Yogen no Yuyami- Troubled Minds
Chapter- Ichi (One)
By- Shinda Kiokuryoku
On top of the stone tomb lay the body of a man. His platinum hair lay around his face, completely covering the right side. A long braid was twisted from this side of his head to lay on his bare chest, flowing to meet the rest of his hair at his waistline. The left arm of the body was laying across his chest and held an unsheathed katana. The right arm lay near to his side, the hand resting on the giant skull of a wolfos. The only thing covering his body was a long, piece of black linen that twisted around his torso and upper chest.
A woman in a long blue robe entered the room. Her hooded head scanned the body, searching for any sign of life. Finding none, though expecting it, she sighed and lit the candles that lay all around the body.
The woman moved to a stone pedestal that held a large onyx bowl. She picked out three bags from a shelf near by and a large pitcher holding water. Her hand reached into the bags and measured out some of the contents into the bowl. Half of the water in the pitcher was poured in after, then mixed with a small deku stick.
As she mixed the contents, she prayed to the three goddesses and the hidden god of her people. She prayed that the Yogensha would awaken before Ganandorf, whom she suspected to be the plotting against the country, made his move against the king and destroyed Hyrule.
It had been twenty centuries since the Yogensha had fallen into his trance. When he awoke, he promised he would be a guide through a time of troubles. All of this was remembered with despair. Where was he when the invading Hylian army killed all the Sheikah in their path? Why had he not come to save them then?
His prophecies were written in the ancient runes of the Sheikah people on the walls and the ceilings of his many chambered tomb. Runes that no Sheikah could now read- because through the long centuries they had given all to despair.
The mixture was finished. She looked at the face, neck and hands that were covered in the runes she could not read. She had learned to trace them at an early age and when she had gotten older, memorized where which rune went on the body. This had earned her the place of Niso no Shinda- a priestess of the dead.
Her robe brushed lightly against the man's skin a she dipped a cloth into the mixture of herbs and water. These were used to keep his flesh from the decay of time. Ringing the cloth out, she started to wipe the runes from the previous dawn away.
The ritual of cleansing the Yogensha's body was performed every dawn, excluding the day a Sheikah died. After the deceased one was mourned for a full day. The next dawn, the body would be cleansed anew. All would be the same as before, with the exception of one added rune to the lifeless body. This rune would have the privilege of resting over his heart until the next death.
For over two centuries now, with the death of a Sheikah, a rune from further up the body would be mimicked. That rune was then put permanently on the wall in the one hundred foot long, fifty foot wide, Chamber of Names. Soon, a new chamber would have to be found. Far too many of the immortal people had died since his time.
"Niso no Shinda," the woman stopped what she was doing and looked up. There stood a priestess from further up the caverns. "Forgive me, but the Princess of the Hylians summons you. The messenger says that she had a vision. She wishes to speak with you as quickly as you can come."
The Niso no Shinda nodded, and went back to cleansing the body. If she left as soon as the ritual was finished, she would be at the castle in two days time. "Let the messenger know I shall arrive just before the gates close in to days. And send my apprentice in. I will need to instruct her on how to care for the Yogensha until I return." With a quick bow, the woman ran off to do what she was told. When the woman was gone, the Niso no Shinda spoke to her charge.
"My lord, why do you not awake?" the words of the priestess were whispered. Tears started to run down her cheeks as she started to paint the runes on the body. "Our people need you. The sight of our prophets is dwindling. There are fewer and fewer of us every season's cycle. We need you now, more then we ever had. An evil man seeks to take control of our lands, of us. Hylian, Zora, Goron, as well as the few of your people who still live shall die if he succeeds. Even the peaceful Kokiri in their forest are slowly disappearing. We- I need your guidance. You no longer speak into my mind."
Running feet sounded down the tunnel. A novice in a gray robe stopped, surprised to see her elder crying. "My lady Impa, what is wrong? Is it the Yogensha?" the fear was clear in her voice. "Is he-"
"No!" Impa snapped at the gray robed girl. "He is not dead. I only fear the end of all is coming. He has stopped speaking to me." She wiped away her tears, and completed the final rune on the cold body.
"I must go away for some time. The Hylian's princess has summoned me. She has had another vision. I need you to care for the Yogensha while I am away." As Impa continued speaking, together the two cleaned the bowls and brushes. "You know almost as well as I how to care for him. The herbs you need are well stocked and if you should need more, the boy who wishes he was Dampe shall fetch them for you."
"Thank you my lady. I shall try my best to do as well as you." Impa looked at the girl and nodded.
They went into the next chamber and moved two large pots of perfumed oil into the previous chamber. More were moved until there was a pot in each of the seven corners of the room. All but one of the candles were put out, and this last one was used to light the oil in the pots. The same was done in the Chamber of Names.
The two women placed new candles around the body to be burned when the next dawn came. Impa picked up a pile of torches as the girl put the half used candles in two bags, handing one to Impa and putting the other over her shoulder.
Together, they started the long accent up the stairs. The Stair of Ages was a steep, two thousand step journey to the lower chambers of the Shadow Temple. As they went, old torches had to be replaced every so often with the new they carried.
When the lower chambers were finally reached, the girl and Impa went their separate ways. They bid one another luck with their duties and left. Impa to prepare for her journey; the girl to her studies.
A short time later, Impa had changed into traveling gear. Her horse was ready as well has her things packed. Death Mountain was smoking angrily as she mounted her horse. Perhaps these visions that had been occurring to Zelda were from her lord. She hoped they had a way to save this world she knew and loved. Impa spurred her horse taking off at top speed. Time was against them, they must hurry.
Two hours before dawn the next day, the gray robed girl started down the steep stairs. She had three of the Sheikah boys from the village help her carry jars of oil down to replenish the large ones in the holy chambers. The girl also planned on having them help her clean these chambers and change the torches on their way back. She was so proud of her foresight. She started to hum pleasantly to herself, the boys looking at her strangely the entire time.
When they reached the bottom, she was still humming with pride. Impa would be so proud of her. They passed the well lit Chamber of Names, the boys marveling at the sight of the yellow light dancing against the gray stone and blue runes. This made the girl even prouder. She was able see this every dawn, how privileged she was!
When they entered the Yogensha's chamber, she stopped to let the boys enter first. She closed her eyes and listened. After a few moments, not hearing the awed sounds she expected from the village boys, she opened her eyes. And screamed.
Chapter- Ichi (One)
By- Shinda Kiokuryoku
On top of the stone tomb lay the body of a man. His platinum hair lay around his face, completely covering the right side. A long braid was twisted from this side of his head to lay on his bare chest, flowing to meet the rest of his hair at his waistline. The left arm of the body was laying across his chest and held an unsheathed katana. The right arm lay near to his side, the hand resting on the giant skull of a wolfos. The only thing covering his body was a long, piece of black linen that twisted around his torso and upper chest.
A woman in a long blue robe entered the room. Her hooded head scanned the body, searching for any sign of life. Finding none, though expecting it, she sighed and lit the candles that lay all around the body.
The woman moved to a stone pedestal that held a large onyx bowl. She picked out three bags from a shelf near by and a large pitcher holding water. Her hand reached into the bags and measured out some of the contents into the bowl. Half of the water in the pitcher was poured in after, then mixed with a small deku stick.
As she mixed the contents, she prayed to the three goddesses and the hidden god of her people. She prayed that the Yogensha would awaken before Ganandorf, whom she suspected to be the plotting against the country, made his move against the king and destroyed Hyrule.
It had been twenty centuries since the Yogensha had fallen into his trance. When he awoke, he promised he would be a guide through a time of troubles. All of this was remembered with despair. Where was he when the invading Hylian army killed all the Sheikah in their path? Why had he not come to save them then?
His prophecies were written in the ancient runes of the Sheikah people on the walls and the ceilings of his many chambered tomb. Runes that no Sheikah could now read- because through the long centuries they had given all to despair.
The mixture was finished. She looked at the face, neck and hands that were covered in the runes she could not read. She had learned to trace them at an early age and when she had gotten older, memorized where which rune went on the body. This had earned her the place of Niso no Shinda- a priestess of the dead.
Her robe brushed lightly against the man's skin a she dipped a cloth into the mixture of herbs and water. These were used to keep his flesh from the decay of time. Ringing the cloth out, she started to wipe the runes from the previous dawn away.
The ritual of cleansing the Yogensha's body was performed every dawn, excluding the day a Sheikah died. After the deceased one was mourned for a full day. The next dawn, the body would be cleansed anew. All would be the same as before, with the exception of one added rune to the lifeless body. This rune would have the privilege of resting over his heart until the next death.
For over two centuries now, with the death of a Sheikah, a rune from further up the body would be mimicked. That rune was then put permanently on the wall in the one hundred foot long, fifty foot wide, Chamber of Names. Soon, a new chamber would have to be found. Far too many of the immortal people had died since his time.
"Niso no Shinda," the woman stopped what she was doing and looked up. There stood a priestess from further up the caverns. "Forgive me, but the Princess of the Hylians summons you. The messenger says that she had a vision. She wishes to speak with you as quickly as you can come."
The Niso no Shinda nodded, and went back to cleansing the body. If she left as soon as the ritual was finished, she would be at the castle in two days time. "Let the messenger know I shall arrive just before the gates close in to days. And send my apprentice in. I will need to instruct her on how to care for the Yogensha until I return." With a quick bow, the woman ran off to do what she was told. When the woman was gone, the Niso no Shinda spoke to her charge.
"My lord, why do you not awake?" the words of the priestess were whispered. Tears started to run down her cheeks as she started to paint the runes on the body. "Our people need you. The sight of our prophets is dwindling. There are fewer and fewer of us every season's cycle. We need you now, more then we ever had. An evil man seeks to take control of our lands, of us. Hylian, Zora, Goron, as well as the few of your people who still live shall die if he succeeds. Even the peaceful Kokiri in their forest are slowly disappearing. We- I need your guidance. You no longer speak into my mind."
Running feet sounded down the tunnel. A novice in a gray robe stopped, surprised to see her elder crying. "My lady Impa, what is wrong? Is it the Yogensha?" the fear was clear in her voice. "Is he-"
"No!" Impa snapped at the gray robed girl. "He is not dead. I only fear the end of all is coming. He has stopped speaking to me." She wiped away her tears, and completed the final rune on the cold body.
"I must go away for some time. The Hylian's princess has summoned me. She has had another vision. I need you to care for the Yogensha while I am away." As Impa continued speaking, together the two cleaned the bowls and brushes. "You know almost as well as I how to care for him. The herbs you need are well stocked and if you should need more, the boy who wishes he was Dampe shall fetch them for you."
"Thank you my lady. I shall try my best to do as well as you." Impa looked at the girl and nodded.
They went into the next chamber and moved two large pots of perfumed oil into the previous chamber. More were moved until there was a pot in each of the seven corners of the room. All but one of the candles were put out, and this last one was used to light the oil in the pots. The same was done in the Chamber of Names.
The two women placed new candles around the body to be burned when the next dawn came. Impa picked up a pile of torches as the girl put the half used candles in two bags, handing one to Impa and putting the other over her shoulder.
Together, they started the long accent up the stairs. The Stair of Ages was a steep, two thousand step journey to the lower chambers of the Shadow Temple. As they went, old torches had to be replaced every so often with the new they carried.
When the lower chambers were finally reached, the girl and Impa went their separate ways. They bid one another luck with their duties and left. Impa to prepare for her journey; the girl to her studies.
A short time later, Impa had changed into traveling gear. Her horse was ready as well has her things packed. Death Mountain was smoking angrily as she mounted her horse. Perhaps these visions that had been occurring to Zelda were from her lord. She hoped they had a way to save this world she knew and loved. Impa spurred her horse taking off at top speed. Time was against them, they must hurry.
Two hours before dawn the next day, the gray robed girl started down the steep stairs. She had three of the Sheikah boys from the village help her carry jars of oil down to replenish the large ones in the holy chambers. The girl also planned on having them help her clean these chambers and change the torches on their way back. She was so proud of her foresight. She started to hum pleasantly to herself, the boys looking at her strangely the entire time.
When they reached the bottom, she was still humming with pride. Impa would be so proud of her. They passed the well lit Chamber of Names, the boys marveling at the sight of the yellow light dancing against the gray stone and blue runes. This made the girl even prouder. She was able see this every dawn, how privileged she was!
When they entered the Yogensha's chamber, she stopped to let the boys enter first. She closed her eyes and listened. After a few moments, not hearing the awed sounds she expected from the village boys, she opened her eyes. And screamed.
