He took a quick step forward.
“Hey! Is that you?!”
The tri-colored butterfly had disappeared moments after leading him there, so he held out hope.
The female figure turned around to face him as he got closer to the pond.
She had been wearing a dark cloak, making her figure look more like a shadowy silhouette from where Lawkey stood.
Upon turning around, the moonlight hit her visage to reveal a more humanly face. One that seemed more beautiful than usual from the glistening radiating from it.
After all, it was a face Lawkey had been familiar with, just not the one he was hoping to meet here.
“Hmmm? What’s this? Little Law… What are you doing here this late?”
Lawkey stood still, all the anticipation leaving his body.
It was the twenty second Shadow Queen herself, Taiga Kage.
While many would be astonished by this meeting…
“Hahhhh…” Lawkey sighed, sluming his shoulders forward.
“Hey! You don’t have to be that disappointed !” Taiga shouted back at him.
She slowly made her way out of the small pond, holding her outfit slightly up to avoid hitting the water.
Lawkey watched her walk up to a small boulder to the side of the pond, where she seemed to have left her socks and sandals.
“What are you doing here?” He raised an eyebrow, “Should the queen really be sneaking around barefoot? That commander guy would probably have a heart attack if he found out about this.”
“What about you?” Taiga smiled, taking a seat on the boulder, “What would Munisai think if he found out his troublesome pupil was wandering the streets at night?”
She looked up at him, giving him a snarky look, but he just shrugged his shoulders.
“Come, take a seat next to me.” Taiga turned to her side and tapped on the small empty space next to her, “I don’t mind the company, especially from a cocky kid who isn’t scared of who I am.”
“...”
Lawkey waited for a second, then walked up and sat next to her on the boulder.
“What do you think of this place?” She asked.
“I didn’t think there would be a place like this here. Somewhere where the moonlight can reach all the way down.” He looked up to the sky again.
The corners on Taiga’s mouth rose as she followed his gaze.
“It rarely ever happens…” She muttered, “Considering how far deep we are, the moon cycle and the foggy nature of this continent, it’s a miracle we even get moments like these every once in a while.”
“I guess that’s true…”
“I look out for them, moments like these help take my mind off things for a while.” She said with a smile, then turned to the kid next to her, the moonlight still lighting up her face, “Maybe I should have joined Munisai’s Dojo too for those main practices of the first Principle?”
Naturally, the boy knew what she was talking about. He had learned that there were around five Principles in the Shadow Sword Style School. The Shadow Queen was most likely referring to the first Principle, the Unification of Mind, Spirit and Technique. Specifically, the Cleansing of the Spirit and Clearing of the Mind practices. She didn’t seem interested in the Honing of the Techniques, or swinging a sword, for that matter.
“...”
Lawkey looked at her for a moment, then went back to the moon gazing.
“Nah, that’s not really working for me anymore.” He paused, “This is a lot better…”
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“Hmmm…” Taiga simply looked up again with him, and the two spent the next moment in silence.
And then, she quickly put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair without stopping.
“So, you’re having trouble with practice, are you? Is that why you’re walking around at night?”
“HEY! Let me go!”
“Hahaha, Munisai must be losing his touch!”
Lawkey tried to fix his hair after she stopped and seemed to have gone back to normal.
“It’s never easy, little Law.” She said, turning to the side to adjust her hair bun, “We all have responsibilities that may push us beyond the edge of the cliff sometimes, but as long as the moon shines in the sky, we can push ourselves to climb back up.”
“...” Lawkey simply listened in silence.
“Whether it’s expectations, mistakes, love, promises, or whatever else, all we have to do is carry them on our back as we climb up.” She leaned back, supporting herself with her arms on the boulder, “Or is that too odd for a queen to say?”
Lawkey remembered their first meeting, and what he had expected her to be like. How surprised and taken aback he felt after.
“I… I don’t think you’re that bad of a queen.” He murmured, looking away.
“Oh? Is that really the best way you can put it?” Taiga smiled, “At least I should be glad if it’s coming from you, someone who said he despises royalty.”
“... did I say that?”
“Heh, you sure did, almost gave both Hachi and Munisai a heart attack right there.” Taiga chuckled, bringing her hand to her mouth, “Their faces were so cute.”
“Eh?”
“The monarchy is the only thing this clan has ever known.” Despite feeling an odd stare from the side, Taiga kept going, “Without it, this clan wouldn’t last long.”
Her eyes naturally found themselves drawn back to the sky.
“That is why it is necessary for me to be the Shadow Queen, to protect this clan as my predecessors have. That’s the role, one that is amongst the heaviest to carry.”
“Then why…” Lawkey paused, “Why are you letting me stay if it’s causing trouble within the clan?”
“...” Taiga stayed silent for a second, “If it was left to me, I would have even taken you in if you were a Hyking. I’m not a superstitious person, I don’t base my life on rumors or a fear of the unknown. Even so, I have to make sure the village is safe, not just from external threats, but from internal ones too.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question…”
“I’m just following the Absolute Law since you have the same sign as us, and no Hyking birthmark anywhere to see.” Taiga turned back to face the boy with a smile again, “And do you think I would just let a troubled kid like you wander off alone on this continent?”
“...”
Then she bent forward and started putting on her sandals.
“Besides…” She muttered, “He asked me to…”
“How does the old man get so much special treatment from the Queen herself?” Lawkey mocked, raising an eyebrow.
“Old man? That’s funny.” Taiga raised her back up again with a chuckle, “He wasn’t always an old man, you know. In the past, he used to be someone the people looked up to more than this queen, but that all disappeared after his sister died.”
“His sister?” Lawkey asked, remembering his recent visit to the columbarium, the long hall holding the ashes of the deceased.
“Her name was Terumi, a shining light for this clan.” Taiga narrowed her eyes, “Her smile alone would lighten up everyone who saw it, and most of all, his smile was always…”
Lawkey didn’t say anything as she trailed off.
“Even after that loss, Tori helped him.” Taiga pursed her lips slightly, “She was special, in her own way. Born with a special ability even within the clan, sure, but she had the courage and heart of at least twenty women combined.”
“...”
“And now, Munisai, all of us left behind… we have to carry on their will and push forward too, no matter the opposition we face.”
“?”
Then Taiga suddenly got up, taking Lawkey by surprise.
“But enough of the gloomy atmosphere!” Her eyes lit up as she made a fist in front of her chest, “If only… If only that idiot would just take my offer and make it easier on all of us already!”
“... I feel like I shouldn’t even ask…”
“Of course not, kid. That’s for grown ups to worry about!” She turned to him and winked, “It’s just one of my responsibilities too.”
“You keep saying that…”
“Because it’s important, isn’t it? I heard you said you take your responsibilities very seriously too after all.”
“Who told you that?”
“That’s a secret.” She put a finger up in front of her lips and winked again, “My lips are sealed.”
Lawkey narrowed his brows into a frown, not used to these kinds of conversations.
“Since we’re on that topic though…” Taiga took a few steps forward, her back turned to the boy, “You said Munisai’s training isn’t quite helping you earlier, but don’t give up on him just yet. Trust in his teachings, and I’m sure you’ll come to realize what he means soon enough.”
“Everyone keeps saying that…”
“You’re still a kid, grown ups will continue to try and guide you.” Taiga said, looking at the glistening moon in the distance one last time, “It’s only natural after all.”
Lawkey watched her about to step beyond the reach of the moonlight, into the shadows.
But then, she turned at the last second, the moon still hitting her beautiful features.
“Little Law, this may be a bit forward to ask you directly…”
“?”
She began as Lawkey felt a sudden chill run down his body.
“Have you ever seen an Obsidian Butterfly?”
Lawkey’s pupils immediately constricted as his eyebrows stretched upwards.
“Obsidian…?”
“A black purple and green butterfly. They’re very rare, you see. Many adventurers try to hunt and capture them.”
“...”
“I see.” Taiga smiled faintly before stepping into the shadows, “It makes sense now.”
image [https://i.imgur.com/C9Cks2f.jpeg]
As she walked away, Lawkey heard her last advice for him.
“Train well, little Law. I’m sure that one day when the day comes and you hold a position of great power, you’ll understand what I really meant.”
“...”
“Train well, carrying everything on your back… And slowly climb that cliff standing in your way.”
Lawkey watched her walk into the distance until she disappeared from his vision, along with the odd, but unthreatening presence he had been feeling around them.
Her words lingered heavily in his mind. It all almost felt like a dream to him now.
“What even was that…?”
Did he really just meet the Queen to an entire clan in secret? In a moment of vulnerability no less?
If anyone finds out, I’ll probably get executed or something… WIth my luck…
He shuddered for a second, then smiled nevertheless. She had left him with some wise words, despite how she was.
He had been a little unsure about his current progress and training, but perhaps he would stick with it a while longer.
“?”
And then, the Obsidian Butterfly showed up again, seemingly out of nowhere, flying around him until eventually landing on his shoulder.
“...”
He looked at it, but said nothing.
They stayed there for a while after that, simply gazing at the moon together in silence.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/KQmIY8F.png]