"OI! CATCH THAT KID!" a merchant yelled as Honami streaked away from his stall, her arms stashed full of fresh bread rolls, the steam migrating towards her eyes as she ran. The guards usually patrolling the city groaned in annoyance for the twelfth time that week, halfheartedly taking up their weapons and pursuing the thief through the streets. One guard in particular stayed behind, his left arm in a cast and and eye patch over his right eye, pacing as he mumbled several insults towards the girl currently running for her life, the girl who had caused his injuries. Honami laughed mischievously as she tossed a roll over her shoulder, grinning as it scored a direct hit on one of the guards eyes. She raced towards the temple that made up her home, knowing full and well the guards wouldn't pursue her any farther than the courtyard in front of it.
A shadow watched her streak by from the darkness of a nearby alley, it's glowing eyes narrowing. It made a pulling gesture with its hand, causing a string of darkness to materialize in the street and catch Honami off guard. She tripped over the string and went barreling into the cobblestones, the bread rolls spilling everywhere. The guards caught up to their target and surrounded her in a complete circle, raising their shields. Honami got to her feet "Aww, come on guys........we all know how this ends" she raised her fists, eyes darkening. A guard broke the circle and rushed at her, waving his sword. Honami slapped the sword away and punched the shield he held in front of his chest, denting the solid steel. The soldier flew back a few feet, looking like a fish out of water as the wind was knocked from his lungs.
She pranced on her toes getting ready for another punch when the shadow tugged one of her feet out from under her, landing face first on the ground. The guards took this as their chance and all rushed in at once.
****
Honami grumbled to herself, clutching at her now broken ribs as she limped down the alley, extremely lucky to have slipped away from the fight before it had escalated too far. She once again yanked her foot away from whatever was tugging at it, her temper almost at its boiling point. "Stupid guards......"she crouches next to a puddle to survey the damage. She brushes her dark hair away from her face to reveal a darkening bruise forming around her right eye and a cut on her cheek stinging as she wipes the blood away, flexing her bruised knuckles. She's about to whip around and screech into thin air when an old lady appears at the end of the alley hobbling towards her "Oh dearie...... you look like you've seen better days", the lady gently grabs her arm, careful to avoid another bruise, and guides her out of the alley without a second thought. The figure still watching from the safety of the shadows, growling lowly as the lady looks back at it with a glare. "Thanks grandma" Honami mutters sarcastically, but the old lady just turns and smiles at her kindheartedly "Where do you live dearie?". The girl points towards the temple and her escort turns them in that direction, starting to ramble about the old days when the temple hadn't been in almost complete shambles.
"You know this place used to be the home of some very important people" the old lady continued as they walked in a side entrance. "Uhm.......Cannibals?", the lady looks like she had just been slapped and called a chicken "Who on earth told you such nonsense!!?". She earns a shrug "Just about everybody in town thinks this temple is where a clan of bloodthirsty cannibals lived, waaaayy back in the old days". The old lady fumes silently, though there's the slightest amount of sadness in her her eyes. "That's absolutely disgraceful! This wasn't the home of some lowly cannibals......this was where the twelve heroes of old would rest their heads after a long battle! This was THEIR home....this was my-" she cuts herself off and stops talking. Honami just stares at the lady, Sheesh....this geezer has a few screws lose doesn't she? she thinks before finally looking up at the vine covered corridors and dust layered floors, eyes squinting "Where are we?" she asks, this part of the temple something she hasn't seen before. The old lady doesn't answer but rather straightens her crooked back and tightens her grip on her arm.
Honami tries to struggle against the old lady as she starts to look younger and younger by the second, her hair shifting from silver to a shiny black and her eyes paling till their completely white. She bites and punches but the lady's grip doesn't loosen at all, that is until shes flings Honami forwards into an alcove, the girl tumbling to the ground for the second time that day. She jumps to her feet and glares at the lady "WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" she bellows in anger, ready to charge. The lady looks at her intensely, "Trust me, you might not understand it now......but you soon will....soon" with the wave of her glowing blue hand the floor disappears beneath Honami's feet and she plummets into darkness with a shriek.
(Hello! Just a heads up, any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome!)
