The Dragon Saga Box Set

by Nicolette Andrews

  Suzume looked up, frowning at the yokai. "How do you know my name?" she asked. It was never a good sign when they knew your name.

  "We've been waiting for you, for a very long time," he said as he motioned for Suzume to sit on the cushion beside him to his right. On the other side was a little girl with dark hair and large eyes. When Suzume looked at her she felt a spark of power but the feeling was fleeting, so she couldn't be sure she hadn't imagined it.

  "Why me?" she asked, taking a seat cautiously. As much as she liked to think of herself as powerful, drawing the attention of yokai was always dangerous and there were a lot of them in this room right now.

  "My daughter Ai dreamed of you." He gestured elegantly towards the little girl beside him.

  The little girl waved at Suzume. She wore a multitude of layered kimono as well, hers more pinkish like the inside of a shell she had seen down to and a dusky violet like the sunset over the sea.

  "She did?" Suzume asked, brow raised skeptically. This was starting to sound an awful lot like a yokai trick.

  "For five hundred years me and my people have been trapped by the umi-bozu, unable to leave our kingdom, but now that you have come to save us at last..."

  Just the memory of that monstrous creature made her stomach drop. Going up against that thing once was more than enough. It was pure luck that she had survived the first time, a second time would surely kill her. She didn't even have her staff. It had gotten lost when she'd been thrown overboard. How could she gracefully wiggle her way out if this without upsetting them?

  "See the thing is..." she began.

  "We sensed your power the moment you rode out on that boat. We have not seen such a strong spiritual energy since the priestess who trapped us here."

  Suzume sighed and rolled her eyes. Of course this is Kazue's doing. The hall had turned silent and every eye was turned watching her now. All of them had the same expectant look upon their faces. I can't defeat that thing. But I can't let them know that. What are they going to do if they found out?

  "You must be tired from your long journey--"

  "If I do this, what do I get?" Suzume interrupted him. Perhaps if she asked for something ridiculous, they would just let her go. It was a long shot but it was worth a try.

  The Lord of the Sea did not seem perturbed by her outburst at all. Instead a slow smile spread across his face. "What is it you desire?"

  Suzume considered him for a moment. There was only one thing she wanted, but there was no way he could get it for her.

  "I want the Sea Stone," she said, leveling him with her gaze.

  He pressed the tips of his fingers together. "You ask a large price."

  "You're asking a lot of me too. That thing nearly killed me once already." And when you refuse to get if for me I will refuse to help and instead negotiate to get out of here.

  "Very well then, I shall give you the Sea Stone once you defeat the umi-bozu."

  Suzume almost fell backwards on her cushion.

  "Are you sure? I mean how can you even get it. Didn't Kazue hide the stone?"

  A small smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. "I am not completely without resources. If you can free us, I will pay any price." He clapped his hands and servants rushed forward carrying platters of steaming food. "Now please eat and enjoy yourself." He snapped his fingers and a trio of fish women brought forth instruments and began playing a haunting tune.

  The scent of food was mouth-watering but she had suddenly lost her appetite. The others in the room had returned to their meal or drinking. Now that she had made her promise to help them they had all lost interest in what she was doing. The servants prepared her a platter heaping high with broiled fish and vegetables along with a serving of rice. Suzume pushed the food around her plate without eating.

  As she did, however, she felt eyes watching her. Suzume peeked out the corner of her eye to see the little girl, Ai, staring at her. Her large, dark eyes were unblinking.

  "Do you mind?" Suzume said, gesturing to her food.

  "No, thank you. Ai, is not hungry," the girl said.

  Suzume sighed dramatically. "I would rather not be watched while I eat."

  "Ah." The girl nodded, but did not move away.

  Suzume sighed and set down her chopsticks, completely giving up on pretending to eat. "Can I help you with something?"

  "You have a strange aura. It is as if there are two separate souls inside of you. Why is that?"

  Suzume cleared her throat and didn't look the girl in the eye as she said, "I'm just that powerful."

  The little girl nodded. "Ai heard stories of a woman who split her soul in pieces and hid the fragments inside the bodies of others. Did something like that happen to you?"

  Suzume sniffed. "I've never heard anything like that."

  "That woman was very powerful as well. She was the one who trapped Ai here."

  "Oh?"

  "Ai hates her."

  Suzume shoved food in her mouth, hoping it would give the girl a hint to leave her be. But the child seemed content to continue prattling on.

  "If Ai ever finds that woman she will punish her for what she did."

  Suzume swallowed past a lump in her throat. "What would you do if you met her again?"

  "Ai would make her feel the pain Ai has felt trapped for centuries..." Something in the child's eyes glowed dangerous and looming. But just as quickly she laughed, high and child-like. "Would you like to see Ai's dollhouse after you eat?" she asked.

  The shift was was so sudden that Suzume was left with food dangling on its way to her mouth.

  "Uh, sure."

  "Great." Ai came around the table and grabbed onto Suzume's arm and dragged her to her feet.

  Suzume's meal was left uneaten as she was dragged out of the room and down the hall. The child led her to a room at the end of a deserted hallway. When they reached it Ai threw open the doors and gestured for Suzume to follow her in.

  Inside was a perfect replica of the palace in miniature. Suzume looked at the dollhouse with a nod.

  "Very nice."

  "Ai has complete control of it," she said, picking up a doll which looked to be a replica of the man who had greeted Suzume when she arrived.

  "That's great," Suzume said distractedly.

  "You asked papa for the Sea Stone, but do you know what power it really has?"

  "I think that's between me and your father," Suzume said with a smile. She didn't have time to entertain the child. She had to figure out how to get out of here before she had to face the umi-bozu.

  Ai did not smile back and once more Suzume saw that dangerous glint in her eye.

  "That woman came looking for the Sea Stone too. When papa wouldn't give it to her, she trapped us here."

  Ai slammed the doll down into the dollhouse and at the same time there was a knock on the door.

  Suzume nearly leapt up into the air from the fright of it.

  "Come in," Ai shouted in a sweet child's voice.

  The door slid open and the servant, the same that Ai had been playing with moments before, was kneeling outside the door.

  "My lady, we found this." He held up Suzume's staff.

  Suzume stared at the man. It's just a coincidence, nothing more.

  "You can take it. You're going to need it," Ai said without the saccharine sweetness, but something that sounded much older and much more dangerous. She had to remind herself that this wasn't any regular child, but a yokai child.

  Suzume walked woodenly towards the servant who presented the staff. She grabbed a hold of it with some reluctance.

  "That is an interesting weapon," Ai said, appearing at Suzume's elbow.

  "Not really. It's just a piece of wood," Suzume said.

  "It looks a lot like that woman's," Ai said, and her large round eyes met Suzume's gaze.

  Her throat felt too tight to answer and all she could manage was a slow nod and a noise which sounded like a squeak.

  "Ah." Suzume forced out the sound.

&n
bsp; "Good luck fighting the umi-bozu, you're going to need it." Ai patted Suzume's arm before sauntering out of the room.

  39

  Suzume was shown into the courtyard, where the entire palace had gathered together to watch her fight the umi-bozu. Before she had gotten onto that damned boat, she had been more confident in her abilities, but now she wasn't so sure. Her own power wasn't enough and without any other power source to draw from, she might not be able to defeat it. Could I draw power from it? She hadn't tried taking energy from her enemies, and she wasn't even sure how to do it. It always just sort of happened.

  While Suzume fretted over escaping her likely demise, the Lord of the Sea was looking radiant. There was a smile on his handsome face as he held out his arms in a grand gesture.

  "Suzume, as a show of faith, I have brought the Sea Stone." He gestured towards the servant holding the stone. "Do as you promised and you shall receive your reward."

  To his left a servant held a tray on top of a small pedestal on which a opalescent stone rested. It was a swirl of pink, blue, and purple.

  Suzume stared at the stone. She could feel the power emanating from it, the same way she had felt near the Flame Stone. If she had that she would be able to defeat the umi-bozu no problem.

  But it was guarded by four very fierce looking guards and she was not certain she could get past them before they impaled her with one of their spears. Now would be a good time to admit she had no idea what she was doing.

  "What is that doing here? I thought Kazue hid it?" She asked. She couldn't take her eyes off it.

  "The priestess' spell bound us to this stone. And this place." He gestured towards the palace. "The only way to free us and get the stone is to defeat the umi-bozu."

  Suzume licked her lips with anticipation. The stone's draw was undeniable, she had to have it. No matter what the cost.

  "How do I get to the surface to fight it?" Suzume asked, tearing her eyes from the stone with great difficulty.

  "The creature dwells just beyond that gate."

  Suzume turned towards the gateway he had mentioned. The courtyard ended in a single torii arch, which led into a fog covered landscape of darkness. It did not bode well for her chances.

  "If I'm going to do this, I'll need the stone first." She held out her hand.

  The Lord of the Sea laughed. "Do not worry, you shall have your payment soon."

  "We are counting on you," Ai said, looking Suzume in the eyes and reminding her once again of the darkness she saw lurking in her gaze.

  It was worth a try. Suzume swallowed past a large lump in her throat before nodding her head and turning stiffly towards the gateway. I might as well get it over with. I can do this. I have Kazue's power. I am getting stronger. Despite her pep talk, her head and limbs felt heavy she marched over toward the archway that led into murky mist beyond. She inched forward, step by step. When she reached the barrier, she hesitated. Once she crossed over there would be no turning back. This has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever done. Just for a rock?

  With one last look over her shoulder, she saw Ai out front of the others. She was the only one who seemed to have any definition at all. When she looked back she felt that same lure of power, the promise of greatness. Ai waved at Suzume to continue, and with a final deep breath, she stepped through the arch way. Once she was past it, she felt no different. Mist surrounded her on all sides, so thick she could hardly see beyond the reach of her arms.

  A pathway led further into the fog, lined with more red torri arches. Their bright colors were like lanterns in the fog. She continued down beneath them. Maybe this is the way out and I won't have to fight anything at all. There's nothing here. As soon as she finished that thought, the ground rumbled beneath her feet. A shadow slid past her, just beyond the arches. Suzume reached for her staff and the weight of it gave her some comfort as she moved on.

  The pathway ended a few feet later. Her flames came easily now. She could sense the creature just out of view, watching her, waiting for its chance. She stepped beyond the edge of the pathway and then turned in a circle, trying to pinpoint its location. That's when the yokai burst from within the mist. It showered her in sea water, raining cold drops down upon her head. The creature's bulbous black head and large white eyes stared down at her unblinking.

  Before it could attack, Suzume shot a blast of fire at it. The umi-bozu screeched in pain, reeling backwards, retreating into the water with a splash. Her fire burned away the fog, and she could see she was surrounded on all sides by water held back by an invisible source. The creature stalked over head, floating like a shadow, circling around her. Suzume kept her eyes trained on it, hand clutching her staff. Fighting came easier now. It took little conscious thought, as if her body knew what to do without being told.

  I knew Tsuki was teaching me the hard way. Now that I have control of my powers it's easy. The power coursing through her body was intoxicating. There had been no reason to worry. Her body felt alive with sensation and power consumed her. She was unstoppable. The umi-bozu swooped around behind her, but Suzume anticipated this and shot another ball of fire at it. The creature retreated before she could land her attack and the fire smoked and sputtered against the ocean, boiling it. The umi-bozu avoided that area afterward, though it continued to hover around her.

  It's afraid of fire. Sensing its weakness, Suzume repeated the process again and again, chasing it as it swam away from her flames and the boiling water. All the while it was running out of places to go and falling into her trap.

  With each blast of her fire, however, a strange dizzying sensation over came Suzume. At one point she lost several minutes. Her body continued to move without her, and she was hundred feet from where she had been last without any memory of how she had gotten there.

  However it had happened, she had the umi-bozu cornered at last. It lunged at her from out of the water. Her normal impulse would have been to cover her face to avoid being hit, but her body instead spun the staff, twirling it in front of her, making a shield of fire. One of its giant black hands reached for her but pulled back in fear of the flame. Suzume leapt backwards like a puppet on a string as the creature attacked once more, but she shot more fire in its direction.

  How is this possible? Suzume wondered as she flipped out of the way, her body performing acrobatics that she had no idea how to do.

  The umi-bozu brought its hand crashing down, blocking her escape. Suzume mentally reared back but her body had other ideas.

  A song erupted from her lips, rising to the sky without her involvement, and a rain of fire fell down upon the monster. Suzume heard the sizzle of its flesh and an unearthly scream as the creature was burned by fire.How am I doing this? This wasn't her. She didn't know how to make fire come from the sky. She wanted to stop, but her feet would not obey her commands. She'd lost all control over her body.

  The umi-bozu thrashed about as it was burned and then it fell forward, propping itself up by its arms. Dark, unblinking eyes bored into her. Then it opened its mouth to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. It screeched a high-pitched sound and rushed towards Suzume. It ran in an unhinged gate, on all fours and much too fast. And yet Suzume did not flee. Run! Get out of here! She screamed for her body to obey her, but it refused to listen to reason.

  It was closing in fast, and just as it was about to bite her head off Suzume lifted up her hand and she felt a tug, or rather a push, as her energy was forced into the creature in a burst of fire. Flames licked up its body, traveling over its smooth, bald head and then down its long, dark body. The umi-bozu flailed its arms around, thrashing, splashing water, which crashed down upon Suzume. But even when submerged, nothing quenched the flames. It opened its mouth in one last horrified scream before landing a few feet from Suzume, collapsing into a pile of black goo.

  Suzume panted out panicked breaths while staring at the remains. Her knees gave out from beneath her and she collapsed onto the ground. Her entire body was shaking. Suzume looked down at her hands,
which she had control over once again. What just happened. What did I do? She looked at the smoldering black mass nearby and crawled backwards to get away until her head hit the torri arch. Her breathing was a ragged staccato. It was like I had no control over my body at all. Did Kazue take over my body again?

  It took a few minutes before she felt confident enough to stand, but once she did she hobbled back to the courtyard where she had left the Lord of the Sea and his court. When she returned however, she found it deserted.

  "I killed the umi-bozu, now you have to give me the Sea Stone. That was the deal," Suzume shouted, her voice echoing back at her.

  She marched up towards the stairs and rested her hand on the banister. She pulled it back quickly, staring at the layer of grime that had been transferred onto her hand. The entire banister was covered in it when it had been polished to a shine just an hour before. What is going on here? Suzume continued on to the audience hall. Water dripped from the ceiling and puddles gathered along the ground.

  "This isn't funny. I almost died to destroy that thing," she said just to fill the silence. It was too quiet all of the sudden.

  There was no response but the constant drip of water. Everything smelled damp and brackish. The grand double doors of the audience hall were not only unguarded, but they were hanging off their hinges.

  Suzume stepped around one of the broken doors and inside. Tables had been knocked over and scattered debris littered the floor. At the head of the room, one lone figure sat staring up at the empty throne. Ai looked even smaller in the wide open space empty of all other occupants.

  "Where is everyone?" Suzume asked. An uneasy feeling had begun to claw at the back of her mind.

  "Ai knew it was you," she said, keeping her back turned to Suzume. "Ai sensed you as soon as you left the bay. And Ai knew it was my chance to finally get my revenge."

  "What are you talking about? Where is the Lord of the Sea?"

  "You know where he is. You sealed him away and killed the others." She turned around to face Suzume. Gone was the angelic child and in its place was something much more horrifying. Her eyes were completely black, with white pinpoint pupils. Her long dark hair resembled tentacles rising from her head, twisting and swirling behind her.