San and her brothers approached the imposing gate of Tataraba. Countless times she recalled staring through the gnarled wood to the gape it hid, wanting nothing more than to knock it down with one fell swoop of her spear, before destroying the poison it held within its grasp. Now, here she was, miles away from that rage-filled fantasy, as she reached the entrance on Nee's back, waiting like the ingrained cog of a person she still frowned upon. The guard watching overhead spotted her. At any other time, beaten iron would be clanging relentlessly upon her arrival, inviting those humans to kill her. Now the guard, an expression of anxiety on his face, stood fast as he stared down at her. San couldn't help rolling her eyes then. These people sure made it difficult to keep things civil.
'Excuse me, can I be let in? I want to see Ashitaka', she vocalised as politely as she could manage. She couldn't give them any reason to ward her off with iron bullets now; she had to see what was happening with that boy.
She had been distracted all day and night wondering about his state. She and her brothers had come across injured humans often enough; there was a reason the Shishigami's forest bestowed 'certain death' to anyone who entered it. But this was different; the child had evoked an unfamiliar stirring of empathy within her. More than anything, she told herself, she wanted to find the reason behind this manipulation of her rare compassion.
The guard, knocked out of his frozen state, rushed out of view, down the makeshift overpass. She could hear muffled sounds on the other side of the half-built walls; really she could have easily entered the town without having to climb any sharp trunks like she used to. But, as she thought earlier, she couldn't give them a good reason to banish her once again.
Suddenly, the gates began to rise, stimulating a tremendous creak as it opened for her. Her brothers seemed apprehensive at this, lightly growling as the barrier reached its maximum ascent. She and the villagers stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds, before San lowered her head, gesturing for Nee to carry her inside. Being with her brothers helped calm her uncomfortableness slightly, and she continued to grasp his fur gently, staring down at the familiar whiteness. She turned to the nearest villager, who shook nervously as they made eye contact.
'Where is the boy?' She asked coldly.
Shaking, he pointed onwards. 'J-Just past the square building' he mustered.
Without a reply, San and her brothers continued on, Ichi flashing defensive glares at anyone staring.
Making her way towards what she assumed was the healing hut, San glanced frantically around her. She still couldn't shake the fear that out of nowhere, someone would leap out and attack her. Of course she could easily fight them off, even without her brothers, but she would likely never be able to return to the corrupted village, which she would gladly welcome if not for Ashitaka. Her heart ached at the thought of being separated from him.
'I'm being paranoid,' she thought to herself, 'Remember why we're here'.
'San! You're here!' Having heard the commotion outside, Ashitaka exited the hut, his whole face brightening as he saw her. San couldn't help mirroring his happiness. She leapt off her brother and ran up to him, stopping short as she noticed the eyes on them. Now is not the time to be starting rumours.
'...How is he?' she queried.
'He's woken up, and his name is Saburo. That's the most consistent thing I can say. He must have hit his head at some point since he isn't making much sense, flitting from one topic to the next'.
San looked past Ashitaka into the hut, but couldn't see much due to the shade from the makeshift slate roof.
'Were you able to learn anything at all? Whatever attacked him could be a threat to me as well as your people'.
'All I know is he came here looking for the Shishigami. When I told him what happened, he just lost it. He's been incoherent since'. Concern bubbled up in Ashitaka's gaze. This worried San too, raising more questions than answers? Why would a lone boy be looking for the Shishigami?
'May I see him?' San asked hesitantly.
Ashitaka looked reluctant for a moment, before a more confident air took him over, and he gestured for San to follow him inside the shadows.
…
Saburo lay curled up in the cloth of his bed, tracing the patterns of the stone wall with his one tired eye. Endless thoughts and feelings rushed through his mind like a torrent, only serving to fuel his helplessness. The Shishigami, dead. The promise of a last hope, a dream now dead. If not for his clan, he would succumb to his fate with indifference. He could feel his covered eye aching, a hint at what he already knew was there.
Footsteps lightly echoed in his small dull room. Saburo's heart started to race. He was afraid of these people. If they knew, they'd kill him on the spot.
'Saburo, are you awake?' He recognised the gentle voice of Ashitaka, the young man who had apparently carried him back to his hometown. Yet he could sense another presence as well.
'I'm very sorry to bother you, but I have someone I'd like you to meet. Her name is San. She found you in the forest. Please, show her gratitude'.
Saburo awkwardly flipped over, wincing in pain at the effort. He saw a girl unlike any he'd seen in this village. Around his age, she had messy brown hair and a fang necklace with a beautiful aquamarine jewel in the middle, along with three bright red tattoos shaped like arrowheads, by far her most prominent feature. She reminded Saburo of some of the girls from his home, only wilder.
'Um…hi, Saburo, I'm San. How are you doing? You look better.' 'Somewhat' she thought.
This place was clearly foreign to her. Still, she came to see if he was okay. That was worth something, surely.
Saburo, although not wanting to appear rude, couldn't seem to articulate a clever response. At that, any response. He simply mumbled incoherently, avoiding eye contact as his eyes filled with tears at the thought of his clan and the fact someone cared about him.
Clearly neither of them were good at social interaction at this point, especially considering the circumstances. Strangely, San continued with a tone of sympathy.
'I know you must be in a lot of pain right now. I understand how it feels to lose your family. But, if you could, it would be really helpful for you to tell us what happened to you, and where you came from. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you'. As San spoke, Saburo appeared to stir a little, his eyes lightening from their shadow subtly. She continued with more hope.
'Losing the Shishigami was hard for all of us, and it pains me that his loss is still harming others. The truth is, ever since then, I've been having nightmares. Terrible visions reminding me of my mother's death, and things I have never seen before. And, to be honest, when I first found you, I would have taken you to my brothers for lunch'.
San cursed at herself for a second for her unhelpful revelation. Strangely, however, Saburo seemed to find this amusing, and let out a tiny chuckle. She smiled.
'But when I saw you… I got such a strange feeling, like this was supposed to happen, like the Gods planned it. So, Ashitaka brought you here. I just can't ignore what I felt then. And I trust Ashitaka with my life. I wouldn't have let anyone take you to a place where you would be harmed…'
'So please, if you can, perhaps any knowledge you have could elucidate what is happening in the forest. If we know, maybe we could help you find your family again'. San finished. Her admission of her visions immediately felt like a mistake. She wasn't good at talking to humans, and wasn't blessed with the persuasive speech Ashitaka had.
Yet, the boy seemed to come to, smiling slightly with a mixture of relief and curiosity. Moving uncomfortably around so his feet were hanging over the edge, his face once again seemed to be shrouded with shadow. He looked down at the floor.
'I can tell you some things. Others are…hard to remember, or too painful,' he winced 'but I can try'.
'Maybe you should get some of your other friends to come and hear what I have to say…the leader I suppose. But please, don't let them harm me. Don't'. His eyes pleaded to San, remembering her promise.
She nodded assuredly. 'I won't'.
They left to gather the significant townspeople, San lingering slightly, and Saburo was left in the darkness again, with his paranoia and cold limbs.