EngelReise - Chapter 6

Chapter 5 < | > Chapter 7
Tomako steps foot on the island of Dayaking for the first time in her life; though her stay in East Wowa is to be cut short as she intends on taking leave for the village of Korion immediately. Along the way, she meets the likes of Yonitsune, an 'Axis Merchant' who fits her with goods and information. With her first day on Dayaking, both her knowledge of horses and survival are put to the test.
==Chapter Reading==
== Chapter 6 – In Search of a Spark =
That following afternoon, Tomako became lost while looking into her own eyes, or rather, the eyes of her reflection. She found herself aboard a boat of great size, its destination simply being East Wowa, located on the much larger island of Dayaking. The ride took a hundred coins from her purse but was an acceptable loss, especially as the ship was willing to take along horses. She knew such a luxury may not be available come the much bigger venture to Krucifix.
There were many reasons that would justify the look of shock on Tomako’s face right now, though the biggest of all would be the fact that Tomako had never left Kushyrin before, let alone stand above water. The sight of surrounding water created very uncomfortable feelings.
Do I know how to swim? I don’t think so…
Growing fearful of the ocean water, she stepped away from the ship’s stern and looked to the many travelers who joined her. The number of travelers was plentiful and carried along a wide selection of attire. Off initial appearance, she could assume there were farmers, traders, and even Swatslandic soldiers. The sight of idle soldiers was enough to make the woman try and hide her katana from view.
I can only hope that Swatslandic soldier who was searching for me isn’t aboard this ship…
With this thought being shed, the fresh adventurer took casual steps away from the public eye. Rescuing the two farmers from Swatslandic grasp may have been noble, but it was hardly beneficial to her. As it would seem, doing so merely made her a target in Kushyrin, and for all she knew, word of her character could spread to Dayaking in a matter of days. The woman was in danger for as long as she remained in the Viceroyalty of Imperyea. If she were to execute each day of travel perfectly though, she could be in Krucifix by week’s end.
Tomako soon ventured to the ship’s bow, where she widened her eyes at the sight of distant land—Dayaking. Though it was nothing more but a larger Imperyean island, it was a moment she had yet to experience in her life. To see land that didn’t connect to Kushyrin was almost absurd in her mind; she could only imagine what her response to seeing mainland Shimua would be.
This significant moment in her life was cut short in the seconds to follow, for the sound of approaching footsteps caught her ear. Tomako spun around and faced a man, relieved to see fellow Imperyean blood, rather than that of the Swatslandic military. It was a man garbed in yellow and blue.
“So—o, what’s a pretty angel like you doing in a place -”
Tomako interrupted, “With all due respect, I have no interest in whatever horse race offer you’re about to make.”
“Excuse me?” An awkward moment ensued, which the man broke with time. “I’m merely curious about your character.”
Tomako tilted her head, “My character?”
The man’s finger came down toward her sword, “I couldn’t help but notice you’re carrying a samurai sword.” She responded to this by pushing the sword closer to her leg. “Oh, my mistake. I get the feeling you’re trying to not draw attention to it.”
“The Swatslandic are very paranoid of samurai armor and weaponry,” she explained.
“I’m quite aware.” He closed his eyes and chuckled. “I was further intrigued by your lonely character. Is your husband away?”
A moment was taken to think, for Tomako did not want to offend the man who she saw as an enthusiast of love or lust. After closing her eyes, the woman greeted him with a bow.
“I wish not to offend when I say, as an adventurer, I have no intention of seeking out the fruits of love and fertility.”
The somewhat unwarranted rejection provoked some emotion from the man, but more or less, he seemed interested in her claim of being an adventurer. Nonetheless, for a woman to bear the sword of an elite warrior, he had no reason to doubt her.
“Very well. May I be honored enough to have your name?”
Tomako struck a brave pose and again lied, “Togami Legend.”
“Yonitsune—an Axis Merchant.” Tomako’s confused gaze spoke a question in itself. “Axis Merchants conduct trade around the three islands of Kushyrin, Dayaking, and Craykon. A strong axis for trade.”
This explanation led Tomako to raise both her brows. Though this wasn’t too relevant to her objective, knowing a person with such knowledge and experience in traveling could have its benefits. The island of Craykon was irrelevant to her given that it existed away from her destination, but any information on Dayaking would be appreciated.
“Interesting. Why operate on multiple islands?”
“Simple. Craykon has noodles, people from Kushyrin and Dayaking want noodles. Dayaking has rare minerals that Kushyrin and Craykon need. Kushyrin has rare silk that… well, anyone needs, really. Point is, a lot of coins come from going the extra mile.”
Yonitsune positioned himself beside Tomako and gazed out toward Dayaking with her. Tomako acknowledged his story with a nod, then joined him in gazing. Paranoid of strangers, Tomako rested a palm on the hilt of her weapon.
“As for me, I am on a journey to Krucifix.”
This generated an immediate laugh from Yonitsune, “Krucifix? The Krucifixans hate us. Why would you ever even think about stepping foot there?” Tomako worked on providing an answer, but she was careful in not providing too much information. Either way, Yonitsune progressed the conversation on his own. “I don’t know what you’re looking for in Krucifix, but it won’t be better than what you have here.”
Tomako dismissed the warning, continuing, “I’ve been told that ships in Korion will take me to the Krucifixan peninsula.”
Yonitsune turned his head away with a gentle smile, “E—Eh, yes and no...” Tomako’s body tensed up at him. “It is true that there still exist overseas shipping services in Korion, but it is all Swatslandic. If you have enough coins, though, you may slip aboard a ship.”
“Yes, I’ve been made aware that bribery may land me in Krucifix.” Putting her hands together, Tomako turned her attention to him and vice versa. “Now, I have a question for you.”
“Yes?”
“If I am making my way from East Wowa to Korion, what is the best route for me to take? I wish to get there as soon as humanly possible, but I do not want to run into trouble along the way.”
Yonitsune thought about this for a moment, “My first piece of advice is to avoid the Swatslandic, obviously. It goes without saying that they’re not too respecting of our kind and a woman walking around with a samurai weapon won’t do you any services. My other suggestion is that you try and stay far away from the areas with dangerous wildlife, namely wolves.”
“I see.”
“Now, as for your question of routes. Hm… um…” His eyes slowly moved away from hers, and then a sudden burst of energy emerged on his face. “Hey! You should come see my wears in East Wowa! Surely, I have great supplies you’ll want for such a journey.”
The woman had little interest in this, “Perhaps. But what of the route?”
Yonitsune smirked, “Such advice does exist and believe me, it’s good advice. I could plot you a course that gets you to Korion in, say, a day and a half worth of travel.
This news came with sprinkles of joy for Tomako. This claim directly challenged what she understood as being a trip that could exceed two days.
“I was told the distance equaled two days. Can you really come up with something better?”
“I know I can.” He then closed his eyes and shrugged with a grin. “Problem is, I need a detailed map of Dayaking. I have one in my East Wowa trade post.”
The woman’s eyes continued to dart left and right in excitement but soon came still as reality hit her. She wasn’t going to get much out of this man until she agrees to go to his East Wowa shop.
“Oh. How much money are you looking to acquire?”
Yonitsune again shrugged, “Such can be negotiated later. I’m far more interested in showing you my goods for sale.” Tomako turned her head, surprised to find the island of Dayaking getting ever so close. The other half of Wowa could now be clearly seen. “So what say you, Togami Legend?”
The fabricated name alerted Tomako, who robotically nodded in agreement to his question. Though she was for the most part disinterested in viewing his goods, the possibility of reducing traveling time was too great to pass up. Pressuring as he was, it was a good kind of pressure.
The vessel docked at East Wowa; Tomako and Yonitsune were two of the first to enter the in-ship stable, where their horses were being held. Yonitsune unlocked the chain holding his horse down as did Tomako with hers. The keys to these chains were rented and could not be reused by the passenger after initial use, a security measure to prevent horse thievery.
Yonitsune was the first to exit the stable, but with Tomako soon exiting alongside him, the merchant was shocked by the sight of her horse; more so, by the quality purple saddle she used.
“That’s a fine looking saddle.”
Tomako felt around the saddle with her rear, “It’s of high quality, yes. A gift from my family to honor my love for these animals and represent my island’s color.”
Still at a halt near the ship’s ramp, Yonitsune responded, “Love is an invaluable virtue, as you must know.” Tomako approved of this claim with a nod. “A saddle, on the other hand, has value. Could I suggest an offer?”
With a strict tone, she responded, “No.”
“Fair enough,” he said before pushing his horse onward.
The two soon traversed East Wowa together. The buildings looked similar to West Wowa as did its citizens; only the slightest difference in terrain marked a significant difference. Tomako wasted no time in eyeballing each corner of the village while moving. Much of the same existed here as it did in West Wowa. Swatslandic guards, drunkards, merchants, children, sailors, and farmers. There was easy evidence to suggest that the prosperity of East Wowa is poor, hence Tomako’s decision to stay alert. Where there were poor living standards, there were discontent feelings, and that could lead to belligerent thoughts and actions.
Yonitsune, riding ahead of her, took them down a muddy path. Here he waved his arm left and explained, “About a street yonder, you will run into the lowest of merchant scum. Do not go browsing for goods in that direction.” Tomako had no intention of doing so but listened anyway. “Merchants there will paint spoiled vegetables, tools are decayed, horses are secretly cursed with tetanus -”
“That’s horrible!”
“So, if you need a restocking of food and equipment, come my way. Send people my way.”
The self-promotion left Tomako questioning the accuracy of Yonitsune’s claim about immoral merchant practices. Nonetheless, her stay in East Wowa was to be short. All she wanted was a point in the right direction, and she’d be continuing onward. There was no plan to spend frivolously on anything, despite what Yonitsune clearly wanted from her.
After passing another ten or so houses, Yonitsune pointed to his right and explained, “Swatslandic barracks over there. Stay away. Silent rumor is that the Swatslandic kidnap children who pass by that structure.”
“Oh, my…”
“You didn’t hear that from me though. As far as the Swatslandic is concerned, I’m their biggest fan and looking to conduct trade with them.”
Tomako had nothing to say on this matter, for as far as Yonitsune was concerned, this woman had no outstanding issues with the Swatslandic. Before reaching the end of East Wowa, Yonitsune pointed back toward another structure.
“Oh, and if you need a wash, there’s a bathhouse over there.”
“Tempting, but I’m in a hurry.”
“It’s alright. You don’t smell that bad.”
Tomako briefly narrowed her eyes at him.
With passing minutes, both Tomako and Yonitsune were getting exactly what they wanted from each other. Yonitsune was occupied with examining a carefully drawn map of Dayaking, trying to calculate the best possible path for a horseback traveler to take. Tomako, meanwhile, examined countless items he was keeping around in Dayaking. She was on a small budget, but even she had to admit that many of these products interested her. There were familiar goods from Kushyrin and unfamiliar goods from Dayaking and Craykon. The one item that did capture her gaze was a long straw hat in the form of a flat cone. The brownish color complimented her current attire well, however, she feared that wearing such a piece may make her easier to identify.
Tomako held up a leather belt with an iron buckle in the shape of the sun. “This belt looks useful.”
Yonitsune’s attention was immediately taken off the map, “A—Ah, a Sun Dance belt.”
“Sun Dance?”
“The Sun Dance—of the Puritonist faith. You’re a follower, correct?”
Tomako nodded, “Of course I am, I’m just not familiar with this Sun Dance is all.”
“The Sun Dance is both religious and cultural; it is a festivity that once occurred annually in the empire’s capital of Korion. It celebrates the day when, more than a thousand years ago, the Imperyean islands united under one imperial banner.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “Since the Swatslandic have crushed our empire and are trying to impose their own religion, you won’t find those belts anywhere else, nor will you find a better deal.”
The woman raised both her brows and hummed, “So, the belt represents both Puritonism and the Imperyean culture?”
“The former Imperyean Empire, mostly; culture and religion play large roles, too, however.” He turned his head with a brow raised. “I’ll sell that piece of history to you for fifty coins.”
Although reluctant, Tomako began to sort through her purse for coins. “Very well.”
Yonitsune grinned and returned to the map, the route he was creating for her was simple enough that even a child could make sense of it. It was hardly anything special and nothing he would make her pay for; fortunately for him, money was still being made by selling this belt.
“Alright, I’ve created your route.”
The Imperyean woman practically teleported to his front, “Yes?”
He allowed her to view the map, then with a straight finger dragged a diagonal line northeast. There was no complexity to his plan at all. To the left, he avoided a large forest, as did he with the right side. Avoiding these wooded areas soon had his finger above Korion.
“Move northeast and don’t cross into either forest. If you stay in the same direction, the biggest obstacle you’ll face are some hills. Move in that direction until you’ve reached Korion. If you end up arriving at the shore, that means you ventured east a little too much. Head west along the shore from that point and you’ll find Korion no matter what.”
Tomako beamed, “Excellent!”
“Now, in terms of sleeping, you must pick a poison. You can either enter a forest and sleep in hiding there, but it is there where you may encounter dangerous wildlife. Alternatively, sleep out in the open, but risk criminal encounter.”
“Well, I do carry with me a sword.” Yonitsune only grimaced at her in response. “Yes, yes. I will be careful. Thank you.”
The man closed the map and looked at her with a single eye open, “Now, before we conclude the transaction for the belt, may I offer you a tinderbox?”
Tomako shook her head, “No thank you, I already -” then she stopped to think. “Wait, no, I do not own a tinderbox…”
He snickered, “Every long-distance traveler needs to be able to start a fire.”
“That’s true. Is it hard doing so?”
“Not with one of these,” he answered with a metal box brought up.
The following minutes were spent with Tomako sorting through coins and Yonitsune instructing her on using the tools. From what he described, making a fire would be a simple task with the tinderbox. It was true that much of the food Otomo left her with was uncooked protein, and thus, knowledge of fire-making was essential to her survival. Not to mention, her journey called for her to eventually walk into some very cold days.
Concluding his explanation, Yonitsune closed the tinderbox and bagged it up for his customer. “… and fortunately, replacing these parts are cheap. Find the right merchant and you might even get a free piece of flint. Not as expensive of a commodity as it used to be.”
Just as he concluded this point, Tomako dropped a specific number of coins over the counter. In total, combined with the hundred coins she spent on the boat ride, two hundred and seventy-five coins had been spent of the seven hundred and fifty she started with. She still had more than enough to afford a trip to Korion, and hopefully, more than enough to bribe her way to Krucifix.
The transaction was made, and before taking leave, Yonitsune would help Tomako equip her new belt. By far the greatest asset of the Sun Dance belt was its sword carrying mechanism. No longer was Tomako carrying EngelReise around by the stitches of her pants, her belt kept a strong hold of it for her.
“With that, I’ve offered you everything I can,” Yonitsune acknowledged. “…bu—ut, if there’s anything else in here that catches your eye, feel free to…” he stopped himself here.
Tomako nodded, “Thank you, I will remember your humble aid.”
The woman left with a proud stance, an almost powerful one. Her back was straight and her sword steady against her waist. A belt was a minor addition to her character, but even so, it helped present her as a serious force while also hinting at her pious background. For Tomako, it created stronger determination, morale, and a connection to her gods.
The decision to leave East Wowa so quickly wasn’t an easy one. An inn, a resourceful merchant like Yonitsune, bathhouses, and food markets were all reasons she would like to stick around. Unfortunately, she saw it mandatory to pass everything off for the sake of making the best possible time of arrival in Korion. Time was especially of the essence since she had only 425 coins left, most of which would likely be needed for the planned bribing. All expenses had to be blocked from this point forward.
With the dockyard village of East Wowa far behind, Tomako had taken herself over the hill northeast; ahead of her were a seemingly endless amount of plains, hills, and trees. The legendary cherry blossom tree could be seen from every direction; and while she had seen such trees back in Kushyrin, to see them in this amount was extraordinary.
Given the long distance ahead, Tomako was not instructing her mount to take much speed, they were enjoying slow-paced travel instead. The woman was content with the pace as long as constant progression was occurring.
The Imperyean gazed at the animal with a small frown. Ideally, I would like to travel for more than half the day, but I don’t know if that’s possible for this horse… She bit on her finger with fear, contemplating her options. The average horse couldn’t possibly make this trip as quickly as Yonitsune claimed, let alone one with such little attachment to its master…
She let out a displeased growl. “I let Otomo keep my two overachieving horses!” These panicked thoughts were cast aside quickly. “Oh, but we’re in this together. I do not regret choosing you…”
A few minutes passed with Tomako thinking over her horse situation. It was while doing so that she was passed by two fellow travelers. The fact there were passive riders outside of villages left Tomako with a relaxed mind, but she wasn’t letting her guard down to the idea of encountering wrongdoers.
At some point, while riding, Tomako glanced down at the hooves of her mount, again considering a previous issue that may exist. If Otomo failed to nail in the horseshoes properly, I can forget about making an early arrival in Korion…
A few minutes were dedicated to studying the movement of the mount. Unlike the previous day, the horse was riding in a straight line and without faults. This may have confirmed that the horse has a weakness for rough terrain, which she had been riding over yesterday. Nonetheless, she would benefit from checking the horseshoes in time.
Though she really didn’t want to, Tomako now felt it was necessary to test the horse’s endurance, to determine how far the horse could move in a single day. If the horse proved unable to walk a fair enough distance, there would be a serious situation.
As several hours went by, the horse continued to walk but with short breaks here and there. Tomako continued to evaluate the horse’s talents this entire time through. She was grateful to find her mount still walking even after this amount of time, such effort proved that the horse was at least not of poor class. With the sun officially on its way down, Tomako could only assume that good time was being made. They departed in the afternoon and now evening was approaching.
Tomako looked out toward the falling sun with a quirked mouth. This wasn’t bad progress, but the fact remained that this kind of effort would need to continue to be seen all the way to Korion, and Tomako had no assurance if this horse would tolerate the long haul. She would respect its limitation, but was really needing an animal companion that would get the job done.
With glossy eyes, Tomako looked up at the dimming sky and said, “Oh, God of Kushyrin, or, God of Dayaking. Please, give me the strength needed to make a champion of this humble horse…”
Whether it be a divine answer or simply a horse of very powerful resolve, Tomako’s desire for the horse to get her far seemed fruitful. So much time had passed that Tomako became tired and had a somewhat difficult time keeping her eyes open. It was pitch black out, but she had no actual knowledge of the time. In her own mind, wishful thinking, she liked to believe they had burned around fifteen hours of travel. Considering they left around the afternoon, this was unlikely the case, but she was nonetheless happy with the results of today.
Signs of declining energy led Tomako to pull aside into a small wooded area of cherry blossom trees. It wasn’t in any forest nor was it out in plain sight, her intention was to create a compromise between the risks of wandering criminal and dangerous wildlife. The journey for this day was uneventful, to say the least, but exactly what she needed as she learned some ropes of what being a distant traveler entailed. One thing was for certain, her horse deserved whatever recognition Tomako could humanly offer.
Eventually, a large hitching nail had been stomped into the ground under a tree, which the horse had then been tied down to. An exhausted Angel stood in front of the animal with a passionate smile. The last thing she did for the horse was supply it with food.
“Okay, go to sleep now.” The horse blinked at her a few times and nothing more. “I wish I had some sleep poetry to recite to you, but alas, I have no such skill. Still, don’t let that stop you from sleeping.” Still, the horse, of course, did nothing. “Oh, I’m sorry. Of course, you probably wish to eat first. I just might do the same.”
Taking a step forward, Tomako was met with an incredible feeling of discomfort. Although soundless, the woman fell to her knees and held her stomach in great pain. Hunger had hit her like a rock thrown to the belly. In hindsight, asking Yonitsune to cook her something up would have been a good idea. Tomako’s mind raced illogically for a few moments, such as her decision to unsheathe her katana in response to the hunger, further, a decision to reach for the top of her head of all places. The horse studied its master, intrigued by her somewhat erratic behavior.
Once the violent shock in her stomach settled, Tomako proposed, “I think that’s a clear enough sign that I should eat.”
She approached the cherry blossom tree beside them and smirked, a sword ready in both hands. I can collect firewood and practice my swings all at once…
The Imperyean searched for a thick branch low enough to the ground, and after finding one, prepared for a vertical swing. She got a tight hold of the sword and raised it above her head, but just before swinging, her stomach would strike again with great pain. She canceled her attack so that she could grab herself once more.
It is true that the last thing I’ve eaten since leaving Otomo’s is a small serving of seaweed…
Her desire to keep moving without stopping for anything finally delivered some consequence. She had plenty of fruits and vegetables available to her, but in the case of such astounding hunger, the woman saw herself wanting to cook up meat.
Soon Tomako returned to her attacking stance with a face that almost treated the tree as an opponent. With no further hesitation, she chopped off a large branch with relative ease. This perfect cut left the woman startled, having not expected the sword to so easily create separation. She repeated this process with a second branch, then afterward, gathered both large branches together into a pile.
“Next step…” Tomako placed a thumb over her lip.
For the next phase of the fire making, she snapped the two branches into pieces and carefully aligned them into a pile. Much care was put into the structure of this pile, for she wanted as much wood available to burn as possible. Soon enough, she had a product in front of her that she could be proud of.
Not too bad… was her personal critique.
Tomako opened the tinderbox she had recently purchased and knelt by the pile of wood. There existed a look of great confidence on her and even excitement to satisfy her hunger. She opened the box and put both flint and steel into her hands. This was where things got complicated for her.
“U—Uh…” At first, she simply tapped the flint against the steel in hoping that some reaction would occur. “Go on, make fire,” she requested.
This wasn’t producing flame, so she instead tried to rub the two together. There was some success in creating spark through this method, but clearly not the intended result. Regardless, because of this one spark she witnessed, she misled herself into continuing this rubbing practice. Of course, a bad hunger mixed with no results would, naturally, build up her exasperation.
Otomo didn’t warn me about making fires. Not even my own mother taught me how to do this…
She hummed, and then with a beam, turned her attention to her horse, “Wait! You’ve likely seen Otomo make a fire in the past.”
The horse acknowledged her voice but, unsurprisingly, did nothing. Tomako continued to stare as if seriously waiting for a tutorial from the equine. In time she would break eye contact with the horse, realizing how ridiculous she looked for even bringing this up.
Ultimately, her patience with the rubbing strategy would extend for over seven minutes. This was so far a fruitless endeavor, and to make matters worse, her stomach was not as patient as she. She never saw a spark again and now her arms became tired of this repetitiveness. Out of frustration, she finally struck the flint and steel together. This is the action that would reveal sparks at last.
“Oh!” She repeated this action, again spilling sparks in the air. She turned to her horse and asked, “Is that how you do it?”
This discovery refreshed interest in starting up a fire, and so she leaned over the pile of wood. Here she continued to strike at the steel, hoping to get a cooked meal yet. Her flint and steel striking became faster and more powerful, but the wood she gathered refused to ignite. This quickly reintroduced impatient tension, but the impatience was merely the result of an empty stomach doing its wicked deed on her morale. Soon enough, Tomako narrowed her eyes, displaying actual anger.
“Come on! W- Will you just..!”
A very brief tantrum came about as she tossed both the flint and steel down into the grass. Trying with all her might to suppress dark feelings, Tomako took a moment to relax. This was no journey of shortcuts and instant solutions, this was only the first of many puzzles for her to conquer. Frustrated and hungry as she was, she had to retain a sense of tranquility and reason.
After letting her stomach settle, she picked the flint and steel up and resumed her efforts.
Almost twenty minutes passed of the exact same process. The wood refused to catch flame; even the grass had caught a single flame at one point, but never the wood. Eventually, it only made sense for Tomako to settle on an apple just as a way of suppressing her revolting stomach. With an apple in her mouth, she continued to try for fire. She was tired, hungry, but relentless with her determination.
The sight of so many sparks landing directly atop the wood led to some obvious questions.
Am I doing something wrong? Is the wood not flammable? Is it still too wet from yesterday’s storm..?
The latter seemed especially possible to her, so in her mind, the solution would be to put extra effort into making this stubborn wood burn. Getting very close to the pile, Tomako sped up her steel strikes to create a nonstop shower of sparks. Finally, her efforts would be rewarded by the smallest bit of fire. With wide eyes, her next reaction was to throw leaves over the flame. Though the leaves did not seem to help much, she did eventually find the small flame expanding, albeit, not by much.
Her eyes darted left and right constantly in confusion. Her heart was standing in a position of great joy and excitement, yet her mind felt otherwise. She had seen enough fires in her life to know that something was still wrong. What she had created was more of a large candle if anything.
A few more strikes were taken at the steel in confidence that she could create a second flame, but her attempts were in vain. Understanding that there was an issue, Tomako sat on her rear and sighed.
“What did Father tell me about fire making..?”
A child Tomako stood before her father as he painted in the living room.
“Father, you asked me to start a fire for dinner, but… how do I start one..?”
Soga slashed his paintbrush against the canvas and lectured, “A son would know how to cast fire from his bare fingers!” 
Tomako received the useless memory with a simple nod and disappointed hum.
“Okay, what did Otomo tell me about fire making..?”
The same child stood in front of Otomo’s merchant shack. “Father wanted me to make a fire for dinner and I didn’t know how. Can you teach me?”
The then-samurai chuckled, “Teach you to start a fire? Child, child…” He pulled up a large tinderbox. “This tinderbox practically starts fires on its own, it’s so good!” The child remained where she was, flat in expression. “Long-lasting materials, reliable, small. Fortunately, I’ll sell it to you for fifty coins! You don’t want to miss out on this offer!”
Tomako puckered her lips and sighed. With little remaining hope, she came to accept the obvious reality.
“By the gods, I’ve started a journey with very little survival knowledge.”
And so Tomako would continue to strike the flint and steel together in desperation for a larger fire, hoping yet to build upon this small flame. Eventually, she would need to eat whatever was available to her, likely fruits and vegetables. As for cooked protein, she could only keep working at the fire and hope to at some point make it so…
That day had many ups and downs. Tomako had reached Dayaking, acquired supplies and information, discovered that her horse is very enduring, and made good footing toward Korion. On the downside, there was a serious threat in her inability to get something as simple as a fire made. The ability to light a fire was a mandatory feat if she were to tackle a journey to Swatsland. Without this skill, she would struggle in colder climates and rarely eat anything cooked. It was a situation she had to get figured out.
The Imperyean woman snoozed on her chest that morning and with the tinderbox pieces still beside her. Despite being on her chest, she was relaxed. The same could not be said for her mount, though, who panicked around in place. The jumping and panicked sounds were enough to slowly wake its master.
Tomako opened her eyes with a struggle but soon became conscious of her environment. The first thing to catch her eyes was astonishing to her. Looking right in front of her, she was met with a blazing fire.
“Wh- What?” a large smile came over her, “Hey, I did it!” she cheered.
“Woman.”
“Wa—a!”
Instinctively, Tomako hopped to her knees with a hand over her sword. A man mounted on a horse was watching her. This was no ordinary horseback wanderer, he was armored in full samurai equipment, but unlike the armor Otomo owned, this armor was of fewer colors. To add on to the intimidation factor, the man’s face was hidden behind a black and gold dragon mask. With the armor on, this man was a monster who she trusted could rip her to shreds if he wanted. She was only thankful they were both Imperyeans and followers of Puritonism, no doubt giving them some common ground.
Tomako relaxed her hold of the sword, “H- Hello! I see you started a fire for me, and I am thankful.”
The samurai studied her silently for a few seconds before lecturing, “The reason you struggled to light a fire was because of the recent rainfall. The branches and grass were still moist. Plus, you didn’t establish a proper foundation for a fire, you just tossed everything into a pile expecting some kind of unity.”
To this, Tomako defended herself, “The branches didn’t seem very wet to me…”
Through his mask’s eyeholes, the samurai could be seen narrowing his eyes. His next response came quickly and with a somewhat hostile tone.
“That sword… it doesn’t belong to you.”
“Huh?” Confused, Tomako turned to her side, revealing the purple katana. “Why, it, in fact, does belong to me. I obtained it from a samurai.”
“Yes, I know.” He pulled out his own katana, showing off a well-used blade. “I was passing by and couldn’t help but notice the rich purple hilt of that sword. It’s special, but I’m sure you know that.”
Tomako’s eyes darted all over the place for a moment while thinking; she confirmed this with a nod, “It is called ‘EngelReise’ as I’ve been told. It was granted to me by an ex-samurai going by the name ‘Otomo.’”
Again, through the eyeholes of the mask, Tomako caught two briefly raised brows. His surprise turned into clear distrust, however, as his eyes again narrowed.
“Otomos come and go. From pirates, to thieves, to samurai, to merchants; I couldn’t be bothered trying to remember all of whom I’ve encountered by that name.” The man pointed his blade toward Tomako with a continuing look of discontent. “I suppose this Otomo also gave you his money, food, and life, eh?”
“Well, not his life, no.” It took Tomako a few moments to register what he meant by this. “I would never take the life of anyone innocent! Let alone an ex-samurai warrior!”
The man’s sword remained up in the air as he then asked, “If this is true, surely, your Otomo gave you a warrior’s vial of honor?” The samurai was caught off guard as Tomako reached into her tunic and held up the small blue vial Otomo had given her. This, finally, led the man to sheathe his sword. “There’s no way a samurai would hand off his sword and honor vial unless he intended on passing down a torch.”
Tomako stood up and extended her hand to the man, “My name is Togami Legend of Kushyrin. I’ve been trained by Otomo the samurai to use the sword.”
The samurai grunted, “Is this a joke?” His arms crossed at her. “To hand such defining parts of one’s character over to a woman? What business could you possibly have out here by yourself?”
Tomako’s hand remained in the air but was ultimately unmet. She backed off from the refused handshake, realizing this was not a friendly sort.
“My parents have been kidnapped by the Swatslandic, set for enslavement in Svatpa. I have every intention of reaching Swatsland to retrieve them.”
A chuckle came about, “Ah, so, this is a joke, then.” Tomako refused to display any temper. “But it can at least be said that you and I share the same enemy in Swatsland, therefore, for the most part, a common goal. I offer you some praise, but you will feel no offense when I continue to reject your handshake, woman.”
There was a lack of understanding in his negative temperament towards her, but Tomako saw little reason in riling the stranger up.
“Are you a samurai in exile?”
“Not in exile, no,” he answered. “I am one of some to bear the title ‘Hero of the Imperial Court.’”
Tomako left her mouth open a bit in confused thought, “But the Imperial Court has been removed by the Swatslandic.”
“Don’t remind me…”
“But as that is the case, who is your master?”
“The Council of Five.” Tomako’s interest only expanded with every sentence. Her look of curiosity led him to provide an additional answer. “I couldn’t be caught dead spilling too many secrets but let me drop a little information on you. If you despise Viceroy Harling and his Swatslandic menace as much as we do, you’ll drop by the capital city of Korion.”
The woman gasped, “Th- That’s where I’m heading!”
A nod was returned, “Believe me, if you step around Korion with that particular sword, one of two things will occur. Either the Swatslandic will try and arrest you or the Council of Five will seek an audience with you.” The man turned his horse around, facing northeast. “I’m heading back to Korion now. I may or may not look forward to seeing you again, woman.”
“Wait!”
“What?”
Tomako stepped past the fire and asked, “How far am I from Korion? I just came from the village of Wowa.”
A moment of silence ensued as the samurai thought. At first, it would seem that he was calculating distance for her, but with time, it seemed evident that he was merely contemplating whether to give her an answer at all.
“You’re a third of the way there.”
This announcement led Tomako to sweat just a little. This wasn’t bad news, but not good either. Considering the issue she had with starting a fire the previous night, there was an unfortunate possibility that two more nights of struggle were to follow.
The samurai remained still on his horse for a few more moments, then turned to face her. “Look, I get that you’re taking the same path as I to reach Korion, but take it from me, you’re better off traveling by shoreline.” Tomako raised both her brows. “I can get by on my own in the plains and forests, but you should consider the path that’ll find you in a warm bed every night. The shoreline will put you in villages all the way leading to Korion.”
Tomako shook at him, “I can handle this. I need to take whatever route gets me there soonest.”
“Heh. Suit yourself.” The man ordered his horse forward. “I’d invite you to follow me, but unfortunately, I couldn’t be burdened by your underachieving horse.”
The woman glared, “You dare insult my horse!?”
The samurai departed with this insult, leaving an outraged Tomako to herself. The woman shook her fists before calming, then with a few blinks, turned to the horse in question. The master looked upon the horse with determination, then gave an appreciative nod.
“I haven’t time to eat.” With a powerful kick to the ground, she buried the lit fire with dirt, effectively putting it out. “We take leave for Korion at once. Let’s ride.”
To be continued! 
Chapter 5 < | > Chapter 7
==Author Notes==
====Tomako's Chest Reduction====
As odd or even comical as this can come across, a very substantial retcon had occurred in this chapter via the chapter illustration that saw Tomako's breasts almost completely disappear. Although the chapter text itself makes no comment on the size of her chest, this seemingly minor change would go on to play a major role in Tomako's character, as a character flaw would go on to develop that has her wrongly believing her flat chest has dooming implications for her love life. Any subsequent illustrations after this one continue to depict Tomako with a flat chest, and the text itself would gradually introduce this as well going forward.
====Struggle for Survival====
While this wasn't the first chapter to highlight Tomako's need for advanced survival skills, this was the chapter where I chose to really highlight it, and by extension, this chapter served a meaningful purpose of showcasing one of EngelReise's most common settings and plot devices: Survival in the wilderness. Here, in the beginning, I very mindfully wanted to communicate two things: 1. Tomako knows close to nothing in terms of survival, but can learn. 2. She needs a helping hand, foreshadowing the eventual insertion of Kim Young. Prior to the writing of the EngelReise prologue, I chose to get into the wilderness survival mindset, funnily enough, by binging the first season of Pokémon. 
==Chapter Illustration==
This chapter illustration famously paved the way for the retconning of Tomako's once large chest, now instead depicting her as someone of a flatter build. While this fact tends to command the legacy of this illustration, there are other bits of significant note to make. This was, at the time, an author favorite illustration due to its more refined qualities, especially due to the enhanced quality of Tomako's drawing. Furthermore, this scene experimented around more with lighting based on lessons learned from the previous chapter's nighttime illustration. Perhaps most interestingly of all, the trees used in the background come from Adobe Photoshop's built in tree generation feature, and for a time would continue to be utilized in future EngelReise drawings.