Chapter 4 - Silent Night in Nubswood
Kael leaned against the back of a thick oak tree, poking absent-mindedly at the fire that the two of them had managed to make. The minutes seemed like hours as they both seemed to lament over what had happened, and he still didn't understand by what Kari meant by "judges" somehow being able to stop dying. And more so about the murder of the queen she had mentioned. He stared into the dancing flames, his body feeling cold. A thread of moon cut through the trees, lighting patches of forest around them, the orange glow flickering through the darkness every so often.
Sticks and leaves cracking in the darkness announced Kari's return, carrying a pot of water. Kael propped a conductible metal plate over the flames as she went to place it and she sat on the opposite side, staring just as deeply into the flames as he had previously. Kael opened his mouth to say something, but all that escaped was an un-hearable hoarse whisper. He shut his mouth and shook his head.
"You know, with the judges, they wouldn't have died. They would have been knocked out, though," Kari said suddenly. Kael removed his eyes from the flames and stared at her with a blank expression. "And I intend to make it my mission to kill the one's who killed the queen…sending us into this civil war."
"Your explaining things without me asking, or your just repeating yourself," Kael said plainly. She returned his look and nodded.
"I figured as much when you were so against fighting to begin with. Almost everyone in this realm is accustomed to swordplay, although up until now, no one would die. Not like this," she said, and then paused a long time, looking at him. A smile suddenly appeared. "You were very skilled and…and…you saved my life."
"That doesn't justify me killing anyone."
"You saved my life, and that's enough justification. I still have that sick feeling, but I would be dead weren't it for you."
Kael shrugged and looked back into the flames. Kari got up and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees and rocking back and forth, her smile now a grin. "But you know, not all is lost. We should go and honor their souls as they disappear into the winds, where they will linger until the day they reincarnate."
Kael looked up again, thinking about what she said. It sounded a lot like the Shinto belief of waiting until the fortieth day after death when one would reincarnate, and depending on the weight of their heart, would either reincarnate or be born into being a kami, or spirit. "What happens?"
"You'll see when the moon reaches its peak. Come on." She got up and started backtracking to where they had originally been, and Kael followed. He took his sword in case the other ninja was still waiting for them.
When they reached the edge of the wood, the tall grass in the field swayed gently in the cool breeze, and he enjoyed the feeling of it as it brushed through his hair. Kari stood up straight and looked toward the sky, and Kael enjoyed being able to see the stars so clearly. He was so used to the city that he had never assumed the sky had such clarity in the night.
"Now."
From the tall grass a bluish glow emanated from within it, and spheres of what looked like large blue electrons slowly swayed into the sky. Soon, the entire field was alight with the glowing energies, and slowly they dispersed into the wind. He watched in amazement as they all faded into the wind. When it was all done, Kari sat straight up on both knees and bowed. Kael instinctively did the same and held it as long as she did. When she stood again, they went back into the wood.
"It's a belief of us Viera that you honor the dead by witnessing their haliju'nul, or Holy Migration," she said as they trudged back into their tiny campsite. The fire was fading slightly, so Kael poked it again with a stick to re-kindle it. Kari reached into her rucksack and pulled out another tiny cooking pot and removed the boiled water from the fire to let it cool.
Kael leaned against his tree again and shut his eyes, the thoughts and confusions still lingering worse than ever. Despite this, he felt more serene, apart for the scent of blood that seemed to him would never disappear.
"What sort of world did you come from?" Kari asked.
"Hm?"
"Your obviously not even from this country or continent, for that matter. And we learn to expect the unexpected, from new technologies made by Moogles to sudden appearances and disappearances."
Kael explained what his world was like with little hesitation, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her this either. He could trust her.
"There are rumors," Kari began slowly, nodding. "Rumors that the ones who killed the queen suddenly disappeared. The remaining clan members told his story as if he was some great hero, and not one persecuted them from murder. And about the other world he claimed to be from, emphasized by a Moogle by the name of Montblanc."
"I see…but what's a Moogle?"
"They look like rabbits with a little difference in appearance and have red pom-poms that stick up from their heads. Clever most of the time," she explained.
"Enough seriousness!" she said suddenly, making him jump. "I usually don't like this kind of talk, but whatever." A grin spread across her face and she began mixing together what seemed to be a soup with a kind of meat Kael had never seen before. It smelled rather good, however.
When she spooned some out for the both of them, Kael ate appreciatively, forgetting how hungry he was. They ate in silence, and he just enjoyed her company. All his worries seemingly dissappeared, from the thought of camping out here, alone with a girl, no less, to how he got here, to the thought about his new friends, to his grandfather, to the whole other world he left behind, and most of all what had just recently happened.
When they finished, Kael helped her clean it up and went to the nearby trickling stream to wash the pot that she cooked the stew in. He returned with the pot full of water, set it down next to the flames, and watched as she crawled into a sleeping bag and said, "Good night!"
Kael got on the other side of the fire and laid down with his back to the hot flames. Yawning, he reached for the pot, propped himself up with his arms, doused the flames and watched as it hissed, and then laid back down. Kari suddenly shot up as he laid down again.
"Hm?" Kael asked.
"I hate the dark!" she said. Kael sweat dropped.
"Uh, you're out here by yourself, with a camp, and your scared o the dark?"
"Shut up! I didn't think you'd put out the flames!"
"You can't leave a fire…"
"I do!"
Kael rolled his eyes and settled down, closing his eyes. "HEY!" Kari shouted. "Don't go to sleep on me! I hate the dark!"
"Well what do you want me to do? We need to get to sleep, and I need to think."
"Well sleep next to me!"
Kael froze, then shouted, "WHAT!"
"You heard me!"
"Uh…no," Kael said simply.
"That's not very nice! I h-hate the dark!" her voice suddenly shuddered. Kael sat back up and looked at her. She was looking in every direction amongst the trees, an expression of worry on her. Kael did the same, but did not see anything of particular interest apart for an owl which he had never seen before. It hoot happily.
"YEEEK!"
"It's an owl! Sheesh!"
"I don't care! It's d-dark!"
"Oh, God…"
"Just get over here!"
Kael gave up. He got up, his muscles and bones aching, and slumped against a nearby tree. "Good enough?" he asked, folding his arms and leaning his head to the side.
Kari wormed closer to him on the other side. Kael looked at her and tried inching away, but he felt a fist pound against his chest.
"Hey!"
"Don't move! I can't sleep in the pure dark…"
Kael, once again, gave up. He slumped his head to the side, and after a few minutes listened as he heard her breathing becoming much more constant and low. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open, and sleeping with a peaceful expression. Kael flushed, turning away. Very cute…too cute. He fell asleep.
Kari's ears perked, sensing him as he fell asleep. She lifted her head and smiled at his sleeping self. She inched toward him, placed a delicate hand on his chest, and whispered into his ear, "Thank you. For everything. I just barely met you, and you saved my life. I was so scared, but I couldn't tell you that." She kissed him on the cheek and curled up next to him, glad that he didn't wake.