Ronin's Revenge

Along their path down the mountain, Ryoma and his friends encountered a spot of rain. At first, it seemed manageable, more of an inconvenience than anything, but soon, it progressed further and further in intensity until the quartet were practically facing down a monsoon. While Yuki seemed to enjoy the weather, the humans in the group weren’t so keen on getting soaked.

The more pressing matter, however, were the dangers presented with descending the mountain whilst the surface was slick. “We shouldn’t try to persist further.” Ryoma said. “In these conditions, I fear for our safety.” Himiko and Yuki agreed, but Tetsuo asked, “In that case, are we supposed to stand here and endure the elements, waiting for a break to come so that we may resume?”

Himiko chimed in and said, “Not necessarily. I spotted a cave not far from here on our way up. That would more than suffice for shelter while we wait!” Tetsuo lit up with elation and exclaimed, “That’s wonderful news, Himiko!” He hugged her and then said, “By all means, lead the way.”

And so, Himiko began traversing the trail before them, making extra sure to watch her step along the more hazardous areas. Even without the rain, the steep drop-offs made them all more than a little nervous to walk the path. But, of course, most of the group was happy to move along to avoid any more water.

After a short while, the quartet found their way to the cave Himiko spoke of and swiftly rushed in. Ryoma sighed in relief that they had escaped the storm and said, “It seems now we simply have to wait out the rain. In the meantime, I think it would be best for us to examine this new ofuda that Yuki acquired.”

Ryoma procured the talisman from his pocket. Himiko seemed transfixed by the object and asked, “May I see it, Ryoma?” It sounded as though she were in a trance, yet Ryoma failed to notice and said, “Allow me a moment more to examine it, Himiko.” Tetsuo noticed the distinct lack of personality in her voice but allowed it to slide. He was more concerned with the cave itself, noticing that it continued further into the mountain.

“You don’t suppose there may be demons lurking deeper in this cave, do you?” Tetsuo asked. Yuki, who was actually standing outside the mouth of the cave enjoying the rain, was the first to respond as he exclaimed, “Don’t say things like that, Tetsuo! Everyone was just getting comfortable; we don’t need to worry about such thoughts!”

Tetsuo, however, continued on with his train of thought and said, “It’s a possibility that we should address, Yuki. You can stay here where it’s safe, but I’m going to investigate for all our sakes.” With that declaration, he grabbed some nearby pieces of wood untouched by the rain, and, with a little effort, set one of them alight. “I’ll be back shortly.” He said, and headed further into the cave.

Believing he had adequately prepared for the task mentally, Tetsuo still found himself rather unnerved by the adventure. While he could see the light from the outside world, he wasn’t as bothered, but once it eluded his vision, he was well and truly afraid. For all intents and purposes, he had been swallowed by the jaws of darkness.

Time didn’t seem to exist in the void. Or, at least, Tetsuo’s perception of time had been profoundly skewed. Neither rhyme nor reason could explain how long he’d been down in the depths of the cave. His senses failed him near completely; all he could see was the few feet allotted by the grace of the torch, and all he could hear was the faint echoes of his friends as if they were ghosts in his mind. That, and the occasional chirp of a cricket that, while harmless, still managed to startle him so.

After minutes, or perhaps hours or days, of navigating through and around stalactites and stalagmites, Tetsuo believed that he heard a different sort of sound. He couldn’t be sure from the deprivation he encountered for so long, but he could’ve sworn he heard humming. Yes, there was no mistaking it after he ventured a little further; someone, or something, was humming in the bowels of the cave.

At first, Tetsuo was convinced a demon had found its way into the hole in the mountain, dwelling in the darkness and ready to strike him down. He gripped his nunchakus tightly with his free hand, although not quite ready for a confrontation with whatever was hiding in the nothingness. It was clear from the moment he began panicking that the foe had the advantage.

Turning a corner, Tetsuo nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw a figure at the edge of light from the torch. “Who goes there?!” Tetsuo asked, his heart beating furiously. “Be you man or beast?!”

“Neither.” The figure said. Tetsuo, perplexed by the answer, calmed himself ever so slightly and steadied his torch hand to get a better look at the mystery before him. Looking closer, he noticed a very elderly woman sitting down in the cave, staring at a wall. Although, staring wouldn’t be the correct statement as Tetsuo further noticed glossy, pale irises within her eyes.

“I see.” Tetsuo said. Then, realizing the rudeness of his statement, he quickly corrected and said, “I mean, I understand.” He quietly sighed, thankful that the old woman wouldn’t notice him blushing in embarrassment. “So,” he asked, “what reason do you have to be sitting in a cave such as this one?”

“It beats sitting out there in the rain.” The old woman said and chuckled. Tetsuo again stood befuddled at the comment, but before he could question the response, she said, “I could smell the dampness on your clothes.” Tetsuo still clung to a puzzled countenance, yet nodded despite the old woman failing to notice.

“So,” the old woman asked, “what reason do you have to venture this far down into the cave, young man?” Tetsuo sat down with her and said, “I’m not so sure myself. Perhaps curiosity?” The old woman smiled and said, “Ah, curiosity. So, it seems you seek answers then,”

“Answers?” Tetsuo asked. “What do you mean by that?” The old woman seemed to ignore him, however, as she continued, “I would’ve assumed you’d seek answers from the gods. A proper monk would, at least. Do you believe in the gods, truly?”

Tetsuo contemplated the inquiry for a moment but eventually said, “Of course, I believe in the gods. It’s my duty to bestow their wisdom, after all.” The old woman smiled and said, “That’s good to hear. It’d be understandable for one to doubt their capabilities, especially now with demons surging across the land. I’d be seeking answers, too, if I were in your place.”

Such comments caused Tetsuo to look away, partially from the old woman and potentially away from his own shame. The old woman must’ve sensed this as well and continued, “I wouldn’t worry about any doubt in your heart, young man; you see, the gods are fast approaching. They’ll be here to sort out this conundrum in due time, so fear not, my monk friend.”

“You really think so?” Tetsuo asked. The old woman nodded in lieu of repeating herself. In response, Tetsuo smiled. He wasn’t quite sure why he did so, but supposed that the old woman’s company soothed him in some way or another. Regardless, his curiosity had been sated for the time being, so he stood up, bowed, realized his mistake yet again, and said, “Thank you for your company. It was greatly appreciated.”

The old woman smiled yet again but this time turned to face Tetsuo directly and said, “Of course, my dear companion. Come again if you ever need anything.” Tetsuo turned away, then thought about something, turned back, and asked, “How did you know I was a monk, ma’am?” She simply smiled and said, “You must be off, now. The rain will soon subside, and your friends will be waiting.”

And so, without receiving the final answer but knowing all he needed, Tetsuo began making his way back to the entrance. For some reason, the backtracking didn’t scare him nearly as much as the journey into the depths. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he knew what awaited him at the end of his expedition this time, or maybe it was for the reason that something the old woman said put him at ease. He wasn’t entirely sure either way.

Eventually, Tetsuo noticed natural light upon the cavern walls. He delighted in that fact and snuffed his torch. Hurrying along, he could next hear the chatter and laughter of his friends once more, a sound sweeter than he ever remembered. Finally, he emerged at the mouth of the cave and saw his trio of companions waiting for him.

“Tetsuo!” Yuki exclaimed. “You’ll never believe this! Show him, Himiko!” Tetsuo looked to Himiko who began disrobing. He gasped and blushed, unsure of what she was doing and whether he should look away, but she stopped shy of exposing her breasts. Then, just the same as Yuki, her chest began morphing and a foreign object began to surface from her flesh. It was the ofuda that Yuki recovered!

“I fused with this talisman!” Himiko exclaimed. The shrine maiden was practically beaming as she talked, so excited to share the news. Tetsuo smiled and exclaimed, “That’s wonderful, Himiko! I’m so happy for you.” Then, while observing his friends, he thought about the old woman’s statement. He recollected her saying that the gods would make their presence known, and as he looked toward his friends amidst the fresh sunshine and contemplated how fortunate he was to find them, he started to believe her words.