Chapter 15 – The Vows of the Fragments
The carriage rolled peacefully down the road, past beautiful forests waking up to the wonders of spring. Little by little, the morning transitioned towards noon, trading freshness for warmth. Under better circumstances, Luka would've truly enjoyed the trip. Even now, the distant glimpses of the river past the trees, the songs of the birds and the fragrant flowering foliage did a lot to lighten her mood.
Kaito was right; they would find a way to overcome this. After all, the two of them had managed to find and rescue Gakupo, despite all odds. Surely they could find a way to defend themselves from the other mages, and deal with the beast's unwanted interference.
As for Oto…what would her parents say, when they saw her? They were going to be angry at first, especially her father; Luka could almost see his furious face already. As far as he was concerned, she had run away from a good marriage to live sinfully. And eloping with not one but two men had to be even worse in his eyes- to compound the issue, Gakupo and Kaito weren't ordinary men, but dangerous mages.
But she had powers too; she was the beast just like Kaito and Gakupo. Were her parents going to look at her with the same loathing Gakupo had endured? Her chest filled with fear at the thought.
"I wish we had eaten breakfast before heading out," Kaito commented, breaking her chain of thought. "Excuse me, how much longer to the city?"
"Three or four hours, sir," the driver replied. "But if you have the coin, we could stop at a farmhouse and buy some morsels."
"Great idea," Kaito said. "I could really go for some-" He abruptly stopped, and with good reason. In the distance, the sound of the machines could be heard, gradually rising in volume.
"Driver, please pull up," Luka requested. She doubted the carriage could outrun the flying machines, and the addition of movement would make it too difficult to shoot at them.
"Um, sure, miss." The driver seemed surprised, but obediently stopped by the side of the road and waited.
Kaito nodded and patted Gakupo's knee to call his attention. Gakupo opened his eyes and gave him a confused stare. Their blue-haired friend smiled apologetically and asked, "Hey, can you shield the carriage while we fight?"
Gakupo frowned slightly, and Luka almost expected him to ask why, but he simply nodded. With that, Kaito and Luka got out of the carriage and stood on the middle of the road.
"We could start a forest fire if we aren't careful," Kaito noted, waving his hand in the direction of the bushes and trees nearby.
"There's nothing we can do about that," Luka replied. "I'll try to shoot them only when they are above the road, but-"
"Here they come!" Kaito shielded them, just as a flock of the machines appeared from the direction of Teolene.
Luka glanced back at the carriage. As requested of him, Gakupo produced a big ball of fire completely enveloping the barouche, horse included; both driver and animal seemed completely calm. Belatedly, she realized that shouldn't have been the case, especially for the latter. But clearly Gakupo had used his magic to keep them relaxed.
"We can handle this, let him protect them for now," Kaito whispered into her ear, apparently mistaking her gaze for a desire to involve Gakupo in the fight.
"Yeah, he looks too disoriented." Luka shook her head and called her bow into existence. At least the shield around the barouche looked as strong as ever, despite Gakupo's spaced-out expression.
Kaito did the same for the blue shield. "Is it just me, or these ones look bigger?"
Luka returned her gaze back at the approaching automatons, but she wasn't completely sure, not that it would change her tactics in any way. "Maybe. Let's see how tough they are," Luka said and shot the one on the front of the formation.
With a quick burst of speed, the machine on the right covered the one on the lead with its body; Luka's arrow pierced its head, making it plunge into the ground.
"It protected that one," Luka said, intrigued. The machine leading the squadron looked no different from the others, at least to the naked eye. Luka attempted to shoot it again, and this time the automaton on the left shielded it.
After that, the machines changed tactics; instead of a v-shaped formation, the one that appeared to be the leader went directly for the carriage, while the rest surrounded Luka and Kaito and began the attack. Most stayed back, forming a line between them and the carriage, cannons at the ready. Four of them rushed Kaito and Luka, pummeling their shield with their mechanical appendages. Under the whirr of their gears and the creaking of the fire, Luka heard Kaito groan with effort as he strengthened the shield. She had to hurry.
Now that she could see them up close, Luka could tell for certain that the machines were of a different model from the ones that attacked them before. Not only they were slightly bigger, aside from arms armed with cannons, they had another set that ended in blunt, oversized fists. They were using those 'hands' to pound on the bubble of fire, pushing it slowly along the road, despite Kaito's bests efforts.
"Luka, shoot them now!" Kaito yelled.
There was barely any need to aim, with her targets being so close. Fortunately, they seemed no more resistant to her power than before; their advantage was merely sheer numbers. Every time one fell to the ground in pieces, another one from the line took his place hitting the shield.
It was during one of those times, thanks to the momentary gap in the line of enemies, that Luka could see what was going on over at the carriage. It didn't stop her motions, but the strangeness of the image lingered in the back of her mind.
The lone machine was hovering over Gakupo, outside of the shield, completely immobile. Gakupo was staring at it with his hands up in the air, as if he had frozen in the middle of reaching out towards the automaton. Gakupo's eyes were wide open, and he appeared to be attempting to talk with it.
Maika is in there, isn't she? Or what's left of her...Does she understand what is going on? Can he even communicate with her? The questions fluttered inside Luka's head, even as she readied another shot. She was already surrounded by a grisly ring of twisted metal, and it kept growing and growing. Nearby, Kaito was finishing off any of the machines still struggling on the ground.
Suddenly, there was an explosion in the direction of the carriage. Luka gasped and paused, momentarily terrified, but a moment later she saw Gakupo's figure in the same position, unharmed. But above him, where the leader of the robots had been only a while before, was something so strange that Luka felt tempted to rub her eyes.
The machine had exploded, but its shards lingered in the air, as if suspended from invisible wires. And in the middle of the metallic debris, a fine mist gradually condensed inside a small purple bubble, until all that remained was a small crystal.
He contained Maika's spirit! Luka had never seen anything like that, but not even for an instant she doubted that the crystal was the essence of the servant woman. At the same time that the crystal landed in Gakupo's outstretched hands, the remaining enemies stopped. With the same artificially precise motion, they turned around and flew away, leaving both their prey and their comrades behind.
"That was kind of odd," Kaito understated. He dissolved the shields and approached Gakupo. "What is that thing?"
"Maika," Gakupo mumbled. "Can't you hear her?" His hands were trembling slightly, as he leaned over the side of the barouche to place the crystal next to Kaito's ear. His friend's expression changed, and he jumped back, surprised.
"Holy...! How can she still be-" Kaito gulped and continued in a quieter tone, "does she know what happened to her?"
"I don't think so," Gakupo whispered, his voice cracking due to emotion. "It's like she was frozen in time."
"Gakupo..."
Luka carefully stepped over the broken machinery and resolutely climbed into the barouche. She hugged Gakupo, and felt immensely relieved when he hugged her back a moment later, resting his cheek on the top of her head. One of his hands still held the crystal, but Luka fiercely refused to listen to its haunting muttering.
Around them, the purple flames fizzled out, and the driver roused and yawned. It was time to continue towards Shinwa.
The streets of Kurosame were bustling with activity, with merchants loudly proclaiming their wares from their stalls, servants haggling for the best foodstuffs to bring home, street performers and town criers and more. Gakupo ignored them all, cradling the crystal in his hands like a fragile egg.
"I'm sorry about Maika," Luka said, not for the first time. "But we'll be in Shinwa territory soon. Do you think you can handle talking to the authorities there?"
Gakupo raised his eyes, the mismatched stare barely focusing on her. "Authorities?"
Luka stifled a sigh. "We're going to tell them that Alm-Ardjalus is invading, remember?"
After a moment, Gakupo returned from whatever mental abyss he had been falling into: his face gradually lost that disconnected look and he adopted a determined expression. "Yes. I can't let Verdigris harm anyone else." He placed Maika's crystal with care in the inner pocket of his jacket, above his heart.
"We won't let him win." Kaito squeezed Gakupo's shoulder encouragingly.
"Of course," Luka seconded and grasped one of Gakupo's hands. Guided by a sudden flash on inspiration, she added, "Oh, I forgot to mention! We saw Gumi a while ago, she and Lily are doing fine."
An expression of sincere happiness transformed Gakupo's tired face. "Really? Where do they live? Can we go see them?"
"They're still with your relatives at Namine."
Gakupo's eyes went round. "That's one of the ports Verdigris is going to use to disembark troops!"
"You said their rulers struck a bargain with the mages, right? I'm sure the girls will be fine, the soldiers wouldn't mess with the civilians," Luka said reassuringly.
"That's right." Gakupo leaned back. "But I'd like to check on them when all of this is done."
"Sounds like a good idea," Kaito interjected. "Maybe they'll want to live with you, wherever you decide to settle. Gumi is probably going to need someone to teach her magic, in any case."
"You think she's like us?"
"Green hair ain't exactly common, purple boy."
Gakupo smiled a little. "I suppose so. But I'm not done with my education, really, so Rossemara would be a much better teacher."
"From the way you speak of her, she sounds like a nice person. I'm starting to think it would be in the continent's best interests to make sure she takes control of Alm-Ardjalus," Kaito commented.
"Verdigris made a similar assessment; that's part of the reason why I was next in line after him. He wanted me to continue our expansion." Gakupo fiddled with a strand of his hair and added, "I think she'll do great, given the chance. I wish I could be by her side, helping her."
"I don't think you'll be able to return after we're done with Verdigris. Surely the people would revolt," Luka said. Besides, it was odd to hear Gakupo speaking of going back so nonchalantly. Whatever happened to exploring the world together?
"You'd be surprised of how easily public opinion can be shaped by the ones on top. Most people in Alm-Ardjalus are fanatically loyal to mages. Any rumors of my treason could be easily be squashed as lies from our enemies," Gakupo replied. Behind his calm tones, Luka could almost hear the warmage's voice drilling that lesson into his pupil.
"I guess spending the winters in a luxurious palace wouldn't hurt," Kaito interjected with a wink. Now that was an intriguing idea; maybe they could work something out with Rossemara, like serving her during the cold season, and use the warmer months to wander about. But first, they needed to get rid of Verdigris.
A polite voice interrupted Luka's thoughts: they had arrived at Holy Bird Inn, nice yet not that expensive, according to the driver. The building certainly looked the part, with its single floor of dark wood and red shingles, surrounded by a blooming garden encircled by a tall wall. The traffic in this zone was much more sedate, thanks to some distance to the commercial district, which allowed Luka to hear a faint din of multiple birds chirping nearby. It seemed like the inn had an aviary somewhere inside its grounds.
As soon as the trio descended from the carriage, a couple of attendants emerged from the front entrance and hurried to take their bags. A girl followed them, wrapped in a cheerful sun-colored dress. All three of them were golden-haired and quite young, a rather uncommon sight, all things considered.
"Welcome to the Holy Bird, come inside. My name is Rin, please let me know if you need anything." the girl said with a joyful smile.
Kaito, Luka and Gakupo followed her to the front desk, where a well-dressed boy almost identical to their hostess was waiting with the ledger. A small badge pinned to his light jacket identified him as 'Len'.
"Welcome, how long are you planning on staying?" The boy asked politely.
Now that she had taken a good look at the place, Luka felt tempted to stay for a few days, enjoying some deserved relaxation. But with things as they were, it was very ill-advised. "We just need to dine and refresh ourselves before continuing on," she explained.
"Still, I think we could use a couple hours of sleep," Kaito said. "It shouldn't make a big difference if we leave first thing in the morning."
Luka eyed him with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you say we were going to rush towards Shinwa?"
"Yeah, but I won't do us any good to arrive ragged and with bags under our eyes. We need to look as trustworthy as we can." Kaito turned to the boy and added, "We'll stay tonight. Two rooms, please."
"A single and a double room, sir?" The boy eyed the trio discreetly, probably trying to determine who was going to share a room.
"My friends recently married," Kaito lied smoothly, making Luka blush. Gakupo blinked, suddenly brought back into focus.
"Oh, really?" The girl exclaimed happily, staring at Gakupo and Luka with stars in her eyes. "Are you going to do something special?"
"We have urgent business in Shinwa, unfortunately. But maybe they'll spend some days here on the way back," Kaito suggested with a grin.
"We'll have something special prepared for them," Len and Rin replied in unison. "Just let us know when to expect you."
"Thank you, we'll definitely visit again if we can," Luka replied politely. Gakupo nodded in agreement.
"Alright, please sign here." Len offered Kaito and Gakupo a pen and pushed the ledger slightly in their direction. Presumably due to being 'Gakupo's wife', Luka wasn't asked to do the same, which made her momentarily annoyed, but she kept quiet about it. It was just the way things were done in this part of the continent; the children obviously meant no harm.
Rin guided the trio towards a beautiful terrace, close enough to the aviary to admire the many different plumages of its inhabitants. At the moment, they seemed to be the only clients around, though Rin informed then that things would get much livelier in the evening, once the other guests returned from their business in town.
They ate making small talk, mostly asking about each other's daily life during the past two years. It made for a pleasant meal: the nice atmosphere and food mixing well with the small, inoffensive anecdotes of the life in the road and in the palace.
As they were finishing dessert, Gakupo took out the crystal from his pocket and exclaimed, "Now that I think about it, there's another reason for us to defeat Verdigris. I need his labs, to find a way to reverse this."
"Do you really think that is possible? You said she was dead." Luka pointed out with reluctance. She didn't want to spoil his mood, but harboring false hopes wasn't a good alternative.
On the other hand, Gakupo seemed to have calmed down significantly since the fight on the road. His face just displayed determination when he replied, "I'm not certain. He must've documented the process in his archives; maybe we'll find some clues there. I owe her at least to give it a try, after all we went through together."
Luka couldn't help but feel a small stab of jealousy for the dead woman. Here was another person that had never turned tail and ran; a woman that had been there to see Gakupo turn into a man. But she pushed that feeling deep inside, recognizing it for the petty, useless emotion it was. He was hers and she was his; if anything, she should be grateful to that poor servant girl for taking care of him during the time they were separated.
"We owe her as well, then." Kaito said, reflecting her thoughts. He gave her a glance and she nodded in agreement. "If there's a way to give her a second chance in life, we'll help you make that happen."
"Thanks, Kaito, Luka." Gakupo smiled gratefully.
"It's the least I can do," Kaito said after licking the last of his ice cream off the spoon. "Alright, I'm ready for a good nap. You guys should rest too." He patted Gakupo's shoulder on his way towards the entrance of the inn. "I'll go buy us some horses later."
"…Do you think he's going to be alright?" Gakupo asked softly after their friend disappeared from view.
"He's strong." Luka played with the last stray berries on her plate. "More than either of us, in any case; we should follow his lead and act normally."
Gakupo nodded, though there were still traces of uncertainty in his expression. Luka pushed the plate aside and stood holding out her arm. After a moment, Gakupo rose and took her hand. They walked in silence towards their room, a cozy space decorated in the same warm oranges and yellows that seemed to dominate the décor of the inn.
After removing his cape and jacket, Gakupo sat on the bed to do the same with his boots. Luka watched him, playing with the frilly sleeves of her gown. Kaito was probably just toying around, if she really thought about it, but he had called them husband and wife. Gakupo obviously wanted her to be his wife, but aside from the playful conversation during their brief bath in the river, he had never proposed to her, respecting her wishes. Or what he thought were her wishes, at least. To be truthful, even Luka wasn't sure how her rejection of marriage had become such a fixed notion.
On one hand, yes, she hated how married woman basically belonged to their husbands, at least in the zone of influence of Shinwa. She had been rebellious and unconventional since before she knew what those words were, after all. But it didn't help that the only man she ever considered marrying was off the list when she first neared marrying age. However, that wasn't an issue now, so…
"Marry me," Luka said before she even realized what words were coming out of her mouth.
Gakupo paused in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt, wide-eyed; gradually his shock changed into an adoring smile. Spurred by his reaction, Luka took his hands and kissed them. "Marry me," she repeated. "I want to be your strength, like you were for me all those times in the past. I don't care where or how we live, as long as we are together."
At first, all Gakupo did was to whisper her name, and pull her into a hug. Pressed against his chest as she was, Luka could feel his heart thumping inside his chest. It called upon her own heartbeats, turned so wild she could barely stay motionless.
"Yes."
The sheets of the Holy Bird Inn were of good quality, almost as smooth as the ones from the palace. Perhaps the weaving wasn't up to par given the technological gap between the mage nation and the rest of the continent, but only an utter snob would mind such a small difference. Gakupo then continued examining the room, mentally comparing it to the spacious bedroom he had called his for a couple of years, back in Alm-Ardjalus. It had a lot of personality for a room in an inn; his bedroom had been much more impersonal, despite the time he spent there. Why was that? Had he been sleepwalking for two years?
Admittedly, perhaps it was a weird thing to be concerned about when he was lying in bed with Luka in his arms, but Gakupo tended to let his mind wander freely. So accordingly, his thoughts changed tracks abruptly and he went back to Luka's surprising words, hours before.
Luka had said she didn't mind where they lived, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt obligated to get them a permanent home, and what better place than the palace? Like Kaito said, they could serve Rossemara in exchange for a roof and usage of the laboratories.
Perhaps then I'll find a way to reverse this. He eyed the small crystal resting over the nightstand. Maika deserves a second chance at life. His hands idly caressed Luka's side as he went over the things he knew about the warmage's experiments. It wasn't all that much, unfortunately. Verdigris worked with a couple of trusted assistants, but Gakupo was too busy with his education to help, not that his master wanted him to participate. 'The young need to study' and 'we'll see once you're ready', was all that Verdigris ever said on the subject.
But in his daily life, Gakupo had observed that miscreants were often brought into the laboratories; some were never seen again, others came out greatly changed in mind, body or both, with the purpose of making them 'productive citizens'. He recalled the one time he had the opportunity to inspect one of those men up close: he was going into Verdigris' study for his weekly quiz, when a large man came out, escorted by two guards. Once of them was holding the end of the leash around the man's thick neck, the other had his hand on the man's back and was softly pushing him forward. It almost seemed like the gesture was necessary for the man to even understand he was meant to go forward.
Even in the warm bed with Luka pressed against him, Gakupo shuddered as the empty look in the man's eyes surfaced from the bottom of his memories. Even farm animals showed more of a spirit in their gaze than the passive creature before him. Gakupo ran briskly past the trio, giving the man a wide berth, and questioned his master after a quick greeting.
"That man hurt a lot of people, Gakupo. We have no need of commoners such as him," Verdigris replied placidly. "Now that I've improved him, he'll work tirelessly on a farm and both he and everyone around him will be much happier."
"That man can't be happy or sad or anything else, I saw his face," Gakupo replied in a low tone.
The warmage chuckled, smiling approvingly. "Very perceptive. Yes, I suppose others will be happier, not him. But the man was a horrible criminal, polluting our city. I shall not allow behavior like that inside our borders, and I expect you to be as rigorous, when you take charge."
"Why not simply lock him away?"
"It surprises me that you of all people would offer that as a more merciful treatment," Verdigris commented raising an eyebrow.
Gakupo cringed, effectively silenced.
"He's not suffering and he gets to be useful to society. Please spare me any moralistic spiels; you know how the world really is."
Back then, Gakupo had struggled briefly, trying to formulate more objections. But he soon gave it up as pointless. He couldn't change Verdigris' mind, and he wasn't even sure his master was completely off base in his arguments. As a child, the world had seemed to be such a wonderful place. Still now, he could easily see how people could rise to marvelous heights, but that was balanced out by their capacity for vicious acts. The natural tendency of people was to be amoral and flighty; true goodness and constancy were a rare find.
Back in the present, he held Luka even more tightly, more grateful than ever for her presence in his life. Yes, he knew how things were by now, and that was why Luka was so precious, in all her troubled tenderness. It was no wonder that she had such trouble fitting in back home.
"We'll make our own place in this world, you and me," he whispered, drinking in the perfume of her hair. Luka mumbled something, barely moving her lips, but did not wake. "But it won't be like Verdigris' golden bubble, built upon manipulation and cruelty. Even if those are the rules of the world, it doesn't mean we have to follow them."
His eyes travelled again to the unassuming white crystal on the nightstand. "I refuse to take that path."
After a hearty breakfast the next morning, the trio set out on fresh horses. It was another excellent day for riding across the forested landscape; the roads they picked were often seldom used, to keep things simple and avoid unexpected encounters, but that also meant they were surrounded by beautiful wild plants and flowers.
Their pace and the narrowness of the paths kept conversation at a minimum and gave Luka ample time to look back at their experiences so far. Her eyes glanced fondly at Gakupo's figure, riding before her. His long ponytail and cape fluttered like banners, beckoning her to follow him.
"Long have I followed you along the sun-stained path," Luka abruptly broke the silence, reminded of a song. She blushed, surprised at her impulses.
Unexpectedly, Gakupo's voice replied to hers, "Morning stole the dew, warm and rich..."
"Love is all I knew, love is all I had," Luka finished.
Fortuitously, at that moment the road widened somewhat, allowing Gakupo to slow down his horse to ride by Luka's side. In turn, Kaito sped up and reached Gakupo's other side.
"Come hail, come hail, I'll stick to the path," Kaito sang with a big smile on his face.
"O lovely, lovely road," Gakupo and Luka sang together.
"Come winds and unravel the stars."
"O lovely, lovely road."
"Come dusk, I'll come to your door."
"O lovely, lovely road."
"Come morning, I shall wander no mooooooore," Kaito stretched the last note, accompanied by over-dramatic gestures, and Gakupo burst out laughing. It was probably the most relaxed laugh he had let out so far, so contagious that Luka giggled as well, overflowing with gratitude for her life, for all its strangeness. This is what she had yearned for so long: carefree friends, simply enjoying themselves. Despite of what was coming, or perhaps because there were battles yet to come. The present was fully theirs.
The journey continued on that same pleasant note, as they made their way to the Flowered Palace, the heart of Shinwa. The population density grew, and the secondary roads became more populated, but fortunately there weren't any problems with either bandits or machine servants from Alm-Ardjalus. Gakupo theorized that the creations of Rossemara had been guided somehow by Maika's spirit, so now the mages were simply unable to track them down. All the better.
The trio stopped at a couple of inns along the way; just like in the Holy Bird Inn, Kaito without fault lied saying that Gakupo and Luka were just married, perhaps hoping for free service or a discount. It did actually give them special attention, but also usually meant engaging in conversations Luka wasn't keen on having. Everyone seemed intent on giving them 'useful' tips or pontificate on marriage.
One evening, they were dinning on a modest inn with several tables outside right next to the road. The weather was warm, with a mild breeze sometimes swinging the lanterns hanging above the tables from ropes tied to nearby trees. Around the trio, merchants and pilgrims chatted and feasted. Kaito casually mentioned that Gakupo and Luka had married recently, and as expected the nearby tables raised their drinks in their honor and cheered. One of the merchants, a large imposing fellow that seemed to be the chief of a caravan, rose and came over to speak to them, while Luka groaned internally, dreading another round of unsolicited advice.
She shot a dirty look at Kaito, who grinned and leaned back, nursing a pitcher of beer. Before Luka could tell him her opinion on the subject, the large merchant was already by their side, so instead she let Gakupo do the talking.
The merchant congratulated them; however, he also made some trite comments about the loss of freedom after marriage, and laughed patting Gakupo's back. Gakupo seemed rather perplexed by the merchant's words, but Luka felt increasingly annoyed.
"You poor sap, you don't have the slightest idea of what's coming, do you?" The man finally noticed Luka's irate look, but that only widened his smile. "You'll have your hands full with this one, mark my words. Just look at those fiery eyes, hahaha!"
Keep it up, and there'll be something else on fire, Luka thought irately, a sentiment only fueled when she saw Kaito hiding a smile behind his drink.
"Actually, we both have our weak points, but I believe that we can have a good life together," Gakupo replied earnestly.
The merchant let out a booming laugh. "You are a born diplomat, lad." He patted his back again and sauntered back to his own table.
"Well, that was fun," Kaito commented. "Don't take it too seriously, Luka."
"I know, I know," Luka said unenthusiastically. "I guess it wouldn't matter if…" She glanced at Gakupo and trailed off.
"If?"
His mismatched eyes seemed so innocent and unburdened at the moment that Luka just waved her hand with a smile. "It's alright; I'm just a bit irked when people try to tell me how to do things." Her smile became a bit rueful as she added, "I guess that's a bad trait in a wife around these parts, huh?"
"I'd say my opinion and yours are the only ones that matter, when it comes to this," Gakupo replied, caressing her face with a hand.
"You're right, let them talk," Luka said after a moment, touching his hand with her fingers. All the noise around her melted away when their eyes met, just for a second. She let out a little relaxed sigh, granting her mother one victory.
Married life would suit Luka after all.
The change started so gradually none of the three knew when it started. At first, the landscape seemed as verdant as ever and the air as mild and delightful. But in the last stretch of the journey, within the reach of the heart of Shinwa, Luka began to feel cold in her silky dark dress. The road was wide enough for the three of them to ride side by side, and when she discovered herself shivering, she turned to look to her left and saw Kaito distractingly adjusting his muffler. Gakupo was as always wrapped in his cape, but there was a slight frown in his face as he looked upwards.
"The sun is shining," he said to himself. His gaze shifted to the road ahead, but there was nothing to see. Shinwa proper was a great city surrounded by many hills, so the road made a turn before them, before disappearing between two slopes.
"It is a bit chilly for a day so sunny as this, isn't it?" Luka commented conversationally, though she was beginning to sense something was off.
Gakupo observed her for an instant, before his eyes widened and he spurred his horse without a word.
"Gakupo, wait!" Kaito yelled, but his friend didn't slow down. Kaito and Luka had no choice but to make their horses run after him.
They found him after the turn, where the hills parted to show a full view of the plain. The scene was surreal enough that Luka almost forgot to signal her horse to stop.
A massive snow storm was hunched above the palace and the city around it, much lower than any actual cloud would be. The buildings were difficult to see under the flurry of ice, but in the darkness caused by the cloud, Luka thought she could see a few lit windows, as well as street lanterns. On the other hand, there was no indication of human activity.
"Invicto is here," Gakupo pointed towards the center of the cloud, which cracked with energy. "I had heard the tales of the conquest of Alm-Ardjalus, but I didn't think he would actually attack Shinwa by himself." His voice faded, strangled by awe and fear.
"Can we even touch someone this powerful?" Luka squeezed the reigns; for an instant, she felt tempted to simply ride away. It was a horrible thing to think, but for an instant she measured Kaito's and Gakupo's lives against Oto, and the city barely seemed worth saving. If only her parents weren't there...
"We have to try," Kaito said while he dismounted. Gakupo followed suit and helped Luka do the same. The trio tied the horses to a tree by the roadside, while they discussed how to proceed, not that were many options besides a frontal assault.
Inside of them, the beast began steeling herself as well, with what would've been a smile, if she had a corporeal form. It had been a while since she fought one of her own kind.