Written by Capt. Wolf.
Beneath
the temperate water of a natural hot spring was the faded silhouette of a young
woman. The warmth of the water flowed into her unclothed body, allowing her to
recover from the stressful events that led her here. She was a talented,
nineteen year-old warrior of the Runa Clan. This group came into prominence
centuries ago, when they introduced to the world a new breed of hero. These
exclusively female warriors could manipulate the perception of their opponents,
making them exceptional agents of espionage. Additionally, if a compromise
could not be found with their enemy, they were a terrifying sight on the
battlefield. Wielding the fiery elements around them, they would blaze through
their enemies in a powerful show of force. It was not uncommon for an area to
succumb to a firestorm upon the arrival of just one of these warriors. These
paragons of the flame were called the Ardent.
Because
of their unique and influential powers, the Ardent became highly sought after
by their home nation of Araea. Narycon, a rival nation to the north, was
looking for war. The necessity for gifted soldiers prompted an agreement
between Araea and the Runa Clan. In exchange for independence, the Runa Clan
would supply their home country with the Ardent for military use.
After
several years of this war, the Runa Clan was flourishing. Acting as a military
base for the country of Araea, the soldiers stationed here would bring two very
important things: wages and romance. These factors contributed to establishing
the Runa Clan as a prosperous, emerging town. However, there were sacrifices. The
war claimed many innocent lives, so the remaining Ardent made an appeal to
their clan to resist this foreign battle for supremacy. They were ultimately
denied and returned to the battlefield. Believing this fight was nothing more
than a pointless struggle, the Ardent chose to desert both the Araenians and the
Runa Clan. Left without the ability to train future Ardent, the Runa Clan lost
the favor it had so selfishly gathered, and the Ardent faded into history. This
infamous event became known as the Ardent Desertion.
A
bitter stalemate was reached between the warring nations, bringing only a
temporary end to their hostilities. Their mutual animosity guaranteed several
more conflicts between these countries over the next three hundred years, as
both sides struggled to breach the ever-present stalemate. In contrast, the
Runa Clan had continued to deteriorate. With the Ardent gone, they held no
significance to Araea, and their opinions were generally shunned. This was to
change with the coming of the next clan heir, who was rumored to have talents
comparable to that of the extinct Ardent. She was destined to lead the Runa
Clan to a new age of power… but it wasn’t going to be that simple with her.
The
woman burst forth from beneath the tranquil waters, releasing an elongated sigh
of happiness. Her mid-length, auburn hair drooped down to her shoulders,
dripping wet from her recent submergence. Like the Ardent, she had escaped the
confines of the Runa Clan, though more out of rebellion than necessity. She
wanted to build her own future instead of letting her mother, the current clan
leader, decide it for her. It was because of this defiant spirit that her
parents blessed her with a name that embodied such freedom – Hanabi.
Lying
back against the edge of the natural hot spring, Hanabi took another deep
breath. She had fled to the woodland border between Araea and Narycon, taking
refuge at a desolate hot spring in the middle of the two nations. Hanabi lifted
her leg out of the water, casually resting her foot upon a nearby rock. She
gazed upon her toes, admiring the glossy, black lacquer covering her toenails. While
she was going to miss that pampered life, the outdoors felt so much more
natural to her. Hanabi tilted her foot to the side, revealing the film of dirt
that a brief soak in the hot springs couldn’t remove. The soft caress of grass
against her soles, the feeling of loose earth in-between her toes – Hanabi was
a tomboy in every sense of the word. These moments connected her to the world,
even though the clean-up was her least favorite part of the experience.
Luckily, she still had a couple loyal vassals to assist her with this effort.
***
Hiding
in the lavish, green foliage of the forest around Hanabi was one such vassal.
This was a man, no older than eighteen, whose unkempt brown hair drooped down onto
his face. While he originated from the Runa Clan as well, his recognition as a
warrior was nonexistent. He was a stark comparison to the naked clan heir
before him, whose transcendent powers made her illustrious among her peers. It
was like he was from an entirely different world. He watched as Hanabi brought
both of her feet out of the water to splay her toes apart. The fresh, sylvan
air must have felt wonderful flowing between her toes, as it was a sensation
unique to this forest. He couldn’t pry his eyes from this spectacle.
Of
course, this wasn’t the first time he had experienced such a phenomenon. Early
in his childhood, he was introduced to the heir to the Runa Clan, Hanabi. While
he was destined to become her loyal aide, the two become inseparable friends.
When they would play, he always felt an inexplicable urge to play with her
feet. This infatuation took many forms, like gentle tickling and caressing, but
there was another example. While playing, he would often cover her feet with a
small pile of dirt. Hanabi would then wiggle her toes to dislodge the loose
earth. He would never forget the astounding sight of her dirty toes gyrating
beneath the soil. The following years brought a stunning realization – that his
sexual interests were overcoming the fruitless nature of these games. He had to
stop, but the only way for this to occur was to distance himself from his
beloved friend.
His
lungs burned with desire while thinking about this past of his. He resented the
lack of self-control that drove this friendship away during his childhood. Oblivious
to his brooding despair, Hanabi pressed her heels against a rock that protruded
from the hot spring. This drew the man’s attention, as she flexed her soles
forward to grip the awkward dimensions of the rock. Her toes shifted backwards,
finding a comfortable position pointing up towards the treetops. The man
marveled this sight, as her black nail polish contrasted beautifully with the
brightness that seeped into the forest from above. Oh, how he wished to be at
those feet once more.
Shuffling
forward in an attempt to catch a better view, the man lost his balance and
accidentally ruffled the leaves of the foliage concealing him. He heard the
splashing of water, as Hanabi rose to her feet. She stared in his direction,
eyes locked upon what she assumed to be his hiding spot. What a fool he was to
forget the very reason he was here. This was supposed to be a mission, but his
personal feelings ensnared him in a situation he could only describe as
disastrous. He had to escape. With all of the agility he could muster, the man
leapt out of his cover and ran away from the hot springs. This was going to
pose a challenge. He never won a race against his childhood friend, but there
was no room for failure. What would Hanabi do if she found him spying on her,
this far from home? He didn’t want to find out.
As the
man imagined, Hanabi held no reservations about darting out of the hot spring
in pursuit. Her actions proved that she was going to make up for his
advantageous head start by ignoring the fundamental need to cloth herself. Such
a blatant disregard for her well-being was common, as he recalled. The
expectations of society were always mere suggestions upon her conscience. She
was intent upon catching the man that intruded upon her.
Speeding
through the forest, the man noticed the pace evening out between him and
Hanabi. While she should have caught up to him through the massive difference
of skill alone, the lush and cumbersome foliage must have restricted her speed.
Hanabi was being crippled by the environment. The man knew she was growing
frustrated, but instead of breaking the pursuit, Hanabi chose to take things up
a notch.
With
a commanding voice, Hanabi extended her hand out in front of her. “Coal,
engage!” A swirling orb of fire formed in her hand. This was the power of the
Ardent. The man had never been on the receiving end of Hanabi’s powers, but he
was about to experience her gift firsthand. She launched this orb into the air,
forming an arc that passed clean over the man’s head. The quiet nature of the
forest was torn asunder as the orb burst upon impact with the ground. The man
was thrown violently to the ground by this blast, shielding his eyes from
molten cinders that flowed throughout the air. While he reeled on the ground, a
mysterious figure approached from the epicenter of the explosion. This
frightening being was clad in armor and oozed a fiery, red plumage that
distorted the space around it. The man clamored to his feet in terror of his
opponent. He was brought to pause, however, by the mention of his name.
“Tadao?”
Hanabi muttered, left in partial disbelief upon discovering his identity. The
man turned his head and watched as his beloved friend approached from behind, now
having caught up to him. Their eyes made contact, as each of them struggled to
find words to explain their sudden reunion. Both of them were oblivious to the
approaching creature, which menacingly raised its gloved hand towards the man.
Hanabi realized this just moments too late. “Ah, Coal-!“
The
palliative atmosphere was broken with a lurid crack, as a concussive blast of
hot air left the palm of the hostile creature. This forceful gale smashed into
the side of the man’s head, returning him to the ground in a bout of
unconsciousness.
