So, fair warning, this chapter won't be for everyone. However, this is something that I really wanted to write. So, I hope you enjoy this thing I created. But also be aware that it can get dark in a way this series hasn't really touched on before and deals with the traumatic past of a character. This is your final warning.
Chapter 49:
Once upon a time, on the day of the Summer Solstice, a little girl was born in the land of the Far East. She did not come into the world with tears but with a gurgle. As the Emperor's daughter, many took this as a blessed sign. The newborn was showered with praise for doing nothing but having a life. As she grew, she became known as the Sunshine Princess for her warm smile and contagious laughter, the sound of which became common within the Imperial Palace.
As she grew, many commented on her beauty, predicting that she would stop the hearts of a thousand princes. Men would fight over her, women would envy her, and she would become the most treasured gem of her family line. This had all been said when she was a baby, tiny and in her formative years. However, life is not a fairy tale.
When Otohime was a year old, she took her first steps. She walked the palace halls, curious and inquisitive. She looked for things that caught her attention, which eventually led her outside. Greeting her was a barrage of swaying colours that she had never seen before. She had found the gardens of the Far East, which were known throughout the world for their beauty and radiance.
The little child took to them happily, often getting dirt on all the dresses they tried to stuff her into. Her mother had giggled at the event, no rage evident on her expression. The Emperor did not know and really did not care. Otohime was one child of many, and even if she was currently third-in-line, he had a feeling that this life was not for her. So even if his advisors came running to him, complaining of a disgraceful ball of mud, he would always look the other way. Let the child have her fun because it would only last for so long.
After one-such misadventure, Otohime's mother was helping her daughter wash all the mud off. Sure, the palace servants could have helped. Even her own household staff would have been well-suited to the task. But Tsuchiyaka Nakamura wanted to show her daughter she would be there for her and take care of her when she needed it. The Spider of the East would prove to herself and her people that she could be kind and compassionate.
"You're such a handful, you know that right?" asked Tsuchiyaka fondly.
Otohime could not respond; she just smiled and gurgled happily. The little one reached up for her Mama for a hug which Tsuchiyaka gladly gave. Even if her daughter was covered in mud and in the middle of a bath, she wanted Otohime to know that there would always be at least one person that loved her.
When she was five, she had gone to the gardens per usual. Although she was young, bodyguards were already flocking to her to keep her safe. Her mother had told her that she would be getting a personal bodyguard soon from one of the old clans. Otohime was not thrilled by that idea. She did not want a shadow trying to tell her what to do. Even the ones she had now only paid the minimum attention to her. And when they did look at her, she could feel their jealousy pierce her body like needles stabbing into pincushions. This bodyguard would probably loathe her like everyone else seemed to do.
But for now, she was in the gardens, admiring the flowers. Currently, she stood in a field of blooming purple orchids, slowly touching the soft petals with her hands. She was careful to never pick the flowers from the ground. Once upon a time, she had done that, hoping to make a bouquet for her Mama, but the older woman had just shaken her head.
"Otohime, if you rip those flowers from the ground, what will we do with them?" Mother had asked. "They might be pretty in a vase for a little while, but what will happen to them?"
She had crouched down to look her daughter in the eye. Her face seemed stern, much of the usual joyous emotion gone, but Otohime still saw a deep well of kindness in her mother's eyes.
"Those flowers, which were still in the prime of their lives, would stop growing, and then they'd wither away. They would die just so that we would have something pretty to look at. Please, do not do that to the flowers, my lovely dear," explained Tsuchiyaka. She reached up to rub her daughter's hair.
So, Otohime returned to the gardens and asked to help the Royal Gardeners with their work. She tearfully apologized for killing their flowers and said she had wanted to make it up to them. The gardeners had looked at her strangely then, but they allowed her to stay and help. It took an hour for her to learn, but eventually, Otohime Nakamura could take care of the flowers independently.
It became her favourite place to go on all the palace grounds. The air was fresh, the sun was bright, and the sky was always an excellent shade of blue. The wind passing over the plant life was a calming balm to her chaotic life. That all to say, the gardens were peaceful to a young girl. Especially when that little girl spent the rest of her time in lessons.
She studied manners and dress. She learnt how to properly greet every level of nobility and how to treat them. She studied family colours and crest, doing her best to differentiate them in her little five-year-old mine. Every day the lessons of a Princess were drilled into her head, including the fundamentals of combat. These were not lessons she was supposed to take, but her mother insisted on this anyway. Her instructors were not kind and were strict and punishing. They would beat her black and blue over the slightest mistake, and they would voice their disdain for her. After one such lesson, she chose to show her bruises off to the flowers.
"Lady Otohime," called out a voice.
Otohime Nakamura turned, and her instincts lit up. She did not recognize the guard in front of her. He was not a member of her mother's household staff, and he wasn't a member of the palace guard.
"Who are you?" she asked simply.
The man's smile beneath his helmet did not falter. He walked up to her quickly, his hand lightly gripping a spear.
"My name is Iida," he said. "I am here to take you back to your mother. She says that it's time for dinner."
Otohime frowned. "Ok, but what happened to the other guards?"
"I took over for them. After all, you won't run off on me, right?" replied the guard claiming to be called Iida. "And they deserve a break, don't they? From what I've heard, you're quite the rambunctious child."
Otohime stood up slowly, her hands curling into the sleeves of her dress. She stared up at the guard, unsure and afraid of what he was trying to do.
"Who are you, really?" she asked as only a child could.
The smile dropped from the guard's face, and he sneered.
"Well, I guess I can do it here and now," he said. "After all, the person who hired me said I'd be protected." He pulled a dagger out from the sash at his waist. "Sorry about this, little girl; it's nothing personal!"
Before he could bring it down, though, he let out a gasp of air. He noticed a stream of blood leaking out from his groin area. Inside of it was a long pin of metal. It could have been a hairpin, but it was a weapon right now. The girl behind it was grim-faced, but her hand was shaking. The long line of red snaked its way down her arm, mixing into her clothes. Her face held tears, but she chose not to cry. She might have only been five years old, but she understood what she was doing. Mama had talked with her a long time about this.
"In the end, you have to make a choice," she had said. "Who will live, and who will die. This is a choice that all people will have to face. Whether they choose to help those in need or rob them of what time they have left." Her mother's face had been the most serious she had ever seen it. "I am sorry, but this decision will come to you earlier and more often than most because of who you are."
That was when she had pressed the steel stiletto into Otohime's palm. She had explained how it was used and where to hide it. Otohime had held onto it because her mother had told her so, but she had no plans to use it. She did not want to take a life. But she did not want to die either.
In the gardens, where the orchids were in bloom and vibrant shades of purple, they suddenly gained flecks of red. And young Princess stared down at the body in the grass. She would stay there till her mother came to pick her up, carrying her back home. Once home, she would spend the night sick to her stomach. Otohime Nakamura was five years old when she killed for the first time.
When she was eight, something good finally happened in this den of demons she called home. She met her new bodyguard, Urashima Taro. He was young, like her, and he was kind. He was a fighter who had trained to kill, but he seemed to loathe that training as much as the Princess he was charged with protecting. Oto loved him because it meant that she wasn't alone anymore.
The two of them were outcasts together, often taking their meals in Otohime's home in private. Such an action would usually be seen as improper, but her mother allowed this because she saw how much the young boy had come to care for her daughter. She saw the seeds of their relationship and worked to give Otohime an ally she could depend on. After all, Otohime needed someone else to take care of her, even after Tsuchiyaka could no longer do it herself.
"You have come to care for my daughter, haven't you?" asked the mother to the bodyguard.
The young boy looked at the ground, his pink fleshy hands wrung together. Obviously, the question was something that was on his mind. He knew his feelings were improper and that the relationship he had in mind would never come to pass, but he could not stop his heart beating when he saw her.
"She is a wonderful person," replied the wise young boy. "It would be foolish of me not to care about someone as incredible as her."
Tsuchiyaka reached down to ruffle his hair. "Good, then I need you to promise me something." She moved her hand to his chin and tilted it up. "I need you to always be there for her. Can you watch out for her, especially when I can't?"
Urashima Taro tilted his little head. "What do you mean when you can't? Are you going somewhere?"
The mother shook her head. "I'm not leaving, but I'm not certain that my daughter will always be here. No matter where she goes, will you be there, too?"
The young boy seemed to mull the words over. It was like he had a chunk of food in his mouth that he was pushing between his teeth. Seeing someone who was only eight years of age take this much time and put this much thought into her question made Tsuchiyaka smile. This was a thoughtful boy, and his calmness would counter Otohime's more…vibrant tendencies.
"I will be there," said Urashima finally. "I will be there for your daughter."
"Even if she does not return your feelings?" replied Oto's mother.
Ura frowned. "That does not matter. Even if she rejected me, I would still be her friend. The only thing that would make me leave her side was if she asked me to herself. Bar that, I will always be there to take care of your daughter."
Tsuchiyaka Nakamura, the Mistress of Spiders, smiled happily. She thanked him for his kindness and then sent him on his way back to the Princess. He did so with a bow, but then he paused. He seemed to consider something in his mind, but Tsuchiyaka didn't know what it was. Then, the young man rushed forward to wrap his arms around her midsection.
"Please be there for your daughter," he said, his voice muffled. "Please, because I fear that I am too weak. I am not…strong enough as I am now."
The older woman smiled, patting him on the head. "I'll always be there for her. That's a mother's responsibility, after all."
When she was ten, Otohime started taking combat lessons. Before, she had only learnt the basics of self-defence. And those lessons could hardly be called productive. Now, though, she trained in earnest. She had had a falna for a couple of years, but the growth was slow. After all, she did not live in the mythical Dungeon City. The excelia she could gain out here was limited. The only viable source was in the nesting grounds of the dragons that were close to her home. And that was only accessed for feats. That all said, she did get more than others. After all, assassination attempts required some kind of strength to fend off.
"Which number was that last night?" asked Urashima.
Otohime's eyes studied the dirt floor. "That was assassin number thirty. Mama took him out."
As the young Princess got older, the assassins got more numerous. She didn't understand why, though. She was third in line as Princess, and everyone else had made it very clear that her older brothers were more suited for the throne. Not to mention, Otohime had made it very clear that she didn't want it anyway. She hadn't renounced it all because she was afraid of what would happen to her mother and Ura. Even if her mother was a noble, rejecting her claim would not be taken well by the Imperial Court. And Ura would most likely be cast aside by the harsh rulers of the Taro clan. Being a Princess kept everyone else safe.
"Did you have to fight?" asked Urashima.
Otohime nodded.
"Then, you should go see Lady Amaterasu. Even if it was a level one crook, there is growth there," he said.
Otohime frowned. "If I see her every time I'm attacked, I'll be seeing her once a week."
She felt more than saw Urashima roll his eyes. "You're just avoiding her because you think she looks at you weirdly."
Otohime whirled. "She does, though! Every time she looks at me, she gives me a condescending smile and talks about how excited she is to see my future unfold! What's that even supposed to mean!"
"It means you have to take your training seriously," came a new voice.
Otohime turned and smiled. She hopped to her feet, running over to hug the man that walked into the courtyard. His hair was starting to gray, but he carried himself with the strength and confidence that only a younger-looking man would have. Across his back was a long piece of wood.
"Uncle Kojiro!"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not your uncle. Honestly, you're supposed to be nervous! I'm your weapons instructor, after all!"
Sasaki Kojiro was not the Imperial Weapons Master. In fact, he did not have a drop of noble blood in his veins. But he was an old family friend, and Otohime's mother trusted him much more than any other instructors. As she had explained to Otohime, this court was all politics. The instructors could purposefully teach her improperly just so that when it mattered most, Otohime would fail. They could put dangerous ideas in her head to send her off somewhere dangerous where she would die. Then, the jealous sons and daughters, and their parents, would move up in the Imperial hierarchy. But Uncle Kojiro could be trusted.
"What are we practicing with today?" asked Otohime. "Are we doing katanas again? Or are we using daggers?"
Due to Otohime's lithe body, she often trained with smaller weapons. She was often told that she would need to learn to use concealable weapons as a woman. The type of thing she could hide up her sleeves or strap to her legs. At least, that's what Mama had explained to her.
"Neither," replied Kojiro. "I have something special in mind for you." He beckoned back into the shadows, and a couple of attendants walked out. In their arms was an extended package wrapped in cloth. "You don't want to be here, little one. That's a fair enough thing to say." He smirked. "Knowing you, I'd wager you dream of going on an adventure. I'm guessing to the Valley of Dragons or the Dungeon City."
Otohime felt herself blush. She looked away and puffed up her cheeks. "So, what if I do want to get out of here. This place is mean, and everyone here is a bully." There was a quiet second before she looked to the side, a look of horror on her face. "Ah! I didn't mean you, Ura! I meant everyone else!" She looked forward. "Wait, but not you either, Uncle Kojiro! I mean…you bully me in training, but you're not mean about it!" She held her head. "Oh, and there's mother too! She's not a bully…well, not to me at least."
Kojiro hit her on the top of her head with his training pole. Not hard enough to cause any pain, but just enough to catch her attention.
"Will you please stop your worrying and listen," he said. Otohime looked back up, still pouting. "Now, as I was saying. You will leave this place one day, and you will start a new legend. The people will tell your story and remember you as a hero."
Otohime frowned. She hated it when people talked like that, as if she was unique or different. It made her feel like they didn't want her around or only spoke to her because they wanted something.
"Then I'll follow her," said a familiar voice.
Sasaki Kojiro grinned like a wolf.
"Wherever she goes, I'll follow her to ensure she stays safe," said Urashima Taro.
The old man laughed. "Of course you will! After all, if you're not around, she's likely to forget her head somewhere!"
"I'm not that dumb!"
"Oh, but you're willing to admit that you're a little dumb?"
Otohime frowned. "What's the stupid weapon that you brought me?"
Kojiro took the extended package and asked the attendants to leave. When they did, he unrolled the clothes to reveal a long pole. At the end of it was a blade that looked like a sword. It was taller than Oto, a weapon she would have to grow into.
"This strange curiosity is called a bisento. It is an old weapon wielded by only the most skilled of warriors. It combines the slashing power of a sword with the reach of a spear. This one's specific name is Same No Ha," explained Kojiro. "A legendary weapon for a legendary girl."
Otohime took it slowly. As her hands wrapped around the metal pole, something clicked in her mind. Without anyone asking, she gave a few exploratory twirls. Already, her mind was thinking about how she would need to accommodate for her current height and how she wouldn't be able to use the weapon at its full potential as she was now. It was a weapon that would serve her well in the future.
"I take it you like it?"
Otohime nodded, her eyes focused on the blade itself. Etched onto its side were words she could not read. She pointed to them.
"What does this mean?"
"It is written in the language of the Gods," replied Kojiro. "It means, 'Diligence Conquers All.' A fine sentiment, don't you think?"
Otohime nodded again. She was about to ask for more help in her training when the doors opened again. A young man walked out, his face twisted into a sneer. Otohime had met him before only briefly. His name was Niko Nakamura, the Second Prince of the Far East. He was her half-brother.
"Ah, I am sorry to interrupt your training, sister," he declared. "I just wanted to invite you! I recently ranked up to level two and was planning on throwing a great celebratory feast. You will be there, won't you? In fact, since I'm in such a good mood, I'll even let you bring that pet of yours." He motioned towards Urashima. "After all, even a mongrel deserves its scraps."
Otohime grit her teeth. She stepped forward, ready to release a tirade of insults on her arrogant piece of trash brother when Kojiro's long pole got in her way.
"I am sure she will be there, my Prince, but I would be remiss not to finish her lesson. After all, neither of us would want to anger Lady Tsuchiyaka," he said.
Niko laughed. "No, I guess not. Best not to get caught in that spider's web just yet." He looked Otohime up and down, and she felt a shiver go up her spine. "But she won't be so terrifying forever."
He turned to leave. "I will leave the details with your people then, Princess Otohime!"
When he was gone, Otohime continued to stare at the doors. She was quiet for a moment before she turned toward her bodyguard. She held her arms out in front of Urashima. He sighed before he awkwardly stepped forward to reciprocate her hug.
"I hate him," she said. "I hate the way he talks about people."
"You realize he might be emperor one day," replied Ura. "You can't just say whatever you want; you'll get in trouble."
Before Otohime could reply, Kojiro spoke up.
"Not to mention, he's a gifted fighter who's already on the rise. In a land outside of the Dungeon, every bit of excelia matters," said the old man. "If you want to stand up to him, you'll have to be just as strong."
"Which means I have to train," continued Otohime. She smiled. "Diligence conquers all."
"Just right, little one," said Kojiro. "Now, let's get to work."
Otohime was twelve now, and she was still training. She had reached level two not long after her conversation with Kojiro. A sneaking suspicion told her that she had to keep pace with her older brother as best she could. She did not have the influence he did, nor did she want to connect herself too closely to the court, but falna was the great equalizer in this world of Gods and Goddesses.
Now, though, she had much more significant troubles on her mind. She had taken one day to relax, one day to try and be the kid she knew she was, and now everything was broken. And it was all her fault. Urashima Taro, her bodyguard and only friend, had lost his arms to a boulder because of her. And now he was feverish and delusional, his life slipping from his fingers. She sat there for days, doing what she could with her modest power to take care of him, but everywhere she went, she was blocked. Someone did not want him to survive. It could have been her devilish brother or Urashima's father. She did not know, but she knew that she would do anything to ensure he would be ok.
One night, while she did her best to tend to him, she heard a visitor approach the screen door. It slid open, and the sound of footfalls told her that she was not alone. However, she did not look to see who walked through.
"Why, dear sister, what are you doing here in the cold?" asked the vinegar-laced voice of her brother. "Have you been sitting here all night?" He crouched down next to her. Otohime could feel his breath on her ear. "What a shame that your pet is so injured. If only there was something that could be done about it."
Otohime was tired, and her emotions had ruined her brain. She would have negotiated if she was in a slightly better state of mind. As it stood, though, she said nothing.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"No, no, no," replied Niko. "It's about what you want. Would it happen to be medicine or a proper doctor?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, digging his fingers into her skin. "Perhaps I could be of some assistance to you? After all, we are siblings, aren't we?"
Otohime did not reply at first. When she finally did, it was with a shaky breath.
"What do you want?" she asked. "What do I have that I can give?"
Niko could feel the ooze that dripped from his smile.
"Why, your support, of course. After all, if you were backing me, the throne would be mine without a doubt," he said. "Everyone loves the Sunshine Princess." He tucked a loose strand of hair away. It did little to change how dishevelled she looked. "So, if you swear your allegiance to me and my camp and promise to do whatever I say to help me become Emperor, I will help you save your precious bodyguard. I don't think it's that bad of a price. It's not like you want the throne anyway, right? So, what do you say? Will you help your brother and your beloved?"
Silence hung in the room. The moon shone brightly up above. Outside, the only sound was the cicadas humming in the dark.
"I'll do it."
She heard her brother lick his lips.
"Excellent!"
The following weeks were painful. Apparently, Niko's grand scheme did not involve having Otohime speak on her brother's behalf. No, instead, he had her putting down rebellions and squashing bandits. She was sent to fight battles for him, and then he would come afterwards to settle negotiations. Wherever she went, Otohime's bisento cut down everyone in its path. And in between all of that, she continued to train. She would go days without sleeping instead focusing on what she could do to better herself. She trained her body and her mind.
Even if her brother wanted to make her his weapon, she would not draw blood unless she chose it. So, she learnt the art of the ambush and intimidation. She waged campaigns without taking a single life if she could. But that didn't stop the rumours from spreading. That didn't stop everyone from calling her a monster. The Sunshine Princess became a name of the past, and in its place, a rumour of a little tyrant that was merciless with a face like a cold rock. She did not care, though. The only thing that mattered to her was that Niko kept up his end of the bargain.
After Urashima woke up and resumed their training, he joined her in the countryside. He was quiet, but his mood was foul. His armless image only added to her stained reputation, but she did not care. And as time went on, she came to hate her homeland. She hated the sight of the nobility that would crush the common people underfoot. The rebels that she fought were only looking for better lives. But she also hated the bandits that would take out their anger in an unjust world on others. She hated that she was twelve years old and forced to fight battles and wage wars. Most of all, she hated her despicable brother. But there was nothing he could do. Ura was not healed yet; his physical therapy was still ongoing, so she continued to dance like a puppet on strings.
She knew that Urashima saw her. He knew what was happening and why. It filled a pit of loathing deep within her whenever he looked over, pity on his face, and she felt herself drowning in it. Even when she reached level three after only a couple of years, she felt no joy. It was just another marker of everything she had been forced to do and endure. There was little for her to laugh about now, just a grim determination and a dark resolve.
Otohime was fourteen years old when she bled for the first time. She was at home for once, sleeping a night before resuming her training. She noticed a disgustingly warm feeling down her legs when she woke up. She lifted the sheets, and then she screamed.
That brought her mother, who quickly took all the information in. Tsuchiyaka helped her daughter change the sheets and threatened all the maids to say nothing to anyone. This was to be a secret for as long as possible. Unfortunately, that did not last long. Within the week, everyone knew of it. And things suddenly got much worse.
Otohime was no longer a charming young girl but a young lady blossoming into womanhood. Everyone that spoke to her spoke of marriage and asked for her hand. Engagement letters started to come in by the droves. Otohime ignored it all, though. Even now, there was only one person she would ever consider marrying.
"This is all happening because of me, isn't it?" asked the young man named Urashima Taro. "All the fighting and training you do, all the horrible things you have done, you did it to protect me?"
She smiled and tried to ignore how his face seemed more pained.
"Of course, I did; after all, I owe you my life," she replied.
Ura frowned. "I didn't ask for you to do that."
She blinked. "Was I supposed to let you die? Was I to watch the fever eat you from the inside out? Watch you wither into a husk? All because I decided to be a spoiled little girl?"
Ura said nothing. For one of the first times in their relationship, both were suddenly aware of the large and painful divide. They came from places that neither could ever fully understand, which scared them. Otohime dreaded what this would mean. She did not want to be alone again.
"I have a dinner I must attend tonight," said Otohime eventually. "My brother has commanded my presence. You don't need to come, though. I can go alone."
Urashima snorted. "Like I'd ever let that fucking happen."
Otohime smiled despite herself. No matter the divide, they would stand across from each other and shout out their feelings. And even though she was a heartless monster, the kindness that he gave her always made her feel just a little bit better.
At the party, Otohime squirmed in her dress. It was constricting and hard to breathe in. Not to mention that since she was considered a woman now, the dress showed more skin than she was comfortable with. The only solace in all of this was that Ura seemed to like the dress. But he was discreet with his staring, which was much appreciated.
"Ah! Sister!" called Niko from across the room. "Come over here! I have friends that I want you to meet!"
Otohime walked over, begrudgingly, the people parting before her. Part of her wondered if it was because of her new bloody reputation or because Ura walked behind her without any arms. Either way, she did not mind the reasoning. Anything to keep these horrid people at bay.
"Gentlemen!" said Niko when she had walked close. He pulled her in, an arm around her waist. "I would like you to meet my dear little sister, Otohime Nakamura!" He pointed at her. "She has recently become a woman and has been helping me with my campaign for quite some time."
The men stared at her like starving dogs, and she suddenly felt dirty. She felt filthy as if all the baths in the world wouldn't wash her skin.
"Oh, she's quite the quiet and demure thing, isn't she?" commented one nobleman.
"Yes, a woman who knows her place in the house, I could use one of those," said another.
"Now, now, I'm sure a beautiful doll-like herself is already drowning in marriage proposals."
Her brother laughed it off, and Otohime realized what was happening. Niko was getting ready to sell her. He would sell her and her hand in marriage like a bargaining chip. Deep down, where the little girl that played in the flowers resided, something burned. She had seen the loveless life of her mother and so many others. Women who had given up on the idea of love because they had no choice. How often those same women seemed to be sad, like birds with clipped wings. She refused to be like that. Somewhere deep inside, the little girl screamed. Her brain kicked into overdrive. She noted how the men spoke of her being quiet and complacent.
"Ah! Sorry, I just realized, should I be referring to you all as grandpa?" asked Otohime, forcing her voice to be loud and bubbly. "Or no…should I be calling you all great-grandpa?" Her laughter was loud and cutting. "Ah! I'm so sorry for my manners!"
Otohime exaggerated her movements. The mask of the fool started to slip into place. She saw how her brother grew agitated at her performance, but that spurred her on more. For the rest of the night, and many nights to come, she built another reputation. She became an idiot, a foolish girl who caused too much disruption to marry. People saw her as an idiot that didn't know her place, and the engagement letters stopped coming. She acted that way for a year, and it became another wall around her. Past the cold that she felt from her campaigns and the self-hatred that welled up in her soul, she pushed forward the act of the fool. All to hide it away. And almost everyone bought it.
There were only three major exceptions. There was Urashima, who knew her down to the marrow of her bones, her mother, who had nodded her approval of her daughter's cunning, and then there was her disgusting older brother. He came to visit some months later, after another failed party. But Otohime knew what it really was. It was an auction, and she was up for sale.
Now closer to sixteen years old, the young woman had left the party behind. She now stood in the gardens, basking in the moonlight. She did not see the flowers, though. She was too busy studying a spot on the ground. It was a place where a guard that called himself Iida had died. But she heard her brother approach anyway.
"You know, that's quite an act you've put on," he said. "In fact, it's quite the clever move." He gave her a mocking clap. "Still, though, it all works out for me."
Otohime, who was busy studying the gardens and the flowers, did not turn to look.
"And how would you say that?"
"Dear sister, you still haven't seen the whole board?" replied Niko. "Allow me to explain some things. You have become the people's villain. A self-important brat that thinks they will bring order to the common rabble under their iron boot. I am the hero now, swooping in to tame your wildest impulses." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And what better way to tame you than take you for myself."
Otohime shattered at his words. She felt her muscles tense up, and her breathing stuttered to a stop. Her nerves screamed, but her body could not move. His fingers felt like they would melt off her skin, but she could do nothing to remove them. Her brain shut down, and she could feel the tears welling up.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, muted to the world around her.
"Because I deserve this world and everything it offers," replied Niko. "And that means that I deserve the most beautiful bride."
He left her then, but not before placing his disgusting lips on her cheek. She wanted to hit him. She tried to push him away and run. She would run off farther than he could follow and then keep running. His lips felt like a toad's, and Otohime felt like a stain had been left on her soul. She also thought that this was all her fault somehow. And she hated herself for allowing it to happen. After he left, Otohime fell to her knees and bawled at the night sky. She sobbed, her tears ruining what little makeup she had worn for the night. She cried for the little girl that had been forgotten amongst the flowers and all the damage she had caused. She cared not for the mess she made; she just wanted to find her peace. Ura found her shortly afterwards and helped to guide her home.
After that night and a long discussion with her mother, Otohime made an important realization. The only way to stop her brother from taking her was to be stronger than him. Falna was the greatest equalizer in this world, and it was her only shot to save her body from Niko. She redoubled her training efforts. Kojiro lived in her home, drilling her relentlessly. Otohime had never been gifted and was actually quite clumsy, but at her core, beneath the layers she had constructed to keep herself safe, was a will that burned like dragon fire. It was how, when she was only sixteen years old, she qualified for the level four trial of her homeland.
She ventured into the mountains and saw that horrible beast that sat there. She ran down the mountain and received the curse of her magic. Then, she ran home to hide away from the world. Only when her Goddess came to talk did she leave her room.
"We should try it out, at least once," said her mother to Amaterasu. "We have to understand just how extreme this all is."
The Goddess was there in her home, and she nodded.
"But only if Otohime agrees to it," insisted Urashima. "This should be her choice."
It was a small gathering in Tsuchiyaka's household. There was her, Sasaki Kojiro, her mother, Urashima Taro, and the Goddess Amaterasu. Everyone looked at her, and she nodded. This was something that needed to be done, after all. But it would not be done on a whim. Kojiro stood by with his sword at the ready. Her mother had weaved a tight web around her daughter, ready to pull the strings if necessary. And Amaterasu stood far away for her own safety. When all was ready, Otohime focused on Urashima, and he nodded. The young woman began to chant.
"Great Destroyer, thou are the devourer of worlds. You who would cleanse the world of the pure and impure, I beseech you, give me a fraction of your form. Let me strike true terror into those who would look upon me. Let me be the one who would burn the world. Black wings, envelop me! Burn this sack of flesh and give me thine true scales! Harbinger of doom! Give me your strength! Dracona Forma!"
Otohime had blacked out afterward, but she did not know where she was when she finally came to. She could not recognize the charred remains of a village around her, and she did not see anyone to talk to. When her senses finally kicked in, she felt herself puke. The smell that invaded her nostrils made her sick to her stomach. It was like uncooked meat left out too long in the heat. She looked around, trying to find the source when she saw glimmers of white. She walked and saw that they were bones, fractured into tiny pieces. She puked again.
When the sun was setting, Ura found her amongst the wreckage. He informed her that the bones were those of domestic animals. To this day, Otohime had never asked if it was a lie. Instead, she locked her spell away and only ever used it for emergencies. But still, the people knew of it. The Monster of the Far East became a myth spoken of in hushed tones. The people turned away from her, and her brother used it to his advantage. There were more fights and more wars against peasants armed with pitchforks. More assassins came for her in the dead of night.
But Otohime ignored it all. She was a level four now, the same as Niko. There was only one thing left. She had to figure out how to escape. Getting to level five was out of the question. By Imperial Law, the only level five allowed in the Far East was the Emperor or Empress. It was this iron-clad law that gave them the right to rule. Otohime was as strong as she was allowed to be in her homeland. Now, she had to find a way to leverage her strength as a means of escape.
One day, while she was outputting down another peasant uprising, she stopped to visit the Sanjouno residence. The family patriarch was a recluse these days after his daughter's disappearance, but Niko wanted her to see if he could be swayed to his side. However, she did not know that he was entertaining guests. A short woman that Otohime recognized as a Goddess faced her. And standing at the Goddess's back was a boy with snowy white hair and rubellite eyes. The Goddess smiled, and Otohime felt her heart melt.
"Hey there! My name is Hestia!"
The gears in the Princess's brain continued to turn.
Thats a wrap on this very different chapter. Now, we are finally entering the final act of this arc, so expect things to speed and not slow down for a long time. I can promise, action, adventure, and lots of heroic moments for just about everyone. But we'll get there when get there, bye!
