Spirit Battle

Chapter 6

Anthony, Simon and Wesley were sitting on the ground, still in shock, after what the elder say just told them about Hachiman, and the gems history. And now, Lara was stuck there with him and the gem.

"So..Lara is stuck in the spirit realm, with the gem, and the man who had originally felt for it's abilities?" Simon asks. Kenzou nods. "But..she's safe there..isn't she?" Anthony asks. Kenzou shook his head. "I'm afraid that even spirits can die again. And then they are sent to a place that has no name. They just disappear. And can never come back" Yoshi explains. The three british boys felt sick to their stomach. "I th..I think I need to go throw up" Wesley says as he ran out of the room. "We understand it is hard. But that is why we have sent Kūki after her. There Kūki is larger, and can protect her. And there..hopefully..the one who sent the kemi and himself into the spirit realm will help her." Yoshi says. "Who?" Anthony asks. "Omoikane. The deity of wisdom" Yoshi says smiling at the boys.

*~*~~*~*

Darkness. I had seen it for a long time in my life. When I was sleeping, when I was on a ship, in my darkened room at night. And I have felt pain before, as well. The pain of losing my father, never getting to know my mother, having Reo betray me and our home..But never the cruciating pain of the cut on my leg being stitched up.

It had woke me up with a sweat, as I screamed at the pain, and Kūki came into view. Then a man about Yoshi age, was stiching my leg, as it was across his lap, and I was on the ground, while he was sitting on a pillow, keeping my leg elevated.

"Who the bloody-" he cut me off with a scream as he put his needle through my flesh again, and pull the string he had through the flesh, and pulled it tight. "Quiet child" he says as he placed a piece of leather into my mouth, and did it again, making me scream. Only this time it was muffled, and I bit hard onto the leather. Until the pain became too much, and I fainted again.

It must have been not even ten minutes later when I woke up, but the man wasn't stitching my leg anymore. Now he was cleaning his hands in a bowl of water, from the black that was covering his hands. Black blood, like the ones the trees had on the island..blood of a spirit.

"Who are.." I whisper quietly, and the man turned to face me. "You may not know of who I am now, Lara. but I do know you." he says as he dried off his hands. "Who are you.." I asked him again, when he grabbed the bowl he was holding and dumped the blood water onto the vines that lay, and I watched as they seemed to be drinking it heavenly. "They seem to love water with the blood of spirits. This realm as many different types of things. Things that those who lived in the living would find odd." the man says as he walked to a nearby river with a different bowl, and filled it up with water.

When he walked back over, he began to make tea, the way I used to watch Haru make it. When he finished five minutes later, he walked over to me with the cup of tea, and helped me sit up. "I've added some herbs that are known here for their healing remedies" he tells me as he helps my hands hold it, and I lift the warm tea to my lips, smiling at the taste.

It felt like home.

"You miss them all don't you?" the stranger asks. I looked up at him. "Who are you?" I ask him, and he smiled down at me. "I'll give you a hint. I know Hachiman better than anyone, and you will need my help to do it again. Especially with the gem of Chikara being in you bag." he says. My eyes widened. "Omoikane..." I whisper in disbelief. The deity of wisdom..right here..right in front of me.

I think I'm going to faint again.

"Steady now" he says as he takes the tea from my hands, and has me lay back on the soft carpet he had beneath me. "Hachiman cut you badly. Your lucky the bird brought you here" he says as he nodded his head to Kūki. "The monks did well to send him here to help you" he says.

Kenzou, Yoshi, Eiji, Itsuki and Sachihiro sent Kūki here? To help me? But what was going on in the land of the living?

"Ease your mind child. I can practically hear your curiosity of what they are doing" Omoikane says as he stood up from the ground, with the empty cup of tea in his hands. "They are all safe. They are heading for England to stop your uncle, lord James and your old friend" Omoikane says. "He isn't my friend. Not anymore anyways" I say and he looks back at me. "Because he betray you?" he asks and I look at him. "In your scenario you are like me with Hachiman. And lord James is the gem of Chikara." Omoikane says, leaving me confused at his words. "What do you mean..?" I ask him. I do remember that he liked to speak in riddles, and metaphors. "Hachiman and I were very close. Both strong fighters, and even though we we were total opposites we worked." Omoikane says, and I remember this. "But then the gem came along into your possession. Brought to you buy a native shaman, who said that his village chief had gone nuts after they had found it on a french army camp." I say and Omoikane turned towards me. "So you have heard this story, then?" he asks and I nodded.

"The highest elder Yoshi of our monastery told it to me every night for almost six months when I was seven." I say to him, as I looked up at him. "Your implying that like the gem, Hachiman and yourself, that before the gem came you two were at peace with each other. But then when the gem came..the man you had known was gone." I say and Omoikane nodded. "Exactly" he tells me. "And like before lord James came and offered Reo that mission, and offering him power and wealth, like Hachiman..turned him mad." I say and looked up at the sky mindless. "That was what I was hinting at, child. Which is why you must do the opposite of what I have done in my life." he says. I probably almost broke my neck because of his words, and me turning to look at him so fast.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, as I slowly sat up, holding myself up with my arms. "You're not the one that kills Reo or your uncle. But they will pass soon. And you won't be able to say goodbye to them. But I would allow your heart to forgive them. And not let what happened with me ad Hachiman, happen to you." he says. "You should know though, that there is a way to leave" Omoikane says, which caught my attention.