The Queen's Pillars, Chapter 8

Somehow, Hisako had expected that her past would catch up to her.  She knew neither when, nor how, nor from who, just that it would happen, and that those who knew her would then want an impromptu explanation of her previous 600 years.  So the fact that this raiju, who claimed to be her niece of all things, told the Pillars that she had died was only unbelievable as far as who brought it up.

“I think I speak for all of us here: what the fuck is she saying?”

She had just hoped this event was farther in her future.

Still, Hisako could turn this around, maybe.  “What is your name, niece?”

“Aiko, ma’am,” she said, then bowed with a fluidity Hisako was impressed by.

She nodded, and continued.  “Obviously, he was wrong about that, Aiko.  Were I dead, I would not be standing here, talking to you.  Though, it is a reasonable thought, since I was stabbed in the chest.”

“That could be,” Aiko said, “but he told me he watched your body dissipate afterwards.  Can… can you explain that?”

She could.  But she wasn’t sure if she was willing to tell that facet of her life yet.  The looks she was getting from the Pillars and Michael gave her greater reasoning for this.  “Well, he is an old man; perhaps he has forgotten the entire truth of what occurred then.  Or he was embellishing the tale, as he was want to do.”

Aiko’s suddenly looked as though she was in deep thought at that.  “I guess that makes sense, thinking about it.”

Hisako inwardly sighed, and subconsciously dropped her shoulders.  She would take those secrets to the grave before she something as absurd as this be how they were dug out.  She pointedly ignored the suspicious looks from her companions, and the unnervingly calm look from Jehona.  “Anyway, why are you here?  This is a long way from our home country, and to come here of places when there are far more famous vacation areas seems odd.  Or were you looking for me?”

“Actually, yes, I was,” Aiko answered.  “Father told me that he had heard news of the ‘Black Knight’ finding a home in Aurox, and how the pictures of her looked just like his sister.  So, he brought me here to see if the news, and his beliefs, were true.  This proves them both.”

“Ah,” Hisako said, with nod.  Then the words properly registered in her mind.  “Wait, ‘brought you’?  So he is here?  Is Akiko here, too?”

“She had to stay behind,” came a voice from behind her.  As she and the Pillars turned around, they saw another raiju, but a male one, of all things.  He wore a simple set of blue robes with a black and white haori, designed with a lightning motif, over it.  He was obviously up in his years, as his clean shaven face was wrinkled, and his deep blue hair, let loose to drop just below his shoulders, and tail were streaked with gray.  But he stood with a posture that belied his age, one that told those around him that he was not lacking in strength.  A strength that made his melancholic expression all the more saddening.  “One of us needed to keep the village running, and she’s always been better at it than me.”

Hisako blinked once.  Twice.  Three times, before she finally came out of her stupor, and shut her mouth.  “It is good to see you, Minato.”

“It has been over 600 years, now,” he said.  “You were bleeding out in my arms, and there was nothing I could do to help you.  And then, as if the universe wanted to make sure I never thought of bringing you back, you turned to black mist in front of my eyes.  I thought it was impossible for you to still be alive.  And yet, here you are, alive and well, not even looking a day older.

“And that is really the best you can offer to your older brother?”  He walked up to her, and hugged her, squeezing as tightly as he could through the unforgiving armor.  It took her longer than she would ever admit to remember that she should be hugging back.  “If anything, I should be saying how good it is to see you, Hisako.  However this is even possible.”

“Yes, Hisako,” came the voice of Aquilina, “how is this possible?  How is it that you apparently died, had your corpse disappear, and are now back with the living, all while lacking any qualities of the undead?”

The lack of tact was unquestionable.  The question itself, however, was on everyone’s mind.  The fact that none of the group bothered calling her out on was telling of that.  So, once she was released, she closed her eyes, and sighed.  An explanation was in order, she supposed.

“This would be better to show to the queen, as well, I feel.  It likely pertains to our end goal.”

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Once a silent meal was had between them, they returned to the castle, with Minato and Aiko in tow.  Luckily, Alexi and Leander’s own making up of time was over, so they simply entered the throne room, where they sat.  Hisako, not bothering to speak, simply began painting on the wall to the left.

“I hope you have a reason for that,” Alexi began, “because the bricks are not easy to clean.  And, who are these two new people?  I’m especially intrigued by the male pretending to be a monster.”

Although Minato gave a chuckle at her words, Aiko seemed to be angry for him.  “My father is a first generation raiju!  He is more monster than you could ever be!”

Aquilina bared her teeth at her, while Alexi glared menacingly at this apparent nuisance.  Jehona stepped in before anything severe could happen, placing a hand in front of her fellow Pillar.  “These two are family of Hisako!  Specifically, her niece and brother.  He’s very much the real deal.”

Alexi’s glare quickly changed to confused, then to scrutinous, then to disbelief, as she registered just as much demonic energy residing within him as her Pillars.  “I never thought I would meet a male monster at any point in my life.  But if you’re truly Hisako’s brother, then she must be first generation, as well.”

Minato nodded.  “That is true.  We were alive during the Convergence, despite one of us not looking her age.  And Aiko, there is no need to be offended by something not directed at you.  Most people I have known did not believe I was truly a monster, which is fair, given that none born now are male.  Now, if you would please apologize to the queen.”

Like clockwork, she clasped her hands and brought her feet together, and bowed as apologetically as she could.  “Please forgive me.  I just believed that Aunt Hisako had mentioned him to you.”

Alexi frowned once again.  “No, in fact she hasn’t.  And it seems she has far more secrets than that to share with us… Hisako!”

“It is done,” she responded, stepping away from the symbol she had drawn.  It was a hexagon, with circles at each of its points, filled with only more circles and hexagonal figures, that seemingly all fit together to create a single, coherent image.  Above and below it, two crescent shapes, with a singular spike protruding outwards from their middle, flanked the figure.  “Please, come and surround it.”

Despite how ominous that quite blatantly was, they followed her request, all eight soon in a half circle behind her.  As they got closer, however, Alexi, Leander, and Aquilina now recognized this image.  “Hisako, what is this?  This is the same sigil we saw in Royal Makai!  Why do you know something the Demon Lord said that only she would know about?”

Hisako could only sigh as she removed a gauntlet.  “I said I would be explaining all of this.”  She bit her thumb, and when she tasted blood, she pressed her hand on the sigil, smearing her blood on it.  Suddenly, the symbol began to glow with a bright, bluish light.  “I meant it.  Now wake, Apollyon.”

Then, the sigil began to spin as it condensed into a circle upon the wall, still glowing its searing light.  When none of the original details of the symbol were present, a line crawled down out of the circle, slowly reaching to Hisako’s shadow, and then rising into the air itself.  Once the line reached to almost her height, its center grew out, forming a torso with an androgynous shape.  Then, it grew two long protrusions crossed in front of it, both ending in hands with five pointed ends like claws, each glowing a faint blue.  A head then formed, with a sharp jaw and a plume of feather like hair that glowed that same faint blue, and a face nearly featureless except for a single closed eye.  The eye suddenly snapped open, also glowing blue, with a large pupil, and began to scan the area, before locking onto Hisako.  When it did, its pupil contracted into a slit.

“You awaken me.”  Its, likely Apollyon’s, voice was feminine, and whispered ominously.  It lowered its arms and leaned forward, pressing into Hisako.  “Why?”

“You are useful in describing the Abyss to most people,” she responded, before finally turning around to the reasonably shocked faces of the others.

“Abyss,” it said.  “You inform more?  Despite what follows?”  It looked over its shoulder.  “They seem strong.  Stronger than him.” A single finger twitched; she knew someone noticed, but hoped she wouldn't need to answer any time soon.  “And those three.  King, queen, daughter.  They recognize me.  Something like me.”

She sighed.  “Yes.  Minato, you are right.  I did die.  Painfully.  But then, I remember waking up soon afterwards, in a pit of infinite blackness – a bit of a motif, I suppose – and a woman.  She told me that she could bring me back to life, but I would need to become like her: a thrall of the Abyss, fighting those that tried to threaten the Abyss to sate its boredom.  I would become one of its Unbroken.  I took the offer, and I came back to life.  That was 600 years ago.”

“And what is the Abyss?” Alexi asked.  “That is not something I remember ever hearing mother speak of.  And the only abyss I can think of is where the Atlach-Nacha live.”

“Everything,” Apollyon said, “and nothing.  It is time.  Space.  It is death.  Existence.  It is-” Cut off by Hisako’s hand gripping its throat, it chokes on its words, less from the lack of air and more the impact.  Hisako’s other hand gripped its head and brought her thumb to its eye, hovering over it.

“The cryptic act is fine with enemies.  Now it is annoying.  Unless you want to go back into your slumber?”

Apollyon weighed its options.  Closing its eye for the first time since showing itself, it turned into a mist-like form, and escaped her grasp.  It appeared not far from its original place, however, and continued speaking, the whisper now gone.  “The Abyss is nothing, as the name somewhat implies.  But it is the creator of everything, not just in this world, or this universe, but all other universes.  It does not need the Unbroken, but instead takes them from boredom of dealing with intruders so many times before.  There is some irony behind that name, though, Unbroken.  Because none leave the Abyss whole.  And that which is missing, it replaces.”

Hisako nodded, her expression still cold, but lacking a noticeable direction.  “What I believe is that the Demon Lord may have retained more than just our armor.  I feel that she may control some Abyssal power, whatever that may entail.  While I doubt she used it to affect the Convergence, it may be how she fought with some of the stronger demons who sought the title.  My queen, have you ever sensed an aura around her, unlike the demonic energy?”

Alexi thought back to her encounters with her.  “I don't believe so; her aura never felt any different from my own.  But I don't exactly remember those small details.  More importantly, why are you only bringing this up now?”

“I have not known about your mother being an Unbroken until recently,” she said.  “And then, these are only suspicions.  Hopefully, that is all they are.”

Apollyon turned to look at Alexi, scanning her for something.  When it was seemingly finished, it closed its eye, melted into an inky form, then crawled across Hisako’s armor before reaching her still uncovered hand.  There, it spiraled up her arm until the throne room was as pristine as before she had painted the symbol.  “So, brother.  I doubt you came for me just to reconcile with family, supposedly dead or otherwise.”

“You would be correct,” he said.  “I was truthfully hoping to set up a trade agreement between Watoki and Aurox, if at all possible.”

Alexi smiled.  “Of course, Mister Minato.  Though, do not think that simply because your sister is one of my Pillars, you will be allowed leniency with what you can offer.”  With this, she looked to her Pillars, and waved them off.

“I would think less of you if you did, if I may be honest,” he responded, as the rest of those within the throne room exited, save his daughter.  “You may leave, too, Aiko.  Unless, you plan to stay awake this time?”

She blushed heavily at that.  “That's- I wasn't-!”  She stopped, calmed herself, and nodded.  “I shall take my leave, then.”  And out she went, far quicker than a normal walking pace.

Minato let out a small laugh, then, keeping his smile, registered the king and queen.  “Now, onto business.”

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“So.”

Hisako, for as much as she seemingly thrived in it in combat, hated being the center of attention, especially this frequently.  “Yes, I have died.  Yes, dying hurts.  No, I do not know how Unbroken are chosen.  Yes, those are all questions I have asked before.”

Vapula was taken aback by this.  “Who would ask questions like those?”

“Close friends.  Old enemies.  A demigod.”  Hisako looked around at her companions.  “There are people who seek power from the darkest sources, and have far too morbid of curiosities.  Indulging them is usually easier than other alternatives.”

A loud silence befell them.  Belial broke that.  “I actually wanted to know if that was why you’re as hostile as you are.  Some of the girls I helped in Demon Lord's army weren't all there after some traumatic events, so maybe you're the same, in a way.”

“Post traumatic stress is the least of my concerns,” Hisako said.  “The Demon Lord who can potentially rupture planets is a greater issue right now.  I need to think.”

“That's fine, just…” Belial paused, trying to find the right words.  “Apollyon said ‘none leave the Abyss whole’.  After 600 years, I don't know what all you've lost, but one of those took more than you think it did.”

Once more, a single finger twitched, and she could tell that Jehona wasn't lying about her perceptiveness as she noticed her glance down for a split second.  She noted with an inward sigh that she needed to better herself at hiding her emotions.  She would be expecting that question later.  “I thought the only kind of shrink you were had to do with height.”

Once again, silence.  A silence pervasive enough to make even Hisako uncomfortable.  “What?” she asked, and looked at the Pillars gaped expressions, somewhat worried.  “Was that joke too rude?  Or was this just an awkward time to make one?”

“I didn't think you knew how to make a joke,” Jehona said.  The rest of the Pillars nodded their agreement, their shock still plain on their faces.

Hisako wasn't sure if she was pleased to hear that was the case.  Ignoring the feeling, she walked away from them, and into her room, where she began to doff her armor.  Half of Apollyon's form leaked from the shadows of the room, looking at Hisako.  "You are still hiding facts from them.  They will grow distrustful of you the more you keep information from them.  And if they learn about them from without you, you might not be able to lie your way out of it."

She knew it was right.  She just wasn't sure if she was ready to talk and not spill too much of her own life story.  Even if it was the 'healthier' choice.  "At least tell them about-"

Apollyon saw her glare behind her back.  It knew it hadn't truly gone too far, but it seemed Hisako wanted to keep that secret for if they ever actually became friends.  It slumped its shoulders, and melted back into the shadow, leaving Hisako alone once more.

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Soon after that, Alexi and Leander had come to an agreement with Minato, able to offer steel and silver of both types in exchange for the crops, spices, and rare gems found within his village.  They didn't bother asking why he needed those materials, assuming protection was his goal more than anything else.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Tanaka.  I hope our respective homes can find continued agreements to satisfy our needs."

Minato's expression changed to one of confusion.  "My family name is not Tanaka, Miss Alexi.  Though, I can assume that Hisako has told that as her's, has she not?"

Leander scoffed.  "More secrets she hasn't divulged to you, then."

Alexi held up a hand to shush her husband.  "Perhaps that is true.  But, I feel as though dear Hisako has her own reasons for this.  And if what she says her life has been is true, I can only hope it isn't as dark as I can imagine."