Chapter three
"My god sits in the back of a limousine. My god comes in a wrapper of cellophane. My god pouts on the cover of a magazine. My god's a shallow little bitch trying to make a scene."-Nine Inch Nails
"So...how did you learn you could do that?" Takiko asked tentatively, as the three of them ventured back to the camp to see what remained of their temporary home. "Or...could you always...do that to people?"
"No." Adei's hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his coat as he trailed slightly behind them, his face pale from exhaustion. "Grandmother helped me learn how to channel my abilities. The gift to resurrect, that was all it was meant to be. But it has an adverse affect on living bodies, I learned that the hard way."
"How?" One thing Takiko seemed to lack, as most young adults do, is the ability to know when -not- to ask questions. Adei seemed reluctant to answer the question, but finally he sighed and surrendered the story.
"When I was younger, and just learning about my own capabilities, I wanted to test the limitations of them. Like any kid I was stuck on the "what if" questions, what if the person was decayed, could I use it if -I- died, but the one that got me screwed was wondering what it would do to a -living- body.
"There was a girl I liked, Yduc, who was growing sick. I thought my powers included healing, miracle working in general, and I wanted to save her. So I tried...to use my powers on her. The end result was exactly like the bandit there; it was like I sucked out her life force...like an incubus. I tried...to bring her back, but it was irreversible. I -killed- her."
Adei's face contorted in anger, and his mouth was partially ajar as if he was going to add more, emphasize on the rage he felt even now, but he grew silent when he realized they had reached camp. There were no more fires raging, but the place was decrepit. Scorched tents and bodies littered the ground, a battlefield where both forces lay in eternal rest. Takiko, Ryelie, and Adei had to step over and around bodies to get to the place where everyone clustered, around Sarita's tent.
"How is she?!" Ryelie shouted when they were within hearing distance. "Is she all right?"
Some of the others glanced over at them as they neared, all of them looked disheartened, and finally one shook her head. Adei's body went rigid in horror, while Ryelie darted inside the tent, telling herself over and over mentally that it couldn't be true.
A few minutes later, the flap of the tent was pushed aside and Ryelie stepped out. She kept her head bowed, and her hair hid her face as she murmured. "Priestess...Sarita-sama wants to speak with ye before..." her voice wavered and a lump in her throat choked her off, threatened to make her cry if she spoke any more. Takiko looked from Adei to Ryelie and nodded mutely, stepping into the tent.
Trying to hide the wound that had been created when he learned of Sarita's ill condition that was only worsened when it seemed she didn't want to speak with him in her final moments, Adei turned to Ryelie and asked softly. "What did she have to say? I mean...did the two of you talk?"
"Yes..." Ryelie nodded, her eyes downcast. "She...she wants me to take her place, when she's gone. But I could never! I mean...no one could ever be our mother like Sarita-sama, I don't even want to try!"
"Takiko?"
Takiko looked up as she stepped into the tent, the cloth walls seemed sag downward, and they gave her a sense of claustrophobia. She delicately took her place beside Sarita's cot and took her hand, feeling as though it was needed at this time. "Yes...Sarita-sama."
"Call me grandmother...Adei always did."
"All right, grandmother." Takiko whispered.
"Takiko I am going to tell you something...you will not want to hear, and I am going to ask something of you that you will not want to do, but you -have- to, you have to promise me you'll do it." Her voice came as though her voice box was rusted, not at all the melodic quality it had been before, she coughed into her hand and lay her head back, staring up at the roof of the tent.
"I promise."
"Gypsies are much like pagans, we live in and with nature, so we have learned much from it. Being a gypsy is not just about thievery, dancing and jewelry, though that is probably the first impression you get...it is about communing with a power greater than you, greater than humanity, giving up your idealized shallow society in search of a deeper meaning. It is because of this, that my body, my mind...is open to learn things, like about you...and the world, and along with your arrival I have learned this world is dying.
"There is a balance to everything in nature, a spirit world to paradox the physical one, a male to parallel a female, and an evil to keep the good in check. It has always been this way, there has always been a balance, but now the scales are being tipped...and in the end this can mean only devastation.
"There are four gods for the four empires, Hokkan, Konan, Sairou, and Kutou. On the opposite are four demon-like creatures whose powers rule over the spirit world; in mythology it was always known as the underworld. Now it seems that one of those demons hungers for more than his fair share of the spirit world, he wants the physical world too. He wants to lock away Genbu and banish his powers, that was why Genbu summoned you here, because only with your help can he rid this world of the demon. Those bandits attacked not because were on their territory, but because they were being controlled...they came here to kidnap you and take you to that demon, whomever he is.
"You have to gather together the seven constellations...because until you do this world is in grave danger. Promise me you will find them..."
"I...I promise." Takiko finally managed to get her lips to work, though she could barely even register her -own- words, none of this could be real, this wasn't scientifically possible, in a world of realism and fact, this just wasn't...plausible. It couldn't be explained, it didn't make sense...
But that was the world she had left behind, and she had a feeling that in this new world almost anything was possible. She left when Sarita asked her to go fetch Adei, and didn't say a word as she watched people mill past her. Their mouths moved but she couldn't hear what they were saying, for the time she was lost in the world of her mind, and she wasn't quite sure if she was ready to leave.
Adei took his place beside Sarita and grasped her hand, kissing it as he watched her with watering eyes. He said quietly "...I will save you, grandmother."
"No, Adei...this you cannot fix, and even if you could I wouldn't wish you to. You can't reverse time, Adei, and my body is getting too old to work right anymore...my bones ache, and its getting harder to see and hear. I don't want to die unable to hear the birds or see the sunset, and I'm sure you don't want to condemn me to that kind of life." Her lips formed a tired smile as she fixed her clear blue ageless eyes on her adopted son. "It hurts so very badly now, but I couldn't go before seeing you again..."
"Please, grandmother. You rescued me...let me rescue you! I can't possibly survive alone..." His grip on her hand tightened as he buried his face in the blanket that covered her, and for a moment he was the same defenseless little boy that he had been when their paths had collided. Sarita's heart broke for her child, but she knew there was no way she could do what he was asking for her to do.
"You won't be alone Adei, this...journey, will provide many discoveries for you, that will give you a better understanding of yourself and others, and when you are through...if you wish, you may return home to the gypsies. Ryelie and the others will welcome you with open arms I'm sure. Please don't make this any harder Adei...I'll be fine, as will you...and everyone..."
Adei tilted his head up and looked at her once more, though the pleading was gone, replaced by a resigned acceptance of the fate she was speaking of. He sat up a bit straighter and leaned in, kissing her forehead with trembling lips. "I love you grandmother..."
"I love you too Adei, you were the son I was never blessed enough to have." Her eyes closed as she settled back and relaxed into the bed, her hold on Adei's hand loosening.
"Grandma!" Adei choked out a protest, but all he could do was rub his cheek against the back of her hand, there was no cheating this death, or this separation. There was no way he could bring back possibly the only person who ever had and ever would care about him like she did.
"Goodbye..."
"How is she?"
When he stepped out of the tent, the group had scattered for the most part, leaving only Takiko and Ryelie behind.
"...Dead."
"Oh Adei..." Takiko started, but he shook his head and cut her off.
"Hatsui. Adei is dead."
Ryelie blinked in confusion, but they both managed a slight nod.
"Come on priestess...we should pack up and go, we want to get to Hokkan as soon as possible, and we don't know when and if those bandits will be back."
Takiko got up and followed Hatsui to his tent, where he began to throw together several odds and ends that looked like they held more personal value than practical. She wanted to say something, anything that might help or ease the tension...but she was too scared. Hatsui once again seemed so...cold, only there was not the out of control rage that had been present before. She didn't say anything, and so Hatsui made no attempts to offer up a conversation, and the two left the camp in silence, both of them questioning exactly what would be expected of them in the future, and whether or not they could meet the standards set before them.
The road to Hokkan was a lonely one.
"My god sits in the back of a limousine. My god comes in a wrapper of cellophane. My god pouts on the cover of a magazine. My god's a shallow little bitch trying to make a scene."-Nine Inch Nails
"So...how did you learn you could do that?" Takiko asked tentatively, as the three of them ventured back to the camp to see what remained of their temporary home. "Or...could you always...do that to people?"
"No." Adei's hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his coat as he trailed slightly behind them, his face pale from exhaustion. "Grandmother helped me learn how to channel my abilities. The gift to resurrect, that was all it was meant to be. But it has an adverse affect on living bodies, I learned that the hard way."
"How?" One thing Takiko seemed to lack, as most young adults do, is the ability to know when -not- to ask questions. Adei seemed reluctant to answer the question, but finally he sighed and surrendered the story.
"When I was younger, and just learning about my own capabilities, I wanted to test the limitations of them. Like any kid I was stuck on the "what if" questions, what if the person was decayed, could I use it if -I- died, but the one that got me screwed was wondering what it would do to a -living- body.
"There was a girl I liked, Yduc, who was growing sick. I thought my powers included healing, miracle working in general, and I wanted to save her. So I tried...to use my powers on her. The end result was exactly like the bandit there; it was like I sucked out her life force...like an incubus. I tried...to bring her back, but it was irreversible. I -killed- her."
Adei's face contorted in anger, and his mouth was partially ajar as if he was going to add more, emphasize on the rage he felt even now, but he grew silent when he realized they had reached camp. There were no more fires raging, but the place was decrepit. Scorched tents and bodies littered the ground, a battlefield where both forces lay in eternal rest. Takiko, Ryelie, and Adei had to step over and around bodies to get to the place where everyone clustered, around Sarita's tent.
"How is she?!" Ryelie shouted when they were within hearing distance. "Is she all right?"
Some of the others glanced over at them as they neared, all of them looked disheartened, and finally one shook her head. Adei's body went rigid in horror, while Ryelie darted inside the tent, telling herself over and over mentally that it couldn't be true.
A few minutes later, the flap of the tent was pushed aside and Ryelie stepped out. She kept her head bowed, and her hair hid her face as she murmured. "Priestess...Sarita-sama wants to speak with ye before..." her voice wavered and a lump in her throat choked her off, threatened to make her cry if she spoke any more. Takiko looked from Adei to Ryelie and nodded mutely, stepping into the tent.
Trying to hide the wound that had been created when he learned of Sarita's ill condition that was only worsened when it seemed she didn't want to speak with him in her final moments, Adei turned to Ryelie and asked softly. "What did she have to say? I mean...did the two of you talk?"
"Yes..." Ryelie nodded, her eyes downcast. "She...she wants me to take her place, when she's gone. But I could never! I mean...no one could ever be our mother like Sarita-sama, I don't even want to try!"
"Takiko?"
Takiko looked up as she stepped into the tent, the cloth walls seemed sag downward, and they gave her a sense of claustrophobia. She delicately took her place beside Sarita's cot and took her hand, feeling as though it was needed at this time. "Yes...Sarita-sama."
"Call me grandmother...Adei always did."
"All right, grandmother." Takiko whispered.
"Takiko I am going to tell you something...you will not want to hear, and I am going to ask something of you that you will not want to do, but you -have- to, you have to promise me you'll do it." Her voice came as though her voice box was rusted, not at all the melodic quality it had been before, she coughed into her hand and lay her head back, staring up at the roof of the tent.
"I promise."
"Gypsies are much like pagans, we live in and with nature, so we have learned much from it. Being a gypsy is not just about thievery, dancing and jewelry, though that is probably the first impression you get...it is about communing with a power greater than you, greater than humanity, giving up your idealized shallow society in search of a deeper meaning. It is because of this, that my body, my mind...is open to learn things, like about you...and the world, and along with your arrival I have learned this world is dying.
"There is a balance to everything in nature, a spirit world to paradox the physical one, a male to parallel a female, and an evil to keep the good in check. It has always been this way, there has always been a balance, but now the scales are being tipped...and in the end this can mean only devastation.
"There are four gods for the four empires, Hokkan, Konan, Sairou, and Kutou. On the opposite are four demon-like creatures whose powers rule over the spirit world; in mythology it was always known as the underworld. Now it seems that one of those demons hungers for more than his fair share of the spirit world, he wants the physical world too. He wants to lock away Genbu and banish his powers, that was why Genbu summoned you here, because only with your help can he rid this world of the demon. Those bandits attacked not because were on their territory, but because they were being controlled...they came here to kidnap you and take you to that demon, whomever he is.
"You have to gather together the seven constellations...because until you do this world is in grave danger. Promise me you will find them..."
"I...I promise." Takiko finally managed to get her lips to work, though she could barely even register her -own- words, none of this could be real, this wasn't scientifically possible, in a world of realism and fact, this just wasn't...plausible. It couldn't be explained, it didn't make sense...
But that was the world she had left behind, and she had a feeling that in this new world almost anything was possible. She left when Sarita asked her to go fetch Adei, and didn't say a word as she watched people mill past her. Their mouths moved but she couldn't hear what they were saying, for the time she was lost in the world of her mind, and she wasn't quite sure if she was ready to leave.
Adei took his place beside Sarita and grasped her hand, kissing it as he watched her with watering eyes. He said quietly "...I will save you, grandmother."
"No, Adei...this you cannot fix, and even if you could I wouldn't wish you to. You can't reverse time, Adei, and my body is getting too old to work right anymore...my bones ache, and its getting harder to see and hear. I don't want to die unable to hear the birds or see the sunset, and I'm sure you don't want to condemn me to that kind of life." Her lips formed a tired smile as she fixed her clear blue ageless eyes on her adopted son. "It hurts so very badly now, but I couldn't go before seeing you again..."
"Please, grandmother. You rescued me...let me rescue you! I can't possibly survive alone..." His grip on her hand tightened as he buried his face in the blanket that covered her, and for a moment he was the same defenseless little boy that he had been when their paths had collided. Sarita's heart broke for her child, but she knew there was no way she could do what he was asking for her to do.
"You won't be alone Adei, this...journey, will provide many discoveries for you, that will give you a better understanding of yourself and others, and when you are through...if you wish, you may return home to the gypsies. Ryelie and the others will welcome you with open arms I'm sure. Please don't make this any harder Adei...I'll be fine, as will you...and everyone..."
Adei tilted his head up and looked at her once more, though the pleading was gone, replaced by a resigned acceptance of the fate she was speaking of. He sat up a bit straighter and leaned in, kissing her forehead with trembling lips. "I love you grandmother..."
"I love you too Adei, you were the son I was never blessed enough to have." Her eyes closed as she settled back and relaxed into the bed, her hold on Adei's hand loosening.
"Grandma!" Adei choked out a protest, but all he could do was rub his cheek against the back of her hand, there was no cheating this death, or this separation. There was no way he could bring back possibly the only person who ever had and ever would care about him like she did.
"Goodbye..."
"How is she?"
When he stepped out of the tent, the group had scattered for the most part, leaving only Takiko and Ryelie behind.
"...Dead."
"Oh Adei..." Takiko started, but he shook his head and cut her off.
"Hatsui. Adei is dead."
Ryelie blinked in confusion, but they both managed a slight nod.
"Come on priestess...we should pack up and go, we want to get to Hokkan as soon as possible, and we don't know when and if those bandits will be back."
Takiko got up and followed Hatsui to his tent, where he began to throw together several odds and ends that looked like they held more personal value than practical. She wanted to say something, anything that might help or ease the tension...but she was too scared. Hatsui once again seemed so...cold, only there was not the out of control rage that had been present before. She didn't say anything, and so Hatsui made no attempts to offer up a conversation, and the two left the camp in silence, both of them questioning exactly what would be expected of them in the future, and whether or not they could meet the standards set before them.
The road to Hokkan was a lonely one.