Destined For Doom

Chapter 3 - Freedom And Truth

-3-

-Freedom And Truth-

A million thoughts raced through his mind as he ran for all he was worth. The world had changed drastically; the sheer scale of the shift made his head spin. Massive towers of steel reached with crooked spires to the heavens, far higher than any building Akane had ever seen. The last thing he remembered before the darkness was Koyane, the bastard had cast some sort of enchantment. How long had he been trapped for? Certainly long enough for the entire world to change beyond recognition.

He phased out of physical form, gliding over tightly packed rows of some kind of metal carriages. In the distance he spotted a familiar sight, something rare now in the alien world. The lush green grass and colourful trees of the gardens stood out in the metal city, drawing Akane in like a moth to a flame.

The smoke reformed as he landed, kneeling on the grass. Everything was wrong. Hana was dead, he had been imprisoned for countless years. His vision grew hazy as tears formed in his eyes; Hana was dead. He had promised to protect her, it was the one thing he had to do. He had failed. Anger boiled its way to the surface again. It was Koyane. He was responsible. He could still see the old man's steely grey eyes, an image burned into his brain. Wait, the eyes... The girl that had been there when he broke free, she had the same eyes. A relative, maybe?

It didn't matter. In this strange world she was the only clue he had. Akane needed to find her, and she would lead him to Koyane. It was now that he noticed a small crowd of people gathered at a distance, watching him with apparent shock and holding out small rectangular objects. He drew both blades from the scabbards that crossed his back, concentrating on the edges before throwing himself forward in a cloud of smoke.

'The girl must be a sorceress,' he reasoned, propelling himself forward and up the side of one of the tall buildings. Being on street level made him uneasy, best to get to higher ground where he could better hunt. He would have to be cautious, there was no telling how much things had changed. He ran quickly along some kind of railing, balanced perfectly over a hundred-foot drop.

He paid it no heed, this wasn't anything unusual for someone with his experience. Akane's entire life consisted of things that would kill ordinary people; he had hunted down beings from all across the world, and travelled countless leagues to do his master's bidding. There had been so much blood, all to save a pair of women that had meant the world to him. His teeth clenched bitterly, both were now long dead.

He was about to cross a large gap between buildings when he notices a small animal blocking his way. Glowing green eyes shone through the near darkness, warning him to stop. He came to a skidding halt a few metres in front of the black cat, holding both swords at the ready. This was no ordinary cat, he had seen enough to know that.

The animal seemed almost amused, turning around and walking away calmly. After a few dozen steps it paused, looking at Akane questioningly. He slowly nodded, sheathing the swords and following the cat. It was most likely a trap, but there was hardly a better alternative to wandering the unfamiliar city aimlessly. He fell into step behind the cat, who now broke into a brisk run across a path of joined rooftops. Whoever this animal was leading him to would give him answers.

>---<

Madeline practically threw the money at the driver on her way out of the cab. She sprinted into the hotel lobby, pressing the elevator button about fifty times in the ten seconds before the doors opened. Madeline tried to slow her breathing, constantly looking over her shoulder as she stepped inside. What she had let loose back at the museum couldn't exist in this world, it just didn't fit. Statues didn't just come to life, and they definitely didn't vanish in a cloud of smoke.