He pushed open the door and entered the tavern. Men and women sat around every table. The pungent smell of alcohol and food wafted around him. People clinked glasses together before they brought the glasses to their lips. Prior to Nori’s appearance, everyone looked to be having a grand time.
As the door closed behind him, the room got quiet. Most of the people sat around round tables, but a few of the individuals had been maneuvering around the seated patrons. These people carried trays in their hands.
The gravity of their silence and speculation settled upon Nori. He studied each of them in turn. Weather-beaten faces with steely, bold eyes stared back at him.
An older man standing behind a bar called out to him. “Well, it’s not often we have an Onistan stop by our humble establishment. Are you a captain of a ship? Or are you a sailor?”
Nori swallowed as he moved away from the door and stood in the center of the floor space. “I’m neither of those things. I was told that I could find ship captains here though.”
The bartender said, “That’s true, there are plenty of captains here. Why are you looking for one?”
“I’m in need of ship passage to Xian Ba,” Nori replied. “It’s very important that we leave tomorrow, and we’re able to pay very well.”
A slight grumble rippled through the crowd. The bar tender gave him a smug, yet sympathetic grin. “Clearly you’re not familiar with river travel. No one’s going to be traveling for the next couple of weeks.”
Nori’s eyes opened wide. “What do you mean a couple of weeks? We need to leave tomorrow. This is a matter of life and death.”
Many of the other patrons went back to their drinking, but a few continued to gaze at him. Those who did had more of the smugness and less of the sympathy in their expressions.
One of the men spoke up. “It’s because of the Great Kappa Migration, you daft fool.”
Nori asked, “The Great Kappa Migration? What’s that?”
Several of the patrons laughed out loud, while others hid their delight behind their cups.
“Apparently they don’t have Kappas where you come from,” The bar tender said. “Do you know what a Kappa is?” He said the last sentence much slower.
Nori narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I know what they are. They’re water yokai. Kind of like turtles. They’re usually pretty harmless.”
“That much is true, unless it’s during the Migration,” the bartender said, as if explaining something simple to a child. “During the migration, they are thrown into feral crazes that make them deadly. No man is going to risk his ship against the likes of that.”
Once more, Nori scanned the faces of the men who looked back at him. He formed tight fists and squeezed his brows together. “Well then is there a woman who’s willing to do what these pathetic lowlander men are too scared to do?”
All at once, the arrogance of the men fell away. A dozen faces glared at him, and the men sat straighter in their chairs. The muffled grumbles of threats and curses whispered on the edge of Nori’s hearing.
One of the men stood up. By lowlander standards, he was quite large. The top of the man’s head came to Nori’s chin, but he wasn’t as wide as Nori.
“Pathetic huh?” The man asked. “Maybe we should show you how pathetic we lowlanders really are? What do you say, boys?”
Three other slender. shorter men stood up in various places. Nori found himself surrounded.
Nori’s lips curved upward and he glanced at each of them in turn. “Four on one? Typical lowlander cowardice. No wonder you aren’t willing to help me. Come on then. Show me the depth of might.”
The large man lunged at him first. A split second later, the other three advanced on him too. Nori leaped back into one of the smaller men. His elbow shattered the sailor’s nose, and Nori grabbed his flailing form. With ease, he lifted the smaller man and threw him into one of the other attackers. Other men rose up and went for Nori as well. Fists came at him from every direction.
Nori bobbed and weaved, but many knuckles pressed upon his skin. He kept punching and kicking back. With each successful blow, one of his attackers stepped back. Another person would fill their spot. The large man planted a forceful strike in the side of Nori’s head. In response, Nori grabbed the man by his chest and stomach. Nori gripped hard and latched on to significant portions of flesh. As he hoisted the large man above his head, he heard the other sailors gasp in surprise.
Just as quickly as Nori had lifted him up, he slammed the man’s head down on the flat of the floor. Any resistance the man had put up before faltered. Nori rose him back up in the air and then hurled him across the room. He grinned as he punched a surprised sailor in the neck. Another attacker got kicked in the stomach.
Nori chuckled as he blocked a man’s arm. His large hands wrapped around the slender person’s limb. It snapped a moment later.
A woman called out to him. “Onistan! Behind you!”
Nori whipped around. A sailor had drawn a knife and advanced on him with the point leading the charge. Nori’s happiness faded, and deadly serious replaced it. The knife blade came closer. Nori leaned back and batted it away. As the sailor tried to bring it back around, Nori grabbed the man by his throat. He pivoted and tossed the man over him. The sailor landed on his back, and he gasped as the air escaped him. Several more sailors had drawn weapons.
Nori placed his foot on the sailor’s neck. “If you want this to turn deadly, I’ll be more than happy to comply.”
The bartender stepped up to Nori, and he held an unsheathed sword.
“That’s enough, you damned ogre.” He pointed the sword at Nori. “I won’t be having you hurt or kill any more of my paying customers. If you don’t leave right now, I’ll kill you.”
Nori stomped on the sailor’s wrist and caused him to let go of the knife. He squared his shoulders. “You’ll certainly try, won’t you?”
A taller woman stepped out into the open and positioned herself between Nori and the bartender. She came up to his shoulder, and she exuded a presence as powerful as any of the men in the room. Her brown hair had been tied into a braided pony tail that trailed over one of her shoulders.
She placed her hands on her hips and stared into the bartender’s eyes. “Easy, I’ll take him out of here. No need for any more men to have their egos bruised.”
One of the sailors who held a knife stepped forward. “Get out of the way before we stab you too.”
The woman turned around to face him. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with a boldness that sent shivers up Nori’s skin. She rested her hand on the sheathed sword hanging at her belt.
“Oh really?” the woman asked. “Try me. I dare you.”
The sailor swallowed hard, but then he stepped back away from her.
The woman glanced up at Nori. “Come on. We can talk about your trip to Xian Ba outside.” She gestured to the door, and followed Nori as he moved to leave.
The adrenaline that had pumped through him before started to wane. His muscles ached and bits of his face stared to radiate with pain. When they got outside, the woman strolled in front of him. She walked casually over to one of the alleys and then gestured towards it.
“We can talk in there,” she said. “By the way, you handled yourself pretty well back there. Nice job.”
Nori winced, which caused the pain in his face to ignite. “Um, thanks. So are you a captain of a ship?”
The woman walked into the alley. “As a matter fact, I am. So tell me, why do you have to get to Xian Ba do badly? You could have died in there, you know?”
Nori positioned his back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not likely. Compared to what I faced over the last few days, those cowards are nothing.”
The captain lips curved upward. “I admire your confidence. It sounds like you have a few interesting stories to tell. You didn’t answer my question though. Why do you have to get to Xian Ba so badly? You mentioned it was a matter of life and death.”
Nori tightened
his arms on his chest. Could he really afford to let Flara’s identity be known? This woman might be a captain, but then again, she might be something else entirely. He locked eyes with her. Genuineness sparkled within her irises. Her smirk reminded Nori of someone, and yet, he couldn’t quite place it.
“Well?” She asked.
Nori sighed. “I’m the bodyguard of the daughter of a lucrative silk merchant. My client has to rush home in order to save her family and those she loves from being murdered.”
“You’re a bodyguard?” The captain pointed to his side. “What kind of bodyguard only carries a knife?”
Instinctively, Nori placed a hand on the small weapon. His soul trembled within him. “I had a tetsubo, but I broke it when I smashed a magical lantern.”
“A magical lantern?” The captain asked. The wildness in her eyes exploded into a vast towering blaze. “So you’re going to just leave it at that? What kind of selfish bastard are you? What do you mean magical lantern?”
Nori grimaced and leaned back harder against the flat of the building. “We were in a spider infested woods looking for something special. Well, we found it, and we need it to save my client’s family. If we don’t get it to them, then a lot of people are going to die. Not just her family. The magical lantern that I smashed actually anchored an army of shadow creatures to this world. We had to destroy it, otherwise we were going to die.”
The captain placed herself against the opposite wall of the alley. Her appearance took on a hungry expression. “So what is this something special that you need brought to Xian Ba?”
Nori stepped off of the wall and puffed out his chest. A darkness swirled within him. “Why are you so interested? Are you seeking to rob me? To rob her?”
The captain’s eyes went wide for a second, and then her mouth shrank to form a tight little line. “You misunderstand me, friend. I’m not thief, nor am I a pirate. I simply wanted to know what the item was. It makes a girl wonder what the daughter of a silk merchant would need to seek from a spider infested wood in order to save her family. I promise upon my dead father’s soul I will not try to cheat or rob you. You don’t have to tell me what the item is. Be warned though, my ship and my services won’t come cheap.”
“Would we be able to work out some kind of deal?” Nori asked. “A little up front, and a majority once we get to Xian Ba? My client is very wealthy… and you could name your price.”
The captain studied him for a moment. “I’m sorry. That’s not good enough. I need half now, and half when I get to Xian Ba. If you want me and my crew to brave the Great Kappa Migration, then it will cost you twenty thousand golden coins.”
The blood drained from Nori’s face. “That means you want ten thousand coins up front.”
The captain hooked her thumbs in her slacks. “I love a man who has brains and brawn. So as soon as you get me the coin, then we can prepare to set sail.” She started to move to the mouth of the alley when Nori held up his hand.
“Wait, don’t go. Perhaps if I’m truthful, maybe you’ll reconsider,” Nori said.
The captain narrowed her eyes and rested a hand on her sword hilt. “Go on. Have you been lying to me?”
Nori shifted to the edge of the alley and looked out. To his delight, no one had been near the mouth of the alley. Even still, his ribs shivered within him. He moved deeper into the alley and gestured for her to follow him. She did.
Nori said “I’m going to trust you with an incredible secret. I’m a Qu-Tar, and my…”
The captain interrupted him. “A Qu-Tar? As in one of the Royal Guard for the Imperial Family?” Her mouth fell open for a moment, and she stepped back away from him. “Tell me, Onistan. What did you and your… client find in the forest? Was it even a forest?”
“Yeah,” Nori replied. “We found an ancient ruin in the middle of Tsuchigumo-infested woods . What we found inside is even more horrific than the spiders themselves. My client found a set of scrolls discussing a terrible prophecy that is going to come true very soon. We have to get to Xian Ba to warn her mother.”
“Her mother, as in the damned Empress?” The captain whispered.
Nori winced, and then nodded.
“Isn’t that as salty as a dehydrated whore.” The captain leaned back up against the wall and let her eyes go unfocused. “You weren’t kidding when you said I could name my price.” She turned a critical eye on him. “How can I be sure you’re telling me the truth this time?”
Nori reached into a side pouch and pulled out his jade seal. As soon as the captain saw it, her eyes opened wide.
“You can hold on to this until we get to Xian Ba,” Nori said. “It’s made of pure jade. I’ve been told it alone is worth five thousand coins.”
The captain took it and examined it. “Fifty thousand coins, all when we reach Xian Ba. Is that agreed?”
“I’m sure my client won’t object to it, nor will her mother,” Nori said. “You have to keep this a secret though.”
The captain put the jade seal in her own side bag. “Since you let me know your big secret, I’ll let you know mine. My name is Captain Alfana Luxi. My ship is the Grinning Panda.”
Nori just stared at her.
“You’ve not heard of the Grinning Panda?” Luxi asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Nori shrugged. “Should I have?”
Luxi let out a breathless chuckle. “It’s so refreshing to meet a man who doesn’t already know about me. I’ll put it to you this way, big guy. I’m a notorious wanted smuggler. You’re sweet princess is going to hitch a ride with a criminal. How does that make you feel?”
“To be honest, given what we have already experienced, it doesn’t faze me in the least,” Nori said. “So we have a deal, right?”
Luxi nodded. “Yeah, follow me and I’ll show you where my ship is docked.”
Nori followed her out of the alley. “By the way, do you know any good weapon vendors in this town? I need to get a replacement for the one I broke.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Luxi said. “I’m an arms smuggler, so I have something you can have. I’ll just charge it to your client’s bill.”
“How very generous of you,” Nori replied.
Luxi let out a loud guffaw as she led Nori into the crowd.
AN ARROW WHIZZED past Tov’s head and dug into the trunk of a tree. He darted to the left and kept running as fast as he could. In one hand Tov held his energy sword, in the other he grasped a slender wooden wand. The tip of the wand still glowed with a slight green hue.
Tov’s leg muscles ached with an increasing burning pain. His heart thumped hard within his chest. The trees that surrounded him had their branches all crisscrossed above him. Flying away was out of the question, so Tov ran. The tip of the wand still had a slight green illumination. Tov’s palms moistened with sweat. His energy sword crackled due to the added wetness, and he almost lost grip on his wand three times.
A cat-like figure hopped down from a tree branch and stabbed at him with a spear. Fur covered this creature’s body, much like the other Nekomata that he encountered. This particular Nekomata had white fur with numerous black spots intermixed with the white. It stood on its hind legs and gripped the weapon in its hands. The creature’s tail whipped about in a frenzy, and the Nekomata snarled at him.
Tov parried the spear tip and pointed the wand at the Nekomata’s chest. In an instant, the cat’s anger and hatred were replaced by knowing fear. A green beam of energy shot from the end of the wand and struck the Nekomata. Its body shuttered and it fell to the ground. The creature moaned and shivered violently.
Rather than wait any longer for the other Nekomata to catch up with him, Tov sprinted away. His lungs burned with unholy fire, yet he couldn’t afford to stop. Images of his daughter kept the fire in his belly. A savage growl echoed just behind him. The sounds of pawed feet trailing his own sent tremors through out the spots where his wings would normally pop out.
Tov stopped, pivoted, and brought his energy b
lade around in a wide arc. The Nekomata pounced into the air, over the blade. Its furry body barreled into him, knocking him to the ground. As he hit the forest floor, his shoulder collided with an exposed tree root. Pain shot up his nerves. He brought the wand up to the Nekomata’s chin just as its claws started to dig into his skin.
A bright flash exploded between them. The Nekomata’s grip slackened, and it fell limp against him. Tov pushed the creature off of him, but he had to roll to the side as soon as he did. Another enraged cat had pounced toward him, sword in paw. The Nekomata’s blade dug into the dirt just as Tov plunged his energy sword into the cat’s neck. It gaged as its body quaked wildly. All around him, the forest grew quiet. After a moment, a distant horn blared out.
Tov stood up and took several deep breaths.
The Nekomata who had been hit by the beam weakly gaped up at him. Its voice vibrated with each word. “W-why are you doing this? We haven’t done any harm to the h-humans.”
Tov scowled down at the trembling Nekomata. “I’m not a human, you wretched beast. See me for what I am.” Tov extended his wings.
For a long moment, the Nekomata merely stared at him with a sense of wonder. Its eyes widened and it cringed on the ground. “So the legends are true. The elders were right. They spoke of your coming, or rather those you serve. Why do you have such malice toward my kind?”
“Why?” Tov leaned up against a tree. His muscles still felt sore, but at least he had a chance to catch his breath. “You dare ask why you deserve such a fate after your ancestors betrayed their former masters?”
The Nekomata forced herself up to a sitting position. Judging from the shape of the face and the body structure, this had to have been a female Nekomata.
“What our ancestors did should have no bearing on the way we treat one another,” the Nekomata said. A trail of green slime had seeped out of her lower lip. She wiped it away on her fur. “You have ravaged many communities with that …that s-stick. W-why? Neither of us were alive during the time of the Great Liberation.”
“More like Great Treachery,” Tov said. “The Legacy of your people’s actions have devastated my people and their ability to prosper. And as for liberation, what did you liberate yourselves from? Harmony? Balance?”
The Wrath Of the Forgotten Page 14