On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

When I woke up the flight was almost over. I guess I did need the rest, I have a lot on my mind… Eri and the girls were up too, talking to each other about trivial matters, laughing and joking playfully, but my keen senses picked up… something… off about them all, an undertone, some sort of emotions I was unable to decipher. Still, when I asked about it, all I got was laughing denials and advice that talk between girls was no place for a man to butt in on.

Deciding to heed their wisdom, I joined the harmless talk, reminiscing about the trip and what we were going to do next. The flight was due to land in a couple of hours, late afternoon Monday in local Japanese time, unwinding the advantage of the time difference we had enjoyed in the other direction. The original plan was for Eri and Aiko to head home once we reached Tokyo, but now they seemed opposed to that idea.

“No way bro, we can take a train tomorrow, you can afford new tickets, right?” My sister was complaining. “School doesn’t start in Nishimorioka until the fourth, so that leaves tomorrow free. There’s no way that while we are here we are going to miss out on seeing the little love-nest you share with Shaeula, right Eri?”

At the term love-nest Eri and Shaeula shared a look, their expressions hard to interpret. Still, Eri isn’t reacting as defensively as I’d expect…

As I was pondering that I nearly missed the final words from my sister. “… and wow, I really want to put off getting home for as long as possible. It’s going to be so awkward. It isn’t fair I have to explain it first to mom and dad…”

Oh yeah. I got engaged. And… yeah. That. My father is going to be really angry, especially as he warned us. I don’t regret it, but even so… “Yeah, my bad. Just get them to call me, I’ll… take care of it then, as best I can, anyway.” Eri shot me a sympathetic look, and I returned her smile. “I guess you’ll have trouble with your parents too, right Eri? Though probably of a different kind. If anything, they’ll be trying to get us to set a date for the wedding, right?”

As Eri nodded, giggling, I turned back to my sister, who was grinning at my discomfort. “And it isn’t a love-nest. Shaeula doesn’t have anywhere else to live here on the Material. Now we have money, if she wants to move out, she can. There isn’t anything to see, really, it’s just a pokey apartment out in the boonies. Nothing exciting at all, really.”

“No, I shall not-not be moving out. Though we will be relocating soon, will we not-not, my master?” Shaeula added her own comment.

“Yeah, assuming I can persuade Shirohebizumi shrine, we’ll be making that our base of operations both in the Material and Boundary.”

“Damn, I’m feeling left out again bro!” my sister complained. “Come on Shaeula, I need more advice. How can I get this to work so I can join you all in that mysterious world?”

As we shared more laughter and I advised her sternly that the Boundary wasn’t a holiday destination, but a place of risk and danger, the captain announced that the plane would be coming in to land shortly. Yeah, the trip was awesome, in more ways than one, but I’ll be glad to be home. I hope nothing has gone wrong in our absence…

********

“Yeah, you weren’t kidding when you said it was pokey bro. It’s smaller than I thought it would be. If I ended up staying here with you, you’d just end up being a lucky pervert all the time.” she shuddered mock-theatrically. “Now I see why you’ve seen Shaeula naked, accidents are bound to happen in this tiny room.”

“Aiko! Don’t be crude!” Eri warned her, flushing.

Ignoring their banter I dropped off all the bags, which I had ended up having to carry myself. It wasn’t too heavy for me, even with all the souvenirs, but I still only had two hands, so it was as awkward as hell.

“And why is what little space you have filled up with all this… junk?” Aiko persisted, eyeing my shelves full of manga, anime and figurines. “I’d say this is definitely the room of a virgin loser, but I guess now I’d be wrong, wouldn’t I? Are you sure you want to marry my big bro?” she teased her best friend, while Shaeula laughed uproariously.

Digging out our spare futons from the closet, I laid them out. With them down there was barely any room to move, but the girls seemed happy, saying it was just like a sleepover. Shaeula had opened the fridge and was already drinking, so I decided to cook dinner.

“That sounds cool, bro.” my sis approved. “You’ll definitely be the wife of the relationship, right Eri?”

“No way.” Eri protested. “I’m going to learn cooking and cleaning and everything a wife needs to do for her husband. I’ll be the best wife ever!”

“Well, out of a ‘dinner, bath and me’ routine, you’ve managed to give him the ‘me’ bit, right?” she winked, and Eri protested, red as boiled lobster.

“Aiko! I’ve told you not to embarrass me!”

Yeah, it IS good to be back. As the meat I added to the pan sizzled away, I basked in the warm glow of family and friendship, once more reaffirming what I was fighting for…

********

Taking in some of the slightly cooler night air, I stood on the balcony area of our apartment. The girls were bathing together, although the bathroom was so small that they were taking turns, to be more accurate. My sis had called our parents and explained that she wanted to look at my Tokyo apartment so she could be more informed about her further education choices, and that they would be back tomorrow instead. That was a fun conversation. Father was asking if everything went well on the trip, while Aiko was trying to hide the fact Eri and I…

Shaking my head to clear it, I took a drink of cold beer, putting aside those worries for now. As I watched the flickering of the streetlights, I realised that even if I moved I’d miss this little apartment. After all, it was the first time I had lived away from home, the start of being an adult.

“Oh, good evening to you, Oshiro-san.” Hashimoto-san had left his own apartment, beer and cigarette in hand, and joined me on the balcony. “Back from your trip?”

He looks tired, worn down. That was one thing I wouldn’t miss about this place. Since it was cheap and poorly situated, it did attract a rather more… downtrodden… type of people. Still, maybe their luck could change? After all, mine had…

“Yeah, back safely, my business concluded. Things went well, so I’m pretty happy. What about you though?” I asked. “You seem down. Work troubles, or more problems with your daughter?”

“Isn’t it always?” he said, taking a deep drag on his cigarette, spreading grey smoke into the still night air. “Nothing to be done about it though, at my time of life changing now… it doesn’t happen. I envy the young like you, you still have time to turn your life around. In fact, maybe you have? It sounds pretty lively in there…” he gestured to my apartment, from which sounds of cheerful women could be heard, leaking through the poorly soundproofed walls and doors. “Ah, to be young again.”

“My sister is visiting, along with some friends. She’s thinking of going to University in Tokyo, assuming she can pass any of the entrance exams.” I cracked a smile at that. “She did want to share a home with me to keep down costs, but I think seeing where I actually live will put paid to that.”

“Yeah, there’s barely room for one here, never mind sharing with someone of the opposite sex. I know I’m ashamed when I see my daughter…”

We made quiet conversation for a while, talking about the other residents. Apparently Karen-chan had been off work for several days and looked rather unwell. I guess she still hasn’t recovered from what was ailing her. I had souvenirs from Shaeula and I for her, so I’d check on her tomorrow, maybe try and cheer her up.

Once Hashimoto-san returned to his room, I also went inside. The girls had finished changing and were lying in their futons, dressed in their sleepwear. On seeing me, Shaeula waved a hand to beckon me over, to the spot between her and Eri. Shrugging, I settled down between them. “So, what’s up? I did tell you there wasn’t anything to do here.”

“True, but it is the perfect time-time to practice controlling aether and stabilising their networks.” She looked at the eager Eri and Aiko. “While it is far-far easier in the Boundary, I believe it would be unfair to Aiko to leave her to train alone, so Eri, I would ask you remain here-here.”

“Yeah, don’t leave me out, Eri! We are best friends, you wouldn’t ditch me, would you?”  Aiko pleaded, hugging her.

As Eri tried to push the clinging Aiko off, Shaeula used her vision to assess the state of their networks. Once they had settled down she watched as they practised raising aether, and after giving them some advice on how to proceed, Shaeula and I entered my Territory for the first time in a while.

The expanded version of my apartment was empty of our troops, the slowly upgrading Territory Anchor giving off a bright glow of rainbow hues. Checking quickly I discovered there was still seventy-four days remaining. In addition to the iridescent lighting, there was also a constellation of glowing orbs around the Anchor and the Silo, significant amounts of ether having overspilled. I guess the multiple massacres we committed in the deserts of Las Vegas, as well as taking the enemy Territory has really paid off. While I was checking the bounty, Shaeula had stored her makeshift sack of Thunderbird blood inside the Warehouse, and with a snort of relief reformed her yukata, once again looking gorgeous.

“I don’t like that we have so much ether unprotected, but at least the etheric tide is over. I guess worst case scenario, if we have to we can dump it into speed-building the Anchor. It’ll be a waste but it’s better than losing it. Anyway, shouldn’t someone have come to greet us by now?” I asked, looking around.

Shaeula nodded, eyes glowing. She suddenly let out a gasp, grabbing my hand. “Quickly now, master. There is much trouble-trouble!”

Trouble? Letting her lead me out we emerged, only to see damage in all directions. Rubble and collapsed buildings were everywhere, though luckily they weren’t constructed buildings, just the Boundary versions of the Material dwellings. Hang on, wait a second… Checking the details of my Territory I could see I had lost a Defensive Emplacement somehow. A second, the one that should have been with it, towards the edge of my Territory, was also showing significant damage.

“Shaeula, we need to head this way. Something happened there.” At her nod we raced towards our border. As we did so suddenly a pair of kobolds came scuttling towards us, fear in their eyes. They were being pursued by… some sort of ghost?

Even as we watched the ghost, which looked like a misty, indistinct woman, vanished, reappearing and thrusting a taloned hand into the skull of one kobold, who died with a pained shriek.

“Vile spectre, slaying my masters’ vassals. You shall pay!” Shaeula snapped, a blade of wind bisecting the ghost. It faded away, and Shaeula clicked her tongue in satisfaction, but the kobold barked a warning, still running. “No, it will not die, can’t be killed. Attacks do not work on it, strikes fail!”

Shaeula cocked her head, confused, when suddenly the ghost reformed behind her, clawing at her throat. She jumped back, yelping, and I lashed out with my spear. It passed through harmlessly, and the blurred face of the wraith came close to mine, a narrow gash of a mouth opening into an approximation of a pained grin, long spectral hair flailing at me.

Wind cut into it in a series of jade blasts, and separated into six parts the mist evaporated, only to reform yet again.

“Just what-what is happening here?” Shaeula asked the kobold, shaking it angrily.

“It is war, many attacks. For several days fighting, many battles.” The kobold cowered.

“Where’s the Kamaitachi? Grulgor, or the White Snake kami?” I questioned him.

“Still fighting, at the front lines, battle edge. Many pig-faced monsters come, with weapons of bright steel, cruel iron. Drive them off, kill many, but they return again and yet again.”

“Below you!” Shaeula called then, as the ghost slid out of the ground, hands reaching for me. Shit, looks like leaving my Territory undefended was quite the risk after all… still, we are back, stronger than ever, so we can turn the tide, I know it. The Anchor is still ours…

Leaping away I called on the fire inside me. “Foehn! Burn to nothing you bitch!”

Flames orange as the setting sun cascaded over the wraith, and it began to scream, a silent yell that made no sound but was agony inside our heads. Its form wavered before turning to specks of spectral ash, drifting off into the sky, leaving behind only a pile of ether and a still-burning patch of blazing ground.

“That finished it.” I said with satisfaction, though I would have to be careful using Foehn, as the last thing I wanted was to torch my own Territory. “Now, we need to find someone who is organising the defence. Come on.” I said to Shaeula. 

As the kobold scuttled off to safety, she nodded. “Indeed. Let us punish those who would try and destroy what is ours-ours!”