The Erased Chronicles

Master Karin of Karin Tower

Resting idly in his tower home, the cat god Karin clenched his staff, surveying the Earth down below. His squinted eyes, seemingly unable to see anything, perceived much more than one would believe. As the comings and goings of Majin Bū were apparent to him, the aged martial arts master silently cursed his inability to do more than listen and watch — a useless excuse of a god, when all he could do was provide his student and his friends with the mystical Senzu.

"Hey, Karin. you lookin' off into space again?" Yajirobe, the vagabond samurai, called off to the cat, sitting on the railing of the tower with a bored expression. "It ain't gonna get any livelier around here if you keep on actin' like that, y'know."

"Off into space?" Karin repeated. "No, I'm merely thinking." The cat's nose twitched, and he felt as Goku's presence finally faded from Earth completely. "So, Goku is really gone again...I wish I could have seen him off." His ears twitched next, and he felt himself smile. "Well then...it seems we're going to be having some visitors. Sending them to me, are we, Goku?"

Palace of God

After Goku's departure, Piccolo took the boys and immediately began to run the drills of the Fusion technique again. With nothing left to do, and preferring not to discuss Goku's recent departure for fear of depressing themselves, the group decided to go watch the boys learn their Fusion. All with the exception of Gohan and Erasa, who stood off to the sides, away from the others.

"So, Gohan, who is 'Karin'?" Erasa asked, glancing over at the group to see how how preoccupied they were with the Fusion teachings. "Someone Goku knows?"

"He's a talking cat, and he was one of Dad's teachers," replied Gohan. "I've only met him once, when I was nine. I wasn't really sure what to think of him at the time, but he and Dad got along very well. I suppose I'll have to go meet with him — I can't stand waiting around while Goten and Trunks prepare to risk themselves out there."

Erasa sighed, but it was accompanied by a gentle, understanding smile on her face. "You really do have a heroic compulsion, don't you?" Before Gohan could say anything to protest, Erasa continued on. "But it isn't as if I dislike that about you," she replied, slipping her hand into Gohan's. "So...I'll let you lead the way?"

"Yeah, let's leave them to it," replied Gohan and the two took off from the Palace without so much as a farewell, leaping off towards the surface of the Earth in feverish flight. It was close to the evening now; in fact, the sun was casting the sky into hues of oranges and reds, and the couple had a hard time believing all of this commotion had begun only earlier this very same day. It felt almost like it was a year away; so much had happened in that short time.

They cast a knowing smile at each other — flying like this, it was almost as if Majin Bū and the issues being caused down on Earth were worlds away. Almost, being the operative word, as occasional explosions down on the surface world reminded Gohan and Erasa that this was no romantic flight. Silently, but determinedly, they flew down to Earth, with only each other and the brisk night air to keep them company.

It wasn't long before a landmark could be seen in the distance below; Gohan was the first to spot it.

"There it is!" He said, pointing down towards a figure Erasa could only make out as they got closer. Whether it was Saiyan eyes, ki, a combination of both, Gohan's eyesight was excellent. Under the evening sky, the normally beige tower was bathed in red hues, but Gohan recognized the tower on sight.

"It's...huge!" Erasa's eyes widened. "I never knew this tower existed...!"

"It's a sacred land," replied Gohan. "The Sacred Land of Karin, also known as the Karin Forest. It has an extensive history behind it, and normal people aren't usually let in. The Karinga tribe live here, and protect the Land and the Tower in their own way."