Calamity Mandate

After regrouping at the base of the boulder by the path, the four Exalted of Yuzu's group made their introductions to Naomi, Yuima's cleric.

The contents of the introductions were simple, just names, no mention of their purpose for being in the area, or how or when they had arrived. Naomi accepted the greetings with a smile, nodding to Firuzeh, Kai, Char Char and Yuzu in turn.

"We only know that the village ahead is plagued by some illness, which we are to try to cure." Firuzeh said. As the eldest and most mature member, she naturally took up the role of the leader of their group, though Yuzu didn't miss the brief hesitation and side glance from the Saboteur.

If Yuzu wanted to take charge, Firuzeh clearly was ready to do so. But staying as a nondescript member of the group suited Yuzu just fine.

"Is that so?" Naomi asked, leading the way down the path on foot. Her brown robes were made of a light, coarse fabric, embroidered with abstract patterns that resembled leaves and vines along the hems. She wore several layers of softer, more insulating robes that filled out her silhouette.

Her arms and legs were thin and long, her straight hair was a black that shone golden in light under the late day sun. She had elegant fingers that belonged more to a scholar than a worker, and freckles on her slightly tanned face that told of a life spent under the sun.

She bore herself with a serious dignity, one befitting of a priest.

"I have lived my life in these mountains, traveling between the villages and healing their sicknesses." Naomi said, "These mountains are beautiful and rich in spirituality. The people live good, rich lives, mining the blessed jade crystals that grow in the caves beneath the earth. But there is a cost to these boons."

"The Wailing." Char Char said.

"Oh?" Naomi's eyes narrowed in suprise, "You know of it? You don't look like you're from Huan."

"I studied in Machi." Char Char said, a hint of hesitation on her voice.

"The Wailing is not something the people of Huan tell outsiders." Naomi said, "It is one of this province's shameful secrets."

"I had friends…" Char Char said, "Who I might have lied to about being from Kumin. I visited one of their hometowns when the Wailing hit, and, well… that's when I found out."

Char Char left out the details, but there was clear embarrassment in her voice.

"Mm." A note of disapproval in Naomi's eyes showed that she accepted Char Char's explanation.

Yuzu had never heard of the Wailing before. Notably, neither Firuzeh nor Kai looked like they understood either.

Without Fate Cycling Yuzu was at just as much of a loss.

"So, this Wailing… what is it?" Firuzeh asked.

Naomi didn't answer, but looked pointedly at Char Char to provide the response.

"It's kind of hard to explain…" Char Char said, looking slightly uncomfortable at being put on the spot, "It's something that mostly affects villages and small towns in the mountains. They say that when the Wailing comes to a town, you first hear it at night, like a low wind howling even though the air is calm.

"After a few days, you hear the wind even in the day, sometimes louder sometimes silent. Not everyone hears the same sounds. Sometimes it sounds like wolves howling in the distance, sometimes it sounds like a woman crying…

"The worst part isn't the sound, but the feeling of sadness and despair, like something is broken with the world but not knowing how to fix it. At its worst, it drives people crazy… But usually a priest of Yuima will come and cleanse the Wailing before it gets to that point."

Ah, this is why the people of Huan worship Yuima. Yuzu had a small epiphany.

"Outsiders can't hear the wailing and aren't affected by it. They only see the effects of it." Char Char concluded, adding, "When it hit my friend's village I was clueless about it, but since they thought I was also feeling the effects they didn't hide it from me... I had to act the part for a week..."

Char Char acting depressed and sad surrounded by a village full of suffering people? Yuzu mulled over the thought to herself. It must have been extremely difficult for her… No, wait. Experiencing a mysterious illness whose only cure was the blessing of a priest? This must have been a dream come true.

Stolen novel; please report.

"So why doesn't it affect outsiders?" Kai asked, speaking up for the first time, "How does the 'Wailing' tell the difference?"

Char Char didn't know the answer. She shook her head and looked to Naomi, who nodded, "It's a mystery that hasn't been solved. The people consider the Wailing a curse placed upon them in punishment for the sins of their ancestors. The fact that only they experience it makes it all the more shameful."

"And you're one of the priests that help the villagers during the Wailing?" Firuzeh asked.

"Yes."

"Then this village we are going to…"

"That's right, it's under the effects of the curse."

"The goddess charged us with alleviating the illness affecting the village." Firuzeh frowned, rubbing her lips gently in thought, "But if you're already here, then what more can we do to help?"

"Up until this morning I was in seclusion, and so I do not know the situation in the village. I only received a vision from my Goddess to join you here." Naomi placed her palms together in reverence. "Though dealing with the Wailing is one of my typical tasks, I do not believe that is why I was summoned here."

"Then, you're just here to watch and not help directly?" Char Char asked.

"Just so." The priest nodded.

Naomi didn't have any other insight to offer on the topic, as the group decided to make their way to the village before night fell.

The village itself was still a few hours walk away, though the dirt road more or less headed straight toward it, making the journey going forward far easier.

Yuzu kept her distance from the priest, not adding to the conversation or interacting unnecessarily with the Nature Exalted. Naomi was certainly going to be on guard for Yuzu, since she was the White Maiden's representative, so the less Yuzu gave her to work with the better. Thankfully, Naomi left her alone, choosing to guide the way forward with Char Char and Firuzeh taking charge for their group.

From the back, Yuzu contemplated the emptiness in the tapestry around Naomi. The Nature priest didn't seem to be outwardly antagonistic toward her or the group, though she couldn't be called friendly either. The fate strings of her group seemed to react 'normally' to the hole in the tapestry, though they disappeared where they touched the space where Naomi's thread should have been.

The remainder of the tapestry was calm and predictable. Therefore, Naomi's 'shield' seemed to specifically affect herself and only herself.

She's carrying a special artifact, perhaps? Yuzu theorized. But if that were the case, why wouldn't Yuima use it on herself? Perhaps as a Goddess, Yuima is too powerful to use it? But then, if she had such an artifact why wouldn't her other representatives have used it when we interacted in the past?

Yuzu had plenty of experience with Yuima's followers— She had directly met Hakuya, of course. And during Prince Deka's failed resurrection, there were the two clerics that joined in the fight, Asuna and Fumu. Yuzu had directly manipulated their fate strings without issue. All three of those clerics were involved in the situation around the ornate chest, so they were all working against Fate.

It didn't make sense why an artifact or ability that could hide them from Fate would be used here and now, and not in those previous critical moments.

"How are you doing?" A male voice interrupted her contemplation.

Yuzu had fallen to the back of the group, lagging behind almost a hundred meters from Firuzeh, Char Char and Naomi who had taken to conversing amongst themselves at the front. Though she was far away, accessing Firuzeh's string Yuzu could overhear their conversation. The topics had taken a more casual tone and contained nothing of note.

She hadn't noticed that Kai had fallen back to walk next to her— It actually took her by surprise, because she hadn't read his approach ahead of time.

"I'm fine." Yuzu replied simply, but with a closed off tone. She wasn't particularly in the mood for small talk.

"What's your take on the job?" Kai asked. He didn't miss the tinge of annoyance in Yuzu's eyes, but only grinned shamelessly at her, "Yeah, I'm a bit direct this way. Sorry, not sorry."

Kai interpreted Yuzu's expression as her annoyance at his presence, but in fact, that wasn't what bothered her. It was that she couldn't use Fate Cycling to gather information from him or determine the best path for their conversation.

Funny, how used to the tapestry her regular interactions had become…

"I'm not sure." Yuzu replied honestly to his question, "We will have to see what things are like when we reach the village."

"And what's your deal?" Kai asked, "I heard you can see the future?"

Yuzu shot him a glare. This time she really was annoyed at his question.

The serious look in Kai's eyes conveyed that he was aware that his question was rude and invasive. His smile faded as he said seriously, "Sorry, not sorry."

He looked forward to the trio ahead, pointing his chin at them, "I trust Firuzeh, and Firuzeh seems to trust you."

"And that's a problem to you?" Yuzu read between the lines.

"It is, because the one thing I know about Firuzeh is that she doesn't trust anyone." Kai said, "So, tell me what's so special about you."

"It's nothing—" Yuzu was about to brush Kai off, when he suddenly turned in front of her with superhuman agility, grabbing her shoulder tightly with his right hand. Her spiritual intuition triggered, but too late for her regular reflexes for it to matter.

She felt a pressure at her abdomen— Kai had a silver knife pressed up against her gut.

"Didn't see that coming, eh?" Kai asked through gritted teeth, his eyes were hard. His whole body and soul was suddenly on edge in an instant.

Yuzu instinctively glanced past him, only to see that the others had crested the top of a hill and had just gone out of sight.

He caught the glance, "Do anything strange, yell or scream, and I end you right here."

"What do you want?" Yuzu asked, unfazed as she stared directly into his eyes. She sounded braver than she felt.

In her spiritual vision, her white thread grew smoky, mingling with the black smoke of Kai's future actions. She really could die in the next moment and she'd only know after it happened.

Somehow, the thought of a quick, unexpected death amused her more than it bothered her.

"Tell me what you did to her." Kai said, voice trembling, "What happened in Hasan, while she was trapped in the ritual?"

Yuzu felt her heart beating faster as adrenaline pumped through her veins. Kai's grip was painfully tight on her shoulder. Her stomach shrunk back, keenly feeling the dagger's point that was only just not slicing through the fabric of her robe. Instinctual reactions to the threat on her life.

But even as she pulled backward against the stronger man, her mind had already come to a different conclusion.

Though she was in a terrifying situation, Yuzu had enough experience with the Exalted world to know— If Kai really wanted to kill her, he would have done it in one blow.

Furthermore, if Kai really thought she had done something terrible to Firuzeh, nothing Yuzu could say would matter to him.

Therefore, what Kai wanted was not words, but reassurance.

The golden tapestry shimmered in the depths of Yuzu's eyes as she looked firmly back at him, placed her hand on Kai's left hand and gently pushed the dagger away.