A lush green forest swayed in the gentle spring breeze, a small waterfall flowing out of the cliff side. Two women, twenty and sixty years old, dressed in green robes, searched the edge of the clean water for a missing robe. The younger woman reached out to the underwater plants, coating her light-skin hands in mud. Her red-orange braid soaked up the water. The older woman brushed her sweat away from her graying brown hair.
“Are you sure you brought it with you, Rahele?” The older woman cracked her spine back into place as she stood.
“Yes, I am sure, Mother Yona; it was one of my nicer robes that needed purifying,” Rahele spoke with disappointment. As she rang the water out of her braid, she heard a woman scream. Yona heard it too. Rahele stood to find the source until they both realized it was coming from the flow of the waterfall.
Akane then flew out with another scream and splashed into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The shock of the splash overtook her for a moment until she found it hard to breathe. She burst through the surface with a great gasp of air and swam to the edge. Akane gulped for air and attempted to calm her frantic heart. Then she noticed two drenched women on the ground with mouths ajar. Akane asked for help as she held out the green robe they were searching for.
Rahele crawled over and pulled her out, trying to gain her speech back.
Akane assumed she didn’t understand her, so she asked where she was with elocution.
Rahele replied in English, “Central Terruha.” It relieved Akane that she spoke English, but then she realized what she said. Hoping she was dreaming, Akane smacked her face to wake herself.
“RAHELE!” Yona pointed to the Bracelet with a shaken'd hand.
Rahele grabbed Akane’s arm and examined the Bracelet. With stars of hope in her green eyes, she spoke gently, “you finally came.”
Before Akane could ask questions, the two women took her arms and pulled her down a path toward a temple. It was large with colorful trees lining a little wooden fence. The temple’s design was comparable to a traditional Buddhist temple in Japan, but with more vibrant colors. As they ran through the open torii gate, a few young men and women were working in the gardens. Yona presented Akane’s arm to them, showing the Bracelet. The temple people dropped to their knees as the women pushed past them, taking Akane into the main building. The sudden scent of incense didn’t help her oncoming headache.
Once the doors closed behind them, Akane pulled herself free from their grip. The ringing in her head and her wet shoes caused her to stumble. Both Rahele and Yona showed concern for her but Akane pushed their hands away. “I don’t want your help, I want to know why you brought me here!” she demanded.
“I’m sorry, milady,” Yona apologized with a chuckle in her tone. “We’ve been waiting for centuries for the Descendent of Kaya to come and bring peace back.”
Akane’s head pounded with each conflicting thought. She tried asking what Yona meant, and instead of explaining further, Yona turned Akane around to face a statue. It was the same statue from her grandparent’s shrine but was marble stone and holding a bonsai tree. Akane was so overwhelmed, her vision dimmed on her, and she lost consciousness.
Akane awoke sometime later to a cool cloth touching her forehead. The pounding headache subsided, though there was a lingering sting. She lazily opened her eyes to a small room with Rahele and a bucket of water sitting next to her.
Noticing her movements, Rahele asked if she was feeling okay.
“I’m not sure. Am I still in Terruha?”
“Yes, milady,” Rahele replied.
“Then no, I’m not okay.” Akane closed her eyes, wishing she was back home.
“I’m sorry for earlier. I am Rahele, a priestess here. The older woman from before is Mother Yona. She is the head priestess, and she overreacts when she’s excited. May I ask for your name, milady?” Rahele helped Akane sit up for water as Akane gave her name. Akane noticed she was in a white outfit with long tight sleeves and white pants that hit her knees. They must have changed my clothes, she thought to herself. It made her uncomfortable thinking of it.
“Do you know who Kaya was?” Rahele asked. Akane told her what she knew.
Rahele added, “The Charms are real and only you can collect them and help us.”
Akane looked at her, questioning what she meant by ‘help.’ Not to mention why she had to collect these Charms. What she wanted was to go home, but her curiosity was bugging her. “Why do you need me to recover the Charms?”
Rahele informed her of Diederik, a warlord who was trying to dominate Terruha. “He believes he can create a better world, a perfect one, but his methods go against all that is good. He uses blood magic to steal people’s hearts and turns them to evil creatures called Bloodmen. They are a wicked magic, they feel and think of nothing unless he tells them to. Living men follow him either out of respect, or fear.”
After a brief pause, Rahele continued. “He won’t stop until he has everything his way. He tried to collect the Charms but failed because the only person who can collect them is Kaya’s Descendent with the Bracelet. Forgive my boldness, but please help us, milady. You are our only hope of bringing peace back.”
Rahele was asking too much of her. Akane shook while curling up to her knees.
Rahele sensed her discomfort and regretted her words. “Please rest and regain your strength; I’ll give you the time you need to think. Your clothes are hanging out to dry so if it pleases you, you can wear our robes for the time being. You may also look around the temple if you wish.”
Rahele bowed to Akane as she left her alone to question what to do next. She looked to the long puffy sleeve green robe, a white neck collar with a hood, and a pair of knee socks. With a shaken sigh, she dressed herself.
Akane had two doors she could use. Since Rahele left through one, she hoped the other was a way out. To her discontent, she found the statue room. As she approached, she looked deep into the statue’s carved eyes.
Her emotions welled up as she spoke out, “Why me?” Her long hair hid a grim face as she stated, “They’re asking me to travel a world I don’t know to find magical Charms. Not to mention a war is happening here and the possibility of a madman chasing me. What makes you believe I can do this?”
“You’re capable of anything you put your mind to.”
Akane jumped at the voice but saw no one. A chilling rush came over her skin when she saw above the statue the ghost of Kaya. Kaya’s angelic dress draped over her pale white skin.
“Do you fear me?” Kaya gently asked.
“N-no. I just wasn’t expecting a ghost to appear before me,” Akane was sarcastic as she slumped to the floor.
“Forgive me.” Kaya flew closer.
Akane’s body tensed, but she found the courage to ask how she was here.
“My remains are in the statues. I appear here better than in our home, but I could still call to you.”
Akane’s memories came back to her with a chill. It made sense now, but it still made her uncomfortable.
“Why are you here?” Akane asked.
“I’m here because you have doubts in yourself.” Akane looked away in shame. Kaya continued, “I understand your fear. I felt the same way when I was younger, but things happen for a reason. You want to stay, but you doubt your abilities in the task given to you. There are many obstacles in store for you if you agree, and with each one you will gain a new understanding of yourself. It can strengthen you into the woman you wish to become.”
Akane brushed her hair away, gazing into her ancestor’s eyes. Kaya’s words sparked something in her. Back home, Akane would doubt herself because she feared the outcome of events she had no control of. Her anxiety stopped her from everything until her grandfather gave her his wisdom. When a rock’s thrown onto your path, you climb over it. When fear gets in the way you conquer it, you have the strength to climb, you just have to try. He made her say it whenever her anxiety was getting the best of her. She used to daydream about magic and adventure before college. Perhaps this was a chance to see if it was what she wanted to do with her life.
“Well... I’m already here. I-I’ll see what I can do.” Kaya gave her gratitude with a kiss on Akane’s forehead. Akane felt the mark with her fingertips as Kaya disappeared back into the statue. Kaya’s simple gesture calmed Akane enough that a smile broke the fearful face. After a moment she stood to leave in search of Rahele, for if she was to travel this unknown world she needed help.
Rahele and a young woman hung up the laundry while Yona and a young man folded. Once they saw Akane coming around the corner, they bowed to her. Akane requested them to not bow to her. Yona couldn’t help but think how Akane resembled Kaya in their green robes.
“Um, Rahele, I want to ask you something.”
“Anything, milady.”
“I thought about what you asked me. You know this world better than I do... would you help me find the Charms?”
Rahele covered her mouth to contain her voice of joy. She dropped to the ground and bowed her head. “It would be an honor to serve you milady.” The others bowed along with Rahele while Yona almost broke Akane with a hug.
As they led her back inside to the statue room, Akane had many questions about the adventure. Yona and Rahele would explain everything after they had Akane touch the pedestal. She did what they requested, and the statue reacted with a dim glow. Then a door opened on the side. Yona pulled out a scroll and handed it to Rahele, who took it to another room with a table to show a map of Terruha. Akane said ‘wow’ aloud to the size of the land. They told her it was just a map of Central Terruha and that made Akane’s head spin.
Rahele pointed out all eight of the Charms on the map, each with two different powers connected in one. Plant & Healing, Fire & Lightning, Water & Ice, Earth & Strength, Air & Spirit, Sun & Sky, Moon & Shadow, and Truth & Deception. They would have to visit each temple to get the location and the challenge to follow. Yona’s temple was the Plant Temple, so the Plant & Healing Charm would be their first to collect.
The strange writing on the map had Akane asking what it said. When she asked about it, Rahele called it Terruhin. It was a language created to improve unity between the people brought into Terruha.
Yona interrupted, “Rahele, you’ll have time to explain more later. Lady Akane, I must ask if you know any forms of fighting.”
“Yeah, I know martial arts. My grandfather taught me since I was five.” Akane reminisced the memories of each visit being a chance to learn something new. When Akane started middle school, she joined a martial arts class in town. She quickly earned her black belt and became a teacher’s assistant. “It’s part of my life because I can share it with him. Why do you ask?”
“I want you to show me,” Yona demanded. She escorted Akane to the training ground, a square dirt plain that sent loose dirt in the air as temple people practiced their forms. Their practice weapons hung from their hooks in the woodshed just off the side of the square. She had to interrupt a few priests who were practicing. “This venture is dangerous. The one undertaking it must know the basics of fighting to make it through the challenges ahead.”
Rahele was Akane’s sparring partner, and they both had fake wooden swords. The priests who were training stood by to watch. Akane’s competed in martial arts tournaments before, so she wasn’t scared. However, after putting her hair up in a ponytail, Akane asked if this was necessary. Without warning, Rahele swung her sword. Akane blocked Rahele’s swing. “Whoa, wait. You’re not even going to say go?”
“No one says ‘go’ when you fight for survival.”
Rahele swung her sword as Akane continued to block. When she tried to strike, Rahele knocked Akane’s sword out of her hands and pushed her to the ground. Rahele lunged to strike, but Akane kicked the hilt of her sword, sending it out of her hand. Now it was in Akane’s favor. She was a better fighter without a weapon. By the end of the fight,
Rahele was on her butt with a shocked face. She was trying to go easy on Akane but didn’t expect how well she fought without a sword.
“Need to work on your weapons, but your hand to hand combat skills are impressive. Now to eat, bathe, and rest,” Yona said with satisfaction in her tone.
Rahele dusted herself off and collected the swords. She tried not to show her displeasure of her loss.
Yona took Akane back inside to the banquet hall. It was a rather large room with the tables arranged into a square around a burning Irori hearth. To Akane it was almost like the Japanese hibachis where they cooked the meal in front of you.
They seated Akane in Yona’s spot as a sign of respect. Akane was fidgety on the pillow while Yona introduced her to everyone. A chill ran down her spine when Yona had them bow in unison to her. Even though their supper was a humble meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables, their fresh scents made Akane’s mouth water. Akane had never had fresh food that tasted so good, with so much flavor, she had to savor each bite of seasoning.
During the dinner, she watched everyone interact with one another. Some were laughing and having a good time, while others had simple conversations. The atmosphere was comforting to Akane. It almost felt like home to her. Then she thought of her family as she played with a curl in her hair, wondering if she would see them again. Her stomach bubbled with a tinge of homesickness, but Grandfather Tetsu’s words came to her. She took a breath to calm her stomach, saying she would see them again.
Afterwards, Yona took her to the women’s bathhouse. There was a dressing room, the wash area, and the soaking tubs all in stone with wood panels. Artistic walls divided each room while steam and incense filled the room. Akane scrubbed the dirt off that she’d obtained from her day and rinsed herself. She stepped into the bath water and enjoyed the warmth that glided over her skin. Akane loved baths no matter where she was; it’s a good place to think. She chewed her nail to nothing as she questioned if she was making the right choice. If she failed, their entire world would suffer, but if she stayed, she’d have the greatest experience of her life. It was difficult to keep the negative thoughts out of her mind, but she tried to think positive.
Outside in the night, a figure stalked the windows of the bathhouse. While Akane was dressing, the figure noticed the Bracelet on her wrist. The figure’s eyes glowed a dark red color as they watched her. They jumped high into the air as if flying and disappeared into the night.
/*******************************************************
* Copyright (C) 2020 {Sarah E Sewell} <{email}>
*
* This file is part of {Tales of Terruha: Charms}.
*
* {Tales of Terruha: Charms} can not be copied and/or distributed without the express
* permission of {Sarah E Sewell}
*******************************************************/