kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 8 Isteria (Part 1)

1

As the sun god Corama was about to hide in the western waters, a land appeared on the eastern waters. It was a small land. However, this “small” is in comparison to the vast expanse of water around it, and this small land is about the same size as the capital of Parzam.

Soon, the group descended to the western edge of this small land. It was when the waves were crashing, and there were several overlapping rock shelves. Looking closely, a small stream was flowing through the center of the rock shelves, and there was a puddle in the middle of the shelves.

“You can stay here for the night. There are caves, and there is water. There are also grasses, trees, and dry branches. I will come to pick you up in the morning after you have had your breakfast,” said Chichiruarchichi.

Bard thanked him for the care they had received so far. Taranka asked a question.

“Lady Chichiruarchichi, is this land on the water the dwelling place of the Dragonoids?”

“Yes. This Kukul-ri (island) is the country of the Dragonoids, Isteria. Our homes are from the east side to the center of Kukul-ri.”

“What is Kukul-ri?”

“It is the land that floats alone in the Yuug (sea).”

“And Yuug is this vast land of water?”

“‘Land of water’ is an interesting way to put it. But yes, that’s correct. These are human words, and it seems you don’t know them.”

“Lady Chichiruarchichi, the Dragonoids must have their own language.”

“Of course.”

“You are supposed to have little interaction with humans. So why can you speak the human language so fluently?”

“…Ask the chief about that tomorrow.”

At this point, Bard interjected with a question. Bard asked Chichiruarchichi if there were other Kukul-ris besides Isteria.

“I’ve heard there are, but the only one we know of is this Isteria.”

“Ah, I see. That’s all I wanted to know for now.”

Taranka said to Chichiruarchichi, “I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re tired. Please convey my gratitude to the other Dragonoids as well. It was a pleasant journey in the sky being held by Chichiruarchichi.”

“…You are a strange human.”

Chichiruarchichi said that and then flew away with his companions. Carla gave Taranka a suspicious look.

“Are you planning to seduce that dragonoid woman?”

“No, that’s not my intention. But I do want to get along with her,” he replied.

Getting along, Bard thought. That’s an important thing. The dragonoids are not allies. Rather, they are enemies. They are not people one can truly befriend, even at the most critical juncture. However, that is precisely why dialogue and understanding are necessary. Wanting to get along is a very good thing. Otherwise, negotiations would be impossible. Taranka, though still young, has the kind of thoughtful perspective one would expect from an experienced nobleman. Bard was greatly impressed.

2

The sun god had set into the waters, but it was far from darkness. Sura (sister moon) shone brightly in the zenith, and Sarie (younger moon) also appeared in her silver carriage. The star god Zaien was pouring forth the light of the stars more abundantly than ever.

Now, they must prepare the meal. The place where Bard and the others were set down was the sandy beach by the waves.

“Let’s have our meal right here on the beach. I’ll go gather some firewood, Carla, can you fetch some water from the sea and prepare the ingredients for the soup?”

Watching Carla head towards the waves with the pot, Bard remembered something. He called out to her that the water of Yuug must be saltwater.

“Oh, is that so? Then that’s perfect, I can save on salt.”

Carla scooped up some of the Yuug (sea water) in the pot and tasted it with her hand.

“Eeeeewww! It’s so salty! And it tastes awful. This water won’t work for making soup.”

She then climbed up the rock ledge and fetched fresh water from the stream. As for Karz, he had gone up to the rocky outcrop at the edge of the beach and was examining something. It was the place where the fresh stream flowed down, with jagged rocks piled up. The waves crashing against the rocks were spraying water. Karz came back down to the beach, searching along the shoreline. He seemed to have found something. It was some seashells. He picked up two or three, then went back up to the rocky area. He disappeared into the shadows of the rocks. Soon he emerged, with his sword drawn. He was swinging his sword, flicking something off the tip.

It’s a fish!

Bard finally understood Karz’s intention. Karz noticed that the fish were gathering around the rocks, so he dropped the flesh of a shellfish into the water, and then struck the fish that came to eat it with his sword. What a technique! Bard thought a little about whether it was right to use the magic sword “Van Fleur” for such a thing, but since Karz was doing it himself, it was probably fine. After that, Karz caught enough fish for all of them. The Yuug (sea) fish had no muddy taste and were very delicious.

After the meal, the four spent time as they pleased. It took a while for them to fall asleep. After all, the scenery was magnificent. The vast ocean rippling and swaying in the wind god’s breath, illuminated by the star god. The view never grew old.

But was this great sea really Yuug? Bard felt a deep sense of emotion. Yuug is the ancient name of a god. And that god is the god of the underworld. The great Ova flows down to a vast abyss, and that abyss is the underworld. The place where all the dead bodies arrive is the underworld. Therefore, the underworld is darkness itself, and chaos itself. But at the same time, it is also the cradle of new life. The dead find peace in Yuug, and are reborn into new life on the surface. Because darkness nurtures and protects life. In the frontier, the name of Yuug has not been forgotten. Bard had always thought that the letter he sent down the river would flow into the Great Ova and then be delivered to Yuug.

From here on, it is what Bard heard from Count Massimo Sambo on the way from Lordvan Castle to the capital of Parzam.

But eventually, the belief that the souls of the dead gather on the sacred mountain Fyuza and are led to the Garden of the Gods became more powerful. Also, the God of Darkness named Patarapoza was said to have appeared, ruling over the dark, the abominable, and the mysterious. The birth of life was attributed to the fertility god Horan. In this way, Yuug lost its power, becoming a god who simply continued to swallow the waters of the Ova, forgotten by the people.

But Yuug resides here. With its gigantic body that continues to swallow the waters of the Ova, it covers the continent, invisibly supporting the lives of the people and guarding the order of this world.

Glancing over, Taranka was lost in thought about something. At the water’s edge, Carla was by Karz’s side. Bard thanked Yuug and Zayen by giving them a gift of longevity.

3

They had just finished breakfast when Chichiruarchichi arrived, accompanied by three flying dragons. Boarding the four of them, they flew northward along the coastline. Hovering in midair at a certain location, Chichiruarchichi said, “Look over there.”

In the direction she pointed, there was a small, tiny Kukul-ri (island). It was made of thin, reddish rocks, with not a single tree growing on it. What was that island, and what had happened to it? The group received no answers to their questions and resumed their flight.

This time, they headed toward the central region of Isteria. The central part of the island was a towering rock mountain, with a massive crack running through its center. As they drew closer, they could see numerous holes dotting the cracked wall, connected by stairs carved into the surface. Dragonoids were flying out of the holes, indicating that this were the homes of the dragonoid people. The group headed toward the uppermost hole, where they were let off.

Bard thought, “If I fell from here, it would be the end of me.” Surprisingly, he had not felt the dread of being high up in the sky while riding the flying dragons, but now the fear of the height was overwhelming. Bard and the other three, along with Chichiruarchichi, proceeded into the cave. Somehow, the interior of the cave was dimly lit, even as they went deeper.

They soon reached the innermost part, where a massive, elderly dragonoid sat leaning against the rock wall. Chichiruarchichi spoke to him in the dragonoid language, which Bard could not understand. However, he heard the words “Fyuzarion” and “Taranka” in her brief speech.

“Humans, I am Popolbarpopo, the tribal chief of Isteria. I welcome you. Which one of you is the human called Taranka?”

“I am Taranka of Fyuzarion. Chief Popolbarpopo, thank you for arranging this meeting as we requested.”

And so the long-awaited dialogue with the dragonoid elder began. The secrets that Bard had been pursuing were about to be revealed.