Shadow of the Moon, a Sea of Shadows ttk-1

by Fuyumi Ono

  Rakushun instructed her to deposit the ashes into a wooden box. The remaining embers were stored in another container.

  Youko said, "Can I ask you something?"

  "What's that?"

  "What exactly is a shoku?" The elderwoman in Hairou had said it was something like a storm or tempest, but she still didn't understand its exact nature.

  "Ah, so you don't know what a shoku is, either. You don't have shoku where you're from?"

  "Well, it's written the same as an eclipse of the sun or the moon. We have those."

  "They're not dissimilar omens in some respects, except that the sun or moon don't appear to wane. So I guess you could say it's like a great tempest. A tempest throws the air into turmoil. A shoku throws the spirits into turmoil."

  "But there's also wind and rain?"

  "There can be wind and rain. There are shoku that blow through like a typhoon. They are rare. Earthquakes and thunder and rivers flowing backwards, sinkholes appearing out of nowhere, any kind of natural disaster you can think of, that's what a shoku is. In Hairou, the bottom of Lake Youchi rose up and all the water flooded out. The whole lake vanished off the map."

  Youko washed her hands after dumping out the ashes. "Are they always so destructive?"

  "It depends. We fear shoku far more than typhoons. You never know what will happen during a shoku."

  "But why should such things happen?"

  With a serious expression on his face, Rakushun set to making tea as if it were the most important thing in the world. "From what I've heard, a shoku is when here and there get tangled up together. When things that were originally apart come together and overlap each other, disasters follow. I don't really understand it myself, but that's what I think is going on."

  "Here and there … . "

  The tea he made looked like green tea. The aroma was quite different. It resembled a herbal tea, with a quite soothing flavor.

  "There is what lies beyond the Kyokai. Here is here. I can't think of any other name for it."

  Youko nodded.

  "The Kyokai encompasses the land. Beyond the land, the Kyokai goes on forever."

  "Forever?"

  "Forever, with no end in sight. And no end there ever will be, or so we are told. Explorers have sailed off in search of the end of the Kyokai. None have returned."

  "So that means over here the earth really is flat."

  Climbing onto his chair, Rakushun gave Youko a startled look. "But of course it is. Otherwise we'd all be in difficult fix, now, wouldn't we?" There was surprise and laughter in his voice.

  "Well, then, what shape does this world have?"

  Rakushun picked up a walnut and placed it on the table. "In the middle of the world is Suusan."

  "Suusan?"

  "The Supreme Mountain. It's also called Suukou, the Pinnacle, or Chuuzan, the Middle Mountain. Surrounding Suusan at the four cardinal points of the compass are the Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Mountains. They are more commonly known as Houzan, the Mountain of Wormwood; Kazan, the Mountain of Splendor; Kakuzan, the Mountain of Immediacy; and Kouzan, the Mountain of Permanence. The story goes that the Eastern Mountain was formerly called Taishan. The ruler of the northern kingdom of Tai changed the spelling of his family name from the character meaning "generations" to the character meaning "peaceful calm," the same as Taishan. In deference to him, Taishan was changed to Houzan. Together they are called Gozan, the Five Mountains."

  "No kidding."

  "Encompassing these five mountains is the Yellow Sea. Though called a sea, it is not a body of water. Rather, it is said to be filled with craggy wastelands and deserts and swamps and an ocean of trees."

  Youko paid close attention to the characters he was writing. "You've never seen it?"

  "There's no way I could. Encircling the Yellow Sea are the four Kongou, the Adamantine Mountains. No mortal being can dwell within them."

  "Oh." It really did look to her like an old map of some ancient world.

  "The Adamantine Mountains are bordered by four seas. To the north, northeast, south, southwest, east, southeast, west, and northwest, eight kingdoms encircle the seas. Beyond them is the Kyokai. Adjacent to these eight kingdoms are four big islands. The four island kingdoms plus the eight kingdoms that surround the Yellow Sea are the Twelve Kingdoms."

  Youko examined the geometric arrangements of walnuts. It looked like a flower, the kingdoms arrayed about the Gozan like petals.

  "And there's nothing else?"

  "Nothing else. Only the Kyokai reaching out to the very end of the world." But, he seemed to say to himself and added, "Tales have been told of an island far away at the eastern edge of the world, fairy tales about a place called the Kingdom of Hourai. Also known as Japan."

  The character he wrote down was Wa, the ancient name for Yamato.

  "Really? The same 'Yamato' as Japan?"

  When she wrote out the character herself, it definitely was Yamato. Youko bit her lip. Was it because of how the language was translated?

  "It's also said that Yamato is where kaikyaku come from."

  This time she clearly heard "Yamato." Because she knew the word as well in her native language, she didn't need it translated for her.

  "It all might be tall tales, but when you listen to what the kaikyaku say, it seems that there is undoubtedly a country called Yamato. Ships have sailed off in search of Yamato. They too have never returned."

  If indeed Japan did exist at the furthest reaches of the Kyokai, it might be possible to reach it by sailing east. But Youko knew the chances of that were slim. The only way home was through the shadow of the moon.

  "There's also a legend that says that deep within the Adamantine Mountains is a place called Kunlun. Beyond Kunlun is China. China is the home of the sankyaku, the visitors (kyaku) from across the mountains (san or zan)." Rakushun wrote down the character for Han to represent China.

  "Sankyaku? You mean there are other people who get tangled up in this place, not just kaikyaku?"

  "That's right. Kaikyaku wash up on the shores of the Kyokai. Sankyaku are found wandering at the foot of the Adamantine Mountains. There aren't a lot of sankyaku in this kingdom, though. Kaikyaku or sankyaku, you've got to run for your life."

  "Figures."

  "Han or Yamato, normal people just can't come and go. Only youma and the mountain wizards can. When there is a shoku, people from over there are caught up in the currents. Those people are the sankyaku and kaikyaku."

  "Huh."

  "It's said that the people of Yamato and Han live in houses made of gold and silver, studded with jewels. Their kingdoms are so wealthy that farmers live like kings. They gallop through the air and can run a thousand miles in a single day. Even babies have the power to defeat youma. Youma and wizards have supernatural powers because they travel to those other worlds and drink from magical springs deep within the mountains."

  Rakushun looked at Youko expectantly. Youko shook her head with a rueful smile. What a strange conversation this was. If she ever returned to her old world, they would never believe her. Fairly tales, they would say. And here, her world was a fairy tale as well. She laughed to herself. All along she had believed that this was a strange and mysterious world. But in the end, wasn't she and the place she came from even more so?

  That must be why, she concluded at length, kaikyaku were hunted down like dogs.

  5-5

  For a long, empty moment, Youko thought about the past and the fate of so many kaikyaku. She said, "The kaikyaku who end up here are killed because everybody automatically associates kaikyaku with shoku."

  "That's what it has come to, I guess. What's your occupation, Youko?"

  "I'm a student."

  "Yes, yes," Rakushun said excitedly. "There are kaikyaku who possess skills that we do not, who know things that we do not. I've heard that they can survive with the protection of powerful patrons … don't you think?"

  But of course, Youko thought, an ironic smile coming to her lips.
She didn't know anything worth anything in this world. She said, "Do you know of any way of returning to Yamato?"

  In response to her question, a frown came clearly to his face. "I don't." He hesitated, then added, "Perhaps I shouldn't say this, but I don't think there is a way."

  "That can't be true. If I came here, then there's got to be a way for me to leave here."

  At the tone of Youko's voice, Rakushun's whiskers drooped. "No mortal being can cross the Kyokai, Youko."

  "But I crossed the Kyokai. That's how I got here in the first place."

  "Even if you were able to arrive here, there's no way to leave. I have never heard of a kaikyaku or sankyaku returning to his home country."

  "That can't be right." She simply could not accept that it was not possible. "What about another shoku? I could wait for another shoku and get home the same way I came."

  In response to Youko's spirited objections, Rakushun only sadly shook his head. "Nobody knows when and where a shoku might occur. And even if you did, there's no way a mortal being could travel to that other world."

  No, that can't be true, Youko again fervently told herself. If she couldn't go home, then Keiki would have told her so. He hadn't said a thing about it. She'd sensed nothing in his attitude or manner that suggested that it was a one-way trip.

  "But I fled from Yamato to get away from the kochou."

  "A kochou? You escaped a kochou and came here?"

  "That's right. With a man named Keiki."

  "And he's the person you're looking for?"

  "Yes. This guy named Keiki, he brought me here. To tell the truth, it was because the kochou and the rest of them were hunting me. He said that in order to protect me, I had to come here." She looked at Rakushun. "By which I took it to mean that once I was safe, I could go back. That makes sense, doesn't it? He said that if I really wanted to go home, he would take me."

  "Nonsense."

  "Keiki had these creatures with him who could soar through the air. Animals who could talk, like you. As the crow flies, it was a one-day trip, that's what he said. It's not the kind of thing you'd say if you were going on a journey where there'd be no coming back, right?"

  Youko spoke as if pleading her case to a judge. For a while Rakushun said nothing.

  "Rakushun?"

  "I really don't know. But I'd say that something quite important is going on."

  "It's that big a deal, just based on what I told you?"

  "A very big deal. If a youma like a kochou showed up around here, it'd be a very big deal. Every town within shouting distance would empty out. And you're talking about a kochou going after one person, and going as far as that other world. This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. And then a man called Keiki brought you here?"

  "That's right."

  "It's said that youma and wizards and their kith and kin can take themselves back and forth. As for this Keiki person, no matter what kind a being he is, taking somebody else along with him? That's a new one in my book. Whatever happened, I don't think I'm the one to figure it out. But I know this much: it's definitely not the kind of thing that happens on a regular basis."

  After pondering the matter for a while, Rakushun looked at Youko with his jet-black eyes. "So, as things stand now, what do you want to do? Keep yourself safe at all costs? Or go home?"

  "I want to go home."

  Rakushun nodded. "As I expected. But that's not something I know how to do. In any case, I think you ought to go to En."

  "I agree. And after that?"

  "You can't expect much help from government officials or the province lords. I think your best bet would be to go to En and ask for help directly from the Royal En."

  Youko stared in amazement at the characters Rakushun was writing. "The Royal En? You mean the king?"

  Rakushun nodded. "The Kingdom of En has been ruled for generations by a king known as the En."

  "But is a king going to bother to help me?"

  "I don't know."

  You've got to be kidding! Youko wanted to shout, but held her tongue.

  "What I do know is that it's better than staying here in Kou. At least better odds than beseeching the emperor of Kou. Perhaps it's because the Royal En is a taika."

  "A taika?"

  "Fruit of the womb, it means. The way children are born in that other world. It's really rare here. A taika is a person from this world who is born by mistake in that other world."

  Youko's eyes opened wide. "What are you talking about?"

  "It really is rare. But even then, I'd be hard-pressed to say whether it's being born by mistake over there that's rare, or just returning here that's rare."

  "Huh."

  "There are three well-known taika: the Royal En of the En Kingdom, the Saiho of En, and the Saiho of the Tai Kingdom."

  "Saiho?"

  "A counselor or advisor to the king. There's talk that the Tai-saiho has died. The whereabouts of the Tai king are unknown. The kingdom is in turmoil and nobody wants to go anywhere near the place. You really ought to make En your destination."

  Youko found herself a bit overcome, partly because her brain was suddenly crammed with so much new information, and partly because all at once a whole new view of things had appeared before her.

  Going to visit the king--that was on a par with visiting a prime minister or president. Was it even possible? At the same time, the prospect of getting caught up in such weighty matters left her lightheaded and confused.

  As she turned all this over in her head, she heard the sound of footsteps outside.

  5-6

  The front door opened, revealing the figure of a middle-age woman. "Rakushun," she said.

  The rat raised his head. "Hi, Mom." He quivered his whiskers nervously. "I picked up a most interesting house guest."

  Youko couldn't help but gawk. This person was definitely a woman and definitely a human. The woman looked back and forth between Youko and Rakushun, a surprised expression on her face. "A guest, you say. And just who is this young lady?"

  "I found her in the forest. She washed ashore in Shin County during that recent shoku."

  You don't say, the woman muttered to herself, giving Rakushun a stern look.

  Youko drew back her shoulders. Had this woman heard the rumors of a kaikyaku who'd escaped from Shin? And if she had, would she give her shelter as Rakushun had?

  "Yes, it was quite terrible." The woman turned to Youko, who was holding her breath in anticipation. She smiled, glanced back at Rakushun. "What in the world have you been up to? It's a good thing I decided to check in on you. Have you been taking good care of her?"

  "I certainly have."

  "Well, let's hope so." Laughing, the woman looked at Youko with bright eyes. "Sorry I couldn't be here. I had some tasks to attend to. I hope Rakushun has done a good job tending to your needs."

  "Um … yes." Youko nodded. "I had a bad fever and could hardly move on my own. He was a great help. I'm very thankful."

  Heavens! the woman's expression said. She hurried over to Youko. "Are you all right? Should you be up and about?"

  "I'm fine. I really was well taken care of."

  As she answered, Youko searched the woman's face. She was okay with Rakushun because he wasn't human. But she couldn't be sure about this person.

  "That being the case, all the more reason for coming and getting me. He doesn't always use his head."

  Rakushun lifted his nose with a put-out air. "I did take good care of her. See, she's healed up just fine."

  The woman peered at Youko's face. "Healed up fine, you say? Anything still hurt? Perhaps you ought to go back to bed."

  "I am feeling better. Really."

  "So it seems. But what are you wearing this flimsy old thing for? Rakushun, get her a kimono."

  Rakushun ran into the other room.

  "Oh, the tea's gone cold. Wait a minute and I'll brew up a fresh pot."

  Youko watched as the woman firmly closed the front door, bustled past her and went
out the back door to the well. When Rakushun returned, carrying a kimono that resembled a light overcoat, she whispered to him, "Your mom?"

  "Yes. My dad passed away a long time ago."

  She couldn't help wondering if his father was a human or a rat. "Your real mom?" she asked cautiously.

  Rakushun responded with a puzzled look. "Of course she's my real mom. She's the one who picked me."

  "Picked you?"

  Rakushun nodded. "She picked me--the fruit that held me--from the riboku, the family tree." He stopped suddenly, as if something had just occurred to him. "Is it true that in that other world, a child grows inside his mother's stomach?"

  "Ah, yes. That's the normal way of things."

  "The fruit grows inside her stomach? But how do you pick it, then? Does it hang down from her belly?"

  "I'm not quite sure what you mean by pick."

  "You take the ranka from the tree."

  "The ranka?"

  "The egg-fruit. About this big around." He opened his arms as if carrying a basket. "It's a yellow fruit. Inside is a child. It grows on a branch of a riboku. The parents come and pick one. Don't egg-fruits grow over there?"

  "Well, not quite." Youko pressed her hands to her temples. What ought to be common sense here clearly wasn't. Rakushun looked at her expectantly. Youko smiled to cover her self-consciousness. She said, "Over there, a child forms in his mother's belly. His mother gives birth to him."

  Rakushun's eyes grew wide. "Like a chicken?"

  "Not quite, but that's the general idea."

  "How does it work, then? Is there a branch inside her stomach? How do you pick the fruit when it's inside her stomach?"

  "Oh, God … . "

  Youko was holding her head in her hands when Rakushun's mother returned. "Tea's ready," she said. "You hungry?"

  As Rakushun caught her up to date about Youko, his mother nimbly prepared some scone-like pastries.

  "And then," said Rakushun, breaking the big scone into pieces with his little hands, "we were thinking that the best course of action might be to go to En and check out things there."