EngelReise - Chapter 14

Chapter 13 < | > Chapter 15
Relations between Tomako and Kim begin to normalize in face of a mutual threat—Fulin Ji-Hoon—an ultranationalist of Krucifix looking to now have the two killed. Refusing to leave Kim, Tomako has made it her absolute mission to see the man safe from Fulin, even when faced with the possibility of Fulin and the Krucif Only League returning to have the two murdered. Tomako and Kim must set any remaining indifferences aside and prepare for the worst. Tomako sees reason to stand their ground and fight, where as Kim is more concerned about the acquisition of supplies. Little does Tomako know, Kim's already long made up his mind on how to best handle the Fulin situation—the real question is how Tomako will respond...
==Chapter Reading==
== Chapter 14 – Unholy Alliance =
The following day brought bright, colorful, and beautiful weather; it was as though the heavens had opened up to Krucifix. The same beauty did not extend upon fate, however. Tomako found herself in the household of a rather paranoid Kim Young, and to make matters worse, the man known as Fulin saw the two with death wishes. The Imperyean traveler just couldn’t catch a break.
Still, not all was bad. Put under blankets, a sound Tomako found more than enough time to continue recovery from her back injury and to mull over her violent action from the past night. Severing Fulin’s hand in her eyes was a just act, but perhaps one that could have been avoided. Taking Fulin’s hand helped bridge his decision to have the two murdered. If Tomako and Kim did not take their next steps with caution, Fulin could make good on that intent—whether it be death or some other form of pain.
The Imperyean remained asleep past that horrible day. Just as she turned to her other side, the sound of a throat being cleared brought her to consciousness. Hardly awake, her first thought was to make a surprise leap for her katana. Unknown to her was that the approaching figure was Kim, who had allowed himself into her room without invitation.
“Hope you’re awake, Tomako.”
It was shocking to him that Tomako then—very automatic in nature—got off her side and sat up. “Yes, I’m up.”
Those coming moments were silent but interesting; it took only seconds for Tomako to both see and feel a much different vibe between the two. His face seemed more frantic than mistrusting, even his pose was less authoritative in nature. The same paranoid or even hostile face he had been showing up to this point was not present. It all left Tomako gawking at him in a curious manner.
“I apologize, I must’ve slept far too long…”
“Yeah, well… don’t worry about it…” Kim raised his chin, one eye remained down on her. “You best rest up your back, because we’ve a lot of work to do today with Fulin wanting to skin my hide and all that…” Tomako’s eyes fluttered as he followed this up with snickering. “Technically, both our hides.”
The Imperyean raised a finger, “You’ve a plan?”
“Indeed, Tomako. I thought long and hard about what we need to do to survive Fulin.” The man pouted with angry dropped brows. “The Krucifixan Guard should help us against Fulin, but I’ve a feeling they’ll look the other way once they realize an Imperyean is involved.”
The woman whined, “That’s not fair!”
“And trust me, the Krucif Only League will return just as Fulin insisted. The man’s a liar, but oh too violent to play around with.” The Krucifixan turned away from Tomako to think; he cupped a hand over his mouth before continuing his thoughts. “Right now, we’re in no position to put up a fight. We need to prepare for the worst.”
It was only now that Tomako set aside her blanket; Kim’s initial response was to raise a brow. She remained in regular attire—minus a belt and boots—even when asleep. There she stretched and worked her back in preparation for a day of strong physical labor.
“I will stand by you, no matter the threat we face.” This led Kim into an even more surprised face. “I do not want to kill anyone, in fact, I do not want to harm anyone. I’ve no experience with killing humans. However, in the face of a dangerous man such as Fulin, I will do what I must to see that we live another day.”
Kim pocketed a hand along with an intimidating grin, “You say that you will kill Fulin and his clan members if you must?”
“If I must and can.”
Tomako remained at the edge of her bed, meanwhile, Kim continued to look down at her with a taken back grin. In his own mind, it was of little surprise to him that an Imperyean would be willing to deliberately spill Krucifixan blood. At the same time, he recognized that this was no ordinary case of Imperyean self-interest. Tomako did not pledge to this out of self-interest, else she would get on her horse and continue traveling north. Instead, she was committed to facing Fulin and his cultural racists alongside Kim Young—a Krucifixan.
No matter how he looked at it, Kim had little room left to argue that Tomako fit the Imperyean stereotype. She was different, yes, but not the fraudulent blood-starved person most would think her to be.
The man finally replied, “Well, if it comes down to that, hopefully I’ll have dealt with them all myself. I’m a natural with the arrow and we’re just talking about a bunch of poor fools in masks and robes. We’ll have them running in no time.”
Tomako returned a simple nod. A belt was put around, boots slipped on, and EngelReise clipped to her waist. With this, she moved toward the door.
“Well, Fulin and his men aside, I best return to farm duties.”
A special kind of silence followed this. Kim remained still in front of the bed while Tomako ventured out into the living area of the house. For those coming seconds, Kim gazed upon the disarrayed bedsheets and blankets, then finally turned his head to the door.
“Tomako!” The Imperyean, already at the house’s entrance door, stopped to turn back in the direction of the bedroom. “Forget about the crop collection. I’ve a different task for you.”
Now it was Tomako who came still and silent, Kim made his second appearance only seconds later. Tomako continued to face away from the man as he then struck a tough pose from behind.
“That’s not important anymore. If we’re going to survive Fulin and his men, we’ll need to prioritize solely on preparations.”
The silence remained strong. Tomako’s best attention remained out the door and towards the very distant mountain. More so, she was invested into the gorgeous sky and weather of this day. How could such a beautiful day be connected with such dark fate..? She dipped her head down and exhaled.
“Preparations? What preparations?” She turned to face him, fearful frustration existed on her face. “If Fulin appears once more, we grab our weapons and fight.”
“No, Tomako. It is not so simple.” Her face took a turn from fearful frustration to confused frustration. “We need to gather supplies into one place—a horse load of supplies.” As Kim’s eyes spelled seriousness, he began to list items with his fingers. “Food, water, money, clothing, weaponry, tools—all bagged and ready for horseback carry.”
A complete backfire, as Tomako then stood up straight with a special kind of glare. “You want to incorporate the horses into our fight!? No!”
“Tomako, calm yourself-”
“No! No, I won’t! I fervidly refuse!”
Kim, with open arms, approached the woman with a gentle face, “It is essential to our survival that our horses be ready for an escape.” The passionate anger on Tomako’s face was rare, and by extension was it disturbing to Kim. “You’re not hearing me, Tomako. I am not proposing that we fight over horseback. I am telling you that in the event that we need to flee, we must bring with us supplies, else we will not survive.”
Tomako, still offended, retorted, “I did not call upon Sakura for war; he came from humble beginnings—a carriage puller to Great Lord Otomo. He honored my call for a trusted steed, to embark on a quest of unbelievable magnitude, and in his endeavors went from a carriage horse into an efficient riding horse.” She fired a finger forward at Kim in a way that left him with wide eyes. “I will not make Sakura convert a third time. Once a carriage horse, now a riding horse, never a war horse.”
The Krucifixan shook his head, as though he were being told nonsense. In the end, he shrugged and held his hands out in a calming manner. “Your special horse will not know battle, Tomako. But no matter what you say, the fact remains; under bad circumstances, our horses will be our only hope of escape.”
Following this, Tomako closed her eyes and exhaled to calm down. “Very well, I understand what you’re saying.”
“Very good.” Like some military strategist, Kim then marched ahead of her with two hands behind his back. “In that case the plan is put into motion. Our first order of business: We need to bag food. A lot of food. Enough to last a long while.” He turned back and eyed her up. “I recall hearing you’ve bagged a hundred-some vegetables?”
Tomako nodded, “Yes, from yesterday. I believe I left the bag out in the field.”
“Change of direction. We’ll no longer be trading that produce, it is now for personal consumption.”
“Wha—at? But you need it for income.”
Kim waved off this claim, “There’s a lot more produce for that. For now, we need to think for ourselves.” He came very close to Tomako’s face with very solid instructions. “A hundred-some vegetables. Four full sacks of rice. Two small bags of spice. Can you get me that?”
Tomako gawked in absolute shock, “What? Four filled sacks of rice? Two whole bags of spice!?”
“Never mind if the produce is dirty. We can deal with that another time. It’ll be a lot of work, I understand, but time is of the essence.”
The Imperyean had a slight tremble connected to this task. It was nothing she was unfamiliar with doing, only that the time needed to gather the desired goods would be grand. The amount being asked from her is more along the lines of what her father, Soga, so often wanted to see from her; and almost everything Soga expected from Tomako was unacceptable.
Kim looked out the door and spoke, “I will task myself with the collection of water. We’ll need a lot more water than I originally planned to collect this month.” He turned to her one final time. “After that, we gather clothing, weapons, and tools. Then, we discuss the plan.”
Both individuals walked out of the house, where they were met by the gorgeous day. Tomako couldn’t have wished better weather for such a brutal task, it was the most desired kind—though not fitting in the slightest.
Gulping with a troubled expression, Tomako rubbed her clean hands together and took steps toward the fields. No doubt about it, her hands would not be clean of dirt for quite some time after this.
“By the gods… God of Kushyrin, bless me on this day...”
That same day, torches were lit, and banners raised to a tavern of many. The crowd colored the tavern green and gold with their matching clan robes and hoods. Similarly, the common word in this crowd was of intolerance and despise for the common Imperyean. There were not the common men and women of Krucifix, they were the Krucif Only League—united under a banner passionate hatred.
The Grand Hand—an elder man at the end of his life—surviving son of the Krucif Only League’s founding Grand Hand, therefore, its second leader. This man was robed like all the rest but with a hood down and special golden sash draping from his belt. The man spoke to the crowd from the darkest part of his heart.
“Believe it or not, there was a time where my face did not bear the many cracks and damage it does today. I was once a young lad like the many of you! Let me tell you, Krucifix was under attack then just as it is now; only difference being… our nation today is lowering its guard!” He raised both his hands up in a mighty showing. “The dream has been realized after centuries of struggle with the Imperyean menace, that being; Imperyea has been cracked with a whip and brought to its knees in utter humiliation by the Swatslandic!”
The announcement was met with applause and cheers from the mass, though the Grand Hand did not express any lighter a mood. He soon dropped his arms and shook his head in opposition to the cheers.
“Friends! Brothers! Your applause is premature, for the defeat of Imperyea brings another issue!” The crowd silenced and the Grand Hand clenched both his fists. “Now that the Imperyeans cannot enjoy their own independence, they seek to peacefully take ours! Their wretched people flee to the shores of Krucifix in search of a new home! The gall they have to present themselves in our land after the centuries of murder and kidnapping!”
Booing and agitated shouting was the new mood, more to the linking of the Grand Hand. He brought his fists up as though he were tugging on their anger and energy.
“The Imperyeans are trying to take over! We have worked and sacrificed ourselves for centuries to ensure that our great nation of Krucifix survives. We’ve come out the surviving nation as the Swatslandic leash the Imperyean dogs. But, my friends, listen! The conflict is not over!” He shook his hands rapidly. “The Imperyeans now come here with their lies and barbaric war culture. They seek to corrupt the minds of the young, to bring about a doomsday level of liberal change—they want us to believe that they come to escape Swatslandic persecution. They’ve fooled us once, they’ve fooled us twice… they’ve fooled us a hundred times! They will try and fool us again in one final desperate bid to capture Krucifix… believe it…”
Tomako worked fast; a sun over her head, swear over her forehead, and hands dry from the handling of rice plants. The job was not as much straining as it was tedious and repetitive; pull a plant, brush the rice into a bag, and repeat. This wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact that she had to do this for multiple sacks. The real struggle came from the urgent nature of it all, which practically had her pacing at a very energy reducing level.
With a swift and tight swipe of a rice plant, she poured another several seeds into a half-filled sack. Progress, yes; but not fast enough progress to keep her morale up. The sight of only half a sack filled up left the woman still in her place and with wide eyes.
“There’s simply no way…” She bit her bottom lip and again looked to the very distant mountain. “Fulin and his posse could show up at any moment; I’ll never have these sacks filled in time.”
For a moment, Tomako found herself frozen in shock by the sound of approaching hooves. She thought for sure it was Fulin, but alas, it was her partner in crime—Kim—mounted atop his trusted Mountain Razer. The horse was carrying two barrels of water to both sides.
The man came to her with a compliment, “I see you’re making good progress.”
“Not nearly fast enough.” Kim gave no immediate response to the claim. “I simply fear that four sacks of rick may be too much for me to handle. For all we know, Fulin could be returning tonight. We only have so much time left!”
Kim snickered, “Relax, relax… Fulin said he’d be returning in a few days.”
To this, Tomako widened her eyes and emphasized, “He is a liar! You said it yourself.”
“Hm…” Seeing truth in this, Kim was left to think for a few moments. His somewhat optimistic face failed to die even with this suggestion. “Just settle down and keep working. Here, you want some water?”
She exhaled, “Water would help.”
One of the water barrels was opened up; from here, Kim dipped his hands into the water and gathered a palm full of it. A grateful Tomako put herself below Kim’s person and with a chin up. He then poured the water from his palm into her mouth.
“Sorry, I’d rather you not contaminate the water with your dirty hands.”
Tomako did not challenge this nor did she complain; she accepted the offering of water with as much gratitude as possible. The palm-delivered water was enough to raise her morale and work ethic back into an effective level.
“Thank you, but…” The woman lowered one brow and pointed to the barrels. “Please keep only one barrel of water over your horse at a time. Two is going far past acceptable weight.”
The Krucifixan grimaced for a second before implementing a smug smirk, “I’m collecting so far that you’re very sympathetic for horses.”
One fist came down upon an empty palm, followed by a lecture, “Horses are our friends—animal companions. Treat them as fairly as you would want to be treated.” Kim’s grin widened, almost humored by the lecture. “Measure what and how much they carry, schedule feeding times, follow common procedures when putting on shoes, don’t be abusive when riding-”
“These barrels won’t be needed either way. I intend to fit our mounts with smaller packages of water. Most of the barreled water is going to be sold soon.”
“Oh, well…” Tomako smiled with a comforting chuckle. “That’s a relief.”
Kim brought a grin back onto his face, then soon enough, dropped down from his mount. The woman received him with a somewhat startled reaction, this was in part due to the fact he was grinning—something she had seen very little of from him thus far. Even more shocking to her was when Kim extended his hand out in a manner of proposal.
“Would you like a hand?”
“A- A hand? Assistance in farming..?” Immediate thoughts of her own farm in Kushyrin surfaced, said thoughts were kicked aside by the more present matter. “You gave me an assignment; it is my job to gather the food.”
Her words did not dissuade him; he in fact bent down and picked a rice plant. “Nonsense. We’re in this mess together, and as such, teamwork can be our strongest asset.” He brushed the rice out of the plant into a sack, Tomako remained still for those ensuing moments. “I can help you gather the produce, then we’ll tackle the remaining tasks—clothes, weaponry, all that.”
The Imperyean, ever so humble in expression, dipped her head down shyly and said, “I’ve rarely had anyone help me out in the field before. One parent was too heavy for labor, the other was assigned to kitchen work.”
By the time Tomako had finished speaking, Kim had already emptied four more plants of its rice. His level of interest seemed conflicted. Part of him was genuinely curious about Tomako, but on the other end, his anti-Imperyean mentality barred him from caring all too much. He left it at a status quo by not responding.
Side-by-side they worked under the beautiful sky. By working together, the sack of rice became larger by the minute, plus, Tomako’s workload would be cut in half. Truly, teamwork would make the food task far easier—if not also performed more efficiently.
In no time at all Kim had identified what he saw as an issue. There was a drastic difference in how the two went about collecting rice. Kim was speeding through plants—about nine or ten per minute—while Tomako took her time with each other—about three or four per minute. The difference was that Kim would give his plant a single tough stroke; Tomako would do the same, but then dissect the plant to get the straggling seeds out. Kim’s method was faster, Tomako’s was more efficient—on paper.
“Tomako,” he said, initiating a lecture. “No need to pick out the rice. Just stroke the plant into the sack and move on.”
The Imperyean dropped a brow, then challenged him, “There are extra pieces of rice left in the plants though. That would be wasteful.”
“But also a waste of time.” To this, Tomako looked down at the plant in her hand with skepticism. “There are hundreds of plants and only so many hours in a day. A single stroke will get us most of what we want; it’s no one’s loss if we lose, what, twenty extra seeds?”
The Imperyean stopped what she was doing to think about this; in her mind, there was room for disagreement, but perhaps even more room for agreement. The pros of his method seemed to outweigh the cons. She thus put his method to work without further challenge.
Now the two were on fast track. Both averaging about ten plants per minute, each plant giving them hundreds of seeds. Whatever remained on each one past the first stroke was discarded per Kim’s instruction. In a matter of mere minutes, Tomako looked back up at her Krucifixan host and smiled.
“We’re filling up the sack so quickly now!”
“Yep. We’ll be ready to go in no time.”
The woman raised her brow with the same smile, “Hm? ‘Ready to go?’ Go where?”
“Go ahead and feed your horse the rice stalks if you want after this. I know you have quite the bond with your horse.”
Tomako’s question went unanswered and talk of horses took her away from the topic with ease. With a growing smile, Tomako looked back to the stables with a beating heart. This in fact inspired her to work harder and faster.
“Sakura will love that. I’m still trying to earn his forgiveness after that one horrid night of travel.”
“Mhm…”
The clan meeting went on for a great deal of time; many left, but even more came to the hearing. The sheer numbers of men and women robed in green and gold further bolded the definition of hate in this land. Cries of fanatic support for the cause continued to alarm the entire village—the neighboring Krucif Guards turned a deaf ear to the intolerant mass; the people had illegitimate immunity with their rallies simply in that one or two guards could not possibly handle a crowd so big.
A senior legend of the Krucif Only League was now speaking, the Grand Hand having long since left. Fueled speakers were what kept the passionate fire alive on this day.
He shouted, “Our critics call us savages for resisting the influence of Imperyean refugees. They say we are heartless and without empathy for disallowing the samurai to retreat onto our soil. My friends! Are we really the savages they claim us to be? Are we truly without empathy for choosing the people of our nation before theirs!?”
The crowd’s response was unquestioned in their shouts, screams, and cries. Not a single soul in the tavern questioned the nationalist nature of the speaker. The Krucifixan spirit was alive but full of contempt for their cultural rivals. So as long as the Imperyean culture remained alive and united, there would exist reason to fight in the eyes of this group.
“Sure! Let’s let the Imperyeans pour into the peninsula en masse. What could go wrong?” He followed this up with an immediate fist up. “I’ll tell you what happens! Decades go by and the Krucifixan identity becomes confused! Violated by Imperyean religion, traditions, dialect, and more! Before you know it, we’ll be at war yet again with the Imperyean Empire. This time, our own people—Imperyean in blood—will turn on us and help bridge a victory for Imperyea! Our very sovereignty is threatened by these foreign invaders!”
One man in the crowd shouted, “Imperyea is dead! The Swatslandic have slain the evil dragon!”
This man was cheered on for his words, and while the speaker did grin for a moment, he ultimately shook the claim off as false. “Imperyea is behind Swatslandic bars. Friends, they will break free! As we speak, the samurai are likely plotting their escape from Swatslandic shackles.” Angry eyes returned to the man, fired up by the idea of the future existence of Imperyea. “A sovereign Imperyea will be left with a burned economy, a crisis of removing Swatslandic influence from their land, the restructuring of a unified government. But I swear to you, friends… first and foremost, the Imperyeans will set their eyes on our beautiful nation of Krucifix again! Poor and broke, no matter! The Imperyeans are starved for war with Krucifix, and they will have it as they always do!” He paced around the area with two hands up in an obsessive manner. “This will be a war we must be ready for… one we must take precautions for now, even when the Imperyeans are held captive by Svatpa.” He finalized this topic by facing the crowd again, two eyes wide and his face serious. “We, must, deal with the Imperyeans who seek shelter here! Otherwise, Krucifix will not survive another century…”
An even greater time went by as the sun now began its move toward the evening. Four sacks of rice sat alongside the house’s entrance wall along with a large sack of vegetables. The small bags of spice were all that remained to acquire—far easier tasks than the other food items.
Having worked for so long, Tomako soon exited the bathroom with fresh hair and a clean body. This had been her first bath since her days with the Council of Five in Dayaking. As uncomfortable as it was bathing in the household of Kim Young, she couldn’t possibly have turned the offer down.
She strolled into the living room that late afternoon, ready to move onto the next assignments. What she walked in on was beyond surprising to her.
“Wha—a?” she sounded with a tilting head.
A startled Kim bolted up and closed a large map he had opened—a world map. He then spun around to face her.
“Ah, Tomako. You look refreshed.”
She didn’t buy the small talk. “What were you doing with that map?”
He blinked a few times. “Map? What map?”
“That map you just had open…” she answered with low eyelids.
“Hm?” With a bored expression, Kim turned his head and moved the map in question over to his chest. “Why, this? Yes… yes, indeed, it is a map!” Tomako opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. “I was just reviewing your destination of Swatsland is all.”
The woman was left with bloated cheeks for a moment as she thought about this. “I… thought you did not care about my journey.”
This claim was denied with a headshake, “I never said that. I wouldn’t be housing you right now if I didn’t care.”
“But, I thought-”
“We Kims lend a helping hand when needed. It’s what we do.”
Her eyebrows lowered even more, “E- Excuse me. Did you say, Kims?”
The man seemed almost ecstatic to move away from the previous topic, so he turned back around and took a scroll off the table. Opening it up revealed a drawn tree of faces—grandparents, parents, and children in ascending order.
“Indeed, Tomako. See, you may or may not know, but here in Krucifix, our surname comes beforehand.”
Tomako widened her eyes and blocked a gasp, “You don’t say?”
“If that doesn’t surprise you enough, perhaps you will be taken back when I tell you that I come from an exceptionally large family of brothers.”
“Lucky!”
A dead awkward silence passed for a moment, Tomako took upon a look of guilt for a few moments. Soon, Kim signaled her to approach before placing the open scroll down on the table. The two convened beside each other and looked down upon the family tree. His finger started from the top of the House.
“The spirits of our grandparents have long since ascended into the Greater Realm. Therefore, Head of the Kims—Kim Rhi-Ha—sits above all the others as controller of the House. He is the father to us all, currently living in Greater Krucifix a man of isolation.”
Tomako pointed to the portrait of a woman beside him, “She is very pretty!”
“Father Kim Rhi-Ha wedded with Min-Tuong in the northern part of the peninsula. After moving down to this very household, the children came about steadily.”
Their eyes came down upon a list of faces—two of which were very young given the time at which this scroll had been made. Tomako couldn’t help but empower her envy of the situation. Before her were six faces—six male offspring. Soga Angel could only deliver a single female offspring.
“It all begins with eldest brother Kim Suo. A Master of the Hunt and veteran of two Krucif-Imperyean Wars. He built the horse stables you see today.”
Tomako beamed, “He did a magnificent job!”
They moved onto the next face, one which had more facial hair. “Second eldest brother Kim Pin was received by the family three years later. He is a survivor of one Krucif-Imperyean War and a lucky one at that. He was but a swordsman put up against the elite samurai of Imperyea. Following the war, he returned home and assisted eldest brother Kim Suo in the hunts.”
The tale continued as his finger crossed over onto an even younger face, this one having no facial hair. His cheeks were larger than the others and his neck wider—signs of obesity. The artist did the man no favor with the careless face they gave him.
“Kim Poe-Til was where Mother and Father discussed putting an end to their fertility, as he stands as the living shame of our House. Gluttonous and disrespecting, this brother would do anything to keep a coin from going out of his pocket—even if it meant another family member’s suffering.”
“Mind my words, but he’s a bit on the fat side for someone of his age.”
Kim snickered, “Not so much in reality. At father’s request, Poe-Til was portrayed in a heavier manner—shaming him for his gluttonous person.” His eyes and finger came upon the next face, and his initial stare came with a bit of sorrow. “He was officially where the line was crossed. Kim Chao was a man of honor and diligence—respected by almost everybody. Alas, he met a sad fate at the Battle of Kirchpuddle in the most recent Krucif-Imperyean War.”
Tomako frowned, “I’m so sorry.”
The man eyed the woman up for a moment, searching for any falsity in her words. Her sad face left Kim on the fence with how she felt, at best. She pointed down at the scroll again with a surprised smile.
“Oh, hey! You had a sister!”
He grunted, then looked down at the portrait with wide eyes, “Wh- What? Th- No… no! That’s not a woman… that is clearly- That’s me!” Tomako’s smile remained, but she soon turned her head with a frozen face of shock. “That’s me! I just- the artist portrayed me in a rather androgynous manner, I assure you!”
“I’m so sorry…” she said, holding back a laugh.
Both individuals were blushing of embarrassment. Still, Kim continued the tale, “I was decided to be the final offspring to my father. As such, I was bestowed the name Kim Youngest. I’ve been praised in the past for being a very independent worker and loyal family member. I eventually surpassed my eldest brother, Kim Suo, in archer talent.”
Tomako nodded, then pointed to the final face, “But… there is a final brother..?”
“Indeed. Despite I being titled the youngest Kim. Only a year later would Mother again bear child. Kim Chu—currently the youngest member of the House. Therefore, it was only reasonable that I be renamed to Young.” He held his chin as he recollected about his brother. “Only now entering adulthood, Kim Chu is said to be destined with a rich fortune ahead of him. Some have suspected that destiny will one day lead him to become Krucifix’s state diplomat. But this is but a mere thought.”
The Imperyean clapped her hands, “Fascinating story, Young!”
Kim lowered his brows and grunted again, then turned away from her with another embarrassed face. “Yes, well, here we normally address people in full. Kim Young, as I like it put. Call me Kim Young or continue to call me Kim, please.”
She nodded with grace, “Very well.”
Finally, Kim’s favorite rival, Fulin Ji-Hoon, found himself speaking to the very same crowd of clan members. He did so with minus a hand, but a pleasant face, nonetheless. His attire consisted of the same common green and gold robe that everyone else wore.
“Brothers and sisters of Krucifix, I once stood before the lot of you with a message. That message was a warning of what was to come if we allowed non-Krucifixans into our great land. I was there as the samurai spilled Krucifixan blood in the Forty-Seventh Krucif-Imperyean War; I was there even before the war ended with a warning that the Imperyeans would come for our land. Not one of you doubted my word… but the Royal Family did!” Fulin’s blasting of the Krucifixan Royal Family successfully brought in some praise. “Forty-seven attempts to seize our peninsula wasn’t a clear enough message to the fools wearing gold; they knew that the Imperyeans wanted our land, yet, they’ve now allowed them to walk upon our soil with their filthy feet under the guise of ‘refugee.’”
His insulting words brought even more praise than the last, Fulin merely crossed his arms with a charismatic grin as he inspected the mass. The crowd was inspired by hatred and ready to be controlled by just about anyone. Fulin saw no better opportunity to get what he wants than now.
“I understand that there are a few who disagree with our anti-Imperyean sentiment… such people have not experienced the loss of family to the samurai. They know not of loss! They have not come face-to-face with an Imperyean… not like I have!” The man’s eyes lit up with great energy. “Our critics deny the volatile ways of the Imperyean, they deny that all Imperyeans are human war machines. They say that Imperyeans can come in peace…” To this, Fulin kicked a wooden chair down to the floor in a fit of rage, then pointed to his non-existent hand. “To them I say… here is your Imperyean peace!”
Many were shocked, many already aware of this. An Imperyean chopping the hand off a Krucifixan in their own homeland was news that spread fast. Fulin of all people would exaggerate the story in any way that would see both Kim and Tomako buried.
“I watched in absolute horror as a patriot of Krucifix had been brainwashed by a woman of Imperyea. For the one, Kim Young, to have once aspired to fight along the Hwarang? Now tricked into obeying the will of an Imperyean female. Sad!”
A man shouted to him, “Sad, I say!”
“It is sad! But it’s too late for Kimmy; he’s one of them now. He is practically one hundred percent Imperyean now and seeks to overthrow the current Crown of Krucifix with one that is loyal to the Imperyean people!” He put on a pathetic face for a moment as he again pointed to his flat wrist. “Friends! I swear to you, I tried with all my heart to turn the one, Kim Young, back to the light… With the spirits of our ancestors to my heart, I tried, and tried, and tried to convince Kim that he was under an Imperyean spell… and he proceeded to assault me!” The man’s words became quicker and full of fear. “I had been attacked in my very home by a man who now served the very culture he once swore to fight. Then, his Imperyean woman attacked me with a hidden devil blade! Mutilation! My hand had been taken from me—unprovoked!”
Fulin’s flat wrist remained up in the air for all to see, a claimed example of Imperyean thuggery. The sight of a missing hand installed the right kind of fear and anger into the crowd; in the eyes of many, a true example of what more was to come if Krucifix were to allow more Imperyeans into the kingdom.
Soon, the man brought both arms up to his chest in a showing of inspired feelings. “Brothers, sisters… Kim Young and his Imperyean woman are not our only enemies. Every Imperyean that walks our land brings with them a threat that must be contained, else risk similar mutilations to your loved ones.” He raised his arm up one last time and with serious eyes. “You know what? I am proud to be without this hand; praise fate for letting me be the one to take the sacrifice. Let my heroic loss act as a reminder… that this could be your sons, and daughters, and brothers, and sisters..!” He swiped his remaining hand vertically. “No more Imperyeans. Period! No refugees, no prisoners, not even pocket servicers. The prestige that comes from Imperyean pocket servicers is not worth the damage their kind will bring!”
The tavern crowd treated this like a conclusion, as they began to drink and converse with rowdy behaviors. Fulin remained standing tall before everyone, a look of frustration on his face due to their lack of attention.
“Everyone… everyone! Listen!” The crowd remained inattentive, unaware of his desire to keep speaking. “Dammit! Listen, everybody!”
Through his shouting, most of the crowd returned their focus. Fulin was quick to hide his frustrated expression, instead, putting on a face of great pride and optimism. He stepped forward twice, then pointed to the clan.
“I was invited into this organization years ago for saying what everyone was thinking, but too scared to say. Now, I will again speak on your behalf, even if the law forbids what I am to say…” Many eyes widened at his upcoming intentions; the tavern had reached a record level of silence on this day. “If the Royal Family of Krucifix refuses to safeguard us from the Imperyeans, we must take destiny into our own hands. Harass them in public—shame them! Bring fire to their homes! Deny them service—period! Krucifix is not Imperyean, Krucifix is Krucifixan! Only Imperyea is Imperyean! Let us keep it that way!”
Fulin forced an optimistic grin in face of a cheering crowd. Guards of Krucifix around the area grew concern over such words—illegal without a doubt—and what kind of instability Fulin’s type of thinking could bring to the nation. The problem was that even a portion of Krucifixan guards supported Fulin’s way of thinking. The entire Krucif Only League was, for the most part, exempted from trouble.
Most important to Fulin was that the law would not interfere with his new more violent quest to see his longtime rival, Kim, dead alongside Tomako. He had clan support, no matter the case…
Time was short as the sun had reached its lowest point, now beginning to hide behind the peninsula’s northern mountains. Clean clothing was left out to dry, quantities of food and water were attached to both horses, and Tomako was left gathering arrows of blades under Kim’s request. They were behind schedule, but only on the clothing front.
A calm Kim Young found himself atop a hill just beyond his fields. He was pleased by the collective power that he and Tomako shared in gathering goods, yet there existed a conflict within his very soul. From the youngest of days Kim had been taught not to trust an Imperyean, as he had come to understand, Imperyeans were natural and excessive liars. No matter how convincing they may be, there was a catch or trick at play.
Despite this, something about Tomako didn’t fit the stereotype. Deep inside, Kim couldn’t deny feelings of trust for this woman he knew for only so long. Seeking employment at the farm was one thing, chopping off his rival’s hand as rescue was another, her proven dedication to stay by his side at the farm amidst such great danger was an even bigger compliment.
Even if it were a proven fact that most—or all—Imperyeans are wicked liars, Kim had already made clear to himself of one thing. Tomako was an exception of some kind.
The man sniffed the air while watching the sun continue to descend; his eyes were centered on the very peak of the mountains to the north. For a moment, he had become so lost in thought that all feelings in his body disappeared. The man froze in a very heavy train of thought.
“Kim!”
And so the man thawed.
Behind him came the woman of the hour, Tomako, still with her katana and working attire. Had she wanted to, Kim could have been slayed with a single thrust to the back, then looted clean of his possessions. There was no greater time to stab him in the back than now, when his very reputation in Krucifix burned like ember. No one would have minded Kim’s fall—not Fulin, not the citizenry. Ironic as it is, the one person in the world who would feel for the man’s death was the very Imperyean woman he had paranoid thoughts for.
The woman brushed up beside him with a frantic face, “Are you okay?”
Kim returned a gaze, a silent one at that. Their faces were close enough to make for a romantic cover, but the man was too paralyzed with thought to respond to this. Tomako, however, soon took a step back to break the narrow space. There she waved in front of him, fear was drawn over her face.
“Kim! Are you in pain? Did something happen?”
“Nothing. It’s… nothing.” Kim dipped his head to her, finally acknowledging her presence. “It’s just that a lot has happened over the course of a single day. So many events, so many fateful decisions.”
Tomako winked and guessed, “Taking Fulin’s hand was a fateful decision, yes, but imperative to your survival.”
Kim turned away from her, again facing the sunset, “Yes, true, but that is not one of the fateful decisions I’m referring to.”
“Oh?” Open to discussion, Tomako faced the sunset as well with open arms. “Well, do tell. What fateful decision have we made?” Many moments of silence from Kim led Tomako to study the northern mountains; she was taken back by the dark beauties. “My, what a view you have here.”
“Heh… Get past those mountains and you’ll be en route to Greater Krucifix.”
Once more, the original conversation had been branched away from. Tomako cupped a hand over her mouth in concentration, the mountains were vast and a bit cold looking. This raised many immediate questions, only one that she felt was important enough to ask about.
“Will my horse be able to pass the mountains?”
“The mountains are an obstacle, for certain; but you’ll be able to manage it over horseback.”
“I see.”
Kim grimaced for a moment, looking between Tomako and the mountains. His gaze soon settled with the mountains, where as his mind continued to reside with Tomako. She seemed a bit distanced in thought as well. To himself, the man broke out a few grins—his thoughts about the woman going back and forth at random intervals. He again settled with a trusting behavior, but not a solid one.
“You know, Tomako. You’re not… you’re not like most Imperyeans.”
She turned to him, “What do you mean?”
He turned as well, “Most Imperyeans would have stabbed me by now, loot my home clean, and then lay insult to my very character by leaving my corpse out for the birds and insects.” Tomako remained silent, but with a very appalled expression. “I can’t quite say if you’re as honest of a person as you seem to be—you may be a pathological liar as so many Imperyeans are—but I’d like to think you’re a different kind of Imperyean. A more… human type.”
His words came out with kind intent, but were received only as insulting. Tomako’s eyes whipped all over the place, piecing together what she had just heard. Overall, she exhaled and shook her head in disapproval.
“How many Imperyeans have you met before me?”
Kim lowered his brows nervously, then turned away from her, “…three.”
She closed her eyes, “Under what circumstance?”
“Hey, that’s a tale for another time.”
Tomako continued on with her darting gaze past this, but ultimately respected his request for confidentiality. Still, she crossed her arms and faced the mountains again in disapproval.
“Your viewing of Imperyeans is offensive to me.”
“-but no less valid.”
The woman clenched her fist in response, but refrained from explosive behavior. This wasn’t a fight she wanted to have—not now. With Fulin after their necks, she knew best not to create internal conflict. Instead, she turned to the better side of his sayings.
“You respect me?”
Here, Kim was quick to nod—though he did so with a shocked look, as though he couldn’t believe it himself. “I do respect you. It took a lot of courage to do what you did back in that tavern, and even more to now stay by my side through the thick of it.”
The man jumped in fright as seconds later the sound of Tomako’s sword unsheathing came about. In a stylish manner, Tomako pointed the blade out toward the sun. Kim was left on his toes, his paranoia revived by the simple showing of an Imperyean blade.
To the sun, she spoke, “With the gods of Puriton holding my word as truth, I’ve sworn to see you out of your situation, Kim.”
Analyzing her words, a paranoid Kim somehow registered this as a stylish threat. As such, he felt around his person for a weapon—but he did not have one.
“Are… you going to kill me?”
Tomako, with her sword still up, stood in dramatic silence for those coming moments. She helped settle the fear by putting the sword back to her waist.
“If I were to kill you, I could never again walk the lands an honest woman. I wouldn’t kill you—I wouldn’t kill anyone without just reason. I don’t want to ever kill anyone.”
Kim remained on his toes shaking, but soon retracted his fear in place of shock. With one eye closed, he responded, “You really do believe we’re in this mess together, don’t you?”
“We are in this together.”
Peace ensued—simple peace that couldn’t possibly be disarmed at the moment. In silence together, the two resumed watch of the setting sun. There simply wasn’t any possibility of Tomako being trouble to Kim, he now had to accept this, else stand with no allies in a narrowing world of dangers. His mind had now been made up at last, and as such, he knew exactly what was coming next for the two.
Having guessed his thoughts, Tomako turned her head and questioned, “Food, water, and supplies are ready; clothing is drying off. What’s next?”
Kim thought long and hard about this question, going as far as to wrap a finger around his lips. Very slowly, his eyes came back up upon the mountains, his eyes settled here just as a decision had.
“We sleep with our eyes peeled for danger.”
“Alright.”
He motioned his fingers with his next words, “Assuming Fulin does not show tonight, we’ll wake up, gather the final clothing, then put the final pieces over our horses.”
“Okay, yes?” She raised a finger up. “Then we prepare for battle, yes? Teach me how to fire a bow and, hopefully, we can keep Fulin and his men away from your house.”
Kim turned his head for a moment to grin, soon finding himself shaking the suggestion off as silly. “No, Tomako. Next, we take off for Snyky’an-”
“But, Kim! What if we run into Fulin?” she panicked.
“-where we will sell this farm for a modest price.”
An awkward silence followed, one which had Tomako lowering her brows in puzzlement. “…sell the farm? Huh? What farm?” She turned to him with raised brows and wide eyes, then pointed down. “This farm?”
“Correct.”
“But… why? Where will you- where will we go?” Kim glanced at her, finding an almost distressed expression on her. “Kim, I- I don’t understand your plan.”
“Isn’t it obvious, Tomako?” The woman stood facing him, a confused and almost disappointed look on her. “We’re going to help each other from now on—as a party.”
“Wha——at..?” she asked silently.
Kim chuckled to her confusion, “You know, a party—a camp. A party of travelers.” Still silent and confused, Kim soon sighed and took a step toward her, both hands out. “I want to come with you, Tomako.”
She gasped, “To Greater Krucifix?”
“Farther.”
Then a second gasp, “A neighboring kingdom?”
“Nope. All the way.”
The woman was forced to take a step back, and at the same time, blocking somewhat of a surprised blush from taking her. At a loss for words, Tomako’s eyes darted left and right in unexpected thought. She couldn’t be hearing him correctly.
“Surely, you don’t mean-”
Kim beamed, “I’ve got it all planned out, Tomako. We travel to Greater Krucifix, traverse its great mountains, and then ride along the Land of the Free all the way into Svatpa.”
Tomako took a step back, “By the gods, you’re serious. By the gods, you’re serious, aren’t you?”
“My presence wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”
“Uh, I mean…” Tomako crouched and put a hand over her forehead. “This is all just so sudden… I’m trying to mull over it all…”
Kim smiled at her, “I trust you, and I think you trust me. As anyone will tell you, two heads are better than one when travelling. If one of us becomes ill, we’ll look after each other. If we’re at a loss for money, we’ll put our minds together. If we’re without shelter, we’ll teamwork a roof over our head.” Tomako’s face continued to redden just a slight bit, alternative feelings playing a factor in her shock. “You don’t honestly think you’ll survive a trip on your own, do you? Because, you won’t. That’s not an opinion, it’s just a fact.”
Silence followed and Tomako knew his words to be truth. People back home did not call it a fool’s quest because of the difficulty, they did so out of knowing that one twenty-seven year old woman with minimal survival experience could not tackle such a quest. Such a journey required cooperation—two working brains.
It was not so much a question of whether Tomako wanted a partner on this journey, it was whether she wanted Kim Young for it.
The woman stood up, brushed her hair aside, and asked an honest question, “What business do you have in Swatsland?”
“No, no. Not Swatsland, Tomako. I will not go to Swatsland with you. But I’ve business over there I’ve only ever dreamed of; with all of Krucifix preparing to have me killed, now is a better time than ever to take up the opportunity. You know, take a chance! I’ve nothing to lose.”
“But… if not Swatsland, then where?”
Great discomfort met Tomako as Kim then wrapped himself around her in an enthusiastic manner, there he reached his hand out in the direction of the mountains.
“Not Swatsland. I’ve far greater ambitions. I’ve forever dreamed of living in the Land of Fantasies. The Realm of Opportunity. The Place of Mystery.”
Tomako, now with a returning blush, asked, “Where?”
The man wiggled his fingers around in a very mystic manner, expressing great joy and excitement over the ambitious journey.
“Legolide…”
Unfamiliar with the word, Tomako found herself tilting her head. “Legolide? What’s Legolide?”
Only a short time later, within the Kim homestead, Tomako found herself seated like a student. In front of her was an opened world map, pinned to the wall and with Kim standing before it. There, before the map, Kim swat his hand very passionately against the large rough print of land below Svatpa.
“This. This, is Legolide.”
Tomako, shocked, felt her cheek and yelped, “That entire thing? I didn’t even know Legolide was a place until now!” Taken back in awe, Tomako examined the large landmass with rising curiosity. Not even one as wise as Otomo had ever mentioned the name of this land. “What’s so amazing about Legolide?”
Kim winked with a smile, “Legolide remains virgin territory—never before touched by kingdoms and empires. At least, such is the case for the inner lands.”
He put emphasis on the inner parts of Legolide—only now did Tomako recognize that there were few borders on this continent. About ninety-seven percent of Legolide went unclaimed, with only certain coastlines containing colonial borders. One of which connected with the Empire of Swatsland.
“No kingdoms..?” she muttered.
“Yes! Legolide remains uncolonized and unexplored. Nobody knows what the lands of Legolide hold. But I do.”
“You do? How? What is there in Legolide?”
Kim approached Tomako and put a foot down over the table in front of her; he proceeded to point at her with a spirited grin. “Peace. Riches. Exotic foods. Exotic animals. Never before experienced by mankind.”
The woman put on a childish smile, “Exotic horses?”
“Exotic horses never before seen by the human eye!”
Not a sound came off Tomako past this, but she found herself bouncing in her seat with a big smile—like an excited little girl.
“Legolide sounds amazing!”
Kim looked back to the map, “And picture this, Tomako. Picture living there, in Legolide, outside of government control.” The woman indeed began to fantasize about this. “No government. Just you, a house, a family, horses. No government means no war. You are a free person in the paradise that is Legolide.”
“How absolutely exciting! Peace and quiet, new horse breeds, family…”
“So, now you understand where I’m coming from?” Tomako dropped her smile for the moment, only now remembering that they were in fact still in violent Krucifix, discussing the formation of an Angel-Kim alliance. “You and I can leave Shimua together tomorrow. Work off each other to Greater Krucifix, through the snowy remnants of the Superium Empire, into Eastern Svatpa, right to the borderline where we part ways.”
“Where?”
Kim was immediate in tapping a location on the map—a kingdom called Dinamox. “Here we shake hands, turn backs, and go our separate ways. I head south in the direction of Legolide, and you continue the extra few steps west to Swatsland.”
“I see.” But with a look of puzzlement, Tomako stood up and approached the map. In her mind, there was a more reasonable route than what he had described. “Could we not walk south from here, board a ship, and then travel to…” She tapped her finger over the Horn of Legolide. “Here?”
The man looked over her suggestion—one that would save them close to half the trip walking. Yet, he closed his eyes and snickered at the very suggestion she made.
“Travel by ship? Nonsense.”
“Why not?”
Quickly, Kim pointed to the southern part of Krucifix’s peninsula. “We’d take a ship here, then travel to… this place.” The location Kim pointed to was Si-Unchin—a jungle land in Shimua. Tomako was familiar with the location.
“I suggested that route to Otomo! He said it wouldn’t work.”
“Well, we travel there via ship for a few days and try to find a new ship; that is assuming the kingdom even has ships. I don’t know.”
“Oh.”
He dragged his finger around the ocean. “Let’s assume we do find a ship that’s willing to travel to Legolide. We sail west for many days toward Legolide. Then, the obvious happens…” Tomako bolted up in fear as Kim then leapt in front of her with great energy. “Boom! Sponjdai decides to punish a sinful person aboard the ship—we’re caught in the crossfire of its wrath and die with the ship!”
Tomako trembled in her seat, “…Sponjdai..?”
“Or in your alternative Imperyean narrative, ‘the gods.’”
“Um…”
“Think about it. When divine nature in this world seek to punish someone, they’ll kill them, usually by storm. If we’re on a ship of, say, a thousand people, chances are high they will seek to punish a sinful person with great wrath… with us on the ship!”
Tomako blinked a few times, “Yo- You think the gods will mistakenly kill us?”
“There are no gods, only Sponjdai. But… yes, basically. I believe if we go by ship, Sponjdai—or your gods—will enact their wrath upon our ship in a bid to kill a single person. It’s not worth the risk, Tomako…”
“Yes, well, I won’t argue with you there… the gods work in mysterious and wrathful ways now and then…”
The Krucifixan, with two crossed arms, posed the big question, “So, with all that being said, will you agree to have me with you on your quest?” Tomako blinked without emotion a few times. “I help you retrieve your parents, and in turn, you help me reach glorious Legolide. What do you say?”
For the next couple of moments, Tomako eyed up the world map ahead of her. The trip to Swatsland was a hard one, and she knew not of how to handle herself for such a distance. She didn’t want to think about the trip back home, but by accepting the offer, she could at the very least increase her chances of making her way to Swatsland.
Tomako stood back up with a blank face and reached her hand out, “Kim Young, it would be my extreme honor to have you travel by my side. Let us, together, make our dreams come true…”
Without further word in that moment, Kim and Tomako exchanged positive faces, then connected handshakes. The very sight of a Krucifixan and Imperyean smiling and shaking hands was, in its own, something legendary. From this day onward, Tomako and Kim would go farther with each other than any man or woman of rivaling nations had done before.
It took forty-seven wars between Imperyea and Krucifix, but at last, reason and peace championed—at least between these two individuals. With this alliance, the fool’s quest had just become a lot easier…
To be continued!
Chapter 13 < | > Chapter 15
==Author Notes==
====Anti-Imperyean Development====
Following the release of Chapter 13 and the introduction of the Krucif Only League, I found myself wanting to avoid making the organization just a group who hates Imperyeans due to intolerance. While intolerance of Imperyeans still commands great power in the League, with this chapter I sought to make the anti-Imperyean situation a much more political one whereas its members feel they are protecting their country from some natural evil. The Krucif Only League was to be comprised of those who are Krucifixan ultranationalists, veterans. victims of Imperyean razing, and those who believe their life problems stem from Imperyea's hostile positioning. The point of this direction was to make the Krucif Only League a more believable power and perhaps even somewhat understandable. By no means are any readers intended to support the Krucif Only League's mission, but at the same time I wished to drive it in a direction that leads to a much larger discussion about the Krucif-Imperyean struggles. This was also the moment I decided once and for all that I wanted Krucifix to be a land of people who condemns the Imperyean way of life, but not to such an extent where they would kill non-military; the Krucif Only League represents those who are willing to murder Imperyeans, justifying it as a necessary sin to keeping Krucifix safe.
====Legolide/Africa====
In this chapter, Kim reveals the great plot point of wishing to leave Krucifix and found a home and family in the distant land of Legolide—formerly Africa in earlier versions—believing that its unsettled lands make it a land of opportunity. At no point was Kim ever to tackle this ambition with any reliable information about Legolide, his motivation is entirely just to take a gamble on the uncolonized continent; from a spiritual point of view, it would eventually be worked into the story that Kim sees a journey to Legolide and to live there as a way of contributing meaningful knowledge to the Sponjdai when he dies, therefore helping the world develop in substantial ways.
==Chapter Illustration==
This chapter illustration depicts the scene Kim and Tomako observe the end of the day together, where the former finally introduces his intentions of traveling with her to the continent of Legolide. This illustration notably shows Tomako (and Kim) from a rear view, which up to this point in time was a rarity in Siontix Realm literature. Furthermore, this extensively utilizes a Photoshop strategy of replicating blades of grass to create a somewhat realistic landscape. This style of grass would be most common in EngelReise.
This image was made entirely through Adobe Photoshop.