A/N: Beginning of Part 2!
Chapter 10: The Tribe
'...What's happening? Where am I..? I'm... dead... aren't I?'
'Yes, Amaya, you're dead'
'...That voice...'
'Nevertheless, it's not yet time for your soul to pass'
'...!'
'Enjoy the time you have here... It won't last forever. In 500 years, your spirit will be resurrected and you will be born once again'
'Wh-What are you talking about?'
'...'
'It can't be...'
...
"...Aiyana! Aiyana...!"
"..."
"Aiyana! What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be teaching the little ones to conjure spirits!"
"Hmmm? Oh yes, sorry. I was just thinking... I'll be there in a moment"
"Hmph! The amount of time you spend sitting outside under these trees thinking... You could put your time to much more productive use, I'm sure"
But she wasn't really listening, still immersed in thought as she got up and made her way back to the village. She walked in silence as her companion continued to babble on about her wasted skills and talents.
'Hao... Where are you...?'
"Aiyana!"
"Hmmmm?"
"You're not even listening to me, are you?"
"Well... No..." she admitted.
"Unbelievable!"
The two emerged through the clearing and into the village.
"...Teacher!"
A small child ran up to the pair.
"Hello Mai," she bent down to the child's level. "What are you doing running about by yourself? It's not safe"
Although she was still a young woman, she exhibited an elevated level of maturity, especially when dealing with children.
"Everybody was worried that... Something bad happened to teacher..."
Aiyana laughed lightly.
"Oh, Mai, of course not! I'm fine. Come"
She took the little girl's hand and walked on with her companion across the village.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, little ones," she said as she greeted the group of children gathered.
"Teacher!" they all cried in unison.
She smiled brightly, letting go of Mai's hand so that she may rejoin the other children.
"Okay, so today we're going to be learning how to conjure earth spirits... Is everybody ready?"
"Yes teacher!"
She laughed at their jubilant enthusiasm.
"Good. Now I'm going to need you all to close your eyes and keep them firmly shut. This is going to take a lot of concentration..."
The children obeyed.
"Now, clear your minds. Focus on the sounds of the wind, the feel of the breeze and the warmth of the sun..."
She paused for a few moments, allowing the children some time.
"Are your minds clear?"
They nodded.
"Good. Now focus your energy on the ground. The nature of the ground, its texture, its feel... The utility, of the earth beneath your feet..."
Again, she paused.
"Are you all focusing on the ground beneath your feet?"
Again, they all nodded.
"Good. Now, this is the final and most important part... Are you ready?"
Nod.
"Keep your focus on the ground, but now specify your focus to the spirits that dwell in the roots of the earth. Make your mind wholly committed to the task of extracting such spirits from the earth. Remember, to accomplish this step, the power of your mind, and your will, are vital assets. Once your mind has formed a proper depiction of the spirits in your mind, you must will yourself to conjure them... So... Ready? Begin!"
She observed the children. All had their eyes shut. Some were in deep concentration. Others seemed in forced concentration. Still, others seemed dazed, while others seemed to be absorbed in a mental struggle, pushing themselves to the point of perspiration. They remained in these positions for some time.
"I can't do it!" one of them finally exclaimed, throwing his hands up in defeat.
She smiled.
"It's okay. You all did very well. You may relax now"
They all opened their eyes, breathing heavily.
"I didn't expect any of you to get it on your first try. It's the effort that counts. I'm very proud of all of you"
But, the children still seemed disappointed in themselves.
"Don't worry. You'll get it next time"
This seemed to cheer them up a bit.
"You're all free to go play, now, as a reward for all your hard work"
All of a sudden, they all seemed to regain their exuberance as they laughed and ran off in twos and threes.
'Ah... To teach them what you taught me... Only reminds me of you more...'
"You're too soft"
"Well, they're still only children, Suni"
"That may be so, but these are the most impressionable years. I'm sure you didn't acquire your current skills by frolicking about instead of training when you were their age"
"Actually... I wasn't very attracted to the idea of shamanism at that age..."
"Then how did you improve so much? Hmm?"
"Well... You could say I had a very skilled teacher..."
"Wasn't your spiritual mentor Notaku?"
"Yes..."
"He was mine as well and I didn't find him very helpful! He was always boasting about the 'inner spirit' and such but never once did he demonstrate what he preached!"
"Well, perhaps he affected us both in different ways..."
"Hmph, I still don't understand. Your skill surely far surpasses his! The student is not supposed to exceed the teacher!"
Aiyana simply shrugged, deciding to end the conversation.
'Surely I haven't surpassed him...'
Aiyana had lightly bronzed skin, big, bright eyes that turned greenish golden in the sun, long, dark, wavy hair and a tiny form. Despite the darker hair and complexion, her features and body type remained the same as in her first life. She often wore her hair long, with a thin rope tied around her head, crossing the middle of her forehead, as was accustomed in her tribe at the time.
She hadn't told anyone about her reincarnation. Until she discovered the reason for her resurrection, she couldn't bring herself to reveal her true nature to her fellow people. As a child, it was difficult not to seem much more advanced and brighter than the other children, even when she tried her best not to seem too obvious. Evidently, it was more than difficult trying to act like a child with the mind of an adult. Her birth parents, considering her a prodigy in spiritualistic abilities whose potential stretched far beyond what they could provide for her, brought her to the Seminoa tribe at the young age of 7 to be raised amongst other shaman.
'Well, I hear you're a very gifted young shaman, little girl'
'Yes'
'What's your name?'
'...Amaya'
'Hmmm... That's not the name you were given at birth'
'Perhaps not, but I prefer it'
'You're very bright for a 7 year old'
'...'
'"Amaya" is a foreign name here. Perhaps the name 'Aiyana' will suit you better?'
'Fine'
'Good. Nice to meet you, Aiyana. My name is Tuketu and I am the Chief of the Seminoa Tribe'
'Nice to meet you'
'And this young girl,' he said redirecting her attention to a girl, around her age, whom he motioned to come forward, 'Is Suni. I hope you two can become friends and I hope that you will enjoy being a part of our tribe. You're our family now, Aiyana...'
It's been 12 years since that day. Still, she's never seen him. Not even once did she get an indication that he was near, let alone even alive. But it didn't matter. She just knew. He was somewhere and she would meet him again someday, when the time was right. All she could do was wait, and prepare for the time when that day would arrive.
"Aiyana, Suni"
The girls turned around.
"Chief Tuketu"
"Please, come with me," he said, ushering them into a small cedar-planked home.
"What is it?" Aiyana asked as she and Suni were seated in front of their Chief.
"Well... It appears our tribe has received an offer"
"An offer..?"
"Yes, an offer by the Patch tribe... To take part in a tournament"
"A tournament?" Suni exclaimed.
'Oh no...'
"A tournament for shaman. Shaman gather from all around the world to fight in order to be crowned king of all shaman"
"King...?"
"Yes. This king will obtain powers far beyond those of any normal individual. All his wishes and dreams will be fulfilled. His will will become reality. The winner of this tournament will have the power to shape the world in any way he wants"
"Our tribe... will partake?" Aiyana asked, although she was already certain of the answer.
"Yes, Aiyana. Our shaman are strong and well-trained as fighters. It would be an honour to have one of them crowned as Shaman King"
"Well, what must we do?" Suni asked.
"Ah... Yes," Chief Tuketu looked from Suni to Aiyana, holding his gaze on the latter. "We have many men who will go and fight to bring honour to our tribe. However, it cannot be denied that you are both skilled shaman, as well. Perhaps then, you would accompany our shaman during their battles, to be both a reminder of our tribe, and the duty we have to it, as well as to dictate wisdom and faith, when needed"
"You would like us to accompany the shaman who fight but... Not fight ourselves?" Suni was incredulous.
"Correct"
"... Just because we're women, doesn't mean we are any less capable!" Suni fumed.
Aiyana stayed quiet.
"You will do as you are told, Suni. This is my wish for you both"
"But... You know Aiyana is a far more skilled shaman than any man in our tribe!" Suni stood up angrily.
Aiyana looked away. Suni looked down apologetically. Tuketu shook his head.
"Yes, Aiyana is a very skilled shaman. Which is why I need her to oversee the other shaman, not participate. This is my wish for you, Aiyana. And that is my final word, Suni. I will inform you of the first fights soon enough... You are both free to go"
They nodded and exited. The two walked alongside each other.
"You shouldn't argue, Suni. He knows best"
Suni stopped walking.
"... There has always been something about you, Aiyana. Something different about you from all of us here. Not just that you weren't born into this tribe... Something else. As though there's something hidden about you that none of us know about... It's a strange feeling I get when I think of it..."
"I... Don't know what you're talking about..."Aiyana said, as she stopped walking as well, but didn't turn around.
"Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. It was just a thought..." Suni said, trailing off.
Suni had long, dark hair down to her hips and piercing browns eyes. Her complexion was quite tanned, and her features slender and prominent. She had been Aiyana's only true friend in the tribe.
"Anyway, I have to go see Payatt" Suni called as she went a separate direction than Aiyana. Aiyana merely waved her hand to signal that she had understood. Her mind was too preoccupied to bother with words at the moment. She continued walking. By the time she arrived home, her mind was still pondering.
'The Shaman Fight... From 500 years ago... Surely, he will be there. And if his goal is the same as it was back then... Then, he must be stopped at all costs...'