The Search For Peace 2

Chapter 18

"Achoo!" Juliet wasn't one to sneeze loudly, but to her surprise, her small sneeze echoed through the mountain range they were climbing. She stopped to wipe her nose, cursing the cold. The minute their plane had landed in Tokyo, Japan, Sir Aiden had taken them on this long hike up a mountain that had too long of a name for her to remember it.

The sun was setting, she realized, as their forested path cleared, and she laid eyes on the scenery on both sides. Humps of triangular hills lined the area, light snow covering their tops. The orange hues of the sky dyed their dull colours, a few trees poking out here and there. "Come on, Juliet, we're almost there!" Kevin called from up ahead, already so far away.

"Yeah, yeah." She breathed out, pushing her stiff legs onto the climb. It was quiet, besides the occasional screech of the exotic birds flying about. They stepped over stone after stone, a never-ending pathway still left to venture. Just how far was The Aquarius Clan?

When she was just about to drop from fatigue, the people in front of her halted their trek. Confused, she caught up to them, peeking over Ultima's tall head, her swirly bun of black hair clearly in the way. They were looking at a rather big, empty red gate of some sort, in the shape of an incomplete rectangle, with no doors to protect whatever was behind it. It was a lot like the arched gate of the Virgo in that aspect since it seemed there was nothing but the rest of the mountain after crossing it. However, The People of the Clans knew better.

"So this is the gate of The Aquarius Clan?" Juliet skimmed her gaze over the aged structure looming over them, scratchy with old paint.

"Yup. It's a Torii." Ultima told her, and she quirked a brow. "That's what these things are called in Japanese."

"Oh.."

The three kids stood patiently to the side, letting Sir Aiden enter first. As the sky darkened to a soft purple, the man slowly advanced to the foot of the gate, reaching his hand out. His fingers sparked an invisible wall, that dissipated as a huge crane formed with its light. The mystical bird lowered its long neck, it's glowing eyes casting down on every one of them. Juliet held her breath as it spread its huge, sparkling wings, all but blinded by the brightness of its golden glow. It let out a cry more beautiful than any song, then shot up in the air, a gust of powerful wind overtaking the people underneath it.

When she opened her eyes again, the crane was gone, and in its place...

"Woaaahhh...." She had to agree with Kevin when he said that. Because the once vacant mountain trail was now lit with a string of lanterns linked together above, the rocky road now leveled with cremated steps. Voices could be heard, and the point of a temple-like building protruded overhead. It was as if a whole new world awaited their arrival.

As they passed the gate, Juliet turned around, staring at the oblivious world underneath, the world she had come from, dumbfounded. Sometimes, The Clans really surprised her.

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Hirohito Takahashi was the name of the Leader of the Aquarius Clan. He was a fine young man, his porcelain skin still taught, his long hair an ominous black. As he and Sir Aiden sat in the main room of the vast palace to discuss the matters of their negotiations, the three 'kids' that had accompanied him occupied the room below.

"I don't get it." Juliet glared daggers into Kevin, trying to figure out what to do with her legs on this tatami mat they were on. She wasn't used to sitting on the floor like this. "How come we're not included in the conversation?"

"Why would we be?" Ultima answered in the boy's stead, calmly sipping the green tea they had been served. "It's an important matter between the Leaders, so there's really no need for our opinion."

"Oh yeah? Then how come Alyssa's group doesn't have a so-called leader tagging along?"

"Well, Master Spark was too busy to attend." Kevin picked up his own cup, enjoying the warmth of it on his fingers. Before Juliet could argue further, the screen door slid open with great force.

They stared at the new face, a girl no older than them in loose traditional clothing fitted at the waist slipping in. She had crop cut bangs, the rest of her straight locks fastened with red ribbons. "Good evening, foreigners." She had an accent, but her English was still comprehensible. The girl bowed halfway, and they nodded in response. "I take it you are all part of the Great Three of your clans?"

Juliet had to shake her head at that. "Uh, no, I'm not a G3, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh?" She flinched as the girl gave her a skeptical look. "Then why are you here?"

Her mouth twitched with rising anger, Ultima's snickering adding to her annoyance. "Excuse me?"

"You did not answer my question." The Aquarius girl didn't stop there, however, gently sitting in front of Juliet in a kneeling position. "If you are not part of The Great Three, there is no reason for you to be here. Unless you can fight?"

"I..." Juliet was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable, the girl's questioning putting her on the spot. "Not really, I mean-"

"Then why have you come here? To sightsee?"

"No, I-"

Kevin interrupted them with a cough. "Forgive me, miss, but we were told you would show us to our quarters for the night?" Juliet was stupidly relieved when he had her attention, and she suddenly had the urge to bite her nails. That girl had made her nervous, and she didn't have a clue why.