Читать книгу In The Darkness - - Страница 6

* * *

When the morning came, Kara woke up with a feeling that all that happened was a dream. But it wasn’t – Itsuki was there, next to her, lying in a tumbled bed and with a faint smile on his lips. It was so sweet to see him like this, and Kara reached out and gently touched his face, caressing his cheek.

He groaned though his sleep and opened his eyes.

«Hi.» Kara smiled at him and he pulled her closer, as if not wishing to let her go.

They could stay like that all morning, but someone knocked at the door – very faintly, but quite persistently.

Itsuki growled, burying his face in Kara’s neck.

«Who is it?» Kara decided to reply, since it was, after all, her room.

«I beg your forgiveness, Nakano. Lord Ryuu is asking for you and Master Itsuki to attend an urgent war meeting.» She heard a servant’s voice.

«Thank you.»

Itsuki sat up, looking puzzled.

«An urgent meeting…» he whispered under his breath.

«We shouldn’t keep our Lord waiting.» Kara jumped to her feet and stretched, before dressing up. Within two minutes she was ready to go, as was Itsuki.

He grabbed a couple of mochi to have a snack on their way.

«Why do I have a bad feeling about this?» he said, offering one to Kara.

Kara took a bite before answering:

«Let’s not speculate and just wait until we hear what’s it about?» she sighed. «Or… are you worried that last night might have been out of line?»

«No, I don’t think that’s the case, Nakano.» Itsuki smiled at her, and she noticed his confident glance.

«But I am surprised that he called me as well.» Kara shrugged her shoulders, trying to shake off the nervous feeling.

When they approached the hall, servants opened the doors and let them in. Lord Ryuu greeted them with a very concerned expression.

Kara and Itsuki bowed before taking places in front of Lord Ryuu – next to Ayame and a couple of other samurai and shinobi Kara had seen around the castle.

«It has come to my knowledge that one of the northern villages is to be attacked by demons in a weeks’ time.» Lord Ryuu said. «Therefore I need a group of my finest to ride out and scout the land before I arrive with the main force. Itsuki, Ayame, gather your men, take Nakano with you.»

«Yes, Lord Ryuu.» Itsuki and Ayame bowed.

Kara bowed as well, feeling tense and nervous.

«Nakano!» Lord Ryuu sounded very strict. «Keep your eyes peeled and return victorious!»

«Yes, Lord Ryuu.» She replied, bowing once more.

«Leave at once!»

Itsuki and Ayame jumped to their feet, followed by Kara. All three bowed and ran out of the hall.

«Gather your things, Nakano. We’ll see you at the stables!» Ayame said, running off into one of the corridors.

Itsuki nodded at his lover and disappeared in another corridor.

Kara ran to her room and grabbed her weapons, quickly changed into her shinobi outfit, and ran off to the stables, grabbing the remaining mochi in a piece of cloth to have something to eat on their way.

She got to the stables before others and managed to saddle Akuma before Itsuki and Ayame appeared with their bags. Itsuki threw a saddle bag to Kara and she caught it, quickly putting it on Akuma’s back – to her surprise, the stallion didn’t even flinch at this and remained calm, while she was getting him ready.

Kara rode out of the paddock a few seconds before Ayame and Itsuki – their men and women followed them, only a few moments behind. Within minutes, the whole group of thirteen shinobi were already galloping off on the road leading north.

Everyone was silent all the way while they were on the road. They stopped in the forest for the night – off the road, hidden from prying eyes, and slept without a fire.

The next day they continued their way, pushing their horses as hard as they could and stopping only when necessary. Though the shinobi were used to such long galloping, Kara wasn’t and felt a little frustrated. At first she wasn’t sure if Akuma would be able to keep up, because he was, after all cooped up in a paddock for a long time. But he showed himself as a very tough and strong horse. He even tried getting ahead all the time, and Kara had to keep him in line.

As they settled to spend the second night in the forest, Itsuki approached Kara and quietly sat down next to her.

«You’re doing well, Nakano.» He whispered. «I am glad.»

«Thank you.» She replied. Even though he couldn’t see her smile under her mask, she smiled nonetheless.

«I wanted to ask you to take the first watch tonight. Can you manage?»

«Of course!» she nodded, ready to do everything that was needed.

«Wake me up in three hours.» Itsuki leaned back against the tree Kara was sitting next to and closed his eyes.

Before Kara stood up to check on the horses, she felt him touch her hand slightly, and smiled again.

After checking the horses, she circled around the camp, seeing everyone falling asleep. Fortunately, she was used to walking on the forest floor and running silently – even before she came to this world. So climbing a nearby tree without a single sound was easy. She settled on a high branch – high enough to see if anyone were to approach the camp, but low enough to jump down in a moment’s notice if the need arises. Alert and tense, she stayed vigilant throughout her watch, noticing the smallest rustle and sound made by the forest creatures.

When the time came, she got down from her branch and circled around the camp once more, looking out for any trouble that might be hidden in the night. However, everything was quiet, and she returned to her comrades, ready to wake Itsuki up.

But, when she walked up to where he was sleeping when she left, he was nowhere to be seen.

For a split second Kara felt surprised, but then someone grabbed her from behind and put a blade to her neck.

«Distracted, Nakano?» Itsuki whispered right next to her ear.

«Not a bit.» Kara slightly touched his side with her own blade.

The man frowned and looked down – she caught him off guard, almost hitting him with her katana, when he didn’t even notice.

Isuki put his katana down and stepped back, acknowledging her swift move with a nod.

«Excellent.» He said, obviously smiling. «Any trouble?»

Kara put her katana back in the sheath just as silently as she unsheathed it and shook her head.

«All quiet, except for the mice and owls that hunt in the night.» She replied.

«Then go get some rest. We need to be at our best tomorrow morning.»

She nodded and stepped away, brushing against his arm with her palm. Walking off to the tree, where Itsuki slept before, she sat down and leaned on the trunk, relaxing just a little. She closed her eyes, but could feel the stillness of the night and the faint movement of the animals that roamed through the trees and forest floor.

She dozed off almost immediately, but didn’t sleep long. Something tore her out of her rest into the cold still twilight. The moon came out from behind the clouds and gave out enough light to see in the dark.

Something was wrong, and Kara felt it. She wouldn’t be able to name it or say what exactly woke her up, but a sense of something unexplainable clenched her whole body, making it impossible to sleep.

Kara stood up – silent and alert, and watched everyone in the camp. Her hands squeezed the hilts of her swords, ready to unleash them at any time, and the young woman stepped away from the camp, trying to find the reason for her awakening.

Following her intuition, she moved through the forest, seeking out the source of this strange feeling, until she approached a small meadow.

Almost immediately she noticed a lonesome figure of a very tall and thin man. She couldn’t see his face in the dark – only his profile against the moon. He seemed unreal, as if consisting of angles everywhere – from his sharp nose, to his long joints.

It was unusual to see anyone alone in the forest – even more so at such a dark hour in the night.

Kara could have thought he was doing some kind of ritual to honour his gods, but the man just stood there – twisted in his spine at a very strange angle and not moving.

She did, however, hear his breath – a deep, wheezing sound escaped his mouth with each breath, but he looked unbothered by it. A living person would have been suffering from such thing, but this man was definitely not normal.

Suddenly the man twitched with a disgusting cracking sound and Kara heard him sniff the air. He couldn’t have caught her smell in any way – she was standing where the slight breeze moved her scent away from the meadow, not towards the man.

But he obviously smelled something. Or someone.

Feeling a wave of uneasy goose bumps running down her spine, Kara took a careful step back. She didn’t want to engage – she didn’t know what to do, so all she could – is keep watching him from afar, hidden by the trees and thickets.

Minutes passed, and Kara suddenly noticed a few shadows moving next to her. She glanced and saw the shinobi spreading out in a wide circle, surrounding the twisted figure.

Itsuki appeared by the nearest tree and nodded to her silently. Kara showed him one finger, telling him that she saw only one man.

The shinobi exchanged glances between each other, then stepped out into the meadow as one. Kara followed their lead and they began approaching the man, closing in on him in absolute silence. Stepping very slowly and extremely carefully, the shinobi tried getting as close to the man as possible.

Kara noticed a change in the figure. She heard a quiet cracking sound that repeated itself a moment later, then again and again. The twisted man was laughing!

She froze, crouching lower and grasping her katana at the ready. Something was telling her that this man was not what he seemed. Itsuki gestured to the others and they froze – tense and alert. But the man kept laughing, as if nothing bothered him at all.

The air in the meadow became cold as ice, raising the hairs on the back of Kara’s neck.

Suddenly, the man twitched and turned with an unimaginable speed, giving out a wheezing roar at the shinobi. A gust of ice-cold wind hit them with such force that they crouched down not to fall. But Kara was ready – she didn’t even flinch, when the figure darted towards them.

The creature leapt from one side to another, confusing its enemies, before making a speedy turn towards Kara with his long arms stretched out and his sharp claws at the ready to slice her to shreds.

Kara ducked down, rolled to the side and slashed with her katana at the creature, feeling how one of her swords met with its flesh and bone. Something slumped down to the ground; the creature screeched, stopping for a moment and in a split second disappeared in the trees.

The shinobi ran after it, but it was obvious that they were no match for the creature’s speed.

Kara noted where the creature was heading and started looking at the grass beneath her feet, trying to find what fell from it when she hit it. It didn’t take her long to find a small puddle of something very dark. She guessed it could have been blood, but even for a demon – it was too thick and smelled of something disgustingly sweet.

Carefully investigating the splashes and puddle, Kara noticed that there should have been a hand lying there, but the body part was nowhere to be found.

«That fast bastard…» Kara whispered to herself, realising what happened. «He took his hand!»

When she stood up, the others were already returning – except for two shinobi. Itsuki ran up to Kara, concerned that she might have been hurt in the short fight.

She gestured him to the puddle of black liquid and shortly told him of her findings. The man looked back to where the creature went and shook his head.

«He headed back to the village. We might be a little too late…» he said.

«So what do we do?» Kara asked, feeling her body tense up again.

«We go to the village, as asked by Lord Ryuu.» Itsuki replied and whistled to the others. «Saddle up, we’re leaving now!»

As they ran off – back to where the horses were waiting for them, Itsuki stayed by Kara’s side.

«Don’t go off into the dark alone next time, Nakano.» He said. «Call someone to back you up.»

«I wasn’t sure, that’s why I left on my own. But I will not be so foolish next time.»

«Thank you.»

When they reached the horses, they quickly packed up their camp, jumped into the saddles and, pulling two of the absent shinobi’s horses behind, rode off towards the village to try and catch up with the creature they’ve encountered in the meadow.

Within an hour they reached the village and met with their comrades – trackers lost the creature, but were certain it went into the village and hid among the buildings there.

«All is quiet, no evidence of demons roaming this land, Master Inei…» the men finished their report.

«Surround the village, look out for the creature. Ayame, Nakano and I will go in and investigate.» Itsuki ordered and the men and women scattered, riding off in different directions to follow his orders.

Ayame, Kara and Itsuki, on the other hand, quickly changed into plain grey haorihakama and sent their horses slowly on the road to the village.

Everything seemed calm and safe, but Kara knew how misleading such a feeling of false security can be, so she looked out for any signs of the twisted creature among the dark corners and small spaces between the buildings.

It was not a very big village, and it had a relatively nice tavern at the end of the street. On its stairs sat a young man – leaning back and very relaxed, he was enjoying the chilly night with a bottle of wine in his hand.

«Hello, travellers!» he said quietly. «Are you in need for a place to rest for the night or are you passing by?»

Kara studied the handsome face of this man, finding him quite charming on first view. He was tall, skinny, and with a pair of very cunning amber eyes. Obviously a little drunk, he scratched his bare hairless chest that was showing from underneath his open haori.

Something about this young man seemed wrong to her. As if he was playing a part and not being genuine. Akuma tensed up under Kara and she tried to calm him down.

«Have you seen anything strange or anyone worth noting in the past few days?» Itsuki asked.

«I help around the tavern, there are all sorts of strange in here all the time. People babble about kitsune and oni every evening after a few cups of our wine.» The man replied with a cocky smile. «Speaking of… would you like some?»

«No, thank you.» Ayame answered coldly.

«Then a room, perhaps?» he ran his long slim fingers through his brown mane of ruffled hair. «I am sure you would rather spend the remaining night having fun with your beautiful ladies, rather than stay here in the cold.»

The three shinobi glanced at each other and Itsuki sighed:

«A room will be greatly appreciated. Where can we leave our horses?»

«Stables are that way.» The young man smirked, showing to the side. «Leave them in the far stalls, those were cleaned today and have some fresh water and hay.»

Itsuki nodded and rode off, followed by Ayame. Kara stayed for a moment, before riding after her companions. Something in the way this amber eyed man looked at her seemed very suspicious. She felt watched, studied, as if he was trying to learn all about her. But, at the same time, the cocky, arrogant way he treated his guests was something that gave out his absolute indifference towards people.

As soon as the horses were set up in the stables, Itsuki signalled one of the shinobi that was hiding in the dark – the man will watch the horses through the rest of the night.

«I don’t like the way he looks.» Ayame whispered to Itsuki.

«He’s watching and studying us, even though acts like he doesn’t care.» Kara agreed very quietly.

«Even more so. He was watching you closer than us…» Itsuki sighed, shaking his head. «Keep your eyes open, Nakano. I don’t like this one bit.»

Kara nodded and they walked out of the stables. The amber-eyed young man was waiting for them on the stairs – still half-lying on them and very relaxed.

«So… one room? Food?» he said with a smirk. «Call me Kaito.»

«One room, we’ll take food if you have any to offer.» Itsuki answered.

«Ai, ai, ai, who do you take me for? Of course we have food!» Kaito jumped to his feet, a little wobbly and drunken-looking, then turned and walked into the tavern.

It was cosy inside, very clean and smelled of fried meat and rice. The young man led them through the main area, where people drank and ate – even this late in the night there were still a few patrons, who were either drinking wine or slowly eating.

They walked through a short corridor and Kaito opened the farthest door. Behind it was a small, but tidy room with a window opened to let in the fresh air.

«I can offer you rice, some vegetables and meat to go with it.» Kaito said, inviting the shinobi to go inside.

«And tea.» Itsuki added coldly, walking inside first.

Ayame followed him, but when Kara stepped past the young man, Kaito bowed slightly and suddenly sniffed her long hair with a cheeky smirk on his face.

Kara tried her best not to give away her knowing she noticed, and walked in, looking around the room.

«I’ll be just a moment.» Kaito bowed once again and closed the door.

Kara listened to his footsteps as he went to the kitchen, and when he was far enough, she glanced at Itsuki. She tried remembering the sign language he taught her to communicate in silence, but couldn’t find the right signs to tell him that Kaito gave her the creeps. Frustrated at herself, she let herself shiver with a disgusted wince.

Itsuki touched her shoulder, looking very concerned, but she just flinched, showing at the door. The man nodded instead of a reply and offered her to make use of the bed roll that was lying in the corner.

«You haven’t slept at all tonight. We’ll look around the village in the morning.» Itsuki whispered to her.

Kara sighed, agreeing with him, and started unrolling the bed. Ayame sat down on the corner of the bed and smiled reassuringly.

«Don’t worry, Mariko, one of us will keep watch.» She said.

Kara understood why Ayame used her other name and nodded. But she couldn’t fall asleep just yet. She wanted to wait for Kaito to return with the food and see how he acts.

When the young man returned, he gave Itsuki a tray with three bowls of rice and a small teapot with a stack of cups on its side. Before leaving, Kaito bowed again and Kara noticed his lustful glance aimed at her.

As soon as the door closed, Itsuki smelled the food and tea and nodded – everything seemed fine.

They ate in silence, deep in thoughts, and Kara felt that even though she hadn’t slept, she was restless. Ayame noticed this and offered her to go for a stroll and see if she can spot anything.

«Maybe you will find what we seek with that intuition of yours?» she whispered. «Like earlier tonight?»

Kara glanced at Itsuki and saw him nod. He trusted her enough to let her go on reconnaissance alone.

«I’ll go for a walk.» Kara said loudly enough for anyone, who could be listening to hear it clearly. «Don’t wait up for me. And sorry if I will smell of a bit of wine later…»

She noticed Itsuki nod again, as she walked out, leaving Ayame and him alone.

Kara walked through the corridor, nervous and tired at the same time, and let herself fall to her old habit. Before becoming part of this world, she was confident, but always acted like she felt – and she didn’t care about people or what they thought.

This time it was very different. This time things could go wrong at any given time. But she hoped that the katana hidden under her haori were enough to face any danger that could appear.

She approached the entrance to the tavern and noticed that Kaito wasn’t on the steps, as before. She stepped out into the chilly night air and sighed with ease. Stretching her arms and legs, the young woman sat down on the steps and looked at the seemingly calm and sleeping village.

Soon enough, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

«Can I offer you my company, pretty lady?» she heard Kaito smirk again.

«Sure, I don’t mind.» She replied, looking up at him and noticing his strange glance.

He sat down and offered her his wine bottle – by the sounds of it, he just filled it with a new portion of wine. Kara took it and cheered at him, before taking a big gulp of the strong and sweet wine.

«Mmm! I’ve been yearning a taste of wine for the last few days!» she said with a flirty smile, giving back the bottle.

«Long road?» Kaito winked at her, and Kara felt a wave of shivers run down her spine.

«Very.»

«So what are you three looking for?» Kaito sipped some wine and smiled.

«Nothing in particular, we were wondering of strange meetings or people just because we encountered someone peculiar on the road to here.»

«Someone… peculiar?» Kaito asked, glancing at Kara very intensely.

«A man. Very… strange and twisted. He ran off, but we were puzzled at who he was.»

«We don’t have anyone like that around here. At least, I haven’t seen one like that.» Kaito handed her the bottle again and Kara suddenly saw a thin scar running around his wrist.

«I’m not sure if we saw a live man or a ghost. Maybe we were simply tired from all the riding…» she said, sighing.

«Ai, ai, ai… when you’re tired, you can see things that are not there.» Kaito leaned back on the steps lazily.

For a couple of moments they sat in silence – Kara sipping the wine, and Kaito looking up at the moon with a cocky smile on his face.

«You know…» he said suddenly, leaning to Kara a bit. «I am wandering what your name is. I have told you mine, but none of you three said yours.»

She looked at him with a smile and offered her hand for a handshake:

«Mariko.»

He gently shook her hand with a smile on his lips and nodded:

«A beautiful name for a beautiful woman, ai!» then he looked back into the tavern and smirked. «Tell me, why are you out here, while your friends are back there alone?»

Kara smirked, already knowing how to twist the truth to play the part:

«They decided that I was not very nice today, so asked me to leave them be while they… enjoy each other’s company before going to bed.»

Kaito chuckled and jumped to his feet, then turned to her and bowed, offering his hand.

«Then can I offer you to take a refreshing stroll with me, beautiful?» he asked with a smirk on his lips.

Kara smiled and took his hand, standing up. He acted like a gentleman, but his amber eyes seemed very sharp, suspiciously cunning – even more than before. But Kara followed his lead, feeling that this might prove useful.

«Have you ever watched the moon just for the sake of enjoying its light, Mariko?» Kaito asked, caressing her hand, which he held on his arm.

«I actually enjoy looking at the moon. I find it… rejuvenating.» Kara replied with a smile.

«Kumo ori ori… hito o yasumeru… tsukimi kana.» Kaito sighed out.

«Oh! The moon gazing where some clouds… From time to time repose the eye!» Kara struggled to remember the words, but managed to translate them anyways.

«Ai, ai, ai! You are beautiful and know haiku!» Kaito chuckled.

«I try my best.»

«You are a wonder! A sight for sore eyes! These filthy peasants know nothing of art! They do not appreciate beauty like I do!» the young man showed her a very charming smile.

«Sometimes people decide that beauty is nothing compared to a full belly and a roof over their heads.» Kara smirked.

«But it’s a pity, wouldn’t you agree? They live in such a beautiful land, and don’t notice it at all!»

Kara took a sip of wine and offered him the bottle – he barely drank the wine, having her sip all the time. She knew what he was trying to do, but tried not to show it.

«Mizika-yo ya… Yume mo utsutsu mo… Onazi koto.» Kara said, trying to remember one of the haiku poets she had ever read – Takahama Kyoshi.

Kaito laughed, clapping his hands:

«The short summer night… The dream and real… Are same things.» He translated. «Amazing! I love it!»

«I hope I didn’t spoil the haiku by my awful knowledge of this wonderful language.»

«Not at all! You sound much better than most people here, my dear.»

Kara didn’t like to be addressed in such a familiar way by people she just met, but this time she needed to play her part well to see if Kaito knows anything. For the time being she just needed him to think she’s a little drunk and charmed by his act.

«Thank you.» She smiled at him and he smiled back.

All this time he was leading her through the village and only now Kara understood where – a little ways off there stood a small hill with a single sakura growing on top. And he was leading her there, but what seemed like a beautiful spot from afar, up closer was, in fact, a cemetery.

«I hope cemeteries don’t frighten you?» Kaito asked with a very chilling smile on his face.

«Not at all, I find them relaxing. They are tranquil and quiet.» Kara replied. «I don’t like people very much, you see…»

«Oh, I am honoured to be one of those you found worthy of your precious time, Mariko.» He gestured towards the tree. «Come, I want to show you the magnificent view.»

When they approached, Kara saw the vast lands that lay under that hill, and sighed – whatever his act was, the view really was beautiful and worth seeing.

Kaito started laughing – it began with a quiet chuckle that very soon turned into a loud and vicious laughter that sent a new wave of shivers down Kara’s back.

«I love your scent… Marrriko.» Kaito’s voice shifted into a more growling range and when Kara turned to him, ready to bare her swords, she noticed how quickly Kaito’s figure shifted from a handsome young man to a twisted angular mess of long sharp joints. His eyes turned dark and his fingers grew longer and sharper in a matter of seconds.

«And I’ll love cutting that smile off your ugly face.» Kara bared her teeth.

«We’ll see about that, Sacrifice!» Kaito darted towards her, but she jumped away from his claws, unsheathing her katana.

She knew something he did not – she had her friends around, and at least two of them were following her all the time while they were walking away from the tavern. But before they would engage in battle, she needed to make sure to distract this creature as much as she could.

They began their fight, swirling in a deadly dance – the creature fast and bloodthirsty, and Kara – with a clear purpose in mind. She tried her best not to let him near and slashed at his flesh, sometimes even feeling her swords cut deep. But whatever she did – it seemed that the creature didn’t mind the wounds and recovered from them very quickly.

As Itsuki jumped into their fight, the creature darted to the side and suddenly – at Kara, grabbing her right arm.

Something hissed, and Kara felt her arm burning. Clenching her jaws, she kicked the creature in one of the joints, but it didn’t let go. Ayame appeared in time, cutting of its hand. Kara stumbled back from the fight, desperately trying to get the creatures hand off her arm. The pain burst again and again – in overwhelming waves, and Kara started growling, bending the clenched fingers from her arm, and once that didn’t help – began hitting the limb higher with her sword.

It took her a few moments and, finally, the stump fell to the ground, freeing her from its grasp.

Not being able to hold her katana with the right arm anymore, she sheathed her weapons one by one and saw the bottle under her feet. It was a long shot, but she looked at the creature, which seemed quite unbothered about the loss of a limb, and decided to give it a try. She tore a piece of her sleeve off and wet it with the wine, then quickly set out a spark with her sword and it flamed up.

«Strong wine!» Kara sighed with ease and ran towards the fight, looking for an opportunity to set the creature aflame.

As Itsuki and Ayame stepped aside to each take a swing at their opponent, Kara threw the bottle, aiming straight at the creature’s face.

The clay bottle broke and spilled the burning contents onto the creature, blinding it and burning through its skin.

Having such a great moment, Itsuki brought his sword down across the creature’s head, cutting it in half and sending it to the ground – lifeless and twitching.

Kara walked up, watching the body burn, and sighed – it seemed that the creature was now, finally, dead.

«Are you alright?» Ayame asked, glancing at Kara.

The young woman shook her head instead of replying. She pulled up her sleeve to see how extensive the burn was, but was surprised to see what the creature had done. The burn was located over her tattoo – the very rune she had made a long time ago. And it was shaped just like it!

Shocked to see this, Kara stepped back from the shinobi.

«No… this can’t be!» she looked at the burning body.

She turned away and started walking back to the tavern, unable to process something she thought to be impossible. How could it be possible at all if the rune was made in a completely different world?

Hurt and in shock, she stepped down the hill, ignoring her friends, until Itsuki ran up and stopped her, grabbing her shoulders and making her look at him.

For a few long moments Kara continued mumbling about the rune and demons and a blood sacrifice. But then Isuki shook her, trying to get her attention.

«What are you talking about?» he asked, freaked by her state.

«He marked me!» Kara whispered. «That bastard marked me as a blood sacrifice!»

She showed him the burn that now covered the rune – exactly how the rune was done, but now it was a real burnt rune, instead of a tattoo on her skin.

Ayame ran up, looking very concerned for Kara:

«I’ve ordered the men to burn the body and whatever we cut from it. They will report when everything is done.» She said, and looked at Kara. «What did that thing do?»

Kara showed her the burn and Ayame took her arm and examined it with a very puzzled look on her face.

«Is it possible that demon knew you?» she asked finally.

Kara shrugged her shoulders, not knowing the answer to that question.

«I don’t know…» she said. «I don’t think so.»

«Demons have a dark need to play on people’s fears and belief.» Itsuki said firmly. «My guess is that demon could have been in your world and seen you. That’s why he was so interested in you from the start. And that is why he marked you… with the rune you put on your skin years ago – because he had already seen it.»

A little lost, and still in shock, Kara let Ayame put some kind of herb onto the burn and bandage it. Itsuki – however worried he was – asked her to take Kara back to the tavern and stay with her until he will return.

Kara didn’t mind – she let Ayame walk her back and even agreed to lie down in the room that Kaito provided in the first place. As she closed her eyes, succumbing to the dizziness, Ayame sat next to her – a silent guard and caretaker for the moment.

«Rest for now, Nakano…» Ayame whispered, holding Kara’s hand. «Don’t let this bother your sleep.»

«I don’t want to be a sacrifice…» Kara replied, feeling sleep take over.

* * *

She was running – barefooted, on sharp rocks and twigs on the forest floor. The night was silent, cold and intimidating. There wasn’t a breeze of the wind, there were no animal cries and calls that usually filled the air – there was nothing. But someone was chasing Kara. It was something big, vicious, bloodthirsty and extremely fast.

The woman knew she didn’t stand a chance against the hunter that pursued her. She understood this because she saw that the hunter wasn’t alone. Everywhere she looked – there were eyes in the dark – glowing, hateful eyes of demons that were after her.

Whatever she tried – they were there to cut off any way of escaping them and their master, who was always behind Kara, but never stopping.

She was getting tired, breathless, but she felt that if she would stop – he would get her and then…

Tripping over a rock, Kara fell down onto the moist, fragrant earth. Her hands desperately grasped at everything they could find. She needed to get up – her life depended on it!

Suddenly she clenched a large branch and turned to hit her attacker, feeling the burning sensation in her rune that was burnt into her right arm. Through the black mist in her eyes, she could barely see who it was – right in front of her – leaning in and…

«Nakano!» his voice finally got to her, and she recognised Itsuki – eyes wide in fear and holding the blade of her katana with his bare left hand. «It’s me!»

Kara realised how tense her body is, and looked at her palm – she was holding Kurayami. Confused and shocked, she released the hilt and crawled back, understanding what she had done.

«I’m sorry!» she whispered, feeling tears bursting from her eyes. «I’m sorry!»

Itsuki put her katana aside and moved closer to her. Before she could move away, he embraced her gently and pressed to himself, trying to calm her down.

«It’s alright, calm down. It’s me. It’s Itsuki…» he whispered to her ear, slightly rocking her to give her a sense of movement and warmth in his arms.

«I’m sorry…» Kara sobbed very quietly.

«I know. You didn’t mean to. You just had a nightmare, that’s all.» He caressed her hair, making her feel less and less fragile. «You’re safe. I’m here and I won’t let anyone hurt you.»

«Why am I so weak?»

«You are not weak… Remember!» Itsuki leaned back to look into her eyes. «Remember and come back to me!»

Kara looked down at her bandaged arm – from under the linen bandages she could see the top part of the bracer that was tattooed around the rune.

«That’s right!» Itsuki smiled. «Remember how strong you are! Don’t let that demon win!»

«It hurts…» Kara whispered, touching the rune that was hidden under the bandages.

«It hurts being strong! But we endure it to fight our battles and win!» Itsuki cupped her cheek and made her look at him. «And I will lend you my strength any time you need it.»

Kara studied his sad, gentle eyes and nodded.

«Thank you.» She whispered, covering his hand on her cheek with her palm.

She looked at his left hand and saw that it was bleeding. Itsuki noticed that and squeezed his hand into a fist.

«Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.» He said, pressing his forehead to hers. «It looks worse than it is.»

«I’m sorry.» Kara reached out and he allowed her to hug him, pressing her against his chest again.

«And I am sorry that I wasn’t fast enough to stop him from burning you.»

«It’s not your fault.» She smiled faintly.

He kissed her, feeling her shivering a little, and embraced her once more, before letting go.

«Never forget!» Itsuki touched her left arm, where she had her motto tattooed. «Gods favour the strong. You are strong. Don’t ever forget that, Nakano.»

«I’ll try not to. I promise.»

«I will remind you if you will.» He smiled, caressing her cheek.

«Thank you.»

«I suppose you won’t be able to sleep, so, maybe, you can join me in circling around the village while most people are still sleeping?»

Kara nodded, finding it very hard to admit what made her wake up in such a violent manner. A distraction was welcome, and she definitely needed to clear her head.

«On one condition…» she whispered, taking his left fist into her hands. «You let me bandage your wound.»

Itsuki sighed and agreed with a sad smile.

After Kara cleaned his palm and bandaged it, feeling very guilty for hurting him, she stood up, grabbing her katana. But Itsuki, rising next to her, caught her by the shoulders and embraced again.

«I love you, Nakano.» He whispered to her.

«I love you too, Inei.» Kara pressed against his chest, grateful that he was so gentle and understanding.

As they left into the chilly night, Itsuki stayed near Kara – yet he was vigilant and ready to face any demon that could appear.

Things still felt very calm – people were slowly waking up, as the sky on the horizon already began brightening. Very soon, the street was filled by people that began their usual morning routines – gathering their things and going to the fields, setting up the shopping carts to sell their goods, starting their trade and going about their business. Children appeared too – running and playing before their parents would hurry them to begin with their chores.

Kara and Itsuki studied the people closely, finding them quite mundane and not dangerous in any way. Even though her arm hurt from the burn she had suffered at night, Kara kept herself collected and tried to see everyone who lived in the village.

At some point a group of children surrounded Itsuki and Kara and ran around them, playing tag. Itsuki didn’t mind them, but Kara suddenly tensed up, as her burn began aching more than a moment before. She looked at the children, trying to figure out if it was one of them, who could have triggered it, but the children giggled and ran off, too busy with their game to notice anything.

Wincing at the pain, Kara gently rubbed her burn.

«Are you okay?» Itsuki asked, glancing at the children.

«My burn hurts again. Badly…» Kara sighed, noticing how the pain started to lessen its grasp on her injury. «I’m okay. I’ll live.»

They continued their way and spent a couple of hours investigating the village and speaking to some of the people. However, everyone seemed to be in great spirits and not knowing of anything strange happening.

Finally, they approached an old woman, who was sitting near a small shrine and looking at the children that were playing nearby.

«Hello, young ones.» She said with a small smile, greeting Itsuki and Kara. «I’ve heard there were travellers in our village. Have you come to pray at the shrine?»

«No, grandmother.» Itsuki replied. «We wanted to ask you if you have seen anything strange around here lately.»

«Oh, there’s a lot going on nowadays. Demons hunting in the forest… kitsune sighted near our village…» the old lady answered. «But who would believe an old woman like me?»

«Tell us.» Itsuki sat down next to the old woman and Kara stepped aside – towards the shrine, to examine it.

«A month ago a little girl came to our village. Before she arrived, we only had one creature living in the woods and killing deer and sometimes wolves.» The old woman started her story. «It ate all our dogs too…»

Kara did notice that this village was strangely lacking dogs or even cats.

«But after the girl came and Akiko took her in…» the old woman shook her head. «We are having more and more trouble. And a kitsune seems to be running about at night.»

«What trouble are you talking about?» Itsuki asked.

«First, our chickens began disappearing. Then Akiko’s husband fell sick and died. Now Akiko herself is sick. Our fields are infested… And the children are having nightmares almost every night.»

Kara stepped up to the shrine a little closer and noticed a small girl glancing from behind it. When the young woman approached, her burn burst with a new wave of pain, confusing her of the unusual way pain seemed to be coming and going in an unexpected manner.

Trying not to show how much pain she was in, Kara leaned in towards the girl.

«Hello, little one.» She said with a friendly smile.

«You killed Kaito!» the girl hissed quietly, surprising Kara.

Before the woman could do anything – the girl ran off, disappearing in the thicket. Puzzled at this strange encounter, Kara glanced to Itsuki and wondered if she should interrupt his conversation with the old woman. She decided to wait, cradling her aching limb and watching the thicket, where the girl seemed to be hiding.

Finally, Itsuki thanked the old woman and walked up to Kara.

«Did you find anything?» he asked her.

«A strange girl…» she replied, feeling her burn stop aching. «A very strange girl.»

«How’s your burn?»

«I’m not sure…»

«What do you mean?»

«One moment it hurts like it did when I got it, but a few moments later it’s as if nothing’s there.» Kara shrugged her shoulders, not understanding what was happening to her.

«I’ll ask one of our mystics to take a look, when they get here with Lord Ryuu.»

«Don’t bother them. I’m sure they have enough on their plate as it is.»

«Nakano, I am only worried for your well-being. If that demon poisoned you or cursed you – we need to know.»

«Fine. I’ll see the mystic.»

«Thank you.»

«Meanwhile… Can we set up someone to watch Akiko’s house?» Kara whispered to Itsuki, hoping that the girl is long gone and not listening in to their conversation.

«Oh, so you were listening!»

«More than that… I think the girl I’ve met is the girl that old woman was talking about. And this child seems… very unusual.»

«Is this that intuition of yours, or an observation?»

«She knows that we killed Kaito.»

Kara noticed Itsuki tense up in a split second. He looked in the direction the child ran off, then glanced back at Kara and nodded.