Chapter 2

Naoki yanked Yori to his feet. Yori quickly realized his friend had kicked the creature mid-jump, lifted Yori from the ground and began sprinting towards the safety of the barrier. Through sheer survival instinct, Yori listened to his friend and sprinted for the barrier as fast as he could muster. He had always been fast due to his slender build. He quickly caught up to his friend and began to outpace him. Naoki was likely to fall behind.

 

I can’t just leave him to die, but what can I do?

 

He stole a glance back at the monster as the creature lowered it’s body into a crouch. As it prepared to pounce on Naoki, Yori locked eyes with it, stealing the creature’s attention and becoming its new target.

 

I can’t let it get me again, my shoulder still aches from the last time it hit me. But I’m ready for it, come at me!

Yori pumped himself up with his thoughts as the jackalope pounced, but this time its prey was prepared. He rolled sideways, taking care not to injure his shoulder further. The jackalope was unable to change direction midair. It sailed passed them and bit nothing but empty space. Missing its prey, the jackalope flung itself directly into the barrier, landing face first with a sudden thunk. The two boys saw their opening and dove across the barrier as the jackalope regained its senses. They both hit the ground face down on their chests. Naoki turned his head to the side so he could breathe better as Yori pushed himself onto his back, attempting to relieve some of the pressure on his bruised shoulder.

 

“You… still... in… one... piece?”

 

Naoki’s words came out between gasps for air, managing to wheeze out a half joking question. He looked over his friend to make sure there were no major injuries sustained from the jackalope’s attack.

 

“That definitely could have gone better, but at least I got this.”

 

“Yeah, well it could have gone worse too. I can’t believe I let you convince me that was a good idea.”

 

Yori held a fist full of herbs straight up with his right arm. Naoki had sat up and had regained most of his normal breathing back. They were grateful that he had not dropped the plants in the confusion. A near death experience was one thing, but a near death experience for no gain was another. Yori furrowed his brow as he thought of a potential issue.

“Umm, I just thought of something. How do we pass it by Mrs. Handa so she doesn’t realise that we didn’t go buy these herbs? She would freak if she found out where we got them.”

 

Naoki grimaced.

 

“And she would tell my mother… Well, you’re a pretty good housewife. I bet you could get it into a tea bag like how they’re sold in the market. Those tiny hands are good for detailed work like that.”

 

“I should’ve left you behind back there.”

 

Naoki smirked at his joke, but Yori understood that his friend was actually correct in his suggestion. Yori had always excelled at detailed work.

 

Putting it into a tea bag should be pretty easy. Then I can plant the rest at home. Hopefully my parents don’t notice though. They’ll worry…

Gathering their feet under them, the boys headed back to Yori’s house to replant the herbs and make some tea bags. Yori popped his head into the kitchen, looking for his mother. The room appeared empty. He briskly walked over to the counter and grabbed a cutting board and a small knife. Handing it to Naoki, he quietly grabbed a needle and thread, as well as some sheer fabric from the living room out of his mother’s sewing kit. Retiring to Yori’s room for privacy, Yori began crafting some makeshift teabags while Naoki cut up some of the herbs.

 

A shrill, curious voice broke their concentration.

“Whatcha doooin?”

 

A small girl poked her head through the door of Yori’s room, her red hair accentuated by her plain white dress. Yori’s little sister Nokoribi skipped over to them, placing her hands behind her back and leaning over Yori’s impromptu workstation on top of his night table. He gave Naoki an annoyed glance.

“Naoki! You were supposed to be on the lookout!”

 

“I was… I mean, I am. I swear that kid has got the Blessing of the God of Guile, not Fire.”

Nokoribi, or as everyone called her, Noko, grabbed a strip of the cloth Yori was using to make teabags. She began dancing around the room, twirling the cloth above her head and humming a children’s tune common in the village. After not receiving an answer she stopped and returned the cloth. Since she did not manage to get an annoyed response from her brother she placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her brow at Yori.

 

“Well, what’re you two doing? It looks fun!”

 

Sigh.

 

“Noko, please cut that out, I’m trying to concentrate here. If you’ve got to know, we’re making medicine for Mr. Handa. But it has to be a secret, ok?”

 

Noko’s eyes lit up.

 

“Ohh, a secret? But why?”

 

“Because we don’t want Mrs. Handa to worry about how we got it.”

 

“Oh reeeallly? How’d you get it?”

 

Naoki paused his herb chopping to give Yori an exasperated look.

 

“Man, you have said way too much. You know your sister is too curious not to prod.”

 

As if on cue, Noko hopped onto the bed and faced Yori, her hands supporting her as she leaned forward, eager for information.

 

“How’d you get it?”

“It’s a secret.”

“I like secrets, I promise I can keep a secret, won’t you please tell me. Please! Please!”

 

Getting frustrated with her brother’s silence she turned her attention to Naoki. Perhaps he would have a looser tongue.

 

“Come on, Kiki, where’d you get it?”

 

“You’ve got to get this information from Yori, I know you can’t keep a secret to save your life.”

 

“I can too! I never told anyone about that time Yori got chased home by one of the chickens.”

 

“Hahahaha. You got chased by a chicken!?”

 

“Shut it!”

 

Despite all this teasing, Yori was going to miss Noko when she went away to school. It was best for her though, so he always tried to make it out that he was excited for her, which was partially true. Noko was only 6 so she found endless enjoyment out of pestering her big brother. Noaki was always a fan as well since it gave him lots of fuel to harass his friend. Both boys knew though that she would not tell on them, she would just hold it over their heads for the rest of their lives.

 

Noko dropped the subject for more pressing matters.

“Can I come with you to see Mrs. Handa? I want some of her sweets too!”

 

“Well, you only get sweets if you help her out, so grab some cloth and sew in some herbs for her.”

 

“Yay! Okay!”

 

No one ever had to ask Noko twice to help with anything. She eagerly grabbed a needle and thread and began sewing together some pouches for the herbs. Being quite skilled for her age since she had learned from her mother, Noko made the job go much faster. She also enjoyed helping her father around the farm with the animals, but they all knew she was destined for greater things than a simple farm life.

 

The three finished up their work and headed for the Handa’s house.

 

Approaching the front door, Yori approached the threshold and held up his left hand.

 

Knock knock knock.

 

They waited several moments before they came to the conclusion that Mrs. Handa was not there. Yori quietly berated himself as he turned to his friend.

 

“Crap, we took too long. She must have gone to the market herself. Maybe if someone would have helped instead of failing as a lookout we would have been faster.”

 

“Guys! Quit joking around. We need to help Mr. Handa. Let’s go!”

 

Noko clenched her small fists at her side and gave the boys a very serious look. Yori chuckled as he decided this was about as intimidating as little Noko could look. The three of them hurried off to the market. Surveying the area, they quickly pinpointed Mrs. Handa at the feet of a well-dressed merchant, seemingly pleading with him. The man had his arms crossed in front of him and rolled his eyes, uncrossing his arms to shoo her away from his stall. Two large men stood on either side of the stall wearing simple clothing. Yori glanced at the daggers on their belts. As they approached, the three began to make out what the merchant was saying.

“I’m sorry, but I am not a charity. If you want goods you have to pay. I’m aware it is expensive, but that’s the nature of supply and demand, my dear.”

 

Looking towards one of the large men, the merchant waved him over. Grasping Mrs. Handa by her armpits, the burly man began to carry Mrs. Handa away from the stall. The woman’s body went limp as she whimpered in defeat. It was difficult for Yori and his kind heart to justify such thinking.

 

What he said was true, but none-the-less, a man is dying. How could this merchant simply stand there and do nothing when someone is in need?

 

He felt a tug on his shirt near his hip. Blinking away the initial anger, Yori looked over at his sister who was trying to get his attention. Her bright eyes were to the brim with unshed tears. The weight on his chest got heavier.

 

“Poor Mrs. Handa, we have to help her! She looks so sad and I don’t want that man to hurt her.”

 

“Don’t worry Noko, we’ll take care of it.”

 

Noko quickly wiped away her tears as Yori stepped forward, Naoki at his side. He didn’t even have to say anything to his friend to know that Naoki had his back. They were practiced in the art of de-escalation, being used to tense situations involving money when having to sell Yori’s family’s goods. As they approached the other guard came to help his colleague if need be. Naoki quickly engaged the guards, using his size to try and intimidate them, and his gentle voice to initiate a level-headed conversation. The guards agreed that oppressing a frail old woman was not their favourite part of the job, and gently released Mrs. Handa. Taking the opportunity while they were being reasonable, Naoki redirected their attention to the town pub. The men complained about having to work long hours, Naoki encouraging that they deserved time to relax, and headed off for a drink and some good food.

 

Meanwhile, Yori stood close to Mrs. Handa, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. He stealthily placed himself slightly behind the guard holding her in order to have an advantageous position if things were to go south. As the guard released the woman, Yori reached out his hand and allowed her to use him for support. Since he was done dealing with the guards and remembered Yori’s injured shoulder, Naoki moved in close to take most of the support off of his friend. For once Noko had listened to her brother and stayed out of the situation. As the two men departed, she ran up to Mrs. Handa to ensure she was unharmed.

The three young ones led Mrs. Handa back to her house. Yori sheepishly reached into his hip satchel and removed a worn bag full of their handcrafted tea pouches. He held them out to Mrs. Handa.

 

“Sorry we took so long getting these for you, we got a little side-tracked.”

“Oh, it is no problem at all. I had begun to worry and thought maybe you boys were busy with something else, so I figured I would get the herbs so you wouldn’t have to. But thank you so much for helping me back there, and for these. Oh, and you too little lady. I don’t know how I could ever repay you for everything you’ve done.”

 

She gingerly grabbed the bag of tea and smiled at them.

“We’re all family in this town, we help each other out.”

“That’s right, I’ll protect this whole town myself!”

 

“Oh yeah, you were a big help Noko. Practically saved the whole town single handed. Haha.”

 

Naoki teased Noko as she held up her nose in triumph, indicating that she was the ringleader of the whole operation. Mrs. Handa thanked them again and again, and asked them if she could make them anything to eat. The sun was beginning to touch the treeline, indicating it was getting close to dinner. Naoki protested slightly, but Yori assured them it was time for everyone to head home.

 

We never did make it to the field to help father with the tilling. I have a sneaking suspicion that this was his plan all along. Whether he knew Mrs. Handa needed help or not, I’m not positive though.

 

Naoki parted ways with the siblings, having to go in opposite directions to get to his own home.

 

On their way back, Noko suddenly grabbed Yori’s arm and hugged it tight, still keeping pace.

 

“I’m glad I told mom and dad no, that guys a big meanie.”

 

“What? What did you say no to? And who’s a big meanie?”

 

Yori glanced down at his sister, his brow raised in confusion by the sudden outburst. However, she seemed to be avoiding eye contact, burying part of her face in the inside of his elbow.

“Well, I wasn’t going to tell you. Mom had made a deal with that merchant guy to bring me to the academy tonight, but… I just don’t wanna’. Especially not with that big jerk.”

“Okay, first of all, watch your language. Second, WHAT!? Why didn’t you go? This is such a huge opportunity for you! You get to go to a big city and learn fire magic. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Why didn’t you jump at the chance to go as soon as you could?”

 

“Because I don’t wanna leave you guys. I’m just too important around here. If I go to school, you guys will be lonely. This town needs me to help keep everything in order.”

 

“Geez, we’ll be fine, I promise.”

 

Yori stopped walking and knelt in front of his sister so they were eye to eye. He could tell she was trying to fight back tears, but he was not going to let anything jeopardize her future. Placing his arms around her, he pulled Noko in for a tight hug, letting go to place his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Let’s go tell mom and dad that you’ve reconsidered and you would like to go tonight.”

 

Noko pushed Yori’s hands off of her and yelled quite loudly.

 

“But I don’t wanna!”

 

“But why? We’ll be alright, and so will you.”

 

“Because!”

 

She would not let him push the issue any further, refusing to say another word. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Noko’s cheeks puffed out in annoyance and her arms folded across her chest.

 

They opened the door to the wonderful aroma of stew and fresh bread. Dinner was already laid out on the table, lovingly prepared by their mother. Their father was sitting patiently at the table, a small grin lifted the corner of his mouth.

“Couldn’t find the big oaf? Seems he’d be hard to miss.”

 

“I found him just fine, but on our way back Mrs. Handa needed our help. I didn’t realize it was going to take the entire day. I’m really sorry, I’ll finish plowing the field tomorrow. I promise.”

 

“Well, I suppose I can forgive you since you were doing a good deed. That woman makes the best pies in town.”

 

Mrs. Yoshinaga gave him a stern, but joking, glance. Her hands at her hips her husband was forced to apologise.

 

“Other than you of course, honey. Well, I hope everything is alright with Mr. Handa?”

 

Yori averted his gaze and sat down at his place at the table, exclaiming that everything looked and smelled amazing. His father respected the solemnity in the situation and did not pursue his question further. Yori’s silence spoke volumes at Mr. Yoshinaga’s inquiry.

Everyone at the table enjoyed dinner, as always. Mrs. Yoshinaga was the picture of motherhood. Kind, caring, and supportive, she always ensured her children and husband were well fed. The family joked and laughed until it was time for bed.

 

 

Mr. Yoshinaga stood and quietly walked over to a sleeping Noko, her head lying on top of her arms at the dinner table, sleeping soundly. Placing one of his arms under her armpits and the other under her legs, he lifted her from the chair, repositioning her head so it was resting on his shoulder. She stirred slightly and whined, quickly falling back asleep in her father’s arms as she carried her to her room to tuck her in to bed.

 

Mrs. Yoshinaga removed a boiling pot of water from the woodstove and poured it into a bucket half full of lukewarm water. Yori stood and began handing her dishes to clean, helping to dry and put them away when she was done. As his mother wiped the final item, a large knife she had used to cut up the meat for the stew, Yori gathered the courage to inquire about Noko’s situation.

 

“Mom, Noko mentioned that she was supposed to leave for the academy today, but she decided against it. I don’t understand, why doesn’t Noko want to go to the academy? I get that she’s going to miss us, but this is a huge opportunity for her.”

 

“She just doesn’t want to miss your birthday. Don’t worry about it though, we’ll have plenty of time to get her there before the school year starts. There are always people heading to and from the capital.”

 

“Oh, I guess that makes sense. Thanks mom. I’m gonna head to bed now, good night.”

 

He hugged her as she kissed him on the forehead, her hands still wet from doing the dishes. She gave him a sympathetic look as he headed for his room. Yori felt horrible. He had never even considered the fact that he might be the reason his sister did not want to leave.

 

I will have to apologize to her in the morning, and thank her for wanting to be here for my birthday.

It had been a long day and Yori was exhausted and still sore from the excitement with the jackalope. His eyes drooped, threatening to take his consciousness away before he managed to enter his room. Pressing his eyes closed he attempted to blink away the fatigue. He collapsed onto his bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

 

Although Yori slept, it was an unrestful slumber. Caught up in guilt-ridden dreams of causing difficulties for his little sister.

 

What if Noko has a hard time in class because she doesn’t get there on time? What if she doesn’t make friends all because of him?

 

He tossed and turned in his tribulations until a scream pierced his nightmare, violently waking him. He flew into a seated position and tried to pinpoint where the scream came from for a brief second. Throwing his thin blanket into the floor he leaped over to the window. Not imagining anything could have happened in his own home, he peered outside to see if someone was in trouble.