The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow
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| The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow | |
| Author | Fuyumi Ono |
|---|---|
| Original title | Shadow of the Moon, Sea of the Shadow |
| Translator | Alexander O. Smith & Elye J. Alexander |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Series | The Twelve Kingdoms |
| Genre(s) | fantasy |
| Publisher | Kodansha |
| Publication date | June 20, 1992 |
| Published in English |
March 13, 2007 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 4-06-255071-7 |
| Followed by | The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind |
The Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow (月の影 影の海 Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi?) is the first book in The Twelve Kingdoms fantasy series written by Fuyumi Ono. The Japanese edition split the novel into two volumes, but the English edition combines them into one. The book narrates the adventures of Yoko after being brought by Keiki to the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. Yoko finds out that she is not a Kaikyaku, but a Taika.
The first volume is divided into eight chapters. The epilogue, the Red book of Kei, retells the politic events between the fall of the King of Kei and Yoko's ascendance to the throne.
The book was published by Kodansha on June 20, 1992. The English language edition is published by Tokyopop under the PopFiction imprint.
[edit] Plot
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The story starts with Yoko having her repeated dream, in which monster aproched to her every night. One day in school she is asked by a strange man called Keiki to come with him. Keiki asks for Yoko to accept for him to take her to somewhere else where they can be safe, since they had been followed by the enemy. A voice says the word "Taiho", something Yoko had never heard. After Yoko accepts, Keiki provides her with the Sword Suiguu and is warned never to lose neither the sword nor the scabbard. Yoko protests and tells Keiki that she is neither going with him nor using a sword to kill the Kochous, which were attacking and following them. Yoko crosses the Shoku trough the reflection of the moon on the Sea of Japan. Unfortunately, they get spread while the Kochou attack, after crossing the Shoku.
Yoko wakes up and finds out that she is in the woods, lost. Keiki told her that if they got lost she had to wait for him. Yoko waited, but after a day she realizes that Keiki is, perhaps, not coming to rescue her. She decided then to find some place in which she would ask for Keiki. She gets into a village, but she is jailed and removed from her sword. Later, she is informed to be in the Kingdom of Kou, in the town of Hairou. Also that she is going to be taken along with her sword to the Magistrate's Office, but in the transferance, a pack of wolves attack the cart. Yoko escapes along with her sword, leaving the scabbard behind. Yoko last for several days wondering in the forests, walking through night and sleeping at day. In her unfortunate journey she encounters a blue monkey. The monkey tries to confuse her and trick her in order for her to kill herself. Also, the sword (without it’s scabbard) begins to reveal visions of her home, in which she is criticized by those she thought to be her friends and her own parents, who actually think that she went with someone else of the wrong crowd.
One day Yoko arrives to other town, she plans to steal money, cloths and food. But when she breaks into the house she is discovered by an old woman called Takkee. Takkee lets her sleep in her house and gives her new clothes. One night the blue monkey makes one of his numerous appearances. He warns Yoko not to trust Takkee, and suggest that is better to kill her, mug her and leave immediately. But Yoko ignores him. Takkee offers a job to Yoko in the place where her mother works. Both of them travel. Yoko sees some guards and, afraid of being discovered, she seeks for Takkee. Evasedroping, she finds out that she was beeing sold to Takkee's mother, who actually owned a Brothel. Yoko escapes.
After days of hard survival, Yoko is found by Rakushun, a Beastling with the shape of a rat. He cures and feeds her, trying to gain her trust. Yoko can't trust Rakushun, since she learned that she would not trust anyone. The blue monkey advices her to kill him before anything happens, but Yoko commands him to leave after telling him that she will use Rakushun instead of killing him. Yoko explains her situation to Rakushun, and he advices to go to the Kingdom of En, where she would actually register as a citizen. Yoko travel once again, along with Rakushun. They get to the town of Goryou but suddenly the Kochou attack. Yoko kills them all. Afraid of being trapped, she runs and leaves Rakushun in the gates of Goryou. In the woods the monkey disturbs her by telling her that she should have killed him, since he will talk and deliver her to the authorities. Yoko, furious, slices the head of the monkey with her sword and kills him, but instead of a head, the scabbard of her sword appeared.
Yoko tries to find Rakushun, but fails to do so. She gets works every now and then, and whenever she was discovered she just drew her sword and ran away. Yoko last several weeks doing so, until she gets enough money to pick a boat and go to the Kingdom of En, she gives up her search for Rakushun and hopes the best for him. When she gets to En, safely, she finds out Rakushun. Yoko registers in the Kingdom of En as a citizen and gets a work. She tells Rakushun that Keiki was called Taiho one time when they met, by a voice that came form the nowhere. Rakushun explains Yoko that due Keiki was called Taiho he must be the Kirin of Kei. And since Keiki was the Kirin he was the one who chose Yoko to be the Glory-King of Kei. Rakushun sends a letter, requesting a hearing with the Ever-King of En and explaining about Yoko's situation.
After another attack near the lodgings of Yoko and Rakushun they encounter the Ever-King of En. The Ever-King explains Yoko that she is actually a Taika (as him) and was selected by Keiki to be the new Glory-King. He explains that Kirins are the ones who chose the Kings of their respective kingdoms and that Keiki was being held by Joyei, the impostor Glory-King. Yoko finds out that Joyei was beeing helped by the Naze-King of Kou, who sent Kourin to kill her with her demons. The reason to such persecution was that the king of Kou wished her death only beacuse supersticion sugested that Kei would be a richer country if ever ruled by a Taika. Yoko chooses to be the Glory-King of Kei. She rescues Keiki with the help of the Ever-King, defeats the impostor King and regains power as the new Glory-King of Kei; bringing prosperity and peace to her kingdom.
