Aozora's Song (8/12)
Previous: Aozora's Name
08. Aozora’s Heart
He had them on the move again, aware that they had stayed in one place for too long. His message to Jun had been returned by a charmed bird and even without Jun’s warning, he knew they were close to danger.
Carried on his back and her arms wrapped around his neck, Ao knew as he made his way carefully through the forest that he was running out of strength. He saved the last of his energy for magic. She wished she could tell him to let her walk on her own, but every sudden movement sent waves of nausea through her. All of her will went to holding back from heaving on his shoulders. She hoped they would meet up with Jun so part of the burden would ease off of Satoshi. Praying fervently, she tired and pressed her head against Satoshi’s shoulder.
Between sleep and consciousness, Ao was reminded of what Satoshi had told her the morning she woke. Ten years ago, he had a dream about a young woman. That night, the Gold Magician had come to him and told him the woman’s name: Aozora. He saw her again during her coming of age ceremony when she had been betrothed to Lord Sakurai and he had been a part of Sakurai’s guards. He knew then that they would always be apart and that he could never have her. She was the princess and his lord’s future bride.
Buried in his arms, Ao had pushed against him at those words. “No,” she denied. How could she lose him?
He caressed her cheek. He stared into her eyes, his own filled with sorrow and loss. “Then you don’t know,” he whispered. “You haven’t seen the truth.”
“What truth?” she asked.
Satoshi did not answer her directly.
“Fate is a force no one can control.”
In the present, with those words resounding in her mind, Ao gratefully fell asleep.
*
The Gold Magician stood before her swathed in his heavy cloak of gold and black. He met her gaze with his leveled cool ones. She recognized who he was; her friend the first apprentice, Kazunari. Ao opened her mouth to ask for the truth Satoshi mentioned, but she had no voice. She tried to make sounds with her throat, but nothing came out. She wanted to call him. The Gold Magician spoke.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. His gaze was still direct.
Why? she demanded. What part of her dreams were real?
“I’m sorry,” he only repeated.
*
Ao woke when thunder boomed overhead and the earth beneath them shook. The forest had become dark after nightfall and only Satoshi’s solid feel underneath her assured her. To her surprise, he stopped, swung her around, and propped her against the base of a large tree. Her drowsiness drained away when she saw the purpose in his eyes. He pushed her back against the bark and to Ao’s horror, she sank into the tree as if she had no form. The inside was hollow. Ao was released into the cramped space as he withdrew.
“Satoshi?” she called out, alarmed. Her heart hammered in her chest and she pressed the flat of her palms against the wooden confines, feeling her way since she couldn’t see. Except for a few small holes for air, there were no outlets. The ground shook again, unnaturally, and she froze. She could hear her own heartbeat in the ensuing silence. Danger lurked outside, where Satoshi was. Finally, she heard his muffled voice from the other side of her prison.
“I sent a bird to FIVE. If I don’t make it back, he’ll come and get you. He’ll make sure you reach Lord Sakurai.”
No! her heart screamed. What did he mean ‘if’ he didn’t make it back?
“Aozora,” she heard Satoshi say. “Please be safe.”
She clutched the front of her shirt; her breathing uneven. How did he expect her to live without him? She heard thunder roar again and then the steady drops of a downpour of heavy rain. It was the worst environment for fire. Alone in the darkness, Ao trembled violently. She brought a quavering hand to her lips and bit down on a finger. She was afraid, but not for herself. She was afraid for Satoshi.
Please come back to me, she thought.
The earth shook again and a deep rumble joined the peal of thunder that raged overhead. Her fears elevated.
“Where is she?” a voice said from outside.
“The scent ended here,” came from another person.
“Damn this stupid rain!”
“The two traitors!” the first spewed. “When we catch them, I’ll personally flay them alive. With the princess.”
The unfamiliar male voices cursed near her prison. Ao held back a gasp and clamped down on the finger in her mouth. She tasted blood, but she did not register any pain. Her racing heart drowned out any other sounds. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay as still as possible.
Ao did not know how long she sat inside the tree. She did not sleep. In the cramped space, her limbs became stiff. She made no move to escape until she saw small beams of sunlight filter through the small holes of the bark. Even then she did not call for help, afraid that she may lure an unwanted predator. She beat her slender arms against the exterior in hopes that it would shatter until she bruised, but it did not.
Why aren’t you coming back? she asked the person who wasn’t there. Her pursuers had moved on a long time ago. Where was Satoshi? Her desperation increased. A sob escaped her. She was useless. She pressed her forehead against the bark and closed her eyes.
Motionless and trying to calm down, an idea finally came to her. Ao squared her shoulders and summoned the small magical energy within her blood. She blocked out the uncomfortableness of her stiff limbs and aching joints and concentrated on the spell. When she finally relaxed, she pressed her palms against the bark and called the only magic she knew. Flames licked the wet wood and would not set, but she didn’t need it to. She was able to burn a large hole in the trunk to see outside her confines. Satisfied, she leaned forward to peer through.
A body chose that moment to slam against the tree and Ao fell back with a scream. For a second her confines darkened as the person slid down the length of the trunk then stilled. In that instant, she knew who the person was. Ao touched the bark where he lay and even through the thick wood she could feel him. He did not move outside. Tears bit at her eyes. Her heart drummed and she felt like it might just sputter and die.
“Satoshi,” she called. When he did not answer, breathless sobs shook her body. He was tired and hurt and she was locked in here, useless. Despair seized her.
“I’m okay, Aozora,” she finally heard him say. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. Please, stay in there until I wake.”
She would do anything for him. Ao nodded even though he couldn’t see her, her tears still running silently down her cheeks. Thank you, she said to whoever had answered her wish. She pressed herself against the bark where she could feel him, as if she was holding him like the many times he held her. She did not move until he woke many hours later.
Next: Aozora's Doubt
08. Aozora’s Heart
He had them on the move again, aware that they had stayed in one place for too long. His message to Jun had been returned by a charmed bird and even without Jun’s warning, he knew they were close to danger.
Carried on his back and her arms wrapped around his neck, Ao knew as he made his way carefully through the forest that he was running out of strength. He saved the last of his energy for magic. She wished she could tell him to let her walk on her own, but every sudden movement sent waves of nausea through her. All of her will went to holding back from heaving on his shoulders. She hoped they would meet up with Jun so part of the burden would ease off of Satoshi. Praying fervently, she tired and pressed her head against Satoshi’s shoulder.
Between sleep and consciousness, Ao was reminded of what Satoshi had told her the morning she woke. Ten years ago, he had a dream about a young woman. That night, the Gold Magician had come to him and told him the woman’s name: Aozora. He saw her again during her coming of age ceremony when she had been betrothed to Lord Sakurai and he had been a part of Sakurai’s guards. He knew then that they would always be apart and that he could never have her. She was the princess and his lord’s future bride.
Buried in his arms, Ao had pushed against him at those words. “No,” she denied. How could she lose him?
He caressed her cheek. He stared into her eyes, his own filled with sorrow and loss. “Then you don’t know,” he whispered. “You haven’t seen the truth.”
“What truth?” she asked.
Satoshi did not answer her directly.
“Fate is a force no one can control.”
In the present, with those words resounding in her mind, Ao gratefully fell asleep.
*
The Gold Magician stood before her swathed in his heavy cloak of gold and black. He met her gaze with his leveled cool ones. She recognized who he was; her friend the first apprentice, Kazunari. Ao opened her mouth to ask for the truth Satoshi mentioned, but she had no voice. She tried to make sounds with her throat, but nothing came out. She wanted to call him. The Gold Magician spoke.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. His gaze was still direct.
Why? she demanded. What part of her dreams were real?
“I’m sorry,” he only repeated.
*
Ao woke when thunder boomed overhead and the earth beneath them shook. The forest had become dark after nightfall and only Satoshi’s solid feel underneath her assured her. To her surprise, he stopped, swung her around, and propped her against the base of a large tree. Her drowsiness drained away when she saw the purpose in his eyes. He pushed her back against the bark and to Ao’s horror, she sank into the tree as if she had no form. The inside was hollow. Ao was released into the cramped space as he withdrew.
“Satoshi?” she called out, alarmed. Her heart hammered in her chest and she pressed the flat of her palms against the wooden confines, feeling her way since she couldn’t see. Except for a few small holes for air, there were no outlets. The ground shook again, unnaturally, and she froze. She could hear her own heartbeat in the ensuing silence. Danger lurked outside, where Satoshi was. Finally, she heard his muffled voice from the other side of her prison.
“I sent a bird to FIVE. If I don’t make it back, he’ll come and get you. He’ll make sure you reach Lord Sakurai.”
No! her heart screamed. What did he mean ‘if’ he didn’t make it back?
“Aozora,” she heard Satoshi say. “Please be safe.”
She clutched the front of her shirt; her breathing uneven. How did he expect her to live without him? She heard thunder roar again and then the steady drops of a downpour of heavy rain. It was the worst environment for fire. Alone in the darkness, Ao trembled violently. She brought a quavering hand to her lips and bit down on a finger. She was afraid, but not for herself. She was afraid for Satoshi.
Please come back to me, she thought.
The earth shook again and a deep rumble joined the peal of thunder that raged overhead. Her fears elevated.
“Where is she?” a voice said from outside.
“The scent ended here,” came from another person.
“Damn this stupid rain!”
“The two traitors!” the first spewed. “When we catch them, I’ll personally flay them alive. With the princess.”
The unfamiliar male voices cursed near her prison. Ao held back a gasp and clamped down on the finger in her mouth. She tasted blood, but she did not register any pain. Her racing heart drowned out any other sounds. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay as still as possible.
Ao did not know how long she sat inside the tree. She did not sleep. In the cramped space, her limbs became stiff. She made no move to escape until she saw small beams of sunlight filter through the small holes of the bark. Even then she did not call for help, afraid that she may lure an unwanted predator. She beat her slender arms against the exterior in hopes that it would shatter until she bruised, but it did not.
Why aren’t you coming back? she asked the person who wasn’t there. Her pursuers had moved on a long time ago. Where was Satoshi? Her desperation increased. A sob escaped her. She was useless. She pressed her forehead against the bark and closed her eyes.
Motionless and trying to calm down, an idea finally came to her. Ao squared her shoulders and summoned the small magical energy within her blood. She blocked out the uncomfortableness of her stiff limbs and aching joints and concentrated on the spell. When she finally relaxed, she pressed her palms against the bark and called the only magic she knew. Flames licked the wet wood and would not set, but she didn’t need it to. She was able to burn a large hole in the trunk to see outside her confines. Satisfied, she leaned forward to peer through.
A body chose that moment to slam against the tree and Ao fell back with a scream. For a second her confines darkened as the person slid down the length of the trunk then stilled. In that instant, she knew who the person was. Ao touched the bark where he lay and even through the thick wood she could feel him. He did not move outside. Tears bit at her eyes. Her heart drummed and she felt like it might just sputter and die.
“Satoshi,” she called. When he did not answer, breathless sobs shook her body. He was tired and hurt and she was locked in here, useless. Despair seized her.
“I’m okay, Aozora,” she finally heard him say. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. Please, stay in there until I wake.”
She would do anything for him. Ao nodded even though he couldn’t see her, her tears still running silently down her cheeks. Thank you, she said to whoever had answered her wish. She pressed herself against the bark where she could feel him, as if she was holding him like the many times he held her. She did not move until he woke many hours later.
Next: Aozora's Doubt