Legacy's Tale Ch. 14
By Iwa
Early Morning
Legrene Point of Evil, Demon's Island.
With a stone pestle in one hand Legrene was pounding away at the rice grains
in the dry stone bowl. Tonight nine planets align and she has much work to do.
After a few thousand years and a few missed opportunities Tianzai would
finally have a host, even though it would be dormant between then and the
Gathering. But a little wait is of no big consequence if it was to awake more
powerful than ever.
Legrene added more rice grains into the grounder. The rice had to be pounded
into a very fine powder. She can't help but wonder why Urien had left out a
line on the passage that was part of the incantation.
< The fool. He knows that line enslaves her yet he chose to leave it out?
Not a good idea at all. > she thought.
But then she was paid for her hard work even though she was willing to work
for the sake of revenge, but a little gold on the side never hurt anybody much.
She then wonders why Urien was so confident as to not use the final line for
enslavement. Then something came to mind. Without the sixth line of
incantation, the mind of Jiu Dao Nu remains her own. Very dangerous and unpredictable.
Legrene smiled knowing what Urien had in mind.
< Poor Gill. Urien had left out on a lot of details and Gill is a fool
for not noticing. > She thought the returned to pounding the rice grains
into powder.
------
Mid Morning
Urien
He was sitting in his study, looking through the translations of the spell
that would be used tonight. He didn't like the sixth line. For it would give
his brother far too much power.
Having too much power and his brother, a bad combination indeed. It amuses
him to think about how his brother might react should he know that the Jiu Dao
Nu's will would be her own, though much less could be said about the state of
her mind.
In front of him are the nine broken pieces of Tianzai, the strange metals of
its body gleaming eerily as it takes in the pale green light.
Urien stopped himself from looking too deep into the sword's gleam. The book
had warned him against that. There was something about the sword.
For it tends to show the person who look too deeply into it, things that the
person might or might not like what it show. It always shows the truth. But
these truths are not always what it seems.
< As much a value as a lie. > He thought
Something had came to mind. His brother had told him the day after they
removed the pieces from the amber. The sword had shown him something. That Gill
would be the one with power. Ultimate power coursing through his very veins and
the strongest woman in the world by his side. The world quivering at his very
feet.
Urien knew at once the sword had showed his brother something that was in
reality a half-truth. But Urien being the person he is would rather not risk
his sanity to look into the pieces. But isn't a half-truth still a lie? And A
half-lie a part of truth? He waved away such questions for they make no sense
at all.
He covered the lid of the box that contain the pieces and felt much better.
Too bad he can't say the same for his brother.
--------------
Late morning
Ryu On the road to the fishing village near Demon's Island
Since he heard what the elders of Kamui Kuten had said, he had being feeling
worse than ever. Something was wrong and he could feel it in his bones. Because
of the nature of their journey they had decided to take to horses instead.
"Li…." He whispered. He had an inkling that what's to come is
going to be worse than what they had gone through in the last few years. But
yet at the snail pace that they were going, they weren't getting anywhere.
< Even the fastest horses won't get me to ChunLi in time. > He thought.
He looks up at the sky. It was only late morning yet the sky looks dark and
foreboding. It was not a good sign in all. The cawing crows made the day feel
more ominous than ever.
Ryu look towards Zannah, he noticed something bothering her. He pulls his
horse over to hers.
"Nine planets align tonight." Zannah said, it was like she knew
what he was thinking, "And we're heading towards Point of Evil….. Not
good…." She mumbled and went into a bout of silence.
If Ryu was worried about ChunLi just now. His present mood would have
surpassed that. One word fills his heart. 'Dread'. He heard One Eye mentioned
about Point of Evil. And even One Eye warned him to avoid going to Point of
Evil if he had no business there.
Ryu dug his heels into the horse's flanks. The horse raced him forward. In
his mind he kept telling ChunLi not worry, but that's provided that she could
hear him.
--------
Afternoon
Legrene
Legrene took the bag of rice powder with her to the tower in the courtyard,
her heart if she has one that is, was fill with expectation. She had long to
start such a spell. Such a powerful spell that require concentration and
perfection.
Stepping onto the floor of the battlements of the tower, Legrene nearly
swoon, the scent of fear, evil, dread and various other ominous feelings as
strong here. Much violence had being committed here, that she could taste in
the air. Blood had stained the area much. She smiled knowing that it was the
blood of young innocent lives.
"Well enough slacking. I have a deadline after all." She said to
no one in particular.
At the dead center of the battlements she started work. She started to
sprinkle the rice powder on the marble block. Taking her time to be careful as
it a Chinese character slowly forms on it while she recites a slow chant in
Sanskrit.
Minutes later the first character was done. The white rice powder word
'Tian'(sky) contrasted on the black marble block.
Legrene headed a distance north of 'Tian' and started to form another
character while chanting. The second character when fully formed read as
'Shen'(god).
Now from 'Shen' she has to do the other words to complete the circle in a
clockwise direction. Northeast of 'Tian' the character she created was
'Er'(vice). East of 'Tian' the character she created was 'Mie' (annihilate).
Southeast of 'Tian' the character she created was 'Kuang'(insanity). South of
'Tian' the character she created was 'Mo'(demon) Southwest of 'Tian' the
character she created was 'Xie' (Evil) West of 'Tian' the character she created
was 'Ba' (Tyranny)
And now the last and final character that was northwest of 'Tian' was 'Sha'
(kill)
"Eight surrounding one equals nine. Right didn't leave anything
out." Legrene said to herself, proud of her creation. Part one is
completed, now she has to do part two.
Starting from 'Tian' once again she sprinkled the rice powder so that it
encircles the word. And then crossing over 'Shen', she did the same and for the
other words all in the same clockwise direction. When she finished, she
examines her handiwork. A circle of powder surrounds each character now. She
let out a breath in relief as she wipes her forehead.
"Almost done." She spoke to herself.
From the top of the circle that contained 'Tian' she sprinkled a path of
straight line from that circle to the circle for 'Shen'. Two more lines both
lines angled so they leave 'Tian' and converge at 'Shen'. Three separate lines
angled to meet at the same point - the southernmost point for the circle that
held 'Shen'
For the word 'Er' the lines met at the southwestern tip of the circle.
For 'Mie' it was the western tip.
For 'Kuang' it was the northwest point.
For 'Mo' it was the northern most point.
For 'Xie' it was the northeast.
For 'Ba' it was east.
And finally for 'Sha it was Southeast
Legrene stops another moment to observe. The two outer lines that points
from 'Tian' to all the other characters meets the center line of its neigbours.
Thev circle surrounding Tian' became an eight points star. Two more lines from
each point to meet that of its neightbour to point outwards touching the mark
she made for the third large circle that she would create later.
By now her head was spinning slightly from the massive calculations she had
to do. Her work was done for now. The last three circles can only be done
tonight when the Jiu Dao Nu is in position.
There was still three hours or so left. Enough time for Legrene to take a
bath and a nap and still have enough time to not miss the fireworks. With her
bag of rice powder she headed downstairs to her room to do just that.
-----------
Late Afternoon
ChunLi
She can't speak, that d*mn choker finally took her voice away, a sign she
took that beyond today she was likely to be in very very deep trouble. For the
whole day she felt nothing but depression.
Then she remembered something, nine planets align tonight. A very bad sign
indeed, to be in the Point of Evil when nine planets align. Something would
happen tonight and she knew she was going to be smack in the middle of it all.
ChunLi's eyes darted left and right, her body now felt like some invisible
ropes had tied her down. As much as she wants to resist she can't, the moment
she fought back the pain in her head started.
The two maids had finally finish bathing her body and washing her hair in
flower-strewn water. Within the water was essence of sandalwood, rose and
jasmine. And now the two maids were anointing her entire body with those oils.
ChunLi felt violated. She felt like some kind of sacrificial lamb. She made
a mental note to herself that if she ever survived this in one piece, Her coven
will switch to using fruits. Now she knew how the sacrificial chicken felt.
ChunLi's mind wandered again. What about these women who were dressing her
up in black kimono with embroidered tiny sprigs of blood red cherry blossoms
motifs. Why were they helping Urien so willingly? Why didn't they listen to her
pleas to help her escape?
She then caught the look in their eyes that said it all. They belong to
Legrene. The two girls were raised by her to do her bidding. She seeks out the
young dragon again but she couldn't feel its presence. Something had happened
to little creature.
The two maids were now combing her hair, combing out the tangles. ChunLi
felt highly irritated but then why would she want to rush to her own doom.
< Because I want to get out of here? > She answered her own question.
There was almost nothing she couldn't get out of. But this was starting to
be one she couldn't get out of. D*mn the choker. The work of Urien, Gill and
Legrene. They knew that alone they were no match for her.
As much as she hopes that Ryu would barge in here to save her from this
situation, she knew full well that it was not likely to happen.
Because by the time he gets here it would be too late. Somehow she was
starting to regret coming to Edo. She hates the idea of such helplessness.
< Well there's a first time for everything. > Once more she tried to
move her body but without much luck. There was not much she could do except try
not to scream herself to insanity within her head.