01-25-2012, 09:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-23-2012, 10:00 PM by Immaterial.)
==
“Eh? Again?,” Cyrene inquired, fox ears and tail twitching furiously. Her arms crossed across her chest. “Are you sure, Chikane-chan?”
The crimson-haired fox girl closed her eyes, deep in thought. She started massaging her temple as she tried to process what her apprentice had requested. Apparently, the silver-haired wolf-girl wanted to skip training once again for today, in lieu of going to Kumatora’s Choosing of the Liege Ceremony. As much as she knew how important the lion-girl was to Chikane, somehow, she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to delay any of the young Channeler’s training even further.
“But Chikane-chan, you know we can’t…,” Cyrene began. “Hey! That’s not fair!” she snapped out as she frowned, with her hands on her hips.
What was unfair was that the wolf-eared girl had crossed her arms across her chest, turning away from her mentor. Her eyes were closed, lips curled tight in a frown. Her wolf ears closed over each other as her tail swiftly moved from side to side. Cyrene very well knew what this means. Chikane won’t be listening to anything she has to say anytime soon.
The fox-eared girl sighed in defeat. It was pointless to argue.
“Fine, Chikane-chan, “ Cyrene finally said, “We’ll go.”
And with that, Chikane brightened up, all smiles, quite infectious really. The fox-girl couldn’t help smile at that as well. But still, she wondered how she could use this behavior of Chikane’s in their training sessions. The wolf-girl would be usually passive with everything and would just do as she was told. But when it concerned Kumatora, she would change so much. Cyrene couldn’t help notice that.
Well, she’ll cross that bridge later. For now, the fox-girl wondered how they would be attending Kumatora’s ceremony as this one was different from the previous. The Choosing of the Liege Ceremony was a more private one and its location was only known to Guardians. Maybe that would discourage her apprentice. She turned to Shiue.
“Shiue, do you know where the Ceremony is going to be held?” Cyrene asked as her azure eyes seemed to be hinting to her Guardian her intentions.
“I do, Cyrene-sama. It’s…” Shiue started to say, totally missing his liege’s hint.
Cyrene’s eyes narrowed at him. She tried all with all her effort not to tackle the half-albatross and start pinching his cheeks as hard as she could. The Guardian in question paled as he finally realized what his liege was up to, a wee bit too late.
“M-Maa. Take us there then.” Cyrene finally said as normally as she could despite the shaking in her frame. One that Shiue didn’t fail to notice of course.
“H-Hai, Cyrene-sama.”, Shiue nervously replied before bowing as protocol dictates.
**
“I thought you knew where it is!” Cyrene exclaimed as she pinched her Guardian’s cheeks rather painfully. The half-albatross could only squirm in pain.
The trio had just made it to one of Sakura’s smaller branch platforms. It was a significant distance from the Esuna temple where Channelers would train. Isolated and hard to get to, even with wings. On a normal day, there was nothing special about the platform but apparently, it was chosen as the place for the Choosing of Liege Ceremony.
“B-but I do…” Shiue tried to say, finding it hard to talk normally due to the fox-girl’s pinching torture, “I-it’s just there are Elder Guardians about and…”
Whatever Shiue had to say was lost as Cyrene gave his cheeks one long tug before turning to her apprentice who was just watching them. Chikane kept quiet, admittedly a bit envious of her mentor’s and Guardian’s relationship.
“Maa. At least we made it, ne, Chikane-chan?” Cyrene smiled; her eyes narrowing Shiue. “A bit late but we made it.”
“Hai.”
“Well, go on. Ishikawa-san is probably waiting for you, “ The fox-eared girl waved a hand at Chikane as her other continued pinching one of Shiue’s cheeks.
Chikane nodded at that, making her way to the platform’s center. She was a bit nervous to what will happen but it was Kumatora who had asked her to come. Surely there won’t be anything to worry about. In the distance she could see the lion-girl in front of a council of Elders but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She made to move closer to hear what was being said. Her heart beating in tandem with the sounds her boots would make on the wooden floor.
“I choose Yanagi Chikane as my liege.” Kumatora proclaimed, in a voice that silenced everyone.
The young Channeler blinked at that. Her body froze on the spot at her best friend’s proclamation, one that seemed to make her worries resurface from her mind. But the voice of an Elder shook her from her reveries.
“This is preposterous, Ishikawa!” One of the Elders snapped at the lion-girl, anger clearly evident.
“We allowed you to stay with Yanagi during your training and hers but you…” Another Elder started to say, “We absolutely cannot allow this.“
Chikane’s crimson eyes narrowed at that. No, they weren’t going to get in their way, she thought. Not again.
“I accept.” Chikane proclaimed as everyone turned to her. “I accept Ishikawa Kumatora as my Guardian.”
The Elders were all silenced as they turned to the wolf-girl who was now walking towards Kumatora. One tried to speak but found it best to keep silent as he was stared down by Chikane.
“Seeing this concerns me, I think it is only natural what I have to say is what’s important.” Chikane said firmly as she looked at everyone then turned to Kumatora, “Ishikawa-san.”
The lion-girl in question nodded, approaching the wolf-eared girl. She knelt on one knee before Chikane as she placed the weapon the Elders had provided her to be her weapon as Guardian on the floor beside her. A giant hammer. Its haft almost as tall as the lion-girl herself, its hammer head seemingly made of one solid block of silver steel and on its peen was a glowing Reiki crystal.
“Hai, Yanagi-sama.” Kumatora said as she looked up the wolf-girl.
“I am counting on you, Ishikawa-san.” Chikane smiled. A breeze carrying a rain of sakura brushed past.
And Kumatora bowed in reply.
Hai, Chikane-chan.
~+~
End of Chapter 1
“Eh? Again?,” Cyrene inquired, fox ears and tail twitching furiously. Her arms crossed across her chest. “Are you sure, Chikane-chan?”
The crimson-haired fox girl closed her eyes, deep in thought. She started massaging her temple as she tried to process what her apprentice had requested. Apparently, the silver-haired wolf-girl wanted to skip training once again for today, in lieu of going to Kumatora’s Choosing of the Liege Ceremony. As much as she knew how important the lion-girl was to Chikane, somehow, she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to delay any of the young Channeler’s training even further.
“But Chikane-chan, you know we can’t…,” Cyrene began. “Hey! That’s not fair!” she snapped out as she frowned, with her hands on her hips.
What was unfair was that the wolf-eared girl had crossed her arms across her chest, turning away from her mentor. Her eyes were closed, lips curled tight in a frown. Her wolf ears closed over each other as her tail swiftly moved from side to side. Cyrene very well knew what this means. Chikane won’t be listening to anything she has to say anytime soon.
The fox-eared girl sighed in defeat. It was pointless to argue.
“Fine, Chikane-chan, “ Cyrene finally said, “We’ll go.”
And with that, Chikane brightened up, all smiles, quite infectious really. The fox-girl couldn’t help smile at that as well. But still, she wondered how she could use this behavior of Chikane’s in their training sessions. The wolf-girl would be usually passive with everything and would just do as she was told. But when it concerned Kumatora, she would change so much. Cyrene couldn’t help notice that.
Well, she’ll cross that bridge later. For now, the fox-girl wondered how they would be attending Kumatora’s ceremony as this one was different from the previous. The Choosing of the Liege Ceremony was a more private one and its location was only known to Guardians. Maybe that would discourage her apprentice. She turned to Shiue.
“Shiue, do you know where the Ceremony is going to be held?” Cyrene asked as her azure eyes seemed to be hinting to her Guardian her intentions.
“I do, Cyrene-sama. It’s…” Shiue started to say, totally missing his liege’s hint.
Cyrene’s eyes narrowed at him. She tried all with all her effort not to tackle the half-albatross and start pinching his cheeks as hard as she could. The Guardian in question paled as he finally realized what his liege was up to, a wee bit too late.
“M-Maa. Take us there then.” Cyrene finally said as normally as she could despite the shaking in her frame. One that Shiue didn’t fail to notice of course.
“H-Hai, Cyrene-sama.”, Shiue nervously replied before bowing as protocol dictates.
**
“I thought you knew where it is!” Cyrene exclaimed as she pinched her Guardian’s cheeks rather painfully. The half-albatross could only squirm in pain.
The trio had just made it to one of Sakura’s smaller branch platforms. It was a significant distance from the Esuna temple where Channelers would train. Isolated and hard to get to, even with wings. On a normal day, there was nothing special about the platform but apparently, it was chosen as the place for the Choosing of Liege Ceremony.
“B-but I do…” Shiue tried to say, finding it hard to talk normally due to the fox-girl’s pinching torture, “I-it’s just there are Elder Guardians about and…”
Whatever Shiue had to say was lost as Cyrene gave his cheeks one long tug before turning to her apprentice who was just watching them. Chikane kept quiet, admittedly a bit envious of her mentor’s and Guardian’s relationship.
“Maa. At least we made it, ne, Chikane-chan?” Cyrene smiled; her eyes narrowing Shiue. “A bit late but we made it.”
“Hai.”
“Well, go on. Ishikawa-san is probably waiting for you, “ The fox-eared girl waved a hand at Chikane as her other continued pinching one of Shiue’s cheeks.
Chikane nodded at that, making her way to the platform’s center. She was a bit nervous to what will happen but it was Kumatora who had asked her to come. Surely there won’t be anything to worry about. In the distance she could see the lion-girl in front of a council of Elders but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She made to move closer to hear what was being said. Her heart beating in tandem with the sounds her boots would make on the wooden floor.
“I choose Yanagi Chikane as my liege.” Kumatora proclaimed, in a voice that silenced everyone.
The young Channeler blinked at that. Her body froze on the spot at her best friend’s proclamation, one that seemed to make her worries resurface from her mind. But the voice of an Elder shook her from her reveries.
“This is preposterous, Ishikawa!” One of the Elders snapped at the lion-girl, anger clearly evident.
“We allowed you to stay with Yanagi during your training and hers but you…” Another Elder started to say, “We absolutely cannot allow this.“
Chikane’s crimson eyes narrowed at that. No, they weren’t going to get in their way, she thought. Not again.
“I accept.” Chikane proclaimed as everyone turned to her. “I accept Ishikawa Kumatora as my Guardian.”
The Elders were all silenced as they turned to the wolf-girl who was now walking towards Kumatora. One tried to speak but found it best to keep silent as he was stared down by Chikane.
“Seeing this concerns me, I think it is only natural what I have to say is what’s important.” Chikane said firmly as she looked at everyone then turned to Kumatora, “Ishikawa-san.”
The lion-girl in question nodded, approaching the wolf-eared girl. She knelt on one knee before Chikane as she placed the weapon the Elders had provided her to be her weapon as Guardian on the floor beside her. A giant hammer. Its haft almost as tall as the lion-girl herself, its hammer head seemingly made of one solid block of silver steel and on its peen was a glowing Reiki crystal.
“Hai, Yanagi-sama.” Kumatora said as she looked up the wolf-girl.
“I am counting on you, Ishikawa-san.” Chikane smiled. A breeze carrying a rain of sakura brushed past.
And Kumatora bowed in reply.
Hai, Chikane-chan.
~+~
End of Chapter 1
I can only comfort you through your dreams. When you are wide awake, all I can do is smile and enjoy your presence.
