The Journey of Two Sisters: Book 4 of the Kinstone series

My blood and heart freeze. My eyes bulge as the silver sheen of a blade pierces her back and out through her stomach. I let out a breathless and soundless scream yet somehow able to shake the Manor and cause the world to stand still.

Hot tears roll down my cheeks as blood flows from the sides of her mouth. I try running towards my mother but no matter how hard I try, she instead slips away from me and into the deepening darkness.

The ground then shakes as a massive red form crashes into the forest. Trees explode around it upon impact and fall back onto the body. I again let out another scream, but as before, no voice come outs.

I am then hurled forward as something explodes from behind me. I land hard on grass. I slowly get up and look to see a massive glass and steel building engulfed in flames.

My heart sinks into the very pit of my stomach as I try and run towards the flames, only to feel the flames lashing out at. I drop to my knees, silently crying bitterly as all three sights fade into the darkness.

“Aria,” I hear someone call to me. “Sweetie, you need to wake up.”

I cry ever more into the darkness as I am completely alone.

“Aria…Aria. Wake up.” I hear again, this time being pulled out of the darkness.

I open my eyes to see Marron and Fenris kneeling beside my bed. Hot stinging tears stream down the sides of my face. She pulls me close to her, stroking my hair.

“You were having another nightmare, weren’t you?”

I nod slowly, burying my face into her chest.

She sighs, “I hope somehow we can find a way to help you.”

I reach up and cling to her shirt. I feel her heart beating with my own, its steady and reassuring rhythm helps to calm my own.

Fenris leans in and licks my face. I look over into his eyes, giving a soft smile.

It’s been a couple days since I showed Yukari and Asha my tail and swords, yet somehow it may have triggered my nightmares to return. Everyone around me has been growing more and more concerned as the thin walls of the house do little to conceal my cries.

My lack of sleep is present while I attempt to perform my tai chi forms. I often will make a misstep and trip over my feet as my mind shuts off, desperately trying to get some sleep. It may also be due to the fact that I’m performing with all nine tails present, so me tripping over them isn’t a forgone variable.

I also tend to fall asleep suddenly during meals, fading completely as I slip out of my chair. Even Fenris is unable to do much other than be beside me through this.

It’s gotten to the point where I can no longer handle the stress from each restless night. I know everyone with worried that if this keeps going on, it might start affecting my health, both physical and mental. The pain I continue to feel from all of this may also be hurting me spiritually.

I need to find some way to reclaim my sanity before something terrible happens to me.

I climb down the stairs towards the kitchen, hand streaking along the wall for support. As I round the wall I see everyone already sitting at the table and eating breakfast.

My aunt looks up to me, “Ohayo Aria-chan.”

I smile weakly to her, “Ohayo Yukari.”

My knights then rise and bow to me, “Good morning, Your Highness.”

I smile and nod, “Morning.”

I walk over to the kotatsu that one of the villagers had brought over to us a few days ago. I kneel down and slide my knees under the blanket, curling my tails around me. Marron strolls over to me and places my food before me.

I smile to her, “Thanks Marron.”

She leans over and kisses the side of my head, “Your welcome sweetie.” She then rounds the table and kneels down across from me and begins to eat.

“Itadakimasu,” I say and dig in.

My tails lay silent and curled on the floor, with my ears hung low while I eat. Normally this is when I’m either stressed or feel I’m in trouble. In this case it means I’m stressed out beyond belief. I glance around while I plop a portion of rice into my mouth. I know something has to be done otherwise I’m not going to last much longer with my nightmares persisting.

I place my chopsticks onto the table and sigh. “I’m gonna visit the shrine today.”

Everyone stops eating and looks at me. Yukari gives me a soft smile, “I believe that to be a good idea, Aria-chan. It’s evident that while you are physically healed, your heart and spirit are still in turmoil.”

I bob my head. “Yeah, there are times when it’s hard to think.”

“I also know for a fact the head priest, Mukegeno-san is quite eager to have you visit,” she says.

“It’s part of the reason why I want to go,” I grin.

I look over to Marron, who smiles to me. “I’ll come with you sweetie. I think it’ll be good to spend some alone time with you.”

I smile to her, “Thanks Marron.” She’s right. I also want to show her around the region a bit, and introduce her to a few more people that weren’t present the night we arrived.

“We can accompany you if you wish, Your Highness,” chirps up Orga.

I smile to him, “Thanks Orga, but I’m going to be spending my time there praying and meditating. Hopefully I’ll be able to get rid of my nightmares or at the very least, treat them.”

He and his wife pull back. I know they’ve been worrying about me as much as Marron. I think they also wish to continue their duty to watch and guard me.

“I have a lovely idea,” says Yukari with everyone looking to her. “Why don’t I take the pair of you to the village? I know for a fact you have each expressed an interest in visiting it.”

The couple looks to each other and then smiles, turning back to Yukari.

“We accept, my Lady,” says Kateryna. “I agree that I am curious to learn more about Her Highness’ time here, possibly meet more of her friends.”

I blush softly at her and Orga. There’s no telling what else they might learn about me from the others. In a way this feels like the Summer Gathering when they were introduced to my coven. I watched as the parents talked endlessly with them.

As for here…I know many of the villagers speak English, with others not able to. So maybe either Yukari or one of the others might help and translate for them. A minor worry I know, but it’s one of many that run through my mind.

My aunt smiles, “Oh, you will indeed.” She then looks to me, “What time do you wish to head out, Aria-chan?”

I think for a moment. “Maybe after noon. I might come and join you in the village.”

“Come if you wish, my dear,” she says. “There is no pressure if you do not.”

I nod; downing the rest of my meal and then take my dishes up the sink and clean them.

A few hours later we all head out, walking along the path towards the main road. Marron, Fenris, and I huddle together while Yukari, Orga, Kateryna walk in their own group. I smile softly, thinking this is the first time since I left the village at the end of May, that I have walked personally walked through here.

As we pass under the now barren tunnel of trees, memories of running in the forest in the wee hours of the morning and also using it as a short cut when heading down to the village play through my mind. I still want to picture the trees full of leaves, shading me from the sun. While I do love winter and the cold, I still love seeing trees full of leaves, swaying softly in the wind.

My eyes pan around as my ears flick and scan the forest, hearing more of the sounds I grew to love while being here in the spring. I cling to Fenris’ fur the further we walk, know how much he loved trotting amongst the trees while hunting deer.

“The deer have grown numerous while in my absence,” I hear him snort.

I grin to him, “When we first arrived here, you were overjoyed not having to share them with Silvi.”

He cranes his head back and grins to me. I giggle, stroking his fur. He does love to hunt, and here he’s the top predator.

Tails soon begin wrapping around my own. I look Yukari looking back to me. I grin to her and see Fenris doing the same. It’s been too long since we did this. I sigh softly, remembering every quiet moment spent in the living room was like this, tails wrapped tightly, enjoying a soft restful peace. I often found myself imagining us being a normal family. Just one of many fantasies I often found myself drifting into.

I then feel a hand clasping tightly onto mine, looking up to see Marron holding onto it tightly. I smile as she pulls me into her. I sigh softly as my head rests against her side. I look over to my knights who also smile to me. I still have family, people I love and who love me.

We finally exited out onto the main road, turning towards the village. A gust of cold wind brushes against my face, catching my hair and tails. It doesn’t really bother me that much. Again, I love being in this form in the winter. It also doesn’t hurt having nine, long and fluffy tails to act as a walking blanket.

I look out onto the valley, seeing it completely covered in snow apart from the river further down. The skies are heavy and grey with clouds. I take a long deep breath, feeling myself truly at home again with the land, much how I felt in the spring.

We follow along the road until we reach the turn off for the shrine. So many memories lie down that path, so many experiences. There’s even one that acted as prelude to everything during the summer.

“I pray you are able to find some peace, Aria-chan,” says Yukari looking to me.

I smile to her. “Thanks, I hope so too.” I look up at my knights, “Have fun you two.”

Kateryna smiles, “I promise not to tarnish your name, Your Highness.”

I smirk, “Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.” She bows her head to me.

“Be well, Your Highness,” adds Orga.

I nod to him, “Thanks Orga.” He bows and pulls back a step.

Yukari releases her tails as the trio starts towards the village. I wave at them as they disappear down the road. Marron, Fenris, and I then turn down the turn off to the shrine.

Another gust of wind blows against us as we walk, listening to the trees swaying in the chilled winter air. My thoughts drift to the first Christmas I spent with Mom. I remember the two of us walking through the snow-covered Estate, again as a kitsune.

I know part of that day was to let me forget or attempt to move on from the tragedy of losing my birth family, but to also draw closer to each other. My eyes gaze at the ground as I think of her. Rachel Rivenfeld had become my mother in many ways, even long before she adopted me. She is my mom, and I miss her terribly.

I again feel myself being pulled into someone as Marron softly strokes my arm. I look up at her and smile.

“We used to come this way whenever we came to visit the shrine,” I tell her. My cheeks then burn softly, looking away, “Kenji…also brought me home after our first date.”

She grins, “Well, what a gentleman. I know your mother would be even more smitten with him if she learned he did that.”

My lips curl into a smile, glancing at the massive wolf walking beside me. “Fenris decided to act as my chaperone during my date. He hid in the forest, making sure Kenji didn’t do anything stupid.” I grin deviously, “He was so worried about his little girl, weren’t you, Papa Wolf?”

I quickly felt a swat to my butt while keeping his head forward. I can easily tell how embarrassed he is right now.

Marron bursts into laughter, “He really has become like your dad hasn’t he?”

I blush softly as I look at him. In the past few months he really has taken his role seriously, watching me as I slept, making sure I stayed on task with my studies, snapping at me when I did something stupid, even disciplining me. More than anything, he continues to love me as his little girl, his daughter.

My legs soon give out, causing me to tumble forward, only to be caught by both Fenris and Marron. “Maybe you should ride on his back the rest of the way there,” she suggests. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’ve made this far.”

I nod, and then smile as my bonded kneels beside me. I climb onto his back, lightly clinging to his fur. I know my tai chi sessions have helped me, but nothing really beats just simply getting out and walking to get your strength back. In truth, I am physically fine at the moment, just lacking hard cardio at this point.

I giggle to myself as he rises off of the ground. He has always loved whenever I ride on his back, with him constantly telling me it’s where he prefers me to be if we’re out.

We then resume our trek towards the shrine, looking to my sister as she stays close to me.