Chapter 2 The Search Begins
The sun was awoken, yet the old bathhouse was dead quiet. Chihiro lay curled up in a corner sleeping gently, when someone shook her awake. She quickly curled over and saw that Kohaku was awake and most of his tiredness seamed to be gone. They looked long at each other.
"Good morning" she said smiling. He smiled back, that was a good sign.
"Good morning, Zeniba asked me to go get you out of your sleep. We're leaving in some minutes and you better get something to eat. We have a long walk ahead."
"Okay, I'll be right up!" she said throwing of the rug someone had put on her while sleeping. She walked over to Zeniba, who was cooking by a small fire.
"Here child, have some soup. We can't manage much more in these harsh times."
The soup seemed watered, yet it tasted very good. 'Zeniba must have tricked the flavours' she thought while eating her small share.
She looked around on the spirits and workers. She saw Lin talking with a robust looking spirit, with a large sword on his back, yet he more seamed to listen to what Lin had to say, he didn't say anything. Konashi was serving another spirit, a very old one, if you looked at his long beard that was reaching down to the floor.
"Granny, who are they. I've never seen them before around here."
Zeniba turned around. When she saw whom Chihiro was pointing at she smiled.
"The spirit Lin's talking to is Deko and the one Konashi is serving is Xing. They will be your followers on your journey."
Chihiro nodded and ate the rest of her soup. She thanked Zeniba, who gave a broad smile in return, before walking over to Lin.
"Uhm, Lin... How long do you think this mission will take?"
"Don't know actually, could take years for the part I know."
Chihiro sighed. The fire spirit Deko waved his arms in the air and made some wild gestures.
"Yes, dear Deko, that's Chihiro" Lin said smiling.
The fire spirit bowed.
"What's with him?" Chihiro asked Lin, curious.
"He's a mute so he always make gestures to speak out." Her old friend said.
Chihiro nodded understanding. She smiled looking at the poor fire spirit who so deeply tried to make her understand what he meant. Suddenly she laughed, something she had almost forgotten how you did.
Konashi came over, closely followed by Xing. The old earth spirit looked at the laughing human and smiled. She was a strong soul, she would be a great one in this.
Last, but not least Kohaku came, his eyes telling her how happy he was now that they were together, yet soon that happiness disappeared when he remembered they might not be together for a such a long time, now.
Chihiro smiled back. She had missed him so much ever since she had returned back to the humanworld again. Sometimes it felt like she was more home here then in the world she came from.
Zeniba came over, carrying some small bags and one really big one. She gave each of the small bags to each one of them, except Deko, who received the big one. Yet it didn't seam to trouble him at all. He just took it and bowed, made some weird gestures, which made Zeniba smile.
"Be careful, my sister will try everything to get you to fail this mission so be very careful and don't trust anyone except yourselves. My sister have found many foul spirits on the late years, but if you are careful you'll might be able to sneak past."
She turned to Chihiro. "Remember to always wear that headband, never take it of. In times like this that is your deepest protection."
Chihiro couldn't hold it any longer, she quickly hugged Zeniba and started crying silently in her heart. If farewells were this hard she never wanted to be separated from her friends again.
"Konashi, could you please show them the secret way out" Zeniba said to her helper. The spirit nodded and smiled. He turned and led them deeper into the tunnel until they came to an end. There, Konashi left them, walking back.
"Goodbye" Chihiro said as it walked away.
She turned back to Lin. "So, where are we going to?" she asked.
"Lanzii, it's a small town not too far away." Her friend answered.
To reviewers:
kameeko: Here's the update, even not a week since last one.
Micrll: here was the chapter and I will probably post one tomorrow. Next one will probably also be longer.
Sakura-Hiwatari: So here's next chapter, I hope this will lighten you day.
End note:
Shitza: Next chapter will probably be posted tomorrow, unless my plans are destroyed, have a good time until that, don't get mad at me for writing short chapter and please review!
Shitza
The sun was awoken, yet the old bathhouse was dead quiet. Chihiro lay curled up in a corner sleeping gently, when someone shook her awake. She quickly curled over and saw that Kohaku was awake and most of his tiredness seamed to be gone. They looked long at each other.
"Good morning" she said smiling. He smiled back, that was a good sign.
"Good morning, Zeniba asked me to go get you out of your sleep. We're leaving in some minutes and you better get something to eat. We have a long walk ahead."
"Okay, I'll be right up!" she said throwing of the rug someone had put on her while sleeping. She walked over to Zeniba, who was cooking by a small fire.
"Here child, have some soup. We can't manage much more in these harsh times."
The soup seemed watered, yet it tasted very good. 'Zeniba must have tricked the flavours' she thought while eating her small share.
She looked around on the spirits and workers. She saw Lin talking with a robust looking spirit, with a large sword on his back, yet he more seamed to listen to what Lin had to say, he didn't say anything. Konashi was serving another spirit, a very old one, if you looked at his long beard that was reaching down to the floor.
"Granny, who are they. I've never seen them before around here."
Zeniba turned around. When she saw whom Chihiro was pointing at she smiled.
"The spirit Lin's talking to is Deko and the one Konashi is serving is Xing. They will be your followers on your journey."
Chihiro nodded and ate the rest of her soup. She thanked Zeniba, who gave a broad smile in return, before walking over to Lin.
"Uhm, Lin... How long do you think this mission will take?"
"Don't know actually, could take years for the part I know."
Chihiro sighed. The fire spirit Deko waved his arms in the air and made some wild gestures.
"Yes, dear Deko, that's Chihiro" Lin said smiling.
The fire spirit bowed.
"What's with him?" Chihiro asked Lin, curious.
"He's a mute so he always make gestures to speak out." Her old friend said.
Chihiro nodded understanding. She smiled looking at the poor fire spirit who so deeply tried to make her understand what he meant. Suddenly she laughed, something she had almost forgotten how you did.
Konashi came over, closely followed by Xing. The old earth spirit looked at the laughing human and smiled. She was a strong soul, she would be a great one in this.
Last, but not least Kohaku came, his eyes telling her how happy he was now that they were together, yet soon that happiness disappeared when he remembered they might not be together for a such a long time, now.
Chihiro smiled back. She had missed him so much ever since she had returned back to the humanworld again. Sometimes it felt like she was more home here then in the world she came from.
Zeniba came over, carrying some small bags and one really big one. She gave each of the small bags to each one of them, except Deko, who received the big one. Yet it didn't seam to trouble him at all. He just took it and bowed, made some weird gestures, which made Zeniba smile.
"Be careful, my sister will try everything to get you to fail this mission so be very careful and don't trust anyone except yourselves. My sister have found many foul spirits on the late years, but if you are careful you'll might be able to sneak past."
She turned to Chihiro. "Remember to always wear that headband, never take it of. In times like this that is your deepest protection."
Chihiro couldn't hold it any longer, she quickly hugged Zeniba and started crying silently in her heart. If farewells were this hard she never wanted to be separated from her friends again.
"Konashi, could you please show them the secret way out" Zeniba said to her helper. The spirit nodded and smiled. He turned and led them deeper into the tunnel until they came to an end. There, Konashi left them, walking back.
"Goodbye" Chihiro said as it walked away.
She turned back to Lin. "So, where are we going to?" she asked.
"Lanzii, it's a small town not too far away." Her friend answered.
To reviewers:
kameeko: Here's the update, even not a week since last one.
Micrll: here was the chapter and I will probably post one tomorrow. Next one will probably also be longer.
Sakura-Hiwatari: So here's next chapter, I hope this will lighten you day.
End note:
Shitza: Next chapter will probably be posted tomorrow, unless my plans are destroyed, have a good time until that, don't get mad at me for writing short chapter and please review!
Shitza