The starlit sky was a saving grace for many travelers that acted as the guide in harsh conditions and worse situations.
"21…22- how many was I on…23?" A gentle voice asked out.
In this case, they were being used as the only thing keeping Asuka conscious in that moment. She desperately clung onto the painful wake she almost lost. Many times over she found herself slipping in and out of small rests so she needed to keep her eyes open, or at least as much as she could.
Snowflakes covered the area in layers of heavy snow, these flakes rained down gently over with no rest. She could feel the slight sting of its cold touch against her scratched cheek; it would melt the very moment it reached her.
Even in an intense snow like that she was radiating a powerful heat, her body's last attempt to keep her victorious.
"You guys are lucky…getting to fly up there where nobody can touch you… even if everyone knows who you are- isn't it lonely?" She muttered while staring up to the sky.
She was on the floor with her back to the sky but out the corner of her eye she was able to bear witness to the sights which Weepnest Mountain offered.
"Why am I climbing again…Was it a mistake in the end? I should just go back before I get hurt- uh…oh yeah." Asuka glanced down to the bloody pool surrounding her.
Her entire left arm was missing as well as her right eye; the longer she waited the more she started to feel her grasp of reality slipping. "How did it end up like this…?"
*The day before the Weepnest Mountain Race*
Asuka trudged through the snow with light movements, she made sure not to let her feet sink all the way through the snow. By the time her ankle began to lower into the mass she was already extending the other foot out.
She was agile in her movements and often smirked when she was able to pull of feats like that. Asuka grinned down at her boots and watched as she practically flew over the high snow with her impressive footwork.
She brought her head up and noticed a tree in front of her but at that point it was too late. She had already smashed into the tree with a large motion and went flying through the snow. When falling into the snow she felt the ground beneath her crumble and realised that it was a hillside.
"Oh shoot- aaaaaaahhh!" She screamed out in terror.
Barely a second passed and she was buried in a pile of snow but solid on the ground. "What's the deal, I thought that was it for me?!"
She jolted up from the snow and cringed at the sight of a 2 meter high cliff in front of her. Small clumps of snow sat on her hair and shoulders, so she patted it off in a vigorous manner.
Asuka wasn't cold at all wearing a thick camo jacket, and a red scarf around her neck. She refused to wear any other type of Gi or training uniform because it restricted her movements. The rest of her outfit isn't anything special, just tights, combat boots and a white headband from her father.
Even with only a jacket to keep her warm she didn't seem that cold, it was common for her body to do adapt to situations and change accordingly. It was often something she gloated about that the body she was born with was perfect for her ideals- complete victory! That was the lessons that her father had passed on to her before he got sick a couple of years prior.
Asuka Miyamoto had recently turned 18 and was heading towards Cyan village for the Weepnest Mountain Race. The biggest sporting event that would be broadcasted worldwide, it consisted of participants from every inch of the earth.
Unfathomable heights, dangerous creatures never before seen and even unknown terrains…forget a mountain, it should be considered a living ecosystem of its own.
If you're wondering why a person would take such a risk, it's simple. Fame, fortune, money! All that and more awaits the person who is able to conquer the mountain, but it is something that no one has done before.
"Damn it- that was really embarrassing. Luckily nobody saw that, where am I anyways?" She muttered while patting off excess snow from her clothes.
The area she was crossing was packed with heavy snow but the sun was still apparent, she could see through the trees and area because it was daylight. When she stood up she noticed that the light couldn't be seen, in fact a large shadow had been cast over her.
'Is it night time only in this spot, what's going on he- oh…' Asuka turned her attention to a large structure towering out from the snow.
It was built in the centre of a small clearing that would have been difficult to notice had she not fallen in. There were many trees in the area but even so it seemed strange that the building wasn't spotted from a distance.
Asuka scratched her head in confusion and then decided to enter the building. After closer inspection she noticed strange markings carved into the sides of the buildings pillars, there were 4 in total placed at the edges.
"Oh this must be some type of temple, but what for?" She stated while walking inside.
The walls were made from the same dark stone that made up the exterior, it came off as slightly dreary which spooked her slightly.
'Why did it have to be a temple of all things…I hate spooky things so much.' She tried to stay near the centre and avoid the walls as she crossed into the temple.
The inside was a large open room with halls leading off to the side, but in the centre of the room was a figure bent over a boiling pot. It looked like a rather older man making tea on a hot plate; he didn't react when Asuka walked in so she assumed he didn't notice.
"Hey mister! Mister- what is this place, do you live here!"
Asuka barged in with her left arm raised into the air to draw attention while the other cupped around her mouth like a megaphone. She started waving the arm side to side even though the man was facing the other direction.
The old man didn't seem to mind much and just giggled to himself while pouring his tea. "Would you like a cup missy?"
His voice was rugged and dry but had a charming quality to it, like it carried wisdom even though he said something so mundane.
"Yeah sure, just make sure it's not ginger! I can't stand ginger things, makes my tummy sore…" Asuka usually carried a bubbly air behind her words but that's probably why people like her so much. They can find her really easy to talk to, at least when she doesn't have her heart set on the opposite opinion…then it can be near impossible to talk to her.
The old man bent down to reach for another cup when suddenly a plank from the ceiling started to crack. It let off a large creaking noise and then collapsed in on itself, dropping a hefty amount of rubble directly over the old man.
"Hey watch out!" She yelled.
A fire flickered in Asuka's eyes when she saw he wasn't moving and she sprang into action, her body burst forward like a beam of wind and was in the air with a single breath. She rotated her body 180 degrees so that her legs were in the air and her head upside down.
The air around her leg was pushed back by a heavy kick that blasted away the rubble into the wall across the room. In one motion she delivered the kick and then brought it back around so that her body would rotate upright, and landed on the ground again.
Her breasts bounced up slightly from the landing and knocked against her chin with a soft impact that caused her to giggle.
"Ha- Stuck the landing!" She celebrated with a childish smile.
"You're tea is going to get cold, drink it while it's still hot." The man said.
He passed her the cup and walked towards a pillow on the floor to sit down, as if he was completely oblivious to what had just happened.
'I definitely screamed at him to look out, don't tell me he's deaf and blind…' She pondered while her face cringed slightly.
She sat down on the floor with her legs crossed and took a huge sip from the tea while steam ran out from the top. "Mmmmmm~ this is good gramps, so what are you doing out here? A place like this is dangerous to live in all by yourself."
"That may be true but what brings a young lady like you all the way out here to this temple, I know that you weren't you looking for it?" The old man questioned.
The tone and register of his voice was very frail and caused Asuka to completely drop her guard as they spoke.
(Grumble)
Without realising it her stomach had completely taken over the energy of the conversation from its loud monstrous noises. She frowned when searching through her bags and tossing it aside for being empty.
The old man pulled out a bean bun from his robe and handed it to her as he bit into one of his own. She gladly took it and began stuffing herself frantically as if she hadn't eaten in days.
She smiled from ear to ear as she had her mouth filled with food and a spec of it on the corner of her mouth. "I…came fwor… the- ack!" She began to cough up frantically.
She took a huge sip from her tea and almost downed it, then released a heavy sigh of relief. "Almost choked there, sorry~ have you heard of the Weepnest mountain race?"
As soon as she mentioned it the old man's aura became serious as he flicked his attention up to her.
"What if I have?" He asked sternly.
"Well I am actually joining it-" While talking she blinked and when opening her eyes she was face to face with the old man's fingertip.
He drove his hand towards her eye with a fierce attack that would have blinded her if he hadn't stopped it.
She froze in place completely bewildered to what had happened when suddenly the man stood up and looked down to her with sharp eyes. The pupils had completely erased any traces of his frail demeanour and helplessness.
He even appeared to be somewhat dangerous to her, Asuka felt something was off from the moment she saw his hand in front of her just then. To any of us looking in on her it seemed like a regular flat hand stopped right in front of her face but to her…
A wave of calamity had come crashing in on her like a powerful tsunami from the ocean that crashed into itself near the shore. When he moved back it seemed to disappear but that cautious feeling in her heart didn't go away, how could it after seeing that?
"If you want to enter the Weepnest race, then you should forget about it little one. A young woman like you shouldn't dream of such a dangerous life."
Asuka gripped her hand tightly and formed a fist; she stood up to his level and wanted to step forward. As she moved forward a burst of red aura forced her back as if the old man was projecting overwhelming energy that dared not have weaker beings come near.
The aura was not actually there but it was the force of nature all animals know, one that hunts and the one to be hunted.
'This is impossible…how could anyone- this is what dad was talking about! The climb to Weepnest comes with many monsters…both through the mountain and on the ground.'
Asuka took a huge gulp and forced her eyes open, widening them substantially. 'Keep them open; don't let yourself miss this opportunity!'
Asuka stepped forward and closed the gap between them and managed to struggle towards him close enough to smell him. Just as she felt like she would collapse the man's aura dispersed and he let out a hardy chuckle.
"You actually want to participate- this new generation truly has its delusions! Listen closely little one, turn back now or you won't be alive much longer. I will be the one to climb the mountain and take its rewards!" He proclaimed.
Asuka stepped back with both fists balled tightly, she knew that this old man was clearly overwhelming her but even so she hated the words he spoke.
She snapped around and strolled to the exit with a furious expression but as she reached the doorway she looked back to him with a fierce smile that didn't match her eyes at all.
"I'll see you there then old man, cause I too will climb the mountain!"
"Oh?"
The old man couldn't avoid noticing the large flare in her eyes; it was a look he had seen many times before in his youth. It was the fire of passion that could not be extinguished no matter the obstacle.