TWENTY-FIRST SCROLL: SOUTH RYOSHIMA COAST
As I stepped onto the sandy path, I realized that something was wrong. I could faintly smell the ocean, but it was almost overwhelmed by the stench of blood and decay. Spread out before me, the once pristine coastline was almost entirely enveloped by a cursed zone. A large temple bell, part of the high ground, and a narrow path winding along beside a large temple were all that was left untouched. I stared in shock as Issun sputtered out his confusion. But I had killed Orochi. Surely his death would have released the rest of the land from his curse! That was what was supposed to happen…right? I had thought so. Obviously I was wrong.
The fact that the whole area was not covered by the curse meant that one of Sakuya's Guardian Saplings must be nearby. The only place I could go was along the path, so I raced around the side of the temple grounds. The temple itself was completely seeped in Orochi's curse. I growled in frustration. Even dead the serpent managed to make my life difficult.
Suddenly, a swirl of purple smoke rose in the middle of the path before me and a demon appeared. It looked like a large grey-green statue, hulking and hunchbacked, faceless, and carried the ring-staff of a Buddhist monk in its over-sized hands. The entire apparition, a kind of demon known as a Headless Guardian, reminded me of some kind of large beetle. I lashed out with my Divine Instrument, but the Guardian blocked it with its staff. I leapt into the air as it struck at me and used my Power Slash to stun it. A few quick cuts and the demon collapsed into a pile of purified flower petals. I snorted in contempt at the weak resistance and continued down the path.
The cliffs rose higher around me, which made me a little nervous. If demons decided to set an ambush, this would be the place, for I was boxed in. Around the next turn, the path ended…but there was a slight crack with a breeze blowing through. I drew a Cherry Bomb and backed up. The explosion revealed a cave on the other side of the wall. There was a small pond filling most of the space, and a ledge I could leap to, like a giant step. The next step also had a pond, but this one was dry, as was the next pond on the next ledge. Each time I used my Waterspout to draw water from the previous pond to ease the thirst of the parched land.
As I climbed, I rose out of the cave an out onto the cliffs above Ryoshima Coast. A quick glance told me that the cursed zone spread as far as I could see. Had it taken Sei-an City as well? Was that why the capital was closed, to prevent anyone else from falling to the curse? Issun called my attention back to the ground in front of me. I had reached the top of a flat plataue area, which, like the others, was dry and barren. But, in the middle of this dry pond was a small budding Guardian Sapling, like the one in Hana Valley. However, unlike the sapling in Hana Valley, which had been green and trying to grow, only lacking sunlight, this one was dry and limp. I wined softly and nudged it with my nose, but only sensed the tiniest bit of life in its roots. I quickly called water from the lower ponds, filling the sapling's pond, and waited.
For a moment, the sapling remained dry and brown, but then, it felt the water and slowly began to glow green and rise up again as life returned. As I watched, the sapling drew on the green, life-giving energy from the land around it and grew into a full-sized Guardian Sapling. However, despite its new strength, it still lacked leaves and flowers. A quick flick of my Bloom Brush gave the Guardian Sapling the last bit of power it needed to bloom. As I watched, the cleansed power rushed across Ryoshima Coast in a rainbow blaze of flowers and fountains, washing away Orochi's curse.
I took a deep breath and the clean salty sea air filled my lungs. I felt strong, refreshed, and ready to explore. I headed back along the path towards the large temple bell that I'd seen earlier. It reminded me a little too much of the bell I'd used to let Orochi know his dinner was ready, so I steered clear of it and padded up to the entrance of the temple. The sign above it said that it was called Ankoku Temple. I sniffed the air. Strange…normally sacred places were the last to be consumed by the curse; that's why I could always reach Sakuya's Guardian Saplings. But Ankoku Temple had been covered by the curse when I'd arrived. Why?
A traveling monk near the gate was sitting on the step, bemoaning his bad luck at arriving at Ankoku Temple while Priestess Rao was away in Sei-an City. I pricked up my ears at that. Perhaps that was the reason the temple had fallen. Without a priest or priestess, even a sacred place could be taken. But a priestess's first duty was to her temple, so why wasn't this Rao here? Perhaps I should investigate.
By the time I reached the top of the stone stairs, I was panting. Even having four legs did not make the assent easier. Ankoku Temple certainly made its visitors work for the privilege of coming here. The temple building itself seemed quiet and intact. In design, it was very similar to Princess Fuse's abode, set on wooden columns with sweeping gables and a central door. Everything seemed fine…but somehow I felt…uneasy. I heaved myself up the last few wooden steps and nudged the door with my nose. To my surprise, it slid open easily. That was strange. If the head priestess was gone, then the doors should have been locked, or an attended should be watching the place. But inside it was dark and empty. Incense smoldered in a pair of offering pots, and a few candles burned, revealing glimpses of a large golden statue of Buddha. Why hadn't anyone stolen this, or ransacked the temple? Perhaps the cursed zone and the dire warnings about Sei-an City kept people away. That made sense, but my hackles continued to rise. I turned from the dark, unsettling place and left as quickly as I could.
As I approached the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean, Issun tugged on my ear to get my attention. I looked out over the water and stared. There was a massive ship lodged on the rocks. The tattered sails and gaping hole in the side showed that it was completely abandoned, although not completely sunken. Issun said that the ship hadn't been there the last time he passed through Ryoshima Coast. A nearby fisherman overheard Issun's comment and told us that the ship was rumored to be carrying a great treasure, but the Water Dragon had attacked the ship and sunk it. Issun seemed interested at the prospect of treasure, but I had no desire to try to create a string of water lilies over the ocean. There was a tall platform on the edge of the cliff overlooking the lagoon the ship was stranded in, but I ignored it. I had no desire to get closer to it. Like Ankoku Temple, something about the ship made me uneasy. I raced down along the path down to the lower beach, clearing up a few patches of sickly land as I went.
At the far end of the beach was a massive stone pier that stretched farther out into the ocean than I would have thought human hands could manage. I wondered if ships had docked here to unload goods bound for the capital. Issun said that Sei-an City was not far from here. But there were no ships now, just wandering Demon Scrolls, rabbits, and some stray cats. As I turned to go inland towards the city, a demon appeared, sending a red barrier around me to prevent my escape. I crouched, snarling. It looked similar to the pair of tengu I'd killed in Taka Pass, except this one wore a feminine pink kimono, a straw hat, under which lank black hair hung, and carrying an umbrella with a pair of fans for wings. An ubume. It shrieked a long, wailing cry that sounded rather like a human woman, then dove to attack.
I dodged and lashed out with my Divine Instrument. The paper umbrella opened in front of the demon. To my surprise, my weapon was deflected. Then it pulled a sword from the umbrella handle and tried to cut me in half. I dodged, but when I tried to retaliate, the umbrella came up to protect the ubume. This dance continued for a few moments as I tried to get around the umbrella and failed. Angry and frustrated, I called upon my Galestorm, hoping to ground the ubume, or blow away the umbrella. The ubume tried holding onto the umbrella through the wind, leaving it vulnerable. Three quick slashes and the demon was destroyed.
The sun was starting to set, and I felt an inexplicable urge to hurry. At the top of the hill, I found a pair of Devil Gates to destroy, one of which revealed a Mermaid Spring. The Devil Gate by the Mermaid Spring was near a closed gate guarded by a pair of soldiers. I probably could have broken through, but that way led to North Ryoshima Coast, and I didn't need to go there. The city lay just beyond the central gate at the top of the hill. After I was sure that no more Devil Gates or Demon Scrolls lurked near the entrance, I stepped through. The path led down a steep slope to Sei-an City. But…something was wrong. There was a strange sink in the air, a smell of sickness and evil. And the city below, tucked into a small valley, seemed to be covered in an eerie green mist. It wasn't the cursed zone; in fact, it didn't smell like anything connected to Orochi at all. But it wasn't right. Something was very, very wrong in Sei-an City. Filled with a sense of foreboding, I padded down the slope as the shadow of night crept in behind me.