The Eye of the Kami

Gin’s left hand dropped towards his sword which he slowly pulled from his waist. He stood up, his eyes scanning back and forth. Across from him, not so far in the distance, was an unusually large tree, round and thick at the base. The voice seemed to be coming from the other side. He carefully edged his way across the stream and towards the tree, making sure to keep his distance, in case it was a trap.

“Ota said that this path was not known except by monks. But what if the merchant knew of this way as well?” he wondered.

As his view became clearer, he saw what appeared to be a metal cage on the ground against the base of the tree. Inside of it was a person, a young woman to be sure. His heart began to race. By what luck had he managed to find her? In this old forest of all places! He could never repay Ota for sending him this way. He would say a thousand prayers to the All-kami for causing him to stop in this particular glade. He thanked even his thirst, his wonderful, blessed thirst!

He drew closer, keeping his guard up, anticipating the merchant. He knew that he would be nearby and remembered the strength of his arms and the ferocity in his eyes. But he could not contain the joy welling from within.

Yet as the figure shifted in the cage his hopes were instantly dashed. This was not his daughter. The young woman grabbed the bars and gazed up at him, her deep brown eyes reflecting the glowing light of the moon, but they were not Yuki’s eyes.

“I can’t believe it!” she cried upon seeing him. “Don't just stand there! Get me out of here!”

Gin initially stepped forward to help her but then paused, partially because of disappointment but also due to unease. He wanted to inspect the scene more thoroughly. It was an old habit and one he could not break, though he often tried. The cage itself had two long poles going through it so that it could be carried by two or more men, almost like a small palanquin commonly found in large cities. Beside the cage, there was an abandoned campsite, with the charred remnants of a small fire. There were a few leather bags along the outskirts, and there was one ornate naginata, a pole weapon, with a long blade at the end, protruding up from the ground near the cage itself.

“What are you doing?” the woman hissed. “Can you help me?”

“Why?” he asked, holding his sword even tighter. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know! They said they were going to a nearby festival!” she explained, nearly shouting with fearful excitement. “But they might come back at any moment! Get me out of here! Please!”

He was even more suspicious now, despite his sympathy for her. His eyes narrowed, as he tried to identify the woman through the darkness. She was clearly not someone from this region. She spoke in a strange accent; one he did not immediately recognize. It sounded harsh and uncouth to his ears.

“Why are you caged?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and steady.

“Does it matter?” she answered, her voice growing angrier. “I'm in a cage! Is this common around here?”

“It matters a great deal,” Gin said firmly. “Tell me now, or I will walk away.”

The woman cursed under her breath. He could see that she had short black hair that extended just to her neck. This was unusual, as most women her age tended to wear their hair long. She was also wearing very peculiar clothes if one could call them clothes at all. She wore red-plated armor that strapped across her chest, atop her forearms, legs, and thighs, and a leather girdle around her waist. Her lower legs, stomach, arms, and even shoulders were left exposed. She wore no kimono underneath her armor, as was the usual custom, even among men when they dressed for battle.

“Perhaps she’s some kind of spy?” Gin wondered.

She was not a dainty woman like he expected to find in such a situation, but she seemed strong and powerful, like a weather-tested reed. Her muscle-carved limbs seemed tough, capable of wielding such a large weapon like that naginata with ease.

After what looked like an intense internal battle, she finally conceded. “I was captured by those Grey Flame lunatics, all right? They caught me and brought me here.”

“The Hairohi?” Gin wondered aloud. He knew them to be a reclusive and dangerous sect that worshiped dark spirits and evil kami. “Are they the ones who have a shrine on Mount Hi in the south?”

“How should I know?” the woman returned fiercely. “I don’t even know where I am. They put me on a ship a few weeks or so ago and then carried me into this stifling forest.”

“Why did they capture you?” he asked. “Only the Shōgun and his appointed lords and their retainers are permitted to deliver justice in these lands.”

To this, the woman enjoyed a hearty laugh. “Are you being serious? You are, aren't you? I must be a long way from home if that's the case,” she said, continuing to laugh, though he could sense the bitterness in her voice.

“Where are you from?” Gin asked, stepping closer so that he could see more of her. Her eyes peered back at him with distrust, and her fingers gripped tightly around the bars of the cage. She had sharp nails, and her ears were pointed and angular, something he had rarely seen before. There was a leather collar around her neck, with a place for a chain to be attached.

There was another long silence before she answered, “Akaii.”

Now it was Gin's turn to scoff. “You’re from Akaii Province?” he asked with disbelief.

“That's what I just said, right? Now, are you going to question me until they come back or are you going to get me out of here?”

He deliberated for a few moments. Akaii Province was the northernmost province on Nakashima, the farthest province from where they currently were. Still, Gintaro in all his travels had never been to Akaii Province and knew that it was quite a journey by land or sea to get there. This woman, for whatever reason, was quite valuable to the Grey Flame sect for them to bring her this far south.

“I do not have much time either,” Gin stated, his thoughts returning to his daughter, “So answer me this last question. What did you do to them that they would bring you all the way to Minami-shima?”

“Minami-shima?” the woman said to herself, slowly sitting back as if defeated. “Am I really that far from home? That would explain why it’s so hot down here.” She slid her finger across her forehead, wicking away beads of sweat.

Gin was growing impatient with this woman’s obvious stalling and moved to walk away.

“I’m an oni hunter,” she began. “In my land, they call us the Karyūdo. I hunt and kill oni that cross our borders. And I am rather good at it too, one of the best oni-hunters on Nakashima some say.”

He turned back to listen, so she continued.

“The Hairohi, being the perverts that they are, worship the oni,” she explained. “So, they naturally hate me and have wanted me dead for some time. But I never gave them a chance, until I let my guard down about a month ago. They captured me when I was out scouting and swore to sacrifice me atop their sacred mountain shrine in the south. I wanted revenge at first, but now, I’d settle for just getting out of this cage. The way they look at me tells me that we’re close, and I don’t want to see what awaits me when I get there.” She grew quiet as she finished her tale.

Gin considered her words. She told her story with what sounded like flat honesty. If she had told this to almost anyone else on Minami-shima, she would have been laughed at or called raving mad. Oni were thought to have disappeared from the Islands years ago, and some even doubted their existence at all except for in legend. They were said to be man-like beasts, but taller, stronger, and fiercer. They supposedly had red eyes and wielded massive, spiked clubs in battle. Stories were sometimes told of them, roaming the forests and isolated places of the earth, and preying upon cowardly soldiers who fled from battle. Few people had the heart to listen to such stories these days, not after the war. Their world was frightening enough without adding monsters to it. But Gin had dealt with both men and monster before.

After a moment, he consented with a nod. As far-fetched as it sounded, he knew that it could be possible that this woman was telling the truth. She, being so brazen and so plainly strange, could only have come from some faraway place like Akaii Province. Men with evil designs would avoid the high roads if they could, as they would be the ones imprisoned if they were discovered by a patrol. Their clear attempt to hide this woman shed light upon their nefarious designs for her. Finally, and ultimately, he was aware of the hypocrisy of his situation. How could he hope to find his captured daughter safe and unharmed, while ignoring the plight of another captured young woman? He had no choice.

He stepped over and inspected the cage carefully. Her eyes grew round with excitement.

“Really? You’re going to let me out?”

He nodded again upon finding the metal padlock, the one that sealed the cage. He took the end of his sword’s hilt and with one swift stroke, struck the padlock. The lock clicked open, and he jiggled it free. As soon as the lock was off, however, he was knocked backward by the cage door, which flung open with a forceful crash.

Gin landed atop the campsite behind him and felt the crunch of the charred remains of the fireplace upon his back. He was stunned, and when he looked up to see what happened, the sharp edge of the naginata was pointed at his throat with the young woman standing over him. Her victorious grin revealed her unusually long canines, both top and bottom, making her seem all the more bestial.

“Nice try, old man,” she laughed haughtily. “I really do appreciate you letting me free, but I’m afraid that I cannot allow you to live.”

He scowled at her, realizing that he had been fooled.

“I don’t want to have to cut that pretty little head off your shoulders, but I won’t make the same mistakes that she did. You are the one who brought so much trouble upon my family,” she pushed the edge of the naginata so that it rested on Gin’s throat. “You’re him, aren’t you?” There was a look of madness on her face.

Gin was forced to swallow and felt the searing pain of a superficial cut as his throat pushed against the sharpened edge of her weapon.

“I…I…” he whispered, trying not to move.

The woman pulled the weapon back just far enough to get a good clean thrust, but as she did so, Gin knocked the edge away with the hilt of his sword and managed to flip backward and land on his feet. This time he was not foolish enough to try and unsheathe his stuck blade but instead, he tucked it back as if he were going to.

“Not bad,” she said, maintaining her arrogant disposition. “I didn't know grandfathers could move like that. It must be this warm southern air. Keeps you limber, eh?”

Gin bent his knees and readied himself. He could sense that another attack was imminent.

“I already know how this is going to go,” she said, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “I have the range, old man. A katana against a naginata is a bad matchup. Especially if you're up against someone who knows how to use it. Let’s settle this without blood, okay? You can tell me why you took her, and what you did with her, and I’ll consider letting you live.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Gin cried.

The woman scoffed but gripped the naginata tighter with both hands. “You play the noble, decent man. You rescue a young lass trapped in the forest from the Hairohi and get her to trust you so you can discover all her secrets. You had it all set up, just like last time. Do you expect me to fall for the exact same trick? How pathetic do you think I am? I am not my sister. Now that I’ve seen through your act, there’s no need to continue lying.”

“I’m not lying!” Gin insisted.

“Enough!” she said with a gleam in her eye.

The woman lunged at him, and the shaft of her naginata extended out like a lightning bolt. Gin was just able to jump back out of its reach, but she followed up seamlessly with another slash, this one he had to parry with his sword’s edge, which he had to partially unsheathe to do so. He was surprised that the sword had finally come out, albeit only halfway, but he was grateful for the timing. The impact of metal on metal rang out loudly in the deserted wood.

“Have you lost your mind?” Gin hissed between her strikes, which he was only narrowly avoiding. “Your captors will hear this and return!”

“My captors? Do you mean your pawns? Let them come!” she cried, swinging her naginata so hard that it felled a small tree. “They caught me sleeping. I’d like to see what they have to say when I have my spear on me. Let’s see how they talk then.”

Gin could only grunt in response, as he was forced to duck underneath another arching slash.

“I was hoping that you would bring them with you,” she said, pausing a moment to catch her breath. “That way I could repay them for their generous escort. These religious types are pretty austere when they are around their superiors, but once you get off the highway a bit, you should hear the vulgarities. I mean, I can’t really blame them for backsliding, I am a fully developed woman after all.” She admired herself and winked at him seductively.

Gin frowned. He was losing precious time dealing with this woman. He should have left her alone to begin with. He had far more important things to attend to. The image of his daughter tied up on horseback flooded his mind. He shifted into a more offensive stance.

“I heard the tales,” the woman said before her features turned dark. “A middle-aged man, wearing plain clothes and a black sword, who bears many scars. The master of the Hairohi did unspeakable things to my sister, all because she trusted him and his sweet gestures and his sweet words. Well, it will not be me!”

“I’m not who you think I am!” Gin shouted, letting his anger rise.

“Yes!” she growled. “Yes, you are!”

The woman charged forward again but this time so did he, which caught her by surprise. She immediately thrust the naginata forward, but Gin shifted and moved inside of her defenses. He went to strike, but she managed to move at the last moment. A heated exchange ensued where each went blow for blow, not giving an inch to the other.

“Find your rhythm!” Gin urged himself. “Find it!”

“Come on old man! Unsheathe that black sword! Show me your full strength!” the woman taunted, her voice sounding louder and more animalistic. Her blows grew harder and harder, but to her surprise, her opponent was getting faster and faster. There was a calm look on his face, and he was becoming more relaxed by the moment.

The young woman’s eyes filled with wrath. She stopped mid-swing and then reversed her strike, an amazing feat for any naginata warrior. It almost caught Gin in the chin, but he wrenched his head backward just in time. She could see that he was taken off balance, so she followed through and then quickly prepared another swing, intending to bring her weapon down with all her might and finish the fight once and for all. But as she was putting everything into one final blow, she realized that he was no longer there. Her eyes widened, but she could not stop now that she had started. The edge of her blade sundered the earth but became lodged in it tightly.

“It’s over,” Gin said calmly, his sheathed sword held mere inches from her temple.

The woman paused, relaxing her shoulders as if defeated but then spun around and slashed with her long nails, which shredded Gin’s kimono at the chest but did not draw blood. He staggered backward, not expecting her to continue to fight.

“I told you I’m not who you think I am!” he bellowed, raising his sword once again to defend himself.

“I don’t believe you!” she hissed, creeping slowly towards him. “You have the same sword! Do you take me for a fool?”

She lunged at him once again, but this time he thrust forward and drove the blunt end of his sword into her stomach. She instantly stopped, gasped loudly, and dropped to her knees, clutching her abdomen.

He stood over her and held his sword over the back of her head. Even without an exposed edge, the sheathed sword could easily shatter a human skull if swung hard enough.

“My daughter was taken from me earlier today,” he said sternly. “I don’t know who you think I am, and I do not care, but if you try to stop me from finding her, I will not hold back, and you will never go home. I have wasted enough time with you. Go! You are free, and consider it a great favor, for I’ve come to regret letting you out. You can follow the path that way,” he said pointing towards the west, the way he had come from. “You’ll get to the main highway within a few hours. Then go north or south, and you will eventually find a village.”

He turned and strode away, leaving her gasping for breath and writhing in anguish.

“Who…who are you?” she managed to get out.

Gin stopped and paused for a moment. Without turning to look back at her, he said, “I’m just a man.”

With that, he continued back to the path from where he came. He was only a dozen steps from her when she called out to him again.

“Wait!” she cried, doing her best to rise. She pulled herself up with her naginata, with one hand still massaging her sore abdomen.

Gin's hand shot down to his sword hilt, but she waved him off as he whirled around, expecting more of a fight.

“I'm coming with you!” she declared, finally able to fully stand.

“You will not!”

“Please!” she begged, approaching him carefully. When she got to him, she knelt and bowed her head in an act of submission. She cast her weapon at his feet.

He was startled by this sudden change of heart. “Is this some kind of trick?” he asked.

“No trick,” she said, keeping her head low. “I can see now that you are not who I thought you were. I am grateful that nearly a month in a cage has sapped most of my strength. If I were fresh, well, the outcome of this battle would have been completely different, and I may have slain an innocent man.”

Gin raised an eyebrow. He could not tell whether to feel good about her apology or not.

“Besides,” she continued, “You pointed me west along the path, but I should really be going east if I am going to reach the coast. You assumed our paths would diverge, but it turns out that I need to go the same way as you do. I don’t know my way around this island. I’d be lost and…”

Gin scowled and shook his head.

“We would fare much better together if we ran into my captors. Someone could watch out while the other rests…”

“This is not a partnership!” he barked. “You just tried to kill me!”

“I…I…was wrong. I thought you were…I thought you rescued me to seduce me!” she stammered. “Please just help me get to the coast and we’ll part ways then. It can't be more than a few days.”

Gin was still infuriated that she had not yet truly apologized for trying to cut his head clean off. On top of that, her radical change in behavior seemed to him very unsettling. She very well could have been mad and had fabricated everything from the moment they met. However, there was truth in the way she fought. He mulled over it for a minute and then turned around.

“You are free to do whatever you want,” he said. “But if you do anything else to slow me down again, I will make sure your captors find you.” He looked at her severely before striding off.

The woman lifted her head and smiled. “My name is Saru,” she said, pushing up to her feet.

He kept on walking without saying a word. But after a few moments, he paused and without turning said, “I’m Gin.”