Elemental Fate Chapter 2

"A people person" was not in the job description.

Elemental Fate Chapter 2

What's the rational response to something like that? Amusement, disbelief, anger, say "Okay!" and off we go? I went with disbelief. I mean five minutes before I was partner-less and taking on a guy twice my size and I don't just mean the Forest Cat. I thought to myself 'Could things get any more strange?' Looking back now, I can see Fate herself throwing her head back and laughing maniacally. Daichou seemed to be in the same state of confusion as I was but while I was trying to find where my voice had gone to, his seemed to be working independently from the rest of him. Any other day I'd have been gloating over how stupid he looked.

"What..? How did you.....? Who...?" He stuttered gesturing back and forth between the two of us while looking as if he were miming.

"Let's not forget where, when, and why. It's alright dear, the language might be a little difficult for you." Chise replied with the false cheerfulness of someone teaching a group of small children. "Since I'm here for him, it's really none of your business what, how, or who." She then turned her attention back to me and I couldn't help but grin because Daichou looked as if he had been slapped in the face. "I know my appearance is not conventional nor is our pairing but I am your partner. Didn't I just prove that?" She gestured in the direction the forest cat had escaped.

"Well," I replied finally finding my voice, though I felt it was a little too soon to stand up. "You saved my life, that's for sure. I don't know if that proves...." I stopped short "Wait, the voice in my head. That was you, wasn't it? And the fire! You channeled your power through me, didn't you?!"

She smiled, which answered my question. "I thought you needed some extra motivation. Of course, I could have taken care of the cat without you but I was worried that it might have offended you and that would have been an awkward start to our partnership." She replied with a smile and wisely choose that moment to turn away and take in the forest avoiding the less than pleased look I sent her way.

Daichou shook his head. "This still doesn't make any sense. Ignoring the fact that partners are always the same gender, a partnership can only be formed in the village center at the beginning of the year."

"Goodness, I should've sent you a memo about the whole minding your own business thing. What you're referring to is something that was agreed upon after the war. I have no restrictions when it comes to protecting my partner, nor should I have to explain myself to you." Chise said as she examined a Birch tree nearby. Daichou, looking livid, was about to argue back but Chise held her hand up as she looked past us. "The interrogation is over. Chief, we've got company."

We turned around and saw two people hurrying towards us as fast as they could. I heard Kana cry out for Daichou and as they got past a group of trees, I recognized the second person; Kana had found my eldest brother Hiroshi. Daichou, in a last act of vanity, attempted to compose himself by trying to clean his clothing but it was a loss cause after the fight on the muddy ground not to mention his bloody arm. Daichou sent me one last look of contempt before heading back towards the village. Kana glance over at me before changing direction to follow him.

"You might want to get that arm looked at." I shouted at his quickly retreating back.

Hiroshi looked between Chise and I and took in my injuries. "What in the world happened Kazuyuki?" His voice was full of concern as he hurried over.

"Oh you know, the usual fight with Daichou and a Forest Cat took a liking to me. It's nothing I couldn't have handle." I offered in a casual tone. I had said it to be funny but then I got to thinking that I should have been in a lot more pain after the cat had used me as a scratching post. What had started as stabbing pains along my back had gone down to a mild throbbing.

I became aware of Chise's hands on my shoulders and there was a lightish red glow around her. I sent Hiroshi a questioning look but he shrugged his shoulders.

After a few seconds Chise stopped glowing and casually examined my back. "There you're healed, though I can't do anything for your clothes; that shirt seems destined to become rags. I'll never understand how you humans manage to live so long when your bodies are so frail."

Neither of us commented on that as Hiroshi helped me off the ground. "Thank you for helping my brother." He finally said turning to Chise. "Forgive me but who are you and who is your partner? Was it the girl who came and got me?"

Chise folded her arms around her waist. "You're welcome, my name is Chise, he's my partner, and no." I think that answered everything." She smiled playfully.

"Wait, Kazuyuki is your partner?" Hiroshi asked looking over at me for confirmation.

"So it would seem. I did take a nasty fall to the ground so this may all be some strange dream and Daichou is hanging around my unconscious body right now laughing his a*s off. If that's the case please don't wake me up. I can't bare it if his ego gets any bigger." I said while trying to appear as solemn as possible.

Hiroshi shook his head. "Anyway, Mother and Father wanted to speak to you. Chise took care of your injuries so looks like you just need a fresh change of clothing; I'll ask Kane to grab some for you." Hiroshi explained as we picked our way through the forest and onto a path that usually saw more traffic. Hiroshi, the eldest of the Souma children, was tall, broad shouldered, and had a healthy physique; he was not big and bulky like Daichou but not extremely thin like me. His light brown hair was trimmed short and his hazel eyes varied in color depending on the weather. Hiroshi wore a simple brown top and pants though the arms had been rolled back which suggested that he had been in the middle of choirs before coming to get me.

I looked over at Hiroshi. "I'm surprised, I thought Father had a meeting. You told me the council elders were already angry because father spoke out about the need for closer relations with the other countries. Showing up late will only upset them more, won't it?"

"Yes but he doesn't care. He said that the council has been around for years and they can wait a couple of hours to argue over the trade agreements for the hundredth time." Hiroshi commented dryly.

"I'd love to see their reaction when he finally shows up." I laughed as we moved into the large clearing our village was nestled in.

It was situated in the southern end of Morinaka which is the most central of the five countries. I call the village a "clearing" because the trees are fewer here but we go to great lengths to preserve as many of them as we can; this is included in the construction of buildings so it's not unusual for trees to be growing out of a home or shop. The farm houses are different than the ones in the business section; most of them are situated on the outskirts of the village because they need a larger plot of land. Farm houses usually have a central courtyard with a tree or two growing in the middle.

Hiroshi and I made a sharp turn, moving away from the busy village and started on the steep path that lead up to the house. According to father our house had been around since the country's founding but at this point I think only the foundation can really boast that claim; the rest of the house has been updated or modified from its original form by the many generations that have lived here. As we got near the top of the hill I could see the clay tiled roof followed by the thin oak walls and raised mahogany flooring that made the house sit about 10 inches off the ground.

Singing could be heard from the animal barn that was to the right of the house which told me Mika, my sister, was most likely shearing the wool off one of our sheep now that the weather was warming up. We were one of the few in Morinaka that owned livestock besides the usual horses, chicken and goats. The pair of sheep were Nif Svantian bred and those animals carry a high price. Nif Svanti, by the way, is the highland country to the west.

As we got closer to the house the front door slid open to reveal a short man in his late twenties but had gray hair like that of an old man. His outfit, a navy blue color, was similar to ours but the pants were quite different; while ours follow the legs straight down, his flair out at the hip with the result that at the bottoms, the pants were at least twice the size of his legs. The pants were held up with with a solid yellow sash and he also wore a pair of straw sandals. This was Hiroshi's Shikigami Kane. He once told me he got his style from observing another dimension, whatever that meant.

Kane's bright yellow eyes looked over at Chise with a mixture of surprise, interest, and...mistrust? It was only for a second but I knew I had seen it. Next second Kane was back to his pleasant self. "No doubt you have a thrilling tale to share but it must remain a mystery for now. Kazuyuki, a change of clothing and a basin of water awaits you in the side room off the entrance. Be swift, your parents are waiting in the meeting room." ....Yes that's how he really talks.

I felt pretty tired and and the only place I really wanted to go to was my bed but I knew better. I quickly washed up and changed into a plain white top and an equally plain green pants. In case you missed it, style was not a big thing in Morinaka. Cloth was an expensive commodity which caused our clothing to be more on the practical side; in other words dull, boring, and made us easily identifiable as Morinakin. As I opened the door I noticed Chise was leaning against the wall with practiced impatience. She was tapping her foot and her hands were on her hips but she gave a nod of approval at my appearance before leading the way to the meeting room.

"Hey Chise?" I hesitated. It felt a little awkward asking someone I had just met personal questions but that feeling was competing against my curious nature and failing.

"Yes?" She turned to look at me with a amusement written all over her face as if she read my thoughts.

"Um, how do you know where to go? Have you been in this house before?"

"No, I’ve never been here before but I know where to go because it’s in your mind.. Scary isn’t it?" She grinned evilly and continued to walk.

I stared at her as if she had just tried to explain to me how a Jakarian light switch worked. I was just about to launch into another round of questions but we had reached the doors to the meeting room.

My parents, along with Hiroshi and Kane, were sitting at the low table waiting for us when Chise opened the sliding door. The outside door, opposite of the one we just walked through was open slightly allowing a small view of the central courtyard displaying our two trees that were a wrapped around each other like in an embrace. I don't know if they naturally grew that way or altered by someone but my mother always goes on about how our first ancestors met at those trees. The room itself was not huge but half of it was taken up by a table that could seat twenty. There were currently six seating cushions out, two were left for Chise and I at the end of the table. There was no doubt who this meeting was for.

My father cleared his throat as soon as we had taken our seats. He had the same dark green eyes I did but his face was lined with age and his dark hair was peppered with grey and white. It would be a mistake, however, to think he was a frail old man and he often liked to prove to his children that he could still plow a field faster than we could. "Firstly, I would like to welcome the new addition to our family, it is an honor to have you here Chise of the Phoenix Clan. My name is Akinori and this is my wife Emiko. You have already met Kane of the Owl Clan, and his partner, our eldest son, Hiroshi. Kazuyuki, originally this meeting was meant to discuss your options due to the fact that we thought you were not an Elemental. Obviously that has changed. Therefore I would like an account of how you came to have a partner and then we can discuss your path from there."

Despite the fact that it all occurred over a short period of time, it took me at least twenty minutes to explain everything including questions the others had. When I finished, everyone was scrutinizing the table as they thought over my story. I felt a little confused and annoyed as I glanced around the room. I knew our partnership was a big issue but they were acting as if it was worse than being partnerless. The silence continued on until I couldn't take it any longer. I had been about to say something, anything, when Chise spoke up first.

"I have a question. Has he shown any sign of Elemental ability?" Chise asked the others. "He should have been able to take care of that Forest Cat on his own." She said it in a matter of fact tone of voice but it felt like she was poking at my recently healed wounds with a knife.

My mother didn't make me feel any better when she shook her head sadly. "No. Kazuyuki has never shown a hint of Elemental ability. We were always worried about that. The Coming of Age Festival is a mandatory attendance or we would have kept him from going." She sighed and fussed over a wrinkle on her light blue jacket. Mother always wore soft but bright colors like the mint green dress she wore that day. Her light brown hair was tied up in an elegant bun but had streaks of grey running through it betraying her age. Her hazel eyes looked over at me with concern.

I wanted to defend myself but the argument 'I thought you only got your ability after you partner up' felt weak, childish and pointless because I knew I was wrong. I looked down at the table feeling rather pathetic.

Chise spoke up again and I was surprised that she didn't sound angry or disappointed. "But he obviously is an Elemental or he wouldn't have been able to summon me. I've seen this issue before."

My head jerked up. "You have?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, it was in my last partner. He also showed no signs of Elemental ability until after I partnered with him. This was during the war when humans were first learning how to use their abilities though."

"That confirms it then." My father said looking over at Chise. "During the war there was a Shikigami and a human who did not take part in the war because they had their own mission to complete; the pairing then was also male and female."

"At last, someone who knows history!" Chise cried. "Yes, Satoshi Kimura and I were selected to take down a criminal from the Shikigami Realm. The war was won but we failed our mission. Satoshi was murdered right in front of me and then I was sealed away for a thousand years."

I stared at her for a few seconds. "Wait, you were imprisoned for a thousand years? By who and why?"

"It wasn't by my own people, I'm sure they thought I was killed too. No my captor wanted me alive and miserable as possible, well until I felt the summon from you. The enchantment between partners is stronger than any lock and chain. That said, I seriously doubt my absence has gone unnoticed and I would be very surprised if he hasn't started a search for me already."

A tense silence hung in the air. I know it may seem selfish but my first thoughts were 'Does that mean I'm an active target now too? Am I going to end up like Chise's former partner?' My only defence is that I was painfully aware that I was no good in a fight. Chise said I had Elemental ability but that didn't mean I knew how to use it.

"There is no need for concern just yet-" My father started but he broke off as we heard feet running down the hallway. We were already staring at the door when it flew open.

Mika doubled over slightly, trying to catch her breath and my imagination was already running through the worst thing that could happen. My last thought before Mika opened her mouth was 'It'd be just my luck if Chise's captor was already here.'

Author's Note

Please point out any grammar problems and if you have any suggestions on how to improve my writing.