We sit in a room with a smooth shiny stone floor that somehow retains heat. A fire burns in a fireplace that's actually in the middle of the room in a slight indentation on the floor.

 

"The fire is to heat the stone," Kei says helpfully before focusing his attention to distracting the now awake Vigdis.

 

"Let us begin," Khan Watanabi says taking his sit on a floor cushion.

 

"I have sent the written copy of the agreement you marked on to the clan. The matriarch will make the final judgement. This is the only entrance your people will have access to if the agreement is finalized and we agree to help you found a settlement in the Underworld."

 

"I thought we were already in the Underworld," Mira says and the vampires giggle.

 

"No, this is a doorway to the Underworld. If it was as easy as burrowing to go in and out of the place, our two worlds would be more thoroughly intertwined," Seiji Hirao says adjusting his sword.

 

That's when I realise his second sword is made of meteoric steel, not celestial steel. There is no need to adjust a spiritual weapon, I even forgot I had my zanpakutō and newly made spiritual o-katana as I sat down smoothly without needing to adjust them. Weapons bound to the wielder by spirit become such a part of him or her that he always knows exactly where they are on their person. I know exactly where my swords are on my person at all times and as I move or jump or dodge they don't inconvenience me as normal metal wound.

 

Mira handles her new kusari-gama as though it were a whip instead of the dangerous sickle-chain it is. She can make the thing flows through the air as though it has a mind of its own. Not once since she's had it has she even nicked herself in practice. Her moves are becoming more and more adventurous and nearly impossible to deflect. A spiritual weapon becomes an extension of the wielder and including my zanpakutō I now have three of them.

 

The trusty throwing axe I keep at the small of my back, the recently forged exquisitely made o-katana on my hip at all times and the thing that has caused me the most excruciating pain imaginable. My spine shivers a little just as the weight on my back touches me. The dagger in my boot is the only thing that would need adjusting if it wasn't in my boot.

 

Having pieces of your soul ripped out and put into each fold of the blade is excruciating and two minds broke from the process this season. Each blade needs to be folded a thousand times at the very least.

 

I look at Mira and again acknowledge her perseverance. If it was a test of enduring physical pain she definitely wouldn't have survived. Not in her condition, but pain of the soul is a different beast. There is silent menacing power in the katana on her waist, to the extent that I think they probably used more of her soul to forge her katana than they did mine. Though I let them cut my arm off at the forearm to use in the smelting and she says she used a finger from each hand.

 

If I knew we got healed afterwards I would have used more of my bones regardless of the pain.

 

"Some of the Brave will accompany you back to your people to finalize the trade agreement from your leaders and gather the agreed-upon ore," Khan says.

 

"My people are not very fond of vampires as a rule. I think it would be better if we travel alone, besides, only travelling by night would severely slow us down." I say in response.

 

"We will keep up." Seiji Hirao says with a slight bow. To contradict him would be to insult him. I keep quiet.

 

The Hito and the vampires are the same people I've learnt or at least this tribe of vampires. I mean clan, they divide themselves into clans. The Hito that were first turned some two thousand years ago, I gather from the stories Kazimoto tells Saya, did not do as any previously known turned do and severe ties with their human families. Instead, they somehow staved off the curse of the newly undead by virtue of the now undead soul mages among them.

 

Thriving by travelling deep into the Underworld whilst the human survivors travelled to the surface world. Those that survived some 60 years later returned as sane vampires and established a vampire clan made primarily of the Hito people.

 

Thus they got a foothold in both the Underworld and the surface. But they hardly pay attention to the surface world from what I've seen. Using it as a refuge, a place to train and mature a place to rest and grow old while the warriors amongst the Hito. Those that crave battle or challenge or true strength go down to join the vampire Hito clan as it competes against other underworld creatures to recapture all of their ancestral lands.

And of course, politick among other vampires.

 

"Regardless, celestial ore is a very rare commodity that will need to be heavily guarded. I could not let you travel alone without being neglectful of my duty. You are yet to fully recover from the forging are you not? Neither of you has and it will be several decades before you do. That is except you, Mira. Your soul seems to be recovering at a remarkable rate. It is very strange indeed."

 

Mira grunts. "I eat well," she says with a scowl and snatches Vigdis away from the fire holding her close.

 

"Yes, I have noticed that." Is all Khan watanabisays before looking back at me with those incomprehensible eyes.

.

"If you are determined to go back to your people at least wait another month. It will take two ten-days for word to return to us here. You all will be our guests for that duration. You can continue your training during that time. All three of you can join the Brave in their training, my gift to you."

 

 

We continue to talk for what feels like hours. Telling time down here seems to be something only the Hito and the vampires can do.

 

We are eventually led to a lavish room with wooden floors, two gilded low tables known as chabudai. A side room with a pool of steaming water with towels stacked on the tiles, and four sleeping futons on the floor.

We are to share a room Asriel, Mira, Saya and I. I nod in approval. It is adequate, with a few empty lockable chests as well.

 

"Are you sure about this?" I ask Mira.

 

We had agreed that she would remain in Shimane Village with Saya for two more years. Both to heal and to raise Saya who currently wouldn't survive the journey. The fact that my baby will be four years old the next time I see her has me spending every moment I can with her, but honestly I don't like it.

 

But I also have to get back to the tribes. Though I am one Barbarian among many there I have finally found trading partners and potential allies in the Hito vampires to bring news of, and if they can forge soul weapons for us, all the better.

 

"I'm sure," Mira says. "Having Saya and me will only slow you down. Besides, I'm not as good as you with a blade yet and I have a lot of catching up to do. Saya and I will be fine and I will make sure she doesn't forget you. Asriel has plenty of sketches of you and your Tundra that Kuyoki is having preserved so stop worrying. She will know where she comes from I promise."

 

I sigh. Wondering how transparent I am. Mira was never a martial warrior before so she really has a lot of training to go through before she is up to par. But the woman is stubborn and dedicated. I sometimes forget she is 12 years older than me. She has either kept the looks Awakening left her or she has always been this young-looking and beautiful. I grunt in response and go to the baths.

 

Being naked among each other is a norm we developed on our trip here. Probably one of the reasons that led to Mira and I having sex in the first place, the sex helped get me over Freydìs as well. Not that I will ever forget her.

 

[Ahhhh], the water feels amazing.