The sun rose in the east of the fields of Tokyo. Dreg corpses littered the area as Osaka basked in a light breeze. He'd spent all night honing his skills with a blade, a basic sword he'd bought inside the city. He'd nearly died a few times but luck had been on his side.
As the sun rose the Dreg retreated. He'd learned them to be night creatures with a strange taste for blood. The day brought its own terrors. Goblins descended from their caves, Harpy flew the hills and Orcs...
He'd have to work hard before he encountered an Orc again or he'd might not be so lucky. He thought back to that day outside the city wall, the boy that was eaten. He had no idea how he'd survived that day but he knew that it wasn't often that lightning struck twice. He had to become stronger or be prepared to die.
He'd began heading back toward the wall when he heard a crash in the distance. Screams rang through the fields echoing from a nearby mining village. He had to help. He ran, sword in hand, faster than his feet could carry him. He was a Seal Barer now, mankind's protection against the Keshin. But his night of training didn't prepare him for what he saw.
A giant Goblin stood before him, the size of a small house. It was clad in leather armor with a physique that nearly left him bare.
It roared as it swung and axe toward a group of fleeing villagers, toppling a house instead.
"STOP!" Osaka screamed though he didn't know where the word came from. He was afraid, and even more so when it's golden eyes set up on him.
The axe was thrown faster than he could react. He'd barely gotten the blade to his chest when the axe coursed through his shoulder. He fell to the floor in agony in a pool blood. The Goblin Giant stalked closer, pulling a second axe from his back.
"A Bugbar. Pitiful creatures." Kyo stepped between them, one hand thrusting forward. A blade appeared, the color of a full moon. He held it close preparing for battle.
The Bugbar ran toward him in rage but it lost a leg mid stride. It attempted to slam its axe into Osaka's motionless body but Kyo kicked it in the chin sending it airborne.
"Crescent Moon." he spoke softly as a wave of energy slashed through the Bugbar sending it crashing to the ground in pieces before Osaka completely passed up.
He I woke hours later resting by a fire. His arm was bandaged but he felt weak. He tried to rise but could hardly move a muscle.
" Be still little one." a woman spoke from a corner. The old witch appeared to be mixing salves in a clay jar, speaking without looking up from her work.
"Where am I?" Osaka asked almost in a whisper.
"A village. Much like others." she continued her alchemy.
"Kyo." his memories began flooding back to him. "Where is Kyo?"
"Who?" the woman questioned, turning from her potions for the first time.
She was beautiful, even in her elder age. She was angelic beneath a long braid of silver hair, with eyes that seem to pierce the soul.
"The man that saved my life." he didn't like the words.
"Oh the other child. Gone with the wind I suppose. The way of those who bear the markings." she turned back to her work.
"Markings? Do you mean Seals?" he rose, his head feeling dizzy.
"All the same." she shrugged her shoulders. "You children think you are special with those markings but Nan was here before them. The world was peaceful before you all led them here. The world warred yes, it always warred, but we knew peace. Now you run with your swords and power thinking you are a God. But you call the true Gods to our world."
Osaka was confused. What Gods? The Keshin arrived before the first Barer. None of what she said made any sense. His head began getting worse. He felt like he was trying to remember something that he'd never known.
"Nan!" a girl called as she entered the small house. She was smiling until her eyes met Osaka.
The girl shared the old woman's beauty with the same cold eyes that felt like they could cut through him but the girl was of his age.
"Nami, dear child. What does a girl want today?" Nan's voice was pleasant.
"A girl wants to make sure her grandmother is safe. I heard there was an attack on the village while I was picking your flowers." Nami set a basket on the table near her grandmother. "Who's your friend?"
"Another lost child of the sword and flames." Nan answered waving them away.
"So you are a mighty Seal Barer huh?" the girl examined him with eyes of steel. "You're shorter than I expected."
Osaka just stared at her. She was more beautiful than any girl from his school and she spoke with authority. He thought he liked a girl once but this was different.
"Cat got your tongue?" Nami moved closer. "You have a name right?"
"Osaka. Sean Osaka." he finally found the words.
"Follow me Osaka." Nami headed towards the door.
It was mid-afternoon and the village was in an uproar trying to rebuild. A woman stood over what appeared to be a grave stone, tears swelling her eyes. Children ran through the streets, crowding around them the further that walked.
"Do you see that?" Nami pointed toward a mountain. "There is a mine up there, somewhere along the path. Our village use to mine Celestial Iron and sell it to the blacksmiths inside the city to make your precious weapons. That's how we've survived. Then two years ago a dungeon appeared inside the mine infested with Goblin. We've reported it to the Society but no one has been here to clear them. It's because we are now too poor to reward a Barer's price. Now we die because of it."
"What do you wa...." Osaka began until she continued.
"You are a Seal Barer right?" she began to blush. "We don't have much to offer but if you can clear the dungeon I will offer.... I will offer myself as payment. I will be your wife, your slave, anything I need to be to ensure the safety of my village."
Osaka thought back to the Bugbar attack. He was helpless against the beast. If that was what awaited him then he'd die for sure. "Nami... I can't..."
Anger filled her eyes, fear. This was her only chance and she'd blown it. No one would help them. They were truly alone. "Nan was right about Seal Barers. They're nothing but trouble." she stomped away trying to hold back her tears of embarrassment.
Osaka stayed for dinner to regain his strength but he promised himself to be gone before morning. The villagers had their meal around a giant fire. Seldomly anyone spoke. They ate stale bread and a vegetable soup while old Man offered a prayer to the dead.
"Nan is a village healer. The grown ups say she use to be an Oracle until her daughter was old enough to be Oracle bit she's gone now. They say Nami will be an Oracle too one day." a little boy day beside him examining his seal.
Osaka couldn't help staring at Nami. He eyes were full of pain, heartache. She'd scarcely touched her food. She just stated into the flames.
"Are you really a Seal Barer?" the boy asked breaking Osaka from his thoughts.
Osaka remained silent. He may have had the power of a Seal Barer but he was only one in name. Compared to the other Barers he felt useless. Kyo had shown him that.
"There is a prophecy." the boy continued. "Nami's mom said that it was her destiny to leave the village. She said that one day the most powerful Barer the world has ever seen would come to this village to save it and it was Nami that would be his beckon, whatever that is. She said that Nami would offer herself to purify the world. Before her mother left the only thing she left behind was the necklace that Nami never takes off."
Osaka was speechless. He stared at the girl who seem deep in thought, eyes fixed on the flames. The world rested on her shoulders. He now understood why she'd offered herself to him. It was her destiny. But he wasn't the Barer she was waiting for. 'The most powerful?' he was probably the weakest. Destiny was cruel.
After dinner the village was quiet. It was time to leave. By morning he'd put the villagers behind him along with his failure. He couldn't be the hero that they needed, that she needed, so it was pointless to stick around. He grabbed his weak sword and headed for the city.
He took one last look at the mine, the Goblin Dungeon. The mountain seem eerie in the quiet of night. It was like a looking shadow over a village that both feared and depended on it. Only a single light could be seen through it's dark foliage. But as quickly as he'd seen it, it vanished. Maybe it was just an illusion.
"Nami! Nami!" old Nan called into the dark village.
"Nan? Is everything okay?" a man appeared from a house still under reconstruction.
"No child. Nami has taken my staff to face the Gods alone. It is not her place." she cried.
'The Gods? The Keshin!' Osaka realized. 'The light. It was her.'
He ran toward the mountain without thinking. He had no plan, no further thought beyond saving her. How could she be so stupid? If he couldn't beat the Bugbar what could she do? The thought of her death forced his feet to move faster.
"Hey kid, you can't go up there alone!" the man yelled to no avail.
He had to save her. He couldn't just leave her to die like.....