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ELEMENTAL SHADOWS

-by: lira-chan-

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$~~ EDITED ON 04/06/04

EDIT: Removed all author's notes and replies to reviews from all chapters, and moved to my personal webspace. To view author's notes, go to:

[ www  . angelfire . com/wizard/alira/ES_notes . html ] [ remove spaces ]

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$~~ CHAPTER 7 - Of Small-Town Rumors and Magical Sightings ~~$

          Tsuchi rode through the Fushin Forest in the early morning, following the main road. He rode upon his horse of choice, a nondescript chestnut gelding, but a stead creature. With a horse of that sort, Tsuchi need not worry too much about thieves, for they looked for flashier animals than the gelding, and flashier riders. Tsuchi was anything but flashy, in brown trews and a tunic as nondescript as his horse. In his saddlebags he’d stored his clothes from the dojo and his regulation uniform proclaiming him a member of the Meridan City branch of the Guard, but neither was appropriate at the moment. Right now, he was a spy, and even something as mundane as clothing could give him away.

          Thinking these thoughts, Tsuchi began to contemplate his mission once again. He was still certain that there would be nothing to be seen in Fuushagi Town, but he still had to try his best. Most likely, this assignment was just a stroke of genius on his father’s part, another plan to merit Tsuchi a position as a member of the guard with rank. Who was there to spy on in Fuushagi. Fuushagi was even farther east of the capital than Meridan, and if there truly was a threat, it would come from the west.

          Tsuchi sighed. Only a week, and already he was weary of riding. Not bone-weary, not tired from the difficulty of the task, merely bored of the entire ordeal. Actually, it had been a little over a week, so Tsuchi was uncertain of why he had not arrived at Fuushagi. The ride from Meridan to Fuushagi was estimated to take no more than seven days. Tsuchi was beginning the ninth day of riding. Obviously, he expected to arrive in town within minutes.

          His expectations weren’t too far from the mark, actually. A mere fifteen minutes later, Tsuchi found himself cresting one hill of many that all formed a sort of semicircle, and riding down into the valley below. The valley was full of little thatched houses massed together at the near side of the valley, and public buildings clustered closer to the far side of the area. Fuushagi Town. A peaceful and quiet town, but strangely so. It was early in the morning, so the village children and elders might be asleep, but where was everyone else?

          Fuushagi Town was a farming town. Originally it had been a foresting town, a logging town, but that had changed. There were still logging towns farther east, where logs could easily be floated down the Kensetsu River. It was just too much work to have logs dragged by horses from Fuushagi, so the little village began to make the transition from a logging village to a farming town. After all, it was now the perfect place for farming; the logging had cleared the entire valley, providing space to plant crops.

          So why were three fourths of the fields left to lie fallow? Why weren’t the villagers out bright and early, as in any other farming village, tending to the crops they were growing? Something, apparently, really was wrong. His father had chosen a real ‘mission’ for him after all. Now the only thing left to be seen was how much Tsuchi could learn about the situation. He didn’t expect disgruntled villagers to be partial to small-talking strangers.

          Plans began to partially form within Tsuchi’s head, as he surveyed the town layout, particularly around the square. He smiled. There was only one inn in town. There was also only one pub. They were combined. The perfect place to fish for information.

          Tsuchi rode down into and through the town, a half-smile plastered across his face.

          Tsuchi leaned wearily against the wall in the pub about half a day later, his eyes squeezed closed. For some reason, when he was riding into town, he’d expected someone to stop him, to ask him questions. He’d expected suspicion, and found none. Now he sat in the bar section of the combination inn and pub. It was evening, and Tsuchi had spent the entire day hitting up townspeople for information, buying the occasional appetizer or mug of ale to keep the bartender happy. Tsuchi wasn’t exactly the subtlest person, so spending the day acting like the prince of smooth had worn on him drastically. All he wanted now was to lie down and sleep.

Too bad there were no open rooms at the inn.

          That was the one flaw in Tsuchi’s plan, the one thing he hadn’t expected. He didn’t want to just pitch camp in the middle of town, so his mind was racing frantically, trying to come up with a solution. Tsuchi needed a way to stay in town. He needed to find someone to stay with.

          The bar was actually emptying out by that point, contrary to what would be seen in other towns. In most places, evening was when the bar began to fill up, and after that it would stay filled up until about midnight. In Fuushagi? The bar was full by dinnertime. People seemed to come for the food, not the beer, but it was more than that. Something lying beneath the surface that Tsuchi just couldn’t place his finger on. A few hours after the bar filled- no more- and then it was emptying out again. The entire process was so strange and foreign to Tsuchi.

          Despite the disorientation the bar caused, Tsuchi was still the type of person who could easily adapt. When someone to his right stood up, he stood up as well, and followed the man out of the bar. The man strolled off away from the pub as Tsuchi watched, presumably to his home, seeing as he was walking towards the private part of town.

          Tsuchi’s mouth twitched, and he turned to walk off in the opposite direction. He walked for maybe an hour, just exploring the public area of the town. Nearing the end of this exploration, when he was looping back around to the bar, Tsuchi thought he heard something.

          Tsuchi froze in his tracks. It was probably nothing- a family pet, a noisy scavenger- but you could never be too sure. He turned slowly, trying to place the source of the sound. Figuring he’d found it, Tsuchi began to back towards the pub. If there was something- or someone- dangerous out after dark, he didn’t want to be caught with his back unprotected.

          Or without somewhere to run.

          Tsuchi continued to stare ahead, still eying some offending trash bins that had captured his attention. The bins shifted, the dull clanking of metal-on-metal accompanying their movement; something was concealing itself behind them. At this point, Tsuchi sunk into a crouch, edging towards the bins in a crablike fashion. Whatever hid there wouldn’t get the jump on him, for he was ready. Ready or not, Tsuchi proved to be just a measure too slow, for as he was nearing the point where he’d be within arms reach of one of the bins, another bin shook and tipped over.

          Startled, Tsuchi jumped back. He still didn’t know what was hiding back there, and wasn’t willing to take any chances. When the one bin had fallen, two more had followed, and the three metal trash bins now lie in a heaving heap. Whatever was beneath them was trying to get free. Interpreting this movement as a threat, Tsuchi drew his sword, which had been sheathed and slung across his back. As the ring of metal lashed out and across the square, Tsuchi dropped instinctively into a defensive crouch, sword held in the guard position before him.

          In the shadowy street, sight was limited, but Tsuchi’s night vision, aided by a dull glow coming through the thickly papered windows of the pub, was precise enough to observe the creature as it slunk from beneath the trash bins. It was a wiry thing, and surprisingly small. About the size of a medium dog, with the same matted fur in a nondescript shade of gray that was only enhanced by the gray light in the square, the creature was . . . A cat? Maybe. The mangy little bag of bones could be baptized an alley cat; it did have the necessary slitted eyes, at the least. These same eyes narrowed, falling on Tsuchi- and glowed.

          Nervously, Tsuchi edged back a bit, standing and moving his sword so that it remained in ‘guard.’ If he wasn’t being so paranoid, he might think that the malnourished creature was only approaching him in hopes of gaining a few scraps, but Tsuchi wasn’t in the correct frame of mind to assume that. Instead, he saw the creature as a bloodthirsty monster, stalking him so that it could leap on him and rend him limb from limb. Cliché, maybe, but anything seemed possible. Tsuchi brandished his sword at it, hoping it would run off.

          The creature did no such thing, for the truth of the matter was that it was neither hungry nor bloodthirsty, but something else entirely. It shrank away from Tsuchi’s vigorously waving sword, arching its back and making small noises in the back of its throat, like a cross between a hiss and a growl. After that- After that Tsuchi wasn’t sure what happened. First its back was arched, then it wasn’t, but it was as if the creature were growing. Its eyes flashed and its mouth stretched open, revealing pointy teeth. On each paw, sickled claws shone in the dim light, highlighting their sharpness, their potential to kill.

          Then, as if waking from a nightmare, or being plunged further into one, Tsuchi heard voices behind him, and the warm yellow light of the pub slanted across the square to fall upon him and the beast. Distracted, Tsuchi turned to see who was leaving the bar, to warn them away from this rabid beast in the alley. But the tavern patrons so shocked him that he forgot all such thoughts of warning. These two people . . . They were two children! What were they doing in a bar at night?

          As if their appearance might reveal the answer to this question, Tsuchi bent to inspecting them. Two children, one male, one female, and both about thirteen years old, he’d wager. They stopped just outside the doorway, but it looked as if the boy was leading the girl. That was a bit strange, but not by much. He did look more like an authority figure, at the least. Rather, he looked very nondescript. Short black hair, blue eyes that were neither the shade of the sky on a sunny day, nor of a storm cloud before the rain, both accompanying a “face shaped” face.

          The girl, on the other hand . . . She had a feeling of the exotic. Her hair, too, was black, only finer. Raven-wing black, shiny, and long- her hair was like a waterfall, cascading about a soft, heart-shaped face. The face . . . Her complexion was even, the cheekbones high, the forehead broad and smooth. The hair and the face- those were one thing. They were pretty features, but they weren’t anything special. The one thing that was special about her was the eyes. The enormous, soulful eyes that stood open like windows, windows unto the mind of an innocent, naïve little girl. Only the color . . . Didn’t . . . Match . . . Her eyes were red, like horribly wide pools of blood, ensnaring other eyes and holding them captive within their depths.

          So Tsuchi was thinking of things a bit too poetically, and in this time, the slippery little creature had crept forward so that it was almost upon Tsuchi. Blinking his own nondescript eyes, eyes the color of chocolates like those sold at the Festival for the goddess Kiriwaru in fall, Tsuchi focused on the beast once more. It’s fur was on end all across its back, but the hairs slowly settled back into place as the hissing and growling from deep within its throat died away. Tsuchi wondered at that- maybe the creature was no longer motivated to kill him. That would be a blessing.

          Tsuchi continued to look on as the thin creature meekly made its way past him. As it drew even with him, Tsuchi tensed, awaiting a strike that would not come. However, something else came in place of a lunge. A strong scent emanated from the beast, only it was not the usual musk of a wild creature. Rather, it was a fresh, wet smell, like air after a heavy, cleansing rain. The scent seemed to soothe Tsuchi, and his eyelids became heavy. He started to turn away; the creature must not be as dangerous as he’d assumed.

          However, as Tsuchi started to head for the inn, where the two children stood, realization dawned on him- the creature was making for them. The children. Aghast, he started to turn, to run for them, to yell a warning- something- but he was too late. The creature was right in front of them, and neither child seemed disturbed in the least. They appeared . . . Entranced? Enthralled? Maybe there was a hypnotic quality to the creature’s glowing yellow, catlike eyes. Whether there was or wasn’t, the two made no attempt to flee, as the beast sat down on its haunches before them. Or, more correctly, before the boy.

          Tsuchi couldn’t force himself to look away, feeling that some horrendous event was about to occur- so he didn’t. He watched as the boy’s right hand slowly came up, and reached toward the creature, until it rested lightly on the beast’s snout. Upon closer inspection, the beast looked less feline, and more . . . Lupine? Tsuchi wasn’t sure; it acted more like a dog than a cat, but it did have the slitted eyes, and a feral appearance. It could be a wolf.

          Tsuchi thought the creature might snap at the boy, for touching it, but it did no such thing. It merely sat there, idly wagging its tail, a tail fuller and bushier than that of a cat, as it, too, continued to watch the children. Still eying the two with the utmost of care, Tsuchi was just able to catch the slight movement the boy made; a sudden, reflexive tightening of his hand over the beast’s muzzle. As if in surprise. Or anticipation- A fighter would see as much.

          Right then, Tsuchi changed his mind about leaving the children; he had to see what it was that had caused the boy to tense up, if it wasn’t the beast. He wouldn’t have to wait long; the beast’s eyes, already glowing, suddenly dimmed so that they barely illuminated the creature’s nose. Equally suddenly, the brightness of the illumination coming from the glowing optics increased exponentially, flooding the entire square in light as bright as day within moments. Almost blinded, Tsuchi threw up an arm to shield his unprotected eyes. When he dared to look again, Tsuchi saw that now the intense yellow light shone through not only the slitted eyes, but through the silver-blue fur as well. The beast looked as if it had been lit ablaze.

          Somehow, the boy-child had refrained from backing away; his female companion had backed up a few paces, to watch with one hand over her eyes. The boy now stood with both hands over the beast’s head, his eyes shut, and his face blank, devoid of emotion. The beast closed its eyes as well, but the light did not extinguish. Rather, it intensified further, the golden glow flowing forward, passing from the beast into the boy until both glowed with equal light. At that point, both opened their eyes simultaneously, and Tsuchi could see the change.

          The boy’s eyes, for the moment, were no longer blue. They glowed so brightly with golden light that they appeared as yellow as the creature’s. Also, the boy’s face was no longer blank; he now wore an expression full of sheer bliss. The beast, on the other hand . . . Somehow it looked less feral, as if the boy had tamed it. There was something of loyalty in its slitted eyes, as if it would do anything for the boy. And while thinking of the slitted eyes . . . For just a moment, the boy’s eyes had appeared slitted as well.

          ~We are now bonded. Noukon’ke’san.~

          Tsuchi spun about; someone had spoken, the voice slicing right through his thoughts, like a knife into his mind. The voice was beautiful- deep and bell like, resonate and very feminine. Tsuchi looked about the square, but saw no one. Maybe because it was so dark.

          . . . Dark? Tsuchi spun back around, but the last of the golden light was already fading into nothingness. As if it never had been. Before complete dark returned, however, Tsuchi made out the wolf-creature’s form, back to its original small size, sitting quietly beside the boy.

          It would not be quiet for long. “Normalcy” reigned for a full five seconds, before a yell cut through the momentary silence.

          “The boy!” came a horrified voice. “This child is communing with the spirits of the dark. A minion of Shoudo. In the guise of a child! The blasphemy!”

          Tsuchi froze with the words “the boy.” He recognized the voice of the speaker, even before the man continued with his tirade- it was one of the men from the bar. He was talking about the boy Tsuchi had been watching, the one the wolf-creature now protected, and yelling at a volume to be heard. It would be mere minutes before the entire village surrounded the square, looking for the hand of the Dark One himself, with only one young boy to be found. A perfectly innocent boy, as far as Tsuchi could see. Maybe it wasn’t too late to help the children after all.

He strode over to the two confidently, doing his best to ignore the creature still crouched at the boy’s feet. If it had unnerved him before, then it unnerved him even more, now that it was “protecting” the boy. Tsuchi took the boy by the elbow, trying to act authorative.

          “You have about three minutes before the square is filled with demon-hunters,” Tsuchi pointed out quietly, as if commenting on the weather. “If you want to get away while you can, I advise you follow me. I have a horse at the stables- he could carry the three of us, for a distance. No time for questions.”

          “We have horses,” the boy said shortly, voice guarded.

          Tsuchi tried not to show his surprise on his face. “Good, we’ll make better time that way. Now hurry, time is getting short.”

          Tsuchi herded the girl and boy towards the stables before thinking, and was surprised when he received no protest. The two sure were strange . . . They walked swiftly, Tsuchi quickening his pace to burst into the stables before the two children. He ignored the stable hands, who protested about his entering unannounced, and about his saddling up of his own horse. Time was short, and they’d already used more then he estimated they had. The children somehow knew what they were doing- as he mounted his gelding, they rode over on matching bay mares. Knowing he was being followed, Tsuchi gave his horse a sharp nudge, and he burst out of the stables on horseback with the two mysterious children following right behind.

          They rode out of the area “belonging” to the inn without trouble, but a throng of men waited back in the square, bearing torches with which to make out the demon-child. Tsuchi wondered how they would recognize the boy, if, indeed, they would, but it seemed he would never know. Someone had already yelled, and the mob surged forward to swarm about their horses. Tsuchi’s horse pranced, trying to avoid trampling anyone with his large hooves, but the gelding did not bolt. Tsuchi could feel the presence of the other two horses behind him, so he knew the children were keeping their beasts under control.

          “Forget the people!” Tsuchi called at last, seeing as they were making no progress through the crowd. “We need to get out of here.”

          “But . . .” The boy called, trailing off. Tsuchi met his eyes, discovering a gaze on the positive side of imploring. “You know . . . Right?”

          Tsuchi did know; he knew what the child meant, and what he would see if he looked down. The boy didn’t want to leave the wolf-creature . . . But when Tsuchi did look down, it was gone. The boy gave him a look, but nodded; they were ready to go.

          Ignoring the angry yells of the mob of men and the dangerous proximity of people’s torches, Tsuchi reared his gelding up on two legs. Then they swung about, and leapt into the air over the heads of the men. The jump cleared most of the distance, and having come back down running, Tsuchi’s horse swiftly built up the speed to see them past the throng of men, who couldn’t run nearly as fast as a horse could gallop. Within minutes, the two children from the town had caught up, and Tsuchi smiled. It seemed things were working out pretty well. If he was lucky, the two might even have something to say about the “problem” in Fuushagi, and Tsuchi’s job would be done.

          The next morning, the three were riding once again. The night before, they had stopped an hour’s ride from the town, figuring that they’d put enough distance between themselves and the men on foot. When they’d stopped, they’d barely taken the time to unroll their bedrolls before collapsing onto them and passing out. Given, they had awoken stiff, sore, and damp, but they hadn’t been thinking of the morning when they went to sleep.

          Now, they rode in silence, merely trying to put more distance between themselves and the religious zealots from Fuushagi, not thinking. However, Tsuchi thoughts still managed to chase themselves in circles inside his head even as he tried to ignore them. He still didn’t know what he was doing with these two very adult children. They were obviously connected with whatever was going on in Fuushagi Town; how couldn’t they be? The real question was: how?

          Tsuchi supposed he would have to figure that out. He could always just haul them off to his father’s office in Meridan City, but he didn’t know how well that would go over with the “children.” He could always ask. That was a laugh, but he had nothing to talk about, and pretty soon the silence would start to get to him.

          “So, where were you two headed, anyway?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

          “Not anywhere in particular,” the boy replied immediately, easily. Before the girl could speak; to Tsuchi, it looked like she had planned on saying something- but changed her mind. “We’re sort of looking for Shinta’s sister.”

          The boy seemed to pause and think a moment, after that. “I don’t believe we’ve introduced ourselves. Either of us,” he said after the pause. “My friend here is Shinta, and I’m Kei. Keisui, but call me Kei.”

          “And I’m Tsuchi,” Tsuchi added, trying to use the same easy tone Kei had affected. It bothered him that a child could speak with such ease while Tsuchi felt so tongue-tied. He wondered why the two were still traveling with him. Maybe because they were on the only road out of Fuushagi that Tsuchi knew of, and because they didn’t have an exact destination. “So you’re just wandering around?”

          “I wouldn’t put it that way,” the girl, Shinta, piped up. “We’re conducting a search.”

          “Well, would you like some advice?”

          “You have some to give?” Kei cut in, voice still smooth as butter.

          “Of course,” Tsuchi said, sure that he sounded much more terse than Kei. “You don’t exactly know where you’re headed at the moment, do you? Well, I’m headed to Meridan City; it’s not too far off, and I’ll guide you there. I’ll even introduce you to some people you might want to question about this sister, if you like.”

          “And what’s in it for you?” Kei asked immediately.

          “Smart, aren’t you?” Tsuchi said, trying not to sound surprised that Kei had caught on so quickly. “Well, I am going this way in any case, so I’ve no reason not to help. Furthermore- you were at Fuushagi. I rode into Fuushagi Town from Meridan City to investigate things. My father is Captain of the Guard in Meridan, you see, and I work for him. He’d be able to answer your questions, maybe, and all you’d have to do in return is answer some of his.”

          After a pause, Kei replied, “Deal.”

          Tsuchi smiled. “Glad you agree. It’ll take us a little under a week to reach Meridan, then I’ll introduce you to my father.”

          Kei and Shinta just nodded, and the three slipped into silence once more on their way to Meridan City.