“Kitsuni Suki,” I mentioned. “That does not look like a Buddhist temple to me.”
She looked around, barked at the ball of light and apologized, “I’m sorry, Jason-dono. My guide has led us astray. We’ll try again.” And the ball moved off in another direction as we followed. No luck, we were back at the same ruins. A third try led us back so I suggested, “I’ll lead, you just light the way.” And we returned to the ruins.
“Why do I get the feeling that we are stuck here until sunrise?”
She shrugged and suggested, “Perhaps if you kill their leader?”
Damn! I moved to a dry spot away from the trees and pulled my bow. I didn’t have long to wait! “I hope they can die.” I thought.
Suki handed me an arrow that barely glowed in the darkness, “They will, Jason-dono.”
There was a flapping and I shot three winged horrors from the sky then began to kill others as they left the woods. Suki handed me arrows that never seemed to miss and killed instantly and never ran out of numbers. I like to think that at least the aiming was my skill though she enchanted the arrows for me. But then there were none remaining but bodies.
A casual glance showed that they all wore clothing and armor and carried weapons of all kinds. As some of the Mon I could see were of conflicting Clans, it was clear that these demons or Yokai had been stripping the dead and using what they had taken.
“Can we leave yet?” I asked my companion.
“I fear not. The Lord of the Demons remains within.” She pointed to the ruins.
“I really hate entering a man’s home fortress. How about we just burn it around him?” She shrugged so I collected some grass and made a torch with some oil I had brought. Then I lit the torch and approached, tossing the brand onto the building which quickly caught fire.
The ruins burned and burned and the glow lit the countryside but the building failed to collapse. “Cac!” I swore. “Is the Demon-Lord rebuilding the ruins as fast as they burn?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, only one way to find out.” I handed her my bow, drew my katana and approached the flames. I hated this. He had the advantage of location and defenses and an unknown number of well armed retainers. I had one fox-spirit who refused to do more than the basics.
I could feel the heat but wasn’t burned so I smiled my thanks to my Kitsune and entered the flames. I could see bodies burning and then one flaming creature rushed me, holding a yari with a burning haft. I struck the blade aside and instead of withdrawing and poking to keep me at a distance, it continued to rush. I sidestepped and slashed and the body fell in two. Bad tactics. I killed a dozen horrors in that flaming inferno as I moved forward and then down. None seemed to have any martial training.
Timbers fell around me and walls burned and fell. Yet I survived with nothing more than feeling a strong heat that didn’t burn. And finally I saw the Oni-king! I wanted to run and almost did so but sighed, reading my stance and advanced, killing his retainers as I did until we stood face to face. It was easily twice my height, red skinned, hairy as an Ainu with horns and fangs and carried an iron club that was longer and probably heavier than was I.
I looked into its eyes, it looked into mine. Then it screamed and rose through the roof to vanish into the sky as I heard Suki bark, “Run!”
I did! The building was falling to the ground and no longer being replaced so I leapt over beams and dodged walls and then was free. I ran to the original ground where Suki waited and as I fell exhausted, the moon broke free, full and near the horizon.
“Why did it run?” I gasped as I fell into her lap. “It could have killed me easily.”
“He saw that you had given up hope for life and your fatalism and determination to kill him before you died drove him away. Demons can be killed with fire and steel and silver but they fear fatalistic determination. He wanted you terrified and broken more than he wanted you dead. You will meet again someday.”
“And what do you want?” I asked. But she refused to answer so we watched the ruins collapse into embers.
IV
I awoke a few hours later as the sun topped the trees. Suki, for once, had let me sleep, just cradling my head in her lap. My quiver was empty, my bow nearby, my sword cleaned but pitted where the blood of the demons had eaten the metal. I looked at my clothes which were in ruins. “I saved your skin, Jason-dono, but lost your clothing. Please forgive me.”
“I am happy with the trade,” I kissed her on the cheek. “I’d like to be away before breakfast if we can.”
“Of course, Jason-dono. This way.” And she led me into the woods, my blade ready but we were attacked by nothing.
We reached the Buddhist temple at noon, their Wards protecting them from the Yokai but not much else. Suki approached, bowing to the monks who bowed to her, recognizing her divine status, as she described the battle. And for the rest of the afternoon, I bathed, was fed simple food and given good clothes to replace my damaged garb. It was obvious that they saw in me a hero but I was just some guy stuck in a bad situation and trying to make the best of the thing. Since I was still in Medieval Japan, it was obvious that I still had work to do for the Kitsune.
“We should be off, Jason-dono,” Suki suggested during dinner, also simple.
“Why today and not in the morning?”
“My plans for you would upset these celebate monks,” she replied. “I know of a village we can reach before dark.
“Very well,” I answered. “You know best.” And I gathered my gear, still no arrows, and we bowed to the priest of the temple. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“No, Honored Hero. It is we who thank you for ridding us of the Yokai who have plagued us these long years.”
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