Chapter 7- Name

Chapter 7- Name

The carriage sped along a road while I was inside trying not to puke from motion sickness. It had been several hours since we left the city, but I was told that I should still keep quiet. By the time the suns were starting to set, the carriage started to slow down before stopping.

“*Sigh* This is far enough. Miss Fated One, stay in there, I’ll take care of our stalkers, then we can talk.” (Fia)

I simply nodded my head and saw Fia move from the coachman’s seat. I moved to the window on the door and moved the curtain out of the way. There I saw Fia stop walking and three people in light armor with the Fafnir family crest.

“Who are you? You are not the one that is supposed to drive this carriage.”

“I don’t see the point in explaining to people that aren’t going to leave this place alive. Just know that my Goddess has a bone to pick with all of you, and I’m the one that will be doling out the punishment. Now, the time for talk is over.” (Fia)

All three people took a stance and shining weapons manifested out of nowhere. One person had something that looked like a zweihandr, one had an axe, and one had a halberd. Seeing this, Fia scoffed.

“Oh please. I get that this place is really behind in a lot of things, but it’s almost insulting that you think that this is enough to be considered powerful.” (Fia)

Fia did something and the area around her and the other three started to catch fire. The large embers that came from the fires then started to change shape into birds that flew around, waiting for Fia’s order to attack. The heat I could feel from the area, even inside the carriage, was actually quite comfortable, though the three that were confronting her obviously didn’t share the sentiment.

“T-this heat.”

“Oh? If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen.” (Fia)

Those words must have been some sort of signal since the fire birds flew into one of the people. The second it touched him, his entire body caught fire. I expected to hear screams of pain and to smell the smell of cooking flesh, but I didn’t. The man just silently fell to the ground. The fire coating his body the reformed into the bird it was before and started to fly around again. For a second, I thought I saw some kind of black thing leave the corpse, but I put it to the back of my mind as a trick of the light.

Being enraged by his comrade’s death, one of the now two enemies ran towards Fia and swung his axe at her. She dodged it easily and tapped him on the shoulder as he passed her. She then moved back, kicked him in the chest, and he flew back to his starting position.

“Heh.” (Fia)

Fia smirked and snapped her fingers. The guy she kicked then exploded. Seeing this I nearly puked again. When I managed to regain my composure, I saw the final enemy’s terrified face looking at Fia like she was a monster. I should commend him at least a little, because instead of running away, he ran toward her with a warcry. As soon as he swung his Soul Weapon at her, it wavered and disappeared before it hit her.

“Wha!?”

“You see, Soul Weapons have the potential to be very powerful, but you need to have a strong will to coincide with it. A weak will leads to a cowardly soul. The more cowardly the soul, the higher the chance your Soul Weapon will fail you in your most dire time of need.” (Fia)

Grabbing the man’s arm, Fia tossed him back and spears of flame sprouted from the ground, piercing him and killing him instantly. Once the final enemy was dead, Fia quickly gathered the bodies, or whatever was left of them, together and started to burn them. I sat back in my seat with wide eyes at what just happened.

{Are you ok, my Fated One?}

“It’s just the first time I’ve seen people killed.” (MC)

{I know that this will make me sound unfeeling, but you need to get used to it. This may have been the first time you’ve seen this, it will most certainly not be the last. And in the future, it will be by your hand at times.}

“...” (MC)

“Goddess, give her some time to digest what she saw before talking about things like that. She’s only five, after all.” (Fia)

Fia had entered the carriage while I was deep in thought.

{I’ll keep that advice in mind.}

“Good. Now...Miss Fated One, let’s all have a nice, long chat. You and my Goddess have a lot of catching up to do, and I’d like to get to know you as well.” (Fia)

Fia’s words finally managed to shake me from the thoughts about what I just witnessed for the time and I focused on now. I don’t know what it was, the realization that I was now free of that place, the fact that Amaterasu and I were able to speak again, or a mix of the two, but all the things that I’ve been bottling up for the past five years started to break free. The temperature around us fluctuated from warm, to hot, to nearly blazing, and back to warm in rapid succession. Tears fell from my eyes to promptly evaporate.

“*Sniff* Why? Why was I born here? Why did I have to be born to a bunch of people like THAT!? Why did it take so long for you to get here!? Why didn’t you do something to keep Saki alive!? Why didn’t you do SOMETHING!? Do you know how hard it was to basically be treated like I don’t exist!? To have the one person that I consider an actual mother die and not even be allowed to grieve or give her a proper funeral!? To be harassed and abused in the form of nobility training every day for two years!? Of the three people I could actually trust in that place, one died, and the other two are forced to treat me like filth in front of other people. Even if I know that they don’t mean it, it still hurts. And what about the others there!? They looked at me all the time like I was some sort of abomination! All because my eyes! AND, I DON’T EVEN HAVE A NAME! It’s so, so hard to act like it doesn’t bother me! Constantly being called girl in the coldest and derogatory way!” (MC)

As I sobbed and let out all of my grievances, I could hear the sounds of Amaterasu crying and I felt someone grab my arm and pull me into a hug.

“Let it out. Let it all out. Things haven’t been easy for you, we both understand that. Let it all out and the two of us will explain things as best we can. Some will sound like excuses to you, and you may even hold a grudge against us for that, but it is true all the same.” (Fia)

“Hehe. Oh! Rasu, I think it’s about time.” (Fia)

{You’re right. My Fated One, I think it’s about time you got a name.}

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

“I’d love one.” (MC)

{Before that, I have a request.}

“I’m listening.” (MC)

{Will you come up with a family name for us? If I give you a name, you might end up with the family name of those mongrels. I want to avoid that, and I’m sure you feel the same.}

“Very much so. Hmmmm. I got it, though I hope you don’t mind the name being from something in my previous life that I liked.” (MC)

{I don’t mind at all.}

“Then, our family name will be Okami.” (MC)

{...That name feels...familiar for some reason.}

“Ignore that, what is my name?” (MC)

{Hehehe. I came up with it five years ago, I just couldn’t call you by it until you were safe. From now unto eternity, your name will be Keeno.}

“Keeno...Keeno Okami...” (Keeno)

I couldn’t stop the wide smile from spreading across my face.

“I love it. I absolutely love it.” (Keeno)

Chaos Realm:

Order: Keeno Okami, future Goddess of the Sun and Death. I like it.

I agree.

Astraea: Mama? Papa? Who is that?

Someone that we’ll be watching for a while.

Astraea: But what about Luna and Tama? And Aunty Atmos?

...

Order: They’ll still come to visit, so don’t worry.

Astraea: OK. Oh! Oh! Papa!

Hmm?

Astraea: Can Evelyn come over soon?

Sure.

Astraea: YAY!