Chapter 2: The Leader of Ryuuvillage

Ryuuvillage is at the peak of the mountain in a large valley at the bottom of two hills. As they reached the edge of the valley, Yuki led Ginko to a small hut where, she told him, was the meeting house and sanctuary of the Council of Elders.

The meeting house, as Ginko discovered, was very vast compared to how it appeared on the outside. The floor was mostly dirt with a large fire in its center.

Yuki motioned for him to follow her to the illuminating fire. As they reached the fire he made out the shape of two figures, an elderly man and a woman who turned to them and smiled an all-knowing smile at Ginko.

"You must be the Mushishi, Ginko-san," said the elderly man with his knowing, bright smile. He had short, snow-white hair and kind green eyes. "We have been waiting for you. I am Saru and this is my wife, Hina. We are the elders of Ryuuvillage."

Hina was a little younger than her husband and had silver, long hair with beautiful blue eyes that looked at Ginko. They seemed vaguely familiar. "We welcome you to Ryuuvillage, Ginko-san, please sit down." as she said this, she pointed across the fire from them.

He obeyed and sat across from the mysterious elders as they told Yuki to get something. As her chestnut hair vanished out of sight the elders turned back to Ginko, bend their heads together, then looked back at the Mushishi.

Finally, "We sense," began Hina watched him closely, "that there are answers to many questions you are looking for."

"We also sense," continued Saru, "That the answers you seek we can tell you."

His one green eye widened. Could they really answer my questions?

"How do you know what I'm searching for?" asked Ginko.

"Ha-ha," laughed Saru, turning to his wife, "Did you just hear him, Hina? He doesn't trust us. Why should he?"

"Actually, Saru," replied Hina, smiling, "He should since we knew Nui."

Nui? Ginko's mind flashed to the dream of a young boy chasing after a ghost. "Excuse me, honorable elders, but even if you know, would you tell me?"

"If we know?" chimed the elders. "Of course we know Nui! But..."

"But?" Ginko asked anxiously.

"But we will only answer you," said the smiling Saru. "if you will help our leader."

The brightness of the fiery barrier lit up the faces of the mysterious elders, and as Ginko watched them, they showed only that they were completely serious about what they had offered. Yet Ginko still did not know whether to trust the wise strangers or if he could help their leader with so little information.

"What is wrong with your leader, exactly?" he asked.

Saru glanced at Hina with a sad look and forced Ginko with the same look Yuki had when she asked Ginko for help.

"You should know Ginko-san," he began sadly. "That our lea-...CRASH!!!!!

The sound of breaking glass outside the door broke through Saru in mid-sentence. "Please Tazuta, be more careful." The voice was soon drowned out by a loud BANG and grunt as the door of the meeting house broke off its hinges and flew into the fire. Sunlight poured into the meeting house and as Ginko's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, two figures entered. One was the young Yuki, who was standing behind a tall, muscular man with brown hair and blue eyes.

"Ah... Tazuta!" exclaimed Hina with a slightly scared expression. "We were hoping you would come."

Tazuta just grunted and looked from the elders to Ginko. "Who iss hee?" he hissed still staring at the Mushishi. His voice was like ice and sliced through the air. The aura surrounding the leader was intensifying the atmosphere leaving the people around him trembling.

"His name is Ginko-san, leader-sama." answered Saru shakily with a waning smile. "His is here to help the village with minor matters."

"Sssuch asss?" demanded Tazuta, as the deadly aura continued to increase.

"Such as... uhm..."

"Such as minor farming issues such as where to dig next and such." Stuttered Yuhi from behind as her hair glowed in the sun's rays. "Matters that are so small you need not concern yourself too much, Tazuta."

"Yes," replied Saru, "We just wanted to tell you but it is after all, a small matter."

The leader's stare pressed down on them looking like he did not believe this reason, but shrugged, motioned to Yuki to follow him, and left through the doorway with Yuki close behind.

So that was their leader, thought Ginko, who had taken out a new cigarette and lit it in the fire. I believe it was a mushi. But for the Mushishi to be sure he needed more information and turned to the elder who were still looking out the door.

Ginko exhaled a puff of smoke and interlocked his fingers. "Excuse me, wise elders, but before your leader came in you were about to say something. What was it?"

The elderly couple tore their eyes from the door and looked at Ginko with a very desperate, imploring look.

"As Saru was saying," answered Hina. "You should know that our leader was once a very kind, honest person. We wanted you to know that before you saw him. Like..." and she fell silent.

"Also that we asked Yuki," continued her husband with his arm around her. "to bring Tazuta here so you could observe him and tell us the exact reason why he is like this and help us return him to his old self."

Ginko let out a deep sigh and lowered his head thinking carefully. I understand but I still need to know more about what happened.

"I understand how you feel," he said carefully, raising his head. "But for me to help, I need to know exactly what happened to him when he changed."

Saru exchanged a sad glance with Hina, nodded, and looked at Ginko with a sad smile. "You should also know, Ginko-san" said the elder. "that not many others know this. So please confide this within yourself and tell no one."

"What is this secret?" asked Ginko.

"That Tazuta is our only son and living child. He is also Yuki's husband."