My days dragged on for the next several weeks. Between raids and learning to delegate an entire section of the Warrior City, I tailed CiCi and learned how to do the things neither Leon nor Claus had shown any interest in learning. I had learned the ins and outs of the city, all of its secrets, and how it functioned. I learned about the complications that arose when things did not run smoothly. CiCi taught me everything. And the more I learned, the more I began to like my new position.

One day, sitting in the office reviewing reports, I was thinking about my father, and how I transcended with the help of Yuki’s spirit-sister. There were only five of us in total that we knew of who had transcended into Limbo. I found myself wondering about CiCi’s transcendence.

“Hey CiCi, can you tell me about how you came here? To Limbo?” I asked hesitantly, looking up at the ruby-haired woman from behind the reports I was using as a shield. She paused and looked over at me, her emerald eyes peering beyond me, and seemingly into the past. She sighed and sat back in her chair.

“I suppose it’s time I shared with you.” She mused, and I put the reports down, eagerly leaning toward her. She chuckled a little bit and shrugged.

“It’s not very dramatic, I’m afraid. I was a medicine woman in a small village in a small country. We were hit with a sickness. It made black pus pockets form on the skin, and agony below. It killed many people. I was lucky enough to survive, but my daughters and husband did not. Not long after the sickness passed, people came from beyond the seas, spreading the word of their bloodthirsty God. Anyone who did not convert was killed. My village was attacked, and I died keeping a young woman from being raped by a soldier. And then I woke up here.” CiCi smiled and gestured around us.

“Yes, but you were the first to awaken your Soulmate, right?”

“The first of the Transcended, yes. Others had done so before, but they were without direction. When Tisin attacked the village I had taken residence in, healing the sick and wounded, it was a massacre. I was watching people around me die, the same people that I had nursed back to health in one way or another. Just like that moment when I died. At that moment, all I wanted was to be strong enough to save them. That is when Brigid awakened. She took the form of a sword and shield, and I was able to protect them. Fighting wasn’t something I was good at, but luckily, there were a few future Spirit Warriors in the village at the time.”

“No. Only people who had managed to awaken weapons. Directionless, hardly any of them knew how to use the weapon they had awakened within them proficiently. After Brigid awoke, I went around asking people about it, trying to learn. People were clueless. So I started gathering people. We started sharing information and creating structure. Later, I met Malakaii, and then Claus came to Limbo. From there, that village turned into this amazing city you are going to protect for me one day.” CiCi grinned, looking at me, her eyes glittering with memory and emotion.

“You’re amazing, CiCi.” I couldn’t help but notice how my voice sounded hushed in awe, and I immediately felt embarrassed.

“And you’re a suck-up. You want the night off or something?” The redhead teased, and I shook my head.

“No, I mean it. I wouldn’t have known how to start something like this.”

“Ah, well. Honestly, it was good luck that I found competent people to help me get this started. You will learn as you go. Now seriously. Get out and go relax.”

“Really? You’re sending me home now?”

“You’ve earned it. You’ve learned nearly everything at an amazing speed, and you’re quite an outstanding pupil. But you are exhausting to keep up with, and I need some downtime too! Now shoo! You’re interfering with my night off.” She said cheerfully, and I left feeling amused and proud. It wasn’t going to last long, however.

The next morning, I was awoken by pounding on my door. I escaped the labyrinth that was Leon’s arms, stumbled to the entrance, and opened it. Nakita and Kora were standing there, faces strained and worried.

“Hi… what time is it?” I asked stupidly, still trying to escape the snare of sleep.

“Don’t matter, girl. We go now to CiCi.” Nakita said. “Hurry, get your things. She is waiting. Along with Ivan, Rachel, and Elliot.” I nodded and opened the door to let them in while I turned and entered my bedroom. Leon was sitting up now, and I began to grab my clothes, throwing them on hurriedly.

“What is going on, Yuzuki?” he asked tiredly, and I shook my head as I donned the black Chief uniform.

“Don’t know. CiCi is calling me.” I responded. I went and grabbed Estrakulius from against the wall near my bed, leaned down, and kissed his cheek. “Go back to sleep,” I whispered softly against his ear before slipping from the room and going back to Kora and Nakita.

“Yoozoo! I have to say, girl, black is your color!” Kora said cheerfully, though it was clear that she, too, wasn’t happy about being here.

“Thanks, Kora. How are you feeling?” I asked as we exited and began to make our way to CiCi’s office.

“Almost perfect! Thanks to you. Other than some strange side effects. I was terribly serious for a couple of days. But that’s wearing off finally.” She answered happily, and I let out a little tired laugh.

“I’m not that terrible, am I?” I asked her, and she laughed and shook her head. Nakita even let out a little smile.

“You guys get told you’re in my personal regime?” I asked, and they both nodded. 

“We sure did Yoozoo! I couldn’t have been happier about it either!” Kora exclaimed.

“I was rather impressed. I never thought someone would be dumb enough to trust me with such a choice.” Nakita answered in her usual crass demeanor and I grinned over at her as we walked.

“Well, I needed someone to keep my head level. And you’re good at that.” I told her, and Nakita looked over at me, surprised, though a small smile that spread to the very corner of her lips told me she was pleased with such a response. We exited the living quarters and I could see the moon was still high, the sky still dark. The sky displayed a full moon tinged with red, and I immediately got an uneasy feeling. I hurried Kora and Nakita, finally coming to the conclusion that I was probably not going to get to go back to bed.

When we finally got to CiCi’s, the rest of the regime was waiting for me inside. CiCi was packed up and armed.

“Field trip today, my protégé. Something major has happened.” She said, and we followed her out to the stables, where our horses were already saddled up. We mounted them and directed our horses to the skies, their brilliant and translucent wings reflecting in the moonlight above us, the glittering rainbow of the atmosphere below us blocking out the illusion of whatever scenery Limbo had decided to grace us with.

Once in the sky, CiCi began to explain the sudden need to rise before dawn and head out on horseback.

“There’s been another attack by a group of Tisin,” CiCi explained to us, and immediately my heart dropped.

“Do we have an estimated death toll yet?” I asked and CiCi shook her head.

“This time it’s different.” She said, and the tone of her voice made my blood freeze.

“How different could it be?” I asked.

“This attack was on the Gateway.” She answered. Nakita and Ivan both swore while Rachel’s face paled, while Kora gasped.

“Cici! You must fill us in!” Elliot urged impatiently.

“What is the Gateway?” I asked stupidly, once again feeling frustrated at my lack of knowledge creeping in. I’d been here for almost a year now, and it was harrowing the number of things I still learned every day about this world.

“The Gateway is the portal where recycled spirits leave or enter Limbo. It is called the Gateway for this reason. This Gateway has a Keeper, a spirit who has been assigned from beyond Limbo with the powers to protect the gate and direct the flow of souls. The Keeper is the only one in this realm who knows what is on the other side of the Gateway.  And they are never alone. They have one spirit, one devoid of any special gifts and powers to take care of them.” CiCi explained to me. “The Keeper keeps this world balanced and is the only one who can open the portal to allow souls in and out of Limbo. Their existence is the key to Limbo’s stability. Without a Keeper, Limbo would surely collapse in disarray. The death of the Keeper could spell disaster.” CiCi continued her voice, sounding grave.

“Is the Keeper okay?” I asked calmly, while the others rode quietly, impatiently waiting for CiCi to continue.

“I don’t know. I was asleep, and the Keeper used some of her strength to send me a direct messagethrough my dreams. Perks of being a Keeper, I guess. It was the first time. But I know from what information I was given that there was an attack on the Gateway, and the Keeper was in trouble. That is what we are going to go see. Whatever we find at the end of our journey to the Gateway is to stay between the seven of us until I say otherwise. Is that understood?” We all agreed. If the Keeper were killed, it would cause panic for the residents who know about the structure of our world. It was our job to keep the people safe.

“Cici, why didn’t we station guards on the Gateway?” I asked, and CiCi sighed.

“The Gateway is never in the same location. Much like the environment in this world, it uses magical energy to switch its location every few days. Souls that are cleansed or perish here are naturally drawn to the Gateway. Kind of like a spiritual magnet. Intruders in the Gateway scramble the delicate balance because souls are pure energy. So stationing warriors in the Gateway would not be beneficial. The only ones who can stay near the Gateway are the Keeper and their caretaker.”

“It sounds like this Gateway is very delicate,” I said, sighing.

“The more powerful an item or being is, the more rules there are, and the more complicated the existence is. This holds true throughout every world.” Nakita was the one who answered me this time, and again I couldn’t help but feel as if it made sense.

“So how are we going to find the Gateway?” I asked, suddenly worried. Limbo was a big place, but time and space shifted differently here. Searching for a specific location was a tricky thing in this world.

“The Keeper, in her message for help, gave me a location,” CiCi answered. “That is usually the only way for anyone other than souls who need to move on can find it. They must be invited by the Keeper.” I nodded again and frowned in worry. 

It was a long journey. Dawn was starting to spread over Limbo when we finally found it, and we spotted it off in the distance before we arrived. A relatively large group of Tisin were surrounding a large tree in the middle of a field. The tree was larger, wider, and taller than any other tree I’d ever seen. Its trunk was so thick it could hold four of our horses side by side comfortably inside of it. Its foliage was lush and vivid, filled with greens, yellows, and reds. Around the tree, there was a glowing white barrier that was keeping the Tisin at bay.

“That’s it! Look, alive, Warriors. It seems they are still under attack!” CiCi urged her horse to go faster. I grabbed the hilt of Estrakulius and urged my own horse to keep up. It wasn’t long until we were all low enough to the ground for us to jump off of our horses. Our horses turned away from the Tisin as soon as we all dropped. As they landed on the ground and tucked their wings away, we could hear their hooves beat on the ground as they made for the other side of the field, away from the Tisin and into the cover of trees.

We ran in, Elliot’s yo-yo soulmate flashing as he began to slice away at the legs of the Tisin from a distance, while Kora activated her own offensive wind tactics. Nakita stayed with Rachel, shooting down Tisin that came near her, while Ivan joined the rest of us close combat fighters as we began to battle our way to the tree. Weaker Tisin fled at the sight of us as CiCi danced with her falcata sword around the Tisin in a rhythmic motion. She was so fast she was a blur, and I tried to match her, focusing on trying to get my energy to flow through my body without interruptions. I was getting better, and thanks to weeks of practice, my wings burst into life when I needed them to, helping me launch over claws, teeth, and jagged tails intent on goring me.

It was a quick, boring battle, most of the Tisin fleeing after several of their larger, stronger pack members were put down. When the battlefield cleared, I helped cleanse some of the Tisin that had been crippled during the battle. The soul energy that our Soulmates did not devour rose up and floated eagerly to the tree. The result was a large group of colored orbs, floating around as if waiting for something else to happen.

We approached the tree, and the white barrier went down silently. We entered the area, our eyes casting out for any signs of life.

“Over here!” A weak voice called out. It sounded male and came from the base of the tree. We all hurried over, and I blinked in surprise. What looked like a set of small children was at the base of the tree. A young boy with short-cropped hair, his ears were pointed and set straight out from his head. The girl had hair longer than the entire height of her body, and she was leaning up against the boy tiredly.

“Who is here?” she asked, her voice sounding mature and older than it should have. Her eyes were closed, and I wondered why she didn’t simply open them to see for herself.

“The Warriors, Keeper. The Tisin are gone.” His vivid green eyes looked up at us, though nervously.

“Keeper. I got your message. I’m sorry it took us so long to arrive.” CiCi said softly, and the girl opened her eyes finally. Her eyes were so milky blue that we could barely even see their pupils. That’s when I realized she was blind. Her long blonde hair shifted to silver as she sat up.

“It is okay. You arrived in time nonetheless. It took a lot of strength to hold the barrier up for this long. You may have arrived just in time.” The little girl said, holding her hands out. The young boy took them and helped her up. The blind Keeper turned now, appearing to stare directly at one of the floating orbs in front of her. “I see you have cleansed several of the Tisin that were lodging against us. That can only help the cause further. The situation is grave, Warriors.” She said softly. She turned and began to walk around the tree slowly, and we followed her. At the base, she knelt down and touched the trunk tenderly.

A spring came to life at her touch, water bubbling up and trickling down, though no water trailed down on the ground. The tree began to glow a soft white, and the waiting souls began to converge on it. They settled there against the tree, and within seconds, they seemed to be absorbed by it. I watched curiously as they disappeared.

“So that’s what happens? Our souls go into the tree? Wait, you could see them? But...aren’t you...?” I couldn’t help it, and the Keeper giggled, while the little boy rolled his eyes.

“This is not a tree. And she can see just fine, it’s just different!” He snapped at me, as the Keeper again touched the base of the tree, making the area appear normal.

“It is the Gateway into the next path. Within the tree,r many portals exist, and the tree takes each soul to where it should be. But that is all you should know. We of no name worry about the Gateway. Your task is to worry about this life, in this world as of now.” The Keeper responded, her silver hair shifting to black as she spoke. I noticed now her ears were also pointed and I frowned.

“So, what happened? How did the Tisin find you?” I asked her, hoping to quell the growing curiosity in me.

“The balance of this realm has been rapidly declining. The amount of Tisin has been rising. The more out of balance it becomes, the harder it is the move the Gateway. We are stuck here.” The Keeper answered simply. And my mouth fell open.

“So even now, after the danger has passed, you will not be able to move the Gate?” CiCi asked in surprise. It dawned on me suddenly that CiCi was unaware that this could happen. How much was truly known about the Gateway and its Keeper? I concluded that it could not have been much as the boy with pointed ears shook his head.

“We are on the brink of disaster.” He said fiercely, going to the Keeper and taking her hand. Her milky, blind eyes lowered as she nodded.

“It is true. We are. Fewer and fewer souls are coming through the portal to move on. But the same amount of spirits are coming in. I am worried that the Tisin are overrunning the world. Soon the only spirits who come in here will either be devoured or turned into another Tisin. Tell me, what is the situation from the Warrior's point?” The Keeper asked gently, but we could hear the accusation clearly in her voice. ‘Why aren’t you doing your jobs?’ I looked to CiCi, who nodded.

“Our own city was under attack a few weeks ago. There is a new type of enemy that we never expected to face and therefore, were unprepared for. Perhaps Yuzuki had best be the one to explain this. She is my protégé. And she is directly linked to the events that have been occurring.” The Keeper turned away from CiCi’s voice when she was done speaking and turned to the boy who seemed to be her caretaker.

“Some tea for us and our guests, please.” She asked politely, and for the first time, he looked pleased.

“Yes, Ma’am!” He said, letting go of her small hand and hurrying to the tree. He knocked on the trunk, and a door etched itself out on the tree in front of him, then swung inwards. He entered, and the door closed behind him, disappearing as he did too.

“Ooooohh! I want my house to have that kinda door!” Kora spoke up for the first time, finally, and the Keeper turned to her thick accented voice, and then let out a small laugh.

“I hear it’s an interesting thing to see. I myself have no idea what it looks like. My eyes are only meant to see the raw souls that come for their journey.” The blind Keeper’s long hair shimmered into a light blue color as she spoke, and I sighed, finally, unable to control my curiosity anymore.

“Your appearance changes, it seems, at random. Are you able to explain this?” I asked her, choosing my words carefully. She turned her blind eyes towards my voice this time and nodded.

“It’s just how I’m made.” She answered simply, and my mouth tightened in irritation. What the hell kind of answer was that anyway? Nakita snickered behind me, and I turned and glared at her. “Now, if you please, we are prepared to listen to what is going on from beyond the Gateway.”

“You don’t want me to wait until he gets back?” I asked, torn between being polite and not wanting to be the one talking. 

“He can hear you from within. Fear not.” The Keeper smiled and sat down carefully, her long flowing robe situated around her comfortably. Ivan and Rachel sat down close to each other, his arm around her shoulders. CiCi shot them a reproachful look but said nothing. The rest of us remained standing.

“A little under a year ago, I came to this place by Transcendence.” I began, and the blind Keeper gasped.

“So you’re the one I felt bypased my Gate!” She said, clapping. “It’s so pleasant to meet you. Not many have the capability to do that. Oh! I’m sorry, I interrupted.” She piped down, and I felt a little harrowed. Even the Keeper had felt me rudely barge into this world? I cleared my throat a little awkwardly and began again.

“To make a rather long story short, my father had died the same day as I did. And he also transcended; however, he did so as a Tisin. He was not a good man in the living realm, and he is worse here in Limbo. He has somehow begun controlling the other Tisin. He’s ordered organized Tisin attacks on villages, where they leave the bodies for him to come feed from. He also has the capability to speak and see through space and time to events that have happened in the past. It would not surprise me if he had found a way to rapidly create more Tisin.”

The Keeper frowned as the boy came out with a tray of cups and a kettle. She waited until he sat down before continuing.

“I see. So that is the other… thing I felt pass through. I wasn’t sure what that was. It’s never happened, not as long as I have been here. I recognized you as one of the Transcended, but the other one that ripped its way through felt so wrong that for days I felt spiritually violated.” She nodded as the boy began to pour us all tea.

“So. Yuzuki. In the interest of things. What do you think we should do?” CiCi turned to me, and I frowned. I took the question seriously, and my mind began to reel about what my father would do in this situation.

If warriors were stationed too close, it could scramble the already disoriented magical energy around the Gateway. It was bad enough that we were in here at this present time. It made me suspect that a short time is okay, as long as we do not overstay our welcome. And the Gateway could no longer be moved by the power of the Keeper, due to the instability of the balance. Balance was such a fragile thing, and yet so much in this world depended on it. 

“We cannot leave them here defenseless. It was taking all her power to hold the barrier up. And now that the Tisin know where it is, and that it cannot move anymore, they are vulnerable. Nakita, Ivan, Elliot, Kora, and I will stay here to guard them for now. Rachel will escort you back to the city. Have at least ten warriors sent here, and they will stay in the field. Six warriors, two healers, and two augmentations. Actually, double all of those numbers. In case it takes us more than a day to regroup. It’s about a five-hour ride back to the base. Once they get here to relieve us, our squad will go home, and then we can convene with Leon and Claus and get their reports and input. If anything happens before we get relief, we can always communicate.” I answered, reaching up and touching the spiritual energy-activated speaker on my uniform.

CiCi nodded in approval and grinned at me.

“See? You’re cut out for Chief work. Don’t you think?” She taunted me before signaling to Rachel. “You heard the woman. Let’s go.” She said. “Keeper, Warriors will be sent to safeguard you. We will fix this. Leave it to us. And if you have anything further to report, please have one of the Warriors contact me directly.” CiCi gave a polite bow to the Keeper, and the boy nodded in thanks.

“She gives you respect, Keeper.” The Caretaker stated, and the Keeper smiled happily.

“I leave the fate of this world in you and your capable Warriors’ hands.” She said, bowing her head.

“No pressure,” CiCi said in response, though laughing while she did so. CiCi managed not to look in the least bit concerned, and this frustrated me. How was she so damn calm? CiCi and Rachel finished their tea and headed off. I hurried through mine and immediately calm washed over me. The taste was familiar, and yet inconceivably strange. I was not perturbed at the thought that this world could collapse at any moment due to the imbalance of the spirits. If I hadn't been so calm, that in itself would have alarmed me. I looked at the empty cup in surprise and set it back on the tray.

“Really calming? I know. It’s the Caretaker’s recipe. He created it for me when I get restless. I must always maintain my composure, lest the Gateway feel my weakness and no longer obey me. Then we would all be stuck.” The Keeper’s hair shifted to white, and I shivered.

“I can see how your job can be stressful, Keeper. Worry not. My team and I will protect you at all costs. I trust them all with my own life.” I reassured her. She smiled, looking a little relieved.

“Thank you, Yuzuki. I will put my trust in you. Let me know if you need anything. Please be sure to step past the edge of my barrier; that is where you can be the closest without interfering with the Gateway’s power.” I nodded, forgetting that she couldn’t see me for the moment. When the Caretaker glared at me, I cringed slightly before answering.

“Understood, Keeper.” I turned, and the rest of the team followed me, and once we were outside of the barrier, I whistled. All at once, five horses came out from the tree line and began to trot towards us. “Utilize your mounts, and guard the perimeters of the glade. Don’t stay in the same spot too long, and do not get too close to the treeline or the gateway. Just make sure you check every angle.  If anything happens, get our attention using the communicators. Only move to help your neighbor when I say so! We do not want to fall into a trap. If we are all lured to one area we could get attacked from the vulnerable side. Got it?” The team nodded, looking at one another uneasily.

“What did CiCi do to you in these past few weeks? You’re all… Chiefly.” Elliot said, wrinkling his nose. I blinked at him, suddenly feeling a little bad for speaking to my friends that way. “I’m just kidding, Yuzuki. You’re really good at this. I wouldn’t have an idea what to do. I’ll go guard the east side!” Elliot grinned, and I immediately felt better. I laughed a bit as he mounted and rode away.

“You guys be safe. Kora, go get the south side. Nakita, the north. Ivan, you’ll be west.” I nodded and climbed on my mare. I kicked her up to a trot and began to patrol, as close to the barrier as I dared. Several hours went by, and I gave them breaks intermittently, taking over their post for a while as they rested. I took a break last and watched the sun sinking down over the horizon. It would be sunset soon, dusk was settling in like a cool blanket around the tree. Over the course of the day, I had seen several orbs come to be moved on, but it wasn’t enough. Not enough to restore the balance for sure.

Yet, I did not worry. One problem at a time. We couldn’t restore the balance until the main enemy was destroyed. There was no telling how many souls we would set free after cleansing that man’s vile heart. I had yet to really come to a conclusion on how we could take care of the issue of my father when I noticed movement out further in the field, far enough away that it was still in the shadows of the treeline. I slipped Estrakulius from his sheath slightly, and sure enough, he was humming, glowing the faintest of purples.

I reached up and touched the speaker on my chest, concentrating on the connection I had with the rest of the team.

“Heads up, team. We have incoming. I can’t see how many or how big, but something is coming. Be prepared to fight.” I did not like not being able to see how many enemies there were in the night. I was closest to Nakita, and I heard the speaker crackle as she touched it.

“I see it too. It’s too far away.” Nakita said softly.

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Memoirs Of The In-Between: Table Of Contents

Memoirs Of the In-Between: Chapter 16

The Gateway

My days dragged on for the next several weeks. Between raids and learning to delegate an entire section of the Warrior City, I tailed CiCi and learned how to do the things neither Leon nor Claus had shown any interest in learning. I had learned the ins and outs of the city, all of its secrets, and how it functioned. I learned about the complications that arose when things did not run smoothly. CiCi taught me everything. And the more I learned, the more I began to like my new position.



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Memoirs Of the In-Between: Chapter 16

The Gateway

About the Creator

Hope Martin

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