Prologue (Pt.1)
The K'youjino-kiza'shi
Location: "Tenjou'kai" (HEAVEN)
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ORA'CLE CHRONICLES, PROLOGUE (Part One)
"Arashi?"
The sound of his tribe name made the young man turn, the giant dragon wings extending from his back shudder. As he moved, his grey hair caught the light of the surrounding countryside. Weary, his eyes, blue as the ocean, rested on the elderly man in front of him. Arashi gripped his sword at his side, but let his hand fall to a rest.
"Greetings, Yamakaji."
"You need't be so formal with me, young one." said Yamakaji, grinning his old and experienced smile, one that could soften even the hearts of the most darkened. But behind the gentle demeanor was a man with a secret: Arashi could tell.
With a swift movement, he walked up to Yamakaji. The sky was golden with sunlight, and the world seemed to be in everlasting late afternoon, the trees behind and beside them all glowing warmly. Everything was green, and everything was full of life, but Arashi's eyes had grown stormy with a sort of knowing anxiety.
"It's about the prophecy, isn't it?"
Yamakaji nodded, his eyebrow raised, and his bald wrinkly head, once covered with orange hair, caught the light. His face muscles bunched around his forehead as he frowned and said, "I have been told to tell you by the Emperoress of the Tenjou'kai herself."
Arashi sighed. "And why must you tell me?" he said, as if required to by custom.
"Because you're the messenger of our two worlds. The dead, and the living. The living below must know, have some inclination, that the darkness they live in can be overturned." Yamakaji said with his old's man wisdom. He smiled lightly and retrieved his own weapon, a long Shaolin spear, and let the blade fall to the ground with a hard chunk sound as it fell into the sandy dirt. He clutched the edge of it and said reproachfully, "Young Arashi, help me make the circle."
Arashi leaned down, elbows on his knees. His short ponytail, tied at the base of his head, gave him the look of a British gentlemen; he pulled out his katana-like sword and dragged the sharp tip through the ground, into a mostly perfect circle. Yamakaji stepped into the middle of it, and Arashi followed suit. They raised their blades high, touching the very tips, and grasped each others' shoulders.
"Are you ready?" said Yamakaji, his voice raspy. His orange dragon wings folded quickly, and his fire-white eyes bore into Arashi's.
"Yes," said Arashi.
Yamakaji gripped his shoulder, the fabric of his white shirt bunched up in the elder's fist. Arashi breathed in a sharp breath, and the world around him became dizzy. While he could still see all his surroundings, they were blurry and he heard Yamakaji's voice echo in his head, like it was coming from his mind.
"Three will become one, and the world will prosper none. Divsvion of the living will become new, and the country will spilt in two. Tears of fire will rain when it comes time to make a change. Good may withdraw, and evil may conquer all, but if one part is gone, from whom the others are among, they will fall, only to suffer at their opposer's jaws."
Yamakaji's voice became throaty as he stumbled forward, out of the trance. out of the circle. When Arashi made a move to help him, Yamakaji waved him away, but then siezed his collar. "Tell them anyway you can," he said, his white stare boring into Arashi's face, the old man's contorted with angry fear. "Go to them and follow them. Make sure they suceed! You know what happens if they don't!" he said.
Arashi looked down at him, and made a move away. "It's not right," he said. "I can't go, because I'm dead. There's no way I could go back."
"Oh, isn't there always a way?" said Yamakaji knowingly, having got up and regained his strength, but still weak and wobbly. "Why do us dead people have weapons? Why are we still here, even after death? There's a reason, young one, and you may have the most important one of all." he smiled. "I wish I could come with you."
"You can't?"
"No, Arashi, I can't. I may be able to later, but now I have a job to do."
"What?" asked Arashi, " You can't come? But I won't know what to do."
With a genial laugh, he grasped Arashi's shoulders again, this time gently. He smiled good-naturedly and said, "Arashi, you are strong and you have exprience. You may not have made the best choices in your past life, but things are different now. You are changed, and you can do whatever you can dream of." Yamakaji closed his eyes and laughed, a well-natured, whole-hearted laugh that made Arashi's heart swell for the kind old warrior. "You can defeat the tallest giants, the most powerful evil. You just need to believe!"
Arashi smiled. "But going back means I face my mistakes, though."
"Child, we all have to. Go and face it head-on."
"Alright," he said, after a pause. With a twinkle of his eye, he withdrew his sword and slashed it once through the air. And with a howling wind, he took a step through the slash, into a world without hope, a world without light, and a world without him.
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