A loud voice made him jump. “NORI!!!”
He whirled around. For just a moment, he saw something horrific.
A pair of Oni had his mother by her limbs. They looked every bit as horrific as the legends had proclaimed them to be. Monstrous in size, these giants possessed either blue or red skin. Horns jutted from their skulls, and they had massive fangs protruding from their lower jaws. They cackled as they pulled his mother apart.
NORI SAT UP straight and screamed out, “Mother!”
Rayko cringed beside him, and she held both hands to her face. Her blue eyes were opened as wide as they could go. Flara peered up at him from behind a desk. Apisa ran into the room and turned her attention on him.
“What happened?” Apisa asked. “Did you see something?” Her fingers were in the form of claws.
Rayko took several deep breaths. “No, no… we’re fine. Nori was just having a nightmare, it seems.”
Nori’s head felt fuzzy, as if it were wrapped in a tight bundle of silk. After several short, yet rapid breaths, he glanced around at the others. Nori sat on the floor of some kind of office. A large wooden desk sat at the back of the room. Scrolls and books rested on its surface. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and peculiar items rested on the shelves. Black broken shards lay on a table beside the desk. A skeleton leaned against one of the corners of the room.
“Where are we?” Nori rubbed his head. “What are we doing here?”
Flara returned to reading an open scroll before her. Rayko took hold of Nori’s face with both hands, and she examined him. When he tried to pull away, she repositioned him forcibly.
“Stop it! I want to take a gander at you to make sure we don’t have to requisition a replacement.”
Nori’s mouth tightened and he glared at her, but she didn’t seem to acknowledge his disgruntled behavior. She studied both eyes and then traced her fingers around the back of his head. A sudden burst of pain surged through him, but he remained silent.
A small grin appeared on Rayko’s face. “I saw that in your eyes. You have a nasty bump right there. It should be fine, but you’re going to have to relax a little more on our trip back home.”
Brief flashes of the shadow creatures appeared before his eyes. He saw himself run into the room and smash the lantern. After that, everything went black.
“Is everyone okay? I heard someone scream before I crushed the lantern,” Nori said.
“Oh that,” Apisa said. “The lantern carriers that Rayko created jumped in the way of the shadows. She made them scream as they pretended to die. After you destroyed the lantern, a mighty gust blasted past us.”
Flara kept reading the scroll, but she spoke aloud. She sounded a little distracted though. “It wasn’t a gust. It was a surge of magical energy. The lantern was their dimensional anchor to this plane of existence. Without it, they were destroyed.”
Nori slowly rose to his feet. His tetsubo lay in two broken halves.
Apisa followed his line of sight. “It’s too bad about your weapon. I’m sure that someone in Jadai might have something you could use. I don’t think they’d have exactly what you lost though.”
As he examined the broken splinters of his tetsubo, he replayed the horrid images from his dream. “I doubt anyone outside of Onista would have any need to have such a weapon. I suppose I could find a great axe or something.” Nori beheld Flara at the desk.
She looked intense, sitting there before the opened scroll. Her eyes continued to move up and down. Flara’s brow had bunched together like two caterpillars fighting over a mate.
“Have I been out long?” Nori asked.
“Only for about ten minutes.” Rayko stood up and dusted herself off. “Thankfully there was nothing else to bother us once the shadow creatures were exterminated.”
Apisa placed a gentle grip on his arm. “Are you okay? You look really pale. Either the bump is more serious than what Rayko is saying, or that nightmare was really awful.”
Nori stepped away from her and moved toward the desk. “I’m fine. So, is that pile of scrolls what you were sent here to find?”
Flara blinked several times, and then she gazed up at Nori. Her lips formed a pout and she scanned over his whole body, as if he were a brand new species never before witnessed.
“Sent here to f-find?” She averted her eyes for a second. “I never thought about it like that, but then again, there must have been a reason for me to have such graphic dreams. To answer your question, I believe so. By the way, I’m glad you’re okay.”
Rayko walked up from behind him and leaned against the desk. “So have you finished reading that scroll yet? You look quite troubled. I’m certain that all of us are interested in why you’re upset.”
Apisa stayed by the door, but she turned her back toward the wall. Every now and then, she would peek out into the greater space of the library.
Flara slowly rolled up the scroll. “This was written by the abbot of the monastery. He’s the skeleton in the corner. The scroll I was reading tells about all the …research that was going on here at the time of the monastery’s destruction.”
“Research? What kind of research?” Apisa asked.
Flara’s lips curled down. “The stories about this place are right. These monks were studying dark lore. They researched different kinds of yokai, how to kill them, and how to control some of them. Not only that, but they were seeking to discover the secrets of some pretty demented forms of magic too.”
A soft tickle had started beneath Nori’s skin. He desperately wanted to itch all over, but doing so would only unnerve the girls. Nori had to appear strong as the mountain, for that was the legacy of his people. Onistans endured no matter what.
“Why would they be trying to study this kind of material? I wonder if the Jadai University knew about this,” Rayko asked.
Flara’s forehead creased even more. “Not only did they know about this, they sanctioned it. This whole time, I thought that this was a monastery. It wasn’t, but it was made to look like one. The people who died here weren’t monks, they were university mages like us.”
Nori’s heart thumped in his ears. The whooshing sound of his blood running in his veins almost drowned out the sound of Apisa and Rayko’s gasps.
“That’s impossible,” Apisa said. “You said yourself that any record about this place was obscure and limited.”
“That’s true,” Flara replied. “I had to get special permission from Madame Hao to look in the oldest and most secretive of records. For some reason, any other reference to this place has been lost or destroyed. That’s not what concerns me most though. The abbot was a monk, and a mage at the same time. He was sent here to do a certain task.”
Nori asked “Which was?”
She shook her head and pushed herself back in her chair. When she opened her mouth to speak, only inaudible noises came out. This only further frustrated her, and her eyes became wetter.
“It’s okay,” Rayko said. She rounded the desk and started rubbing Flara’s shoulders. “Take your time and process what you’ve read.”
The air in the little office chilled slightly, and the anticipation pressed down on Nori like an avalanche.
“This abbot is referencing something I’ve never heard about,” Flara said. “I’ve read through countless tomes and scrolls at the University, and even in the royal library. I’ve never even heard of the Celestial Ones. What he’s saying is both frightening and confusing, all at once.”
Rayko wrinkled her nose, but watched Flara with silent yearning. Apisa placed a hand on her hip and tapped her leg with her free hand.
Nori felt as if he floated in a vast sea, with no visible land in sight. Had they been discussing topics that he knew about, he would have been more relaxed. This area, magic and dark lore, completely eluded him. Granted, in his Qu-Tar training, they had learned about potential yokai threats and how to deal with them. His superiors never thought to give them anything more in-depth about this particular subject matter. T
he only spiritual thing he knew about was about Saito, the great philosopher and herald of peace.
“When you say Celestial Ones, you’re meaning like heaven, right?” Nori asked. “Is it in reference to Saito?”
Flara swallowed hard. “I don’t think so. Saito existed about eight hundred years ago. What the abbot is referencing is older than even the Great Philosopher. These students researched dark lore in preparation for something ominous. Listen to this.” She unrolled the scroll again and traced the lines with her finger.
When she got to the point she wanted, she started to read. “On the longest night in the thousandth year of the empire’s reign, the Celestial Ones will return. With them, they shall bring unending suffering and torment. The Scarred Ones will aid in their escape. Beware and prepare, for if the Celestial Ones succeed, humanity will be snuffed out like a candle flame.”
Apisa’s face scrunched up, and she let out a little sniff. “Isn’t there some kind of grand celebration coming up this year? The Millennium Celebration of Prosperity under the Imperial Throne?”
Flara nodded. “I’ve never heard about any of this. I hate to sound a-arrogant, but if I’m in the dark, then so are my mother’s advisors. She needs to see these scrolls. I have to leave for Xian Ba at once, but Madame Hao needs to be made aware of all this lore. Maybe something can be salvaged from it.”
Nori leaned on the desk and locked eyes with Flara. “We should return to Jadai anyway. I’ll collect my things, get a new weapon, and you and I can be on the first ship to the capital. The celebration isn’t for months anyway, so we may still have time to…”
Flara interrupted him, passion streaming from every word. “Time to do what? If these scholars were worried about these Celestial Ones over four hundred years ago, what can we do in less than eight months’ time? There is no way to stop their coming, but we can start to prepare for war. It’s the only thing we can do.”
“Well then a few days won’t matter either.” Nori’s voice sounded as hard as the mountain rock. “I’m your Qu-Tar, and you’re going to have to trust me on this. If we rode by horse to Xian Ba, it would take weeks, if not a couple months. Taking a river boat will get us there within a week, maybe two. We can return to Jadai. While you handle things with Madame Hao, I’ll look into getting us river passage, okay?”
Flara shrank in her seat. “O-okay.”
“I’ll go get some bags from the horses, and we’ll collect as many scrolls and lore as we can.” Nori rapidly exited the office and started sprinting through the library.
With each step, he thought of his nightmare.
TOV FLAPPED HIS wings again, pushing himself higher into the clouds. Despite being directly in the sun, the nipping chill of the air sent ecstasy-filled vibrations through his skin. From this height, the world didn’t look quite as ruined as it truly was. Tov held out his hands and spread his fingers as wide as he could. The constant gust blasting past him felt so amazing.
He took in a deep breath and savored the cold aura within his lungs. The splendor of the river cutting through the land ran far below him. He could no longer see the blemish that was Xian Ba. Every time he had to be around those people, a piece of him died inside. How dare they continue to squander all of these wondrous riches? Did they not realize the bounty of natural art that existed just beyond the tips of their noses? Images of the destitute lifestyle of his people flashed in his mind. His muscles tightened up and he started to form his energy blade. It crackled to life as he passed through a cloud.
When the next puffy whiff came within striking distance, he chopped it apart. A deep throbbing still nipped at the sides of his head. Tov dismissed the blade and pushed the vile humans from his mind. After several more amazing intakes of sweet air, his mood began to rise.
Tov’s gem armband flashed brightly. The unified voices beckoned him as he soared through the air.
Someone has found lore about us! You will find it and take it from them. No one can know about us! The pathetic humans can’t be allowed to prepare for what they deserve.
Tov touched the armband and sent his thoughts back to his Masters.
He said, “I will find the lore. May I have permission to find it after I take care of the Nekomata?”
A brief moment of silence lingered within his mind, but then they responded.
That will be acceptable. Eliminate them as a threat, and then eliminate the ones who carry the lore.
Tov soared higher into the clouds and flew faster along the river. Just up ahead, the river forked in two directions, and beyond, a vast forest spread across the south bank. He took one last deep, relaxing breathe and then cleared his mind.
THE LAST COUPLE of days had gone by without any unsettling issues. Nori led the group back through the gates of Jada, and the vitality of urban life wrapped its arms around him. After such a harrowing experience in the woods, Nori welcomed a city, even if it was a lowlander one.
Since they left the forest, Flara had been pouring over the scrolls, reading as much as she could. Nori rode beside her in silence and hoped she could find meaning among what seemed like detailed research notes. Apisa and Rayko remained quiet for most of the journey as well. When they did talk, they kept to themselves.
At night, Flara recounted what she learned from the day. Unfortunately, the abbot gave little insight into who or what the Celestial Ones were. All he or she said was that the coming of the Celestial Ones would spell doom for humanity as a whole. Perhaps his dream had been something of a premonition, a vision of what would come to pass should the Celestial Ones actually return.
The scrolls contained a lot of useful information, information that made every muscle in Nori’s body twitch. The scrolls contained very detailed research related to yokai, dark magic, and techniques that could help in an impending war. After Flara informed them of dark and terrible things, the girls pleaded with him to ease their spirits with lute music. It took much more coaxing on the first night. Within several finger strums of the first song, Nori’s heart felt lighter. His thoughts flowed through him easier. Taking in breaths didn’t feel quite as labor intensive. Unfortunately, the calming aura of the music dissipated as soon as he laid down on his bedroll.
At night, he either saw flashes of his nightmare from before or he conjured grotesque images of humans suffering at the hands of some unknown enemy.
Nori halted Mac at an intersection, and then dismounted. He handed the reigns to Apisa. “I should be able to secure passage on a ship today. If Saito favors us, then we’ll be on our way tomorrow.”
Flara urged her horse to move down the street. She glanced back at Nori. “Thank you for taking care of this. We’ll arrange everything with Madame Hao. Please meet us at the university gates after breakfast.”
Flara whipped her horse’s reigns and moved through the crowds quicker, and Rayko and Apisa trailed in her wake. Nori scoffed a little. Perhaps Rayko had been right, perhaps they only saw him as the help. It didn’t matter, for this was his life. Nori moved down the street along with the throng of people.
Every now and then, he placed his hand on his sheathed knife. Nori winced and felt a hollow ringing in his chest. As soon as he secured a ship, he needed to get a real weapon.
People all around him moved with a visible sense of relaxation and contentment. A few of the citizens even gave him pleasing expressions. Most people still gave him a wide berth though. These poor people had no idea what lingered in the background. To be honest, Nori wished he didn’t know. Would these fine lowlanders experience the same kind of devastation that he had dreamed for his own people? Was there anything he could do to prevent such a thing?
The trip to the docks took a little longer than Nori anticipated. He moved to the first ship on the end of the docks. Only a few people moved about the deck, and they performed simple cleaning tasks. As Nori approached, one of the sailors stopped sweeping and gave him a wondering review.
“Can I help you find something?” the sailor asked.
Despi
te the tone in the man’s voice, a hint of unease danced in his eyes.
Nori stopped right before the gang plank. “I’m looking for the captain of this vessel. Is he aboard? I need to book passage.”
Several of the other sailors stopped what they were doing and moved beside the first sailor. Each of them had troubled expressions on their faces.
“Well, if you want the captain, you might try going down to the White Lily Mistress. It’s a tavern and inn down that road there.” The sailor pointed to a particular avenue. “Our captain is there, no doubt alongside the other captains too.”
Nori swallowed in attempts to moisten his dry throat. The sailors had gripped their cleaning tools tightly when he asked about the captain, and they watched him with growing apprehension.
Nori gave them a curt nod. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll head there now. The White Lily Mistress, right?”
The sailor said “That’s right.”
Nori took several back steps and then pivoted around. The sailors still stared at him as he melted back in with the crowd. They hadn’t moved or said anything to one another, they just trailed him with their eyes. A slight pressure expanded below his stomach. It got a little better once he took several deep breaths, but it remained constant until he finally found the tavern that the sailor had mentioned before.
The White Lily Mistress was a three story building with a red tiled roof and white walls. A weathered brown door beckoned for him to enter. Above the door hung a sign with the painted image of a young maiden carrying a basket of lilies. Loud voices boomed from within. The faint humming of music provided an undercurrent of sound, but the voices and laugher carried over it.
Nori stepped up to the door, but he only placed his hand on it. His head swam. He ran his thumb against the inside of his fingers. When he tried to imagine what he wanted to say, the words vanished as soon as they appeared.
“You can do this,” Nori said softly. “Onistans endure. Onistans can be counted on.”
The Wrath Of the Forgotten Page 13
