A Path Through Destiny by Wolfheart (series like harry potter .TXT) đ
- Author: Wolfheart
Book online «A Path Through Destiny by Wolfheart (series like harry potter .TXT) đ». Author Wolfheart
Akira sighed. Kasumi waited, unsure on whether she should let her alone or ask what was wrong. Sheâd never been good at this kind of thingâŠ
âItâs not you, Kasumi. Itâs Azoic. Sheâs too hot in everything I give her, hates our food, wonât drink anything but sake and was ordering around the crew like servants!â
âItâs fine. Sheâll be gone in no time. Weâre only a week from the High Lordâs palace.â
âDo we have a week, Kasumi? Weâre on a war mission! We are needed in Japan.â
âBut Azoic isnât a warrior; sheâs not a part of my legion. In fact, sheâs pissing you and the rest of the crew off with her high life antics and Lady Ren will be so infuriated Iâll be lucky if Iâm alive if sheâs not back safely.â
âThen send her on her board with a warrior or two. Sheâll reach the messenger ship in a day or so.â
âAnd what happens if she isnât good on a Caelum Board or they are taken or killed by pirates or militia? Weâre worse off; we didnât make sure she returned safely.â
Kasumi was thinking hard when she realized there was simpler â though more painful â answer to this.
âI could Reach for herâŠand Mindspeak with herâŠâ
Akira looked at her as if she were insane.
âCome on, Kasumi, I know we need a solution, but the Himalayas are quite a distance away for you to be using Mindspeak, arenât they? Youâre very talented, but we need you able to command this ship.â
âKaide is perfectly capable of getting us to the Islands, and signaling my warriors. If not her, than I know you can do the later, and they can guide us to the palace.â
She sighed again, not happy but less willing to argue with her stubborn lover.
âI will be fine before we reach the Islands, especially if we must first deliver the princess.â Kasumi purposely didnât use Azoicâs name; it was clear Akira didnât need to think she knew the healer personally.
âAlright. But I am watching you during and caring for you afterwards, understood?â
âI would have it no other way, meus amor.â
The scent of lavender and sage filled Kasumiâs lungs. She lay on her bed, an hour later, Akiraâs hand in hers. The cabin window was open, giving her scents of the open sky and the sea breeze. She could see and hear the gulls calling to one another, zipping about the ship with interest and hopes of a meal. It relaxed her, easing her tense nerves.
Akira began to chant a protection spell to guide her spirit as Kasumi slipping deeper and deeper into meditation, her mind focused solely on her desire to speak to High Lord Ren. She began to feel light headed and weak. Breathing slowed. Slowly, she felt her mind drift from her body.
Kasumi let her mind push into the mountains of snow and ice that harbored the palace of her High Lord. She snaked her way through, finding Ren in a deep cavern. She was alone, and on a bed covered in thick, heavy blankets. Sickness spread through Kasumiâs mind. Ren was ill, and nobody but her would ever know. She slipped into the Lordâs mind, bidding her to awaken, to become aware of her.
She sent her apologies for entering her mind, and showed her images of what had occurred last night, and a feel of confusion.
Renâs eyes shot open. They looked the Ambassadorâs spirit in her eye and sent images of soldiers, blood, Russian colors and the scent of death. Then she showed the American flag, and the Canine Demi Legion enslaved under their âallianceâ. Finally, the lord of Demis sent her an image of her daughter and Kasumiâs ship above the Japanese Islands. Pain ripped into Kasumi as their link was abruptly broken and all went black.
Chapter Three
The Emperor of Japan
Bright light and a throbbing head woke Kasumi. She looked around and saw Akira beside her, in a position of prayer. In her hands was poppy, explaining the queer dreams sheâd been having. But what surprised her were the willow bark tea and the scent of burning white sage. She was performing a cleansing â on Kasumi.
âAkiraâŠâ Kasumi whispered; her voice was weak from days without use.
Her eyes opened slightly, but she didnât break prayer. I waited until she had finished.
âWhat do you think youâre doing, dearest?â
âCleansing you. You needed it. Youâre dreams were haunted by battles gone past.â
âNow AkiraâŠyou understand better than anybody that poppy can do that to peopleâŠespecially warriors. Why didnât you just use something else?â
âApparently, Azoic thinks humans have better medicine than her own people; she saw you like this and gave you something else in your drink.â She growled low. âI told her not to use chemicals like the humans. Youâre not human; youâre a Demi. But she wouldnât listen. If sheâd let me care for you, I wouldnât have needed the prayer. OhâŠshe called it useless, by the way.â
âA healer that doesnât believe in Gaia?â
âShe says Gaia is there, but science is the healer, not her.â
Kasumi rolled her eyes. âThe chemicals in the herbs can only do so muchâŠâ She muttered.
I smelled something strange.
âWhere are we?â
âAbove the Japanese Emperorâs palace. We just repaired our ship, too.â
I stared at her in alarm.
âOh. Because you were ill, Kaide was left in charge. Our helmsmen fell ill, though, and led us right into a storm while she was sleeping. She was doing great until then. I had to keep the crew calm, though.â
âAre you kidding me?â Her voice was rough and her throat sore.
âNo.â
Then another thought hit her. âWhy are we still aboard the ship? Are the legions not here?â
âOh. They got here before we did, actually, thanks to that damn storm.â
âHow long was I out?â
âYou were very, very ill, Kasumi. You were hardly conscious and not quite sane when you were awake.â
âHow. Long?â
âTwo months.â
She tried to sit up, but Akira laid her back down. âI donât think so! That stuff is vile and I want you to be fully healed before you go down there! Theyâll put more horrid chemicals that donât belong in a Demi into your blood!â
âI need to organize the troops, speak to the Emperor and the other Commandants. I have no time to be ill.â
Aki slapped her.
âOuch!â She rubbed her cheek in shock. âWhat the ââ
âStop thinking about war and think about your health for once! You almost died!â
Kasumi sighed. Seeing her face dropped Kasumiâs heart. If she were in her human form, she would be crying. The Captain and Ambassador relented. âFine. But I must speak with the Emperor as soon as possible. Are all three legions here?â
âYes. Anya came last night, and Sauda was here on trade route anyway.â
âThen I need to speak with them.â
âNo. You need to take this poppy and go to sleep. No visitors. You have been out of it too long. Youâre pale, youâve lost weight and youâre still broke out in that rash. How does your head feel?â
âIt is fine, Akira. Iâm just tired. I can sleep without the poppy, thank you.â
Kasumi wasnât lying; she drifted back to sleep.
For several more days, the only added routine was eating and grooming. Both Kasumi tended to enjoy, because she had one-on-one time with Akira.
Then, Akira allowed her to stand. Three hours later they were in the palace.
Kasumi paced back and forth in the garden. It was the only place where she could see the sky. The heavily maintained gardens â neatly trimmed plants, perfectly placed rocks, a pound with ducks trained to swim in a certain fashion â made her anxious and restless. Being away from her warriors while they lived on the ship made her jumpy; if it wasnât a dire insult to the Emperor, she would be on the ship now.
It would have been alright if they hadnât have taken Akira from me and placed her in different quarters, or allowed Azoic to enter the palace. But it is too far; they are insulting Ren as much as I. If I do not meet with the Emperor tonight, Iâll be forced to inform Lady RenâŠ
The echo of boots and the overpowering scent of Humans drug her from her thoughts. The gardens were silent; it was long past dusk. She met them at the door. They stopped abruptly and stared at her. There was an alarm in their gaze. There were only two of them, but both were dressed in a servantâs attire. They had the royal mark to them. Kasumi had her meeting.
âWhat is it?â She asked in a smooth growl. They flinched.
âWe are h-here to escort you t-t-to h-his ma-ma-majestyâs qu-quarters.â The braver of the two stuttered. The scent of their fear and the feel of their nervousness made her adrenalin pump. Their stammering frustrated her. All in all, she wasnât in her best mood.
What the hell do they think Iâll do? Sacrifice their hearts to Gaia?
To prove she wasnât going to rip their throats out and eat them for supper, Kasumi slipped into her human form.
âThen letâs go.â She answered quietly. Her clothes, magiked by Akiraâs spells, still fit. The shirt was thick cotton, dyed brown. It was long sleeved. The pants were thick brown leather, as were the boots. She also normally wore leather gloves and an air-tight hat, but she had taken them off as she left the ship so she wouldnât overheat. Still, the servants stared.
âWhat is it? I am prepared to meet with him.â
âO-of course.â The more nervous one began to walk down the hall. Kasumi followed him, and the first one to speak followed her. âThank you.â The leading servant said quietly, embarrassed.
âIt is rather frustrating when you cannot even speak competently around me.â
âWe are not accustomed to speaking to your people, Lady Kasumi.â
She held herself back from screaming âthen get used to it, foolsâ and instead replied âI understand. Humans tend to fear the unknown. I assume our stay will acclimate both of our races to one another and be beneficial for everybody.â
They seemed so shocked and subdued from her words that they completely missed the fact that she had undermined the entire Human race. They walked silently through the richly decorated halls. It disgusted her to see that many of the walls and belongings were gold or silver. Most of Japan lived in wood huts with just enough to survive. The only way many of them received fruit and vegetables was through the trade Demis offered. But their empire spent thousands on war and their palace while they lived off the land and traded goods.
They arrived only a few minutes later at a double gold-plated door where four guards stood in the Emperorâs colors, with two on each side. They paused long enough to allow them to open the door. Then the servants preceded her to announce her presence, in their over-complex, formal manor. They entered a high ceiling room with so much rich dĂ©cor she couldnât absorb it all. But what she did see was a large bed, a table in the center with several chairs and the food upon the table. It disgusted the warrior. The finest food in their world was set upon that table.
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