each time something dark was near.
She forced herself to unsheathe both her katana, ready to take a stand right there and then. She might have felt vulnerable and weak, but there was nothing else to do, but to face the fight and try her best to come out of it alive and victorious.
Before engaging the first shadow, she kissed Kage and then Kurayami, as if asking them to be faithful to her.
All alone, relying on her own strength and wit, she had only one mission – to survive.
And when the first creatures approached, she took the fight – fierce, and relentless, she did not doubt herself. Itsuki’s words kept sounding in her mind, helping her find the strength and will to fight, as more and more of the creatures appeared around her.
Akuma fought by her side – kicking and biting anyone, who came close enough. But they were only two warriors against a small horde of creatures.
Weak as they were, they truly were a horde, and with each creature and ghost Kara cut down with her katana or Akuma crashed with his hooves – two more appeared, leaving them both surrounded.
Kara knew exactly what had happened and why this was happening – the brand on her arm called to these dark entities, making her a target for their insatiable thirst for her blood.
It was maddening, tiring, but she fought nonetheless, aided by her stallion, who seemed to grow more and more furious that someone was trying to hurt his first – and only – friend. Covered in scrapes and bruises, fighting for their lives… Kara and Akuma stood through the whole night until the first rays of the rising sun had chased the creatures away.
«Nakano!» Kara heard, before falling to the grass, too tired to stand on her own. The battle took all her strength and now all she wanted was to be left alone and have a little time to recuperate.
Akuma lay down next to her – tired, bruised and hurt almost as severely as she was. But he too was happy that they managed to stay alive through the night. He reached out his head to her and she caressed his cheek, happy that the stallion didn’t leave her that night.
Trying to catch her breath, Kara saw one of the shinobi and smiled at him.
«Tell master Inei I am fine.» She whispered. «But let me rest a bit right here… I’ve had a very rough night.»
She noticed how the shinobi signalled to someone, and gestured that everything is fine.
It took some time for Itsuki and Ayame to arrive, but when they did – Kara was already a bit rested and capable to tell them about everything that transpired during the night. Though they listened attentively, she could see the doubt in their eyes.
«I don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way… but you can see for yourself, if this repeats at night again.» She said, finally.
Both Spy Masters decided not to rush into conclusions, and left this matter open – for the next night to clear everything.
But for the time being, they needed to meet Lord Ryuu and his army and give their full report. One of the first things Itsuki did after they greeted Lord Ryuu and his few regiments, was ask for a couple of mystics to take a look at Kara and her burn that she received during their encounter with Kaito.
As the mystics surrounded her and started chanting some kind of a prayer, Kara felt a little irritated and wanted to leave. But she knew that she needed to stay in order for the mystics to find out what the brand was and how it could influence her in the future.
Although she already had her suspicions, the mystics came to the very same conclusions.
«It burns with demonic magic.» Said one.
«And it seems to be drawing in any type of darkness around.» Said the other. «You said you were attacked at night?»
«Yes. Multiple creatures came at me as I was hiding in the woods at night.» Kara replied. «They weren’t as strong as the creature that branded me, but there were a whole lot of them…»
«I am afraid this is the first time we see anything like this.»
«But we will do our best to try and find a way to get this off you, Nakano.» The other one said confidently.
«So for now I will have to stay clear of civilians and fight each night. Got it!» Kara replied with a smirk.
Though trying to joke, she understood the severe implications of this brand that was now on her skin. And she feared that nothing can be done about it.
She also gave the mystics the runes she had cut down from the trees when she was following the kitsune, and they recognised some of them as those that appeared sometimes when gates opened near villages.
Lord Ryuu assigned Ayame and Itsuki to remain by Kara’s side each night to aid, if the need arises. She was grateful and reluctant at the same time – she did not want her new found friends and a loved one to get hurt because she wasn’t able to keep one of the demons away from putting a Sacrifice brand onto her.
But she dared not to refuse – she feared Lord Ryuu might take it as a personal offence if she did. Having had the villagers see her murdering what they thought to be a child, she couldn’t return to the village, so she stayed back by the forest to keep an eye out for any more suspicious creatures that could still surround the land. Itsuki and Ayame offered to circle around the village with her and Kara agreed.
Akuma still needed some rest, but he didn’t want to leave her side and walked behind her, as they walked on the road that curled around the village. They didn’t notice any more problems, but that didn’t keep Kara from being tense and ready.
By the time the sun was at its highest, she felt her strength leaving her and asked to have an hour or two of rest to have at least some sleep. Ayame and Itsuki agreed and they went off the road – into the woods, there Ayame showed Kara a little meadow near a rocky hillside, where a small waterfall crashed against the stones and flowed out of the tiny pond as a spring.
Kara was grateful for this opportunity to clean up and wash all the blood and dirt off herself. So as soon as she got into the water, she felt relieved from all the pain that her body was experiencing. She hesitated putting her burn under the cool waters, though.
She did take off the bandages, feeling how badly they needed to be changed. But when she noticed the burn being dark and smeared by blood, she realised that she might have to deal with this for the rest of her life – as long as she will be capable of fighting whatever creatures will hunt her every night.
Taking a very deep breath, she lowered her right arm into the water and immediately winced from the pain. It took her a couple of moments to try and gently wash the blood and dirt from the burn.
When she raised her aching arm from the water, she felt Itsuki behind her. He knelt down and gently grasped her wrist to take a look.
«Does it still hurt?» he asked.
«Not really. It burned like hell last night, though.» Kara shrugged her shoulders and felt her shoulder blade ache. «Right now everything else hurts way worse…»
Itsuki let go of her arm and carefully made her lean a bit forward. She heard him
