Called by the Siren

Chapter 42: Banish the Darkness

“We are here!” Ena said happily as they arrived a the bottom of the mount…. There was a large building with some smoke coming out of the chimney.

Bee sighed as she got out of the car, it had been the most gruelling six weeks of her life. The night where she fell down the pit seemed like a lifetime ago. Bee had managed to get out of the pit…….eventually. She had climbed the mountain in the dark, refilled the bucket and went down the long way. Ena had said nothing when she arrived looking like a wild woman.

The following morning, Ena had got her out of bed at four o’clock and was holding a miniature gong. “When it gets too much or when you feel like quitting, bang this gong and it will all go away!” Ena had said,

If Bee was honest with herself, she had flipped flopped between wanting to ring that gong and shoving up Ena’s arse. The training involved long runs, lifting large boulders and even catching fish barehanded. This was almost impossible with a broken arm in a cast!

One day, Bee had found herself standing one-legged on a log for hours. Bee had a good sense of balance after spending years at sea, so Ena made it more challenging by pelting her with rocks. Every time she lost her balance, the time started again.

“It is not fair!” Bee had complained.

“Who said life was fair, Siren? If they did, they were lying to you!” Ena retorted.

“You don’t have to tell me about life being fair!” Bee snapped.

“Good, so stop moaning!” Ena said and Bee got on with it.

Three weeks into the training, Bee had her cast removed by Ena. Bee was relieved as it has been itchy as hell. “It has healed well, Siren!” Ena commented as he looked over her arm.

“Why do you keep calling me Siren? My name is Bee!” Bee pointed out.

“Because the Siren is who you are! You earned the title, so it should be used! Maybe, you need to reflect on why the title makes you feel so uncomfortable.” Ena said simply. bee had not said anything, Ena said the strangest things and she had put it down to that.

The following day, they went to a large mountain lake. Bee was relieved that they had finally moved to water activities! However, Bee had been shocked when she saw two large green bamboo canes in the water in a cross shape. 

“Right, I want you to balance and dance on those bamboo canes.” Ena had ordered.

“What? That is impossible!” Bee had replied. Bee suddenly found herself on the flat of her back as Ena had swiped her legs.

“Don’t argue with me! Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. With your mindset, you are defeated before you even start!” Ena snapped.

“I…I am sorry, Master!” Bee said obediently, acknowledging that Ena had a point.

“Good! Now watch!”Ena said as he gracefully stepped onto the bamboo and carefully made his way into the centre. Once there, Ena had then moved gracefully, looking for all the world like he was dancing.

“That is amazing!” Bee said stunned.

“My family come from a long line of bamboo water dancers. It is an art form that is used to give thanks to the river spirits. It requires you to be in complete harmony with your surroundings. Now, you try!” Ena said as he walked off and back onto the wooden pier. Bee took her shoes off and tried to do the same. As predicted, she fell straight into the water as the bamboo was wet and slippery.

“You need to relax, trust the bamboo and the water!” Ena had advised after the fifteenth attempt.

“What kind of advice is that?” Bee muttered as she tried again. The sun dropped low in the sky and Bee has not got any closer, she could not even stand up!

“It is getting late, it is time to go home, Siren!” Ena ordered tiredly. 

They had little time and Bee had excelled at everything he had thrown at her…physically. But mentally the Siren was in bits. Ena had heard her crying quietly at night and waking up screaming from nightmares. She was always shouting the same name - Sam. He did not need to be a psychologist to figure out Bee felt immense guilt over the man’s death. If Bee did not learn to deal with the guilt and the grief, it would consume her. Greif would cloud the Siren’s decisions and get her killed.

“No!” Bee said firmly.

“What?” Ena said raising an eyebrow, most people would jump at the chance of getting out of the cold water. 

“I am not leaving until I have done this challenge, I am not failing again!” Bee said firmly. 

“Fine, but I am not staying!” Ena pointed out.

“I do not expect you to, Master!” Bee said.

“Alright, I will pick you up in the morning. Good night, Siren!” Ena said as he got in the car and drove off. Ena had known the Mad Dogs were still in Japan and were furiously searching, but Akhikio was keeping tabs on them.

That night, there was not a cloud in the sky and the moon shone brightly and the lake acted as a mirror. Bee had tried hundreds of times but with no success. Out of frustration, Bee had smacked the water in frustration and screamed. “What do you want from me? Have I not done all that you asked?” Bee roared into the night. She climbed onto the wooden pier and sat down. Bee had hugged her knees and said into the night, “Why can't I do this? Why..why..couldn't I save him?” 

As expected, there was no answer and Bee began to cry. At first, it was just torn down her face, but then Bee had felt a wave of grief crash over her. Bee began to sob her heart out until she had fallen asleep.

That night, Bee had dreamt of the time she was at her parents funeral as a child. She was standing with her Grandparents and throwing flowers into the sea as prayers were being said. “Why? Why did they have to be taken from me?” Bee heard herself say.

“Child, in the Garden of life, it is the most beautiful flowers that are picked first,” Her Grandma said. 

Bee must have looked confused because her Grandma said, “Let me tell you a story. A great debate once raged in heaven. It was over a most beautiful and precious new soul that God had created. The angels debated what should be done with this soul. One group of angels demanded that this soul remains in heaven. 

"She is too pure, too holy to face the ugliness of the lowly world," they said. "Who knows what will happen to her in a world of temptation and evil. This soul must stay with us here."

But the other group of angels said the exact opposite: "Indeed this soul glows with a unique divine glow. But for that very reason, she must go down to earth. For imagine the beauty and goodness this soul can bring to a dark world. What good is there in keeping such a soul in heaven? Let her descend to earth and shine her light there."

And so they argued back and forth, each side unshakable in their view. Until it became clear that they could not resolve the issue themselves, they needed a Higher Authority. The case was brought before God Almighty. The angels stated their arguments before the heavenly court. God listened to the two opinions -the first group of angels arguing that this unspoiled soul is too holy to be plunged into the lowly world, the second countering that the world needs such souls more than anything.

And this was God’s response:

"Indeed, it is sad to send such an immaculate soul into such a dark world. But this is my will. I only created darkness so souls like this one can transform darkness into light. The whole purpose of creation was that the lowly world is refined by the good deeds of mortal human beings. This cannot be achieved by souls in heaven. It can only be achieved through souls in bodies. And so even this most perfect and pure soul must descend to earth."

The first group of angels, who requested for the soul to remain in heaven, were disappointed. They couldn't fathom how such a spiritual being could be expected to survive such a physical world. God turned to them and said, "As for your request to keep this soul up here, I will grant it partially. Though she must leave us and go down to earth, it will not be long before she will return to us. Her sojourn on earth will be brief. Such a brilliant soul will not need long to fulfil her mission. Soon she will be free to come back to heaven." God then turned to the second group and asked, "Are you satisfied with that? Do you accept that this soul can only be on earth for a limited time?"

The angels replied, "Yes we do. Every day that she is on earth is a blessing." Do you understand Bonny?” 

Bee heard herself say “Mummy and Daddy were bright souls and have been taken back to heaven!”

“Yes, Bonny!” Bee’s Grandma said with tears rolling down her face.

“But, if the world wasn't so dark, they would not have to be taken!” Bee reasoned. 

“Yes, Bonny but, there is much darkness in this world!” Bee’s Grandma said.

“Then I will banish the darkness!  I will protect everyone, so no more good people have to die!” Bee heard herself said resolutely.

“Oh, my Dear, kind child, how are you going to do that?” Bee heard her Grandmother ask.

Bee had suddenly opened her eyes and said, “By becoming the best Siren there ever was!”  Bee had remembered why she had become the Siren! It was to defend her people and the best way she could so that was by becoming a Ghost. Bee could then could access all the resources she would need to pin Elgar Marsh down!

When Ena had returned that morning, he was surprised to see Bee in the centre of the bamboo stems, dancing.

“I see you have had a busy night, Siren!” Ena had said happily.

“You were right, Master, I just needed to learn to trust the flow of the water again!” Bee had said calmly.

When they had both got home to their shack, Ena had lifted the floorboards to reveal a stairway down.

“Come!” Ena said as he disappeared down the stairs. Bee curiously followed him and was amazed to find a whole underground level. It was modern, high- tech complete with training rooms and a library.

“What is this?” Bee asked 

“Welcome to Yamamoto’s Ninja training ground!” Ena had said with a smile.

From that moment on, Bee had been learning everything from assassination techniques to sabotage and explosions. Bee also had fallen in love with a new pair of weapons, the kusarigama. 

The kusarigama is a weapon that was made up of three parts: the kama (a wooden handle with a curved blade protruding at a right-angle on one end, and a small loop at the other), and the kusari (a chain attached to the kama) and a weight at the end of the chain. In a confrontation, the kusari is swung in wide sweeping arcs to distract and entangle the opponent and the kama is used to deliver a fatal strike.

Even Ena was surprised how fast Bee had picked up the weapon. But as Bee had explained, she was used to working with weighted weapons and chains, so the weapons felt natural to her. Ena had gifted her a pair, much to Bee’s delight!

The night before, Ena gave her a mask. It was a white fox mask that had red and black features painted on it. On the forehead of the fox a red sun was painted, along with a painted black nose and black around the eye holes.

“This is a Japanese Kitsune mask, the mask of the Yamamoto’s family. Everyone will have them in the test tomorrow and it is only right you have one too!” Ena said embarrassed.

“You honour me, Master!” Bee said and she meant it. It was one of the highest honours Ena could bestow on her. It brought home the fact to Bee that she was representing the Yamamoto house. “I will not embarrass you or your family!” 

Bee now had the mask on but wore it on the side of her head. She picked up her bag and the case with her kusarigama in. “Are you ready, Siren?” Ena asked.

“It is now or never!” Bee said as they walked into the building together.