On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

The moon hung massive in the sky overhead, blotting out most of the heavens, looking like a huge, unblinking eye. It was dark and still, no wind to speak of, and the sounds of the peaceful city around were muted, silent.

Still, there was a noise, out of place in this peaceful setting, a clicking, rattling sound, as if chitin or bone was rubbing together, and the sibilant hissing of something, no, a multitude of somethings, as they surged through the streets of what was possibly Kyoto, but could have easily been elsewhere, the scenery fluid and impermanent, changing and shifting as if mist.

The first creature came into view, a hideous red ant the size of a small pony, feelers swinging to and fro as it searched for something. More were coming, crawling over the pavements and roads, climbing walls and up onto the roofs of nearby houses and shrines. Everywhere they went a foul sludge was left behind, acrid and vile, leaking poisonous mist, and what was beautiful was befouled.

The woman ran, trying to avoid the creeping ants, though she was not fast, and her legs tangled in the long hems of her white and red robes, causing her to stumble. She fell, hitting the ground painfully, and rolling onto her back she looked up at the moon, which was staring down at her.

Time is running out, the sands falling through the hourglass. A familiar, distant voice echoed in her mind.

Eyes blinking behind her veil, the woman could see a shadow passing over the moon, a huge dragon, long and serpentine, coiled like a figure of eight, twisting and turning. The rattling was louder here, and she realised it was the many ruby scales of the dragon rubbing together. Even as she watched, several scales flaked off, falling to the earth, and as they landed they changed, becoming more of the ants, joining the others in mindlessly despoiling all they came across.

Panicked, the woman struggled to her feet. Her hands were stinging where she had scraped them trying to break her fall, and one ankle wouldn’t bear her weight. Even so, she had no choice but to limp away, the moon looking down on her from overhead. It was then the dragon looked at her, and she could see it had mismatched heterochromatic eyes. One was a dirty yellow, alien and rapacious, leering at her with a foreign, dangerous hunger, while the other was ever-shifting, many colours blended into one. Still that eye looked at her with no more warmth, merely instead of hunger it was detached curiosity, as one might look at an insect or exotic animal.

The Great Red Dragon Of The Numberless East stirs. It is not yet time for it to awaken, but even as it slumbers, its scales… they fall, searching for prey.

More scales, more ants. She recognised where she was now, she was in the grounds of Ryōan-ji temple, the beautiful rock gardens now smeared with burning, acrid ooze, dozens of the ants crawling about blindly. The meditating pools were choked with filth, disgusting her, all but one, which was clear, reflecting the moon above, drawing her gaze.

Oh daughter of the moon, she who hears my voice, you have served me well all these years, and I thank you. But your time is coming to an end. The Red Dragon stirs, thrashing about, seeking prey, and you have fallen under its gaze.

Looking into the lake, she saw many visions, some she had seen before, others new to her, the moonlight bringing glimpses of what was, what will be and what should not be. The Red Dragon roared, splitting open, scales and blood raining down, revealing a mountain range, space itself collapsing, rippling prismatic aurorae spreading out, unveiling a strange ancient-looking city, full of ants of greater size, scale and magnificence, their red chitin inlaid with jade and precious metals.

She tried to pull her eyes away, only to see the White Divina Dragon Of The West. Brilliant blue and white flames leapt from the maw of the beast, scorching the land below, and temples, shrines and the faithful burned under the great reptilian fiend, which suddenly grew great feathered wings of white and gold, a multitude of them, though six stood out, their massive shadow covering the land, and a song started, melancholic and frenzied, which hurt her ears, no, her very soul.

“I do not wish to see these visions. Not… not anymore.” She gasped, half-choking out the words amidst sobs. “They… they are so grim.” She caught a glimpse of her friend, the Imperial Princess, as the ants swarmed over the Grand Shrine at Ise, which should have been impossible to see, since it was many miles distant, but in visions, as in dreams, anything was possible. “No, I do not wish to see you die again, alone and afraid!”

Shutting her eyes did nothing, as the reflected light of the moon pierced her lids, showing her more. This time, another rippling explosion of space, a small pink bird fluttering through, trailing blood and feathers. Moments later reality shuddered, and three massive stone pillars crashed through, slamming into the ground, towering into the sky. One was black obsidian, a second was petrified wood, gleaming dully, and the third was shrouded in fog, and could not be seen. Looking at these pillars made her shudder, even more so than the twin dragons…

“No… no more.” She sobbed, shoulders heaving as she sucked in desperate breaths. The ants were closing in behind her, and their chittering cries froze her blood. “I have done what I could. Conclave…”

You have done well, my precious chosen one. Unlike the others, you were mine since you were born, a precious existence. It pains me to see you suffer, to see your fate, but I can not intervene. Were I to reach down, then…

The woman screamed, a new vision flooding her mind. The sky shattered, the realm of the spiritual mixing haphazardly with the one she knew. People died in their millions, and more pillars came crashing down, of jade, ruby, gold and more… creatures undreamed of walked the earth, and soon the millions became billions, and the living envied the dead…

“I… I am trying to change things. I have always believed that fate, prophecy, destiny, nothing is set in immutable stone.” She gasped. “But things have changed, the Red Dragon has stirred sooner. We are far from ready. This is not fair!” she cried, realising she sounded like the frightened, petulant child she never had the chance to be. “How can my dear Yukiko be saved, if the Dragon comes now? The one with light, darkness and twilight, I have not found him, I have ideas, but…”

Fate has already shifted. You are correct, my dear daughter. Even speaking to you like this causes ripples, weakens the protection your world shelters within. So I can only touch you in dreams, through the Divine Gift you share with me…

The moon seemed to fill her vision, and she could see one of the Six Princesses. She was a lonely creature, one of hunger and flame, thirsty for salvation. She was one of three that posed a great threat to everything, yet if she perished, then one of the Six Disasters would surely shatter the Earth… “Why is everything so… so simply impossible. Even though I am blessed, I have foresight, I still fail to … wait, what… what madness is this?”

The Princess should fight that which she held dear, the thirsting flame within growing and feasting, until she was a creature of mere appetite, even attempting to consume everything she loved. Yet now, in her vision, she was shattered, broken, the thirsty flames mere embers, yet… the face, hidden in shadow and surrounded by a halo of shining metallic hair… she was smiling.

“What… what is this? There is no man carrying light and darkness, filled with twilight. I have used every last speck of my will to scour the skeins of fate, the threads of destiny. I have searched and sought, trying to find the junctions where definite and destiny intersect. But it is hard, and I grow weary…”

Did you not say it yourself? Heroes, they are not born, but made. If who you need to shatter the fractal spiderweb of weighty futures does not exist, create them. Your time… I see the overlapping threads of fate strangling you. Your life will soon end, my precious daughter. Before it does… find a worthy heir for my blessing. Create… create…

The vision started to collapse, her energy spent. As the pool shattered like glass, millions of shining fragments like mirrors reflecting the moon overhead, cascading down, she shivered, pain flaring where she was cut. Blood gushed, staining the ground, and she turned, feeling weak and feeble, only to see the Dragon overhead looking down on her with one savage eye, and the ants closing in, jaws clicking, eager to feed…

********

The Diviner bolted upright, hand going under her thin sleeping robe, searching for the wound. When she realised she was unharmed, she breathed out a sigh of relief. Just a vision. But a terrible one. They were growing darker, more ominous. She remembered back to her words to Yukiko, the Imperial Princess, about how destined futures could be changed. I still believe that, I have to. But the way Tsukuyomi spoke… it was as if my death was not destiny, but definite…

The door suddenly opened, and the Diviner hastily pulled on her veil, preventing the retainer from seeing her face. That too was as a result of her visions. Long ago, she saw that revealing her face to others would lead to dire consequences. With her long hair wrapped around her lightly-clad body, she greeted her servant, forcing her voice down to its usual calm, melodious tone.

“Greetings, Etsuko. Are you well this bright morning?” she was proud of how steady her voice was.

“I am.” the older woman said, her matronly looks at odds with the red and white hakama she wore. She was carrying a bowl of warm water and soap, as the Diviner bathed alone, away from the eyes of those who might see her. “Will you be wanting breakfast? Today is the last day of rest for you, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I shall eat. I am rather famished.” She was surprised to find it was true, her stomach rumbling. Energy was surging through her, the mysterious power called aether by the Divine, yet despite being able to subsist long on it alone, she often found herself hungry. “As for indolent rest… while Conclave does not commence until tomorrow, I have much to do today. After all, the many shrines and temples will be sending their delegations today.”

“Yes, Kyoto is going to be full.” Etsuko giggled, quite unlike her age would suggest. “It should be quite the sight. I envy any tourist who visits our stunning Kyoto this weekend. The beautiful flowers of the shrines will be everywhere!”

“Even so, it is a serious matter, Etsuko.” The Diviner chided her attendant, who had looked after her ever since she had become the Diviner, so long ago. “The very future of Japan, no, the very world, depends on Conclave.”

“Oh I know. Wasn’t it you who told me that there is no point fretting over fate and destiny though, as our own actions shape the world? Don’t be so gloomy, my dear. With your advice, those three stubborn old men will surely listen to you. After all, you are the Diviner, Tsukuyomi’s daughter.” She finished proudly. “Now, wash yourself, take a dip in the outdoor bath, and I’ll get your breakfast ready.” With that she bustled out, all energy and enthusiasm, and the Diviner sighed, quite unlike her, as she usually refrained from such human displays of emotions, maintaining her mystery. Only around those few such as Yukiko or Yasuhide can I be just a woman. In front of everyone else, I must remain aloof, mysterious, holy. A mystical being, closest to the Gods…

Using the bowl and soap she cleansed herself, before sliding open the painted door, illustrated with an image of Tsukuyomi, the God she had served since she was but a little girl. Seeing that reminded her of her vision, and she shuddered, her skin coming out in goosebumps, and not just due to the chill, October morning air. Stepping out onto the hinoki-wood terrace, she looked down at the rocky hot spring, steam still rising gently into the cold, still morning air. Pushing her long veil over her shoulders, the only cloth remaining on her a small mask covering her lower mouth and the sleepwear she was wearing, she stepped down into the water, her deep crimson eyes misting over, remembering.

Letting out a long sigh as the heat permeated her, she though about the vision. It was like the others. I have identified at least some characteristics of all the Princesses of the Six Paths, though Hungry Ghost, Hell and Asura are at least as dangerous to us as the disasters they are needed to stop… or are they? She remembered the vision, how the hunger of the Hungry Ghost had died down to a dim ember, and she remembered the smile through the veil of shadows and fire that hid her face. It was a smile of defeat, yet also of contentment.

“I have always struggled to change destined futures, even definite futures. Sometimes I have failed and disaster happened anyway, other times I succeeded, earning me the respect of all. But… can someone change fate who does not know of it?” she mused, starting to wash herself in the spring, glad that her personal shrine, a small one, dedicated to Tsukuyomi, so off the beaten track that not even tourists tended to visit, was equipped with such a spring. Dunking her head, she washed her floor-length, lustrous hair, which glimmered as dark as the sky in which the moon sat at night.

“Heroes… they are made, by their own actions, and the actions of others…” she continued pondering, tipping a bucket of the mineral-filled water over her head. “… turning destined to definite. It sounds easy, but…” her whole tone was different to normal, since she was alone. In company she had to speak in the way befitting the Diviner, but when she was in solitude, she could use her true voice, her true words. “… I know how Yukiko feels. I too… I fear death.”

She shuddered, drawing deeper into the warm water. “Is there no way I can change fate? So many strands gathering, forming an impossible web. Yet the more complicated the destined future, the easier it can be to change by slicing the right strands. Though a careless cut, and… well, I would be a fly in the web of a spider. Or a dragon.” It had happened before, even with her gifts, a mistaken intention, a word to the wrong person, and what was destined changed, for the worse. Only this time, there could be no mistakes, else the world was doomed. Though if the Hungry Ghost has changed, then she will not devour those… which will cause a great ripple… And perhaps the beast she was due to fight against… no, she could not speculate. She would need to meditate, hone her visions, seek deeper meaning, see where the Universe was conspiring to make matters definite, and where destiny could be nudged.

Though… Tsukuyomi wishes me to pass on my blessing. Even he… even he believes my death is not merely destiny, but definite… Lying back in the water, she blinked at the lukewarm feeling of the autumn sun on her bare skin. The moon waxes and wanes. Perhaps I am now to wane. If so, I shall die as I lived, striving to prevent disaster. I shall find a worthy heir to pass on the blessing, and if the hero I need does not exist, I shall create it. I only wish that… no, no. I cannot give up yet. Otherwise my words to Yukiko, urging her to struggle, they would merely be base hypocrisy. The Conclave was tomorrow, she would have ample time to see if there was anyone suitable to untangle the snarl of fate, prune webs of cause and effect, and wind a spider-thread of hope for the world to climb up.

Unlike the sinner, who greedily clung to it alone, causing it to break, I hope we can all work together, lest we plunge into the boiling pool of blood. I have delayed Conclave, as destiny required, to prevent the careless deaths of those we needed to protect, but even so… Even so, she was just a woman, a solitary, lonely woman, burdened with great gifts from childhood, now even more potent. While she loved Tsukuyomi, the thought of giving everything, even her life… This path was a lonely one indeed. I know… I know why the Hungry Ghost hungered… but not what sated it…

********

“Welcome, Lady Diviner.” Yasuhide said, looking tired, as well he might, having to organise lodgings for his entire faction during the Conclave, as well as numerous other pressing matters. “I trust you remain well?”

“I do, Master Kudou.” She said formally, unable to let down her guard as several other shrine maidens and priests were around, as well as a pair of her own shrine maiden attendants. “Though… matters have taken a strange turn. Whether for good, or for ill, I cannot say.”

“Well, your words have guided me, Lady Diviner. Delaying the Conclave was risky, but…”

“Yes, outside events have caused a change. Fate is a delicate web of fragile strands of glass. Beautiful but sharp. The Red Dragon I warned you of stirs, and the ants will come surging our way far sooner than even noble Tsukuyomi anticipated. The Dragon itself shall not move, but even so, I fear… we will lose too many.” Her mysterious voice, young yet old, trembled uncharacteristically at that. Nobody noticed, except for Yasuhide, who was too wily to miss such a tell. His gaze looked at her, compassionate, and he gestured for his own people to leave.

“You too.” She told her maidens, who protested, but she was insistent. When the room was vacated, she channelled a little aether, creating a bubble of soundless space, so they could not be overhead. With her face covered by her veil, she did not have to fear a spy reading her lips, and Yasuhide was aware of such too, raising one hand to cover his own mouth.

“What is it? We have known each other since you were but a child, Lady Diviner. Speak.” Yasuhide urged her. After a brief pause to gather her thoughts, she did.

“Tsukuyomi believes… that I shall die, to these ants.” She swallowed. “I see this shrine attacked too. The ants leave a trail of filth and death in their wake, gorging and plundering what is not theirs. I am tasked with finding an heir for the divine favour I bear.”

There was a shocked silence, as Yasuhide contemplated that. “Lady Diviner, you… can you not turn aside this fate? As you are striving to do for the Priestess of Ise?”

For a moment she was stunned by that, before she spoke, her anger quite unlike her. “Of course I am searching for a way. I have no wish to perish here. I have too much left undone. I must find and protect the six Princesses, lest Japan and the world be destroyed!” she fumed. Fool of an old man. Why would you assume I am not racking my brains, searching for any strands of hope? But I am not omnipotent, even with my gifts enhanced. I have failed before…

“Calm down, I meant no offense…” Yasuhide tried to mollify her, but her raw emotions, burned by long nights of ever-more vivid visions, would not be soothed.

“I know, but it is still deeply annoying. I do not wish to die! I have served Tsukuyomi and Japan since I was but a small child, giving up everything else! Nobody has even seen my face! You think I do not know what goes on outside? I see the tourists, in pretty dresses and laughing, holding hands with their lovers. I gave up everything for my God, and now… and now it is just find a worthy heir for my blessing…” she laughed, hollow and bitter. “I know that if I am to meet my end, it is my duty to pass on what I can. Otherwise, why have I strived all these years? But I had hoped… well, I still hope. But it is hard. So hard.”

“Do you know… when?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“No, only that it is soon. Very soon. That is why… Conclave must go well. We must end the infighting. Else divided we will fall to these hungry, abominable ants, whatever they represent.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.” He mused, wanting to change the subject, chagrined that he had upset her so. “You think… you think they might be foreign enemies? If so… well, one Country springs to mind from the description.”

She nodded. “While I do not think that the Dragon is purely a metaphor for a country, I suspect there is involvement yes. The Numberless East. While technically it is west of us…”

“Indeed.” Yasuhide stroked his beard, puzzled. “But why would they attack us now? What has changed? If you knew, perhaps it would help you change your fate?”

“I do not know. But… other things have changed too. The Hungry Ghost…” she explained what she had seen in her vision.

“Interesting. So she lives, but is changed, steered away from a destructive course. Well, that is good news at least.” Yasuhide agreed. “Do you think that caused further changes? After all, the way you explained destined futures to me, it is very much like the butterfly effect.”

“I do not know.” She said, frustration in her strange voice. “I wish I did. I shall meditate on it today, as much as I can. For tomorrow I will have no time.”

“Yes, Conclave at last. You’ll need to be there. Takakura-sama will represent the nobles, and the Princess the Imperial Family. You will represent the Gods themselves, and our traditions. I just hope that Uchida-san and Saionji-san can see reason. With less time, we need to act as one.”

“I shall do my best to convince them. But there have already been grim accidents, has there not?”

“Yes. Deaths.” He agreed. “Well, since my Ryōan-ji is rather close to that devil Saionji-san’s Kinkaku-ji, which causes its fair share of problems, but… in this case, it might be helpful. But know, I support you, Lady Diviner, and if I can help prevent your untimely death, I shall do all I can!”

Feeling a little gratitude, she bowed. “I appreciate it. But please do forget my angry words from earlier, they were not my thoughts. I am ashamed.”

“I don’t see why.” He scratched at his chin, smiling. “I am as terrified as you are, knowing my shrine is in danger. While I’ll be glad to see my Shiori again, in a way I’m glad that she will be returning to Tokyo after Conclave, hopefully she’ll not be involved in any of this danger.”

“I do not think this hastened misfortune will escalate. Even so… I hope to head it off. If someone who can stop this does not exist, we must create them.” she echoed her earlier sentiments in a slightly different way. “At Conclave… I will find someone worthy.” I shall pass on the blessing, as Tsukuyomi entreated me. But… I will not give up hope, that I can be saved. That I can save myself…