Legendary Adventurers, Futuristic Saviors

Chapter 13: Dwelling of the Apes; Spirit King of the Forest, Somiesa

The cave seemed to stretch on for miles with every step Alex took. As he proceeded deeper into its shadowy depths, he couldn't help but feel a foreboding chill pass over him. It was all so familiar, and that terrified him. Memories of the first underground cave soon resurfaced in his mind. Memories of the cavern covered in roots, the strange bulbous core, the blinding light, the feeling of being completely torn apart in the blink of an eye. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to push the coldness and fear away. For a long time, the young outlander kept them closed. When he finally did open his eyes, he suddenly stopped and stared in amazement.

The cave was now filled with vibrant blue light. Light that seemed to blossom from vines and roots that entangled the walls like glowing flowers. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Alex reached his hand towards one of the flowers to touch it, then suddenly stopped. 'Oh no,' he thought with a frown. 'I'm not gonna make that mistake again,' He the slowly withdrew his hand and stood stiffly, looking down the cave once more. 'How far does this thing go anyway?'

Do not let yourself become discouraged, young traveler of time.

'I'm not,' Alex retorted, 'I'm getting tired of walking. Cut me some slack already!' he then grumbled, 'And I'm not to thrilled about the whole telepathy thing going on around here.'

The longer you waste time with your discomfort, the longer it shall take for you to reach your goal.

'Yeah, yeah,' the dark haired youth retorted, waving a hand. 'Sheesh. You sound like my old man. Except you're not as goofy as he is,' With another sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and continued to move deeper into the cave.

Back in Iron Town

• • •

"My Lady, Please!" Gonza pleaded his mistress, bowing on his knees and touching his head onto the floor, "I'm begging you! For the honor of Iron-Town, as well as your own, let me kill the outlander that has brought disgrace to you!"

Lady Eboshi remained silent, as she had done so for the past few hours. She sat in her chambers, along with Yashahime, who sat across the room, sipping at her tea, but glared at the two. Apparently, when she had heard the outlander, Alex, had saved the Wolf Princess, she was not pleased. Not one bit at all by this information. As her romantic fantasies were shattered by the boy's act of kindness towards the beastly savage known as the Princess of Beasts and Ghouls.

Eboshi was propped up by a few soft cushions, constantly being tended to by several women. The fight against the Princess Mononoke and Alexander had left her with several yet non-fatal injuries. Though she had insisted that they were small and unimportant, her most loyal women proceeded to tend to them as though her life was at stake. But no matter how much comfort she was given, or herbal medicines they made her drink or applied to her body, nothing could heal what was truly injured: Her pride.

As she listened to her guard-captain plead, beg and grovel for the honor of brining her the head of the traitorous outlander, the mysterious Alexander, she sipped at a small cup of tea. When she finished, she placed the piece of white ceramic on a tray, which was quickly collected by one of the women, "Before I say yes to anything, may I ask why you wish to kill him, Gonza?" she then asked quietly.

The bearded man blinked with astonishment, "My Lady?" he asked, unable to make sense out of Eboshi's question.

"I just want to hear you speak your reason, Gonza," Eboshi continued, gazing at the soft orange light produced by the candles and lanterns that filled the chamber, "I'm just curious as to why killing this boy is so important to you. So important that you would willfully toss aside your sense of honor and dignity by groveling as you have been doing so for the past hour," she then finished as she looked to him, "It's not like you to be flustered this easily by a mere teenager."

Gonza frowned causing his thick brow to wrinkle. "Because...…" he gnashed his teeth and growled. "Because he betrayed you, My Lady! He invaded your town under the guise of a friend, ate your food, learned your secrets..... and exploited your generous hospitality." His look of anger intensified, "And in the end, he slandered your honor by siding with that disgusting wolf-whore! For that alone he deserves only to die in the worst and most painful way imaginable!"”

The young mistress of Iron-Town remained completely nonchalant. "I see," she said. "And how will you kill him, Gonza?"” she smiled wickedly, the fires from the lanterns flickering off her dark irises, "You saw the power he possessed; the curse that I forced upon him has begun to change him into something else entirely. Not even the blade of your sword could cut his skin." she then frowned as she concluded, "And it also appears that not even the guns can pierce his armor, if he caught one of them when they were shot at him. What will you do if that power is unleashed once more?"

"I..…" Gonza bit his lip for a moment and frowned. "I will kill him before he has the chance to summon that demonic power once again. I shall use the power of our guns," he finally said confidently. "I'll fire a single bullet into his flesh, and send it straight through his soulless heart. And then I'll hold that white demon's head up for all of Iron-town to see." He bowed once more, "All I need is for you to give me the command, My Lady."

"You can't even track down and kill a wolf girl, Gonza," Yashahime spat out at the Guard Captain as she came into the room, surprising everyone, "This prey requires a more skillful hunter," she then turned towards the doorway as she called out, "Takemaru of Setsuna."

And surprisingly enough, the same samurai that was leading the massacre in that small village, walked right in. "Takemaru of Setsuna…" Yashahime smirked as she looked to the samurai, "… think you can track him down and kill him as well as the Wolf Girl?"

The Samurai bowed, "It shall be accomplished, milady." and behind him, some of his men, who had survived the massacres. "I heard this was some sort of outlander that just happened into your town, Lady Eboshi?" Takemaru's face grew an uneasy smirk across as he asked, "He wouldn't be dressed in armor and garments that were not of this land? Blue eyes and Black hair?"

"Exactly," Yashahime as she asked, "And I am to assume that you know of the boy's power?"

Takemaru nodded, "From what I heard and saw, he single-handedly crushed the skull of one of my men. And practically shattered the ground underneath his feet." he then scoffed aside as he retorted, "Though I find it unbelievable that a child is in possession of such a magnificent and destructive power."

"You sound as though you want such a thing," Eboshi suggested, causing both the darkened samurai warlord and the ghost princess to turn towards her.

Takemaru simply smirked as his gaze and smile became darkened in thinking such an idea. "It never crossed my mind, Lady Eboshi."

Eboshi smiled and shook her head, "You can't control that kind of power, Takemaru of Setsuna." she said as she set her tea down, "No one can." she then looked towards the window, looking out at the barren landscape being illuminated by the moon. "And after witnessing what both you, Yashahime, and Alexander were truly capable of..…" Her expression darkened, "I don't even think even the young man himself is capable of controlling that kind of power. Even if it is his own."

Back at the Ape Dwelling

Deep within The Cave

For a long time, Alex found himself unable to move, unable to speak, and unable to stop staring. The cave had gradually opened up into a large cavern, where the vines with glowing flowers seemed to amass, covering everything in a beautiful color of blue.

But what truly caught the youth's attention was not the cavern itself, but its single occupant. For sitting at the very center of the cavern was the being who had called out to him. The being who the apes had referred to as the Forest King… was in fact a God, or something close to it perhaps. An enormous, and very elderly looking Ape-God, whose entire body was composed of earth, the hair on its arms, knees, and shoulders were made of green leaves, the veins protruding from its body were ancient vines, and its legs were massive tree trunks and the toes were its roots, and the hands nails were make of tree bark as well. On its back were tree branches branching out with leaves and moss growing on them. And its eyes were dark, but save for what appeared to be green eyes inside, making the mighty ape a sight to behold on anything.

"Holy crap…" Alex could hardly believe that he was truly standing there, looking at this. Swallowing hard, he took one step into the cavern and stood stiffly, not taking his eyes the enormous Tree Ape-God for a second. 'It's King-Kong's great grandpa!' The gigantic creature just sat quietly with its trunk and vine covered legs crossed and its large hands resting motionlessly on each knee. Both its eyes were closed.

"Do not be afraid, time traveler," the Forest King spoke softly. He then opened his eyes and gazed down at the small human standing at the mouth of the cavern. His eyes glowed faintly with the color of faded green while the thinning bristles of his brown dirt that resembled fur reflected the blue light, "I will not harm you," He raised he left hand, which the nails were bark, the veins green vines, and the rest of his body made of the earth itself, and extended it towards Alex, "Please come closer. My eyes no longer see as well as they used to, despite that I am no mortal entity."

Alex took a deep breath and slowly began to walk towards the enormous God. When he was only a few steps away, he was motioned to stop and remain where he was.

The Forest King studied Alex for a few minutes before smiling, "Yes," he said, "I was correct. You are the Time Traveler, Alexander Killian."

"Are you…" Alex began, unable to stop his voice from nearly trembling at such a creature. "Are you Shisha-Gami?"”

The Forest King blinked once before laughing, "It flatters me that one would assume so," he replied. "But no, I am not the great spirit of the forest. I am called Somiesa, the Spirit King of the Forest. Shisha Gami is the Spirit King of the Spirit Kings, but he too, is a Spirit of the Forest. But many of my children have come to know me as the Forest King."

"Oh," Alex replied, slightly embarrassed, "My mistake."”

Somiesa shook his head, "There is no need to apologize, Time Traveler, Alexander Killian."

To this, Alex tilted his head and looked up at the ancient deity, "How did you know my name, or about that? I haven't told anyone that…"

"There was no need to, my young human," Somiesa said. "I already knew. I knew long before you came to these mountains. I knew before you even began your long journey across the lands that span between here and the Amishi village." the might Somiesa then stretched his arms out, looking like he was about to give a great big hug as he proclaimed, "After all… I am the Spirit King of the Earth. All around us, my eyes and ears are everywhere."

Alex shook his head, "Well I guess that would be how you knew were I traveled from. But that doesn't tell me everything, Somiesa," he replied. "How did you know all this? How did you even know I came from the future?"”

"Because my young Time Traveler," the Forest Spirit King said, smiling, "It was I and the other Spirit Kings who took you from the future and brought you here, to this time."

Alex's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets, "Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… You wanna run that by me again?”

"It is the essence of my spirit, as well as the other Spirit Kings, that possesses the tree you will stumble upon seven-hundred years from now. You see, we are the reason you will be thrown into the past.”

"You're kidding right?" Alex asked, not knowing whether to vomit or laugh as he felt himself on the verge of crying with joy, "This is some kind of a sick joke, right?"

"I assure you that it isn't, Time Traveler."

At that moment, the boy's face lit up and he took a few more steps towards Somiesa, "Does that mean you can send me back? I mean, if you and these Spirit Kings were the ones who sent me here into the past, then you can send me back to the future!"

Somiesa looked down at the excited human youth and frowned sadly, "I'm afraid… " he began slowly, making sure the boy would not lash out in anger, "… I am I afraid that is not possible." He couldn't help but feel a pain stabbing his ancient immortal heart when he saw the look that swept over Alex's once joyful face, "I am sorry, Alexander, but I am afraid that returning you to your time is beyond my capability. I alone cannot do it… not without the other Spirit Kings to assist me."

"That's garbage!" Alex screamed, "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard!” He glared at the Forest Spirit King, "If you and your friends could send me here, then you can send me back!"

"I cannot, Alexander. I am truly sorry."”

"You're Sorry?" The young outlander couldn't hold back his anger, "You took me away my home! My century! My family! Then you stick me in a time period where I have to avoid getting killed every time I turn around! And now that I've come all this way, after everything I've gone through, you're just gonna sit there and tell me that I don't have any chance at all of going home?" Tears were now beginning to fill his eyes; he was unable to bear this truth and realization, "Why? Why did you do this to me?"”

"Do you truly wish to know?"”

"Yes!" Alex replied, his sadness becoming more of anger.

Somiesa breathed deeply and closed his eyes, "Because.......you, my young human, may be the only thing that stands between this world and total annihilation."

Alex wiped the tears from his face and looked up at Somiesa, now more confused than ever, "What's that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," The Forest Spirit King opened his eyes and looked down at the young teenager, "I brought you here because you may be the only one who can help us restore the harmony between humanity and Nature itself."

Unable to support himself any longer, Alex collapsed to his knees on the ground and sat in a defeated slouch, his head hanging forward. "I don't understand any of this," he said. “I thought I was sent here as punishment for pissing off some dead God's spirit.” He then looked back up at Somiesa, "How could you be the one who sent me here if you and these other Kings are still alive?"

The Tree-Ape Spirit King smiled, "I suppose that does need to be explained. Very well, I shall tell you all that you wish to know." He paused for a moment, "But in order for you to understand what I tell you, you must first be able to understand the world of the Gods and the Spirit Kings."”

Alex sighed and leaned back, supporting himself on his hands. "Alright," he said, "Explain away then; I've got nothing better to do with my time."

Somiesa nodded, "The first thing you must understand, is that the creatures like Moro and Nago are not true Gods. They cannot control the environments, cannot destroy on vast scales, and cannot create life. The only beings that can do these things are the Forest Spirit Kings that govern the elements of this world. Shisha-Gami and I are two of those Forest spirits. However, we are spirits of a much higher class; we are almost considered as Gods. We are simply known to humans and the God Beasts as the Spirit Kings of the world. However, there is a problem to it if one of us dies: if one of us dies, that element that we control shall be in utter chaos, and will cease to exist as it slowly dies. If all of us die, the world will die with us. However, if our essence lives on and one of us still lives, we can be reborn and once again bring balance to our element and the world."

"If those wolves, Moro and her kids, Nago, and Isaac aren't Gods," Alex asked raising an eyebrow, "… then, what are they?"”

"They are the guardians," the Tree-Ape Spirit King answered, "Immortal entities that have existed since the birth of time. They exist in this world by taking vessels that give them physical form, enabling them to live among the mortal world as we do. They can live, age, grow ill, and they can bleed. And after a long span of time has passed, they can eventually die." He frowned at the youth sitting before him, "Do you understand?"

Alex nodded, "I do. At least… I think I understand. But if you're the real Gods, why are they known as Gods anyway?"

"Because that was how the world of nature looked upon us and them. And for a long time, before they evolved into what they are today, humans were once part of the world of nature. That is why many humans still see them as Gods. I suppose over time, they became attracted to the titles we had been given, and eventually accepted them. As for us Spirits… we prefer to keep ourselves out of sight these days. Back then, Man and Beast had known of us, and we were free to be with both. Before… he came…"

"This is deep," Alex muttered, but then looked confused, "Wait! Who's he?"

"The Demon God of Death and Destruction: Hexxus," Somiesa said with much dread in his voice, "It was he who had shattered the harmony when he rose up from the bowels of the earth, and rained down his poison that nearly destroyed all the forests. And it was he… who burned the hole in man's heart." Somiesa sighed deeply as he looked to the boy, "It's actually very simple if just you stop to think of the basic principles behind it all"

"Maybe for you it is, but you've had, what, several thousand years to contemplate this?"

"Actually, since the beginning of this world's existence, I suppose," Somiesa replied.

The young outlander shook his head, "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I feel like I'm gonna barf and my head's gonna implode," he said. "And to tell you the truth, I really don't care." He had a look of bitterness in his expression, "All I want to know, is why you and your friends brought me here?"”

"I thought that I already explai…"

"Telling me that I'm the only one who can help you! That's only half an answer!" the youth snapped, "I need you to be straight and true with me. Because at this moment, I don't know how much longer I can continue," He sighed and continued. “"The oracle back at the Amishi village told me I that was sent here as a punishment. Now you're telling me that I was brought here because you believe that I'm some legendary hero. I am now physically and mentally exhausted, Somiesa. And I need real answers: how am I supposed to save who or what?"

For a long time the two remained locked in silence. Finally, after much time had passed, Somiesa broke the silence, "I and the other Kings, wanted to change the world," he said gently. "… and we wanted to change the future."

"Okay… I'm not followin' ya on this," Alex asked, feeling a bit more confused by this, "What do you mean by, 'change the future'?"

"The mind of a Spirit King......or a God as we have come to be known, exists beyond the limitations of space and time. We can seek the past for answers we may have about our world, or about ourselves if we desire. We can seek the present to gain knowledge of the world around us. But to seek the future. Such an act is not only incredibly difficult, but dangerous."”

"Why is it so dangerous?"”

"Because he who can see the answers that lie in the future, can change the questions that lie in the present. The first Spirit King of the Kings, the predecessor of Shisha Gami, decided a long time ago that this sort of foresight should never be used by other Kings. For it is not our place to change or decide the fate of anyone, not even our own. Such is the right of all sentient beings."

"And you went ahead and did it anyway, didn't you?" Alex asked.

Somiesa nodded, "When I looked into the future....... I was saddened by what I saw. There were no Guardians, and their were no Forest Spirits. There was no longer unity between humans and nature. And because of the human's careless quests for power due to Hexxus's influence, what little was left of nature was quickly withering away. And very soon… the world that we once knew… would become a graveyard for all. Oto-Hime and I wanted to change all of that. We wanted to make a world where such suffering and evil did not exist," The Forest Spirit King lowered his head sadly, "But in order to do this… I had to convince the other Spirit Kings to join me in making the ultimate sacrifice."

"What?"

"Our very lives," Somiesa paused, breathed and then continued, "Using every ounce of our power, we placed the very essence of our very lives within a single tree and left it there to wait."

"To wait for what?" Alex asked.

Somiesa smiled, "For you," he answered. “"It was waiting for the day when the one who could help change the future would arrive. And you are that one, Alexander Wallace Killian, son to one Nathan Killian and Asuna Killian. Son of a doctor, a being who saves lives, whether good or evil. And a florist, a human who nurtures forest life. But much more to your birth than either you… or your parents… would ever know."

Alex's mind was now even more confused as it was riddled with more questions on what he meant by what he meant, 'My birth? What does he mean by that?' at this point, his brain wanted scream, to curse every obscenity he could think of. He wanted to cry, to shout out in rage and grief.

But nothing came. Not even a single whisper. All he could do was stare into the empty space in front of him. Finally, after an uncomfortable few moments of silence, he stood and looked up at Somiesa with a hurt expression, "This is too big," he said, "I… I can't do this."

"Are you afraid, Alexander?" Somiesa asked.

"Am I afraid?" Alex asked, "Yes. I think it's fair to say I am."”

"Why?"

Alex hesitated. "I don't know," he eventually answered, "I think I'm afraid of myself. Of what I've become capable of over these past few weeks." He looked to the golden band that had absorbed the curse within him, and now did its best to hold it at bay. But so far, due to the transformations, it was becoming likely that he would forsake his humanity very soon. "Look at me, Somiesa. Look at what I'm becoming. I've killed one man already, nearly tore down two towns with just one punch and stomp to the ground, and have injured many more. Tonight, I almost destroyed Iron-Town. And if I had let myself, I could've killed everyone in sight."

"And that is why you're afraid?" Somiesa asked.

"Yes," the teenaged outlander replied, "I'm becoming a monster, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. They told me Shisha Gami is the only one that could lift the curse. But now… after seeing what humans have done to these forests, I don't think he has any intention of helping me." He closed his eyes, "And if that's the case, I'm out of luck."

"I understand your anguish, young time traveler," said Somiesa. "For like you, I, as well as the other Spirit Kings, am cursed." Alex stared at him, "The day the Kings and I sacrificed our essence, we cursed ourselves and this world to a fate of death. For you see, when we all die, we will have no means of being reborn. We shall merely fade out of existence like a passing dream; slowly but surely, this will give Hexxus the opportunity to kill off this world much faster than he already is by influencing the hearts of the humans that he's poisoned with his promises." He laughed quietly, "All we can do now is wait for the day that our deaths shall befall us… and with ours, slowly but surely, so will this world's death come much faster than expected."

He looked down at Alex, "So you see, Alexander… this is why we brought you here… so that with your help, we shall live again, and that this world might continue to live on. But perhaps… with you here… we can once again live in harmony with the humans… and create a better future for us all."”

"That's the last thing I needed to hear," Alex said sullenly as he rubbed his right arm, "Now I have that on my conscience." He sighed once more, "Just one last question."

"Ask it."”

The youth locked eyes with the enormous Forest Spirit and replied, "Why me? Why am I so special?"

The question had caught Somiesa completely off guard. He looked back at the smaller creature, "Why do you ask?"

Alex frowned and crossed his arms, "I don't know," he said. "It just seems strange to me. Why, out of all those people who make up that six-billion in my timeline, was I the one to be touched by the almighty hand of the Spirit Kings? Why was I the one chosen to save the world from total destruction? I mean, I'm nothing special."

"Oh, believe me, my boy… you are more special than you can imagine. And the only one who knows of this is the Forest Spirit Queen of Fire, Oto-Hime," Somiesa laughed at this jest as he looked to the boy, "But incidentally…why is it so important for you to know?"

"Because it doesn't make any sense! That's why it's so important to me!" Alex snapped, but not allowing the curse to transform him. "I can't do this, Somiesa! I'm nothing! I'm just an American teenage outcast, with no friends, no permanent home hoping to strive for a job in the Medical Department. I'm not futuristic warrior/savior/hero from the future. Heck, I'd probably do more harm to my time than what I've done now! For all I know, it's probably now a time where apes evolve from man… or worse, dinosaurs are roaming the world and all the humans have been turned into fish people!"

"That may be, Time Traveler," the Spirit King said gently. "But I, as does Oto-Hime, still have faith in your abilities, old and new. You are quite clever at the times when you choose to be. And you have managed to stay alive up to this point. That, and the curse has become an advantage; all you must do is conquer the darkness that Nago had imprinted in your soul…"”

"That's the point of all this! I don't want this curse; it's making me into someone I'm not: a monster!" Alex shouted pointing to the golden band. He then sighed dejectedly, "I'm sorry, Lord Somiesa. It's obvious that you and this Oto-Hime picked the wrong person. I'm not your savior of the future. I can't help you; I can barely save myself from a horde of apes without someone saving me." He then turned around and began to make his way towards the cave, "…and even if I am this savior you've been waiting for...” He glanced over his shoulder, "I can't do this alone."”

"You won't be alone in this journey, Alex."

At that last sentence, Alex went wide eyed with surprise in that last remark. Before he could ask what the half-ape, half-plant spirit meant by that, a small leathery bundle was tossed to him. Acting purely on reflex, the youth's arms shot up to catch it. When he looked at what he had caught, his dark eyes widened. The bundle was in fact his supply sack that the Amishi People had given him, as well as the machete that Kaya had given him.

"I believe these were stolen from you," Somiesa said, smiling. "My children found them lying on the ground after Saru and his tribe fled into the forest."”

Alex held up his sack and weapon, and gazed at it for what seemed like an eternity. He then looked back at the Spirit King of the Forest and gently smiled, "Thank you." With that said, the youth slipped his arm into the bag's strap and stepped through the mouth of the cave, dissolving into the shadows with every step.

And with a brush of the wind, he was gone.

"The young one lacks faith in himself," Somiesa said quietly.

"I know, your Highness," replied a voice, "But at this time, with Hexxus building a massive army of demons, and very few allies still alive… we have no other choice." there was a small pause in the voice until he answered, "I'm just surprised you didn't tell him that the tree you and the other Kings forged your essence in… is connected to both the past and the future, unhinged by time and space. Incidentally… he has a way to go home and back here whenever he wants to."

"I'll leave it up to you to tell him that." The Forest Spirit King looked towards a cluster of shadows that covered a section of the cavern, "I also fear that the curse may not be that far from completing its cycle."

"That is why we have to act quickly, Somiesa," the voice replied again, "He's reaching a very unstable point in his development. And I've seen the destruction he is already capable of."

Somiesa shook his head, "It can't be helped, Isaaku. There's nothing we can do about it." He sighed, "All we can do now, is hope that the Forest Spirit lifts the Darkness within Nago's curse before it's too late."

"Until then, I'll continued to observe and protect him until he no longer needs me."

"Oh? Are you not afraid of the danger you will be putting yourself in?"

"I am, Somiesa. Well… maybe just a little for myself. But mostly for the boy," the voice said, "But what else can I do? When the time does finally come for him to approach the Forest Spirit, King Shisha Gami, he's gonna need me. I won't forsake him, my friend. Not now, not ever. After all, like you, he also has become my friend as well."

Somiesa laughed and crossed his long, dirt created and vine covered arms, "You always were the stubborn one, Isaaku."

"I know," said Isaac, but then mumbled, "And don't call me that." He then took a few steps forward and moved out of the shadows, allowing his small. furry body to be illuminated in the blue glow of the cavern. "But you should know by now that us fox-squirrels, who are members of the Fox Family, are stubborn by nature." His pointed ears twitched as a clever grin stretched across his long, furry maw, "And besides, I find Alex's company to be rather pleasant at times."

"May I ask when you're planning to tell him the real reason why you accompany him? Or of what Oto-Hime asked of us Kings to do?" Somiesa returned the fox-squirrel's grin.

Isaac furrowed his bristly eyebrows, "I'll tell him when I'm ready too, Somiesa," he answered and began to make his way towards the cave where his human companion had disappeared into. "But for now, I'm perfectly content on being his 'lil' buddy as he so likes to call me at times."

"Very well, my friend," the Great Tree-Ape replied as he watched the small fox-squirrel scamper towards the cave. "But there is one that you must always bear in mind when you're with him, Isaaku."”

Isaac groaned at that, not liking his traditional name as he mumbled, "Don't call me that." The fox-squirrel stopped and looked back at Somiesa, "And that is, Lord Somiesa?"”

"If Nago's curse completes its terrible cycle, despite the attempts of the band suppressing it… and should the Spirit King refuse to lift the rage of the curse from Alex's body.…"” Somiesa's expression darkened as the room seemed to shift when he sighed, "I fear the boy will eventually possess a power more destructive and more terrifying than anything this world will ever see. He will not only have the strength, power, and rage of a God, but the lethal intelligence and craft of a human. That, my friend, is a combination that must never be made."

"If that happens, then I'll have to kill him," a voice said in the darkness, surprising both the fox-squirrel, and the mighty tree-ape King.

Then out of the darkness, a figure stepped out of the shadows to make themselves present. it was a sixteen-year-old girl, Asian descent, pale skin with a slim and slender figure that could rival the Wolf Princess's. her hair was raven black, short with only her bangs going to her shoulders, and two thin long ponytails braided, ending in two little tussles; her eyes were violet and sharp, showing her slightly emotionless in her physical appearance. She was dressed in a sleeveless yukata shirt, with her back exposed from neck to her waist, with the collar colored black, as was the left side, while the other side was red, with a black sash belt tied around her waist. Her legs seemed to be in what were black stockings, with only sole-less and toeless moccasins, exposing her toes and heel out.

Isaac grimaced as he looked at the girl, "Rukia…" he then sighed as she made her way towards his side. "What are you doing here? I thought Oto-Hime sent you on some mission?"

"This is my mission, you stupid little rodent," Rukia answered, her voice not even showing any sign of emotion. "Oto-Hime has sent me to ensure that the boy doesn't become possessed by the hatred and rage that Nago left within him." both Somiesa and Isaac knew that was the real problem: the rage and hatred that Nago had imprinted on the boy when he cursed him. "I will protect him when the dangers become too… severe for you to handle." the girl's eyes narrowed even more, almost as if a darkness plagued her heart as she finished, "but when he loses control… when the demon has consumed his very flesh and soul, as well as his disgusting human heart… I will… kill him."

Isaac immediately paled as he asked in shock, all of his fur standing on end, "Kill him? Rukia, this boy might be our only hope for a better future!"

"I detest humans," Rukia shot out, her eyes returning to their steely gaze as she walked away from the cave. "Humans are our instruments; this boy is nothing more than that. If he becomes defective, we'll simply throw him away and get a new one."

As Rukia disappeared from sight, Isaac just looked to the exit of the cave in worry… for Alex. Somiesa frowned as well, as he spoke only in a whisper, for he and Isaac to only hear, "My dear Rukia… humans are more than mere instruments… they are creatures with wills and hearts of their own. They cannot simply be manipulated; they, like us, have the gift to make their own choices."

Back Outside

Back with San

A cold wind brushed against san's uncovered arms and legs, making her shiver. Even the heat from the small fire the apes had built for her couldn't stop the coldness from creeping over her. As the young Wolf Girl sat hugging her legs to her chest, she looked up through the canopy of the forest and gazed at the moon that shined brightly in the night sky. So badly did she want to howl, to let out all her frustrations, anger, sorrow, and agitation in a single, blood-chilling bellow.

Her assault on the human's Iron-Town had been a failure, the gun-woman had humiliated her, and to make matters worse, she had to rely upon the selfless acts of a turn-coat human to save her from being beaten to death by a mob of raging villagers.

San growled at this and bit down on one of the roots the apes had brought for her to fill her stomach. As she chewed she scowled. The human she had come to know as 'Alex' was like nothing she had ever encountered before. No matter how had she tried, the young Wolf Girl found herself unable to figure him out and it annoyed her beyond reason. She then picked up the jacket Alex had left behind and stared at it for what seemed like the one hundredth time since she had first picked it up from off the ground. Despite its distasteful smell of a human on it, San felt a strange feeling of comfort looking at it. It was strange to her… but the scent it was giving off… his scent… it was comforting.

'I wonder why he wears his?' San asked herself, wrapping the jacket around her shoulders as she looked at it. 'Maybe it's some kind of armor… like my fur cloak?' she removed the piece of garment and looked at it again. 'Or is there some other reason behind it?' San shook her head and sighed with disgust. "Look at me, I've wasted nearly an hour thinking about a stupid piece of garment! A stupid human's garment!" She then chucked the jacket aside and wrapped her white-fur cloak around her cold body. 'Stupid human!.....stupid, stupid, stupid!'

There was a crunch of dry leaves and twigs being crushed under a foot. When the sound touched San's ears she sprung into a defensive stance, "Who's there!" she growled as she slowly reached her dagger, making ready for anything that came to threaten her, "Come any closer and I'll kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's nice to see you too, Princess," Alex retorted as he moved towards the fire and sat across from the battle-ready Wolf Girl. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."” He then began to devour the small pile of berries and roots the apes had been left for them, "Hmmm, this stuff isn't too bad. Reminds me of when me and my family would go strawberry farming."”

San snuffed, and slowly sank back into her original sitting position. "Here's your prized jacket back," she said curtly as she threw it back to him, which he caught, "You'll have to get past the smell. I was holding on to it for a while, so my scent's pretty much on it."

"I like this jacket," Alex said between mouthfuls of berries. "It gives me a sense of security when I wear it," and he smiled as he looked at it, "That… and it was a gift from my mother." he then decided to tease the princess a bit as he winked at her, "And besides… you smell nice, so I don't mind."

"And what exactly does that mean?" San shot out, getting ready to tear the boy's head off.

Alex held his hands up defensively as he smirked, "Just kidding."

"Figures," the young Wolf Girl muttered as she had calmed down. It was after an uncomfortable moment of silence, that she then gave Alex a questioning look. “"So what did the Forest King want with you?" she asked, "You were down in that cave for a long time."

The young outlander crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow, "It took a lot longer with what he had to discuss with me. What's it to you?"”

San blinked then scowled. "You don't have get hostile," she replied.

It was at a moment, Alex's smile returned as he snickered, "San, I think you're the last person who should be criticizing me about being 'hostile'," he then pointed to her as he winked to make his statement true, "After all, you're the one who's been threatening to kill me every ten minutes since I dragged your unconscious butt out of Iron-Town."

San growled, fighting her every urge to lunge forward and rip Alex's throat out, "I didn't ask you to help me, you know. I'm not afraid to die… unlike you," she hissed. "I would have rather died than be rescued by a human."”

The dark-haired youth could only stare, wondering as to whether or not he had heard his new and very reluctant friend correctly. He looked at her with a face of worried shock as he asked, "You don't really mean that, do you?"

"Yes, Alex," San answered grimly, "I do. I thought I could kill that gun-woman by myself. But I was wrong, and I failed miserably." She scowled even more and balled her fists tightly, and shot Alex a look of both hatred and disgust as she went on, "And then you had to rescue me! You! Do you have any idea what it's like to be saved by one of the very things you loathe more than anything in the world? Do you have any idea at all?"

Alex was silent as he looked into San's piercing chestnut eyes. "No," he finally answered as he turned away sadly, making absolutely sure that San couldn't see his face, "I don't know what it's like to be saved by something you loathe."”

"Then don't you dare sit there, and tell me what I do and what don't mean to say! Because you can't even begin to understand how I feel right now!" She then gave him a spiteful glare, as her anger and pride got the best of her, "If I had died back in that Iron town, it would have been with honor." she then snarled at Alex as she spat out, "But you cheated me, human! I should have killed you for saving me! And now I have to live with the shame it's caused m…"

Her last word was cut short by a sharp slap to the cheek which sent her to the ground. She held her hand against her cheek and stared at Alex; he was now sitting right in front of her. When she looked at him, his face conveyed a look of both anger, and amazingly to San… a hint of sadness towards her.

"Just stop it!" Alex finally shouted, and grabbed the young Wolf Princess by the shoulders and brought his face just inches from hers, "Stop talking as though your life was just some cheap piece of food or article of clothing that you can just throw away! Dammit, San! Life is too precious to just throw away for the sake of keeping pride!"”

"What do you know about pride?" San snapped back viciously.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Alex replied, "But enough to know that it's not worth wasting your life for." He sighed and gently placed both hands on San's soft cheeks and looked deep into her eyes, just to make sure she would listen to him. This action made San a little startled; in all her life, no creature or human that even tried to get near her had done this. She was almost tempted to tear his face off, but for some reason… she couldn't; not to him. “"I know you hate me, San, and I'm comfortable with that, but please, don't start hating yourself. And for the love of god, don't start regretting being alive. Never regret it… ever."

San suddenly felt weak and found herself staring back into Alex's eyes. "And why shouldn't I," she asked just above a whisper.

"Because life is the last thing anyone," he smiled as he looked to San, “"… even a uptight, psycho, wolf girl whom shall remain unnamed at this time, should ever regret having. Life sucks every now and then, I should know, I have experience in it. But the one thing you should always try to remember is that everything that happens in our lives, happens for a purpose. Every event, every twist, every little piece of irony, it all has a reason for happening. Do you understand what I'm saying?"”

San remained quiet for a moment, contemplating the young human's words. She then looked up at him and nodded, "I think I do," she answered, but then she wavered a little at what she said next, "But… I still feel as though I've failed. Failed my clan......my mother… and all those who live in this forest." she then lowered her head in shame as she finished, "I feel like I've failed them all…"

"You're not the first person to feel like that, San. Believe me," replied Alex in a gentle tone, "But you shouldn't beat yourself up over it." He gently patted the girl's shoulder and took a seat next to her.

San glanced at her human companion briefly before drawing her legs to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them once more. “"I never figured you for the philosophical type."”

"Yeah, my dad said I take after my mother mostly than I do him." Alex laughed and smiled at the wolf girl, "But believe me, Princess, I think over time, you'll come to see that I'm just full of surprises."

San shared his laugh and shook her head. "I seriously doubt that, human," she said with a smug look on her face.

For a long time the two of them sat there, silent as statues, while soaking up what little warmth from the fire they could. San could smell the scent of Alex's jacket, as well as Alex himself. There was something very strange about the youth's scent that made San's nose tingle whenever it swept through her nostrils. And though it made her shiver all over admitting it, there was something almost… pleasant and warm about it. She shook the thoughts from her head and continued to gaze at the fire.

It was then that the strange gold band on Alex's right wrist caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes on it, the golden band's crimson jewel sparkled the moonlight, catching her eye on it, 'That's strange. I didn't think male humans would wear jewelry,' she thought to herself before asking Alex. "That gold band on your wrist," she asked, nearly surprising him. "You seem to look at it constantly. You keep staring at it like it's about to eat you."

Alex tilted his head towards San and gasped when he saw her looking at the band. Not wanting to make her want to kill him even further, he covered up half the truth, "Let's just say… it's a reminder of why I'm here at the time." he pointed to it as he nervously smirked, "I always look at it to make sure the gem doesn't break. Otherwise, I'll be in deep trouble."

San raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he was talking about, but left it at that. He then glanced at San who was giving him a very strange look, "But thank you for making sure my jacket was safe. I owe you one, San."

"No!" San protested, "No more rescues from you, I've already had my fill for one lifetime." She gave Alex a small, impish grin, "But there is one thing I would like you to do for me."

"Just name it, and it shall be done," Alex replied. He immediately kicked himself mentally, upon realizing that he had just accepted to fulfill a request from the viscous Princess Mononoke, 'D'oh! You idiot! Why'd you say that? You don't know what she's gonna ask you to do! For all you know, it's gonna be… !'

"I want to know where you come from," the young wolf-girl said, a very serious expression on her face, "The first moment I saw you standing on that fallen tree, I knew that you were different from the other humans I've encountered."

Alex chuckled, "How am I so different?" he asked, "Other than the fact that I have a different skin-tone then everyone else around here. That, plus a different eye color."”

"For one thing, I've never seen clothing like the kind you wear. Nor have I heard anyone talk the way you do. But the one thing that's always troubled me, the one thing that I just can't figure out, is that fact that your only traveling companion is not another human, but a fox-squirrel spirit. A fox-squirrel spirit that chooses to travel with you by its own free will." She shook her head, "No matter how hard I try, I just can't figure you out," She locked eyes with him. "And then there's something else."

"Yeah?" Alex asked, but then looked around as he mumbled, "Speaking of which, where'd that lil' fuzz ball wander off to? I hope he's okay."

San took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "When the Forest King beckoned you," she paused for a moment, wondering weather or not she wanted to continue, "… he called you the Time Traveler." The statement caused the dark-haired youth's eyes to widen. San saw this and instantly knew that she was probably treading on something that Alex had been meant to keep hidden. But nevertheless, the Princess Mononoke was determined to find her answers. "What does that mean, Alex?""

Alex looked as though he was going to be ill. 'Oh Double Crap, I didn't see this one coming!' He frowned deeply and crossed his arms. 'Okay, don't panic, Alex, just give her an answer and pray she buys it' “"It's..…"” He shook his head and leaned back against the large rock that stood behind them. “"… it's hard to explain, San. And to tell you the honest truth, I don't really understand all it myself. I thought I did at first, but now I don't know what I'm supposed to understand anymore."”

"So does that mean, you're not going to tell me what's going on, then?” San asked, a slightly irritated look on her face.

Alex glanced at the girl sitting next to him, and smiled weakly, not wanting her to kill him now, "I wouldn't even know where to begin, San," he said. "Besides, you'd probably think I was crazy or something if I did tell you."

"Even if I did think you were crazy," San returned, "I still want some kind of an explanation. I hate being kept in the dark, Alex," She gave him a piercing look. "And believe me, if I want answers, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get those answers?"

Alex shook his head and nervously laughed, "A woman after my own heart," he said and sighed in defeat, "Alright, San, I'll make a deal with you."

The young Wolf Girl cocked an eyebrow and looked at Alex suspiciously. "I'm listening," she said.

"Take me to the Spirit King, Shisha Gami."”

Shocked, San stared at Alex, "You're joking, right? You're not serious, are you?"”

"Yes, San," Alex answered calmly, "… dead serious."

"Alex, Shisha Gami is the Spirit King of this whole forest." San protested, "I can't just take you to him."”

"Why not?"

"Because it's forbidden, that's why!" San tried to control herself, "I'm sorry, Alex, but that's a deal I can't make without my mother's permission."

"Alright then," continued Alex, quickly, "… we'll go ask your mother for permission."

"Are you crazy?" San nearly shouted hysterically, "You just don't understand, Alex," San shook her head and sighed, "My mother will kill you just for whispering the Forest Spirit King's name. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"San please," Alex continued. "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if there wasn't some degree of importance behind it."

"How important?"

Alex sighed dejectedly, "Let me put it this way…" He locked eyes with San once again, "It's a matter of life and death that I see him."”

San contemplated the statement for a moment before replying, "If I do this, will you promise to tell me what I want to know?"

Alex nodded, "Anything you want to know, I shall tell you."”

"Alright, then," San said returning the nod, "You tell me what I want to know, and I'll try to get you to Shisha Gami."

"It's a deal!" Alex held out his hand and waited for San to do the same. The young Wolf Girl however, just looked at the hand, peering at it as though it were a strange animal she had never seen before.

"Am I supposed to do something, here?" San asked.

Alex gave a sigh of exasperation. "Take my hand, San," San did as she was told. "Good. Now clasp it gently," Alex then proceeded to shake the young wolf-girl's hand, "There now, the deal is settled."”

"By grabbing each other's hands and shaking them?" San asked incredulously, looking at her hand, "That's how humans make agreements where you come from?" She chuckled. "I don't think I've ever heard of anything more stupid in my life!"

"Hey, I think facial tattoos and bone-jewelry are stupid!" Alex retorted sarcastically, "but for you, the look actually works." he then cleared his throat a little, "Besides… the Egyptians thought of it first. We just adapted it to my culture, that's all."

San just gave him an irritated sniff and returned her attention to the fire. It was then that she realized that the air had become significantly colder over the past few minutes. Tendrils of icy wind slithered over her lithe form, causing her skin to break out into tiny goose-bumps and her muscles to shiver furiously. She clenched her teeth tightly, fighting the cold and forcing her body to stop shaking. The last thing she needed at that moment was to be subjected to yet another of her human companion's fast-mouthed, little quips.

Suddenly she felt something warm and heavy being thrown over her shoulders. She quickly looked over at Alex, only to find him in the process of wrapping one side of his prized jacket, as well as his arm around her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"You looked like you were gonna drop dead from hypothermia any second now," the young outlander answered. "So I figured that I'd make myself useful for a change."

San sniffed at the jacket and wrinkled her nose, "This thing smells horrible."

"Just shut up and enjoy the free comfort," Alex retorted, leaning back against the large rock. "Please San, you're tired and I'm tired. So let's just do ourselves a favor and get some sleep, okay? We'll start the arguing again tomorrow when we're refreshed."

The Princess Mononoke shook her head and reluctantly leaned against Alex, allowing her head to lower onto his shoulder. "I don't know why I put up with you, human ," she said quietly.

"I'm asking myself that very same thing, Princess." Alex shot back, but smirked, "But maybe it's because you think I'm cute."

San snickered and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, "I hardly think you're cute." but then she became serious as she asked, "But… you do promise to tell me everything, right?"

Alex sighed and glanced at San's face, which was partially buried in his shoulder. "You have my word, San," he said with a small half-smile.

"You mean your word as a human?" the young wolf-girl asked wryly.

"No, not as a human," Alex answered with a smile on his face, "As a friend. Your friend."”

San felt something jump inside of her and she lifted her head from Alex's shoulder to stare at him. But the dark-haired youth just smiled at her warmly, forcing a tiny smile out of her as well. Luckily, she pushed it aside as she scowled, "Don't push your luck, human," she whispered returning her head to the softness of Alex's shoulder, "I'm not one to be so easily won over by a few kind words and cheap acts of your human chivalry."

"That's okay, Princess," said Alex, his smile unchanged, "If it makes you feel any better, you're not exactly my type either."”

Next Chapter: Demons in the Forest; Birth of a New Danger