'You will see the world in a way that allows you to understand it.'
The cabin’s interior was sparsely-furnished, a single bed on the right wall, a kitchenette on the left. A rustic chandelier hung in the center with a large table positioned below it. On the opposite wall stood a tall white statue—a fox sitting on its haunches, perched on a pedestal.
Mioko removed her scabbard, where coils of her scarf unspooled from her torso. She took up the loose tail and made her way to the bathroom near the bed. The door swung inward, revealing a cramped space with barely enough room for a sink, mirror, toilet and standing shower. Natural light filtered in through a squatty window butted against the ceiling. She flicked on the nearby switch, illuminating a single overhead bulb, which didn’t improve the lighting.
Mioko looked at the fresh clothes on the toilet seat cover and smiled. You’re a lifesaver, Jack. She propped Nightfall against the wall and dropped the loose coils of her scarf to finish unwinding it. A base layer hugged her chest like a sports bra, where it was tied off behind her shoulder.
Mioko turned on the hot water for both faucets, then looked herself over in the mirror. She pushed water into her eye, which dried blood had sealed closed. When it was cleared, she observed the back of her hands and knuckles. The tremble of muscle failure was gone and her knuckle bruises lacked the purple that was present earlier. She ran her hands up the outside of her arms and over her shoulders where the wounds had closed. My healing is getting stronger.
Lastly, she peeked under the strap of her makeshift bra. Between her shoulder and her heart was a tattoo. It was just a symbol, but it was also her name. She scratched at its predominately black surface though it was silver in some places. Why is it turning silver?
The mirror soon fogged over, so she shifted her attention to the shower, removing her underwear but not her scarf. She attempted to pull her matted braid apart through grimaces and grit teeth, but it was a lost cause. She moved into the shower without checking the temperature, easing in while hoping it would lance away more than grime.
Mioko pulled the rest of her scarf inside and slid the door closed. She huddled under the spray, looking down to the drain as the tinted water swirled away. Standing in a shower was still a novelty, and she got lost as she observed the raising and spreading of her toes. Echoes from her past played out in her mind as her fingertips touched the center of her chest.
‘Let’s stick to baths, kiddo,’ she heard her father say. ‘We don’t want you falling again, do we?’
The water swirling around the drain was mostly clear when she came back to herself. She finished bathing and cleaning her scarf while slowly putting herself back together. When she came out of the bathroom, everything was mostly compartmentalized again. Her hair was still damp, so she let it hang loose against the back of her shoulders. The scarf was rewrapped, where a few strands looped around behind her neck like a halter top.
The cabin was quiet until her stomach spoke up, the sound stopping her in her tracks before she laughed. “Quiet, you.”
Mioko set Nightfall on the center table before accessing a storage chest near the door. She retrieved a smaller box, some duffel bags and a leather harness, all of which she deposited alongside Nightfall before making her way to the kitchen.
She pulled a few food items from a large cherry colored pantry next to the fridge, one of which was a plastic canister of dried meat sticks. Mioko consumed some of the jerky while fixating on the box she had sat on the table. She sighed. “I keep trying to leave you two out of all this as much as I can. But it’s looking less like I’ll get a say in the matter.”
Mioko transferred some of the food into a duffel, then pulled the wooden box closer. Inside, rested two Springfield 1911s—one black and one silver. She jettisoned the magazines and locked the slides back on each before setting them aside and retrieving the leather bound journal that rested below.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
She flipped through the entries, making sure no new ones had been unlocked.
‘Dear Ducks,’ began the first entry as well as every entry that followed.
‘The contents of this journal will only be accessible when no one else is around.’
Flip.
‘…return the obelisk—’
Flip.
‘…your emotions may spill—’
Flip.
‘…see the world in a way—’
Mioko closed the book and set it aside. Every time a new entry had unlocked, a hidden symbol—her tattoo—glowed on the cover. She knew that, but it never stopped her from checking anyways.
Mioko looked at the fox statue across from her, rising to move closer. The portals, the runes, the magically sealed book…all of that is completely lost on me. But the one thing I actually get…is you.
The fox appeared proud, its chest swelling out as it sat on its haunches while gazing downward, towards Mioko. It had three tails which were fanned out like the tail of a peacock. But it wasn’t a fox—a Kitsune, she somehow knew. I’ve seen things just like you in video games.
Mioko placed her hand on the statue’s chest and closed her eyes, where a status window appeared in her mind.
Profiles:
Kitko
Attributes
Current
Speed
3
Restoration
2
Abilities
Traits
X
Hyper Speed
X
World View
New!
Lockspace
Protolock
Lock Bloom
Jack
Attributes
Current
Strength
3
Speed
2
Endurance
4
Traits
X
Resolve
Wolf
Attributes
Current
Changes
Speed
1
Agility
1
Traits
X
Senses
I must have met some sort of requirement to pick up some lockspace skills…Protolock being an ability to open a lockspace in a location that I haven’t seen or been, but its range is limited to Nightfall’s tip. That…seems rather lackluster.
The other seems like it could be a bit more useful. I can project an entrance further away, plus the antelock and oust will be larger, based on how much I compress the gap between my handguard and the mouth of the scabbard. So, Nightfall can now alter the behavior of lockspaces. Interesting.
But why are Jack and Wolf on here? Shouldn’t that be private? Or maybe I see it because I’m where they get their skills? But what’s with Wolf’s Senses trait? And why the hell is my name still spelled wrong?
Mioko shook her head and crossed her arms. I’m not seeing any explanations, so how do I even know these details? Is it just another product of me seeing the world in a way I’ll understand?
At any rate, it seems like most of these things are passives that just improve on their own. All I really have to do is acknowledge the skills whenever something new becomes available. I’ll have to check back on abilities for the other two. Will they manifest abilites like me? Or will it be just passive stuff like the attributes and traits?
Mioko returned to the table and set several boxes of ammo in another green duffel. She donned the pistol harness, which had holsters at her lower back. After she locked and loaded, she looked to the black, then the silver. “Alright, Vigdis… Matilda… I’m counting on you.”