Shadows of the Reborn

Chapter Ten

Echoes of the Forsaken

Hisato growled as he sat up, completely disoriented by the new area. “What are you doing?”

Taizo turned from the tree and frowned. ‘This is important.’

“More important than finding my family and bringing them home?”

Taizo sighed. ‘Unfortunately, we may not have a whole lot of time. So yes, this is more important, especially if you wish to save your family.’

Hisato pushed to his feet, confused. “What are you talking about?”

‘I received a warning, not your typical one, but one nonetheless.’ Taizo began, ‘It was from your son’s inner spirit.’

Hisato stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth dropping open in surprise.

‘Now, I was told to keep the information private and not involve you, but this is important enough to raise your awareness. What you do with this information is entirely up to you,’ Taizo said.

Hisato nodded, “Alright.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

‘He warned me about the twin girls that accompanied Mitchitaro and Genjiro, with a warning focused on them also.’ Taizo waved his host to the small island where the Tree of Life sat. ‘Come, sit. This might take some time.’

Hisato nodded, never having a reason not to trust his inner spirit. He sat down on the firm ground and glanced at the tree curiously.

‘Don’t even think about it,’ Taizo sniffed. ’ If you touch it, you will obliterate yourself and everything in the area.’

When Hisato finally woke up, he was breathless. The warning Taizo had given him was not one to be taken lightly. It was so outrageous that it was almost unbelievable, but everything he had witnessed and the fear in his son’s eyes before he died, was enough to alert him that something more powerful was at play. He clenched his fists and cursed. How he wished his father was still there so they could talk. He was alone now and the eldest of the family besides his mother.

How would he gather his family in secret in the middle of battle and sneak them off the island to safety? Shaking his head, he pushed to his feet and pushed leaves over his son’s body. At least he was safe from the fighting to hide his son. He needed to get to his grandsons and get one of them to get to the others in the village. They had to get out of there.

Hisato quickly returned to the battlefield in search of his two grandsons. He still couldn’t believe someone could have that much power to illicit such a game, with his family being the game pieces. Growling under his breath, he slipped past the youkai who were taking a break from the battle to where he had last seen Okimoto and Taio. To his relief, they were seated with a few other young men.

“I need both of you to come here,” Hisato said.

Taio and Okimoto knew instantly, from his eyes and facial expression, that the news was grim. Both young men got to their feet and walked over. “Father is gone, isn’t he?”

Hisato nodded as he scanned the battlefield for signs of Mitchitaro and his son Genjiro. “Okimoto, I need you to do something as discreetly as possible.”

Okimoto furrowed his brow and shared a look with his older brother. “What is it?” His grandfather’s tone of voice instantly told him this was a serious request.

“You need to get to the village and gather the family,” Hisato said in a hushed tone. “Your great-grandmother, your wife, everyone.”

Taio opened his mouth to ask why but was instantly silenced by the firm look he received. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

“This is something we can discuss later, but for now, do as I ask.” Hisato pulled Okimoto closer and whispered in his ear. “Gather as many supplies as you can without drawing attention to yourself: bedding, food, and whatever journals you find in my room. There is a boat near the West Bank on the other side of the field. Meet me there by sundown.”

Taio frowned. The discreteness with which his grandfather was acting indicated that this was a serious situation. “What of the others?”

Hisato shook his head. “They will be fine. We are the ones being hunted. So keep your head down and do not gain attention. If you notice or feel anything out of the ordinary, pretend as though you are going about your regular day. There should be no question that Okimoto would seek out the family after we lost so many.”

Taio and Okimoto nodded.

“If I do not arrive by sundown, do not wait for me. Head to the mainland and lay low. I will follow. But do not wait for me.” Hisato narrowed his eyes. “Do you understand?”

The young men nodded.

“Now, if you see Mitchitaro or Genjiro, avoid them at all costs. Stay away from the girls and stick to the shadows, just as we trained,” Hisato whispered.

Hisato’s grandsons nodded in understanding.

“Good. Now go. Quickly and quietly.” Hisato scanned the field again but saw no signs of Mitchitaro or Genjiro. Turning his eyes to his grandsons, He watched as they slipped away toward the village. Now, he had to find his other grandsons if they still lived. Walking over to where his grandsons had been stationed during the battle, Hisato traced their steps and followed the path he had seen them take.

Most of the fight had stalled since the massive eruption of energy when his father and son entered, so Hisato kept low to the ground and scanned for signs, moving as quickly as he dared. It didn’t take him long to find Joji and Itsuro, and he winced at their mangled bodies. His heart twitched at the sight, and he quickly blinked back the tears. The horror in their eyes was enough to reignite the gravity of the situation, and Hisato gently picked up Itsuro to bring him back to the edge of the battlefield. Returning for Joji, he did the same thing.

Once he placed the young man down, he spun around when a voice spoke softly. “My deepest sympathies.”

Hisato breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes landed on a longtime friend. It was one of the elders who had accompanied his family to the mainland years ago. He didn’t reply but only nodded in thanks. “I must inform my family before word reaches them.”

The elder nodded. “Any signs of Hisamitsu or your father?”

Hisato shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat.

“If we locate them, I will bring them to you. Go to your family; they will need your support. It is best to receive the news from you rather than someone else.”

Hisato gave a grateful nod. Renji had always been intelligent, quick of wit and quick to notice things that were not normal. He wished he could tell him to leave, but that family line was not at risk, so he would be safe. Unfortunately for him, he had to be careful who he told, as even those closest to him could betray him should the situation arise.

Not saying a word, Hisato slipped from the battlefield and went to the village. Now, he wanted to locate his family and get as far away from Mitchitaro and the twin girls as possible. If luck were with him, they would be halfway to the mainland before anyone missed them. Then, it would be a race to find a safe location before their trail was found.

‘If the twin girls are seers, wouldn’t they be aware of our attempts to run?’

‘Highly likely, but you need to move quickly. Hopefully, nothing they saw indicated this scenario. Remember, this was a last-minute thing that I was made aware of.’

Hisato nodded and slipped through the huts to where his wife resided. There were no signs of Tazuko, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed bedding and food missing and nodded, satisfied. Hisato quickly made his exit.

Hisato kept his senses on high alert as he crossed the open field leading away from the battle. When he entered the forest, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now, he had to locate his family’s tracks and go with them to the mainland. Within minutes, he sniffed out his family’s scent, grinning. Following the trail, he rounded the side of the mountains, and his face went white.

He came face to face with a childlike face, and his whole body froze in sudden fear.

Taizo whirled around and gasped. As though on instinct, he placed a barrier around his host’s tree and pushed whatever reserve energy through his hand to his host. Hisato’s mouth fell open, and he scanned behind the twin girls, searching for his family.

He could hear them, but he couldn’t see them. Narrowing his eyes, he snarled. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Where are you going, little lord?” The girls said in a sing-song voice. It held a tone of innocence but was far from it. It was more condescending and disparaging, sending shivers down Hisato’s back.

“You do not dictate where I go with my family, nor do you rule over these lands.” Hisato snapped. “Where I go with my family is none of your concern!”

The girls smiled a sickly, sweet grin that sent his senses on high alert.

Taizo felt the twins’ pulsing energy rise, and he closed his eyes. If he and Hisato had to fight to save his family, then Taizo would provide whatever assistance he could. It was a mere breath of a second when blue arcs of lightning began flaring up inside the pools, dancing across the water. The lightning discharged with such intensity that Taizo’s hair rose as his energy matched the ferocity and fear that came from his host. ‘Breath,’ Taizo said.

Hisato crouched and snarled fiercely. Taizo gasped when he felt his host’s eyes bleed red, and his form seemed to change from the charge in the air around him. ‘Oie, oie! Hisato!’

Taizo braced himself as his host charged at the girls, as they retaliated against him. It was all Taizo could do to control the wild flurry of energy as his host moved in ways he never thought possible. There was so much of it that every chance Taizo got, he grasped at a new arc of power and filtered it into the tree his host depended on. Hisato certainly was not coming out of this battle unscathed, but at least he had a bit of a chance with both of them working together.

Hisato gasped when he was hit solidly in the chest by one of the twins, and he flew into the rock face of the mountain with a grunt.

Taizo placed his hand over the break in the tree as his host’s ribs cracked with the solid hit. ‘Dammit!’ He growled. ‘Hisato, they are too strong. You have to flee.’

‘I refuse to leave my family.’ He retorted.

Taizo swallowed, feeling his host’s determination. Hisato would not leave them behind, and in danger, so he nodded in understanding. ‘Then we will fight as long as we can.’

The battle lasted for hours, and Taizo could feel his host’s energy wane, but Hisato did not back down. He was hell bent and determined to save his family at any and all costs. His mind had been made up that even at the cost of his own life, he would do everything in his power to save them.

No amount of coaxing from Taizo would sway Hisato’s decision, and so all Taizo could do was filter his power through his host. Taizo watched the fight with great interest; his host was tiring, yet the girls seemed to feed off the energy that he expelled, which caused Taizo to pause. Gasping as he witnessed one twin pull the attack into her body, she seemed to pulse with that energy before the second twin released it back at his host.

‘Wait! Stop!’ Taizo snarled. ‘They are feeding off you!’

Hisato barred his teeth as he rolled out of the way of his own attack. ‘What?’

‘They are feeding off your energy! You have to stop.’ Taizo begged. They were draining him and his host. ‘You can’t defeat them. If you keep this up, not only will they take your energy and mine, they will kill you and me along with you.’

Hisato pulled back and leaned against the rocks. ‘Then what do you suggest? Allow them to take my family?’

‘Of course not, but you can’t defeat them like this.’ Taizo said. ‘You have to outsmart them. Instead of using your abilities, fight them with wit. Have you not noticed they have not tired while fighting us? Yet your strength is waning.’

‘Gods, who are these little shits?’ Hisato growled, narrowing his eyes as he moved further into the mountains.

Taizo shook his head. He had no idea himself, but there had to be some way for him to assist his host. ‘What if-’ He furrowed his brow as his mind whirled around possibilities.

Hisato continued through the mountains as his inner spirit collected his thoughts.

‘What if you were to make a pact with the dragon in the mountains?’ Taizo said.

Hisato stopped then. ‘Excuse me?’ The dragon in the mountains had come to the island long before he had been born. His grandfather, Kin’ya, had made an arrangement with it. The family would leave the dragon alone to live his life in peace, and the dragon would continue to reside there unhindered while protecting the island. There were no interactions between the dragon or the youkai living on the ground level, nor were they to interfere with the dragon’s daily life. ‘What could I possibly offer the dragon youkai that would sway him to assist me?’

Taizo remembered his host Sashiki had come across a smaller dragon species, and it had loved all things shiny. With any luck, it would be what urged the scaled monster to help his host. ‘You have that rock you found.’

Hisato frowned. He remembered the large blue stone he had planned on carving into something for his wife, but would that be enough? His heart was torn. If he attempted to make a pact with the dragon beast, could he leave his family behind while he went? It would take him days to get there.

‘Not if you use me.’ Taizo said.

Hisato frowned, ‘What do you mean, use you? I thought that was what I had been doing.’

‘Use my powers, not yours. I have not yet done this with a host, but you can change your form,’ Taizo said as he peered into the tree. If he could have his host focus on a large form, maybe he could siphon that to help change his host into that form. ‘Focus on something large, ’ he said and then snorted. ’I don’t mean the size of a cow either; think bigger.’

His host then pictured a large bear.

Taizo rolled his eyes. ’Think on a massive scale, more like the size of a mountain, but an animal form.’

Hisato remembered that his lineage was from the dog spirits, so he focused on a large white canine.

‘Better.’ Taizo nodded, ‘You need ears and a tail.’

Hisato corrected the missed appendages, and he felt his body heat up as though it were on fire from the inside out. ‘Oh, shit! That burns!’

‘Focus.’ Taizo hissed. If this were going to be successful, his host needed to continue thinking on that form. He was pushing his powers into Hisato to mould his body into that of his inner spirits.

The whirl of energy swirled around Hisato, and he fell to his knees when his bones began stretching and pulling. Shuddering at the intensity, it took only a few seconds until the pressure on his brain subsided. Cracking open his eyes, he gasped. The only sound that exited his mouth was a muffled snort.

‘Now run!’ Taizo grinned. The euphoria that rushed through them both lifted their spirits and almost seemed to revitalize the energy that had been used against the twin girls.

Hisato also grinned and started running with a shout of joy, but it only came out as a loud snarl of approval. He was startled at how quickly he could move, crashing through the forest at the base of the mountain as though it were just a grain field. His sense of smell, sight and hearing was so intense that he winced a few times as the crunching under his paws sounded more like the earth’s loud rumbling.

Hisato could see the dragon’s form on the opposite mountain as he ran. With any luck, the dragon would see him coming and be curious about why he was running at such a frantic pace. There were only two outcomes: either the dragon would be curious and want to discover the issue, or it would retaliate and attack.

Taizo rolled his eyes at his host’s train of thought. ‘Oh, for the love of all the Gods. The dragon is a youkai, like you.’

‘Have you seen how big it is?’ Hisato snorted.

‘Have you seen how big you are?’ Taizo retorted with a sarcastic snicker.

Hisato hadn’t really thought of it. Glancing down at himself as he ran, he skidded to a halt. ‘I’m huge!’ He turned his head to look at his long body, which shone in the moonlight and noticed his tail wagging in delight. Shaking himself, he broke into a run again with much more vigour.

Hisato released a loud cry of delight, which only came out as a loud, delighted howl. ‘Why are we just trying this out now?’ he accused Taizo.

‘There was never a need before. Besides, it takes a lot of energy even to consider this, and it is my energy you are using, not your own.’ Taizo explained. ‘Now, if you don’t move your ass, the twins will get to the dragon first, and then it will be all over for us and your family!’

That spurred Hisato to run even harder, and he scaled the mountain like a small hill. Hisato slowed his pace down as he glanced around him. He could feel the energy from the dragon, and it was massive. Even more than what Mitchitaro and Genjiro released. How was it that certain youkai had such vast differences in power? ‘Damn, he is intense.’

Taizo agreed as he felt the force and pressure of that energy. It was more extreme because Hisato was using his energy and not having his strength absorbed by the whirling force of the ancient creature living in the mountains. ‘This must be one of the first youkai ever to exist.’ Taizo mused.

Hisato grunted in response. ‘I can smell him.’

‘I am uncertain whether you can communicate with him in this form, you might have to change back.’ Taizo said.

“I can hear you.” The dragon’s voice came out of the misty fog.

Hisato stopped and sat down on his haunches and waited.

“You are correct in assuming I was one of the first. I existed here before the fallen ones arrived.” The dragon’s snout emerged from the mist first. Its voice was deep and grainy. “You are much like me.”

Hisato frowned.

Taizo was frozen. Could the dragon hear him within his host? ‘You can hear me?’

“Indeed. You and I are one and the same. Deities alive on the mortal plane.”

‘Well, that is disconcerting. You must be the God Ryujin then.’

The dragon emerged fully from the mist, and Hisato whined as the great beast towered over even his form. “You hold the scent of another who had come before you thousands of years ago.”

Taizo shivered. ‘I assume you mean my brother Keizo.’

“The God Fujin, which leads me to assume you are Raijin in spiritual form.”

Hisato listened with great interest.

‘I am a sentient being within the bloodline of my brother.’ Taizo said.

The dragon nodded and lowered himself to peer into Hisato’s eyes. “Do you fear me, little God?”

Taizo chuckled. ‘I hold a great respect for you. There is a difference.’

The dragon seemed to smile then. “Indeed. What brings you to my mountain?”

‘What do you know of the youkai who travelled to the island?’ Taizo asked.

“I presume you mean the girls?” The dragon curled up and rested his massive jowel on his paws. “They came to me before they went to the shrine of Konohanasakuya-hime.”

Taizo frowned. ‘She is the Goddess of nature. Why on earth would they be interested in her?’

“They have released a foul entity upon the earth, delving into the black arts, contaminating everything they touch.” The dragon lifted his head. “Their hearts are evil and were manipulated to do the bidding of another. Probing the shadow realm was their undoing, but entering the spirit realm left them corrupt.”

Taizo shuddered at the information. ‘Who patrols these realms?’

The dragon snorted. “You know better than to seek the names of the sentient beings sent to the mortal plane.”

Taizo sighed, ‘What I am trying to get at is why the one who patrols these realms has not come forth to retrieve this entity.’

“He has been gifted to another as a sentient being.” The dragon lifted his head.

‘How do we defeat the girls?’

“You can’t. Not without the eclipse, youkai.” The dragon said.

Taizo frowned; eclipse youkai?

‘I will not abandon my family to those little shits.’ Hisato snarled.

The dragon laughed. “I owe your family a debt. I can fulfill that debt, and then all I request is to be left in peace and enjoy the mountains and my beautiful ocean.”

Hisato felt his heart lift with hope.

“It was your ancestor who granted me this home. It was the only logical place for me to rest in peace and enjoy what this life offers.” The dragon pushed to his feet. “I will retrieve your family but do not expect further assistance from me. The girls will be angry as they seek power and will not stop until they have it. If this is your wish, I will fulfill my debt by retrieving your family.”

‘Why did the girls seek you out?’

The dragon glanced down at them. “Seeking power. They know better than to try and take my power by force. They do not even hold a candle compared to my power. I told them they were on their own, and that was when they went to Konohanasakuya-hime. Their black hearts have contaminated the Goddess of nature.”

Taizo groaned. ‘Everything they touch gets tainted?’

The dragon nodded and lifted into the air. “Go home, little ones. I will have your family there shortly.”

Hisato watched the dragon fly off towards the opposite ocean and lowered his head. ‘Have I done the right thing? Can we still escape the island after the dragon saves them?’

‘I do not know.’

Hisato grunted, placed the gem as a way of thanks, even though the dragon asked for nothing and descended the mountain, lost in thought. Had he just ruined whatever chance for peace by striking up a deal with the dragon beast? Would his family be safe, or would they still have to worry about Mitchitaro and Genjiro? What about the twin girls? The future was so uncertain at that point that he only hoped that he had done the right thing. ‘How will life continue if the Goddess of Nature has been contaminated by whatever the twins did?’

Taizo was still trying to understand the news. ‘I don’t know. We have to seek out others with talents and try to devise a way to preserve what life there is. Perhaps there is another individual who can create a protective barrier. If we can seal away the shrine and stop the corruption, maybe it will be contained until we find another way to break the darkness that the twins released onto Konohanasakuya-hime.’

Hisato nodded. ‘Alright.’ Before he entered the village, he shifted back into his humanoid form and stretched his muscles. He could hear Taizo snickering inside the pools, but he ignored it as he entered the village. Once he arrived at his hut, he breathed a huge sigh of relief when his family turned to him, unharmed and all accounted for. He stopped, however, when they just stared at him as though he had two heads. “What?”

His wife hid her smile behind her hand, and her eyes twinkled merrily.

His grandsons blinked at him. “Uh, what happened to you?”

Hisato frowned, “What are you talking about?”

“What happened to your hair?” Okimoto gaped.

“And why do you have a tail?”

Horrified, Hisato’s hands flew to his head, and he realized he was bald. Glancing down, he noticed a tail wagging. ‘Oh Gods! What did you do to me?’

Taizo snickered. ‘Sorry.’

‘Sorry?!’ Hisato snarled. ‘What did you do?’

‘Nothing. You have to picture yourself as exactly the way you were before changing your form. It isn’t my fault that you forgot your hair and you left the tail.’

‘You couldn’t have mentioned this sooner?’ Hisato growled. ‘We need to fix this, now.’

‘Unfortunately, you have to regain your energy before you try transforming again.’ Taizo grinned delightedly.

‘I hate you, you know that?’ Hisato sniffed indignantly.

Taizo rolled his eyes. ‘Of course.’