Alien girl: Hey thanks! (: And it's super how you brought up that bit about Reiko. I didn't want her to be just some chick who's all brave and stuff all the time from the beginning. It's more real like this, don't you think? (: And yeah, she's still kinda messed up over everything, and it's only just begun waha.
She walked hidden under the shadow of her cloak. She wasn't even sure where she was going. Just anywhere away, maybe towards Hokkan. She didn't even know where she was. "Just a whole load of trees." Reiko muttered.
It was dark, and the canopy of the trees didn't do much help. For a second, she wished she didn't leave the others. She remembered the feeling of always being protected and watched over, taken care of and shown concern. But only for a second.
She didn't bring much along, clothes and food alike, only a few coins she had left. She thought maybe she'd reach somewhere soon. But after hours of walking, this seemed highly unlikely. Reiko had no idea how long she had walked, and was too tired to figure it out. Resting is a good idea, she thought to herself. Looking around her, trying to see as much as she could in the dark, she chose a tree and climbed up. Propping herself up against the trunk, she dozed off to sleep.
She was walking through a room of her old things. Dresses, books, dolls. Every step she took, mroe and more of them came. She had to walk over piles, then wade through heaps. It came up to her knees and over her shoulders. She couldn't move or scream. The room is no longer a room, but a vast space suffocated with material things. Then bodies began to drop. Soldiers, advisors, people she knew, then father, mother, Ayame, like rag dolls, tossed away. She started to cry tears fell, drops, streams, like puddles, then fountains and waterfalls like a raging storm, the water drowned her. She struggled with the weight of everything around her. Suddenly, she was standing in the same vast space, only empty. For a while, she stood, immobile. All around her was just white, endless. Alone. She went on standing until she saw a flicker of red in the distance. On and on she ran towards it, running and running. The tap tap tap of her footsteps echoed so loudly in her ears she wanted to put her hands up to cover them. Faster she went, just running and running. Slowly, the red speck grew. She smiles through her sweat. Then she frowns and tries to stop, but she just goes on. The red speck grows so suddenly. It becomes a tall crimson wave coming at her. Her feet won't stop, and the shadow of the hugh sea encompasses her.
Reiko woke up with a start. Still up in the tree, she shook in cold sweat. She hugged herself, biting her lip. She shut her eyes as tight as she could. When she opened them again, dry, she realised it was morning. The sky was a pale blue, seen through the small gaps between the leaves. Pulling herself together, she climbed down. She rethought her steps and headed the same way as the night before. If I remembered correctly, she thought to herself.
Reiko squinted to get a better look at the sky. It seemed brighter on her left. "The sun rises in the east. Hokkan is northwest of Mount Taikyoku... if I left the mountain correctly, I should be heading westwards." she decided.
She ate whatever she could find to keep her going. Days and days she went. How many sunrises and sunsets, she lost count. Then, the trees started to thin until it became open land. And afar she could see a city.
Kutou. City of Seiryuu.