Kahu sat in front of Kekoa and the Elders, glaring at them with disdain, and boredom. She slumped on her stool. Kekoa's stomach had become bloated, and he had any muscle definition he hung onto. The Elders resembled sun dried prunes. "Kahu, do you know why we've summoned you here?" Kekoa asked. "No idea, but I guess Yamada did something again, that you didn't like." "He struck my son and several other children! AGAIN!" Kekoa yelled rising to his feet. His jiggling parts undercut his intimidation. Kahu struggled to not crack a smile. "Who started the fight?" "That's not important." "Feeeeeels pretty important." Kahu said giving a sarcastic smile. "Kahu, you have staved off the transformation, but Yamada hasn't stopped showing the signs." An Elder said, his hands trembling. "His power continues to grow at an alarming rate. He speaks now in grunts. The Blessed, has said that he hasn't seen Yamada come to him once to be healed."
Kahu stood up, kicking her stool over. "He's been training non-stop. Unlike some people." She said eyeing Kekoa. "I don't know about you fucking pruned seaweeds, but if I lost my entire family in one night. I wouldn't want to speak either." "Sit down." Kekoa ordered. Kahu shoved her finger into his face. "You are not my protector. And you never will be. Now if you want to kill Yamada so desperately. Don't ask my permission, because I would rather let him turn and destroy everything, than let you pieces of worthless shit take him." "That brings us to our second reason we called you here." Another Elder said with a sinister smile. Kahu lunged at her, Kekoa struck her to the ground. "Sit down. It will be over soon." Screams rung out. Kahu recognised the voice instantly. It was Kale. He sprinted into the hut, tackling Kahu, with a hug.
Sobbing and heaving he hugged Kahu tightly. She held him tightly, feeling the singular welt on his back. A welt casued from a cane to the back. "Kale, where is Yamada? Is he okay?" Kale shook his head, hugging her tighter. "Kekoa, whatever you're doing stop it now!" "It's my job to protect us." "By killing a child!?" "I will do what I must." He said leaving the hut. Kahu carried Kale in her arms, rushing out after him, her cheek still burning from the strike. Yamada was hogtied to a long thin trunk, gagged and covered in cuts and bruises, he thrashed wildly trying to free himself. Carried by two bloodied guardians, he was brought to the Elders hut, in front of everyone. Kahu tried to rush over and help, Kekoa raised his hand once more. She froze in place snarling at him. Yamada was lowered to the ground, thrashing against his binds, with everyone looking on anxiously.
"Yamada!" Kekoa called out. "You are here for striking my son, and several other children. For that we must punish you. The punishment is ten canings!" "For fuck's sake Kekoa, he's a child! I'll take the punishment for him!" Yamada finally freed a hand, pulling the rag out of his mouth. He undid his restraints, glaring at everyone. "Kneel Yamada, and take your punishment." Kekoa said. "He spotted the mark on Kahu's face and the mark on Kale's back. Yamada snarled clenching his fists. "Hurt." He growled, marching towards him. "Yamada, I said kneel." "Kill." Kekoa took the cane in his hand, raising it up high. Yamada leapt onto Kekoa, throwing feral and wild swings. Kekoa threw him off. Yamada quickly recovered scampering to his feet, ready to lunge at Kekoa once more. The two guardians tackled him to the ground, each one holding his arms and legs. They stretched him out, as he thrashed squealing in their grip. They clenched their jaws feeling Yamada resisting their grips. Kekoa struck Yamada on the back.
Yamada awoke in the rocking of the cavern, surrounded by the shivering elf women. They slept side by side, draped in several blankets. He took a few seconds to regain his bearings. Howling frigid winds battered against the wagon. Each second the wagon rocked side to side. It came to a sudden stop, and the door swung open with a chilling wind rushing inside. The women shuddered as Jacara and Ul'lanna quickly entered inside. It instantly became warm inside with her presence. The two of them sat at opposite ends of the wagon, glaring at each other. Jacara was covered in remnants of snow, his nose and ears bright red. Yamada awkwardly darted his eyes between both of them. He could sense both them at the tipping point. They were each a hair trigger away from exploding at each other. Yamada knew he should keep quiet, but he wanted to know what was happening. Yamada raised his hand out of the blanket.
"Rest Yamada." "Oh! So he gets to rest!?" Jacara snapped. "Yes!" "This is fucking bullshit! He's been resting for the entire week. It's his fucking turn to freeze his balls off." "In case you fucking forgot. He's still recovering his Arcane energy." "I-" Yamada tried to add. "Bullshit! I ran out of Arcane energy and recovered in a day." "He isn't weak like you! He actually has a lot of Arcane energy in his body!" Yamada and the Elf women darted their eyes back and forth, laying silently and awkwardly. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm not a freak of nature and fucking Forsaken Knight." "Actually it's Serp-" Yamada mumbled. "Oh you're a freak of nature! You never shut the fuck up! Jacara Cagim, the king of talking!" "Ul'lanna Jiyū the dumbass who thinks a kingdom floats in the sky!" "KUMO EXIST!" "REALLY? SHOW ME!" Jacara shouted kicking the door open.
Yamada and the others shuddered at the chilling winds filling the wagon. Outside was nothing, but mountain after mountain, carved with a spiral pathways. Thousands of spiralling winds filled the mountain range, visible with the frost and snow. Above them a endless stretching grey of storm clouds. "Do you all see a kingdom in the sky?" Jacara asked sarcastically. They all shook their heads, cowering under the blankets. "Close the damn door!" Ul'lanna snapped. "I'm not done making my point!" "I said close the damn door!" Ul'lanna and Jacara wrestled for the door. The wagon rocked back and forth, on the precarious terrain. Yamada sat up his entire body still aching and sore from his battle with Prizola. "That's enough!" He forced himself up, taking Jacara's scarf. "Go rest Jacara, you as well Ul'lanna. You're both tired and hungry." "You're not fully rested-" "Oh stop giving him special treatment." He said scurrying under the blanket. "You're driving me insane Jacara!" "Good! Maybe next time you'll be crazy enough to listen to me, when I say we should turn back, and not go into the mountains looking for a fucking kingdom that flies!" Ul'lanna bared her fangs getting ready to strangle him. The other woman stopped her, dragging her warm body close.
Yamada stepped outside into the frigid winds. He summoned his armour in response. Yamada sat at the front of the wagon, using Jacara's scarf to help him stretch is sore muscles. The Qilin stood side by side, unfazed by the blasting winds, occasionally biting at the snow. Yamada found the Qilin fascinating. They barely ate or drank, and when they did it was so little, but they always had the same strength. He had wondered if when he turned, would he be like that as well? A monster who simply dwelled in a cave till he died. Or would someone hunt him down for the glory? Or worse use his broken heart for their own transformation? Yamada stared at the grey sky constantly swirling and rumbling. He scoffed, thinking Jacara was right. How could an entire kingdom float in the sky?
Yamada stared into the mountain range, noticing the pattern in the mountains. Each one spiralled at the top, shaved away slowly by the winds. He hated the gloomy sky with a passion. He missed the sun. They all did. Yamada had no idea where Ul'lanna had read about Kumo, or that it existed. However she had not led them astray once, and she did have an incredible sense of direction. Yamada also knew he was the last person on Jux to question someone's directions. He flexed his arm, the searing pain ran through his body. He winced, regretting his test. 'How long is it going to take to heal? I need a draken heart.' The wagon door swung open. "You're unfucking believable!" Ul'lanna shouted. "What!?" Jacara shouted following after her. "It was a completely reasonable request!" Yamada knew it was not a reasonable request. "Just shut up!" Ul'lanna took her katana out of its sheathe. "Where are you-" "HUNTING!" She snapped at Yamada. "God, I do not get her." Jacara said taking a seat next to Yamada. "One moment she's lovely to be around, the next she's a total b-" Yamada clasped his mouth shut. "Shhh! You know how good her hearing is."
Jacara for the first time was able to shake Yamada off. "Let her hear me. I told her that we should have headed back. We could have resupplied, but noooooo. Let's go into the mountains instead. Now we're freezing our balls off, and barely have any food left." He grumbled. "What did you ask?" "I asked if she could find us some meat. That's all I asked." "Jacara." "What? I'm sure you would like something that isn't snow with fruit in it." Yamada had to agree. He was sick of eating snow with a fruit flavour. It made his head freeze and sting. Ul'lanna grumbled down the mountain side. "Stupid, prince. Stupid kingdom. So hard to damn find. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." She stopped seeing paw tracks. She licked her lips. "Meat." Ul'lanna followed the tracks through the mountain side, trudging through the thin layer of snow. She thanked her luck, that the tracks hadn't disappeared.
They were from a large creature, perhaps a mountain cat. Their gait changed halfway through and they had begun to run after their prey. Ul'lanna hurried along, if it had caught its prey. It would be full and sleepy. An easy kill and hassle free three course meal. Huffing and puffing she followed the tracks, noticing the creature's footsteps became erratic. Almost leaping from side to side. She came to screeching halt, just like the tracks in front of her. The ground was razed apart in three identical marks. It wasn't running after a prey. It was the prey. Ul'lanna drew her katana, scanning the open field. She had jogged straight into a Draken hunting ground. There were multiple cave entrances hidden in mounds of soft snow. Ul'lanna grit her teeth, slowly walking back out. Her boot crunched on a fragile bone, the sound echoed out. She grimaced. A roar rung out. It echoed and shook the mountain side. Ul'lanna sprinted at full speed.
As the roar stopped another rung out, with it another set came out. Her heart sank, this was an entire den of Drakens. Ul'lanna rushed up the mountain side. She had to reach Yamada and Jacara. Warn them to move the wagon before they were found. The ground beneath her began to rumble. The snow crunched and caved out under her boots with each step. Her chest ached and every muscle burned. The roars started to harmonise, the entire mountain begun to rumble violently. From the caves, a horde of Wyverns and Amphitheres shot out into sky. The clouds now blotted out by the swarm above her. Ul'lanna gave up on all tact drawing her sword. "YAMADA, JACARA!" She screamed, forcing herself up the hill.
Yamada and Jacara sat outside shivering and sharing a blanket together. "You really shouldn't fight with Ul'lanna." Jacara slowly turned his glare towards Yamada. "Did you forget, that you haven't fully recovered? I could kick your ass right now." Yamada shot Jacara a incredulous look. "Alright I can't, but you aren't allowed to say anything. Don't forget I helped carry you in and out of that wagon, so you could piss and shit."
"You throwing me into a trench with Gaia, doesn't count as carrying me." "Ah, thought you wouldn't remember that." "Try to not fight with her. She's trying her best." "Yes, to find a kingdom that's clearly not here." "If she says it's here. I'm sure it is." "How do you do that?" "Do what?" "Throw all your faith into someone with no hesitation or consideration for anything else?" Yamada shrugged. "I believe people will be true to their word, for the people they love and care about." "And how do you do that?" "Do what?" Yamada asked cocking an eyebrow at him. "Go from being a idiot, to this deeply profound person. Or did your mum have a third book?" Yamada snickered. "No, Kapuna always told me that, our chieftain was a fat idiot, and that I should always do the opposite of him." "I thought my childhood was a mess, and then I heard your story." "And then Ul'lanna made us both seem normal." Jacara nodded in agreement.
The winds begun to peak, howling with ferocity. "Head back inside, I'll anchor the Qilins." Yamada said. Jacara didn't hesitate hopping of to join the women inside. Yamada took a deep breath straining to move Harbinger. He dragged it along the snow, his muscles shaking and aching. Yamada pinned their reins under Harbinger and quickly hopped inside. "Vasha's cunt, the weather up here is absurd." Jacara groaned, peeking through the curtains. "I hope Ul'lanna is okay." Yamada said. "She's got a fire affinity, she won't freeze, so long as she has Arcane energy left." Jacara peered out into dark distance. "Although, it wouldn't be a worry to begin with, if we weren't searching for a made up kingdom." "Why do you not believe Kumo exist?" "Yamada, do you know how absurd that idea is? That entire kingdom is floating in the sky? You of all people know how hard it is to float just yourself. Now picture a kingdom with more and more people, live stock, buildings. What do you think would keep that thing floating in the air?" Yamada paused. "Huh. That...that is a good point." The wagon shook violently, being thrown onto its side. All of them were tossed to the side. Yamada forced the wagon door open, straining to climb out. "What the fuck was that?" Jacara groaned. Yamada peered out, the icy winds battering his eyes. A whimper caught his attention. One of the Qilin had been ripped out of its reins, and the other had its belly slashed open. "Drakens. Stay inside." Yamada tried to climb out, when Jacara pulled him back inside. "You can't even climb out properly, stay inside!" Jacara ordered.
He shoved his boot into Yamada's face using him as stepping stone. As he crawled out, the wagon was flipped back once more. He froze in shock, bracing to be crushed under the wagon. Yamada screamed pulling him back inside. All of them begun to tumble inside, body parts mushed and crushed under one another. Yamada planted his feet through the bottom of the wagon, transforming. They came to a screeching stop. His transformation stopped halfway through, unable to summon his wings and morph his torso. "Find Ul'lanna!" He ordered through his teeth. Jacara quickly scurried out. Yamada reverted back, feeling his leg muscles spasming. "Stay inside." Yamada said, crawling outside. He had to go get Harbinger. Yamada struggled to make it up the hill. Every step he slipped on the left over slurry. "YAMADA!!" Jacara called out. He spun around to see him next to Ul'lanna. Her arm had been slashed open. Yamada looked up to the sky seeing the swarm above him.
He tried to force a transformation, he outranked them on the hierarchy. Seeing his presence would scare the swarm off. Yamada fell to the ground, unable to even summon his armour. He screamed out in agony forcing every ounce of his strength. The swarm heard his roars beginning to rain down. Ul'lanna slashed at those coming down, fending them off, but her left arm bled profusely. Jacara threw a Fork card into the swarm watching it dissipate after aggravating them. The swarm continued to encircle them like vultures. Yamada gnashed his teeth together, clenching his fist till they bled. 'GET UP. GET UP. GET UP YAMADA!' He forced himself to his feet, sprinting up the hill. He screamed through his teeth, lugging Harbinger onto his back. He tumbled down the hill. Jacara created a rock barrier over the wagon with Gaia, and held up the card of Revelation.
The swarm ceased its swooping. "GO! GET THEM TO SAFETY!" Jacara screamed, straining to hold light up. Ul'lanna grabbed his hand. "NOT WITHOUT YOU!" Yamada crashed near them, forcing himself to his feet. Heaving and shaking. He raised Harbinger with a wry smile. "Drop your card Jacara. We'll kill every last one of them." "You...two...are...fucking...crazy." He smirked before lowering the card. As the light disappeared the swarm let out a collective roar, swooping down. The wind raged around them starting to make Jacara and Ul'lanna float. The three of them stood back to back, ready to fight to the end. Jacara placed a Cursed card onto Harbinger, covering it a slick coating of fat. Ul'lanna recognized the smell of the Corpulence magic, and ignited Harbinger into flames. "Get ready." She said.
Yamada planted his feet, slashing one Amphitheres down. It screeched from the shallow cut, taking to the sky again. Each swing fanned the flames. Ul'lanna opened a Fire gate, with Jacara using the Feather card to launch fireballs through the air. The swarm backed off, and in the moment of reprieve. Ul'lanna fell to her knees, the gate disappearing. She fell dizzy from the blood loss. Jacara rushed to cauterize her wound. "She's lost a lot of blood!" Yamada dropped Harbinger unable to wield it anymore. He placed a hand onto Ul'lanna, forcing whatever remnants of Arcane energy he had left to give her blood. Jacara watched as Yamada continued to be silent, seeing the pain stretched across his face. Ul'lanna stabilized, barely conscious, but the colour had returned to her face. Yamada trembled and shook, watching the swarm above. They had seemingly grown in size. He wanted to eat a heart, and recover, but all of his slashes were shallow. Jacara and Ul'lanna hadn't been able to down any of them either.
"I'm sorry Gwyneth, I won't be coming back." Jacara shot up. The dread filling his heart. "I'm sorry Mum, Dad. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough." His vision was hazy, he could barely breath or make a fist. He fell to his knees, sitting back on his toes to stare at Jacara and Ul'lanna. "Thanks for being my friend." "Shut up, you weirdo." Jacara said forcing a smile, he too was trembling. "You got a card to get us out of this?" "Don't have one that summons us an army." "Well, I'll take the half on the left." "Yeah, yeah. I got the right." The two of them forced themselves to their feet, shakily taking a fighting stance. The swarm begun its decent again. They joined in the roars, letting out their own defiant scream. A ball of fire parted through the swarm from above. They froze looking back to Ul'lanna still unconscious. Suddenly the earth around them shot into the air as spikes. Yamada cocked an eyebrow at Jacara. He shook his head at him.
The fire in the skies ran rampant as blades of air sliced through the air fanning the flames. Both of them dropped their hands, staring in awe. Yamada and Jacara both nudged Ul'lanna awake with their foot. She opened her eyes to see the sky in chaos. Suddenly lightning began to stretch across the sky, with thunderous crackling. Yamada and Jacara collapsed backwards sitting beside her. The swarm begun to disperse and flee. The grey clouds above them opened revealing a crystal blue sky and bright sun. From it nearly a hundred figures slowly descended from the sky. "Told you..." Ul'lanna said weakly, with a sly smile. "I'll be fucking damned..." Jacara said. "A kingdom in the sky." Yamada said in awe. Amphitheres and Wyverns plummeted to the earth. Several of them landed beside them, wounded and weakened they limped closer, for their last meal. Jacara the strongest of the three took out a card.
A woman floated in front of them wearing nothing, but a brown and gold Kāṣāya. She had a peach complexion with rose coloured hair, in a messy bob that touched her nape. Taller than Jacara by nearly a head, she stood stoically in front of the drakens. She turned back to them with a gentle and warm smile, cocking her head to the side. Yamada and Jacara froze in awe at her beauty. Slender with a soft and warm face. Both of their jaws dropped. A wyvern lunged at her. "LOOK OUT!" Yamada shouted. She threw a rising kick. As her foot made contact with its jaw, a lightning bolt shot out frying the Wyvern to a crisp. Yamada's eyes bulged with Jacara doing the same. The others lunged at her, she leapt in dispatching each of them with a singular strike. Each strike summoned a lightning bolt through them. She turned back to them with a giddy smile, skipping towards them.
She knelt down to Yamada's eye level, inspecting his stunned face. She rubbed his face, before pouting. Cocking her head to the side, she imitated sleeping. He stared at her in complete silence. She pouted again, before running her soft supple fingers over his eyelids. They sprung back open again. Jacara leaned in. "I think, she's trying to tell to sleep." He whispered. She nodded pointing at him. Yamada was completely frozen. She pointed at Yamada, making the 'okay' gesture with her hands, before scratching her head. "I don't know if he's okay or not." "Cagim." A deep voice from behind said. Jacara spun around to see a burly bald man, wearing a deep azure and gold Kāṣāya, holding a staff with an ornate bell at the end. He was aged, with pronounced crow's feet and leathery skin. "You know, who I am?" "No, but I know your father. If you had the same coloured hair as him, you two would be indistinguishable from each other."
The woman perked up, pointing at Yamada, who continued to stare at her. "What's wrong Karina?" She gestured with her hands that there was something with Yamada's face. "Does she not speak?" "She's a mute, yet the most talkative once you get to know her. Your friend is he...okay?" The man asked holding his hand over his head. "No. No he is not." A roar rung out. "Hmm, it is best we get you all to safety at first." He slammed his staff into the ground, and the other hundred men and women came out. They all wore a Kāṣāya with a dull brown and faded yellow. "Take them and the others to the monastery." They chanted, bowing at the man. They freed the wagon, surrounding it. They all slowly begun to float into the sky in unison. Two of them took Ul'lanna and begun to float towards the others. The man took Jacara by the scruff. Karina smiled before hoisting Yamada onto her back. "Hey wait, his sword." Jacara called out.
"Here hold this for me." The man said, handing his staff to Jacara. He bent down to pick up Harbinger. "Hey don't hurt yourself, that thing is pure..." He hoisted the blade over his shoulder with ease. "Deirid...ium...." He smiled at Jacara, and the two of them begun to float towards the sky. Karina leapt into the air, chasing after the others. "What is your name, son of Cagim?" "Jacara, and what is yours, powerful mysterious stranger?" He let out a throaty chuckle. "Ichibae Hyosuke. Head of Kumo's royal guard." "Kumo really exist huh?" "You have your doubts." They passed the dark clouds, floating above the white clouds. High into the sky the warm sun bathed on them. Jacara's jaw dropped, seeing several cyclones, underneath blankets of thick clouds. Each one held up a small city. "You were lucky that, we heard your friends roar. Otherwise we would have never came down for you." "How is this..." Ichibae tossed Jacara onto a nearby cloud, he screamed before feeling the hard earth beneath him. He landed beside him, grabbing his staff. "Welcome to Kumo, the kingdom in the sky."