[A/N: A few days before the festival Kokomi reaches out to Xiaolumi with troubling news about Enkanomiya...it has been swallowed in corrupting darkness and her soldiers can't escape properly. Xiaolumi agree to help but they encounter a strange priestess with a snake mask. Oh enjoy some Fire Emblem OST for Lumine!]
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The next morning brought news that the trio had not been expecting. The ceremony had not worked properly as it should. The holy soil just being paused, not reversed in even the slightest. Kokomi had filled them in on the entire situation and had tried to come join them but this time the other shrine maidens wouldn't have it. Their poor friend looked so crestfallen as she handed a piece of a broken medallion. Their resolve steeled they quickly went up to meet up with Ueno, offering a smile and a wave of greeting.
"Hello Ueno."greeted Lumine.
"Hello Captain Lumine-sama and even Suzaku-sama is with you as always."greeted Ueno. "Are you ready to head down into Enkanomiya's depths?" Lumine and Xiao gave soft nods as did Paimon. "Alright, follow me then."
They had expected it to be bad but nothing like what they had discovered as they arrived right at the Dainichi Mikoshi temple itself. A thick blackish purple smog like fog covered all but the area of the temple itself. It rained down like a ash and flying rocks from an erupting volcano; a dark storm that brought nothing but foreboding dangers. Ueno making it very clear he was not too happy to be down here, alerting to the existing of haunted living suits of armor called Shadowy Husks. Yabe on the the other hand was like a kid in a candy store here in Enkanomiya, much to their amusements and displeasure. Both samurai directing them towards the camp site.
Quickly as they could they went up the stairs straight for the makeshift camp by one of the chambers. Scattered here and there injured soldiers lay, the occasional moan of pain echoing off the stone walls. "So many injured..."Lumine thought sadly.
"Hey look over there!"Paimon pointed out. Sure enough with two samurai was a young shrine maiden with straight neck length hair that was ebony in hue. She was a bit taller then average by a few inches. "There's that shrine maiden everyone told us about tending to the wounded. That's gotta be Tsumi, right?"
"Do you see any other shrine maidens here annoying fairy?"huffed Xiao making Paimon pout. "It's obviously her."
"You don't need to chew Paimon out for it every time!'pouted Paimon.
"It's ok Paimon, lets go say hello shall we?"Lumine reassured before heading towards the group.
"Yes lets go introduce ourselves then I'm going to get the rest of Swordfish I situated to prepare for the evaculation."Ueno agreed as he caught up to them. Their little group soon reached the shrine maiden as she rose to her feet, cleaning her hands with a damp cloth after finishing tending to one of the wounded. Her appearance was pretty normal if not average except for one key and striking detail that caught Lumine and Xiao by surprised but scared Paimon.
Her mask.
The shrine maiden's mask was color and rather intimidating in appearance as it covered her eyes. Where there should have been eye holes to see through were instead these striking design of snake-like amber eyes. Her posture giving and the way her lips curved into a curious frown giving away her suspicions. "You are...different then the others."she turned her gaze to Xiao. "You, i never thought I'd see one of the nomad clans of the ancient races here."
"You talking about Xiao?"Paimon asked pointing at Xiao who seemed unable to get his eyes off that mask.
"Yes. His tribe are easy to spot are very respected but...as for you free are you human?"the miko asked. Her question making Lumine and Xiao tense.
"O-Of course I am."Lumine stammered swiftly and as calmly as she could. Only Xiao and Baizhu now knew her truth of what she was, but only her beloved yaksha knew the full truth as she knew it. Paimon, naïve as ever thankfully had not caught her anxiety. But Xiao had felt and sense it like it was his own.
"Well pretty obvious lumine is human, I mean what else could she be! She and her husband just aren't natives to Watatsumi, that's all."Paimon grinned with a innocent smile. The fairy's words making the shrine maiden rather interested.
"Ah so your a mated pair, then you are going through the nesting season?"asked the miko.
"Wait!? What!?"gawked Lumine as she and Xiao turned fifty shades of pyro archon red. The recent events from a week or so ago relaying like a broken record.
"Paimon's confused you say some weird things. But why are you guys so red, are you running fevers or something?"Paimon tilted her head in confusion. Only to earn snickers and chortles from the miko and some of the samurai listening in.
"Well then nevermind, I extend my congratulations on your union all the same. Mates are far more sacred then what humans make it out to be, they always make it sound so...hm...primitive."the miko hummed. The masked woman then turned her gaze over to Paimon with curiosity. "And you...a human hatchling perhaps?"
"I doubt it."chuckled Lumine.
"Tsk, obviously not human at least."agreed Xiao. A small smile of amusement towards this masked shrine maiden. However his sharp sense were picking up something odd about her. She smells similar to the vishaps....but why!?
"Oh really? I thought humans lose the ability to fly just like how vishaps loose the ability to see in color. Just like how your mate's tribe gain their true forms at maturity."pondered the miko with interest. She sincerely seemed perplexed by this entire thing.
"That true?"Lumine asked turning her gaze to Xiao who nodded.
"My kind reach maturity at usually the hundred year mark. I'll tell you more another time, Lumine."he stated salmly and bluntly. Lumine nodding in understanding as they had a job to do.
"You sure know a lot about the vishaps and yakshas don't you Tsumi?"Paimon asked, startling the miko.
"Wait how do you know my name?"Tsumi asked.
"The samurai of Watatsumi told us. The ones you treated mentioned you by name and your appearance."Lumine explained with a friendly smile.
"Oh I see."
"We came to lend a hand with the darkness, Tsumi."Xiao explained.
After a brief introduction and briefing from Ueno he went on his way. Xiao, Lumine, and Paimon going around to talk with the samurai swiftly learning Tsumi had some kind of broken medallion on her person but also that she had snake-like. A key genetic trait that Watatsumi's deity's vassals were said to have. It was also revealed it was Tsumi that had triggered the ceremony that cast the light out in coral-like branches. But the most troubling being the Void realm...the Abyss was invading but also the names of the three realms: Light Realm home of the vishaps and all elemental races, the human realm, and the void realm. The darkness revealed to be very dangerous to humans and the elemental races.
This brought concern to Lumine after dealing with the monsters after being given a special box that could protect against and dispel the darkness. It wasn't effecting her badly; actually it barely effected her. It was Xiao that Lumine felt worry for most, as to his stubborn insistence, he'd go with her towards the first tower since he had been to the towers before. So their maps marked they went on their way with Tsumi's words of caution and encouragement.
It was a living hell as the darkness from abyss was like some corrosive poison. As they had been warned the enemies of abyss had become stronger due to this darkness that rained down like the fires of Natlan's erupting volcanoes. Lumine never wandering too far from Xiao not for her safety but for his own. He hadn't shown anything of concern other then he seemed to be struggling a little more then she was used to seeing. It was almost like in those ruins with the defiled statue of the anemo archon.
"Are you sure your ok? Paimon thinks you look a bit pale."Paimon asked floating over to the dark haired yaksha. Only to earn a dismissive growl and glare.
"I told you and I loathe repeating myself, you annoying nymph. I am fine."he spat swiftly forcing himself to walk faster. His and Lumine's bodies were covered in cuts and minor wounds from their recent encounter with those husks. They were slow and bulky monsters true, but they hit like falling boulders. But he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, let alone see straight. Just moments prior Lumine had been the one doing the protecting not him. He stopped in his tracks further up the path where three mechanisms could be found, leaning against it after activating it. While the girls went to activate the remaining two not far away. "Shit..."he thought hiding his eyes as the world began to spin around him. Thankfully it pasted before they noticed as he dismissed it as having to use his abilities to purify and purge far more then he was used to doing with unfamiliar monsters.
"You sure your alright?"This time it was Lumine that asked, carefully taking his hand after getting the tower in place. The worry on her fair but not dusty face still a sight he didn't like seeing. Worry did not belong on her face, a smile did. Her concern and anxiety felt like knives in the back of his soul, sharp and deep.
"I...I'm fine."he tried to assure, though his voice cracked a little. "I'll tell you if I need to rest. But we came here to preform this task and it must be completed."
"Promise you'll tell me? You don't need to overexert yourself."she whispered firmly. Her tone leaving no room for arguments with him. A tone that eerily reminded Xiao of the goddess of dust. With a sigh he gave a soft, tender smile reserved for her.
"No point arguing with you, it's wasted energy...alrigh' I'll tell you if I need to stop and rest."he assured, stroking her cheek before walking around her and scooping her up into his arms. His mighty and beautiful golden vermillion wings appearing taking them into the air straight for the top of the tower. Paimon following right behind them as he set Lumine down. The dark smog up here was exceedingly thick here at the source.
"Ok we're here so lets activate the switch."Paimon urged.
"Lets see...ah here it is."Lumine was swift to activate it. The dark smog soon stopped coming out but it still lingered over the area below. It would take lots of time and effort to clean up this mess but it would be a simple task now for this area. A sigh of relief Xiao leaned his back against the stone pillar of the now brilliantly shining switch. His hand covering his face as he tried to get his bearings.
"Well that's the first one done and connected to the tower. But the darkness hasn't cleared yet."observed Paimon.
"Well that's one down two to go."Lumine agreed.
"I-It'll take...time to clear."coughed Xiao, his hand covering his mouth.
"Xiao?"His fit only getting worse and louder before the girls witnessed him collapse hard to the floor. Blood trickling from his mouth as he gasped for breathe and white as a sheet. "XIAO!?"the girls screamed hurrying to his side. Lumine taking him into her arms to hold him up. His face contorted in suffering. "Alatus, answer me what's wrong? ALATUS!!!!"came her frightened, worried cries as he looked up with bleary eyes. Her tears the last thing he saw before unconsciousness claimed him.
To Be Continued...