Kisei no Shinryaku

Chapter 13

The group hurried to the Great Water Palace, a large building carved entirely out of bluestone. As they entered, a large voice boomed,”Give me what you have!”

“Of course sir,” Mitaehl said meekly. “We of the family of Karnstein present to you the Sacred Bluestone of the Mizu.”

His voice was directed towards a tall man in a flowing white robe, in stark contrast to his white beard. He was holding another man, one who emanated strength, power, and leadership. He was dressed in blue robes, and was clean shaven.

“Good,” the white-robed man replied, taking the box. He opened it to check if the contents inside were as expected, and Mitaehl muttered some words under his breath. Suddenly, droplets of moisture formed around his head, quickly forming a large ball of water around his head. Caught unawares, the man started to suffocate, and dropped the knife. Quickly, Mitaehl released the ball of water and shoved him into the wall, where he then placed bindings of water on the man’s wrists and ankles. The man started spluttering and coughing.

“Where do you come from and what do you seek?” Mitaehl said vehemently.

“I won’t tell you,“ the man said between breaths. Then, he said some words, and there was a bright flash of light. After everyone’s eyes adjusted, the white robed man was lying on the floor, dead.

“From the Hikari clan no doubt,” the head of the Mizu clan spat. “But what would they want from us?” Then seeing the stunned expressions of the foursome, he said, “I am Yanagi, head of the Mizu clan. I never expected to be rescued, much less by Mitaehl. It seems you are a Faia, you a fellow Mizu, albeit unknowingly, and you I cannot  identify,” he said pointing to Azuma, Orokan’zao, and Dai respectively.

“I cannot seem to find in my host’s memories that I am of this clan,” Orokan’zao said, confused.

“That is because everyone is a member of a clan, only that some were born by blood. Others become part of a clan by profession, such as you. You are a sailor, and since you are very experienced with being near water, you are a Mizu member by profession,” Lord Yanagi finished. “For some reason, I cannot tell what clan you are from,” he said, indicating Dai.

“That aside,” Mitaehl interrupted,”these three have come a long way to warn us of an oncoming threat.”

Lord Yanagi laughed. “We do not need the help, nor should we help other clans of their problems. We should deal with our own, and so should all others.”

“Sir, this problem is of an alien invasion,” Orokan’zao put in.”I am one of these aliens, and I can tell you, not a single clan can stop this. Additionally, I believe that the Hikari clan has a role to play in this attack. Without your help, we may never survive. If the parasites take one clan, all will collapse with it.”

The emperor became thoughtful. “Very well. I will confer with you later today. I will assign you to your quarters and we will discuss this problem as soon as you settle.”

“Sounds good,” Azuma replied, and the group followed the leader to their quarters.