Princess of Silver Sands - Chapter 25
Posted by: Kura in Writing, Princess of Silver SandsPrincess of Silver Sands
Book 01
Chapter - 25 - A Friend’s Request
Chapter Twenty-Five
A Friend’s Request
Li slouches tiredly as she keeps herself seated on the fence of the corral, half paying attention as Cookie rambled on about ‘understanding one another’ She turns over to the horse who was now laying on the ground looking rather frustrated with being forced to stay in one spot.
Cookie holds her hand out to the animal as she continues talking. “I can see where the horse’s feelings are coming from Li. You’ve been neglecting her for so long, she’s drifted apart from you and now doesn’t trust you.”
Li sighs as she pushes herself off of the fence and begins walking towards Cookie, interrupting her from babbling any further. “Cookie…”
Cookie stops her assessment turning to the person that had spoken to her. “Yes Li?”
Li looks over at the horse knowing that it too was growing tired of her constant talking. “I think that we’ve had enough talking… why don’t I try to get on the horse’s back again, and if she bucks me off I’ll beat her up again. Process repeats itself until someone wins.”
The horse whinnies as if agreeing with Li getting back to her feet and prancing on spot.
Cookie shakes her head not wanting another fight to break out between the two. “No no, you two aren’t supposed to fight! You’re supposed to understand one another and get along.”
Li hangs her shoulders knowing it was nearly impossible to try and talk Cookie out of this. She turns to Kara for help, the Zimiko knight sitting at the side and watching the scene in amusement, a glass of tea in her hands. “Can’t you do anything to make this go faster?”
Kara chuckles as she turns back to Cookie. “Why? This is rather amusing to watch for me.”
Li frowns bitterly. “At least share your tea then…”
Kara holds the cup to her face. “This is the last glass, you’ll have to wait for me to make more.”
Li grumbles to herself while Kara gets up turning to leave. “I’ll get another kettle started, oh” She turns back to Li as if she had just remembered something important. “That’s right I came here to ask you two a question.”
Cookie turns back to Kara curious as to what kind of question would concern the two of them. “What is it?”
Kara frowns to herself knowing that these two particular people would probably not care to talk about the situation. She crosses her arms before explaining simply enough to get it over with quickly. “Rena… I know you two know well by now who she is.”
Cookie makes a sour face a hint of anger in her response. “Of course I know her… I wish I could forget…”
Kara sighs to herself having expected a reaction like that. “Well… she’s been missing since last night, you two haven’t seen… or know anything about it would you?”
The hateful looks leaves Cookie’s face when she hears this. “She’s gone missing? As much as I dislike her that’s a little unsettling to hear…”
Li turns back to the two this information catching her attention.
Cookie shakes her head knowing nothing that would be of help to Kara. “Sorry I don’t know anything about it.”
Kara turns towards Li. “How about you? Do you know anything about it?”
Li turns her gaze to Kara keeping silent for a moment before speaking, as if trying to think of an appropriate answer to her question. “No.”
Kara stares at Li for a moment not quite sure how to take her answer. “That’s strange… no one seems to know anything…” She stares at Li a moment longer before taking her leave.
She waves back to them, promising to return soon. “I shouldn’t be gone long though I do hope you get this settled soon, I don’t know how pleased Li’s party will be if you have to keep her here another day.”
Li grunts in annoyance, walking over to the horse and grabbing onto the horse’s harness as she began pulling it along with her, the horse whinnying and nipping at her in displeasure. “Come on horse time for another round, we’re going to settle this once and for all.”
The horse rears lifting its front legs into the air and pulling from Li’s grip, Li taking several steps back from the animal and is about to spring forward to attack it when an arm grabs onto her shoulder stopping her from going any further.
She turns back to meet Fade’s gaze. Fade smiling to her as he usually did. “Allow me to correct this problem.”
He steps in front of Li walking up to the horse while talking to it in a calm voice, telling it to hush and calm down. The horse takes several steps back from him rearing again, Fade stopping next to her and grabbing onto its harness telling the animal in a gentle voice to calm down, the horse shying at first but then slowly starting to settle.
Soon Fade has the animal finally calmed and he strokes the side of its body to praise her for her gentle behavior. “Good girl.”
Li watches in silence slightly shocked that Fade had been able to do such a thing. She watches as Fade begins leading the horse towards Li, stroking the side of its neck reassuringly as they approached.
He stops the horse several meters from Li, turning back to her and giving her instructions on what she was to do next. “Hold out your hand.”
Li stares at Fade bitterly seeing no reason as to why she should follow his sudden orders. “What for?”
Fade frowns at Li’s defensiveness towards him, he points to the horse spelling it out for her. “If you want to ride this horse you’re going to have to cooperate with me.”
Li reluctantly lifts her hand up holding it out towards them, the horse shying back slightly from the action, Fade calming it down again before encouraging it to step forward. He begins to explain the situation to Li while keeping his eyes on the horse as it slowly began to move forward. “She’s afraid you’re going to hurt her, you have to show her that you don’t intend her any harm.”
Li growls angrily as she begins yelling back at Fade, her loud voice causing the horse to back away even more. “She started it! It’s not like I’m the one who asked for the fight!”
Fade turns back to Li giving her and annoyed glare. “She didn’t scare you, you scared her.”
Li keeps silent not saying another word on the matter, knowing that could pretty much be the truth.
The horse shakes its head as it begins backing away refusing to step further, Fade sighing to himself as turns back to Li quickly seeing what was causing the problem. “Li, close your eyes.”
Li glares over at him not particularly liking that idea. “Why!?”
Fade sighs as he answers her rather annoyed. “Dose everything have to be a chore with you? She’ll approach you if your eyes are closed.”
Cookie pauses thinking what Fade had mentioned over. “That’s right… she didn’t run from Li when I had held Li’s eyes closed… it’s after looking at Li’s eyes she started acting strange.”
Li’s expression turns blank and the words of both Fade and Cookie sink in. She slowly closes her eyes now clearly understanding the problem. “She realized I’m not human…”
Fade takes a few steps forward leading the horse with him, finally able to get the animal to walk closer to Li. He brings the horse to a stop in front of Li, the steed curiously reaching it muzzle out towards her and smelling the hand that Li held out her as she stood still before her.
Li smiles slightly as the horse nudges her hand for her to stroke her, it was if there was a whole different animal in front of her. “She’s not that bad now…”
Fade nods his head knowing that the situation should now be better then it had previously been between the two of them. “Just let her know you’re not going to hurt her and you two will be fine.”
Li opens her eyes the horse immediately steps back from her, Fade stopping the horse from backing away too far while turning back to Li to give her further instructions. “Just keep your hand out towards her, she’ll come back to you.”
Li continues to stand still in her place keeping as still as she possibly could, the horse eventually mastering the courage to steep forward towards her despite the frightening spirit Li held in her eyes. The horse’s tense body relaxing when Li doesn’t attack her.
Fade smiles slightly as he pats the horse on the neck. “She’s still young, so she’ll fight back anyway she can to try and get away with things. You have to let her know who’s in charge, but at the same time she has to trust you enough to follow your orders.”
Li watches the horse silently the animal now letting her pet its forehead. “She was afraid of what she saw when she looked into my eyes…”
Fade frowns aware that information alone had the potential of bringing Li down greatly. “Don’t think to deeply into it.” He turns back to Cookie. “Teaching her to ride should be a much easier task now.”
Cookie walks over to Fade clapping her hands in amazement. “That was great! How did you do that?”
Fade smiles at her as he answers her question. “Believe it or I was once a rancher. I used to take care of animals like this for a living, it’s something I enjoyed doing.”
Cookie looks interested to hear this. “That’s neat! Though I don’t understand how a rancher ever turned out to be as powerful a fighter as you.”
Fade pauses slightly as if trying to find the best way to explain. “An unexpected path appeared before me in life… and I chose to follow it.”
Li steps away from the horse allowing it to leave her side and wander the coral as it pleased, she looks to Fade walking in his direction. “Fade.”
Fade turns back to her upon hearing her call out his name. “What?”
She stops next to him looking up at his face with her usual cold stare. “What are you doing here? Is there a reason you came to the stables?”
Fade smiles nodding his head, he telling her exactly why he had come here. “I came for my own steed. I’ve long been ready to leave this place, I believe I have finished doing everything that was necessary I do. Before I left I hoped that I would run into you, and when I was lucky enough to happen upon you, you seemed busy with a problem that I could easy fix, so I helped.”
Li narrows her eyes never in the mood to talk to him, all previous experiences with him always along the lines of unpleasant. “What do you want with me?”
Fade laughs to himself, aware by now that it was Li’s nature to always expect the worst of people. “I only want to talk to you.”
Li doesn’t say anything Fade fully expecting a response like that from her. He shrugs at her silent response walking past her and making his way towards the stables. “If you are willing to hear what I have to tell you then you are welcome to come with me.” He stops for a moment to look back at Cookie. “I’m sure your friend won’t mind if I steal you for a moment.”
Cookie smiles back at Fade not seeing the problem at all. “Go right ahead Li! Now that your horse is used to you it should be smooth from here on in!”
Li closes her eyes as she quietly stands in her place, silently debating if she wanted to hear Fade out or not, eventually opening her eyes and turning to follow him. Unlike other opponents she right now held Fade could not continue to be ignored.
She follows Fade through the wide open doors of the stables, stopping for a moment when one of the horses whinny at the sight of people, acting up to get attention. The other horses in the stables soon alerted by the noise it was making and doing the same.
She turns away from the animal, the person she had been following already stopped in front of one of the stalls and talking to the horse inside, the animal staring at him as if actually interested in what Fade had to say, the horse’s attention taken from him when he spots Li, the animal raising his head high to get a look at her.
Fade smiles as he looks over to Li continuing his conversation with the animal. “That’s Li, the girl I told you about before.” Li comes to a stop near Fade, Fade now speaking to her. “Li, this is my horse North.”
He opens the stall leading the animal out. “When you have a horse to aid you on your long travels not only do you get a method of quicker travel, but you also get a companion. The horse out there is your first, but I’m sure that the relationship will soon be the same for you and her.”
Li narrows her eyes, she did not come with him to chit chat about animals, she was sure Fade knew that as well and was just making things more lengthy to annoy her. “You want to kill me don’t you?”
Fade doesn’t look back at her as he walks over to one of the saddles picking it up and carrying it over to his horse. “More then I ever have before.”
“What’s stopping you?”
Fade places the saddle on the back of his horse, speaking to Li as he prepared to leave. “I don’t approve of how weak you are…” Li turns away from him never in the mood to discus the topic of her being weak. Fade continues knowing that even if Li had her back turned to him she was still listening to him. “I’m sure your master would say the same thing if he were to see you now.”
Li flinches slightly, the reminders of her master never welcome ones. “You are not the one I am trying to win approval from.”
“Then who are you trying to gain approval from?”
Li stands silent leaving Fade without an answer, Fade continuing with the conversation taking Li’s well know silence as her answer. “I know that even now you’re capable of much more then the little I’ve seen from you.”
Li turns back to him annoyed that Fade was expecting such a thing from her. “This is how I choose to live! I don’t want any part of what my life once was! Why do you insist on making me remember things that I want to forget! I don’t care if I’m not as strong as I used to be! If it my own choice then let me be weak!”
Fade tightens the saddle into place, arguing back to Li informing her that she couldn’t continue to do what she was doing. “You are living a lie! You cannot live like that, you are running not only from me and your past but you’re running from yourself! Can’t you see what you’re doing!?”
Li narrows her eyes not really wanting to discuss it any longer. “Are you really that important for me to remember?”
Fade stops what he’s doing an uneasy silence hanging between the two. He turns back to face Li lifting his arm and punching her across the face, the usually calm tempered personality he held vanishing after hearing her say such a thing to him.
Li backs away from Fade holding her hand over the side of her face that had been hit, she completely surprised that Fade had struck her, as it seemed that at the moment he had no intentions of harming her, obviously she had struck a nerve with him.
Fade brings his arm to his side calming himself as he usually did, the expression on his face keeping its upset look as he turns back to Li speaking directly to her face. “The next time we meet… I expect you to be more then what you are now.”
He walks up to Li placing his hand on the hand Li was holding over the place he had struck. Clutching her fingers within his and pulling her hand away from her face. “Our final moment, our battle against one another will take place in a more suitable arena then this. The end of your life will take place in the same city were everything concerning who you once used to be, was ended.”
The look on Li’s face becomes uneasy, the memory of something that had happened so recently still yet to be forgotten.
Fade smiles when he sees the look on Li’s face, the expression of familiarization not one he had seen from her yet. “I’m glad to see you still remember where it is, although I guess that it’s expected as it wasn’t that long ago you started this journey of yours.” He places his hand on her face before beginning to run his fingers through her hair. “It will be the very place you began your travels in hopes of a new beginning to your life.”
Li closes her eyes, the thought of returning to such a place sending a chill down her spine. “Enough blood has been shed there…”
Fade kisses Li on the forehead as if to calm her uneasiness. “The blood there will only welcome your own.” He steps away from Li returning to the choir he had been attending before his outburst.
“It’s out of my way…” Li opens her eyes looking to the side instead of at Fade. “I’m not going back there… you’ll die there waiting for me to return.”
Fade finishes preparing his horse pulling himself onto its back ready to begin his travels once again. “All I’ve done since arriving in this country is search for you, do not disappoint me by acting like a coward and refusing to face me.”
Li tightens her hands into fists as Fade walks his horse past her, Fade giving her the last of his advice. “Everyone faces their pasts Li, be it something they want to do or not. The next time we meet I will not hold back, and I expect you to do the same to me. Remember it was you yourself that choose death out of the options I had given to you.”
Li turns back to him a little perplexed, it was not as if the coming fight would decide only her fate. “I assume you choose the same then…? Rather then leave me be you would rather die by my hands?”
Fade smiles having accepted his fate as soon as he had given Li hers. He knew that he could not be guarantied victory if he were to fight her at the peak of her strength, but for him both outcomes were welcome. “If I cannot keep you as my companion then I will avenge the ones that have fallen at your hands. If I am too weak to do so then I will accept death… and I will join them once again…”
Li watches in silence as Fade takes his leave. “He… he’s not afraid of dying… even accepting of it…” She looks down her own hands her fingers trembling. She clenches her teeth as she tightens her hands into fists to stop the shaking.
*******
The day drags on, Hitsumi hanging around Echo and watching the young wizard practice his magic all day long, the bandit really having nothing else better to do with his time. Echo of course not at all minding the extra company glad to have someone to start a conversation with during his work, Hitsumi always the type of person to start up an amusing one.
Cookie and Li of course spends the entire day trying to teach Li how to ride her horse, although the horse was now tolerant of her, it still had moments when it refused to cooperate with her rider, often not going by well with Li. Kara of course chuckling on the sidelines every time something didn’t go according to plan.
The skies soon start to grow dark, the day finally coming to an end.
Echo and Hitsumi soon begin heading back into the town, the wizard now ready to call it a night.
Angel slowly opens her eyes, the princess having been sleeping all morning in the hotel room. She yawns sitting up and looking towards the window of her room, realizing that it had already gotten dark outside. She rubs her eyes a little surprised that she had slept for so long. “What time is it?”
She tries to get up but finds that her body is still heavy. Instead she lays back down on the bed, sure it was probably time for her to sleep anyway. “I… don’t think I could ever get used to living like this…” She closes her eyes understanding why Hitsumi would chose to be a bandit instead of a normal hard working villager.
Angel frowns to herself. “I wonder… if I wasn’t a princess… what my life would be like… would I be just another normal person following the rules of society? Or would I be one of the few people that break the rules? Like both Hitsumi and Li…”
She rolls to her side the thought reminding her of just how much missed being within the safe walls of royalty. “How much longer do we have to go till we reach The Castle of West? I… I want to go home…” She closes her eyes soon drifting off to sleep once again.
*******
Cookie watches as Li rides the horse around the corral, Li pretty much having gotten the situation under control. “She’s getting good, she’s at least well enough for travelling don’t you think?”
Kara smiles as she turns back to Cookie. “She’ll be fine.” She gets to her feet knowing that she should have been on her way and out of this city a long time ago. “I should be on my way, I have business to attend to after all. You should wrap things up too, Li will probably be leaving in the morning so she’ll need her rest.”
Cookie continues to watch Li with a slightly upset look on her face, as if she had been dreading the end of the day. “Yes…”
Kara waves goodbye to Cookie, calling out to Li and giving her farewell to her as well.
Cookie turns to speak with Li soon after Kara was finished. “Li you’re doing great! I knew this was something you would be able to do!” She jumps over the fence and begins making her way towards Li. “Work on picking up the pace though, you never know when you’re going to need her to start running.”
Li brings the horse to a stop relived that the lesson was finally over with. “I’m Sure I’ll be used to it by the time I need her to run.”
Cookie smiles as she pats the side of Li’s horse. “I’m glad she’s cooperating now… I was really worried that this wasn’t going to work out.”
Li gets off of the horse’s back leading it back to the stables, Cookie taking the lead from Li and offering to take the horse for her. “I’ll unsaddle her. You wait right here I won’t be too long.”
Li watches Cookie run off towards the stalls bringing her horse with her. Li turns away looking up into the dark sky above her, her thoughts trying to sort through everything that had happened during her stay here. There were so many things running through her mind at once and she was finding it to be overwhelming.
Cookie soon joins her once again, the younger girl looking up in the direction Li was and joining her in gazing up at the black night sky. “It’s gotten so dark out already, sometimes the day just seems to fly by doesn’t it?”
Li closes her eyes to her the day having been dragging on with no signs of ending. “Sometimes…”
Cookie turns back to Li smiling in her the manner she always would. “I guess you should start heading back to Hitsumi and your friends before everyone starts to worry about you.”
Li shakes her head assuring Cookie that was something she didn’t need to worry about. “They won’t mind me being late. They’re probably taking their time coming home themselves.”
Cookie looks relived to hear this. “Hey… before you head back… do you want to take a walk with me?” She holds her arms behind her back taking a few hops back, her energy still burning even though it was already night. “I promise it won’t take up too much of your time.”
Li turns back to Cookie, happy to see that she was just as cheerful as always, despite the events that had been happening around her. “Alright…”
Cookie looks happy to receive that particular response. Running up to her and taking hold of Li’s hand and dragging her along with her. “Thanks!”
Li follows Cookie as she makes her way through the large town, Cookie stopping occasionally to look at something through a shop window or talk to someone that recognized her. It was clear that Cookie didn’t live in that town as she was staying in a hotel, but at the same time it looked if she were completely comfortable with her surroundings. “Do you come to this town often?”
Cookie turns around walking backwards so that she would be able to face Li and answer her question while continuing to make her way through the town. “I come here every year… but that’s the same for many other towns in the four continents. My father runs all kinds of competitions, although the coliseum event is by far the biggest of all of them.”
She trips while making her way backwards through the town, falling and hitting the ground. She lays still on the ground for only a second before jumping back to her feet, acting as if nothing had happened, a slightly embarrassed tone in her voice. “What about you Li? You do a lot of traveling don’t you? Is there somewhere you return to yearly?”
Li nods her head. “I’ve always been traveling, I’ve been to countless towns countless amounts of times, and in all that there was one town we traveled to once every year, but that was when I travelled with my master, since leaving his side I haven’t been there.”
“Why did you go back there all the time? Did you have friends there?”
Li shakes her head no. “I’ve travelled to many places, but I never became comfortable enough in any of them to be befriended by anyone. I was usually busy most of the time anyway. As for the reason for going there every year… I really don’t know… my Master would never explain to me why we did.”
Cookie looks disappointed to hear this. “You were too busy to talk to even one person? What about when you were little?”
“I still did the same thing.”
Cookie looks a little confused to hear this. “What kind of job kept you so busy?”
“A job I used to enjoy… at least as a child.” She narrows her eyes when she realizes something. “But… something happened that made me numb to it… and then dislike it…”
Cookie stops walking when she sees the uneasy look on Li’s face. “What happened?”
Li looks back at Cookie unable to give her an answer. “I don’t know… I can’t remember…”
“You forgot? That’s strange…” Cookie turns around to face the direction she was walking in once again not bothering to bug Li any further on the subject. “It’s amazing how different one person is from the other. Don’t you think?”
Li nods her head. “Of course you’re going to think that if you’re comparing the two of us.”
Cookie laughs to herself continuing one her way. “If you think about it that way I guess you’re right.”
She comes to a stop when she reaches the entrance of the woman’s arena, turning back to Li. “This is my favorite to place to go… in the morning and at night.” She walks through the large doors making her way inside.
Li follows her inside silently looking over the dark cold stone setting. She had never noticed how large the place was the many times she had been here before, it was always so packed with people it was hard to see just how big it really was.
Soon the two of them had made their way through the halls and seats, into the middle of the stadium where the woman’s fights would take place. “It’s so quiet here at night… it’s a different place when it’s not packed full of people.”
Li silently watches Cookie as she walks up to the middle ring, stepping onto it and walking onto it, stopping once she reached the middle of the platform, smiling and taking a deep breath of air as she held her arms out to either side of her. “I love this place… I really do… just being able to stand on this spot and look out at everything around me… it’s amazing…”
She turns back to Li clearly seeing that Li did not feel the same way while standing in this spot. “You… you probably don’t feel the same way I do.”
Li shakes her head really seeing no point or even why she should feel such a way when standing on a stage. “No…”
Cookie smiles fully understanding why Li didn’t feel the same as she did right now. “It’s alright… I understand why you don’t share these feelings. You’re a real warrior! I’m not…”
She tries to think of a way to explain the feeling to Li, so that she could somehow compare Li’s way of life. “The thrill you get from fighting in a real battle is the same thrill I feel standing on this stage.”
Li looks down at the stage she was standing on, not finding how standing here would be anything like the thrill of battle.
Cookie begins to explain hoping that she would be able to bring Li to some sort of understanding. “I grew up and was trained to fight in battlegrounds like this…” She places he hand on her chest as if it would help in explaining herself. “I fight for show, for my own and other peoples enjoyment.” She closes her eyes still speaking to Li. “You and I are so different even though we are both warriors… the battles you’ve been in have all been real…” An uneasy look fills Cookie’s face the more she thought about it. “More real then anything I’ve been through.”
Cookie clenches her hands into fists, her body shaking the more she thought about it. “I’ve hurt people… you can’t avoid doing that in a match… but I’ve never killed anyone… and that’s something you can’t avoid in a war…” She closes her eyes, the topic getting more and more difficult to talk about with her. “My mother hated it… both fighting and wars… she was always upset when I took part in a quarrel… we fought a lot about it… we’d loose sleep over it… it was something neither of us could agree on.”
Cookie lowers her head even though this was something painful for her to talk about it was something that needed to be said. “But… I guess she realized… that’s what made me happy… so the both of us made a deal… she would allow me to fight, but only in my father’s competitions… but in return I had to grow my hair long, because she liked long hair.”
Cookie laughs slightly as she thinks back to when her mother had laid down that agreement, her own reaction to it now seeming pretty foolish now that she looked back on it. “I threw such a fit over it back then. I’m sure I could be heard for miles. I hated long hair… it was too hard to brush everyday and got in the way of my fights… but we eventually settled it… I kept my hair long and she allowed me to continue fighting…” Cookie smiles to herself as she continued to think back, able to picture each one of these moments as if they had happened only yesterday or the day before last. “She would watch each one of my matches… even though she hated seeing me fight.”
Li lifts her head quickly finding something amiss with Cookie’s information. “I thought you said your mother died a long time ago…”
Hitsumi stares at Cookie clearly able to see that the upset look was not leaving her face. He pushes the candle he had been playing with to the side as he begins talking to her, trying to successfully change the subject and get her mind off of the incident that had just taken place. “Cookie, how long have you been growing out your hair? It’s really long!”
Cookie looks back at Hitsumi surprised yet flattered to heard him tell her such a thing. “Do you like it!?” She blushes slightly as she begins to run her fingers shyly through her ponytail. “Thanks! I’ve been growing it since I was a little girl because my mother loves long hair.”
Hitsumi smiles when he hears this finding the situation to be rather cute. “Really? Seeing as how long your hair is you’re mother must love you a lot!”
Cookie laughs as she turns back to him, explaining it further. “Actually… my mother hated it when I used or studied magic. So to keep her from becoming displeased with me for learning it I grew my hair long for her. You know to kinda even things out I guess…” She closes her eyes, her voice becoming lighter as she continues. “My mom died a long time ago so I can’t really convince her to accept what I was doing through talking you know… if I keep it long I’m sure she’ll understand and be happy with me, don’t you think?”
Li quickly points out the problem when melding both of Cookie’s explanations together. “But to fight in this competition you need to be at least fourteen don’t you?”
Cookie lowers her head, clearly understanding what Li was talking about. “That night… when Hitsumi brought it up… I lied to him…”
Li stares at Cookie a little confused. “Why would you do something like that?”
Cookie closes her eyes, knowing that Li deserved an explanation but still finding it harder then ever before to say. “My mother was killed two years ago… if I tell people she died when I was little they don’t ask about the details because they think I would have been too young to remember… if I mention she died recently they ask how it happened… and it’s something I can hardly stomach let alone tell other people…”
She turns back to Li her eyes glazed from trying to hold back tears. “The agreement I made with her… as foolish as it sounds… I’ll still follow it… I’m not going to fight anymore…” She looks down at the ring she was standing upon, well aware that doing so would mean that she would never stand upon this stage again. “The feeling I receive from making my mother smile… is by far stronger then the feeling I get standing here on this stage…”
Li watches her in silence, Cookie’s words reminding her of words she had said long ago and forgotten until now, the voice of things she had said while younger playing through her mind. “I… thought it would make you smile again…”
Cookie reaches into her pocket of her skirt pulling out a carefully folded letter, she taking a moment to stare down at it. “Maybe I’m just saying that now… because more then I realize… I’m looking for an excuse… I’m brave enough to fight in a game… but I’m not brave enough to fight in a war…” She turns back to Li her voice more stern then it had ever been before. “Call me whatever you want… but this is my decision… and it’s what I’ll stand by.”
A confused look fills Li’s face when she hears this. “What do you mean? Not brave enough to fight in a war? What war?”
Cookie walks over to Li taking hold of and lifting Li’s hand, placing the letter with her hands into Li’s open palm. Cookie solemnly explaining to Li what she had just given to her. “This is a summon from The Castle of West… a summon with my name written on it… requesting that I come to fight in the war…”
Li lifts the letter to her face as she begins looking over the neatly folded paper she had been given. The red seal at the bottom of the letter being the first thing she noticed, the letter a genuine summon from the West Royalty. She opens it and begins reading what had been written down on it while Cookie continued talking to her. “I want you to take my place… I can’t fight in it… not anymore… and probably not ever to begin with.”
Li’s eyes widen the further into the letter she gets, the situation becoming more clear then ever before. “This…”
Kara lifts an eyebrow finding this little tidbit of information interesting. “The
Li shakes her head no, never hearing of anything like that until now. “Summoned?”
Kara nods her head surprised that Li had not heard of it, after all a lot of people were right now being summoned by the West Royalty. “Yes, as of late The West Continent has been summoning powerful and skilled warriors of all kinds there. They’ve been preparing for a war that they believe will soon start, that’s why they’ve are gathering forces.”
Li sighs quietly to her self, if the royalty was positive of an attack being brought down upon them then they though that Angel was never going to make it to the West Castle, that Angel and her companions would fail.
A sickening feeling overcomes Li the further she reads into the letter. “This is a summon for a war against the demon mother…”
Cookie nods her head, she knew that it was less then likely someone would volunteer to fight in war such as that and Li was the only person she would even conceder asking. “Please Li! You’re the only person I trust enough give this to. I’ll make it up to you I promise… I don’t know how but I will.”
Li turns away from the letter, the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach not leaving her. “It’s not that they don’t think Angel’s going to make it… they’re positive she’s not going to make it…”
Cookie falls to the ground, bowing her head and begging Li to grant her request. “Please… please say you will… I can’t fight as well as you can… you would be better in my place then me…”
Li looks down at Cookie in silence, unsure of what to say at all.
*******
Echo and Hitsumi are walking back to the hotel, both of them ready to call it a day, the young wizard slowing down to a stop when he sees the bar.
Hitsumi comes to a stop as well when he realizes the wizard is no longer at his side. He turns back to him baffled as to why he would so suddenly stop following him. “What’s up?” He quickly realizes what Echo’s eyes were directed at, the bandit smiling as he walked back to Echo. “Oh! I get it! It’s your break time!”
Echo turns back to Hitsumi a little confused. “What?”
Hitsumi walks past Echo towards the bar. “Come on, don’t be shy!” He stops to look around him before assuring the wizard that it would be alright. “Angel isn’t here to catch us so we’ll be safe.”
Echo shakes his head as he walks towards nervously looking around him remembering that the princess had forbid him to enter this particular building. “You’re deliberately disobeying the princess’s orders!”
Hitsumi pushes the door open holding it open for the wizard as he walked inside despite what he himself had just said. “That’s what I do. I can’t help it.”
Hitsumi proceeds to order the two of them drinks while Echo sits down at one of the tables, still a little nervous with the whole idea, the usually loyal wizard not used to disobeying the princess’s orders. “Are you sure this is such a good idea?”
Hitsumi puts a glass down in front of Echo, knowing that Echo deserved a break now and again from all the hard work he was being forced to endure. “Bottoms up!”
Echo lifts his glass both him and Hitsumi tipping their glasses and drinking at the same time, Echo slams his glass against the table and lets out a happy sigh, his spirit instantly renewed. “It feels so good to be able to afford things like this again!”
Hitsumi nods his head, it was always good to be able to afford things. “You’ve got that right! It’s great to be enjoying one of the simple things in life again isn’t it?”
Hitsumi refills Echo’s glass as the wizard nods his head in agreement. “We don’t get to do this much anymore since we left Matheda.”
Hitsumi sighs as the realization sinks in, the further in this journey he went the further he drifted from his carefree lifestyle. “You’re right. I really beginning to miss the freedom I used to have… but… ever since I started taking on the responsibility of the princess, I’ve been getting farther and father away from everything in my life.”
Echo looks up from his glass, he hadn’t realized at all until now that this journey could possibly go against the already existing lifestyles of his fellow companions, after all it was something he was well used to by now. “Do you regret helping her?”
Hitsumi shakes his head keeping his trademark grin on his face. “Of course not. It’s really not that bad helping her out, besides, I got to know you, Li and the princess. Life can’t get much better then that. At least for us members that are outside of the royalty and in the filthy gutter of bandit society.”
Echo sighs at the reminder of him and Hitsumi being from totally opposite forms of society. After all not only the two, but the whole group seemed to fit well with one another despite the horribly conflicting backgrounds they each had. “It’s unfortunate that people must be divided as so.”
Hitsumi looks puzzled to see someone like Echo say this. “What do you mean?”
Echo lowers his head having experienced both sides it was quite clear it was divided unfairly. “The royalty and the peasants… they both live so differently… some deserve to be where they stand… and some do not, but even when you finally reach the end members of both sides can die just as easily as the other. Life is frail enough as it is… doesn’t division by such tiles make it even more frail?”
Hitsumi frowns pointing to himself a little insulted by Echo’s words. “I don’t die as easily as royalty.”
Echo laughs to himself Hitsumi’s mood regarding the topic lightening his own. “Say what you must. Everyone dies Hitsumi, even us wizards can be killed.”
Hitsumi sighs as he nods his head, aware of just how easily something could die. “Yeah… I guess that is true.”
Echo takes another drink from his glass looking back at Hitsumi in a mischievous manner. “By the way Hitsumi, when it comes to woman, what IS your type.”
Hitsumi stares at Echo having not expecting the wizard to say something like that at all. “What? Why would you want to know something like that!?”
Echo smiles cutely admitting to Hitsumi why he had bothered asking. “Since it was brought up this morning by the princess I must admit that I have been a little curious.”
Hitsumi laughs at Echo’s response, having never thought Echo would be even remotely curious over such a thing. “Alright… let’s see… I like chicks with big-” He stops short when he notices for the first time that Li was standing behind Echo, glaring down at Hitsumi in her usual cold manner. Hitsumi nervously changing what he was about to say. “Hearts and Imaginations…”
Li shakes her head annoyed that Hitsumi would think she would believe his sad excuse for a cover up. “Shove it Hitsumi, I know what you were aiming for so don’t try to hide it.”
Hitsumi stands up from his chair pointing accusingly at Li. “Intruding mind reader!”
Li looks confused by the accusation. “What? I’m as much as a mind reader as I am an escape artist!”
Hitsumi continues to stare at Li intent on forcing the answer from her. “What forms of black magic do you study!?”
Li narrows her eyes, Hitsumi obviously not catching or understanding what she had said. “That means I’m not!”
Hitsumi slouches as Li’s earlier remark sinks in. “Oh…” He takes his seat once again returning to his drink.
Li pulls a chair out next to Echo, sitting down beside the two and leaning back into the chair and letting at a relaxed sigh. “You are an unbelievable idiot.”
Echo looks back at Hitsumi getting back to the question he had asked him earlier. “So Hitsumi! Your type.”
Hitsumi looks back at Echo remembering the topic he had suddenly forgotten about. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Well, uhh…” He looks back at Li unsure of what to say when she was there watching him. “Err… I like… them… well gifted in the T and A department.”
Li narrows her eyes annoyed that Hitsumi would think so much of an idiot that she wouldn’t be able to understand that. “I still know what you mean.”
Hitsumi points at her accusingly. “I though you said you couldn’t read minds!”
Li shakes her head not even bothering to get into it anymore, it was always difficult and at times pointless to try and argue with such an idiot.
Hitsumi looks back at Echo, continuing with his answer despite his interruption. “Anyways… aside from that… long hair… long dark hair, cute personality, but frisky and full of life. Someone who can cook… cleaning doesn’t matter but cooking does, cause I like food, and- Oh hey I can just say this with a lot less words by say ‘everything Li isn’t.”
Li frowns as she glares back at Hitsumi. “Interesting, that’s pretty close to my taste. Handsome, charming, strong, someone who can cut it as a man, everything Hitsumi isn’t.”
Hitsumi winces, Li’s blow to him hitting harder then his had hit her. “That’s harsh Li… harsh…”
Echo laughs to himself knowing better by now then to try and push any further on the subject. “I’ll accept those as answers.”
Hitsumi looks happy to hear that, getting back to the task he was supposed to be doing. “Okay then! Now that we have that settled, it’s time for some casual drinking!” He waves over to one of the waitresses to get her attention. “Can we have one of the kegs over here!?”
He quickly turns back to Li laying down the line before Li even thought of crossing it. “Except for you! No drinks.”
Li glares at him more annoyed then before. “I wasn’t planning on it. The last thing I want to do is drink anything, I’ve been drinking Kara’s tea all day…”
Echo looks back at Li a little confused. “Tea? Why would you drink tea all day.”
Li looks back at Echo. “I was thirsty… it was the only thing available to me… all day…”
Hitsumi thinks back to what he had seen Li doing that day. “So anyway Li, what were you doing anyways with that horse? Trying to kill it or something?”
Li sighs to herself not really in any mood to discuses the horse ridding lesson. “Let’s not talk about that… I’ve had enough of horses for the day.”
Echo looks over at Li curiously. “I’ve actually never seen someone wrestle a horse. Seeing you tackle that horse to the ground was the first time I’ve experienced such a thing. Is that a new method of exercise or pass time that you practice?”
Li frowns rather having Echo stick to that explanation then her trying to explain that she lost her temper and had gone and attacked the horse. “Sure… if that’s what you want to call it… less embarrassing then what it actually was.”
Hitsumi begins laughing at the thought of it. “Horse wrestling.”
Li blocks Hitsumi’s laughter as he stares silently at the tabletop, completely dropping out of the conversation, she not really in the mood to be taking part in any kind of laughter at the moment.
*******
Fade brings his horse to a stop, looking back at the town that was by now too far in the distance to be seen. He closes his eyes remembering a conversation he had been when he was young, before he had come to the four continents.
Fade as a small child is seated on the ground, looking over a strange reed flute. He Lifts it to his lips blowing on it, the boy disappointed when it doesn’t make a sound. He looks through the end of it trying to see if maybe it was broken, the laughter from a man with long black hair and tan skin that was near him interrupting him, the mans features being different from a humans. “You’re breed has no musical talent what so ever! Just give it up.”
Fade frowns to himself as he looks away from the instrument and back at the person that had spoken. “How are you able to play it so easily?”
The man walks up to him taking the flute from him. “It’s my own talent.” He begins playing it the notes easily coming for him. He stops playing looking back at Fade. “You have your own talents you know… not only are you good with animals but you’re good with nature itself. You would make a much better elf like me then what you are right now.”
Fade watches him curiously. “If you could have chosen what you were born as… what would you be?”
The long haired elf laughs at the foolishness of the question. “No one can chose what they’ll be born to be, so I don’t really think about it.” He looks back at Fade answering the question regardless of how stupid he though it was. “I wouldn’t be a half-breed like you I’ll tell you that much, living on the run with a price on your head just for being born that way? That’s not something I would want happening to me.”
Fade smiles to himself. “I won’t have to run much longer you know. As soon as I reach the docks I’ll be leaving Merlin.” He frowns not knowing what exactly was going to happen to him after that. “But… I don’t know what boat to take when I get there…and then when I’m in the other country…” He looks back at the young man hopping that he would have some sort of answer. “Where do you think I should go once I get there?”
The figure thinks the question over. “You know… many races have tried to leave Merlin, after all Merlin is a dying country everyone knows that. Even I went at some point to live in another country… in the end though I just ended up returning back here.” He points his flute towards Fade. “It will probably be the same for you… you may find somewhere and live there most of your life… but in the end… you’ll come back here.”
Fade looks up at him curiously. “Where is it you went when you left?”
The figure scratches his chin trying to remember. “Where did I go again?” He snaps his fingers when he comes up with the answer. “That’s right, I went to the four continents. The country of the humans… but also the lands the demons are fighting to clam. Not the wisest of ideas on my part I think…”
Fade smiles curious as to what he could have seen while he was there. “What did you find while you were in that country? Anything interesting?”
The young man takes a moment to think the question through, soon coming up with an answer. “A rosebush.”
Fade looks a little confused by the answer. “Rosebush?”
The long haired elf nods his head, something else soon coming to his mind now that he had remembered that. He turns back to the young boy, talking to him telling him something that would be wise for him to memorize. “Breath the breath given to you by the earth, enjoy the life given to you by the two that brought you into this world, and live with a soul given by no one, but grown in your own heart.”
Fade looks a little confused. “What?”
The young man nods his head, crossing his arms and holding his head high and he begins explaining. “All elves preach it and they believe that they follow that hymn, when only a few truly follow the words that the saying represents.” He laughs to himself. “Truthfully it can mean many things at once I guess. How you choose to interpret it is up to you.”
Fade smiles sure to remember it. “Is there any more information you have for me?”
The young man nods his head. “Life isn’t predictable, if it was the world and everything on it would be perfect. It’s because each person’s life is unpredictable things that you may want or may not want will happen. Things you have now you may not have later, things you think are important now can be completely forgotten, even friends can one day become enemies.”
Fade watches him silently not entirely welcoming or wanting to believe the possibility that companions could one day become enemies.
The man lowers his head. “The two of us will become enemies one day too… it’s in our blood after all…” He looks down to Fade. “When the time comes that a friend does become your enemy… it will hurt… and you’ll feel betrayed… but you can’t let it pull you down to the point where you become useless. Do not let the one to fall be you.”
*******
Hitsumi and the others are making their way back to the hotel room, Echo in much higher spirits then he had been in before. He looks around him knowing that tomorrow they would leave this city. “It feels kind of strange doesn’t it? Having to leave this town after staying in it for so long? I already know this city like I’ve lived here all my life.”
Hitsumi smirks at Echo’s comment. “That’s because you’ve been searching through it constantly for Angel.” He holds his hands behind his head giving his opinion on it. “I for one will be happy to leave, I think we’ve stayed here long enough don’t you think?”
Echo sighs as he turns back to Hitsumi. “Well you’re more used to travelling then I am, I’m used to pretty much staying in one place for years and years and years. Angel is the same as me, she’s used to staying in one place all her life. I’m sure she’ll be glad to have this journey done with so that she can return to what she’s familiar to.”
Li stops walking as she stands still on spot, Echo stopping as well when he realizes that Li was not going any further. “Is something wrong?”
Li silently thinks back at the letter she had been handed that that described the rise of the demon mother, intentionally meaning the failure of their mission and Angel’s death. “Up until this point everything has been easy…” She clenches her fists, knowing that the royalty did not think that they would make it very unsettling to her. “Everything will change once we reach the West Continent. Demons are scarce here in the East but the West are the lands they have claimed as their own. It will not be as simple making our way through them.”
Echo nods his head having known from the beginning that their journey was never going to get any easier. “That’s true… it’s going to be a lot harder… but I believe we’ll be able to do it.”
Li turns back to Echo, there was no way for Echo to know what it was he was going to get himself into. If he did the wizard would have given her a much different answer. “Echo… have you ever been to the West continent before?”
Echo shakes his head no, admitting that this trip would be the first time he would be going. “No… though I have gone to several other palaces with Siren I was forbidden to go with him when he travelled to the continent of West. It was much too dangerous for me as I was too inexperienced.”
Hitsumi tries to cheer his two companions up, thinking that it would be difficult to complete their journey if half of his party thought they may fail. “It’s not like the princess will be alone, she’s got the three of us to protect her right? We can do this!”
Li shakes her head, things going to be more difficult then Hitsumi realized. “Hitsumi, do you remember? During our journey there was one night before we went to sleep, Angel asked all of us what our fears were.”
Hitsumi nods his head, remembering the conversation the four of them had been in that particular night. “Yes…”
Echo tries to put the puzzle together before Li finishes explaining. “Are you afraid to go to the West Continent?”
Li shakes her head. “No…” She lowers her gaze from him. “But I realized while staying here… that there is another thing I fear.” She looks back at Hitsumi making sure he could tell she was speaking in a serious manner. “I’m afraid of dying.”
Hitsumi and Echo look over at one another, both a little shocked to hear Li admit something like that.
Li looks back at them, aware that it wasn’t often her nature to care about such things. “I think… that if we go to the West Continent… that’s what will happen… someone will die…”
Echo looks up at Li questioning her warning as he usually did. “Are you afraid of you yourself dying… or are you afraid that someone close to you will die.”
Li stares down at Echo in silence turning away from and walking ahead of them, unable to give them a response.
