NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: Country of women
Sakura had known the struggle of working hard to become stronger, the blood, sweat, and tears put into everything you did to succeed, but no matter how many times she endured it, the ordeal didn't get easier. It had taken a lot of long hours of practice and training for Sakura to figure out how to do a full djinn equip, first using her magoi to bring about this equip, then finding a way to transform her entire body (sometimes resulting in a half transformation), then after she had to learn the advance abilities of her djinns that took even more effort. However after an entire year, she had mastered three djinn equips, the transformation, and abilities of each djinn were in her hands, and could do incredible things that would without a doubt be of help for her journey; Beleth was by far the most powerful, Stolas granted two elements and Sitri gave her incredible speed and she was able to control them all perfectly, but there was only one problem that she could not remedy.
"Dammit, why'd Sitri's djinn equip have to be so...." Sakura glanced at her form. "Breezy,"
Sitri's djinn transformation was captivating, to say the least. It took Sakura's short pink hair and turned it into a mesmerizing cascade of light blue strands, each strand seemingly imbued with the sky.
It had a regal elegance. A tapestry of white feathers, delicately held together by intricate golden piping, wrapped around her torso and breasts. Her lower half was swathed in a diaphanous white fabric, flowing down exposing her thighs. It billowed softly with each step she took. Adorning her feet were delicate bands of golden lacing, their metallic hue twisting and winding around her slender legs.
Resting atop her head, Sakura wore a small but resplendent tiara, nestled just above her third eye.
In her grasp, Sakura carried a magnificent spear, its shaft gleaming white. As one's gaze traveled down the length of the weapon, one would be captivated by a subtle twist that occurred just before it reached the blade. Feathers sprouted from the spear's sides, their iridescent plumes fluttering gently as if touched by a gentle breeze. The spear possessed an air of strength and grace, its presence commanding respect and admiration.
Sakura used this djinn equip to travel in the skies of her new location.
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The members of the Sindria trading company took off from Sasan with their new addition and representative of Sasan; Mystras and were off on a new voyage.
Sinbad looked out at the mountains as they sailed further from Sasan; they already had their next destination set before they would be heading back to the company; where he'd probably have a workload piled high. The road to becoming a king wasn't an easy one.
Since Sakura left there had to be some changes to ensure that business went as usual, which included Sinbad needing to pick up the slack. While everyone knew Sakura played her part in the company was only after her disappearance that everyone saw just how big a role she played. Granted the first few weeks he focused on finding her because although he knew about Sakura's mission, he didn't think she would just up and leave without so much as a goodbye.
Sinbad was pacing back and forth in the room, it had been more than twenty-four hours since Sakura went missing; he hadn't seen her since yesterday. When he woke up it wasn't from hearing Sakura's voice yelling at him to get his lazy ass out of bed, he thought she was already working but as the day went on he found that she wasn't with Vittel and Ja'far doing admin, with Mahad and Hinahoho restocking or with Rurumu for lessons, she wasn't anywhere to be found and by the end of the day Sinbad had become frantic, after confirming with everyone that she hadn't been seen all day he immediately sent out a search party for her, he joined in as well going to all the places he believed she would go with no luck.
'How hard is it to find a girl with pink hair!?'
And so here he was, waiting in her room for her to return feeling like a pet waiting for their owner to return from work. He glanced at her bed, the sheets were slightly wrinkled; her clothes were still in the closet and the few possessions she had were still there as well so there was no way she would've left.
'There's no way,' Sinbad thought narrowing his eyes, he knew all along that Sakura had some personal goal she wanted to achieve; she told him she wasn't going to be sticking around forever but even so, as the days passed, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months it was like their conversation was nothing more than a fading memory bound by empty words. With a heavy breath, Sinbad walked over to Sakura's bed and plopped down, instantly hit with an intoxicating scent-hers. Feeling calm, Sinbad closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep.
'You wouldn't have just left me so easily right, Sakura?'
He sure was wrong with the assumption; it seems Sakura had left him as easily you would a stranger passing on the street, never remembering their name or face and it hurt when he concluded he must've not meant much to her; that gave his heart a painful pull. He had told everyone Sakura left because she was fulfilling her own goal and that her position at the company they had already established was temporary but even so everyone was hurt; including him.
Sinbad fought against the relentless tides of his emotions, desperately trying to push them aside like a sailor battling against a stormy sea. But when his eyes fell upon her in Sasan, an elation welled up within him. It consumed him, urging him to pursue her with unyielding determination.
His muscles strained against the urge to forcibly reclaim Sakura. But amidst the turmoil of his raging emotions, a glimmer of restraint held him back, a flickering ember of self-control.
Though his heart raged, Sinbad stood resolute, his actions guided by a thread of respect and understanding.
Gripping the end of the boat tightly Sinbad narrowed his eyes "Next time...I'm not letting go so easily."
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Sakura squinted her eyes as if attempting to sharpen her gaze into a blade that could cut through the thick veil of the storm. But her efforts yielded little success, the tempestuous tempest stubbornly defying her resolve. She propelled herself forward with such swiftness that the raindrops pelted her skin with the force of tiny arrows, their stinging impact threatening to intensify with each passing moment. It was as if the heavens themselves conspired against her, launching a barrage of aqueous missiles to impede her progress.
Amid this deluge, Sakura's search for a dungeon became an arduous task, like trying to discern a minuscule needle in a haystack made of torrential downpours. Her eyes darted feverishly, straining to pierce through the impenetrable curtain of rain, but all she could perceive was an expansive valley stretching out before her.
'Maybe I should stop for-
"AAH"
As Sakura assured herself that she had heard correctly, her eyes darted across the treacherous landscape, seeking the elusive source of the piercing scream. How she heard it was strange given the wind, rain, and thunder, so it had to be a close-another concern given she was more than a hundred feet above the ground.
Finally, she spotted something in the distance, a very, very large bird trying to get through the storm avoiding the bolts of lightning though the situation wasn't looking too good. Sakura flew closer to get a better look; squinting her eyes Sakura then noticed the smallest dot of yellow on the bird and it was moving!
"What the-
A large bolt of lightning struck right in front of the bird causing it to go into a frenzy and pulled back quickly, the yellow dot that was on the bird fell off of its back; then Sakura realized that dot was a young girl who was plummeting towards the valley.
"AAH"
"HOLD ON."
Sakura flew top speed ignoring the pelting rain, flying down, the girl continued to scream with fear as she fell from the sky. Sakura reached towards her as they neared the valley, she grabbed the girl with her free hand and pulled the girl towards her chest covering her from the harsh weather. The bird the girl was flying on came towards them and stopped right in front of Sakura before looking down at the little girl in her arms.
Not paying it much mind, Sakura flew down towards the valley.
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'It's just one thing after another isn't it?' Sakura thought as she listened to the roaring of the storm and the crackling of the fire.
After coming down to the valley she found shelter in a cave for herself the girl and the large bird that followed her down-seems like it was attached to the girl. Why there was a young girl who couldn't be any older than five give or take; riding a giant bird in a storm in the middle of nowhere was something Sakura wanted to know.
"Nnh..."
Sakura gasped as she watched the girl's eyes flutter open, she began rubbing them.
"Are you okay?" Sakura asked
The little girl looked up at Sakura and gasped when she saw her, Sakura quickly raised her hands in surrender.
"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you," Sakura said with a reassuring tone "You got caught up in the storm and fell off your bird here."
The giant bird gently nudged the girl's head with its beak as a sign of affection and she petted it in return before looking back at Sakura with a bewildered expression.
Sakura gave a gentle smile before holding out a piece of fruit toward her "Are you hungry?"
Eyeing it for only a moment the girl accepted it and took a bite.
"What's your name kid, mine's Sakura."
"Pisti," the little girl responded with a mouthful of fruit
"Pisti," Sakura repeated "What a cute name, it suits you."
"S-Sakura too!" Pisti replied flattered.
Leaning back against the rocks Sakura spoke "So anyway, what were you doing out here in the storm Pisti?"
"I was coming home when the storm started," Pisti explained to her
It then occurred to Sakura then that there must be some sort of village or town in this place, not the best location if you want to attract tourists but the perfect place if you want to be left in peace. The tough terrain would be more than enough to discourage travelers.
"Where do you live Pisti?" Sakura asked
"Artemyra,"
Sakura made began coughing so much it sounded like she was choking, she had heard about this place, a country controlled by a warrior princess or so everyone said, no one had actually made it to this country before. Though she wouldn't put money on it, chances were that the dungeon that appeared in this area might've been conquered by someone from that place, the only way to find out was to go there and aside from that, looking at Pisti; Sakura would make sure that she got home safely as well.
"Um, Sakura?"
"What is it?"
"You, you were flying earlier, I saw it in the storm."
Grinning Sakura pulled the hairpin from her clothing and presented it to Pisti "That's right, it's because of this. It allows me to transform and use this amazing power."
She demonstrated her ability by allowing Sitri's power to seep through and produce a small whirlwind around the pin.
Pisti gasped "Just like mama!"
"Huh?" Sakura asked, curiosity and interest peaked to the fullest "What do you mean?"
"Mama can do that too!" Pisti said waving her arms around in excitement "Mama said that it was her reward for beating the tall tower that appeared!"
Beleth spoke "My king do you think-
'Without a doubt,'
Whoever Pisti's mother was, she was the one who had conquered the dungeon here and now held the power of that djinn and the shard Sakura needed to collect.
Patting the girl's head Sakura smiled "Well Pisti, tomorrow I'll take you back home okay? It's too dangerous to go out in this storm now."
Pisti nodded her head excitedly "Okay"
"Let's get some sleep,"
"Mmm, that was quicker than I expected." Sitri said sounding a little disappointed "I thought we'd get a little more action than that."
"I wouldn't get too confident Sitri," Stolas warned "We are yet to retrieve the shard."
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Morning couldn't have come sooner for Sakura, she and Pisti set off towards Artemyra. Taking to the skies on the back of a giant bird. Although Sakura was reluctant at first she got on with Pisti at the front. It was quite an amazing sight to see such a young girl able to tame such a powerful creature. It made her wonder what everyone else in Artemyra was like.
"Neh Sakura," Pisti called looking back at her "You smell funny."
"Huh?" Sakura asked taking a quick sniff, it wasn't that long before she bathed, only a day had gone by so she couldn't have that bad-
"You smell sweet," Pisti finished "It's nice."
Sakura sighed in relief, as a girl she took her personal hygiene seriously quite seriously.
"Thank you Pisti,"
"I like your eyes too."
A small blush landed on Sakura's cheeks, flattered "R-really?"
"I've never seen eyes like yours before."
Sakura smiled, Pisti pointed down below and let out a squeal of excitement "We're here!"
Sakura stood, her mouth agape in awe, as her gaze swept across the enchanting landscape that unfolded before her. The country of Artemyra stretched out like a mesmerizing tapestry. Golden-haired women with magenta eyes soared through the skies on majestic avian creatures, their graceful silhouettes weaving an ethereal dance against the canvas of the cerulean sky. Buildings were seamlessly integrated into the very walls of the mountains.
As Sakura observed the bustling activity around her, she began to discern an intriguing absence—there were no signs of men amidst.
Suppressing her inquiries, Sakura withheld her questions about the absence of men in Artemyra, recognizing the importance of respecting boundaries that she had yet to fully comprehend. Moreover, she did not wish to burden young Pisti with the weight of explanations that might exceed her tender understanding.
Lost in the splendor that enveloped them, Pisti pointed towards a grand edifice that towered majestically, distinct from the surrounding homes. It loomed in splendid isolation, it's regal stature and unique architecture marking it as something extraordinary—a palace among the mundane dwellings.
"That's where I live!"
Sakura's heart sank, for within the depths of her realization came a profound understanding.
"Pisti... who, precisely, is your mother?"
Pisti, unaware of the depths of significance contained within Sakura's inquiry, responded with an innocent gleam in her eyes, "Mama is the queen."
'Oh god,' Sakura groaned slapping her forehead
"Pisti, what kind of person is your mother exactly?" Sakura asked with a nervous tone
Pisti seemed to think for a moment "Mama's really nice and strong, but she said she doesn't like men."
"Oh, okay."
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The second Pisti and Sakura landed in front of the palace they were surrounded by guards, and women carrying spears surrounded them. Pisti didn't look concerned in the slightest as Sakura jumped off keeping her in her arms.
"I'm back!" Pisti waved at them
"Princess Pisti where have you been? Your mother has been worried about you?"
Pisti giggled "I got stuck in the storm yesterday but Sakura saved me."
The female guard turned her attention to Sakura and the kunoichi could see the slight suspicion in her eyes.
"Who are you?"
She didn't waver when answering "My name's Sakura, I'm a traveler and I would like to speak with your queen."
Straight and to the point, if there was a chance to not waste time she would gladly take it right now.
"What business do you have with our queen?"
"Well, I assume she would want to know of the person who saved her daughter from falling victim to the elements of a deadly storm that almost killed her."
Before there was a reply another voice cut through the crowd, this one full of authority and power that Sakura recognized from all those times she stood beside her teacher when she was assigning missions.
"That's enough; I will take it from here."
Coming through the crowd, there was a woman with long bright blonde hair, she was dressed in a white dress different than the other women who were all dressed in a light pink, and she carried a golden staff with her and wore a crown.
She looked at Pisti and her face softened "Pisti,"
"Mama" Pisti greeted smiling at her mother
"Where have you been?" asked the queen
Climbing out of Sakura's arms Pisti rushed to her mother's "Mama, Sakura saved me, she's got the same power like mama,"
The queen turned to look up at Sakura with an unreadable face "Why don't we discuss this inside?"
Pisti was taken somewhere else in the palace while Sakura and the queen went to the throne room; it was basically an empty open hall with a chair in the center. Sakura bowed in respect to the queen.
"It is an honor to meet you, queen of Artemyra," Sakura said politely not forgetting Rurumu's etiquette lessons.
"My name is Mira Dianus Artemyra," she said
"Again it's an honor, I am Sakura Haruno."
Mira raised an eyebrow at Sakura's curiously "I thank you for helping my daughter and returning her to me, but I would like to know why exactly."
"It was a mere coincidence, your highness, she fell off her bird and I saved her. We sheltered for the night in the valley and then made our way here the next morning."
"And why have you come to Artemyra Sakura?"
Sakura looked into the queen's eyes, she had such a raw sense of power showing clearly that she was making herself appear intimidating and most would've wavered at the sight but Sakura-having trained with the leader of their village, a woman who had both the intimidating aura as well as strength to back it up well after dealing with that for two years Sakura wasn't the least bit unhinged.
"I'm not going to lie, your highness, I believe that a tall tower appeared somewhere in this area not too long ago, from what Pisti told me, you have acquired the power of that tower-a dungeon."
Mira narrowed her eyes at the young girl "So you know of dungeons?"
Holding out her hand Sakura called "Beleth,"
Dark flames emerged and surrounded her, never touching the ground or burning the floor before they vanished "I have,"
Mira's eyes were now shining with interest "A young girl like yourself, traveling alone and having captured a dungeon?"
Sakura nodded "Yes, actually I have captured more than one."
"And you're here because you want to achieve more djinns' power?" the queen asked leaning on her hand
"No, it is not the djinn's power I want but what the djinns currently possess." Sakura dug into her shirt and pulled out the mirror "The djinns possess these shards that I need to complete this mirror; it's a personal goal that I must achieve at all costs. That's why..." Sakura bowed her head "I beg of you to let me see your metal vessel and get the shard from it."
Mira was silent for a minute which seemed like hours to Sakura who continued to keep her head bowed in respect, this woman reminded her somewhat of Tsunade minus the drinking and gambling problem, she was full of pride.
She heard the queen chuckle "Raise your head."
Sakura did as told as she held the queen's gaze.
"You have piqued my interest Sakura Haruno, I wasn't aware that there were women like you out there. These days when I hear of the outside world, all I discover is the dominating power and position men hold over the rest of the world, that is why I despise them so greatly, they are all filled with nothing but greed and lustful ambitions. Keeping women under their feet to discover such a find as yourself...well, I can't help but want to know more about you."
Mira stood up from her position "Very well then, I shall give you permission to claim the shard from my metal vessel."
Sakura held a calm face though inside she could feel her heart pounding and a smile threatening to break across her face "Thank you your-
"But there is a condition."
Sakura froze "A condition?"
Queen Mira gave a kind of malicious grin.
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Chapter 17
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"
"I crave a battle, a clash that reveals your true worth. Do not hold back," commanded the queen with unwavering resolve. "Is that understood?"
A smirk graced Sakura's lips this time, her confidence surfacing. "Certainly... 'OH SPIRIT OF STRENGTH AND DISCORD, HEED MY CALL; USE MY MAGOI AND GRANT ME POWER TO DESTROY MY ENEMY; BELETH.'"
Queen Mira observed with a sly grin as Sakura transformed, shrouded in the embrace of black flames that dared not harm her. Impressed by the display, Mira knew that her turn had come. Raising her staff, she began an incantation, her words resonating with power. "My servant of sternness and fascination, take shelter within me. Transform my body into that of a great Magnus. CERBERUS."
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-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 51, 52, 53
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Public post 15 th October
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