Aozora's Song (6/12)
Previous: Aozora's Loneliness
06. Aozora’s Warmth
The root of a tree dug into the young girl’s back as she waited for the blow that did not come.
The voice of a young boy asked, “Is she human?”
The person he addressed, the second boy, did not answer.
On the ground, the young girl opened her eyes and squinted when the rays of sunset seized her. Her master’s spell had fallen away and she realized her nightmare had only been an illusion.
Her master’s cold voice rang in her ear. “Bring them to me.”
She shuddered and looked at the two boys again. What would her master do to them? The terror of her nightmare washed over her again. She wrapped her skinny arms around herself.
The boy who had spoken cocked his head at her. “Do you live here? Can you help us? We are lost.”
“I...” she started. This was her perfect opportunity. All she had to do was lead them to her master, but she met eyes with the silent boy and his direct gaze uneased her.
The first boy pointed to the tower in the distance. “We want to go there.”
To her master? Alarmed, the young girl observed the boys again. Who were they? Why were they wandering in this forest known to be the Dark Magician’s territory?
Again, her master spoke in her mind, “Bring them to me.”
“He knew we were coming, yet he didn’t put his wards down.” The first boy directed this at her. “Can you get us there? He sent you, didn’t he? The Dark Magician.”
Fear propelled the girl back from the two boys. Who were they? She saw the smirk on the first boy’s face and the wary eyes of the second boy and realized they were the same as her master. They were magicians.
*
He shook her awake, but did not give her time to fully rouse before she was carried to her horse and thrown on its bare back. Ao remembered that terrifying night with the similar urgency and her head snapped around to observe the forest behind them. Nothing was out of place. Yet, she knew better. Her heart raced in fear, aware of the danger close behind. ONE hoisted himself up behind her and urged her horse forward. It broke through the two others and galloped into the forest. This time, the other horses were left behind.
“What about FIVE!?” Ao screamed above the thundering of the horse’s hooves. He had no way of catching up to them now.
ONE ignored her and focused on directing their course. A dozen wild birds dropped down ahead of them and flew at Ao. She raised one arm to shield her face and bit down on a scream, but they rode through a wave of heat and she looked up to see the birds gone. ONE took her raised hand and tangled her fingers into the horse’s mane with her other. Certain that she was as secure as possible, he turned his back against hers. This time, Ao felt a blast of heat from behind and heard a man’s howl. A chill swept through her when she realized the scream belonged to a magician.
Ao leaned forward and pressed her face against the horse’s neck, comforting herself with the solid feel of the animal beneath her.
“It’ll be okay,” she chanted over and over, but she couldn’t willingly believe it.
Then ONE’s arms circled her waist and in one instant she was lifted from her horse. They glided high into the air and landed in the nearest tree. Her horse went ten more meters before the ground underneath caved and it fell with a drawn out neigh. Ao stared in disbelief at the place where it had just been. ONE steadied them and set her on a thick branch where she leaned against the tree, trembling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she reached up to grasp his hand. His close proximity soothed her. The leaves of the tree opposite them rustled and Jun appeared in its boughs.
“We’re trapped,” he said. “They knew we were heading this way.”
“What are our options?” ONE asked.
Jun pointed the directions. “An army of one hundred to the north. Three magician-warriors behind us, but you took one out and the others I’ve stalled. The forest ends if we keep heading south. It’s too dangerous because we’ll be out in the open. As you know, there’s a ward ahead of us. We can only fight our way through.”
ONE fell into silent contemplation. Ao’s hold of his hand tightened supportively.
Jun broke in and said, “Let’s split.” Before ONE could object, he explained, “Whichever way we go, they’ll know. We’ll confuse them and meet up if we can.”
This time, Ao objected with a vehement shake of her head. She didn’t want them to separate. What if they did not meet up again? She felt ONE push her forward, towards Jun, and alarm replaced her reluctance. Her hands slid up to grasp his arm around her firmly.
“No, you take her with you,” Jun said, and Ao felt perverse relief that at least she would not separate from ONE. “You have more strength to protect her and I would make a better decoy. I will set them up against each other.”
An earth shattering rumble raged from where they had come from.
Above the thunderous quake, Jun shouted, “I’ll see you in three days.”
He moved back into the cover of the tree and disappeared from Ao’s view, and she did not see if he appeared again. ONE pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hoisted her onto his back and jumped down to the ground. She watched through the small opening of her hood as a blast of orange flames stemmed from his palms. The forest around them caught on fire and for one moment Ao worried if Jun would be able to escape.
“Hold your breath,” ONE told her.
Ao’s throat tingled as tendrils of smoke wafted through her hood’s opening and she quickly buried her face in his shoulders. She felt them lift off.
*
They had no campfire that night. Ao knew it was too much of a risk, but that did not stop her body from protesting. She pulled her cloak close around her when the cold seeped into her bones. She shook and then her teeth clattered as she curled up against the base of a tree. ONE sat with his back to her to keep watch through the night. She snuggled closer to him, but the cold steel of his armor did nothing to warm her. She squeezed her eyes, frustrated that sleep would not come. To sleep was the least she could do when ONE would sacrifice his own for her.
She felt him stir and heard the clunk of his armor dropping to the ground. He pulled her up, drew her into his arms, and placed her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his cloak around them. Calmed by his warmth, her body relaxed even as her pulse quickened. She reveled in the feel of safety in his arms. She took in his scent and hoped to remember it. The drum of his own irregular heartbeat lulled her to sleep at last.
Unconsciously, she wished the moment would last forever.
*
In her dream, the young girl watched enviously through the keyhole as her master led the first boy through an earth spell. She saw her master nod his approval at the first boy when the potted plant in front of them stirred. A deep sadness penetrated her from the inside out; her master had never given her any sort of recognition, nothing close to approval. Someone tapped her shoulder and she jerked back. She straightened when she saw the second boy, the quiet one, standing behind her. Ashamed to be caught spying, she pressed against the wall and bowed her head submissively.
To the girl’s surprise, he held one hand out to her. She stared at his hand in confusion, but he said nothing and waited. Finally, she hesitantly took it. His fingers gripped hers and she knew that had been his intention. He smiled at her and something in her chest fluttered. Fire climbed up her face, but she did not bow her head again. He pulled her along the dark corridor, away from the room with the first boy and her master. She allowed him to direct her. He led her to the tower. The vast forest surrounded them and the blue sky stretched into the distance; seemingly endless. But he had not led her there to appreciate the view.
He cupped his hands and a small flame flared to life above his palms. “Here,” he said and motioned for her to take the flame.
She shook her head and took one step back. It would burn her.
“You’ll be okay,” he told her and when they met gazes, she believed him.
*
In the morning, Ao woke and gently touched the side of her face; tears.
ONE stood above her, dressed in his armor again. The rays of the rising sun streaked behind him, illuminating his whole figure. He held out his hand to her. Hesitantly, confused, she took it.
Next: Aozora's Name
06. Aozora’s Warmth
The root of a tree dug into the young girl’s back as she waited for the blow that did not come.
The voice of a young boy asked, “Is she human?”
The person he addressed, the second boy, did not answer.
On the ground, the young girl opened her eyes and squinted when the rays of sunset seized her. Her master’s spell had fallen away and she realized her nightmare had only been an illusion.
Her master’s cold voice rang in her ear. “Bring them to me.”
She shuddered and looked at the two boys again. What would her master do to them? The terror of her nightmare washed over her again. She wrapped her skinny arms around herself.
The boy who had spoken cocked his head at her. “Do you live here? Can you help us? We are lost.”
“I...” she started. This was her perfect opportunity. All she had to do was lead them to her master, but she met eyes with the silent boy and his direct gaze uneased her.
The first boy pointed to the tower in the distance. “We want to go there.”
To her master? Alarmed, the young girl observed the boys again. Who were they? Why were they wandering in this forest known to be the Dark Magician’s territory?
Again, her master spoke in her mind, “Bring them to me.”
“He knew we were coming, yet he didn’t put his wards down.” The first boy directed this at her. “Can you get us there? He sent you, didn’t he? The Dark Magician.”
Fear propelled the girl back from the two boys. Who were they? She saw the smirk on the first boy’s face and the wary eyes of the second boy and realized they were the same as her master. They were magicians.
*
He shook her awake, but did not give her time to fully rouse before she was carried to her horse and thrown on its bare back. Ao remembered that terrifying night with the similar urgency and her head snapped around to observe the forest behind them. Nothing was out of place. Yet, she knew better. Her heart raced in fear, aware of the danger close behind. ONE hoisted himself up behind her and urged her horse forward. It broke through the two others and galloped into the forest. This time, the other horses were left behind.
“What about FIVE!?” Ao screamed above the thundering of the horse’s hooves. He had no way of catching up to them now.
ONE ignored her and focused on directing their course. A dozen wild birds dropped down ahead of them and flew at Ao. She raised one arm to shield her face and bit down on a scream, but they rode through a wave of heat and she looked up to see the birds gone. ONE took her raised hand and tangled her fingers into the horse’s mane with her other. Certain that she was as secure as possible, he turned his back against hers. This time, Ao felt a blast of heat from behind and heard a man’s howl. A chill swept through her when she realized the scream belonged to a magician.
Ao leaned forward and pressed her face against the horse’s neck, comforting herself with the solid feel of the animal beneath her.
“It’ll be okay,” she chanted over and over, but she couldn’t willingly believe it.
Then ONE’s arms circled her waist and in one instant she was lifted from her horse. They glided high into the air and landed in the nearest tree. Her horse went ten more meters before the ground underneath caved and it fell with a drawn out neigh. Ao stared in disbelief at the place where it had just been. ONE steadied them and set her on a thick branch where she leaned against the tree, trembling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she reached up to grasp his hand. His close proximity soothed her. The leaves of the tree opposite them rustled and Jun appeared in its boughs.
“We’re trapped,” he said. “They knew we were heading this way.”
“What are our options?” ONE asked.
Jun pointed the directions. “An army of one hundred to the north. Three magician-warriors behind us, but you took one out and the others I’ve stalled. The forest ends if we keep heading south. It’s too dangerous because we’ll be out in the open. As you know, there’s a ward ahead of us. We can only fight our way through.”
ONE fell into silent contemplation. Ao’s hold of his hand tightened supportively.
Jun broke in and said, “Let’s split.” Before ONE could object, he explained, “Whichever way we go, they’ll know. We’ll confuse them and meet up if we can.”
This time, Ao objected with a vehement shake of her head. She didn’t want them to separate. What if they did not meet up again? She felt ONE push her forward, towards Jun, and alarm replaced her reluctance. Her hands slid up to grasp his arm around her firmly.
“No, you take her with you,” Jun said, and Ao felt perverse relief that at least she would not separate from ONE. “You have more strength to protect her and I would make a better decoy. I will set them up against each other.”
An earth shattering rumble raged from where they had come from.
Above the thunderous quake, Jun shouted, “I’ll see you in three days.”
He moved back into the cover of the tree and disappeared from Ao’s view, and she did not see if he appeared again. ONE pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hoisted her onto his back and jumped down to the ground. She watched through the small opening of her hood as a blast of orange flames stemmed from his palms. The forest around them caught on fire and for one moment Ao worried if Jun would be able to escape.
“Hold your breath,” ONE told her.
Ao’s throat tingled as tendrils of smoke wafted through her hood’s opening and she quickly buried her face in his shoulders. She felt them lift off.
*
They had no campfire that night. Ao knew it was too much of a risk, but that did not stop her body from protesting. She pulled her cloak close around her when the cold seeped into her bones. She shook and then her teeth clattered as she curled up against the base of a tree. ONE sat with his back to her to keep watch through the night. She snuggled closer to him, but the cold steel of his armor did nothing to warm her. She squeezed her eyes, frustrated that sleep would not come. To sleep was the least she could do when ONE would sacrifice his own for her.
She felt him stir and heard the clunk of his armor dropping to the ground. He pulled her up, drew her into his arms, and placed her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his cloak around them. Calmed by his warmth, her body relaxed even as her pulse quickened. She reveled in the feel of safety in his arms. She took in his scent and hoped to remember it. The drum of his own irregular heartbeat lulled her to sleep at last.
Unconsciously, she wished the moment would last forever.
*
In her dream, the young girl watched enviously through the keyhole as her master led the first boy through an earth spell. She saw her master nod his approval at the first boy when the potted plant in front of them stirred. A deep sadness penetrated her from the inside out; her master had never given her any sort of recognition, nothing close to approval. Someone tapped her shoulder and she jerked back. She straightened when she saw the second boy, the quiet one, standing behind her. Ashamed to be caught spying, she pressed against the wall and bowed her head submissively.
To the girl’s surprise, he held one hand out to her. She stared at his hand in confusion, but he said nothing and waited. Finally, she hesitantly took it. His fingers gripped hers and she knew that had been his intention. He smiled at her and something in her chest fluttered. Fire climbed up her face, but she did not bow her head again. He pulled her along the dark corridor, away from the room with the first boy and her master. She allowed him to direct her. He led her to the tower. The vast forest surrounded them and the blue sky stretched into the distance; seemingly endless. But he had not led her there to appreciate the view.
He cupped his hands and a small flame flared to life above his palms. “Here,” he said and motioned for her to take the flame.
She shook her head and took one step back. It would burn her.
“You’ll be okay,” he told her and when they met gazes, she believed him.
*
In the morning, Ao woke and gently touched the side of her face; tears.
ONE stood above her, dressed in his armor again. The rays of the rising sun streaked behind him, illuminating his whole figure. He held out his hand to her. Hesitantly, confused, she took it.
Next: Aozora's Name