The God's Cry
Taiken thought it best to return to the entrance and clear up the fight between Oshi and Draco. It was impossible to say who was the stronger, or the more stubborn. They would wrangle for a while, Draco for the sake of what she thought was right, and Oshi for the sake of not giving in. If Ruriko thought she knew what was going on, she would often help her sister, but Taiken doubted whether Draco needed any help arguing. As usual with Ruriko, looks were deceiving and she showed herself to be very assertive and ferocious when it came to arguments.
Taiken took the familiar left turn to the entrance, and found himself standing in front of the door. He actually paused for a minute or so outside it, listening to angry muffles through the walls. He sighed, gathered himself and strode in.
Ruriko stood stone-faced and silent in the corner, and Draco and Oshi were stood either side of room, yelling at each other. Hawk sat, exhausted and with a hand pressed to his forehead, wishing it were both over and had nothing to do with him. Taiken suspected poor Hawk would fall asleep if the shouting hadn't been taking place only a few feet away from him.
Hawk and Ruriko looked up as Taiken made his entrance. Oshi and Draco, on the other hand, made no sign of acknowledging his presence.
"Oshi brings the voice of reason, Draco the voice of tolerance," he began sharply, catching their attention. "We are all anxious to hear what she has to say, and those who are so anxious that they cannot contain themselves, I invite to run to the spare room and wake up the sleeping girl and ask her."
Taiken felt a niggle of satisfaction as he heard himself say the words; but he felt also his more serious side surfacing. Draco and Oshi stood numb, no sound escaping their mouths.
"Get some rest, Hawk. You look dead on your feet," he continued, assuming charge. "Draco, can you rootle through the robes you don't mind giving up and leaving them in our guest's room; the one on the left of the two in the right hand passageway. Ruriko, go out and buy a bow and some arrows. Any bow will do, as long as it will fire arrows. Rootle through the armoury if you feel lazy. Oshi, you will hear what she has to say tomorrow. Don't worry."
Hawk stumbled gratefully back towards the winding caves, Ruriko pacing after him, the usual spring absent from her step, in the direction of the vault, and Draco trailing coolly, lagging behind in shame. The whole energy of the room fell from rage and fire to drained and flat. Oshi remained where he was until Hawk and Draco were gone. He heaved a great sigh, and gave Taiken a withering look.
"Some day, you will have to tell us what is wrong," Taiken said in monotone. His voice remained flat and lifeless, but the words uttered carried much weight.
Oshi nodded solemnly, then sidled out of the room, to contain himself within his own space.
x-x-x
Draco treaded numbly down familiar paths. She felt deeply ashamed at her outburst with Oshi. She had no idea why; if there was on thing that would help this girl, yelling was not it. Dragging the heroic Hawk and innocent Kyo into one of their arguments may have been it.
She physically shook her head and occupied herself with the route to her own corner of the maze.
The God's Cry guild was actually founded by Ruriko, who had said without a doubt that the world would begin to change soon. Naturally, Draco was the first to be at her sister's side, helping to find out about what was going on. And so the world began to change, and they found others who were eager and curious like themselves. And a couple of years ago, the king began to age rapidly, monsters swarmed in greater numbers, and the God's Cry were labelled as trouble makers and war mongerers. With that, their operations became more secret, and their ways more elaborate. Ruriko had been welcomed back to Yuno, where she had learnt her magic, and began to advance. The caves were found, and the God's Cry excavated them. The outer caves were a labyrinth, in which they were trapped in for days. It would have been longer, had Ruriko not been with them. They broke through, and on the spur of the moment, she had yelled happily, "Home sweet home!" Taiken, who thought the spur the best part of the moment, had shrugged humouredly, saying why not. So spells and enchantments were made and placed over the inner caves, and tunnels crafted, decorated richly as they went. And so their home came to be.
It had taken Ruriko months to find the spell over the oridecon bands, and even longer to find the ingredients. But soon, the circlets were around their wrists and working well.
Swishing aside the curtain that separated her room from the stone corridors, Draco began her search for old clothes. She flung her wardrobe open and threw its contents, which were surprisingly heavy, onto her bed. There must have been about a dozen kimonos hung in there, which she now observed, being laid in front of her. She now realised how beautiful each one was, in their bold colours and shimmering silks, embroidery glittering gracefully.
She directed her attention first to the one on the far left; a black one. Silhouettes of bamboo and blazing silver cranes flew gracefully over the dark sheen. Draco would give this one to Kyo. She chose another black one also, only with cherry blossoms embroidered all over it's surface. She knew they were only supposed to be white, but just a glance could have you lost in a swirl of endless pastel pinks and blues and golds, winking jovially. She picked also a thin, wonderfully soft one, made of the deepest midnight blue silk. Also a red one, with a rosy pink line waving down the middle, almost like a river of flowers, emblazoned with ribbons, and so bright that Draco had regarded it as childish. The last to be given to Kyo was a robe of violet fabric, graced with silver butterflies, gliding down the sleeves and fluttering through the folds.
Draco stood back, gazing wistfully at these beautiful dresses spread before her; she would give these away. She suspected that even the plainest girl would look pretty in any one of them.
She threw the rest back into her wardrobe and paused, not really sure what was going through her head. She thought maybe she should perhaps change into one of them, seeing as they were there.
She hesitantly stepped out of her assassin's garb, and wrapped herself in a plain black kimono, with a noble dragon, gold and beautiful, flowing down her back. She watched the transformation of herself in the mirror, still wistful.
She was a woman as much as she was a killer. But the assassin was as much a part of her as the lady and the sister. She kept Ruriko close, partly for love, but mostly for the fear of losing the woman to the killer. She regarded her gift of murder carefully, neither shunning nor taking pride. She had felt loss, and since then, she had always hesitated before making her final strike.
The mirror did not fool her. Her boots were now stashed away, her head held not a hood or hat but only black hair, and a dress hugged her woman's hips and fluttered femininely over her ankles. She could pale her face, redden her lips, darken her eyes, pull back her hair, put artificial blush into her cheeks…
The path she trod was that of an assassin. And she could not turn back from that.
And she did not intend on doing so.
x-x-x
Hawk awoke surprisingly early the next day. He blinked the lingering exhaustion out of his eyes, leapt out of bed, and prepared to charge through the caves to utter a hurried apology to everyone else for sleeping in so late. However, the passages were still and silent, and he even felt slightly foolish, with a scruffy old archer's tunic and trousers hastily shoved over his skin.
He thought he should at least check on Kyo; maybe she would be awake as well. So he began his saunter to where Taiken had led her.
The recollection of his name made Hawk realise he should probably ask Taiken about whether or not Kyo would be staying. It seemed she was vital to unravelling the mystery of Midgard and it's potential facing of a war. However, he wasn't sure if the others would be willing to allow her into the God's Cry; she seemed too fragile to kill anything, human or beast. Hawk now realised how much killing his own life involved. He should have known that, being a hunter. But the amount of fighting and killing he did now seemed excessive, especially since he had joined the God's Cry to save Midgard. It was mainly monsters though, but he now felt tainted somehow as his thoughts progressed.
When he reached the door of Kyo's room, he was actually slightly hesitant to walk in, though his journey passed in a bit of a blur. It was rude to enter a woman's room without permission, and even more so to wake her.
He told his arm to knock, but it remained stationary at his side.
He was spared the effort, as the door opened, and Draco slipped through it.
"Good morning," she said amiably, smiling. "I trust you are well rested?"
"Very," replied Hawk, smiling back. There was something different about her; not just the way she was dressed (although that was a bit of a surprise), but maybe the way she was holding herself.
"Hey, um…" she began. She raised her gaze to the ceiling, avoiding his eyes. "Sorry."
Hawk frowned. This wasn't what he had been expecting. "… For what?"
"Just… arguing. Being me."
"Don't be sorry. Please. You were at least arguing in my favour," he replied after a slight pause. He watched her carefully. She was holding herself differently; she clasped her hands in front of her in the vast sleeves of a dress, as maybe a humble wife would. It seemed to Hawk that she was trying to be more feminine. Her hair was pulled back with an elegant ribbon on the back of her head. Her robe was red, and she had selected a particularly womanly belt. Her next question confirmed it.
"Do you think I should try and grow my hair long again?" she said, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.
Hawk smiled involuntarily, remembering the day she had cut it. It had been in the middle of a fight, with no thoughts of the future on anyone's minds. It had just happened. Ruriko had been sat cross-legged on the floor, flicking through her diary in search of a spell. Taiken had been endlessly chanting and strumming at his guitar. Hawk had been shooting a myriad of arrows at their foe, fleeing when it began to chase him, then shooting again when he gained distance. Draco and Oshi had been pursuing it as it began to chase Hawk, intent, determined, focused, fixed, katars flashing dangerously, slicing the air with deft movements.
Draco had shook a long wave of jet-black hair out of her face, revealing a face creased with irritation. "To hell with this!" she yelled angrily. She simply grabbed her hair, and hacked it off, leaving some to fall leisurely to her shoulders. Oshi had given her a quizzical look, then gave the black hair now on the floor an almost wistful glance. It spread over the cold stone floor, like a glossy raven's wing. However, Hawk thought now a good time to spoil the moment, considering he was now on the brink of death – his bow lay forgotten on the floor next to him, and both hands were on the top and bottom jaw of the giant reptilian beast he had been shooting at for the last twenty minutes, and was now moments away from swallowing him whole. His arms were giving way, and it's teeth were alarmingly close to his head.
"Help me, damn you!" he bellowed, trying to take his focus off the monster's breath. The next second, both assassins leapt fiercely forward, as had Taiken. After a minute of merciless assault, Ruriko sprung to her feet and began the spell that had taken so long to find.
Hawk thought about Draco's question, then broke the silence.
"Does it really matter what I think?" he said.
"Well, did you prefer it when it was long, or how it is now?" she replied, waving her hands impetuously.
"I would prefer if you had it the way you wanted it."
"That doesn't make a lot of sense…"
"You do what you want with it. If anyone else says otherwise, well, considering it is on your head on which your hair grows, tell them too bad, but you have the final say on what happens to it."
She smiled. "I think I'll keep it short."
Hawk nodded, hoping he made it clear that he approved.
"Any reason you're down here?" she asked, breaking the silence again.
"Just checking on Kyo."
"Ah! She's asleep still." She gestured toward him, opened the door and beckoned him to look through. This was more than he bargained for, and it caught him slightly by the surprise. She was indeed asleep, clutching a pillow with both arms, hair spread out like a copper stream, fanning out over the pillows.
But all too soon, Draco resealed the door, blocking his view.
x-x-x
"You and Taiken should leave her a couple of days, then take her to Payon," Draco remarked, sensing something need to be said. "Taiken says he's going to try and get her into Comodo school."
She watched for some kind of reaction, but only received a nod.
"Shall we ask her when she wakes up?" he asked.
"Shouldn't we discuss it a bit more during breakfast?"
"I guess that would be a slightly better idea," he agreed.
"Well then," she replied in a mock-irritated voice. "You'd better go catch it, hadn't you."
"Yes mother," he said with a salute and a smile. It was always good to see Hawk smile; a sweet little reminder that he had a human side.
She watched him set off, staring vacantly at the space he had been standing in. Most of the time, Hawk was cold and composed. To anyone new he might meet, he was icy and harsh. He only seemed to warm up to those whom he trusted. However, earning his trust was an arduous task, and consequently, many wouldn't bother, and just leave him as the aloof, indifferent unfeeling hunter. She noticed his trust was easily broken, and suspected it took a long time to heal. As an assassin, she had been taught not to trust so easily, which she didn't. But a lot of the time, it seemed to her that he went overboard on this cautiousness. It was more fear than wariness. At least there seemed to be a point in his friendships when he learnt he could place his life in someone else's hands, and the trust stayed like concrete, unmoving.
To see him smile and be able to tease like an old friend made him more of a man, and less of a hunter, much like how she herself wanted to appear more feminine. So there was a warm heart under all of the ice, and Draco knew that the same went for her.
If only she could say the same thing for Oshi…
She truthfully wished that she could, but any warmth he had within him he wasn't going to let show.
But now that she thought about it, it was a miracle that Hawk had even shown concern for Kyo.
x-x-x
As she woke, it took a few moments before Kyo remembered who she was, what had happened, and where she was. She half expected to find herself in the strong arms of Hawk, being carried across some unknown landscape.
But she lay on a squashy mattress in a strange cave. Her eyes swooped over the room, and memories from only a few hours previously came flooding back.
She thought back to her conversation with Taiken, and was not sure how to react to the suggestion. She was not looking forward to learning archery, but she had to admit that the prospect of being a fighting dancer was quite appealing. She could at least be of some help to Hawk and the others, for taking care of her.
However, the Comodo school of Music and Dance sounded quite snobby. She had heard of Comodo island, especially in holiday suggestions, as the town of enjoyment. It was situated in the south, west of Morroc, and not a long sail southeast from Lutie.
As for Taiken telling her to think about it, she didn't really think there was much to the deal other than accepting it, it being the best option for her. She had been good at dancing anyway; Comodo should be a piece of cake. Archery, on the other, she could tell would be entirely different. Archers and hunters made it look easy, but she was not strong like they were, and knew there was much more to it than picking up the arrow and holding it over the bow.
She half-heartedly rose to her feet, inwardly rejoicing when her legs supported her weight, and gave her limbs a satisfying stretch. She now felt fresh and clear, and for someone who had recently slept for days at a time and had barely moved, this was wonderful. She smiled at the sensation, and again surveyed the room she stood in. She then noticed at the foot of her bed a bundle of fabrics. On closer inspection, they turned out to be some kimonos.
She knew kimonos were fairly common in the midlands of Midgard, but they just weren't seen in Arie. She knelt in front of the pile, almost tentatively, as though they were robes of glass instead of silk. She delicately held the top one up; it was of the deepest imaginable midnight blue, almost black but distinctly sapphire in tone, and so beautifully soft. She immediately swapped her uniform for this dress, and admired the way it fell over the curves of her figure, flowing elegantly over her feet and made the lilac in her eyes all the more distinct. She pulled her long hair back into a sophisticated bun on the back of her head, leaving some shorter strands at the front to frame her fine face. Standing in this dress, she felt almost pretty.
She shook her head, trying to not be so vain. She thought maybe that she should go somewhere, but where? This place was a labyrinth. She decided to wait for one of the others to come and collect her.
She now realised that there was something else on her mind; she was supposed to be telling them what had happened in Arie, but now that she thought about it, she didn't even know what had happened (even if she was the only living witness, she thought with a grimace.) After she had come home that evening, all she could remember was speaking briefly with Mother, then going to bed. She knew she woke up sometime in the night, but she couldn't remember the rest. She knew that it was her own fault that she couldn't recall it; her mind wouldn't let her. And now she was frightened of disappointing the people who had been so kind to her.
She shook the thoughts out of her head, and re-seated herself on the edge of her new bed, with her hands in her lap, and waited.
x-x-x
"Someone's here! Someone's here!" exclaimed Ruriko, jumping up and down where she stood.
"Great. Give me that bow," replied Taiken, somewhat blandly, indicating to the weapon she had clasped in both hands.
She gave him a scowl, thrust the bow into Taiken's hands and pulled out her diary. She took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and did a strange selection of movements with her arms, chanting under her breath. Taiken watched her right hand gracefully swishing through the air, her left hand clasping her little diary that was now sparkling and trailing pink dust through the atmosphere as Ruriko's spell progressed.
After a few moments, she left her hands in one place, like a blind man stumbling along, using his hands as his eyes.
But she abandoned her focus, her lips curved into a large, beaming smile.
"Chisel! Chisel is here!" she announced. Chisel was a blacksmith, and also a member of the God's Cry, but he spent a lot of his time travelling, as a lot of his work involved finding rare materials to both make and refine weapons. He had a little cart, which he wheeled with him to all places at all times, where he kept everything he might need.
"Wow…" breathed Taiken, smiling also. "How long has it been?"
"Long enough," she replied quickly. "Let's go greet him!" And with that, she seized his arm, and he found himself being steered with surprising strength towards the entrance of the caves.
Bursting overenthusiastically through the old wooden door, the duo ran into a rather bewildered Hawk, who was notching his bow and whispering to his falcon, who was hovering a few inches from it's master's face. He turned, ebony eyes wide.
"Anything I should know about?" he asked quite tentatively.
"Chisel is coming," explained Ruriko, who was excitedly hoping from one foot to the other. Ruriko looked forward to just about anything that wasn't negative, but especially Chisel's visits. He didn't suspect she was interested in him. But Chisel was always amiable and charming, and Taiken noticed how much she liked this positive attitude of his. Taiken also enjoyed Chisel's visits because of this, but Ruriko's emotions seemed inflated somehow, and she was not afraid of expressing them.
"Really?" replied Hawk. After a hesitant pause, he added, "That's nice." Taiken regarded him carefully for a brief moment; his expression was always difficult to read. Hawk could hide a lot of the emotion that he didn't want known. He was cold and defensive about Chisel as well. As for Chisel, the handsome blacksmith ignored this trait of Hawk's, and stayed jovial and friendly. He either ignored it, or he was one of the few optimistic people who looked for the best in a person rather than the negative or whatever was apparent on the surface.
"I should go out and get us some breakfast," said Hawk in barely more than a whisper.
"You hurry back then," replied Ruriko cheerfully, with a big smile over her face.
He nodded, and, with a small smile, turned to leave.
Taiken stared after him, then diverted his eyes to Ruriko, who was still bobbing up and down on the spot. She didn't seem to have noticed any tension on Hawk's part, but expecting Ruriko to notice something deep like that was asking a bit much.
"Have you ever tried reading minds?" he asked finally. To him, the silence was awkward.
"A couple of times. But so far, the only results I've managed to get are "positive thoughts" or "negative thoughts"," she replied, almost apologetically. "Why though?"
"You don't think that maybe it would be useful sometimes?"
"I suppose. But I'm not a telekinetic… pathic, even," she added quickly, giving a sheepish nod.
"You could sniff out a scheme, find out what's troubling someone…"
"If you're talking about Oshi," she interjected firmly. "He will tell us when he is ready."
"You could make it a lot easier for us."
"I could. But I don't think it would make things any better. Don't you think it would be better for Oshi that he found the courage to say what he has to say for himself, rather than us prying his thoughts? If he keeps stuff hidden from us, there must be some sort of reason."
"Have you ever thought about developing that power?"
"Yes, and I have tried. But it comes out a lot more like empathy. Did you ever hear that story about this guy who mastered empathy, and he could feel the emotions of everyone on Midgard?"
He shook his head.
"He couldn't handle it. He just felt too much at once, and he just kinda… wasted away."
She sighed, scratching the side of her head.
"I do realise that I'm quite powerful, and that does seem a little scary sometimes. And sometimes it feels like all this power shouldn't really have come to me, and maybe it should have been given to someone who is more cleverer, you know?"
Taiken couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he hoped that his shock was not too evident. He had never classed Ruriko as the deep and thoughtful type, but now she was the one telling him to learn to trust, something that was normally left to him as the group squabbled. But she was most certainly right, and now that he thought about it, reading minds would be an incredibly selfish power, the stuff of rogues and deceivers. He found a smile touching his lips, and raised his eyes to the slightly bewildered Ruriko.
"You're great the way you are," he began. He had a mind full of words of reassurance, but he couldn't place them in his mouth. He tried, however. He wasn't sure how to word it without sounding like he was trying to hit on her. "Anyone who thinks you're stupid has another coming for them. Sure, your forgetfulness nearly kills us sometimes, but you get there in the end. And before you say anything, your magic isn't your only gift."
He paused to check the effect of these words. Her eyes were shining, and the smile on her face made everything about her seem all the more innocent.
"You really think so?" she whispered.
"I know so," he replied. "I remember you told me once that your spells and your diary are what make you worthwhile." She nodded. "Well, it's the other way round," he stated. "And don't tell yourself otherwise."
She smiled all the sweeter. He'd told her what she needed to hear.
"Thanks Taiken," she breathed.
He nodded. "You too Ruriko."
It appeared to him to be a bit of a tender moment between the two, smiling into each other's eyes, and he felt the need to break it before something happened. He found himself afraid. He said he should go see if Kyo, Draco and Oshi were awake, and said Ruriko should wait for Chisel.
As he stepped on to the other side of the door, he felt almost drained. He wasn't sure why, and strode off in the direction of Draco's room. And he got lost a few times along the way…
x-x-x
Ruriko continued to smile, not sure if what had just happened was real or not. Taiken was a deep thinker, she knew, but it was not often that he shared his thoughts, and she considered it an honour that she should be the one to hear them. She felt relieved to show someone knew that she did, in fact, have some common sense, which other people were normally really snide about, smirking and calling her the ignorant one. She also felt elated; Taiken's well-chosen words were exactly what she needed to hear. She replayed the part about her being worthwhile in her head, and remembered to keep that moment close to her.
And she swelled inwardly with pride, remembering how she had taught him a valuable lesson too.
x-x-x
Hawk dawdled slightly as he trod over familiar soil. He felt glad at his opportunity to gather breakfast, as it at least gave him the solitude he would never attain living in the God's Cry, with five other very different people roaming and clashing with each other. He regarded the organization as a very unlikely group, but it didn't mean he wasn't happy about joining. In fact, he had discovered it to be the best choice he had ever made. Childhood friends had come and gone, his mother had left him, but the God's Cry were his true friends, and would not abandon him.
And Chisel would be visiting.
He didn't know Chisel very well, but saw that he was indeed cheerful and pleasant, with a broad grin, messy blonde hair with a boyish cap seated soundly on his head. He had once given Hawk a bow that he had made himself; in fact, Hawk now held the bow in his right arm, notched and ready to kill. It was certainly an excellent weapon, a lot better than could be bought in any shop or even made by Hawk himself. He had accepted it with a humble bow, telling himself not to trust. He was cautious of Chisel, not sure whether the congeniality was genuine or not. He sometimes went into battle with them, and it was indeed an honour to fight alongside him.
A lot of the time, he was there to drop off a few belongings, or money. And he always bought back souvenirs, which was actually quite cute. But it reminded Hawk of how little time Chisel spent at the God's Cry, and he always held this image of a man who was going on holiday to his house, and who went home to his holiday destination.
He absent-mindedly shot two arrows at a wolf, which he now leapt over to and swung over his back. He looked around; the scenery was quite green, and looked almost like the place his mother had taken them to when he was just a boy.
They would often go for picnics and other such things to a place she called the Ash Grove. For Hawk, this was the single most beautiful place on Midgard. The rivers flowed silver and clear, and the endless bright speckles of little colourful flowers immersed the lush, ripe green grass. The trees grew tall and thick, their wood dark and their foliage deep green. Butterflies fluttering magnificently, birdsong filled the air and the stray petals of a thousand flowers soared on the wind's white wings. A night in the Ash Grove was spent stargazing, the day sunbathing, and the sunrise and sunset set the very skies on fire, the air turning amber, the crickets singing and fireflies pretending to be fairies encircled the pasture. Hawk had often turned to his mother and asked why they couldn't live there to watch the sky with the grass in their toes. His mother had only smiled and held him close.
One day, Hawk came running home from Payon, eager to see his mother, and tell her how she was right and he was able to fire the arrow after he focused and believed in himself and he would now train hard as an archer and he had done well at Payon and his teachers were proud of him. He ran to his door, having not seen his mother for months, beaming and eager to run to the Ash Grove where they would have all the time in the world to stare into the skies. But Mother was not home. He ran through the village, called her. "Where is Mother?" he asked. "She now sleeps under the green turf of the lonely Ash Grove," they replied sombrely.
Hawk hadn't understood those words until now. She had left him was what he had told himself, and he didn't know how else to feel. He was so confused now. He shook his head, trying to stay focused. Readjusting the dead wolf hanging limply over his shoulder, he started back to the God's Cry, wiping his eyes on his sleeves as he went, and Alder looming above him.
x-x-x
"Hey Draco," called Taiken from the entrance of their dojo. She looked up from her training, lowering her katars and wiping her forehead. "Chisel's on his way over. He should be arriving any minute now."
"Really?" she said, latching the weapons off her hands and sheathing them. "Great!"
She slipped a robe over her loose-fitting fighting garb and strode out of the dojo after Taiken.
"Let's just go get Miss Sleepy head and Mr Happiness," he said as they started off down the corridors.
Draco giggled, not sure how else to reply to this.
"So will Kyo's story have to wait?" she asked instead.
"No," mused Taiken simply. "In fact, I think it might even be better if Chisel were here to listen as well."
"I guess," she remarked. "Do you think Chisel will bring us new weapons?"
"Wouldn't doubt it. That's a Chisel tradition; he never comes here empty handed. He'd be pushing himself to improve on the last batch."
She turned for a moment to smile at him. She thought of the daggers sheathed at her side; they were of course, a Chisel original. The metal used to forge it was a mixture of many different metals, most of which were unknown substances, unknown even to Chisel. She knew one of the metals was emperium, the strongest metal on Midgard. It was also the heaviest, but Chisel had told them with a grin that a few wizards in Geffen had taken care of that, and they were therefore as light as air. It had taken a few days to adjust to them, not feeling the satisfying weight of sharpened metal, or the hefty impact as they struck a target. She had felt almost vulnerable, feeling their lightness, as though she was wielding paper, but over time they became perfectly suited for her.
"I suddenly realize I could have got Chisel to make a bow for Kyo; I didn't need to get Ruriko to find one," commented Taiken, almost whiney.
"That's a point," said Draco. "If Kyo decides to go to Comodo, you need to ask her which weapon she's going to use: whip… chakrams… whatever..."
"Is that what those things are called?" he asked with a frown. "I just called them funny bladed hoop thingies…"
She laughed, wondering why Taiken didn't know that much. "Why do some dancers use chakrams instead of whips?"
"Well some dancers think the whips a little too… kinky. Especially with those revealing outfits they sometimes wear. There are very few dancers who hold that sentiment though. It isn't just chakrams, you know… short swords, instruments, some go entirely with a bow… I reckon Kyo will choose the funny bladed hoop thingies…"
She affectionately nudged him in the side, both of them laughing. It was cut back to a grin though, as they reached Kyo's door.
"You knock first."
"Nope. You first."
"Oldest first."
"Ladies first."
They stood there for a minute longer, smirking at each other, like little kids.
"Why are we arguing about this?" Draco asked, grinning like a fool. It was, indeed, a childish argument over a childish nothing.
"Heh. Let's just knock."
Kyo answered the door within a second of the first knock. She peered anxiously at them for a moment, then smiled benignly. She looked incredibly elegant, wearing the deep blue kimono and copper hair pulled back.
"Should I change into my uniform, Taiken sir?" she asked warily.
"No. You have to meet Chisel first." She tilted her head and blinked, confused. "A blacksmith. He's another member of the God's Cry."
She nodded knowingly. "Are there any other members who weren't here when I arrived?"
"No. I wouldn't count the sages at Yuno, as they can't come in and out freely, but we do work quite closely with them. He isn't here often. He spends a lot of time travelling."
Kyo nodded again, and stepped humbly outside into the caves. "Where is Oshi?"
"We're going to go get him now."
x-x-x
Oshi concealed himself in his room, hoarding his emotions. He thought maybe that he should feel angry at losing his argument yesterday, but he didn't. Keeping everything hidden was wreaking havoc with his own mind, and he no longer felt the strength to be angry. His body was well and alive, but his feelings were on the brink of death. He found that, instead of giving Taiken a fierce glare when suggesting something was wrong with him, he had nodded. He couldn't keep anything hidden for much longer. He realised that his emotions were dangerous. Sometimes he could just brood it off, but it was becoming more difficult.
But whom would he talk freely with? Taiken probably wouldn't take him seriously, and he had lost too much to Taiken. Not necessarily material things, it was just the way Taiken could put an end to his arguments in a heartbeat. Ruriko wouldn't understand, being the stupid young brat that she was. Hawk was just almost as cold and untrusting as he was. That Kyo girl seemed too innocent to comprehend anything deep and meaningful, and he had only met her yesterday.
The God's Cry were indeed the only people who had ever counted him as a friend, no matter how cold and coarse he appeared. It was nice to know that they were there, but he was somewhat scared of his emotions and how others would react to them.
He had been running long enough, and now he was exhausted.
There was a knock at the door, jolting his senses back to his body, making his heart miss a few beats and taking the breath out of his lungs. He stared anxiously at the door, then realised that he needn't fear whatever it was on the other side.
"Hey Oshi," called Taiken through the door. "Chisel's here. You're coming down to see him, right?"
Oshi nodded, then remembered that people can't hear a nod. He attempted to place a smile over his features, wondering if he would look genuinely happy or menacing. He tried now to not worry, and instead sidled to the door, yanking it open with half-hearted hands.
Taiken stood grinning broadly, Draco next to him, smiling serenely, and Kyo behind them, almost like she was hiding.
"Sure. Why not."
He noted quickly that they were pleasantly surprised at his new not sharp attitude, as there seemed to be a slight sigh of relief rippling over the trio in front of him. Kyo was even contented enough to walk alongside him.
"Kyo, have you thought about what I told you?" asked Taiken.
"Yes, Taiken sir," she replied, somewhat obediently. "I thought it might be best for me if I were to go to the Comodo school."
"Good," said Taiken, turning to smile at her. "So me and Hawk will teach you how to use a bow. Have you thought about which weapon you will use?"
"I don't know which weapons are available to active dancers."
"Whips or chakrams."
"Ooh, you didn't call it a funny bladed hoop thingy," interjected Draco benignly.
"So… a chakram is obviously a funny bladed hoop thingy…" said Kyo.
"Chakrams are a pair of bladed rings," explained Draco. "We'll get Chisel to forge whichever you choose."
"Chakrams, I guess…" Kyo remarked, after a slight pause. Oshi watched Taiken give Draco a satisfied, I-told-you-so look, but didn't bother asking about. It was probably easier that way.
To be honest, he couldn't see Kyo using a whip; it just didn't seem very… her. Definitely not her style.
But all too soon, they stood in front of the entrance to the entrance, and were striding inside.
"There you all are," said a friendly voice. "Where's Hawk?"
"Getting breakfast," explained Draco. "How are you Chisel?" she said, crossing the room to give him a hug.
"Yo Draco," he replied, smiling his boyish smile. He reached into his cart quickly and drew out a little black stone on a silver chain. "For you. It's called a shadow stone in our language. It has a different name in the Language of the Making that doesn't sound so corny. There used to be a guild of assassins who could become the very shadows, and the shadow stone was their avatar. It is long lost knowledge, but imagine being able to move through and be the shadows like that!"
"Aw… Chisel, you shouldn't have!" She lifted her hair up, and slipped her new pendant around her neck. "It's so pretty!" she breathed, holding it close to her face, eyes fixed on its misty black lustre.
"Hey," whined Ruriko, still hopping from one foot to the other. "Where's mine?"
Chisel laughed, and handed her some rosary beads.
"I found them in the old abandoned temple in Gonryon. I did a few checks, and all the monks in said there was nothing wrong with them. When I told them who I intended to give them to, they all blessed it."
"They did? They know who I am?" she asked, pleasantly flattered and baffled.
"Of course! Don't you know that the Professor Akiro visits often? And he does have a bit of a soft spot for you," he explained, presenting Ruriko with her new necklace. She held it delicately in both hands, examining it carefully with a little girl's smile on her face. The beads were pale pink in hue, but they had an almost pearly sheen. It was evident that she adored them, and she threw them around her neck. The necklace was so long that the elegant cross in the middle fell all the way down to her belly.
"Taiken, how are you my friend?" Chisel now turned to Taiken, tipping the childish cap on his head. The pair shook hands and embraced like brothers.
"Good, good. You're not out of shiny jewellery now, are you?"
"I don't think so. But I do have something for you…" He now bent over his cart again, bringing out a misty silver flute. "Oridecon flute. You can use it as a weapon, but honestly, I was hoping you would just use it for leisurely playing. I haven't heard you play the flute in quite a while."
Taiken lifted his gift to his lips and blew into it; the note was soft and smooth, and spread a feeling of warmth through the room.
"Any blessings on it?" asked Taiken with a smile.
"Maybe," admitted Chisel, grinning. Oshi inwardly panicked; he was next. "Oshi, how have you been?" He automatically stepped forward to shake hands, which Oshi did somewhat tentatively. Well, that wasn't so bad, he thought to himself. But he wasn't sure how his crude nature would handle his gift. He nodded when he realised that he hadn't answered Chisel.
"Have something special for you too," he said. When he emerged from selecting items from his cart, he had two things clutched in his hand: a little black bag and a small slightly grubby leather bound book. "It tells you how to use them inside. That was a gift from the monks in Gonryun."
Oshi nodded, and again realised that he had to make some sort of reply. "Thank you, Chisel," he uttered, somewhat awkwardly. It was good enough for Chisel though, who smiled and told him it was no big deal.
"Chisel, meet our newest edition to the God's Cry," announced Taiken, steering Kyo to the front of the crowd. "This is Kyo. And she's going to become an active dancer."
Chisel bowed politely and smiled, introducing himself. "I'm pretty sure I can find something in here for you…" Kyo made a little noise, as though about to protest, but Taiken still had his hands on her shoulders, so she kept quiet. "Aha!" he proclaimed, drawing out a small bead on a chain. "An earring. I got loads of magical stuff from the monks in Gonryun, and I think we can thank Ruriko for that." He shot Ruriko a grin, and placed the earring in Kyo's hand. "You know how monks call spirits and use them in their spells? Well, they've done something like that; I got lost sometime during the explanation, but there is a spirit in there, not one you can speak with, but one that will protect or help you find your way or something good like that. I think at that point in the conversation, they were just trying to confuse me."
Kyo muttered the words "thank you" an uncountable number of times whilst bowing. Oshi was now convinced that her good manners would one day get her into trouble.
He had never himself seen anyone in a fight get into trouble for good manners, but he had heard it had happened. There was no one in the God's Cry who would let that happen, not even Taiken. Oshi had heard people describing the way he was during a fight, and it went along the lines of lunatic, maniac, out of control, savage… and such was his reputation as a killer. He just couldn't see the point of showing mercy for something he was intent on killing. On the other hand, neither did Draco, but she had an air of patience and stillness about her, even on the battlefield. He now realised his weakness: his impulsive nature. And he knew it had let him down several times in the past.
x-x-x
Chisel regarded the friends he had not seen for some months. They weren't all that different. Draco stood casually against the wall, Ruriko prancing on the spot, Taiken smiling amiably and Oshi brooding in the corner. The only thing that was missing was a Hawk brooding in the other corner, feeding his falcon. And now there was Kyo, stood nervously in front of Taiken, fastening his gift onto her ear with a grateful smile.
"How did you get here then?" he asked curiously. Her eyes widened slightly, and gave him an almost pleading look. But Taiken was quick off the mark.
"She'll be telling us that when Hawk gets back," he said, then turning to her for confirmation. "Right?"
She nodded hesitantly, probably not sure how else to react, and Chisel began to regret the question.
"So, Chisel, do you think you could forge us a pair of good chakrams?" asked Taiken to ease the silence.
"Sure thing," replied Chisel with a tip of his cap. "But I'd like to get an idea of the way Kyo fights, so that I can make a pair that suits her."
"Aren't they just all the same?" Taiken replied bewilderedly, scratching the side of his head.
"Of course not." Chisel frowned; he would have regarded a concept such as this as common sense. But then, Taiken didn't need to know this stuff, so, knowing him, he was probably just making the most of it. "If she feels more comfortable using horizontal swipes, I can engineer to that. Or maybe she's quicker than most, maybe she prefers stabbing or dismemberment… I could go on, but I would like start her on a short sword first."
Kyo looked terrified at the idea.
"Here," he said, reaching into his cart and finding a sword known as a "sucsamad." It had a thin blade with sharp edges. It was used by desert dwellers who lived in tribes, for just about everything; eating, catching food, hunting, and other such essential tasks. She accepted this gift warily, and clasped it in both hands rather than sheath it on her belt. He thought for a moment that he should ask her about this, but then thought the concept of questioning whatever she did with her weapons nosy and somehow stupid.
"So a little something to eat then a little toasting of a few random monsters?" asked Draco with her cynical smile.
"Sure. Why not."
"So, who's going where?" said Oshi quietly from his corner. Chisel turned to Taiken, as did Draco, Ruriko and Kyo.
"Well, Hawk and I will go to Comodo," began Taiken. "For some reason, the school needs notice before it takes on new students," he explained, as though this were a ridiculous concept. "Draco and Ruriko should go to Yuno, see if the sage guild know anything. Oshi and Chisel go train Kyo some."
"Sounds good," agreed Draco.
"And Hawk's back!" announced Ruriko. And sure enough, Hawk stepped elegantly through the door. "Back to the main hall anyone who isn't cooking!"
Smiling slightly, Hawk abandoned his prey on Draco, who swung it deftly over her shoulder and went off to the kitchen with Ruriko.
x-x-x
"As long as Ruriko is only responsible for the cooking fire, I will eat it willingly," stated Taiken firmly.
"What's that meant to mean?" Ruriko replied sharply.
"That you're a terrible cook, Ruriko," said Draco, beckoning her sister to follow her.
"Sis! You're supposed to be taking my side!" whined Ruriko as they set off for the kitchen.
"I take the side of truth."
"That's not true though! Hey! Get back here!"
Hawk couldn't hear whatever it was Taiken and Chisel muttered under their breath simultaneously, but it sounded oddly like, "Women…"
"Hey Hawk," said Taiken. "You and I have to go to Comodo to speak with the teachers at the school."
Knowing there was no point in protesting about it, Hawk nodded.
"I'm not sure that you've been Comodo before…" Taiken mused.
"No," was the simple reply.
"Ah… Try to be nice, and if any of the girls try hitting on you, tell them you're married."
"But I'm-"
"They will try, they don't go investigating your marital status, and it does work."
"I suppose you speak from experience Taiken," laughed Chisel, smiling warmly at his friend. Taiken only replied with his usual cheeky grin.
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