The Wrath Of the Forgotten (9 page)

Flara opened her eyes and turned her attention to the kami. “C-can you please break the chains so we can free this man? He’s innocent and we n-need to get him back home to his wife.”

The metal kami nodded and floated back into the chains. Within seconds, the manacles opened up, and the man fell into Rayko’s arms. She eased him to the floor and started examining him closely.

The ceiling creaked overhead.

Nori held up his tetsubo. “We’ve got company. From the sounds of it, a lot of company.”

Thunderous feet echoed from the hallway. Flara crouched by the man while Rayko and Apisa stood over the pair of them. The room had two entrances, one leading to the main hallway, and the other leading to the side corridor that Rayko and Nori had come down. Nori placed himself in front of the doorway leading to the main corridor.

Over a dozen armed men and women moved into the room, but they stopped once they saw Nori. On the other side of the room, eight more thugs came in through the side entrance.

An overweight, middle aged man pushed his way to the front of the crowd and gave Nori a critical review. He wore a vibrant red long sleeved jacket with a pair of black slacks. A blade with a gaudy hilt hung at the man’s side. He also had a bushy mustache that clung to the underside of a nose too small for the man’s face.

He snarled at Nori. “What in the Hell is going on here? Who the hell do you think you are to attack my home and kill my people?”

Rayko pointed at the chubby man. “You sir are a villain. What gives you the right to abduct people from their homes and torture them? You sicken me!”

The large man waved her off. “Shut the hell up, you obnoxious cow. This man’s wife caused my son to die, so I’m going to make her pay in kind.”

Apisa said, “Doctor Caosisti helps and heals people. She would never be the cause for someone to die. You’re a liar!”

“Am I?” The chubby man asked. “I came to her for medicine to help cure my son of Tyfyag Plague. The medicine she gave me didn’t work, and my son died.”

“Tyfyag Plague?” Rayko asked. “Don’t you know anything, you moronic glutton? Tyfyag Plague has a significant mortality rate. Once it hits your system, there’s little a doctor to do.”

“I don’t like your mouth, you dolled up little who…” the large man started.

Nori leaped forward and swung at the man’s face. The fat man froze, but the tetsubo sailed just over the top of the man’s skull. A savage wind trailed the war club. The fat man panted heavily. He stared at Nori with wide eyes, and his guards clustered around him.

“Enough of this!” Nori said. “We’re leaving with this man alive. Either move aside or make peace with your lives.”

The large man squeaked loudly. “K-kill them!”

Before the guards could move forward, Nori swung his tetsubo back around in a wide arc. The men and women stayed on the outside of Nori’s range, and none dared to move inward. Nori leaped at them as he roared out loudly. His war club slammed down on a woman’s shoulder. She buckled under the pressure and collapsed to the ground.

Other thugs slashed or stabbed at him, but Nori knocked their weapons away with his own. They tried over and over again, but they met with the same result. Nori countered when he could, and more often than not, those he struck failed to get up again.

When one person fell to the ground, another one lunged in to take his or her place. They all had the same looks in their eyes though: panic, unease, and uncertainty. Every consecutive fighter possessed a little less courage than the thug who preceded them.

Nori’s muscles pumped wildly, and his heart raced. He whirled to the sides as metal moved past him. When the last person fell to the ground under Nori’s massive strength, he turned around to view the three girls.

One of the guards kept swinging at Rayko’s illusion while a second guard had his sword blade pressed against Apisa’s forearm. The scales on her skin stopped the blade from doing any damage. A confident smirk lay plastered on Apisa’s face. Her tattoo flashed, and her muscles quivered ever so slightly for just a second. She pushed the man forward, and the man toppled backwards. He fell upon his back, and before he could get back up, Apisa grabbed the man’s head with her clawed hands. With a quick twist of her body, the man’s head came off his shoulders.

A great stillness fell over the room. Bodies laid everywhere around them, and most of the corpses were scattered around where Nori fought. Flara sat beside the unconscious man and watched both doors.

Flara said, “I th-think the b-boss got away.”

Apisa walked over to Nori. “Well, I’ll be. I can’t believe you took out so many of his henchmen. I was wrong about you. There’s no way we could have done this without you.”

Rayko sighed softly. “I’m going to have to agree. It seems there are advantages to having a barbarian following us around. Fancy that.”

Nori gestured his tetsubo toward Apisa. “Thank you for your kind words. If you carry this, I’ll carry him.”

Apisa took it in her hands and almost dropped it. “Wow, it’s heavier than I was expecting. I can manage it though.”

Nori bent down and gently lifted the man into his arms. Flara placed her hands under the man’s body until Nori had properly secured him in his grasp.

“Be easy with him, Mr. Nori,” Flara said. “He’s p-pretty banged up.”

Nori nodded solemnly. “I promise I’ll be as gentle as I can be. Lead the way and I’ll follow.”

Apisa gripped the tetsubo and ran ahead of the others. Nori came up last, but Flara moved right beside him. She never took her eyes away from the battered man.

THE SUN FELL
toward the horizon and cast a brilliant shower of oranges and yellows over the land. The streets had become less crowded, but people still walked to and fro. More than a few of the citizens stopped and watched as Nori and his friends made their way down the street. When they finally arrived at Doctor Caosisti’s shop, she ran out to greet them.

Tears fell from her cheeks as she gently touched her husband’s face. Nori couldn’t help but smile down at her.

“Thank you all,” Doctor Caosisti said. “No doubt my husband would be dead had it not been for you.” She took turns gazing at all of the girls, and then finally settled her attention on Nori. “All of you.”

Flara touched the woman’s arm. “I’m sorry to say the boss of the gang escaped us. Living in Jadai probably won’t be safe anymore. You might want to leave tonight.”

Doctor Caosisti caressed her husband’s face again. “I don’t know where we’re going to go. I know it’s necessary for us to start over, but …”

Rayko smiled at her. “You should go to Tolfalgas and seek out Dr. Radanashi. My mother is a practicing physician in Tolfalgas, and my father makes high quality medicine. They will help you get back on your feet.”

“Truly?” Doctor Caosisti asked. “That would be wonderful.”

Sweet warmth wavered in Nori’s throat. “You still have my lute case, right? I have the coins I’ve made from being a street musician. It’s not much, but you can use it to pay for a hotel room tonight and part of your ships passage.”

More tears fell down Doctor Caosisti’s cheeks. “Your collective generosity knows no bounds. Thank you.”

Nori stepped closer to her shop. “Collect some things to travel with, and then I’ll carry him to an inn for you.”

Within the hour, Nori, Apisa, Rayko, and Flara left Doctor Caosisti and her still unconscious husband at the
Under Dock Inn
. As they walked under the starry sky, Nori noticed the girls gave him sideways glances.

“What are you all gaping at?” Nori asked. “Do I have a wound on my face or something?”

Flara averted her eyes. “N-no, it’s nothing like t-that. I think we’re all just… surprised.”

“Why?” Nori asked. “I don’t recall doing anything unexpected.”

Rayko said, “You’re not like other vile Onistans. It’s both confusing and refreshing all at once.”

“Rayko!” Apisa said. “Can’t you stop being racist for once? We just survived something tough together.”

Rayko glared at her. “I was trying to be polite. I gave him a compliment after all.”

Nori winced, but waved them off. “It’s fine. I’m used to people thinking like that. It doesn’t bother me much anymore. I’m sorry that I’m making you all feel uncomfortable. It’s not my intention; I’m just trying to do my duty.”

Flara walked up beside him. This time, she stared into his eyes. Her irises still waivered quite a bit, but she maintained her focus. “Y-you’re not the one making me uncomfortable. It’s the situation I dislike. I hate b-being who I am. I never wanted a life like that. Not only that, but…” Her volume shrank to a barely audible mumble. “I don’t like talking with people I don’t really know.”

“You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to,” Nori said. “Qu-Tar are trained to be silent protectors.”

Apisa frowned. “What’s a chew tar? Is that some kind of fancy word for bodyguard?”

Flara stopped and surveyed the area around them, and Nori did the same. No one was within ear shot, and the people they did see moved with increased pace.

Flara’s usually meek voice came out in an even softer whisper. “The Qu-Tar are the elite royal guards for the Empress and her immediate family. They protect the palace in Xian Ba. I seem to remember that only a hundred of them are in existence at any one time.”

Rayko titled her head up at Nori and gently caressed her chin with a pair of fingers. “So this …rather large brute is an elite, then? I suppose that does warrant some greater degree of respect. After all, I doubt the Imperial Throne would knowingly employ an individual of dastardly morals. If Flara is any indicator of how her mother is, then perhaps I’ve been too harsh on you.”

“Perhaps?” Apisa asked. “Let’s not sugar-coat it here. You were being down right awful to him.”

Rayko rolled her eyes. “I apologize for my potentially dreadful behavior. Though I still detest your people, I’ll find restraint in my interactions with you.”

Nori narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing.

“Sorry, big guy.” Apisa pat him on the back. “That’s probably the best apology you’re going to get from her at this point.”

“Like I said, I’m used to this kind of thing,” Nori replied.

“Um, Mr. Nori…” Flara averted her eyes again. “Th-thank you for helping our friend tonight. It really means a lot.”

Nori took a deep breath and gazed at her. “You’re welcome. So where are we going next?”

“I think I w-want to go to bed,” Flara said. “I’ll see you two in the m-morning. Goodnight.”

Flara walked down the street, and Nori silently walked beside her. Apisa and Rayko didn’t join them in the stroll, and neither he nor Flara said anything to one another. When they got to their adjacent rooms, Flara finally glanced over at him.

“G-good night, Mr. Nori,” She said. “Again, th-thank you for helping us today.”

Nori smiled softly. “Help you? You’re the ones who followed me, remember?”

She blinked at him several times before she went into her dorm room. Nori went into his room as well. The sweetness of the bed called out to him, and he was more than happy to be consumed by its siren song.

“SHHH! YOU’RE GOING
to wake him up.”

“That’s the point, darling. We’re trying to stir him. Honestly.”

“Both of you, please quiet down. We’re going to wait here until he wakes up on his own.”

Nori slowly opened his eyes. He let out a great yawn as he pushed himself up and gazed around. Three figures came into view, and they lorded over him with wide, observant expressions. His muscles tensed and his fists bawled. Nori scooted back so that his back touched the wall.

Apisa, Rayko, and Flara stood over him.

Nori opened his eyes a little wider in hopes of dispelling the sleepiness. “Whoa… what’s going on? Are you all in trouble?”

“Not exactly,” Apisa said. “Flara has something she wants to discuss with you.”

“M-me?” Flara whirled on Apisa. “I th-thought we were all g-going to tell him.”

Rayko leaned up against the wall and chuckled. “You’re the one who’s been having the dream, darling. You’re also his employer. It should be you to bring this to his attention.”