Reunion

Rina was ecstatic that the time for her to get retribution for her father's death had finally come. She listened carefully to each word that came from her sensei's lips. When she heard the full detail of where she would be going and what her mission her jaw dropped to the ground. She turned pale with shock.

"Do I really have to do that Kagami-sama? Why can't I just kill him? And why do I have to go to that place?" she queried. With that witch!

"One at a time princess…" came the calm response. "Firstly, the Grass region is one of our allies and that is due in part to your mother's strong influence there. Secondly, I am well aware that you're both estranged however this will also be an opportunity to not only reunite but also ensure that she's doing her part in spreading the Shadow religion. And lastly about your true mission, you are to take the Inazuma seed if you so wish to be the Shadow Queen."

I wouldn't be different from her if I did that. She tasted bile and cringed in disgust. 

"Is anything of the matter, princess?"

"But why should I do that last part Kagami-sama? He killed my papa!"

"I shall tell you the reason some day, princess. If there is nothing else, I shall be taking my leave."

"Before you leave Kagami-sama, how will I know that he will be there?"

"Don't you worry about that, I have already made all the necessary preparations. Just wait for him there, he shall surely come to you."

After their discussion, Kagami then left the temple and to train Daisuke whilst Rina prepared for her journey ahead. Along the way she was greeted and worshiped by every villager. Since her brother had showed no interest ruling, most of the villagers saw her succeeding her father to become its next leader. The time had now finally come for her to prove herself worthy for that title. When she exited the Shadow village perimeter and made her way to the island coast she picked up the pace. As she raced for the seashore the timber and thatched houses also disappeared from view.

Rina had to traverse through a mountainous terrain before reaching the coast several hours later where she boarded a small boat that ferried her to the mainland. The trip on water was half a day and upon reaching the Grass region coast at midnight she set up camp to rest before continuing her trek the following day. Just before daybreak the next morning she was back on track and she reached her destination around midday.

Of the eight regions in the land, the Grass was by far the poorest without any feudal or military system. It was made up of mostly communal towns and districts that depended on farming and had elders to preside over local disputes. The region had once been a feuding zone between the Earth and Fire who had once laid claim over it.

When Rina arrived at the Shiga district, most of the locals commented on how much she resembled the Grass witch. "Hello there." She greeted a small group of peasants. "Do you guys know where Rani stays?"

They all scurried away.

"You're searching for the sorcerer right? I must say you look so much like her," one brave merchant said with a smile. "Lady Sharma helped me with my business, she stays in that secluded cabin over there just after those huts." He pointed.

"Arigatō," she said before offering him some money. "Can I have an apple?"

Rina took a bite out of her juicy red apple and was on her way to the witch's cabin. When she arrived at the place there it seemed desolate. She proceeded to the door and barged inside the cabin. The first thing that came into her sight left her traumatized. There was an ominous feel inside and all sorts of portions in glass tubes neatly displayed on wooden shelves. Directly in front of Rina was a man dressed in only his birthday kimono. He looked like he was in his twenties and was bound on his wrists and ankles onto a wooden board. 

Next to the youthful looking man with a well-built body was a tall woman wearing a black sari and had a long bubble ponytail to match. She blurted out before turning to see who had disturbed her sacred ritual, "Don't you know how to knock like everybody else? Oh it's you, Rina."

"Is that how you greet your daughter you haven't seen in like seven years, mother?" Rina's eyes darted off slightly to the man in the room. Why is his thing twitching like that? She furrowed her brows. "What are you even doing to him?"

Rani was a beautiful woman with a youthful appearance that her daughter inherited. She looked as though was in her thirties but the aura about her suggested that she was far much older. Her eyes were lined with black kajal as well as her lips and nails painted with the same colour. On her forehead in between her eagle eye gaze was a black bindi. She stared at her daughter's reaction before glaring at what had caught her attention.

"Oh, Chikao here is one of my followers." Rani tightly gripped on his shaft and the man let out a light moan. "He's helping me make some special soma (Sanskrit: ritual drink) and unlike your sensei, I don't have to sacrifice people in order to look like this." She grinned slightly as she faced her subject. "Am I coercing you to do this, Chikao?"

"Not at all Sharma-sama!" came the high pitched response.

Rani turned to Rina, "So tell me what you are here for? What does he want now?"

Samsāra (Sanskrit: cycle of reincarnation) manipulation! So that's how she keeps looking young. Rina thought. "I was sent to confirm that you're still doing your job here. And I notice that you've got your hands full and you still don't give a fuck about me."

Rani walked slowly towards Rina with outstretched arms, "Of course I'm still doing his bidding and if it's that big of a deal, I'll tell you why I left." She gave her a tight hug. "When I left the Shadow region, I was forced to leave you behind. But believe me I didn't want you to be raised by those men."

"I–I didn't know any of that." Rina almost shed a tear. "Papa said you abandoned us."

"If I seem distant now it's because I had to abandon my feelings and although I may be unable show it… I do care about you, Rina."

"You can let go now…" Rina sniffled and chuckled. "I saw where your hand's been."

Rani let go and they both laughed.

"So tell me dear daughter, are there any boys I should know of?"

Rina's cheeks slightly turned red, "That's not stuff a mother should be talking about with her daughter!"

"When I was in my twenties I had a crush on my sensei but he rejected me. As for your case I can understand because the men around you are either power hungry, scared of you or your father or some just fancy the company of other men instead."

"I'm not really looking for anyone and my only goal is to be the Shadow Queen."

Rina paused shortly.

"I sense that there's a catch… what does he want you to do?"

Rina lost her words so Rani unbound Chikao and sent him off so they could be alone. When the man had left, she let out all of her grief about her father's death and how she wanted to get revenge. She explained what she needed to do to become Queen and the look on her mother's face showed no surprise.

"I knew there was a catch," said Rani. "And I'm sure a great part of you doesn't want to go along with it, right? For your father to become the Shadow King several years after Lord Kagehiko died, he had to kill Kagemaru's mother."

Rina was shocked to hear this news. That's why aniki hated papa so much.

"So what are you going to do?"