"Nghh..." Miko stretched as she awoke. Tashi was still asleep so she decided to get ready and cultivate a little first. She washed up as the previous night's events flooded her mind. She blushed scarlet red as she remembered that memory. She was afraid Tashi would remember as she did not remove his memory, but she is still too drained to do so. Miko decided to swallow this embarrassment and headed to the roof for cultivation, considering it was already in her habit to do so since she was young.
Tashi stirred from his sleep. For some reason, even though it was a dream, his lips felt numb and silky. "How did I dream of her kissing me?" Tashi wondered. Whats more, how did it feel so real?
At the roof, Miko sat down and actively absorbed the purple qi in the air. She could feel her ear apparature halfway full now. Very soon, she could begin the next step, filling her nose apparature. Since it was rather early, there was not a single soul on the roof, a peaceful place for meditation. Miko stopped absorbing the qi and focused on her mental strength. It had also been completely reset, back to the starting point. The cool morning breeze swinging by brought her immense comfort, feeling her hair swaying in the breeze. When it started to get warmer, Miko opened her eyes. The morning sun had gotten stronger, and the purple qi in the air had thinned down significantly, making it no longer worthwhile to absorb.
Miko headed downstairs where the inn had food catered. Today, she had many questions unanswered. Why did her link break? Was Tashi Takei? What happened to all the shrines that used to be present??? Miko decided to find her answers today. The moment she opened the door and exited the staircase, she was greeted by the bustling crowds. People were chatting merrily and carrying trays of food. She saw Tashi at a corner and sat down with him.
"Morning," she said, her melodious voice sounding. Tashi greeted her back before continuing his meal.
"Tashi, were there shrines here in the past?" Miko asked. Tashi nodded. Miko felt as if a something had sparked deep in her heart and immediately asked what happened. Tashi patiently explained. In the past, there used to be many shrines left over from the previous kingdom. Our king passed down an order to demolish all of them, amd passes a decree that whoever is caught building or praying to those shrines would be punished by public execution. The royals thought of them to be a way for the previous king to control his people by religion, and the shrines a way to spread his propoganda. He did not want any of the people in the current era to spread such things again, lest they fall back to such a dark era.
"Such crap," Miko thought in her mind. Though she was never one to curse, she simply could not believe how the current royals have changed so much in slightly over a hundred years. Miko concluded that the royals must be actively hunting down beasts, for whatever reason, and it was not safe to remain here at her current strength. Afterall, her elemental magic was gone and she had to recultivate her innate magic from scratch. She needed to at least increase her innate magic first before she could even think about protecting Takei's reincarnation. How could she protect him if she could not even protect herself?
"Tashi, today I think I'll be returning to my hometown for awhile. I realised there is something I must sort out there before i return." Miko said.
"That's... disappointing to say the least. However, do you think you can spend a few days with me before you return? It may be my own selfish request, but i hope you can afford it." Tashi replied. For some reason, Miko felt her heart pounding quicker, and butterflies in her stomach. A blush crept to her face as she nodded.
"I think I can do that," she replied.
After their meal, they went around touring more shop, but it was a bore considering their shopping dates were getting repetitive. They decided to head on east from the west side they came, in hopes of visiting the plum gardens of the east of the central town they arrived. The plum blossoms were always a sight to see, and it was well known that plum flowers were beautiful. Many would travel to the central town at this time, making it a poppular attraction and increasing its overall economy.
During their travel to the east of the central town, Miko caught sight of many new things, some pleasant some not. Nowadays, there were more ornamental flowers on display, and more people appreciating their beauty. Miko was simple minded, and never cared about their symbolism. She only cared about their beauty and use, if any. However, if there was a flaw she had to mention, everyone was generally more hostile to each other. There were more bargains for lower prices, which could result in a full blown argument. Nevertheless, she minded her business this time and did not stick her nose into it as she was now on limited time with Tashi before she left.
As the sun set across the horizen and the sky was painted with purple and orange hues, a single plum petal brushed across Miko's face. She gazed up to see that they have arrived at the plum garden, and gasped at its breathtaking beauty. Miko and Tashi walked silently into the garden, which both of them had never seen before. In the forest, there were no plums gardens as the plum trees were littered across the land amongst the other trees, spreading their beauty. Now, with them all in one place, it was as if their beauty was collected at a single spot too. Walking to the pavillion, they gazed upon the pond in front of them, admiring the way the day's last rays were reflected upon the surface of the water, making it look as if the water itself was glowing. Tashi plucked a simgle plum flower from the tree and pinned it into Miko's soft, pink hair.
"This place sure is as beautiful as the books say, but it certainly cannot compare to your beauty."