Post by Oakfang on Mar 6, 2009 14:43:54 GMT
This is a very long portion of the story so far, and I really don't want it leaked anywhere, so take care of it chaps and chapettes!
theres a lot of foreighn words, check the japanese ones here:http://www.online-languages.info/_ud2/dictionary.php?l1=English&l2=Japanese_Romaji&word=
(risu-gami is two words, it means: squirrel-god)
notes: my mum says the style is confusing, as its sort of disjointed and dark, but its just an insight into the way I think, I hope you enjoy!
Human Beast
Plaxy Greenwood-Hyde
Chapter One
Wolf, The Nightmare
Opening my eyes, I'm in the crossways. There are many paths; Power,Past,Present,Future,The Unknown and so many I know nothing of. I choose the almost untrodden patch of grass in between The Future and The Unknown.
I see many things; I see a tribal ritual with several wolf men standing around a familiar female figure lying on the ground, weird symbols painted in the grass around her, she looks familiar. Next scene reaches me.
There is screaming and shouting everywhere, its in a carriage of some sort. Seats down either side. The same familiar girl is sitting in a seat, chanting in shock “ I saw it, I saw it, I saw it.” Her family member, a brother maybe, is holding her close.
The next scene is much more sinister. The same girl is wandering through an abandoned circus, in the twilight hours. There is some sort of very slow, high pitched circus music playing, and the creek of a swing from somewhere close. She turns a corner, gasps and a tear of blood red rolls down her face, and the next scene comes to me.
A wolf man is lying in a forest, the Girl next to him. Its darkest night, and she appears to be asleep. He is looking at her serene face, he looks sad and happy, like he doesn't deserve to be with her but doesn't care. The future viewing ends, but the journey continues.
I travel down the Glade Path, to meet the others, and I look around me. Same as ever, a few off and twisted but still beautiful trees, the river, the weird creatures of Kodama Forest. I reach the Glade with its little waterfall nearby, everybody else looks up at me, the teenage prodigy according to some.
As usual Paul follows me everywhere, Lilith chatters away at me, and for once I can't put up with it. “shut up! Lilith! Paul, stop drooling over the very ground I walk on, and stop staring jenny!!!” everybody suddenly stops moving. Paul looks hurt, lilith looks confused, and everybody including me looks surprised. I take a huge breath, and apologise to Paul and Lilith, saying I need to visit the Kodama tree. A few people look concerned about that, but I ignore it, and begin to walk down the heavily wooded path to visit the great and wise Kodama Tree.
When I get there, I marvel at her huge leafy embodiment. She is a massive gnarly old tree, but incredibly beautiful. The Shimenawa rope around the trunk shows her importance. I speak quietly and respectfully “ kyoboku-sama, I request to speak to you” I sense her smiling, and she says in reply
“Audience granted Alexa Johannas Theroux. What is it you request to speak about?”
“I would like to speak about my visions of the future and the unknown, they appeared to be extremely serious” I say, concern slipping into my voice, but she replies in her serene ancient voice.”show me your vision my child, and I shall see for myself.” her voice is as calming as always, and I open the exchange path in my mind, and share my visions with her. When I open my eyes, I see she is in her human form. She is wearing a beautiful old fashioned Kimono, but her hair is tied back in a plain simple ponytail, her angular features serious and intense, but still soft.
“Alex” she says in a now young voice, matching her body. “what you have seen proves your prodigy status. You have seen a very serious ritual, a very serious future as well,indeed. Your future days will impact the future so greatly, I don't think even I match you in importance of existence.” a tear snakes down her face “You poor child. The decisions you will have to make, they are so hard.” she walks to my shocked form, and hugs me in close. I slump down onto the floor, what will happen to me now? I had always thought kyoboku-sama as the most important thing in the world, as the most unshakeable presence. But now I was to surpass that importance, I was to undergo something that made tears roll down her beautiful face. What a perfect soul she was, so kind and loving. She tells me to go back to the others, to give them all this mind package, but not to see it myself, as it would affect my judgement for the future.
When I get back to the others, my face must me red, or Paul and Lilith and some others would never had run over to me like that. Usually kyoboku-samas voice calms, not upsets. I take a few deep breaths and say in my announcement voice “Kyoboku-sama requested I showed every single one of you this mind package. Open your minds, I cannot see it, so do not describe it to me.” everybody murmurs for a minute, then they are quiet,their minds waiting. I open up the package, and close my mind firmly.
After about fifteen minutes, everybody comes out of the message, and they begin to crowd around me. Paul and Lilith, my ever faithful followers, rescue me from the hordes of young and old psychics. Paul lifts me up in his arms, and Lilith pushes them away from us.
We travel up the hill, over the river by bridge, and settle on the other bank, out of sight and sound of the rest. They do not follow. Paul puts me down on the springy grass, and I sit on a tree stump. Lilith puts her arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm comfortingly. For once Paul acts as the speaker “There is one thing we can tell you Alex... Your future is inundated with many mythical and legendary species. The most important being the Wolf Men.”
Lilith helps me stand up, and I hug them both. “I have to go back, I have a feeling I passed out at the worst possible moment. Probably whilst I was eating or something.” I say slowly, throwing in a joke at the end. I can't resist a snort at my own joke, thus making my two friends chuckle as well. I give them both a last big hug, then close my eyes, and slowly a feeling of physical weight goes through me.
I open my eyes, and look around. Holy crap I'm in hospital! I sit up quickly, and a nurse scuttles over. “how are we feeling deary? Your friend seemed very concerned!” she says in a kind voice, speaking quickly. I nod slowly and say “I feel fine thanks,” I feel a sudden surge of pain in my left arm, and correct myself “all apart from my arm, d*mn that hurts!” The nurse moves in to take a look, and I try to move my arm but it hurts too much. She pokes it, asking where and when it hurts. She sends me off with another person to get me x-rayed, and after all that kerfuffle is over, I get to sit in a chair, holding my arm the way I was told to.
After a while, the same nurse comes back and says “I'm afraid you have a broken Ulna and your Radius my dear. The ulna and radius are in your forearm, you'll need to get a cast put on it. I think your family and friends would like to see you after that.” after the cast has been slopped onto my arm piece by piece, they let it dry for ten minutes then say I can go, and give me a date for my check up appointment.
I walk into the room where everybody is waiting, cast and all. Jack, Mum, Dad and unexpectedly enough, Emma Jane and Jacob? I grimace slightly, I hardly know these people, except for Emma. Jane is three quarters japanese and has a short black bob, is wearing a black vest and tight jeans. Emma is very normal and pretty looking, just below shoulder length caramel hair, big blue eyes and is fairly thin. Jacob is tall, asian, has just above shoulder length deadly straight black hair, and nearly black eyes. He forgot to take off his wire frame red reading glasses again. Jack has short ginger hair, a distinct nose, crooked teeth, and is generally healthy. Mum looks just like madam president from battlestar galactica, which amuses me greatly. Dad is pot bellied, has a pink face, wears checked shirts a lot, also wears sunglasses and his cowboy hat at all times in the summer.
Jane leaps to her feet, and bounds towards me “ are you okay? We saw you fall over BAM! and we were so worried! What happened to your arm? Did you break it? Does it hurt much? Am I asking too many questions?” she says this all in one huge gabble, hardly stopping to breathe. I take a deep breath, and reply “I'm fine, I broke the ulna and the radius,it hurts a bit but its okay, and yes.” I smile and she laughs “I'm glad you're okay alex, jacob was even more worried than me!” she says, her voice bouncing with joy. I raise my eyebrows “Jacob? Hmm, interesting, I thought he was the kind to not care about anything but animals and family!” she chuckles and agrees. Then she says “we should probably go over to the others, they look like they're about to have a hernia!
Surely enough, when I get there, Jack,Jacob and dad pound my ears with questions, but mum remains calm as ever. I try and hush them and then say “holy crap man, your asking so many questions I may as well faint again!” Jack calms himself down and looks amused by my joke, he happens to be in on the whole phsychic thing. Dad looks furious for some reason, as always. Jacob looks confused, amused and slightly concerned still.
I relay exactly what happened after I woke up, telling them I was fine, that it wasn't even that painful, just a little lie to keep them quiet. I si down next to mum, and I begin to speak again “I really want to go back to school, its only my third week at this school, I really don't want to have to skip a single day.” I frown and mum says “I suppose thats reasonable, we'll give you and the others a lift back to school.”
On the drive back, I'm sat inbetween Jacob and Jack, which is quite interesting. With the hum of the engine, I pretty much fall asleep, unaware I'm leaning on somebody. Almost comepletely asleep... FLICK “ow! who flicked my head?“ I turn to look at the face of Jack who is grinning like a fool. “we're at school now, sit up Alex!” he says, I sit up in as dignified a way as possible, realising I was leaning on Jacob. I cast a glance at him from the corner of my eye, and see he is smiling whilst looking slightly red, I'm glad it wasn't a purely bad experience for him.
Walking into my German lesson half way through gets me a few funny looks, because nobody expected me to come back. Mrs.Kims the teacher looks pleased I made an effort to return and asks me in german “how are you feeling now,alex?” I think for a moment, and reply in the same language “ I'm doing good now, thank you.” and sit down.
The day is boring, boring, boring. Mundane, and too many questions about my arm. Lots of people ask to sign my cast, I let them just so they shut up. Jack and Emma are being all coupley near me. They praxtically fell into the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing, d*mn semi-normals. Boys generally bore me in that sense, they all just seem to want some.
Chapter Two
Child That Haunts Me
I won't say love, but I appear to be falling in like. Its been just over a week since my accident, and I find myself in an odd friendship with Jacob.
People in The Glade have been very kind and oddly respectful towards me. Paul still worships me, Lilith still chatters at me, and Kyoboku-sama seems to be my friend, which is unheard of. I avoid The Future path, quite often just going straight to the glade.
I have however, found a new Path. The Love Path. It doesn't distinguish between friendship, family or a partners love, it just shows you a persons face and tells you their relationship with you. My friendship with Jacob is undefined, fuzzy and generally confusing even to such a clear cut path. Jane happens to be like my sister, Emma really is my best friend and Jack seems to be my protector.
<//\\>
I had a dream. Just a dream, but it hurt me so much to dream it. For anybody to understand it, they have to know the history.
My sister died when I was 10. she was only 6, her name was Alice. It was all my wretched fault. I brushed her beautiful corkscrew curls gently that morning, dressing her in her favourit purple dress and a pair of shorts.
She loved my hair, she always told me I had to grow it so it touched my knees, I promised her that again that morning. At the time my hair was only at the middle of my back, but I will keep my promise to her.
I was taking her to the fair,I was a well trusted kid for being only 10. I took around a lot of stalls, pointing out cute little teddied and ducks, I won her a stuffed rabbit. I decided I wanted to go on the big rollercoaster. I left her in the crappy open air nursery. I saw her escape as I went up the first hill. Next one she was just getting to the play park by the river. Third one she was leaning down near the river. On the fourth I saw her being washed about, then she hit the rocks. I started screaming so hard, but we were going down a hill, so nobody thought about it. I carried on screaming after the ride was over, and crying. A member of staff had to get me out.
I was taken to a little office, and a kind young man asked me what was wrong, I choked out “ My sister, the river. The rocks. SHE'S DEAD.” The man looked shocked, but I was already standing, my only thought to get my sister out of the river.
I ran there with what must have been speed that wasn't quite human, down to the river, to the rocks. She was so close to the shore, I pulled her in. she was grasping the stuffed rabbit, her eyes open and glazed, a look of terror pasted on her slightly bloodied face. Her ringlets were straggly and wet, her skull had been cracked on a huge rock, her spine had been broken too.
I was close to Alice, she was somehow special too,just like me. She was never as close to anybody else, just me. And I had killed her.
The dream was terrible. I was sitting by the river, staring at an old abandoned play park, staring at the swing where my sister was waving backwards and forwards. She was clutching the stuffed rabbit, and grinning at me. She was just like she had been when she was alive. But her skin was paper white, and clammy. Her eyes were as red as the blood which covered the ground around her. She looked at me, her eyes full of glee and bloodlust. She said the four most simple and painful words “I will get you” and she started laughing.
I woke up screaming. Jack rushed in, shortly followed by mum, dad was still asleep. Mum realised I was okay, and decided to leave it to Jack. He sat by me, and he asked me “what happened in your dream hon? Was it bad?” I told him all about it, and his face was pained, not just for himself, but for me, for Alice. I cried a lot, but he sat with me and sang some old folk songs until I fell asleep.
When I awake, there is a damp patch on my pillow around my eyes, where I was crying. I stand up, take a deep breathe, and cast off everything from my mind.
Chapter Three
Love Me, Miss You.
I'm sitting in a train carriage all by myself, despite the fact that I'm right next to my brother and many other people coming and going from place to place. We're going to visit Alice's grave, as we have done most years. I sit there, listening to loads of weird music on my mp3 player. Feeling sad and sorry for Alice more than myself. As we come nearer and nearer to the town where Alice is buried, my heart goes faster and faster, my breathing increases in speed. I notice a few people watching me closely, almost as if they noticed the increased heart rate. I dismiss the theory, telling myself I'm just being paranoid out of stress.
As we leave the train, I walk as if I was a robot. Jack lets me go alone, as always. I walk down the little side lains, through the beautiful streets, not seeing them. My eyes are already beginning to fill with tears. I notice people watching me from above, as the street is a few feet lower than the gardens, with walls to secure the earth in place. They all know why I'm here, I've been doing this for six years. I can feel people walking behind me, following me you might say. But I just don't care, can't care.
Mrs.Lite hands me the usual bunch of wildflowers, waiting in the usual place just outside the graveyard, I give her an empty smile, and a few pounds to make up for the trouble. She gave up on telling me to stop four years ago. I walk through the big metal gates, down the little dusty path, to the corner of the graveyard.
Somebody's been here. Somebody has paid their respects to my little sister. The grave has been cleaned, the weeds trimmed, and a dried daffodil been placed there with a folded note with my name on it. The note reads “Dear Alex. We have done our best to take care of you. Do not stay here, leave before the darkness can place its mark on your soul. Please Alex, we care about you.
Обичам от, вълци“ My heart skips a beat, as I realise that the signiature is in Bulgarian, a sentence I instinctively know somehow. “Love from Wolves”. I feel a sharp something dig into my shoulder, and turn to see a wolf man standing there, his eyes full of pain and worry. My mind tells me to open my mind, to speak to the wolf through those means. “hello?” I say in my mind, the words quiet, because my mind is strained. The wolf-man looks surprised, and replies deafeningly loudly “Hello.” I yelp and he thinks a bit quieter “sorry , I'm not supposed to be here. I need to get you away from here, the darkness has taken a great power, you are unsafe here, it will take your soul!” I think for a minute, then reply in words “I will not leave before my business here is done, I sense something will happen, something that will alter my world, if not the whole world.” The wolf man sighs, then darts out of the graveyard.
All of a sudden I'm choking, gasping against a hard, staunching feeling in my heart. There are dots in front of my eyes, I'm lying on the floor. I feel wet clammy hands turn me over. My sisters face, but how she would look if she had lived. Her twelve year old face alight with glee. She grins brightly, her eyes red like my dream. She says to me in a purring twisted demonic version of her own beautiful voice “I have you now Alex, its a shame your hair isn't as long as you promised me it would be” The pain eases, and I take a breath to make some sort of noise, but she places one damp finger on my lips, “shh my sister, be quiet now. We wouldn't want you to alert the wolves now would we?” I shake my head, bowing to her will. I quietly let the dark diseased feeling spread through my system, being pumped through my blood from my heart.
The wolf-man moves in quickly, and Alice make a little tetchy noise and dissapears into nothingness. I don't feel like I've been infected exactly, more like Alice has stamped my soul with something, something to draw me to her, something that leaves her with an ownership over me, something that is almost impossible to remove. Where does this leave me? I have no idea what she has done to me, what she has planned, but I know I will bend to her will almost without a seconds thought. My beautiful sister is back, no matter how changed and diseased. The wolf-man leans in to pick me up, and I shake him off. I stand on my own two feet, just to fall into the wolf-man. The pain is horrible, but I insist on walking back through the streets. He makes me take a different route, so nobody will see him, its through the little wood next to the graveyard.
The pain doesn't ease completely, but I become used to it. I decide that I should find out more about the wolves. I take a deep breathe, “so,” I say, the wolf-man looks at me curiously. “who are you and the other wolf men? Are you an organisation?” he looks concerned, and I ask him why, he uses his mind to say “I really don't want to tell you, but I was instructed by the elders to give you any information you wanted” he looks at me awkwardly, and I take advantage of his position in the wolf pack. “well, I'm telling you to tell me. So I'm afraid you have to tell me everything!” he looks sad, and says in my head “I'll be back in two ticks, I just need to transform into a human, then you'll understand.” I sit on a bench by the path, brooding about various theories. Then the wolf-man comes back. I gasp in shock. He looks embarassed.
“Jacob? Your a wolf-man?” he nods his head slowly, and shuffles closer. I notice he isn't wearing a shirt, and try not to think about that, for gods sake, stay serious girl! He sits next to me on the bench, and thinks for a while. I think back to so many of my premonitions, and realise he must be the wolf-man so prominent in my future. Me and him are sitting very close, and I feel like I can sense his soul. Its an odd feeling, but I quite like it. His soul is working hard for something, a sort of pack commitment working there, but also a commitment to an individual person. He senses I'm searching through his soul, and says “cut it out! Thats creepy!” I blush and say “I wasn't doing it on purpose, it just happened!” he sighs, and we lapse into silence again. My thoughts stray to the whole wolf-man thing, and I remember why we’re both supposed to be thinking about something. “Jacob, tell me more about the wolf men, I need to know. When you have done that, I’ll tell you more about me.” He looks a bit more ready to talk then, but still unsure. He thinks for a second, then begins to speak “ Well. The wolves, us wolves, are semi linked all through the world. We have our own packs, but we are all under one philosophical roof. Our sort of, job, is to protect. Protect nature, animals, humans, and the uhh, other races around.” I pick up on the whole other races thing and reply
“There’s other kinds of mythical creature that exist?” he nods and I continue to press him “ what are they? Do I know any?” he looks beaten, and he replies
“ there’s selkies, mermaids, dragons and sea dragons, abatwa, unicorns, phoenixes, akurojin-no-hi, Nanuk, cat people, the basic angels and devils, but there’s also a few very special races.” He looks concerned, and stops speaking for a minute, I decide to pressure him again.
“so what are these special races? Are they like, god and goddesses and stuff? Or are they unheard of creatures or something?” he looks seriously unhappy to tell me, but he is obviously thinking of a way to tell me.
“well.” He says “they’re sort of both. They’re like unawakened gods and goddesses, mixed with humans. There is other races though. Like all the nature spirits are really important, also there is um, fairies, and like little spirit animals and stuff...” he looks embarassed about having to admit that fairies exist, and I can't resist a snort of laughter. He looks slightly offended, so I do my best to calm him down “Sorry Jacob, its just fuuny. The look on your face having to admit that fairies exist, you looked pretty daft!”” he smiles at me, his pointy teeth showing in his grin.
My heart skips a beat, and he notices and laughs at me, and I turn my usual shade of light red. I decide to change the subject “so, you've told me kind of what I want to know, now you get to ask me questions!” he looks really happy, and thinks about it seriously for a minute. “Whats your favourite colour?” he asks
“purple”
“favourite animal?”
“used to be rat, but now its wolf” I say and smile a little, he smiles back.
“favourite food?”
“hmm,difficult one, right now its pizza.” he hesitates for a second, then says.
“do you, want to go to eat?” I smile
“sure Jacob, let me go tell Jack where I'm going, I'll tell him to go home. On the way to where Jack is waiting, Jacob doesn't ask any questions. When we get there, I stroll into the library. Jack looks up, surprised. Then he grins and waves. I wander over without hesitating, but Jacob hangs back a little. Jack raises his eyebrows but just speaks to me as normal. “whats the plan Alex?” I think for a second.
“the plan is, do you want to go home? Me and Jacob are going out to eat some lunch.”
“sure hon, is he bringing you home?”
“uhmm, I don't know, Jake?” Jacob looks at me and looks confused for a minute
“what? Oh uhm, yeah, I'll take you home, no sweat.” Jack smiles and waves us away.
“You kids have fun, don't come home too late Alex. Oh, and Jacob?” Jake turns round
“yeah?”
“take care of alex would you? Make sure she doesn't overdo it.” Jacob nods and I blush a little, and we both leave the library, hearing Jack chuckle a little.
Chapter Four
The Serious Matter of Lunch
As we walk down the high street, looking for somewhere good to eat, Jacob resumes his question asking. “have you ever had a boyfriend?”
“yes, but he was boring, it was mostly by my friends recommendation”
“heh. Who in your family are you closest to?”
“definitely Jack.”
“who do you hate most at school?”
“Anna Fletchly”
“great! Me too. Favourite flower?”
“I'm not sure, I like little wild flowers, daisies and stuff.”
“aw, sweet. Where were you born?” he asks as we walk into a little pizza place.
“ugh, Burton” I grimace comedically, and he chuckles, more of a giggle really. As we walk up to the big menu's on the wall. “argh, Jake what do you want to eat? I'm torn between two different kinds!” I point to them on the menu he thinks for a second
“I like both, we could get a small one of both, then share?”
“sounds like a plan,my man!”
We sit at a little seat in the corner, where hardly anybody is nearby, so he can resume his extra special wolfman question time. As soon as I've sat down he asks another question. “so, I've noticed you pass out a lot, and us wolves know your a phsychic, whats the connection? If there is one.”
“well, if I'm going to have a premonition, it forces me to sleep, and then I arrive at a sort pathway, with lots of little path leading away from it. They all have different names, but I don't know many of them. We call the bit we arrive at “The Crossways”. There's a bit where after you've had a vision or something of the sort, you can go to meet other phsychics, its called “The Glade”.” Jacob listens intently, and looks at me crossly when I stop.
“carry on! I know theres more to it than that!” I roll my eyes and continue.
“ there's also the great kodama forest, and the most powerful kodamas name is Kyoboku-sama, which means tall tree. God this is so tiring to explain.” he frowns and replies
“I know, I wish I could go there...” a shock of memory goes through my brain, and holds me in place. I literally flash back to my iniciation with Kyoboku-sama.
<//\\>
I open my eyes to find myself in the strange other world. I've been here before, but I know that this time I will be properly iniciated into the Kodama forest network. I feel like a freak, being one of the youngest to be iniciated fully. I found my powers when I was very young, around five or six. people call me “The walking prodigy” and its like being poked with a stick. I may be a sort of child prodigy or whatever, but I'm still a human being. Sometimes I lash out with a mental whip at the others as my mind is still twisted with guilt, but I never do any real harm, just enough to keep them away from me.
As my legs take me up the steep slope to Shirei Hill, I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rising, as one of the Shirei strokes my hair with a cold hand. All of the spirits of the dead know what toay is, they are doing their best to help me. I have always been close to all the Shirei, I have an odd connection with them. I've always been fond of a little finish girl called Aamu, she likes to watch me when I come here.
I reach the main slope of Shirei Hill, and the protective Aamu has to leave my side and wander slowly up the hill. I claw and dig my hands into the earth, heaving my way up the horribly steep slope. When I reach the top I can see many of the community of The Glade waiting for me, including Kyoboku-dono. Today I am to participate in a battle tournament with many of the others, now they think I'm reasonable and sane. It was never a question of my power being too small.
I am to start with fighting who just graduated, and all I can think is bring it on! Kyoboku-dono leads me and some guy called John to a patterned circle, where we can fight using any means we want. Me and the twenty something year old John shake hands and bow, then we get to pick a second, in case we need a break or lose. Nobody will fight for me, so I go it alone, but John picks a big burly guy. I don't break a sweat.
The stupid guy wasn't in the fight circle for more than five minutes. I just unleashed a fire spike and he was down. The next guy lumbers up. Slow. I can beat the slow ones pretty easy I guess. I decide to try some hand to hand, brush up a bit. I throw a warning punch right next to his head, just to give him an idea of what he's fighting. He grunts and shifts his weight. I do a special souped up jump, and he expects a full on kick, but I stop in front of him. He goes to punch my little moon face, but I jump again, kicking myself off his head, I jab a nerve in his neck from behind, and he's also down.
Round two is against a fairly innocent looking hipp housewife in her thirties, I know better than to be fooled by this appearance. We bow and shake hands, and her second is another hippy housewife. She launches straight in with a water choke, but I burn it away with fire. I electric charge her, and she yelps a bit, but comes right back in with a hard punch to my arm. It hurt a lot, but I tried not to show it. I send a huge mental whip her way, and that sends her outside the ring, her second backs out.
I continue to beat these people, round after round after round.until eventually I'm looking pretty bashed up, but so far unbeaten. I get to take a rest before my round with Kyoboku sama, and a healing specialist grudgeingly heals my wounds. I feel a shirei sit in my lap, and her cold hands wrap around me in an embrace. “Aamu, your not supposed to come to see me here, you'll get in trouble.” I say to her, gently but sternly. I feel her dissapointment, but she obeys and wanders away to the crowd of other Shirei to watch me fight.
As I walk into the fight circle I know there is no way I will win, but it doesn't really matter. We bow and shake hands, and go to opposite edges of the circle. I close my eyes and store up a massive mental whip ready for emergencies, putting huge amounts of power into it. You need to have a backup. When my eyes are open, Kyoboku-sama smiles and says “we begin, now!”.
She is right in front of me, and I manage to deflect the massively powerful punch aimed at my stomach. I go in to punch her beautiful face, but her hand merely flicks mine away. I release fifteen rock arrows, but she manages to dodge every single one. I decide to play the floundering fish. I go to punch her stomach, making it sloppy but not obviously a fake. Then I make a false attempt to kick her legs. I then unleash the ridiculous mental whip from right inside my soul, and it leaves a huge gash along her arm and on her face. She looks amused but surprised, and throws me out the ring.
“thats enough, Alex Johannas Theroux. You have proved your fighting talent, but now we will let you prepare for the talk.”
<//\\>
“Alex? Alex? You there hon?” jacob is waving his hand in front of my face, and I blink quickly.
“Jake, hi, sorry. I need to get back to this flash back memory, its important! It might tell us something of real use. Let me go back there.” He nods, looking kind of surprised. I concentrate hard, and my mind is zapped backwards in time again.
<//\\>
I am sitting in a little hut, preparing for The Talk. The Talk is something that happens when you have reached iniciation stage. It explains many things about the Kodama world, and the human world. I have been told I must wear a traditional Kimono for The Talk. Kyoboku-dono will search through my soul,teach me more about the Shirei, then comes the talk.
<//\\>
“Argh!” I say irritably. Jacob looks concerned and says
“What's wrong?”
“The memory's become fragmented. I'll see if I can get what I want.”
<//\\>
The horribly pure look of shock on Kyoboku-donos face as she searches through my soul. She cuts off her connection to me immediately, and informs me I am to stop using the suffix “dono” and switch it with “sama”
I am shocked, that is unheard of for a newly iniciated member. I am honoured, I am surprised, but I am worried.
<//Time skip to at some point in The Talk\\>
Kyoboku-sama takes my hands and lays them on the little low table inbetween us and places hers on top of mine. “Alex. The ritual I'm about to tell you of must only be used if its absolutely nececcery and if you trust a person very much. It is a way to bring none-seers to The Crossways. Do you promise by the soul that binds you together to be wise and careful with this ancient ritual?” I nod wordlessly but solemnly, and she carries on speaking in her beautiful silvery voice. “ you would preferably have three people, one to look after your bodies, but two would be fine. When the one you want to take is asleep, you must paint the symbol of The Crossways just above their collarbone.”
She gestures to the little hollow just above her own collarbone. “what you must do next, is to paint it on yourself in the same place, then take some of your own blood and place one drop on the symbol on each of you. Then you must chant the chant I am about to read from a very old scroll, in any language.” she unfolds a very yellowed old scroll that was lying next to her. She looks at me as if to ask “are you ready?” and I nod.
“by the power invested in me by the dormant gods and godesses, I bring this other soul to the sacred lands of the Seers. To bring safety upon them on our journey, I read this scripture and paint these symbols. As a show of my loyalty I use my own blood to bind us together in this important venture. May the spirits of the forest, the dead and the yet to be born bless this person as I do.”
My face contorts as I press the information into my brain, and Kyoboku-sama tells me the final step. “The last thing you must do is kiss them on the lips, and lye next to them, touching their hand.”
<//\\>
My eyes focus back on the world I'm really in, and I find a new face sitting oposite me. I make that sort of “wer!” noise you make when you get made jump, and the face chuckles. I blink furiously, my eyes must have stayed open when my brain was doing that weird flash back thing. I look over at Jake for an explanation, he grins cheekily and says. “well, I saw James walk in, and I called him over and updated him on the phsychic nutter situation! He was really interested in watching you doing that weird flash back thing, so I said he could sit opposite you.” I glare at Jacob furiously.
“You just called me a phsychic nutter! I'm not stupid Jacob, I will notice!” I twist his ears and he squeals like a pig. Hah.
I think for a second. “hang on, does that mean this guy is a wolf too?” James nods and grins. He holds out his hand for me to shake, so I let go of Jacobs ears and shake.
“James the wolf-man at your service. Nice to meetcha.” he shakes my hand warmly, very oddly friendly seeming kid. He looks real young, only about 14 or 15. Jacob taps my shoulder and says impatiently “ so what did you see in this “flash back” thing?”
“uhh, well there is a way I can take you to The crossways, but its not something I want to discuss freely in public. Its a well guarded ritual you know. Before you say anything, how long was I not responding?” he thinks for a second, and then says
“I'd say about twenty minutes. The foods still warm though, it took ages to get here. Maybe we could eat then go back to James' place? He lives in this town you know.” my stomach grumbles and the decision is made.
theres a lot of foreighn words, check the japanese ones here:http://www.online-languages.info/_ud2/dictionary.php?l1=English&l2=Japanese_Romaji&word=
(risu-gami is two words, it means: squirrel-god)
notes: my mum says the style is confusing, as its sort of disjointed and dark, but its just an insight into the way I think, I hope you enjoy!
Human Beast
Plaxy Greenwood-Hyde
Chapter One
Wolf, The Nightmare
Opening my eyes, I'm in the crossways. There are many paths; Power,Past,Present,Future,The Unknown and so many I know nothing of. I choose the almost untrodden patch of grass in between The Future and The Unknown.
I see many things; I see a tribal ritual with several wolf men standing around a familiar female figure lying on the ground, weird symbols painted in the grass around her, she looks familiar. Next scene reaches me.
There is screaming and shouting everywhere, its in a carriage of some sort. Seats down either side. The same familiar girl is sitting in a seat, chanting in shock “ I saw it, I saw it, I saw it.” Her family member, a brother maybe, is holding her close.
The next scene is much more sinister. The same girl is wandering through an abandoned circus, in the twilight hours. There is some sort of very slow, high pitched circus music playing, and the creek of a swing from somewhere close. She turns a corner, gasps and a tear of blood red rolls down her face, and the next scene comes to me.
A wolf man is lying in a forest, the Girl next to him. Its darkest night, and she appears to be asleep. He is looking at her serene face, he looks sad and happy, like he doesn't deserve to be with her but doesn't care. The future viewing ends, but the journey continues.
I travel down the Glade Path, to meet the others, and I look around me. Same as ever, a few off and twisted but still beautiful trees, the river, the weird creatures of Kodama Forest. I reach the Glade with its little waterfall nearby, everybody else looks up at me, the teenage prodigy according to some.
As usual Paul follows me everywhere, Lilith chatters away at me, and for once I can't put up with it. “shut up! Lilith! Paul, stop drooling over the very ground I walk on, and stop staring jenny!!!” everybody suddenly stops moving. Paul looks hurt, lilith looks confused, and everybody including me looks surprised. I take a huge breath, and apologise to Paul and Lilith, saying I need to visit the Kodama tree. A few people look concerned about that, but I ignore it, and begin to walk down the heavily wooded path to visit the great and wise Kodama Tree.
When I get there, I marvel at her huge leafy embodiment. She is a massive gnarly old tree, but incredibly beautiful. The Shimenawa rope around the trunk shows her importance. I speak quietly and respectfully “ kyoboku-sama, I request to speak to you” I sense her smiling, and she says in reply
“Audience granted Alexa Johannas Theroux. What is it you request to speak about?”
“I would like to speak about my visions of the future and the unknown, they appeared to be extremely serious” I say, concern slipping into my voice, but she replies in her serene ancient voice.”show me your vision my child, and I shall see for myself.” her voice is as calming as always, and I open the exchange path in my mind, and share my visions with her. When I open my eyes, I see she is in her human form. She is wearing a beautiful old fashioned Kimono, but her hair is tied back in a plain simple ponytail, her angular features serious and intense, but still soft.
“Alex” she says in a now young voice, matching her body. “what you have seen proves your prodigy status. You have seen a very serious ritual, a very serious future as well,indeed. Your future days will impact the future so greatly, I don't think even I match you in importance of existence.” a tear snakes down her face “You poor child. The decisions you will have to make, they are so hard.” she walks to my shocked form, and hugs me in close. I slump down onto the floor, what will happen to me now? I had always thought kyoboku-sama as the most important thing in the world, as the most unshakeable presence. But now I was to surpass that importance, I was to undergo something that made tears roll down her beautiful face. What a perfect soul she was, so kind and loving. She tells me to go back to the others, to give them all this mind package, but not to see it myself, as it would affect my judgement for the future.
When I get back to the others, my face must me red, or Paul and Lilith and some others would never had run over to me like that. Usually kyoboku-samas voice calms, not upsets. I take a few deep breaths and say in my announcement voice “Kyoboku-sama requested I showed every single one of you this mind package. Open your minds, I cannot see it, so do not describe it to me.” everybody murmurs for a minute, then they are quiet,their minds waiting. I open up the package, and close my mind firmly.
After about fifteen minutes, everybody comes out of the message, and they begin to crowd around me. Paul and Lilith, my ever faithful followers, rescue me from the hordes of young and old psychics. Paul lifts me up in his arms, and Lilith pushes them away from us.
We travel up the hill, over the river by bridge, and settle on the other bank, out of sight and sound of the rest. They do not follow. Paul puts me down on the springy grass, and I sit on a tree stump. Lilith puts her arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm comfortingly. For once Paul acts as the speaker “There is one thing we can tell you Alex... Your future is inundated with many mythical and legendary species. The most important being the Wolf Men.”
Lilith helps me stand up, and I hug them both. “I have to go back, I have a feeling I passed out at the worst possible moment. Probably whilst I was eating or something.” I say slowly, throwing in a joke at the end. I can't resist a snort at my own joke, thus making my two friends chuckle as well. I give them both a last big hug, then close my eyes, and slowly a feeling of physical weight goes through me.
I open my eyes, and look around. Holy crap I'm in hospital! I sit up quickly, and a nurse scuttles over. “how are we feeling deary? Your friend seemed very concerned!” she says in a kind voice, speaking quickly. I nod slowly and say “I feel fine thanks,” I feel a sudden surge of pain in my left arm, and correct myself “all apart from my arm, d*mn that hurts!” The nurse moves in to take a look, and I try to move my arm but it hurts too much. She pokes it, asking where and when it hurts. She sends me off with another person to get me x-rayed, and after all that kerfuffle is over, I get to sit in a chair, holding my arm the way I was told to.
After a while, the same nurse comes back and says “I'm afraid you have a broken Ulna and your Radius my dear. The ulna and radius are in your forearm, you'll need to get a cast put on it. I think your family and friends would like to see you after that.” after the cast has been slopped onto my arm piece by piece, they let it dry for ten minutes then say I can go, and give me a date for my check up appointment.
I walk into the room where everybody is waiting, cast and all. Jack, Mum, Dad and unexpectedly enough, Emma Jane and Jacob? I grimace slightly, I hardly know these people, except for Emma. Jane is three quarters japanese and has a short black bob, is wearing a black vest and tight jeans. Emma is very normal and pretty looking, just below shoulder length caramel hair, big blue eyes and is fairly thin. Jacob is tall, asian, has just above shoulder length deadly straight black hair, and nearly black eyes. He forgot to take off his wire frame red reading glasses again. Jack has short ginger hair, a distinct nose, crooked teeth, and is generally healthy. Mum looks just like madam president from battlestar galactica, which amuses me greatly. Dad is pot bellied, has a pink face, wears checked shirts a lot, also wears sunglasses and his cowboy hat at all times in the summer.
Jane leaps to her feet, and bounds towards me “ are you okay? We saw you fall over BAM! and we were so worried! What happened to your arm? Did you break it? Does it hurt much? Am I asking too many questions?” she says this all in one huge gabble, hardly stopping to breathe. I take a deep breath, and reply “I'm fine, I broke the ulna and the radius,it hurts a bit but its okay, and yes.” I smile and she laughs “I'm glad you're okay alex, jacob was even more worried than me!” she says, her voice bouncing with joy. I raise my eyebrows “Jacob? Hmm, interesting, I thought he was the kind to not care about anything but animals and family!” she chuckles and agrees. Then she says “we should probably go over to the others, they look like they're about to have a hernia!
Surely enough, when I get there, Jack,Jacob and dad pound my ears with questions, but mum remains calm as ever. I try and hush them and then say “holy crap man, your asking so many questions I may as well faint again!” Jack calms himself down and looks amused by my joke, he happens to be in on the whole phsychic thing. Dad looks furious for some reason, as always. Jacob looks confused, amused and slightly concerned still.
I relay exactly what happened after I woke up, telling them I was fine, that it wasn't even that painful, just a little lie to keep them quiet. I si down next to mum, and I begin to speak again “I really want to go back to school, its only my third week at this school, I really don't want to have to skip a single day.” I frown and mum says “I suppose thats reasonable, we'll give you and the others a lift back to school.”
On the drive back, I'm sat inbetween Jacob and Jack, which is quite interesting. With the hum of the engine, I pretty much fall asleep, unaware I'm leaning on somebody. Almost comepletely asleep... FLICK “ow! who flicked my head?“ I turn to look at the face of Jack who is grinning like a fool. “we're at school now, sit up Alex!” he says, I sit up in as dignified a way as possible, realising I was leaning on Jacob. I cast a glance at him from the corner of my eye, and see he is smiling whilst looking slightly red, I'm glad it wasn't a purely bad experience for him.
Walking into my German lesson half way through gets me a few funny looks, because nobody expected me to come back. Mrs.Kims the teacher looks pleased I made an effort to return and asks me in german “how are you feeling now,alex?” I think for a moment, and reply in the same language “ I'm doing good now, thank you.” and sit down.
The day is boring, boring, boring. Mundane, and too many questions about my arm. Lots of people ask to sign my cast, I let them just so they shut up. Jack and Emma are being all coupley near me. They praxtically fell into the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing, d*mn semi-normals. Boys generally bore me in that sense, they all just seem to want some.
Chapter Two
Child That Haunts Me
I won't say love, but I appear to be falling in like. Its been just over a week since my accident, and I find myself in an odd friendship with Jacob.
People in The Glade have been very kind and oddly respectful towards me. Paul still worships me, Lilith still chatters at me, and Kyoboku-sama seems to be my friend, which is unheard of. I avoid The Future path, quite often just going straight to the glade.
I have however, found a new Path. The Love Path. It doesn't distinguish between friendship, family or a partners love, it just shows you a persons face and tells you their relationship with you. My friendship with Jacob is undefined, fuzzy and generally confusing even to such a clear cut path. Jane happens to be like my sister, Emma really is my best friend and Jack seems to be my protector.
<//\\>
I had a dream. Just a dream, but it hurt me so much to dream it. For anybody to understand it, they have to know the history.
My sister died when I was 10. she was only 6, her name was Alice. It was all my wretched fault. I brushed her beautiful corkscrew curls gently that morning, dressing her in her favourit purple dress and a pair of shorts.
She loved my hair, she always told me I had to grow it so it touched my knees, I promised her that again that morning. At the time my hair was only at the middle of my back, but I will keep my promise to her.
I was taking her to the fair,I was a well trusted kid for being only 10. I took around a lot of stalls, pointing out cute little teddied and ducks, I won her a stuffed rabbit. I decided I wanted to go on the big rollercoaster. I left her in the crappy open air nursery. I saw her escape as I went up the first hill. Next one she was just getting to the play park by the river. Third one she was leaning down near the river. On the fourth I saw her being washed about, then she hit the rocks. I started screaming so hard, but we were going down a hill, so nobody thought about it. I carried on screaming after the ride was over, and crying. A member of staff had to get me out.
I was taken to a little office, and a kind young man asked me what was wrong, I choked out “ My sister, the river. The rocks. SHE'S DEAD.” The man looked shocked, but I was already standing, my only thought to get my sister out of the river.
I ran there with what must have been speed that wasn't quite human, down to the river, to the rocks. She was so close to the shore, I pulled her in. she was grasping the stuffed rabbit, her eyes open and glazed, a look of terror pasted on her slightly bloodied face. Her ringlets were straggly and wet, her skull had been cracked on a huge rock, her spine had been broken too.
I was close to Alice, she was somehow special too,just like me. She was never as close to anybody else, just me. And I had killed her.
The dream was terrible. I was sitting by the river, staring at an old abandoned play park, staring at the swing where my sister was waving backwards and forwards. She was clutching the stuffed rabbit, and grinning at me. She was just like she had been when she was alive. But her skin was paper white, and clammy. Her eyes were as red as the blood which covered the ground around her. She looked at me, her eyes full of glee and bloodlust. She said the four most simple and painful words “I will get you” and she started laughing.
I woke up screaming. Jack rushed in, shortly followed by mum, dad was still asleep. Mum realised I was okay, and decided to leave it to Jack. He sat by me, and he asked me “what happened in your dream hon? Was it bad?” I told him all about it, and his face was pained, not just for himself, but for me, for Alice. I cried a lot, but he sat with me and sang some old folk songs until I fell asleep.
When I awake, there is a damp patch on my pillow around my eyes, where I was crying. I stand up, take a deep breathe, and cast off everything from my mind.
Chapter Three
Love Me, Miss You.
I'm sitting in a train carriage all by myself, despite the fact that I'm right next to my brother and many other people coming and going from place to place. We're going to visit Alice's grave, as we have done most years. I sit there, listening to loads of weird music on my mp3 player. Feeling sad and sorry for Alice more than myself. As we come nearer and nearer to the town where Alice is buried, my heart goes faster and faster, my breathing increases in speed. I notice a few people watching me closely, almost as if they noticed the increased heart rate. I dismiss the theory, telling myself I'm just being paranoid out of stress.
As we leave the train, I walk as if I was a robot. Jack lets me go alone, as always. I walk down the little side lains, through the beautiful streets, not seeing them. My eyes are already beginning to fill with tears. I notice people watching me from above, as the street is a few feet lower than the gardens, with walls to secure the earth in place. They all know why I'm here, I've been doing this for six years. I can feel people walking behind me, following me you might say. But I just don't care, can't care.
Mrs.Lite hands me the usual bunch of wildflowers, waiting in the usual place just outside the graveyard, I give her an empty smile, and a few pounds to make up for the trouble. She gave up on telling me to stop four years ago. I walk through the big metal gates, down the little dusty path, to the corner of the graveyard.
Somebody's been here. Somebody has paid their respects to my little sister. The grave has been cleaned, the weeds trimmed, and a dried daffodil been placed there with a folded note with my name on it. The note reads “Dear Alex. We have done our best to take care of you. Do not stay here, leave before the darkness can place its mark on your soul. Please Alex, we care about you.
Обичам от, вълци“ My heart skips a beat, as I realise that the signiature is in Bulgarian, a sentence I instinctively know somehow. “Love from Wolves”. I feel a sharp something dig into my shoulder, and turn to see a wolf man standing there, his eyes full of pain and worry. My mind tells me to open my mind, to speak to the wolf through those means. “hello?” I say in my mind, the words quiet, because my mind is strained. The wolf-man looks surprised, and replies deafeningly loudly “Hello.” I yelp and he thinks a bit quieter “sorry , I'm not supposed to be here. I need to get you away from here, the darkness has taken a great power, you are unsafe here, it will take your soul!” I think for a minute, then reply in words “I will not leave before my business here is done, I sense something will happen, something that will alter my world, if not the whole world.” The wolf man sighs, then darts out of the graveyard.
All of a sudden I'm choking, gasping against a hard, staunching feeling in my heart. There are dots in front of my eyes, I'm lying on the floor. I feel wet clammy hands turn me over. My sisters face, but how she would look if she had lived. Her twelve year old face alight with glee. She grins brightly, her eyes red like my dream. She says to me in a purring twisted demonic version of her own beautiful voice “I have you now Alex, its a shame your hair isn't as long as you promised me it would be” The pain eases, and I take a breath to make some sort of noise, but she places one damp finger on my lips, “shh my sister, be quiet now. We wouldn't want you to alert the wolves now would we?” I shake my head, bowing to her will. I quietly let the dark diseased feeling spread through my system, being pumped through my blood from my heart.
The wolf-man moves in quickly, and Alice make a little tetchy noise and dissapears into nothingness. I don't feel like I've been infected exactly, more like Alice has stamped my soul with something, something to draw me to her, something that leaves her with an ownership over me, something that is almost impossible to remove. Where does this leave me? I have no idea what she has done to me, what she has planned, but I know I will bend to her will almost without a seconds thought. My beautiful sister is back, no matter how changed and diseased. The wolf-man leans in to pick me up, and I shake him off. I stand on my own two feet, just to fall into the wolf-man. The pain is horrible, but I insist on walking back through the streets. He makes me take a different route, so nobody will see him, its through the little wood next to the graveyard.
The pain doesn't ease completely, but I become used to it. I decide that I should find out more about the wolves. I take a deep breathe, “so,” I say, the wolf-man looks at me curiously. “who are you and the other wolf men? Are you an organisation?” he looks concerned, and I ask him why, he uses his mind to say “I really don't want to tell you, but I was instructed by the elders to give you any information you wanted” he looks at me awkwardly, and I take advantage of his position in the wolf pack. “well, I'm telling you to tell me. So I'm afraid you have to tell me everything!” he looks sad, and says in my head “I'll be back in two ticks, I just need to transform into a human, then you'll understand.” I sit on a bench by the path, brooding about various theories. Then the wolf-man comes back. I gasp in shock. He looks embarassed.
“Jacob? Your a wolf-man?” he nods his head slowly, and shuffles closer. I notice he isn't wearing a shirt, and try not to think about that, for gods sake, stay serious girl! He sits next to me on the bench, and thinks for a while. I think back to so many of my premonitions, and realise he must be the wolf-man so prominent in my future. Me and him are sitting very close, and I feel like I can sense his soul. Its an odd feeling, but I quite like it. His soul is working hard for something, a sort of pack commitment working there, but also a commitment to an individual person. He senses I'm searching through his soul, and says “cut it out! Thats creepy!” I blush and say “I wasn't doing it on purpose, it just happened!” he sighs, and we lapse into silence again. My thoughts stray to the whole wolf-man thing, and I remember why we’re both supposed to be thinking about something. “Jacob, tell me more about the wolf men, I need to know. When you have done that, I’ll tell you more about me.” He looks a bit more ready to talk then, but still unsure. He thinks for a second, then begins to speak “ Well. The wolves, us wolves, are semi linked all through the world. We have our own packs, but we are all under one philosophical roof. Our sort of, job, is to protect. Protect nature, animals, humans, and the uhh, other races around.” I pick up on the whole other races thing and reply
“There’s other kinds of mythical creature that exist?” he nods and I continue to press him “ what are they? Do I know any?” he looks beaten, and he replies
“ there’s selkies, mermaids, dragons and sea dragons, abatwa, unicorns, phoenixes, akurojin-no-hi, Nanuk, cat people, the basic angels and devils, but there’s also a few very special races.” He looks concerned, and stops speaking for a minute, I decide to pressure him again.
“so what are these special races? Are they like, god and goddesses and stuff? Or are they unheard of creatures or something?” he looks seriously unhappy to tell me, but he is obviously thinking of a way to tell me.
“well.” He says “they’re sort of both. They’re like unawakened gods and goddesses, mixed with humans. There is other races though. Like all the nature spirits are really important, also there is um, fairies, and like little spirit animals and stuff...” he looks embarassed about having to admit that fairies exist, and I can't resist a snort of laughter. He looks slightly offended, so I do my best to calm him down “Sorry Jacob, its just fuuny. The look on your face having to admit that fairies exist, you looked pretty daft!”” he smiles at me, his pointy teeth showing in his grin.
My heart skips a beat, and he notices and laughs at me, and I turn my usual shade of light red. I decide to change the subject “so, you've told me kind of what I want to know, now you get to ask me questions!” he looks really happy, and thinks about it seriously for a minute. “Whats your favourite colour?” he asks
“purple”
“favourite animal?”
“used to be rat, but now its wolf” I say and smile a little, he smiles back.
“favourite food?”
“hmm,difficult one, right now its pizza.” he hesitates for a second, then says.
“do you, want to go to eat?” I smile
“sure Jacob, let me go tell Jack where I'm going, I'll tell him to go home. On the way to where Jack is waiting, Jacob doesn't ask any questions. When we get there, I stroll into the library. Jack looks up, surprised. Then he grins and waves. I wander over without hesitating, but Jacob hangs back a little. Jack raises his eyebrows but just speaks to me as normal. “whats the plan Alex?” I think for a second.
“the plan is, do you want to go home? Me and Jacob are going out to eat some lunch.”
“sure hon, is he bringing you home?”
“uhmm, I don't know, Jake?” Jacob looks at me and looks confused for a minute
“what? Oh uhm, yeah, I'll take you home, no sweat.” Jack smiles and waves us away.
“You kids have fun, don't come home too late Alex. Oh, and Jacob?” Jake turns round
“yeah?”
“take care of alex would you? Make sure she doesn't overdo it.” Jacob nods and I blush a little, and we both leave the library, hearing Jack chuckle a little.
Chapter Four
The Serious Matter of Lunch
As we walk down the high street, looking for somewhere good to eat, Jacob resumes his question asking. “have you ever had a boyfriend?”
“yes, but he was boring, it was mostly by my friends recommendation”
“heh. Who in your family are you closest to?”
“definitely Jack.”
“who do you hate most at school?”
“Anna Fletchly”
“great! Me too. Favourite flower?”
“I'm not sure, I like little wild flowers, daisies and stuff.”
“aw, sweet. Where were you born?” he asks as we walk into a little pizza place.
“ugh, Burton” I grimace comedically, and he chuckles, more of a giggle really. As we walk up to the big menu's on the wall. “argh, Jake what do you want to eat? I'm torn between two different kinds!” I point to them on the menu he thinks for a second
“I like both, we could get a small one of both, then share?”
“sounds like a plan,my man!”
We sit at a little seat in the corner, where hardly anybody is nearby, so he can resume his extra special wolfman question time. As soon as I've sat down he asks another question. “so, I've noticed you pass out a lot, and us wolves know your a phsychic, whats the connection? If there is one.”
“well, if I'm going to have a premonition, it forces me to sleep, and then I arrive at a sort pathway, with lots of little path leading away from it. They all have different names, but I don't know many of them. We call the bit we arrive at “The Crossways”. There's a bit where after you've had a vision or something of the sort, you can go to meet other phsychics, its called “The Glade”.” Jacob listens intently, and looks at me crossly when I stop.
“carry on! I know theres more to it than that!” I roll my eyes and continue.
“ there's also the great kodama forest, and the most powerful kodamas name is Kyoboku-sama, which means tall tree. God this is so tiring to explain.” he frowns and replies
“I know, I wish I could go there...” a shock of memory goes through my brain, and holds me in place. I literally flash back to my iniciation with Kyoboku-sama.
<//\\>
I open my eyes to find myself in the strange other world. I've been here before, but I know that this time I will be properly iniciated into the Kodama forest network. I feel like a freak, being one of the youngest to be iniciated fully. I found my powers when I was very young, around five or six. people call me “The walking prodigy” and its like being poked with a stick. I may be a sort of child prodigy or whatever, but I'm still a human being. Sometimes I lash out with a mental whip at the others as my mind is still twisted with guilt, but I never do any real harm, just enough to keep them away from me.
As my legs take me up the steep slope to Shirei Hill, I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rising, as one of the Shirei strokes my hair with a cold hand. All of the spirits of the dead know what toay is, they are doing their best to help me. I have always been close to all the Shirei, I have an odd connection with them. I've always been fond of a little finish girl called Aamu, she likes to watch me when I come here.
I reach the main slope of Shirei Hill, and the protective Aamu has to leave my side and wander slowly up the hill. I claw and dig my hands into the earth, heaving my way up the horribly steep slope. When I reach the top I can see many of the community of The Glade waiting for me, including Kyoboku-dono. Today I am to participate in a battle tournament with many of the others, now they think I'm reasonable and sane. It was never a question of my power being too small.
I am to start with fighting who just graduated, and all I can think is bring it on! Kyoboku-dono leads me and some guy called John to a patterned circle, where we can fight using any means we want. Me and the twenty something year old John shake hands and bow, then we get to pick a second, in case we need a break or lose. Nobody will fight for me, so I go it alone, but John picks a big burly guy. I don't break a sweat.
The stupid guy wasn't in the fight circle for more than five minutes. I just unleashed a fire spike and he was down. The next guy lumbers up. Slow. I can beat the slow ones pretty easy I guess. I decide to try some hand to hand, brush up a bit. I throw a warning punch right next to his head, just to give him an idea of what he's fighting. He grunts and shifts his weight. I do a special souped up jump, and he expects a full on kick, but I stop in front of him. He goes to punch my little moon face, but I jump again, kicking myself off his head, I jab a nerve in his neck from behind, and he's also down.
Round two is against a fairly innocent looking hipp housewife in her thirties, I know better than to be fooled by this appearance. We bow and shake hands, and her second is another hippy housewife. She launches straight in with a water choke, but I burn it away with fire. I electric charge her, and she yelps a bit, but comes right back in with a hard punch to my arm. It hurt a lot, but I tried not to show it. I send a huge mental whip her way, and that sends her outside the ring, her second backs out.
I continue to beat these people, round after round after round.until eventually I'm looking pretty bashed up, but so far unbeaten. I get to take a rest before my round with Kyoboku sama, and a healing specialist grudgeingly heals my wounds. I feel a shirei sit in my lap, and her cold hands wrap around me in an embrace. “Aamu, your not supposed to come to see me here, you'll get in trouble.” I say to her, gently but sternly. I feel her dissapointment, but she obeys and wanders away to the crowd of other Shirei to watch me fight.
As I walk into the fight circle I know there is no way I will win, but it doesn't really matter. We bow and shake hands, and go to opposite edges of the circle. I close my eyes and store up a massive mental whip ready for emergencies, putting huge amounts of power into it. You need to have a backup. When my eyes are open, Kyoboku-sama smiles and says “we begin, now!”.
She is right in front of me, and I manage to deflect the massively powerful punch aimed at my stomach. I go in to punch her beautiful face, but her hand merely flicks mine away. I release fifteen rock arrows, but she manages to dodge every single one. I decide to play the floundering fish. I go to punch her stomach, making it sloppy but not obviously a fake. Then I make a false attempt to kick her legs. I then unleash the ridiculous mental whip from right inside my soul, and it leaves a huge gash along her arm and on her face. She looks amused but surprised, and throws me out the ring.
“thats enough, Alex Johannas Theroux. You have proved your fighting talent, but now we will let you prepare for the talk.”
<//\\>
“Alex? Alex? You there hon?” jacob is waving his hand in front of my face, and I blink quickly.
“Jake, hi, sorry. I need to get back to this flash back memory, its important! It might tell us something of real use. Let me go back there.” He nods, looking kind of surprised. I concentrate hard, and my mind is zapped backwards in time again.
<//\\>
I am sitting in a little hut, preparing for The Talk. The Talk is something that happens when you have reached iniciation stage. It explains many things about the Kodama world, and the human world. I have been told I must wear a traditional Kimono for The Talk. Kyoboku-dono will search through my soul,teach me more about the Shirei, then comes the talk.
<//\\>
“Argh!” I say irritably. Jacob looks concerned and says
“What's wrong?”
“The memory's become fragmented. I'll see if I can get what I want.”
<//\\>
The horribly pure look of shock on Kyoboku-donos face as she searches through my soul. She cuts off her connection to me immediately, and informs me I am to stop using the suffix “dono” and switch it with “sama”
I am shocked, that is unheard of for a newly iniciated member. I am honoured, I am surprised, but I am worried.
<//Time skip to at some point in The Talk\\>
Kyoboku-sama takes my hands and lays them on the little low table inbetween us and places hers on top of mine. “Alex. The ritual I'm about to tell you of must only be used if its absolutely nececcery and if you trust a person very much. It is a way to bring none-seers to The Crossways. Do you promise by the soul that binds you together to be wise and careful with this ancient ritual?” I nod wordlessly but solemnly, and she carries on speaking in her beautiful silvery voice. “ you would preferably have three people, one to look after your bodies, but two would be fine. When the one you want to take is asleep, you must paint the symbol of The Crossways just above their collarbone.”
She gestures to the little hollow just above her own collarbone. “what you must do next, is to paint it on yourself in the same place, then take some of your own blood and place one drop on the symbol on each of you. Then you must chant the chant I am about to read from a very old scroll, in any language.” she unfolds a very yellowed old scroll that was lying next to her. She looks at me as if to ask “are you ready?” and I nod.
“by the power invested in me by the dormant gods and godesses, I bring this other soul to the sacred lands of the Seers. To bring safety upon them on our journey, I read this scripture and paint these symbols. As a show of my loyalty I use my own blood to bind us together in this important venture. May the spirits of the forest, the dead and the yet to be born bless this person as I do.”
My face contorts as I press the information into my brain, and Kyoboku-sama tells me the final step. “The last thing you must do is kiss them on the lips, and lye next to them, touching their hand.”
<//\\>
My eyes focus back on the world I'm really in, and I find a new face sitting oposite me. I make that sort of “wer!” noise you make when you get made jump, and the face chuckles. I blink furiously, my eyes must have stayed open when my brain was doing that weird flash back thing. I look over at Jake for an explanation, he grins cheekily and says. “well, I saw James walk in, and I called him over and updated him on the phsychic nutter situation! He was really interested in watching you doing that weird flash back thing, so I said he could sit opposite you.” I glare at Jacob furiously.
“You just called me a phsychic nutter! I'm not stupid Jacob, I will notice!” I twist his ears and he squeals like a pig. Hah.
I think for a second. “hang on, does that mean this guy is a wolf too?” James nods and grins. He holds out his hand for me to shake, so I let go of Jacobs ears and shake.
“James the wolf-man at your service. Nice to meetcha.” he shakes my hand warmly, very oddly friendly seeming kid. He looks real young, only about 14 or 15. Jacob taps my shoulder and says impatiently “ so what did you see in this “flash back” thing?”
“uhh, well there is a way I can take you to The crossways, but its not something I want to discuss freely in public. Its a well guarded ritual you know. Before you say anything, how long was I not responding?” he thinks for a second, and then says
“I'd say about twenty minutes. The foods still warm though, it took ages to get here. Maybe we could eat then go back to James' place? He lives in this town you know.” my stomach grumbles and the decision is made.