Part 4 is now live. As always thanks for reading! A bit shorter than the last few parts, but hopefully this makes it a little more digestible for everyone’s busy reading schedule.
Find part 3 here:
Ren appeared in the doorway. Sweat dripped down his cheeks, but he wasn’t breathing heavy.
Shingi stood when he entered. “Well?”
“They followed me from the village. They’re on horseback, so it shouldn’t be much longer.”
Natsuhiko winced as he pushed himself up to his feet. He looked at Shingi. “Can’t we go now? You’re a Sage. Surely you can help?” He had the feeling Ren was, too. No normal man could have run that far and come back within thirty minutes.
“Your village was attacked by one of the old gods.”
“She said her name was Sui.”
Shingi and Ren exchanged a worried look.
“If she’s still here, there won’t be much I can do. In fact, my presence will only anger her. She could send the waters again. It’s best to wait,” Shingi said.
Natsuhiko thought of his family waiting on the top of one of the hills. “What do you mean, your presence would anger her?”
“Ren and I are Sages,” Shingi said, confirming Natsuhiko’s suspicion. “But we are also human. The old gods see little use for humans. That’s why most of us are huddled in small communities trying not to anger them. But not too many years ago, there was a Sage who rose to godhood. She fights for humans, but her rise to power threatened the old gods. So, they cursed her.”
“A Sage rose to godhood?” Natsuhiko asked.
“It’s rare, but possible. Since our powers come from the Lifestream. When the connection grows strong enough, the Sage can travel freely amongst the worlds. Their connection is so strong by that point that the Lifestream sustains them completely. Meaning they can’t die from old age.”
“And you’re saying that this new god has enough power to combat the old gods?” Natsuhiko asked. He had no idea what this talk of other worlds was, but he didn’t ask. He needed to find a way to help the village first.
Shingi shook her head. “Not right now. Like I said, she was cursed. So, we are on a mission to break the curse.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“By gathering more Sages. Specifically, one of each of the nine elements. According to our priests, that’s the only way to break the curse on Amaki.”
Natsuhiko perked up at the name. It was the same name his mother had mentioned. The goddess who had saved him from the waters all those years ago.
Ren leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “You going to tell him?” he asked.
Shingi looked into the small fire, then spoke to Natsuhiko. “I told you we came here because of my vision. That was true. I wanted to stop the waters. However, that wasn’t our main reason.”
Natsuhiko swallowed. His brand stung with the movement of his throat.
“You have a connection to the Lifestream. It’s rare. Only the Sages have that connection, which is how we get our powers. We think it’s also why Sui targeted this village.” She paused. “She was trying to kill you.”
Natsuhiko chuckled. “I don’t have any powers. There’s nothing special about me. So, I don’t think I’m a Sage.”
“They don’t always manifest in the same way for everyone,” Ren said. “Some people have them from birth, but others? Well, they can arise during trauma or other intense situations.”
“Like yours,” Shingi said.
“What are you talking about? I said that I don’t have powers.”
She pointed to the fire. “I didn’t light that.”
Natsuhiko shook his head. “Of course you did. How else…” He trailed off, Shingi’s eyes intense in their stare.
“I made you think I was lighting it. Our priests told of a Sage connected to the fire element of the Lifestream in this village.” She grabbed the bucket of water and doused the fire. “Do it again. Picture the wood burning.”
He wasn’t sure if he was being made a fool of, but Shingi and Ren stood by, their faces grave with truth. It didn’t seem like something they would lie about in a situation like this.
Natsuhiko eyed the wood. He pictured it burning as it was before. A small flame lapping the charred branches. He felt something, like a key sliding into a lock.
Then smoke rose from the wood, a small flame danced around its charred remains.
He gawked. “That’s not…You…”
The horses’ hooves knocked against the ground outside. Shingi turned at the sound.
“We can talk about this later. Let’s go help those people.”
Natsuhiko pushed through the pain as he stood, moving towards the door. He gave the fire one last glance before exiting, determined to save his family.