27 ~Weapons~

By: Little Ucchan

Chapter 1: Pessimism or Premonition

"Even rumors have some truth to it." ~Satsuki

Darkness. That's what all ancient temples from lost civilizations had in common. They were always dark. Surrounded by a pitch-blackness that seemed to grow thicker with age, and deeper with solitude. All means of lighting the winding corridors and empty chambers had long since ceased to function. And after that, these walls can only know darkness. Emptiness… until that lone torchlight appears.

One such temple had the luck to be graced by the light of fire, the single flame burning away the cold blanket of darkness that had laid itself to rest over the edifice so many centuries ago. The light played across its once flawless structure, jumping in a gay mockery from one crevice to the next, revealing for all to see the beauty it had commanded, the heart that was put into carving its delicate features, and the sorrow of seeing such a creature fall from its moment of grace. Its time was over. But the temple has not lost its touch. After being concealed from the world's eye for so many years, now that it has been exposed, it's still able to captivate the viewer, leaving them gaping in awe and utterly breathless. Such was the state of one young man.

The torchbearer.

His eyes gleamed in almost childish delight as he walked deeper into the huge chamber that was the main entrance hall, raising the torch higher above his head in hopes of maximizing its illuminating glow. Looking around, he observed that the pillars and walls were worn down, many of its intricate designs fading away with time. Most of the stone slabs that lined the floor were either uprooted or cracked, surrounded by debris. But regardless of its tattered condition, the structure seemed surprisingly sturdy. All the pillars were still up, and even though parts of the ceiling had collapsed, the roof was still intact, sheltering its insides from Mother Nature. Yeah, this is a tough one, the man thought in admiration at how strong, or stubborn (if you want to call it that), the temple was. He really thought that the earth would have claimed it by now. Lucky for him, this veteran wasn't about to kill over just yet. But, he doubted that his companions would consider this 'lucky.'

"Hey!! Ya find anything?" a man called in his usual stentorian voice, his message easily rising over the cackling flames to reach his friend's ears.

"Oh God, I hope he hasn't," a feminine voice immediately followed, the plea in her words causing the torchbearer to chuckle lightly. Unfortunately, this action wasn't done unnoticed.

A young girl stepped out of the shadows, the light dancing over her small frame. There was an odd radiance about her, with the fire's flame accentuating her slight curves and smooth skin. It bathed her in a soft light, giving any individual present the impression of standing in front of a divine being sent from the heavens. So gentle a face, framed by a waterfall of silky light brown hair. Delicate eyebrows poised over glistening emerald orbs that brightened every time her lips curled into a smile. Only this time, those same lips were pulled tight into a frown; eyebrows crunched up and eyes swirling with what the torchbearer could identify as only one thing. Annoyance.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, slender arms crossed over her chest. "I hardly think this is funny."

While the woman waited for the torchbearer to give his response, the man who had called out earlier stepped into the light to join his friends, coming up to the female's side. He was about half a foot taller than her, which was relatively short for someone with such a strong muscular build. But it was all right. He was still an imposing figure, even if his boyish looks and jovial personality toned down his badass appearance.

"Lighten up, Suki," he said, placing his arm around her. "No need to bite your brother's head off."

"No." She flicked the larger man's hand off from where it laid on her shoulder. "I just need to break his wrist. Maybe then he'll listen to reason."

The torchbearer only flashed her a smile. "C'mon Satsuki, where's your sense of adventure?"

"About ten feet in front of the entrance, cowering in fear," she replied dryly. "Can we go back now? Please??"

"Don't be such a spoilsport."

Satsuki promptly socked the burly man in the arm. "I am not a spoilsport! I'm just scared!!"

The torchbearer shook his head. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh yeah? Well, what about those rumors we heard at Essa about this place?"

"They're rumors, Satsuki," he said evenly. "Nothing more."

"Even rumors have some truth to it," she countered.

"Satsuki…"

"Sage, please!!" she begged. "I have a really bad feeling about this!!"

The husky male, who had been silently watching the two siblings' argue, had not missed the way the girl's body trembled as she tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress the fear that had closed its iron hand over her heart. He couldn't understand for the life of him why she was afraid now. Yes, she was the easiest to scare, and, yes, she didn't like exploring dark, unknown places, but once Satsuki had gotten used to her surroundings, it's as if she's wandering around in her own backyard. All she really needed was time. But they've been in the temple for a quarter of an hour, and, compared to the girl's usual one-minute transition from paranoid to exploratory, that was far too long for her to take to calm down.

"Hey man… maybe we should go," he suggested, trying to shake off his own sense of dread at the possibility that something was in there with them that struck such terror into the hearts of mortals. "Your sister ain't normally this persistent. Not without a good reason."

Sage sighed, running his free hand through the waves in his blonde hair. Guess it's just me then.

The bigger man was surprised when, instead of getting an 'Okay, let's get out of here' like he was hoping he would, he found himself staring into the heart of the flames. "Kento, take Satsuki to the exit and wait for me there," Sage instructed, holding out the torch for the other to grab.

"But…"

"Sage, no!!" Satsuki yelled, latching on to his waist in protest. "You can't stay here by yourself!!"

He smiled gently, wrapping his free arm around her shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"How can I not worry!?" she hugged him tighter, burying her face into his chest. "You're going to stay here in this godforsaken place all by yourself with who knows what lurking around the corner ready to dice you up into little pieces and eat you for dinner and you're telling me not to worry!?" she screamed, her voice cracking on her last words as the tears began to fall down her face. But that moment of vulnerability was short lived when Satsuki felt her brother's body shake… with laughter.

Sage let out a low grunt, bending over in pain when his sister rammed an expertly trained fist into his gut.

"Sage you jerk!! How can you be so insensitive!!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry Satsuki," he apologized, a hint of mirth still in his voice regardless of the pain he felt. "It's just that…" he sighed, shaking his head in amusement as he straightened up his back. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Well for starters you can walk with us to the exit," she asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"Sage!!"

"I'm just going to have a quick look around," he said. "I'll be right behind you guys. Just give me a few minutes."

He was half expecting his sister to yell at him again, but instead she stared deep into his eyes before letting out a long resigning sigh. "I expect you to come out no less than five minutes after us, you got it?"

Sage nodded his agreement, and then looked at the young man to Satsuki's right, waiting for him to say something.

"I don't like it," he stated flatly. "But whatever floats your boat."

"I'm counting on you to watch over my sister."

Kento took the torch from Sage's hand, giving the blonde one of his cocky grins. "Hey don't worry about it. She's safe with me. But…" His eyes then wandered to the sword that was strapped to the man's belt. "…You sure the light from that glow stick of yours will be enough?"

Sage gave ~Korin~ a light pat. "It will suffice."

He looked skeptically at his friend before forcefully shrugging off any sense of uncertainly that had entered his mind. "You just be careful, alright."

"You too."

With those final words signaling the conversation's end, the two travelers left their companion behind, the darkness swallowing him whole as the torchlight drifted farther and farther away.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

So long…

It has waited so long for this. Enduring the cold, harsh treatment of the outside world and, at the same time, defending against the threat that lurked in every corner of its interior. It was weather-beaten, wounded, and weak. But it held on to life with daily-renewed vigor. Keeping hope alive for as long as possible. It would not crumble. It refused to fall. It was determined to stay strong… for that one day. That impending moment of liberation. Only then will it allow itself to rest, certain that its purpose was fulfilled.

But alas, any hope of freedom from its protective vigil died when the small torchlight that had illuminated the main hall retreated back down the passageway… back towards civilization and away from the foreboding temple structure that the small group had dared to enter. They had come so close; treading on ground that even angels would have thought twice about doing. But 'close' just wasn't good enough.

There was a dark, foreboding characteristic about the structure that enabled it to effectively ward off amateurs. Wannabe adventurers who were out only for money and fame. None had the will, the force of character, or the heart to be a real explorer. It was a shame that the world was lacking in such strong individuals. Previous 'adventurers' who had attempted to unravel the temple's secrets had only traveled three-fourths into the long, pitch-black corridor that stretched from the forest entry to the chamber before making a hasty retreat back the way they came. Most only needed to come in sight of the temple before they changed their minds and ran home in a blind panic. Dealing with cowards was a pain. And at first, this new group appeared no different than the rest.

But they were different. The band of three had passed through the supposed never-ending tunnel and had actually set foot inside the vast audience hall; a feat no mortal has ever done for centuries. But what did it mean for the temple?

Joy. Deliverance. A chance to relieve itself from the duty of protecting the treasure that lay deep within its bosom. The day had finally come!!

But it was wrong. Hope was a falsehood. They had left. And the temple was once again alone.

That is… until a faint light emerged within the temple walls in the shape of a long blade. It emitted a soft glow, pulsating in a calm, soothing manner. The brightness then climbed to its peak before releasing a flash of blinding light that had immediately spread throughout the whole room, encompassing everything in sight. And for the first time in a thousand years, the entire chamber was free from darkness.

The light slowly toned down in intensity, allowing the shadows to once again invade this sacred ground. Its range of light shrank slowly. Down till its radiance roughly covered the same distance that its predecessor, the torch, had done. Now that the sword's light was stable, set at a good level of energy output, the blade no longer burned with such a ferociously bright white. Instead it settled for its usual metallic hue, surrounded by a halo of soft pale green.

And right by this new shining beacon of hope… was a young man. The same one that had been with that group of adventurers. Only he had never left, and instead stood there watching his companions' retreating backs. He had waited silently in the dark until he was sure that they had left before unsheathing his sword and instigating that brilliant light spectacle. And now, bathed in that gentle light, every aspect of him could be seen.

There was something intriguing about him. His thin eyebrows and delicate facial features generally characterized weakness or (dare I say it) femininity in a man. But with him, it only seemed to sharpen his appearance, making him look older and more mature. And yet the blonde hair that ran wild along his face added with the few unruly strands that covered his right eye gave him the youthful rebel look. Overall, this unusual combination made him rather attractive. His height of 5'10" in conjunction with his almost lean stature would have only backed the previous assumption that he was frail. But an expertly trained eye could see the well-shaped muscles slyly concealed underneath his attire, comprised of a semi loose long-sleeved shirt and jeans. And the leather-armored breastplate he wore accompanied with the sword that hung at his waist side suggested his skill in battle. With his one visible lavender eye always narrowed into an impassive gaze, he could normally pass as a trained mercenary out on a mission instead of the wanderer-slash-freelancer that he thought himself to be.

Which was true about him? The rebel or the soldier? Well… even the person in question didn't know exactly which to choose. A peculiar man indeed.

And this person was exactly who the temple was waiting for. If possible, it would have jumped for joy as it watched the young man explore the remains of the hall. 'Finally! A true adventurer!' it seemed to exclaim. But the reason why its strength had returned and its hope renewed was due to a much deeper meaning. The temple had noticed something else. It had recognized something in him. Something the naked eye could not perceive, and only those that have seen it once in their lifetime can identify. It was an inner light. A strength from within that could only come from the pure of heart.

And if that was the case… then he was 'the one.'

Its liberator has come.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Sage shook his head, blinking a couple of times in an attempt to get rid of the spots idly floating around in his line of vision. Okay… maybe that wasn't such a good idea, he thought dizzily to himself, shutting his eyes to the now visible world around him. He'd belatedly realized, since he couldn't tell in the dark, that he had his eyes open when using ~Korin~. A big 'no no' when it involved activating the ~Weapon~'s light ability in a pitch-black room. The end result left the young man practically blind with a throbbing headache pounding at his temples. Mental note to self: Don't do that again.

Sage had to admit that he wasn't expecting the light to be that powerful. It confirmed his previous assumption that the blade was at its strongest in the absence of light. God knows how that's possible. But there was still a lot he didn't know about ~Korin~, the elemental ~Weapon~ that manifested itself in the shape of a double-edged sword. He knew that it was an heirloom passed down from generation to generation along his family lineage. He also knew, from what he remembered of his mythology class, that the sword was a relic from the great Youja'Ningen War, fought between the Goddess of the earth and the invading demon lord, Talpa. It's said that 27 of these ~Weapons~ were forged in the heat of battle, each being given its own unique qualities. And with these ~Weapons~, the Goddess was able to turn the tide of the war and vanquish Talpa forever. At least, that's how the myth goes. If it really happened or not is questionable, but the fact still remained that these ~Weapons~ did exist and were lying scattered across the earth, a constant reminder of its turbulent past.

Maybe that's why Sage had a fascination with exploring ancient ruins. He wanted to see what he could find out about ~Korin~ and the other ~Weapons~. Unraveling hidden secrets was like a pastime to him, and the world was a giant vault just waiting for someone to crack its code and get it open. And he was just the person to do it.

Having had recovered from that unpleasant aftershock, Sage held ~Korin~ up in front of him, using it as a guiding light as he walked forward. The hall had taken on a different look, mainly because the light source had switched from a blazing fierce orange to a slightly mellow shade of green. With that change, the chamber appeared darker than it was before, but a lot less hostile. The darkness somewhat mingled with the light emitting from Sage's sword, almost accepting the placid glow instead of combating it for supremacy like it had done with the fire. All in all, the temple grounds seemed a bit more at ease with the swordsman as its companion.

He smiled in amusement at the thought that the temple was enjoying his presence. Yeah, well… the feeling's mutual. He felt at home here.

Now the reason why he felt that way was beyond him. Being on the road for over a year and exploring every ancient ruin he so happened to run into along the way might have done the trick. But, as Sage climbed up the steps to the elevated platform located towards the front of the hall, he felt that there was something else. Another reason why that would explain his feeling of calm peace in this setting. And also why he seemed immune to the irrational fear that had possessed both Satsuki and Kento.

Sage decided to ask them about that later. Right now, he wanted to focus on the interior structure of the temple while he still had the time. But what he came across simply stunned him.

At the center of the platform was an altar made of marble stone… and totally unscathed. Taking a step closer to it, he couldn't identify any marring scars. Not even dust littered its surface, completely smooth and shimmering in ~Korin~'s light. If Sage didn't know any better, he'd thought that the altar was just put in today. But a quick glance at his current surroundings immediately disproved that theory.

So then… why was this object in perfect condition in spite of the decaying state of its brethren?

Sage lowered the blade of his sword closer to the altar's surface, the light slowly scanning over the stone block. As his eyes searched for some sort of clue that would lead him to an answer, he unconsciously laid his gloved hand flat on the tabletop… and received the shock of his life.

Literally.

A sudden surge of energy shot up his arm, completely catching him off guard and forcing him to released his grip on his sword. Reflexes taking over, Sage immediately retracted his hand from the marble stone while his other reached for his injured limb. He was vaguely aware of ~Korin~ clattering noisily against the altar's surface, his mind dulled by the pain that consumed his arm, right up to his biceps. His right hand held onto his wrist in a deathlike grip, squeezing hard to try and counter the energy's numbing effect and bring feeling back into his arm. But he was shaking so badly that he thought he heard his bones rattling underneath his skin!

As intense as it was, the odd feeling in his arm soon subsided, the smell of slightly scorched leather and the sound of his own raggedy breath the only reminders of what had just happened.

Sage exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling in a methodical, soothing manner until he was sure that his nerves were no longer on edge. His eyes fell back onto his hand cradled in his palm. He opened and closed his fist a couple of times before releasing his wrist and testing his muscles. There was still a small tingling feeling in his arm, but other than that everything seemed to be in order.

What was that? he asked himself, approaching the altar warily. But he never really got his answer, his mind soon occupied with something else.

Laying flat on the smooth surface was his ~Weapon~… still glowing.

That fact alone made him suspicious. ~Korin~ was never able to maintain its power once it left Sage's hand. If it did, it never lasted long.

But it was still active. Its light still strong. And right underneath the sword, where the blade touched the marble of the altar… were letters. Words. Glowing as bright as the ~Weapon~ itself.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

It took a while for Sage to snap out of his bewilderment, and even longer for him to reach out and lift the sword up from its resting place. His eyes narrowed in contemplation. The marks disappeared.

Sure enough, once his ~Weapon~ was no longer touching the surface, the lettering he saw slowly faded back into the marble till there was no visible remnant of it ever existing. An idea suddenly formulated inside his brain. Placing the edge of his sword at the end of the altar, covering its full length, he slowly ran ~Korin~ across its width, the blade scraping the marble surface. As he did so, the altar instantly flared to life, luminescent green text appearing in the sword's wake, revealing a message hidden beneath its glossy exterior.

But the message only remained exposed for a short time. Not enough for Sage to decipher the archaic print. But he couldn't stop himself from smiling, excitement gleaming in the depths of his lavender eyes. So I was right! he thought happily, exhilarated by his discovery. The altar is reacting to ~Korin~. And I'm almost certain that the energy I felt was lightning.

His thoughts, wandering back to Satsuki and ~Ailee~, only affirmed his assumption.

~Ailee~ was his sister's elemental ~Weapon~, also one of their family treasures. Fashioned as a small dagger, it didn't look like it could do much damage. That is until Satsuki found out what its real ability was… A means of calling forth lightning.

Sage snorted in distaste. Shit, she's shocked me so many times with that damn knife of hers that I'd be a fool if I didn't recognize how electric energy felt!!

Pushing the memory of his 'training' sessions with Satsuki aside, the young man devoted his energy into decoding the ancient writing lying within the marble stone. He decided to read it letter by letter since trying to translate the entire thing all at once while his grasp on the archaic language wasn't that great was just plain stupid. Let's just hope that I'm not too rusty with this.

Positioning his sword at the top left hand corner, the tip resting on where he believed the first letter to be, Sage slowly made his way across the altar. Surprisingly enough, it only took him one straight run-through to read the entire message. But so confused was he about its content that he had to read it over again.

"Darkest prison sheds the light," he spoke softly, running ~Korin~ over each line as he went along. "See through the spark of falsehood, and cast out the shadows… Then, will the eye of wisdom shine for all…" His voice trailed off at the last phrase, mind meditating over its hidden meaning. Sage knew it was some kind of riddle. A temple secret.

But what?

This was starting to frustrate him. He hated it when he couldn't figure something out.

Sage was about ready to run his blade over the words again in hopes that some epiphany might come to him when he realized how dim the light from his sword had become. Damn. I've used too much of ~Korin~'s energy. He'd have to leave now or else the sword's light won't last long enough for him to reach the exit. And stumbling blindly through the dark was not something Sage would have enjoyed.

Yet, he didn't turn around to leave. Something… had changed. He felt it in the air.

A shift of power.

Sage's back immediately stiffened, his heartbeat increasing as adrenaline was being pumped through his veins. This new power… he didn't like it at all. It was… cold. Not 'cool' cold. Not even 'icy' cold. But cold. As in the kind that can make your blood freeze over. The kind that not even standing in the hottest desert wearing ten thick layers of wool could drive out. It was the kind of coldness that could make any living being turn white as a ghost. Could hold any mortal man captive by its presence alone. The only thing that could cause such fear… without even being conscious of it.

This power… this coldness… was 'evil.'

The temple's spirit was gone. Sage knew it. He no longer had that peace. That feeling of familiarity and comfort that he had experienced earlier. It was all gone. Driven away. Replaced by this new, nefarious presence.

He shivered violently at the feel of it crawling underneath his skin, consuming every part of him, suffocating him in its bone-chilling embrace. His eyes darted to and fro, trying to locate this new presence. If he could find it, if he could see it… then there was a chance that he could kill it. But it seemed to be all around him, emanating from the walls, pounding at him from every corner. How could it have surrounded him so fast? It was almost as if it had been hiding all along. Waiting… till he was alone.

Was this the reason why his sister was so afraid of being here? Had she and Kento sense this ominous power lurking within the temple walls? Why was he oblivious to it? Why didn't he listen to them? Why didn't he leave?!

Sage felt a wave of panic wash over him, anxiety twisting restlessly in the pit of his stomach. Crap! This isn't good!

But it only got worse.

His trusty ~Weapon~… The only light source around…

…died.