The sound of the katana moving through the air cut sharply through the silence of the dojo. Destiny slid one foot forward and lifted the hilt in a block, then to the side for a parry, then back into a spin to strike. The kata she had committed to memory as a small child flowed easily, a simple matter of transitioning from pose to pose. Her mind drifted as it always did into that strange half-meditative state, where all that mattered was finding the perfect angle for her blade, and the precise timing on each movement. Although she had never used her skills in combat, it was the belief of the ninja that one should always be ready, and that through training came discipline and maturity.
Her sleek tail flowed behind her, assisting her balance beyond the merely human. The two furry black ears peeking out from her long, straight black hair flicked occasionally one way or the other. The vernacular term for her race was Cat, although she looked essentially like a human - with ears, a tail, and claws on hands and feet. They were gifted with speed and dexterity that surpassed any other race, and many possessed certain other benefits. For example, Destiny’s nose started twitching at a strange scent that no one else in the vicinity would have been able to detect. Specifically, the smell of smoke.
It was subtle at first, like a whiff of a campfire on the outside of town. Over the course of a few minutes, though, it grew steadily stronger. Underneath the clean smell of wood burning was the harsh tang of hot metal and the sickening mix of odors that came from a trash heap or building burning. All told, it was not a smell that belonged in the peaceful village of Anaxagoras, hidden nestled in the forest of eastern Geonova.
Sliding her katana back into its sheath on her back, Destiny shook out her muscles, releasing some of the tension built up in her muscles from the training. The odd burning smell kept getting stronger, and she felt her natural curiosity coming to the forefront. What was it? What was burning? She intended to find out!
Stepping off the raised bamboo training floor of the dojo, she ducked under the arched roof that covered the open-air pavilion. She began the short jog down the winding dirt path, interspersed with stone stairs, that led down to the village proper. Anaxagoras was a very small, simple ninja village. She could see the large fountain in the center from path as it snaked down the hillside. It was surrounded by an open area, which was in turn circled by the buildings and houses, all in one continuous circle. The two largest buildings were situated on each side of the gap in the forest where the path that led from the dojo entered the circle. Directly across the circle was the large gate that was the only other entrance into the village. It stood open now, since it was the middle of the morning, with a ninja in full armor standing guard on each side.
She could also see a huge pillar of smoke rising from the forest outside of the village.
Crossing the open circle of the village at a jog took ten minutes, then a polite nod to the guards had her feet rustling through the dry leaves that covered the forest floor. Just before she entered the cover of the trees, something in the sky caught her eye. Of the several hundred people that inhabited the village, at least a third were cats, a few dozen were fae, and the rest were split half and half humans and angels. Even so, the angel currently angling downward was one that Destiny immediately recognized. The brown wings were one hint, but it was the dark red hair flowing behind her that really gave away her identity as Destiny’s childhood friend, Kida.
A quick glance showed her where Kida was likely to land, and she sped up into a sprint to catch up with her. Ducking through the trees, she ran at full speed, crashing through branches and undergrowth, giving herself fully over to the thrill of the run. Soon, she caught sight of Kida’s red hair through the trees, and called out.
“Kida! Wait for me!”
A moment later, she skidded to a halt just in time to throw her arms around the taller girl in a fierce hug.
“Kida! Where’ve you been? I missed you at the dojo this morning… training’s not near as much fun alone, you know.”
Kida grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through her hair, straightening it from the disarray of flying. “Yeah… I kind of overslept. Anyways, you should be happy to get out of a day of me beating you up.” She grinned at Destiny, who just glared back. “Anyways, what are you doing out here?”
“I could ask you the same thing. I smelled smoke up in the dojo, came outside, saw the pillar of smoke, decided to follow it and see what was going on.”
“I woke up this morning to hear an explosion. When I walked outside, I saw the same smoke you did and from there, well, you saw. So what are we waiting for?” Kida turned to set off through the woods.
Destiny, still fuming a bit from Kida’s teasing, decided she wanted to look smart. “W-wait! Wouldn’t it be faster if we flew?”
Kida gave her a look. Not just a look, but a look. A “Seriously? Idiot,” look. Destiny sighed. “I’m not crazy. You can carry me!” The look disappeared, and was replaced by a frown of contemplation. Destiny could practically see the wheels in her head turning, making the rough calculations. They’d done short hops around the village before. The question was, was Kida strong enough to really carry Destiny fully for any distance.
“Well…” Kida finally said. “We might as well try.” Destiny grinned happily and held out her wrists. Taking a moment to position herself just right, Kida gripped her arms securely and began to beat her wings quickly. “When I say, start running, then kick off from the ground.”
All their practice with extended bounces around the village - not really flying, just gliding - paid off. Kida lifted off the ground and hovered over her head. At the same moment, on Kida’s command, they began moving forward - one flying, one running. At just the right moment, Kida yelled “Now!” Destiny bent her knees, kicked off, and they were flying! Kida started to climb slowly between the trees, her wings straining to lift their combined weight.
Up, up, up they went, almost to the top of the trees. Then Destiny’s grip began to slip. A quiver of panic ran through her and she tried to hold tighter. “I’m slipping! Hang on!” she called up to Kida, who immediately began to descend. They held on as long as they could, but it was no good. Destiny’s hands slipped from Kida’s and she plummeted downward.
Part of Destiny’s ninja training had been how to fall. Whether from a height, or from being thrown, she could turn even a headlong fall into a graceful roll. These thoughts raced through her head as she fell, and she began to try to angle herself so that, when she inevitably hit the ground, she would be able to absorb the impact properly.
Before she even managed to start, though, the ground rushed upward and smacked her in the back - hard. Kida hit the ground seconds later, although on her feet and unharmed. Destiny groaned.
“Told you it was a bad idea,” Kida laughed.
“Shut up.” Destiny pushed herself up into a sitting position. “A little help here?”
Still giggling, Kida obediently took Destiny’s hand and pulled her to her feet. The disgruntled cat brushed leaves and other forest debris off her black skirt and tank top, growling quietly to herself. “Stupid… wings… angels…” she muttered, trudging off into the forest without even favoring Kida with a look.
“Um… Destiny?” the angel called.
“What?!”
“The smoke is that way.” Kida pointed in the opposite direction.
With an audible growl, Destiny turned on her heel and started running - this time in the right direction, Kida following close behind.
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