Eduardo's Tales
Story 7: The Assault on Chagum
Chapter 1
(Rated T for violence, adult content, alcohol content, brief nudity, and mild language.)
(DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Eduardo Rivera or Kylie Griffin from Extreme Ghostbusters, nor do I have the right to copy the anime series, Mushi-Shi, which has inspired me to bring our favorite slacker and Goth girl into a strange world that exists beyond time. So, enjoy the show!)
Eduardo woke up in the middle of the night as he was covered in sweat. He had a horrible nightmare about the events that were about to come to pass. He couldn't let this city fall victim to King Gothmog's wrath as he even felt groggy after drinking the hydrangea wine from the cup during the dream state on his first night in Chagum. He got out of bed as he felt his heart pounding harshly against his ribs. The visions of King Gothmog attacking Chagum became so vivid that it became too horrible for him to bear. With the night sky turning into a dark orange, dawn was approaching as the sun was shining from the ground. The sun itself was ready to bring in the day as it began to shine its light on everything that lived and breathed...
"It's daytime already," said Eduardo as he walked towards the window. "My witching abilities are being tested, but are they ready enough to challenge King Gothmog?"
He stared at the sunrise as it was emerging from the ground. It was a beautiful sight as morning was coming to begin the day. He even wanted to wake up Kylie for this moment, but right now, he didn't want to disturb her right now. Returning to his bed, he began to wonder very warily as he was most likely to be starting work at the inn. It had beed over a week since he made it to Chagum as he was busy maintaining the inn right and left. The work itself took a lingering toll on him as the stress was nearly getting to him. He couldn't ler those visions slide as he began to feel a sense of dread hover over him. The nightmares he had couldn't cease as he began to shake with fear. He had to return to the dream state to find some answers as he tried very hard to fall asleep. The morning energy had crept in as it refused to allow him to return to his slumber. Still awake, he finally got up again as he got dressed in his country bumpkin clothes and went downstairs to the desk, for he had work to do.
"I have to warn everybody," he said as he couldn't stop shaking.
"Hey, Eduardo," said a familiar face as he was sitting at a table. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"
It was Yashakune, who had stayed behind in Orlin to help rebuild it as he was here as promised. The vast city of Chagum was his birthplace after all as he had grew up here since he was a little boy. With many memories of the days of the Bandit King in his mind, he was also eager to help show Eduardo and everybody around as he was also aware of the ongoing threat of King Gothmog's forces storming this impenetrable fortress. He had heard of the heartless king and his thirst for power similar to that of his late father, King Lurtz, as he was also ready to defend his native city regardless.
"You shouldn't overwork yourself," said Yashakune.
"I can't help it," said Eduardo in a shaky voice. "These visions I have are dangerous..."
"What visions do you have?"
"King Gothmog... is coming to raze Chagum to the ground... I have to tell everyone about this-"
"Dude, I already know all about it."
"Who told you about the King's invasion?"
"It was Dr. Domyouji who informed me about it before I left for this place. I was born here, you know."
Eduardo was still scared to death of the warnings he had as he had to protect this city from the lingering threat from King Gothmog. The stress he was under was starting to make him feel faint with worry. The anxiety creeped up on him as he felt a squeezing pain in his chest. He was scared to death as he the pain was making it hard for him to breathe. It wasn't long until Dr. Naegino came to his aid as he helped him up. Something was wrong with Eduardo as the good doctor led him back upstairs to his room.
"The stress is looming all over you," said Dr. Naegino.
"King Gothmog is coming...," said Eduardo.
"Eduardo, I think you need to lay down for a while."
"Lay down?! Gothmog's forces are coming! I can't-
"King Gothmog is far away on his throne in the Nagini Empire. As for you, you need to sit still and be patient for a little bit."
Eduardo said nothing more as he saw Dr. Naegino get out his stethoscope from his medical bag. It wasn't long until the good doctor began to listen in on both Eduardo's heart and lungs. The sound from within wasn't a healthy one as it detected something even worse due to the prolonged work at the inn these days. Eduardo was in bad shape as he began to feel his chest squeeze from all the stress that was messing with his body.
"Well, well, well..." said Dr. Naegino as he put away his stethoscope. "You've been suffering from panic attacks lately. I also see that you've been having visions of the looming threat from King Gothmog as well."
"I've had nightmares about this guy!" cried Eduardo with a shaky voice. "He rules with a stiff fist with a whole slew of witchsmellers. He even has a grudge against the Muah."
"According to Yashakune's father, Shikakune Tomiyori, the King has been responsible for putting many Muah to the sword. I've also been informed that you have a much bigger destiny at hand as the King of the Muah Realm."
Eduardo began to feel calm as he began to think about his destiny very clearly. With Dr. Naegino finishing up the examination, he got up and walked out of Eduardo's room as he went downstairs to the main room. Sitting down at a table, he was accompanied by Yashakune as he was having a cinnamon roll for breakfast. To his surprise, he saw a lean muscular man sit down as he was busy sipping at a root beer float. The man bore a very same resemblance of Yashakune, but he had dark teal hair along with the same color of blue eyes as him as he was even dressed in samurai armor. Both young man and older sire sat side by side at the same table as they were more likely to be basic folk who travel the Roads very often.
"It's been a long time, Doc," said the older man as he was still sipping his root beer float.
"Shikakune, long time, no see," said Dr. Naegino.
"Those snakes in the grass! They're everywhere hunting down our kind like a bunch of rats being stalked by cats."
"Dr. Naegino," said Kylie as she walked towards the table where the good doctor and the two men were sitting at. "Eduardo hasn't shown up for work this morning. Is there something wrong?"
"Wait!" cried Yashakune as he saw Kylie for the first time. "Haven't I seen you before?"
"No, but I'm afraid that Funny-Coat lost his life in the fire."
"Then we'll avenge Funny-Coat and trounce those witchsmellers."
"You bonehead!" yelled Shikakune. "That girl who is travelling with Eduardo was Funny-Coat!"
Yashakune didn't know what to think as he found that Kylie wasn't wearing her old servant boy garb anymore. He even found her more beautiful more than anything as he was astonished to see that she was travelling in disguise the whole time. He didn't mind because he had Valeria and Kylie had Eduardo as he was also ready to defend his beloved city regardless.
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Eduardo continued to lay in bed as he was getting a little worried for this city. He couldn't let Gothmog decimate Chagum as he began to get up and go out of his room. Going downstairs, he saw Kylie and Dr. Naegino manage the inn as they were serving some customers. Breakfast was still going on as the thought of it made Eduardo's stomach growl. He was very hungry as he began to go into the kitchen where the smell of cinnamon rolls were welcoming him to a cornucopia of happiness. With the sight of one of them on the counter awaiting him, he began to take it as he took a bite out of it, The taste of the cinnamon roll had calmed his nerves as he even ate the whole thing.
"That cinnamon roll was for Yashakune's father," said Kylie as she caught Eduardo with crumbs all over his kimono. "Did it occur to you that you shouldn't pig out on the food we give to the customers?"
"Hey, leave him be," said Shikakune as he walked into the kitchen. "There's plenty more cinnamon rolls in the oven right now. I'll wait on the next one when they come out of there."
"Who are you?" asked Eduardo.
"My name is Shikakune Tomiyori, otherwise known as the Bandit King. You guys already know my son, Yashakune, and you already know my territory of Chagum. You guys must be Lord Eduardo and Lady Kylie, I take it."
"Hey, we're not royalty, you know!"
"Zip it!" said Kylie as she grabbed Eduardo by the tuft of hair on his chin. "We're pretty much royalty in the eyes of the Muah!"
Shikakune laughed at the sight of the couple as he found them to be as strange and passionate at the same time. He had heard ancient stories of his own people as they were deemed to very powerful enough to protect the people they loved. This time, he had a beef against King Gothmog for destroying his homestead in the mountains as he was hiding away from the presence of the dreaded witchsmellers. He viewed those witchsmellers as the King's attack dogs as they had killed several villagers and some of his Muah comrades in his stronghold. It had been a long time now since his people were without a King and Queen to guide them, for Eduardo and Kylie have been the chosen ones to rise up and save the Muah people from destruction.
"I salute the both of you," he said.
"We're not royalty!" cried Eduardo.
"Yes, we are!" said Kylie as she grabbed him by the tuft of hair on his chin. "If we weren't royalty, then why are we honored by everyone who helped us?"
"We're still not royalty because the witchsmellers will hunt us down and kill us!"
"I'm well aware of King Gothmog's attack dogs," said Shikakune. "They killed my wife, my sister, my closest friends and some of the villagers who lived below the mountain. They even destroyed my homestead, which I'm still repairing after the tragedy."
"We're very sorry...," said Kylie as she got the batch of cinnamon rolls out of the oven.
"Now, that greedy snake-loving bastard's got his sights set on busting up Chagum, which was also my home, too!"
Eduardo felt the squeezing pain in his chest return once again as he collapsed on the floor. The visions returned as he saw King Gothmog in front of a shattered throne. The sight horrified him as he returned to the present. Something bad was going to happen and Chagum was on the brink of being razed to the ground by the King and his snake-clad warriors and witchsmellers. It was too much for him to bear as he began to sweat with fear.
"Eduardo, are you alright?" asked Kylie as she looked into his eyes. "Come on, snap out of it! There's nothing bad going to happen right now, is there?"
"Chagum is in danger...," said Eduardo.
"I'm getting Dr. Naegino," said Shikakune.
Eduardo fainted on the kitchen floor as he was venturing right into the dream state. The kodama were waiting for him as they were standing all around the ruins. The sake bottle of chrysanthemum wine was right in the middle of the room as there was a wine cup near it. Eduardo didn't feel like drinking the wine because he was too focused on work at the inn as he was being carried by the kodama. They wanted him to drink the wine as a few more kodama took the wine cup and attempted to force the contents into his mouth. He didn't have time to drink it because he had too much on his mind, but the kodama refused to back down as they continued to wave the wine cup in his face.
"Leave me alone!" screamed Eduardo. "There's no time to drink the chrysanthemum wine!"
"You have strayed too long from your duty, Eduardo!" said a booming voice from above. "Drink the chrysanthemum wine, for it is your duty to do so..."
"I can't... I'm too worried right now..."
"Drink the wine, Eduardo. You have nothing to fear..."
Eduardo felt the cup touch his lips as the kodama opened his mouth and forced the chrysanthemum wine down his throat. He hated the fact that the kodama force-fed him as the effects of the wine began to calm him down. He began to see the visions of the Muah Realm in all its former glory as he saw himself and Kylie sitting down on a pair of adjoining thrones. What was happening to him? Why was he seeing himself as a King? When he woke up, he found himself in a bed as he was staying safely in a hospital. Weakened by the effects of the panic attack, he also had a tray of food in front of him that was very unappetizing to his taste. He was all calm, but the visions still remained in his mind as he couldn't let Chagum be destroyed. He needed to protect this city and put a dent in King Gothmog's plans before it was too late...
To be continued...