The Dream Shifter

Chapter 170

Chiharu spun a kunai around her finger leaning against the wall. "I wouldn't underestimate them," she warned. "It's exactly because they appear this way that we should remain cautious. Unlike Ancient Greece they are surrounded by the modern age. The citizens might not have much knowledge of the world, but I doubt the leaders keep a blind eye to the outside."

"Caution is best for now," he agreed. "I doubt that we've heard anywhere near everything about Atlantis yet."

From near the door, Seiji pounded his fist into his hand. He seemed to be psyching himself up. "Well it doesn't matter all that much if they have sticks or guns. We'll deal with them the same way. We just have to stop whoever is sending out assassins!"

"Simplistic as always…" murmured Chiharu. Her voice managed to be picked up by Seiji unusually good hearing. She gave him a cold stare not caring that he felt insulted. The look only enraged him and triggered him to charge for her. Unfortunately, it proved impossible for him to catch her.

The words that Seiji mentioned got to Yuki. '…the assassins…' He had not given it too much thought since he decided to confront the problem. The focus required of him during the boat and snow plow made it slip away from him. However, whenever he saw Eudokia lately hesitation began to build into uncertainty. 'She takes this all very seriously… Can I tell her that I can't be the person she wants me to be?'

Solitude wrapped around him burrowing him further into his mind. 'I came for my own reasons, but I don't even know how I'm supposed to fix it…' His reasons floated by him trying to provide strength. However, errant thoughts from the village came to him. He saw them hurrying around and most seemed to be acting normal, but he noticed a couple looking strange. When he saw them it got burned in to his mind. 'I couldn't understand them, but they seemed unsettled and nervous… The more that I saw them the more it felt like the whole village had an air of unease…like they feared something…'

He tilted over toward the closed window. The villagers faded through his vision adding weight to his worries. 'She said the King maintains them… What happens if there's no King? How much do they need a King?' Yuki tightened his hands balling up the blanket of the bed into his hands.

Across the room he founded Saki silently waiting. She did not meet his gaze, but it still felt like she looked disappointed with him. 'Saki…can I abandon them? Leave them alone? Do I have a choice? Is this my fate? I'm sorry, I can't keep my promise…'

Only precious moments of light remained in the sky over the land of Atlantis. The village grew busier with the returning men and women from gathering, husbandry or hunting. They built a low stir of the atmosphere through the few streets of the village. Outside of the inn where her new friends rested, Yumi and Eudokia searched around for food and supplies for their journey.

Their request gave them a few strange looks from the villagers. While those that returned from the village at the time they wanted to buy things most did their purchases earlier in the day. Evening arriving signaled the closing of businesses. Anything found during the day took time to prepare. Family members that came back got welcomed and meals set out. Only the tavern or odd stall stayed open.

Yumi kept mostly to herself just taking in everything she saw. 'I guess I never really thought too much about night time being a time to stay home. There's always places open and people enjoying the night time in Japan. But here every day is work and it starts in the morning…' The small booth they found still open seemed to be taking advantage of providing those that returned with a small snack before their dinner. A young woman that probably bordered on thirty managed the stall. Most of her table filled with fruits and small baked goods that could be eaten by hand.

In front Yumi, Eudokia bartered with woman over the food. She locked in focused on the task not letting anything distract her. The debate seemed to have drawn her in like she enjoyed herself. After the sale went through she turned around with her leather bag filled up. Eudokia motioned to Yumi to start moving away.

When they had enough distance between them and the stall Eukodia snapped her hand down at Yumi's hands lightly together in front. "Careful with your mannerisms. You're showing as a foreigner."

Her hands jerked apart to slide uncomfortably at her sides. "Sorry… It's habit. It feels a little strange to just stand with them at my sides when I'm not walking."

"Just be mindful. I gave you an appearance that won't make them suspect, but your actions will still show through."

"I'll try!"

Another stall lined up for their shopping. Yumi continued to keep to herself while trying to mind her actions. She had no clue to what she should and should not do while around the villagers. 'Should I just do what the villagers do?' Each action she took became over thought and self conscious. Nervousness ruled her movements and made for stiff posture.

'What should I do? Ayumi's so calm right now even knowing the risks…' She stared at Eudokia trying to find an answer to her questions. All her back spoke of seemed to be confidence. A self-assured sense of what she was doing was correct. 'She's acts so cold…and yet I sense something deeper…something powerful and driven…' Yumi felt a little shaken suddenly receiving a confusing sensation in her mind. 'What is this feeling?'

Inside of the inn room, Seiji and Chiharu came to a bit of a lopsided stalemate. Only Chiharu called it a stalemate. It placed Seiji in the uncomfortable position of being exhausted and sat upon like a throw pillow. Chiharu rested atop her rough-around-the-edges teenager cushion. She had a satisfied look on her face though she tried to hide it, as though the score balanced out.

Yori and Fumiko left the two to act like troubled siblings not having the energy to deal with them. All of the forced marching from Eudokia left them feeling fatigued. Long walks or any great amount of exercise did not come naturally to them. Unlike the others in the room, they were not built for such work.

The pensive Yuki drew the attention of Yori. 'Something's on his mind…he seems to be a lot more withdrawn than I expected…not like what I've heard…' His image of Yuki did not seem to fit with what he saw. Trouble always managed to find Yuki and that fact alone still had his concern. He wondered if he might have to reconsider his view. Distrust still existed and he only helped because of his sister's insistence, but he would keep observing. 'I'll watch you until I understand…'

His last thoughts to himself spurred a separate thought in his mind, another concern that he had about their trek. 'We've only heard her side of things and not the whole story at that. I want to see what these people have to say on the matter. Invading and attacking an entire nation is a bad idea even being informed. And we're doing this completely blind…' Yori stood up coming to a decision.

He approached Yuki waiting for a sign of recognition, which never came. "Hayashi." Yori saw that Yuki existed deep in thought making it difficult to reach him. He tapped him on the shoulder and that seemed to be enough to grab his attention. "Hayashi, that power of yours can make anything right?"

"More or less…" Yuki hesitated, getting the sense that a request was about to be made of him. "Why?"

"I want you to make me a translator for the Atlantean language."

Yori's request made had the room's attention. Everyone perked up and focused over on the two of them. He figured that the others would end up taking an interest. However, Yori held his attention on Yuki wanting an answer.

"Why? Ayumi said to stay in the room."

"I need to know more about what's going on."

"But you can just ask Ayumi."

"She's holding back too much. I can't trust someone's words when they're being that secretive."

The debate started to press Yuki into a corner. He trusted what Ayumi told him, but he knew how restrictive she was about information. She had a plan he knew and seemed set on seeing it through. Yuki saw that she believed what she did to be the best and only way to handle the situation. The knowledge and experience laid with her about Atlantis so he left it up to her. Yet the argument that Yori made left him also curious to know what she still held back. "But you can't talk to anyone. They'll know you're not one of them. That's something Ayumi wants to avoid and I don't think she's wrong. We don't want to start a panic."

A grim expression drew across Yori's lips seeing that he got more trouble from Yuki than he expected. 'He so focused on her that he can't see anything else. There's still so much we don't understand here!' Yori took a step back to make his presence seem less demanding and oppressive. A new approach needed to be taken. "I don't plan on exposing myself to the locals. I can learn from just hearing what they talk about. Considering the importance of the King and his death, there must be talk even out here."

"I'll keep an eye on him, Yuki," spoke Fumiko, joining the conversation. She understood Yori's interest and had some questions of her own. "We won't do anything reckless."

"But…"

"Think of this way. You're going to be King right? So this will just help you understand what life is like out here."

Yuki's eyes widened the moment that Fumiko mentioned being King. Shaking in his hand developed quickly that he tried to hide away from sight. Hesitation built up in his voice with uncertainty. "King…well I—"

"He's not going to be staying here!" snapped Seiji from underneath Chiharu. The words spurred his strength and he effortlessly cast aside the ninja. He rushed into the group holding out his determined assured fist to anyone that disagreed with him.

Fumiko backed away from Seiji not wanting to get him anymore excited. She remembered how he got when he heard about Yuki. "It still remains that knowing the situation better would help us against the enemy."

Watching his friends eased some of the wavering in his heart and mind. He just hoped that Ayumi forgave him for using his powers for such a purpose. "Alright, I'll do it." Agreeing to do Yori's request settle down the tension in the air a little, but heightened it for Yuki. The thought of Ayumi's reaction etched into his mind. 'I really don't want to keep up a field for the entire time…if I could just do it…another way!' Several waves of light pulsed from his feet over the wood flooring disappearing after a few meters.

Out of the ground appeared a simple appearing box with a couple of antenna. When it finished materializing a beam of light shot out between the antenna focusing in the center. The light gathered together and focused on the wood flooring. Sparkling dust like particles began to float up from the wood as it disappeared creating a perfect circle buried into the board. It grew deeper the longer the beam of light lasted. Another beam of light grew out from the centered mass on the opposite side of the box creating something on the floor. A pair of items soon took shape as the light continued its meticulous work.