EngelReise - Chapter 15

**Chapter 14 < | > Chapter 16**

Following a day that saw Kim and Tomako rushing to gather supplies for an oncoming Krucif Only League attack—led by Fulin Ji-Hoon—a surprise twist for Tomako came to find Kim requesting that the two form a permanent partnership and travel to Svatpa together, his claimed destination being Africa. Seeing enough reason to accept, Kim and Tomako now prepare to take leave for Greater Krucifix but must remain cautious of Fulin and his men, who still aspire to have the two killed. As Kim rushes to sell off his farm for a decent payday *alongside* Tomako—who has gained notoriety in Snyky'an—last minute trouble is bound to occur...

## Chapter Reading

== Chapter 15 – *Onward, to Greater Krucifix!* =

The young Imperyean again found herself at bed, only one major difference from her last stay; she had placed herself in a more comfortable and common situation. In other words, she was naked. Kim had been lectured into discontinuing his dishonorable tendency to intrude into her space uninvited; as such, Tomako had reluctant faith that she could resume sleeping unclothed as she once did in her homeland. This meant that slumbers would be more comfortable, and her clothing could go longer without needing to be washed.

With only her bare shoulders out, Tomako laid still under a single blanket. On this particular night, the Kim homestead found itself under siege by an exceptionally powerful windstorm. The house creaked like a ship, the walls shook, and the few trees outside were tossed around like common weeds. There was barely any rain and no thunder; nothing more than an extreme showing of wind and rain.

Scared into utter submission by the weather, Tomako’s eyes remained open and still. The sight of rain hitting the window put fear into her, as did the idea that a tree could at any moment fall and strike the house. These were the more realistic fears, but not the primary issue. In fact, her real situation was far less rational.

In a moment of special fear, Tomako’s eyes came down upon the *open* bedroom door. Naked, vulnerable, scared—the sight of an open door was among some of the last things she’d want to see on such an occasion. Through the door there was but utter darkness—pure black shadows—as though the door led to a dark realm of sorts.

Tomako’s heart was beating so much that it began to bother her, yet her gaze would not turn off of the door, nor would she take action. In her own mind, closing the door was an *impossible* task for reasons she could not describe; furthermore, she was well-convinced that someone—or *something* was plotting to get her. She couldn’t help herself as somewhat childish thoughts raced through her head. The very thought of a figure emerging from this utter gateway of darkness haunted her like nothing else.

The wind blasted the household and the sound of dancing leaves added to the song; only then, at last, were her fears realized…

Through the door, surrounded by utter darkness, two white palms appeared. Tomako’s single response was to widen her eyes and gawk. All she could see were the two thin hands of this figure, now standing beyond the doorway. His otherwise dark figure camouflaged into the shadows; for several moments, he—or it—stood there without motion, studying the female amidst a violent windstorm.

Tomako’s heart beat and the will to scream or struggle intensified—but there was no doing so. Widen her eyes, grit her teeth, tremble; all of these negative responses were possible, but actual movement or speech was restricted for reasons she could not explain to herself. Under her blanket, her toes remained poking upward and her fingers were spread out and frozen.

The figure at the door finally moved, and with every footstep they took, Tomako became more ill in fright. Her entrusted sword, EngelReise, was but a meter or two away—yet she could not reach for it; she could not as much as glance at it. Her attention remained on the approaching figure, against her will.

Now out of the darkness that was the door, Tomako found herself being slowly crept upon by an unnaturally tall individual—cloaked in pure black cloth, their face either hidden or non-existent within a hood. The fact that the figure was without face put more scare into the woman than anything else; she so badly wanted to scream. Tomako was not one to ever go above regular volume, but in this particular case, she wanted to break her throat with one built up power shriek. Scream for Kim, scream to scare the figure off—anything would suffice, yet there was no chance of this happening. She was mute and frozen.

The figure, very slowly, put a knee over her bed, just crossing over her left foot. The woman’s foot was forced down flat without any control as the cloaked figure proceeded to crawl over the woman. Tomako’s heart reached an irregular level of beating, her teeth grinding in absolute panic, and her eyes locked directly into the void hood. The figure’s hands, for a moment, felt around both sides of the woman’s waist, then moved up to her bare shoulders. Only here, at this point, did Tomako shock herself to find fleshless palms caressing her shoulders. Nothing but bones—sharp and cold—poked her skin with sharp fingertips.

Tomako’s tremble reached a new level of intensity as the cloaked skeleton continued to feel around her shoulders—not in a sexual manner, but more so, in an explorative one. It was as if the figure had never witnessed flesh such as hers before.

*Please! Leave me be..!* But her thoughts went unheard.

The figure slowly pushed her blanket further down in a bid to feel the lower parts of her arms; without a choice, Tomako had the figure feeling her arms—fearful panting now became desperate breathing for life as the figure’s very knee practically impaled her chest. There was no actual penetration to the chest, but the feeling of intense pressure was there and dealing its full effect in this nightmare…

*Finally*, Tomako was able to blink. It was after reopening her eyes that the figure was gone, breathing resumed, and Tomako could wiggle her feet and hands around. The woman, with two arms covering her bare chest, sat up in a major panic. She hyperventilated with a cold sweat over her face, and then scooted back against the wall of her bed; the blanket came with her.

“Wh- What?”

Tomako’s eyes went everywhere—the ceiling, corners, even her own lap. There was no cloaked figure, and for that matter, the bedroom door remained closed. As far as she knew, the door had never been opened.

The reality of the situation was that there in fact existed a violent windstorm and that she was unclothed. The cloaked figure and lack of physical control, however, seemed to have just been an ultrarealistic nightmare…

Even so, the lasting aftershock of the dream was painful and fresh in her mind. The horror, however, was not over…

*CRACK!*

The sound of glass smashing echoed throughout the entire house; Tomako was very reactive to this, having rolled straight out of bed and onto the floor. With one hand, she put EngelReise into her grasp; with the other, she covered herself in a blanket. The rapid heartbeat continued even past the nightmare, as she had now been faced by this mystery sound.

Standing with a wrapped blanket and equipped katana, Tomako thought quickly on how to respond to this. Be it Fulin staging his promised attack, or the wind simply knocking down a vase—all possible cards had to be considered.

Dropping her blanket, Tomako instead turned to her kimono. If she were to fight the Krucif Only League, she would make sure not to do so in pure skin…

Despite the wind and smashing of glass, Kim remained in his bed gathering rest. With a very ambitious and risky journey ahead of him, the man wanted to take full advantage of still owning a bed. For all he knew, past this point, it could be many months before the opportunity would return. Traveling with Tomako would for the most part imply rests on the flat ground.

His Imperyean counterpart had otherwise to say; without much respect for privacy, she soon rushed into his room in a very rowdy manner. The hilt of her sword had hit the door’s frame by accident, thus making a loud crack.

“Kim!” she panicked.

The man’s eyes opened with haste, alerted by both the crack and Tomako’s panicking simultaneously. Neither was fitted in casual attire. Tomako had entered in with a kimono and without footwear. Kim was, presumably, without clothing—shielded only by a blanket.

Tomako retained focus on the possible situation at hand, though she caught herself raising her eyebrows at the sight of a man with no cloth. She had never witnessed the bare skin of a torso so closely, save for her father. It went without saying, however, that there was a significant build difference between Kim Young and Soga Angel. One was young and built from farming experience, the latter was severely obese and infirm.

There existed an awkward silence between the two; both were examining the other’s appearance. Kim was showing surprise to Tomako’s choice of night attire—and in some sense, gave him false suspicions of her intent. Tomako, meanwhile, caught herself eyeing up Kim—stomach to shoulder—before finally shielding her eyes and looking aside.

“I- I apologize for intruding. Wh- What was I thinking..?”

Kim, defensively, brought his blanket up to his collar. “T- Tomako? You’re wearing your dress… What’s the occasion?” A few seconds later, he blinked with a small smirk and lowered his blanket back down. “*What’s the occasion..?*” he repeated in a cool tone.

Only in those coming moments did Kim acknowledge the sword Tomako had out in the open; still paranoid, Kim gulped at her. The Imperyean pointed the sword back at the door with a frantic look.

“I heard glass shatter. I- I think it’s Fulin, here to have us murdered!”

By now, Kim had brought light to the room in the form of a candle. Now with a glowing chest, Tomako again found herself forced to look away from her host. Next, Kim tossed his blanket aside—in fact revealing that he still had pants on.

“Tomako, are you certain?” He turned to the nearby window, acknowledging the violent shaking of trees outside. “There *is* bad wind.”

“I am concerned for the wellbeing of Sakura and the other horses. I want to check on them as well.”

Tomako put her sword up against her chest; Kim took upon a Krucifixan blade of his own—completely different from the katana. Together, they formed up by shoulders, and then faced the doorway.

With a violent wind slamming against every wall, Tomako and Kim crept around the house with their weapons up. Kim was not convinced that the household was under attack—the super powerful windstorm would not even allow Krucif Only torches to remain lit. Tomako, however, remained paranoid of Fulin’s wrath. Coming straight out of a horrid dream and met with the crashing of glass, Tomako had yet to find a moment of peace.

As the two entered the living room of the structure, Tomako took it upon herself to investigate near the kitchen area. Kim—equipped with a candle and sword—continued his way around the living room. More powerful gusts of wind led the house to shake and creak, to which even Kim admitted discomfort. Once he gets the farm sold, he needn’t worry about the weakening structure.

The Imperyean took slow steps into the kitchen area; here she performed a concentrated scan of her surroundings. There were empty tables, dirty dishes, and small paintings; but no sign of Fulin or his associates. With this established as the case, Tomako lowered her guard a bit and turned back around. A single step toward the wall was enough to leave her standing stiff and alert.

Kim, sensing the abrupt stop, turned to face Tomako from across the room. The woman remained perfectly still and with gritted teeth; carefully, she raised her right foot and turned it up by the sole. Finally, with a gentle brush, she removed stuck glass shards from her foot—any potential cuts had been avoided.

“Tomako?”

Soon enough, Kim brought the candlelight down to the floor. In front of her were the remains of a white and blue ceramic flowerpot. The two adults followed this discovery up by exchanging glances, then both eyes came upon the window to their side, where the flowerpot had been sitting. The mystery was solved as the window was revealed to still be open during the windstorm.

“Huh… heh…” Kim closed the window and then kicked the shattered pot aside. “My mistake, I thought I had closed all of the windows. Oh well. Can’t predict these storms.”

Tomako looked down at the shards with a quirked mouth, “Will the broken pot devalue the house..?”

“Of course not. Probably won’t even knock off a single coin of value.” With this, Kim offered a pleasant smile and bowed. “Head on back to bed. We’ve a-”

“Wait!”

“Hm?”

Still panicked in expression, Tomako grit her teeth and brought both hands together. “We still need to check on the horses.”

Kim dropped his brows irritably, “What? Tomak- No. Tomako, the wind simply knocked down the pot. There is no attack.”

“That is what we suspect.” Tomako turned her head in a curious manner. “Perhaps Fulin reached through the window and pushed the pot down?”

Unconvinced, Kim whined, “Tomako…”

“Better safe than sorry. Let’s check on the horses, then you can return to bed and I will offer my apology.”

In no more than a minute, the very idea of the Krucif Only League attacking at this moment had become unrealistic and very doubtful. Yet, out of slight respect for his guest, Kim rolled along with it. He took a second bow, this time waving his hand back to her bedroom.

“Very well. But I recommend you acquire your sandals. Also, let us not waste time in the stable. I wish for as much resting time as humanly possible, given what comes ahead…”

Perfectly fine with these terms, Tomako sped off to her bedroom once more. What came off as interesting was the fact that Tomako had sheathed EngelReise on her quick trip. It was as if she knew there would be no danger, but rather, wanted to check up on her horse companions.

Though impatient and a bit groggy, Kim would treat her desires, as such a man would.

The stable’s door had been opened by Kim, and in came Tomako at lightning speed. The hair of both Kim and Tomako were tossed around by the windstorm, adding onto the frustration of this redundant trip outside. As expected, all horses remained secure and situated—many of which slept right through the windstorm, Sakura included.

“There, see? All horses are well and *stable*.”

Tomako continued to walk down the isle of stationed horses; part of her was relieved by their wellbeing, another part of her somewhat saddened. Within moments, Kim could sense a solemn—or sad—Tomako just by her silence and posture.

“Yes, thank you, Kim. I’ve been overreacting…”

Kim, with a cool grin, walked up to a horse station and leaned against its pole. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I can respect that you’re watching over us with such a sharp eye.”

“It’s just, that…” Tomako essentially disregarded his response, her thoughts being elsewhere. “I’m having a difficult time coping with the reality that…”

“To Swatsland?”

Tomako lowered her eyelids sadly while gazing upon Sakura—her Kushyrian horse. “All my life was spent in a stable. While Father painted, I would pace from wall to wall, thought to thought, all within the sanctuary of a stable.” Kim dipped his head down, still leaning against a pole. Tomako placed a knee over a stable fence. “Then, suddenly, that sanctuary I grew up in is burned down, my parents seized, and now I find myself in a different stable… all the way in Krucifix of all places!”

Kim turned on a confused face, one that almost seemed irritated. “I do still question why you came *here*, to our sacred land of Krucifix, knowing that *no one* here accepts your kind.” Tomako could sense the hostility in his tone—the natural contempt toward Imperyean blood that Krucifixans had. “But if I’ve learned anything these past days with you, it’s that a life of hate isn’t one I want to continue living by. If we can help each other and set aside our differences, let’s do it.”

The woman turned on a somewhat aggravated face of her own, “I don’t feel any differences between us that create issue. I cannot name anything about you I hate; except, perhaps, your unfair viewing of Imperyeans.”

“Heh! Heh!” Kim swatted his arms together into a fold while continuing to mock her with abrupt laughs. “‘Unfair.’ If that’s the word you’ll use. ‘Unfair.’ I swear…”

Tomako’s temper had again been raised for the same reason as always; but like always, she refused to channel that anger into action—at least not against Kim. The man’s mocking laughter ceased quickly, but his humored grin remained as an insult. He soon eyed her up again and shrugged.

“Don’t look so mad, Tomako. I’ve already explained that I exempt you from the general crowd of Imperyeans. You’re different than the rest.”

A somewhat voiced outburst, “I am different, yes, but not in the way you think. My Imperyean people are no different-”

“Ss—sh…” Kim put both his hands up with a request for silence. “Let’s not talk of this right now, Tomako. There’ll be many more times for us to debate. Right now, I want us to work off each other like rain and crops.”

Tomako, reluctantly, nodded to this, “Very well. I, apologize, for running into your bedroom uninvited. I also apologize for false alarming you.”

Kim smiled before nodding back, “Get as much rest as you can, Tomako. Leave me to my own work in the morning. I’ll call for you when needed.”

With this said, Kim pocketed his hands and walked back out of the stable. Tomako was left to the horses and with a cloudy mind. The woman couldn’t help but feel somewhat offended; rather than hearing her story out in full, Kim seemed more so interested in converting it into biased Imperyean slander—both hurtful and agitating. He was practically luring Tomako into acting *dishonorably* in response, something she very much wanted to avoid.

If a journey to Swatsland meant constant debates with Kim about the culture of Imperyea, they would be in for a rocky ride, no matter how respecting they were of one another…

Yet another day at the Kim homestead—it was safe to say that Tomako was not making the travel progress she had hoped for upon leaving Boshtang so long ago. Still, she could not deny the very critical help Kim had offered her thus far, not just in means of supplies, but also knowledge. The experience would be topped off with Tomako acquiring a travel partner. Kim wasn’t her first choice for someone to travel with, but also not the last. He was, for the time, someone Tomako felt comfortable committing to such a journey beside.

A common fog had taken over on this day, effectively displacing the sunshine they had received the previous day. The fog was not enough to stop Kim from putting through with last minute horse practice. On this morning, the Krucifixan found himself riding along the lands with a horse carrying supplies. His Mountain Razer did not show signs of struggle maneuvering rough terrain even with food, clothing, weaponry, and coins to its sides. As far as he could tell, his horse was ready to make the trek to Svatpa.

Testing his horse was not the only reason for being outside, though…

Surrounded by fog and traveling along trees, Kim found himself silent and lost in thought. He was hardly concentrated on his mount, simply allowing the horse to take him forward. As one might expect, the choice to leave everything behind and take leave for Svatpa—alongside an Imperyean, no less—left for a lot of contemplation.

He thought to himself. *I trust Tomako and her intentions, I do. However… to what degree should I fear failure on this quest..?* He looked up to the white sky with puckered lips, only imagining some of the many improbable obstacles he and Tomako would inevitably encounter. *What happens when we are outnumbered by murderous thugs? Will she and I be able to save ourselves? Would Tomako, being Imperyean, sink low and betray me in such a circumstance? How will people of the west view Tomako and I? Two thick Shimuans with radically different ways of thinking to that of westerners…*

Kim put his horse to a halt, and for that moment, a disturbing time of stillness and silence ensued. So many trees around him, yet not a single leaf moved. His horse remained perfectly still and quiet as well. This left Kim to observe and think about his surroundings, what the lack of sound and motion meant to him. From the common point of view, it was Mother Nature choosing not to speak; for Kim, it was a spiritual sign.

Two contemplative eyes looked back in the direction of his homestead, then up to the motionless tree he was under. “…might this be a sign… from the Sponjdai..?”

He let the silence speak for itself. As a faithful follower of Jochanism, spiritual intervention was a card Kim would never take off the table; from his point of view, any little thing could be the *Sponjdai*—a spiritual entity containing the souls of past lives—clueing him in. Tomako, being of a different faith, might have else to say.

“The silence… the lack of motion…” he muttered this while giving the tree leaves an intense gaze. “No sound, no motion—nothing is changing here…” He followed this up by momentarily lifting his brows and eyelids in enlightened shock. “…*of course*..! Nothing here changes, clear symbolism of my situation here in Krucifix.”

The man dropped his chin with a massive grin and then closed his eyes. He believed to have found an objectively true answer from a viewpoint of religion. Here, in a moment of peace, the answer could not be clearer to him even if the Sponjdai itself were pointing him to Svatpa.

“Mighty Sponjdai, your mysterious ways are not so vague on this occasion. There is a reason I was not destined to join the great Hwarang; it is because my destiny spoke not of the Hwarang. My destiny is in Legolide… where things will change for the better. If I remain here, in Krucifix… nothing will change…”

He opened his eyes, coincidentally, the very moment the trees began to move with a wind. Kim believed in his decision to accompany Tomako, he believed that destiny guaranteed him safe travel. With his spirit high and the day young, Kim looked back in the homestead’s direction, then gave his horse an optimistic tug.

“Go. Ride!”

Kim and his horse galloped away. There was no doubt in his mind that Legolide was the destination and that Tomako existed to help him there. Still, with Fulin rallying Krucif Only members for an attack, there was no time to waste.

They had to get moving—immediately.

Tomako, too, was coincidentally with her horse—only the activity was far different. Just beside the Kim household stood Tomako and Sakura, the latter being equipped with supply bags. Tomako was embracing her horse with two hands up to his head, a pleasant look of optimism also on her face. She continued with a *conversation* she was having with Sakura…

“… then finally, he’ll offer me respect at long last, and life will be happy, like I’ve always dreamt of.” She felt the horse over the head. “And you? Well, you will return to Imperyea as a legend. There will be no horse of Imperyea as legendary as the one who travels to and from Svatpa on such an honorable quest.” She turned her head with a rare showing of thrill. “And, maybe, we’ll find a magnificent mare for you to know. A dynasty of horses featuring the blood of the legendary Sakura. One can hope, yes?”

The *conversation* was cut into moments later, as Kim came around the house’s corner with lowered brows. Tomako took immediate notice of his presence and stopped talking.

“Uh, were you just talking to your horse..?”

Tomako turned her head at him while keeping her hands up on Sakura, “Ye—es?”

Kim came between the two while gawking. “You were… speaking thought out sentences to your horse?”

The Imperyean closed an eye while returning a questioning face. “Yes?”

He darted his eyes back and forward between Tomako and Sakura in rapid motions, but soon, settled his gaze on the woman. His surprised look soon turned into clear confusion.

“You realize that the horse doesn’t understand you, right?” Tomako raised both her brows. “Horses are not capable of understanding human language, Tomako.”

“Yes, well, in fact, I believe that is more of an opinion than it is fact.”

Kim cringed, “…huh?”

“The horse, though sadly unable to speak, does in fact react to words. I therefore suspect and choose to believe that horses may understand me…” Past this, Tomako did turn her head with a slight look of humility. “…at least… a little… bit…”

Still collecting what she was saying, Kim recoiled with a hand to his chin and a brow rose. Tomako’s horse antics were indeed curious to him, if not straightly obscure. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was simply an interesting character, or perhaps that Imperyeans had different ideas about horses. The former seemed more likely.

“Huh. I see. So, that raises a quest- err… well…” Tomako now faced Kim in a more elegant manner as he spoke. “So… is it safe for me to assume that the reason you are not wedded is because of… an issue… finding someone..?”

The woman grunted at the rude conclusion, “Wh- What!? Excuse me?” She barred her teeth in a rare display of fume. “Where did *that* come from? What does speaking to horses have to do with my marital affairs?”

“Heh… well, I mean…” With immediate regret for his words, Kim looked away with a hand behind his neck. “Well, never mind what I say. I’m sure there are plenty of men who could look past the horse talk.” Tomako now glared as well, not at all resolved by the comment. Kim swallowed and shook his hands, “Uh, hey, I’m sorry. That wasn’t right of me to say. I’ve no business inquiring about your love life. Let’s carry on.”

Tomako gave a swift nod, “Very good, but I will have you know, Kim Young, that the reason I have never been with a man before is entirely due to responsibilities. As an only child working a farm with an infirm parent, there is little time to invest in romances.”

“Ah, so you *are* without a lover.”

“Wha- huh?”

With a chuckle, Kim pocketed his hands and snickered, “Nothing.” With a smile, he raised his hand up and said, “Would you care for a quick stroll around the house? We’ve some final matters to discuss.”

Tomako spent a few more moments thinking over the strange and offending conversation they just had, but like usual with him, she decided to drop things and attempt to normalize relations. Without word, she agreed to his request and proceeded to move alongside the house walls on a stroll.

Kim was trying to act as cool and ready as possible, but it was Tomako who walked with a fairly hurt heart. Hearing from a man like Kim that her horse speaking antics made her a less desirable candidate for love was enough to affect her mood for a long time, easily. She wouldn’t forget his insult too quickly.

Nearly a minute went by of walking with no words being said, Kim eventually opened a topic, “That windstorm, it weakened the outer framework of the structure.” Tomako raised her brows at him as a simple response. “It’s the first time in years that this structure has been damaged by weather; it was the week that Brother Kim Chao died.”

“Oh my…”

Kim nodded, “Now, again, the house has been damaged by weather, just as Fulin claims intentions to have us killed. I thought about this a lot in the past hour out in the plains and it made me realize something…” They continued walking, during which, Kim looked up to the heavens with glossy eyes. “The Great Sponjdai is warning us of a terrible fate if we do not leave now. Stay any longer and we will receive the same fate as blessed Brother Chao…”

Tomako grabbed her forehead, “Wow… and, um, what is Sponjdai again?”

The man rolled his eyes, “Sponjdai—all life past death unite into a single spiritual entity and help shape our world. Sponjdai *is* life expanded.”

*Sponjdai..?* Tomako quirked her mouth aside with low brows. *Who is he to speak badly of me for talking to horses? He doesn’t even believe in gods, let alone logical spiritualism…*

In somewhat spiteful taste, Tomako responded, “Yes, I see how the *gods* could be sending us a warning.” Kim responded to this with narrow eyes. “Fulin is angry and we both have reason to leave. So, let us get moving.”

“I’m glad to see we’re on the same page… for the most part…”

Tomako, insecure, crossed her arms while looking away, “I only hope my love for Sakura does not interfere with things..!”

With this said, Tomako refused to look at Kim, whereas the latter was glued onto her, confused by the random comment. It only took the two ten or so steps forward before Kim picked up on the issue.

“Please take no offense to my sayings back there, Tomako. It was only an initial reaction… and I know best to apologize for wrongful initial reactions.”

With a nod, she asked, “So, Kim, what’s next to do?” The two put an end to their brief stroll and faced one another. “We’ve packed our supplies, the horses are ready, and my back has healed.”

“Right.” He snapped his fingers and pointed east. “As soon as we take leave, we’ll never look back upon this farm. But, first, we must return to Snyky’an for an errand or two.”

Tomako widened her eyes and pointed to her chest, “*We*?”

Kim nodded, “I won’t leave you here, you’d be in danger.”

There were ups and downs to this. On one hand, Tomako was warmed up to hear that his reasoning had changed. No longer was the reason that he didn’t trust her alone at his house, now it was that he cared for her wellbeing. On the other hand…

Tomako panicked, “The people of Snyky’an will want me dead! I *attacked* someone. An Imperyean attacked a Krucifixan!”

“Indeed, an unforgiveable act in the eyes of those without context, or, those who are blinded by hate.” Despite this, he looked her deep in the eyes and shook his head. “Two errands. I assure you, two things. We do these two errands, and then head straight for the mountains. The faster we get away from the peninsula, the faster we can guarantee your safety.”

For those coming moments, Tomako appeared unconvinced. Accompanying him back to Snyky’an sounded like a deathtrap, and to her credit, there was no reason to doubt that it would be. Worst case scenario would be that they run into Fulin Ji-Hoon—an all too likely scenario.

“We just need to sell off this farm, Tomako. I’m going to offer the farm for the deal of a lifetime, there’s no way we’ll be held up if the offer is low enough. Trust me; we’ll need the money if we’re to travel the world.”

Tomako, doubting him, tilted her head with narrowed eyes, “Hm——m… I would rather-”

“Trust me, Tomako. There won’t be any trouble. We’ll run in and out, just like that. Sell the farm, send out a letter, and we’ll be on our way to Svatpa.”

The Imperyean’s stare remained solid for a good many seconds. As occasionally offensive as Kim could be, care seemed to be of special priority to the man. Even as a cultural rival, she was convinced that Kim cared for her.

“Alright.” Tomako grabbed onto her belt and jerked it upward, along with her katana. “Let’s go.”

In the countryside near Snyky’an, a lone young woman had both her hands up with chattering teeth, watery eyes, and a massive tremble. Surrounding her was a gang of cloaked men in brown, each threatening her with a dagger. The group had ambushed the lone traveler on the road going into Snyky’an.

Facing her was the gang leader: a man with a bandit scarf, mask, and hood for a truly anonymous face. Most would not recognize this masked gang leader—key term being ‘most.’ For others, the fact that this man threatened the woman with a dagger in his *left* hand was a big clue.

Fulin and his men were hard at work that foggy morning; when he wasn’t busy speaking out against the Imperyeans and portraying himself as a local Krucifixan hero, Fulin would make money the best way he could. He was a thug leader, first and foremost, with very few principles.

“Drop it, drop *everything* you own,” he demanded.

The woman pleaded, “I- I don’t have anything to offer! I swear!”

Fulin grabbed the woman by the throat and put his face closer to hers, “You’re without a single coin? Lies! Drop your coin bag before we take it by force!” He put the blade of his dagger close to her face and showcased its sides. “See the blade? You can tell we’ve used it before, don’t think we won’t this time as well.”

At a loss for words, the woman closed her eyes in fright and reached into her robe. She soon presented Fulin with a very small pouch of coins, hardly the side of his hand. Still, the man took the bag into possession and tossed it up a few times.

“What? What!? Is this it? This can’t be more than thirty coins! Useless!”

She panicked, “Twenty-six! That’s all the money I have, I swear! We’ve a frozen income, sir!”

Fulin gave a humored snort, “No doubt a victim of the Imperyean invasion. I pity you.” The woman confirmed this assumption with a quick nod. “That necklace looks valuable…”

The woman felt for her necklace and looked up with sad eyes, “It isn’t. It’s a handcrafted piece from the family-”

“Don’t care, hand it over or face death.”

Though hesitant at first, the woman handed over the necklace; Fulin pocketed it without a moment to waste. With this, he stepped aside and pointed to the nearby village.

“Alright, get out of here, lady. You’ve paid the toll.”

The gang all stepped aside for the woman, who without a word, rushed away from the group empty-handed. Fulin watched her take leave with little remorse; more so, he was offended by the lack of money she had on her. Twenty-six coins and a cheap necklace didn’t justify the risk of mugging someone in his eyes, it could, at best, buy them a good lunch in Snyky’an.

“How sad…” Fulin crossed his arms as the lady soon vanished into the fog. “This kind of violence wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the Imperyeans…”

Despite everyone being a team here, no one offered any supporting words to the nonsensical mentality. Imperyea had nothing to do with Fulin’s desire to be a thug leader, yet it was his way of justifying the crimes. It was the ‘*It’s not my fault I’m bad*’ mentality.

One of his underlings stepped up and put down his hood before speaking, “The real gains will be found once we pillage the house of Kim Young.”

Fulin puckered his lips, “Hm…”

Another man stepped up, “Yeah, *that’s* what we need to accomplish. Kill the two devils and seize everything.”

“The problem is we may need a large force of K.O.L. members to pull it off. The more help we get, the more we have to *share*…” Fulin stuck his tongue out to this reality. “…but, if just the few of us can pull it off… *all* the loot will be ours!”

The men huddled up in a circle to discuss this more, yet, they did not know that Kim and Tomako were a single step ahead of them. At this rate, the two would be long gone before Fulin could make such a move. Indeed, they would make it in time to pillage Kim’s house—but the two would be long gone. No wealth, no food, and no weapons to loot. Fulin’s only chance of making the biggest score would be to stop his rival—Kim Young—in his track.

Little did *Kim* know, Fulin had ears at every street corner…

“Five thousand coins,” spoke a humble man.

“Five thousand coins!?” Kim repeated.

Kim and Tomako later that afternoon situated themselves in a dark spacey store with only a single candle by the counter. Kim was having at it with the vendor while Tomako faced the other direction, pretending to observe merchandise. She did not want the vendor to take note of her Imperyean character.

“Yes. One thousand because of the convenient location, only five hundred because of the few fields, five hundred because of the stable, and three thousand for the household.” The vendor held up the land title Kim had provided him for review. “Three thousand is an all too fair reward for a structure of this size and build, especially since I’ve not the opportunity to first look at it.”

Kim’s brows twitched in frustration and shock, his entire body had become stiff considering the lackluster offer. Tomako turned her head for a moment to eye up her companion, the tension was radiating off Kim like a furnace.

The Krucifixan, boiled over, smacked a fist down and demanded, “I came here today looking to make a profit, not a donation!”

“Look, sir, it’s a fine location that would be desired by any aspiring farmer. The house, however, is nothing to write home about. It is a common structure type built with a common material.”

“It’s got history..!” Kim snarled.

“No one cares about history! The boards you stand over has history, doesn’t make it any more valuable.”

Kim got up in the vendor’s face, putting a finger up to his face, “That house was built by loving brothers and their parents. It was torn down by samurai invaders, and then put back up again better than ever before.”

His words did nothing for the vendor, who crossed his arms in defiance to Kim’s aggression. “What do you think I’m running, an acting audition? I’ll give you five thousand coins for the title or you can be on your way. We don’t haggle here!”

Kim, enraged, brought his finger back up, only for Tomako to speak up with an object in hand, “What’s this thing?”

“Ah, why, that be a back massager,” the vendor explained.

“Tomako, put that down.” Kim turned back to the vendor with gritted teeth and very unfriendly eyes. “You’re lucky I’m desperate right now, else I’d bring my brothers down here to settle this dispute.”

Dismissing the threat, the vendor sorted through various bags of coins—each larger and of different color to one another. A *very* heavy bag of coinage was dropped onto the counter just as the man also stored the land title in a wood box. There was no going back now.

“Anything else?” he asked coldly.

Kim swiped the large bag off the table and whined, “No, thanks, never again.” The man marched away from the counter; his tempered march to the door basically had Tomako being lassoed to his side. “Let’s get out of this filthy establishment. So, so sad!”

The two walked the dusty and holed streets of Snyky’an together only moments following the transaction. Kim walked with a massive bag of currency, enough to buy a new house if they so wanted. Tomako was especially entranced by the sight of so many coins. As popular and wealthy as the Angel family was, even she never got to bring home anything close to five thousand coins.

“I’m so angry!” Kim barked.

Tomako blinked innocently, “What’s the matter? Five thousand coins is a lot of money! We’ll surely make distant travel with that much.”

Kim would brush her statement off with a sigh, “It’s not about that, it’s the lack of respect shown. The Kim family put a lot of heart and blood into that farm, I’m completely insulted to let the title and its rich history pass for such an insulting amount as five thousand coins.”

“Yes, but-”

“Aggravating as it is, like you said, we’ve got the money we need. I don’t know how far it’ll get us, but surely, we’ll find ourselves a couple of beds along the way.”

The two continued to walk past this point, but Tomako did so with a finger to her chin and a somewhat warmed face of humility. Soon she looked down to the ground, lost in thought.

*I wonder, he truly means ‘beds’ and not ‘bed,’ yes..?*

“Anyway…” Tomako returned her attention to Kim as he spoke. “The last errand is to… err…”

“What’s wrong?” Tomako asked, lacking patience.

“Nothing. It’s just, that… I need to explain to my family that I will be departing from Krucifix.”

“But they live in Greater Krucifix.”

“Exactly.” He followed this up by brushing his front hair aside in a rather charismatic manner. “I need to send a letter north to them with details of my departure.”

Tomako widened her eyes, then looked away again with a feeling of guilt, “Oh… perhaps you should simply join them in Greater Krucifix…”

“And what? Put them in harm’s way with the controversy I’ve stirred? I adamantly refuse.”

Tomako did not argue back, they simply proceeded toward their stationed horses. Here, more out in the open, the two caught stares and caused raised brows. It was no secret to the public that Kim Young was a sympathizer to a violent Imperyean, and both could feel the tension surrounding them.

They mounted their horses, and Kim muttered, “…we’re not welcomed here…”

The situation was tense and they both knew it; thus, they took off down the street without a moment’s hesitation. Tomako, unfamiliar with the area, remained close to her new partner. Kim grew ever more fearful in those coming moments, for every turn they made found new stares. Fulin’s propaganda had reached more ears than Kim feared. The people of Snyky’an were practically ready to toss pitchforks at the two.

Soon, he explained, “Our destination is past that street, a few homes yonder. A man I know as Zhao. He’s a fast writer and completely trustworthy of a deliveryman.”

Tomako nodded, and with mutual fear of the staring crowd, asked, “Is he a friend?”

“Not a friend, but certainly not an enemy. He’s not so much on politics, let alone popular rumors.”

“Sounds like a friend to me.”

“I guess so…”

They continued onto a new street which, for better or worse, was much more crowded. Tomako’s brighter skin color was the primary distinction within the crowd, practically a beacon for unwanted attention. They continued without slowing down.

“Oh, and, Tomako…” Kim swiped his hand in Tomako’s direction. “Stay sharp around Zhao. He’s got a maliciously perverted past.”

Her only response was to widen her eyes for a moment, yet they continued in the direction of a marketplace. Many eyes were placed upon the traveling Imperyean, one of which included an idle man standing around the corner of a tavern.

On the tip of his toes and with a beating heart of passionate hatred, Fulin Ji-Hoon practically slit his bottom lip biting down. Though he missed Kim Young, he could almost be certain that the Imperyean skin he had just seen move by was none other than the one to have taken his hand.

The bad news for Fulin was that he was drunk, away from his horse, and unsure of where the Imperyean traveler was heading. All he knew was that an Imperyean was in Snyky’an.

The raging ultranationalist shook his glass of beer, spilling it over his hand, “Fearless of the Krucifix nationalist spirit, now are we, Imperyean?”

A few minutes later, Kim and Tomako stepped forth inside a very cozy structure. Warm because of multiple furnaces, painted a rich red, and with carpeted flooring; Tomako couldn’t help but feel safe here. Kim stepped in front of Tomako, as though to shield her, then stomped his foot down.

“Zhao, you around?”

Though silent at first, Kim’s question was soon answered from a distance, “Ha ha! Is that Kim Young?” Kim smiled as a boney individual with silver hair soon walked in through an open door. “Really? You’re still around? I thought you’d be dead by now.”

Both Kim and Tomako returned shocked expressions, though Kim’s seemed more questioning if anything. “What do you mean by that, Zhao?”

The man, though still smiling, returned a serious face and shrug. “You’re a traitor, Kim! You’ve helped an Imperyean bring harm to Snyky’an’s very own Fulin Ji-Hoon.”

“Bah!” Kim grimaced at the mentioning of Fulin. “I’m no traitor, and Fulin is no honorable face—he’s common scum trained in elite thuggery.”

“Hm…” With a somewhat decreased smile, Zhao took a bow to the two. “And what do I owe the… pleasure… today, Kim? Another letter to the family?”

“Special priority.”

“Oh!?”

Kim nodded, “I need this one written and delivered as soon as possible. It’s beyond urgent.” Zhao nodded, then to find Kim imposing a hard stare. “This letter must remain between you, me, and my family.”

“Hm…” The man’s eyes remained on Kim for a moment, then switched to Tomako. The woman was startled to find him scanning her figure—foot to head. “Yes, of course…”

A few moments were spent with Zhao preparing a scroll and ink to work with, Kim collecting his thoughts for a message, and Tomako in a silent panic. Between Fulin seeking to kill them, the citizenry giving hostile stares, and now Zhao giving her a type of vibe, she’d never have imagined being anxious to reach the mountains. The truth was, the Krucifixan wilderness—alone with Kim—was a more comforting place to be in her eyes.

“Alright, get squawking, Kim.” Zhao sat himself, opened the scroll, and prepared to write.

Kim, standing tall, closed his eyes to concentrate, then spoke his mind. “To the family of Kims, it is on this day—a dark day—that I write to you of a developing situation I find myself in. I write to you once more not out of love, but rather, an obligation to provide closure over my inevitable disappearance. I write to you about my intentions to flee Krucifix, a woman of The Imperyea at my side, on a suicidal journey to the Land of Opportunity that is Legolide.”

Tomako slowly stepped away from Kim, her eyes were settled on the lightning fast writing utensil in Zhao’s hand. In a matter of seconds, she could understand clearly why Kim chose this man to write out his letter.

He continued, “A misunderstanding has led to violence, and it is in my belief that the Great Sponjdai has destined for me to walk the world alongside this woman on a quest seen as impossible by most. My place is in Legolide, and hers in Swatsland on a humble mission to rescue her loved ones. Nonetheless, I am being antagonized by my own people—wrongly shamed as a lover of Imperyeans. I fervently deny this accusation. The truth remains, if I remain here, in Krucifix, I will see my end as the second fallen Kim brother far too early. I implore that you understand why I must leave this place now.” Kim took a few moments to put together some closing thoughts, Zhao was so quick with his writing that he had caught up and found himself waiting for Kim to continue. “My journey will take me into Greater Krucifix, then across the border into the Kingdom of Kuchu. For both your and my protection, I implore that you fabricate the story that I have fled for the Empire of Quixang. My true destination is Legolide… Farewell, Brother Youngest Kim.”

Hearing Kim’s thoughts left Tomako without words, but much to think about. The letter left feelings of hope and sorrow, hope that they would truly find a path to Svatpa, and sorrow in that Kim was parting with his family. Because of Tomako’s desire to rescue her parents, she had led Kim to break apart from his. This would leave for some moral questioning of herself.

Zhao finished writing, then turned to Kim, “That it?”

“That’s all. Have it delivered to the usual homestead.”

“Great. Then, that’ll be four hundred coins.”

A silent Kim remained so for a few more dramatic moments, soon he nodded and approached a nearby table.

“Tomako, help me count coins.”

“Okay.”

The two convened at the table and poured out an amount of coins. Zhao, meanwhile, continued to stare at the two—mostly Tomako—with a flat expression.

Soon, Tomako and Kim departed from the structure; the former did so with chills.

“That man was making me nervous…”

Kim acknowledged this with a nod, “We won’t be seeing him again. We have our supplies, money, rest, and motivation. Now we put this quest into motion-”

Just before he could finish, Tomako had put the two to an abrupt stop; her eyes enlarged while looking forward.

“Hey!”

Their stationed horses had become surrounded by citizens of Snyky’an, no doubt people figuring out that the horses belonged to Kim and Tomako. Kim was left stunned by the small crowd, while Tomako was agitated. There didn’t appear to be any point to the crowd aside from protest, however, two individuals were painting messages and symbols over the horses’ sides. A strange case of horse vandalism, and Tomako wouldn’t have it.

“Hey!” she repeated, taking a katana into her grasp. “Stop it!”

“T- Tomako..!” Kim pleaded.

“Leave the horses alone! They haven’t harmed anyone!”

Kim expressed a loud gasp as Tomako ran toward the crowd with her sword, rationality went out the door, and the fear was that Tomako—an Imperyean—would unleash the warmongering fury that Imperyeans were apparently known for.

“Tomako, stop! What are you doing!?”

With barred teeth, Tomako charged into the crowd with her sword driven forward—the majority of the crowd panicked and dispersed as a result. The men who had been painting the horses were the first to take off and run. Tomako, of course, could not read the messages they left.

Clearly without intent of killing, Tomako waved her blade around in a rather deranged manner; such was enough to strike fear into the whole surrounding population. Kim, cautiously, maneuvered his way toward Tomako and proceeded to block her view.

“Stop, stop, stop! Tomako! What’s the matter with you!?” Tomako turned an enraged face onto her companion. “Have you lost your mind!?”

“Why would they do that! Why would you harm such innocent creatures! It makes no sense!”

Kim, with wide eyes, felt the side of Sakura and got paint on his fingertips for Tomako to see, “It’s, just, *paint*!”

“Paint is evil!”

“What!?”

No one dared stay close to an enraged Imperyean with a sword out, but the people did remain in the area as observers. No doubt, Fulin would hear about this within the hour, and despite not being a witness, he would turn this into yet another propaganda stunt. No one knew this better than Kim.

With so many eyes centered on the two, there was no better time to skip town and head for Greater Krucifix. It was now clear to him that Tomako and Snyky’an simply did not work well together. This was, no doubt, the final straw.

Kim, with a panicked face, grabbed Tomako’s shoulder and lectured, “Put the damn sword away and let’s get out of here!” He searched the immediate area for sign of any town guards—fortunately, there were none. “Come on, come on, we need to leave.”

Silent but refusing to bear shame, Tomako sheathed EngelReise and looked up to Sakura. “The people lack honor.”

Once again, the two would mount up and race down the street—this time they were, technically, criminals for disturbing the peace. There was no doubt that even if Tomako were to disappear, Kim could never repair his reputation in this town. It was for the better that he leave this place for good.

The two riders, galloping, soon outran the zone of panic—yet they appeared suspicious for their paced nature. Tomako, perhaps, acted in an unprofessional way; but considering the many times Kim had wronged Tomako, he was willing to let this one big mistake slide. It did, however, raise fears that he might be traveling with a trigger-happy woman—at least with horses in the scope.

Only a minute or two after fast fleeing, Tomako looked to Kim and spoke, “Kim, I apologize-”

“It’s fine. Let’s just get out of here before the guards have us arrested.”

“Where does the wind take us?”

Tomako’s question went unanswered for a time considering they were both galloping. Only a minute or two later would they come to a halt as they reached the city outskirt. Both were fired up with energy following a quick escape from a potentially horrid situation.

“We’re through with the peninsula,” he finally said. Tomako put herself closer to him over horseback. “Where does the wind take us, you ask?” To this, he directed her gaze to the distant north, where the silhouette of mountains could be seen. “We ride the mountains to Greater Krucifix. The attrition will be unbearable, but we’ll be assured safety from human threats.”

Tomako nodded, “Mountains. I’ve never…” her eyes widened as she gaze upon the distant terrain monsters, “I’ve never walked upon mountains…”

“Then it’ll be good experience for you. Once we get off those mountains, we should be in the tamer part of Krucifix. You’ll be received *a little* better there than you are here.” He followed this up by pointing at her, two eyes glaring. “That is to say, you don’t create a scene in Greater Krucifix.”

“I do not create situations, I react to them.”

Kim took this response in without words, but many thoughts were raised. In the end of this chapter, neither Kim nor Tomako had a clear idea of whether this partnership would be efficient. Kim was occasionally offensive for reasons of bigotry; Tomako demonstrated a willingness to go for the sword in somewhat avoidable situations. The silver lining was that both were willing to commit to being better, and with that in mind, there was hope that chemistry between the two could be built—with time, experience, and an understanding for each other.

And so, they proceeded forward, embarking on their combined journey to Svatpa…

A time later, Fulin Ji-Hoon—in his Krucif Only League robes—gazed upon an open scroll with barred teeth and a tremor in his hand. He was among other Krucif Only members, but in a completely separate conversation with someone.

“A… ‘misunderstanding’… ‘antagonized’… …” Fulin clamped down his teeth in fury, then smacked the scroll to his chest. “Legolide!?”

Standing before him in matching clan robes was none other than Zhao—who had presented Kim’s letter to Fulin, rather than the intended family members.

“Kim Young had no kind words for you, and the relationship he seemed to have with the Imperyean woman suggested… an alliance.”

Fulin did a speedy scan of the scroll again; finally, he chucked the message down in rage. “So, Kimmy *is* in an alliance with an Imperyean. Sad is the day that a Krucifixan serves an Imperyean. Sad and unnatural!” He further insulted Kim’s letter to his brothers by stepping over it, he did so with an iron fist up. “He dares take my hand, put shame to the people of Krucifix, and create this false narrative that Imperyeans can be friends. No, Zhao. Not today, not *ever*.”

Zhao shrugged, “He’s leaving for the Kingdom of Kuchu, as the message implies.”

“But he will never reach it.” Zhao raised a brow as Fulin then narrowed his eyes and with a dipped head. “It won’t be so easy, believe me, this is only the beginning…”

“How so?”

Fulin marched away while tightening his red bandanna. “Gather the boys and meet me out back. This won’t stand. The people of Krucifix demand redemption for Kim’s crimes…”

Though no one else was part of the conversation, Fulin felt no shame in cutting through a crowd of other conversations. By doing so, he enlisted the interest of many heads in the room. Spiteful, energized, furious—Fulin approached the tavern entrance door and kicked it open.

“Kim Young and his Imperyean mutt will know the wrath of Fulin Ji-Hoon!”

To be continued!

**Chapter 14 < | > Chapter 16**

## Author Notes

#### Fear of the Unknown

Based on my own fears of the unknown, Tomako starts the chapter off with a nightmare of some creature crawling onto her bed as she is unable to respond normally. While this was largely just a reference to my own fear of entities I cannot understand the intentions of, the broader point of this scene was to communicate that the comfortable bubble Tomako lived in all her life has been breached at this point, as she is suddenly afraid of the unknown world and people working against her. The creature coming upon her is one meant to represent the unknown factors of her journey, and the fact her first reaction upon waking up is to run to Kim—the least unknown entity at this point—is Tomako desperately wanting to cling to some feeling of normalcy.

## Chapter Illustration

This chapter illustration depicts the scene when Kim is out meditating on his horse while Tomako sleeps. The Krucifixan environment is similar to how it is portrayed in previous and future illustrations, and once more utilizes the tree generation feature from Adobe Photoshop. The image of Tomako exists as a sort of 'runner-up illustration,' as the chapter illustration was either going to be of Kim riding his horse, or Tomako sleeping, as both moments come across as chapter highlights. Originally, more of Tomako's chest was left exposed with an intended purpose of clarifying that she is a flat chested character; this was adjusted in the end when it was determined that this was an unimportant topic.

This image was made entirely through Adobe Photoshop.

## Characters Introduced

#### Zhao

Zhao is introduced in this chapter with the very important duty of delivering Kim Young's parting message to his family in Greater Krucifix; unfortunately, unknown to Kim, Zhao works alongside Fulin, and therefore makes no attempt to deliver it. Zhao is a member of the Krucif Only League and a reluctant ally of Fulin sourced by a hope that Fulin's local popularity will rub off on the man and make people forget of a sexual offense he committed some time ago. His membership in the Krucif Only League is of a more unknown nature compared to Fulin. Zhao acts as something of a sidekick to Fulin and is the most hesitant of his posse when prompted to chase after Kim and Tomako.