CHAPTER TWENTY-NEIN
Northern Ryoshima Coast
After patrolling up and down the coast I at last found the canine warriors on the northernmost edge of Northern Ryoshima Coast, the pack of dogs were lying underneath the giant tree close to the edge of the water, past the waterfall. Waiting, as they'd said, but apparently not just for my sake. Shisa was the first to see me and lifted her head sharply. "Akime's here!" She barked excitedly and the others quickly got to their feet. I was greeted by wagging tails and yelps of joy, and I didn't mind being swarmed by the canines' affections, I'd missed the warriors. "We were beginning to worry about you." Hana barked happily. "What kept you?"
"There was a slight problem with a large tengu, and then a ghost-fox, oh and a kirin. But it's all resolved now." I smiled, and they looked surprised but the old warriors not overly so. They'd endured their own fair share of adventures and battling strange monsters.
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's get your keywheel back!" Hiraku said excitedly, bouncing up and down. "I'm afraid it's not that simple." Chi said, stepping aside so we could look out at the ocean. In the distance, there was a dark and threatening outcrop of rocks jutting out of the water, constantly thrashed by waves. "We found the location of the demon's palace, but alas, we cannot reach it. No boat could safely sail through those treacherous waters, nor could we hope to swim that far. Even if we did, we would be bashed upon the rocks by the buffeting waves." Rei barked sadly. I looked out at the open water, sea spray blowing lightly over us and I had to squint to see the jagged rocks in the distance, with the larger silhouette of the monster's palace behind it. The shadow of an island summoned from the depths by dark powers loomed above the ocean's surface, protected on all sides by a thick ring of spiked rock, which were constantly slammed by mighty waves. 'This must be how Mother felt, facing Oni Island.' I thought, then I had a sudden idea. "Queen Otohime! She might be able to help us! She aided my mother when she needed to cross the sea to Oni Island. She could very well help us cross this stretch of ocean too." The dogs perked up at the idea. "That might work!" Ko barked, and the green and white pointed nodded, sitting down. "It might."
"A broken constellation rests above the dragons' lair, the court requires a fourth in order to repair…" Jun whispered. I tilted my head curiously, but Daiko snapped angrily: "What are you muttering about, kudan?" And Jun snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "Nothing!" He barked. "Akimeterasu, we believe our apprentices still require more training before they are ready to enter the demon's fortress, could you go deliberate with Otohime on our behalf, so we may stay behind and prepare?" Chi barked softly. "Yes, I can go speak with her." I volunteered, and Rei nodded. "…Very well. We will wait for you here, until you return with a path forward, or you return without one and we will consider a new plan." I dipped my head in agreement, I was sad to have to leave right after being reunited with the canine warriors, but I knew that the sooner were able to defeat whatever demon resided out across the water, the better. I waved goodbye with my tail to the warriors, and then set off to open the great vortex to the Dragon Palace.
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I sat on the edge of Watcher's Cape, listening to the waves crashing into the cliff face below as the sun set over the ocean, and the orange sky began to fade into a peaceful dark shade. As I watched, stars all at once began to appear in the sky, and a massive cluster of light came into view, spiraling together in the heavens. The whirlpool galaxy hung in the sky above our heads like a gigantic pinwheel, waiting to be spun. I felt strangely connected to my mother, as it seemed I was following her path so closely now. Fighting Ninetails, opening the whirlpool, going to the Dragon Palace… I felt comforted, like she was almost here with me. "The portal to the dragon palace has been closed for years." Hiraku said, also gazing upwards. "My guess is they don't like for it to be open without a reason."
"Well, good thing we have one." I murmured, sweeping my tail in a loop. "I'm sure Otohime is aware of the evil plaguing the coast, and surely she won't be opposed to having some help to take care of it." The stars spun rapidly above us, nearly blurring together. A rushing noise filled the air, and a great maw in the ocean's surface became visible far away from shore. The entrance was open! "Yeah, or she eats us. One or the other." Hiraku said sourly, and I refrained from rolling my eyes. "I thought you'd be happy to go to visit a kingdom comprised entirely of women, Hiraku. Not scared about it."
"I'm not scared! I'm just-"
"Terrified." I stuck my tongue out. "It's not the dragonians I'm afraid of, it's… You know… the huge blue emptiness? The crushing pressure and thought of being unable to breathe? It's a little unnerving." That I wasn't expecting. "Mother told me the Dragon Palace is beautiful, that it's one of the most remarkable places she'd ever seen. The palace shimmers under the moving light of the sun through the water, and the water is warm and peaceful." I said, trying to assure him. "Plus, if worst comes to worst, we'll both drown together."
"That's not exactly comforting, Akime." He smiled. "Well, good for you the water is breathable near the palace so that visiting surface dwellers don't need to worry about drowning. So you can live to put up with me another day." I grinned and looked out at the water again. "Also not exactly comforting, Furball- but thanks for trying." I blinked and squinted, two heads bobbed above the water, one large, one small. When they realized I noticed them, they both quickly vanished below the waves. "Let's get going." I told him, and he bounced onto my head.
I started walking back towards the way we'd come up, I'd repaired the stairs with my heightened rejuvenation and not needed to use catwalk to ascend the side of the cliff. I'd nearly reached the first step when I saw something slither through the grass. I caught sight of it only for a moment, a dark, quiet form trying to stay out of the light of the torches. My lip curled above my fangs and I sliced at the tall grass, shredding the figure's cover. It reared out of the grass, a six-foot long snake with a gray body and red belly, wearing a green helmet. A fighting ring rose around the stone ruins and it lunged forward. Almost without thinking, I used my reflector as a shield so that the serpent slammed face-first into the hard metal disk. While the creature was stunned, I attacked it with my rosary, but two more giant snakes appeared out of the gloom. One hung down from the walls and hissed, mouth open wide. I power-slashed it, and it fell to the ground, but swiftly recovered, shaking its head and hissing more. After striking a few more hits, I slowed time, jumped in the air, and drew a cherry bomb beneath me. As the gray snakes launched themselves forward, I leaped into the air out of the explosion's wake, while they caught the full force of it. The serpents went flying backwards, and two of them immediately burst into purple flowers, while the third was stunned. I set upon it with a flurry of bead attacks, and it was quickly defeated, also springing into a bouquet. "What were those?" I asked, bewildered, wondering if I should pull out my bestiary. "Those must have been Uwabami." Hiraku said, staring at the place they'd disappeared. "Said to have been spewed forth from the jaws of Orochi's water head and incubated in Lake Harami for 10 years. There were originally only a few of them, but now they've allegedly infested Ryoshima Coast. They're extremely venomous, aggressive pests. Living remnants of Orochi's terror." I stared at the ground where the snake demons had vanished as well. "Echoes of Orochi's evil last even today." I muttered. Same as I was a successor of my Mother's noble deeds, so too were these direct descendants of her old foe. Reduced to vermin lurking in the shadows, but still alive and well, biding their time. The recent upsurge in evil activity had awakened them as well as many new and old demons, and were now preying on innocent mortals. "True evils never seem to really die, do they?" Hiraku mused. The cycle of good and evil never ends, there are simply new players, new lessons to be learned, and old lessons to be re-learned. Legends of the past inspire new generations to take up the mantle of their predecessors, and thus live on. "No." I said. "But nor do true heroic deeds."
(AN: Next chapter should be done as soon as I can play the game and make sure my Dragon Palace chapter's layout is accurate! ^^)