This chapter is a tad long. What is also long is how long it takes to make a chapter. I use to write a chapter everyday but now I've taken longer to write because I'm improving and the help I get for the chapter like to take their time. I need to write the story, edit it myself, ask a beta reader to edit it, have another author point out the mistakes, fix those mistakes, ask for more ideas and suggestions, and in the end I thank the people who help me in my author note. BlackSabbath4Ever helped me write this chapter. Please read and review.

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Kesshikodo was a fort located by a vast clear lake. It stood forty feet high, more resembling a tower than an actual fort, casting a black shadow over the water. Ashitaka, San, Ayuto, and Shojubo managed to find the fort after asking around town if anybody knew what Kesshikodo actually was, though they didn't expect anybody would know its location. An elderly man claiming to be a former samurai told them where they could find the fort. Before they left, he warned them to stay away, as it was often guarded. The fort was built in a strategic location, atop a steep hill with only the northern side accessible by foot. They took note of his warning, though it didn't dissuade their decision. Rising in the east was the early morning sun, revealing Kesshikodo to the four wanderers.

"That's where the others are located?" Ashitaka asked Ayuto. They were hiding in a nearby grove, their presence concealed by the trees' shadows.

"It's our only lead." Ayuto replied, "If they're not there, we may be able to learn where they were taken. Nevertheless, we need to come up with a plan to get inside. Swimming is out of the question; it would be disastrous to try and sneak in while wet."

"Perhaps one of us can climb up there and find rope?" Shojubo suggested.

"Maybe, but wouldn't that require us to go in the lake?" Ashitaka questioned, "We can't just sneak up to the front and start climbing; there's nothing to hide us if we tried. There isn't a guarantee that there'll be rope, either."

"I have an idea." San said as she seemed to gaze past the fort. Everybody turned to her, intent on hearing her plan. "Perhaps you can't smell it, but there are horses nearby. If they're being held in a... what is it you humans call it?"

"A stable?"

"Yes, that; I'll be back in a minute."

"Hold on, San-" But she was already gone, having ventured further into the grove. Ashitaka started after her, though thought better of it. He was sure that San knew what she was doing. Although she could sometimes appear savage and volatile, she was far from stupid.

"Should we go after her?" Shojubo asked.

"No, let's wait for a while. If she isn't back in an hour or so..." Ashitaka's voice trailed off. He didn't want to imagine the possibility that San would fail to return, but he knew very well that he shouldn't expect things to go their way. "We can come up with something if she doesn't come back."

San circled around the grove, keeping her eyes on the tower as she crept through the trees, studying the men near the fort. She could see five, three on the right side and two on the left. They weren't wearing their armor, though their swords hung by their sides. The stable San smelled was thirty feet to the left of the fort. Inside were five horses, their reins tied around strong wooden beams. This would be great for San; she could get the samurai away from the fort while setting the horses free. Knowing her time was limited before the others would try something else, she hurried through the forest.

The edge of the grove was fifty feet from the stable; whoever designed the fort thought ahead when it came to infiltration. San couldn't see anybody looking out the wood-barred windows of the fort. She dashed to the stable. One of the soldiers began turning in her direction. Thinking quickly, she kicked her feet forward, catching herself with her torso upwards and her knees bent. Her ears were perked, listening for the sound of footsteps. None came, however, and she crawled to the side of the stable. One of the horses whinnied as San approached. Its loud bray caused San to cringe and grab her knife, ready to fight anybody the horse may have alerted.

"Shut up!" One of the samurai shouted. The horse calmed itself and San sighed silently. She peeked over the side, silently eyeing the samurai, neither having yet noticed her. San grabbed her knife and stalked to the stable, gently taking the reins. Her breath cut off when the horse snorted. A hush fell over the area, though San could still not hear any footsteps. Cutting off a sigh, she sliced through the reins holding the first horse, then the second, third, fourth, fifth. With the leather bindings cut atwain, San hurried back to the forest and grabbed a large stone. There was no guarantee her plan would work. Knowing this well enough, she placed all of her strength into her right arm and hurled the rock, launching it towards the sky. Several seconds passed before it crashed onto the roof of the stable. Inside, the horses whinnied and bucked at the sudden bash. They panicked and stumbled out of the stable. Nearby, the samurai began shouting, though their orders were ignored by the five tumultuous beasts. Their hooves carried them away from the stables, down the sloping hill and towards the forest. One of the samurai ordered his comrades to retrieve the horses. Four unarmored men hurried after their mounts while their captain looked on, his head shaking in annoyance. He made his way to the stable to investigate what drove the horses mad.

San wasted no time. She stepped toe-first as the samurai captain examined the sliced reins. Her hatred for humans, though somewhat suppressed, lingered within her mind. The captain never heard her footsteps. As much as she considered herself a wolf, her steps were as silent as those of a feline. Though she didn't know this man's name, his past, or why he became a soldier, but the murderous intent was there. He only felt the blade for an instant before it cut his spinal cord. Blood spilled from his neck, a laceration one inch away from becoming a decapitation. With her task fulfilled, San dumped the body into the lake and returned to the others.

Ashitaka's eyes widened at San's arrival. Joyful as he was that she was safe, he worried about the origin of the blood covering her arms and dress. Shojubo appeared similarly shocked. Ayuto guessed where it came from, though showed no disapproval.

"The area is clear." San informed them, "Let's hurry before they come back."

They agreed and sprinted to the fort's entrance. As they were running, Ashitaka asked San, "How many men were there?"

"Five, four of which are out in the forest."

"What about the fifth?"

"He's taking a swim."

They halted at the front, quickly surveying the area for other samurai San may have missed. Ashitaka knew that she wouldn't have overlooked anybody; if her eyes didn't spot them, she would have heard or smelled them. The door was unlocked. Ashitaka and San crept inside, their respective blades ready for a confrontation. Shojubo was about to make his way inside before Ayuto held up her hand to stop him.

"What is it?" Shojubo asked.

"I want you to remain outside." Ayuto replied, "Somebody should remain as a watch in case the other samurai return."

"Would they not remain outside at their posts? Besides, we can bar the front door."

"We should keep the door unlocked so San, Ashitaka, and I would have a quick means of escape if necessary."

"If the remaining samurai see me outside, wouldn't I have to run inside anyway?"

Ayuto ran her tongue over her teeth. Truthfully, the reason she wanted Shojubo outside was so he could avoid combat. She didn't see him as capable a warrior as she, San, and Ashitaka. The one fight in which she saw him partake ended with a single blow and his defeat. Shojubo might be able to hold his own against some, but she couldn't see him match a samurai. He didn't even carry a weapon. "I still believe it would be best if you remained outside."

Shojubo's mouth curled into a frown, though he begrudgingly nodded.

"Thank you." Ayuto said with a small bow of her head. She slipped through the front door, quietly shutting them on her way.

The fort's layout began with a spacious room on the first floor. Stairwells in each corner led to the second floor, a storage area which included the samurai's' armory. Above that was the barracks, enough to house one hundred men if need be, albeit in cramped conditions. Topping off the tower was another barracks-like room, though it was completely open and was more often used as a vantage point to oversee the surrounding area. One would need to open a window to see clearly outside. Wooden bars meant to act as protection obscured the vision of the men inside. Ayuto suggested Ashitaka and San check the first three floors while she investigated the top. They agreed to her plan and split up.

"Wait," San whispered, "There are other humans in here."

"How many?" Ayuto questioned.

"Can you tell if they're one of the people we're looking for?" Ashitaka asked.

"I'd say three men, no more than that, none of which are Toki, Kohroku, or Jii-san." San answered, "Their scent isn't too strong, so I'd guess they're on the fourth floor."

Ayuto nodded, holding her chin in one hand. Certainly, arriving to the fourth floor with Ashitaka and San would even the odds, though how much time they had was in question. "Maybe we should not separate."

"I think that would be best as well." Ashitaka said, "It can't take too long for those samurai to come back, can it?"

"If they're going to chase their horses until they're caught, it's going to take a while." San replied.

"Hold on; if you can't smell the others, wouldn't that mean they're not here?"

"How well can your sense of smell pierce through dirt?" Ayuto asked.

"Not too well." San admitted.

"Can you smell anything else besides the other humans?"

San concentrated on the air, sharpening her already fine senses. Certainly, there were more smells than those of the lingering samurai. Outside, the fresh scent of the forest trees delighted her wild side. The lake too had a scent which she could clearly detect; unfortunately, it was somewhat muddled by the dead captain's blood. However, another scent was muddled in with the pleasant smells, one which San vaguely recognized but couldn't name. "Yes, there's something else, something I can't exactly recall."

"Is it coming from below?"

San nodded.

"There's a good chance it's sake, then; it's usually kept safe in cellars and the like. If its smell is only vague to you, perhaps the others are being held underground in that cellar."

Ashitaka and San glanced at each other, impressed by Ayuto's deduction. San was sure she would have been able to smell them, though if they were far enough underground and had their scents mixed in with something more poignant, it would be too difficult for her to discern.

"So we need to find a trapdoor." Ashitaka said.

"We may also need a key if that happens." Ayuto pointed out, "Perhaps one of us should check down here for a cellar door while the other two check upstairs."

"I'll stay down here." San volunteered, "Discovering hidden entrances, such as a thin cave mouth or a crevice beneath a fallen tree, is something I've become used to in the forest. Surely I can replicate the results here."

"Alright, then; Ashitaka, you take the second floor and I'll take the third. If there really are men on the fourth floor, it would be best to avoid them."

"Understood." Ashitaka said. As Ayuto hurried up the stairs, her footsteps landing toe-first so as not to create too much noise, Ashitaka turned to San and said, "Call for us if something happens."

"I know." She replied, a small smile on her face. There was nothing on the first floor for her to fear, though Ashitaka's concern was touching.

With San's assurance, Ashitaka made his way to the second floor. The doors to the various rooms were fortunately unlocked. Inside them, he found walls of weapons, unused suits of armor laying on tables, and broken weapon parts strewn about the floor. He overturned every bit of broken steel to find a key of some sort, or perhaps a clue to their captured allies' whereabouts. No matter his efforts, he found no such object.

Ayuto's luck, or rather, misfortune, was similar. The barracks were devoid of any belongings; whoever last used the fort had made sure to take everything they had brought. Those remaining men San detected must have been permanent guards to the tower. Lining the floor were old futons which were beginning to collect dust. She covered her mouth as she rummaged through and lifted each one, searching in vain for a key.

San's luck far outweighed the combined fortune of Ashitaka and Ayuto. She noticed that one of the cushions didn't appear to have been used before. Every other cushion had a slight depression, a sign that they had been used multiple times without ever being padded out. This one gray cushion showed no signs of use. As San lifted it, she could see the tiny grooves in the floor indicating a hidden door. Just as she was about to retrieve Ashitaka and Ayuto, the front door opened. In a flash, she reached for her knife and ducked behind a wall. Her lungs released a thankful sigh when Shojubo walked through.

"We have a problem." He said as San revealed herself, "Those samurai are already back."

"What?!" San blurted out, louder than she wanted. Flinching at her foolish exclamation, she peeked out the front door, her eyes widening at the sight of four approaching warriors. None of the horses were alongside them; perhaps they gave up already.

"San, is everything alright?" Ashitaka asked as he came downstairs, "I heard you say something." Silently, San pointed to the tiny crack between the two front doors. She could hear Ashitaka curse under his breath.

"Where's Ayuto?" Shojubo asked.

"Upstairs on the third floor." Ashitaka replied, "Can you go get her?"

Shojubo nodded and made his way to the stairs, careful to make as little noise as possible. Before he could set foot onto the first step, he heard somebody outside shout, "We have a problem!"

Ayuto had also heard San's yelp, though she was crouching beside a futon when she heard it. There was only one stairwell which led to the third and fourth floor. It was located on the opposite side of the room. As much as Ayuto wanted Ashitaka to see what was wrong on his own, her intuition screamed at her to leave the area immediately. She took one step out of the room and froze. Descending the staircase as she was exiting the room in plain view were three samurai, none of which were armored, though they all carried swords. For the first time in months, a pang of fear pierced through Ayuto. When she battled warriors, the element of surprise was always on her side. No such ally was here to help her. Their eyes locked against Ayuto's, the three samurai drew their swords. Rather than a long-bladed katana, they drew washizaki swords, a shorter cousin of the katana which was often used as a sidearm in battle. Of course, a shorter blade would be a benefit when in a cramped space such as a tower's hallway.

"Not one word, little girl." The center samurai ordered in a quiet yet firm voice. His black hair was fashioned into a high ponytail. "You better stay right there if you don't want us to hurt you."

Ayuto stood paralyzed at the doorway. She could hear footsteps below her, accompanied by Ashitaka's hushed voice. The samurai were silent, listening to the voices below. Suddenly, a crash rang from downstairs, and the sound of metal against metal cried throughout the first floor.

"Deal with this woman right now! We'll help the others afterwards!" The center samurai commanded. Ayuto drew her rusted twin blades in a panic, parrying and deflecting the two samurai's strikes. What she assumed was the head of the fort slowly approached, his pace not even a third of the charge from his underlings. They backed her into the room, though its more open space served to her advantage. She kicked off the wall behind her, concentrating all her power into her legs, and managed to roll between the two samurai. Her following attack downed one of them, cutting him from shoulder blade to waist, though the remaining man was faster. HIs strikes came down like a hailstorm. A dance between Ayuto's daggers and the samurai's washizaki began. It was a noisy, fast-paced dance which created sparks during its most impactful moments. This whirlwind of blades was enough for Ayuto to be distracted from the third man. Unlike his comrades, this man carried two swords. As Ayuto crossed her knives to block a downward strike, her eyes widened as a sharp pain erupted in her tricep muscles. Blood leaked onto the washizaki blades. Both daggers in Ayuto's hands dropped to the ground as she choked back a wail of agony. With the girl's arms now useless, the samurai behind Ayuto locked his arms under hers, intertwining his fingers behind her neck. Below them, the battle was continuing, though Ayuto couldn't tell if the screams were coming from Ashitaka, San, the samurai, or her mind. Before her was the man she had been fighting, a smug smirk on his face as he stood in the room beside his dead comrade. Behind her in the hall was the man that pierced her arms. Silently, she hoped that the damage wasn't permanent.

"That scuffle below should clear up soon, I'd imagine." The man behind her whispered into her ear. "I don't know who you are, what is happening, or why you're here, but I'm going to get the answers out of you one way or another." He turned to the other samurai and said, "Left eye."

Without a moment of hesitation, the samurai in front of Ayuto smashed her left eye with one solid punch, creating a smacking sound and drawing blood above her eyebrow. Her orbital bone didn't feel broken, though she didn't think the pain would be gone in a day or two.

"Who are you?" The man behind her asked. Ayuto remained silent, glaring at the man before her in defiance. "Center chest."

Another blow caused Ayuto's body to recoil, this time a crushing punch which knocked the air out of her lungs.

"It isn't polite to remain silent." The man in front of her ask, "And please refrain from spitting if you're considering it. Saliva won't be the only thing flying from your mouth if you try that." Ayuto remained silent. Even if she tried to kick, the samurai in front of her had the tip of his washizaki pointed downwards, ready to slice her legs if necessary.

"How about this: why are you here?" The man behind her asked. Still, Ayuto was silent Below them, the struggle continued to rage. "We're running out of time; throat."

A jab from the man's fingertips crushed Ayuto's windpipe, causing her to gasp and sputter. Red welts appeared where the jab landed. Nevertheless, Ayuto grit her teeth and continued to scowl at her torturer.

"Last chance: what did you come here for?" The man behind her whispered. Ayuto still gave no answer. Behind her, the samurai shook his head. "We can ask one of the others, if they're hopefully captured. Kill this woman."

The samurai turned his blade so that the razor-sharp edge was between Ayuto's legs. Her eyes widened further in terror as she realized how she would die. In one second, the washizaki was cut her from her groin to her ribcage, possibly up to her throat if enough effort was put into the slash. She couldn't accept this fate, but her legs refused to move. A sadistic smile appeared on the samurai's face as his arm twitched.

Blood splattered all over the wall, dyeing the samurai's face red. Ayuto fell with a sharp gasp, slipping backwards as the arms restraining her were released. She couldn't believe the sight. The man behind her no longer had what somebody could call a head. His skull was crushed like a sugar cube beneath a hammer's blow, revealing his red flesh, white bone, and brain matter. In front of her, the man who should have been her killer was dumbfounded with shock. Holding a kanabo which pulverized his ally's skull was a young man he had never seen. Shojubo's face was painted crimson by the captor's blood. He was quick to regain his composure, holding the kanabo to the final samurai.

The kanabo: a long wooden club covered in metal studs. It was a demonic weapon which were said to be carried by the oni. Some variants had metal sheets wrapped around it to increase its power, though this version was the more traditional version of wood and metal studs only. Though heavy, Shojubo could hold it well in his hands. Years of hard work made his body strong. What he lacked in experience and grace, he made up for with endurance and power.

The final battle of the day did not last long. With his blade still angled to slice Ayuto in two, the samurai had to quickly get into a combative stance and prepare to dodge a blow. He tried both at once and paid the price. As he raised his arms, he tried to jump backwards, creating a small opening, though not so small that Shojubo didn't notice. Shojubo swung the kanabo upwards, like an uppercut from an unarmed fighter, breaking the samurai's jaw and causing teeth to fly around the room. His haggard breaths and screams rang throughout the fort. Though he was not yet dead, his consciousness was quick to fade.

"Ayuto!" Shojubo called as he dropped the heavy club, "How badly are you hurt?"

"Not very." She replied. Though it hurt to move her arms, none of her muscles appeared to have been badly cut. Her eyes turned from the samurai which Shojubo killed to Shojubo himself. The area was a bloody mess, with flesh and bone plastered to the wall. Below them, the sounds of battle had ceased, and Ayuto could hear San saying something, though the words were unclear. "Let's go to the others." Ayuto said as she forced herself to her feet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shojubo asked. Ayuto was silent as she nodded. Though thankful for Shojubo's help, she scorned herself for getting captured.