MrCrunch

   16/11/2022:  Edited some grammar/ tense errors/ some extra details and slight changes to interactions     

“What was that dream about?” I said, as I got up from my sleeping mat.

I had awakened within my room, with nothing unusual apart from the fact that everything was spinning. I glanced around, still groggy and with a splitting headache. 

My eyes were still adjusting to the soft dawn light that shone through the translucent paper of the sliding door and I could hear the distant chirping and squawks of the many birds outside.

I went up to my dresser, looking for my comb to begin my morning routine, still half asleep and still pondering about the strange dream I had just experienced. 

Just as I had begun, a loud “GONG” reverberated through my room, startling me out of my early morning stupor. I ran outside my room and looked over the balcony. Morning service had already started, I had overslept. 

I wasted no time and bolted back into my room, rushing to get myself in order.

I had no choice but to skip a few steps, which made me feel less than comfortable, but in the end it was better than Shino dragging me half-dressed towards the hall. 

I entered the hall no more than five minutes later. Most of the other attendants were present as they had just finished helping the priest set up their morning service. I entered the room and walked towards the senior attendant, Rita. She was usually the one that gave out the task for the mornings and afternoons. As I approached her, I could feel the many pairs of eyes glancing at me. I paid it no mind because I had long gotten used to it. 

Even though there were many attendants here, most of the time I am left to work alone, and even if I received a duty that requires a group, the other girls went out of their way to avoid me. It’s why no one bothered to wake me up this morning. I tried many times to make friends, I’ve tried many times to start conversations, but it always ended the same. 

I was either dismissed or flat out ignored. I would be lucky to get a single sentence from them. 

I had a feeling of why this was, but what could I do about it? 

“Morning Atsumi, it looks like you slept well.” 

“Sorry I’m late,” I replied.

“It’s fine, your duty today was actually to get provisions and other supplies from the nearby villages, so you still have time.” 

“Oh, ok, I’ll start preparing to leave then.” I said before leaving the hall.

“I’ll let Maria Know you will be leaving.” Rita replied.

Rita was the only one that gave me the time of day, but our conversations never left the realm of work. Maybe she did it because it was her job. Who knows?

After changing, I made my way to the entrance. 

Although this would be the entrance to the temple, it’s usually empty. Sometimes you would meet the odd tourist or a martial student idling their time.

It’s only ever crowded when the attendants gather up to head home, since most of them are from the nearby villages.

This place was called the Murasaki Temple. It was not only a place where people came to pay tribute or learn martial arts; it was also a gate site. Our gate was, as said by Shino Sensei, one of the biggest in Haakuni and connected to a world called Tau Ceti. This world yielded some of the most valuable artifacts and relics in Haakuni’s history.

I have been near the entrance to this gate a few times; it seemed to be a long string of tori gates that go on forever. No matter how much I strained my eyes, I can never see the other side. Not to mention the entrance was at least 50 meters high and about half of that in length.

Yet even in all its glory, the temple has been going through a steady decline. Barely any explorers come here now.

I continued along the path leading to the temple’s main entrance. There stood a tall, slender woman with long black hair. This was my martial arts master, Ayame Shino. She looked in my direction, her hazel eyes scanning the area before resting on me. With a wave of her hand, beckoned me over.

“Atsumi,” she said. “Are you heading down the mountain?”

“Yes, I’m just about to go meet aunt Maria.”

“Before you leave, can you please collect some drink ware and bring it to the meeting hall?”

A hair ornament held her long black hair up and she moved with a sense of authority and elegance.

“Things have been busy as of late and I am expecting a lot of visitors today,” she said.

“Since I won’t be present for the day, you can take the day off if you’d like. The other masters won’t be present either.”

“Understood,” I replied. “Master Shino, what about Timothy? When will we prepare to send him off?”

“Don’t worry, I got help from a close friend to take care of the paperwork and transport, besides it takes about two weeks to get to the capital and the scouts from the academy won’t be there for another month.”

Timothy is one of the few friends I had here. Although he was talented, he spent most of his time playing around and not practicing his magic seriously. His father, who was from Atlantis, had left him in Shino’s care before he disappeared. 

He needs to prepare for entrance exams in Atlantis, but he hasn’t been present for our scheduled training sessions. So I am worried about him.

“What are the chances of him being accepted into the Procyon academy?” I asked.

“Don’t know for sure, but I say his chances are favorable.”

“You think so?” I asked. “He’s been slacking off even more lately and not even showing up.”

“No need to worry. He will be fine.”

After he declared several months ago that he wanted to take the entrance exam test, I’ve wanted to go as well, but no matter how many times I asked, Shino sensei always rejected the idea. Since then, I have put my heart and soul into my magical arts to prove that I was strong enough to go out into the world.

I have never left the vicinity of the mountain range, and it’s been a dream of mine to explore the world like my mother did, but as soon as I would mention it to Shino, she would immediately dismiss the topic.

“Is there still no chance that I can also attend?”

“I have said this many times you are to remain here and train with me.” She said.

“But-.”

Shino then raised her hands, her palms facing me. “I am not in the mood to debate with you right now.”

“Please just, hear me out. I’ve been practicing a lot. I’ve even learned-”

“Atsumi!” she said, stomping her left foot, her words soaked with irritation.

‘’I don’t have the time for this today, and I will not tolerate you raising your voice when speaking to me."

“Understood,” I said reluctantly.

“Now, return to your duties for the morning.”

No matter how much I try, it always ends up this way. Does she even acknowledge my achievements? I’ve learned almost every stance that my mother has taught me on my own. Even though Shino is my master, she only teaches me body strengthening and breathing techniques.

This is because she is not compatible with the Sacred Sky Blossom magical arts, which is what I practice. It requires the user to have affinities of both wind and lightning elemental magic.

In this world, mana exists everywhere and within everything, and is also the medium used to perform magic. Magic is the ability to manipulate certain aspects of our reality, the most common being manipulating the elements. Though mana exists everywhere, only those that have formed a mana core can use it, but only in limited amounts. It’s only after training and awakening your fate soul can you begin improving your magical abilities. 

Qi is the life force that radiates from all living things. Unlike mana that exists everywhere, Qi exists within our physical bodies. Once we discover how to harness this energy, many changes occur within our bodies. We become faster, our senses get sharper, our bodies become stronger and our thought processes more precise. The more we refine our Qi, the more pronounced these effects become. With this, we can learn more advanced forms of martial arts, but the Sacred sky blossom technique is not a martial art but a Magical art.

It combines both mana and Qi to perform devastating attacks. Learning a magical art is extremely difficult, as it requires absurd levels of concentration.

Unless it is your Innate magic type, magic requires a chant or a rune, but magical arts bypass this rule, regardless of the user’s innate magic. A person can have many magical affinities, but only one innate affinity.

And being able to use magical arts was still not enough for her.

I did as she requested and then returned to the main entrance. Upon leaving the temple, I spotted an elderly woman who stood quietly near the old concrete steps that descended the mountainside.

“Are you ready to head out?” She asked.

“Yes, aunt Maria, let's just go,” I said, walking ahead.

“You seem moody today. Are you alright?” The old lady said with a look of concern.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

“Haha, we can talk about it on the way.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“I know you well, little lady. If you were fine, you wouldn’t be this flustered,” Maria said.

I paused at the foot of the first step, my disappointment turning into anger as I replayed the scene in my head.

“I don’t understand why she’s like this, it's like I’m a bird that needs to be caged up forever, I’m not even allowed to go past the mountains, heck I’m not even allowed to leave the Temple grounds without someone tagging along,” I said venting my frustrations.

She looked calmly towards the steps and nodded at every point I made.

“I understand how you feel. Shino is rather strict and sometimes takes her job too seriously. I mean, she is the gate guardian of this temple, so it’s not always a bad thing. Regardless of her actions and choices, she cares for you deeply, even though she doesn’t show it sometimes,” Maria explained with her hands on her chin.

“She was one of your mother’s closest friends after all and vowed to protect you on the day of her passing.” 

“I Understand staying cooped up in one place can be a little stifling, but bear with it. I assure you will get the freedom you desire,” the elderly woman continued, looking up at the pink-colored leaves.

“Take it from this four hundred-year-old Yokai. There will be a time after you have left the nest where you will wish to be back at your childhood home. Cherish the time you have here now, you don’t need to be in such a hurry to grow up.”

She then looked back at me, a gentle smile on her face.

“Oh my,” said Maria. “I see you up close so rarely I often forget how pretty you are. Eventually, Shino is going to have to hide you from another potential threat.”

“What threat?” I asked, confused.

“Oh, so innocent.” She said, turning to me with a devious smile. “What else could I be talking about?”

The realization hit me like a sack of bricks. 

“Wha- what are you even saying? Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself!"

She continued to prod and poke at me as we descended the mountain.