|Rue|
She had feared he would have insisted on sending her away. These days of traipsing through the woods had convinced her that she was not a creature made for camping. If she had been forced to follow him in secret, he would have spied her out in a matter of seconds. Better to remain by his side, hiding right underneath his nose. Her heart still hammered from speaking so fiercely. She was used to robots beeping uncomprehending when she flew into a speech, not someone who actually considered her words. But the Samurai had listened, his dark brown eyes seeming to savor every word she spoke. Perhaps that was the scariest thing about him, his total, rapt attention whenever she spoke.
And she had to admit, it had his merits to have someone who wanted to protect her. For the first time in her life, someone was taking care to make sure no harm would befall her. This went beyond covering up inconvenient blood spots in the hallway, which until this point had seemed the height of charm. Not now.
Jack battled a horse, two meters high with manes that glittered like the crystal trees that fed it. The dual horns on its forehead were used to charge after Jack, who deflected every stab but who saw no chance to attack on his own.
She leaned from behind the crystal tree to shout at him. "You need to sap of the crystal trees to pierce the barrier. Use the horns to slice through the bark."
When the horse paused to look at her she immediately ducked away. The last thing she needed was to get impaled on those horns. Her heart thundered in her chest as she merely listened to the sounds behind her. Watching the fight was far too much excitement for her. Behind her hooves trampled crystal leaves, the sounds snapping like bones. At her feet were the remains of someone who had once attempted to pass through here, two holes dominating a now rusty chest piece. Her breaths came in rapid, short puffs as she closed her eyes, hoping this would end soon.
The tree she was standing behind suddenly shook violently. The small, blue leaves dropped to the ground, shattering where they hit rock or rusted metal. The bottom of her blue pants was shredded to bits, thin cuts spreading across her ankles. Blood seeped from a few, but apart from a fierce stinging it wasn't so bad. "Mister Samurai?" she asked, watching behind the tree.
He was carefully gathering the tree sap in a water container. The horse screeched, attempting to retreat from the tree. The sap welling up around the horns was thick, deep green, glistening in the vague sunlight. Rue approached, aware of how the leaves snapped underneath her feet. "… good job."
The samurai nodded, closing the container with a stopper. He looked at her, waiting for the next step. She gestured to a tall stone structure. When she explained there should be an indentation at the top which should be filled with the tree sap, he nodded. She ventured a final question. "What about the horse?"
He paused.
"I mean… I'm not really fond of it either, y'know. But if we leave it here it'll die. It killed a lot of other people as well though…" She lost her track of thought when she considered that part of the animal. It seemed their choice was being made for them however, as the creature pulled its head back. Before she could see how it freed itself, the samurai grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. Around them the trees chimed crystalline, beneath their feet fallen leaves snapped as melodious as the old bones that interspersed them. Rue tried to keep up, but the samurai was pulling her along more than that she did the effort by herself. In his other hand he held his sword. Behind them the horse screeched again, before the thundering of hooves pursued them.
The samurai jumped without warning, pulling her with him. He pushed her towards the stairs, clearly too concerned with keeping them alive rather than keeping her free from bruises. He stood between her and the horse, the animal stampeding in full force. Until it reached the base of the stone tower. There it paused, stamping its hooves on the dirt just before it.
Rue wiped stray hair away from her face. "He can't step here?"
"It would appear to be so," Jack agreed with her, still holding his sword firmly in one hand. The animal seemed to be frustrated, trampling the ground before the stones. Sweat dappled its sides, the dark gray of its coat rippled like quicksilver. Then it snorted and turned around.
They waited for a few seconds, tense. "Now what?" Jack asked her.
Rue gestured to the top of the tower. They climbed the stairs, wary of any boobytraps that might be hidden. None of those were to be found, and they reached the top safely. There the basin lay, in the middle of an expanse maybe three meters wide. It was smeared with dark green goo, the dried remnants of tree sap. They were not the first ones to come here. Jack held his little container of tree sap above it, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. She nodded, and he uncorked the bottle.
The sap slowly dripped from the bottle mouth, the first drop lingering forever at the entrance. Finally it fell, trickling towards the center of the basin. Neither of them spoke as they waited for something to happen. Then the ground underneath their feet rumbled. Small pebbles shook along the moss covered crevices between stones as Rue grabbed the basin for support. Next to her the samurai sheathed his sword, grabbing her upper arm with one hand. Before she could say anything the ground dropped from beneath their feet.
He must have found something to push off against, because they didn't fall straight down. Instead he grabbed a gnarly root that had been lodged between two tiles. The gnarly piece of wood creaked, but held their weight. Then the walls shifted, and the movement snapped their small flicker of hope. Out of reflex the samurai jumped, taking her with him. Desperately she stretched out her hands, wrapped her free arm around a free standing piece of stone. "What's happening?"
"The second trial! We must go down!"
Down? Around them stones hurried down in asymmetrical groups. They had perhaps a few seconds before theirs would move down as well, plunging them into the depths.
"When I saw jump, jump," the samurai told her. Not even a second passed before the command came.
Somehow her feet found a slippery grip on the stone, enough for her to make a feeble contribution to their jump to a different rock formation. Would her journey end in witnessing the samurai's death before plunging to her own, if she was that lucky? Mid-air he changed his grip from her wrist to her waist. She tried to not cling to him, instead using her hands to find reprieve in cracks in the wall, perhaps giving him the chance to breathe for a few seconds. He grunted in appreciation once, before pulling her with him as well. They followed the stones' downward motion, but not at the same whiplashing speed.
Suddenly there was solid ground beneath her feet. Queasy Rue fell to her knees, her stomach protesting loudly at how she was treated. She gasped for breath, looking up at the samurai who was still standing next to her. The ground around them was littered with decayed corpses, each one of them dressed in heavy armor. The metal was dented or downright torn. Rue guessed their light attire had saved them a similar fate.
A few meters from them the receptacle glinted in the sparse light. Rubble had miraculously missed shattering the raised stone. Seemingly out of nowhere a rodent-like creature appeared, climbing up to the receptacle. It stuck in its tiny paws and licked off the tree sap. Its light purple fur shimmered in the eerie light.
"Excuse us… are you the guardian?" Rue asked, remembering the fabled third step of the quest. She also knew that no one had ever actually walked out of this particular ruin alive. It could be a trap placed by Master Aku. He never told anyone which myths had been created by him and which ones were actual remainders of a distant past.
The creature squeaked in surprise. "Visitors! And alive at that!"
"I came here in search of the portal. Is it near?" the samurai asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Yes, yes. The mirror is near, containing the greatest treasure of all. Through there!" the creature motioned to a vine-covered wall before dipping its hands once more in the thick tree sap. Loudly slurping it continued its meal.
Rue stood up, fully aware of the smarting ache in her arms and legs. Somewhere in their trip down she'd banged her head against the rock. Gingerly she touched the tips of her fingers to her chin. When she caught the samurai's eye she immediately placed her hands behind her back. "I'm fine."
The samurai sighed, but didn't comment on her assertion. Instead he ripped part of his already damaged kimono, handing her the piece of white fabric. "You have some blood, here." He gestured to his own chin, before turning to the wall. As they approached the creature wished them good luck, intermixed with slobbering sounds.
The vines covered an entrance to a deeper part of the cave. Glowing funghi lighted their way, casting dark orange spots across the darkness. After the riotousness of falling rocks or the stampeding hooves the cave was an unsettling quiet. The samurai's wooden shoes clacked against the stones, unlike her own soft leather footwear. After a while they heard something like dripping… the sound of falling water.
They exited the long tunnel and stepped into a small grove filled with ferns. Beneath their feet a thin stone channel, perhaps as wide as a hand, ran past them. Birds whistled above theirs heads, perching in mighty oaks and the soft tingling Unia trees. Vines ran along their branches, soft pink flowers spreading sweet scents. Rue followed after the samurai, who seemed to have an almost uncanny sense of direction when it came to finding the end of his felt as if they were walking towards the center of the cave. Above them the roof tapered to a cone shape, the top opening so sunlight could fall inside. A waterfall poured through, creating a rainbow at the very top of the roof. She felt impressed. This was so different from her musty old desk. "Do you always see places like this?"
Her companion stopped and glanced around him with a smile. "Not always… but often enough to make my journey bearable."
She nodded, surprised by his answer. For her every sight outside of the temporary capital was new and surprising. Of course in the capital everything had Master Aku's face stamped on it. She felt a twinge of remorse for considering her new travels more interesting than her everyday life.
In the center of the cave the stone waterways convened around a large stone frame. It measured well above the samurai's head. Water poured on top of it, creating a seeming mirror out of the water. Around them were a few more bodies. All of them seemed to have stabbed themselves with their own weapon, the skeletal knuckles grappling with the hilt embedded in their chests. The strangest thing was that neither of them were reflected in the mirror. Instead a face stared out at them, the eyes and mouth completely composed out of foam.
"Welcome, seekers of truth," the face said. It sounded like rain drops hitting a tin roof. "Long and arduous has your journey been. I hope the knowledge I will impart to you will serve you well."
"I don't mean to be rude but… you do not have the same ki as any of the portals I have encountered so far," the samurai said cautiously.
"A fount of knowledge which imparts the most sought after power of all," Rue quoted from her notes. "We assumed you would be able to grant wishes."
Laughter like a storm in a glass sounded. "No, travelers. Many have come here, seeking for trinkets, fabled weapons or magic. All I offer is the greatest power of all. The knowledge of the self, and how to improve. Many are incapable of accepting my ultimate proof."
The samurai sighed and bowed his head. "Then this was another failure. Yet if you have any help to impart to me, I humbly request you give it to me."
The face in the water gurgled and disappeared. The flow of water became smooth and reflected only the samurai, despite Rue standing right next to him. Instead he stood as if commencing a great battle, sword drawn as a crowd watched him facing Master Aku. "Samurai Jack, the man out of time. To your blade the task of destroying Aku has fallen. As its bearer you have faced hardships, yet your heart has not hardened. The many you have aided praise your name, your deeds inspire others to step out and make something of their life. Your very nature strikes fear in the heart of your foe. Few can claim your noble spirit."
Then the crowd and Aku vanished from the mirror, leaving him standing on his own. He appeared to be paler than his blade, which became more defined than him. "But ask yourself this, noble prince. What is your life? Have you anything that is truly to be called your own besides the blade that demands your service? What happens to you in so many years if you continue on this path alone? A king does not rule alone, yet you push away those who might aid you. You claim it would endanger their lives. You deny yourself so many pleasures, samurai. Stop pushing away the few who might lessen your burden."
"I cannot ask others to face my battles for me!"
"They would not fight the battles for the samurai, but they would fight them with you. Is there not the Scotsman, a man who could be your true friend if you allowed it? Are there not the dogs, who would lavish you with the same unwavering obedience their ancestors have showed you? It would not shame your spirit to accept aid or friendship."
The samurai looked away as if shamed. "I only meant to protect them."
"Noble indeed. But misguided. One last piece of advice, noble spirit. In the future you will experience treason. If you avenge yourself as would be your right, you forfeit very little. But if you attempt to understand the honor of another, you might gain everything."
Rue saw how she herself became the new focus of the mirror. The samurai faded away in a fountain of bubbles, leaving her reflection in a towering room. She was surrounded by flickering screens and people who took notes with serious expressions. The room was filled with smoke, eliciting coughs from all.
"Rue of Arkham, your current position does not befit your legacy. You spend your days filing reports, praising the evil that has infected this country and count yourself lucky to survive another day. The sight of blood is something which you consider normal. Every day your people sink more into servitude to darkness, clinging to remnants of a past you cannot remember."
She shook, clenching her hands to fists. Her reflection looked as if the blood had been drained out of her face. Only the eyes seemed to be somewhat alive. The reflection of harsh lights seemed softened by them. Then the scene changed. The smoke thickened before fanning out again. This time she was standing alone, glancing around her with an air of assurance that looked annatural on her.
"You have taken a chance by coming here. The chance to walk the road to the destiny that has been denied those of your kind. The road is winding, confusing. The path to truth is littered by thorns and fire."
Dark red lines appeared in geometric shapes across her reflections face. Rue stepped back, fearing it was blood. "What happens to me?"
"If you fail to see true honor, death. If you decide to seek truth, you will walk the path of the shaman as you once were meant to. A word of advice; reflect upon your actions. See the world through the lenses of who you could be. Never assume truth."
"Th-that's not really helpful, is it? What's a shaman anyway?" Rue asked, suddenly terrified. No matter what it was, she was already sure she didn't like it.
Instead of answering her the water mirror merely reflected both her and the samurai now. Her cheeks were flushed, she saw. Behind her the samurai had his hands tucked in his sleeves, seemingly thinking over things.
"A shaman is a spirit guide," he told her. "We had them in my time. They commune with the deceased and are keepers of history. Being one is not such a bad thing."
Rue looked at him doubtfully. Maybe in his time talking to dead people hadn't been necessarily bad, but she was pretty sure in this time there were more dead people than living, courtesy master Aku. If she really could talk to dead people, she wasn't sure how the deliverer of darkness would react to that. "I suppose we should be getting back to a more inhabited place. But… how do we do that?"
She followed his glance to the ceiling and sighed. Of course there would be climbing involved.
So this chapter nicely set up the future plot lines we'll be having. After this we have road trip and bonding, which is always fun because it creates feels! Anyway, if there's something you'd like to see in future chapters hit me up. I've already got the next ten chapters written out but because I'm evil the chapter will be uploaded on the 20th of August.