Author's Corner
Another update already? WHO AM I?
Not gonna lie, this was definitely one of my favourite chapters to write. I hope you all enjoy it! We'll be reaching the end of this particular arc soon, so feel free to let me know what your thoughts on it are in a comment or via private messaging (this includes any constructive criticism you guys may have).
As always, thanks for supporting the fic and, by extension, me. I'm still working on my original works, but we all know how slow I am at writing, so who knows what the future holds for those bad boys? In the meantime, let's concentrate on this story instead. Until the next Author's Note! Bye, folks!
EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 90: The vortex
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Kazuo hadn't slept a wink all night. His mind was infested with fears and insecurities, all regarding what was going to happen when the tyrant came to reclaim what he believed was rightfully his. Although Lord Tsunayoshi had promised that no harm would befall any of them, Kazuo doubted that the Inu no Taisho's son would submit to their whims so easily. If the stories they'd heard about him were true, there was bound to be some collateral damage along the way.
The faint glow on the horizon filled the young soldier with dread. Dawn was mere seconds away and the tyrant had yet to appear. Perhaps he wasn't coming? That had always been a possibility. Kazuo relaxed his shoulders and turned to his general, who was watching the sunrise intently.
He was in the midst of deciding what to say when a howl reverberated across the highlands. The rest of the army stood to attention as the howling gradually increased in volume – as if it were getting closer – before cutting out as abruptly as it had begun. Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Kazuo glanced around suspiciously, searching for the source of the howling.
At some point, his gaze landed on Lord Tsunayoshi, whose features were painted orange by the rising sun. "He's here," he announced ominously, reaching for his blade.
An enormous silhouette cropped up on the horizon, eclipsing the sunrise and casting a long shadow across the battlefield. Kazuo shuddered as the tyrant stalked towards them on four legs, covered from head to toe in dazzling silver fur. His eyes, on the other hand, were the colour of freshly spilt blood, and he seemed to be secreting a cloud of green smoke from his deadly maw.
This was the monster that had driven Lord Tsunayoshi's mother out of her home. The tyrant's father had been so hellbent on protecting his unholy spawn that he'd been willing to murder an innocent woman and her unborn child. Looking at the tyrant now, with his sharp claws and giant teeth, Kazuo was dubious of the harm that Lady Rayna could have caused him.
The legion of soldiers marching behind him was larger than Kazuo had expected. He'd been under the impression that the majority of the tyrant's army had been wiped out during the invasion, but it didn't look like it. Gripping the hilt of his sword harder, Kazuo shifted his gaze to his lord, who was standing away from the formation with his eyes trained on their primary opponent.
The tyrant detransformed and approached Lord Tsunayoshi in his humanoid guise. Why he hadn't remained in his true form was a mystery to Kazuo, but he must have had his reasons. Lord Tsunayoshi's bride had insisted that this Sesshoumaru was an honourable and all-around decent man. She'd obviously been brainwashed by him, but Kazuo couldn't help but wonder if his decision to detransform had been fuelled by a desire to level the playing field a little.
How foolish of him, Kazuo thought. Although Lord Tsunayoshi was technically just a hanyou, he was still more powerful than any full-fledged demon could ever hope to be.
"Don't let your guard down, Kazuo," the general whispered. "Things are not as they appear."
Before he could ask the general what he meant, Lord Tsunayoshi began exchanging words with the tyrant. Both armies quietened as they spoke, listening in on the conversation. Kazuo ground his teeth together in frustration as he tried to keep up with what they were saying. Sadly, a large portion of the exchange was lost on him, but perhaps that was for the best. Understanding was often the key to one's destruction. His father had been among Lady Rayna's most trusted confidants. Therefore, he'd been one of the first to die when the Inu no Taisho turned on them.
Kazuo didn't want to suffer the same grisly fate as his sire, so he banished the myriad of questions from his mind and silently waited for his lord to give the signal.
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"You're late."
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he regarded the usurper carefully. "With all due respect, I arrived at the brink of dawn as per your request."
"The sun reared its head before you did."
"Nonetheless, I am here now."
Tsunayoshi shifted his attention to the amalgamation of youkai clans behind him. "With plenty of reinforcements, I see."
"There was no mention of the Wolf or Panther Tribes in your letter."
"Indeed."
"I intend to honour our agreement," Sesshoumaru assured him. "You wished for us to fight, and fight we shall. None of them will intervene unless given a direct order to do so."
Tsunayoshi's jaws twisted into a deranged smile. "For their sakes, I hope you're right. But just in case you aren't, I decided to put together a contingency plan. Observe."
The ground shuddered and groaned as the usurper raised his hands and concentrated on a particularly steep hill in the distance. Following his line of sight, Sesshoumaru noticed a huge black cloud hovering above the hill. The Tenseiga rattled in its sheath as the cloud inexplicably broke into smaller pieces, all of which raced towards the battlefield like a swarm of locusts.
Sesshoumaru's features darkened with recognition. He couldn't recall having ever seen so many ngea in one place before, not even on Namida.
"You've seen their kind before," Tsunayoshi stated with interest. "Haven't you?"
A growl escaped Sesshoumaru's throat as the shadowy creatures thrashed about in the air above the battlefield. "Whatever they've promised you, it isn't worth it."
"Let me be the judge of that." His eyes slid down to the Tenseiga – which was shaking restlessly – and narrowed slightly. "What a curious weapon. Is it true that you can ward off death with it?"
"Does it matter?"
"They certainly seem to think so."
The ngea were especially agitated this time. Their outlines contorted wildly, and their eye sockets blazed with unchecked fury as they glared down at the fang that had the power to slay beings that were not of this world. It wasn't all they were focusing on, though. In fact, many of them were looking past him, at a certain individual who was watching from the front line.
Despite having the spotlight unexpectedly thrust onto her, Octavia's determined expression didn't waver.
Tsunayoshi locked eyes with her and grinned. "There she is. That makes things significantly easier for all of us. We don't have to go through the hassle of tracking her down now."
"Leave her out of this," Sesshoumaru warned.
"I don't think so. We've worked too hard to let this opportunity go to waste. Cyrillus!"
Sesshoumaru's stomach dropped when the enemy soldiers parted to reveal Cyril standing amongst them as a free man. The warlock's guilty expression didn't absolve him of the fact that he was wearing Tsunayoshi's crest on his robes.
The usurper's pupils shrank to mere slits as he issued his command. "See to it that she doesn't interfere."
Nodding passively, Cyril withdrew a small wooden rod from his cloak and used it to sketch a strange-looking rune in the air in front of him. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as the rune glowed brighter, reminding him of the marks Octavia drew whilst evoking certain spells. The shoe finally dropped when Cyril finished the rune and hurled it at her without warning. Sesshoumaru turned his head just in time to see Octavia's eyes roll as her knees gave out. Koga rushed forwards and intercepted her fall, but whatever the warlock had instigated was already in motion.
"What have you done to her?" Sesshoumaru growled.
"Calm yourself," Tsunayoshi answered on Cyril's behalf. "It was merely a sleeping spell."
"That was no ordinary spell."
Tsunayoshi seemed amused. "You didn't know."
"Know what?"
He chuckled. "She isn't the only one capable of harnessing spirit magic. Isn't that right, Cyrillus?"
Sesshoumaru's expression faltered. "You lie."
"Not this time. How do you think your father knew so much about spirit magic? Who do you think gave him the Book of Four Souls in the first place? Where did all of that knowledge even come from? It was Cyrillus. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me. You'll see."
It couldn't possibly be true. The warlock didn't believe in fantasies. Not only did he sneer at the very concept of the God Stars, but his powers were nothing like Octavia's. However, Myoga had theorised that the seal on the Book of Four Souls could only be opened by someone with spirit magic. Totosai had claimed that said magic hadn't been practised in over a century, but Octavia's twin brother had been wreaking havoc long before she'd travelled through the portal in the Bone-Eater's Well. Perhaps Cyril's eagerness to make her his apprentice had been born out of something other than curiosity. But if he really was a star mage, why hadn't she sensed it?
"Is this true?" Sesshoumaru asked, addressing the warlock directly.
Cyril responded with a nod. His eyes remained downcast as Sesshoumaru stared at him like he'd spontaneously sprouted another head. Rage erupted in his chest and spread through his veins like wildfire. Why hadn't Father told him about any of this before his demise? If he'd known it was coming, why hadn't he made sure that his son was adequately prepared to deal with it in his absence? Why wouldn't anyone just tell him what was going on instead of leaving behind cryptic warnings and prophecies for him to misinterpret? Why did everything always have to be a lesson or a riddle? Why couldn't things be simple for a change?
"Enough of this melodrama," jeered Tsunayoshi. "We didn't come here to talk. We came to settle our dispute through the art of combat."
"You're right," agreed Sesshoumaru. "A battlefield is no place for idle conversation. How do you wish to proceed?"
"Choose your weapon."
"I am already armed."
"With two immensely powerful youkai swords," Tsunayoshi pointed out, clicking his tongue. "That doesn't seem fair."
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "The Tenseiga will be no use against the likes of you."
"All the more reason to be rid of it, then."
Unable to argue with his logic, Sesshoumaru removed the Tenseiga from his obi and hurled it backwards. Koga caught the sword with one hand and shot him a questioning look. Sesshoumaru held his gaze for a moment before subtly glancing at Octavia, who was still unconscious. If he was destined to die today, the least he could do was give her the best shot at survival. He owed her that much. The Tenseiga would protect her no matter what.
Koga's brows lifted in realisation before he thrust the sword into the ground with the hilt facing upwards. A transparent blue dome appeared around him and Octavia, rendering them both unreachable for as long as the barrier remained active. The wolf's attacks would be able to pass through said barrier without issue, but it couldn't be penetrated from the outside. Simply put, there was no safer place to be on the entire battlefield.
"How touching," Tsunayoshi said with a snort. "She must be very important to you. It's a shame that the sword's protection only extends so far."
"And why is that?"
He shook his head. "The time for words is over. Now, let us begin."
The usurper raised his fist into the air and roared. His men answered by drawing their weapons and pointing them at the sky. Realising that they were about to charge, Sesshoumaru unsheathed the Bakusaiga with the intent of blasting them all with a wave of youki, only for Tsunayoshi to lurch forwards and block his attack. The hanyou's right arm was swirling with dark purple light, which seemed to be protecting him from the Bakusaiga's ability to disintegrate organic matter.
"You swore them immunity if I agreed to your terms," Sesshoumaru hissed as the usurper's men bounded past them and charged at his allies. "You gave me your word in writing."
"They're going to die either way," Tsunayoshi replied menacingly. "As are you. Does it matter which comes first?"
The usurper's irises flashed a murky shade of mauve as he pushed against the Bakusaiga's blade. His brute strength and extraordinary abilities made for a deadly combination. It was like trying to fight off an avalanche. No matter what he did, Tsunayoshi had a counter for it. Winning was going to be much harder than he'd anticipated.
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Opening her eyes, Octavia gazed up at the arched ceiling that was riddled with cracks. The air tasted dry and gritty – not unlike the ground she was currently lying on – and she could hear rain falling outside the kasbah. That was different. It hardly ever rained here, and during the rare times that it did, it tended to be more of a light shower than a legitimate downpour.
"Are you going to lie there all day?"
Octavia tracked the voice to the altar, where a young woman was lounging on the stone chair leisurely. She had sleek black hair that reached her waist, deep russet eyes, and a tattoo on her forehead that was either meant to be a flower or a star. Her clothes resembled simple miko garbs, but there was an air of quality to them that was absent in Kagome's and Kaede's. She was also clad in what looked to be samurai armour and had opted for a double-edged sword instead of a traditional bow and quiver.
"What's the matter with you today? The spell only affects your body, not your mind."
"Do I know you?" Octavia asked dubiously.
"Don't you recognise me?"
She shook her head.
The woman smirked. "I suppose you wouldn't. After all, the last time we saw each other, I looked like this."
Octavia's breath caught in her throat as the woman transformed into the red-eyed man with barbs for hands. "You."
The entity laughed. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Did you miss me?"
"What's going on? Where am I?"
"We've been over this already. We're in your subconscious. You're staring right into the heart of the vortex. You understand the importance of this place now, don't you?"
Octavia nodded wistfully. "It was our home . . . Augustus's and mine."
"You miss him."
"I don't."
"But you miss the boy he used to be."
Her eyes moved to the crest etched into the stone chair. She wished she could remember that version of him. If the ngea had dragged her into the schism instead, would he have lived? Or would he have succumbed to the darkness in his heart regardless?
Spirit magic is extremely deadly. Sooner or later, you'll lose yourself to it.
Had Bokuseno been right? Was she destined to succumb to it, as well?
"Cyril used a mitama mark," she said quietly.
"He did," the entity confirmed.
"But that would make him a . . ."
"That's right. You're like two peas in a pod."
Her heart thundered. "How could I have missed that?"
"It isn't your fault. His situation is complicated."
"Why?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"I want to know now."
"It is not my place to say."
"It never is!"
The nameless entity transformed back into the woman with the double-edged sword. "I know you're angry. I would be, too."
"Would you?"
"Of course."
Octavia laughed bitterly. "Why should I believe a single word you say?"
"Have I not proven myself trustworthy? I saved your life. Without me, that mark on your chest would have killed you. The only reason it hasn't is because I've halted its progress for the time being. You're welcome, by the way."
"How can I thank you when I don't even know your name?" she asked despairingly. "I still have no idea who you are or why you're stuck in here."
The entity's expression softened ever so slightly. "You will. The next time we meet will be the last. I promise you'll know by then."
"Fine. But can you at least tell me why you keep changing your appearance?" Octavia asked, gesturing to the armour and miko garbs.
"This isn't my real form," she answered. "I'm merely borrowing it."
"Then whose is it?"
"Her name was Midoriko. She died a very long time ago. My previous face belonged to her killer after he'd merged with the evil inside the Shikon no Tama. I believe he called himself Magatsuhi."
"Why not just use your own face?"
"Alas, my creators neglected to give me one. Erem was luckier than me in that regard." Before Octavia could interrogate her further, the entity lunged forwards and trapped her face between her hands. "Listen to me. We don't have much time. The ngea are coming for you. If you're not ready, they will kill you."
"But they need me! The Shadow—"
"Is gone. They are all that remains."
Octavia could feel herself growing frantic. "They can't be killed. I've tried, but they keep coming back—"
"The solution can be found within you, Okteviah True Jewel. The creature inside your mind has been asleep for so many years, but it is finally waking up. Use that to your advantage."
"How!"
"Only light can compete with darkness. To defeat a monster, you have to become one."
"I don't want to, I don't—"
"Then you'll die. And so will everyone you care about."
Octavia shoved the entity's hands away and staggered backwards angrily. "Is that why you offered to stave off my curse? Because you want me to act more like my psychopath of a brother?"
"On the contrary. I want you to be you."
She trembled. "I can't do it. I'm not what you think I am . . . I'm not strong enough."
"Oh, but you are. You might not have inherited all of Erem's power, but you are so much stronger than any of the others were."
Octavia swallowed. "I want to stop them. The ngea, I mean. I want to, but I don't know how."
The entity smiled dangerously. "Do you know how the mitama marks came to be? The majority of them were created by the first vessel. She was an ancestor of yours, you know."
"Was she one of the women who drank from the spring on Namida and became immortal?"
"No. That was her grandmother. Come."
The entity meandered towards a doorway leading into one of the kasbah's many towers and gestured for her to follow. The staircase was a steep downward spiral that seemed to go on forever. Eventually, they arrived at the bottom and entered an expansive corridor that was lined with torches. The walls were engraved with words and phrases written in the True Speech, and the end of the corridor was marked by a statue of a woman weeping into her hands.
"I've never been in this part of the kasbah before," Octavia muttered, straining her eyes in an attempt to read the writing on the walls.
"That's because we're somewhere else entirely," the entity explained. "And this is not your memory."
"Whose is it, then?"
"Erem's."
Octavia shuddered as they passed the crying statue and descended another long flight of stairs. There were no torches down there, so she was forced to rely purely on the sound of the entity's footsteps for guidance. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see. Now, take my hand."
She obeyed and reached out to clasp the miko's smooth, slender fingers. By the time they reached the foot of the stairs, Octavia's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she was able to pick out certain distinguishing features of the new space they were in. The room was windowless and completely devoid of furniture, but it wasn't empty. She sensed another presence close to where they were standing and instinctively held her breath.
"Can you see it?"
She shook her head.
"You will." The entity wearing Midoriko's face tilted her head towards the murky staircase and whispered, "Here she comes."
Octavia turned and saw a flame floating down the stairs. Her eyes widened as the torchlight revealed a girl in her mid to late teens. She had flawless tanned skin and sun-bleached hair, and her irises were an impossibly bright shade of cornflower blue. After checking that she hadn't been followed, the girl ventured deeper into the room. Her torch illuminated a thick chain that was attached to the wall opposite the staircase. The metal was pitch black and made Octavia's skin crawl. The girl, however, was unperturbed and carried on walking.
"Who is she?" Octavia murmured.
"Thalia Petridis," the entity replied slyly. "Granddaughter of Okteviah. Her grandmother sailed to Europe shortly after drinking from Sakimitama's spring and decided to settle down in Greece. There, she married a man called Stamos Petridis, and then . . . Well, the rest is history."
Octavia watched as her ancestor wiggled the torch around as if she were signalling an aeroplane from the runway. "What's she doing?
"I believe she's saying hello."
Mere seconds after the words had left her lips, a colossal beast emerged from the shadows and stalked towards the girl. Its body was covered in a hard, almost metallic-looking membrane, and its face was obscured by what appeared to be a brass-coloured mask. Octavia had never seen anything like it before. Its feet were by far the largest parts of its body, and it had two pairs of vaguely translucent wings that trailed across the floor like the layers of a dress. The beast's tail was twice the length of the chain binding it to the wall, and its ears just so happened to resemble shooting stars. But what captured her attention the most were its eyes, which contained seemingly every shade of purple in existence. It was like gazing into a kaleidoscope.
"Did I wake you?" Thalia asked gently, reaching out to stroke the beast's chest. "I'm sorry."
The beast rumbled something unintelligible in response, before leaning down to nuzzle her.
"That tickles," she laughed. "Stop it, you big brute."
Shoving the beast away playfully, she sat cross-legged on the floor and waited for it to do the same. Once it had, she held the torch out for it to sniff and smiled at the contented growl it made.
"Make sure you leave enough for me to see where I'm going this time. I almost broke my neck trying to climb all those stairs with no light."
The beast's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Don't look at me like that. It's not funny. If I wasn't around anymore, there'd be no one to keep you company. Now, eat up."
Octavia's throat felt thick with emotion as the beast lowered its head and inhaled some of the flames. Its whole body lit up in response to the fire racing down its oesophagus, before quickly fizzling out. The beast whimpered at the loss and its ears drooped sadly, filling her with confusion.
"I don't understand," she told the entity. "Why is she helping it? I thought it was a monster."
"It was. But it was her monster."
Thalia patted the beast's neck and smiled reassuringly. "Hey. It's okay. I know it's not much, but it's all I can manage at the moment. Please try to endure it for just a little longer." Her blue eyes blazed with determination. "I'll get you out of here. I promise."
Her words seemed to appease the beast because it leaned forwards and rested its head on her lap. Running her fingers across its armoured snout, Thalia closed her eyes and started to hum. Despite the pitch being low and of a melancholy nature, there was something oddly comforting about it.
"Make it stop," Octavia said through gritted teeth.
The entity studied her carefully. "Have you had enough already—"
"Yes." She shot the entity an imploring look. "I want to get out of here. Please?"
"Very well. Follow me. I'd hate for you to get lost in here. Believe me, it's easier than it looks."
The humming ceased as soon as they began their ascent. As much as she had wanted it to stop, its absence was like a hole had been carved into her stomach and left to fester. If she lifted a hand to her belly button, would it pass straight through?
Looking back over her shoulder, Octavia searched for the dying flame in the vast sea of darkness, but it was gone . . . And so were Thalia and the Radiant One.
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