The tread through the desolate lands were silent. Fujima took a slight lead as he scanned the lands before him. "Fujima you aren't a fighter, get back already!" Keiaru broke the long silence with a shout as she speeds up to walk beside him.
"Why are you so worried?" his fist were on his hips while he looked away with a humph.
"Because we are nearing the city." she grunted trying to express the reason they are even on this journey.
glancing back with subtle surprise he then looks forward "Is it really..?"
"Yea." she joined him as they looked forward. Their expressions were settled with unease and confusingly, disappointment.
"After this I will finally be rid of you" he joked while kicking the mud with each step
"Oh really now. maybe I will keep you forever." She chuckled a little. before popping her knuckles slowly.
"You wouldn't." his hands here hidden in his sleeves. There was another silence before a bird swooped down. Some way, somehow, Hibiki's note found its way to Fujima.
Fujima reads the note hastily, unknowingly walking faster than the group. The note was simple, "I did as you told me and caught a large, red fish! even in this strangely murky water. Also people here are getting word that more villages are driving out bandits."
The way he read the note could make one imagine that he would be kicking his legs if he were laying down. Keiaru guided Fujima around the ox skeletons that either came in pairs, or alone.
Fujima stops at a stump to write back bumping Keiaru "Sorry..." he mumbled, already walking to the stump. Keiaru muffles a growl, with more than one cause, before walking to her, uncharacteristically, silent father. "Is something wrong?" her question seemed forced out like she was asking just to get some thoughts out of her mind. But she gave a bit more attitude than she wanted to show.
Renzo pauses, considering if he, should ask if there was something wrong. He could tell she wasn't clear as usual "I'm fine but these deaths seem unnatural..." He decided to let his suspicions take foot. "The skin on this ox is, months, older than the corpse itself."
"Do you think it was a spirit?"
"Spirits maybe, but if it has anything to do with what happened here, then it may be much worse of a situation." the faintest bead of sweat dropped down Renzo's face.
"What's worse?" Fujima stood behind them, sending off the messenger bird, that Keiaru watched fly away.
"do you know of a Shinigami?" Hanzo questions.
"Beings that guide souls to the after life right?"
"Yes. But they are neutral beings as well which means they don't normally cause unnecessary death. Which means that this one has been manipulated if they ever possess a human of Wicked or Pure intent."
"Wouldn't this happen more often then?" Keiaru asks.
"Well the chance of a Shinigami possessing a human is rare since it is taboo. But even if it does happen it almost never succeeds since no human, unless completely dethatched from life, can handle a Shinigami entering their soul. And those that can, must have the strength to handle it."
"So There is a chance that the bandit king has been possessed?" Fujima's voice was chilled with a slight unease.
"Yes. So I want you two to stay away from any more corpses. Keiaru, keep you eye on the spirit world." Renzo was serious, he even walked ahead of the group.
They walked forward as the animal corpses that faced away from where they were headed increased. They were silent, Keiaru was a mix of faint emotions. Fujima could almost feel that most of them were aimed at him.
His eyebrow raised "Is there something I said? cause you said worse." He was trying to lighten her mood with absurdity.
It flew over her head "Oh so keeping you forever is worse?" She didn't know how what she said sounded it just came out as soon as it was a thought.
They walked in silence for a while as Renzo looked between the two unfamiliar with the tension. He traveled with friends he picked up off the road when he was adventuring.
"What? no rude remark like always..?" she was slowly prying open with her anger. And fear.
He seemed to consider calling her on what could be thought of as a confession "So you make it seem like being rid of me is." he doubled down on his teasing
"It so is! after what we've been through. Risking our lives to save each other! and that's it 'After this I will finally be rid of you'?!" her noble demeanor cracked. Renzo walked forward unaware of how to deal with this outburst.
"Did that insult you so much?! cause you were quick to joke back!"
Keiaru took a few steps ahead so her back faced Fujima while she paused. She inhaled deeply and exhaled with a forced growl seeming to make herself angrier than, whatever else she felt since it was a more manageable emotion for her.
"-...." she stumbled on her words, she knew he was right. They were joking but he just had to get that note, see that g- "Hibiki..." she thought, now walking without the sturdiness she usually had "He is always excited about her. He goes out of his way to read those notes... He never insults her like he does to me! They only met for one, day!! -One conversation-just, ONE." she breathes again "What is so... Great about HER? I'm royalty, I saved him!, I knew him longer! even if it was six days..." In all fairness Hibiki was kinder. By, a lot... Her steam vanished, no wind in her sails either, she was violent most of the time but he was rude. She did knock him out the first time they met. but he insulted her a bunch, he called her a kidnapper... But she was.
"Oh my..." her eyes widened, even more so when a sheepish Fujima tapped her shoulder. "What is it?" her voice was calm as they both stopped. He punched his shoulder and cleared throat "I am sorry for how rude I've been all of the time..." They walked again "I was always insulting you but it was just how I was with the fishermen."
"Well I'm sorry for hitting you so much I just- didn't know how to handle talking to people. and you didn't seem too angry about it..."
"I'm not honestly, you don't hit as hard as you used to.." he chuckled slightly "I thought you weren't insulted by my-insults..."
"I was. At first, sometimes I still am, but it just became a normal thing after a bit I was just-" they bumped into the back of Renzo. Suddenly a reeking smell flowed past- through them. There was a crowd of corpses none of them seemed to be able to run. They didn't want to, they were all kneeling as if they prayed before they died. There was one empty spot in the center of the grave-less cemetery but it was a different sight to Yukue and Renzo.
Chuckling here and there, bands playing in the background, children playing joyously, mothers gossiping, fathers having playful feuds. A description like that would be utopia for most people, But it was morbid. Not a single, person was living, It was a city for spirits. The destroyed houses were restored in this second world, The roads glow a fiery orange while the people were green, red, pink, and many other colors, Everything had color. Where the circles of corpses were, a few souls sat praying to the statue. The small village stretched into a city that spread miles wide and far. The farthest edge held a castle that glows a bright, sun orange and seemed to disappear halfway in the black fog that resembled the night sky. It was a foreign land with the colors that scattered through and filled every corners.
This Is the City of Souls, a land plagued with death.