Sato and Sakura moved cautiously in a grassy plain. "Sakura there it is!" Sato pointed to the left. Sakura ran over to a small Elephant Bakemono with a lizard tongue and a razor-sharp nose. She jumped onto it grabbing ahold of its neck.


    "Sato now!" Sakura shouted struggling to keep the Elephant Bakemono still.


    "I''m on it!" Sato took out his rope and tied one side to a tree and the other to the Elephant Bakemono. He ran toward the Bakemono and took out his knife. He stabbed the knife deeply into its back until its eyes shut.


    Sato and Sakura walked back to where they had set up camp earlier where Ai was waiting for them.


    Sato tossed up the raw Elephant Bakemono meat into the sky and caught it in the palm of his hand. "Food''s here."


    "Idiot! Stop messing around, that''s our dinner you know!" Sakura scolded Sato.


    Sato sighed, "Geez, relax, I was just having some fun."


    "Big brother, Sakura! You''re back!" Ai joined in.


    Sato and Sakura walked over to Ai and sat down. "Okay, now we just have to figure out a way to cook it." Sakura looked over to Sato and Ai. "You guys got any ideas?"


    "Well, I guess I may have something," Sato said reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his lighter. "Would this work?"


    Sakura glanced at the lighter. "Uh yeah, I guess." As Sato lit the fire and started cooking, Sakura grasped for his attention, "Sato? What''s the deal with you and that lighter? I mean you seem to be very fond of it."


    While Sato answered he didn''t take his eyes off the fire, "You see, one day when I was a little kid. I asked my mom what happened to my dad. She never told me exactly but she did give me this lighter and said this is what happened. She warned me only to use it when I was in a very dangerous situation. Though I haven''t ever had to use it, up until I came here that is. But every time I do use this now, I think of it as if my dad is helping me to survive."


    "I''m sorry Sato." Sakura sympathized.


    "Nah, don''t be, it''s fine." Sato finally lifted his head from the fire. "Although, I do wish I would''ve gotten the chance to meet him." Sato tried to lighten the mood by speaking in a French accent. "Bon'' appetite, your dinner is served. " Sakura and Ai started laughing and they all began eating. Sato spat it out immediately.


    "Ugh, this is terrible!" Sato wiped his mouth with his black sleeve.


    "I''ll eat yours for you, big brother!" Ai offered, raising her hand high.


    "Knock yourself out." Sato tossed his food over to Ai. As soon as she caught it she stared at it with her big bright red eyes bulging.


    Sato looked over at Sakura, "Why do you guys even eat this stuff anyway?"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Sakura swallowed before answering, "What do you mean?"''


    "You know, why do you eat other Bakemono?"


    "Why not? Don''t you humans eat animals? It''s the same thing for us, us free-willing Bakemono are at the top of the food chain."


    "So then you mean those Eagle, Golem, Spider and Leech Bakemono. You actually eat those things?" Sato started to feel sick. He got what Sakura was saying when she compared how humans eat animals. But he still couldn''t find a way to make himself feel as if that made sense without wanting to vomit. And he didn''t have an extra change of clothes in his backpack so he wasn''t in the mood for vomiting.


    "Not the Eagle and Leech Bakemono! That''s gross!" But yes, the Spider Bakemono are delicious." Sakura answered.


    Sato sighed, "Okay, I''m just gonna pretend we never had this conversation."


    Sakura set her food down on the log, "Okay then, I have something else I need to discuss with you."


    Sato raised his eyebrows, "Like what?"


    "Like what abilities you have here. You see whenever a human enters the Forbidden Book; they become what is known as the Illustrator. And they gain power to match. To put it simply it''s basically like drawing with your mind."


    "And you''re just telling me this now?" Seriously, why couldn''t she have told him this sooner? He had some neat power where he could draw with his mind and she was letting him barely survive with nothing but a rope and lighter?!


    "Yes," Sakura nodded. "I couldn''t have told you right away. Since its best for the Illustrator to have some sort of skill of their own so they don''t rely on this power too much. And once I saw how resourceful you were, that''s when I knew it was time to tell you."


    "Okay, so then how do I use this power?"


    "I already told you. Just imagine like you''re drawing with your mine. Oh but there''s one downside, you can only draw weapons."


    Something rustled in the bushes prompting Sato to arch his head back, "Hey, you guys hear something?"


    Sakura nodded keeping her eyes forward, "Yeah. It''s coming from the bushes.


    Suddenly a horde of Elephant Bakemono surrounded everyone.


    Sato looked back and forth between all the Elephant Bakemono, "Uh-oh. Looks like our dinner had friends."


    Sakura bent her knees and readied her fists, "Well you guys up for dessert?"


    Ai clapped her hands and shouted, "Yay!"


    "I''ll pass," Sato sighed. "But this should be a good time to test out my new powers." Sato stretched his arm out in the air, "Illustrate!" A gleaming silver sword with a black handle and deadly sharp blade materialized into Sato''s hand. "Yeah, now I could get used to this. Sakura, let''s go!"


    Ai cheered in glee, "Yay, go get ''em big brother!" She started punching the air pretending like she was in the fight as well.


    Sato charged swinging his sword at one of the Elephant Bakemono. Another one came ramming into Sato from behind. It raised its giant foot but Sakura kicked it out of the way just in the nick of time.


    Sato got up slashing at all of the Elephant Bakemono with his blade. Sato and Sakura kept going until there was only one left, the mother. The mother Elephant Bakemono roared in pure anger.


    Sato''s knees wobbled as he looked over to Sakura, "Think she''s mad?"


    "Really?" Sakura said in a sarcastic tone. "What do you think?"


    "I think we better end this…fast."


    The mother swung her razor-sharp trunk knocking Sato off his feet. Sakura ran toward the elephant. She jumped onto it grabbing its neck. She yelled to Sato, "Sato, like before, okay?"


    Sato smirked, "Yeah, I got it." Sato stuck his sword into the ground. He tied the rope to it and the other side to the elephant. "Only this time, it''ll be a little different. Dad, I need your help again!" Sato lit the rope on fire and flames consumed the elephant.


    Sakura quickly jumped off. Sato picked up his sword and ran for the Elephant Bakemono. He jumped midway slicing it down the middle.


    Sato fell on his butt exhausted, "Well that was fun... Let''s never do it again."


    "Aw, how cute. You think you have a choice." Sakura teased him.


    "So how far away is Sihalia?"


    "It''s about one-hundred miles to the North," Sakura said. "Give or take."


    Sato stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Okay good, that''ll give me some time to practice these new powers of mine."