Legends of Cubarlos

Chapter Thirty

Yuuki was sitting around the campfire that Daichi had made, fiddling with the crest around her neck. She smiled to herself when she saw Katsu experimenting with his new found powers that the spirit of air had given him. One down, three to go, Yuuki thought as the fire flickered and danced in the night. Megumi was sitting nearby, her hand to her chin as she studied what Katsu was doing. Yamato was sharpening his sword and Daichi was over with Katsu, asking him what all he could do now. Yuuki allowed a little time for relaxation, knowing that they had a lot to take in at this moment. The Niravarnian betrayal had left Yuuna’s friends at a loss of some sort and Yuuki wanted them to get their thoughts back on track. Otherwise, she would be dragging them along for the remainder of the trip and that would slow them down. Yuuki was in a race against time. A part of her knew that Fumito would not hesitate to try and track her down again, especially if she played a big part in his plan. I’m sure Fumito had an idea of what my purpose was and just didn’t want to admit it, Yuuki thought as she poked the fire with her hands, straightening out the wood as the flames lapped at her fingers. But now that I know my purpose, he’s bound to know. This could get really ugly.

“Does that seriously not hurt?” Yamato asked as he glanced up and saw Yuuki playing with the fire. She half-smiled at him.

“Of course not,” she said as she withdrew her hand, looking at the small burns that lined her fingers. “I can’t feel anything, remember?” Yuuki brought her knees up to her chest. “I used to do that in front of Saizo. He found it…amusing.” Yamato fell silent as he shifted his gaze to the ground, obviously feeling guilty. Yuuki looked over at him. “It’s not your fault.”

“If I had listened to you, he would still be alive,” Yamato whispered sadly. “Perhaps even Takuma.”

“Fumito had already decided they were going to die, so…they were going to die. It had nothing to do with you.”

“That day, when we found you covered in blood up in the Air Temple,” Megumi said as she joined the conversation. “We had just missed Fumito, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Yuuki said as she smirked. “I was heading up there to warn Yuuna one last time, and ran into him.”

“It just looked like it was you,” Megumi said and Yuuki smiled.

“Fumito, if anything, is good at deception. It’s a fine talent he’s got huh?”

“Easy on your compliments there,” Daichi said as him and Katsu sat down by the fire. Katsu smiled broadly at Yuuki and Yuuki returned his smile.

“How are you feeling?” she asked and Katsu gave her a thumbs-up.

“Like I’ve been born again,” he exaggerated and Megumi chuckled. Megumi looked to Yuuki, her expression growing serious again.

“So, where are we going next?”

“It’s unwise to go in order,” Yuuki said. She touched her crest. “Fumito cannot track me because of my crest. If we head to the other temples out of order, he shouldn’t be able to find us.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Yamato said. “Your crest is far different from Yuuna’s. Why is that?”

“Unlike Yuuna, who was given her crest when the oracle came, I was born with mine. It appeared through my skin when I was three. I’ve had it from birth.”

“That’s interesting,” Megumi said, her professor like instincts coming out. “How did it appear through your skin?”

“I guess it just soaked through is the easiest way to put it,” Yuuki answered. “My stone is called the Cearlinta Stone. In the old language, that’s the ‘Revival Stone’.”