Dear GOD it's been too long! Sorry to the five people that have subscribed (or whatever its called on this site) to my story. Five is not enough dedicated fans to pay notice to, but it's enough to make me feel guilty. The chances of me finishing this are dwindling now, I'm so fickle. LUCKILY! My preordered Okami Den should be arriving this coming Tuesday and if I can stop playing Assassin's Creed and Pokemon White version long enough, I might get back into it.
I blame first my Zombie graphic novel that I got back into working on. By the way, does anyone know a good comic sharing site that I could put my Zombie graphic novel on? (This is the part where you write the answer to my question in the reviews to help me). I also got re-hooked on Ouran High School Host Club because of my weakness for twincest, random Japanese humor, and Vic Mignogna. Oh, if only I could be a voice actor and meet him one day, I would die happy. Also, My friend got me to buy Pokemon white version and, I must say, I'm really quite pleased with it. I haven't had this much fun playing a new pokemon game since Emerald came out. I'm actually making and effort to "catch 'em all" this time. I love my Servine and Zebstrika… I named my purrloin after one of the characters in my Zombie comic that I would really like to share with the world –but I don't know how. Those of you who like my stuff should help me out and find a good place to post it… but its gory because what's a zombie story without unnecessary blood and gore?
WOW! Long intro, okay. Onto the story.
They arrived to the canyon that Agata Forest lied in through a short cave along the path. Once they stepped out into the light, they saw the extent of the damage to Agata.
They were perched quite a ways up one of the cliff walls that surrounded the forest but there was a path along the wall that lead all the way down to the forest and the lake that covered over half of the forest floor. Dark red and black fog hung around the entire forest floor. There was absolutely no wind and all of the plant life was dead. As far as the eye could see, there were no animals remaining either. The entire forest had been turned into a barren wasteland of darkness.
"Gods…" Issun muttered as he slowly surveyed the land with a grimace. "I didn't want to believe it… this is some serious evil at work here, furball."
Amaterasu sniffed the air and growled deeply.
"What? What is it now?" Issun looked around. He neglected to look behind them above the cave they just exited. A small group of imps sat quietly, waiting to strike. They jumped, shrieking at the top of their lungs.
"Look out!" Issun shouted, reaching for his sword but it was too late. The imps were upon them before they had time to react. One of the disgustingly dirty, hand-like feet of the imps caught Issun right under the chin, mid kick. Issun's jaw smashed into the rest of his head, the pain recoiling from the top of his head and radiating down his spine a ways. The power of the kick knocked Issun right off of Amaterasu's back and over the side of the cliff. Below him, a few very small patched of land surrounded by the murkiest water, and the cursed zone. If the curse was powerful enough to kill trees, Issun was horrified to find out what it might do to him.
With a shout of fear, Issun plummeted to what he was certain was his death. Amaterasu, still on the ledge by the cave ignored the imps attempts to engage her in battle and followed Issun off the cliff. Issun watched as Amaterasu jumped, clueless to any idea that came through her mind to make her do so. Amaterasu held her limbs as streamlined as her anatomy would allow and finally caught up to Issun. The Cursed zone was only yards away and Issun could feel it sucking out his life force. His eyes blurred over and the last thing he heard was what sounded like a loud gust of wind, and then he blacked out.
Issun came to awareness later, refusing to open his eyes in fear of what he might see. A short whine and a bark hit Issun's ears and pounded in his head, the pain was excruciating and he groaned. The moaning and whining stopped and he felt something heavy press and nudge his side. Finally, Issun was coaxed into opening his eyes.
When he did open his eyes, Issun saw Amaterasu beside him. Her ears were laid back and her twitchiness told Issun that she was restless about something. A lick to the face told Issun that she was concerned about him.
Issun sat up very slowly as his headache worsened with every move he made. He looked around even more slowly and saw the cursed zone not more than a few steps away from where he was sitting. From here, he could see the smoky purple shapes that twisted into the abstract images that one would be reminded of death. Issun let out a frightened choking noise and scooted backwards until his back hit the cliff wall. They had somehow landed on a small, two foot wide path between the cliff and the curse that hung over the water. He took a deep breath to calm himself and then looked at Amaterasu angrily.
"Don't be so spacy, ya big furball! That fall almost killed me!" Issun shouted at her. Amaterasu looked a bit sorry, but not much. She was focused on the path alongside the lake. On the shore about half a mile away stood a banner that read "Madame Fawn" was pinned over the entrance of a cave. The beach was also curse free.
"What's that all about?" Issun muttered, his headache preventing him from thinking too deeply about what he saw. Amaterasu stood up and started walking down the path. Issun got up to follow but the effort made his head throb and the ground spin. He then collapsed to his knees and immediately vomited on the ground. When he reached up to hold his aching head, he felt liquid trickling down onto his hands. He pulled one hand away and saw that it was red.
"I'm bleeding…" Issun commented stupidly.
Amaterasu ran back over to him and licked off some of the blood in a motherly fashion.
"Did you drop me on my head or someth'n…?" Issun struggled to say. The pain was clouding his head and preventing him from thinking.
Amaterasu laid on the ground and tried to communicate to Issun to get on her back. Issun didn't seem to be catching onto the cues so she had to take his sleeve and pull him up herself. Issun moaned in pain as he was moved haphazardly by the wolf's mouth onto her back and tried his best to hang on as she loped over to the mouth of the cave.
This movement was a bit more than Issun could handle and, once again, he purged. This time, over Amaterasu's side, almost on her. The fear of being soiled by Issun's halfway digested lunch was enough to make her slow to a very smooth walk.
Together, they went through the entrance to the cave. Inside was a clear, calm spring which reflected a house almost perfectly on the other side. Issun only acknowledged the house with a grunt and laid forward on Amaterasu's back.
Amaterasu walked up the stairs to the front of the house, which was decorated on the outside with assorted animal bones. Anyone would have been apprehensive about entering this house, especially since it was the only curse free area in Agata Forest. Amaterasu didn't fear the house, though. She could smell no evil coming from inside of it. Even the fact that the door was wide open didn't bother her, she walked right in.
The inside of the house was creepier than the outside. More bones and strange dolls lay about the place in organized disarray. The house was lit by candles that shone an eerie light over the walls.
Amaterasu stopped at a table at the far end of the small house. A figure rose from behind the table, hidden in the shadows that the candle light could not reach. The figure was oddly shaped and seemed to have horns and a hunched back. It spoke in a distant, raspy voice.
"White wolf, I knew that you would come. I saw it in the bones…" The figure said.
Issun didn't remember going to sleep, but he did remember a lot of pain. When he opened his eyes, his headache had subsided and he felt better, though very tired. He was covered in a blanket… on a mat… on the floor… of an unfamiliar and tiny room. That was Issun's step by step processing. He noticed that he had a very strange smelling bandage around his head next, it smelled of rotten eggs, mint, and feet.
The awful smell coming from his head was enough to waken him further to more cognizant of his surroundings. Where was Amaterasu? She wasn't in trouble, was she?
Issun sat up quickly and looked around, where was he?
Just then, the door slid open and a huge figure bounded into the room. The next thing Issun knew was that he was being tackled to the ground and covered by a slobbery tongue.
"Get off! Urg, I'm covered in wolf spit!" Issun tried to push Amaterasu off of him. Amaterasu got up and sat beside him as an old woman walked into the room too.
She was an older woman that might have been attractive in her time, but was really nothing more than a creepy old lady now. She wore a strange hat with a deer skull sitting upon it and looked for all the world the exact type of person to live alone in a creepy house in the forest.
"Your wolf brought you here to recover, you've been sleeping for about a day." The old woman said.
"A day?" Issun exclaimed. A day of laying around by a cursed zone couldn't mean good for him.
"You had a concussion and it needed to be treated. Thanks to my magic, you've made a quite speedy recovery!" The woman said cheerfully.
"…Thanks, but who are you and why do you live in the middle of nowhere?" Issun asked, petting Amaterasu's fur gratefully.
"I am Madame Fawn, reader of bones and teller of the future!" She said rather dramatically. "I live out in this forest to better commune with the gods and spirits of those passed so they will let me in on their secrets."
Issun knew better than to believe her. She was an old lady and might be delusional. He had seen many a fake prophet in his day too.
"You doubt my power, I see… well, it just so happens that I was informed of your coming here by the spirit of a very old man. He seems to claim that you are here for a reason and I am to give you a prophecy to aid on your journey. By the way the man was dressed, I would have to say that this man was a monk." Madame Fawn rattled casually.
"That old priest?" Issun exclaimed, looking at Amaterasu. She looked moderately shocked as well.
"Yes, I see you believe now." Madame Fawn smiled a less than toothy grin because she was missing several. "It was because of him that I knew to prepare for your coming and gather the things that you needed for your wounds."
"Plural? More than one wound?" All Issun knew about was the bandages on his head. Wait, no… I feel itchy bandages-… Issun froze and looked down his shirt, then his pants. Sure enough he was bandaged around the middle and on one of his thighs as well.
"Its not often that I have such a big, strong young swordsman in my home…" Madame Fawn winked mischievously. Issun went pale and was sure he would be sick. Never in his live had he ever wanted to take a bath more than he did now.
"I'm not really a swordsman, you see…" Issun began, hoping to deter Madame Fawn with the truth. "I'm actually an artist-"
"An artist?" Madame Fawn exclaimed. "Perhaps I could be your next muse."
Madame Fawn instantly went into a pose that she obviously thought alluring. Issun only found it horrifying and disturbing.
"I-I really don't know where I get my inspiration, it just comes to me." Issun thought of a quick excuse then decided to change the subject. "You said that you were going to give us a prediction or something?"
"Oh, yes! I had forgotten!" Madame Fawn quickly snapped back to her creepier self. "Yes… follow me into my chambers…"
Issun and Amaterasu followed Madame Fawn into an even smaller, creepier, and more dimly lit room. All kinds of frightening things were hanging from the wall. One object looked an awful lot like human toes strung onto a necklace. Issun hoped it was just the shadows playing tricks on him.
Madame Fawn grabbed a purple sack and untied it, pouring the bones of several creatures onto a table. Issun and Amaterasu sat on the pillows on the floor next to the table and watched as Madame Fawn stared at the bones for a long time.
"Hidden by evil, there is a secret cove that leads to a blocked wall. Behind the wall is the key to purifying this land and restoring the life that was lost. Look for the cove and you will find it."
"…Find what?" Issun asked. Amaterasu seemed to be in agreement with him.
"That's as far as the bones will let me go into this matter… white wolf, there is something here special for you." Madame Fawn said.
Amaterasu cocked her head and scooted on the pillow a bit closer to the table to sniff the bones. They smelled quite good…
"Ah, ah, ah!" Madame Fawn yelled just as Amaterasu was about to bite into one of the bigger ones. Amaterasu sat there with her mouth open for a second and then closed it, sitting back. If the old lady didn't want her to eat the bones, what did she mean that there was something special for her?
"He is coming to find you, now as I speak to you. He comes with a fire in his heart that has been burning for ages. That fire fuels his ambition to meet with you once more. Your paths will intersect sooner than you think or will want." Madame Fawn said mysteriously while moving her hand over the bones slowly.
"Who's coming to get Ammy?" Issun asked, nervous. His last run in with creatures that were after her didn't end well. This new guy sounded like trouble and Issun didn't like it.
"That's all the bones say. It will become clearer in time…" Madame Fawn said comfortingly. Then she paused. "There is a third path here… for you, artist."
"Yeah…?" Issun leaned forward a bit to get a better look at the bones. He hoped it wouldn't be bad news like Amaterasu's.
"I see a lovely maiden…" Madame Fawn began.
Issun perked up instantly and gave Madame Fawn a sideways look without moving his head. He tried not to look too interested. "I'm listening…"
"I see a lovely maiden, her hair as silver as the moon… her eyes full of knowledge and wisdom. You will grow very close to this woman…" Madame Fawn continued.
"I'm liking the sound of this one…" Issun muttered to Amaterasu. Amaterasu just looked at him in confusion. She was unable to interpret the thought process of this particular young man.
"And there will be a grand marriage ceremony…" Madame Fawn said.
"Hot dang, I'm gunna get married?" Issun jumped up happily and grabbed Amaterasu by the face and hugged her. Amaterasu may not have been able to understand why Issun was so happy, but she could be happy with him. She wagged her tail excitedly while Issun danced around happily. "You can be the flower girl, okay Ammy?"
"Yes! And we will have so many children and be sooo close…!" Madame Fawn rattled.
Issun froze almost mid-jump. "…w-we?"
"Come on, big boy! I can hear those wedding bells ringing!" Madame Fawn reached out to hug Issun. If there was ever a time for Issun to be less than masculine, this was it. He let out a high pitched shriek and ran out of the house as fast as he could with Amaterasu at his heals and Madame Fawn chasing after them.