One Hundred And Seventy-Three

One Hundred And Seventy-Three

After we had fun planning out our expansion, which took longer than it should have, I decided to seek out Ulfuric. Even though time ran faster here, I didn’t have too much to waste today, being as Kana-chan was having her friends over later. And I have an important meeting.

I found Ulfuric at the centre of the shrine, as he was in charge of the defence and directing the ether scavenging teams while I and Shaeula were absent. Grulgor had complained bitterly about that, thinking he should be in charge, as he had been with us far longer, but... yeah, who in their right mind would put him in command? When it comes to battle, sure, he’s a beast, but in terms of leadership... no way.

As I approached, I also saw Haru-san, hovering in the shadows of the shrine, still looking disconsolate and downhearted. On seeing me looking at her, she turned away, chewing on her lip nervously. Still, while I understood her fear of men, she had asked me a difficult favour, as had colleagues of her father, so... might as well bite the bullet and get it over with. There was something I wanted to talk to her about as well, so now is as good a time as any.

“Haru-san, do you mind if we talk?” I asked and she froze, looking around uncertainly, before she finally nodded.

“All right.” she muttered.

“You may as well rest easy-easy.” Shaeula sighed. “Akio will not-not harm you. In fact, he may be able to help you take back much of what you have lost.”

At that Haru-san shook her head. “It’s too late. I’m dead. Stuck in this strange afterlife, all alone. I miss... I just want to go home. I want to see daddy again...” spectral, silvery tears poured down her transparent face, shimmering into mist before hitting the floor.

“I wanted to talk about that.” I said, gesturing to the inside of the shrine. She looked fearful at the thought of being alone with us, but this was best discussed in private, so after some gentle cajoling, she finally drifted into the main shrine building. Once inside I offered her a seat, and she sank into it, quite a strange sight as I could see the marble below through her transparent flesh and clothing.

“Haru-san... about your request to tell your father you still exist...” I began, and at my words she bowed her head, sullen.

“I know, you’ve said you can’t do it. I don’t blame you... it’s... impossible, I get it...” more tears, which moved my heart as I had shared her gruesome end under her empathic light. “It’s.. just... he must be suffering so... I’m all he had...”

“Yes, you weren’t alone in telling me that.” I agreed. “I met the Prime Minister, and we ended up discussing it.” Not that it went well at all... remembering how angry he got when I made mention of resources I forced myself not to grimace. “Now, unbelievable as it is, they know about things that should be impossible, including that you died, but still persist.”

At my words, she looked up, shocked. Seeing that, I revealed a further surprise. “You know Kiku, the one who turned you into this, she was able to walk the Earth, right? Shaeula can too. So... I don’t think it is impossible for you to be able to as well. It wouldn’t be living exactly, but... you could spend time with your father, take up your job again if you wanted, live a reasonably normal life...”

“I could do that?” Haru-san asked, hope warring with fear and wariness. “But... what would... why...” she stammered, unable to articulate her thoughts. Beside me, Shaeula clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Akio is nothing like the fiend who tormented you.” She scowled. “Though to use a precious limited gift like a blessing from a Throne of Heroes... you will-will of course have to compensate him. And do not-not think what you are considering...” she continued, further annoyed at Haru-san’s plain distrust of my motives. “...my Akio does not-not seek the company of unwilling females. He has many worthy ones eager to offer themselves, myself included.”

Haru-san flinched at her strong tone, but managed to nod. “So, what... what do you want? If I could go home, I‘d be so happy...”

“First I have to clarify it wouldn’t be immediately. It takes time to gather ether and build Thrones. And to be honest, I have other candidates who could help me a lot more if they were chosen. But...” You have one thing going that they don’t have. “Tell me, when you gained your power, what happened, and what were you told?” Just based on her light, she must be a Candidate too. No wonder Kiku made sure to bring her back.

“I... I don’t like to remember. I thought I was going mad.” She sighed, a long, bitter sound. “But I wasn’t, unless this is all a dream, and I’m sedated in some asylum somewhere. If that’s the case... I’d like my dream to take me back to daddy and the life I once knew. Though at least here... I can’t hear so many voices. Yours, hers. I don’t hear them. Sometimes when I go out, the voices of those animal people, I hear them, but... only a few.”

I exchanged a knowing look with Shaeula, and her eyes blazed amber, peering at Haru-san. “Indeed, as I suspected. You have a great-great talent. Though it looks to me as if it was not-not earned fairly, but forced upon you. Your chakra network is decently strong, but strangely deformed.” Clicking her tongue once more she continued to examine it. “Your third eye chakra is constantly drawing in aether from those-those weaker than you. I suspect that the voices you hear are pulled along with the aether, for aether is of the mind-mind. You simply do not-not have the strength to draw from our much more powerful networks, thus-thus you hear nothing.”

Damn, and I wanted to be a badass, swinging a massive hunk of metal like Guts from Berserk. But, I get the feeling he is right. Slashing around with heavy swords in training wasn’t a problem in terms of strength, but while I was tall for a Japanese man, I wasn’t massive, and the momentum of the heavy blade kept throwing me off balance, forcing me to compensate constantly.

Seeing I understood, Ulfuric nodded gravely. “Still, there are times spears are useless, in close quarters or limited space. So swords are still necessary. You have good speed, strength and awareness so shorter blades suit you. I believe something along the lines of these...” he produced a pair of curved swords, similar to a katana, but with heavier, thicker blades. “Normally wielding two swords at once is undesirable, as it reduces power and divides one’s attention. However, I believe you have the ability to learn this.”

Duel wielding huh? I guess that’s as badass as a single heavier sword. It’d be harder to learn, but if I could become fully ambidextrous, that would help in lots of ways...

Continuing on, as Shaeula snickered behind me, Ulfuric gave his final verdict. “Close combat, like for the princess, is another must, as well as short blades such as daggers. A skill with archery is also desirable, but considering the weapons of the mortal world you brought, I suspect you may wish to learn those instead, making the bow obsolete. I shall speak to Bjarki and he shall forge you some suitable weapons for training and combat.”

The bow obsolete, huh? Aiko would cry hearing that, and Tsumura-san too, most likely. She seemed very passionate about her family skills. But, huh, weapons for me? I’m curious to see what a professional can come up with...

“Oh well. Thank you again for your instruction.” I bowed to Ulfuric, and Shaeula echoed my thanks. He waved away my praise, and I advised him of the remaining time before our Territory would become secure again, as well as suggesting we take this time to bring in as much ether as possible so that we could hit the ground running. Ulfuric agreed to make the preparations, while, since time was wasting, I headed for my last port of call.

Behind the shrine where earth energies were plentiful, I once more tried to master the earth element. It was easier than before, the increased affinity to earth I had gained through healing the dust element damage to the trolls making a noticeable difference, but it was still impossible for me to balance the push and pull of earth.

When I learned fire, all I had to worry about was flame consuming wind, which was tough enough. Now, the earth is opposite to air, while it tries to drink in the fire... at the same time, adding a third element into the mix reignites the war between flame and wind, even if that is merely a shadow of the former clash.

My chakra network burned with effort, and once more I was forced to admit defeat, Ether Healing restoring the damage I caused to my subtle body. As I stood, Shaeula handed me a cloth to wipe my sweat.

“You are getting closer.” She observed, having watched as usual, trying to prepare for the inevitable effort she would make to learn it, though when she approached earth energies she shuddered uncomfortably, her original origins as a Fae of wind perhaps making her fear earth more than she should. “You have nearly balanced earth and wind-wind, a task I would have deemed impossible. But the flame still throws off the alignment.”

“Yeah, and it hurts like hell when it burns through my network.” I admitted. “Still, I am going to get it sooner or later. Oh well, onto the last task.”

The Rhyming Tree in the graveyard was still producing darkness energy, and I attempted to master that once more. Unlike earth element, darkness clashed with nothing, yet even so, I felt very far away from mastery. I still didn’t understand what darkness was, what it represented. “Seriously, Eri has a talent for this? I wish she’d tell me how...” I muttered, and Shaeula snorted.

“It is talent, so I doubt she would even know how. You should ask-ask the Unseelie. She has an aptitude.”

“Yeah, but her mind seems to work in a strange way, I doubt I’d understand it. Oh well, no luck again today. I think I’ve hit a wall on this, and we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Indeed.” Shaeula nodded. Turning to Haru-san, who had started following her around, she reassured her. “Worry not-not. I shall return and continue my efforts. Trust in Akio and agree to be useful to him, and he shall wash away your pain.”

Uh, sure, I can help her, but... I’m not a kami or a god, Shaeula. I can’t erase the past.

“The past is cruel. But the future... it can-can still be magnificent.” Shaeula promised her, and I stopped what I was about to say, applauding the sentiment. I do want to help her and her father find peace. So if she agrees to help me...

With those thoughts in mind I returned to the Material, cursing as my aching, bruised body protested. Damn, I wonder if I have time for a hot bath to soak my tired muscles...