Moonlight Desire

Chapter 23

Lia and Himeko have been training every day for the past couple of months. Lia was now able to fight more efficiently alongside Himeko.

They were clashing swords in the same spot they had first been with the trees giving off enough shade to shield them. As they were training, Himeko felt a sensation coming from Lia's short sword and quickly pulled back. Lia ran towards Himeko but was blocked by a shield spell that Lia wasn't familiar with. Himeko put her sword away. 

"That's enough for now," Himeko said. 

"Why? What happened." 

"Nothing. Let's take a break. I just need to find Kazuki and discuss something with him." 

Lia put her sword away and felt a bolt of excitement rush through her entire being. She nodded at Himeko and ran through the forest surrounding the Komatsuzaki mansion until she reached the seaside. 

I have been getting so much stronger. Does that mean I'm finally ready to finally become a protective warrior? In other words, a Samurai? In that case, I wonder what Himeko could be discussing with Kazuki!

She went over to the water and listened to the waves. A memory of Kazuki came back to her to when he told her that he had feelings for her. A smile formed on Lia but then it fell away as she was reminded by Himeko's words, asking her if she was ready to serve under him as a subordinate. 

"I don't know anymore Himeko", Lia whispered. "I want to become a protective warrior and all but, I really like Kazuki. Now, I feel like that would be too hard."

Then Lia could hear the sound of a woman singing. She clenched the hilt of her sword as she knew that wasn't normal. Nobody comes to this little island because of it being unseen to those who don't have the key to see it. She thought it may be a mermaid and decided to follow the sound until she found the woman washing her hair. The woman was singing a sweet tune in the beautiful soprano voice she had. Lia decided to join in this woman's song, matching her voice and they both sang together with a clear ringing vibrato. Then the woman suddenly stopped once she noticed Lia's presence.

"Hello," Lia said to break the awkwardness. "I'm sorry, it's just I wasn't expecting someone else to be here. You have a lovely voice too. Anyway, my name's Lia. It's nice to meet you." 

"Rina," the woman replied. 

"No! Lia." She giggled in response. "But anyway, how did you find this island and what's your name?" 

The woman gave Lia a sweet smile. "Your Rina aren't you Lia?" 

"Huh?" Lia just gave the woman a confused look. 

"May 31st. The disaster of when the Komatsuzaki clan fell and she was taken from him. But also his parents lives too, stuck with their infant daughter. You look like her and your voice proves it too." 

Lia was stunned. That date was not only the day of her birth but she noticed that Kazuki would always go off and disappear on that day every year. She shook it off and tried to pretend that she knew nothing. 

"What are you talking about. I'm just Lia. I heard you singing and joined in. I took voice lessons as a kid but I couldn't continue with them under certain circumstances." 

"You asked what I'm doing here?" Lia just nodded. "I simply came here to wash my hair." 

Lia was getting more confused than ever. This woman just keeps going off into something that isn't relevant to what she's saying other than that she's somehow connected to this Rina.

"With salt water? Couldn't you simply just go take a shower?" The woman still said nothing but continued to work her fingers through her long black hair. "Are you a mermaid or something," Lia jokingly asked.