Even through the blinds Maria could feel the onset of evening from within the horse-drawn carriage. As they rumbled slowly along the road, the day's light faded, the temperature dropped, and the melancholic call of the cicadas filled the air.
This would make an excellent setting for my next poem. Maria thought, eyes closed and breathing deeply.
She and a few of her associates from the imperial court were returning to Kyoto from a visit to some disciples in Osaka. Maria's student was among the family of the daimyo of the Settsu-han . While it was only a few days journey from Kyoto to Osaka, they had decided to leave as early as possible after their work.
Passing down their knowledge of various arts were all that many court nobles were good for now, but it had been this way for hundreds of years. Ever since the establishment of the Shogunates and the fall of imperial rule, the court has been eclipsed by the warrior class. For Maria, it was all she knew her entire life. She was raised to master all the classical literature, poetic forms, and musical instruments.
It was several years into the Tokugawa reign, yet despite all the war and turmoil that came with its rise, surprisingly little has changed in the way of life for the imperial court, and especially for Maria… until today.
The carriage suddenly stopped, breaking her from her trance. Agitated, muffled voices rang out from outside. Maria poked her head out of the carriage.
"Why have we stopped?" She asked the driver, who had already climbed down. Around them hired guards, cart drivers, and even some of her court associates scrambled about, confusion and distress laden in their conversations.
"From what I can tell, there is something ahead on the road."
"Bandits?" Maria asked, panic rising in her chest.
"Bandits would not come out in the open like that, Milady. We are not sure what it is."
Curiosity got the better of her. Maria exited the carriage to see for herself. Unfortunately she was situated near the middle and rear of her party, and the darkness did little to help her see past her entourage. The two horses that pulled her carriage skittered and neighed nervously.
A figured hurried past her, long blue hair flowing back in their wake. Maria saw an ornate scabbard fixed to the knapsack on their back - it was one of the hired guards.
"You there, sir!" The warrior stopped at her call. "Were you at the front? What did you see?"
A bamboo hat with long veils attached shielded their face, but a low voice responded. "I would get back in your carriage, Milady. They might be harmless, in which case they would be gone shortly."
"They might be–? What do you mean? Tell me what you saw! If they're harmless then why are you running away?"
The warrior finally turned around and threw off the hat.
A woman…? Maria stared into stern violet eyes.
Women skilled in the martial ways weren't unheard of, but certainly not common. Judging by the appearance of her weapon, she must have been successful as well in the mercenary business. But her surprise at the warrior's identity was incomparable to the answer she gave.
"I saw youkai... Lots of them."
"...What? Truly? What kind of-"
Just then, a blood-curdling wail came from front, and all hell broke loose. Horses reared and threw off their riders. Oxen ran in fright, overturned supply carts, and trampled their goods. Lanterns broke as they fell to the ground, lighting fires among the grass and wooden crates. Battle cries rang through the air, and then, a noise more horrifying than she had ever dreamed.
It could only be described as a screech. It was so alien and chilling that Maria's knees threatened to give out underneath her.
"Come on!" The warrior didn't wait to grab her arm and pull her into a run, just as her carriage fell over where she had stood.
They left the party behind onto open road. The warrior was fast. Maria struggled to keep up. She tripped on her feet several times but was immediately pulled up by her grasp. Maria's lungs burned and her legs ached, but she just kept tugging her along.
"Please..." Maria gasped. "I can't..."
Finally they slowed. Maria was led off the road into the woods, and they threw themselves into the bushes.
"Stay quiet."
Maria did her best but was unable to silence her labored breaths, yet the warrior seemed barely unaffected by their sprint.
They lay face down on the ground, the warrior's knapsack between them. She kept a hand rested on her sword.
She didn't know how long they lay there. She had soon caught her breath, but the longer they stayed the more she became aware of the discomfort of laying in the dirt. Bugs crawled over her and she itched to slap them off, but any attempt to shift her position was met by a rough shove back down.
"Do you want to live, woman?" The warrior hissed.
She scoffed back. "How dare you talk to–"
SNAP
Maria gasped. It was the sound of twigs and branches snapping, of someone or something clumsily brushing through the woods. The warrior tightened her grip on her sword, and with a thumb flicked the hilt, revealing a portion of the blade.
"H-Help me... anybody..." They heard a weak voice.
"It's a person!" Maria said, scrambling to her feet.
"Get back down!"
But Maria was already out of the bushes. She saw young man of her own party - a retainer of one her associates she recalled. He walked with a limp. Maria rushed towards him and caught him right as he fell.
"Are you alright!?"
"Everyone else is gone!" He wailed. "Our weapons… useless!"
A screech sounded nearby, that same terrible sound that caused the hairs on her skin to stand. Maria swiveled around in panic, trying to find the source, but it seemed all around them.
Then something burst out of the bushes, faster than the eye could see. Maria screamed as it rushed right towards them. It tackled the man next to her, knocking her off to the side.
When she go back up and finally got her first good look at the creature. It was a round, amorphous blob, with tiny appendages at its belly for hands and a thick tail. It was semi-transparent and shifted through multiple colors. It was nothing like she ever heard of.
It latched onto the man, and immediately gray spread through the creature and the man. His wail died as the two of them petrified and crumbled away.
In shock, Maria reached out a trembling hand. But then, two more of the creatures emerged from the woods in front of her. She recoiled back.
"N-No! Please!" Maria said weakly, scrambling backwards.
They advanced faster they seemed capable, tiny hands crawling at the ground.
Just as they were about to reach her, a flash of blue burst out of the bushes. The warrior landed between them, spinning as she drew her sword imperceptibly quick. The blade drew a glowing arc in the air. She cut through both the creatures in one swing and landed on one knee.
It occurred so fast that Maria didn't even had time to scream. Her eyes landed on the metal blade outstretched in the air, and for a moment, as if a trick of the light, it seemed to radiate a light of its own against the darkness of the forest.
But the illusion was over as quickly as the creatures were slain. The warrior quickly sheathed her sword and approached her.
"Come on, we need to get to the city," she said, offering her free hand.
Maria let herself be pulled up, but she collapsed into the warrior's arms. The shock of the recent events had caught up to her all at once.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"It's alright. Come on, they may be all gone now. Let's see if we can salvage any supplies."
They slowly made their way back to the carriages. Thankfully they encountered nothing else on route except a stray horse that had fled from the conflict. They led the animal back with them.
What was left of her party was a mess. Overturned carriages, broken supply carts, and fine black dust littered the scene. Small fires still flickered, sending heavy smoke into the air.
At this point, Maria was near fainting. She felt empty and mindless, like a body merely going through the motions as they gathered what few supplies they can carry on their backs.
The warrior lifted her onto the horse they had found and climbed on behind her. The warrior's hands reached around her waist to grip the reigns.
"Sorry, I'd rather not ride double but you look like you'd fall off the horse by yourself."
Maria didn't feel it in her to reply, but she knew it was correct.
They rode off at a moderate pace. The constant jostling and strain of her legs were uncomfortable to say the least. Despite this, with the warmth of her chest pressing against her back, combined with her fatigue, Maria quickly fell asleep.