Chapter 3: Yoarashi
Frog glanced to see what it was when he spied a transparent man, in his late thirties, early fourties, walk past and approach Rei. Frog began to speak out in suprise when the man turned, indicating he wanted quiet. Frog blinked and watched the man walk up behind Reiketsu when he spied the sword on the man's back. It looked exactly like Rune. The man slowly came up behind Reiketsu, as if listening. Slowly he drew the sword from his back. Frog slowly reach for Masamune, his gaze slowly getting icy, but before he could move further, the man placed his blade against Rei's. The phantom-like sword melted into Rune, which shimmered breifly before the man reached out and put a hand on Rei's shoulder. She seemed not to notice. As soon as she finished, the man let go, and turned to start walking away. He hesitated once; and looked at Frog. Slowly, he smiled a sad, but gentle smile at Frog and nodded, almost as if he acknowledged what Frog's reaction had been. A soft male voice could be heard, but it was as if only Frog could hear it at the same time.
~I think now I understand.. The meaning of our dreams.... Take care...~ The ghost seemed to say, quietly. He glanced in Rei's direction. ~I leave Rune.. To my daughter... Now... I return.. To Maria...~ The ghost turned, and disappeared into the mist. Frog blinked, and wondered what had just happened. Rei's voice suddenly startled him. "What're you looking at?" Rei asked. Frog turned, blinking. "Didst thou not see the ghost..!?" Frog asked. Rei quirked an eyebrow. "What ghost?" Rei asked. "Describe it. I don't doubt you saw one.. This is.. A place of the dead." "T'was a strange one... with silver hair.. And a blade like thine own Rune.... Very strange." Frog said. Rei blinked. "Yoarashi? Father?" Rei whispered, blinking. Frog blinked. "M'lady? Who doth be Yoarashi? Is he thine father?" "Yes... Yes he was..." Rei shook her head, sighing. "I'm amazed you saw him... Zaleians were never quite fond of people outside the barrier... Did he say anything?" "Yes.." Frog blinking, not quite understanding. "What did he say?" Rei asked. There was a touch of sadness in her voice again. "He mentioned dreams... And he hath left Rune in thy care." Frog blinked. "Who, pray tell, was thine father? What didst he mean?" "If you want to know..." Rei sighed. "Alright, if my father talked to you, I'll answer your question, but that's all." "Agreed." Frog nodded.
"When Zale was still a live village, before it became the graveyard it is today, it was devoted to research and the messages in dreams..."
Twelve years earlier, Yoarashi glanced down at the child snuggled up in his arms. She seemed lost in one of her dreams again... But he couldn't tell which. His daughter Reiketsu had such strange dreams for a Zaleian. Almost cryptic, really. But recently, he'd been experiencing the same thing; only his dreams were becoming increasingly violent; deadly; terrifying. They chilled the swordsman to the bone as his worried for his family. Rei had been having strange dreams, and kept claiming they were of a knight with green hair.. Certainly not a resident of the village. It was as if he was her protector, a lover... Someone who cared for her. Yoarashi was reminded of his dreams of Maria in his youth... Although they had already been betrothed at birth. Yoarashi had an inkling that his daughter's fate was not the same as his, or Maria's, or anyone else in Zale. He had the strange sensation.. She was destined for something greater.. Although it would be a painful, lonely journey for a long time. But... He also sensed that Rune would remain with her. Rune... Yoarashi glanced at the room the blade was kept in when not needed. Reiketsu went in there often and spoke with the spirit of Rune often. He knew that Rei was emotionally attatched to it, and it was attatched to her. There was a friendship there that nothing could shatter... It gave him some consolance that she would not be totally alone. Although she had been betrothed to a boy two years her senior named Tottei, Yoarashi sensed that they would not marry each other. Yoarashi held his daughter close, thinking of the journey he'd just made. The Mystics wanted access to Zale and it's libraries... He'd been able to give the 'reply' of sorts to the Generals Ozzie, Flea, and Slash thanks to the assistance of a strange girl named Koori, but... He had a feeling that the prophesized end of Zale was coming. But yet... Rei would survive. He knew atleast that, and it gave him comfort. Quietly, he began to hum a lullaby, partially for Reiketsu, who seemed to be stirring slightly, and partially for himself.
Twelve years later... "So.. Thine father was the village swordsman?" Frog tilted his head to one side. Rei nodded. "I was to follow in his footsteps.. I just wish... Zale hadn't been destroyed..." Rei shook her head, as if trying to fight off tears. Frog touched her arm carefully, even suprising himself. "It doth be alright, M'lady... If thou must.. Let thine tears out..." Frog said quietly. Rei wburied her face in his side and sobbed, suprising the swordsman.
Frog glanced to see what it was when he spied a transparent man, in his late thirties, early fourties, walk past and approach Rei. Frog began to speak out in suprise when the man turned, indicating he wanted quiet. Frog blinked and watched the man walk up behind Reiketsu when he spied the sword on the man's back. It looked exactly like Rune. The man slowly came up behind Reiketsu, as if listening. Slowly he drew the sword from his back. Frog slowly reach for Masamune, his gaze slowly getting icy, but before he could move further, the man placed his blade against Rei's. The phantom-like sword melted into Rune, which shimmered breifly before the man reached out and put a hand on Rei's shoulder. She seemed not to notice. As soon as she finished, the man let go, and turned to start walking away. He hesitated once; and looked at Frog. Slowly, he smiled a sad, but gentle smile at Frog and nodded, almost as if he acknowledged what Frog's reaction had been. A soft male voice could be heard, but it was as if only Frog could hear it at the same time.
~I think now I understand.. The meaning of our dreams.... Take care...~ The ghost seemed to say, quietly. He glanced in Rei's direction. ~I leave Rune.. To my daughter... Now... I return.. To Maria...~ The ghost turned, and disappeared into the mist. Frog blinked, and wondered what had just happened. Rei's voice suddenly startled him. "What're you looking at?" Rei asked. Frog turned, blinking. "Didst thou not see the ghost..!?" Frog asked. Rei quirked an eyebrow. "What ghost?" Rei asked. "Describe it. I don't doubt you saw one.. This is.. A place of the dead." "T'was a strange one... with silver hair.. And a blade like thine own Rune.... Very strange." Frog said. Rei blinked. "Yoarashi? Father?" Rei whispered, blinking. Frog blinked. "M'lady? Who doth be Yoarashi? Is he thine father?" "Yes... Yes he was..." Rei shook her head, sighing. "I'm amazed you saw him... Zaleians were never quite fond of people outside the barrier... Did he say anything?" "Yes.." Frog blinking, not quite understanding. "What did he say?" Rei asked. There was a touch of sadness in her voice again. "He mentioned dreams... And he hath left Rune in thy care." Frog blinked. "Who, pray tell, was thine father? What didst he mean?" "If you want to know..." Rei sighed. "Alright, if my father talked to you, I'll answer your question, but that's all." "Agreed." Frog nodded.
"When Zale was still a live village, before it became the graveyard it is today, it was devoted to research and the messages in dreams..."
Twelve years earlier, Yoarashi glanced down at the child snuggled up in his arms. She seemed lost in one of her dreams again... But he couldn't tell which. His daughter Reiketsu had such strange dreams for a Zaleian. Almost cryptic, really. But recently, he'd been experiencing the same thing; only his dreams were becoming increasingly violent; deadly; terrifying. They chilled the swordsman to the bone as his worried for his family. Rei had been having strange dreams, and kept claiming they were of a knight with green hair.. Certainly not a resident of the village. It was as if he was her protector, a lover... Someone who cared for her. Yoarashi was reminded of his dreams of Maria in his youth... Although they had already been betrothed at birth. Yoarashi had an inkling that his daughter's fate was not the same as his, or Maria's, or anyone else in Zale. He had the strange sensation.. She was destined for something greater.. Although it would be a painful, lonely journey for a long time. But... He also sensed that Rune would remain with her. Rune... Yoarashi glanced at the room the blade was kept in when not needed. Reiketsu went in there often and spoke with the spirit of Rune often. He knew that Rei was emotionally attatched to it, and it was attatched to her. There was a friendship there that nothing could shatter... It gave him some consolance that she would not be totally alone. Although she had been betrothed to a boy two years her senior named Tottei, Yoarashi sensed that they would not marry each other. Yoarashi held his daughter close, thinking of the journey he'd just made. The Mystics wanted access to Zale and it's libraries... He'd been able to give the 'reply' of sorts to the Generals Ozzie, Flea, and Slash thanks to the assistance of a strange girl named Koori, but... He had a feeling that the prophesized end of Zale was coming. But yet... Rei would survive. He knew atleast that, and it gave him comfort. Quietly, he began to hum a lullaby, partially for Reiketsu, who seemed to be stirring slightly, and partially for himself.
Twelve years later... "So.. Thine father was the village swordsman?" Frog tilted his head to one side. Rei nodded. "I was to follow in his footsteps.. I just wish... Zale hadn't been destroyed..." Rei shook her head, as if trying to fight off tears. Frog touched her arm carefully, even suprising himself. "It doth be alright, M'lady... If thou must.. Let thine tears out..." Frog said quietly. Rei wburied her face in his side and sobbed, suprising the swordsman.