When trading ships left the
capital in spring, festivals were held in the city. Multicolored streamers hung on the eaves of every home in
celebration. People hoped and prayed for the safe passage of ships
across the ocean. Once a year, trading vessels crossed the
southern ocean on a dangerous journey.
Celebratory streamers that
doubled as prayer flags were placed using poles on the roof. The
wind blew through them: blush pink, vermilion, white, and yellow
strips traced shapes of the air in intricate patterns. In front of
the stone tower of the guardian deity enshrined near the capital's
main canal, children gathered to eat candy and watch the trading
vessels load up cargo in preparation for the voyage.
The large trading vessels were
examples of ancient technology in action, much as the black carts
that went to the villages were. Traveling by sea was tremendously
expensive in both directions, so all the factories closed down for
a week while the ships made their preparations. The ships needed
all the fire fuel they could get.
And so all of the factories,
which operated year-round otherwise, went quiet for the week of
the Boat Festival. The capital's dour demeanor, typically
decorated only by murders of crows, enjoyed a pop of color via the
streamers blowing in the wind. The ships sat in the calm harbor,
decorated by their wealthy patrons. People who cared about such
things argued over which boat was the most beautiful.
At the academy, Koushi had
learned that this annual voyage to the southern islands served
much the same purpose as the journeys that the black carts made:
trade, and commerce. But that wasn't the only reason that the
ships set sail at this time of year.
***
"The
Bonfire is the most
splendid boat at the festival this year. An image of the sun
shines, embroidered in gold thread, on the pure white topsail. A
yellow flag hangs from the mainmast. The ship looks like it might
be able to fly! When you're feeling better, Hinako, we should go
and see it together," Kira said, smiling. Her hair smelled faintly
of the sea. She set the candy that she'd bought down by the harbor
on Hinako's pillow.
"What about your boat, Miss Kira?
Do you have one?" Hinako asked. Being left behind that morning had
made her sulky. She'd been eating better and taking her medicine,
so her overall health had improved. Koushi knew that they'd have
to meet Yuoshichi's business associates at the port that day, so
he'd thought it best for him and Hinako to stay home. Hinako
always got nervous around strangers, and nerves might make her
come down with a fever.
Kira didn't like that Hinako was
sulking, even though it wasn't her fault. She kept trying to cheer
Hinako up. She glanced over at Koushi, eyes expressing her desire
for commiseration or support.
"Yes, our family has a ship,"
Kira said. "But my father is an absolutely terrible decorator. He
has no taste. He thinks that everything should flash and sparkle,
and the ship just looks tacky! The sails are striped red and
yellow, and the flag is long like one of the streamers in the
street. I can't help but feel embarrassed every time I see it..."
She clicked her tongue. "Uh, but don't tell my father. It would
make no difference anyway, but I'd prefer not to cause him
trouble."
"I won't tell," Koushi said. He
sat near Hinako's bed, splitting his time between visiting his
sister and reading the book open in his lap. He looked up at
Kira.
"Why didn't you go with Kira?"
Hinako whined. "Then you could have brought back more candy." And
then she grinned, looking down at the candy near her pillow.
"You should eat something
nutritious, not just candy," Koushi said.
That morning, lessons had ended
early in honor of the festival. Kira had used the time to visit
the Boat Festival along with a handful of servants. Koushi had
read in his room for most of the morning. It had been almost two
weeks since he and Hinako had come to the Okibi Estate.
Hinako was slow to make friends:
the only people she liked and would talk to, aside from Koushi,
were Kira and her doctor. She didn't like asking the servants for
things and wouldn't do it even if she did need something. If Kira
or Koushi didn't stay with her, she wouldn't even be able to get
water for herself when she was thirsty.
Koushi didn't much care for the
Boat Festival. He had a lot of catching up to do academically; he
was far behind Kira in all his subjects. The private tutor's
lessons covered everything: geography, history, law, philosophy,
language, mathematics, economics... Of course, Koushi had taken
these subjects in the academy, but the depth and breadth of the
information that he was being taught was greater now.
Kira was a bright student. She
bandied around concepts and words that Koushi had never heard in
his life before as if it were as easy as breathing. Posture
perfect, completely attentive, Kira absorbed new information
seemingly by osmosis.
Koushi read everything he was
given at top speed in the effort to catch up to Kira, studying
voraciously. He thought he'd applied himself in the academy; it
was unique, in his experience, to have a rival.
After lessons, Koushi would
descend to the basement with Yuoshichi's key to conduct research.
He would usually work there until dinnertime. At first, Kira was
confused about what Koushi was doing in her father's study. He
made up the excuse that he was behind academically and said that
her father had loaned him the use of the study as a quiet space.
Kira seemed disappointed to hear that he wasn't using the study
for a more exciting reason and promised not to pester him about
it. Koushi thought it a bit odd that Yuoshichi hadn't let his
daughter know what he was planning, but if Kira didn't know, he
wasn't about to enlighten her. He'd promised not to tell, after
all.
Yuoshichi was growing old, and
seemed even older next to his vibrant daughter. It was obvious to
Koushi that Yuoshichi loved Kira, but he was extremely reserved
and careful about what he told her.
"Sugar enlivens the head and the
heart," Kira said cheerfully, handing Hinako a packet full of
sweets.
Flecks of amber in Hinako's eyes
caught the light as she reached forward for the packet. She popped
a candy in her mouth and grinned from ear to ear. Despite the
day's disappointment, she was feeling better and getting
healthier.
***
"I was wondering how things are
coming along," Yuoshichi said to Koushi. "Is there anything you
need?" They were in the basement study; Koushi had his documents
and papers spread out over the table.
Koushi raised his head. "What
exactly do you want to know, sir?" When Yuoshichi didn't answer
immediately, Koushi said, "I'm still working, so can I put the
things I'd find useful in a list for you?"
Yuoshichi acquiesced readily
enough to this.
Koushi picked up his pen and made
a list of materials on the high-quality paper. He still wasn't
used to such fine materials. As he wrote, he asked, "Would you
mind allowing me access to the archives again tomorrow again, sir?
Perhaps in the afternoon? I studied lightning fuel a bit when I
was at the academy, but there are many things that I still don't
know about it."
There were a lot of old books
lined up along one wall of this room, but Koushi had already
perused them for information on lightning fuel. If he wanted to
learn more, he had to consult different books and records. Some of
the books in this room were on loan from the Central Archives. He
was planning to return some books and borrow others. It was
impossible to gather up all the knowledge he needed at the same
time.
Yuoshichi fiddled with the
keyring in his hand, then snorted. "Of course you can. But your
tutor might also be a valuable resource to consult for
information."
Koushi thought about the elderly
man in charge of supervising his and Kira's studies. His name was
Kouhachi. His gray hair was so thin that his scalp was visible in
places. He had stubble on his chin, also gray, but it didn't take
away from his aged and dignified appearance. He was surprisingly
knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics, and liked looking at
issues from many different perspectives.
If Koushi asked Kouhachi his
questions, Kouhachi would almost certainly be able to answer them.
But Kouhachi was a brilliant man, and Koushi's questions would as
good as tell him that Koushi was building weapons that ran on
lightning fuel in the basement of the estate. He couldn't ask
Kouhachi questions and keep Yuoshichi's secret.
"Oh... while I'm thinking of it,
sir, could you prepare a set of these for me? I think crystal
plates are quite expensive..."
Yuoshichi scanned the list of
items that Koushi had written down. "Additional fuel for firing
the crystal plates. Iron boxes..."
"Yes," Koushi said. "Please make
the boxes as thick and sturdy as possible. I'm trying to compress
the fuel into an egg-shaped bottle, similar to what's used for
many lighting systems. We won't need to use much lightning fuel to
create a large explosion, but something of that size and shape
would be an, uh, flash bomb. Not very effective as a weapon. We'd
need more heat and pressure to get something like that to have a
real impact. I thought I'd try compressing the fuel in a separate
container first, then wrap that in the egg-shaped container."
Koushi shut his mouth as if he
was afraid that he'd said too much.
Yuoshichi stood where he was,
keyring still in hand. "This sounds quite dangerous," he said.
"Use care so that no harm comes to the estate." And then—suddenly—he laughed
hard enough that his stomach shook with it. "But I approve. Go
ahead and try to make what you're thinking of. We're making
weapons, after all. I'll have everything written here in your
hands by tomorrow evening. Kepe up the good work."
As Yuoshichi turned his back to
unlock the door, Koush said, "If Spiders were to attack the
capital, how would they go about it? Would they blend in with the
crowd? If they look and act the same as the rest of us, how can we
target them with our weapons? We'll hit innocent people. How can
we prevent that?"
Yuoshichi thought for a moment.
Then: "If I were a Spider..." He unlocked the door, revealing the
lit staircase on the other side. "I wouldn't bother trying to
blend in. Waste of time. I'd go straight for the main shrine. The
Spiders were banished from the capital by the guardian gods, and
it's them that they're opposed to, not ordinary people. It would
be a bad idea to attack the town first—that would give the guardian gods time to prepare." He shook his
head. "No. They will attack the main shrine first."
Koushi followed Yuoshichi up the
stairs, rubbing his chin with his hand as he considered. "If
that's true... then I'd also like a floor plan of the factories
and whatever buildings are around the shrine, as well as the
shrine itself if you've got it. Make the floor plans as detailed
as possible. Depending on what kind of space we're working with,
it'll change the shape and size of what I make."
Yuoshichi was chuckling; Koushi
could tell even though he was walking behind him. He seemed amused
and vaguely self-satisfied. "That's not such a simple request.
Spies keep watch around the shrine, and I don't think there's ever
been a blueprint or floor plan made of it. But we should still
try. It would be valuable information to have if the Spiders
target the area. I'll find some way to dig up that information.
Now, I'm headed to the first floor. You keep working for awhile.
I'll see you at dinner."
Yuoshichi left the basement.
Koushi returned to his workspace, tearing through his notes and
making adjustments based on what he'd just heard. Koushi wasn't
very good at cleaning up after himself, and after all it didn't
matter; no one observed him working here except Yuoshichi,
sometimes. Tools, paper, and half-read books were scattered all
over the place. Koushi had the gift of remembering where he'd put
things, so the disorder was ordered from his perspective.
Sometimes he thought about tidying up, but then he got distracted
by his research and forgot. It was a bad habit.
Koushi took a deep breath, then
got to work. He settled his leather work apron over his clothes
and pulled out the wooden box containing glass bottles from under
the table. The bottles came in a variety of sizes, from small ones
to ones longer than Koushi's arm, but for now he was starting with
a small one. He
poured a small amount of lightning fuel very carefully in the
bottle and sealed it. The bottle was painted black, egg-shaped but
with a flat bottom. He used a funnel to trickle in a precise
amount of lightning fuel.
Fire and light were liquid.
Koushi had learned that from his father a long time before. The
fire fuel obtained from Fire Fiends was harvested as a golden
liquid, even though the blood of the monsters themselves was black
as pitch.
Koushi tore out a piece of paper
from a notebook that had nothing written on it and placed it
carefully into the bottle. The paper dissolved in the lightning
fuel. As Koushi watched the paper vanish into liquid, he thought
about what Fire Hunters saw when they attacked Fire Fiends. He
knew about their weapons: the golden sickles that could kill the
monsters instantly in just one hit. They died instantly, and their
black blood changed to golden liquid fire.
But he needed to be focused on
his research right now, not his father's tales of being a Fire
Hunter. Much though he tried to focus, his father's words kept
coming back to him. He was staring at the lightning fuel that his
father had harvested, after all. All of this that he was doing now
was because of what his father had done before leaving the
capital.
"Sometimes, I think the Fire
Fiends aren't monsters. They're a gift to humankind," Koushi's
father had said. "A gift from the old world, keeping people alive
and in the light no matter how terrible things get."
Koushi's father had said that to
them, slightly drunk, in the small house where his mother had
died. He'd been on a break between hunts, talking to his children
and petting the dog's back. Then he'd appeared ashamed. "No. I
shouldn't say more. Or I'll invite the wrath of Morikami."
[モリカミ: Morikami is given as katakana—just letters, no kanji meaning. However, one common meaning of
mori is "forest," and the common meaning of kami is "god." Koushi
confirms these meanings later in the passage.]
Morikami was the most powerful
guardian god—the
princess who ruled over the capital. But that wasn't who his
father was talking about. Among the Fire Hunters, Morikami was the
faceless deity of the Black Forest where they hunted—not a person, but the Black Forest itself. There was a belief
that the cities and villages were blessed by the presence of the
divine, but only Fire Hunters believed the Black Forest similarly
blessed... just not by the guardian gods. Irreverence to the
guardian gods might cause a Fire Hunter to be punished, but
irreverence to the forest would spell their immediate death. It
was no wonder that Fire Hunters revered it.
Koushi didn't like superstition.
He didn't consider the guardian gods all-powerful or worthy of
worship, and Morikami the faceless forest god likely wasn't,
either. The deep-seeded beliefs of the adults around him irritated
him. Fire fuel was necessary, and to obtain it, hunting in the
Black Forest was also necessary. He could understand his father
seeing Fire Fiends as a gift to the world, but he didn't believe
that any kind of god had gifted them to people for any reason.
True, Koushi had never seen Fire
Hunters in action, not even his father. He didn't know how they
hunted. But he understood fire fuel and lightning fuel well
enough. The lightning fuel glimmered inside the thick,
black-painted glass. Light refracted in it, shedding rainbow
colors in all directions.
The bottle Koushi was using was
thick and sturdy enough that it wouldn't break even if he
accidentally dropped it on the floor. The type of glass it was
made of was only manufactured in the villages surrounding the
capital. Black carts bought and sold it as a valuable trade
commodity; most of the glass wound up in the city.
There was a black scorch mark on
one of the basement walls: the product of one of Koushi's previous
experiments. He'd used the smallest bottle available and a drop of
lightning fuel and thrown the whole lot against the wall to
measure the damage. He wanted to understand how the lightning fuel
would respond to being jostled in transit. Bombs were worse than
useless unless you could decide where and when they'd explode.
Throwing the small bottle had
resulted in a bright flash, but little damage.
Koushi frowned down at the
egg-shaped bottle, taking in the lightning fuel and making notes
on measurements on his workbench. He wondered, idly, why fire fuel
wasn't combustible. If it touched people, they wouldn't burst into
flames. Only true fire—sparks in the air, or existing flames—could cause human combustion. Fire fuel itself was entirely
stable. That was why Koushi thought he could design a reliable
weapon with it—something triggered via a firing pin or a specific stressor.
The weapons could work: Koushi
was certain of that. But now much force, stress or impact was
needed to set the weapons off? That was what he needed to figure
out.
Exposure to air
would work,
he thought.
But there won't
be an explosion unless it reacts with something unstable.
Some ancient weapons used a
chemical compound called gunpowder in tandem with a lit fuse for
detonation. But there was no gunpowder now. Koushi tried to
reconstruct it using materials from Yuoshichi based on what he
knew about its properties, but his experiments with the faux
gunpowder had been unsuccessful so far. He'd also tried mixing
ordinary fire fuel with lightning fuel to see what would happen.
The answer was nothing. There was nothing he could add to
lightning fuel that would force a chemical reaction. Anything fed
into it would dissolve away, just like the piece of paper he'd
just added. All kinds of metal yielded the same results. The only
thing that didn't dissolve was the glass; all the canisters
containing the fuel were lined with the same material.
Causing lightning fuel to explode
with a catalyst wasn't feasible. What about pouring it on a
target? Koushi had proposed this idea in his notes to Yuoshichi,
but Yuoshichi seemed more interested in the catalyst method. He
told Koushi to keep doing his research.
Kouhachi had given Koushi an
overview of how ancient fire was used. Fire used to be a natural
resource that allowed people to adapt to cold regions and places
where food was scarce. Ancient humans had colonized the entire
planet, and many countries had flourished.
Perhaps there were still people
in other countries around the world, but the Black Forest was an
insurmountable natural obstacle for most people. The ships that
sailed to the southern islands came into contact with people, of
course; part of their mission was to scout and look for other
lands. But no other lands had ever been found. The ships sailed to
the uttermost end of the nation's border, where people lived on
islands but spoke the same language as everyone else.
The islanders were uniquely
placed to search for other countries, too, but they hadn't
discovered any. The ocean surrounding them was vast, and the
islands didn't produce enough of their own fire fuel to allow for
lengthy sea voyages. That was why the capital sent trading vessels
to them instead of the other way around.
The trading vessels always
returned, laden with goods. It was almost time for them to set
sail again, to the island at the end of the world.
Past humans may have conquered
the planet, but modern humans were isolated: trapped where they
were by a deadly forest and an endless ocean.
Stars. Planets. So much knowledge
had been lost in the war that had claimed humanity's control over
fire, but some things had been preserved. Long after the Black
Forest swallowed up everything, an old diorama of the solar system
remained. That diorama existed as diagrams and star charts in
schools, still. There was a copy of the solar system and its
planets in Yuoshichi's study.
The planet that Koushi lived on
looked blue, according to researchers. If Koushi could stand on
the moon, he'd be able to see it. But standing on the moon? That
sounded like a fairy tale.
Ancient fire gave humans the
power to do extraordinary things. Maybe they
had
been able to stand on the moon.
Ancient fire consumed oxygen in
the air. It was usable as a tool and a weapon. Koushi wasn't sure
that modern fire could match it. The true nature of fire fuel and
lightning fuel was unknown. Lightning fire was even more poorly
understood than fire fuel because Fallen Beasts were so difficult
to kill.
Lightning fuel was dangerous like
ancient fire was: it could destroy what it touched and cause an
explosion if handled incorrectly. But it was still not as volatile
and versatile as ancient fire. Lightning fuel and fire fuel
couldn't cause human combustion like natural fire could.
As Koushi transferred the
lightning fuel from the egg-shaped bottle to another, the disarray
of his thoughts caused him to spill a little on his workbench. The
lightning fuel didn't spread out; it was a trembling droplet of
golden fuel.
Seeing that his workbench wasn't
dissolved, Koushi spilled another tiny drop. It did the same thing
as the first one, and then the two droplets drew close to one
another and combined as if they were magnetized. Or as if they
were alive.
Koushi forgot what he was
supposed to be doing and stared at the combined droplets of
lightning fuel.
Then the wood of the workbench
started to melt. It hadn't started degrading before that. This was
the first unique reaction to a material that Koushi had seen.
What's going
on?
he asked himself.
I know lightning fuel can explode if it's spilled, but I've
never seen it move on its own like that...
Koushi pushed his glasses further
up his nose. He scooped the lightning fuel onto a glass plate
before it could eat away at his workbench any further. He planned
to slide the fuel back in the bottle using the funnel.
He couldn't explain the strange
behavior of those individual droplets. He placed the glass plate
containing the two joined droplets of lightning fuel on his
workbench, then tilted the airtight bottle at the angle that would
prevent the contents from spilling out. He lifted the bottle high
above the plate...
There was a brilliant flash of
light. Koushi wore no eye protection, so he was temporarily
flash-blind. Heat slowly seeped into his leather-gloved hands.
Slowly, the light faded, and sight returned. Koushi could see his
workbench again. Shards of broken glass were stuck to his gloves.
Sparks from the escaped lightning fuel glinted in the air.
Koushi hastily placed the sealed
bottle of lightning fuel on the table and removed his gloves. His
hands weren't melted or dissolved, so that was good. The worst
he'd suffered was a few small scratches from the broken glass
plate.
Whatever he'd done had worked,
but Koushi was slow to understand it. He held his breath, shaking
all over. His hands hurt. It didn't look like any lightning fuel
had spilled out of the sealed bottle. It was like the droplets
became lightning for a moment, and shot into the sky. What had he
just discovered? He didn't know. He wanted to find out.
Koushi took notes like a man on
fire, forgetting the injuries to his hands for the moment. If only
his father were here... He wondered where his father was now, and
wondered why he'd abandoned their mother, Hinako and him. He felt
like if his father were here, he'd explain everything.
Koushi finished writing his notes
and folded the sheet in half, sliding it into his pants pocket. He
wiped blood off his hands on his apron, calmed his breathing, then
turned back to his workbench.
According to the clock, there was
still time left until dinner.
***
The next day, Koushi got to
planning his next steps. He decided to go to the Central Archives
when it opened in the afternoon. He had the registration card that
Yuoshichi had given him in his pocket. A small red metal piece on
the card indicated that he had viewing rights to the information
there. Koushi had already visited the Central Archives once,
looking for materials about lightning fuel and the bottles that
contained it. His first visit had left him overwhelmed at the
sheer size of the collection, so he'd attempted to familiarize
himself with the method by which books and texts were organized.
After that, he'd done generalized research on the glass bottles he
used to work with lightning fuel.
Koushi ate lunch with Hinako and
Kira in Hinako's room. After lunch, Koushi stepped out into the
hall and saw Yuoshichi approaching.
"Today is the last day of the
Boat Festival," Yuoshichi said. "I am officiating, so I must
attend."
On the last day of the Boat
Festival, all the ships that were going to set sail were moored in
rows along the port. Lights were lit, free soup was provided in
kitchens around the city, and people gathered to wish the ships a
good voyage. For many years, the Okibi family had been responsible
for setting up the lights and the soup kitchens and making sure
everything was in place.
"I shall take my leave,"
Yuoshichi said.
Koushi bowed his head.
Yuoshichi took a few moments to
check his belongings with the servants to make sure he had
everything he needed. He was about to do through the doors to the
outside when Hibana passed by, heading toward the staircase to the
second floor. Her glossy black hair was tied up neatly; her
clothes were deep blue and black. It seemed like she had just
returned from somewhere. She exchanged a few words with the
servants accompanying Yuoshichi, then headed toward the stairs
alone. In her hand, she was holding something wrapped in shiny
cloth.
Hibana noticed Koushi standing in
the hall and offered him a slight smile. "Oh. Are you going out
today?" she asked.
Koushi held his breath. Hibana
always made him a bit uncomfortable, for all that she was Kira's
mother and Yuoshichi's wife. It looked like she'd gone out, but
she didn't smell of factory smoke. She did smell strangely of
smoke, though. Her day-clothes were dark in their colors, with a
contrasting pure-white collar. The tight, starched collar covered
Hibana's long, slender neck.
"I went to see that Hinako has
all the clothes she needs," Hibana said. "She doesn't seem to be
feeling well this week. I thought playing dress-up might make her
feel a bit better. She's so shy, but so adorable! Be sure to give
her lots of praise for her new clothes. She acts embarrassed, but
I think they make her very happy."
Hibana spoke calmly,
confidentially, but something in her tone make Koushi's temples
twitch. He recognized the smoke smell now: asafuyou, a drug. He
dimly recalled people in his neighborhood who got taken away by
the police for using that stuff. Made from a hardy kind of grass,
it was easy for the poor to grow. Smoking it and inhaling the
steam it produced when boiled could cause people to see
hallucinations. It also had a calming effect.
Factory work was stressful. Legal
highs like drinking alcohol or getting prescribed medication cost
money. Asafuyou was cheap, and could be made at home. It was a
constant problem in the city: rampant use led to frequent
crackdowns. Koushi knew a little about what asafuyou was, but he
had no idea why Hibana would use it. She certainly wasn't wanting
for money. She could go to a doctor to get whatever she
needed.
"Thank you for your
consideration, miss," Koushi said. "Please excuse me." He walked
down the hall, leaving the unpleasant scent of asafuyou smoke
behind him.
Kira called out to him as he
walked down the hall. "Little Hinako is still in her room," she said. "My father's
getting dragged around left and right today because it's the end
of the festival. I feel sorry for him. I missed most of this
year's festival. Today's the last day... Well, anyway. I hope you
have fun."
Kira seemed to be under the
impression that he was going to the festival tonight. He had no
plans to attend, but he bowed his head politely to Kira anyway.
Then he headed for the door leading out of the estate.
Maybe I was
mistaken,
Koushi thought as he walked.
Asafuyou could
smell like a different perfume or an oil, for all I know.
Maybe Hibana wasn't using asafuyou, but something that smelled a
little like it.
It was sunny outside. The air was
stagnant and the world around was quiet; the factories had been
shut down for a week. No clouds of smog or pollution hung in the
air. The sky was a clear blue.
Koushi passed through a wealthy
area of the city. The walls were high, every gate was closed, and
there were lights on everywhere he looked. He directed his steps
to the Central Archives, thinking about his research.
Why do Fire
Fiends and Fallen Beasts have fuel as blood, anyway? Were there
such monsters in the past, when humans could use natural fire
without the risk of combustion?
Could the answer to these
questions really be found in the books at the Central Archives?
And if the answers were there, could he find them?
The Central Archives were located
between the wealthiest part of the city and the factory area where
Hinako and Koushi had lived before moving into the Obiki Estate. A
canal ran alongside it; on the opposite side of the canal was the
factory district and the academy that Koushi had attended for many
years.
The academy was marked by a tall
spire rising into the deep blue sky. The Central Archives had no
spire; it was a square squat building that appeared as ancient as
the records it held. The outer walls were covered by chipped brown
tile.
A separate building adjacent to
the Central Archives was used for printing; it was also closed for
the duration of the Boat Festival. The Central Archives were only
open because so many of the people registered to use it were
fantastically wealthy, and its closure would inconvenience them.
Teachers at the academy used the week of the Boat Festivals to
read novels for entertainment.
Since nearly everyone was off
from work during the Boat Festival, the Central Archives
restricted the number of people inside at any given time to
prevent crowding. An old woman sat in front of the main doors to
scan registration cards and permit access.
Koushi passed his registration
card to the old woman, who looked at him through heavy-lidded
eyes. Suspicion. Koushi had been treated the same way the first
time he'd come to the Central Archives. After a long pause, the
old woman nodded at him, then returned his registration card.
Koushi passed through the thick
wooden door and was surrounded by books. His second visit was no
less impressive than his first: there were full bookshelves for as
far as the eye could see. The cloying sweet smell of dust and old
paper permeated everything. It reminded Koushi faintly of the
smell of asafuyou smoke.
Two security guards stood
motionless beside the main door, wearing large hats that concealed
their features. Koushi felt their eyes on him as he passed. He
rifled through his pockets, pulling out the notes he'd written the
previous night. There was a list of topics to research written
there; he walked around the Central Archives with the list in his
hand.
I wonder how many
books are there?
Koushi asked himself. He'd never seen so many books anywhere else.
The room had a skylight in the center of the ceiling; the farther
in Koushi walked, the brighter the light from above became. Dust
motes danced in shafts of light.
The Central Archives had three
floors. The first floor had an open atrium that connected to the
main stairwell.
There were hardly any people in
the Central Archives at the moment. Koushi caught sight of a few
people in fine clothes reading books in little alcoves here and
there, relaxing and forgetting the outside world. He recognized
some of the teachers from the academy, but they were so engrossed
in their reading that they didn't notice Koushi at all. He also
saw a few boys that were around his own age. One of them sat next
to a stack of books. He was so finely dressed that he had to be from a wealthy
family.
Koushi sat at a desk that rested
behind a bookshelf, near a wall. Fortunately, none of the injuries
he'd sustained to his hands the night before were serious, and
he'd already treated them. Hinako had expressed her worry when
she'd seen his bandaged hands. He'd had to calm her down; she'd
been near tears when he'd left her.
Koushi copied down the
information he was looking for in the notebook he'd brought with
him. There were books about the use of lightning fuel in
factories, and about ancient wars, and about how ancient fire
caused humans to spontaneously combust. Once, a long time ago,
humans had used weapons that were fueled by natural fire.
As Koushi paged through old
books, his irritation mounted. He stood up and approached a
different bookshelf. The information he'd found wasn't what he
wanted.
What I need to
find out about is that strange reaction the lightning fuel had
yesterday...
Koushi scratched his head,
frustrated, as he wandered down an aisle of bookshelves. His
frustration was mostly directed at himself. Hinako had received a
terrible shock to the system: displaced after their mother's death
and chronically ill, she'd been transplanted into the Okibi
Estate. He couldn't say she was thriving, but her health was
improving, and she was trying her best every day. He felt like he
owed it to her to do the same. Nothing short of his best was good
enough.
As he perused books, Koushi
reflected that he now had every advantage: a safe place to live, a
knowledgeable tutor, and an environment where he could use
lightning fuel as much as he liked. He even had access to the
Central Archives. If he couldn't accomplish something with all
these resources, then he was an incompetent dolt.
"Hm?" Someone was staring at
Koushi from the other side of the bookshelf, peering through a gap
in the books.
Koushi was startled by the sudden
noise; all of his attention had been on the books. His fingers
curled in his pant legs for a moment as he contained his surprise.
He forgot that he was supposed to say something and stood
still.
"So it is you, Koushi? I thought
so."
"P-professor Hitou?"
Professor Hitou was one of the
professors at the academy. He taught history; Koushi had been
slated to study under him in a year or so. That was before he'd
withdrawn from the academy, of course. Professor Hitou had
something of a reputation: hard-nosed, stern, and frugal, he wore
the same clothes in civilian life as he did when teaching. His
students lost so much weight and collapsed from exhaustion so
often that he'd been nicknamed Skeleton by his less appreciative
classes.
Koushi had heard rumors about
Professor Hitou, but he'd never met him in person. Professor Hitou
had been adopted into a wealthy family when he was younger. If he
was in the Central Archives while passes were limited due to the
festival, he was either relying on his family's clout or a wealthy
sponsor.
"I'd heard the rumor that you
were taken in by the Okibi family. I suppose those rumors are
true," Professor Hitou said in a hushed tone.
Professor Hitou's reputation
wasn't uniformly bad. Koushi had heard from some other students
that his classes were fairly interesting, just exacting. Some of
the more serious students at the academy admired him as a
teacher.
Koushi hadn't expected Professor
Hitou to recognize him after all this time.
Professor Hitou's lips quirked up
in an eerie smile. "I was sorry to hear that you'd quit the
academy," he said. "I was looking forward to having you in class.
It's good to see that your eagerness for study has not changed."
His speaking voice was like the sound of footsteps in the middle
of the night, barely audible in the quiet library.
"Um, uh..." Koushi was nervous
and looked behind him. No one was paying attention to him or the
teacher.
"Are you looking for something?"
Professor Hitou asked in a light tone. He shrugged, and was so
thin that the bones were visible poking through his clothes.
Koushi was still confused and
unable to give a proper answer. He'd never spoken to Professor
Hitou before.
As Koushi composed himself, he
realized that this was an opportunity. He didn't know where to find the information that he needed.
Chasing down the information was the same as wasting time, now
that he had a professor who knew this place to guide his research.
Professor Hitou wasn't in contact with Yuoshichi, so he might be
able to accept help while keeping his project hidden from the
professor.
"I'm researching lightning fuel,"
Koushi said. A
shiver went down his spine. Had he already said too much? Was his
frustration with his limited progress so far likely to make him
complain—or worse,
badmouth his benefactor?
Professor Hitou didn't seem to
notice Koushi's interior panic. "Ah," he said, as if Koushi's
research topic were perfectly normal. "Lightning fuel, eh? There
are plenty of research materials here for you." He tilted his thin
head to the side. "I would recommend that you go to the third
floor, Koushi. You'll find more esoteric texts there. I assume
that you've already worked through the basic ones."
"The third floor?" Koushi asked.
He'd only ever been on the first floor of the Central Archives
before.
Professor Hitou's eyes narrowed.
Koushi felt like bugs were crawling all over him—like Professor Hitou would be able to tell, just by looking, that
he was conducting illegal research in Yuoshichi's basement.
But of course, that was
ridiculous.
"Yes, the third floor," Professor
Hitou said patiently. "It's not my area of study, so I have no
idea what you'll discover. There are valuable books there that
I've never perused. Good luck finding what you're looking
for."
"Oh. Um, thank you," Koushi
stammered. He excused himself shortly after, chastising himself
for casually bringing up lightning fuel like that. Yuoshichi had
forbidden him to speak of it, after all. Still, lightning fuel was
a broad topic, and well-researched. He doubted the professor would
be able to guess what he was working on simply by knowing the
general topic.
Koushi climbed the staircase to
the second floor of the Central Archives. The skylight came into
view; Koushi noticed stones engraved with a strange pattern rimmed
all around it. Koushi squinted at the stones, trying to make out
more of the pattern.
It's a star, I
think.
No, not a star: a planet. That was the symbol for this planet. He
recognized stylized versions of the sun and moon as well. All
told, there were eleven planets and stars surrounding the
skylight. These celestial bodies had been drawn with human faces:
mouths, eyes, noses. Looking at them reminded Koushi of the
ancient clock that he'd seen at Yuoshichi's house. Koushi's heart
felt heavier as he contemplated these heavenly symbols—reminders of a better time.
Koushi didn't pause on the second
floor to look around; he headed directly for the third floor.
There was dust on these stairs; it seemed that they hadn't been
maintained in quite some time. Each step creaked when Koushi put
his weight on it. He almost turned back from surprise.
Sunlight and warmth poured in
through the skylight overhead. Koushi inhaled deeply, smelling
dust and old books.
And then, he was on the third
floor.
Koushi looked around with a
little frown. Was this really where he wanted to be? It looked
more like a place where books came to be discarded than read. The
dust was just as heavy on the books as it had been on the stairs.
If he had to guess, he'd say that no one had read any of these
books in a very long time. A lot of the books had poor or damaged
bindings; some had no covers at all, but were held together with
simple string.
Koushi moved quietly, careful not
to kick up any dust on the floor. He saw no one else on this
floor. He wondered about Professor Hitou's advice; was this really
the right place to look for information?
Nearly giving up before he even
started, Koushi approached a haphazardly organized bookshelf and
started reading the faded titles of the books there.
One of the books caught his eye.
Hand-bound with black string, it stuck out from bound volumes
around it. As he touched it, Koushi realized that the black string
was fuzzy, felted almost, and leathery. Was it made from Fire
Fiend materials, like skin or fur? The string definitely wasn't
made from human hair, since it was too coarse for that, but he
couldn't rule out Fire Fiend fur. The string absorbed sunlight,
remaining dark.
Koushi remembered when Kanata had
come home on his own with a Fire Fiend's leg in his mouth. That
leg had been covered in fur and old blood.
The book had a cover, of sorts: a
thin, ash-colored one marked with a small crescent moon mark in
the bottom left corner. He passed a finger over the mark and noted
that it was carved, not painted or drawn. The crescent moon's
narrow pieces connected thinly, forming something like a circle of
white around a larger black circle.
Koushi opened the book carefully.
It was so ancient that any handling at all might make it crumble
away. Dust flew off the cover as he opened it, sending glimmering
dust motes into the shaft of sunlight coming from the
skylight.
The third floor was bright enough
so that he could read without a lamp, but Koushi squinted and
brought his face closer to the tattered yellow page he'd opened
to. He wasn't sure he understood what he was reading.
Seven dancers use word tower side
first difference huge towering clouds...
The text inside was incoherent.
Letters with no meaning or connection were written on the page.
Koushi flipped through the coarsely printed book, looking at other
pages. None of the other pages were any better. Koushi returned to
the first page, thinking,
Was this book misprinted?
Who would go to all the trouble to bind such a book with Fire
Fiend fur if it wasn't important in some way?
Koushi looked up at the skylight
again, and the circle of celestial bodies surrounding it. Rainbow
light refracted as light passed through glass and bounced off the
patterned stones. Koushi had noticed a similar design tacked to
the wall in Yuoshichi's study at the Okibi Estate.
That ancient clock—which way did the needles point, again? He tried to remember how
the clock worked.
I think...
Koushi placed his finger on top of the first page and started
tracing the shape of the clock onto it. A pattern emerged,
comprehensible at last. Koushi read:
Only lives in the
northern mountains.
Koushi turned pages slowly,
deciphering sentences as he went.
The precise ecology of Fallen Beasts is unclear. We know that
they are more powerful than Fire Fiends, which is why they are
differentiated. It has not been verified that Fallen Beasts and
Fire Fiends are different species.
Koushi's heart beat faster. There
was more: information about natural fire and how humans had used
it in the past. There was more information on Fire Fiends and
Fallen Beasts, too. Koushi couldn't be completely certain, but his
more thorough perusal of the first floor hadn't turned up anything
on Fallen Beasts.
Uncertain of what he'd find here,
Koushi's fingertips stilled over the pages of the book. He forged
ahead, creating new sentences: new connections.
Natural fire is
just called fire, but it behaves differently from the flames
that Fire Fiends wield.
Koushi forgot to breathe. He
turned the page. This wasn't the time to hesitate. This book might
be exactly what he'd been looking for all this time. It was
frustrating that he'd forgotten to bring his notebook and
something to write with. He took the jumbled letters of the book
and rearranged them into sentences of profound meaning.
He was most interested in
descriptions of Fallen Beasts and lightning fuel. He searched for
descriptions of Fallen Beasts.
No Fire Fiend or Fallen Beast can be harvested without the use
of a Fire Hunter's sickle.
That was true; one reason that it
was so difficult to hunt Fallen Beasts was that killing them with
the sickle was such a challenge. They might be killed more easily
with arrows, for example, but then the lightning fuel contained
within them couldn't be harvested. Killing them any way aside from
the sickle was a waste.
There was more than one connected
circle on the page. Koushi shifted the page, connecting different
circles and puzzling sentences together. There were so many...
descriptions of Fallen Beasts, Fire Fiends, and things Koushi had
never heard his father mention.
It is believed that Fire Fiends were created by a natural
disaster. The devastation to the ecology created a new species.
Many Fire Fiends resemble land-dwelling mammals in shape; that
is easily observed. A sudden change in environment caused them
to adapt.
Koushi swallowed heavily and
concentrated on the words in front of him.
Less is known about the origin of Fallen Beasts. There is no
record of an existing creature with their same ecology extant.
The explanation for their existence would seem to be genetic
manipulation.
Koushi turned the page.
There was a full-spread color
illustration of a Fallen Beast. The shapes of the mountains and
clouds behind it were simplified, so it was unclear just how
stylized the image was. It didn't look like a scientific drawing.
Still, the Fallen Beast was rendered in all its glory, bloated
black body contrasting sharply with the sky behind it. Its limbs
were short and stocky. It had no wings, but the illustration
depicted it flying, not falling. Sharp straight lines were drawn
all around the Fallen Beast, indicating rain—or lightning. Some of the lines were thicker than others.
Who'd made this image? What was
it communicating? It seemed like Fire Hunters had made this book,
but could it have been the Spiders instead? Or the guardian
gods?
There were twelve lines around
the Fallen Beast, arranged similarly to the ancient clock that
Koushi had observed.
Koushi rubbed his neck—it was stiff from bending over the book—and turned the page again.
The Fire Hunters'
sickles were created by a princess of the guardian gods long
ago. Natural fire was hypothesized to be the embers of the
ancient world, and the sickles were a harnessing of that kind of
fire. In darkness, when natural fire was lost to human control,
the princess produced the first sickle from her own flesh.
This act coincided with the time that many Fire Fiends—which
were new creatures in the environment—reached physiological
maturity and were posing a threat to the ecosystem. The weapon
created by the divine princess was created just in time to save
many lives. She became the first Fire Hunter. Her legendary name
is Tokohanahime.
The first Fire Hunter,
Koushi thought. His eyes passed over the roughly written
characters.
Tokohanahime was a princess among the race of guardian gods.
What are the guardian gods? That is what we term the family that
has ruled this nation since time immemorial. Members of this
elite group possess abilities that allow them to control fire, earth, wood, and wind. With lifespans in excess of two
hundred years, they stand apart from ordinary humans.
Tayurahime is said to be immortal, and serves as the guardian
god who safeguards our nation. She is the younger sister of
Tokohanahime, who created the sickles that Fire Hunters use.
Tokohanahime harnessed the power of natural fire before anyone
had harvested fire fuel or lightning fuel. She did this by
igniting her own body, leaving behind the sickle. Her final
words to the world were these:
"Seek out the fire of the Millennium Comet. With it, people
will no longer need to fear the Black Forest. The one who finds
it will be the King of the Fire Hunters."
The words on the page were unfamiliar to Koushi; he blinked.
What was the Millennium Comet? How was it possible that people
could live without fear of the Black Forest? And what was the
King of the Fire Hunters? He hadn't heard about any of this at
the academy. His father had told him nothing of this.
But if the Millennium Comet existed... well, he had to seek it
out, didn't he?
Koushi turned the page again. He was getting the hang of the
cipher, and reading it came to him more easily.
The Millennium Comet is a man-made satellite that was set
adrift from the earth. The guardian gods and gifted humans
participated in its construction. In shape, it resembles a
humanoid doll. In the war-torn world of its creation, the
Millennium Comet was a symbol of hope to all who saw it shining
in the sky.
After the last war, the Millennium Comet drifted away from the
planet's orbit. The lost satellite was called "Child of Heaven"
or "Flickering Flame" by those who remembered it.
Flickering Flame? Koushi
thought. His vision blurred, and the ache in his neck sharpened.
Light poured in through the library's skylight, red like blood.
Koushi wondered how long he'd been here—all day, certainly.
"Ow," Koushi said, rubbing his
neck. He wasn't done with this book yet, but the library would be
closing soon. He knew this book was bound in the skin and fur of a
Fallen Beast, and that meant a Fire Hunter or someone similarly
equipped had made it. He wished he knew if the Spiders were
responsible for its creation or not. How trustworthy was this
information?
Koushi set the book back on the
shelf, the crescent moon shape on the cover disappearing as he
pushed it in with the other books. He remembered that he'd
selected other books on the floor below, and that he'd left his
notebook behind.
There was no centralized way of
telling time in the library. Koushi looked down at the floor below
and noticed someone checking their watch. The person gathered
their things and headed for the exit.
That's right... rich people can afford their own clocks. Feeling suddenly like he didn't belong here, Koushi blushed, then
hurried toward the stairs. His day of reading made him dizzy; he
couldn't get the spiraling cipher out of his head.
So much of what he'd learned was
new. The guardian gods had created the sickles that Fire Hunters
used—likely the one that his father used. There was the Millennium
Comet, lost somewhere in space.
Though he'd checked the cover and
front pages, Koushi hadn't found an author's name or date of
composition. Perhaps Professor Hitou would know more about it?
An illustration depicting a
Fallen Beast... the history of the Millennium Comet... the King of
the Fire Hunters. Words with no context were as good as words with
no meaning. For all that he'd learned, Koushi was more confused
about everything than he had been when he'd started researching
that morning.
Koushi ran down the stairs, thoughts racing to keep up. The
light from the skylight was growing dim. He got a little lost
among the maze of bookshelves on the first floor and finally
found his desk.
Professor Hitou was sitting in the place he'd vacated, reading
a book.
"Um, sir," Koushi said, still catching his breath.
Professor Hitou looked up at him, pale-lipped and
sallow-cheeked. "Ah, I see you've returned. Did you find
anything of interest, young man? It's nearly closing time."
"Uh, yes. I found a few things, professor." Koushi stood up
straighter, gathering up the books on his desk and returning
them to their original places. Koushi had a library card, so he
could borrow books, but no book stored in the Central Archives
could be taken out of them.
It was almost dark. Maybe it was dinnertime already. Hinako
would be anxious if he didn't return soon.
With the books put away, Koushi returned to his desk and to
retrieve his notebook. Professor Hitou was holding it, along
with a pencil in his other hand.
"Here you are," Professor Hitou said. "Don't worry. I didn't
read it."
Koushi accepted the notebook and headed for the exit. As he
walked, he let the strangeness of his position sink in. Here he
was, in a library he'd never been able to access speaking to a
teacher who'd never taught him—like a noble, wealthy child. But
that wasn't who he was.
Though the light was failing, the street lamps hadn't been lit
yet. Maybe it's not as late as I feared, Koushi thought.
Professor Hitou was leaving, too; Koushi let him walk ahead as
a show of deference.
"Thank you for your guidance, Professor Hitou," Koushi
said.
"Oh? So you found the book you were looking for, then?" the
professor asked.
"I'm not really sure, professor," Koushi said, and for all the
man's seeming obsequiousness, all Koushi felt from him was
disrespectful condescension.
"Oh. How disappointing. I thought for sure you'd be able to
find it." He shrugged. "There was a time when I permitted an
unregistered young man into the Central Archives to study. Yes,
it's a violation of policy, but he was a very determined young
man. So desperate was he to read the books in the archives that
I was convinced that he'd stumbled on some great secret. I'm
fairly sure he was a Fire Hunter—he smelled like wet dog."
Professor Hitou smiled. "It was a bit of a thrill for me, too,
doing something I wasn't supposed to. Something about you
reminds me of that young man... though you lack his flaming red
hair. And you couldn't find what you were looking for." He
sighed.
Somehow, Professor Hitou hadn't seen through Koushi's lie—or
perhaps this was his way of pushing for more information.
"You could go up to the third floor and do research yourself,
professor. Right?"
Professor Hitou waved his hand dismissively. "The dust is
terrible for my ancient lungs. I can't stop coughing when I'm up
there, and coughing damages the books. My family runs a building
material factory, but they run into things like asbestos so I
couldn't continue in the family line of work. I became a teacher
at an academy and left the family business to my younger
brother. If you inhale too much dust, you'll get pneumonia and
turn into a skeleton." He smiled at his own joke. "You were
upstairs for a long time for someone who didn’t
find what he was looking for."
"Oh. I, um, found some other material that was interesting and
read that for most of the day." Lying took more strength of will
than he'd realized. Koushi wasn't a habitual liar. Even now,
lying to protect his hard-won knowledge, Koushi felt like a
despicable person. Yuoshichi had given him fine clothes and a
beautiful place to live, but he'd also robbed Koushi of his
honesty and self-respect.
"Ah, I see! So you were absorbed in your research. An excellent
quality for a student to have," Professor Hitou said. In a
softer tone, he added, "My condolences, Koushi. I was looking
forward to teaching you next year. Losing your mother must be
terrible on you and your sister."
Koushi nodded automatically—the only reaction left to him,
really. He'd accepted such empty words from the gravediggers and
they hadn't helped. Even if Professor Hitou's condolences were
sincere, they wouldn't help anything.
"How is your sister's health?" Professor Hitou asked.
"She's doing much better," Koushi said. "The Okibi family
is..."
Before he finished speaking, Professor Hitou missed a step of
his mechanical stride. The street lamps came on overhead, making
the professor's eyes appear even more sunken and shadowy.
Skeleton was an apt nickname for him.
"I'm glad to hear your sister is doing well," Professor Hitou
said. "When you quit the academy, I was concerned that you'd
lost your desire for learning. I'm pleased to learn that isn't
the case. If any problems crop up in your studies, feel free to
reach out to us professors. I wouldn't mind giving you a
hand."
The offer caught Koushi off-guard. He hesitated before
responding, "Uh... thanks, professor."
Professor Hitou kept staring at him, unblinking and unsettling.
Then his gaze shifted to someone walking up the hill behind them
both. "Ah! It's your sister. How wonderful to see her so
recovered."
Koushi followed the professor's gaze and saw Hinako walking up
the hill behind them, hand-in-hand with Kira. She'd had a fever
that morning, but she seemed entirely well now. Koushi dimly
heard Professor Hitou greet Hinako and Kira, but he was so
surprised that he wasn't really paying much attention to the
professor.
"Koushi!" Hinako called out. Her clothes were clean and her
shoes shone with polish in the low light. Her skirt was a pale
sky blue that swished with every step she took. The color made
her appear less pale. These were some of the clothes that Hibana
had provided, most likely.
Kira grinned, still holding hands with Hinako. She raised her
free hand in a friendly wave. "Hinako asked if we could come and
fetch you back home. She told me that you lose track of time
when you're studying."
"He also doesn't put things back very well," Hinako said.
"After he finishes studying, his room is always a mess." Hinako
pulled on Kira's hand.
Koushi scratched his head and looked down, embarrassed. "I'm
sorry if I put you out. Are people at the house mad at me for
staying out late?"
Kira shook her head. "No, nobody's in trouble. Hinako was
feeling better, so we decided to go to the Boat Festival. There
are shops that only open at night along the water. I figured
that if Hinako got tired, I could just carry her. I may not look
like much, but I'm pretty strong."
Kira's suggestion—and her entire course of action up to this
point—distressed Koushi. Wasn't it supposed to be dangerous for
Kira to go outside alone? Hinako shouldn't be out this late,
either. And there were no servants accompanying them.
Hair fluttering in the evening wind, Kira pointed down the hill
toward the seashore. "Please say you'll come with us, Koushi!
We'll all be safe as long as we go together, right?"
Koushi looked where Kira was pointing. Still slightly dizzy
from his long day of reading, he wasn't able to focus his eyes
as much as he'd like. The waves rolled in toward shore,
sparkling as the sun fully set. Festival booths lined the shore,
lit up by the street lamps. The boats anchored in the harbor
were strewn with lights, every mainmast aglow.
"Koushi, let's go!" Hinako said. She reached out her hand, and
Koushi took it, though not without some apprehension.
Koushi walked a little ahead of Hinako and Kira, staying in the
light and choosing a route that wouldn't take them anywhere near
his and Hinako's old house. Streamers waved in the wind from
every high place: the boats, the roofs, the street lamps. Hinako
stopped in front of a sweets shop and bought candy.
Hinako shared her candy with Koushi and Kira.
The first taste of the baked sweet tart that Koushi ate
reminded him that he hadn't eaten all day. "I'm famished,"
Koushi said. "If we go to the Boat Festival, can we still have
dinner at the house?"
"We can go," Kira said. "I told the kitchen I was going to the
festival with Hinako, and dad will be there. We can eat together
at one of the soup kitchens."
"Um..." Koushi felt for his wallet. He'd remembered to bring it
with him, but there wasn't much money inside. At least he could
buy something to eat from the vendors before they found
Yuoshichi.
"Hinako, do you want anything special to eat?"
"Yes! The rabbit-shaped candy is my favorite!" she said, so
loud that it startled Kira.
"Rabbit-shaped candy? Where would we get that?" Kira asked.
Hinako faced Kira solemnly. "We can make crunchy, sweet
cracker-like candy with rice and sugar. The vendors will put it
on a stick and paint on ears and a little face! They make
rabbits and bears and cats and..."
Before Hinako could finish her list, Kira said, "Well, that
sounds nice! Let's buy... hmmm... would twenty of them be
enough? I'm sure the house servants have never had those and I'd
like to share."
Koushi shrugged, noncommittal. Hinako's mouth hung open,
shocked at the idea of buying twenty
rabbit-shaped rice candies. Kira was a nice person, no doubt
about it, but she had no conception whatsoever of what it was
like to be poor.
More people walked towards the harbor, moving around Koushi,
Hinako and Kira. Koushi saw an occasional familiar face from the
academy or his old neighborhood, but he didn't approach anyone.
He didn't want to accept more empty words of condolence about
his mother.
They finally arrived at the harbor. It was open for ships to
dock, but fishing was sharply prohibited and had been ever since
the city was first built. Waterways criss-crossed higher uphill
and flowed down to the sea.
The spring sky was shrouded in darkness. Koushi, Hinako and
Kira walked past a lavishly decorated festival boat. The food
stalls and vendor booths were crowded with shoppers. Koushi
caught sight of the soup kitchen in the middle distance; large
pots of soup steamed into the night air. Children rushed past
eating candy and playing. Their parents sat on benches, eating
and drinking and talking.
In the light of the decorated ships, everything appeared
peaceful and harmonious. It would be easy to pretend that the
city was always this way, but Koushi wasn't drawn in by the
atmosphere. The Boat Festival was an illusion of light in
multiple senses. The city's hidden darkness lurked beneath the
surface of everything.
A police officer stood in the shadow of a food stall. He took
off after a pickpocket; Koushi noticed him rush through the
crowd. The pickpocket was almost certainly one of the city's
poor. Reminded of poverty and crime, Koushi hurried Hinako over
to her favorite candy booth. Kira bought twenty rabbit-shaped
candies, then led them toward the soup kitchen.
Since Kira had reported her absence at dinner to the house
servants at Obiki Estate, Yuoshichi was probably expecting her.
Koushi followed after her, awash in artificial light. There was
so much of it.
Peace and light couldn't last. Koushi knew that a war was
coming. He didn't know when, but he knew it would be soon. He
took in the sight of Hinako with a sugar ring around her mouth
and Kira's soft smile and remembered the droplets of lightning
fuel fusing together on his workbench.
I don't know enough to protect anyone. Not yet. I have to
learn. I have to create tools or weapons so that I can.
He was running out of time. It was one thing to know that he
needed to use lightning fuel; it was another thing entirely to
know how to use it
for a specific purpose that wasn't indiscriminate
destruction.
Koushi glanced toward one of the lit-up boats and thought he
saw a shooting star fall from the sky behind it. That was
probably just a coincidence. His eyes were still strained from
his long day of research.
The Millennium Comet, lost... the Flickering Flame, Koushi thought. He immersed himself in the unfamiliar again.
The Millennium Comet was just a name, and so was the King of the
Fire Hunters. He had to find out more.
"Look, it's the factory!" Hinako cried out, clinging to
Koushi's leg and pointing to the other side of the harbor. The
shadows of factory machinery rose out of the growing darkness.
The factory district was completely silent, with only a small
safety light left on in the workers' absence. Scattered around
the city's industrial areas were tall trees (taller than the
factory chimney stacks). One of them rose ahead of Koushi and
Hinako, branches thrust to the sky.
The giant trees were supposed to have been planted by the
guardian gods after the great fire that had claimed so many
lives, as memorials. To Koushi, the trees seemed older than
that. Maybe the trees had been here before the guardian gods,
watching over the land in silent vigil.
Koushi stared at the trees that towered over the factory
district. Though the trees looked old to him, he was no
biologist. How peculiar nature was, so grow something so large
and imposing as a tree in as little as a few decades. And when
natural growth was aided by the power of the guardian gods,
things got even weirder. Koushi considered the idea that the
guardian gods had grown the trees so large to show off their own
power.
The factory district was nicknamed "The Garden of the Gods."
Yuoshichi had told him that. Not for the first time, Koushi
wondered what the guardian gods had planned when they'd first
built the city.
Pulled along by Hinako and Kira, Koushi looked out at the
lights of the main shrine to the guardian gods. It was set on
the opposite side of the factory district, about as far away as
it could be and still be visible at this distance. The factory
district was a snarl of dark metal and conveyor belts meant to
carry goods and people hither and yon, mechanical and hideous.
The shrine, by contrast, had been designed for aesthetics. Its
only real purpose was to be beautiful.
Though the lights illuminated
the shrine bright as day, Koushi knew that it was too far away
to walk to, at least at this time of night. It was much farther
away than the Okibi Estate.
Flickering Flame, Koushi thought again. He couldn't get the name out of his head. What do the guardian gods think about? Do they consider us at all? They don't even live here.
The shrine, brightly lit and silver-shining, rose over the harbor like the glittering crown of a distant monarch, overlooking the bustle of the festival at a far remove.
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