Appearance of Monsters

That day, she wondered aloud, "So, when are you going to continue to interrogate me?"

Kojuurou turned to her before Masamune said, "I've put that aside for now."

"Oh." She said in confusion.

These people were harder to read than everyone else Rachel has met. Just like that Hideyoshi person. The horses they rode was all brown which somewhat disappointed her, but it was better than walking sometimes. Not long after they got to the field, Shigezane wanted to lead her to the river, when Masamune said with a frown, "Kojuurou, you accompany her. Shigezane will stay here."

"Huh?" the boy scratched his head in confusion before he nodded, "Well, whatever you say."

Leaving her with the tall man, the two then left for the river. It wasn't too far and the man chose a spot for them to fish under. Seeing that she's never fished before, he taught her a lot of things, like how to tie the fish line to the hook and how far to throw the line. Unfortunately, she nearly threw the box of lunch out after the hook got caught onto the handle. If Kojuurou had not caught onto that in time, they would've lost their lunch completely. As she sat the stick in the dirt and wait, Kojuurou asked, "You said that your home talked about werewolves and vampires as make-believe story, Ray. Can you tell me how did the stories go?"

She thought for a bit with closed eyes before she slowly opened them, "People say that they were bad or that werewolves and Vampires are natural enemies. Werewolves can be human in the daylight and turn into half human and half wolves at night during the full moon. Vampires can't stand the light from the sun and it could kill them. There's also the cross, garlic and silver or a wooden stake. They don't really like them…"

"I can see that…" Kojuurou replied slightly unsettled before looking for her in confusion, "But, you don't seem afraid of us."

"You don't look like werewolves in the books." She replied, "They're a lot scarier in the books. And, you said that you were helping people. The books only talked about them killing people or sucking their blood dry, but you don't do that."

"Do you know if Yuzuki came from the same place with the same ideas?" He asked curiously.

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded, "We do. But, many people have different ideas. Yuzuki seems nice, so I don't think she thinks you're all bad. She really cares about people too… Even me…"

"I see…" He nodded quietly with a small smile.

After that, she saw his ears perk up and reached over to his line. It was then that she saw him pull out a large fish from the river. He then placed it into a bucket of water before throwing the line back out again. Upon returning, he sat back down and nodded, "So, do you want to go back home?"

She thought for a bit before she answered, "If that's where Zack is."

"You seem to really like this Zack person." He said with a raised brow, "What kind of person is he?"

"He…" She thought for a bit before she continued, "has a short temper and is violent. He also has a foul mouth."

Suddenly, the bird cawed loudly as she continued, "But, he very strong and is blunt with his words. He hates liars and would never lie. And will keep to his promises. That's why I know he will keep to his promise even if he doesn't fulfill it yet. He's also very determined when he's decided to do something."

As the bird quiet down, so does Kojuurou's brow lowered, but he continued, "But, you said that he's an angel, so hasn't he also…"

She nodded, "But, so have I. So, there's really no difference."

"What-!" Kojuurou looked to her with wide eyes but she suddenly took her crutch and got up.

Seeing her struggle with the stick, he got up as well and helped her reel it in revealing a large carp as well. He took it off the line and handed the stick back to her before she swing the line back out with his support. As he placed the fish into the bucket as well, she watched the fish flail around before Kojuurou raised a brow and helped her seated back on the ground away from the bucket. As she did so, Kojuurou said with a smile, "You know. Though we also aren't a big believer in god, we always make a short prayer to them before every meal."

She looked to him in confusion before she nodded, "I used to do that too."

He looked to her in surprise as she clasped her hands together and said, "We used to make silent prayers like this very day before every meal, but we stopped doing that eventually. So, I haven't did it either."

Kojuurou nodded, "It's a custom here to clap your hands together and say our thanks for the food before every meals and we say our thanks again to those who cooked it and served it after the meals. I've never seen you do that before so I wondered."

"Oh." She said quietly, "How do you do that?"

"I can show you later when we have lunch." He replied with a smile gesturing to the lunch box, "It seems Masamune-sama went out of his way to cook lunch for us again. Last time Yuzuki was here, she had some and liked it too."

She looked to him in confusion, "Yuzuki came here even when the Toyotomi wasn't allied with Date?"

"There was some circumstances that led to her being here." He said with a forced smile, "But, after that, she was taken by the Oda before Toyotomi's army got her back."

As he said this, he turned to her and said, "However, just because you and Yuzuki came from the same place, we don't believe that you have the same type of blood as her. So, be careful when you're around other people who might want your blood. We'd probably had to have Yuzuki's consent for her blood, but there might be those who won't ask for consent and forcefully take it. When that happens, just run as fast as you can. We're stronger than humans, but running in that position in probably your best option here."

She nodded quietly. Seeing this, he continued, "Also, there's another army you should be wary of."

She looked to him as he continued, "The Mouri army."

"The Mouri…" She said quietly.

He nodded, "In the past, they were known to be the most powerful army in history. Though, their numbers are probably smaller now, none of the other armies dare test to see if they are still as strong as they were during Himemiko's time."

"Are they also Vampires or werewolves?" she asked.

He shook his head, "They're Onis."

"Onis…" She looked to him in confusion, "Those scary being with sharp teeth, a horn, and a club in hand?"

Hearig this, Kojuurou stared at her in bewilderment before he laughed aloud, "Haha… No. I don't believe that is true or it would be very unusual for them to have been so powerful. However, I do know that they do have horns. Just, nobody have ever seen them in years now. For unknown reasons, they became neutral to our battles and the other armies chose not to bother them. If they did, they'd be annihilated no doubt…"

He turned to her with a chuckle, "Your homeland has the strangest imagination when it comes to the Gekka Tribe."

She watched him before she raised a brow and said, "Nobody has ever seen a werewolf or heard about the Gekka Tribe before, so we just use imagination. They weren't too good in the end. Perhaps, they were lies too…"

"There are certain places humans can not tread through, correct? That must be why those stories were created. To warn others not to go near them."

She looked up and saw that it was Masamune and Shigezane. On his arm perched a tough brown falcon as it stared back at her and the Raven. As if challenging it, the Raven cawed at it in a fit. Masamune patted her head as she saw his eyes narrow, "It's just unfortunate that your land used the appearances of the Gekka Tribe people in such manner for these matters."

She watched him cautiously as he asked, "Are you scared of the Gekka Tribe?"

She looked to him in confusion and shook her head, "You all look much more human than the stories…"

"Is that so?" He said slowly before patting her head again.

She watched as he walked away before stopping and turning to them, "It's time for lunch…"

In the end, they only caught five fishes. As she sat around on the large cloth, she fed pieces of her bread to the Raven next to her before having some of the food herself. It really was delicious. It wasn't anything as fancy, but it was good… Like the old man's cooking…

They had watched her intently after Kojuurou had taught her about proper mannerisms during meals. According to her, an elderly man, who took them in, was seen doing the same every time before a meal and watched as she ate. She made no response as she ate While Masamune did the same, but the other two just watched her quietly as she took some of the food onto her plate carefully with the chopsticks. Guess she wasn't really as expressive, after all.

That night, Kojuurou came by and taught Rachel how to write some of the words she saw on the books. When he finished, she had very little problems rewriting all of what she read about the history of Shinga. When she was done, he looked to her and raised a brow, "Have you ever had any problems during your education before? You're excelling in learning our language fairly quick. I suppose it also helps that our language is the same when spoken."

She shook her head, "One of my teachers said that I have a really good memory…"

"Ah. So that's it." He nodded, "Then, that'd explain some of the things. Do you still remember the book of herbs that I gave you?"

She nodded, "It was the medicinal one."

He nodded again, "Can you recite for me?"

She nodded back once more before starting from page one as he opened the book and looked on. When she was done, he looked to her with a nod, "In your lands, what were you learning? Since your guardians lost sight in the end, it mustn't have been too much after that."

"We had school." She said, "It was free up to the twelve- or thirteen-years students went there, but, according to the government, we must attend school there before working. I stopped after the fifth year though and went to the library to borrow books on occassions. Mother didn't want to leave the house and I was told not to go to school after."

"Why's that?" He asked with a raised brow, "You look like you'd do really well in school."

"I don't know." She replied after some thought.

He thought for a bit before he nodded, "What about subjects? Arithmetic, Literature, Calligraphy, Geography?"

He looked up when he saw that she wasn't responding and noticed her writing her name in Shinga's writing system. He patted her shoulder and saw that it had caught her attention.

"What about subjects?" He asked again.

"I learned Mathematic, literature, Reading Comprehension, History, Geography, and Science. They're the requirements in school."

He looked to her with an expression she couldn't quite read before he nodded, "So, when did you learn about poisons?"

"It was after I dropped out of school." She answered, "There was a book about poisonous plants. I also read some mystery novels and tested out a few mechanisms from the books, but some of them didn't follow with the story's sequence."

Kojuurou managed a smile as he heard this. Finally, looking at her progress, he thought for a bit before he asked, "Ray, what is your level of education now?"

She was quiet before he answered, "I don't know. I've been homeschooling myself with the books from the public library."

He was quiet for a while longer. Finally, he got up and said, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She watched in leave curiously before turning back to the Raven.

Hours passed before he finally returned with some papers. He then handed them to her, "Can you try answering these?"

She took them and nodded. She worked on them for a while before she handed them back to him. A few mathematic questions and chemical ones. It was somethings that she learned about back when she was learning from the public library. Handing it to him, he looked through it as she watched his expression. There was barely any change before he turned to her with a nod. He nodded, "It seems that you do know them and they coincide with Shinga's education…"

He held a long silence looking back to the paper before he sighed. After more silence, he said with a frown, "I'll go get some more books for you then. But, it'll take a while…"

She nodded as she remained in her seat. Her leg was doing better now. Ever since she received a crutch, she learned how to walk on her own rather than have others pick her up. Even now, the people of these lands are slightly confusing to her. She watched the raven quietly as it bundled itself up silently. As this continued, she watched silently as if in a blank stare. It wasn't till the door slid open that she looked up and saw him return with some books and scrolls in hand. He then proceeded to teach her some of the vocabulary and she absorbed it like a sponge.

The next day, she awoke to the sound of rattles.

"Hey, Ray! Are you awake? It's time for breakfast!"

It as Shigezne. She looked about her room in confusion before taking her bag and crutch and leaving the room. Once out, Kojuurou changed her bandages again before turning to them, "There. I'll be on a mission and won't be back for a while. So, just stay here with everyone."

She looked to him in confusion as he patted her head, "For now, how about you stay in the garden with Shigezane. Though you're good at studying, it's not good to always stay indoors."

She nodded solemnly, "I understand…"

She watched as the man left through the gates. After he was gone, Shigezane pulled out his wooden blade and sighed. Quietly, he stood away from her before practicing his swings with the sword. She looked around the place with a bored expression before she came upon the sight of a small monkey on one of the gates. She looked at it curiously as it stared back at her. As she watched it, a shout was heard as she turned and saw Shigezane pointing at it with his blade. His jaw nearly dropped as he said in surprise, "What is a monkey doing here?!"

Suddenly, the monkey took off on the other side of the walls.

"Forget it."

They turned around and saw that it was Masamune who was staring intently on the scene.

"They're coming back for her." He said.

"Seriously?!" Shigezane frowned, "But Kojuurou is still out!"

"He went to scout the borders." He said firmly.

The Supreme Commander looked to her cast as he said, "They won't get far with her like this. We'll let them know that she's in our hands, then."

As she watched them in confusion, she watched as he gave his younger brother an order. The brother quickly rushed off exchanging his wooden weapon for his actual one. Suddenly, the Raven that sat on a bush flew off into the distance.

"Ah!"

Though, she reached out, she was unable to reach it thanks to her broken leg.

She was locked in her room as she quietly thought of the Raven. It was a nice Raven and it seemed to really like her too. With her being unable to see the garden again since the notice of people coming for her again, she didn't know what to do anymore. No matter how much she read. There was barely any moments when she could come into contact with Masamune or Shigezane. It was starting to become very much like that of her parents. However, they didn't ignore her. Shigezane was quiet and listened well to her words while Masamune answered her questions with explanations. What she was and wasn't allowed to do while why it was like this. They were surprisingly patient with her. It saddened her when they would tell her that they have work to do though and that it's important if they want to protect her and the people. It made her wonder why they'd go so far for the people and, when he asked the Supreme Commander, he said to her solemnly, "It's our job to protect them because they can't protect themselves."

She thought for a bit and wondered aloud, "Like… those farmers in Sanada Territory?"

Her words seemed to surprise him as he nodded, "When we conquer land, the people are usually left unharmed. However, the laws they follow could change as well as where the tax goes to. Unless they commit a crime, they are protected by us."

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "I see."

He patted her head before leaving her in her room. She watched as he closed the door before returning to her bag. Taking out some of the extra papers from when Kojuurou was here, she took the brush from the desk and began writing on the paper carefully. Ever since the last lesson with them, she had began creating a small journal of the events that had occurred in these lands. She felt a strong need to do so since she's never experienced all these strange places before. Days went by with Masamune and Shigezane all being absent from the castle and that she slowly regained proper use of her leg. Servants would come by and place food in her room. Since they usually leave without interacting with her, she was quiet as well. In time, she heard one of the servants whispering something about a child with a curse. Was someone cursed? However, over time she learned that the one who they were referring to was her and she wondered if it was because of her so called lack of empathy that she heard about. She had recalled hearing the three talk about it once when she was still in the shed. One day, she wondered if something happened to them and wanted to poke a hole through the paper walls to see. It was still day, yet they never returned. She didn't know why but she was agitated. It was only after the last servant came to pick up the tray that she realized they had left the door opened. Curious, she looked around the empty halls before taking a step out. She then looked about while walking through the empty halls. Finally, when she reached the gardens, she realized that there was hardly any people around. It was all silent as she watched the birds and butterflies pass by. Confused, she looked to where the monkey once was. The place was quiet and hardly anything passed by her sight. Yet, the spot had a lingering feeling to it. As if the monkey would return to the spot it was in days ago. It was then that she felt something touch her shoulder and she turned around. However, what met her wasn't one of the servants.

"A hand…" She said in surprise and jumped back finally seeing the entire picture.

It was one of those pale creatures! From its mouth dangled an arm that dripped with blood. She watched the creature in surprise before it lunged at her having dropped the arm. Shocked, she barely managed to slip past the dangling white limbs as she rushed out to the gates. She knew that she wasn't suppose to be leaving the castle, but that mattered little to her now. Instead, she pushed open the gates and ran out. The town was still a little further as she recalled her last trip to the falconry with the three. Instead she made her way onto the path with the woods. She rushed through without looking back as she could hear the white figure crushing wood in its path behind her. She was starting to reach out of breath and worried she looked about in confusion before coming upon a cliff. Quickly, she turned the corner and ran faster till she worried that her feet would slip on the sand and gravel. Just as that occurred, she indeed slipped and fell down from the cliff into a ravine.

That night was cold. Chasing after these creatures, they soon came upon the bottom of a small ravine. Knowing well that they were no longer in their own territory, they still pressed onward prepared to meet a pack of them. As they made their way to the center of the Ravine. The scouts led by one general returned. it was a man with long purple hair and pale yellow and white uniform. The man said looking to the man with the silver hair and white uniform, "It seems Date forces are rushing back to this ravine, Kenshin-sama."

The man with the werewolf ears nodded in response, "Then, we're pulling bac-!"

It was then that something white flashed next to his face before fluttering afar.

Startled, a man with light brown hair and dark blue uniform widen his eyes, "Kenshin-sama!"

Upon seeing they were all right, they looked back and saw a white bird with the long twin tails. The man with the purple hair raised a brow, "A bird?"

The bird with the long twin tails and red eyes turned to them before flapping its wings and chirping under the light of the moon. Suddenly, it took off in the air again before swiping past them as if trying to warn them of something, but it soon landed afar with something on its pale yellow beak….

"Isn't that…" the purple hair werewolf raised a brow, "Kageie, isn't that your Ashi?"

"What?" the brown hair man raised a brow, "That can't be-! What?!"

Despite his words, he checked the sword hanging on his belt and saw that one of the two hangers, that keeps the sword attached to the belt, was missing. With wide eyes, he quickly hopped off his horse and rushed after the bird as Kenshin called, "Ka-"

Suddenly, the bird took off after dropping the hanger, or Ashi, leaving it to the man to pick up but froze in place before turning to them with wide eyes, "Kenshin-sama! There's a little girl over here!"

"What?!"

The other two rushed over quickly and saw that it was a small girl with long blond hair and unusual clothing. Kageie raised a brow as he rubbed his chin, "She looks a little familiar, though…"

"That's her, Kenshin-sama." The purple hair werewolf responded with a frown, "That's the child I told you about."

"Ah! That's right!" Kageie said with wide eyes, "Hm? But, did she fled into Sanada territory?"

Suddenly, there was the sound of something broken in the distance as Kenshin looked up and called out, "Kagemochi, Kageie, we're returning! Grab the child."

The two nodded as Kagemochi quickly scooped the child up and returned to his steed. The group quickly rode out of the ravine and back into the forest. As they left, they could hear the sound of rocks being crushed behind them, but neither looked back.

"Zack…"

Kagemochi looked down to the child only to see her cough. He raised a brow and touched her head as he said, "A fever?"

When she awoke, she felt damp with sweat as she was greeted by the wooden ceiling. She felt heaviness and a pain in her head as she slowly sat up. Her throat was itchy and her shoulder stung. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder that she looked up and saw that it was an elderly man who looked to her with a frown, "Lie back down, girl. You've got a fever…"

Slowly, she nodded and laid back down. As sleep consumed her, she awoke again. This time, she found it harder to breath and the itch in her throat was replaced with pain. The pain in her head grew as she tried to look around. Only to cough painfully. It hurts. It hurts a lot…

She struggled to get up only to fall back down as she felt a hand grabbed a hold of her. She struggled to look up, but her eyes stung and her head felt like a painful mush. She then saw a hand reach out before her and touched her forehead. It was cool and felt comforting on her forehead. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up in surprise only for the pain to intensify. She grimaced and brought her head back down. Words mumbled in her ears before she opened her eyes again and found herself relieved of the pain. She then saw the concerned look of a familiar man with wolf ears followed by another man with pale blond hair with red on the end. The pale blue werewolf said hesitantly, "H-How are you feeling? Do you still feel dizzy?"

She looked to them before slowly reply, "No…"

She then slowly got up as she saw that she was in a different room, but it was similar to that of the other castles. Suddenly, her head stung a bit as she grimaced. The man with the pale blond hair and dark uniform grabbed a hold of her shoulder as he said, "Careful. You only just gotten better."

However, she only slowly nodded back. The man looked to her with a sigh. She looked about before she saw her bag sitting next to her. She looked about in confusion as the man with the pale blond hair said with a grumble, "Great. She's awake now…"

Ignoring him, the blue hair man turned to her, "What's your name?"

She thought for a bit before she replied, "Rachel… Gardner…"

"Raychel…" He managed.

"Ray…" she simplified, "Some just call me Ray…"

He nodded.

"I'll let the others know." The pale blue hair man said as he got up and looked to her, "I'll be right back."

She watched as he pushed open the door and left the room. As he did this, she noticed the bandage on her arm as she touched it.

"Hey, don't play with that." The man warned with a frowned.

She nodded quietly and slowly.

"What… happened?" she asked slowly.

"Why would I know?!" the man shouted with a frown as he glared at her, "You were there at the ravine when Kenshin-sama and the others found you!"

"Ra…vine…" She repeated quietly, "Ah."

"More importantly, do you remember us at all?" the man grumbled with a frown.

She thought for a bit with closed eyes and nodded, "The attack…"

"Good. I have a lot of questions to ask you." He said with a glare.

However, to his surprise, she wasn't intimidated. It was then that she saw the door open again as the man returned with two other familiar people and one man with silver hair and white uniform. She felt that the man was a little different from the others as the purple hair man said with a small smile, "So, she's awake."

She looked about in confusion before the man with the silver hair asked, "Why were you in Date territory, girl."

Hearing this, she thought for a bit and replied, "I was taken from Sanada Territory during a battle by the people from the Date army... I was there for a little over a month."

"Then, why were you alone when we found you?" the purple hair man asked.

"Some monsters appeared in the castle." She answered, "Everyone was out to do something a few days ago and don't return to the castle as often anymore. One of the servants left the door opened and I walked out to the garden, but nobody were there. A monster appeared and I ran out of the castle."

"A monster appeared on the castle ground?" the brown hair man said in surprise, "Could they have just left her there?"

"They said that they were going to be gone for a while…" She replied quietly.

"What about the servants?" the blue hair man asked, "They must've been servants there. How would they disappear?"

"I think they were eaten…" She answered slowly, "That monster had an arm sticking out of its mouth."

There was a moment of silence before the purple hair man summarized, "So, that would mean that, while we were distracting the Date army, they left her in the castle with the servants and guards. With their agility and stealth, it shouldn't be surprising that those things could enter the castle grounds. The Date army seems to lack numbers too. It would make it difficult if those things invaded the castle while their supreme commander and generals were away. The question is, why was her door open when all this happened? If she were to be a hostage, they'd be sure to lock her up."

"They locked me up in a shed for a while." She replied.

"For a while?" the blond hair raised a brow.

"I broke the bars on the window and broke my leg." She answered with a nod, "It was an accident… I wanted to know where I was…"

"And now you're sick." The blond hair man said with a sigh.

She nodded quietly.

After a while, the silver hair man asked again, "Do you know of Yuzuki, girl."

She nodded, "I met her once in Toyotomi territory. They wanted me to see her because we came from the same place."

"The same place?" the brown hair man raised a brow, "As in Uesugi territory?"

She frowned, "Yuzuki said that Hideyoshi found her in his territory…"

"Then, why did you appear here?" the blond hair man asked with a frown.

"I don't know." She answered.

Rachel watched as they held small discussion. Finally, she felt a knock on her head as she looked up and saw them staring at her as the silver hair man looked to her with a raised brow. The purple hair man frowned as he said, "Kenshin-sama allowed you to stay here for now, did you not hear?"

She looked to them in confusion before she nodded, "Thank… you…"

That night she was left in the room while a strange figure stood outside the door in a silhouette against the light of the moon. It was strange, but she could hardly sleep after that. She thought quietly of where Zack could be and, though she knew he was safe, the fact that she doesn't know of his whereabouts bothered her greatly. Instead, she stared at the ceiling with her eyes open for a while before trying to sleep with them closed, but, as usual, nothing worked. Finally, she heard the door open as she slowly sat up.

"Oh? So, you were awake?"

It was the purple werewolf. She nodded silently. He then took out a small bottle hesitantly before he placed it in front of her, "This was given to us by a foreigner who claimed that these were medicine. It was what we gave you when you were sick. Do you remember?"

She looked at the glass bottle as she read the label. She frowned, "This is… cold medicine… But, it's from where I came from…"

"Where did you come from?"

"Japan." She replied, "That's where I stayed, but the writing is from another country where I was born and raised. America."

"So you're a foreigner…" the werewolf said with a nod, "As I thought. Then, what were you doing here in our territory?"

"I was chased."

"Chased?" he raised a brow.

"America was no longer safe for me, so I moved to Japan. But, two years after, the authorities from America snuck into Japan to find me. A kind elderly man helped hide me from them. But, then, I woke up and found myself in a town attacked by the yakumas." She answered.

"Why did you run from us?" He asked.

She looked to him and answered, "I thought you were coming after me too…"

The man raised a brow, "Really?"

She nodded, "I thought that you were authorities in disguises and I didn't want to die yet."

"Why did the authorities came after you?"

"Because they want to take me away from Zack." She answered.

"Who is Zack?"

"A human who had taken lives from others."

This time, the man's eyes narrowed as he asked, "A murderer?"

She nodded. He frowned before he continued, "Why did you run with him?"

"We made an oath." She answered with a smile, "And, I believe in him."

There was a moment of silence before he asked, "What was the oath?"

"As long as I am helpful to him and don't have a boring face anymore, he would kill me." She replied.

The werewolf was unusual unfazed by this as he asked, "Why do you want him to kill you?"

"I want to be accepted."

"You want to be accepted?"

She nodded, "I want to be accepted in life and death."

"Did no one accept you before?" he asked.

She shook her head, "Zack was the first to accept me."

"Your parents? Friends?" He asked.

She frowned, "Father and Mother never listened to me after I turned ten and the other kids stayed away from me."

"Why?"

She shook her head silently. He thought for a bit before he asked again, "How old are you, Ray?"

"Sixteen."

"Sixteen… What of your family?"

"Don't have one." She replied much to his surprise.

"Don't have one?" he raised a brow, "Did this Zack fellow take them?"

She shook her head, "I did."

There was a long silence as the man narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"Because he hurt mother and tried to hurt my puppy." She answered.

He thought for a bit before he nodded and sighed, "Then, the Sanada generals took you to Toyotomi Territory to see Yuzuki. Why did you stay there?"

"Saizo and Kamanosuke found me at the border and Takeda army was nearby. They took me in and brought me to Toyotomi Territory. After that, they had to send me to Sanada Territory."

"May I ask why?"

"I don't know…" She thought for a bit before she answered, "War? Or, maybe it has to do with that attack that occurred in Toyotomi territory."

"Who attacked you?"

"Doctor Danny."

"Who is he?"

"My former counseling doctor… or therapist."

After the bouncing of question, the werewolf raised a brow, "Do you have a medical condition?"

She thought for a bit before answering, "I witnessed the murder then I… acted unusual than most kids at the orphanage."

He thought for a bit before he answered, "Does this have to do with the way you're responding?"

She looked to him in confusion before he clarified himself, "Does this have to do with why you talk slowly?"

"I've always talked like this…" She replied, "Other people just talk and move faster than me…"

"Then, am I speaking fast?"

She nodded. He nodded too before tapping the bottle again, "Then, are you familiar with a man in a long black clothing and black hair?"

She thought for a bit before she nodded, "There's one, but he's dead now."

He raised a brow and asked, "Who is he?"

"A priest called Abraham…" She thought for a bit before she answered, "Actually, Doctor Danny was suppose to be dead too. They died together in the same place, but Doctor Danny is back, so maybe Abraham is alive now too?"

"Dead?"

"A burning building collapsed on them."

There was a moment of silence before the purple hair man nodded, "I see. Now, Ray. Is Zack here?"

She nodded, "I've been looking for him for a long time now, but nobody has seen him."

"Yet, you're sure he's here."

She nodded again, "In Sanada Territory, I received a message that said he was safe."

"Who's the sender."

"I don't know." She replied with a frown, "But, they know the same language as mine…"

He nodded, "Then, do you understand our language?"

She nodded, "The people in Date territory taught me 'Shinga's' writing system."

"Why?"

"It was a favor because they said one of them was being rude."

He nodded, "Then, one more question… Is the reason why you want to kill yourself related to your parents?"

She thought for a bit before she slowly nodded, "Because of what happened to them, I turned myself into an abomination to God…"

She saw the man's ears twitch as he asked, "An abomination?"

"For tainting god's creation, I became rejected by god. So, if Zack kills me, I could be accepted again." She replied.

The man thought for a bit before he nodded, "Could you be a religious believer?"

She thought for a bit before she answered, "I don't know…"

"Then, do you know why the Yakumas or the monsters are here?"

She shook her head again, "No…"

He was quiet for a while until he finally sighed, "All right. Let's stop here. We can continue this another time. Make sure you get some sleep, though."

She nodded slowly as she watched him got up and turned to leave, but stopped before the door.

"Ah, that's right…" He turned to her once more, "If you wanted to kill yourself, why not do it yourself?"

She shook her head, "Because, god said that it's bad?"

"God said?"

"The scriptures…" She clarified.

He thought for a bit before he nodded, "I see. Well, I'll be leaving now."

As he shut the door behind him, the man looked up to see Kageie and Kenshin waiting for him outside. He shook his head, "My apologies. This child… would take some time to interrogate, Kenshin-sama."

The man nodded quietly, "What of the contents of her bag."

"I disposed her bag of poisonous plants and uncovered her journal. What she said mostly coincides with the contents of the journal though it seems she must've started it in Date Territory." He replied, "I've also taken those little explosives under custody. However, there was one sleeve I was unable to open. It had a foreign lock placed on it."

"She's no little girl, that's for sure…" Kageie muttered.

However, the silver hair man quiet as he stared back at the room.

YueTian: Hey, guys! I hope this was of great interest to you this time. Also, I apologize for the short Author's note, but I'm really tired and I really want to put this up. So, I'm going to see if I can edit more content of the note tomorrow morning. Sorry, guys, and I hope you like this new chapter! Good night! Also, I made a mistake in the previous chapter. I realized that Ray actually doesn't think that her 'god' is dead, just that her vow with Zack is only between her and him and god played no role in it. So, I'll go change that later on.

3/28/2019 2:06 AM