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Chapter 4: Fog
Ororo stood in gaping silence of the man that frequented her nightmares. Rage, fear, and dare she say excitement, tingled her flesh upon contact with the great demon. Having lived in the countryside, digging for information and clues about her mystery attackers led her towards the far West. And now they meet, fittingly in the throes of violence between the various groups of people in the Western lands. Her deep cerulean eyes took in his hardened facial expression. The contours and angular jaw line made him look carved out of the mightiest alabaster marble she had ever seen. Lining his face was the patterns she memorized accompanied by his family's crescent crest laying symmetrically center of his forehead. He stood rigid eyeing her like prey seemingly deciding if she was worth the hunt.
Her eyes roamed him further…taking him in while preparing herself for the worst. Her muscles flexed while her fingers arched touching the atmosphere; stirring the air with her fingers. Even in this land the elements felt strange to her with its varied temperament. Smoke and soot blew lightly as the sounds of the distraught families went silent among them. She noticed the slight angle in his eyes catching the same cautious analysis of her person that she was surely reflecting in her own.
Suddenly, he swiftly turned around away from her in dismissal. Rage built within her seeing a man turn his back on her. She released a breath she hadn't known she was holding harshly. Ororo bit her lip in defiance before turning away from her temporary foe. She looked back at the people surrounded by chaos, bodies, blood, and debris. Her eyes saddened seeing such strife. These people needed her help first and foremost. Her problems will be pushed aside for another day.
"How can a land filled with supposedly so many Kings have such trouble?" She asked the wind before walking forward.
The husband she rescued from the house came to her and bent himself down to bow painfully. "Thank you so much! Really you and the Western Lord saved us."
Ororo shook her head gently trying her best to understand the words spilling forward. She had spent well over a year preparing for this journey. They focused on finding articles and information about this foreign land while preparing her sister for the throne in her absence along with her high priestess. They studied together the signs of the vision and found that she at least had 7 season cycles before anything great was to happen. Along the journey to Japan, she came across many lands, people, languages, and customs finding it stranger and stranger the further she went. Walking through the continent of Africa and Asia was not feasible nor appropriate so she endured travelling by seas using her powers to stay away from other vessels and threatening auras until she made it safely to the countryside of Japan. When she arrived, she collected reading material and did her best to self-teach herself the language. But it was very difficult with no accessible translation into her own language. It was only through conversation and the loving embrace of a calm fishing village in which she saved from being completely drenched by monsoon season did she gain some basic knowledge and working control of the language.
The generous people took time to help her everyday adapt to their culture and even tried their best to assimilate her into their lives. She indulged them at times and wore their custom clothing that she found too restricting and stuffy opting many times to wear the attire of the men. This surprisingly did not hinder the relationship with the people. They still worked with her. Finding her own culture and nature fascinating. In exchange, she worked very hard to gain the support and the trust of the locals by providing natural resources occasionally during a rough spring fishing and harvesting season. Over time she told them more and more about herself revealing a few of the items she came with her by boat during her long journey. Her language skills were very rudimentary. She understood Japanese more than she could speak it, but it had changed every day.
She looked to the couple who looked at her expectantly before she spoke slowly with a very noticeable accent. "Do you need shelter?" She asked with a heavy ladled pronunciation.
The family looked at each other before the man stood up slowly rubbing the base of his head which must have suffered some trauma during the event and possibly why he was knocked down inside the burning hut. His wife soon followed slowly rocking her babies in her arms. The ofudas still stuck to her skin. She seemed to have forgotten about her youkai suppressant now that her young was safely in her arms. Ororo reached over and gently pulled the ofuda off the woman feeling the intense rush of energy flood the area. The woman did not shrink away but eyed her warily.
Ororo then looked to the husband and noticed his pale soot-covered human ears had now grown elven like with pointed tips. Ororo looked to see his wife ears change as well. Her black hair had turned bright red, and her skin seemed to have a soft glow to it. Her brown eyes flashed a pink color revealing her emotional state. Their bond was felt through a vibration once the ofuda was removed. She realized that the ofuda was a suppressant against the youkai. Ororo knew from experience in this strange land to be wary of such characteristics. The fishing village wasn't luckily suffering from constant attacks but when they happened it wasn't pretty and quite scary.
The man looked behind him at the hut before sighing. "Everything is ruined, and we cannot return to this village. It is not safe here anymore." He thought out loud crestfallen at his own admission.
"Maybe we can ask for amnesty under the Lord of the West. He has seen our plight and came to aid us even though we are not directly on his territory." The wife spoke kissing the top patches of hair on her baby's head. Her eyes slowly began to change lighter until it was a soft purple. Ororo took note of the babies clinging onto the woman and noted their noses were buried in her kimono clutching on tightly.
"Maybe." Her husband spoke walking back towards the house to collect anything worth salvaging.
"I travel too that way." Ororo offered feeling terrible for the family especially with two little ones that barely took a breath in the world.
The woman nodded and bowed before announcing her thanks. She also could tell the woman's language capabilities might be a small issue but proceeded none the less. "My name is Hiromi and this is my husband Ryo." She spoke slowly and as clear as possible.
Ororo simply nodded finding it very difficult to bow when even in her culture only the accused and those waiting for verdict bowed before anybody. She pointed to herself and spoke. "My name...is Ororo." She spoke before walking over to a hidden bush and pulling out her supplies. They watched her pickup and carry a rather foreign looking bag. Her eyes met Hiromi's noting the obvious questions that seemed to be burning on their tongues but respect for her generosity prevented them from asking.
Ryo came out with a wrap made of some fabric that smelt of smoke filled with various items. "It's not much but it will do fine." He spoke before kissing his children's faces and walking forward. He took out a weapon and placed it on his back before the group started walking forward. Long forgotten were the tears and the pain.
Ororo watched in wonder as these people seemingly just went on ahead with their lives. She was in awe of such resilience by these people. Just a few minutes ago, their lives were at the mercy of self-righteous bigots with nothing better to do than to torment the ones that may have had faith in them. Now, they seemed to be holding themselves together and developed a plan. She wished her people had such strong nature. Her family and warriors had made Egypt powerful against foes and intruders. However, it made the people too lax and too complacent. If anything like this had happened to her people, she was positive the civilians would dig up every god in the history of gods and perform a massive praying session while their homes were being burnt and the greatest of warriors fought to their last breath. They were spoiled. She would write to her sister about this and hopefully change this for the better during her sister's reign.
Ororo watched silently as the man went to the head of the village and spoke to him. A few of the people came over and chimed in on the conversation surrounding aid, supplies, and the journey. Somewhere upset, clearly not wanting to leave. Others nodded in agreement and began gathering their things from their homes. Hiromi came to her side and smiled lightly at her. The slight tint of pink still lingering as her instincts burned to keep her pack protected and in her vicinity.
Soon, Ryo came back and spoke to them quickly. Ororo caught the important parts of it. They were going to the Western capital to seek refuge and possibly start over in the outskirts. They were farmers and artisans and didn't want to give that up but also didn't want to go any longer without protection especially with hanyou babies that would be targeted. The details were lost on her. But she followed as they walked forward towards the West. West where the demon Lord walked away towards.
Her feet carried her softly across the plain neither making a sound on the dirt pathway. Hiromi slowed her pace Ororo noticed and began walking alongside of her, holding her babies firmly to her body. Ororo knew Hiromi was studying her in a sense. It would be foolish not to especially after the events that just took place and her seemingly well-timed rescue along with the Western Lord. She frowned at these feelings. So many mixed emotions but knowing she must talk with the Lord with firm knowledge and not run-in blind on the attack. The further they walked, the more anxious she felt.
"Ororo-san?"
The woman blinked out of her thoughts to acknowledge the woman. Hiromi continued to rock her child gently while watching her mate hug the other tightly to his shoulder in protection. At some moment during their trek, Ryo tried to give Hiromi a break. "Thank you again for your help. Excuse my forwardness…"
Ororo watched the woman search for words before looking up at her with interest. "-but are you a demon too or half like my children?"
The tall woman debated her question before looking down at the infant in her arms. The babe was sound sleep with the covers wrapped around her and hiding her tuff of red hair on her head.
Ororo paused searching for the right words to express her situation. Many times did this question come up and many times people would already judge for themselves regardless if she said anything or not. With practice, she simply answered. "I am neither." She could feel Ryo's curiosity and knew he was interested in the light conversation as well. So, she indulged them with answers to questions and happily took her turn in holding the infants to give one parent a break.
She was not one to hide her lineage or her birthright from people. Hiromi touched her skin in awe of her coloration and said many times how naturally beautiful it was like the darkest of cherry wood she had ever seen. Ororo was very careful not to divulge too much information about her reasoning for being in the 'Land of the Rising Sun' so she simply told them she was on travel to gain connections and exchange knowledge with the other ruling bodies of the eastern world. Well as much as she could in Japanese before she was confronted with a language barrier in which her hands would come about to help her express herself.
She showed the woman her many golden and ivory bracelets, sharing her stories and meaning behind them. Even the way she dressed was strange with white cotton hugging her body and brown strappy sandals lining her feet and ankles. She disclosed her royal status in her country, and this only caused a small commotion in which Ryo insisted she hold his twin daughters feeling she would bring many blessings and wealth upon them. Ryo also jokingly mentioned it would be a great story to tell about a foreign queen taking interest in his daughters to their new neighboring villagers.
She had in return gained much insight into the family. Well as much as one could gain with very poor command of the language. Hiromi was a feline demoness, and her husband was human who shared her lifespan and powers once they had properly mated. Together they had twin hanyou daughters named Tomo and Mimi who were a beautiful blend of the two. She knew from her brief stay in the country that demon and human relations were a very touchy subject. The common sentiments were that majority of both sides would rather see the other's genocide than exactly live in harmony. But, to go so far and attempt to kill the lives of children was horrendous. In her country, even the children of captives and slaves were considered sacred. "What monster would want to hurt beautiful newborn lives?" She stated in her language more so than asked noting the quietness of the parents.
They walked in companionable silence on the main road towards the Western Border. The moon was steady rising higher and higher. The sounds of the forest around them came alive as they simply walked onward unafraid of anything that would come out to bother them. They were an odd sight she was sure of it; however, they were comfortable and knew the worst that could happen was confronted and behind them. Upon reaching a small hill, they looked onward to see many towers along a noticeable ivory border with a small village behind the walls. Farmland stretched for miles before one's eye could see the front of the gate. They walked forward checking in with a few guards who allowed them passage into the small rural village. The flags of bright reds and blues with the crescent moon hung from the walls letting her know whose territory they entered. Ryo turned around with a smile and reached for one of his children to hold. He turned around providing his wife some relief and walked forward.
"We have made it to the border. We can clean up and rest. Everything will be fine now."
Ororo nodded at the small, relieved family. She followed them to an inn but stopped to look up at the tall boding towers further down view. Anxiousness grew from the confrontation she was sure was to be had come morning. "Everything will be fine." She repeated as she walked into the inn they had found. She repeated this despite the chills running up her neck at being watched. The intentions behind the gaze, unknown.