Promise? Chapter 6
Captain Fluffy!
Chapter 6: Captain Fluffy
First impressions of Waka?
Possible badass and possible annoyance. Could be both, could be neither. But one thing was for certain:
He had a really stupid hat.
_ _
Ammy replied in the most respectable way possible, "Fuck off."
Gee Ammy, the people must love you
Waka laughed, "Now now, great goddess; It's rude to respond that way to a simple question."
Ammy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, like you're the prime example of etiquette. You attacked us the first time we met."
"Isn't there a quote somewhere saying that "You can learn more from a battle than you can from a conversation?" replied Waka.
"Maybe in that book filled with half-baked prophecies that you take yours from." Replied Issun who had been jumping on top of Ammy's head like a trampoline.
"Well, It's obvious I'm not gonna get an answer from them." Waka said, turning to me. "Well?"
"Yu Narukami, and you are?" I answered.
"Waka."
"Well met, now is there a reason for the interruption? We really need to get going."
"One needs a reason to chat with his friends?" replied Waka.
"No, it's fine so long as they are actually your friends. By their replies, they really don't seem to like you."
"Hmm, it does seem to appear that way." replied Waka, fake sadness in his voice.
We looked at each other for a few seconds.
"Yes?"
"Oh nothing, you just seem familiar, that's all." answered Waka.
"Oh great, let me guess! You're my brother? If that's the case, allow me to proceed with killing myself." I replied. Why am I getting so angry with him?
Whatever the anger may have been from, I decided that it would only get worse if we continued to speak. "Well Waka it was nice meeting you, now please go away and let us continue." I began to turn away from him. Waka drew his sword and pointed it at me. I saw it right away.
"You really don't want to do that friend. It's not polite to point things at others." I told him.
Waka drew his sword back but still kept it out. "I challenge you to a friendly duel Narukami, to get to know each other better." Replied Waka with a friendly smile. I turned back around to face him.
"Sure, why not?" I drew my sword.
"Very good, but not here." Replied Waka, "This way."
We walked over to a large open field. The only thing for 30 yards was grass, no rocks, trees, moles, anything. The place was perfect for a duel, hell even the sky was clear. Ok, so no dark form. I don't want him spreading rumors and causing trouble for us. Besides, it'll be more fun without it. I want to see just how good I was with the sword. Imps don't really cut it because they don't use swords.
"Ready? Go!" said Waka
When Waka drew his sword, he held it forward, so we have different fighting styles already, me fighting with my sword backhanded. Now I just need to-
I stopped thinking to see Waka right up in my face, sword at the ready to lunge. I jumped away, readied my own sword.
"Did not hear me? I said "Go" remember?" Waka replied with a smug look on his face.
"Huh, what was that? I don't speak arrogant." Man that was LAME. But he really did catch me off guard. Boy be fast.
I got into a fighting stance, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Waka took the opportunity to show me he could fight ranged by throwing his daggers at me. I easily avoided them by running to the right where Waka was headed as well.
Trying to lead me somewhere huh? Sure, I'll follow. I've always loved short fights.
I charged straight to Waka as he did to me, and instead of it turning out the way I planned, Waka sidestepped to the left and somehow got behind me while I swung. Waka kicked me in the back, knocking me backwards onto the ground. My sword was knocked away from me and Waka had his pointed at my throat.
"Well, that was shorter than I expected. Maybe you need stronger companions great goddess." Replied Waka, who sheathed his weapon and turned to Ammy.
What...just happened? He glided like he was weightless. He was faster than sound!
I stood up, grabbed my sword and sheathed it. "I accept defeat" I said. I wasn't a sore loser, but it still stung like a bitch.
"Honorable, but honor doesn't help her cause. If I were you, I'd either stop holding her back, or get out. I don't think she's told you this but her mission is more important than babysitting you."
Again with the babysitting remarks. Am I really that helpless looking?
Well, I did just get my ass handed to me by twinkle-toes over here.
"Now Amaterasu, I'll be taking my leave. I'd think more carefully before picking up new people in the group if I were you." And with that, he was gone. Ammy just glared at what used to be Waka. I just rolled my eyes and grabbed my traveling bag that Karude gave me. "Let's get going then. Don't want him forgetting something and coming back." I said.
"Don't listen to that half-baked prophet Yu, you're just having a bad day. Ammy told me how you killed that spider all by yourself!" said Issun, trying to cheer me up.
With, with the power of a monster. Even then it wasn't me controlling it, it just happened.
"Thanks Issun, but I'm fine. You ready Ammy?"
She nodded and we continued.
As we walked, something appeared in my mind that I've been meaning to ask.
"Hey Ammy, how do you speak our language?" I asked.
"I have a tongue, don't I?" replied Ammy, obviously confused by the question.
"Fair enough."
As we walked down the path, I noticed a giant red windmill. It was the biggest thing I've seen. How the heck did they make something so large? I wondered, until I heard Issun say, "Uh, hello miss." I turned to look at what Issun was talking about. Sure enough, there was a young woman right in front of us, covered in purple robes, only revealing her eyes which were a very light blue.
"Why hello travelers, can I interest you in one of my items? They've been enchanted by magic to do extraordinary things!" said the woman who opened her arms to reveal the merchandise attached to her robe. These included a notebook that she quotes, "when you write in it, it will always appear in white ink!". She also had a bag that she claimed to be bottomless, a sword that was half bent, and a pair of glasses.
Well, everything looks incredibly stupid.
"Young man, may I interest you in these glasses? They will make those gorgeous eyes shine like never before!" said the woman, putting the glasses on me.
Oh yes, because I want my RED EYES to be SHINING for EVERYONE.
"Well, how do I look?" I asked Ammy and Issun, who were staring.
"What?"
"Your eyes...they're blue now." Answered Ammy.
What?
"They really are magical!" cried Issun.
"Excuse me miss, do you have any mirrors? I want to clarify."
The woman revealed a tiny mirror on her leg.
How in the world does that help anyone at all?
I looked into the tiny mirror, and it was true! My eyes were blue!
"Wow, they didn't do as she said, but they could prove useful..."
"How much?"
"700 yen."
"Deal." Gotta love how demons drop tons of money.
"Yu, you really don't need those. You really shouldn't have to hide them..." said Ammy.
"They'll help in public, plus if my memories are true and we get back to the city, I don't want people staring at me." I replied, "Besides, you spend all your money on feed bags and bones." I added with a slight grin. Ammy just shook her head, "Fine, do whatever you want."
And so I bought them. We said our goodbyes to the woman and began back on the trail to Sasa. When we got there, we were greeted by...birds. They claimed that we wouldn't gain access to the "Sanctuary" unless the head's daughter was found and brought back here. So we went back and found a really creepy looking house on the cliff-side. We decided to look there first, and we found a really cranky old woman who was saying some really fucked up things. We found out that she was a demon, and we did the most- noble thing: fought her and ransack her house. Good thing is that she really was a demon and that we found the head's daughter. On the way back to the sanctuary, she was riding on Ammy's back playing with Ammy's fur. Ammy looked irritated as hell.
"Must suck having fur, huh?"
"Around little ones, yes, it really does." Replied Ammy with a sigh.
"Thanks guys! When we get back make sure to get in touch with me and I'll get you three a room for free!" said the girl.
I chuckled. When we finally returned to the sanctuary, we were given immediate access. The place looked like any other Nippon inn, but instead of people, birds ran the show here. We waited for Issun, who insisted on him deciding the room, to return. The waiting room was a big central room where they had placemats for seats near the entrance and the counter. My back still hurt like hell from Waka's hospitality so I stood. Ammy sat by my feet to the right, and by her leaning her head on my waist, she must have fallen asleep or gotten really tired of standing straight. I was about ready to fall asleep myself when Issun came over.
"Guys! I was able to get us a room!" said Issun, excited.
"How much was it?" I asked.
"6000 yen!"
Ammy and I looked at each other. I banged my forehead with my palm.
"Issun, you remember when that girl told us she would get us a room? FOR FREE?! Like, an hour ago?" I said.
"...she did?"
....... (Awkward silence)
"Well, where's the room?"
"Upstairs and to the left. You get a great view of the hot springs!" Issun replied with a creepy laugh.
Oh Issun, ever the pervert.
So we went to the room. It was decently sized, with a bed suited for one person, a window to the hot springs, and a table for eating in the center. Not to mention a fire place in the middle/back wall. "Really isn't a bad place, huh?" said Issun, trying to save himself from the stupidity that occurred a few minutes ago.
"Yeah, it's good. Not worth the 6000 yen though." I said to Issun, "I'm never letting you live this down, you know." I said, this time with a grin.
"Just remember whose gonna be painting you at the end of this journey, and spreading said painting all across the world." said Issun with a likely smile on his face.
"So uh, who wants the bed?" I asked.
"Well, I've got Ammy here, so I'm set." Said Issun.
"We can share, it's no big deal... unless you're afraid to sleep with a girl." Ammy added at the end to tease me.
"I think the part of me being a DEMON sleeping next to a GODDESS is a bit scarier." I replied.
"Eh, I'll probably just end up kicking you off."
"I had a feeling that was going to happen in the first place."
I looked outside the window, and no, not at the hot springs. I noticed it was still the afternoon, still time to do something outside. This is probably the most opportune time to test my powers. If I can find a secluded spot, that would work without causing a disturbance.
"Yu?"
"Huh, what?"
"Did you hear what we were saying?" said Ammy.
"Oh, no I didn't. Sorry, what's up?"
"Me and Issun are gonna head down to grab something to eat, you coming?"
I don't think I'm gonna get another time to test it
"Uh... I think I'm gonna go look around. We're supposed to be looking for clues right? Besides I'm not really hungry."
Ammy looked at me suspiciously, "That was just an optional thing, I doubt I'd find anything here. We'll order you something though and bring it back here."
"Thanks." I said, smiling.
So I walked them downstairs and headed outside to the garden. The hot-springs were closed. Apparently the water stopped running. I ignored it and headed to this pathway I found. Walking through it, I saw no one. At the end of the path was an open area surrounded by trees. There was a weird crest on the ground. This is probably as good as I'm going to get.
And that's when I realized, I left my sword in the room.
Balls, how could I forget something so basic!
I thought of the blade, sitting there right in front of my face in the room when suddenly it appeared right in my hands. ....What? I thought about it, and it appeared. That could come in handy. I threw the sword about ten feet away from me, and thought about it. As I thought, it appeared right in my hand.
Ok, I can summon my sword from anywhere with just a thought. Next...
I thought about the burst of energy, said the words in my head to remember them, and the blast came out without needing the words. Ok, so I can summon my sword from anywhere with a thought as well as a blast of dark energy with just thinking the words. That can't possibly go wrong. Next, time to test if I can enter demon form actually scratch that, I need to think of a better name for it. Everything awesome needs an awesome name.
How about..."Badass form"? No, that's trying too hard... how about "Dark mode?" Nah, that's too cliché.
Fuck it, I'll think of one later.
I focused as hard as I could on that darkness that took over me the other day. I kept trying and trying but I couldn't get it.
"Well, that was shorter than I expected. Maybe you need stronger companions, great goddess."
Heh, that fight was pretty short.
"Honorable, but honor doesn't help her cause. If I were you, I'd either stop holding her back, or get out. I don't think she's told you this but her mission is more important than babysitting you."
Yeah, I'm just one big baby who can't....even... summon... this fucking form!
"I'd think more carefully before picking up new people in the group if I were you."
I'm... not going to be a burden! Activate, you piece of shit!
...............
Nothing.
Sighing, I swung my sword a few times. It felt good, practiced on a few of the trees before returning when it became dark out. I left the open field and returned to the room. Ammy was sitting on the futon, reading something I guess; by the way she was staring at a book. She looked up when I entered the room. "Food's over by the table. We didn't know what you wanted so we just got you some rice cakes. Sorry about that."
"No, that's perfect. Thanks." I replied. She smiled and went back to "reading". I just got to the table before realizing; Fuck! I forgot my sword AGAIN!
"Is something wrong?" asked Ammy.
I thought of the sword and just like before, it appeared in my hands. Ammy was shocked by this, "When the heck did you learn how to do THAT!?"
I grinned, "About 40 minutes ago due to pure stupidity."
"Sounds about right for you." She said back.
"Where's Issun?"
"Sleeping on my head, he was tired from peeping." Ammy rolled her eyes. I shoved down the food at an alarming rate. Apparently, failing to do things makes me very hungry.
"If you choke, I can't exactly perform CPR you know."
I gulped, "Be a pretty funny way to go though, choking on rice."
"Keep jinxing yourself like that and it'll happen."
"So what are you reading? That's, at least, what I'm assuming you're doing."
"You assumed right, and "The Tale of Genji"."
"So if I asked "How can you read?" I'm guessing I'd get an answer of "I have eyes or a mind, don't I?" right?"
She chuckled at that, "Science!"
"Issun can pull that but not you, you're a sun goddess! You're like the exact opposite of science." I replied.
"Fine, magic."
"Why do I even bother?"
I finished eating, "Thanks for the food, Ammy. So what's the plan for tomorrow?"
"Rest, really. I don't have any ideas for what to do next other than guess and look for clues. You'll help me search tomorrow right?"
"Of course, I'd hate sitting around doing nothing when I could be doing something you know?"
She smiled, "Thanks."
"You're welcome. I think I'm gonna turn in for the night."
"Me too, I've been reading ever since we got here."
"Sorry about that, figured Issun was more than enough." I grinned slightly.
"Well, if he stayed he would have been." She giggled.
"You sure you don't want me to just sleep somewhere else? I mean, I don't mind the floor."
"Oh shush! Just lay down."
"Ok mom, excuse me for caring." I rolled my eyes.
I lay down, "There, happy?"
"We need to get you a muzzle, make things a lot less sassy." She said, lying down next to me, putting her head on my chest.
I blushed slightly, "Well, night!"
"Good night."
After about 5 minutes, Ammy was snoring.
Loudly.
Like, fireworks loud.
This is gonna be a LOOOOONG night.
-End of Chapter!-
-Looks at word count-
JESUS!