The next morning, Akane awoke to the clothes she’d arrived in lying beside her. When she compared them to the robes she wore, she felt their style was out of place. Upon searching the room, she found a chest with a few pieces of clothing she liked. A blue, short-sleeved tunic dress with a split collar, a belt with a pouch, and brown pants. Wearing the clothes from Terruha felt strange to her. She stared at her old clothes as she held the tunic’s ends. She took the tunic off, put her t-shirt on, and wore the tunic over it. With the t-shirt on, she felt better about the clothes she wore.
With her hair tied in a ponytail, she proceeded to the armor room Rahele mentioned yesterday during a brief tour. From the room she chose a breastplate, shoulder, arm, and knee guards.
After placing the armor in her room, she walked around the temple. The temple people were buzzing around with their chores: temple maintenance, garden work, and caring for the few people seeking their help. Rahele mentioned their temple acted as a clinic for the area.
Akane watched them work until a priest asked if she was ready for breakfast, to which her stomach growled. He led her back inside to a table with a bowl of warm rice porridge, fruit, and fresh bread with butter. It was a humble meal, but she ate with delight to the flavors. She noticed that the food here was better than in her home world. She questioned if it was a true organic taste because nothing polluted the earth and water here, as far as she knew that is. Just as she was finishing, Rahele came in and noticed Akane’s new clothes.
“Milady where did you get those clothes?” Rahele gestured to what Akane wore.
“I found them in a chest in my room. I thought my clothes were out of place here. Is it okay for me to wear them?
“Yes, it’s all right, milady, that trunk is clothing we give to those in need. If you’re finished, would you please follow me, milady?”
“Sure, but don’t call me ‘milady’ anymore; friends call each other by their names.”
Rahele stood bewildered. She never thought Akane would call her a friend. Rahele smiled and nodded while she led Akane to the statue room. Upon entering, Akane found Yona by the statue with a white cloth covering an object in her hands.
“This journey will be dangerous, and I believe these will help you stay strong.”
The cloth’s removal revealed white-bladed twin swords. Amazed by the blades, Akane took care with her grip. They were lightweight and their blades looked so sharp they could cut through anything with ease.
“These used to be Kaya’s, now they’re yours.”
Akane took a short breath with her skin tightening on her chest. She thanked Yona and returned to her room. Akane put her armor on and paused at the doorway, looking back at her clothes lying on the bed. She took a deep breath as she walked away, clutching her arms.
Rahele stood beside the door with two packs of supplies. She wore her robe with the skirt tied up and her armor was just the knee and arm guards. Her weapon was a Morning Star, a spiked club on a staff.
Outside the temple, Yona had everyone lined up to bow before Akane, wishing her luck and fortune. Rahele gave her bitter sweet goodbye’s with enough strength to hold her emotions back.
Before leaving, Yona handed Rahele a small bottle. “This is for emergencies only.”
Rahele looked the bottle over and recognized its teal color. “A Life Potion!? When did you make this?”
“Long before this day. I’m counting on you to keep her alive.”
“Yes, Mother Yona.” Yona pulled Rahele in for, what she hoped, wouldn’t be their last hug.
As they walked away, Rahele tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. She gasped when Akane gave a side hug as her way of comfort. Rahele didn’t understand the gesture, but she felt better.
The shadows on the path danced with the swaying trees as more thickened the forest path. Pine needles that fell from their last fall season were being overtaken by the new spring grass. Stones gave off their wet smell as small creeks flowed over them, creating a song along the way. Birds sung along to Akane and Rahele getting to know one another.
Hours later, Rahele noticed Akane lagging, so she mentioned taking a break. Without hesitation, Akane found the softest spot on the side of the road and dropped. Rahele in jest asked, “Have you ever walked far distances?”
“I did while in college to save money, but distances like this I would usually drive in my car.”
“Drive a car?” Rahele asked, scratching her head.
Ignoring Rahele’s question, Akane took this time to ask about the Plant & Healing Charm.
Rahele explained its ability to grow an array of plants and bend them to her will. “Dead plants are given life and the growth cycle can be reversed back to seeds. In addition, it can heal any injury or poisons, and it can lift curses if they affect your mental or physical wellbeing.”
Akane thought back to Grandpa Tetsu’s stories; it must have been Kaya’s favored Charm. “So what must I do to gain the Charm?”
“You must speak to the queen of the Stipulamin.” Akane assumed that was the village name and hoped she was a nice queen.
Rahele suddenly turned to one side.
“What’s up?” Akane asked.
Rahele looked back at her, confused, and said, “I’m not looking at the sky.”
Akane smacked her head and corrected herself, “What’s wrong?”
“I heard something in the trees.” The sound of rustling branches grew louder. Akane stood as Rahele took hold of her weapon and shouted, “Show yourself.”
Figures peeked out from behind the trees, still hidden in the shadows. Akane couldn’t see them well enough, but she counted six figures. Rahele demanded for their business. Not a word came, but one who exposed a bloody red arm in the sunlight. Akane’s nerves trembled as it pointed to her.
Rahele ordered Akane to take up her swords as figures from the tree tops jumped into the air. Rahele pulled Akane away as the figures landed by their packs. Akane gazed at tall, strong men in blood red armor; what frightened her most though was the solidified blood in the form of a human with no distinct features. These were Bloodmen.
They froze Akane in place with their menacing stares. She never came across anything that scared her stiff before. They were her first nonhuman creature she encountered in this world, and she wished she‘d never seen them.
Rahele shouted for her as she swung her Morning Star at the Bloodmen. They blocked as the others advanced out from behind the tree’s, beginning their attack with blood swords.
Akane’s body wouldn’t follow a command; she could block but found it hard to strike. Rahele told her about them before, but she didn’t tell her how well they could fight. Human blood may form them, but they had amazing strength to them.
Rahele saw Akane struggling, but she was busy keeping the Bloodmen away. She then struck one in the heart, splattering blood all over.
Akane turned to watch the Bloodman fall to a bloody puddle before her. How did Rahele do that? She knew nothing of her opponent and how to defeat them. Her adrenaline rushed to her heart as her joints buckled on her. The Bloodmen sensed it. Akane then lost her swords trying to block two attackers. Before she could recover, one gripped her wrist. They were strong, but she used their strength against them. She fell back, pulling the Bloodman into her foot and threw it away.
Rahele saw Akane was fending them off, but she couldn’t defeat them weaponless. Distracted with her thought, a Bloodman struck Rahele’s shoulder with the hilt of its sword. Rahele cried out, swinging her Morning Star in defense.
Rahele’s cry distracted Akane, giving three Bloodmen the opportunity to subdue her. They struck Rahele’s leg and pinned her to the ground. She demanded them to let Akane go, but they ignored her. Akane’s heart pounded as she struggled for freedom, but their stinging grip tightened with each movement. When they came at her with rope, her voice cried out with a cracked tone.
Out of nowhere, a flaming arrow shot the Bloodman through the heart. Arrows flew by, hitting their marks and forcing the Bloodmen to jump away. They freed Rahele, allowing her to take up her Morning Star and fight them off while Akane curled up and covered her head.
What they left in this battlefield was blood puddles and scattered arrows. Rahele dropped to the pain of her throbbing shoulder and leg. Akane tried to hide her shame from the world in her curled position. When Rahele called out to her, she couldn’t respond. She felt a mixture of shame and fear that kept her from moving and held her voice back.
A hand touched Akane’s shoulder. This hand was bigger than Rahele’s, but its gentle warmth calmed her nerves. A tanned hand under her chin led her to the gentle brown eyes of a young man. Wavy jet black hair was pinned back, showing his strong facial features covered in stubble that Akane couldn’t look away from. He wore an orange tunic with light archer armor. His warmth spread through Akane, causing her heart to pound and her face to flush.
“Are you all right?” His voice was soft and alluring; Akane found it hard to speak. He helped her sit up and then he asked, “Are you a princess or a high quality lady? The way you fought says you never fought for your life before.”
Akane stared at him with confusion and displeasure.
“Watch what you say to the Descendent of Kaya, sir,” Rahele said with a strained voice. Akane saw her pain and crawled over asking if she was okay and how sorry she was.
“Is it true? Are you the Descendent?” the young man asked.
Akane faced him, “Yeah.” He asked for proof, and she showed him the Bracelet.
“You might as well be a princess. Forget a princess; you’re a Goddess,” he said with shock. Then he dropped to his knees, bowing to her. He may have been a stranger, but he seemed trustworthy, so Akane pleaded for his help. He took Rahele’s arm and helped her to their packs. He tested Rahele’s injuries and diagnosed a dislocated shoulder.
“Can you help her?” Akane asked.
“I could relocate it if she wants me to.” Rahele pulled back for a moment, but he did just save them. The young man lifted her arm up, then he asked Akane if she could hold her as he pulled Rahele’s arm quick. Rahele groaned until relief came knowing her shoulder was back in place. They asked if she was fine, and she reassured them.
“Where did you learn to do that?” Akane asked.
“My mother is the physician in my village. I’ve had to help her with these types of injuries cause I was the oldest.”
It impressed Akane, but Rahele was skeptical of him. She thanked him for his help and tried to stand, but she fell back with a strained sigh.
Akane pulled Rahele’s pant leg up. “Rahele you can’t walk with a bruise that big. You need to sit!”
Rahele tried to protest, but Akane begged her to rest for the moment. Her eyes filled with tears as she tried to apologize. “It’s my fault you were hurt. I should have fought back but couldn’t. I let my fear control my actions. I’m so sorry Rahele.”
Rahele understood her feelings and told Akane it wasn’t her fault. “I know it was your first time against a Bloodman. They can be very intimidating and frightening; that’s one of their purposes. It’s my fault. I should have explained to you beforehand how to fight them, but other topics distracted me. Please forgive me and please don’t put my injuries on your shoulders, Akane. I’ll rest if that’s what you wish.” Rahele figured if she rested for a few hours, she should be fine later.
Akane thought it was a disappointing start to her journey; Their first day was slow travel, and Bloodmen attacked them. “What can I do to help take the pain away?” she asked the young man.
“You could put something cold on it to reduce the swelling.”
Akane questioned where she would get something cold. It wasn’t like back home where they had ice packs she could use whenever.
“Up this road is a small stream. The water should be cold enough,” the young man explained.
Akane dug out a small bucket from Rahele’s pack and before she got too far, she asked for the young man’s name.
“My full name is Manlio, but you can call me Lio,” his gentle smooth tone made Akane’s heart flutter.
“Thank you for your help, Lio.” Akane then turned and started for the stream, hiding her red face. As she was walking away, Lio’s face turned a light shade of pink that Rahele noticed. She cleared her throat, and Lio looked back at her with a nervous smile.
For the next few hours, Akane dipped a cloth in the bucket and placed it on Rahele’s bruise every so often. While they waited, Akane and Lio talked most of the time. One of the first things he told her was to kill the Bloodmen, “Fighting a Bloodman barehanded does nothing, you must strike them in the heart with a weapon.”
Rahele then took over. “Diederik uses blood magic on a living human heart to create a Bloodman, most of his victims are those who have fallen in battle. They know no emotions or pain. They only know the orders he gives them. Diederik can give any of his generals control over them as well. He has his soldiers trained to kill half, but leave half alive so he can transform them. Because he uses a living heart, that makes it its weakest point.”
Akane felt an unnerving chill listening to Rahele’s explanation, so she changed the topic. “So Lio what are you doing out here?”
“I’m traveling to a village with a festival coming up soon; I plan to join their main event.”
“That sounds like fun, glad this place can still have fun even though there’s a war.”
“Have to keep morale up someway... Now can I ask about your home world?” Lio’s curiosity tickled with wonder.
Rahele recalled their conversation before the Bloodmen attack, she asked, “She had mentioned something called a car, could you explain what it is?”
“A car is like a carriage that runs on its own with the help of an engine.”
“Is an engine like a magical tool of some sort?” Lio asked.
“I guess you could say that, but I would lean more toward science than magic.”
“What kind of science?”
Akane knew she shouldn’t have started this conversation. She never paid attention in science class and now regrets it.
***
It was midafternoon when Rahele wanted to try walking. She limped a few feet, but the pain still ached. Akane told her they could wait a while longer, however Rahele was against it. She explained to Akane if she gained the Plant & Healing Charm she could heal her quick. Akane didn’t think of that; she wasn’t thinking of the quick solution known as magic.
Akane agreed to this, but Rahele needed help walking. She tucked herself under Rahele’s arm and tried to help her walk. A few feet in and Rahele was proving to be too heavy for Akane along with their packs as her feet dragged along the gravel. Lio then took Akane’s place. When Rahele told him he didn’t have to, he said he didn’t mind. Akane thanked him because if he took Rahele, she could carry the packs. It displeased Rahele, but she accepted his help. He was taller than her but they managed.
Off they headed to the thickest bunch of forest for the Stipulamin village. During the walk, Akane asked if the Stipulamin people were friendly.
“They’re not people, they’re tree creatures,” Lio explained, “and they are nice if you cause no harm to their forests.”
Akane wasn’t expecting to hear the words ‘tree people.’ She asked for clarification and Rahele continued for him, “They’re living plants that walk, talk, and fight. They take a form similar to humans but they are much bigger and their body is plant-based.”
Akane questioned their existence, but then remembered Terruha had magic. “So how do we contact these people, plant people, whatever they are?”
“Sti-pu-la-min,” Lio explained. “The best way to get to their home is by getting their attention with a campfire inside their forest. They’re not fond of fire, so once they see the smoke they will come to extinguish it. When they do, you put the fire out and they know you’re on their side and won’t harm you. It’s sort of like a message for them to come.”
“And you know this how?” Rahele asked.
“Not my first time here,” he winked.
A while later they reached the edge of the forest. The size of the tall, ancient elm trees and the beauty they held in their leaves awed Akane. They walked into the sounds of birds high in the wind-blown tree tops. Small streams appeared at times, posing a challenge to get Rahele across.
Deeper in, Lio figured it was time to start the fire. He placed Rahele on a tree root then helped Akane search for twigs and dead leaves. During their hunt they heard laughter, followed by pebbles falling from the trees.
“Hey, what?” Akane exclaimed, covering her head. From the trees, monkey-creatures threw pebbles as they chattered and laughed. Their gray blue fur patches reflected the sunlight, showing their curved horns and long tails. Their yellowed fangs appeared as they gave their screeching laughs.
“Mischief Demon, begone.” Lio shot a flaming arrow at them. The demon shrieked and ran off. “Damn I hate those beasts,” Lio rubbed the soreness away from his head. Akane asked about them, and he explained they’re demons that cause nothing but trouble.
They returned to Rahele with arms full of fire starters. Rahele wanted to be of some use and dug a hole in the ground for a small fire pit. After Lio lit the sticks with his fire magic, Akane asked how he did it. He showed her his fire pouch filled with powder, not powerful magic, but he could start fires anywhere he wanted.
They listened to the crackling fire while keeping themselves busy. Rahele cleaned her Morning Star, Lio stoked the fire, and Akane watched the flames, their magical dance mesmerizing her into their colors. She loved the smell and the warmth on her face.
Lio threw a branch on the fire, snapping Akane back. She glanced up, the fire’s glow highlighting Lio’s face. He caught her staring. Embarrassed, she then stuttered out the words, “H-How long did you say it’d take them to get here?”
“This forest is big, who knows. Sometimes if they’re close enough, they come in an instant.”
Just as Lio finished his sentence, a branch fell from above. Stipulamin warriors dropped from the trees surrounding them. Akane gazed up to the ten foot tall humanoids with leaf skin and vines for hair. Their stone hammers shook the earth on impact, standing strong to what they thought was a threat. Lio opened his water pouch and put the flame out.
“Why have you called us?” one asked, setting his hammer to the side with a thud.
“We wish to speak with your queen,” Rahele replied. They asked why, and Rahele gestured to Akane. The Stipulamin warrior dropped to one knee. His intimidation brought a fright to Akane as she showed the Bracelet. He spoke to the other warriors in a whisper before asking the gang to follow them.
Following deeper into the forest, they reached a wall of trees. One Stipulamin touched the wall, dividing the trees to reveal a village. The Stipulamin watched in curiosity of the newcomers. Akane marveled at their pod homes, connecting bridges of tree roots and vines. She was so entranced she ran into Lio, who stopped before a massive decorated tree.
Bark doors opened to a beautifully decorated throne room. Vines with gold flowers decorated the walls and ceiling, butterflies of many colors flew around the room freely.
Sitting on the throne was the queen. She was nine-and-a-half-feet-tall with dark green hair made of vines. An elegant brown dress with green applique vines dressed her light green leaf skin. Butterflies perched on blooms that grew from her arms.
They all bowed to this regal queen.
“I am Queen Lilium,” she said with a thunder to her voice. “Come forward, Bracelet Barer.”
Rahele encouraged Akane to step forward. Even in her throne, Queen Lilium towered over Akane as she gazed upon the Bracelet.
“It is an honor to meet a Descendant of Kaya’s children. I suppose you are here for this?” Queen Lilium pulled a necklace out that held a Charm in a glass locket. The Charm was green with a glowing hand holding a leaf.
“I am, your grace.”
“Then I am sorry to inform you, I cannot give it to you at this moment. King Willow was the first one to receive the Charm. He passed it onto Queen Garnet and she passed it onto me, so you understand that I must carry out the challenge to follow.” Akane understood, but that didn’t stop her stomach from bubbling. “I am supposed to test your abilities and knowledge in a challenge of my choosing. I shall give you the time to prepare. My people will take you all to a chamber to rest.” Queen Lilium gestured to her left, showing three of her servants. They thanked her and followed them to a chamber within the tree palace.
The chamber treehouse had three beds and places to sit, with a table in the middle covered in food and drinks. After the doors closed behind them, Lio placed Rahele on a bed and ran over to the food. Akane sat down on a bed, her heart filled with worry.
“Are you all right, Akane?” Rahele asked.
“No. I’m worried about this challenge.” Akane held her arms and hunched over to cope with an oncoming stomach ache.
“Don’t worry, I bet the challenge won’t be as hard as you think,” Lio gleeked pieces of food as he spoke.
“Yeah, but your world differs from mine. She might do something I have no clue about. You guys know more about this place, can’t you give me some insight?” Rahele shrugged her shoulders. Akane looked to Lio, who swallowed his food.
“Well, you know they don’t like fire, so if it involves fighting one of them I can lend you some fire magic. They might even ask you to get rid of the Mischief Demons for them and they don’t like fire either.”
Akane questioned why they never used fire against them before, but then she remembered they’re plants. Lio and Rahele tried their best to build Akane’s confidence, but she knew in the back of her mind, her first challenge would be hard.
/*******************************************************
* Copyright (C) 2020 {Sarah E Sewell} <{email}>
*
* This file is part of {Tales of Terruha: Charms}.
*
* {Tales of Terruha: Charms} can not be copied and/or distributed without the express
* permission of {Sarah E Sewell}
*******************************************************/