Yūrei, Einar and Odin are in the entrance hall of Yuèguāng Lǚguǎn stomping the snow from their boots. The air is full with the armour of five spice and loud music is coming from one of the rooms. A lady wearing a light pink flowing Hanfu that is decorated with flowers and cascading petals approaches them. Her long fringe has been pined back with gold pins that blue to pink flowers hanging off them. When she bows the flowers clatter together and she softly says, “Good day, gentlemen, would you like a room for three or separate rooms?”
The Great Warrior places a hand to his chest and explains, “We are not staying. We are looking for Soul Drinker by the name of Liáo.”
The woman frowns and questions, “Why do you want to see him? The man is very sick in mind. No one is allowed to see him.”
Odin clears his throat and tells her, “The thing is, my dear, he is member of my family who has been missing for a long time. You can understand it pains me to hear he is not well. We just want to see if there is anything we can do for him.”
The lady nods and once they have all removed their boots she shows them to a large room. “I will see what my boss says,” she expresses before she leaves closing the door behind her.
Einar sighs and enquires, “Odin, did you smell her?”
“I did… she is a pure Eternal… I cannot remember the last time I smelt one.”
“Neither can I. Sorry, my sweet Ink Summoner, you are unable to smell her sweet, delightful sent. No wonder Herleif has been coming here, when the women are pure.”
The Masked Warrior smiles and remarks, “If I do not watch it I will be losing you two to this place, for you both will be pulled in by the sirens.”
“Yes, you will have to pull us back in to reality,” states Odin.
Then the door slides open and a tall man dressed in a light grey Hanfu enters, and they all realise from the long horns he is a Mountain Dragon who has a patch of white scales over the left side of his face. “I am Dōng yuè and I am in charge of this establishment. Kāihuā, the lady who greeted you all informed me you wish to see Liáo. How do you hope to help him?”
“We need to establish if Fate has placed a block within his mind, which I hope can be removed by my mother Zhìhuì.”
The Mountain Dragon leans down and asks, “Are you the son of Raven?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Mèngjiàn? No, they shorten it to Mèng when you stared to walk. Look at you all grown up. Of course you have no idea who I am. Allow me to refresh your memory, I am one of Bàofēngyǔ’s brothers. I would pay him a visit at Pine Forest and I could tell Raven was proud to be a father again. The last time I saw you, you were a teenager who had his eye on Dōngtiān. Funny enough he told me you had forgotten everything… even though time has been restored your mind is still hazy, right?”
Yūrei nods and smiles. “I am afraid so. I must admit you do seem familiar… I think it is your voice that rough soft tone is what I remember.”
Dōng yuè emits a throaty laugh and enquires, “So, who are the fine soul Drinkers you are with?”
“My husband Einar and a member of his family Odin,” informs the legend pointing his hand to each one.
The Mountain Dragon’s eyes grow wide and he gasps, “H-husband?!”
The Great Warrior gives a sharp nod and Dōng yuè continues, “Well, that goes to show how many centuries have passed since I have seen you, Mèng, you are now married to a lovely Westerner. You two are Liáo’s family, I feel I should warn you, the poor man has been lost for a long time. I am willing to let you three try to help him for he cannot continue the way he is. The only time he shows any kind of normality is after he has had sex with one of the ladies. They have seen themselves the difference in him until the minds of other people become overwhelming for him. I have gathered his mutterings and mumblings are not to do with him being joined to an Ink Heart. No, that voice has been keeping him calm and stopping him from getting to danger. I also believe it is the Ink Heart who is helping to keep him alive. I have often heard a soft, gentle voice within his mind. I hope I am right it is the Ink Heart speaking to him.”
“Yes, I too have heard that soft voice within my trainer’s mind. I also have gathered from being joined to an Ink Heart, they do tend to keep their master safe. Shadow has never harmed me, he has always protected me. I might be able to speak with his Ink Heart, I should say Shadow is willing to try.”
The Mountain Dragon grips the Westerner’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t happened to be the one who saved China from the Dark Time?”
Einar nods. “Yes, that is me. I am known throughout history as the Shadow Heart or Ink Heart Summoner.”
“I cannot believe it. Mèng, you should have warned me you were married to a legend. I can finally say thank you for bringing the Dark Time to an end. Truly thank you.”
“Bless you. I just did what I needed to do. The strange thing is Herleif, Liáo never fought in the battle. Once he had given me the Ink Heart and trained me, I guess as far as he could take me, he vanished. I was a child who had not long become immortal who was risking his life everyday. Liáo was clearly a Soul Drinker who had already lived a long time, he would have been amazing in battle with the experience he had with his Ink Heart. I honestly find it strange why he was so determined to train me when he himself was never going to join me in battle.”
Dōng yuè folds his arms and agrees, “You are right that is strange. Well, hopefully once you have helped him he might be able to answer everyones questions. I will go and see if he is free.”
Odin places a hand to his chest and stresses, “Please do not force him to see us.”
The Mountain Dragon pats him on the arm as he leaves the room. A moment later they hear him in the corridor speaking to someone, “Yes, they are right in here. Come.”
The door slides open and Dōng yuè helps a hooded man inside who is muttering in old Norse.
“Herleif, it is all right, we are going to help you,” says Odin in the same language, which makes the hooded Soul Drinker walk over to him.
“You understand me?”
“Yes, I do, Herleif. Come, sit by the fire,” replies Odin helping him over to the hearth.
Liáo takes a seat and holds out his shaking hands. “Fetch me a Dreamer…. Only a Dreamer can help me… please fetch me a Dreamer.”
Odin gives him a hug and quickly informs Yūrei who rises and opens a portal back to Dōngjì fēngbào’s home. “Mother? Mother!”
Zhìhuì comes running down to the entrance. “Whatever is the matter, Son?”
The Masked Warrior quickly explains he has found Liáo and he is asking for Dreamer. Zhìhuì puts on his boots and walks with him through a portal. However, the moment the Dreamer sees the sign he grabs hold of the straps of his Hakama stoping him in his stride. “Son, are you aware what this place is?”
“It is an inn?”
Zhìhuì points his hand at the door and announces, “This is a gambling establishment where stunning women will trap you forever.”
“Oh, not me, Mother, for I am no Soul Drinker it is them who would remain here.”
“Oh, what are you implying, Son?”
“The women are pure Eternals.”
“What? There is no such thing as pure… oh, you mean they have never used magic so their blood is not like yours, tented. Interesting.”
“Come, Mother,” says the Great Warrior sliding open the front door to be greeted by the same woman.
Zhìhuì walks around her and remarks, “You really are clean, not a single incarnation in sight. Interesting.”
“Mother,” sighs Yūrei a little offended by him checking the lady out without her permission.
The Dreamer looks up at them and harshly replies, “What? I am just saying what I am seeing.”
The lady giggles and leans down to Zhìhuì. “Yes, I am very clean. You are welcome to check my entire naked body.”
“Ooh now there is no need for that, dear, my eyes allow me to see you are… clean. Which in itself is highly unusual since the Dark Time no Eternal has been born without marks? That means no one from your family fought in that battle.”
Kāihuā gives a nervous cough and explains, “My brothers and sisters and I were children in that time. We were sent far away to a safe place.”
Zhìhuì’s eyes narrow, he can tell the girl is telling him the truth, yet he can also sense she is hiding something from him. He decides not to ask the girl any more questions and follows his son down to a room. The Dreamer can immediately sense the hooded Soul Drinker is agitated, confused and frightened. The moment he takes a seat in front of him Liáo grabs hold of his hands and mutters something in his own language.
“He wants you to help him,” explains Odin, “he knows only a Dreamer can help him.”
Zhìhuì smiles at the troubled Soul Drinker and talks softly to him, “I need my hands if I am to help you.”
Liáo releases him and apologises in Chinese, “I am sorry.”
“It is quite all right. Now, relax and allow me to help you,” says the Dreamer again in a soft voice as he rises so he can place his hands upon his head. “There it is, a block. It is the same block Fate inflicted on my son.
The Soul Drinker takes hold of the small god’s waist. “Fate used me… Are you able to remove it?”
“Yes. I should warn you it is not going to be pleasant.”
Tears begin to run down Liáo’s face and he begs, “Please, Dreamer, free me.”
Zhìhuì closes his eyes and focus his mind on the block. He does not mind the hooded Soul Drinker gripping his waist. He carefully places one hand inside Liáo’s hood in order to establish a better contact with his skull. His wavy hair feels soft between his fingers he finds himself wanting to stroke it. He gives his head a slight shake to get himself to focus once more on the task and manages to break the block. “Someone catch him,” he calls grabbing hold of the hooded Soul Drinker’s shoulders.
Odin and Einar help to lay Liáo down and the Westerner keeps his head upon his lap.
Yūrei helps his mother to take a seat, he pats the back of his hand. “Liáo is free. Just like you, my dear son, it will take him time to adjust.”
The Great Warrior gives him a hug and pours him a cup of tea.
Liáo’s eyes open, they blink a few times and he asks, “Odin, is that really you?”
“It sure is, my dear cousin. It is good to see you.”
“I was looking for you… I knew you would understand me, cousin, Fate made me imprison my friends… I need you to find Einar.”
“Easy, Herleif, for it is Einar’s knee you are resting on. Do not worry he has managed to free your friends.”
This is first time the Westerner has seen his trainer’s face, his eyes are the same colour as the sky with a black ring around the edge. His left one appears to have a second pupil that shimmers purple in the light. He also sees there are incantations around the outside of his left eye that run down to his cheek. The right cheek bears a deep scar across the cheekbone.
“It is good to see you again, master,” he says in new Norse.
Liáo pats the side of Einar’s face. “My prodigy… I knew my son’s Ink Heart would be happy with you, my great grandson. It is why my grandson Hoder sent you to me, he knew you would be compatible with Shadow. I was surprise when he also sent the twins, neither of them had the Ink Heart marks, like you did, my… my prodigy.” His eyes start to close and he drifts off to sleep.
Einar shakes his head and whispers, “No, Hoder was not my father.”
Odin places his left index finger to his lips and helps him to place Herleif’s head upon two floor cushions.
The Great Warrior opens the screen door to discover the room next door is empty. He goes on to make a fire and lights some lamps. Then the Soul Drinkers join him and Odin agrees, “I know he was pretending to father to you and the twins. We all saw you three carried the marks of Herleif’s son Erik. I do not want to ask Shadow if that was his original owner?”
The Westerner looks slightly to his left and nods. “He confesses it is why he has been very protective of me. Shadow has informed me it felt like he had been pulled out of Erik by a force that he had never encountered before.”
“I am so sorry, Shadow.”
“It is all right, Odin, he said it is about time he told us what happened. It is why he was happy to link with me because he wanted to discover what had happened to Erik. Of course I did not know because of Hoder being my father.”
“My love, could that be why he knew you would succeed in having a Describer because he could see you had inherited certain marks. Or am I wrong?”
Einar shakes his head. “No, you are correct, my sweet. I have a bracelet incantation upon my left wrist which none of my brothers have. I take it, Odin, this is one of Erik’s marks?”
The elder takes hold of the Westerner’s left hand. “Yes, this is how I knew you were no son of Hoder. The other factor is, he has never had children. Then one day out of the blue he had twelve sons and it made everyone in the family begin to question how did that happen? Is a complete mystery.”
The Masked Warrior folds his arms and begins to think, what could have happened to the parents of those twelve children? And why were they all handed over to Hoder? “Stupid question, did Hoder ever had women in his life?”
“Only mother who I take it was not Hoder’s wife?”
Odin emits a soft laugh and shakes his head. “No. My word he would never take a woman, as far as he was concerned women caused nothing other than trouble. Yet she was around until you came to China?”
“Yes, she watched us passed through the portal to Herleif’s home.” Einar rises and takes a turn of the room. “I will say this, she was angry and clearly worried more about me than the twins. When I broke a rule I would often see another man within her mind. He wore a patch over his right eye, his long fringe partly covered it. She always pitched him in this lovely light yellow robe and a crystal, as black as the night, hug from a red plated chain around neck. The same black stones dangle from his earrings along with Amethyst.”
“You are describing Erik,” informs Odin. “I had heard he had taken another mortal who was clearly happy to have a child by him, otherwise you would not be here. So, she also kept it under wraps who your real father was. Why? What had Erik done?”
“It was obviously something catastrophic for Shadow to be pulled out of him and his children handed over to his son who pretended to be their loving and caring father,” implies Yūrei. “Then why cover it up? Why not tell the children the truth? I thought you Soul Drinkers were incapable of lying.”
“You are correct, my sweet, we are incapable of lying. I get the impression that whatever happened to Erik was too much to bear and a shock to everyone.”
“I personally think it is why everyone just tried to carry on,” expresses Odin. “No one knew exactly what had happened to him and I think it was good of Hoder to take on children that were not his. With the sounds of things he was good to you?”
“Yes, he was a great father, until he burnt down the family home and disappeared.”
Odin takes a seat and explains, “No, the house was burnt down by a Fire Imp because tiny little footprints were found around the hearth of the fire. There is only one member in the family who can call forth such a creature, Erik. That is also why the summerhouse was crammed full with everything you and the twins needed. It is also why only half of the house was destroyed because he must have got his Fire Imp to stop. What was speared on that side of the house?”
Einar begins to draw his finger across the floor as he remembers the layout of his family home. “The library and conjuring room. Hold on, Hoder did not do magic, did he?”
“No, mainly because he did not see a need for it. It could be why he wanted you all to fail.”
“I gathered that, yet the conjuring table was covered in incantations. Was Erik trying to tell us there was something on that very table?”
The Masked Warrior claps his hands and tells his husband, “Yes, the one in the top right hand corner it is not listed in the book you found. Nor could you and your brothers find out what it was.”
The Westerner nods. “Well remembered, my sweet. Odin, care to take a look?”
“I will be more than happy to.”
Einar rises and opens a portal to his home.
✫✫✫
They all make their way up to the library and over to the stone table, that lies in front of an arched window. When Odin sees the incarnation Mèngjiàn was on about he places a hand over his mouth and shakes his head.
The Great Warrior helps him to take a seat on a chair. “What is it?”
Odin removes his hand from his mouth and places it to his chest. “It is to make something dark… something terrible, an Extraction Stone. It basically pulls any spell out of a person. That could have been how Shadow was removed from Erik. I cannot believe someone did that to him. Then Shadow was passed on to you. I also cannot believe this is Erik’s table how on earth did Hoder get his hands on it?”
“Because the Describer incantation is the same?”
“Yes, there is no denying that, my boy. It is also because his name has been carved in to the right leg.”
Einar and the Great Warrior crouch down to see a name has indeed been carved in to the stone. Odin smiles and continues, “All the family did that so when it was past on or in this case taken we know who originally owned it. That is why it works for you because you have inherited the bracelet needed for that very table. The rotating ring on the inside is what commands it. See it is the same lettering that runs along the edge under the lip of the table.”
The Westerner looks at the bracelet which only his kind and Dreamers can see. “I am starting to wonder what happened to Erik. Why would someone create an Extractor Stone?”
“The only one who could give us more light on the subject is Herleif,” suggests Odin giving Einar a hug.
“I am all right. I just cannot believe someone in the family would do such a thing. An Extraction Stone is not to be messed with,” he stresses patting the elder on the arms. “Come let’s return to Herleif.”
When they arrive back at the inn Zhìhuì is helping Herleif to have a cup of tea. “Ah, now you all return from your sudden adventure. I trust it was eventful?”
Yūrei knows straight away his mother is not pleased about them dispersing on him without telling him what they were doing. “Sorry, mother.”
The Dreamer frowns and demands, “This is not what I want, son, when you three return somewhat anxious. You found something?”
Odin goes on to explain to him about discovering the Extraction Stone incantation upon Einar’s table, which makes Herleif choke on the tea. Zhìhuì quickly sets the cup down and uses a cloth to wipe the Soul Drinker’s mouth. “There now take a few deep breaths,” he tells him whilst patting him on the back.
Herleif grabs hold of the Westerner’s left hand and asks, “Einar, is it really you?”
“Yes, it is, Master. It has been a long time.”
“It sure has… I remember your father Erik, he is a powerful Soul Drinker who was treated terribly by his family. It was his own brother Hjalmar who extracted the Ink Heart from him. He would not have known about it, if it were not for Hoder telling him. I do not know how Erik got it back. He told me to keep Shadow hidden and to give him to you when you were old enough to have him. Hjalmar ordered that all of Erik’s children were to be raised by Hoder… all because he was not in to any magic. I guess that is why I was surprised to see he allowed you to have a Describer. Or was that your mother, Erik’s love? You see she was carrying you at the time when she was handed over to Hoder.”
Odin rises and takes a turn of the room as he recalls, “Yes I remember Leif killed Hjalmar. Forgive me I should explain to Mèngjiàn, Hjalmar was Erik’s eldest brother and Leif is their father. I cannot blame him for killing Hjalmar after what he had done to his own family. I also recall Hoder went missing at the same time as Leif.”
Herleif shakes his head. “No, it was Erik who made Hoder disappear because he took Hjalmar’s side. I should not have tried to run from Fate… He used me to bring the downfall of the Eternals. All because he had lost one too many times and wanted the same woman my kind friends loved. Fate used me because I had already betrayed my own family and he knew he could get me to help him get the girl… No it was nothing to do with the woman it was the child she was carrying. He wanted to prevent his birth. Fate was too late the baby was coming so I took her to the Healers and told them to keep the child safe for Fate was hutting him.”
Zhìhuì gets him to have more tea and presses a finger to his son’s lips. “No, do not ask him to recall anymore. He is becoming agitated and his Ink Heart is doing his best to calm him.”
The Great Warrior nods for there is nothing else Herleif can tell him that he does not already know from his true parents. He is more concerned about his husband discovering what really happened to his family. Yūrei becomes aware of him stroking his thigh which tells him he is wishing they were alone. The Westerner rises and holds out his hand towards his husband. “Come with me.”
The moment the Masked Warrior takes hold of it he is pulled to his feet and leads him through a portal. Once on the other side Einar pulls him close and tells him, “I needed to get some space from them.”
The Masked Warrior strokes the side of his face. “What is it?”
“I remember it was not long after I had got Sköll I was down on the beach using the water from a pool to cool the marks. When I became aware of a hand upon my head. I knew it was a Soul Drinker and it was Erik. Of course he did not say a word, he numbed my pain and placed this ring in the palm of my hand,” explains Einar removing a ring from his left middle finger. “I beginning to remember, this is a portal stone that transports me to a tower which lies in the middle of nowhere. The few times I visited Erik was not there… I had forgotten all about it until now. I am starting to question again why did he give this to me? What is so important about that tower?”
Yūrei pulls him close and tells him, “I happy to come with you to explore a mysterious. That’s if you are wanting to go?”
They kiss and Westerner places the ring back on his finger and shakes his head. “No, for I can imagine it to be colder than this in winter. I am though curious to see if it still works.”
Einar puts out his left hand and opens a portal. This time there is a roaring fire and a man dressed exactly how he had described, wearing a yellow robe with an eyepatch over his right eye, that is partly hidden by his long fringe appears. His lips form in to a soft smile and speaks in Nordic, “I have been expecting you two to pay me a visit now time has been restored.”
Einar helps his husband through and questions in the same language, “Are you, Erik?”
“Yes, that is me. You are though welcome to call me father, for you are my long lost son, Einar. I am so glad my love called you that.” Then the elder grips the Masked Warrior’s shoulder and speaks in Chinese, “Now you understand me, Mèngjiàn?”
The Masked Warrior quickly places the man he loves behind him. “You are not Erik. You are one of Fate’s daughters.”
ns 15.158.61.54da2
