Part Fourteen:

Yuui pulled the reins back on the reindeer and yelled, "Nyet, nyet!"

"Master Yuui!" one of the children playing in Kella's town's square shouted and waved. Most people had a tough time telling he and Fai apart, so he wasn't used to instant recognition all the time. It served as a sore reminder Fai was gone.

The four children stopped their game of tag and scrambled into the sled and climbed all over Yuui, plying him with rapid fire questions and requests that he join their game. He normally would have indulged the children, but he was grateful when Mayor Tanya's nephew, Zellen, came out and rescued him.

"Kids, I'm sure Master Yuui has something important he needs to discuss with the mayor."

"I promise to play a game when I'm finished with Mayor Tanya."

They cheerfully got out of the sled. Zellen then said, "She's at the botanical garden, harvesting herbs."

"Thanks, Zel, I owe you one."

"You owe me more than that, Yu, but who's counting? You still owe me for what I did to Fai last Yule Celebration."

Yuui and Zellen were the same age and both healers that had become close friends. Fai and Zellen, however, were rivals. Zellen was the only one in all of Celes that could out prank Fai, and it grated on the young combat mage terribly. Of course, it was all in good fun that Fai egged on, so Yuui stood back and let the pranks fly.

Yuui snickered remembering his twin's flustered expression as he was magically stuck to Luval Castle's ceiling after drinking some liquor Zellen had enchanted. "Fai is probably still plotting revenge on you. He won't rest until you're publicly humiliated."

"Well, I'll be on the look out next Yule. He is brilliant and devious. Maybe I'll come up with a welcome home gift?"

"He'll just make me open it if he knows it's from you, so don't make it too obnoxious. You said your aunt was in the botanical garden?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you what, I'll even take care of these guys while you go talk to her," he offered, giving one of the reindeer a pat on the back.

"Sure, I'll meet you for lunch at the tavern?"

"The Purple Hen is the new favorite. They got a good cook in there that could give your brother a run for his money."

"Great, see you in a few hours."

Yuui quickly made his way to the mayor's botanical garden under a glass dome and found the lady with graying hair. She smiled and removed her gardening gloves. "It's so wonderful to see you."

"I know it's been a while since I've visited. I've done some research lately on a complicated curse. I think you maybe able to help. Mind you, it's only a theory I read about in one of those detective novels you berate me for reading. So, you don't have to help, but just maybe point me in the right direction." He worried she'd see through him, he was not nearly the liar Fai was.

"Oh, nonsense. I'm not doing anything anyway. It'll be fun. What's the nature of this fictitious curse?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"It's a blood curse cast a little over eight thousand years ago, however, it's still perpetuated through a family line. Is that possible? And how would it be possible, if cast?"

"Before the Great Unification? That long? I've never heard of such a thing. Even with something as serious as a blood curse, they only last half as long as that. Then again, some of the tribes roaming Celes at the time were pretty powerful. As powerful as you and Fai. One tribe went on to inhabit Valeria, as a matter of fact, and took their barbaric beliefs with them. No one knows what ever became of them."

"I never heard that," Yuui said, feeling thunderstruck. "Could it be that my ancestors really were Celians that left during the Great Unification? It'd explain a lot, like why King Ashura sought us out to adopt from Valeria and why our cultures and languages are so similar."

"Let's go to the Kella archives. We could find something there that might keep you busy."


Kurogane woke up when he felt something odd. He gathered Fai closer and was startled to find Fai was sleeping on his back. He didn't want to wake the mage up, but it was almost dawn. He gave him a light shake.

"Umm... Kuro-gee? I feel sore..."

"You slept on your back, that's why," Kurogane explained. "I should go to my room pretty soon, but I wanted to ask you something."

Fai stretched and sat up as did Kurogane. "What is it?"

"What can I do to make you happy over the next several weeks before I'm supposed to go back to Suwa?"

Fai's brow furrowed and then his expression grew sly. "Well, I was happiest when it was just us camping out, far away from people. I want to go back to where we can be ourselves."

"I'll ask Souma if there's some assignment we can take that would require travel. I'll let you know after breakfast." Kurogane gave him a quick kiss on his temple before leaving. He went back to his room, freshened up, and put on clean clothes.

He found Souma in the war room as she was planning out assignments. She looked up and smiled. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"You have an assignment?"

"Yes, it requires traveling inland to Mirassi Mountain. There are reports of the undead roaming around the shrine. It shouldn't take too long. You can get back to Suwa in time."

"I want to take Fai with me, if that's acceptable," Kurogane said with a little trepidation.

She smiled brightly and said, "I was going to recommend it. I wouldn't dream of dissolving your partnership early."

"Thank you, Souma. We'll leave after breakfast."


"Lunch," Zellen announced, bringing in a food tray to the archives. Yuui started from the scroll he and Tanya were reading.

She rubbed her eyes as Yuui said, "I'm so sorry. I lost track of the time. I hope the kids aren't mad at me."

"No, I told them you had serious adult stuff to look after and they understood. They said you owe them a game next time you show up, though," Zellen said, setting the food tray down on the large oak table littered with books, scrolls, and lanterns. "So what are you looking at? Blood curses? Grisly stuff. I couldn't imagine hating someone so much I'd kill myself just make that person suffer."

"It does happen, and I can't believe you got me doing all this research for some silly, detective novel, Yuui. It is fun rediscovering some of the things I studied when I was your age," Tanya said and then gave a deep sigh. "Salmon again? You're addicted, nephew of mine."

"I was thinking of Yuui and his addiction to fish. That brother of his is a tight fisted scoundrel when it comes to making dishes with fish."

Yuui chuckled. "I'd give anything to taste Fai's cooking, even his borscht. Six more months, but it feels like an eternity."

Tanya tucked a lock of Yuui's silky hair behind his ear and smiled at him. "I know it feels horribly long, but I think it's been good for you. You seem more assertive, and this project will keep you occupied. But I do think that author has one vivid imagination. I can't imagine a reason a blood curse would last that long even if he claims his research is verified."

"How long?" Zellen asked, picking up an apple off the tray.

"Eight thousand years," Yuui answered. He kept it to himself that Lothin was actually a ruthless murderer that executed a young girl because she spurned him. He doubted they'd believe him anyway; the man had a saintly reputation in Celes' history.

"Wow, that's some hate," Zellen said.

"Maybe the key is history. I'll go back and retrace my steps in Luval's library." Yuui gave the mayor a plate of food and took his. "I have a feeling something is missing. Somehow, I have a feeling the possibility is there."

"Don't worry yourself sick over some book. Just make sure you keep it fun," Tanya warmed.

"I promise I will," Yuui lied, fearing he was going to run out of time to save Ashura's mind that was starting on a slow decline.


"...so watch your back with these things. You're not going back to Celes as a corpse."

"You've lectured and lectured for hours, Kuro-rin. You know I do have a father already?"

"Yeah, and look at how well you listen to him," Kurogane said, flinging his hand at the Nihongo country side.

"And you're complaining why?" Fai asked with a flirtatious tone.

Kurogane scowled as his face turned a shade of pink. "Should have left you at the castle."

"Then who would cook for you and keep you warm at..."

"Would you stop already?" Kurogane snapped, pulling up on the reins of his horse. Fai pulled his horse up beside him. The ninja pointed up the hill at the elaborate red pagoda. "This will be our new home until we find out what's behind the stories of the dead coming back to life."

"It's beautiful."

"You don't have shrines or places of worship in Celes?" Kurogane asked. All this time he'd never once asked Fai about his religion. He'd assumed the religion on Celes was different, but would have similar elements. And he had seen Fai do some brief, weekly rituals, but he had given the mage respect and not intruded.

"Well yes, we have what are called chapter houses. They're huge like that pagoda, but they have these giant, green, glass pillars constructed by the old tribes of Celes. They're rather beautiful and ornate with all the runes engraved in gold. They tell the story of the Great Unification."

"What's that?"

"It was when all the magic tribes of Celes finally united under King Lothin the Benevolent. He was good and just. It also tells the tale of how Celes was originally created in the throes of a spring goddess's tears she shed when she looked on the god of death and realized it was her destiny to marry him. She ran from him through different realms.

"Finally, he cornered her back in Celes. Too exhausted to run, she agreed to marry him. She gave birth to twins. When they grew to adults they had a falling out and warred against each other. All the people of Celes spread and formed different tribes. It wasn't for ages after that, that the Great Unification under Lothin occurred."

"That's some legend," Kurogane said.

Fai's expression grew dark and his head dropped forward. "I never liked it. The part about the twins, but Valaria's legend had a worse tale about twins. A dark one. They were born from an endless source of dark water and washed ashore, blood thirsty and crazed. They went through Valaria, killing and pillaging.

"A warrior went to confront them. He killed one of the twins, the younger one, with an arrow to the throat, killing him instantly. The older twin's instant grief caused him to kill himself. That's why it's always the tradition to kill the younger twins, to drain the older ones and make them passive."

Kurogane tilted Fai's face upwards and had his lover look at him. "My religion of seeking my ancestors' wisdom makes me feel strong and comforted. That's what you should feel when you engage in spiritual pursuits."

Fai curled his fingers around Kurogane's hand under his chin. "I do admit, I miss the chapter houses of Celes. I was at peace and could forget Valeria."

"Listen, there are always two sides to each story. The one story with Valaria, something sounds really strange. There was probably more to it that was lost in history."

"You're probably right, but I could care less about Valaria. I only want what's here and now in front of me. But... you know there is something about our religions that is very different I've noticed since I've arrived. You have these things called cemeteries where you put the dead in the ground or I've seen bodies put on small boats and sent on the ocean. We cremate bodies and the let the Celes winds carry the ashes where they may."

"What do you mean by cremate?" Kurogane asked, not comprehending the strange word.

"We burn the bodies of the deceased and scatter the remains in the Celes wind," Fai said.

Kurogane felt his stomach churn at the idea. A body was cleansed and dressed in their best clothing and they were buried at a Shinto temple with an elaborate ceremony or set adrift on the sea so they could travel to the afterlife in peace. To burn a body was a taboo to the way Kurogane was raised.

"You look strange, Kuro-Kuro... are you okay?"

"I was surprised to hear that. I was raised to consider that as disrespect to the dead. I guess, the differences in our cultures didn't really hit me until then."

They parted hands quickly when they heard a horse galloping towards them. A young man with a shaved head and black robes pulled his horse up in front of them. He wore a haggard expression.

"Are you the investigator from Edo, sir?"

"Yes. I'm Kurogane of Suwa, this is Fai Fluorite, the mage of Celes. There were reports of the undead roaming around."

"It's true! I've seen her. It's one lady. An old crone that passed away recently. She won't stay in her grave."

"Take us to the shrine so we can unpack and we'll go hunt her tonight."

To be continued.