FOURTEENTH SCROLL: THE GALE SHRINE
A gentle hand on my shoulder roused me from sleep. My eyes snapped open and I tensed, ready to run. But it was just the little girl who took care of the flowers. I must have fallen asleep in her garden when I entered Kusa Village in the predawn hours. I relaxed, yawned, and stretched. The little girl offered me some warm meat dumplings, which I ate with relish. Issun and I shared the fruit tart she gave us for dessert. With a grateful nudge, I walked past the girl towards Princess Fuse's home. It was time to give her the Satomi Power orbs…and tell her about the other Canine Warriors.
I nudged open the door to Princess Fuse's home and found the other Canine Warriors lined up on either side of the room. Princess Fuse stood at the far end. Her eyes lit up with anticipation. Alas, Issun had to dash her hopes of the three Warriors ever returning, but we did present the Power Orbs they gave us. Princess Fuse seemed shocked at first, but accepted the lack of compliance in her Warriors with far more equanimity than I'd expected. She was sad that her dogs would not be returning, but glad to know that they were safe and serving others. It seemed that the Power Orbs themselves were what was needed rather than the Warriors. I was relieved that Take, Ume, and Hayabusa would be allowed to stay with their new masters…but would the strength of the remaining five be strong enough to fight Crimson Helm?
Suddenly, the orbs that circled Princess Fuse began to glow, then rose in the air. They hovered for a moment while we looked on, jaws, agape, then the orbs circled Issun and I. I jumped, startled, but the Orbs continued to circle me. Princess Fuse gave a cry of surprise and said that the Power Orbs had chosen to serve me. They would help me break the barrier surrounding the Gale Shrine and defeat Crimson Helm.
Issun started to protest. After all the trouble we went through to retrieve the Canine Warriors, now we were expected to go in and face a monster alone? I admit that I sympathized with Issun's annoyance. It made the past few days seem like a waste of time. On the other paw, part of me was also relieved. So far I had faced down every foe, won every battle, by fighting alone. Well, Issun was always with me, but he was a spectator, not a combatant. By taking on these challenges alone, I could limit the amount of carnage and avoid harming innocents. The Canine Warriors may be strong enough to face down regular demons and even hold their own against me for a time, but against a demon who was once part of Orochi…that was an entirely different level. So I nodded to Princess Fuse and her Canine Warriors, accepted their wishes and prayers for safety and good fortune in battle, and headed for the entrance to the Gale Shrine.
A path of stone steps behind the house passed under a torii gate crowned with purple flames. Beyond the steps was a clearing and yet another torii gate leading to a tunnel in the side of the cliff. I paused before entering the tunnel. I thought that perhaps the seal would be here, but I could not see or smell one covering the entrance to the tunnel. Perhaps the true entrance to the Gale Shrine lay inside. I took a deep breath and plunged into the dark.
The circling Satomi Power Orbs gave off just enough light to see by. The tunnel sloped down to a pair of pools surrounded by stalagmites. A narrow path spanned the water, leading to a door that flickered with angry red light. That had to be the seal. But something else caught my eye. At the foot of the bridge sat Susano! He must have come to the Shrine after protecting Kushi…but because of the seal, he could not enter the Shrine. I walked up to him, but, amazingly enough, he was asleep while sitting upright and muttering about prayer opening a way into the Shrine. I shook my head. At least he was out of harm's way here. I turned my attention to the sealed door.
Something made my hackles rise as I approached. There was an odd scent…something that reminded me of death and cold winds. But it didn't seem to be coming from the sealed door, which crackled with dark energy. Then, I saw it. Floating above the door was the translucent figure of a man. He wore pale green priest robes and a hate shaped like a windmill trailing stripes of sacred paper. Although the odd tingling scent that accompanies spirits was present, I could sense no malice, only watchfulness and worry.
Either Issun has more abilities than I know, or if simply being close to me enhanced his spiritual awareness, but he noticed the spirit and commented on it. The spirit jumped (which was an odd sight), surprised that we could see him. Then he introduced himself as Yatsu, an earthbound spirit. Even though his eyes were sealed shut, Yatsu could see my true form, referring to me as a "fair maiden." He warned me to leave and avoid the terrible beast that lurked within, for this was no place for the fair of face. The only person who had come to the shrine before me was Susano, who Yatsu described as "frenzied," his dreams filled with nightmares that the dead priest was unable to alleviate. Something blocked his attempts to help.
An ache filled my chest. The saddest of plights belonged to earthbound spirits, those who were unable to ascend due to trauma or some uncompleted task. They could wander for decades, even centuries, before finding rest, cursed to see all things according to their true nature, rather than the shadows we wear to protect our sanity. Lingering in the mortal realms was unnatural for spirits and, if they were trapped for too long, they could become dangerous, twisted, and may even change into demons. Then I remembered something I'd overheard from the gossiping women at the well, that there had been a priest who was killed by Crimson Helm when it took up residence in the Shrine. That priest was also Princess Fuse's husband. And suddenly I knew, without a doubt, that this spirit Yatsu was that self-same priest and husband. I wondered if Princess Fuse knew her husband's spirit was here. The thought made me want to howl, but I swallowed the impulse. I am a goddess, but I cannot bring back the dead and mourning would not help matters. His concern for Susano's mental well-being also concerned me. Was it possible that Susano wasn't just overreacting to my brushwork, that perhaps he or his sword really was possessed by some force?
Then Yatsu noticed the Satomi Orbs. His demeanor of fear and worry changed. The Orbs changed everything. With them, he said I had a chance of defeating Crimson Helm, with the blessings and protection of the Satomi House. With a bow, Yatsu floated to the side of the door and the Power Orbs began to glow. They ceased orbiting around me and flew to the door sealing the passage. There was a ring of indentations in the stone and each Orb fit into the depressions perfectly. Rainbow light flashed, and the seal on the door shattered. With a harsh grinding noise, the door rose into the ceiling, opening the path. The Satomi Power Orbs did not reappear. Perhaps breaking the seal had been their only function. I was a little sorry to lose them, as they were treasures to Princess Fuse. But I had no idea how to retrieve them.
I nodded to the dead priest, silently promising to rid the shrine of Crimson Helm and free Yatsu from his servitude, Susano from his nightmares, and Kusa Village from the deadening fear that engulfed it. But before I could take a step forward, Susano raced past me, babbling of how the gods had answered his prayers to open the shrine for him. I tried to follow, but there was some kind of resistance in the air, perhaps the last remnants of the seal fading. It had no affect on a mortal like Susano, it slowed me down. By the time I forced my way through, Susano was gone. I growled in frustration. When would that man learn not to run headfirst into danger?
The air in the cavern was still and damp. The floor continued to slope downward, which concerned me. If this was the Gale Shrine, why was it so far underground? I could smell something else in the air…something like fire and burnt bones. But the scent was faint, so I ignored it for now. At the bottom of the tunnel was a glowing lake. Some kind of mineral in the water that made it shine, as if lit from within…or perhaps it held the same water as the Mermaid Springs scattered throughout Nippon. I circled it and moved on.
Another gate stood on the far side of the water, leading to a long flight of stone steps. At the bottom, the cave opened up in to a vast circular cavern. I approached cautiously, and was glad I did. A narrow L-shaped bridge with a windmill on each end spanned the cavern. A small platform connected the bridge to the stone tunnel. It had no railings and I peered over the edge. Wind whistled past my ears and I felt dizzy. The chasm seemed bottomless. It stretched down into darkness, too far for me to see the bottom…and much to far for me to survive a fall. I craned my head back to look upwards, and saw a mixture of wood and stone rising in a circle to make the gigantic shaft. It was huge beyond comprehension, larger than anything I'd ever seen built by human hands on Nippon. Huge the same manner as the giant misshapen statue in the Tsuta Ruins. This place could not have been built by mortals. Or, if it had, it must have taken them centuries to construct it.
I tested the bridge with my paw, and it seemed sturdy enough to hold my weight. I was unsure of the purpose of the windmills set at the entrance and exit of the bridge. There did seem to be an opening to another cavern across the gap, but the bridge turned at a right angle away from it, leading to a different chamber. This chamber was made of wood and was also very spacious. A strange latticework created a nonagon shaped chamber in the center of the room. The entrance was barred by a metal gate with a leering orange face with a lolling purple tongue and single mad eye. It was something known as a Lockjaw, a special kind of demon used to seal doorways. They could not be cut or dissipated by any conventional means, but they did have a fatal flaw. To create a Lockjaw, one also needed an exorcism arrow. It acted as a kind of balance. As long as they were kept within a certain radius of one another, the Lockjaw's power would hold. If the arrow was taken away, the Lockjaw would turn to stone. If the arrow was brought too close to the Lockjaw, it would act as a key and "unlock" the door, destroying both the arrow and the demon. If there was a Lockjaw here, that meant this wicker room was important. It also meant that the key was somewhere nearby.
I sniffed all around the circular wooden room, ignoring the cackles of the Lockjaw. Once I was sure there were no hidden doors or passages, I returned along the windmill bridge and climbed the stairs back to the glowing pool. Right away I noticed a passage leading off from it. At the end of the very long, winding tunnel was a small chamber with a Demon Gate in the center. My hackles rose and I snarled. The key had to be hidden beyond the Demon Gate. I plunged through, ready for battle.
None of the usual imps, tengu, or fish demons appeared. This time, I had a new foe. It looked like a turtle mated with a boiling pot of water. The shape of it reminded me of the bud demons in Tsuta Ruins and I lifted my lips into a smile, showing my teeth. Such demons had powerful armor, but once stunned, they were easy prey. The demon leapt into the air, seeking to crush me. I dodged and lashed out with my Divine Instrument, forcing it to the ground. It spun, tucking in its head and using its armor as a powerful defense. I timed my strike carefully, hitting its softer underbelly and interrupting its spin. The demon collapsed, stunned, and I attacked again. The lid on the demon's back flew upwards with each strike and water fountained from its back. One of the plumes of water touched me and I leapt backwards, yelping in pain. The water was scalding hot! Luckily the demon was still stunned, so I used my Celestial Brush to finish it off.
As soon as the demon's body vanished and the barrier dissipated, a glowed arrow appeared. I picked it up, wincing a little at the burn on my back, and raced from the cave and back to the vast wooden chamber. The arrow did its work, removing the Lockjaw demon and allowing me to enter the wicker room. It was very strange. The floor felt…bouncy, as if it wasn't properly anchored to the walls. On the floor, there were three designs, like half of a yin-yang symbol. The first glowed blue and had a single black mark. The other two were dull grey and had two and three brush marks each. In the center of the floor was an orange circle with Bakugami's symbol drawn on it. Curious, I stepped into the room and then drew a Cherry Bomb, but I was ready to leap backwards out of the room at the slightest hint of a trap.
It wasn't a trap, but something very, very strange happened. When the bomb appeared, the circle seemed to…swallow it, leaving only a small puff of smoke behind. Then, I felt the bomb explode beneath me and the floor was propelled upward at an astonishing pace. The force of it flattened me to the floor. When the movement stopped, the second symbol shown green, and green light filtered through the wicker walls. I hurried off of the strange elevator, not eager to drop back down and have to repeat the ride.
However, I realized almost immediately that I would have to use the elevator again. There was only one room with nothing in it but a Demon Scroll. I had not reached the top of the Gale Shrine yet. Angry, I attacked the Demon Scroll, finding yet another water kettle demon waiting for me. Like the previous demon, once I had dispatched it, an exorcism arrow appeared. So there was another Lockjaw demon guarding the next floor. I returned to the elevator and found that it had fallen back to ground level once again. I sighed and jumped, confident that this fall I would survive with ease. This time, when the explosion propelled me to the second floor, I drew another Cherry Bomb, giving the elevator enough power to reach the third floor. As expected, another Lockjaw awaited us. The arrow took care of it quickly enough and we stepped into the room.
No Demon Scrolls waited for me here, but I still searched the place thoroughly before moving out to the balcony. I kept expecting a trap, an ambush…something. Getting here had been far too easy. What was Crimson Helm waiting for? Surely it could not be unaware of our presence? Issun seemed unconcerned, but I was still nervous. Nothing was on the outer balcony either. I looked down…and wished I hadn't. It was a long, long, long way down. The air felt thin and cold, but strangely still. I looked around and realized that we were almost at the top of the massive windmill we'd spotting from Taka Pass. And a narrow flight of stairs led ever higher.
I may be a goddess, but I am not enamored of high places. Especially not this high. I was not a bird. If I fell, I would die. Climbing the stairs slowly and carefully was not very difficult. But I dreaded the return trip. Stairs are designed for two-legged creatures, not four. Issun teased me a little as I climbed, trying to distract me from the fear that threatened to overwhelm me.
Finally, after far too long a time, I stepped off the narrow steps onto a broader wooden walkway that led up wide, enclosed steps and out onto a platform. As I stepped out, metal bars dropped down behind me, trapping us. I tensed, waiting for the inevitable attack…but there was nothing. After several minutes, I relaxed enough to move forward and look around. The small, round platform was set right on the middle of the huge cloth blades of the windmill. We were at its center, its height. The view was astonishing. I could see so far…yet the air still had an unnatural darkness to it when it should have been crisp and clear. An odd darkness swirled in front of the windmill, holding back the divine wind.
Issun suggested that I try using my Celestial Brush to force the darkness in the opposite direction. I had not gained the power of wind, but perhaps here, in this sacred place, it would be enough. I called on my power and drew a spiral running counter to the pattern of evil before us. A stiff breeze blew past us and part of the evil cleared, becoming light and fresh. The evil didn't completely dissipate, but it was a start. Twice more I reversed the evil winds, feeling the fresh, clean power grow stronger with each stroke. With the last brushstroke, the air cleared and the sky turned blue. I could feel the heaviness of the air, the evil that had oppressed me each time I set foot in Kusa Village, finally lift. A slow grinding noise filled the air as the blades of the windmill which had been stilled for so long began to move. As the windmill spun, I felt my heart lift and I sprang into a series of delighted somersaults. Issun cheered, just as happy as I was.
Once we both calmed down, we looked out over the now-clear countryside. My fear of falling was overwhelmed by the beauty spread around us. I sighed, feeling at last some measure of peace and contentment. Then, the sky grew dark again. I looked up, wondering if, at least, Crimson Helm would show itself. But it wasn't the mysterious demon, but rather the appearance of a constellation. Kazegami, Horse God of the Wind, the embodiment of freedom, appeared. He reared, whinnying with joy and galloped through the strange, parchment-like realm that seemed to surround me whenever I encountered a Brush God. I quickly intercepted Kazegami before he could run too far. Exuberant as he was about his freedom, he could not go before granting me full access to the power of wind. He granted his aid and vanished.
I shook myself, feeling the strength of the wind course through me. With barely a thought, I drew a gust of wind to turn a small windmill set over the barred door behind me. As the little windmill spun, the bars rose, allowing me passage back into the Shrine. Climbing down the stairs was not easy (how can it when your rear end is up higher than your front?) but I managed. Crimson Helm was not above the Gale Shrine, so the only place he could be was below it. And now, armed with the wind, I had a demon to slay.