The two woke up to the sound of Auquirious knocking on their door. "Get up! We're in Primrose!" Tsuki felt relieved she didn't open the door. He sat up, brushing the hair out of his face, Tadashi got out from under the covers and got dressed quickly. Tsuki did the same, lacing his boot, brushing out his hair and putting it up with the plain ribbon he found. They grabbed their weapons and left the room. Tsuki stopped though as they were about to leave. He wanted to tell Tadashi about the mirror occurrence the other day.
"I said hurry it up! Ye wanna go ter Primrose or not!?" Auquirious exclaimed from the other door. The two hurried out of the room and into the dinning room. Breakfast on a small plate waited for them when they entered. Fukuro, Karasu, Kiri, Qingse, Mei Lian, and Auquirious were all already awake. "Finally!" Fukuro exclaimed.
"Before we head out, May I ask, Does ye have a weapon? I got my swords, Tadashi has his broadsword, Tsukiyomi has his emerald katanas, Kiris' got her bow, Karasus' got his blade, and Fukuros' got her knives and talons. That leaves ye two." She pointed at Mei and Qingse. Qingse cleared their throat.
"There's a theory that if someone finds one of the ancient weapons of Rose's apprentice, the weapon will claim the person worthy of it. Of course, Tsukiyomi has his katanas, one pair of the ancient weapons. There's three left, they could be anywhere. They claim the person who is most pure of heart and worthy of holding that weapon."
Auquirious ran to the back of this ship and came back with blades and gear for flying. The type of gear Y/D hunters used to glide around buildings and in high places.
"Where did you get those?!" Kiri exclaimed, examining the pile of gear.
"Left by hunters. They were the broken ones just lying around when they couldn't be used anymore. So I took 'em and fixed 'em up! We can use 'em, they're all safe!!"
Auquirious and Kiri started to get into the gear. The others went to grab one for themselves. But Tsuki stayed still. "No." he muttered. Mei looked confused.
"Minakami, what do you mean 'no'?"
"I'm not using THAT to get off this ship. It's..too high up." He crossed his arms and backed away from the pile of the sky gear.
"It's a short way down, ye be fine, kid! I tested em' all myself!" Auquirious and Kiri helped the others get into the gear. Mei Lian seemed a bit nervous out of anyone, almost as if she had done this before. Kiri came up to Tsuki with the harness gear in her hand. He stubbornly backed away. "Get that away from me!"
"Tsukiyomi, please. You have to trust me with this. You're going to be fine. You can't believe in something if you haven't experienced it for yourself yet." Tsuki sighed and took the gear. He put it on and Kiri helped tighten the straps and harness. A belt that went around the chest and torso that had a reel of rope in a tank. Fukuro didn't need one. Her being an owl yokai, she had three forms. Her normal look, the giant owl, and wings. She grew giant wings from her back and her feet turned into talon, her tail grew and she had feathers on her arms. She jumped off the edge of the ship without saying anything and dove down in the sky. Auquirious stepped onto the ledge.
"I've got a rope to ship so I can lower it down when we leave. When yer ready to grab onto somethin', press and hold down on this button. A grappling hook attached to a long rope will come out of the tank and grab a hold of that ledge or platform. Then press the button again to reel yerself in. To glide, pull this small lever to pull out the wings of the gear. See ye on the down side!" She fell backwards and dove off the ledge. One after another, they all jumped off. Mei Lian looked back at her brother before she went.
"It's gonna be okay, Minakami. I'll meet you down there!" She smiled at him then jumped too. Tsukiyomi walked backwards, muttering to himself. He ran into Tadashi, who waited to go with him.
"We're the last two," he said, "We should go now." He started walking towards the edge.
"Wait…no! Wait! Wait, Tadashi!"
"It's okay, I'll go with you." He stood at the ledge, holding out his hand. Tsuki cautiously took Tadashi's hand. But to Tsuki's surprise, Tadashi pulled him close and suddenly jumped. Tsukiyomi yelled, wrapping his arms around Tadashi, his face hiding in Tadashi's shirt. The wind blew him around, his hair flew everywhere. Tears flew from his face. They were certainly going to die. Tadashi held onto Tsuki tightly with one arm and his other on the tank. And instead of the feeling of falling, it felt like they were gliding instead, going up and then back down. And then it stopped. Tsukiyomi's feet touched a flat surface. "It's done." Tadashi said, Tsuki's fists were clenched, still grasping Tadashi's shirt. He trembled. He wasn't mad at Tadashi but he wasn't exactly happy with what he did either.
"D-Don't…ever do that….ever..again…" Tsuki let go slowly and looked at Tadashi , tears streaming down his face, his fists still clenched. "You know I despise heights, Tadashi! I'd rather have flown down on Fukuro's back than pull a suicidal freak move and jump off the fuckin' airship to my possible to death!"
Tadashi wiped the tears off Tsuki's face. Tadashi smiled slightly. "I can't promise it won't happen again."
"Whatr' ye two doing?" Tsuki and Tadashi backed away from each other. Tadashi's smile went away. Tsuki wiped his face. Auquirious scoffed. "Ye two took forever. The others are already on their way. I don't know where, but we gotta go! This wall is completely empty, it's weird and too quiet."
The followed Auquirious, Tadashi and Tsuki sprinted behind her. They ran into a small village, quiet with flowers and grass patches. They slowed down and walked into an empty shop. Inside, there was the rest of the group. They were scrounging around for food to take.
"Auquirious, how did you find them?" Tsuki asked as they followed her inside.
"I have a perfect sense of 360 coordination skills. It's a demon thing."
The group huddled around each other, trading food and bottles and bread. Then they sat down in the shop, on the counters and on stools and ate. It was Kiri's idea to sit and eat breakfast before the day's journey. Everyone else agreed with that idea. They were all eating and enjoying the things they had, together. Auquirious started to tell stories and jokes. Everyone laughed. It felt nice to Tsuki, nie to be together. Almost like a family meal. Something touched his hand behind his back, Tadashi's hand was on Tsuki's . He squeezed Tsuki's hand tightly, where no one else could see it.
"Just to remind everyone why we're here," Tadashi started, "We're in Primrose for the artifact. We have two assigned missions from Lazhu. One being we have to collect the artifacts of each wall from the original wall leaders. We already have nine out of twenty-six. Our second is finding the letters from Rose, they have unknown locations though."
Qingse's aura changed to everyone. They seemed nervous and fidgety.
"I have to address something I've noticed. The Darkai leader has sent out corps members and Chi clan members to guard unclaimed and unleaded walls. It's happened to a few walls already, they've been completely raided and claimed by the Yokai king. I don't exactly know why."
Kiri looked at Tsuki, smiling. "I mean, if anything, you would know what Kibishi is planning, right, Tsukiyomi?" She said,
Tsuki's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly couldn't swallow, couldn't breath. The sound of that name makes his body tremble. Tadashi squeezed his hand, Tsukiyomi flinched a bit and looked at him. "Only if Tsuki's okay to speak of it. We can't force him to speak upon his past." Tadashi said, Tsuki breathed in and out.
"I heard Kibishi speak of secret information that he said to his members about, what he's planning. The night he took me, there was a meeting with his clan and people he worked with. He talked about money and stealing and killing from other walls. Something else, and I quote, 'The technology my clan has created for you, is it not good enough? You keep coming back. No humans nor hunters ever come and it's a smart decision not to, but yet you yearn for more of my powerful materials for your 'Hunting Trinkets'. I'd like to address the walls being taken over by my clan members. I should say it is a success. To dispose of the walls that are unclaimed.' That's all I remember." Tsuki hadn't thought about Whither now until he heard 'unclaimed'. Whither could be taken over. It would be owned by Kibishi.
"I say we kill this guy!" Auquirious jumped up and exclaimed. Fukuro shook her head.
"Kibishi was far too strong and had Tsukiyomi in his grasp. We couldn't do nothing but give him an injury and run away! Who knows what that guy is up to now. Hell, he could even be on his way to find us right now!"
Tsukiyomi's body went stiff, his breathing went heavy. Everyone could see he was distressed.
"S-Sorry…Tsukiyomi. I didn't mean to get you so worked up…"
"I-It's fine…just…excuse me for a minute." He left the shop and went to hide in the alley behind it, sitting behind old food crates and boxes, his back against the wall. But he flinched once again when a hand touched his shoulder. It was Tadashi.
"Hey, hey, calm down. I hate how you flinch everytime I touch you. When will that stop?"
"Probably when Kibishi is gone. I don't know…" Tsuki spoke stubbornly.
"Tsuki, I'm not him."
"I KNOW THAT, I know…you're nothing like that bastard. It's just..he took everything from me. Trust, happiness, freedom. Tadashi, I'm a slave to this man. I'm scared because I can still feel his hands on me. I hadn't seen the sky for years when I was taken. It scared me to think he still wants me back. I'm scared that he's going to find me again. That's probably why he has his clan out scouting while we travel. He knows what we're doing."
Tadashi kneels down next to him. "If he returns for you, I will kill him."
"Tadashi, you're not hearing me. He is stronger than you, he will kill you, kill all of them before you could even lay a blade on his skin. He is a ruthless king and will do anything in his path and power to get anything he desires in his greedy grasp."
Tsuki was only thinking about these things because Fukuro had brought it up. He puts his head in his knees, his pony tail flopping over his shoulder and the loose strands landing on his arms.
"Tsuki, I-" Tadashi was interrupted by the sound of Mei's running footsteps.
"Is Minakami okay?" She asked, her sweet voice making Tsuki even more upset. He couldn't bear to tell his sister anything about what he went through.
"Mina, please tell me what happened. Was it something that they said? About Darkai? Was it Kibishi? What happened?"
"Mei, just stop! Just…stop..please." Tsuki said in frustration and overstimulation of the topic. Mei Lian said nothing with a face of sorrow and left. Tadashi tried to comfort Tsuki more.
"She was just trying to help. She's your sister." Tadashi said,
"She doesn't understand and it's better kept that way. She can never know what Kibishi did. It would ruin her like it ruined me." Tsukiyomi thought he may have been a little too harsh. Although she didn't entirely know that he despised the subject of Kibishi. Tsuki stands up and with deep breath the two go back inside. Kiri handed him his katanas and they left the shop. But it was weird and quiet in the village. Almost too quiet. So quiet that you could hear the grass patches sway and dance with every gust of wind. So quiet you could hear the gears in the clock tower move and click into place and the geared birds delivering letters. It was suspicious. Tsuki tugged Tadashi's sleeve. "Something isn't right."
Everyone stopped walking as everything suddenly turned silent, deadly silent. Suddenly, a sharp, quick pain goes through Tsukiyomi's chest. He looks down to see an arrow. His hands tremble around the arrow's tail. His sister cried his name as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. More arrows flew at the group from the palace above them.
Everyone drew their weapons as more arrows shot at the group. Tsukiyomi was speechless. Fukuro suddenly transformed into her giant owl form and covered the group with her feathered wings to block the arrows. She grunted as they stuck in her skin. The arrows must have been covered in serum to go through the skin of the yokai. If that wasn't the case, then the arrow that hit Tsuki wouldn't go all the way through. Tsuki coughed up blood, spitting it on the dirt. A flashback of Spoon came to him. "T-Tadashi!! Pull…p-pull it out!!"
"No, that would make it worse!"
"T-Then I'll..do it!!" Before anyone could stop him, he yanked the arrow out from his chest. Unbearable pain shot through him like bolts of lightning during a storm, shocking every vessel, every muscle. Blood sprayed out slowly from his chest as he coughed up more, he was almost choking on his blood.
"YOU GODDAMNED IDIOT," Auquirious exclaimed, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?!"
"Don't yell at him! He only did this to stay alive!" Mei tried to intervene, everyone was still getting shot at, the arrows didn't stop. Tadashi put his hand on Tsukiyomi's wound, pressing down to stop the bleeding. But his hands turned red and gold and all of the colors of Tsuki's half-yokai blood. Fukuro grunted from above, her metallic lavender blood splattered below her wings. Once she lifted her wings in pain, one arrow slipped by and nipped Tadashi's shoulder, breaking his clothing a bit. Another hit Auquirious in her hand. What could possibly be done? Fukuro was struggling and covered with arrows, she couldn't stay in that form much longer and they couldn't hide there forever. Tsukiyomi cried, why was he the one to always get hurt? Then, suddenly, "The arrows, they've stopped!" Fukuro exclaimed as she changed back, she had cuts on her arms and face, all over. Karasu comforted her as she fell to the ground in pain. Arrows layed all around them, Kiri collected what she could for her own bow and put them in her satchel. Tsuki tried to get up, holding his wound, Tadashi helped him.
"We all need medical attention, we need to get to the palace." Auquirious exclaimed. A loud voice rose from every house in the empty village. "HALT, PEASANTS AND UNWANTED WARRIORS!" It was a deep distorted voice, distorted on purpose, it was a woman's voice though. "STATE YOUR PRESENCE! WHY HAVE YOU COME TO MY WALL?"
"Lazhu sent us!" Tadashi replied to the voice. It echoed from every direction.
"MISS LAZHU? SHE SENT ALL OF YOU? TO ME?"
"Yes!" Kiri said in desperation, "She did! Now please, we need to help Tsukiyomi and Fukuro and all-"
"TSUKIYOMI. THE CHILD BORN FROM CORRUPTION AND HELL?"
Tsukiyomi's heart stopped for a second. The words were exactly the words said by the voices in his head. Mei Lian stomped her foot, an angry aura rose from her body, her inner yokai coming out. She yelled back at the voice, defending her brother. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! AS A FELLOW WALL LEADER MYSELF, I AM BAFFLED BY HOW FOOLISH YOU THINK YOU CAN ACT! MY BROTHER IS NOT THE DEVIL YOU THINK HE IS. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR SAYING SUCH THINGS, KAMIDAKO! SO COME OUT AND SHOW YOUR PUNY SELF ALREADY!!" Mei Lian had tears streaming from her face. A figure appeared from behind the village. She wore a long flowy, flowery dress, traditional and covered in flowers. Her scent was fluorescent from far away. She was certainly a demon in disguise. She had long braided hair that was green, light green, grass green. Her hair was like a field of flowers. She flew down to where the group was.
"Mei Lian?" she questioned, Mei approached her angrily.
"You better fix this, Kamidako! That is my brother and I will not tolerate you calling him by that name. Do you understand?!" "Mei-Mei, I-" "YOUR HIGHNESS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY WORDS!?" The woman sighed and nodded. Suddenly, to Tsuki, the air smelled fresh and smelled clean. Flowers were everywhere, surrounding them. Colorful bugs flew around them, dancing in the wind as if it was a whistling song. The woman came to Tsukiyomi who laid in the grass, she had flowers and herbs in her hands. She was Kamidako, the wall leader of Primrose.
"Please forgive me for my rudeness. I deeply apologize for my actions I took upon you and your friends. If you could please stay still so I can tend to your wound." Tsukiyomi did as she said, he grunted with every move. Tadashi stayed next to him the whole time. The woman lifted the bloodied shirt and placed the herbs and flowers on the open wound and wrapped a bandage around his torso as Tadashi helped lift up Tsukiyomi. She then tended to Tadashi's small gash and Auquirious and Fukuro and everyone else.
"The arrows were not sent on purpose. My wall army thought you were a threat. The Chi Clan, to be specific."
"Well, clearly we aren't." Fukuro said in a snarky tone, "You should have figured that out from when I transformed. Unless, of course, you didn't care to watch the battle you almost started." Karasu and Fukuro walked off into the field of flowers. It was an observatory transformed into an indoor greenhouse and garden. Of course not all of the flowers were real. The real ones only grew in Moonrose.
"Primrose is usually so peaceful and accepting," Kamidako said whilst patching up Mei Lian. "But ever since news came in that the Chi clan was beginning to take over walls, I sent my people somewhere safe and created an army and we've just been on guard ever since. Might I ask, Mei-Mei, why aren't you in Nevilliotus?"
Mei scoffed and pulled away when she was finished being bandaged. "That is none of your concern, your highness."
"Look, i understand you might be upset about what I accidentally did but pl-"
"I left so I could reunite with my brother. I am still royalty, still the wall leader of Nevilliotus. My people put trust in me that I will return. Family comes first." She got up and walked a bit into the field, continuing to angrily rant. "I've always hated your fake flowers, Kamidako. At least I don't fake my love for my people by giving them things that you don't even know exist!" She stormed off into the field after Fukuro and Karasu. Kiri and Quingse wandered off somewhere too. Auquirious sit in the field near the other three. Kamidako looked disappointed, she stood in the middle of everything, letting the bugs fly around her, the breeze coming in from outside lifted her hair and dress. The flowers danced along. Tsuki was baffled by the bugs around him. The butterflies with colorful wings and the beatles. They were real. He wondered if he would find these outside. He sighed, sitting up as his chest felt a bit better. Kamidako knelt down to him and smiled sweetly. She handed him the wall artifact. "Here you are. The Royal Petal Charm that belonged to Victoria Primrose. You're collecting them, said Miss Lazhu." Tadashi took it instead and slipped in the Glorophian pouch. "Tadashi, I was given orders to tell you and the group to head to wall Stephonien. There not only holds the Sapphire Wolf ring but it holds something for you as well. Although, Stephonien's beauty is going away, you must hurry, the Chi clan is already there. The healing herbs and flowers, here you take these with you."
"Before we go," Tsukiyomi started, "Do you know anything about this?" He held up his pendent. Kamidako's pink iris's expanded.
"Why, I'll be blessed…that belonged to Rose Bloodmoon…and those swords you carry, they were-"
"Mine. The katanas were mine in my past life. I was her apprentice."
"So you tell? Now I feel great pity and guilt for what I have done to you and your friends. Please take my blessing as an apology." She raised her left hand up, her middle and pointer finger together and the only two sticking up. She lowered her fingers to her lips, then turned them and placed them on her heart. "May Thy go in peace and Rose be by Thy side throughout the journey. Bless the souls of these young kin and guide them through the walls. Oh, great leaders of old and deities of legends, go in peace, go in peace and return in glory. Rose be with you."
The Rose Blessing. A farewell wish and offering to bid travelers and warriors a safe journey. Tsukiyomi bowed to her, Tadashi called everyone back and left for Wall Stephonien.