Chapter 310 - Playing with Monsters

Yuzu watched the future on the strings.

She saw Nilya’s hesitation, felt his fear, though he didn’t express it out loud. Perhaps he didn’t recognize it himself, or if he did perhaps he didn’t know how to talk back to his master. Perhaps he was simply used to doing as he was told.

Was this why Nilya offered to give me the Hollow Ember last night? Yuzu wondered to herself. Some part of him knew that he was in fatal danger.

Even at the end Nilya couldn’t bring himself to put the deadly potion to his lips. Perhaps every part of his spirit was screaming at him not to continue…

Then Somm had brutally forced him to drink the catalyst.

She heard Nilya’s terror-filled screams as he died in excruciating pain. He dissipated into the aether, turning into light. There wouldn’t even be a body left to bury.

Monster.

The singular word filled Yuzu’s heart as she judged Somm’s future actions.

After Nilya’s death, Bacchi’s silver string arrived on the scene. Instead of grieving over Nilya’s death Somm bickered with Bacchi. They didn’t even mention the poor boy, it was as if his death meant nothing to them, except for his part in their prophecy. He was not a person to them, he was just a tool.

Monster.

Yuzu’s lips were pressed taut as she kept her hands above the strings. This future hadn’t arrived yet, she still had time to change it. Somm was not yet guilty of murdering his charge. But his character, his motives and selfishness was clear as day to Yuzu.

Monster.

The vision was getting hazy. Yuzu was already looking three hours into the future, it was reaching the limit of her powers. Reading further on the threads took more focus and more spiritual energy to keep the thread from splitting and fading out of reach.

She had already seen the whole scene of Nilya’s death and had time to save him, but Somm’s comment at the end was concerning.

“Bacchi, let me take you to the girl.”

Yuzu frowned, flexing her fingers as she refocused on the tapestry.

She watched the future on the strings.

~

“Girl?” Bacchi asked.

“She calls herself Shou Tao. She is a messenger, of sorts.” Somm paused, shaking his head, “Though now I wonder what her message really meant.”

“Keh keh keh, I knew you were hiding a secret. So you were too hasty in forcing your oji to ascend and in your haste to invoke the rules you saved me the trouble of killing him myself.” Bacchi chuckled, “Is this girl the reason your oji-sen passed the Trial? I have been wondering how you managed to succeed, even after I destroyed it.”

“My oji is dead, there is no reason to hide it anymore.” Somm chuckled self-deprecatingly. He shook his head in disbelief, “To think I let myself believe she was sent to be my guide…”

“She is powerful, then?”

“She appears weak, and yet there is something about her. Something in her eyes. Perhaps she is just hiding her real power.” Somm replied, his eyes looking out into the mists, “She knows the words of the prophecy. She knows what it is that we seek.”

Bacchi raised an eyebrow. The guru-chi’s prophecies were known only to them, how could an outsider know about it? Unless—

Somm nodded. The dark bandages across his face covered his expression, but his eyes conveyed a spiteful grin. “She is almost certainly an agent of Fate.”

“The concealment, then…” A look of understanding bloomed in Bacchi’s eyes.

“…was to give us a chance to confide.” Somm nodded. “The girl can sense her surroundings and divine the future. The things she says will happen comes to pass, but she does it without ritual or charms.”

The implication in Somm’s words was that only interference from a god would be enough to confidently block her powers.

“The prophecies do not speak of such a guide.” Bacchi shook his head.

“They do not deny the existence of one, either.” Somm countered. “I thought she had appeared to guide us to the end of the prophecy.”

“Keh keh keh, you mean to guide you. You meant to keep her for yourself.” Bacchi cackled. “No, perhaps you indeed meant to drag me in, use me as a pawn against our brothers, so that you could succeed during the Trial of Succession.”

“She never mentioned it, but her words promised as such.” Somm nodded, “Though I wonder how, if the Trial truly is happening in NianXing…”

“A girl who can fool one of us. I am intrigued.” Bacchi stood, invigorated, “Younger brother, lead me to her. You are now without an oji, if you serve me I will see to it that you are treated well in the new kingdom.”

Somm stood as well, a dark look on his face. He considered the words for a moment before nodding, “Yes, elder brother.”

Bacchi cackled with glee.

“Knowing you, you were too soft on her. You didn’t test her. You simply took her words at face value. This is why you failed.” Bacchi lectured self-importantly, “I will judge her for myself. If she is truly a herald of the prophecy or if she is a fraud, we will soon see what colour she bleeds.”

Somm bowed his head subserviently, though there was still a fire concealed within his eyes. “Yes, elder brother.”

~

Bacchi laughs so much, he sure is a happy person… Yuzu frowned, releasing the strings.

She understood the situation now.

The Cloak of Kapakhei hadn’t been cast to protect them from Bacchi, it was to protect them from her, to give them a chance to plot. Yuzu had already expected Somm to find ways to use her, but she also knew that he wouldn’t try anything rash, as long as she continued to ‘prove’ her value.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her expression darkened. She had saved Somm’s life and gave him a chance at fulfilling his prophecy when he had already lost hope, and this was how he repaid her?

She wasn’t upset, frustrated or even surprised.

Alliances of convenience, betrayal and schemes, from the beginning she had suspected that this was the nature of the guru-chi. She saw it in the way Somm and Bacchi casually bent the rules of the prophecy. She saw it in the familial bickering that set both brothers against each other and at the same time tied them inextricably together.

There could be only one oji at the end, one chosen heir. And therefore there would be only one successful guru-chi. They competed against each other within the rules that had been laid out for them a thousand years ago, doing whatever they could to get an advantage.

As long as it was within the rules.

The only thing that kept them from slashing each other’s throats were the rules laid out in the prophecy. There was a religious dogmatism to it, one that Yuzu could see in their eyes and the reverent way they spoke of their duty. Their loyalty to the sun god was absolute. The rules were the one thing that no guru-chi would ever defy, not even to save their own life.

Somm had made a promise with Yuzu, a contract for her services in return for gold. She expected Somm to fulfill that promise to the letter. She also expected that he would find a way to take advantage of the deal, to gain as much as he could out of it.

But two could play at that game.

It doesn’t seem like either guru-chi has realized that the God of Knowledge removed his blessing of concealment. Yuzu thought to herself. If the concealment persisted I really would have been taken by surprise. Renshu must have known about their plot against me and given me this chance to counter their plans…

The future that Yuzu saw had given her critical insight, and since there was still two hours before Nilya ingested the fatal catalyst, she had time to prepare.

Yuzu pondered her situation, going over the details carefully.

The God of Pre-eminent Wisdom requirement was for me to interfere with the Trial of Succession… He’s clearly assisting me, but the amount of assistance he can provide is minimal. Even if he could help me, such assistance would definitely come at a cost. I don’t think I can rely on him for more help—

Somm doesn’t know Nilya’s ascension will fail. He is planning to use me to pass the Trial, though he doesn’t know that it’s not in Fuha. If Nilya dies, Somm will turn against me. If Nilya doesn’t become an Apprentice, Bacchi will certainly try to kill him since the rules don’t prohibit it if Nilya hasn’t ascended using the Hollow Ember.

Delaying the ascension wouldn’t work… Regardless of the success or failure, Bacchi is on his way already. Even if we wanted to run, we can’t because the blessing of concealment has been removed.

The problem was, Yuzu had no idea how to save Nilya. She had to navigate the expectations not just of one but soon two guru-chi. To get home safely she had to fulfill the wishes of the God of Pre-eminent Wisdom, but to do so she somehow needed to interfere with a Trial taking place hundreds of kilometres away.

Yuzu brushed her lips with her fingertips, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she muttered softly, “It’s not impossible…”

“Let’s give this idea a try.”