CHAPTER 1:
SOME MONTHS EARLIER…
[ HAZAKURAIN - ~June 2027 ]
IRIS:
Iris knew she should have left the nice inmate's pretty butterfly alone, but it had followed her out, and they'd gone through all the security procedures re-locking Kristoph's cell behind her, so it would cause too much hassle and irritation to the security guards to go back and return it – the security guards openly muttered their distaste at the religious outreach visitors like herself. Somehow whenever it was near her she felt better, like she wasn't so alone any more.
In fact as time wore on, and the butterfly remained by her, even more so when she put a little bottle around her neck which the butterfly climbed into, she marvelled she almost felt as happy and secure as the good old days, back when she was a small child and Dahlia was her constant companion.
Dahlia used to catch butterflies and stab them with a pin to the wall or her yukuta, still writhing… maybe that was why, it brought back memories?
She hoped the nice inmate had by now heeded her message, because she was due back at Hazakurain from her legally-prescribed annual 3-month stint in the city. Dear F-Feenie, back when she was tried for accomplice to murder, had gotten her sentence reduced from '5 years' down to 6 months jail followed by 3 months annual community service more befitting someone of her position, and someone or other had decided this consisted of visiting the prisoners in the jails in hope of giving peace to their souls. Her goal was to avoid their departing to an afterlife of inner torment and earthly unfulfillment (like dear Dahlia was no doubt experiencing) and maybe even becoming a gaki. Iris feared she'd failed in her commissioned task, she'd have to make sure someone else was sent before his execution (she again internally chastised her own weakness.)
It was a relief to finally be home. Sister Bikini's back gave out too often, and she would probably soon be forced to retire, but thankfully the Master and her authorities at Kurain had sent some assistants whilst Iris was away to help maintain the outpost.
"Iris, sweetie! You're back!" Bikini lurched forth a waist-high hobbled hug. "Oh, do meet the wonderful assistants I have here – they even say they remember you from when you were a really small child! Mystics!" she bellowed excitedly. "Do see who's back!"
A middle aged and an old lady glided forth, in the stately garb of the Kurain Mystics, the old one also wrapped in a regulation nun cloak to ward off the chill. "These are Mystic Miranda and Mystic Patricia," bubbled Bikini .
"I remember you, sweetie. You and Dahlia were such lovely little dears, such a pity you left, but I guess it was for the best! Still, a pity you never completed your training…"
"Oh, no, I don't have the Powers – I'm merely a nun.."
"Is that so? But I could have sworn you had a spirit familiar with you now – Kurain is too obsessed with only channelling and transformation! Sister Patricia here used to live in Azakurain, the desert branch outpost, where other powers are more respected – and once we took a tour to foreign training locations where other techniques are practiced and studied."
"Are you Mystic Morgan's daughter, dearie? She was a great friend of mine, so sad about what happened…"
"But I don't have the Powers. That's why I had to leave."
"How old were you, eight? In Azakurain, we know people don't reach their power potential until at least 18! But our ancient Branch developed different practices from the pretentious Fey Clan – perhaps some will work out for you!"
Iris awkwardly dismissed the question, and retired to her quarters, but later over green tea there was plenty of time to chat – Mystic Miranda seemed all too eager to reminisce over Iris' mother.
"Oh yes, it was so sad. Kurain is so obsessed with channeling and nothing else – the silly crones through the ages who've wielded power are just the ones who can do that one stupid thing of 'transformation channelling' and nothing else, because they claim they have a right to hold power because of their lineage and technique leading directly back to Ami Fey! Nobody pays proper respect to all the other spiritual powers and techniques – oh mind you, I'm not biased, I could do 'transformation channellings' back before my old knees gave out – but that was your poor mother's downfall. She couldn't move beyond wanting to be Master of the Kurain Technique and Fey Clan, she felt she'd been cheated of her deserved destiny, almost all the Masters were the older sister, and Misty was so naive and silly, always off drawing and in flights of fantasy, but she could channel!"
The Mystic wrung her hands in anguish as her word onslaught spilled its frenzied continuation. "Oh, I tried to make your mother see she should just break off into her own sect and following around other spiritual powers - though she lacked them herself she could train and recruit others – but she was that furious that her mind was closed and nothing but Master would ever do. I took her on a tour, even coaxed her ex to come along for one last try to see it wasn't a lost cause, we got dear little Dahlia to demonstrate some minor other powers, it was a hit with the crowds, but Morgan refused to even look at Dahlia, very sad. Then after Misty defected, Morgan claimed that her life's destiny was now clearly raising her niece Maya as Master, but I knew from the start her intentions weren't pure, she intended Master Maya to be her direct puppet, Master Morgan by Proxy, oh and Master Maya is as much of an insufferable airhead bimbo as her mother used to be! It was a true miracle when Mystic Pearl was born, but well.. all a terrible tragedy!"
"Oh." breathed the cowed Iris quietly.
More forcefully she added "I'm glad I found someone else who hates channelling! Why is it the thing that's respected, who does it help?"
"Well said, that obsession was your mother's sad undoing. Well, she wanted the prestige with the governments, but you can just make your own cu…branding…"
"You said D-Dahlia had minor powers?"
"Of course," interjected Mystic Patricia, "I taught her a few things from the deserts, we say OUR founder predates Mystic Ami anyway, (though there are admittedly conflicting stories it was really founded after a radiation accident). If you're her twin I daresay I could teach you a few things; we have power boosting techniques they don't use in Kurain also, because we don't bother with focusing everything on 'transformation channelling.'"
"Um, I'm not sure…"
"Oh come on, Iris, sweetie!" coaxed Sister Bikini's voice, shuffling into appearance, "you deserve to fulfill your potential, it will help with the duties here to have more powers too!"
"Of course, we have ritual markings for boosting concentration and amplification of spirit radiation, so even if your powers didn't show in pretentious Kurain Techniques, they may in ours. And we have powers for all kinds of uses! We can bless Magatamas for wealth, and have techniques like charisma and supernatural seduction. Is there a man you like, sweetie?"
"Um.." Iris blushed furiously.
"There is, isn't there! Well he'll be in Love At First Sight – well no, it doesn't really work that well, but with your pretty face it will be!"
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[ KURAIN - (some months later) ~Aug 2027 ]
PHOENIX :
"Damn Azakurain's a (sponsored) Feature in Oh!Cult! again!"
Azakurain was a weird outpost Maya had to expel from the Kurain Technique association years ago to try and clean up the chaotic mess everything had been since Misty left. While it's true Kurain does channelling for profit, it's also true it's part of the Kurain charter not to outright scam people with fake chanellings, forgeries and fake artifacts that don't really work, and to maintain appropriate levels of respect and veneration for the departed. Azakurain has no such standards. If I'd still been a lawyer I probably would have also sought to apply pressure to change their too-close name and logo, though no-can-do since certain past incidents. People always used to cut the outpost too much slack, since most of its residents/ancestors date as survivours from some sad nuclear accident and they are all, after all, really distant Fey Branch family, but I bet this pit of scammers did no publicity favours with regards to the Fall Of Kurain.
Maya grabs my neck and drapes her eyes over my shoulder. "They're still selling those Wealth Magatamas! I bought one last issue, and guess what? It DOESN'T WORK!"
"Oh, it does work," I corrected, "it brought THEM wealth!"
"Really? Hey Nick, maybe we should sell Wealth Magatamas then?"
"No."
"Well, I guess at least they've finally stopped claiming to be founded by and guided by the will of Ami Fey, " I subsequently muse, but my page turning's jolted by Maya dragging my arm in time to a hesitant tapping of the door.
"Nick, get up! It might be that client, do I look Master-ly enough?"
"You look fine," I encourage, hauling myself to her side and positioning myself just protectively enough the client knows not to mess with her, as she opens the door.
I feel a possessive clamping on my arm. Suddenly a tension storm cloud engulfs the air. Uh? Girly stuff…
"Hi, Sister Iris," Maya greets with a brightness that defies the cloud. "It's so great you've come to visit!"
"Hi, Mystic Maya. Hi," her eyelashes bat bashfully, "Feeni..ix"
"Mystic Phoenix ," Maya corrects, with a lint of pretentiousness I've never before heard in her.
"He has joined the Order?" Iris' pupils dart in my direction, then a deep blush awashes her cheeks. "Congratulations," she smiles, not meeting my gaze.
"Oh thank you, it's nothing.." Maya's grip is hurting!
"OW!" I hiss at Maya, as she's shown Iris to the guest room. "What is UP with you?"
"S-sorry, Nick! I didn't mean to squeeze…"
'F-fine," I stammer, deciding Maya must be mad at me for some reason I can't quite figure out, and hiss lower so Iris won't hear, "I'll leave you two in privacy then,"
"Nick! No, I'm not mad! Stay!"
"No. Hi Iris," I duck my head into the visitor room, "I was just, uh, leaving to a m-meditation, sorry!"
I stalk off, and return later that evening to Maya's joyous welcome and a subsequent discussion. It seems Sister Iris comes to stay here in Kurain for a while each year, in which time she can visit Pearl and various other Mystics here she has befriended or has some distant relation to. There's always a few vacant huts in the main village which can be used for longer term stays of visiting nuns and things, as a shrine maiden it's pretty common for them to visit one of the orders associated with their shrine. Of course, since Maya is leader of the place, they do have to ask permission instead of randomly moving in themselves, but it's more a formality as it's a long and traditional custom to have such monks and nuns stay.
Maya's feeling sorry for Iris, because it seems Sister Bikini just retired to some warmer locale and Iris is a bit lost, visiting various orders which were served by Hazakurain in her capacity as a travelling nun. "Perhaps she'll finally find herself, Nick! I told her she can stay in those Mystics huts whenever!"
I admit I breathe a sigh of relief, I always feel weird around Iris, and not really in a good way, and I don't want to have to think too much about her. But the daily activities and living of the Mystics in those huts are like a second village to Fey Manor, separated by a long road. I can see why everyone's always been so eager to be Master, just one room of Fey Manor is larger than some of those huts and we can't extend them before they fall down due to heritage listing value and whatever, instead multiple huts tend to be delegated to one individual, they fight and organise this themselves and the number is probably determined by some kind of unofficial rank. And the huts reserved for visitors are furthest from Fey Manor of all. Maya started getting modern huts built, but the old Mystics got mad losing their hut count status symbol, so we abandoned the project 'till more fall down.
Of course, we see the other Kurain dwellers in various communal locations and activities, and daily training classes and all the formal channellings occur in Fey Manor, but it's not like Iris is coming to live in the visitors' wing or something. Maya's even explaining how happy she is that Mystic Patricia has already offered to let Iris share some of her huts and show her around, so there won't be chaos dealing with hut redelegation and other diplomacy matters.
…Such are some of the weirdnesses the Kurain Master must deal with. You can see why Maya gets stressed sometimes.
She doesn't seem very stressed now though, as she bounces and suddenly crash-tackles me to the bed.
"Hey, hey! You're the one who said it was 'bedtime'!"
"It is!"
"And I'm tired."
"Boring!"
But Maya stops swatting me with the pillow and hands it to me, pulling back the silk sheets of the futon in the Master's Bedroom for us to clamber in. I rest my head on the pillow and Maya pillows her head on me ('where I'm safe from your hair!') I feel a warmth as her arms envelope me comfortingly. I wrap my own around her as my eyelids slide shut.
Maya's breathing soon has the sensation of her slumber. Despite this my eyes eventually reopen and distractedly scan the Master-ly wall decorations (like that life size Steel Samurai poster…) eventually coming vacantly to light on a photo of me in my law days Maya's kindly displaying. I've had an undercurrent of unease I can't shake lately.
I cuddle in closer to Maya, who appears to be deep under with apparent unconcern. I guess recent events have just been unsettling. Well, some of them. Some things couldn't be better, I cede appreciatively to Maya's presence against me.
It all started after I finally got my name proved innocent of 'evidence forgery' in court. I turned up vowing to Maya to be partners after some years of our 'not quite admitted-committed relationship'. Since then Kurain has been my second home base, and Maya insisted I join her in some of her own training and meditations. She tipped off I had some kind of spirit powers, and demanded to train me as her new disciple, and it turned out she was right. I do have some kind of spirit powers, which is pretty awesome, though they're not the same kind Maya and the other people here are so famous for – for one thing, I can't channel or transform.
But this also turned out to be a kind of double-edged sword (as I'm sure Maya herself knows all too well.) Dahlia – the ghost of Dahlia – turned up here and figured out how to possess me, and we had some terrible scares where Dahlia tried to use my possessed body to stab Maya, and threw me off a cliff. We think maybe she was in league with Kristoph Gavin somehow. But that's all over now. Gavin's been executed, and Maya and Pearl said they figured out how to destroy Dahlia's external power source and put another protection charm on my Magatama. So really, I shouldn't still be worried. But Maya seems unusually stressed lately. Maybe that's it?
My hand moves to stroking her hair tenderly. "Nick burger," she slurs vaguely, before dropping silent again. It's sort of touching. (I think…)
She seems to go off by herself for even more training lately, more apart from the training she does with me. Maybe she's overdoing it? But I'm really not the expert on those type of matters…
I re-nestle my body, twining protectively around her, and slide my eyes closed.
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