It wasn’t too much longer that the forest edge came into sight. In the distance they could see his village, surrounded by the crops and the grazing fields.

"This is where we part Megimi."

"You’re not coming back?"

"To what? I don’t deserve to be around them anymore."

"So you’re going back to see what that boy wants?"

"I don’t know yet. Probably. What else is there for me?"

"And why is he different from the ones in the village."

"He knows, and he did nothing. He could have let me die, or helped me along with my bleeding. But instead he helped me. Those in the village burnt three people over the last year for being suspected of using magic. Whether they did or not wasn’t an option."

"That sounds foul," her face was aghast, not realising the harsh reality of the small towns.

"I helped them tie of one the men up. They needed extra hands because he was strong. If it was anyone else in the village who was like me, I wouldn’t waste time in asking questions, he'd be burnt within the hour. I know what they are like, and I know I was like that. I can’t go back. Find my Grandpa Ryoma, he will help you get back to where you were going. And he should know about what’s going on. Tell him what you will."

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye," she held his hand and started to turn away. Then she flew back around and gave me a quick kiss on the lips, just barely brushing them. Gosha's face flared up red and Megimi laughed, a sound like a thousand bells singing.

"Surely my touch is better than the boys was," this only caused Gosha to blush even more, "Goodbye Gosha."

Megimi turned then and started skipping towards the village. Gosha called out after her.

"At least tell me who you are, everyone else seems to know."

Megimi turned around and gave a quick curtsy using the edges of Gosha's shirt.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Ho Gosha. I am Hi Megimi, daughter of the King of the Crescent Kingdom and creator of the gem-swords."

Gosha's fell over backwards as Megimi took off for the village again. He lay on the soft dirt for a while before deciding it was time to get head back to the tower. He didn’t know what he expected to find at the Tower, but anything was better than going back to the village. He didn’t know what may happen if he went back. They all knew him. But they had also all know Inu, the man burnt at the stake two months ago. He couldn’t trust them.

The clearing around the Tower was in disarray, debris flung everywhere. It looked worse than it had the first time.

As Gosha had expected, the boy was nowhere to be found. In fact, the clearing was completely empty, of Gemteks and everything.

All he could do was walk over to the Tower, and lean against it.

"How did I know he wasn’t going to be here?"

"Who wasn’t going to be here Lad?" A gruff metallic voice sounded from the edge of the clearing, the opposite direction that Gosha had just come from. Gosha crouched down as he waited for the person to show themselves, worried bandits might be back.

From the edge of the trees a figure came forward. A huge warhorse covered in barding carried a massive man, himself covered in armour from head to foot. His face was covered by a full helmet, and he seemed to be surrounded by weapons. On his back was a great two-handed sword and a longbow. At one hip was a hunting knife and short sword, at the other a long-sword. On the saddle hung a small battle axe, and hanging behind the rider was a quiver filled with arrows.

"There’s no need to worry lad. I'm not here to do anything to you."

The man stopped a distance away and dismounted with ease. He then pulled his helmet off and sat it on the pommel of the saddle. He had close cropped grey hair and numerous scars covering a weathered face.

"My name is Tsu," he bowed to Gosha briefly, "it wasn’t you by chance that defeated the Gemteks was it?"