Birth (1)

Musashi and Rione met again.

They have not been to school for several weeks now because they no longer feel safe in any place except where the other is.

Meanwhile, a dark shadow loomed over Musashi's future.

"Are you okay, Musashi? If there's anything, please talk to me. We only have each other. "

"Hello, I'm still here too." a voice called from behind us.

Rione turned around, startled, and caught sight of the boy who had also broken into her house.

"I don't even know your name," she said annoyed.

"My name? That's right, I haven't told you two lovebirds yet. My name is Sia. Sia Ryougi."

"Sia sounds like a girl's name" she said with a provocative tone while smiling slightly.

"And Rione sounds so much better huh?" said Sia with an annoyed tone.

"Man, you really can't take a joke," she said while trying to get Sia to apologize with a puppy dog look.

"Sia such a... cool name" Musashi said while standing confused between the two.

"The mysterious vegetable head then. Are you feeling better? You don't look like a pussy anymore. Have you finally become a man?" asked Sia provocatively.

"I have never been one. But yes things have changed since we last met. How did you find us?" asked Musashi.

'I had hidden our aura... strange.'

Was the only thing that crossed his mind at that moment.

"I would say... Intuition," Sia said with a disdainful grin as they moved closer and closer to their destination.

"Where are you going?" asked Sia, because he had no idea what they were up to.

"I'm following MY intuition and we're looking for a chance to talk to a new friend of mine. " Musashi emphasized while thinking about the dragon from his vision.

Some feeling pulls him to a place. As if it were his home.

"Wasn't that the direction of your family's home, Musashi?" Rione asked worriedly.

"Yes, unfortunately. I'd like to tell you more, but I have to be sure..."

"Great, now I'm running after a couple who doesn't even know where they're going... Why did I decide to come along," Sia said quietly to herself.

Musashi and Sia discussed but laughed a lot on their way to Musashi's old home.

The road led through a valley, the mountains around them were impressive.

Their peaks rose above the clouds and you could feel the warmth of the sun's rays passing by.

The wind makes the trees rustle and the scenery reminds you of the dream image of nature.

But Rione is oppressed by a feeling.

Her heart is racing. Her senses are heightened.

She often looks at a nearby mountain to the right of the group.

'Something... is there... I want to see it. This feeling is so strong... I have to go there' went through Rione's mind.

The further the group moves away from the place, the faster Rione's heart races and the cold beads of sweat slowly drip down her dry skin.

This feeling is too constricting.

"Guys... Would you mind if I went to check on something by myself for a moment? You can go on without me in that time. On the way back, we'll just meet back here, okay?" Rione addressed with a slight tremor in his voice.

Musashi noticed that there was something strange about her manner.

"You know that you can be in danger and we can't reach you, Rione. Are you sure?" Musashi was worried about her well-being.

"I really don't think you should go alone Rione." Sia remarked

"I don't care what happens to you, but it would be stupid for you to leave now." -Sia

"I just have to... Musashi this feeling that I'm going home is pulling me to another place. Please just go without me. Nothing will happen to me," Rione remarked.

"Sia is going with you," Musashi decided in a serious tone.

"Huh, why me?" asked Sia in an annoyed voice.

"Because I've seen that you can protect her in case of emergency."

"From whom please?" Sia doesn't realize the situation because Musashi and Rione never told him anything.... As if Sia was never there

"We are wanted. We're not sure ourselves by whom, but I've already been attacked by you and our surroundings are acting conspicuously." Said Musashi gloomily

Sia recognized the situation and accepted Musashi's request.

Musashi continued walking while Sia and Rione walked together through the fields towards the mountain.

***

***

"Where are we going anyway?"

"Hm, I don't know myself as I just said, it's some feeling that pulls me to this place," Rione said annoyed.

"But I don't feel like following you, if you don't even know WHERE to go".

'Doesn't she understand that I have better things to do than to accompany some girl to a place where she doesn't even know where?

I hate emotional people. Always this kind of "following your feelings"... annoying.'

"I can tell by looking at you that you have no understanding. But it was to be expected from such a cold guy like you" says Rione.

Finally we get closer to the mountain.

We've been walking for what feels like hours and all the time this woman is nagging me.

How can one be so agitated and annoying? And on top of that this raving about the vegetable head.

Disgusting.

Some discussions and hours passed until we finally arrived at the said place.

"And what now?" I asked, since this girl still didn't tell me what she was doing here.

"I'm looking for something. Something must be here."

"Then look for it. Luckily I downloaded a new novel. You can search while I read Mr. Voidwalker," I said, sitting down on the grass.

"Are you serious? At least I won't have to argue with you anymore. Go ahead and read your funny story there. I dedicate myself then to our actual goal". One notices to her that she is really annoyed by me. It's probably mutual.

'I didn't copy martial arts from my novels for years to give a little girl who fancies such a boy escort.'

***

***

'There had to be something here... just where... I need to concentrate more, but I couldn't because this Sia was arguing with me all the time.

Oh man, he's really a cool guy, but it's annoying that he always has to know everything. He's such an smart ass.'

It feels so... It feels like it's further up. I've never been mountain climbing, but there's a first time for everything.

'Come on, Rione, you can do it.'

I tried to hold on to the cold and hard rocks as steadily as possible and slowly shimmied my way to the next one.

It's exhausting... but the other two have already suffered and experienced so much more.... At least they fight and what do I do?

I just sit around and can't do anything.... Even though this strange ability is awakened in me, I don't feel stronger or more useful.

Am I any good to Musashi anymore?

I mean... he reminds me so much of him...

Sad thoughts and self-doubt plagued Rione as she slowly climbed the mountain. -

I'm already so far up... Oh man, I can't even see the ground anymore... I really need a break.

Here the slope looks a little stable... here it should be okay if I sit and rest a little. I'm certainly not in any danger up here.

I wonder what Musashi is doing right now.

And if Sia is sleeping in the meantime? The two of them somehow fit as friends... But what is the relationship between all of us now? I guess we are friends... Although this Sia seems so distant.

But he still helped. Without him I would have been... raped...

-Rione suddenly fell asleep-

***

***

-Musashi finally arrived at his old home village.

It's so dark and cold.

The wind whistles today especially strong and especially up here he exerts a pressure that the air remains almost away from me.

I should in any case build a fire for the night.

And food I need actually also. Wait a minute... didn't that old man still live here? The last time Rione and I were here, there was someone here... where is he?

Somehow he survives up here alone.

I looked around curiously and also into the houses, but no trace of the man... only old, abandoned wooden huts, in which all kinds of insects lived.

I am alone.

-Musashi collected overdue fruit in the area to be able to eat something-.

'Even if this fruit really doesn't look good anymore... it's better than nothing. '

I choked down bite after bite of this fruit. It tasted awful.

I need fire too... but up here there are almost no branches... I'll check the old temple again... maybe there's something useful there.

I opened again the old petrified doors of the temple that merged into the mountain top.

Again the shrines built for me and my brother... the incense sticks are steaming... so the old man was here after all?

I walked further into the temple looking for any usable materials for the night. My heart was racing again and my feeling was getting stronger.

These stairs? My father forbade me to go there at that time.

I had not questioned it as a child and thought my father only wanted to constrict me even more.

He just isn't around anymore...so what could happen.

I walked down the steps.

The air was getting thicker.

It smelled like an abandoned basement.

And worst of all, dead silence.

There wasn't a single hiss or other sound, which can't happen even in normal rooms where there is no one.

There's something weird down here.

I came to a dusty room consisting of a stone tablet in the middle.

It is a map of our world. To my right are three chambers.

On the left side, however, there are only two and next to them are my father's chambers.

The wooden door is locked...

Although, the iron lock has a glimmer consisting of magic particles above it.

I walked around the room as I slowly ran my hand over the stony tablet.

This is where my father led our clan. I wish he had been with us longer.

I walked to the right to the first chamber and looked around.

It was like a library.

Dusty books, scrolls and old notes from my father.

At the end of the room hung a picture of our family.

My brother, my father, me and my mother.

I was still very small, so my mother held me in her arms while my brother stood in front of my father and he put his arms on his shoulders. He looked very proud, which my father never was towards me.

I must admit, I always felt a certain envy as a small child, because my brother just got so much attention from our parents.

My grandfather took very good care of me. Well, at least that's what my mentor at the time told me, who taught me how to handle a katana.

Well, I devoted myself again to the research.

This feeling did not disappear and exactly where it led me I could not perceive.

But there was something in this temple.

I searched every room for clues or anything that could help me.

Nothing.

Every room was filled with useless information and only documentation about our family and clan.

There must be something here.

But the only thing left is the sealed door... the magic has definitely weakened over the years but I'm not sure I can open the door without a detour.

I was never the best at sealing magic.

I put my palm on the lock and tried to manipulate the structure of the magic particles, but it's way too complex.

The magic repelled me.

Oh, man. There must be some way to open this door.

Whereas... Denki... the structure of Denki is based on a much higher and denser magic than this lock.

'It should work with this.'

I slowly stretched my arm out to the side and opened my hand.

I concentrated on what the voice said to me then and imagined how much I need the blade now. I need to find out what set me on this path.

Denki appeared in my hand and I directly felt the connection from our magic. My mana responded to the power of this blade. To visualize it, my mana veins dilated and my powers were amplified... my thoughts focused.

I unsheathed the katana and cut the magic lock with a clean cut. You could feel directly how the magic particles spread explosively in the room.

For a brief moment, I thought I couldn't breathe because the resistance and pressure was so enormous that even the remaining air down here stayed away.

The lock on the door disintegrated and the door opened easily.... But what I saw in this room took my mind away.

"Are these-?" I said in horror, while I was at a loss for words.