The Warrior And The Pacifist

Betrayal

Bouts of nausea hit him like terrible waves on a costal cities during a storm since returning from the spirit world. His head aching off and on. He hadn't eaten much and was sleeping less than he usually did. As of yet the nightmares hadn't returned when he did sleep, but since his conversation with Tesha he was more on edge than he usually was. It was as if his mind had turned against him, self inflicted visions of death and destruction not seen on such a scale in...well ever.

Tamura of course yet again blamed himself for not paying closer attention to current events, but now he was no longer in that boat alone. He wasn't even the captain of that boat any more, Gemeng was at the helm  helping to sail the world towards destruction. Had pride caused Gemeng to hide what he knew, shame? or was it something more simple such as what he had told Leki, the Gemeng he had fought beside and trained under was not the same man now.  Taking his place was a man who had given into his greed and hunger for power.

Tamura was vividly reminded of something his father had told him after Jesu, Power can corrupt a person no matter how they were raised. His father had feared it would happen to Tamura like it It had happened to Junya, and now it had happened to Gemeng...though in Gemeng's case it had taken longer for that demon to fully take hold. It had begun when he had killed Tesha...and then it had waited. But if so then why had he agreed to an armistice? Why had he only put up token resistance to Tamura's pleas for peace? Tamura may have been too trusting but he wasn't an idiot. Gemeng was planning something. But what? By Amaterasu's grace he hoped he was just over thinking.

"Oh no..." Leki muttered aloud. He wasn't overthinking it.

Coming over those very same trees they had first traveled over on their first visit to Iyizi below the village itself came into view. But it was nothing like what it had been when he and Leki had left all those days prior. Down below it looked as if an explosion had gone off. Buildings had collapsed in on themselves. Trails of smoke rising skyward.

The wall that Tamura had helped construct was destroyed in places...facing the very woods where the cult had launched their first attack. Rage filled Tamura as he stared out at the carnage of what had once been a village full of life. The streets full of people who had just been trying to get by were now left abandoned.

Even before Pungsan had completely touched down Tamura had jumped off the side and just...stared at his surroundings. Cupping his hands next to his mouth acting like a bullhorn he shouted. "CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?" Silence only greeted him. Only a few buildings were left standing, some houses, the general store, the meeting hall...and Kara home in the distance. He was running off of false hope at this point, like in a dream if he imaged a happy ending it would come to be. That at any moment the people of Iyizi would come out of unknown hiding place and begin rebuilding. That everything would be alright and at least this one chapter would have a happy ending. But life wasn't like that, life was full of darkness and pain where not every story could have a happy ending...why would this time be any different?

So close to their goal now, the oracles of the old one were finished with silent attacks. What happened here was meant as a message, they were calling Tamura out. And call him out they did."Baliph start searching the houses, Leki check the meeting hall. I'm going up there." He said pointing to the home Kara had shared with her children.

"Avatar I don't think we should be splitting up." Baliph interjected.

Tamura wheeled on her. "Just do as I ask." He said, his tone sterner than perhap Was warranted. Baliph was not to blame for what had happened here. "Please." He added to soften the blow.

Baliph took a step back, clutching a hand to her chest, fixing Leki with an uneasy gaze. Leki opened her mouth to speak but by then Tamura had already turned back and took off into a full run, the liquid in his water skin sloshing and the wood of his scabbards clacking with each foot fall. He followed that winding path up to the farm. Strange how a home that had looked in such disrepair back then fit the aesthetic so neatly now.