Chapter Text
The prophecy Kira, led me directly to you.
-
In that second the pain stopped.
Kira wasn't sure if it was due to shock or another spike of adrenaline. She hoped for the latter. Still she mentally ran through the signs.
The roof of her mouth tasted dry, probably just a case of dehydration. Her skin was laced with sweat, yet she chalked it off as a result of exertion from spirits power usage. Her heartbeat, while a bit irregular, wasn’t currently affecting her performance, yet her skin was starting to feel an increasing clammy-like sensation...
Ok maybe she was going into shock.
She shifted her eyes back to the green-clad warrior. His head was slightly cocked at an angle, revealing even more of his half-masked face. The face covering in question now just barely clung to his chin. He looked bored. At least that's what he was attempting to convey; yet every few seconds a deep rooted flicker of aggression would cross his face. His eyes would twitch slightly as he attempted to shut it down, push the feeling further and further back into the cave it had clawed out of. Yet it only came bubbling back up.
Kira could swear that his eyes flashed red.
“Well?” The male warrior spoke up, his voice just barely concealing his rising agitation. “Are you going to say anything?”
Kira began to open her mouth. She would be lying if she said that the mention of the prophecy wasn’t intriguing, especially with her name attached. Yet just as she had loaded a response, a flair of pain shot back up her thigh. She felt her knee spasm slightly. A few warm drops of scarlet slithered down the inside portion of her leg. She gritted her teeth, hoping that her mask concealed most of her pain.
Damm it…
Kira shut her eyes briefly. A few butterfly shaped fuzzy clumps began filling her vision. She forced her eyes to remain fully open.
The male soldier continued to study her. His skin twitched slightly as a new expression began to smother its way onto his face. Was it empathy? Pity perhaps? It looked close enough yet it seemed forced, like a child squeezing into a painfully tight costume but still denying that it no longer fit them. His eyes darted to her knee again, his focus tightly latched onto his opponents still spilling blood.
“You should really take care of that.”
Kira kept her eyes locked on the soldier, yet it was proving more difficult. The onslaught of fuzz now battling her remaining vision spots for dominance. She felt a low growl crawling its way up her throat, yet it sounded more like a pained whine than anything else.
“Sure, and let you kill me while I let my guard down.”
Kira’s ex-opponent shifted slightly, his fingers scratching at the ground.
“Didn’t you hear a word I said about the prophecy?”
He pivoted towards the female ninja. His mouth was no longer visible, yet Kira imagined it pulled into a tight grimace.
“If my end goal was to kill you, you'd be dead already.”
“Oh really?”
Kira lifted her non sword hand, gesturing to her injured knee. Some of the blood had managed to cake over the original incision. She felt her feet shuffle a bit beneath her again.
The green-clad warrior meekly shrugged, or at the least the closest thing to it from his downed position.
“I was only trying to slow you down enough to talk to you.”
“Huh. Funny.”
Despite the increasing fog, Kira could not help her bite of sarcasm. Trained or not, she was still a teenager.
“If I knew that having a conversation involved slicing your blade into someones’ knee cap I would have brought a better weapon.” A vindictive expression danced across her face. Her eyes boring back into her opponent’s. “Even up the exchange you know?”
“Look.”
Kira’s opponent gripped the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut for a second as he forced in a too sharp breath.
“You're injured, I'm injured. I'm currently being held at knife point, you look like you're trying your hardest to not pass out right now.”
He opened his eyes again, his scarlet gaze scanning Kira’s now too pale face.
“Both our kingdom’s clans need the power resources the Dragon Medallion can provide, and only we have the ability to give it to them.”
His gaze hardened again, a growl forming from the pit of his throat.
“Yet, as much as our clansmen hate each other, I seem to be the only one here willing to make a compromise.”
He looked Kira up and down more slowly. A slight smirk formed as he noticed the shaky state of Kira’s fists.
“So, as I see it, you have two options.”
The warrior had twisted his legs into a pretzel-like position, his back now standing at a tight vertical.
“You can either bleed out on the ground, or you can agree to a truce, talk about the prophecies necessitates, and patch up your injury.”
A low buzz sound had started to collect somewhere behind Kira’s ears. She felt her lower half sway a bit yet she kept her grip firm on her sword’s handle. Vaguely, she noticed the sweat coating the palms of her hands.
It was getting harder to keep her eyes fully open now. She had somehow settled for a low, angry looking squint at one point, yet she couldn’t really remember when she had allowed that to happen.
Ok… Definitely in shock.
Kira kept her eyes trained on her foe. His single katana was next to him, and although his sword hand occasionally twitched, he never made an attempt to snatch his weapon back.
She let out an exhale, gently lowering herself to the ground before starting to better examine her wound. It was still bleeding from the incision. The entry point of her opponent's blade having cut deeper than what was probably intended. Using the tip of her own katana, she lightly ripped the fabric of her pant leg away from her injury, studying the raw skin beneath.
She sucked in a breath. There was more blood trailing the edges of her knee than she had expected, the corners of the slash mark flashing a deep angry red.
She would have to go back toward her old-masters shelter to find bandages, but that would require her to leave her ex-opponent unattended.
She had just started to pull her legs towards her torso when a white, roundish object was forcefully jabbed into her field of vision.
She automatically flinched back, yet the object just stood in the warrior's palm, unresponsive. The man gripping it making no move to attack her. Kira blinked down at the bundle. Instead of it being a weapon to take her life, it was an object meant to save it.
Bandages
“Here.”
The male soldier unceremoniously dumped the roll of strips into Kira’s lap. She blinked down at them, foggily tracing its shape. A few green specks of something dotted along the stitching, creating a somewhat sickly checkered like pattern.
Poison…?
“And before you ask, no. I did not slather anything toxic onto the wraps.”
He had somehow managed to rip a strip of bandage from the roll before handing it to her. Only now just starting to wrap the fabric around his middle. A low grunt escaped his frame.
“The green stuff is an ointment I picked up from a stand a few towns over. It's supposed to help with infection.”
Kira gently traced her fingers along the strip, testing how the seams responded to her touch. The green flecks left a cooling effect on her skin, gently massaging the pads of her sword hand.
She glanced back at her old-master’s cabin. She could walk there. Probably. The throbbing pain of her leg would surely shoot back up her body, but it might be worth it to have safe bandages…
Her vision blurred again. The green of the larger warriors garbs swirling with the drying blood in the dirt. She dimply noticed the scent of tangy copper, before realizing that the odor was coming from her. She felt her jaw lock tightly.
“ Fine .”
She peeled a strip from the bandage roll, noticing how the green globs reflected off the sun’s beams. The droplets might even look somewhat mesmerizing, if not for the vomit-like coloration.
She pressed the strip firmly to her leg. A different burning sensation creeped up her thigh before eventually giving away to an even chill. Feeling no new discomfort, she quickly finished tying the bandage at the back of her knee. She hadn’t pinpointed when, but at one point the staticky film over her eyes had begun to recede. The soldier gave Kira a rather inquisitive look. If he expected a thank you he wasn’t going to get one.
“Ok,” The soldier started, his movements less stiff despite the constricting nature of the bandages. “Be that way I guess.”
Kira awkwardly pivoted on her side towards the warrior. She gently laid her katana over her crossed legs. The cold metal of her blade helped to soothe the irritation in her knees. She wasted no more time.
“What is your name?”
A grimace passed over the warrior's face. His eyes quickly darted back to his side.
“Just, call me Hori.”
“Hori.” The name felt rather simplistic on her tongue. Almost like she expected there to be a secondary name attached to emphasize the first. “Have a last name?”
Hori’s eyes locked back onto Kira. She could just make out a slight twitch beginning to form beneath his left eye.
“Yes, but it doesn’t concern you.”
Huh. So he doesn’t like it. Fun. She struggled to keep the smirk off her face, but decided that it would be best to tab the topic for later. She changed tactics, switching to the more crucial subject at hand.
“So, the prophecy,” she slid her hand along the flat side of her blade, her accusatory looking expression starting right back at her. “How can you be sure that it was targeting you, that it was directing you towards me?”
Hori rested his hand against his chin, pushing his dipped mask back up his face in the process.
“At first I wasn’t sure if it was even targeting me, let alone a Plain-clan warrior.”
He lightly tapped his single blade. Some time while conversing, he had managed to scoot it closer to his lap.
“But then I started to hear about strange anomalies occurring near The Hills, yet whenever a ninja from my tribe traveled to said happenings location, nothing else would occur.”
He continued clicking his fingers to the simple melody that only he seemed to hear. Seemingly gauging Kira’s response.
“But, my tribe was relentless. Each day sending more soldiers up to The Hills. Each coming back with nothing.”
He momentarily stopped taping on his blade, his fingers curling back into a large fist.
“You wouldn’t understand why we were so keen on looking. We're currently at war with a number of tribes, we've been losing numbers.”
Hori’s fist tightened into a denser shape, it was more akin to a small boulder than a hand now.
“We need more land for our clan, to support our population, our needs. For some of us, this prophecy was the only thing we had.”
Kira felt the twinge of something spark in her chest. She didn’t trust the warrior, far from it, but his explanation seemed to make enough sense. Still, he was most likely exaggerating the truth. Mountain Kingdom Warriors were said to be brutal. They were known to attack dirty, violating decrees of peace between clans. A few rumors had suggested that they would capture their enemies and torture them, even if they had no information to give. Sometimes they would kill their prisoners of war after. Other times they wouldn’t. A few tribes had started calling them evil.
Yet, here one was, laying himself somewhat bare in front of her. Asking her to listen.
She silently nodded at him to continue.
“My tribe had picked up a few scrolls from...lesser kingdoms.”
Translation, conquered.
He quickly pulled one out of an inside pocket. Its parchment was yellowed, but the illustrations decorating the sheets were visible enough. He placed it in front of Kira, gesturing to it with his non-sword hand.
“This one, interestingly enough, details the last recipient of the prophecy’s power.”
He looked back up at Kira. Her eyes had started to trace along the parchment. Sparkling a bit with poorly veiled curiosity.
The larger warrior continued.
“The scroll was written in old tongue, but what our scholars could make out was that it was two ninjas who journeyed with the medallion.”
He pointed to the visible panel. It depicted two ninjas traveling together on horseback. One of them held what could only be the Medallion close to their chest.
Hori shifted a bit awkwardly, his fingers momentarily stopping mid-tap along his katana’s handle.
“Unfortunately, the last part of the scroll was damaged.” He rolled out the scroll until it stopped onto a charred half page. The words left muddled beyond recognition. “We couldn’t decipher what had happened next.” He let out a low sigh, his eyes momentarily flicking to his lap. “We also remain skeptical as to how the Medallion was returned to a Plain-temple.”
Kira shifted her legs, gently tracing her fingers along the last section of the scroll. The info dump was at the least, interesting, but it still lacked a proper answer. She spoke up again, noticing how clear her voice sounded in comparison to only a few minutes earlier.
“That's great and everything, but how does this lead to you being chosen?”
A low grunt escaped Hori’s chest, he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose a second time.
“I'm getting to that. The scholars concluded that perhaps the prophecy had altered itself to account for the last holder, needing two warriors instead of one.”
Hori’s tapping grew a bit more erratic before speaking up again, his eyes flickering between Kira and the scroll.
Does he think that I would damage it?
“We sent groups of warriors, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in larger groups to explore The Hills. Yet again, nothing happened.”
He sighed to himself again, extending the now familiar silence between them.
“Most of us figured that one of our own had to be a part of the prophecy since the lightning strikes from The Hills seemed rather close to our base, but the lack of response did create a bit of panic.”
He chuckled to himself, seeming to reminisce in the confusion. Something about that didn’t sit right with Kira, but she allowed it to slide.
“Eventually, we figured that the lighting may be directing us towards another clan. That the second chosen was from a different kingdom entirely.”
He was rubbing his side now, checking how his bandages were holding before continuing.
“Due to my gifted skills, the elders of my clan agreed that I could be one of the chosen. I then started traveling, looking for other ninja who seemed to contain a similar power imbalance such as myself. Yet, it wasn’t until I saw the golden lighting strike The Hills and then the area near a travel sign leading to a Plain-monastery did I fully believe it.”
He leaned towards Kira. His tapping had entirely ceased now. She could feel his hot breath emanating evenly behind his mask.
“So yes Kira, I am sure that the prophecy chose us two to find the medallion.”
-
To be honest, Kira had hoped that the prophecy had chosen her. As much as she cared for her friends, her sister, her ex-master, as skilled and well trained as she was, she had a desire to do something bigger. She could finally do something noteworthy completely on her own. There was no one to tell her otherwise.
Besides, she wouldn’t always be around to protect her family.
And what if what Hori was talking about was true? Her clan may have enough power to resist future onslaughts from other kingdoms. It may be a bigger liability to not find the medallion.
Sure, she wasn’t thrilled with Hori’s clan having access to such abilities, but she would cross that road once she got to it.
She started to stand up, checking her balance before staring back at the signpost path. Further along the trail she noticed a wooden cart, pulled by some type of oxen. The cart was loaded with supplies, some of it spilling out of the tops of crates stacked semi neatly towards the vehicles back end.
Hori had clearly set this up in advance.
She looked back at the male warrior just as he started to rise to his feat. A last warning twinge of anxiety flickered in her gut but she quickly snuffed it out.
Hori had no reason to attack her, at least not now. And if the prophecy had asked for her help, she shouldn't ignore it.
She lightly shook her head as Hori stepped towards her, closing the distance between both soldiers. Distantly, she heard Hori’s ox moo ahead of her.
“We should leave now.” Clearly Hori had taken Kira’s silence for a yes. He was scanning the edges of the training ground now. “Any idea on when the trainees come back. I could probably take them but I'm really not in the mood for another fight.”
Kira glanced back up at Hori, the beginnings of an inferno inching up her spine. It wasn’t Hori that directly scared her, she could take care of herself, it was what he could do to the younger pupils, her family. None of them could hold a candle to the warriors abilities.
Kira felt her sword hand twitch.
“You hurt them, lay a single finger on them,” She took a step closer to the larger warrior. She dimly noted the height discrepancy, just barely coming up to his shoulders.
“And I won't hesitate to rip this sword through your spine.”
Hori looked down at her, he seemed rather irritated than anything else, his response coupled with an eye roll.
“Fine, no skin off my back.” He glanced toward the road again, nervously flicking his eyes from his cart back to the signpost. “But in all seriousness, how long are they typically gone for?”
Kira glared at the warrior. Still, she knew how unwise it would be for Hori to attack her friends, especially if he wanted to keep on her good side. She sighed to herself, allowing her guard to slightly slip back down again.
“They went out to The Town to gather some supplies or something.” She found herself curtly answering back, almost sounding like she had resigned herself to Hori’s offer. She noticed how his eyes seemed to sparkle a bit in a pleased sort of surprise.“My old teacher told me to hold down the fort until they come back. Could be anywhere from now to a couple of hours.”
She looked up the road again. Hori’s ox was stamping its front hooves repeatedly against the path, whining in agitation. She briefly wondered how long it stood there during the fight/info dump session.
It was then that she noticed the incoming dust cloud coming down a separate path.
Shit.
Hori had clearly noticed it as well, letting out a frustrated sort of sigh. He pinched his nose again.
“Alright, let's go.”
He backtracked a few steps, bending down to pick up his second katana. It was clearly damaged beyond use but he slid it into its casing along his back regardless. The other sword remained tightly gripped in his hand.
She started to follow Hori to his cart, trailing just barely behind him. Maybe she should leave a note to Clumsy? No, there was no time and it would lead to too many questions. Maybe, she could sneak off and tell her sister Lilly...? Naw. That girl couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
She continued following until she reached the edge of the cart. It was made up of evenly sanded down maple wood, each plank tightly connected to the next. It was clearly more expensive than an average transporting vehicle.
By the time she looked back up at the green-clad warrior, he had already hoisted himself up into the front seat. He looked back at her expectantly, waiting for her to follow his lead. If she was going to make her decision she would have to do it now.
She locked her gaze onto Hori’s, allowing her magenta-like eyes to be fully prodded by the other warrior. Clearly Hori had already considered Kira to be on board, but she wanted to make it clear. It was her decision, not his.
“Ok. I’ll do it. I’m in.”
Hori seemed ready to voice something else but Kira quickly cut him off.
“And, if the prophecy relies on two warriors evenly, we should also be partners in this. You don’t dictate what I do and I won’t tell you what you should be doing. No one has any direct say over the other.”
Hori’s eyes seemed to harden for a second before glancing back at the incoming dust cloud. A few silhouettes were starting to peek through the haze. Kira could almost feel his steadily rising panic.
“Ok, sure whatever, lets just go already.”
Pacified, Kira climbed onto the cart, sitting right next to Hori. If it bothered him, the larger warrior didn’t comment on it.
He quickly tugged on the ox’s reins, causing it to pull the cart steadily forward. Kira watched as the training grounds faded further and further into the distance.
Soon, even the silhouettes disappeared.
She found her mind wandering back to her friends. Their day would have been a simple one. Perhaps Clumsy (Brad) had found something new at a market. He would probably start running up to everyone, giving each ninja a chance to see his newfound “treasure.”
Her little sister Lilly would have gotten distracted on the way back. She’d be staring absentmindedly at whatever bright autumn leaf had captured her attention next, her old master having to gently lead her back home.
She felt the beginnings of guilt start to claw up her insides, but she managed to push it back down. Kira was known to sometimes skip out on errands, talking to neighboring tribes. She wasn’t exactly a part of her ex- master’s training academy anymore. In fact, she had graduated a while ago, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if she suddenly had to leave. It wasn’t the first time she had done so anyway.
Eventually, the entire training compound fell away to a lonely road. Its only company being the trees on either side of her peripheral vision. She sighed deeply, allowing herself to become encapsulated by the nature around her.
Maybe, I did make the right decision-
She felt the edges of her lips curl upward into a small smile, looking up at the gentle clouds dotting the midday sky.
-
A young boy wearing the dull-grey garb of a ninja in training walked up to the monastery grounds. He clutched a small object in his pocket, trying to suppress his too-big smile expanding beneath his mask.
He had gotten the present from a market stand. It was just a simple wood carving, resembling that of a Plain ninja attempting a roundhouse kick, but it may as well have been a stick of gold.
He ran up to the training grounds entrance, passing the triangular sign post as he did so, before stopping suddenly at a drying puddle on the ground. He looked down at it, a puzzling expression dotting his features.
The sun had licked up most of it, but what stood out was the color. It was red. Very red.
Puddles were not supposed to be this color.
He bent down, tracing his index and middle fingers through the goopy-like substance. He then turned his hand towards himself, feeling his breath freeze.
Blood. It’s a puddle of blood.
The boy shook his hand, feeling bits of the scarlet fling of his fingers. He looked around again, scanning his surroundings. That’s what you're supposed to do in an emergency right?
His gaze quickly landed on a single, squared piece of paper. Cautiously, he stepped over to it, shakily bending his arm down to pick it up.
He felt his stomach drop.
It was the picture of him and Kira. The day she had allowed him to start practicing on her kick dummy. He hadn’t been able to land a decent hit in, well any hit actually…
But Kira had picked him up and hugged him anyway. Told him she didn’t mind. They would work on his form later. That's when Lilly had snapped the photo. Kira took it, laughing before stuffing it into her inside pocket. Winking sneakily in his direction.
Kira never left anywhere without it.
That's when it clicked for the boy. The blood was his friend’s. She had been attacked by someone while they were gone. She had lost the picture in the process.
The boy closed his eyes, trying to hold back the onslaught of tears from escaping, the painful realization just setting in.
She wasn’t coming home.