Kichi sat with her arms around her knees, wondering what it all meant. She wasn’t entirely sure where she placed Whitebeard’s actions. Protecting the weak was noble, but meddling with nature like that… it was like necromancy. Was she really an amalgamation of a girl and a time spirit?
Her memories were like shattered pottery; though some pieces fit together, they were fragmented. She pictured her father, short for a knight now that she thought of him, standing beside her rosy-cheeked mother. They loved her, but she remembered so little of them. She couldn’t summon a single image of a friend. She felt very alone and suspicious.
Why had Whitebeard saved her in such an unnatural way? Had he intended to create an ally? Or a blind follower? Her life started not long ago, rummaging through the husk of her home, taking her father’s sword, and being hit by the premonitions. Afterward, she’d set out to find Whitebeard in a fog.
She reached into her pocket, but the squirrel cat wasn’t there. Oh yes, Whitebeard had sent Bin to watch Ema.
The room was dim and quiet, and she was alone. That part of her that wasn’t human sensed something. It was outside of her perception, but she needed to act. Not knowing what to do, she threw herself to the side.
A shadow passed through where she’d been.
From nowhere, Akisane stood looking down at her. “How did you see me coming?”
She had no time to put on the amulet. Instead, she drew her pure sword.
A colossal man blocked the door and another the window. They’ve trapped her in here.
Akisane brandished the demon sword. “I always wondered how good Yoshiie was. Knights live in their own little world and train amongst themselves. I’ve been learning the blade with the best from all across the realm.”
Kichi took a deep breath and steeled herself. “I’ve never really trained.”
Akisane’s eyes widened, and then he looked at the man in the window. “Don’t interfere.”
With the wall to Kichi’s back, she had no choice but to strike first. Without the near-field, she was no Yoshiie. However, she wasn’t bad. Perhaps it was her spirit half, but she possessed a graceful proficiency.
Blades clashed, as did their purity and corruption, heating the metal until it trailed in the dim room.
Another thing on Kichi’s side was that Akisane ghosted through the shadows, and she could feel where he’d strike next. It seemed like after using the amulet, there was a residue of its power as if she’d soaked some of it up. Unfortunately, it only kept her alive.
The sword in Akisane’s hand was a blur, and he moved in perfect harmony with its cutting edge. It flashed forward like a snake.
Pain exploded as the corrupted edge sliced into Kichi’s shoulder, and she whimpered. At least the wound didn’t bleed since the metal had become hot enough to seal the flesh.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The swords now looked hot enough for a blacksmith to hammer. Akisane smiled, for he must realize she was spent.
She was winded, and her arms burned. It took all her effort to raise the blade. Then she dropped her arm for good. It wasn’t just exhaustion, but the corruption working its evil.
Akisane sheathed his sword. “Okay, kill her. The necromancer wants the body whole.”
The large man entered the room and spoke with the mentality of a child. “It’s time to play.” He slammed two fists full of thick fingers into each other.
“You disgust me. But do your thing.”
“I like it when they struggle so hard when a bone snaps.”
Kichi cried out as a meaty hand closed around the back of her neck and constricted. An arm the size of a leg gripped around her waist. Then she was being crushed.
The large man spoke next to her ear. “I remember the first time. I snapped a woman’s neck. It was a terrible mistake because she screamed and screamed but couldn’t move anything but her face.”
A carpet floated down into view beside the door. A man in a headdress said, “We have company,” then flew out of sight.
Whitebeard stepped into view.
Kichi tried to call him, but her breath was gone.
The big man laughed. “He hasn’t got a sword.”
Akisane put a hand on his pummel and strutted between them. “You’re unarmed, and I have a sword, a brute, and a sorcerer. If you don’t believe me, you’ll see him flying over there.”
A stem sprouted from the ground and curled up Whitebeard’s leg. He stepped forward and left a trail of red and violet blooms in his wake. “I don’t mean to fight you. I am taking my friend and leaving.”
The demon sword came halfway out of the scabbard, but suddenly, Akisane struggled. He grabbed his chest and went to one knee.
Kichi found herself free.
The colossal man charged Whitebeard but pitched forward and landed on his nose. He looked up in gasping surprised and watched as Whitebeard strode past him.
Whitebeard extended a hand to Kichi. “Let’s go.”
Kichi searched for the man on the carpet. When she found him, he had retreated to a distance and watched. She let herself be guided toward the arena.
“Are you okay?”
Kichi nodded.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Will you continue with the tournament?”
Before the attack, she would’ve said no, but now she wasn’t sure. Whitebeard must surely be a force for good. His strength against these awful men must speak to his character. Perhaps he saved her life for more than one reason, but they must be all good reasons. “I don’t know how you expect me to win. I couldn’t even handle the Duke’s son.”
“We don’t always know how we’ll do things until we do them.”
Kichi
Level: 6
Focus: Prescience
Secondary focus: Lava+1
Weapons: pure sword - 3% pure
Items: Near Field Amulet (Prescience+2, focus)