Beautiful Moon

Chapter 07

Beautiful Moon

Chapter 7

Galloping through the forest as dawn began to peek across the lands, the sun's morning rays broke through the trees' canopy while warming the ground beneath its sleeping leaves covered in dew. He slowed his horse to a stop, carefully watching the forest around him. Fingers of mist slowly drifted away, exposing the moss-covered ground. Pulling his cloak tight around himself, the man dismounted the horse and tied it to a tall tree on the very edge of the clearing. Edging toward the large willow in the center, his eyes slowly wandered the circumference of the grove. He found a suitable place to wait in the shadows of some nearby shrubs, leaning against a tall broad tree. Where is he? He wondered, pulling his cloak even tighter. A sudden wind kicked up, and for the first time, he noticed a lone, mist-shrouded figure standing not twenty feet away. As he approached, he pulled his cawl from his face as the other lifted his hood, revealing himself. Both men were dressed in all black, each carrying a unique and rare black steel sword.

"You are late." The first implied impatiently while glancing behind the other to see that he was alone. "You are alone? Where are Itami and Hattori?"

"They did not meet me at the checkpoint." He replied, angered while walking around. "I waited until after sunset and not a single sight of either of them. What are we supposed to do now, Kaiza?"

Cracking his knuckles, Kaiza shook his head. "We could go back and do another sweep of the area. It would take some time though. I do not think the boss would like that."

"They can take care of themselves. We have bigger problems, Kaiza." With a pause, both men stopped in their tracks and looked over at each other. "I heard word yesterday that Kuro was spotted in Magata City... with a team of warriors. The boss has always warned us about this man. If it is possible, he may be onto us."

"Hmm... that is troubling, Rylan." Kaiza pondered. "We will have to continue onwards to warn the boss. Do not forget... the new member of The League will be waiting for us at the next checkpoint. Although I am not particular about meeting this youngin, we cannot be late. Itami and Hattori will have to pick up the pace to meet us there."

"Okay," Rylan smirked. "We will continue to the next checkpoint. Let us hope that this "Kuro" does not track us..."

The wind was changing, and the seasons were beginning to shift as well. The final leaves were falling as the trees shed their foliage, leaving them bare and barren for the winter that was approaching. The air was now even crisper and fresher in the early mornings, providing a much more rejuvenating feeling. As we both eventually fell asleep, my head ended up slowly drifting and resting on Tsukasa's shoulder, my head finding a position of comfort and rest. Both of us remained silently asleep, the fire reduced to just a small fire pit and the river running smoothly past us, its soothing sound providing a sense of tranquillity and peace, acting as a calming lullaby as it washed over them. It became apparent just how utterly exhausted I was, and as I was still thinking and wondering about all the events that had transpired and what was to come, my mind was unable to maintain this level of focus and fell into slumber. After a long day filled with physical exertion, it seemed that my body had exhausted myself and I didn't even remember falling asleep, especially not on his shoulder.

Through the peacefulness of the surroundings that filled my ears, my sense of peace was quickly interrupted by the sudden sound of approaching footsteps and rustling against the river rocks.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" I suddenly opened my eyes to see familiar yet unpredictable faces before me. Katsu, with his sharp and fierce expression on his face, spoke first, glancing over at me who was asleep on Tsukasa's shoulder.