Sally
Reynolds’ Estate: Huntsmen Quarters Training Lounge
Morning - 9:35
As soon as Sally left the office of their lady boss of the Huntsmen Quarters, she immediately went to look for her team at the same place where they were always staying at. The training lounge was like a huge cafeteria for everyone who works and stayed at their quarters. It was full of noise that never died down unless every personnel started on their assign tasks whether around the quarters or on the field. But as soon as Sally went to pass by the said lounge, the usual noisy area went into its silence. When the noise died down, Sally’s team already knew that their team leader was already passing the area and sent a cue to them for an urgent meeting.
“You never failed to amaze us with how can you make the entire lounge just passing by.” A jolly and excited voice of a mid-twenties woman commented as they went on following Sally.
“That’s our Sally and nobody can tell what was going in her mind from being quiet and lazy.” Another jolly voice of a man in his twenty-eight years came on commented yet it was mixed up with a tease. But he never got any reaction from their team leader who just headed to their office since every team has its own offices.
“Hey, you two quiet it down.” The firm but the collected voice of a calm woman in her mid-thirties cut the noise that the youngest in their team.
“Yes, ma’am.” Both of the youngest complied but they were grinning like a kid.
“Got us a job?” a calm and collected voice of a man in his mid-thirties as well asked their team leader directly as soon as they got inside their team office.
“Yes, and we have to leave now. So gather your things then we all head out there.”
“Care to tell me what our job is this time?” the same woman in her mid-thirties asked her name was SAB, not her real name.
“It’s the Fujishima’s ritual dance and they were asking for our assistance which Ice sees our team fit on the task.”
“If they were asking assistance this time… it's going to be a big wave.” The same man in his mid-thirties called Onyx reacted as soon as Sally replied to SAB.
“You bet. So gear up. I will prepare our car.” Sally neutrally just told them that they were already used to her tone which sounded like she did not care at all but she was the number one elite among the elite forces of their quarters. She was just lazy and not easy to get along with that’s why nobody wanted to team up with Sally until her team came.
“Yes, Ma’am.” They all answered at the same time then Sally left them to gear up before heading to their vehicle.
“This is going to be an epic assistance.” The excited twenty-eight years old of man called Anon shouted like a kid earning him a smack on the back of his head by the youngest of all of them.
“Shut it, Anon.” the youngest woman of them all called JC just rolled her eyes at the excited reaction from him.
“What did you do that for huh, JC?!” Anon gritted his teeth and grabbed the collar of JC.
“Nothing feels like it.” JC sounded like she was provoking Anon into a fight but with one clap from SAB, they both jolted and stopped what they were doing.
There are no words that will be heard aside from the chuckling voice of Onyx since he was already used to how their team acted around each other and their team leader didn’t care about it. They can be themselves around their team leader who does not act much but they all like how she treats them. Sally knows how to care, it's just that it was not showing at all.
“That took you long enough to gear up.” Sally was reading the file that was being handed to her regarding their task when they finally decided to come to meet their ride.
“Oh, you already know what happened between the three of them.” Onyx replied since he was the first one who arrived.
“I see. You drive, I have to check the perimeter of their estate along the way.” Sally already got that idea already since it was a routine already and she did not mind unless it was totally an urgent task that needed their focus.
“Yes, boss.” Onyx smirked as he missed being on the wheels even for a while then Sally tossed the keys to him and he excitedly went to the driver seat and started the engine of their midnight black mini-van.
After a few more seconds, the remaining three finally came and toss their things inside the car before hopping. They all went on their way with noises echoing throughout their drive which Sally did not mind as she was totally focused on marking the map of the entire estate of the Fujishima.
Fujishima’s Estate
Morning – 11:10
After a few hours of driving, they finally made it and Sally immediately instructed them to park their car and wait for her cue. She was the one who get off from their car first to meet the master of the entire Fujishima’s household. Sally was about to press the doorbell of the Fujishima but the entrance gate suddenly opened up and let her enter. She was about to ask for someone but nobody greeted her yet she saw a lady in broken kitsune or a fox mask passed in front of her. She quickly asked the lady where to find the master of the family to which she was not answered. Yet, Sally felt a little odd since, with every step that the lady was going, it kept looking at her as if it was telling her to follow. Sally released a sigh and just let the lady lead her into a certain part of the house where shrine maidens took their dance ritual rehearsals. As soon as she was about to ask the lady in the broken kitsune mask, it was nowhere to be found. Sally kept walking around until she heard a rhythmic melody that made her follow where it was coming and she was surprised to see a very beautiful dance. She wasn’t so artistic but she could appreciate a beautiful and meaningful dance.
“Meaningful? Where did that thought come from?” she thought to herself but she couldn’t divert her eyes from watching the maiden who was dancing her very own ritual.
Sally found herself being drowned as if the maiden was dancing for her and she loves the feeling it was sent her way. She could feel the tingling sensation passing through her veins and when their eyes collided and locked, Sally’s stone-cold heart began to beat like a sledgehammer slamming into her chest. Sally knew too well what the sudden pull around her chest was about and the staring contest that they were having was too intense. Not until Sally noticed the other presence around the room to which she immediately and respectfully bowed to everyone behind the maiden who happened to finish her dance.
“Excuse my intrusion into your practice but I was told to head this way to meet the head of the family. I’m Sally and I’m here with my team from Huntsmen Quarters here to help you to protect the household.” Sally was being polite as she introduced herself to everyone in the family since the servants or the maids were already in their alert mode over their designated post.
“I’m Maiden Sawako Fujishima and can I know who told you?” Sawako introduced herself back with the same respect in her tone. But she was more on wondering on how Sally managed to get into the part of the house that was really on the back. Fujishima estate was indeed huge and only those who’s been living there for years knew the surroundings without using any map.
“A maiden with a broken kitsune mask.” Sally was being honest when she answered Sawako. Everyone gasped upon hearing that response since the only maiden in the family who wore that kind of mask was already gone.
Even though it was already being answered, Sawako went closer to the lady from the Huntsman Quarters to which Sally felt that she was being read. She let the lady read her then later Sawako began to smile at her and she might have no idea what does it meant as she doesn’t want to know what it could be. She came there to work as she was being directly appointed by their boss.
“You meet my ancestral grandmother? which by the way already gone.” The lady who danced a few minutes ago and she cleared the sudden air wrapping around between her and lady Sawako.
“I see. Nothing new to me.” Sally just flatly answered as she was totally not surprised at all.
“I’m Mikage Fujishima and I’ll be doing the ritual tonight.” Mikage, the lady who just danced introduced herself with such fascination in her tone that did not escape from Sally’s sensitivity.
“Nice to meet you.” Sally only said to the young maiden who was smiling from ear to ear at her. Sally actually did not know what to say or do but she kept her blank façade.
“I’ll be in your care.” Mikage was indeed excited to know this lady before her as she stretched out her hands to Sally.
Sally was supposed not to take it but she still does. She didn’t understand why she did that since she never do that shake hands at all. But when their hands made contact for the first time, Mikage gasped and Sally remained neutral though deep inside there was the same reaction happening inside. They both just felt the sudden bond or connection that never happened before to whomever they made contact with.
“Alright, come inside and you can have chat with the head of the family while my daughter goes on with her practice.” Sawako clapped her hands snapped the two ladies who just met for the first time and let go of each other hands.
“I’m Shinichiro Fujishima, the family head and I’m glad that she heard my request.” The head of the family who looked grumpy and stressed-out man in his sixties approached as he introduced himself to Sally.
“Thank you as well for entrusting us on helping you to aid your protection barrier while you’re performing your traditional ritual.” Sally was being polite as she also shook the hand of the family head who smiled genuinely at her before patting Sawako’s shoulder.
“Come with me, I’ll show you something that really needed to be protected once the ritual is happening.” Shinichiro invited Sally for a stroll while Sawako went on with the dance rehearsal of her youngest.
Mikage
“Mom, why granddad took Sally for a stroll toward the warehouse?” Mikage wondered as she was been holding her hand to where she shook hands with Sally. There was still a lingering sensation that was being left there and it was making her whole being so warm and light as if she was relaxed for the first time in her life.
“Tonight is a different ritual that’s why your grandfather asks for an assistant for this.” Sawako answered her daughter as she watched them walk away from the dance rehearsal room of the maidens.
“Different? How was it different from the others?” Mikage curiously wondered how it will be different even though they’d been doing their family's traditional ritual whenever there was a new shrine maiden to be anointed.
“Because it’s you.” her mother only answered as she went inside the room where they’d been left alone in the room ever since the family of the head took Sally for a walk.
“Huh?” Mikage wondered before she turned to her mother who began standing with such commanding power.
Mikage couldn’t help but wonder what her mother was doing until Sawako began to move her head in such distinctive action with an expression shown on her face. She moved as if she was walking down to snowy slope. She glides carefully but at the same time it was very graceful then she opens her fan to start very intense and firm moves. It was stated for strength and dominating power as each beat from fast rhythm to slow, everything was shown and felt. Mikage felt it and the more she watched her mother dance her own ritual, she noticed the ten soul beasts that Sawako managed to summon through her dances that kept evolving.
“Wow…” that was the only word that came out from Mikage’s mouth as some memories from the previous ritual of her mother that she has seen when she was young up till the recent one. She still can’t believe that she was still amazed and captured by her mother’s dance ritual.
When her mother stopped dancing, Mikage clapped her hands which made her mother smile before flicking the center of the forehead of her youngest daughter.
“She still has it, sis.” A masculine voice from Toshi as he was leaning by the door frame of the dance room said to their elder sister, Yumiko.
“Indeed she does.” Yumiko agreed as she entered the dance room followed by their brother.
“My children.” Sawako was very happy seeing her children still close to each other even though they were bantering like kids from time to time.
“How did our youngest do this time, Mom?” Toshi was smirking as he was starting to tease Mikage who sent her a death glare over his elder brother.
“Don’t tell him, Mom. He’ll just use it against me again.” Mikage was still glaring at her brother who likes the reaction that he was getting from his baby sister.
“Just like Yumiko. She’s dancing her own ritual.” Sawako informed Mikage’s siblings made Toshi and Yumiko smirk knowingly that Mikage will be against dancing the old dance. They both know their baby sister on that side – cutely stubborn side.
“Why did you let her, Mom?” Toshi still teasing their baby sister.
“It’s her soul beast that she needs to please.” Yumiko commented which made Mikage begin to feel very conscious about dancing for her to summon her own soul beast since birth.
“Do you think, it will like it? I mean, my soul beast?” Mikage began to play with her fingers whenever she’s being nervous or wary about something.
“It already showed up when you were dancing and I think it will appear again.” Sawako answered her daughter which made Toshi sigh.
“Now, I know why Dad wants us to be here.” Toshi informed them that the two of them dropped by being their father was alarmed by the sudden earthly crumbling.
“I am nervous now.” Mikage let herself collapse on the wooden flooring and just lay still until she recalled Sally’s dark orbs staring at her. She sighs as she wasn’t so sure why she have a sudden urge of wanting to break the emptiness in the hunter’s eyes.