Towards Saving

As bitter winds blew from the north, the sun shone confidently in the south. Clouds tried to block out it's warmth, and yet it seemed that the Hourou tribe was lucky enough to reap some warmth from the sun's glare. The grounds were dry and hard from hoarfrost, and the movement of the people trampled the perfectly pure layer atop the grass. Since the return, things seemed to move quickly. Morning classes to train, followed by breakfast, chores, and rigorous preparation for further scouting. Around the tribe walls were beginning to be built. For now they were made of the wood surrounding the clearing, however eventually they would become the walls to a great city, made of stone and steel. Renatsu handled the affairs of the tribe carefully, giving jobs to each member who was able to ensure the safety of those who could not fight. For those that could, armor was being built. Weapons were being crafted. The oni provided a tough hide that could withstand normal swords and arrows once prepared. The horns were sharp and stable, and once heated were able to be formed into daggers and weapons. 

Once the bodies had been harvested for materials, the great white bear performed a grand ceremony to put them to rest. She thanked them, an odd note that Kaminoko carefully wrote down for future reference. The fear was always that creatures of chaos returned if not taken proper care of, something the tribe had to fight many times previously. This craft of putting the spirits to rest was extremely useful and would ensure that they would not be haunted by their fight to survive. Oni are required to be burned at high temperatures after being doused in mint and chamomile. Soothe the soul of the oni, and burn away the anger and resentment that ran through the blood. Once completely boiled and burned off, the pure soul was left with the calming agents and could be buried by a fruit tree, a solid base to ground them and allow their energy to produce something fruitful and sweet. 

"A good way to deal with their intense emotions is to filter it into something productive and positive. I recommend peach trees if available, however if not then apples or cherries work well too. I don't recommend lime or lemon trees, and they have a bitter fruit and could potentially allow the spirit to recall its once sour anger." Sitria explained once she covered the ashes with soil, underneath an apple tree on the outskirts of the clearing. "Much like in life, in death they are hard to deal with as well. Their remains must be handled carefully and swiftly. Thankfully however, if done properly, they can be a great way to ensure that your trees are producing enough fruit." 

"Thank you. This will be extremely helpful for the future. I never realized that each spirit had its own way to be put to rest." Kaminoko spoke as she drew in her book carefully, ensuring to write out every detail as clearly as possible. "If possible I would like to continue to learn from you. I have realized that there is a lot that we have yet to learn.." 

"Naturally. I am most pleased that you take your duty so seriously." Sitria smiled fondly. "The art of taking care of the soul and body after death is incredibly important. It overlaps with taking care of the living in many ways. I admit that this should have been knowledge passed on previously…" A pause. Kaminoko simply shook her head and reached out towards Sitria, gently taking her large face into her soft hands. 

"Please teach me all you can. Much of what we had once known was lost when our tribe began to travel. It was many years before I was even born, however I fear that it was not for the better. There is much that we have to do if we would like to survive this trial, and it is our job to be better and grow from here. I am hopeful that we are slowly progressing towards a brighter future now. So thank you." Her eyes glimmered with a hint of knowing. Sitria did not press further and merely nuzzled against her hands. 

"So much of this is not the fault of humans.. It is the least I can do to ensure your survival." The great white bear glanced towards the vast forest to the North. "And truly I should be thanking you for maintaining as you have. With how little you had to work with, it is incredible that everyone here has survived thus far. If it was not for the hard work you put in, I fear I may never have met Kumako, or Kaeruko would have never found Inga. Your work has had much more influence than you realize."

"I only did what I believed to be right. I have much to learn, as it turns out." She laughed in a pretty manner. "I find it a bit ironic… I gave Kaeruko this long lecture about finding her true name, and yet… I have found that my own name was much more of a farce than I knew. I am not the child of the goddess. Not by a long run." Her gaze fell slightly, dropping downwards. 

"Well technically speaking, as a priestess you are the closest to the goddess out of everyone in the tribe." Sitria for some reason felt defensive. Of course this human was not that deeply connected to her, however it felt wrong to say that. "Beyond that you have taken on the role of connecting yourself to the goddess. You have dedicated time and energy to ensuring that the hourou remain close to me and I know that. Your efforts mean quite a bit, and it is only thanks to you that everyone has survived to this point." She wished that she would have been able to say more, to be more honest with the poor girl. Perhaps it was only natural that humans were to feel like they were not enough. She certainly had not helped previously. "I am.. Not the best goddess either." The air grew still for a moment. Kaminoko stared at the great white bear in surprise. Her silky hair slid off of her shoulder as she shifted to her other foot. Her hands had fallen back to her side by now, grabbing the tassels off of her obi and her journal in the other hand. 

"I almost forgot that you are her.." Kaminoko whispered, though she had not intended to say that aloud. 

"Of course you did. In this form I am nothing more than a spirit bound to a human. A great white bear who is aiding humanity in the fight against chaos. I actually… It would be better if it were understood that way in the future. I am a goddess to this world, however this is all the results of my own failings. I thought deeply about my role in this world. It is not what I once thought it was. I wish to be a better goddess to the world. You did not lie when you said that I had abandoned you all. It was true. I was hiding away in my tomb, sealed away from the world and assuming that everything would work out on its own. That is not the reality however, and I was foolish to have ever thought it would be different." Quiet grew between the two. An understanding, perhaps, or perhaps it was something more. Kaminoko took a breath and brought her journal to her chest, holding it close. 

"You are here now. That is all that matters. You did not truly abandon us. I know that now. Please, continue to aid us. I will do my best as well to emulate your work." She said, smiling sweetly as she turned to walk back towards the village. "In exchange… Please protect Kumako. I know you are now connected, but when they left us it truly did seem that all of our hope was lost. They… I mean both Kaeruko and Kumako, they mean a lot to me personally. I do not know if I could continue if I lost them again. I know Kaeru is not your responsibility, so please take care of Kuma." 

Sitria did not respond, however the promise was set in stone. Kaminoko walked back to her yurta in order to go over her notes and prepare medicine for those who were training. Sitria walked to go meet with Kumako and Kaeruko in order to discuss next plans. Naturally there was a lot to consider. The journey they were going on was only beginning. Creating a safe haven was the first part. The next part would be to gather forces from all over. To fight chaos would take a lot more than a singular small tribe. Sitria found newfound inspiration. This world was hers, after all. She had a duty to protect this world and those who lived within it. 

Kumako was busy practicing wielding their axe, swinging it against a straw man and trying to better feel it out. Although they had used it in battle before. They had said many times they did not feel confident in their ability to fight if Sitria was not around. Of course, Sitria had tried to reassure them that this would not happen, but it was not a bad idea to be cautious. Especially given that their enemy was chaos, it was hard to predict what would happen in the future. Even for a goddess, chaos was impossible to understand perfectly. 

They paused their practice once they heard Sitria walking towards them, her paws making the frosted grass underneath her to crunch. They beamed brightly, waving at the bear and placing the axe against their little pile of dead straw dummies. 

"Sitria! Hi. Did you finish cleaning up the bodies with Kaminoko?" They asked, the wind causing their hair to blow out of place. It was only then that Sitria noticed, their hair was in fact turning white at the roots. She wondered if it was because of their bond, but it was hard to say. She never had really made a contract with a human before, at least not like this. 

"Yes. I am quite happy with what a good student she is turning out to be. Plus, some light has been shed on knowledge that has been lost after I left." Sitria mused, walking towards the Axe and sniffing it, as if that would give her any information. She just felt a bit sad looking at it. What once had been her own bones was now a weapon to kill. That was not exactly easy to process. How long had it really been since she last walked amongst humanity? 

"I am glad to hear that. I think I am making some progress with this." They reached down and picked up the axe. It was only then that the bear noticed the rips in Kumako's clothes, no doubt from the axe and practice. She almost sighed, however it seemed silly to make a fuss over such a small thing. It didn't seem like it was worth it. 

"Good. If you have a moment, I would like to chat with Kaeruko and you. It is time that we begin to discuss the next steps. I know perhaps it will feel rushed, but--" She stopped herself, thinking about what to say before she took a deep breath. "We have limited time. The sooner we can seal away chaos, the better. I have a plan for how we can do this, but it will require a lot." 

"Right. Let me go get Kaeru. We can talk over tea or something. It is cold out anyways and I am getting tired." Kumako mused, grabbing the axe and trotting off without a care. Sitria watched them tenderly. An owl flew overhead, bright white like snow. It made no sound, landing on a post and staring down at Sitria. She stared back at it. If she wanted to, she could have spoken to it. Yet it almost felt too.. Familiar to her. It was uncanny, and she simply walked away without another thought. 

The owl stared at her without blinking until flying away moments later. A single feather fell to the ground. It seemed to melt into the ground.