Vengeance Upon Fate - Chapter 13
Kurogane screamed, his eyes swelling open as he immediately sat up, still in shock.
Sweat dripped from his face, his heart pounding rapidly as he continued to struggle with his heavy breathing. He looked down at his abdomen and with his trembling hands, lifted his shirt to see if everything was okay, as he could swear on his very existence that it all felt atrociously real.
To his relief, his abdomen seemed fine. He looked at the palm of his hand which was still uncontrollably shaking then placed it on his head, attempting to stabilize some of his consciousness.
“Sounds like somebody had an intense night,” said Reo from the kitchen in a sarcastic tone.
The bedroom door was still slid closed, but Kurogane could hear plates and pots moving around in the kitchen as Reo got breakfast ready.
After finally calming down, Kurogane got up and slid the bedroom door open, continuing to the kitchen and sitting at the dining table.
“You look pale, young man. Is everything okay?” asked Reo in a worried manner.
“I’m fine. Just had a bad dream, nothing serious.”
“Alrighty, If you say so.”
Reo got a bowl of water with a cloth in it, then wrung the cloth dry before giving it to Kurogane.
“Here, wipe yourself off. It might be cool at night but it sure gets pretty toasty at day, so I usually prepare this to brush off any sweat.”
“Thank you..”
Reo nodded and smiled, placing two plates of food before Kurogane.
One plate had finely baked bread cut into five decent slices, and the other plate had some bean soup that contained bits of steamed meat and other vegetables.
The spice and salt smelled just right, and the broth looked as if it were made to consume with the bread he gave.
Reo then placed two cups of water and sat down with his own share of food.
“Let’s eat” said both of them simultaneously.
Kurogane dipped a piece of bread into the broth and started chewing.
(Amazing… it all melts in my mouth into truly indescribable greatness.)
He began to eat quicker, unable to get enough of the incredible taste.
“I’m going to assume you like it?”
“Yeah.. it’s really good.”
“Makes me glad, young man! Not gonna lie, it took me a while to master cooking once I was on my own, hehe.”
After finishing breakfast, Kurogane proceeded to gear himself up for departure.
“Here, you might want to take this with you.”
As Kurogane slipped his boots on, Reo brought over a mysterious, light blue orb and placed a travel backpack with multiple buttoned pockets next to him.
There was one large pocket at the top and two medium-sized pockets under it followed by two more smaller pockets beneath them. It had a charcoal-like coloring to it and various items pre-packed inside.
“I used this bag when I ventured back in the day. I made sure I took good care of it, but now it’s not much use to me, haha. I packed a good amount of food, money and equipment. If things ever get out of hand, break this orb and it will teleport you to the nearest town with all of your belongings.”
Kurogane stood up, unsure of how to express his gratitude. Wuxiaworld for visiting.
“Sir.. I… How can I ever make it up to you?”
“Just come back in one piece someday, that’s all I ask for,” said Reo while grinning.
Before he could do anything else, Kurogane suddenly embraced and hugged him tightly.
Reo’s eyes, which usually looked as if they were closed, widened at the sudden action at first but then went back to their normal state as he let out a warm smile.
“Thank you… from the bottom of my heart”
“There you go again, making me feel all fuzzy inside. Let’s not get all emotional now, we aren’t little girls, are we?”
After finishing up, Kurogane placed the orb in his cloak, slipped on his hood and carried the bag on his back.
“There’s still so much out there that you and I don’t know about. Whatever you do, stay safe and be careful, young man. I won’t forgive you if you don’t!”
Kurogane gave a slight smile and waved back from a distance.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Reo exchanged a smile and waved back.
“That smile is worth a fortune. Reminds me of the times when he used to be around.”
Reo started to remember his son years back and how he muttered the same exact words, only to never return from his adventure.
“I’ll be back soon!” his son shouted while waving and smiling before venturing away with his party.
Months upon years went by, and no one ever returned. Rumors spread that they were victims of the Orochi Alliance, but nothing was ever confirmed.
Tears rolled down Reo’s eyes as Kurogane slowly started to disappear from his field of view.
“Don’t break your promise like he did…”
As Kurogane walked, he started to ponder to himself.
(I’m glad that some people aren’t so bad after all.)
He took a few more steps then paused to look to his right – the sunny sky gliding happily above the ocean waters as the breeze swiftly blew through.
(Things will be very different the moment I leave here. There’s no telling what could go down. I can only hope for the best, though it makes me wonder… just what kind of fate awaits me?)