Chapter 4

At the festival…

Rook was having a blast. His siblings flagged him over to another stall, when the game master of the place somehow found him amusing. He smirked and waved Rook over. "I heard about you. How about a challenge? Pop only the red balloons using these darts, but only the red balloons in one shot!" he decreed.

People called him out on his actions. "No one can do that!"

"You're a cheat!" said another.

Rook took a moment as he stared at the board. The odd thing was, there were seven darts, but only six balloons being shown. He peered about a little more until he found the last one on the roof of all things. So it was indeed impossible for a mere mortal to do.

Thankfully, he is no mere mortal.

"What's up for grabs?" he asked as he took the darts.

The man smirked. "First, pay up. Ten thousand yen!" he ordered.

More outrage as people dictated this wasn't fair and wrong. "You're robbing a kid!" one man protested.

Oddly enough, the silent one was Ryoto's teacher. He was smirking as if… did he know what was about to happen?

"What's in it for me?" Rook asked of him.

The man smirked. "Double your money back, and you get the grand prize."

Rook peered at the grand prize. It was a massive plush alligator, but very well made. In fact, his soon to be little siblings could use it as a bed! He licked his lips at the arrangement. "So be it, I agree, but I want someone to hold the money. So neither one of us can go back on our word."

The man sneered a little, but smiled once more. He peered about and happened to have picked Rook's little sister Okimi. He gave her Rook's money and yet held back on his. He didn't care about that, he was about to embarrass this man. Rook took a moment to stretch himself out, rotate his arms and even mock checking the air with a wet finger and a blade of grass.

He nodded with satisfaction to the conditions. "Okay then, try not to blink and miss it." He decreed.

No one saw his arm move, no one saw the darts leave his hand, and yet, everyone jumped as the red balloons all popped.

"HA! YOU MISSED ONE!" the vendor shouted.

"Really? Count the darts." Rook said in a mocking tone.

The man smirked as he turned, but counted six darts on his board. He glared at Rook. "You held one back, the agreement was all at once!" he ordered.

His smile only grew as Rook showed empty hands and yet, pointed up.

The man froze, he never said where the seventh balloon was. But slowly, his head tilted up, embedded in the roof was the dart and the popped balloon. "Now, about that money…" he said and grinned rather wickedly.

The man shockingly enough, paid up! It didn't help that he took a moment and glared at Okimi almost tempted to steal the money from her, but her glare back was mom worthy!

Which made Ryoto's sensei stumble back a little in shock.

The vendor sighed with defeat, he paid up and Rook got the large alligator toy.

People disburse as he marveled at it. "This thing is nearly as tall as Oji!" he laughed.

"My father would take offense to that, Rook," warned Ryoto.

Yet, as he marveled at the toy, he felt someone grabbing it and tried to yank it out of his arms.

Peering down, there was an eight year old in a fancy kimono, holding the tail of it. "MINE! I WANT IT NOW!" she ordered. "GIVE IT TO ME!"

Rook smiled gently. "Sorry kid, I won this fair and square"

"I WANT IT!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "GIMMIE!"

Before long, her father appeared, a very business like man who saw the little girl holding on to the toy. He rolled his eyes and took out his wallet. "Kid, how much?" he asked.

"Not for sale, sorry."

The man appeared a little flustered. "Look, kid, that's a TOY. You're not a baby are you? Teenagers like you want money over toys, so let my little princess here have it."

This was no longer a request. But Rook also like to annoy people, something he couldn't kick from his father. So, he smiled and peered down to the little girl who was smiling wickedly, believing she will have her way.

"Well, hello princess, I am pleased to meet a fellow royal. I'm the prince of disappointment… You see, this toy here is not for you, but for my siblings back home. So as such, if you want one. Have your old man win it or buy it from the vendor… he maybe willing to sell one considering I got some money from him."

He was careful but wrenched the girl's hand away from the toy.

She screamed… like nails on a chalkboard scream!

"Silence…"

Then, she lost her voice!

Tears still streamed from her eyes but she tried to scream again and again but not a sound escaped from her. Rook paused but he peered and saw his little brother Yomato holding a very small orb!

'Whoa… little bro can do that?' he was in aw, the son of Suguru… was able to take away someone's voice just like that!

The father was panicked as he grabbed his daughter and left as fast as he could. Rook turned and gave his siblings the thumbs up. The orb was shattered instantly, but he was told the effect will wear off in a day.

As people went on their way, Ryoto's sensei shook his head and yet appeared in aw. "That's heavenly restrictions for you kids, you saw what he did?" he asked of them.

They… shook their heads no.

"Then don't mess with them."

Wise words.

Rook snickered to this teacher, he reminds him of his mother. "So, this is sensei Kashimo you spoke of cousin? It's a pleasure to meet you sir. My name is Rook" He did a proper introduction, and Kashimo returned it.

He smirked but kept looking at his younger siblings. "Are they related to you?" he asked curiously.

"My little brothers and sisters, yeah." He said proudly.

"Your sister reminds me of someone…" he said offhandedly.

In honesty, Okimi looks a lot more like Suguru and has his mannerisms. Yet, when she is serious, she looks like mom.

"We get that more often than not." Ryoto said offhandedly. "We look like this or that or someone to someone else, it's odd that it does happen often…" he said.

Rook was trying to get more info out of the teacher, he has this odd smell about him and he has picked up on it in the cities when he hunts too. He tried to explain it to Oji, but he didn't pick up on the scent. He should, his senses are just as high as Rook's or greater than. But this guy here has the smell of ashes and embers. But he has picked up that scent on other people… that's the concerning part.

How can so many people bare the same scent? There's little to no variation between them as well.

'Curse corpse perhaps?' he wondered. But this man was very much alive… wait… didn't Oji say he killed a sorcerer named Kashimo? Is this the same guy?

"Well we better keep going, or else Rook is going to win everything, right kids?" Kashimo asked aloud.

"We won't lose to him!" they decreed.

Rook wished them well, Ryoto said his goodbyes as they went on their way, yet. There was something bothering Rook.

He approached Marcy and peered at her. "Why did he scare you?" he asked point blank.

"Marcy?" Ryoto asked in a stunned tone. "Is that true?"

She shied away, but nodded her head. "He's something… different," she whispered. "Something… odd."

Still, what could startle a dragon like her? Rook sensed nothing wrong, nor any killing intent from Kashimo, but that smell that lingered in his nose was something he couldn't ignore or overlook.