Chapter 291 - A Guide in the Darkness

Weak grey rays of sunlight shone down from an overcast sky, illuminating the ruins deep within the Fuha wastelands. The ancient, abandoned town was filled with a haunting silence. A soft fog obscured the lifeless town, whose dead waters were not even disturbed by a single critter or insect.

At the highest part of the town, which was only a few meters above the marsh waters, Somm watched the quiet scenery with half-closed eyes. The old guru-chi sat on the stone foundations of one of the crumbled buildings, his cloak wrapped around his shoulders, covering his body. The colourful talismans and charms adorning his cloak appeared dull in the grey morning light.

The old guru-chi’s spiritual intuition triggered as there was a soft intake of breath from the room behind him.

Nilya’s eyes fluttered open, his lips pursing open as if he were coming out of a deep, deep sleep. His heart started pounding faster. He looked up at the strange, broken ceiling and the grey sky beyond it.

As he sat up he noticed that he was holding an object in his hands. An orb the size of a melon, its surface the texture of black charcoal. It glowed with a fiery light from within, emitting a constant heat.

“I did it…” He muttered incredulously.

Nilya’s eyes were drawn to the side of the room as Somm stepped over the broken wall and entered.

The old guru-chi’s eyes focused on the orb in Nilya’s hands. “You actually retrieved a hollow ember…”

“Master…!” Nilya exclaimed, “The potion-lady— she helped me!”

As he spoke the words he noticed the silent form of Yuzu beside him and nearly jumped in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see the potion girl here, that mysterious person in the marsh who had given him the elixir that saved his sister. After all when he had left his body to enter the Trial he was in the marsh outside his village, and only his master was with him.

“She’s still in the Trial world.” Somm said, observing Yuzu’s quiet, subdued state, “Tell me, my oji, what happened after we lost contact?”

“A voice talked to me. She guided me to the mountain.” Nilya said. “In the mountain, I kept going deeper and deeper but didn’t find anything. Then…”

He recalled the final scenes in the trial world.

~

After wandering for hours, the winding cave suddenly opened up into a deep, broad cavern. A twisting narrow path led into the darkness below, with steep cliffs on either side whose bottom could not be seen. Hundreds of small wax candles lined the path, leading the way into the abyss.

A thick, acrid smell filled the air. Hot, noxious sulphiric fumes filled Nilya’s lungs. The heavy sound of splashes and the distant screeches of some reptile or bird echoed softly from the cavern below.

Nilya hesitated at the top of the path, but a soft ethereal voice whispered in his ears, “Don’t be afraid.”

A small tug on his soul gave him the impetus he needed to venture into the darkness.

As he descended, the sound below him grew closer. Glossy, dark shapes periodically caught the weak candlelight before fleeting into the darkness. Nilya could feel the eyes of creatures watching him from in the darkness. Bathed in the candlelight he felt exposed and vulnerable.

Nilya’s attention turned to the sound of flowing liquid as the twisting path passed by a waterfall. The liquid was a thick black tar, steaming with heat and chemical fumes.

Somewhere below he heard the sound of ripping flesh as something was dragged beneath the tar.

As he neared the bottom of the cavern Nilya found himself approaching an island surrounded by tar. At the center of the island he could barely make out a structure, ancient, with stone pillars and the faint silhouette of statues or carvings.

At the bottom of the path a small circle of candles illuminated a cloaked figure who was standing, facing the structure in the distance. A feeling of familiarity filled him as he hastened his pace.

“You made it.” The figure said as she turned toward Nilya.

Yuzu pulled down the hood of her cloak, revealing her face. She had a calm expression as she looked at Nilya, her grey eyes appraising the young boy in a way that was neither too friendly or too cold.

“You’re the potion-lady!” Nilya didn’t hide his surprise as he stepped within the circle of candles, “You’re the one who’s been helping me this whole time?”

“In a sense.” Yuzu said with a hint of mystery, “I have been tasked to be your guide for the time being.”

Yuzu turned, looking toward the structure in the distance, “I have made a deal with the ancient ruler of this place on your behalf, so that you may complete the Trial of Requirement and return to the physical world.”

“However, before you return, I must ask you something.”

Saying this Yuzu paused, looking into Nilya’s eyes with a solemn, meaningful look.

She could tell from Nilya’s countenance that he was fully immersed in the mysterious ambiance that Yuzu had set up for this meeting. The ring of candles provided a bubble of safety in this hostile environment where monsters lurked in the darkness.

If she had so decided, Nilya could have made this final trek himself, following the candlelit path down to the ancient structure at the center of the island. This was the path that many oji-kaptya— sacrifices— had walked, toward their final demise.

Due to her deal with Jun Yi Kong, Nilya’s fate would be different. However it wasn’t enough for Nilya to successfully complete the trial and return with the hollow ember.

Always take credit for your work. This was one of Yuzu’s mantras in business. Though she had already received payment from Somm for helping Nilya, to Yuzu this was not enough. Both Somm and Nilya needed to know that Yuzu was chiefly responsible for his success.

If Nilya simply was given the hollow ember without any explanation, he might not understand the extent that Yuzu had helped him. In the worst case he might even think his success was primarily his own doing. That sentiment would be portrayed indirectly to Somm, who had paid Yuzu a modest sum of gold coins.

It was critical that Somm felt that Yuzu was worth the amount that he had paid, and was going to pay. Not just for the sake of this deal, but because she was relying on Somm to protect her from Bacchi and escort her to a place where she could find a way home.

For Yuzu, completing a deal wasn’t enough. The customer had to appreciate her contributions and feel that they were getting their money’s worth.

Whether it was a rich merchant looking for a deal or an immortal chasing a prophecy, Yuzu saw all of them in an equal light.

Furthermore, there was one party in this scenario that Yuzu had not yet brought under her wing.

“Tell me, Nilya.” She said softly, looking deeply into the young boy’s eyes, “What do you want the most in this world?”

Nilya looked up at the girl, seeing the flickering candle light play upon her youthful face. In the depths of her eyes he thought he could see the glimmering form of soft golden threads.

“Are you seeking power? Power to protect yourself, your family?” Yuzu asked, “Or are you looking for freedom, or fame, or fortune?”

“I…” Nilya hesitated as he couldn’t come up immediately with an answer.

“You don’t have to answer now,” Yuzu said, “But one day if you find the answer, tell me.”

With those words, she held out her hand toward Nilya. He took her hand, mesmerized, as she stepped out of the circle of candles and led the way down the darkened path toward the structure in the distance.

As they ventured out of the safety of the candle light, Nilya heard the heavy sounds of wings descend around them. Fear rose up in Nilya’s heart as he saw numerous eyes glimmering in the darkness. The sound of talons scraping against rock and the clacking of razor sharp beaks stopped mere meters away from him, their silhouettes just barely visible in the shadows.

The only thing that stopped Nilya from bolting away in fear was Yuzu’s calm presence as she held his hand, leading the way to the structure.

It loomed above them, an ancient temple wrought from stone, with massive polished pillars and elaborately carved reliefs. Tall, narrow slits glowed softly with a soft orange light from within the structure.

The ground beneath their feet changed from a rocky cavern path to polished stone slabs that were engraved with an ancient runic pattern.

Nilya nearly squealed in surprise as two braziers on either side of him suddenly came to life. Five pairs of braziers burst into flame one after another, leading up to the ancient temple’s vaulted entrance.

Yuzu’s eyes flickered side to side as she saw that they were surrounded by hulking monstrous six-winged hawks. The pitch black hawks were far larger than the ones on the mountain, and their feathers were slick and dripping with smouldering black tar.

The hawks screeched irritably at the two humans, pacing around them with hungry eyes. As Yuzu and Nilya approached the doors of the temple they landed on the ledges around the door and snapped their beaks.

Beyond the open doorway, a single pedestal stood in the center of a candle-filled hall. A melon-sized orb with the texture of burned charcoal sat on the pedestal, shimmering from within with a fiery light.

Yuzu didn’t let go of Nilya’s hand until they had passed through the doorway, leading the boy up to the pedestal.

She gestured to the hollow ember, not speaking another word as Nilya stepped up to the pedestal, his body still trembling.

As he took the hollow ember off the pedestal he looked to Yuzu. She nodded to him as the world around him began to warp with overlapping blue and red colours.

He disappeared from the pocket space, returning to the physical world.

Yuzu frowned softly as she looked vaguely in the direction of the mountain’s center, “That was a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

Jun Yi Kong’s voice reverberated in her mind as he chuckled, “I was only following your lead, Little Yuzu. Don’t you think guiding the boy through the final steps had more impact this way?”

Yuzu didn’t respond, only showing a slight expression of displeasure.

The tar winged hawks were not simply there to intimidate Nilya. They were a show of Jun Yi Kong’s power in the space, a subtle reminder to Yuzu that he was in control of this pocket world. Though she had hid it well, Yuzu’s spiritual intuition was in a constant state of alert throughout the walk up to the pedestal.

“Don’t look so upset, Little Yuzu.” Jun Yi Kong cooed, “I was only having a bit of fun before sending you off. After all, I don’t know when I will see you again.”

“A deal is a deal.” Yuzu replied, “I won’t go back on my word.”

“Very well.” Jun Yi Kong said, “Then I shall eagerly await your return.”

The world around Yuzu shimmered in saturated blues and reds as the Demon King expelled her from the pocket world.