Xinagu let out a small groan after Haku had told him all the information
Lin had provided. Xinagu was a very old man. With long white hair and a
beard that reached down to his waist. He may not look like much of a threat
but he was still one of the most feared people in the Spirit world. "It is
as I feared."
"What is?" Haku questioned impatiently.
Xinagu walked over to his table and sat down. "Tea?" he asked.
"Master what are you not telling me? I know you no more than you are telling me."
"Ah Haku" Xinagu chuckled while taking a small sip from his cup. "You are gifted in many areas but your patience leaves a lot to be desired. These missions I've been sending you on weren't meant to find out what was happening. More to confirm what was happening. You se---"
"You mean you knew what was going on but instead of telling me you decided it would be better to send me flying round the Spirit world for weeks?" Haku interrupted.
"I wanted to make sure I was right before telling anyone my fears. What is happening isn't just something that will blow over in a few months."
"What's going on?" Haku asked growing more and more impatient.
"Everything that is happening now: the dieing crops, the ongoing storm and all the other bad things that seem to be happening lately. They are merely the build up to something much worse." Xinagu let out another groan but this one was much deeper and longer. "It is called Darkness. It has no form, it has no feelings and it lives to destroy life."
"How do you know all this?"
Xinagu looked up at Haku. It was only now that Haku realized how run down the old man looked. "This is not the first time Darkness has been here. Thousands of years ago, when I was still a young spirit, me and a band of other warriors managed to hold it off. We couldn't kill it but by combining our power together we managed to banish it to a hell dimension. We knew that it would find its way out. But it had wiped out the entire Spirit world. By the time we banished it there was nothing left. The few survivors had to rebuild from scratch. It took many years but the spirit world was brought back to its original state."
"But if you have banished this thing before why can't you just do it again?"
Xinagu let out a deep laugh. "Oh if only it where that simple Haku. It took seven of us to banish Darkness. But it was such a hard task that four of the men died right on the spot and the remaining three where driven insane. For whatever reason I was the only one who survived. Fate picked me and I believe that it is my job to HELP destroy Darkness once and for all. I'm not the young boy I used to be. My powers are dwindling in my old age."
"Please Master you are not old. You are the most powerful Wizard in the Spirit world" Haku said reassuringly.
"That may once have been the case. But every day I feel the power leaving my body." Xinagu stood out of his chair and began walking over to a chair near the fireplace. Haku followed him. "I know I don't have long left on this world. Which is why I want to make sure that Darkness is destroyed before I die." Xinagu sat down slowly in the chair and Haku sat down in the one across. "Haku we are running out of time. Which is why I want to send you on your last mission."
"What is it I must do Master?" Haku eagerly asked. "The Higher Powers have spoken to me. They have given me the guidance that we will need if we are to stand any chance of surviving against this oncoming apocalypse. They have pointed me in the direction of a young girl. She will be important in the upcoming battle."
Haku stood up. "Where is she? I'll get her right away."
"As always it's a bit more complicated than that. The young girl lives in the Human world. I believe you've met her before" Xinagu said with a smile.
"Chihiro."
"Exactly! I need you to go get her and bring her back to the Spirit world. Don't worry about getting into the Human world. I will be able to grant you a temporary passage, but you will not have long. It requires a great deal of magic to allow a Spirit into the Human world. I have her location so you must go there and bring her back straight away."
Haku couldn't believe it. After five years he was going to see Chihiro again! His mind buzzed as he imagined what she would look like now and how she would react.
"Hey Haku" Xinagu gave him a small poke as he said this.
"Yes?" he asked as he was brought out of his daze.
"Are you ready to leave now?" Xinagu asked.
Haku's mouth curved into a grin. "You bet."
"What is?" Haku questioned impatiently.
Xinagu walked over to his table and sat down. "Tea?" he asked.
"Master what are you not telling me? I know you no more than you are telling me."
"Ah Haku" Xinagu chuckled while taking a small sip from his cup. "You are gifted in many areas but your patience leaves a lot to be desired. These missions I've been sending you on weren't meant to find out what was happening. More to confirm what was happening. You se---"
"You mean you knew what was going on but instead of telling me you decided it would be better to send me flying round the Spirit world for weeks?" Haku interrupted.
"I wanted to make sure I was right before telling anyone my fears. What is happening isn't just something that will blow over in a few months."
"What's going on?" Haku asked growing more and more impatient.
"Everything that is happening now: the dieing crops, the ongoing storm and all the other bad things that seem to be happening lately. They are merely the build up to something much worse." Xinagu let out another groan but this one was much deeper and longer. "It is called Darkness. It has no form, it has no feelings and it lives to destroy life."
"How do you know all this?"
Xinagu looked up at Haku. It was only now that Haku realized how run down the old man looked. "This is not the first time Darkness has been here. Thousands of years ago, when I was still a young spirit, me and a band of other warriors managed to hold it off. We couldn't kill it but by combining our power together we managed to banish it to a hell dimension. We knew that it would find its way out. But it had wiped out the entire Spirit world. By the time we banished it there was nothing left. The few survivors had to rebuild from scratch. It took many years but the spirit world was brought back to its original state."
"But if you have banished this thing before why can't you just do it again?"
Xinagu let out a deep laugh. "Oh if only it where that simple Haku. It took seven of us to banish Darkness. But it was such a hard task that four of the men died right on the spot and the remaining three where driven insane. For whatever reason I was the only one who survived. Fate picked me and I believe that it is my job to HELP destroy Darkness once and for all. I'm not the young boy I used to be. My powers are dwindling in my old age."
"Please Master you are not old. You are the most powerful Wizard in the Spirit world" Haku said reassuringly.
"That may once have been the case. But every day I feel the power leaving my body." Xinagu stood out of his chair and began walking over to a chair near the fireplace. Haku followed him. "I know I don't have long left on this world. Which is why I want to make sure that Darkness is destroyed before I die." Xinagu sat down slowly in the chair and Haku sat down in the one across. "Haku we are running out of time. Which is why I want to send you on your last mission."
"What is it I must do Master?" Haku eagerly asked. "The Higher Powers have spoken to me. They have given me the guidance that we will need if we are to stand any chance of surviving against this oncoming apocalypse. They have pointed me in the direction of a young girl. She will be important in the upcoming battle."
Haku stood up. "Where is she? I'll get her right away."
"As always it's a bit more complicated than that. The young girl lives in the Human world. I believe you've met her before" Xinagu said with a smile.
"Chihiro."
"Exactly! I need you to go get her and bring her back to the Spirit world. Don't worry about getting into the Human world. I will be able to grant you a temporary passage, but you will not have long. It requires a great deal of magic to allow a Spirit into the Human world. I have her location so you must go there and bring her back straight away."
Haku couldn't believe it. After five years he was going to see Chihiro again! His mind buzzed as he imagined what she would look like now and how she would react.
"Hey Haku" Xinagu gave him a small poke as he said this.
"Yes?" he asked as he was brought out of his daze.
"Are you ready to leave now?" Xinagu asked.
Haku's mouth curved into a grin. "You bet."