Reunion

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.