I wake up the next morning to an empty room with Tomoko missing from her bed probably cooking or out doing things for Orochi. I yank the sheet off me and swing my legs onto the chilly floor. As I stretch my arms above my head and head out into the hall to find the dining area empty.
I look over to see Orochi sitting on the steps outside with his legs crossed and eyes closed. "Orochi."
A low hum comes from him but does nothing after, "What are you doing?" I say sitting down next to him.
He opens his eyes and the late morning sun hits them as he stares off into the greenery. "Thinking."
"About...?" I prude.
His eyes close and the open again back at me, "I'm thinking of whether or not I am okay with letting you go down this path of death. I could potentially be leading you to your end if something happens and Beliath would be satisfied with that."
I roll eyes, "Nothing will happen to me, Orochi. If anything you should be more concerned that I am weak and not able to protect me, not how I will. I'll be fine since I have Tomoko and you with me at all costs."
"It doesn't matter if I'm concerned or not, its the fact that in the future if you risk yourself to protect Tomoko or me that you could get yourself hurt." He turns his head back to the forest and unfolding his legs for his elbows to lay.
I stare at the demon before me concerned that I could be leading myself down that path but there aren't any other options with a target on my back. Beliath could kill me any minute and right now, anything I could do wouldn't stop her.
"Are you that impaired to contact her?" He asks.
I take a minute to contemplate what Orochi means, if my path is truly to become a warrior like the others before me than I have to. But, was it the only option? Beliath is haunting us in the distance and every day that nothing happened became all the more frightful.
"Yes, I need to do this for my family. For me, this gives me something to use against people who harm me. Please, understand that I'm not safe in the demon world, and depending on you puts you at risk as well." I turn to him and put my hand on his forearm.
He sighs, "Yes, unfortunately, I know that. But it's a contemplating matter for me."
I smile softly at him, "Thank you for understanding. Now, where is Tomoko?"
"She is off at the market meeting someone that has something for me. She left a little bit ago so she will be back soon with it. At that time, I suggest you have something to eat and get ready for the day ahead."
"Why?"
He frowns, "If you think traveling to the spirit world is easy then you are crazy."
I laugh, "I'm crazy for even being here."
We fall silent and listen to the soft sounds of a small forest in front of us. I wonder how the estate is doing now and what it looks like after it was burned to the ground. Is it even in pieces or just ash? Orochi lived his life there and all his things were gone.
It's all thanks to me because I arrived in the demon world. I have caused so much trouble for him, defending him was the least I could do now.
"Hello, Master and Miss!" I look up to the small figure of Tomoko in the distance running towards us with a package in hand.
She stops in front of us gasping for breath, "I got the item."
Orochi reaches for the small package and examines it, "Thank you. You may do what you please for the rest of the day."
She smiles and puts both her hands on my shoulders, "You need to get ready for the spiritual travel. As many times as you have done it, it's difficult if there is no spirit helping you. Now, come with me."
I'm being pulled by the arm back into the house and down the hall to our room, leaving Orochi to himself outside.
"The spirit world is brutal on the body. As strong or as brave you think are, when you come back to your body; it's like your whole body is sore all over. Your muscles and everything is like it ran itself to the ground.
"Being human almost doubles that pain and your slight demon blood may help but that won't be enough." Tomoko sits me down on my bed and plops ontop of hers' in front of me.
"I get that but how?" I ask.
"Just is. Here, I got you something to eat while I was fetching the Master's item. It gives humans spiritual energy and helps then with Spiritual things, I guess."
Her hands hold a small little box that has strange carvings into it.
I take it, nodding a small thank you, and open it up. It's a small white flower that has been carved of some small branch, almost wooden, and nervously laugh.
"Momo, are you sure this is edible? It looks so solid."
She nods her head quickly, "It may seem like that but I have had one of these before when I was much younger. It becomes almost a liquid when it touches the tongue. Go ahead try it and see how it is."
I look at it questionably again, "So this will give me more energy to help me get to the spirit world?"
"Yes."
I sigh and slowly pick up the lily-shaped flower; as I bite into it crumbs underneath my teeth and slowly devolves on my tongue. My eyes go wide at the sudden softness of it.
"Oh my god," I cover my mouth and look at her. "That's so good!"
Her face lights up with happiness, "Of course! After you finish, Master will come and we will begin."
A few minutes go by with just us chatting while I eat the flower she gave me. I can feel my heartbeat slowing as the minutes go by and I get calmer the more we talk. Orochi finally walks into our room and looks at me with worried eyes.
"It's time." I nod and put down the box.
"So what do I do?"
"Lay down and get as comfortable as you can. It makes it easier for your body to relax and think." I nod as I begin to lay back on the bed and fold my hands on my stomach.
He walks over to my bed and looks down at me with a furrowed expression, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes."
He nods only once, "Close your eyes and picture where you last saw Aiya. What she looks like and every detail about her. Envision it almost like you looking at an image of her."
I close my eyes shut and begin to picture her as Orochi says.
The image of her deadly serious face and beautiful face comes up against the black behind my eyelids. Her long jet black hair tied back when I last saw her when Beliath arrived.
"Now slow your heart rate and listen to it. Think about how you are lying down and how it's supporting your body." Orochi says as I feel a wave of warmth and a flash of purple behind the black.
My heart thumps loudly like a drum but as I listen to its song, it begins to slow. The bed begins to disappear into the back of my mind and it almost feels as if I'm floating.
"Now let yourself dissipate into the dark and your mind."
The noise from the room begins to fade and I hear the soft swaying of leaves in the wind suddenly. Warmth is hitting my face almost too harshly. I open them to see I'm laying against the forest floor again. Just like when I met her a few days ago.
I open my eyes and gasp, "It worked."
"So you finally came to speak with me, Hm?" A female voice says behind me.
I turn to see Aiya leaning against the large forest tree. I scoff and smirk, "Yeah, yeah I did."
Her eyebrows turn into a pinched expression, "Come here. We have lots of things to say to each other."
I nod to her, knowing that she probably has guessed why I have come. It's almost wild to think that even though my family is gone; I still have the most important relative to my clan to speak to. It almost feels like I do have someone left to talk to.
"I assume, Beliath hasn't come back since that night?" She asks.
"Yes, it's like she disappeared," I admit to her.
Her lips tighten, "She isn't the type to give up so easily. Beliath is ruthless and I am sure you know that by now."
"Yeah," I mumble towards the ground agreeing.
"So why are you here? I did not call you, so what is the desire you have to ask of me?" Her thin eyebrow raised.
"I- I want to learn how to defend myself like you."