The Wrath Of the Forgotten

by Michael Ignacio

  “Well forgive me if I’m not really excited about you being right,” Apisa said. “Those monsters were bad enough to deal with, and there were only twelve of them.”

  Nori grimaced. “There’s no way around it. We’re going to have to pass under their webbing if we’re going to get to the ruins in the center of the wood. Does anyone have any ideas?”

  A wily grin covered Rayko’s face. “As a matter of fact, I do have a grand idea. Granted, it doesn’t come without risks.”

  “What’s your plan?” Flara asked. “I’m going to assume it has to do with illusions.”

  Rayko pointed at her and gave the meek princess a wink. “As a matter of fact, it does. Watch, and be amazed.” She focused her attention on Nori. “Now don’t be alarmed by what you’re going to see. This will work if we just play our parts.”

  Nori narrowed his eyes, but refrained from spitting back a response.

  Each of Rayko’s different color sections on her tattoo blinked several times in succession before flashing together brightly. A ghostly shell fell over Nori, but rather than take solid form, it remained opaque. A bulbous body sounded Mac’s body, and eight little spindly legs extended from the spider torso. The sections of Mac’s legs that penetrated the illusion faded from existence entirely. When Nori extended his tetsubo out of the spider body far enough, the end disappeared as well. Three hideous Tsuchigumos stood where Rayko, Flara, and Apisa once were.

  Nori regarded Mac, but his horse remained absolutely calm.

  “Why aren’t the horses freaking out?” Nori asked.

  One of the spiders spoke. “I cast an illusion on their eyes. Until I lift it, they’re going to think they’re walking through a meadow on a warm summer’s day. They won’t hear anything that happens around them either.”

  Nori’s voice cracked. “You can do that? Even while maintaining the illusions over us?”

  The spider raised two of its legs in the air in a dramatic pose. “Darling, I told you before, I’m the best illusionist in all of Jadai. Of course I can.”

  Flara’s voice came from one of the other spiders. “Take this.” Two ends of rope extended from one of the spiders. “This will help us determine we’re us, instead of one of them.”

  After a few seconds, a clump of rope flew at him. Nori tied it to his saddle bags. As soon as it had been secured, the rope transformed into thick strings of webbing.

  “Lead the way when you’re ready, big guy,” Apisa called out from the back.

  Nori rolled his shoulders as he settled himself in his saddle. The trees appeared to grow in height, and the forest became all the more overwhelming. At least before, Nori had Mac to share in his concern. Now, he didn’t even have that. His bones trembled, and his spirit waivered slightly. Despite that, Nori tightened the grip on his tetsubo. The girls needed him to be both an Onistan and a Qu-Tar. Onistans never backed down from challenges and carried with them the fortitude of the mountains. Qu-Tar served faithfully without complaint or sign of weakness. Nori urged Mac to move forward.

  He kept his breathing to a barely audible tone and reviewed the webbing above them. Nothing moved, not even the branches blowing in the wind. Perhaps even gusts were too scared to come to a place like this. At least Rayko had muted the sound of the horses’ hooves.

  As soon as they entered beneath the webbing, the area grew darker. The air felt thicker, as if coated with miasma. Chills danced up the back of Nori’s arms. His kneecaps ached. A sudden cracking of wood in the distance made him stop. He peered all around him and then turned his attention above them.

  The stark whiteness of the webbing gave the trees the illusion of being cleaner and brighter, despite the lack of sunlight. After a long moment of inspection, Nori moved along the forest path again. Back and forth, his eyes swept to the right and left. At the edge of hearing, a strange scuttling resonated.

  Nori stopped again. In the distance, a single Tsuchigumo moved along the webbing. It climbed above them and then lowered itself before them on a string of webbing.

  Like the Tsuchigumos they encountered the night before, this monster had the vilest physical features. Over a half dozen eyes gaped at him, and its massive jaw opened and closed. Little tufts of fur or hair covered the bulbous body that followed its proportionately smaller head.

  The Tsuchigumo stepped up to Nori’s illusionary spider face and tilted its head to the side. Its front two legs rubbed against one another, specifically at the pointed ends. “What are you doing out here? Why do you disobey Mother’s laws?”

  Nori’s insides clenched. He lowered his voice to sound gravellier. “Some of our brothers did not return last night. There was a human camp before. They are gone now. They must be in here somewhere.”

  The Tsuchigumo’s jaws opened and shut again, this time with more vigor. “Humans? How do you know? Why didn’t you go too?”

  Nori tightened the grip on his tetsubo. His mind raced. “What are you doing out here? Aren’t you breaking Mother’s laws too?” Nori winced.

  The Tsuchigumo stepped back several steps and glanced from side to side. “I… I hungered for something sweet to eat. I had hoped to find a stupid animal. Are you hunting for the humans?”

  Nori’s stomach threatened to pour out over his lips. “Yes, we are. They are strong, but we will eat them.”

  The Tsuchigumo titled its head again. “But why do you travel on the ground like lowly creatures?”

  “We want them to be afraid of us,” Nori said. “You know just as well as I that that fear …sweetens the meat.”

  For a moment, the Tsuchigumo stared back at him. “Yes, this is true. I will find them before you. It is I who will feast.” The Tsuchigumo raised itself back up the string of webbing.

  Nori watched it scamper off rapidly.

  “Good job!” Apisa said. “I think I pissed myself a little.”

  Rayko’s voice trailed after hers. “Yes, that was a tense situation. I’m slightly impressed. Let’s continue on, shall we?”

  Nori hesitated before moving Mac forward again. He scanned the tree tops and listened intently. Any sound of the Tsuchigumo had disappeared into the background of the forest. Somewhere in the forest depths, a mother waited. Even with all of his training, Nori’s hands shook slightly.

  Good thing the girls couldn’t see the trepidation that gripped him so tightly.

  The webbing got thicker the deeper that Nori and the others went into the forest. Every now and then, one of the webbing strands subtly vibrated. Nori gently whipped his reins, prodding Mac to move faster. Nori’s throat felt dry, and yet he dared not risk the sound of him ruffling through his saddle bags.

  Whereas before, noiselessness dominated the air, small sounds started making their presence known. Every time Nori heard something, he jumped. He kept looking back to the other spiders that followed him, just to make sure they were still there. Nori rubbed little circles in the side of his tetsubo with his thumb. He licked his lips, but his tongue felt like a wool blanket.

  The path looped around a large collection of trees and then it ran straight for a half mile. An old, faded wooden gateway stood over the forest path, and wooden structures existed beyond it.

  He turned around and said ever so softly, “We’re almost there.”

  A loud, gut wrenching-voice thundered above them. “Are you? Well, almost doesn’t quite count.”

  All around them, Tsuchigumos crawled out from behind trees and from the webbing above. They hissed loudly and rubbed the sharp points of their front legs together. A gigantic Tsuchigumo lowered itself between Nori and the distant ruins.

  The giant spider was the size of a house. Its jaw alone could easily swallow him and Mac without even trying. Icy spasms flashed in Nori’s veins, but he pushed them away. He sat up in his saddle and rolled his tetsubo arm in a small circle. Any apprehension that once took hold of him melted away. The girls needed him, and he couldn’t afford to be anything less than an Onistan Qu-Tar.

  The giant Tsuchigumo said “S
o our prey is tricky, is it? You dishonor us with taking on our perfect visage. Reveal yourselves.”

  “Should we do as it says?” Rayko asked.

  Flara’s voice sounded harder. “Yes, do it. When I say go, be prepared to ride for the ruins.”

  Nori’s spirit shivered and he tensed all of his muscles. Slowly, the illusion covering him faded.

  The Tsuchigumo mother back-stepped a little bit and it spit out large clumps of spit on the forest path. “What are you going to do with that little flame?”

  Nori narrowed his eyes and looked behind him. Flara’s jaw had tightened and she held a rolled up scroll above her head. The end of the scroll burned with a small flame, and smoke rose into the air. Pink mist floated up from her lips.

  A red globe flew up from the fire. As it took shape, Nori’s heart thumped in his ears. The numerous Tsuchigumos skittered around as the fire kami appeared, and even the great mother backed up a little.

  Flara clutched her hands together. “Please help us. We need to get rid of these wretched creatures.”

  The fire kami nodded, and then delved back into the flame. At first, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but every living thing watched the makeshift torch with baited breath. The fire crackled faster, and the flames swirled about as if caught in a whirlwind. A red face appeared in the center of the torch. Visible lips puckered for a moment, and then a wide tongue of fire blasted out and ignited the trees.

  As the flames spread amongst the branches, the fire kami leaped from the torch to the ignited treetops. A blanket of bright orange covered the leaves, and the fire kami grew in size. A terrible laugh echoed out, and the fire kami reached out with its impossibly long arms. Its fiery fingers grazed plant and spider demon alike.

  Flara threw the blackened scroll to the ground and gripped her reins. “Be prepared! When I say go, charge toward the ruins!”

  The flames spread and the fire kami whipped its arms amount in an excited fashion, all the while chortling manically. Giant spiders ignited and screamed out. The flames ran across the webbing and consumed more of the tree tops. An aroma of burning wood and cooked meat settled in the air. The Tsuchigumo mother started to rise back into the tree branches via the thick strand of webbing, but the fire kami covered the area above her in a bright orange wall. Branches snapped under the kami’s blazing presence. The Tsuchigumo mother fell back to the ground with a loud thud. It rose to its feet and backed up on the forest trail.

  “My babies! My home!” The mother screamed. “You ruined everything! I have lost all I hold dear. You shall pay for this!”

  Just as the Tsuchigumo reared its ugly head toward Nori and the others, the fire kami leaped upon it. The kami wrapped its limbs around the spider demon’s body. No amount of thrashing could dislodge the elemental spirit.

  “Now!” Flara screamed. She whipped her reins and sent her horse galloping past Nori.

  Nori allowed the other girls to ride past him, and he trailed behind. The Tsuchigumo mother shook wildly, but Flara and the others veered around it. Rather than ride around it, Nori charged the Tsuchigumo. As he got closer, he swung his tetsubo as hard as he could. In all the confusion, the spider hadn’t noticed Nori’s approach. The force behind his smack sent the creature’s bloated body to the ground. With a wicked smile, the fire kami pressed its hands on the spiders face and held it down, long enough for Nori to rejoin the girls.

  Nori passed under the gateway to the monastery, but he glanced over his shoulder. Flaming spiders crawled away into the wood. Smoke rose into the sky. A giant mass of flesh sat on the road, and a demonic kami spirit floated above it.

  His momentarily satisfaction faded as he beheld the monastery ruins.

  Whereas the forest teemed with life, an unnatural void lingered in the wide courtyard. Three lonely-looking buildings stood on the far end of the open space like grim grave markers. Not a single shred of webbing touched any of the buildings or the immediate trees surrounding the complex. A smaller, one story structure sat between a pair of two story buildings. The door to the central building had been left open, and it revealed a golden statue of Saito, the great philosopher. The building to the shrine’s left appeared more rectangular while the one on the right was square.

  The air vibrated with a sense of wrongness that made Nori’s stomach twirl about. His throat vibrated under a thick coat of acid and unease. As Nori stopped beside the others, he began to wonder if they were safer with the Tsuchigumos.

  “IT’S JUST LIKE my dream,” Flara said.

  Her voice sounded louder with more energy behind her words. Flara’s attention darted between the buildings. The hint of a smile lingered on her lips.

  Rayko swallowed loudly. Her grip on her reigns had become quite tight. “My word, this place is dreadful, isn’t it? Didn’t you say no one’s been here for hundreds of years?”

  Apisa licked her lips continuously. “I bet you this place is haunted. My granny used to tell me stories about haunted places like this. They were full of angry vengeful spirits. Do you think we’ll encounter any here?”

  “She did mention they studied dark lore here,” Rayko said. She shifted her attention between the buildings. “I would rather not have to spend the night in a place like this. Any chance we could be out of the forest before nightfall?”

  Nori studied the sky. “The sun’s a little past noon. If we’re lucky and we ride hard, we may be able to make that happen.”

  Flara pointed to one of the buildings. “That looks like a shrine. We could probably keep our horses there. Let’s go.” She whipped her reins and urged the horse to move ahead.

  Nori motioned for Apisa, but kept his voice low. “Hey, is she okay? She seems …different than before.”

  Apisa grinned. “Oh, she’s fine, relatively speaking. She always gets this way when she gets a chance to look at really rare scrolls and such.”

  Rayko leaned in a little closer. “Yes, too bad she doesn’t approach social gatherings like she does her studies or lore hunts. If she did, there wouldn’t be anyone who could be as popular as her.”

  “Including yourself?” Apisa asked.

  Rayko placed a hand on her chest. “Even I can admit she would be simply wondrous if she applied herself. She would be without equal. Now enough of this pointless conversation. We had better catch up with her before she starts to explore this place by herself.”

  Nori, Rayko, and Apisa made their way over to the shrine. A large statue of the honored Saito sat inside a lone building. The paint on the exterior of the shine had long been worn off. Despite the weather beaten outsides, the shrine still looked sturdy. The gold-plated statue of the great philosopher still looked as impressive as it would have in any other holy place in Korrine.

  As Flara moved closer to the shrine, she bowed her head in reverence. She took small steps toward the building. When she got within the shrine, she tied the reins of her horse to one of the railings that ran around the statue.

  As the other girls led their horses inside as well, Flara stood before the great statue. She closed her eyes and placed her hands together.

  “Oh, great Saito, hear my prayer,” Flara said. “Please watch over our horses while we decipher the mystery of my dreams. Keep them calm so they don’t get scared. Please also guide us on our search. Thank you, wise Saito.”

  Apisa, Nori, and Rayko all copied her movements. As Nori closed his eyes, he said a silent prayer.

  “Oh great Saito, hear my prayer. Please help me to continue to live up to the mighty legacy of my people. Please don’t let my courage falter. Please bless me with the wisdom and sound of mind to serve Flara and the others well. Please give me the strength to do my duty, no matter where it leads, Thank you, wondrous Saito.”

  Nori was the last one to leave the shrine.

  Rayko beamed at him. “I didn’t know that Onistans believed in Saito. I thought you might have believed in primitive Oni gods or something. I mean no offense.”

  Nori frowned at her. “The teachings
of Saito are not lost on us, even though we’re battle born and battle ready. Besides, we don’t worship the Oni, we kill them.”

  Flara stepped between them. “Please, let’s not fight, and let’s not focus on death at the moment either. The sooner we find out what’s here, the sooner we can be on our way to leaving this place. I don’t want to be here anymore than you do, but we have to be. Let’s make the best of it.”

  “There are two buildings,” Apisa said. “Which one should we look into first?”

  Flara clasped her hands together and studied both buildings. After giving them each several long seconds of inspection, she turned to Nori and the others. “In my dream, I always go for the left building. I know what I’m searching for must be in there, but I’m curious as to what’s in the right one.” She pointed to the building on the right. “Let’s go there first.”

  Nori squeezed his tetsubo handle with both hands. He puffed out his chest as far as it would go, if only to mask his unease. “I’ll lead the way. If anything does jump out, you all can avenge my death.”

  “Oh that’s comforting,” Rayko said. “Has anyone ever told you you’re so inspiring?”

  “All the time,” Nori said. “You should hear me try and tell jokes.”

  As he moved toward the entrance to right building, Apisa whispered a little too loudly, “I like sassy Nori.”

  Rayko replied “Well I don’t. Let’s hope he resends back into his shell, shall we?”

  Was it his imagination, or did Flara snicker?

  Nori took several deep breaths as he finally stepped up to the entryway of the longer, more rectangular building. The front side of the structure had two rows of windows that spanned its length. One row was within arm’s reach while the other row extended thirty feet above the ground. The outside of the building appeared weathered and aged, yet surprisingly it lacked all signs of decay. It also lacked a door. The blackness within didn’t look too inviting.

  “I wish I had a torch or something,” Nori said.

  Rayko said, “Oh allow me.”

  Her tattoo flashed briefly. Beside Nori, a nearly naked man dressed in a loin cloth stepped out of nothingness. The man’s physique appeared chiseled to perfection, or rather, what the lowlanders considered perfection. He carried a lantern that created vast amounts of illumination. The shadows peeled away like onion skin.