Darren paced anxiously inside the throne room, Fukushu had been gone for far too long. Since his introduction to the fearsome nine tail, Darren had made it a point of learning about the former General of the kitsune army, specifically over the last century. Needless to say it wasn't promising, aligning with the enemies of wizards, attacking the wizards and their allies, even an attempted assassination of his own mother. Considering the temper that both Tatsu and Fukushu had, Darren began to wonder if the two nine tails were now engaged in a bloody feud as he sat there. As the teen now noticed Tatsu and Fukushu approach, he sighed in relief. "Was wondering what was taking you so long."
"We talked," Fukushu stated. "And unfortunately it is far worse than we anticipated Catalyst." Darren nodded, taking a breath as he looked between the two nine tails. "I guess this means I'm going to have to speak with another wielder of the Dragons Tongue huh?"
"Yes,"Tatsu stated. "I will teach you how to access the spirit realm through the Dragons Tongue. With luck, you should be able to master this technique by tomorrow." Darren now blushed, sheepishly rubbing his neck as he turned to gaze up at the celestial kitsune. "Actually I already learned the technique," he replied shyly. Tatsu paused, surprised to hear that Darren had learned the technique. While the celestial was aware of his passing in the future, he wasn't sure just how long he had known this teenage Catalyst for. "I see," he said softly. "I wasn't aware that I had begun molding you as the guardian of our people."
"Actually sir you didn't teach me," Darren stated, the teen now pointing to an obviously surprised Fukushu. "He did." At the revelation that his estranged son had taken the time to teach a human boy a sacred kitsune technique, Tatsu chuckled. Perhaps this Catalyst was truely capable of changing the world if he could get Fukushu to train him.
Tatsu and Fukushu now watched as Darren performed the technique to access the spirit realm. For Darren, this would be different than his previous visits. Tatsu’s spirit would no longer be there, meaning he would need to find Akane, the seventh wielder. Darren hoped Akane would remember him, as well as help. As he completed the technique, he could feel his consciousness ascend, his body going limp as he entered the spirit realm once more.
Sitting up in the tall grass, Darren blinked as he took in his surroundings. The spirit realm remained exactly as he remembered. A thick grove of trees in front of him surrounded by rolling meadows. As Darren got to his feet, he immediately noticed to familiar figures exit the forest, Akane the eight tailed vixen in her pink hikama and Raiden, the long dead silver two tailed son of Tatsu. "Lets hope they remember me," he thought, as he now slowly approached.
"Greetings Darren," Akane smiled. "It's been awhile."
"Oh thank goodness you remember me Akane," Darren sighed in relief. "Of course we do," Raiden chuckled. "Time doesn't quite move the same in the afterlife. You may have traveled into the past yet we recall our initial meeting in the future. It's, difficult to explain." Darren simply nodded, the concept of time in the spirit realm was a conversation for another time. For now he needed information on the Asaya clan.
"The Asaya," Akane said in alarm. "Yes I am well aware of who they are. Tatsu and I fought against them almost a millennium ago. I was a young four tail vixen at the time."
"So what can you tell me," Darren asked.
"After my death," Raiden said sadly. "The Asaya believed my parents to be false gods. I listened to them as I began to learn of the spirit realm. The Asaya believed they had given birth to the next celestial kitsune."
"Which is preposterous," Akane scoffed. "I was there Raiden. As powerful as the Asaya were, they had no celestial. Isamu made sure of that." Darren now studied the 8 tailed kitsune carefully. In his previous meeting with Akane, he had found the kitsune vixen to be warm, pleasant, and kind. Listening to her talk of the war, as well as Isamu, Darren got the impression she was none too pleased about either. "What can you tell me about your former master Isamu?"
"Isamu wasn't my master," Akane scoffed. "In fact, he was a bit of a pig. As powerful as he was, he believed that the military was not a place for vixens. I had to work harder, be far better than any other kitsune if I was going to have a place within the kitsune army. Even then, Isamu was dismissive, however, Tatsu insisted I stay."
"Wait if Isamu didn't like you, how were you able to become the seventh wielder of the Dragons Tongue?"
"Because Isamu's choosen apprentice died during the war," Akane stated. "In fact most of our warriors died, including Isamu himself. When I found him he was gravely injured, he had won the battle at the expense of his arm. He and a small company of his elite samauri assaulted a sacred village of the Asaya. Their were rumors that a sacred child had been born there, a child who was considered the next celestial. Isamu wiped the village off the map on Tatsu’s orders but it cost him his life and the life of his successor. His final act was proclaiming me the Protector of the Kitsune and wielder of the Dragons Tongue before he died. Judging by the sour expression on his face, he wasn't happy to name me his successor."
Darren nodded, curiously watching Akane. He had yet to meet this Isamu but, he already wasn't a fan of his. From what he had learned from both Tatsu and Fukushu, Akane was one of the greatest swordsman either had ever seen. The vixen had even trained Fukushu yet, because she was a vixen, she was dismissed by the former General. Still, despite her personal feelings, the information he may have on the Asaya was crucial. "I need to speak with him," Darren stated. "Can you take me to him?"
Akane sighed, nodding as the trio now made their way towards the shrine of Isamu. According to Akane, upon his arrival in the spirit realm, the former general built a small Shinto shrine, in which he would meditate. Akane, rarely visited, mostly due to her dislike of the kitsune when he had been alive. Raiden on the other hand, had nothing but positives to say about the fearsome kitsune warrior. As Darren listened to the teenage kitsune, he tried to hide a smirk. For Raiden, Isamu was the equivalent of Darren meeting a celebrity.
After a bit of walking, the group paused as the gazed upon a small Shinto shrine. The Shrine itself was expertly crafted, as well as sturdy in its construction. As the door of the Shrine slid open, Darren gazed upon the massive kitsune Isamu. The eight tailed kitsune was adorned in the greenish armor from life, his red fur impeccable. Standing as tall as Fukushu, if not taller, the muscular kitsune confidently strode towards the group, sporting a black eye patch over one eye his remaining one now
trained on Darren. "Lord Raiden," Isamu stated, his voice a deep and rich baritone. "What an unexpected surprise, and with a human?"
"Lord Isamu," Raiden said enthusiastically. "This is Darren McKenna. Nineth wielder of the Dragons Tongue and the Catalyst." At the mention of the Catalyst, Isamu cocked his head before rubbing his chin curiously. "A Catalyst you say," he mused. "This is a most unexpected surprise. Akane! Please retrieve the saki from my home as I speak with this Catalyst." Much to Darren's surprise, Akane bowed before making her way towards the shrine. Still, he could tell she wasn't enthralled about doing so as Darren caught Akane mumbling about where Isamu could place his saki.
Hiding a smirk, Darren now watched as Isamu pulled out a series of exquisitely crafted chairs, as he stoked a fire. Beckoning them around the fire, Darren immediately got down to business. "What can you tell me about the Asaya clan?"
What Darren heard over the next 20 minutes was stunning to the teen. Since meeting the kitsune, Darren had found them to be serious yet kind as well as united around the royal family. To hear that strife existed centuries ago was unfathomable. "So people questioned Tatsu and Shizen?"
"The Asaya certainly did," Isamu stated. "The clan was powerful, their leaders thinking themselves as powerful as Lord Tatsu. Especially after the birth of a vixen who their elders considered divine."
"Divine?"
"This vixen possessed far more power than any child her age," Isamu said softly. "Even as a newborn she was able to shift into human form and perform complex spells. Something most kitsune can not master until they are close to attaining their second tail."
"So what happened to her?"
"I tracked down the vixens location," Isamu scowled. "My men and I destroyed the village. Slaughtered it's defenders. The battle was not easy, I lost many a soldier in pacifying the village but it was worth it, I found this so called divine kitsune. Cowering in the wreckage of a destroyed home, it surprised me that she had survived my initial attack."
"So you killed a defenseless kit," Akane said softly, drawing a sour look from the massive kitsune general. "No," Isamu growled. "I was attacked."
"By who," Raiden asked.
"A human," Isamu grumbled. "One who was oddly dressed and similar to this Catalyst." Akane, Raiden, and Darrenwere shocked What was a human doing in ancient Japan. "What did he look like," Darren asked.
"He was much older than you," Isamu stated. "Dressed in odd armor with hair like wheat and a sword the likes I have not seen before. The human though was immensely skilled, taking my arm and taking my life. Before I passed, I saw two things. First he took this vixen in his arms, secondly was a symbol emblazoned on his chest." Darren now watched as Isamu now began to draw a symbol, a symbol that made the color drain from the teens face.
Somehow, Isamu had drawn the symbol of the Normal.