| Guardian of the God | |
 | |
| Title | Guardian of the God
|
| Romaji Title | Kami no Moribito
|
| Kanji Title | 神の守り人
|
| Author | Nahoko Uehashi |
| Illustrator | Makiko Futaki Miho Satake |
| Publication Order | |
| Preceded by Traveler of the Void |
Followed by Traveler of the Blue Road |
| Japanese | |
| Publisher | Kaisei-sha (hardcover) Shinchosha (paperback) |
| Publication date |
January 2003 (both volumes) |
| ISBN |
ISBN 978-4-03-540280-0 (volume 1) |
| English | |
| Translator | |
Guardian of the God (神の守り人, Kami no Moribito) is the fifth novel in the Moribito series written by Nahoko Uehashi. The novel is split into two volumes, with God's Appearance (来訪編, Raihō-hen) containing the first half of the story, and Return from the Hard Journey (帰還編, Kikan-hen) continuing as the second half of the story.
Plot Introduction[]
When Balsa encounters a brother and sister being sold by a slave trader, she impulsively takes the girl, Asra, away when she finds out that the girl's life is in danger. As Asra draws closer to an awful god who can be a blessing for the people or cause a great disaster, her powers are felt in the Kingdom of Rota, where a conflict between the north and south grows. Balsa must protect Asra from secret agents of Rota and avoid a calamity that Asra can cause herself.
Plot Summary[]
God's Appearance[]
God's Appearance[1] begins a few months before the events of Traveler of the Void in a prison castle called Shintadan (シンタダン). Located in Northern Rota near the New Yogo border, a horrific incident happens at Shintadan, with all guards and inmates being massacred in a mysterious way.
That year, Rota Kingdom suffered from a sudden disease that afflicted most of the sheep in the northern part of the kingdom. To avoid the starvation of the northern people over winter, Rota's king Yosam decides that taxes in the southern part of Rota must be increased. That infuriates the clan lords of the south. Concurrently, the north must significantly increase the head count of the brown sheep called shahan that northern clans stubbornly consider "dirty." That infuriates clan lords of the north. The southern clan lords attempt to bargain with Yosam in exchange for paying higher taxes; they want the port city of Tsuram opened to trade with the Talsh empire. However, king Yosam refuses, believing the Talsh empire's request for access to Tsuram to be a threat to Rota's alliances with Sangal and other nations. King Yosam soon leaves the country for Sangal's ascension ceremony, temporarily leaving the country in his younger brother Ihan's hands.
15 years ago, Ihan had a love affair with a Tal woman. However, mixing Tal blood and royal blood sometimes produces children that are able to call the terrifying god Talhamaya to this world, so intermarriage between the two peoples has been outlawed since ancient times. Eventually, that woman disappeared, and Ihan could not ever find her. Later, Ihan got married and had a son and a daughter. Because Yosam only has daughters, Ihan is now first-in-line for Rota's throne.
A few days after the Shintadan tragedy, Tanda, who is still recovering from wounds he suffered in Guardian of the Dream, goes with Balsa to a medicinal Herb Market located in northern New Yogo, not far from Rota's border. Later, they meet Tanda's old acquaintance, Rota's famous magical weaver Sufar, in the restaurant of the inn they stay in. Sufar tells Tanda and Balsa about his investigation of the Shintadan incident, concluding that it was a supernatural event of unclear origin.
During their chat with Sufar, Balsa suddenly notices that in another corner of the restaurant, two shady merchants are discussing something with Blue Hand's slave traders, and instinctively follows those people as they leave. However, when Balsa comes near the slave traders' room to eavesdrop, she sees them killed by something invisible, and that something immediately attacks Balsa. She deflects the attack but gets seriously wounded on the left side near her stomach. Two children who were supposed to be sold, Asra and Chikisa, remain alive in the room, with Asra unconscious and Chikisa's hand severely wounded enough to require stitches.
Sufar soon approaches Tanda and explains that Asra, who is the host of a terrible god Talhamaya, was behind the Shintadan massacre. More deaths will likely follow. There's no way to cure Asra or separate her from the god, so she must be killed to avoid further deaths. Tanda, being already extremely scared of Asra, for the first time in his life, seems to agree with Sufar, but later on Balsa makes him change his mind.
A few days later, Sufar's daughter Shihana comes to the inn to assist Sufar, along with two Sufar's apprentices, Mark and Kahal. Sufar and Shihana try to kidnap Asra and Chikisa during a stir caused by a fire at the inn's kitchen. However, Balsa knocks out Shihana and flees to the mountains with Asra, leaving Tanda and Chikisa in Sufar's hands. Sufar's apprentices are sent to pursue Balsa but she eventually defeats them without killing them.
Balsa and Asra reach Shirogai (四路街), a city in New Yogo, and hide in the house of a clothes merchant Martha (マーサ), who was once a client of Balsa and Jiguro. Martha and her family take a liking to Asra.
After Sufar's apprentices are defeated, he makes a magical contract with Tanda. Sufar would give Asra a chance to live, and in exchange Tanda would guarantee that he would kill Asra himself if she tries to use Talhamaya's evil power ever again. Tanda also gives Sufar clues on how to find Balsa in Shirogai.
While preparing to flee to Sangal, Balsa receives a letter demanding that she must go to Jitan city in Rota, or Tanda and Chikisa will be killed. She agrees, leaving a letter in response, and takes the job of a guardian of a caravan going to northern Rota. Meanwhile, Sufar and Tanda find out about the letter, but Shihana, who was behind it, betrays her father and apprehends him and Tanda.
Return from the Hard Journey[]
Balsa and Asra enter Rota kingdom via a northern route while Balsa guards a caravan. A sudden blizzard forces Balsa, Asra and the caravan to take shelter in the house of some local herders. One night, some of the caravan's horses run away into a forest full of wolves. Trying to save the horses, some men and Balsa head to the forest. Asra and Mina, the eight-year-old daughter of the caravan's leader, follow the adults. They all get surrounded by enormous pack of wolves. Balsa fights many of the wolves and is severely injured in her left hand and arm. Asra summons Talhamaya, who kills the wolves. This is the third time Asra summons Talhamaya, and the first time Asra consciously controls Talhamaya's movements to preventing the god from killing people.
A few days later, the caravan reaches a huge market that specializes in fur and wool trading. Balsa and Asra visit an information broker and spy, Tajiru, and discover that many supporters of Prince Ihan are looking for them, in addition to the Kashal and Sufar. Balsa decides that they should immediately part with the caravan. A young Tal woman named Ianu visits Balsa and Asra at the inn where they are staying. She is one of the apprentices of the Tal Kumada, the Shadow Priests of the Tal people. Ianu promises to help Balsa to get to Jitan using roads only known to the Tal people. However, Ianu betrays Balsa with Shihana's assistance, arranging for a large group of Kashal warriors to kill her. Balsa is severely wounded and falls into a frozen river. Ianu takes Asra to meet Shihana.
Meanwhile, Sufar and Tanda escape from Shihana and head toward Jitan. They find Balsa, who was saved from the river by Tal trappers. Sufar and his apprentice, Mark, soon leave for Jitan. Tanda and Balsa stay in the trapper's house waiting for Balsa to recover.
Ianu hands Asra over to Shihana. It is revealed that Shihana plans to revive Talhamaya in order to help Prince Ihan in his power struggle with southern clan lords and to free the Tal people from their long years of oppression.
Shihana brings Asra and Chikisa to Jitan where they meet with Ihan, who promises to protect the children. However, Ihan refuses to use Talhamaya's powers and instead puts Shihana under house arrest. Asra doesn't want to become Sada Talhamaya, since that would mean being fully merged with Talhamaya.
Sufar meets with Balsa and Tanda in the city of Jitan the day before an annual celebration commemorating the Rota kingdom's founding. During the celebration, various performances depict the events of the previous Sada Talhamaya being killed by the first king of Rota. Shihana breaks free from house arrest and brings Asra and Chikisa to see the performances from a secret tunnel.
Acting in accordance with Shihana's plan, Ianu suddenly interrupts the celebration, loudly threatening the Rotan people with punishment by Talhamaya. Ianu is apprehended by guards. The mob of spectators, especially the people of southern Rota, demand her immediate execution. Ihan is unable to quell the commotion.
In order to save Ianu from seemingly imminent death, Asra decides to become Sada Talhamaya. She rushes to the sacred spring and the holy tree and climbs it, finally becoming Sada Talhamaya. Shihana and her allies hold Chikisa back so that he can't reach her to prevent the transformation. Using her new power, Asra scolds and scares celebration guests without killing any, but Talhamaya's natural appetite for blood slowly becomes unbearable.
Balsa and Tanda are present at the celebration. Balsa brings down Shihana and her allies, ripping out Shihana's right eye in the process. Tanda and Chikisa climb the holy tree, trying to catch up to Asra. The holy tree is invisible to everyone except Asra and Tanda, so people climbing it look like they are hanging in the air. Chikisa does not see the tree, but he is able to sense it.
Chikisa is hit by an arrow and wounded. When Asra notices that he is injured, she manages to subsume Talhamaya before the god can devour Asra's personality. Tanda tries to hold on to Asra and Chikisa, but all three fall from the tree and sustain serious injuries.
At the end of the novel, Balsa, Tanda, Chikisa and Asra are still in Rota, slowly recovering from wounds. Asra remains catatonic and unresponsive after her confrontation with Talhamaya. Shihana and her allies escape Jitan. King Yosam safely returns from Sangal.
Contents[]
God's Appearance[]
Prologue - Massacre at Shintadan
Part 1: Child of Disaster
- Chapter 1 - The Autumn Herb Market
- Chapter 2 - The Blue Hand’s Hidden Fangs
- Chapter 3 - Unlucky Children
- Chapter 4 - Short Spear in the Moonlight
- Chapter 5 - Into Darkness
Part 2: Beasts Fleeing From Hunting Dogs
- Chapter 1 - Hunting
- Chapter 2 - Clever Beasts
- Chapter 3 -The Hawk and the Hound
- Chapter 4 - Rotarbal’s Nightmare
Part 3: Invitation to a Trap
- Chapter 1 - Black Sheep
- Chapter 2 - Clothed in Flowers
- Chapter 3 - Betrayal
Epilogue - Setting off on a Journey
Author's Notes
Return from the Hard Journey[]
Prologue: In the Garden Behind the Palace
Part 1: Wolf Killer
- Chapter 1 - Night of the Blizzard
- Chapter 2 - The Wolves Draw Near
- Chapter 3 - Inside a Prison Jar
Part 2: The Trap
- Chapter 1 - To The Trader’s Market
- Chapter 2 - Sharp-eared Tajiru
- Chapter 3 -Like The Surface of a Lake in Winter
- Chapter 4 - Falling into the Trap
- Chapter 5 - Reverence to the God
Part 3: Sada Talhamaya
- Chapter 1 - Premonition of Disaster
- Chapter 2 - The Trapper’s Hut
- Chapter 3 - Meeting Again at Jitan
- Chapter 4 - The Night Before the Celebration
- Chapter 5 - A Nation’s Honor
- Chapter 6 - Accepting the God
Epilogue - Field of Sarayu Flowers
Author's Notes
Image Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The name of this volume literally translates as A Visit, Making a Visit or Making Visits. In addition to Talhamaya's visit to this world, there are several other occasions of people making a visit. Notably, Tanda and Balsa's visit to herb market, king Yosam's visit to Ihan's feud, Balsa's visit to Martha and her family shop, and upcoming visit of Balsa to Rota, and of king Yosam to Sangal.