Estate

Thunder Chronicles: Path of the Light (Volume One)

Prologue - #2 Estate

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The creaking of a wooden freight wagon could be heard faintly, accompanied by the thud of horses' hooves. Raito heard someone's dialogue, but he couldn't see anything, because he had a thick cloth bandage over his eyes that someone had put on him. In a slight panic, seasoned with yesterday's events, Hakami began to try to feel the environment around him with his hands, which looked slightly comical from the outside.

Suddenly, his hand came into contact with someone's colder palm, the fingers of which were incredibly thin.

— Who is this? — Raito asked, clutching his palm.

— It's okay, you're safe. — A light female voice sounded.

— Ha ha ha!!! — A man's laughter, belonging to a man of eighteen or nineteen, rang loudly from the opposite corner of the cart. — Kaisa, you'll scare him even more like that!

— What has she already done? — Kobo, who was sitting on the right hand of the laughing guy, also blindfolded, asked.

— Nothing, just unsuccessfully trying to calm your friend down.

— I'll send you on foot now, Ludwicht. — Kaisa said, turning to her partner.

— Oh, oh, what a scary aura…

Raito let go of Kaisa's hand and tried to take off the bandage. While Ludwicht and Kaisa were arguing violently, Hakami remained in the background and he almost managed to take off the bandage, but in an instant his hands were intercepted by Kaisa again.

— Please don't do that.

— Why? — Raito asked.

— Ludwicht, put immunity on his armband. — Kaisa said.

Wiping his forehead from the last blow of Kaisa, Ludwicht stuck out his right palm, clutching his wrist with his left hand. A chill ran around Raito's face and he immediately felt as if the bandage was frozen on his face, and his hands seemed afraid to rise to his face.

Raito smelled pine needles, which indicated their presence in the northern regions of the Land of the Winds, where there were Deadly Peaks decorated with pines and other coniferous trees.

Nine hours had passed since the attack, and it was already very dark around, so the driver of the cart was sitting with a large lantern pointing far ahead. Endless trunks of pine trees went into the distance, and the dirt road rose and descended. Having reached the lake not far from the mountain range, the cart began to go around a large lake that reflected the light of the stars.

Everyone in the carriage, except Kaisa, was already asleep. She crawled up to the driver's seat and talked peacefully with him about what was happening in the world, smoothly moving on to more everyday topics.

— You know, there's no need to hurry. — The driver said.

— Sometimes we are just forced to do things that we don't really want to do. — Kaisa said, leaning against the wooden partition. — In such situations, it is very difficult to take your time.

— Yes, maybe. — Looking up, the dark—haired driver in a black mask on his face, dressed in a black shirt, said. — You always want to finish unloved business as soon as possible.

— Yeah... — Kaysa exhaled... — I guess that's how you have to live?

— Hmm ... — the driver thought... — not at all.

— Hmm? Well, that's good, it's easier that way.

— Who knows…

Kaisa looked at the driver questioningly, lifting her head. She could only see the back of his head. The girl raised herself slightly and sat facing inside the cart, leaning back against the same wooden partition.

— I have lost my family and I no longer have any hopes for a happy future. — It sounded from the driver's mouth. — Therefore, by serving Lady Maori in this way, I can enjoy the world around me in relative peace.

Kaisa did not answer anything, afraid to say something superfluous, so she directed her thoughts somewhere in her own direction.

Ludwicht was sleeping with his feet on Kobo, who was sleeping sitting up. At the edge of the cart, Faus and Vergil were lying like a soldier, and a little in front to the left of Kaisa lay Raito himself, clutching his jacket, which he had previously taken off.

— I also lost my family... — said Kaisa.

The driver did not answer, continuing to watch the road and now listening to Kaisa's words.

— I have lost them in revolution. — She continued, watching the pine trees going behind on the right side and the shore of the lake passing on the left. — I was very small and therefore I couldn't realize anything myself at that time. Lady Maori sheltered me and began to protect me like her little sister, but if I asked her about the revolution and was interested in something about herself, she began to pretend to be like who knows who.

— What do you mean? — The driver's slightly smoky voice sounded.

— She doesn't talk about those days at all, only said that I was still a little girl and could not understand the seriousness of what had happened. — Looking into the distance, Kaisa said, tucking one leg under her. — At the age of seven, I finally got sick of it.

— Is that so? And what did you do, Ms. Kiri?

— I won't say names, but someone referred me to an interesting old man, with whom I stayed for the next few years, completely devoting myself to training.

"So, is that the path of the second of the "Three Shadows" ... — the driver thought."

The cart bounced slightly on a small bump, which awakened Ludwicht, who flew with his head into a piece of wood.

— Can you stop talking some shit please? — The awakened one asked with displeasure.

— Mrs. Kiri told me her story, Mr. Ludwicht. — The driver said peacefully. — Don't call it like that.

— Oh, really... — Ludwicht turned to Kaisa... — again, it means that she succumbed to emotions.

Kaisa looked at her friend, but did not snap at him, but only agreed.

— Yes, you're right. — She said. — I'm not in the mood for emotions right now.

Raito was lying with his eyes closed, but he heard the whole conversation between Kaisa and the driver. Hakami succumbed to his own memories of the day when the revolution took place. He didn't remember much, because he was only two years old at the time, but what he remembered for sure was the sight of his hometown on fire. This picture still periodically pops up in his head. It has surfaced now.

A white haori, a black kimono tucked into black wide trousers, which in turn were tucked into high white boots. The tail and bangs on the sides of the face touching the cheeks, a sad look. A man standing on the pier of Karenaha Bay, near the lighthouse, held in his hand a jet-black blade, the blade of which did not seem to reflect the light at all. This seemingly very young man, whose face was shrouded in tears, saw off his wife and two-year-old son, who were sailing away on a boat towards the mainland. The "Heavenly Punishment" created a huge number of purple and white flashes, which boomed from the capital on the island of Sengai, where a battle was taking place between the feudal lord of Thunder and Heisa Katari, who arranged retribution.

This picture was especially clearly imprinted in Raito's head, and he remembered the grief-stricken face of his father, who died that day, once and for all.

Raito felt someone's touch on the back of his head and after a moment his eyes were released. The rays of the sun attacked his gaze, which made it difficult for him to properly inspect the area. Raito was sitting on smooth gravel, and in front of him was a small pond with large smooth stones on the edges. Kaysa was standing by the pond, feeding the fish. This activity brought her a lot of pleasure, which could be seen from her sincere smile.

— You're safe now. — Ludwicht said, taking off Raito's blindfold.

— Where are we? — Faus asked nervously, almost shouting.

Kaisa finished feeding the fish and turned to the guys sitting in a row. Behind her was a large building designed in the traditional style of the Thunder Country. On the veranda of the main house of the estate there was a man in a white kimono and a long haori decorated with blue patterns, but as soon as everyone's eyes were untied, this man calmly retired into the room, closing the sliding wall behind him.

— Are we in the Land of Thunder? — Kobo asked.

— No, it's all right. — Kaisa said. — You are currently at the Shadow Estate.

— At the Shadow Estate? — Vergil appeared, rubbing his eyes. — What are we going to do here?

— It's safest here right now, because the enemy won't find out about this place for a very long time, if at all. — Said Ludwicht, who was standing next to Faus, who was sitting on the right side.

— Yes, especially for you, Hakami Raito. — Emphasizing Raito's name, Kaisa said, pointing at him with her finger.

Raito's gaze went from uncomprehending to intense.

— What's happening in Windhelm? — He asked.

Kaisa lowered her hand and walked slightly to the right, finding herself in the shade of an oak tree on a small area of green lawn.

— The capital was handed over to the Purge. — She said.

— And wh... what does that mean? — Hakami asked hesitantly.

— We are waiting for Tanaka's report, he is responsible for the communication of the detachments in the capital with the main headquarters.

— How long can we wait for this Tanaka's report? — Raito asked.

— No one knows. — Ludwicht appeared, whose seriousness was a little surprising for Raito, who was already used to his cheerful character. — A big part of our fighters are in Windhelm and none of them get in touch.

— Yes, that's right. — Coming to her starting point, Kaisa said. — Only Ren got to us, he's in a pretty bad state. This has never happened to him before.

— Yes... — sighed Ludwicht... — things are getting serious.

— Ren?! — Kobo exclaimed. — What's wrong with big bro? Where is he?

— A big bro? — Ludwicht was surprised. — Do you know each other?

— Yes, Ren, me and Kobo have known each other for a long time. — Raito explained.

— He is lying in a medical house, our main healer is looking after him now. — Kaisa said.

Windhelm.

Everything was shrouded in flames – this was not how the holiday of the third of June should have been. However, the enemy had completely different plans.

The once bright and cozy Eastern district of the capital of the Country of the Winds now consisted of endless burning houses. No one was shouting on the street anymore, only the muffled moans of trapped or burning people could be heard.

On the bridge, which was located in front of the house of Raito Hakami, there was a dark-haired guy who looked like he was twenty-one years old. A white and red kimono was tucked into his white trousers, on which the inscription "Squad fifteen" was visible. Commander." He was leaning against the railing of the bridge, his gaze directed into the water of the St. Gerhard Canal, reflecting the dark night illuminated by flames.

 — Sir Asa... — a fighter of the fifteenth Cleaning squad ran up to the commander... — Dear Senzo wants to see you.

Asa's gaze became frightened, and he nervously turned towards his subordinate, behind whom stood a tall man in a knee-length black raincoat, from which one could slightly see a white kimono revealing his chest, tucked into black hakama pants with a white puff. The man had a fox mask on his face, secured with a red rope around his dark hair, pulled into a tight ponytail with a bun at the back of his head.

Asa fell to his knees and greeted Senzou, and so did the fighter.

— No, Asa... — said the head of the Purge in a gruff voice. The commander of the fifteenth squad looked up and there were Senzo's shoes in front of his face. — No matter how hard you try, you have already shown yourself.

— What are you talking about, Lord Senzo? — Asa asked uncertainly.

— Who gave you the order to clean up? — Senzo asked sternly.

Asa swallowed loudly, which seemed to be audible to the head of the Purge, but he did not move from his place and the fox's face continued to look at the commander of the fifteenth squad, who bowed his head.

— Hi-his Majesty the Emperor, dear Senzo. — Asa answered hesitantly and stammered.

— Tell me the names. — Senzo asked loudly and sternly, lifting his subordinate to his feet with an aura.

— His majesty, my beloved emperor Heisa Katari. — Asa stammered even more, retreating to the fence.

— Wonderful. — Senzo said with displeasure. — You know who you're reporting to, don't you?

— Yes, sir.

— Hmm... — the head of the Purge grinned, turning towards the right bank of the canal ... — and even so you managed to let me down…

— What are you talking about, Lord Senzo? — Asa asked in fear.

— It was a big mistake to allow such a naive idiot as you to command a detachment... — Senzo began... — it was possible to remember who your commander was.

— Sir…

— Eternal thunder…

Asa's eyes became huge, and he began to ask Senzo not to do "that."

— Tissue rupture.

Senzo's palm touched Asa's forehead and at the same moment, the commander of the fifteenth squad lit up with a bright purple light. He literally exploded from the inside, and pieces of his body were scattered around.

Senzo was not affected by the explosion, as he created a neutralizing aura that repelled almost any attacks. The head of the Purge lowered his hand and turned to the fighter, who was still bowing in front of him.

— From now on, the fifteenth squad belongs to Yone, and he will be your new commander.

— Got it.

— Tell this to the rest of the squad. — Senzo said, retreating towards the houses.