Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry Five

Rise of the Spiritualist: Entry Five

Rise of the Spiritualist: The Personal Accounts from the Events of Shiro-Ryu High School from the Memories of Leonardo Yarafen Krilangi

Fifth Entry.

It's been a while; I need to bring you, my faithful readers, up to speed on what's happened while I wasn't writing.

After the crumbling city, devastated by Ryden's battle with Chris (who, by Sam's account, called himself 'Krest'), was rebuilt, classes resumed at Shiro-Ryu High School, and I was able to enroll as a senior. I studied hard and fought harder, joining hands with the other Elementalist students and leading their enforcer team while still managing to balance a full class load. I became a paragon for the rest of my class, labeled as the "star senior", and I graduated with an extremely high grade-point average.

After my graduation, I moved to a nearby city and started to train myself, bolstering my rapport of chakra and studying new hand-to-hand fighting techniques. I never got a paying job, since my long hair and "tattoos" dissuaded most employers upon their first sight of me, but I managed to get by. Occasionally, I would receive letters from the Elementalists, offering pleasentries and describing their busy school lives. It took a while, but I finally got used to the idea of being more open with them, and after six months being away from Shiro-Ryu, I finally sent my first response.

Coincidentally, a few days after I sent that letter, my grandfather, Sylas, wrote to me, telling me that he was going to pay me a visit. As I finished reading his letter, a blinding flash lit up my apartment as he warped in using the Ligeton chakra. He was exactly as I remembered him from my childhood; even after celebrating his 80th birthday, he looked not a day older than 45, and his hair, so white it looked like he had soaked it in bleach, trailed down to his lower legs. His fierce silver eyes shone as brilliantly as the day he was conceived, and his power filled the room with ethereal energy.

(As a side note, you may have noticed a trend in the appearances of my family members. It is traditional for all warrior monks to grow their hair long, as a symbol of their ever-growing strength. The fact that Grandfather Sylas' hair is so long means that his power is much greater than even my father's. In addition, every warrior monk in existence has had silver eyes. No one knows exactly why, except perhaps Grandfather Sylas, but he denies any knowledge of it.)

"Grandfather, it is an honor to see you again," I said, bowing to him in respect.

"Indeed, I'm glad I can still get this old body of mine to move, let alone use chakra anymore. Listen, Leonardo...There's a very serious matter I need to discuss with you. It concerns your half-cousin, Evelyn."

I was surprised to hear him mention the name of my half-cousin. She wasn't usually one to get in trouble; she was well-known as a high-strung, influential member of our vast family.

"What has happened?"

"A few days ago, Evelyn set out to search for a certain person, and we lost contact with her yesterday morning. We believe that she may have been attacked or kidnapped."

"Who exactly was she searching for?"

"A man of great dark power who calls himself Forte."

"Forte...?! He and I did battle nearly a year ago!! Did he somehow survive...?!"

"I'm not entirely sure if your Forte is the same person Evelyn went after, but it'd be best to share our knowledge...What do you know about Forte?"

"He is a lord among demons, a wielder of great power. He uses primarily dark-class skills, and he has an undead legion at his beck and call. His primary weapon is a giant axe, but he moves quickly and strikes hard. And the cloak he wears hides a strange fold of dark energy that encloses his victims and swallows them up."

"A versatile opponent, to say the least. Leonardo...if Forte is truly as dangerous as you make him sound, then this is a very serious problem. If he has captured Evelyn, he may try to extract from her the locations of our homes. You must find and save her, and you must be sure to exorcise Forte. As your grandfather, Sylas Krilangi, I place this task in your hands."

"...and I accept it with open arms, Grandfather."

"Good," he said, smiling down on me. "You always were a dependable young man, Leonardo."

"Grandfather...Recently, I have felt an unrest in the elements. Something is about to happen here that may herald the destruction of civilization as we know it, and as a warrior monk, I must be sure to stop it. I realize that Evelyn is in grave danger at Forte's hands, but..."

"I understand entirely. I only ask that you not take too much time. Her life...and perhaps the well-being of all the warrior monks...depends on you, Leonardo Yarafen Krilangi."

"I shall not fail in my duty. This I promise you, on my honor as a warrior monk."