Author's note: This one's Chiharu's back story! It's a dark one, so here's a warning: this chapter contains explicit content. Read with caution.
The continuous explosions coming from outside shook the rafters of the temple, sending dust and grit falling on Chiharu's unkempt hair. Shaking, she huddled closer to the corner as she wrapped her arms tighter around the bundle of cloth in her arms.
The soldiers were coming. She could hear their thundering footsteps and the deafening slash of their swords as they continued to search for her. In minutes they'll find her; then in seconds, she'll be dead.
Chiharu whimpered.
Hundreds of them had raided the nearest town last night, and now they seek to desecrate her coven as well. The sound of alarm had come merely a few hours back, barely enough time for anyone to evacuate the high grounds of their temples. By the time the soldiers had broken through the main gate that has protected them from outsiders for decades, not even half of the priestesses had left their homes.
Chaos had erupted promptly. Blood splattered and tainted their sacred grounds; bodies of her sisters lay mutilated, their glassy eyes staring up the sky as they futilely sought their deity's salvation. But none came. Their only hope for rescue was backup from the village, but they'd already been defeated prior.
Still, her remaining sisters fought. Even the ones who had never touched a weapon before this day took to arms in order to protect their deity; in order to uphold their oath.
Chiharu was among the youngest members of the coven. She was barely at the cusp of sixteen years, the recruiting age. She was also among the smallest and so head priestess Morita had wrapped the holy relic with tattered rugs and shoved it into Chiharu's arms, pleading her to hide in the smallest cranny she could find.
Priestess Yuuki had been assigned to go with her. Together, they'd crept through the shadows, hiding and turning a blind eye at every death they witnessed. That was until someone had seized Yuuki from behind and screamed at Chiharu to run.
Nearly blinded by her own tears, Chiharu sought refuge at the smallest establishment she came across–an old temple once used for small offerings at the very edge of their property. From there, she tried to close her ears from the blood curdling screams that wafted through the creaky wooden walls.
Trying to steel herself, Chiharu lifted the bundle to her lips and uttered a prayer to the deity once again.
Please, kind and benevolent deity, save my sisters. Save our temple. Please, kind and benevolent deity, save my sisters. Please, kind and benevolent deity, save my sisters. Please, kind and benevolent deity, save my sisters. Please, please, please, I beg you, I beg you. Please, kind and benevolent deity, save my siste–
When head mistress Morita's scream sliced through Chiharu's ringing ears, her prayers were cut off with a choking sob.
No one's coming.
This day, Chiharu knew that her coven would cease to exist.
Suddenly, the door to the temple shook as soldiers tried to kick it open.
Alarmed, Chiharu sought for an opening to escape. Her eyes darted here and there, trying to search for a crevice in the old, crumbling temple. When she saw nothing bigger than a rat hole, her panic escalated.
Sweating and whimpering, she pushed herself farther into her corner. The wood behind her creaked noisily; she froze, terrified, but the sound was lost amid the sound of death.
An idea came to mind.
She raised her fist and pulled it back as far as she could then struck the rotten wood; once, twice, until her fist went through. Paying her bloodied knuckles and splintered skin no heed, she clawed off the wooden wall.
She was panting heavily, her breath misting as she welcomed the winter chill from outside. Her fingers were in tatters, her fingernails gone, but she kept ripping and ripping until she made a hole large enough for her to crawl through.
Wrapping a secure hand around the holy relic, she scrambled from the old temple and started running into the woods. It was freezing cold, but she barely noticed it. The high snow impeded her movements, but she ran as fast as her legs can take her.
Behind, she can hear the voices of three soldiers shouting at each other as they chased her. They were big, and with every breath she can feel them creeping closer, until she was only a hairsbreadth away from them.
Tired, bloodied and aching, Chiharu shouted a prayer to the skies just as one snagged her by her clothes, "Merciful and benevolent deity, I am nothing, but I plead you to save m–"
Her words were cut off as she was thrown on the ground. The relic slipped from her hand and tumbled a few feet from her. Though she could barely see it through the tears, she tried to crawl to reach it, only to have a boot step on her outstretched hand.
She cried from the pain of her crushed bones.
"This one's quite young, eh?" one soldier said, his tone proud, as if he'd snared a valuable catch.
"Oh, aye," another one replied. Vaguely, Chiharu heard the sound of belts undoing, of pants meeting the snowed ground. Dread crept through her entire being, making her shudder in revulsion.
Weak, despaired and in agony, she could do nothing but slap the hands that tore at her clothes. She could only whimper as they laughed once she lay dazed and bare on the cold snow.
Such cruelty…Her mind ceased working as hands scratched and crawled all over her flesh; could only cry silently once they broke her oath, her offering to the great deity. She screamed, begging for help, but the trees merely listened.
All I ever wanted was…Chiharu cried as she felt the cold slide of a blade on her stomach. All I ever wanted was to save everyone…Deity…what have I done wrong?
Slowly, she can feel her blood dyeing the white snow beneath her, giving her warmth for precious seconds until such chill seeped into her veins.
"What this?" one man inquired after refastening his pants. He picked up her bundle of cloth and unraveled the holy relic inside. He frowned when he examined the rusty old chalice.
"Piece of rubbish," he sneered as he tossed the relic to her open stomach. "You gave up your life to nothing, missy."
You…don't know, she wanted to say, but couldn't find the energy to speak. She only gazed at the darkening sky as tears continued to run down her temples. I…gave my life to my deity. It is… she halted her thoughts, feeling death swarming over her body. A sob escaped her throat, only for it to turn to a gurgle as blood filled her mouth.
I don't want to die…
"Not…in vain."
As life ebbed out of her battered body, her last thoughts were, I am Chiharu, a proud priestess of the Coven of the Wind. I…upheld my oath to the deity for as long as I can…
Author's note: Young Chiharu was born in the time of the Relic war, and her first life was a reflection of how cruel it can be. The next part will be her and Yamazaki's story.