The Return of the Wind Book 2

CHAPTER 1: NO MORE DETOURS

Hey guys:) Flaneur here. This is a new book with a lot more "sense of direction".
If you didn't read the description, it's a sequel to my first book, "Return of the Wind", so I reccomend reading that before this.

Note: PIXAL will have more screen time in this book, fingers crossed 

Harumi's POV:
(this was fun to write;0)

I don't know what Morro had in mind when he talked about it to me. 
The Land of the Dead?!
That place was haunted...I remember it being in one of my scrolls in the palace.
What home do we have there? 

"Morro...Departed right? The Departed Realm?", I asked him, pretending as if I had no prior knowledge to the haunted realm.
"No Rumes- this place is different...I've always wanted to invade it when I first helped Pre-eminent curse our wretched world", Morro said as if it was easy as walking through air.

"It's not about what you wanted to do...", I said, strands of white hair falling down on my face.
Morro looked up at me, snapping out of his turnaround of thoughts.
"It's about what you want do now, Morro", I whispered.

Morro pondered over this.
"You want to go to the Departed Realm- back to the prison made up of vengestone, which is more fatal to you because you can't stand the darkness inside, back to the prison that nrealy killed you, back to the land of your nightmares, back to-"

"OKAY OKAY STOP!", I told him, putting my head in my hands.
Morro looked up and is face twitched- he's feeling guilt.
"Harumi, I'm sorry", he said hanging his head down.
He only ever says my real name if he is serious, angry, or sad.

"It's alright, Morro", I tell him, even though I don't feel like it.
"Harumi?", he asks.
"Yeah?", I reply- what is he going to suggest now.
"I have to show you something", he says solemnly. Oh. 

I watch as he steps into the fluffy blue bunny slippers that belonged to Jay and the imbecile decided to prank him with that.

I'm surprised Morro hasn't realized them yet- he really must be aging quickly since he's getting blinder by the day.

And he goes to the door. I decide I better come with him, so he doesn't get into anymore trouble.
I come barefeet.

Morro nimbly jumps over the monastery wall and stands on the top of it- believe it or not, right that moment, he looked like a true ninja. I almost smirk at the thought.

He lifts me using wind, and presses a finger to his lips, "Ssh, Rumi", he whispers.
I have half the heart to shriek and flail about, but I don't. I have a bad feeling about this, all the same.
We both jump to the stairs and I begin to step with an overwhelming feeling shrouding me, but Morro conjures his elemental dragon- he still has that? 

I guess he has his own secrets. 
"Care for a ride?", he smiles innocently.
"Jerk", I punch him, seeing though the mask.
"Hey- I was trying to be nice!", he says in a fake voice.
That isn't gonna work on me, Wind Boy.

We both ride above a land that stretches miles across and soon come to the middle of a forest. There is a lake shaped like...

A diamond?

It isn't that big...but then again, it isn't that small. However, in Morro's eyes- he looks at the lake with a mixture of guilt and mischief- a rare expression to see, even on a ghost.
It was like greeting death as an old friend.

"Rumi- there used to be a realm crystal...", he said looking across the lake.
The lake began to cry- a deep wailing noise like the song of a whale.
Nevertheless, it formed a icy, mystical image of a crystal- a diamond.
"After your death, our beloved Green Ninja...and his father destroyed it", he said sarcasm edging his voice.
I stared, raising an eyebrow at a perfect angle. This was surely going somewhere.

The lake began to cry more, but in a muffled voice- it was like screams of a victim whose voice was going hoarse. The realm crystal it once solemnly mourned, shattered in the illusion.
"However...", Morro said tilting his face and a small, almost grateful smile twitched at the edges of his illuminated, ghostly face.
"It was not the only way to travel across realms", he said, now a anger gripping his voice.

It was time for me to interrupt- I had seen enough expressions on Morro's skeleton-face in one night.
"Yeah- your mother could travel between realms, remember? She was gifted by good old FSM? And- and there is also old school Traveller's tea", I said.
"That was a gift, Rumi- it wasn't natural...it was an award for fighting alongisde him all that time- but you know, now she's Wojira...like they say love turned poison", Morro said, looking at me for the first time since we got here.
I blinked at him.

Morro sighed and said, "There's another way that was born on the same night the realm crystal was created- the Lake of Illustra", Morro said, gesturing to the lake, which started to ripple with newfound pride.
"AND IT TOOK YOU THAT LONG JUST TO SAY THAT?!", I screamed. I guess Wu and Morro aren't really that different after all.
The fool shrugged- "Just wanted to make it special".
"Okay- just so you know- be a better storyteller", I punched him.
"I am the best...I tell the best of stories", he smiled.
"Totally", I rolled my eyes.

"So why did you bring me here?", I asked him.
"To show you the Land of the Dead", he breathed.
Suddenly on the surface of the lake, a land appeared, but Morro's expression said everything.

It was not the realm his mind had visioned.
This place was darker, with screams filling the night...
Both of our eyes took in the bodies laid out across the endless land. Arms and limbs lashed out violently, begging for mercy...
Two, glowing red eyes looked up...
And without a last word, Morro kept his hand out to the illusion and was sucked right in...

Pretty short for the first chapter, but I have the whole story planned out over a timeline. 
Hope you liked it!

Have a great night/afternoon/day
-Flaneur