Oblitus
The skies darkened and thunder roared. Electricity sparked and shot its tense constriction upon the earth. The same ferocity was mimicked in the chaotic settlement. The tension upon the town and strangled the inhabitants. The perpetrators kept their battle to themselves. They didn't fear an exhibition of their potent abilities. They chose secretiveness. It had soon became apparent that neither would succeed by that strategy. Kaito was prepared to battle in the open.
Gakupo stood by the window in his room and watched his nemesis. Kaito raised his sword; lightning refracted from the blade. He was in the middle of the street, practising his stances. Noctis trotted over and began to circle Kaito. His hooves beat against the ground. He soon fell into rhythm with the thunder. Kaito lowered his weapon and his head. He listened intently. His eyes closed to the world. The soft flurry of Noctis' mane blustered by the wind was the only trace of another presence. Kaito swung his sword forward and Noctis whinnied to reveal his position.
Each strike that Kaito launched would have struck Noctis if that were his intention. The training was intended for precision and detection. He would strike in the direction of his august stallion that stood beyond his range. Noctis would whinny if the attack had the potential to deal damage to his major organs. It encouraged teamwork and bonded them whilst allowing them to train to their specific combat style.
Noctis reared up. His hooves struck at the flat side of the blade. Kaito struggled not to drop his weapon. He used his lack of balance to lunge and strike out wildly. Gakupo, still watching on with furious intensity, was not familiar with their style of training. If it were any other day he would continue to watch in order to gauge his opponents skill. He chose to make a rare exception to his policies for once.
Gakupo turned away. He tore the curtain as he covered the view and stormed to the other side of the room. His hands raced for the dresser. He ripped the drawers open. Drawer by drawer he searched for the ancient scroll of his past. None of the drawers produced his most precious item. He turned to hunt through the remainder of the room.
He searched and searched. As he was about to surrender his eyes caught sight of a deep colour. It was a wax seal. Gakupo lunged for the fragile item and lifted it proudly. His fingers curled inwards and the scroll rolled open. The hiragana characters both fascinated and disgusted him. Each character represented a different period of his extended existence. That was not why he had been prepared to shift Heaven and Earth for it though. The scroll held his secrets of power. If he could harness the power of the inscriptions again he would easily overpower Kaito.
That was not why he sought it. The opportunity to defeat Kaito would come and go. Gakupo knew that. He could predict it as accurately as the tide. He wanted the scroll to explain the fate of his minions. He sat on the too soft mattress and scowled at each character. Again and again he explored the passages of his life. He found mostly his hatred for Kaito and training techniques. On his seventh search through his life he found something that attempted to disguise its true meaning.
His eyes widened. He leapt from the bed with astounding speed. The scroll clattered noisily. It rolled beneath a chest of drawers. Gakupo hissed. His eyes were alight with explosive fury. He threw the door open. It smashed into its frame and shook the walls of the hallway. The owners hurried to ensure the safety of the building and examine what damage had been done. By the time that they arrived Gakupo had already left. The door was hanging by a single hinge.
Gakupo stormed out from the side door of the inn. He growled and glared out towards the forest. It had almost been guaranteed that he had found the culprit. He had scattered hi minions throughout the forest and village in a final bid to protect them. He didn't care much for the minions. They were only a means to an end for him but he only had so many. Gakupo's combat style would fail him if he only had one minion. A tender stroke of the wind caressed his face and he raced in the direction of the movement.
Noctis chewed on a clump of grass. Since arriving it was the first meal he had and still he wasn't particularly hungry. He shook his head and glanced at his rider. Kaito was running across the street in pursuit of Miku. She was fleeing from him in what appeared to be horror and terror. She ran into her home and slammed the door. Kaito slowed. The sound of locks being turned rang out. He stood at the door and listened to her harsh breathing on the other side. He could pry the door open and force her into speaking but he simply stood and listened. The lack of action surprised Noctis. He knew better than to react.
"Tell me what you think," Kaito eventually spoke, his voice soft.
"Please just go away!" Miku wailed.
"Tell me and I'll leave you," he urged.
"I don't… No, I don't know," she wept. "I don't know what you want from me. Please leave me."
Kaito tried to speak but no words would come out. He frowned, unsure what he could say. He could taste her fear in the air. His ears were filled with her quiet, tired weeping. He tentatively leant forward and pressed his forehead to the cool wood. The door trembled from Miku's violent fear and he sighed. There was no way for him to calm or reassure her. She was too far gone in her distress to be saved by him.