Spark in Darkness: Unworldy encounter/Prototype

Spark 38: Confronting their own feelings

It all happened in a flash. Though Haruki had predicted it, it was still too fast to see and react.

But Rinya could.

With a flash and a blur, sparks burst as two blades collided, the metallic impact ringing. Shiro had drawn two swords and came slashing at Rinya, who activated her Shard to block the attack. Shinesh had his gauntlets activated, but he could do nothing because Kuro had jumped onto his hands when the two girls clashed, whimpering.

"Nightblade! You're a family with that Liraie Nightblade?" Shiro said through gritted teeth, her anger written all over her face.

Rinya replied, "He's my brother."

"You...!" Shiro growled as her swords shone, pushing Rinya back.

"I don't know what he has done to you, but you're directing your anger a the wrong person. I'm not on his side. In fact, I'm on the run from him." Rinya spoke calmy.

Haruki had seen this kind of speech before. When they first came to this town, she had spoken to the townspeople in this manner, seemingly distant and giving off the vibe of a collected person who talked business. It was only a few days later did she open up to the townspeople. Haruki recalled that she was not like this when they first met; in fact, she actually talked to him like a normal person, even though she tried to kill him. Maybe going through those terrible experiences had left her wary of people.

"How can I believe you? You Nayshards are deceitful creatures of the night! I won't forgive Liraie Nightblade for brainwashing me into killing Shinesh! Heck, I'm sure you brainwashed Haruki to follow you, right?"

"Err...when did I get dragged into the whole thing?" Haruki questioned nobody on particular.

"That you're wrong!" Rinya started to show signs of anger. "I myself was a victim of my brother's mind control! And I did not do anything weird to Haruki! He is only trying to help!"

"Is that true, Haruki?" Shinesh came over and passed Kuro to Haruki, his hands lighting up as soon as Kuro left his grasp.

"It is! So the two of you calm the heck down! Is it that bad that Rinya's with us? Arthur also looked like he would hack Rinya to death when he first saw her!" Haruki exclaimed.

"Arthur? He knows of this girl?" Shinesh asked. "Where's he now?"

Haruki shook his head. "We parted ways after we escaped from the castle together. He went to train together with Mimi. That's all I know."

Shinesh placed a hand on Shiro. "I guess we can talk for now."

Shiro clicked her tongue and sheathed her swords. Rinya sighed in relief as she also kept her scythe. Haruki felt she could have easily overpowered Shiro now that she had her large amount of Darkness to draw from, but maybe Rinya was not trying to piss Shiro more than she was already.

"I know we have a lot of talk about, but there are a lot of people looking at us, in case you haven't realise." Haruki gestured at the townspeople staring at the group.

"Shall we talk as we go?"

At that suggestion, the four of them shared the two beasts used to cross the desert, known as the furrier. It was a creature with a small mouth, to suck bugs and water, and had long limbs to a furry body. It supposedly had a low body temperature, and used the fur to trap the heat from the desert in the day and warm itself during the cold night.

The furrier also had no problem carrying heavy loads, so it could walk normally even with two humans and their goods on it.

The journey started out in silence, Haruki and Rinya on one beast, Shinesh and Shiro on another. Haruki asked Shinesh where they went after the war, and apparently they had wanted to cross the desert to head for the Capital too, but they were at a loss when it came to directions and made a detour. Haruki described his and Rinya's discovery about the seven assailants after them, and that they had just defeated one.