City of Culture

As the sun begins to set in the background, Kayin, Kimiko and Narada arrive by a small city near the border. After utilizing Narada’s semi-useful spatial warping abilities, and also the half-and-half creature’s mobility, they manage to reach this town in a span of two days; compared to what would have likely taken at least a week if only using the creature to travel, or three weeks by foot.

Kayin glances over towards an exhausted Narada, who falls to his knees after being forced to work so hard to get them there.

“Your abilities are very useful, Narada. Thank you.”

“It’s no worries…no worries at all, my king…”

“I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t kill you back then.” Kimiko adds.

Narada forces a smile, “...thanks.”

Kimiko grabs Narada by the sash strapped to his waist, and carries him around like an accessory. Usually, she would ask her oni to handle it. However, she understands that that would only make their situation more troublesome, as surely news of the tyrant’s female companion has also reached the ears of those hunting him down.

“Are you sure about this?” Kimiko asks as she looks towards Kayin, “We can probably make it to the border tomorrow by using this thing.”

“That thing hasn’t managed to get any rest for the past two days. We’ll need him at his best before we face Taruk.”

“Huh? Are you planning on defeating your old friend in battle?”

“...I guess it’s something like that.”

“So we’re really going to do what we said we weren’t going to do…ever…just so he can get some rest…and help us fight against your old friend, and get your eyes back…”

“Precisely.”

“You do realize there are probably avatar wielders here that are looking for you, right? Waiting for you to take a rest stop, just like you’re doing right now,”

“It should be fine. I’m sure there aren’t too many of them left near the border at this point.”

“I’m pretty sure war attracts avatar wielders, not repels them.”

“And I’m also pretty sure that my head attracts them even more. And the last place I was publicly sighted isn’t anywhere near the border.”

“Can the two of you, please…stop talking about avatar wielders like they are flies…it’s kinda rude…”

“Shut it!” Kimiko yells as she throws Narada to the floor, “You’re not even a complete one!”

Narada whimpers.

She’s so mean!

As the three walk through the entrance, Narada and Kimiko quickly notice the depth of cultures that enrich the city’s landscape, as people from all types of kingdoms and races mix and mingle amongst each other. This is in part due to the city itself not belonging to any specific kingdom or empire, as it lies on the center point that borders five different kingdoms around it.

However, even with his deep knowledge of the vassal states and lands that his empire governs, Kayin remains confused.

“Strange,” Kayin says, “Now that I think of it, I’ve never heard of a place like this before. Is it new?”

“Not sure.”

“No clue.”

“Thanks for the insight, you two. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s not like I can teach you something that I myself I don’t know,”

“Kimiko, your kingdom was only a few days' ride east from here. Narada, your father’s kingdom is literally directly behind this city, and even bordering it. How could either of you not know?”

“I’m telling the truth, my king! It was only last week that I left with my brothers to find you, but I genuinely have no knowledge of this city.”

“You’re telling me this small city was built in a week, then?”

“That’s not completely unheard of, actually.” Kimiko says as she fixes her long hair, “I’ve heard of a city that was both built and destroyed in a single day, during the heights of the great war period.”

“Yeah, I have too. In fact, I heard it was by a high ranking person…”

Narada turns to face Kayin directly.

“...from the king’s bloodline.”

Kayin pauses.

“Personally, I heard it was from a group of people. But yeah, I’m pretty sure they were also high ranking nobles from your empire.”

“...I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“I think it was used as a war tactic. One to confuse enemies…and even…entrap them.”

Kimiko's eyes slowly begin to widen as she realizes the truth behind the words she is speaking.

Kayin’s expression follows suit.

Narada…remains clueless.

“You’re telling me…we literally walked into a trap?”

“...and of our own free will, too,”

“...what are the two of you talking about?”

Kimiko glances around, inspecting the things she sees around her in great detail. From the people themselves, to the homes, to the marketplaces, to the courthouse, to the great library, to the small roads…

Nothing seems amiss.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem very likely to be some sort of trap.” Kimiko iterates, as he walks over to a group of ladies standing not too far from the three of them.

“Excuse me,”

The ladies turn to face her.

Kimiko’s mouth almost drops to the floor.

“Wait! Priestess?!”

In front of Kimiko stands a mix of girls from different lands and kingdoms, but one of them in particular was specifically resembling those that come from her own.

Kimiko’s eyes begin to water.

“How…is this happening?”

“I can’t believe it! You’re alive, priestess!”

The small girl runs over and hugs Kimiko tightly.

“I thought you died with your father! And with the royal family!”

“...I…was saved…by him…” Kimiko barely manages to whisper, as she continues to stare towards the girl, dumbfounded.

“I’m so happy! I thought I was the only one that survived!”

“...but…how did you survive?”

“My brother helped me! He was captured shortly after, by the Chenzira. But because he distracted them, I was able to run away, until I found myself he-!”

The girl stops as she looks up to see Kimiko’s face, now drenched in tears. As if she is both as happy and sad as she can be, Kimiko reaches down and hugs the girl back, as tightly as she can.

Kimiko then holds the girl’s shoulders tightly and bends down. Her sad smile now changes back to her usual cold expression.

“Come with me. I will protect you from now on.”

The girl stands in front of her, silent.

Kimiko caresses the girl’s shoulders.

“Please. I can’t just let you live on your own.”

“But I’m not on my own,” The girl replies as she waves to the girls behind her, “I’ve found a new family here,”

“They aren’t your family!”

The girl appears taken aback by Kimiko’s sharp tone, alerting Kimiko and forcing her to try and calm down.

“Listen…this is my duty. As the priestess of our kingdom, I am supposed to protect you,”

“You don’t have to do that, anymore!”

Kimiko freezes.

“The king is dead! Our people are dead! We were too weak to stop them!”

The girl slowly moves her finger, and points towards Kimiko.

“You…were too weak to stop them!”

Kimiko’s mind practically falls apart right then and there.

“Alright, that’s enough, little girl!” Narada says as he steps in, “Your aunty here is just trying to be there for you!”

Kimiko immediately snaps back into it, and grabs Narada’s chest tightly.

“Stay out of this!” she says with a deep tone.

“What? I’m trying to help you!”

“I said stay out of it! This has nothing to do with you!”

“Even so, I still feel that someone has to say something! Besides, what are you trying to do?! Don’t you realize the king’s mission is far too dangerous to bring along that little girl?!”

People around the area listening in to the conversation pick up on Narada’s expose.

…the king?!!

“So what if it is?! It’s better that I am there to protect her, regardless of the circumstances!”

“Why have you suddenly become so irrational?! Usually you’re crazy, but this is a new low!”

“It is my duty to protect her!!!”

“Then do so! You can stay here with her for all I care!”

“That’s fine by me!”

“What?! You would seriously abandon the-!”

“Enough,”

Kimiko, Narada, and the little girl turn back towards Kayin.

Kayin, unable to see the little girl for himself, still understands the reasoning behind Kimiko’s intense flareup. As he glances down to where he believes the girl to be, the girl glances up towards him, and in seeing his dreads mask over the cloth covering his eyes, the girl feels a sense of both admiration and fear.

Kayin then glances towards Kimiko, who stares back at him with sorrowful eyes.

Kayin then turns around, and heads off to find his own lodgings.

“Do as you will.”

Narada chases after Kayin, leaving Kimiko all alone, as she still holds tightly onto the girl.

Kimiko continues to stare at Kayin as he walks away, and images of her kingdom’s destruction race across her mind.

Images of Kayin in the dungeon, as well as the trip they had to endure to get here, races across her mind as well.

Kimiko glances down towards the girl.

…what…am I to do?

***

“I’m so glad we got rid of her, Mr. King! She was really getting on my last nerves!”

Narada continues to talk up a storm, as he follows Kayin through an ominous, empty streetway. Kayin, however, tries his best to ignore his rants.

Perhaps it would have been better to be deaf than blind right now…

Suddenly, a murder of crows flashes through the evening sky, before disappearing from sight.

Kayin looks up towards the empty sky.

Until the murder of crows, numbering in the thousands, returns.

CAW!

The murder of crows rushes directly above both the heads of Kayin and Narada, blowing an intense wind through the streetway that forces Narada backwards, falling onto his rear.

However, as Kayin recovers easily from the forceful wind and flashful display, he quickly notices one of the crows perched directly atop the crown of his head.

The crow bends its head down to stare at Kayin.

“So you’ve arrived, after all,” the crow says.

Kayin lifts one of his eyebrows, “I don’t remember making friends with a bird before. Which flock are you from?”

“Haha, just as incorrigible as your grandmother, I see. It’s too bad you didn’t take after your grandfather, like your sister.”

“What’s it to you?”

“What’s it to me, you ask?!”

The crow suddenly appears directly in front of Kayin, flapping its wings slowly. Its neck appears white, clashing directly with the matte black coating that drapes around its small body yellow; and each of the feathers in its wings appears to be as sharp as black daggers.

“You’ll find out soon enough…it would be no fun to tell you now.”

“You promise not to keep me waiting, right? I’ve already got an appointment lined up for tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. It seems your appointment will have to be cancelled.”

Kayin pauses.

The crow bends its head down, flashing the gleam within its eyes.

“...forever, that is.”