Into Pahór

a.d.r.i.l.e.y.

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree,

Or just a stronger child than me?

-The Wind (an excerpt), Robert Louis Stevenson

Chapter Two

The long, supple masts of the skyship Hopecatcher quivered with every gust of wind that came whirling through the Pahór skies. The dawn was over, and morning had arrived, yet the misty horizon provided no view of the sun.

"Sir, it looks like our course is blocked by the westerlies!" called a man, from the crow's nest.

The tall, bumbling Ryu scrambled down from the ship's topmost point, fumbling with the ropes and knots. He was an able, but painfully clumsy man, quick of speech, but slow of wit. It was common belief among others that the captain kept him for his sharp eyes.

"Those aren't the westerlies, you snothead!" retorted Bregoo, the steersman of the day.

He shivered ruefully under his worn jacket, stuffed with seagull feathers. The old, sometimes eccentric man had an eye—or rather, a touch for the wind, and was the first man to be recruited on the Hopecatcher.

"Cant ye tell a northing gust from a west one? Thiss'un has the White Peaks written all over it!" The old man spat at the younger one with contempt.

"What do you know?" shot back Ryu, clearly offended. "I was talking to the Cap'n!"

"More than you do." Cackled Bregoo, through his broken smile.

He turned back to the wooden steering wheel, a wary eye cast on the grey clouds that drifted soulfully on the horizon, not unlike the lazy seal cows that Bregoo had used to hunt, when he had once been young…

Soon, long, purposeful strides were heard through the echo of the wooden planks. Ryu turned sharply to the left, just as Bregoo guided the ship into a thick wad of moist, white cloud.

The old man heard Ryu talk.

"Captain…the westerlies— !" But he was cut off, much to the steersman's delight.

"It's a Northern wind, Ryu." There was a hint of amusement in the deep, rich voice of the man. "The smell of it has White Peaks written all over it."

Bregoo couldn't help his meaningful cough, the old man's version of "I told you so." This earned him a sharp glance from the captain.

Captain Hiko Kyouyama gazed serenely at the white and grey clouds, drifting peacefully on Pahór's magnificent skyline. He sensed a slight tension brought by the winds this morning, but was not troubled by it. The Hopecatcher was nearing its destination; and it had been the first untroubled voyage that his crew had had, since the encounter with the Horse Kings of the desert.

"All's well, then?"

A tap of a wooden arm, and a nod. The tap from Bregoo, and the nod from Ryu.

"I see."

Hiko was a tall man, with a good build, and tanned, weather-beaten skin. In his dark eyes you would only see dreams of conquering the vastness of the stars, as his long, dark hair whipped with the turbulence of the dancing winds.

Pit—

Patter—

Patt—

Pitter—

Pat.

Presently, another set of footfalls were heard by the three men on deck. Lighter now, and Hiko smiled slightly, as he knew who exactly it was.

Stop.

Thump.

"Father?"

Anna.

With a graceful air, the man turned to the ten-year old girl, who had a frown written on her face.

Ah, he thought with delight. And pride. A true child of the winds.

"Anna. Good morning." He greeted, ruffling her sun-coloured hair.

"Father," repeated the girl, tying a red sash over her head. "When are we going to reach Little Haven?"

At this, Hiko cast a long glance out at the darkening sky.

"Soon." Was all he said.

"Aye." Agreed Bregoo, his eyes telling of a storm to come. "Soon indeed, young lass."

Miffed, Ryu chose to ascend back to the crow's nest, since, he thought, he was not wanted here. Hiko stifled a chuckle.

He stopped, when another wind tunnelled past, prompting Bregoo to curse loudly.

"Son of a Widroogin!" he spat ruefully, bumpy hands clutching the wheel.

In the distance, a peculiar whirring sound was heard, perhaps like that of a large aircraft, but stronger, and strangely, more whiplike.

"I suggest you go and ask Mrs. Delia for the schedule of today's meals." Said Hiko to Anna, a tone of warning hidden in his voice.

The girl sensed it, and stiffened, wondering what her dad's problem was. She was even more surprised when Bregoo backed the Captain up.

"Aye. You do that, girl." He intoned darkly, never taking his eyes off the skyscape, as the whirring sound grew louder.

Anna nodded, and left for the kitchens.

…………………………………………......

When the girl was out of earshot, Hiko asked Bregoo a question.

"Do you think we'll survive it?" he asked, indicating the source of the whirring sound.

The old man shook his head, as he spun the wheel.

"It's too large. Iffem not mistaken, Cap, that's e' legendary wind serpent, Leviathan."

Hiko's frown deepened, when he heard Bregoo's words.

"Indeed?"

…………………………………………….

On a nice morning, Keiko was as usual, a calm and kind lady; making other men envy the woodcutter for his charming wife. But on some days, when everything harasses the poor woman to no end, such as a group of foreigners requesting lodging on the March of Eve, surely even a person as firm and gentle as she can get cranky.

And that was the case, that painfully wonderful morning.

…………………………………………….

"YOH! GET UP AND SERVE THE GUESTS!"

The shrill voice of Mrs. Asakura shattered the warm and fuzzy atmosphere of the sleeping boy's room, making him jolt up in surprise, and on instinct, groggily reach for his headphones and walkman. All was still stained with the aftermath of a lonog, sound sleep, the only cure of which, was Yoh's mother's voice.

"I'll be there…in a minute, mother," he yawned, his voice still rough with sleep.

Slowly, Yoh crawled out of the welcoming warm blankets of his soft, soft bed. His feet started at how uncommonly cold the wooden floor seemed to be, as he stretched leisurely.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAhh—"

"YOH!"

The boy grinned at how worked-up his mother was, as he slipped into his clothes. And then, the reason dawned on him. Of course, he reminded himself. It'is the second day of the March of Eve.

"YOOOOOOOOH!"

A sigh.

"Coming…"

Pretty soon, Yoh was changed and awake, walking out of his bedroom, to face a usually laid-back woman, who could now be mistaken for an angry bull.

Pink in the face, the slight frame of his mother was rigid with impatience. Her shrill words rang into the boy's ears as he passed her by, rushing as quickly as possible to serve their esteemed guests her homemade cinnamon porridge.

"Morning, mom." Said Yoh, smiling easily.

The woman sighed in defeated exasperation at how calm her son could be when it came to times like these. But that was Yoh—quick of wit, and with an easy smile.

Maybe Mrs. Asakura didn't express it at that moment, but she would not have her son any other way.

The small kitchen of their humble cottage was cluttered, as guests prepared to have their breakfast. A group of merchants had come to inquire on lodging at the woodcutter's house, and the man had been too…polite to decline. At least, that's what Mrs. Asakura thought.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Yoh climbed the steps up to the loft, which his father had arranged into a makeshift guestroom. The five merchants were already there; conversing, lighting their heavy-scented incense sticks, and awaiting the first meal of the day.

Mr. Borealis was not a very demanding person. Fair of skin and slight of build, he was seven and thirty years of age, and yet, people told him that he only looked like two and twenty.

Of course, Mr. Borealis was one of modesty, and when complimented, would never make a big thing out of it. But a curious trait about this man was his extreme determination—when he wanted something, Mr. Borealis would get it, and that was that.

Right now, however, Mr. Borealis wanted his breakfast, and finally got it when that lazy woodcutter's son appeared in the doorway with a tray loaded with five bowls of steaming porridge that smelled of cinnamon, as well as a loaf of soft bread; crunchy on the outside, but wonderfully soft on the inside, and creamy to the taste.

Yoh grinned as he set the tray down at the low wooden table his father had put there for the guests.

"Here are your breakfasts, sirs." He said cheerily.

"It's about time." Agreed Mr. Borealis, grabbing a spoon.

"What be the bill, sonny?" inquired a very tall merchant, whose beard seemed to defy proportion.

"Uh…" Yoh stopped for a moment as he tried to recall what his mother had yelled at him a few seconds ago, before he had accidentally spilled one of the bowls, and had to return to the kitchen to get another one.

"Um, well…you see…"

You tried to remember, he really did…but there are just some things that really slip your mind sometimes. And in his case, it was the bill.

One of the merchants sat back, and lit a cigarette. The butt, which was beginning to char, glowed a bit, with some orange and red flecks, here and there.

But even that sorry excuse for a light was good enough for Yoh. Staring at the cigarette hard, he suddenly remembered…

"That'll be three and sixty sarii." He suddenly said, and Mr. Borealis, thinking the fare a cheap price, merely nodded and reached for his silk magenta wallet.

The man with the cigarette was staring at Yoh hard.

"Here."

Mr. Borealis dropped the silver coins into the boy's open palm. Yoh grinned and thanked him, and was about to leave…

"You there, boy." Interrupted a deep voice, aimed at Yoh.

Surprised, he turned around to face the merchants again.

"Sir?"

The man with the cigarette puffed a bit more, before crushing the tobacco product between his forefinger and thumb. Yoh watched the bits of burning paper fall onto the floor of the loft, burn a little brighter, and then vanish.

"How old are ye?" the man asked.

"Ten." The brown-haired boy was beginning to feel a tad uncomfortable around these men, but shook the feeling off.

The merchant nodded, and turned to Mr. Borealis, throwing the other man a meaningful look.

"Not bad." He said.

Mr. Borealis nodded.

"Not bad indeed."

Yoh, not sure of what was going on, and whether their words had anything to do with him, headed for the door at the fastest rate within the boundaries of politeness.

When Mr. Borealis looked up, the door thudded to a close.

He chuckled, and reached for his mahogany pipe, a curious object that he had gotten near the coast of Norway.

"He's a bit naïve, though." He said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The cigarette man just nodded, preferring to stay silent.

Mr. Borealis sighed.

"Give the boy a few more years, and we'll see."

……………………………………………………………

The white waves of light came towards Bregoo so fast, that for a fleeting instance, he didn't know where he was and what in heaven's name he was doing.

All that mattered was the creature—that horrible, demonic creature, roaring towards them at Godspeed…

"Bregoo!! Steer sideways! LEFT!!!" a hoarse voice tried to overpower the noise of the hurricane, but to no avail.

The old skyfarer struggled to follow the captain's orders, his good ear straining to hear over the howling roar of the oncoming winds.

Sharp…so sharp, like knives…knives that could kill.

"BREGOO!!!"

A loud crash was heard, and the thundering, earsplitting scream of Leviathan rocked the whole body of the Hopecatcher, making it jerk precariously in the air.

All men who were on deck were brought to their knees; not in prayer, but in agony. They clutched madly at their ears, bloodied and torn by the intensity of the windstorm that the legendary serpent had brought with it.

Hiko, panicked and almost driven to madness, managed to hold on to a scrap of sanity himself. He crawled over the wooden planks of the deck, clawing at the cracks with his sunburnt fingers, as the ship was getting more and more vertical by the second.

There was only one thought that entered his mind, and that was to get out of this storm, and drift to the safety of Little Havens.

And one more thing…

Hiko launched himself up with a skyfarer's agility, and scrambled to the steering wheel, where the old man lay screaming in unconfined agony. His eyes were bulging, and Bregoo's old, knotted hands pointed to the sky in front of them…

And for a moment, Hiko glanced at what he was pointing at.

And then he froze.

There, an angled, white head of swirling wind was hurtling towards them at a speed so fast that it was only a blur in Hiko's hawklike eyes. The creature's head was like that of a dragon; white, with blue eyes. Its body extended for miles across the giant expense of grey sky, and with him, Leviathan brought the tearing winds.

Leviathan…

The Lord of all Wind Serpents.

And then, Hiko thought of Anna, and only Anna, before the beautiful and terrible creature reached for the small skyship, and tore the captain apart with its claws.

Blood flecked the pure air.

Hiko screamed.

………………………………………………...

When Anna felt the ship rock sideward and then jerk violently, she knew something was wrong. Looking around violently, the girl wondered what was going on above. Anna cursed mentally for letting her father order her to spend the day with the cook—all she did was talk relentlessly…and, well, cook.

Mrs. Delia was chattering about Willow bark's healing properties, when the captain's daughter said something very rude to her.

"Shut up."

At this, the plump woman jerked her head up in indignation.

"Why, that's no way to talk to your elders, young woman!" Delia reached out to slap Anna on the cheek, before the girl caught the older woman's hand swiftly, and pushed it to the side violently.

"There's something wrong on deck." Anna told Delia. "I have to go up there."

The cook looked miffed. "You'll do no such thing. The captain told me to keep you down here!"

Her shrill voice was brought to a shriek by the tearing, whirling sound of the cold north winds. Delia realized that the kitchen door had swung open, revealing a nearly vertical deck, and that Anna was nowhere in sight.

"THE NERVE OF THAT—EEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!"

Before the fat woman had time to finish cursing Anna, the boat reared to an angle at which she slipped across the floor of the kitchen, and crashed headfirst into a rack full of her best chopping knives.

………………………………………………

"FATHER!!"

Anna's dark eyes widened in horror, as she saw the lifeless body of Hiko sprawled and bloodied across the deck. Beside him was a mad Bregoo, screaming with insanity, and tearing his grey hair out.

Before Anna had time to react, she saw it.

The Serpent-Lord reared up, showing its white head, and thundering menacingly. The girl on deck took the sight in, but not without noticing the bloodstains on Leviathan's right claw.

Slowly, it all began to sink in, amidst the death, the wind, the noise and the destruction around her.

Anna's face began to contort with rage, as her knuckles grew white with the tightness of her fists.

"father…" her voice came out softer than a windchime, but then, thundered to a horrifying volume.

"YOU!!!!" she bellowed, although her noise was no match for the wind.

"YOU KILLED HIM!!!!"

Her face a mask of fury and gathering amount of irrepressible rage, dark shapes began to form before her, sharp and fleeing; shadows.

Leviathan paid no heed to the child with the murderous gleam in her eyes, and instead, tore at the ship with such force and accuracy, that it spun wildly in the air.

A deep contentment rumbled in the white-scaled throat of its. Her head whirling with resentment, pain from the frigid blasts of staggering wind, and unbridled wrath, Anna barely understood that Leviathan was speaking to her.

Destroy I, hated one.

For killed my brethren has he.

Anna felt herself slipping down the deck. Panicked, she held on to the wood—the ropes…anything that could support her.

The girl felt the cutting cold tear at her bare shoulders. A flash of red appeared before her.

Wind can cut flesh.

And then, before she had time to scream, Anna fell.

Sleep…

It eludes me.

The girl caught in the roots of the beech tree stared upwards through half-lidded eyes, as the last rays of the sun caught the deep green leaves of the towering trees. She hurt all over, and wondered if she was going to die there, or if something was coming to eat her…

But it didn't matter…because she had lost everything.

At this thought, a dark, angular shape separated from her, crawling along the ground, until it vanished. The girl watched it disappear into the growing darkness of the forest, and sobbed inwardly.

She was losing them, one by one…all of her precious shadows.

The girl closed her eyes, and tried to pretend that everything had been a dream.

That she was lying asleep in her bunk in the cabin, and that breakfast was going to be served.

And her father would knock gently on her door, to wake her up…

Her father…

Kyouyama Hiko.

Anna's frail body shook violently, as sobs made their way up her throat, choking her, and disappearing. Hot, salty tears coursed down her smooth pale cheeks.

She missed him.

………………………………………………

The old woman continued through the forest, humming and looking sharply for berries. Her dark glasses glimmered in what little orange light the trees let through. The wicker basket that she clutched in her hand was getting heavier by the berry, but it was still light for her to drag along.

"Light's dimming…" she mused to herself, but not uneasily.

A few more steps, here and there, until she heard the light sobbing of a young girl. The woman's ears perked up.

"What? What on earth could that be?"

Slowly but surely, the old woman stepped over the invading roots of a rather out of place oak, and hastened her pace to where the sobbing came from.

………………………………………………

Deep in the forest, in a small bit brightly-lit cottage, an old man sighed, in his rocking chair. The candle beside him flickered in response, as a small brown cat curled in the druid's lap. The man petted the creature absently for a while, before returning to his reading: the ancient scrolls of Pahón.

"I wonder when Kino will get here." He muttered.

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Notes:

Yay! Chapter two has finished. Thank you for the reviews, guys, especially to Bunni Girl. Your advice really helped, and I hope I can work hard on this story. I think I'm going to have quite a bit of trouble in the future keeping the characters' personality right…but, oh well. U

PS

Did I manage the angst? I think I'll switch the genres to action/adventure/romance soon. Maybe. :P