The Wrath Of the Forgotten (5 page)

More students maneuvered up to his open lute case and threw coins in. When he finished his second song, Nori placed his lute down.

Nori said, “That’s all for now, but I’ll be back. Thank you for your patronage.”

A few grumbles murmured through the crowd, but for the most part, the students started to walk away. The blond haired woman stayed where she stood, but she crossed her arms over her chest. Nori collected the many coins that had accumulated in his case, and then he placed his instrument where it belonged. By the time he managed to close his lute case, the blond woman strolled up to him.

She said, “You play that thing pretty good. Not what I was expecting at all.”

Nori lowered his voice to a whisper. “That was a nice trick you pulled there.”

“I don’t play tricks,” she said. “I really wanted to hear you play more. What my friends do is their business. My name’s Pite Apisa. And you are?”

“Daisko Nori. So are you one of Miss Flara’s two best friends?”

Apisa placed her hands on her hips. “As sure as the day is long.”

Nori said, “Then do you know why I’m here?”

“Flara may have mentioned it. No offense, but you’re not needed here. You may have some fancy training, but Rayko and I are plenty capable of keeping an eye on her.”

Nori’s facial muscles tightened. “Her mother seems to think differently. Are you going to prevent me from doing my job?”

Apisa’s bottom lip pouted out a little. “Now don’t be all sour, Mr. Nori. No one’s going to stop you from doing what you’re supposed to. I just wanted to let you know you’re unneeded. We have magic, and you have a big club.”

Nori reached down and collected his things. “Will you please take me to where Miss Flara scampered off to?”

Apisa giggled. “Well at least your mother taught you manners. I’d love to take you to Flara. Follow me, big guy.”

Apisa walked out through the entrance, but then stopped and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Nori followed her. He trailed her steps, and they entered the throng of the crowd.

TOV DUCKED UNDER
the large woman’s war club. The savage gust that trailed that weapon made the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect. His muscles ached, and his lungs strained at trying to keep her from landing a death blow. This woman wasn’t like the other Onistans that Tov cut down. He slashed at her torso, but he only added to the collection of grooves he had already engraved on the front of her armor. The woman’s tetsubo whirled around for another strike, and Tov leaped back out of the way. This time, the wind made his eyes flutter.

She towered over him, though not as large as Gayjock or any of the other Oni. The armor she wore was made through master craftsmanship and perhaps enhanced with magic. The woman gripped her war club tightly and prepared to advance on him.

Tov grinned at her. “How does it feel to know your people are being slaughtered as we speak? Your mongrel children are being rounded up. They will be eaten by the Oni.”

The woman roared and leaped at him. Tov rolled under her blow and stood back up on the side of the room.

“It’s what your filthy people deserve,” Tov said.

The woman turned around and pointed her tetsubo at him. “I don’t know what you are exactly, you vile yokai, but you’ll die soon enough. Before I leave this world, I’ll crush your skull beneath my sandal.”

“I’m no yokai, but it doesn’t matter.” Tov waved his energy sword in front of him. “Your people are finished! Even if I were to die at your hand, no one in this forsaken world can stop what’s going to come. A reckoning is upon us.”

The woman stepped forward. “Though Onista falls, the Empire will endure! We’ve slain much of your pathetic Oni army. They will never overtake the lowlanders.”

Tov barked a laugh. “You think your pathetic empire only has Oni to worry about? If it were only that, then you’d be right. Onista falls today, and tomorrow, the rest of humanity. My masters will return.”

The woman asked, “And who are your masters?”

The unmistakable outline of an Oni appeared just outside the window. Tov’s throat tightened up.

He pointed his sword at her and yelled out. “My masters are the rightful rulers of this land! They are the gods and goddesses who your people betrayed a thousand years ago! Take heart that you won’t be alive to witness their vengeance.”

A brief moment of unease covered the woman’s face. The wall crumbled behind her. Large Oni hands reached into the room. The woman tried to smack the hands, but Tov drove his sword into her rib cage between the strings that held the back and front of her armor together. In a fleeting moment of strength, the woman backhanded Tov. He fell to the floor, but he watched as the Oni picked up the woman.

One Oni grabbed her right leg and right arm while a second grabbed her left side. The woman stared into the sky and screamed out, “NORI!!!”

Tov winced as the woman came apart in massive clumps. With the leader of the city militia dead, Onista would soon fall. His energy sword dissipated into nothingness, and his wings appeared. Tov flew high into the air and gazed over the broken visage of the city.

People screamed. Oni feasted. Blood covered much of the streets. Tov closed his eyes. Images of his daughter appeared before him.

THE CROWD SPLIT
open as Apisa and Nori walked down the street. Apisa ignored the people in the crowd, much in the same way that they forget she even existed. The hum of life came to a screeching halt as Nori moved through the throngs of people, and yet Apisa didn’t seem to notice or care. Nori increased his speed and walked right beside her.

At first, he just glanced at her from the corner of his eye. However, the longer he walked, the more he stared to study her face. Her skin had a darker complexion to it, perhaps earned through hard labor in the sun.

Apisa tilted her head up at him. “Something you want to say, big guy? I’m not a tiger. I won’t bite or scratch you.” A small grin appeared on her face.

“So… Miss Flara already mentioned me to you and your other friend?” Nori asked.

“Sort of.” Apisa shrugged. “The “other” friend is named Rayko, by the way. Flara said that some big monster-looking guy had to follow her from now on. She’s not too happy about it. I don’t really like that you’re making my friend sad.”

Nori said, “I’m not trying to make anyone sad. I’m just trying to do my duty.”

Apisa shrugged. “That’s mighty fine and all, but that still doesn’t change the fact that you’re not needed or wanted. No offense.”

Nori sighed. “I’m used to it. I’m here though, so let’s make the best out of it.”

“I’m not the one you’re going to have a problem with. I’m not talking about Flara either,” Apisa said.

Nori turned his attention to the sky above them. The bright sun peeked through the clouds and blinded him for a moment. A soft warm breeze soared down the street. It kissed his skin.

Apisa asked, “Nice day, isn’t it?”

“So we’re doing small talk, are we?” Nori arched an eyebrow at her. “I thought you didn’t like me.”

An amused expression covered her face. “I never said I didn’t like you. I said you were unneeded. Just because you’re like a thorn in our sides doesn’t mean I can’t be nice to you. I like making those around me feel welcome.”

Nori scoffed. “Yes, you’ve made me feel quite welcome.”

“Well good.” Apisa took in a deep breath and grinned even wider. “I love beautiful days like this. It’s almost harvest time where I’m from. Right about now, my family will be preparing to pull up a whole heap of rice.”

“So you’re a farmer?” Nori asked. “That would explain the body.”

Suddenly, the warmth in her demeanor melted away. “And what the Hell is that supposed to mean? Were you ogling at me?” She stopped in place and glared at him.

Several of the other citizens around Nori winced and moved faster away from him.

The center of Nori’s chest vibrated with an electric tingle. “I wasn’t ogling you. I just noticed …”

“You noticed what?” Apisa asked.

He studied her for a moment. Her feet had been placed under her shoulders. Apisa’s fists had formed tight fists. A distinct rage had formed in the green of her eyes.

“I noticed that …you’re quite strong.” Nori clenched his stomach. “You remind me of the women back where I’m from. They were all powerful and hearty.”

Apisa tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “You’re saying look I’m powerful and hearty?”

“Yeah.”

Apisa’s stiff body relaxed a little. “Oh, why thank you.” She started walking again, but stopped after about ten feet. “Are you coming or what?”

Nori caught up with her again. Any sign of her previous discontent had vanished. She didn’t say anything, but strolled forward through the crowds. The people around them were thankfully becoming less and less surprised by Nori’s presence. They still made way for both he and Apisa, which made things a little easier.

Nori said “So I was told that Flara can summon kami. You’re a mage student too, right?”

A smirk formed between Apisa’s cheeks. “I sure am. That’s what this little beauty represents.” She pointed to the elaborate pink-inked tattoo on her thigh.

Several small pieces of fruit hung from the trees branches. The actual tree and the fruit themselves were composed of tiny individualized runes that made the outline of the shapes.

Nori asked, “So are you good at growing plants or something?”

Apisa glanced over at him. “Plants? Why no, silly. I’m sure it may look like that to someone not studying magic. My specialty is self-augmentation. It’s a mouthful, but it means I can change my body in different ways.”

Nori frowned. “Change your body? How so?”

A twinkle glimmered in her eyes. “I’ll give you an example. If I wanted to, I could become stronger than you are.”

Nori chuckled. “You don’t know anything about me, or my people. If you did, you would know it’s foolish to challenge an Onistan to a feat of strength.”

Once more, Apisa stopped. “Is that so? Well, I’ll take your challenge, Mr. ‘I don’t know anything about magic’. When we get to Flara, you and I are going to have a little competition.”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Nori asked.

“It’s not far,” Apisa replied. “Just a couple more blocks away, I reckon. I should warn you, Rayko will probably be really mean to you.”

Nori shrugged. “I’m used to it. Everyone’s mean to Onistans.”

“People from Buka aren’t.” Apisa pressed her thumb into the center of her chest. “We don’t care who people are. So long as they’re hard workers, we like them. Then again, I’ve never actually seen a real life Onistan before. Why do people hate your people so much?”

“Very few Onistans actually leave home and go out into the world,” Nori said. “Those who willingly leave typically pursue lives of banditry and villainy. I’ve come to find out that there have been several infamous Onistans that have perpetuated the Onistan stereotype.”

“I don’t know anything about the stereotypes of your people.” Apisa grabbed her arms behind her back and glanced up at him. “What are they?”

Nori peered down at her. Apisa was no bigger than an Onistan child. “Most of you lowlanders think we’re big, stupid, and probably not even human.”

“You look plenty human to me, just big,” Apisa said. “So if most of your people don’t leave Onista, why did you?”

Nori narrowed his eyes. His jaw tightened. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“And what’s that mean?” Apisa asked.

Nori increased his pace. “Let’s get to this place already. I’m tired of talking about this.”

Apisa led him past the great horse fountain Nori passed earlier. They moved across the plaza toward the right street. Children still ran about and played imaginative games while their parents conversed at smaller tables. A few of the children stopped their games and gaped at Nori.

“Wow!” One little boy said. “He’s so big. I hope I’m that big when I grow up.”

“He looks like a giant,” a little girl said. “I wonder if he likes to play games.”

One of the taller girls ran up to him. “Hey you! Do you want to come play with us? We can pretend you’re a giant. You have to come get us, okay?”