Oni - Part 4

As the dawn approached, Kronik arrived at the gate, still carrying the unconscious guard atop his shoulders. The air was crisp and chill, as a light breeze wafted by. Kronik gently laid the man against the wall and awaited the gates opening.

"I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble." He said quietly to the sleeping man. "But I must get through this village." He turned to look back to the path he had taken.

He wondered how far he would have to go, and if he would ever see his only friend ever again. "Akuma," he muttered to himself as he absent mindedly reached for the seal on the back of his neck, "can even you understand my suffering?"

As he gazed off down the long road, a slight rustle in the tree boughs nearby brought a smirk to his contemplative expression.

"You again?" he asked, not bothering to move his stare from the path.

"Haha!," came a familiarly sarcastic response. "You are good," it continued as the man from the road landed next to Kronik, who had now shifted slightly to look at the man. No longer did he wear the mantle of a simple traveler, now he was dressed in the fine garments one might find on a general or a noble. "I see you have met Ryushim," he laughed, as he looked to the motionless guard, "I apologize for his abruptness. We normally do not accept visitors unless they first speak with the master of this village. He is currently away on diplomatic business." His look suddenly became serious, and he turned fully to face the silent assassin. "What did you come for, assassin. What purpose would someone of your obvious skill possibly have with our calm village?" He didn't wait for a response, as he pressed forward, "This village holds many secrets. It is a haven for those who seek to be alone, and for those who wish to live in peace. This is a town of rogues, and people who do not wish to be bothered by the outside world. And many of our people have no where else to go. I warn you that this is more than a village. To many, this community is a family that each and every one would fight to protect. Now I ask you again assassin, what is your purpose here?"

Kronik returned the man's stare fully, and silently. After several long moments, he spoke.

"I wish to travel through your small, peaceful town. I only need to rest and gather supplies, then leave through the opposite gate. I would be no more than three days." He continued to stare deeply into the man's eyes. The man returned the look with one of understanding. Simply from looking in his eyes, blaze knew he could trust him.

"Blaze Alias," he said as he extended a hand. "You will be my guest for three days, and then you are to leave."

With a sincere smile, he shook Blaze's hand and turned as the gate began to open.

Kronik looked again to the guard, Ryushim, who's condition seemed to have greatly improved. Without another glance Kronik made to follow blaze into the village, until a slight shifting sound caused him to stop. Before he could react, and before blaze even noticed the guard had suddenly awoken, the blade of Ryushim's pole arm pierced deeply into kronik's side. The wound was deep, as blood poured onto the ground, and his vision began to blur. A small crowd had gathered as Blaze pulled the weapon from the wound.

"You fool!" He spat at Ryushim, "He is no enemy!" Ryushim had only been half aware of the conversation that had taken place only a few feet from him. It all came clear at that moment, as the images of his battle were replaced by the voice of blaze inviting into the village the man who now stood before him, bleeding from a wound he had made.

Blaze worked furiously, his attempts to close the deep cut failing. He then looked to the small crowd around him for assistance, until his eyes fell upon a beautiful woman. Her golden-red hair seemed to glow, even past the simple clothes she wore

"Tess!" he called to her, knowing her medical skills to be far beyond his own. Since she had come to the village, she had become one of the most protective people there. She cared for everyone there like a family, especially the young orphan she had taken in as her own. "Can you help this man?" Blaze called to her.

She nodded and began to make her way through the crowd, just as Kronik raised his head. Their eyes met, and something she saw stopped her. She saw the torment in his eyes, she saw the all pain he had ever known. "No!" She stopped and backed away. "I cannot help him." She turned and quickly walked away, unnerved by what she saw. She may have been one of the few who could have seen it. She had seen more than the pain. She had seen the demon. She had no fear of the demon, but she did have a fear of letting this man in her village. She alone knew the power of a demons influence. She alone knew the damage that he could bring to her home, her family. She alone, had a secret much like his.

Skaith looked back at the old house as he made his way to the road he knew Kronik had taken, and sighed. There were many questions that were unanswered.

And if I do find the answers, what new questions might they bring? He had thought to himself as he contemplated what he was able to discern from Artemis's private library and kronik's ominous note. He had learned that his father's closest friend had led the Feng clan for more than twenty years, and that he was a peaceful man. A book Artemis himself had penned simply stated that the leader of the clan that had apparently killed both artemis, and the parents of his closest friend, had been a man who refused to act without reason, and, despite the blood thirsty edge that many in the clan held, no one in the clan would dare act against him. Logically the only possible conclusion would be that the leader had ordered the attacks.

But would my father befriend such a man? He asked himself with another sigh. There was still so much confusion to be dealt with.

Skaith looked back at the old house as he made his way to the road he knew kronik had taken. He then looked to the mountains in the distance that held his homeland. He reached to the back of his neck and felt a twinge of pain emanating from the red mark that had appeared there, similar to the seal burned into the neck of kronik.

"Whatever pain you are enduring, I apologies, my friend." He said to the breeze. "but before I can find you, I must know the truth." He said a small incantation to himself as small pockets of air were generated beneath his feet.

He began to glide away towards the mountains, knowing he was only a small piece of the larger puzzle that was beginning to take shape before him.

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Artemis, Akuma, and even the parents who he himself had witnessed theire gruesome death, stood in front of kronik. They stood smiling at him, embracing him, and promising never to leave him. The sound of his mothers beautiful voice filled his ears with a song he remembered well from when he was a child. It all seemed so perfect, so calm, as if never would there ever be a lonely, painful moment again.

And then the darkness crept up, and began to swallow them up, while he could only scream silently, watching their smiling faces as they fell one by one into the shadows. And then there was nothing. He turned around slowly, and looked on in horror as a pair of glowing red eyes pierced the blackness that surrounded him, he saw the teeth of a wolf bared just below those horrible glowing orbs, and its ugly smile as scenes began to unfold around him. Artemis fell headless before him, as he watched in terror as skaith was consumed by the red-eyed monster. He heard the sound of his mothers replaced by her screams, as he spun around in the blackness, and he saw his father impaled on the edge of a cloaked mans blade.

He watched on painfully as the man turned towards his mother, who was held fast by several more men, each wearing a black hooded robe. The man readied his sword, just as kronik had seen when his parents had been slain so many years before. Once more kronik heard his mothers final cry as the man slid his sword in between her ribs, then removing it violently as blood stained the floor. Kronik fell to his knees as the man turned to him and removed his hood.

He could only scream in terror as he looked back at himself, smiling and wiping the blood neatly from the sword with a soft laugh. The tormenting laugh that seemed to haunt him.

Kronik let out another scream as he sat up quickly. The darkness was gone, and he was in an unfamiliar room. With a grimace, kronik fell back onto the bed clutching his still healing side.

"What's going on!" came a shout as the door burst open, and blaze entered, followed by the beautiful woman who had refused to help him.

"It's nothing." He said quietly, as he grimaced again in pain. He looked to blaze, then to the woman, and saw as the look of concern she was wearing as she had entered had been replaced with one of loathing.

"You are able to walk." She said coldly. "So leave this village!" She turned on her heel and stormed out. Blaze just looked on, a bemused expression on his face.

Kronik tried to stand and immediately keeled over. He landed flat on his back, irritating the scar on his side.

"You can't walk yet, the poison has ensured of that." Blaze chuckled.

"Who is she?" was all he asked.

"You don't care to know where you are, or if you will ever walk again?" asked Blaze as a smile spread across his face.

"I assume I am in your village, although I am not sure where exactly in the village I am." He replied as he too managed a slight smile. "but I can feel my strength returning, and I know that this poison will not last." His grimace returned, as he finished. "In three days I will be able to walk, and I will gather my supplies. Then I will leave."

He pulled himself back onto the bed, ignoring the pain in his side.

"Don't mind her. She just wants to protect this village from outsiders." He said, as he began to leave. "That, and we had to put you in her bed so that we may treat your wounds and you may rest." He stopped in the doorway. "You know, she never allowed the last person who needed help into her home. Feel lucky."

"It seems to me that I am not welcome."

"You aren't welcome in this house. You are here because she cannot in good heart let someone die. The only reason you are alive is because of her. If she had not offered her home for you to be healed at the last minute, I would have failed, and you would have died. I think it was necessity, and that is all."

"Don't worry, I will not be a burden to you or your village for long." And with those words, he forced himself to stand, and he slowly and painfully walked past Blaze, and looked again into the eyes of the woman.

"I thank you. I will be going now. I am sorry for the trouble I have brought. I will pay you for your efforts, if you wish."

Again, her expression betrayed her. He could see compassion in her eyes, before they again became cold with resolve. And for some reason, he knew why.

"The only payment I require is that you leave this village as soon as you are able." He saw her eyes soften again as she turned to look away from him, and she finished "But until I will hold no complaint against you. You need rest, and I cannot deny it. I…"

She stopped in mid sentence, because she realized that the assassin had already walked out the door.

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