The Wrath Of the Forgotten (3 page)

The female guard’s facial expressions softened and she let out a little sigh. None of the other guards said a word or moved a muscle. They kept switching their glances between Nori and the woman.

Nori asked, “Are you in charge?”

“I am,” the female guard replied. “I’m Lieutenant Jaji. And you are?”

Nori replied, “I’m a weary traveler who’s not breaking any laws and who’s minding my own business. You can’t detain me if I’ve done nothing wrong. If you’re not going to help me, I’m going to find someone who will. Good day to you.”

He moved closer to the gate. The other guards gripped their weapons tightly, but Lieutenant Jaji held up her hand. One by one, they lowered their spears and moved out of the way.

As Nori passed by her, Lieutenant Jaji spoke. “Head into the city and search for the large fountain. Take a right, and keep going until you see the large tower. That’s the University.”

“Thank you,” Nori said.

Just as before, the crowd of people parted ways for him, but observed his passing with horrified intrigue. Nori’s insides trembled. A great weight tugged down on the skin of his face, but Nori refused to frown or show any sort of reaction. In Xian Ba, he had grown accustomed to the bitterness of others. With each step and breath, the vast storm of emotions swirling within him subsided.

Several powerful aromas wafted all around him as soon as Nori emerged into the city. Immense streets wide enough to accommodate ten people walking side by side stretched before him. Two and three story wooden buildings with brown thatched roofs lined the avenues. Between each building existed narrow alley ways. Before the buildings sat large carts covered in assortments of food, drink, and knick-knacks. Peddlers yelled out deals to the many passerbys.

Unevenly placed blocks made up the street, much like the walls that surrounded Jadai.

At first, no one really noticed Nori.

Then one of the vendors screamed, and all eyes darted around to see what the commotion was. Nori let out another sigh as he continued to move through the crowd. As he got closer to the other people, they parted ways. A small notion popped in his mind, and he allowed himself to smile. If these lowlanders thought he appeared imposing now, they would perhaps run in terror if they saw him in his typical attire.

Nori passed by several street intersections, and they all looked the same to him. The same style of wooden houses with thatched roofs curling around the poorly made streets. At least in Onista, the buildings, roads, and defenses were better constructed.

After walking several blocks, Nori came to the large fountain, which sat in the middle of a vast open plaza. Adults rested at tables set in various parts of the plaza, and they ate food while their children chased one another and played games. Soft music danced on the breeze. Nori’s eyes widened as he scanned the area for the source. He stood up on the tips of his toes, but he couldn’t see who played the music.

It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, Nori couldn’t afford time to sit and relax. He let out a disgruntled sigh and studied the fountain a little more. The fountain had been carved with images of people dancing and having fun. It had a large basin at the bottom, and people perched themselves along its edge. Two more tiers extended from the basin. At the top of the fountain, a statue of a great horse stood up its back legs. Its front hooves had been raised up. Water poured out from its mouth.

Nori strolled down the street directly to the fountain’s right. A tall tower extended into the sky at the far end street. The tower had five perceivable levels, and each of the tiers had ringed roofs that wrapped around their edges. A balcony extended on the top most tier. The entire tower had been painted with rainbow stripes that wrapped all the way around it from top to bottom. Nori winced. Just gazing at it made his head feel slightly woozy. Not even Xian Ba had a structure that looked so …garish. A small white wall stood erected around the tower’s base. Two guards stood in front of the gate that led to the university, and they talked amongst themselves until Nori broke through the crowd.

Their armor was colored with a combination of white and dark blue hues. Swords hung at their belts. Neither of the guards made motion for the weapons, but they bawled their fists as Nori got ever closer.

“Whoa!” One of the guards said. “Where do you think you’re going? This is the Jadai University of Magic. Are you lost or something?”

Nori knelt down and set his bags and lute case on the ground. He rested his tetsubo beside the bags and started rifling through one of the sacks. After a moment, he pulled out a slender scroll.

Slowly, he reached out and pointed it at one of the guards. “This is a letter from your headmistress, Madame Hao. I’m supposed to show you her signature, and then you’re supposed to let me in.”

One of the guards took the scroll and unrolled it. His mouth formed a tight line between his cheeks. The man’s eyes darted from top to bottom. After a moment, he rolled the scroll back up and then handed it back to Nori.

The guard said “Sorry for the inconvenience, sir. If you’ll please follow me, I’ll show you how to get to Madame Hao’s office.”

Nori collected his things and followed the guard inside. Something very small tugged at him internally, and so he indulged in his curiosity. Nori glanced back over his shoulder. A large crowd gazed in absolute astonishment. The fear they had once openly directed at him had been consumed by something even greater. As the doors to the university closed behind him, Nori beamed a mischievous smile at the crowd.

The exterior of the tower had been plain stone and plaster, but the inside possessed a kind of grandness that only the Imperial Palace surpassed. Sleek dark wooden floorboards spanned the hallways. Beautiful paintings clung to the walls. The air smelled of jasmine and lilacs. The foyer of the tower was a great open chamber that had a ceiling thirty feet above Nori’s head. A wide stone stairwell with railings wrapped around the interior of the wall and disappeared into the ceiling, presumably leading to the next floor. Two corridors split off from the foyer, and numerous doorways lined each of them.

The guard stopped at the base of the stairs. He pointed upward. “This staircase goes all the way to the top floor. Once you get there, one of the guards stationed there can take you to Madame Hao’s office. You’ll no doubt have to show your scroll to them as well.” A tinge of nervousness crested in his voice. “We don’t get many Onistans in this part of the empire. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever seen your kind here.”

“My people seldom leave Onista unless it’s due to Imperial decree.” Nori readjusted the bags on his shoulder. “Thank you for your help.”

The guard turned away and moved to the front door, so Nori began his ascent. The stairwell opened up to a smaller chamber where corridors connected to it. Everything was very quiet. Doors were closed. Nori climbed to the third floor.

This floor actually had bustling human activity. Some people stood in the smaller chamber while others moved down the corridors. Each of the people wore silk garments that varied from person to person. Many of the people had intricate visible tattoos on their bodies. Tidbits of words found their ways into Nori’s ears, but he didn’t quite understand what the people were talking about exactly.

One of the people noticed him and stopped their conversation. That led to more people turning their attention to him. Much like the docks and in the city, these people also stared at Nori wonderingly.

While some people appeared apprehensive or frightened of his presence, others gaped at him at with an unusual sparkle that Nori was not accustomed to. If these people were warriors, Nori would have assumed it was something akin to wanting to challenge him to physical combat. These people weren’t warriors though, they were mages.

A shiver scrambled down his back, and so Nori started to climb the stairs to the fourth floor. Shuffling feet echoed behind him. The mages, or perhaps mage students, filled the doorway connecting the third floor and their stairwell. Delicate whispers crackled on the edge of comprehension.

Nori quickened his pace.

The fourth floor had more people gathered around in discussion, although not nearly as many as the third floor. Nori didn’t stop to view them, nor did he want to be viewed. It was going to be hard enough to keep a low profile given his birth given features.

Nori reached the top of the stairs, and a pair of guards held out their hands toward him.

“Halt!” one of the guards asked. “Who are you? What business do you have here in the University?”

Nori produced the scroll again. “I’ve been summoned by Madame Hao. I have her letter as proof of my claim.”

The guards took the scroll and examined it. They peered back up at him.

“Please wait here while I announce you,” the guard said. “Your name is Daisko Nori, isn’t it?”

Nori nodded.

One guard remained behind with Nori while the other moved into the corridors. The guard didn’t say anything, but he drilled his attention into Nori’s face. Nori remained motionless and glanced back. This sort of inspection reminded him of his very recent time back in the capital.

After several minutes of utter noiselessness, the second guard returned.

The guard gave Nori a slight bow. “Master Daisko, will you please follow me?”

Nori nodded and followed the man in tow. A long green rug extended down the length of the corridor. Several small rooms with opened doors stood along the hallway. Within each of the rooms, older men or women in high quality silks sat at smaller desks. Most of them poured over opened scrolls and ignored Nori. One or two did notice him though. Their expressions sent bemused shivers throughout Nori’s spirit. Their reactions were far less despairing than that of common rabble. Eventually, the guard came to a large office.

An elegant woman sat behind a light brown oak desk. Her black hair had been wrapped in an elegant bun. She wore a sleeveless silk vest that had pinks and oranges melting together. Elaborate tattoos covered both of her arms, from shoulders to wrists. The woman’s blue eyes sparkled with a sense of meticulousness, and the organization of her desk reinforced this notion.

A small stack of scrolls sat on the surface of the desk. Aside from that, everything else on her desk was arranged perfectly. Madame Hao had a thin frame, and her expensive clothing accentuated her delicate form. A pair of empty chairs sat before her.

A pair of double doors opened to a balcony. The rooftops of Jadai stretched just beyond the balcony railings. A cool breeze blew into the room. Aside from the desk, the rest of the room had been quite austere.

Madame Hao glanced up, and flinched ever so slightly. She sat up a little straighter. “Are you Daisko Nori?”

“I am.”

Madame Hao gestured at the guard. “Leave us. Fetch Miss Flara for me.”

The guard bowed to Madame Hao and then quickly exited the room.

Madame Hao pointed to the chair, but said nothing. Nori set his belongings beside the chair and sat down. The tension from walking up the stairs eased away.

She interlaced her fingers and rested her hands on the surface of her desk. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I was not aware there were any Onistans in the Qu-Tar. Please don’t misunderstand my reaction. I’m accepting of all peoples, but…”

“You didn’t expect to see one such as I stroll through your office door?” Nori asked. A small grin crept upon his face.

Madame Hao studied him for a moment. “No, I didn’t expect that at all. You are a Qu-Tar, aren’t you?”

“I recently completed my training,” Nori said. “Just so I’m clear on the situation, are you and I the only ones aware of Miss Flara’s identity?”

“There are two others who apparently know,” Madame Hao replied. “They won’t be a problem. They’re Flara’s best friends, so I assume you’ll be meeting them very soon.”

Nori asked, “What can you tell me about Miss Flara? I’ve only seen her once, when I was first brought to Xian Ba for my training.”

“And how long ago was that?” Madame Hao asked.

“Five years ago,” Nori replied. “I was thirteen at the time. She left shortly after I arrived. Is she anything like her older sisters?”

Madame Hao shrugged. “I have no idea how they are. I’ve never met them. As for Flara, she’s very intelligent. She’s also extremely shy as well.”

Nori let out a small sigh. “When I was briefed on this assignment, I was told that she didn’t need protection until recently. You had been the one to bring it to her mother’s attention. What caused the change?”

Madame Hao rose from her chair and approached the balcony. She gestured for Nori to follow, so he did. She walked onto the balcony and leaned against the railing. The entirety of Jadai spread out below Nori. The brilliant azure sky hung overheard. Clouds drifted above the numerous people. The sounds of the city floated on the wind currents.

“I mentioned that Flara is shy, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t bold when she wants to be,” Madame Hao said. “As she and her friends have gotten older, they have been experimenting with their magics in more dangerous ways. During a recent experiment, Flara and her friends risked their lives in order to test a very…” she paused for a moment. “Interesting hypothesis.”

“What happened?” Nori asked.

Madame Hao peeked over at him. “Are you familiar with the term ‘kami’?”

Nori said, “You mean elemental spirits, right? They make up everything we interact with.”

“Yes,” Madame Hao replied. “Well, Flara posed the question to her professors about whether or not metal kami attracted lightening. They didn’t know, so Flara took it upon herself to conduct her own study.”

Nori resisted the urge to chuckle. The muscles in his face demanded that he allow them to curve up, but he forced them into submission. “That does sound interesting. So what happened next?”

“Flara and her friends waited until a great storm had appeared overhead,” Madame Hao said. “She summoned metal kami from large iron rods she had planted in the ground. When the metal kami appeared, lightning bolts came down from the sky and made them explode.”

Nori leaned forward a little. “Were they destroyed?”