The warmth of the water made the female ninja feel
so relaxed. She didn't know what it was, but something about the hot
springs made her feel almost normal. She scrubbed the soot off her face
and stood up. There was that unfamiliar ki again. It sent uneasy chills
down her spine. She quickly got dressed, and grabbed her blades. There
was a silence that chilled her to the bone. The whiteness of the full
moon was taunting her. Not even the owls were hooting. Ayame ran
swiftly into the forest, and called out to the trees. "Show yourself,
you coward!" she started jumping from tree to tree. "I know you're
here!" After what seemed like forever, she finally stopped.
Ayame walked back to the hot spring, and found a note waiting for her. It read: iYou think you're so tough? Come test what you're made of. Meet me in Fujitoka Meadow in a fortnight. I'll be waiting to claim your heads! If you choose not to show, we will pillage every village from here to the southern state./i
She crumbled the note in her hand and spat. "Damn!" she shouted. She walked towards Rikimaru's house and took a deep breath. When she got there, he was sitting cross legged, reading from a scroll. He glanced up at her.
"Ayame?"
Ayame fell to her knees in front of him, and handed over the note. He uncrumbled it and read it for what appeared to her to be an eternity. Finally, he glanced to her and shook his head. "We must go."
"I don't like the sound of this, Rikimaru."
"Ayame, we must protect Lord Godha's realm with our lives! We must find a way to stop these bastards, whatever the cost." He watched as Ayame stood up, and looked out the doorway. She turned her head back to him and gave him a knowing look.
"Let me go alone."
"What?"
"You have done enough. I don't want to put you in danger."
"It's my job. I must do what is required of me."
"No." Ayame heard him get up and walk towards her. She felt his hand brush her shoulder, and turned around. "Rikimaru, I want you to be careful. Promise me that you will be careful!"
"I should be saying that to you." He watched as she lowered her head and shook it violently. He didn't know that she was fighting off tears.
"I mean it. Promise me."
"I promise..."
"Don't go off and... and scare me like before!" She looked up at him, and he read the pain and anxiety in her eyes. "Don't get yourself killed." Rikimaru watched as his partner turned around. "Because... I love you." It was barely audible even to Rikimaru's ears, and he didn't quite understand the full meaning of what she said until she was just a spec in his line of sight. Rikimaru stood there, dumbfounded, until he felt a smile creep up his cheeks and warm his heart.
II.
Rikimaru awoke when he felt the warmth of the sun. iWhat? She was supposed to wake me up way before dawn! We should be halfway there by now! iRikimaru glanced around uneasily. There was a note lying on the floor. He cautiously picked it up and read it. iRikimaru- I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you risk your life again. Please don't be angry. I can take care of this on my own. –Ayame./i
Rikimaru felt his face flush. Without warning he sped off in the direction of Fujitoka Meadow and didn't once look back.
III.
Ayame woke when the moon was disappearing behind the mountaintops. She tiptoed towards Rikimaru's place, and peeked inside. She softly smiled as she found him out like a light. She went to wake him, but instead turned to the paper sprawled about him on the floor, and wrote a hasty note.i I hope I'm doing the right thing... iShe felt the hairs on her neck raise, and looked away from the sleeping Rikimaru.
Silently, she slipped out of the room and sped to Fujitoka Meadow. Five hours later, she was on a mountain, peaking down into it. The sun started to peek her rays over the mountain. Ayame was shocked, as it was empty. She couldn't even feel any ki's. She slowly made her way down the mountain. The rocks started to give way under her, and she rolled twenty feet, before catching a crevice in the mountain wall. iDamn it, Ayame!/i she thought to herself,i watch your fucking feet! /i
Voices started echoing off the mountain walls. The ninja looked around warily, but couldn't tell which direction they were coming from. One foot at a time, she made her way down the mountain. Her eyes turned up once she made it to the base, and stared at the mountain's peek. The voices stopped. Ayame glanced around her, and saw that the meadow went on for miles in every direction. Taking a deep breath in, she started running across it until she felt a nearby ki. Her hands subconsciously placed themselves on her blades, and she mentally prepared herself for battle.
A million things raced through her mind in one second.i It's all open land. I have no cover save for the tall grass. If I'm spotted once-/i the ki came closer, and the ninja crouched down. She rolled forward towards the spot where the presence came, and found herself at the heels of another female ninja. Ayame took her head off with ease. She picked the shurikens off the body, and pressed up against the cold stone of the mountain to catch her breath.
Her eyes strained to see her next target. He was a spear carrying ronin. Something shiny was caught in her peripheral vision. Far off to her right was a ronin with a big sword. She hit him in the head with a shuriken, and slowly stalked the one with the spear. She took pride in hearing the sound of blade on flesh, if only for a second, and immediately crouched down. To her left she felt another ronin make his way towards her. She shoved her blade through his stomach, and took a breath in.i Had I known I'd be picking off guards all day, I would have stayed home./i Something along the wall of the mountain caught her eye. She stared at the opening of the tunnel and cautiously walked in. Right below her was a pitfall. She double jumped across it, and placed her hands on her hips.
iWhat is this place?/i She ran down the winding halls, leaving trails of blood and dead bodies where ever she went. There was a steep stairway in front of her. She started running up it, but her pace got slower and slower as the stairs went higher and higher. There was a doorway in the middle of the wall to her left, and she wasted no time grappling up to it. The voices started echoing off the walls again.
She lost all track of time in that tunnel. When she finally emerged from the tunnel, the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains. Her eyes shifted from left to right. There was a house directly in front of her, and a couple of makeshift tents to her right. She started her way towards the house when she heard a noise.
"Ayame!" the girl spun around to see Rikimaru fall at her feet. She got her weapons ready and widened her eyes as the lady jumped down at her, ready to stick her sword into Ayame's flesh. Ayame countered, and cut the lady's arm.
"So you came." The lady smiled evilly.
"What do you want with us!"
"Don't be so stupid." Her eyes shifted to the drugged Rikimaru at Ayame's feet. "That was intended for you." The lady smiled in delight as Ayame grimaced.
iHe broke his promise./i Ayame shook her head, but couldn't stop the tear from falling off her right cheek.
"You can give up, and keep your lover, if you so desire."
"I would never betray my Lord!"
"But you would betray yourself?" Ayame's face hardened with resolve.
"Quit preaching and fight!" Ayame lunged towards the lady, who spun around her and almost got her in the back, until her face met Ayame's foot. Ayame now had the upper hand, and used it to her advantage. She started throwing a succession of punches to the lady's solar plexus. Ayame had her blades out, ready to bring it down into the lady's flesh, but was taken back in a fit of choking. Her eyes started to burn, and she felt like she was flying as the lady gave her a strong kick to the chest. When she was able to open her eyes, both the lady and Rikimaru were gone. Ayame dropped to her knees and felt tear after tear fall from her face.
Ayame walked back to the hot spring, and found a note waiting for her. It read: iYou think you're so tough? Come test what you're made of. Meet me in Fujitoka Meadow in a fortnight. I'll be waiting to claim your heads! If you choose not to show, we will pillage every village from here to the southern state./i
She crumbled the note in her hand and spat. "Damn!" she shouted. She walked towards Rikimaru's house and took a deep breath. When she got there, he was sitting cross legged, reading from a scroll. He glanced up at her.
"Ayame?"
Ayame fell to her knees in front of him, and handed over the note. He uncrumbled it and read it for what appeared to her to be an eternity. Finally, he glanced to her and shook his head. "We must go."
"I don't like the sound of this, Rikimaru."
"Ayame, we must protect Lord Godha's realm with our lives! We must find a way to stop these bastards, whatever the cost." He watched as Ayame stood up, and looked out the doorway. She turned her head back to him and gave him a knowing look.
"Let me go alone."
"What?"
"You have done enough. I don't want to put you in danger."
"It's my job. I must do what is required of me."
"No." Ayame heard him get up and walk towards her. She felt his hand brush her shoulder, and turned around. "Rikimaru, I want you to be careful. Promise me that you will be careful!"
"I should be saying that to you." He watched as she lowered her head and shook it violently. He didn't know that she was fighting off tears.
"I mean it. Promise me."
"I promise..."
"Don't go off and... and scare me like before!" She looked up at him, and he read the pain and anxiety in her eyes. "Don't get yourself killed." Rikimaru watched as his partner turned around. "Because... I love you." It was barely audible even to Rikimaru's ears, and he didn't quite understand the full meaning of what she said until she was just a spec in his line of sight. Rikimaru stood there, dumbfounded, until he felt a smile creep up his cheeks and warm his heart.
II.
Rikimaru awoke when he felt the warmth of the sun. iWhat? She was supposed to wake me up way before dawn! We should be halfway there by now! iRikimaru glanced around uneasily. There was a note lying on the floor. He cautiously picked it up and read it. iRikimaru- I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you risk your life again. Please don't be angry. I can take care of this on my own. –Ayame./i
Rikimaru felt his face flush. Without warning he sped off in the direction of Fujitoka Meadow and didn't once look back.
III.
Ayame woke when the moon was disappearing behind the mountaintops. She tiptoed towards Rikimaru's place, and peeked inside. She softly smiled as she found him out like a light. She went to wake him, but instead turned to the paper sprawled about him on the floor, and wrote a hasty note.i I hope I'm doing the right thing... iShe felt the hairs on her neck raise, and looked away from the sleeping Rikimaru.
Silently, she slipped out of the room and sped to Fujitoka Meadow. Five hours later, she was on a mountain, peaking down into it. The sun started to peek her rays over the mountain. Ayame was shocked, as it was empty. She couldn't even feel any ki's. She slowly made her way down the mountain. The rocks started to give way under her, and she rolled twenty feet, before catching a crevice in the mountain wall. iDamn it, Ayame!/i she thought to herself,i watch your fucking feet! /i
Voices started echoing off the mountain walls. The ninja looked around warily, but couldn't tell which direction they were coming from. One foot at a time, she made her way down the mountain. Her eyes turned up once she made it to the base, and stared at the mountain's peek. The voices stopped. Ayame glanced around her, and saw that the meadow went on for miles in every direction. Taking a deep breath in, she started running across it until she felt a nearby ki. Her hands subconsciously placed themselves on her blades, and she mentally prepared herself for battle.
A million things raced through her mind in one second.i It's all open land. I have no cover save for the tall grass. If I'm spotted once-/i the ki came closer, and the ninja crouched down. She rolled forward towards the spot where the presence came, and found herself at the heels of another female ninja. Ayame took her head off with ease. She picked the shurikens off the body, and pressed up against the cold stone of the mountain to catch her breath.
Her eyes strained to see her next target. He was a spear carrying ronin. Something shiny was caught in her peripheral vision. Far off to her right was a ronin with a big sword. She hit him in the head with a shuriken, and slowly stalked the one with the spear. She took pride in hearing the sound of blade on flesh, if only for a second, and immediately crouched down. To her left she felt another ronin make his way towards her. She shoved her blade through his stomach, and took a breath in.i Had I known I'd be picking off guards all day, I would have stayed home./i Something along the wall of the mountain caught her eye. She stared at the opening of the tunnel and cautiously walked in. Right below her was a pitfall. She double jumped across it, and placed her hands on her hips.
iWhat is this place?/i She ran down the winding halls, leaving trails of blood and dead bodies where ever she went. There was a steep stairway in front of her. She started running up it, but her pace got slower and slower as the stairs went higher and higher. There was a doorway in the middle of the wall to her left, and she wasted no time grappling up to it. The voices started echoing off the walls again.
She lost all track of time in that tunnel. When she finally emerged from the tunnel, the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains. Her eyes shifted from left to right. There was a house directly in front of her, and a couple of makeshift tents to her right. She started her way towards the house when she heard a noise.
"Ayame!" the girl spun around to see Rikimaru fall at her feet. She got her weapons ready and widened her eyes as the lady jumped down at her, ready to stick her sword into Ayame's flesh. Ayame countered, and cut the lady's arm.
"So you came." The lady smiled evilly.
"What do you want with us!"
"Don't be so stupid." Her eyes shifted to the drugged Rikimaru at Ayame's feet. "That was intended for you." The lady smiled in delight as Ayame grimaced.
iHe broke his promise./i Ayame shook her head, but couldn't stop the tear from falling off her right cheek.
"You can give up, and keep your lover, if you so desire."
"I would never betray my Lord!"
"But you would betray yourself?" Ayame's face hardened with resolve.
"Quit preaching and fight!" Ayame lunged towards the lady, who spun around her and almost got her in the back, until her face met Ayame's foot. Ayame now had the upper hand, and used it to her advantage. She started throwing a succession of punches to the lady's solar plexus. Ayame had her blades out, ready to bring it down into the lady's flesh, but was taken back in a fit of choking. Her eyes started to burn, and she felt like she was flying as the lady gave her a strong kick to the chest. When she was able to open her eyes, both the lady and Rikimaru were gone. Ayame dropped to her knees and felt tear after tear fall from her face.