We, the authoresses, would like to warn the readers. The following story
is based on Celtic lore, thus many symbols and meanings are different from
modern times. For instance, a pentagram, instead of a sign of evil, was a
sign of protection. If this type of thing offends you, don't read it.
It's that plain and simple. We will not suffer any flames from anybody
regarding anything of this type.
~----~
I was meditating with my eyes closed, humming softly. Nothing seemed to be moving in the room, but outside the village was busy with people. One person in particular was running towards my tent from the opposite end of the village. She ran, not watching where she was going, until she ran into someone. He was a very handsome young man, no, that is wrong, he is a very handsome man of 19 years; he was the village heads' son. The girl quickly apologized with a bow and took off running again. The man watched as she headed towards my end of the village again.
~----~
As she approached the tent she slowed her pace down to a slow walk, for she could hear humming coming from the tent, which meant that whomever was inside was meditating. She stood outside the tent until the humming stopped and there was no more noise. She slowly pulled the flap back and crawled inside. Her dark black hair swayed, so that when the sun shined on it, it became a deep midnight blue. The girl that was meditating slowly opened her eyes and seemed to be looking beyond her surrounding into the spiritual world. Behind her stood a Celtic cross that gleamed as the sun's rays hit it in the open flap. Her eyes slowly focused on the girl standing before her, her emerald colored eyes sparkled as she saw her friend.
"Tomoyo," she said almost inaudibly.
Tomoyo, as the girl was called, had to lean forward to hear her name.
"Yes, I received word from a traveler that one of the villages over the mountain range was completely destroyed by a demon," Tomoyo said.
The girl sitting on the floor raised her hand to quiet the girl.
"I already know. I have been meditating on the strange feeling I have been having. I saw a vision. The demon that did this is truly strong and will do anything to get what he wants. My Great-great-great grandmother before me sealed him in a chest with 13 jewels on it. Legend has it that this chest is the only means to seal a demon for eternity. It appears that at least one of the jewels was taken from the chest and the demon was released," the girl said shifting her gaze to the tent flap that was blowing the small breeze.
Tomoyo kneeled down on the ground so she could be eye level with the sitting girl. She loved it when the priestess told stories of the past, and she knew when she was going to get one, because the priestess's eyes always shifted away from her and seemed to go back to their distant state.
"A long time ago, before my ancestor was born, a demon appeared. The only person who knew where he came from died as the demon's first victim." The priestess tossed a stone onto the ground. It landed face up. "Hm.... mist," she said without looking at the stone. She tossed another stone down. "Earth," she said. She was quiet for a minute. Tomoyo waited patiently. "The demon ravaged villages, towns, anything that he could destroy he would. Anyone with any magic power would be devoured by the demon, so that he could absorb his or her magic."
Tomoyo gasped. For a brief moment, she thought about being eaten by a demon. She was gifted with the power of foresight, but, unlike the high priestess, she could not control the elements, nor read omens. The priestess had taken Tomoyo under her wing to help her with her foresight, and to teach her how to read omens and relate them to her visions.
"My ancestor, Sakura, who is named like me, Sakura; as is the custom for the priestesses in our family, grew up in the terror. She lived in a forest, the only place that the demon would not ever step foot in, for the Horned God would keep it safe. He could also not touch sacred circles, for our Lady dwelled in them and kept him out. Whenever the Demon came near, everyone would flee to the nearest holy site, and those who lagged behind were destroyed. It was a time like this that Sakura witnessed the Demon's evil power and vowed to stop him. One night, her mother had a dream that the Demon would grow so powerful that not even the Horned One or the Lady could stop him. However, she also was sent a vision on his weakness and how he could be confined. Sakura's mother knew that the demon knew of her knowledge and that he would come to kill her, so she gave Sakura her pentagram, told her of the demon's secret, then sent her into the nearby forest to save her only child. Not one day after Sakura was hidden away, the Demon attacked the village and destroyed everyone, and devoured Sakura's mother."
Sakura closed her eyes. "Yes, Tomoyo, this is the pentagram that I wear."
Tomoyo glanced at the Pentagram that was around the High Priestess's neck. It was a silver pendant with a ruby in the middle. An ornate dragon was curved around it.
"Many years passed, and Sakura lived with the spirits of the forest and learned from them. Seven years after her mother died, Sakura left the woods and traveled to a nearby shrine where she had heard that there lived three Sisters, each having powerful magic. Chiharu, the oldest, could control time and space. She could go anywhere she wanted, anytime she wanted. Rika, the middle sister, controlled the elements, fire, water, air, earth, and mana. Naoko, the youngest, was a seer and a prophesier, the most powerful that has ever walked the land and will ever walk this earth. The sisters, who knew that their end was to come soon, and also, knew of Sakura's coming, worked together to make a chest that would hold the Demon. On it, they placed 13 different jewels imbued with magic to keep the Demon in. On Sakura's arrival, they gave her the chest and told her how to capture the demon. They also told her where to find it, so that she would be saved much time in trying to find him. Sakura traveled to the foretold place, and opened the jeweled chest and captured the Demon. In order to assure that no one could ever release the Demon, she traveled to the highest mountain and there delved a cave to keep the box in. Before she left the cave, she wove enchantments on it to make sure that no one could find it."
"But someone did find it," Tomoyo breathed.
Sakura's eyes focused again. "Yes," she sighed. "More powerful than my ancestor." She shook her head and picked up the runes. "I don't know what to do. Tomoyo? Have you had any visions or dreams lately?"
"No my lady," Tomoyo said. "I am sorry," she hung her head.
"Do not be ashamed," Sakura said. "It is not your fault. You are only ten seasons."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement, still feeling slightly abashed that she could not help the priestess. She looked up when she felt a hand against her face; her eyes met Sakura's brilliant emerald eyes.
"I said that it is not your fault," she said again.
Tomoyo smiled. Sakura stood up and pulled Tomoyo up by the hands.
"Come, we must go for a walk," Sakura announced.
"But my Lady, no one is expecting it," Tomoyo replied, a bit worried. "Nothing is prepared!"
"Tomoyo, we must not always let people know when I go out," Sakura explained. "There is no enjoyment in that. I am never left alone." She paused. "I know that they are my responsibility, but most requests are trivial things that they can take care of themselves, or something that I have no power over."
Tomoyo looked a little confused.
"You know what I mean. Ok, you know when you go on your walks in the forest?" Sakura asked looking at Tomoyo.
She nodded.
"Well, you want to be alone, right?" Sakura asked again.
Tomoyo nodded again.
"Well, this is going to be like that. I do not want anyone to know that it is me, so I am going to dress like you," Sakura finished.
Tomoyo stared at her in awe as she went behind a section in the tent to change. "Something is going to happen... something bad. I can just feel it..." Tomoyo thought to herself.
Sakura emerged wearing a plain brown dress and a simple pair of leather shoes. She looked nothing like the priestess Tomoyo had seen a few minutes earlier. All of her hair was down and a little messy, almost as if she hadn't brushed it back out when she changed.
"To me, my lady, you still look like the high priestess," Tomoyo said.
"That is only because you are around me all the time," Sakura smiled at her. "Well, let us be on our way."
The two stepped out of the dimly lit tent into the bright and young day. It was roughly noon in the village and people were still busy buying food, and cloth to make clothing. Sakura looked around and thought that the villagers looked better when they were not begging for her help. They wandered through the small open-aired shops that were around when Sakura accidentally ran into someone while she was chatting with Tomoyo.
"Oh, I apologize for that. I was not watching where I was going," Sakura said and looked up to the person she ran into.
He had the most entrancing, deep amber eyes that held you in their grasp, sucking the breath away from you and causing your heartbeat to quicken. She looked away quickly, a little ashamed for staring for so long.
"I apologize for staring as well," she said quietly.
"It is all right," he replied. He should have apologized as well, but he could not help but as feel that he, himself was drowning in her green eyes. He face seemed to be a little warm, but he thought that the cause of that was the sun directly overhead. This was warmest time of the day, so he decided that it was the cause of the sun and the sun only. "I do not believe I have seen you around here before, are you a traveler?"
Sakura turned to him, "Yes, yes I am."
The man smiled. "My name is Syaoran. I am the son of the village leader. Who are you?"
"Eh... my name is... Tomoyo," She said, off of the top of her head.
"Really? I believe there is a little girl here named Tomoyo," Syaoran told her. "Oh, yes, before I forget, there is a feast tonight for our high priestess. We give one to her two times a year, to thank her for staying here, and for keeping the Chest of Imprisonment safe."
"Chest of Imprisonment...?" Sakura asked, trying to act as if she had no idea what it was.
"Yes, it keeps the evil Demon under control and away from us commoners, who have no means to defend ourselves." Syaoran said.
"Oh... what a coincidence," Sakura said. "I hear that a village not too far from here was completely destroyed by a demon..."
Syaoran's smile disappeared. "Yes, that is true. My father intends to ask the Priestess what we should do about that...."
"Well," Sakura said. "I must go, but," she smiled mysteriously, "I will be at the feast." She turned around and walked in the direction of the forest.
"I wouldn't go too far," Syaoran said. "If you really intend to go to the feast, it will be starting soon!"
Sakura gave no response to him and continued walking. She could tell that the boy simply shook his head and walked away. As soon as she was sure she was alone, she stopped and put a hand to her cheek. "Oh... what was that I felt?" she asked. "Could it be love?" she shook her head. "This is no time to be falling for anyone," she reprimanded herself. "Not with the One Evil walking abroad again..."
She turned and ran in the direction of her hut to change. The villagers always liked to see her in something that made her look powerful, so she always tried to impress them. However, what they didn't know that she might as well be naked and covered in filth for all it mattered.
Sakura walked into the dark and smoky back and pulled out a chest. Tomoyo slipped in. "Are you changing, my lady?" she asked.
"Yes," Sakura sighed. "I do so hate these occasions.
"Well, you do get to bless the fields tonight," Tomoyo told her. "That is fun, is it not?"
Sakura smiled a bit. It was spring, and the flowers were just starting to bloom. It was at this time a year, Beltane, the second day of the second month, which the power was at its greatest, at least in life. "Yes," she said. "It is. Not much of a feast though."
Tomoyo sighed. "You KNOW that there is not much food."
"I know, I know," Sakura said.
Tomoyo stepped forward. "I made you a crown," she held up a wreath of early bluebells and snowdrops.
"Oh! It's simply beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed and hugged Tomoyo. The girl beamed.
"Hm... I think it will match perfectly with this dress," she said. She opened the chest and pulled out a white, long, form-fitting dress that flared out near the knees to nearly twice her arm length in diameter at the bottom. She turned to Tomoyo. "You did make one for yourself, did you not?"
Tomoyo hung her head shyly.
"Silly child. Go out and make one. You are officially my apprentice now," she said.
Tomoyo put the wreath down and ran outside. Sakura watched her fondly. "She will be great one day," she murmured and started to undress.
After she put the dress on, she looked down and sighed. "I have lost even more weight..." Over the last few years, there had been famines, and this year was particularly worse. Sakura did not know whether or not it had foretold the coming of the Demon, but she did not really think so, because Tomoyo had no forbidding dreams. Even though the girl did not have much faith in her power, Sakura had always made her recite her dreams to her, in order to teach her that all dreams and visions she had might predict something, and to teach her how to find the signs. Tomoyo had been getting better, but her self-doubt held her back. Sakura sometimes wished that she wasn't as powerful as she was, for she feared her power was what Tomoyo used as a definition for what a Priestess was supposed to be. Nevertheless, Sakura was determined to make Tomoyo powerful.
Sakura put her pentagram necklace back on, then turned to the chest and pulled out several more items. One was a ringlet that went onto her head. It was gold, and one of the precious relics that Sakura had kept safe. It contained much power, for priestesses of her line had passed it down for many, many, many generations, even before Sakura the Savior. None of the priestesses really knew where it came from, but the only story that could be remembered that it was given to the first Priestess of her line, by a chieftain's son who had fallen in love with her. The two could not be together, for the prince's father forbade it, however, they had a child in secret, and that Priestess passed the circlet on. It seemed to retain some of the power of each Priestess that wore it, if not all, for it contained more power each generation. Sakura did not use it much; it was mainly a power source to draw upon for exorcisms and healing. No evil spirits ever came to the tiny village, and most wounds were minor enough that she did not need to use an immense amount of power.
However, it looked stunning; it was a thin circlet, finely wrought, engraved with Celtic knots, and with a single tear-shaped diamond hanging down in the front-middle over the bridge of her nose. Sakura put this on, and put the flower wreathe over it, so only the diamond was showing. She then put on a golden girdle, which consisted of small, round, knots attached to each other, and then went into a chain hanging down the front.
Lastly, she picked up a small, copper circlet with a crystal in the front, instead of a diamond. "I think Tomoyo is old enough to wear this," she said.
Tomoyo ran back in, a simpler wreath on her head. "I'm ready!" She said.
"Just a minute," Sakura said. She knelt down and took off Tomoyo's wreathe, put on the copper circlet, and put the wreath back on. She then kissed the girl's forehead and stood up. "I think you look like a priestess to me," she said.
Tomoyo twisted her hands and looked at the ground. She was not dressed like one; her shift was dirty and too small, her face and hands were streaked with dirt, no doubt the result of the search for flowers, and her feet were blistered and cracked from the recent winter. However, the girl emanated a quiet power, to which only the trained eye could place. To most people, it seemed only to be self-confidence.
"Well, we must be going," Sakura said, standing up. "Consider this your coming out."
Tomoyo looked up to Sakura with eyes glittering with tears. She quickly ran up to Sakura and hugged her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"You are quite welcome," Sakura replied.
The left the tent and made their way back into the town. People were just putting the finishing touches on the village when they noticed her coming.
"Everyone! The Priestess is coming, hurry!" a villager called to all that were near.
Sakura sighed.
"My Lady, are you all right?" Tomoyo asked a bit worriedly.
"I am fine, just fine," Sakura replied.
They entered the village shoppe grounds and saw the magnificent decorations. The early flowers were everywhere and the candles lit up the entire village. All of the people of the village started to emerge from tents with small gifts for the Priestess. Sakura had a solemn expression on her face, at times like these; the only time Sakura allowed herself to smile, was when she was blessing the fields. The people of the village expected her to be solemn and serene. As the approached her, bearing gifts, she could tell right away those who needed her to heal something and those who needed her to exorcise a small wild spirit from their crops, they were always the ones who had larger gifts.
She nodded her head slightly to them as they bowed. She looked across all of the people and her eyes met a set of deep, very serious yet kind, pair of amber eyes. She quickly looked back towards the villagers who were asking her to come heal someone.
"My Lady, please. My daughter is terribly sick," a woman called out and took Sakura's hand carefully.
Sakura followed the woman back to her tent where her daughter lay in a feverish sleep. The girl tossed and turned, for she was in immense pain, Sakura had never seen this kind of illness in the village before.
"Is this an omen?" she asked herself in her mind. "I will do my best to rid her of the spirit that is plaguing her."
The woman nodded slowly.
Sakura closed her eyes and started humming. A small breeze started to pick up in the tent blowing leaves and small petals that had fallen off the flowers that decorated the bizarre outside.
"Codladh fada, Codladh domhain. Éirigh! Amharc síos. Aldebaran.
Siúil liom tríd an réalta dearg. Deireadh, deireadh an turas. Réaltóg, réaltóg dearg." **
A bright light emitted from the girl's body and flew up to the top of the tent swirling very quickly. Suddenly after another flash of light the tent was dark.
"Lady Priestess, you did it," the woman said quietly. "Thank you."
Sakura smiled slightly in the darkness where no one could see her. She emerged from the tent into the pale moonlight that lay over the village. How long had she been in there? An hour? Two hours? It didn't really matter, exorcisms always took a while. It was now time to go out to the edge of the village to bless the fields, her favorite part of the feasts.
"My Lady," Tomoyo called. "Everyone is waiting for you at the fields."
"Coming," Sakura replied and walked out to the fields with Tomoyo.
As they came upon the fields where the moon washed over the vast acres of flowers. The flowers in the field seemed to reach up to the moon as a main life source.
"It seems as if Mistress Moon is feeding them extra today," Sakura said as she came upon the groups of villagers.
"You think?" a deep voice came from behind her.
Sakura turned around once again to find staring into the amber eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she let out a small 'yes' that was about four octaves higher than her normal voice. She turned around and closed her eyes once again. Just as she was about to start humming a horrible, monstrous cry was heard throughout the group of villagers. Sakura turned to face them, horrified by the terrible cry. In the middle of the group of villagers was a huge demon with horns glowing the color of burning embers from a recent fire. Its teeth were stained red and it's eyes glowed yellow with anger and hatred. Sakura's body jerked violently as one of the villagers was eaten alive. She fell to her knees as the demon spotted her standing alone and made it's way towards her, eating innocent villagers on its way.
"My Lady! Run quickly!" Tomoyo shouted as Syaoran pulled her away from the demon.
Sakura looked to Tomoyo with such frightened eyes that Tomoyo had never seen before on the Priestess. It looked as though she were frightened to die.
"She knows..." Tomoyo mumbled, eyes misting over with tears that were unshed.
"Knows what?" Syaoran asked looking to Sakura.
The demon grabbed Sakura's body and took off towards the mountain ranges. The remaining villagers that had survived the attack were crying, for both those that lost their lives and for Sakura.
"It is my fault!" Tomoyo screamed and tried to break free from Syaoran's hold. "It' is all my fault! I did not want to believe the dream, I did not!"
"Dream? You can foresee things?" Syaoran asked looking down onto Tomoyo's tear-streaked face. "The dream... she was captured, and murdered. The chest... the chest is needed... it is the only way!" Tomoyo replied with new tears. "The Chest? What Chest?" Syaoran asked. "The Chest-" Tomoyo broke him off. "Of Imprisonment." She broke into tears anew. "Why did not I listen to her?" she wailed. Syaoran looked at the other villagers. The ones who had not bolted at the first sight of the Demon looked terrified. Syaoran saw with some dismay that his father was not one of them. "Everyone! Back to the village! Set a guard up for the Demon to return!" "He will not come back," Tomoyo whispered. "He has what he wants." Syaoran shook his head. "You heard me! He bellowed. "Since you are the only ones here who have a decent heart, form a guard and keep watch!" He heard murmurs of ascent. "You," he said more gently to Tomoyo, "Are coming with me." Tomoyo shook her head and started to cry harder, but Syaoran picked her up and carried her to the meetinghouse. ~*~ "We have to do something," Syaoran said after Tomoyo had related what she knew. "But, he is not-" The town Leader started. "It does not matter!" Syaoran yelled. "He could kill her any time and gain her powers!" "Um..." Tomoyo started softly. "She still has her pentagram. It, with her circlet, will keep her safe for the time being." Syaoran shook his head. "Not for long," he said. "Think of how powerful the Demon WILL be after he devours the Priestess!" he said. "We will not be safe anywhere, or anyone else!" Everyone else was silent. Then, one of the Elders, Sakura's aunt, said, "What of the Chest?" Tomoyo shook her head. "The Priestess is the only one who can wield it properly. Plus, she said that some or all of the jewels are gone..." The assembly was aghast. "Who would do such a thing?" One man asked. "And why?" another said. The Leader was silent. "Who should go and take the Chest?" "Someone needs to rescue the Priestess first," Sakura's aunt said. "Like her apprentice said, Sakura only has the power to use the Chest... unless she does," they looked at Tomoyo. The girl swelled with pride at being called The Priestesses' apprentice, but her face fell a bit when they mentioned her stopping the demon. "I do not," she said. "I only have the power of foresight, and, even if I could, the Demon would have eaten me, or I would have captured him already." "Then," the Leader said. "Who shall rescue our priestess?" The room was silent again. Suddenly, Syaoran stood up. "I will." There was a chorus of voices, but the Leader's override them all. "You will not go!" He said. "You are my only son!" "And the only one willing enough to risk the journey!" Syaoran said. The room was silent again. "While I am gone," Syaoran said, and raised his hands at the uproar that started up. "The Priestess's Apprentice will be in charge of the village. She is the only one who will know where you can be safe, and other leaders," he stared hard at his father, "Seem to be incapable of doing anything." His father sat there silently, watching his son. He knew he couldn't change his son's mind even if he tried putting him into house arrest. The other people in the meetinghouse looked down at the table in silence. They did not want Syaoran to leave; he was the only one besides the Priestess that ever gave them a sense of hope and joy. Seeing either of the two always made everyone at peace.
"Well, if you must go, please return safely... with the Priestess," the villager sitting next to his father said.
The rest of the committee nodded in agreement. Syaoran took a deep breath and stood, ready to exit the room and begin gather the supplies that he would need on his journey.
"Syaoran..." his father called.
Syaoran turned to his father with a dark look flickering in his amber eyes. "Yes father?"
"Please, do come back safely," his father finished.
Syaoran slightly nodded his head towards his father, his expression never changing, and walked out the door. The villagers had gathered near the door and were listening to the conversation. They were all worried about the Priestess, but now they were worried for their leader's son. He was so young to them, not as young as Tomoyo, but still young. They believed that he was not ready for this sort of journey, but they knew that no other in the village could bear the challenges as Syaoran could. Syaoran was somewhat startled by all of their melancholy faces as he looked over the crowd. Some were actually crying, and others had worry written across their faces.
Syaoran smiled softly, "I will be fine. I promise to return with the Priestess."
Only a few of the villagers showed small smiles, the rest looked uneasy.
"Syaoran, please do not go," a small boy said and tugged on Syaoran's shirtsleeve.
A woman came up and retrieved her son. "I am sorry. He is saddened by your departure." The woman took one look at Syaoran and let out a small cry.
Others throughout the crowd let out small cries of sadness as Syaoran looked around and met eyes with his friends and elders. Tomoyo walked out of the meeting hall and stood behind Syaoran.
"Sire, I have some instructions for you... on where to find the first jewel. That is, after you get the Priestess back," Tomoyo said quietly.
Syaoran kneeled down to Tomoyo's level and looked her in the eye. "Yes?"
"The first jewel is the Diamond of Ice, it is held by the Lady of Winter in the North. She is a cold woman who relies on all powers of winter; she uses all tactics needed to keep the jewel in her possession. Please be careful when battling her," Tomoyo replied.
"Tomoyo, I promise that I will bring her back... and I will get the chest," Syaoran reassured her.
Tomoyo wanted to believe him, but she knew it would be hard for him to achieve that goal.
"For now Tomoyo, or should I say, Priestess, you need to move everyone away from here in case the demon comes back," Syaoran explained.
Tomoyo nodded, but her eyes were still troubled by something, but she knew she had to keep it to herself... no one else could know. Syaoran stood up and headed back to his home to pack for his journey. Tomoyo watched his retreating figure until it disappeared into a small home in the center of the village. She turned and headed back to Sakura's tent where she could try to get a vision, or find anything that might ease the villagers with their troubled hearts.
Syaoran stood in the entrance to his room, he had already packed all of the clothes he would need for his journey. He was just making sure he had gotten everything that was of value to him, because he might need to pawn them off to get fare for traveling. If he were correct, he would be traveling very much in the next few months on his journey to find all of the jewels to seal the Chest of Imprisonment.
Syaoran stepped out of his father's dwelling (he refused to call it his own; he hated it there) and looked around. Most of the villagers were still watching him, but some had gone about their daily business. He didn't really care, to tell the truth, he wasn't much fond of the village either. He had always wanted to be a hero, and now he was going to fulfill his dream. He knew that the village was his responsibility, but retrieving the Priestess was part of it too. Or, that's what he told himself.
Syaoran turned to leave, but Tomoyo ran up to him again. "Here," she said and pressed some stones into his hands. Syaoran looked at them.
"They are runes," Tomoyo said. "They contain great power. You should only use them only when it is absolutely necessary."
Syaoran nodded. "Thank you," he said. He hoisted his bag up onto his shoulder. "I wonder if the blacksmith has a sword he can sell me," he said to himself. He walked in the general direction of the smithies.
Syaoran entered a medium sized dwelling were the blacksmith worked. It was very dark and dirty inside; just the way a smithy should be. Syaoran smiled slightly to himself.
"Meling!" he called into the smithy.
A girl with long black hair and a smudged face walked out from the back with a hammer in her hand.
"Syaoran? What are you doing here? I thought you father forbade you from coming here again," Meling, the girl, replied.
"Well, I have a job that I need to do now. I need a sword," Syaoran answered.
"Well, I have a lot of swords. Come take a look if you would like," she replied and led him into the back room.
Along the wall were dozens of silver-bladed swords all varying in length and shape. Syaoran walked back and forth trying to decide on the right sword.
"Meling, who's here?" a man's voice called out from the fire.
"It's just Syaoran, father," Meling replied.
A big, strong man emerged from behind the fireplace. He had a kind look in his eyes.
"Syaoran, it's good to see you again," he replied.
"As to see you, uncle," Syaoran replied.
Yes, the blacksmith was Syaoran's uncle. Though, being his father's brother and being the youngest, he did not receive any of the family's wealth, and therefore, had to take up the job of blacksmith.
"The priestess?" his uncle interjected.
Syaoran nodded. "I need a sword that is capable of defeating the many that hold the jewels."
"I know just the sword. I just finished it," his uncle replied.
The man went back over to the furnace and retrieved a long, golden sword. Along the blade was a finely carved row of Celtic dragons, interlocking together. The dragons gave the sword a sense of power, strength and courage. Syaoran's uncle handed it to him and he took it buy the hilt with on hand under the sharp, glistening blade.
Syaoran twirled the blade around in the air. "It's wonderful, Uncle," he said and smiled as he swung it through the air. He stopped and turned to his uncle. "How much does it cost?"
Syaoran's uncle shook his head. "Nothing. Just bring the Priestess back," he said.
"But, I must-"
Syaoran's uncle shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "It is all I can do to help."
Syaoran looked to Meling, but she just shrugged. "Take it Syaoran. We all want the Priestess back."
Syaoran nodded slowly as he thought about the look in the Priestess's eyes as she was carried off by the Demon.
His uncle put the blade into its sheath and handed it to Syaoran. He strapped it over his shoulders, adjusting it slightly so the weight would be evenly distributed. Syaoran bowed to his uncle and cousin and left the smithy.
He decided that the best way to track the Priestess would be to start where she had been captured. He slowly made his way towards the fields as the sun was starting to rise. There was an eerie silence in the fields; the trees were not talking and the birds were not singing to each other. The wind was silent and the flowers shuddered as they relived the horrendous events of the evening. Syaoran's eyes traveled to where the blood of the deceased villagers stained the dark brown earth and ugly greenish color. Small remnants of clothing scattered the area, all of different colors. Syaoran closed his eyes as he also saw the scar that the Demon left on the trees when it forced it's way to the fields; they would never recover from that. He knelt down to examine the footprints in the dirt; they led down through the flower fields.
"I had better tell everyone that I am leaving now," Syaoran thought.
He headed back to the village to announce his departure. The village took it a bit better than when they first found out about it, but they still had melancholy expressions. Syaoran took the quietness that followed to leave quietly. It was better to leave before anyone could decide that they would restrain him.
As he made his way through the gullet that demon left through the flowers and his skin prickled as he felt the evil aura that it left on the flowers.
It seemed that the flowers, themselves, even wanted the Priestess back and they guided him. ~-~ Syaoran did not travel long before he reached carnage. It was a small farming family, a wife, husband, and three children: the oldest no more than 13. Syaoran could tell they had been dead for a couple of days, for what was left of their bodies was starting to rot and the flies were so thick it seemed as if their flesh was crawling. The stench was overwhelming and it was all Syaoran could do to keep from vomiting. 'I cannot do this,' He thought. 'Great warriors would not throw up...' Syaoran stared at the bodies for a bit, wondering how much fear they had experienced before they died, and if their death was painful, or not. After 15 minutes, he turned to go. He hadn't taken more than three steps when he could have sworn someone called his name. He turned around quickly, but there was nothing there except the corpses, flies, and the stench. He clenched his fists and unclenched them uneasily. "I must bury them," he said finally. "They might not be able to pass on..." He sighed and removed his sword, ready for his task. Whether or not great warriors could handle dragging rotting bodies around, Syaoran did not know or care. He was not able to get through the burial before throwing up at least twice. After five mounds had been raised, he took some wood from the ruined house and stuck it at the head of each grave as a marker. He then found some flowers about 500 feet away and sprinkled them on the grave, muttering some words he had recalled the Priestess chant at a burial a few years previous. He then gave a harsh laugh. "That will not do at all!" he said. "I do not even know what I am saying!" He walked over, grabbed his shield and sword, then kneeled before the graves, holding the sword, point to the ground, and his shield in front of it, the symbol of fealty and pledge. "I swear I will avenge you," he said. "By my honor, I will kill the demon." After staying in his position for a few more minutes, he finally got up and left. A few hours later, Syaoran came across a small stream. Unable to stand the coagulating blood that covered his clothes, hands, and arms, he stripped and leaped into the water to clean. After he scrubbed a few layers of skin off and scrubbed his clothes until his knuckles swelled and bled he lay back on the bank to let the sun scour the rest of his dark feelings away with the warmth. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** Sakura's Incantation translation:
Long sleep
Deep sleep.
Rise! Look down
Aldebaran. Walk with me through the red star.
The end, end of the journey.
Star, red star.
Those words are in Gaelic and taken from a song that Enya sang.
Author's Notes: Sakura: Hello there! It is I, Sakura, and my faithful friend Naoko.
Naoko: Greetings. You have just read Chapter One of our Masterpiece. The following chapters will come slowly as we are trying to make the chapters as long as we possible can to fulfill you reading desires.
Sakura: Indeed. Do not fret though! We will not dally in working on them!
Naoko: Anyway, Chest of Imprisonment, will, we hope, be our best story that we have written and we hope you readers will like it.
Sakura: Ano... didn't we already say that?
Naoko: What of it?
Sakura: *sighs* Never mind.
Kuri-chan: Do not be alarmed by their intelligent speech! It is all a hoax!
Sakura/Naoko: KURI-CHAN!
Kuri-chan: Kyah! *runs away*
Sakura: By the way, our 'Author's Notes' will appear at the end of each chapter.
Naoko: That way, you can enjoy the story without us interrupting.
Sakura: In any case, please review this story even if you did not like it. We appreciate all the feedback we can get. It helps up to write better.
Naoko: Farewell for now!
Sakura: Until next time!
Kuri-chan: =^_^= Fare thee well in the vast expanse of Fanfiction.net.
By the way: Sakura and Naoko, in no way, own any of the characters from CardCaptor Sakura. It belongs to the wonderful female manga-ka's of CLAMP. Sakura and Naoko also do not take credit for the song they took the incantation from. Thank you.
~----~
I was meditating with my eyes closed, humming softly. Nothing seemed to be moving in the room, but outside the village was busy with people. One person in particular was running towards my tent from the opposite end of the village. She ran, not watching where she was going, until she ran into someone. He was a very handsome young man, no, that is wrong, he is a very handsome man of 19 years; he was the village heads' son. The girl quickly apologized with a bow and took off running again. The man watched as she headed towards my end of the village again.
~----~
As she approached the tent she slowed her pace down to a slow walk, for she could hear humming coming from the tent, which meant that whomever was inside was meditating. She stood outside the tent until the humming stopped and there was no more noise. She slowly pulled the flap back and crawled inside. Her dark black hair swayed, so that when the sun shined on it, it became a deep midnight blue. The girl that was meditating slowly opened her eyes and seemed to be looking beyond her surrounding into the spiritual world. Behind her stood a Celtic cross that gleamed as the sun's rays hit it in the open flap. Her eyes slowly focused on the girl standing before her, her emerald colored eyes sparkled as she saw her friend.
"Tomoyo," she said almost inaudibly.
Tomoyo, as the girl was called, had to lean forward to hear her name.
"Yes, I received word from a traveler that one of the villages over the mountain range was completely destroyed by a demon," Tomoyo said.
The girl sitting on the floor raised her hand to quiet the girl.
"I already know. I have been meditating on the strange feeling I have been having. I saw a vision. The demon that did this is truly strong and will do anything to get what he wants. My Great-great-great grandmother before me sealed him in a chest with 13 jewels on it. Legend has it that this chest is the only means to seal a demon for eternity. It appears that at least one of the jewels was taken from the chest and the demon was released," the girl said shifting her gaze to the tent flap that was blowing the small breeze.
Tomoyo kneeled down on the ground so she could be eye level with the sitting girl. She loved it when the priestess told stories of the past, and she knew when she was going to get one, because the priestess's eyes always shifted away from her and seemed to go back to their distant state.
"A long time ago, before my ancestor was born, a demon appeared. The only person who knew where he came from died as the demon's first victim." The priestess tossed a stone onto the ground. It landed face up. "Hm.... mist," she said without looking at the stone. She tossed another stone down. "Earth," she said. She was quiet for a minute. Tomoyo waited patiently. "The demon ravaged villages, towns, anything that he could destroy he would. Anyone with any magic power would be devoured by the demon, so that he could absorb his or her magic."
Tomoyo gasped. For a brief moment, she thought about being eaten by a demon. She was gifted with the power of foresight, but, unlike the high priestess, she could not control the elements, nor read omens. The priestess had taken Tomoyo under her wing to help her with her foresight, and to teach her how to read omens and relate them to her visions.
"My ancestor, Sakura, who is named like me, Sakura; as is the custom for the priestesses in our family, grew up in the terror. She lived in a forest, the only place that the demon would not ever step foot in, for the Horned God would keep it safe. He could also not touch sacred circles, for our Lady dwelled in them and kept him out. Whenever the Demon came near, everyone would flee to the nearest holy site, and those who lagged behind were destroyed. It was a time like this that Sakura witnessed the Demon's evil power and vowed to stop him. One night, her mother had a dream that the Demon would grow so powerful that not even the Horned One or the Lady could stop him. However, she also was sent a vision on his weakness and how he could be confined. Sakura's mother knew that the demon knew of her knowledge and that he would come to kill her, so she gave Sakura her pentagram, told her of the demon's secret, then sent her into the nearby forest to save her only child. Not one day after Sakura was hidden away, the Demon attacked the village and destroyed everyone, and devoured Sakura's mother."
Sakura closed her eyes. "Yes, Tomoyo, this is the pentagram that I wear."
Tomoyo glanced at the Pentagram that was around the High Priestess's neck. It was a silver pendant with a ruby in the middle. An ornate dragon was curved around it.
"Many years passed, and Sakura lived with the spirits of the forest and learned from them. Seven years after her mother died, Sakura left the woods and traveled to a nearby shrine where she had heard that there lived three Sisters, each having powerful magic. Chiharu, the oldest, could control time and space. She could go anywhere she wanted, anytime she wanted. Rika, the middle sister, controlled the elements, fire, water, air, earth, and mana. Naoko, the youngest, was a seer and a prophesier, the most powerful that has ever walked the land and will ever walk this earth. The sisters, who knew that their end was to come soon, and also, knew of Sakura's coming, worked together to make a chest that would hold the Demon. On it, they placed 13 different jewels imbued with magic to keep the Demon in. On Sakura's arrival, they gave her the chest and told her how to capture the demon. They also told her where to find it, so that she would be saved much time in trying to find him. Sakura traveled to the foretold place, and opened the jeweled chest and captured the Demon. In order to assure that no one could ever release the Demon, she traveled to the highest mountain and there delved a cave to keep the box in. Before she left the cave, she wove enchantments on it to make sure that no one could find it."
"But someone did find it," Tomoyo breathed.
Sakura's eyes focused again. "Yes," she sighed. "More powerful than my ancestor." She shook her head and picked up the runes. "I don't know what to do. Tomoyo? Have you had any visions or dreams lately?"
"No my lady," Tomoyo said. "I am sorry," she hung her head.
"Do not be ashamed," Sakura said. "It is not your fault. You are only ten seasons."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement, still feeling slightly abashed that she could not help the priestess. She looked up when she felt a hand against her face; her eyes met Sakura's brilliant emerald eyes.
"I said that it is not your fault," she said again.
Tomoyo smiled. Sakura stood up and pulled Tomoyo up by the hands.
"Come, we must go for a walk," Sakura announced.
"But my Lady, no one is expecting it," Tomoyo replied, a bit worried. "Nothing is prepared!"
"Tomoyo, we must not always let people know when I go out," Sakura explained. "There is no enjoyment in that. I am never left alone." She paused. "I know that they are my responsibility, but most requests are trivial things that they can take care of themselves, or something that I have no power over."
Tomoyo looked a little confused.
"You know what I mean. Ok, you know when you go on your walks in the forest?" Sakura asked looking at Tomoyo.
She nodded.
"Well, you want to be alone, right?" Sakura asked again.
Tomoyo nodded again.
"Well, this is going to be like that. I do not want anyone to know that it is me, so I am going to dress like you," Sakura finished.
Tomoyo stared at her in awe as she went behind a section in the tent to change. "Something is going to happen... something bad. I can just feel it..." Tomoyo thought to herself.
Sakura emerged wearing a plain brown dress and a simple pair of leather shoes. She looked nothing like the priestess Tomoyo had seen a few minutes earlier. All of her hair was down and a little messy, almost as if she hadn't brushed it back out when she changed.
"To me, my lady, you still look like the high priestess," Tomoyo said.
"That is only because you are around me all the time," Sakura smiled at her. "Well, let us be on our way."
The two stepped out of the dimly lit tent into the bright and young day. It was roughly noon in the village and people were still busy buying food, and cloth to make clothing. Sakura looked around and thought that the villagers looked better when they were not begging for her help. They wandered through the small open-aired shops that were around when Sakura accidentally ran into someone while she was chatting with Tomoyo.
"Oh, I apologize for that. I was not watching where I was going," Sakura said and looked up to the person she ran into.
He had the most entrancing, deep amber eyes that held you in their grasp, sucking the breath away from you and causing your heartbeat to quicken. She looked away quickly, a little ashamed for staring for so long.
"I apologize for staring as well," she said quietly.
"It is all right," he replied. He should have apologized as well, but he could not help but as feel that he, himself was drowning in her green eyes. He face seemed to be a little warm, but he thought that the cause of that was the sun directly overhead. This was warmest time of the day, so he decided that it was the cause of the sun and the sun only. "I do not believe I have seen you around here before, are you a traveler?"
Sakura turned to him, "Yes, yes I am."
The man smiled. "My name is Syaoran. I am the son of the village leader. Who are you?"
"Eh... my name is... Tomoyo," She said, off of the top of her head.
"Really? I believe there is a little girl here named Tomoyo," Syaoran told her. "Oh, yes, before I forget, there is a feast tonight for our high priestess. We give one to her two times a year, to thank her for staying here, and for keeping the Chest of Imprisonment safe."
"Chest of Imprisonment...?" Sakura asked, trying to act as if she had no idea what it was.
"Yes, it keeps the evil Demon under control and away from us commoners, who have no means to defend ourselves." Syaoran said.
"Oh... what a coincidence," Sakura said. "I hear that a village not too far from here was completely destroyed by a demon..."
Syaoran's smile disappeared. "Yes, that is true. My father intends to ask the Priestess what we should do about that...."
"Well," Sakura said. "I must go, but," she smiled mysteriously, "I will be at the feast." She turned around and walked in the direction of the forest.
"I wouldn't go too far," Syaoran said. "If you really intend to go to the feast, it will be starting soon!"
Sakura gave no response to him and continued walking. She could tell that the boy simply shook his head and walked away. As soon as she was sure she was alone, she stopped and put a hand to her cheek. "Oh... what was that I felt?" she asked. "Could it be love?" she shook her head. "This is no time to be falling for anyone," she reprimanded herself. "Not with the One Evil walking abroad again..."
She turned and ran in the direction of her hut to change. The villagers always liked to see her in something that made her look powerful, so she always tried to impress them. However, what they didn't know that she might as well be naked and covered in filth for all it mattered.
Sakura walked into the dark and smoky back and pulled out a chest. Tomoyo slipped in. "Are you changing, my lady?" she asked.
"Yes," Sakura sighed. "I do so hate these occasions.
"Well, you do get to bless the fields tonight," Tomoyo told her. "That is fun, is it not?"
Sakura smiled a bit. It was spring, and the flowers were just starting to bloom. It was at this time a year, Beltane, the second day of the second month, which the power was at its greatest, at least in life. "Yes," she said. "It is. Not much of a feast though."
Tomoyo sighed. "You KNOW that there is not much food."
"I know, I know," Sakura said.
Tomoyo stepped forward. "I made you a crown," she held up a wreath of early bluebells and snowdrops.
"Oh! It's simply beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed and hugged Tomoyo. The girl beamed.
"Hm... I think it will match perfectly with this dress," she said. She opened the chest and pulled out a white, long, form-fitting dress that flared out near the knees to nearly twice her arm length in diameter at the bottom. She turned to Tomoyo. "You did make one for yourself, did you not?"
Tomoyo hung her head shyly.
"Silly child. Go out and make one. You are officially my apprentice now," she said.
Tomoyo put the wreath down and ran outside. Sakura watched her fondly. "She will be great one day," she murmured and started to undress.
After she put the dress on, she looked down and sighed. "I have lost even more weight..." Over the last few years, there had been famines, and this year was particularly worse. Sakura did not know whether or not it had foretold the coming of the Demon, but she did not really think so, because Tomoyo had no forbidding dreams. Even though the girl did not have much faith in her power, Sakura had always made her recite her dreams to her, in order to teach her that all dreams and visions she had might predict something, and to teach her how to find the signs. Tomoyo had been getting better, but her self-doubt held her back. Sakura sometimes wished that she wasn't as powerful as she was, for she feared her power was what Tomoyo used as a definition for what a Priestess was supposed to be. Nevertheless, Sakura was determined to make Tomoyo powerful.
Sakura put her pentagram necklace back on, then turned to the chest and pulled out several more items. One was a ringlet that went onto her head. It was gold, and one of the precious relics that Sakura had kept safe. It contained much power, for priestesses of her line had passed it down for many, many, many generations, even before Sakura the Savior. None of the priestesses really knew where it came from, but the only story that could be remembered that it was given to the first Priestess of her line, by a chieftain's son who had fallen in love with her. The two could not be together, for the prince's father forbade it, however, they had a child in secret, and that Priestess passed the circlet on. It seemed to retain some of the power of each Priestess that wore it, if not all, for it contained more power each generation. Sakura did not use it much; it was mainly a power source to draw upon for exorcisms and healing. No evil spirits ever came to the tiny village, and most wounds were minor enough that she did not need to use an immense amount of power.
However, it looked stunning; it was a thin circlet, finely wrought, engraved with Celtic knots, and with a single tear-shaped diamond hanging down in the front-middle over the bridge of her nose. Sakura put this on, and put the flower wreathe over it, so only the diamond was showing. She then put on a golden girdle, which consisted of small, round, knots attached to each other, and then went into a chain hanging down the front.
Lastly, she picked up a small, copper circlet with a crystal in the front, instead of a diamond. "I think Tomoyo is old enough to wear this," she said.
Tomoyo ran back in, a simpler wreath on her head. "I'm ready!" She said.
"Just a minute," Sakura said. She knelt down and took off Tomoyo's wreathe, put on the copper circlet, and put the wreath back on. She then kissed the girl's forehead and stood up. "I think you look like a priestess to me," she said.
Tomoyo twisted her hands and looked at the ground. She was not dressed like one; her shift was dirty and too small, her face and hands were streaked with dirt, no doubt the result of the search for flowers, and her feet were blistered and cracked from the recent winter. However, the girl emanated a quiet power, to which only the trained eye could place. To most people, it seemed only to be self-confidence.
"Well, we must be going," Sakura said, standing up. "Consider this your coming out."
Tomoyo looked up to Sakura with eyes glittering with tears. She quickly ran up to Sakura and hugged her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"You are quite welcome," Sakura replied.
The left the tent and made their way back into the town. People were just putting the finishing touches on the village when they noticed her coming.
"Everyone! The Priestess is coming, hurry!" a villager called to all that were near.
Sakura sighed.
"My Lady, are you all right?" Tomoyo asked a bit worriedly.
"I am fine, just fine," Sakura replied.
They entered the village shoppe grounds and saw the magnificent decorations. The early flowers were everywhere and the candles lit up the entire village. All of the people of the village started to emerge from tents with small gifts for the Priestess. Sakura had a solemn expression on her face, at times like these; the only time Sakura allowed herself to smile, was when she was blessing the fields. The people of the village expected her to be solemn and serene. As the approached her, bearing gifts, she could tell right away those who needed her to heal something and those who needed her to exorcise a small wild spirit from their crops, they were always the ones who had larger gifts.
She nodded her head slightly to them as they bowed. She looked across all of the people and her eyes met a set of deep, very serious yet kind, pair of amber eyes. She quickly looked back towards the villagers who were asking her to come heal someone.
"My Lady, please. My daughter is terribly sick," a woman called out and took Sakura's hand carefully.
Sakura followed the woman back to her tent where her daughter lay in a feverish sleep. The girl tossed and turned, for she was in immense pain, Sakura had never seen this kind of illness in the village before.
"Is this an omen?" she asked herself in her mind. "I will do my best to rid her of the spirit that is plaguing her."
The woman nodded slowly.
Sakura closed her eyes and started humming. A small breeze started to pick up in the tent blowing leaves and small petals that had fallen off the flowers that decorated the bizarre outside.
"Codladh fada, Codladh domhain. Éirigh! Amharc síos. Aldebaran.
Siúil liom tríd an réalta dearg. Deireadh, deireadh an turas. Réaltóg, réaltóg dearg." **
A bright light emitted from the girl's body and flew up to the top of the tent swirling very quickly. Suddenly after another flash of light the tent was dark.
"Lady Priestess, you did it," the woman said quietly. "Thank you."
Sakura smiled slightly in the darkness where no one could see her. She emerged from the tent into the pale moonlight that lay over the village. How long had she been in there? An hour? Two hours? It didn't really matter, exorcisms always took a while. It was now time to go out to the edge of the village to bless the fields, her favorite part of the feasts.
"My Lady," Tomoyo called. "Everyone is waiting for you at the fields."
"Coming," Sakura replied and walked out to the fields with Tomoyo.
As they came upon the fields where the moon washed over the vast acres of flowers. The flowers in the field seemed to reach up to the moon as a main life source.
"It seems as if Mistress Moon is feeding them extra today," Sakura said as she came upon the groups of villagers.
"You think?" a deep voice came from behind her.
Sakura turned around once again to find staring into the amber eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she let out a small 'yes' that was about four octaves higher than her normal voice. She turned around and closed her eyes once again. Just as she was about to start humming a horrible, monstrous cry was heard throughout the group of villagers. Sakura turned to face them, horrified by the terrible cry. In the middle of the group of villagers was a huge demon with horns glowing the color of burning embers from a recent fire. Its teeth were stained red and it's eyes glowed yellow with anger and hatred. Sakura's body jerked violently as one of the villagers was eaten alive. She fell to her knees as the demon spotted her standing alone and made it's way towards her, eating innocent villagers on its way.
"My Lady! Run quickly!" Tomoyo shouted as Syaoran pulled her away from the demon.
Sakura looked to Tomoyo with such frightened eyes that Tomoyo had never seen before on the Priestess. It looked as though she were frightened to die.
"She knows..." Tomoyo mumbled, eyes misting over with tears that were unshed.
"Knows what?" Syaoran asked looking to Sakura.
The demon grabbed Sakura's body and took off towards the mountain ranges. The remaining villagers that had survived the attack were crying, for both those that lost their lives and for Sakura.
"It is my fault!" Tomoyo screamed and tried to break free from Syaoran's hold. "It' is all my fault! I did not want to believe the dream, I did not!"
"Dream? You can foresee things?" Syaoran asked looking down onto Tomoyo's tear-streaked face. "The dream... she was captured, and murdered. The chest... the chest is needed... it is the only way!" Tomoyo replied with new tears. "The Chest? What Chest?" Syaoran asked. "The Chest-" Tomoyo broke him off. "Of Imprisonment." She broke into tears anew. "Why did not I listen to her?" she wailed. Syaoran looked at the other villagers. The ones who had not bolted at the first sight of the Demon looked terrified. Syaoran saw with some dismay that his father was not one of them. "Everyone! Back to the village! Set a guard up for the Demon to return!" "He will not come back," Tomoyo whispered. "He has what he wants." Syaoran shook his head. "You heard me! He bellowed. "Since you are the only ones here who have a decent heart, form a guard and keep watch!" He heard murmurs of ascent. "You," he said more gently to Tomoyo, "Are coming with me." Tomoyo shook her head and started to cry harder, but Syaoran picked her up and carried her to the meetinghouse. ~*~ "We have to do something," Syaoran said after Tomoyo had related what she knew. "But, he is not-" The town Leader started. "It does not matter!" Syaoran yelled. "He could kill her any time and gain her powers!" "Um..." Tomoyo started softly. "She still has her pentagram. It, with her circlet, will keep her safe for the time being." Syaoran shook his head. "Not for long," he said. "Think of how powerful the Demon WILL be after he devours the Priestess!" he said. "We will not be safe anywhere, or anyone else!" Everyone else was silent. Then, one of the Elders, Sakura's aunt, said, "What of the Chest?" Tomoyo shook her head. "The Priestess is the only one who can wield it properly. Plus, she said that some or all of the jewels are gone..." The assembly was aghast. "Who would do such a thing?" One man asked. "And why?" another said. The Leader was silent. "Who should go and take the Chest?" "Someone needs to rescue the Priestess first," Sakura's aunt said. "Like her apprentice said, Sakura only has the power to use the Chest... unless she does," they looked at Tomoyo. The girl swelled with pride at being called The Priestesses' apprentice, but her face fell a bit when they mentioned her stopping the demon. "I do not," she said. "I only have the power of foresight, and, even if I could, the Demon would have eaten me, or I would have captured him already." "Then," the Leader said. "Who shall rescue our priestess?" The room was silent again. Suddenly, Syaoran stood up. "I will." There was a chorus of voices, but the Leader's override them all. "You will not go!" He said. "You are my only son!" "And the only one willing enough to risk the journey!" Syaoran said. The room was silent again. "While I am gone," Syaoran said, and raised his hands at the uproar that started up. "The Priestess's Apprentice will be in charge of the village. She is the only one who will know where you can be safe, and other leaders," he stared hard at his father, "Seem to be incapable of doing anything." His father sat there silently, watching his son. He knew he couldn't change his son's mind even if he tried putting him into house arrest. The other people in the meetinghouse looked down at the table in silence. They did not want Syaoran to leave; he was the only one besides the Priestess that ever gave them a sense of hope and joy. Seeing either of the two always made everyone at peace.
"Well, if you must go, please return safely... with the Priestess," the villager sitting next to his father said.
The rest of the committee nodded in agreement. Syaoran took a deep breath and stood, ready to exit the room and begin gather the supplies that he would need on his journey.
"Syaoran..." his father called.
Syaoran turned to his father with a dark look flickering in his amber eyes. "Yes father?"
"Please, do come back safely," his father finished.
Syaoran slightly nodded his head towards his father, his expression never changing, and walked out the door. The villagers had gathered near the door and were listening to the conversation. They were all worried about the Priestess, but now they were worried for their leader's son. He was so young to them, not as young as Tomoyo, but still young. They believed that he was not ready for this sort of journey, but they knew that no other in the village could bear the challenges as Syaoran could. Syaoran was somewhat startled by all of their melancholy faces as he looked over the crowd. Some were actually crying, and others had worry written across their faces.
Syaoran smiled softly, "I will be fine. I promise to return with the Priestess."
Only a few of the villagers showed small smiles, the rest looked uneasy.
"Syaoran, please do not go," a small boy said and tugged on Syaoran's shirtsleeve.
A woman came up and retrieved her son. "I am sorry. He is saddened by your departure." The woman took one look at Syaoran and let out a small cry.
Others throughout the crowd let out small cries of sadness as Syaoran looked around and met eyes with his friends and elders. Tomoyo walked out of the meeting hall and stood behind Syaoran.
"Sire, I have some instructions for you... on where to find the first jewel. That is, after you get the Priestess back," Tomoyo said quietly.
Syaoran kneeled down to Tomoyo's level and looked her in the eye. "Yes?"
"The first jewel is the Diamond of Ice, it is held by the Lady of Winter in the North. She is a cold woman who relies on all powers of winter; she uses all tactics needed to keep the jewel in her possession. Please be careful when battling her," Tomoyo replied.
"Tomoyo, I promise that I will bring her back... and I will get the chest," Syaoran reassured her.
Tomoyo wanted to believe him, but she knew it would be hard for him to achieve that goal.
"For now Tomoyo, or should I say, Priestess, you need to move everyone away from here in case the demon comes back," Syaoran explained.
Tomoyo nodded, but her eyes were still troubled by something, but she knew she had to keep it to herself... no one else could know. Syaoran stood up and headed back to his home to pack for his journey. Tomoyo watched his retreating figure until it disappeared into a small home in the center of the village. She turned and headed back to Sakura's tent where she could try to get a vision, or find anything that might ease the villagers with their troubled hearts.
Syaoran stood in the entrance to his room, he had already packed all of the clothes he would need for his journey. He was just making sure he had gotten everything that was of value to him, because he might need to pawn them off to get fare for traveling. If he were correct, he would be traveling very much in the next few months on his journey to find all of the jewels to seal the Chest of Imprisonment.
Syaoran stepped out of his father's dwelling (he refused to call it his own; he hated it there) and looked around. Most of the villagers were still watching him, but some had gone about their daily business. He didn't really care, to tell the truth, he wasn't much fond of the village either. He had always wanted to be a hero, and now he was going to fulfill his dream. He knew that the village was his responsibility, but retrieving the Priestess was part of it too. Or, that's what he told himself.
Syaoran turned to leave, but Tomoyo ran up to him again. "Here," she said and pressed some stones into his hands. Syaoran looked at them.
"They are runes," Tomoyo said. "They contain great power. You should only use them only when it is absolutely necessary."
Syaoran nodded. "Thank you," he said. He hoisted his bag up onto his shoulder. "I wonder if the blacksmith has a sword he can sell me," he said to himself. He walked in the general direction of the smithies.
Syaoran entered a medium sized dwelling were the blacksmith worked. It was very dark and dirty inside; just the way a smithy should be. Syaoran smiled slightly to himself.
"Meling!" he called into the smithy.
A girl with long black hair and a smudged face walked out from the back with a hammer in her hand.
"Syaoran? What are you doing here? I thought you father forbade you from coming here again," Meling, the girl, replied.
"Well, I have a job that I need to do now. I need a sword," Syaoran answered.
"Well, I have a lot of swords. Come take a look if you would like," she replied and led him into the back room.
Along the wall were dozens of silver-bladed swords all varying in length and shape. Syaoran walked back and forth trying to decide on the right sword.
"Meling, who's here?" a man's voice called out from the fire.
"It's just Syaoran, father," Meling replied.
A big, strong man emerged from behind the fireplace. He had a kind look in his eyes.
"Syaoran, it's good to see you again," he replied.
"As to see you, uncle," Syaoran replied.
Yes, the blacksmith was Syaoran's uncle. Though, being his father's brother and being the youngest, he did not receive any of the family's wealth, and therefore, had to take up the job of blacksmith.
"The priestess?" his uncle interjected.
Syaoran nodded. "I need a sword that is capable of defeating the many that hold the jewels."
"I know just the sword. I just finished it," his uncle replied.
The man went back over to the furnace and retrieved a long, golden sword. Along the blade was a finely carved row of Celtic dragons, interlocking together. The dragons gave the sword a sense of power, strength and courage. Syaoran's uncle handed it to him and he took it buy the hilt with on hand under the sharp, glistening blade.
Syaoran twirled the blade around in the air. "It's wonderful, Uncle," he said and smiled as he swung it through the air. He stopped and turned to his uncle. "How much does it cost?"
Syaoran's uncle shook his head. "Nothing. Just bring the Priestess back," he said.
"But, I must-"
Syaoran's uncle shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "It is all I can do to help."
Syaoran looked to Meling, but she just shrugged. "Take it Syaoran. We all want the Priestess back."
Syaoran nodded slowly as he thought about the look in the Priestess's eyes as she was carried off by the Demon.
His uncle put the blade into its sheath and handed it to Syaoran. He strapped it over his shoulders, adjusting it slightly so the weight would be evenly distributed. Syaoran bowed to his uncle and cousin and left the smithy.
He decided that the best way to track the Priestess would be to start where she had been captured. He slowly made his way towards the fields as the sun was starting to rise. There was an eerie silence in the fields; the trees were not talking and the birds were not singing to each other. The wind was silent and the flowers shuddered as they relived the horrendous events of the evening. Syaoran's eyes traveled to where the blood of the deceased villagers stained the dark brown earth and ugly greenish color. Small remnants of clothing scattered the area, all of different colors. Syaoran closed his eyes as he also saw the scar that the Demon left on the trees when it forced it's way to the fields; they would never recover from that. He knelt down to examine the footprints in the dirt; they led down through the flower fields.
"I had better tell everyone that I am leaving now," Syaoran thought.
He headed back to the village to announce his departure. The village took it a bit better than when they first found out about it, but they still had melancholy expressions. Syaoran took the quietness that followed to leave quietly. It was better to leave before anyone could decide that they would restrain him.
As he made his way through the gullet that demon left through the flowers and his skin prickled as he felt the evil aura that it left on the flowers.
It seemed that the flowers, themselves, even wanted the Priestess back and they guided him. ~-~ Syaoran did not travel long before he reached carnage. It was a small farming family, a wife, husband, and three children: the oldest no more than 13. Syaoran could tell they had been dead for a couple of days, for what was left of their bodies was starting to rot and the flies were so thick it seemed as if their flesh was crawling. The stench was overwhelming and it was all Syaoran could do to keep from vomiting. 'I cannot do this,' He thought. 'Great warriors would not throw up...' Syaoran stared at the bodies for a bit, wondering how much fear they had experienced before they died, and if their death was painful, or not. After 15 minutes, he turned to go. He hadn't taken more than three steps when he could have sworn someone called his name. He turned around quickly, but there was nothing there except the corpses, flies, and the stench. He clenched his fists and unclenched them uneasily. "I must bury them," he said finally. "They might not be able to pass on..." He sighed and removed his sword, ready for his task. Whether or not great warriors could handle dragging rotting bodies around, Syaoran did not know or care. He was not able to get through the burial before throwing up at least twice. After five mounds had been raised, he took some wood from the ruined house and stuck it at the head of each grave as a marker. He then found some flowers about 500 feet away and sprinkled them on the grave, muttering some words he had recalled the Priestess chant at a burial a few years previous. He then gave a harsh laugh. "That will not do at all!" he said. "I do not even know what I am saying!" He walked over, grabbed his shield and sword, then kneeled before the graves, holding the sword, point to the ground, and his shield in front of it, the symbol of fealty and pledge. "I swear I will avenge you," he said. "By my honor, I will kill the demon." After staying in his position for a few more minutes, he finally got up and left. A few hours later, Syaoran came across a small stream. Unable to stand the coagulating blood that covered his clothes, hands, and arms, he stripped and leaped into the water to clean. After he scrubbed a few layers of skin off and scrubbed his clothes until his knuckles swelled and bled he lay back on the bank to let the sun scour the rest of his dark feelings away with the warmth. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** Sakura's Incantation translation:
Long sleep
Deep sleep.
Rise! Look down
Aldebaran. Walk with me through the red star.
The end, end of the journey.
Star, red star.
Those words are in Gaelic and taken from a song that Enya sang.
Author's Notes: Sakura: Hello there! It is I, Sakura, and my faithful friend Naoko.
Naoko: Greetings. You have just read Chapter One of our Masterpiece. The following chapters will come slowly as we are trying to make the chapters as long as we possible can to fulfill you reading desires.
Sakura: Indeed. Do not fret though! We will not dally in working on them!
Naoko: Anyway, Chest of Imprisonment, will, we hope, be our best story that we have written and we hope you readers will like it.
Sakura: Ano... didn't we already say that?
Naoko: What of it?
Sakura: *sighs* Never mind.
Kuri-chan: Do not be alarmed by their intelligent speech! It is all a hoax!
Sakura/Naoko: KURI-CHAN!
Kuri-chan: Kyah! *runs away*
Sakura: By the way, our 'Author's Notes' will appear at the end of each chapter.
Naoko: That way, you can enjoy the story without us interrupting.
Sakura: In any case, please review this story even if you did not like it. We appreciate all the feedback we can get. It helps up to write better.
Naoko: Farewell for now!
Sakura: Until next time!
Kuri-chan: =^_^= Fare thee well in the vast expanse of Fanfiction.net.
By the way: Sakura and Naoko, in no way, own any of the characters from CardCaptor Sakura. It belongs to the wonderful female manga-ka's of CLAMP. Sakura and Naoko also do not take credit for the song they took the incantation from. Thank you.