"And now opening for Iron Maiden, The Wyld Stalyons!"
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
I would like to take the time and thank Shelter for the review, It has been the best I have gotten so far. Well now I've taken your advice and slowed down. These following chapters will be much longer. Hope you all like it. And of course, Please leave a review.
The Evil that Men Do
Walking along the trail back to wolf den, Ashitaka wondered if Rude was going to make it. He had received two arrow wounds and was sliced in the leg by that samurai. Most creatures in this land would have already perished, but not this one. Just like her human sister, Rude was extremely stubborn.
The two of them had been walking back towards the den for a while now, and they hadn't been making very good time. Now, the sun was beginning to set.
Ashitaka wanted to tend to the wolf's wounds, but Rude would only growl at him every time he got near his wounds. Instead of trying to convince him earlier, Ashitaka stayed silent but hated watching the great animal wince and growl in pain after every step. Now, Rude stopped to take a moment and rest. Ashitaka saw this as his best opportunity to help the stubborn wolf and made his way in front of the wolf so that he won't look away.
"Your wounds are too much of a problem to ignore. If you leave them to bleed you will surely die from them."
"Listen to me boy, I have lived for over a hundred years, and I have suffered far worse injuries than this." Rude was lying. He knew full well that his injuries would most likely kill him if they were not treated soon. Still, he refused to accept the help of this human.
It was not the fact that he didn't want his help, but the fact that if he failed to help the wolf, San would more than likely blame Ashitaka for the death of her brother. San would more than likely kill this human if she believed he was the cause of the death for another one of her family members. If they could make it back to the cave before he passed on, then Rude could explain to San and Reno that it was not this human's fault, but his own. 'It was a stupid move for me to charge that human. He was waiting for me to do that.'
"You have to let me help you or you will die. Don't try to be the proud wolf for once and let me help you," pleaded Ashitaka.
"Silence boy and do not assume my intentions," growled Rude menacingly. "What can you possibly do for me at this point in time? The only being that could have saved my life was the forest spirit and he is gone now. What can you expect to do for me?"
"At least let me clean and bandage your wounds. Besides you won't make it much farther with that gash in your leg."
"Fine," said the wolf. 'Maybe if I let him help me, it will buy more time for San and Reno to find me.'
"Good," said Ashitaka. He looked around the forest and looked back to Rude. "Do you know of any water nearby?"
"Yes, There is a stream nearby," he said, pointing his nose to the north. "That way."
Carefully, the two made their way down the hill that led to the stream. When they got there, Ashitaka took off his shirt he got from Keno and dipped it on the water. Then carefully, he began to wash to sword wound in his side.
The wound was still bleeding slightly, but Rude had already lost much blood, and would've lost much more if they continued without treating his wounds.
Rude growled as the ragged shirt slowly removed all of the dirt from the gash in his side. When he was done, Ashitaka stepped back and pulled some grounded up herbs from his little red pouch and spread the contents over the wound. Rude winced but made no sound as the medicine was placed over the wound.
"What is that for?"
""It is to help prevent infection so you won't die," responded Ashitaka. After the herbal paste was applied, Ashitaka removed his sleeves and tied both together. Using the makeshift bandage, Ashitaka tied the cloth carefully over the wound.
"I see the mark didn't return during the battle," stated the wolf, staring at the boy's now bare arms.
Ashitaka gasped and held his arm up to the failing light. The only trace of the mark that had nearly killed him was a few blotches of purple that remained after the Forest Spirit had fallen.
"I'm not sure what it had meant, but when I drew my first arrow to fire at those samurai, it started to burn. I was afraid that fighting the samurai would make the mark return." Ashitaka turned to watch the sun finish setting into the west.
"Then why did you fight? If you were afraid to bring back the mark, then why did you fight those other humans?" asked Rude.
"I could not let anything happen to San. That fact outweighed any fear I had for my own well being." He looked back over to the wolf. "I think we should return to your den. She will be waiting for you."
The wolf nodded at Ashitaka and the two made their way up the rock face back to the Moro tribe's den.
Trust
'Where are they,' thought San as she stood on the ledge in front of her cave. 'It has been hours since we separated at the edge of the forest.'
"You shouldn't worry about them so much," growled Reno. "Rude wouldn't have come back until he was sure that those other humans wouldn't be able to follow him. More than likely he is on his way."
"Still I worry."
"About the human, correct?"
"No!" she yelled. 'But I am worrying about him,' she thought as she looked away from her brother.
"I have to admit, you are very strong, and will soon be strong enough to defeat me one day in wrestling," joked Reno. "But ever since that boy showed up into this forest you haven't been the same." As he spoke, San's gaze never left the view of the forest. "You are a member of the wolf tribe, and always will be. However," he paused. Reno knew that he had to approach this subject carefully as to not upset his sister. "You are human, and this, Ashitaka, is the first real human you have gotten to know. Every other human that you have met has either tried to kill you or ran away in fear of you. I guess, it's only natural if you feel like you want to know more about him." He finished talking and resumed his resting on the floor of the cave. As soon as he laid his head down onto the ground, he stood back up at attention and began sniffing at the air. As the wolf did this San also seemed more alert.
"Blood is in the air," she said as she ran back inside the cave to grab her spear. "Come on Reno."
"Its coming from the cliff," growled Reno. "Get on, San."
His sister complied and hopped onto her brothers back as she donned her headdress once again to find out where the smell was coming from.
It was only a few moments of running before the two came to the trail that the wolves usually took up to their den. As soon as San looked down towards the bottom, her heart filled with relief, and anger.
"Ashitaka, Reno, what happened? Reno, you're hurt!" She cried, looking at her wolf brother's wound.
"Don't worry about it," he growled. "Ashitaka treated it and it is much better."
She looked over to the now near bare warrior. She blushed slightly as she looked down at him.
"Are you alright?" she managed to say after a few awkward moments of silence.
Shocked by this sudden concern for him, Ashitaka didn't know what to say to her. Quickly, he mustered up the courage to reply. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, careful not to reveal too much appreciation for her asking.
"What happened, Ashitaka? None of this makes any sense. First, those humans chased after us and injured my brother. Then, as soon as they saw you, they wouldn't let you get away without trying to kill you. Tell me what this is all about?" The last few words were said with enough force to make Ashitaka not want to say anything at all.
"I don't know why that those men were after me; only that I was their original target. They probably only meant to use you as bait to lure me out. I guess that it worked."
'Why would those humans use me to lure him out? There is no possible way that they could know anything about me or of my involvement with Ashitaka,' she thought.
Then his eyes filled with fear as he realized a horror that he did not realize. "They may have tried to attack Iron town I have to go back.
She looked over to Ashitaka, her eyes filled with anger.
"I see. All you care about are the humans in that wretched town. Why are you here trying to protect me if you can't choose sides? This is all your fault!" she yelled. "My brother wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn't for you. All you humans are the same. You destroy everything that is around you. Go back to that horrid woman of yours that you care about so much.""
"San, I…" tried Ashitaka to interject but was cut off by San.
"Don't try to trick me with your words human, none of this would have happened if it was not for you. To think that I could ever trust you," she growled, lowering her spear.
Those last few words did more damage than any sword or arrow could have done to him. Broken, Ashitaka turned and began sprinting back to Iron town.
As soon as he was out of sight, San ran back to her cave with her brothers.
"Reno let me see your wound," said San as she made her way over to her bloodied brother. After removing Ashitaka clothes from her brother's wound, she realized that she had made a mistake.
'Ever since I met him, I have been looking for a reason to hate him' she thought. Still, even though of all the events that we have been through, he has only tried to help everyone. He even took care of Reno when he was wounded and probably saved his life.'
"San you were wrong to blame him," Reno said in the softest voice he had ever used. "He has done everything in his power to help us and what you don't realize that he left the safety of the town to protect you. He cares for you, San."
"I'm so confused. I don't know what to do," she said as she looked out towards the forest.
At least I'm not dead
'I hope someone guts that little bastard for what he's done to me,' thought Tojiro as he wandered aimlessly through the forest. He had been walking since it was still before the sun set and now he was still moving as dawn neared.
'How could he leave me to die like that? Well, now I might as well be dead.' Lost in his thoughts, Tojiro didn't notice the root sticking out of the ground in front of him. His uninjured leg caught the root and he fell flat onto his face, crying out in pain.
"Damn it!" The wound he had received had severed the tendon in his right leg making it almost impossible to walk. However, Tojiro's stubbornness would not allow him to simply surrender his life to the animals in this forest and he strapped a thick branch from the bottom of his ankle to just above the knee. This makeshift brace allowed him to at least stand while he used his sword to put most of his weight on. Now this was the third time that he had fallen.Now he lay on the ground, struggling to remain concious. He gave in for a moment to rest and his eyes began to close.
In his mind, thoughts of his past began to flash through his mind. He went back to the day he was set on the path that brought him to where he was at now, long before he came to these mountains.
Tojiro was now, in his own mind, in the middle of a grassy plain with a much older man, with no trees, animals or people within sight. Tojiro looked to be about eighteen and his beard was just beginning to grow in. Both him and the other man had Bokken Katanas in their hands and were in the middle of a sparing match.
"Tojiro, you're being too defensive," said the larger man, swinging a downward stroke that connected with Tojiro's bokken.
"That is because I am bidding my time against you, father," responded the young man. "I have yet to land a blow on you in all of our matches, but today I think that I will be successful in my goal."
"Heh, you won't ever land a strike on me if you don't attack!" cried his father as he charged at Tojiro, swinging his wooden sword at his son. Tojiro blocked his three strikes and then suddenly, without warning, Tojiro deflected the fourth attack and rushed in close to his father, placing the edge of the weapon onto his throat. His father was taken aback as he realized that his son had bested him in combat.
"It took me twelve years to realize that you always over swing with your fourth strike when you use that attack form," smiled Tojiro, as he knew that he won the match.
"Really? I had never noticed because you never could defend it before," responded his father smiling back. Tojiro removed the bokken and took a few steps back. When both men were a few feet apart, they took their bows, ending the session for the day.
"Before we return to the army, I think that we should rest for a few moments."
"Yes, I agree," responded Tojiro, chuckling. Both men knelt down to the ground facing each other.
"Tojiro," began the older warrior. Tojiro looked into his father's eyes, ready to listen to his father's words. "For twelve years now I have trained you how to fight, how to choose your battles, how to survive. I have done my best to raise you as an honorable man and I have taught you everything that I know except one thing."
"What would that be father?" asked Tojiro.
"Why to fight," said his father.
'What does he mean why to fight,' Tojiro thought to himself as a puzzled look began to form on his face. 'We are samurai, why else do we need a reason? We fight because we are samurai and that we must keep our honor and serve our lord.'
"The reason that we are so far from our home village is because we have a job to do. This warlord pays us to lead samurai into battle to fight for him, to gain him land, and wealth."
'Still, if we are fighting for someone's greed then how do we keep our honor?' Tojiro wanted to voice his opinion but knew it was not the best of ideas to interrupt his father.
"All of these things aren't why we fight but merely why we are here, in this land. The true reason is that we hope to achieve peace though conquest. As long as Warlords like this one exist, there will always be battles but – " paused his father as he pointed towards Tojiro, then himself. "If men such as us exist, then the balance will be maintained."
The puzzled look on Tojiro's face was even more noticeable as his father reached this point of his speech. His father must have seen this and chuckled to himself.
"We are here to fight, and if there are battles to be won, there can be only one victor. When that happens, there will be no more battles and no more need for men like us."
"But father," asked Tojiro. He could take no more listening to this without an answer to this question. "Why do we then prepare for war and train every waking moment of our days to fight, and kill?"
"Because Tojiro, war is not what is best for the land. When there is one ruler here in Japan, the fighting will cease, for a time, and people will be able to seek the oneness with their surroundings and with their fellow man and live out their lives in peace. We may not get to see this future, but it is our destiny and even when I die I will do so with a passion," he paused again, this time to wipe a tear that had formed on his cheek.
Tojiro was stunned. He had never before seen his father shed a tear, be it in pain or sadness.
"When your mother died," he started. "I decided not to marry another because I chose to put all of my heart and soul into you so that one day, you will be able to bring peace to this world. I believe that you will do so, even if it may seem too small a deed in your eyes. You and I are the last of our family line. I am nearing my fiftieth year of life and none in our family have lived past that mark. When I die you will be all that survives of me. What I have told you today will become your destiny to fulfill, and I know that you will make me proud. Do you understand what I have told you today?"
Tojiro nodded his head in agreement. Even though there were still a few things his father said that were unclear to him.
"Good. We shall return to the camp now and get some rest. We will need it for tomorrow." With that both men stood from their kneeling position and began to make it across the field back to there camp.
"Why will we need our rest tonight father?" asked Tojiro.
"Tomorrow, we ride into battle."
Back in reality, Tojiro opened his eyes once more. He realized that he was no longer reliving the day before his father died in battle.
'My father did everything that he could to make me a man,' he thought. The last living image of his father lingered in his mind. That image was his father diving in front of Tojiro, taking a sword in the stomach. 'So I won't let him down.'
Tojiro first stuck his sword into the ground and began the difficult task smile on my face knowing that everything he did wasn't for himself. He paused of rising back to his feet. Grunting with pain, Tojiro used his battered arms and his one good leg to stand himself back onto his feet. 'My death will be one that I can be proud of, one that I can smile at.'
With that he began to hobble along the trails through the forest once again.
At least an hour had passed before Tojiro realized that he had no idea where exactly he was, and in this area of the forest, he was beginning to feel uneasy. The only good thing that he had to his advantage was that dawn was approaching. The highlights of the sun where beginning to reveal themselves.
'This area must have been close to where the Nightwalker had risen, the damage to the trees is the most here,' he thought as he looked around. He continued hobbling along until he reached a large pool in the middle of the forest. He gazed across the pool to see probably the only portion untouched by the Nightwalker's wrath, a small island in the center of the pool.
Tojiro gazed in awe as his eyes came across two large skeletons of animal gods. The skeletons lay near one another and Tojiro decided that he wanted to take a closer look.
'This one resembles a boar,' he thought to himself. 'And this one looks like the body of a wolf.' Pivoting on his good leg he looked around the skeleton until he saw the head of the wolf.
'How did it get over there?'
As he completed his last thought, the first rays of light began to peek their way through the mountains to the east.
"Good, it's dawn."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tojiro regretted breaking the silence. As if it was a sin to speak, the wind suddenly picked up. The force of the winds was almost enough to knock Tojiro off of his feet. To keep himself from falling back, Tojiro stuck his katana deep into the ground and planted his feet.
'What devilry is this?' thought the wounded samurai as he watched what was left of the trees around the pool be thrown around.
Then suddenly, without warning, a blinding flash of light filled the area and Tojiro was knocked onto his back. He grunted in pain as he the ground. Still shocked and left in awe by the flash, Tojiro tried to sit up and he leaned his back against the nearest tree. He rubbed his eyes and tried to force his eyes to regain their sight. The flash had left him seeing nothing but spots. When his eyesight had returned to normal, he saw something that he did not expect. Standing in the center of where the great flash of light had emanated from, was a creature that Tojiro had never seen before, but he knew what it was.
"The Shishi-Gami," he whispered, as to not offend the great being. 'It's impossible, I watched the Nightwalker fall onto the town and disappear,' he thought. 'How can it be here, now, in its daytime form?'
The great creature was staring directly at Tojiro from its place on the island since the samurai had noticed that it was there. Then, it began to make its way across the pool, stepping lightly on top of the six-foot deep water. Slowly and deliberately, it made its way towards the human.
Frantically, Tojiro tried to stand, to try to defend himself from the forest god, but it was to no avail. The wounds he had suffered in the battle made him unable to stand at this point. Before he knew it, the great creature stood no more than a few feet from the human.
Tojiro locked eyes with the creature, to show that he had no fear of his enemy and that he was ready to die. At this distance Tojiro could clearly see the face of this great being. To him, the Forest spirit didn't seem to be that fearful when compared to the other creatures of the forest. If he really didn't understand what this creature really was, he might of rather have fought this animal than the wolves from yesterday. However, Tojiro knew what this creature could do. It almost seemed to be smiling at him.
It trotted closer to him, moving with its deer like legs and making grass and flowers grow around its footsteps. It examined the human for a moment, as if curious to what it was. Tojiro was confused as to why it did not appear hostile towards him. He thought that the forest and humans didn't like each other at all. Then the great beast looked at the wound in his chest, the one from the Emishi warrior's arrow. It then placed its mouth over the area over the wound…
The pain was too much for Tojiro, as he only cried out for a moment, and then blackness overtook him.
It was an unknown amount of hours before life began to stir in the warrior once again.
"What happened?" mumbled Tojiro. He rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and slowly began to stand. "Wait a moment," he cried as he looked down to the ground. "I'm standing?" he asked himself and then cried, "I can stand!"
Quickly he removed his armor over his chest and examined the areas where he was struck by the Emishi's arrows.
'Healed,' he thought as he looked over his chest. 'The forest spirit spared my life, but why?' The answer to this question would have to wait as thirst that had over taken him. He made a quick sprint over to the pool where he had seen the Spirit emerge from and threw his head into the water. He quickly took a few gulps before his eyes once again fell onto that island.
He stood up and faced the island, and then took a long and deep bow. 'I now see what I must do,' he thought as he stood straight. He walked over to where his sword lay, picked it up and walked back to the edge of the pool. "I can no longer be a samurai," he said as he raised the sword. He then grabbed his topknot and used his sword to cut his hair. After he was done, he tossed the lock of hair onto the edge of the pool.
"Thank you," he said as he stood up, his gaze never leaving the island. Although he could not see anything, he felt that there was something there, watching him. Although he was not sure, a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that going this way would lead him to where he must go, back to Tataraba.
The path that we walk the most
He had been walking along this path since he left San's cave. The sun was beginning to rise over the eastern mountains as he jogged along the path back to Iron town. He had been running for hours and now he could see his destination. His lungs burning, he slowed to a swift walk. As he stood atop the hill overlooking Tataraba, he looked over the town, looking to see if there was any sign of attack. To his relief, the wrecked little town showed no sign of any. Now, slowly, Ashitaka made his way down the hill.
'It's sort of amusing,' he thought to himself. 'But almost two days ago I was taking this same path back to Iron Town. While I was walking this path, I was doing something different. The other day I was wondering if San and I could possibly be together. Now, I have the answer,' he thought, looking downat his sword. 'At least she retirned this to me.'
As he neared the gate he could see that the only people awake were the half-asleep guards at the makeshift palisade. The two guards didn't notice Ashitaka until he was crossing the log that was being used as a temporary bridge.
"Halt, who goes there?" said one of the sleepy guards. "Ha, I should have known it was you."
"Keno it's good to see you. Don't worry, I'm fine," said Ashitaka before Keno could ask any questions. "I apologize, but I lost the shirt that you gave me," he said chuckling.
"Don't worry about it, as long as you put it to good use," Keno laughed back as he patted Ashitaka on the shoulder. Ashitaka grunted in slight pain as the large man's hands struck a tender spot on his shoulder.
"Oh, sorry. Sasuke! Keep watch for a moment while I get our friend a place to rest," he called. "Ashitaka follow me."
They walked for a few silent moments before they reached a small hut on the edge of town.
"Go inside and take a load off. As soon as someone wakes up the whole town will want to see you and you won't get any rest and by the look of you, you really need it."
He was right, Ashitaka was extremely tired from the events of this week had left him exhausted. Really the last time he had any sleep was his last night in San's cave when he was recovering from his bullet wound.
"Remember, anything here is yours to use. I have to return to the gate until I am relieved, so stay here until I come back."
"Thank you," said Ashitaka, taking a deep bow.
Keno nodded in return.
'Now its time to rest,' Ashitaka thought as he lay down onto the bed.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell woke Ashitaka from his deep slumber.
Wondering what was happening Ashitaka ran out of the hut to see what was going on. Near by to where Keno's hut resided, there was the last tower that was in Tataraba. Ashitaka ran to the last remaining tower in Iron Town to see why the bell was being rung. Quickly he climbed up the tower and asked the guard what was happening.
"Why is the bell being run? Is there another samurai attack?"
"No," responded the guard. "It's one man, but he looks like a samurai." Ashitaka strained his eyes to see the man who was walking up towards the town.
"It can't be," he whispered, careful not to draw the guards attention.
Walking towards the main entrance, was the samurai that Ashitaka had left to die in the forest.
Well now I think I have found my groove. I am proud of this chapter, I think I might be one of the best ones that I am gonna write. Review plz, so I don't think that people are just looking at my story and not reading it.
