your wish is my command || magi

kougyoku

Little Kougyoku heard a story while she had been playing hide and seek with her care taker, Ka Koubun.

As she was tucked away in her hiding spot, she had heard the maids gossip about a shrine; a small one, somewhere out in territories they had yet to claim, but yet did not truly belong to anyone. They whispered excitedly about "All you have to do is offer some food and make a wish- but not all wishes are granted, it's like she chooses!" "She?" "Those who have had their wishes granted said that they heard a woman's voice before their wishes were granted." "I hope I'll be able to go one day..." and she had stumbled out of her spot after they'd left, finding Ka Koubun quickly as he wasn't too far.

"Ka Koubun!" She called, making her assistant jerk back in shock. It was hard to get Kougyoku to even greet someone, let alone shout. So whatever was wrong, it had to be serious.

Unless it was a bug, like last time.

"Your Highness! What's wrong?!"He asked as she stops in front of him, catching her breath, before looking up to him.

"I want to go somewhere!"

"...huh?"

*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•**

Unfortunately for Ka Koubun, there were no difficulties with getting permission for Kougyoku to leave for a trip to a shrine that she had heard about. 

Where the princess had heard such a preposterous story, he had no clue. But whoever planted this ideas into her head is going to get it from him someday.

It was rather annoying to find the shrine that Kougyoku wanted to go to, they had to ask many people about the story, and finally the man who had made the first wish.

He was old now, with grandchildren running around him, and he smiled at the small princess, and told her all about how he had made a simple wish to be able to see his family. How the voice of a female had called it a wonderful wish, and laughed merrily as she completed his request.

"I got to see my family," he sighed, happily, "and I got to stay with them, watch my daughter grow up and marry a man worthy of her- it was all I could ever ask for; and it's what she gave me, and more."

"Who is she?" Kougyoku asked, excitedly. 

The man hummed, "Not many know what she is named, but the shrine is more known now, as there is only one. We call it the Wish Maker Shrine, like in the book."

Kougyoku gasped, "Th-there's a book?!" The man chuckled, nodding.

"Yes, not many know of that book nowadays, as it's so old, but," he got up, heading inside his home, they waited for a moment before he came back out, holding a tattered old book. "I've kept it all these years, to be able tell the tale, and for them to pass it on. But I'm getting too old, and my grandchildren know the story by heart, so I believe you need it more than I, little princess."

"I-I can have it?" she asked hesitantly. "...for m-me?"

The old man took her hands and wrapped this around the book, giving hers a squeeze before letting go.

"I'm entrusting my most prized possession to you, little princess. Will you take care of it for me?"

Kougyoku looked down at the book she now held. It was old, and tattered; but the amount of love that was worn into this book was shown. That's what she loved so much about this old, falling-apart book.

"Yes!" she looked up, eyes sparkling with determination, "I will do my best!"

The old man laughed heartily, "I will take your word for it." He turned, pointing to the east, "If you keep heading east, you'll come to a split in the paths, a fork as some call it, take the left path, and you will come to an uncharted area. That is where her shrine is."

"Thank you, grandpa!" Kougyoku bowed, and from the distance, where Ka Koubun had been ordered by his ward to stay, watched with astonishment. If this was what was going to get the princess out of her shell, then so be it! He'd help her to this ridiculous shrine of hers!

"Goodbye, little princess. Good luck on your journey."

Kougyoku ran back to Ka Koubun, smiling widely, "We head east!"

He nodded, giving orders to the coachman, helping the princess back in her cart, following in after. When he settled, he noticed her focused on the book the old man had given her, it was a slow process since she only recently got a handle of being able to read on her own. But this was good.

It was progress that he had been able to make in months, and now she's doing it in mere days.

He was going to take what he could get.

*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•**