Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
Chapter 1: A hard days Knight
Akane strode at the head of their little entourage, her hair spilling out from under her helm and her sword at her side. Her armor gleamed in the early morning light, and she felt every inch the heroine that she had trained so hard to become. She was flanked by those closest to her, her sisters.
Kasumi was a pace behind and to the right, dressed in her traveling robes with the rayed star of Akiko, the Goddess of Light's symbol emblazoned boldly on it. The simple holy symbol that hung around her neck spoke of the humble origins of the sisters, but it also spoke of the piety of the eldest of the sisters. Where others would have traded the simple symbol for one that better represented her new status and standing, Kasumi had chosen to embrace their past. It spoke volumes of her character.
To her left and rear was the middle sister, the sometimes caustic Nabiki Tendo. A skilled woman, whether it was with words, a knife or the tools of her trade, none would underestimate her for long. Those that did, often paid for it with either blood or the fortune. Even if Nabiki's morals might be a bit more...Flexible… than the others, her dedication to her sisters was ironclad. Even when Akane was the target of her antics.
They were currently heading from the last village they had stayed at towards one that they had heard was being threatened by a roving band of the Demon King's army, if you could call it that. Yes, the more advanced demons were capable of magic, tactics and even strategy. That said, the lesser members of the demon hordes were more, shall we say simple. They raided, they looted, and they ravaged. There was little rhyme or reason in what they did. It made fighting them a bit more of a challenge, since they would ignore tactical targets to hit ones of opportunity far more often than not.
This was what the sister's had figured was happening, since the reports were that several of the farmsteads in the area had been overrun in the late hours of the night. Yes, hitting the farms that lay outside of the meager protection offered by the village itself were easier targets, but they didn't do much more than lower the local morale, at least in the grand scheme of things.
It would have been better, tactically speaking, to hit the town itself. Burn the grain storage or the mill, take the livestock or slaughter it where it rested. That would have made more of a true impact. At least, that is what Akane's training told her. Her heart, on the other hand, ached at the pointless loss of life. The needless, wanton violence. She much preferred when they could bring the enemy to heel in open battle over this. There was at least a point then in the loss of life, the pain and violence. They were moving towards an end.
One way or another, this war had to end. Humanity couldn't keep bleeding resources, body, and territory like they had been. And the best way to counter the greater demons, much less the Demon King himself, was heroes and heroines like herself and her sisters.
Sometimes, in the dark of the night Akane wondered why the demons couldn't let the humans live in peace, why they had started this bloody war. But then, the answers from her training came to mind. They were vile, evil brutes who did not know the grace of the Light, they only reveled in darkness. They were incapable of feeling love, joy, or happiness so they inflicted their dark hearts and twisted passions on the world.
That was what she had been taught, and it was what she based her ideals on, after all.
It was what made them different from the beings that they fought and died against.
Nabiki noticed the smoke on the horizon first, as she pointed it out silently with a grim cast to her features. The three sisters look at each other, a silent agreement struck as they start to move in that direction, with Nabiki breaking ranks and vanishing into the shadows. Akane drew her sword and settled her shield into place as they came upon a small farmstead. One glance would prove that they had arrived too late to prevent the carnage, but not late enough to be unable to take revenge.
A group of eight goblins danced and cavorted around the dead bodies of the family that had once made this land their home. The bodies were laid out in some pattern, clearly meant as an offering to their dark Goddess. As Kasumi raised her hand to the sky, and the soft chant of her prayers filled the air, Akane rushed towards the goblins, her eyes fierce in her loathing.
The loathsome monsters turned and screeched something at each other as four of them fell back, drawing short bows as they others moved forward as a mob towards the advancing heroine. Akane heard the litany of fluid words from Kasumi shift, as she changed what miracle she was beseeching. Akane can feel the Light's Protection flare behind her, providing a measure of protection from missile weapons as she engaged the first of the goblins, her blade flickering and dancing like a living being as she parried the overhead slash of goblins hatchet, and blocked another's thrusting spear with her shield. With fluid grace gained from long years of practice, she shifted her blade slightly to the side, letting it slide down the haft of the hatchet and neatly took off the hands that were once holding the weapon.
The ignored it's panicked screeching as she slammed her shield forward, driving back the goblin she had blocked with it before her sword flickered out, taking it neatly in the throat as she heard a gurgle from farther down the field, a clear indication that her sister Nabiki had entered the fray as well.
Akane performed a quick, sliding block with her shield as she titled it upwards, guiding the next attack up and opening the attacker to a slash across it's unarmored gut. As it fell in a bloody heap, she stepped forward over it's twitching body as her blade moved like a living thing, striking the last goblin twice before it could flee.
Akane turned, as she took a step towards the archers and stopped as the last one fell with one of her sister's blades in it's neck. Nabiki scanned the surroundings, then started to collect her weapons with the efficiency that she did almost everything with. Akane started to check the downed goblins to make sure they were actually down while Kasumi walked over to the dead solemnly, a single tear making its way down her cheek as she knelt down and started to pray for the poor souls that lay before her.
It was a scene that had played out far too many times over the years for the liking of any of the sisters, the horrible truth of the war that had raged for centuries off and on. Not for the first time, Akane wished that she could just drive the demons back to whatever dark hole had spawned them, that she could burn them away with the Light, and purge the world of their darkness, once and for all.
The sisters set about laying the dead to rest, while they burned the bodies of the goblins. Each paid their respects in their own way to the dead, the little rituals that allowed each of them to continue on regardless of how much death and misery they had seen, and knew they would see until the Demon King was laid low once more.
It was well past nightfall when they finally arrived at the village and made their way towards the inn. Kasumi broke off to visit the local temple, a soft, sad smile on her face as she went to inform the church of what had happened. To let them know that members of their flock had been called back to the Light.
Akane walked into the inn as it went silent, the locals eyeing the strangers for a minute before going back to their meals and drinks. The sisters ordered drinks, food and lodging for three even if they knew that Kasumi might not even be back tonight, depending on what was asked of her at the temple. But, they had a way of doing things and they were loath to ever change it. It was the little things, the comfortable little rituals, that kept them sane in this insane world.
Akane noticed a swirl of wild color out of the corner of her eye, as she gazed at the minstrel who was sitting in a chair by the hearth. Her wild, long red hair cascaded down around her shoulders like molten fire in the firelight. Her vibrant, blue eyes seemed to sparkle with joy and wonder, and her voice was delicate, just the right amount of husk to draw all eyes to her as she performed. After a moment, Akane looked away. Such indulgences were not for a hero like her, she was content to sit here and let it linger in the background, even as her sister seemed to be enjoying the music.
Of course, Nabiki had always been the one more connected to the outside world of the sisters. She was the one that did most of the talking and negotiating, and the one who was responsible for making sure that they actually got to where Akane decided they needed to go.
It was enough for Akane to know that the bard at least eased her sister's soul a bit.
Akane knew that she had far too much blood on her hands to ever be worthy of peace. Yes, a special place was waiting for her at the side of the Goddess, but she would never know peace or comfort in her life on this mortal plane, that had been made abundantly obvious from a young age to the young aspiring heroine. Such things just were not for her.
No, it was better that she paved the way so that more vibrant souls, like the minstrel, could savor the joys of Light and life that this world had to offer.
It was better this way, right?
Ranko sighed as she performed. Maybe in the next town she would meet the new hero? It should be fine, right? No harm in checking on them, on seeing what they were like. Probably another loud mouthed, self important idiot out to slay demons and lay women. It never ended, the war and the intolerance that it brought would never end, it seemed. Peace was a happy dream that would never be shared, no matter how many ages passed. The God's petty rivalry would always be waged with the lives of the mortals that scuttled below them, insignificant and fleeting to the Divine.
In the end, though, it was mortal blood that would be spilled and used to pay the price to settle the grudge between Light and Dark. It was how it always was, and always would be.
These are the thoughts that she chases well into the night, long after the Heroine and her sisters have settled in for the night.
