Balance
I watched the humans passing through the city from a darkened alley. I was in my insubstantial form, which was unfortunately sapping much of my remaining strength after my recent battle, but I did not want to be bumped into as I observed those whom I protected. They seemed a noisy lot…noisy and smelly and self-centered and –
I wrenched my thoughts away from the path they had been going. What would Aia think of me if he could see me now? I returned my attention back to the colorful throng of humans and livestock parading past my hiding place. There were so many colors, from the browns and greys of the livestock to the reds, yellows, blues, greens, and purples of the fabrics to the blacks of the hair and the…purple headscarf?
My eyes widened as I beheld the head of a man with silvery-blonde hair bound back with a purple headscarf. I could feel my entire chest constricting as I watched him turn around. He had a long, thin nose set between icy blue eyes, and his pale skin was marked only by some light purple paint on his upper lip. He wore a brightly colored blue kimono and wooden stilted shoes. His legs were covered in dark blue leggings and bound from the knee to the ankle in white bandages. Judging from his outfit, he was clearly a medicine seller. He carried an abnormally large box on his back, and he surveyed the world around him with a slightly cynical yet overall optimistic and purposeful look.
Even though I knew he could not see me, I still backed farther and farther away from him, my breathing elevated and my heart racing. It couldn't be Aia; he had been dead for twelve years. Besides, Aia would have been a warrior instead of a medicine seller. But the resemblance was uncanny, enough to make me think that it was an older version of Aia.
The man started moving from where he had been, walking in the direction of the western market and the farming side of the town. Impulsively, I decided to follow him, which took up much of my concentration since I did not want any humans bumping into my invisible self. I tailed him to the very edges of the town, and it was only when I was able to relax my concentration that I realized that there was a very strong Mononoke aura in the area. Alarm raced through my being as I realized that this man was heading straight towards it, whether he knew it or not. Unwanted images of Aia's broken body intruded upon my thoughts. I had to stop this man in order to protect him; I could not let him turn into another Aia.
I quickly shimmered back into my visible self to save my remaining strength and raced as quickly as I could in a less direct path to the blazing Mononoke aura. I hoped that I would still be able to stop the Mononoke before the man arrived even though my route would take longer than his.
I arrived at the scene to find the Mononoke nearly ready to attack their targets. I leapt with an urgent vigor into their midst and slew two of the four before they knew what was happening. The other two shrieked and backed away before I was able to touch them, and the targeted humans screamed and fled at our presence. I ignored them, just as the Mononoke were doing so right now, and we raced back into the battle in an attempt to attack each other.
A brightly colored commotion caught my attention and distracted me long enough for me to realize that the medicine seller had arrived. Dread colored my thoughts, and I missed the blow aimed at me. I cried out as the Mononoke struck my side, knocking me several yards backwards.
What happened next took me by surprise. The medicine seller gave a small cry and rushed the Mononoke. I screamed at him to stay away, speaking in my own language and forgetting in my haste to speak in a language he would most likely know. The Mononoke struck out at the man, and he was knocked down to the ground, unconscious. As the Mononoke prepared to finish him off, I forced myself back to my feet and ran them through with my sword from behind. They exploded into a blazing inferno of colored shards, and I panted in the aftermath of the battle as my sword began its work.
Dropping my sword and falling to my knees, I checked the man over for any wounds. I was immensely relieved that he had mercifully remained unharmed, but he most likely would not regain consciousness for several hours. Not wanting to endanger him as I had Aia by staying with him for him to see me, I quickly moved him to a safer area and fled before he would wake up.
Sorry this chapter and the last were so short! I just haven't wanted to start the action of the next chapter in these because then I wouldn't be able to find a good place to stop and the chapter would get too long. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The Medicine Seller has arrived upon the scene!