4★ Banshee

Fire Banshee

“From the moment she was born, she has been cursed. Whenever she cries, somebody passed away. When she passed by, people would hold their breath in fear. Eventually, all those close to her disappeared from her side.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Loneliness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“She never once used her powers to intentionally hurt anyone, but unfortunately her intentions were not always enough. For one so young, being able to sense death in those around her must have been such a terrible burden.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Loneliness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“She believed that the further away she got from people, the less she would be able to sense their deaths, and so isolated herself from society. With no one around to avoid her, she felt an enormous sense of relief. Sadly though, as she grew, so did her power, to the point where she could sense the death of all creatures everywhere. Even now she sheds tears for them, and awaits the day someone will shed tears for her.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Loneliness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“Unrest was building among my companions as we waited for our battle with the bandits, no doubt due to the bizarre song floating through the air—the song of a Banshee. To me, it sounded like a sad song, but the guy next to me said it gave him the creeps as he plugged his ears. Apparently it only sounded like a song to me; the others said it sounded more like a disturbing wail to them. One person wondered aloud whether it was an omen of our defeat in battle. Another claimed it meant we would claim victory over the bandits. Either way, it didn’t much matter to me. Even if we won, the bandits couldn’t bring back my little brother, and if we lost, then I guess I’d be reunited with him. After our parents passed away, my brother became everything to me. I could never forgive the bandits who stole everything from the only family I had left, and then took his life without a second thought. I came here for one reason, and one reason alone: revenge. Once this battle is over, I’m going to offer up the head of my brother’s murderer to his grave.”

The fight was one-sided. The bandits must have somehow knew we were going to attack, because they were clearly prepared. Someone blamed it on the song of Morrighan. Some of our companions lost the will to fight and fled. But not me. I slew my enemies and kept moving forward. I needed to kill them, to kill as many as I could. I needed to—

“You are going to die.”

The woman’s face was expressionless, her pupils clouded. She was the source of the song. She spoke again.

“You are going to die here.”

I ignored her and started walking. She didn’t need to tell me something I already knew. The battle was over before it began. Still, if I could kill just one more bandit, I would be satisfied

“You’re still going to fight?”

I nodded.

“I see. You’ve already surpassed death. That’s why you were able to hear my song…”

She started singing again, in a loud, ringing voice. Her song wrapped around me like a raging storm. I felt power surge within me.

“Courage be granted to the warrior facing death… This is the last gift I can give you. May your desires come to fruition…”

I started running forward, charging toward my final battle.

Water Banshee

“How do you predict freak accidents? How do you stop them? The answer is that you can’t. Nothing and nobody can escape their fate. Now you know that, what will you choose to do with your life?”

– Excerpt from “The Loneliness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

”Huh? Why’re you washing dirty laundry this late?”

“…*sob*…”

Whoa! There’s no need to cry! I’m not going to tell you off or anything. Whose clothes are you washing?”

“…*wail*…”

“Why are you crying? Does it help get the stains out? Haha! Bless!”

– Excerpt from the story “The Sadness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“It turns out she was crying for and washing the clothes of a person who had just passed away. She’s such a kind-hearted creature.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Sadness of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

I faced a dilemma this morning. Seira had been summoned to the temple of the goddess Stella, and she left me in charge of all the airship’s “housekeeping”. She reassured me that I could handle it by myself, especially seeing that I’m a master and all, but there was something about the grin on her face that seemed suspicious. That was three days ago, and now I’m convinced that Seira is nothing short of superhuman. We summon, hatch, and catch more and more Astromons… There’s only ever more of them, not less. And every one of them needs looking after. Luckily, they at least get food for themselves, but I had no idea there was so much laundry to do on the airship… It’s making me actually wish we had more fussy Astromons who threw clothes away after wearing them once, Astromons like Gilgamesh… Of course, it’s not just clothing that needs to be washed. Towels, bed sheets, blankets… These past three days have been eye-opening, to say the least.

As I sat in thought, Morrighan suddenly popped into my mind. She’d said when she was living in her village that she always was doing laundry, and that when she moved to the airship she felt a little empty because she didn’t have to do it anymore. Well, I’d hate for her to feel empty! So I ran to Morrighan, and told her of the situation. Her response was not what I expected.

“You want me to do laundry…?

“Yup!”

Tears suddenly started welling in her eyes.

“What terrible thing happened this time…? And how many people died, that you need me to wash all the shrouds for the corpses…?”

“What? No, there are no corpses! You didn’t feel anything terrible was going to happen, right?”

“That’s true…”

I’m just asking you to help because there’s tons of laundry to do. You said you were good at laundry, right?”

“No, I’m not good at it. I just used to do it so I could give the soon-to-be-dead clean clothes…”

“That means you had to do a lot of laundry, right? So you must be good at it! I’ll help with it. We can do it together!”

I took Morrighan to the laundry room and we washed load after load for some time, when suddenly she got an incredulous look on her face.

“I never knew laundry could be so fun…”

“I’m glad to hear that, because Seira won’t be coming back for quite a while. We’re gonna have to finish everything in here.”

“I’m glad I can be of help. No one ever took notice back in the village…”

“Hmm?”

“Er, nothing! I’ll do my best!”

Morrighan smiled as she shoved the laundry down into the soapy water.

Wood Banshee

“Once you hear a banshee’s wail, you can never get it out of your head. It’s like the sound of a ghost mourning its own death…”

“What’re you talkin’ about? That wasn’t a banshee! That was me when I dropped my wrench on my foot!”

– Quote from a report on Banshees by “Astromon World News.

“I saw a banshee recently. One night, when I was going to get water from the well, there she was just sitting there beside it, crying. I asked her what was wrong, but she just vanished like smoke in the wind. The next day my dad fell ill and had to be rushed to hospital. I know why banshees cry now: they do it for other people. That’s why people are afraid of seeing one.”

– Quote from a report on Banshee by “Astromon World News”

”Have you seen that banshee around? I’d love to capture her. I feel so bad for her feeling sad all the time. I’d like to help her, even if it just meant wiping her tears.”

– Quote from a report on Banshee by “Astromon World News”

The man headed to the pub as soon as he reached the village. Once inside, he found the local information broker and threw a sack of coins onto the table in front of him.

“I hear there’s a famous Banshee around these parts.”

The broker furrowed his brow and shook his head. “Are you a master? If so and you’re here for the Banshee, you may as well turn back. She is strong, she’s special, and she’s even undergone super evolution, but she’s publically stated she would never enter a contract with a master. She’ll attack anyone who enters her territory without permission. She’s dangerous.”

The man shrugged. “I knew all that. Just tell me where I need to go to find her.”

“What if I told you she hates people?”

“I’d say she’s never met me.”

“That’s the same thing that every other who came looking for her said. ‘I can change her mind’, ‘I’m different’. Wanna know what happened to them? Half of ’em never even made it back. But suit yourself… Here.”

The broker scribbled on a small piece of paper and handed it to the man. With the note in hand, the man hurried out of the pub.

“Is this the place…?”

It was the forest where Morrighan was said to live. The trees were so dense that almost no light could get in. The man looked around the forest before yelling.

“Morrighan! I’ve got something for you!

“Leave.”

The voice was devoid of feeling. Morrighan emerged from the darkness. She issued a warning to man, her face as emotionless as her voice.

“I will attack if you don’t leave.”

“I’m just here to give you a gift.”

“I won’t be fooled by such lies. You’re only here to make a contract with me. I don’t make contracts with humans, and I don’t need a master.”

“Because you don’t want to foresee your master’s death?”

“I imagine the shock of your previous master’s death must’ve been huge, seeing how you’ve closed yourself up in such a gloomy forest. It’s understandable, given that the relationship between master and Astromon is special, to say the least.”

“Get out!”

“Your master also cared about you deeply.”

The man took something out of his bag. It was a pair of red shoes.

“Your master asked me to give these to you. He said he’d thought for a long time that these would look good on you. Take them or leave them; it’s your choice.”

The man put the shoes down and turned around, disappearing into the trees. As soon as he was gone, Morrighan walked to the shoes.

“Master, you fool…”

She hugged the shoes as tears rolled down her cheeks, reminiscing about her fallen master alone, deep within the forest.

Light Banshee

“One day, I ran into a group of bad kids who started to call me names. When I called them names back, they started hitting me. There were too many of them that I couldn’t defend myself. I was so scared. But then I heard this unearthly scream and passed out. When I woke up, Banshee was sat beside me, and the bullies had gone…”

– Excerpt from the story “The Tragedy of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“Those bullies deserved to be taught a lesson, but I think he regretted not being able to defend himself. After that he threw himself into training. I watched him from afar, and was impressed, but I think he went a bit over the top. One day he jumped off the top of a waterfall and I had to save him from drowning! I think I’m going to have to keep a close eye on him…”

– Excerpt from the story “The Tragedy of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“I cried for so many people in my life who passed away, so it feels strange that I’ve finally passed away myself. I wonder if this is how all those people felt? It feels kind of strange. I can’t really describe it too well, really. I guess it’s like you’ve done the same thing every day, and then suddenly you stop doing it… Anyway, now all I have left to do now is wait for him…

– Excerpt from the story “The Tragedy of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“When my family knew I was pursuing a Banshee, they sent me somewhere far away. In the carriage on the way there, Father said that while he understood how I felt, things between a human and an Astromon could never work.

‘Love between completely different species will only end in sadness,’ he said. ‘I could understand that, because you’re still young, maybe you’re just curious. Maybe it’s a fleeting interest. But this is a Banshee we’re talking about, a cursed Astromon who predicts death.’

I sat and listened quietly as he talked. I didn’t know if what I was feeling was love, either. I just wanted to protect the Banshee. I wanted to next to her. That was all. She was sad about the deaths she saw. She wasn’t the one who caused them, or who brought some sort of ill fortune. But no matter how hard I explained my family wouldn’t listen. So now I had no choice but to lay low. I would make it back someday. Thinking of the Banshee crying alone tore my heart to pieces, but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t have the power to go back and hold her in my arms. I needed money. I know I’ll get sent back here even if I leave, but I want to see her face, even if only for a little while. That’s all.”

“I finally made it back home. I knew I could only stay for a short while, but I’d finally be able to see Morrighan. I went to a place she used to frequent, but she wasn’t there. I asked the villagers there, but no one knew where she was. My family must’ve asked them to keep quiet, saying something like ‘Don’t tell our son anything if he comes back to town asking about Morrighan.’ As I was thinking this, a small boy came up to me and whispered into my ear that Morrighan was in a cave next to the waterfall. I thanked the boy and ran to the waterfall. Why didn’t I think of this? It was the waterfall I jumped off to show off how courageous I was. Of course, then she had to pull me out of the water when I couldn’t get out myself. That was the first time I saw her smile. She even smiled while scolding me, saying I was such a fool. I’d jump off the waterfall again in a heartbeat if it meant I could see her smile.”

“Morrighan!”

I rushed into the cave, but was only greeted by cold, damp air. Something didn’t feel right. There was someone laying on the ground further in the cave. It was Morrighan. She turned and looked at me.

“You came…”

“Yeah, I’m here!”

“I missed you… I’m glad I could see you one last time…”

“No… Morrighan, please!”

I held her in my arms. The heat was quickly escaping her body. The cold air reeked of death.

She had come here to die.

“Thank you…”

Saying that, she closed her eyes. It was only then that I realized something: I loved her. I loved her deep, deep within my heart. It felt as though my love had just began, only to end in tragedy.”

Dark Banshee

“She was always surrounded by a could of darkness, wherever she went. If you weren’t careful it would start to consume you. I don’t know how she stood it. No matter how much she cried or laughed, it would always cling to her. Then one day, just like that it vanished, leaving her feeling strangely alone. The loneliness grew, and eventually a new darkness consumed her.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Misfortune of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“It was a relentless darkness, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. It was like a nightmare that could never be forgotten, or a nagging doubt that could never be satisfied. The darkness just kept growing.”

– Excerpt from the story “The Misfortune of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“The end of the darkness brought with it a soft, eternal peace. She had no idea how long the darkness had consumed her for, but the moment she realized it originated from inside her it disappeared… and so did she…”

– Excerpt from the story “The Misfortune of the Banshee” by Arthur M. Choly

“Come back to the place steeped in death.”

The voice came into mind one day, though she didn’t know whose it was. She rejected the voice vehemently. She may have accepted her death, but she could no longer stand spending time in the darkness. Death would come for her even if she didn’t go looking for it. It was unavoidable. But that place… Not only was it steeped in death, but the overpowering stench of blood made it difficult to breathe. The voice in her head was luring her to the most horrific place in the world.

“It is your destiny. You must return. Come back to the place steeped in death, my sister. A warrior’s is to be celebrated.”

She heard the cry of a crow and covered her ears, but she couldn’t keep the voice from speaking.

When she opened her eyes, she saw she was on a hill. She looked down toward the bottom of it, where hordes of warriors were fighting. They stabbed each other with their swords and bashed each other with their shields. Blood flowed onto the ground. Screams filled the air. Piles of bodies grew larger and larger. Skulls were crushed. But the battle didn’t stop. The crow spoke to her.

“On the battlefield, there’s no need to predict death because no one will leave alive. All of them will die.”

Morrighan shook her head. “I don’t want this…”

“But the battlefield needs you. They’ve all prepared themselves for death. They fight with pride. Courage be granted to the warrior unafraid of death, and may fear overtake those who flee.”

“I don’t want to!”

“And yet I’ve always been here, even when you try so desperately to turn away from the darkness. I am part of you.”

The crow dispersed into a flurry of feathers, and the feathers flew inside of her.

“My name is Morrighan, watcher of war…”

The Dreadfay Morrighan finally awoke.