Hoshi no Amaterasu

[Amaterasu]

After administering first aid in the form of herbal medicine and sake to warm them from within, Amaterasu left Fiara and Urist in the care of Oki. As he was able to switch freely between human and wolf forms he was more up to the task than she, who wasn’t sure how to change herself back - if she even could. Fortunately Omnilium summoning went as easy as always, to summon medicine and sake for them. It was weird knowing that she had depleted her reserves not an hour ago to the last drop, and already they were refilling and she wasn’t even noticing!

The first order of business on her list was the repair of the hole in the roof and the window she had shattered in getting to the ground floor. The palace she had made would quickly cool if the heat inside wasn’t contained, after all. But, how would she open the doors that she could likewise not open earlier that day? As she stood before the sliding door that led out of the formal garden and into the building, she wondered that.

Her paws were no use here, that much was clear. They would fail to get a grasp on the frame. If she had her human form back it would be far easier, but could she transform like Oki? How did he even do it, was there some trick to transforming? Or was she stuck in her wolf form after having depleted her Omnilium? Should she transform her body to some new shape, using her replenishing reserves? The questions kept piling on until she concluded that allowing herself to be panicked would not make things any better. She calmed and turned her thoughts inwards. Breathe… calm. Let the worries pass over you, and think. Then she opened her eyes and looked at the pond in the garden. She was too far away to see her reflection, but it was enough to picture herself standing before it, looking at it, and watching how her canine features turned to those of a human again. Lo and behold, she felt her body changing rapidly not a moment later. Fur receded into skin, paws reshaped into hands and feet, her bones rearranged themselves and her perception changed. A few moments later she was back to her human form, but dropped on all fours - and naked.

“This is gonna be troublesome”, she murmured as she reached her hands out and weaved more Omnilium into a new miko dress. If she lost her clothing every time she transformed that would mean trouble, especially in a place like the Frozen Fields. A human’s body wasn’t suited to contain the heat it needed to stay alive, as opposed to that of a wolf. In the ten minutes it took her to summon more clothing she would freeze to death, and not every situation would have the luxury of time for her to summon something before transforming in order to get dressed right afterwards. Plus there was the problem of nudity - more specifically, humans reacted weirdly to other humans not covering themselves up. Well, Oki and Fiara would probably be okay with it, but what about Urist, or complete strangers? Then again, her dress had been destroyed during the Omnilium Storm, so that might be playing a role in this too. Some food for thought, in any case.

Only once she got dressed did she start to wonder why the temperature in the palace was so warm. The formal garden pond should have frozen over and she should be chilled to the bone after having transformed to her human form! Was that a side effect of the Omnilium Storm too? She turned away from the door she was going to open and instead turned her attention towards the open sky above the garden. It took a bit to notice, but there was some sort of layer, like transparent ice, there. Wait, hadn’t there been something like that in Dwarfholm?

“Gor… no. Glue? Gale… Glass! Yes, glass.” A dwarf had told her that it was the result of heating sand to very high temperatures and that it was a good thing to place into windows to let people see through while maintaining a barrier. Upon closer inspection she noticed that this barrier was like a roof over the garden, at the top story of the palace. But she also noticed the occasional snowflake dropping in through the smashed window. The heat probably escaped through that, through the hole in the ceiling and roof and the window. All the more reason to fix the damages.

When she began walking towards the door to return upstairs the next surprise presented itself: two suns hung in the sky, one on its way to setting, the other vertically above them, indicating noon. She hadn’t noticed them earlier because of the angle she stood at which had apparently superimposed them, but now she took a closer look... the latter was a little dimmer than the first though, and hung in front of the clouds, unlike the other one that was partially obscured by them. A second sun hanging this low? Was it she who had done that? She had to - there was no way anyone who wasn’t a Prime had the power to hang a celestial body in the sky like that. No, she had to find out. If that second sun was made by her she should have some extent of control over it, right?

After a moment of consideration Amaterasu took her hair-brush into her hand and drew a circle into the sky. “Taiyo”, she said, and the more distant sun, the one she speculated was the ‘real’ one, did not react. In this place she could not control the celestial bodies as she could in Nippon, so the lack of a reaction confirmed her suspicion. That was the real sun, and this other one had been added. Yet she felt it was as natural as the other…

Again. She painted a circle, this time on top of the new sun, and spoke the same word: “Taiyo.” And the sun she had ‘aimed’ at brightened and its warm light heated the garden a little more, while on its surface the 照 kanji - meaning ‘to shine’ - formed for a few seconds before dissipating. Amaterasu upheld the connection for a few minutes then severed it, and the sun darkened, emulating the same amount of light that the now more angled ‘real’ sun was dispensing at this time in the afternoon.

So this sun likely dispensed heat according to what she was habituated to… heat in the same measure as in Nippon. But it wasn’t just terribly ineffective, it would also pose a risk of changing the climate of the Frozen Fields on a wider scale if she allowed the heat to dissipate. The idea of containing it in some sort of enormous glass dome immediately popped into her head. But how much Omnilium would that take?

… well, seeing how she had a lot of snow and ice from the plateau that she could turn to Omnilium, maybe that problem solved itself. But she would need to employ a skilled architect to ensure that a structure of that size didn’t collapse under its own weight. A handful od skilled dwarves, maybe? She waved her brush around again, now drawing a crescent over the artificial sun, and spoke: “Tsuki”. And the sun immediately dimmed as a 宵 kanj - meaning ‘evening’ - formed over its surface for a moment, then it turned entirely into a gray and beige rock hanging above the palace, like a moon. Better to save the energy and keep it from messing up the local climate.

After finishing her experimentation with the new celestial body hanging above the palace, she finally got to do what she’d come here to do in the first place: to fix the smashed window and broken roof. In her human form she was able to open doors without any issues, and though the bedroom that she had to fix was fairly cold after having been exposed to the elements for this long it didn’t take long to repair. It barely took half hour of concentrated summoning to get everything into pristine conditions, and already as she was summoning she could feel the room warming again.

“Now, what’s next…” she wondered aloud, dangling her feet off the side of the bed. Should she go explore the palace a bit? See what was beyond all the doors? She was curious, wanting to find out more, but her thoughts kept going back to Urist and Fiara. No, she couldn’t go around having fun while the two of them were passed out because of her. It wouldn’t feel right. Not to mention, it would be so much more fun to see this palace between the four of them. Her feet touched the ground and almost immediately she broke into a fast walk, almost a slow run, back to her friends’s room. As she was running she transformed again, and by the time that she nudged the sliding door open she had to use her snout.

Oki was sitting between their beds, still holding watch over them. He looked up but remained silent, he just acknowledged her with a nod. Amaterasu hopped onto the bed and laid down on top of the blanket, stretching her body across Fiara’s legs and bedding her head on top of her paws. The Oina warrior shifted in his seat and by the little bit of his face that was not covered by his mask she could tell that his lips had curled into a smile. He reached out and gently scritched a spot between her ears, which sent a pleasurable calm feeling through her. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift away a bit.

“How do you feel?” Oki then asked.

“Mhh? What do you mean?”

“I worry that you may have been hit by the storm too. If you’ve hidden anything so that we don’t have to worry…”

Amaterasu raised her head so that with Oki having bent forwards they were now at eye level. “I appreciate your concern, Oki, but you needn’t worry. I did nothing of the sort, in fact I feel… good. Great, even.”

“You feel great?”

“Yes, I… I’m only just realizing it but I feel strengthened. I believe that the Omnilium I had stockpiled empowered me when I released it. No, allow me to rephrase that. I did not waste the Omnilium I had hoarded, but I gave it form and purpose. This wolf form, for instance… I did not revert to a weaker form, but the Omnilium formed it for me, based on my memories of the adventures I had when I was in Nippon.”

“What about the other items and powers that you used in Nippon, then? The Yata no Kagami, for instance?”

“I believe that they are somewhere nearby. I haven’t yet had time to explore the palace, but they might be somewhere in here. Or maybe they’re scattered throughout the Frozen Fields.”

“Scattered in a land as large as Nippon, possibly buried under snow and ice, underground or inside a cavern? That sounds as difficult as gathering the Stray Beads all over again.”

“It’s not like the Divine Instruments I gathered were handed to me on a silver plate either. Perhaps I will need to go seek them, just like the kami of the Celestial Brush.” She did a big, hearty wolf yawn and laid her head down again. “But not now.”

“You just want to be a tired wolf for a bit now?” Oki asked.

“It’s been a long day for us all.”

“Why don’t you go rest up in your bed?”

“I wouldn’t sleep anywhere but next to my friends when they might need me”, she replied. “You should lay down a bit too, though. I can feel that the two of them are recovering. They probably just need to rest up a bit.”

“Just like you I couldn’t leave these two alone. I’ll stay”, declared Oki as he changed to his wolf form as well and laid down so that his side was up against Urist’s feet and he and Amaterasu faced each other. He laid his head on the covers and closed her eyes, as did Amaterasu, and soon they joined their friends in the land of dreams.

Meanwhile, somewhere near the Frozen Fields Gate…

James eyed the butt of his cigarette, then dropped it into the snow and stepped on it before returning his attention to his new smoker-friend, a man in his mid twenties - a bit older than him - wearing a thick winter coat of the same brand as he did. “So, you’re not here for the whole religion bullshit either?” he asked as he adjusted his glove. Fucking hard to hold a smoke with these things.

“That’s right”, the other man replied. Just the way he talked made James wonder if he was wearing a suit and tie underneath that coat. “If an Omnilium leak is the cause of the phenomenon that was observed it would be a unique opportunity of business. If we take the big picture into consideration - which, without meaning to boast, I did - I am confident that the coexistence of this religious cult and a well-managed hospitality market could create a prime environment for organic growth.”

“Wha?”

“Without revealing too many of my envisioned mid-term goals, I understand that we - including you, my young friend - are the opportunists who could potentially pave the way for an as-of-yet untapped market in the tourist industry. We are doers after all, not thinkers who stay in the safety of their run-down offices. Am I correct in labeling you as such, Jamie?”

“It’s James, man. Look, I don’t really understand what…”

“Ah, that is not an issue. I feel that we are on the same wavelength, what with you being a goal-oriented out-of-the-box-thinking person, what does understanding the details matter? What I am saying is that the first wave, which we are a part of, can set the stage for future markets, and by exploring a business branch that has as of yet been unexplored we will be able to establish a monopoly before any competitors pop up.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

The other man sighed and shook his cigarette to get the ash off the tip. Then he rubbed his thumb- and the index-middle-ring-pinky finger-parts of his mitten together before James’s nose. “We could roll in the easy dough, man.”

“Ohh! Man, why didn’t you say so earlier?” He chuckled. “Would be nice though. I’m tryin’ to get outta my parents’ place and find a gig somewhere, my old man’s been on my back for ages now. Tells me I gotta stop partyin’ and shit. So, uh. You hiring for your gig, dude?”

“Indeed, and I would have a fantastic business proposal for you, Jamie. Let’s hash out the details…”



Not too far away from the two men, a troll bent forward to stare down a dwarf she was towering over. She bared her teeth for an evil grin, and the dwarf wrinkled his nose. “You probably won’t even last ‘til day two, stone-eater. Shoulda stayed in the safety of your fortresses and buried under a rock, where you belong.”

“Says the wampa-face tha’s used ta cowerin’ behind a man”, the dwarf replied and spat on the ground. “It true tha’ yer troll-men like ta take ‘em from behind so they don’ need ta see their faces?”

The troll-girl screamed and reached for the knife on her belt, but before the confrontation could turn violent a third individual intervened, separating the two of them with a gnarled staff that it thrusted between them. Out of all those present, this person’s clothing was the most eccentric: a robe of purplish brown color, not unlike a monk’s, covered their chest and most of the legs, fashioned out of leather and cloth. Where the sleeves and robe bottom ended one could see gloves and boots of the same color, adorned with claws and talons to look like the hands and feet of a great beast. Their head was hidden under a large helmet imitating the appearance of a boar, with two long tusks that left it ambiguous as to whether this person was a troll or the tusks were a part of the helm. They were covered head to toe in this mixture of a robe and armor, which made even their gender ambiguous. Until they spoke, that is.

“My friends, do not quarrel!” a male voice spoke from under the armor. “We are in this together now, the past should be left to rest and we must look to the future! If we fight among ourselves now, how are we to stand together?”

“He... called me ugly!” the troll-girl pressed out between gritted teeth, waving her hand towards the dwarf. The knife remained sheathed, however.

The armored man put a hand on her shoulder. “Sister Jur’Lin, you are a beauty among trolls, inside and outside. Let none tell you otherwise.” Then he turned towards the dwarf. “Brother Delnar, it is unbecoming of a member of a race as proud and honorable as you to insult another, even if you have been wronged first.”

“Ah may be proud an’ honorable, bu’ tha’ don’ mean ah’m gonna let a troll walk over me”, the dwarf replied. He looked aside as he said that, though.

“Does the mountain feel insulted if the wind calls it small? Allow the words to pass over you, brother, for an insult only means as much as the insulted is offended by it. And should your body fall on this journey, I will be there myself to help you to your feet, or carry you on my back.”

“Hah. Ah won’t be needin’ ta take ye up on this offer, Yer Holiness. Ah’ve seen the miracle an’ ah’m certain that the God of Light has sent a message ta the believers. Me faith strengthens me legs… not tha’ a dwarf ain’t hardy enough ta not endure such a journey.”

“Then I ask that you apologize to each other, and put your differences aside. In the eyes of the God of Light we are neither trolls nor dwarves, we are all equal.”

“Mmnh… fine. Ah’m sorry, Jur’Lin. Ah’m sure that any troll man would love ta be with a beauty as yerself. Jes’ ain’t easy gettin’ over wha’ ah’ve been used to me whole life.” With that, Delnar held out a gloved hand. Jur’Lin’s features softened, and she grabbed the dwarf by his lower arm, in turn allowing him to grab her arm. Like this, they shook ‘hands’.

“I apologize too, Delnar… prejudices are rooted deep in us, but if we are to stand together we must weed them out. I have no doubts that you will brave this journey without any trouble.” She turned to the priest after saying this. “Father Tah’Kar, what…”

The priest, apparently Tah’Kar - the very Zul’Garandian troll that had organized this meeting a few days ago, through the Dataverse Messageboards - raised a hand to stop her. “Sister, please. I wish to not use this name, for I am no longer the troll I once was. Call me Father or Warpriest, for as the devout priest of the God of Light I shall be ready to lead the fight in His name when the time comes. I will take on a name if I am permitted such by Him, but until then my title will be my identity.”

“My apologies, Father... I was wondering when we would depart. The merchant Ali is already raising his prices under the pretense of that his stock is running low, and we cannot afford much more.”

“That is true… I am quite saddened to see such an intelligent man bound by the chains of material wealth and the curse of gold. It is almost offensive to see him take our holy pilgrimage as an opportunity to sell coats and canned food overpriced.” He shook his head. “I have received word that another two individuals wish to join us tomorrow, and I would like to wait for them. If they do not show we will depart without them,” He looked over to the two humans, of which one was doing all the talking at the moment. “It would seem that some of us are quite eager to begin the journey earlier, though.”