Eduardo's Tales
Story 9: The Festival of the Spirits
Chapter 1
(Rated T for violence, brief nudity, adult content, alcohol content, and mild language)
(DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Eduardo Rivera and Kylie Griffin from Extreme Ghostbusters nor do I have the right to copy the anime series, Mushi-Shi, which has inspired me to bring our favorite slacker and Goth girl into a strange world that exists beyond time. So, enjoy the show!)
The grey kodama continued to watch over the inn as night was settling in all over Chagum. Tomorrow was the beginning of the journey that Eduardo and Kylie must take as they were still asleep in their beds. With a travelling motive already at play, they had no choice but to obey the kodama's wishes as they will be leaving Chagum tomorrow. In six days was the Festival of the Spirits as both Eduardo and Kylie will be heading onto the Roads once again. Both of them had to go to the village of Ryuzaki as the Festival was already awaiting their arrival.
With Eduardo still sleeping in his own bed, he was into the dream state once again as he was seated in front of the kodama. To his surprise, he saw a sake bottle filled with wisteria wine as there was a wine cup next to it. The wine itself was a different one besides the ones made from hydrangea, rose, and chrysanthemum as it enticed his very soul. The wisteria wine was a potent one to the drinker who entered into the dream state as it began to put Eduardo under its spell. Picking up the cup, he drank the wine as he was thrusted into a more magnificent place that had many more kodama sitting towards a stone altar with wedding clothes that needed to be worn. Those were to be Eduardo and Kylie's wedding clothes as they were also ready to leave Chagum for Ryuzaki. It wasn't long until Eduardo woke up as morning had dawned into the sky. The time had finally come when he had no choice but to pack up his things and leave the vast city.
"So, our journey to Ryuzaki begins," he said to himself.
"What journey?" asked Kylie as she walked into Eduardo's room.
"We have to go to Ryuzaki to attend the Festival of the Spirits."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm also going to miss Chagum, but we'll come back here someday."
Eduardo began to pack up his belongings as he stuffed them into his backpack. With his staff in his hands, he left the room as he also found that Kylie was packed up as well. Both of them had to leave Chagum as they left the inn quietly and walked toward the stables to pick up their horses. With the two of them on horseback, they went toward the city gate as they saw Tsuchimaru standing in their way while carrying the reins of his own horse. He didn't want them to go without escort as he was all dressed in ninja garb with his sword in its scabbard. He also knew that Eduardo and Kylie were leaving Chagum as they were ready to get back onto the Roads once again.
"So, you're leaving without saying goodbye?" asked Tsuchimaru.
"We're on our way to Ryuzaki," said Kylie.
"We have to do this on our own this time," said Eduardo.
"Eduardo, the witchsmellers are out there," said Tsuchimaru. "As for the guy who attacked you at the harbor last week, we've received word that he was a witchsmeller hiding here in this city. The purpose for protecting the Rakshasa was just a ruse in order to get to the both of you. If I were you, I'd get an escort so you can make it to Ryuzaki safely."
Without hesitation, Eduardo and Kylie had accepted the escort from Tsuchimaru as he got on his horse and left with the two. As they left the city, all three had left upward into the Central Plain where the village of Ryuzaki was at when they followed a trail onto the Roads once again. It wasn't long until they saw Dr. Domyouji riding amongst them with her white horse as she rode in front of them. The good doctor was well aware of the journey to Ryuzaki after she saw that Eduardo and Kylie had left Chagum. The Festival of the Spirits was only six days away and the journey to Ryuzaki was only a two-day trip.
"I see that you've finally accepted the escort," said Dr. Domyouji.
"Very funny, Doc," said Tsuchimaru.
"The Festival is only a few days away," said Eduardo.
"Not to mention that the kodama are present there, too," said Kylie.
All four continued their journey as the rain began to fall in the afternoon. The small raindrops began to become a cloudburst as they took refuge into a set of caves near a river. The rain continued to pour as it was making the ground wet. With their supplies and clothes still intact, they even brought in their horses as they were also seeking shelter from the storm. With Eduardo and Kylie in one cave, Tsuchimaru and Dr. Domyouji in the other, the horses were sheltered in the last one as they all were keeping themselves dry from the rain. The night was nearly here as Eduardo later gathered some wood and dried leaves to create a campfire as he flickered his hands to create a spark to ignite it.
"Hey, hot hands, aren't you coming to bed?" asked Kylie.
"I'm getting this place warm," said Eduardo as he was warming his hands near the campfire.
"Eduardo..., Dr. Domyouji told me about your urges while we were still in Chagum... She even told me that if we didn't do any naughty stuff on the day of the festival, all of the kodama will suffer."
"Is that what she told you? Kylie, I don't want to hurt you like that... I get scared when I look at you in a peculiar way... It's-"
"We have to go through with it. I don't want the kodama to die out, you know."
Kylie began to strip off her wet clothes as Eduardo turned around modestly. The thought of her removing her clothes had made him feel strange as he later began to feel the urge coming onto him again. When he turned around to see her with a blanket wrapped around her, the sight of her made his heart pound as he was trying to control the dangerous urge. He was scared to death as he turned around again from the sight of her as he was shaking in a cold sweat.
"There's nothing to fear, Eduardo," said Kylie.
"We've been reborn from the ashes as we were made to walk along with the kodama," he answered.
"Dr. Domyouji also said that this is very natural for us. We can't help ourselves about it."
"The Festival is not too far away..."
Eduardo began to strip off his own clothes as he wrapped a blanket around his waist. He was wet from the rain as he later began to warm himself to the fire. Shivering from the cold, he began to feel the effects from the urge as he turned around to see Kylie all wrapped up while getting herself warm by the campfire. Her body was more gorgeous without clothes since Eduardo saw her bathing in the lake by the cabin. He didn't mind her presence at all as he was staring at her on the opposite side of the campfire. Soon, they would be wed on the day of the Festival of the Spirits as they were travelling towards Ryuzaki. The village itself was one of the few Muah strongholds remaining as it was a focal point for the kodama to congregate as the Festival was almost near and the future King and Queen of the Muah Realm were about to embrace their true destiny.
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Dr. Domyouji was busy fiddling with her dousing crystal as she was staring at the strange aura that turned green. It was a sensual aura that was brought on by the strange urges that Eduardo had felt in Kylie's presence. The time to share pleasures with each other was too soon as the Festival was not too far away. She had studied Eduardo and Kylie thoroughly as she was even examining their behavior towards each other. Tomorrow was the time to leave as the journey to Ryuzaki was underway regardless.
"What's going on, Doc?" said Tsuchimaru as he sat down by the campfire.
"We all have to leave tomorrow," answered Dr. Domyouji.
"Don't tell me that you've been snooping on Eduardo and Kylie again, are you?"
"Their behavior towards each other had surfaced many times since that time at the cabin. These two have lived a past life once before with a considered love/hate relationship, but they still had feelings for each other. After a thousand year rest, they were reborn to walk the Roads, for they also travelled the world for the past four thousand years without interacting with one another. With the kodama beckoning them to make a pact for themselves, they are most likely to be targeted by the witchsmellers who want to kill them."
"By the way, I've got some sheaths that I bought at this novelty shop back in Chagum. I'm gonna give them to Eduardo whenever he has the urge to do what he's doing."
Dr. Domyouji saw Tsuchimaru dig out a small treasure box full of sheaths that were made to not only prevent pregnancy, but to stimulate the senses as well. She approved the proper use of sheaths, but she also approved of the importance of family and children as she was also looking forward in watching over Eduardo and Kylie's future heir. Tsuchimaru had the right idea of bringing the small box of sheaths with him as he even had a spare in his saddlebags. As a roving young man, Tsuchimaru loved to play with the ladies as he was more into the curvy ones than the skinny ones. The soldier had a penchant for chasing curvy women as he even had his eyes set on Yashakune's older sister.
"Don't worry, Orochihime," he said. "I'm coming for you when I get back to Chagum."
"We need to get to sleep, Tsuchimaru," said Dr. Domyouji as she covered herself in a blanket.
"You're no fun, Doc."
"Good night, Tsuchimaru."
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Eduardo woke up the next morning as he found that the rain had stopped. With no clothes on still and with a blanket wrapped around him, he decided to take a bath in the river as he got out of the cave. Dropping the blanket and carrying a bar of lavender soap with him, he dipped into the river as the cold water jolted him fully awake. Scrubbing himself down with the soap, he was all lathered up as he dunked himself underwater. Rinsing himself off, he surfaced for air as he saw Kylie sitting on a rock by the shore. She was clean and dressed as she was waiting for him to get out of the river.
"You woke up late," she said as she saw Eduardo still standing in the river.
"Where's Tsuchimaru and Dr. Domyouji?" he asked.
"They've been ready and cleaned up since daybreak. All we need to do is to wait for you to get out of the river."
"Would you please turn around when I get out of the river?"
"Hey, you looked at me when we were at the cabin, you know!"
Eduardo got to shore as he saw Kylie snag the blanket that he wrapped himself in. He was embarrassed to return to the cave as she was busy waving it around. With his body nude, he grabbed a saddlebag as he covered the lower half of himself while returning to the cave. Kylie was astonished to see him from behind as she was staring at his bottom. To her own assumptions, it was considered a fair dose of exposure after the incident near the burnt cabin as she still had the blanket in her hands. It wasn't long until she returned to the cave as she saw Eduardo still naked with the saddlebag covering his lower half.
"Turn around, will you?!" he cried with embarrassment.
"Perhaps you need to be in your birthday suit today," said Kylie.
"This is a payback after I saw you naked in the lake while we were on our way to Chagum, isn't it?"
"There's nothing wrong with you being naked, Eduardo. Maybe I should take my clothes off and-"
"Don't you dare!"
Kylie walked towards him and put her arms around him as she kissed him on the lips. The moment of folly had a happy outcome after all as Eduardo stroked Kylie's hair. The urge was ready and waiting for him, but not now as he decided to set the saddlebag down and dug out some clean clothes to wear for the journey to Ryuzaki. He didn't mind the rest of the embarrassment as he put on a dark blue Heian-Era kimono and black over-robe with matching sandals. The Festival of the Spirits was only five days away as everyone else was all packed and ready to go. Getting on their horses, the travelling party left the caves as they were on the Roads to Ryuzaki. The journey itself was more than a two days away as the kodama were watching the Muah carefully.
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Eduardo took the lead as he led the rest of the travelling party to where they needed to go. He was aware of the kodama watching all over the place as they were spying on his motives. The Muah and the spirits were in harmony both in and out of the dream state as the future King and Queen were on their way to where they needed to go. In the shadows, a man with maroon hair hid in the trees as he was spying on the travelling party. He has heard of the Muah before, but seeing them in person was a blessing as his village was suffering from a terrible crisis. He often prayed to the kodama statues for the Muah to come to his village as he finally got his wish at last.
"King Eduardo and Queen Kylie...," he said to himself.
"There you are, Ryujiro," said a young girl with purple hair as she spotted him in the trees.
"Masako, what are you doing here?! If the village elder finds you out into the open, he'll shame our entire family for sure."
"Are you looking at the Muah, Big Brother? Are they coming to our village? Our village of Ryuzaki has suffered too much drought these days and I hope that the future King and Queen come here and restore it. I don't want our village to dry up and we've been praying very hard for the rain to come down. We need the rain!"
Ryujiro and Masako followed the travelling party as they were heading to Ryuzaki. Both brother and sister had also waited for a miracle to come to their village, for the Festival is not too long while the kodama are still watching all over the Roads. They were also watching over Eduardo and Kylie as the future had to be preserved regardless...
To be continued...