*Niam Henka*
Before I opened my eyes, an immobilizing pain shot from my chest into my back, then into my head. I remembered what had happened. I had ordered Tsuki to shoot Jeun, while I held him in one place. Tsuki's arrow had pierced both our bodies.
'I feel like I lost a small portion of my left lung.' I diagnosed.
I knew I was laying somewhere on a hardwood floor, a blanket covering me. I felt the warm sun rays on my face and chest, not on my feet. Surprisingly, I didn't feel the presence of Mana. My Mana-Core was empty. I concentrated to fill up my Mana-Core. Once I had filled my empty Mana-Core, I had the idea that the fight in Banna forest didn't happen too long ago. That idea was quickly disregarded after I felt someone's presence next to me.
I opened my eyes, but they had to get used to the bright sunlight first. Then, I saw a familiar figure. She had long, black hair, brown eyes, and a gentle smile.
["Mom..."] I accidentally called out.
The woman's attention fell on me. She had heard me call her mom. A bit of regret appeared in my mind. I called a stranger mom, it hurt my pride.
She stretched out her arm, and placed it on my forehead. Her hand was warm, and felt like my mother's hand. My confusion grew even more.
["We doubted that Hangaku would ever have a kid with that man, but we were wrong. You caused a great commotion, you know?"] She said.
She spoke Japanese. 'We can't be in old Japan, can we?'
["How do you know my mother?"] I asked, hoping it would it would clarify some of the doubts I had.
["I'm her younger sister, Tomoko. That makes me your aunt."] She patted my head with great care.
["Where am I, and where is Tsuki?"] I asked, getting more uncomfortable by the second.
It was hard to think that I was in old Japan. Me and Tsuki still had a long journey ahead of us. 'There is no way that Tsuki brought me here on her own. Was I unconscious the whole time? Or did I lose my memories for some reason?' I questioned.
["You've arrived at your destination."] Tomoko said with a robotic voice, clearly referencing the GPS systems we had before the impact.
["Hm..."] I chuckled. ["Where is she at?"]
My patience had found its end. I was beginning to get angry. I felt like something strange was going on. After all, there were Salan abilities that could trap you in an illusion just like Jeun did in Banna forest.
["Calm down, hot-headed one. You remind me a lot of my other older sister Daitan. Just like you, she is crippled to some degree too."] She chuckled.
["Are you doing that on purpose? Just answer the damn question. Where is Tsuki?"] I asked again, slapping her hand away from my forehead.
["Do you mean Miss Shizukana?"]
["Yes."]
["I didn't know her first name was Tsuki, my apologies. Miss Shizukana is a day's travel by horse away. We contacted her, informing her about your condition."]
["What do you know about my wound?"] I asked my aunt.
["You've lost a third of your left lung. Your shoulder blade was damaged too, but it healed on its own. You were asleep for the remainder of your journey. Miss Shizukana went to great lengths to bring you to us."] She responded.
A long silence followed. Neither of us knew what to say and ask. I felt indebted and she felt weird. She had never met me, her nephew, prior to the impact.
["Can you tell me a bit about your life maybe? Even though what we did was unfair, I still miss my sister. Most of us do. Did she die?"] She asked.
["Our house collapsed. Crushed to death. Both parents. I don't know if they would've survived. That's all I'm going to say. And the fact that my mother never told me about her side of the family, I guess she didn't want me to come into contact with you. And seeing that you want me to tell you about her life, I figured she never contacted you. I won't tell you anything about her, only about myself."]
["You are really her son, huh? You two are the exact same person. But if you don't want to, don't tell us. That's what we deserve. Father would like to speak with you, after you're back to health."]
["Is he the clan's head?"]
["Yes."]
I was bored. I wanted to go and look around this place.
["Can you show me around this place?"] I asked.
["If you can walk by yourself, I can show you around the estate."]
'Estate?'
Aunt Tomoko helped me stand up and opened the shoji our way out of the room. I was met with the calming scent of flowers from the estate's inner garden. It was early spring, half a year had passed since Tsuki and I started our journey. That meant that I'd turned 20 sometime in our stay in the Arabic Empire.
"Huagh!"
"Yaa!"
I heard yelling from a place a bit more far away.
["Where is the training area?"] I asked.
["Do you want me to show you?"] My aunt responded.
["I want to know what seeing others with the same sword technique is like."] I paused, preparing to ask a question that could've determined my future in old Japan. ["How many died from the impact?"]
["Only my mother, your grandmother. The rest became Mana-Wielders and Bearers. Fate is favoring us as it seems. It even brought you to us."] She stated.
["Fate is not favoring. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to have met. After the impact, the world we knew ceased to exist. We are in a completely new time period."]
["You might be right..."]
Aunt Tomoko brought me to the estate's training grounds. It was outside. My relatives, who all looked very similar to each other, trained on a field of grass. My appearance attracted the attention of everyone present.
There were 3 boys and 2 girls. All of them were in the same age range as me, maybe younger, I didn't think about asking them their ages.
["Look. The burdensome Henka has awoken from his slumber."] One of the girls said.
["Yeah. I can't believe he made Shizukana bring him all the way here."] One of the boys added.
["If he had an ounce of honor, he would've died."]
They looked pretty arrogant. Not like me at all. 'I bet they never even fought another Bearer to the death...'
["My name is Niam. I'm the son of Hangaku. I have your blood running through me. I am ashamed to hear your words. They're very hurtful. I don't think it's okay to judge me. You haven't seen an ounce of what I've seen, yet, you still talk."] I paused, letting their emotions influence their minds. ["Let me ask you. Have you killed someone before? Did you have to spill someone else's blood for your own survival? Or did you have to bury both of your parents that died next to you? I even had to hear how maggots devoured my parent's corpses."]
'Hopefully, this will change their opinion about me a little, and gain me their respect.'
They looked as if they wanted to mock me further, but seeing the serious face of aunt Tomoko silenced them.
["I wish we could've trained together, but I am not at my best, and my Katana is in a poor condition too. Next time, I will show you what kind of burden you become when facing me in battle."] I threatened.