by Jasmine Walt
Ryujin snorted, spraying us with bubbles again. “Your aura, of course. You should know your ki would be different from theirs.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at Raiden and Shota, who were standing so still they didn’t even look like they were breathing. “Why doesn’t she know this?” he demanded of them.
Raiden finally seemed to unfreeze, and he stepped forward, angling his body so that he was between me and the giant sea dragon. “She’s only just found out she’s a shaman, Ryujin-sama,” he said, his tone respectful but firm. It seemed that, unlike the rest of us, he’d found his balls again—there was no trace of fear in him. “Her mother wasn’t one, and her father has been dead since she was a child, so she knows very little.”
“And yet you brought her down here?” Ryujin sounded surprised. “Why would you risk putting such a rare shaman in a dangerous situation like this?”
Raiden stiffened, and I pushed in front of him before he said something foolish. “Ryujin-sama,” I said, bowing low again. “We knew the journey was dangerous, but there was nothing Raiden could have done to stop me from coming. My mother has gone missing, and I fear that Kai has taken her. We need your help to get her back.”
“Kai?” The dragon drew himself upright. “I’d heard he recently escaped, but why would he…” He stopped, his eyes gleaming with understanding. “Of course. He is trying to draw you out. That is why he took your mother.”
“For what reason?” Shota asked, speaking for the first time since we’d entered the room. He seemed to have regained himself and was buzzing with excitement all over again. “Why does Kai want Aika-san so much, Ryujin-sama?”
Ryujin gave us all an annoyed look, shaking his huge head. “I suppose the three of you are still too young to have been told the full story of Kai,” he said. He waved a huge claw, and three giant cushions appeared on the floor. “Sit, and I will tell you the story of Kai. Or rather,” he said, his voice deepening like ominous thunder, “I will tell you the story of Kai, Haruki, Kaga, and Fumiko, and how their choices led to the downfall of shamankind.”
11
Haruki. The name rippled across my skin, causing the hairs on my arms to stand at attention. I felt a tug in the center of my chest and found myself looking at Raiden. His entire body had gone still, and I knew the name had inspired a similar reaction in him. Did he know who Ryujin was talking about?
“What do you mean, the downfall of shamankind?” I asked Ryujin. “The shamans are still here, aren’t they?” I swept a hand to indicate the three of us. “We’re proof of that.”
Ryujin shook his head. “You are the scattered remains of what was once a great empire,” he said, his deep voice tinged with sadness. “Shamans were the spiritual leaders of Japan, often even more important than the clan chieftains they ruled alongside. A few became political leaders as well, such as Himiko, the Queen of Yamatai.” His yellow eyes flickered. “It was Kai who ended her line.”
“Really?” Raiden leaned forward, looking very interested. “I thought it was Haruki who killed her.”
“Few know the true tale of what transpired between Haruki, Fumiko, Kaga, and Kai,” Ryujin rumbled. “Now are you going to keep asking questions, or are you going to let me tell the story?”
Raiden’s cheeks reddened. “My apologies, Ryujin-sama,” he said, bowing. “Please proceed.”
Ryujin settled down, satisfied. “Nearly two thousand years ago, Japan, which was known as Wa at the time, was ruled by Clan Yamatai. Wa enjoyed several decades of peace and prosperity under the rule of Himiko, Yamatai’s clan leader and Wa’s esteemed empress. Her beauty was legendary, her power absolute, and she was Amaterasu’s favored child. Or at least, that is what the stories say.”
Ryujin’s wide mouth curved into a fanged smile that made me shiver. “What the stories do not tell you is that there were three more clans: Earth, Fire, and Lightning. They did not like the Yamatai, and each believed that they were the rightful rulers of Wa. They were the only ones that had not fully submitted to Yamatai’s authority.”
“Let me guess,” I said when Ryujin paused to take a breath, or maybe just for dramatic effect. “The three clans were spirit shamans too?” Mamoru had already mentioned that Himiko was a yokai shaman, so that seemed pretty obvious.
“Yes,” Ryujin said, sounding pleased at my deduction. “Originally, there were seven shaman clans. They ruled different territories, and there was constant fighting between them as some sought to rule all of Wa. But one clan, the water clan, broke away from the mold, from the sacred teachings these shamans had clung to for hundreds of years. Instead of calling upon yurei to do their bidding, they began to use yokai. This set them apart from the other clans, and gave them the advantage they needed to conquer Wa and claim it as their empire.”
Raiden and Shota exchanged looks of surprise. “I always thought it was five clans,” Shota said. “This is so fascinating, Ryujin-sama!”
“I am pleased you are enjoying the history lesson,” Ryujin said, a little dryly. “Most of the other clans ended up picking sides, and were swallowed up by either the Yamatai Clan or one of the three elemental clans, depending on whether or not they were willing to learn the ways of the yokai shaman, or if they were purists, like the other clans were. The Saitos believed that the Yamatai were abominations, and that their use of yokai spirits would bring the wrath of the gods. That was nonsense, of course, as we would have stripped the Yamatai of their power long before things ever came to a head,” he added with a scoff. “But the Saitos were set in their ways, and they feuded with the Yamatai for a long time.”
“So what changed?” I asked. “Who extended the first olive branch?”
“Queen Himiko did,” Ryujin said. “She offered her daughter, Fumiko, to whichever of the clan chieftains could prove their worth. Whichever man won her would rule over Wa at Fumiko’s side, and the other two would become advisors and join their clans with the others.”
“I’m sensing there’s a ‘but’ coming up,” Shota said as my stomach tensed.
“A very big ‘but.’” Ryujin nodded. “Haruki, Kai, and Kaga competed fiercely for Fumiko’s hand. It is said that she cared for them all dearly, but in the end, chose Haruki. The two had known each other since they were children, and she considered Haruki to be the best choice to rule at her side.”
Raiden, Shota, and I exchanged uneasy glances. “Is this the part where you tell us that Kai didn’t take well to this?”
“He did not,” Ryujin rumbled, his tone turning dark. “In the middle of the night, someone slit Kaga’s throat in his bed. The next morning, Haruki and Kai both accused each other of the deed, and challenged each other to a duel. Fumiko begged them to stop, but neither would back down. The two fought on an empty plain, with many witnesses present. Kai fought valiantly, but he was no match for Haruki. The lightning shaman was older, and far more experienced.”
Ryujin paused again, and I was surprised to find there was a lump in my throat. Tears stung at my eyes, and my heart was an aching pit. I didn’t know why, but I felt very strongly about these ghosts from the past, ghosts I had never met. Glancing at Raiden, I noticed that his entire body had gone rigid, his eyes glued to Ryujin. It was clear to me that the story was important to him somehow.
“As you may or may not know, we kami are fickle creatures. Sometimes we stand back and watch, and other times we like to stick our noses into the business of the children we have created. It just so happens that Amatsu Mikaboshi, the god of primordial chaos, had been watching this conflict for some weeks and carefully whispering in Kai’s ear while he was sleeping. He chose this moment, when Kai was about to be defeated, to whisper in his ear again and make him an offer. He told Kai that he would lend him his power, if, in exchange, Kai allowed him to become his avatar.” Ryujin’s voice turned into a growl. “It was the greatest mistake Kai had ever made.”
A dark chill ran down my spine. “Did Kai win the duel?”
“Oh yes,” Ryujin hissed. “With Amatsu’s power at his
fingertips, he was far more powerful than Haruki. He easily overcame the Saito Clan Chieftain and was about to deliver the killing blow. But before he could, Fumiko ran onto the field, begging him to stop. She threw herself on top of Haruki, and Kai accidentally killed them both.”
“How awful,” Shota murmured, and I had to agree. I couldn’t even imagine what Kai must have felt at the moment Fumiko had thrown herself in front of Haruki. To know that you were responsible for the death of the person you loved most…
“Kai was crushed by Fumiko’s death. He gathered her body up and tried to call her spirit back, but before he could, Haruki’s spirit grabbed her and took her away with him to the afterlife. Enraged, Kai swore vengeance upon both the Yamatai and the lightning clan. Then he gave himself over to Amatsu’s dark power. Amatsu took control of the earth clan, mercilessly slaughtering anyone who dared oppose him, and prepared to mount an attack against the Yamatai.”
“That must be why there are so few shamans today,” Shota murmured. “They all got purged.”
“Not all. Fortunately for your kind, several dissenters from the earth clan escaped, and they ran to Himiko’s court to tell her what had transpired. Himiko gathered her forces and went to confront Kai. She saw immediately that he had been corrupted by Amatsu’s power and tried to exorcise the dark god from him. But Amatsu was too powerful, and he would not be denied. The two clans ended up in a horrific battle, and Himiko called upon Amaterasu for help. Together, the shaman queen and the sun goddess managed to bind Kai and Amatsu into a heavily warded box. But before they did, the chaos god put a terrible curse on Himiko, and all of her line.”
A horrible feeling churned in my gut, and I found that I was leaning forward at the edge of my pillow. “What was the curse?”
“Amatsu knew that so long as the line of yokai shamans continued, he would never truly be able to take power. He put a curse on Himiko to ensure that she would never again be able to bear children, which effectively ended her line, as Fumiko was her only heir. It was a powerful curse that not even Amaterasu herself could undo, and it led to the eventual downfall of the Yamatai Clan.” Ryujin sighed heavily. “It was a great loss for all of Wa.”
“So Aika isn’t descended from Himiko, then?” Raiden asked sharply. “She isn’t from the Yamatai line?”
“Oh, undoubtedly her clan descends from Yamatai, but it would have been one of the other shaman clans that were absorbed and taught the ways of the yokai shaman,” Ryujin said. “But no, Aika does not have Himiko’s blood running through her veins. Amatsu’s curse made that impossible.”
“I see,” Raiden said. His hands were clenched into fists, and when he locked gazes with me, my breath caught at the pain in his eyes. What was going on?
“This has been really interesting, Ryujin-sama,” Shota said, “but I’m afraid it doesn’t really explain why Kai wants Aika. If she’s not a descendent of Himiko, then she shares no relation with Fumiko, his long-dead lover.”
“That is what you would think,” Ryujin said, a twinkle in his eye, “but fate often surprises us. I cannot tell you more,” he said when Shota opened his mouth again. “You will have to find that out yourself when you confront Kai.”
“But that’s not fair!” I protested hotly, forgetting that I was talking to a massive dragon god. “You obviously know the answer—why don’t you tell us!”
“Because it is not the right time, child,” the dragon answered. He lowered his head to look me in the eye directly, and I swallowed as his dragon breath bubbles rushed over me again. Thankfully, he did not seem angry. “Right now, the three of you need to get to Kai’s tomb. The wards around it have been weakened over the centuries, but they are still strong enough. That is why he has been using yokai to do his bidding. If you can get to him and bind him again before he frees himself, you can get your mother back and stop a great evil from being unleashed upon the world.”
“That’s not going to be easy,” Shota said, sounding troubled. “If the tomb has been opened, Kai and Amatsu will be using their combined powers to keep everyone from getting in through the front entrance and sealing them away again. That’s probably why they’ve called every high-level shaman in the area over there—to try and break through so that Kai can be sealed away again.”
“There is another way to get into Kai’s tomb,” Ryujin said. “It is a secret entrance, accessible via an underground cavern. Usually it is impassible due to the high tide…but I can help with that, for a price.”
“What’s the price?” I asked, latching onto the ray of hope Ryujin’s words offered. If we could get past the barrier and into Kai’s domain, we could find my mother and get her back.
“Aika,” Raiden interrupted, his voice strained. “Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute? In private?”
I blinked, turning toward him. A muscle was ticking in his jaw, and he looked like a coiled spring, ready to explode at any moment.
“Uhh, I guess. If that’s all right with you, Ryujin-sama?” I asked the great dragon.
Ryujin inclined his enormous head, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. I frowned—did he know what was bothering Raiden? What was going on here?
“There is a small room right outside the audience chamber you can use. But don’t keep me waiting,” he warned as we stood up. “I have a business to run, and time is money.”
Raiden and I bowed, mumbling our thanks, then backed out of the audience chamber. The moment the doors closed, Raiden grabbed my arm and yanked me into a room just off the side of the hallway—an oversized storage closet, I realized.
“Aika,” he said, grabbing me by the shoulders. His face looked drawn, his skin pale. “We need to turn back now, before it’s too late.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. Goosebumps broke out across my skin at the urgency in his voice. “We’ve got a way into Kai’s tomb, a way that none of the other shamans know about! We have to take advantage of this opportunity.”
“You need to stay as far away from Kai as possible,” Raiden said firmly. “It’s obvious this is a trap, and that he needs you for something important. Maybe you’re the final piece he needs to break out of his prison.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” I said tightly, “but I can’t leave my mother to rot in his stupid cave. We need to get her out of there.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Raiden crossed his arms over his chest. “You do realize that Kai is possessed by the god of chaos, right? He’s not just going to sit back and let you waltz out of there with your mother.”
“I realize that, but we do have the attention of a powerful sea god right now,” I pointed out. “One who just said he’s willing to help us. That’s got to be a good thing, right?”
“Yeah, he said he’d help us in exchange for a price,” Raiden growled. “He’s not giving us a free pass, Aika.”
“And I’m not asking for one!” I shouted, smacking his hands away from me. “But unless he asks me to sacrifice babies for him, it’s a price I’m willing to pay! This is my mother we’re talking about, Raiden!” My eyes began to burn again with unshed tears, but I didn’t bother blinking them back this time. After all, it wasn’t like he’d be able to see them underwater.
I’d thought the mention of my mother would make Raiden back off, but instead his eyes grew even darker. “Has it ever occurred to you,” he said, his voice low and angry, “that you might be Fumiko’s reincarnation? And that’s why Kai wants you so badly?”
What?
“That’s impossible,” I sputtered, even as I felt that tug in my chest again. “I can’t be Fumiko’s reincarnation!”
“And why the hell not?” Raiden demanded. He took several steps toward me, backing me against the wall. My treacherous body reacted as he caged me there with his strong arms, pumping heat through my veins, and I had to make a conscious effort to even my breathing. “None of us have seen a yokai shaman for thousands of years, and then you happen to appear out of the blue, with no idea what fa
mily you’ve come from. At the same time, Kai awakens from his prison, which has been undisturbed this entire time. And you’re trying to tell me this is a coincidence?”
I swallowed hard at the blazing anger in his eyes and looked away. His words were like a knife to my heart, twisting deep, because I couldn’t deny there was a certain amount of logic to them. I didn’t believe in coincidences, not really. And yet…
“Ryujin said that Himiko’s line died out when Kai was sealed away,” I said when I’d managed to find my voice. I met Raiden’s angry gaze squarely. “That means I’m not a descendent of Fumiko.”
“So? That doesn’t mean you’re not a reincarnation.”
“And it doesn’t mean I am, either!” I shoved at Raiden’s chest, tired of this argument. As usual, he didn’t move, which only made me angrier. “You have absolutely no proof that I’m Fumiko’s reincarnation. We don’t know why Kai wants me at all, beyond the fact that I’m a yokai shaman, and to be honest, I don’t really care. I’m going after my mom whether you like it or not, and if Ryujin is willing to offer me help, I’m going to take it. With or without you.”
Fuming, I ducked underneath Raiden’s left arm and pushed past him. “Aika—” he began as I stalked out of the room.
“Save it.” Head high, I flung open the audience chamber doors and strode to the dais. Raiden was right on my heels, and Shota was glancing at us curiously. Ignoring them, I stopped behind my seat cushion and bowed deeply.
“I apologize for the delay, Ryujin-sama,” I said. “My friends and I are very interested in your generous offer. Please, tell us what you will do to help us, and we will do whatever we need to in return.”
“Are you certain?” Ryujin said, looking down at me curiously. “You have not even heard what it is that I want from you yet.”
My face flamed as I realized my mistake.
“My apologies, Ryujin-sama, for my companion’s hasty words,” Raiden said quickly, stepping in front of me and saving me from further embarrassment. I blinked, surprised that he was stepping in even though I’d just pissed him off. “I’m afraid her excitement has carried her away. We would like to hear out your terms before we agree to them."
