Three worlds intertwin
Here's the next chapter of the story. Sorry for the long wait, I was distracted with other things, plus a little bit of writer's block.
Chapter five: The youkai serpent Uwabami
An hour later, we find Nariko relaxing in one of the trees within the temple's courtyard. She had finished some of the chores that were on the list, and was now taking a break from her work. A yawn escaped from the young she-wolf's mouth before she settled back down against the tree's trunk. The only movement that Nariko showed was one of her ears twitching whenever they caught different sounds within the area. All was peaceful for a while before Nariko heard the sound of footsteps coming into the temple grounds. The young she-wolf became alert when she heard someone entering the courtyard. Nariko used her canine nose to catch the intruder's scent that drifted upon the wind before smiling and relaxed.
'Smells like Ushio, Asako and Mayuko are back from their shopping trip,' thought Nariko to herself.
The young she-wolf opened her eyes and jumped down from the tree before she headed towards the house. She made it around to the front just in time to see Ushio, Asako and Mayuko coming towards her. Nariko quietly chuckled at the sight of Ushio carrying some of the two girls' bags with a disgruntled look upon his face.
"Had a good time shopping?" asked Nariko once the three came to stand in front of her.
"Yeah, it was great," replied Asako with a smile. "I wish you could have come with us though. Then you could have looked around to find some clothes and accessories for yourself."
Nariko gave Asako a helpless shrug before Mayuko stepped forward with a smile: "But we did find something that would look cute on you."
Mayuko then handed Nariko a small bag with the she-wolf blinking at her in surprise. She took the bag from Mayuko before opening it up to see what was inside it. Nariko's eyes widened slightly before she pulled out a purple bandana with a gold crescent moon and golden edgings on it. Nariko looked up at Mayuko, who gave her a small smile before answering the she-wolf's silent question.
"I thought it might help cover up that scar on your neck until your fur grows back."
Nariko blinked in surprise before smiling: "Thanks Mayuko."
"Let's go inside and see how it looks on you," said Asako.
"Along with me finally putting all these bags down," added Ushio with a grumble. "Honestly, Asako. Why did you have to buy so much crap at the mall?"
"Quit complaining, Ushio!" exclaimed Asako as she gave her boyfriend a glare of annoyance.
Nariko shook her head in amusement while Mayuko giggled quietly to herself. The foursome soon walked into the house, then headed to the living room after placing the bags within the hallway. They all sat on the floor as Asako and Ushio watched Mayuko help Nariko in tying the bandana around her neck. Nariko had asked Mayuko to fold the bandana and make it into a choker. Mayuko obliged, but made sure that the crescent moon was still visible for all to see. Nariko sat very still as she let Mayuko tie the bandana around her neck.
"There," said Mayuko as she let her hands drop down to her lap. "All finished."
"Thanks," spoke Nariko as she looked over her shoulder to glance at Mayuko. "Now I don't have to worry about somebody staring at my burn mark."
"Not to mention that it looks really good you on you," added Asako with a smile.
Nariko blushed underneath her fur at Asako's comment before she turned her gaze on Ushio, who had his head turned away as he gazed out at the backyard. The young she-wolf hesitated for a moment before she spoke to Ushio.
"So...what do you think of my new accessory, Ushio?" asked Nariko curiously.
Ushio glanced over at Nariko and gazed at the bandana for a moment before turning to look outside again: "It looks good I guess."
An angry frown appeared on Nariko's face before she turned away with a huff, while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Just the type of answer any girl would get from a guy who gives out flat comments," muttered Nariko in a low voice. "But what do you expect from boys who don't know how to complement girls on their looks. Especially a boy who acts on emotions more than brains."
Ushio turned to glared at Nariko: "What did you say?"
"She's not wrong you know," said Asako as she gave Ushio a look. "You do tend to let your emotions overrule your judgement sometimes."
Ushio huffed as he turned away with an embarrassed expression upon his face. Asako smirked in amusement while Mayuko let out a small chuckled before she turned to look at Nariko again.
"Hey Nariko. Have you ever went shopping with your friends back in your hometown?" asked Myuko curiously.
Nariko turned to look at Mayuko and gave her a small smile: "Not really. The only shopping that we'd ever done together was getting groceries for the orphanage. I never really went to clothing, jewelry or makeup stores because I didn't have enough money to buy those kinds of things. Also, I'm not really interested in getting very much accessories."
Asako chuckled before she spoke: "You sound just like Mayuko when it comes to not caring about accessories."
Nariko shrugged her shoulders: "What can I say? I'm just a simple hometown wolf-girl that only thinks about the simple things in life."
"That must mean you have a simple minded brain then," muttered Ushio quietly to himself.
Nariko's keen sense of hearing caught what Ushio had just said before she pointed a finger towards him. A small spark of electricity sparked from the tip of Nariko's clawed finger before it shot towards Ushio. The young adult let out a yelp of surprise and pain when he felt himself being zapped by electricity. He turned to glare at Nariko, who sat facing away from him with an innocent expression upon her face.
"Why you little...!" shouted Ushio angrily.
"What? I didn't do anything," said Nariko in an all too innocent voice.
Ushio glared at the she-wolf as he held a look that said he didn't believe her. Asako and Mayuko had seen the electricity jump from Nariko's finger to Ushio, and they couldn't help being surprised by what they had just witnessed.
"You can produce lightning?" asked Asako as she stared at Nariko in amazement.
Nariko looked at Asako in confusion before smiling at her: "Um...not really. To be honest, I'm not really sure how I have electricity flowing through my body. I only just discovered this power back when I was still trapped in that facility's prison cell. I only use it whenever I find myself in a pinch."
"Or when you want to zap someone just for a fun of it," added Ushio with a frown.
"Just be glad I didn't use my full power on you," said Nariko as she gave Ushio a deadpanned look.
"You know...your power over electricity reminds me of someone else we knew who could do it," spoke Mayuko with a thoughtful expression upon her face.
Nariko blinked in surprise and turned to look at Mayuko with interest: "Really?"
Mayuko nodded her head at Nariko's question. Ushio looked at Mayuko for a moment before a sad expression appeared on his face. He then turned his head away to look outside again. Asako noticed this as she sadly gazed at her boyfriend for a moment before turning to look back at Mayuko and Nariko. Unknown to the two young adults, Nariko had caught Ushio's sad expression and she decided to say something to lighten the mood.
"Were they also as hard headed as Ushio?" asked Nariko with a playful smile on her face.
Asako chuckled before she answered: "They were about on the same level with each other."
Ushio growled as he gave Asako a contemptuous glare. Nariko chuckled in amusement, while Mayuko only smiled before she turned and spoke to the she-wolf.
"But despite that, he was actually really kind and thoughtful towards others. Even if he didn't really show it very much."
Nariko hummed in thought at what Mayuko had said before sensing the shadowy presence within the room. The aura that it gave off was one of annoyance, along with a small hint of embarrassment mixed in. Nariko secretly smirked to herself before she continued her conversation with the trio.
"I'm guessing that you all cared about this person a lot, huh?" questioned Nariko with a smile.
Mayuko responded by nodding her head, while a sad expression appeared on her face. Ushio only huffed before he answered in a grumpy voice.
"Yeah, right. Who would miss someone like that big idiot who only wants to cause me nothing but grief?"
Nariko could easily tell that Ushio was hiding his true feelings under his bluff denial. Despite him saying that he didn't miss the person, Nariko knew that Ushio actually cared about this friend of his. Asako decided to change the subject to something else, and turned her attention to the little box that still sat on the table.
"So...what do you think you're going to do with this box?" asked Asako curiously.
"No clue" replied Nariko with a shrug of her shoulders. "But Mrs. Sumako said that I should hold onto it until Mr. Shigure comes back from his trip."
"Or we can try smashing it open," suggested Ushio as he looked down at the box with a frown.
Nariko and Asako glared at Ushio in exasperation, while Mayuko looked at him with light frown before she spoke: "Don't you think that's taking it a little too far?"
Ushio glanced up at Mayuko: "Come on Mayuko. Aren't you curious to know what's inside this thing too?"
"Well...yeah," replied Mayuko in a hesitant voice before frowning. "But I don't want to go breaking it just to see what's inside."
"Besides, the barrier around this box could be a lot stronger than what we think it might be," added Nariko in a serious voice.
Ushio pouted as he turned his gaze back onto the box before quietly muttering to himself: "I bet we could break it if I still had the Beast Spear."
Nariko's sharp hearing caught what Ushio had just said and she looked at him in confusion before speaking: "Beast Spear?"
Ushio blanched as his face took on a nervous expression. He then started waving his arms around as a nervous smile appeared upon his face.
"Nothing! Forget I said anything!" exclaimed Ushio in a hurried voice.
Nariko gave Ushio a suspicious look for a moment before Asako quickly intervened: "Um...so are you thinking of keeping the box in your room for a while?"
"Yeah," replied Nariko as she turned to look at Asako with a smile. "I think that would be one of the safest places to leave it for now. Away from those who want to smash it open."
Ushio gave Nariko a pouting glare, while Mayuko and Asako quietly chuckled in amusement. Nariko smirked at Ushio before she shuffled over to the table with Miyuko.
"In any case, Mayuko is right," spoke Nariko as she looked down at the box. "Whoever made this box had a real hand at crafting, and I'd bet it took a lot of time and effort to really make this box. Also, your mother told me that you're an artist yourself. So you should understand how much the previous carver had put his heart and soul into creating the carvings on this box, right?"
Ushio blinked before he went into thought for a moment and sighed: "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Nariko smiled in victory before Mayuko gently picked up the box. When she did, her finger tips brushed over something that was carved on the bottom. Mayuko blinked before she slowly turned the box over to look at what was on the bottom of it. Once it was in full view, she saw that there was kanji writing carved into the wood.
"Huh...there's something written here on the bottom of the box," spoke Mayuko.
Nariko, Ushio and Asako turned to look at their friend in surprise. Nariko became curious herself before she held her hands out towards Mayuko.
"Can I see?" asked Nariko.
Mayuko nodded before handing the box over to Nariko. The she-wolf gently took it before looking down at the kanji that was written on the bottom of the box. She frowned as her eyes skimmed over the words for a moment before Ushio spoke up.
"What does it say?"
"I'm not sure," replied Nariko as she continued to look down at the kanji. "The kanji seems to be written in an old language of some kind."
"Come on, it can't be that hard to read," said Ushio as he leaned forward to grab the box out of Nariko's hand. "Here, let me take a look at it."
"No way!" exclaimed Nariko as she pulled the box away and out of Ushio's reach. "Knowing you, you'll wind up getting a headache from looking at the unknown kanji and lose your temper. Then in frustration, you'll wind up throwing the box onto the floor or out into the backyard."
"No I won't!" shouted Ushio with an angry frown.
"I bet you will," said Nariko with a glare.
Ushio glowered at Nariko for a moment before letting out a huff as he turned away with his arms crossed over his chest. Nariko's glare relaxed slightly before she stood up from the floor with the box still in her hands.
"Anyway, I'd better take this box to my room," said Nariko as she walked towards the living room door.
"Good idea," said Asako with a smile. "Otherwise Ushio will just keep going on about smashing it open."
Ushio grumbled something under his breath that Asako and Mayuko couldn't hear. But Nariko's sharp hearing caught what he said and she couldn't help but smirk at what she heard.
"Stupid girls. Always gaining up on me."
Nariko quietly laughed to herself before she walked out of the living room and headed upstairs. It wasn't long before she came to the door of the guest room she was occupying before opening it. Nariko walked into the room and headed over to drawer chest and opened the top left cabinet. Resting inside the cabinet was Nariko's old cloak, which she placed in there last night. She lifted up part of her cloak and tucked the box underneath it until the said item was completely hidden.
"There, that should keep it hidden," voiced Nariko as she laid the cloak back down before closing the cabinet.
Nariko then paused as she began to think back to what Ushio had just said a few minutes ago. The she-wolf frowned as she went over the words that swirled within her head. But there were two words that always stood out within her mind.
"Beast Spear..." voiced Nariko quietly to herself. "I'm guessing Ushio is talking about a weapon since the word 'spear' at the end was a dead give away. Still...how could an ordinary weapon break through the box's protective barrier? And on top of that, why is it called the Beast Spear?"
Nariko let her mind wander for a moment before her sharp hearing caught the sound of far away footsteps coming towards the temple. The she-wolf turned towards the open window of her room. A soft wind blew into the room, which gave Nariko the chance to catch the scent that rode upon the breeze. The she-wolf smiled when she detected a familiar scent drifting through her room.
"Sumako must have finished getting the groceries," said Nariko in a quiet voice as she stood up from the floor.
Nariko was about to turn and head back down stairs when she stopped. Her body started to stiffen when her nose caught an unfamiliar scent upon the wind. It was a scent that reeked with intense malice and bloodlust that nearly suffocated the young she-wolf. Nariko had never smelled anything like this scent before and something about it made her fur stand on end. The young she-wolf then realized that the scent was drawing closer to the shrine, and that it was headed towards Sumako.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Nariko as she turned towards the open window. "She's in danger!"
Nariko quickly ran towards the window and jumped out of it. Once her feet touched the ground, Nariko shot forward in a burst of speed as she headed towards the temple's entrance. The she-wolf just passed underneath it when she heard Sumako scream out in surprise and fear. Nariko pushed her legs to go faster as she jumped the stairs and raced down the road to where Sumako was. She only got about half-way down the road before the she-wolf saw a large snake looming over Sumako.
The scales on the snake's body were a deep black with red diamond patterns on its back, while the under belly scales were a storm grey. The eyes of a snake were a blood red with two thin black slits that glared down at Sumako in hunger and hatred. The snake was as large as an eight wheeler truck with its body being at least twenty feet in length.
As she got closer, Nariko saw the serpent open its mouth and what happened next surprised the she-wolf. Instead of lunging forward to gobble up Sumako, the serpent spoke in a voice that would send shivers down people's spines.
"At last we meet, woman," hissed the serpent as it leered down at Sumako. "For years I have waited for this day when you are helpless and your powers were at their weakest."
Sumako, despite her body shaking in fear, glared up at the serpent before her. The snake seemed amused at the sight of the trembling woman's attempt at bravery before speaking once again.
"Now it is time for me to end your life. Along with the boy who had wielded that cursed spear!"
The serpent then shot forward in its attempt to eat Sumako, but was quickly intercepted by a powerful punch between the eyes. The giant snake let out a hiss of pain as it drew back in surprise. The one that had punched the snake had been none other then Nariko, who had made it just in time to save Sumako from getting killed. Nariko landed to stand protectively in front of Sumako as she glared up at the snake in anger.
"Back off you over grown worm!" snarled Nariko as she cracked her knuckles. "Mrs. Sumako is under my protection!"
The snake hissed before it turned its blood red eyes on Nariko: "How dare you come between me and my prey you little whelp!"
Nariko only glared up at the snake while Sumako stared at Nariko in surprise before she spoke up in an urgent voice.
"Nariko run! This youkai isn't something you can deal with on your own!"
Nariko heard what Sumako had just said, but didn't move as she continued to stand protectively in front of the woman. The snake hissed as it glared down at Nariko for a second before it spoke in a low voice.
"I suggest that you'd take her advice little meat-sack. Unless you want me to devour you along with that woman and her bastard of a son."
Nariko glared up at the snake before she spoke: "You'll find that I'm not that easy to kill."
The snake's eyes narrowed as it glared down at Nariko in anger and fascination: "Humph...you've got a big mouth for someone so insignificant. But you'll find that someone as inferior as you cannot possible defeat a great youkai such as I."
"We'll just see about that," said Nariko with a smirk before she looked over her shoulder to glance at Sumako and whispered to her. "Now's your chance to run. Get out of here while I distract this guy."
A look of horror appeared on Sumako's face before she whispered fiercely: "You can't! That youkai is a Uwabami!"
"Uwabami?" echoed Nariko when she heard what Sumako had said before glancing back at the giant snake.
"Yes," replied Sumako as she also looked up at the snake. "They're cunning youkai who attack humans and devour them whole after they ambush them."
Nariko frowned in thought for a moment before asking Sumako a question: "Does it have any weakness that I should know about?"
Sumako blinked in surprise as she looked at Nariko for a moment before she answered the she-wolf's question.
"Aside from eating humans, Uwabami also love to drink sake. But if they drink too much, they'll wind up being drunk."
Nariko looked over her shoulder to glance at Sumako again: "Do you have any sake stored away back at the house?"
Sumako nodded at Nariko with a look of confusion upon her face. Nariko smiled before she quietly spoke to her again.
"Alright then. I'll distract this over grown worm, while you head back to the house to grab the sake."
Sumako was about to open her mouth in protest before Nariko stopped her and what the she-wolf said next surprised the woman.
"Mr. Shigure appointed me as the guardian of the temple. So that means I'm the protector of the Aotsuki family and its my job to keep you all safe. That also includes those who are close friends to your family as well. That's the job your husband and son had given me, and I'm going to make sure that nothing bad happens to any of you."
Sumako stared at Nariko with a shocked expression upon her face before the she-wolf spoke again.
"Now get going. I'll make sure to keep this worm distracted until you come back with the sake."
Sumako stared at the young wolf for a second before a look of determination appeared on her face. She nodded her head, then turned and began to run back to the temple.
"I won't let you escape!" yelled the Uwabami as it lunged forward.
Nariko intercepted once again as she leapt up and delivered a powerful kick to the snake's head. The force of her kick sent the serpent crashing to the ground before she landed ten feet in front of it.
"If you want her, you're going to have to go through me!" shouted Nariko with a glare.
The Uwabami lifted its head before it turned to glare down at Nariko in anger: "You little bitch."
The snake then shot its head forward as tried to attack Nariko. The she-wolf quickly jumped out of the way from the demon's attack as the Uwabami's head crashed into concrete of the street. Nariko landed a few feet away from the snake before smirking at it.
"You're a little slow in your movements," mocked Nariko as the snake slowly recovered. "I'm guessing all that fat on your body is weighing you down, huh?"
An irked expression appeared on the Uwabami's face at what Nariko had just said. It let out an enraged hiss before it swiped its tail at Nariko, who quickly dodged it by doing an airborne backflip. Nariko continued to distract the serpent as she dodged its attacks, while throwing insults at it in the process. This continued on for a few minutes as Nariko ran, flipped and twisted away from the Uwabami's attacks. The snake youkai then shot its head forward to gobble up the young she-wolf. Nariko saw this attack coming and jumped up into the air, just before the snake youkai's head crashed into the ground once again. She then came back down and slammed the heels of her feet into the back of the Uwabami's head. Nariko then spring boarded off of the Uwabami and landed ten feet away from it. The Uwabami lifted its head up from the ground with groan as it turned its red eyes on Nariko again.
Nariko smirked up at the youkai before she taunted it: "Like I said, you're carrying too much weight on you, worm."
"Nariko!" shouted a male voice.
At the sound of her name, Nariko quickly glanced over her shoulder and saw Ushio running towards her. The she-wolf also noticed that he held a bottle of sake in his right hand.
Nariko smiled before Ushio shouted out at her: "You moron! Get away from that monster!"
Nariko frowned in confusion and anger, but before she could shout back at him, the Uwabami let out an angry hiss as it turned its glare onto Ushio.
It spoke three words that left Nariko confused: "The spear bearer!"
'Spear bearer?' thought Nariko as she narrowed her gaze on the snake.
Then, without warning, the serpent shot forward with a loud hiss. Nariko quickly jumped out of the youkai's path before her eyes widened in shock when she saw it slithering towards Ushio.
"Ushio, look out!" shouted Nariko as she quickly ran towards the young adult.
Ushio stopped in his tracks and stood his ground as he glared at the incoming snake, but Nariko quickly tackled him out of the way at the last second. The Uwabami's head crashed into the spot where Ushio had once stood, while the two rolled across the concrete ground before coming to a stop. They quickly sat up before Nariko turned to glare at Ushio and started to shout at him.
"You idiot! What did you think you were doing?"
"Me? Just what the heck were you doing?" exclaimed Ushio as he glared back at Nariko.
"Distracting this over grown worm from getting too close to your home!" answered Nariko as she pointed at the Uwabami while keeping her eyes on Ushio.
"Are you dense or something?" questioned Ushio angrily. "That's not a worm! That's a monster!"
Nariko gave Ushio an exasperated look and got ready to throw a retort at him. But the retort disappeared from her tongue when she heard the snake youkai let out a loud hiss. She and Ushio quickly turned to glare up at the Uwabami as the giant serpent glared down at them in fury. But its eyes were more focused on Ushio as they flashed with a deep anger that would make anyone quake under their gaze.
"Spear bearer," hissed the youkai as it glared down at Ushio. "At last, we finally meet."
Nariko and Ushio quickly stood up from the ground as they both glared up at the snake in defiance. Yet the young she-wolf noticed how Ushio had placed himself between her and the Uwabami. Nariko rolled her eyes in annoyance when the she figured out what he was doing.
'Honestly,' thought Nariko to herself. 'I'm not some helpless kid that needs to be protected.'
"What do you want snake?" questioned Ushio as he glared up at the youkai before him.
The Uwabami let out a hiss of amusement before it spoke again: "I thought that it would be obvious spear bearer. I came here to finish you and your mother off once and for all."
Ushio looked up at the youkai in confusion: "But why? Hakumen no Mono has been destroyed. Shouldn't there be peace between humans and youkai now that he's gone?"
'Hakumen no Mono?' thought Nariko with a frown.
A smirk appeared on the Uwabami's face as it began to laugh before it replied to Ushio's question.
"Peace? Between youkai and humans? You must be really naïve to think that such a thing could possibly happen after defeating Hakumen no Mono. Some demons may have grown to forgive and respect you, but there are those who have not forgotten what you had done to us in the past. You have slain many of our kind when you had become the bearer of the Beast Spear. Yet the one thing that still sickens me is how all of the youkai would consider you a friend when you had once been our executor."
"Well you and others of your kind didn't give me a choice!" exclaimed Ushio as he glared up at the Uwabami. "You were the ones who were attacking me! I was only defending myself and the humans that you were trying to kill!"
"That has always been the way of monsters you disgusting human," hissed the Uwabami as it narrowed its red eyes. "We demons do not care about the lives of mortals. They are nothing but food to us youkai and we will devour as many as we please. It had also been the same for Nagatobimaru before he was sealed away by your ancestor who like you had wielded that damn Beast Spear. But then he became your obedient little pet after you set him free. Though I cannot blame him, after all he feared you for being the wielder of the spear that you had once possessed so long ago. You became the very nightmare that we youkai feared and loathed, while drawing upon the power of that accursed weapon. The great Nagatobimaru became nothing, but a cowardly fool and diminished into being nothing but your obedient little pet."
Ushio's expression grew hard at what the snake youkai had just, while Nariko silently glared up at the Uwabami for a moment before she spoke up.
"If this Nagatobimaru was afraid of the Beast Spear, then wouldn't that also make you a coward as well?"
The snake youkai turned its gaze on Nariko as its red eyes glared at her in anger: "What?"
Ushio also turned to look at Nariko in surprise and fear: "Nariko, stay out of this!"
Nariko ignored him as she continued to taunt the serpent: "I may not know what this Beast Spear you keep talking about is, but I can tell that this weapon is something that you and all your kind feared. So I wouldn't be calling Nagatobimaru a coward to something that even you're afraid of you over grown earth worm!"
"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A COWARD YOU LITTLE WHELP!" roared the Uwabami in fury.
The snake then shot its head forward to strike down Ushio and Nariko. The young she-wolf quickly acted as she threw Ushio's right arm around her shoulders and jumped into the air. The Uwabami's head crashed into the ground again as Nariko and Ushio landed far out of the snake youkai's reach. Ushio, who was a little shocked by what just happened, looked down at Nariko in astonishment.
"What...how did you?" questioned Ushio in a stammering voice.
"I'm not as helpless as you think I am," answered Nariko as she released Ushio's arm. "But we should focus on the threat in front of us right now first. After that, we'll have a Q&A session with each other back at the temple."
"Fine," said Ushio as he turned to glare at the Uwabami as the youkai slowly lifted its head up from the ground. "We should lead this snake youkai into the forest where there aren't any people around."
"Then let's get to it," suggested Nariko.
Ushio nodded his head in agreement before he shouted at the Uwabami to get its attention: "Hey! If you want me so badly, then come and get me!"
The snake youkai let out a hiss before Nariko and Ushio quickly turned and ran into the forest. The serpent swiftly followed after them, intent on not loosing its target and the one who called it a coward. Nariko and Ushio raced through the forest as they tried to keep ahead of their pursuer. Nariko was keeping her pace at the same level as Ushio for she didn't want to leave him at the mercy of the Uwabami.
"You have an idea of how we'll get that snake to drink the sake?" asked Nariko after a minute as she and Ushio dodged around trees and bushes.
Ushio was silent for a moment before he sheepishly looked at Nariko: "Honestly...I haven't really thought that far yet."
A deadpanned expression appeared on Nariko's face before she spoke: "You really need to think two steps ahead when it comes to getting into situations like this."
Ushio frowned at what Nariko had said before he angrily shouted at her: "Well I'd like to see you come up with something to get us out of this mess!"
Nariko gave Ushio a unimpressed look before she turned her gaze forward as she began to come up with a plan on how to get the Uwabami to drink the sake. The two continued to run before they came to a large clearing where a tall cliff stood towering over them. Within the clearing there were boulders of different sizes scattered about.
"Oh great. It's a dead end," spoke Ushio in frustration.
Nariko frowned as she took in their surroundings before her eyes landed on a group of large boulders that were tightly packed together. The young she-wolf stared at them for a moment before an idea appeared within her head.
"Actually, I think this is place might be perfect," said Nariko with a smirk before she turned to look at Ushio, who was gazing at her in confusion. "I might have an idea on how we can get that sake down that snake's throat."
"What do you have in mind?" questioned Ushio.
Nariko pointed towards the group of boulders: "We'll lead him over to those boulders and get his head wedged between them."
"Okay, I understand," said Ushio when he glanced towards the boulders before looking back at Nariko. "But how are we going to get that monster's head wedged between those boulders?"
Nariko turned to look at Ushio with a smirk on her face before she answered his question with her own: "Ever played cat and mouse?"
Ushio blinked as he stared at Nariko in confusion. The young she-wolf then quickly explained to Ushio what they needed to do before they set their plan into action.
To be continued
And there you go. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I try to get the next chapter ready.