The Wrath Of the Forgotten

by Michael Ignacio

  Whereas the other wounds affected him slightly, the Onistan’s face shot nearly killed him. Even with his magic to save him, Tov had almost slipped away from the world. Tov couldn’t allow that to happen again. His daughter needed him. His people needed him.

  Tov pointed a sword at the Onistan. “You there. The captain wench called you Nori, right?”

  Nori asked, “What of it, you vile creature?”

  Tov floated a little closer to the ship, but still out of range of their attacks. “A woman screamed your name, right before she was torn apart by Oni.”

  The blood drained from Nori’s face. The non-sailor women and the captain all turned their attentions on to him. To his delight and underlying regret, they appeared horrified.

  “Wh-what did you say?” Nori asked. Tears had formed in the Onistan’s eyes.

  Tov flapped his wings to stay afloat in the air. “I believe she was some kind of captain of the guard. I wasn’t sure, but the other Onistans seemed to follow her example. Right to the bitter end. She hit me pretty hard too…”

  “No!” Nori screamed. “It can’t be true. There’s no way that Onista could fall. Not to someone like you.”

  Tov forced a laugh out, but it had only been for Nori’s expense. He found no amusement in the devastation of a people, even if they were treacherous humans. Though he hated the Onistans, they had fought and died with incredible valor. “Your people and your city have been utterly decimated. I led the Oni army into your homeland. I watched as the Oni soldiers feasted on your …”

  Suddenly, Nori leaped through the air. Time slowed, and the Onistan got ever closer. Tov wanted to move, but he couldn’t. His body refused to do anything but remain where the large, angry man could get him. Why did he float at eye level with them? Of all the stupid things Tov could have done…

  Nori slammed into Tov with the force of a raging bull. Tov’s wings flapped frantically in attempts to keep both of them in the air. Tov tried to push Nori off of him, but the Onistan’s powerful arms had already wrapped around Tov’s waist. Nori pulled Tov closer. He reached up and grabbed Tov’s throat. Tov struggled, but the Onistan would not be discarded.

  The larger man’s fingers tightened around Tov’s neck. Unbridled hatred burned in the Onistan’s eyes.

  “I’ll kill you, you terrible monster,” Nori said through grit teeth.

  A vortex of dizziness swept throughout Tov’s head. Slowly, the pair descended closer to the water. Nori’s grip was tightening by the second. Tov ran his blades against Nori’s ribs like saws. The Onistan’s armor broke apart, and waterfalls of blood streamed out. Nori didn’t care. Water licked at their feet, and then it engulfed their legs. Soon, they were underwater.

  Red clouds spiraled around them as Nori continued to squeeze at Tov’s throat. Tov’s lungs expanded and contacted in panic. Though he held his breath for now, how long would it last? Desperately, Tov stabbed Nori in the face and eyes with his wing tips. The man refused to yield.

  Tov’s vision started to tunnel.

  Nori’s grip slackened. The Onistan’s eyes squinted, and then they closed. Tov pushed Nori off of him and swam to the surface. Every movement of an arm, leg or wing drew a little more strength away from him. Tov broke through the river’s surface. The sweetness of air filled his lungs. He flapped his wings wildly.

  Someone screamed, “Nori!!!!”

  Tov flapped out of the water and rose into the sky. The blond woman dived into the river. Scales no longer covered her body.

  The magic in Tov’s body continued to tingle, but even it had its limits. He could feel the end of its power drawing ever closer.

  A gigantic form made out of wind appeared high above him. It had a pair of ominous eyes and a tornado shaped body. Two humanoid looking limbs extended off its spinning torso. Tov turned around and soared away from the ship. The wind creature didn’t follow him.

  Tov flew for about two miles before he stopped and touched the gem on his armband.

  “Forgive me,” Tov said. “I have failed you for now. They have too many defenders. They are using the magics they stole from you long ago. I will go after them again, I promise.”

  After a short while, the Celestial Ones called back to him. “The important thing is that you are safe and alive. Even if the humans find out about us, they cannot stop their destruction. Recover and try again. Do you require reinforcements?”

  Tov said, “No. I killed one of their defenders. I am only concerned about the mages. I will surprise them when they least expect it.”

  Tov continued to follow the river through the mountains. He couldn’t stop at the closest city. That place was too chaotic for him to rest and recuperate safely. Tov had to stop in Cao Xi, which meant days of flying.

  WAVES OF SHARP and dull aches greeted Nori as his mind became enveloped in consciousness. His face, his ribs, and his limbs throbbed with consistent anguish. Slowly, he opened his eyes and beheld a wooden ceiling. Nori laid on something soft and warm, and he even had blankets draped over him. He blinked several times, but the tears ran down his cheeks like rivers. Nori’s body trembled, and he sobbed loudly.

  Something soft grabbed his hand. Nori wiped away the moisture that flooded his eyes with his free hand and focused on the person beside him.

  Apisa sat on a stool beside the bed. Her eyes were lined with tears as well, and her lips formed a closely bunched pout. With one hand, Apisa gripped his hand with a secure, yet comforting grasp. She gently caressed the back of his hand with her fingers and palm.

  Nori’s internal organs lurched, and he scrunched up his face. The tears continued to flow freely, despite his best efforts to conceal them.

  “It’s okay to let go,” Apisa said softly. “I don’t care how strong you think you are, you’re allowed to cry right now.”

  Nori shifted his gaze toward the visible sky through the nearby window. The mountains along the river were bathed in an orange light. He tried to push himself up, but Apisa placed a hand on his chest. Nori’s limbs shuddered under the attempt to rise. It took little effort on Apisa’s part to ease him back down on the bed.

  Apisa said, “Now, now… none of that, you hear? You’re going to stay in that bed and rest up.”

  “How long have I been out?” Nori asked.

  Apisa’s gentle hand caressed the top of Nori’s head. He didn’t resist.

  “About a day,” she replied. “Things have gotten really quiet since that winged guy left.” She winced as she stroked Nori’s hair. “I’m so sorry about your mother.”

  Nori started sobbing again. “Everything is gone. My dream came true. Everything that I once stood for and was proud of is now gone.”

  Apisa said, “That isn’t true at all. You’re still every bit the man I first saw those many days ago. You’re a strong, caring guy who dedicates his entire being to his duty and service toward others. You endure when others would surely fail.”

  Nori gazed back up at her. “My people have fallen. My people have failed.”

  Apisa rubbed her hand against Nori’s cheek. Though it wasn’t as soft as Rayko’s, it reflected a warmth and kindness that Nori once felt in the touch of his own mother. Apisa’s hands were rough, due to countless hours of labor and dedication, just like his mother’s.

  “I know this isn’t the same kind of thing,” Apisa said. “I didn’t lose my entire people, but I understand what it feels like to lose someone you love. My parents died when I was very young. I took it kind of hard.”

  Nori shifted on the bed so he leaned more on his side. Spikes of anguish shot up his nerves. At least now, Nori was better angled to see Apisa. “What happened?”

  Apisa continued to caress Nori’s body. “A pretty nasty disease hit the Buka area when I was a little girl. Not everyone got sick, but those who did usually died. My mama contracted it first. She tried to quarantine herself so she wouldn’t infect anyone else.” Apisa’s green eyes went out of focus for a moment. “My papa didn’t care what she said. He went into that roo
m and took care of her anyway. He eventually got it too.”

  Nori tried to sit up again, but Apisa placed a hand on his chest and kept him down.

  “I’m so sorry,” Nori said.

  Apisa sighed. “My granny used to tell me ‘Death is a natural part of life. As natural as the planting and harvesting seasons.’ At the time, I didn’t care about any of that. I just wanted to hold my mama again, or sit on my papa’s lap. Like I said, I know it’s not the same thing, but I get how you feel.”

  A small sniff came from the doorway. Rayko stood there, her eyes appearing quite wet. She held a hand to the spot below the nape of her neck. “I came to check on you. I’m glad you’re alive.”

  Nori winced. “Really? That’s comforting to hear.”

  Rayko moved into the room and sat on the other side of Nori. Her body shuddered for a moment. “My little sister’s name was Senna. She was only a year younger than I, but we were very close with one another. Rather than study magic, she chose to better understand the intricacies of economics and of trading. Senna pursued a career as a merchandise specialist aboard a wealthy merchant baron’s private vessel.”

  Apisa reached over and placed a hand on Rayko’s shoulder. Judging from the mournful glimmer in Apisa’s eyes, she probably knew the truth about Senna.

  Rayko wiped a few tears from her eyes. “Senna’s ship came under attack by a group of Onistan Pirates. Those terrible bastards slowly murdered all of the crew and then ransomed off the merchant baron to his family. That’s how we found out about Senna. My poor little sister suffered until the very end at the hands of those brutish men. I know it’s not your fault, and I know I’ve apologized before, but it doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry for treating you so badly. And I’m so sorry about your mother and your people.”

  Nori struggled to lift his hand up towards her, and Rayko clasped it with both hands.

  Nori said, “I forgive you. I’m sorry about your sister.”

  Rayko sobbed a little. “Let’s just forget there was any conflict between us, yes?”

  “I would very much like that,” Nori said.

  Amidst the vast, hallow chasm in Nori’s chest, a small degree of warmth appeared and grew gradually.

  A small meek voice broke spoke up. “Do you mind if I join you?” Flara stepped into the room and sat on the end of the bed. A small grin appeared on her face. “I’m glad you’re alive. I was really scared for you.”

  Nori tried for a third time to sit up. This time, Rayko and Apisa helped him up.

  He asked, “So… that winged bastard is working for the Celestial Ones?”

  Even saying that phrase, ‘Celestial Ones,’ sent cruel vibrations throughout his body. Images of his dream and the resounding scream of his mother hounded him in the back of his mind.

  Flara’s eyes fell downcast. “I think so. The scrolls vaguely describe a group of people called the scarred ones. I think that winged man belongs to that population.”

  “That fellow didn’t look too scarred to me,” Apisa said. “He looked sick and underfed.”

  “The lore references it to being more of a spiritual or magical scarring,” Flara said. “It’s incredibly vague, but I think the scarred ones used to be Celestial Ones.”

  Rayko positioned herself on the bed so she could face everyone. “That fellow wasn’t exactly easy to deal with, and there was only one of him. Are we to expect some kind of army of diseased, gaunt flyers to befall us?”

  “I don’t know,” Flara said. “I would only assume that these Celestial Ones would be worse than that. After all, the amount of preparation and research that the Abbot sanctioned suggests something more nefarious than just energy swords and wings.”

  Nori winced as the pain in his body increased in vibrancy for but a moment. “Didn’t he say something about you all stealing something from his masters? What did he mean by that?”

  Rayko simply shrugged. “I haven’t a clue. We didn’t use anything special that we didn’t use against the Tsuchigumos or the Kappas. And you got your new weapon after we got back to Jadai.”

  Nori let out a small sigh. Something quite elusive whispered on the edge of his consciousness. The nagging tugging kept pulling at his insides. Slowly, the tugging got stronger until finally, a preverbal pop occurred in his mind.

  “Where does your magic come from?” Nori asked.

  Apisa chuckled as she lightly pat him on the shoulder. “You should know that by now. It comes from our tattoos.”

  “Yeah,” Nori said. “I get that. I mean where does it come from originally? It seems kind of strange to think we’ve always had it. Was there ever a point when we didn’t have it?”

  Rayko and Apisa both regarded Flara. A blank expression covered Flara’s face as she gazed into nothingness.

  “By the saving grace of Saito!” Flara said. “Nori’s right! We didn’t always have magic. In all the excitement, I completely forgot about the event that’s going to occur in Jadai in conjunction with the Millennium Celebration.”

  “An event?” Rayko asked. “What are you talking about? I didn’t know there was an event going on at the same time.”

  Flara leaned forward. Her eyes went wide. “The magical university in Jadai is celebrating its thousandth year of existence. I never stopped to consider the implications of it all, but we only got our magic a thousand years ago.”

  “So does that mean…?” Apisa started.

  The words died on her tongue.

  “I think so,” Flara said. “Our enemy is much more terrible than we could have ever possibly imagined.”

  A small chuckle escaped Nori, and the girls turned to look at him.

  “D-do you find something amusing?” Rayko asked. “Seriously?”

  “It has nothing to do with our enemy, but I’ve noticed something.” Nori’s smile grew a little more. “Flara, you’re not stuttering or averting your eyes like you normally do.”

  Flara blinked suddenly, but then she grinned as well. “I guess it’s because I’m used to being around you now.” Her glee faded. “So, back to the matter at hand. How are we going to deal with the enemy?”

  “Well, how did we do it a thousand years ago?” Apisa asked. “That sounds like a great place to start as any. My granny always used to say ‘Tradition lays the foundation for innovation.’ We just need to figure out what they did.”

  Rayko stood up from the bed. “I’ll be back in a bit. I’m sure you’re hungry after being asleep for so long. Let me go gather something up for you.”

  Apisa got up as well. “I’ll go with you. If Nori’s anything like my big brother, then he’s going to need a lot of meat.”

  Flara also rose from the bed. “I’ll go let Captain Alfana know you’re up. She was worried about you too.”

  Apisa grimaced for a moment, but she said nothing.

  “Just rest up. We’ll be back soon,” Flara said.

  Nori eased himself back down on the bed and let out a sigh. The images of his dream flashed before him. The urge to weep again nearly overpowered him. The more Nori thought about crying, the less appealing it actually was. Onistans endured no matter what, which included the genocide of his people.

  Had the Onistans really been vanquished by an army of Oni?

  Nori smirked. At least it had required an army of Oni to vanquish the proud, strong warrior race. The Celestial Ones must have feared the Onistans so much that they made sure the giant people were destroyed. His pride faltered as one great realization came upon him: Nori was alone.

  Well, maybe not alone. Three wonderful people, or maybe four, regarded him as a friend. At least he still had that. Thank Saito for that.

  HIS BODY STILL felt weak, but at least he could walk. Nori took his time as he moved out onto the deck. The brilliant sunset sent dazzling oranges drifting across the sky. A cool breeze blew down between the massive mountain peaks that lined the river and kissed his face. Nori took a deep breath, and then studied the mountains around him.

  While he loved bei
ng around such wondrous natural titans, just seeing them sent bitter vibrations through his bones. Despite the amazing colors, the world appeared a little dimmer than it had days before. Who was he kidding? The world had lost much of its luster ever since he first had that accursed dream.

  One of the sailors noticed him and waved at him.

  “Hey! I owe you a drink the next time we’re in port somewhere,” The sailor said.

  A moment later, a female voice called from above him. “Hey! Are you sure you’re up for moving about? You had better not keel over on me, you big beautiful bastard.”

  Luxi leaned against the rail of an elevated platform of the ship. A pair of staircases led up to where she stood. Raoi stood behind and gripped the helm.

  Luxi gestured to the stairs. “Do you think you can hobble your broken ass up here?”

  Nori tried to move at his normal pace, but various places on his body groaned in protest. He slowed his movements and took his time moving up the staircase. All the while, he gripped the rail for support. Luxi watched him closely like a hawk observing a field mouse. She made no move to help him.

  When Nori finally made it to the top of the platform, Luxi glided over to the helm and placed a steady hand on it. “Let Nori take the wheel. You go get some rest.”

  Raoi nodded, and allowed Nori to take his place. Without saying another word, the sailor skipped down the stairs and disappeared from view.

  Nori’s stomach tingled as he gripped the helm. It gently moved from side to side if he allowed it to move on its own. He kept it in place, and it required little strength to maintain. Luxi positioned herself right in front of him and leaned against the rail.

  “Am I doing this right?” Nori asked.

  Luxi peeked over her shoulder at the river. “I don’t see anything you can bump into. Just try and follow the course of the river and you should be fine. Don’t worry; I’m not leaving you up here alone. If it gets bad, I’ll take over.”

  Nori nodded and kept his hands in place. Every now and then, he turned a little to the left or right. The ship responded with ease. “This isn’t too bad. It’s actually kind of fun.”