Chapter 11

Just as the fading light painted the sky a pastel purple, Shizuru heard the drumming of wheels over uneven dirt.

In the distance, a single donkey slowly pulled a straw-filled wagon towards them, guided forward by its elderly driver. He nodded at them as the wagon passed, features obscured by the brim of a large red hat, and though the donkey's pace slowed, they did not stop.

Shizuru spared a glance in Natsuki's direction. "Shall we?"

When the travelers caught up to the back of the wagon, Shizuru jumped on first. She held out a hand, half expecting the other woman to reject her — but to her surprise, Natsuki took it.

And here I thought spring would never come, she mused, pulling the other woman up.

The pair sat down comfortably and watched as the mill continued to shrink in the distance. Soon enough, the sound of the river was replaced by chirps of insects in fields of green, and Shizuru stared out at the horizon.

These past few days had been peaceful, almost too much so, and she couldn't help but to wonder — if that incident never happened, would her everyday have looked like this? She listened to the calls of birds from above, but alas, received no answer.

Well, perhaps she'd never know.

Her gaze shifted down to the dirt path in front, and she eyed the small flowers that grew along both sides of it. What were the names of those again?

Something to do with winter, she thought absentmindedly. Or was it snow?

"Snowdrops."

Yes, that's it, Snow — She gave Natsuki a surprised look. "How did you…?"

"Lucky guess."

"Well, it seems you've been having a lot of those lately." Shizuru propped an elbow on the side of the wagon and rested her chin on her hand, eyes suddenly glimmering with amusement. "Since we have time, shall we see how far your luck goes? How about you guess my favorite flower?"

To her surprise, Natsuki answered immediately. "Bellberry."

…Ah, not quite.

It was a good guess, however. Bellberry flowers were amongst the favorites of many people and were often given as gifts for special occasions. But Shizuru, having grown up in a place where the blooms grew abundantly, had never once regarded them as more than common flowers.

Before she had a chance to say so, Natsuki visibly stiffened with a frown. "Wait, no — it's not bellberry."

Oh? "Then what's your guess?"

"It's Purple Ashta… the hardy type."

The expression on Shizuru's face wavered. How could Natsuki have possibly known that?

Just the guess of Purple Ashta would have been surprising in itself; the flowers weren't very well known, being hard to grow and not very common in the first place, but Natsuki had even gotten the variant she liked correct — a smaller version of the plant with circular leaves. It was so very specific, and Shizuru couldn't help but be stunned.

"Tell me," she said, "how did you know?"

"I just do."

"Is it part of your gift?" Shizuru pressed on, feeling curious. "Knowing all things flower related, perhaps?"

Natsuki shrugged. "Who knows."

Hm… Shizuru raised a brow but said nothing more.

Soon after, there was silence once again, and as time passed by, the purple skies faded into a deep navy.

After being still for so long, Shizuru finally relaxed her shoulders. The act seemed to catch Natsuki's attention, and when she didn't look away, Shizuru spoke. "Is something on your mind?"

"...It's nothing," Natsuki replied, sounding embarrassed at being caught. "You just sit very properly."

Properly? Shizuru glanced down at herself. It was true that she had been sitting quite stiffly — on her knees with her back as straight as a rod, just as she had been taught to do so long ago.

"It's an old habit," she said, lifting her head. Natsuki, on the other hand, was sitting much more casually than herself, with an elbow resting on a bent knee. The corners of Shizuru's lips rose. "It wasn't too long ago that you lived in the palace as a princess — others would be surprised to see you now. Wasn't it strict there?"

"Maybe for others, but not for me." Natsuki quietly picked at a few strands of straw that had fallen loose from the pile behind them. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What was it like where you grew up?"

Ah... Well, what could she say? As far back as Shizuru could remember, life at the Head Sanctuary was nothing short of demanding. Every waking moment there was a push for perfection — the teachers were strict, the chores were too much, and the pressure to perform was heavy. Even the smallest mistakes were met with deep frowns, yet…

She could still remember the touch of the sun and warmth of the breeze; the views of those rolling green hills were never ending — and just how many times had she laughed against the backdrop of flowers?

She stared into the darkness of the fields. "It was complicated."

"Then… What were your parents like?"

Parents? "You're asking about a mother and a father?"

At the question, Natsuki shot her a puzzled look.

"I've never met them, so I wouldn't know," Shizuru explained. It was the same for all of Eibin's Voices; for all she knew, they were taken away at the moment of their birth, and then raised by the older members of the sanctuary they were given to.

"Did —" Natsuki hesitated. "Did something happen to them?"

"Hm? No, not at all." Her tone was nonchalant. "I was taken when I was born. Willingly, of course. They were given a sum of gold."

"So you were sold?"

"Well, they didn't call it that. The gold was more of a reward… but even that sounds strange, doesn't it?" Shizuru smiled to herself. "Well, it was the norm where I came from. It would have been odd to be raised by your parents."

Natsuki's expression turned thoughtful. "I see."

Once again, the two sat quietly, and the navy sky faded further into the color of night.

Above them, the stars twinkled faintly, and Shizuru cast her gaze upward. "And when the darkest days were nigh, a thousand tears fell to the sky."

Natsuki turned to her questioningly, and Shizuru chuckled. "It's part of an old poem. Really, don't you know?"

"I don't."

"Then I suppose this means you don't know what blue embers are?"

Natsuki shook her head.

"Well," Shizuru said, "It's an insect, similar to a firefly, except the light is blue. They're quite abundant outside of the cities." She knew them well, for every night at the Head Sanctuary, their soft glow could be seen from the windows. "In the past, they used to believe that the insects were Eibin's tears, returning back into the clouds above. In fact, it's almost time for them to come out now."

After a moment's pause, Shizuru scanned the wood surface beneath them. "Here we are," she said, picking up a small rock next to the straw. "Shall we speed things up a bit?"

Without another word, she tossed the stone far off into the grass. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like a ripple running across the field, dim lights of blue began to appear. Thinly at first, then like a growing rush of water, they rose higher and higher. But the insects didn't move very fast. Like dust motes on a sunbeam, they stilled in place under the moonlight, filling the air with a blue glitter.

It was just as Shizuru had remembered. It's —

"It's beautiful."

Her head turned at the whisper. Beside her, the light had painted Natsuki an unearthly glow, reflecting off her skin and the dark strands of her hair; those green eyes twinkled with emotion — and when Natsuki's lips tugged into the smallest of smiles, Shizuru felt her hands clench in reflex.

I must be imagining things, Shizuru thought. For a moment, she could have sworn she felt a flutter in her chest.

Shizuru did not sleep well that night, and when the wagon ran over a small bump, she woke easily to the morning light. Nearby, Natsuki was already awake, one hand gripping the side of the wagon tightly, looking over the edge.

In an instant, Shizuru's mind cleared.

What…?

The lush fields they had traveled through the night before had now turned into a barren wasteland of dry soil and weathered rock. Only a few dying bushes and rotting stumps of trees remained — proof that this place had once had life.

Was this a dream? No, Shizuru thought. This was very real. Never had she seen anything like the scene in front of her, and in Fuuka no less, land of the neverending blooms. She rose from her seat and peered over at the elderly man driving the wagon. "Where are we?"

"Just on the border of crossing west. We'll be heading north soon," the driver replied, adjusting his hat. "Are you surprised? A horrible sight, isn't it?"

Indeed it was. Shizuru surveyed the land with growing concern.

"They call it The Ravaging," the driver continued. "This is just another place where the moonlits have died off— all of them. The other plants started to dry up not long after and, well, here we are now." He patted the back of his neck with a shrug. "It's best to get used to it. This will all be a common sight soon enough."

Shizuru frowned. Death of moonlits? She had heard the stories of the affliction here and there, but hadn't actually paid it any heed. After all, no one spoke of it with any great urgency; it couldn't have been too important. But now that the view was in front of her, she couldn't help but to feel a bit unsettled.

She lifted a hand, shielding her eyes from the rays of the sun. Far off into the distance from where she stood, she could still see a border where the cracked soil ended and met green.

Perhaps there is still hope for this place, she thought, trying to shake off the creeping uneasiness. When she finally lowered her arm, she turned her attention to the sitting figure nearby.

Through the entirety of it all, Natsuki had not once moved from where she was. Her delicate face now held a complicated look, both somber and aggrieved; so affected she seemed that the knuckles on her hand had turned white from the strain of her grip.

"Natsuki —" Shizuru started, only to be interrupted.

"It's the Flower Eater."

The Flower Eater? Shizuru paused. What an odd thing to say. "It's just a children's tale," she said gently. "The Flower Eater doesn't exist."

But the words did not seem to ease Natsuki's mind. "Still, if it did, what would you do?"

"Well." Shizuru studied Natsuki's face, searching for any signs of what she might be thinking, but to her chagrin, she came out empty handed. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're getting at."

If Natsuki's grip on the wagon was any tighter, Shizuru was sure it would bleed.

"If you knew the Flower Eater was causing this —" Natsuki gestured to land in front of them, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Wouldn't you want to kill it too?"

An ominous feeling settled on Shizuru's shoulders. She wasn't quite sure how to handle Natsuki's sudden change in mood, but she could still sense a danger in the question. It was as if Natsuki had handed her a knife, telling her to cut. But to cut what, Shizuru wasn't sure.

She paused for a moment, thinking deeply, and then carefully answered. "Perhaps killing the Flower Eater would be the right thing to do… but if that fate was in my hands, it would be unfortunate." She gave a soft smile. "You see, I'm not in the business of doing the right things."

In the next moment, something changed — but whether good or bad, Shizuru did not know. Natsuki dropped her hand from the wagon and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face on top. She seemed to tremble then, and Shizuru felt another bout of discomfort tighten in her chest. Whatever this was about, she hoped that it would be over soon.

But alas, the heaviness didn't end, not even when they arrived at the green forests of Nawa.

As they pulled up to the edge of the village, a crowd had already formed. Wide-eyed faces stared at the visitors with curiosity, whispering and pointing. Out of the flock, a single man stepped forward, hair white with age. He was dressed in simple gray robes and matching pants.

"Welcome to Nawa," he greeted as the travelers stepped off the wagon. "I'm the head chief of the village. You can call me Juru."

"We appreciate the warm reception," Shizuru said as she approached the man.

When the chief saw her face, he seemed to be taken aback, staring a little longer than what was polite. However, he quickly covered it with a small cough. "Forgive us, we're not used to having visitors. When we first got the contract… Well, we weren't sure what to expect. You're not what we imagined, but I'm glad." He glanced at the crowd behind him. "We didn't want to scare the children."

Shizuru's lips twitched at the corners. Well, we'll see about that. Behind her, Natsuki stood silently with a grim look on her face, eyes looking as if they could turn a man to stone.

"You can rest assured. We're quite friendly." She flashed a gentle smile at the row of children peeking out behind the legs of the other villagers. "We'll try not to cause too much trouble during our stay."

"Yes, well, it should be us thanking you. With The Ravaging inching closer, it's been harder to procure what we need." Juru moved toward the wagon, and the elderly driver reached back to brush away some straw, revealing hidden crates. With a wave of Juru's hand, a handful of villagers stepped forward to help bring them down.

Along with the movement, a young woman also stepped forward, clearly nervous. Juru put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kowa here will guide you during your stay. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call for her. We don't usually agree to such contracts, so we hope your stay here will be acceptable."

With a nod of thanks, the travelers followed Kowa down a path winding between large wooden huts. Along the sides, villagers gaped unabashedly as they passed. Juru must have been telling the truth — they really did not have many visitors.

At the very end of the path, Kowa stopped in front of a single hut, no smaller than the rest of the ones they had seen on the way here. "This will be where you're staying until we receive your next location," Kowa said, stepping through the open door.

Shizuru followed closely after. The inside of the hut was surprisingly roomy; the floor made out of wooden boards, and in the center was a dirt pit, surrounded by stone. A few charred logs sat inside, looking as if it had been previously used for a fire, and above it sat a series of chains used to hold items for cooking.

In one corner, there was a small partition wall separating two mats on the floor. On top of them lay folded blankets, and a pair of white robes.

"We've set out some clean clothes to wear during your stay," Kowa murmured. "It'll help the other villagers feel at ease, and you can return them when you leave."

Shizuru stepped forward, picking up one of the robes. Intricate flowers were embroidered beautifully on the hems, and she ran her fingers over them. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you. I've helped with making those myself," Kowa said quietly.

"Well, you're very talented."

The praise seemed to assuage any nervousness the girl had, and Kowa gave a soft smile. "Then… If you two ever need anything, I live three huts down." She gave a quick nod and left.

Immediately after, Natsuki made her way to the other side of the partition, looking stiff and heavy footed. Following suit was the sound of a loud thump and the shaky rustling of fabric.

Shizuru sighed. Really, just what had happened? Sure, the scene they had passed on the way to Nawa was severe, but… Shizuru held a hand to her chin and sighed. Perhaps she shouldn't be one to judge. It was clear that Natsuki was still in shock, and as with most things, the feeling should pass with time.

Soon after hearing Natsuki settle down on the other side, Shizuru donned the new robes; they were thicker than she had expected, but still surprisingly comfortable. She looked down, and with a finger, traced one purple flower sewn into the garment's sleeve — perhaps she could get the villagers to teach her how to embroider.

Shizuru finally lifted her head, and through the partition, could see the shadow of the woman on the mat curled up on her side. She wondered fleetingly if she should say something, but found herself staying silent. If anything, it seemed as if Natsuki wanted to be alone.

After a moment's struggle, Shizuru quietly sighed and stepped out of the hut.

The villagers had long gone elsewhere for the day, and Shizuru walked along the now empty paths, looking at the greenery before her. Compared to the wagon ride earlier, her surroundings were like an oasis in the desert, and as she wandered, found herself feeling more at ease. At one point in the middle of her walk, she stopped, distracted by a bustling patch of yellow flowers.

How curious, she thought, bending down for a closer look. The flower itself was shaped like nothing she had ever seen before. It was made up of three petals — the two at the top were large and rounded, growing side by side, and the one at the bottom was triangularly shaped. Three brown dots marked the bottom petal, one at each corner, reminding Shizuru of the face of an animal. Like a little mouse, she mused, and her lips turned upward.

"Sister, do you like flowers?"

Sister? Shizuru glanced to the side. A young boy stood nearby, holding the hand of a toddler, and behind him was a group of equally aged youngsters. Ah. If Shizuru were to be honest, she wasn't used to being around children. The only time she could remember interacting with others that age was when she herself was a child. Still, even back then, she had always preferred the company of adults.

"I like flowers quite a bit," Shizuru replied, mustering up as much charm as she could. This much should be enough, shouldn't it? She touched the petals of the bloom next to her foot. "Do you happen to know the name of this one?"

The boy grinned. "That's called a Slink Daisy."

…Slink Daisy? Shizuru stared down at the dots on that mouse-like flower's face. For an instant, the image seemed almost sad, and Shizuru found herself laughing lightly. "What an odd name. Are there any more?"

"Of course!" The boy beckoned at her. "Come with us. We'll show you."

Suddenly, all at once, the enthusiasm in the group of children seemed to rise, and they chattered loudly, overwhelming her with a garble of words.

When Shizuru had finally escaped the attention of the children, she found herself walking on a path behind the huts, in an area that was surrounded by flat green. The time she had spent earlier had been a blur; she had been pulled in every which direction by gentle, small hands, and even now, a myriad of innocent voices still rang loudly in her ears.

Shizuru shook her head with a soft laugh. How terrifying it was! Next time, she would know better.

Somewhere far off, across the blades of grass, a rustle of white cloth in the breeze caught her eye. After all this time, she could easily recognize the robed figure. Natsuki was sitting in the middle of the field, resting back on her hands, chin tilted toward the sky. In a way, the change of dress made Natsuki look even more cold — an apparition in white against the bright colors behind her.

"Natsuki," Shizuru greeted as she neared. "Have you been out for long?"

Somber green eyes spared her only a quick glance before looking away.

Well, someone is still in a bad mood, Shizuru thought. But that didn't deter her, and she sat down next to the woman, just a couple steps away.

"I was just on my way back to show you something interesting. You're quite fond of animals, aren't you?"

As expected, this seemed to cause Natsuki to perk up the slightest bit, and Shizuru stifled a chuckle. She reached into her robe and cupped the blossom of a flower with both hands. Then, as if sharing a secret, she leaned in toward Natsuki and slowly unclasped her fingers. The large yellow petals of a rodent-faced flower popped up brightly.

"It's a Slink Daisy — not a particularly flattering name, but it looks almost like a little mouse, doesn't it?"

The corners of Natsuki's lips inadvertently curled up, and seeing this, Shizuru couldn't help but to do the same.

"Here," she said, passing the flower over.

Natsuki quietly brought the bloom to her lap. She stared down at it for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. "How long are we here for?" she asked after a while, breaking the silence.

"How long? Well." Shizuru watched the trees rustle in the breeze as she pondered. If she were to be honest, she wasn't quite sure. It wasn't often that she took contracts from Yamada that lasted more than a night or two at most. "A few days would be my guess." Natsuki seemed to stiffen at the answer, and Shizuru looked at her questioningly.

"It's too long," Natsuki whispered, her voice sounding oddly hoarse.

Shizuru's brow creased. It wasn't as if they hadn't stayed just as long in their other location. What was so different about this one? But before Shizuru could ask the question, Natsuki's hands clenched, and she stuck out a hand to stop the yellow flower from being crushed.

That was close, Shizuru mused, holding the saved blossom delicately in her fingers. She glanced at the woman beside her.

"Wasn't it you who told me not to do that?" she said teasingly.

"I—" There was the abrupt intake of a breath, and Natsuki peered down at her hands, trembling.

Shizuru watched with growing unease. "Are you alright?" Surely this reaction couldn't have been from what she had just said.

When Natsuki finally lifted her head, they stared at one another, and Shizuru found herself suddenly at a loss for words. In a rush, Natsuki pushed herself off from the ground, nearly running back to the hut, and when she was out of sight, Shizuru realized she had been holding her breath.

What was that? she thought, feeling eerily discomfited.

It was only an instant, but like the shadow of a caged beast, she was sure she saw something stirring in those green eyes.

A/N: Hope you're all doing well! Life has been busy - updates will be closer to once every three weeks.