A Heavy Burden

Chapter 3

The morning sun peeked through the thick trees, spying on Hiro and Mizuo, who were still fast asleep.

The sun shined in Hiro's eyes, causing them to open.

"Huh? It's morning already?" he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He yawned loudly and stretched his arms up while getting up. Hiro walked over to Mizuo and shook her gently.

"Hey, Mizuo. It's time to wake up."

She groaned and opened her eyes. "Hiro?" Mizuo tried to shield her eyes from the rays of sunlight spying through the swaying branches.

He lent her a hand and pulled her up.

"Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome."

They didn't realize that they were still holding each other. They quickly took their hands away and blushed.

"Umm, so do you want to go now?" Hiro asked.

". Sure."

So, they started walking to the path they were on yesterday.

As they treaded along the dusty dirt road, a man on a horse came galloping towards them, speeding by like a lightning bolt. From what Hiro could tell, the man's expression was of complete and utter fear.

"What was that about?" asked Mizuo.

"I don't know," Hiro replied, "But whatever happened is just up ahead."

"Should we keep heading in this direction then, or should we go around?"

"No, we should keep going. The town ahead is the only one in miles. We need to resupply after that monster incident yesterday."

"Oh, okay."

So they kept on walking.

~*~*~*~

In the shadows of the town, two yellow gleaming eyes lingered in the darkness, awaiting the arrival of the two teenagers. Slowly, they vanished.

~*~*~*~

"Wow, this is a big town," Mizuo stated. They stood on a hill overlooking the town. It stretched all across the way to the edge of the mountains in the background.

"Yeah. Right, let's go," Hiro said, so they walked to town.

When they arrived, the streets were strangely empty. Nothing but the wind that kicked up dust even moved.

"I wonder where all of the townspeople are?" asked Mizuo.

They started walking through the deserted village, everything silent. Nothing was moving. It was as though there were no people there to begin with.

"Hello?" called Hiro.

No answer.

"Very strange. Hiro, what do you suppose happened?"

"I don't know. Wait a minute!"

He thought back. "That man on the horse, he was coming from this direction, right? Maybe he was one of the villagers!"

"Then-"

A shadow passed over them. Mizuo felt a chill go up her spine. Hiro pulled out his sword, and looked around. Nothing was there.

"I've been expecting you, my dear."

Mizuo looked to the side, at the top of one of the buildings. "It's you!"

"Hello there, Mizuo. I have come here for you," the pale man said, his black hair waving in the dusty wind.

"Mizuo, who is this guy?" Hiro asked.

"This is the sorcerer I told you about, Akira," she answered to him. Then she turned to Akira. "You will never have my family's money!"

"I will get it out of you, yet." He waved his right arm. A dark cloudy like substance appeared in front of him. "HAAA!!"

The substance shot at Mizuo and Matt shaped like spears with lightning speed. Matt pushed him and Mizuo out of the way, both hitting the ground.

"Goodbye!"

The spears veered around and shot at them once again. Matt held his sword up, with sparks flying, they pushed against the silver sword, also pushing him as well.

As he struggled to keep them moving forward, he said to Mizuo, "Run! While you still can, Mizuo!"

She sat there on the ground, with wide eyes, not moving an inch.

"What are you waiting for, run!"

"No I won't leave you!"

"You have to! It's the only way to stay alive."

"Oh no, I cannot have either of you escaping."

Another pair of spears flew towards Mizuo. She looked on in fear as they flew towards her.

"Mizuo!!!"

Hiro pushed back the other two spears and ran towards Mizuo. Without thinking, he embraced Mizuo tightly and forcefully, sending both of them to the ground. The two spears impaled his back.

They hit the ground with tremendous force, both not moving at all.

Mizuo opened her eyes and saw Hiro on top of her, hugging her as tightly as he could. Only this wasn't just because he loved her, but because of the pain of the impalement in his back.

The two spears vanished, leaving him there, blood heavily streaming out of his back.

"Hiro? Hiro?!" Mizuo said desperately.

". Are ?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Tears started forming in her eyes.

"Good."

With a resolute face, he struggled to get up, letting go of Mizuo, who was still on the ground. His clothes were drenched in his blood, a lot of it dripping on the ground. He stood up, his weak knees shaking.

"Honestly," Akira declared, "Why do you insist on protecting this girl? I will give you a chance to escape if you stop right now."

"Never," he said, looking at the ground, barely able to stand up, "I will NEVER STOP PROTECTING HER!!"

"Hiro."

"Even if I have to die in the process."

Her eyes grew wide with fear.

".she will come out of this alive!"

"Touching. Truly touching. You are in love with this girl, aren't you, boy?"

Mizuo looked at her protector.

"I.I do. I love her."

Her heart skipped a beat. Her face grew red, and her heart called out to him, wanting him to stop.

"That's why she has to live."

The pain in his back grew worse, and he fell to his knees, gripping the ground, trying to ease the pain.

"Hiro!!"

Mizuo ran towards him and placed her hands gently on his shoulders.

Akira jumped down onto the ground, gliding over towards them.

With another spear aimed at Mizuo's head, he asked, "Now, little girl, where is your family's money?"

"You won't get it from me!" she yelled.

"Stupid little girl," he pulled back the spear and thrusted it towards her.

An inch before penetration, she yelled, "I don't have the money!"

He stopped abruptly, and said, "What did you say?"

"I don't have the money," she said calmly, "When I ran away, I threw it into the nearest river I could."

Hiro looked at her in amazement.

Akira looked at her in rage. "We'll see about that."

He waved his hand over her head, opening her mind to his eye. There he saw Mizuo, ragged, running as fast as she could through the forest. She stopped by the edge of a swift river, ending at a waterfall on her right side.

She held a bag of money in her wounded hands, and as hard as she could, threw it into the river. It bobbed up and down, going over the falls.

"You." he looked at her in fury, but took the spear back.

"There is no pint in killing you now, since the money is now lost. However."

He looked at Hiro. "I will place a curse on your lover."

Hiro looked up. Akira took out a scroll and threw it to unravel it. Then he hit it with his palm, sending a pulse through the paper. It flew towards Hiro and stopped right in front of his face. The pulse it was emanating threw Mizuo back. But it didn't to that to Hiro. He just knelt there, his eyes wide, not showing his pupils.

"Hiro!!"

A stream of mist flew from the paper, in the shape of a dragon. It hissed at Mizuo, then drived itself into Hiro's chest.

The pain Hiro felt has indescribable. In his mind, a voice kept ringing, "Every fifth generation in your family, there will be a boy possessed by the dragon. On his sixteenth birthday, he will assume his true form to wreak havoc on the world around him. You are the cause."

The dragon disappeared into Hiro's body. Hiro breathed heavily, barely keeping consciousness. The scroll fell to the floor, bouncing on the end. Mizuo ran to his side, and they both looked up at Akira, who gave them a loathed stare, and glided off.

Hiro nodded his head, and fell to the side.

"Hiro!" Mizuo caught him. He lay there, unconscious, in Mizuo's arms. The scroll sat there mysteriously.

Akira moved through the forest. "There will never be one who loves a man more than that girl. That is why."

~*~*~*~

Hiro woke up in bandages, the pain of his wounds still aching in his back. Cold sweat ran down his face as Mizuo sat near him, wiping it away.

"Mizuo?"

She smiled at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. He sat up, and put his hand gently on the wet cheek, and smiled back at her.

"Hiro, I'm so glad that you're all right," she said to him, crying.

"I'm happy that you weren't hurt, Mizuo." His heart pounded in his chest. Now was the moment of truth.

"Mizuo, what I said back there, I really meant it. I do. I love you."

She continued to smile at him, and moved in closer to him. He did as well. They tenderly pressed their lips, feeling all of the emotions they had for each other just flow out. Mizuo pulled away, and said softly, "I love you too."

~*~*~*~

480 years later, present day:

A child is born in the hospital, crying loudly. As it opens its eyes for the first time, everyone is astonished. The baby's mother looked at him with regret. To see that her little boy had dragon's eyes.