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Mirage of Beginning

by Karura

Chapter Five

They had left the province of Etchuu for the province of Hida, ruled by the Miki clan. "We will arrive at Takayama in two days," Irobe informed them. Kagetora nodded distractedly. He had heard that the Miki had only recently conquered this area, under Toyotomi's orders. He sighed. He knew the world was still going on without him, but it was another thing to really experience it. He couldn't help but wondering if the same events would have occurred had he defeated Kagekatsu and led Echigo. He thought about it a thousand times, made battle plans and foresaw defeats but mainly victories, as if there was another Japan in his mind. It was a different Japan but probably more peaceful than the actual country. "Although its inhabitants could have something to say about it," he thought with a bitter smile.

At all the villages they have stopped, people went about their business. No matter who ruled the area, life didn't stop. For ordinary people, their ruler was only a symbol. They had often never saw him for real. His acts didn't interfere with their lives. Kagetora couldn't understand such an attitude. He couldn't understand how people could not care about what was happening on the other side of the hill.

Since the haunted farm incident, the Yashashuu had been using systematically their powers to gauge the spiritual activity wherever they went. So far, no powerful spirit had been felt. Of course, they had come across some spirits, but since they had seemed harmless, they hadn't exorcised them. This inactivity was beginning to weigh on them. Kagetora was getting more and more impatient as days were passing without any progress in their mission. "One life won't be enough for us if we have to go all over Japan, hoping that we'll find some vengeful spirits," he thought with bitterness. "There must be another way, but how?" Even though they had gradullay increase their powers, they still felt they didn't know everything and that they needed some more theoretical education. It wouldn't be wise to wait for a new confrontation to discover new powers. However, they couldn't do anything more and it made Kagetora furious because he hated to wait in suspense.

Irobe, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped and tensed. Kagetora waited in silence for the former general to explain himself. Irobe whispered: "I feel the presence of a spirit."

Naoe and Kagetora concentrated in turn and also felt the presence. "It looks powerful," Naoe noticed.

"And evil," Kagetora completed, almost delighted. They would at last have some action.

They walked another two hours and arrived to a small village. They could see a dozen houses and a field a little further. "It will be difficult to do our work unnoticed," Irobe commented.

"I'm sure this remote area doesn't even have a name," Naoe retorted. "So it doesn't really matter if they see us using our powers."

"If we want to find the spirit, we have to question the villagers," Kagetora decided.

They suddenly heard some noise behind them and turned quickly. A young boy, no more than ten years, was standing behind them and he was so frightened by their threatening looks that he dropped the faggot he was holding. Kagetora realized their mistake and tried to reassure the child. "You have nothing to fear," he said in his most friendly tone. "We're just travellers."

The boy gulped and cast an uneasy look at the two men behind him. Kagetora followed his gaze and saw that Naoe had remained in his threatening stance. "Naoe!" He scolded him. The man glanced at him but drew back his hand from his sword. When Kagetora looked back at the boy, the latter still seemed a little afraid from them, but his fear was now mixed with curiosity. Kagetora took a step to him but it was a mistake: the child stepped back, afraid. Before Kagetora could warn him, he stumble on a root and fell over. Then the boy propped himself up an elbow, wincing, and saw his leg was bleeding a little.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Kagetora couldn't help but smile, seeing how the boy was bravely trying to hold back his tears. He quietly approached him and was glad to see that the boy was too busy being in pain than being scared of him. The young man tore a piece of his haori (1) and took his canteen to pour water on the tissue.

"It doesn't seem to be very bad," he said to the boy, who inhaled quickly when his wound met with the cold water. Once the wound was cleaned, the boy tried to stand up, but didn't succeed. Sighing, Kagetora offered: "We will walk you back to your home. Do you live far from here?"

The boy cast them a suspicious look, then answered, muttering: "In the forest, with Mom."

Kagetora was surprised to learn he didn't live in the small village. He frowned, but didn't question the boy: it would have been too rude. He gestured at Irobe to collect the scattered wood, and took on him to carry the boy on his back. He felt a pang of nostalgia. He had often carried his own son like this when he had been playing with him.

During the trip, seeing that the men he had encountered didn't seem to be oni (2), the boy brightened up and showed his curiosity: "Do you come from far away?" He asked the one who was carrying him.

Kagetora didn't see any reason to lie. "Echigo." He could feel the young boy's excitement.

"Really? But it's at the other side of the world!"

Kagetora chuckled. "Not so far, it's just the neighbour state!"

"I've never been so far as the forest," the child confessed with a sorry tone.

Kagetora nodded. He knew that peasants were seldom travelling and felt deeply connected to their lands. It was obvious that this boy would never leave the forest. Therefore, it was normal for him to be fascinated by strangers coming from far away.

They arrived in a glade where a small house was built next to a garden. The place looked a little dilapidated, and if the garden hadn't been so well-maintained, you could have believed that place had been deserted since a long time.

A woman came out from the house as soon as she saw the strangers. "Tarou!" She called out. She ran to them and uttered an horrified cry when she saw her son's scratched leg.

Kagetora felt a little responsible for the injury, so he tried to reassure her. "It's nothing. Within one or two days, he would be able to run again."

The woman looked at him at last, and smiled shyly. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said. "Let me offer you hospitality tonight. It's the least I can do."

Tarou seemed delighted by his mother's invitation. Kagetora could only accept it. They entered the humble house. There was only a single room with just a hanging to separate the bedplace from the rest of the room. The fireplace was at the center, and Irobe dropped off the faggot. Kagetora also dropped off his burden and the boy smiled at him. Without knowing why, he felt moved. The child really reminded him of his own son and it brought back the pain of having lost him.

The three men had place around the fire, as the night was falling outside. The woman, whose name was Maki, served some tea and they sipped their drinks in silence. After a while, Tarou started to speak. "Are these real swords?" He asked with an excited voice. "Have you already killed someone with them?"

"Tarou!" The mother scolded him for being so rude.

Irobe smiled softly and patted the young boy's head. "Swords are not for killing," he explained in a learned tone. "They are basically made to defend ourselves."

Kagetora had a bemused smile at seeing the former general explaining the basic principles of bushido to a child. Anyway, Irobe seemed at ease, and Kagetora felt the same. He didn't know why, but the intimate atmosphere of this house gave him the impression he had found a true home, something he had always dreamed of. Even in his castle, he hadn't felt at home. Even at Odawara... He shook his head. Something disquieted him a moment, but then Tarou turned to him to ask him about his numerous travels, and that feeling vanished.

The meal was simple but convivial. Kagetora was completely relaxed, as well as Irobe. Only Naoe remained aside, and Kagetora wondered if this man ever abandoned his serious and distant face. The other man was frowning and Kagetora saw him leaning to Irobe and whispering something in his ears. Irobe shook his head and resumed eating, but Naoe didn't seem allayed. Kagetora frowned then. Why was he wasting his time wondering about the moods of his brother's former vassal? He should better to enjoy this evening, probably one of the greatest time he had lived since his resurrection.

After the meal, Maki served them some sake and, of course, Tarou insisted on having a drink too. Bemused, Kagetora let him sip a little from his own drink and laughed good-heartedly when the boy coughed because of the very strong alcohol. Naoe stood up, then excused himself. Kagetora looked at him leaving the house, a little puzzled. The man hadn't parted from his stern face and had hardly eaten. Kagetora would scold him later: Naoe had insulted their hostess by refusing her hospitality.

Maki leaned to him to serve him once more, and Kagetora found himself almost hypnotised by the line of her neck that he could see in the opening of her purple kimono. His eyes got blurry for a moment and he thought he saw... He rubbed his eyes and the illusion vanished. Without knowing why, he felt a sweat drop on his forehead and an impression of discrepancy. His instinct was screaming something at him but he failed to hear it. He shook his head and decided to go outside to clear his ideas.

The night was cold but it felt good. He frowned. The last time his head had felt so heavy was when he had stayed too longer in a temple where incense had been burning overly. It was true that Maki had been burning a stick of incense to chase away mosquitoes, but it couldn't be the reason why his mind was so numb. He sighed and inhaled some of the fresh air of the night.

"So, you also felt it?" A voice said suddenly behind him.

Surprised, Kagetora swore and turned around quickly, his hand on his sword. He didn't entirely relaxed when he recognized Naoe. "Felt what?" He asked aggressively.

"There's something strange in this house... something unusual."

Strangely, this remark annoyed Kagetora. "It's just your imagination. These people are normal, just a little more hospitable than the average!"

Naoe didn't seem convinced. "I've just used my powers to probe the vicinity," he announced.

"So what?"

"There's a spiritual presence in the forest."

Kagetora rubbed his forehead with an annoyed gesture. "Yes, I know. That's why we came here, isn't it? We'll go to the village tomorrow to find out about it and..."

"The presence isn't at the village," Naoe interrupted him.

"So where is it?" Naoe pointed the house they had just left. Kagetora felt his irritation growing. This man had the cheek to suspect their hosts! "In the house, very well," he said, trying to keep his composure. "Alright, we are going to wait for our hosts to be sleeping, then we'll look for the spirit."

"We don't need to look for anything: the spirits are our hosts."

Kagetora didn't think twice and this was probably why Naoe couldn't avoid his punch. The man stumbled and Kagetora regretted immediately his gesture, especially since he didn't understand his own reaction. "I forbid you to speak evil of them!" He said, in spite of himself. "Since you're so suspicious, you're going to spend the night outside!" He turned on his heels and returned to the house.

Naoe lifted one hand to his cheek and winced when he felt a bruise that would take time to disappear. Then he smiled slightly: it wasn't too bad for an arrogant minion. "Arrogant and especially stubborn," he thought. "Now I can only wait for our enemies to go into action." He leaned against a tree facing the house, on the alert. He was sure their enemies would attack once they were asleep. He had a long wait ahead.

XxX

Kagetora woke up suddenly because of a feeling of suffocation. He felt a weight on his chest that was hindering his normal breathing and, half-asleep, he tried to push this weight, in vain. He eventually opened his eyes and started when he saw Maki's face so close to his. "What... What are you doing?"

"What do you thing, sweetie?" She replied with a lecherous look. She surely didn't expect his panicked reaction: he unconsciously used his powers to push her away from him. Gasping, he stood up and looked at where Irobe was sleeping, near the fire. His eyes widened when he saw Tarou squatting on the former general's chest, who seemed to have difficulty breathing. However, he was still sleeping.

Tarou looked up at Kagetora and his eyes were filled with incomprehension. "Why do you hurt my mom?"

Kagetora didn't know what to say. He suddenly felt teeth on his neck. He screamed and tried to grab Maki by the head. He wanted to push her back by putting his hands on her shoulders, but his hands only met nothingness. Panicked, he looked over the head hanging at his neck, and his mind was blank for a moment. Like a serpentine filament, Maki's neck was wreathing and joined her body only a few ken(3) away: she was a rokuro-kubi(4)!

Kagetora make his blaze appear around himself and he heard the monster screaming and withdrawing her teeth. He swore when he felt blood dripping along his neck and on his shoulder. The cut might be deep. "Irobe!" He suddenly called.

The former general was now fighting against the boy who was trying to choke him. Kagetora hesitated for a brief moment before hurling an energy sphere to Tarou. He would have liked to think that the boy was innocent and that only Maki was involved, but he couldn't hide from the truth. The child fell over and Irobe could stand up, breathing heavily.

"Kagetora-dono, what's happening?"

"It's a trap," he answered bitterly.

"But they are not spirits!" Irobe objected. Kagetora didn't know what to answer. They should solve this mystery later. For the moment, they had to defeat their enemies.

Maki had now recovered and, with her son at her side, they were watching the humans with unconcealed hatred. "We won't let you hunt down our kind any longer!" Maki suddenly hissed.

Kagetora started. Could it be that these spirits were aware of their role as exorcists? So it would mean that...

He didn't have the time to think more about it: Maki lunged forward him, her head floating away from her body and blood dripping from her lips. Before he could react, a barrier had appeared around the rokuro-kubi and she was screaming in vain, trying to escape.

"Naoe!" Kagetora said. Indeed, the former vassal had arrived in the house and he didn't seem so surprised by what he was seeing. He quietly burst into the exorcism song and Maki's image wavered for a moment before completely vanishing.

Only Tarou remained, who was crying, his face no longer threatening. "Please," he begged. "Don't kill me!"

Kagetora felt his throat tightening while he remembered his own son. Had he wept like this before Kagekatsu's men killed him? Had he also begged for his life or did he die with dignity? Kagetora would never know. At least, his son had accepted the flames of purification and had already headed to another reincarnation that could only be better. He wanted to take comfort in this thought.

"He's only a child," Irobe said, at Kagetora's side. Kagetora recollected himself and saw that the former general was trying to prevent Naoe from exorcising the boy. Naoe remained unyielding, which didn't surprise Kagetora.

"Irobe," Kagetora said, even though it pained him to have to say this, "this child isn't human. He just looks like one."

"Kagetora-dono!"

Kagetora ignored him and crossed his hands to perform himself the exorcism. Tarou seemed resigned and he looked down. Kagetora felt a pang in his heart when he saw him disappear. Then he sighed.

XxX

They couldn't sleep again, even though the threat was no more. So they left this place as soon as possible. Naoe was walking ahead and Kagetora could only stare at his back. He knew he should say something to him, maybe thank you, but he couldn't do it. Instead, he said: "They didn't attack us at random." Naoe half-turned to him, listening. "They knew who we are and they entrapped us purposely."

Naoe nodded. "I was sure the spirits and other supernatural creatures would have not remained passive," he said as if it was obvious. "Our mission is going to be more difficult from now on."

Irobe still hadn't said anything and Kagetora glanced at him, puzzled. It seemed that the former general was still shocked by Tarou's exorcism.

The Yashashuu took a break in a glade, a few hours later. Naoe went to fill their canteens, and Kagetora took the opportunity to speak to Irobe. "Do you have children, Irobe?"

The man seemed surprised, taken aback by such a question, then he sighed and a nostalgic smile appeared on his lips. "Two daughters," he answered. "I would have liked to have a son... like him..."

"I had a son," Kagetora whispered. "He was almost the same age when he was killed by Kagekatsu's men." Irobe's eyes widened but he said nothing. Kagetora closed his eyes and sighed. "I would have preferred it if I didn't have to exorcise him," he confessed. "But he was our enemy."

Irobe inhaled abruptly and averted his gaze. When he looked again at Kagetora straight in the eye, his gaze seemed clearer. "I understand, Kagetora-dono," he said. "It's our mission." Kagetora nodded.

Naoe returned in a hurry. Kagetora was immediately on his guard. "Someone is coming," Naoe announced.

Kagetora nearly asked him why it was so exceptional, but he focused and sensed a spiritual presence nearing them. It wasn't a very strong presence but it was different from ordinary humans.

"Someone sent by Kenshin-sama?" Irobe whispered, having used his power too.

"We'll soon find out," Kagetora said, gritting his teeth.

There was some noise from the bushes, and a woman suddenly arrived in the glade. She was dressed like a traveller, with a walking stick in her hand. She was wearing a straw hat with a thin veil falling from the edge to cover her face. "I've found you at last," she said.

The Yashashuu were ready to fight. The woman laughed slightly and pushed aside her veil. Her dark eyes winkled and a smile stretched out her fleshy lips. "So, you are the ones the spirits are always talking to me about," she explained.

"Are you an itako(5)?" Kagetora questioned.

The woman laughed again. "No, just an onmyouji. I'm Urabe(6) and I think we can do service to each other."

To be continued...

(1) haori:A hip- or thigh-length kimono jacket for men.

(2) oni: monsters

(3) ken: the old measure system in Japan is called the Kanekaju. It was used from 701 to the 19th century, before the metric system was adopted. A shaku is roughly a feet. A ken is 6 shaku. The shaku is divided into 10 sun and a sun into 10 bu. The original definition for shaku was the distance between growth nodes on a bamboo.

(4) rokuro-kubi: a creature from the Japanese bestiary, with an extandable neck.

(5) Itako: a blind woman who can talk with spirits

(6) Urabe: A character from Otogizoushi, an anime.