“Maybe. Perhaps the heavens are feeling generous tonight.” Nori peered into the center of his lantern’s flames.
Rayko turned back around and lowered her head slightly.
Nori looked behind him, much in the same way that Rayko regarded him moments before. “Are you carrying the lantern for your parents?”
Apisa shook her head. “No, just my papa. I made an agreement with my older brother long ago. He always carries his lantern for our mama, and I carry for my papa. My little sister is too young to do the March of the Souls. When we celebrate the March of Souls in Buka, she walks beside him.”
Nori turned back around. Aside from him asking very soft spoken questions, no one else made any noise. They simply walked in a line, moving toward the river.
His stomach tingled wildly as he contemplated over what the final moments of Onista must have looked like. Fear must have been so thick in the streets. People probably screamed and tried to make it to safety. Were there any Onistans who got away? Surely he couldn’t be the only one left. His father would have been prepared in case of a massive attack.
Nori winced slightly as he considered his eccentric father. Being one of the only Oni fanatics in the city, he would have been consulted by his mother and the other leaders of the community. Even if it was a surprise attack, his mother would have sought the expert advice from his father.
The weight of the lantern seemed to get heavier. His muscles shook slightly as he maintained its height in front of its chest. Just to be sure, Nori tightened his grip on the handle, lest it be ripped from him by some unseen adversary.
His mother’s voice echoed in his head.
Nori had seen the dream a dozen times, and felt the vibrations from her death throes. She must have suffered so intensely. For all of Nori’s life, he had never seen his mother show sign of weakness. Despite the nature of the scream, he knew she died as she lived. Luxi, Vihori, and Flara walked in front of Rayko. They each carried lanterns too.
It didn’t take much imagination to conjure up who Luxi walked for. Did Vihori also honor their father in the same manner as Luxi did? And who did Flara carry her lantern for? Although Nori had a pretty good guess, he would never know for sure.
Even asking Rayko and Apisa who they thought of was considered rude among strangers, and slightly inappropriate among friends.
The procession finally came to the harbor. A thousand lanterns drifted down the river, creating an army of firefly-like lights. As soon as citizens sent their wishes along with the lanterns, they moved back toward their homes down some of the other streets not being used by the main procession.
Flara placed her lantern in the river, and then clasped her hands together in front of her. Many of the other people did the same. After a few long seconds of silence, she moved away, but stood off to the side.
Nori gently rested his lantern on the surface of the river. The coolness brought on by the water made him shiver slightly. He kept hold of the lantern’s handle for a moment before he let go of it. The river current pulled the lantern away. Nori watched it float along.
He closed his eyes and clasped his hands to his chest.
Dear Saito in Heaven. Please pray for the souls of the Onistans. Please grant them a collective wish so that they might find peace in death. May their triumphant lives not have been meaningless.
Nori opened his eyes. His lantern intermixed with a legion of others, and more lanterns had followed behind it. Though he couldn’t tell which was his anymore, it didn’t really matter. He stepped away from the river, and stood beside Rayko and Flara.
Luxi and Vihori stood off by themselves, and they spoke softly to one another.
Flara continued to watch the lanterns with wet wide eyes. Rayko kept her gaze down to the ground before her. Her brow was creased, and she kept her arms beside her.
Nori stepped forward and gave Rayko a tight hug. Before she knew what was going on, Nori had engulfed her in his grasp. A second later, she hugged back. Flara anticipated she was next, and stepped into Nori’s waiting arms.
“C-can I get one too?” Apisa asked behind them.
Nori grinned at her and opened his arms wide. Her leg tattoo glowed for a second, and she moved in to embrace him. She actually squeezed harder than he did, and she even picked him up a little. A warm ocean of tickles blossomed in him, and he reveled in how nice it was to be this close with her. She rested her head on his chest. He glanced down at her.
“We didn’t get that long of a hug,” Rayko said. “Not that I mind. I’m simply stating a fact.”
Flara held up a hand to her mouth, yet she couldn’t conceal the upward curvature of her lips. “You two are cute together.”
Apisa stepped away from Nori. “Y-you all are crazy. You know that?”
Luxi walked up to the group, her gaze lingered on Nori the longest. “Because of the March of Souls, we have to wait until morning until we can leave. I’ve arranged for us to all have rooms at an inn. Don’t worry about the charge, Vihori and I got it covered.”
“That’s really nice of you,” Flara said. She fumbled with her fingers. “We should probably move along and let the others have their time with their loves ones in peace.”
Nori followed closely behind the group, but he regarded the illuminated river one last time. Somewhere in that crowd of lanterns, his prayers for his people drifted along.
TOV SETTLED HIMSELF among the large crates and food stuffs. It had been difficult, but no one stopped him from sneaking aboard the ship. Most of the sailors had presumably participated in the March of Souls. Soon, no human would be alive to honor the sheer amount of dead that would follow in the wake of the Masters’ return. The sailors who stood guard on the ship had given him few opportunities to sneak aboard. Thank the light and everything that was holy they gave him some chances.
His armband pulsated slightly, but not as intensely as it had before. The lore was somewhere in the city. Unless this was their final destination, the people who carried his prize would return. Why would they stop here though?
Tov cleared his mind, and grabbed some of the fruit stored in one of the storage units. The sweet taste of an apple filled his mouth, and he helped himself to three more of them. These foolish humans wouldn’t expect him this time. Rather than attack from without, he would destroy them from within. All he had to do was wait.
Tov imagined Urae. A deep longing tugged at his heart, and he wanted nothing more than to be gliding home at that very moment. Would he ever get the chance to live in peace like the humans? Or would the remainder of his existence be devoted to war and death? It couldn’t be helped though. The humans had brought this on themselves. Had they accepted nature as the way it was, then they could have enjoyed the sweetness of harmony.
It didn’t matter. Tov could no more choose the course of his life than he could alter the course of the river. Rather than fight against destiny, his mother had taught him to embrace it and make his life meaningful.
Did he accomplish that? Would his sacrifices improve the lives of his fellow Yaoguai? What about the Yaoguai who would be born after he died? Would their lives be peaceful, or would they be wrought with impending death?
Tov kept forming a fist, and then relaxing it. His people had waited a thousand years for justice, and their justice would come before another year passed. Tov twitched. A large part of him didn’t want to wait. He wanted it done, one way or the other. The Masters had promised Tov that everything would return to as it was meant to be.
The armband flashed brightly. An all too familiar choir of voices beckoned him. “How are you doing? Are you close to acquiring the lore? We can tell you are very close to it.”
Tov sent his thoughts back to them. “I am aboard their ship. Once they start sailing again, I will kill as many of the humans as I can while I try and get the lore from them. Their defenders are quite skilled.”
The Masters said, “We are aware of their strength. That is why they cannot be allowed to organize themselves. We ha
ve seen the fruits of your other labors. The humans will be alone once you are completely finished. As soon as you gain the lore, return home. We need you to rest before we send you on your next task.”
Tov sighed, but nodded, as if they could see him at that moment. “I will serve you as you see fit.”
The Celestial Ones responded. “You have served us and your people well. It will not be forgotten. A great boon is going to be given to your people when we arrive. Do not lose sight. We will safeguard your kind behind our massive power. Rest well in the hold of their ship. When you are ready, do what you must.”
Tov closed his eyes and made himself as comfortable as possible. Time for bloodshed would come soon enough. For now, he simply wanted to sleep.
TOV BREATHED DEEPLY, but his nerves still radiated with intense electricity. The other encounters had not been like the one that loomed before him now. The battle against the Onistans was different because he had an army of blood thirsty Oni at his back. Tov was alone. Both the Mogwi and the Nekomata couldn’t have bested him, and he proved that easily enough. These humans stopped him the last time. Would they be successful again? Or would Tov be able to return home to his people and his daughter?
Unbridled tension raged within him, but it was nothing compared to the other dominant sensation that rocked Tov’s mind: fear. He could die just as easily as he could survive. If he wanted to hold his daughter again, Tov had to be smarter this time.
Tov balled his hands into fists. He rose to a stand, and took a final deep breath. There would be no more moments of relaxation, not until he finally hugged HJoHoUrae again.
The sound of movement caught his attention, and it made every one of his muscles tense. He crouched behind the boxes and looked out. One of the sailors had his back to him. The man collected various pieces of food into a basket. Softly, the man hummed something to himself.
Tov eased out from behind the boxes, and stealthily moved up to the sailor. His energy sword crackled to life and caused a brief noise in the silence of the hold.
The sailor stopped gathering food and turned around.
“Alright guys,” The sailor said. “Who’s trying to scare me?”
Tov jabbed the full length of his blade into the man’s chest. The sailor’s eyes opened wide, and he made a gesture as if to scream. Before the human could do so, Tov covered the sailor’s mouth with his hand. A panicked muffle resounded through Tov’s skin. The light in the sailor’s eyes faded, and the man fell limp. Tov eased the man to the ground and crouched over him.
Absolute silence filled the hold.
Tov licked his dry lips, and then dragged the body to the spot where he had hidden all night. The heat from Tov’s energy sword had cauterized the wound, so there was no bloody mess.
It had begun.
Tov moved with determination to the doorway. He peered out into the corridor. No one appeared to be around. He checked his armband and counted the seconds between the flashes. The lore he sought was close.
He moved through the ship, and made sure not to be noticed by the crew that he came upon. With bated breath, he dispatched each of the sailors in the quickest way possible. Butchering them like they deserved would only take up precious time, and it would raise the level of danger that already saturated the air.
Tov came to a large area where numerous hammocks were stationed. Only a few men slept in the hammocks, and Tov dispatched them without much trouble. As soon as he left the large room, the armband pulsated intensely. The lore had to be in one of the surrounding rooms.
Tov moved down the hallway, but stopped when a woman stepped out from a room. She had long brown hair and an elaborate rainbow colored tattoo on her arm.
They noticed one another at the same moment
The woman screamed out loudly, and then her tattoo flashed. Tov tried to close the distance, but three large men exited the room from where she came from. They stepped in front of him to block his path. Tov slashed at them, but they dodged. When they swung, he dodged and parried their blade. His blade didn’t actually touch anything though. Tov’s eyes widened as he continued to evade their swings.
Could one of these people be real? Could he afford to take the chance of trying to ignore them? The woman screamed out again, calling for help. Tov’s nerves flared wildly as he tried to slash the face of one of the men. The foe reacted perfectly, and Tov’s blade missed him.
Tov’s gut clenched as he charged through the men. As he expected, he passed right through them as if they were made of smoke. He swung his sword fiercely.
The woman leaned back at the last moment, but his blade still carved open her face. This time, her scream reflected great agony instead of panic. Tov kicked her in the chest as hard as he could, and she crumpled before him.
A wooden arm reached out for his throat, but Tov ducked under the limb. A creature made from wood reached out through the ship floor. Another woman stood in the room with a worried expression painted on her face.
As the wood kami tried to grab Tov again, he side stepped the hands and jabbed the tip of his blade into the kami’s forehead. His blade passed through the wooden skull. The kami fell limp a moment later.
Tov turned to the woman in the room. She had black hair. “You know why I’m here! You should have given…”
The wounded brown haired woman slammed her body into him, knocking him off balance.
“Run Flara! Run!” the brown haired woman screamed.
Tov stabbed the brown haired woman in the shoulder. The woman groaned, but she refused to let go of him. Rather than flee, the woman named Flara clasped her hands together, and started to pray. Pink mist floated up from her lips. Tov punched the brown haired woman in the face, and then grabbed her.
He threw her into Flara, and knocked her to the ground. Tov stepped into the room, and his sword hungered for more blood. The gem on his armband felt like fire. It throbbed with unbridled passion. A sack full of scrolls sat against the side of the wall within reach. Precious seconds melted away. Other defenders were coming. Tov reached down and grabbed the bag of scrolls. He cast the pair of woman a hate-filled glare as he left the room.
A tetsubo soared toward his face.
At the last moment, Tov ducked. The war club smashed the wall beside his cheek. Tov stepped forward and moved into the hallway. The Onistan followed him in and kept swinging his mighty weapon. Tov’s wings came out, and they provided protection against the larger man’s ogre-like power. Whenever Tov tried and slash him back, the Onistan managed to bring up his weapon in time.
In one hand, Tov clutched the bag of scrolls, and in the other, his sword.
The female captain sprinted into the room where Tov had left the two women. The new man in elegant clothing blocked the exit to the hallway. A set of stairs leading up existed behind elegant man.
Tov and the Onistan traded blows back and forth, and neither one yielded to the other. Whereas Tov carried duty in this heart, only one thing burned within the Onistan: rage. This was just like the last time.
Tov’s body ached as his limbs continued to sway and pump. The space in the ship closed in around him, so his wings were nothing more than shields. While it kept him alive for now, it did little else to give him an edge. He had to escape!
Tov lured the Onistan back a little away from the door. As the Onistan swung his tetsubo at him again, Tov dismissed his wings and rolled under the arms of the ogre. As soon as Tov got to his feet, he bolted toward the man in elegant clothing. Surely this smaller man wouldn’t give him too much trouble.
The man’s blade whipped up, and Tov clashed steel with energy. Suddenly, a flurry of thrusts came at Tov from all directions. Tov halted where he stood, and parried with all of his skill. At any moment, the smashing weight of the Onistan’s weapon would crush the life from him.
Only it didn’t.
Tov tried to move closer to the man, but his adversary proved quite skilled. Tov’s wings came out again. As soon as it did, he heard the telltale signs of the war
club. Tov blocked it with his wing.
A blonde woman entered the hallway, and she had claws for hands. An angered expression crossed her face.
“You hurt my friend!” she screamed. “I’m going to gut you!”
Tov moved back, and slashed his sword out in front of him. He placed his back against a wooden wall. Three attackers slowly approached him. The female captain stood in the doorway, and the other two women remained out of sight.
The Onistan clutched his tetsubo tightly as he took another menacing step closer toward him.
Tov’s seconds of life dwindled. If he didn’t do something soon, he would fail Urae and his people. An idea flashed in his mind. He raised his sword up above him, and then slammed it into the floor. Its tip pierced the wood, and cracked it.
The attackers stopped and stared at him with wonder. When Tov raised his sword to do it again, the female captain screamed.
“He’s trying to put a hole in my ship. Stop him!”
Tov already jabbed his energy blade into the floor again. This time, the blade sunk into the wood to the spot just above Tov’s hand. He dismissed the blade and water rose up from the hole.
The Onistan leaped toward him, but Tov dodged again. A new energy blade came to life in his hands. He deflected the elegant man’s sword. The blond scratched him across the chest. Blood poured down his clothes.
Tov still managed to maneuver closer to the hallway’s exit. The female captain swung at him, but Tov danced around her blade as well. He brought his sword down in front of him again with all the strength that he could muster. The wood cracked.
The female captain said, “Stop it, you ugly bastard!”
Tov hopped back several feet, and then turned to run away. He had to escape! A set of stairs led up at the end of the hallway. A sailor stepped out into the corridor. Judging from his confused expression, he had no idea was about to befall him. Tov jabbed him in the gut. A dozen sailors ran out a mess hall, armed.
Tov sprinted away from them, moving toward the stairs. A pair of sailors descended the stairs. Tov cut them apart. As he started to run up the stairs, he looked behind him.
The Wrath Of the Forgotten Page 25
