The Lost Knight

Chapter 10

'Wow...'

That is Kamui's reaction at the scene taking place before her.

In one of the empty fields, table have have been deployed with enough seats for the whole village.

Lanterns light up the place with a warm orange glow.

And yet...

Yet, the stars are visible as if there were no light pollution.

Having lived in a city up until now, Kamui never really had the chance to see those with her own eyes.

She wonders if the stars are arranged differently than back home? She does not know as she is not someone who took interest in constellations.

Ragna takes her arm and guides her to one of the tables. "Ah... Beautiful is it not?"

Kamui nods with hum.

"You will soon be on your way..." Ragna's smile saddens as they sit down. "How was your stay?"

"Good thank you." The blonde glances around.

Ragna takes her hand. "I should be the one to thank you. You are going on a quest to save my son. And I do not understand why... not to offend you, but why?"

"Well... I woke up on Shadow Isles and was lost. And I find you and saw Thresh. I did not like him because he is... uh... he think he is the best." Kamui explains, doing her best to speak in Ragna's language. "And I made him kiss the ground to take back Akim." The soul floats out of the hood of her tunic as she smiles. "And your reaction was funny."

Ragna laughs nervously. "I do not recon the situation being amusing."

"But you were 'Ah!' 'Eek!' 'Oooooo'." The white girl smiles widely as she fakes a fainting.

The elder looks at the ground. "At least you had fun."

Kamui squeezes Ragna's hand, making her stare back at the blonde's golden orbs. "It's okay. Akim is okay. Well, he not have any body but is okay." The turquoise soul gently floats down into her open palm. "You tried touching the soul?"

Ragna stares at it, hesitation noticeable as her hand gets closer.

It goes through, the woman retracting her hand hastily. "He is so cold!"

"Interesting..." Kamui mumbles as she puts a hand on each side of the ball of light. She squeezes lightly, the soul reacting like a soft ball at the pressure.

Akim escapes her clutches, angrily bouncing around her.

"Anyhow, you are a nice person." She confesses to Ragna. "I have a great time here. So... when I stop the quest, I want to live here."

The lonely mother gets closer and takes the petite blonde in her arms, Kamui getting as stiff as a board. "And we will welcome you with open arms."

Kamui relaxes, her arms slowly hugging back as she hesitantly puts her head against Ragna's shoulder.

The heroic spirit breathes calmly, savoring the embrace as she gazes at the horizon. "Where I am from..." She gulps and sighs. "Where I am from, people did not like me."

"Why?" Ragna asks, rubbing her back gently.

Kamui closes her eyes. "My mother's sister put a bad spell on me. People who would see me were angry." She explains, her voice almost a whisper. "I did not know why they were so angry at me at the time."

Ragna hums. "Even your parents?"

"They were not there anymore." She inhales sharply. "I tried really hard for people not to be angry. I worked so much to be good."

"I know." Ragna sighs sadly.

Kamui hiccups. "I... I!"

Ragna kisses the top of her head. "You are a good person, Kamui. It is all over now, do not worry."

Kamui gives a shaky 'hum', a sob escaping her lips. "Can... we stay like that? A bit more?" She croaks, her arms slightly tightening their embrace.

"Of course." The older woman smiles warmly, motherly. "We can stay like this for as long as you need."

Kamui sniffs. "Thank you..."

Ragna's hand goes through her golden locks. "You should have a good cry. Let it all out."

"Hugh..." The petite girl face contorts as she buries her face deeper into Ragna's shoulder.

Kamui cries under Ragna's care, her hands clawing at the widow's tunic.

----------

"Here we go." Ragna wipes her hands on her apron, multiple plates scattered on the table. "Morma, please go fetch your father."

"Okay." The boy shrugs lazily before taking a deep breath. "Dad!?"

"What!" Bordak's booming voice resounds in the house.

"Mom calls for you!" Morma looks away as Amaka glares at him.

She shakes her head with a tired sigh, taking off her apron. "Men..."

Bordak enters the room with a trimmed beard and spotless clothes. "Yes, yes. I am here."

"Wow, never knew you could look presentable." His wife smirks smugly.

The blacksmith huffs in false indignation. "I am always presentable."

"Sure..." Morma mumbles.

"I heard that, boy." The man glares at the teen. "You should clean your face too."

Morma clicks his tongue as he walks past his father. "It's just a party."

"It is a ceremony." Amaka interjects. "For her achievement in repelling the power of the Shadow Isles, Kamui will be gifted golden facial tattoos. A sign of our respect for those who undergo such dangerous work for our sake."

The teen raises an eyebrow. "I thought those were given before their departure?"

Amaka stares tiredly. "She fought against-"

"The harvester and the ruined king, yes." Morma rolls his eyes.

The teen stiffens when he hears the scraping of a stool against a stone floor, his father sitting on said stool.

Morma stares at his father's serious expression. "Morma..." His gruff voice reaches his ears. "In this world, there are humans, like us. Some are able to accomplish heroic feats against odds that were not in their favor. But in the end... there is nothing they can do against monsters such as Kamui."

"Bordak!" Amaka cries out, outraged by the way he called the heroic spirit.

He ignores her. "Thresh killed 5 sentinels of light by himself. Viego is the monster that controls the Black Mist. Two beings of frightening strength that seemed unbeatable. And yet, there is a bigger fish." Bordak leans closer to his son. "A petite girl, who likes to spend time with the children and drawing, wiped the floor of the Shadow Isles with their faces."

He straightens back. "An anomaly, a hero, a monster... Call her what you want, but know that you could possess the sharpest blade, the strongest armor, and the wisest of minds... And you would not be able to kill her in her sleep."

"However, this does not mean that we have to fear such beings. The good thing about Kamui is that, in a fundamental level, she is human." He smiles. "A genuinely good human. And tonight is our formal 'good luck' before she goes on a quest to save Akim."

Morma stares at the ground. "I will go wash my face then." He mutters.

Bordak squeezes his shoulder, his smile warm. "Go."