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"Urghhh"
'My head so dizzy. My body felt terrible, my memory so blurry, my vision hmmm normal.'
What happened ? I released something from inside my body and willed it to fight back that flaming hook things and now I felt ... empty. Not an ounce of strength I had before left. Where am I, I wondered and moved my head around.
" This is familiar, my shack ?"
I tried to move my hand however, something was preventing me from doing so. It was a hand that held me back. It felt smooth yet rough. It was small yet I could notice how strong it grasped my fingers.
I turned my head over towards the one who held my hand. It was a girl, moreover if I wasn't wrong, she was the girl who was glued to me in the forest.
" Ugh... why is she here."
I honestly didn't know what to feel at time like this, annoyance perhaps ? I fell unconscious was definitely because of this girl mistakes and yet this girl also the one who tended my needs during my blankness. This was the first time someone else did it for me besides mom or Kazama .
This girl should be a stranger for me however, somehow I felt familiar scent coming from her right now, the scent of Kazama ... no the scent of wind. I don't know what happened after I blocked the incoming attack at all.
Did this girl brought me and carried me all the way to here ... wait a second, this small girl did ? Not possible, the other must had helped her. Anyway, I need to thank the other later but first I really want to get up. I really don't like staying in the bed like this, it reminds me of my old days in the slump.
" Wake up, wake up !"
I shook her body lightly, I wanted to call her name but then I realized I didn't know what was her name.
" UUuuuu ...."
She began to wake up now, good. She slowly rubbed her eyes while looking at my direction before suddenly she jumped towards me and hugging me.
" Seiii !!"
How happy she was I thought, seeing her expression I concluded. However I still didn't understand why she was so happy and also why I felt this kind of situations strangely likeable, at least I felt at comfort.
" Have enough ?"
" Umuu ... not enough !"
" You are so strange." I replied, wanting to joke her, so she could soon release me.
" Huuu I don't care, so long you are fine huuu hu hu hu..."
Tears of joy fell from her green eyes. Oh .. this scene is not bad at all, rather I felt pleasant that someone could cry for me.
" Hahahaha."
I immediately smiled wryly after she didn't stop crying for a while. I need to calm her down somehow now.
" Now now, calm down okay, everything is fine right ?"
" Huuuuu, yes huuu...."
Then she began to wipe her wet face before suddenly something dawned upon me.
" Eh , you can understand me ?"
" Yes ?"
" you can understand what I was talking about ?"
" Yes, is it strange ? .... ehhhhh !"
" What happen ?"
" I don't know ! umuuu ... but this is good !" and .. she start clinging to me again.
This girl really is clingy, I am worried in the future that this girl would never change and cling to me at every chance she
got ... impossible right ? right ?
***
" Is that what truly happened ?"
" Yes chief, I Merusa swore it."
After that the chef could be seen busy with his mind for a while. He rubbed his chin while sometime stroked his not so
long white beard.
" Hmm... we need to Exile our 'Sei' after all."
I was flabbergasted when chief mumbled the words of exiling the 'Sei' who had saved my niece. How could he even thought about that ?
" Ch-Chief ?"
" Ah .. yes yes what is it ?"
" Exiling our 'Sei', are you serious chief ?"
" Hmmm so you heard that, well there was no use in hiding it anyway. Fine I will tell you my reason."
I grew impatient at the chief words and cut his words.
" What kind of justified reason is there chief, for us to Exile the village protector and savior, despicable !"
" Calm down Merusa, why are you so agitated ?"
" The 'Sei' saved Anya ! He killed the damn abomination before anyone fallen prey to it. Who knows how many member of
hunting squad would return alive had he not killed it !"
To this claim, the chief however could only smile bitterly before continued with his answer.
" Merusa, you respect the 'Sei' right ?"
" Obliviously."
" Then you must understand, that by exiling him, it would save his life from danger and so our village.
I was confused now, saving the 'Sei' life ? saving our village ? The 'Sei' was in a weakened state, our village has only little to no defense in this wilderness. Together we could protect each other. What was the chief thinking ?
" I don't understand chief."
" Good, think rationally now. The ' Sei' was forced to use his ultimate spell right ? Even the villagers that were here could see the wind ripples."
" Could it be ..."
" Precisely, There will be people who came to sought him, after his power, lusting to own him. We cannot protect the 'Sei' at all."
" This is ... is there really nothing we can do ? You are bounded with him right ? you are the ' Sei' master right ?"
Sweats then fells from the chief head, he looked guilty about something. He seemed hesitating about the accusation.
" I ... I lied about bounding with the "Sei". I have no control nor contract over the ' Sei' at all."
Huh .... the chief lied ? Then all this time the 'Sei' had helped us out of his free will. This is troublesome. If news spread even after we defended the 'Sei' from the first wave, there will definitely be another that arrive soon.
And when they learned that the 'Sei' had no owners, they would wage war over the right, trampling us during that time. The other power wouldn't care at all about this small powerless village. Even if we are to disappear, there won't be any complain nor any question about it.
" Then Exiling him ..."
" That is our only choice, otherwise our village will vanish when the struggle over the 'Sei' occurs."
Ah ... I need to tell Anya about this. I don't even care about the others or the village right now. If Anya had decided that he will follow the 'Sei', then she will do so no matter what. I regretted that I failed to convince Anya to let the 'Sei' rest alone. Right now she must had felt that she and the 'Sei' were destined to be together or something stupid like that, just like her mother and myself.
" Ughhh ...."
My mind began to scramble, if the 'Sei' really leave then Anya would likely to follow him no matter what I said. I hated this stubborn family trait that we have right now. That starry eyes of hers were exactly the same that my sister had. I need to go now.
" Chief, I need to go and tell Anya about it."
" Tell me about what aunt ?"
Oh, fortunately she herself had wandered here. Now even if I had to forcefully separate her and the 'Sei', I could still do it.
" Listen Anya, Aunt have a wish for Anya. Please , even its only this time only, you need to promise and agree with aunt okay ? "
She tilted her head, confused. Well I had never forced her to agree or promised me anything after all.
" Eehhhh ... okay, but wait alright hehehe Anya have big news !."
She made a cute pose before giggling as if she had something really amazing to say. Really this girl what was she thinking at this kind of moments. Perhaps she brought the news that the 'Sei' had woken up, Worth of being joyful and all, sadly this moment was the wrong moment.
" Hehehehe, don't be surprised okay hehehe, umuuu .... The truth is, the 'Sei' already woke up and Anya can speak with the 'Sei' ! Anya know that the 'Sei' name was Basara ! He come from a worlds called earth and he is single ! Yay !!!"
This silly girl, just because the 'Sei' wake up, there was no need to be so happy right ... Ehhh, she could speak with the 'Sei' and she know where the 'Sei' come from, moreover the fact that the 'Sei' was single! This could not be worse right. I need to subdue Anya now and hide her somewhere.
Just as was about to grab Anya and hide her, she turned her body on me and shouted with strange language, kind of similar with what the 'Sei' had used. It had that calming rhythmic.
The 'Sei' then entered the chief house and I could only grow upset about what to do.
***
The atmosphere inside the Chief House was tense. Even Basara with his little experience in socializing could sense it and stayed quite. The chief, Anya's aunt and Anya herself had moved from their original position, letting Basra stayed alone in the corner while they continued their discussion.
It has been hours was what Basara felt. He stayed unmoving and just standing in one of the corner inside of the chief house. Although form a far he could observe the change in Anya expression and he enjoyed it too.
At first it was full of joy and happiness. She would sometimes exaggerate her words trough her body language and Basara could guess that she was talking about himself. Sadly that joyful expression of her didn't last long when the woman beside her, interrupted her.
" It seems they were talking about something serious. Perhaps scolding Anya because of her recklessness during the hunting."
Unbeknownst to Basara, they were in fact talking about exiling him. Day had changed since the hunting, Basara had passed out for about one day and he hadn't inquired how long he had passed out. Right now was evening and when the battle occurs it was mid day, so he only assumed a short 3 or perhaps 4 hours had passed.
During their discussion period, Basara often spotted the wandering eyes of Anya. She sometimes peek at Basara, her eyes radiated the word helplessness and Basara just ignored it. He hadn't realized what Anya meant. She really had wanted to stay with Basara however her aunt and the chief prohibited it.
As she began to question why, they began to explain the plan of exiling Basara. They emphasized the point that no matter what, she could not stay with Basara. Even after she plead that she could protect herself and pointed out the fact that she could understand Basara, it was still prohibited.
She wondered why would they exile him only to receive a feeble reason for the safety of the village and the 'Sei' himself. That discussion or rather persuasion lasted for a while until a slap landed on Anya Face followed by a hug from her aunt. Basara seeing all this was baffled, not understanding anything. He was still obvious to their language save from a few words and numbers.
Basara stayed idle, confused. He wanted to help his new found friend that he could finally exchange words freely but he didn't know how. He then began to move towards them as wanting to interrupt and inquiry what had happened. However not before long he was instead called over by Anya.
" Basara, come here." With a teary face and sad voice she mentioned Basara to come closer.
" Are you okay ? What is wrong ?"
worried before anything, Basara asked her well being.
" I am fine, however I no ... the Chief had important message that I need to inform you."
" Oh, what is it ?"
" Basra, from here now on, you are exiled from the village and prohibited to converse nor socialize with the villager. You need to move far away from this village. "
" Huh ?"
Confused, Basara asked her again about her words.
" Exiled."
" *** **** **** "
"*** **** ***** "
" ****** ?"
Basara hearing was ringing, he became obvious to the situation. His visions grow darker and blurry. His breath become ragged. 'That' about to come and Basara could not resist it at all. It was triggered by what he just heard after all, proving how weak Basara heart actually was.
With teary eyes and depressed voice, Anya had answered Basara. Her words were short and clear, it shot trough Basara hearts. His heart trembled, it hadn't been long since he arrived in this world. He was selfishly summoned here and now he would be exiled without apparent reason ?
He had forgive them for summoning him without his consent after seeing the condition of the village. Though he was useless he had tried his best to help them, protect them. He had planed many things for the future of this village. On how to farm more efficiently, making more tools to help them with his basic knowledge from earth that he learned as he was working in farm and fishery.
He had even provided his body to protect Anya and the group from the potential threat they had faced. He had risked his life and what did he get ? He felt he was being used, selfishly, with no remorse. He even began to forget how kindly they had treated him, but he thought it was normal for he also did everything he could for them.
He had forgotten how Anya had kindly treated him when he had passed out and how they began talking freely, becoming friends afterwards. Short it was, however for the normal Basara that should have been enough, even more after he tried hard to become someone like his best friend Kazama. A friendly person that everyone liked.
Yet strangely Basara felt only darkness, despair. The scene as he was being trampled by the troublemakers in the slump came back to him. The scene as they showed him how they had used his mother rewind in his mind.
Sound was blocked from his hearing. Darkness filled his eyes and heart. The gloomy aura that surround him since he
woke up grow stronger as he began to emit darkness in his surroundings. Once again he enter the recoiling state that Kazama shortened as 'that' happen.
It was the moment when Basara relapsed into his past. Back in earth when he still didn't had resistance against it, he would scream, scratch he wall, throw anything that he could find while uttering the words mother and such countless time. Eventfully though, he began to heal up as Kazama managed to warm his hearts.
However that was back in earth, here in the strange new world, Basara had no brake, no one yet outside himself. Perhaps the closer thing that could become his brake was Anya. Sadly even Anya hadn't really secured a strong spot inside Basara cold heart.
Basara trying as he might to be kind was actually a very cold and skeptical person, even more when the relapse happened. The only people that could helped him pass this period quickly before he himself managed to come out of it was Kazama. As the saying goes, wounds on outside can heal quickly, but inside, no one knows how many days or years needed before one could heal it.
That saying precisely describe Basara. On the outside he was warm and likeable fellow, however deep in his heart he was as cold as ice. It can be warmed and melted, however it required time and effort.
" Arghhhhhhhh."
Basara began screaming, The darkness aura that surround him began twirling and swirling. Hitting and throwing whatever the darkness now shaped numerous hands touched.
" Ohookk .. No .. Noo.."
One of the hand griped the chief's neck. His aide wasn't at his side this time and no one could save him. As for Merusa and her niece Anya, both of them were thrown towards the wall.
Truly when one see things from the chief side, which stated to always prioritize the safety of his villagers no matter the cost and method, one would understand why the chief had 'selfishly' used Basara. He was already out of option and could only grasp at whatever the heaven or hell had thrown onto him.
Yet sadly such a thing was precisely what Basara unneeded. The trust he began to cultivate for human, especially for the inhabitant on this world was at that moment shattered. How depressed he was no one knows, as he began to fall into slumber, letting his body run amok.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
In reality, Anya had never stopped after mentioning the short and cold words exiled. She had immediately followed up the
harsh words with reason that elders and Merusa had come up with. She had also mentioned how she wished she could follow him anywhere he go, alas her aunt prohibited her and if she forced her way, so would her aunt and so she gave up.
She was powerless in that situation. She was crying at that time while trying to explain further the reason and the gift he would receive along with the suggested destination Basara should went. What happened however, differ greatly from what they had hoped. They had thought that the understanding and kind Basara would accept their gift and leave them be. Not a shred of imaginations would lead them to this situation.
Unfortonately the fact something had deliberately blocking Basara hearing didn't change. It had shortened the words that Basara could hear and made it look cruel and cold, 'exiled'. Luckily this time it was only sound that it managed to block and not vision. One could only imagine the state Basara would be when it was said by Anya with a cruel and cold looks compared to the crying full of snot face. If it had managed to create such delusion, surely there was no going back for Basara.
" Uhheekkk .. Noo ..."
" Chieff !" shouted the crawling Merusa.
The chief had grow paler, tears, snot covered his face. His trunks wet from his pee as he also grew scared from the sight of Basara running amok. Merusa on the hand broke a few of her ribs on the impact. She had tried to shield Anya as she was thrown shortly after she hit the wall, thus rendering the force Anya recieved while damaging her body even further.
" Basara ...." said Anya full of understanding tone , her tone held no regret just acceptance.
At this time, many scene flashed in Anya mind, It belonged to Basara. Perhaps the effect from Basara blessing wasn't limited to sharing his power only. It might had also linked their hearts to a certain extent making them able to converse and Anya able to exchange words with him.
When Basara was summoned, Anya was only one out of the hundred who had seen him. She was nothing special, yet after all the days Basara had stayed here, not once she missed the news about him from her friends. Of course if anyone had asked, she wouldn't admit, even more if her aunt was the one who asked her.
She didn't really interacts with him before the hunting, only sometimes taking a glace from afar which Basara didn't notice. She had actually been interested about him ever since the beginning and that didn't change a bit even after his splendor was wiped out, showing Basara's darkness.
Strange... that was what the darkness that covered Basara right now felt towards Anya. It was the precise thing that had managed to block Basara hearing. The fear and despair Basara had felt the day when her mother was taken away from him had resulted it being born.
From that day onwards, It had tried to protect Basara in its own way. Rewinding the scene over and over again was to remind Basara that the world was cruel and not to trust anyone. It had failed once when Basara become close with Kazama and ever-since then it swore to never fail again and thus unspeakable hatred always shroud Basara hearts, preventing him to grow closer to anyone else afterwards.
Yet once again it seems it would fail. It had allowed a spot in Basara hearts to be snatched. Although weak, it keep growing in Basara cold hearts, warming and melting the coldness. That spot was taken unknowingly as the girl first met Basara and began clinging to him.
For Basara who felt he was avoided although it was out of respect in this world, he had felt happy as she glued herself to him. Despite his commentary about the unfamiliarity including a slight bad mouthing the said girl he was still pleasured . He was content and surprised as the girl also enjoyed herself clinging to him. As time goes, the spot grow albeit only a little. A little it maybe, yet it was enough to make the lonely Basara throw himself in danger for her.
The darkness inside Basara was the one who actually forced Basara body to flee and turn translucent at the critical moment. It was blind the same as Basara about the rule of magic in this world yet it managed to force the mana inside Basara to heed it will. However again it failed as Basara refused and defended the girl.
The moment Basara woke up and felt the warm on his hands, it was also the moment the darkness in Basara grieve in pain, the spot that the girl managed to snatch in Basara hearts had grew larger. It melted even more ice that surround its space, claiming even more Basara attention.
Basara was weak to this kind of attack. He was weak when he felt lonely and precisely at every moment of weakness, the darkness had tried it hardest to protect Basara by occasionally rewind his past, omitting the parts when Basara meet Kazama yet somehow in the end Kazama and his mother would come to the scene.
It didn't understand about joy, about happiness. Even if Basara had to feel pain it was okay since Its mission was to survive and no matter how, stay safe out of trouble. Trust no one since everyone was evil, even if they appeared kind at a moment, there was no guarantee that it would stay that way. It blatantly refused to administer condition of the said being. Pure black and white, that was what it was.
It felt that it had failed its duty to protect Basara and at this moment a new threat was growing closer towards Basara. The darkness in Basara screamed 'go, go away'. It truly felt threatened from the girl as she now walked closer.
Green windy light shone from her body, as if it was imparting a knowledge from heaven towards Anya.
" Basara ..."
" AAAaaaaaaa...."
The darkness shaped hand released its grips from the chief and convert itself, becoming a whip made out of darkness.
*Whap-Whap*
" Anya, stay away from him !!"
Merusa shouted, worried, yet she could do nothing just like before, in the forest.
" Basara .... forgive me."
Tears fall down again from her eyes as the whip began to hit her body.
" Ba-ugh ..Basara ..."
Her eyes full of pity, compassion towards what Basara experienced right now however her body only spoke up about her bravery as she stride forwards in this mass of whirling whip.
The whip would occasionally land on her body, hurting her, making her step backwards a bit yet it never made her falter. She strode forwards, uncaring about her own condition.
" Basara .... I had swore once when you saved me, That I would follow you ... that I am yours."
She again walked towards Basara albeit slowly.
*Whap-Whap*
" Basara, it was only for a moment... it was so short yet I know it was you..."
* Crack * the wooden floor beside Anya had been hit ferociously by the darkness whip, It shattered and yet Anya paid it no heed.
" It is stupid if I think about it and yet I think I know what I felt right now."
" From your past, little to what you told me ... I could see the same loneliness I had experienced reflected in your eyes ..."
" I wanted to save you from it, but I don't know how... No I dare not to go against my Aunt"
At this words, Merusa felt sinful, She was one of the reason the spirit felt wronged, causing the spirit running amok. Had she know that the words alone could drive the kind spirit into frenzy, surely she wouldn't force her opinion on Anya.
" However, I think the time have come for me to show you my resolve."
" I wonder, was it how mother and aunt felt towards father"
* Whap-Whap*
" As I watch you resting, taking care of you during the night..."
" Do you know how much pain and worry I felt when you didn't wake up even after a night passed ? "
The darkness surrounding Basara tried to make his vision more blur, dampening his hearing and soaking everything as it was a dreams and screaming that it was a mere lie, a lie ! However it all faltered and instead Basara vision began to return, his hearing also become clearer.
* Wrackkk *
The darkness giving up on tricking Basara now opted to use a full force on the girl. Anya body was hit by the whip, she flew from her place towards the walls. She then slipped down and fell. Staying on the ground.
" Noooooo "
Merusa were hysteric while the darkness began to whip in random as if to proclaim its success to protect Basara.
This all happened for a while, to an extend that the villagers began to grow suspicious from the loud noise that come from the Chief house. They wanted to come closer and take a look however the eerie aura that spread around the chief's house extinguished their curiosity.
" Basara ..."
Slowly, Anya stood up, shutting the hysteric Merusa down and attracted the attention of the darkness that surround Basara again.
" Basara, hear this ...be my witness."
Again, Anya a small teenager which had blood flowing from her head after getting thrown and hit the wall hard, strode forward. She walked steadily towards Basara and the darkness that had hurt her. Fear was nowhere in her eyes, only courage and determination.
" For a day shall come when night last forever."
" For when thy shall walk where darkness linger."
" Striding onto the darkness, upon which scorched land await."
" Whose wind shall accompany thou, whose shall be alone."
" As the sky fall, and ground crumbled."
" Where water was naught but poison and fire born smokeless."
" I offer thee , as thy tread thy fate."
" I offer thee, thy consolation."
" I, Anya de Marathi offer thy, my humble self."
As the last sentence of Anya left her mouth, the darkness that was warping around Basra disappeared. Light returned in Basara eyes.
" I accept."
*wiinngggg*
Green lights descended, blinding all who saw it except Basara and Anya. The lights then entangled both of them, bounding their body, even possibly hearts as a tiny invisible green string formed between them before it merge itself into the thin air and vanished.
How dare he not to accept this silly teenager wish when she had done so much for him just to bring him back. He had vaguely realized the meaning of Anya words. It was a spell to bound a spirit and its master, however this time around it was turned since the one who offered herself was Anya. Moreover this was one the highest and most powerful binding spell.
It would grant the partner a part of the spirit power and affinity, without the need of direct contact as nature itself was proclaimed in the binding and became it witness. Alongside that, this bounding spell were rarely used as it bind the fate and life itself between master and the servant. In this case the master was Basara and the servant was Anya. It meant that the moment Basara died, so will Anya, however the reverse was different.
How could Anya know this ? The answer lies at the moment Basara helped her in the forest during the hunting. Unbeknownst to him, He had blessed Anya with his power. Different from most of other people methods who forced to bound a spirits and attain selfish blessing from them.
In the case of the common bounding method in this world, the spirit would normally ended up be forced to remain in contact if the User wished to use the spirit power which mean, there were the need to contain the spirit in something that the people would always carry around. Often then the spirit would be merged with a weapon or equipment, trapping them inside it forever.
Anya newly earned knowledge and method was different. It was blessed and witnessed by nature itself. A method that was granted upon those who wished the well beings of the spirit itself despite the danger one would face. One of the many mysteries to become powerful in this world that One needed to discover and not told, as knowing before had would automatically fail the said person.
The part or rather the system on how bumi operated that would fail if one was told had failed many, many who had tried. In the end, the power up method remains known only to few trough out the time.
As for why Basara answer readily. It was because as his named called repeatedly by Anya. He had been awake for quite a time, witnessing Anya struggle including the moment she was slammed into the walls.
He really regretted his action however, he had already lost control over his body. He felt like he was a third person capable only seeing Anya getting beaten. As for the chief ? He didn't really care for him. He now know that in the chief's eyes, he was only a tools. Why would Basra bother with the chief then ?
Anya though was different. He had clearly seen her dedication and in this lonely word, where he understand nothing and could not speak to no one. He had often silently suffer during this time in this word, constantly remembering his past which for all cost he would like to avoid
In the end it all changed as Anya showed up, even when they only know each other for two days, he know that she was like Kazama. This girl was what one would call a true friend.
Sadly Basara guess didn't really hit the mark. Kazama was a true friend, a brother. However Anya was different. Friend she could become yet she wouldn't want to stay at that level all the time. The spell which had been completed had become a contract, a lifelong contract. Anya would become Basara servant companion, his will naturally would be hers.
Anya true wish was to become Basara lovers, just like what her mother and aunt dream of her father, stubbornness in their blood runs thick. She sadly couldn't do anything to achieve that right now and the only chance left was to become his servant companion. Hopefully from this position she can rose up and one day achieved her wish.
" Anya ..."
" Basara ..."
both pair of eyes interlocked at each other as right now Anya was near Basara, in fact she had been standing in front of him. She then purposely suddenly lose her feet power and stumbled down forwards. Basara reacting quickly cached her and their eyes once again interlocked, this time closer.
Seeing this sudden pink atmosphere that bloomed out of nowhere, Basara being inexperienced could only felt he finally acquired a true friends in this world. As for Anya, she felt her dream was becoming closer, however the wounded Merusa could only be stupefied.
" Are they serious ...."
Merusa know not what had transpired, but seeing the atmosphere around the two she felt like Anya had just proposed to the 'Sei' in which he accepted. Woman intuition they call it, and she totally believe hers.
Three people in the same room, had interpreted the thing that just happened differently, however a supposed to be rational sane man opinion was still left behind and he finnaly snapped, said
" YOU MONSTER !!!! EVIL !!! ABOMINATIONS !!! LEAVE FROM MY VILLAGE !!!"
He was scared beyond belief, even more so then when the 'Sei' arrived and awaken. The darkness that had grasped his neck felt like a sword that had pierced his neck numerous time. The pain he felt flashed again and again in his mind.
That chief comment had truly destroyed the sudden pink atmosphere that had grown out of nowhere in the desperation, however as if agreeing the whole village began shouting.
"
Monster ! Monster attack !"
" It's a goblin horde ! RUN !! Save your life !"
the looming danger that was trailing the Okami vilage had finally arrived, the first act was played by the Goblin horde which had unanimously arrive, overstepping the yet again the village early warning system.