Chapter 4: Exploration
Passing through Shinshu Field, it struck me that this strange mist lurking about seemed awfully familiar . . . then a name came to mind. Blight.
Blight, a terrible monster that plagued the people of the capital city, Sei-an. He put out an evil mist that made most people ill, inflicting crippling pain upon them. Only those strong and fit did not succumb to its effects. Kiyoko was one of these lucky few, toughened by years of physical training.
Strange thing was, I had defeated Blight several years ago. Has he returned? I wondered. How can that be possible? Not wanting to think too much on it, I continued on towards Agata Forest.
Crossing the waterway, we soon arrived at the forest. The mist still lingered, but it wasn't really for a problem for anybody. Except for Kiyoko, who began to feel the effects of it.
"I feel strange . . ." she said, looking a bit uneasy. Soon as she said that, though, she shook it off and resumed her normal personality. Right away, she started dashing around the forest, eager to see everything there was to see. Moving way too fast and turning her head like an owl, she could not see the large tree blocking her path.
"Whoa, Kiki, look out!" Issun warned, a little too late. Kiyoko slammed right into the tree, stopping her dead in her tracks. Dazed for an instant, she fell over backwards, then almost immediately snapped out of it. I smiled to myself. Graceful as she was in battle, her clumsiness showed everywhere else she went. Earlier today, she hit her head on a tree branch that hung lower than the others. Still, she remained happy-go-lucky, always taking whatever came her way with a positive outlook. She had an amazing ability to shake off anything that got thrown at her, taking it with a smile.
"I'm fine!" she yelled from her spot on the ground. "I meant to do that!"
"Sure ya did, Kiki!" Issun shouted back, laughing. Waka simply watched the scene with an air of amusement about him. Kiyoko stood up, dusted herself off, and then ran off in a different direction. Afraid she would go charging into another tree, I chased after her. When we stopped, she glanced up at something in the sky.
"What's that thing?" She pointed to what had caught her interest. "It looks like a floating flower . . ." I followed her gaze to find what she was staring at. A Konohana Blossom, a medium for one of my Celestial Brush techniques called Vine. Calling upon the Celestial Brush, I painted a line from the blossom to my body. A vine sprouted from it and followed the line I made before tying itself around my body. It then pulled me to where to flower hovered in the sky.
Kiyoko's eyes widened as she watched in amazement. Though she knew of my divine nature, she did not yet know of my true powers. Using the power of my Celestial Brush, I can bend the world to my will with a few brushstrokes. Already recovered from the shock of such a discovery, Kiyoko became more excited than she was before.
"Cool!" she exclaimed. "Hey, can you do that with me, too?" Unable to see a reason not to, I commanded another vine to tie itself around her. It easily pulled Kiyoko, whom was screaming with joy the entire way up. The Konohana Blossom provided a small platform for both of us to stand on. The two of us admired the view from the flower floating high in the sky. After a while, I made the vines gently set us back down on the ground.
"Having fun, you two?" Waka asked, speaking up for the first time since we came here. "We've spent quite some time here. We should leave for the Moon Cave soon."
Oh. Right. We were supposed to go there today. I nearly forgot that entirely in the midst of our forest fun.
"Yeah, of course," Kiyoko sighed, slightly depressed. Then, bouncing back like she always does, continued happily. "Alright, let's go to the Moon Cave!" With the agreement unanimous, we all left the forest and headed towards the Moon Cave.
o~*~o
Standing at the top of the stairs, I peered down the path that led to the dreaded Moon Cave, the place where the evil 8-headed serpent Orochi made its lair once upon a time. Although that pesky serpent has been dead for years, its dark essence still remained, leaving a bitter stench in the air.
We started down the path, my heart pounding. My thoughts began to race. This is where we will face our new enemy. We know it's as powerful as Orochi, maybe even more so. What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail?
I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. I need to focus! Waka looked over at me, noticing my anxiety.
"Are you okay, ma chérie?" he asked, his voice gentle and laced with concern. He then gave me a reassuring smile and said, "We'll make it though this. Together." That alone was enough to restore my courage, if not at least some.
Before I realized it, we were at the entrance of the Moon Cave. The sight of it brought back memories of my battle with Orochi. Now, I end up here once again, a new enemy lying in wait. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the cave.
The air was thick with Orochi's vile scent, making it hard to breathe. It felt as if there was a lingering presence around us, like Orochi himself was breathing down our necks. Everybody was on edge, even the carefree Kiyoko. I glanced around, searching for our new foe, and . . . nothing.
Looking more closely, still I saw nothing. No one else could see anything, either. I waited, half-hoping that something would leap out from the shadows at us. When that didn't happen, I realized that our trip here was in vain. The battle we had been anticipating would not take place here. I was ambushed by mixed feelings of relief and disappointment.
"C'mon, guys, there's nothing here," Issun said, sounding somewhat disappointed himself. "Let's go."
"Y-Yeah!" Kiyoko agreed all too quickly. "L-L-Let's go!" She bolted out of the cave in a heartbeat, followed by the rest of us.
That dark force is out there somewhere, this I knew for a fact. It was just a matter of finding where it's hiding. Nippon is a large land, but if we searched long and hard, our enemy would show up sooner or later.
With that, I made my way back, preparing myself for the beginning of a brand-new journey . . .