A Doll and a Copper Coin

Chapter 3: Huga

The next morning, Gorin stood at the doors of Huga's room. He knocked on the doors for a while but did not hear a reply.

" I'm coming in." Gorin said as he open the door and walked in. He turned around closing the wooden doors.

Huga sat on his bed, the bed sheet was over his back and he was crouching. He stared blankly at the floors. Gorin carried a plate of steaming hot boiled rice with a red sauce over it. He walked to Huga's bed and sat at the edge of the bed.

" Big brothers Gorin, I saw my parents... I saw them in my dream." Huga suddenly said with tears starting to gather in his eyes.

Gorin put the plate down on the desk and turned  to face Huga.

" Do you want to tell me what happened in the dream?" Gorin said.

"I was playing with my mum and dad while grandpa was training  my elder brother. I left to take something and when I returned everybody... everybody was gone." Huga said crying he wiped his nose continuing. " I went out to look for them and when I found them they weren't moving."

Gorin moved closer to Huga and touched his hair making Huga look at him with his teary eyes.

" Don't worry little Huga, I'm here." He comforted.

" You have to move on and grow up so you can make your parents proud. Don't bother about all these, I give you my word, no matter what happens the person responsible for these will surely pay for it with his life." Gorin said as Huga nodded hugging him as he kept on crying.

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Ashli walked into the kitchen with a bundle of wood in hand. He dropped the wood at a corner and walked out to go join Gorin and Huga in the living room.

Gorin and Huga sat opposite each other a table in-between them. On the table were two dishes of food and Huga was eating them. Ashli walked over and sat with them.

" Here." Gorin said offering Ashli a plate of rice.

" Thanks." Ashli said as he ate.

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After eating they all sat down to discuss their next course of action. Then Huga suddenly runs out of the room leaving Gorin and Ashli a little confused by his action.

A while later Huga returns with a small animal in hand. He walks back to his seat to take a seat.

" Is that the dog you talked about earlier?" Gorin asked as Huga nodded.

Earlier Huga had told Gorin that he found a dog a week ago. His parents didn't let him keep it so he hid the dog in the basement and secretly went to meet it and feed it. He said the day his parents died he went to the basement to feed it when he came out everyone was dead.

" An Ashiromi pup." Ashli said a little surprised.

" What's an Ashiromi?" Huga asked.

" An Ashiromi is a magical beast. It's name means lightning dog. When they bite their prey they can send an electric current through their fangs into the body of the prey causing death. And when they feel threatened they make their body electrifying." Ashli explained.

" Oh." Huga said.

The young Ashiromi on Huga's legs was the signature grey color of a regular Ashiromi pup. It had the streak of blue fur running from it's forehead all the way down it's back to it's fuzzy tail. It had yellow eyes with a small white eyebrow above it's eyes like a four eyed dog. It was very small and cute but also dangerous.

" Don't let it bite you 'cause it might end up killing you so be careful with it." Ashli advised as Huga nodded his head in acknowledgement.

" I think it's time we start moving." Gorin suddenly said.