Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Prelude

Arc 4 - Chapter 1: The gathering - Decisive battle

"Every god need faith to exist, the exceptions are elemental spirit, they can exist without faith from follower but faith make them much more powerful."

"But what about Tomoe ?"

"I think it is the bond you are having with him. That bond is what make him stronger, that is what i can think of, but i have to thank you, for bring him back."

"No need to thank me, Tomoe is precious to me after all, the moment my feet touch this world i heard his voice, i want to save him from that prison keeping him back."

I listened to Illantra - the goddess of Eastern forest and compare to my experience, my progress with Tomoe, our journey and our struggle i learned the fact that we are stronger. I don't know about Tomoe but i know i must get stronger to protect this world but that is not everything, i need to be stronger to face them, to face my old friends and release them from the pain they are suffering. It is my duty to them as the leader of twelve princes to sing a dirge for them.

"(Please this time, do not burden yourself.)"

"(Tomoe ?)"

"(I am sorry for doing this to you but i can't stand watching you like this, this time you are not alone, you have us, you have your friends and now you can even have a world to help you.)"

"(That is the reason why i must do this, because i love this world so much that i will do anything to prevent the worst thing happen to it.)"

A war against WORLD, this world is just so beautiful that WORLD have no right to claim this place as their dazzling crown. Our trip through the forest using a tunnel created by Illantra but everything is not that peaceful, Illantra won't betray us so something else happened, a tribe follow WORLD. But we managed to reach the gathering but with the current state of the Eastern Alliance we can only trust three families, the foxes, the snow leopards and the canines. Our squad have 11 people so we can split five people to the snow leopard and five other people to the canine, Flour, Tomoe, Sou and me will come to the fox.

"Everyone, please behave yourself."

"You can count on us."

The house of the foxes is the same to every other houses in the gathering, but the moment we went inside everything is different, a servant bow before us and told us to follow her. The look outside maybe deceiving but the inside the house is nothing different from a maze, the house's decoration look a lot like Hakku's world. And we saw the master of the fox tribe, a humble leader bow before us, no, bow before Tomoe.

"Please don't do this, i am a spiritual beast but that is not a reason to see an elder bow before a young beast like me."

"It still remain as the greatest honor to welcome you back, with all four spiritual beasts, the east can finally unite again for the battle against them."

"I heard of them but for us to fight against them alone is not enough. They imprisoned me for too long and the moment when i was gone, they infested this land, right now, i want to find every tribe that submit to them."

"And these people ?"

So we started introducing ourself, the fox family like we always call actually named Kotohana family. The elder of the family, the man bowed before Tomoe just now is the current master of the house, the most loyal servant to the elemental god. After their disappearance, the Kotohana family is born and this man Mononobe Kotohana became the head of the house. Master Mononobe is a humble person but his shape and size speak something else, a giant fox with nine golden tails, the master of the house is the master of spiritual magic, his power rival Ikuni's power.

"I see, my granddaughter decided to stay a little bit longer to study in Soliel, i hope she could meet this Ikuni person you are talking about."

"I don't know, Ikuni can be everywhere, he is a wanderer and a trickster after all. Finding him can be more than exhausting but you can meet him just be patient."

The family support for WORLD should have the eyrie family, the feline family that is the reason why the snow leopards left the feline, families and tribes, now i don't even know what world really desire but according to Mononobe, the next tribes gathering will be important. Everyone else in the squad still alright and they are welcomed and like what i expected they held great feasts for them like what Kotohana family doing right now.

"These lavish things, i don't think this is necessary."

"It is a manner we insist on, you are our guest that mean we must receive you like other guests."

"Sou, can you greet the uninvited guest for me ?"

"They probaly tripping on the wire and cut themselves now, just enjoy your meal right now and let me clean up the mess."

"How do you know about those uninvited guest ?"

"Because of Tomoe, we can feel even the slightest wave on the lake, the don't notice but every sound they made can be heard but of course."

"So he devoted to you, it is a power of the beast, what he hears then that is what you can hear. Your bond grew and that is the reason why you can do what he does. I knew that you success once in the past, i saw in your mind, a pair of horns and even his clothing, that should be the peak of your bond."

Like what happened in our dream, so that is the peak of our abilities ? I saw myself in his clothing, i felt the power of water and finally that memory appear before us, the last piece that i am searching for. The moment our performance ended in the spirit realm the thought we could travel across Arborine and enjoy the mortal realm. But that is the moment i was pulled from him, from Arborine and dragged to Altoris against my will and seprated from him.

"Higeki..."

"..."

"Wait, where are you going, Higeki."

I heard his voice, he is calling me but i can't response, the anger inside my heart, they do this to me, they do this to us. Every pieces in my head, the picture is clear, they do this to me so that is the reason why they call me experimental subject and broken child. But they didn't know the fact that building inside my heart is a flame, a flame for rebellion, i want them to felt what i felt. But what about that person i called grandfather, there must be something more, something else in my head that i can't remember.

"Higeki."

Tomoe keep calling me, the moment i opened my eye i saw harmony in front of me and i saw intruder in front of me binded by Tomoe and Sou. Harmony's shield protect me from their attack, while Tomoe use his fan to block their bullet, Sou dashing in the night sky while using his string to trapping the intruder. Kotohana family created barrier to protect everyone from other attacks while master Mononobe even call upon a servant of Hisa to fend of the intruder.

"I must focus now."

Harmony weave up songs to fend off any assassins while Tomoe's dance forming countless ice splinter but we saw that now, they not from WORLD, they are the tribe that follow WORLD. They listen to WORLD or they are corrupted but i won't lose this battle, the feline and the eyrie are the two largest tribe in the gathering while the canine are spread among the continent. But they appear at the right moment when the barrier started to c***k and i can't endure any longer, along with the canine is the snow leopard. The rest of my squad is there too. That is enough to reinforce my spirit, to see all of my friend is here, i reactivated my barrier, Harmony's song along with Tomoe's dance and master Mononobe's spell created a storm of ice splinter.

"Retreat."

"That is enough for you traitors."

A starlight fall from the night sky and after that is countless of other starlight, appear from the forest is Tsuki, on his hand is a staff and countless star still shining on the sky after that. The star came in contact with the soldier from both tribe became chains that bind them. After that is another bear appear, he is much smaller than Tsuki in his hand is an incense burner, but all i see is the fact that the stars fell from the sky after his command and they became chain under Tsuki command. Soon another bear appear with the same age as the boy with the incense burner he commands something and the chain explode with brilliant light.

"He is getting way, the commander."

But to all of our surprise, a human no a woman appear in red clothing appear and slit the man throat in front of us, her clothing much like the Kotohana clothing but bright red. She gave me a letter and left, the writing on the letter is graceful but the mysterious women disappear after that. We don't know anything much but tomorrow gathering will be an earful.

"You should take a rest, today is a tiring day for both of us."

"I want to talk with you so much Tomoe but i think we all need time to process all of this."

"No, we don't need to talk anything it is their fault for seprating us."

"But it is a part of my fault too, i can't find a way back to you, i left you alone and let them capture you."

"But you can't do anything right ? I can't do anything too, i can't find you and that lead to the fact that i can't save you."

So in the end we tried so hard and finally we are together once again but there are still many mysteries, and a thick layer of mist hiding the truth. But a letter for me and a human in the Eastern Alliance, this should be something i need to look forward to and of course the gathering tomorrow, i don't want to threaten any tribe but if they choose that then i can't protect them. WORLD have a long tradition of betrayal after all.

"You think selling away our freedom and prosperity for our life is worth ? What is happening in your mind."

"So you think fight against them is wise ?"

This is what i expected to happen today, i already can figure it out why are they doing that, they still think WORLD will give them their words but i saw enough from them. They will never allow anyone live to tell their deeds, they are cunning yet ruthless creature but their words can make anyone trust them. But i am here, we are here to defend this world from your organization, the gathering ended, the influence of feline and eyrie is stripped from them until WORLD is driven from this world.

"Tomoe, let's go, let meet these mysterious people. We got their invitation after all."