CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
.
Yoshiko could hear more shouts, more yelling as the servants ushered her into the halls along with her sisters and their children. Somewhere in the fuss, she managed to creep behind a wide screen, and crouched there for a long time.
When the footsteps had faded, Yoshiko carefully crept out. The windows had been shut against the cold wind, but she could still hear a dull roaring. Was that the Dog-Lord? What was going on out there?
.
Another roar rang out through the sky. The clouds were darkening with the oncoming storm, and something was coming from over the mountains. It seemed to be running or flying through the clouds -- and it was coming down toward them.
Dozens of human warriors were spilling out of the palace, clutching whatever weapons they had been able to find. They quaked at the sight of something long and sinuous coiling across the sky against the clouds. Suddenly it seemed to plummet down toward them, running on the air as if it were solid ground.
It was a great dragon -- easily as long as the palace was, narrow and sinuous, with shimmering green scales and eyes like flames. It slithered down from the sky like a serpent, before landing with a crash on the plain overlooking the palace. It snarled and hissed at the samurai, driving them back a few steps.
But that wasn't the frightening part. Sitting on its back, clutching a pair of red reins like a man on a horse, was one of those demons that looked almost like a human. It was taller than the tallest man there, and dressed as richly as an emperor. He stared impassively at the humans as the dragon settled down to the ground. His long white hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were flashing.
Without paying any heed to the soldiers there, he half-dismounted and stared around. Then he climbed back on and settled back. The dragon growled and crouched down.
"W-what's it doing?" one of the samurai stammered.
"It's like he's waiting for something..." another whispered.
The demon seemed to confirm their words by tugging on the reins, then staring out at the crowd of warriors. His golden eyes took in their faces, as if he were listening, waiting, watching. For the next two hours, he and the dragon stayed out in the field, not attacking -- but not leaving either.
.
"Prepare to shoot him down if he tries anything!" Yoshiko heard her father call out.
"Y-yes my lord," one of them said.
"But my lord," one of the samurai said slowly, "if he is one of the great demons, then surely we cannot stop him."
Yoshiko huddled back in the shadows of the gate, wrapped in a cloak that almost hid her from sight. She couldn't see too clearly through the ragged lines of her father's men, but the Dog-Lord was out there. Waiting, on the back of a dragon. He had done as she asked, and instead of just breaking through, he was waiting for her to come to him. There won't be time for a second chance, she thought. If she were caught on her way to the Dog-Lord, then he would surely attack anyone who tried to stop her.
Yoshiko took a deep breath. "Myoga?" she whispered.
"Almost time," Myoga mumbled. "If you can run around the edge of the wall, you can dart around the side and go straight to the Dog-Lord."
"What if they chase me?"
"Ah, leave that to milord," Myoga said confidently.
No one saw the cloaked figure dark out behind the samurai. But when Yoshiko slipped quietly past the lines of nervous, armed men, she felt a pair of eyes turn to her. A young man at her father's side slowly turned to look at her, as if he had heard something odd.
She gasped. It was Samadu. His dark eyes widened at the sight of her, and she saw his lips form her name.
Myoga saw it too. He wailed, "Run, milady!"
Yoshiko broke into a run, almost as terrified as when she had nearly been murdered by the dog. A ripple of confusion went through the ranks of the samurai, and suddenly a dozen of them raced after her. "Yoshiko! Come back!" she heard her father cry.
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Myoga was whimpering. Suddenly the flea hopped off of her clothing, and darted away into the weedy grass.
"Myoga!" Yoshiko cried out. But she didn't have time to stop and find the flea. Still running as fast as she could, she glanced back -- and saw a hand reaching for her.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
Yoshiko could hear more shouts, more yelling as the servants ushered her into the halls along with her sisters and their children. Somewhere in the fuss, she managed to creep behind a wide screen, and crouched there for a long time.
When the footsteps had faded, Yoshiko carefully crept out. The windows had been shut against the cold wind, but she could still hear a dull roaring. Was that the Dog-Lord? What was going on out there?
.
Another roar rang out through the sky. The clouds were darkening with the oncoming storm, and something was coming from over the mountains. It seemed to be running or flying through the clouds -- and it was coming down toward them.
Dozens of human warriors were spilling out of the palace, clutching whatever weapons they had been able to find. They quaked at the sight of something long and sinuous coiling across the sky against the clouds. Suddenly it seemed to plummet down toward them, running on the air as if it were solid ground.
It was a great dragon -- easily as long as the palace was, narrow and sinuous, with shimmering green scales and eyes like flames. It slithered down from the sky like a serpent, before landing with a crash on the plain overlooking the palace. It snarled and hissed at the samurai, driving them back a few steps.
But that wasn't the frightening part. Sitting on its back, clutching a pair of red reins like a man on a horse, was one of those demons that looked almost like a human. It was taller than the tallest man there, and dressed as richly as an emperor. He stared impassively at the humans as the dragon settled down to the ground. His long white hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were flashing.
Without paying any heed to the soldiers there, he half-dismounted and stared around. Then he climbed back on and settled back. The dragon growled and crouched down.
"W-what's it doing?" one of the samurai stammered.
"It's like he's waiting for something..." another whispered.
The demon seemed to confirm their words by tugging on the reins, then staring out at the crowd of warriors. His golden eyes took in their faces, as if he were listening, waiting, watching. For the next two hours, he and the dragon stayed out in the field, not attacking -- but not leaving either.
.
"Prepare to shoot him down if he tries anything!" Yoshiko heard her father call out.
"Y-yes my lord," one of them said.
"But my lord," one of the samurai said slowly, "if he is one of the great demons, then surely we cannot stop him."
Yoshiko huddled back in the shadows of the gate, wrapped in a cloak that almost hid her from sight. She couldn't see too clearly through the ragged lines of her father's men, but the Dog-Lord was out there. Waiting, on the back of a dragon. He had done as she asked, and instead of just breaking through, he was waiting for her to come to him. There won't be time for a second chance, she thought. If she were caught on her way to the Dog-Lord, then he would surely attack anyone who tried to stop her.
Yoshiko took a deep breath. "Myoga?" she whispered.
"Almost time," Myoga mumbled. "If you can run around the edge of the wall, you can dart around the side and go straight to the Dog-Lord."
"What if they chase me?"
"Ah, leave that to milord," Myoga said confidently.
No one saw the cloaked figure dark out behind the samurai. But when Yoshiko slipped quietly past the lines of nervous, armed men, she felt a pair of eyes turn to her. A young man at her father's side slowly turned to look at her, as if he had heard something odd.
She gasped. It was Samadu. His dark eyes widened at the sight of her, and she saw his lips form her name.
Myoga saw it too. He wailed, "Run, milady!"
Yoshiko broke into a run, almost as terrified as when she had nearly been murdered by the dog. A ripple of confusion went through the ranks of the samurai, and suddenly a dozen of them raced after her. "Yoshiko! Come back!" she heard her father cry.
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Myoga was whimpering. Suddenly the flea hopped off of her clothing, and darted away into the weedy grass.
"Myoga!" Yoshiko cried out. But she didn't have time to stop and find the flea. Still running as fast as she could, she glanced back -- and saw a hand reaching for her.
TO BE CONTINUED