Being Alive
I have only two words for you: read and enjoy.
Being Alive
Chapter 16
The moonlight shone through a small opening in the canopy over the forest, allowing a small beam of light to glisten itself on a small portion of the ground. And it was here that a young girl clad in wolf's fur marked lines with a small twig, drawing a map in the ground.
Making one final mark, San scanned her work. She'd studied the layout of the Ironworks and the city surrounding it from her view in the mountains at the onset of the forest, and this map was the best she could produce. She'd gotten close enough to get a good idea of the buildings surrounding the main forger pyramid, and knew that the gun woman stayed in a place fairly close to it. Stealth was going to be her main ally, as she did not want to cause an uproar until she was sure she could kill the gunwoman. She'd gone over the plan several times with her brothers, and, after much persuasion, they'd reluctantly decided to help her.
A shadow moved in, blocking out her light. San looked up to see the large, menacing form of her brother. "San," he said in his usual, deep voice. "We still want to know if you are sure you want to go through with this."
San closed her eyes in contemplation. "I've made my decision, Kiba. And I'm afraid there's nothing you two can do to change it."
"I understand," the wolf responded. "It's time."
The girl nodded before standing up, and kicking dirt over her work in the ground. She grabbed her spear, and leapt onto her brother. The three of them slowly walked off into the night.
Finally reaching his hut, Dante fell onto his bed with a flop, feeling exhausted. He didn't bother to change into his clothes, which were now clean and folded at the foot of his futon, along with his equipment.
It wasn't even midnight, but tonight had already felt like the longest night of his life. And that was saying something, considering he'd spent entire nights, from dusk till dawn, doing everything from digging foxholes to fighting VCs. The only thing was, none of that had exhausted him as much as the past few hours had. And it wasn't physical exhaustion; it was all from the ongoing battle inside his head over his current situation.
One the one hand, and in no small thanks to his curse, he wanted to see Eboshi shrivel and die in the most brutal, painful and sickening way for what she had brought upon him. It had taken all of his remaining strength to keep his arm from putting a bullet in the woman's brain. The stories he'd been told of the woman conquering and laying waste to all in her path, and tearing apart the forest and all living inside did little to help him sympathize with her cause.
On the other hand, though, he couldn't help but feel forced to let it slide. The people loved her to no end, and idolized her. She'd done a lot for her people, though Dante couldn't help but feel it was all for her own gains. Still, that didn't negate all that she'd done for them, whether it was welcoming lepers into her inner circle, buying out contracts of the brothel workers, or just giving everyone work and a better life. Even he couldn't just tear that away from them.
Eboshi's suggestion that they join forces had sent a strange chill down his spine. Not just because of her entrepreneurial nature and hunger for new knowledge, but also because of the similarities he saw between her and certain commanders he knew from his own time. Her interest, if not obsession, with his weapons and equipment conjured thoughts he wished he could erase from his head. He knew, from the first moment he saw her lay eyes on him, that she wanted him for herself, and wouldn't go down without a fight.
Even though he'd managed to refuse her offer, he couldn't help but feel the futility of his situation. His last hopes were riding on an ancient legend that may very well never have even existed. And he had no idea what he would do if this half-hearted plan didn't work out.
Realizing just how alone he felt, he grasped fistfuls of his hair in anger. Why can't I just wake up from this nightmare? He asked himself. I know Nam was bad, but at least there, I had friends. I had a place. The war effort in Southeast Asia had been the one part of his entire life where he had found any real solidarity amongst those around him, even if only for a short time. In his time in Japan, his country of birth, he'd been a social misfit thanks to his appearance alone. When he finally moved back to his country of origin, fitting in had proved even harder. In the military, no one had cared about things like that. Now, though, he felt more out of place than ever.
I'll never have a place in this god-forsaken world. It's like I'm doomed to wander the earth for all eternity, even through time. He sighed a long, exasperated sigh. Even if I cure this curse, then what? How do I know if they can even send me back? What do I do if I'm stuck here forever?
Burying his face in his pillow, he tried, almost futiley, to think of something else. I wonder what they're all doing now? he thought. I guess Guy's the only one other than me who lived. Ken, Connolly and that Air Force guy are probably dead, if they were in that crash…I mean, there's no way they could've survived that crash, much less come through that time portal with me…
A thought suddenly ran through the youth's head. Was he really the only one who'd been sent back? Could others have possibly come back with him? Nah, he thought. I'd have known by now… Deciding he'd done enough thinking, he decided to get some sleep.
From atop her wolven brother's back, San gazed down at the vast island fortress of Tataraba. They had just exited the forest, and were atop a ledge of rock that overlooked the lake and entire surrounding area. San now had her wolf fur pulled into a mane around her head, with a red and white ceramic mask just above her face.
I'll be there waiting for you soon, gunwoman, ran through San's head. My blade will be drenched with your blood, and none of your pathetic cronies will know a thing about it until it's all over.
"San," said the brother she was riding on. "This is your last chance to reconsider."
"You've already asked me several times, Kiba," San replied, keeping her eyes on her target. "And I've given you no indication of changing my mind."
"I know," the wolf replied. "I suppose it's fruitless for me to try to talk you out of this."
"Don't look at it that way," San said. "Think of it as true determination to avenge the honor of mother and the rest of our family we've seen die before our very eyes."
"We're all angry about what happened to mother," Tsume interjected. "And don't try to talk to us about Shiroi. We knew her even better than you. But this seems very unwise, San. Charging straight into the den of the humans isn't good strategy. You know mother will never forgive you if you do this. And it certainly won't bring your sister back."
San took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm aware of that, Tsume. But I can't sit on something like this. That damned woman won't stop until she's completely eradicated our forest, and taken every inch of this land to consume for herself. We've already seen the effects her damn clan is having on this place" San said, taking a slight pause in her words. "A good, sizable piece of the forest is almost gone; their methods of raping the lands seem to be getting deadlier, and…that strange human we encountered after Mother fell…he seemed more dangerous than most of the ones that woman surrounds herself with." San fell quiet, looking downwards as she did. "Seeing mother fall gave me a horrible feeling, Tsume. I've already seen one of my kin die. I don't want to see it happen to mother or you two. If we don't act now, more like him will show up in this forest, only adding to the destruction."
San closed her eyes, and contemplated her thoughts. "Mother needs to understand that now isn't the time to sit around and wait for the enemy to come to us," she continued. "We have to take the fight to them. Even if it means taking a risk such as this. If I can enter their town, and kill her under their very noses, they will be struck with disbelief. Without a leader, they'll scramble and collapse from the inside. And mother will be avenged."
Both wolves glanced at each other before sighing. Tsume looked up at her. "And just how do you plan on pulling this off, San? You haven't told us just how you're going to penetrate that wall."
"And what do you plan to do once you're inside?" Kiba asked. "The humans outnumber you, and every one of them will be after you, trying to defend their leader."
"I've already thought of that," San said, a sinister grin adorning her tattooed face. "I'm going to sneak in under cover of darkness while the humans are distracted."
"And that's where we come in, right?" Tsume said sarcastically. "I know we said we'd do anything to help you, San, but asking us to be decoys…"
"He's right, San. That feels a bit cold to us."
"Perhaps you'd like to put yourself in danger by penetrating the human's fortress," San retorted. "It won't be easy, but I need you both to keep the attention of the riflemen while I slip up to the wall. I already have a plan to get over it, but you don't have to worry about that. The humans will be so engrossed in your little distraction, they'll think they've just scared you off again. All the while, I'll be moving undetected through their quiet home, until I find that woman. By the time they realize something's wrong, I'll have slit the blasted gunwoman's throat, and, hopefully, be back over the wall before they can find me."
"You sound frighteningly confident about this, San," Tsume snickered. "But you know we won't be able to help you once you're inside."
Her grin returning, San reached down to scratch her brother on the snout. "I'm fully aware of that," she said, puling the ceramic mask down over her face. "Let's just say I've given it a lot of thought."
"We hope you're right, San," Kiba said. And, with that, they began to make their way down the mountain, towards the fortress.
The youth lightly tossed in his sleep. The top of his futon was beginning to become soaked with the sweat building up from the heat. Just barely opening his eyes, he let out a light yawn, and snuggled back into the futon, trying to go back to sleep.
His head shot up as he was awakened by the far-off sound of an explosion.
Looking around his room, he tried to think of where the sound had come from. A few seconds later, he heard it again.
What the hell is that? he thought to himself. Getting up off the futon, he walked to the door to his hut, dressed only in his boxers and wife-beater. Noticing that the sounds of the ironworkers he'd been hearing up to this point had ceased, he looked outside.
He didn't know quite what to make of it. The air had become even denser in its stench of iron and gunpowder. There were people outside, though not a lot of them, running around from place to place, sometimes carrying things he couldn't make out. He tried calling to one of them, but the person didn't seem to notice, and just ran on by, muttering about something to himself.
Another, much closer explosion shook the ground Dante stood on, and was followed by what sounded like gunfire. Only it sounded different than the gunfire he'd heard in this time.
Noticing that several men were running towards the entrance gate of the fortress, he dashed back inside his hut and donned his uniform. Grabbing his rifle on the way out, he followed the few other men to the gate, none of whom seemed to notice him in the slightest.
Making his way out of the fortress, he immediately turned to his left, and gazed out into the mountainous forest surrounding the town, which was now ablaze. He could hear gunfire, as well as spot small explosions, off in the distance every now and then. Realizing that the gunfire sounded off rather quickly and more frequently than before, Dante tried desperately to ponder what was happening far in front of him.
And than a Huey flew over him.
In a state of complete frozen shock, he watched as the modern-day flying machine roared its way towards the mountain before launching a round of rockets at an unidentified target. To his even greater shock, it was joined by two more helicopters just like it, each raining down fire on the forest below them.
Frozen in shock for a good minute or so, the youth snapped out of it, and, with all of his adrenaline, dashed for the mountain. The fires only seemed to get brighter as he got closer, and the choppers continued hovering over the forest, chasing targets only they could see.
Just as he reached the outer rim of the forest, he was greeted with an explosion of fire, along with a large, horribly burned boar set ablaze, rumbling out of the woods, trying desperately to put itself out. The boy stood in shock once again, staring into the angry and horrified eyes of the beast, the rifle shaking in his hand.
A loud gunshot later, the animal went down, never to rise again. Slowly turning around, Dante saw the culprit: one of the orange-clad riflemen of Eboshi's squad, holding a smoking, honest-to-god Kalashnikov automatic rifle, aimed right where the boar's head had been.
Lowering the gun, the man gave Dante a look that the youth could've sworn was a smile, were it not for the hood over his mouth. The man dashed into the forest, followed by more men, all with the same weapon.
The young, mystified soldier sputtered as he tried desperately to get the attention of one of them, wondering just what was going on; why there were three attack helicopters over the ancient forest; why the marksmen were all of a sudden sporting 20th Century automatic weapons. But none of them would stop; none of them would stop to look at him.
The sound of automatic gunfire erupted within the flaming woods once again, and the youth could only stand and watch as more explosions of fire followed. He did so, mesmerized, for a good few minutes, until he bothered to look higher up the mountain.
There, on a ledge overlooking the blazing forest, stood a dark, ominous figure, surrounded by a few others. Not taking the time to stare any longer, he took the dirt path that led up the mountain, until he found the spot where they gazed at the symphony of destruction. Taking steps forward, he saw two more riflemen clutching their modern weapons, then looked closer to see Gonza holding another modern rifle, though he couldn't identify it at the moment; and, finally, Eboshi, dressed in her battle attire, save for a pistol belt at her side. Walking up alongside the woman and her bodyguard, who did not appear to notice at first, he glimpsed a smile forming on her face.
"Any second now…" he heard her whisper.
"Huh?"
A second later, the roar of subsonic jets filled the night air, and a larger portion of the forest erupted in flames. Dante fell back in surprise, staggering to his feet to see what had happened. When the flames died down, there was almost nothing left of the vast woods in front of them; charred remains of both trees and forest beasts, and the familiar, gasoline-like stench of the incendiary he'd come to know so well…
"I love the smell of Napalm at midnight," the woman said, taking in a whiff of air. "Just think of what this land has to offer us now." She then turned to face the youth, as though she'd been aware of his presence the whole time. "And it's all thanks to you."
Opening his eyes, the soldier tried to move. The last vision he'd seen had sent him into what felt like a total blackout. Only he found it difficult to move his arms. It was then that the boy realized he was actually in a seated position, with what felt like a large tree trunk to his back. He was in the forest again, and could see the fires continue to burn in the distance. Looking to both sides, he saw that his arms were tied tight around the trunk by a thick vine.
Gritting his teeth, he struggled against the vine, but found himself feeling too weak to make it budge. What's happening now? he thought. Who did this to me?
A ruffle in the bushes surrounding him brought his attention forward. What emerged made him turn pale.
A figure, almost as tall as he was, and dressed in a wolf's fur and a red ceramic mask, stepped out of the bush, grasping what looked like a severed head by the hair knot. The figure tossed the head right into the youth's lap, and he reacted in terror, screaming while trying to kick the severed head away. Hyperventilating, he looked up at the figure in front of him.
"Filthy creature," it said in a familiar voice.
"H-huh?" he barely responded.
"Filthy, loathsome, disgusting, hateful being," the voice continued, looking down at the boy through the mask. Dante could feel the figure's eyes boring hatefully into him. A hand reached up, pulling the mask over the head.
Dante watched in shock as the wolf girl revealed her face to him. Only it was more haunting than before; beyond the tattoos, her face was partially caked with blood; her teeth looked twice as menacing as they had before; and her eyes were giving him a far more hateful glare.
"You did this to our home. You and your pathetic allies," she said, kicking the severed head away. He watched as she brought her hand to her face to lick the blood covering it, no doubt left over from her previous deeds. "And now, you will pay," she added, pulling out her bloodstained dagger.
She began to walk closer, putting it to his face…
The youth awoke, nearly screaming in anguish at what he had seen. Quieting and looking around, he noticed that he had rolled off his futon. Looking toward the back of the room, he saw that his equipment and uniform were still there, unmoved. Getting up, he ran to the entrance to his hut, and looked outside. Nothing was out of the ordinary; the noise of the iron works was still rampant, and the stench still filled the air.
Walking back in, he fell on his futon with a sigh. How many more of these lousy dreams am I gonna have? he asked himself. I just had to imagine what Eboshi would be like with all that at her disposal. Creepy. He shuddered, and sat back up. I'm not gonna get any more sleep like this. Looking at his neatly folded clothes, he sighed. Maybe a walk will clear my head…
San smirked behind her mask. As she sat on her brother from their position behind a mass of dead trees atop the hill, she watched Tsume get into his own planned position 50 yards away. He would be leading the main distraction, and, after he dropped her off at the right spot, Kiba would join him.
Here we go…San thought as she watched her brother start down the hill. A few seconds later, she and Kiba started down a different path, under cover of greater darkness.
Stopping just outside the large forging pyramid, Dante heaved a sigh. He was dressed in his military uniform once more, and he'd been walking around for a few minutes now. Though he'd been trying to purge all uncomfortable thoughts from his head, it had proven a futile effort. The last dream, nay, all the dreams he'd had since he'd appeared in the past, were still haunting him. The last one, though, was especially bothering him.
That girl scares the living daylights out of me, he thought. The way she looked at me when I first saw her…all those stories about her…it's all horrifying. But really…that can't be everything. Just who the hell is she?
Looking at the entrance to the ironworks, he noticed he could still hear the voices of the women singing. I don't know if I'll ever understand that girl. Just what are the odds of us running into each other again, anyway?
As if to answer his question, he heard the sound of a wooden stake hammering against iron, sounding an alarm.
"The wolves! The wolves are approaching!"
Shrugging to himself, Dante dashed back towards the sound of the alarm.
San heard the gunshots sounding off as the riflemen fired at her brother. He dodged their bullets as always, running the route she had planned for him. She and Kiba were heading for the wall themselves. "Just a bit further, Kiba," she whispered.
"We're almost there," he brother replied, increasing his speed. "San…good luck."
"Thank you, Kiba."
The wolf swung to his left, hurling his human sister towards the fortress before running to join his brother. Holding out her spear, San soared over the large phalanx of wooden spikes, digging her spear into the wooden wall. Hanging onto her spear, she dug her hand into the small pouch than hung around her waist, pulling out two odd tools: thick pieces of branch wood with tiny ceramic blades pointing outwards. Grabbing one in either hand, she began to climb her way up the wall, all the while hearing her brothers as they distracted the riflemen.
Less than a minute later, she was at the top, and flipped gracefully over the edge. Landing quietly, she ducked as low as she could, grasping her blade in one hand. A guard was a few feet from her, with his back turned; he had not noticed her. Perfect, she thought.
Leaping for the guard, the man turned just in time to see the wolf girl with widened eyes as she drover her blade into his throat.
"Hey! The wolves are retreating!" one of the riflemen yelled, watching the two specks of white heading off into the distance. "We drove them away!"
A brief cheer resounded from the surrounding men as many others sighed in relief. "Seriously, I thought the wolf girl was gonna try to infiltrate us…" one man said as he walked away.
Sighing again, Dante turned away from the wall to head back to his hut. False alarm, he thought. Though, to be honest, why would just the wolves drop by? He kept thinking to himself as he walked.
"What is the report, Gonza?" Eboshi asked from her seated position in her house. She was looking back and forth from a scroll that was laid out in front of her.
The bodyguard cleared his throat. "The two younger wolves approached the fortress, circling the area while apparently looking for a way in," he said. "However, our marksmen were able to send them into a retreat. We believe the threat to be over, for now."
"And the Mononoke-Hime?" she said, not looking up from her writing.
"She was not with them," he replied. "We saw no sign of her in the area."
Eboshi slowly turned to look at her bodyguard. "You say the wolves attacked us, and that you did not notice the wolf princess," she said with a demanding stare. "Yet you claim the danger is over?"
Gonza struggled to find a response. "The wolf girl was nowhere to be found. If she was with them, she didn't let herself be seen!"
"Exactly, Gonza," the woman retorted, standing up. "She didn't let herself be seen. Meaning that she came after us while we were distracted by the other wolves."
"Milady, y- you can't be serious! Even if she did come at the fortress, there's no possible way she could penetrate it!"
The woman began to walk past her bodyguard. "Trust me, Gonza," she said as she passed him. "She's already here. I want the area on alert, ready for anything to happen. And I want you and your men to search the area thoroughly. Get going." With that, she disappeared into another room.
'Y-yes, milady!" he stuttered before exiting the house.
Two men armed with spears walked along an alley between to long houses outside the iron works.
"They tell us to search the area, but do they tell us what we're looking for? Of course not!" one of them said angrily. "The wolves showed up, but they were scared away! What are we out here for?"
"Calm down," the other said. "I heard one of the guards mention that the wolf girl might have gotten in."
"That's ridiculous," he retorted. "If she were here, we'd know it! Dammit, I should be sleeping right now. I handled those smelly oxen all day!"
As the two passed a pair of stacks of firewood, they failed to notice the dark, furry figure hiding in between them. The wolf girl rose from her hiding place once they were out of range, and, seeing nobody else around, made a dash to the next hut. Looking at a small map she had drawn on her arm, she looked up from her hiding place, and saw the massive ironworks pyramid. Getting closer, she thought. Closer to the lair of that damned gunwoman. She smirked under her mask. Soon, I'll slit her throat, and be out of here before they know it.
Dante noticed all the extra activity going on around him, and groaned. So much for getting any sleep tonight. He had been slowly walking back to his hut when several men began arming themselves with weapons from their houses, as though they were preparing for something. Just what do they think is gonna happen?, he thought. The wolves are gone. It's nothing to get excited about. He chuckled to himself. Then again, I got excited about it, too. Because of the girl. He sighed as he turned the corner around a smaller hut. I've gotta get my head outta' the clouds. It was stupid of me to think I would see that girl agai-
He stopped in his tracks at what he saw in front of him, his mouth agape. The very girl he had just been thinking about was right in front of him, crouching behind the hut, and staring right back at him. The two looked at each other in silence for a moment.
"You," San said from behind her mask, her voice taking on a malignant tone.
"Hey," Dante said. "Fancy seeing you again."
"I knew you'd be here," she said, standing up, and drawing her dagger. "The second I laid eyes on you in the forest. You're working for that evil gunwoman!" She took a swipe at him with her blade, which he dodged.
"Hey, wait a minute!" he said, backing away. "You've got it all wrong! I'm not here to help her-"
"Stop lying to me, human!" She kept coming at him, though she continued to move silently. "Just die, and get the hell out of my misery!"
"Hey! Over here! We found the wolf girl!"
San stood, frozen in her tracks, as she turned and saw a group of men armed with spears and farming tools looking at her from the end of the alley. As the alarm began to sound again, her face sunk behind her mask before turning a deep shade of red. Turning to a dumbstruck Dante, she let out a scream of frustrated rage, and struck him with a kick to the gut that sent him crashing into the wall of the hut.
"Stupid human!" she yelled, leaping into the air, kicking Dante hard in the face as she used him as her step-up to the rooftops. She dashed down the roof o the house, heading for the next. So much for that plan! She angrily thought. I can't believe I let myself get distracted…damn that stupid human…stupid, stupid, stupid! She leapt from one roof to another, just dodging a musket shot as it exploded right where she had been. I've got no other choice now…I have to take her out quickly, before they can all get to me!
"Christ…" Dante muttered in pain, rubbing the bridge of his nose where she had kicked him on the way up. "That smarts like hell…I'm lucky she didn't break my nose. What a crazy chick!" Before he could stand up, a hand reached out to help him up.
"You okay, stranger?" It was one of the ox-drivers, holding what looked like a rust spear. "That blasted wolf-whore got you good! And now, she's on the rooftops!" He helped up the youth, who regained his composure. "What'd you say?"
"The wolf girl! She must've snuck in somehow while they were shooting at the wolves! But she won't get away this time! We've got her right where we want her!" The man took off down the path, following others as they rushed to the scene.
"Hey, wait!" the youth yelled. The man did not stop to listen, and continued on.
"Dammit!" he cursed, knowing what was likely to happen to the girl. There's no way I can talk any of them outta' this. I need to find her, and get her to leave before she gets killed! He made a dash back to his hut.
Tataraba had exploded in uproar. All over the town, people were running from one place to another, many acting in panic. Household leaders tried to calm their families while guards led men around, handing out weapons to anyone able-bodied. An enormous crowd had gathered outside the forging pyramid, around the house where their mistress resided.
Eboshi stepped out of her abode, finding Gonza waiting for her.
"I take it she turned up?" the woman asked slyly.
"Yes," the man replied, clearing his throat. "They found the girl just north of the ironworks. She'd apparently been sneaking through the area unnoticed, until a few of our men spotted her. She made a dash for the rooftops before disappearing. The whole town's been alerted to her presence, so she won't be getting away so easily." He paused for a second before continuing. "It seems she aims to take you out directly this time, milady.
Eboshi smiled. "I expected as much. Where was she last seen?"
"On the outer edge of the ironworks, heading towards your house, milady."
"I see. Very well." She turned her head to the hall behind her. "Let's go."
As she walked out, two women followed her. Each of them was clutching a musket; one had Eboshi's own personal model, while the other had the brand new prototype. She stopped just as she passed her bodyguard.
"Oh, and Gonza…"
His shotgun hanging from his back, and his machete and knife firmly around his belt, Dante raced across the rooftops, following the path he'd seen the girl take earlier. Stopping when he came to a house on east side of the ironworks, he gazed out at the crowd forming in front of the pyramid, right next to the house he'd met Eboshi in. Looking to the wall, he saw several riflemen running to their posts in elevated positions along it.
Looks like they're setting some sort of s trap, he thought. He kept looking for any sign he could find of the girl, but had no such luck. Seeing where the men were pointing their muskets, his hope sank. She must be on the roof of Eboshi's house. The second she shows herself, they'll blow her to oblivion. He sighed angrily. I have to find some way to stall them.
He was just about to leap off the roof when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye; the movement of a little speck of white on the roof of the iron forging pyramid to be exact. Looking up, he saw that she was hiding behind one of the many vents on the far side of the pyramid, away from the line of view of the crowd. She appeared to be scoping out the situation for herself.
Leaping across to the ironworks, he began climbing the roof, slow enough to keep fairly quiet in his approach. When he was within five feet of her, though, she turned around, aiming her blade right at him, forcing him to stop in his tracks.
"I've had enough of these annoying encounters we've been having, human," she growled from behind her mask. "I went easy on you before; I won't do it again. So, for both our sakes, I'm warning you to stay out of my way!"
Dante hesitated before responding. "I know you're here to kill Eboshi. But do you really think you can take all of those people down there? You don't have to do this! Just go back to the forest, before they notice you again!"
"I told you to stop wasting my time, human," she said, inching closer, causing Dante to back up. "Apparently, you can't get it through that thick skull of yours that you're about to die!"
"Look who's talking," he said under his breath.
"Shut up!" she lightly yelled. "I came here with a mission, and I intend to carry it out. I would have done it in secret by now if you hadn't blown my cover! Thanks to you, this is a suicide mission. Maybe you can lament over that when you reach hell!" She took a swipe at him, one that he wasn't ready for; the dagger managed to nick his right cheek, making a noticeable mark. Two missed swipes later, Dante lost his balance on the slanted roof, and San delivered a kick that sent him sprawling down. He managed to drive his own knife through the shingles to stop his fall before he went over the edge.
Just as San was looking down at him, she turned her head at the sound of a familiar voice calling out to her.
"Mononoke-Hime! I'm here! The target you so grossly desire to slaughter for the sake of your precious forest!" Eboshi's voice rang out like an angry bell, one that drove San further into a silent rage. "I have a message for you, however: though you may be hear to avenge the deaths of some of your kin…or even the trees that have been cut down by my people…I have here with me two women who lost their mates at the hands of your wolf brothers! They, too, seek vengeance! Will you deny them the chance?"
"Come out!" one of the women yelled. "We have a score to settle!"
Taking a look from her hiding place, San noticed they all still had their focus on Eboshi's home. Perfect, she thought. If I can keep them distracted long enough, I might be able to get the jump on the woman. She quietly climbed to the top of the structure, and began to stealthily make her way down.
Back on the other side, Dante was getting to his feet, examining the cuts and bruises he'd received from the fall. Dammit, he thought, quickly making his way up the building. They're planning something, I know it. He immediately began the trek back up the building. The second she appears in their sights, they'll blast her to bits! I have to find some way to stop her!
The men at their posts watched for anything to appear on the roof of the Mistresses' house, holding their muskets at ready, with hot matches above the powder chambers.
The crowd, holding everything from old weapons to farm tools to lit torches, was also watching with anticipation, a somewhat bloodthirsty look in their eyes, determined to end the life of the little speck of evil incarnate that had not only killed their fellow townspeople, but aimed to bring down everything they had worked so hard to build up.
Gonza watched with worry as well as anticipation. He knew that this was probably their best chance to rid themselves of the girl that had caused them so much trouble, but he couldn't help but feel something was going to go wrong. The girl had surprised them several times before, and he felt this time would be no exception. The presence of the outsider within the walls of the city didn't ease his tension, either.
Eboshi's face, however, showed no signs of worry, anticipation, or thought in general. One would never be able to tell what was going on inside of her head by looking at her face as she stared at the top of her abode.
Practically crawling down the roof of the ironworks, San carefully scanned the crowd below her until she found her target. They all had their eyes directed away from where she was, and, even better, the woman, while surrounded by plenty of her people, was a lot closer to the back of the crowd, in easier reach of the wolf girl. She could easily clear a small amount of people with a leap, and land right in the presence of her target, too late for any of the other humans to act. While making a note of obscurity of the woman's tactic, San brushed it off as another result of genuine human stupidity, more from the other humans than from the gunwoman. Preparing herself into a sprinting stance, she tightly grasped her dagger.
This is it, she thought. This is where I will avenge them all: Mother, Shiroi, Lord Nago, all of the others…all in one fell swoop!
And, with that, she took off down the building in a full sprint.
Dante, not wanting to climb anymore, had made his way around the roof to the other side, and was now scoping out the crowd. He'd lost sight of the wolf girl, and did not see her of the roof from where he stood. He had a good view of the riflemen from their posts, and was trying to figure out where the girl could have gone.
Could they have spotted her? He asked himself. Is that why they're all aiming at that structure? Noticing it was the building where he had first met Eboshi, he thought the girl might have made a dash for it.
All of a sudden, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a movement on the roof, further to his left. Focusing on it, he saw who it was: the wolf princess, preparing for what seemed like a mad dash. Too stunned to speak or act, he suddenly heard noises from back in the crowd. Looking back, he saw that the riflemen had, seemingly on impulse, turned their weapons in the direction of the ironworks.
His mouth agape, he turned back just in time to see the girl sprinting down the structure, toward the crowd. "No!" he yelled in desperation.
As soon as he had yelled, the gunfire rang out, and an enormous section of the roof went up in explosion that sent the girl tumbling down the rest of the way. All the youth could do was watch in shock and horror as the girl, battered and unconscious, fell thirty feet to the ground below.
Eboshi smiled, the women on either side of her holding their smoking weapons. The crowd was now running towards where the girl had fallen.
"Like a moth to the flame," she said, following.
Thinking as quickly as he could, Dante snatched a smoke grenade from his fatigue, yanked the pin, and hurled it just in front of the approaching crowd. Exploding on impact, it had the desired effect, causing the crowd to halt and lightly disperse. Sighing in relief, he tore down the roof, leaping of the edge.
He landed right next to the girl's unconscious form, and knelt beside her. Noticing that her mask had been shattered by the gunfire, he could see fresh wounds on her now-uncovered face, as well as the rest of her body.
"Dammit!" he exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "C'mon, wake up! Wake up!"
As if on cue, the girl's eyes snapped open, and she immediately lunged forward with a scream, throwing a swipe that the youth barely dodged. He was barely able to dodge the subsequent swipes she took at him before he fell on his rear, watching as she dashed past him, into the cloud of white smoke.
"What the hell is this?" Gonza yelled, coughing up as he tried to wave the smoke out of his eyes. He'd been at the front of the crowd, and had received a full blast of the smoke upon detonation of the grenade. "Where did this come from?" He could hear several others hacking up around him. "Everyone, fall back in! We have to get to the wolf-whore while we can…"
Noticing a quick movement through the smoke, followed by what looked like something shooting out of it, he looked up in time to see the wolf girl's foot descending upon his face. With a double kick, he was knocked out, and the girl leapt over the crowd and cloud of smoke before dashing after her target, who was now in clear sight. This ends here! she thought as she let out a primal scream.
In a move so sudden even San didn't see it coming, Eboshi tossed away her cloak, revealing a long straight sword in her hand, and blocked the girl's oncoming strike. With her other hand, she produced a small assassin's knife, and made a swing at the girl, which San barely dodged. She backed away, threw her fur hood off her head, and launched another strike at her enemy. It was parried easily, and San noticed the hostile crowd that now surrounded them.
Scowling to herself, and still feeling the pain from wounds she'd received in the blast, she continued to move in the circle, throwing more strikes at the woman while avoiding her sword swings. She'd underestimated her adversary once again, and now, she was paying for it. I've got to hurry up and kill her before I run out of strength, she thought. This is my last chance!
The fight continued, with several close calls for San, and she struggled to stay on her feet with her body becoming weaker from the wounds. A trail of blood inked her path around the ring as she fought, and she occasionally had to deal with a kick or farm tool-swipe from the surrounding crowd, who appeared to be closing in, making the area seem smaller.
Finally, San launched forward with a leap, aiming her dagger right for the woman's throat, knocking away a strike from the sword. However, she miscalculated Eboshi's response time, and felt a sharp pain dig into her side. Looking down, she saw the tiny assassin's knife dug into her side, blood trickling down the handle. She looked back into the eyes of her enemy, and the woman gave her a nasty grin before socking her up the side of the head, removing the blade with a painful rip, and sending her to the ground with a kick. Watching as the girl clutched at her side, she walked away, motioning to the enthusiastic crowd surrounding them. And they moved in on the girl, weapons raised.
Dante had been watching the fight, too stunned and speechless to do anything. He'd been hoping against hope that the girl would find a way to win, or at least to stay alive, in the fight. Now, though, he watched as the murderous crowd descended upon the girl like a pack of wolves.
"No!" he yelled, trying to make his way through the crowd. "Let me through, let me through! They're killing her!"
He was thrown backwards by a hard shove. Looking up, he saw the captain of the guard standing over him, a long tachi sword in his grasp.
"I knew you were a spy, outlander," he said, "but I never imagined you'd be here on the wolves behalf!" He pointed his sword at the youth's face. "Two of my men say they found you with the wolf-whore inside the fortress. You let her in here, didn't you? You planned this whole thing with her, to kill our Lady Eboshi!"
Seething with anger, Dante kicked the blade away, and leapt to his feet. "Fuck off, Zatoichi! I'm gonna put a stop to this!" he yelled, reaching for his handgun.
Gonza stood in his path, pointing his sword at the boy. "You'll do no such thing, outsider!"
"Stand down, Gonza!" a voice called out. They both turned to see Eboshi walking towards them. "Milady?"
"I see you have this uncanny fixation towards the wolf girl, outlander," the woman said, still clutching her long sword. "Putting my people in danger to keep her alive…a very bold move. I'm afraid that this puts us on a different plane of trust, though."
Yanking out his 1911, he aimed it at the woman. "Who cares? I've had enough of this lousy town anyway!" he yelled. "I'm not gonna let you and your minions kill her!"
"Really," she said, not dropping her smirk. "I wonder how you're going to convince all of them to cease their little celebration." She looked towards the crowd, and Dante followed. Gasping in shock, he saw that the townspeople were taking their time with the girl, holding her up by the arms so that individual people could have a go at wounding her. It was turning into a carnival-like atmosphere with torture as the main game.
"Dammit!" he screamed, moving in the direction of the crowd before Gonza stopped him again. "This is madness!"
"This is justice," Eboshi retorted. "Those women are getting their revenge for the husbands they lost to the wolf clan. Are you going to rob them of that?"
His anger skyrocketing, Dante turned towards the woman, and, holstering his pistol, he pulled out his machete. His right arm began to bulge, and his eyes were beginning to take on the familiar shade of red, but he was too angry to notice any pain. "No! I'll rob them of something more!" Forgetting everything else in his anger, he charged the woman with his own blade. She parried his strike easily, and the two exchanged blows, Eboshi taking advantage of the boy's lack of focus in his anger.
After Dante missed another strike, though, Eboshi swung her sword, cutting his machete in half. The broken blade fell to the ground, and Dante looked up to see the woman standing over him. "Foolish boy," she said, "did you really think such a weak blade would be able to stand up to a sword such as this?" She held the blade up for all to see, then swung it down on him again. "You really should know better!"
A klang sound brought her blade to s stop, and she saw that the youth had blocked it with his survival knife. "Better, outlander," she said, twisting her blade in a motion that sent the knife fling out of his hands. "But still not good enough!" Kicking him in the chest to send him to the ground, she held her blade against his neck. "I'm really disappointed in you, traveler. We could have been strong together. With your knowledge and my leadership, we could have taken on every daimyo this land had to offer, maybe even the Emperor himself. We could have united this nation, turning it from the cesspool it is into a true utopia. You could have been something of a legend. But no; when I made you the offer of a lifetime, you cast it aside as if it were some diseased piece of garbage." She pressed harder with her blade, drawing blood at his neck. "Now, it can never be. And, one day, your curse will consume and ultimately destroy you." She motioned to two men behind her, who grabbed the youth by the shoulders, restraining him tightly. "But, before that happens, I think I'll let you watch as my people get their justice." She gave him a final smirk, then turned to walk closer to the crowd.
Dante, weak from the blows he'd received, could only watch in horror as the girl, bruised and blood-caked, was dragged through the mud by a noose tied around her neck. No, he thought. No, not like this…Every jeer, every cheer, every scream of enthusiastic joy from the townspeople as they inflicted harm and humiliation on the girl boiled his blood and fueled his already intense hatred. They're killing her…and they're enjoying it! Stop! Stop it now! His struggles against his restraints, however, proved futile. He could feel his right arm burning hotter and hotter, but barely noticed. No! For fuck's sake, STOP!!
As the youth let out a primal scream of rage, there was a sudden buildup of heat, followed by a massive explosion of fire from within the crowd of townspeople. Every single one of them was thrown backwards, and a few of them screamed as their clothes caught on fire, which they tried to beat out. Everyone, of course, except for the wolf girl, who laid untouched by the explosion.
Eboshi watched, shaken and shocked, as her people were sent flying by some form of intense power they could not see. Her smirk having disappeared from her faced, she could feel the uneasy feeling of fear building up in her body. Preparing for the worst, she turned around to where she had felt another surge of heat and power, and saw a sight that would haunt her for years to come.
The two men who had been restraining the youth were now unconscious on the ground, and a big, black ring had been left from the explosion of fire, surrounding the boy. The sleeve and bandage that had been covering Dante's right arm had been completely incinerated, revealing a nasty sight: the entire arm, from shoulder to fingertips, was now a bulging, maroon-colored arm that was engulfed in what seemed like an unending flame. The curse, seemingly with a life of its own, had also spread beyond his arm, across his shoulders and torso, even to his other arm. His hair had become more fire-like in its appearance. On his face, there were black streaks across his eyes, as well as other marks across his jaw line. And his eyes were now an endless sea of blood red, with no sign of pupils or other human traits.
Inside his head, Dante was stunned with disbelief at the new force controlling his body. What is this?,he asked. Who are you?
Your better half, a voice replied.
So, it's you?, the youth inquired. You're my curse?
Must you call me that?, it replied. I may be living off you, but does that make me a curse? I am a living being, just like you. I am merely using you as a host.
A host?, the boy thought, fearfully. No! That means you're a parasite! Get out of my head!
I'm not a parasite! Just a symbiote. I need you to survive, and I've given to you in return, haven't I? You have innumerable strength, and, now that you've awakened them, powers to manipulate objects and fire. I've given all of this to you. You should be grateful.
But you're eating me alive! They told me you'd kill me! Destroy my soul!
Lies! I'm not killing you; I'm bonding with you. We are able to bond because we are alike, you see. We have a common enemy, and common desires.
I'm nothing like you!, the youth screamed inside his head. You made me kill all those people!
They were trying to kill you, were they not? I helped you stay alive! And yet you persistently try to get rid of me! I implore you, bond with me. Together, we can save the girl, and destroy the scum who mistreated you. We can kill them all, the bastards who destroy the forest and everything in their path. Heed my words. Bond with me!
But…you…I don't wanna…
Don't resist! LET US BECOME ONE!
Dante's body let out another scream as he clutched his head. Once the scream subsided, though, he raised his head, and calmly walked towards where the wolf girl lay. Lifting her into a seated position in his arms, he noticed she was in horrible physical condition. She was badly burned on her left arm; her right leg was noticeably fractured; several wounds had been cut open, leaving a puddle of blood beneath her; and she was having trouble breathing from the damage left by the noose they had used to drag her. Still, she was alive, and that was good enough for the young soldier.
"It's a very touching scene," he heard a familiar voice say from behind him. "The demon comes to save his loved one. I really have underestimated you, traveler. But I wouldn't rule everything out just yet."
"We won't let you kill her," Dante scowled.
Eboshi raised an eyebrow. "'We'? Are you telling me you've become one with the curse of that Boar God?"
"We feel his pain," the youth replied coldly. "We feel the pain of the entire land around us. And we feel the pain of this girl." He held her up so she could see the wounds. "We're leaving with the girl, and you're not going to stop us."
"I'm sure she'll make you a lovely bride," the woman retorted, regaining some of her lost composure. "But I'm afraid it won't be that simple. You see, Dante, my people have been striving to survive in this land for years. Yet they lived every second of their lives in fear of the forest beasts. I was able to help them achieve their dream of peace. I gave them a new life, and a new society. Are you going to rip that away from them by saving the one that is out to destroy this peace?"
"Peace?" Dante said, scoffing in disgust. "Don't make us laugh, you high and mighty twat! And don't try to get us to believe that you give a damn about these people. They're just tools for you to use in your quest for power; for the world. You're just like all the other daimyos, from the past and the time to come! You destroy all enemies, crush all dissent, and label the result 'peace'. This is not peace. It's a disgusting lie of a 'society', and this girl is a victim of it."
Eboshi's smile disappeared once again. "It seems I was foolish to ever think I could make you one of us," she said. "You're strange…too strange…for a human of this land…for a human of even this era. It's as though you're not even from this world. I don't know how to describe it."
"You're not far off," the youth said under his breath.
"It matters not anymore," the woman replied. "As much as I admire you, demon, you've proven to be a threat to my people and the peace they represent, just like the girl you hold in your arms. And I won't let you destroy it, no matter how powerful or advanced you are." She raised her sword, pointing it at him. "This will end, here and now. Face me!"
Taking off his fatigue, Dante folded it to form a cushion for the girl's head before he laid her back down. Dressed in his wife beater, Eboshi noticed that the maroon markings had run up his neck, and engulfed his other arm as well. Laying down both his weapons, Dante walked closer, until he stood straight in front of Eboshi. "Bring it on."
Eboshi slashed at the soldier repeatedly with her blade, attacking with a ferocity her people had never seen before. Still, it was mostly for naught, as the demon kept dodging her attacks, if not parrying them outright with his curse-laden arms. Though the woman did manage to land several strikes on his body, the wounds almost immediately healed as if nothing had happened. This did not deter her, though, as she kept fighting with even more ferocity.
Finally, she managed to outmaneuver the youth, and, after a strike to his arm, drove her sword through his gut. She watched the stranger freeze up, and, yanking her blade back out, watched him fall to his knees. "Well," she said, smiling again. "It seems that, demon or not, nothing is indestructible. Not even a god. And I intend to prove that. But not until I rid my land of all threats to peace." She raised her sword right over the boy's neck. "Farewell, outlander!" She swung down.
In a sudden movement, Dante caught the sword in his hand, clutching it so tight that the shocked woman could not budge it. As he stood up, a flame conjured from his arm, and engulfed the blade. "We won't be that easy to kill," he said coldly. Eboshi's mouth opened in shock as the blade began to melt right before her eyes. "And don't think you're the victim here. You've drawn first blood…and we will even it!"
He connected a right hook to her head that sent her flying back five feet. Amidst the cries of terror from the townspeople, Dante advanced on the woman, and unleashed an onslaught. Though she was able to get to her feet, she found it difficult to dodge his attacks, which came in the from of fire-engulfed fists, threatening to set her ablaze with each punch.
After knocking her to the ground again, three women, one of them armed with the new musket, charged after him. "Get away from Eboshi-sama!" they cried.
"Don't even think about it!" Dante growled, throwing out his hand. A wall of flames came between him and the women, stopping them in their tracks. Going back to a staggering Eboshi, he delivered a kick to her face, sending her back to the ground. Looking down at the battered, bruised, and now unconscious woman, Dante lifted her by the scruff of her tunic. Raising two fire-tipped fingers above her face, he said, "Looks like your reign of 'peace' is over!"
STOP! Stop it now!
The youth halted, looking up in anger. "Shut up! This is for our revenge!"
This is my body, dammit! And you're not gonna kill her! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
Dropping the woman to the ground, the boy fell to his knees, clutched his head, and let out another ear-piercing scream. Slamming his head into the ground, he lay still for about a minute before rising again.
Looking at his arm, he noticed it was back to how it was before that night, minus the sleeve and bandage of course. His face was back to normal, minus the eyes, which were still red. Letting out a long, exhausted sigh, he gave the frightened townspeople a look, and picked up his weapons before heading for the girl
The three women from earlier immediately ran to the aid of their mistress, carrying her off. Several others, most of them women, rushed to see to her aid as well. They all gave the outsider a hateful glare as he walked past them, stopping to lift the girl over his shoulders. "I'm leaving with the girl," he said blankly.
A cry rose up from the crowd, and one of them, running back from those who were caring for Eboshi, picked up the musket she had dropped. "Oh, no you don't! Stay where you are! How dare you treat Eboshi-sama like that!" Arming the weapon once more, she took careful aim at the stranger. "D-don't move!"
Moving faster than she could notice, the youth pulled his shotgun off his back, and aimed it right back at her, standing less than two feet away. As the guns crossed, the slide on the modern gun pumped back on its own, chambering a round. Clearly agitated, she began to shake.
"You've got a gun pointed at you," Dante said, no fear apparent in his eyes. "Doesn't feel good, does it?"
"P-put that down!"
"I'd advise you to do that," he replied. "You've already seen what happens to those who turn weapons on me when my back is turned. I don't think I'll be able to suppress my other half again like I just did. If you care about yourself, your people, and your mistress, you'll put that weapon down, now."
Shaking a bit more, her hand inched closer to the firing pin. The people around them watched in horrid anticipation as the woman continued to aim her gun at the stranger. Finally, with a low sob, she dropped to her knees. Another woman immediately came to comfort her. "It's all right, Kiyo. Everything's going to be fine…"
Slinging his weapon over his back once again., Dante headed back in the other direction. "Need to make a stop first."
At one of the side entrances to the ironworks structure, two women gasped at what approached. One of them turned to the door.
"Toki! Come quick!"
The woman came out just in time to see the outlander approaching them. She stared, her mouth agape, at the sigh tin front of her.
"What…on earth…happened?"
Dante gave her look before continuing towards his hut.
Gonza, who'd been knocked out by the initial explosion, finally sat up, clutching his head in pain. Opening his eyes, he looked around, and immediately ran to the nearest person.
"What happened? Where is Lady Eboshi?"
"She and the outlander fought, sir-"
"I'm asking what happened to her, dammit!"
"She's alright, sir. The outlander knocked her out, and took off with the wolf girl, but the mistress is all right now."
Gonza growled menacingly. "How far did they get?"
"They're still inside the fortress, sir."
"Bring me my gun, and get the riflemen together! And get two men on the gate! They're not getting out of here alive!" At his words, the men scurried to their tasks.
Dante, with his army-issued backpack slung over his shoulder, began to approach the gate. A crowd of townspeople had gathered, and every single one of them watched in fascinated horror as the outsider made his way towards the main gate to the fortress, moving out of the way as he approached.
When he reached the gate, two riflemen on either side of it blocked the path with their muskets. "Please," one of them said, "just stop and give up already. It's useless to resist."
"You helped one of our own. We don't want to see you harmed. Just turn around, and give up the girl."
"We're begging you…"
Dante didn't even give them a look. "I'm leaving this town, through this gate or not. Stand aside." He placed his right palm on the gate, and began to push with all his strength.
"What are you doing?" one of them asked. "It takes ten men to open that gate!"
Dante acted like he hadn't heard the words. He continued to push, the strain of the pressure more apparent on his face with every passing second. Blood began to trickle from one of the wounds he'd received in the fight, and his feet showed signs of slipping.
"Dear god, son, stop before you kill yourself!" one of the men in the crowd yelled.
The riflemen looked like they were going to move in to stop him when, suddenly, the gate began to move. The crowd, absolutely thunderstruck, watched in awe as the foreigner moved the heavy gate with only his right hand. Soon, he had it open enough to walk out.
Turning around, he glared at the crowd behind them. "If anyone follows me, I'll kill them. Take care." And, with that, he walked out, letting the gate slam shut with a crush.
The townspeople could only stare in disbelief.
Whew. I guess I have to apologize, but really, I think you're just happy enough reading the chapter. A lot has happened since the spring, such as my college graduation, my continuous job search (thanks to the economy, I still have time to write – be thankful!), and a few other things, including a death in the family (Okay, it was a dog. Still!) I've also been focusing on other works. Notably Oyaji, three chapters of which I've updated since the spring. Anyway, take it easy, and await the next chapter. I eagerly await your reviews for this one. After all, it's the one you've been waiting for.
A few notes: For those of you wondering about Dante's curse: don't worry, you're right. I've been dipping into my old Spider-Man comics lately, and I just couldn't resist. And for those who think I'm being a bit hard on Eboshi, give me some time to flesh her out. She's not going to be the two-dimensional character she is in most fics.
Anyway, just in case it doesn't come as soon as I'd like it to, here's a preview for the next chapter:
Dante and San's troubles are far from over as they clash over their current situation. One reason being the next appearance of Gojiro Makabe and his minions. Just what are they planning? Also, Eboshi and her people try to cope. Who is Shiroi, you ask? You'll find out soon enough.
Happy trails.
Music for Ch. 16:
For the dream:
L'America by the Doors
For the showdown: Either
The Legend of Ashitaka by Jo Hisaishi (used in the film)
or
Man With a Harmonica by Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West)
(Interesting note: A long time ago, I decided to try something, and I want to share it with you. Here's what you do: get the track Man With a Harmonica from the Once Upon a Time in the West soundtrack on your iTunes (see the film as well, if you can). It should be about 3:31 in length. Then, get a copy of Mononoke on DVD (if you can). Pop it into your computer, shut off the volume(on the DVD player), and fast forward to the 48:50 mark of the film. Pause it, then prepare to start the music track. Play them both at the same time from this point in the movie, and you'll get an amazing synch-up with a great piece of film music; not so much in the first few seconds, but when Ashitaka appears on screen, things get really good. You won't be disappointed.)