Black

1. Departure

“So the summer solstice is closing up on us” Kuro’s good friend Dai said, as the two sixteen-year-olds splashed around in the creek close to the village. “Who do you hope will choose you?”

The girl huffed. “I don’t know. I’m waiting for the gods to decide” she said as she scratched her Seal. “I just don’t want to become a Spawn”

Dai laughed. “Who would, honestly?” he started tossing pebbles into the creek. “I dream of becoming a Red…not that you’re interested or anything” he squinted his eyes when he saw that Kuro had laid in the grass, gazing at the big white clouds.

“I can’t decide. For you it’s easy, Dai” the girl sadly said. “You have been growing up in a family of Greens, and fire seems exciting because it’s new to you” she lectured. “But my family is mixed. Mother’s a Blue, father’s a Green, Ezra’s a White and Yuri’s a Red. And they all seem pretty dull to me by now”

“Dai, Kuro!” a voice rang around them, making the two turn their heads toward the noise.

Blocking the sunlight, a tall figure stood in front of them, with a head of long dark hair dancing with the soft breeze.

“What is it, Oro?” Kuro sighed, throwing herself back on the ground.

“The Messenger from Eienmachi has arrived” the boy said, motioning for them to follow him. “We need to sign up”

Kuro jumped to her feet and tapped Dai on his shoulder while darting past him. “You snooze, you lose, sucker” she shouted and made a run for the village square.

Dai and Oro followed her closely, soon reaching their destination, finding that every sixteen-year-old in the entire village was there lined up in front of a majestic ten-foot owl, its white feathers shining in the light of the summer sun. It stood stoically as each child plucked one of its white feathers and stabbed themselves in the index finger, writing down on a scroll their name with their own blood.

There were fifty teens there that day, all of which wrote down their names and headed back to their business, but with a heavier heart.

Now that the Messenger came and went, they had to leave their village within the week and head towards the capital of the known world, Eienmachi, which lied where the four provinces met. The city had been built by God Almighty Eien himself; at first it was only one temple dedicated to the five gods, but then Masters started building around it. Soon, the city reached a perfect circular form, spreading in all of the provinces: the Sun Provence, where the summer never gave in to winter, the Moon Provence, where the winter was everlasting, the Rain Provence, where it was spring all year round and the Wind Provence, land of the everlasting autumn.

Kuro was nervous about leaving. Like many of those her age, she had never traveled very far from the village. She had joined her father on business trips, who was the respected leader of Sairento, but even Lord Ruko never wandered too far from home. But she had to. She needed to gain her mastery.

“Kuro, darling, you need to leave at dusk” Mikoto said, sitting down next to her daughter, who stared blankly at the folded clothes and pouches of food and water her mother set out for her to pack. “What is on your mind?”

The dark haired girl sighed and brought her knees to her chest. “I have this funny feeling…what if I’m going to become a Spawn?”

The mother gently stroked Kuro’s soft hair. “I will love you no matter what, and so will your father and brothers. Do your best in the Trials, meet the five gods, and hope that you’ll be alright, for as long as you have hope, you will not be broken down by anything”

Kuro sighed and hugged her mother tightly, a few tears rolling out of her tear ducts.

“Now come” Mikoto said and pulled Kuro to her feet. “It’s our last meal together for a while”

The two women walked together in silence to the low wooden table, which was already set and populated by the other members of the family.

“There’s our little Grey” Roku joked when Kuro sat down. “Tomorrow you leave on the quest everyone before you had gone on. How do you feel?” he asked, tarring himself a piece of bread.

Kuro shrugged. “It feels surreal, Dad” she sighed. “I just want to come home as soon as possible”

The twins started laughing.

“You do know that you’ll be staying there for a month to train for the Trials, then two more weeks while they wait for you to become a Spawn, and if you are given the Seal of a Black, the gods take you for some more training” Yuri blabbered.

“That adds up to six weeks in the least, dear sister” Ezra smirked.

Yuri and Ezra were twins, but they were nothing alike. Yuri was the annoying smart-ass type, quick witted, but extremely talkative. He was tall and handsome, with a pair of big blue eyes, tanned sink and a head of spiky and rather short dark brown hair. He wore only red since his Trials, as he was gifted the mastery of fire from Fire Lord Kasai. Ezra, on the other hand, had been silent and cunning ever since he was an infant. His eyes were of a piercing icy blue, and his skin ivory. His hair was dark brown, long to his waist and fashioned into a low pony tail. His white robes matched his pale appearance, and the white Seal was barely visible on his left arm, being only a few shades more white than the very skin it was latched onto. Taking after their father in both appearance and skill, the two brothers were incredibly good archers.

While her brothers gloated with their good looks, Kuro considered herself plain. Taking after her mother, she had long and soft black hair and a pair of big, brown eyes. She was utterly useless with a bow and an arrow, but no one matched her skill with the two katana she wielded. Her personality was somehow divided. She could be driven by passion while still thinking intelligently, and she could be cunning while caring and kind. She had no idea where she belonged and she dearly waited for the day the gods will decide her rightful place in the world.

“Stop putting your sister down” Mikoto snared at the twins. “Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable?”

Yuri laughed. “Sheesh, mother, calm down. We’re only letting her know some facts about the Trials” he put his hands up in surrender.

The Blue woman huffed and stood up. “I’ll be back in a second” she said and stood to leave the room.

Roku chuckled knowingly, while Kuro stared blankly somewhere above Ezra’s head.

Soon enough, Mikoto came back and set down a gift for Kuro. The girl picked it up and stood agape.

“A new pair of katanas?” she squealed, gazing at the shiny, well honed blades. “And why is there a grey robe along with these?” she tilted her head.

The mother chuckled. “We got you a new robe because all of your other ones are either ripped or grass-stained, you little rascal” she said.

Kuro chuckled then set the gifts aside. “Thank you, mother, father” she went around the table distributing hugs. “I am going to bed. I have an early day ahead of me”

Goodbyes had always been an issue for Kuro. She didn’t get very easily attached, but when she did, goodbyes were extremely painful. That was why she started kicking and screaming when Dai and Oro tried to pry her from her family’s embrace. She even broke down crying when her family tried to convince her to straddle her chestnut mare Kuri. Finally, Kuro stopped fighting and let herself be dragged to her horse by Dai.

“Take good care of her, boys” Roku told them upon leaving.

Dai nodded. “We will, Lord Roku, rest assured”

“Goodbye, Lord Roku and Lady Mikoto” Oro cheered and urged his dark brown horse to move.

With Kuro hanging her head lifelessly and following the two closely on the mare, the trio met with the rest of the ones travelling to Eienmachi, so many as fifty horses and riders of all shapes and sizes, with the only thing in common being their shared age. They embarked together on a three-day journey.