The Soul of a Warrior

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 9--Confession

It was an eerie feeling. It was like he was being watched. And the feeling followed him until he was well back into the village. Only when he walked into Taki's and Tadashi's home did it finally vanish.

He went to his room. Standing at the entrance of his room he saw a new pile of clothing waiting for him. But unlike his previous clothes, which were of a dark emerald color, these were a dull black and bordered with a peculiar green leafy pattern. Closing the thin sliding doors behind him, Ulrich approached the pile.

When he walked out, he wore the clothing with his dark sash tied tightly around his waist. He felt oddly out of place. All the villagers wore dark colors that were comfortable and fluid with the body's movements. What he wore now was almost the opposite of what he'd come to be accustomed to.

With the sleeves ending just above his elbow, his arms were uninhibited in their movements. The pants were quite baggy and draped down his legs like a curtain. But when he was putting them on, he'd discovered some loose straps that were sewn tightly on to the bottoms of the pants. He had bound the straps snugly around his shins. The outfit as a whole was flashy, true, but he found it very comfortable and even easier to move around in than before.

He was walking down the hall towards the exit when, ahead him, Taki stepped out of one of the rooms. She noticed his approach and waited for him, a hesitant smile on their faces.

Stopping in front of her, Ulrich gave a small smile. "Thank you for helping me the other day," he said quietly. At seeing her partly confused expression, he repeated, "Thank you, Taki-san, for helping me."

A small smile tugged at her lips but it was obvious that she was trying to restrain it. In his face she could see his appreciation of her selfless act. Though she had been caught and severely reprimanded, it had been worth it. Just to see him here with that small smile of his.

Then a genuine smile of happiness crossed her face as she watched him blow an annoying bang out of his eyes. Glancing back into the room that she'd just exited, Taki glimpsed the glint of steel that she was looking for. Tugging on Ulrich's arm, she pulled him inside the room.

"Kneel," she said as she grasped the knife. He obeyed without question and she took the blade to his hair. Strands of his dark hair soon fell and covered his shoulders, new clothing, and the floor as she sawed at the back of his head and temples.

As she was about to start on his bangs, he reached up and caught her hand. Standing up, he smiled as he said, "Thank you, Taki-san. That's all I wanted cut."

Nodding her understanding, she walked over to the bench that held the clothing and sewing supplies. Despite how much she hated sewing, as much as she loved to fight and train with all the other men in the village, she was forced to admit that she was very good at sewing. The very clothes that Ulrich now wore were her best work to date.

Setting the knife down, she could feel Ulrich's gaze upon her back. It both warmed her heart with love and anger. She couldn't help but feel mad that she wasn't who he was in love with. Nodding her head as a silent tear fell from her eye, she saw a long strap of black cloth nearby.

Hurriedly wiping her face, she grasped the cloth. Turning to face him, she found him standing where she left him but his face was now empty. Walking up to him, she held the cloth up to his forehead. He made no attempt to stop or help her as she tied it snugly behind his head.

She could feel her heart start racing at how close this act had brought her to him. As the heat in her face rose, so did her breathing, unintentionally. Though she couldn't tell if he noticed or not, she could feel her fingers start to tremble as she was finishing. It just felt so nice to be this close to him; he was such a nice person.

Then, as she was lowering her hands, she made eye contact with him for the first time since she'd started. Those eyes, those large dark eyes, stared into hers. She felt herself moving forward unintentionally. Only when her lips touched his did she realize what she was doing. But by then, she realized that she couldn't stop even if she'd have wanted to. She kissed him deeply, passionately.

But then she realized that it was only she who was kissing, not him. Pulling away slightly, she looked up into those eyes again. They were the same as before, yet different. They were almost like he had closed himself off to her. She could feel a tear in her eye when she realized that.

"I'm sorry, Taki-san," he said, extremely quietly.

Slowly, they separated. Though they walked outside together, both found it hard to look at each other. It was a cruel twist of fate that they couldn't be together. But as they walked toward the council they realized that they were from two different worlds. It wouldn't have worked out for them, even if they'd wanted.

Before they left each other's company, Ulrich looked over at her and said, "Taki-san, promise me that no matter what happens in life we'll always be friends."

Taki looked at him for a moment. Then smiled.

Masters Riyo and Maki watched the pair as they approached with a feeling of apprehension. Riyo felt a sixth sense warning that they were being watched. It had started ever since his newest pupil had returned. Now, however, it was intensifying.

"They make quite a couple, do they not?" Maki asked with a bemused grin. "It'd be a shame to have the boy return to his hometown."

"That boy is much more than meets the eye," Riyo said quietly. "He may even be the key to our long overdue peace."

Maki caught on to Riyo's train of thought instantly. "The Warrior of Legend?"

Riyo nodded in confirmation.

"What makes you think that this boy is the warrior?" Maki demanded. He believed that the prophecy was just a fairytale told to the children to ease them into sleep. That a single warrior would end their centuries long war with their rivals on the other side of the mountain and bring them to peace was just ridiculous.

"His skill far surpasses all others of his age," Riyo glanced at Maki briefly. "Including yourself at his age."

Before Maki could make a reply, Ulrich stepped up toward them. All talk that was going on between the elders and villagers alike died away. An air of nervous anticipation hung heavy over the gathered people as they watched him approach the council.

(A/N) I'm quite good at making cliffhangers, aren't I? Well, for those of you who don't appreciate it, I'm sorry. But I have to do it. How else would I keep your attention?

As of the previous chapter, the Climax was over. It's all downhill from here on. But don't let deceive you, things are going to get a lot more interesting and exciting in the upcoming chapters. I promise to try to make longer chapters, but I can't determine how reliable that promise will be.

If you wish to learn more about me, check out my new profile.

Adios!