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“D.. How did you end up infront of it so soon?” She asked,”I mean. You were just
suddenly there, out of nowhere...”
Her voice trailed off and D shrugged,”I sensed it’s presence.”
“Oh,”she replied quietly,”That makes sense.”
An awkward silence fell over them and she didn’t attempt to break it, riding
quietly on the horse behind him as she nibbled on her bottom lip a bit.
D simply said,”The spirits will help us. The forest is angered by the presence of the
count.”
She sighed quietly, as she replied,her voice thick with hidden emotion,”Oh.. ok.
How long til we reach this training ground you spoke of?”
“A few minutes.”
“Good.”
She barely held on to his cape instead of around his waist like she had a few times
before, her balance keeping her from falling. A few minutes later they arrived at a
clearing, a high-walled but small castle with it’s gate open standing before them.
She looked up at it and quietly commented,”Nice.”
“There are many spirits here. Be careful where you step,”D said as he stopped the
horse before the castle and got off.
“Ok,”she said as she watched him then looked around, examing the place as she
got off the horse herself.
She followed him inside into the courtyard, the mists parting, swirling into strange
wisps in the air, as they walked in. Kat continued looking around, as she followed D,
stopping beside him as a strange man like shape formed infront of them. She turned her
attention to it as it spoke.
“Why have you brought the young one here?”
D bowed to the spirit and answered,”She wishes to train to defeat the count,
Hida-sama. “
Nodding the spirit then turned to look Kat over. She looked straight ahead,
remaining deathly quiet, almost unsure of what to say. After a moment the spirit began to
materialize, changing from the small man sized shadow to a large and tall man, easily 6
foot tall and at least 250 pounds. He wore armor of an antique style, reminiscent of a crab
shell, spiked and dull red. Kat’s eyes widened a bit as she looked up at him. On his
shoulder she saw a massive spiked tetsubo which fit in his hand like a toothpick.
“So you wish to learn to fight?” He asked simply.
Very quietly she replied, hoping it to be an acceptable answer and not sound rude.
“I have knowledge of fighting already. I’d like to learn more so that I might stand
a chance against the count.”
As he looked down at her, he said,”Show me your stance.”
She swallowed a little nervously, looking at the man again then she took her
normal fighting stance. Her feet were the standard distance apart, her sword unsheathed
and slanted infront of her.
“I just wish I still had my own sword,”she quietly mumbled to herself.
The spirit watched her for a moment then rested his testubo on the ground, leaning
on it.
“You have a lot to learn,”he said simply.
She lowered her stance and looked at him as he commanded,”Drop your sword.”
Doing as he asked she just continued looking at him.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,”the spirit said as he
leaned his tetsubo against a wall.
They spent several hours training, the first thing he taught her was several hand to
hand techniques which came rather easily for her. Her training in the past coming back
and helping her quickly learn the kobo ichi kai, a deadly style of martial arts used when
fighting oni and other creatures of the night. After this, they moved into progressively
larger weapons, first knives, then staves, then swords. All the techniques she was shown
different from her previous teaching, as these new techniques were not designed to fight
men, but to fight monsters.
After several hours the spirit stopped and asked,”Is there anything else you need
before you are ready to defeat the count?”
Quietly and politely she said,”Might I ask. Do you have any swords that would be
similar to what I’m used to using? A No-dachi.”
“Hmm mine is too large. There may be another in the Kyuden armory though.”
She looked up at him, a small smile creeping across her face and a few moments
later another smaller spirit runs up, carrying a sword wrapped in cloth. When it is
unfolded he hands her an old, unpolished no-dachi. It weighed a bit more than she was
used to and was still very sharp. Thanking the smaller spirit she tested it’s weight, a smile
on her face as she looked at it.
“Much more so what I’m used to,”she said quietly, the smaller spirit disappearing
into the mists. As her smile disappeared for a moment she vowed to make Rugen pay
even more if her own sword was damaged in anyway.
“We have no saya for it, my apologies,”the spirit who trained her said.
She looked at him as she held the sword, blade pointed to the ground,”It’s
allright... I do admit though it’s a bit heavier than my own.”
“The Hida clan was not accustomed to warriors of your...stature,”he explained.
“I see,”she calmly replied,”I thank you for finding me a weapon similar to my
own.”
The spirit bowed slightly as he said,”If you will not be needing anything I will
return to my brothers.”
Bowing to show her respect and thanks she replied,”I don't believe I'll be needing
anything else.”
The spirit nodded and faded into the mist, leaving her alone in the center of the
training grounds. As she turned to face the entrance she looked for D. She found him
sitting quietly sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall near the entrance.
************************Meanwhile During Her Training**********************
As D sits there waiting for her to complete her training a voice reached up to his
ears.
“Do you mind not suffocating me for once? Someone might think you're trying to
get rid of me... “
“Someone might,”D said simply as he removed his gloves.
“Ah.. That’s much better,”the symbiot said as it grinned and laughed a little as it
took a nice breath of fresh air.
“What do you want?” D asked it quietly, his voice showing that he really wasn’t
pleased to deal with the symbiot in his left hand.
“Awww.. That’s hardly a friendly way to ask how I’m doing,”the symbiot said in a
semi scolding semi mocking voice,”Really D. You should be a little friendlier. That way
you don't completely alienate all that you meet.”
As D said nothing in reply the symbiot laughed and then continued,”Especially that
girl.”
“I'd think you liked her, talking like that,”D said with a smirk.
The symbiot grinned at him and with a chuckle said,”She is quite pretty...”
Receiving no response from D it continued,”Oh come down off your high horse
D... You like her, I know you do... You wouldn't get so close to her sometimes if you
didn't.”
D was silent again so the symbiot finished it’s tirade,”Why she's even a half breed
like you.”
It paused then changed it’s voice to sound more feminine and romantic,”Oh what a
cute little couple you'd make.”
Using it’s regular tenor voice again it laughed and D merely asked,his voice having
a slight edge to it,”Do you need to be put away again?”
“Oh fine... If you just want to be Mr. Anti social miserable guy. I can't stop you.
But I for one would like someone else to talk to.. She seems friendly enough too,”the
symbiot said with an annoyed tone, dropping it as he continued,”She's tried several times
to talk to you.”
“I'm not exactly in the business of settling down,”D reminded the symbiot.
“Need I remind you that you did once so far for a bit... After you went back to
stay with Doris,”it stated, no mockery in it’s voice for once leaving it a calm statement to
merely remind D of the past events.
D was silent and it continued,”Besides, she's a dhampire also... she probably
doesn't want to settle down and raise a family or anything yet anyways. She probably
would at least be satisfied to be friends with you, although it's quite obvious she likes you
as more than a friend... too bad you've probably alienated her.”
“That isn’t your concern,”D stated firmly.
“I’m living in your hand, I think it is partially my concern,”it said in a slightly snide
tone,”Besides. I’m sure your father didn’t mean for you to be miserable your whole life.”
As D began to put the gloves back on he simply said,”I think that’s enough out of
you.”
“Hey!”
The symbiot shouted,pausing then speaking again.
“Wait. Oh come on D. At least hear what I have to say completely before you
start trying to suffocate me again. Think about this carefully... Would this bother you so
much if at least part of it wasn't true? Just think about it.”
D finished pulling the glove on without another word as he listened to the symbiot
mutter a few things about suffocating and how he’s going to get back at D someday for all
of this.
It was then that Kat walked over to him, greeting him with a calm face. She didn’t
even have a smile on her face, the no-dachi strapped to her back.
“Hi,”she said quietly.
D stood slowly and looked up to see her,”Are you prepared?”
At that point a muffled voice interjected,”Ready and raring to go!”
A short chuckle was heard after that as D casually leaned against the wall,
squishing his left hand against it.
“Huh?” she asked as she turned her head around looking around a bit then back to
D with a questioning look,”Did you just say something?”
“No,”he said quickly,”Shall we proceed?”
“Ok I guess,”she said as she looked at him with a semi odd look then shook her
head, walking past him and infront of him to the horse.
Somehow, even though it was squished against the wall the symbiot managed to
whistle and Kat turned to look at D.
The questioning look was on her face again as she said,”I know I heard someone
behind me whistle.”
D was silent and put his hand in his cloak, proceeding to choke the symbiot as he
walked quickly past her to her horse. She watched him carefully with a hand on her hip as
she saw him fighting with his hand as he rushed past.
“D is everything allright?” she asked following him to the horse.
“Yes,”D said quickly as she heard choked sounds coming from in his cloak.
“Help....dear..god...”the sybiot said in choked, spaced out word,”He's trying.... to
kill me.....”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, as a slightly concerned look came
over her face.
“No,”D said quickly and quietly.
The choked sounds and muffled spaced out words continued though,”Ignore....
what.. he says.... help me!! Ack...”
“Shut up already,”D ordered firmly as he let it go.
Kat looked at him, a slightly irritated look on her face,”Excuse me?!”
“Not you,”D said simply, looking at her.
She put her hands on her hips,”Then who?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Actually I think I do...”
D sighed and shook his head as he removed his gloves. Kat walked over to him
and they both could hear the symbiot whispering,”Closer closer closer...”
D held his hand up to her and as she drew closer she saw the face on it, a
somewhat surprised look crossing her face.
“Hi,”the symbiot said cheerfully with a grin.
She just looked at it for a moment then moved closer saying in a voice full of
curiosity,”What the...?”
D was silent and the symbiot spoke up again with a grin.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. So to speak. I’m the friendly one of the two of
us.”
She laughed quietly a bit,and looked up at D as she spoke with a grin,”I could
agree with you there. You certainly seem more sociable.”
D was silent then and put his gloves back on as the symbiot let out a short cry of
‘Hey! I don’t want this thing back on!”
“We should go,”D said simply.
“I guess,”she said stepping closer to him,”To the castle then?”
D nodded simply as he mounted the horse then pulled her up. Without so much as
another word he gave the horse a gentle snap of the reigns and they rode off towards the
castle.