It was a disgustingly bright and sunny day that was ushered in that afternoon. A big ball of merry fire was riding high in the cloudless skies, birds were singing songs of melody and beauty, the woodland creatures were scurrying around playfully, and the citizens of Iron Town were basking in the lazy and luxurious warmth of a peaceful spring afternoon. All was good in the world!

In the Iron Town Tavern, things were brewing up quickly. Word had spread of a strange-looking and unbelievable storyteller that could spin yarns as doubtful as any old wife--and yet there had been a trace of truth in the man's words. Patrons from the day before, and a few newcomers, were all waiting inside the bar to hear the rest of the one-eyed man's tale.

He came in just a few minutes after opening hours, weary from the day's work and ready to kick back and relax. He was greeted with reasonable warmth from the patrons inside the earthy tavern, and bought a large flagon of beer for himself before settling down. All eyes were fixed on his scarred frame as he found a chair and swallowed his drink, but none dared make a sound so as not to offend him. They wanted to know the rest of his story.

"…Well?" he grumbled after guzzling his beer. "What're you all lookin' at?"

"The story, man!" indicated the old tender. "Did you forget about the story?"

"Oh yeah… right… that… Well, uh, do you all really wanna hear the rest of it?"

"Yeah!" came the voices of everyone there. One-Eye grew an invisible smile and sipped more of his drink.

"Well, okay… Now where was I?"

"You were at the part where the young warrior had made it all the way to Iron Town!" pointed one of the younger man. One-Eye smiled and nodded his head.

"Oh yeah, I was. Yeah, it's all comin' back to me now. Here, listen up. I've got more time on my hands now that you sorry losers aren't yappin' up the place, so you'll hear a lot more. Now… It all began long ago, so long ago that even the oldest person in this village wasn't born, nor even his great-grandparents. It started on a dark and drizzly day, not like today at all, with the rain fallin' down from the heavens like the tears of the gods……"

Mononoke Samurai

Part Two: Warrior Prince Meets Warrior Prince

A single solitary warrior walking across the slippery mud and rock of a lengthy mountain dared to glance upward briefly. The straw hat covering his head blocked the falling droplets of water, but the road was not so fortunate. The rain was coming down in light, stinging slices, like little fingers tickling the earth. The skies above were very dark and cloudy, perhaps portending to an omen, perhaps to clear away some bad blood in the world. It was as if the very gods themselves were mourning over some terrible loss; these were not tears of joy.

The traveler paused only briefly before continuing. His feet carefully guided him across the mountain and towards the large property of land that he had heard only whispers about. As the place came into better view, the traveler spotted a large lake being pocketed by the falling droplets of rain, and even a few large fish playing in the drizzle. The shore of such a lake was locked by an area that had a bit of a mountain to it and a bit of a forest, and such a forest that the traveler had never quite seen before.

The woods before him, though dark from the rain and the clouds above, seemed to radiate with a magical energy that could not be found anywhere else--and in reality, it probably was rare to find such an enchanting grove. The massive sylvan property seemed a stark contrast to the immense fortress-like construction that was positioned somewhere between the shore and the lake.

The traveler was not too near the fortress, yet he could already smell faint whispers of iron, steel, and magma being worked in such a place. He could also hear the hubbub of townspeople working and moving about, though it was dulled because of the rain. There was civilization here, not too far from the rest of the world but not too close to it either, and combined with the black clouds, the lake, and the magical forest, the fortress gave off a very eerie and foreboding sensation--but somehow, not an evil one…

No. There was evil elsewhere.

Not feeling anything except for the falling rain, the traveler continued on the slick path, walking towards the fortress with only his straw hat, clothes, and sword with him. He had received messengers just a few days earlier that expressed severe distress: trouble was brewing in this area of the land, and behind it was a power that could only be described as monstrous. The traveler had seen this power at work before, many times in his life, and he would most certainly meet it again. But, there were no disturbances that day, except for the muffled sound of people working inside the fortress.

Approaching the large wooden gate, the man stopped and waited for the gatekeeper. She came--she, noted the man--and asked him what his business was.

"Heeeeey! Who goes there?!" The man cupped his hands over his mouth so he could be heard over the rain.

"My good lady, I was sent by my kingdom to come here and quell the evil that has beset your land! If it is not too much trouble, please raise the gate and let me inside!"

"What proof do you have?" she asked. The man dug into his kimono and pulled out a sheet of paper bearing his family's insignia. The girl's face brightened upon recognizing the familiar seal, and told the man to wait as the gates were opened.

As the large gate slowly creaked open, the man got his first glance inside the town. A great village awaited him on the other side, pulsing and throbbing with a hundred sensations from all sides. The traveler saw houses made of wood and thatch and stone, belching smoke out of their chimneys and people milling around their structures. He saw dirt roads beneath him, sometimes mixed with stone or wood, but mostly left to the desires of the earth. Tools of iron and copper were being molded in smith's shops and a limited number of wares were being sold in the small markets scattered across. Oxen mooed and chewed on cud in the farm areas; workers in straw hats planted rice in marshy waters and mashed wine in great barrels with their feet.

The traveler saw men of the common earth working and wandering around, unattractive yet strong and proud. There were robed women scattered around, most of them buzzing around the market but quite a few were nagging the men on as they saw fit. There were some unidentified people there as well, wrapped in cloth from the forehead to the feet. The traveler remembered these people to be known as lepers, and the girls looked to be from a brothel, and the men might have been unearthed from the very soil themselves. Smoke and fog whispered across the busy inner structure as the traveler made his way through the fortress; rain continued to fall from a sky dark and bleak.

The man knew what the experience of having all eyes in the room staring at him felt like, and a similar sensation struck him now. Most everyone in the dreary town gazed in awe as the man walked through their town, a few of them causing minor work-related accidents because of their absent minds. Yet nobody attacked or questioned him, and he could only have the parchment he carried to blame.

Stepping his way towards the gut of the town, the man was stopped by a tall man who had more hair on his chin than he did his head. The sword he carried was long and deadly, but the traveler could easily tell that the man was more bark than bite.

"Well, who might you be?" asked the bald man. The traveler gazed at baldy through the slits in his straw hat and only whispered a few words.

"They call me… Jack."

"Jack?!" The bald man growled in confusion, let out a humph, and loosened his grip on his blade. "I am Gonza, the Lady Eboshi's right-hand man. Tell me, stranger, why have you come here?"

"I believe that this fortress has sent messengers to my kingdom, regarding the appearance of a vile enemy," answered Jack calmly. "I am my kingdom's greatest warrior, and so I have taken it upon myself to journey to this town in hopes of assistance." Gonza studied Jack and let his words stew around in his brain for awhile before responding.

"I see… But you do not look like a great warrior."

"Perhaps there will come a time when I can prove my claims," said Jack calmly. "Until then, you will have to trust me. Please, let me stay here in this town until I have destroyed the evils besetting your village, and in return for your kindness, villainy will set foot on your town no more."

"You talk pretty smooth for a great warrior," commented a female's voice from behind. Jack turned his head slightly to find himself looking at a cheery woman roughly his age, swathed in a pale-orange kimono and topping a turban on her head. She smiled at him and extended her hand.

"Toki," she said, and Jack introduced himself and removed his hat for the lady. "You'll have to forgive Gonza's behavior," said Toki coolly. "He has more muscle than brains."

"Why, you--" Jack smiled and even let out a polite chuckle.

"I did not come here to make such domestic trouble," he said with a fading smile. "I merely came to offer my assistance. There have been too many times in the past where I have seen destruction haunt people's lives. If I can ease or prevent these troubles from happening, then I will be able to rest with a glad heart."

"Compassionate, eh?" smiled Toki. "So, are you single?"

Jack blushed just slightly.

"…Well, ah, uh, no, I am not."

"Aaah…!" sang Toki merrily. "Well, I'll just have to, eh, remember that, eh? Now, Jack, since you're our esteemed guest, won't you let me take you away from this dumb old ox and to a place where you can meet someone who's really in charge??"

"You be quiet, woman!!" snarled Gonza. Toki gave him a bitter look and the "dumb ox" could only glare back.

"Actually, if it is not too much trouble…" said Jack.

"Nahh, of course not! Lady Eboshi will be very pleased to meet you! Though I must admit, I don't know why your kingdom would only send one warrior--but, I guess they have their reasons…"

"……Yes," managed Jack after a pause. Toki took him by the arm and led him to the finest hut in the whole village, one that contained the esteemed leader of the fortress-town. Gonza was left behind to snarl and steam.

Jack was guided through the town of mud, clay, and iron, with several people waving at him as if his foreign appearance was no longer an issue. The townspeople must've figured that if Toki trusted him enough, then he was okay. Jack also got some definite looks from other girls in the town, and though he had to gaze at a few of them in wonder (he had to gaze away from the more lewd ones), he tried not paying much attention to them.

"…Excuse me for asking," he said as he walked with Toki, "but can you tell me anything about this town? I am unfamiliar with this place."

"Well, for one thing, the people who live here are the Tatara," indicated his "guide". "We call it Iron Town, because of the massive iron ores that were buried in the sand and beneath the mountains. In fact, that's where we get most of our income, from the iron that was dug out and smelted here."

"I see… Well, maybe I can understand it if, perhaps, a rival town or a greedy shogun would want such property, but how has it come to pass that a necromancer has set his sights on the place?" Suddenly, Toki stopped dead in her tracks, nearly jerking Jack's arm. He looked back at her and saw a dark and terrified face, shivering with horror and murky confusion. Toki was obviously upset over Jack's question, and he quickly made an apology.

"I am sorry," he sighed. "I did not mean to mention such a thing. I am merely curious." Toki, however, remained completely still, her dark face shivering just slightly in the cold rain. Finally, she blinked out of her stone state and pointed a finger towards a nearby hut.

"…Lady Eboshi can answer your questions," she said. Then, without another word, Toki slowly turned around and went back to where she had been before meeting Jack. The wandering samurai rubbed his chin in deep thought, and mentally shaped the first piece to a very large and very complex puzzle. These thoughts were soon put aside as he made his way up to the Lady Eboshi's house. Three quiet knocks on the door and he was allowed inside.

Another former brothel girl, much younger and thinner than Toki, greeted Jack and presented herself as his guide to the Lady of the estate. The place was warm with merrily-lit torches and decorations, and not a one of the tapestries or tables in the room suggested anyone who arrogantly wielded their obvious power. Everything was beautiful yet subtle, giving the place a higher--but not too high--feel to it. Jack could only guess at the Lady's humility.

As the girl led him through the house, Jack noticed a young man sitting in one of the larger rooms, hammering nails out of stone and steel. The young man looked up briefly to see who was passing by his door, and his eyes instantly locked with Jack's. Suddenly, all of time and space seemed to freeze in that single glance, and a hundred thoughts, emotions, and feelings traveled between the two men. Jack almost felt a kind of kinship with this man, perhaps even a loose connection…

But as soon as it began, the moment ended, and Jack's eyes were jarred away from the other man's. He blinked the fuzziness out of his vision and mentally wondered who such a person was. His instincts told him that Eboshi would know.

"Here you are, sir," presented the girl that had been guiding Jack around. He smiled and bowed with respect.

"Thank you." Jack entered into Eboshi's room, noticing that it was halfway bathed in eerie candlelight. A portion of the room was completely empty, of possession or of person, yet this entire side was covered by lights from several glowing candles. The other side was dark, as dark as the clouds in the sky, but this problem was soon remedied as a match was struck and a candle was lit. The single aura of light in the room illuminated just a tiny sliver of a person--mainly, the face of the woman Jack could only assume was Eboshi.

Instinctively, he bowed low and long, and stood straight once again to address her. Eboshi's gaze was not fixed on Jack, but on the part of the room that was bathed in lights. It was almost as if Eboshi longed to be in the bright part of the room, yet some force kept here there, in the darkness, with but one light to shine out for her. Finally, though, she snapped out of her daze and turned her eyes to the samurai standing in her doorway.

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting, stranger," she said. Jack liked her voice. It was very smooth and melodic, with an accent strangely foreign even to that very country, and held no malice in it at all. "I do sometimes lose myself in my thoughts. Please, come in, so that we may speak."

He did so.

"Sit," bade Eboshi, and Jack found a cushion to rest on. Smiling just faintly, Eboshi leaned forward a fraction and began to scribble something on a sheet of parchment. "I apologize for not having anything here for you to eat," she said. "We did not know if our pleas going to be answered, but we are grateful for your appearance. Tell me, what is your name?"

"I am known only as Jack," replied the samurai. Eboshi smiled for real this time.

"Jack…… A quaint, somewhat simple name. Tell me Jack, if you don't mind my asking, why is it that your country has sent only one warrior to help us, and not an entire army? I don't mean to offend you or what skills you may have, but we had been expecting more to arrive, if ever assistance came to us."

"I understand what you are saying," he replied, "but I must also beg for your forgiveness when I say that I am all that you will receive--and, not to boast, but I may be all you will need."

"Is that so?" she asked wryly. "Well, Jack, I do not know how skilled you are, or what you are capable of, but if your country has sent you here alone, then they must have great confidence in you."

"…Yes… they do," he answered quietly. Eboshi smiled again. From what Jack could already ascertain, this Lady of Iron Town seemed to be a very gentle and wise ruler, who was fiercely respected in the town and loved by all who lived there, albeit maybe a trace on the unordinary side. Jack could draw no other conclusions from her just yet, but time would yield more secrets for him to unearth……

"…Then perhaps we should trust their judgment," said Eboshi after a pause. "In any case, I am sure that you have many questions for me. Feel free to ask anything, but be warned that I may not give you the answers you like, nor even an answer at all."

"I have many questions," he warned. "…But first of all, can you tell me who the young man constructing nails was?"

"Oh, I see you have noticed Ashitaka," said Eboshi with a wry smile. "…Let us say for now that he is our 'resident peacekeeper'. I myself know very little about him, except that his beliefs and mine have often came into conflict in the past. For the time being, he is merely helping to rebuild our town, in exchange for a place to call home."

"…Rebuild?"

"It's a long story," muttered Eboshi emptily, "and one that bears little relevance to the current situation." Jack rubbed his chin, nodding his head every once in awhile as another piece to his mental puzzle was constructed.

"I see. I would like to meet this Askitaka soon."

"You will," guaranteed Eboshi mysteriously. "But now, allow me to clarify whatever is on your mind." Jack nodded his head, and made a gesture to Eboshi as he gave her his first question.

"Lady Eboshi, I have learned from my brief stay here that this is a town rich in iron, and that this property is perhaps sought after by greedy outsiders. But what puzzles me is, why would a necromancer be interested in such a place?"

"Necromancer?" parroted Eboshi. "Why, wherever did you get that idea?"

"The messengers that came from this town, or this region, claimed to have suffered an attack from a necromancer--a wizard who can conjure up the undead." A thick silence suddenly filled the room as Jack stared into Eboshi's eyes, and the Lady kept suspiciously mute during the whole time. She didn't smile nor even smirk. Instead, a dark and haunting look grew on her face, one not too unlike the one seen on Toki earlier.

"…I choose not to answer your question," murmured Eboshi quietly after a pause. Jack drew in a deep breath.

"I really insist."

"I really insist the same." Another pause.

"…Very well. Then, answer me this: are the rumors true? Am I correct in saying that a necromancer has attacked this area?"

"It can be said that you are correct," replied Eboshi ambiguously. "I don't know anything about a necromancer actually being in the area, but I will say that many demons and monster that might come from such a madman have been stalking around here."

"Thank you; that is all I needed to know," sighed Jack. "Now, for my next question. How many times has this village been attacked by such demons?"

"Five times," said Eboshi, holding up that number of fingers. Jack swallowed nervously.

"Five times…? And yet the town looks to have been hardly damaged at all!"

"Remember, Jack, we are people who can produce iron very quickly. We are fast in rebuilding damage--but more than that, we have our own fashion of defense that has so far prevented these demons from inflicting great casualty. We have done well up to this point, but as you might know, any additional help would never be refused. …Ha… we may even need to ask that crazy girl for help…"

"Who?" he asked. Eboshi blinked several times and shook her head.

"…Nothing. I'm just talking to the wind. In any case, I suppose that one warrior would be better received than nobody at all." A pause.

"…Yes. Now, for my next question."

"Proceed."

"Would I be given food and shelter during my stay, or would I have to find those myself?"

"We're not barbarians, Jack," said Eboshi warmly. "We would never refuse the company of a guest, especially one who has volunteered his valuable time in helping us. I cannot allow you to stay in this house, or the residence just past here, but you will find warm lodgings anywhere else you wish. The people of this town will happily care for you during your stay, even if you do little more than assist in rebuilding." Jack smiled lightly at Eboshi's kindness, and bowed his head in thanks.

"I thank you. I shall do whatever I can to repay you."

"As shall we. But, it is getting late now, and unless you have any more questions, I shall dismiss myself."

"No, I have been given enough information. I thank you for your time, Lady Eboshi." Eboshi smiled and stood out of her chair, Jack following suit after her, and the two bowed and bade each other thanks and goodnight. The girl who had guided Jack through Eboshi's house was summoned again, and secret instructions were given to her while Jack waited. With a final smile, Eboshi saw Jack leave, and wished him good luck and safety; the same was expressed towards her.

"…In here, milord," said the girl, stopping before a small oak door. The rain had not ceased at all, and had in fact intensified as the day grew darker. It was black enough to be considered night, and since Jack didn't quite know what the morrow would bring, he would definitely consider an early bedtime.

"…My home?" asked Jack. The girl smiled.

"Yes. You will be rooming here, with lord Ashitaka, as per Lady Eboshi's instructions. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Jack nodded his head and thanked the girl once again; inwardly, he gave off a wry smirk, and thanked Eboshi for the favor. He had asked to be acquainted with Ashitaka, and now the Lady was granting his request. Jack reasoned that he was going to like Eboshi very much, and perhaps Ashitaka as well. Only by opening the door would he find out.

"…Hello? Lord Ashitaka, are you in here?" Jack called out to his would-be roommate, and searched the small cabin for the younger man. The place was constructed from logs and thatch, with stone for the fireplace and planks for a floor. The room he was currently in was empty, but after exploring a bit, Jack found his roommate sitting in the bedroom, calmly staring at a warm fire. For awhile, Jack kept his silence as he gazed at the young man and the flames.

"…Are you Lord Ashitaka?" he asked quietly. The young man turned his head and nodded.

"Yes, I am. You were that man I saw earlier, weren't you?"

"That is correct. I am called Jack, and Lady Eboshi has been kind enough to give me lodgings in your home, if that is not inconvenient."

"No, it's okay," said the young man with a whisper of a smile. "I get a little lonely sometimes anyway." Jack quietly sat down next to the young man, and was just about to explain his presence there, but Ashitaka beat him to the punch.

"That robe… and that sword… You are not from this part of the land, are you?"

"No. I have come from afar to assist this town in any way I can." Ashitaka slowly nodded his head.

"I see. So you're a foreigner as well…"

"You are not from here?" asked Jack.

"No, I came from the east. It doesn't matter where; I can't go back anyway. This…… is my home now." A pause. Jack took in a deep breath as he thought about what the boy had said. He could easily draw a similarity between his own past experiences--or was it his future experiences?--and the boy's situation. Jack knew what it felt like to be exiled from his home, and to never be able to return there, and to constantly wander the world in solitary loneliness.

"…I see." Ashitaka gave Jack a warmer smile and apologized.

"Sorry. I'm a little more morose today than usual. It's just… a lot of things have been going on. There's so much on my mind."

"I can easily relate to you, Ashitaka," said Jack. "I, too, have been in a very similar situation. I cannot say how exactly, for you may never believe the story."

"Nor you mine." Jack smiled and nodded his head, but he couldn't stop thinking about the terrible rumors that had surrounded his entire purpose of being there. A necromancer, conjuring up demons and monsters? For what purpose? For the iron? For the people? For revenge? What?

"Is there something bothering you?" asked Ashitaka, noticing Jack's thoughtful face. The samurai affirmed it.

"…Y…es… …But, perhaps you do not wish to speak about it."

"So, nobody told you about the necromancer yet, eh?" muttered Ashitaka. Jack straightened up instantly and stared at the younger man in amazement.

"You mean you know of him?" A pause.

"No… or, not as much as I want to. Yes, I can understand why nobody wants to talk about it. There's great fear in this land, Jack, fear of things beyond our control and our reasoning. Not even the gods could generate such terrors…" Jack knelt down and stared straight into Ashitaka's eyes.

"If you know so much, please tell me about it!" he insisted. "If I am going to battle this monster, I will need to have more information! You seem to be the only one who is not afraid to talk about him!!"

"That's not… exactly true," murmured Ashitaka darkly. "But… I am willing to tell you what I do know. Have a seat, Jack--this is going to be a difficult story for you to hear." And so, the samurai sat back down in his chair, and Ashitaka prepared to tell him of the terrifying villain that had covered all of Iron Town in such a dark blanket of fear……

"…You know, I think that's a good place to stop for now."

"NOOOO!!!!" shouted the patrons. "You gotta be kiddin'! You can't stop there! Not now! Yer just gettin' to the good part!!" The One-Eyed storyteller grinned at his eager audience hungrily, with just a trace of evil glinting in his only operable eye.

"So, first ya say that my story's a bunch of garbage, and now ye can't get enough, eh?"

"Shut up and tell us the story!" shouted a very drunk man. One-Eye snarled and lazily stood out of his chair.

"Tomorrow," he grunted. "I'll continue tomorrow. I got a headache, and I don't feel too good right now…" The patrons protested, but the grizzled man ignored their pleas as he left the bar and emerged back into Iron Town. By that time, night had already fallen and the moon was glowing gently. One-Eye snorted at the perfect end to the perfect day, and honestly hoped that his next visit to the tavern would be on a darker day. His story sure wasn't going to have a happy ending.

To be continued…