Chapter 17: Trudging through the Ashes

A/N: Hey guy, sorry I took too long. I just needed time to replenish my ideas. So, here goes… Please R n R.

She opened her eyes to see the darkness that surrounds her. Remembering what happened, she tried to move but something was restraining her movements. A flicker of light illuminated her vision as she saw the cold chains that held her limbs as well as her entire body. As only the dripping of blood from wounded hands echoed throughout the unknown place, her vision saw a hooded figure with a staff approaching. The eerie clicking sound of his staff against the solid earth rhymes with the dripping of her blood as he came into her full view.

"Haruno, Sakura that is the name given to you am I correct?" the figure spoke with a gentle tone. When Sakura did not answer, she stuck the ground with her staff that so hard that the echo was deafening. Unable to tolerate any longer, "Yes… who are you?" her weariness showed in her voice. "I am Naisha," she answered as she removed her hood revealing her oval face and her hair. "I am the oracle of our long-forgotten clan… the summoners," she continued.

"So I am really a part of that clan…" Sakura tried to reassure. "The last Summoner… the last templar," the oracle replied. With a wave of her staff the entire place began to blur, "But much is to be revealed to the one who was deprived of the truth," "Am I dead?" Sakura asked out of the blue. She responded with silence.

A vivid scene played before them… the ruined city of Ashenvale, the city of the Summoners. "This was once a place of healing," another wave then the city flashed and after the brightness Sakura saw the city as if it was yet an ordinary city the only thing peculiar is that majority of the people had pink hair. The city was thriving because of their talent to heal and concoct exceptional potions unlike any other city.

"But you are different…" the scenery vanished and then another appeared. It was a scene in some sort of magnificent palace. "You are a templar… a royal blood. They were templars…" she explained as a family entered the huge dining hall. "How can someone be a royal blood if they are no different from the rest," Sakura questioned as she still struggled out of her captivity. "The templars are different Sakura; though all the Summoners have the power of healing… the templars possess something higher than healing…"

"What do you mean?" she inquired as she stared into the family that was now eating before them. "They own the power of not only healing one's physical wounds… but one's soul as well…" the picture changed and revealed a huge empty altar room. "How can one heal a soul?" "That knowledge I cannot reveal since the only people who know how are the ones who has their blood running in their veins…" Naisha gestured at the family.

"But envy can do things to the mind…" the oracle said weakly as she waved her staff yet again. "I've heard that the Summoners has the power call upon the mythical beasts that can lay siege to any nation," a person gossiped to another. Sakura saw how the simple gossip escalated to becoming an unshakable truth. "We must get them before they get us…" a lady shrieked as the other people shouted their agreement. "But how? By wielding forks and spoons while they can summon their beasts against us?" the leader questioned. "In the south, there's a nation that has the ability to control the sand! They can help us!" a man informed their leader as the others nodded their approval.

"Do you seriously think they will stand by our side in this war?" An adviser asked the people. "They will… because like all of us… they can't stand when someone is ahead of them… like us they are addicted to power," a child emerged from the shadows. Looking closely at the child, "Kagura!" she discovered.

"Yes, it was their nation that started to fear our power. Their fear crawled into the heart of the other nations that's when "We must wipe them out," an unknown person struck the table as the sand around him rose to show his anger. The other people around him nodded their approval.

"This beasts they spoke of… is it true? Can we really summon them?" she asked ignoring the pain in her hands and waist. "There was once a summoner who called forth a silver dragon… Maiev, she was the very first templar. But since that time no one has ever summoned a beast again." Naisha revealed.

The events that followed soon… she would never forget…

"The other nations are planning an attack against us," a scout reported. "But why would they attack us?" the queen asked worriedly. "I've heard that they fear our power of summoning a beast," a spy informed. "The other nations can summon beasts as well! Why only us?" the princess asked defiantly. "Because they've heard that the beast that Maiev summoned cannot be beaten," the spy replied. "Preposterous! Maiev only summoned that beast to cleanse that land that had the stench of hate and anger. She never killed anyone or ruined any city at all!" the king responded. "It is not fear we are battling father but something worse… envy," the princess replied then she walked away.

"My lord, shall I ready my men for battle?" the captain suggested. The king stroked his forehead with his fingers as he sat quietly in his throne with his wife at her side. The queen as if sensing her husbands thoughts placed a hand on his tensed shoulder. The king looked at his wife worriedly then all the tension faded away as they nodded in approval. "Call forth all the people… I have something important to say," he commanded his captain as he stood valiantly.

Outside the palace all the people awaited their king's important announcement. As the king stepped out into the terrace, he was welcomed by the cheers of his people below. "My people, I know it has come to your attention that the other nations are planning to attack our town. Those of you who wish to leave may do so… but as of me… I am staying here… I will not shed their blood… no retaliation will be done against them…" the king's announcements were followed by disturbing protests by the people but when he spoke again the people listened. "We are the Summoners… healers by act. And by virtue we honor the flame of life. If we fight against them, it only means that we shed our honor and sink to the level of becoming blood thirsty killers. Even though we will first fight for the sake of defending our nation in the end our passion will turn to blood lust… by then we are healers no longer. We, summoners possess the inner fire… the inner wisdom to look positively to any situation… no matter how hopeless it may seem. So I ask you now… do you still possess this inner fire?" the king confidently asked his people. There was a moment of complete silence… followed by the victorious cheers of the people. "After all, our honor is the only thing they can't take away," the king said to himself in the middle of everyone's cheering.

Sakura only saw the shadow of the massacre that happened next. "There were some who survived… living the years in fear… one of them was the princess… and you are her last descendant as well as the last pure blood summoner." Naisha explained.

"Do you know why you're here?" Naisha asked. Sakura only looked at her in reply. "Do you know that you still have a chance to live?" "Don't play tricks on me… I'm already dead… that much I know," Sakura snapped. "Do you know why Maiev called forth the dragon?" "To purge the land," she replied shortly. "No, that was the land she that claimed her life…" Naisha was now smiling when she said this. "No one really saw Maiev summoning the beast but they did see Maiev returning with the dragon," "I don't understand," Sakura honestly said. "When she died, she called forth the dragon to revive her." Naisha finally said.

"So you are saying that if I can call forth a beast then I can live again?" Sakura was invigorated now to ask. "Yes, but first you must face the council… they will decide your fate." After this Naisha disappeared and now multiple hooded figures surrounded Sakura. "Tell me child… do you wish to live?" the first figure asked. "Yes," she answered sternly. "No, she cannot live. If she does, the people will again envy if not abuse her. I think the time of the summoners must end here," the old female voice proclaimed. "Yes, her body has already been burnt to begin with," another figure spoke. The hope that she will live again began to grow dimmer as the council was still deciding.

"I propose a trade… a life of a summoner for a life of a damned. This way the beast that she will summon will be justified." This figure appeared out of nowhere. It was Naisha. She was Maiev! The first templar… the one who summoned the first and up to this time the last beast! After all this time I have been talking to Maiev all along. "Maiev-sama, though what you say can be true. There is no way a soul would want to trade with hers. Also, I am sure she would not pass the test of the beast to begin with." the figure countered.

"Do not decide something that is yet to happen," Maiev replied. "We will conduct a calling for the soul that wishes to trade in your place," Now, I know I there's no hope. There is no soul that would wish to die. In the middle of Sakura's self pity, a voice tat she recognized stepped forward. "I will be willing to have her place," Sakura watched as the figure stepped into the light. It was Reika! "But why?" Sakura cannot hold her tongue. "It's decided then…" Maiev proclaimed as the other figures dissolved leaving Sakura and Reika alone.

"I don't understand. Why are you helping me?" Sakura asked right after the other vanished. "It is not you I am helping…I'm helping him… and… myself… ad the others as well," Reika replied. "When I died, Ken made a forbidden ritual that would resurrect me but the truth remains that to keep me alive he must kill others and…" she continued. "I don't understand…" "No matter… do you best," Reika said with a forced smile on her face as she disappeared. "Wait… Reika!" Sakura shouted.

Back in the Village…

"Kagura-san, we've found out that the Blood countess as well as his minions were based in the north… just as Sakura-san said they were," the scout reported. Kagura was about to give the orders when "Rally the men… tell them it's time to kill the Blood Countess," Gaara ordered the others. The others including the five and the ninjas were just as glad to hear this news as Gaara so they went out immediately not even waiting for Kagura's orders.

Arriving in the ruins of the north, they were greeted by an eerie silence. There was an ear-splitting shriek followed by the common sounds made by the hooded figures before coming from under the ruins. Gaara stepped forward making a fast hand seals then flattening his palms on the ground. It was followed by the shaking of the earth. The ruins shook and collapsed.

The moonlight revealed the remains of the wreckage. Something quickly emerged from the ground as Gaara and the other ninjas tried to approach the ruins. The hooded figures bearing their scythe were making disturbing noises as if they were agitated. The battle began immediately.

At the mist of all the death songs and battle cries, something caught Gaara's attention. A beautiful maiden sat at the far end of the battle field with a man at her side was just sitting on an ancient throne as she was smiling at what she was seeing. He looked at the man at her side… something was telling him that he was the one responsible for her death. Clearing the way to the Blood Countess with his Sand, he dashed forward.

At this time…

In the darkness, Sakura was helplessly struggling out of her chains. Flames encircled her as she saw two eyes glowing red at the mist of the inferno. "You who aim to breathe again…" its breath resounded through out the place as the flames bent to the wave of air it exhaled. "If you want to walk the earth of the mortals again you must answer this question…" it continued. "What if I answered incorrectly?" Sakura dared to ask. The eyes looked at her intensely "Then… I will devour your soul." It laughed insultingly. "You must answer my question before time runs out…" "What your ancestors did in the battle was almost perfect… but what was their sole error?" "What do you mean when time runs out?" she asked as her brain was now thinking of an answer to its question. "Your memories will gradually vanish as you have yet to answer my question…" "Answer my question maiden. Only then can you return to the mortal plains…" it proclaimed after that it disappeared.

A/N: I already have chapter 18 in mind but I need to hear what you think. Sp please R n R.