Augh, THAT took forever and a half. But after a way-too-long hiatus, Iris is back, baby! Oh, and the appearance of Tobi will give a very obvious tip to experienced Okami fans as to who this "Nine-headed Demon" is, but PLEASE don't spoil it for those who haven't gotten that far. Also - Demon Tobi. Yes? No? Silly? Please tell me. Okami beongs to its owners, Iris, Ayame, and now the demon hawk Hitofuki belong to me. Please do not look for him in mythology, he does not exist, I made him up myself. As always, thanks for reading and have fun!

Chapter 15: This is Why I Hate Caves

How long could this tunnel possibly go? Iris stumbled over another rock as she trudged through the dimly-lit cave, occasionally glancing around or rubbing her arms in the hopes of retaining what little warmth remained beneath her skin. The torches were more dispersed now, and got further away from each other as Iris continued through the twists of the tunnel.

Had it been an hour? Two hours? The sounds of her sandals hitting the floor were the only ones Iris could hear, save the occasional dripping of water into half-frozen puddles that turned to ice as she kept going.

Years, maybe decades from now, when she was old and could barely grip the blade strapped to her back, Iris would remember the complete and utter joy that was the sound of flute whistles ahead, clear and distinct and real. Iris sprinted ahead, following the sound as it resonated through her personal torture tunnel, getting closer, closer…

You have GOT to be kidding me.

It wasn't Waka that Iris saw, although he would have been irritating to encounter after all of this. Instead, Iris stared at a circle of what looked like possessed stone carved in the image of monks, playing music around a fire as the taint from the cursed zones before once again wafted into the girl's lungs. Iris clasped a hand over her mouth, filtering what air she could between her fingers as she slowly backed up to one of the walls, quietly as possible. Her eyes flickered ahead of them, and she saw the tunnel expand into a large room filled with doors, each one larger and more forbidding than the last.

Iris looked at the circle of demon statues again, and internally sighed. If it will make this curse go away… She dashed forward, pulling her blade from its sheath as the demons poised to attack.

Ack! Iris dodged a blast of light from one of the statues before jumping up and slicing the wheel from its back, sending it to the ground. As it hit the cave floor, a large crack split into it at the point of impact, and Iris drove her sword into the fissure when the statue tried to roll over, causing it to split in half. She pulled her sword back out, and barely dodged a blow from another statue, only to temporarily get the wind knocked out of her by a giant tone bell wielded by a third demon. She turned, and cut the demon's feet out from under it as it raised the bell again. The demon dropped the bell on itself, and crumbled. She quickly sliced up the third demon, and took in a breath of stale, but clean, air as the small cursed zone lifted.

"What's all this ruckus?" Iris turned to face the voice, and stared in disbelief. "Ah, I see you took care of those rabble-rousers. I was about to find them and get them back to work – that or turn them over to the hawk. I suppose this will do." Iris continued to stare. "Good woman, what are you looking at?"

"You're a piece of paper." Iris said flatly, blinking once as she gazed at the floating slip, which emanated with a sort of strange light. It had a prayer painted on it with red ink, the top symbol on the vertical slip being an eye."

"Piece of paper?" The prayer slip flew up to Iris, until she was looking it in the eye, so to speak. "Do not dishonor me with such an unflattering name." Iris stumbled back a bit. "My name is Tobi!"

"…Tobi?" Iris raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a dog's name…"

"I," the prayer slip continued, ignoring the comment, "Serve as the gatekeeper of this place, the cave of the hawk Hitofuki. I keep suspicious people away." He turned, and floated away from her for a few feet before facing her again. "I have never seen your face around these parts, good woman, and while you have done me a great service of taking the worry about these three off my mind, you did kill three of Hitofuki's soldiers." Iris looked at the rubble that marked what remained of the three statues. "Who are you," Iris looked at Tobi again, "and what business do you have here?"

"Well," Iris started, "My name is Iris, and truth be told I'm just trying to get back to Agata Forest. You wouldn't happen to know the way…up, would you?"

"How unfortunate," Tobi responded, sounding a tad disappointed as the light around him changed.. "I am afraid I cannot allow that."

Iris stared for what was certainly not the first time as the paper twisted and stretched, wrapping around an invisible figure with its back to her. The paper coiled around into arms and fingers and legs, and in a matter of moments, the transformation ended, as quick as it had begun. In the paper's place, a kneeling figure slowly rose to its bandaged feet, and the gray mummy tilted his head to look down at Iris from a solid foot above her, single painted eye on his otherwise blank face staring at Iris's shocked expression.

"Wh-what the…" Iris gaped at Tobi as he turned his body around, so that h stood completely facing the shocked human.

"The only way I can help you out," Tobi said, flexing his talon-edged fingers, "Is if you defeat me first."