Book 5

bla bla bla = Izark's language
bla bla bla = Noriko's language
("bla bla bla") = Noriko's thought
["bla bla bla"] = Izark's thought

Izark tried to release himself but the hair tied his hand and pulled him inside.
    [I'll be sucked"],
    Izark shouted,"You all, please protect Noriko".
Then Izark was sucked, Noriko tried to call Izark by telepathy
    ("Izark, Izark...")
    ["Noriko, I'm okay. This monster tried to swallow me but I keep on defending"].
The hair divided itself into two. One part was moving towards Noriko and the others. Agol brought a torch and threw it to the hair but the hair avoided the torch. Banadam wanted to go inside the house to take a torch again, the hair knew and closed all the doors to the house. It pushed Banadam away.

    "Banadam", Noriko tried to help him but the hair chased Noriko so Banadam grabbed Noriko and took her away.
They fell down and Banadam's hand was injured.
    ["Run......Go and run! Don't get caught by the monster"].
    "Split up!", Agol gave the command,"Some of us protect Noriko and the rest try to make fire, that monster   is afraid of fire".
    "Sorry, forgive me!", said Noriko to Garya who was holding her.
    "Why do you apologize, Noriko?", asked Garya.
    ("Izark, Banadam, and the others. I have given them so much trouble. If I have ability. If only I have ability to protect them......").
They split up but the monster has created fog. Meanwhile, inside another part of the hair, Izark was trying to get rid of the hair.
    ["Is it useless? I don't understand. Instead of that, I just can release the dark power inside me,..... concentrate and try to control it"].
A pair of eyes appeared in the darkness of hair, Izark was affected and then his mind backed to the past.

    "Prepare to die, Izark", a woman was holding a sword and tried to stab him.
    "Stop...stop it mother! Stop it !!", Izark tried to avoid the sword and release his power unintentionally.
His mother was pushed away and injured.
    "You are not my son, don't call me mother. You are a monster"
    "No, you are wrong , mother. I'm human, don't make me afraid"
    "So what are these? The scales on your arms. If you are human, these things won't exist. And these are too....and so are these"
    ["Stop mother, don't do that"]
    "Father, I'll go away. If the condition always like this, mother will perish"
    "Don't go. By taking care of you, we became wealth, that's the deal. You are a child who has monster power, a reincarnation of monster, who will shake the world with that power. We have promised to look after you"

Meanwhile, Noriko and the others were walking in the fog and separated from Agol, Gina, Jeida and Banadam. When looking for the others, Noriko fell down and separated from the others. The hair has surrounded Izark's body. Izark didn't react, he was still in the past.
    "Put away that monster"
    "When will you be monster?"
    "I have made a deal with monster"
    ["My body feels pain. Help! please help me. Why everyone avoids me?"]

The hair has surrounded Izark's neck and choked him. But then Noriko's face appeared. The face when she was glad after looking Izark's wound has recovered. Izark backed to his sense, he used his power and destroyed the hair. Noriko was lying on the ground. She was awakened by a man's voice.
    "Noriko.. wake up. Please wake up.... hurry, the monster will come".
Noriko turned around and a man, who once appeared in her room on the night, was in front of her now.
    "Please...Noriko"

    "I don't know where it come from but since that day, may sad things happened. Anger, hatred,vengeance, the people were trapped in hatred and revenge because of those devils. Please Noriko, lend me your hand," said the man.
    "I'm... I'm just an ordinary girl. Can I help you?"
    "Yes"
    "But..."
    "It's alright. You can do it with what you have"
    ("With what I have......")
Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared. The same eyes that appeared in front of Izark. Noriko felt her head was in pain.

Izark has gotten rid of the hair. He turned around and saw Agol.
    "Agol....", then suddenly, Izark fell down.
    "Izark! What's happened?", Agol shouted.
Jeida and the others heard him and tried to find Agol.
    "Izark, answer me...Where's the wound?", Agol tried to help Izark.
    ["I have use my power too much. My body seems to change. Danger! Can't it stop? I don't want to be the monster they said"].
Izark heard many voices and opened his eyes. He saw all his friends except Noriko.
    "Where's Noriko?", asked Izark.

Noriko was in the middle of darkness.
    "Noriko!", Noriko saw the man, who just spoke to her, was calling for her from far away corner.
    ("Ahh...I have to go, he needs my help ").
Suddenly Noriko saw Izark was sucked by the hair, Banadam tried to help her, and Garya protected her.
    ("They all......I always gives them a burden. If I have ability to protect them. If only I have......")
    "I can give you the ability Noriko" said a man appeared in front of her.
Noriko was surprised, she turned back and saw the same man was calling her. There were two men with the same face.
    "Don't go there, I can give you an ability, the ability to play the sword like men or the unique ability like the prophets. So come to me Noriko"
    "Yes..but.....", Noriko turned to the other man who kept on calling her
    ("He said that I can do something at this moment...........I don't need the ability "). Noriko ran toward him, when she looked to the back, the man who promised her to give the ability turned to a big group of hair. Noriko was really surprised and ran away as fast as she could. The hair followed her.

    (" That monster is getting closer. It said it would give me ability. I do want the ability but the man's word 'You can do it with what you have' make me strong ")
Noriko stumbled and fell down.
    ("Do I have to regret myself because I don't have any ability? No! Not that. My  lack of ability  is 'can't run', so I will try my best to run ")
Noriko stood up and continued running.
    ("That's the thing I can do at this moment. I will concentrate on the things I can do ")

Noriko kept on running until the fog disappeared. Noriko arrived at a place where a big tree stood up.
    "You can run fast", said the man appeared beside Noriko.
    "That is its limit. The monster can't reach this place".
Noriko looked to the back, the fog still exist but it can't reach her. Noriko walked to the big tree, it has light purple leaves and white body. It's the Asayuge tree that Garya told before. Noriko touched the leaves and suddenly the leaves fell down followed by their branch.
    Noriko was panic, "Why do they fell down? I didn't pull them".

    "That branch fell by itself. Asayuge seems to have it's own mind", explained the man, then he continued,
    "This tree always spends his days with the villagers. Long ago, there was a traveler named Irkutsure. His hair was silver and his eyes were purple. Because his physical body is like the tree, villagers began to call the tree with his name".
Noriko looked at the man, his eyes were purple and his hair was silver.
    "Your hair and eyes were......".
    "They were so kind and made me happy. Looks like the name is suitable. Because of that, my name is Irkutsure, the spirit of Asayuge".

    "Hey, are you okay? You collapsed just now", said Barago.
    "Although we can ask Gina's help but this is a faster way. Izark can communicate with Noriko", said Garya.
Izark knelt down on the ground,
    ["Noriko....Noriko if you can hear me, please answer. Noriko, do you hear me? I beg you, please answer it, Noriko!"]
    ("Izark ? ")
    ["Noriko?"]
    ("Is that you, Izark? Thanks God, I have called you for many times. Are you all right? I worried because there's no answer ").
    "Fo...fool", Izark felt powerless and sat on the ground, " It's me who have to say that".
Izark communicated with Noriko for a while then he explained to the others.
    "Noriko was heading to the village, there's a man guides her. He is the spirit of Asayuge tree. She said there's a ceremony table around the village so  she wants to dig a hole under it. That's the only way to defeat the monster".

Noriko stop running, she was panting.
    "Are you all right, Noriko?", asked Irkutsure, "Sorry, I run too fast but that monster is chasing us".
    "I'm all right...he is coming", said Noriko.
Izark ran to Noriko's place by following the instruction that given by Noriko. When he met Noriko, Izark hugged Noriko,
    "Thank God, you're safe".
Noriko was surprised but then Irkutsure warned her about the monster.
    "Izark, Irkutsure said the monster is getting closer", said Noriko to Izark.
    "Irkutsure? Is that the name of the spirit you told me?", Izark turned around,"Is he here?".
    "You can't see him?", Noriko was astonished.
    "Noriko, that's because my energy is so weak that others people can't see me", said Irkutsure.

Izark turned off the torch he brought in order not to harm Noriko and the branch she brought.
    "Let me carry you Noriko. Ask Irkutsure to show the way. If that monster chases us, I can run and leave it", said Izark.
Meanwhile, at the village, Jeida and the others were trying to find the hole that told by Noriko. Gina felt the energy of the ground and pointed the hole but then they were surrounded by the hair. Noriko and Izark arrived at the village but they can't get closer to Jeida and the others because of the hair.
Izark put down Noriko and summoned fire on the torch, he threw the torch and used his power to summon the fire on other's torch. The hair got burned, it spread and made a way in. Noriko jumped in and put the branch in the hole that showed by Garya. The branch released a strange power that pushed the hair away. Then Irkutsure appeared on the branch.
    ["That's the spirit Noriko told"]. Izark and the others can see Irkutsure now.

Irkutsure looked at the sky and opened his arms,
    "Earth and trees in the forest lend their powers to help the villagers".
Suddenly big wind blew.
    "Free! Release it!".
The wind spread over the forest and pushed the hair. Many spirits flew out from the hair.
    "All of you...please wake up. This is not your place. Please remember about yourself. Don't be sad. Everything has been restored. Be happy , actually you are good persons". 
The spirits gathered around Irkutsure.
    "Let's start from the beginning again. How is it? Let's go back to our place".
Then the wind , the spirits and Irkutsure vanished.
    ("Everything has been fulfilled. Is that the will of the forest ?  how simple and soft it is ").
Noriko was touched and cried. The blue sky was seen on the village.

Irkutsure guided them out from the forest. But because they can't communicate with Irkutsure, Gina  acted as the mediator to show the way.
    "Uhm...Izark. I can walk alone, don't need to be carried",said Noriko blushed.
    "But it's getting dark. We have to get out from the forest immediately", said Izark who was carrying Noriko on his back.
    "Don't you like it ? Look , Gina is also carried. It's hard for women", said Agol.
    Garya spoke,"I'm a woman too, aren't I?".
    "Garya is an exception. You have the same power as man", said Banadam.
    "Instead of that, is there anyone who strong enough to carry Garya?", Agol smiled.
    "What did you say?", Garya looked at Agol.
    "No...not... that..", Agol was panic.  

    "But they said Izark collapsed just before", Noriko spoke to Izark.
    "It's all right. Don't need to worry", said Izark.
    ["But.......I do be tired after releasing power to summon the great fire. I may not use too much power again, it will be dangerous. if this thing happens again......"].
They came to the end of the forest, everyone is really happy. But Izark felt something else, the monster was still hiding and tried to establish its power.

Noriko got off from Izark,
    "I'm really happy to get in here, so I want to walk by myself".
Izark kept silent
    ["I feel that we still have to be aware. I don't why but this heart is beating"].
They arrived at the edge of a narrow path with ravines at the both sides. Meanwhile, the monster woke up a giant bird.
    "Wa...Wake up. Enemies come to steal your eggs. Open your eyes......".

Izark and the others tried to cross the path. Noriko felt a little afraid but Izark held her hand,
    "Let me guide you".
    "Uh..okay".
    ["My heart is beating faster. What place is this ? I'm worried about them. Is that just my feeling?"].
When they reached the edge of the path, suddenly a giant bird came and grabbed Izark and Noriko.
    "Good....That's right. They are your enemies", said the monster.
The bird   flew and took them away.
    "Izark!", Noriko called for Izark.
    "Noriko,...wait", Izark tried to release himself but the monster knew.

    "They want to escape. Kill them, throw them to the bottom of valley".
The bird threw them. Izark caught Noriko immediately and made a ball of protection around them. When they arrived at the bottom of valley, Izark fell down. His eyes, his teeth and his nails began to change.
    ["My body........It's useless. I can't stop it"].
The bird turned back and flew toward them.
    ["That bird comes again. Maybe there's someone controls the bird. I don't want to hurt it"].
Izark released his power and hit the bird. It pushed the bird to the rock. The bird didn't move anymore.
    ["Did I kill it?"].

Then  Izark acted strange.
    "Izark!! Are you okay? What's happened?", Noriko ran to him.
She saw Izark's hand, his nails became sharp and long like claw,
    "Your hand....".
Izark turned over and hid his hand.
    "I'll check the bird," said Izark and walked to the bird.
    ["It's okay. I'm okay. Please back to normal. Please"].
    ("Izark's eyes.....his teeth.....sometimes I think there's something strange about Izark but this is the first time I saw it clearly.  But ....but Izark, I.....").
Izark checked the bird
    ["This bird is unconscious. It will be dark soon, the bird will awake when the night comes"]

    "KYAAAAA", suddenly Noriko yelled.
Izark turned his head and saw Noriko was hit by a rock and fell down. The monster got inside the giant rock which was falling down on her,
    "The man is very strong but the woman is powerless. I'll attack her first".
    "STOP IT!!!", Izark ran and caught the giant rock.
He released his power and threw the rock aside. The monster came out,
    "Uh..uh....how stupid I am". Then it vanished.
"That monster has gone", said Izark.
    ["My body return normal"].
    "Noriko...", Izark looked at Noriko but suddenly something strange happened on his body.

HIs headband was torn by a hole that opened on his forehead.
    "AAAHHHHH!!", Izark closed his face with his hand and knelt down.
    "Izark!!! Wh...what....", Noriko tried to stand up but she can't.
Her feet and shoulder, which were hit by the rocks,  were in pain.
    "I...Izark".
    "Don't get closer Noriko. DON'T LOOK AT ME!",
Izark shouted but then a horn appeared from the hole on his forehead. His body began to change. His hair changed from black into white. His skin became dark blue and cracked like scales. His eyes were clear like the water.

Izark moved, Noriko was surprised, she remember Izark who hid his hand.
    ("DON'T LOOK AT ME, although Izark said that, but I ....have seen it all. He felt unhappy ").
    Noriko yelled,"DON'T! Arghhh", she felt pain a lot.
    ("He will go. Izark will go! ").
    "Don't! Don't go...I don't want.....I don't want to be apart. Always be together".
Noriko hold Izark's arm,
    "I like Izark....no matter what form you have, no matter what creature you are...... I like Izark".
Then Noriko kissed Izark whom still in monster form. After that, she didn't remember anything, her body felt very pain and she was unconscious.

Their friends were looking for them and they found Izark was carrying Noriko. His body has returned normal.