"What is it...that you are seeing?What is it.."
A voice was whispering those words continuously inside his head. It stopped when Aki could open his eyes. The surroundings felt unknown to Aki.
Suddenly he realised he was in jail.
Walls made with stones.
It took him a few minutes to adjust his sight. From the small window he tried to see where he was. He can see the cityscape.
'It's Otaru. That means I'm somewhere in a mountain. Is this a dream again? But why am I here?' As far as Aki can see, the passageway was dark and there were small fire lamps along the way.
Nobody was there.
"How did I end up here?" Aki tried to remember.
Aki took the day off. He felt better so he began to clean the room. He placed the pocket watch in his bedside drawer carefully and locked it. Ginger was rolling on the bed and trying to catch its tail.
Aki smiled.
He went to the dark room. Ginger jumped down as he heard the room getting unlocked and followed Aki.
He sat in front of the chest freezer. Ginger jumped in the freezer. For a long time Aki sat still.
Then speak up, ''I have a lover now. He is a Jinn you know. But I can't think of him as different from us. He says he will trust me. I didn't tell him many of the things yet.'He paused.
'What do you think will happen when he sees I kept my friend's deceased body at home? Do you think he will be able to understand me and all this...Please come back Mei,keep your promise.' Aki pleads.
'Aren't you getting suffocated? Haven't you explored enough! I'm getting tired of this waiting… Or did you lie when you said you will come back to tell me.' Tears fell on the ground as he broke down with tears.
Ginger kept watching Aki silently. Then it looked at the portion beneath its feets. He jumped down on Aki. Aki held on to Ginger and cried. When he got out from there Aki felt something was there standing.
His heart froze. Nothing showed up. He wipes his tears and goes to his room. Ginger was standing in front of the dark room as if he was watching something. Aki was curious why he was sitting like that. He opens the door. A smell brushed over his face.
'It's the same as that day. Was someone here?' Aki feels uncomfortable as he now knows that there are creatures who can go anywhere, everywhere without any hesitation.
His phone rings, 'Yes, Ayush.Ya,I'm going to dad's. You wanna come? Ok then.'
With Ginger he got out. The sun will set down soon.
'I left home I clearly remember.But..' Aki looking past the railings, shouts, 'Excuse me! Is anybody here?'
His voice echoed through the passageway. But nobody responded.
'What's going on?' Aki became concerned.
'So you have woken up!' Aki heard a voice talking to him.
Aki responded quickly, 'Yes! Can you please tell me where I am?
Aki tried to see who was talking while holding the rod but it burned his hand a bit,'Ah! Shit!'
'Strange! You seem to be a human.' Aki couldn't understand the meaning of what that voice was saying.
"Human?! Of course I am.." Aki couldn't feel the pain anymore
"Are you a Jinn?" The voice started laughing out loud as he heard Aki ask that.
The sound felt piercing through Aki's head. Aki crouched, covering his ears.
'Human! You seem very amusing. Bring him to me.' Aki couldn't understand whom that voice ordered.
Within a minute some figures appeared. Approximately 9 feet tall with huge bodies. Aki's mind went blank. They opened the door without touching. One spoke up,'Follow us.'
Aki shut down his eyes. He could again hear that voice whispering.
'What is it that you are seeing?'
Aki looked up. Analysed. Then answered while trying to see them, " Four strange creatures, 9 feet tall..red skin color,..ox type horns."
"Oxhead. Horns..Horns!" the voice faded away.
When they were about to enter a huge hall, the light blinded Aki's vision. Aki has problems with direct light. Now that he was taken out from the dark it hurt more. Within a moment the pain disappeared and he could see.
Aki's heart skipped a beat seeing the humans with ox heads. The body is huge like humans but the head is of an animal.
"Is this what animal jinns look like? Are these the 'oxheads' ?They seem very intimidating." Aki sighs.
"It's not a dream. I don't have this much creativity."
On each side there were 8 oxheads sitting on their designated seats. The one who was sitting on the throne seems to be the leader or maybe a king.
Aki's step halted for a moment as he noticed the leader had 3 heads, "It's worse than those wolves. Is it like that?'
Those ox behind Aki kneeled in front of him.
Aki didn't.
One ox touched Aki's shoulder and made him kneel. Aki didn't know how to undone that strong hold. His shoulder would break if it continued. With frustration Aki furiously looked at the king. Clenched his teeth together.
'You! Human...How many times are you gonna trespass here.' Aki was dumbfounded hearing that.
"I'm sorry?" Aki literally couldn't comprehend.
'Everytime you trespass our territory you bring misfortune for us. Those two sisters destroy our habitants whenever we try to capture you. You are quite troublesome.' the king furiously says.
"So I really trespassed!" Aki closes his eyes thinking.
'It's a good thing that my father died.' the king said.
Aki was astounded to hear that.
'Otherwise he would have still complied with the request. But I see no reason to consider that.' He smiles like an evil.
'Which request are you talking about?' The Throne Hall went silent seeing Aki question the king.
'You are quite courageous for a mere little human.' Aki understood the hints of indirect authority.
The hand again touched Aki's shoulder as a warning to think before talking. That made Aki more irritated.
'Is this little pet yours?' He showed off Ginger grabbing its nape skin.
Aki couldn't hold on to his anger, 'Leave him!'
The king was startled for a second. Then smiled with an evil grin, 'What do we have here?A kitten?'
Ginger was struggling. Aki went nuts and screamed, 'I said..leave him..alone.'
A sound wave flew across the hall shaking all the seats including the throne.
This time the three headed ox sat straight changing himself from idle mode to active mode.
His eyes glowed furiously. He threw Ginger like throwing a ball.
'Nooo!!! Ginger!'That made Aki feel a severe pain in his heart.
He tried to run to catch Ginger but he was late. His heart felt tight as he was running following.
Ginger on the other hand turned himself into his black leopard form. He took a stand on its four feet like nothing.
"No..way..!" Whatever Aki was seeing,he couldn't believe his eyes.
He blinked. Ginger turned back to face Aki. Aki saw Ginger's green eyes were not there. It was Golden red like Aki.
Aki stepped back once, "This is..my Ginger?" Ginger growled while standing beside Aki. It was looking at the Oxheads. Ginger stepped up closer, rubbing himself to Aki.
Aki saw the eyes were green again.. Ginger growled quite loud then stood shielding Aki. The eyes turned golden again.
'Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!!' The laugh continued for a while.
Aki composed himself as this is not the right situation to analyse what's going on. But the laughter was quite irritating.
'This kid is interesting. Is he really a human Mona?' Everyone turned to look at the girl with a blindfold.
Aki didn't notice her because she has a small frame. Her presence was overlooked because of the large figures.
Aki was astonished to see that beautiful creature.
Long silk silver hair touching the ground. At a first glance she would seem like a normal girl but her ears were different. Full body was shrouded with white.
The girl was glimmering with white light. She sat there silently with a straight posture. She didn't answer.
'I asked you something.' The king urged him to answer.
'King Gang, aren't your voice… a bit rude?' she comments.
'I didn't mean to,I just asked.' This little girl has an unique authority.
"I guess she is a good person…" Aki stopped thinking.
'I want to pull out that tongue of yours and cut it.' Aki was astounded to hear her.
''Or not!'' Aki smiled a bit thinking how she acts.
When she looked at Aki with her blind folded eyes, Aki felt a chill running down through his spine.
'Child!' Aki felt a similar vibe like Lin.
She stared for a while.
Aki answered her automatically, 'Yes!'
'Just state your purpose and leave from here.' she commands.
Aki was relieved to hear that, 'I have no idea how I got here. I was going somewhere. Then I woke up here.'
'Why did you bring him here?' The question was directed to the 9 feet tall guards by her like she was interrogating a child.
'He entered the territory with his car. He just opened the portal and entered.' Gang said.
Aki tried to remember. He can vaguely recall. He was driving and suddenly a light appeared out of nowhere from the opposite. So he tried to side his car, "Did I by chance opened a territory door? I have the ring so that's possible,if that light happens to be the door. But if I tell them that I have access would they leave me alone? Lin mentioned before that Reiji took a very dangerous step. Maybe I shouldn't." Aki stayed quiet.
Gang continues, 'This kid caused problems before too. I want to see what is so special about this human that Ruan sisters are so concerned about.' Aki understood whom he was talking about, "The Ruan sisters must be the one to help me out when I black out. If what they are saying it's true then it's not the first time I have breached. But what happened after I blacked out and why can't I remember anything! And why can I feel everything 'Now'?"
Aki looked at the girl. Aki was startled to see that the girl was observing Aki.
Gang said with a mocking tone, 'I wonder why they are taking this much time. They should have come by the minute they feel that he is lost. Is this because your scent is not with you?'
"Damn! Because of this ring they won't be able to find me." Aki became worried.
Gang smiles like a devil, 'I won't be sending you back this time. I'm not my father.'
The oxheads started laughing again. Aki was so angry that he couldn't control.
Aki's eye began to hurt. He removed his contact and threw them away and said, 'Will you stop that...filthy mouth of yours!'
Aki's eyes made the laughter disappear. Those guards again came and forced Aki to kneel holding him down with his neck. Aki's eyes didn't lower his head though.
Everyone was waiting for Aki at Aito's home. Because he was driving here nobody called to distract him. Many hours passed but he didn't arrive. His phone was constantly saying it was unreachable. The news travelled from Ayush to Nora, Nora to Noah. Noah was with Reiji that time in the clinic. He needed some counselling. So Reiji was helping him.
Noah asked, 'For how long?'
'For three hours.' Nora said in a low tone.
'And you tell me now?!' Noah screams out in frustration.
'We thought he was driving…' Nora tried to explain to Noah but Noah cut the call.
Reiji was reading his mind so he learnt that right away, "What's with him? I can't sense…Shit! The ring! It masks his scent as well. His presence will be different too. What the hell have I done!"
'Will you be coming with me? Reiji-san?' When Noah asked Reiji, he couldn't hear.
'Reiji-san!' Noah tried to catch his attention.
'Yes!' Reiji finally answers.
Noah said, 'I'm going to look for Aki. Will you go with me?'
'It will be better if we search for him separately.' Reiji instantly suggests.
'Ok! Keep in touch. Tanya! Will you for God sake! Please tell me the location. I cannot wait for you everytime.' Noah got out screaming loudly on the phone.
Reiji went behind him and took the phone from Noah and asked, 'It's me Reiji. Where is the place?'
'I don't know for sure. He goes in different territory everytime.' Tanya said.
While tracking she screams out, 'What the hell did you do!! Why can't I sense his scent!'
Noah couldn't understand how they knew each other.
Reiji went a bit away from Noah, 'I have put an Ingress Ring on his finger…with my blood on it.'
Tanya broke something and Reiji could hear that. He closed his eyes.
'Why it always makes you blind !' Tanya waited for a while, 'Send your followers in every territory. Your mother is the only hope now but we can't take her help. Meet me at his home now.'
Reiji gives back Noah his phone. They both got out. Mei on the other hand was in Aki's home. He was startled to see Tanya and Reiji appear together, 'Whoa!'
'What are you doing here?' Reiji frowns to see Mei there.
You little brat!' Tanya can clearly tell why Mei was here, 'DO Not ever come here without Aki's permission ,got it!?'
'Stop stop!' Reiji gets in the middle.
They were about to begin a fight but couldn't because of Reiji, 'We shouldn't waste time here.'
A black figure appeared, 'Master!'
'Where is he?' Reiji asked.
'He is in the Oxhead Demon Tribe.' The informer said.
'What!!!' Three of them got quite a shock hearing the news.
"It would not have mattered if Roro was alive. But his son has a hobby of bullying humans. If he gets interested in Aki it will be troublesome. I'm sure he won't be able to control his anger." Tanya became worried while thinking but she put her thought on hold, 'We need to go before it's too late.'
'Master!' The smoke figure was about to say something but seeing Tanya glare he couldn't say anything.
'Freak! freak! freak!!'
'He says his mother is dead when she is still alive'.
'What a coward! He lived while his best friend died' 'You are a curse' 'Your mother loves you but you are so distant with her. What a bad child!'
'What a peculiar eye! Disgusting.'
'Is that all you can do?' Voices began to go into chaos. Gang's voice sounds like those words he hates to listen to.
"Ah! I hate it !" Aki closes his eyes for a second.
Ginger was also held down with a sharp sword. Yet he struggled to come where Aki was. When its skin was pierced by that Aki's pupil turned red with a slit. The grip that was holding Aki's shoulder was loose. Aki put his pressure on the ground with his hand and flipped himself away from the guard. When his body was in total control, he rotated himself and side kicked the guard. The guard within a second flew away and fall against the wall. The one who was holding the sword on Ginger's throat saw Aki coming but before he could take action his weapon was taken away from his grip. The audience all stood up as they couldn't help but get surprised as a mere human threw off a demon guard. Not only that he stole the weapon from another. Aki was standing on his feet. The guard Oxhead was confused about what was going on. They couldn't anticipate his move. He threw the sword to cut the throat of another guard who was holding a spear. When that guard kneeled holding his throat, Aki jumped on his knees and springs himself up to hold the horn.
When the ox moved his head,the swing helped Aki to get on his shoulder. Aki then fully grabbed both horns and placed his one foot on one shoulder and the other on another. He kept pushing those horns in the opposite outward direction with his all might. The guard was screaming but Aki didn't let go.
Gang screams out, 'Hey! What are you all watching?!! Go do something!'
'Wait ! Don't engage yourself.Do you really want to involve yourself against the Ruan?' Mona advises him.
Gang grinds his teeth, 'It's my domain!'
Mona stops him, 'You fool! You just became a king a few days ago. He knows your weakness and he will strike just right there. Look at his speed. He will get you in a second. Years of peace will vanish within a second.'
Gang was fuming but the power of the throne was much more valuable to him than his guards. So he stayed seated. It was his fault to begin with. He watched the horns getting broken.
The guard was dead.
Aki stepped down. He was panting so he took the sword and made it support him to stand. When the next one tried to approach Aki, Ginger shielded him with. Aki was muttering something. The hall began to shake.
Gang was baffled by that, 'What is he doing?'
'He is chanting...He is…' Mona was surprised to see that as well.
Gang couldn't hold his frustration, 'What?! He is a what?'
A circle with different runes was forming behind Aki.
Mona recognises the spell, "A spirit..death spell ! Enchanter with such control.
.a Druid?!" {**Druid - A divinely blessed priest with spiritual abilities.}
'No!no!! Stop!'
The girl threw something but that didn't stop the circle from getting complete.
Reiji and Tanya had just entered the hall and were shocked to see the spell forming. Tanya was not in her usual form.
She took Sakura's form and stood in front of Aki.
'Aki.' Aki looked at her.
His mother.
The serenity of that face made him calm.
He then felt a bit disoriented and wobbly. The circle vanished. He remembered till tearing down the horns but why he was holding on to a sword like that he couldn't remember. Tanya didn't waste any moment and made Aki fall asleep and before he fell on ground she floated him in the air and pulled him towards her.
Ginger was trying to catch Aki. But Tanya too made him sleep.