Chapter 2
Yuno awoke covered in blood. The sword was in her right hand and on her left was a large white shield decorated with a white dragon. In front of her was a destroyed dojo she remembered being in before she blacked out.
She looked through the rubble, seeing Daisho Ryo's body lying under a pile of roofing tiles. She quickly ran to his side, pulling tiles away as she dug him out. Tears streamed down her face as she bowed before her lord.
"We shall go into the mountains." Whispered a voice.
"Who's there?" She said as she quickly stood waving her sword around looking for the voice.
"I am the Storm Dragon, Kyros. Imprisoned in your sword." Kyros said through Yuno's mind.
" The monk's spirit inside the shield keeps me from devouring your soul and taking over your body, but I still can communicate with you." Kyros continued as Yuno stared in amazement at the sword.
She shifted her gaze to the large tower shield, it was floating near her following her movements as she backed away from it.
"The damned monk keeps me sealed inside the sword. Destroy the shield and let me be free." Kyros bellowed from inside Yuno's head.
"No!" She yelled as she threw the blade away.
The sword flew out of her hand. It twirled as it flew down the mountainside. As it disappeared into the snowy woods below she heard Kyros in her head.
"You will not be rid of me that easily Yuno."
Dark smoke began to erupt from the sheath of the blade that had wrapped itself to her during her sleep. With a crackle of lightning from the smoke, The Black Dragon Sword materialized in its sheath.
"We are bound together." Kyros sighed.
"Head further into the mountains. I may not be able to control you but do as I say and we will rule Kamiru. Your lord is slain, if you return to Karui they will execute you. Follow me and we will obtain great power."
Deciding that Kyros was right, she couldn't return to Karui, Yuno began stumbling along the path moving further into the mountains above, the White Dragon Shield floating behind her.
The path slowly disappeared as Yuno walked further into the mountain. Snow-covered the path as it continued to fall and the winds began to howl as a storm began rolling across the sky. Yuno shivered as the wind stole the warmth from her kimono. Grabbing ahold of the White Dragon Shield, she shielded herself from the icy wind.
She came to a clearing upon the cliffside. A monk statue sat meditatively gazing at the frozen oceanside below. An Ember knight stood below the statue. The knight wore blackened steel armor, a sword hung at his hip. The knight looked up at the monk statue, with a few unheard words he began pissing on the base of the statue.
"What are you doing?" Yuno burst forward to confront the knight.
The man quickly stepped forward with a short sword drawn.
"And who are you?" The knight questioned.
He smelled of alcohol and blood. Yuno felt her hand subconsciously slip to her blade.
" Kill the fool who dares step in our path." Whispered Kyros.
Yuno taken back from the Kyros' demand, tripped backward, pulling the sword from its sheath and wildly swinging the blade as she fell. A blast of vorpal wind cut through the air and split the head of the statue of the monk. The knight stepped forward sensing a weak opponent. He slashed Yuno as she fumble on the ground with her large shield and sword.
He slashed a large gash in her side as she stabbed a hole in his leg. He watched as her wounds began to regenerate incredibly fast. With a quick and graceful roll, She rolled into an upward slash bringing forth a vorpal wind lash decimating the knight into two parts.
" I will return when you need me," Kyros said as Yuno quickly recovered her composer and sheathed the blade.
She plucked the floating shield from the air and began looking through the knight's pockets. Ten gold pieces from the man's pouch. Along with a backpack, a bit of camping gear, a dagger, and a ruby ring worth easily one hundred gold pieces. After going through the pack she swung it over her shoulders. She looked back at the monk statue and frowned. The head was missing from its tranquil body.
Kyros, where are we going? Yuno thought to herself as she stood next to a flowing stream of water. She had been walking up the path for nearly an hour. The sun was beginning to set. Looking out at the sky she saw beautiful billowing clouds colored orange in the setting sun.
"We are going to my home before I was trapped in this accursed sword," Kyros replied through her mind.
"How do you do that?" Yuno said aloud as she looked down at the Black Dragon Sword.
"As I told you before, we are bound together. I can hear your thoughts. If I wish, like I am now, I can allow you to hear mine." Kyros replied with a low growl, clearly beginning to lose his patience.
"Get out of my head!" Yuno shouted.
" I cannot. I'm bound to your soul. Foolish g,irl you cannot escape me. I will forever be in your mind until you surrender your soul and body to me." Kyros bellowed back at her.
"I'll never allow you to have my body ever again. You made me kill lord Ryo and master Tao, you're a demon." Yuno screamed out as she unsheathed the sword.
"Trying to get rid of me again?" Kyros hissed as she tried yet again tried to throw him away from her.
The Black Dragon Sword, known as Kyros, disappeared into the stream of water as Yuno ran away, desperately trying to get away from the accursed sword. Moments later the same dark cloud and crackle of lightning as from before materialized the sword in its scabbard. She kept running through the forest, not caring that the sword had returned.
"You cannot run from me Yuno," Kyros whispered inside her mind.
Yuno stopped running at the edge of a clearing in the forest, The White Dragon Shield following behind her. Her attention on Kyros was lost, as she spotted The Cherry Blossom Temple. The White Dragon Shield floated in front of her, slowly headed towards the temple. As it got a little further ahead and stopped, slowly spinning around, as if becoming her along. It wants me to follow. Yuno thought as she began walking with the shield.
"Do not follow that old fool! We must return to my home, there awaits untold power there for you and me to unleash upon this land." Kyros shouted in her mind as Yuno continued walking towards an old stone staircase leading to the temple.
Yuno deciding not to speak aloud anymore since Kyros could hear her thoughts simply replied. As you said before Kyros, I'm still in control of this body. I'll go wherever I wish.
Kyros did not reply to her after that, he simply watched through Yuno's hazel eyes, deciding to bide his time. He decided he would have to use a different strategy to convince the girl to follow his lead, now that the damned monk's spirit was leading her away from his old lair.
Yuno climbed the mossy old stone steps leading up to the temple. Along the way, she took in the temple's beauty. Though the winter had robbed the trees of their beautiful pink flowers, cherry blossom trees lined the outer wall of the temple and some could be seen growing in the courtyard. The Torii gates leading up to the temple were a vibrant red as she passed underneath them. Their towering forms dwarfed her in comparison.
As Yuno stepped into the temple courtyard, the beauty of the place took her breath away. The temple's walls were a beautiful pearl white, the shingles along its roof a spectacular terracotta. A koi pond with a natural waterfall pouring into it sat in the corner of the courtyard as a small stream snaked its way further down the mountain.
She stood there for a few moments taking in the wonderful sight until an elderly monk stepped out of the temple's large doors and began walking toward her. The thump of his walking staff in time with his steps pulling her out of her admiration, she quickly bowed before the elderly man.
"My name is Yuno, I am sorry to disturb you." She respectfully said as she continued bowing.
"Please feel free to stand straight, I'm much too old for the formalities. My name is Yamato." Yamato said with a gentle smile."Have you come to pray before the shrine?"
" I was lead here by this," Yuno said pointing at the White Dragon Shield floating nearby.
" Oh gods, I didn't even notice it. My eyesight must be getting poor in my old age." Yamato chuckled as he slowly walked over to the shield. "Quite an interesting shield. You say it led you here?"
"Yes, I was in the woods, when I came to the clearing below the shield began leading me towards the steps," Yuno replied as Yamato began inspecting the shield, circling it, glancing at its intricate design.
Yamato laid his palm against the face of the shield, closing his eyes as he focused his chakra upon the shield. After a few moments he opened his eyes, and a tear fell down his cheek as he whispered a single word.
"Tao"