Law of the Soul

Chapter 4: Faucet

"So, Okami. Were you serious about Yaori liking me?" Kodame asked. The group from the courtroom went on a venture outside of the dimension. They sat outside of a coffee shop. It's tiny but cozy and warm—the strong smell of the beans carried throughout the building and into the cold winter air. People dressed in heavy coats and mittens walked the streets. They have families—no worry in the world. "Do you love Ms. Yaori? How sweet. You two are perfect for each other. She's strong and funny, the same as you. Except you are almost one hundred years older than her." Myojo said. Okami's face was full of hot coffee that he couldn't swallow. He tried his hardest but ended up spitting it all over Apollo. Myojo and Okami cackled and made fun of him. "My pretty hair! How dare you?" He shook his hair out aggressively. Multiple flashes of light were cast from their phones. "This is going in the group chat," Myojo said with a massive grin. Civilians stared at them with disappointment and disgust. They didn't care. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Okami finally answered. Cars passed by on this street; he always loved watching them on TV as a kid. "I'll tell ya why." Myojo interrupted. "Don't say it!" "Yaori dumped him a while back. It must've been two years by now." Myojo sipped his coffee with a smile, perching the cup. The table grew abnormally quiet. "Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized. "Nothing to apologize for, kid. She didn't truly mean it. I know she didn't." Tears flowed out of his eyes. Everyone remained quiet. "If that helps you fall asleep at night, have at it," Myojo whispered. Kodame's eyes became vacant. He was somehow lost in the thoughts of this one woman. "Not everyone can acquire the woman of their dreams like I did," Apollo added, caressing his hair. They stared at him blankly. "Okami, would you like to practice your Kodo when we return?" He asked. "Uh- Yeah..." He replied hesitantly. "Is there anything you want to know about Stalkers or Bengoshi?" Myojo asked. "Actually, yeah. How many grades of Stalkers are there? What do they mean?"

"Good question." Myojo bit into a small cake. Unrivaled flavors poured through—strawberry, chocolate, maybe even some orange. "The lowest rank of a Stalker goes as far as grade D. Then it goes to C, B, A, S, and Z grades. In the D and C tiers, the form of the Stalker can vary drastically. Some can be human-like, whereas others can be as large as some buildings. They hold more Kodo but have less since their body has to stretch it. Meaning that they are easier to destroy." "Wait, Stalkers have Kodo too?" He asked. "Yes. It appears differently from us, but they can use it. They can't use any Meijutsu attacks without it." He answered. "You never told me what Meijutsu even is. How is it different from Hosoku?" He asked once more. "You'll get the lesson eventually; just sit tight without knowing. I'll tell you that we use an analogy when using Kodo. Kodo is similar to a faucet of water. Water flows through pipes and walls and whatnot. Once you turn the knob, the water exits the faucet and pours out into a concentrated stream." A memory flooded into Okami's mind. His grandfather used to tell him that as a bedtime story. He never knew why he said the same story. Takeru always said he would need to know this when the time came. "Using Meijutsu is like taking the faucet completely out and letting the water spray out. It's stronger and quicker to release but not as concentrated. Meijutsu is more robust in the end, though. Meijutsu changes the original form of Kodo and pushes it out quicker throughout your body. Usually, a Stalker will have a set amount of tails. With each tail, it presents a new bridled power that is added to their arsenal. It also counts as their life force. If you cut their tails off, they will die quicker." Myojo pushed his sunglasses further onto his head to seem wise. "The one that attacked me had no tails. What does that mean?" "Oh. It only means they are feeble and don't require much strength to kill. Okami's face became dull. "So that means I'm super weak, huh?" The three of them sipped their coffees together. "Can I try that cake that you have, Sensei? I haven't eaten anything since... I don't know when." He asked. Myojo handed him the soft and flaky pastry. Kodame smiled at Myojo. He put his lips to the cake and then bit into it. He spits it out in no more than a second, and the remains hit Apollo. "Why does it taste like rubber?" He asked. Apollo's face flushed with red that matched his anger. Myojo and Kodame took more pictures and laughed at him. "What's happening, Apollo? Your hair gets ruined?" They teased. Apollo blew up in his rage. He picked Okami by the shirt and held him up like a rag doll. "You-" Suddenly, Myojo's phone rang. The ringtone is the same tune that he played last night. Apollo dropped him onto the ground and sat back down. "Mhm. Yep. Okay. Mhm." Myojo mumbled. He was disinterested. Once the call finished, he put the phone back into his pocket. "The Minister wants us to attend a new investigation. He thinks it involves the group of Stalkers. Let's go." They all stood up and walked along the curb to the car. It's a sleek, black car with four seats. Myojo calls it the "Woman Attraction." As the car turned out of the sidewalk, wings extended from both sides of the vehicle, and it took off into the air. Most people use regular cars or vehicles. Some use creatures, and some walk. "Thanks for paying, Apollo," Kodame said. "Whatever." He pouted, still trying to remove some pieces of the cake from his hair. "What were your reasons for joining the Guardians?" He asked all of them. "I joined because I am amazing and wanted money," Apollo replied first. The other two sat quietly. "Same." They replied simultaneously. "What?! So you all just joined to have money and fame?" He asked. All three answered, "Yes." "How much do you get paid anyway?" "Four hundred novas." Kodame replied. Okami's mouth dropped. "Four hundred!" He yelled. (Novas are currency. Appearing as tiny crystals/gems. A nova coin, or just a coin, is the most minor currency. One thousand coins equals one Nova bit. A nova bit is a tiny gem. Usually carried in pouches. One hundred nova bits equals one nova bar. Imagine a gold or silver bar but in gem/crystal form. Everything is usually paid for by coins or bits.) "Are you wishing to become a Guardian more now?" Myojo asked. They passed over tall buildings, train tracks, parks, and houses. The city they are in, Ulioria, has expanded by two hundred thousand square miles. It's the largest city in the district. (A district is an area containing usually twelve cities or towns.) "I don't know if I'll ever become one now. Not while being a Kuroichi." He frowned. "Don't look so disappointed. Of course, you could become one." A sparkle entered back into his eyes. "Really, when?!" "In a couple of years." The joy raced back out of him. "A couple of years? I have to wait that long?" He asked, resting his head on the rest. "Yep. The best-case scenario is a few months. It just depends on you. If you learn to control that Stalker side, you could become a Guardian. It's not likely you do it that quick, though." "I need to train then." He replied. "Yep. Let's finish this mission we were assigned first." When they arrived, there were teams of investigators. The Minister was there as well. He wore a black trench coat and a black-brimmed hat that covered the top of his graying hair. Flashing yellow lights from the cars presented upon the scene. "Heya!" Myojo said to him. "Myojo. You're late." He said firmly. "Sorry, we got ice cream after leaving." Okami licked his marshmallow flavor. "Fine then." He replied. They were brought to a partly destroyed two-story house. Every appliance inside of the house has been destroyed. Torn to pieces. The smell of wax was heavy. "What happened here?" Kodame asked. "Four Stalkers." Myojo whispered. "How can you tell how many there were?" He asked him. "My nose and eyes allow me to analyze. I see traces of Kodo and smell Stalkers from miles away." He replied. "I need you to find out what happened here and where they went." The Minister ordered. "Alright, alright, Souta." Myojo snickered. "I told you to go by Minister, not my name." Souta left the scene. "Alright, Kuroichi. You're going to solve this case for us." Myojo said. "Huh, me? How?" Okami asked. "You are connected to Stalkers. You can see where the group went if you learn to use your nose, eyes, and senses." Kodame answered for him. "Okay, so how do I activate it?" A magnitude of memories that haunted his mind found its way to the surface. "Please, stop. Stop touching me! Mother!" "You need this, son. When the time comes, use your senses." "Stop that, mom! Please! Why are you doing this to me?" A single tear fell down the side of his cheek. "What's wrong?" Myojo asked. "It's nothing. Right. Use my senses." He replied with a dull voice. He closed his eyes and focused on every sense aside from his sight. He felt a tingle through his body. From his feet to his thighs, flowing through his stomach and chest, to his arms, and finally his head. He opened his eyes and saw what his Sensei was talking about. Trails of black Kodo on the ground that resemble ash. He followed the trail to the upstairs bedroom. He sees fingerprints on the attic above him. The board covering the hole has been moved. "It's up there." He pointed upwards. "Good, good." Myojo replied. He gave a proud smile. Kodame brought a ladder to the closet and stood it up. "You go first." They insisted that Okami should go. He climbed the bars and felt the cold steel on his fingertips. He pushed the cover of the attic over, and a pit of darkness stood over him. He switched his phone's flashlight on and moved his hand all around to survey the area. Curtains, dressers, and ornaments all scoured the ground and ceiling of the attic. He pushed himself onto the wooden and creaky floor. The smell was so bad that he had to cover his nose. Like dead animals. The three of them watched from below. "What do you see?" Kodame asked. "I don't know, but it stinks so bad. Please never allow me to do this again, Sensei." He replied. He moved past most of the belongings and came across a baby blue curtain covering a space section. He slowly inched his hand towards it. Once he pulled it aside, a little girl no older than ten was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth on the ground. "What is it? Anything?" Okami asked. Trapped between telling them and keeping him a secret was difficult. They would know anyway. "A kid is here..." He hesitated to say it. "A kid?" Myojo muttered under his breath. Apollo sat down on one of the dining room chairs, perched his legs on the table, and rested. "Bring them down here!" Myojo yelled impatiently. "Hey, what's your name?" Okami asked her in a gentle voice. The kid turned her head up to him. Black eyes. "I don't know what I did. Please! I didn't do anything!" The kid screamed. Okami placed his hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. "Listen. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm Kura. We just want to know what happened here. You're not in trouble. "Ah, fine then." Myojo grumbled. He climbed the steps and joined him. "Woah! A kid Stalker! That's new!" He said. "We can't kill her!Sensei. She doesn't know what he did." He replied. "Myojo! There are two dead bodies in the bathroom!" Kodame said from downstairs. "Did you kill your parents?" Okami asked softly. "I- I think so. I didn't mean to! I felt angry, really angry. I don't remember anything after that, I swear!" She was freaked out. "Okay. Let's get you down from here so we can find out." Okami replied. He lifted the kid. "What's your name?" He asked. "Kaori." She answered quietly. "Oh, Kaori, huh? What a pretty name!" Okami replied. "So what do you like to do, Kaori?" He asked as he held her while going down the ladder. "Drawing. Dancing." "Oh yeah? I like to play video games and watch car shows. I'm not good at drawing. Maybe you'll have to teach me someday." He chuckled. She did, too. He placed her on the floor, and she scanned the room. Myojo ate a rice cake that was left in the cupboard. Kodame was still downstairs. Apollo was snoring. "Guys. What do we do now?" He asked them. Apollo's woke up and groaned. "Just kill her, I don't care. Wasting my precious time!" "We can't just kill her." He replied. "The law that we abide by says that we are ordered to kill every last one of the Stalkers. We can't just keep her alive because you feel strongly about this." Myojo said. "Is this what it means to be a Bengoshi, a Guardian? Doing whatever your boss says, even when it involves murdering a child?" Okami held her hand and stood in front of her. "Listen, my wonderful student. I said we can't keep her alive, but I never said I wouldn't. By here forth, since it's the one request of my pupil... We will keep the kid for now." Okami held Kaori and spun her around in joy. Even Myojo felt happy about that choice. "Kaori. You have to tell us everything, though. What happened here?" Myojo asked. He squatted to get down to her level. "My mom and dad were striking me. I said to stop, but they wouldn't. My dad picked up a knife and came towards me. After that, I don't remember anything, I promise." Her green eyes captivated the two of them. "Okay, we'll take your word for it. Okami, take her to the car. The Minister should've been long gone by now." "Ay, Sensei." "Where the hell could the other three Stalkers be? Could it be her parents? A sibling, too? I know there's more to this story than she's letting on. Maybe she truly doesn't remember anything. I'll have to find out myself."