It all felt foggy, a shroud of darkened fog hindered her vision to see.
She was certain that this is a big flat field near what might be a giant forest of ugly grey. The ground chosen is dry, very dry. Yet somehow the grass is rich with color, and the surface stretching endlessly.
What is this place?
She looked around, carefully stepping over thousands of corpses. How strange, it seems that the more she walked, the redder the ground becomes. The closest thing that can describe this place is the aftermath of a battlefield, but fought between who?
There is no telling how long she has traveled. All the bodies seemed to have been the result of some gruesome trauma, some unrecognizable.
But sights of torn up ground and cracks within the earth is what sparred her curiosity. She walked aimlessly with no objective. There are massive craters that seems have been violently ripped from the surface of the world, definitely not natural.
She called out, her own voice echoing back. Amongst the countless destroyed metal constructs and tattered banners, not a single creature replied. The deafening silence is certainly not reassuring.
Her head turned randomly, noticing a direction where signs of the destruction is much more prevalent. Her foot moved there instinctively.
Upon coming across a strange metal object, she noticed that it is smashed by a giant coin made of earth. How strange. Just what are these giant steel constructs that seems to have wheels?
She then climbed up, standing on the giant coin and used it as a vantage point to survey the area. From here she spotted what seems the largest crater the world has ever seen.
Without thinking, she walked again. Her foot avoided the corpses that seems to have been smashed into bits and pieces, chunks of hard earth littered around the battlefield. To be honest, she doesn't even know what the purpose of walking into this crater is. There are countless signs of destruction. The surrounding seems to have been burned repeatedly, as if everything has been ravaged by an uncontrollable fire that cannot be tamed.
But upon completion, she stopped, seeing something even more strange.
In the middle of this unimaginable level ruination to the land is a lifeless woman dressed in blue. She is in a knelt position, head and arms pointing downward. From the signs of countless lacerations, it is implied that she fought something of tremendous power, as evidenced by the innumerous metal pieces scattered nearby.
She walked closer, noticing something impaled this person's heart.
It is a metal shard with the length of an arm. The sharp edge even managed to pierce through to the other side. More peculiar is the presence a piece of healthy tree leaf behind this woman's back, allowing itself to also be impaled.
She is unsure what it all means. Her foot suddenly stepped onto a piece green glass. Or more accurately, it is splintered fragments. What could any of this mean?
"Hey, get up!"
She turned around, looking frantically at the source of that voice.
"You need to get up!"
Her head turned endlessly, but still cannot find where that came from.
"I said get up!"
Satchiko's upper body rose quickly, forehead almost hitting Mayumi's face. Luckily a Kyoshi Warrior's reflex averted this potential injury. Mayumi simply dodged as her sister woke up.
"W-what happened?" Satchiko is still drowsy, eyes trying to recover.
"As usual, you overslept," Mayumi sighed. "Come on, we have training near the beach."
Satchiko groaned, fighting the urge to lie back down on the mattress again. The doll of Avatar Kyoshi is left behind while she dragged herself up. She donned the dark lacquered armor and equipped her two prized metal fans. Upon tying the trainee headband to the forehead, she then tried to paint the face with questionable success.
The makeup resembles a clown rather than an intimidating Kyoshi Warrior dressed for battle. Mayumi quickly fixed this, painting accurately to rectify Satchiko's lack of artistic talent.
"Let's go," the older sister said.
Upon stepping into the main room, Satchiko discovered that both their parents are absent. Mayumi explained that they got up early to attend a meeting in the center of the island, a gathering of leaders between all the villages. This event will be held for a few days, concentrated at a temple higher on the island's mountain.
As usual, the older sister is delegated to teach the local trainees. She brought the curved sword and headed to the designated area. Both of them would march through the village, before stepping onto the sand.
They greeted any villagers encountered. As daughters of the local matron, it is inevitable that the people will treat them slightly different from the other Kyoshi Warriors.
Just like any other day, a group of young warriors would meet up at a beach not too far away from the village. The second oldest one, Orihime, organized the dozens of attendees into a formation that somewhat resembles a rank of people. Satchiko joined them as Mayumi stood at the head of this entire group, serving the role of instructor again.
Under normal circumstances, their training is only conducted in the dojo. But there are occasions when they host the session in a small clearing in the forest or maybe a spot on the sand. The purpose aims to help them become more adaptive to different environments. Fighting on sand is obvious different than standing on solid earth. But as warriors trained since youth, they have the time to prepare for many years.
The group followed the instructor's steps, slashing their glinting fans in identical motion. Mayumi's moved her fans to demonstrate the correct steps, while Orihime would walk around to make sure all the trainees are doing it properly.
"Focus together!" Mayumi encouraged. "As one!"
Metal fans swooshed. A flurry of slashes made by those golden blades are quite the sight to behold.
…
"Please eat," Mayumi said as she scooped up a bowl of soup from the pot and passed it to a fellow Kyoshi Warrior.
With the conclusion of their schedule, they sat on the sand and enjoy lunch. Since they can just pluck some fish from the ocean, the one named Kazuki personally went to the shore and speared a few salmon, bringing them back to the cook. Mayumi prepared a boiling pot that can feed the whole group, some even asked for a second serving.
"So when are they going to hunt the Elephant-Koi?" Satchiko asked her friend, whose father is the seasoned fisherman Ebisu.
Although it is the role of the chief to conduct the ceremony for the ocean Kamuy, the timing can only be determined by the fishing community around the villages. Kazuki, being the daughter of someone who is more knowledgeable on the matter, did not give a specific answer.
"Dad always said that it will be soon," she said.
Obviously, this answer did not quench Satchiko's graving for some delicious Elephant-Koi fillet. Her mouth bite the small pieces of salmon hard, making a dent in the wooden spoon. As much as she admires Mayumi's culinary skills, the taste of Elephant-Koi is too irresistible.
As someone who doesn't know how to speak eloquence, the taste can be described as succulent. The fleshy texture is soft and hard at the same time, perfectly balanced as it should be.
She still remembers the first time tasting her mother's signature Elephant-Koi ohaw.
It was heavenly.
"I want to eat Elephant-Koi," Satchiko grumbled.
Kazuki smiled, amused by this rather childlike behavior. "Still hungry? There is still more soup."
"No Kazuki, as much as I enjoy this bowl of broth, my stomach has a special kind of hunger," Satchiko's words makes zero sense. But her friend only listened, not being too judgmental in the details. "I am so hungry that I can see Elephant-Koi right over there."
Kazuki looked at that direction where Satchiko is pointing. Soon, the others around them also turned their heads.
"That is no illusion sister," Kazuki said, standing up from the sand.
Satchiko rubbed her eyes, realizing that the giant fins in the sea are not imagination. They are all moving.
She quickly crawled back up, heart hastened, beaming with excitement.
The surrounding Kyoshi Warriors marveled this sight in awe. A shoal of giant koi fish swam gracefully in the waters, occasionally leaping above water to show off their glittery scales.
It is not every day that the islanders can enjoy this beautiful scenery of giant koi in their natural habitat, a gift that nature and the sea Kamuy has generously provided. But someone is not content with just watching those fish swimming free.
"We should catch them," Satchiko eagerly suggested.
The others are taken aback, especially Kazuki, who cautioned that it may not be the best idea to hunt Elephant-Koi at this very moment.
"We need dozens of experienced fishermen to just catch one," Kazuki said. "The village still have yet to conduct the ritual to appease the Kamuy. If we hastily try to hunt-"
"There is a small boat over there!" Satchiko's enthusiasm drowned Kazuki's more rational thinking. The energetic youth pointed at a small wooden canoe stationed near a tiny hut, belonging to a local fisherman.
Mayumi, sensing this imprudent act, arrived with Orihime. The oldest sister rebuked Satchiko's eagerness to hunt the Elephant-Koi.
"I will not sanction this!" she warned.
Satchiko defended her plan, insisting that everyone here will get a good share of the meat and resources. They can divide the spoils equally and no one else would know. Additionally, a school of Elephant-Koi rarely swims so close to the sand! This opportunity would be wasted if they do not capitalize on it!
"Wait, but the rituals, the sacred swords and-"
Before Kazuki can even finish, Satchiko bolted off, catching everyone by surprise.
"Get back here!" Mayumi yelled.
But the younger sister refused to listen. Satchiko ran to canoe, quickly pushing it into the water and paddled out to the ocean. Despite encouraging other Kyoshi Warriors to join her in this quest, none answered. Oh well, she would just have to do this alone.
She checked the area near her foot and found a hunting bow. There are also some ropes that can be attached to the individual arrows, a good tool to hunt giant fish.
Predicting the path of the school of koi, she paddled to where they are about to swim. After quickly readied her bow, the warrior stood up, first time realizing the difficulty to aim while in a small boat like this one. Despite being a somewhat adequate archer, this is the first time she hunts a living being.
Satchiko aimed the arrow directly at one koi fish that has a slightly broken fin. It is slower, leaping out less frequently, which makes it an ideal target. She held her breath, reminding herself that the catch of the day can benefit her friends, allowing them to also taste the delicious fillet.
"You all better be watching me," she smirked.
When the opportunity allows it, she let go of the arrow, allowing the projectile to strike one of the giant koi's dorsal fins. The rope attached to the arrow is now also stuck to the prey, and Satchiko quickly pulled it tightly, slowing the fish down.
"Ah!" She cried, using every ounce of strength to pull the fish to her will. Now she understands why it takes more than twenty experienced fishermen to just hunt one giant koi, these fish are tough creatures!
Unwillingly, Satchiko was suddenly dragged into the water. The Kyoshi Warriors on the shore gasped in concern, especially Mayumi.
"Satchiko! Just let go!" Mayumi yelled, hoping her younger sister can abandon this folly game. But Satchiko persisted. They can see the Elephant-Koi pulling the Kyoshi Warrior across the surface of the water, with the latter stubborn holding onto the robe tied to the fish's fin.
The Elephant-Koi is not complacent as a foolish girl is trying to hunt it. It swam aggressively, hoping to shake off or force the Kyoshi Warrior to let go of the rope. But this has proven to be equally futile. Satchiko's face is pummeled by the sea, which painfully 'slaps' the head. She even unwillingly drank some salty water, gasping for air.
It is no use. Satchiko's strength alone will not be enough to hunt the Elephant-Koi. Just before she was about to give up, her eyes caught glimpse of the Kyoshi Warriors gathered along the shoreline.
Suddenly, there is an idea. She is doing this all wrong. As a Kyoshi Warrior, she should have never entertained the thought of overpowering the Elephant-Koi, which contradicts the fighting doctrine of their order. Instead, she should do the opposite, using the enemy's strength against itself!
She endured the painful pummeling by the water as the giant fish continues to swim desperately. Satchiko pulled the robe, dragging herself closer to the escaping koi. It is still an intensive exercise, demanding her expending the remainder stamina to finally grab the dorsal fins with both hands.
"Enough games!" She yelled. "You are coming with me!"
Satchiko stepped onto the giant fish's back, forcefully pulling the dorsal fin and refusing to let go. This is it. She has a plan to catch this massive koi without the strength of twenty veteran fishers.
She saw the Kyoshi Warriors on shore, all shouting in a frantic manner. Satchiko can't help but laugh at their overreaction.
With one forceful yank, she steered the koi towards the shore. The other Kyoshi Warriors quickly retreated from the area as the fish came ramming onto the sand, creating a massive cloud of dust upon the forceful impact. Satchiko was sent flying into a dune of sand, cushioning her fall. The Elephant-Koi died after smashing into the little wooden hut.
"Yuck!" She spat out the sand that unfortunately entered her mouth. But this inconvenience is replaced with an elated mood. She did it, she caught an Elephant-Koi all by herself!
"Sisters, we are all eating good tonight!" Satchiko declared. Her celebratory mood is dampened when she realized that no one shares this enthusiasm. For a group of elite warriors, they all appear to have a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
Mayumi stormed over, along with Orihime who is trying to calm down the oldest instructor.
"Sister! Do you realize what you just done?"
"Mayumi, please, I know that was a bit reckless, but we can all eat Elephant-Koi meat tonight!"
Satchiko was slightly confused by this angry response. Orihime, who is also concerned, gently tilted the youngster's head towards the ocean.
Satchiko is no longer celebrating anymore. Her spine grew cold, chilling at the thought of being the prey this whole time.
A gigantic grey fin protruded itself above the water's surface, as if warning the idiot that just transgressed its territory. All the Kyoshi Warriors, despite being fighters that fear nothing, refused to move at the sight of that creature. The calm waters around their island can be deceptive, often making people forget that a beast of titanic size lurks below, hunting anything it came across.
"T-the Unagi?" One Kyoshi Warrior said in a trembling voice. Most of them are too shocked to even react properly. "It's not just a legend?"
"It's real." Another whispered quietly. They are all simply astonished.
All of the Kyoshi Warriors here are the newest generation, young girls with great grandmothers fighting during the Hundred Years War. Despite admiring the heroic stories of their elderly predecessors, many of them laughed at the idea that some giant serpentine creature miraculously saved the village from being burned down by a Fire Nation attack. Such folly notion is dismissed as just some myth that their ancestors invented, propagated by drunk fishermen to embellish their own bravery at sea.
None of them are laughing now. The Unagi, the beast that 'saved' the village many years ago, is real and alive.
"H-how big is that thing?" Orihime asked, intimidated by that creature's potential size.
They only saw one dorsal fin, which is already larger than multiple wooden huts combined. Judging by its action, it clearly intended to devour the Elephant-Koi that Satchiko was standing on. If that happened, she too would have been eaten!
Satchiko's legs felt numb at the thought of being devoured by the Unagi. In her greed, she almost became someone else's food!
Mayumi and Orihime caught her by the shoulders before Satchiko fell to the ground. The younger sister has never felt this kind of fear before, breathing quickly while trying not to overthink it all.
"Is she ok?" Kazuki asked.
"She is fine, but not sure about her spirit," Orihime remarked. Satchiko's face noticeably went paler, which should not even be possible considering the white face paint.
Most of the Kyoshi Warrior remained froze until the dorsal fin slowly submerged below the water. After recovering from the initial shock, some wondered what to do with the dead Elephant-Koi that is lying on the beach.
"This isn't good, if the others in the village found out, we would all be in trouble!"
"What about the ocean spirit? Did he sent the Unagi to punish us?"
"Calm down all of you!" Using her authority, Mayumi stopped the pointless panicking. "As daughters Kyoshi, how dare you fear these arbitrary concerns!"
They remained composed at the presence of their instructor, whose age is an element of leadership too. But regardless, even the sensible and responsible Mayumi is unsure what to do next. By simply killing an Elephant-Koi without conducting the ritual to appease the ocean Kamuy, Satchiko already committed a cultural and spiritual offence. It is a great disrespect to nature and all the fishers on this island. If the others found out about this, it would certainly damage the reputation of everyone involved. The whole village could be viewed unfavorably.
What a dilemma. But at the same time, everyone here looks to her seniority as guidance, so her decision cannot be flimsy.
Mayumi turned to the daughter of Ebisu. "Kazuki, what happens if someone killed an Elephant-Koi before conducting the annul offering to the sea Kamuy?"
"Well, I am not sure actually," Kazuki replied candidly.
It isn't her fault, since humans can never truly understand the nature of spirits, if those beings are even real in the first place. According to local traditions, the Rep-un-kamuy is a generous and carefree being. Unlike many other deities, he is depicted as slow to anger, never respond in a petty manner even if his sea animals are mistreated.
Kazuki emphasized that the act of cutting the Elephant-Koi with sacred sword while wearing ritual robe is the proper manner of dissecting the fish. This act of piety is what truly pleased the ocean spirit in the first story. Every year, a different fisherman is selected to perform the deed.
"It just so happens that my dad is the one chosen by the community," Kazuki said.
"In that case, would it be fine for you to retrieve the objects?" Mayumi asked.
Kazuki obliged, both out of respect for cultural practice and the hope that this can prevent her friends from being punished, especially Satchiko.
After a period of anxious waiting from the group, she returned with the two objects. Being the oldest one here, Mayumi is tasked with the deed. She donned the robe and armed herself with the ceremonial sword. With one gentle cut at the fish's belly, she symbolically appeased the ocean spirit. If they have desecrated the dead fish with axes and sickles, then it would truly be disrespectful. Whether or not it was even necessary, there is no harm in doing things the proper way.
"Sorry to burden everyone, but what are we supposed to do with this giant fish?" Orihime spoke what others are afraid to say. "And that hut, it's destroyed."
"Don't tell anyone," Mayumi demanded.
"What?"
Mayumi intends to shield her younger sister despite acknowledging that this is clearly unacceptable as a senior in the group. Reluctantly, everyone else promised to maintain this secret from the rest of the village, fulfilling the spirit of sisterhood. Of course, all of this makes Satchiko ridden with guilt, realizing her selfish action burdened her friends.
Together, Orihime and the others help Mayumi push the Elephant-Koi back to the ocean, just wastefully discarding the evidence. Some Kyoshi Warriors do question the spiritual offence of this act, fearing it might displease the ocean Kamuy by rejecting this bountiful harvest. Regardless, they still have zero idea how to conceal the damaged wooden hut.
"All of you, I know it is unreasonable for me to act this way, but please, I would be most grateful if all of you kept this all a secret," Mayumi bowed to them, concluding today's training.
They all grew up together. Mayumi even babysat some of the younger Kyoshi Warriors, which earned her the nickname of 'older sister' in the cohort. If this is not enough to persuade them, their solidarity with a fellow Kyoshi Warrior will always triumph.
Soon after, both sisters headed home. Still shameful of her action, Satchiko asked Mayumi about the potential consequences. The older sister decided to compromise her sensible self by planning to lie to their parents.
"How are we going to explain the destroyed wooden hut?" Satchiko asked.
"You don't need to say a thing, I will do the talking," Mayumi ordered.
…
"It was a boating accident," Mayumi lied straight through the teeth. Nothing on her face suggests any uncertainty, the rest are masked by her white and scarlet face paint. "I was reckless in my endeavors, and accidentally crashed into the wooden hut."
"I see," Akahana does not sound convinced.
The matron already received news from a fisherman in the village, reporting that his hut is destroyed. Akahana, knowing the location of today's training session, immediately suspected the people near that area, since she was the one that organized it all. It wasn't Mayumi's fault for not coming up with a more creative excuse. The circumstances meant there is simply no logical way to explain why a wooden hut near the beach is destroyed so violently. The fierce Kyoshi Warrior leader even personally inspected the site, formulating her own theory on what transpired.
Currently, the two sisters are conversing with their mother in the village square, conveniently at the foot of Avatar Kyoshi's statue. Akahana specifically picked this location, and Satchiko can only quietly avert eye contact with Kyoshi's intimating gaze of justice.
"Ebisu just told me that Kazuki took the ritual swords and robe," Akahana said. "She said something about practicing singing."
Mayumi felt sweat on her forehead. Her strict and demanding mother didn't become matron for nothing. As a Kyoshi Warrior who is considered the strongest in her generation, Akahana isn't someone who can be easily fooled.
"Mayumi, did you seriously think that I would believe your little tale?" The matron interrogated. "As my oldest daughter, you of all people would know that it would take more than a lie to gain my trust."
"No mother," Mayumi said.
Satchiko stood nervously as Mayumi tried not to show any cracks on the surface. But Akahana skipped over her eldest daughter, walking right in front of Satchiko.
"Did you have a nice swim?"
Satchiko remained surprisingly composed, it seems that her mother might already know most of the details. But luckily, Akahana's full ferocity is never directed at her own children. She is quite forgiving, but a strict and stern mother can never allow such folly to go unpunished.
"I am sorry mum," Satchiko chose no longer to conceal the event, much to Mayumi's dismay. A brief explanation allows the matron to understand the entirety of what truly happened, and the mother only narrowed her eyes more.
"You two are both at fault," Akahana turned to Mayumi, chastising the older sister's irresponsible attempt to lie. "But it is commendable that you still chose to honor our island's tradition despite the circumstance."
It seems that Akahana is at least somewhat reassured that her eldest daughter remains respectful to the proper way of cutting an Elephant-Koi. But that disapproving gaze still persists.
"Sorry mother," Mayumi replied. "As a leader in that cohort, it is my responsibility to make sure this never happens again."
"I hope so. But remember, I am the matron of this village, not you. Now, we will meet with the village elders," Akahana ordered. "I too will be present to seek their leniency."
The three of them walked on the ascending path up to a specific wooden hut standing on the highest point of the village. It is an informal gathering place for the local elders along with the chief, and the building also serves as general meeting place for everyone here.
They strolled into the building, greeted by a group of elders sitting on the ground. Hakaru sat alongside them, slightly anxious at the newest trouble that Satchiko have conjured. While it is reassuring to see the young Kyoshi Warrior unharmed, the elders might not be as forgiving.
Akahana bowed first, acknowledging their seniority. The gathered old people nodded in return.
"You fought splendidly yesterday," an elderly woman said to the matron in a friendly tone. She is named Akira, a senior member that is important to Akahana.
This is just pleasantries before the main topic. After dealing with arbitrary formalities, one of the attendees stated the problem.
"People all around the village said they spotted the fin of a giant eel," he said with grave concern. "The Unagi never bothered us. It is also our island's protector, and we owe a great debt to it during the great war. Only a transgression that disrespected the spirits can such reprisal be seen."
The room murmured, mainly voicing their displeasure that someone must have done a deed to displease the ocean spirit. Of course, they are still unaware that Satchiko rammed an Elephant-Koi to the beach, but those giant serpentine fins on the ocean can hide from no one.
Satchiko stood awkwardly. Akahana spared no details on the transgressive act that angered the ocean itself. Upon hearing this, some of the elders did glance at her direction, but still unsure what to do with this shocking revelation. The proper way to hunt Elephant-Koi is to do it after the annul ceremony, appeasing the spirit and paying respect to nature. It seems that Akahana's reputation meant absolutely nothing to the stern woman, who prefers to safeguard the island's tradition and delivering a fair discipline for the instigators.
"So long as no one is hurt and the sacred sword is used to cut the Elephant-Koi, I don't see a need to do anything drastic," the same old Akira said. "The two youngsters still need to learn from this, I say the girls can just do some simple community service."
The other elderly members of the village agreed. It is also hard to fault the two since their mother is considered the strongest Kyoshi Warrior here. But that doesn't mean they will just ignore Satchiko's mistake and succumb to nepotism. If the two of them are left go without some form of discipline, then it would ironically be disrespectful to Akahana herself, who expressed willingness for her children to learn a valuable lesson.
"Thank you, mentor," the matron bowed to the old woman, and then to the rest of the attendees.
The three exited the building. Akahana led them to the local Kyoshi shrine, a wooden hut with two bonsai trees guarding the entrance. It is building that stores valuable belongings of a deity who formed this island. Usually, it would be the matron or senior Kyoshi Warriors that take care of these important locations.
"I am not angry with you both," Akahana said. "I am just worried, that is all."
Satchiko tried to address this concern. "It's my fault mum, Mayumi didn't do any-"
"It's fine," the older sister said simply. "Let's get to work."
Both Mayumi and Satchiko are given broomsticks to sweep the area. Akahana even watched them for a while before leaving them to finish the rest. It was rather peaceful. For the younger sister, she rarely ever visits this little shrine near the village.
As both of stepped inside the shrine to clean it, Mayumi cautioned strongly.
"Sister, just sweep the floors, do not ever touch anything here," she warned intently. "These are all sacred artifacts once wielded by Avatar Kyoshi herself."
Despite admiring the Avatar, Satchiko somehow did not feel any resonation with the objects here. She looked around, examining the metal fans, clothing and the massive boots. The giant kimono robe is indeed a testament to their founder's exquisite taste in fashion.
Yet, something feels missing.
As Satchiko cleaned the floor near the giant painting which depicted the island's formation, she cannot help but ask one simple question.
"Mayumi, why are these relics here?" She blurted. "How exactly is Kyoshi's metal fans any different from ours?"
Upon a second glance, Satchiko felt the objects here do not emit a sense of spirituality. But this was quickly reprimanded by her more sensible sister.
"Sister!" Mayumi warned. "Don't say such things in here of all places!"
Satchiko obliged. Yet, she doesn't sense any connection to the objects here. Although, it is strange that such sacred artifacts are placed inside a building that anyone can just walk in unopposed. Normally this shrine is unguarded, which means there is nothing stopping a thief to just rob it all clean.
She sighed. These questions are not for her to answer. For the following hour, they swept the floor while reflecting on the mistakes that was made. It's strange that there is a sort of 'fun' in this mundane activity.
"Remember sister, this shrine isn't the only building we have to sweep," Mayumi said.
Satchiko is dumbfounded. Tomorrow, they will be tasked with sweeping the main temple, the mutual gathering places between various village leaders.
End of Chapter Notes:
-Just like previous chapter, elements of Ainu beliefs are used as inspiration, especially when it comes to the proper procedure to cut the Elephant-Koi.