Heavenly Mortals-Act One

II

Another once upon another time, not long after the first,

There was a little girl who lived a quiet life with her parents.

Her name was Qi'ra. She had beautiful red eyes, just like her mother.

They were simple people, farmers in the kingdom of Shubunohi. They lived in a secluded place, away from other people. Every day, early in the morning, Qi'ra's father would take her out to the paddy fields. It was a peaceful, quiet life.

"Look, Qi'ra, the stars are smiling," Her father pointed at the sky one day. The stars shimmered, a lustrous sea of light.

"A sea of diamonds," Qi'ra mused. Her father smiled, "That's a good way to describe them,"

Then, one day, when Qi'ra was barely even five, a war came to Shubunohi. It ravaged the land, reduced it into fire and ash.

"Go! Take her!" Qi'ra's father grappled with a soldier, a sickle in his hands.

Carrying Qi'ra, her mother fled into the city, hoping to get into the Capital, where they would be safe.

Sadly, they were not so lucky.

Qi'ra and her mother were cornered by enemy soldiers. Her mother knew all too well the fate that would befall them.

"Mummy, I'm scared," Qi'ra grabbed on tight to her mother, tears in her eyes.

"It'll be alright, Qi'ra," Her mother said reassuringly.

She hid Qi'ra and drew the soldiers away from her. Tears streamed from her eyes as she went further away from her daughter. Qi'ra, hiding in a crate, covered her mouth. She dared not make a single sound, no matter how much she wanted her mother back.

Not long after, or perhaps an eternity, the lid of the crate was opened. Qi'ra screamed for her life, kicking and fighting. She was knocked unconscious before she could see who it was.

Qi'ra woke in a bedroom, much more luxurious than what she and her parents slept in. Red and gold formed fiery patterns on the wall. Seeing that made her angry. Her childish mind blamed fire for taking away everything she had.

She was greeted by a man, whose gaze was harsh.

"You will call me master Ikori," The man informed.

She was shown her new life. She would train in this monastery to become a fighter.

"Hey, look, her eyes are red," One disciple said. The others pointed and gawked.

That immediately incited prejudice. Shubunohi had legends about red-eyed demons, born from the pits of hell who mingled with humans, to produce half-demon children who would undermine human civilization.

Qi'ra saw the clothes they wore. They had fiery patterns on them. Qi'ra balled her fists.

The conflict that followed resulted in Qi'ra, small five year old that she was, standing over the groaning disciples several years older. She had a rock in her hand.

Seeing her potential, Ikori trained her, honed her into a weapon. She was unmatched, feared, and hated by every other disciple. But no one dared pick a fight.

Every now and then, Ikori would give her a special drug which would boost her capabilities, but at the cost of being incapacitated for several hours.

Qi'ra drank every last drop Ikori gave her, determined to wreak revenge on the ones who brought fire onto her life.

"I'll make sure you can rest in peace, mum, dad," She whispered. She glanced at her katana, sharpened and dipped in poison. She would have her first duel today, and she was only twelve.

"I'll put all their heads on a stake,"