Chapter 89

Murasaki cut through the last remaining burned skin, causing the purple demon blood to pour from his chest to the ground. She murmured a Japanese prayer, then took the jug of hot water. She was about to pour some on the open wound when Yume raised her head and started barking at something outside the clearing. Murasaki put the bottle down, and closed Yume's jaws with her hands.

"Shhh…" Murasaki calmed. "Quiet, Yume."

"Something's coming…" Yume whimpered, "…something big…"

"Now, now. It's alright." Murasaki soothed, patting Yume's muzzle. "I'm just about done, so…"

"No, wait…" Trunks stopped. "I feel something too. It's weird…I can feel it all around us…" Everyone began looking around in worry. Piccolo looked around too, feeling something.

"Murasaki-san, keep going." The Namek urged. "If you hurry, you will be finished before whatever it is gets here."

"Right." She nodded, picking up the hot water bottle. She poured it onto the cut flesh, and the broken skin sizzled and smoldered harshly. Genji didn't stir, which was a good sign. She put the bottle down, and began to spread the powder into the burning flesh. She forced her fingers into the cut slowly, digging the powder into the skin.

At your heart, I must strike…

Yume suddenly grew alarmed, flattening her ears against her skull, and whimpering like crazy.

"They're here! They're all around us! Somebody do something!"

The raven gods began to caw in worry, feeling something strange as well. The children began to hug their mother's close, absorbing the fear generated by Yume's words. Ryu looked around calmly while staying alert. Arangami bit his lip, knowing he had felt this type of aura before. Momiji was peacefully swinging her Shinto club back and forth, calling the chant to keep spirits away. She started to sweat when she felt no results.

Strange… she thought, …it'sa almost like it's atraackted ta th' chaant, when it shuld be repelled…

She felt something behind her, and turned around while pointing her club at the source. It was wiggling its way past the shins and feet of the villagers until it came into full view for everyone to see. Yume stood up and barked at it.

"That's it!" she shouted. "Go away! We didn't do anything to you!"

It was a kodama, but it looked different. Instead of white with two black eyes and a small mouth, it was black with two white eyes and apparently no mouth at all. Momiji blinked at it.

Wot in the…It luuks like a kodama…bot it feels almost like a demon…

Then more of them made their way into the clearing, forming a thick circle within the clearing and completely blocking out the villagers. All of their ghostly white eyes were staring at the sleeping Genji.

There was a pause.

The kodama seemed to be waiting for something.

Momiji got nervous, and crouched by Piccolo's side to speak into his ear.

"Wot aare they, ya Highness?"

"Stop calling me that. I don't know. They look like kodama, but clearly aren't. Their natural ki is weaker."

"So, they aarn't a danga?"

"I didn't say that."

"They look cute to me." Goten shrugged.

"They look evil." Trunks suggested. "What are they?"

"Good or evil, they shouldn't be here." Marcus insisted. "Keep Murasaki and the boy under close guard." Then he waved to some priests next to him. "Keep these things at bay." The priests swung their Shinto clubs at the kodamas, but the tiny spirits didn't move.

Finally, Murasaki touched the soft skin of Genji's heart. She cried out happily.

"Got you at last!"

She rubbed her finger over the pulsing flesh…

…suddenly, Genji tensed and his mouth stretched open.

RYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIAAA!

An un-Earthly scream erupted from his throat. It was the scream of a demon! Trunks, Goten, and Marcus flinched away as Yume barked in fear.

Piccolo gnashed his teeth.

"Cell, no!"

At the sound of the piercing screech, the kodama bore sharp teeth the size of fingers and charged for Genji.

Yume growled, and bounded for them with her own bared teeth. Several of the kodama jumped onto her face and started biting her muzzle and ears, making her yelp in pain. More kodama climbed into her fur and bit into her skin. Yume toppled to the ground, whimpering and crying.

Several of the village men tried to help Yume by batting the kodama away, but they were attacked too. The kodama viciously bit their arms, legs, and whatever they could sink their teeth in. The raven gods cawed in fear and took up to the skies while Suzaku decided to stay and help protect the wise woman. Most of the villagers ran in fear of the kodama and were untouched, but those who even made a grab for one spirit were swarmed on instantly. Some of the women tried to stomp the kodama flat with their feet, but were harshly ambushed. The priests were attacked, and their sticks broken in half by the strength of the spirit's teeth. Even some of the smaller children who made the mistake of trying to pick up a kodama were instantly covered in the attacking spirits.

Arangami and Ryu jumped into the chaos to help rescue the victims. Other helping raven gods grabbed some victims with their talons and shook the kodama off before flying away. Not minding the stabbing pains of the biting kodama, Ryu and Arangami scraped the spirits off women and children while the kodama turned their attention to the ninja and tiger priest instead. They ignored the spirits and got some fleeing others to take the injured back to the village.

"Are you alright, Ryu?" Arangami called to the tiger priest while batting kodama off his arms and head.

"No prob." Ryu insisted. "I've played with tiger cubs worse than these amateurs."

They heard cawing as Suzaku tried to help Yume, but was stringy about putting his feet close to the kodama. Ryu rushed to help, pushing Yume back up to her paws while Arangami grabbed kodama off her fur and tossed them over his shoulder.

"Shey alright, Ryu?" Momiji called, not yet attacked by the little monsters.

"She'll be fine!" He called back, helping Yume walk out of the area. "We'll be back! We're getting the wolf out of here!"

Suzaku cawed in worry.

"Sir Marcus!"

The unharmed Marcus waved his hand at the raven.

"Go on! Protect the village!"

The raven flew off as Arangami and Ryu helped Yume escape to the village.

"You little bastards!" Trunks called at the approaching kodama. He powered up a ki blast with his free hand, but Piccolo immediately grabbed it.

"Don't! If you attack them, they'll attack you. Stay still, all of you!"

Only Genji, Murasaki, Momiji, Trunks, Goten, and Marcus remained in the clearing. Murasaki kept rubbing the powder on Genji's wound, ignoring the spirits around her as they closed it.

The spirits formed a thick barrier around the fighters, chattering their teeth to make their own rattling sounds.

There was no escape.

/|\

Ryu and Arangami supported Yume on both sides as they took up the rear of the escape.

"None of them are following us…" Ryu noticed. "What the hell was all that about?"

"I don't know…" Arangami bit his lip, "…but I really don't want to leave them back there. DragonLore…"

Ryu craned his neck around Yume to look at the ninja's face.

"The village is just down here. If we run, we can get back to them real quick."

"It's not that simple." Arangami shook his head. "Those were demons…demons that I've never seen before. Also, I want to be sure that all the villagers are alright. We must be sure that no one dies from this attack."

"Huh?" Ryu blinked. "I'd never expect to hear something like that out of a ninja…let alone half a demon…"

"I made a promise to my father sometime before he died. I promised to not harm innocent people, or let innocent people around me be harmed."

"Your father was…Murakumo, right?"

"He was." Arangami nodded sadly. "And now I must protect the son of his killer…an innocent…"

Neither of them noticed Moma, the red elk, darting through the trees past them and heading the way they came.