Chapter 3 Lanzii
They were dressed as normal wanderers, yet if you looked really close you could see the differences. Chihiro was walking beside Kohaku. They were hoping to reach Lanzii before night would fall, there they could bye Dinkes that would help them on their search. Well, of course they could have ridden on either Deko or Xing, but they wanted to know were the phoenixes lived, and by scaring witnesses away would make things worse. They couldn't go there like a huge salamander or a giant tiger. Everyone would panic and flee. They wanted to see if someone had seen any phoenix, or had any clue on where they lived.
Yet they weren't walking unprepared. Before they had left they had each received something from the armoury. She looked over at Lin, who was wearing a bow and a quiver. She also had a knife if it would ever be needed. Xing, the earth spirit was wearing a long stick, made of some kind of hard wood. He mostly used it as for a walking stick. Deko, the robust fire spirit was carrying a large heavy sword and a large shield. Like fire he was temperamental when he was angry and peaceful when he was calm. She wasn't wearing any kind of armoury, even if she had been asked. The same was for Kohaku, but mainly it was because he would on no circumstances be able to survive through a battle, and their hope didn't lie in battling, so instead they trusted their weary feet and their luck, if they ever had some.
"How do you feel, Kohaku?" She asked worried. He looked tired from all the walking.
"I'm all right, don't worry about me!"
She smiled back, but was still worried. If she would see any more signs of weariness she would immediately be there to help him. She was worried, Kohaku wouldn't show any signs of weariness, he was too stubborn for that.
Deko waved his arms in impossible gestures.
"He says we're not far from Lanzii now, we just have to walk through the red forest and we'll be there."
Xing, who had been quiet most of the walk stumbled.
"Not in there, not in there."
He suddenly said something that would make anyone bewildered.
"Souregnad si ti. Ereht ni og t'nod esaelp"
"What did he say?" Chihiro asked Lin.
"The forest is dangerous and he don't want to enter. It's fine, nothing would happen as long as we all stay together."
Deko made some swift gestures.
"I see," Kohaku said.
He turned to Lin.
"There are a herd of dead spirits here, we better be careful and don't make to much noise."
"What are dead spirits?" Chihiro asked.
"Spirits who have no home, and felt so bad they just gave away their lives. Now, they are cursed to be dangerous spirits." Kohaku answered.
What makes them so dangerous?"
"They take other spirits lives and turn them into new dead ones. I was close to become one."
"Well, I'm relieved you didn't."
After minutes they reached the forest, and Chihiro could understand why it was called the red forest. In every tree hung small jewels that shined with a red light making everything look red. The small jewels hung in strains of twisted spider web. Chihiro looked at it in awe.
"It's so beautiful" she said.
Xing stepped up behind her.
"These are placed here by Wind spirits, they are really caring spirits who usually help travellers. If we follow this trail we will probably be safe from the dead ones."
Chihiro nodded, yet she still felt uneasy. She didn't like the calm peace of the forest, there were nothing that could ensure them of that the Wind spirits still guarded the trees. She had her thoughts, but kept them for herself.
Kohaku walked beside her again, he too looked worried.
"Something is not right, I've met dozens of Wind spirits and wherever they are theirs always a special sent in the air, but now there is nothing."
"I know what you mean, it's a bit too quiet for a forest, usually there's a lot of sounds echoing but here's too quiet. I have also this feeling of us being watched."
"You know, you might be right, but if that's so we should better be prepared. I'll go warn Lin."
He hurried away after the woman. Chihiro looked after him, worried. He didn't want to show how hurt he had been, but she knew. He had felt so lost when they had been separated, she had felt so too. Sometimes it was like if the two of them had some kind of connection making the other one read you as an open book.
She looked at Lin, who was talking swiftly with Kohaku, before saying something to Deko, who too looked worried. She walked up at them.
"What's happening."
"We are being watched, by those dead things. So much for secretes and privacy."
She took her bow in one hand and a long arrow in the other. Deko loosened his sword. Xing didn't do anything, he already had his staff in his hand.
And as sudden they heard an ice cold howl, coming from a dead spirit, who had targeted them, but his howl was cot of short by one of Lin's arrows.
Kohaku, you and Chihiro climb up on one of those trees, we'll call you down when it's safe again.
Kohaku nodded and helped Chihiro up a nearby tree, before climbing up himself. When the two of them was out of sight the dead spirits came, they could see them through the leaves, yet the dead ones didn't look dead. They looked very similar to wolves, yet their eyes were blood red and even if their furs received deep cuts from the defenders sword and arrows, there was no blood to be seen. But still, they weren't immortal, thankfully.
Chihiro looked puzzled at Kohaku.
"They have no lives any longer" he answered in a low whisper. "They can't bleed."
"But they can die, must be awful with not being whole, only being a empty thing."
Kohaku looked puzzled at her, yet neither of them said anything more.
After further minutes Lin called them down. She had small cuts here and there, but nothing worse. On the ground lay over a dozen of dead spirits.
Xing was still beating on one of the heads with his staff. Chihiro looked away. If she must look at that she would surely not be able to see another fight again, and they still had a long way of dangers ahead.
Deko made some gestures and Lin nodded.
"We've better get moving. The sent of dead will lead more of these spirits to us and then they could be many hundred. We don't want another meeting, do we?"
Chihiro shook her head and the small group hurried of. Howl from the dead ones could be heard, but they didn't see any more of them.
The Phoenix of Destiny had closely watched them and his heart was relieved when he saw that they had made it, at least through the first step. But he was suddenly interrupted by a voice, a woman's voice.
"Sitting there dozing and sleeping. We could use some help with that overflowed cave you know!" the Phoenix of Water said.
The Phoenix of Destiny didn't move.
"What is it, has something happened, something that is bothering you?"
"She is back, and she is trying to find us."
"Your not serious!"
"I've seen her presence for quite a while now. She's looking for us."
Yubaba was sitting at her golden desk, fingering on a small iron ring with a Rubin on it. 'Who will be my next prey, I need more of this.' She thought. As suddenly the door opened and a young Wind spirit entered.
"Your bath is ready, mam'." He said.
She smiled victorious.
"Oiniva, could you wear this for me?"
The small iron ring flew right up and settled itself on the wind spirits hand. Poor Oiniva felt the stinging, yet he didn't know the fate that had sealed itself when it touched him.
Kohaku felt the familiar stinging and he breathed harshly. He was afraid, he had never felt this weak before, not even when his river had been destroyed. He wanted more than anything to let all of this to be a nightmare, but it wasn't. It was for real. The thing that most grieved him was that he never would see Chihiro again, if things went to the way he especially didn't want them to go. Destiny had answered his preys, but fate had chosen another path for him. They didn't have a long time together.
A tear trickled down his cheek when he thought in these ways. Death wasn't something he was frightened of, but the sorrow and lost was something he would never be able to live with. He knew that, been waiting for her for a such a long time.
Chihiro looked worried at him. He was so lost, she knew how his life had been waiting. It must have been terrible knowing you no longer had the strength of getting to her world, maybe not be able to see her again, ever. She had missed him so...
Lin looked at the two of them, sighing. Both of them had a inner wish they even didn't want to listen to themselves, but for her it had been like if they had shouted them out. She wondered if they would ever be able to tell each other.
Xing was taking the lead as they slowly had reached the end of the forest. They had walked mostly of the day and the sun was descending. The sundown was beautiful over the valley they had reached. Lanzii lay in a deep valley, by a large blue lake.
"Finally!" Lin said. "I was starting to worry that we would never see proper day light again.
Chihiro giggled as her old friend picked out leaves and small pieces of branches that were stuck in her long hair.
Deko made some gestures.
"You mean there's a good inn down there." Chihiro said finally understanding what the fire spirit had meant.
Deko nodded vigorously. She had been absolutely right.
Chihiro smiled. For once his gestures wasn't a mystery towards him.
The streets of Lanzii were, as Chihiro discovered them, crowed. At least the big broad ones. They pasted some smaller one were it looked like no one ever entered. Chihiro kept close to Kohaku, who had his hand in hers so she wouldn't get lost. It was so crowded that would have been an easy task.
"This way" Xing said translating Deko's gestures. He says that the inn lies on this small street over here.
Chihiro and Kohaku walked over to them. The street they were about to enter looked very much deserted, except for the small light coming from one of the windows. There was a sign hanging from the wall that said 'The Old Oak the best food and drink for over ten miles from here.'
Deko lead them on knocked at the door five times. The door opened, but there was no one to be seen who had opened it. Chihiro entered, closely followed by Kohaku.
Behind a large bar stood the innkeeper, a woman with big gold earrings and large ears. She smiled at them. Deko made some gestures and the woman nodded, taking a lamp and some keys she led them up the stairs. But when Chihiro passed a small dwarf he took her arm and said...
"I know what you are searching for, and I have the answer right here"
End note: Who is this strange little dwarf, what are the phoenixes up to and when will either Kohaku or Chihiro speak out their true feelings towards each other? You might get the answer, next chapter.
Micrll: Here was the new chapter, I did say it wouldn't take too long to post it. It's great you liked my mute spirit, personally I think it gives a story a little more life.
Shitza: Xing can also speak backwards, for those who didn't understand his "suoregnad si ti. Ereht og t'nod esaelp." Which means... "Please don't go in there. It is dangerous.
They were dressed as normal wanderers, yet if you looked really close you could see the differences. Chihiro was walking beside Kohaku. They were hoping to reach Lanzii before night would fall, there they could bye Dinkes that would help them on their search. Well, of course they could have ridden on either Deko or Xing, but they wanted to know were the phoenixes lived, and by scaring witnesses away would make things worse. They couldn't go there like a huge salamander or a giant tiger. Everyone would panic and flee. They wanted to see if someone had seen any phoenix, or had any clue on where they lived.
Yet they weren't walking unprepared. Before they had left they had each received something from the armoury. She looked over at Lin, who was wearing a bow and a quiver. She also had a knife if it would ever be needed. Xing, the earth spirit was wearing a long stick, made of some kind of hard wood. He mostly used it as for a walking stick. Deko, the robust fire spirit was carrying a large heavy sword and a large shield. Like fire he was temperamental when he was angry and peaceful when he was calm. She wasn't wearing any kind of armoury, even if she had been asked. The same was for Kohaku, but mainly it was because he would on no circumstances be able to survive through a battle, and their hope didn't lie in battling, so instead they trusted their weary feet and their luck, if they ever had some.
"How do you feel, Kohaku?" She asked worried. He looked tired from all the walking.
"I'm all right, don't worry about me!"
She smiled back, but was still worried. If she would see any more signs of weariness she would immediately be there to help him. She was worried, Kohaku wouldn't show any signs of weariness, he was too stubborn for that.
Deko waved his arms in impossible gestures.
"He says we're not far from Lanzii now, we just have to walk through the red forest and we'll be there."
Xing, who had been quiet most of the walk stumbled.
"Not in there, not in there."
He suddenly said something that would make anyone bewildered.
"Souregnad si ti. Ereht ni og t'nod esaelp"
"What did he say?" Chihiro asked Lin.
"The forest is dangerous and he don't want to enter. It's fine, nothing would happen as long as we all stay together."
Deko made some swift gestures.
"I see," Kohaku said.
He turned to Lin.
"There are a herd of dead spirits here, we better be careful and don't make to much noise."
"What are dead spirits?" Chihiro asked.
"Spirits who have no home, and felt so bad they just gave away their lives. Now, they are cursed to be dangerous spirits." Kohaku answered.
What makes them so dangerous?"
"They take other spirits lives and turn them into new dead ones. I was close to become one."
"Well, I'm relieved you didn't."
After minutes they reached the forest, and Chihiro could understand why it was called the red forest. In every tree hung small jewels that shined with a red light making everything look red. The small jewels hung in strains of twisted spider web. Chihiro looked at it in awe.
"It's so beautiful" she said.
Xing stepped up behind her.
"These are placed here by Wind spirits, they are really caring spirits who usually help travellers. If we follow this trail we will probably be safe from the dead ones."
Chihiro nodded, yet she still felt uneasy. She didn't like the calm peace of the forest, there were nothing that could ensure them of that the Wind spirits still guarded the trees. She had her thoughts, but kept them for herself.
Kohaku walked beside her again, he too looked worried.
"Something is not right, I've met dozens of Wind spirits and wherever they are theirs always a special sent in the air, but now there is nothing."
"I know what you mean, it's a bit too quiet for a forest, usually there's a lot of sounds echoing but here's too quiet. I have also this feeling of us being watched."
"You know, you might be right, but if that's so we should better be prepared. I'll go warn Lin."
He hurried away after the woman. Chihiro looked after him, worried. He didn't want to show how hurt he had been, but she knew. He had felt so lost when they had been separated, she had felt so too. Sometimes it was like if the two of them had some kind of connection making the other one read you as an open book.
She looked at Lin, who was talking swiftly with Kohaku, before saying something to Deko, who too looked worried. She walked up at them.
"What's happening."
"We are being watched, by those dead things. So much for secretes and privacy."
She took her bow in one hand and a long arrow in the other. Deko loosened his sword. Xing didn't do anything, he already had his staff in his hand.
And as sudden they heard an ice cold howl, coming from a dead spirit, who had targeted them, but his howl was cot of short by one of Lin's arrows.
Kohaku, you and Chihiro climb up on one of those trees, we'll call you down when it's safe again.
Kohaku nodded and helped Chihiro up a nearby tree, before climbing up himself. When the two of them was out of sight the dead spirits came, they could see them through the leaves, yet the dead ones didn't look dead. They looked very similar to wolves, yet their eyes were blood red and even if their furs received deep cuts from the defenders sword and arrows, there was no blood to be seen. But still, they weren't immortal, thankfully.
Chihiro looked puzzled at Kohaku.
"They have no lives any longer" he answered in a low whisper. "They can't bleed."
"But they can die, must be awful with not being whole, only being a empty thing."
Kohaku looked puzzled at her, yet neither of them said anything more.
After further minutes Lin called them down. She had small cuts here and there, but nothing worse. On the ground lay over a dozen of dead spirits.
Xing was still beating on one of the heads with his staff. Chihiro looked away. If she must look at that she would surely not be able to see another fight again, and they still had a long way of dangers ahead.
Deko made some gestures and Lin nodded.
"We've better get moving. The sent of dead will lead more of these spirits to us and then they could be many hundred. We don't want another meeting, do we?"
Chihiro shook her head and the small group hurried of. Howl from the dead ones could be heard, but they didn't see any more of them.
The Phoenix of Destiny had closely watched them and his heart was relieved when he saw that they had made it, at least through the first step. But he was suddenly interrupted by a voice, a woman's voice.
"Sitting there dozing and sleeping. We could use some help with that overflowed cave you know!" the Phoenix of Water said.
The Phoenix of Destiny didn't move.
"What is it, has something happened, something that is bothering you?"
"She is back, and she is trying to find us."
"Your not serious!"
"I've seen her presence for quite a while now. She's looking for us."
Yubaba was sitting at her golden desk, fingering on a small iron ring with a Rubin on it. 'Who will be my next prey, I need more of this.' She thought. As suddenly the door opened and a young Wind spirit entered.
"Your bath is ready, mam'." He said.
She smiled victorious.
"Oiniva, could you wear this for me?"
The small iron ring flew right up and settled itself on the wind spirits hand. Poor Oiniva felt the stinging, yet he didn't know the fate that had sealed itself when it touched him.
Kohaku felt the familiar stinging and he breathed harshly. He was afraid, he had never felt this weak before, not even when his river had been destroyed. He wanted more than anything to let all of this to be a nightmare, but it wasn't. It was for real. The thing that most grieved him was that he never would see Chihiro again, if things went to the way he especially didn't want them to go. Destiny had answered his preys, but fate had chosen another path for him. They didn't have a long time together.
A tear trickled down his cheek when he thought in these ways. Death wasn't something he was frightened of, but the sorrow and lost was something he would never be able to live with. He knew that, been waiting for her for a such a long time.
Chihiro looked worried at him. He was so lost, she knew how his life had been waiting. It must have been terrible knowing you no longer had the strength of getting to her world, maybe not be able to see her again, ever. She had missed him so...
Lin looked at the two of them, sighing. Both of them had a inner wish they even didn't want to listen to themselves, but for her it had been like if they had shouted them out. She wondered if they would ever be able to tell each other.
Xing was taking the lead as they slowly had reached the end of the forest. They had walked mostly of the day and the sun was descending. The sundown was beautiful over the valley they had reached. Lanzii lay in a deep valley, by a large blue lake.
"Finally!" Lin said. "I was starting to worry that we would never see proper day light again.
Chihiro giggled as her old friend picked out leaves and small pieces of branches that were stuck in her long hair.
Deko made some gestures.
"You mean there's a good inn down there." Chihiro said finally understanding what the fire spirit had meant.
Deko nodded vigorously. She had been absolutely right.
Chihiro smiled. For once his gestures wasn't a mystery towards him.
The streets of Lanzii were, as Chihiro discovered them, crowed. At least the big broad ones. They pasted some smaller one were it looked like no one ever entered. Chihiro kept close to Kohaku, who had his hand in hers so she wouldn't get lost. It was so crowded that would have been an easy task.
"This way" Xing said translating Deko's gestures. He says that the inn lies on this small street over here.
Chihiro and Kohaku walked over to them. The street they were about to enter looked very much deserted, except for the small light coming from one of the windows. There was a sign hanging from the wall that said 'The Old Oak the best food and drink for over ten miles from here.'
Deko lead them on knocked at the door five times. The door opened, but there was no one to be seen who had opened it. Chihiro entered, closely followed by Kohaku.
Behind a large bar stood the innkeeper, a woman with big gold earrings and large ears. She smiled at them. Deko made some gestures and the woman nodded, taking a lamp and some keys she led them up the stairs. But when Chihiro passed a small dwarf he took her arm and said...
"I know what you are searching for, and I have the answer right here"
End note: Who is this strange little dwarf, what are the phoenixes up to and when will either Kohaku or Chihiro speak out their true feelings towards each other? You might get the answer, next chapter.
Micrll: Here was the new chapter, I did say it wouldn't take too long to post it. It's great you liked my mute spirit, personally I think it gives a story a little more life.
Shitza: Xing can also speak backwards, for those who didn't understand his "suoregnad si ti. Ereht og t'nod esaelp." Which means... "Please don't go in there. It is dangerous.