The Wrath Of the Forgotten (14 page)

All of the ominous figures quivered and shook in their spots. As they quaked, their skin cracked as if it were made from pottery. Bits of skin broke off and fell to the ground. The men’s smiles grew more grotesque, as spit started to spill over their lips. When the shards of their facial skin fell away, the Raykos screamed. The Apisas crouched down a little and wrinkled their noses in disgust.

Eight thin little legs extended from bloated bodies. Tiny heads tilted from side to side. Saliva dripped from unholy maws. The horses whinnied loudly, and they struggled to get out of the stable tent.

“Looks like we have dessert after dinner!” one of the giant spiders said.

Nori ran up to one of the spiders and swung. His hard tetsubo slammed into the monster’s face. Its spider skull cracked open, and the Tsuchigumo stumbled to the side.

“That is the real …” a spider cackled.

Its words trailed off into a maddening gurgle. Nori brought his tetsubo up and slammed it on the Tsuchigumo’s head. Its little legs twitched before it stopped moving altogether. The other Nori copies had also moved up to other Tsuchigumo spiders, but the other spiders dodged. Nori ran toward another monster, and the other Noris did as well.

The ground rumbled, and Nori stopped. A gigantic column of stone rose up from the grass and slammed back down. The Tsuchigumos stared in horror, but Nori had already seen this phenomenon before.

Was it real or illusion?

More arms rose up from the ground. Within seconds, a dozen earth kami stood amidst the numerous Apisas, Raykos, and Flaras. One of the earth kami raised its balled fist above its head.

“This is a trick!” one of the Tsuchigumos screeched.

The massive fist squashed it flat. Thick, juicy guts sprayed out of either side of its body.

An Apisa danced in front of one of the Tsuchigumos, zipping around the creature’s spear like legs. The monster tried to bite her, but failed. Nori leaped forward and smashed his war club against some of its legs. The legs snapped like twigs. The Apisa slashed at the monster’s face, but it received no damage. Nori crushed its skull.

One of the Rayko’s let out an ominous scream. A particularly fat tsuchigumo had pinned her on the ground, and it stared at her hungrily. Its maw snapped open and closed, and thick spit dripped from its chin. Rayko flailed about, trying to crawl away, but the Tsuchigumo kept her in place. All at once, the other Raykos looked directly at Nori, the real Nori. Each of them had watery eyes and quivering lips.

Nori barreled though the crowd of images and knocked over the real Flara. He couldn’t afford to look back though, for the Tsuchigumo inched ever closer to Rayko. Its front legs rose up and were poised to thrust downward.

Rayko openly cried and held her hands in front of her.

The Tsuchigumo’s legs fell forward rapidly. Two piercing points rushed forward. Before they could stab into Rayko, the Tsuchigumo’s body bounced away. Nori planted himself in front of Rayko’s quivering body. The giant spider shook its head and then maneuvered to a stand. It crept closer to Nori, but Nori struck it again. Nori’s solid war club slammed into the side of the Tsuchigumo’s face.

All of Rayko’s snarky comments whispered in the forefront of Nori’s mind. Each biting remark had pinpricked him, and now, he could return the favor. He couldn’t pay her back directly, but he could channel his frustration on this horrid thing.

The Tsuchigumo snapped at him, but Nori poured all of his rage into his swings. He missed his first strike, but the second one popped the Tsuchigumo’s head right off its body. His third send the body rolling off to the side.

Nori stepped back and stood over Rayko as she slowly got to her feet. Another Tsuchigumo approached them, but an earth kami picked it up and threw it.

He turned to Rayko. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

She trembled before him, and streams of sadness ran down her cheeks. Rayko shook her head and pointed to one of the Apisas. Three of the spiders had bitten into her, but they couldn’t bypass her scales.

“G-go, I’ll be fine.” Rayko stepped away from him, and four copies of her self passed through her.

In all the confusion, the real Rayko had moved away.

Nori ran over to one of the Tsuchigumos and smacked his tetsubo through its legs. It topped to the side and brought Apisa to the ground. Nori raised his war club again and clobbered its bloated body. Apisa reached up and raked her claws across one of the spider’s faces. Nori slapped the other Tsuchigumo with his club.

Apisa sprang to her feet and dove onto one of the Tsuchigumos close to her.

Spider bodies littered the camp site, and only three enemies remained. One of them tried to flee, but an earth kami jumped on it. Apisa tore into the second. The last spider made a bee line for one of the Flaras. It bit down into her body, but its maw went through her body. Nori advanced on it, but Apisa sprinted faster than he did. She spun around as if in a dance, and spilled the spider’s guts at their feet.

The illusions disappeared and an uneasy silence lingered around them. Three massive earth kami stood over them.

Nori whirled around to Flara. “Are you okay? I’m sorry I knocked you down. I …”

Flara held up her hand, and she didn’t appear to be upset at all. In fact, she looked quite the opposite. “I know why you did it. I’m grateful.”

Apisa returned to her normal form and placed an arm around Rayko’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Rather than speak, Rayko plunged herself into Apisa’s grasp. As soon as the blond wrapped her in an embrace, Rayko sobbed.

“I’ll see to the horses.” Nori moved over to the stable tent.

As soon as he went inside the stable tent, a flash of movement caught his eye. Nori threw himself to the side, and a horse hoof rushed past his eye. Mac blocked the smaller mares from him, and the stallion appeared poised to kick again. Nori dodged another kick, and he moved up beside the horse.

“Easy there,” Nori said. “It’s just me. Relax.”

Mac whirled his head around with a wide-eyed expression. Nori placed his hand on the back of Mac’s mane and started rubbing him. With each motion of the hand, Mac’s tense muscles eased up. The other mares calmed down as well once Mac became less anxious.

Nori checked each of the horses, and then stepped back outside. A small fire burned in the middle of the fire pit. Rayko and Apisa sat on the other side of the fire. Rayko’s cheeks were lined with tear streaks, and Apisa had her arm wrapped around Rayko’s shoulders.

Nori sat beside Flara, but pointed to one of the kami. “Are they staying the night again?”

Flara gave a weak nod, but didn’t meet his eyes. “They graciously offered, and I accepted.” She took out a little bottle of some powder and sprinkled it on the food.

Nori frowned. “What’s that you’re putting on it?”

This time, Flara looked up at him. “It’s a sleeping powder. After such a f-frightening event, it will prove difficult for any of us to get good sleep. Would you like some?”

“No thank you,” Nori said. “I think I’ll stay up for a bit.”

Flara gave some of the food to Apisa and Rayko, but she didn’t take any herself. After twenty or so minutes, they both went to their tent. Flara remained by the fire, and she gazed into its mesmerizing center.

Nori sat beside Flara and watched her. “Are you okay? I know I asked before, but your safety is important to me.”

“Is it because of your duty?” Flara asked. “Is that the only reason you’re concerned?”

Nori allowed the center of the fire to captivate his attention as well. “That’s a part of it, but it’s not the only reason. I’m asking because I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Any of you.” He scoffed. “Even Rayko.”

“I’m f-fine.” Flara shifted in her seat. “Thank you for saving my friend. That was a very uneasy situation.”

Nori said, “That was a battle, and I’m thinking it’s only the beginning. Are you ready for what could be next?”

Flara took several small breaths and then peered at him. “I know the forest is going to be more dangerous than this. I’m a little scared, but I have to find out what that dream means. Everything inside me tells me something important is there in the ruins.”

Nori ran his fingers against the handle of his tetsubo. Just knowing it was within reach calmed him slightly. “Be honest, how do you feel about the fact that we’re going to a place that has dark lore contained there?”

Flara winced. “Honestly? I’m …a little e-excited. I love reading lore, especially lore that very few people know about. I love learning, no matter what the topic is. The only averse aspect of this quest is the danger involved. Like I s-said, we need to go to this ruin.”

“I don’t doubt you,” Nori said. “I’ll protect you to the best of my ability. That’s what being a Qu-Tar is all about.”

“I wonder if the Tsuchigumos came from the forest,” Flara said. “The lore that I read states that they usually dwell in either cavernous or forest environments. You mentioned you’d heard about them before. D-do they have Tsuchigumos in Onista?”

Nori replied, “No, I never actually encountered one of their kind before. I learned about them during my Qu-Tar training. We were warned about them since they’re shape-shifters. I’m sure you can understand why.”

Flara brushed some of the hair out of her face. “There hasn’t been any attempts on the royal family for generations. I would hope that no yokai would want to attack the p-palace. We have a long standing peace with yokai in general.”

“That may be the case,” Nori said. “Still, the Qu-Tar take every precaution. You should get to bed. We’ll be riding through the forest tomorrow. If it’s half as ominous as what you’ve made it out to be, we’re going to need everyone at their top strength.”

“Th-that includes you, right?” Flara asked. “When are you going to bed?”

Nori replied, “I don’t need as much sleep as a regular person. I’ll go to bed within the hour though.”

Slowly, Flara stood up and made her way to the tent. She peeked at him from behind fallen hair locks. “Sleep tight, Mr. Nori. I’m really glad you’re here. I wasn’t before, but I am now.”

Nori gave her a little bow. “Thank you, my lady.”

He sighed and studied the center of the fire again. A strange emptiness had grown in him, and he couldn’t decide when it first appeared. Images of his beloved home flashed in his mind. The whisper of his mother’s singing voice teased him with nostalgia. His soul quivered in unrest. After a long while, Nori rose from his spot and headed to his tent.

THE DARKNESS OF
the forest enveloped them as they rode along a long-forgotten path between the trees. Nori rode ahead of the girls, with one hand on Mac’s reigns, and the other gripping his tetsubo. The war club leaned up against his shoulder.

Nori studied their surroundings as his horse took slow but steady hoof steps through the tall grass that covered the path. The scenery around them was still, as if a part of a massive painting. His skin crawled every time a stray sun beam penetrated through the forest canopy. Those sun beams represented freedom and safety, and in this forest, there was little of either to be found. Mac shifted his head from side to side, and occasionally sniffed the air. Every once and a while Mac let out a gruff low whinny.

A soft voice beside him.

“Excuse me, would you mind if we conversed?” Rayko asked. “I think there are some aspects about myself I need to make you aware of.”

Nori shifted in his saddle and regarded the illusionist. She had ridden up beside him, and Apisa and Flara had fallen back about ten feet. For most of that morning, Rayko had been quite somber, even though she helped break down the camp and such. When they first entered the forest, she had ridden at the very back of the group.

Rayko stared ahead with a profound frown. She gripped her reigns so tightly that her hands shook slightly.

Nori swallowed hard and studied the area around them for a moment. Everything remained so quiet. A small throbbing resonated in his gut, one that conflicted with the doubts in his head. Would this be another racial tirade? Perhaps not. Rayko’s posture appeared more passive. Her face contorted in discomfort.

“What is this about?” Nori asked.

Rayko turned her body away from him for a moment, and then she drew in a deep breath. When she faced Nori again, she bit her lower lip. Her eyes looked wet. “I wish to make amends between you and I. You saved my life, and I’ve had a long night to ponder over my behavior.”

Nori winced and urged Mac to stop. In response, Rayko made her mount halt as well.

Nori held up a hand. “Listen, this isn’t necessary. You said yourself, I’m just the help. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

Rayko’s voice raised an octave, and a hint of her usual passion shimmered in her words. “Yes, I do. I was wrong to refer to you as such, and I’m trying to apologize. Will you just listen to me instead of being a …” she paused, and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I have a lot of issues to work though. Please, let me say this before we leap head long into further danger.”

“Very well,” Nori said. “I’m listening.”

Rayko kept her attention on the forest path between her mount and Nori’s. “As you may well have noticed, I have a rather strong aversion to your kind. Though it doesn’t justify my brutish behavior, I have been wronged by your people in a way that can never be forgiven. However, I have to come to terms with that fact that individuals were the ones who earned my scorn, not the people as a whole. I apologize for transferring my hatred onto you.”