[Hyeon-mu]
A TALE OF ICE AND FIRE
by room101 and kitsune_jade
The water he splashed on his face was lukewarm, and he longed for the cool springs of his homeland. But they were here for a mission, and even his eight-year old mind could comprehend the gravity of the situation. All the adults' faces were grim to the point of being scary, but Akira had grown up in the Hyuu-ga household, and the oppressive atmosphere was not new. At least here there are no whispers and angry stares following his path, merely idle curiosity at the stranger in their midst.
He was in Kasei, the country ruled by fire. Kasei's country was all sand and hard rock. It had taken them three weeks of hard traveling through the steep and narrow mountain passes and the arid desert to reach this oasis. It was a special time, his father said. This month was Kasei's festival time for their God, and one of the few chances for outsiders to speak freely with the clan chiefs. His father was emissary for their country Suisei, and spent most of the day closeted with the council of elders. Today though, his father had gone out to meet an old friend. And here he was, waiting for his return. Akira was normally a quiet boy, capable of entertaining himself for long periods, but today the combination of heat and a new place made him antsy.
He fidgeted in the tent, and fortunately a distraction came in the form of another boy his age. "You must be the one they're looking for," the boy said. "They told me to look for an Akira, and I know there's no other kid here with that kind of name. You can find your da in the blue tent with the white roof."
"Thank you." Akira pulled up the hood of his sun robe before stepping out of the tent. He knew exactly where the tent the boy meant; it was towards the middle of the encampment, just to the side of the chieftains' square. As he pushed up the free-swinging cloth door he heard a low, smooth baritone recite:
She is always with us.
The Goddess dances
through air, through the sun's flames,
bringing the life-bringing water to our land.
The Goddess walks over the earth,
She walks over the angled spears of war,
to summon the water to stop my thirst.
She dances on the clouds,
fearing none before her.
She walks in the beauty of silver moonlight,
a distant moon I can merely gaze upon.
She comes to me in my dreams,
a veil of blue cotton hiding her face.
Her pale hands, Her pearl-tipped fingers,
wipe away all the sorrows in my breast.
She is sanctuary to all but Herself
She rests in no man's arms,
traveling a lonely path in the skies.
"Father?" His voice sounded tiny in the gloom of the tent.
The reading abruptly stopped, and his father smiled warmly in greeting. "Akira, I want you to meet someone from our country."
Akira glanced at the man sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room. He filled the room with the force of his dignity. A thin scrap of cloth hid his eyes and Akira wondered if he was blind. Hair of spun silver fell straight to the small of his back, and unlike most Kasei citizens he was pale-skinned, like he had never been under the harsh desert sun. "Who is this boy? And when did you get married?"
Akira stood by his father's side, who began to explain. "He was a child we found at the temple of the Goddess, during a winter storm five years ago. He was named after the burst of sunlight that followed the darkness. You know how it is with the temple - they accept fosterlings up to the age of three, but then they need to be adopted."
"A fosterling from the temple. What has happened to our time when parents cared for their children?"
"There are times when parents cannot do their duty. I believe that even then Akira is blessed by the Goddess," His father told the silver-haired stranger. "No matter what the others say, I will raise him as my child, all due to the friendship I had with his father."
The man was silent for a long time, then he said, slowly, "A friendship with the father of an abandoned child. Are you certain you know their parents?"
"I wondered about his origins, thus the Goddess gave me a sign." His father smiled. "This boy is very, very special in the eyes of Delita. I wish you to give him your blessing for the ceremony of boyhood. He will be five this year, and I can think of no one else more up to the task in his father's place."
The prophet spoke. "I do not need to give my blessing since he is not a fatherless boy."
"But Se - "
The man interrupted him. "I have long abandoned that name to the winds, Lord Hyuu-Ga. I gave it away when I had to leave our land for this desert. I am now a messenger of Kasei's god. I don't wish to gaze upon a person blessed by Delita."
"You can come back with me to our country. It's all over." Akira's father sounded so tired, and he snuggled closer. "Akira here should be trained in the ways of the temple. And I believe you will be the best teacher."
"What can I teach him?" The stranger's laugh was bitter. "All I know, all I've done, led me astray. Let him learn from the new priest of Delita, I have nothing to offer your religion besides false lessons."
"I always believed your way of serving Her was also right."
"It's too late."
There was a commotion outside their tent, and his father ordered in a harsh whisper, "Hide, Akira."
With a speed borne out of instinct Akira dived under a pile of cushions, just as a man lifted the tent door open. Akira watched from the small gap between the pillows, barely breathing as a blond-haired man confidently strode into the room. His naked torso was decorated with all sorts of tribal embellishments.
"Ah so it's true." The man's voice came out dry and rough like the desert winds. "I heard strangers from Suisei are here, intent on getting back someone you've abandoned to the sands. I guess some things never change."
"And your blunt talk remains the same, even with the spirit of your god moving in you." Akira's father stood up, and he walked calmly over to the third man.
"Hyuu-ga, you overstep the bounds of our hospitality," the man practically spat out his name. "Leave and forget all about your plans, else I will not answer for the consequences."
"I must take him back with me, it's Her request."
"You would fight for the life of this prophet?" The question came out calm, different from the anger before.
"If I have to."
The change was swift; anger was the man's primary emotion anew. "You cannot undo his fate, Hyuu-Ga. He was abandoned by your country and welcomed here in mine; we have given him sanctuary. Our god had claimed him as His." The man possessed by the Avatar drew out the pair of crescent-shaped Yue strapped to his hips, and threw them to the ground. "If you wish to get him back you must abide by the law of S'aiva, and fight to the death for his life."
Akira's father bent down to pick one of the blades up. "Then I will."
"You live too much for Delita, even breaking the bonds of friendship. Do you truly wish to do this, Hyuu-ga?"
"You would do the same thing if S'aiva asked you."
"S'aiva only wants to keep what is now his." The man's voice changed, as if another set of voices spoke the words issuing from his mouth. The voices rose to a dull roar as they recited the beginning words of the fire god's prayer. "The Gods of the Air, Water and Earth, they are joined by the Fourth, of the eternal fire. Thus the Avatar makes whole what is incomplete." His aura rose like flames above his tattoos. "With the four nous there is now a center to be found, and there the fifth nous, the life-giving Akasha, resides."
And his father intoned a prayer. "Delita's hand will guide me swiftly to fulfill my task. The Goddess weeps in mercy for your lost soul."
He bit down on his robe, trying to keep the instinctive cry down as the two friends - now combatants - exited the tent. The prophet remained seated on the ground, as if untouched by the fight happening right outside of his tent. The clash of steel, the bloodcurdling taunts ended, and then there was long dreadful silence broken by cries of mourning.
Akira ran out of his hiding place, fearing the worst. He saw the bloodied arena, and the bodies of the fallen warriors on the ground.
"Fa - " But a hand covered his mouth, stopping his cry.
"Silence, young Hyuu-Ga," the prophet whispered. "If they find you now who'd know what would happen."
He tried to pull away, fearing he'd never forget the red-splattered ground. The blind prophet covered his eyes with his long fingers, and Akira sighed.
"Some days I am grateful to be blind to it."
"Come back with us, please. Father would have wanted it."
"I have brought enough misfortune to Suisei. This is cause for war, little Hyuu-Ga, and you should leave now before they find you. I'll hide you until your father's companions can smuggle you out."
Akira closed his eyes, too shocked to resist. The prophet covered him with a cloak, and left to find aid.
Father, he thought, and wept.
1
Akira walked the streets of his city, curious about how far they were going to carry off the peace treaty celebration. Banners the color of fire and water fluttered with the esoteric symbols of their lands, and the occasional carefully worded congratulation from a district. Other city folk wandered about the plaza, oohing and aahing at the decor, but he did not trust this forced gaiety. Their country Suisei had been fighting Kasei for too long, and even this enforced truce lay uneasy on them. The three countries near theirs have suffered because of the drawn out war, and they finally united to stop the fighting.
He was alone today, having been sent off by his father to run an errand to the temple. His brother was busy with both business and politics, and he was certain Hiroyuki, his cousin, was shin deep with the paperwork of the Tou-ya family. He smiled.
His smile vanished when he turned the corner. A lathe thin, sun browned youth stood his ground against three trainees of the city guard, distinguished by the green and white sashes around their waists. The sun bleached locks framing his face clung to the sweat.
What they wanted was the cloth-covered cloth strapped on the stranger's back, but he was just obviously not going to part with it.
"It's a toll for letting you come in, Kasei brat."
"I didn't have to pay any toll to enter this city," the Kasei youth protested. "Don't tell me you pay tolls at every road. How barbaric."
"Barbaric?! Says the people who kill each other for their god? Let me show you barbaric!" The leader took a swipe at the Kasei youth, who quickly danced out of the way.
"You must be faster than that to get me." His cocky reply made the trainees angry, and they began to close in on him. Fearing for the Kasei boy's life Akira stepped forward to help.
"Hey! We just signed a peace treaty with Kasei, and here you are starting a fight?"
"If it isn't the temple boy. Go back and pray to your namby-pamby Goddess, and leave the fighting for the real men."
He unclasped the chain of his prayer beads, and the central bead dangled a few inches from the ground. "Delita's hand will guide me swiftly to fulfill my task. The Goddess weeps in mercy for your lost soul," he said, before launching his improvised weapon at the nearest thug. The huge metal bead smashed against man's nose, and Akira attacked again, pulling the chain back and slinging it to one side. This time it hit the man's temple, and he dropped to the ground with a thud.
Meanwhile the Kasei youth had also been busy. He'd made a truncheon of the sheathed weapon, and bashed the other two thugs unconscious. When they were down he turned to Akira and said, "Ah, sorry about that."
"It's impolite to get an innocent bystander to join a fight," Akira complained, flicking the dust off his shirt. "Next time please consider that."
"Hey, in my country, if you fought together with someone and defeated the enemy, you're comrades at arms. The name's Shindou Hikaru, and you were a great help. I didn't think you would turn out to be a good fighter, since you look really thin and all but you did good with your bead thing."
"I'm not you, my name is Tou-ya Akira." He gathered his prayer beads in loops in his left hand, snapping the chain shut. "You're lucky our Goddess allows us to use these when there is an unfair fight, otherwise you would be beaten black and blue."
"Akira then, and hm, if I was in real danger I had a few other things up my sleeve." Shindou brushed off his cool words with a quick grin. Akira simply looked at him, because from where he was Hikaru had obviously been at a disadvantage. "So Akira, what do young people here do for fun? Besides beating the crap out of total strangers?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm not into fun things," Akira primly replied.
"Damn. I mean, you're the first person I met who didn't go, 'Kasei citizen, run!' so I thought you'd be nice enough to take pity on a poor lost soul looking for someone."
Akira sighed. "Fine, I'll help you, but only if I know who they are."
"Great! I'm looking for this clan." Hikaru pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with thin, spidery script on it. "It's supposed to be Ho-jo, or something like that. My friend, he wanted me to find someone."
Akira stopped. "There's no clan or family by the name of Ho-jo in this city. At least not anymore. I can show you where the last Ho-jo I know of lived, and maybe they can tell you where they are."
"Ah, thanks, Akira. If only all the people in this city are as nice as you!"
Nice? Akira recalled days when the other Suisei citizens talked behind his back. The unfortunate boy, the temple bastard were some of the kinder things they spoke on him behind his back. He flinched.
"Hey, did you remember something bad?" The Kasei youth looked at him with serious eyes.
"It's not important." His reply came automatically. "I am going that way, but I'll leave you there, since I know nothing about the Ho-jo family."
"Your country's really nice. And green." Hikaru's tone had a touch of wistfulness to it. "And there's lots of water everywhere. Is it true priests of your country can divine for water? Does Delita ask her followers to get in touch with the dark, like the Valendian goddess?"
"The first part is true, but we don't subscribe to the Mullenkamp ways." Hikaru looked like he was going to ask more questions, so to stop him Akira pointed to the marble temple surrounded by fountains. "And the last member of the clan Ho-jo lived there."
"That is where he lived?"
"This is the temple of the Goddess Delita." Hikaru gave a small exclamation, and his face brightened.
"This is the Mother-Goddess of your country if I remember right. He would tell me all about Her, and he worshiped Her so much." His gaze softened as he gazed on the water fountains gracing the front of the temple. "I can't believe he spent nineteen years with us in Kasei. How can he leave all this bounty behind him?"
"Are you talking about your friend?"
"Yeah." He plucked something out of his pouch. "Do you accept offerings from outsiders? I want to give this as a tribute."
In his hands were glittering crystals reflecting the color of the sky and sea. Akira blinked at the scintillating sparks bouncing off like sunlight reflecting on the sea waves. "They're beautiful. What are these?"
"These are our iced stones. I found them for him, he said they felt like drops of water in his hands." He closed his fist around them. "I thought it was fitting for Her to get these from a person who worshiped her from afar."
Akira pointed down the hall. Even from a distance the statue of the Goddess was hidden from view with a curtain of water. "You can go up to the main hall where the statue of the Goddess is. I can lead you there, but the inner sanctum is forbidden to anyone except the prophet and his followers. I'm already running late for an errand, and I know the priests won't give you any trouble. Our current prophet likes learning about what other people think of Delita"
"I'll leave you now. I have to go run an errand here and get home."
"Can I visit you again sometime? I mean, you're the nicest Suisei person I've met."
"You can ask for the Tou-ya house then. We live near the temple, so if you still want to talk to me," And here Akira tried to make his voice as cool as possible, so Hikaru wouldn't anymore, "then you may do so."
"I would, definitely. It was nice meeting you, Akira of the Tou-ya family. I have to say it must be destined."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Akira was telling the truth when he said he lived near the temple. The Tou-ya House was on a quiet to the Western District. The House was much more comfortable than Akira's previous household, and day in and day out people bustled around, busy with work and politics. It was a large house, home to the extended Tou-ya family, but the Meijin ruled their world with strict benevolence.
Akira and the Meijin shared a passion for the game of go, a quiet, reflective game played with black and white stones above a wooden board. When Akira was not in the temple he would be beside his adoptive father, learning the intricate strategies and solutions to the problems they would give him.
He found his father before the board, reviewing a game with a thoughtful look. Occasionally the temple prophet would get the chance to leave his domain, and his only request would be to play go with the Meijin, and the product of these sessions were plays of breathtaking perfection. The Meijin was still studying that last game when he entered the room, an empty jeweled goblet at his side.
"Honorable father," Akira said, bowing low. "I apologize for my late return."
"Akira." The Meijin smiled at the sight of his adopted son. He was fond of Akira, despite what everyone said. And Akira loved some members of the family, from his father, to his quietly supportive mother, to his new older brother and talkative cousins. Everyone else tend to ignore his existence, but he didn't mind. "How was your visit to the temple?"
"It was fine. Quiet." Akira decided not to mention what happened before the visit. The Meijin would worry, and definitely do something to punish those trainees. "The Prophet was sad to hear you were feeling ill, and he gave me the potion for your heart malady promptly."
"You gave him my thanks and my apologies for changing the date of our game?"
"Yes I did, father. He said he was busy with the invocation festival, so he was going to send a message to change the day as well."
"He must be saying that to make me feel better about my age." The Meijin signaled for Akira to pour the potion in the waiting goblet. He did, and the liquid sparkled in the setting sun as it splashed into the cup. "Go and enjoy yourself before dinner, Akira. Let me check on this last game the prophet and I played."
As Akira left the room he saw a group of young men walking to the dining hall. The two leaders seemed more intent on a serious conversation, with the older one was animatedly using his hands to tell an anecdote. They both stopped at his side, but the rest went on.
"Cousin Hiroyuki, brother Kaoru."
"You've just come from the temple to get father's potion." Kaoru pushed up his glasses. "You really should stop spending so much time in the temple, Akira. We need all the help we can have in the business and politics."
"Maybe one day, brother."
It was then that one of their servants ran out of the Meijin's room, screaming, "The Meijin's been poisoned!" He pointed to Akira, eyes blazing in fury. "You, you're the last one he saw! You must've poisoned his drink."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Akira couldn't help the feeling of suffocation and deja vu. He was back to that time fourteen years ago, helpless and weak, knowing for certain his father was dead, and he could do nothing to stop it.
Of course they would blame him, he thought, wincing as his knee scraped against the splintered wood of his chair.
He could hear thumping and stomping noises outside, and then a low whisper from someone he didn't expect to meet again. "Hey. Akira. Are you there, Akira?"
Akira bolted up from his chair and peered out through the door gratings. True enough, Shindou Hikaru was there, grinning. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, not certain if he should be pleased or annoyed to be caught in this situation by a total stranger.
"Well, I thought I should visit my new friend, and look what I found when I visit you - tossed off to an empty storage barn, watched by around a dozen guards, and looking woeful. Not good." Hikaru tossed a thick robe to him which Akira caught to his chest. "And here I am, and let's go."
"Go where?"
"Go where no man has gone before, stupid. I'm here to bust you out of this prison."
"What?" Akira knew he sounded faintly idiotic, but Hikaru's words were too surprising. Hikaru laughed and unlocked the door.
"Think of it as payment for your misguided help! Let's go!"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The sun was high up in the sky by the time they reached the abandoned trading road going towards Mokusei. Broken oxen carts, tattered tents and sometimes the dried up skeletal, remains of various animals could be seen littering the dry and cracked ground. In the distance, the sharp silhouette of the Bervenia mountain looms menacingly, its peak crowned by crimsons clouds and dancing lightning.
"We'll find a small village near the foot of the mountain. If things go as smoothly from here on, we'd get there in a day or two. The villagers aren't too keen on strangers, but I know someone from there so it won't be much of a problem." Hikaru said.
It can't be much worse than what he got from Suisei. "I'm used to that."
"We'd need to get some provisions before continuing. The journey there would be quite difficult. In order to get to Mokusei, we need to cross a small desert which isn't that bad compared to those found in Kasei, but the weather there could be a bit tricky." Hikaru glanced at Akira, watching the play of emotions in the eyes of the former Tou-ya heir.
"Hey! I haven't gotten to the fun part yet!"
Akira gave Hikaru an incredulous look. "Fun part? What can be fun about traveling through a hot desert, pursued by people out to kill me with a idiot who thinks this is fun?"
The other youth tried looking hurt, but failed miserably by grinning.
"At night, the entire area is the playground of hundreds of devatas. They're beautiful to watch, but are very dangerous when disturbed."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Akira was hoping that the answer he has thought of wouldn't be the one coming out of the other boy's lips. But he was obviously not going to be so lucky.
"Obviously, it's because we'll be crossing the desert at night." There was a mad gleam of excitement in Hikaru's eyes. It made the youth from Kasei look so alive.
He heaved a resigned sigh. Hikaru glanced back at Akira, who was staring at the back of his head as if he sprouted horns.
"What?" Hikaru inquired as he started walking towards the direction of the Bervenian mountain range. He waited for Akira to follow his lead.
"At this rate, I might as well have stayed in Suisei and awaited for the executioner's axe. Instead I find that I am stuck in the middle of a desert with a crazed companion who wants to get us killed by monsters that attacks people at night." A soft gust of wind blew a cloud of dust, and Akira had to close his eyes his eyes to keep the sand from getting in them. He sneezed and coughed as he inhaled some of the dirt.
"Hey! It's not that bad. Besides I know what I'll be doing once we get there." Hikaru said defensively. He pulled out a length of cloth from his bag and wrapped the woolen cloth around Akira's face, keeping Akira's eyes uncovered.
"That would help prevent sunburns and heat stroke," he explained to the other boy upon seeing the perplexed expression on the Suisei youth.
"Thank you." Akira said softly.
"Think nothing of it. Let's just concentrate on finding some horses and getting to Baramori as soon as possible. The sooner we reach Baramori, the faster we get to Mokusei and out of reach from your bloodthirsty relatives. So what are you waiting for? Come on!" Hikaru grasped Akira's hand and started running. Akira let out a startled yelp before following suit, swearing to give the other boy a beating once they reached the Wind country in which Hikaru replied that he'll be looking forward to it.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
As they traveled at night Hikaru could hear the low rumble of the devatas as they try to chase after their mounts. Akira clutched to his horse's mane, trying hard not to show his fear, but Hikaru was never afraid of these desert beasts.
It's been a while since Hikaru last saw one of the legendary beasts. His father had hunted and brought one home once a long time ago at a time of peace. At that time he had said it was to become a sacrifice to their god S'aiva. His father continued to explain, saying that it was an appropriate offering to their deity. At that time he had been too young to grasp the meaning of those words, he was more fascinated by the creature's fierceness and beauty than the hidden message of those spoken words. As the ceremony progressed, he promised himself that one day he'll catch his own devata.
Someday, he thought, looking back at the creatures frolicking in the sand, their multi-colored scales gleaming in the moonlight. Someday I will offer you to my God.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When they reached the village of Baramori three days and two nights later, the people avoided them, giving suspicious glances wherever they go. Their appearance didn't help matters. They looked like a couple of weary bandits who had just come from a raid to plunder and pillage. Dirt and grime covered their bodies. Akira's unusually thick clothing, not made for desert living, and the cloth-wrapped weapon Hikaru had slung over his shoulders made them too conspicuous to ignore.
But both youths were too tired, hungry and thirsty to care about what the people thought. All they wanted to do was find Hikaru's friend as soon as possible. However, it was more difficult than they've anticipated. No one wanted to approach them, must less speak with them. They spent more than three hours searching and questioning anyone and everyone they meet and yet still found no leads as to where Hikaru's friend might be found. Hikaru decided to search for him alone, leaving Akira bored and listless.
He reached the center of the small village. In its very heart stood a small fountain with a statue of a female figure in the middle. On the statue's right hand was a sword engraved with the words, "Justice as swift as the wind.", on the left hand was a winged-shield with an image of a bird of prey, its wings spread proudly in flight.
Akira approached the fountain, a mixture of surprise and reverence on his face. Back in the temple, he had learned that the goddess Delita had two sides - that of a loving and doting mother to all that she holds dear, and of an avenging warrior, fighting and protecting all that she considers under her grace. Most of the images he saw of the goddess was of the doting mother. He had never seen representations of her harsher, more sinister aspect.
"So here you are."
He turned to glance at Hikaru, wanting to voice out questions, but stopped when Hikaru spoke.
"My friend told me that before, when all things was just beginning, when all of the gods were at war, this is the form that the goddess often took. She was brave, strong and very good in battles. She rarely lost battles against her brothers and sisters. She only lost one battle, and that was because she yielded against S'aiva. As to what the reason was, my friend never told me.
"He also said this statue was made when Baramori was still part of Suisei a long time ago." Hikaru smiled at the bewildered look on the youth from the Water country. "My friend knew a lot about the religion, even those bits you don't want to talk about anymore. He also said that a warrior-prophet of the goddess had this built back in those days."
The other boy ran his fingers reverently at the old stones of the fountain, eyes never leaving the image of the goddess in stone. "I see. So does this mean the people here worship Delita as well?" Akira asked curiously.
Hikaru chuckled before answering. "They do, well at least this form of her anyway. It's a sad thing though that the water in the fountain has dried up. It would make her statue look better. Not to mention it'll be a big help in this place." He plopped himself at the edge of the fountain, eyes gazing at the late afternoon sun.
The other boy moved to sit beside him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder how Baramori looked like before?"
Hikaru didn't answer him, instead pointed out towards the general direction of the houses and small buildings. Akira gazed at the direction Hikaru pointed at and saw in the faded beauty of the town. He tried imagining what it was like, when everything was alive and new.
From where he stood, he closed his eyes and saw - the bright colours of the houses along with the vibrant plants all around. He heard the echoes of laughter and voices of people long past, the sound of drawn carts and carriages. Of vendors selling their wares, and of the people haggling and talking. He felt the joys and pains of ages past of all that lived and died in this place. He touched the flow energy of the place and heard the call of the spirit of water. It raged to be released.
Akira opened his eyes abruptly, a strangled sound escaping his lips.
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru touched his forehead in concern. "You're a bit hot. You must be coming down with a fever."
He glared at the other boy. "I'm fine."
"Then why did you cry out like that?"
Akira grew quiet, drawing patterns on the ground with his foot.
"Well?" Hikaru tapped his foot impatiently.
"I...the spirit of the water is still strong in this place. It calls to released."
Hikaru blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's the training I went through in the temple. Remember when you asked me if our priests can sense water? You can become an follower of Delita if you want to serve her, but to become one of Acolytes you have to be fully capable of performing water dowsing."
"Great. And you happen to be one of those Acolytes, I guess."
"I would have been, I guess. If I didn't supposedly poison my father that is."
"Oh, yeah, that should be hard." Hikaru grinned up to the sun. "Anyway, stop moping, i just found my friend Kaga, and he offered us passage in his caravan."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Ochi glared at Kaga's group, annoyed. His instincts told him this was another one of those people wanting to take advantage of the Mokusei's open trading policy. He had seen the likes of them before, confident and eager to get their greedy paws on the riches of Mokusei's unwary populace, giving low quality products for a price much too steep for what the item's worth. But he had stopped a lot of those shady traders, that is why he had been assigned to be one of Mokusei's top trade commissioner.
He'd show this lot just who he is and what he does to unscrupulous people like them. He didn't trust this group, especially the people at the back, wrapped up in greying cloaks.
"And what business do you have in the city of Okusaidama, the heart of Mokusei?" he asked in a clipped tone.
"I am here to show the rest of the Mokusei country what excellent pottery they have been missing," Kaga replied in a lazy tone.
Ochi raised his brows at the bragging. "Indeed?"
"Yes, indeed." Kaga smiled faintly, eyes gleaming in amusement as he saw the smaller man before him bristle in annoyance at his answer. If there is one thing he loved doing, it was pissing off pricks like Ochi.
Ochi huffed, wishing deeply that there's something about their paperwork that was wrong, but there wasn't. Even those two suspicious people were accounted for, listed as potters. "Fine. But only for two weeks and if I hear reports that you wander out of Malheur Plaza you will be kicked out of Okuseidama."
"Fine."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mokusei of the North had been under the rule of one family for several generations. The Ogata clan may have originally come from the desert country Kasei, but after several generations they worked their way into the nobility. Ogata Seiji was currently chancellor to this domain, but a new wave threatened his supremacy. His nephew and current heir, Ko YeongHa, wanted power, and was not afraid to show his ambition.
"YeongHa is still too young and too brash to rule the country," Seiji murmured to his advisor. They were watching him as he tried to go between a fight between two different guard platoons. "He'll learn that games played in the Lower Court is different in our Royal Court. Did he believe I wouldn't see he plans to plot for power with that new ambassadress from Dosei? The fool. I am certain that Dosei girl will not play into his hands, else who knows what accident might befall him while she travels our fair capital?"
"It won't take long before he learns to be more cunning, Ogata-sama. What will you do then?" Yun asked.
Ogata flicked an imagined speck of dust off his sleeves. "I will wed and get my own heir. He can't live on my graces forever."
***
Tsubaki grinned. "Oi, boy, we aren't here to play games. Just do your job, and I'll do mine, and let's make sure we don't have to face each other in a fight now. I don't guarantee who'd survive."
SuYeong bristled at the term boy, but YeongHa quickly intervened. "Ah, Tsubaki, my guard was just being overzealous on the job. We'll leave you to your duties."
Ko YeongHa waved Tsubaki's squad away. SuYeong stiffened. "Just because I never grew any taller doesn't mean I can't handle being the head of your guards, idiot."
YeongHa laughed, ruffling his childhood friend's hair. "No need to worry about it, SuYeong. Even with your height, I know you will watch my back."
Such careless words of encouragement sent a flare of joy in his heart. SuYeong tried not to smile, but YeongHa saw his face. "Ah, ah, look, he wants to be happy, except he's shy."
"Who's shy?!" SuYeong whacked his friend. YeongHa quickly stepped away, laughing.
"You are, you are," YeongHa teased, dignity lost to the winds.
A group of ladies-in-waiting giggled behind their fans as SuYeong huffed after his friend in the battlefield. SuYeong launched himself to YeongHa's shoulder, and the sudden extra weight dragged him down to the ground.
"Ow!" YeongHa groaned at hitting SuYeong's ribcage, but the smaller man was already up and crawling over his friend. "You need to do a few more practice matches, you're slow and winded after such a short chase."
"I don't have to fight there, my field is different. You will do that for me and reap honors," YeongHa declared. SuYeong playfully smacked him.
"I don't know why I keep up with your stupidity."
"It's because you actually care?" YeongHa laughed. He stood up and helped his friend up, before leaving him for the ladies. SuYeong watched him leave.
"I want to see what country you will make," he wistfully said, staring at YeongHa's back.
To Be Continued
by room101 and kitsune_jade
The water he splashed on his face was lukewarm, and he longed for the cool springs of his homeland. But they were here for a mission, and even his eight-year old mind could comprehend the gravity of the situation. All the adults' faces were grim to the point of being scary, but Akira had grown up in the Hyuu-ga household, and the oppressive atmosphere was not new. At least here there are no whispers and angry stares following his path, merely idle curiosity at the stranger in their midst.
He was in Kasei, the country ruled by fire. Kasei's country was all sand and hard rock. It had taken them three weeks of hard traveling through the steep and narrow mountain passes and the arid desert to reach this oasis. It was a special time, his father said. This month was Kasei's festival time for their God, and one of the few chances for outsiders to speak freely with the clan chiefs. His father was emissary for their country Suisei, and spent most of the day closeted with the council of elders. Today though, his father had gone out to meet an old friend. And here he was, waiting for his return. Akira was normally a quiet boy, capable of entertaining himself for long periods, but today the combination of heat and a new place made him antsy.
He fidgeted in the tent, and fortunately a distraction came in the form of another boy his age. "You must be the one they're looking for," the boy said. "They told me to look for an Akira, and I know there's no other kid here with that kind of name. You can find your da in the blue tent with the white roof."
"Thank you." Akira pulled up the hood of his sun robe before stepping out of the tent. He knew exactly where the tent the boy meant; it was towards the middle of the encampment, just to the side of the chieftains' square. As he pushed up the free-swinging cloth door he heard a low, smooth baritone recite:
She is always with us.
The Goddess dances
through air, through the sun's flames,
bringing the life-bringing water to our land.
The Goddess walks over the earth,
She walks over the angled spears of war,
to summon the water to stop my thirst.
She dances on the clouds,
fearing none before her.
She walks in the beauty of silver moonlight,
a distant moon I can merely gaze upon.
She comes to me in my dreams,
a veil of blue cotton hiding her face.
Her pale hands, Her pearl-tipped fingers,
wipe away all the sorrows in my breast.
She is sanctuary to all but Herself
She rests in no man's arms,
traveling a lonely path in the skies.
"Father?" His voice sounded tiny in the gloom of the tent.
The reading abruptly stopped, and his father smiled warmly in greeting. "Akira, I want you to meet someone from our country."
Akira glanced at the man sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room. He filled the room with the force of his dignity. A thin scrap of cloth hid his eyes and Akira wondered if he was blind. Hair of spun silver fell straight to the small of his back, and unlike most Kasei citizens he was pale-skinned, like he had never been under the harsh desert sun. "Who is this boy? And when did you get married?"
Akira stood by his father's side, who began to explain. "He was a child we found at the temple of the Goddess, during a winter storm five years ago. He was named after the burst of sunlight that followed the darkness. You know how it is with the temple - they accept fosterlings up to the age of three, but then they need to be adopted."
"A fosterling from the temple. What has happened to our time when parents cared for their children?"
"There are times when parents cannot do their duty. I believe that even then Akira is blessed by the Goddess," His father told the silver-haired stranger. "No matter what the others say, I will raise him as my child, all due to the friendship I had with his father."
The man was silent for a long time, then he said, slowly, "A friendship with the father of an abandoned child. Are you certain you know their parents?"
"I wondered about his origins, thus the Goddess gave me a sign." His father smiled. "This boy is very, very special in the eyes of Delita. I wish you to give him your blessing for the ceremony of boyhood. He will be five this year, and I can think of no one else more up to the task in his father's place."
The prophet spoke. "I do not need to give my blessing since he is not a fatherless boy."
"But Se - "
The man interrupted him. "I have long abandoned that name to the winds, Lord Hyuu-Ga. I gave it away when I had to leave our land for this desert. I am now a messenger of Kasei's god. I don't wish to gaze upon a person blessed by Delita."
"You can come back with me to our country. It's all over." Akira's father sounded so tired, and he snuggled closer. "Akira here should be trained in the ways of the temple. And I believe you will be the best teacher."
"What can I teach him?" The stranger's laugh was bitter. "All I know, all I've done, led me astray. Let him learn from the new priest of Delita, I have nothing to offer your religion besides false lessons."
"I always believed your way of serving Her was also right."
"It's too late."
There was a commotion outside their tent, and his father ordered in a harsh whisper, "Hide, Akira."
With a speed borne out of instinct Akira dived under a pile of cushions, just as a man lifted the tent door open. Akira watched from the small gap between the pillows, barely breathing as a blond-haired man confidently strode into the room. His naked torso was decorated with all sorts of tribal embellishments.
"Ah so it's true." The man's voice came out dry and rough like the desert winds. "I heard strangers from Suisei are here, intent on getting back someone you've abandoned to the sands. I guess some things never change."
"And your blunt talk remains the same, even with the spirit of your god moving in you." Akira's father stood up, and he walked calmly over to the third man.
"Hyuu-ga, you overstep the bounds of our hospitality," the man practically spat out his name. "Leave and forget all about your plans, else I will not answer for the consequences."
"I must take him back with me, it's Her request."
"You would fight for the life of this prophet?" The question came out calm, different from the anger before.
"If I have to."
The change was swift; anger was the man's primary emotion anew. "You cannot undo his fate, Hyuu-Ga. He was abandoned by your country and welcomed here in mine; we have given him sanctuary. Our god had claimed him as His." The man possessed by the Avatar drew out the pair of crescent-shaped Yue strapped to his hips, and threw them to the ground. "If you wish to get him back you must abide by the law of S'aiva, and fight to the death for his life."
Akira's father bent down to pick one of the blades up. "Then I will."
"You live too much for Delita, even breaking the bonds of friendship. Do you truly wish to do this, Hyuu-ga?"
"You would do the same thing if S'aiva asked you."
"S'aiva only wants to keep what is now his." The man's voice changed, as if another set of voices spoke the words issuing from his mouth. The voices rose to a dull roar as they recited the beginning words of the fire god's prayer. "The Gods of the Air, Water and Earth, they are joined by the Fourth, of the eternal fire. Thus the Avatar makes whole what is incomplete." His aura rose like flames above his tattoos. "With the four nous there is now a center to be found, and there the fifth nous, the life-giving Akasha, resides."
And his father intoned a prayer. "Delita's hand will guide me swiftly to fulfill my task. The Goddess weeps in mercy for your lost soul."
He bit down on his robe, trying to keep the instinctive cry down as the two friends - now combatants - exited the tent. The prophet remained seated on the ground, as if untouched by the fight happening right outside of his tent. The clash of steel, the bloodcurdling taunts ended, and then there was long dreadful silence broken by cries of mourning.
Akira ran out of his hiding place, fearing the worst. He saw the bloodied arena, and the bodies of the fallen warriors on the ground.
"Fa - " But a hand covered his mouth, stopping his cry.
"Silence, young Hyuu-Ga," the prophet whispered. "If they find you now who'd know what would happen."
He tried to pull away, fearing he'd never forget the red-splattered ground. The blind prophet covered his eyes with his long fingers, and Akira sighed.
"Some days I am grateful to be blind to it."
"Come back with us, please. Father would have wanted it."
"I have brought enough misfortune to Suisei. This is cause for war, little Hyuu-Ga, and you should leave now before they find you. I'll hide you until your father's companions can smuggle you out."
Akira closed his eyes, too shocked to resist. The prophet covered him with a cloak, and left to find aid.
Father, he thought, and wept.
1
Akira walked the streets of his city, curious about how far they were going to carry off the peace treaty celebration. Banners the color of fire and water fluttered with the esoteric symbols of their lands, and the occasional carefully worded congratulation from a district. Other city folk wandered about the plaza, oohing and aahing at the decor, but he did not trust this forced gaiety. Their country Suisei had been fighting Kasei for too long, and even this enforced truce lay uneasy on them. The three countries near theirs have suffered because of the drawn out war, and they finally united to stop the fighting.
He was alone today, having been sent off by his father to run an errand to the temple. His brother was busy with both business and politics, and he was certain Hiroyuki, his cousin, was shin deep with the paperwork of the Tou-ya family. He smiled.
His smile vanished when he turned the corner. A lathe thin, sun browned youth stood his ground against three trainees of the city guard, distinguished by the green and white sashes around their waists. The sun bleached locks framing his face clung to the sweat.
What they wanted was the cloth-covered cloth strapped on the stranger's back, but he was just obviously not going to part with it.
"It's a toll for letting you come in, Kasei brat."
"I didn't have to pay any toll to enter this city," the Kasei youth protested. "Don't tell me you pay tolls at every road. How barbaric."
"Barbaric?! Says the people who kill each other for their god? Let me show you barbaric!" The leader took a swipe at the Kasei youth, who quickly danced out of the way.
"You must be faster than that to get me." His cocky reply made the trainees angry, and they began to close in on him. Fearing for the Kasei boy's life Akira stepped forward to help.
"Hey! We just signed a peace treaty with Kasei, and here you are starting a fight?"
"If it isn't the temple boy. Go back and pray to your namby-pamby Goddess, and leave the fighting for the real men."
He unclasped the chain of his prayer beads, and the central bead dangled a few inches from the ground. "Delita's hand will guide me swiftly to fulfill my task. The Goddess weeps in mercy for your lost soul," he said, before launching his improvised weapon at the nearest thug. The huge metal bead smashed against man's nose, and Akira attacked again, pulling the chain back and slinging it to one side. This time it hit the man's temple, and he dropped to the ground with a thud.
Meanwhile the Kasei youth had also been busy. He'd made a truncheon of the sheathed weapon, and bashed the other two thugs unconscious. When they were down he turned to Akira and said, "Ah, sorry about that."
"It's impolite to get an innocent bystander to join a fight," Akira complained, flicking the dust off his shirt. "Next time please consider that."
"Hey, in my country, if you fought together with someone and defeated the enemy, you're comrades at arms. The name's Shindou Hikaru, and you were a great help. I didn't think you would turn out to be a good fighter, since you look really thin and all but you did good with your bead thing."
"I'm not you, my name is Tou-ya Akira." He gathered his prayer beads in loops in his left hand, snapping the chain shut. "You're lucky our Goddess allows us to use these when there is an unfair fight, otherwise you would be beaten black and blue."
"Akira then, and hm, if I was in real danger I had a few other things up my sleeve." Shindou brushed off his cool words with a quick grin. Akira simply looked at him, because from where he was Hikaru had obviously been at a disadvantage. "So Akira, what do young people here do for fun? Besides beating the crap out of total strangers?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm not into fun things," Akira primly replied.
"Damn. I mean, you're the first person I met who didn't go, 'Kasei citizen, run!' so I thought you'd be nice enough to take pity on a poor lost soul looking for someone."
Akira sighed. "Fine, I'll help you, but only if I know who they are."
"Great! I'm looking for this clan." Hikaru pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with thin, spidery script on it. "It's supposed to be Ho-jo, or something like that. My friend, he wanted me to find someone."
Akira stopped. "There's no clan or family by the name of Ho-jo in this city. At least not anymore. I can show you where the last Ho-jo I know of lived, and maybe they can tell you where they are."
"Ah, thanks, Akira. If only all the people in this city are as nice as you!"
Nice? Akira recalled days when the other Suisei citizens talked behind his back. The unfortunate boy, the temple bastard were some of the kinder things they spoke on him behind his back. He flinched.
"Hey, did you remember something bad?" The Kasei youth looked at him with serious eyes.
"It's not important." His reply came automatically. "I am going that way, but I'll leave you there, since I know nothing about the Ho-jo family."
"Your country's really nice. And green." Hikaru's tone had a touch of wistfulness to it. "And there's lots of water everywhere. Is it true priests of your country can divine for water? Does Delita ask her followers to get in touch with the dark, like the Valendian goddess?"
"The first part is true, but we don't subscribe to the Mullenkamp ways." Hikaru looked like he was going to ask more questions, so to stop him Akira pointed to the marble temple surrounded by fountains. "And the last member of the clan Ho-jo lived there."
"That is where he lived?"
"This is the temple of the Goddess Delita." Hikaru gave a small exclamation, and his face brightened.
"This is the Mother-Goddess of your country if I remember right. He would tell me all about Her, and he worshiped Her so much." His gaze softened as he gazed on the water fountains gracing the front of the temple. "I can't believe he spent nineteen years with us in Kasei. How can he leave all this bounty behind him?"
"Are you talking about your friend?"
"Yeah." He plucked something out of his pouch. "Do you accept offerings from outsiders? I want to give this as a tribute."
In his hands were glittering crystals reflecting the color of the sky and sea. Akira blinked at the scintillating sparks bouncing off like sunlight reflecting on the sea waves. "They're beautiful. What are these?"
"These are our iced stones. I found them for him, he said they felt like drops of water in his hands." He closed his fist around them. "I thought it was fitting for Her to get these from a person who worshiped her from afar."
Akira pointed down the hall. Even from a distance the statue of the Goddess was hidden from view with a curtain of water. "You can go up to the main hall where the statue of the Goddess is. I can lead you there, but the inner sanctum is forbidden to anyone except the prophet and his followers. I'm already running late for an errand, and I know the priests won't give you any trouble. Our current prophet likes learning about what other people think of Delita"
"I'll leave you now. I have to go run an errand here and get home."
"Can I visit you again sometime? I mean, you're the nicest Suisei person I've met."
"You can ask for the Tou-ya house then. We live near the temple, so if you still want to talk to me," And here Akira tried to make his voice as cool as possible, so Hikaru wouldn't anymore, "then you may do so."
"I would, definitely. It was nice meeting you, Akira of the Tou-ya family. I have to say it must be destined."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Akira was telling the truth when he said he lived near the temple. The Tou-ya House was on a quiet to the Western District. The House was much more comfortable than Akira's previous household, and day in and day out people bustled around, busy with work and politics. It was a large house, home to the extended Tou-ya family, but the Meijin ruled their world with strict benevolence.
Akira and the Meijin shared a passion for the game of go, a quiet, reflective game played with black and white stones above a wooden board. When Akira was not in the temple he would be beside his adoptive father, learning the intricate strategies and solutions to the problems they would give him.
He found his father before the board, reviewing a game with a thoughtful look. Occasionally the temple prophet would get the chance to leave his domain, and his only request would be to play go with the Meijin, and the product of these sessions were plays of breathtaking perfection. The Meijin was still studying that last game when he entered the room, an empty jeweled goblet at his side.
"Honorable father," Akira said, bowing low. "I apologize for my late return."
"Akira." The Meijin smiled at the sight of his adopted son. He was fond of Akira, despite what everyone said. And Akira loved some members of the family, from his father, to his quietly supportive mother, to his new older brother and talkative cousins. Everyone else tend to ignore his existence, but he didn't mind. "How was your visit to the temple?"
"It was fine. Quiet." Akira decided not to mention what happened before the visit. The Meijin would worry, and definitely do something to punish those trainees. "The Prophet was sad to hear you were feeling ill, and he gave me the potion for your heart malady promptly."
"You gave him my thanks and my apologies for changing the date of our game?"
"Yes I did, father. He said he was busy with the invocation festival, so he was going to send a message to change the day as well."
"He must be saying that to make me feel better about my age." The Meijin signaled for Akira to pour the potion in the waiting goblet. He did, and the liquid sparkled in the setting sun as it splashed into the cup. "Go and enjoy yourself before dinner, Akira. Let me check on this last game the prophet and I played."
As Akira left the room he saw a group of young men walking to the dining hall. The two leaders seemed more intent on a serious conversation, with the older one was animatedly using his hands to tell an anecdote. They both stopped at his side, but the rest went on.
"Cousin Hiroyuki, brother Kaoru."
"You've just come from the temple to get father's potion." Kaoru pushed up his glasses. "You really should stop spending so much time in the temple, Akira. We need all the help we can have in the business and politics."
"Maybe one day, brother."
It was then that one of their servants ran out of the Meijin's room, screaming, "The Meijin's been poisoned!" He pointed to Akira, eyes blazing in fury. "You, you're the last one he saw! You must've poisoned his drink."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Akira couldn't help the feeling of suffocation and deja vu. He was back to that time fourteen years ago, helpless and weak, knowing for certain his father was dead, and he could do nothing to stop it.
Of course they would blame him, he thought, wincing as his knee scraped against the splintered wood of his chair.
He could hear thumping and stomping noises outside, and then a low whisper from someone he didn't expect to meet again. "Hey. Akira. Are you there, Akira?"
Akira bolted up from his chair and peered out through the door gratings. True enough, Shindou Hikaru was there, grinning. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, not certain if he should be pleased or annoyed to be caught in this situation by a total stranger.
"Well, I thought I should visit my new friend, and look what I found when I visit you - tossed off to an empty storage barn, watched by around a dozen guards, and looking woeful. Not good." Hikaru tossed a thick robe to him which Akira caught to his chest. "And here I am, and let's go."
"Go where?"
"Go where no man has gone before, stupid. I'm here to bust you out of this prison."
"What?" Akira knew he sounded faintly idiotic, but Hikaru's words were too surprising. Hikaru laughed and unlocked the door.
"Think of it as payment for your misguided help! Let's go!"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The sun was high up in the sky by the time they reached the abandoned trading road going towards Mokusei. Broken oxen carts, tattered tents and sometimes the dried up skeletal, remains of various animals could be seen littering the dry and cracked ground. In the distance, the sharp silhouette of the Bervenia mountain looms menacingly, its peak crowned by crimsons clouds and dancing lightning.
"We'll find a small village near the foot of the mountain. If things go as smoothly from here on, we'd get there in a day or two. The villagers aren't too keen on strangers, but I know someone from there so it won't be much of a problem." Hikaru said.
It can't be much worse than what he got from Suisei. "I'm used to that."
"We'd need to get some provisions before continuing. The journey there would be quite difficult. In order to get to Mokusei, we need to cross a small desert which isn't that bad compared to those found in Kasei, but the weather there could be a bit tricky." Hikaru glanced at Akira, watching the play of emotions in the eyes of the former Tou-ya heir.
"Hey! I haven't gotten to the fun part yet!"
Akira gave Hikaru an incredulous look. "Fun part? What can be fun about traveling through a hot desert, pursued by people out to kill me with a idiot who thinks this is fun?"
The other youth tried looking hurt, but failed miserably by grinning.
"At night, the entire area is the playground of hundreds of devatas. They're beautiful to watch, but are very dangerous when disturbed."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Akira was hoping that the answer he has thought of wouldn't be the one coming out of the other boy's lips. But he was obviously not going to be so lucky.
"Obviously, it's because we'll be crossing the desert at night." There was a mad gleam of excitement in Hikaru's eyes. It made the youth from Kasei look so alive.
He heaved a resigned sigh. Hikaru glanced back at Akira, who was staring at the back of his head as if he sprouted horns.
"What?" Hikaru inquired as he started walking towards the direction of the Bervenian mountain range. He waited for Akira to follow his lead.
"At this rate, I might as well have stayed in Suisei and awaited for the executioner's axe. Instead I find that I am stuck in the middle of a desert with a crazed companion who wants to get us killed by monsters that attacks people at night." A soft gust of wind blew a cloud of dust, and Akira had to close his eyes his eyes to keep the sand from getting in them. He sneezed and coughed as he inhaled some of the dirt.
"Hey! It's not that bad. Besides I know what I'll be doing once we get there." Hikaru said defensively. He pulled out a length of cloth from his bag and wrapped the woolen cloth around Akira's face, keeping Akira's eyes uncovered.
"That would help prevent sunburns and heat stroke," he explained to the other boy upon seeing the perplexed expression on the Suisei youth.
"Thank you." Akira said softly.
"Think nothing of it. Let's just concentrate on finding some horses and getting to Baramori as soon as possible. The sooner we reach Baramori, the faster we get to Mokusei and out of reach from your bloodthirsty relatives. So what are you waiting for? Come on!" Hikaru grasped Akira's hand and started running. Akira let out a startled yelp before following suit, swearing to give the other boy a beating once they reached the Wind country in which Hikaru replied that he'll be looking forward to it.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
As they traveled at night Hikaru could hear the low rumble of the devatas as they try to chase after their mounts. Akira clutched to his horse's mane, trying hard not to show his fear, but Hikaru was never afraid of these desert beasts.
It's been a while since Hikaru last saw one of the legendary beasts. His father had hunted and brought one home once a long time ago at a time of peace. At that time he had said it was to become a sacrifice to their god S'aiva. His father continued to explain, saying that it was an appropriate offering to their deity. At that time he had been too young to grasp the meaning of those words, he was more fascinated by the creature's fierceness and beauty than the hidden message of those spoken words. As the ceremony progressed, he promised himself that one day he'll catch his own devata.
Someday, he thought, looking back at the creatures frolicking in the sand, their multi-colored scales gleaming in the moonlight. Someday I will offer you to my God.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When they reached the village of Baramori three days and two nights later, the people avoided them, giving suspicious glances wherever they go. Their appearance didn't help matters. They looked like a couple of weary bandits who had just come from a raid to plunder and pillage. Dirt and grime covered their bodies. Akira's unusually thick clothing, not made for desert living, and the cloth-wrapped weapon Hikaru had slung over his shoulders made them too conspicuous to ignore.
But both youths were too tired, hungry and thirsty to care about what the people thought. All they wanted to do was find Hikaru's friend as soon as possible. However, it was more difficult than they've anticipated. No one wanted to approach them, must less speak with them. They spent more than three hours searching and questioning anyone and everyone they meet and yet still found no leads as to where Hikaru's friend might be found. Hikaru decided to search for him alone, leaving Akira bored and listless.
He reached the center of the small village. In its very heart stood a small fountain with a statue of a female figure in the middle. On the statue's right hand was a sword engraved with the words, "Justice as swift as the wind.", on the left hand was a winged-shield with an image of a bird of prey, its wings spread proudly in flight.
Akira approached the fountain, a mixture of surprise and reverence on his face. Back in the temple, he had learned that the goddess Delita had two sides - that of a loving and doting mother to all that she holds dear, and of an avenging warrior, fighting and protecting all that she considers under her grace. Most of the images he saw of the goddess was of the doting mother. He had never seen representations of her harsher, more sinister aspect.
"So here you are."
He turned to glance at Hikaru, wanting to voice out questions, but stopped when Hikaru spoke.
"My friend told me that before, when all things was just beginning, when all of the gods were at war, this is the form that the goddess often took. She was brave, strong and very good in battles. She rarely lost battles against her brothers and sisters. She only lost one battle, and that was because she yielded against S'aiva. As to what the reason was, my friend never told me.
"He also said this statue was made when Baramori was still part of Suisei a long time ago." Hikaru smiled at the bewildered look on the youth from the Water country. "My friend knew a lot about the religion, even those bits you don't want to talk about anymore. He also said that a warrior-prophet of the goddess had this built back in those days."
The other boy ran his fingers reverently at the old stones of the fountain, eyes never leaving the image of the goddess in stone. "I see. So does this mean the people here worship Delita as well?" Akira asked curiously.
Hikaru chuckled before answering. "They do, well at least this form of her anyway. It's a sad thing though that the water in the fountain has dried up. It would make her statue look better. Not to mention it'll be a big help in this place." He plopped himself at the edge of the fountain, eyes gazing at the late afternoon sun.
The other boy moved to sit beside him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder how Baramori looked like before?"
Hikaru didn't answer him, instead pointed out towards the general direction of the houses and small buildings. Akira gazed at the direction Hikaru pointed at and saw in the faded beauty of the town. He tried imagining what it was like, when everything was alive and new.
From where he stood, he closed his eyes and saw - the bright colours of the houses along with the vibrant plants all around. He heard the echoes of laughter and voices of people long past, the sound of drawn carts and carriages. Of vendors selling their wares, and of the people haggling and talking. He felt the joys and pains of ages past of all that lived and died in this place. He touched the flow energy of the place and heard the call of the spirit of water. It raged to be released.
Akira opened his eyes abruptly, a strangled sound escaping his lips.
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru touched his forehead in concern. "You're a bit hot. You must be coming down with a fever."
He glared at the other boy. "I'm fine."
"Then why did you cry out like that?"
Akira grew quiet, drawing patterns on the ground with his foot.
"Well?" Hikaru tapped his foot impatiently.
"I...the spirit of the water is still strong in this place. It calls to released."
Hikaru blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's the training I went through in the temple. Remember when you asked me if our priests can sense water? You can become an follower of Delita if you want to serve her, but to become one of Acolytes you have to be fully capable of performing water dowsing."
"Great. And you happen to be one of those Acolytes, I guess."
"I would have been, I guess. If I didn't supposedly poison my father that is."
"Oh, yeah, that should be hard." Hikaru grinned up to the sun. "Anyway, stop moping, i just found my friend Kaga, and he offered us passage in his caravan."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Ochi glared at Kaga's group, annoyed. His instincts told him this was another one of those people wanting to take advantage of the Mokusei's open trading policy. He had seen the likes of them before, confident and eager to get their greedy paws on the riches of Mokusei's unwary populace, giving low quality products for a price much too steep for what the item's worth. But he had stopped a lot of those shady traders, that is why he had been assigned to be one of Mokusei's top trade commissioner.
He'd show this lot just who he is and what he does to unscrupulous people like them. He didn't trust this group, especially the people at the back, wrapped up in greying cloaks.
"And what business do you have in the city of Okusaidama, the heart of Mokusei?" he asked in a clipped tone.
"I am here to show the rest of the Mokusei country what excellent pottery they have been missing," Kaga replied in a lazy tone.
Ochi raised his brows at the bragging. "Indeed?"
"Yes, indeed." Kaga smiled faintly, eyes gleaming in amusement as he saw the smaller man before him bristle in annoyance at his answer. If there is one thing he loved doing, it was pissing off pricks like Ochi.
Ochi huffed, wishing deeply that there's something about their paperwork that was wrong, but there wasn't. Even those two suspicious people were accounted for, listed as potters. "Fine. But only for two weeks and if I hear reports that you wander out of Malheur Plaza you will be kicked out of Okuseidama."
"Fine."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mokusei of the North had been under the rule of one family for several generations. The Ogata clan may have originally come from the desert country Kasei, but after several generations they worked their way into the nobility. Ogata Seiji was currently chancellor to this domain, but a new wave threatened his supremacy. His nephew and current heir, Ko YeongHa, wanted power, and was not afraid to show his ambition.
"YeongHa is still too young and too brash to rule the country," Seiji murmured to his advisor. They were watching him as he tried to go between a fight between two different guard platoons. "He'll learn that games played in the Lower Court is different in our Royal Court. Did he believe I wouldn't see he plans to plot for power with that new ambassadress from Dosei? The fool. I am certain that Dosei girl will not play into his hands, else who knows what accident might befall him while she travels our fair capital?"
"It won't take long before he learns to be more cunning, Ogata-sama. What will you do then?" Yun asked.
Ogata flicked an imagined speck of dust off his sleeves. "I will wed and get my own heir. He can't live on my graces forever."
***
Tsubaki grinned. "Oi, boy, we aren't here to play games. Just do your job, and I'll do mine, and let's make sure we don't have to face each other in a fight now. I don't guarantee who'd survive."
SuYeong bristled at the term boy, but YeongHa quickly intervened. "Ah, Tsubaki, my guard was just being overzealous on the job. We'll leave you to your duties."
Ko YeongHa waved Tsubaki's squad away. SuYeong stiffened. "Just because I never grew any taller doesn't mean I can't handle being the head of your guards, idiot."
YeongHa laughed, ruffling his childhood friend's hair. "No need to worry about it, SuYeong. Even with your height, I know you will watch my back."
Such careless words of encouragement sent a flare of joy in his heart. SuYeong tried not to smile, but YeongHa saw his face. "Ah, ah, look, he wants to be happy, except he's shy."
"Who's shy?!" SuYeong whacked his friend. YeongHa quickly stepped away, laughing.
"You are, you are," YeongHa teased, dignity lost to the winds.
A group of ladies-in-waiting giggled behind their fans as SuYeong huffed after his friend in the battlefield. SuYeong launched himself to YeongHa's shoulder, and the sudden extra weight dragged him down to the ground.
"Ow!" YeongHa groaned at hitting SuYeong's ribcage, but the smaller man was already up and crawling over his friend. "You need to do a few more practice matches, you're slow and winded after such a short chase."
"I don't have to fight there, my field is different. You will do that for me and reap honors," YeongHa declared. SuYeong playfully smacked him.
"I don't know why I keep up with your stupidity."
"It's because you actually care?" YeongHa laughed. He stood up and helped his friend up, before leaving him for the ladies. SuYeong watched him leave.
"I want to see what country you will make," he wistfully said, staring at YeongHa's back.
To Be Continued