Chapter 9
The woods were dark and silent around them. They walked for hours before the land sloped down below their feet, and within the ground, stone steps emerged.
"What is this?" Hotohori wondered.
They cautiously went down the stone steps, until it emerged into a stone ruin which seemed to come right from the nature around them. A large floor of stone was laid before them, and a sun dial of some sort sat in the middle of it. Walls were partially standing around them, and vines and dead branches crept up through the broken slabs of stone. Dead leaves littered the ground, as the seven reached the bottom of the stairs, looking about them.
"It appears to be the ruins of some ancient meeting place," Chichiri said. "This is truly an old world, no da. We have to remember that we are no longer in our own, and that new dangers await us here, no da. We must keep in mind that we know nothing about this world. it's history or coming future, no da."
"Oh, we know it's future, alright," Tasuki growled, "they're about to loose a Wolf Lone Warrior, that's what!"
Nakago was up now, though there was a big lump on his head. He carried the still unconscious Miboshi over his shoulder. Nakago walked up to the strange sun dial, and gave a confused look.
"We shouldn't touch anything," Chichiri warned him. "We should go find those Damsels and leave, no da."
"Look out here," Hotohori suddenly cried. They all gathered around where he had walked over to the edge of the stone landing and had found some stone steps. The steps passed under the thick trees, and come out on a landing with a large arch way over it. Under this archway, they could see a city of life, far below their feet, etched into the green scenery. A large wall surrounded it, and far off in the distance, mountains could be seen.
"Look at that," Tasuki said.
"Is that where we should go?" Mitsukake asked.
"Follow me," Hotohori said. They turned off the landing and walked down several more stone steps, hidden under the shade of the trees. They found a path and walked several feet before they came to the entrance of the large wall. Huge double doors of wood towered over them, and a big, burly guard with messy black hair and a thick beard stood there, a lance in hand.
"Who goes there?" he growled, as the seven approached him.
"We seek the Damsels in Distress," Hotohori said. "Let us through."
"Damsels in Distress?" the guard said, cocking his head to one side. "Never heard of them."
"But you must have," Tomo said. "We thought that it was some sort of legend of some sort where five girls, whether for good reasons or bad, were going to come and change the future of the Wolfdom. We have to get to our Damsels in Distress!"
"No one shall enter the Wolf City without the King's permission!" the guard bellowed. "Wait here." And he turned to the side of the door, where he opened a little window, and an old man's face appeared. The two whispered furiously at each other, and finally, the old man gave a nod.
The guard turned back on the seven. "Alright then. Follow me." And the doors began to creak open.
"Where are you taking us?" Hotohori inquired.
"To the King," the guard said. "You strange folk. we can't let you mingle around our beloved city without seeing the King first."
Hotohori began to object, but Chichiri hushed him down. They were just going to have to see this King.
And the King indeed was Lone Wolf number One.
Down a cobbled street they walked, which was lined with old huts with straw roofs and dilapidated chimneys coming out of them. The poor, shabby civilians all looked wearily out of their windows and doors at the strangely dressed men walking through the street. Naturally, Tomo was causing the most attention.
They walked all the way up to a great castle that loomed over the tops of all the buildings of the Wolf City, high on a hill top. By night fall, they reached the top of the hill, and into the great castle of the Wolf King the seven went.
They were taken to the great throne room, where the King sat, his hair long, thick and gray, falling to the floor. He wore a giant Wolf Fur coat, and a crown sat on his head. His beard was as thick and gray as his hair, and it flowed to the ground. It was as though he was simply covered in hair.
"And who are these men that stand before me?" he growled at the guard.
"Strangers," the guard said, "seeking the Damsels in Distress."
"The Damsels in Distress!" the King exclaimed. "My son. he has taken those girls, I believe. Far off into the Mountains of Wolfdoom."
"The Mountains of Wolfdoom?" Hotohori spoke up. "Show us where, please! We must get to the Damsels before it's too late!"
"It's already too late," the King growled at Hotohori. "My son should soon take my place, as I am growing old and feeble. He tells me of them quite frequently. Three shall be my personal consorts. Caitlin. a girl that holds the power of water, Kailein. a girl who holds powers of illusions, and Makiko. one who can summon demons."
Tasuki began to growl. "Who gave you the right to make any of them consorts, huh?"
"Tasuki, please," Chichiri said. "Not in front of a King, no da!"
"One shall be Priestess of the land, by the name of Kristin," the King said. "Her wolfish powers shall be a delight to the Wolf God. When she is brought before him, and our wishes granted, then my son shall take over the throne and a new reign shall begin."
Hotohori began to growl. "Kristin doesn't want to be no Priestess to your god! Let her go!"
"Ha!" the King laughed. "My son shall do whatever he wants . . . he's going to be King, you know."
"Why, you . . .!" And Hotohori sprang forward. One of the guards jabbed his lance into Hotohori's side, to which the Emperor gave a cry and fell to the ground, in pain.
"Don't dare to defy me!" the King growled. "Take these men away!"
The guards rounded up on them, and Nakago's symbol began to glow.
"What's wrong with your head, son?" the King exclaimed.
"Hmm," Chichiri said, "uh . . . your highness, Lone Wolf number One . . . what did you say was going to happen to the Damsel named Martha?"
The King laughed. "She shall become Queen of the Wolfdom!"
BOOM!
The King was gone.
The woods were dark and silent around them. They walked for hours before the land sloped down below their feet, and within the ground, stone steps emerged.
"What is this?" Hotohori wondered.
They cautiously went down the stone steps, until it emerged into a stone ruin which seemed to come right from the nature around them. A large floor of stone was laid before them, and a sun dial of some sort sat in the middle of it. Walls were partially standing around them, and vines and dead branches crept up through the broken slabs of stone. Dead leaves littered the ground, as the seven reached the bottom of the stairs, looking about them.
"It appears to be the ruins of some ancient meeting place," Chichiri said. "This is truly an old world, no da. We have to remember that we are no longer in our own, and that new dangers await us here, no da. We must keep in mind that we know nothing about this world. it's history or coming future, no da."
"Oh, we know it's future, alright," Tasuki growled, "they're about to loose a Wolf Lone Warrior, that's what!"
Nakago was up now, though there was a big lump on his head. He carried the still unconscious Miboshi over his shoulder. Nakago walked up to the strange sun dial, and gave a confused look.
"We shouldn't touch anything," Chichiri warned him. "We should go find those Damsels and leave, no da."
"Look out here," Hotohori suddenly cried. They all gathered around where he had walked over to the edge of the stone landing and had found some stone steps. The steps passed under the thick trees, and come out on a landing with a large arch way over it. Under this archway, they could see a city of life, far below their feet, etched into the green scenery. A large wall surrounded it, and far off in the distance, mountains could be seen.
"Look at that," Tasuki said.
"Is that where we should go?" Mitsukake asked.
"Follow me," Hotohori said. They turned off the landing and walked down several more stone steps, hidden under the shade of the trees. They found a path and walked several feet before they came to the entrance of the large wall. Huge double doors of wood towered over them, and a big, burly guard with messy black hair and a thick beard stood there, a lance in hand.
"Who goes there?" he growled, as the seven approached him.
"We seek the Damsels in Distress," Hotohori said. "Let us through."
"Damsels in Distress?" the guard said, cocking his head to one side. "Never heard of them."
"But you must have," Tomo said. "We thought that it was some sort of legend of some sort where five girls, whether for good reasons or bad, were going to come and change the future of the Wolfdom. We have to get to our Damsels in Distress!"
"No one shall enter the Wolf City without the King's permission!" the guard bellowed. "Wait here." And he turned to the side of the door, where he opened a little window, and an old man's face appeared. The two whispered furiously at each other, and finally, the old man gave a nod.
The guard turned back on the seven. "Alright then. Follow me." And the doors began to creak open.
"Where are you taking us?" Hotohori inquired.
"To the King," the guard said. "You strange folk. we can't let you mingle around our beloved city without seeing the King first."
Hotohori began to object, but Chichiri hushed him down. They were just going to have to see this King.
And the King indeed was Lone Wolf number One.
Down a cobbled street they walked, which was lined with old huts with straw roofs and dilapidated chimneys coming out of them. The poor, shabby civilians all looked wearily out of their windows and doors at the strangely dressed men walking through the street. Naturally, Tomo was causing the most attention.
They walked all the way up to a great castle that loomed over the tops of all the buildings of the Wolf City, high on a hill top. By night fall, they reached the top of the hill, and into the great castle of the Wolf King the seven went.
They were taken to the great throne room, where the King sat, his hair long, thick and gray, falling to the floor. He wore a giant Wolf Fur coat, and a crown sat on his head. His beard was as thick and gray as his hair, and it flowed to the ground. It was as though he was simply covered in hair.
"And who are these men that stand before me?" he growled at the guard.
"Strangers," the guard said, "seeking the Damsels in Distress."
"The Damsels in Distress!" the King exclaimed. "My son. he has taken those girls, I believe. Far off into the Mountains of Wolfdoom."
"The Mountains of Wolfdoom?" Hotohori spoke up. "Show us where, please! We must get to the Damsels before it's too late!"
"It's already too late," the King growled at Hotohori. "My son should soon take my place, as I am growing old and feeble. He tells me of them quite frequently. Three shall be my personal consorts. Caitlin. a girl that holds the power of water, Kailein. a girl who holds powers of illusions, and Makiko. one who can summon demons."
Tasuki began to growl. "Who gave you the right to make any of them consorts, huh?"
"Tasuki, please," Chichiri said. "Not in front of a King, no da!"
"One shall be Priestess of the land, by the name of Kristin," the King said. "Her wolfish powers shall be a delight to the Wolf God. When she is brought before him, and our wishes granted, then my son shall take over the throne and a new reign shall begin."
Hotohori began to growl. "Kristin doesn't want to be no Priestess to your god! Let her go!"
"Ha!" the King laughed. "My son shall do whatever he wants . . . he's going to be King, you know."
"Why, you . . .!" And Hotohori sprang forward. One of the guards jabbed his lance into Hotohori's side, to which the Emperor gave a cry and fell to the ground, in pain.
"Don't dare to defy me!" the King growled. "Take these men away!"
The guards rounded up on them, and Nakago's symbol began to glow.
"What's wrong with your head, son?" the King exclaimed.
"Hmm," Chichiri said, "uh . . . your highness, Lone Wolf number One . . . what did you say was going to happen to the Damsel named Martha?"
The King laughed. "She shall become Queen of the Wolfdom!"
BOOM!
The King was gone.