Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Priestess of the Moon: Return of the Lunar Dragon ❯ The Lunar Bow ( Chapter 8 )

Caramor was a beautiful city. It was known as the Valley City by many. Kiya couldn't help but feel amazed. She was dressed in one of her woolen dresses that were in her pack. Her elbow length black hair lifted slightly in the valley breeze. The bangs that hung over her forehead shaded her eyes from the sun. Her feet were sore from walking in the worn shoes she was wearing, shoes not meant for walking long distances. Keilila told her that she would get Kiya boots as soon as they got to the city.

 

Kiya didn't know what to think of the half demon, but she was grateful to her for saving Reiku's life. If Keilila hadn't come to Reiku's aid when she did, then he would have died and Kiya would still be a brothel girl to those trolls. She shuddered slightly and pushed the thought out of her mind. That was in the past now, and the trolls had gotten what they deserved.

 

“Well,” Reiku said, taking Kiya's hand into his, “let's get in there.” They started to walk to the gate. They got past without any trouble and started down the cobble streets. The city bustled with people who either shopped or were trying to get from one place to another. Hawkers cried out their wares and people stood in front of shops, looking at the merchandise in the windows.

 

“First, we'll look for an inn,” Keilila said, “then we can get some supplies.”

 

Kiya nodded and started searching for an inn. They came up to one called the Red Pony and decided that it would be good enough. Walking inside, they saw that it was barely crowded and that was alright for Kiya. Reiku paid for their room and Keilila got her own. After leaving their stuff in their rooms, they headed back out into the city.

 

“We'll meet back here at sundown,” Reiku told Keilila, who nodded in agreement. They set out, Kiya and Reiku going together and Keilila going on her own. Kiya walked past shops with dresses that she would have worn in the palace. She would glance at them once and keep going; that wasn't her life anymore. They went to a weaponry shop and Kiya stopped. “I want a bow,” she said, looking at the shop.

 

Reiku frowned and looked at Kiya. “You know how to use one?” he asked.

 

Kiya nodded and said, “I was taught how to by an archer friend of mine. He was a good archer and friend.”

 

Reiku gave her a look. “Was? What do you mean?”

 

“He died a few years back.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Kiya shrugged and looked at Reiku. “How about it? I'll get a bow and you can get a sword. You need a new one anyway.”

 

Reiku laughed and said, “Alright then. We'll go in and see what they have.” They walked into the shop and Kiya went over to the bows.

 

She saw a lot of fine bows and some that looked like they would crumble at the touch. She continued to look until she saw one bow that was different from the rest.

 

It looked ancient. It was a long bow made of gray wood. The quiver that came with it had many arrows with pale blue fletching. The quiver bag was so dirty that it was hard to tell what color it had been. When Kiya picked up the bow, she was shocked how it seemed to be in perfect condition, despite how old and dirty it looked. Suddenly, a warm, tingling feeling spread up her arm and throughout her body. The bow felt right in her hand. Kiya picked up the quiver and took it to the front of the shop.

 

She saw Reiku talking to the shop owner about a sword. She went up to the shop owner and said, “I found what I'm looking for.”

 

The two men turned and stared in shock at what Kiya held. “My dear,” the shop owner said, “we have finer bows. Why did you choose that one?”

 

“It's in good condition,” Kiya said, “and with a little cleaning, it will suit me well.”

 

The shop owner tried to arguing her out of it, but with no luck. Finally, Kiya paid for the bow and walked out of the shop to wait for Reiku. When he came out, he had a fine sword strapped across his back. The hilt had a wolf twisting around it with golden stones set in for eyes. He looked at Kiya and frowned at her. “I think you insulted the shop owner,” he told her, “there were so many other bows, yet you choose that one. It looks so old, Kiya, it seems useless.”

 

Kiya placed her hands on her hips and glared at Reiku. “I know a good bow when I see one,” she said, “and this bow is in perfect condition. It's just a little dirty.”

 

“A little? It looks like a farmer dug it up out of the ground. Look,” Reiku said, taking an arrow from the quiver, “I bet these arrows are as dull as…OUCH!” Reiku shook his finger and sucked on it. He had cut himself on the stone arrowhead. Kiya took the arrow and saw that it was as sharp as newly-made. She checked all the arrows and saw that they were just as sharp.

 

“Bloody…” Reiku said, looking at his pricked finger.

 

“I told you,” Kiya said with a grin. She hung the quiver pack over her shoulder by the strap that was there so it rested against her shoulder blade. She held the bow in her hand, tip pointing down. “Let's go,” she said, “Keilila will be waiting.”

 

Reiku grumbled something about the bow still looking old and Kiya smiled with a shake of her head. The two of them headed back towards the inn.

 

~*~

 

Ryudo walked through the city of Caramor. He moved swiftly through the crowds. He had been traveling for a few days now and he was hoping to find something. But there were so many people in this city; it would be hard to know who the others in the prophecy were. There were many elf maidens walking past him. Anthro kittens danced past people, weaving around people's legs. He even saw a few dwarfs trudge by. But nothing told him that one of them were part of the prophecy, if they were.

 

Ryudo sighed, about ready to head towards the next town, when he saw someone ahead. If he wasn't mistaken, it was a Lupian. Ryudo never seen one before and never knew of them leaving their territory. Then he saw the demon turn slightly and he gasped. It was a half demon. Now with a facial profile, he could see the differences on this demon from the description of full demons he had read. Ryudo pushed his way through the crowd and caught up with the half demon.

 

“Excuse me,” he said, “but are you a half demon?”

 

The half demon, a female, looked at him and nodded. She then frowned and said, “A monk… Do you know of the prophecy?”

 

Ryudo was shocked, but also relieved. He finally found one of the other five of the prophecy. “Yes,” he said, “I'm part of the prophecy. Are you?” He held his breath, praying.

 

The half demon nodded. “Yes,” she said, “and so are my companions.”

 

Ryudo couldn't believe what he was hearing. She had the others from the prophecy. “You have the others?”

 

“No, just two. The elf maiden and the werewolf are with me. They know the anthro kitten and we are going to meet up with her.”

 

Ryudo looked at the half demon and asked, “Where are you staying?”

 

~*~

 

“So I left, hoping to find you all before evil struck.”

 

Kiya listened to the monk, Ryudo, amazed of who he was. He was the grandson of the late M'sitsu, a channeling monk who had been well known all over the country. Kiya had listened to the story of how he learned of the prophecy and left the temple he grew up in and journeyed into a world he only read about.

 

“So now we need to find Mitt and the dwarf,” Reiku said, leaning back in his chair. They were all sitting in Reiku and Kiya's room, a fire blazing in the fireplace. Kiya sat on the floor, trying to clean her bow. She had discovered that the gray was actually grime covering it, so she now tried to scrub it off with little success.

 

“Yes,” Ryudo said, “but where are we to go afterwards?”

 

“There is still the fact of the Priestess,” Keilila said.

 

“Priestess? What are you talking about?” Reiku asked, looking at Keilila, “We weren't told anything about a Priestess.”

 

“The Priestess of the Moon,” Ryudo told Reiku, “she was a powerful woman who lived over five thousand years ago. She is said to bring light where there is darkness. We believe that she is to be reborn in a new form.”

 

“Well, it won't be hard to find her,” Kiya said, “if she is as powerful as you say she is.” Kiya scrubbed angrily at the bow. “Stupid grime won't come off,” she snarled.

 

“Careful, Kiya,” Reiku said, “or you'll…”

 

He didn't finish because Kiya finally got a small patch of grime off the bow. As soon as she did that, there was a flash of light that came from the bow. Reiku let out a yell and fell over backwards in his chair. The light died down, and Kiya looked down at the bow and gasped.

 

The bow wasn't brown like she thought it would. The bow was pure white and smooth as glass. The bow felt warm in Kiya's hands and seemed to pulse with power. In the corner of her eye, Kiya saw another glow. It came from the quiver case. She stood up and retrieved that. The case was clean and she could see what was on it. It was a picture of a bird-like dragon surrounded by moons. The bird's wings were spread as if in flight, its mouth opened in a silent scream. It had a long, dragon-like tail, four clawed dragon legs, the head and neck of a dragon with horns on the top of its head, and the wings of a bird. The bird and moons were white against a red background. The arrows were also white and make from the same material as the bow.

 

“I can't believe it,” Ryudo said softly.

 

“What is it?” Kiya asked, “Besides the obvious.”

 

“That's the bow of the Priestess,” Ryudo said, “no one can touch it except…”

 

“The Priestess herself,” Keilila said softly.

 

“Then how was the shop owner able to touch it?” Reiku asked.

 

“The grime must have blocked the power,” Ryudo said, staring at Kiya. “Kiya, you are the Priestess. You being able to hold that bow is the proof.”

 

Kiya looked at the long bow in her hand. “I thought it felt right when I held it,” she whispered, “I just never thought…”

 

“Of course it did,” Ryudo exclaimed, “because you are the Priestess, reborn as another being.”

 

Kiya leaned the bow against the wall. “Now what?” she asked. She was surprised that she was taking all of this in. She thought she would be surprised or thinking that the monk was wrong. But something inside of her felt right when Ryudo said that she was the Priestess of the Moon; almost like she knew all along and it was common knowledge. “What happens now?”

 

“We go back to M'sitsu's Temple,” Ryudo said, “and you go into the Chamber of the Priestess. It is an underground tomb that the temple is built over. It is the tomb of the Priestess herself.” Ryudo frowned, as if it thought. “Legend has it,” he said, “that when the Priestess is reborn again into this world, she is to go to the tomb. There, she will gain full power, as well as other great things.”

 

“Like what?” Kiya asked.

 

“No one really knows. Only the Priestess herself will know.”

 

Kiya looked at Reiku, who was now leaning against the wall. “Then,” she said, “our next stop it M'sitsu's Temple.”

 

Ryudo nodded and looked at Keilila. “Then we should leave tomorrow. It is quite a way to go and we should leave as soon as possible.”

 

Keilila nodded in agreement. She then looked at Reiku with a frown. “Are you alright Reiku?”

 

Reiku looked up and gave a slight smile. “Yeah,” he said, “I'm fine.”

 

Keilila looked at Kiya, one eyebrow raised. “You seem to be taking this all in pretty well,” she said, “I thought you would start freaking out or something like that.”

 

Kiya gave a shrug and said, “Believe me, I just as surprised as you are that I'm taking this in calmly. It's like something inside me woke up as soon as Ryudo said that I was the Priestess and knew that he was right.”

 

Keilila nodded and said, “Sounds right. Perhaps something inside you did wake up; something that has been dormant inside of you until now, the moment the bow's power was unleashed.” Kiya nodded in agreement.

 

“Alright,” Ryudo said, “we should turn in. It's getting late and we have a long day tomorrow.”

 

Keilila and Ryudo left the room with a good night and Kiya began to change for bed. Reiku didn't say anything to her. Kiya looked at his face, but couldn't read his expression. Was he upset because of who she was? Kiya bit her lip and continued to ready for bed. Once ready, she slipped under the covers and waited for Reiku. He washed his face and then came to bed, putting out the flames in the lanterns. There was utter darkness except for the light of the fire.

 

Kiya laid in bed for a moment, hoping Reiku would say something. Finally, she blurted out, “Are you upset with me Reiku?”

 

Reiku rolled over to look at her. “What do you mean?” he asked.

 

Kiya looked at him for a moment. “Does me being the Priestess upset you?” she asked softly, “Do you not want us to be together anymore?”

 

Reiku's eyes widened at the question. “Kiya,” he exclaimed softly, “why would you even think that?” He stroked the side of her face gently and whispered, “Nothing will change the way I feel about you. I just… I'm just confused, that's all.”

 

“Why are you confused?”

 

“You are an ancient Priestess, the most powerful person in history. I just want to know if things will be the same between us.”

 

“I know,” Kiya said, “but I guess time will tell, won't it?”

 

“Yeah,” Reiku said with a small smile, “but until we know, let's not worry about it.”

 

“Okay,” Kiya said. She snuggled into Reiku arms and sighed softly. She closed her eyes, feeling safe in his arms, and fell asleep.