"You will help me find that beast." Carter said.

"Certainly!" The green snake nodded repeatedly.

"And you must agree to become my Guardian."

"What does that even mean?" The snake’s black eyes watched her in confusion.

The other passengers and sailors also looked at her curiously.

Carter didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Why did you attack the ship?"

The Serpent changed its depression. Its cowardly face was no more. What was left was only hate.

"I have lived for two hundred years, human. It was time for me to become something greater. Something beautiful. And something honorable."

"What would you become?"

"A Mizuchi."

"That can’t be. Only a kind-hearted Serpent has the opportunity to become a Mizuchi." The captain blurted out. "A savage beast like you can’t be it."

"What is a Mizuchi?" Carter asked.

"A Water Dragon." A passenger spoke up. "The legends say a Mizuchi could control an entire river, call forth the rain, and even bless the land around it."

"What happened?" Carter asked the Green Serpent.

"You happened!" It stuck out its long tongue and hissed. "You human stole my Gem. The Gem that I have waste many long years to create. I did my duty. I helped the poor humans and creatures that fell into this damn Enko River. And what did I get in return? You attacked me and snatched my Dragon Gem!"

’Show time!’ Carter was secretly excited.

He squatted down and reached his hand out to the Serpent. The Green Serpent avoided it at first but eventually let him touch it.

"I’m sorry."

"Huh?" The Green Serpent thought it heard wrong.

"I’m sorry." But Carter repeated himself. "There are good and bad yokais. And there are good and bad humans. You have met the bad one."

The Green Serpent hissed.

"But Fate always has a reason. Becoming a Water Dragon is your dream, yes?"

"Yes."

"Fate has given you an obstacle for you to overcome. Only when you surpass it, you may become a greater you."

"Are you saying Fate want me to suffer? That’s ridiculous!"

The white-haired girl shook her head gently. "It gave you a test. Tell me, Green Serpent. Why did you attack us?"

"Because I was angry."

"Would a Water Dragon attack humans that didn’t cause it suffering?"

The Green Serpent stayed silent. It had already known the answer.

"Fate doesn’t play with you. It only gives you the chance to be what you want to be."

"Even so... Without the Gem, I can’t be a real Water Dragon." The Green Serpent hissed.

"I shall get you back your Gem. I shall guide you to the right path of the Gods again. And in exchange, you must accompany me."

"I know there would be a catch. You just want me to be your slave."

"Not a slave, a friend."

Carter flipped his palm over, a gentle symbol appeared on his skin. The mark of the Guardians.

"I shall help you as a friend would. And you shall help me as a friend should do. This mark will share our power. It’s not a slave pact or a contract. It’s only a promise."

"What promise is that?"

"That we will always be there for each other."

The Green Serpent looked at her. Its inhuman face showed a great deal of emotions. Confuse, denial, pain, fear. But most importantly, hope. It wanted to take back its Gem. But it couldn’t.

She could help it.

"I am Shinko Mikoto, a Shrine Maiden."

The Green Serpent put its tail on her palm. "I am Seija, a yokai."

The mark established a connection between them. It was an equal partnership. Seija got a bit of Carter’s power and in return Carter got it.

Seija only received the a portion of the powers of the Shrine Maiden and not Carter’s entire arsenal of powers.

The Green Serpent looked up in the sky. With the power of the Shrine Maiden, it could see into the complicated webs of Fate.

’She wasn’t lying. It was indeed a test.’

[Synchronization +10.0%]

[Current Synchronization]: 37.3%

And the Skin System revealed more about the Shrine Maiden. Divination was one way to increase Synchronization. Making a pact with a Guardian was another.

Seija looked at Carter. It saw a glimpse of her Fate in Arashi. Only a glimpse. But it said a lot.

She was destined to lead an entire Kingdom. It wasn’t a role of a king or a queen either, but more of a spiritual and religious leader. She would bring back the favors of the Gods to this land.

"Shall we go, Seija?"

"Yes, Mikoto."

The people on the ship watched as Carter dropped the Green Serpent back to the river. It enlarged to its original size and carried her away.

"What did we even just witness?"

"A Shrine Maiden... She has Gods on her side."

The Captain took his hat off. He had a feeling he just witnessed the beginning of a myth that soon spread across Arashi.

Seija was bringing Carter to the actual evil serpent of the Enko River. Its name was Ranja, the Blue Serpent.

Ranja was sleeping in its den when Seija came knocking on its door. The Blue Serpent crawled out of the cave and was surprised to see Seija with a white-haired girl on its head.

"Seija? What are you doing here? And what is that delicious looking female on your head?"

"So, it’s true. You betrayed our path." Seija replied.

"What path? Don’t tell me you still believe in becoming a Mizuchi through good wills and karma. Didn’t you learn your lesson when that Elite Human took your Dragon Gem?"

Ranja provoked Seija. But she seemed different today. Calmer, sharper.

Seija was different because she saw more now.

"What did you do, Ranja?" Seija asked.

"I did the sensible thing, Seija. I followed what is the strongest."

Dark veins spread across Ranja’s beautiful blue body. Black ooze exuded from him.

"Dark arts..." Seija sighed. "You have followed the depraved path taught by that Ryuja."

"Not depraved. Just stronger."

Ranja bolted at Seija. The dark ooze accelerated him forward.

Carter squatted down a touched Seija’s head. His voice echoed in the Green Serpent’s mind.

’Leave this to me.’ 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Seija nodded. As soon as Carter left her head, she retreated.

The laughter of Ranja spread in the water. "What? You’re so afraid you even need a human to help you?"

The Blue Serpent rammed his head straight at Carter.