behind her.

Ciel took a few breaths to calm herself down. "Are you done already?" she asked. "It's only been an hour and fifteen minutes."

Saisei giggled. "Yes. It didn't take too long. When Makoto-sama gets involved, these things tend to get taken care of rather quickly. He handled twice the number of patients I did without breaking a sweat."

"It must be hard trying to surpass that," said Ciel.

"Speed isn't necessarily the most important thing," said Saisei, coming to stand next to Ciel. "True, it's extremely helpful in situations where every second counts, and the line between life and death is paper thin. Being faster means that I can help more people in less time, which leaves me more time to help more people. However, that isn't as important to me as ensuring I help the people I do to the fullest extent that I am capable."

She sighed. "Healing isn't like a battle. To 'win' at healing, you save your patient from death in such a way that your patient does not regret living." She gave Ciel an almost sad smile. "I can mend flesh and bone, erase injuries that would hinder a person for their entire life. But my powers only truly help the physical. There are wounds that I cannot heal, even with all the power at my disposal. The same is true for Makoto-sama. No healer is truly perfect. There will always be those that we cannot save, sometimes from themselves.

"So, as a healer, my greatest wish is to be the kind of healer who can reach out to those who are suffering, who can ease the burden of their pain, in whatever form it might take. I want to see to each and every one of my patients and tend their every hurt. I don't simply want to mend their bodies and send them on their way. I want to enkindle within them the will to live with their own strength. That is how I will surpass Makoto-sama as a healer."

"That sounds plenty difficult," said Ciel.

"It is," said Saisei, staring out across the park. "Part of that is why I helped make this place. It was originally just intended to be a way station for the faunus Hayate was liberating from Atlas. But so many of them were suffering, and not just from ailments of the body. The SDC sought to break their spirits, their will to fight for their own lives. So many of them were close to breaking or already broken. So I decided to design this place to mend that which is broken. This is a place of healing, of helping hands, for wounded people to rest and recover."

"But how do you get them to leave?" asked Ciel. "Why would anyone want to leave this?"

Saisei giggled, then began to laugh a little more loudly. "You just hit the nail on the head," she said. "That was my biggest conundrum, when we were first setting this place up. If we wish to alleviate people's suffering, we run the risk of them becoming too attached to the care and concern that is shown to them. Fortunately, the solution proved to be rather effective."

"What solution?" asked Ciel.

"Tell me," said Saisei, "did you ever burn yourself as a child...from like say...touching a hot stove or something of that nature?"

"Yes," said Ciel. They had started walking again, wandering over the grass-covered hills of the park.

"It's something that happens all the time," said Saisei. "A parent warns a child not to do something; playing with sharp objects, touching something that's too hot, playing somewhere dangerous. Of course, lacking experience, the child may go through it anyway until they get hurt as a result. Providing the damage isn't too severe, the hurt heals as though it was never there. But the memory of that pain remains as a reminder for why a child should not do that particular thing."

"What does that have to do with the refugees?" asked Ciel.

"These are people who have been confined," said Saisei. "They were uprooted from their homes and crammed into a confined space, forced to slave away for the profit of someone else. The suffering that they endured, the injuries, many of which we have treated here, have passed. But the memory of it remains. Like a child who touched a hot stove, the memory of their pain makes them ill-disposed towards confinement. Over time, that is what this place will come to feel like to them. However pleasant it is here, it will soon come to be another prison for them. After all, they were uprooted and brought here, just as they were when they ended up in those camps in the first place. They may have been handled more gently and with much more benign intentions, but the similarities remain.

"Because of that, they will come to loathe that sense of helplessness and long to work to determine the course of their own lives. That will drive them to move forward. It helps that, while we provide them with basic enjoyments to pass the time while they recover, we don't provide too many. There are only so many activities for them here. We will not add to the diversity or try to increase their options, which will engender a sense restlessness that, hopefully, will drive them to strike out and forge their own way through the world."

"Wow," said Ciel. "You've thought everything out so well."

"That is my healing," said Saisei, her voice filled with pride. "I don't want to simply mend what is broken within them. I want to leave them stronger and healthier than they were before they were hurt. I don't want to give them the strength to simply do what they did before, but the strength to move forward and do more. I want to see them flourish."

Ciel felt a tear fall from her eye. Saisei's dedication and compassion were moving. She had put so much thought and care into the creation of this place, all for the sake of lost people who had already lost so much. Saisei had striven to go above and beyond for their sake.

Which means I can't languish here either, she thought. I have to find the strength to move forward, and do my best too, so that everything they've done wasn't for nothing.

She heard Saisei giggle again and looked down to see Saisei beaming up at her. "There it is," she said proudly. "That's the look, the sign that I've done my job."

Ciel blinked and stared.

"You looked so lost when you first came here," said Saisei, "so lost that you had to be led by the hand. But now I see fire in your eyes. I'm glad. Whatever you choose to do, I believe that it will definitely be the best choice for you."

"Thank you so much," said Ciel, bowing her head towards Saisei. "Thank you for everything."

"There's no need for that," said Saisei, taking Ciel's hand in hers. "It's moments like this that are the affirmation of everything that I do."

That night, Shinrei and Saisei were surprised that Makoto opted to join them for dinner as well. Ciel wasn't so surprised. She suspected that Makoto had already deduced that she'd arrived at an answer.

"I would be honored to accept your offer," she said, bowing her head to Makoto across the table. "I will study under you."

Makoto smiled, looking…relieved…by her answer. "I'm glad," he said. "I think you will do well. Once Shinrei and Saisei are done here, we'll move on to the capital."

"What's left?" asked Ciel.

"We'll be giving the refugees their options tomorrow," said Saisei. "With the checkups done, all that's left are the interviews to determine where they'd like to go. Fortunately, the staff here can handle that. We can leave after tomorrow."

"Probably take us a week to get back home," said Shinrei.

"Uh…how are we traveling?" asked Ciel.

All three of them turned and looked at her as though the answer was obvious. "By foot," said Shinrei simply.

"Um…how far is it?" asked Ciel.

"Far enough," said Shinrei.

"I would rather make as much use of the time as I can," said Makoto. "So we will run."

Ciel suppressed the urge to whimper. She'd done long-distance runs during her training at Atlas Academy and in Combat School before that. But she'd never enjoyed it. If their destination was so far away that they needed a week to reach it at a run, Ciel was fairly certain that she'd be unable to keep up.

Shinrei patted her arm. "You'll be fine. I promise."

Ciel gave him a shaky smile, but couldn't completely hide her trepidation.

"We wouldn't be so foolish as to expect you to keep up with us right away," said Saisei.

"To streamline matters, I'll begin your training tomorrow, while we're waiting," said Makoto.

"Okay," said Ciel.

"For now, just relax," said Saisei. "You'll be plenty busy soon enough."

Duncan sighed, looking at the paper that had been given to him as he wandered down the lane leading to the residence he'd been given. It hadn't been hard for him to find a place for himself. The settlements that the Mibu were setting up across the continent were in dire need of engineers and construction experts. Of course, his skills were a little bit rusty after months spent in the internment camp and mines. The faunus laborers were not permitted to advance beyond a certain level, and engineering was not entrusted to them.

He had been fired from his job back in Atlas quite some time ago, the political climate making it unfavorable to keep faunus on staff. From there, he'd moved from odd job to odd job, doing whatever he could to keep food on his plate. In a way, being moved the SDC-run internment camp had saved him to a certain extent. At least there, things had achieved a certain level of stability.

But now, he had a chance to go back to the kind of work that had been his calling. Granted, it would be tougher than it had been back in Atlas. The Mibu didn't have advanced computer modeling programs, and all the engineering and calculations would have to be worked out with pencil and paper.

I'll have brush up on the basics, he thought wryly. I'm way out of practice.

Looking up, he was surprised to see Shinrei standing in front of him.

"Yo," said Shinrei, holding up a bottle of some kind of amber liquor. "I told you we'd go out for drinks."

Besides the bottle, Shinrei had brought a couple of glasses as well. It was easy for them to find a seat on a bench and pour out Shinrei's drink, which proved to be a whiskey with a rich, nutty aroma.

"So...heading out to the frontier, huh?" asked Shinrei as he sipped from his glass.

"In the past, I hadn't given much thought to it before," said Duncan, his dog ears flopping on the top of his head as he enjoyed a drink from his own glass. "The terrain around Atlas is so cold and barren that founding a new settlement is hard. We all tried to keep within the city as much as possible."

"It's a big risk," said Shinrei. "At least, out here, the climate's a lot more temperate."

"But the Grimm are a larger threat," noted Duncan.

"Yes and no," said Shinrei. "Of course, the climate means they won't get frozen solid. But we've spent centuries working out how to best deal with them, and we've come up with some pretty impressive solutions. The settlement you're going to will be using a new system to keep the Grimm away."

"A new system?" asked Duncan.

"Yep," said Shinrei. "It's gonna be huge. We've tested it in a couple of other places, and the results look good. Since it involves a certain type of radiation, we've been careful about making sure whether or not it's safe to implement."

"Radiation?" Duncan shivered nervously.

"Yeah," said Shinrei. "We hit on this a couple-hundred years ago."

"Then why take so long to implement it?" asked Duncan.

"Like I said, it involves long-term exposure to a certain type of radiation," said Shinrei. "We used volunteers to set up test communities for a multi-generational study to ensure that there were no harmful side-effects. The radiation itself is like a repellent to the Grimm. They can't stand it, so they keep away. If it was safe for people, then we can employ it in our settlements and then the threat of the Grimm will almost become a thing of the past."

"That would be incredible," said Duncan with a sigh.

"Of course, travel is still tricky," said Shinrei. "We don't have any fancy airships, or even automobiles. So we're still pretty much a horse and buggy kind of civilization. It's gonna take you a while to get where you're going. Still think you're up for it?"

"I do," said Duncan. "I'm just glad to be doing the kind of work I set out to do in my life, not merely working as another set of hands in the Dust mines."

"But you're going to a mining settlement," Shinrei pointed out.

"An iron mine," said Duncan. "It'll be a nice change of pace. I'm still surprised that there were no Dust mines."

"We don't have much use for Dust here," said Shinrei. "We're more interested in metals and certain minerals. The mountains on the northern section of the continent are full of them. Dust is actually something more of a nuisance for us. We keep coming across deposits then have to tiptoe around them, in mining terms, so that we don't set them off while we're looking for the stuff we actually want."

"I may never get used to that," said Duncan.

"That's why the people in your group who have experience handling Dust will be useful," said Shinrei. "At least they'll know how to work around it without setting it off. If they want to mine it for themselves, more power to them. But there isn't much of a market for it here."

"I'm still at a loss as to how a civilization can function without Dust," said Duncan.

"Eh, we've been doing it. But we've also been making due without a lot of fancy stuff that I hear are everyday things in the four Kingdoms," said Shinrei.

Duncan nodded. "And where will you be going?"

"Back to the capital for a few months," said Shinrei. "I'll be back in a couple of months to help Hayate and Saisei process the next batch of refugees." He grinned at Duncan. "Then I might come out to visit you and see how you're settling in."

"I'd be grateful for that," said Duncan. "After all that you've done, we can't possibly thank you enough."

"Just live your lives as best you can and that'll be plenty for me," said Shinrei. "I'll be honest. We aren't doing this entirely for altruistic reasons."

"So there's profit for you in this?" asked Duncan.

"As a nation, yeah," said Shinrei. "We've been looking to expand for decades. The problem is that our population is small compared to the other Kingdoms. And it grows slowly. People here can live longer, but families don't grow as quickly as a result. Bringing you guys over from Atlas is giving us the population boom we need to access critical resources, clear important spaces of land, and basically boost our prosperity to new levels. We may be nicer than the Schnees, but we're using you folks all the same."

"It isn't the same," said Duncan. "Schnee only wanted to exploit us. Young or old, male or female, previous occupations, we were all the same to him, just warm bodies to move his Dust. But you are making us into the pillars of your future, building your nation's new era with us as part of the foundation. You're making us into your people."

"It won't be perfectly easy," Shinrei pointed out. "We have our own customs over here. You're gonna have to get used to them. Over time, we may adopt whatever customs you folks bring over with you, but there'll be friction at first."

"That's fine," said Duncan with a quiet chuckle, pouring another glass for himself. "Friction from a meeting of different cultures doesn't even compare to the prejudice we endured for the 'sin' of being born faunus. Over here, you've accepted us whether we have ears or tails or some other feature, without even questioning it. I've seen faunus and humans working together without the slightest care for their differences. Ms. Saisei enjoys such respect and authority here. In Atlas, she would have been an outcast."

"That's not a problem," said Shinrei. "Our history has had its dark eras too, periods where we did, things we, as the descendants of those people, aren't too proud of. One of the advantages to a long-lived people is that we can mind those lessons longer than most and they stick around."

Shinrei filled his glass, then used what remained in the bottle to top off Duncan's. "Here's to a brighter future for all of us," he said, raising his glass.

"I'll drink to that," said Duncan, matching the gesture. They clinked their glasses together and took one last drink.

After that, Shinrei picked up the glasses and the empty bottle. "Let's do this again sometime," he said with a grin.

Duncan nodded. "I look forward to it," he said.

Ciel folded her sleeping robes, setting them atop the blankets of the futon and sighed, taking one last wistful look at the comfortable bed she had used the past couple of days. She'd become quite fond of it and could only hope that she was even half as comfortable where she was going.

"All set?" asked Saisei, coming into the room.

"Yes," said Ciel. "I don't really have anything to bring with me aside from the clothes on my back."

"What about your weapon?" asked Saisei, looking at the watch that Ciel had left on the dresser.

"I don't think I'll need it anymore," said Ciel. "From what I've seen and heard, the weapons for the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu will be different."

"They are...in more ways than one," said Saisei. "I think you'll appreciate those differences a great deal, once you begin learning the school. How did your primer on Aura-control go yesterday?"

Ciel frowned and stared down at her hands. She could see the field of her Aura, contained around her body. She was still uncertain about these new techniques, for all that they had been rather easy to learn. Already, she could perform Tempering without needing to think about it.

"We'll practice on the way down," said Shinrei, also coming into the room. "You'll have a pretty good grasp of the basics by the time we reach the capital."

"How are we going to cover all that distance in a week?" asked Ciel. Last night, she'd reviewed some of the books in the house, which included an atlas, which contained a detailed map of the continent. They were situated on the very tip of the northernmost section of the continent, known as the tip of the Dragon's Wing. Reaching the Dragon's Tail, where the capital was situated, would require a journey down the wing and then overland. Covering that kind of distance in only a week seemed absurd to her.

Shinrei grinned. "We just head south at full speed."

"But the water..." said Ciel, before pausing.

"Now you're beginning to get it," said Saisei with a giggle. "Shinrei and Makoto-sama will take us straight south across the water. For them, it's even easier than traveling across the land. We'll be in the capital in no time."

"You'll be fine," said Shinrei, taking Ciel's hand in his. "Come on. Let's go. Makoto-sama'll be waiting for us."

They left the house and made their way to the southern border of the settlement. As they did, Ciel looked around at the faunus they passed along the way. They all looked animated and excited, eager to move on to their new lives. It lifted her heart to see the hope and excitement in their eyes.

She heard Saisei giggle. "I don't know," said Saisei. "Are you sure you want to study the Mumyo Saigyo? You have an excellent disposition. You'd make a great healer. Perhaps you should study with me."

"Nope," said Shinrei. "I saw her first."

Ciel squeaked and blushed.

"I thought it was her decision," teased Saisei.

"It is," said Ciel. "But I've decided that I want to fight. I want to see what I can really do."

"Oh well," said Saisei with a shrug. "I tried."

Makoto was waiting for them at the edge of the settlement. In addition to his regular clothes, he also wore a pair of swords that were held by his sash. One was a longsword, like a katana, although the blade's curve was much more pronounced, with a flower-shaped guard. The other was a tanto of some sort, with a plain white handle, devoid of any kind of wrapping or decoration. He smiled fondly as they approached. "Are you all ready for departure?"

"Let's hit the road," said Shinrei, before turning his back to Ciel and crouching down.

"Huh?" said Ciel, looking at him in confusion.

"Climb on," said Shinrei. "We know better than to think you could run all the way down with us, so I'll be carrying you. Just try not to choke me, okay."

Ciel's blush intensified and she looked questioningly at Saisei, who merely nodded at her. Makoto also nodded. Carefully, Ciel climbed onto Shinrei's back, hugging him around his collar while he hooked his arms under her legs and stood upright.

"Make sure you hold on tight," said Shinrei.

"While we are traveling, I want you to focus on maintaining your Tempering," said Makoto. "At the same time, I will give you instructions to shift your Aura around your body. That will get you accustomed to controlling it."

"When we stop for the evening, you'll practice the other skills," added Shinrei.

"Okay," said Ciel.

With that, they set off. Ciel squeaked and clung to Shinrei desperately, the initial acceleration nearly causing her to lose her grip. Saisei, Shinrei, and Makoto all ran at a speed that would have put the fastest land vehicles in Atlas to shame. They rushed through the forest, the trees and foliage becoming brown and green blurs sweeping past on either side. Ciel had to squint her eyes against the pressure of the wind, grateful for the protection her tempered Aura offered against the various debris that was in their path as they ran. Without it, she would have likely been covered in scratches in just a few seconds.

"Begin by shifting your Aura to your right arm," said Makoto, his voice somehow carrying through the rush of the wind so that Ciel could hear it clearly.

Nodding, Ciel did as she was bid. Makoto continued to give her instructions as they ran. In half an hour, they reached the coast. Without even breaking stride, Saisei leapt onto Makoto's back. Both he and Shinrei stepped out onto the water without any hesitation, actually picking up speed as they began to skate over the water's surface, their steps barely creating ripples. The seas smoothed ahead of them, making the passage even easier and faster, with the largest waves actually parting to allow them through.

The whole time, Makoto continued to instruct her in controlling her Aura, while Ciel did her best to follow his instructions, even as she marveled at the speed of their travel. The land gradually shrank away behind them, before disappearing from sight entirely. Water extended to the horizon in every direction.

They continued that way for a while, the sun climbing into the sky, and then working its way across as they rushed over the water. Ciel wished she knew how fast they were going. All her Semblance allowed her to tell was that they were five hours and thirty-seven minutes into their journey.

At twelve minutes after noon, they came to a stop, still standing on the surface of the water in the middle of the open ocean.

"Time for lunch," said Saisei happily.

"You said it," said Shinrei. "I'm starving."

"Glutton," teased Saisei.

"Makoto and I are doing all the work," Shinrei retorted. "You're just freeloading now."

"I'm sorry," said Ciel quickly.

"You don't have to be," said Shinrei quickly, giving her an apologetic look. "For you it makes sense. Saisei's just being lazy."

"I'm not a water-user, so I can't run across water," countered Saisei, sticking her tongue out at Shinrei.

Seeing them bicker made Ciel giggle again. She could see Makoto smiling as well, clearly amused by the antics of his students, which surprised her a little. She'd expected him to be a bit more stern and demanding. But it seemed he really did see them as surrogate children of his.

"Um...how are we going to have lunch out here?" asked Ciel looking around. There was nothing but water in all directions. She hadn't brought anything with her, but hadn't seen any of her companions carrying any kind of luggage either. What would they be eating, and where could the eat?

Makoto lifted one foot and brought it back down on the water. Ciel watched in amazement as a clicking and crackling noise filled the air. A ripple spread out from Makoto's foot. In its wake the water went smooth...not just smooth...it completely solidified, forming a crystalline platform that rose up above the waves.

"You can get off here," said Shinrei.

Hesitantly, Ciel lowered herself onto the platform, testing her weight on it, little by little. To her amazement, it held, not even bobbing as she carefully let go of Shinrei and tried standing on her own. She expected it to be slippery, given how smooth it looked. As it turned out, its smoothness was so great that it actually gave her plenty of traction. Crouching down, Ciel pressed her hand against it, expecting it to be as cold as ice. But it was relatively warm.

"You didn't freeze it," she said in awe.

"It's one of the main techniques of the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu," said Shinrei. "This is the Suiseisho. It's one of the foundational techniques for the rest of the art. You don't freeze the water, but link the atoms together into a solid, crystal structure. It isn't cold because you aren't subtracting energy from the equation, just locking the water in place."

"How does that even work?" asked Ciel, running her hand along the surface of the platform. "I don't think that quite works with the laws of thermodynamics."

"It's something that's only possible through your Aura," said Shinrei. "You'll learn that a lot of things that don't seem possible are."

He stretched out his hand. Ciel's eyes widened as she watched a tendril of water rise up from the sea and wind its way towards his open hand. He closed his hand around it and the water began to flow out from his grip in both directions, continuing to be fed by the stream of water he'd called up from the sea. The water congealed and crystalized, forming a shaft, then the blade, until Shinrei was holding his halberd in his hand.

"This is just the basics of the art," said Shinrei. "When you master it, you won't even need to draw water from your environment. You can use your Aura to create it on your own. Granted, when there is water around, it's a lot easier to just use that than create your own."

With a flick of his wrist, Shinrei tossed his weapon away. Its form melted and it became just so much airborne water that landed back in the sea with a splash.

"Oh, enough showing off," admonished Saisei. "Let's eat."

Ciel's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as Saisei pulled a stuffed bag out from her sleeve. How did she carry that?

"Shinrei, fill a pot for me," said Saisei.

"You got it," said Shinrei. He again called water up into his hand, where it wove around in circles, reminding Ciel of rolled clay being coiled to make a pot. Appropriately, the coils of water smoothed out, leaving a perfectly crystal-clear pot sitting atop Shinrei's hand. Water continued to stream out of the sea, now filling it.

"Sensei, if you would," said Saisei, having produced a knife from somewhere, and was now dicing vegetables.

Makoto raised a hand to the sea and Ciel's jaw dropped as several serpentine, azure dragons rose up from the water, each one carrying a fish in its jaws. They tossed the fish towards Makoto, whose hand went to the tanto he wore. He whipped it out, the blade flashing through the air with incredible speed. The fish were skinned, then filleted, then further sliced in an instant before they landed neatly in the pot. Saisei tossed in the cut vegetables along with some seasonings and Shinrei applied his Aura, bringing the whole thing to a boil in a matter of seconds.

All the while, Ciel watched with amazement. The whole scene had a surreal quality, seeming like something she'd read in a storybook, rather than watch unfold before her eyes. They were out in the middle of the open seas, standing on a platform of crystalized, but not frozen, water. If they can do this much with their Auras alone, then it's no wonder that they don't rely on Dust at all, she found herself thinking.

Saisei appeared to notice what was going through Ciel's mind. "Not just anybody in the Clan can do this," she said. "Only Shinrei and Makoto-sama have the skill to do so much with their abilities alone."

"It took a lot of work to reach this point," said Shinrei proudly. "I'm not one of the Five for nothing."

"Now that claim I might dispute," teased Saisei.

"Just try," said Shinrei, the two of them quickly returning to their bickering.

As they did, Ciel turned to look at Makoto. "If you can do so much with your Auras, why not share this with the rest of the world?" she asked.

Makoto looked out over the water. "The rest of the world was not interested, when certain people who had studied our arts tried. In the outside world, there are interests that seek to keep people from realizing their full potential so that they might rely on...other resources."

"You mean Dust?" asked Ciel.

Makoto nodded. "In the past, a small group of outsiders came to our Clan to study our ways. They learned well. When the Great War raged, they left to see if they could use their newly acquired skills to help put an end to it. They succeeded, and went on to establish the Academies, including the one you trained at. However, because they wished for their Huntsmen and Huntresses to remain independent of national allegiance, they were forced to bargain with the Kingdoms, which imposed restrictions on what they could and could not teach."

"Oh..." said Ciel, lowering her gaze.

"That will soon change," declared Makoto. "Once the Opening occurs, the Kingdoms will not be able to live in denial of us any longer. They will be forced to adapt if they wish to remain relevant."

"The Opening?" asked Ciel.

Makoto smiled at her. "You'll see soon," he said. "You may have a role to play in it, though that has yet to be seen."

He turned back to watch the pot, as their simple stew cooked, while Shinrei and Saisei continued to bicker away in the background.

After their lunch, they rested for a bit to allow for digestion before setting out once again. They continued to travel across the surface of the water at incredible speed. Ciel did her best to remain focused on Makoto's instructions as he continued to insist on her practicing with her Aura while she clung to Shinrei's back.

The sun was almost at the horizon when land finally came into view ahead of them. Ciel blinked as she spotted several land masses with small channels of water between them. They had reached the second spur of the Dragon's Wing, which was formed from a chain of islands, large and small, that stretched out to the east of the continent. They altered their course slightly, aiming for the nearest island.

They set up camp for the evening, Saisei somehow weaving the living wood of the forest to create shelter, and even beds, for them. Shinrei prepared their dinner in much the same way he had their lunch. In the meantime, Makoto continued to make Ciel practice, this time Projection. By the time dinner was ready, Ciel was on the verge of falling asleep. She barely had the strength to eat, then crawl into her bed.

They rose with the sun the next morning and set out again. Once again, they spent the day crossing the open sea between spurs of the Dragon's Wing, eating lunch with no land in sight yet again. By nightfall, they reached the next spur, a long, thin peninsula with a narrow mountain range running down the center of it. Crossing those mountains was a surprisingly arduous journey, for how narrow the stretch of land was and took another day to complete before they reached the southern side of the peninsula.

From there, they proceeded south across the largest stretch of water yet. By the time they reached the shore on the other side, the sun was already well below the horizon. They found themselves on the southernmost spur of the Dragon's Wing. The next morning, they set out across the peninsula, which was wider than the last one. Fortunately, the terrain of this wider peninsula was gentler, consisting of open plains and rolling hills. Still, with the overland distance they had to cover, they still ended up taking another day to get across it.

From there, it was only another short journey across the water to reach the Dragon's Tail, a wider, but shorter peninsula that stretched southwest from the continent. It was a brief crossing, and the rest of the day was spent making their way through an ancient forest of towering trees as they worked their way continuously south.

"We're almost there," declared Shinrei as they settled in for their final night on the road. "It probably won't even take us an hour tomorrow."

"We could keep going, but it'd be rude to come barging in so late in the day," observed Saisei. "Besides, I'd enjoy one more night of peace and quiet in the wilderness before we hit the hustle and bustle of the capital."

Ciel looked around. Something had just occurred to her, something she hadn't even thought about during the better part of their journey. Throughout their trip, she'd seen a few animals, mostly birds and squirrels and the like. However, what struck her was the complete absence of the Grimm. They hadn't been attacked even once.

"Oh...that," said Saisei as they ate their dinner. "You don't have to worry about the Grimm while you're with us. The Grimm won't come near while Makoto-sama is with us."

"He repels them?" asked Ciel.

"They're afraid of him," clarified Shinrei. "The strength of the Taishiro is such that the Grimm associate their presence with imminent death, so they automatically move away from them. Aside from the Elders, there are only a couple other people in the entire Clan with that level of strength."

"Really?" gasped Ciel, looking at Makoto with new appreciation.

"Because of that, the capital doesn't need perimeter defenses like most settlements do," explained Shinrei. "With the Four Elders present, the Grimm won't come near it."

"Of course, even if they weren't there, the Grimm would still stay away," added Saisei.

"Why?" asked Ciel.

"Because the capital is under the protection of someone much stronger," said Shinrei. "His Aura is so powerful he can drive away the Grimm in a hundred-mile radius. If you're lucky, you may get the chance to meet him in the near future."

"Who is it?" asked Ciel.

"The strongest and highest in the Clan," said Shinrei, "the Crimson King."

The next morning, they rose bright and early and made their way through what remained of the forest. When they broke from the tree line, Ciel gasped in surprise at the sight that greeted her eyes. Ahead of them were vast fields, raising enough food to feed an entire Kingdom easily. Past them, she saw rows of beautiful, immaculate, yet simple buildings that made up what was apparently the capital of the Mibu Clan's territory. The city crawled up the side of a broad, low mountain. Her eyes reaching the summit, Ciel saw faint traces of smoke leaking out of a caldera on top, which made her realize that the capital was built into the side of a volcano.

"Welcome to Onmyo, our capital," said Shinrei proudly. "It's good to be back."

The travelogue section of this chapter is another of those segments inspired by Hunter X Hunter, particularly a part that takes place early on in the Chimera Ant arc, where Gon, Killua, and Kite are traveling by horse, then decide they need to go faster, so they just hop off and start running...at a speed that leaves their guide, and even the horses, staring after them with a look that just screams "WTF!" And, of course, there are the sequences from Naruto where characters are frequently shown to be traveling overland, usually hopping through the trees, and apparently covering miles at time, with no trouble at all.

Next chapter, we go back to the main story for a while.