Samurai Souls 5 Stalactites

by Kajite Gray email YoroidenGi@aol.com

Terror. Terror. Terror.

Sage was running, bare feet slapping against the stone floor beneath him. The passageway turned and twisted. Rocky spires flashed by on both sides as he ran. The cavern was dark and cold; he could barely see where he was going. The passageway turned and twisted. He was hopelessly lost. Sweat poured off his body. He was exhausted, and his feet hurt. But none of that mattered. What mattered was staying ahead of IT, the nameless horror that lurched behind him. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the thing, somewhere in the darkness. There were no words to describe the creature. It was a dead thing, encased in crumbling grey samurai armor and wielding a wicked black spear. It persued him with mindless intent. Sage could hear the rasping of its breath, the creaking of ancient armor. And he could smell it. It smelled like death.

Youja.

The surrounding air grew cold at the thing's approach. As though the life were being drawn from the air itself. Sage ran down twisting corridors, panic gripping him. Shadows snatched at him as he flew past. Weird rock formations loomed out the blackness. Half-blind in the darkness, he almost didn't see the pit until he was on the edge of it. He skidded to a stop at the edge, a rain of small stones clattering down into the fathomless depths. Sweat broke out on his face, trailing down his cold lips. He had nearly fallen into the endless black hole. He swayed dizzily at the lip.

A soft footfall behind him stopped his heart cold. A fetid wind rolled over him, piercing him with icy terror. For a dreadful moment, Sage could not move. He imagined the thing just pulling his spine out and leaving him in a twitching heap on the floor.

Sage wrenched his body around, unwilling to face Death with his back. The sight of the Youja chilled his soul. Behind the visor, the creature had no face. There was no flesh, only dread blackness punctuated by two glowing points where the eyes should have been. The dessicated jaw worked, withered lips and blackened stumps that used to be teeth grinding out a single, broken word.

"Sssssaaaaaggggggggggeeeee...."

Its putrid breath enfolded Sage, filling him with mindless dread. The dead Youja's hand twitched, its corrupt face pulling into a lurid grin. Its withered fingers grasped for Sage's throat, eyes glowing with the promise of Hell.

Wrenching his eyes from the undead horror, Sage turned and flung himself off the edge of the pit. Death was preferrable to having IT touch him. He plunged into darkness. Falling for a horrible eternity, until his body met with unyielding stone. The sound of the violent impact echoed hollowly in the darkness. Sage lay still. After a moment, he raised his head weakly.

Why aren't I dead? He wondered vaguely, sprawled on the rock floor. Darkness surrounded him. He could see nothing. But there was a sound.....

A faint, distant ringing of metal on metal. Like the striking of a temple bell.

Sage lurched unsteadily to his feet, the metallic sound echoeing in his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Somewhere in the caverns, the Youja still lurked. He could not stop running now. He could never stop running. He fled down darkened pathways, trying now to outrun the clanging in his brain. It had grown to painful proportions, his body reverberating with the sound. It called him insistently, gouging at his senses like fingernails digging into an unhealed wound. No matter which way he turned, the sound grew louder. He tried to block it out, but it had gotten in his blood somehow, throbbing in time with his pounding heart. Hands over his ears to block out the hellish clamor, he ran down a narrow, twisting causeway. A blast of warm air struck him, engulfing him in a blizzard of pink petals. The overpowering sick-sweet stench of cherry blossoms surrounded him. Flurries of pink skirled around him in mad eddies. He was all but blinded by them. He gasped as a huge SOMETHING loomed out of the darkness at him. Sage reeled backwards, almost colliding with the thing. His grey eyes widened in horror.

A second armored figure towered over him, no less terrifying than the first. This one's costume resembled stylized Samurai armor - the metal strong and shining where the Youja's was broken and corrupt. The air throbbed with its power. Its armor was emerald and forest green, with huge shoulder plates. Sharp gold horns jutted from the faceless helmet. A no-dachi was gripped in one powerful hand. The thing lowered its head, as if acknowledging Sage. There was no face, only a silver metallic visor with terrible, empty eyesockets. Sage could only stare into the soulless black pits. The armored figure took a gliding step forward, extending armored fingers to him.

Sage recoiled, sick with recognition. He knew this armor - he had seen it before in countless nightmares. It had a name.

Korin.

He wanted no part of it. He turned in panic and ran, the awful clanging still tearing furrows in his mind. Korin lumbered mindlessly after him. From a dark tunnel, the dead Youja reappeared, joining it in its pursuit of the young man. Sage threw a frantic look back. BOTH reached for him, one seeking to destroy, the other to posess. He ran for his life through the caves. Rounding a narrow corner, the armored pair collided. As if aware of one another for the first time, they turned and attacked each other. Frozen in a corner, Sage watched them fight it out. The Youja lunged with its wicked spear, but the green armor was faster by far. There was a horrible wrenching, crackling noise. Korin tore the head off the Youja easily and flung it aside with a sickening thump. Taking advantage of this distraction, Sage turned and fled down the tunnel.

He ran for a long time, finally coming to a stop at the edge of an underground lake. His breath came in ragged gasps, echoing through the empty cavern. The terrible ringing in his head had faded at last. He sat heavily at the water's edge, looking around wearily. White icicles of stone hung down from the ceiling. Water dripped monotonously, somewhere in the darkness. Thirsty, Sage bent to drink from the pool. An eerie, fitful light flickered across the water's surface; something glowed within the obsidian depths. Sage peered curiously into the pool. It was not his own face that stared back at him. It was that of Korin. The metal facemask seemed to grin evilly.

Sage recoiled, but it was too late. The armored hands shot out of the water, locking around his pale throat. He didn't even have time to scream. Korin yanked him into the icey waters, and he plunged into darkness.

He awoke with a yell, jerking bolt upright in bed. His breath came in tortured gasps; his hair was wild. His pajamas clung to his body, drenched in sweat. His hands clenched into fists, tightening on cool white sheets. Home. He was home. There was no Youja, no Korin reaching out lifeless hands to drag him to a fate worse then death. Here was safety. But he still felt cold; he shivered violently. The light flicked on.

"Sage? Love?" His mother stood in the doorway in her pale green robe, looking tired and worried. She came into the room and sat on the edge of his bed. Sage shivered, not seeing her. All he could see was the vision of Korin reaching for him, the image burned into his brain. A white hand brushed the tousled blonde hair out of his eyes. He jerked away at her touch, his wild grey eyes locking with hers.

"Oh, Sage..." she whispered. He looked like he was scared to death. She drew his stiff body into her arms. He went limp, clinging to her and sobbing like a little child. Wordlessly she rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. She was used to his nightmares; her son had never been an easy sleeper. He had always had bad dreams, but now they seemed to be getting worse. Julia furrowed her brow. All her medical background had not helped her come up with a solution for his restless sleep. She wished more than anything that she could give him a peaceful night. He often woke in the morning with dark circles under his eyes and looking like he'd run a marathon in his sleep. What he was running from, he never said. He seemed cheerful and friendly during the daylight hours, but the nights haunted him. He even slept with the lights on sometimes, but it never helped.

Minxie padded into the room, her calico ears twitching at the disturbance. Her white paws moved silently across the oriental carpet. The cat gave a concerned chirp, hopping up on the bed and crawling into Sage's lap. He needed so much watching. She rubbed her furred cheek against him appeasingly. His pale hand closed on her soft fur, pulling her close. Minx flattened her ears, staring about at the presence she felt but could not see. Her black lips curled delicately away from her gleaming fangs. Something had frightened her Sage. The room seemed dreadfully cold despite the cheerful yellow walls and bright light. Terror had touched here again.

Sage gradually quieted, his sobs subsiding to hiccups. Julia held her son, wishing for a way to cleanse the horror from him. She held him close until she felt his body droop against her. Careful not to disturb him, she settled him back under the covers. Sage didn't stir. He was already asleep. His mother frowned down at him, lips pursing. He looked so pale and exhausted. She wondered how he managed to function during the daytime. Dropping a kiss on his damp forhead, she prayed he would sleep. Minxie moved to the pillow and curled up by his cheek, warm fur pressing against him.

For a long time, Julia stood in the doorway, watching her son sleep. She stood there, unconciously twisting her honey-colored hair around her fingers. The intensity of his nightmares disturbed her. She could only hope that he would grow out of it. Maybe she would talk to Miagi again tomorrow at the clinic. Miagi was a sleep specialist, and had already done what he could for Sage. Nothing had stopped the night terrors so far, but it wouldn't hurt to ask if he had anything new.

Probably doesn't, she thought, worrying at a painted fingernail. But it was all she could do. Sighing, she switched off the light and returned to bed.

Sage slept deeply, free from the Youja for a moment. There was only darkness pressed against him now. That, and the faint sound of distant temple bells.

Sashimi, Miso, Yakitori sandwich, Fruitplate, OJ, Chocolate milk, Cheeseburger, Ceaser Salad, Sushi Platter, FrenchFries, Milk, Applesauce......

Kento looked around, balancing his mounded-up tray carefully. Had he missed anything? No. He had at least one of everything. Grinning in anticipation af a hearty meal, he ambled over to the cashier. She rang up his purchases.

"That'll be 1325 yen," she informed him. Oops. He was short. He turned to Cye.

"Uhhh... buddy?" Cye got a nervous look in his eye.

"What...."

"Uh, can I borrow 200 yen?" Cye looked at the sushi on his plate and grimaced.

"Must you?" he asked in a pained voice. Kento gave him the puppy-eyes and he relented, handing the coins over.

"Know what?" Cye muttered as they headed towards their table. "You'd starve without me."

Kento chuckled.

"Thanks, buddy." He took a huge bite of his cheeseburger. "Mmmm-mmm! Who can pass up the school's Charred Beef Puck?"

Cye made a face, digging into into his salad.

"I can."

Kento sat down across from him, wincing. Cye saw the look on his face and laughed.

"HellDevil again?"

"Yeah," muttered Kento ruefully.

"So what did you do THIS time?"

"She found out about the frogs this morning. Got me on my way out."

"Oh." Cye started giggling, earning him a dirty look from Kento. "Sorry I missed it."

"Don't be. It was pretty bad. Didn't know a dead frog could get up and dance like that..." He took another bite of his cheeseburger. "Coulda been worse. At least he didn't whip out a top hat and start singin'." Cye doubled up with laughter at the thought.

"So..." he said, wiping at his eyes, "How mad was Mama?" Kento winked.

"Mad enough for one good shot before she was on the floor laughing. She is murder with that spoon, man! Tell ya, I got while the goin' was good."

"Wise move," agreed Cye.

They munched away companionably for awhile, Cye claiming some of Kento's fries as a buyer's fee. The cafeteria was noisy, crammed with students. But there was someone missing. Kento nudged Cye.

"Seen Rowen at all today?"

"Nah. Thankfully."

Kento frowned at him and peered around, trying to catch a glimpse of the familiar blue head.

"I don' think he's here," Cye mumbled around a mouthful of lettuce. He wiped dressing from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I wouldn't worry about it."

Kento looked like he didn't agree with that.

"Hope you're right. I don't like this."

Cye noticed his look of concern.

"Don't worry, ok? He's pretty tough - he'll be allright." He wasn't about to admit it, but Rowen's absence troubled him too. He knew now what Hashiba was capable of. Rowen had spent the entire weekend at the Fungs' without his father's knowledge. The repercussions might be... very bad.....

Cye shivered. He didn't want to think about it. His appetite spoiled, he pushed his plate away and set his chin in his hands. He and Kento sat in silence, both of them thinking the same thing.

Was Rowen in one piece?

Sage sipped at his tea slowly, only vaguely paying attention to the girl chatting in his ear. He was more interested in the two boys sitting a few tables away. One was chubby and round-faced. That was the Fung kid - his parents owned a resturaunt or something. Sage had seen him before, usually on the athletic field. But the boy sitting with him was unfamiliar. He was a slender, brown-haired boy who looked like he still belonged in grade school. Sage wasn't sure what had drawn his attention to them. Maybe it was the clanging in his head; it seemed louder now as he looked at them. It occured to him that they were together a lot.

He dropped a bored look to the girl beside him. One of the drama-club Prima-Donnas, blonde haired and blue-eyed like himself. She had insisted on sharing a table with him , and was now fastened firmly to his arm. He didn't even know her name.

His grey eyes narrowed, watching the Fung boy and his little friend. Very carefully, he extended his mind towards them. There was a lot of psychic static in here - he had to work through it to see what he wanted. It was difficult with so many people in here. They all had their separate thoughts, needs and emotions. The room was full of these random thoughts and conversations, making the air feel muddy and thick. Sage pushed through the clutter with his mind, focusing his concentration. What he saw made him blink.

Fung's aura blazed like a bonfire, glowing a healthy yellowish orange. The other boy's was a peaceful shimmering blue. The colors were normal enough, but the intensity shocked him. Their life-energies were incredibly powerful, their auras a shout in comparison to those around them. He never would have guessed that two such ordinary-looking boys could posess such energy. This warranted watching. Sage smiled a little, not noticing as the girl on his arm gave a happy sigh and leaned on his shoulder. She thought he was smiling at her. The boys' auras were overlapped, their edges intermingling with each other, the colors intertwining and supporting each other's weak points. These two were linked, indicating a close bond.

Sage squinted, trying to read more. He had to be careful, though... if one of them was psychically sensitive, they might notice him. It was like trying to peer around a corner at someone without them seeing you.

The bells in his head seemed to intensify. He winced at the sharp sounds. This was weird. He wondered if these boys had any connection to his dreams of Korin and the Youja. They felt so powerful....

Cye sat very still. He felt strange... as though tiny spiders were tickling up his neck. He stared blankly at the wall.

"Hey." Kento poked him, and he jumped. "Are you asleep or somethin'?"

Cye blinked confusedly.

"I- I don't know. Did you hear.... something?" He couldn't describe what is what he'd heard. A sort of ringing, metal-on-metal sound. So soft it was almost a non-sound. And he felt something else......

Cye whipped around to find the young man a few tables away staring at him. Their gazes locked for a moment. Grey eyes met with blue. The blonde-haired boy looked away suddenly, and began talking to the girl on his arm. Cye frowned. He didn't know the young man - he looked American. He quirked a thumb back over his shoulder.

"Who's Blondie over there?" Kento looked past him.

"Him? That's Sage Date, the Girl Magnet. Man....." He shook his head, watching the girl fawning all over Sage, who looked bored. Kento sighed.

"I wish I had that sort of luck with girls!"

Cye grinned.

"In your dreams, Hentai-Boy."

"WiseAss," muttered Kento. He pushed the last few surviving frenchfries around on his plate, mouth turning down seriously.

"I still wish I knew where Rowen went."

The wind rushed across the low hill overlooking the school. The tall grass rippled in yelllow waves, half-hiding the young man sitting on the small rise. Rowen leaned his face into the wind. Late summer sun cascaded down on him, warming his body. His blue hair was tossed playfully by the friendly wind. Rowen sighed, stretching out on his back on the ground. He had put off going home yesterday for as long as he could, dreading a confrontation with his father. To his heartfelt releif, it had turned out to be a surprisingly uneventful experience. He had returned home late Sunday, only to discover Hashiba passed out on the floor in a drunken heap. Come Monday morning, he hadn't even remembered that Rowen had been anywhere but home all weekend. Rowen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd really dodged the bullet on that one. But one of these days, his luck was going to run out.

He folded his arms behind his head and squinted up at the white clouds blowing across the sky. Here was peace. He had skipped out of school early, not caring if anyone noticed that he was gone or not. They wouldn't miss him by the pool, at least. He had his excuse. Too bruised to even think about wearing a bathing suit, Rowen had begged out of swimming class for the next week, pleading a bad case of swimmer's ear.

"Happens a lot, does it?" remarked the coach, peering at the note from Rowen's "father". He'd shrugged and sent him out to run around the track instead. From there, it had been a simple matter to jump the fence and come up here. Rowen had, of course, written the note. Just like he had all the rest of them. It was his signature, too, that appeared on report cards and permission slips. Most of the time, his father was too drunk to sign his own name.

Sighing, Rowen lay back in the tall grass. He would probably get another beating for THIS, but he didn't care. It would take awhile for word to trickle down to his father about him skipping. For the moment, he was at peace. Rowen curled up in the tall grass, watching the windswept sky. He wished he were a cloud, far above the earth where nothing and no one could reach him. It was twilight before he finally rose and reluctantly made his way home.

Darkness. The room lay in shadow. No light spilled in from the street. A single match flared, bringing life to the blackness. Sage lit several white tapers, chasing back the gloom. He was the light-bringer. Candlelight flickered, throwing soft shadows on the walls. Sage moved about, carefully positioning quartz crystals and geodes on his altartable. He fingered the banded green malachite pendant at his throat, putting his mind at peace for the foretelling ritual. He was curious about the two boys he had watched at school that day, and wondered whether they had any connection to the recent disturbances he'd sensed. Something big was afoot magically; it was frustrating not to be able to put his finger on it. It felt to him as though the whole world was poised on the edge of cataclysm. Something dark lurked beneath the calm veneer of normal life. Something weird and powerful waited below the surface. It lay just beyond his reach where he could not touch it. The air felt heavy, like the calm before a storm. Minxie felt it too, and wound anxiously around his feet as he worked. He picked her up and set her in a chair outside his circle. He needed to concentrate on what he was doing and did not want to have to worry about stepping on her. Minx settled her paws beneath her chest, eyes glinting like emeralds in the candlelight. She had no intention of upsetting his spell.

Sage walked his circle three times, the embroidered hem of his green and white ceremonial robes flowing out behind him. He cleared the air with an incense of Rose and Cedar, whispering words of magic. The aura around his body glowed a shifting emerald green. His white hands cut mystic symbols through the smoky air. Sage sighed, feeling himself aligning with the natural power of the land. His eyes opened, eerily silver in the flickering light. He was in a proper frame of mind to read the cards now. Tipping his worn tarot deck from its box, he shuffled the cards rapidly. Their charge was electric. They felt like they were ready to tell him something. A soft smile creased his features.

Now we shall see what is what, he thought.

The cards held power - they told him things. Gave him clues to the future and helped to answer questions he could not figure out alone. He cut the cards and seperated out ten of them, fanning them out in a pattern inside his circle. Nothing they told him was concrete; just possibilities. They weren't always right, but he needed some answers. Hopefully, he would get some. Sometimes the cards showed him goobledy-gook; other times they were accurate enough to be frightening. At least the souls of the dead could not touch him through the cards. There were... other tools for that purpose. His gaze fell on the toy Ouijja board hunched on his top shelf, its box furred with dust. It had been given to him for Christmas three years ago. One bout of terror with THAT thing had been enough quite enough to convince him to stuff it back in its box and never touch it again. A Ouijja board was NOT a toy. No matter what those Parker Brothers fools said.

Shrugging off the unpleasant experience, he turned back to his cards. They were spread face-down before him, their ornate gilded backs glimmering in the yellow light. He turned the first one over - the one representing himself - and smiled. The Magician. The card crossing him was the NightMare card, sometimes known as the Devil or Terror card. No surprises there. He tapped it with a pale fingertip. That card showed up for him a lot. The card of near future showed the Five of Wands, indicating turmoil and confusion. The goal card urged for unity, crowning that one. Two influencing cards came next. The stalwart Knight of Pentacles and the fish-tailed Knight of Cups, riding a silver wave. Two warriors. Sage frowned. Warriors for what purpose? He shrugged in confusion. The distant past showed the usual. Lost peace, a journey, a quest for answers. He flipped through the rest of them, revealing worry and fuss cards for his own emotions, and the Justice card at the top of the row.

Sage frowned at the cards, unconciously jerking his head to flick his blonde hair out of his eyes. The cards said some interesting things, but answered none of his questions. He hesitated over the last card, the one that was supposed to show the probable future. That card disturbed him. It was the Ruined Tower, promising conflict, strife and pain. He did not like that card. He didn't like it at all. Somewhat unsettled and no less confused, Sage gathered up his cards. He was no closer to an answer than he had been before. All he had to show for his trouble was more questions.

Before putting his things away, he had a little thought - a question, really. In a rather playful voice, he held up the deck of cards: "Allright, deck," he announced. "-what's the deal with these two boys I saw today? Who are they really?" He thumbed two random cards out of the pile, watching them float down. They landed face-up on the floor.

Justice and Faith. Sage laughed softly. What kind of answer was that? Shrugging, he dispelled his circle and put the cards away. He gave Minxie a wan smile, rubbing his dully aching head. Reading cards always tired him somewhat. Exchanging his kimono for his pajamas, he flopped down heavily on the bed. Sleep overtook him quickly, and he fell into a deep slumber. Minx joined him, curling up in the crook of his knee. Only once did he wake. It was a queer thing - it seemed that someone was in the room, someone whom he could not see. Still half asleep, Sage frowned into his pillow. There were enough house-spirits around here to wake anybody up. Sometimes they got noisy. It was probably one of them. With a sleepy shrug, he buried himself back under the blankets.

He did not hear what Minxie did. She raised her head, eyes winking in the blackness. Her patched ears twitched towards the faint sound of metal rings on an old man's staff.

Kento blinked, scratching his head. He looked down at the marble sitting in the middle of the worn carpet, winking up at him. He'd nearly tripped on it on his way out of the bathroom. What was it doing out here? He'd found it on the edge of the sink the other day yesterday; this morning it had turned up in his jacket pocket, and later on his desk. He KNEW he hadn't put it there. And now it was on the floor, just waiting for him to slip and kill himself on it. It was eerie, the way the thing seemed to follow him around....

Kento laughed at himself. It had to be Malachai. He looked over at the cat sleeping on his bed.

"Stay out of my stuff, furball," he muttered, dropping the ball back into his dresser drawer. Malachai had probably been playing with it again - he liked shiny objects. On more than one occassion, Kento had caught him chasing it across the floor. The cat yawned and stretched as Kento plopped down on the bed beside him. He burrowed into his covers and tried to sleep.

But it was hard. Some idiot was ringing a bell someplace, with mindless insistence. That alone was annoying enough, but there was something else too.... A hollow tapping sound that reminded him of spiders' feet reached his ears. Kento frowned. Strange scratchings and rustlings seemed to be coming from the walls. Malachai was curled up quietly next to him, but there was a sizeable SOMETHING moving around in the room. Kento wondered if there were rats.

"Go get 'im, boy," urged Kento, suddenly very unwilling to set foot on the floor to see what it was. The cat refused to budge, growling low in his throat. Kento was shocked. Malachai never growled. He finally got up the nerve to snap on the light, but there was no one there. Hugging the still-growling cat to his chest, he spent a sleepless night reading with a bat in his hand. He didn't know what it was that he had been hearing.

But whatever it was, he was going to hit it.

Cye tossed uneasily in his sleep. He frowned, turning into his blue silk sheets. Whisperings and rustlings emanated from the air around him. The young man curled up tighter, burying his head under the pillow. He somehow found sleep again, dropping into restless dreams of fishes and swordpoints. If he had been awake, he would have been very startled by what he saw. Nested in a branch of white coral, right where he'd put it, his crystal ball glowed. It pulsed, filling the room with an eerie light. Silver and blue water shadows chased each other over the dark walls, falling upon Cye's sleeping form. The patterns rippled, giving the illusion that the whole place was underwater, glinting off the glass whales and crystal dolphins on the shelves. The pale blue kanji of Trust glowed brightly within the orb.

Unknown to Cye, his own forehead was lit with the same pattern, the watery blue light somewhat masked by the hair falling across his face. He slept on, blissfully unaware of what was in store for him.

To be Continued...... Next Chapter: Kodoku

"For those foolish enough to plagiarize from this story....
The Youja shall haunt you."--Kajite