Hoshimiko: Child of the starlight

Chapter 1: Enter the City

                               High walls, floating security that is to shoot anything or one that fly's over the walls, and guards patrolling that seems to leave no stone un-turned. That is what is standing before Hoshimiko as she looks on. The grey walls seem to match the atmosphere of the city and the outfits of the guards. "Hey you! What you looking at!" A guard shouts at her. "huh, oh me?" She asks the guard. "Yes you, now answer the question!" he angrily says. "Oh okay. What was the question again?" She smiles ad tilts her head. "UGH! Just get out of here!" He tells her as he takes his gun and pushes her away. "hey I'm a citizen here. I just want entrance in." She hands him a piece of paper. He roughly takes it and looks at it then at her and back at the paper. "Fine come back tomorrow when we let all the others in." He gives her back the paper and walks away. "Thank you." Was her joyful response. The city is surrounded by sand that was once gold and beautiful, turned black and is giving off a smell of something worse than the smell of death and decay. These is a Canavan of people nearby. "I guess I will try there to find a place to stay till morning." Hoshimiko thinks to herself. She walks over to see children playing in the sand and adults all standing together talking about something. One sees her and motions the others to look at her. She is dressed from head to toe in a wrap, her hair is hidden and is most of her face for that matter. The color of the wrap is a purple and blue which seems to always change to show the galaxies that are far above them. The wrap is so her chosen scent does not attract the wrong guardian. A chosen's scent is based off of her power. The more power the more the scent will attract more and more guardians cause confusion and often fights. Her eyes are a bright pink with gold around the outer pupils. She has a backpack that appears to be full with a stuffed animal sticking out of it. Straps outline her curvy figure and hold pouches all across them. Ribbons are around her hands as she waves hi to all the on lookers. "Umm can you please tell me where you chief is?" She politely asks them. "I'm right here." She looks to the right were the voice came from. "What can I help you with miss." He asks with a pipe in his mouth and is wearing workmen clothes that are all dirty from the days adventures.

            "Hello, I was just wondering if you were all the people going into the city tomorrow and if I could stay the night with all of you." She responds in a cheerful manor. He looks long at her. "Sure. You can stay under one of these here caravans if you so wish. But that'll there cost you about 2000 zillions." He says with a smile and a puff of smoke. "I'm afraid I don't have any zillions on me." Zillions are the currency in her region but since the war of nations broke out the people have used more of a barter system then a monetary one.  "You see I'm a traveling chosen here to help straighten up the city. Hoshimiko looks at the chief to see what his reaction toher statement was. She sees him look down as if wanting to question her but decides against it. He looks up and says with a laugh, "Looks to me like you got yourself in over your head young lass." The people standing nearby laugh at his joke. "Don't let looks fool you sir, I am capability of taking care of myself. Since I see you have no room for me, then I will be off." "Now I never said we did not have room." The man interjects. "Well you made it clear that if I cannot afford to stay I was not welcomed." Hoshimiko states. "You said you were a chosen right? So can you cure a sickness?" He looks her straight in the eyes when he asks this.

                           "Somethings I can, but others I cannot. Who needs cured?" She tries to read him but he looks away. "Come with me." He motions for her to follow him. They both enter the Canavan he came out of and she sees a little girl, no more then 5, laying down in the back. She is covered from head to toe in yellow and green wraps. "Care to explain this?" Hoshimiko turns around to look at the man who is with his wife and 3-month old child. "I don't know, she will just touch something and it appears to tear her apart. Them wraps are the only thing holding her in one piece." He says then his wife intervenes "We got them from a chosen and she told us they would help but..." She starts to cry. Hoshimiko sits down and opens her backpack and grabs a books from it. She flips through and stops about a third the way in. She then grabs a plant from one of her pouches and mumbles a few words. "Do you have water?" "Yes." The man gets up and quickly grabs water to hand to her. "Thank you." Is her response as she take it from the man.

                     A few more words are mumbled and the water shines so pure and the plant get dropped in. She walks over to the girl and starts to take off the wraps. "Stop please. It will hurt her!" The mother pleads. The girl cries out a little as the wraps come off. She is covered heat to toe in black and blue bruises."Can you stand?" Hoshimiko asks the little girl and stops the mother from coming over with her arm. "Please don't touch you daughter, I know it is hard but if you want her to get better then leave." The mother is in tears at the sight of her daughter.

                       The girl nods and attempts to stands as the mother watches and is forced out by her husband. Oncce they ave left, Hoshimiko flings the water all over the little girl and steam arises from her body. The girl starts to cry but soon stops as she realizes she is crying for no reason. The steam is so thick that no one can see what is going on and the doors to the Canavan have to be flung open. "Maranda!" The mother cries out as the steam comes pouring out from under the door.  "Mommy?" A voice cries from the inside. "I'm here baby, come on out." The little girl comes out and her skin is all back to normal. No bruises left on her.  The mother, still holding her 3-month old, comes flying over and scoops up her daughter, covering her with kisses. The people outside all have gathered in awe and disbelief at the sight of the little girl. "Thank you. You have more than paid you fair share." The chief pats her on the shoulder with tears in his eyes. "I'm happy to know that. Now Maranda is it." Hoshimiko asks looking at the little girl. The little girl nods the best she can from inside her mother's arms. "No more eating strange berries okay?" Hoshimiko winks at her with a little smile. The little girl nods profusely. "Berries?" She hears someone ask. "Yes, the black and red ones with pink inside, if you eat to many you become sensitive to the touch." Was her response to the posed question. "But why then did the other chosen not fix her like you did." The chief questions her. 

                      "Because she though it was a case of excalious.Which has similar symptoms. The only reason I know what it not a case of excalious was because she was not out playing and moving. Excalious causes the sensitivity but does not cause pain."  " Is that's why you checked your book? Good thing you had it." The chief says as he finally gets to hug his daughter. She nods a little shyly. The chief laughs a big hearty laugh. "We shall cook for you tonight, consider this a bonus." He says as he pats his round belly. Soon all the women and some men start cooking while the others get a fire started, for it had grown dark during the days adventure.