The sound of clashing blades echoed through the valley as Alora desperately tried her best to stand her ground. Her opponent was swift and strong, lunging for her with all the power of a typhoon's wind. She could feel him coming, the rustle in the leaves as she hid behind a tree for cover, but she was too slow. His sword was barrelling towards her, cutting through the air as she lost all sentience in that moment. Her feet hit a rock and she fell flat on her butt. The cold and merciless weapon coming, and there was nothing she could do, squinting her eyes as she waited for its cold slice.
"You're afraid," his calm voice said.
When Alora opened her eyes, she was met with the gleam of a blade gently pressed between her eyes. She pushed back, away from it as she picked up her own katana and got up.
"I wasn't focused," she said. One glance at him was enough to feel the pierce of his hardened stare, his lips curled down as he sheathed the sword.
"Not focused?" he scoffed. "Why?"
"I'm not ready."
She looked to the sword he gave her a few days ago, imbedded in the steal was the word 'Kage' which meant shadow. To be silent, move in ways that would draw attention away from her, but be close enough to protect people. Yet, with a firm grasp on something that would bring her closer to that goal, it weighed her down. It was unnatural being its wielder. Like it didn't belong in her hands, a burning sensation itching her fingers.
Alora barely received formal training, her martial art skills limited, and her ability to use weapons abysmal. She was used to using smaller concealable objects, like daggers, darts, and occasionally spears. But a sword, its ability to kill indiscriminately was too much to bear. It was something that took the lives of thousands of people. Something that should not fall into the wrong hands.
She clutched onto the Katana so hard her veins began to pop, gritting her teeth.
"I'm not used to it," she whispered. "I don't know how to use it."
Her opponent, or rather trainer, Suoh, unclipped the scabbard from his waist and threw it to the ground.
"Again," he said, "Let's fight unarmed then." He went down into a squat, brought his hand up. Alora was slightly shaken by his solid stance, the way he steadily planted his feet into the ground and looked at her with an unwavering resolve. It mocked her, but that's what she liked; The test of fighting someone stronger.
She took a deep breath, feeling her blood rush, her muscles tightening. The layers of a refined girl slowly peeling away As she took the first leap. Running, like a bullet rippling through the air towards him.
She took one jab at him but was blocked. The brisk chop of his hand pounded in her ribs followed by another chop to the back of her neck. She fumbled back, neck and ribs sore and throbbing, but eyes still firmly pinned to him. She knew her punches were weak, not enough to stun a warrior.
But there were certain things she was good at, flipping onto her hands as her leg thrusted out and landed a hard kick to his jaw. She saw him stumble back, seizing the brief falter in his stance. She flipped back onto her feet and kicked down onto his shoulder. He grunted, stumbling back again as his face tightened in pain. "That's better," he chuckled, lunging forward tackling her. She could feel the waves of his energy, it's rhythm direction of flow as they both fell onto the rocks. She went with it, tumbling as the momentum had them both rotating back. She kicked him of, quickly got back onto her feet and got him into a chokehold. He grabbed her arms and threw her onto the rocks. Her back crashing onto a jagged stone, knocking the wind out her lungs.
Her eyes watered, the sun glaring while the shadow of his body circling her. "Is that all?" he asked.
Alora pushed of the rock, slapped her cheeks a couple of times to get back into the groove. "No," she grunted. "I can still fight."
"Good," he said, getting into his stance. "Stay in tune. Control the fight, set the pace."
She nodded, lunging for him with a flying kick, but he blocked. He grabbed her leg and threw her towards a tree. She found some stability in the air, kicked of the tree and jumped back at him. He raised his arms, ready to block, but she dived and tumbled onto the ground. She hooked her leg around his and pulled him down, scrambling while she could, quickly wrapping her thighs around his neck while pulling his arm. Her thighs tightened around his neck, and she could her him choke, coughing as he struggled to shake her of. Three pats to her knee, and she eased, slipping of him and crawling onto the ground.
Suoh was catching his breath as Alora stood up, looking at her scratched up arms and legs, little droplets of blood oozing down her shin. She turned a little and found a bruise forming at the base of her back. It wasn't too bad, though it throbbed a little. Such encounters made her question her uniform selection, a sleeveless turtleneck and linen shorts. As breathable and convenient as they were, they left her skin too exposed, easy to cut up.
Suoh got up, picked his swords and went to his sling bag that was hanging from a tree.
"Let's take a break," he said. Alora nodded, walking up to the same tree and pulling down her bag that was next to his. She dug through the wax printed tote bag, pulling out a casing of ointment, some bandages and hand wraps.
"How was I," she asked, hissing as she applied the ointment onto her cuts and scrapes.
"You take a while to warm up, but you're in tune with your body," Suoh said, munching on a peach. "It's good you found a way around your weakness. At first, I wasn't sure if you'd be any use since your arms aren't that strong. But I think using your legs and flexibility makes you much better. Your kicks have the power of a horse, and your body is able to twist, turn and adapt like a snake. You could even take on a samurai."
She pursed her lips, wrapping the bandages onto her shin, "Except I'm not good at using weapons."
"I hold a different opinion," he said, throwing the peach core away, and eating another. "I've seen your spear fighting skills. They're good."
"Thank you, but spears standout. They're not good for investigations."
He sighed, "You're good with daggers too. Great aim, and your throws pierce deep."
"I guess," she said, wrapping on her hand wrap, the black cloth running through her fingers and up her arm till her elbow. She also wrapped her ankles, going as high as her shin. "I'm still trying to work around since they're limited. If I throw them all away, then...."
"Oh please," he drawled. Suoh finished the second peach, threw the core away and then bent down in front of her. He looked into her eyes, the deep gaze of his dark eyes strong.
"Alora Moroka," he spat her name. "You're a hunter."
"I'm just being practical. I know my limits. I know what I can and can't do." She was no fool. To think of herself as being greater than she actually was would be disastrous. Boasting about with big weapons like swords and machetes was never her seen. She preferred to be insidious, use smaller more lethal means that worked well with her style of fighting. She could tell from the dark glint in his eyes that he expected more, to be a master of many weapons, to move on and learn other skills just like her father. But she wasn't him, and she hated that he couldn't grasp that.
"Suoh- sama," she exhaled, letting out a stuffy breath that held her pent up emotions. "One day I'll learn how to use a sword. And not just the eastern styles of using one, but also the western and afro styles. Just not right now. I need time."
Suoh's face hardened, "You could be the best hunter if you only trained harder."
"Well, I'm not perfect. I like the pace I'm going at. I like being a shadow. I don't want to be known. If I go too fast, people will notice, and I'll be compared to my father."
*****
Suoh and Alora were forced to end training early. She had a meeting with the head of the Demon Hunters on Uku; quickly taking a shower and changing into another set of shorts and a sleeveless turtleneck with an afro wax printed robe. She shimmied on her fur boots and rushed down to the eastern shrine of the Nobunaga mansion.
Fire lamps crackled as they framed the shrine in a dull glow. Alora looked up at the shrine gate, smiling nervously at its haunting shadow. There was no one to hold onto this time. Tightening her hands into fists as she went under. She still couldn't get to used to passing through it, feeling her power being sieved out. The effect was however dampened. It didn't go as far as incapacitating her, only having an apparition follow her. Watching her steps closely.
She went up onto the pavilion, feet tapping over the obsidian glass floor. Washing her hands at the purification trough then entering.
The dim glow of a single candle lit the lifeless hall. The flecks of redwood beneath her feet shimmering as the altar remained vacant.
The apparition stepped closer, its cold flame grazing her skin. Alora took a step away, but the apparition stepped even closer. A sharp object pressed against her, a blood curdling energy flowing from it. Immediately she knew what it was.
The cursed Katana.
Alora exhaled, trying not to move around too much, focused on why she came.
She heard a door open, and a priestess walked out in a light blue hakama. She wore a smiling fox mask with bold red lines strewn across the mask's cheek. Her movements steady, light footsteps that skittled to the centre of the hall. A tsuzumi drum was by her waist, her hand positioned in preparation to beat.
"Alora-san," she said with her high toneless voice. "You are severely late."
Alora smiled, calming her still beating heart, "I'm aware. I was training with Master Suoh."
"Is that so?"
Alora nodded. The silence in the air holding the unsaid tension that swelled between the Shinto priestess and the Afro Hunter.
Alora went down on one knee, bowing before the priestess and asked, "Shall we begin?"
She said nothing in response, the beady eyes of the mask inspecting her body. Alora dared not look up, keeping her eyes pinned to the wooden floorboard, one hand on her knee, another bawled into a fist and planted on the floor.
The priestess struck the drum three times, the high-pitched sound resounding through the hall. A flicker of light and the room changed, a crimson glow cast over her body. Alora slowly looked to the left, keeping her head bowed and noted that the hall was surrounded by a ring of fire. The flames were warm, cradling the power in her as the embers of fire drifted lazily into the air.
The distant howls of dogs, and the sharp snickers of foxes bounced of the walls and into her ears. The all-encompassing echo disorienting as she could not tell where they were coming from. But they did not feel as awful as the strange presence that sat beside her. She could make out the shape of its soul, it was a human man. But it held something not-human within it. Something dangerous and malevolent.
She dared not turn to see who it was, doing so would only provoke an attack from the apparition and she wasn't that desperate.
Slowly lifting her head up, she looked to the shrine altar.
Up on the altar were two figures. She recognised them well, the power that flowed out their bodies and stiffened her own. The sheer magnitude was overwhelming, overshadowing and swallowing her form and soul in a thick haze. The apparition held the katana to her neck. She was careful when raising her head up, trying not to provoke it.
And as for the figures, they were rather amused. Eye's following her head as it slowly crept up.
The one on the right was a man, wearing a demon's mask and the armour of a samurai. His silky black hair flowed out his helmet, the crescent moon ornament on it shinning with gold and silver. He had his katana laid on the floor, but his fingers were well withing reach of it. Twitching as if waiting for something.
Next to him sat a woman. Her eyes thinned as she smiled at Alora. Delighted to see how well she suppressed her fear. Her head resting in her hand, her pale white skin otherworldly. Her dress was elegant and flamboyant with folks of thick gold, red and black robes covering her thin frame and forming a train behind her. Her long, sheen black hair fell down her side and followed the train of her clothes. Regal and powerful.
Alora couldn't look away, their eyes meeting. As if she was stretching into her soul, searching it for any insubordination.
Her smiled eased, and her eyes opened, the bold red orbs piercing through Alora, making her weak.
Alora gulped and waited in the silence.
The priestess placed her drum down. She reached into her robe and pulled out a scroll, rolling it open. "Alora Moroka, Out-Born number 581. Ranked four demon hunter. Power: Cursed Articles of Duson. Sentence, 27 years."
The priestess paused and flipped the scroll around. "Khaya Kolisi, Out-Born number 562. Ranked four demon hunter. Power: Soul Eater. Sentence, 30 years."
Alora figured it must've been the person kneeling next to her. Quite the parring. She expected nothing less from Lord Onda Nobunaga. She was careful about picking partners, for whoever they were given would be their partner for life.
Onda's glossy, red lips parted, "I think I've found a marvellous pair." Her smoky voice was something Alora couldn't get used to hearing. The chill in her tone that was hard to grasp.
Lord Onda stood up, stretched her longs limbs then began descending the alter. She was quite tall, her steps delicate as they tapped gently over the obsidian tiles. As she walked, nine fox tails began stretching out from behind her, the white fur shinning like slivers of silver.
"Aki is quite troublesome and has been evading capture for 100 years. Back then I could get by with his tricks, but now he has grown into a burden that must be exorcized."
Her towering body lowered as she bent down to their level. "There's little information on him. But thanks to recent updates, Aki is quite of fond students, merchants and the night-time entertainment district on Genji. He's energy has been quite potent in hostels and love hotels. But that could change any moment."
Onda grabbed Alora's jaw. "He feasts on three things," she said raising three long fingers. "Lust, Greed and Jealousy. Wherever those are potent, he will be there. And as such I have arranged the logistics of your mission meticulously. Alora, you will be joining Khaya and studying at the Internation Demon Hunters Academy. It would be easy for you to blend in as a student. More so knowing we've had a lot of transfers this year and most of the teachers are working on the mission. If there is anything you need to know, please consult them and refrain from contacting Yasuo or any other Lord unless there is a threat to national security. I've made sure the staff grant you full access to the library materials and that you may be permitted to take leave if you catch wind of Aki's whereabouts. Understand?"
Alora nodded, her fingers trembling at the sight of her red eyes filled with a calm rage, feeling her sharpened nails dig into her cheeks.
"Lord Onda," she called, trying to steady her voice. "How much of my powers am I permitted to use?"
"You may only use 3 Articles, excluding the cursed katana."
Alora heart eased. She had enough of swords already.
Onda bent over and pulled the two hunters into a hug, "My dear children," she said. "You have my full support. Protect the innocent, do no harm to those who are not involved in this matter. But if any soul or apparition stands in your way, show them no mercy."
"Yes!" they both belted.
Onda pulled away, leaving the lingering scent of cherry blossoms on them.
The apparition pulled the sword away, Alora easing and slowly turning her head to the man next to her.
His eyes, bright and big were enigmatic, deep and blue like the quaint see at night. Inviting her into whatever lay beyond the canvas of his face.
Resting on his bronze skin was a fading scar, trailing down from his pierced brow to the corner of his thick pink lips. His body well defined with rippling muscles; his arms threaded by thick veins that trailed into his fingers. His hands neatly placed a top his white linen trousers that cased his thighs. Kneeling before Onda, kneeling beside Alora.
Her eye's continued their detailed inspection of him, tracing the delicate curve of his bottom, up the arch of his back. They roamed back to thighs, shifting back and forth between his pelvis and the hardened flesh that stretched the fabric of his trousers. Her thoughts began to linger, wanting to press her finger against his pecks that peaked out the bottom of his leather vest. Wanting to feel how hard they were.
She snapped her head back to Onda before her thoughts wandered of too far. Listening as Onda went on about the staff they'd have to work with, and key hotspots that held the things Aki craved for.