A Changed Wynderia By Kondoru
Part Three
Standard Disclaimers
Thanks to JP for betaing.
Shiroi Kumo finally found a way to prove his worth to the Masters of Soil.
Sometimes a Master had to act as a medium, speak to a spirit, either of a dead person, or one of the innumerable unseen ones who inhabited the land.
These spirits might cause trouble in varying ways. They haunted houses, throwing stones, setting fires and other accidents, they could cause crops and ore seams to fail, and in abnormal cases could possess someone, an animal or even a vehicle.
When supernatural things happened, an Adept of Soil was called in; the first thing was to get the spirit to speak to a medium, who would asses the situation.
To be effective as a medium, the Soil Adept had to be purified, generally though fasting, meditation cold water, and celibacy, indeed the last was very important, all of the Soil Adepts had to go though various ascetics all their careers, but the celibacy bit was permanent.
Mysterian masters worked pretty much the same way; though they did not do ascetics quite so much, at least for the minor spiritual troublemakers whom ninety nine times out of a hundred needed dealing with.
Greater demons were a different matter.
To Kumo's mind the self-denial of the Masters of Soil were unnecessary overkill.
Particularly the lifelong celibacy bit.
Horned Ones had to make more Horned Ones after all.
Kumo often wondered what would happen if the Masters of Soil took this view, but he dare not say anything, even to Aurora (who had taught him about contraceptives; another matter new and alien to the Mysterian.)
A report had come in of a haunting at a homestead on the edge of the moors, and the Adepts were talking over who would be medium.
Kumo listened; he made up his mind. This sounded like a simple haunting; Shiroi Kumo had a plan. "Very well, Ill do it."
And the Grandmaster had agreed, eager to see him fail.
Kumo fasted and did cold water austerities all that week, Aurora kept out of his way, indeed was forbidden from his presence. She too was interested to see just what he could do.
Kumo found himself doing extra cold water baths whenever he thought of her.
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Kumo's superior spirit saved the day. The spirit had been willing to talk though him, the message was delivered, and another spirit took its place, one hitherto unsuspected.
After that, Kumo was respected more; he had proved he could do the work of a Soil Adept.
His cumbersome mask was removed and his light, comfy one of old returned to him. No one worried what he did with his Mist now. He was allowed more freedom, fewer hours digging in the dirt.
Someone found a bolt of undyed spiders silk somewhere, which was passed onto a tailor, and soon Kumo was White Cloud all over again.
Best of all, his Tamaken was returned.
Things were improving, as much as they ever could.
But his comrade and lover was still unhappy; Auroras life was improving too; she had been engrossed in her studies now that her ward had regained his independency, and the last winter had gone on the retreat of the great cold, a prelude to full adepthood.
Aurora's spirit was unusually strong for a Wynderian, and interestingly it was not coloured like most peoples, instead her soul was like a rainbow.
"She will go far," said the Grandmaster Shandu "provided she keeps out of trouble."
Aurora was now arrayed in the brown robe of an adept, instead of the grey of an initiate. She had been nominally released, though her movements were still under some restriction.
She was still sad.
Kumo felt better able to ask her why. He did after a hard day in the library.
Aurora hung her head "it's my big brother," she said in a sad voice.
"You had a brother too?" Kumo had been in the Halls of Soil for six months; this was the first he had heard of his friend's family.
Aurora told Kumo about Kaze.
Even after that, Kumo was not sure what Kaze had been up to; Aurora wouldn't talk about it. "My brother's crazy for spiritual power," she had told him, "he wants to be as strong as a Mysterian."
"I know how he feels."
"No you don't; a strong spirit is natural to your kind, Kaze's been drawn into heresy."
"Has he?"
Aurora looked pained; "he now uses...artificial aids." She had said as if she was talking about a person with a drawer full of sex toys.
Kumo heard more about Kaze from their Grandmaster.
Kaze was trouble incarnate.
Aurora's elder brother had been hiding with some renegade soil adepts, he had agreed to be sacrificed to Hougekiju, one of the patron demons of Soil.
"Hougekiju?" Kumo had frowned; "he's the mortal enemy of Ittenju."
The Grandmaster had nodded slowly, "danger to you and all your kind."
Kumo frowned. "Is this who destroyed Mysteria? Kumo was used to adept fights, it was part of life, but this magical arms race of the mirror worlds had gone far too far. Nobody minded a few wild contests and villages trashed, and then there was that embarrassing incident where a skystone island had been moved to shade out the sun from Wynderia...But complete destruction was going too far.
Aurora shook her head. "No, that was Chaos; Kaze's not summoned Hougekiju ...Yet."
Kumo nodded he knew that Hougekiju could destroy Chaos...Kaze was biding his time.
"He can summon Hougekiju?" Kumo frowned, to summon a greater demon was something that only the strongest Mysterian masters could even attempt; and to be frank, none of the Soil Masters he had known could come near the strength of the Horned Ones.
Reluctantly Aurora told Kumo about the Magun.
Kaze had been dead but then he had returned.
He had changed.
He now bore the Hell wrought Magun upon his right arm, The horrified Adepts of Soil had exiled him to the fastness of the Zikiki alps, a remote mountain range many thousands of miles from the nearest damageable Wynderia city.
Kumo had pricked up his ears; While the newly renamed Kuroki Kaze might not be enjoying his mountain retreat; this sounded an ideal place for him to live, no dreary city, no Soil, just him and the skies and the snow.
He had said as such to Aurora.
She shook her head. "I haven't been allowed to see him," Aurora broke down, "I want to, dearly."
Kumo held her close. "I miss my big brother too."
Aurora shook her head, "but your Kiri is dead.... Kaze's still alive; if the state he's in can be described as true living."
Kumo looked sad, "Chaos is coming."
"I know, I don't like the complacency of the Masters."
"I'm strong enough now. I can summon Ittenju."
This was big talk.
"And just what will happen if Kaze summons Hougekiju in return? This world will be destroyed."
Kumo hung his head, "Chaos will destroy it anyway...Can Kaze `really` summon Hougekiju??"
"I don't know, What Kaze does is rather different to the way you Mysterian summon; I think there are certain conditions that need to be met first."
She had not told him just what she meant.