After Sakura Wars
Part 3: Kaleidoscopic Fighter
By Shirogami
Chapter 8: A Walk
"You sure you are okay with this, Shirogami?" Lilly slides the swordsman's trembling arm gently.
"Sure… sure I am, I can take it if you're good enough." Shirogami replies with his convincing tone, but he cannot hide his worries from his ticking eyes.
"Really…?" Lilly approaches her figure closer, with her ebony pupils are gazing at the half-naked Shirogami's face passionately.
"We… well..." Shirogami swallows a gulp of his saliva. Although he doesn't want to disobey his principle of a samurai – not to fall into the depths of beauty and your sword is the only way, but he cannot denies his male's basic instinct of responding when he sees Lilly, who still wears the short, tight pants and her half-wet shirt that sticks to her slim figure had made the beauty looks more feminine than usual.
Good respond, Shirogami.
"As you wish, my dear brave Mr. Samurai." Lilly keeps back her palm, then pours some liquid onto it. "Don't worry, it will make you feel better." She replies when Shirogami is curious about her act.
"I hope you are right about this." Shirogami wonders when Lilly's wet palm is reaching him.
"Don't worry, just leave it to me, okay." Lilly ensures the doubtful Shirogami that she is experienced enough, but Shirogami quickly catches her arm, he says with his eyes are still ticking, "Please be gentle, will you?"
"You bet I will…" After she gets Shirogami's grab released and the wet palm touches where it should be, Her eyes suddenly changes from tenderness to wickedness, with a star twinkles above it, "not!"
Her answer is not replied with words anymore, but Shirogami's reaction of biting his lips to hold the pain he gets from Lilly's strong, fast but mastered rubbing technique … by using medicine liquid upon the bruise on his arm.
"Well, this shall do it. From now onwards, you must not do anything hard to your arm, or else it will recover slower." Lilly seals the medicine bottle and warns Shirogami. Shirogami wears his shirt back and says, "Yes, yes, whatever you say, Dr. Lilly. By the way, does that medicine of yours really work?"
"Come on, it's the only medicine we got from miles away, so don't complain." Lilly says, as she observes the label on the bottle. "Well, it says here you have to apply the medicine at least three time a day to get more efficient effect…" Then Lilly suddenly looks at Shirogami again with her passionate eyes, "So, Shirogami. See you tonight then, okay?"
But it only makes the swordsman starts cool-sweating.
"Do… don't worry about that, I can do it myself." Shirogami refuses to have any more suffering.
But Lilly only comes closer, with her eyes still sparkle and her hands are hold like a prayer, "Please… let me see your suffered, no, attracting expression one more time, please…"
Are you a maniac or something?
Shirogami quickly stand up and says, "We… well, I better go and get some rest. You got a date with Peter, remember?"
"Ah… now you reminds me." Lilly finally gets back to her usual look and says, "I better go now, see you then." Then she leaves the camp.
"Man, you are not scary, you are terrifying!" Shirogami finally relieves a dire sigh.
"But she sure did a good job here, the pain is getting easier on me." Shirogami fixes his usual ebony pants, with his equipments on, followed with a milky white singlet and a brownish yellow hooded robe. He hangs Shirahatori and MuYing on his sides with some small clips he found in the camp. He finds out this helps him to look more 'normal' and easy to unsheathe them, instead of using his normal way of tightens Shirahatori on his back-waist and ringing MuYing on his back, the only thing troubles him is they swings easily and might annoy him while running.
After he got himself prepared in light, he starts to leave to the market. He lifts down the cloth that covers the camp door, just like what the others always do to acknowledge each other that 'no body is in here' and inform that the only person will be guarding the place when all the three door clothes of the wagon and two camps are lifted down, until another one takes his place before he leaves.
"Hey, Shirogami. Where are you going?" Master notices Shirogami from the wagon, he just finished counting the money and kept it in a case.
"Nothing, just out for a walk around the market." After Shirogami gives a light bow, he answers.
"Well, if you meet Lilly there, tell her to come back early, will you?"
"What is it, Master?" Shirogami questions when he notices Master's worrying expression.
After he blew some smokes out, Master continues, "I just heard a girl, probably a teenager, is missing around the place, people had searched through the place but haven't found her yet. I feel sorry for that girl, but I concern my daughter more."
"Don't worry, she is stronger than any man. You know it."
"That's why I am worrying, Shirogami. Since she is strong enough, I bet she won't keep quiet if she finds it out and gets involved in the search." Actually, Master is afraid of Lilly might get herself into danger, not the danger gets her.
"I see, I'll find no wonder if she does that. By the way, do you have any other clues about it?" Shirogami asks for details.
"Currently not, that's all I heard from the market. Anyway, just help me pass the message, will you?"
"Okay, I will do it if I saw her. Now, please excuse me."
The hooded Shirogami reaches the market place after a short walk, it is still crowded though, only lesser than usual. With his eyes scanning at the place from the entrance, Shirogami lowers his head and enters the crowd.
Shirogami sliding through the people and looks for some place where he can ask for some information about the place drawn on his map. In his mind, he might get some clue about it if he cam find someone from that town. He keeps walking and asking, until he passes a two and a half story building with a balcony on top
"Mister? Is that you?" Shirogami does not stop for the stranger's call, as he knows no one around here except Lilly and her group.
"Wait, please stop." Suddenly, Shirogami finds out his robe is being pulled back, he turns around and finds out a girl is stopping him from going further. As he observes carefully, she is the young girl who he saved not long ago.
"It is really you! Mom, he is the brother who saved me!" After she ensures Shirogami's face, the girl hugs Shirogami's waist like a teddy bear.
"Be easy on me, little girl. You want to kill me or something?" Shirogami smiles to the happy face and touches her head gently..
"Judy, please be polite to your savior, will you?" The mother comes out from the building and tries to hold her daughter back. "I am sorry for my daughter, she is just so excited to see you."
"It's okay. She is sure a happy child." Shirogami bends down slowly, until his eye level is the same as the young girl before him. "You are Judy, right? So glad to meet you here." Shirogami greets with a smile.
"Do you still play on the balcony?" The girl swings her head as answer.
"Good girl." Shirogami stands up again. "Well, miss. Have a good day."
"Please wait, mister. I havn't repaid you for the help. Would you mind to come in and have some tea?" The mother invites.
"Well…" Shirogami confuses and in doubt to accept it.
"Please come in, brother. My mom's tea is the greatest in here." The girl helps in the persuasion.
"Well... if it's just a tea." Shirogami finally accepts it.
"Hooray!" the girl yells and drags Shirogami in the house.
"So, you don't even have any clue about the incident, right, Mrs. Foster?" After a short introduction, Shirogami starts discussing about the incident Master mentioned not long ago.
"Unfortunately, I am not, Mr. Shirogami. And I am worrying about my girl's safety too." Putting the old, hot teapot on the wooden table, Mrs. Foster states out that she knows nothing more than Master does, and she worries about her child's safety.
"Have you ever thought of moving somewhere else?"
"I had, but where? The people who gather around here are the survivors from the Kouma and trying to live here as long possible." Her words makes Shirogami understand more about the reason of the migration. From his past experience, Shirogami had met some group of survivors, but not this quantity, not a figure enough for a population of a small village. It also indirectly tells Shirogami that there are other places haunted by the creatures that any normal human can't fight with.
"I understand, sorry for asking." Taking another sip of the served tea, Shirogami continues, "Anyway, do you ever hear of a place with lots of old information and data?"
"!" The question makes the mother's body went rigid. "Why do you ask for such a place?" the woman's shocked expression concerns Shirogami. His mind is telling him, that the middle-age woman sat before him knows something he is looking for all this time.
"I try to find something there. Please tell me if you know about it, Mrs. Foster."
"You better forget it, Mr. Shirogami… There is nothing there but nightmare." Mrs. Foster replies the swordsman with her hands tremble lightly, this is obvious sign that tells Shirogami's mind: She knows the place, and it had given her nothing but bad and haunting memories.
"I am sorry, madam, I shouldn't ask that from the start." Shirogami gives up asking, as it will make him feel sorry for keep bringing bad memories back in someone's mind. He leaves the cup on the table after the last sip, and grabs the katana he left on the table.
"Thanks for the tea and everything, Mrs. Foster, I shall leave now." Clipping his katana back by his waist, Shirogami greets the woman and leaves.
Shirogami keeps walking, but he still wonder what Mrs. Foster said to him before he leaves.
For God's sake, Shirogami. I hope you forget about that town and live as you are now.
Shirogami looks at the hand-drawn map he hold with his right hand.
How can I give up right now? I need to get my memory back, no matter it is hell I'm gonna run into!
As Shirogami is walking on the street, a group of three men is approaching him. Shirogami maintains calm, as he recognized one of them is the man who helped in the trampoline rescue. Now he volunteered himself in the searching for the missing girl.
"Good day, stranger. Do you ever see a girl in this height with a braid?" The man lifts up his palm at the same level as Shirogami's shoulder and asks.
"No, why did you ask?"
"Actually, she is the missing girl who we are searching for."
"Well, I don't notice her. But I am ready to help if I do."
"Thank you, it will help a lot." The man thanks for Shirogami's willing to help.
Shirogami is leaning against a wall near by. Although he had asked most of the people about the destination he is going to, none of them can provide much than he need. "It looks like I cannot get anything useful for that place, neither that town image or any short route." Shirogami looks upon the cloudy sky and finds out it is been a while for his walk. "I think it is time for me to go."
Just when he makes a step, Shirogami's eyebrows are tightened neatly, as a strong aura is threatening him from far. "What is this?" On impulse, Shirogami lifts up the left of his robe and holds the opening edge of Shirahatori's scabbard. He slowly pulls the guard with his left thumb and grabs Shirahatori's hilt with his right hand. Shirogami stands still like a statue, he tries to feel and be aware of it, as the katana shiver by his side and warn him.
"Kouma!" Shirogami can senses that, only that monster is able to make his katana react such aggressively and not causes him a dire headache. With his jet black eyes scanning through the crowd, he tries to find out the source that attracts him.
"Where? Where?" His eyes keep searching like a predator, until they stop and lands at a dark corridor almost three blocks away. Although it is just a second, he saw it - a pair of red glowing eyes is gazing upon him, their oval shapes with sharp edges facing on both side even makes the swordsman feels like irritated. Without second thought, Shirogami strides through the public briskly.
You are not getting away from me this time!
Shirogami keeps running until he crashes with some people when he almost reached his target. He gives a short apologize and keeps the pursuit. But unfortunately, what he gets now is nothing but totally dark emptiness from the corridor.
Where are you? Show yourself!
He reaches the corridor and gazes upon it for a long time, his hood is off due to the rush, it exposes his disappointment to everyone who walks past by him - Rapid breathing, never-end pumping shoulder and chest, and most of all, his sudden hammer-fist on the wall by his side.
Damn!
The only word he can get from his mind now. His mind keeps wondering him.
Kouma… Another word pops out in his mind, he never forget the aura that almost kills him last time. And now he can ensures himself another fact.
And a clever one too.
End of Chapter 8
Author's note:
First of all, thank you all for keep reading this fiction, although it is late.
Some of you might find this chapter is different form my previous one, actually I am reading 'The Da Vinci Code' now, and uses some words I found from there, sort of knowing more vocabulary if you let me. Please kindly correct me if I used wrong here, your comments are welcomed like always
All of the fiction written here is all fiction, and nothing but fiction; and I don't own Sakura Wars and its characters.
Please R&R, no matter good or bad. See you in future.