Mingi and the whole gang have been walking for days now. "Hey," Niniane waved to get Mingi's attention. "Where is out destination anyway?"
Mingi hesitated for awhile. "I have not idea."
Niniane's mouth dropped open in shock. "So you mean to tell me that we've been walking around this place for days with no destination!!!" She yelled both shocked and angered.
"I have a destination." Mingi said. "My destination is to find my destiny. Of course, it WAS all of your choices to come with, so don't blame me."
They reached a near by village, form where they were it was a bit small, but they all seemed a bit shock for they saw smoke descending from the village. Mingi looked to the grouped nodded, Mingi turned back to the village. "Let's go." She said little low, but they all heard her.
Mingi started run and they all followed closely behind. When they reached the village, all breathless, they saw that the entire village was up in flames. Mingi saw a glimpse of a face in the sky, but couldn't make it out. The rest of the group split up to help the villagers put out the flames. A man came running out a house in flames that Mingi stood near. She threw off her cloak and wrapped it around the man to smother the flames. When the flames where out Mingi held the man in her arms. "What happened here?" She asked.
"K-K-Kallima..." The man chocked out.
Mingi looked around and saw a young girl just standing around. "You, girl!!" Mingi yelled. The girl ran over to Mingi. "Stay here and take care of this man."
The girl nodded and Mingi ran off to help the others.
When the fire was finally out, they were all tired from all the work. Lucky for them all but the hospital was badly burnt. IT was over crowded, they also used a couple of other houses that weren't burnt as bad as the other houses. Mingi helped many of the surviving men carry buckets back to the hospital. When Mingi turned to the end of the line she noticed one man having problems carrying the two buckets. Mingi walked to the man. "Let me take those for you." Mingi offered.
"No! No, no... I can handle this." The got up from his knees and started to walk again.
Falling fatal this time, he almost dropped the buckets, but Mingi caught the bamboo stick that held the buckets. The man looked up at her. "Only helping me will cause you trouble."
"Mister, not helping you will only cause a heavy heart." Mingi turned and carried the four buckets to the hospital. A couple of men starred in awe, for most of them couldn't handle four buckets.
"You must be very strong to carry four buckets." a man said beside her.
Mingi looked at who was talking to her. It was the man that she saved, she knew this because he wore her cloak. He walked up to her and bowed. Before Mingi could return her bow he wrapped his arms her and hugged her. "Thank you so much!" He said sounding like he was about to cry.
Taking a step back he removed her cloak and handed it to her. Mingi put the buckets down and grabbed hold of the cloak, he tugged it so Mingi would get closer to him. "Meet me after dawn at the west entrance of this village." He whispered, winked, then walked off.
"What was that all about?" Kannuki asked behind Mingi carrying one bucket.
"I don't know." Mingi turned and lifted the buckets back onto her shoulders.
"I think he likes you." Kannuki teased.
"I don't think so. He's just being nice to me for saving his life." Mingi replied back calmly.
"You know," Kannuki started. "My mom fell in love with my dad the first time they met and maybe that's what the guy's going through."
Mingi laughed. "You don't see love, you have to feel it."
Kannuki looked at Mingi who was looking a little sad. "Have you ever been in love?" He blurted out by surprise.
Mingi only looked at the ground. "The only love I felt was for my grand master. Nothing more."
"There must of been another love, or you wouldn't look so sad." Kannuki pointed out.
"You must know a liar when you hear one, don't you?" Mingi smiled.
"Well, hey, I have my ways." Kannuki smiled looking all flashy.
Mingi smiled. "I've always wanted to feel the love most of these people here felt. Of a brother, sister, mother, father. Real blood line families. I've never had a family... I was raised as a white-mage."
"Wow," Kannuki silently said. "So you're just like me and Jun... without a family."
They finally got the buckets to the hospital. Mingi set hers down and stretched. She turned to get more water, but her entire surroundings turned to black. "What's going on?" Mingi demanded, looking around her which is nothing but blackness.
"Who are you?" Mingi heard a male voice say, but she saw no one.
"Where are you? Show yourself?!" Mingi once again demanded.
A light appeared and in that light was a man, dressed in fire clothes. He walked up closer to Mingi to be able to get a better look at him. He had short, blonde, curly hair, greyish, lifeless eyes, and he was very tall as well as a bit skinny. "My name is Jaton." He bowed with no expression in his eyes. "Now will you tell me who you are?"
"My name is Mingi." She said taking a half step back not trusting the man. "Why do you want to know?"
"I saw you help a man," He started walking around Mingi examining her. "My people need no help, they must learn to do things on their own."
"He was wounded and couldn't carry such heavy buckets." She replied eyeing him.
"I see..." Jaton waved his hand and her cloak disappeared, he started to walk around her again examining her. "You are very strong. How would you feel if I gave you an offer to work with me?"
Mingi hesitated for a moment. "I feel I would rather not."
"You are quite rude--" Jaton started.
"I'm only rude to those I don't trust." Mingi interrupted.
Jaton only smirked. "I will let you go this once, but if we ever meet again, Mingi, be prepared to meet your doom."
He disappeared and everything once again turned black. Mingi looked around, wondering what she is to do. "Mingi?" She heard Kannuki's voice echo. "Mingi, wake up."
"I'm asleep...?" Mingi silently asked.
Suddenly she felt something cold wash across her face. Mingi blinked her eyes open to see Kannuki shaking her. She looked around and saw the others around her as well.
"What happened?" She asked sitting up.
"Well," Kannuki started. "You set the buckets down then you turned around and just dropped like you fainted." Kannuki said gesturing with his hands what Mingi did.
"I don't feel like I fainted or anything..." Mingi rubbed her head. "I just saw everything around me get pitch black, and this man named..." She paused trying to remember. "Jaton!" She snapped.
The village people looked at her in shock and slowly moved away. Niniane stepped forward. "I've heard of this Jaton." She nodded her head. "He is someone mysterious, he is very cruel to the village, that was once a city, he owns and he is so powerful that only a god can ever wound him." Niniane looked down. "I've met him once and all my powers barely put a scratch on him."
A laughter rang through the village, the villages ran for safety. A man appeared before Mingi and the others. "Niniane," Jaton smiled looking at her. "It's all coming back to me now. You could of just become my mortal bride instead of embarrassing yourself by losing to me." His smile became wider.
Niniane backed up and hid behind Raziel, Jaton turned to Mingi. "I've lived for many years," He started walking closer to her. "I've owned this village for all the years I’ve lived, and not once have I met a woman such as you , Mingi." He lightly touched her cheek, she shoved his hand away. "So strong, bold...and...beautiful..."
Jaton roughly grabbed Mingi under her chin and brought her face closer for a kiss. Kannuki pulled out his sword charging at Jaton and jammed it into Jaton's side. Jaton screamed in pain, throwing Mingi away from him, he pulled the sword out and his wound healed quickly. "Foolish little brat!" Jaton yelled, stabbing Kannuki straight through his stomach, the end of the sword was easily seen through Kannuki's back.
"Kannuki!!!" Mingi screamed in fear.
"No!!" Jun screamed covering her face falling to her knees.
Jaton put his hand on where Kannuki stabbed him. "The kid gave me a scratch, only because I was off guard." He turned to Mingi. "Until next time..." He disappeared.
They ran up to Kannuki, Jaton had defiantly killed Kannuki. "You idiot..." Mingi sobbed holding Kannuki in her arms, brushing a piece of hair from his face. "You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me."
Raziel pulled out the sword. "So much blood...he couldn't have survived it." He placed his hand on Mingi's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"I...wanted him to live a different life..." Mingi put her cloak over Kannuki's body. "I didn't want him to live a loveless life."
Mitsuo pulled a flower from a vase she was near by and set it on Kannuki's body, before she was able to take her hand away Kannuki grabbed it. "AHHHH!!!" She and Jun screamed, Mitsuo pulled her hand from his grasp and slid backwards away from him.
Mingi pulled her cloak off of him, he layed there for a moment then jumped up. "Boo!!" He yelled making everyone jump.
Mingi and Mitsuo hit Kannuki upside the head. "You idiot!" Mitsuo yelled.
Jun stomped up and whacked him in the back of his head with her walking stick. "Don't you ever do that again you stupid-" Jun stopped herself and her eyes went wide with shock and fear, Jun slowly backed away from Kannuki. "You're-You're-You're--" Her eyes rolled back as she fell on the floor.
"You're supposed....to be dead..." Niniane said pointing at Kannuki.
"Dead?" He looked himself over. "No...I'm just fine."
"You don't remember what happened?" Raziel asked.
"Ummm....I just remember that guy trying to kiss Mingi." He squinted trying to remember. "I don't remember anything after that." He shrugged.
Mingi let out a sigh. "I heard everything." Kannuki added with a smirk. "You thought I was dead." He joked and started laughing, he looked at everyone's face then at the fainted Jun, and his laugh died out. "What happened?" He asked seriously.