New Allies
Saturday morning, Harry was on the express train to Nekomi City. The ride was smooth, with few stops, and Harry considered that he was probably the only person casually dressed on the train; the rest all seemed to be businessmen, dressed like Rock.
Once he got off the train, he kept his eyes open on the way to the ferry. Over there was a gorgeous temple on a hill, the houses all looked well kept, and the college was bustling.
Finally sitting at the ferry station after getting a ticket, Harry subtly peered around at his fellow passengers. Perfectly normal people were chatting, saying their goodbyes, and it was all around a most cheerful setting.
And then his senses convulsed. Eyes shifting, he took in a man and a woman, both slight in stature, and their features were similar enough to be called siblings. The woman had traces of magic on her, as if she'd just left a magical environment, and the energies were fading.
The male, on the other hand, was a veritable powerhouse of mystical energy. The magic flowed around and through him, almost aggressively protective. Not even the heavy enchantments he'd placed on Revy's necklace had this kind of auric density.
And then a somewhat taller woman walked up, placing her hand familiarly on the man's shoulders. Harry could see spectral wings along her back, and odd, thin, diamond shaped marking on her forehead and cheeks. Her entire aura spoke of peace and tranquility, and yet Harry was extremely nervous that such a magically powerful being would be present.
Finally, the ferry boarding call was announced, and Harry got aboard. Thankfully for Harry's nerves, only the sister got on board while the other two left. Harry took a seat on the upper deck, reflecting on the difference in temperature from the last time he'd been in the area on the Endurance.
Finally pulling out a book, Harry began to read, translating in his head the words of a manga, occasionally having to refer to a dictionary for the more modern words.
"Whatcha reading?"
Harry's head snapped up, and suddenly he was looking directly into the eyes of the sister from the dock. "Ah, it's a manga called Gunnm. I've heard it called 'Gun Dream' as well."
"Is it any good?" the sister asked.
"It really is," Harry admitted. "Japanese isn't my first language, so I'm having to look up a lot of words. Still it's good practice. I'm Harry Potter, by the way," Harry said, reflexively sticking out his hand.
"Megumi Morisato," she replied in a still friendly voice, shaking his hand with a firm grip. "English, huh? If you don't mind me being nosy, what brings you to Hokkaido?"
"Business," Harry replied with a chuckle. "I have an investment that I need some expert advice on, and the closest ones with that are in Hokkaido. What about you?"
"Visiting the parents," she commented offhandedly, sitting down next to him. "My brother and I are from Hokkaido; we just go to school at Nekomi Tech for auto engineering."
"That's pretty cool," Harry said, closing the manga. "I'm studying medicine and history."
'Be warned, young master,' Salim's voice slid in. 'This one has no ill intent, but she's far more observant than she seems.'
"That sounds like a rough couple of majors," Megumi admitted with a smile. "Where do you go to school?"
"I was learning medicine in Thailand, and before that I was with Lara Croft, who's an old family friend. She recently graduated with her PhD in East Asian History."
"Neat!" Megumi exclaimed. "That sounds so much more interesting than automotive engineering."
"Why car engineering?" Harry asked curiously.
Megumi sighed, answering, "Me and Keiichi, my brother, are both born racers and engineers. We get that from our dad, who retired a few years ago to become a glass blower. Our mother is a retired Mahjong tournament player. But my brother and I have talent, and our schooling is fully paid for by our parents, so why waste it, y'know?"
"I get that. I was shocked to discover that I had a talent for medicine when I was on an expedition with Lara. After we were rescued, I was stuck in Thailand for a while, so I volunteered at a local clinic."
The next three hours were spent chatting happily with a new friend. Harry never divulged his age, or where he went to school, but Megumi (age 19) was outgoing, friendly, and absolutely not nosey at all beyond personal tastes. They talked about movies, books, manga, and just about everything under the sun. Megumi didn't ask about anything personal, and Harry didn't ask about her brother or his girlfriend.
They parted ways at the docks, and Harry walked out into the freezing cold and driving snow, thanking his friends for telling him about the surplus Soviet gear. Looking around, he saw a man with a sign that read POTTER.
"Are you Harry Potter?" the man asked as he walked up.
"Sure am. Who sent you?"
"Frank Morgan. I'm here to drive you to the village and back."
Ten minutes later (once Harry had opened up the cold weather gear to keep from dying of heatstroke in the hot cabin), the man spoke up with, "There's a few things you'll need to know about the village we're going to."
"I kind of figured," Harry admitted. "And I really appreciate you being here to advise me."
"First, the local oni are paranoid. They don't like outsiders poking into their business, and they especially don't like magical ones. I hear you're educated in ancient Japanese manners, so use them.
"Second, they may confiscate your wand as a precaution. So long as you don't provoke them, you won't be in any danger. But if they tell you to go, you ask no questions, don't try to argue, just walk out as fast as you can. And don't run! They'll see that as a sign of cowardice.
"Third, above all be polite. They're already twitchy, so no need to make things difficult. And don't be afraid to ask for an explanation. There's nothing they dislike more than people who deliberately claim that they understand something when they don't."
"And that's it. I'll be waiting for you on the outskirts."
Two hours later, Harry climbed out of the car to approach a set of tall, crude wooden gates. They opened, and a massive, blue humanoid figure stepped out. Clearly male, his single horn jutted out from his forehead to curl backwards, almost touching the back of his head. A massive iron club was in one hand, and his only attire was a loincloth made of what appeared to be a tiger's pelt.
"Are you Potter?" he asked in a deep rumble.
"I am, sir," Harry replied, bowing.
"Enter in peace," the oni replied, gesturing for Harry to go through the gates.
Once inside, Harry gasped as the cold and snow stopped, and heat baked him from the ground up. Looking around, Harry saw a rather large community, or at least large buildings, laid out in a terraced arrangement up the mountainous cliffs. The grass was green, and the air smelled of spring flowers.
"This way, Potter. Morgan vouched for you, so don't do anything foolish," the blue oni stated, leading Harry to a lodge not far from the gate.
Once inside, Harry's eyes had to adjust to the dimmed lighting. There, working at a desk, was a female, yellow skinned oni with four horns jutting upwards from her skull, and a third eye. She stood up, and Harry noted that she was human-sized.
"So you're the new Sun King," she began, as the door slammed closed behind him. "I am to be known as the Shaper. I lead the Ezogashima tribe. Morgan tells me you want to deal, so let's deal. What do you want?"
Harry blinked at the bluntness of the woman, but said, "Yamatai is really messed up after centuries of no upkeep. I understand that the Ezogashima laid out the original foundations, and I was hoping to work out a deal to rebuild and modernize."
The Shaper frowned. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that?"
Harry looked at her in sheer confusion. "Why would I lie about that? A few weeks ago, I managed to cast a massive repair spell which stabilized a bunch of buildings, but I need to hire professionals to make the place liveable. Since your people know the most about how it was all originally laid out, I figured that you'd be the best to approach."
The Shaper's gaze seemed to cut through Harry as her head swayed slightly. "There is no deceit in you," she murmured. "Tell me, Sun King, what do you know of us?"
"I think I just mentioned the limits of my knowledge of your people," Harry replied bashfully.
"I see. Sit, and I shall educate you."
Harry did, and The Shaper began. "Few are aware, but most of we Oni are decent, hard-working people of demonic descent. The few that aren't are evil and wastrels, and of no consequence to this tale.
"Before the traders from the West came, we were wide-spread across Japan. We built, we forged, and we worked in harmony with the populace. And then came the Dutch, and their powder guns. But we endured the changes, as they mostly wanted a market here. And then came the missionaries, with their closed minds and hate," she spat out. "The Emperors and Shogunates were very much against the missionaries, but there was little that they could do about their insidious menace.
"And then came Perry, and his Black Ships," she continued bitterly. "Using the threat of the cannons on his steam frigates, Perry forced open trade. Of course, that trade brought in more foreigners, including Western magicals. From there, they spread their verbal poison until finally they gained a permanent foothold during the Meiji Restoration. Westernization was seen to be paramount, and inevitable. Within a few years, foreign magicals, on command of Britain through the Confederation of Wizardry, forced we magical species into hiding, onto reservations, to keep our traditions from polluting progress," she snarled out. "Scores upon scores of foreigners came into Japan, and we couldn't fight their alien sorceries. So we relented, and the Ezogashima consented to be placed here, at the ends of the Earth. Other tribes, other species, were wiped out entirely. But we endure.
"And this isn't limited to Japan, young Sun King," she continued. "Many believe that China fell similarly. In the late 1800s, Hong Kong was leased to Britain. Within a decade, crops began to suddenly, mysteriously fail across China, causing unrest. After all, Hong Kong was inside of the extensive mystical barriers powered by the Dragon Throne. Once foreigners were allowed inside, they got to work. We believe that the British magicals, again in league with the Confederation, engaged in a prolonged agricultural war in order to oust the Chinese Emperor, who had resisted their rule since the founding of the Confederation. Acting illegally, the Confederation toppled a non-member nation because they would not come to heel.
"So tell me, Sun King, what are your plans? What will you do if the Confederation targets your lands?" she finally asked.
Harry's mind whirled at all of the new information, pieces slotting into place as bits of historical trivia filled in important blanks. Blinking, he asked, "Do you mind if I open my bag to pull something out?" She gestured for him to go on.
Harry hung up his bag, opening it fully before entering. A few minutes later, the sandbox was being levitated out to rest on the massive trestle table in the center of the room. Harry pulled out one of Morgan's memories and slotted it into place. Instantly, the sand shifted, forming into a geographical map of Yamatai.
"So at roughly twenty by thirty miles," Harry began, "there is plenty of real estate. Dotted around Yamatai are bunkers with anti-ship cannons," he continued, working the controls to highlight the items, "here is the communications bunker that the Japanese installed during the Second World War, and other bunkers dedicated to research are dotted around the island. As I'm sure you're likely aware, here is the palace, the mountaintop temple, and the Stormguard Barracks. And now for the small villages... There. That's where we're at so far," Harry said, leaning back. "There's a number of ships, airplanes, and trucks also on the island, and I have crews clearing out seven centuries of corpses and debris.
"My thoughts are to build a small city here, on the Eastern plain. All of the citizens live there, all equal, with the exception of some species that have specific environmental requirements, like yuki-onna or merpeople. The gantry system could be expanded into a public transit system and heavy cargo lift setup.
"Now, over here on the West end, I'm thinking of building an extended dock system for trade, as well as a town for sailors to stay while they transfer their goods. We can easily trade with various groups in Asia for good money and mutual interest.
"I've already got a dozen or so permanent citizens, some human, some not. As long as they're working towards the rebuild, I don't really care about their species. Soon I plan to offer sanctuary to the surviving Chinese Magicals driven out by the Socialists, and I still have about four hundred living Stormguard; the rest were undead, trapped in their vows of service to Himiko. But with them dead, at least we have spare armor and weapons, so there's that.
"Next, I plan to set up a secondary ward system to enforce the laws. I'm studying some extremely intensive systems, and I'm fairly close to figuring out how to replicate wards against violence, rape, and so on, and then applying it all to a large area.
"So, with all of that in mind," Harry continued, "if the ICW wants to get nasty with us, first they'll have to deal with the storms, which are under my control. Then they'll have to deal with anti-ship cannons loaded with the nastiest stuff that can be thought of. And then, if they make landfall, they'll have to contend with the limiters for violence and such, while the Stormguard and other citizens won't be under any of that."
Harry looked up at the Shaper, asking, "So, what do you think?"
The Shaper peered over the sandbox, mulling everything over. "How long have you been putting this together?" she softly asked.
"I kind of... Okay, I put about half of it together just now," Harry admitted. "It's mostly just me putting together pieces of stuff that've been brewing in my head for a few months. But I think it's workable."
"Indeed it is," she replied, circling the map. "Very well. You have made an offer of employment, I shall make our offer of pay. Allow our people to move there in entirety, and we shall work with the others as equals. I assume that your word is law?"
"Sort of?" Harry replied. "I mean, I want things to be sensible, and I don't want people to think that I'm unapproachable when it comes to making the laws, or objecting to them. But anything that I put into law will become magically binding through the wards. They'll apply equally to everyone, so there's that."
"Interesting... Yes, I believe that this shall be our counter-offer," The Shaper stated, nodding her head. "I believe that we have the original plans for Yamatai here somewhere, and if not, we can make new ones. Is this the current condition of the island?"
"As of two weeks ago, yeah," Harry confirmed. "I've spoken with one of my people, and we're planning on geothermal electricity generation for most of the island. What isn't covered can be supplied with enchanted generators. Water charms, trade, and so on. Oh, the communications array is already dedicated for a purpose, so anything done to that will have to go through my representative there. Apart from that, I think we're good."
"Excellent," The Shaper smiled out. "Then we have an accord. Do you have a way for us to get there?"
"How many tribe members do you have?"
"Six hundred and forty-one," she stated. "We're long-lived, and breed slowly."
"Get me a length of rope or chain long enough, and I can..." Harry paused for a moment, considering everything. "Actually," he began, fishing in the Access Room of his bag to pull out a staff, "Get the rope or chain long enough for everyone to grab ahold of, and then use this," he continued, handing her the staff, "to collect your entire village. Portkey to Yamatai, and you can easily reassemble your village along the cliffs on this ridgeline," he continued, pointing out a line of mountains on edge of the Eastern Plain. "We can move forward from there, I think."
"I agree," The Shaper smiled out. "We would be honored if you were to spend the night, Potter. Shall I send someone to see to your driver?"
"I would appreciate that, Shaper. And thank you for all of this."
"No, Your Majesty. Thank you for giving us this opportunity. We'll not let you down."
The next morning found Harry back on the ferry, physically exhausted but mentally awake thanks to some drink that the Shaper had given him. They had worked through the night mapping out ideas, concepts, and plans, and the Shaper had most of the tribe in on the planning. All of them seemed to appreciate that Harry could not only take advice, but also adjust it to fit the larger, overall plan. They especially liked how Harry was thoroughly dedicated to being First Among Equals, despite his literal absolute power as the Sun King.
Halfway into the voyage, a familiar voice called to him. "You look wiped out."
Harry looked up, smiling a little. "Yeah, long night. How was your visit, Megumi?"
Megumi Morisato smiled at Harry, plopping down in the seat next to him. "Not terrible. Mom asked if I had a boyfriend, Dad asked how my apartment was. Both of them asked about my brother; they haven't been down to visit yet, so all they have are letters and phone calls."
"Good to hear," Harry admitted with a tired nod. "I was up all night wrangling out a deal. I got a couple of hours of sleep, but I figure I can sleep more on the train back to Tokyo."
"Makes sense. Say, are you too tired to give me a hand when we dock?"
"Probably not," Harry admitted, stirring himself fully upright. "What do you need?"
Megumi gestured at a large stack of boxes, saying, "Mom asked me to bring this back with me for Keiichi. Tastes of home and all that, you know? And it'll make me feel like less of a freeloader. Keichi's girlfriend, Belldandy, is an amazing cook, and I go there a lot to mooch food. I'll feel less bad for eating their food if I'm bringing stuff in."
"Sure, I can do that," Harry answered, stretching a bit. "I'll ask one of the ferry workers if they have a hand dolly or something."
A bit later, the ferry docked, and Harry managed to wrangle out the stacks of boxes for Megumi, hauling them to a small car with three wheels. Megumi's brother Keiichi was there, along with a tall, bronze-skinned woman with blue, blunted triangle marking on her cheeks and brow. Her hair was silvery-white, and her eyes were a striking shade of purple, a much warmer shade than Healer Morgan's eyes were. Harry noted the spectral wings on her back, one black and one white, and the magic fairly swirled around her chaotically, unlike the woman with Keiichi the day before. Introductions were made, hands were shaken, and Harry made his way to the train station after giving Megumi his email address.
What Harry didn't notice...
Inwardly smirking, Urd shook the boy's hand, flirting a little. She was startled to see that a fourteen year old male didn't blush, or even outwardly show any sign of reaction to her flirting. What she did notice was the sheer power of his very tightly controlled aura. Well, powerful for a mortal, anyways.
She saw the spectral lightning mounting his head like a halo. She saw the heavily enchanted piece on his forearm, as well as the density of the enchantments on his backpack. She also noticed that he was able to see the wings of her angel, World of Elegance. Peering a little deeper, she finally saw something that properly intrigued her.
A prophecy. The boy had been subject of an activated prophecy.
As Harry left for the train station, Urd split off a bit of herself. That mouse-sized bit invisibly floated off to attach herself to Harry's backpack. With that bit of noseyness done, Urd, Norn of the Past, Spinner of the Thread of Destiny, Daughter of the Daimakaicho, turned her full attention back to Megumi and Keiichi getting into the borrowed Nekomi Motor Club car.
Meanwhile, Harry got onto the express train back to Tokyo, and promptly fell asleep, the chibi-Urd managing to tuck herself into his backpack.