The Sun Never Sets | Chapter 6 - Voices on the Breeze

Chapter 6 - Voices on the Breeze

The three of them walk for hours and see nothing, which is both a blessing and a curse.

By all rights Alice should have felt elated that they had found someone else, or at the very least, relieved that there may be other people out there who did not necessarily want to kill them. Yet, there was something vexing about listening to the two other women converse in a tongue that she did not understand, it was like an itch just beneath the surface of the skin; and for some unfathomable reason the sight of them talking causes an uncomfortable weight to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Chiyo did not look all too taken with their new companion though, in fact she even looked a little put-out, which was oddly comforting.

Alice sighed lightly, it was this part of her personality that she disliked about herself. She was being childish, she knew that, and she had no idea why she was feeling that way.

Despite her lack of comprehension she tried to listen in on their conversation; she told herself it was to try and pick apart what they were saying, and hopefully begin the process of understanding the language. However, whilst she was able to pick out some repeated sounds, without any frame of reference it was still all meaningless to her.

Of course, whilst her attention was on that she was not paying any attention to where she was going; she yelped as she felt something tug at her foot, and there was a moment of vertigo as she fell face-first to the ground.

She groaned as she lay there in the dirt trying to get her breath back, until she felt someone touch her back softly. She twisted herself around to look over her shoulder, and saw that Chiyo was kneeling beside her with concern written across her face.

“I am okay,” Alice said, as she tried to force herself up. “Nothing injured but my pride.”

Chiyo looked away over to where Tomoe stood, and once again Alice felt that sense of frustration. As the two women talk she looked around for whatever it was that had tripped her, only to find that the path was clear of any obstacles. How odd, she was sure that she had felt something tug at her foot.

She looked back towards her companions just in time to see Chiyo say something, and see Tomoe give one of her nonchalant little shrugs in reply.

It turned out that what the other two women had been discussing was taking a little break, and Alice was thankful for that she supposed. It gave her a chance to sate her thirst, and to try and work through some of the more troublesome thoughts that had gathered in her head over the last few hours. Really, Chiyo was not her family and had no obligation towards her, she was just lucky that she had been as kind as she had.

Suddenly an idea occurred to her, and she turned towards Chiyo, who appeared to be staring off into the distance thoughtfully.

“Excuse me?” she said.

Her voice jarred the other woman from her thoughts, and she turned her head towards her.

“What is this?” Alice asked, holding out her waterskin.

Chiyo stared at her quizically, so Alice gave the waterskin a little shake.

“This,” she added, for good measure.

“Mizu?” Chiyo said, hesitantly.

“M-Mizu?” Alice echoed, and the word felt awkward in her mouth.

Chiyo nodded.

Mizu, Alice thought. Now does that mean water, or waterskin?

Unfortunately, she was not able to come to a conclusion before the sound of uproarious laughter cut across her thoughts. She looked across and found Tomoe watching the two of them, with a large grin plastered on her face. She said something very quickly, and once again Alice wished she understood, because it sounded like the sort of mocking comment she would want to make a witty comeback to.

Fortunately, Chiyo was there to make one for her. The other woman glared at Tomoe, and looked like a stern mother trying to discipline an unruly child.

The little scene was cut short however, when everything turned dark as a large shadow passed over them. Almost as one the three of them raised their heads towards the sky, as something threatened to block out what little daylight there was.

A dark shape soared through the sky high above them, and something about it was so utterly wrong, that Alice struggled to recognise it at first. It was some sort of bird she eventually realised, but much like that spider, it had to be monstrous in size. Even from that distance she could tell there was something wrong with it, although she did not think she could place her finger on what unless it got closer; and she really did not want it to get closer.

Fortunately, it did not appear to see them, and continued on its way, disappearing over the western horizon.

“Houou?”

It was Tomoe who spoke, and when Alice turned towards her the other woman's expression gives her pause. Admittedly she had not known the other woman for long, but she had thus far appeared so utterly irreverent, that she could never have imagined such a look of concern on her face.

Chiyo said something then, and Tomoe nodded her head.

There is no talking as the begin moving again, and Alice could not help but notice with some trepidation, that they were following the same path as that unsightly bird.

Fairly soon they crest the top of a hill, and another settlement came into view. Below them were tightly packed building all built around a large lake or reservoir, in the middle of the lake was a small island that was connected to the rest by a couple of bridges, and atop that island stands another building, somewhat larger than the ones around it. Alices shivered, she will never forget what she encountered in the last village, that memory will be forever etched in her mind.

They walked down the hill cautiously, eyes peeled for anything that might have been lurking in wait for them. Tomoe took the lead, her sword already drawn as she walked in front of them. Alice placed her hand against the hilt of her own sword, and the feel of it caused a strange tension in her stomach.

The village is in much better condition than the one she first arrived in, the houses were all whole, and the streets looked remarkably clear of debris. However, that only made the complete lack of people even more unnerving, and the heavy silence even more oppressive.

- - -

It was not dread that almost got the better of Chiyo as they entered the village, it was despair. There was some small part of her that had held out hope that other villages would have escaped whatever had happened to her home, that there would be somewhere she could find help. It was a hope that had been bolstered upon meeting Tomoe, and had now been ruthlessly crushed upon seeing these empty streets.

What was she to do now? She could not hope to fend off the darkness alone.

Chiyo...

The miko almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice, it was as though someone had whispered right in her ear; and it had sounded so familiar, as though she had heard it before, and often.

Suddenly she felt irritated, anxious, and she had an itch like an army of ants crawling just under her skin. She just wanted to get going to somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was not there.

She heard the voice again, carried on the breeze as though it had been whispered by a spirit. Now that she came to think about it, the sound of the sound of the wind as it whistled down the alleyways, and through the windows of the abandoned houses, sounded like the whispering of a thousand voices. It was like she was surrounded, an invisible crowd where every single person was begging for her attention, and she was being pulled in every direction at once. It quickly became too much, and she wanted to scream; this was not supposed to be her role, it was her sisters!

“Chiyo?”

The soft voice cut through all of the others like a sword through water, and suddenly she was back to herself. She felt a warm pressure, as Alice placed a hand upon her shoulder. Chiyo responded by placing her own hand atop the foreigners, although it felt more like she was seeking reassurance, rather than giving it.

There was something wrong with this place, there was something wrong everywhere, but this... Whatever lurked here had gotten under her skin so quickly and so easily, as though all the years of meditation and purification she had undergone meant nothing. Somehow she was sure that her sister would never have been overwhelmed so easily.

No! This was no time for her to be indulging in self-pity, she needed to pull herself together so that they could get out of here!

However, no sooner has she though this, than a cry came from behind her.

Tomoe came hurrying back over to them, looking just as unsettled as Chiyo felt.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I saw someone,” Tomoe answered. “A child.”

“A child?” Chiyo replied. “Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be?”

Chiyo felt a brief conflict inside herself, one that she swiftly crushed. A child, on these abandoned streets? This was a trick or a trap almost certainly, and yet... She was a miko, it was her duty to look out for the well-being of others, especially against the darkness that lay behind the waking world. If there was any chance that there was a child lost in this nightmare, then it was her duty to find them; she would just have to rely on what she had learnt to see her through.

Tomoe began to run, Chiyo followed, and a quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that Alice was close behind her.

“Ah!” Tomoe exclaimed. “I can hear them! This way!”

Unfortunately, Tomoe was faster than she was, and the streets of the village wound around themselves like a maze. Before long the swords-woman disappears behind a corner, and by the time Chiyo reached it she was nowhere in sight. The miko cursed under her breath, and she turned back around, her mouth open to speak to Alice... Only to find that the street behind her is completely empty, and the foreign girl was nowhere to be seen.

“Alice!?” she cried. “Tomoe!?”

There was no response, and Chiyo bit her bottom lip as she felt the nerves begin to writhe in her stomach.

No, she would not panic, she could not afford to. She just needed to think this through. She did not know the layout of this village, so attempting to follow Tomoe would be foolish as she would just get herself lost. However, finding Alice should be simple, they had been following the same path, so she should just need to retrace her steps.

However, several minutes of walking proved that it was not nearly so simple. She picked her way back through the winding streets, creeping around corners so that she was not caught of guard by an enemy whilst she was alone. Yet there is no sign of the red-haired foreigner. It was not long before doubt began to creep into her mind, had she taken all of the right corners? She thought she had, after all she had been more concerned with keeping pace with Tomoe, rather than memorising their route. Should she perhaps try doubling back again, and take a different turn?

As she turned around something squished beneath her foot, and her blood froze in her veins as she looked down. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was just the rotten remains of some fruit, probably spilled from that nearby cart.

Wait. Had the streets not been clear before?

They had, she was sure they had. Yet when she looks now she looked now she could see upturned carts, scattered tools, and even a naginata buried blade-first in the ground.

Chiyo-chan...

Her eyes went wide as she heard that voice again, and she clamped her hands over her ears; but that did nothing, because it felt like the voice was coming from inside her own head. The voice repeated her name over and over and over again, and it echoed like it was being whispered from the deepest valleys. Even as it called to her she shook her head in denial.

No! Her sister was dead! She was dead!

But that simple truth did not stop it.

The shrine...

Shrine? Yes, there had been a shrine had there not. She had seen it from the top of the hill. If there was any salvation to be found, surely it was there.

- - -

Alice was actively fighting down the panic that threatened to overwhelm her, and she did her best to ignore the tight sickness in her stomach. She knew that she was not the most athletic of women, so there had been absolutely no hope of her keeping pace with the other two, but she had not expected to be left behind so fast. Her chest burned, her legs shook beneath her, and she took a moment to lean on a wall for support.

What was she supposed to do now? The odds of her being able to survive here by herself were miniscule.

Oh God, please. She knew she had not been a very good Christian, that she had not been as attentive in church as she perhaps should have been, but she was in dire need of a little help right now.

“Alice!”

She leapt away from the wall with a start. That voice, that had been Chiyo, she was sure of it!

“Chiyo!” she cried back.

However, there came no reply, and for a moment Alice was completely unsure of what she should do.

No, that was a lie. She knew what she had to do. She could easily remember the look on Chiyo's face as they entered this accursed village, how for just a brief moment she looked like she had been on the verge of panic; a far cry from her usual composed self. Chiyo had saved her at least twice since she had first arrived in this land, risking her own life for the sake of someone she did not even know. How could she live with herself if she just abandoned her here?

More than that, she did not want to abandon here. A part of her, a large part, was disgusted by the very notion.

Although, that resolve did not make her any less afraid, and cure the sickness in her stomach. However, she took a deep breath, and forced herself to begin moving forward.

She thought the cry had come from over in this direction? It had been close by, at any rate.

Alice passed by several building she took to be shops, there windows were wide open in order to display their wares, not that they seemed to have any. With the way everything was so empty and clean, it was almost as though this place had never been lived in at all.

“Chiyo!” she cried again.

Despite herself she had hoped for some kind of reply, so that she may pinpoint where her friend could be, but none is forthcoming. She dearly hopes that Chiyo is okay.

Before she got much further she heard a familiar rattling noise, one that sent a chill right through her, and made her freeze in her tracks. Seconds later a skeletal figure emerged from beneath the shadows of one of the buildings, and stared at her with its empty, soulless eyes. It slashed at the air before it with its cruel, jagged blade.

Every instinct in her body screamed at her at once, telling her to run, that she will die if she stays.

She stumbled backward a step, preparing to turn and run, only to freeze as a single though across her mind. It was Chiyo, in her head she could perfectly picture her standing above her one the night they met, when she had saved her from some of the very creatures threatening her now. At the same time she could hear her friend's cry, the sound of her calling her name echoing through her head.

Alice took a deep breath, and forced herself to turn back and face the monster that was still creeping towards her. Fear clung to her like a wet blanket, and her blood ran cold, but despite that she slowly reached for the sword at her side, and drew it forth; the blade shimmered softly in the dull light. It felt awkward and heavy in her hands, and she trembled as she raised it before her.

“S-stand aside!” she commanded. Her voice was shaky, and less authoritative than she had intended, and the creature did even seem to hear her.

Oh well, she had not really expected it to.

God, give me the strength.

She swallowed thickly, raised the sword high above her head, and a high-pitched scream tore from her throat as she charged forward.

Her first attack was clumsy, and missed the enemy completely; it cut through the air right in front of its skeletal face, and the creature did not even flinch. Instead it lashed out at her with its own broken blade, and the jagged end passed within an inch of her throat. She shrieked as she stumbled backward, and her heel caught on the hem of her hakama, causing her to fall on her rear.

It was a good thing its blade was shattered, had it been whole, she would be dead.

Alice looked up at the monster, and for just a moment her heart froze in her chest. Yet despite her fear she quickly rolled away from the thing, and used a nearby wall to help her scramble back to her feet.

She watched with wide eyes as it continued to stalk towards her, and every time it took a step forward she took a step back. Her whole body trembled from fear, and she had to fight to keep in from clouding her mind. She tried to concentrated on the way it moved, on how stiff it was, and how it was lacking in precision; and as she did the gears in her head slowly began to turn.

Once upon a time her father had told her that to defeat the enemy you had to exploit his weakness. He had also told her that when everything had looked its bleakest on the battlefield he had gotten through by remembering what he had been fighting for, the chance to come home to her and her mother; and her mother had then scolded him for sharing such an inappropriate story with a young girl.

She took another deep breath as she focused on Chiyo's face in her mind. Then she raised her sword again and hesitantly took a step towards her enemy, and another, and another.

Do not rush, she told herself. Go slow, take your time, be patient.

When the monster struck at her again she was ready, she takes a step back and allows the cruel blade to whistle safely by her. She screamed like a banshee as she suddenly sprung forward, and she wielded her sword like a hammer as she brought it crashing down on the monster's skull with all of her might. Bone cracked and crunched under the cold steel, and she almost lost her grip on the hilt.

As its head broke into fragments, the beast's body jerked, and suddenly collapsed into a pile of bones.

Alice watched the pile for a moment, just to make sure, and when it showed no signs of coming back to life she heaved a sigh of relief. However, she had not time to bask in her victory even if she had been so inclined, she had to find Chiyo! With urgency making her blood run faster through her veins, she did not even bother to sheathe her weapon before she set off again.

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