Karmagisa: Our Fate Upon The Crown

61 | Yellow Cresent

<Karma>
After falling behind the group, both Yua and I entered the manor, following the servants to the waiting room along with everyone else.

"There you are." Kuro stood up from his seat and shook my hand, "I'm glad that you've chose to pick me up." He teased, "I've prepared my horse already. Shall we go?"

"Carefree as ever." Yua sighed and smiled at Kuro who was already patting her head.

"Oi..." Karasuma has his hand near his sword.

"It's fine, as you can see. He means no harm." Irina placed her hand in his to stop him from pulling out his sword and causing a scene. 

"Don't simply touch me just because we're related." Yua slapped his hand away.

"Awe, don't be like that..." he came back with a childishly reaction and I noticed the yellow crest on his hand.

"We must hurry now." I reminded the group and they all glanced over with a serious intent.

We mounted our horses and Kuro walked his horse over to mine. I saw his sword and he caught me staring at the yellow jewels plating it.

"Had this since the beginning." He commented but once I was about to say something back, he nonchalantly left the conversation to talk to Yua.

"Yua dear, you've brought your sword correct?"

"N-no, all I need is my bow and arrows. And don't call me dear." She replied back in a vexed manner.

"Of course, but I bet you came back like this, you haven't shot an arrow once-."

Yua reached behind her towards her quiver and grabbed an arrow, she touched and locked it onto the strings of the bow. The sudden revelation startled us and even Kuro's personal guard.

"Hey..Yua!" I called her out.

"Whoa whoa, I was just joking, my dear cousin." He waved his hand in front of his face, "I'm sorry!"

"Don't test me." She released her grip on the arrow and it shot past him, grazing his right cheek, and disappearing behind him.

"Tch. That will do, right?" Yua turned around with her horse and proceed forward, the path leading out of the estate.

"Yes..." Kuro followed behind her and in the corner of my eye, I saw the cut in his face slowly becoming a faint scare without the need to treat it.

Everyone else on their horse followed the two of them and Karasuma called me out.
"My King, is something the matter?"

While I was still facing the direction of where the arrow went. I noticed that she wasn't trying to instill fear in Kuro, but rather show me just what she was capable of. And no doubt about it, the goddess of archery. The arrow she shot impaled a leaf that was falling the same time she shot, resting at the center of the standing tree.

"N-no. It's nothing."
••••••
While we departed, Irina moved over and shared a horse with me. Karasuma point out that if something were to happen, he didn't risk getting Irina caught in it as well.

"So what does this woman look like exactly?" Kuro asked with a chuckling demeanor.

"Hm? You don't know?" I turned my head.

"Well...you know that the Kuro family and estate is very isolated from the rest of the kingdom." He pointed out, "if you want my honest opinion, I don't know the faces. Just the names of the noble households." He confessed.

Yua clicked her tongue while she didn't care to look over at him.

"Maybe if you hadn't chose to hide away, you would know the other noble families. You think this will do anyone a favor?" Yua's harsh words degraded Kuro as he hung his head in his own shame.

"Here." Karasuma reached into his sack that hung on the horn of the horse saddle. He took out a photograph of the Shiota family themselves.

"Ah, what a fine lady indeed." Kuro nodded his head, "and you said she just went off and disappeared? How does you know she's not already dead?" He suggested.

I found myself worked up by the thought, but in the end, wouldn't I not mind it?

"I doubt it. The fact that her goal is her eldest son, Mamoru, Shiota, she would stay alive to see the end of this." I said.

"And where is this boy now?" Kuro asked.

"At the palace being medically treated." I answered.
"Then she knows that he is at the palace currently?"

I nodded my head.

"It would be very likely. With Mamoru who escaped, where else would he go? She's a cunning woman. When they were ambushed, there would of been two outcomes. Mamoru being captured; the other one would be to injure him, risking whether he would be saved and taken to the palace. And the attempt assassination of the current Queen was a warning, because she knew he was there." I explained.

Before I realized it, we made it to Garden of Names, a town that known for is vast greenery for the enjoyment of those who had horses. Despite its great population, you wouldn't find a huge crowd in areas like markets or shops, compared to villages like Azalea or Rosemary. Garden of Names is a popular resident because it was peaceful and quiet. Plus, it's a beauty to wake up every morning to see the great abundance of pure nature.

Even when I was young, I would take my horse along with my younger sister and father, just to ride and relax.

"Well. If she is so foxy as you say she is. How will you find her exactly?" Kuro brought up.

"We have the Kingdom on our side. It won't be too difficult to find one measly woman." Yua added in.

We continued down the path and patrolled the areas. In the distance, we could all see knights making their rounds as well.
Karasuma suggested that it would be best for us to ask them if they have any new information or updates. So we rode over with our horses, but something in the air felt troubling.

"Who's that?" Irina pointed at the strange fellow who was blocking our path with his body. He stood in the middle and had watched us approach.

"We can go around him." I said.

"W-wait. What's he doing?" Kuro stopped his horse short, turning to the side.

I carefully saw how intimidating he tried to look. From this distance, I had thought we was carrying a walking stick, but it was a bow! There wasn't enough time for the knights to shift to another formation, especially when we didn't see an attack coming.

"He's armed! Take cover!" I shouted to the rest of the group.

He leveled his bow and grabbed an arrow from behind. He aimed it not at me, but at Yua. He released and the arrow darted rapidity at her.
Karasuma drew his sword and got ahead of everyone else.

He's superhuman... he bravely cut down the arrow in half without batting an eye. Then he advanced forward without the man being able to react quick enough.

It's over for him.
Karasuma and his fast pace horse galloped ahead. At the same time using the speed of the horse, he swung his sword, slashing at the throat. Blood exploded, spewing a dark red. He even sliced deep enough that the man was almost decapitated.

He truly is the magnificent Black Knight.