Hikari Kemono

Hikari Kemono is a character played by Victorious, and is a Cohort of **Marcus Arcturius**.

## Character Information

### Class:

* Hedgewitch
* Striker

## History

*"A warrior is worthless unless they rise above others, and stands strong in the midst of a storm." - Tsuchmikado Yamamoto, the Mountain's Fist, Champion of the Azure Empire*

### Chapter 1: A Failure of a Husband

Hikari Kemono - formally known as Kemono Hikari - was not born exceptional. Growing up as the first daughter of a small village magistrate within the **Azure Empire**, Hikari was, by all counts, destined to be married off. By the time she became 15, she was Betrothed to some older man, and when he came to pick her up, was resigned to her fate, and went willingly. What happened next was the call of destiny; their small, decently guarded caravan was raided, and attacked - the guards were slain, and her Husband-to-be offered her in exchange for his freedom. She watched with despair as he took a horse, and fled.

In her desperation, Hikari Kemono took up the blade of a slain guard when her captors weren't looking, thinking her nothing more than a meek girl, and killed the one who was closest to her, and then fled into the trees in the confusion. For two days, and two nights, Hikari evaded her captors, killing them when they let their guard down. She came out of the woods days later, covered in blood, dirt, and grime. Exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated, she made her way to the village that her betrothed was living, as it was closest. She dropped the head of the Bandit Leader who he had sold her to, and expressed her disappointment in his inability to protect her, and that she would be calling the betrothal off.

Hikari Kemono did not return to her home village, nor the one where her former betrothal lived. She traveled to a city, and she searched. For weeks, she searched, begging any Teacher she could find who taught swordplay to teach her; she told her story, and begged. She told her story, and begged. She did not steal, nor commit any other crimes. She relied on the hand outs of other's, and accepted them gratefully. Eventually, after a month of searching and begging, a Wandering Master was intrigued by her begging, and took her to a tavern, feeding her and listening to her story.

He accepted her as a student; she would receive no payment, but he would feed her, clothe her, and house her when they stopped in towns. He would teach her, and in return, she would grow stronger, and eventually pass on his knowledge of Swordplay. Over time, he would teach her his mastery of many different styles, using them as though they were an artform. Although at first she struggled; with time, discipline, and the steady hand of a wise master, Hikari was able to rapidly master herself, her mind, and her skills. In time, she became known as The Flowing Blade, along with her Wandering Master. The two of them regularly traveling the lengths of Setrica, slaying monsters, bandits, and other creatures of wicked nature as time went on.

### Chapter 2: The Flowing Blade

As the Flowing Blade, at the age of 20, Hikari eventually parted ways with her Master - she thanked him profusely for his time, offered him all of the money she had made through their many jobs, although he declined unsurprisingly, and then left. Hikari was left to her own devices, and at first, she felt lost. She hadn't been without her Master's guidance for many years now. He often made the decisions, decided where to go, what to do. She hadn't realized how much she had relied on him until he was gone. But she centered herself, and while she spent a few days in leisure, she eventually realized that being stationary, and being a hedonist, wasn't for her.

She left once more, and ventured into the unknown. Once more, she began to slay monsters, bandits, and even oni, and other, similar wicked outsiders. But eventually, she was given a job, a quest - venture into a Temple of the Black Daimyo, General Susumu, and slay the Oni who calls it home. There, Hikari engaged in combat against a Fallen Samurai known as Bahl, who had been corrupted and turned into a half-human, half-oni, an Oni-kin. In a pivotal moment, Hikari impaled the Oni-kin on her blade, and he snapped the blade in a significant display of strength.

She managed to finish him off by strangling him, nearly dying herself. After she rose up, in the center of the Temple, lay a blade within an Altar. There, the malevolent spirit of the slain Oni-kin gloated, informing her that he would return, that he would be resurrected and come back for her. In response, she utilized the little magic she knew, and took up the Blade that the Oni-kin had been enchanting, and used it to bind his soul to the sword, imprisoning him forever within the Black Blade.

Although he could still whisper his corruption into her ears, with self-discipline, and a mastered will over herself, Hikari has been able to ward off his influence, sating his lust for blood on the creatures and foes she slays in honorable combat. However, during her travels, she ended up in Sarishrinne, and there, she met someone who would change her life.

### Chapter 3: Emperor of the Sun

It was fate, to be sure. Going out one day to hunt a monster for some extra gold, Hikari found herself outmatched, fighting for her life. Just as she felt she may fall, a bright light appeared above her, shining down upon her like the sun. A powerful, authoritative voice spoke out, commanding warriors to ward off the monster, and a hand was offered to her. She could barely see the blonde hair, the tall stature, but she was shocked. She took the hand, pulled to her feet, and bowed gratefully to the stranger, who introduced himself as **Marcus Arcturius**. Hikari's life had been saved, and by right, she offered it to Marcus. Although he declined, even after the fight, Hikari began to follow him, feeling a powerful pull towards him.

Later, she discovered that he was the Head of a Pantheon of Gods, known as **The Sunclaw Pantheon**. Although she had never heard of it, she was a follower of Irori, and his teachings, and so, found herself intrigued. Although she owed Marcus a life debt, even if he would not accept it, she resolved to aid him, finding purpose in following the man. If Irori had a part in choosing him, then she would trust her God.