My name was Ginger and I was a witch, born to a long line of witches. I did what every witch did as soon as they completed their training, journey. My journey lead me to Japan where I worked at a coffee shop owned by an old lady who so happened to be a witch too. Everything was going great and I was even picking up on some of the local magic. However one day while I was on a smoke break I felt this swell of power I had never felt before.
Curiosity got the better of me and before I knew it I was heading to where the magic had called me. Soon I found myself outside an old wellhouse on a shrine. I knew religious things of this culture was sort of out of my grasp right now but I just had to know what was the source of all that magic. So I went in and peaked down the well. What I saw was a shining blue light. It was dimming before my eyes in a way that let me know that the power had taken the form of a portal.
Doubly curious I jumped down the well and found myself five hundred years into the past. I was at first in awe of the fact that I had time traveled, since few witches were even powerful enough to do so. However, when I realized that the portal wasn't a two way ticket I quickly became annoyed. I got over myself quickly and decided that this was the opportunity to go out and really experience this lands magical and religious golden age first hand. So I began journeying again. I found that my services were needed all over the place and if I played it off just right then the people would believe me to be a Miko.
However, more times then not I would see some misfortune or evil doing and step in to fix it. Which would lead me to being cast out of the village with stones and pitchforks. The village I had left not too long ago would'vebeen one of them, if I had stayed any longer. A man had been sexually abusing his daughters, who's mother I learned died a year ago. The oldest girl was capable of taking care of her sisters and they had already had so many pigs. So I turned the man into a sow. So that he may feel the humiliation and hurt of being raped by a creature just like himself. He'd turn back into a man after the universe felt he was punished enough.
The eldest girl had been horrified but the smile from the other two had let me know just how much of a good deed I had done. Justice was served and my magical spell was quite sturdy. My old instructor would be quite proud of me. I left right away knowing that word of my deeds would spread through the village. However I hadn't expected them to send a religious man after me.
"WITCH! I WILL STRIP YOU OF YOUR ABILITY TO DESTROY PEOPLES LIVES!" The monk yelled startling the crap out of me. Whirling around I froze momentarily as I watch him pull out an ofuda. The holy items power and intent felt like standing too close to a fire.
'Shit that thing has a serious kick to it.' I realized. My world becoming hard edged and slowed as he threw the ofuda at me as if he had been training for several lifetimes to do so. Reflex kicked in and I swiped my hand out in front of me. The magical word for deflect shined for a moment. Quickly I pantomime the actions of sliding my hands through the straps of a shield gripping the handle buildinside for better stability.
Just in the nick of time a spell shield appeared deflecting the ofuda with such force it shot out like a bullet through the trees. Breathing a sigh I relief I squared the monk with a look that could make even sourly old men wilt. "You lived in that village for who knows how long and had never picked up on the evil festering in that home. Yet you come chasing me on your high horse labeling me the evil one? Until you realize how blind you are in judgment in other's may you too be blind to everything else."
"Wha..." He gasped blinking rapidly. "You have blinded me witch!"
"You blinded yourself." I snorted turning my focus to the direction of the ofuda.
"You will pay for this." He yelled gripping his face hysterically.
"I would...if I too were blind to the truth around me. However I see things as they are not as I was taught to see them. Meditate on my words monk, your sight will be returned with haste should you do so." I advised straddling my broom. Hopping off the ground I soared through the sky. If only they realized that I used magic
I was looking for anyone or thing that the ofuda could seal. I had long since flown out of the range of the Monks curses and was starting to hope. Perhaps the ofuda lost it's way, falling to the ground harmlessly but then I saw a figure down below and knew that wasn't the case. Thoughtlessly I dropped from the sky before the figure.
The man whirled around to face me, sword drawn. He had ridiculously long black hair, warm brown eyes. Wearing a white outfit with red honeycomb patterns around the collar. Then there was the black chest plate and a single spiked pauldron he was wearing. It all looked too heavy to be casually wearing...for a human. Dread filled my gut as the reality of what happened sank in. "What have you done to this one?" He spat.
"It wasn't by my design." Dropping my broom, I held my hands up hoping he'd see that I ment no harm. However the movement just made him tense up ready to strike out with his sword at a moments notice.
"Not by your design perhaps but that doesn't mean you didn't have a hand in this. Return the this one to our previous glory."
"I can't." I groaned. If the ofuda hadn't been so powerful I would've used a absorbing shield instead. I just didn't want to risk being powerless AND trapped in the past.
"You refuse."
"Okay...just hear me out. I'm not from here. Hell I'm not even from this time period. So your lands magics are still foreign to me. Hell even the religious is strange. A monk had sent that ofuda for me and I deflected it... I wasn't aiming for you or anything. It's just that the ofuda he was using was so strong it most likely was drawn to the nearest thing it could seal. You know what they say, every action has a reaction." I babbled.
"This one has lost our supervision senses, not intelligence." His honeyed brown eyes narrowed dangerously at me.
"I'm not lying to you. I don't know how to prove the fact that I'm from the future. I could tell you some things that will come in the future, but you have no way to instantly confirm that what I'm saying it true. You'll just have to take my word for it. I can't undo what is done." I confessed.
"Your word is worthless and if they are true then you doubly so are usless to me" He spat before putting away his sword. Without so much as another look he walked off into the forest.
"Such a charming man... I feel like my guilt induced bodyguard services to you are going to be filled with such joyous moments." I muttered dryly picking up my broom before following him. "So...um...you never gave me your name." I said awkwardly, falling in line behind him. He stopped all of the sudden, giving me a considering look.
"Hn." He grunted, looking forward again to walk towards some unknown destination. I slumped a little, exasperated with his attitude. I didn't need to know him personally to know that he had been some hot shot before having his powers accidentally sealed. 'Okay. I'll just have to be extra patient with him. After all, you'd be upset if your ability to defend yourself was suddenly stripped from you. Faster in that he's a man and well...I guess the attitude checks.'
"Fine. Maybe I don't deserve your name. I can live with that. However, you're going to have to live with the fact that I am duty bound to follow and assist you in your new state of being. So why not just tell me where it is you are going? If you're not afraid of heights, I could even fly us there." I said with a measure of calm in my voice. My efforts were blatantly ignored. Oh well, I had meant it when I said I was duty bound to follow him around. Odds are that I would be irritating him more than he would be irritating me.
All day, we had marched to some unknown destination. At some point, I had got onto my broom to hover over the ground. I had to give it to him. His true self must've been very powerful in spirit and body for his bound self to be this resilient. Although, the fact that he hadn't tried to get himself any water worried me. Too soon, did the final call of daylight shine over the horizon. To make matters worse, the moon was only a sliver of its full glory. Meaning she would be of no help to us tonight.
"You will lose your way in the night. It's too dark to know where you are going." I pointed out.
"This one knows where to go." He snapped stubbornly.
"Say you do know where it is you are going even without the ability to see. How about the fact that you must be thirsty and tired. Not to mention hungry. I know you may have never had to concern yourself with these needs, but that has been changed. If you ignore these needs, you will just grow weaker. When that happens, you become easy prey." I informed him as a matter of faculty as I could. The singing of metal was my only warning before the tip of a sword was pressed to my chest.
"This one isn't easy prey." He gritted out, brown eyes sparkling with emotion, anger.
"You may have all your previous experiences...all your skills and muscle memory even." I practically whispered hoping to not have to subdue him with magic. I was trying to build trust not give him more reasons to hate me. "However, you aren't capable of the same feats as you once were. Those who you could easily defeat can turn that truth on it's head. You might not like it but this is your reality now. At least until the curse wears out or I find a way to break it."
"I have no need of your help." He spat breaking his formal speech. 'He's in denial...great.'
"Okay. You win. I'll leave you alone." I sighed using my broom to speed out of his reach before he could blink. I could tell it surprised him by the way his eyes flinched. However the space allowd him to relax enough to put up his sword. "Just don't be too reckless. Also...just a little tip for you. You might want to stay away from friends, family and enemies alike. If anyone realizes what happened to you and word gets out it could be disastrous." I warned then made a show of flying away.
Sure that he could no longer see me I continued to followed him through the forest. I stayed as far back from him as I dared and kept on my broom to eliminate any noise. The second he saw me 'leave' he once again began walking forward into the night. I began having to fight going to sleep on my broom. Yet still he kept walking and walking. He was surprisingly graceful, only stumbling a couple of times on wayward branches. Other then that he was as quite as a mouse.
With me trailing him cloaking both of our scents he stood a higher chance of not being stalked by a predator. Myself not included. Not that I was a predator...if you ignored the stalking.
'Awe...he's so much cuter this way.' I gushed looking over his elegant features. I didn't get to have a look at his demonic form but if his human form was this beautiful then his demonic self must be breath taking. I didn't dare get too close to him in fear of him being a light sleeper, no matter how exhausted he was. I walked a circle around him casting him in shadows and abscuring him to the senses of all.
With him protected I took to the sky and headed towards the nearest body of water. I made quick work of gathering water and boiling water before storing it in my bamboo flask. Hopefully later on I could find another bamboo forest so I could make another flask for mister grumpy pants. I drank my fill of the refreshing liquid then headed back to where I had left him.
'He's going to be hungry too...hmmm...' I mused looking around. I wasn't about to go kill some poor creature for him. After all, he might decide he can still eat meat raw without any consequence. Plus, I didn't know if he knew how to build a fire. I was tired as hell but I had a sacred duty to this man. No matter how much he detested me or rebuffed my help I had to keep trying.
So I searched the surrounding forrest until I found a yellow fruit. Opening it up I was pretty sure it was a loquat. I ate a small piece to be sure and waited for any ill effects. When nothing bad happened I gathered up enough to fit into my apron then tied it up. I placed the apron beside the bamboo flask then found myself a bush to hide and sleep in.