Chapter 40

The forest was quiet. Too quiet for it to be mere coincidence. There was no sound, not even the errant cry of a bird. The absence of the forest creatures, and even the wind in the trees, left the forest feeling empty. Does Mikari plan on double-crossing me? Kato thought. The only sound was the human's clumsy plodding footsteps. Kato had run ahead, checking for a trap. He had to protect Ilumi. Her turning into a fox was an added complication, but once he got her freed from Mikari, perhaps the Dragon could return her to normal. He glanced back over his shoulder; the fox sniffed at some nearby bushes. She had followed them without much coaxing. It gave him hope that some of Ilumi remained locked inside. He stretched out his spiritual energy, searching for other Ura. Something pricked at his senses like a finger plucking a string. They were not alone. He turned and doubled back to Ilumi and the human. "What's wrong?" The human's voice echoed around the forest, amplified by the lack of competing sounds. Kato ran a finger across his throat to indicate silence. The human clamped his mouth shut so fast he might have swallowed his own tongue. Kato smelled the air, his superior sense of smell detected something nearby, but it was muddled with the scent of earth, decaying plant matter and the human's fear. If I were alone, then this would not be a problem. I could search out whatever is following us and eliminate it. He scanned the forest, weighing his options. Dare he abandon the human now and risk the guardian's wrath? Then a heavy fog rolled in from between the trees. It crept across the ground like a slug and brought with it the scent of decay but not plants this time, this was the sickening sweet smell of decaying flesh. Kato focused the flow of his spiritual energy to his nose and ears; enhancing those senses allowed him to get a better sense of what danger waited in the mist. His fangs elongated and his claws came out. He was prepared to transform into his true form. "Kato?" the human shouted into the mist. It had swallowed him whole and Ilumi along with him. The mist carried such an overpowering scent of death and dirt that Kato could not locate them. He growled deep in his throat. What games are you playing, Mikari? He transformed into a beast, a massive white wolf, big enough that his head brushed against the branches. He bounded through the mist in the direction he had last seen the human. But the fog played tricks on his senses, and instead he ran about in circles. He passed by the same tree for the third time before clawing at it with his massive paw in frustration. He was back where he started. He might as well have been chasing his own tail. Then he heard the human shout, then a screeched followed by the crunch of bones breaking. Silence followed. Kato howled; his voice echoed back at him from all corners. Damn it. If anything happened to Ilumi, he didn't know what he would do. He rushed forward through the mist again, and at last it let him pass through. He came out into a clearing. A hunched figure holding a blade loomed over a body on the ground. Most likely one of the guardian's warriors had caught the human. How am I going to explain this to Ilumi? Kato growled and lunged at the figure. He pinned him to the ground with massive paws. The warrior swung his sword covered to the hilt in blood. The fog blocked his features, but it was dissipating and the faceless attacker transformed into the human. Kato leaped backwards off him. He switched from beast to man. The human knelt on hands and knees, his body shaking as he gasped for air. When he regained his bearings, he shouted, "You tried to kill me!" "I was trying to save you. You idiot," Kato said with a sneer. "From what? I already killed the thing that attacked us!" He swung a bloody hand, gesturing to the gray-green corpse. It was not anyone Kato knew, fortunately, but a ghastly looking creature. It had gray-green skin and long stringy black hair that hardly covered the top of its spotted head. It was twice the size of a man, with large hands with blackened nails. A filthy loincloth was its only clothing. It looked like it had been a human once, but the flesh had started to fall from its body and revealed its rib cage and half of the jaw. "Was this a test?" Kato wondered aloud as he looked down at the dead thing. He would not admit he was surprised and maybe even a little bit impressed that this tiny human had managed to slay the creature on his own. It had to be a fluke. There were limits to Kato's kindness. "We better get going. The guardian knows we're here; this thing will not be the last." "You mean there's more?" The human's voice shook and he sounded ready to choke on his own bile. "Yes, most likely worse," Kato said without looking back over his shoulder. He could not help but smirk at the human's fear. Teasing the human released some of the tension he was feeling. Ilumi trotted up and nuzzled the human's hand. The human pulled her close to his chest. Kato looked away before he lost his temper. Ilumi could not really care for that Hanyou, could she? They trudged onward. The forest remained silent, as if the inhabitants were watching and waiting to see what happened next. They found a forest path, and since Mikari knew they were coming, Kato decided they might as well use it. There were no more attacks, which felt more suspicious than anything. What is he doing? Why send one attack? Why leave us in suspense? The guardian may very well be leading him into a trap designed to start a war with the Dragon. At last they arrived at the bridge that led into the guardian's palace. A canyon separated it from the forest. The swinging rope bridge was their last obstacle, it seemed. Kato looked about, expecting hundreds of slathering simpleminded Ura to come pouring out of the canyon and attempt to strip their flesh from their bones. "Is this it?" the human asked. Kato nodded. He looked at the bridge. It appeared intact and he could not sense any danger, which was suspicious in itself. "It is. But I smell a trap." The human sniffed the air as if he could scent danger. Kato rolled his eyes-humans were so simple. "If that's all that lies between me and saving Ilumi, I am going to cross." Rizuma walked a few steps, but before he could take a step onto the bridge, a puff of smoke billowed in front of him. The smoke parted and revealed a man within. He had red hair that rippled and moved like a flame and black charred skin that crackled like embers in a fire. Kato scowled; he should have known the guardian would send him. "Kasai, what are you doing here?" Kato asked. Kasai laughed. "Kato, what a pleasant surprise. I can assume your master was not the one to send you on this errand?" "You and Mikari both know he was not." "No, the Dragon has been distracted as of late, has he not?" Kato gritted his teeth. Was that what these games were about? Getting information on the Dragon? "Let us cross," the human said. He held his sword out as if he held a threat to the fire Ura. Kasai grabbed the tip of the human's sword. It glowed red, spreading from the tip down to the hilt. The human dropped the blade with a curse. He blew on his hands where the sword had burned them. "I do not play with swords, human. I am man who uses his words." He winked at the human. Sparks flew off of his head and spurted and died. "I don't have time for games. What do we need to do to pass?" Kato asked. He looked over at Ilumi. She sat at Rizuma's feet, watching the fire Ura. There had to be a trace of Ilumi left inside her if she was not afraid of the creature made of flame. He looked back at Kasai. "If it's information you want, I'll give it to you." "Though information is tempting, that is not what I desire." He pressed his fingertips together as he studied the two of them. "I have three riddles. If you can answer them, I will let you pass unharmed into the guardian's palace." He raised three fingers and then pointed at the palace behind him with a dramatic flourish. "But." He held up a single finger. "Get one wrong answer and I burn you both to ash." Kato glowered. He was never good at word games. He was more a man of action. This was all Mikari's way of testing him. There was no other arrangement. "Done," Kato said. He had no choice. "Oh, good." Kasai clapped his hands together and sparks flew where they collided. A few cracks formed along the backs of his hands and flames from beneath the skin licked along the edges. "Let's start with the first, shall we?" He grinned at Kato. His teeth were black as tar, but his tongue was made of flame. "If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it. What is it?" Kato stared blankly back at him. He hadn't the slightest idea. Was it something you gave away? But that could be anything. He massaged his temple. I am terrible at these things. What could it be? "It's a secret?" the human said tentatively. Kato spun to face him. If he got it wrong, he could have killed them both. The creature smiled. "You are clever. I can see you are a wordsmith." "I am better with words than a sword as well." Rizuma shrugged. "Then you should answer the riddles," Kato said with certainty. This was their best chance of getting into the palace. The human stared wide eyed at Kato. "I will, for Ilumi." I can see why she fancies him. He is determined, I will give him that. "For your next." Kasai spun in a circle and then, when he faced Rizuma, smiled deviously. "I will make this one more difficult: They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?" Kato considered for a moment; he had no idea. He hoped he had not made a bad choice in letting the human answer the questions. "Stars," Rizuma said. The creature seemed delighted even though they were defeating his game. I worry what horror waits for us within if Kasai is glad we're winning. "I have been too generous. Let's see, what can I use to stump you?" He tapped his chin. "Aha. If I drink, I die. If I eat, I am fine. What am I?" The human paused for a moment; this one really did seem to stump him. Kasai jumped from foot to foot with glee. The places where his feet landed were scorched black. "You must answer or pay the price," Kasai said in a singsong voice. "If I drink, I die…" the human muttered to himself. Kasai's grin grew wider by the second and Kato feared it would come down to a fight after all. Kasai was not one he ever wanted to tangle with. He claimed to be a man of words, but he was a powerful Ura. Kato's skin prickled, preparing to transform and fight his way through if it came down to it. Then the human looked up. He smiled a triumphant smile. "You're fire!" The creature clapped his hands together. Great flames leapt where his hands collided and Kato could feel the heat radiating off him from a few feet away. "Oh, that was fun," Kasai said, "but our games have come to an end. Please go inside." He bowed before stepping aside to let them pass. Rizuma bowed in return and then followed after Kato as they walked across the bridge. Ilumi jogged along after them. And though Kato and Rizuma were careful to keep the rope bridge from swinging as they walked, she ran across without fear. At the edge of the bridge, a set of stairs led up to a double door, which was open and waiting for them. They climbed the steps, and all the while that feeling of unease clung to Kato's skin. The hairs along his arms stood at attention and his intuition was telling him something wasn't right. The riddles, the beast a human could kill, those are not typical Mikari defenses. He kept scanning in front of him and routinely looked over his shoulder. When they were inside the palace gates, they were greeted by a servant. One half of her body was that of a beautiful woman, but her head was that of a doe. She wore a long kimono in green with a pattern of red leaves. "The guardian awaits you," she said in a low sweet voice. Rizuma's mouth hung partially open. He clamped it shut when he noticed Kato's scornful look. Together they followed after the servant through twisting hallways and up stairs. The guardian's palace was a maze, meant to trap the unwary. Only his servants knew their way around, and anyone who entered left only at the guardian's behest. At last they arrived in the audience room. It was a long narrow space, lined by red columns. At the far end of the room, the guardian sat on a raised dais. More half-animal women surrounded him. Some of them were deer, like the servant who had greeted them. There were Kitsunes too, with bright red hair and bushy tails. The guardian dominated the space, dwarfing the tiny women beside him. He wore a large hat on top of his head and he was draped in silk, gold and jewels; none of these disguised the fact that he was a boar. He had the head of a boar and the body of a man, but his hands and feet were hooves. He looked like a pig in silk robes. At least that's what Ilumi always used to say. Now she hid behind Rizuma's legs. Mikari set down a glass with a thunk and regarded them as they approached. His tusks gleamed in the flickering candlelight. "Ah, Kato, I see you've done as I asked." He folded his arms over his enormous gut. The human shot Kato a curious glance but spoke to the guardian. "We've come to find a way to save the woman I love-" the human began. "Silence," Mikari roared. "I did not give you permission to speak. I know what you seek, but I wonder what madness made you believe I would help you." "Because you want me," the human protested. Kato looked at the human from the corner of his eye. How does he know? He must be bluffing, and if he is, he has some serious guts. I hate to admit it, but he's impressed me. Mikari grinned, revealing crooked yellowed teeth lining his snout. "That I do. Can I assume you know why I want you?" "Because I am a Hanyou-half Zoldas. It is said the children of man and Zoldas have special powers," the human said. Mikari tapped his hooves together. "And do you?" "You will have to reverse Ilumi's spell to find out." Mikari narrowed his eyes, examining the human. "What if I cannot reverse her spell? You seem very confident I can." "If you cannot, then I will find someone who can." He turned to leave. "Wait!" Mikari said, half rising from his seat. "I will change her back, but in exchange you must stay here with me forever." The human did not even hesitate. "I will do it."