Destiny
*Disclaimer*
I DON'T OWN DIGIMON OR FLAME OF RECCA.
Author's Note:
Okay, from now onwards, I'm not gonna make any promises on when the chapters are going to be posted up.
*Sigh*
I'm really sorry for taking so long with this. But anyway, a million thanks to 'Mathais-8888', I realize I should have given credit to the anime 'Flame of Recca'. The idea of Rune Weapons do seed from the Flame of Recca's Madougu, though the uses of the Madougu had been modified by me to form the idea of Dark and Holy Stones (Madougu does not have magic) – I totally change their function. However for some Rune Weapons, like Ken's Ensui, I use the original shape and form of the Madougu.
Anyway, back to topic, I'm so SO sorry for the long delay. I know I'm always long due for a chapter to get up, but I really couldn't help it. With all the assignments and Final Assessment Tasks (FAT) / Independent Studies Unit (ISU) I'm getting, I can't find the time for myself anymore. I can't even finish the artwork I'm doing for this fic (I'm starting a website for all my fictions and Digimon things – please visit it when it is open).
Please forgive me!
And also, thanks to all the reviewers that have review! I'm really grateful for all the comments and I really appreciate them all. Not to mention, thanks to the readers as well (I just hope my delay for each chapter doesn't make me loose any of my readers, *prepare to beg for mercy*).
Well, enough of my rambling! On with the fic!
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Destiny – Chapter Six: The Stone of Blaze
1008 A.D., 6th day of the eight month…
At the mouth of the Forest of Temptation, Takeru and his group of friends laid camped, waiting for dawn to come. Though it was well into the night, none of the holy Warriors were asleep or even tired, though they were exhausted by the morning ride. Right now, their priority was the pine forest in front of them. The Forest of Temptation, a forested region that stretched from the east to the west of Erathia, was well known as a border that separated the Inner Erathia from the Outer Erathia. This mysterious forest was famous for its legend that said, 'Thou who attempt the forest, shall be consumed'.
But at the moment, Takaishi Takeru, Ichijozi Ken, Yagami Hikari and Inoue Miyako had nothing to lose. The life and death of Gaea depended on them crossing this forest. Just three days ago, they had left the Castle City of Erathia, Frostberg, after reading the Ancient Tablet. At first, there was a small misunderstanding, but after showing the permission slip that was given by King Magnus, the Lord himself brought them to the secret room where the tablet was hidden.
The tablet read, 'Thou who seek the Stone, shall have thy question answered in the Forest of No Return…'
It was vague at first, but Ken, being well versed in the Erathian's history, immediately saw through the riddle and pointed out the direction that they should be heading. And with his lead, they ended up here, in front of the forest. Even though everyone was fatigued by the journey, the thought of not coming again after entering the forest kept them awake the whole time.
Sat surrounding the campfire, everyone was engaged in his or her own thoughts. Takeru and Hikari were seated next to each other, as Hikari was asking about his life. However, Takeru also tried his best to not reveal too much on the shinobi race. But this much was obvious; both of them were shivering even though they were wrapped in a blanket each. Miyako, who had her entire life growing up in a hot continent, shivered and pulled her travel cloak closer to her slim feature. The lavender hair girl's shaking was so obvious that the chattering of her teeth sounded as if it was far away.
Ken, being used to the cold, was not effected by the chilling weather at all. Seated alone, Ken suddenly stood up and walked towards Miyako, taking his blanket along with him. The girl who did not even notice the rise of the boy was surprised when she felt a layer of fur blanket was covered around her. Ken sat next to her and stared into the fire. Miyako tried not to show much gratitude, as she still held grudges against the violet hair boy. But she did mutter a 'Thanks' to him.
Over on the other side, the conversation between Hikari and Takeru had stopped. Feeling it was too quiet, Takeru suddenly took out the amulet that his father had given him and started fiddling with it. When he did so, his eyes soften and the corner of the boy's lip was curved upward into a small smile. Noticing his sudden change of expression, Hikari asked, "Is that an amulet given to you by your brother?"
Takeru was startled by the question. But he did answer it, "No, it was from my dad. He pass away seven years ago in an… 'accident', after giving this to me." Takeru then looked up, staring into the deep night where the stars glittered. "My father, Ishida Masaharu, is a great men, a loving father and husband, and also the best shinobi in my time. Even though he had died years ago, I'm sure that no one in my village would ever forget him."
"I'm sorry," Hikari said quietly.
"For what?"
Hikari sighed and said, "It must have hurt you to bring out all of this all of a sudden. I shouldn't have asked. I'm really sorry."
Takeru chuckled and said, "Don't be. I'm really glad that you asked me." He paused and looked at her, "At least, I'm able to share my thought with someone." But after a moment, Takeru suddenly laughed out loud and told the surprised girl, "You know, I really don't know why I'm even telling you these things."
Hikari smiled, "Maybe it was because we're getting… closer?"
"Yeah… that must be it."
The awkward silent fell on them again. But this time, Hikari averted her gaze and watched the depth of the burning fire. For some reasons, Takeru couldn't help but stared at the girl next to him. Even though the chilling air chilled right into his bone, he somehow felt… warm, when he looked at the girl. Her silvery chestnut brown hair that was illuminated by the fire, her focused but gentle eyes, her mesmerizing feature, everything; everything about her captured the young man's attention.
Hikari felt that Takeru was staring but she made no move to show that she had noticed it. In her mind she felt as if that she was feather light, as the young man's eyes bored into her. She really enjoyed the warmth of the young man next to her, the attention that he was giving her and also his very presence. There was this pull in her heart that wanted to make her move and snuggle closer to Takeru. However, the thought that she had only knew him for a few weeks stopped her from doing so. And that really made her questioned herself, 'Why am I feeling for him so strongly? The very first time we met, I had already felt this way. Why is it so?'
The night went on, eventless.
At the touch of the first sunray, they started to gather up their belongings and strapped them to the two extra horses they had other than the four that they rode. Ken remarked that one of the mare was complaining at how heavy their belongings was, but the mare did not let Ken removed it.
Leading their horses by their reins, the Warriors walked into the forest slowly. The moment they stepped in, there was this sudden chill that rushed through. This chill wasn't only a normal chill that raised one's goose bumps, but one that was tinted with the feel of death. Immediately, though knowing nothing could surprise them, the Warriors had their hands readied on their weapons nevertheless – ready to spring when they were ambushed or even by the slightest hint of movement.
For Takeru moving into this pine forest was as if going into the Forbidden Forest back in his hometown. Every step he took was taken with care; every single movement he made was planned – he wouldn't want to find himself or any one of his friends to die just because of some small mistakes. Being the one with the keenest sense of hearing in the group, Takeru extended his ability to the utmost and prepared himself if anything should happen.
The first hour of the journey was eventless. Nothing special or extravagant happened, but there weren't any animals in sight either. In any case though, the Warriors were still taking great cautious. Then suddenly, a blanket of mist started to silhouette everywhere. The Warriors could barely see three meters ahead of them. But that wasn't what they were worried at, but it was the unexpected appearance of the mist that had surprised them.
Immediately, the Warriors stopped where they were.
Takeru's eyes shifted left and right, looking for any signs of danger. Hikari held her breath and with her ability, she tried to detect for any changes in the movement of the air. However, her effort was proven futile, as the air around them was too humid. Taking the cue, Ken's Ensui was suddenly out of his pocket with its water blade already formed. Miyako had both her hand clasped together and she was looking at every single shadow with worries in her eyes.
Then suddenly, a bunch of large black hounds with red eyes came out from everywhere. From the under the bushes, on the branches, the dark road ahead, behind the tree trunk – these black hound that was as tall as a grown man came running in with their teeth bared, snarling, waiting to claim their price.
Takeru's Tengoku was immediately in his hand, cutting the hound that was about to take a bite at his neck in half. Hikari moved to the horses and tried to protect them from the incoming hounds. The horses were all in a frenzy mode, but somehow Ken's voice made them stayed in place. Wasting no time, Hikari's left hand that had the Rune Weapon, Kuuki, equipped was moving in every direction, severing the hounds that were touched by the invisible wind.
Ken raised his sword and rushed towards the hound, shouting, "Kogarenzan!"
The black hounds that were within Ken's attacking distance, were sliced in various parts – their paws, bodies, and even neck. Many of the hounds fell prey to Ken's skill that used a combination of a few consecutive slashes and thrusts. Those that were still a distance away however, was dead when droplets of water that moved in supersonic speed, pierced through their body. Once their stiff bodies hit the floor, Ken muttered a single word, "Hisame…"
Miyako leaped high up into the air, using a tree trunk and its branches as her footing. With a roll in the air, she faced the hounds below her while her legs were still pointed towards the sky. With a smile and deadly glint in her eyes, Miyako said, "Akisazame."
Every single strand of Miyako's hair elongated and became as sharp as steel. With her command, the hounds below her were pierced mercilessly as if Miyako's hair represented the falling rain that could kill. When Miyako was sure that none of the hounds were still alive or even breathing, the girl's hair shortened and Miyako landed neatly on her foot.
When Takeru had killed the hounds that were near to him, he switched his attention to another group of hounds that had gathered at his back. Turning around, Takeru held his naginata with its cutting edge pointed towards them and said, "Senkuuretpa."
Takeru's feature blurred and disappeared, leaving only his body's outline on where he had just stood. Then almost immediately, the surprised group of hounds was impaled by the golden naginata from behind them. All the time, Takeru's Tengoku never stop thrusting – cutting into the bodies of the hounds. The speed of Takeru's movement was so fast that most of the black hounds didn't even get a chance to squeal before falling dead.
However, even when the Warriors had killed fifty of the black hounds, a hundred seemed to replace their lost numbers. And as this went on, the Warriors began to feel cornered, as the hounds' numbers continue to grow. But even so, the Warriors never gave up and they continued holding onto their grounds. Their determination was showed by the white snow on the ground, which was already painted red by the blood of their kills.
Then, by accident, Hikari's footing somehow slipped. This caused the girl to fall backward onto the cold ground. One of the black hounds saw this as a chance and immediately started running towards her. Hikari saw what was happening and tried to stop the hound, but she was temporary shocked by her fall. Her arms somehow wouldn't even listen to the commands that she had been shouting inside her mind. When the hound leaped, Hikari closed her eyes, waiting for the teeth to sink into her delicate skin.
A second passed, but the pain never came to her.
When Hikari opened her eyes, she was shocked to see Takeru holding the hound back with his bare hands. The young man's weapon was somehow left on the ground beside him. Wrestling with the hound, Takeru stretched his hands as far as he could to avoid the clamp of the hound's jaw. But then, another hound came from behind the first one and sunk its teeth onto Takeru's shoulder.
Takeru held back a scream of pain as his own blood soaked through his clothing. And to make matter worse, a few more hounds were advancing on the injured boy with lightning fast speed. Hikari was horrified to see this and instinctively, almost immediately, Hikari's finger moved in the blank air, trying to cast a spell that could kill the hounds.
But before she could do so, a streak of white energy came out from the shadow and eradicated the two hounds that were on Takeru. However, the mysterious person who killed the two hounds didn't stop there. Suddenly, through the slaughter and all the commotion, the four Warriors were able to hear a melody being played by someone. To their eyes, the melody was tinted with anger and also the desire to kill. And as if the melody that was being played was the cue, all the black hounds that were in the vicinity, exploded.
What was remained of the hounds was then slumped to the ground.
When everything died down, Takeru suddenly fell onto one knee and clutched at his injured shoulder. The boy was clearly in pain as his eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed. Hikari, Ken and Miyako immediately rushed towards him. When Hikari reached him, she tore a part of her garment and wrapped it on the wound. Ken and Miyako, who were quite far away, soon joined the two with worried expression plastered on their face.
Suddenly, a voice came out from the shadow, "Wrapping that wound wouldn't do any good. The teeth of the Devourer are coated with poison."
Out from the dark space in front of the Warriors, a girl, who looked like she was in her early twenties, emerged. Through one opened eye, Takeru squinted at the figure before them. He noticed that the girl, who had her long hair tied into a ponytail that reached her knees, was holding a magnificent flute in her left hand. But what surprised him the most was the pair of butterfly wings that shimmered with the colors of the rainbow at her back.
Despite his best effort to keep awake, Takeru could feel that his exhaustion and the effect of the poison were slowly claiming him. Giving in, the boy's eyes were suddenly closed and following it, his head slumped forward. This caused Hikari to suddenly screamed his name and without even knowing it, there were tears flowing out of her eyes.
The mysterious girl then came forward and checked on Takeru. A moment later, she then said, "You don't need to cry, girl who is a Holy Warrior. Your friend here is safe for now. But he wouldn't be in the next hour." She stood up and started to retreat back to where she emerge from. "You all must hurry and follow me. I have some medicine that can cleanse him from the poison."
Not sure if he could trust the mysterious girl, Ken asked, "Are you our enemy? How do we know that you're not the one giving commands to the hounds?"
The girl turned around and looked at Ken. She then answered in a neutral tone, "You don't, but if you do not follow me, the boy is sure to die before tomorrow's sunrise."
Feeling defeated, the Warriors decided to follow the girl, resting their fate on their luck. Ken gave a silent command to the horses, which somehow had survived the chaos, and asked Takeru's white stallion to move forward. With Hikari and Miyako's help, Ken lifted Takeru and placed him securely on the stallion's back. Then, holding the horses' reins, they hurried after the girl.
*******
1008 A.D., 7th day of the ninth month…
Through the long dark endless tunnel four boys ran. As they did so, Lee Jenrya, the blue hair boy in the lead, was cracking his head as he recounted the path he and his best friend had used months ago. Motomiya Daisuke, the maroon hair boy, was grinning with anxiety for what lie ahead, though he was clearly exhausted from the long run. The other two boys, Wallace de Winter and Hida Iori, were trying hard to keep up with the two more agile boys even though they were sweating heavily from head to toe.
Despite the still rumbling ground, the boys managed to reach the same cavernous opening as before, after a few more minutes of running and entering of various tunnels. Jenrya took a moment, no more than three minutes, to regain his strength. At the same time, the boy also used his eyes to scan the surrounding area, searching for the one who cause the earthquake.
But because there was no one around, Lee started for the route that would lead them to the place where Daisuke had received his Holy Stone of Blaze, Honou. This time however, he reduced the speed of his run to a jog in order to save him and the rest of the party from dehydration, as the interior of Heaven's Peak had very high temperature. And for that reason, water would be evaporated from their body easily, leaving them dry if unlucky.
Once again, the four boys traveled along a long hallway. But this time, the road led downward in a spiral form, causing Wallace to complain. And again they jog, till the very end of the road – like before, Jenrya and the other three boys emerged into an overly large opening that only had a six meters wide path, which led to an altar. The rest of the area were covered by boiling hot lava, which shot up like geysers every few minutes, spraying hot lava on the ground.
The four boys' eyes however, were not focused on the surrounding, but on a very tall person with a extremely muscular body at the center of the path. Wearing a spiky armor and wielding two enormous axes, the figure that had their back on them looked frightening. Except, what made the boys stopped in their tracks was not the appearance of that particular figure, but the brownish aura that was surrounding the figure's entire form.
After a few seconds gawking at the figure, the figure then raised one of the enormous axes that could have easily weighted five hundred kilograms and brought it down, hard, on the path he was standing on. A large crack was formed, and it was followed by a slight tremor that could be felt from where Jenrya and the rest were standing. Although there was only a slight, minor shaking, but the boys knew that the tremor was much dreadful for the people outside the volcano.
Immediately, the boys knew that they had found the person who started this.
As usual, without thinking about the consequences, Daisuke rushed forward and shouted, "What the heck are you doing?"
The figure did not answer, but as Daisuke drew near, the figure then swung his axe in a backward slash. Daisuke however, managed to dodge the sudden attack by somersaulting backward, as he had felt the killing aura from the figure, which had blazed out all of a sudden.
Once Daisuke landed on his feet and raised his hands in an attacking stance, his Rune Weapon, Okaji, was already worn on his fist. Sensing the danger, Jenrya, Iori, and Wallace, ran forward and joined Daisuke with their own weapon at ready.
Wallace then asked in anger, "Omae wa dare ka?"
A faint, suppressed laughter was heard and followed by a very deep voice, "Oh, I have Holy Warriors as my companies… what a pleasure." Subsequently, the figure turned around completely and showed his visage that had a scar running down the left side of his face. "I never thought that the task I was given would draw you lots here as well."
"Just who the hell are you?" Jenrya shouted.
"I'll tell you," the figure grinned. "If you win ME!"
The figure charged forward in a very fast speed, regardless of his size. He raised both of his axes, which was connected to each other by a long chain at the base, and brought it down on where Jenrya and the Holy Warriors were standing. Fortunately, they managed to avoid it, despite the surprise, as they were already prepared for it.
Iori, still in the air, moved his index finger wildly, writing a few sentences in runes. All of the sentences were written at the blink of an eye and once he finished, he grasped at the wordings, which caused them to disperse and vanish.
Then, out of nowhere, dark black clouds appeared, and lightning was seen flashing in them. Thunder crackled loudly, resounding around the whole cavern, causing it to shake. With a blink of an eye, a lightning streaked past the unknown figure. Then more came, as Iori finally shouted, "FUNDERU BORUTSU!"
Lightning continued to streak out from the black cloud, landing a few meters from the surprised figure. The figure looked around, awed by the blinding lightning. But his eyes widened suddenly as the lightning centered and strike at him instead.
There was a small explosion and following that, the figure was enveloped by smoke and debris. The four fighters stood where they were unmoving until a voice within the smoke taunted, "Is that the best you can do? I expect a better challenge than this."
The unknown figure's outlined began to appear as the smoke dispersed. When the figure was fully visible, Iori could not see any injuries, other than a few black burns that doesn't seemed to contribute to their cost. Disappointed, Iori prepared himself for another attack instead. The rest of the Warriors also did the same – not giving a single chance for the figure to attack.
As usual, Jenrya and Daisuke made the first move together. They dashed towards the figure almost at the same speed and pace, giving them a harmonious movement. With his burning gauntlets ready, Daisuke drew the power of the Rune Weapon and attacked, "SHISHI SENKOU!"
It was the same technique that Daisuke had used on Vajira on the very same spot. The only difference was, Jenrya was assisting Daisuke by using the same technique on the other side of him. Each of the boys' chis was reformed into a shape that suited them the most as the concentrated energy was released – Daisuke's a lion, and Jenrya's a tiger.
Being in the middle, the figure was as if squashed by two thick walls – holding him in place.
Wallace took the chance and charged towards the figure but he was also careful to avoid any contacts with Daisuke and Jenrya's chi. Positioning his trident's three, pointed prong towards the ground, Wallace shouted as he came within his attacking radius, "SOUHAZAN!"
Slashing his trident upwards, it clawed into the thick skin of the figure, causing three lines of deep gash, though drawing no blood. But the attack was not finished yet, continuing the 'Souhazan', Wallace brought the spear back down, resulting in three 'X' scars on the figure's body. This time, blood did come out, but not much, as the figure's skin was very thick.
However, finishing his attack already, Wallace jumped out of the way as Iori came in to replace him. Like always, Iori drew the power of lightning from the black clouds that were still overhead the battlefield. His katana, Ikazuchi, was pulsing with energy, as Iori slashed the air multiple times and shouted, "RAIKOUHA!"
Raikouha was the advance form of Raijinken. This technique drew upon the energy of the user and also that of the lightning, forming thunder element energies that can cut through almost anything. These energies can move faster than the speed of sound depending on how experienced the user was and also the force the user had applied when he or she slashed the blank air.
All four of the Warriors were sure to defeat the unknown figure this time. However, Lady Luck was not smiling upon them. The figure roared loudly as something on the figure's shoulder plate glowed a brilliant brown. And following that, the figure was then enveloped in a brownish aura once more. Letting his axes fell to the ground, the figure then punched at the place where Daisuke and Jenrya stood. Though the figure did not touch them, a force of some sort threw the two boys back, resulting in the disruption of their chi.
Facing the incoming, multiple energies, the figure then roared aloud. Immediately, the Warriors shut their hearing as the roar was deafening – enough to injure the eardrum. The roar caused the energies to vanish, but as a side effect, the whole cavern began to shake involuntarily. Chunks of rocks began to fall from the ceiling into the lava and onto the path. The path itself was also starting to break up. But more frightening was, the lava was beginning to eat off the ground.
The figure realized his mistakes, but he shrugged at it and said, "I had enough for today. I've accomplished what I've come to do." Turning to the Warriors, he said, "All of you are really a worthy punching back. I enjoy our little 'sparring'." Opening a portal, the figure stepped in, but not before giving a last comment, "Till we meet again, if you lived."
The portal closed with the laughter of the unknown figure. But that was not a problem, as Jenrya and the rest were more worried that the whole place would collapse on them, burying them alive. But then, as the scene became more catastrophic, a small round stone fell from the ceiling above and landed at Daisuke feet. The boy took no notice of it at first, but when Daisuke's feet accidentally brushed it, the stone started to crack and a bright red light flared from within it. This caught the attention of all the four Warriors.
Surprised, Daisuke stared dumbly as the shining stone rose from the ground and moved towards him. Daisuke jerked back involuntarily but the stone continued its advance. Slowly, without even realizing it, Daisuke raised his right hand and allowed the stone settled into the empty slot of Daisuke's Rune Weapon, Okaji. There was a small explosion of light and then the stone was in place. A word in Rune, 'Kajii' war engraved within the stone.
Everyone was shocked to say the least. But there was no time to gawk at the appearance of the Holy Stone. Once everyone got over their initial shock, their attention was averted back to the collapsing cavern. The few seconds that had just passed had made the situation worse.
"Hayaku, nigeru!" Jenrya urged.
Everyone agreed and started to flee for the exit in hurry…
*******
"Ken?"
"Miyako?"
"Hikari?"
"Anybody? Where are you all?" Takeru shouted to the darkness that surrounded him.
Totally alone, Takeru could feel the chill that kept pricking at the back of his neck while he walked on an invisible ground. Fearing about the others' safety, the blond hair boy looked around in panic. But to no avail, wherever he tried to search, it's just complete darkness. Even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't penetrate the dark surrounding and see beyond it.
"Where am I?" Takeru asked himself aloud.
The lone boy continued to walk and paced around. A few minutes past and the same endless dimension covered him. After more time passed, the boy was already running aimlessly, shouting the names of his friends. Finally, when tiredness took over him, Takeru fell forward on both of his knees and placed his hand on the invisible ground to support himself. Vainly, his head lowered, Takeru shouted out, "Stop playing with me! If this is a dream, wake up!"
'But this doesn't felt like a dream at all…' somewhere in the boy's mind told him.
Then, the boy heard some sounds in front of him. When he looked up, he saw a girl… with short brown hair – Hikari – running towards him. At the sight of her, Takeru's expression immediately brightened up. But that expression instantly vanished when, out of nowhere, these strange black hounds appeared and surrounded the girl. There were only three at first, but then, more came out from the shadow where they hid and snarled at the girl.
Hikari's face was filled with terror and through the movement of her lips; Takeru knew that she was calling to him for help. Instantaneously, the boy was on his feet, running towards Hikari with the fastest speed hid leg could support. But no matter how hard the boy tried, he wasn't able to reach the helpless girl. The nearer he tried to be, the farther he was from her. And before his very eyes, Hikari was claimed by the hounds around her. The only thing that Takeru could see was her arm waving in the midst of blackness.
With a terrified face, Takeru watched as the swarm of black devoured the girl. He wanted to scream out so loudly that the whole world would shatter, but his mouth wouldn't even open. He wanted to reach out to her, saving her from all the pain, but his feet wouldn't buck. However, in the last moment, the boy managed to find his voice and screamed out in vain.
As if something had slapped him, Takeru woke from his nightmare and sat upright immediately. The boy released the breath that he had been holding and took short rapid breath instead. Clearly, Takeru's figure was soaked in sweat from head to toe. And with a shaking hand, Takeru covered his face and closed his eyes. Silently, almost inaudible, he consoled himself, "It's just a dream… a bad dream… nothing bad happened… there's no hound at all…"
"Who's Hikari?"
Takeru immediately turned to the direction of the voice. And when his sight was adjusted to the lights in the surrounding, Takeru realized that he was looking at a spiky red hair boy no older than eighteen. He wore a simple silk shirt with no buttons and also a loose cotton breech that reached his knee. He was seated on a chair, with the back of the chair supporting his chest. At the side, leaning on the table was a very decorative spear with cloth laced around it.
It was also then that Takeru realized that he was half naked, wearing only his shorts. His chest and shoulders were wrapped by bandages, which were dressed nicely by someone who had obviously saved his life. He was rested on a bed with comfortable mattress and a bed sheet covering his lower half. Also, Takeru noticed that he was in a room of a wooden house, on the second floor. Outside, more precisely, through the window behind the unknown boy, Takeru could see the scenery of a pine forest. It was painfully obvious that this house was situated somewhere in the Forest of Temptation.
"So, who's Hikari?"
The unknown boy's question brought Takeru back to reality. The blond hair boy blinked a few times and answered in a low tone, "Hikari is a friend of mine – a girl with short brown hair." After a short pause, Takeru said, "Sorry, I was thinking of something else. That is why I didn't answered the first time you asked."
"Hey, hey, no apologize needed," the unknown boy waved his hand. "By the way, the name Chariot, Chariot Oscar. And you are?"
"Takaishi Takeru." The boy then thought of the safety of his friends and asked Chariot about it, "Do you by any chance know where my friends are?
"They should be with my sister right now, downstairs, talking on nonsense and stuffs like 'What we're doing here', 'Who are you', blah, blah, blah," Chariot answered. Even though Chariot sounded rude, the smile that lingered on Takeru's face showed that the boy wasn't offended at all. And seeing that the boy was relief to receive that answer, Chariot offered, "Do you want me to go down and get them?"
"No, thanks anyway," Takeru declined. "I think I can manage it."
"Uh uh, my sis said you're not to get out of bed until she said so. And if she sees that you're up and walking, she's sure to skin me alive and roast my body over a bonfire," Chariot supplied. Takeru chuckled at this and when he stopped, Chariot said, "You just wait here and I'll go get them."
Takeru took a few second and thought about it, but eventually, he said, "Okay, thanks for the trouble then."
The next second, Chariot was already up and gone beyond the door. Once the wooden door closed, Takeru lied back down on the bed and closed his eyes. He would have got up and walk around, but the slight dizziness and the headache he's having made him glued to the bed. But then, the side of his eyes caught the sight of something round fastened on just below the spearhead of Chariot's weapon.
Getting out of bed, Takeru hobbled towards the table and examined the spear. There wasn't anything special about it, but Takeru was sure that he felt a powerful aura surrounding around the spear. And the source of the aura; was emitted by the orb like thing below the spearhead. Taking a closer look at it, peering deep inside the orb, Takeru noticed a word in the writing of the Runes, 'Naito'.
Right then, the door opened and in came a smiling brown hair girl who rushed to him, and hugged him fiercely. Loosing his balance, Takeru, along with the girl, collapsed onto the wooden floor with a loud crash. Miyako and Ken came in as well and the moment they step in, the two started laughing at the two people on the floor.
Hikari was practically choking Takeru as she laughed out loud. The boy, on the other hand, was trying his best to hide the blush on his cheek while he was trying to stand up with Hikari still clinging onto him. At this scene, Miyako commented, "Hikari, if you don't let go now, I'm afraid that you'll kill him yourself before those black hounds – Devourer – do."
Slowly, but eventually, Hikari released Takeru from her bear hug. But the smile she had on her face hadn't disappeared yet as she was not ashamed to show how happy she was just to see the young shinobi alive. Takeru himself was no better as he was also very happy that his dream was just a dream afterall.
The two kept looking at each other, smiling, but not a word was exchanged. Grasping her mistake, Miyako pushed Ken out of the room and said, "I'll be outside! Call me when you two are done!" With a snicker, the lavender hair girl went out of the room and closed the door,
Once they were alone, the two broaden their smile further. And after a second, the both of them said simultaneously, "I'm really glad that you're safe."
At this, the two Holy Warriors giggled.
But when she stopped giggling, Hikari approached Takeru slowly, and hugged him again. This time, it was a gentle but a passionate one. The girl closed her eyes and whispered, "Takeru, I… I really… I really wanted to thank you… for saving me the other day."
As the hug had taken the boy by surprise, Takeru did not say anything at all. Instead, Hikari continued, "That was really foolish of you to take on the Devourer with your bare hand. You could have died on that day you know?"
"If even so…" Takeru hesitated, unsure if he should say so. But allowing his emotion to take over, he went on and said, "Even so, it is really worth it, sacrificing myself for you."
Hikari giggled again, but said nothing to this. However in her heart, she knew that the boy meant every single word he had said. And she was happy that he was being so truthful about it. Following her instinct, she then asked shyly, "Takeru, do you believe in love at first sight?"
Takeru knew how to answer that question because he knew his own feelings very well as of now. Silently, he replied, "I don't know, most likely… yes." The boy finally moved his hand, unconsciously, and hugged the girl back. Mechanically. He asked, "Why?"
Still clinging onto him, Hikari whispered, "Because… I…"
Hikari couldn't bring herself to answer back. However, she could feel that the boy had the same feeling she was having now. With his arms securely around her, and his cheek that was lowered onto her head already, Hikari, being the observing one, knew of the hidden love that was stored in them for quite some time. Knowing that actions were better than words, Hikari raised herself on tiptoe and brought her lips closer to Takeru's.
The boy did not object, instead, he was bringing his closer to her as well.
Their lips brushed each other's, but right then, the door slammed opened and two people collapsed onto the floor. Alarmed by this, Hikari and Takeru snapped their eyes open and parted as quickly as they could. Miyako coughed loudly as the dust and debris got into her lung. Ken tried his best to support himself as Miyako was laid heavily on top of him.
At the doorway, there was a girl who had a pair of butterfly wings. With her hand outstretched, she had obviously pushed Miyako and Ken into the doorway. An unhappy frown was clearly on her face as she said, "Eavesdropping is not a nice thing to do."
"We're not eavesdropping, we're just…" Ken protested, but he did not know how to finish his sentence.
"Yeah right," the girl retorted. "Peeking into the crack on the door and placing your ear near an opened crevice are not 'eavesdropping'."
"Well… if you put it that way," Ken laughed innocently.
The girl sighed and turned towards Takeru, "My apologies for interrupting, there is just some matter that must be taken into consideration first." The girl smiled and said, "Oh, where's my manners, the name Meredy Oscar. Sister to Chariot. I know your friends already, but you are?"
"Boku ga Takeru."
"Pleasure to meet you. You must be wondering what's with this wings of mine," Meredy fluttered her wings slightly. "I'm a half-sprite, a race that was lost from the face of Gaea years back. My brother and I are the last of our race."
"That makes me wonder," Miyako said suddenly. "How come your brother doesn't have wings like yours?"
The question was answered by Chariot himself, "It isn't very often that a sprite have a male offspring. However, it isn't impossible to have one. It's just that, a male sprite doesn't have wings. We are granted with enormous strength though."
"But anyway, once my pompous brother finish praising himself to high heaven, may I ask something?" Meredy asked.
"Yeah, sure," Takeru replied.
"What are you doing here in this forest?" Meredy asked seriously. "I mean, not everyday that you see travelers wielding Rune Weapons."
There was a short silence, everyone felt reluctant to answer that. But knowing that there was no harm in telling Meredy their purpose, Hikari said, "We are actually searching for a Holy Stone that was said in this forest. Of course, we don't know where it is."
"Ah, a Holy Warrior, as I suspected," Meredy said knowingly.
"You know of us?" Ken asked.
"Not who you really are though, I mean, I don't know your name and appearance," Meredy replied. "But one of my close friends, who know a lot of things, told me before that the Holy Warriors would be appearing around this time and age."
"Around this time and age?" Ken repeated, suspicious clearly shown in his tone. "Meredy, I hope you won't mind me asking this – how old are you?"
"Why?"
"First, the phrase 'around this time' and also when you said that sprites died a few years ago," Ken explained. "I have a feeling that your 'a few years ago' is a few hundred years back. Pardon me, though your appearance is that of a twenty plus girl, but your experiences do not reflect so."
Meredy kept quiet, but then, she sighed and said, "You're really a very observant one aren't you, Ken. But oh well, might as well tell you." She gave a dramatic 'ahem' and continued, "I'm a thousand five hundred and twenty one years old."
There was a simultaneously gasp and 'What?' from all of the Holy Warriors, as Meredy finished. There was also a similar response when Chariot said his age as well, which was a thousand five hundred and seventeen. With a smirk, Chariot asked, "Surprise you all didn't we?"
"Surprise?" Miyako retorted. "Oh, I wouldn't call this surprise, I call this drop-dead speechless!" With a shocked expression, the girl went on, "I mean, a thousand plus? Man, are the two of you demons? Immortals? Or something like that?"
"Not really," Meredy reasoned. "Sprites can live for hundreds of years. Though we half-sprites don't – we have shorter lifespan, nearly the same as a human does."
"Then, how come?" But then realizing it, Takeru asked, "Does this excessive age has anything to do with the orb that has a Rune word in it? The orb that was inserted on the handle of Chariot's spear?"
With a grin, Chariot noted, "Oh, you notice it?"
Feeling uncomfortable, Ken slipped his hand into his pocket where his Ensui was kept. Alarmed, Ken asked, "The two of you are not associated with the Dark Warriors, are you? Because, as far as I know, there are only seven Holy Warrriors."
"Don't worry, Ken, we're not your enemy," Meredy said. She then sighed, "How should I make a long story short?" The girl sighed again and began, "You all might want to sit down for this if you want." Though she said so, nobody did. Regardless, Meredy went on, "A few millions years ago, when Gaea is just a barren land without any substance, there was a war between the Holy Gods and the Dark Gods to determine the fate of Gaea. It was a furious battle where magic and magically imbued weapons, which we now call Rune Weapons, were utilized. After a few hundred years of endless slaughter and bloodshed, the Holy Gods got the upper hand and won the war.
"But after a few years, because of their hatred and revenge, the Dark Gods sent a being called Nemesis, to destroy the world of Gaea. At that time, Gaea was already filled with its inhabitants – humans, sprites, elves, and a lot more of other races. But because of the previous war, which was known as the Endless War, the Holy Gods were so weak that they haven't the power to resist this evil entity.
"It was at that time, a thousand and five hundred years ago, that the God of Fate made themselves known to the two mighty power. As the God of Fate stand in between good and evil, life and death, he/she was considered neutral. Therefore, the God of Fate threw away his immortality and came down to Gaea as a boy, a human. Living his life as a normal person, the God of Fate let his feelings and emotions guide his way, whether to fight for Gaea, or leave it to its destruction. It was then that the God of Fate met with twelve people of different races. Immediately, he befriended them and got to know more about Gaea. It was because of that, that the God of Fate decided to save the world of Gaea.
"Separating his power, the God of Fate gave ten of his friends a Fate Stone each, and another two friends, two Fate Stone each. Each Fate Stones – an orb that is similar to the Holy Stones or the Evil Stones – that belonged to his friends, also known as the Warriors of Fate, had its own meaning. Time, Space, Knowledge, Arcane, Emperor, Empress, Melody, Knight, Sun, Moon, Star, Judgement, World and Temperance. Together with them, the God of Fate drove Nemesis away from Gaea. But because of that, three of his friends died in a battle. The God of Fate himself, having to suffer immense pain and losing a large amount of blood, he died as well due to his mortality. But in his last moment, the God of Fate told his remaining friends that in time, their power would be needed again.
"Of course, the Warriors of Fate did not know when, but the Warrior who holds the Orb of Knowledge predicted that it would be a thousand and five hundred years later – which is now. But because each and every one of them do not have such a lifespan, the Warrior with the Orb of Time decided to cheat death by stopping the Warriors of Fate aging process – putting them in a stasis mode – but at the same time, they can still move and act like a normal human would. And then they waited, and waited, until now."
"Wait," Miyako interrupted. "Don't tell me, that you and your brother are actually two of the Warriors of Fate? People from a thousand years back?"
"You can choose not to believe my sister," Chariot said. The boy stretched out his hand and the spear beside the table flew towards him. Unwrapping his weapon, the Holy Warriors noticed the glittering glow – coming from the Fate Stone – below the spearhead. "But it's the truth."
These new facts struck a new fear in Takeru and the rest of the Holy Warriors. And through Miyako's opened mouth, it proved that she was shocked. Ken's wide eye did not hide his feeling as well. Hikari, though surprised, remained a neutral face, as she was very good in hiding her feelings.
Satisfied with their reactions, Meredy added, "Well, you'll be even more surprise, if I say, 'I know where the Holy Stone is…"
And she was right…
*************************************************************************************************************************
Basic Statistics:
*This section is introduced by me and therefore it is own by me. If any authors who wanted to use this concept in their own story, please inform me and ask my permission first before doing so. Thank you!!
*Those numbers in brackets belongs to the characters' respective guardian.
Main characters:
Takaishi Takeru (None)
Level: 26
Hp: 1492
Sp: 124
Mp: N/A
Strength: 49
Magic: N/A
Defense: 39
Mag. Defense: 35
Speed: 64
Luck: 100
Skills learned:
- Kabutowari (6 Sp)
- Sazanka (8 Sp)
- Senkuuretpa (14 Sp)
Magics learned:
- N/A
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Kin no Naginata _ Tengoku
Holy Stone (Primary): None
Holy Stone (Secondary): None
Accessory: Holy Pendant
Yagami Hikari (Taihu)
Level: 23 (26)
Hp: 913
Sp: 61
Mp: 156
Strength: 21 (43)
Magic: 59 (40)
Defense: 22 (35)
Mag. Defense: 48 (33)
Speed: 40
Luck: 120
Skills learned:
- Kamaitachi (10 Sp)
- Uzumaku no Kaze (20 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Wind Cutter (8 Mp)
- Air Slash (12 Mp)
- Cyclone (16 Mp)
- Aero Cries (28 Mp)
- Tornado (32 Mp)
- *Summoning _ Taihu* (100 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Kaze no Tsume _ Kuuki
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Wind _ Kaze
Holy Stone (Secondary): None
Accessory: Angel Hairpin
Ichijozi Ken (Seiryu)
Level: 20 (25)
Hp: 978
Sp: 73
Mp: 112
Strength: 28 (45)
Magic: 43 (38)
Defense: 23 (31)
Mag. Defense: 49 (33)
Speed: 34
Luck: 130
Skills learned:
- Kogarenzan (10 Sp)
- Hisame (21 Sp)
- Wareme ga Atama (23 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Spread (9 Mp)
- Ice Wall (15 Mp)
- Hail Storm (28 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Mizu no Tsurugi _ Ensui
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Water _ Mizu
Holy Stone (Secondary): None
Accessory: None
Inoue Miyako (Genbu)
Level: 19 (24)
Hp: 996
Sp: 80
Mp: 73
Strength: 32 (48)
Magic: 27 (30)
Defense: 45 (58)
Mag. Defense: 20 (23)
Speed: 23
Luck: 80
Skills learned:
- Kanazuchi (7 Sp)
- Kami o-sage (7 Sp)
- Oogama (9Sp)
- Akisazame (17 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Stone Wall (10 Mp)
- Rock Break (17 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Tochi no Buresuretto _ Jimen
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Earth _ Tsuchi
Holy Stone (Secondary): None
Accessory: Family's Amulet
Motomiya Daisuke (Suzaku)
Level: 25 (26)
Hp: 1530
Sp: 125
Mp: 80
Strength: 64 (46)
Magic: 31 (36)
Defense: 53 (33)
Mag. Defense: 23 (26)
Speed: 39
Luck: 40
Skills learned:
- Tenga _ Hien Ren Kyaku (6 Sp)
- Tenga _ Rengadan (10 Sp)
- Tenga _ Hachi Yourenga (12 Sp)
- Tenga _ Shishi Senkou (24 Sp)
- Tenga _ Majin Hien Kyaku (28 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Fireball (9 Mp)
- Flame Wall (11 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Furea no Nagatebukuro _ Okaji
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Fire _ Honou
Holy Stone (Secondary): Orb of Blaze _ Kajii
Accessory: Trademark Goggle
Hida Iori (Byakko)
Level: 22 (23)
Hp: 1419
Sp: 130
Mp: 67
Strength: 45 (39)
Magic: 29 (30)
Defense: 36 (30)
Mag. Defense: 24 (28)
Speed: 29
Luck: 70
Skills learned:
- Majin Ken (5 Sp)
- Raijin Ken (12 Sp)
- Tatsuumaki, Kougeki suru (17 Sp)
- Raikouha (28 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Thunder Bolt (11 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Inazuma no Katana _ Ikazuchi
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Thunder _ Kaminari
Holy Stone (Secondary): None
Accessory: Kouseisa no Kodachi _ Arataka
Wallace de Winter (Yousei)
Level: 21 (24)
Hp: 1493
Sp: 88
Mp: 72
Strength: 37 (37)
Magic: 30 (45)
Defense: 32 (35)
Mag. Defense: 30 (31)
Speed: 32
Luck: 80
Skills learned:
- Yousou Shuugeki (15 Sp)
- Souhazan (17 Sp)
- Hitenryubu (26 Sp)
Magics learned:
- Leaf Dance (14 Mp)
- Vicious Vine (21 Mp)
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Midori no Yari _ Kadaan
Holy Stone (Primary): Orb of Nature _ Shizen
Holy Stone (Secondary): Orb of Blossom _ Hana
Accessory: None
Misc. Characters:
Lee Jenrya
Level: 24
Hp: 1358
Sp: 130
Mp: N/A
Strength: 52
Magic: N/A
Defense: 48
Mag. Defense: 27
Speed: 37
Luck: 90
Skills learned:
- Tenga _ Tsumujikaze (7 Sp)
- Tenga _ Gariuukuuha (13 Sp)
- Tenga _ Shishi Senkou (24 Sp)
- Tenga _ Hien Ren Ten Kyaku (33 Sp)
Magics learned:
- N/A
Equipments:
Weapon: Leather Gloves
Accessory: Charm of Luck
Meredy Oscar (Siren)
Level: 43 (45)
Hp: 1961
Sp: 138
Mp: 258
Strength: 48 (54)
Magic: 84 (81)
Defense: 43 (50)
Mag. Defense: 89 (70)
Speed: 97
Luck: 230
Skills learned:
- None yet
Magics learned:
- None yet
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Ten no Furuto _ Gakufu
Stone of Beginning: Orb of Melody _ Senritsu
Accessory: None
Chariot Oscar (Kyojin)
Level: 41 (42)
Hp: 4100
Sp: 287
Mp: 50
Strength: 148 (155)
Magic: 30 (37)
Defense: 72 (63)
Mag. Defense: 46 (38)
Speed: 62
Luck: 50
Skills learned:
- None yet
Magics learned:
- None yet
Equipments:
Rune Weapon: Yume no Sasu _ Toride
Orb of Beginning: Orb of Knight _ Naito
Accessory: None
*************************************************************************************************************************
Translations:
Magic:
Funderu Borutsu – Thunder Bolt
Miscellaneous:
"Omae wa dare ka?" – "Who are you?" in a very rude way
"Hayaku nigeru!" – "Hurry and run!"
Naito – Knight
"Boku ga…" – "Mine is…"
Author's Note:
Well, what do you think? Is it good or bad? Clasped hand together and pleaded Please review and tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it!
Anyway, just to tell you all, I'll always send a mail to each and every one of you whenever I posted something new or made an update on the previous chapter – just to inform you all. But if any of you find it annoying, just tell me and I'll remove you from my mailing list.
With that, wait for the next chapter, 'Stone of Glacier'.
