Chapter Thirteen: Light Within The Dust
Traveling through the clear paths of the underbrush, the group finally stopped in the middle of the forest as they noticed a small shrine in the distance. It was hidden within the growing wave of dense foliage, but it was still clearly visible in the sun's light. It housed a series of stone carvings that meant nothing in particular to the Turk."We're almost there!" Kohana exclaimed. "This is going to be great!"
Raising a curious brow, Vincent halted as he looked upon the small sanctum; in his mind, he had envisioned something far more elegant and vast in size. "This is the shrine?" he questioned, finally proceeding forth toward the structure.
Giggling, Miyo's shoulders lightly shrugged in laughter as she set down her large basket. "Sort of," she replied, shifting about the array of objects. "This is simply a fragment of the original, a resort for anyone who can't make the pilgrimage to the real one, if you would. A few decades ago, part of the original shrine was destroyed, and it was Riyona who told the villagers to make a smaller shrine here."
Sporting a smile, the woman continued, "It may almost seem selfish, to be ordered around by a deity, but I find it... beneficial." Pulling out one of the bouquets that had gathered the night before, the older sister handed the child the flowers, and the two smiled in delight.
"I think that by praying to Riyona, we give him a bit of our own strength," Miyo began once again, turning to Vincent and offering a pleasant expression. "In return, he protects us from any danger. To offer prayer in exchange for safety... I find that to be a good trade, don't you?"
Silence was conceived between the three, and the two sisters approached the small shrine, bowing to it in respect. Vincent felt he should have been doing the same, but he was left remaining uncertain. Stepping forward, the young girl placed the collected bouquet on a stone tablet in the center of the roofed area. The duo knelt down to the ground, while Vincent observed the scenery of the shrine's lush area.
The bright sun above them quickly vanished away within a thick blanket of dark clouds, and the surrounding forest became as black as night. The Turk whiffed in some of the air and wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"The air is foul," he said, interrupting the girls' meditation. Vincent turned to them with a grim face. "It's some kind of potent dust, maybe smoke, and I don't think it's safe for human lungs. We should find a place to stay until this passes over."
Kohana gave a cough which warranted Miyo's attention. The woman then looked up and saw the thick cloud of smoke too. Holding the child close to stop her from inhaling the air, she turned to Vincent with a confused look saying, "What's happening? Where is that smoke coming from?"
Vincent thinned his eyes and looked toward the direction in which the smoke was coming from. "South," he simply replied as he took a step into the dusty air. The man coughed once more and felt his eyes slightly water from the intense fumes. His red eyes looked over to Miyo and he nodded, confirming her fears. "Come on. We have to get out of here."
The woman's vision darted about the area, and clinging to her younger sister, she exclaimed, "Where are we supposed to go? The village is miles away, and we're far off from the house!"
Snapping his head about, the Turk's eyes thinned as he managed to locate a particularly large tree. Following its trunk, the roots had penetrated through the soil, and it appeared as though it had formed a hollow cage under the earth.
"Quickly, follow me," Vincent urged, beginning to take off in the tree's direction.
With the girls following him suit, the smoke began to thoroughly pollute the air around the small shrine. Helping the two sisters into the convenient refuge, the man turned his back to the entrance, providing a makeshift shield from the dust's harmful consequences for the two women.
As the dust storm continued to rage on outside, the Turk saw a flash of light coming forth from the forest. It was dim, but he could see that it was moving upward toward the cloud of smoke. As the intense wind gusted on, the powerful aura suddenly emerged from the the top of the forest. It has the shape of a man, but it was as if its entire body was composed of light. Vincent closed his eyes and felt the energy move about.
"What is that?" he whispered, taken by the amazement of the moment.
Miyo's eyes widened, and stricken with awe, she gasped, "Riyona."
Catching a glimpse of the entire scene from beneath the Turk's cloak, Kohana's jaw dropped in true astonishment. "No waaay," she commented slowly, grinning from ear to ear.
Outside of the tree's roots, the spiritual energy of Riyona gracefully moved up and down to sway the harmful dust away. After a few moments of the process, the air in the trio's area became fresh and the sun emerged from its covered slumber and nature returned to its former self. The energy continued its work and a sudden gust of wind began to blow the entire cloud of smoke to the south, away from the village.
Just as the energy appeared, it vanished suddenly into the forest without a trace. The Turk turned his head once more to the direction of the previous events, and he carefully looked around the area. "Gone," he whispered, turning his attention to the ground. "It's gone."
Her head still lowered, Kohana remained under the Turk's solace, shielding cloak. Although ambiguous of the situation's outcome, Miyo bent down to retrieve the basket of goods that she brought along. Standing up once again, she, unexpectedly, brushed her cheek against Vincent's. The young woman's face blushed a bright pink, and she bit her lower lip while the man, who barely noticed the young woman's actions, shot a glance toward the forest once more.
Just an inch away from the Turk's face, Miyo felt her heart pound uncontrollably as she set her grayish-blue upon the man's face. She could no longer restrain the growing desire inside of her, and biting at her lower lip, she continued to blush in silent, blissful content.
Continuing to gaze out at the outside, Vincent's eyes attempted to scan and search for the energy. He grew increasing curious of the mysterious force that was Riyona. "Miyo, do you-" The Turk turned his face toward the young woman and found himself barely an inch away from her face. His heart began to rapidly beat and he could feel it pounding through his chest.
The man placed a hand upon his uncontrollable hammering chest. Vincent felt his entire face become red. Parallel to Miyo's feelings, the Turk began to develop a blazing yearning, and to much of his surprise, he was enjoying every second of this strong, new feeling.
"That... was sooo cool!" Kohana interjected, snapping the two out of their enchanted daze. "Did you guys see that?!"
Offering the girl a gentle smile, the older sister emitted a chortle, saying, "Yeah, it sure was."
After the two sisters submerged themselves into their brief laughter, Miyo looked to Vincent once again as she tried to contain her true emotions from him. "Vincent, do you think it's safe to go outside now?" the woman questioned, using an uncertain yet firm tone of voice.
Turning around to carefully venture outside, the man looked about in each direction, and giving the nod of approval, he answered, "I think so. Whatever that smoke was, it's gone, for sure. That light... It's also gone as well."
Looking out to where the entire scene had unfolded, Miyo cautiously stepped outside and saw that nothing had changed; everything was as normal as can be. She turned to the younger girl, who was walking just behind her, and continuing to bear her constant smile, she said, "Well, I think that without anymore unexpected twists, it's fairly safe to go to the shrine." Kohana nodded in agreement.
"How much farther is it?" the Turk asked, turning to the two girls.
"It's not too far away, actually," the woman replied, exchanging a pleasant expression with her sister. "It's just a bit deeper into the forest. I think it's less than a mile away.
Looking out into the forest before him, Vincent's curiosity increased rapidly and he gave a nod. "Deeper into the forest," he repeated with a blank expression, his true mood was masked behind such. "Alright, let's go check it out."
Smiling broadly, Kohana left her sister's presence as she dashed off to the man's side, and greeting him with a warm smile, stating joyfully, "I'll lead the way! I know where I'm going, Vincent!"
The Turk nodded and replied with a small, rare smirk. "Alright, Kohana," he said before turning to Miyo. "Let's get going then. We don't want to waste any of this sunlight."
Following her two companions close behind, the woman continued to bear her grin as she blissfully advanced forth toward the elusive Riyona Shrine.
Chapter Fourteen: The Shrine > >
