CHAPTER 3 - STORYTIME WITH AKIRA - Part 1

The next Day, May 15th. Year 611.

[Monday, 9:08 AM]. 

Akira, Raion, Tora , and the two neighbors, Tamashi and his younger sister, Nola, were sitting out on the deck. 

"Get our breakfast! It's burning!" 

Akira shouted, and Nola quickly rushed away.

"Yeah… I'm hungry!" Tora added. 

"Why are you making my little sister do it?" Tamashi asked. 

She returned with a platter, and set it on the table in the middle of the deck. Tora jumped in at first chance, gnawing on a bit of bacon. "It's so.. Boring!!" Raion exclaimed, slumping over in his chair. "Then what should we do?" Tora asked. "I say we do storytime! But instead, I'm the only one doing the storytelling!" Akira laughed joyfully. 

Raion and Tamashi both sighed, but Tora was interested. 

"Let me tell you kids about that time I visited Penumbra "

Tora's eyes lit up. "Penumbra? What's that?" 

"It is the name of an island." Akira answered. 

"Anyways, Ah, Yes… It all began forty-or-so years ago… When I was in my teens." 

.

.

.

Me, And my two sisters, Sakura and Asuka, were attempting to find an ancient artifact…

It was a sunny day, well- At first it was. 

"Did you eat all the food again?" Sakura asked, as she searched the traveling bags on the ship. 

"Nope." 

Akira slurped on his fingers as he spoke, regardless of what she was saying. 

"Asuka! He's lying again!" She called out, quickly responding. 

Akira froze, his eyes popping out as he felt a stinging pain shoot up his back. 

"Damn runt-! How many times have I told you not to eat the food!?" 

Asuka had a hand on his back, and somehow was grabbing his spine. 

Sakura giggled as she watched. 

Akira quickly backed away, reaching both fists out in a battle stance.

Asuka paused for a second, before bursting out in laughter. 

"Please-!" 

. . . 

"Wow~ She must have been really strong!" 

Tora exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. 

"Was she stronger than you, though?" Raion butted in, smirking.

To his surprise, Akira answered with a confident "Yep." 

He and Tora 's jaws both dropped to the floor in complete shock.

"Anyways…" 

. . .

Sakura herself had just finished packing her bag to enter the island. "Cya!" 

Without them noticing, she snuck out quietly, leaping from the boat to the land, which was a 30 foot distance. 

There was no point waiting for them, so Sakura decided to move on. 

The forest reminded her of her past; Dark, and gloomy. She continued to walk, to the point where she could no longer hear the feuding. "Focus on your mission- Find the artifact." With these words, she shut her eyes, visualizing her surroundings.

In her mind, she could see everything. 

She searched every nook and cranny, focusing until she found a strange, small plate on the ground somewhere up ahead. For some reason though, she couldn't look through it. But it didn't matter. Opening her eyes, she quickly ran towards the spot, finding the same opening from her vision. 

"This must be it." 

She took a deep breath, before crouching down, and grabbing onto the plate. 

With a simple pull, she lifted it, tossing it off. 

Inside was nothing but dirt. 

She sighed, shaking her head.

She then reached down, patting the soil.

It was soft…

Letting out a soft smile, she dug her fingers through the dirt, poking something below.

It was a lever! 

Brushing it away, she quickly flipped the switch, and….

 Nothing happened. 

Sighing for the second time, she sat down right next to the patch, as she waited for the others.

"Oi! Why'd you leave us behind!?"

She turned around, noticing Akira in the distance, running towards her at full speed.

Behind him was Asuka, who said not one word. 

She watched, until they reached her.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but then- 

The ground crumbled away in an instant, and they all fell through. 

Akira was the only one to let out a shriek. 

"Sakura, What did you do!?" 

"I Kinda… Um.." 

Asuka glanced down, noticing that below them was a pit…

A Pit of sharp, jagged spikes.

Interrupting Sakura, She kicked the wall to throw herself towards the other two, causing the three to be sandwiched together 

"Oi, What are ya' doing!?" Akira shouted.

Ignoring him, She grabbed ahold of the both of them and tossed them upwards.

"Watch out for the ledge!" 

Sakura glanced up, confused. "Ledge!?"

She looked up and noticed that there was an opening in the wall. Akira had an idea of his own, and used Sakura as leverage to leap towards the ledge. He reached a hand out, grabbing onto the ledge and pulling himself onto the ground. 

Meanwhile, Asuka and Sakura were nearing death below. 

Jumping to action, she pulled out both of her daggers, rotating them, before tossing them upwards whilst not letting go of the chains. 

. . . 

"Woah, she had swords attached to chains??" Nola asked, deeply interested. 

Akira scrubbed his chin, before answering. 

"I Guess you could call them that. But they did have names." 

"What were they?" Tora asked excitedly, as he was now standing. 

"Clean and Crooked." 

"Clean and crooked? What kind of name is that?" 

Akira paused, looking out into the sky. "Cus' one blade is very sharp, while the other is very rigid." 

. . .

Sakura had planted her fists into the walls and began climbing up. 

The blades that Asuka had thrown were caught by Akira, and Asuka began climbing up as well. 

Asuka was jerked to a halt right above the spikes. 

She let out a relieved sigh, before climbing back up. Once she reached The top, She pulled herself onto the ledge, retrieving her weapons. 

"Wait next time." Akira said to Sakura as he bumped her with his elbow.

"Oh, Shut up!" Sakura slapped Akira, sending him toppling over. 

Asuka walked past both of them and continued into the hole. "Let's go."

With these words, the two sisters left him behind, continuing through the dark tunnels. 

"Nice… Punch..!!" 

. . . 

Tora laughed aloud, pointing at Akira. "Grandpa got bullied!" 

"Shut up, kid." 

Tora laughed even harder, clutching his stomach.

"Hey, Grandpa!" Raion called out.

Akira grunted, glancing over at him. 

"Where are they now?" 

Akira laid back, dazing out into the clouds. 

"I Don't know." 

"Hey grandpa, can we go to the island from your story? I Don't wanna know more from you, I want to experience it myself!" 

Akira grinned at those words.

"Anytime." 

Raion and the others glared at Tora .

"Why'd you suggest that!?" 

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