Dirge of the Unbound by Jeremiah Sanchez

Author:Jeremiah Sanchez [Sanchez, Jeremiah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

The Illusion of Choice

Kazz dressed in worn out old jeans and grey hoodie. They were stained and used and comfortable. More importantly, they would blend into a crowd. Anonymity would be his only protection against the spies of the huntress. Almost as an afterthought, he tucked the stone that Hisa had given him into one of his pockets and he left quietly while Abdoul was still sleeping. He had decided to start where he first met Nika. He spent the morning hours wandering aimlessly, fruitlessly hoping that the next step would present itself to him. Though his determination had not dimmed, his initial optimism waned as the day began to grow old.

The morning hours wasted away and still he was no closer to knowing what he would do next. Out of options, he decided to visit where he had buried Nika. Maybe to ask her for guidance, maybe to see if the spirit of that place would talk to him. The air was wet when he approached the glade. The small red house was just as it was the night before but there was no sign of the freshly dug earth where he had laid her to rest. He didn’t remember it being so musty last night. Even the light seemed dimmer compared the swath of sunlight he walked through to get here. As he stood over where Nika’s body should be he felt his pocket grow uncomfortably warm. The flame-shaped stone he carried pulsed slowly when he pulled it out and he had the unsettling feeling of being watched.

“Who are you that brings my daughter’s kitsunebi-tama to this place?” an imperious voice said. It sounded like the impact of a waterfall made into words. The air thickened, and a crushing presence enveloped him, though he could see nothing. “Remove your shoes cousin, for this place is sacred to me and I will not let you defile it.” Again, the words came like the rushing of many waters and Kazz’s head felt like it would burst from the pressure. The moisture in the air seemed to gather to a point and there, through the haze, he saw the outline of a beautiful woman in long white robes. He could not see her clearly through the haze, but he did as she bid and took off his shoes before kneeling solemnly.

“I am Kazz Thule, called Heiko, the last of the line of Murii the wise and child of Ni Kaze.” Kazz said, using his true name and trying to sound more confident than he felt. “I did not know I carried Nika’s kitsunebi-tama, but it was freely given and now freely returned, Great One.” Silence.

“You have returned something that belongs to me, little cousin, also called Balance, and now a debt must be paid. I will hear your request.” Again, her voice made his head feel like an overripe melon, ready to burst, but he carried on.

“I request nothing, Great One, for the return of what is yours, but if you deem it a debt then I would know the hunter of my kind.

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