The Crystal Keepers Book One: Divine Fire

Chapter Twenty-Two: Cluttered Thoughts

   "Wait a minute, you and Kuchi KISSED?!" Kazera screamed, astounded and furious.

   "Well...yes," Himara muttered, both scared and anxious that they would get angry at her.

   "That dude is such a creep!! How could you let him KISS you?!"

   "I-I'm sorry...it-it's just that I'm really confused about everything and I...I just don't know about anything anymore!!" Tears welled up in Himara's eyes and began to stream down her naturally, slightly tanned face.

   Everyone would always complement on Himara's perfect skin, including Airia. She would say that she wished that she had Himara's skin; it had a natural tanned glow and she never got any acne. However Himara never really cared much about tans, for she tended to think they were over-rated.

   "Oh Kazera, settle down. You don't realize that Himara has the exact same questions in her head as you. So let her figure it out first, got it?" Yūro said sternly, quickly taking a look at Himara who had a heart-warming smile spread across her rosy pink lips.

   "Well..." Kazera sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry Himara."

   "It's okay...I don't blaim you. But let's try to forget about all that, please," Himara pleaded.

   "Right, so let's hurry up to Jaune Town, it's nearing nightfall," Yūro told the girls while observing the slowly setting sun over the horizon.

   The three of them turned around and began briskly walking towards the petite town in the distance.

    A head poked out from behind an oak tree in the forest. The Crystal Keepers were already far down the lengthy dirt path, however the person lurked in the shadows of the woods, gazing at the shapes of the three as their size dimished towards a village.

   "Heh heh...Lady Shadoe's plan is turning out very nicely... Two down, two to go... Hahaha!!" The person was then nearly in stitches of mischievous laughter.

                                                                           --

   The crescent moon was gleaming with its radiant, milk white light with not a stone gray cloud in the asphalt black sky. It seemed so perfect and unreal, similar to the moon in the Dreamworks logo. Millions of blazing white stars twinkled with out-of-this-world beauty and the winds were violent, and their emotions seemed to transcend to Himara. Their infuriated and almost frightened feelings implied that there was a dark force surrounding them...following them...watching them...stalking them.

   "Eww, see what I mean? This place is like, EWW!!!" Kazera whined as usual.

   "Kazera, mind your manners. And plus, it's not that bad," Yūro disciplined her.

   "You aren't my father, Chikkie!!" Kazera teased.

   "D-don't call me that!!"

   Yūro's right. Himara thought to herself. It really isn't that bad. The radius of the town was quite small, only a fraction of Verta's size. Dotted all around were several tiny huts woven from local branches and plant life, adhered for more support by mud, with eccentric-looking tarps and quilts were portrayed as entrance doors. It reminds me of a village in the Middle East.

   "Well, the good part is that we won't have to walk around much when we're using the crystal!" Himara tried to cheer Kazera up.

   "Ooo, less walking is always good!!" she hooted back.