Sachihiro

It’s amazing how readily I keep coming to the underworld by choice now that I can move more freely with the use of the mirrors. There are more librarians about and general excitement in the ambience of the place as they go about their duties with dignified haste.

‘’Why all the excitement Mooletre?’’ I ask as I’m being escorted to the library summoning circle.

‘’Your spreading of mirrors has created some excitement, already a large number of servant-orbs have been accepted by new members around the Conclave partnership, these new members you’ve recently introduced have a large network with which we have started trade and have begun spreading our influence. Much is happening, the Library is again in use.’’

‘’I thought you were already going out there reaching people since I wasn't alone in discovering you,’’ I expect the Blacks have everyone in their faction a library member milking this place for all it is worth.

‘’Unfortunately many library members choose to hoard their access, not as generous with the benefits we can provide as you have been. You have been a great boon to the Library King Sachihiro which has allowed me to authorized you free teleportation privileges for your next 50 trips.’’

‘’That’s very generous of you,’’ I haven’t even been keeping track of how much it costs to teleport people through the budding library teleportation network. A network I have helped personally building from the ground up.

‘’Let’s make it all my personal teleportations in any place I set up be free forever and I’ll keep setting up library deports anywhere I deem appropriate.’’

Mooletre grins a toothy grin between his bushy visage.

‘’I will ensure management considers the counter offer King Sachihiro.’’

There is that title again, ‘’why the title change?’’

‘’Is it not the way of this world to do so? Since you are a king in power it would be inappropriate for one of your status to be simply referred to as ‘lord’, one of the more recent members provided a book with appropriate titles in your world.’’

I didn’t know I’d be referred to as ‘king’, I don’t know how I feel about that. It’s flattering but dangerous in a way. Stroking the ego in a way that will have it become a monster or need continuous validation of my kinghood from others instead of internally. Yet it also solidifies who I know myself to be referred to in that manner by people, interesting paradox to solve.

We arrive at the summoning circle portal and it’s immediately activated for me, not opening into any other place as no other is open elsewhere but readily primed to open.

###

I go through, arriving in the flowing world of spirit completely dark. Not using real eyes to see it doesn’t impede me, but I feel the dark depths stifling all about with dark affinity spiritual creatures lurking about ready to devour me as soon as I leave the barrier of the fading circle.

I do a purely protective circle even as the one that brought m here fades away. I gain privacy, formless creatures lurking about like giant whales unable to find me as they circle like sharks scenting blood with no prey. Not wasting time I bring my bond to Katya forward as the easiest to attach to.

I bring it forward and launch my spirit-self forward arriving at its end where the spirit-creature that is Katya slave bonded to me shines radiantly. She is so firmly planted in the spiritual realm I’m shocked, more firmly grounded than me with my new trick with the palm sigil. Her spiritual self is large, bright and beautiful, powerful beyond any I’ve seen from my family so far. I do a few sigils on the ground locking onto her presence as an anchor.

I walk through waist-deep water in a wide shallow pond with a large number of women gawking wide-eyed at my entrance. No one attacks as Katya bows deeply before me naked as the day she was born, ‘’greetings master.’’

I look around as I recover from the transition, also naked, burnt skin smoking but quickly recovering now that I’m back in the real world. "Hello Katya,’’ I look around recognising a wide-eyed Nikita splashing water in her haste to get to me.

‘’Da!’’ she calls, her face bright with ease and happiness that melts the worry that was clenched around my heart. A happy grin skews my face.

I send mental commands to Katya who I’m surprised to discover can reach into my spiritual storage pulling out the storage pouch and immediately starts helping dress me in a body-suit as instructed.

‘’Da!’’

We engulf each other as soon as she’s close enough. Ahh... my baby, ‘’Nikita, you’ve gotten so big," I grin holding her up to better admire.

She laughs a happy sound that puts me at ease as I notice everyone else I hadn’t before. Ava is there on a rock with a spear pointed at the sky grinning like the idiot she is, Sema is here carrying shield and spear as well, painted as warrior maidens do back home. I smile enjoying the nostalgia that comes as she howls at me rattling her weapons together. I recognise no one else amongst the women gathered around the forest surrounded pond.

‘’Why is everyone naked?’’ I send.

Nikita laughs again a sound that warms my heart with how easily it comes, ‘’you’re in the women’s bathing area. Come,’’ she pulls me along by the arm and in no time I’m being hugged by a different bunch of people.

‘’How have you been?’’ ‘’How did you get here?’’ ‘’Did you find the others?’’

We walk a well-worn path through dense flora arriving at a budding village of wooden huts, yurts and tents. I’m a spectacle as many come out to investigate ending up watching as I’m practically paraded through the village with more and more people joining our excited reunion.

‘’We would’ve thought you dead without Katya here to confirm otherwise.’’ ‘’I see you’ve become stronger, kill anything interesting?’’ ‘’Iki will be so relieved to see you.’’

Ikigai is happy to see me, throwing herself at me as she comes through the woods like a lightning bolt to land lightly in my arms. ‘’You left without me.’’

‘’Sorry I left like that baby girl,’’ I say burring my face in her warm hair. They are all so grown, it was harder to see with the others at the Den since they are smaller and thinner but Nikita and Ikigai are so grown! There comes Aurora heavy with child rushing towards me with a giant of a man beside her, Om's flesh copy but younger. I wipe the tears unable to take away the smile from my face seeking so many familiar faces, seeing family.

‘’Da!’’ I embrace my baby girl, not so much a baby anymore.

‘’Had too much to eat?’’ I send teasing at the large tummy between us.

"Oh da, so much has happened! Where were you, what happened?’’

A spike of guilt stabs through my heart remembering the sight of Vigdis when I found her, where was I indeed.

‘’I’m here now.’’

‘’You’re not leaving without me again.’’ ‘’And me neither, I’m tired of eating fish.’’

Joy blooms in me as Ingwe passes the horizon racing along with ma and Cicilia not far behind. I spot Thandeka with Aunt Helen, the Comclave illusionist Mirabalis and the quiet earthling Max dropping from a ridge in the distance.

Pretty soon we’ve stopped moving with everyone touching me in greeting saying something, I touch them in turn, kissing hugging crying as we reunion in what feels like ages.

"Welcome to the Isle da."

Having passed through two small settlements we come to an area of circular arranged huts plastered in mud walls with a large two level squatting hardwood log house in the middle with a behind disappearing behind foliage. In the foyer is an ashy stone fire pit dug into the ground next to which sits a Mira with black eyes staring into me, the oily tar of her miasma quickly clogging the ambience making it nasty to breathe. Her visage a dark terrible thing to behold as the djinn within her bellows its presence heavily suppressing the spiritual environment.

‘’Where are my children Sachihiro? Where are my little girls?"

Iki takes the bolt of air on her shield as she gets between me and the attack, ‘’ma, it’s da!’’ She gestures not understanding how her mother would want my head.

I step out of the crowd as Mira vacuums the breath from the air around, charging mana as she prepares another attack.

[VHOO], everyone getting between us is pushed aside by and an explosion of air that pulls me forward.

I grab the blade an inch from my face sliding my feet to stop my momentum, the bladed whip is pulled away gaping wide the wound in my hand.

‘’Where are my girls Sachi!’’

Dozens of tiny cyclones of dark whirling air disintegrate into the as I catch them in a burning left hand eating away at the spells.

[DONG], Cecilia's brother Gaia gets between us in a lightning-fast rush that catches Mira’s zanpakuto as I balance on his broad back swinging fast around him. With a phthartic amplified chop, I am an inevitable experience cutting through the clogging wall of air to collide with Mira bodily taking her to the ground. She cuts me but it isn’t deep, I hold her tight as she bites painfully into my shoulder coming away with flesh screaming her bloody outrage.

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‘’It’s okay, I found Saya and Didi. We’ll look for the others, we’ll find them, we’ll find them.’’

She cries in my arms tiredly as the dark spectre of the djinn leaves her looking haggard, her aura calming as she covers her tear-filled face.

‘’Oh Sachi, she’s gone Sachi she’s gone.’’

‘’Who’s gone?’’

A dun blood crystal, a copy of those I lost is held delicately in a trembling palm raised for me to see. ‘’Little Rayna, she’s gone and it’s your fault!’’

*

Michael O'Hare

The reunion is mostly a happy affair that sucks us all into the spirit with its enthusiasm as the family celebrates Sachihiro’s return. There is also some awkwardness I notice, not just from Mira’s reaction but many others but the joy and devotion to each other wins out over everything else that might be in the background between them. Even Selah the Jotnar swordwoman, having forgotten the bitterness she had towards the man she celebrates his safe return.

Its times like these that bring vividly the memory of those I left behind that has me feeling an outsider looking in even after all these years.

Im glad he's alive yet I watch the enthusiasm mostly from the periphery keeping guard while everyone else's backs are turned away in light of recent events. I am hopeful but terrified to hear word of Saya and our baby, two babies now that may have died before I've ever met them. Can that be an intentional curse I wonder, I'll have to see Divina maybe to figure it out.

Spotting a young Undine woman we’ve been training with I hail her and approach, ‘’can you take my watch, I have to be with the family.’’

‘’Sure boss,’’ she says hefting her spear and I’m off. Jumping down the watch tree I make quick time getting from the jungle to the longhouse where everyone has already gathered.

There is a small crowd of children and the curious that made a small precision all the way here.The big Norse warrior Onimore is at the entrance with shield held ready, spear leaning by the entrance. He grunts his accent as I slap his shoulder in greeting going past him. A fire is burning with Sachihiro sitting with everyone’s attention on him as he tells the tale of his disappearance and how he’s here again. I lean on a support beam playing with Silencer as I listen.

It’s as fantastical a tale as everything else in this world, my grip tightens as he mentions some of what the others went through, glossing over finding Saya hurt. I swallow my relief when he says the baby is okay, Apricity, is a beautiful name. The storm inside me bubbles with my emotional state but stays within its confines as I calm myself, Max places a hand on my shoulder.

‘’You alright?’’ he asks not looking at me.

‘’Yea I’m fine, going up to the rock.’’

I leave them to it with Divina cross-questioning him as they come up with plans.

Silently I walk up the hill through the foliage, passing the patrols that don’t see me until I’m far on the hill overlooking all three budding settlements peaking through the canopy given away by the rising smoke. I sit on the rock outcrop settling in as comfortably as I can grateful I have a daughter, grateful Saya is alive through all this shit that’s been happening all over.

It’s sad to say I’m questioning the wisdom of my decision to marry Saya as quickly as I did, so much has happened since then. It feels like an entire lifetime ago, over 2 years back by the standards of this world, much longer in Earth time. Not that I even think in Earth time anymore.

I watch the sky and the forest stretching all the way to the coast visible from here.

‘’May I join you?’’

‘’Sure,’’ as if you had to ask.

‘’Thank you,’’ he finally says after taking in the surrounding view.

‘’What for?’’

‘’I hear from ma you’ve been invaluable to this ragtag group of misfits I call a family.’’

‘’We all do our part,’’ I find his approach somewhat condescending but I don’t want to be hostile in the first real private interaction I’m having with this man.

‘’Yes, we all try to do our part. I just... Thank you for keeping my family safe.’’ I feel his sincerity as we lock eyes.

I nod, what to say to that?

‘’They’re my family too you know,’’ we’ve killed and bled for each other. As sincere as he may be in his gratitude I resent the implication that I’m somehow a stand-in for him, or no longer necessary now that he's back. Or are these my own insecurities?

‘’We are family and it is going to take all of us to get through this,’’ he waves his hands non-specifically. I know exactly what he means.

‘’You are from here, at least you’re used to all this madness,’’ I embrace the storm inside. Busking in the eery gloom of an endless storm raging in the nether beyond.

Sachihiro is grinning at me with pleased eyes, ‘’you’re full of surprises.’’

I cock a brow at that, he waves it away as he gets serious again distancing his gaze. I’m not sure what to make of this guy.

‘’Saya was hurt, hurt bad. I don’t know the full story but they were taken as captives and forced into slavery, Saya is not one to be forced into anything so she fought and they hurt her. They hurt her badly...’’ the silence between words is heavy, stoking anxieties in me.

‘’How is she now?’’ My heart is pounding, my hands are sweaty, saliva is heavy in my mouth as a picture is painted in my mind.

‘’Physically she’s mostly fine, healing magic can deal with a lot but mentally and spiritually... She’s going to need all of us to be there as much as we can be, give her whatever she needs to recover.’’

‘’Her full recover is priority,’’ I find myself nodding. Recently given birth, separated from your child, beaten, raped no doubt. Your family and friends killed, the trauma she must have experienced she’d be crazy not to be crazy.

Wait, what if she has some postpartum PTSD depression or something? How much care is my baby getting where ever she may be?

‘’How is she with the baby?’’

He looks at me askew, did that come out right?

‘’They seemed good together from the little I’ve seen, Isis has been watching the little ones while Vigdis was in captivity the second time.’’

Shit captured twice. I was captured once by an angry Arab crowd and they pummelled me for the 14 minutes they had me, I’ll never forget that experience and Saya went through worse for longer. Twice.

‘’What's the plan that was decided down there?’’

‘’Part of the reason I came to find you. Da has never been one to lead people beyond hunting and battle, and ma has had a lot to deal with here organising a leadership structure amongst all these people and I guess just being ma. When she says you are invaluable I know that means you’ve been working your ass off making decisions and getting things done. Things have been working here and by accounts, you’ve only lost a few people since you landed on the isle thanks to your leadership; I’m not here to step on your toes but this is where my family is so this is my home now as well.''

There it is, the threat finally spoken that I feel from this man. He thinks me a rival to his leadership, I care nothing about position here you petty man. A sneer crosses my face.

‘’And what of it being your home?’’ If you’re threatening me don’t put sugar on it. I stand loosening my body, he grins absently staring at the far horizon.

‘’We’re going to synergistically co-exist, I don’t see why that should be a problem.’’

‘’I don’t see why it should be,’’ I spin Silencer about my hands stabbing at imaginary enemies to work off some steam.

‘’We’ve never fought have we?’’

‘’No, we haven’t.’’

‘’We should sometime,’’ he sighs. ‘’Ma is studying the sigils on the necklace I gave her, da and Esuas have mobilised everyone for feast preparations. Katya is about with Thandeka and Dewan looking for an area sensitive to spirit for a semi-permanent summoning circle to be established. Nikita is checking out the library through the orb with John, the others are out boar hunting or something I don’t know.’’

‘’You’re observant,’’ I point out.

‘’Easy to be when you know what’s going on. The plan is to bring everyone else here so we aren’t so scattered, from there we can all figure out the rest together of what happens from here.’’

I nod, ‘’that sounds good to me. But I should mention now that this place has been safe so far and much better than the hell we've been through so if you recommend we leave these islands I will oppose you.’’

He nods standing, ‘’this spot is pretty spiritually sensitive actually.’’

''What?''

''It would make a good spot for a summoning ritual,'' he seems to already be past our serious discussion in a flash.

‘’For the portal?’’

‘’Yes,’’ he sends for the others as he looks around the rocky outcrop. ‘’I’ll have to do some modifications but this place will work.’’

*

Sachihiro

I’m still somewhat surprised to realise I’m walking towards a king awakened as I get further up the hill towards the man mother says keeps everyone on task in the community being built on this isle. He sits casually with a leg hanging loose with Hiroshi’s memento mori comfortably held in his hands, the grip wrapped in cloth hiding just how beautiful a weapon he carries.

‘’May I join you,’’ I say looking up at him.

‘’Sure,’’ he looks down at me then shifts as though making space on the rock.

I get comfortable, happy to be away from everyone as I was getting overwhelmed. I get comfortable in the silence, it’s a beautiful isle they’ve landed on here. From up here I can see all the way to the coast, only one coast from here though it stretches far. A reasonably large isle then, enough space for them to have resources and feel safe but probably not so big that they have to worry about anybody coming from further inland.

Ma said there were three islands if I recall, the cool breeze is pleasantly salty as it blows up here. Further from the warm humidity of the dense jungle, my family have taken to calling home, I swear we’ve become explorers or something.

I stifle a sigh as I watch Michael watch me through my awareness. This man stepped up big time I hear, even Kuyoki and Nikita mentioning him in praise the brief time I’ve been here. The zanpakuto he carries is pleasantly quiet as well in his hands.

‘’Thank you,’’ I have no other words with which to convey how I feel towards him.

‘’What for?’’

Where to even begin?

We get to talking and I like the impression I’m getting from him though I can feel my presence gets to him in some way. He’s polite despite the discomfort I induce and I appreciate that, a sign of maturity I haven’t come across in a while.

We talk about Saya and to be honest I don’t know what I expect from him, time will tell what Saya needs and if that isn’t him he better be prepared to respect that. If it is him he better get his ass in gear and be there for her, maybe I do know what I expect from him.

He flexes himself, a power I can’t name coming over him; getting into a fighting stance he does some tight spear moves. Ahh..., that’s why he’s so antsy. We are two kings occupying the same space and we’ve never even fought before, there is something missing between us in terms of understanding each other.

‘’Have we ever fought before?’’ I ask rhetorically.

‘’No, we haven’t.’’

‘’We should sometime.’’

The spiritual realm is easiest connected with the physical at this point actually. I call back Katya’s group from where ever they were and we start clearing the space for a large sigil. In ones and two’s more people start joining us, even people I don’t recognise as I explain the sigils to ma as I make the circle. I’m explaining it to everyone really but only ma seems to be following along with me, and Katya of course.

Finishing the circle it almost clicks to my senses as it connects to the library sigil, I activate it opening a door through which comes an industrial size portal mirror.

Quickly it’s charted away as the bystanders are dismissed away leaving reluctantly.

‘’Trouble?’’ I ask the half-naked dwarf decked in hairy muscles playing with his jewel-braided beard.

‘’They’re just nosey. Curious about the mysterious Sachihiro but they won’t make any trouble, we’ve all been through much together surviving till here,’’ Esuas assures me.

‘’Tell me more about it sometime?’’

‘’Have any ale?’’

‘’I’ll get you ale.’’

‘’I’ll tell you all, good to have you back my friend.’’ We clasp forearms tight as he plays with his bushy brows.

I grin, appreciating this man so much. ‘’Good to be back Esuas.’’

It’s no time at all before the others are coming through from the mirror now set up in a rocky watery cave near the coast of the isle. Isis my mate, Vigdis my daughter, Dishna my daughter, Orochi my son, Serenity my daughter, Anya my daugther, Honestus my son and Apricity my grandchild reunited and re-introduced to the rest of the family. It’s a bittersweet affair as everyone busks in the joy of each other’s company yet so many absences, so many no longer with us.

I let them be heading back to the hill where I drew the circle. Activating it I step into the spiritual.

###

It takes a bit of doing as I’ve never really tried to use the mate bond beyond the bedroom but eventually I use it as an anchor and pull myself roughly to Shea’s location.

[VHOO], I arrive tumbling through a stinging vacuum. Frozen over, my skin burning from being exposed to air after so long.

{Pain}.

Pain, so much pain!

Eventually, I wrestle myself away from the pain enough to be aware of my bloody surroundings. Flesh torn asunder all around, blood black and stick caking every surface of floor and wall. Slowly I stand as I take everything in, my eyes locking on the blood-red eyes looking back at me through a blood-crusted visage.

‘’Husband, welcome home,’’ The apparition of blood says.