Thunderous Interlude I: «音声»
"The seabreeze is silent, the tides murmur, the seabed's light rests in tranquillity. Hark! Heed those «Voices» whose melodies reach your ears, where is it that they seek as they call?"
- Yuuna Mouun, Admiral of Watatsumi
The cold tide rises, and Izumi Uchitake could feel it in his bones.
Can you hear the ocean's song?
Perhaps not - not many can. Uchitake was no Sanganomiya or Yuuna, those heirs of Enkanomiya who could hear the Omikami's Will. But even then, sometimes - just sometimes - the Song of the Fathomless Depths would make itself known to all, just like now. That ancient call that once led the Omikami to war, the sound of waves crashing against the shore like emanant drum beats.
He could hear the ocean's song.
"My lord," the shrine maiden bowed, "The Divine Priestess awaits."
Shrine maiden, Uchitake mused, he had disapproved of his daughter becoming a shrine maiden. But that was his own selfishness, perhaps, because he wanted her to wed a Yuuna boy, to solidify a Izumi-Yuuna marriage alliance. To be a shrine maiden was to be the direct subordinate of the Divine Priestess - her handmaiden, her courtier, her attendant.
They would not discard their family name, not since the precedent set by Yuuna Mouun, but for all intents and purposes they were no longer a part of their clan. No, every order a shrine maiden obeys can only come from the Divine Priestess herself.
Alas, that was a long time ago, and Uchitake has long relented on the matter. In Watatsumi, where the state and faith was one and the same, a shrine maiden was also a palace attendant - and influence in the Coral Palace was always a welcome thing.
"Daughter," he murmured to the shrine maiden, "Can you hear that?"
Izumi Naki followed his gaze - to the unknowable depths in the centre of the Watatsumi Island. It was a gaping maw of ethereal azure waters that stretched down into the deep - to the endless Moon-Bathed Deep where not even the sunlight reaches. It breathed, the tides rising and falling - the great beast of which they were born, and the great beast that would swallow them all in the end.
The sea was their womb, their birthright, and it would be their tomb.
"It is the Omikami's Will," the shrine maiden replied simply.
Uchitake sighed lightly, turning away from the edge of the landing. The Song of Fathomless Depths was as ungraspable as it was inexorable - like water bound in one's ear, crawling its way through, worming its way into one's head. There was no identifiable sound but a tingling in the skull and an urge in the bones.
On the coral incarnadine landing before the Coral Palace, where hundreds of men and women from dozens of clans all over Watatsumi Island gather for answers - seeking audience with the Divine Priestess. Uchitake spotted Yuuna Fusahira standing amongst his vassals, Fusahira was the head of the vaunted Yuuna Clan and Lord of Suigetsu. Then there was the elderly Komaki Kanayo, the Komaki Clan head and Lady of Bourou - who was murmuring with her attendants.
Finally, there was himself, Izumi Uchitake, the Izumi Clan head and Lord of Ojima. While the Izumi Clan was not as illustrious as the Yuuna or Sangonomiya, they still pride themselves on being the gatekeepers of Watatsumi Island. Furthermore, the Izumi Clan are one of the four Guardian Clans that secure the Spirit Pearls necessary for the Watatsumi Goryou Matsuri.
Indeed, while there were dozens of clans gathered, all eyes were on the Yuuna, Komaki, and the Izumi - the three greatest vassal clans of the Sangonomiya.
The gates of the Coral Palace groaned open, the shell-encrusted surface moist with dew and glistening in the Sun. His daughter moved to the front of the crowd, joined by four other shrine maidens.
"My lord," one of his vassals approached him, "The sea beckons, the Sangonomiya awaits."
"Indeed," Uchitake murmured, joining his noble peers, "Let's see what fate has in store for us."
Uchitake pulled at his garb and strode up to beside Lord Yuuna, his attendants gathering behind him. The three great lords of Watatsumi stood side-by-side, bowing their heads to the shrine maidens upon the top of the stairs, the young women looking down upon them. Uchitake glanced to the side, and noticed that even while looking down, Lord Yuuna had a self-assured smile, while Lady Komaki had her face set in a soft smile.
He frowned.
"My lords and ladies!" the lead shrine maiden announced, "I am Tsukuyo, you have our gratitudes for your patience. We are pleased to announce that Her Excellency the Divine Priestess has accepted to bid you an audience on this day."
The crowd remained cowed, silent and waiting.
"If you would," the shrine maiden bowed in return, "Please follow us."
Lord Yuuna started first, his every step brimming with confidence. He and Lady Komaki followed soon after, leading their vassals and all the rest of the clans into the coralline depths of the Coral Palace. Luminescent algae grew on the walls, and released their fluorescent spores to float in the air - illuminating the entire corridor in eerie glow.
They quietly filed into the audience hall, shepherded by the shrine maiden. They knelt before the throne - a raised platform enshrouded by a canopy, where the silhouette of the Divine Priestess could be perceived through the thin white veil. The smell of sea salt permeated the hall, and the cerulean flames of braziers flickered hauntingly.
An empty wind sighed through the hall, making the thin veil whisper eerily as it fluttered.
"Rise, my loyal vassals," the Divine Priestess murmured, "May my hall and hearth be yours to fancy, and may none bear steel in your presence."
"And may none of us bear steel in yours," they echoed as they rose.
"Honoured vassals of Watatsumi," the Divine Priestess continued, "Take a seat."
Through the thin veil, they could see her gesture with an arm to their flanks. Uchitake glanced to the side, and noticed hundreds of cushions laid along the wall - enough to seat all of them. Swallowing, Uchitake stepped forward and bowed.
"By Her Excellency's grace."
"By Her Excellency's grace," everyone else echoed, before dispersing to find a seat.
Uchitake noticed that the cushions faced the throne in two columns, with an empty way between them. It was a strange layout, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was going to be another guest arriving.
One of his attendants found the group of seats designated for the Izumi Clan, and together they swifty knelt on the cushions. Uchitake knelt on the front and centre cushion, by procedure, shifting a little to make himself comfortable. Glancing around, he noticed that the three other Guardian Clans arranged around them - to his satisfaction. The Guardian Clans were by necessity close allies.
On the other side of the central way - to their right - Lord Yuuna and Lady Komaki sat along with their vassals.
After everyone was settled down, and after a brief silence, the Divine Priestess raised a hand
"Bring in the envoy," her voice was quiet, but in the silent hall it might as well be booming.
The door was opened by the shrine maidens, and a man dressed in simple Narukamii garb walked in. Outwardly, the man's steps were confident and assured - but through the dimness Uchitake could tell the man was nervous, for the scroll in his hands shook imperceptibly and his gaze darted around the room looking for invisible threats.
Approaching the base of the throne, the man smoothly knelt nonetheless - raising the sealed scroll with two hands to the throne.
"Lady Sangonomiya Kokomi," the envoy declared, "Daimyo of Watatsumi! Receive the Shogun's Decree!"
The room visibly bristled at the perceived insult, but Uchitake remained still. To any Watatsumii, not referring to the Divine Priestess as 'her excellency' would be paramount to blasphemy - but the man was not a Watatsumii, he was Narukamii. The Narukamii do not worship the Omikami, nor are they subject to the Sangonomiya - why should they refer to the Divine Priestess as 'her excellency?'
Indeed, the envoy referred to her the way any Narukamii would - as the lady of her clan, and as the daimyo of her land. There was no insult.
No, what caught Uchitake's attention was the Shogun's Decree in the envoy's hands. A decree by the Shogun herself was a rare thing, for they were enforced across all of the Shogunate of Inazuma. Otherwise, the Shogun rarely made her presence known, preferring to let her vassals the Sanbugyou rule the nation in her name. For a decree to be issued, this was of the utmost severity.
Uchitake had only witnessed one other decree in his lifetime - and it was the Sakoku Decree, which closed off the nation entirely, forcing the Shogunate into self-imposed isolation. The reason for the decree was unknown, but the rest of the Shogunate accepted it without retort - for the Shogun was their god and that was enough for them to follow her.
Admittedly, if he was a Narukamii, he would follow the Shogun without question as well. After all, the Shogun had led them through countless wars and always emerged victorious. She never made a wrong decision, and no matter her reasons, they would always be justified.
As for Watatsumi, they accepted the Sakoku Decree without resistance either. After all, the island rarely received foreign trade - and they were naturally disdainful of outlanders. As such, the Sakoku Decree barely affected them at all.
Now though, Uchitake could only wait anxiously as the shrine maiden Tsukuyu received the decree from the envoy's hands and gave it to the Divine Priestess.
"The Shogun's seal," the Divine Priestess noted, "Unbroken."
Dread pooled in his gut.
The Divine Priestess snapped the seal and unfurled the scroll, reading it behind the canopy veil.
"By order of the Megari Decree," she announced, "All Vision Bearers within the borders of the Shogunate of Inazuma are to surrender their Visions to the closest Tenryou Commission chapter posthaste. All who resist the Decree can and will be arrested on charges of high heresy, defiance of authority, and fukei-tsumi."
"In order to comply with the Megari Decree, the Shogun orders that a Tenryou Commission chapter be founded on Watatsumi Island and Seirai Island immediately," she finished.
Shocked silence resonated throughout the hall - and even the Divine Priestess was sitting in absolute stillness and silence behind the veil. Soon, shock turned to disbelief, then to anger - and he could see Lady Komaki with her head in her hands and Lord Yuuna visibly shaking in rage.
Even Uchitake himself, who prided himself on being patient and level-headed, was grinding his teeth in ire. The Divine Priestess herself was a Hydro Vision Bearer, he thought with acrimony, it is proof of her divine right to sit on her throne! And they dare say resistance would be viewed as fukei-tsumi? Lese-majesty to the Shogun!?
How dare they!?
Uchitake's eyes narrowed as he fixed his sights on the envoy. The man was sweating heavily, his eyes closed as he shook silently. The man must have known about the contents of the decree beforehand, Uchitake realised, or at the very least suspected it. Because if Watatsumi was only receiving the decree now, then the decree must already be enforced throughout the rest of the Shogunate.
Suddenly, Lord Yuuna shot to his feet, red-faced.
"Your Excellency!" he roared, "We cannot- we must not accept this travesty!"
Uchitake silently shook his head at the man's bluster and temper. On a normal occasion, the man's hot-headedness would at best make a fool of himself, or at worst be seen as a grievous insult to the Divine Priestess. But now, the rest of the hall was in agreement - even Uchitake - this Megami Decree was infringing on their autonomy further than ever before.
Even if the Divine Priestess wasn't a Vision Bearer, the Megami Decree would still be decried on Watasumi Island. Millennia ago, back in the Archon Wars, the Omikami was slain by the Narukami. But with his final breaths, the Omikami successfully convinced the Narukami to a peace treaty.
It was said that if the Narukami did not agree, the Omikami would unleash his divine rage in the form of rot and decay - the Tatarigami. The devastation would render Yashiori Island and neighbouring waters completely uninhabitable. If the Narukami agreed, however, then the Omikami would seal away the Tatarigami. Considering that Yashiori was a thriving island, suffice to say the Narukami agreed.
The terms were simple; Watatsumi Island would fall under the banners of the Narukamii, but the Watatsumii would enjoy full autonomy.
It seems that the Narukami - the Shogun - would not be keeping to her oath.
"My lords and ladies!" Lord Yuuna spun around to address the entire hall, "Do you not see? The Shogun is trying to betray her oath to the Omikami! Not only that - she is trying to revoke Her Excellency the Divine Priestess' Omikami-given right to her seat!"
"It is clear," he roared, "That she is trying to stamp out our autonomy, our culture!"
"My Lord Yuuna," the Divine Priestess said softly, "What are you implying?"
Lord Yuuna spun around again, stepping out of the audience and next to the envoy before prostrating himself before the Divine Priestess.
"Your Excellency, we have all heard the Song of Fathomless Depths!" he cried, "We did not know the reason - but now we do! Please, remember the last time we heard the melody this explicitly!"
Uchitake closed his eyes and bowed his head. There was no one on Watatsumi Island that did not know the answer to that question. The last time every Watatsumii heard the Song of Fathomless Depths was on the eve of the Narukami-Omikami War between the Watatsumi Kingdom and the Narukami Shogunate.
Except, at the same time all knew the result of that war.
"Lord Izumi…" Lady Shizuru murmured, "We cannot let this happen…"
Uchitake raised his head and glanced at his attendants, who silently nodded in agreement. Twisting his upper body around, he turned to face Lady Shizuru, Lord Mochizuki, and Lord Miwa - and they all nodded their assent as well. It seems all four Guardian Clans were in agreement, he thought, that should be enough pressure.
Uchitake stood up and left the audience, before prostrating himself before the Divine Priestess on the left side of the silent envoy.
"Your Excellency," he pleaded, "At the same time, please remember what happened the last time we warred with the Narukamii! And Lord Yuuna, have you forgotten the devastation brought to your clan as a result of that war!?"
"There is no shame in dying for the Omikami!" Lord Yuuna blustered, "Mouun and Umigozen pledged their lives to the Song of Fathomless Depths, and there is no greater pride in doing so! This is the Omikami's Will!"
"Your Excellency," Uchitake gave up trying to convince the Yuuna, instead focusing his efforts on the Divine Priestess, "All of your Guardian Clans are in agreement, a war would only spell disaster!"
Murmurs broke out across the audience, and Uchitake could tell the envoy was holding his breath. This was their best chance at convincing the Divine Priestess - for the weight of their words was no small matter in Watatsumii affairs. They ruled over the Eye, Fang, Fin, and Tail of Watatsumi, their lands were at the very edge of the Sangonomiya domain - thus their moniker had two meanings; they guarded the Spirit Pearls, and they guarded the gates of Watatsumi Island.
If a war was to break out, their domains would be on the front line.
"You are only saying that because your holdings border the Narukamii directly!" Lord Yuuna scorned, "Suigetsu does as well, and you do not see me bending to tyranny!"
"Courage and foolishness are two sides of a coin," Uchitake retorted, "My Lord Yuuna, I'm afraid you haven't seen enough years to know the difference."
Uchitake returned the Divine Priestess, tapping his forehead against the floor.
"Your Excellency! Brand me coward if you so wish," he pleaded once more, "But see that a war here would only leave us in devastation! Have we not learned from the fate of Touzannou? Of Mouun and Umigozen!?"
"Are you saying Her Excellency should surrender her Vision!?"
"Of course not!" he insisted, "But we must try diplomacy before war, lest we repeat the mistakes of our ancestors!"
Even Lord Yuuna could not return his words, and so the both of them were locked in a stalemate - prostrated before the Divine Priestess, their foreheads pressing against the ground as they held their breath. Uchitake had seen many years, and he could tell the hall was about evenly split in half without looking.
On one hand, there were the Guardian Clans and their vassals, whose holdings directly border the Narukamii. Their holdings far from the heartlands of Watatsumi, and thus rural and unfortified - if a war would occur, they would be attacked first and only ruin would remain.
On the other hand, there were the clans whose holdings were on the Watatsumi mainland. These clans were far older and more storied, dating back to when the Omikami first led the Sangonomiya and their vassals out of Enkanomiya to their new homeland. These clans were also the main participants of the Omikami-Narukami War, and must be frothing at the mouth to avenge their ancestors.
Uchitake closed his eyes, praying to the Omikami that the Divine Priestess would see sense rather than tradition. The Song of Fathomless Depths howled in his ears.
"Envoy," the Divine Priestess finally spoke, and with a single word the entire hall hushed, "From whence do you hail?"
The envoy swallowed, "H-Higi, my lady- on Yashiori Island."
"I see…" she murmured, "Lord Yuuna, how many men can you raise on the first banner?"
Uchitake's breath hitched.
"Your Excellency!" he raised his head in shock, voice cracking, "Your Excellency, you cannot be-"
"Peace, my Lord Izumi," the Divine Priestess… hissed.
Her voice was like that of a serpent's - rasping, grating, yet smooth. Gooseflesh crawled over his skin as Uchitake suddenly found it hard to breathe - and the song in his ear reached its crescendo. And when the song suddenly cut - salty air rushed back into his lungs.
Uchitake sucked in a deep breath through gritted teeth - he could just tell Lord Yuuna was suppressing a smile right now.
"The Yuuna Clan and its vassals can raise four-thousand men at first banner, Your Excellency, and another five-thousand more once we mobilise!" Lord Yuuna espoused, "Our First Navy boasts two-hundred vessels, seven umibouzu, one-hundred war-whales, and countless more sea-beasts at your command! I promise you, Your Excellency, that Watatsumi Island will not be touched, for we will rule the waves!"
The First Navy was the pride of the Yuuna. On the eve of the Omikami-Narukami War, Yuuna Mouun formed the first navy of Watatsumi, an accomplishment so impressive that her navy came to be known as the First Navy. The fleet boasted five-hundred vessels, allied to the great umibouzu Daikengyou who commanded another five-hundred narwhals, five-hundred humpback whales, and countless more sea-beasts.
The then-Divine Priestess at the time hailed the First Navy as the impenetrable wall of Watatsumi.
By the end of the war, the Yuuna Mouun was dead, her prided First Navy was driftwood, and Daikengyou slain by the Narukami's blade.
The Divine Priestess must see the parallels, Uchitake helplessly thought, it is said that history doesn't repeat itself but rhymes instead - then what kind of rhyme repeats itself as obviously as this?
"Lord Izumi," the Divine Priestess continued, to his anguish, "How many men can the Izumi, Mochizuki, Shizuru, and Miwa raise at the first banner?"
Uchitake thought of lying, of reducing the number of men they could raise in an effort of dissuading the Divine Priestess from war. What else could he do? She had already heard all of his arguments and silenced his dissent. He resisted the urge to glance at his noble peers, feeling their gazes boring into him.
"...Ten-thousand men at first banner," he gasped, telling the truth, "And another ten-thousand after mobilisation."
He had heard stories of this Divine Priestess, and decided he would not risk lying before her. If she truly was the heir of the Omikami's Will… then surely she would lead them to victory.
"Lady Komaki?"
Lady Komaki leaned forward in her kneeling position until she was prostrating herself before the Divine Priestess.
"The Komaki Clan and our vassals can raise six-thousand at first banner, Your Exellency, and another twenty-three thousand after mobilisation."
"Mmm," the Divine Priestess hummed, "Honoured cousin, how many men can the Sangonomiya Clan raise?"
Sangonomiya Seihachi, the Chancellor of Watatsumi, prostrated himself.
"Six-thousand, Your Excellency, and another twenty-two thousand after time."
"Your Exellency!" Uchitake tried one final time, closing his eyes, "Even with thirty-thousand, Yashiori Island alone has at least twice our number-!"
"Peace."
Uchitake shut his mouth with an audible click.
A long silence dragged out, and the song in his ear hushed a whisper. Uchitake did not move from his place, still as stone - while Lord Yuuna was lightly knocking his forehead against the floor. The envoy was no longer shaking, but shivering lightly as he knelt.
Finally-
"Envoy, you say you hail from Higi?" the Divine Priestess asked, "Who is your master?"
"Lord Washizu, m-my lady."
"Mmm," she nodded, before shifting in her place, "Tsukuyo, bring this man outside and feed him to the Moon-Bathed Deep."
"As Your Excellency commands."
"Huh… w-wait… wait- WAIT!"
Sangonomiya ashigaru rushed forwards and seized the envoy by the arms, dragging him out of the audience hall kicking and screaming, led by the shrine maiden Tsukuyo.
"W-Why!?" the envoy weeped, "Why… why- what did I do!? Who harms the messenger-!?"
The doors closed with a thud, and the envoy's teary screams were cut from their ears.
He could hear Lord Yuuna faintly swallow, and Uchitake truthfully mirrored his sentiments. Her Excellency's decision to execute the messenger for doing his job was incredibly sudden, not to mention improper and tasteless. While Inazuma did not have as large of a guest right tradition as on the continent, but guest right was still a basic courtesy in the Inazuman Isles. Not to mention, killing a messenger was incredibly dishonourable and condemnable.
Still, Uchitake held his tongue, for he did not dare to say a word.
No one did.
"My lords and ladies," the Divine Priestess called, "The Shogun has broken her oath, and has trespassed beyond her bounds. I know you hold your reservations, but I ask you to place your trust in me here, as your Divine Priestess."
"With my life," Lord Yuuna spoke without hesitation, "Your Excellency has my sword!"
"You needn't harbour doubts, Your Excellency," Uchitake reassured, "You are our Divine Priestess, guided by the Omikami's Will. If it is your song we hear, then it will be your song we follow."
"Aye!" someone shouted in the back.
"Watatsumi is with you wholly, Your Excellency!"
And as if a dam had been breached, the vassals of Sangonomiya erupted into enthusiastic shouts and cheers, shaking the entire hall in their animated fervour.
Slowly, the Divine Priestess stood up - her silhouette rising behind the veil, and the hall quietened. A single step reverberated throughout the hall, and a hand brushed aside the veil.
Uchitake's breath was caught in his throat - for the stories were true, after all.
The Divine Priestess was deathly pale, bearing the skin of someone who hadn't seen the Sun's glare in an age. And yet, she was a beauty - a soft fairness that captured the eyes, a faint ethereal glow surrounding her that spoke of coral depths. A dangerous kind of beauty - for the bloodline of her ancestors revealed itself through its human facade.
Her eyes were slitted, with thin vertical pupils and two eyelids for an eye - one vertical and one horizontal. Her inner eyelids blinked, moving horizontally across her eyeballs before retracting. Her webbed hands raised the Shogun's Decree, and ripped it into pieces before scattering the paper fragments like snow.
"Rise, loyal vassals," she smiled, revealing two rows of serrated shark-like teeth hidden behind a pleasant facade, "We will march to Inazuma City, and we shall demand the Shogun annuls her Megari Decree in the name of the Omikami! We will have our freedom and our self-determination, or we will have death! This is the Omikami's Will!"
They rose to their feet, and Uchitake stumbled before gaining his bearings - for his muscles had gone numb and joints had gone stiff. Still, they swiftly bowed their heads in the presence of the Divine Priestess, unwilling to gaze upon her viperous form. The Song of Fathomless Depths wormed into their heads, and the oceans roared.
"To honour the courage of our ancestors who came before," she declared, "To safeguard the sanctity of our descendants who would come after! My loyal vassals, call your banners!"
"Watatsumi marches to war!"