Astral's Adventures

Never let yourself be doubted, be sure in your actions, and feel free to do what you feel is right. Do not show hesitation at your moment of action.

Those days blurred all together as one with each other, none of them felt unique. As a child I saw the flowers, nature, the trees. The amazing nature of growing up outside a rural town. I enjoyed each day not having to be inside. Exploring nature and playing with the birds and the bees. I still could see the stars at night. Most times I would just wander around by myself and have no recollection of who my parents were. Their faces are blurred as only one man has forever taken care of me. He is a bulbous and round fellow. I always saw him in the mornings before I went outside. My eyesight wandered to the cities from afar as we stayed in the mountains hidden from them all as our peacefulness made it a simple life from us.

No news from the outside world and no knowledge learned outside how to speak and write. The large caretaker of mine asked for him to be called Mentor. I was called Disciple when under his care. He gave me the real name of Hoshihiro. For he expected me to do great things one day. However, there was much more trouble to learn from the world than what he was teaching me. I would often stay out during the night with baited warnings from Mentor. I heeded these with no hesitation as I felt strong and safe.

One day I went to the local monastery late at night. When I was around seven. Once I arrived late at night there was an eerie cold washing over me. The warning of staying out at night had been true. The cold felt uninviting to me as I wrapped myself up tighter. I looked at the building and entered to see a field of dead bodies. A man sat on the throne, an icy veil surrounding them as I tried to peer through.

"You are a brave child, adventuring at night. Something is peculiar about you. Yes, the small jacket pattern. Is it?" The man stayed quiet as he looked at him.

"I'm Hoshihiro! And you won't scare me that easily." I flailed my arms up and down as the haroi became looser around my body. I looked at the bodies as there were several open wounds on them. The blood funneled away from me as the man raised a hand and froze the blood on the ground.

"Why don't you get lost?" The man snarled, "You are ruining my meal time." the ceiling shattered as two men fell through and stood in front of me as a third lady grabbed me. "What pests." He sent ice shards at us as I did it based off pure instinct. I grabbed one of the swords off the ground from one of the fallen bodies as I defended the lady and I. the two men collapsed as they inhaled the ice and it froze their throat close.

I looked behind me as I noticed her Haori. It was red with hints of sparking yellow signets as she wore an all black jumpsuit. Her hair was a softer red color than her Haori as she looked in shock at my actions. We both lock eyes as I felt my first emotion. Love. "I will do anything to protect you!" I shouted out as she giggled a little bit.

"You remind me of my youngest sister. What a ruffian." She ran her hands into my hair as we both looked at the man who was very intrigued with the two of us.

"Here is the deal I will make. If you two manage to fight me for an extended period of time. I may let you escape. But that is if you excite me." He pointed right to me as I gripped the sword in both hands and prepared.

"We make a run for it. But in a different way." she leaned next to my ear and whispered. "Once you get close to dealing a finishing blow, just follow my lead and we can both get out of here in one piece." She grabbed her katana from her right side as the blade was a bright red.

"Ha, a fire user and a child. I'm very amused." A snowy cloak surrounded the man as the lady stepped forward. He sent several ice shards at her as I jumped up and shattered them all. I can't describe what is allowing me to perform at these levels. She sent one slash upwards.

"Form one, fiery pinwheel!" She shouted as a ring of fire formed vertically at the tip of her sword. She let the fire from her blade burn the icy vapors as she realized she was the only one that could counter him. "Form three. Firewall!" She made a horizontal slash at the man on the throne as a wall of fire formed. She grabbed me and started to run as the man made no chase. More amazed by anything than the little inkling of power I had.

Once the two of us were out of the monastery she set me down outside of Mentor's house. "If this is your home, you are better off coming back with me. Something feels off putting about this house."

"I will be fine." I held the sword in my hands as I hadn't freed it from my grasp as an owl flew above us and cooed into the nights sky. "Please be safe on your way back."

"Don't worry. You can count on seeing me again one day." She raced away and vanished into the night as I stood there alone in the dark and looked at the sky. Then the blanket of coldness appeared behind me as the ice filled the air.

"Kid, I will make it so you never see her again." He raised his hands as I acted without hesitation. My eyes were wide open as I cut off his hands in one fluid slash. I stood past him. Mentor slammed the door open as the man ran off. I looked for him with my head on a swivel as he was nowhere to be seen. I dropped the katana and ran directly to Mentor into his arms.

I fell asleep right there and in his arms. He brought me inside and laid me in bed. Everything changed when I woke up. My eyes were covered as I looked around. I stumbled around in the morning trying to find water. Mentor clapped his hands as he said my training was to begin.