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EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 15: Graveyard

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Octavia opened her eyes to darkness. The only source of light was a small lantern by her feet. Hauling herself into a sitting position, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the gloom of her new surroundings. She was in a narrow tunnel with a low ceiling and trenches carved into the walls. The air tasted rancid.

"You're awake."

She turned and saw Cyril kneeling beside her. His pupils glinted like fireflies. "Where are we?" she whispered.

"The Tombs of Aki," he said. "These tunnels are part of a sprawling underground labyrinth beneath the stronghold. Many innocent youkai lost their lives here for a multitude of reasons. Starvation, disease, exposure, the list is infinite. Some even turned on each other, driven mad by the lack of space and sunlight. The lower levels were filled in after the Fourteen Days of Fire out of respect for the dead."

Her head swam with details. "The fourteen days of what?"

Cyril recoiled. "We do not talk about it. It was a great tragedy. Fires ravaged the province for fourteen consecutive days and nights. The castle above almost succumbed to ruin; therefore, its inhabitants were relocated to these tunnels for their safety, where they sheltered from the flames. Out of the thousands of youkai evacuated, only half made it out alive."

"What caused the fires?"

He didn't respond.

Shuddering, Octavia stood and leaned on the warlock's shoulder for support. "Where's Rin?" she asked. "Is she hurt? How long was I unconscious for?"

"Calm yourself, my dear. It's only been a couple of hours. Rin-chama is resting. She was sick with worry over the ordeal, but she was unharmed. No doubt thanks to you. Jaken-dono and the dragon are watching over her."

Octavia heaved a sigh of relief. "What about Kannika? Did she get away safely?"

"Yes. She was the one who informed Sesshoumaru-sama of what was taking place. She seemed very concerned about you. How did you manage to win her over so fast?"

"It's not important now. You should've seen the thing that attacked us. It didn't have a face, and it was all black, like a shadow with no body. And the noise it made . . . I thought I was gonna die."

"It had other intentions."

"Such as?"

He presented his palm to her. "Try and drain my youki."

She shoved his hand away. "I'm not doing that again. Your burn hasn't even healed yet—"

"Trust me, Octavia-san."

The earnest look on his face trampled her resolve. Biting her lip, she slid her hand into his and concentrated on finding his youki. It was more difficult than usual. She could sense the youki swirling under his skin, but for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't grab onto it. Frowning, she tightened her grip on his hand and tried again, but it was no use. It was out of her reach.

"I can't," she said. "I don't understand. What's changed?"

Cyril stared down his snout at her. "Something is trapping your magic. It can't seem to leave your body. I don't know of any spells that could have caused this, which means I don't know how to cure you. Or Sesshoumaru-sama, for that matter."

"Has something happened to him, too?"

Footsteps echoed through the passage. Octavia whirled around to face whatever was approaching, only to relax once she realised who it was. "That was one hell of a drop," she said, recalling how he'd fallen out of the sky. "I'm surprised you didn't break a bone—"

She stopped mid-sentence when he stepped into the light, revealing long raven locks in the place of silver ones. Her eyes widened as she took in Sesshoumaru's altered appearance. His eyes were the same, but everything else had been modified. Some features more than others. The moon on his brow was gone, and the stripes on his cheeks were now a faded orange. His nails were also shorter – not blunt, but not as sharp as before – and his dark hair reminded her of the murky expanse of space.

"Jesus. What happened to you?"

Sesshoumaru ignored her and focused his attention on Cyril. "I have managed to clear two of the exits. The others are blocked by too much debris to clear on my own."

The warlock stared at him with a concerned expression. "Your pelt," he murmured. "Where is it?"

"I am no longer worthy of it," Sesshoumaru said.

"That's not true, my lord."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Octavia asked.

"Sesshoumaru-sama's youki has been stolen," answered Cyril. "He cannot change into his true form without it, nor can he call upon any of his powers."

"So, he's like a human?"

Sesshoumaru growled at her. She scrunched up her nose and frowned. Before she could call him out for acting like a rabid dog, something small and sharp pricked her neck. She slapped the tiny creature suckling at her pulse point, resulting in a shriek. "Owww," it moaned. "That hurt."

"Is that you, Myoga-kun?" asked Cyril.

Octavia removed her hand and examined the tiny creature stuck to her palm. She had in her possession an old man that was the size of a pea. He had an extra pair of arms and his mouth was shaped like a straw, but when placed next to Sesshoumaru and Cyril, he could almost be mistaken for a mortal. Pulling himself together, Myoga crossed his legs and bowed his head. "At your service," he said. "Hello again, my friend. It's good to see you. And you, Sesshoumaru-sama. I was on my way to visit you when that monster appeared in the gardens. What a wretched thing it was. I haven't felt evil like that since Naraku. However, if it's any consolation, the darker features become you, my lord."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Where have you been these past few years, Myoga?"

The critter gulped. "Erm . . . Running errands for Totosai?"

Sesshoumaru clicked his tongue. "More like burying your head in the sand and hiding from your responsibilities."

"Forgive me, my lord!" Myoga turned to Octavia and gave her a sheepish grin. "I owe you an apology as well, milady. When I smell tasty blood, I tend to forget my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Myoga the Flea. I serve Sesshoumaru-sama and Inuyasha-sama, as I served their father before them. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi, Myoga. I'm Octavia."

"You must be Cyril's new apprentice. You're younger than I expected. And a lot more comely, if you don't mind me saying. A beautiful maiden such as yourself shouldn't have to listen to this old brute barking orders all day. I always knew he had a cruel streak."

Octavia's ego inflated, whereas Cyril rebuked, "I do not!"

"Enough of this nonsense," snapped Sesshoumaru. "What am I to do now?"

"You can't be seen," Cyril said. "Your claim to the Western Lands depends on it."

Octavia frowned. "Why?"

"A demon with no youki is not a demon," Sesshoumaru replied.

"Says who?"

"It is a known fact among Daiyoukai nobility."

"But you're still you!"

"I am unimportant. My title is what matters. It is secured by power. Without power, I have no title, and without my title, I am nothing. That is the way of the world, human."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

He seemed taken aback by her passionate response. Cyril and Myoga shared a cautious look. Octavia held Sesshoumaru's stare and shook her head, baffled by his thought process. "You're their ruler," she said. "Youki or no youki, you keep them safe from harm. You're the reason they have roofs over their heads, water to drink and food in their bellies. If that means nothing to them, then screw that. Let them fend for themselves. Power isn't everything. It doesn't automatically make you a good person. If it did, there'd be no wars. We'd have peace. But we don't. A man's worth should be measured by what he accomplishes. And the goals he strives to attain. That's how you tell the strong ones apart from the weak."

It was hard to see in the poor lighting, but she could have sworn that Sesshoumaru's pupils dilated.

"Well said," muttered Cyril.

Octavia broke eye contact with Sesshoumaru and turned to the warlock. "What do you think we should do? We can't hide down here forever. There has to be a way to undo what's been done."

Sesshoumaru recited the shadow's parting words, "If you wish to reclaim what you have lost, you must seek out my master."

"The city of crystal tears," Octavia whispered. "But what is that?"

"Our new destination, of course."

"You can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a trap, duh!"

He cocked his head sideways. "And?"

"Are you for real? Did your brain get stolen, too?"

Myoga rubbed his chin. "This reminds me of a story I heard during my travels," he said. "It is linked to the legend of Seishin and the God Stars."

Cyril gasped. "That's heresy."

"I know. Allow me to tell it anyway. May the true gods have mercy on me." Myoga cleared his throat. "According to the tale, there is an island somewhere in the Sea of Mangi that is covered in ice. The ice is believed to be the frozen tears of the goddess Sakimitama. That is why it was named Namida, meaning 'tears'. The Namidans were supposedly the first humans to harness their reiki and weaponise it. Buddhists and Shintoists all deny this, though."

"They aren't wrong to," Sesshoumaru said. "The tale of Seishin mocks every religion under the sun."

"Nidawi didn't think so," Octavia pointed out.

"Then she is a professed heretic."

"And me? If it's all lies, how do you explain me?"

That silenced him.

"We're going," she announced.

"You just said it was a trap," Cyril mumbled. "Plus, it's unlikely that an island even exists."

"I know, but it's the only lead we have." She lowered her gaze to Myoga's. "What else can you tell us about it?"

"Little is known about the place, but there is rumoured to be a barrier around the island. The barrier presents itself as an untraversable fog. If you seek out the island with impure intentions, the fog ensures that you will never find it. There are no real-life recounts of this fog, though."

"Because it doesn't exist," Sesshoumaru said. "This is ridiculous—"

Octavia cut him off. "Stay here if you want to. But I'm going. If we don't get your youki back, we won't be the only ones in danger. Are you willing to risk Rin's safety on account of your stubbornness?"

Sesshoumaru hesitated. She had never seen him look so conflicted. Veins bulged out of his forehead like tree roots, his jaw was clenched, and his hands were balled into fists. "Very well. We will travel north and search for this island." His pupils contracted as he added, "Do not slow me down. If you do, I'll leave you behind and tell Rin that you fell into a ravine. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Cyril coughed. "You'll need provisions to make it all the way to the coast on foot. Allow me to take care of that for you, my lord."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Thank you, Cyril. But make haste."

"I will."

Cyril bowed before taking his leave. Myoga leapt onto Octavia's shoulder and tucked his tiny hands into his sleeves. Sesshoumaru left to check the exits again whilst she sat with her back against the rocky wall. Myoga's snores drifted into her ear. She slipped the Reikon Blade out of her robes and rolled it in her palms, mulling over the shadow's ominous words.

We will be waiting for you, little star.

The warlock returned not long after Sesshoumaru did. He was leading Ah-Un through the tunnel by its reins. The poor dragon looked far too exhausted to be walking anywhere. Sesshoumaru untied its muzzles and rubbed its chest. Octavia tried not to let it show on her face, but the tenderness of his actions surprised her. Cyril had filled two travel packs with enough provisions to last them to the coast, and had even fetched her a fresh change of clothes. She thanked him and started to strip, much to the horror of the others. They turned their backs and waited for her to finish changing into the dark grey kosode and matching hakama trousers.

When she was finished, Ah-Un tottered over to her and rubbed its heads against her ribs. Stroking its ears, she buried her face into its mane and sighed. "You should be resting."

"Ah-Un is only taking you as far as the provincial border," Cyril explained. "It will get plenty of rest once it returns."

She smiled at the dragon. "That's good. Look after Rin and Jaken for us, okay?"

Ah-Un growled in response.

Myoga leapt from her shoulder and landed on Cyril's head. "I suppose this is goodbye. It was an honour to make your acquaintance, milady. I hope we meet again."

"I'm sure we will," she said.

Cyril took her hand and squeezed it. "Take care of yourself. I'll be praying for your safe return."

"Thank you." She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Sesshoumaru was already walking away. "I'd better go. I don't want to end up at the bottom of a ravine somewhere."

"He was only bluffing, my dear."

She flashed him a toothy smile. "I wasn't."

They headed for the nearest exit after parting ways with Cyril and Myoga. Sesshoumaru power-walked the whole way, leaving Octavia to lead Ah-Un through the dreary labyrinth that doubled as a graveyard. Once outside, Sesshoumaru beckoned Ah-Un over and climbed into the saddle. Octavia took her seat behind him. She took care to leave a few inches between them. She didn't feel very secure, but it was better than snuggling up to someone who didn't care if she lived or died.

"You'll fall off if you sit there," Sesshoumaru said. "Is the thought of touching me truly so repulsive?"

Rolling her eyes, Octavia shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.

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The Sea of Mangi = an old name for the Sea of Japan