The Wrath Of the Forgotten (34 page)

THE PULSATING OF
his gem armband became so intense, Tov nearly considered ducking into an alley way. From beneath his cloak, yellow flashing light continuously flashed over and over. A few of the citizens walking around him gave Tov curious glances. In response, he moved through the crowd at a more rapid pace. The lore was close.

Tov stopped at the edge of the buildings where a wide open space separated the city of Cao Xi and the harbor itself. Many people filtered into and out of the area, and Tov winced. It would be quite difficult to see the people who carried the lore, much less follow them. Tov moved back up the street, and then ducked into one of the narrow alleys between the buildings. He rounded another corner at one of the cross intersections, and then he crouched low to the ground.

No one followed him into the alley, and no one looked his way either. Tov’s wings extended from his back, and he hopped into the air. He kept his body close to the building, and landed on top of it. Tov immediately crouched and made his wings retract. From that height, the crowd of people no longer barred his vision.

In the distance, a familiar looking vessel moved through the harbor, drifting toward the docks. Tov’s heart thumped wildly in his chest. The ship appeared to be heading for an open spot on the far side of the city. He just had to get a closer look.

Tov hopped from roof top to roof top, not carrying if anyone saw him. Although it would have been easier to fly to the ship, Tov didn’t want to attract that kind of attention. He didn’t care if people thought he was a common human thief though.

It took a considerable amount of time to get to a good vantage point. The crew from the ship had just finished tying their ropes to the dock when Tov settled down on top of the building. He kept his breathing low and his body pressed to the roof. His armband vibrated against his skin, urging him to do something, anything…

A woman with a brown braid stepped down the gang plank. She has been one of the people who fended him off the last time. Other sailors scuttled about, doing whatever sailors did. Three women moved onto the deck from a downward leading staircase. If Tov’s memory served him well, the blond woman had the ability to change herself. A new man dressed in elegant clothing walked beside the tallest of the women.

Tov grit his teeth tightly. How did these people find a replacement for their Onistan bodyguard so quickly? Only one city sat between where he left them and Cao Xi, but he thought most of the humans avoided that place. His eyes opened wide for a second, and his stomach froze over.

The Onistan walked behind the three women with his large tetsubo on his shoulder. Tov squinted his eyes, but sure enough, it was the same ogre as before. A chuckle bubbled up from his throat. While he didn’t want to believe his eyes, Tov knew all too well the fortitude of the mountain people. The female captain led the group into the crowd, away from the ship. As they passed underneath him, the intensity of the armband strengthened. One of them carried the lore with them.

With the human Festival of the Dead in full swing, it would be impossible for Tov to get close to the lore without being stopped by one of the many adversaries. Revealing his true nature would also be most unwise, especially considering that his masters wanted this collection of human trash to be caught unaware.

An idea began to brew. He would have to wait until nightfall when the festival’s main ritual would begin. Yes, that would work out nicely.

NORI WALKED IN
a long line of people, with Rayko in front of him and Apisa behind. He carried a small lantern glued to the top of a small wooden raft. The lamp had been lit at the main temple. It burned with a solemn aura. All of the other lights in the city had been ordered to be darkened. Shadows flickered on the walls. Nori kept watching them. An eerie tingling had started in the back of his skull, and it slowly spread to the front.

His senses sharpened, and everything became that much more alarming. If anyone else felt this way, Nori couldn’t identify them.

Nori leaned forward and whispered in Rayko’s ear. “So are you honoring your sister Senna then?”

Rayko briefly nodded and turned her head so that her right eye could view him. Her voice came back as whisper as well. “I honor her every year. I’m quite certain my parents do as well. She would have enjoyed being able to participate in the March of Souls. Senna always loved festivals.”

“Then she is quite lucky she gets at least three wishes,” Nori said. “I wish my burden to carry was as easy as yours. No offense.”

Rayko gave him a small smile. “None taken. You are correct, after all. I only carry the memory and soul of one person. You are bearing the brunt of an entire people. Can a single wish be spread so thin I wonder?”

“Maybe. Perhaps the heavens are feeling generous tonight.” Nori peered into the center of his lantern’s flames.

Rayko turned back around and lowered her head slightly.

Nori looked behind him, much in the same way that Rayko regarded him moments before. “Are you carrying the lantern for your parents?”

Apisa shook her head. “No, just my papa. I made an agreement with my older brother long ago. He always carries his lantern for our mama, and I carry for my papa. My little sister is too young to do the March of the Souls. When we celebrate the March of Souls in Buka, she walks beside him.”

Nori turned back around. Aside from him asking very soft spoken questions, no one else made any noise. They simply walked in a line, moving toward the river.

His stomach tingled wildly as he contemplated over what the final moments of Onista must have looked like. Fear must have been so thick in the streets. People probably screamed and tried to make it to safety. Were there any Onistans who got away? Surely he couldn’t be the only one left. His father would have been prepared in case of a massive attack.

Nori winced slightly as he considered his eccentric father. Being one of the only Oni fanatics in the city, he would have been consulted by his mother and the other leaders of the community. Even if it was a surprise attack, his mother would have sought the expert advice from his father.

The weight of the lantern seemed to get heavier. His muscles shook slightly as he maintained its height in front of its chest. Just to be sure, Nori tightened his grip on the handle, lest it be ripped from him by some unseen adversary.

His mother’s voice echoed in his head.

Nori had seen the dream a dozen times, and felt the vibrations from her death throes. She must have suffered so intensely. For all of Nori’s life, he had never seen his mother show sign of weakness. Despite the nature of the scream, he knew she died as she lived. Luxi, Vihori, and Flara walked in front of Rayko. They each carried lanterns too.

It didn’t take much imagination to conjure up who Luxi walked for. Did Vihori also honor their father in the same manner as Luxi did? And who did Flara carry her lantern for? Although Nori had a pretty good guess, he would never know for sure.

Even asking Rayko and Apisa who they thought of was considered rude among strangers, and slightly inappropriate among friends.

The procession finally came to the harbor. A thousand lanterns drifted down the river, creating an army of firefly-like lights. As soon as citizens sent their wishes along with the lanterns, they moved back toward their homes down some of the other streets not being used by the main procession.

Flara placed her lantern in the river, and then clasped her hands together in front of her. Many of the other people did the same. After a few long seconds of silence, she moved away, but stood off to the side.

Nori gently rested his lantern on the surface of the river. The coolness brought on by the water made him shiver slightly. He kept hold of the lantern’s handle for a moment before he let go of it. The river current pulled the lantern away. Nori watched it float along.

He closed his eyes and clasped his hands to his chest.

Dear Saito in Heaven. Please pray for the souls of the Onistans. Please grant them a collective wish so that they might find peace in death. May their triumphant lives not have been meaningless.

Nori opened his eyes. His lantern intermixed with a legion of others, and more lanterns had followed behind it. Though he couldn’t tell which was his anymore, it didn’t really matter. He stepped away from the river, and stood beside Rayko and Flara.

Luxi and Vihori stood off by themselves, and they spoke softly to one another.

Flara continued to watch the lanterns with wet wide eyes. Rayko kept her gaze down to the ground before her. Her brow was creased, and she kept her arms beside her.

Nori stepped forward and gave Rayko a tight hug. Before she knew what was going on, Nori had engulfed her in his grasp. A second later, she hugged back. Flara anticipated she was next, and stepped into Nori’s waiting arms.

“C-can I get one too?” Apisa asked behind them.

Nori grinned at her and opened his arms wide. Her leg tattoo glowed for a second, and she moved in to embrace him. She actually squeezed harder than he did, and she even picked him up a little. A warm ocean of tickles blossomed in him, and he reveled in how nice it was to be this close with her. She rested her head on his chest. He glanced down at her.

“We didn’t get that long of a hug,” Rayko said. “Not that I mind. I’m simply stating a fact.”

Flara held up a hand to her mouth, yet she couldn’t conceal the upward curvature of her lips. “You two are cute together.”

Apisa stepped away from Nori. “Y-you all are crazy. You know that?”

Luxi walked up to the group, her gaze lingered on Nori the longest. “Because of the March of Souls, we have to wait until morning until we can leave. I’ve arranged for us to all have rooms at an inn. Don’t worry about the charge, Vihori and I got it covered.”

“That’s really nice of you,” Flara said. She fumbled with her fingers. “We should probably move along and let the others have their time with their loves ones in peace.”

Nori followed closely behind the group, but he regarded the illuminated river one last time. Somewhere in that crowd of lanterns, his prayers for his people drifted along.

TOV SETTLED HIMSELF
among the large crates and food stuffs. It had been difficult, but no one stopped him from sneaking aboard the ship. Most of the sailors had presumably participated in the March of Souls. Soon, no human would be alive to honor the sheer amount of dead that would follow in the wake of the Masters’ return. The sailors who stood guard on the ship had given him few opportunities to sneak aboard. Thank the light and everything that was holy they gave him some chances.

His armband pulsated slightly, but not as intensely as it had before. The lore was somewhere in the city. Unless this was their final destination, the people who carried his prize would return. Why would they stop here though?

Tov cleared his mind, and grabbed some of the fruit stored in one of the storage units. The sweet taste of an apple filled his mouth, and he helped himself to three more of them. These foolish humans wouldn’t expect him this time. Rather than attack from without, he would destroy them from within. All he had to do was wait.

Tov imagined Urae. A deep longing tugged at his heart, and he wanted nothing more than to be gliding home at that very moment. Would he ever get the chance to live in peace like the humans? Or would the remainder of his existence be devoted to war and death? It couldn’t be helped though. The humans had brought this on themselves. Had they accepted nature as the way it was, then they could have enjoyed the sweetness of harmony.

It didn’t matter. Tov could no more choose the course of his life than he could alter the course of the river. Rather than fight against destiny, his mother had taught him to embrace it and make his life meaningful.

Did he accomplish that? Would his sacrifices improve the lives of his fellow Yaoguai? What about the Yaoguai who would be born after he died? Would their lives be peaceful, or would they be wrought with impending death?

Tov kept forming a fist, and then relaxing it. His people had waited a thousand years for justice, and their justice would come before another year passed. Tov twitched. A large part of him didn’t want to wait. He wanted it done, one way or the other. The Masters had promised Tov that everything would return to as it was meant to be.