Picture this: the next chapter being finished faster than this chapter. Will all of you be happy about that. I hope so. This story of course was written with the help of BlackSabbath4Ever. Please read and review.

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The six awoke before sunrise, having slept in a campsite just outside the village. Shojubo was the first up. He couldn't find restful sleep, and his slumber was interrupted by his tossing and turning beneath his thin woolen blanket. Rushing water was the only sound in the morning dawn. It filled Shojubo's ears as he studied the fast-flowing river.

A demon lives in there, Shojubo thought to himself, astounded that a clear, beautiful river could house a horrific monster. He strolled to the river, kanabo in hand just in case, and stared at the water. His eyes watched for any signs of movement. It was difficult to tell whether or not something was moving, as the river's current distorted the riverbed. The surface was red and orange, reflecting the distant colors of the glowing sky. Scarce a fish or tadpole revealed itself. Nothing about the river seemed unordinary.

Shojubo returned to camp. Mud coated the bottom of his shoes, though he didn't try washing them. It would only result in his feet getting muddy when coming back from the river, and he was sure that walking with mud-caked feet inside his shoes would do more than sully his footwear. He packed up his blanket and left his shoes and metal-studded club by his knapsack. Barefooted, he went into the village to see if there was any talk of the demon. Few were in the streets; most were farmers who were preparing to work the fields. None were talking much.

When he returned to camp, the sky's color shifted to dark blue. Ayuto was up and stretching out her arms and legs. Shojubo passed by her, not offering so much as a wave, and picked up his club. He walked towards the river. There wasn't much for him to do until Ashitaka and San awoke, and from that point, they would search for this supposed river demon.

As Shojubo peered into the water, he saw the black sand of the riverbed. Something seemed wrong. Though it was difficult to see in the early morning, he couldn't imagine that the sand in a river would be black. He backed away, and as his foot touched the ground, a geyser shot out of the water. The cloak of water obscuring the beast fell away. Standing twenty feet out of the water, with more than half its body still underwater, was a black serpentine beast. Its eyes glowed crimson, and its black scales were tinted violet. Teal frills on its back contrasted the rest of its dark body. Thick, dark purple sludge leaked from its mouth and scales.

Shojubo could only stare in awe at the monstrosity. His hands gripped the kanabo tightly, though the rest of his body refused to move. He gazed into its eyes, mouth agape as it glared back. The demon's jaw lowered. Sludge splattered into the water and onto the shore. Something rang in Shojubo's ears. Whatever it was refused to register in his mind properly. One sense worked properly: his sight. More ringing assailed his ears. That didn't matter to him. A floating feeling came over him.

The floating feeling ended when he felt something smash into his ribs, sending him onto the ground. He coughed as one hundred pounds of weight crushed his lungs. A long shadow flew over him as Ayuto pressed him into the ground, keeping her own body low as the river demon surged overhead.

"You idiot!" Ayuto shouted, "Why didn't you get out of the way? Did you even hear me shouting?"

"Huh, what? Ayuto?" Shojubo groaned groggily.

"Get up!" She roared as she pulled him to his feet. Shojubo stumbled to his feet and held up his kanabo, this time with a clear mind and a freely moving body. The serpentine spirit reared its head and charged once again. Its path was a straight line, flying faster than an arrow riding the wind. Ayuto and Shojubo dodged in opposite directions. Both ran as the dragon surged back into the river.

"Ayuto! Shojubo!" Ashitaka called as he and San scrambled for their weapons. "Don't let that thing touch you! It will curse you if it does!" As he notched an arrow, he ordered Yakul to flee to the village. Yakul nodded and hurried away.

Just as Ashitaka finished his warning, a roar erupted from the waters. The dragon arose once again and glared at those gathered below. An arrow was released from Ashitaka's bow, sticking into the writhing flesh of the demon. It showed no sign of pain as the arrow pierced its body. Another roar shook the ground. People in the nearby village ran back to their homes when they saw the black dragon. Ashitaka didn't any screams, only surprised gasps and slamming doors.

"San, what should we do?" Ashitaka asked as he turned to face her. When he glanced to where she was last standing, just behind him with her spear in hand, he found she wasn't there.

"Ashitaka!" San called from towards the river. Ashitaka shot a look to her direction and saw her running on the side of the river. Her spear was in hand and batting away the dripping sludge, occasionally plunged into the river to wash off the purple gunk. The dragon took notice and roared, plunging itself into the water and swimming alongside her. It tried ramming into her. She dodged out of the way, kicking off the ground and backflipping onto her feet. Once she was on her feet, Ashitaka fired twice more at the dragon, aiming for its eyes. One arrow missed its target by an inch, striking a teal frill instead, while the second pierced the dragon's upper lip. Both strikes did little to halt the beast.

San began shouting curses at the demon, prodding at it with her spear as she taunted it. The demon bellowed and rose from the water. Its body stood now thirty feet in the air, prepared to crush San like an ant. Shojubo rushed over to help her, but San demanded they stay back.

Sludge flew in the air as the demon brought its open maw down. San timed the attack, just as she would time her own attacks when she pounced on prey. To Shojubo, Ashitaka, and Ayuto, the demon was going to crush her in three seconds. For San, the movement was slow. She effortlessly jumped out of the way and began sprinting away from the river.

"Get away from the water!" She ordered the others. "Keep running until it stops!"

The others obeyed and hurried away from the water. With a earth-trembling shriek, the demon chased them, focusing on San. Ashitaka did what he could to help. He fired arrows which had little effect.

"Stop wasting your arrows!" Ayuto shouted as she saw the projectiles get stuck in the beast. As she spoke, the demon suddenly changed directions. Its body jerked to the left, towards where Ayuto and Shojubo were running. Her eyes moved from Ashitaka to San, only to grow wide when she saw the impending monster.

"Ayuto!" Shojubo called out. She didn't hear him. Her steps became clumsy as she considered either dodging or continuing her sprint. It wasn't a decision made fast enough. By the time she decided to jump out of the way, the dragon's jaw was wide open, prepared to crush her in its teeth.

Something grabbed her from behind. A pair of hands interlocked around her navel, and she felt herself being lifted into the air. Before she knew what was happening, she felt her shoulders hit the ground, followed by her rolling backwards onto her neck.

"Get up!" Shojubo roared, a booming voice which almost matched the dragon's. Ayuto felt somebody grab her wrist. She was forced to her feet and began running. Her body was operating automatically. The steps she took were sluggish, and the path she ran wasn't straight. Nothing but the hope of escaping the monster behind her filled her mind.

Suddenly, the monster came to a screeching halt. The dirt around its snake-like body kicked into the air. Ayuto turned to see what happened. Ashitaka, San, and Shojubo also spun around to see why the monster had stopped. Most of its one-hundred foot long body was out of the river, save for a few inches which remained submerged. Its prey slowly backed away. Their eyes never left the demon. Slowly, it slithered back to the river, emitting a low growl as its eyes moved from each of its targets. None were sure how long it took the dragon to return to the river. Though it was only several seconds, it felt like hours. Bubbles rose from where the head submerged, popping as black sludge rose from the water.

Once they were sure they were safe, the four regrouped, covered in sweat and panting heavily. Ashitaka realized he only had four arrows left. Yakul came to them when he saw they were no longer engaged in combat.

"So that's what's scaring these people." San commented as she looked to the blackened river, "There's no way we can let that thing live."

"I agree, but we should think about how we can defeat it." Ayuto said, "Ashitaka's arrows didn't do a thing, and none of us can get close enough to attack without risking a curse."

"We'll have to think of something else, then." Ashitaka chimed in, "It stopped chasing us for some reason, but I don't think it was out of its own good will."

"I think it was because it was almost out of the water." Shojubo suggested, "Only a bit of its tail was left in the river. Perhaps it needs it to live or something?"

"Maybe; that thing was a river spirit, so it probably has to remain close to it or else." San said, "The only problem is getting it out of the river."

"We can think of a way overnight." Ayuto said, "I don't think it will show itself again today."

"It's still early morning, though." Shojubo noted.

"All the better to come up with a plan."

"Let's find Toki and Kohroku first." Ashitaka said, "I want them to know our current situation."

The others nodded in agreement. Ashitaka and San headed back to the village. Ayuto was about to follow, but she heard her name called by Shojubo.

"Thank you for helping me back there." He said, his eyes unable to meet hers directly. His glance was slightly to the left of her head. "I don't think I would have been able to avoid that thing in time if you hadn't pushed me."

"Don't think too much of it." She said. Her gaze was less tepid than his. "Besides, you did the same thing when it was chasing me, so I think we're even."

"Even? I almost broke your neck doing that! We aren't even yet, I think."

A small smile appeared on Ayuto's face. "Then I'll think of another way you can pay me back. Until then, let's hurry to the others."

Shojubo nodded, a minor grin on his face, and followed her and the others. His footsteps were slightly faster than hers. He soon found himself walking alongside her, neither minding the other's presence.