• Chapter 5: The demon and the hot spring confessions

    “Well now, how did everyone sleep last night?” asked Travis as he prepared breakfast for akako, kin, and kyo. “Dude are you wearing an apron?” asked akako with a slight chuckle “yeah so what?” asked Travis defensively “you remind me of my mother.” Kin snickered “will you all quit making fun of my apron and eat all ready!!!.” Travis ordered, “I wasn’t making fun of you.” Said kyo “I know” said Travis “im not mad at you just at the other two.” He said. After Travis set the last dish down In front akako they all began to eat, “this is really good!” said kin “you make good food for a guy.” “Uhh… thanks I guess.” Said Travis as he brought a spoon full of oatmeal to his mouth. After breakfast they packed up camp and headed off once again up the heavily wooded path toward the azure forest. The air was warm and the sweet scent of near by flowers filled kin’s nose “I wander how much longer we have to walk.” Kin thought to himself as they headed deeper in to the woods, pretty soon they had gone so far into the forest that the canapé of leaves above had now become so thick that the sunlight could no longer shine through. It was dark and the air suddenly changed from the sweet smell of spring flowers to the smell of damp dirt and rotting plants, but there was something more about this place that kin did not like, a strong demonic aura was emanating from the opposite side of the path ahead of them “what is that?” asked kin quietly “I don’t know but I feel it too.” Kyo answered as she moved closer to kin. “Don’t you feel that Travis?” akako asked as she moved closer to him. “I do” said Travis in a low tone “what ever it is, it seems pretty strong we should stay away if we don’t want to be killed.” They walked along quietly in hopes that what ever was emanating that terrible aura would not see or hear them, but just as they thought they were safe kyo accidentally stepped on a small twig causing it to snap! And what ever it was it heard them “oh no” whispered kyo as she placed her hands to her mouth. “What did you do!?” akako barked “I-I stepped on a stick!” kyo stammered “I hope it didn’t hear us.” Just then the ground began to shake violently “oh yeah it heard us!” kin shouted “run!” kin grabbed kyo by the arm and ran down the path followed by akako and Travis close behind. When the demon finally emerged it was as tall as a skyscraper and almost as strong as 100 men!!! “Why have you awakened me!!!!” it bellowed, it then turned toward a big rotten tree stump, picked it up over its head and threw it toward kin and the others! Kin suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and turned toward the flying stump “claws of metal!!!” he shouted slicing the tree stump in half! “You guys run!” he told the others “I’ll take it from here!” but kyo didn’t listen instead she stopped and turned toward kin “I don’t want to leave his side.” She thought to herself “I can’t.” the demon turned toward kin and in its thunderous voice it asked “why did you awaken me prince of the azure forest!?” “I don’t know who the hell this prince of the azure forest is but it shore is hell ain’t me!” said kin “you tired to hurt my friends and I, and now you’ll pay!” just then the wind picked up and began to swirl around kin, “raaaaaa!!!!” the demon cried as it picked up a large boulder and threw toward kin. Kin jumped out of the boulders path but kyo was right in its way! “whaaaa!” kyo screeched as the boulder came hurtling toward her! “Kyo!!!!!” kin cried as he lunged toward her “I thought I told you to run!!!” he managed to pull her out of the way at the last second “im sorry.” Said kyo looking up at kin and blushing “I don’t know what came over me.” “stay here!” said kin as he placed her down and ran back toward the demon, kyo nodded her head and sat down on the damp leaves and watched as kin ran back toward the demon. “your done!!!” kin called out to the demon, it turned toward kin its eyes wide, “serine universe!!!” called out kin at the top of his lunges, a bright light then filled the area and the demon began to howl in pain as it was disintegrated by the powerful burst of light! When the light finally went down and the smoke cleared kin stood at the edge of a huge crater where the demon had been, “did I do this?” asked kin “and what was this power I felt just now?” just then kyo came running up through the thick but clearing smoke “are you ok?” she asked kin her voice a little shaky “im fine” said kin “what about you?” he asked “oh!” said kyo “im fine, but what was that huge light?” she asked “I wish I knew” said kin “but lets forget about that for now and find the others.” He said “right!” said kyo. They eventually found Travis and akako in a near by clearing, “are you both alright?” asked Travis “yeah!” said akako “we thought that the demon got you guys for sure!” “we’re fine.” Said kin “that’s good to hear.” Said Travis “we’ve decided to make camp here is that ok kin?” he asked “its fine.” Said kin “after all that just happened we’ll need to rest.” “oh! Oh!” cried akako “I found a hot spring just beyond the bushes here, would anyone like to join me?” she asked “I would love to” said kyo “it would be nice to have a nice long soak after a long day.” “well what about it?” Travis asked kin “do you want to go?” “I can’t see why not.” Said kin “lets go!” now the hot springs were separated by a small rock wall just tall enough that when you sat down in the spring you cloud barely see over it in to the next spring. The girls had their own side and so did the boys. “this feels so good.” said kyo as she settled into the water “yeah you said it.” Said akako as she too eased her self into the spring. “doesn’t this feel good?” asked Travis “you bet!” said kin. “hey” Said Travis “I have a question.” “yeah, what about?” asked kin “you and kyo” said Travis “what about kyo and I?” asked kin “well” said Travis “do you like her?” he asked “w-well” kin stammered “I guess so…I-I mean don’t know, why do you ask?” “well” said Travis “it just seemed that way I guess.” “oh” said kin. “I don’t ever want to leave this place!” akako said happily “yeah” said kyo “I wouldn’t want to leave either” “hey akako?” kyo asked “yeah” akako answered “can you keep a secret?” kyo asked “yeah, why?” asked akako “well” kyo began “ever since kin saved me from that demon, I’ve been feeling a little different about him” “yeah go on” said akako “well” kyo said “I think I might love him!” she told akako