Chapter 2 Search for the demon bandits
***
Kardowin sighed, first she had followed Akio for days. Following her to the village, tried to make friend with Akio demon named Shade, invited then to lunch. The next thin she knew she was in the forest of inyuasha, searching for those demon bandits.
I seem to be jumping from place to place with out meaning, how can i explain this? 'Because you forget things that you remember several months later.' Kaskie muttered with disappointment. 'And that the Crystal is the only way to part the fog or mist or low cloud that hides your 'Thunder Fortress'
Kardowin ignore him besides arguing with her sword would just get her worked up more. Those demons had to be around here somewhere.
Just at that moment the bushes rattled...
Looks like you spoke to soon.
~~~
Kardowin was prepared to fight but was totally unexacting what happened next.
A type of wolf pup or dog jumped out at her, and once again Kardowin was on the ground stunned.
'Well that was not a bandit for sure, but it is a demon.' Kaskie said unsurprised.
Kardowin didn't even try to respond to Kaskies remark. "Well what are you? Your a funny little thing, I'll give you that."
The pup jumped up on her lap pawing her. 'He not very bright.' Kaskie said as the pup jumped up all of a sudden and fell on its back.
'You are certainly not keeping that thing...' Kakskie said jealously 'are you?'
"Why not? " Kardowin muttered softly as the pup licked her hand.
'Common sence'He muttered.
"Why don't we name him..." Kardowin thought aloud.
'Absolutly not' Kaskie disagreeing really loudly.
"...How about Malko?" The pup wagged his tail very fast as if agreeing. "Malko it is." Kardowin clapped her hands together.
~~~
Malko jumped, the loved the name it almost sounded like howling when saying it. He liked the idea of him coming along, even thou it wasn't what he was trying to do.
He was going to warn Kardowin about the bandits... Ho, no he had forgotten about them they could jump out any second.
Malko did his best to warn her but she didn't get it and he was a little to late... The only thing he had time to do was grow...
~~~
The demons were jumping out, pinning Kardowin to the ground. She was so stupid by letting her guard down and now it would probably cost her, her life.
Malko ran in to the demons with fire surrounding him, they yelled an screamed as he charged past. Most had jumped out of the way but others had been ran over by the wolf fire ball.
Last thing Kirdowin could recall was seeing Malko charging the demons, then she blacked out...
~~~
Malko howled as flames erupted from his mouth as he hit another demon. As sudden at the ambush had started it stopped, they were retreating.
Malko stood over Kardowin knowing the would try to attack later. He looked down at her, just his luck they had knocked her unconscious and there was little he could do except to keep those demons faraway as possible. He looked around scanning the area, by smell he could tell they had run far and very fast.
But what could make demons run that fast? Malko sneered They will not be back today that was for sure. He remembered they didn't retreat because of him, then what scared them so. He could not sense anything dangerous aroud... what could it be?
~~~
Climbing things was fun.
Aiko shimmied up the slender tree, arms flung around the ragged trunk and using her knees to grip the bark. There was a fork in the tree just too high for her to reach jumping, and so, teeth clenched together in concentration, she worked her way up to it. Her hands groped for a hold, found purchase in the place where the crevice was deepest, and somehow, using an abnormally powerful thrust from her knees, pulled herself up into the little bench the fork created. Panting slightly, she crouched there for a moment, then stood on bent knees, gripping a branch cautiously.
How often did she get to just decide she was going to climb something, just for the heck of it? Not very. And so, when she had gotten separated from Kardowin and Shade, she had ambled into the forest with the intention of finding a tree to climb and be on the lookout for them. Naturally, she forgot her objective as soon as she realized two things.
First, the trees were too big to climb.
Second, she was lost.
But that was okay. Aiko was usually lost. So when she found this current tree, and she remembered something about wanting to climb a tree, she just did. And now look! She was up so high! Well, not really, truth be told, she was at most six feet off the ground, but she felt quite pleased with herself. And look how far she could see! Well not very, truth be told again, there was too much undergrowth to really see very well, but she was allowed an occasion just to be an imaginative kid, wasn't she?
Well, what do you know? She really could see something from up there! There was something shining through the trees, a reddish light of sorts. It sort of reminded her of a campfire, though to her eyes it seemed redder. Still, a campfire meant people, and people meant food. Yes, this was her eternal quest, the one for food. And so she sat down in the crevice and considered hopping to the ground no matter how far down it was.
~~~
Malko attention had been caught by a sent... human. Well that was more an relief, just a single human... may be just may be that person could help.
Thankful that the sent was not another demon Malko jumped through the brush and almost knocked over a little girl.
His jaw dropped, A little girl in this forest, that was the smell of a human! A lost girl! Malko was so stunned that he just flopped to the ground sill stunned.
A little girl... He sat up and sighed , Well the only thing he could do now was bring her to Kardowin and he would have to watch over them both during the night. He gently grabbed her sleeve and started to lead her to where Kardowin was.
~~~
Okay, and, hop! Aiko had clenched her eyes shut for the descent, but she landed on bent knees. Her eyes slowly opened, and then she smiled proudly. That had been relatively painless, getting down from the tree. She should climb trees more often! But for now, she had to go find out where that campfire was.
She had only ventured so far into the underbrush, ducking beneath the overhanging bushes and side-stepping tangled patches of ivy. And then, rustle, rustle in the undergrowth ahead, and a huge hairy white thing nearly barreled into her. Aiko fell back, startled and giving a little yelp, and landed with a thud on her bottom. But when she looked up and saw that it was a dog, flopped on the ground in front of her and panting, she smiled and laughed with relief. Hello, doggie-san, she greeted him, scrambling to her feet.
Aiko had just reached out to pat the friendly doggie on the head when it gently took her sleeve in its mouth. With a little tug, it seemed to be trying to pull her deeper into the forest, if she was right, where she had seen the campfire. You gonna take me to where the fire is? she asked him, but obviously, he was taking her somewhere. This somewhere might even have something good to eat, so she, quite willingly, walked after the friendly dog.
~~~
Malko hardly notice help talking to him for he was figuring the best way to help Kardowin. Maybe this girl could help, and well that was his only option.
Soon enough he was in the clearing where he left Kardowin. Malko dropped the girls sleeve and went over to check on Kardowin by nudged her. He looked back at the girl as he gave a little whine
~~~
Dog-san had taken her to a woman. Was she asleep? As soon as Dog-san released her sleeve, Aiko trotted towards the limp form on the ground, tilting her head from side to side as she tried to figure out why a woman would fall asleep in such a strange position. But the more she looked, the more the girl thought this particular woman looked oddly familiar. Had she met her before, in a village or something? Um, excuse me? The girl said aloud, kneeling by the woman's side, when it hit her.
This was that lady who had given her lunch the other day! What was her name, something relatively strange, Karaoke-san? Cockatoo-san? Something to that effect. Anyway, Aiko had been looking for her! What luck! She was the woman with the campfire (although Aiko saw no campfires involved, but that was the only reasonable explanation for the fire she'd seen from the tree).
Krakatoa-sama! she said loudly, shaking the woman's shoulder. “Krakatoa-sama, it's me! It's Aiko! Is this your dog, Krakatoa-sama?
~~~
Kardowin moaned, her head throbbed, those demons gotten stronger some how. She pushed her self of the ground then shook her head trying to get things back to focus. That voice... sounded familar...Akio? Something jumped in to her lap." Malko? What happened last thing i remember was the demon getting ready hit me... oh my head." Malko was back in his small form liking kardowins cheek as his tail wagged.
Kardowin found her self looking at Aiko. Shocked she asked "Aiko what are you doing here in the forest? It's not safe." Kardowin sighed as if she knew what Aiko would say. many times she her self was asked that question or something like it.
Odd Kaskie is usually hounding me... Kardowin felt for the hilt. "Oh no," she looked to where Kaskie was suppose to be... gone. Kardowin bowed her head, her fathers sword gone, taken by those demons. Another of her fathers possessions stolen. Kardowin silently hope that they had not found out how to use the crystal or she would have no home to go back to.
~~~
Krakatoa-sama was talking to herself, something or other about demons. Aiko didn't mind demons. Nope, not one bit. Actually, there were some quite nice demons running around. She smiled dreamily, drifting off for a moment towards her memories of Kikan (which were always a nice fallback for awkward moments or gaps of silence) when hearing her name jerked the girl back into reality. Krakatoa-sama wanted to know why she was doing in the forest.
I was climbing trees! Aiko proclaimed happily. Oh yeah, I climbed one of them really good, oh, and before that, I think I was looking for somebody. Yes, I was looking for you. Here you are! Wow, she was getting a little over-excited. She bobbed her head in a weird nodding-bowing attempt that just looked like she was having a seizure. Sorry, she apologized. Dunno where my manners went.
But it didn't seem like Krakatoa-sama was listening to her, anyway. She muttered something under her breath and bowed her head, looking crestfallen. Krakatoa-sama? Aiko suddenly felt worried. She hadn't offended her, had she? Oh dear, no, she couldn't have! Stupid, stupid Aiko, that wasn't very nice, she knew. But, seriously, she couldn't have. The lady looked much to upset to just be upset by the rudeness of a younger girl. What had happened? Did she feel sick or something? She may have eaten some bad berries or something. Aiko had done that once, but that was a different story.
Where was Dog-san, anyway? There was a puppy sitting on Krakatoa-sama's lap, but no big white dog like the one that had brought Aiko to this clearing. Did the dog leave? Oh! The light bulb (or campfire, as Aiko would have been baffled by the thought of electricity trapped in glass) went off in the girl's mind, and, deciding to be subtle about it, she placed a small hand on the lady's shoulder. Are you sad because Dog-san left? Well, so much for subtle, but hey, it was a step up from, Oh, you're upset because your dog ran away from you in a voice that would bring to mind that Aiko had proven her genius by figuring out a very difficult problem.
Dog-san's not all gone, you know, she said, trying to cheer Krakatoa-sama up. He's gotta be close by somewhere.
~~~
Kardowin looked up and couldn't help smile. Aiko was the worried free type and Kardowin love to have her around for that, it aways seemed to rub off on any one she meet.
"Aiko, " Kardowin began to explain "the dog that lead you to me was Malko, he is now this puppy. He has several different abilitys...one of them is to change his size. Another is that he can control fire... well thats what I know about him so far..." Kardowin made sure Aiko was paying attention so she would understand. She hoped that this wouldn't get harder to explain.
Kardowin laugh to her self, Didn't she just call me Krakatoa. Oh how funny things are. "Oh and the name is Kardowin not Krakatoa."
~ ~ ~
Yes, she was paying attention to Krakatoa… excuse her, Kardowin. Malko…? A puppy…? But, he had just been Dog-san, the great and powerful and hairy and white! So… so… another light bulb popped on in Aiko’s brain (she was having an excellent day for those). Dog-san – Malko-San – was magical!!! Or a demon. Whichever, it mattered little to Aiko. “Really?” she asked absently, more awestruck than dubious, and she looked down curiously at the cute puppy dog. Gently, she reached over to scratch the little animal behind the ears.
She was still paying attention to the next thing the woman said. “Oh… please, I’m sorry, Karadowin-sama… Karadadowin… Ka… Ka… Kardowin!” Aiko had a little trouble wrapping her mouth around the peculiar-sounding name. She’d never heard a sound like the “r” and “d” put together like that. She smiled. It was a pretty sound, actually. “Kardowin-sama!” Feeling very accomplished, she grinned at the woman. She couldn’t help herself. “I said your name right that time, didn’t I!” she proclaimed happily.
~ ~ ~
Kardowin nodded, such was to be expected. She straitened up then scanned the forest around them. "Aiko, do you remember the last place where Shade was?" It had seemed really odd that he disappeared like that. Kardowin not know Shade or Aiko for long had worried about them. It was such an relief that Akio was safe, but Shade... where was he? And what made the bandit demons retreat, could Shade be near by with out there knowledge but not want to be seen?
Kardowin didn't expect Akio to remember either. He might just wanting to see her true nature... if she was trustworthy.
Malko rolled on his back tail wagging, enjoin Akio's attention. Kardowin was sure that was for sure.
Kardowin reached in to her pack and handed Akio some bread and a big fruit. Akio seemed happy that she would be able to eat. Kardowin gave Malko a piece of dried meat then she sat back keeping an eye on the surrounding area, but still listening to Akio's answer and other questions.
~ ~ ~
The scrabbling for the branch turned out to be pointless, as Malko still grasped Aiko firmly by the shirt in his sturdy jaws, and he swung away from the branch anyway, springing powerfully away from the bark-covered perch. Aiko felt herself flung around by the canine’s momentum, but she stopped struggling and hung limply, and after a moment of vertigo, there was a jerk, and the bread-and-fruit contents of the girl’s stomach were nearly heaved bodily out of her mouth, but she was plopped unceremoniously on the ground. However, the abruptness of it, and her plopping, were mostly due to the fact she made no attempt to land normally. She was too busy trying to prevent herself from vomiting all over the place.
Aiko landed awkwardly on her arm, but miraculously, there was no sickening snap of a broken bone. She realized there would be bruising in the morning, all around her body from the constant flinging around she’d experienced all through the night and then her dropping on the hard ground, but she pushed herself up, squeaking in pain as a fiery twinge shot from her elbow to her fingertips. The girl rocked back onto her bum and examined the damage to her arm. Nope, nothing broken, just twisted awkwardly. Aiko raised her hand to shake it off, and nearly hit a woman with her ungainly flailing.
“Kardowin-sama!” Aiko cried out in relief. So she wasn’t hurt by the fire! However, she seemed somewhat vague, and when the girl twisted her head to curiously peer at the woman’s eyes, they appeared to her to be slightly unfocused and glassy: the look of somebody in a good deal of pain. As in, Kardowin-sama hadn’t pricked herself on a thorn, but something was seriously wrong with her. “Kardowin-sama?” Aiko repeated, nervous, when the metallic scent of blood invaded her mouth and nose, stronger than the stink of burning hair.
For the umpteenth time that night, Aiko retched quietly, and she felt the dinner she’d eaten earlier pushing its way up her throat. Swallowing, the human girl forced the half-digested food back down into her stomach, and tried to ignore the kaleidoscope of stink that permeated the air. But it was too much for her. Unable to help Kardowin-sama in her present state, the girl forced herself to aching legs and stumbled away behind a tree, where she vomited in peace. She wiped the bile from her mouth on her sleeve, and forced a quivering breath into her little lungs. Then she stood up from her crouch and walked slowly back to her guardian.
“Kardowin-sama?” Aiko whispered, sickened once more by the smell of blood and hating herself for it. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”
Kardowin looked at Aiko, she shook her head slowly."I'm a poor excuse of a demon, I alway get wounded in battle." She looked down, It's better if I beat myself self up or I would never try harder to get hit in battle. "Your darn right."
Kardowins eyed Kaskie, whom seem to be hovering... and a spiky dog...(
pearleden.deviantart.com/art/Manecric-Okami-commission-74800707 ) What? Kardowin blinked in disbelieving.
"I had to focus all my strength in order for me not to cut off your arm!"He barked, by the tone her was angry at her.
"But how ...?" Kardowin manage to rose the words...barley. The Spiky dog spoke! Was that Kaskies true form? Impossible... maybe not, after all he was her fathers sword after all.
"Stop blabbing, we need to get the thunder Crystal back! Before that demon decides to use it!"He stepped closer to her, not even giving Malko or Aiko any chance of speaking for that moment. Kardowin stood un moved, she typically was not able to chase after the demon right now.
Aiko was not one to disagree, but really now! Kardowin-sama was not a poor excuse for a demon. What did she expect to be? She was kind and confident and took pity on a poor, hungry human girl. What more could she ask for? And who cared about battles? Why was Kardowin-sama talking about battles? Perhaps her bleeding was making her unable to think clearly. Wounds did that sometimes, Aiko thought. Holding her breath, Aiko was getting ready to take a look for herself at the bloody wound when there was a loud bark.
A knee-jerk reaction, Aiko’s head snapped up to look at the source of the noise. Naturally, she expected to see the great white Malko, barking out of upset at the sight of their guardian’s wounds. But this canine was not white; not even a colorblind man could mistake the vivid tones of blue and amber as white. Its fur was stiff, sticking up in spikes that looked sharp enough to slice through Aiko’s hand if she tried to pet it. As the dog continued to bark with passionate vigor, the human was left sitting and scratching her head. Was this another dog of Kardowin-sama’s, like Malko? And where on earth did she find a dog that was blue and yellow? Instinctively, Aiko looked to the demon woman for guidance, but the look on her face was of disbelief and incredulity, like she’d never seen this dog, either. With a mental shrug, the girl sat back and stared with openly curious eyes at the strange and fearsome creature.
Just as she relaxed, the strange-looking dog moved towards them. Naturally wary about such a strong (and sharp) -looking animal, Aiko fell back and crouched near the paws of Malko, staring up at the bluish canine with anxious anticipation on her face. But before the dog could move any closer, there was a movement in the corner of her eye, and Aiko looked around to see Kardowin-sama struggling to her feet. Conscientious of the lady demon’s apparently fragile state, Aiko popped to her feet too, narrowly missing hitting her head on Malko’s bottom jaw. “Please, Kardowin-sama!” the girl cried in concern. “Don’t! You’re hurt; you shouldn’t be moving around so much!” In fact, she’d never answered Aiko’s initial question on the subject of treatment; the girl’s temporary guardian had no bandages, had not washed her wound, had not done anything! In a move that could potentially be very stupid, Aiko ran in front of Kardowin-sama, getting between her and the advancing canine. With a determined look in her eyes, she flung her arms out to the sides. “St-stop!” she commanded to the dog in a high-pitched voice that squeaked in uncertainty.
Kaskie looked at the girl then looked back at Kardowin "So you didn't tell her, that you can understand any type of dog. Some dog demon you are." he sat.
Kardowin straiten up "Kaskie, I didn't know you had a form I just thought you were a..." "A SWORD! I thought you knew better, now Tell the girl you can understand doggies." He mocked.
"You know i should of left you home." Kardowin muttered before she turned to Aiko. "Aiko this is kaskie...my sword's true form...and he want me to tell you that I can understand any type of dogs...Oh." Kardowin didn't want any one to know what type of demon she was. " Kaskie, thanks a lot." "Your very welcome."his tail wagged from the amusement.
Aiko had taken up her defensive position in front of Kardowin not because she though the dog was going to attack, but because he didn’t want her to make the demoness to keep moving around. She needed rest, not to entertain her newest guest! But as the vividly colorful canine looked at her with oddly intelligent eyes, Aiko felt herself tremble, and wondered why. It was as if the dog was considering itself more important than Kardowin-sama’s well-being! Well, Aiko was sure whatever the dog was doing was very important, but her unofficial guardian’s health was also very important. Still, the dog barked at her, and Aiko was sure that he was very impatient.
Hearing Kardowin’s mumbling behind her, Aiko twisted her neck around to see the woman. She was muttering nonsense about a form and whatnot. Form? What form? Alarmed, the girl realized that the wound was meddling with Kardowin-sama’s ability to think straight. “Don’t—” she started to say, her voice quieter than she’d intended out of worry, when the strange dog barked again. As she flinched at the raucous noise, she pulled her arms in and scrunched up her face. And Kardowin said, “I should have left you at home.”
For a moment, Aiko felt mildly saddened. Was her guardian, who’d helped her so much, berating her for not being a better help, and getting in the way all the time? Was Kardowin upset that her charge wasn’t able to keep her from being wounded? Oh, poor, poor Kardowin-sama! She was hurting and… oh, she was speaking again.
Kaskie…? Aiko gave her most priceless “puzzled look” as Kardowin explained… until she mentioned “dogs.” Oh! I understand! Aiko thought, her face adopting a knowing look. Kaskie-san is this strange new dog! As if in agreement with her thoughts, the blue-and-gold behind her barked again. The girl turned to smile at the canine, with his strangely sharp-looking fur. “Hello, Kaskie-san!” she greeted him politely, and then broke out in a grin. A new thought had occurred to her. “You’re a dog… just like Malko-chan! How fun!” Clapping her hands together, she laughed. This was delightful! The two dogs would become friends, and everybody would be happy! And Aiko could spend her time repaying Kardowin-sama! Speaking of which…
Aiko turned back to the demoness, smile fading as quickly as it had come. “You need to wash that hurt, Kardowin-sama,” she told her, the tone of voice making it sound like a polite suggestion. “Otherwise…” She paused, furrowing her brow in thought. “Actually, I don’t know what would happen, but whenever I got hurt, my mother always washed it straight away. I think maybe you should to, if that’s alright with you…”
~~~
"I can under stand Malko to, but he really hasn't said much." He mustn't like talking or he is really respectful. Kardowin smiled at the thought. Kaskie gave a looked to Kardowin the look was 'Do i have to bear this humiliation?''You better.' she thought to him.
Kardowin looked back at Aiko. "It all right Aiko."Kardowin glared at Kaskie to remind him to not speak again, then looked back at the girl.
"Are you ok Aiko you look a little dazed?"
~~~
It was alright? No, it wasn’t alright. Just thinking about Kardowin-sama’s wound, with its oozy red blood, made Aiko think about it, and thinking about it meant that the smell, which she’d carefully ignored since throwing up, was coming back to her. The smell was salty and metallic and sweaty and heavy and clogged her nose and wrenched at her stomach. If it had been animal blood, like something she was going to eat, she would have been fine, of course. But the thought that this blood came from somebody that was talking to her… it made Aiko queasy all over again. Still, she fought to keep her thoughtful face with the scrunched-up eyebrows, but with the smells of blood and burning rushing in on her, nausea was quick in invading her.
This was what Kardowin-sama took for her charge’s “looking dazed.” It was the sick feeling that Aiko couldn’t successfully hide. “I’m so sorry, Kardowin-sama,” she whispered, closing her eyes and focusing on breathing through her nose. “But… please, please wash your wound!” She was starting to figure out why cuts got washed so quickly; they really started to stink if you didn’t wash them properly, getting rid of all the last of the blood! “Wash it and put something on it! I’m sorry to bother you about it, but please! I beg you!”
She was feeling sicker by the second!
Kardowin put her hand on her wound. Yes she might as well dress the wound. The best bet of where she could do it was a pond about a mile from here and the only way they could get there fast was to fly. She would be able to fly if she was not in this much pain, ha of course."Malko you carry Aiko... Kaskie," kardowin smiled smugly at him "you'll have to carry me."
"If I must..."He muttered as Kardowin approached him. After the fact she barley mounted him, he jumped in to the air she cures him as she straitened up as he hovered, waiting impatiently for Malko and Aiko.
Thank goodness. Kardowin-sama was finally paying attention to her wound; Aiko could tell because she touched it gingerly. It must really be hurting her, and the human girl felt guilty, once again, for being so sickened by it. How dare she be so disgusted, when she should be helping this injured person! Feeling ashamed for the moment, Aiko looked around, and as she did so, her eyes lighted for the first time upon several smoldering bundles. A shiver visibly racked her; were those what she thought they were? An entirely new wave of nausea clutched her, twisting and knotting her innards, and Aiko keeled over, sickened by the sight and the smell she now remembered.
But she couldn’t forget Kardowin-sama, who was speaking again. Looking up, revealing a paled, sweating face, Aiko heard something about Malko carrying her, and Kaskie carrying Kardowin-sama. The girl forced herself to straighten, feeling dizzy in her stomach and head as she did so, and looked towards the great white dog. He hadn’t moved much since bringing her down from the tree branch. Curious, not to mention trying to ignore her nausea, she walked over to the canine, wondering how he was going to carry her. In his mouth again? She turned to Kardowin-sama for support, but… the woman was nowhere to be seen.
“Kardowin-sama?” Aiko called out cautiously, looking around the forest floor for her guardian. “Where did you go?” Nervous, she subconsciously backed up, nearly stepping on the paws of poor Malko-chan behind her.
~~~
Kardowin noticed that aiko did not see where she had gone. "I'm up here..." Kardowin probably should of told aiko first then get on Kaskie."You can ride on Malko and if you don't mind to get my sword." It would be a disaster if she had forgotten it.
Thing about Kaskie is that he can protect the user from lightning and the can use his power depending on how willing he is, also who hold him, and that anyone how has him at hand can understand all dogs of any type[/glow].(The cryistal also has this power to understand all types of dogs.)
Kardowin-sama’s voice came from above! Aiko tilted her head back to follow the sound, and slumped to her bottom at what she beheld, a sight the likes of which her young eyes had never before seen. The magnificent canine Kaskie-san floated above her head, vivid in all his sapphire and golden glory. He hung, suspended in the air as though he did this daily. Kaskie-san could fly! And upon his back sat the brilliant figure of Kardowin-sama, her beautiful dark hair rippling down her shoulders, outlining her pale face. The pair looked like an enchanted princess sitting upon her blazing steed. “Amazing,” she mumbled softly. Awestruck, the girl nodded numbly at her guardian’s instructions.
The sword, the sword… where was the sword? Aiko tore her eyes away from the spectacular, unearthly creatures above her to glance around for the mentioned weapon. Sighting it, she stumbled to her feet and pitter-pattered quickly over to the blade. Instinctive, she bent down and grabbed it by the hilt. With a mighty tug, the abnormally small twelve-year-old struggled to lift the heavy weapon. With a grunt, she forced herself to straighten, her spine aching all the way. Still, the sword felt much too large for her small hands; indeed, her dagger was enough of a sword for her to carry.
She spent only a moment admiring the sword, thinking of how befitting it was for such magnificent beings as Kardowin-sama and Kaskie-san, before turning, attempting to lug the sword with her. But… that failed. Instead, she turned around and walked backwards, pulling the sword along while gouging a small trail through the dirt. Her small shoulders strained with effort, but she would not rest until her mission was complete! Now was the time to repay Kardowin-sama for all she had done!
Sensing that she was approaching Malko, Aiko paused in her laborious journey and looked over her shoulder at the huge white dog. She looked at the sword. She looked at the dog. She looked at the sword. There was a dilemma. How can I carry the sword on Malko-chan’s back without cutting him with it? she wondered, anxious.
The solution came in a moment. “Go ahead without me,” she told Malko. Turning to look up, she was about to call up to Kardowin, but she still looked so glorious, and Aiko didn’t feel right addressing her. But after a moment, she regained her ability to speak, and she shouted, “Please, continue ahead. Your wound needs care. I will follow.”
Malko coocked his head, "Don't be silly, there is no way I will leave without you." He moved closer to Aiko and layed down so Aiko could have an easier time getting on to his back. Then looked over at her."Don't worry silly girl, that sword you hold won't hurt me."
Aiko cocked her head right back at Malko. “I’m sorry, Malko-chan,” she apologized. Her arms felt like rocks, hanging from her sockets; she could barely feel her fingertips. As she spoke, the sword slipped out of her hands, thumping to the ground. Gasping, the girl bent to grab the weapon’s hilt again as she continued, “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say to me. Maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying, either. You should just keep going without me!” Of course, repeating herself when the dog couldn’t understand wouldn’t make him understand any better. But now, Aiko squirmed underneath the sword, turning so she could support it on her shoulder. The pressure was relieved from her spine, even though her arms felt oddly twisted. And look at that! She was facing the way she wanted to go! Finally, the human stretched to her full, though not terribly impressive, height, wobbling under the sword, and twisted her head to look at Malko behind her. Smiling lopsidedly, she said, “Okay, follow me!” Aiko began to trudge forward, bending at the waist to better pull herself forward.
Malko blinked, what was she doing? He did not understand but still followed. No reason why Kardowin wanted him to keep an eye on the girl. She must be finding out away to get oh him with out cutting him. But for sure he would not leave her behind.
Step one: Things were going well. The sword was comfortably against her right shoulder, and she was feeling alright. Her arms weren’t hurting too badly, except for her clumsier carrying earlier. She could do this.
Step five: Still, things were alright. She was about to enter the forest. She looked carefully at the ground, planning where to step that would not involve puncturing her foot on a thorn or tripping over a root or anything that she was likely to do.
Step nineteen: Now, she was slowly but surely making her way through the woods. She’d stepped carefully over a root, but her shoulder hurt; the high step had jarred the hilt of the hilt, and it hit against a bone. Gritting her teeth, she took another step and slung the hilt over her other shoulder.
Step thirty-seven: She was starting to feel tired now. She wasn’t one for sarcastic thoughts, but honestly! What on earth was this sword made out of?
And so Aiko’s tedious journey through the forest went. She measured her journey in steps, not miles. Not that she knew the math, but if each of her steps took her about a foot forward, she had approximately 5,280 feet from her starting point to the place Kardowin was going… but 2,640 steps into the human’s expedition (approximately, as she was starting to lose count), she realized that she had no idea where she was going, as her guardian had never actually told her. Who knew how far it was to this place where the demoness was?
Three quarters of the way there, and Aiko, good-tempered as she was, was losing her patience. She shifted the sword on her shoulder and wondered how much longer she had to carry on with this heavy burden. She guessed this journey had taken hours already.
Not that she knew it, but Aiko was nineteen twentieths of the distance from the pond that Kardowin-sama had remembered. But how would the human know? She didn’t even know what to look for! With an exasperated groan, she let the hilt of the sword slip from her shoulder and sat defiantly on the ground. Looking behind her to wonder at how far she’d gone, she saw a great white dog shouldering through the trees. “Oh, Malko-chan!” she exclaimed, surprised to see him there. “Have you been following me?” But he would offer no answer, so she asked, “Are we very far from Kardowin-sama now?”
