As we approached the cliff, we took one last look at each other and prepared to jump. Rini cracked her fingers and wrapped her hands around Souta-kun's waist while I summoned a psi ball. I held my right hand in the air above me letting a medicine ball sized stunning pink ball form. I stepped back a foot or so while a shimmering green ring formed around it and started to run. Rini turned to face me with a grin and fell backwards, Souta-kun flailing in her arms. When I was a foot away from the cliff's edge, I jumped and landed cross legged on the ball then hit the ground again. The ball flattened then sprang up, sending me flying into the forest below, while Rini floated her way down on her back, soothing Souta-kun. To slow myself, I held my psi ball to my chest and drifted towards Rini-chan.
"Drifting is pleasant," I said. "You doin' okay, Souta-kun?"
He blinked in a surprised way. "Uh, yeah," he said nervously.
"That's good, 'cause we're about to land!" I moved myself back closer to the cliff face and started to run down, releasing my psi ball into a shower of pink, green and orange sparkles around me. Just for fun, I constantly changed their colour to make them more interesting. When I was close to the bottom, I pushed off and flipped, landing like a gymnast.
Rini-chan landed a moment later. "Show off," she said.
I chuckled. "So, should we set up camp, or do you want to carry on to the next village? It's about a mile away." I asked.
Rini-chan pulled out a pocket watch. "It won't matter which we choose, if we camp, we'll get an hour and a half sleep before dawn, I think it's best if we keep going." She cast a solemn look at the cliff. I nodded and lead the way on.
Ada-sensei pointed to the cliff. "I want you to jump and focus your energy into a psi ball as you fall. If you fail, I'll catch you. If you succeed, I want you to place it under your chest and float down," she said with a grin. By now I had learned to trust her commands, she seemed fairly confident in my abilities. So I jumped.
It was fairly unnerving watching the ground rush at you like that. I shut my eyes and focussed on a ball in my mind. The next thing I knew, there was a bright pink ball in my hands, a black and purple center swirling around inside of it. I did as she said and held it to my chest, which slowed me instantly. She floated down beside me, sitting cross legged on a lime green ball with a grin plastered on her face.
"Very well done, Amaya," she had said to me.
I smiled at how easy it was for me to summon the ball now, remembering how she had been the only one to say those words to me. Another memory hit me.
"Hey, Rini, light those candles for me, would you?" I asked while chopping the head off a chicken.
"Sure," she replied, turning to the candles on the table. The next thing I knew, the chicken was on fire.
I jumped back. "What the Hell?!" I yelled.
"Oh no, I'll fix it!" Rini yelled back. She soaked me and the chicken with a small wave of water. Souta-kun was laughing on his stool in the corner, Rini-chan was apologising non stop, the chicken was smoking and my makeup was running down my cheeks. Ada-sensei walked in and burst out laughing.
I held my right index finger in the air beside my head. "I'm going to change," I said simply and walked off.
I started to chuckle, then I laughed uncontrollably.
Rini panicked. "A-are you alright?!" She asked nervously.
"Y-y-yeah, I-I'm fine. I was just thinking about the time when you set the chicken on fire," I stuttered. When I looked up, I could see the village. "Guys, we're here."
I took off into a run, leaving Rini and Souta-kun to follow. My arms trailed in a V shape behind me, my sleeves fluttering. I toyed with the kunai that were in their pockets near my wrists as I approached the gates. Souta-kun caught up to me quickly and we slowed to a walk to greet the guard. He smiled and waved us in. Rini caught up to us the moment he smiled.
The village was larger than the last and more hospitable too. Though Rini-chan had been disowned, the village welcomed her anyway. The first thing we did was find a place to stay for the night, we planned on staying here for a day or so.
The inn we chose was run by a short, plump old man named Remmy. He took an instant liking to us and have us our room for free. Rini and I each got a bed, and Souta chose to sleep on a cot at the foot of her bed which he had become accustomed to. We put our things in our room and went out shopping, Rini was loaded.
Rini and Souta-kun went off shopping, leaving me with five thousand gold to spend. I started off with a clothing store with outfits I had taken a liking to. I tried on a few, but fell in love with one. It was plain black, the top half being like a kimono with white trim and a white top that went underneath. The sleeves were torn just before the ends of my shoulders. A white band went around my ribs, beginning just below my breasts and ending on my waist. The pants were black that started just below the white band. They were baggy, really baggy, and ruffled, falling almost level with my feet. The shoes were wooden flip-flops with two wooden rectangles underneath on the pad of my foot and the heel. It had a belt that was hidden by the white band with two slots for swords which the shop keeper gave me for free, pre sharpened. I bought the outfit for five hundred gold.
I moved on to a hair salon. I liked my old bob, but I loved my bangs, so I asked her to keep the orange streaks as long as they were (which was down to my bum in most places) and cut the black into a bob below my ears. It took no time at all, and hardly any money, fifty gold being the total. She was a very kind woman, easy to talk to. I thanked her and left to find Rini and Souta-kun, wearing my new outfit proudly.
The two were sitting in a coffee shop eating muffins. "Aw, look at the happy couple," I jeered, pulling up a chair.
They both blushed. "Well, look at you! How much did this make over cost you?" She asked surprised.
"Five fifty, even, what about you?"
"I got a few things."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that night, I had insomnia. I stood out on the balcony overlooking the village. On the cobble stone streets below, I noticed a man standing at the corner of the building opposite this watching me. The glare from the moon caught his glasses, blinding me for a moment. When I regained sight, all I saw was his jacket flutter behind the building. I jumped off the two story balcony in my bare feet, wearing my training kimono and took off after him. He stood not far behind the building, making me almost crash into his chest. With one swift pivot I was beside him instead of pressed into his chest. He was at least six feet tall, with shaggy chestnut brown hair, faded into blonde at the top. Behind his rectangular glasses were two cold black eyes. In his lip was a single ring matching mine and three silver rings in each ear. As for his clothes, he wore a sleeveless black jacket with a high collar, it probably would have covered his eyes if it was done up, and at the bottom of the jacket, it was pointed downwards. In edition to the black, it had red trim and swirls at the bottom. The jacket was connected in the front by two red straps, two more red straps around his upper arms. He wore a black muscle shirt underneath and a pair of faded blue jeans.
He smiled down at me. "You are the telekinetic girl, Amaya," it wasn't a question, it was a statement. "I have come on behalf of the king of supernatural, he wishes to invite you to a world where both you and your . . . companion will be accepted, not scorned. If you wish to join us, just head south, you've been headed in that direction already." He flashed his fangs briefly.
"It does sound wonderful, going against Rini's 'father' for once. I'll defiantly consider it," I replied.
He leaned closer to me and inhaled deeply. "You smell wonderful, but I must resist my urge, it is my time to feed, you see. Once a year to live forever. I must be going," he pulled away sharply and walked away.
"Your name?" I asked.
He faced me in the moonlight. "Kyle." And he was gone.
I climbed up onto a psi ball and jumped up onto the balcony. Rini was sound asleep, while Souta-kun was sitting upright, watching me walk in.
"What were you doing?" He asked.
"Just talking to someone," I replied.
"He could have killed you, he's a vampire. You know, superhuman strength!" He said in a harsh whisper.
"I have telekinesis, pyrokenesis, and a voice, I think I could have done something," I whispered back. He grumbled something about being stubborn and flopped onto his back. I fell asleep with Kyle ruling my thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Rini told me how she had thought she heard us arguing, I told her she was dreaming. After the sun had risen higher in the sky, Rini asked if I wanted to head to the hot springs. I agreed and we headed out. Souta-kun decided to stay back.
I lowered myself into the steaming water, enjoying the break. I had tied all the orange strands in my hair back to keep them out of the water. "Uh, Rini . . . Last night while you and Souta-kun were asleep, I went out on the balcony. Across the street, a man was standing there, watching me, then he walked away. I followed him, and he told me about the side of the supernatural. Their king wants us to join them."
Rini looked intrigued. "I'd like that, if it means going to war against my 'father', then alright! Oh, you're blushing! Was he cute?" She asked, poking my arm.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "H-he was very attractive . . ." I replied, trailing off.
She gasped. "Oh, do you like him?" She asked, still poking my arm.
"I-I don't know. He invaded my thoughts and my dreams last night, but what are the chances of seeing him again? Very slim, I'm sure."
She gripped my hand. "Well, if their king sent him, then you're bound to see him again."
I smiled back at her and relaxed into the water.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We could have stolen horses from the village, but that would be rude, so we left and stole from a rich, greedy farmer not far away. My horse was a black stallion, stunning with a perfect coat. Souta-kun rode with Rini-chan due to the fact that he never learned to ride. We stopped from time to time in villages to purchase food, but otherwise, we continued our quest for the kingdom.
In the early evening, the sky clouded over, the air shifted and thunder rolled. Soon enough, the rain came down in waves. Not far off the path was a cave in front of a small pond. We went into the cave, put the horses near the back and set up camp. Souta-kun collected some branches, wet and dry, for me to ignite. Rini set up bedrolls and pulled out the fixings for sandwiches. So the fire was lit and the food was prepared. We all curled up and started telling scary stories to pass time and tire us out.
Souta-kun told us a Vampire story. "The lightning flashed, and in the doorway stood-"
The thunder crashed in time with a lightning flash, showing the silhouette of Kyle in the entrance. Rini screamed and scrambled backwards, and Souta-kun jumped. A smile spread across my face as I rose from my bedroll, wearing the white part of my new outfit. Rini calmed down and noticed the look on our faces. Though Kyle had developed dark rims below his eyes, their colour had changed to a warm caramel, matching his warm smile. Souta-kun had a frown on his face.
"So you have taken up our offer then?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, we have," I replied.
Souta-kun stiffened. "What offer?" He asked angrily.
Rini cut in. "Don't worry about it."
"Then I shall escort you myself. Please get some rest, we leave first thing tomorrow," he bowed slightly and walked outside into the rain. I doused the fire and waited for the two to drift off to sleep. Souta-kun was quickly snoring and Rini's breathing slowed soon after. I snuck out of my bedroll, pulled on the rest of my outfit and climbed on top of the rock with Kyle.
"Come to join me, I see," he said, offering his hand for help. I didn't need it but I took it anyway. He didn't let go when I sat down.
"You're still hungry, aren't you," I asked.
"Yes, I have had no time to try . . ."
"Why not?"
He looked at me and smiled. "I've been to busy watching out for you."
I blushed softly. "Promise me you'll feed before we go too far for you to."
He leaned closer to my face. "In exchange for, say, a kiss?"
I blushed harder. "I-I-I-" I stuttered, getting cut off by his lips. He pressed them to mine softly, but firmly. My heart fluttered and my face was on fire. He pulled away all too quickly. When he saw my face, he chuckled softly, running the back of his index finger over my cheek.
"If you ever want me to Turn you, simply ask and it's done, just know that you will be in agonising pain for approximately three days. Get some rest, you'll need it," he whispered the ending and kissed me lightly again. I slid off the rock in a daze and fell asleep with Kyle ruling my thoughts.
"Drifting is pleasant," I said. "You doin' okay, Souta-kun?"
He blinked in a surprised way. "Uh, yeah," he said nervously.
"That's good, 'cause we're about to land!" I moved myself back closer to the cliff face and started to run down, releasing my psi ball into a shower of pink, green and orange sparkles around me. Just for fun, I constantly changed their colour to make them more interesting. When I was close to the bottom, I pushed off and flipped, landing like a gymnast.
Rini-chan landed a moment later. "Show off," she said.
I chuckled. "So, should we set up camp, or do you want to carry on to the next village? It's about a mile away." I asked.
Rini-chan pulled out a pocket watch. "It won't matter which we choose, if we camp, we'll get an hour and a half sleep before dawn, I think it's best if we keep going." She cast a solemn look at the cliff. I nodded and lead the way on.
Ada-sensei pointed to the cliff. "I want you to jump and focus your energy into a psi ball as you fall. If you fail, I'll catch you. If you succeed, I want you to place it under your chest and float down," she said with a grin. By now I had learned to trust her commands, she seemed fairly confident in my abilities. So I jumped.
It was fairly unnerving watching the ground rush at you like that. I shut my eyes and focussed on a ball in my mind. The next thing I knew, there was a bright pink ball in my hands, a black and purple center swirling around inside of it. I did as she said and held it to my chest, which slowed me instantly. She floated down beside me, sitting cross legged on a lime green ball with a grin plastered on her face.
"Very well done, Amaya," she had said to me.
I smiled at how easy it was for me to summon the ball now, remembering how she had been the only one to say those words to me. Another memory hit me.
"Hey, Rini, light those candles for me, would you?" I asked while chopping the head off a chicken.
"Sure," she replied, turning to the candles on the table. The next thing I knew, the chicken was on fire.
I jumped back. "What the Hell?!" I yelled.
"Oh no, I'll fix it!" Rini yelled back. She soaked me and the chicken with a small wave of water. Souta-kun was laughing on his stool in the corner, Rini-chan was apologising non stop, the chicken was smoking and my makeup was running down my cheeks. Ada-sensei walked in and burst out laughing.
I held my right index finger in the air beside my head. "I'm going to change," I said simply and walked off.
I started to chuckle, then I laughed uncontrollably.
Rini panicked. "A-are you alright?!" She asked nervously.
"Y-y-yeah, I-I'm fine. I was just thinking about the time when you set the chicken on fire," I stuttered. When I looked up, I could see the village. "Guys, we're here."
I took off into a run, leaving Rini and Souta-kun to follow. My arms trailed in a V shape behind me, my sleeves fluttering. I toyed with the kunai that were in their pockets near my wrists as I approached the gates. Souta-kun caught up to me quickly and we slowed to a walk to greet the guard. He smiled and waved us in. Rini caught up to us the moment he smiled.
The village was larger than the last and more hospitable too. Though Rini-chan had been disowned, the village welcomed her anyway. The first thing we did was find a place to stay for the night, we planned on staying here for a day or so.
The inn we chose was run by a short, plump old man named Remmy. He took an instant liking to us and have us our room for free. Rini and I each got a bed, and Souta chose to sleep on a cot at the foot of her bed which he had become accustomed to. We put our things in our room and went out shopping, Rini was loaded.
Rini and Souta-kun went off shopping, leaving me with five thousand gold to spend. I started off with a clothing store with outfits I had taken a liking to. I tried on a few, but fell in love with one. It was plain black, the top half being like a kimono with white trim and a white top that went underneath. The sleeves were torn just before the ends of my shoulders. A white band went around my ribs, beginning just below my breasts and ending on my waist. The pants were black that started just below the white band. They were baggy, really baggy, and ruffled, falling almost level with my feet. The shoes were wooden flip-flops with two wooden rectangles underneath on the pad of my foot and the heel. It had a belt that was hidden by the white band with two slots for swords which the shop keeper gave me for free, pre sharpened. I bought the outfit for five hundred gold.
I moved on to a hair salon. I liked my old bob, but I loved my bangs, so I asked her to keep the orange streaks as long as they were (which was down to my bum in most places) and cut the black into a bob below my ears. It took no time at all, and hardly any money, fifty gold being the total. She was a very kind woman, easy to talk to. I thanked her and left to find Rini and Souta-kun, wearing my new outfit proudly.
The two were sitting in a coffee shop eating muffins. "Aw, look at the happy couple," I jeered, pulling up a chair.
They both blushed. "Well, look at you! How much did this make over cost you?" She asked surprised.
"Five fifty, even, what about you?"
"I got a few things."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that night, I had insomnia. I stood out on the balcony overlooking the village. On the cobble stone streets below, I noticed a man standing at the corner of the building opposite this watching me. The glare from the moon caught his glasses, blinding me for a moment. When I regained sight, all I saw was his jacket flutter behind the building. I jumped off the two story balcony in my bare feet, wearing my training kimono and took off after him. He stood not far behind the building, making me almost crash into his chest. With one swift pivot I was beside him instead of pressed into his chest. He was at least six feet tall, with shaggy chestnut brown hair, faded into blonde at the top. Behind his rectangular glasses were two cold black eyes. In his lip was a single ring matching mine and three silver rings in each ear. As for his clothes, he wore a sleeveless black jacket with a high collar, it probably would have covered his eyes if it was done up, and at the bottom of the jacket, it was pointed downwards. In edition to the black, it had red trim and swirls at the bottom. The jacket was connected in the front by two red straps, two more red straps around his upper arms. He wore a black muscle shirt underneath and a pair of faded blue jeans.
He smiled down at me. "You are the telekinetic girl, Amaya," it wasn't a question, it was a statement. "I have come on behalf of the king of supernatural, he wishes to invite you to a world where both you and your . . . companion will be accepted, not scorned. If you wish to join us, just head south, you've been headed in that direction already." He flashed his fangs briefly.
"It does sound wonderful, going against Rini's 'father' for once. I'll defiantly consider it," I replied.
He leaned closer to me and inhaled deeply. "You smell wonderful, but I must resist my urge, it is my time to feed, you see. Once a year to live forever. I must be going," he pulled away sharply and walked away.
"Your name?" I asked.
He faced me in the moonlight. "Kyle." And he was gone.
I climbed up onto a psi ball and jumped up onto the balcony. Rini was sound asleep, while Souta-kun was sitting upright, watching me walk in.
"What were you doing?" He asked.
"Just talking to someone," I replied.
"He could have killed you, he's a vampire. You know, superhuman strength!" He said in a harsh whisper.
"I have telekinesis, pyrokenesis, and a voice, I think I could have done something," I whispered back. He grumbled something about being stubborn and flopped onto his back. I fell asleep with Kyle ruling my thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Rini told me how she had thought she heard us arguing, I told her she was dreaming. After the sun had risen higher in the sky, Rini asked if I wanted to head to the hot springs. I agreed and we headed out. Souta-kun decided to stay back.
I lowered myself into the steaming water, enjoying the break. I had tied all the orange strands in my hair back to keep them out of the water. "Uh, Rini . . . Last night while you and Souta-kun were asleep, I went out on the balcony. Across the street, a man was standing there, watching me, then he walked away. I followed him, and he told me about the side of the supernatural. Their king wants us to join them."
Rini looked intrigued. "I'd like that, if it means going to war against my 'father', then alright! Oh, you're blushing! Was he cute?" She asked, poking my arm.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "H-he was very attractive . . ." I replied, trailing off.
She gasped. "Oh, do you like him?" She asked, still poking my arm.
"I-I don't know. He invaded my thoughts and my dreams last night, but what are the chances of seeing him again? Very slim, I'm sure."
She gripped my hand. "Well, if their king sent him, then you're bound to see him again."
I smiled back at her and relaxed into the water.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We could have stolen horses from the village, but that would be rude, so we left and stole from a rich, greedy farmer not far away. My horse was a black stallion, stunning with a perfect coat. Souta-kun rode with Rini-chan due to the fact that he never learned to ride. We stopped from time to time in villages to purchase food, but otherwise, we continued our quest for the kingdom.
In the early evening, the sky clouded over, the air shifted and thunder rolled. Soon enough, the rain came down in waves. Not far off the path was a cave in front of a small pond. We went into the cave, put the horses near the back and set up camp. Souta-kun collected some branches, wet and dry, for me to ignite. Rini set up bedrolls and pulled out the fixings for sandwiches. So the fire was lit and the food was prepared. We all curled up and started telling scary stories to pass time and tire us out.
Souta-kun told us a Vampire story. "The lightning flashed, and in the doorway stood-"
The thunder crashed in time with a lightning flash, showing the silhouette of Kyle in the entrance. Rini screamed and scrambled backwards, and Souta-kun jumped. A smile spread across my face as I rose from my bedroll, wearing the white part of my new outfit. Rini calmed down and noticed the look on our faces. Though Kyle had developed dark rims below his eyes, their colour had changed to a warm caramel, matching his warm smile. Souta-kun had a frown on his face.
"So you have taken up our offer then?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, we have," I replied.
Souta-kun stiffened. "What offer?" He asked angrily.
Rini cut in. "Don't worry about it."
"Then I shall escort you myself. Please get some rest, we leave first thing tomorrow," he bowed slightly and walked outside into the rain. I doused the fire and waited for the two to drift off to sleep. Souta-kun was quickly snoring and Rini's breathing slowed soon after. I snuck out of my bedroll, pulled on the rest of my outfit and climbed on top of the rock with Kyle.
"Come to join me, I see," he said, offering his hand for help. I didn't need it but I took it anyway. He didn't let go when I sat down.
"You're still hungry, aren't you," I asked.
"Yes, I have had no time to try . . ."
"Why not?"
He looked at me and smiled. "I've been to busy watching out for you."
I blushed softly. "Promise me you'll feed before we go too far for you to."
He leaned closer to my face. "In exchange for, say, a kiss?"
I blushed harder. "I-I-I-" I stuttered, getting cut off by his lips. He pressed them to mine softly, but firmly. My heart fluttered and my face was on fire. He pulled away all too quickly. When he saw my face, he chuckled softly, running the back of his index finger over my cheek.
"If you ever want me to Turn you, simply ask and it's done, just know that you will be in agonising pain for approximately three days. Get some rest, you'll need it," he whispered the ending and kissed me lightly again. I slid off the rock in a daze and fell asleep with Kyle ruling my thoughts.
