36 Requesting a God

"Brother! Brother! What did you do on your mission!?!?" The twins aggressively asked Khi, who had just finished eating and resting up. Azuka had rested up as well, it only took about an hour for everyone to be finished eating. Ichina had gotten her seconds and Azuka started eating once he was healed up with assistance of the only doctor in the village.

"Twins! My mission is confidential, ask again when you guys turn ten years old." The twins pouted, but accepted their fate, they walked away to their room, as they have no further business with the rest of the family. "Speaking of your mission, what happened to Limo and Zino," Mrs. Kasai asks with a worried face. Khi hesitates, looking away from everyone, hiding his face with his hands. "Can you get Ghi out of here?"

"What do you mean! I have the right to hear what happened to them!" Mrs. Kasai points toward the back of the kitchen, signaling Ghi to go to his room. "But," Ghi loudly groans, walking back to his room in a fit. Mrs. Kasai and Khi both actively wait for something, while both Azuka and Ichina confusingly looks around.

*SLAM!*

Azuka and Ichina jump at the sudden slam, "My food! It's all over the floor." Azuka had his plate in hand at the time he was startled. "Does that happen often," Ichina asks, Mrs. Kasai and Khi nods. Once everyone is settled and moved from the kitchen to a living room of sorts, which was the opposite direction of the way to the Kasai family's bedrooms.

Azuka inspected the house with curiosity, this place is so dull, he thought, there are barely any valuables here. If I were to rob this place, I would practically be even less rich. No family photos, paintings, or even tribal artifacts or whatever.

"Our mission was going well, we had gotten the key to the grave," Khi looks at Azuka and Ichina. "The grave to our late God, Izu or Vulcus depending on wherever you are from. It has been locked away for a long time and grandfather kept the key safe from almost everyone. But, the demons came and stole it from his hands, they played around with it, then sold it to a sailor who was close to docking on the island."

Khi clenches his fist, "Grandfather was so disappointed in himself and his failure in protecting the key, so he sent us out to chase down the sailor. By the time we had caught up, him and his crew were gone, but the boat remained. We searched the boat for the key, but could not find it. That is when we saw...it."

Khi looks away from everyone and hid his face, "We were attacked by a beast from the ocean, the Sea Monster." Azuka gasps, "What's this Sea Monster?" Ichina shushes Azuka, but Khi holds up his free hand, still hiding his face, he stops Ichina. "It is a fairly new discovery, about 20 years ago if I am not mistaken, by a scientist by the name of Ikuma L. He claims that the Sea Monster is a pet for the original Gods that created the world around us."

"It is rumored to be as strong as the top of the known reincarnated Gods. Anyway, it attacked us, we were not prepared-" Khi visibly seems to struggle to let out his next sentence, "T-they." Mrs. Kasai stands up and walking over to Khi, she comforts him by rubbing his shoulder. "It's okay darling, you don't have to say it. You must have been through a lot."

*KNOCK KNOCK*

A knock is heard at the front door, everyone is frozen, "Can one of you get that for me please?" Before anyone could even move or do any action a knock is heard at the window of the living room. "Mrs. Kasai! Chief says to send over Ichina and Khi, as well as Mark if he is here." Ichina rushes over to the window, but she could hear the sounds of rushing footsteps, so she stops herself, thinking that the messenger has run away. "Well, I guess it is about time to go-" she weakly smiles, looking at Azuka and Ichina, then to her grieving grandson. "Perhaps you should go without him."

- A few minutes later -

Azuka and Ichina walk toward the Chief's hut. On their way there, Ichina greets many people to Azuka's surprise. "You got friendly with these people," Azuka attempts to say hello to some, but most reply with ignorance or a forced greeting. "Yes, I did. While you were out getting beat, I was helping around with the village." There was an awkward silence, "Do you think that the Sea Monster actually exists?"

Another awkward silence, "Of course it is real, did you see how distraught he was," Ichina finally replies.

Woah, woah, woah. Why is this so suddenly awkward, she is acting like I disappeared for fifty years, left her here, then came back acting like nothing happened. UGH! This is stressing me out so much I don't even think that is a good enough comparison! Also, why am I being dragged over to this Chief place, I'm not Mark! Damn it this silence is killing me, maybe I should get in a conversation about the grave and the key.

"Ichina, so about that grave-" Ichina stops walking, she glances back at him, "Don't even think about it, a man just lost his friends or family. All you can think about is stealing from some grave." She walks again, taking her eyes off of Azuka. Azuka is slightly stunned by her interruption, but shakes it off.

After another few minutes of more silence and walking, they arrive at Chief's hut. "Hello Chief," Ichina says as she opens the door into the hut. She and Azuka walk in, closing the door behind him, Azuka waves at the Chief who was still in his meditation pose. Ichina kneels at the end of the table, opposite of Chief, Azuka follows her actions.

"Ichina, since you had left this morning-no since you had first walked into this hut. Nothing has changed. This is similar to my village, we have not changed for a long time. For centuries we have been under the control of demons. Some blamed it on the reincarnations of our God who had abandoned us. Some blamed it even on our own foolishness and weakness. Whoever's fault it may have been who caused it. The demons have been at our throats and I- no we are sick of it."

Chief opens his eyes, struggles to stand up, once he was up he then got up on the table. "Mark!" Mark becomes annoyed and intervenes in Chief's monolouge. "My name is Azuka!" Chief pauses, "Azuka! I am requesting you, the reincarnation of our God, Izu! To help us in this difficult time to get rid of the demons who have ruled over us, not for our benefit, but for their own amusement, under the false pretense of 'protecting' us."

Azuka stayed silent, looking blankly at the old man who had started groveling. "Please Chief, you don't have to do that," Ichina says slightly standing up, getting ready to stop him. "No! This has to be done. Many daughters were lost to the demons! Our strongest of warriors died to Damien, who revels in killing our strongest! Not only that they play with our lives like it is nothing! Who knows what they have done to our girls! Your last life, the previous reincarnation helped us out before, 15 years ago. I am afraid that he was unable to finish the job. I know that you are young and this is a lot to take in. Please, help us!"

Azuka stands up, Ichina stares at him as he does, "Get up, old man. So let me get this straight, all you want me to do is kill a bunch of demons. Who may or may not be stronger than Khi. To save this village from being terrorized for another century." Chief nods, "Will you be helping us?" Azuka smirks, "Of course not."