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Shingen Maeda

The last few feet of paved road to Maeda Temple ended at the foot of the hills and was as far as the taxi could take them. Bamboo covered much of the path, concealing movement in and out on foot although the presence of the village was not a secret to the locals. Shingen rather enjoyed the long trek from the start of the stepped trail to the seat of his clan. It was physically taxing to anyone especially those carrying a load. Shingen was unburdened except for his thoughts on the circumstances of his last departure from home. As clan head, his place was with the council of elders and among his people. Although it was commonplace for the Maeda to lend their services to the outside world, that was something reserved for the lesser members of the family, far from the family head to partake in. Shingen had no doubt he’d run into trouble with the elders, even more so when it was time for him to leave again. The fact there had been no one to greet him at the head of the trail spoke to just how sourly they viewed his leaving. Words like “abandoning duty” and “desertion” were thrown around at the time.

Opening the car door for Kai, he couldn’t help but look up at the familiar path with concern. He wasn’t quite sure what they’d think about him bringing someone along but they just didn’t know what she could do. ”Well, here it is. We have to walk the rest of the way.” He smiled softly. It was an inconvenience for sure but it was for the safety of the clan. He pulled a compact water bladder bag out of the trunk and was prepared to help Kai with whatever she had brought. It meant a lot for him that she had agreed to come. To take her from her family which she loved very much meant a large responsibility for him personally. To keep her safe and make the trip worthwhile was the very least he would do.

Shingen Maeda

Shingen pulled the luggage out from the back of the car and set everything on the road her gratitude blossoming under her freckles, one of his favorite features. He could see Kai admiring the lush greenery too which he appreciated. It was a big change from all the bustling of the city. ”Yeah, born and raised for the most part.” He said over to her as he rounded the car and paid the driver before he drove off. ”Feels so weird being back here after seeing so much and being gone for so long. It’s nostalgic for sure.” He stated as he stared off into the path ahead.

Kai asked how far of a trek it would be and there was a sudden painful realization that he hadn’t warned her ahead of time. He turned to face her in a grimaced grin, knowing the news would be less than pleasant. ”About three miles...but don’t worry bout carrying all this. It’ll be enough of an ordeal walking the trail.” He said before throwing the duffle bag on his back and got it centered and comfortable. Then, he raised up the rolling suitcase up by the handle then turned around, letting it go. It strangely remained in the air right where he had left it. Next, he backed up against it with the duffle bag and suddenly both bags dimly flashed blue, becoming locked together.

”If you get tired or I start leaving you behind, let me know and we can take a break, ok?” He said as he faced Kai again, smiling. Her outfit looked great on her too but he was afraid her shoes might tire her out quickly. Shingen was already devising a magical plan to move things along if things got rough.

Shingen Maeda

Making their way up the incline, Shingen began to take in the colors of the forest all over again. It was as if his soul had been thirsting to be back there again. The way the light filtered through the tops of the trees and how the birds would fly off whenever they approached, it all instilled a tranquility that he had long missed. His meditation life had dwindled in comparison to his work and his training. There was no doubt his teacher would tell him that his failures were likely a result of his loss in focus. Although he had progressively become stronger, there had been a building anxiety in him that never seemed to dissipate when he was alone. That was something that had drawn him to Kai. Apart from her incredible ability to perceive emotions and sway the physical condition, she was like a still pond that quieted the larger chaos at hand.

Shingen, would look over his shoulder at Kai close to every five minutes, checking in to see how she was doing. He had to often remind himself to slow down for her but that was the way he was all the time, ever pushing forward wherever he went, no matter who he was with. This time was a bit more serious, Kai having agreed to come along. He wanted to be as accommodating as possible but the more he thought about it, the more he realized they were likely walking into a stressful situation with his family. Although he tried to think about what he would say when he arrived, he didn’t want to be so absent minded as to seem to forget Kai.

”Oh, It’s no problem, Kai. I’m not in a rush or anything.” He stated. Whenever they got to a part of the path where it was wide enough for the both of them, he stepped aside to walk along side her. ”So...” He started as he tried to put things in a better light as to what they were to expect. ”...There might be a few people upset with me when we get there.” He glanced over to her, resting his hands on the straps on the bag on his shoulders. ”I left in a hurry, and well, I wasn’t supposed to leave at all. By this point, Shingen had explained to her that he was the head of his clan, a family of magically gifted that used to function as exorcists dating back to the earliest Japanese emperors. ”As clan head, I was supposed to stay and help lead the Maeda. The reason I left...” He paused.

It all seemed so stupid now as he thought back on it now but also involved the dragon seal, something he hadn’t told anyone about yet, outside of the Maeda. ”...was the fact that they expected so much of me. Never having asked me what I wanted or what I thought. I mean, I know its a big deal but what do you do with all that, you know?” Shingen decided to stop there, not to say too much. She wasn’t there to carry his burdens after all. Even if her bags weren’t the lightest in the world. ”Just saying, ignore all the side ways looks we might get. I’m still the boss.” He said looking her in the eyes with a smile this time to reassure her even if that last part was still debatable.

As Shingen explained himself, Kai was being herself like always. Even though she was an agreeable woman, he didn’t feel right leading her on blindly into a sensitive situation. She reassured him, always so understanding. Kai’s own magic helped give her insight unlike any other but someone less compassionate would have easily shut themselves from the world, distancing themselves from receiving the emotions from every person they neared in public. No, Kai was different. ”Thank you, Kai. Always so understanding.”

Shingen could tell that the climb was really taking a toll on her or at least the pace that they were moving in. The climate on it’s own was enough to draw moisture out of a person and thinking back, he really shouldn’t have let her come dressed the way she did. Shingen began to slow his pace, sweating well enough on his own and already dreading the idea of the rest of the climb. Slowing to a halt, he stepped aside to one of the small clearings along the path, shaded by the trees. ”Let’s take a break. I need some water.” He huffed and began to remove the bags from his back. When he took off the straps, they both seemed to remain right were they were in the air.

Slipping off the camelback, he opened up the valve on the drinking tube and squeezed the bag to squirt water in his mouth. He then offered some to Kai. ”Are you sure you don’t want to change into something cooler? It’s kinda steamy up here.” Shingen watched her, the smile never leaving his face. He wondered if she had brought something like that in one of her luggage bags. He looked down by their legs and two blue blocks of mana appeared then curved into chairs for them to sit in. Although he was pushing himself and could handle the trek, they weren’t in any rush and still had to make it in one piece.

Shingen took a seat and the two bags began to slowly drift laterally between them then down in perfectly straight lines as if on a grid. Once they touched the ground, they became detached and slowly began to slump. ”I do have a way for us to get there quicker, though, if you don’t. It is kind of a journey.” Shingen chuckled nervously. Here was a Captain, humbling himself. A different person than the one at work. All owed to remembering where he came from and why he was doing what he was doing. His imperfections always being at the forefront of his mind also never let him get too full of himself, even if it seemed that way.

Although Kai did everything she could to seem like she was alright, Shingen could see otherwise. He was already feeling guilty for the circumstances but there was no way he’d force her to suffer through another few miles this way. The way she skipped on the water made him wonder if she rather have her own sanitized bottle, something he wished he would have brought along. When he asked her about changing into something else, she understandably pointed out there was no decent place for her to make the change. Shingen smiled and turned his head to the bamboo behind him and a wall of them began to bend towards them, creating an arch and digging into the ground. Then, a thing blue barrier appeared near teh base of another bundle, toppling them as they were severed. As they fell, Shingen encapsulated each one and began to arrange them like rectangular walls in front and behind the open sides of the arch, driving them into the ground as well.

”That should work, right?” He asked, looking back to Kai. The other part he referred to was a bit more experimental and required his focus but it was something he should be able to pull off for short distances. ”Yeah! I should be able to carry us upwards magically. Not quite a magic carpet’s ride but something like it.” He grinned. If she decided to forgo the wardrobe change, he wouldn’t be opposed to it. She looked cute in what she had on, like always, and it might be cooler the further up they went.

Shingen thoroughly enjoyed seeing Kai’s wonder grow as he manipulated the trees nearby. There was a time where he could barely maintain a simple shape made up of his own mana. His current ability was something he should be proud of and yet it was overshadowed by what he carried. The sense of total helplessness was enough to crush any person and it’s apparent inevitable end, though only fabled, hung over his head as well.

At the mention of flying, Kai became progressively nervous. While Kai was normally one to worry, this time seemed to bring out a hardline avoidance to the suggestion. At first, Shingen seemed to worry but as she looked to choose the harder journey, he smiled and chuckled. Risking appearing rude with his reaction, he looked away to comment.”It’s not like I’d drop you or anything.” He more or less muttered, taking another squirt from his water bladder.

Turning in his seat, he gave Kai as much privacy as he could. He began thinking of ways to formulate a platform in a shape most reassuring to her but pressing the issue might just make things worse. The image of a replicated wooden rocking horse came to mind but Shingen only shook his head to dispel it and how silly it would be. By the time she was done changing, she would come out to be greeted by Shingen entirely encapsulated in one of his mana cubes, floating above the ground a few feet. He had his hands casually in his pockets, looking relaxed and even shrugged. ”What about something like this? You know these things are practically bulletproof, right?” He then began to float the cube along the ground in circles before lowering it to the ground and dropping himself off.

It seemed that his little demonstration had been enough to lift Kai’s fears as she contemplated the new way of transportation. He had to admit, the initial way he had in mind was creating platforms under their feet in order to carry them up the mountain but this method was far more secure, indeed. After a moment of thinking about it, Kai spoke up, albeit bashfully. She asked him if he could ride along with her. Shingen grinned and nearly chuckled again as if her question had been ridiculous. ”Of course I’ll ride with you. Imagine me showing up with a caged girl trailing behind me like a prisoner!” He said before looking over to her luggage again and raising it into the air over him. He extended his right hand out to her as the luggage made contact with a new cube construction that began to form from ceiling to the floor leaving only the front side open for her.

There was no one sweeter that Shingen could think of to ride side by side with. And although he knew it was for reassurance and security, Shingen still counted himself lucky. Once she was in, he would sneak his arm around her waist to act as a seatbelt, and lift them off nearly five or so feet from the ground to account for the incline. Holes were built in around the cube to allow for air flow and the ceiling was more concentrated, catching the sunlight like a dark blue tint to keep them cooler. He tried to keep focus on their trajectory as they travelled smoothly up the trail in order to try to get his heartrate lower. Being so close to Kai was having an effect but he would be damned if he let it slip. There was nothing from stopping the appearance of the beginnings of a sly smirk in the corner of his mouth.

Their speed would begin to rise as time went on. The turns to the path weren’t very sharp so he didn’t have to account from slowing to take them. The air that flowed through at a faster rate was also welcome, cooling in an otherwise semi humid environment. The more that they climbed, the more stone steps would line their path, showing signs of nearing civilization. The natural fauna greeted them at every turn but there was a strange tranquility in the absence of all other human life. Nature had a a meditative effect on the mind, refreshing ones thoughts after being caged and forced to work day in and day out in the city. Shingen truly enjoyed being away from work. The farther the better.

Eventually, the sight of a gate came into view up ahead. A simple wall with a single gate at the top of a set of steps. Slowing them as they reached the top, Shingen would land them just before the doors. He knew there was no going further without permission. Access would have to be granted from the other side to be let in. ”We’ll have to get permission to go any further.” Shingen explained, scanning the area as he began to let everything gently down, including Kai. ”Shouldn't be long though.” He looked to her with a polite smile. His eyes moved over the tree tops and into the darker areas of the forest. When he saw nothing of note, he decided to sit at the top of the steps and close his eyes in meditation.