Kuro: A Land in Eternal Night

Chapter 15.2: The Growing Darkness

In the weeks that followed, the Order nursed us back to health. Searra and I were confined to our respective rooms. Because we had shared a difficult mission together, the Order thought it best to give us both time away from each other.

Though sparsely furnished, my room was nonetheless familiar, and comfortable. The Order was kind enough to provide my mind with welcome distraction. There were books aplenty, bookcases full, in fact, and even more piled on the floor. I was anxious to get back to learning. Though I had enjoyed the practical experience I had gained from the mission, I felt that I had neglected my studies in the process.

My body was weary from the battle, and moving was painful for a few days. I found that if I fluffed the pillows, putting three of them at the head of the bed so I could lie on them, keeping myself upright, I could read comfortably for hours at a time. The books took my mind off the pain. When I wasn't learning about Sealcraft, I read up on the history of Talthys, and the legends of Kuro. When I wasn't reading, I stared out the window at the black sky, wondering what adventures lay beyond.

Other than the priestesses on guard who came into my room at scheduled times to check up on me or deliver my meals, I had no visitors. They spoke little to me, and even then, only in response to the few questions I asked of them. How much longer would we be confined to our rooms? I wondered aloud one day in between mouthfuls of salty bacon and warm bread. As long as it took for us both to recover was the answer. In the end, as it had always been, Searra and I were outcasts, and all we had were each other. As time passed, my longing grew for my sister. There were days I lay in bed deep in thought. I found it harder to concentrate on learning. I wanted to look into her eyes, apologize for my actions. I would have gone to great lengths to tolerate whatever it was that it would take in order for her to forgive me.

My recovery was slow. I languished in bed during the Waking and lay awake at the Slumber, a torpid, feeble shell of who I had been. Ignoble thoughts festered in my mind. Where was the powerful Vannah? Was my recollection of the matter correct, or had it all been a dream? My mind was cast in the shadows of vague and nonsensical musings. The books no longer helped. I found that reading up on histories gave me nightmares during the Slumber. I turned to humorous literature, but it alleviated my condition little, for such stories were few and far between. My mind replayed the scene of our battle with the demon over and over again.

I realized that I was nothing without my sister. There would be no Vannah without Searra. It was an interesting observation – the normally very arrogant Vannah, admitting that she needed someone else to be there for her.

More days went by. I decided to try and get myself out of my rut, practicing my calligraphy and forming simple seals. The temple was too quiet. Having lived in it so long, I hadn't really thought much of the silence and the temple's pensive nature. The stillness was interrupted only by the calming sound of waterfalls built within the temple grounds. The water was funneled through a complex system of interconnected bamboo waterways, with the roaring sea of Kaito just outside, lending its voice to the flowing waters within. The silence was punctuated by a clear bell that rang every hour, marking the passing of time. Quiet and solitude were prized at Tengoku-Ji, for one needed only to look inward to find one's true self.

It was a ritual Searra and I were both familiar with, of course, but my exposure to the outside world had made it harder for me to get back into the rhythm. Roaming the open fields, sleeping in the wilderness, with nothing between me and the black sky above, all this had killed the inner quiet of my being. I was stricken with the wanderlust, and being confined in this manner dampened my spirits even more.

One day, just when I was getting ready to resign myself to this new life, I heard a voice outside my door.

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life in bed? It has been over a month already. I see that you have decided that slothfulness suits you best."

The door opened and my heart beat swiftly, a radiant, thumping energy within me that I could scarce contain. I looked up and saw the smiling eyes of my sister. Searra had returned to me at last.

She brought food, rice balls wrapped in seaweed and some fresh fruit. Even the simple food tasted like exquisite dishes as I reveled in the joy of being reunited with my sister. I took the rice balls and chomped down gleefully, almost choking on the first few bites. Searra frowned as she took pieces of rice from the side of my mouth.

"Clumsy Vannah," she said and smiled again. "Eat your food slowly. There is no need to hurry. We have all day to talk."

After being separated from her so long, I could not contain myself. Like water through a breaking dam, my questions came unbidden, and so did hers. We launched question after question at one another. Searra admitted her surprise at seeing the extent of my abilities, at how far I had come.

Had I always been able to use so many seals at the same time? Not always, but the number of seals I could unleash at the same time grew by the day. Had I meant to keep this from her? No, but the opportunity to show her never arose. I asked if I had hurt her deeply. Only her pride, was the answer I received. I told her she would always be the Searra that I looked up to, that such a thing would never change.

"Vannah, did you know?" Searra asked, as we finished our meal. "Today we are being summoned by the High Priestess."

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Early update today! :D