The Priestess and the Dragon (Dragon Saga Book 1, Wattpad Version)

Chapter Fifteen

Suzume shook her head. This can’t be true. He’s playing games with me again or I’m stuck in another spider dream.

“You can’t deny it, the visions, the memories that don’t belong to you but feel real none the less, those belong to Kazue, they are a part of your past.” His tone was soothing, almost as if he were coaxing her into believing him, which only made her more wary.

“You knew this whole time and you didn’t tell me?” She asked. Why didn’t he kill me back at the temple if he knew? He says he wants vengeance and if I were her, why not kill me right out instead of stringing me along.

 “Yes. From the moment I awoke, I knew it was you. I was blinded by my anger. I did not want to admit it, not even to myself but I can see the truth now. You’ve been returned to me.” He opened up his arms to envelope her in his embrace. Suzume ducked and scrambled backwards out his reach.

“No.” Suzume shouted and then covered her mouth with her hand. Why does this bother me so much? What do I care if my supposed past- self sealed him away?

And yet, she refused to believe it.

“You can’t deny the truth.” Kaito grinned and there was a hint of his old self in the expression.

Faced with a reality she did not want to face, Suzume chose to go the easier route.

“You’re lying, I’m not her.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. She turned around and started walking down the pathway, away from the little roadside shrine.

“Wait, Suzume, we should talk about this.” Kaito called out to her.

She spun around and fixed him with a hard stare. “Just give me some space, I need time to think about this.”

She expected him to force her to stay but he lowered his hand to his side and nodded. His actions confused her but she decided to let it go.  She refused to believe her past life had anything to do with Kaito. He was confused by whatever spell had ensnared him and once she figured out how to break it everything would go back to normal. She hoped.

What if it is true? A voice at the back of her mind whispered. How did you unleash him from his seal? You’ve never shown any signs of spiritual power until you entered that temple. What if your soul was waiting until you went back to where it all began?

Suzume shook her head again, hoping to dislodge the unwanted thoughts. There’s no way. Once she was a fair distance from Kaito she slowed her pace. Her body unused to so much exercise and still weak from the spider’s poison was screaming in protest. I can’t do anything to help him in this condition. She thought as she sat down on the side of the road. Her stomach was rumbling, the dumpling had not gone far to tied her over. She glanced around her –there was nothing but a dirt road and paddy fields in either direction. Further down the path, lay a village, probably the one that served the roadside shrine.

Maybe I can convince someone to feed me and give me a place to rest. I doubt it will be too hard these country folk never see regal beauty like mine. Suzume preened in her mind, while conveniently forgetting that she had just spent the better part of a couple days wrapped up in a spider’s web.

Suzume arrived at the village as the night was beginning to creep in. Orange light filtered through the collection of huts. Farmers with their tools slung over their shoulders, trudged in after a hard days work. Suzume also stumbled into the village.  Children ran out to greet their fathers with shrieks of delight and were carried in swinging from their father’s arms. People walked past her without so much as a second glance at her. So much for entrancing them with my regal beauty.  

“I saw you at the shrine today,” Suzume glanced towards the speaker. It was the old woman from the shrine. She looked even smaller and more bent in the dying light of the day. “You look ready to fall off your feet. Do you have a place to stay for the night?”

All Suzume could manage was a shake of her head.

“Come with me, I can give you a place by the fire.”  The old woman motioned with her hand for Suzume to follow.

Suzume followed her wordlessly. The old woman’s hut was not far away. It was a small one room dwelling with a fire pit sunk into the center of the room and a hole in the roof where the smoke escaped. The old woman waved to a place across the fire pit for Suzume to sit. Suzume sat down her legs burning from over use and her joints complaining like that of a woman twice her age. The old hummed a tune under her breath as she ladled broth out of a pot that was boiling over the fire.

“Here, something warm will make you feel better,” the old woman said as she handed Suzume the steaming broth in a lopsided bowl.

Suzume took the soup without a word. She held it in her hands letting the warmth seep into her fingers.

The old woman shuffled about the hut, as she continued to hum leaving Suzume alone with her thoughts. She was still surprised Kaito had not come after her. It wasn’t like him but then again whatever this spell was that he was under it made him act like a stranger to her. What can I do to turn him back when I can’t even unleash my own power at will? She frowned as she stared into her broth.

The old woman settled across the fire from Suzume and offered Suzume a bowl of rice. Suzume took it and set it down beside her. I Might as well see if this grandma can give me any information about the shrine since I’m here.

“That shrine by the road, do you visit it often?” Suzume asked.

The old woman nodded as she swallowed a mouthful of food. “Yes, I used to go daily but now that my bones are getting older, I go much less, perhaps once a week. Why do you ask?”

Suzume shook off the question and lapsed into silence for a while. A thought had begun to form in her mind but she feared speaking it aloud. It was too ludicrous and yet it wouldn’t stop gnawing at her.

“Do you know who built that shrine?”

The old woman looked into the fire thoughtful for a moment. “The first villagers would have constructed it and I believe my grandfather once told me it was blessed by a wandering priestess. It’s dedicated to  the god of the forest.” The old woman smiled showing a gap toothed smile.

Suzume swallowed hard. “Do you know the priestess’ name?”

The old woman thought for a moment and then shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t. It’s said the shrine brings good luck. There are stories of it granting wishes and things like that.”

Suzume nodded, ignoring the woman’s babblings. There was a connection here, there had to be a reason that Kaito had changed and why he was claiming she was Kauze. If only she could figure out what that connection was.