could sneak up on them.
By the time the sun set, Moriko had not stopped for more than a few moments the entire afternoon and early evening. She was worried. If the hunters could maintain this sort of pace and still destroy a village without leaving a clue, they had physical capabilities far beyond her own. A shadow of doubt in her own abilities crossed her mind. Perhaps the caves had just been a fluke. Perhaps instead of all the skill she thought she possessed, she had just gotten lucky.
Moriko shoved the thoughts aside and focused on the present moment. Whatever doubts she had, she knew she would not be able to live with herself if she allowed a village to be destroyed when she could do something about it. As soon as the thought came to her, she stopped dead in her tracks. It was the type of thought she would've expected from Ryuu, a selflessness which would put her in danger. He was starting to rub off on her.
Moriko reached the outskirts of the village just as the sun was setting. At first glance, everything in the village seemed normal. She dared not enter and attract the attention of the hunters if they were nearby. Thinking quickly, she suppressed her presence and hid in some tall grass a few hundred paces away from the village edge. From her vantage point she could see the majority of the village, and sense all of it clearly. If the hunters were here, and if they attacked, she would be ready. She settled down into a comfortable position to wait.
The moon was high in the sky, and Moriko wasn't sure she had made the right decision. What if her tracking skills had misled her? What if the hunters had gone another way? Moriko was doubting herself, and after the encounter with Tomotsu, she was more shaken up than she cared to admit. Only her anger kept her on her feet. If the hunters weren't here, she would have to sleep for at least a day to be able to continue the hunt.
As the evening wore on, it became harder and harder to focus her sense on everything happening around her. Moriko allowed her sense to wander through the village and its surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything seemed quiet, a peaceful night and a sleepy village. The sound of crickets in the air was relaxing.
When Moriko awoke, she thought it was already morning. She blinked her eyes and shook her head and realized she was wrong. It wasn't morning, but the village below her was burning, throwing off enough light and heat to make her think the sun had come up. She cursed herself and bolted to her feet, but stopped before she ran into the village. She needed to think before she acted. Taking a deep, calming breath, Moriko extended her sense. She was late, but she wasn't too late. She could sense the two hunters, the center of everyone’s attention. Marking them, she moved quickly.
Below her, several of the buildings were aflame, and there were shouts and screams from the villagers who were trapped inside their houses. Moriko debated whether to save them or to go after the hunters first. Her initial instinct was to go after the hunters. If she could kill them fast enough, she could then release the villagers without fear of them being attacked once again. But as she passed the first house, she couldn’t do it. The screams and cries coming from within were too much for her to handle. She darted off to the side, and with a quick flick of her wrist, cut through the board the hunters were using to seal the door. She didn't stop to be seen.
Moriko hid behind a wall and threw out her sense. The two hunters had separated. They were acting as though they had nothing to fear. They had no idea they were being stalked. The thought of it made Moriko smile viciously.
Suppressing her presence as completely as she could, Moriko tracked one hunter circling around the village to the east. He was methodical, stopping in each house and killing the inhabitants within. Just from sensing him, Moriko imagined he was proceeding in a very nonchalant
By the time the sun set, Moriko had not stopped for more than a few moments the entire afternoon and early evening. She was worried. If the hunters could maintain this sort of pace and still destroy a village without leaving a clue, they had physical capabilities far beyond her own. A shadow of doubt in her own abilities crossed her mind. Perhaps the caves had just been a fluke. Perhaps instead of all the skill she thought she possessed, she had just gotten lucky.
Moriko shoved the thoughts aside and focused on the present moment. Whatever doubts she had, she knew she would not be able to live with herself if she allowed a village to be destroyed when she could do something about it. As soon as the thought came to her, she stopped dead in her tracks. It was the type of thought she would've expected from Ryuu, a selflessness which would put her in danger. He was starting to rub off on her.
Moriko reached the outskirts of the village just as the sun was setting. At first glance, everything in the village seemed normal. She dared not enter and attract the attention of the hunters if they were nearby. Thinking quickly, she suppressed her presence and hid in some tall grass a few hundred paces away from the village edge. From her vantage point she could see the majority of the village, and sense all of it clearly. If the hunters were here, and if they attacked, she would be ready. She settled down into a comfortable position to wait.
The moon was high in the sky, and Moriko wasn't sure she had made the right decision. What if her tracking skills had misled her? What if the hunters had gone another way? Moriko was doubting herself, and after the encounter with Tomotsu, she was more shaken up than she cared to admit. Only her anger kept her on her feet. If the hunters weren't here, she would have to sleep for at least a day to be able to continue the hunt.
As the evening wore on, it became harder and harder to focus her sense on everything happening around her. Moriko allowed her sense to wander through the village and its surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything seemed quiet, a peaceful night and a sleepy village. The sound of crickets in the air was relaxing.
When Moriko awoke, she thought it was already morning. She blinked her eyes and shook her head and realized she was wrong. It wasn't morning, but the village below her was burning, throwing off enough light and heat to make her think the sun had come up. She cursed herself and bolted to her feet, but stopped before she ran into the village. She needed to think before she acted. Taking a deep, calming breath, Moriko extended her sense. She was late, but she wasn't too late. She could sense the two hunters, the center of everyone’s attention. Marking them, she moved quickly.
Below her, several of the buildings were aflame, and there were shouts and screams from the villagers who were trapped inside their houses. Moriko debated whether to save them or to go after the hunters first. Her initial instinct was to go after the hunters. If she could kill them fast enough, she could then release the villagers without fear of them being attacked once again. But as she passed the first house, she couldn’t do it. The screams and cries coming from within were too much for her to handle. She darted off to the side, and with a quick flick of her wrist, cut through the board the hunters were using to seal the door. She didn't stop to be seen.
Moriko hid behind a wall and threw out her sense. The two hunters had separated. They were acting as though they had nothing to fear. They had no idea they were being stalked. The thought of it made Moriko smile viciously.
Suppressing her presence as completely as she could, Moriko tracked one hunter circling around the village to the east. He was methodical, stopping in each house and killing the inhabitants within. Just from sensing him, Moriko imagined he was proceeding in a very nonchalant
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