Part 1
The doors to the emergency room slam open. Deep blue cloaked figures carry a heavily wounded soldier onto a table. His arm and leg had been blown off by the rabid beasts on the front line during the initial wave of attacks.
An extensive amount of blood had already been spilled from his gaping wounds before anyone could tend to them. As he lay there drifting in and out of consciousness, he could just barely make out the desperation on the blurry faces of his would-be saviors.
However, even a child could see that there was no saving him. Even if they did, what future would he have? He could not help but curse his own fate.
He was a proud young soldier. He had just come straight out of the academy with both spear and shield in hand. He took great pride in attaining the strength to easily best ten able-bodied men.
When the initial wave hit, he assumed that he and his brethren would pull through without much issue. Whether it was due to inexperience or a youthful stubbornness against his own instincts, he had assumed poorly.
Normally, a squad of soldiers like him would have to work together just to deal with a standard demonic beast. These were hardly anything like that. If he could take 10 men, then these creatures would tear through dozens.
The result of his naive presumptions was apparent for all to see. All his dreams of the future. The pride on his parent's face in spite of their worry after he graduated. All the feelings he had about the destiny he would forge as a warrior. They all would mean nothing.
As he lay there, his mind faded into darkness. Only death seemed to await him and he welcomed it. At least, that's what he thought.
All of a sudden, a warm light washed over him. He began feeling his strength gradually returning to him. The sensation of a gentle hand on his forehead roused him out of his unconscious state. The comforting presence he felt gave him a sense of hope and safety. It reminded him of a nostalgic feeling he had not felt in a while.
"Finally awake, are we?" a voice spoke to him. Gentle and kind.
In his daze he instinctively called out to the vague figure of a woman in his blurry vision.
"Mom?"
"…Not quite," the woman replied while being a little troubled by the misunderstanding.
The soldier's vision focused enough to clearly see the form watching over him. It was definitely a woman. One of such alarming beauty that he was taken aback.
She had gentle silvery grey eyes, silky black hair and a light complexion. She wore a gentle smile that would brighten up any room. Her beautiful blue dress seemed to only accentuate these features.
"You had passed out for quite some time after I finished treating you. We were beginning to worry so I came to check in."
"I…see," the soldier mustered enough energy to say those few words in response.
"Well. Now that you're awake. We can rest easy for the time being. Still…"
An expression of concern? This worried the soldier.
"I was a little surprised when you suddenly started calling me Mom as I took your temperature. Do I really look that old to you?" the woman said in a half joking manner.
"…No. Of course not!" the soldier couldn't believe how vigorously he said those words while being embarrassed by his half-dazed outburst. She was certainly older than him but in no way was she a mother figure. Rather a vibrant older sister was the kind of presence she gave off.
"Oh! Be careful. You shouldn't move just yet. Sorry. I might've teased you a little too much."
"No. It's fine." He was absolutely smitten. That was all he could think as he gave her those words of reassurance.
"Now then. I suppose I should get going. There're still a few other patients to deal with."
As she said that, she prepared to exit the room and with her would go the small happiness he had felt amid this bleak situation.
Gaining the favor of a person such as her was extremely unlikely. It was much like his prospects of getting his life back while in such a sorry state.
He could not help but feel the weight of such negative thoughts as he tried moving an arm that was no longer there.
"Oh, right. We asked for some artificial limbs for you to try out. Don't worry it's free."
"...Wh-"
"I know you may not get a chance to be a soldier again. Even so, before choosing another path, why not try standing back up first?"
"…Yes…Thank you…I'll consider it," he said while shocked by how easily she seemed to see through the state of mind he was in. He almost shed tears at the shade of hope she had thrown his way.
The woman bid him farewell and left him to ponder his fate more brightly.
Part 2
As she sits down to write up her latest report on the recent state of affairs, staggering exhaustion finally catches up to her. She has had minimal sleep since the attacks began. Being flooded by casualties every few hours has kept her on her toes for quite some time.
The waves of beasts at the front lines seemed to attack twice a day. Only adding more casualties each time. Most of the shaman healers in the Afya station were swamped with dealing with over 100 arrivals each hour.
There was always an emergency case that someone had to handle and she was no exception to that rule. As one of the head priestesses she also had the duty of writing a report to her provincial superiors. It truly was quite exhausting.
"My Lady, a message from the army troops has just arrived." One of her assistants stormed into the room in a hurried pace.
"Are they bringing in more casualties?" she asked already reeling from the idea of it.
"No. It's not that. It seems a portion of the beasts at the front lines managed to break through and head here in all of the chaos. The local guard have gone to meet them but they're requesting extra support on the defense walls. It's an S class threat."
It was a threat level great enough that they needed external help from any shamans of Tana with the necessary defensive skills.
"Let's go," she said as she headed for the outskirts without a moment's delay.
Part 3
Explosive roars mixed with the anguished cries of the vanquished permeated the battle outside the protective walls of the town of Tana. The War Chiefs and their men gave their best efforts to cull the enemies' numbers but they were just too many.
The standard C class weapons of the ordinary soldiers could barely keep them at bay and gradually more and more of them were torn apart by the ferocious beasts.
There was a soldier whose face had been melted by the corrosive breathes of one of them. There was a soldier burning in agony as he tried rolling over to stifle the flames. However, the excited beasts would not grant him such courtesy. Such was the abject horror of the battlefield.
Even with the aid of armed mercenaries, 50 was the most they thought they could handle. A hundred was simply too much in their current state. So many of their best had gone to aid the front lines in order to make sure this situation wouldn't happen. All to no avail.
A portion of them easily broke through and were eager to subject terror on the general populace within Tana. However, they faced two obstacles. The natural defenses of the small forest surrounding Tana and the defensive abilities of Tana's shamans.
As the beasts blasted a path through the thick foliage, they were greeted by sudden sprays of white light that begun tearing through their hard bodies like they were paper. These were the attacks of the shamans atop the 10-metre walls on either side of the main entry points into the city.
A sphere of water at least 15m wide was hovering above them. This was the source of their attacks.
A group of them would pool their power and draw out water from the River of Tana. This water would be collected and contained into a large sphere by another group of them.
The front group being led by the head priestess would then draw out, aim and launch a stream of highly pressurized water using their Active state abilities.
The streams were potent enough to easily slice through thick stone walls. The flesh of these beasts would only be a little bit challenging.
The only drawback of this technique was the time it took to load and properly coordinate each attack. It was more suitable for long to mid-range defense as a result. The payoff was definitely worth it regardless.
To the enemy beasts, the image of these shamans ,staring them down with the azure glow emanating from their eyes, was that of heralds of death rather than the healers of life that they were meant to be.
The beasts tried retreating but it was too late. As soon as they were less than 200m from the walls, they had entered the effective range of attack. Their heads were prime for the picking.
However, while this technique was effective in culling their numbers, it would not change the tide by much on its own. More beasts were still incoming and the trappings of the forest would not give the shamans a chance to stop all of them if they decide to simply rush in blindly.
It wouldn't be surprising if a lucky few manage to scale the wall. The number of shamans available for defending the wall was already too few. They would need to risk entering their Final State soon.
Suddenly, a flash of 100 spears rained down from the heavens while a streaking light scaled through the battlefield handily picking off a good number of the smaller demonic beasts. The head priestess looked over to see the source of these strange attacks. An army rode in from the far east with great vigor in their war cries.
She had no way of knowing but the Spirit Weapon attacks were from the Vice General, Wadero the Swift and the ever surprising, War Chief Simanzi. The Royal Guard had come to aid fair Tana.
As the spear Simanzi threw made its final round through the demonic beasts before returning, it was clear that the tide of the battle had shifted drastically. Seeing this, the beasts opted for their usual strategy.
However, before they could begin their unholy ritual, 10 m walls rapidly shot up imprisoning them in an impressive earthen fortress. What followed next was another volley of spears and the cries of the skewered victims.
She may not have known who those two warriors were but she instantly recognized the Land Manipulation being used. The way it seamlessly shifted from the ground taking care not to excessively damage any surrounding flora. The immense aura being used to reinforce the raised walls to the point that even powerful jet streams would have a hard time cutting through them. She knew this all too familiar power very well.
"I see…He's finally here," she said to herself with thinly veiled joy.
Part 4
As they entered through the gates, cheers and jubilations could be heard filling the air. The Royal Army's assistance had allowed the town to weather the demonic beasts far better than they had expected. Naturally, everyone was grateful for these heaven-sent protectors.
The news that Gesa's most proficient shaman was also among them seemed to lift the people's spirits even further. Oraki was glad to see the people a little happier in these trying times.
It had been a while since he last visited Tana town. Its architecture was intriguing as always. Most of the buildings were made during the age before Vutenia's founding making it one of the oldest settlements in the whole of Vutenia.
A lot of the outer settlements were elevated structures that perched on mighty trees and were connected by a complicated network of wooden pathways.
This was believed to be a tactic during the War of the Nine Tribes to give them a heightened advantage against enemy sieges. It would be difficult trying to invade settlements 5 meters in the air and surrounded by dense forestry where all manner of traps could be placed and archers could rain death from above.
During the current age, ramps were placed to connect roadways to these sections. Trade and ease of interaction were far more important during peace time.
The inner sections of the town were a completely different animal. They comprised land-based structures made from both ancient and modern technologies. It gave a strange juxtaposition of the old and new when moving from the outer to inner sections.
As the carriages made their way further into the town, the Afya Healing Station came into view. Recent expansions over the past decade had made it into a 10-metre tall and 100-metre-wide marvel. The earthen brown clay walls of the original building melded surprisingly well with the new polished white Kokoto walls of the expanded section.
Oraki was surprised by how much bigger it had gotten since the last time he had been there but he was even more shocked by something else.
The 61-acre compound surrounding the building had been littered with makeshift tents made of animal hides. Not even the many newly added rooms were enough to accommodate the growing number of casualties. It was a worrisome sight indeed.
"All right then. We'll be sharing intel with the local guard. Please take care of yourself, Lord Oraki!" Simanzi heartily gave a pleasant goodbye while heading for the military tent.
Oraki responded in kind with a hearty wave.
"What do you plan on doing from here?" Wadero asked in his dignified form.
"I'll see if I can gain any more valuable information from the samples collected here. Maybe even help find an actual cure for the strange ailment afflicting everyone." Oraki replied to the esteemed Vice General.
"Be careful. You seem like the type to overdo it when things get rough. Try not to get into too much trouble."
"Ha! Don't worry I don't plan on doing anything too extreme. Besides I'm just a paper pusher. What kind of trouble could I possibly get into?"
"Still sore about that, eh? Take care of yourself High Priest," Wadero gave an uncharacteristic smirk while leaving Oraki to his duties.
"You too, Vice General," Oraki responded in good faith.
Part 5
At a certain room in Afya Healing Station lies Mekatili the fierce. She had been moved here once a vacancy opened due to a resident patient being discharged. As expected, a certain soldier watches over her as the door suddenly opens.
"Oh? What do we have here? Are you a subordinate of my sister that was left to look after her?"
"…Yes. It's an honor to meet you sir!" the tired soldier barely managed to give a hearty salute.
Oraki could see the obvious traces of tear-stained eyes which the soldier did his best to try and hide.
"To think my sister was blessed with soldiers so loyal and dutiful that they'd shed tears. I'm truly grateful."
"…No. I do not deserve such praise. It was my carelessness that caused her to be in this mess. I let my guard down during a retreat and she ended up protecting me."
"…I see. That was quite reckless of her but it is certainly something she would do."
"I'm truly sorry. I cannot begin to make amends!!"
"You believe it's your fault that she's like this?"
"..." The silence was deafening.
"I won't deny that I'm a little frustrated at you after what you just told me. I'm frustrated at this entire situation if I'm being honest."
"…I...," the soldier could hardly utter a word in his shame. The expression on Oraki's face clearly showed the truth of his words.
"Mekatili chose to do what she did because that's just her nature. I wouldn't expect her to be any other way. If you truly want to make amends then continue to care for her from now on."
"Yes. I will!!" the soldier replied in a slightly relieved tone.
"What's your name?"
"Wanje, Sir"
"I see. Do you mind giving me a moment with her, Wanje?"
"Oh. Certainly." Wanje quickly left the room.
"Now then…" Oraki took a good look at the person he mainly came all this way for.
Of course, he was going to make the trip regardless of these circumstances but her affliction had made this personal.
He observed the black markings streaking across her fore arm. He placed her hand on her forehead to check her temperature. The warmth he felt was a clear sign she was alive. He had to believe that it would stay that way.
"Lord Gesa. Can you reveal how much time she has left?" Oraki asked. He was too wary of using clairvoyance on her.
"I cannot reveal the exact nature of the curse but it seems she'll remain in this state for another 3 days." Gesa astutely replied.
"I only have 3 days to find a cure to all this? Should be plenty of time." Oraki said with a wry smile.
He grabbed hold of Mekatili's hand to reassure himself once more. He could feel Mekatili reflexively grab hold of his. It was almost as if she knew he was there.
"I'll get you out of this Tili. Count on it." Oraki thought with renewed resolve.
"I suppose I should go check in with the head priestess in charge of this whole mess. I haven't seen her in a while though…" Oraki thought aloud as he left to gain more intel.
Part 6
A knock on the door rings throughout the room.
"Come in." a gentle voice gives an answer.
Oraki walks in to find a woman standing by her desk with a paper in hand.
She was a vision of beauty to anyone who saw her.
From her short silky black hair to her beautiful eyes. Most men that saw her for the first time couldn't help but be impressed.
To Oraki her image invoked feelings of nostalgia and longing on top of everything else.
"…It's been some time. Hope you've been well, Head Priestess Mwana."
"It truly has. Hope you have as well, High Priest Oraki," Mwana, a shaman of the river goddess Tana, responded in kind.
As they looked at each other they could not help but be reminded of their past selves in each other's eyes.
They were the closest of friends once upon a time. Practically inseparable during their lives at the academy. They lived the most formative years of their lives together.
To him, she would always be more than just a friend.
Perhaps because of that, they couldn't help but softly laugh at the idea of them addressing each other so formally.
"Okay. That definitely doesn't work with us."
"Completely."
"Still. To think I haven't seen nor heard from you in two years."
"Not since the coronation. Time sure flies."
"You could have written a letter."
"So could you."
"Fair Point. That's some nice embroidery on your dress. It's definitely different from everyone else."
"Like it? I added it on the official wear a little later. I thought the original blue design looked a little plain."
"It's great but didn't your aunts bother you about it. Don't come to me if they file a complaint for unwarranted altering."
"Oh, don't be silly. They have better things to do than worry about that."
"That's for sure."
"I see you've also made a few alterations."
Oraki was wearing a well woven white cotton clothing known as a Shuka. Normally it reached just above his ankles but he had modified it to reach above his knees instead.
"It's purely for mobility reasons that it's this short. But I at least have the blue scarf and headband in their usual state. So I still look priest like."
"Of course, you do…I assume you've already seen Tili?"
"…Yeah. I couldn't do much to help her though. Not surprising, given the situation."
"I'm sorry. We tried every remedy we could think of but the most we could do is relieve any pain she might feel. We considered using clairvoyance but our tools caught the anti-clairvoyant curse tied to the patients."
"I see. I expected as much. Did you draw out any samples for analysis."
"We did. Same results. Trying to break down the poison yielded practically nothing. I thought about forcing may way through the curse but its level seemed too risky for me while we still had other patients to deal with."
"Not surprising. I suspect it might have been a potential Demon God behind it."
"What!? Isn't that a bit of a stretch?"
"I used clairvoyance on some beasts on the way here. I sensed something akin to a demonic and divine presence when I broke through the first barrier."
"And this force pushed you back? How far into Final state were you in?"
"About 20%"
"Are you serious!? With your capacity, that would easily be enough to destroy Tana. How could anyone push you back?"
Mwana's surprise was well warranted.
At just 10% Final State, Oraki could draw out enough aura to devastate half the town of Tana if he really wanted to. The increase in effective power was exponential rather than linear. At 20%, decimating an entire city or two was well within the realm of possibility.
The territorial advantage made things worse since a foreign power would effectively need to output divine aura at least twice as large as Oraki's to simply equal him while he was in Vutenia.
"I know it's hard to believe but that's exactly why I think something absurd is behind all this."
"So…what's the plan?"
"Do you still have any samples left with you?"
"Yes. Hold on"
Mwana takes a small glass jar from one of the cabinets containing a dark crimson liquid. Oraki grabs it and takes a deep breath. If he wanted to get anywhere, he would have to risk everything.
A sudden burst of divine aura even more powerful than what he had used prior flowed through him. The aura around him went from a translucent yellow to an opaque gold. He had entered 40% of a complete Final State. The farthest he had ever managed to push himself.
This was a level of power that would require a seasoned General-class warrior going all out just to rival it. Oraki was among the few people in Vutenia's recent history to reach that level.
"Wait! The last time you used this much of it you passed out!!" Mwana said in extreme worry. She could not imagine what he would want to go so far for.
The last time Oraki attempted this, it felt like running 15km at full sprinting speed without pacing yourself.
"Don't worry I have better control now…I think…" he said trying to reassure himself more than her.
He couldn't view the past since there were probably more safeguards placed on the origin of the process used to make the poison.
He decided to view the present but on a more fundamental level.
He began empowering Gesa's revelation to give Oraki knowledge on the composition of the poison placed in front of him. He hoped any defenses placed would be broken through fast enough for him to get that information.
In the next instant his conscious mind shifted view to behold a world unlike any other. He was floating in an endless expanse filled with all sorts of vibrating clumps of glowing masses.
Their translucent nature made them look like jelly fish without tentacles. Due to this and the unique sensation of floating in water, shaman scholars called this realm "The Inner Sea". It was the inner world in all objects.
The scenery of this sample's Inner Sea was peculiar to Oraki. It wasn't uncommon for clumps of various shapes and color to bond together forming giant structures. However, he had never seen a pattern like the one before him.
A large, spherical, jet-black clump, glowing with a lilac hue, had merged itself with other more translucent clumps forming something that resembled a flower. It almost looked like a parody of a Sunflower. Oraki had never seen anything quite like it and he was fairly certain that wasn't because of his own inexperience.
He focused his aura and projected it into the black mass. In order to gain knowledge on the sample he would have to link his aura allowing Gesa to observe the foreign mass. As he made contact, he prepared to receive the necessary information from Lord Gesa. What he found was…
"What?" He couldn't believe it.
"Are you serious? Where could they have even gotten it without anyone knowing?"
"What is it?" Mwana asked in confusion.
"The components of the poison. I couldn't look at them because they're 'not of this land' if you can believe it."
"Like not found on the land itself? Not just Vutenia?"
"Exactly. If it was just 'not in Vutenia' then I could still observe them as long as I had the sample with me. Not of this land means the mandates don't recognize them under the territory of any Land on the world as we know it.
They may have physical form but they weren't made from any land based materials. Whether on dry land or in water bodies."
"How would that work unless they're from…the Underworld?"
"An underworld domain could work as it doesn't strictly fall under the definition of land that Gesa has authority over. It could also be some other type of realm. Maybe a floating island in the heavens like those of the far east. Sea-farers always talk about them."
"Taking something from a place like that and making demonic beasts should have caused all sorts of commotion so how did no one notice it?" Mwana understood Oraki's concern.
"I'm not sure. In any case there are too many possibilities for what it could be. I don't have time to search all of them one by one. Only someone with a universal level of clairvoyance could find a solution to this now."
"You mean to involve Matuzo, don't you? Finding him might be difficult." Mwana came to the obvious conclusion. Matuzo was the only one they knew powerful enough to fit the description.
"I already thought to send a request to the guild for a separate matter but apparently, he went off on one of his adventuring quests." Mwana added.
Oraki came out of his Final State before continuing, "It's better…than the alternative…"
The backlash of using the form began appearing. The mental and physical burden was staggering. Enhancing one's senses and awareness to acquire information on such a level was difficult to both maintain and return from safely.
Oraki likened it to getting as close as you can to a bottomless abyss before trying to climb back up the steep slope leading into it.
"Honestly, what's this about controlling it better?" Mwana hurried to give him a healing elixir.
"At least I didn't fall on the ground this time." Oraki said as he drank it.
"This is a special grade elixir. Should I be drinking this?"
"It's fine. Lady Tana doesn't mind. Right?" Mwana said as if waiting for affirmation.
"Yes. But you should really refrain from deciding that for me." A voice both stern and gentle responded to Mwana's assertions.
"Oh…Good day, Lady Tana. Apologies for not greeting you sooner." Oraki said in an embarrassed tone. He had completely forgot to check for her presence.
"No need for concern. After all, this one didn't extend any greetings to Lord Gesa either," said Tana as she alluded to a certain head priestess.
The head priestess in question looked to the side feigning ignorance on who the 'this one' would be referring to.
"You've been in a stressful state from what I can see. I heard that your duties as my father's vessel have been quite draining recently." Tana continued.
"He does his best to avoid them if he can, though," Gesa said half in jest.
"…Lord Gesa…" Oraki said even more embarrassed.
Mwana smiled sheepishly at Oraki's troubled face.
"So…Do you plan on going right away? There's boats heading there this afternoon."
"Yeah. I shouldn't waste any more time. Although I hate asking him to do this. Using his eyes for something as big as this might drain him completely"
"You're right. But we really don't have a choice. If push comes to shove, I'll work on a healing elixir unlike any I've ever made for him."
"That's certainly comforting."
"You should take some with you while you're here."
As she finished placing some elixirs in Oraki's pouch, Mwana suddenly grasped his hand. Oraki was quite surprised by this gesture.
The way her hand trembled only made it worse.
"Oraki…we'll get through this..., right?"
Her concern was well warranted. The casualties were already piling up too quickly.
For a calamity that heralds the end of a civilization to possibly be on its way was too much.
Seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, Oraki could only answer one way.
"Yes. Of Course, we will."
He then bid her farewell.
"Take care and don't over do it."
"You too."
Part 7
Oraki approaches the river side port of Tana River. He managed to hire a private ferryboat to Gedi City where he hoped to get information on Matuzo's whereabouts.
As he makes his way to its location, the ground starts trembling out of nowhere. A ferocious noise calls out to Oraki.
"Hrrphhhh!"
"Huh? What in…Oh…It's you…" Oraki's bewilderment soon turned to disappointment at the fact he entered Active State for the creature before him.
A majestic War Rhino in magnificent armor. Any who saw it couldn't help but be in awe. It would be a terrible beast to have when trying to keep a low profile. This particular one was Mekatili's loyal ally and held very non-existent fond memories for Oraki.
"How'd you even find me?"
"Hrrrrrpppphhhhhh!"
"Huh? You could smell my pathetic form…Look, did you come here to just throw insults at me!??"
Any onlookers must have thought Oraki looked like a madman for arguing with a rhino. This too was a power of Gesa.
"Hrrrpppphhh hrpppphhhh!"
"You want to come with me? What, you don't trust me to get the job done?"
"Hrrpphh!"
"Don't just agree like that…In any case, I can't take you with me. The boats aren't strong enough to hold a behemoth like you."
"Hrrrpppphhh!"
"Forget it. I'm not about to use Gesa's power to make you lighter for the entire 3-hour journey. Just stay here and wait for me to come back."
Oraki got onto the sailing vessel as he dismissed the great beast's request.
As the vessel began leaving. The beast retreated from the edge of the port. Oraki thought it had given up. He was horribly mistaken.
The next instant, a beast running at almost 50 km/h used its gifts to launch itself above the water-faring vessel. It had expertly marked its target, an unfortunate shaman of Gesa. Oraki's face contorted into an incredibly stupid expression as he wondered what in blazes was wrong with this creature.
He instinctively caught the 5-ton behemoth in his hands having already channeled Gesa's power.
"You stupid animal!! Are you trying to kill me!!"
"Hrrppphhrhhhhh"
"It not being the first time doesn't make it better! If I hadn't caught you this boat would be done for!!"
The ferryman in his shock at the sight before him couldn't help but remark to himself that normally it would sink regardless.
It seems Oraki was in for another tiresome journey.