The next morning brought more of the subdued slave routine. The demons ferrying us across the bay had no idea that we were on our way to freedom, that the bonds we wore were almost laughable. The waves of excitement that started deep inside washed over me again and again with growing intensity as we neared our destination. It was plenty hard to keep that excitement at bay and remember that this last part of the charade was just as important as the first. Somehow, I managed it, as did the children and Gakuto, the loudmouth. I guess everyone knew how much was riding on those final hours pretending to be property.
I spent most of the long boat ride staring out at those beautiful deep blue waters, which really did seem like they went on forever. Nothing could ever take the place of a night sky, though. That thing was truly endless, and filled with more unwritten possibilities than anyone could ever hope to imagine.
Besides just the slaves, Kiyoshi, Fuyuko and Takahiko were pretty quiet as well. It can't have been easy for any of them. Fuyuko felt as though she'd been betrayed by a close friend. I knew the feeling very well. It is crippling and heartbreaking. Although he was quiet most of the time, I got the feeling Takahiko would have liked to be on Kiyoshi's side, but his affection for Fuyuko kept him at hers. I could only hope he'd been whispering positive messages in her ear.
Kiyoshi's melancholy mood was easy to read. He was down two members and might lose two more by the end of the day if Fuyuko didn't come around. The guilt itself would have been a heavy enough burden without his friends condemning him for it. Honestly, I couldn't wait for him to get home. Seeing all the smiling faces of people who still believed in him would do nothing but good.
At long last, the golden shores of the white fox's territory came into view. Beyond them, I could only see lush hills, no woods or white flowers yet, but even so, it was a welcome sight. Kiyoshi's mood shifted the instant they came into view, though he was keeping his excitement to himself as well. He still had his part to play until the end. We all wore masks that day.
We couldn't get off that boat fast enough. I'm sure everyone's heart was beating just as fast as mine. The three children Kiyoshi didn't buy from Arinaga were starting to forget themselves and become excited, though some of the women did their best to calm them down. A little more. Just a little more.
As soon as we were all off, the boat began its voyage back to Paradise Bay and we started our walk towards the deep green hills of Utopia. We didn't stick into our formation anymore. Kiyoshi, Mitsuo and I were still near the front, while Fuyuko and Takahiko stayed towards the back of the cluster, but we weren't strategically spaced any longer. There was no need to be.
As we crossed over the first hill, the fox's mouth bloomed into that full faced smile I loved so much and he took a giant inhale through his nose. "Finally."
Mitsuo whistled. "Just think of all that paperwork you'll have to catch up on."
Kiyoshi clicked his tongue. "Must you spoil it?"
His brother laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."
The fox just shook his head as he cut me and Mitsuo free, and then started making his way back to the others. Mitsuo and I helped untie people as well, while Fuyuko and Takahiko started making their way up from the back.
"Are we done?" Eiji, the young boy asked.
"Mhm." Kiyoshi nodded. "Done forever."
Eiji's face brightened and he gave a cheer. He and the two twin girls ran over the grassy hill, playing an improvised game of tag. When they realized their new group of friends weren't keeping up, they came back and tried to tug them along. The other children were resistant and unsure, pulling back and looking at Kiyoshi nervously.
"It's alright." Kiyoshi spread his arm and gestured at the green hills. "Go play. Go on."
The new group was somewhat stiff at first, but soon enough they forgot about being well behaved and went on playing, just being normal children. Loud cheers, happy chatter, and even some relived crying spread through the adult group of former slaves. A few of the grown men and women even got in on the game of tag with the kids. Who could blame them? When you live your whole live in a cage, it's the best feeling to stretch your legs and laugh as loudly as you can.
Kiyoshi just stood and watched them all with a smile on his face. Fuyuko approached him with her arms crossed and stared out at them for a few moments before she spoke.
"This is what you want?" she asked.
He nodded. "This is exactly what I want the whole of demon world to look like."
She didn't answer him, simply studied his face for a minute before turning back to the happy scene wordlessly. The game continued for a few more minutes before he got us moving again.
"Alright. Come on." Kiyoshi yelled and waved his arm forward. "You want to make it home in time for dinner, don't you?"
The group gathered back into a loose formation, still loud and as cheerful as ever, and we began to move forward again.
Mitsuo rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait. I'm starving."
"You're going to feed all these people?" I asked.
Kiyoshi nodded. "Of course. The first night I bring new people is always a big celebration, loads of hotpot for anyone who wants any. The next day is mostly finding living situations and jobs for everyone." He sighed. "So much work."
"And so much paperwork," Mitsuo said.
"Mitsuo, I think I might just put you in charge of looking over all my important documents and stamping everything in my stead. What do you think?"
He shrugged. "I think I'll stamp everything without looking at it."
The fox grumbled. "You would, wouldn't you?"
Mitsuo just grinned in reply.
"How very lucky of you to be the younger brother."
We crossed over the final hill. Laid out before us was a grassy field that swept out to the edge of the thick and tall deciduous woods. I could see them then, those white flowers that looked like lilies, peaking their way out of the tree line. A few of them dotted all the way out to the field, into the furthest stretches of the tree shadow created by the late afternoon sun. It really was a beautiful day, warm with a slight breeze.
"Almost there now." Kiyoshi started down the hill.
"I can't wait to see Roka," Mitsuo said with a smile. "I bet he'll be waiting by the gate. He always-"
Kiyoshi put his hand up, cutting him off. He put his head up and sniffed the air deeply while his eyes and ears darted all around. "They would dare challenge me on my own territory."
"Who?" Mitsuo asked.
"An ogre," Kiyoshi growled deeply.
"No way." Mitsuo's eyes widened. "Not here."
"Fuyuko! Takahiko!" Kiyoshi yelled over the crowd.
The two came running to his side.
"Fuyuko and Mitsuo, take these people as quickly as you can to the city. Takahiko, I need you to fly ahead, round up some fighters and come back here. Be quick."
"On it." Takahiko nodded and shot up into the air without asking further questions.
"And you will?" Mitsuo asked.
"Buy you time, of course."
"You know it is you that it wants," Mitsuo warned.
"And it is me it shall get." Kiyoshi thrust his hand forward and sent a large wall of green flames from our position all the way to the tree line. "Go!"
Mitsuo nodded and turned around to shout at the crowd. "Everyone, we are in danger. Follow me as quickly as you can. Do not stop running!"
He took off, sprinting along the wall of green flame. The confused crowd started to follow as fast as they could go, a few of them scooping up the younger children as they went. Hitomi shot me a worried expression as she ran past with Mei and Yoshiko. I gave her a soothing smile in response. Fuyuko waited until the last of them had gone past her before she took up the rear. Jin had elected to put himself in the back with her without a command from anyone. His instincts were good in a crisis, here and at the beach.
"Don't die." He slapped my shoulder as he ran past.
I winked at him. "Of course not."
With the last of them past us, Kiyoshi turned to me. "Aki..."
With a huge smile I ripped the blades from my waist and spun them around a few times. "Yes, obviously."
He smiled back at me and took off towards the field. I followed hot on his heels. I couldn't see the enemies he was so worried about, but that didn't stop my enthusiasm. I'd never seen an ogre before and I was desperately curious to see what sort of song my darlings would carve out of its flesh.
We'd reached the center of the field before about a dozen men came charging out of the trees, yelling. They weren't ogres at all, just your run-of-the-mill demons, which was quite disappointing. I wanted a new song.
Kiyoshi sent out a flat wave of green flame that fanned out to greet them. Upon contact, it spread over its victims, searing them in mere moments as it climbed up and down their bodies and brought them to death with delicious screams.
We sped past the charred corpses, getting even closer to the trees. Another group of demons, larger than the last, dashed out from the woods. They were mostly magic users this time and sent volleys of energy flying at us. There was nothing spectacular about it. I'd seen it all before. The fox and I split up. He branched left, while I went right. They tried to divide their attack and take us down, but they had no hope. Those fools were much too slow. Kiyoshi and I started working our way back to each other, taking down anyone that got in our way.
The magic volleys sped past me, so close to connecting I could feel the energy prick at my skin. It only made me run faster. My darlings sliced through torsos, necks, even faces. That oh-so-satisfying sound of steel severing skin, muscle, and cartilage while the grunts and sputtering notes of death echoed behind me started to string together to form that lovely song.
I met back with the fox in middle, he had blood up to his elbows and the spray was starting to stick to his white hair. The pretty sight brought a bigger smile to my already grinning face.
He turned towards the trees and spoke to someone I couldn't see. "How long do you intend to waste our time? Why not come out yourself, coward?"
A deep laugh thundered from inside the woods. Moments later, a gargantuan man with red skin stepped from the trees. A single white horn jutted from his forehead and a large spiked club was slung over his shoulder. He towered over us, even with his slouching posture. Four of me stacked up would have barely made the top of his head, and one of his legs was as thick as my entire body. So, this was an ogre. He would not disappoint. This beast would bring the perfect end to my song.
"How good to see you at last, little pup." The ogre's voice boomed as he spoke.
Kiyoshi growled. "You are very arrogant to trespass in the White Wood and then refuse to show your face, sending out your lackeys to do your work instead."
He let out another loud laugh. "My work? Hardly. They were merely fodder to test you out a bit. As expected, I see nothing exceptional from a fox with only one tail."
"What is it that you want?" Kiyoshi asked.
All this conversation was really starting to put an unwanted pause in my song. Why all the chit-chat? Was he stalling? Did this ogre worry him that much?
"A little bird told me that you are looking to take over the eastern slave trade."
"What of it? Did you come all the way from the Murky Isles just to confirm a rumor?"
The ogre grinned. "If only. I came to squash you before this rumor becomes real. No fox would ever dream of making deals with ogres, and this fact would put quite the damper in our lifestyle over there. I thought it might be a little harder to weed you out from the group, but here you are. With you dead, the magic protecting the White Wood will grow thin and everything in it will be vulnerable, if only for a short time."
"I'm not sure whether to be impressed with your knowledge or offended that they just sent one of you to do the job."
He shrugged. "Well, you know, magic portals on short notice and all that. Hard to get the energy going. No matter. I will be more than enough for a little pup like you."
The ogre snatched the club from his shoulder and brought it down between the two of us with a deafening boom. The ground caved underneath the spiked weapon, cracks splintering out from the impact point. We both dodged, of course, but the vibrations from the attack made it hard to find steady footing and get moving again.
I sprinted to get behind the gigantic demon, as did Kiyoshi. I readied my darling to slice into his exposed heel, ready to hear the sweet note of metal separating tendon followed by a scream of agony. But my blade merely bounced off, sending vibrations back into my hand, as though I'd tried to strike rock instead of flesh. I couldn't help but smile, a challenge at last. Oh, what a good song his death would play for me.
With a thunderous laugh the ogre spun around with his club low to the ground, causing Kiyoshi and I to dodge back once again. For such a big thing, he certainly wasn't slow. It didn't seem as though the fox had landed a blow either.
"You'll have to do better than that, little pup. Those dull claws of yours have no hope of piercing my skin." The demon swung at Kiyoshi, turning his back to me.
Fool. I pushed more magic into my blades and ran at his legs again. I slashed at the back of his ankle. His flesh gave way this time, if only a little. The note was too quiet. I would have to make it louder.
He grunted and stumbled forward, giving Kiyoshi time to dash underneath him and swipe at his legs again, though he didn't seem to be doing any damage.
"Insolent bug!" The ogre howled and stomped his feet.
Kiyoshi managed to get clear, but the shaky ground threw me off balance as I struggled to dodge that big oaf's feet.
I landed wrong and stumbled onto my back, hitting the ground hard. His huge red foot came up again. I rolled just in time to avoid being crushed to death, but a cracking sound made me grimace. My head snapped to the right and my eyes went wide. One of my darlings was in pieces. I sprang to my feet and stared at my broken chakram. A quarter of it was completely missing, just splinters on the ground. The rest of it was cracked and completely unusable.
"No," I whispered.
"Aki!"
I looked up just in time to see the back of the ogre's hand. It barreled into me and sent me flying through the air. I sped past a few trees before my back crashed into one, sending an electric zing through my entire body. It took a few moments before my breath returned to me. I just laid there in that bed of white flowers gasping for air.
"Well, look what we have here," a man said.
My muddy vision focused on three pairs of feet. Stragglers from the ogre's collection of fodder, it seemed.
"Looks like your lucks run out, little lady," another voice said.
Coughing a few times, I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled to keep my balance.
"You're not looking so good. This shouldn't be too hard, but I wonder if we shouldn't draw it out. You know, for the sake of our dead comrades."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"What did you say?"
"Your god awful voice is ruining the beauty of my song, of this place. People like you always ruin it. Why do you have to ruin everything?"
One of them laughed. "I think she's lost it."
I cracked a smile. "Oh, you have no idea. It's alright. I will make your lives worth something in the end. I will make you sing for me."
Their confused looks barely had time to register before I flew at them. One blade was all I needed to rip the life from them. Their tired song was getting so old. I would hear the one that my darling would play on that ogre's flesh. I do not lose.
I shot out from the trees and back onto the field. Kiyoshi was still dancing around between the ogre's legs. He was clearly making contact, but that damn brute just wasn't going down. The fox dodged another swing of the club, but the ogre seized his arm.
"Gotcha, little pup." He raised the fox up and squeezed as hard as he could.
Kiyoshi howled in pain as his arm was crushed. Those sickening snaps, those screams of his were not music, not music at all.
"Bastard!" I charged forward.
I would kill this asshole no matter what. I would do it with my remaining darling, the splinters of my broken one, even my own bare hands if I had to. I would end him. He would sing for me.
Kiyoshi pressed his free hand into the ogre's wrist and scorched it with a burst of green flame. The demon screamed and dropped him, allowing Kiyoshi to jump back. His crushed arm was a mess of blood and jutting bone.
Those golden eyes locked on mine and I understood at once. The fox raised his good arm and snapped his fingers. The ogre yelled and fell to his knees. I raced to him, pushing every ounce of magic I could muster into my remaining chakram. I screamed as I leapt into the air, digging my blade into the back of that bastard's neck. That beautiful gurgle finally filled my ears.
It wasn't good enough. I raised my weapon and slammed it into the wound again and again as I screamed and crimson soaked my face. The blade started to crack and chip from misuse, but it didn't matter. He was going to die, no matter the cost. Finally, he fell, and that gorgeous song came to an end.
I sat there for a moment, panting and letting the last notes of the song play over in my head.
"So," I said finally. "Ogres are kind of tough."
A smile spread of Kiyoshi's face and he started laughing. "They are."
"Your arm..."
He looked at it and nodded. "I think something like this will take a while to heal, even for me."
I climbed off the ogre's corpse, leaving my broken weapon behind. Tears started to sting my eyes. "Farwell, my darlings."
"Ready to go home?" he asked as I approached him.
I smiled and nodded.
We turned to go and I saw them coming out of the trees, the last remnants of the ogre's crew. It all happened so fast. I knew the arrow was pointed at him. There were no weapons to block it, just me. I slid in front of him, letting the arrow pierce my chest.
My greatest strength is being a sword, but I can also be a fairly reliable shield. And honestly, I'd never been so happy to be one as I was right then.
Seconds after that, several white figures dashed from the trees, catching our attackers from behind. Aside from the foxes, there were other demons and half-breeds, ranging all the way from larger demons the size of the twins, to smaller ones, like a woman with flowing red hair wielding a bow with supreme skill.
"Aki!"
I fell back and Kiyoshi went with me, keeping me propped up against his chest.
"No," he whispered. "Why would you do that?"
Why? What a dumb question.
"You can blame...Takahiko and his...absolute shit timing." I strained to talk. My breaths were not coming easily.
After everything, a single arrow was really going to be the death of me? How stupid.
He shook his head and pressed his forehead into mine. "You just have to stay with me for a few more minutes. You're going to be fine."
I didn't have the voice to tell him it was alright, so I reached up and stroked his cheek. We were both such a mess. I couldn't tell whose blood and tears were whose. It really didn't matter anyway.
"Just a few more minutes, Aki." His voice trembled.
I really wish I could have told him not to worry about it. I was never afraid of death. To die on a battlefield was always going to be my fate. At least this way my life was finally worth something. It was no night sky, but the view of the forest wasn't bad and the breeze felt nice on my face.
A loose petal found its way to us and settled gently on my chest, soaking up all that red color. A smile spread across my lips.
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than deep crimson on pure white?