Chapter 10
There was a long silence. Guards stood around the strange seishi, staring at their beloved, fallen king. A door from the back opened, and an old man with long beard walked into the room, shaking his head, taking deep breaths.
"I see . . ." he said out loud, approaching the throne. No one else said a word. The old man coughed, then said, "it appears . . . that the King of Wolfdom is dead."
"It was here this man that did it," one of the guards cried, looking at Nakago. "Such a power as I've never seen . . ."
"And yet," the old man continued, "we all know how the King oppressed us so. It is time for a replacement."
"But, his son, Andrew the Lone Wolf Warrior," one of the guards went on to say, "he will continue the same rule as his father. That will not stop the harsh rule of our world. We will still be under the Lone Wolf Power."
"That is why we replace the King with one not of his heir," the old man said. "The time has come for change, I have seen it in my dreams, in my visions. Five Damsels were to bring about a change to this world - and here it is, my friends. Our change."
The old man walked up to Hotohori, who had gone red after what Nakago had done. "You," the old man said, "you are the beloved Emperor of a distant world, am I not correct?"
"Indeed I am the Emperor of Konan," Hotohori said, "South country of the world of the Four Gods. Why do ask . . . and how do you know?"
"I have seen it all," the old man said. And with a snap of his fingers, heavy chains bound Hotohori and the others to the floor. No one could move. Nakago couldn't even summon his chi. Everyone protested, struggling to get out of the chains.
"You," the old man said to Hotohori, "you we shall replace as our King. You know how to rule, and you rule well. You shall be the new Wolf King of Wolf City and all will change for the better, now that you are here."
"I can't be your king!" Hotohori cried. "I have my own Country to rule! Let me go, at once!"
"I'm afraid that I can't do," the old man said. The chains moved Hotohori to the throne where they bound him here, as he struggled to get out of their grip. The old man went to the dead body of the Lone Wolf King, and plucked off his crown. He sat the crown upon Hotohori's head, and bowed before him.
"I now label you as our king, Sire Hotohori," the old man said. "You may resist now, but as soon as you have been drugged . . . you will know nothing of your past, and the world shall be yours . . . You are going to be known as Hotohori, Wolf King of the Wolf City of Wolfdom. There is no turning back."
"Let me go!" Hotohori cried, but could not break the bonds around him.
"And you," the old man said, turning on Nakago. "What strength! I know you as the general of an army back in your world, am I not correct?"
"And your point?" Nakago growled. From behind him, Nakago was clubbed heavily in the head. He slinked down to the floor in an unconscious state.
"Have him drugged," the old man said, "and then . . . label him as your new General. He shall win wars for us between the other cities of the Wolfdom, and we shall gain land and prosper like we've never prospered before."
"And you," the old man said, turning to Mitsukake. Someone clubbed him hard over the back of the head, and Mitsukake slumped to the ground. "You are a good doctor, that I know. You will work here with a high position, making sure that none of the persons of this castle shall die. You shall prolong the life of your King for as long as possible. Your fame will spread, but you will only work for those of us here in this castle."
"As for the rest of you," the old man said, staring at the remainder of the seishi. "Bandits have no place here in the Wolf City. I want that boy taken to the prisons. I want him executed tomorrow morning at sun down."
"I ain't no boy!" Tasuki yelled. "And you let go of me! You can't do this! I ain't gonna die here like this!"
"Take him away," the old man said, as Hotohori began to protest.
"Take your hands off of him!" Hotohori cried. 'He has no right to be thrown to prison and killed! If I'm your King, then you must do what I say!"
"Yes, we did make you King," the old man said, " but you aren't officially king until we have set your mind straight." Hotohori watched in anguish as his friend was dragged off, kicking and yelling.
"I want the Demon Summoner killed as well," the old man said, "this is no place for demons." The guards picked up the already unconscious body of Miboshi and lead him away to the prisons as well. The old man looked at the two remaining seishi.
"The magician and illusionist are for me," the old man said. "Will you follow?"
Tomo and Chichiri stared blankly at the old man. They didn't know what to do. Finally Chichiri nodded his head. "Alright." And to Tomo he whispered, "Keep your wits about you, no da. We've got to try and save the others, no da. It's up to us now, no da!"
"Alright, no da," Tomo replied.
"Hey! That's my line, no da!"
The old man turned away. "Follow me if you want your friends to live," he growled. And the two followed.
Back in the cave, the Damsels were sleeping.
Still just sleeping.
There was a long silence. Guards stood around the strange seishi, staring at their beloved, fallen king. A door from the back opened, and an old man with long beard walked into the room, shaking his head, taking deep breaths.
"I see . . ." he said out loud, approaching the throne. No one else said a word. The old man coughed, then said, "it appears . . . that the King of Wolfdom is dead."
"It was here this man that did it," one of the guards cried, looking at Nakago. "Such a power as I've never seen . . ."
"And yet," the old man continued, "we all know how the King oppressed us so. It is time for a replacement."
"But, his son, Andrew the Lone Wolf Warrior," one of the guards went on to say, "he will continue the same rule as his father. That will not stop the harsh rule of our world. We will still be under the Lone Wolf Power."
"That is why we replace the King with one not of his heir," the old man said. "The time has come for change, I have seen it in my dreams, in my visions. Five Damsels were to bring about a change to this world - and here it is, my friends. Our change."
The old man walked up to Hotohori, who had gone red after what Nakago had done. "You," the old man said, "you are the beloved Emperor of a distant world, am I not correct?"
"Indeed I am the Emperor of Konan," Hotohori said, "South country of the world of the Four Gods. Why do ask . . . and how do you know?"
"I have seen it all," the old man said. And with a snap of his fingers, heavy chains bound Hotohori and the others to the floor. No one could move. Nakago couldn't even summon his chi. Everyone protested, struggling to get out of the chains.
"You," the old man said to Hotohori, "you we shall replace as our King. You know how to rule, and you rule well. You shall be the new Wolf King of Wolf City and all will change for the better, now that you are here."
"I can't be your king!" Hotohori cried. "I have my own Country to rule! Let me go, at once!"
"I'm afraid that I can't do," the old man said. The chains moved Hotohori to the throne where they bound him here, as he struggled to get out of their grip. The old man went to the dead body of the Lone Wolf King, and plucked off his crown. He sat the crown upon Hotohori's head, and bowed before him.
"I now label you as our king, Sire Hotohori," the old man said. "You may resist now, but as soon as you have been drugged . . . you will know nothing of your past, and the world shall be yours . . . You are going to be known as Hotohori, Wolf King of the Wolf City of Wolfdom. There is no turning back."
"Let me go!" Hotohori cried, but could not break the bonds around him.
"And you," the old man said, turning on Nakago. "What strength! I know you as the general of an army back in your world, am I not correct?"
"And your point?" Nakago growled. From behind him, Nakago was clubbed heavily in the head. He slinked down to the floor in an unconscious state.
"Have him drugged," the old man said, "and then . . . label him as your new General. He shall win wars for us between the other cities of the Wolfdom, and we shall gain land and prosper like we've never prospered before."
"And you," the old man said, turning to Mitsukake. Someone clubbed him hard over the back of the head, and Mitsukake slumped to the ground. "You are a good doctor, that I know. You will work here with a high position, making sure that none of the persons of this castle shall die. You shall prolong the life of your King for as long as possible. Your fame will spread, but you will only work for those of us here in this castle."
"As for the rest of you," the old man said, staring at the remainder of the seishi. "Bandits have no place here in the Wolf City. I want that boy taken to the prisons. I want him executed tomorrow morning at sun down."
"I ain't no boy!" Tasuki yelled. "And you let go of me! You can't do this! I ain't gonna die here like this!"
"Take him away," the old man said, as Hotohori began to protest.
"Take your hands off of him!" Hotohori cried. 'He has no right to be thrown to prison and killed! If I'm your King, then you must do what I say!"
"Yes, we did make you King," the old man said, " but you aren't officially king until we have set your mind straight." Hotohori watched in anguish as his friend was dragged off, kicking and yelling.
"I want the Demon Summoner killed as well," the old man said, "this is no place for demons." The guards picked up the already unconscious body of Miboshi and lead him away to the prisons as well. The old man looked at the two remaining seishi.
"The magician and illusionist are for me," the old man said. "Will you follow?"
Tomo and Chichiri stared blankly at the old man. They didn't know what to do. Finally Chichiri nodded his head. "Alright." And to Tomo he whispered, "Keep your wits about you, no da. We've got to try and save the others, no da. It's up to us now, no da!"
"Alright, no da," Tomo replied.
"Hey! That's my line, no da!"
The old man turned away. "Follow me if you want your friends to live," he growled. And the two followed.
Back in the cave, the Damsels were sleeping.
Still just sleeping.