Moonlight Desire

Chapter 22

Lia was about to leave her room and find Himeko for her first day of training but, a knock came at her door. Lia answered it and it happened to be Himeko.

"Himeko, I was just going to find you just now."

"Perfect timing then," Himeko replied.

Lia looked over at the box Himeko was holding.

"What's in that box?"

Himeko placed the box on Lia's bed and opened it up. It revealed a white hakama and purple half kimono.

"It's your first day of training," Himeko began. "You need hakama in order to properly train."

"Thank you."

Lia put on her new training outfit and went over to the mirror to see how it looked on her. She then put her hair up in a ponytail and she really transformed into a warrior. Not the girl who was always so weak before. But looking at herself brought back memories of the time when she first met Kazuki. She held the amethyst gemstone necklace Kazuki gave to her.

"This sure brings back a lot of memories," Lia began. "Kazuki was wearing this exact outfit when he came to save me and even gave me this necklace too. Ever since then, I've always wore it. Everyday."

"It's our districts gemstone," Himeko said. Each district has one and are very powerful. Ours is the Amethyst and it looks like Kazuki left it in your care."

"What kind of powers does it have?"

"Not even I know that," Himeko replied. "I'm pretty sure it has the power to protect and to grow stronger. So many yokai and other aliens are after it. The twenty gems combined is very powerful. I've heard before the Komatsuzaki clan was attacked, my father was the one who protected these gems."

"What exactly happened to the Komatsuzaki clan? I want to know. I've been here for four years now."

"Ah," Himeko quickly changed the subject. "You noticed the change in colour with Kazuki's hakama pants when you first met Kazuki just now, didn't you?"

Lia was slightly confused by the sudden change of subject when she mentioned her Father.
"Yes but what I want to know is..."

"The pants are symbolic here. The white ones that you're wearing now represents peace. You won't fight unless you're forced to protect. The purple ones, are the neutral ones. They vary depending on the district's colour. They're usually only worn here but you also only fight if there's a threat to the plant."

"I see," Lia responded.

"But there's also a third colour. Black. We only wear the black ones to bring war. District 10 is the exception to this since they're district's colour is black but that means they're kimono will also be black too. A truly frightening district."

"Oh so the white and black ones are for travelling purposes," Lia observed. "Peace and war. Explains why Kazuki wore the white ones. He came to save me."

Himeko led Lia outside the mansion and it was then that Lia realized that there were two swords attached to Himeko's waist instead of the one katana she always wears on duty.

The warm rays of the sun hit the two of them as they continued walking through the estate until they came to a place that was surrounded by trees.

"The beet place to train is surrounded by trees," Himeko said. "There's enough shelter from them so you don't tire yourself out from the sun too early." Himeko then took off the short sword and threw it to Lia. "Here."

Lia started at it for a few moments but then attached the short sword to her hip.

"That wakizashi is the sword all low-level warriors start out with before they can join the twenty protection districts. They all train under someone in their desired district, but how long it takes them before they can get accepted depends on the person themselves. Now draw your sword and come at me. I want to see if you can cut me."