Chapter 2 - Journey to Kii


Ashitaka stopped along a small river and pulled a red bowl out from his pouch. He dismounted Yakul and approached the water, scooping the liquid inside the bowl. Some fish charged through the river in front of him. Ashitaka noticed how colorful and majestic the fish seemed, admiring the beauty of nature. That thought was shattered when San quickly grabbed two fish out of the river with her bare hands.

"We must eat, Ashitaka." She said as she bit into one fish, tossing the other to the surprised warrior. Mori stalked the river for his own meal as Yakul grazed on a nearby field of grass.

Staring at the fish in his hands, Ashitaka returned to his saddle and pulled out a bucket, placing the fish inside. After placing it on the ground, he searched the area for sticks of wood and dry leaves. Ashitaka found a few good sticks and a bundle of leaves, both crisp and dry. He returned to the others who stared at him; San in particular had a confused look on her face. Ashitaka placed the sticks on an open area on the ground and went to work with starting a fire.

"We will rest here tonight." He said as the sparks flew.


The night sky was lined with stars. Ashitaka sat near the fire and stared at the endless ocean of twinkling lights while San and Yakul slept. Mori approached him. His fur was damp from being in the river. The wolf's emotionless eyes were fixed directly on Ashitaka.

"Why do you not rest?" Ashitaka spoke. "We have a long way to go until we reach our destination." Mori only stared back - his piercing eyes poked a hole into Ashitaka's soul. San rolled over in her sleep and opened her eyes, looking at the two. She eventually got up and joined them by the fire.

"You should sleep." San said to Ashitaka as she signaled to her brother, who then went off into the dark night. San looked down at the warrior. "You look troubled, what's wrong?"

"Something just doesn't feel right to me..." Ashitaka replied, referring to the potential unknown that they were heading into.

Changing the subject, San sat down next to Ashitaka and looked up at the sky too. "Doesn't it look beautiful?" She asked, her back lowering onto the soft grass.

"It sure does," Ashitaka wondered whether Toki and the others were looking up at the same sky...and whether the village he left behind could see it as well. To think that no matter how far apart they were, that they could all see the same sky. He felt more connected to everyone than before.

At that moment, Mori's howling pierced the silence. San quickly jumped up and grabbed her knife. "There's something here." San said quietly as she surveyed the area. Ashitaka returned to his weapons and pulled out his bow as well. He fixed his eyes on the surrounding darkness, seeing no color except for the orange flickering light next to him. All was quiet and still.

San looked up and yelled, "Up there!"

A giant dragon appeared over the trees in the distance, roaring as it approached the group. At the highest point in the sky, the dragon dove down, swooping in an attempt to catch them in his giant mouth. Ashitaka jumped out of the way at the last second, narrowly missing the dragon's jaw. Upon closer look, Ashitaka saw black tendrils covering the dragon's scales - the mark of corruption, similar to the boar Okkoto. Blue fire errupted from the dragon's mouth as it roared, scorching the ground below. Ashitaka jumped back and fired an arrow, but he missed. Ashitaka heard Yakul screeching as the elk moved to a safer place. The dragon circled the sky, surveying its enemies. Ashitaka did the same to make sure there were no others. He saw Mori emerge from the darkness in the distance alonside San.

Taking another arrow, Ashitaka fired again at the dragon. It hit the dragon in the face, causing the dragon to scream in pain and rage. Its black wings stretched out as it charged towards Ashitaka. The warrior attempted to dodge again, but this time the dragon bit into his arm. "Arrrgh!" Ashitaka yelled as the sharp pain in his arm resonated throughout his body. The dragon flapped its wings as it continued into the sky, dragging Ashitaka along like a sack.

"Ashitaka!" San jumped onto her brother's back and they attempted to attack the beast. Ashitaka took his legs and wrapped himself around the dragon so that it would not rip the arm off completely. The dragon's head moved back and forth, trying to shake Ashitaka off. At the same time, Ashitaka took his bow and put it around his neck, using his free arm to try and punch the dragon to try and loosen its grip. He could feel the blood oozing out of the bite wound, causing him immense pain. The dragon flew in circles as it continued to shake him off. The twists and turns hit Ashitaka all too quickly.

San's strategy involved jumping off of her brother and connecting with the dragon's as it flew close to the ground. Each time the dragon would pull up, causing her to fall short. After several tries, San finally managed to catch the dragon right in the eye with her blade. In response, the dragon bit down on Ashitaka's arm with even more strength. Ashitaka's screams and movements shook his bow loose and it fell to the ground. San ran towards it and picked it up. Taking one stray arrow on the ground, she began to take aim.

At this point, the dragon began snorting fire. The intense heat was too much for Ashitaka. San managed to dodge the flame and took aim with the bow. She shot, but the arrow missed the dragon's eye, luckily going over Ashitaka's head and into the horizon. With no other option, San suddenly remembered the dagger that Ashitaka gave her. She took it off and tried to aim it at the dragon.

It was an awkward shot, but she managed to nock the dagger onto the bowstring and took the shot. The obsidian dagger flew through the sky, hitting the dragon right in its other eye. The demon winced as it fell to the earth, crashing into the grass field. San ran to Ashitaka's bag near the fire and grabbed his sword. "Here!" she yelled as she threw the blade to the warrior, who then stabbed the dragon through the back of the neck. The dragon shook its head more, but Ashitaka kept his legs wrapped around the demon as tightly as he could before it finally fell to the ground, dead. San and Mori atttempted to loosen the dead dragon's grip on Ashitaka. It took a good deal of strength, but the two were able to open the dragon's mouth enough for Ashitaka to break free. The warrior pulled his arm out quickly as the dragon's jaw snapped back down tightly. The warrior then ran straight to the river. Black blood began pouring from his bite wound as the demon dragon's corpse decayed into bone behind him. The smell was intense, reminding Ashitaka of the boar that attacked his village three years ago. San retrieved her dagger from the dragon's eye and placed it back around her neck before running to help Ashitaka.

"Here, I'll help you out," She said, propping Ashitaka's arm up. The black blood kept oozing out, eventually covering all of Ashitaka's arm. The pain never let up until Ashitaka dipped his entire arm in the water. While this nulled the pain a bit, the black color did not dissolve, instead turning a tint of purple. The bite marks turned a bright red as well.

Ashitaka pulled his arm out of the river and looked at it again. The skin itself was a dull purple tint now. "Is this a new curse?" Ashitaka questioned as San placed her mouth on the red bite marks. Ashitaka felt blood being sucked out as San turned to the river and spat. He remembered her doing the same thing with her mother three years ago. Somehow, it made him feel better, but the color of his arm didn't change at all.

"Maybe it's too dangerous for you to touch," Ashitaka spoke, moving his arm away from San. "We should wrap it up so it doesn't keep bleeding,"

San nodded and tore a piece of cloth from her outfit, wrapping it tightly around Ashitaka's arm. It hurt as she tightened the makeshift bandage, but he felt more at ease as the purple tint disappeared underneath the white cloth.

Mori approached the two, sticking his nose in the air. "I can smell herbs,"

San helped Ashitaka stand up and called Yakul towards them. Ashitaka looked in the direction Mori was sniffing and saw smoke rising from the trees. "There might be someone who can help," He said as he mounted his elk. Ashitaka struggled to get on due to his hurt arm, but San helped him out. She handed him his bow and proceeded to climb onto her brother's back. Together, the group darted off towards the smoke.

The rising smoke didn't look too far away from where Ashitaka was injured, but he was in great pain all along the way. Following behind San and Mori, Ashitaka held his arm tightly while trying to stay on Yakul's back. His arm began to pulse as sweat dripped from his brow. It was a cold sweat. The surrounding forest began to blur together as Ashitaka began hearing voices. They sounded like people of all ages: men, women, and children. Some were screaming, others chanting in low voices. The surrounding forest disappeared as a giant rocky cliff came into view, with fire raging overhead. The fire was so intense, as if Ashitaka were suddenly thrown into a burning building.

"...Ashitaka!"

San's voice snapped him out of it. He regained focus and caught up to the wolf siblings. Ahead of them sat a lonely wooden hut. It was located in the center of a clearing, next to a small pond. Vines grew on all sides of the hut, but the entire area looked well-kept. Behind the hut lay a small flower garden with plants of various shapes and sizes. San and Mori were stopped at the edge of the clearing, clearly hesitant to move closer to the human dwelling. Ashitaka and Yakul passed them slowly.

"Looks like a medicine man's hut...he should be able to help," Ashitaka said in a dazed tone. San immediately jumped off of Mori and walked by Yakul's side, helping the warrior keep his balance. The front of the hut was littered with plants and vines and had the aroma of the woods, something San was used to while living back in her own forest. The wooden steps up to the door creaked as she stepped on them. After pausing for a moment, San knocked on the door. It creaked open as an old man emerged from behind it. He held a small cane in one hand and a book in the other. He had one of the longest beards San had ever seen on a human.

"How can I help you?" The man asked in a frail voice. Ashitaka saw San's body relax as she heard the kind voice of the elder. The man squinted as he stared out of his doorway, but his eyes grew wide as he made out two people, one man and one woman.

"Hello," San spoke with a stutter. "My friend, Ashitaka, has been attacked by a demon dragon, and we think he was cursed. Do you know anything we can do to help him?" The sincerity in her words prompted the Medicine Man to immediately move towards Ashitaka. He bowed slightly before gently picking up Ashitaka's bandaged arm. He muttered a few words to himself, and then retreated back into his hut, beckoning the pair to follow him.

The inside of the Medicine Man's hut was very perplexing. Scrolls and other documents lined the walls, vials and bowls containing mysterious liquids were contained in small crates, and more plants hung from the walls. The ceiling was high and had a hole through it to let the smoke from his fire pass through. A small table was positioned in the center of the one-room hut.

"Please, take a seat." The man waved to the table. Ashitaka moved forward and sat down as the manmoved to the back of the hut where a small pot sat on the open fire. He picked the pot up and moved back towards the table where multiple cups were placed. The man then poured the boiling water into three of the cups. "Please, have some tea. Show me your arm."

Ashitaka took a sip of the tea. It was bitter at first, but as it slid down his throat it became sweet. The heat from the water balanced out with the freshness of the liquid. He then placed the cup down and unwrapped the bandage, exposing the purple flesh underneath. Ashitaka spoke about his curse from three years ago, and the encounter he and San had that night as the man nodded and drank from his cup. San stared at the hot water in confusion. She tried to take a sip, but the heat was too much for her as she quickly placed the cup back down onto the table. The medicine man closed in on Ashitaka's arm as he spoke, and finally sat back with an ominous look on his face. He stroked his beard as he began to speak.

"Yes...I've seen this only once before. This curse is different from the one you encountered previously. It's known as the Chimei-Ryu in these parts. The one man I had seen before with this curse used to be a great warrior of his village. After fighting a demon dragon, his arm looked very much like yours. The pain was intense at first, but soon after, he developed very great power. His strength, speed, and resilience all grew as the purple tint would change colors depending on the situation - or so I was told. I only saw him at the same stage as you are presently, and heard stories from those that knew him afterwards. The color on his arm started on the arm, but soon spread to other parts of his body, as I'm sure you're familiar with. The power I spoke of may sound great, but it is a double-edged sword."

Ashitaka tilted his head slightly to one side. "Did he die from the curse after this, Medicine Man?" Ashitaka asked. He didn't want to go through another curse with the same consequences.

"I'm afraid this curse works in a different way. Once it envelops you completely, you simply become a wandering demon, incapable of human thought or feeling. However, the curse was not what killed him; he was killed by revolting villagers in his sleep. His anger, agression, and insanity ate away at his soul and destroyed who he once was. Some say his poor soul wanders around that village...the soul of the hero, not the demon he became. The words I told him will be the same ones I will tell you..."

The Medicine Man got up and walked towards one of the crates containing a green liquid. He picked one up and returned to the small table.

"As much as you think you have a grasp on your judgement, don't lose yourself. You may end up harming those around you, and destroy the image you have crafted for all who look up to you."

"How long do I have before this curse destroys me? And is there a cure?" Ashitaka started getting nervous, while San held back her tears.

"The man, known as Ryu, showed these signs a few months after being bit by the demon dragon...He tried to fight it at first, from what I've heard, and it did not progress. However, he eventually lost the fight as that purple tint covered his entire body. After that, he was lost."

"As for a cure, I have this liquid which can prolong the spread of the black blood. Take only one drop each day for it to work. The dragon's bite marks released a venom into your body - Black when active, purple when not. The progression of the curse depends on the progression of this venom...I must warn you, though. This liquid is most vile; it has a disgusting taste, but you must not spit it out or else you will cough blood. This is the sacrifice you must make to prolong the curse."

"As for removal of the curse...I'm afraid I do not know. There may be others who know more than I do...In fact, I know of one who lives in Kyushu who may be able to help."

"Kyushu?" San asked. Ashitaka himself was not familiar with those lands either.

The medicine man adjusted his seating. "It is far to the southwest of here, only reachable by boat. I'm sorry, but this is all I can do for you."

"One more thing," Ashitaka asked as the old man cleaned up his room. "Do you know anything of a fight? Something about the emperor?"

The medicine man stroked his beard, thinking back on what he has heard. "Ah, yes..." he finally said. "To the south, in a place called Kii. Some armies were heading there to fight. I would steer clear of that area if I were you. It wouldn't be wise to get caught up in war. War kills."

Ashitaka stood up, placing the vial into his pouch. He gave a great bow and left the Medicine Man's hut with San. The warrior was deep in thought, fearful of what may happen to him if he doesn't find a cure. He couldn't return to Iron Town in this state, or else he may end up the same as that Ryu...

"Ashitaka, I'm sure we will find a cure. Humans don't know as much as the spirits do." San said while mounting Mori. Before getting on Yakul, Ashitaka clenched his arm. It began pulsing once more, signaling that the curse was spreading. He quickly pulled out the vial of foul liquid and readied one drop. San looked on, ready to support Ashitaka if needed. When the drop of liquid touched Ashitaka's tongue, he felt like his lungs were collapsing, as a great ball of fire tried to force its way out of the warrior's body. He hunched forward, ready to spit out the liquid...but he kept strong and swallowed it.

San, reluctant at first of the effectiveness of the liquid, changed her mind when she saw Ashitaka's arm relax. With a smile, she set off ahead of him, towards Kii. Ashitaka, giving one last look at the Medicine Man's hut with a gesture of gratitude, climbed onto Yakul and followed his companion through the forest. Ashitaka's arm did not bother him as much as before, thanks to the liquid he had received from the Medicine Man. The group continued on their way.

The forest emptied out onto a vast field of hills, with more trees to the south and a small village to the east. Ashitaka and San made it to the top of one hill as the warrior noticed black smoke rising from the village. Looking down at the town, he could see various flames engulfing the small buildings.

Villagers ran in every direction as soldiers killed those who could not get away fast enough. One of the soldiers spotted Ashitaka and San and called to the others. They were all wearing the same type of armor, each with a matching color scheme. Ashitaka guessed that these men were from one of the armies that the Medicine Man mentioned, and that they were raiding the villages for supplies as they approached Kii.

"There! On the hill!" The soldier yelled to his group. From behind a group of houses, three archers emerged, bows drawn and waiting. Ashitaka pulled out his own bow and an arrow. He was about to draw his bowstring, but felt a sensation in his arm. The color began to change from purple to black as it pulsed once more. Ashitaka instinctively pulled out two more arrows as San looked on.

"Ashitaka? Are you sure you can hit them?" San questioned. To her, Ashitaka looked like someone she had never seen before, as if something possessed him. The warrior placed all three arrows on the bowstring and pulled it back as far as he could. The archers fired their own arrows, hitting the hill just in front of the group.

"I don't know what I'm doing!" Ashitaka managed to get some words out as his arm moved by itself, aiming the bow at the three archers. Before he even had time to adjust his aim, he released the bowstring and sent the arrows flying.

The arrows flew through the sky in a straight line, as if they would completely miss their targets. However, they turned at the last second and hit their targets. Just like that, four men were killed: One arrow tore an archer's arm off, one passed through the neck of another, decapitating him, and the last arrow passed straight through the third archer's heart, hitting another soldier standing behind him. All four targets fell to the ground as the scene became much bloodier than anticipated.

San was just as puzzled as Ashitaka. "This must be the power the medicine man spoke of," She said while pulling out her knife. Something about that power was unnatural, she thought to herself. But, a fight is a fight, and they knew that they would be fighting as soon as they left the comfort of the forest and Iron Town.

At this point, the other soldiers stopped terrorizing the villagers and turned their attention to Ashitaka, swords drawn. Ashitaka put his bow away and pulled out his own sword. Ashitaka could not tell what happened next. From blood flying everywhere to people screaming, it was all a blur. He mowed down waves of soldiers, eventually forcing those who could still run to retreat. Ashitaka stabbed his sword into the ground and fell over. San put her dagger away and ran towards the fallen warrior. When she arrived, she saw his arm: it was black, but quickly faded back to the purple tint, a reminder of the curse that had befallen him.

As for the remaining villagers, they had seen the carnage that took place. San looked to them and saw people shivering with fear. Those who were still alive hid behind others as their buildings burned behind them. "A demon! Stay out of our village!" One of the villagers yelled. Some women covered their children and the men were ready to fight. Another villager through a rock at them, narrowly missing Ashitaka. San called Yakul over to her and placed the unconscious warrior over his back. She then got onto Mori and quickly left the village. San looked back in disgust at the village.

"That is the thanks he gets for saving your lives. Stupid humans." San kept the group moving south for about an hour before the animals grew tired. They had arrived at a large lake. San took the incentive to catch dinner and build the fire pit that Ashitaka had made last time.

Ashitaka slowly woke up to the smell of a fire. San was busy eating some freshly caught fish beside him. He felt dizzy, and had no recollection of what had happened.

"...San, where are we? Did we save those people?" He had a puzzled look on his face. San didn't want to tell Ashitaka that the effects of the curse were starting already. If she did, Ashitaka may begin to lose faith.

"Yes. You were hit hard by a soldier, and passed out. I brought you here."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Ashitaka said calmly, "Is that food?"

San gave Ashitaka the cooked fish, or at least her attempt at cooking fish. Ashitaka grabbed it and saw only one side was cooked, while the other was raw. He laughed slightly at this and looked at the wolf princess.

"What," San said, blushing. "That's how you eat animals, right?" She turned her head away from the laughing Ashitaka, happy that he was still happy too.


The next day, Ashitaka woke up to a calm morning sky. He sat up and took another drop of the liquid. It stung his tongue, but he forced it down once more. The pain in his arm proceded to go away after that. The lake was glistening under the morning sunlight, so Ashitaka took off his outer wear and jumped right into the water. It was refreshing for him, as the coldness of the water further relieved his pain.

San had awoken by now and noticed Ashitaka in the water. He had called for her to join him. "The water is great!" He yelled out. The wolf princess nodded and took off her own outfit.

Ashitaka smiled and laughed, but quickly stammered as he noticed San began taking everything off. "Hey!" He started blushing and turned away, his heart pounding.

"What's wrong?" San asked in the most innocent tone. "It's a bath, right? I don't want to get this wet." Ashitaka stayed staring in the other direction as he heard the splash of water behind him, gasping as he heard San swim towards him.

"F-f-f-fine!" He said as she approached him. Together, they swam towards a small island in the middle of the lake. Yakul was in the water as well while Mori kept watch. Ashitaka swam ahead, taking enough care to avoid looking at San. San, on the other hand, was oblivious to Ashitaka and proceeded to swim towards the island. Once there, they sat down and stared at the clouds. Ashitaka was happy, and it seemed as if all his problems went away.

"San," Ashitaka spoke after minutes of laying there in silence. "If things get worse, just remember this day. We saved those people and had a good time swimming in this lake." His breath was heavy as he did his best to avoid looking at San, but his curiousity got the best of him as he twitched his head to look at her. San lay on the island next to him, wearing thin underclothes. Ashitaka sighed and laughed once more as San stared at him, pouting.

"I told you I didn't want to get it wet," She complained.

The air was broken up by the sound of Mori's voice. "While it's good to take a break, the longer we delay, the worse things will get. Let's get going!"

The pair swam back to the edge of the lake and dried themselves off in the sunlight. Ashitaka put his dry clothes on and mounted Yakul once more. He looked over at San and blushed again as she wore her full white outfit. Kii was much closer now, and Ashitaka figured that they would make it in another day. He kept his head held high as he continued on to the south.

San looked down, knowing the truth about what transpired at the village. She could not imagine what would happen to Ashitaka when his condition worsens. She realized, though, that they should appreciate what they have until that moment does arrive...